The Ring Fauvist Docent: Rodion's Story

You sure this is the Docent's artwork? Hold on - why doesn't it have any fur? Where are the claws?

There's no way the Docent would skip using a wolf as the motif of her piece. Maybe you didn't examine it thoroughly enough.

I did. Right there - see? There's an autograph on this side. That's Miss Rodion's all right.

Anyone who joins the School of Fauvism carries a beast or two tucked away within their heart.

Some cuddle up to a cat. Others leash a dog. Or a goat, even - tied real close to the core of who they really are.

Well... Doesn't mean they can actually handle it. But hey, everyone's got at least one they draw from for their inspiration.

And in my case... It's a wolf.

A whale, though... That's rather unexpected. Do you think she's decided to switch styles?

That can't be right... How many artists do you know who survived these reinventions?

Sure, changing the beast you're gonna stick with is a hot topic in the School of Fauvism...

But I say that's the kind of nonsense idiots with no eye for beauty like to chew on.

Anyone with a halfway decent eye would've clocked it already - I'm still running with a wolf. Yup, still there nestled in my heart and my work. Hasn't gone anywhere.

Hear them?

Hello? Didn't I tell ya to keep it down during viewing hours? The walls have ears around here. Don't let that little bird going around telling people stuff hear ya, if ya know what I mean.

Well, the Students are making a valid point.

Chasing trends, flipping identities on a whim... it's an ugly sight, to be frank.

I know, I know. It does kinda look like you're not committing to your inspiration. Folks get satisfied with a shallow lil' scratch, and they call it a day. Not my thing at all~

Yeah, not lotta people pull that off and make it work, right? Besides the Maestro, anyway.

Well, the Maestro's... an outlier who has an exceptional understanding and affection for every beast.

She returns from each excursion with a new fixation, and yet, it seems to deepen the profundity of her work all the more.

That's true. And looks like she's back from a little excursion to the Outskirts this time.

In any case, it would be prudent to address the Students' concerns. They might just walk away with the wrong impression otherwise.

Will you be walking them through an interpretation of that piece?

Hmm... Still on the fence, honestly. Was kinda hoping one of 'em would connect the dots without me having to draw the lines for them, you know?

They always say what matters is only the things your eyes can see - but if everything has to be so conspicuous, where's the fun in that?

I guess even a single layer of interpretation's already too subtle for the Students' artistic perception.

Fangs sunk into the whale hide, sinews stretched tight to keep it unrolled, all of them pulling together like a pack on the hunt...

That ferocious medium, taken from wolves, makes the real, hidden artwork.

If they'd just look a little closer at the seams, they'd be blown away by the intent of the maker...

I know it feels like a waste of educational material to spell it out, but perhaps you could give them some guidance? A proper lecture to toss them a bit of inspiration?

The Students' grades lately... let's just say they've seen better days. They probably haven't been exposed to the more recent iteration of artworks.

Not exactly a promising batch, huh.

Well, there's that one over there, and maybe the other one too...

That one? Ugh, nah. Seeing his artwork is like staring at something that's been declawed before it even learned to scratch.

No creativity, no curveballs... just straight lines and monotony.

Still, his grasp on the theory is flawless. Oh, but I do understand why he doesn't stand out in your eyes, Rodya. You've always been exceptional at encapsulating ferity in artworks since your Student days.

Your old piece - "Hunger, Thirst" - it's still being exhibited, you know. One of the few Student artworks deemed worthy of a pedestal of its own.

Eeep! You've gotta be kidding me. That thing's still up?

"Hunger, Thirst."

Subpar junk I slapped together with whatever rotten scraps of meat and hide I could get my hands on, back when I was freezing my bones off, hungry as a wolf. Wasn't about chasing "art"... just needed something to catch the Ring's eye. Figured if I got noticed, I wouldn't have to go to sleep hungry.

Didn't know a damn thing about fundamentals back then. And yet, people couldn't take their eyes off it.

What was the critique again? Apparently, it "laid bare the hunger of a beast and the brutality that stems from it." Uh-huh.

Hm, thought you'd be more flattered.

Ahaha... Actually, I'm not a huge fan.

It's mine, yeah, but it's just... grubby.

Not that I don't get why people are reacting like that. I mean, I couldn't recreate it if I tried. Not in a million years.

Fair enough. Then let's leave it at that, shall we?

I got some money in my pocket now, can actually splurge on whatever materials caught my eye without a second thought. I get to put together some solid pieces and even go out on hunts...

But back when I created that piece, this kind of life wasn't even on the table.

Yeah, now I understand... what they mean by "ferity" when they talk about that artwork of mine.

... Still, I would never want to go back to those days just to encapsulate that kind of "ferity."

All right. Guess I'll schedule a lecture session. Tomorrow.

Busy today?

Mmhmm. Got some business at the House of Spiders.

So the rumors of its collapse were true after all.

