~o0o~ Early evening... ~o0o~

"Why do we all have to wear these ridiculous ties?"
The ferret squinted at his bow-tie adjustments in the mirror, still shrugging his shoulders in the rental tuxedo. "Hell, at least you can wear your get-up with some degree of class. Me, I just look like I'm about to break into a bad Sean Connery impersonation."
The snowleopardess beside him glanced away from her make-up briefly.
"Oh hush, Pierre, you look fine. And frankly, I think we'd all prefer it if you didn't do any bad impressions tonight." She finished up her beautification. "Anyway, I guess the art gallery asks a certain level of decorum from its guests. Even if we are students."
Pierre gave up on his tie and shrugged. "Yes, well, I'm sure it's a major coup for the college to get the gallery to host our work, but I don't really see why they couldn't have just cleared out the gym or something."
"Because the college would never be willing to pay for hors d'oeuvres and free wine - and those really make an art exhibition!" the snowmew reasoned. "Anyway, come on. We worked our asses off on these, so let's go meet our adoring public!"

~o0o~ Early afternoon... ~o0o~

Daniel was rather impressed. Much of the work produced by those on the college's art courses was good work, of course, but now that the finals were approaching all the stops had been pulled out. Distributed about the gallery were canvasses the size of large windows filled nearly edge-to-edge with lovingly-painted detail, sculptures made with incredible artistry, and other media besides. Among the most intriguing for Daniel, however, was an empty pedestal grouped with a few other items in the middle of the large room. It was a pretty piece of work in its own right, but his lover Pierre assured him that it was nothing before what he had planned...
Still admiring the artwork, Daniel stood by the pedestal waiting for Pierre... until a pair of ferrety arms darted beneath his arms and squeezed around his chest.
The fox let out a surprised yelp and giggled. "Hey, Pierre!"
Pierre's tapering head nuzzled up against Daniel's cheek. "Hi, foxy-fun! Thanks for coming down here!"
Daniel gently held Pierre's hands. "Oh, it's nothing, Pierre. I'm always glad to help out with your art!"
Pierre's smile widened happily a little as he gave his boyfriend a loving squeeze, before releasing him. "Well, in any case, it's good to have an extra hand for this. I think this'll be quite an involving build."
Daniel nodded in interest. "So what do you have planned? It must be pretty big, you've been all thoughtful about it for weeks."
Pierre nodded and bent down for a folder sitting on the pedestal, leafing through the papers therein. "You're right, this is quite something. And I think it'll be right up your alley. Have a look at this."
Pierre removed a sheet of paper from the bundle in the folder and handed it to Daniel. Almost as soon as he saw the design drawn upon it, his face lit up. For quite a while, he studied the picture avidly, eyes flicking back and forth over it.
"Wow..." he breathed after a while.
Pierre smirked softly. "I thought you might like it!"
Daniel blushed slightly, smiling and nodding eagerly as he handed the design back. "I'll say! And I'll be glad to be a part of this!"
"Marvellous!" Pierre happily replied. "Then let's get started, shall we?"

~o0o~ Mid evening... ~o0o~

Now that he came to see his and his classmates' art in a professional gallery, Pierre did have to admit that it looked good in such environs. Plus, the gallery had been rather good about providing free drinks - which Pierre was fairly certain were the best kind of drinks, scientifically speaking. He slid through the crowd enjoying said drinks, but mostly simply enjoying the art. No matter where he moved in the room, though, Pierre kept the central exhibits in his view, especially his own contribution. Considering how much of themselves he and Daniel had put into her, he was naturally interested to see how well she went down.
Construction work for the project had taken him the best part of a year, and even the design phase stretched some months before. Built to strict measurements, engineered to perfection, decorated with what had seemed like miles of filigree, she had taxed Pierre's artistic talents to their limits. Still, after all that hard work, seeing her in all her glory was well worth it.
Atop the pedestal was a statue of a feminine figure in an ornate ballgown, made mostly of polished metal plating, painted in soft white and pastel pink, and filigreed with intricate pale gold baroque scrollwork, lending her a distinct "Venetian mask" motif. Protruding from her back, just above the "laces" of her corset, was a gently turning key, which was itself laden with intricately-patterened carvings and scrollwork. The soft whirring of the key's motor blended in with the whirring of gears in her various joints as she moved, filling the space around her with a gentle clockwork purr. The filigreed clockworked automaton turned this way and that, waving and curtseying delicately to members of her beguiled audience.
Pierre gently joined the people grouped around her. Staring fixedly at the automatess, one wolf turned a little to face him.
"This one really is astounding, isn't it?" he said in quiet awe.
Pierre smiled a little. "Why, thank you! Always glad to know my work's appreciated!"
The wolf turned fully to him, politely impressed. "Oh, so you're the creator? Excellent work, I must say!" He extended a hand, which Pierre shook.
"You're too kind, sir! In any case, I'm glad to know she can impress!"
The wolf nodded earnestly. "She sure can. The way she moves... how'd you get her so life-like?"
Pierre smirked with false modesty. "Trade secret, I'm afraid - I guess I'm just that good!"
"D'oh, fine, be all cagey!" the wolf replied. "Can you at least explain her name to me?"
Pierre nodded. "I can, at that. "Il favore" is Italian for "the favour". As for the why for it... I dunno, it just sounded good, really," he explained, shrugging. "That said, I did call in a pretty big favour getting her put together..."

