Chapter 13 - Deer in the Rain
The Senate chamber roared and every senator stood from their seat applauding. Olivia stood at the elevated gavel, terrified yet grinning with confidence. The Senate was convening for the first time since the rebirth and Olivia knew she was nose-diving into hurdles.
Wolf leaned to her, taking hold of her arm and stated very calmly to her side, "Shoot. Me. Now."
The session was called to order and one after one, different bills Olivia and Wolf had been fighting for were voted down.
One senator, a tall bulldog, from a far off province on the other side of the planet took issue with a health bill Olivia had been pressing for.
"And for Chancellor Cardus to have the gall to try and planetize our health system! Utter nonsense! My people won't stand for it!"
He finished after tedious arguments related to budget concerns, and another senator, a young woman who represented a district in the outskirts of Corneria City, took hold of her amplifier and called to the giraffe, "Right, and to the gentleman from the Oso province, I hope your stock and credit deals with those private health companies aren't threatened by Chancellor Cardus' bill."
The canine scoffed and his shook, and senators murmured.
"Who is that?" Wolf asked Olivia quietly.
"Senator Tyne," she whispered and grinned. "She's on our side."
Finally the issue of the Lylatian Conference came up, and a bill was being argued to grant condemnation or approval for the vast inter-planetary meeting that was to be held over Zoness in less than a week, the meeting Olivia had spent most of her time organizing.
"More nonsense!" one sickly old senator wheezed. He was another canine, wrinkled and drooping. "This is just another example of Chancellor Cardus' trying to sidestep this chamber here to draft foreign policy!"
More cheers erupted as well as some jeers.
"Even worse, foreign policy with terrorists! Corneria does not deal with terrorists like Xavier Zan that have killed innocent Cornerians! I think the meeting should be condemned!"
Olivia rubbed her forehead and several cameras zoomed in on her just for this simple action.
"Whatever 'policies' that come forth, should be deemed null and void in the eyes of the great planet of Corneria!"
Cheers continued. Olivia saw a figure at the old senator's side, a short little raccoon with intense brown eyes staring straight at her. She nearly jumped, recognizing Akun, her old chief adviser who she fired weeks ago. It now looked like he was the chief adviser for Senator Lantham, someone on the polar opposite of the political scale from her.
"Oh don't think, I don't know what you're doing Chancellor Cardus," the old senator continued with Akun smiling at his side.
Olivia bristled at being directly addressed, and she sat up in her tall seat, watching him quietly.
"An inter-planetary governing body deciding policy for all Lylatians will just return Corneria to the tyranny we endured under Andross!"
The cheers hit a crescendo, at least 30 of the 45 senators immediately standing at the old man's resonating words. Still, the remaining few sat quietly with their hands folded, some shaking their heads.
"Is he done?" Wolf asked, checking his watch.
After several more exhausting arguments among different senators, the bill came to a vote and the upcoming Lylatian Conference was officially condemned by the Senate.
Olivia burst into her office and Wolf trailed with his digital pad, scrolling through notes and minutes.
"That was a disaster!" Olivia cried, falling into her seat and putting her face in her hands.
An orange tabby quickly bounced in afterward, "Guys I've got great news about the arrangements next week!"
Wolf growled, "Not now Cecilia!" He plopped onto the couch. "Olivia, It means nothing. The Senate can't stop the meeting. They know they have no power here. Those thickheaded conservatives were just grandstanding."
Cecilia shut her mouth and watched, carefully admiring the tall red cardinal that was the leader of the planet. She clutched her tablet to her chest.
Olivia looked up from her feathers. "Why can't they understand Wolf? With all the planets of Lylat cooperating we won't ever face what happened under Andross ever again! We'll be prepared! If someone ever rose up and tried to follow in his footsteps we'll be prepared! That's why we experienced so much loss and pain and tragedy, because none of these planets…"
She clicked something on her desk and suddenly massive orbs filled the room, perfectly crisp shimmering images of beautiful planets swooping by, blue oceans, white clouds, orange deserts, red skies, green forests, orbiting around and Wolf watched.
