Rocky Start chapter 3
#3 of Ari and Summer
Chapter 3
Summer was the first to step out of the landing craft, feeling cool air wash over her, teasing her fiery hair. Never had she been so glad to return home. Even if she was too tired to really appreciate that fact. She had never felt this tired. She couldn't help wondering exactly what she looked like right now. Even with her uniform as neat as she could make it, she still felt like a walking nightmare. And this without having seen any action either.
The Fire Squirrel paused to look around her, her long red tail flicking lazily along the floor of the hanger. At least things were getting back to normal, the sight that greeted her a far cry from the sheer devastation she had left behind. She felt she would never forget the way this hanger looked on the day she left, the carnage almost etched on her mind. To think that one attack could have done so much damage. And cost so many lives.
It had been a wakeup call for everyone, to be attacked so close to home, in a place they thought they had been safe. How wrong was that? And yet, as these times tend to do, it brought them together. Even as it collected them in a shared confusion and uncertainty. She knew that feeling, a mix of shock and fear and survivor's guilt that left a void inside her so deep she wasn't sure it would leave her.
It was the reason she had taken this mission, fruitless as it had been. She had wanted to do something, to focus on something else other than the dark thoughts plaguing her. At least it had done that, even if the mission itself had largely been a failure. That didn't help with her frustration though. All that effort going into doing nothing. Having nothing to show for it. She had wanted to have something to show for it. She had wanted to find those that had done this, to bring them some sense of closure. But do I want that for us, or myself? Summer had no answer to that question. And right now she was too exhausted to think on it.
'You shouldn't blame yourself. Wasn't like it was just us doing this.' Liam said in that firm tone she has come to rely on. The absolute Sargent. She might have been the officer but he ran the squad. She's relied on that too. It wasn't a lie that she had been fumbling her way through this. Even with his help.
'I know. I just wanted to be the one to find them. Is that selfish?' Summer voiced the thought she had been keeping to herself. Finally letting it out didn't really lift the burden of it from her shoulders.
He shrugged. A movement that ran through his entire frame, powerful muscles bunching right down from his head to his cloven feet. Even his head moved, accentuating the curve of his horns. She was still impressed by his power, six feet of towering bovine that dwarfed just about everyone around him. 'Maybe. But sometimes you have to do things for you. There is nothing wrong with that.'
'I'm not used to thinking like this. I've never really hated something before. But I did. I do. I wanted revenge on these people who dared to hurt us. Maybe it was better we didn't find them. Or continue the search.' Summer said.
'But you want to?' Liam asked.
'Yes, I do.' The admission came easily. She wanted to be back out, re-joining the search, continuing the search. Even if they weren't needed there. They had just been one of a dozen units scouring maybe a hundred square miles of dessert, certainly enough to hide a small group of solider. Not that she calls these guys soldiers. Very much a needle in a haystack. 'Maybe. I don't know. It's not like we even know where they are.' Summer let out a deep sigh, collecting her thoughts before she continued.
'None of us have seen anything like this.' He shrugged again, casually, a ease she envied. 'Like you said, we don't know who these guys are. Or what they want. Makes it hard to predict their next move.'
'So..isn't this just running around like rabbits?' Summer asked.
'That's always how it starts. Of course we don't know much. Yet. Threat interdiction is always hard. But I'd rather be doing something than nothing. And there is always a chance we might get lucky.' He clapped a paw on her shoulder. 'Nothing to be done for it now anyway.'
Summer would have responded, but movement caught her eye suddenly. Her eyes fell on the young officer cutting through the crowd, his blue uniform standing out amidst the grey overall of the deck crew. 'Looks like I'm being summoned.' He had that eager look that said new recruit, possibly one that had come just out the academy. And obviously feeling his new authority. Or looking to push it.
'Want me to come along?'
Summer was touched by the offer. But this was her duty, something she had to do alone. She had to finish it. 'No..let me take this one. Fall out, get some food.'
Liam gave her a casual salute, falling out as the young officer crossed the last few steps towards her. His salute was much more crisp, stiff almost. Rigid. Too rigid. She tried not to react. How long had it been since she was a raw recruit like him? Not that long ago. For that if nothing else, he deserved a little slack. 'Commander Vylias asked to see you as soon as you returned, sir.'
