A/N : Hey all this is my first fic i've ever written, lmk what you think :) None of the said characters belong to me, just an overenthusiastic fan.
June:
One month, that's how long it's been since I last saw Day.. and Eden in the streets outside Batalla. A little heat rises to my cheeks at just the thought of his golden locks sweeping in the wind, glinting shimmering wave of hair in the moonlight as I pass by the train station when he stepped back into my life after ten years of separation, ten years of pain I didn't know I still had bottled up, ten years without his eyes, his lips, his… "Stop June, Pull yourself together" I tell myself .
I push down the thoughts of Day before while I can, despite all the efforts and the chaos of work, I can't get this boy out of my head. "This isn't like you June, Focus, June, Focus", I remind myself, Pressing my hands into my temples and forcing down the stubborn heat that keeps rising to my cheeks at the mere thought of Day. Scolding myself for not keeping my emotions more in check, I recalculate my brain and the details of the task at hand flutter back into my mind. On any other ordinary light, I would be back at my apartment in Ruby, with my boy Ollie, reading or catching up on the next day's briefings. But tonight, I'm meeting a group of Senators and Anden, regarding our upcoming diplomatic mission to Antarctica. It's a rather short walk, only fifteen or sixte.. No, fifteen blocks and twenty-five paces.
As I walk, my training kicks in, maintaining my distance and hugging the darkness, away from the streetlamps, but unlike my colleagues, I lose the tall, prideful walk, I'm not in uniform tonight, and I'd much rather not draw attention and be noticed. No matter how much progress Anden has made and how much the Republic has changed in the last ten years, riots, and dissatisfied rebel groups still persist. I throw a bit of a slouch and sway into my walk, careful to not maintain eye contact with any passerbyers.
Turning onto the fifteenth block, I scan my surroundings, counting my paces, the Im closing in 8 feet a second, ninety-two feet, and closing, I'll arrive in eleven and a half seconds, 120 seconds early to the meeting. Drawing near, I look up to the metal slab hanging above its door, The Sapphire Lounge, Haphazardly but legibly scrawled. I'm taken aback, Anden must really not want this meeting on the record if he's not using even the smaller more private barracks or halls for this meeting. I can hear the pounding music and flashing lights as I lay eyes on the two bouncers standing outside the club.
Squinting in the dark, I can immediately tell they aren't civilians, they're plain clothes officers, judging by the pants tucked in their boots and stiff, chin-back stance, they're Republic Army, Anden has definitely taken his safety seriously since his second attempted assassination. As the guards are preoccupied with a line of party and clubgoers, I slip through the main door, a few steps in I'm stopped immediately by a firm hand on my shoulder. "Name and branch?"
"Commander Iparis, Republic High Command," I say, coming out much harsher than I intended it to. A series of noises emit from the soldier "Apologies…Co-co-Commander" he manages, "Ocean room" he fumbles.
"Thank you," I say, hoping he can hear the sincerity in my voice. I push my way deeper into the club, through the hordes of dancers and drunken patrons. Shoving through the bodies, I find the stairs and descend into the lower level enveloped by darkness and a coldness that gives rise to goosebumps on my arms. Reaching the bottom and taking a turn to the right, I find the door, with "Ocean Room" stamped on the door. Knocking twice first, I push the door open, scanning the room simultaneously, It's gently lit, about twenty-seven feet by twelve feet wide, with seating for at least twenty. As I continue my gaze settles on the sight of Anden and his guards already seated. Anden and I nod in greeting, as I shuffle around the the wide conference table and take my seat.
I take in the rest of the room, from the dark staining of the table, the dim, spotty lighting, and the lightly shaded blue walls. Looking at the wall texture and design, its simplicity and the smooth and blended brush strokes remind me of an ocean, with slight ripples in its design, an otherwise perfect blue ocean with a ripple in its center, like Day's eyes. My mind suddenly turns fuzzy as the image of staring into Day's eyes, slams violently into my mind, overpowering my ability to clear it from my head.
"June, Stop, Stop" I say to myself,
sounding less and less convincing as my mind tumbles. I'm falling, I'm falling for a boy I hurt, that I should pull away from. Crumbling in myself, I'm saved by Anden clearing his throat, jarring me back into the present. All the senators are here, I force down the flaming heat that was on my face, thankful for the darkness of the room. Serge and Mariana are present, as well as various senators I've only seen a handful of times.
Anden Begins, "Thank you for all convening here on such short notice, the timing was not as I desired, but something has come to my attention that must be addressed," he says politely. Serge shuffles in his seat, clearly dissatisfied with the crudeness and lack of lavishness of the space. Anden continues, "It has come to my attention that despite my efforts to contain, Republic continues to bleed money in nearly every sector, corruption is rampant at the highest level, this will NOT be tolerated further" He says menacingly, hints of his father surfacing. He moves on, "As some you know, Commander Iparis, Senator Serge, Mariana and I will be departing on a diplomatic mission to Antarctica tomorrow, to secure the investment aid for our numerous and extensive infrastructure plans and changes for the Lake and other affected sectors," He says flatly,
"The other affected sectors", echoes in my head over and over, Thinking just how much Day and Eden would appreciate seeing this, the way that Anden kept his promise of bettering the Republic, dismantling the trial stadiums, converting them into schools, squares and new high rise housing that they never had. However, all of this has had its toll on the Republic's already struggling post-war economy recovery and Anden's popularity amongst the rich, old republic sympathizers.
Anden continues his speech about the intricacies of balancing international investments, all of which I had already read in my briefings early in the day. His hold over the country in recent times has been weary, at best in the current climate, and despite being only months from the last senate staged coup, beginning assassination. Ultimately failing only from the intervention of a handful of Patriots who had been present at his yearly Elector's Address at the Denver Armor. They had taken action, stopping the gunman, dressed as a spectator on a balcony. As reality flickers back into sight, my eyes flick around the room scanning and calculating. Anden is still speaking, explaining to the sector's senators how he plans to demolish or repurpose their trial stadiums, to the dismay of many of the older senators. As my eyes flick through the room, it settles back onto Anden, then his four guards,
As I scan each guard, I inspect each of their uniforms, their buttons, and lapel, each is tight, smooth, and free of rumples, as a soldier should be. Rounding the last guard, my visual inspection checks his buttons, then his collar, everything is in order, but … Something isn't right..
I narrow my eyes, this soldier has an unreasonable amount of sweat on his collar, given, that it is quite hot in this room now, with how many people are present and poor ventilation. Then I find the soldier's face, he's whispering into his earpiece. and my stomach tightens, the soldier. He's not on his earpiece, He's praying..