{"sf1_id":1362070,"sf2_id":"bebLArbn","title":"Nights of Firefall: Chapter 2","author":"Coughing Fit","words":8762,"posted_at":"2018-08-23T01:37:54.000Z","tags":["Action","Adventure","Diesel Punk","F/M","Female","Greentext","Human","Jackal","Male","Military","Mystery","Novel","Romance","Sci-Fi","Science Fiction","Size Difference","Straight","War","mech","mecha","tomboy"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1362070-nights-of-firefall-chapter-2","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/bebLArbn","image_url":"https://cdn.sofurryfiles.com/submissions/thumbnails/e3/49/e349c7f6-b980-44e2-9098-5f08235ebd82","description":"Greentext Prose hybrid  \nSecond Person  \nPerspective switching  \nBy chapter  \nWIP  \n  \nIn this chapter: Tom and Teth'ra familiarize themselves with eachother, and Tom realizes how much of a danger she and the others in the platoon could pose to him, While Teth'ra gently attempts to figure out her new companion. (originally written in March/April of 2018)  \n  \nnotes: MOTHERFUGGIN HOMONYMS... Although I improve later, these still show their ugly faces most often in these early few chapters. Thanks to some badgering from a friend, I managed to stamp these out in time for later chapters.  \n  \nthe full story is available here in pastebin: [https://pastebin.com/TauTPsKD](https://pastebin.com/TauTPsKD)  \n  \nthe cover image poster is done by the wonderful Akella, you can find him here: [https://akella33.tumblr.com](https://akella33.tumblr.com)","content":"'You'll find boredom where there is the absence of a good idea'\n\n  \n\n-Earl Nightingale\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eIn the absence of the enemy, boredom is the soldier's greatest enemy. He must keep himself occupied, for if he has nothing, he will be told how to keep occupied, and it will inevitably be less pleasant than his own choice. Left to boredom too long, a soldier may become destructive, to others, or himself.\n\n  \n\n  \n\n  \n\nChapter 2: Recovery\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThat first night you slept so soundly your internal clock hadn't even saw fit to wake you up for morning PT.\n\n\\\u003eYou were feeling much better and your aches didn't seem to protest quite as intently.\n\n\\\u003eYou were going over old facts in your technical manual, mostly concerning power curves and tuning.\n\n\\\u003eYou were convinced you would be receiving a factory fresh rumbler, that meant adjustments, lots and lots of adjustments.\n\n\\\u003eThe armature was designed to be fitted as closely as possible to the pilot, it had dozens upon dozens of adjustable bars, dials, and settings.\n\n\\\u003eAdjusting one took a lot of time and careful manipulation for that perfect fit, which is why the pilot did it himself.\n\n\\\u003eThe quickest way to piss off even the most veteran pilot was fucking with his auger, that was a line you just don't cross.\n\n\\\u003eEventually you set the manual down, wishing for new reading material.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra stopped by at this point.\n\n\\\u003eAt first you weren't even sure it was her.\n\n\\\u003eShe strode in at a massive height and you wanted to hide yourself in your manual.\n\n\\\u003eBut those blue eyes cored you as always and you didn't reach for it.\n\n\\\u003eShe came and pulled up a seat after giving a curt wave.\n\n\\\u003eYou were thankful that she wasn't just standing over you this time, because she was GIANT.\n\n\\\u003eEasily she stood at least 7 feet tall, maybe higher, especially factoring in the ears.\n\n\\\u003eNow that your eyes actually worked and it was light out you could get a good look at her.\n\n\\\u003eShe had a long, thin muzzle, with very tall, distinctly pointed ears, all adorned in a short dusky grey fur.\n\n\\\u003eShe looked like something that stepped off an ancient egyptian mural.\n\n\\\u003eOnce again, Teth'ra surprised you, she wasn't a wolf or a dog at all, she was a jackal.\n\n\\\u003eHer fur carried a distinct shine to it, healthy and well cared for, she even had some other coloration.\n\n\\\u003eDistinct markings of dusty gold.\n\n\\\u003eA thin stripe on her chin, points on the tips of her ears, and even a loose band just below her neck that seemed to hang off her shoulders.\n\n\\\u003eYou asked if it was Fur dye.\n\n\\\u003eShe seemed dejected and then barked that it was natural, and appended her point by presenting you with her right wrist.\n\n\\\u003eAnother loose band of golden fur hung loosely at her wrist, really the only thin parts of her arms.\n\n\\\u003e\"Go ahead, feel.\"\n\n\\\u003eThe fur parted softly as you smoothed your fingers up her arm, the gold feeling no different from the grey.\n\n\\\u003eRunning your fingers up her forearm further, feeling the soft give of relaxed muscle that quickly became too dense to push into.\n\n\\\u003eThe wide profile of her arms was most certainly muscle.\n\n\\\u003e\"See? No slickness or weight from chemicals or dyes, all natural.\"\n\n\"Sure, I'm not exactly an expert on the topic so how do I know your not lying?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe gave a curious twist of her features and smirked again.\n\n\\\u003e\"Smartass.\"\n\n\\\u003eShe informed you she had more bands, one on the other wrist and two more on her ankles, then she pressed in on talking, mostly her getting a sense of how you were faring interspersed with complaints about duty shifts.\n\n\\\u003eShe would have come sooner to her valiant sir McWhicky if she wasn't caught up being told what to do.\n\n\\\u003eShe looked at you expectantly, likely expecting to send you toppling over yourself in another fit of embarrassment.\n\n\\\u003eYou informed her that last night your nerves were up something fierce and you normally weren't that much of a pussy.\n\n\\\u003eShe cocked an ear, looking defeated, but seemed to brighten with a slight smirk.\n\n\\\u003e\"Fine then, I'll just have to find another way under your armor~\"\n\n\\\u003eThe smirk had grown.\n\n\\\u003eThat smile did not make you feel easy.\n\n\"I thought you said it wasn't a sex thing?\"\n\n\\\u003eYou said this more to reassure yourself than anything else.\n\n\\\u003eBut rather than admit her hypocrisy she pressed on\n\n\\\u003e\"Well.. Your not an expert on the subject, so how could you know I wasn't lying?\"\n\n\\\u003eOh she's good\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eBut you fought dirty to preserve your dignity in front of the others in the ward.\n\n\\\u003eYou changed the topic to a subject you were sure would throw her off of attempting to smash through your mental defenses and render you a bright red giggling mess again.\n\n\\\u003eYou had to have this talk sooner or later.\n\n\"So. What flavor of incompetence should I expect out of Vilka?\"\n\n\\\u003eThat did it, a rumble flowed off her chest and her ears lowered as she looked towards the wall.\n\n\\\u003eoh shit\n\n\\\u003eYou looked away from her, twiddling your thumbs and hoping you hadn't set her off too badly. Trying to ignore that feeling that you were about to catch claws to the temple.\n\n\\\u003eShe sighed heavily, deflating as she sat.\n\n\\\u003eYou dared to look back, she continued gazing at the wall.\n\n\\\u003eHer body language was foreign, but she seemed, not angry, just... tired.