Summer caught the edge to the last word; haughty, pompous. Like he was getting a thrill from ordering her around. Or felt it was right that he should do so. This wasn't so new, a young upstart here on the benefit of someone else's influence maybe. She didn't like that, letting her gaze stray to where Ari had fallen out to talk with others from the deck gang, back in her element.
'Sir, Commander...'
'I heard you, ensign.' Summer cut him off steadily. 'You may tell Commander Vylias I will be there directly. Dismissed.' She put an edge on that word too, her narrowed eyes adding emphatic extra.
Not waiting to see him respond, Summer strode across the hanger, weaving her way through the busy techs without disturbing them. Well, not too much. She could still feel the gazes on her. But her gaze was firmly on Ari, her pace slowing as she got closer, not wanting to interrupt her conversation.
'Are we going back on the hunt?' Ari said quickly.
'Not right away.' Summer replied. 'I wouldn't be surprised if we get a few days leave. I'm certainly going to push for it. If we do have to go back.'
I can't deny a few days of sleep would be good.' Ari stretched, showing the same tiredness she felt. 'I'm definitely looking forward to a good ten hours. After I get something to eat.'
I hear you.' Summer laughed. 'Once I've reported in, I'll join you. You should fall out for now.'
'Can we?' Ari asked. 'I mean..aren't we still on duty?'
Officers prerogative.' Summer smiled. 'And you are still under my command, so I don't think anyone can argue with it.'
'I certainly won't.' Ari nodded. 'Some leave would be good, just a few days to recharge our batteries.'
'I'll make sure you get it.' Summer promised. It was the least she deserved after days of very hard graft. All of them really. They had had no reason to follow her leadership but they had. After all, she had come in with nothing. Nothing to endear her to them. But that hadn't seem to matter. They had followed her anyway. And she owed them her thanks for that as well. She had never thought of being part of a team now but she couldn't help feeling a connection to them all. And she wasn't sure how she would feel if she was parted from them.
Summer tried not to let her exhaustion show on her face as she walked out of the hanger, her energy seeming to ebb. But from what she could feel, she was the only one around her that felt this way. She couldn't ignore the undercurrent of tension and anxiety that ran through the base. Not just that, but fear too. It was subtle, distant. But it was there. Tickling at the edge of her mind. Yet not getting its claws into her yet. She had always felt that an officer should hide her fear. But she had quickly learned not too, that a little openness went a long way really. She is no different than any other soldier. And she felt the same fear as them. By accepting it, she hoped she could get them to accept theirs. Or did she just want them to like her?
Summer composed herself and knocked. The reply came swiftly and she pushed the door open without hesitation. The office on the other side was just as she remembered. As she remembered. Like she had been gone years instead of days.
'Let me guess, you didn't find anything?' Vylias said softly, his eyes meeting hers across the room.
Summer couldn't miss the resignation in the Cougar's voice; as if this wasn't the first time he had received a report like this.
'Would you be surprised if I said we didn't?' Summer took the chair on the other side of the desk, the wood creaking as she settled into it.
'No, not at all.' Vylias tapped the reports in front of him. 'I'll spare you the exact details but each searcher that has reported in has given me the same thing. Nothing. Not a sign of the ones that attacked us. It's like they have vanished into thin air.'
'Maybe. But my men are ready to go back out when you give the order.' Summer said firmly.
'The order won't be given.' Vylias was as firm as hers, as if predicting her response.
'But sir..' Summer tried not to let her frustration show. But it was there. To think that they were just going to let this go after all that had happened. That thought made her pause. It wasn't that she wanted revenge..did she? As much as she tried to convince herself of that, the thought stayed lodged in her brain.
'I know how you feel.' Vylias tone softened now that it has hit its mark. 'But we have other concerns. There is more than one front to worry about. And one of those fronts is here. We cannot afford to ignore the defence of the city.'
'The city? Has something happened?' Summer frowned. 'Or have we received intelligence that points to something that is going to happen.'
