//------------------------------// // Chapter 25: The Parting Gift // Story: The Last Impressionist // by CrackedInkWell //------------------------------// With only one day left until we return home, Acrylic had gotten a splendid idea for a thank you gift for Mr. Pose for showing us Ichiuma. With the permission of our guide and his wife, he asked them if they would want their portraits painted before they leave. He added, that the couple could choose where it will be done and what clothes to wear if they so wanted, and so, they agreed. This is why that we’re in one of the city’s park with Mr. and Mrs. Pose are sitting down on the park bench, holding hooves as my coltfriend is painting away. Meanwhile, Fleur and I are sitting on the bench opposite of them while Cleo has long fallen asleep on my back. “I believe he’s done with the sketch now,” I said as Acrylic put down his pencil and started selecting paints. “私たちはこのポーズを維持する必要がありますか?” the wife said. “Pardon?” Fleur asked. “She’s inquiring how long we need to maintain this pose.” Haiku translated, “Unless Mr. Brush has something else in mind?” “I need to put the first layer on,” Acrylic answered. “Once I get that on, you can drop the pose, but I do need you two to sit there until it’s done.” He looked between them and his bottles of paint to be put on his pallet. Taking out the thinnest brush he has, he began to paint the outlines in blue. He started with simple lines of the bench, the trees behind them, and the line that separated the grass from the gravel before attempting onto the couple themselves. Once that was done, he rinsed his brush in a glass jar before applying the light purple on to highlight the shadows were. “Got it,” he said craning his neck over the side, “You two can relax now.” They did so, while the artist got out some more paint to put on the lighter color, Mr. Pose said, “We do appreciate the kind gesture Mr. Brush, but is receiving a painting from you rather expensive?” “Acrylic goes with a policy,” I told them, “commissioners pay, friends and family are free.” “After all,” Acrylic said, “I can’t thank you enough for being so kind and thoughtful towards us that I want to say thank you in the best way I know how.” “彼らは家に行くことを楽しみにしていますか?” Haiku’s wife spoke. “私はそれらを聞いてきます,” he said before turning to us. “She asks if you’re looking forward going home.” “Oh yes,” I nodded. “As much as I’m fascinated by your homeland, I do miss Canterlot, but I won’t forget Neighpon or your great hospitality sir.” “Not to mention that it was quite thoughtful of you for letting us spending time at the Monastery,” Fleur added. “I must say that it was quite the eye opener.” “I’m very relieved to hear that,” Mr. Pose bowed his neck. “I do try my best to make sure that everything about the tour was up to everypony’s satisfaction.” “Indeed it was,” I said, “I can see why father had hired you. Though there is something that I haven’t quite understood.” “Yes, sir?” “When and why did my father tell you that I was Pansexual, if I may ask?” “It was…” he turned to his wife, “彼の父親はその夜は, 彼は彼の息子について語ってくれたとき, あまりにも多くの酒を持った後, あなたは夜を覚えてすることができますか?” She put a hoof to her head, deep in thought. “私は花壇を示すから来た後にそれがあったと思うし, あなたが戻ってきました. 彼は陽気な木から春の花を見てみたかったと述べ, 覚えておいてください.” “それはときに再びましたか? 晩春ヶ月で?” His wife nodded, “これは、右について聞こえます.” Haiku turned to me, “I think I do remember it now, that it was in the spring that your father had too much liquor that he told us about your past choices in partners.” I rolled my eyes, “Somehow, I’m not that surprised. I’m assuming that your daughter was in the same room when Father gave away that information?” He nodded, “Indeed sir, she was. Oh, speaking of which, I’ve got a letter from her yesterday saying that she’s starting to work on the new manga and that she’ll make sure to send the first Equestrian copy to you two once it’s done. Which reminds me, before you leave, can I get a mailing address from you just in case that Ink might have forgotten it.” “Of course my good chap,” I looked over at the painting where Acrylic has already established the base colors and is about to tackle the next layer. “How long do you suppose it would take?” “Knowing her, it may take up several weeks, as much as two months for her to get everything right. It all depends on how long she wants to make it.” “Did she get my painting for the cover?” my coltfriend inquired as he started to work on the wife’s mane. “She has actually, and she’s very grateful for it.” “That’s something I’ve been wondering,” Acrylic said. “How long did you know that Ink was drawing up romances about gay stallions?” “彼が話していますか?” Mr. Pose’s wife seemed to inquire from her husband. The two of them discussed a bit before Haiku told us, “Our daughter has been working for a company for the past several years, but we’ve never seen her work until about a year ago. Of course, we were rather surprised when we spotted one of her manga on the shelf of a bookstore.” “Really,” Fleur asked while she lightly stroke Cleo’s fur. “What did you do?” “We confronted her about it,” here, Haiku chuckled, “Oh she was so embarrassed when we showed her the graphic novel. Until you kissed your partner at that dinner, I’ve never seen her turn that