Bounty hunting, escapades, holographic boardgames and a birthday dinner. Just another day in the life.

Dragei is a swamp world which makes our task easier and harder. It is awful to cross that terrain as our boots slop and we get stuck. But it is easier to lose potential pursuers. I am thankful that our armour keeps us dry and away from the wrath of the planets smaller insects. The larger ones we have to deal with ourselves. Wasps the size of small game attack us frequently and we lose ammo at astounding rates as we make our way to our targets. The first is a village on a kind of almost sandbar. Me and Jean flick on the stealth mode on our armour and so do Mylo and Myrgoldir then we go different ways. Our target is expected to give a speech across from two buildings. I will take the shot while the other team deploys a decoy. That way it will look like somebody from the Dragei government was responsible. Then we flee back into the swamps and go for our next target. Me and Jean scale the walls of one building to get onto the roof without being noticed by any occupants. I set up my rifle as Jean prepares to act as spotter. The building across from us is a kind of dilapidated town hall. Once clearly painted with vibrant colours and now a peeling wreck of its former self. I detect a faint slant to the building and I think it is sinking into the swamp under it’s own weight. A crowd starts to gather outside the building chanting in their native language. I don’t understand a word of it but I can get the gist of it from tone. The planetary government has been involved in a costly series of wars and the people want the king and his government removed. Now I see why someone else would pay us to start a revolution, it would bring their war to an end. Jean taps me on the shoulder and silently points to near the podium. A portly creature is hanging off the stage. I can only guess that that must be the former mayor or some envoy of the king. A man takes the stage dressed in green, that’s our target and I ready a shot. I first let him psych the crowd up more. Riling them up into a fervor as I line the shot up. I squeeze and a flash appears from the alternate rooftop as a decoy pops up. My shot hits home square in the head and the target drops. We quickly depart the village as the situation descends into a riot. As I look behind me I see fire rising above the mangrove like trees as buildings are being torched by the mob. We have two more targets to go. The second one goes much the same as the first but the third one goes awry. I hit my target but he is armoured and then the crowd returns fire on us. The volley missed us but it's a withering volley all the same. Jean and I were on a balcony on a kind of apartment building. We run through the building breaking down a door across the hall and coming out onto another balcony. Below us is another building just high enough for us to jump on and we do. I make the jump fine but Jean lands on a weakened portion of roof and falls through and my heart plummets as I hear a pained howl. Without thinking twice I roll through the hole in the roof and land beside him. I quickly help him up setting a rendezvous point for my squadron as I do. He tries to take a step but falls down howling again. I help him back up and help him along. My goal is to get as far away from our original location as quickly as possible. We don’t have to kill the target, just start a revolt and two successful hits and a failed third should do the trick. I place a decoy in the room we landed in. A confused canoid enters from the next room and before he can shout I have knocked him out with a quick club to the head. I don’t like doing that to an innocent bystander but I had to. I couldn’t risk him drawing more attention to this building in a game where every second counts. I somehow manage to heft Jean down a few flights of stairs. My heart hammering in my chest and my breath coming in gasps. Jean and I come to the ground outside and I can see the shadows of the mob around the corners. I also spot a sewer entrance and quickly remove the manhole. Jean shoots me a quick look and I can see his eyes under his helmet begging me not to do what I’m thinking of. “Please forgive me.” I say quickly and drop him down the hole hearing him land with another pained howl. Sadness and panic grip me. In spite of being a trained mercenary I hate to hurt people, let alone the man I love. Tears are streaming down my face as I climb down closing the cover in the nick of time. I give Jean a knockout drug and drag him into an alcove out of sight of the main sewer. “Evergold to squadron do you copy?” I say hoping my comms won’t be blocked by the sewer. “Loud and clear sir, where are you?” Garrens answers. “Trapped in the sewer, Jean is wounded and I need help. Where does this sewer open up?” “Four miles west or two east. Problem is that east would take you right into the riot.” “Roger that, west it is. I need a few of you to meet me halfway in. Please hurry as I’m probably going to be dropping over after a while.”
