AlwaysA "Winds of Change" Story
By Jon Sleeper
It seemed fitting that we should have our farewell dinner at the Poseidon restaurant. Maxine and I sat next to each other at the table, chairs close enough together so we could do certain under-the-table things with each other. At the moment, that was limited to holding hands. We looked deep into each others eyes as Brian toasted to the future, and gave each other sips of our fruit drink (in a wine glass), conscious only of only one another’s faces.
When Brian and Kim had gotten married, Maxine and I were shocked. Though we both knew they loved each other, it came as a complete surprise. But it also laid bare our feelings for each other.
Somehow words were inadequate for what we felt for each other. Something that seemed to happen a lot, since my fusion of human sentience with deer instinct. Words could not express this odd partial-fulfillment of my soul.
The other part was Maxine.
No words could really express my feelings for her. The night after Brian and Kim got married we’d spent half the night talking about our future... and the other half expressing our feelings for each other. We’d gotten little sleep that night. Sometimes talk isn’t enough.
She was, quite simply, the thing that kept me from losing my grip on reality completely. The mix of human and deer Selves was imperfect at best. And at worst...
At worst, I was amazed I could even walk from the couch to the kitchen in my apartment. But always, Maxine was there to help me though, while the mix of human and deer memories would do their mind-bending dance within my brain. The night before had been such a night, perhaps my worst yet.
The next morning Bryan had given me a concerned look. "Are you okay?" he’d asked.
I’d remained silent, not really knowing how to answer. "I’m fine, herdmate," I’d finally replied, trying to look and smell sincere. "Just a bit of a headache. I think I knocked my antlers against the wall last night."
Bryan had smirked, looked at Maxine, and winked. "I see. Maybe you should have her change you into something with a harder head next time."
My ears had flushed red and I’d looked down at my hooves. Indeed, Maxine and I had indulged in certain other activities. They did tend to take one’s mind off one’s problems, after all. "I’ll consider it, Bryan. Thanks."
We spent a full two weeks doing things together. A sort of vacation after our little adventure. Though the trip to the San Diego Zoo was particularly surreal. Nobody was quite sure what to do about zoos. There were more formerly extinct animal morphs in the world than there were endangered ones in zoos. We’d had to cross a protest line to even get in.
On the other hoof, we saw a lot of people who were very happy to finally find naturally-born versions of the animals they resembled. For instance, we watched a flighted harpy eagle morph had his picture taken while she stood in front of the aviary that held her namesake species. The natural eagle quite obviously didn’t know what to make of his giant sister outside.
We only spent two hours there, not much was open. The Change had caused other changes, and it was usually unwise for a prey species to go near some of the more fierce predators.
And then, sadly, the our final meal together had come. There were things that we all had to do, after all. Once I figured myself out I would move on with my life, however long that took. Human history fascinated me, I longed to figure out its inner workings, why this person did that, how that invention changed daily life for all. Perhaps delve into the far past, find places that hadn’t been discovered yet. Places that sentient eyes had not seen in millennia.
Brian’s plans were rather more set than my own. His optometry school had accepted him once more, and he had to go back to Boston (assuring me that he’d let an airline do the flying) and find a place for Kim and himself. Since there was a lot of job-changing still going on, the local ABC affiliate in Boston had taken her in a heartbeat. I suspected that her patriotic looks might have had something to do with it. Though that was just speculation, of course.
As for Bryan... I had no idea. He was very silent about his own future. Now that Morrisville was taken care of, he did have a few years of college left...
I smelled a familiar vulpine scent as I ate my Cobb salad. The five of us looked up to see Fox Cutter pulling out a leftover chair. "Mind if I join you?" he said in his ever-polite voice.
Bryan glared a little, then looked at the rest of us. "You don’t mind, all?"
Admittedly, the fox-man intrigued me. His scent and his expression bespoke of a lot of secrets, and curiosity just begging to be satisfied. And at the same time, knowing that he’d never answer. He pulled out the chair and sat down, looking at the mink morph waitress. "I’ll have my usual, please." He smiled winningly at the rest of us. "Thank you, all. I haven’t eaten yet today."
Sure he hadn’t. My ears flicked a bit backward, skeptical. I finished swallowing and turned to Bryan. "Mind if I say what I have to say, first?" He nodded, and I turned back to Fox. "Frankly, Fox, I wonder how much of this was due to your orchestration."
He was taken aback for a moment at my directness. "None of it, I assure, Mr. Sleeper. I’m just an opportunist..."
"Foxes are that," Brian said, cocking his head a bit.
Fox wiggled a clawed fingertip ruefully at the eagle. "We are at that! But I’m not responsible. But I do believe in rewarding people for their efforts. I’d had a couple stray reports about a suspicious Southern California town, but none of my operatives could ever get close enough to confirm what was going on. Mr. Derksen was able to clarify for us." He nodded at Bryan, who was almost glaring back.
Kim clicked her beak in a skeptical manner. "I still don’t believe you’re a spy."
"I’m a fox, aren’t I?"
Kim looked about ready to launch into a speech about stereotypes, but I interrupted her. "That still doesn’t explain why you’re here."
"And you mentioned something about a reward?" Maxine added.
Fox gave all of us a significant look, stopping on Bryan. "Would you mind terribly suggesting to people to not listen in on our conversation? What I have to say should be said now, while you’re all in one place."
Bryan nodded, and concentrated. "Just enjoy your dinner, there is nobody here to listen to," he said in an intent tone of voice. The atmosphere in the room changes noticeably. "There you go, Fox. Say what you have to say."
"Thank you, Bryan." He looked at Maxine and I. "You two have put me in a bit of a quandary. Both of you have very strong Powers. You would be very valuable to me if you decided to join my department." Bryan glared at him. "However, I also cannot force you to join. But in the meantime, I want you to accept a gift. Consider your monetary future where college is concerned taken care of. It will be paid for whether you want it to be or not..."
I hit the table with a balled fist. "I’m not your fawn, Mr. Cutter. And I take exception to being treated as such."
Maxine glared. "I believe we can do this on our own, sir."
"Be that as it may..." He glanced nervously at Bryan, who looked about to do something. "Fine. Forget I mentioned it. But I feel I have to do something..."
Bryan grinned. "You can pay our cheque."
The actual good-byes were painful. We’d been through so much together. Brian and Kim flew off to Kim’s house to start getting her things ready for the move east. Bryan also left for Edmonton, and other places, not knowing what Fox’s plans were. And then it was only Maxine and I, standing in my apartment.
We were finally alone. Alone with my (amazingly) still-living plants surrounding us. Alone, knowing that neither of us could live without the other.
Neither of us proposed marriage. We didn’t have to. No words were necessary, though we knew that the actual ceremony might not take place for several years. Perhaps we thought that making it "official" might dampen our feelings for one another, though time would prove differently. Mother approved of Maxine, as did my sister, when I apologized for blowing up at her when we visited Portland on our way north.
Time rolled on for all of us. Brian, Kim, Bryan, Maxine and I. And we all knew that though one chapter in our lives had finished, another one would surely begin the whole cycle all over again.
Copyright 1998, Jon SleeperGo Back to Unchained
This is the end of the first chapter of the Great Round Robin Experiment, but the story isn't over yet...
Chapter 2 is coming soon.
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