'Not as in another attack, no. But we both know war is about more than that. I want to be ready for another attack. And I can't afford to have units running around on a wild goose chase when they could be better used here.' Vylias answered.
Summer nodded. 'So, you mean to look to our own defence?' That made sense. Diverting their forces could end up leaving them vulnerable to another assault or attack. That was the sensible thing to do. But part of her didn't want sensible. She wanted to be out there doing things, doing something. Not sitting around waiting for something to happen.
'And that of the people.' Summer turned her attention back to Vylias quickly. 'Public confidence is low right now. The City Council thinks the best way to restore that is to have more soldiers in the city. And for once I agree with them. They might be only thinking of their own positions of course. But for now it works for us.'
For us. Vylias had always seen a gap between the government and the military. In how they see their role in the city, politicians care for nothing beyond what gets them elected again, or increased their influence. And that wasn't always in the best interests of the people. Which is what the army had been formed to protect.
'And what do you have planned for us, sir? I was hoping to stay attached to the 45th.' Summer saw no reason to hide that fact from him. They had been close for too long to keep secrets from each other. In fact, she was closer to him than anyone. He was almost family. She had never known her father but he had taken her under his wing. Teaching her all the things an officer should know, helping to form her, teaching her about life.
'I had a feeling you would. And I can't say I'm surprised that you would ask.' Vilias replied. 'I had the same thing in mind. I already have another assignment in mind. Once you are rested of course. While we still have reinforcements here, I'm granting the whole regiment a weeks leave. I'll need you all rested.'
'I understand sir. And thank you.' Summer said with a crisp salute.
The mess was full of men and women on the 45th at their ease, having broken up into smaller and yet distinct groups and retired to the various corners of the room. The mess was more than just a canteen; it was a full recreation area. The main area was given over to tables, but around the edges sat a few smaller seating areas. Comfortable chairs in one corner. The larger focused around a flat screen, right now showing a concert if she was any judge. It certainly seemed to be attracting a lot of attention.
That didn't hold hers right now. No, she was more interested in something else. Well, someone. Summer quickly scanned the room for Ari, finding her thankfully seated alone. She still wasn't sure how much familiarity she could..or should..show. Not here. Alone was one thing. But in the mess. She did still have her rank to consider. So it wasn't unknown for friendships between officers and enlisted personnel. Right now, right here; it felt different. Different enough for her to hesitate as she walked over.
'Well, you got your wish. A weeks leave.' Summer said as she approached, keeping her tone as normal as she could, trying to sound like just like another officer talking with a subordinate.
'A whole week? Really?' Ari turned quickly to look over her shoulder, her meal forgotten for the moment.
'Sounds like you've already got some plans.' Summer smiled. She couldn't deny she was curious, intrigued even. But for now it felt better to keep her curiosity in check.
'Uhuh. A friend of mine owns a bar in the Southern District. She's been bugging me to come and down see her. But what with everything going on here, I've just been too busy. It would be nice to see her. From what I hear, her place is pretty popular. What about you?'
'I dunno. I wasn't thinking of doing much, just staying around the base maybe.' Summer couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed. She had no reason too. Didn't help her not feel that though. Neither did what Ari said next.
'That's it?' Ari sounded genuinely surprised. Or was that concerned? Summer really wasn't sure which way she meant that. 'You're just gonna stay here? Doing nothing?'
'Well, I might just catch up on reports.' Summer said casually. Or what she hoped was casual anyway. Her self-consciousness raised its head again, sinking into her tone.
'Oh, so you're going to work while everyone else is on leave?' Ari sat back with her arms crossed, more worried than censorious. 'That makes me feel so much better.'
'I'll be fine.' Summer soothed, both touched and confused by her concern.
'You deserve some rest too.' Ari pressed. 'Why don't you come out with me?'
'What?' Summer said. 'I'm sorry?'
'Well, only if you want to.' Ari looked almost hurt. 'I didn't mean...'
'No, it's very kind of you.' Summer managed a smile. 'I really should get this done. You go and have fun though. Excuse me.'