\n\n\\\u003eShe looked back to you. \"I... I'm sorry... It's just. She pushes me so far sometimes.\"\n\n\\\u003eHer shoulders slump.\n\n\\\u003e\"I try so hard but, she just won't stop riding my ass about everything. I'm getting to the end of my rope again.\"\n\n\"Again?\"\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eShe huffs wearily, staring at the wall.\n\n\"Teth'ra\"\n\n\\\u003eShe says nothing, ears held low.\n\n\\\u003eOkay enough, you can't have the both of you being depressed.\n\n\\\u003eYou know that she has a gentle streak, especially concerning you.\n\n\\\u003eShe won't hurt you, even if she doesn't accept what your about to do.\n\n\\\u003eStop panicking brain.\n\n\\\u003eYou reach out with your left hand and delicately cup her chin with your fingers.\n\n\\\u003eShe doesn't shy away from the touch.\n\n\\\u003eYou tilt her head up towards you, she still refuses to look at you.\n\n\\\u003eYou start gently rubbing your thumb and index back and forth, you catch her gaze as her ears raise slightly.\n\n\"Teth'ra\"\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eShe gives a half sigh, half whine as she gently moves your hand away.\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003e\"Vilka... has some... issues, with pressing her authority.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"I don't think she acknowledges my limits. She just thinks I'm the toughest bitch in the outfit.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"... Everyone does...\"\n\n\\\u003eShe looked to you pleadingly, you gave a small nod to hear her out.\n\n\\\u003eShe needs to get this off her chest.\n\n\\\u003eHer very.. bountiful chest\n\n\\\u003eWAVE OFF\n\n\\\u003eNOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR THAT\n\n\\\u003e\"I've tried so much to get her to back off, even complained to the higher ups.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"But they never gave me the same stock they give to that prissy bitch.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Eventually she... she pushed me too far. And I laid claws on her, even drew blood.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"She backed off after that, but after a while she seemed to think about reasserting her authority.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"So she got back on my case, with a grudge this time.\"\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\"So she has control issues and a petty streak, anything else I should lie awake worrying over?\"\n\n\\\u003eThat strategic tug at her sympathy seems to have worked, her ears raise and her eyes dance back over you.\n\n\\\u003e\"Well. She has been pestering me about you... a lot, so beware that her attention seems to be squarely on you.\"\n\n\\\u003eA thought occurs to you.\n\n\"You don't think she know about t-\"\n\n\\\u003e\"-The balcony? No.\" She lowers her voice to a husky whisper so as not to be overheard.\n\n\\\u003e\"All she knows is that I came by that night and got something out of you.\" She added a laugh as she realized what she said.\n\n\"You don't think she's jealous do you?\"\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra seems to freeze and star off into nothing for a second.\n\n\\\u003eMotion draws your eyes down.\n\n\\\u003eIf Vilka's uniform was two sizes too large, Teth'ra's unzipped jacket is two sizes too small.\n\n\\\u003eDamn those things are big.\n\n\\\u003eYou guessed that estimating the cup sizes would be a complete waste of time as those puppies seemed so large it didn't really matter.\n\n\\\u003eEvidently her white undershirt agreed, the thing so stretched out and abused it made no effort to contain the monsters.\n\n\\\u003eLeaving it to what must be a bra woven out of kevlar since it hadn't snapped yet.\n\n\\\u003eYou wondered how heavy they were, how they moved, how they would fe-\n\n\\\u003eMISSION CONTROL WAVE OFF\n\n\\\u003eEYES ON THE OBJECTIVE\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra erupted into a loud, boisterous laughter that startled you, hell it seemed to startle the whole ward.\n\n\\\u003eEventually she settled into a low chuckle as you tried to figure out what was so funny.\n\n\\\u003eShe smiled widely \"Vilka, jealous. \\*snrk\\* Can you imagine her tripping over herself for the smoothskin? Ha ha heeeh\"\n\n\\\u003eThe weight on your chest pulled off, relieved that she was out of her slump.\n\n\\\u003eWait 'smoothskin'? was that some kind of slur?\n\n\\\u003eEh, she must have just thought of the first thing to come to mind, best just forget about it.\n\n\\\u003eShe wears a pleased expression as she fusses with her jacket.\n\n\\\u003e\"Well I'd stay around longer but i got work to do, motorpool. Grease monkeys don't know how to clean up.\"\n\n\"Oh hey, I actually used to work in the motorpool before I joined in with the pilots.\"\n\n\\\u003eShe turns as she stands with a thoughtful look.\n\n\\\u003e\"Weird, I never saw you there.\"\n\n\"As one of the biggest guys there, I was mostly out running parts during my shifts, that's probably why you never got me.\"\n\n\\\u003eYour wondering how differently you would feel about her if you met in less extraneous circumstances, especially considering her size.\n\n\\\u003e\"humph, all I got was some mouthy little coyote jagoff, I could smell how desperate he was for me.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Then one day he fell over himself and just kinda... stopped.\"\n\n\\\u003eNow you chuckled.\n\n\\\u003e\"what?\"\n\n\"I think that had something to do with me, one night we were having a debate over some wild rumor that anthro women thought that humans were best in bed, and the little mutt stumbles right into an argument about canine knots, I told him with how long that he would be... erm, coupled, that with his tendency to trip over words he would just fuck everything up.\"\n\n\\\u003eShe gave you a smirk as her glittering blue jewels seemed lost in thought \"Guess thats something else I might have to thank ya for. Later Tom.\"\n\n\\\u003eYou slumped back in your bed, content that you weren't alone out here.\n\n\\\u003emission accomplished\n\n  \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n  \n\n\\\u003cTeth'ra\\\u003e\n\n\\\u003eYou strode back out of the ward, letting your tail wag lazily behind you. His mood hadn't worsened while you were gone.\n\n\\\u003eYou were even better at this than you thought you would be, despite a few hiccups here and there, You felt a flush of heat in your ears, fucking shameful.\n\n\\\u003e'smoothskin'\n\n\\\u003eTo think you let that little slang for human penis edge into your conversation.\n\n\\\u003eYet it did make you think.\n\n\\\u003eVilka, lusting after human cock like a begging puppy.\n\n\\\u003eYou fought back another gut punching incentive to laugh.\n\n\\\u003eAnd today you even let him rub your chin... delicately~\n\n\\\u003eThe flush of heat coursing your ears only grew.\n\n\\\u003eGod what's next you absolute degenerate? hand holding? petting? ear scratches?... belly rubs?\n\n\\\u003eOr maybe even something a little lower.\n\n\\\u003eIt wouldn't be too hard to convince him, he trusted you, sure he wasn't unfit but you outmassed him by a significant margin, and he was injured.\n\n\\\u003eNO BAD\n\n\\\u003eYou shook your head free of the sin edging into your quaint little story of rehabilitation.