Velvet Meadow

1.1

        The sun never shines, the gray-blue rumbling clouds always dominate the sky. The effect is catastrophic; things that had once been bright and colorful is dampened by the sky, turning everything a monotone gray. Every day it's like this, and there's never a change in weather besides for the often-occurring rain.

The same weather every day, the same towering buildings, the same daily routine of the people walking the street and following their strict schedule. This place was meant to be a utopia of safety from the harsh world outside. Nothing was meant to be out of line. People were still allowed to keep some of their individuality, of course. But that was about all we got.

The crowd was parading through the streets, me included. Everyone was wearing formal attire (such as tuxedos, dresses, and overall casual clothes) whilst going to their jobs. But I stuck out a little more in my casual kimono. It was mostly white, but it had small patches of pale blue that seemed almost like the clouds, and the bow and cloth belt was bubblegum pink. The kimono I was wearing was probably my best work, and I was proud to wear it. It was my uniform to work, so I didn't mind. I wasn't going to be punished for it. I worked at the factory that makes the clothes for the city, and I worked the loom with my friend, Tanya.

Tanya was walking alongside me with a parasol. If anyone stuck out more than me, it was her. Her leopard pattern on her fur matched beautifully with the orange cherry blossom pattern that was printed on her own handmade work kimono, her wooden-framed parasol the exact same pattern, but the backsplash was pink. In the workplace, Tanya was better than anyone at patterns and embroidery. She had the best ideas and designs to share.

Tanya and I were chatting casually about plain workplace gossip, although nothing really interesting was going on. At least not to me, but Tanya seemed to find it very entertaining. She was a leech for gossip.

"Did you hear the rumors of manager Albatross getting a lover??" She said exuberantly, her whip-thin tail waving behind her as she walked.

"No way, with a derpy yet creepy face like that? Who would want to date a literal eel?" I played along with Tanya, relating to her own disbelief of the intimidating, demanding and disturbing manager getting a special someone.

The conversation topic lasted all the way to the front door of work, and we both immediately stopped talking as soon as possible. We were entering a serious environment, where we were unable to talk, or even step out of line here. And I didn't mean that figuratively.

Here, in the workplace, or anywhere where business is done, everything has to be perfect, or you face the consequences.