Then I prepare for my journey setting my Helmet’s HUD to point me west and then preparing Jean for the trip. I check his injuries with a scan. Tibia, fibula and heel fractures to his left leg. I quickly splint his leg with items from my pack while cursing to myself. I heft him up into a fireman's carry and set out through the sewer. The smell overpowering all other senses. For two hours I trek through them stopping occasionally to set Jean gently down and stretch. It is on one such occasion that I set him down and hear footsteps in the distance. I quickly scan and see about four shapes that dimly resemble my squadmates. “Evergold to squadron, can you hear me? Can you see me?” I say quickly in a low voice. “We read you and see you sir, we have a stretcher prepped and ready. Let’s go home.” Myrgoldir’s voice answers and I breath a sigh of relief.
We load Jean in and return to our lander. On board we remove Jeans armour for cleaning and re-splint his leg. I take off my own and the settle down beside him. He comes to before we reach the Hugo and I give him some painkillers. “I’m so sorry for dropping you down that manhole but they were closing in and I didn’t have much of a choice. Please don’t be too mad.” I say rambling and trying not to start crying again. I am scared that he will be furious with me. Really I am. Jean lets out a heavy pained sigh and says “I was going to chew you out for that. But I can’t stay mad at you like this. I just want to get home, get fixed and go to sleep. How do you go through this so often?” “I have quite a stellar caretaker.” I say with a nervous chuckle. “I can’t be that good. This hurts like a bitch.” Jean says while inhaling through his teeth. “You’ve never broken something before? I mean it’s not something I think everyone should do but we are constantly getting into fights and I could have sworn you've broken something before.” I say a little confused. “Nothing more than a couple fingers a long time ago. Got close during the inter-company brawl. Mostly the bones I’ve broken have not been my own.” He chuckles and then gasps in pain. “Easy there, Jean, we’ll have you patched up and ready to go in no time.” “I know, I’ve seen how fast they work on you. Shouldn’t you be flying?” “Garrens has that covered and I’d rather be here with you anyways.” “We do so spoil each other don’t we?” “Would you have it any other way?” “Admittedly no.I like being able to count on you being here by my side when I want you here.”
Once Jean’s injuries have been properly treated I take him back to our cabin using my old hoverchair while he’s still sleeping off the anesthetic. I tuck myself in beside him and his arms wrap around me instinctively. Slowly he comes around and he starts to sit up. “Easy now, take it slowly and test the medibots work before you try and stand.” I say as he does. “How?” He says working his jaw. “Bend your knee, rotate your leg back and forth, move your ankle. First time on medibots eh?” I say calmly and tousling his hair. “yeah, didn’t know you had to adjust like this.” “Sometimes you have to move a bit to allow them into certain areas. It should only take a few more seconds. You are actually kinda lucky since most of your injuries were to solid bone. Injuring a joint makes things tougher. How’re you feeling though?” I say nodding. “I’m a bit sore but not as bad. How much did we make off that shitshow?” “One hundred grand plus incidentals. If we want to build this space station we are going to need more intake.” “That’s okay. Remember we’re dragging other ships to make up the thing.” “Do you know of anybody who designs space stations?” I ask as he stands up to get washed up. “No, but I know somebody who might.” “Excellent. Now while you shower I will go grab some food for us. Are you still angry, cause I’d understand if you were.” I say as I stand up to leave. Jean sighs heavily and says “You did what you had to do. I can’t stay mad like that. I just hope you understand how much it hurt.” “I do and you can trust me that had I had the time I would have found a way to get you down gently.” “I do. Hurry and get that food cause really all I want to do is get washed, get fed and then hold you close and forget today ever happened.” Jean says yawning. “Sounds like a plan to me.” I say smiling.
Scrifte is a hellhole the like of which I am hopeful to never see again. Fires raged uncontrollably all over the planet frequently catching on open air bitumen deposits. Even after our helmets filter out the air it hurts to breathe. We quickly gather our information and track our target to one of his usual haunts. We quickly set a plan in motion. Jean and I tail him home and that night we all strike. Garrens and Mylo charge in and take him out and just like that we leave. Twenty five thousand credits take. Jean enters all the data from our last two missions in my office as I work on applying for new contracts. Same strategy as before, apply for all of them and see what comes up my way. Technically I could afford to be more selective but I need to be doing something and that space station won’t build itself. We get back with just enough time to get cleaned up for a traditional part of the bonding ceremony. We have to talk to the other’s parents and explain why we are going through such a ceremony. Jean’s father arrives with my own in a kind of cart used for cross ship travel. We all sit at the table and Jean brews a pot of siesal. I wonder as to why we have to go through with this as both have already agreed. Jean whispers in my ear “We have to go through this stuff now to avoid worse later.” “Ever why don’t you start?” my father says with a smile. “Well I figure since we are already practically married why not just go through the official stuff.” I say awkwardly and in a hurry. Jean chuckles and says “What he said really. I could try and wax poetic but I’ll do that to him later in private.” My father smiles and Jean’s father shrugs and says “Fine by me. Now are you going to waste my time or should we do something?” I look around and say “Four people is enough for a game of planetary conquest. We all have the time I suppose.”
