He had come to frequent Tchakova Park.
It wasn't the park itself he enjoyed; the blooming cherry blossom trees sweetening the air over the paved walking paths, the collection of flora from planets both familiar and far away twisting and bowing in the late spring breeze, or the sunset throwing pinky hues across the pond the park centered around. The scenery was nice, he was the first to admit that. Even with Cortana chirping in his ear about the origin, species and genus of every flower or tree he would linger by for too long. He could live with that.
What he had become most fond of though was the noise. He had grown up on battlefields where noise had always been plenty. Thick and heavy and violent. But, the noise he experienced within the park was so different from the noise he knew. It felt lighter somehow. No thunder of gunshots and explosions, no pained shouts or battle cries, nor orders shouted directly through the auditory system of his helmet. That didn't exist here. It was like a low hum; pleasant and intoxicating. The music of the street performers, the laughter and chatter of passing civilians, the low hum of motorbikes, the heavy breathing of joggers as they passed him on the paths… it didn't make him feel like a soldier. Like a Spartan. It made him feel human.
He spent most of his time between deployments this way, wandering the footpaths that weaved through the park. Doctor Keyes encouraged them to seek joy outside of the program since she took over; to find themselves after spending so long being told who they were and what to be. The young doctor had been openly horrified when she had asked each of the Spartans what hobbies or interests they had during their get-to-know-you meetings she had required of them after she had been instated as the head of the division. Not a single one of them could provide an answer outside of her single parameter to her question; that it could not be Spartan related. That had become their assignment that week; find something you enjoy .
So he would walk. No orders, no demands, just purposeless walking for the sake of walking.
He would stay out past dusk, drinking in the final sounds of the city until the final group of kids would gather their balls and make their way to the transit stations. The apartments that stood over the park would come alive shortly after, the warm lights that illuminated their windows glittering on the surface of the pond. The signs of families returning home for the night, gathering around tables and exchanging stories about their days. Some nights he would choose a bench; he would sit and count the windows bathed in light until they flickered out one by one like snuffed flames. He'd watch as the city around him drifted off to sleep, the light in the windows diminishing one at a time, before tucking his hands in his pockets and returning to base alone.
He had been confused by it the first time he noticed, observing that the park would fall quiet and the buildings around him brighter at the same time every night over the span of a week. Cortana must have sensed his confusion, as she did everything else.
"Six o' clock in the evening is the average time in which most residents of New Alexandria return home, according to my findings. The busiest route on Reach Public Transport are the… " she had explained calmly, her chipper voice ringing in his ears as she listed off the working hours of the average citizen.
He had stopped listening, that word sitting heavy in his chest as he watched a man on a balcony over the park hold his child, pointing to the crafts that arrived and departed at FLEETCOM in the distance; home. Cortana had defined it in every way she could possibly conjure, but he still couldn't make sense of it, nor the feeling in his chest that arose each time she spoke it.
Silver Team had spent the better part of the month in the Monaco System, returning only several hours earlier. It had been a successful mission; high Covenant casualties and no Spartan injuries. Kai, Riz and Vannax had filed into their bunks after debrief, all exhausted and bruised and in desperate need of a shower. But he had found himself walking until he reached the transit station, the noises of battle still banging in his ears; too loud and too violent. He needed to walk, needed to listen, needed a moment of stillness and the gentle melody of humanity at its most peaceful. At its most gentle. At its most calm.
The park was mostly empty, John finding himself alone on the walking trail that twisted around the pond. He had remembered seeing the advertisements for a violinist playing in the amphitheater that night the week prior, his feet taking him down the familiar path he had traveled so many times over the months. He liked attending the shows, he tried to go as many as he could when they were on stand-by. Occasionally Kai would join him, but he preferred going alone. Kai preferred to talk, he preferred to listen.
He pressed on, the late spring breeze ruffling the trees overhead and scattering the pavement with a sprinkling of fat pink blooms. He peeked through the slips between branches, counting the apartment lights that slowly began to illuminate as if beckoning the residents home. He felt that same tug in his chest he always did as he paused, the sun dropping lower and casting his shadow long and dark against the pavement. A dog barked somewhere in the distance, pulling his eyes from the pinprick glows. He shook his head, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his civvies and continuing towards the bend in the path that would take him to the amphitheater.
"My scans show that your body is in need of sleep," Cortana spoke, her always chipper voice soft, "Perhaps you should return to base? You need to rest."
"I'm fine," he grunted out.
The ache in his muscles from nights spent sleeping in his armor proved her right, even though he would never outwardly admit it to her. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep with the ugly, visceral noises of battle still ringing in his ears. He didn't want that to be what he heard as he fell asleep, for it to be the sound of the dreams he now had since removing the pellet.
He kept a persistent pace, the sun dropping lower in the pinky evening skies. He stopped, watching the waters of the pond shimmer golden in the sunset, still reflecting the few clouds that hung overhead. A pair of geese sat on the surface, gliding steadily towards a small boy at the shore. He couldn't have been older than six, pant legs rolled to his knees as he waded out into the water, a slice of bread gripped in his small fist. John watched his little face squish with determination as he threw it with all of his might, the slice plopping in the water a few feet from where the geese swam. The twosome honked happily, gliding over and ripping apart the soggy snack. The boy let out a triumphant laugh, turning to where his mother and father stood on shore, a wide grin that lacked a few teeth splitting his face.
"Dad! Dad! Did ya see me?" He called, clumsily running from the water into the man's outstretched arms.
The man chuckled, tossing the boy up onto his hip, unminding of the wet feet that dripped into his pant leg. "I saw, bud! Nice job!"