Summer regretted that as soon as she said it. But she had said it. And she couldn't take it back now. Or go back there. She couldn't deny that she was tempted. This could have been her chance to....what? Tell her how she felt about her? Maybe. But that was a chance she had thrown away. If only she had turned back, she would have seen Ari watching her. Would have seen the look of hurt disappointment on her face, her eyes following her as she left the mess.
Summer was grateful of the silence of the gym, the few furs around her content to be in their own space. She hadn't had much chance to work out while she had been away. And this seemed like a good time to catch up, get back into her routine. She had thrown herself into it, starting off with basics. Already she had a sweat up, her body weaving from side to side, throwing a quick flurry of punches. Then another on the other side. More moisture clung to her fur, on her stomach and brow. She needed to feel that now, to have that ground her. Bring her back to the now.
So much had happened recently that she needed that routine, to help her bring back some feeling of normality. If she was honest with herself, that wasn't the only reason. She wanted some time to be alone with her thoughts. She always did her best thinking when she wasn't actually thinking. And once she got into the rhythm of her workout, her mind just became clear. Not blank, but uncluttered, making sense of what had been almost senseless. It had helped her sort out some pretty twisted issues. Which only made it more frustrating that it didn't seem to be working this time.
Could it be that she didn't actually know what it was she was feeling? Or thinking? It might have been that simple. At least she knew who she was thinking off. How had she wormed her way into her thoughts so completely and without her even noticing. This wasn't something she was used to. She was used to the..spark, the zap. The quick flash and there it is..love or a crush or whatever..
She didn't even know if that is what this is...doesn't know what it is..sure, she can't stop thinking about her. Or..keeps thinking about her. If it was a simple as not being able to stop thinking about her, she might know where she stood. This limbo of it, it's nothing but confusing. And Summer had never done well with confusing.
She was dealing with it now the way she always did. Her warm up finished, she squatted once more and then rose. But not all the way. Rose into a crouch, fists raised in front of her. Her focus swung back, focused on that one point in front of her. The sweet spot, the exact reach of her punch. Jab, jab, hook. Jab again. It was a rhythm, a sequence that usually calmed her.
Not this time. With each punch, she felt her frustration growing, her confusion. Building to something she had to let out somehow or she would just..she doesn't know but it's not going to be good. Just when she thought she needed something to happen, it did.
'When I said you should take some leave, this isn't what I meant. It's called Leave. Like Shore Leave. Emphasis on the leave. Doesn't that imply that you should leave? As in leave the base?'
Summer fought back a sigh. Vylias' voice came as a surprise to her, but she couldn't deny it hit the mark. Like he always did. Which made another good reason to say down here. She had hoped to avoid this. She hoped she managed to keep her face calm as she turned. 'It's fine. I'm fine. I'm..'
'You are not fine.' He had his face set in that look that she knew all too well. And usually meant he was building up to saying something he knew she wouldn't like. 'You might not want to admit it, but you are exhausted. You just got back from a deployment that would have stretched anyone. Not to mention we are all still reeling from what caused it. Everyone else is trying to get over this and put it behind them. I need you to do the same. I need you rested.'
And there it was. The gap between military and family, a line he never seemed to have trouble crossing yet always managing to stay on the right side off. At times, she might have been confused which way to see him, back when they first met. But he had never had that conflict; at times being both a focused soldier and supportive parent. That didn't stop him pulling his punches when it came to discipline but she wouldn't have it any other way. She didn't want special treatment, any more than she would have wanted it if she was his real daughter.
To say she looked up to him would have been the ultimate understatement. She isn't sure where she would be if they haven't met. Not just as an officer, but a person too. It was humbling that she had learned more from him than her own father. Maybe not surprising in itself. But it made her realise how much of a father her father had been.
Looking back, it was impossible to realise how..naive she had been. How much she had thought she knew. He had very much reined in a young, brash vixen who had charged in like a wolf. She had hidden her insecurities behind that brashness, over compensating for it in a lot of ways.
'I'm not sure I can rest.' Summer said again, feeling good to get what she felt out in the open. Well, a little. Part of it anyway. 'I just feel....'