Planetary conquest is a holographic board game. We sit behind a screen so the others can’t see more of us than our face and we command our armies trying to take total control of the planet using an interface in the screen. Jean and I form one team and our fathers form the other. We each can see the board and we have to try and guess at both our allies and our enemies moves. All in all great fun. “So why Jean in particular?” His father asks at length. “Why not? Nobody else has any romantic interest in me. Least nobody where it’s a mutual agreement. Jean takes care of me and I him. We always have and hopefully always will.” I say moving a battalion of tanks towards a city held by my father. Just a ruse because on my next turn the bulk of my armies will overrun his territory lines in a softer spot. “Fair enough I was only asking out of curiosity.” His father says. “Ever is the sunshine in my life.” Jean says absentmindedly as he moves to take the city I had already attacked. “You love him that much eh?” his father says and I can see his smile behind his cover. “They are a good fit for each other. I doubt either would be where they are without the other.” My father says and I can hear his vexation at his current situation in the game. I now have the bulk of my army deep inside enemy territory and Jean is backing up so my supply lines won’t get cut off. “I can agree to that. Prokel, your son seems to be getting the upper hand. Mayhap you should do something about that.” “I would, Hadager, if somebody would back me up.” “This game is all about back capturing. If I develop my lands now I will be stronger later.” “All well and good but your weak link is a two pronged attack threatening to take me out. I can’t help you if they eliminate me!” My father says panicking as Jean and I form a pincer maneuver heading right for one of his bigger cities. “Fine then!” Jean's father says and I can see his army moving onto the battlefield. I break off to fight him and draw up my reserve divisions for another sweeping invasion. “What think you of all this, Ever?” My father says chuckling. “I am enjoying the game. If you mean beyond it well all I can say is this: Jean makes me happier than any single person I have ever met. I love him in every sense of the word. I hope to never be apart from him if it can be helped ” I say frowning in concentration. I don’t know how strong the counterattack will be. I see Jean’s reserves marching onto the battlefield and I begin to draw up reinforcements. “These two work well together, Prokel. You will have to watch out for them. If you aren’t careful your own son will outshine you!” Jean’s father says with a laugh. “The brighter the son shines the more it speaks to his father’s way of bringing him up.” I interject smiling. “An orphaned foxling couldn’t have asked for a better father and to some I will always simply be ‘Commander Yettan’s boy’ and I am quite fine with that.” I continue. “No desire to show up you old man?” “Maybe once but now I just want to do my own thing and he respects that. Right father?” “Quite right. All I want is for you to be happy and healthy. It is all I’ve ever wanted for you. GAH! Though if you aren’t ruthless with your strategies!” He exclaims as my reserves start to barrel down on his remaining territory. I hope Jean can get the gist of my strategy because I have purposely left a hole in my defense as a trap for his father. If Jean sees it he can send his troops in and close the trap. “Ah that is all any father wants for his children. Health and happiness. Jean is the apple of my eye. If a father may be allowed to get sappy around here.” Jean's father says with a hint of frustration creeping into his voice as he springs the trap. We are within closing distance of the end of the game now. Jean and I have the upper hand and we are unlikely to lose it. Not a moment too soon either as my eyelids are drooping. It has been a long day in between our mission and this game. “They play like masters, Prokel!” “Where are their fighters and bombers? Have you been struck by them?” “Not yet. Where can they be?” the two of them banter back and forth as they draw up their forces in a final defensive line. Then comes the air and artillery strike. They send out their fighters and bombers to counter attack but Jean and I outnumber them three to one. With the airstrike plus the artillery their defensive line is wrecked as their entrenchments are reduced to craters. They try to spring forward only to be crushed by the bulk of our forces. The word VICTORY appears in gold letters across the board and me and Jean stand up whooping tiredly. “Well played! Very well played.” My father says clapping. “Indeed, well done!” Jean’s father says standing up tiredly. “Prokel, I trust you will give me a ride back to my cabin?” He continues. “Certainly but you may have to wait a second. I wish to have a word with my son and his partner.” My father says standing and stretching. As the door slides shut my father smiles and says “I will start with Jean. I can’t ask for a better person for my son to be with really. I know you well enough to know that you will take care of him in ways that I can’t. As his father I can only do so much you understand.” Jean nods and says “I thank you for your praise. I know you dislike ceremony but I’ve seen you beat the shit out of people more than once and frankly I’d rather not take any chances with offending you.” My father laughs at this heartily and says with a touch of sternness “The only way you’d have to worry about me is if you harmed Ever. Especially since you are in the