~o0o~ Late afternoon... ~o0o~

"Aaargh... I think this may be the last time I do you a favour as big as this!"
Daniel grunted heavily as he moved another part of Pierre's work into place, bending awkwardly to lift the panel into place and fumbling with the catches hidden in the edges. Pierre's slender digits joined his and helped him fasten the panel in place.
"Oh hush, foxy, it's not that bad," he admonished.
"Says you!" Daniel retorted indignantly. "I think I'm doing most of the work here. Not to mention the fact that you've--"
Pierre stood up and silenced his helper with a passionate kiss. As he disengaged, Daniel shook his head.
"Why do I do these things for you, Pierre?" he asked semi-rhetorically.
Pierre gave Daniel a well-honed puppy-dog look and wrapped his arms around Daniel's hips. "Because you love me?" he answered, batting his eyelashes for the full cutesy effect.
Daniel couldn't help but smirk at his boyfriend's antics. "Ah, of course."
Pierre smiled back, dropping his waggish attitude in favour of a more sincere one. "Are we alright to continue with this, then?"
Daniel took a breath and nodded. "Yeah, we're alright. Even if I wasn't, I'm sort of committed to it now!"
Pierre chuckled in agreement. "Well, let's get back to it, then. Only a couple of hours 'til the exhibition, gotta get things good and ready..."

~o0o~ Early night... ~o0o~

The long evening of polite appreciation had rather worn Pierre down, but now with the exhibition over and everyone else having left for home he had free run of what was left of the buffet. With a mouth-full of cheesy goldfish crackers he poured himself another glass of wine - then, as if remembering something, he glanced briefly over his shoulder. He swallowed the contents of his mouth and brought the glass over to the central exhibits.
As beautiful as Il Favore was, the evening seemed to have worn on her as well. Although she was still making a game attempt at maintaining her graceful poise, she was visibly sagging. Were her high-heeled feet not welded to the pedestal, she seemed as though she might collapse.
Pierre stood smiling fondly before his creation. He set the wine glass down next to the pedestal and stepped up upon it, gently encircling her narrow waist. He reached around to the key, still gently turning, and flicked a hidden switch. As the key finally stopped its rotation, Pierre removed a screwdriver from his coat pocket and unfastened a number of hidden screws around her head, before gently pulling away her vaguely-vulpine muzzle... revealing the sweat-bathed face of Daniel.
Blinking in the now-unfettered light and panting from the heat of his artistic encasement, Daniel managed a weak smile.
"How did I do, then?"
Pierre smiled broadly at his foxy boyfriend. "You did wonderfully, my clockwork automatess!" He set down his screwdriver and the faceplate, and removed a handkerchief from another pocket, with which he gently dried off Daniel's blushing face.
Pierre picked up the wine glass again and held it to Daniel's lips, who gratefully drank. As he finished off the drink, Pierre busied himself freeing the rest of his head.
"How did you hold up in there?" he asked, piling up the detached metal panels of the automatess's head and hair and pulling back the white PVC hood beneath. Daniel's ears flexed as they were liberated.
"I survived, certainly... it was hot, stiff and cramped, but I survived," he replied, punctuating his answer with a heavy sigh. His fur-covered masculine muzzle looked more than a little strange atop Il Favore's svelte metal-plated body. "D'you know what I'll do next time you ask me for a "big favour" like this?"
Pierre smirked and cocked an eyebrow. "You'll blush, go all quiet and nod yes?"
With this, Daniel blushed, went all quiet and nodded yes. "I guess so... I'm a sucker for being your canvas, Pierre..."
Pierre smiled tenderly and kissed Daniel's cheek. "I know you are, Daniel... and you're the best damn canvas any arty weirdo could ever hope for..."
Daniel managed to manoeuvre his encased arms around Pierre's body and hugged him close to his enhanced chest, a move which Pierre gladly reciprocated. For a few long minutes they tenderly kissed each other - an artist, his love and his passion, all somewhat more entwined with each other than one might expect.