'Isn't there anything you want to do? Want to be doing? Meeting up with someone? Not even that girl in the tech division?' Vylias had a grin on his face, his whiskers twitching. A smile she saw very rarely. This was the other side of their relationship. The relationship that went beyond superior and subordinate; was almost parental. He didn't always show it, he couldn't always show it. But she knew it was there. Counted on it sometimes. Summer was glad her back was still turned. He would be able to read the expression that she knew was plastered on her face right now.
Like he would know more about what she was thinking than she did right now. She only knew that she felt something. That she couldn't deny how she filled her mind as soon as she awoke. 'I haven't been spending time with her exactly.' Summer muttered.
'No?' She knew that tone, would know the look on his face. 'I see it different. I see this look in your eye. Answer me this. Do you want to spend time with her?'
That was a question Summer really had to think about. 'Well...I don't know how she feels.' Okay, so Ari asked her out. But that doesn't mean she means it that way. She could just have meant as friends. Because she can't fight that feeling that she is very much in the friend zone.
'That doesn't really answer my question you know.' Vylias pressed softly, always getting to the heart of the issue. He just had this way of seeing how she felt.
'Fine..maybe a little.' Summer managed to hold back her defensiveness, her reply coming out as more of a dejected sigh. 'But...'
'But what?' Vylias asked. 'You want to do, do it. It's a simple as that.'
Summer couldn't ignore that logic. It was so simple, so obvious. Could it be that easy? Could she just do it? Her doubts were still there. But maybe that didn't matter. If she wanted to do it, she should. Doubts were fine, but if she wanted to know how she really felt, and maybe more importantly, how Ari felt, she had to meet up with her and see where things go.
Summer had let that confidence carry her onward and into the dorm, only pausing to look for Ari's name on the mail drop boxes in the foyer, safely secured behind the main door of course. Security at the dorms was a high as the rest of the base, even if it didn't feel like security. Even the MP behind the desk was laid back. Summer got a polite salute as she passed, the wolf not rising from her seat. Poor etiquette maybe but Summer wasn't going to stand on ceremony.
She didn't want to seem like she was here on business. That wasn't unusual of course. Well, not unheard of. She wanted to keep things low key. Luckily, not a lot of people were here. She got a few glances as she walked passed, but didn't get anything as she reached Ari's quarters.
It was only then that she stopped. This now did feel weird. She had been feeling like she was on duty and it was part of her duty. That ended now. Now this was something she wasn't used to. She had lost her military detachment here. It only lasted a moment before she pushed it away, reaching the doorway in a few steps.
She had feared that Ari wouldn't be here. But she wasn't, packing something away in her closet. Before she could even think about what to say, Ari turned and saw her.
'Hey, this is a surprise. Something up?'
Summer took a deep breath. 'I wanted to say I'm sorry. I was rude earlier. And I was wondering if your offer was still open?' Summer waited with baited breath. Waiting to here what she would say. Dozens of replies running through her head. But there was only one she wanted to hear.
'Sure it's okay.' Summer's heart flipped, leapt almost. Like a weight had been lifted from her, in a way that left her lost. 'We could meet here about six?'
Summer tried not to let her sudden surge of emotion show on her face. Made harder by what she wasn't sure she was feeling. 'Sounds good to me.'
Six had seemed to rush around. One minute she had lots of time, the next she was almost out of it. And she still hadn't picked out anything to wear. She had tried. But nothing had felt right. She almost didn't know why she was so obsessed with this. Concerned even. It wasn't like it was a date or anything. So why did she feel the need to make a good impression. She had just been flicking through her wardrobe, discarding everything and then starting again. She picked something out, it seemed right, but then it didn't. She was just going round in circles.
She had finally settled on white shirt and brown chinos. They still didn't feel right. Or she didn't. Maybe it was because she was waiting for Ari outside of her quarters. Or it was just another sign of how she felt, she was that worried about messing this up. Like she wasn't sure that their was anything to mess up. She..
'Sorry to keep you waiting.' Summer turned. All her thoughts turned away. Ari looked stunning, not that she didn't before. But she had this effortless style about what she wore. Or maybe it was just her confidence. It really highlighted her figure. Even in the loose black shirt and skirt she had picked.
'You didn't.' Summer said awkwardly.