position you are in. Laugh though I may I must make one thing unmistakably clear: if you break my son’s heart, I will break you.” Jean looks around nervously and says “I will keep that in mind.” “As for you, my son. Again I only hope you are happy. I could not care less about those who criticise your choice of partner. I am beyond proud of you either way. You have come quite a ways from the orphaned kit I found. You are my greatest achievement and most profound joy.” My father continues smiling but also sighing a bit at times. “Thanks father, for everything you’ve done for me.” I say as he clamps me in a hug. “When do you leave on your next contract?” He asks after releasing me. “Tomorrow. After that I don’t know how many contracts I will be able to score.” “You should try and relax a bit during your downtime but I know how poorly you take to it.”
Orthane is a rather picturesque world. Sweeping verdant plains dotted with herds of grazing animals. Cliffs of a kind of red stone are visible in the distance and here and there large dark forests and cobalt lakes appear to complete it’s almost postcard quality. Time to ruin one piece of it with high explosives. We are again tracking a gang across the wilderness. We have more to go on than last time though as this gang has a more permanent base. A small town that they took over on the sly and have since blocked off all entrances and kicked out all the old residents. I suspect each building will be rigged as a death trap or at least part of the defences for the whole town. Jean and I case the town on stealth mode for a couple days. Observing the patterns of activity at both day and night. I have a plan brewing in my head. We use a small robot to dig a tunnel under the town square and then plant a cluster bomb from our lander. That night we detonate the bomb and prepare to storm in. We use grenade launchers to blow up some of their barricades and splinters fly through the air. They try and rally and fire back at us but we’re still cloaked and they are basically shooting blanks. All we have to do is move after each shot. In all the firefight lasts about an hour as we round up those outside and move building to building clearing out the rest. A shot hits garrens at one point but his armour deflects the blast. Then we come to the last building. As we clear out the basement we noticed a door in the wall. Cautiously opening it we find it leads into a bunker and a second battle begins. We continue to take no losses however Mylo and a reptilian named Scarvo were injured. We fight hallway to hallway and blasts of green clierine fly everywhere leaving burn marks on the walls as an alarm siren blares. We eventually reach the last room and find part of it already demolished by our cluster bomb. Their leader is inside and fires about six shots through the door. One ricochets of me and another does likewise with Jean. We are both knocked back into the wall. Neither one of us injures ourselves this time but damn it hurt. The wind left my lungs as I hit the wall. Garrens drops him with a well placed shot to the neck and just like that we are done. We collect their loot and then gather their bodies to turn in for the reward. “Pesorvic: give me a report on Mylo and Scarvo.” I say as we finished and Pesorvic quickly answers “They are stabilized, we will be able to get them back to the Hugo. Injuries on Mylo are mostly clierine burns to his left arm he’s able to walk and is sitting in his seat. Scarvo however is in a preservation pod. He took a quick succession of hits to the chest and was bleeding heavily. I am not sure if I could have stopped it any other way so I placed him in pod one.” I nod and say “Let’s be quick about turning these in, men. If need be we can pay to use a local hospital. Move out sharpish!” I say to the squadron as a whole as we board the lander. Refre, one of my other squadmates catches up to me. “Congratulations on getting married, where do you two think you will go for the honeymoon?” He says laughing. “Not too sure what you find funny. At any rate we won’t do that sort of thing. I am too focused on trying to keep us all busy. Although if we were to do that I think that this planet may be a nice place for one. What say you, Jean?” I say as I buckle myself into the pilot's chair. Jean buckles himself into his seat and says “fresh air, green grass, mountains and forests. This place is idyllic and certainly perfect for my taste. Least it beats the hell out of a honeymoon on Scrifte.” I laugh and mutter “Anything is an improvement over Scrifte.” Refre stands behind be and chuckles “At any rate I was being genuine with my congratulations. We live short lives you should do what makes you happy.” Jean chuckles and says “I just thought of the single stupidest way to turn that into a euphemism.” “I can figure it out myself.” I say as I flick a bunch of the switches to start the take off. “Well sir I must say, you may not be the strongest leader we have but you are certainly the most entertaining.” He continues. “That’s not good for my reputation.” I say chuckling. “Ah who gives a damn about that anyway I think we all find the real you a lot more interesting and likeable.” “I appreciate your honesty and will keep in mind what you have said. While you’re in here why not take the spotter’s seat and make yourself useful?” “Aye, sir. How did you two develope your style of banter?” “We just kind of talk and build off certain things. It came about on scouting duty. That is also where I developed my style of cockpit and comlink banter. As a way of passing time on dull flights.”
