Some time later at the History of the Arts booth

It didn't take us long to find Helena, as usual, just follow the screams. And we weren't the only audience gathered around the source of the commotion. On one side of the table sat a dark skinned girl with bright highlights in her curls, she looked on the defense, eyes burning with determination. Her attacker, on the other side of the table was my sister, so fiery and passionate, you could almost see sparks flying off of her as she battered the girl with her words.

For some reason, the History of the Arts department, decided it would be a good idea to let would be students to participate in a debate with a second year student, in dissecting and interpreting a piece of art. They thought it would be good to humble the would be students, and show them they have much to learn, and the faculty members know just where they may do that. It was clear they didn't anticipate someone like my sister will take up the challenge. But, judging by the large audience they had gathered, they still got their publicity, even if not in the way they expected.

I recognised the painting they were arguing about, it was "Wanderer above a sea of fog", a painting I knew was dear to Helena, as she now demonstrated by pulling down her dress and showing the girl the tattoo she has of the painting in question on the back of her shoulder, while stopping even more onlookers who wanted to see why is there a brunette girl only undressing at one of the booths.

"See, I spent hours upon days upon months studying and deconstructing this painting" the silver eyed brunette said. "For me it means hope, climbing a high mountain just to see what's on the other side. And then even if you completed one quest, you now have a vast wilderness, forests, lakes and mountains to explore, beneath and behind the fog. The fog means ignorance, not fear, it means we have still much to learn, both about ourselves and our environments. This is an opportunity for adventure, for discovery not a reason to go back home, lock the door and never get out. Hell, this painting describes perfectly how science work, but I'm sure your kind will never get it" She finished her round as sounds of applause came from the people around them while the woman on the other side of the table looked as though she was about to unleash hellfire upon the bashful brunette.

"What do you mean 'my kind'? Look, you don't have the tools to dissect this properly. Look at the motives, the cloudy skies, the dark clothes, the ominous towering far away mountains, the cold colours. The fog, yes it means the unknown, but you forget it was painted in an era people feared the unknown, where a trip to the foggy bog meant you were to be eaten by a wolf or worse. Yes the man stands upon a mountain, but you can see his cane, you know he had a rough journey just to get up to this mountaintop, only to see that his quest is a neverending one. There will always be a higher mountain, there will always be a tougher mountain than he could ever master. And to get to that next mountain, to get to that next challenge, you will have to go through murky forests, foggy bogs and treacherous swamps. This teaches you to humble yourself and know that in the big picture you are insignificant. That is the more important lesson this painting teaches us, and it asks you whether you are ready to go again, to know that even if you went through something tough, there are tougher challenges ahead." The dark skinned girl finished with a triumphant smile. "And this, should you choose to, you will be able to learn in our school". Their audience was quiet, but slowly the claps and applause gained momentum. And you could see the look of pondering in Helena's eyes.

But, Helena always was a bad loser, and an avid believer in the saying "Might makes right", she refused to back down. "Do you know what Friedrich said about that painting?" The brunette shot, and then while doing the worst German impression said "Zis is a pretty painting, yes, I like to go hike near ze village. Ze clouds ist there because zis was ze weather, ya". Giving some of the audience members a chuckle. "Anyway, this is why I don't like modern arts, or art studies. Why do you have to give interpretation or find allegories everywhere. Do you know what Tolkien said when people asked him if the ring of power was an allegory for the atomic bomb? He said no, and they were just clinging to straws. Once art was used as another scientific tool, and required the artists to be fluent in science. You had to be a chemist to create and mix colours, you had to be fluent in human anatomy to sculpt and paint the human body, did you see some of the greek and roman statues there are in museums? They mimicked how silk cloth fell on the human body, they had to invent precise tools in order to work the marble and take accurate measurements. And then modern art came and differentiated itself from science. Oh you think it’s a stool? No more there's a bicycle wheel screwed into it so it can't be used it in its intentional use, such advanced much wow." She mocked, while clearly not winning any of the crowd members. "Anyway, you should thank me, if it weren't for me it's clear no one would come to your booth. Sure, some are here to look at my breasts, some hope you will remove your shirt as well. But some here are curious why we shouted at eachother, and they will ask you more. So I did your faculty a service actually." She said as she stood up, pulled up her dress, covering her toned shoulders and walked away.

"You know you are just an agent of chaos" I laughed as she approached us, "you look like one who leaves a trail of burning villages behind her" I continued, while getting a chilling look from my sweet little sister. "I sure thought about leaving a trail of burning booths behind" she said, "come on, I saw a catering with a bar near the ceremony stage". And began walking to the other side of the yard. "What is the ceremony about" asked Stephanie, "let's go and see" I replied and took her by the hand, trying to catch up to Helena.