That was as much as she felt she could say, falling into step beside Ari. Not that she wanted to keep quiet. Her mind was working on something to say. That was what filled her thoughts until she actually looked up to see where she was. She almost didn't pay attention to where they were. Almost. Ari seemed to follow this route easily. She knew it more than her it seemed.
'I've never been this way before...do you come here often?' Summer asked, horsely, forcing her tongue to work. It was the best thing she could think of to talk about. At least it was a start.
Not as often as I would like.' Ari sighed wishfully. 'I grew up around here. I try to get back when I can but..
'So..you know all the cool places huh?' Summer asked. 'All the little hideaways?'
That brought a smile to her face. 'You could say that. Some of them anyway. Where did you grow up? Sorry..that was..' Ari trailed off, like she was worried she had asked too much. Or pressed too much.
Summer smiled back. She didn't want her to think that. 'No..it's okay. I travelled around a lot with my mother. Her work took her to a lot of places. It was fun..but home was always here. How about you? Where around here did you grow up?' Summer asked softly.
'I'll show you.' Ari replied.
That was an answer that didn't make any sense till Summer looked up. Ahead of her visible through the dark light was a bright sign that shone out like a beacon of warm light. Warm and welcoming.
'The Hooded Hare?' Summer asked, leaving that last statement alone for the moment; being more intrigued by the battered sign that hung above the door yet still clearly showed fur with her head hidden by a black hood. Or his. The hood and the shadow it cast concealed any clue to gender as effectively as species. Presumably it was a hare, or the name didn't make much sense.
'Yeah.' Ari's pace picked up suddenly and Summer had to stride to follow close behind her. It's a old folk tale. About hero of the people who rallied her people against a tyrant, a pretender who seized the throne. No one knows it its real or not. Certainly no historical evidence has been found to support it. That hasn't stopped people believing it though.'
'Interesting choice.' Summer mused, stepping inside. Anything else on that she suddenly didn't think, the building on the other side not what she had expected. Dark, but in a good way. Low light rather than just dingy. Natural light, not current driven. At least the atmosphere seemed friendly, the half dozen or so furs seated at tables around the edge didn't even raise or turn their heads as they entered. Certainly she didn't get the hostile stares she expected. At least the small crowd helped her relax a little as Ari made her way to the bar, slipping past the white tigress that rose from the small table next to the door.
'Well, well. I wondered when you would show your face around here again.'
Summer stopped dead, the voice making the hairs on her neck rise. An icy knot settled in her stomach, her body getting ready to run or fight. She just wasn't sure which. Then it turned out she needed to do neither.
'You didn't think I would stay away did you? Someone had to keep you guys out of trouble.' Ari's answer changed everything, Summer following her eye line to the three furs at the bar. Before she could say anything, Ari moved forward eagerly. From the greetings she got, Summer guessed they must be close friends.
Suddenly and awkwardly excluded, Summer did all she could. With greater ease than she felt, the fire squirrel slipped onto the high stool, feeling the wood creak and shift under her. Allowing her to relax a bit. Until she felt eyes on her, seeing movement before her. Her head raised to fall on a tall Coyote leaning on the other side of the bar, her head marked by a bright streak of purple that ran through her jet black hair.
'Nice to see a new face around here. Especially a friend of Ari's. Don't think I've seen you around here before.' The Coyote said lightly.
'You think right.' Summer replied. 'I'm Summer. It's nice to meet you.'
'Oh ho.' The Coyote let a smile slip, flashing her a glint of teeth. 'So, you're Summer hmmm?'
'Yes.' Summer said slowly, not sure how to take that.
'Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. Its just you weren't what I expected when Ari mentioned you.'
'She mentioned me?' That rocked Summer back on her heels, metaphorically. She actually mentioned her? Raised the issue of what she said. She must have been thinking for too long, because the Coyote slid a beer across the bar too her, taking one for herself.
'I didn't..' Summer said awkwardly. She was really uncertain how to react here, everything seeming alien, different. Very different.
'I know.' The Coyote flashed that smile again, oddly helping Summer to relax a little. 'That one is on me. From what I hear, you kept Ari safe. At least, that's how she sold it. Something about working under a really cool superior. That she looks up to you.'