\n\n\\\u003eYou were just having thoughts like that because he was a bit... exotic.\n\n\\\u003eSure you had seen humans before but to be so close to one...\n\n\\\u003eBesides he was nice to talk too, such genuine concern over your problems.\n\n\\\u003eThe chin thing too though.\n\n\\\u003eWhat else could he do with those hands?\n\n\\\u003eNO\n\n\\\u003eSure your fast friendship was strange, but that was circumstance.\n\n\\\u003eHe magnetized to you so readily because all of his friends were gone, plus the whole savior complex thing, in both directions.\n\n\\\u003eThis murmur of attraction under your breast was just confused nerves talking.\n\n\\\u003eYou were overworked and pent up, you had to distract yourself.\n\n\\\u003eYou thought about something else, namely Vilka's insistent pestering.\n\n\\\u003eShe seemed to be dejected when Tom refused to associate with her that first day after he woke up.\n\n\\\u003eOf course he refused to give her more than one word answers, because she was an idiot that believed that mask of amiability she wore would just skip over the fact that she was a fresh faced officer that pretty much forced him into a position he didn't want after his personal tragedy.\n\n\\\u003eShe had made herself his enemy just by being in the room and pushing too hard, too soon.\n\n\\\u003eYou smirked to yourself as you remember her pleading with sergeant Baker over how she could win his heart or some shit with the right approach.\n\n\\\u003eYou don't mean to eavesdrop, its just those tall ears of yours pick up so much... you can't help it.\n\n\\\u003eKeep telling yourself that.\n\n\\\u003eBut your smile dropped and your countenance hardened as you remembered what you overheard after you snuck back in to camp. Careful not to let anyone know where you had gone during your free time.\n\n\\\u003eVilka happily psyching herself up to crack open Tom's hard shell and sooth his ills. Waxing eloquent of how she could fix his shattered soul, that dreamy sigh that capped it off about made you shatter your teeth.\n\n\\\u003eThis petty fucking princess was not going to edge in on your territory.\n\n\\\u003eShe would undoubtedly try to drive a wedge between you and Tom, and do more harm than good.\n\n\\\u003eShe about pushed you to the breaking point, theres no way you could let her near him.\n\n\\\u003eYou let out an angry huff and suppressed a growl building in your chest. If anyone was going to be Tom's sapient therapy dog it would be you goddamnit!\n\n\\\u003eVilka could take her fuckups elsewhere, he was YOURS.\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eshit, were you really getting that possessive?\n\n\\\u003eYou idly scratched your side.\n\n\\\u003eHow long had it been since you... had relief.\n\n\\\u003eThinking back you couldn't remember, and you felt just so pent up.\n\n\\\u003eMaaaaybe it would be best if you got your kinks worked out before Tom recovered enough to be mobile.\n\n\\\u003eHe would be relying on you to help him get around before his legs worked completely.\n\n\\\u003eAnd with all that close contact~\n\n\\\u003eYou thought about how gentle his fingers were, stroking through your fur, and how they would feel in your-\n\n\\\u003eOkay that settles it.\n\n\\\u003eYou tried to ignore the mischievous glance from the chubby snow leopard at the front desk as you left. Sure, sure, you hung out with the human two nights in a row, so what?\n\n\\\u003eThen you set off on your evening PT run, taking you conveniently out of sight and downwind.\n\n  \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n  \n\n\\\u003cTom\\\u003e\n\n\\\u003eThe week floated by in a vague cloud of painkillers, morphine sulfate, and conversation.\n\n\\\u003eHalf the waking day you were out of it, after you were cheerily informed your treatment had been fast tracked, you had been going in for surgery every other day.\n\n\\\u003eThe other half you were trying to ignore the odd ass feeling of your bones throbbing while reviewing for your inevitable tuning over every inch of a brand new rumbler.\n\n\\\u003eInterspersed were visits from Teth'ra, she seemed far more relaxed after her little slump over a problematic LT you both knew, but that could just be the drugs talking.\n\n\\\u003eYour conversations were frankly forgettable, between the pleasant morphine haze and the pedestrian topics you stuck to there were no real highlights, but the company and attention were the highlight of your days anyway.\n\n\\\u003eThe concoction the doctors had been applying to the busted bits of your skeleton made you really damn hungry too.\n\n\\\u003eThe other troopers in the ward cheerily held roundabout conversation during mealtimes, mostly reminiscing of their own experience with what everyone referred to as 'bone hurting juice' when they caught on as to how the doctors were treating you.\n\n\\\u003eApparently it was some trick they learned from studying the bugs.\n\n\\\u003eAliens are fuckin weird man.\n\n\\\u003eGoddamn you were high.\n\n\\\u003eThe nurse came by with fresh morphine amps all the fucking time.\n\n\\\u003eHow were you not addicted?\n\n\\\u003eThe only other piece of cloud like memory you could actually get your mental hands around was a snickering Private that had been bunked up on your right.\n\n\\\u003eWas he snickering? maybe something was just fucky about his lungs, you don't know you were high.\n\n\\\u003eRegardless he relayed a number of stories to you about Teth'ra, and her temper.\n\n\\\u003eEven dulled by an industrial grade amount of painkillers your brain was keen to seize on the sense of danger.\n\n\\\u003eIn between long bouts of laughing... no your pretty sure it was coughing now, He would spin tales of the jackal in her moments of weakness.\n\n\\\u003eShe wasn't the angel you thought she was at first, but you figured that out pretty quick, she struck a CO (even if in your opinion said CO sounded too dense to even empathize) and she made mention that her record was spotted with troubles.\n\n\\\u003eThe private had seemed convinced he was making you scared of your newfound friend.\n\n\\\u003eYou had faced acid spitting bugs the size of fucking buildings, his little horror stories don't mean shit.\n\n\\\u003eEventually the doses lessened and you started climbing down, the last night in the hospital was a little restless, the slightest tinges of withdrawal affecting your sleep, your dreams were strange and disjointed. flashes of light and dancing glints off of things that wore no shine, and a few disjointed memories tied into a loose chain.\n\n\\\u003eEventually your dreams edged towards violence, and you saw it again, him, again.\n\n\\\u003eThat bright sash of crimson, and your being flared in rage.\n\n\\\u003eBut then you were rocketed out of your sleep by the sensation of being sat upright.\n\n\\\u003eYou tensed, but elected not to scramble as your senses hadn't all returned to you.\n\n\\\u003eBleary eyed, you looked and stared at the doctor who was kicking you out of your plush bed.\n\n\\\u003eAt 6 in the goddamn morning\n\n\\\u003eEvery good trooper uses recovery time to sleep in, being booted off of an actual mattress at a reasonable hour was just taunting.\n\n\\\u003eBy the time you had been checked over, handed your pill bottle and a crutch, and then told to leave it was more like 10 in the morning.\n\n\\\u003eWasting your fucking resources. 4 hours of sack time gone!