It is the middle of the morning in Jade Creek, and in the lake in its centre, three friends are taking advantage of the unusually warm weather and having the day off to swim in the lake. The lynx, the badger, and the hedgehog frolic seemingly without a care in the world, pushing all concerns to the backs of their minds. After a couple of hours however, a pleasant fatigue sets in, and the trio returns to the beach to bask dry in the sun.
"Thanks for this, guys," Maria Shanmao sighs contentedly, the lynx enjoying the warmth the sun is beaming into her olive fur. "I know I've been a silly sulky recently, but this morning has really cheered me up."
"That's what friends are for," Danny Brock acknowledges, holding hands with his hedgehog girlfriend as they both bask beside the lynx.
"It can't have been easy, seeing us so happy together when your own attempt… well, y'know," Sally Flynn guesses.
"It wasn't," Maria admits. "But I shouldn't have been such a silly sulky‑poo."
"Don't worry about it," Danny assures.
For the next few minutes, the trio simply lay in contended silence.
"Is anyone else a bit thirsty?" Sally asks.
"I wasn't until you mentioned it," Danny admits. "The usual?"
"Sure," Sally confirms.
"Maria?" Danny asks.
"What else?" Maria smiles cheekily.
"Back in a sec," Danny informs.
Danny stands, brushes the sand from his fur (earning a playful slap on the calf when some of it lands on Sally), then heads into the house the three share at the edge of the vegetation line behind the beach. It only takes a minute to prepare the drinks, but as he's about to take them outside, the phone rings. Curious, Danny answers it. "Hello?"
"Hey Danny," Rob Stiil answers. "You guys free tonight?"
"Absolutely," Danny confirms.
"Cool. Fancy a night out in Shang Mu?"
"I don't see why not. Me, you, Hanna, and Sal, right?"
"Actually…" Rob pauses a moment. "Look, y'know how Hanna and Sally haven't really gotten to know each other yet?"
"I'm aware," Danny acknowledges. "It has been bothering me a bit, if I'm honest."
"Me too. That's why I have a plan to force them to spend an evening getting to know each other," Rob reveals.
"I take it Hanna's not home right now," Danny guesses.
"She's at HQ this morning, helping with some CQC training," Rob explains.
"Again?" Danny asks. "I thought her PD was over?"
"It seems she's not impressed at the standards shown by the trainees, so she's decided to 'encourage' them, as she put it," Rob explains.
"I pity those trainees," Danny jokes. "They won't know what hit them."
"Yeah, I know how… 'enthusiastic' she can get," Rob sighs. "But she'll be back just after lunch, so I don't have that much time. I'm thinking you and Sally come to ours late afternoon on the pretence of it being a double‑date. Then, I'll get Hanna to head upstairs for something, and we'll take off, just us two. What do you say?"
"Sal will be so pissed at me," Danny admits. "Then again, it's been years since we had a proper lad's night out, just the two of us." Danny pauses a moment. "OK, it's a plan. I'm sure Sal will see the funny side of it."
"Cool," Rob acknowledges, a hint of mischievous excitement creeping into his tone. "I'll see you guys later."
As the afternoon turns into evening, Danny and Sally arrive at the two‑storey Rage Ravine home of Hanna and Rob Skarlett, park outside the garage (Danny making sure Rob's ATV isn't blocked by their trikes), then knock on the front door. Or they would have knocked, had said door not already been opened by Hanna.
"No, I didn't break anyone's bones this morning," Hanna answers before the badger and hedgehog can speak.
"But we didn't ask you anything," Danny reminds.
"And now you don't have to," Hanna states, moving back from the door to let her friends in.
"Hello to you to," Sally adds as she enters the house with Danny.
"Don't mind Hanna," Rob informs the couple. "She's just in a funny mood, s'all."
"Which has nothing at all to do with you arranging a double‑date without asking me first, therefore leaving Maria all alone all evening," Hanna adds with a hint of sarcasm.
"Maria will be fine," Danny assures.
"She was quite eager to have the house to herself, in fact," Sally adds.
"Really?" Hanna asks, a little surprised. "Maybe I should call her…"
"Hanna, didn't you agree to stop treating her like a kid?" Rob reminds.
"Yeah, you're right," Hanna sighs in admission. "It's just… I dunno. So long as she's happy, I guess."
"She was pretty cheery when we left," Danny assures.
"Fair enough," Hanna admits. "Shall we go?"
"In a moment," Rob answers. "First, can you put all our scarves safe upstairs?" he requests, removing his scarf and handing it to Hanna.
"Seriously?" Hanna asks in return as Danny and Sally hand her their scarves too.
"It's not like we're gonna need them, is it?" Rob replies.
With a sigh, Hanna disappears upstairs, muttering a few mild profanities.
Sally watches Hanna disappear upstairs. "I hope she cheers up soon," she opines. "Otherwise, this evening's gonna be a chore."
Silence answers her.
"Dan? Rob?" Sally asks, looking around to find neither present. "What the…‽ Where'd they go‽"
"Where'd who go?" Hanna asks as she returns to the den.
"The boys," Sally explains. "They were here when you went upstairs."
Hanna is about to answer, pausing when she hears two engines fire up. "What on Avalice‽ They're heading out without us!"
"What‽ Why would they‑ Oh, I see what they're doing," Sally realises.
"And what would that be?" Hanna asks, wearing an expression of building thunder.
"They're forcing us to spend the evening together, so we get to know each other," Sally explains.
"This was all Rob's idea, I guarantee," Hanna growls.
"And Dan went along with it," Sally adds, displeased.
"Well, if they're going to just abandon us, then we'll have our own night out!" Hanna declares, striding to the front door.
"Wait a minute," Sally interrupts as Hanna grabs hold of the doorknob. "Surely we should get changed first?"
"What are you talking about?" Hanna retorts.
"If we're going to have a girls' night out, let's do it properly," Sally decides. "Have you got any dresses?"
"Dresses‽" Hanna asks, surprised. "What makes you think I have dresses‽ Do I look like I wear dresses‽"
"I dress almost the same as you," Sally reminds, referring to her black tank‑top and royal blue capris and comparing them to Hanna's black halterneck and navy‑blue capris. "Yet I have a dozen dresses."
"So?"
"Also, Dan told me you have some. And yes, Rob told him."
"Fine. I have dresses. I got them on honeymoon, OK?" Hanna relents angrily. "I guess I was overcome with romanticism or something. Now come on, we're wasting time," she finishes, opening the door.
"Not when you're in this mood," Sally decides, sitting on the sofa, resolute.
"My husband and your boyfriend tricked us into hanging out," Hanna reminds. "I have the right to be angry."
"I'm angry too," Sally admits. "But I'm not going to let that spoil our evening."
"Then I'll go out by myself!" Hanna decides.
"That's just dumb," Sally informs.
"Don't care." Hanna leaves the house, slamming the door shut. A minute later, she comes back in again. "Don't. Say. A word," she instructs before slumping in the chair, seething.
Sally holds her tongue for about a minute. "Girls' night in it is then," she decides.
"Whatever," Hanna mumbles dismissively.