That just made Summer feel more adrift, her conflicted feelings returning. Was that all Ari felt? Did it mean she felt nothing else? It was almost too much to think about. 'I don't know about that. We didn't actually start of on the best of introductions.'
Surprisingly the Coyote chuckled, revealing more of her sharp teeth. 'Yeah, she did mention that about you too. That you had a bit of a stick up your butt.'
Summer managed a laugh in return. 'I guess you could say that. I..don't do well with people sometimes. I'm not as natural as she is with that.'
'Which I guess is why you are hanging here huh?' The Coyote asked pointedly with the bottle halfway to her lips, turning her gaze to the group of furs further down the bar.
'That's..truer than I'd like to admit.' Summer said hesitantly, not sure why she was opening up to her so much. '
'Sometimes you just have to go for things.' The Coyote took a long pull of her beer. 'Life is too short, you know? If you stay on the side-lines, you miss all the important stuff.'
Summer let those words mull over in her head. 'You might be right. Thanks for the drink.' She paused, reaching into her back pocket, pulling out a small coin. 'I insist.'
The Coyote didn't get time to respond, Ari wandering back towards her. 'Sorry about that. I hope I didn't make you wait.'
'It's fine. Don't worry about it. This place is pretty cool. I can't believe I didn't know this was here. Then again, this is a bit out of the way.'
'Just the way Daria likes it.' Summer quickly realised she meant the Coyote behind the bar. 'This is your place?'
'Yup. And Ari is right.' Daria chuckled, tipping the bottle in her direction. 'I like a more select crowd, not just the furs looking for the beaten track. Life is more interesting that way.'
'You still seem to be doing a good business despite that.' Summer glanced around her at the clientele.
'Well, things have been a bit slow lately, to be honest.' Daria shrugged. 'People are keeping more to themselves right now.'
'Because of the attack on the barracks?' Summer asked.
'Well, there is that of course.' Daria said. 'But tensions are running high for other reasons too.'
'Other reasons?' Summer pressed, wondering if they had missed something when they had been away.
'Oh, here we go.' Summer turned at the same time as Ari, finding her gaze settle on the griffon on the other side of the bar. He fixed her with a steady gaze, leaning forward from the table in the booth. 'Councillor Linn isn't causing trouble. She is just calling it like she sees it.'
'Saying what people want to hear you mean.' Summer cut back. She was playing it fast. Everyone knew the councillor rising to prominence recently. But it seemed she had taken another jump in popularity. Or notoriety. 'You'd almost think there was an election coming up..oh, wait...there is.'
'Figures you would take that side of it.' The Griffon snapped, his beak clacking. 'Just because she rails a bit against the waste of the military, you all band together to slate her.'
'From what I heard, she has been doing a lot of slating of her own.' Summer snapped. 'What you call railing, I call slander. As if that attack was anything we could have prevented.'
'So you say. But then again, you would. The military elite taking their side over ours.' The Griffon replied hotly, his beak clacking.
'Elite? You think we only take some furs over others?' Summer asked. 'Show me a species or race that isn't in the military somewhere.'
'Only if they have the money and the right background. That's how you rise up the ranks, knowing the right people. And how you get the power. The military has too much power, in the hands of those who don't know what to do with it.'
'That's cra..' Summer started.
'Okay, that's enough.' Daria muscled into the growing argument swiftly.
The Griffon rounded on her, and Summer couldn't help notice he was unsteady on his feet. 'You taking their side too?'
'No, I'm taking my side.' Daria managed to keep her voice even. 'This is my bar, and you've had enough. Finish your drink, and go home.'
For a second, it didn't seem that the griffon was going to back down. Summer was hyper aware of the flex of his muscles, the twitch of his wings. And she readied herself to step in, almost on instinct. She hadn't counted on Daria though.
Without any hesitation, she stepped out from behind the bar with a steady pace. 'Do I have to repeat myself? You're done for tonight.' She had this look on her face that both said she wouldn't take any nonsense. And that she meant business. It clearly worked on the Griffon.
