Pay-Pierre

The sun laid its’ last rays down upon the city as the sky shifted from bright blue to glowing orange. The group walked, turning corners and crossing streets until they arrived at a five-story building with many windows. The building was not only home to their living quarters, but also the Atelier for the Alliance of Species. Here, they parted ways and walked inside towards their respective earthly homes. Evening shifted to night. The night turned to early morning. Before the long rays of the morning sun peeked through the horizon, the Atelier on the fifth-floor was bustling with activity.

“Good morning everyone.” Bubbles was always the first to greet the morning sun with a smile. She looked like a living humanoid teddy bear with skin splotched lavender and pink. Today, she wore light blue overalls with white polka dots and a poufy hat to match. “Has anyone seen Mao?”

Bubbles walked up to Pay-Pierre and placed her hands on hips. "You didn't eat him again, did you?"

A furry, orange head popped out of the blue, cylindrical being that sat centrally in the room. "I wasn't being eaten. I was sitting in Pierre thinking about my next project. With all that paper he eats, it's like a comfy bed."

Kit Mao was the most leading fashion designer amongst the cat people. By earth standards, he was an orange tabby with a glorious lion’s mane parted and shaved to one side. He wore glasses and several earrings indicating his status among his people as well as clothes he designed himself.

“Oh, ok.” Bubbles sighed with relief. She helped Kit out of the bin.

“Though that would be a welcomed change,” Mao muttered under his breath.

“huh?”

“Nothing,” Mao sighed. He walked to his workspace in the left corner of the room and started sewing away. Bubbles skipped cheerily alongside him and bent to speak.

“Thank you, Mao,” she said hugging him.

“Whatever. I’m glad you like it. Now, stop hugging me,” Mao said frustrated, trying to sew a legalize Cat Nip shirt.

Bubbles smiled and walked to the recycle bin. “You really shouldn’t have tried to eat Mao.” She said to the bin.

“Was Pay-Pierre trying to eat Mao again? I could have sworn I just fed him,” said Mechah Androidish. A mechanical being, human in appearance, stepped forward. Mechah had clear skin that showed all the gears and chips inside and spoke in a computerized tone.

“Mao, you really shouldn’t keep doing that. It’s disrespectful,” stated Captain Coaloff, a short, Napoleonic looking man with red skin and a stern face. Mao rolled his eye(s) at him and continued sewing.

Mechah got up from his exploratory gender project and grabbed a stack of papers. He gently lifted the lid of the recycle bin and tossed the papers in. Patting it on the lid, he said, “There Pay-Pierre. Now you don’t need to eat our friends.” He then walked back to his exploratory gender project, looked at it, and drew a human male reproductive organ.

“Everyone, what do you think?” Mechah asked. “I call it ‘Unsolicited.’”

Bubbles looked at the piece with intensity and focus. "It needs something more. I know, flowers!” “Flowers?” Mao walked over.

“Yes, male Monoliths have flowers down there,” said Captain Coaloff. Bubbles took the piece and walked over to Pay-Pierre.

“What do you think?” she asked. Pay-Pierre said nothing.

“Silent as always,” Bubbles said as she rolled her eyes. She patted its lid and trotted over to her workspace to carve commissioned piece.

Everyone went back to working on their respective projects. Captain Coaloff worked on his painting to commemorate peace on his world, Bubbles her wood piece, Mechah their gender appropriation piece, and Mao his political clothing line. When the sun marked mid-day and warmed the room with its rays, an elderly human entered the Atelier. In his hands was a stack of papers and a cup full of the “best coffee in the city”.

“Good afternoon professor Meladio,” Bubbles said with a song in her voice. Professor Meladio grumbled a decent greeting and headed towards Pay-Pierre.

“This is hideous,” Captain Coaloff said looking at his painting.

“Just put in the recycle bin. That’s why I placed it in the middle of the room. All of you use an excessive amount of paper, especially you Mechah,” The professor said as they looked at Mechah glaring. “It’s a paper recycle bin.”

The professor looked over the papers sipping on the last of his coffee.

"The what?” Captain Coaloff asked.

"The bin. In the center of the room. That I put there because you all use an ungodly amount of paper."

"You mean Pay-Pierre?" Mao asked.

The professor stalked to the center of the room and made a grand demonstration of opening Pay-Pierre's mouth. Both the papers and coffee cup went straight into the bin.

"Yes, this."

The room fell silent.

Why are you all staring at me like that?”

Bubbles slowly raised her hand and spoke in a meek and humble tone. “I thought that the recycle bin was one of us professor. It’s wearing a name tag that says Pay-Pierre.”

The professor put his hand over his face and sighed heavily. “You should have known better. You are making a recycling symbol out of wood. What about the rest of you? Mao?”

“I sleep inside it,” said Mao.

“Mechah?” The professor looked at him for the right answer.

“I thought it was a pet. I can’t ever tell since everything on my planet is sentient.”

“I thought it was your project from the Alliance,” said Captain Coaloff.

“You all have lived here for two years, and you never knew this was a recycling bin for paper?” The professor sighed as his patience could be heard exiting him at an alarming rate.

“Just remember that for next time ok? I’m going to get another cup of coffee. Get back to work.”