{"sf1_id":1436961,"sf2_id":"nZ77bXb1","title":"A Painter's View (Otherwise Untitled)","author":"Moriar","words":229,"posted_at":"2019-04-11T22:57:00.000Z","tags":["Grief","Raccoon","Sci-Fi"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1436961-a-painter-s-view-otherwise-untitled","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/nZ77bXb1","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/c8/b5/c8b53671-c7b9-4415-99b6-cefab4c9c81a","description":"#122 of Short Stories\n\nA painter considers what's missing from the view below.","content":"~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The old raccoon gazed out over the world below, standing alone in the room of his apartment aboard the orbital station. Letting out a sigh as he turned his attentions to the digital easel, palette-pad in one hand and stylus brush in his other. The sky below was a vibrant mix of hues, and he was only just beginning to manage to ensnare a few of them into his paintings.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The vid-phone on the wall gave a soft chime, \"Answer.\", he replied with a stark voice command.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Hey, Nathan.. Just calling to see how you were doing.\", tentatively inquired.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; His tone a calm rumble, \"I'm fine, Barbra. Thank you for asking.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The woodpecker on the vid-phone's screen continued her cautious tone, \"I didn't see you at the harvest festival.\"  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"...\", the raccoon spinning the stylus around in a puddle of light blue with the tip occasionally glancing the deeper blue blotch to pull in and mix.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"I miss her, too.\", the bird's tone finding a stance of patient certainty.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; The racoon looked to the vid-phone with a slow nod.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; \"Is she there, in your paintings?\", Barbra retreating to her tentative tone.  \n~\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp; Nathan set down the stylus and palette-pad, standing to drink in a long look over the planet below before his reply, \"Not yet. Not again.\", pained yet patient.  \n  \n\n","series":{"name":"Short Stories","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1436959-pages-of-crime-otherwise-untitled.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1436962-heat-of-a-moment-otherwise-untitled.json"}}