But is there anything there worth picking up? The last person who went said it remained much the same. Just Corporist works cluttering the place.

There's gotta be something waiting there if the Maestro's sending me out for anything that needs collecting, right?

Who knows... Maybe it's finally come together - the long-held wish the House of Spiders has been weaving for ages.

Yeah, I talked big game, but figures. Nothing I didn't expect to see.

You can't ride the same success forever just because it used to pay off. You've gotta be willing to cut it loose when it starts going stale. People get bored fast these days - if your piece can't be branded with the word "groundbreaking," viewers will just walk right past it.

I mean, just look at this place... The gallery must've been lacking visitors enough for some strays to just walk in and build themselves a cozy little nest right in the open.

I can see eeevery bit of ya! No point playing coy behind that pillar. C'mon, get out here before things get awkward.

.......

I've been hearing about this - more and more uninvited guests wandering the Corridors without a guide, without a sense of occasion.

So what is it between us? Have we met before, or is this our first meeting?

Hard to tell with those tasteless masks you're wearing.

Your outfits are a bit different from the last ones I saw. That logo, though... Yup, same crowd.

So many artworks crammed in here you couldn't even begin to count 'em all, yet somehow the whole space feels hollow.

Word is, that Corporist Maestro hasn't had a real spark in decades. Lost his edge and faded like a candle that burned out.

And it really shows, walking through here. It's all the same stuff everywhere I look. Same patterns, same ideas, things I swear I've seen somewhere before. No wonder people say the School of Corporism is way past its prime.

Normally, trespassers in the Corridor get torn apart on sight without any questions asked.

But hey... Maybe you're the last audience the House of Spider's gallery's ever gonna get. Feels like a waste not to give ya even a simple tour, right?

Even a dump like this deserves a final hurrah before it disappears.

There's plenty of detail and intent here to talk about. Not like it's hard to play curator, either.

This is Doorbreach Team 5. We've encountered the Ring.

Requesting confirmation of any viable escape routes.

Mm~ this one. See how the arteries and veins are stitched together? Each "thread" woven one strand at a time - it's a duet of blood vessels.

The artist went out of his way to almost completely drain the blood. Meaning, instead of color, it's all about the elasticity and tension in the vessels. Now this is the kind of art you wouldn't even try if you're not confident with delicate improvisation. I won't lie... This is one of those techniques where I just fall flat.

If some Student brought this in, I'd be like, "Darling, you've got some serious talent!" and mentor them myself...

But from a Maestro...? Kinda underwhelming, don'tcha think?

Enemy has begun commentary on human-based artwork within the Corridor.

Likely a... Docent of the Ring, then. How should we proceed?

Oh, and this one here preserves the dying scream. See this part? Press that... Hear that shriek?

This whole setup, with an emphasis on the scream's sound... Um, how should I put this? It feels kinda dated.

For iterations like these, the trend today is something with a more refined style. A little touch to soften the scream into a melody, or instead of screams, slip in something that gives ya a glimpse of that last bit of hope of making it out alive. For all the detail put into this, it's soooo old-fashioned~

Still... you'd think this would be a bit much for people who've never known art their whole lives...

But hey, you're all holding up surprisingly well. Kinda suspicious, honestly.

You've probably been zipping all over the place in these Corridors, seen a few of the Ring's exhibits... Or you've run into the Afflatus that exists between Corridors. Could be both.

Continue recording both the commentary and physical characteristics of the enemy.

The logical conclusion regarding the identity of the subject points toward her being the Ring's Docent...

However, the subject may also be a culmination of an unknown phenomenon, or a Lost mimicking human form.

In which case...

All right, moving on to the next piece... Excuse me, you guys even listenin'?

I mean, sure, points for taking notes and all... But art isn't something you memorize from a note. You're supposed to really feel it. Take it in with your whole body.

... Subject has stopped the commentary.

The device has been set up. Should we withdraw, sir?

Let's do that. Fall back for now.

... See? This is why quality matters when it comes to the viewers.

I'm out here narrating, taking the time to walk them through all this, and they're not even pretending to listen. They're just tapping away on some weird gadgets.

And now they're running off without leaving any proper comment on their impression!

Haha... Well. Can't be helped, I suppose. Have it your way.

... And so, I grab that bright red line, made of braided blood vessels and tendons, and just yank it tight in one go.

Claws snap into place, clattering out this sharp little rhythm.

And along those taut strings, the bones of beasts line up all neat and pretty. There's a unique structural beauty when it all falls into place.

...! All units, disperse and relocate via designated routes! Avoid engagement and move to adjacent Corridors!

Aaaargh!

N-no, she's too fas - Hrk!

Flattened and crushed, torn and ripped apart... The uninvited guests are sprayed and splashed across the snow-white walls, leaving crude streaks of red lines.

It's a form of art too intense and overwhelming for the undeserving...

But once you've breathed in the sight, there's no helping it.

Let it dig a scar in your sensibilities for life.