Peaceful Encounter PV Bartholomew Lindenmomo

The moment she heard the boy call out, Elara turned toward the voice. With her book tucked against her side, she didn't take long to spot the familiar silver mackerel tabby sitting a few feet away. "There you are." She let out a quiet sigh before walking over. So that was where Lumi had disappeared to. As she got closer, the reason became obvious. A guitar rested across the boy's lap, and Lumi was sitting nearby as if she'd decided that was the most interesting thing by the lake. Another cat stayed close beside him, watching everything with far more dignity than Lumi seemed capable of.

Elara stopped a short distance away. "Thank you," she said with a small smile. "I was starting to worry." Lumi looked over when she heard her name. For a second, Elara thought the cat might come back. Instead, Lumi wandered closer to the guitar again. "...Of course." She shook her head, trying not to laugh. "I'm sorry if she's been bothering you." Her cat circled around the guitar case, sniffed at one corner, then sat down again as though she'd been invited. "So much for staying close." There wasn't much point in picking her up now. Knowing Lumi, she'd probably wriggle free the first chance she got.

She shifted the book beneath one arm before crouching beside Lumi, resting a hand on her back. Lumi accepted the attention for all of three seconds before looking back at the guitar. That earned another quiet smile. "You've made a new friend already?" she murmured, watching Lumi for another second. Only then did she look back at him properly. He looked around her age. The guitar was still across his lap, while the spotted cat remained comfortably beside him, completely unbothered by Lumi's sudden appearance. "I don't think we've met before," Elara said. "I'm Elara." She gently scratched behind Lumi's ears. "And this curious little one is Lumi." For a moment, she watched the two cats sitting near each other. "I hope she didn't interrupt your afternoon too much."

Elara watched as the spotted Egyptian Mau greeted Lumi, her head tilting slightly when the two cats seemed to get along almost immediately. Lumi gave a quiet meow before rubbing her cheek against the other cat. "They seem to like each other." Her attention shifted back to Bartholomew when he introduced himself. She gave a small nod. "Bartholomew," she repeated quietly. "It's nice to meet you." She glanced down at Lumi for a moment. Her cat had already settled beside Pearl as though she had completely forgotten about her owner. Elara couldn't help but smile. Lumi seemed perfectly comfortable there, her tail resting against the grass as she watched Pearl.

Bartholomew had said she was welcome to stay, though Elara hesitated for a moment. She looked toward the tree where she had been sitting earlier, then back at him. "Are you sure?" Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of her book. "I don't want to interrupt you." The lake remained quiet around them. A light breeze moved through the leaves above, and Lumi's tail flicked lazily against the grass. Elara looked at her cat again. I guess Lumi had already made up her mind. A small smile crossed Elara's face. "I suppose I can stay for a little while."

She carefully sat down on the grass, placing her book beside her. This time, she didn't open it right away. She adjusted the book so it wouldn't get caught beneath her, then rested her hands loosely in her lap. Her gaze returned to Bartholomew. "She doesn't usually wander this far," she said. "I guess she found something interesting." Her eyes moved to the guitar resting across Bartholomew's lap. She'd noticed the guitar earlier, but only now did she really look at it. The instrument looked well cared for, and Pearl seemed just as familiar with it as Bartholomew was. "Do you play often?" Elara remained quiet after asking, giving him the chance to answer. Lumi, meanwhile, seemed perfectly happy where she was. At least she stayed this time.