A Strange State of Affairs Ch. 7

            The weeks passed by in a blur, pastel on a canvas, one day flowing into the next.

            Elevine had nothing to do, given her current situation (it was, indeed, very difficult to accomplish anything without thumbs), so she merely observed the bustle as Fye prepared his pieces for the upcoming gallery show at the Grand Tellurim Hotel. 

            “It’s one of the biggest shows of the year,” the young man had told her one day as he inspected the stitches on her back, “Everyone’s going to attend.”

            “Well, almost everyone,” he amended after a minute.  “I don’t think my mother’s coming…”  His voice trailed off, and he sighed.  Elevine mewled inquisitively, but Fye merely ruffled her fur and disappeared into his studio again.

            Pona came by as well, on the day right before the show at the Grand Tellurim.  She stopped by late in the afternoon, the bright light of the sun bouncing off of her long white coat and highlighting the brown stitched patterns of her boots and leather hat.  Hopping out of the passenger seat of the trailer truck she had arrived in, the woman had confidently sashayed her way into Fye’s studio and left, half an hour later, bearing an armload of pieces she had handpicked herself.  The driver of the truck merely watched her industriousness with a bored gaze as he chewed on a piece of sweetgrass.

            “Do you have everything?” Pona had asked Fye after his pieces had been packed away.  “Directions, dress code, fuel…”  She trailed off and stared at Fye.

            The artist sighed and nodded.  “I think I have everything.  Thanks, Pona.”

            “See you tomorrow, then.  Don’t be late.  You know how bad you are with directions.  And Vert isn’t coming to pick you up if you get lost, either.  Not like last time.”  She glared at Fye, who nodded wryly.

            Elevine, feeling left out, padded to the front door and pounced on the hem of Fye’s cargo pants.  He jerked his leg about in response, laughing at Elevine’s wide eyes " really, looking at movement through sharp feline eyes was simply fascinating!!  She mewled and tugged at the fabric with her claws.

            Pona raised a brow.  “Is something wrong with your cat?”  She shrugged off her coat and slung it over a shoulder, the other lean arm propped against her hip.

            “El?  Oh, she’s always like that,” Fye replied.  “She’s been pretty lively this week, but she’s better than most cats by far.”

            Elevine curled up on Fye’s foot and gazed upward at him adoringly.

            Pona stared down at the content cat.  “Huh,” she remarked, “Well, Riyel is coming over tomorrow morning, so be prepared.”

            Fye turned his gaze from Elevine and trained his eyes upon the woman standing before him.  “Riyel?  Why?  He never visits.”

            Pona smirked wryly.  “He wants to talk to you about the day after.  You know…the date.”

            Elevine’s ears drew back upon hearing the word.  She hissed and hopped off of Fye’s foot.

            The young man blanched, and Pona walked away snickering to herself.

            The truck departed, as did the last few rays of sunlight.  Fye stood in his doorway for a moment.  “Women,” he muttered with a sigh, then turned and entered the house.