\n\n\\\u003eAnd so you hobbled your way out, only to get stalled further in the lobby.\n\n\\\u003eYou weren't sure why the hell the receptionist was asking so many questions about Teth'ra.\n\n\\\u003eWhat you were sure about was she stood at roughly your height, was kinda chunky, and very excitable.\n\n\\\u003eShe was also covered in hair and very liberal about showing those meat carving teeth.\n\n\\\u003eAnd she was getting too damn close to your face, nose sniffing curiously.\n\n\\\u003eMaking an excuse about elbow grease, you pinned your crutch under your right arm, and hobbled out a pace someone who was not you may have called excessive.\n\n\\\u003eBut you were you, that snow leopard was freaking you out, and that hobble jog was perfectly reasonable.\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eAnd so you found yourself out in the chill of the morning air, with nothing but your boots, cargo pants, under uniform, and your service jacket.\n\n\\\u003eAnd no fucking clue where you were going.\n\n\\\u003eYou considered hobbling off to your cot but that was likely moved in the reorganization shuffle.\n\n\\\u003eOh! Wait, your gun.\n\n\\\u003eYou weren't lost and confused, you would just have to go to the supply office and get your stuff back.\n\n\\\u003eEven if it did mean dealing with Chen, the fucking rat.\n\n\\\u003eWell, he wasn't an actual rat, he may have actually been a pleasant sort if he was. Rats were surprisingly hygienic and social.\n\n\\\u003eChen believed hygiene was something that happened to other people, and he spent most waking hours cooped up in a supply bunker.\n\n\\\u003eThings also went conveniently missing in his care, if he 'misplaced' your gun you would throttle him.\n\n\\\u003eHe likely wouldn't be stupid enough to raise a scene over it, he knew not to fuck with you.\n\n\\\u003eBefore you could continue reminiscing a snicker sounded behind you \"Looking a little lost there pal.\"\n\n\\\u003eJAYSUUUuuuuus... oh, its just Teth'ra\n\n\\\u003eOH\n\n\\\u003eIt's Teth'ra....\n\n\\\u003eWearing her usual outfit, the too-small shortcut jacket thrown over a white undershirt with baggy camo cargopants and boots.\n\n\\\u003eLazily leaning against a young maple and giving a content grin, she somehow seems even larger than she first did that night.\n\n\\\u003eShe clasps her arms above her head as she stretches with a yawn, exaggerating the size difference even further.\n\n\\\u003eYou would be lucky if you came up to her chest.\n\n\\\u003eA week straight on your back had dulled you to exactly how much larger she was.\n\n\\\u003eYou glanced back as your nerves started buzzing, Her undershirt ridden up to expose her stomach, a rock solid core softened slightly by a layer of fat augmented by the fur.\n\n\\\u003eAll of her hard edges seemed softened by it, evidently she quite happily built up just enough bodyfat to smooth out the impressions her muscles pressed into her flesh.\n\n\\\u003eYou imagined it slightly hid just how dangerous she was, like a sock full of quarters.\n\n\\\u003eYou cringed remembering your older cousin.\n\n\\\u003eHe deserved that belt to the head, you gave no qualms about what uncle Barry had to say.\n\n\\\u003eBut soon you head the soft thump of her raised boots lowering back into the ground, and you were in the present again, feeling heated.\n\n\\\u003eYou tugged at the collar of your leather service jacket, it felt oddly restrictive right now.\n\n\\\u003e\"So, where are we off to?\" she asked flatly.\n\n\"Er.. su- supply office. Gotta. get my gun.\"\n\n\\\u003eYou forced a sheepish grin, to play off your nerves as awkwardness.\n\n\\\u003eShe liked awkward, you liked awkward, because awkward wouldn't make her mad.\n\n\\\u003eBut maybe she would assume you were being awkward because you were staring at her tits, oh god.\n\n\\\u003ebreath deep, calm... fuckin calm dammit.\n\n\\\u003e\"Well, lets go. The walk will help me wake up.\"\n\n\\\u003eWhy the hell would she be tired? it had been 5 hours since the usual time for wakeup call, you at least had been rolled out of bed earlier than usual and were coming down of off a clinical high.\n\n\\\u003eYou opened up your jacket, the cool buffeting air would help you think, thinking was good, thinking kept you calm.\n\n\\\u003eYou followed Teth'ra at a distance, trying not to make the divide obvious, she was your friend... right?\n\n\\\u003eShe led the way naturally, her size seemed to subconsciously push away any obstructing troopers, people moved around her rather than past her, and didn't seem to give much thought to you.\n\n\\\u003eSomething you were quietly thankful for, word had spread far by this point, one of the last of a broken regiment, survivor of a dead unit, you had a reputation now.\n\n\\\u003eA reputation you weren't eager to have anyone test.\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra's ears hung slightly lowered, her thin, brushy tail seemed to bristle as it idly swayed in time with her step.\n\n\\\u003eRemembering how your old pooch would hold her ears and tail, you hoped that you were reading Teth'ra's correctly as impassive, rather than quiet annoyance over your behavior.\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey... you doin okay back there? I can help you along if you need.\"\n\n\\\u003eThe question caught you a bit off guard, you looked back up to find her wearing a faint trace of concern.\n\n\"No.. no, I'm fine.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"... alright, just let me know if you need somethin.\"\n\n\\\u003eShe sighed lightly and went back to looking forward, ears ever so slightly lower.\n\n\\\u003eDamn you felt awkward, she could probably SMELL how anxious you were.\n\n\\\u003eYou remembered one of your biology lessons from class, predator-spliced anthros had noses keyed to pick up chemical and hormonal signals on others, mostly from their breath or sweat, detection of more primal signals, fear, anger, adrenaline, arousal came more easily than subtler queues for higher emotions.\n\n\\\u003eOh God they can literally smell fear.\n\n\\\u003eThis was not helping your nerves.\n\n\\\u003eAnd you were going to be working with an entire platoon of them.\n\n\\\u003eThey would know your weakness anytime you were upwind.\n\n\\\u003eLikely some to be unconcerned with your space like that snow leopard.\n\n\\\u003eYour throat within easy reach of those teeth.\n\n\\\u003eBuried instincts stirring at the scent of fear.\n\n\\\u003eYou shuddered.\n\n\\\u003eInhale, count to four, exhale.\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eShe's not one of the bad ones.\n\n\\\u003eShe only wants to help.\n\n\\\u003eShe won't hurt you.\n\n\\\u003eYou were starting to believe it.\n\n\\\u003eThat first night she broke through your guard and only offered kindness.\n\n\\\u003eThe second time she confided in you and let you get close.\n\n\\\u003eYou had to push yourself to accept her. Even with what she was.\n\n\\\u003eShe had shown you nothing but care and concern, even if she had that... potential.\n\n\\\u003eYou couldn't drive her off with your fear.\n\n\\\u003eOk, maybe that private's stories got to you a bit.\n\n\\\u003eYou would feel better when you had your stuff back.\n\n\\\u003eYou continued hobbling along the lengthy trek across the base, well it felt long, between your slowed pace and your electric nerves.