Work Text:
The browns, the grays and the blacks all blended perfectly with the dominant reds. Too bad this museum forbids taking pictures much like any other museum.
I took a glance at the huge clock outside. It was the church's clock tower and it became this town's clock. It is visible from the windows and arches of this building and it says that my friend had left 2 hours ago.
Seriously, does buying food take that long? He's lucky I'm nice. Plus, this is a museum. He's just really lucky.
I put my glance back at the painting. It is twice my height. It's very beautiful, I'm telling you.
I smiled. I can't believe this small country had really rich culture. All masterpieces you can see in this museum is created purely by local folks. This is very world class and according to a conversation between two guards I heard accidentally, many of the artworks, especially sculptures are brought abroad to be displayed on their museums. Hopefully, they still display the origins of the sculptures there.
Ever since I was young, my dad always brings me to museums and historical sites. He works as a salesman in a well-known antique shop back from my city so he took interest in history. Now he works as a history teacher in a highschool and let's just say that his interest in this type of things was passed down to me. He took me on trips both local and abroad and I've seen many places. It's just fascinating to step on places where people in history used to stand on too. Even if they're just marks on the ground with little to no description, at least I can pinpoint and use my imagination on what that place used to look like before.
When my friend and I had flown all this way from the States, he found out about my love for historical sites and uses museums and landmarks as a waiting center for me while he ran small errands. But damn, his technique's effective.
If not museums or landmarks then he's often drop me off to a library or thrift shops. I mean, that's effective too. It's just as interesting as museums. The older the book or object is, the better. I think I made many salesperson friends at thrift shops because I often ask them about the objects and where they came from. Even if they're not as famous as the ones in the museums, it's just as interesting to know where something came from and what happened that landed it on it's current state.
Anyway, I decided to come to the other sections. This one seemed to be about this country's previous monarchs. They have their busts and lots of description on their works.
As I walked from bust to bust, I noticed the number of male rulers. Most of these are queens, princesses and duchesses that fought for the country themselves. It's quite nice to see that the feminism of this country rise. As a male, I often enjoy the humble dominance of men but I find the equality much more endearing. It's beautiful to see that things such as inequality and gender stereotypes to be ignored to create a much more kind place.
As I know a lot in history, I was exposed to things like gender inequality, especially in the early stages of history. I have learnt the struggles all genders faced throughout history and somehow, I can find myself giving a speech in front of a crowd someday. A speech of freedom and equality. I don't want to give a speech that only spoke to people. I want to give a speech that will move people and I will seriously prepare myself for that.
I suddenly heard a lot of whispers. I turned around and saw a group of teenagers wearing school uniforms and holding papers and pens. They might be researching for their project. Looking around, I noticed that there are many people in the museum. They don't look much like tourists and they look more like local folks that enjoys to see their own culture in their own country. I think it's beautiful.
Despite the number of people enjoying the history here, it was peaceful. You can hear whispers of admiration here and there but it isn't noisy at all. In fact, it's almost quiet. I think it's relaxing.
I brought my gaze back to the busts. There are also great male monarchs that did many great things for this country. It should feel great to be born in this country, shouldn't it?
"Guys! It's the Princess Jeirin of the 1300's!" I heard the student journalists walk to this section and they started to take notes.
"Hello." We all turned to see a teenager walk towards our direction. Well, to their direction exactly. "Are you researching students?" she asked kindly. Her brown hair was tied up in a messy yet presentable bun and her uniform seemed to match those of the staff. She must be working here. The students nodded their heads. "Oh. Did you know that Princess Jeirin fought in the war of 1347 when she was just 19 years old?"
She did?
The students gasped in surprise and wrote on their papers. "Thank you! Do you happen to know something about Archduchess Meikan?" the students started to ask more questions, to which she answered kindly.
She took a glance at my direction and we shared an eye contact. My feet was glued on the floor. Her brown hazel eyes was glued to mine for a few seconds before she turned to the students and answered their questions. Her eyes were sure pretty.
I put my gaze back at the monarchs. I don't know most of this country's history yet as this was my first time visiting such place. I listened secretly.
Though, I started to stray away. I went to the section about the country's famous painters and sculptors. They have a photo of them at the wall with examples of their art enclosed in glass to which I guess was bulletproof.
I can notice that most of them are sculptors really. If not sculptors then potters. There's a sculptor that created a sculpture each in every medium imaginable. Too bad the ice one was now displayed in Sweden. I wonder how they shipped it off without it melting? It's literally across the globe.
I looked around and it seems the students are still stuck at the monarchs' section but the lady is right—
—there two displays away from me. She is looking at a blue vase a potter created. It was beautiful. It was created as twin jars and the other 'twin' was shipped off to China. Too bad.
But wow huh, this lady's a fast walker. Or maybe she just skipped off a few displays. I put my gaze back at the art masters of this country. There was a sculptor that once carved a fountain made from ice. A literal fountain. It was now displayed in Norway. Again, too bad. This country is currently in its summer, so it may melt in this climate. Maybe I'll search for them when me, my dad and my friend's family visits Norway and Sweden next year.