'You'll get what's coming to you. You all will.' The griffon rose up to his full height, only swaying a little. 'You stand up for your military buddies all you like. See what that gets you in the end.' He left that statement hanging in the air as he swept out, at places pushing his way through the crowd.
'I'm sorry you had to see that.' Daria rubbed her head. 'Guys like him are one in a dozen thankfully.'
'Looks like you are used to dealing with this kinda thing.' Summer said, not fully relaxed yet. Her mind still on edge and ready. It was a reflex, one that she trusted to keep her safe.
'He's been like that the last few times he came in here. Not a night goes by he isn't kicking off about something. Keeps up, I'm going to have to ban him. It's bad for business.' Daria sighed. 'We have been getting a lot more of that recent. And not just here. Tensions have been rising all over the city, gaps and divisions made wider than they already were. It's just lucky we haven't had a riots yet.'
'Are things that bad?' Summer asked.
'It could be. People are much more suspicious right now, certainly of outsiders. This was a city built on outsiders, by outsiders. Everyone here was an outsider at one point. Now it seems like we are going back to that time.' She left that hanging in the air.
'I can't believe things have gotten this bad.' Summer said as she and Ari stepped out into the night. She had tried not to think about that, not wanting to spoil Ari's evening. She was a little drink..drunk. She hadn't expected to stay that long. But she had been enjoying the Evening. And spending time with Ari. She was just at the point of being drunk that she liked, merry but not silly.
'I think I drank a bit too much.' Ari chuckled, swaying a bit as she looked up at the stars. 'I'm sorry, did you say something?'
Summer hesitated for a second. She could continue with that. But maybe it was best left unsaid right now. 'No, nothing.' She managed a smile. 'Would you like me to walk you back to the base?'
'You're so sweet sometimes.' Ari giggled as she fell into step beside her. 'We should do this again sometime. I know my friends would love to get to know you.'
Summer managed to keep her face even and steady, the compliment threatening to make her blush. It wasn't like she hadn't been thinking about meeting up with her again. She just didn't know what to make of it, of what she was feeling. She liked Ari but really had no idea how she felt about her. Or if she felt the same as she did. Part of her just wanted her too.
'I'd like that too.' Summer managed, realising she had been silent for too long. But Ari didn't seem to have noticed. Now that the moment had passed. 'Daria seemed very nice.'
'She is. The best.' Ari had a soft smile on her face again. 'My best friend. I don't know where I would be without her.'
Summer had been thinking about where to go from there when Ari stumbled sideways. Maybe her foot caught on a loose stone. Or just got tangled up as she walked. Whatever the reason, Summer suddenly found the vixen pressed to her side, an arm around her waist.
It was lucky that Ari didn't seem inclined to talk any more because Summer's brain seemed to have frozen up. To say she felt confused by that was an understatement. She could have just been leaning on her for support of course.
'Well, this is me.' Ari said softly.
Summer started, seeing the dorm reserved for enlisted personnel before them. Somehow she had missed them walking through the gates and into the barracks themselves. At least consciously. Now that she thought back, she did remember walking through the narrow entrance way. And she must have entered her code so.. It was disturbing in a way. She never got distracted like that.
'Oh, yes.' Summer found herself both relieved and sad at the same time.
'I really had fun tonight.' Ari smiled that smile again, already having opened the door. 'I'm bushed but it was fun.'
'Don't let me keep you then.' Summer smiled back. 'I guess we could both do with some sleep.'
'I guess so.' Ari yawned, swaying again on her feet.
Summer had made sure Ari was well and truly inside the dorm before she made her own way home. Now that she was alone, her tiredness seemed to have returned full force. Her eyes were dropping as she pushed the door to her quarters open, just about focused enough to remember to shut it quietly. She barely remembered padding to her bedroom and tossing off her clothes. And certainly wouldn't remember getting into bed the next morning, even as she stumbled towards it. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she was out like a light, soft snores filling the room.
And now we get down to the real bones of this. Not just the romance but bigger events too. Events that might just shake everyone down. Not least of all Summer and Ari. Cause big things are coming. Very big things.
I hope you guys will stick around to see what's gonna happen next.
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