\n\n\\\u003eThe two of you were passed by a troop marching the other direction, a large wolf lead them, bellowing a marching cadence as a mixed clustering of troopers, mostly humans, repeated the cadence in step.\n\n\\\u003eHe flashed a toothy smile, light gleaming off his sharp canines as he passed, and continued bellowing, the drowning stamp of boots followed him off.\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eThe glint of teeth\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eYou shuddered again.\n\n\\\u003eInhale, count to four, exhale.\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eShe won't hurt you.\n\n  \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThe trip to the supply bunker was surprisingly tame considering how Chen usually is.\n\n\\\u003eOf course he tried to deny knowledge and make a fuss when you questioned him as to where your gun went.\n\n\\\u003eHe was already nervous just from Teth'ra being in the room, even leaning over the counter and with him 'safe' behind his blast proofed slab of glass (that still had a hole in it for that dip thing you push stuff through) she absolutely dwarfed him.\n\n\\\u003eThe loud, uneven camber of your forceful limp just set him over the edge.\n\nSTAMP\n\nTACK\n\n  \n\nSTAMP\n\nTACK\n\n  \n\nSTAMP\n\nTACK\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra looked back to you and her eyes lit with understanding as she moved aside, God she might be as bad as you are.\n\n\\\u003eBut there was business to be done, namely prying your kit out of the ratty bastard's greased palms.\n\n\\\u003eOf course Chen was trying not to seem like the sweaty pushover that he was, and attempted some gentle resistance to your questioning.\n\n\\\u003eYou, on the other hand, were cranky and impatient from both the heat, and the smell.\n\n\\\u003eLocking Chen in a hotbox for hours a day was a recipe for bio-weapons.\n\n\\\u003eHe saw your wisdom after you took Teth'ra's hand radio set and made a very pointed threat about having a conversation with a trio of officers from central who would be very keen to know why shit keeps disappearing.\n\n\\\u003eYou congratulated yourself for figuring out who the wonder trio was, and also shrinked at not recognizing their uniforms immediately, you must have really been out of it.\n\n\\\u003eIn short your threat was to expose the on base black market by screaming over the command channel until the right set of officers started shouting at you.\n\n\\\u003eChen was cooperative after that.\n\n\\\u003eMental note: being this evil gets shit done, do it more.\n\n-this is why we can't have nice things-\n\n\\\u003eshut it brain\n\n\\\u003eHe had your gun, and all your other stuff, equipment harness, radio set + head set, flak vest (shrapnel wounds are a bother, even if you hate the fucking thing), those nice leather gloves you like (hand triggers chafe something fierce), and your sensory goggles, those things are never supposed to leave your head.\n\n\\\u003eWhile he was rooting around in the back you also made him get Teth'ra a shortcut jacket, like the one she wore already, except the correct size. Your libido wasn't opposed to letting her walk around with only one layer, but she may be the only friendly face you have to count on, and if she was going to be working with you, those bloomers needed more concealment than those stressed out undershirts.\n\n\\\u003eThose things could be, massive, distractions.\n\n\\\u003eIt also served as a peace offering 'sorry for being so fucking weird, please don't leave'\n\n\\\u003eYou stepped out and started clicking on your gear, its bulk settled on you nicely.\n\n\\\u003eYou looked overdressed but all the extra weight and protection eased your qualms, almost like a security blanket for adults.\n\n\\\u003eBesides you still needed to find where your footlocker ran off too.\n\n\\\u003eWith a comforting snap, you settled the sensory goggles into that familiar furrow pressed into your hair, where they would stay.\n\n\\\u003eYou took the goggles off while you were asleep sure, but if you went fucking anywhere you wore em, those damn things are expensive, loads of useful features built in too.\n\n\\\u003ePlus the goggles are a badge of honor that says 'yup, I'm a certified mech warrior.'\n\n\\\u003e'Mech warrior' wasn't the official nomenclature, but it caught on with the civvies, rather than calling everyone different names by the machines they drove, or just 'pilot'.\n\n\\\u003eRumbler pilots, like you, were called jocks. Your machines were loud, aggressive, and headstrong. You suppose the moniker fit.\n\n\\\u003eStrider pilots were mockingly called dancers. Those machines were light, fast, and precise, with the strutting legs to boot.\n\n\\\u003eThumper pilots were called boomers. Big guns, thick armor, and bigger explosions, even if they were slow on the uptake, what with all the extra weight.\n\n\\\u003eThen there were Leaper pilots, everyone called them rocks. They jumped like rocks, landed like rocks, and sat witheringly in enemy fire spraying auto cannon shells and missiles before jumping again, which was vaugely rock like.\n\n\\\u003eYou never got Leaper pilots, they were an odd bunch.\n\n\\\u003eThen there were the walkers, and technically vertical tanks, like the Juggernaut.\n\n\\\u003eWalkers didn't exactly have dedicated pilots due to the gyro system, same with all vertical tanks, the larger models such as Juggernauts had dozens of crewmen, and were ran more like ships than a pilot and his machine, along with support crew and riders.\n\n\\\u003eYou only had a sub-gunner to fret about, to sit at the gunnery station behind your armature and watch the screens, gunning down small targets with the assortment of MG and auto cannon posts scattered along the Rumbler's hull.\n\n\\\u003eA good sub-gunner could keep you from getting swarmed by small fry and augment your environmental awareness.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra joined you outside after you finished gearing up and mentally running lectures.\n\n\\\u003eHer new jacket looked like she wouldn't bust the zipper if she tried to cover up more.\n\n\\\u003eYou found yourself thinking if she would be a good sub-gunner.\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eShe seemed like an attentive sort, attentive was perfect, fast reaction times, multi tasking, keen situational awareness, and an ability to track multiple targets at once.\n\n\\\u003eThose were the main points of a good gunner. The more you thought over it, the more it seemed like she may have a fighting chance to fit the bill.\n\n\\\u003eCourse' anyone who took a crewman position in a machine like yours had to at least hold the rank of technical sergeant.\n\n\\\u003eThat kind of promotion may not fly with Vilka, the way Teth'ra told it, the LT had a vendetta against her.\n\n\\\u003eWell, you guessed the bitch was your LT now too.\n\n\\\u003eBut you were the new guy to the outfit, you could get away with disruptive moves like launching the platoon troublemaker up a few steps.\n\n\\\u003eEspecially since you were the first jock to be permanently linked with an infantry unit.\n\n\\\u003eYou also made a promise.\n\n\\\u003eYou would select whomever you liked to be your gunner, an effective team bond was a keystone to an effective pairing, and right now the only one you liked was Teth'ra.