Catseye and Yvette - Sunday afternoon

[x-penance.livejournal.com]

Catseye introduces Yvette to the wonderful world of cars, and a plan for prom is hatched.



The purple tail flicked as a sign of Catseye's intense concentration as she scrutinized the underbelly of Scott's car. It was different from the school's cars, and very different from Lil's motorcycle, which she had taken to napping on due to the easy access to its cushy seat. She was very intrigued by the differences in the vehicles, and had been spending much of her free time beneath them to ponder things out for herself. Footsteps in the garage, however, made her give up her investigation for the moment and creep out from under Scott's car so she could greet the newcomer, expecting Yvette. She let out a happy 'mrrt' when she spotted the red-skinned girl, bounding over to her excitedly, lovely purple fur covered in engine grease.

"Oh, what the mess you are!" Yvette exclaimed, her tone teasing. "You are going to need the bath later - you have the engine oil all over you!"

Since It seemed to be less confusing to people when Catseye showed her feelings in catform rather than in girlform, the cat rubbed affectionately against Yvette's pantleg, careful not to touch her skin (though less careful about getting engine grease on Yvette's pants) and then shifted into girlform. "Catseye will go in the lake later maybe," she smiled. "But first, Catseye is going to teach SharpSkinGirl about driving! Catseye is learning all about different cars, yesyesyes! This is OneEye's car," she announced, gesturing to it with a flourish, "but SharpSkinGirl should nevernever take without asking or SharpSkinGirl will have to work in the garage as punishment. And this is DiamondLil's motorcycle. When Catseye learns how to drive the car verygood, DiamondLil is going to teach Catseye how to drive the motorcycle! And this is the car Catseye and SharpSkinGirl learn how to drive." She was clearly less enthused about the school car than the others. "The school car is like a hunter only it has to stay on the road it cannot hunt on the grass."

Yvette had gotten much better at trusting her classmates not to hurt themselves on her skin - the regular group training sessions certainly had helped with that - and she held still as the cat rubbed herself against her leg. "Not to be taking Mr. Summers' car," she agreed, nodding. The glance she gave Lil's motorcycle was filled with trepidation - invulnerable skin or not, the idea of nothing between her and a high-speed impact wasn't exactly comfortable. "You are liking the lessons, then?" she asked, moving over to examine the school car. It seemed like a nice, safe, stable sort of vehicle.

The catgirl nodded emphatically. "ShinyBitsBoy is a verygood teacher! Catseye can tell SharpSkinGirl all about what ShinyBitsBoy says, Catseye just has to go get the keys for the car!" She bounded away and was back in an instant, but before jabbing the key into the keyhole she cocked her head at Yvette. "Can SharpSkinGirl open the door with her claws?" It seemed much more interesting than using the key.

Yvette blinked - she hadn't thought of ever doing that sort of thing. "I am thinking I could," she said slowly. "But it would be breaking the lock. You would not be able to lock it again and I do not think Mr. Forge would like that."

"No," Catseye agreed, "his face would look funny like it does sometimes, like when Catseye thought the car had fur and that it could touch things but it can't because it does not have fur and if its coat touches things like trees or walls it gets scratches on it! ShinyBitsBoy did not like the scratches so Catseye thinks he would not like if SharpSkinGirl broke the lock on the car." She opened it with a key and gestured for Yvette to sit down in the driver's seat, kneeling on the floor and pointing to the pedals. "This one makes the car stop, but you can't push it too hard or the car will stop too fast and everyone will smash into this-" she pointed at the dashboard "-and that is why you have to wear your belt all the time! And this one feeds the car its food and makes it go fast!"

Yvette giggled. She couldn't help herself. Firstly because Catseye's descriptions were just so... Catseye, and secondly because someone tall had been driving the car before their visit, and her feet were barely able to touch the floor. "I think I will be pressing the pedals with my toes, yes?" she suggested to Catseye. "My legs are too short!"

"Catseye will show SharpSkinGirl how to move the seat now," the purple-haired girl promised, "but Catseye wanted to show the pedals and Catseye thought SharpSkinGirl would not like Catseye's hands to be close to SharpSkinGirl in case of hurting with powers." She pointed out the lever to adjust the car's seat. "Hold this with your hand," she prompted, indicating the dashboard, "because you have to pull hard to make the seat move." Leaving Yvette to do that, she went around the other side of the car and climbed into the passenger seat. "These arrows tell lots of things," she pointed out sagely at the dashboard, enjoying being the teacher, "this one tells you how much food the car has. If it goes to E then the car is hungry and you have to feed it gas! And this one tells you how fast the car is. Here is too fast, here is fast, here is okay, here is slow." She pointed a claw at different numbers on the speedometer. "Catseye doesn't know what this thing is for." The odometer was still a mystery. "Is SharpSkinGirl excited about going to Prom?"

"A little." Yvette concentrated on the pedals, not wanting to have another discussion like the one with Callie. "It will be good, to have the party with our friends, yes? Are you excited also?"

"Catseye is excited!" She caught the tone in Yvette's voice and tried to think of why her friend might be pretending to be more excited than she actually was. "Catseye thinks prom is fun for dancing with friends. Last time, Catseye went with MouthyBiteyBoy and ate lobsters and he was Catseye's date! This time Catseye is not going with a date. Is SharpSkinGirl going with a date? This stick tells the car if you want it to go backwards or forwards," she explained, placing a hand on the gearshift. "Catseye does not know what the rest of the letters are for."

"No, I am not having the date." There was perhaps a small drop in her voice as she said the last word. Then she shook her head and looked up at Catseye again, putting on a smile. "But it will still be the fun time. And this is the gear stick, yes? 'D' is for to drive and 'R' is for the reverse and 'P' is for the parking, I would say?"

"What is 'N' for?" Catseye inquired. "SharpSkinGirl should ask ShinyRoomBoy to be a date!" She nearly jumped out of her seat with excitement at that idea.

"ShinyRoom... Kevin? Oh, I could not do such a thing!" Gearstick forgotten, Yvette looked at Catseye with wide eyes. "He is so far away and already was visiting not such a long time ago!"

"Not so far for GlitterGirl or MisterPointyEarsBeaubier or MisterSplodeyButt," Catseye pointed out sagely. "Catseye thinks ShinyRoomBoy would be happy to come for a date for prom with SharpSkinGirl! And Catseye thinks ShinyRoomBoy and Catseye and SharpSkinGirl would have verymuchfun!"

"I couldn't," Yvette repeated, but with much less conviction. It would be nice to go to the prom with someone, just this once. "Do you think he would be minding very much to come?"

The purple head tilted in thought. "Catseye thinks he would like it! Catseye thinks SharpSkinGirl should ask him!"

If Yvette could blush, she would have been bright red by now. More so than she already was, that is. "Oh, I do not think I could be doing such a thing," she stammered shyly. "It would be, how you say? Forward of me. Girls do not ask the boys."

Catseye gave that a hearty 'pfft!' as she stabbed the key into the ignition. "Catseye thinks SharpSkinGirl should not be a girl but should be a mutant! Nyah!" But she made a mental note to get in touch with Kevin and ask him herself, because she suspected that Yvette might not be thinking of her own well-being. She wasn't like a cat. But Catseye felt no qualms about asking Kevin to come out to spend prom with Yvette and herself. It would definitely make prom a lot more fun!