I skipped a few displays and went to the painters. One painter painted a portrait of an imaginary lady only to meet her lookalike years later. They married...
Wow, such love story. Another painter used...his own blood? What? Wait, that's the painting from earlier!
"Let's go to the sculptors!" I heard the students again. They made their way to the sculptors section and the...
The lady is currently at the display beside me. Is she following me or...
Calm down. She isn't following you. Well, she's kind of pretty and smart. Whatever. i put my gaze back at the painters. Well, this painter used his own hair in his paintbrushes. Their painters are weirdly creative, then. This another one owns an easel made out of human skeletons...
These masterpieces and especially their painters were surely odd.
I went to the section for the paintings again. This time, they were the natural paintings. I kept noticing the group of students around but what I noticed more was that the lady was oddly....following me, perhaps?
I wasn't a fan of stalking or social interaction whatsoever. If she dares invade my sacred personal space then I better leave. Well, I have nothing against her personally, but why is she following me? Oh god, do I owe her something? Do I know this lady? What did I do?
"Good afternoon."
"Ah!" I stumbled backwards as I covered my mouth. Hopefully, no one was around when I literally screamed. She stared at me with wide eyes, surprised at my sudden scream.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!" She smiled and held out a peace sign.
What. "Alright," I cleared my throat. I avoided eye contact and I suddenly saw a small palm near me.
I internally debated on taking her hand or not since I haven't brought any disinfectant today. She 'tsk'ed before grabbing my wrist herself and pulling me to my feet. She kept her hand around my wrist so we just kind of stood there awkwardly in silence. The students passed by and I just wanted to disappear right now.
"Uhm..." I started. "Would you let go?" I asked, flashing a smile so she wouldn't take it in a bad way. "No." She narrowed her eyes.
I knew it! She knew me and I must have owe her something! Maybe she's from one of the countries I visited before! I'm really sorry, I kind of can't get over my habit of messing with every hotel I stay in even at this age of mine!
"Not until you tell me where you got those shades." Huh?
"What?" I raised my eyebrow as I looked at her stern look. She had a serious look on her face unlike her kind smile to the students earlier.
"What shade...?" Shade? What shade is she talking about? I awkwardly waited for her response as my personal space was still invaded.
"That shade of brown-blonde and this shade of royal red like oh my god," she exclaimed as she pointed to my hair and held my hand nearer to her face as she examined my nails.
"Eh?!" I whisper-yelled as I withdrew my hand. I mean, I just found my friend's sister's nail polish kit and I kind of like the red so I kind of got bored and decided to paint my nails. It's nothing weird, is it?!
"Are you kidding me, did you get that professionally done or what?" I can see her amazement as she kept chasing for my hand that I hid.
"It was from my friend's kit and I think it's a drugstore brand..." I raised my brow as I uneasily replied. She looked at me with wide brown eyes that twinkled. "Really? Are you serious...?" she exclaimed again. She paused before glancing at me again.
"What about your hair? Where did you get that shade?" She stared at my hair which I now felt insecure about.
I have naturally black hair in a messy pompadour. My friend and his sister, from whom I borrowed the nail polish from, decided to test their hair dyes on me so they dyed my hair in this really really really light brown that's almost blonde if you just look at it. Somehow, they left the sides of my hair black so I think it looks funny.
"Also a drugstore brand..." I mumbled.
"Really?! It must be on the application then, it looks so professional!" My friend's sister is a professional hair stylist so....
I just stood there in front of her while she rambled in whispers about the perfection my nails and hair were at. I mean, I always think they're funny since I got these last week.
She's pretty cute though. Her height reached my ears, but she's wearing high heeled wedges, much like what my friend's sister wears. She wears the museum staff uniform but she now wears a jacket over it, with the words JAPAN at the front separated by the zipper. Is she from Japan?
She suddenly paused and her face fell. She slowly turned to look at me, almost in an eerie manner. "Oh my god," she whispered. What is she going to do?!
In a swift motion, she suddenly bowed her head down repeatedly with her palms pressed together. "I'm sorry! I forgot to introduce myself! That's so rude of me!" She looks like she'll almost cry.
I sighed. Well, I was just waiting for her to introduce herself.
"That's fine. What's your name then?" I patted her shoulder so she can stop bowing down. She frown to me. "Really, it's fine. Please tell me your name."
"I'm--"
"Hey! You history freak, we're going now. I'm really sorry miss but I need to borrow my friend now. Let's go!" My friend suddenly popped out of nowhere and grabbed my collar from the back as he started to drag me. Now this is the rude one.
Before I knew it, we're outside the museum and my friend and I were running towards the direction of a mansion. "I found it! The former castle where the mystical family of the Jenesses and Birdwhistles stayed back in the 1700's!" I widened my eyes before we shared a look.
We went inside. It was a fun day, we came all this way just to find this mansion. Too bad I didn't get her name...