We return and I enter the figures in my notes as Jean places some calls enquiring about space station architects. He’s again sitting in my chair as I was filling things out on my holoboard. I walk over once done and sit down on the floor in front of him resting my head on his lap. He reaches down and scratches my ears as I wait for him to finish his calls. After he finishes I ask him about the results. “I found a name for somebody who may be up to the task of designing such a structure. Also says he can do the draughting for a decent price and would savour the challenge of designing a space station made out of other ships.” He says and I feel my excitement mounting. Oh yes please let this be our break. Jean starts humming another wolfling song, this one a happy tune. I feel my nerves calmed but myself not sedated like with the calming song. My excitement slows but I am left with the joy. “I wonder why wolfsong has such an effect on you.” He says as I am smiling goofily as all hell. “That is an interesting question. I wonder if we have a way to test it.” I say still bobbing my head to the tune. “We may have to look into it if we get the downtime. At least I know one thing: it will always work in times of trouble. Good gods you are so affectionate today.” “I’m not affectionate every day?” “Fair point. Usually you are a bit more restrained.” “I am bored and you are sitting in my chair. But that’s okay with me. I don’t mind sitting right here as long as you keep scratching.” “You dork, gods how I love you for it.” Jean says smiling tiredly. Ah the type of sappy comments that others jeer at. I love it so. In fact there are only two things in my life that I live for: Flying and intimacy. Rather the connection that me and Jean feel.
I apply for more contracts and acquire three of them off the bat. We are seeing increases as some inter-planetary tensions are reaching boiling points. War is hell but it is good for business. This sad truth is unsurprisingly why war is so common. We are merely one of many groups that profit off it’s horrors. Unlike most of these groups, however, we fight them too. In one way or another, be it for just a single contract or as volunteers as has happened in the past. We may be soldiers of fortune but we have our own beliefs and all are willing to at least stand up for theirs. For my part I have always kept a close eye on what happens to the Iesmi. They killed my birth family and while Loranthian through and through I can never forget what they took. But in spite of all this I have some time to waste before setting off again on another mission. I look at the calendar on my belongings locker’s display and notice it is Jean’s birthday. I don’t have a gift for him or so I think. I begin to think of what I can do for him. I realise I can do something after all so I decide to surprise Jean. A bit difficult since we are seldom separate but I manage to invent an excuse to be alone and hire Hellhowl to keep him busy. She does not work for cheap that much is for sure. I quickly set about getting my stuff together and picking a location. As it is the ship is passing a visually stunning nebula on the port side of the ship so I find an empty cabin portside and quickly clean it up. Checking that everything is in working order. Finding it satisfactorily clean and in working order I go to my next task. I go to the provisions store and buy a couple of candles and holders. The clerk gives me a shit eating grin. “Got something romantic planned with your boyfriend tonight?” He says laughing at his joke. “Of course I do, what the fuck does it look like I’m doing? Preparing for a power outage?” I snap back to his surprise. “Shit I had never thought about that possibility.” “Do you ever think, period?” I say handing him some money. “Woah there it was only a joke.” “My apologies then if I went too far. I am simply a little tired of dealing with certain things. Not sure if you’d entirely understand but it can get quite taxing after a while. That and I can never be too sure if it is meant in good humour or as an invitation to a fight.” “Well I hope you have a relaxing evening then, and that you get lucky if you catch my meaning.” He says giving an exaggerated wink. “I don’t have to rely on luck at this point.” I say giving him a shit eating grin. “What’s your secret then?” He says perking up. “No secret lad, we’ve just been in a relationship long enough.” I say nodding sagely.
