From Cassy's diary
Cassy: Hey, so I'm not the only one who “borrows” Sirio's easel when he's not here!
Toq: Uhm…
Cassy: What are you painting?
Toq: Just a few lines and it should become understandable...
Cassy: It's very… ehm… schematic.
Toq: Uhm, I guess I may still be missing something, after all...
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Cassy: Sirio and Halley seem so quiet lately, they didn't even tell us about their camping week! Did something happen while they were on vacation?
Venus: They are suspiciously vague since they arrived, I'm starting to think they may be hiding something...
Cassy: Well, knowing Sirio and Halley, I don't expect them to split it out voluntarily. We could read their memory by force, or…
Venus: … or we can just ask Toq, for sure he's already read their thoughts anyway.
And so we did, if Toq knows something then we want to know it too!
Anyway, Toq was extremely vague with his answer. I don't know if he really didn't spot more details, or if he just doesn't want to tell us instead. All he said is that the kids broke a few rules when they were away, and that the scare they got was more than sufficient to make them learn the lesson way better than any punishment could.
Um, I guess that (for this time) we could also let it go, Toq doesn't seem concerned... Also, it's not like Sirio and Halley are really kids anymore, they are both taller than us! They are old enough to make their own choices, at this point.
And this in particular applies to Sirio. He graduated from high school just a few days ago, isn't it crazy to think he's basically an adult already, my dear diary?
He's a smart and sensitive boy, whatever path he decides to take, I'm sure he'll have a brilliant future!
As for us, instead, we are really starting to behave like a bunch of old people who like to talk about the past way more than thinking about the future.
Cassy: Tonight the comet P/1960 S1 should be visible, let me see... Oh, there it is! One of my first missions as an astronaut consisted in probing its composition, I remember it as if it was yesterday!
Toq: The panorama on comets is always quite impressive.
Cassy: Yes, that's true!
Toq: From this sky, I can still name very few places I actually visited... However, looking at this Moon, it is hard to forget about that time when Venus locked me up in ice and then dragged me here.
Cassy: Wait, was it you?
Toq: Yes, while you froze an equal in rank to Arizhel. The others joined us the following day, when it was clear that your intentions were peaceful.
Cassy: I really didn't notice it was you! Nor do I remember seeing it in your memories!
Toq: You did not miss much from that very memory anyway, that cold feeling was mostly quite uncomfortable.
Cassy: I see...
Cassy: (Thoughtful) It's really strange... This universe, I mean. We make every effort to understand how it works, but there are still so many unpredictable events that appear to be purely dictated by chance.
Toq: Yes, this is undeniable. Yet, I still prefer to think that our choices determine the progress of our lives, rather than mere chaos.
Cassy: Yes, that's also a very valid viewpoint... We may have met as a result of a bizarre case, but if we're still here now it's thanks to all the choices we've made since.
Toq answered with his usual half-smile, somehow he's not bored yet by the way my thoughts are always drifting in the most unpredictable directions. Then, we returned back to stargazing, I still had so many stars to point at and stories to recall.
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From Sirio's diary
Now that I don't have to worry about school anymore, I can finally focus on finalising that painting I have had in mind for so long. I want to show the rest of the world my way of seeing emotions, there must be a way I can express it on a canvas!
Even if it isn't easy at all, none of my test canvases is even close to what I have in mind... Yet, they seem to be slowly improving, maybe it's just a matter of time. And of hard work.
Toq: May you help me to understand what is the matter? You have already done quite a few paintings here.
Sirio: The problem is that none of them looks as I want.
Toq: Uhm.
Sirio: I know, I just have to work on it more. But I'm tired for today, okay?
Toq: Yes, I can see it. But…
Sirio: But what?
Toq: Did not you promise Halley you would have joined her tonight? She already started to prepare about one hour ago.
Damn, I completely forgot about tonight's dinner! I have to hurry, or Halley disavows me as a cousin this time! She was very nice inviting me even if I'm not attending their same school anymore, but I can't afford to be any later than this!
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Sophia: Folks, we have great news! The college admission letters have just arrived, they've taken both me and Halley at Foxbury!
Sirio: Oh cool! Have you already decided what to study?
Halley: (without hesitation) I want to do law!
Sophia: While I passed the admission test for medicine!
Florian: Wow, those are two very difficult majors to choose!
Halley: Don't you want to go to college too, Sirio? You haven't even applied for a scholarship yet!
Sirio: Well, actually I don't really see myself studying for any longer, no.
Halley: C'mon, you can't keep spending all your days painting! You'll end up starving!
Sirio: (vague) Well, I still have to think about it a bit…
There would be a lot of jobs I could choose from… Many say that I should use my enhanced empathy for something useful: for example, I could be an excellent psychologist, or a detective capable of spotting lies in a second.
However, the more I think about it, the more I feel that this is not what I want to do. Maybe I'm being selfish, but I want to be able to finish that painting that's been in my head for ages, and, after that, I want to paint many others. And I want to share my art with other people, to make them understand how wonderful the emotions they can't see can be.