\n\n\\\u003eThe LT wouldn't be stupid enough to send you out without your gunner, especially since your machine was on its own.\n\n\\\u003eYou would have to talk about it with her later, right now you were wondering where the hell you were even sleeping.\n\n\\\u003eWith your gun at your side your anxiety was far more muted now, a distant sense of dread, rather than a looming shadow of doom.\n\n\\\u003e\"Time to go meet the platoon, Your supposed to be there at 12. Ya ready now that your all suited up tough guy?\"\n\n\\\u003eSomething is knocked loose in you, a dark crawling comes bubbling from the drop of your stomach.\n\n\\\u003eYou were wrong, the anxiety is back in full force.\n\n\\\u003eYou meet her eyes as she was giving a knowing grin.\n\n\\\u003eShe must have seen something in you, as her expression lowers, her ears drop.\n\n\\\u003eYou can't bring yourself to look at her as you feel those sapphires slowly burning a hole into you.\n\n\\\u003eWhy doesn't she say anything?\n\n\\\u003eThe silence creeps in from everywhere.\n\n\\\u003eNot even the wind helps.\n\n\\\u003eYou don't feel the malice of a predator, so why does your breath catch in your throat when you try to speak.\n\n\\\u003eThe unspoken question hangs there like the sword of Damocles. Dangled on a thread\n\n-whats wrong?-\n\n\\\u003eDammit just do it.\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eInhale, count to four, exhale\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003eShe's not one of the bad ones\n\n\\\u003eShe only wants to help\n\n\\\u003eShe won't hurt you\n\n\\\u003eAs the words crawl off your tongue, you feel a pit deepen.\n\n\\\u003eIt cuts your chest from within.\n\n\"I'm scared of anthros... have been for a long time... I'm not sure I can do this.\"\n\n\\\u003eYour throat grasped uselessly as the last tufts of air left you.\n\n\\\u003eYou can't look at her, your feet anchor you to the grass by the road.\n\n\\\u003eThe uncaring pavement looks nice.\n\n\\\u003eIt won't judge you, hold expectations over you, or be disappointed in you.\n\n\\\u003eIt feels nothing. Like your machine.\n\n\\\u003eA soft whine.\n\n\\\u003eThe pat of her weight on the grass, growing closer.\n\n\\\u003eShe still says nothing.\n\n\\\u003eYou suck in air, bracing.\n\n\\\u003eNo strike comes, no claws, no teeth.\n\n\\\u003eInstead you feel her on your back, strong arms pulling you in, claws leaving small blotches of numbness.\n\n\\\u003eYou tense and close your eyes.\n\n\\\u003eShe presses her warmth against your front, your jaw hits her shoulder.\n\n\\\u003eWhy isn't she angry? She should be angry.\n\n\\\u003eHer teeth must be poised right over you.\n\n\\\u003eYour shaking.\n\n\\\u003eIt flows in your ear, a whisper honeyed with care.\n\n\\\u003e\"I won't hurt you.\"\n\n\\\u003eYou freeze.\n\n\\\u003eShe's doing it again.\n\n\\\u003eThe tears start warming the corners of your eyes, you fight them, you can't break down, you can't.\n\n\\\u003eShe just holds you, swaying softly.\n\n\\\u003eThe rise and fall of her breath swells into yours.\n\n\\\u003eThere is no rhythm or tune but for the slowing beat of your heart.\n\n\\\u003e\"I don't know what happened to you to make you this way, but I will never hurt you.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"We saved eachother.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"I'm your angel right?\"\n\n\\\u003eIt comes back like a white dove roosting before dusk.\n\n\\\u003eWhat you said as you died.\n\n\\\u003e'My angel'\n\n\\\u003eCould heaven have sent her?\n\n\\\u003eYour pit drops away.\n\n\\\u003eThe cut isn't there.\n\n\\\u003eThe creeping feeling is gone.\n\n\\\u003eAll that is there instead, is warmth.\n\n\\\u003eYes, they could have sent her.\n\n  \n\n\\\u003ethe tears don't edge at your vision anymore.\n\n\\\u003eYour heart feels elevated.\n\n\\\u003eYour arms coil up and embrace her in turn.\n\n\\\u003eHer breath rises against you as she releases a pleased huff.\n\n\\\u003eShe tucks her head over yours, the bottom of her snout tussling your hair.\n\n\"You are.\"\n\n\\\u003ea happy whine comes out of her throat, she makes no effort to contain it.\n\n\"I've pushed myself so hard to accept you despite... what you are... your too kind.\"\n\n\\\u003eThat earns you another, shorter whine and a nuzzling along your scalp.\n\n\\\u003eShe acts more and more like a lapdog when she feels affectionate.\n\n\\\u003eYou lose track of how long you both stand there, lost in eachother's presence.\n\n\\\u003eEventually a thought occurs to you out of the warm stupor, what if someone saw you two like this?\n\n\\\u003eBut you aren't the one that moves first. Teth'ra gently puts you down, you didn't even notice she had lifted you off the ground.\n\n\\\u003eHow the hell does she read you like that?\n\n\\\u003eHow does she manage to put you at ease?\n\n\\\u003eScent alone doesn't explain it.\n\n\\\u003eYou swear this girl has some sort of empathetic gift.\n\n\\\u003eYour caught in her eyes once more, the magic is there all over again.\n\n\\\u003eShe keeps her strong hands on your shoulders, the claws don't exist to you right now.\n\n\\\u003e\"You don't have to present yourself to everyone, your injured and stressed. I can stand watch while you sit off to the side.\"\n\n\\\u003eShe adds a mischievous grin.\n\n\\\u003e\"Besides, if anyone does get too close. I'll bite em'!\"\n\n\\\u003eShe makes a light click with her teeth, pantomiming more of a nip really.\n\n\\\u003eStill trying her best not to scare you, sweeter than sugar.\n\n\\\u003eYou sound like an absolute sap right now, but she had some sort of disarming effect on you.\n\n\\\u003eThe baser parts of you squirmed and recoiled at her, not understanding, she was one of them, the other, despite how other your real enemy was.\n\n\\\u003eYour higher functions understood she was a friend, was protective of you, and seemed to better you, even if she was dangerous.\n\n\\\u003eSomething else entirely disregarded the danger wholesale, accepting absolutely that she would never be the predator you feared. And it pushed you to hold fast to her companionship and refuse to let it go.\n\n\\\u003eHer hands were off you now, and you felt a bit imbalanced as her support left.\n\n\"Teth'ra?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe looked down at you, expression neutral now, but you could tell something in those eyes was glimmering with expectation.\n\n\"Help me walk, will ya? It's almost noon\"\n\n\\\u003eAnother choked back whine, does she even mean to be this cute?\n\n\\\u003eYou offer your left arm to her, she snakes her right under it and clasps you on the back, hefting up some of your weight with little effort.\n\n\\\u003eThat warm smile is heart melting, you mentally slapped yourself for being scared of THAT.\n\n\\\u003eIt's almost like she's pulling puppydog eyes as she helps you pick up a much faster pace now, heading out towards the eastern field.\n\n\\\u003eThat tail is definitely wagging by now.\n\n  \n\n---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThe eastern field is more like a mulling of hills within the base perimeter, pretty much where every unit that can't fit into the overcrowded barracks and isn't carrying heavy equipment sets up their camp here.\n\n\\\u003eThe 512 always camped close by the mech park.