After that I return those to the room and head off to get something from the laundry. I grab a bedsheet and bring that back. It will work as a tablecloth for my purposes. Next I head off to the liquor requisition and buy a couple of bottles of Iredian merlot. “Spending big today are we commander? Got something romantic planned for your boyfriend tonight?” The quartermaster says but in a different tone than the last one. A tone that was a little less joking and more curious. “Am I that obvious?” I say smiling. “Obvious? A bit, a little clichè? Definitely. Clichè or not, however, I can’t say you’re making a bad choice. By your choice of wine I’d say that you are favouring some kind of dinner, potentially by candlelight with soft music no?” She says chuckling at the end. “That I am, actually can you suggest a couple of white wines and maybe a dessert wine for me too?” “Ooh you sound ambitious tonight. For your purposes, Firandisian Chardonnay would do for both dinner and dessert.” She says and I buy two bottles of it. I return theses to the room.
Next up I quickly run to the officer’s kitchen. One of the perks of a command rank is being able to order your own food at any time. One of the cooks shuffles over to meet me. “I need something very special for somebody very special to me.” I say as he nods. “What are you looking at paying?” He says. “Ten thousand credits right here, will that get me the whole nine yards?” “Whole nine yards? You’re dropping a whole contract payment by some people's standards! That will get you almost anything!” He says a bit stunned. “Here’s what I absolutely need. One birthday cake, chocolate topped with whipped cream and strawberries and if you could do it as two layers with some strawberry jam in the middle that would be most appreciated.” I say as he nodds. “I can absolutely arrange for that. I will talk to the baker, any other request?” “A nice hearty dish that pairs well with a red wine and another for a white wine, also an appetizer and a cheese if you would, please.” I say giving him a tip. “Aye sir, and do wish your boyfriend a happy birthday for me.” He says as I nod. “Where can I get some silverware?” “For what you payed? Don’t sweat it, we’ll bring it with you food.” He says and it is my turn to be a bit shocked. “You’ll bring it to us?” “But of course! You don’t drop ten grand on fucking take out do you? What about glassware?” He laughs “No I suppose I don’t drop that much on take out, to be fair I don’t usually spend that much on delivery either. As for the glassware I am taking care of that myself but if you are doing a covered cart type of deal please pack a couple underneath in case I fall short.” And I laugh as I wave goodbye.
Next up I quickly swing by my father's cabin. Panting I knock on the door and it slides open and my father expresses his pleasant surprise. “I’m in a hurry here, getting a birthday surprise together for my mate.” I wheeze. “ I can see that. You look like you have been running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off all day.” He chuckles. “Do you by any chance have those wine glasses still?” “I do indeed, is it that kind of birthday surprise?” “I’m just determined to try and make up for the fact that I totally forgot to get him something so I want to make it really special, you know?” “Ah that I do. But I think he would be happy just to have you by his side. Anyways I’ll go get them, remember to chill them in the fridge before hand or just clean them off really well and serve the wine warm. I say that because aside from your graduation I haven’t touched these since my wife died.” He says with a slight sigh. “They may need it, anyways what are you going to wear?” He continues and I slap my forehead. “Shit, I totally forgot about that. My commander’s coat is in my own cabin and Jean is there!” “Who do you have distracting him?” “Hellhowl.” “That’s good, I will help out here. You get going back to your cabin I will go and ask for their help with something. I admittedly don’t have anything I need help with that is small enough but I can invent something.” “Any left over paperwork from that shithead’s trial? Because that might work.” “I actually do have some for the two of them, and you but I am willing to let you take advantage of some nepotism this time around. Go but maybe use the shower in this uninhabited cabin as I don’t know how much time I can get you.”
