A Vignette From Before the Roadhouse: Levi
Story by ValerieElysee on SoFurry
Levi recalls events from before he found the roadhouse. What memories lie beneath the old cur's shaggy face?
The echoes of the past often spoke to levi in his drunken haze.
after his conversation with the dobe, he found himself recalling.
"All in favor?"
Seated at a table in a clubhouse. watching as hands go up, one after another after another, a formation of pikes.
and the irish wolfhound watched, his deep set eyes narrowed
"All opposed?"
his hand went up, defiant, Alone.
"It's settled then. We'll let them know."
There were a few hell yeahs and a high five, and the Dog who would become Levi stood up from the table, and Excused himself.
He stormed out of the room to the patio of the clubhouse, looking out towards the mostly empty plots of farmland beyond the fence.
Someone from the council put an arm over his shoulder, A jaguar. "Hey man, look, I know it's gonna be a bit of an adjustment period but this is gonna go great for all of us... everyone wants this..."
The irish wolfhound lit his cigarette and took an angry drag.
"Not everyone, Cordon. Not Me."
The jaguar turned around and leaned up against one of the posts supporting the patio's awning.
"You're gonna be fine... they'll probalby defer to your exper-"
"I Ain't want them to have it."
"Hey, man, there's no need to be petty about it, times change, people change..."
The old wolfhound took another drag as the jaguar continued his conciliatory pitch.
"...It's just how things go. You're worried over nothing, i'm tellin you-"
The canine let out a long, shot of smoke from his nostrils, as he crunched the butt between his pawpads without a flinch.
"You think I ain't know what the others been saying behind my back, Cordon? I been around a while and I spent more time sitting at that table than you've had straddlin' two wheels. You think your opinions ain't written on yer face when I walk in the room?"
The jaguar's hands went up and he looked to the side.
"I don't know what you're talking about, man, I've been nothing but suppor-"
"You and I both know, that any seat I'd have at that table after the change, would be a lie. Putting me in a corner where I can't interfere, because you'd have someone else to go over my head to now. A matter of days till hopefully i'd be buttin' heads with someone vurry keen to clean house, cut the fat, put obedient people in charge now. Someone they've got good working relationships with, someone who helped to organize this here project."
Cordon felt his tail twitching a little as he stood up.
"honestly man, for real, you're gettin' jump-"
"Out of all the shit you've talked, and I've found out plenty, Cordon. the one that's offending me most is that y'think I ain't recognize ambition when I sees it."
The dog lit another smoke as he stared the jaguar down.
"I know you and Slide been making life -real- fucking hard for one in particula-"
"I order -all- the prospects around, I make them -all- do menial shit, Man. I'm not here to play favorites with the prospects, are you?" Cordon replied shaking his head. "So defensive! Look I think you're just upset tha-."
Levi interrrupted, his anger mounting at Cordon's Continued deflections. "I wish you had half the balls to up and say what I know is written on that fucking smug face of yers: Yer sick of takin' orders from a faggot, but yer too hungry to leave my table."
The dog spat on the boot of the Jaguar in front of him and glowered.
Levi continued, "I been dealing with yer petulant whining at meetin's, your shitty litle do-nothing motion you propose,, all of this shit. Because that patch gave you license to start dropping that there facade you wore to get it. You got this organization on your back and here you are, turning your back on it. Two years I let you wear them colors and now you're trying to trade em in like y'done leased yerself a car."
"Hey man, just because I can see the future, I can see what's going on and I can see that life can be better for all of us if.."
"No, Cordon. -you- will be better off. You fuckin' lie to me again and so help me god I will cut that fuckin tongue out of your mouth. I put up with yer fuckin' politickin' an' votes to undermine me, but I ain't gonna stand here and be lied to by a coward too chickenshit to hang around with the club he -actually- wanted to join."