\n\n\\\u003eWhere the hell would you even store your machine now? The mech park was on the opposite side of the base.\n\n\\\u003eYou wondered if Vilka was scheming to conveniently solve your problem with her staff vehicle.\n\n\\\u003eYou hadn't even properly met her yet and your already paranoid of her. But Teth'ra's situation gave you that impression.\n\n\\\u003eIf you owed her something before, you definitely owed the jackal for how much of a stabilizing element she was.\n\n\\\u003eIn both senses really.\n\n\\\u003eWith her acting as your other crutch you could move quite steadily now, of course the doctor told you it would be 3 days before the swelling on your right leg went down enough for you to really use it, and even then not to put major stress on it for a week.\n\n\\\u003eThen there were both times you were on the verge of breakdown and she was there.\n\n\\\u003eIf she wasn't so comically large you could excuse yourself for thinking she was a walking, talking, therapy animal.\n\n\\\u003eComical, of all the adjectives to use for her size, you settled on one of the least threatening.\n\n\\\u003eYou were really believing that little mantra now.\n\n\\\u003eAs you closed in towards where the 606 was camped you heard the unmistakable badgering, knife-handing, nagging shouts of sergeants getting their grunts in a row.\n\n\\\u003eYou were going to be propped up on display in front of almost 50 anthros trained to kill, you hoped dearly that Teth'ra was dead serious about staying at your side.\n\n\\\u003eB company, 2nd platoon. With you onboard that made 49 in this little group.\n\n\\\u003eEDF rifle infantry platoons were organized into 4 10-man squads, with a command squad of 8.\n\n\\\u003eEach squad was headed by a sergeant and 2 corporals over 7 privates, the squad operated in 2 5-man fireteams during combat, one fireteam headed by the sergeant with the other usually commanded by the more senior corporal.\n\n\\\u003eYou remembered Teth'ra was rarely given command of the other fireteam in her squad, despite being the most senior corporal in the platoon by her account.\n\n\\\u003eYou soured, wondering if it was the sergeant or the lieutenant responsible.\n\n\\\u003eAt least if it was the sergeant you could technically pull rank and badger them into cutting her some slack.\n\n\\\u003eActually are there any badgers in this platoon?\n\n\\\u003eYou saw them lining up around a clustering of tents and crates at the base of one of the hills.\n\n\\\u003eWell you'll be damned there's actually a badger\n\n\\\u003eSomewhere above 4 and a half foot, built like a dwarf, and currently making up for her stature with excessive volume.\n\n\\\u003eOne of the sergeants you guessed.\n\n\\\u003eLooking around at a distance, the whole platoon was female, not a sausage in sight.\n\n-this is either a bad anime or the best anime-\n\n\\\u003eThis is no time for chinese cartoons.\n\n\\\u003eNo this was time to visibly seize against Teth'ra as you saw a small ocean of fur and teeth.\n\n\\\u003eShe stopped and gripped your back more firmly.\n\n\\\u003eHer touch was relaxing, but it was trying to fight your resurgent fear.\n\n\\\u003eThen she started rubbing the back of your neck.\n\n\\\u003eThose eyes are magnetic again.\n\n\\\u003e\"I wasn't kidding about standing guard over you.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"They won't jump on ya just because your nervous. And if they don't keep their distance...\"\n\n\\\u003eShe makes that light snap with her teeth again.\n\n\\\u003eYour ready... hopefully.\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThe both of you sit yourselves on a crate to the side of the knot of officers inspecting the formation.\n\n\\\u003eOne of them, some sort of brightly colored reptile looked like she was about to start shouting.\n\n\\\u003eYou made an exaggerated pantomime to your crutch, Teth'ra did the same.\n\n\\\u003eThe lizard? turtle? snake? whatever stood there for a second, mouth half open before standing down.\n\n\\\u003eShe finished conversing the that familiar monochromatic wolf and then turned and walked away, maybe one of the higher ups over Vilka's head.\n\n\\\u003eVilka herself seemed puzzled when she looked at the two of you.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra only returned a raised eyebrow.\n\n\\\u003eVilka soured and huffed as she turned back to the formation, 39 troopers all lined up by squad.\n\n\\\u003eGreat, those two might be fighting over you.\n\n-will be-\n\n\\\u003eGotta have hope brain, gotta have hope.\n\n\\\u003eMight as well get the glorified meet and greet over wi-\n\n\\\u003e\"AWRIGHT MAGGOTS LISSEN UP\"\n\n\\\u003efuck you, that badger was loud.\n\n\\\u003eAnd had some sort of speech impediment.\n\n\\\u003eDon't laugh, badgers are hyper aggressive.\n\n\\\u003e\"YOU BUNCHA FLEABAGS ARE OUT HERE FOR INTRODUKTIONS\"\n\n\\\u003eShe punches the hard syllables like they're bugs.\n\n\\\u003eVilka then steps forward, puffing out her chest, and from your angle, failing to look intimidating.\n\n\\\u003e\"Alright girls, we have an outside specialist freshly attached to us, our new mech pilot. Tom!\" she finishes with a gesture towards you and a too large smile.\n\n\\\u003eThe quiet murmur among the troopers dies off immediately.\n\n\\\u003eThey're all staring at you.\n\n\\\u003eYour not sure if you should freeze solid or attempt to duck inside your flak jacket.\n\n\\\u003eYour body does an admirable job of attempting both inbetween coiling every muscle for fight or flight.\n\n\\\u003e\"Hey! That's enough! He's fresh out of hospital!\" the jackal barks.\n\n\\\u003eYou let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding as they mostly turn away from you, muttering apologies and excuses.\n\n\\\u003eYou certainly got your daily shot of adrenaline.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra lays a hand on your back, helping the electric state of your body to ground itself.\n\n\\\u003eYou catch Vilka eying you like the way a mother eyes their kid expecting them to 'do that cute thing'. Seemingly unaware of how you almost reached for your gun.\n\n\\\u003e\"Well master sergeant. You got something to say?\"\n\n\\\u003eFucking hell. You can't take this anymore.\n\n\"I pilot a rumbler, Don't get underfoot, Don't touch my stuff.\"\n\n\\\u003eYou pick up your crutch and hobble off.\n\n\\\u003eYour not sure which instinct is stronger: the racing high of the adrenaline, or the need to curl up in a ball and die from embarrassment.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra moves to follow.\n\n\\\u003e\"And where are you going corporal Magual?\"\n\n\\\u003e\"Someone has to settle him in sir.\"\n\n\\\u003eShe leaves before Vilka can piece together an excuse to keep her from doing work without being ordered to.\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThe rest of the afternoon flows by without any more inadvertent heart attacks.\n\n\\\u003eMost of it is spent sweating, and swearing.\n\n\\\u003eYou hate setting up tents, Teth'ra hates it too.\n\n\\\u003eVilka had rather cheerily welcomed you to set yourself up right next to her tent, you pitched on top of the hill instead.\n\n\\\u003eYou acted the paranoid and started balking about sight lines and firing angles to get her to accept it.\n\n\\\u003eWhen you started pointing out good chokepoints in the woods just outside the fence for claymores and anti-personnel mines, she backed away.