shade of red before. She quickly told that her manga only focuses on the characters, rather than the… intercourse between two stallions; in fact, she said if we didn’t quite believe her that we should read it.” “Did you end up reading it?” I asked. He laughed, “Turns out, the book we’ve picked up, was actually a retelling of how we first met.” “Really?” Acrylic paused for a moment from painting. Our guide placed his hoof on his wife’s, “I would admit, at first we thought it was really weird. That our story was told as a boys love romance, but the more we read it, the more we saw ourselves in it. This was because like in the story, my parents didn’t exactly approve of our relationship when we started out either. So when we saw the same thing being played out by two colts that expressed the same level of heartache, suddenly, our view of ponies like you changed when we saw it from your point of view.” “That explains why you’ve been so accepting towards us,” I commented. Acrylic resumed painting the couple on the canvas, “I’m almost done with you two, after that I’ll paint the background.” “Take your time sir,” Mr. Pose said. I carefully got up while trying to balance the cat on my back and went up to my coltfriend, “How do you feel about going home?” “In a word, nervous,” he said picking up some yellowish green paint on his brush. “How come?” “I would find out about school if I got accepted or not.” “Acrylic,” I put a hoof around him, “for the last time, don’t worry about it. I’m very sure that you’ll get in with no problem.” “So you’ve kept telling me. But what if you’re wrong?” I blinked, “What?” “What if I don’t get in, saying that I don’t have enough knowledge to go?” “Who said that you would be rejected? Acrylic, we’ve been over this, you’re smart, creative and hardworking, plus you have enough to go into college debt free. You have absolutely nothing to worry about.” “I don’t understand how you can be so confident about it.” Chuckling, I kissed him on the cheek, “Because I know what you’re capable of doing.” “F-Fancy, please!” He blushed furiously, “They’re staring at us.” “But they already know about us and you sir need to work on your insecurity issues.” “Please Fancy, I don’t want to deal with you trying to embarrass me.” I cocked a grin, “Awe, why not? It’s fun.” “To you it is,” he muttered. “But I think we’re getting off topic.” “Indeed we are. Here am I trying to comfort you about the whole college thing but suddenly quickly turned to a moment of teasing. You’re right, back to the subject now that our holiday is nearly over.” “Yes, we should. I mean, now that I have a lot of bits in the bank, what would I do if I don’t get accepted?” “Well, we could always try to persuade them in letting you in.” “How? You know that I’m pretty much on the same level as an Elementary student.” I rubbed a hoof on his back as he adds more color to our guide’s face. “Acrylic, I’m going to tell you a little secret, that college is in reality like Jr. High and High School, the only difference is that you get to choose which class to take, and set when you want to take those said classes. Besides, I think I’ve already told you that the one in Canterlot has classes for those who didn’t pass certain classes during High School, did I not?” “I wouldn’t know, I never step into one before. It’s why I’m second guessing if I’d be able to go and all that money would have been collected for nothing.” “Please don’t get yourself down; I do have faith in you that as long as you have your determination, you can accomplish anything.” “As long as I have a really rich coltfrined by my side,” he snickered and so did I. There was a giggle coming from Mr. Pose’s wife, she nudged his foreleg saying, “彼らは本当にこのようなかわいいカップルです.” Haiku smiled, “多分. しかし, あなたはまだ私の目に最適です,” he said before he nuzzled her. My coltfriend looked between them and the painting, “I think I’m about ten minutes away from being done. I just have to take care of the plants and it’ll be finished.” Mr. Pose looked up in surprise, “Already?” “Yes, come and see.” Curious, they got up and went around the tripod to see him put the final touches of their portrait. Both of whom looked at it in awe. Four our Guide, his coat was painted in two shades of green while his mane, tail, and suit were dull black, silver, violet, and chocolate brown, his hoof held his wife’s tenderly. She on the other hoof lay on the left, her coat was in three shades of blue, the tied up bun mane of lilac and white that was held up by two thin hairpins of gray. Her butter yellow eyes gazed at her husband as his light blue eyes did at hers. The two were lying on top of a gray bench that was resting on the light sandy, brown and gray gravel with touches of white. Acrylic touched up the grass in deep orange and painted the leaves some parts of the trees in the same color. “うわー!” the wife cried, “これは芸術の偉大な作品です! だから, カラフル!” My coltfriend looked over at Haiku in nervousness, “What did she say?” With a chuckled and a smile, Mr. Pose responds, “She says she loves it, and so do I. For what you’ve created, we generously accept your kind gift,” he said before he and his wife bowed. “Also, I wish the three of you and your cat safe travels, my friends.”