I'm likely going to starve, that's true… But, to be honest, I can't picture myself doing anything else for the rest of my life.
Halley: And now let's do our best with the diploma exam!
Sophia: You never stop for a moment, huh?
I have to admit I envy Halley a bit. She has such clear ideas in her mind, and she's also extremely determined to achieve all her goals. I feel like life would be easier, if just I was as sure about my future as she is about hers.
Later that night...
Sirio: Hey, Florian, what's wrong? Something happened?
I'm sure that Florian would have tried to avoid the question if it was anyone else to make it, but he knows just as well as me that it would have been useless in that case. I could clearly sense the way he was feeling upset and disappointed, it surrounded him just like a vague blue and orange aura since when we returned from that disastrous week in Granite Falls.
Florian: Promise me not to laugh.
Sirio: (perplexed) Okya, I promise. So, what happened?
Florian: I tried to ask Halley out. But she didn't even let me finish my question.
Sirio: Oh.
Florian: Perhaps I should have listened to Sophia, actually she warned me…
Not to laugh in his face was indeed quite difficult, but I promised him wouldn't have. There really was still anyone who didn't notice it? It seemed so obvious to me!
Sirio: (vaguely) Listen, have you ever… uh… considered that maybe Halley is already seeing someone else?
Florian: Huh, really? Who?
Sirio: Try to think about it for a moment, can't you really think of anyone who always sticks to her all day long?
Florian thought about it for a while, completely absorbed in his thoughts, before lighting up with understanding.
Florian: (astonished) No, don't tell me that...
Sirio: I thought everyone else noticed a while ago already, frankly.
Maybe Halley and Sophia hadn't told anyone officially yet, but the direction in which their relationship was evolving had been obvious to me for some time now. In my eyes, every time they are together they are surrounded by warm shades of pink, they always transmit to me a strong sense of cuteness. And, at this point, I was sure that it was becoming so obvious that even those who can't see those colours could tell.
Florian: Oh well, looks like I was just playing in the wrong category then…
Sirio: It would seem so.
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Back home, I immediately returned back to my painting. The night was becoming darker and darker, everyone else had been asleep for a while, but I think I work better this way, when silence lets me focus on my ideas.
I think I worked on it for weeks, at some point I must have lost count because I can't remember exactly when I started.
By now it was clear to me that I had to keep trying, and trying again, and trying again, until the content of the canvas reflected exactly the idea I had in mind.
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A few weeks later...
Cassy: So this is the very famous and very secret painting?
Sirio: Yes. So, what do you think?
Toq: Ahm…
Toq seemed as confused as usual in front of a painting, while mom was radiant like when she sees something very beautiful. Both also seemed to perceive my satisfaction with the result I achieved, and this clearly made them feel happy for me.
Cassy: So that's how you see us, when you say that for you emotions have a colour?
Sirio: It is close enough, yes.
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New Sixam's art gallery doesn't have many famous works of art. Basically, only the works made by Sixamians since the foundation of the country are collected there: too few people, and too little time, to be able to put together truly memorable masterpieces.
However, this also means that, for amateurs like me, it is extremely easy to be able to put their work on display. The curator of the gallery was immediately enthusiastic about my painting, and started exhibiting it on the second floor as early as the following week.
Venus: I think this is the prettiest painting on the whole floor! Well done, Sirio!
Sirio: Thanks.
Steve: Hey, beautiful ship! What scale is it?
???: 1:250!
Steve: Oh, cool!
???: Hey, would you like to stop and talk for a while? You're like the first people to stop and look at the ship I built today!
Steve: Sure, why not?
Cassy: I have to admit that I haven't figured out yet the meaning of this painting either, you know?
Toq: Bah, who knows...
Let's say that the environment of this exhibition wasn't particularly inspiring for any of us. Also, I have the impression that my painting won't be understood by anyone, in a place like this. This is all quite daunting…
The others were getting so bored at the exhibit that, within an hour, we all ended up skating at the rink behind the gallery. Am I the only one who thinks it's weird to go ice skating in the middle of the desert? Maybe not, but the fact remains that at least this has cheered up everyone.
Venus: Get off, Toq, or I'll hit you!
Halley: Hey, maybe we found a sport mom isn't good at!
Steve: What? I don't believe it, where?
Venus: (sarcastic) Haha, how funny…
Skating, in some ways, seems to be a good metaphor for what I feel now. We do everything possible to maintain our equilibrium, but when we least expect it…
Sirio: Ouch!
… we find ourselves on the ground, forced to get up and start over. But, out of metaphor, where should I go to find someone who can really understand what I'm trying to show with my paintings?
Sirio's paintings keep getting better and better. I hope that others will be able to understand them and that he's able to pursue painting successfully. Halley and Sophia are really cute together too. I hope they do well at Foxbury.
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