"Ooh!" Cecilia went doe eyed at the pretty display.
Olivia waved her hand. "Corneria, Katina, Macbeth, Zoness, none of them listened to each other. But after this meeting, after we create the Lylat Confederacy, they will."
"Lylat Confederacy?" Wolf asked.
"Yes, a confederal government, a union of planetary governments, so we can cooperate on security, environment, personal rights. The plans are already in motion, we're just waiting on Zoness. We can even have one currency. The economic benefits are so vast, so grand and sweeping, that all those leaders won't be able to walk away from it."
"That does sound wonderful!" Cecilia chirped.
"But what about Xavier Zan?" Wolf asked carefully.
Cecilia looked between the two, trying to feel apart of the conversation, waiting for a moment to butt in.
"I know," Olivia admitted. "We have to give him the Tigrinian Islands on Zoness. It's just 280,000 people, just 280,000. But do you understand why I'm giving those islands to him? Do you see the irony Zan presents? Our whole fight against Andross was a fight against a tyrant's grip, pure utter tyranny, and that's exactly what the Zonessian government is doing to Zan. Chancellor Leto of Zoness is to Zan how Andross was to us. And Zan's only way to fight for his people is through these guerilla tactics. He's exactly where we were, remember?"
"Right right the whole, one planet's terrorist is another planet's freedom fighter, I've heard it before."
"Then you understand."
"But still, Zan killed Cornerians. 12 Cornerians, and Fox and I could have easily been numbers 13 and 14." Wolf studied her carefully, ensuring she realized how serious he was. "That throws a wrench into things in terms of public perception of this, of what you're doing here."
"I know, and you're absolutely right. But he has to respect the fact I'm legitimizing him. I'm letting him come to the table after that. I could have easily just said, alright, let's send everything we got on him, and vaporize him, wipe out that whole island chain on Zoness and have Leto standing at our side while we did it, cleaning up his garbage for him."
Wolf frowned. "But then we'd be Andross."
"Exactly."
"I just…"
"You don't like it," Olivia noted. "I know that, but I need you Wolf. I need you at my side for this. I can't do it alone. With the Senate on my tail I'm being pushed against a wall more and more. If you, along with the rest of my cabinet, aren't there, this meeting will fail."
Wolf nodded and watched the planets orbit in the dim ornate office and for a moment he thought about the tiger's eyes in that city square weeks ago. Dark black eyes that stared at him through the crowds, so intensely burning before he ripped open his trenchcoat and disappeared in a painful flash, the shove of hot rushing air, the screaming, the numbing thud of glass crashing over his back.
In a week, Wolf knew he'd be apart of the entity granting those tigers their independence. But if it would at least stop anything like that from happening again, maybe they were doing the right thing, Wolf thought. Yet by giving in, aren't they saying terrorism works? Wolf watched Zoness drift by, he saw a red square highlighting the Tigrinian Islands in the vast blue ocean, a bright star over their capital Deltap City. The political independence of 280,000 people only cost 12 Cornerians. What could they get for more?
Wolf snapped from his thoughts, "Cecilia? What was it you wanted to say?"
The tabby jumped to attention, "Oh! Well before I get to that I think Olivia might be right."
Wolf blinked, not used to having Cecilia disagree or even slightly side against him on anything.
"I think," the tabby continued, not chirping like usual, but carefully choosing her words, "I think by giving this Xavier Zan what he wants, it's a good thing. Because it's preventing awful things like, well like that suicide bomber. That was just awful. I think he can see Olivia, that you're a reasonable leader and I think he will honor a peace because of your generosity."
Olivia carefully studied the tabby, mildly amused and curious that Wolf's assistant would so boldly offer her opinion. "Thank you Ms. Riratot. I hope you're right. If not, then our foreign policy might get very very messy."
The next evening, Fox dozed in the living room with the lights off. It was late in the evening and a storm raged outside. A large thick magazine, Cornerian Gazelle, was rested on his softly breathing chest. It was the premiere news magazine of the planet. On the cover was Wolf, standing in his office confidently grinning with his signature white eyepatch, wearing a bright blue uniform with gold buttons.
