Badges [Pilot]
Set in a fictional country, 'Badges' takes place in the long-running Heartsfield city police precinct. Their motto is 'Life, Liberty and Prosperity', keeping the citizen's lives in an optimal state as they keep crime down with an iron fist. In these recent years, a new captain has been appointed, that of which is a diligent polar bear by the name of Harkness. At a prime age of 27, he lords over the many officers of the Heartsfield precinct, maintaining a somewhat sociable attitude sprinkled over his tendencies to become a work-a-holic.
This is the story of how Harkness copes with three new recruits to the precinct, and how his dull life will intertwine with theirs to make a life well lived under the seemingly 'calm' city of Heartsfield.
[First attempt at creating a story that I've had in my head for 2 years! I apologize for the short chapter, but I just wanted to get the essential character descriptions out of the way before I fully flesh out the story! It's only now that I realize that so many good ideas in your head are quite hard to put into words XD]
Footsteps.
Heavy footsteps.
These were the footsteps of a large mammal. These were the footsteps of a polar bear. They hit hard and heavy, landing on the shiny teal-coloured floor of the Heartsfield police department. It echoed through the rowdy room of countless officers responding to calls in their small, cozy offices. The bear's presence was known throughout as the heads of many species turned to face the six feet tall ursine, followed with a lazy nod to acknowledge the captain's presence.
Our main character was well-dressed. The navy blue suit he wore was tight and fitting, hugging the bear's large limbs as though he was like a cub that was almost about to outgrow his clothing. It was adorned with a few badges, mainly those which were of pure vanity. The real prize was located on the left-hand side of the suit. It was a golden badge, indented perfectly and polished with care. It shone brightly, making it stick out like it should to those who would lay their eyes upon him.
His alabaster white shirt hugged his body tightly. It exposed his stature, that of which looked much like a swole man's build. A neat, lengthy tie hung down from his collar, decorated with black and diagonal blue stripes. His trousers were unlike the rest of his uniform, looking rather perfect for his size, which meant that it wasn't tightly constricted around the bear's legs, of course.
"Good morning." A gruff voice exited from the ursine's maw.
"Mornin' officer." The drone of voices replied in unison.
And with that, Harkness' day began as he entered his office at the far end of the hall-like room.
"We got three more recruits. Fresh off the Academy." Hark's assistant spoke. She was a short little skunk, earnest and sweet. She wore a small black suit with a white skirt in accordance to her fur. Her smile was ever present and her bushy tail went as tall as the height of her head when raised up straight.
Coming at half of the ursine's height, she hopped up onto his paper-wracked desk, dropping three clipboards right in front of his shipment papers. "Two females, one male. Caprine, vulpine and a canine. Two accomplished students and one slacker all from the same academy. I'll give you a guess on who's the idiot." She said, waiting for his response.
"The wol-"
"The fox." She interrupted, flicking Hark's nose as he recoiled slightly, chuffed. "That makes it eight to one, Hark. You're terrible at guessing." She added, hopping down to return to her small desk at the other side of his office, jumping on as she sat comfortably, resuming her work on the laptop that filled the entire space of her desk.
"Go ahead and spread the burden of my work to my other colleagues. I'll be making time for these kids from now on." The bear said as he raised himself off his chair. He took a sip of his coffee before he left the room, leaving the skunk to her own devices. She sighed a little, looking up to the rotating fan. "Don't be too harsh on them, now." She mumbled to herself.
Harkness' heavy footsteps echoed through the room, his sights headed towards a small 'green' room off to the left side of the department. He stood in front of the cedar door and looked to his right to see a small window that was covered with white blinds. Fortunately for him, they were half-open, letting him see the inhabitants who were inside, sitting on the black barred, blue padded chairs. He watched quietly as he saw the fox, the horned ram and the canine quietly conversing with each other.
The former sat in the middle. She seemed to be the tallest of the three. Her apricot-coloured fur contrasted against the teal blue uniform shirt that she wore. Her clothing was creased, clearly showing that she had not ironed it in the morning. Her belt buckle was partially undone and her small recruit badge had been placed on the right side of her shirt, the wrong side. Her ears were comfortably flat, as though she felt relaxed around the two. Her left leg constantly tapped the floor as she spoke and her tail swayed left and right, impatient but still eager to waste time before Harkness would enter.
The latter was the female ram. She seemed to be in the middle in terms of height. She was well kept, sitting in a formal manner with her hands placed on her thighs. Her puffy cream fur was neatly combed behind her horns, which flowed down to her chest. The girl knew how to impress, as her brown-grey horns were even smoothed for the occasion! Much like the polar bear, she was wearing uniform that seemed one size smaller than what she wanted, hugging the two large mounds on her chest, unlike the fox who was as flat as a board in her regards. Her cute little snout wiggled and so did her ears, perhaps hinting to the bear that the fox had been making jokes or of the sort as the female ram sat on her left.
Finally, the canine sat to her left. He was the shortest of the three, seemingly connecting well with the fox more than the ram as he regularly interjected his own opinion as she spoke, which often was followed with a laugh or snicker from either party. His uniform was in a state between the fox's and the ram's looking somewhat ironed, though perhaps it had been creased in recent events. His tie was a little loose and his badge too, was placed on the wrong side. Though it had not been his doing since Harkness briefly saw the fox re-adjusting the perfectly positioned badge, much to both the bear and the ram's dismay. The canine had predominantly grey fur, mixed in with some white fur that covered his throat and muzzle. His partially unbuttoned shirt showed that the white fur went all the way to his torso, though his arms (which were exposed as he wore sleeveless uniform) were grey.
After Hark stood for two minutes, he finally placed his paw on the door, turning it slowly to see the trio perk up and straighten their bodies. The cedar door creaked open, letting them see their instructor and leader for the next few months.
Oh, and yes, they were definitely intimidated.
The ursine slowly stepped into the room, holding the three clipboards. He held each corresponding clipboard to their real life counterpart. "Amelia...Lux...Anderson." He said slowly as he stared at each individual after calling their name. All three tensed up as their heard their name, sitting upright as the shadow of the six foot tall polar bear loomed over their bodies. "Welcome to the department. I'll be your team leader for the next few months." He extended his large, fluffy paw towards the recruits, forcing a toothy smile. Social interactions were a little lacking for this workaholic. The only sustainable conversation that he can hold would be one with his secretary. Nevertheless, he wasn't afraid of of putting a face to blend in with the commonfolk. All three recruits shook his paw, with the fox grasping it tightly and shaking it vigorously with a smile on her muzzle.
"What's your name, sir?" She asked.
"Captain." Harkness replied.
"So should we call you mister captain?" She teased lightly. A short chuckle was heard from the wolf.
"Call me whatever you please, but I'll most likely respond if you call me captain." He said as he stared at her. She returned the look, observing the emerald-coloured pupils that Harkness had. Harkness moved back towards the door, turning his head briefly.
"Come. I'll show you around."