<h4>Chapter 330: Meet the Mother</h4>


    When everyone pulled up at the Furos'' house, they all had their game faces on. This of course, meant that they were trying to look as polite and unassuming as possible with the minimal deviations from their normal resting faces. For Vivian this meant a dazzling smile, for Sylvie, a soft rise of the corners of her mouth.


    For Lily, it was a slightly nervous trembling that still contained a soft smile and a solid confidence. For Callisto it was apletely t face with almost no movement in her limbs, especially her fingers, which were kept perfectly still on the steering wheel once Vivian had given up her spot.


    And of course, Kat, who has a smile slightly downturned, as she''d never had a good rtionship with the Furos, and while normally she had a softer smile like Sylvie, or, more recently, a wide grin, she never did like the Furos, and this was what they hade to expect from her.


    Kat took up her position behind the pieces of desk so that only the very tip of her horns could be seen. Making sure it was just enough to see the tips, but without revealing so much of them to make it clear that they weren''t anything other than an odd hairstyle choice. Sylvie was hidden behind Vivian as she walked confidently up to the Kuros'' home.


    Lily followed beside her nervously ringing her hands, but with a confident set to her shoulders. When Vivian made it to the door, she knocked with the firm authority of someone who knew what she was doing… and the bright smile of someone who had not a clue.


    Kat strained her ears to hear the whole thing, and not miss her chance to act. When Kat heard the door open, and a female voice rang out, Kat knew it was Lily''s mother before she even spoke. She could practically hear the derision from behind the desk. How that worked, not even the system knew.


    "Hello? May I help you…" Lily''s mother, Mrs. Furos, let the words hang as she tried to figure out the best way to address Vivian. Her youthful appearance and bright smile contrasting with the professional set of her bearing and the clipboard she had acquired just for this set up. "Miss?" was eventually what Mrs. Furos settled on.


    "Just Vivian is fine dear, what might I call you Mrs. Furos?" responded Vivian brightly


    "Ah… um, please call me Evaline?" said Evaline already questioning herself and wondering what was going on.


    "Sure thing Evaline" Vivian said, radiating positivity. Kat could hear the faint hissing of Evaline as she desperately tried not to shy away from the light… or at least that''s how the scene was going in Kat''s head. "I''m just here to drop off a desk for young Lily here. Made by Master Chekov himself you know"


    "Eh… um? Thank you for that?" said Evaline still not fully grasping the situation.


    "Would you like to ask me any questions while we get everything set up? It''s no big deal of course, but I''m sure someone intelligent like yourself must have at least a few for me? Lily, would you be a dear and direct the unloader?" said Vivian still radiating professionalism and positivity.


    Lily gave a quick nce to her mother who shakily nodded, and stepped out of the way of the door. This was of course, Kat''s queue to get moving. Without missing a beat, Kat picked up the first part of the desk and marched inside following Lily''s lead. While she was doing this, Evaline was still trying toe up with a question for Vivian after she had been prompted.


    Evaline didn''t so much as nce at Kat as she made her way inside. While this was happening, Kat kept an ear out for when Evaline finally managed to think up a question. "So this… um… Master Chekov? You said…? What sort of work has he done?" managed Evaline after a good ten seconds of silence.


    "Oh well, he''s a rather impressive wood carver from Russia!" said Vivian practically bouncing in ce as she spoke, as if this was just the question she was waiting for. "Well, he''s practically a Grandmaster carver at this point, but he left Russia a few years back and has kept to himself since. Lily was rather lucky to get something so high quality from him"


    Kat deposited the first desk part and went back out to grab another, as Evaline continued to founder in conversation with Vivian. "Um… that sounds lovely, why, what did our girl do to impress someone like him?"


    Vivian sighed, putting her clenched fist holding her clipboard against her face, letting her radiance calm down a slight amount. "Well, Ms. Furos, Evaline, sorry. I don''t rightly know. I mean, nothing against your daughter of course, she is quite a dear, but I wasn''t present when he made that desk for her. I couldn''t even hope to guess the motivations of someone so talented"


    "Er um yes of course, how silly of me" said Evaline, only just barely grabbing onto the conversation as Kat brought the next piece inside. Kat, for good measure, even let her tail slightly graze the back of Evaline''s leg, but she didn''t even react. "So… this desk… what''s it like exactly?"


    "Well, now, I can''t be spoiling the big surprise" said Vivian hiding her now very wide grin behind her clipboard. "That wouldn''t be fair to Master Chekov or your daughter really. You are more than wee to take a look once it''s been put together of course. That will only take a few moments. Chekov ensured that all the pieces would fit together smoothly. Why, I doubt you could even tell where it separates if you didn''t know!"


    "Of course, of course, it will be much better to see it all together" said Evaline nodding along with Vivian. It was at this point Kat and Lily grabbed thest of the pieces and Kat spoke up. "Nearly done Vivian. Should be all together in just a second"


    Evaline froze, instantly recognising the voice. Vivian watched as Evaline''s neck slowly stuttered around to watch Kat walk inside following behind Lily. When she did so, she saw Kat''s features and her mouth dropped open. Evaline pointed down the hall shakily and said… "That… um… wha?"


    "Oh? Yes that''s Kat. She''s helping with the heavy lifting. Quite the lovely young girl you know. She''s been a big help" said Vivian.


    "Oh… er yes… but um" Evaline stumbled looking for a ''polite'' way to point out Kat didn''t look remotely human.


    As she stumbled over the words, Lily and Kat put the finishing touches on the desk, and Lily shouted out. "We''re done Mom. Did you want toe look?"


    "Ah, sure honey!" said Evaline, snapping back into focusing. As she walked inside towards her daughter''s room, she absentmindedly gestured for Vivian to follow. This meant that she didn''t see Vivian removing her shoes and grinning evilly at her back.


    When Evaline made it to Lily''s room, the sight she was greeted with was Kat putting away the books that took up the space that now belonged to the desk in the new shelving. "Um… what?"


    Lily turned to her mother and said "Fantastic isn''t it? Chekov really went above and beyond with the carving. It has so many unique details"


    Evaline looked from her daughter, to the desk, and back to Kat. "Um… yes, it looks lovely but um…" she gestured vaguely at Kat


    Lily tilted her head, perfectly feigning genuine confusion. "What''s up?"


    "Can you not see the… you know?" said Evaline


    "I mean, I can see Kat putting away those books. Actually, good point I really should be helping her" said Lily getting to work, assisting Kat.


    Evaline looked around the room for some other assistance, and spotted Vivian in the doorway. "Do… do you not see the wings… and the tail… and the h-horns?"


    Vivian nodded "Yeah of course I do?"


    Evaline looked around again searching for someone else to help her. Seeing everyone acting so normally, she couldn''t help but start to wonder if she was the one going crazy. Evaline gulped and addressed her daughter. "Lily what about you?"


    "What about me what?" asked Lily


    "The wings?" asked Evaline


    "Yeah? I mean they are pretty hard to miss mum" said Lily


    Evaline''s eyes darted and finally reaching out for her only other option. "Kat… what do you have to say about this?"


    "Um…?" Kat looked over at Evaline and raised an eyebrow. "I don''t understand the question fully" *Ha lie prevention eat your heart out. I understand the question, but not ''fully''*


    "Er… um…" Evaline looked around the room once more before saying "Shall I get your father? I''m sure he''d also like to see this desk of yours?"


    "That sounds great" said Lily with a nod before returning to the bookshelf. Evaline left the room in a daze, off to find her husband, and maybe get some answers.