I return just narrowly avoiding being seen by Jean too. I see the corner of his head and quickly dive into a broom closet. They pass by the door and I hear Jean stop and sniff the air. “Huh that’s strange, could’ve have sworn I just smelt Ever.” He says. Oh great my heart was already hammering and my breath coming in gasps now I am about to faint. “That’s likely just your clothes, come on, we shouldn’t keep his father waiting.” She says and the two of them keep going. I wait until I can’t hear them and open the door to come face to face with Amoro in his hoverchair still recovering from his trials. “Quiet!” I hiss before he can speak. “I am in a hurry to retrieve my dress clothes as I have a fancy dinner planned this evening. Jean doesn’t know, it needs to stay that way understand?” I say at a quick but steady pace. “Certainly, for his birthday right? Also what were you doing in that broom closet?” “I almost got found out, okay? Also, yes this is for his birthday. What brings you to our neck of the woods?” I say calming down and pushing the close button on the closet door. “I was popping by for a visit myself, haven’t seen Jean yet since I got back.” “Okay, good idea. Do you mind helping me while you are at it?” “Absolutely not, what do you need me to do?” He says with his tail flitting and I realise this may be the first thing he has had to do in a while. “I need you to stall for time, you will get to visit him and I will get the time I need. Hellhowl will be with him and she will be given the signal on when to stop stalling. The she will blindfold him and lead him to where I have this set up. You are welcome to join her for that part of it.” “Okay what’s the plan on how to get me with them?” “You wait here for their return and join up with them then, that way if I am not out of the cabin in time you can delay them till I am out of sight.” I say as I start to walk away. “Will do, break a leg!” He says chuckling. “Thanks, but I don’t plan on it!”
Grab clothes and leave, I do this quickly and grab my soap, shampoo and brush and then book it back to the other cabin. I shower, dry off and then get myself dressed. Twenty minutes to go, I set up the music playlist on the holovision. Relaxing songs but not outright sedating ones. I also wash the wine glasses my father gave me. Finally I begin the final preparations, readying the wine and getting the candles set up. A sous chef arrives with some china and silverware and quickly sets the table before departing. I send in the signal to Hellhowl. If I have timed this well Jean and I will not have to wait long for our appetizer and cheese. Soon I hear the door slide open and the whirr of Amoro’s hoverchair as they enter. Hellhowl slips off Jean’s blindfold and he looks somewhat stunned at me. “Happy birthday, my love.” I say smiling as his face lights up with joy. “I am speechless, Ever, speechless. My goodness how much effort did this take to prepare?” He says taking a seat opposite me. “Almost all day, Amoro and Hellhowl helped out an awful lot as did my father. Speaking of you two, you are welcome to join us when the cake arrives, I guarantee there will be enough of every course left over for you two to both have your fill but I would like to be left alone until the cake arrives.” I say smiling and turning to look at the two of them. “Absolutely, I understand. Also I will definitely be back for cake and I’ll drag Amoro back too, we can play some cards and enjoy the rest of the evening.” Hellhowl says and I nod “That’d be an excellent way to cap off the evening, thank you for all your help.”
Oh boy did I ever get what I paid for. The meal seems to go on for ages and partway through I request more wine(I still had a huge budget to work within) and it arrives quickly too. The appetizers were some manner of crab cake. The cheeses were amazing, both creamy and strong cheese were present. The food paired to the red was a marvelous roast with some sauteed vegetables. Wonderfully seasoned with the perfect blend of well done to rare meat. For the white there was fish cooked in it’s own blend of spices and served on rice. The whole time me and Jean do nothing but reminisce on our time together. It is a lovely evening altogether and when the cake is arrived we are joined by Amoro, Hellhowl and my father(much to my surprise). They ate their fill and then we played cards and laughed until well past when we should have been asleep. Nobody cared, we all had nothing to do the next day. Well I needed to fill out that paperwork but that is hardly the most demanding of tasks. Me and Jean return to our cabin and curl up flicking on a holomovie. Jean wraps his arm around me and says “Now that is better than any physical gift you could have given me.” “You knew I almost forgot?” “Yeah, you wouldn’t have had much a chance to get me something anyways, you barely ever leave my side.” He chuckles. “Admit it, you prefer it that way.” I say slightly teasing. “That I do, at any rate thank you, my love, for this wonderful evening.” He says roughing my hair up a bit. “The best part is yet to come as far as I’m concerned.” I smile as I close my eyes. “Always the cuddly one you were, well get comfortable cause I am not letting go.” “Gods we are mushy, but hell at least we have each other. I am comfortable as long a you are the one holding me” I say as I nod off.