"Aren't you glad you got out of that godforsaken apartment?"
"I suppose. It's not nearly as nice to hole up in. Too noisy." Devi stopped in front of a painting and sighed. "What do I have to do to get an exhibit? These people are soulless, and they get put up."
Tenna stopped and followed her glance, at a painting of a stick figure raging to hopeless victims. "It's odd, I know. Some of this stuff I'll never understand. You're supposed to be the art person."
"I don't know. I like to let the demons out, but I can't really connect to others. I guess the main thing to look for in other exhibits is style, techniques… but not themes."
"'teva." Tenna said apathetically, using the annoying abbreviation for 'whatever'. Devi rolled her eyes and went on through the exhibit.
"So what happened to your little crazy doll?" Tenna asked out of boredom. "I still don't get that whole thing."
"She's in my studio, stuck to my canvas." Devi smiles. "I'm usually too busy for her, anyway. I'm busy with managing the bookstore, and plus I've really gotten ahold of my own work."
"You haven't shown me anything yet."
"Nothings... ready, quite yet." Devi replied slyly. "Wow... now *that's* interesting!" A monster eye watched them from the wall. Only surrounded by a portion of skin, it still manages to create a look of despair, longing, and frustration with the world. Devi stood, entranced by the painting, until Tenna got annoyed and bonked her on the head with Spooky.
"Fuck, Tenna, don't *touch* me with that thing. Why did you bring him to the art museum?"
"Whaat? I bring him EVERYWHERE." Tenna pouted, gently caressing the sqeak toy.
"This is supposed to be a civilized place." Devi growled, not that she cared what people thought. She just wanted to have something to hold against the stupid thing.
"Civilized? Yeah, when they look at shit like *that*." Tenna pointed out a specific painting. Devi turned and froze.
It wasn't just the fact that it was HER up there on the wall - she didn't notice that, not at first anyway. But the fact that it was her up there - her life, her most vulnerable moment. Shit, just remembering the feeling made her want to vomit. Then she realized it wasn't just coincidence, or deja vu. It really was her in the painting, scared and angry, every detail drawn perfectly, her tear freckle, her short haircut, her clothes. The moment of confronting what she had thought to be her soul mate, locked forever in this one image. Tenna watched Devi with interest, oblivious and only slightly curious.
A few seconds of watching Devi freak was enough. Tenna moved on, looking at the wall, waiting for Devi to speak. "Hey, look," She said, noting the painter's biographer. "He's a cult figure. Popular with the homeless insane. And you call this a civilized place..." Devi grabbed Tenna and looked paranoidly around the museum.
"He could be here." Devi hissed.
"What? Homeless people? They're here for the free cheese, I tell you."
Devi grabbed her friend and pulled her arm. "Come on, we're going."
"Whaaat? You want to go already? But you soooo need to get out more!"
Devi paused. "Shit."
"What? Whaaat?" Tenna asked, annoyed.
"There he is."