West Des Moines, Iowa / May 17th / 10:30 A.M.


“You’re late,” the Siamese cat said with a wry smile as her compatriot strode past the glass and stainless-steel entry doors into the bright and voluminous foyer.

"As for your clothes,” she added, eyeing his choice in attire, “I suppose this is the closest you’ll ever come to dressing up?”

The heavy soles of the visitor’s black engineer boots echoed across the silent chamber’s spacious anteroom with lonely reverberations. It was Saturday, and the two of them had the building mostly to themselves. Soft light shone down from rows of glass plating along the ceiling onto the hyena’s disorderly, shoulder-length copper auburn hair. Sauntering into the hallowed halls of Iowa’s, if not arguably the country’s, most prestigious preparatory school, Perihelion, the young man stood incongruous on the brushed dark hickory flooring. A rebellious vision in denim and leather, Varik Rausch stood apart from most of his comrades. With an almost charming yet still categorically misguided sense of insubordination, the hyena was boldly incompatible.

She had not waited long for his entrance, but given the many years she’d known him, Rainy Bruder felt the innate need, if not obligation, to gently rib the hyena whenever possible. Deservedly or not.

“The hell I am,” the haughty hyena replied, more impudent than offended. Theatrically flicking his wrist to push back a jacket sleeve as the door silently shut behind him, the young man openly flaunted his wrist watch. Pointing toward it, he beamed and proclaimed, “It is now exactly 10:30. See! On the dot. That, my dear Rainy, is called perfect timing. And as for these clothes, she even said that uniforms were optional. So, unless her usual caprices rewrite history once again, I should be all set for our big day, as it were.”

“I know for a fact that we took the same classes, Varik. Honestly, we’re about ready to graduate, and here you are still on square one. Must you need to be reminded of what we both should know full well at this point?”

“Oh please, do tell,” he snappily returned, closing the gap once separating them with an ostentatious, overstressed strut, “What should I know? I eagerly await my enlightenment.”

“If you arrive promptly when class starts, then you’re already late,” the cat calmly stated with a craned neck as she led the way. “You’re only on time if you’re ten minutes early.”

Scoffing, he disputed, “What bullshit. If they want me here at 10:20, they should say as much. If they want me to follow a rule, then they should, at least, write it down for posterity.”

“What I’d like to know is,” her wry smile slanting in a crooked sneer, “How you plan on protecting the planet if you can’t even wake up fifteen minutes early to get your picture taken.”

The Siamese cat and the hyena could not have been more dissimilar. And yet, ironically, their many differences often served them well in their shared pursuits. The feline looked upon her peer, and now her official collaborator, with both affability and incredulity. Thin and trim, Rainy’s regal figure lent itself to her aristocratic pedigree. Sleek, slender and elegant, the Siamese cat cast an imperial, if not unapproachable, shadow with every step she took. Rainy was always suitable in her hallmark gray cloche hat. But with her brown tweed blazer, vintage beige sweater, gray stockings and brown block heel shoes, today Rainy was properly ready to play the part she was born to play.

As the newly chosen Duumvirate, they would now have plenty of expectations and responsibilities forced upon them in the coming months. And while they each had it made with a full-ride to Iowa, their time spent there would be burdened with the possibility of grave peril and mortal danger. Thankfully, their years of rigorous combat training had effectively prepared them for any threat the world below and stars above posed them. While the truth remained that they’d each overcome their respective trials and tribulations, these were still merely tests in the end. Valuable as they were, ultimately no simulation could substitute for actual jeopardy. Recently, they’d proven themselves worthy enough to assume the mantle of their precursors, but the true test was soon to come. With the end of this coming summer, their new lives would truly begin.

“So, if you don’t mind me asking,” Varik remarked impishly, “when did you get here? Daybreak?”

“10:15,” she swiftly countered “Unlike you, I got here early.”

“Yeah, well, like it matters much,” he jeered, preening and brushing his hair with a fine comb as he walked beside the cat. “Ollie’s not going to read us the riot act for being a couple minutes late. We’re in the clear now. What’s the worst she can do now that the Cognoscenti’s decided?”

“Are you sure about that? Ms. Scholz could easily replace you with her little brother if worse came to worst,” said the cat with a raised brow. “It’s not like Lance lacked the aptitude. You just beat him in a fair fight, that’s all. Who knows? A flip of the coin and our stations might be different.”

“And risk being called out for nepotism? Doubtful. She knows the optics.”

“Speaking of which, be lucky she didn’t make you cut your hair for picture day. You could have walked in here today a whole new man, and yet she let you keep all your airs. Piercings and all.”

“If she did, I wouldn’t make it easy for her, I’ll tell you that much. I’d fight every step of the way. Not a damn person on God’s green earth is making me cut my hair.”

“Tell you one thing, Varik,” the cat segued with a subtle grin. “Olivia would be right. Because you’re in desperate need of a trim. That much is true.”

“That a fact, eh?”

The Siamese cat gave the haughty hyena a single sideways glance as they approached the school proper at the end of the foyer’s bright spread. As they both passed under the large clock face which received all students and alumni alike, Rainy chuckled nonchalantly and said, “It’s not like that comb of yours has done you any favors. Maybe one day a blue moon will rise, and you’ll take a real risk by looking presentable for once in your life. You see, I thought there was still a standard in place, but nowadays they just seem to let any sort of rabble into Hadeanstar, don’t they?”

The hyena shrugged and coolly rejoined, “I guess there’s no accounting for taste. But still, I do have to commend them for admitting such a charity case like yourself. It shows their heart’s in the right place.”

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I want to give credit where credit is due. This incredible piece was done by the always incredible  aerokat! I can't thank her enough for all the time and effort that went into rendering this commission. Truthfully speaking, I asked for a lot, and she delivered all I was hoping to see. I asked for a lot, maybe too much in fact, but she was able to bring this image to life. She took my mess of notes and made them into a neat, cohesive presentation. I'm blessed to have had the opportunity to work with her once more. She's a true professional, and I can't recommend her highly enough. I know she's got plenty of other cool art on her page, so please, check it out for yourself!

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art is ©  aerokat

Varik Rausch and Rainy Bruder are ©  nazcapilot