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra had to keep herself from busting out laughing.\n\n\\\u003eIt was a surprise then, as when the sun set and the fucking tent was finally standing upright, Teth'ra dragged out her cot and gear and shoved it in, opposite yours.\n\n\\\u003e\"If it ain't me then you would have to share with some other mutt.\"\n\n\\\u003eCan't argue with that logic.\n\n\\\u003eHaving her close by would be nice too.\n\n\\\u003eYou hunched over outside, lamenting how the gremlins in the support crews would usually do this shit for you when you were in a proper mech outfit.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra hadn't broken a sweat (can anthros even sweat?) but she was larger and had function of both legs.\n\n\\\u003eThe two of you just sat in the grass catching your breath for a bit, looking at the darkening reds and purples of the sun turn over to dusk.\n\n\\\u003eYou supposed an idiot who wasn't worn to hell fussing with a tent for the past few hours would call it romantic.\n\n\\\u003eThen the alarms started.\n\n\\\u003eGranted they were very far off, you could barely hear them, but you recognized what they foretold.\n\n\\\u003eThey whined for 2 minutes before a staccato beat of 7 rolling booms echoed across the air.\n\n\\\u003eThe static artillery was firing.\n\n\\\u003eYou didn't remember how large those guns were, just that they were absolutely devastating.\n\n\\\u003eTeth'ra twitched her ears as the ghostly trace of a shell howled overhead far to the east.\n\n\\\u003eSoon you were looking at her as she smirked to herself, your raised brow was enough to get her to elaborate.\n\n\\\u003e\"A new offensive is starting, that is the initial bombardment going out.\" She said, jerking a thumb back in the direction of the battery.\n\n\"Were already pressing in again?\"\n\n\\\u003e\"mhm. Driving north up the coast, support from the navy the whole way.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"They're trying to get enough men within striking range of their main nest up north.\"\n\n\"Anchorage\"\n\n\\\u003eYou remembered the fallen capital of Alaska, overwhelmed within the first months of the invasion, long range reconnaissance had painted it as the biggest hotspot of bug activity in the American North-west. The marauders had turned the place into a breeding ground for bugs.\n\n\\\u003eFort Sumter, the base you were standing on right now, had blunted the swarm's advance down the pacific coast long enough to establish a cordon across the northern wilderness, Keeping the rest of former Canada bug free.\n\n\\\u003eSince then the EDF had been striking into the Alaskan cordon, determined to level Anchorage, the source of the bugs threatening North America, before the swarms became too powerful for the cordon to remain effective.\n\n\\\u003eThe city of Seattle, which was home to millions, Wasn't too far south of Fort Sumter. It would become a dead zone like Anchorage if that nest wasn't destroyed in time.\n\n\"Isn't it a bit above your paygrade to be knowing these things Teth'ra?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe flicked an ear, smirking \"These things aren't for show.\"\n\n\\\u003eHer mood became more somber. \"I think i know why were pressing so hard on the attack too.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"It sounds like Europe is in trouble, I know the trans-Atlantic lines have been dark for a while but apparently they get a signal through to us in the new world now and again.\"\n\n\\\u003e...\n\n\\\u003e\"I didn't hear it myself, but... What little news we are getting, doesn't sound good.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"They need help over there, but we have to solve our problems here first right?\"\n\n\\\u003eShe tried to remain neutral, but her eyes betrayed a worry, a deep one, that both of you were feeling. 'what if Europe is gone?'\n\n\\\u003eMore marauders would swarm across the Atlantic, overwhelming the east coast.\n\n\"Well, we better hope that those defiant few hold on long enough for us to mash some swarms.\"\n\n\\\u003e\"yeah\"\n\n  \n\n\\\u003eThe stars showed themselves, and you turned in for the night, she waited outside while you dressed down to your under uniform and crawled into your cot, setting your gun and goggles on the folding table at your head.\n\n\\\u003eYou called for her to come in and she changed while you pulled your covers up over your head and turned away, a blatant showing that you weren't looking.\n\n\\\u003eIt wasn't strictly necessary in the military but the acknowledgement of privacy had done a lot in making sure bunkmates don't stab eachother, especially in mixed accommodations.\n\n\\\u003e\"Alright you sap, you can look now~\"\n\n\\\u003eDare you, with that tone of voice?\n\n\\\u003eYes. Yes you do.\n\n\\\u003eYou turned to find her grinning gently, but obviously wilted with fatigue, wearing a form hugging pair of grey shorts, and what was more of a glorified sports bra than a tanktop.\n\n\\\u003eShe stretched with a long yawn as her bones popped softly.\n\n\\\u003eFor the first time you were seeing her as a woman rather than as your weird anthro friend.\n\n\\\u003eAnd to your... shame? you liked what you saw.\n\n\\\u003eHer chest was already on the list of things you may or may not have leered at, but the way they seemed to fight against her top just enhanced the point of how big they were.\n\n\\\u003eHer solid core flexed and unwound with her stretch, hard edges artfully softened by that layer of fat.\n\n\\\u003eYou imagined if you ever got to run your hand along it, it would feel like steel. Warm, furry steel.\n\n\\\u003eShe possessed berthing hips a pachyderm would be jealous of, and legs built like trees.\n\n\\\u003eAll of this you gleaned in a quick pass over before you lay on your back.\n\n\\\u003eYou were just being polite and not staring, You weren't scared of your genuine uncertainty of how she would respond if she caught you looking.\n\n\\\u003eCertainly not.\n\n\\\u003eAt this time Captain Richard believed it to be a good time to go join the fight, and you had to mentally wrestle with urges over your bodily control tower to keep the bastard on the runway.\n\n\\\u003eHe coasted for a little while but you managed to prevent the achievement of takeoff speed, your deathly certain she would smell that if you failed in the endeavor.\n\n\\\u003eShe flicked off the lamp hanging from the beam of the tent before lowering into her cot.\n\n\\\u003eA chorus of straining fabric and belting snaps followed as she settled.\n\n\\\u003eIf cots had a language, that was crying for help if you ever heard it.\n\n\\\u003eShe fell asleep rather quickly, and you steadily willed yourself to follow.\n\n\\\u003eOnce your unit was officially on it's feet, the future was uncertain, interesting, and above all dangerous.\n\n\\\u003eBest not lie awake thinking about it.\n\n\\\u003eIt's not like you can change it.\n\n  \n\n[----------------------------------------------------------Chapter End----------------------------------------------------------------]","series":{"name":"Nights of Firefall","previous":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1362065-nights-of-firefall-chapter-1.json","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1362073-nights-of-firefall-chapter-3.json"}}