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Colored Pencils and Sketches

The dining car rocked as Arthur was directed to his assigned table. The lion set his supply bag beside him in the booth. Gas lamps flickered over the oak table and padded booths. The light played over the face of the canine who was his companion for dinner.

The canine had an unfamiliar appearance to the lion. Arthur noted the canine's rich, mahogany fur that transitioned to black for his arms and his headfur. His companion looked at the provided menu and squinted at it before crossing his long arms. It was then Arthur saw just how long the canine's arms were. It was as if a fox and a wolf had had a baby with a pair of stilts.

The canine sniffed, clearly noticing Arthur staring at him.

"Excuse me, I didn't meant to stare," the lion cleared his throat, "Apologies. Good evening, my name is Arthur." He extended his paw to shake.

The maned wolf returned the gesture and shook before returning his paw to the menu. "Desculpe. Eu não falo alemão." He shuffled. "Meu nome é Marcelo." He tried to put on a smile, but, his posture closed off.

Arthur's ears twitched at the foreign tongue. He didn't recognize it as French or Polish from his nation's borders. "I'm sorry. I don't know what you're saying. Do you speak German?" As he was speaking his speech slowed down and he tried to gesture with his paws, motioning to his mouth and ears.

The only gesture he received was a pitiful shrug of the canine's shoulders. The server came by with a couple glasses of water. He eyed the maned wolf before addressing the lion.

"Don't bother with him, sir," he said, "he won't understand. He tends just to point at random things on the menu." The server rolled his eyes. "But, in the meantime, is there anything else I can get you to drink?"

Arthur looked back to his companion. The canine was looking down, ears folded to his head. The lion drummed his fingers on the table and clicked his tongue. "I'm sorry, could I have a moment to decide on that?"

"Of course, sir," the server said and left, not even regarding the other patron.

Arthur reached into his bag and pulled out a sketchbook followed by a pouch that clinked. This roused the canine's attention. The lion smiled back and sat down the pouch before rolling it out, revealing a line of used colored pencils. He opened his sketchbook and hastily sketched two tall bottles on opposite sides of the page with a wine glass in the middle. Arthur then took a yellow pencil and lightly colored one bottle before doing the same to the other bottle, but this time with red. He turned his book around to the canine (whose ears were now curiously perked) and pointed at the page with the end of his pencil.

"Vinho?" he tilted his head. "Vinho tinto, por favor."

Arthur tapped one bottle and then the next for emphasis. His companion seemed to get the message and pressed a fingertip to one. The lion looked over the page and nodded, grinning. He called the server back over and asked for a bottle of red wine and two glasses. The server looked skeptical, but obliged.

When he was gone, the lion dived back into his sketchbook. The engine let out a hollow whistle from the front. He flipped to a new page and sketched a bowl with liquid, a crude slab of steak, and another bowl, but this time with some leafy things poking out of the sides. When the maned wolf saw this, he shook his head and held out his paw open-faced.

This time Arthur tilted his head. He pointed to the three items and received another shake of the head. The canine pointed to his book and then flexed his fingers back and forth.

"My book?" he asked before handing the sketchbook over. He gave over his pencil when the canine pointed at that too.

Arthur watched as his companion flipped to the next page and pressed the pencil to paper. As the canine drew, the server returned with the bottle and poured both of them a glass.

"Beg pardon, sir, I find it awfully nice of you to buy him a drink. Just make sure not to let him take your book."

"I'll keep that in mind..." Arthur said, before forcibly unclenching his jaw. "Thank you for the wine. I'll order our food in a minute, if that's acceptable."

"As you wish, sir. Pardon me," the server said before bowing away.

When he left, Arthur lifted a glass to the canine. His companion looked up from the book and smiled sheepishly and mimicked him. Arthur clinked their glasses and took a sip. He couldn't help but smile when the maned wolf did the same with some hesitancy.

The lion saw the canine idly reach up and lightly pinch his earlobe between his thumb and forefinger while he drew before he handed the book back to Arthur. Inside there were two, smaller, blobby sketches that were scribbled out. The third sketch resembled a fish.

Arthur nodded and mulled through the menu. There were only two fish dishes. However, he didn't know the difference between cod and salmon enough to draw a distinction. So, when the server came back, he picked the salmon dish, hoping it would satisfy his companion.

After the order, Arthur drew a simple sketch of a lion with a poufy mane. He showed the maned wolf, first pointing to the sketch, then to himself with his little finger. "Arthur," he said, then repeated his name again a little slower.

The maned wolf followed his paws. He tilted his head once more. The lion could see his ears twitching. He raised his paw and pointed at the lion with his pinky as well. "Arthur?" he said, voice lilting the name slightly differently.

Arthur nodded and grinned. The lion gestured towards the canine, his palm up and fingers together. The canine lifted his paw and pressed it to his chest. Once again he nodded.

"Marcelo?" the canine said, as if questioning.

"MAR-sell-oh," Arthur said matter-of-factly.

The canine grinned and then laughed, patting to his chest again. "Mar-SELL-ooh."

"Marcelo," the lion said again, but it must have sounded better to the Marcelo because he didn't correct him again.

Marcelo smiled warmly now, making eye contact with Arthur. It was then the lion noticed the canine's hazel eyes. They held the gaze a bit longer before it broke off. Now that they had their orders, what else was there to do? The two sat for more than a minute in silence, the sketchbook lying between them. Arthur was worried that it would just lead to an awkward dinner, until Mercelo grabbed the book again.

The lion slid his colored pencils over to Marcelo. When the maned wolf was done, he pushed the book back over to Arthur and took a sip of wine. He looked down and saw a stick figure in what appeared to be water. Did he mean swimming? What about swimming? When he looked back at Marcelo, the maned wolf patted his chest, then brought his arms up, alternating exaggerated arcing and reaching gestures before stopping. He then repeated the open-faced pointing that Arthur had.

Did he swim? The lion couldn't tell if Marcelo meant as a hobby or professionally. Well, the lion did like swimming, despite what it did to his fur. He patted his chest and then gave a smile and nod.

The process of sketching in the book followed by small bits of clarifications continued a bit. Arthur learned that Marcelo was a writer who liked swimming and did not like salads or most forms of travel. He was in the middle of trying to figure out what a particularly cryptic drawing meant when their food arrived.

When Marcelo saw the salmon dish set in front of him, the maned wolf grinned at Arthur. Marcelo reached with one of his long arms and took hold of the lion's paw, squeezing it. The maned wolf paused for a moment, as if unsure of what he should do next. He took the lion by surprise when he leaned over, raising their paws and gently kissed his paw.

Marcelo let go and once more smiled at him, hazel eyes twinkling. "Arthur."

Something in the way Marcelo said his name made something flutter warmly inside of him.