'NEO-CORNERIA AND THE LIBERAL REVOLUTION!' was the headline next to him.
'O'DONNELL AND CARDUS LEAD THE CALL FOR A NEW LYLAT CONFEDERATION'
Several sub-headlines adorned the front page around Wolf's figure, previewing articles inside.
'CAN INTER-PLANETARY UNITY WORK?'
'GIFT DIPLOMACY: FIGHTING TERRORISM, CARDUS & O'DONNELL STYLE'
'THE ECONOMICS OF A NEW LYLAT'
'SENATOR ROVER LANTHAM LEADS OPPOSITION GROUP TO STOP CARDUS'
There was a soft knock at the door, barely audible above the torrential downpour of rain and intermittent thunderclaps. Fox turned onto his side and made a short snort. The magazine slid off his body and hit the floor.
The doorbell buzzed this time, resonating through the spacious house.
Fox stirred awake and groaned, seeing the time. He didn't bother to put on a shirt as he walked to the foyer. When he opened the front door, a soaking wet deer stood on the steps. He was young and handsome, his gold hairs shimmered and his white lab coat clung to his thin body. Water dripped from his antlers, dripping around his face. His eyes were bloodshot and strained and Fox couldn't tell if it was because he was wet or if he had been crying.
"Lance?" Fox asked. "What ha— get the hell in here, you're soaked!"
"Fox I didn't know who I could talk to, or where I could go." Lance's voice was scratchy and painful and he shivered as he entered the quiet dark foyer. "I tried calling you and Wolf before coming over."
"What is it? Did something happen with the Great Fox? What's wrong?"
The young handsome deer burst into tears, sobbing and choking and coughing and rubbing one eye with his wrist, noticeably embarrassed. "Slippy fired me from the design team."
Fox thought he heard wrong. "He fired you? That's ridiculous. Why the hell would Slippy fire you? He made you one of the top designers of the new Great Fox."
"I made a mistake, it was just a stupid mistake."
"Wait-" Fox tugged on Lance's arm pulling him toward the kitchen. "You need a towel or something. You're dripping everywhere."
"I'm so sorry Fox," Lance rubbed his eyes again, noticing the watery trail on the marble tile from the door to where he stood, as well as his dripping clothes.
"No no, it's no bother," Fox said. "I'm thinking more so for your sake, I mean you're going to get sick like this."
Lance watched Fox search through the cabinets, the fox's muscular shirtless body turning and his arms gracefully reaching with their bristling orange fur. Lance knew now it was a mistake coming here.
Fox groaned. "I know I put a ton here somewhere. You know, with the way you're drenched, I should…"
Lance blinked and stood and shivered.
Fox seemed to bite his lip in thought, "You could use the drying room if you'd like. I mean, I have a robe you could just put on afterward and I could dry your clothes too. It would take two minutes tops."
Lance tilted nervously and looked around, as though checking if the house were empty.
Fox laughed, "You're right. Strange, strange of me to say."
"No," Lance closed his eyes and started pulling on his coat. "You're right. I mean. I'm going to get sick."
Wolf, at the Government Plaza, shut the drawer in his desk, and put several of the computer consoles in his office to sleep. He grabbed his coat off the chair and picked up his copy of the Cornerian Gazelle admiring himself on the cover for the fifth time today. Wolf was incredibly late leaving the office tonight. Meetings with several ambassadors, including Katt, kept him busy. Noticing the raging storm outside, he wished he hadn't left his rain shield in the hovercar, but he knew he'd be happy enough to come home to Fox's warm inviting house anyway, wet or dry.
Lance stepped out of the drying room in one of Fox's blue robes. The hot jets that blasted the deer's fur and dried him recuperated his spirits and he no longer was shaking and muttering his answers like before.
"So tell me what happened now," Fox said, handing him a cup with something warm in it.
Lance sat down on the couch and kept his robe together. "It happened yesterday. We were working on the engine matrices. Oh I don't want to bore you with all that, but I don't know, I've always liked Slippy."
Fox blinked.
"I mean, I know about you and Wolf. That's why I thought I could come here about this," Lance said quickly. "You must think I'm crazy for even saying that."
Fox smirked, "Hearing like and Slippy in the same sentence is a new thing, but no I don't think you're crazy."
"But yes, I liked Slippy, and yesterday I made… well I made just a stupid pass at him, and it went horribly wrong."
"Horribly wrong? You've got me listening."
"I don't know what I was thinking, I thought he was one of us you know?"
Fox looked upward, "You wouldn't be the first person to think Slippy was on our team."
"Anyway, it was awful. We were alone in the engine room and he was fitting the turbo plasma emulsifiers and he was lying on the floor," the deer seemed to look at something in the distance, going over the image in his head. "I had to get down there with him because he needed help making sure the other side of the emulsifier was snapping in properly and well, our faces got sort of close and I thought, yes, this is the moment, this is the right moment I had been waiting for."
"You kissed him?"
Lance made a short laugh and covered his face. "I know, stupid, stupid."
"No, not at all!" Fox quickly said. "I mean hell, if it was a guy I liked, I would have done the same."
"I mean sometimes, I just can't help myself," Lance said moving his hand to his mouth, biting on the sides of his fingers. "I just thought it'd be a funny spontaneous thing and it'd be all well after that, but it just upset Slippy so much. He wouldn't even look at me afterward and then they said they were bringing another designer in."
"Yeah Slippy can be an asshole, but seriously, it doesn't sound like that big of a deal. Slippy might just be weirded out right now, I can talk to him if you want."
"No no," Lance grabbed Fox's leg. "Please don't do that! I don't want him to know I told you about this. I don't want him to feel even more embarrassed. I'm so stupid. I just… don't know how to control myself." His hand was still gripping Fox's leg above the knee.
Fox eyed the hand as the deer rubbed his eyes with the other. "I mean, you and Wolf are together. Do you ever fight temptation?"
Fox slowly trained his view from the hand gripping his leg to the thin robed deer, seeing some of the white fluff on his navel and chest peeking out, up to the painful green eyes, the tired, painful, urgent, wanting eyes framed in that beautiful golden face. Without thinking Fox suddenly grabbed him and kissed and it was passionate and quick and fierce and he moved on top of him, pushing him back into the couch wanting something new and something different just for that moment.
Fox pulled away. "Shit," he muttered.
Lance looked up at him and his eyes seemed to glow, happy and confused. "Fox!"
Fox tried to pull himself off of him. "I shouldn't have done that. I don't know what I'm doing."
Lance couldn't find his words but his hands fumbled up Fox's chest fur.
Fox grabbed hold of his skinny arms. "Lance… I can't. I mean… hell," he sighed. "Wolf was the one who liked you. Not me."
"He did?" Lance asked carefully, still pinned under Fox.
"Yeah, it bothered me, but I ignored it because I trust Wolf, and shit, now look at me. I'm doing what I was afraid of him doing."
Lance looked elsewhere and his eyes grew sad, feeling confused and strangely used. "I think… I think I need to go." He tried to move but was still pinned under Fox's legs and his robe was coming apart.
Fox looked down and felt the temptation welling up inside him but he knew the right thing to do was to get off of him.
Before he could lift a knee, the front door came open and Wolf rushed in, soaking wet. "Hell, it's really coming down! I might as well just jump into—" He looked through the arch into the living room.
The deer and fox stared back at him with terrified eyes.
Wolf stared back. The fox was wearing only his shorts and straddled the deer on the couch who's blue robe was pulled open.
"Oh... oh." He stepped back, like seeing death.
Fox clamored off the thin deer. "Wolf! Wolf. Shit, this is explainable."
"Oh…" Wolf continued to step back toward the front door.
"Wolf!"
But the wolf was gone. Out the door, into the raging tempest outside. The engine of a hovercar rumbled away.
Oh no...