"I threw it so far and the gooses got it!"
"I saw!" The man confirmed again, returning his child's excited smile with one that was nearly identical. John let out a chuckle at the boy's excitement, that tug growing into a hollow feeling that sat heavy in his belly.
The boy's mother joined them, the three chatting happily as they departed from the pond. On the waters, one goose bumped into the other, tugging gently at its feathers, the other letting out a honk as they glided away once more. John checked his watch before stepping toward the pond; he had a few minutes to spare before the performance began. He watched the geese slide across the water, one flapping its wings when the other dipped under the surface and exposed its pink feet.
"Would you like to know the species of goose? From the mottled gray and white plumage, I believe it is-."
"You're ruining it." He said curtly, the A.I. letting out an exasperated sigh at her interrupted fact before silencing once more. Somewhere near, a dog barked again. The geese took to the skies with a chorus of flapping wings and warning honks, the reflection on the water turning from pink to purple as dusk fell on the park. His eyes remained on the disrupted surface of the water, watching the rings where the geese sat ripple across the water.
"John!"
"No, Cortana."
"John, I must insist-."
"I said no, Cortana," he growled.
She let out a disapproving sigh, " Fine, have it your way then. Get hit by the projectile incoming from behind you traveling at a speed of approximately-."
"Heads up!"
He turned before the woman could shout out her warning, fingers curling around the projectile. A black and white dog bounded up to him, its brown eyes fixed upon his hand. It let out a whine, leaping an impressive height straight up, its tongue lolling out of its mouth. He opened his palm, exposing the bright orange rubber ball slick with saliva that had been moments away from pegging him in the back of his head. The dog followed his movement, letting out another begging whine, the tags on its collar jingling.
"Ooo, a border collie! We haven't seen one of these before! They are a British breed of herding dog that hail from the Anglo-Saxton border on Earth. They are used mostly as sheep-herding or companion animals."
The dog leapt up again, eyes still fixed upon the ball and ears twitching. He chuckled when it landed, stretching so that its tail stuck up straight to the dusky skies. It barked at him, a friendly sound, the animal's whole rear end wiggling as it wagged its tail.
"Sorry!" The same voice called.
John looked up from the dog, finding the owner approaching. The woman's ponytail swished as she jogged towards him, a red nylon leash clipped neatly across her body. She was dressed in black athletic clothes, save the pair of shockingly bright pink running shoes she wore. The woman slowed as she neared him, offering him a warm, apologetic smile, "Sorry, I guess I got carried away with that last throw. She isn't bothering you, is she?"
He shook his head, the dog still watching him with a desperate anticipation. "No ma'am," he said, holding up the ball. He had watched others throw similar balls to their dogs on his walks. He had always wondered what was so enjoyable about the activity. "May I?"
The woman smiled again, freckled nose crinkling. She nodded and gestured to the ball, "Be my guest. You'd be doing my arm a favor."
He gave the ball a toss in his palm, chuckling as the dog's eyes leapt to follow it before he gave it a toss. The dog took off in a sprint towards the ball, its tags jingling merrily as it ran. The woman gave out a low whistle, watching the ball sail across the grassy field 40 yards before sinking down with a bounce. "Nice throw."
"Thanks."
"That's Sadie. I'm Violet," she said, holding out a hand to him. He peered down at it, impossibly small compared to his own. He took it gently, careful not to squeeze too tight. His whole hand closed around hers, warm and soft against his calloused palm, giving it a small shake. Her green eyes darted between his hand and his face, that same warm smile still stretching her lips.
"You're holding her hand too long, Chief."
He dropped her hand, crossing his arms across his chest and returning his gaze to the pond.
"John."
"Sorry we scared your friends away," the woman said, looking over at him.
John raised an eyebrow, arms still crossed firmly against his chest. "What?"
"The geese," she said, pointing to the spot in the pond the geese had departed from, the rippled water now smooth and glassy once again. She hugged herself as the cool breeze ruffled the trees again, "I noticed you were watching them before Sadie scared them off. She likes to chase them."
"Oh," he said with a nod, "no. That's fine."
A silence fell between the two again, Sadie finally reaching where the ball had touched down. The dog scooped it up, bounding back towards where they stood in a tired trot. John shifted, glancing down at the woman again, opening his mouth to speak. He closed it, unsure of what to say to the pretty woman beside him. She tucked a strand of rich brown hair that had escaped her ponytail behind her ear, whistling and calling the dog. It reminded him of the foil wrapped chocolates Doctor Keyes kept in a dish on her desk. She would push them towards the Spartans each time they would visit the lab for a med eval. Kai would always complain that they were too bitter, but Miranda would slide one to him with a knowing look. He never declined them, chalking it up to politeness until he found himself reaching for one without Keyes' prompting during a visit to her lab.
"They're fun to watch. The geese," she clarified, the dog nearing them, "They're cool animals really."
"Yeah? Why's that?"
"They mate for life, you know. It's pretty romantic," she gave a little shrug, flashing that warm smile at him again, "as far as birds go."
"She's right! They do! They are of the 3 to 5% of animals that are monogamous."
"Cortana."
"Sorry."
He returned her smile. She still looked up at him with that smile; warm and bright and kind. "I didn't know that."
Her face twisted with a pang of embarrassment, her tongue poking out slightly before she let out a laugh, "Sorry. That was super weird and nerdy of me. I don't know why I said that. What a weird thing to say to a stranger."
He chuckled, her laugh high and clear and musical. "No, it was interesting. I liked it."
She pressed her hands to her cheeks, a slight pink flush creeping up her neck, freckled shoulder still shaking in laughter. He liked her laugh.
"What I mean is," she laughed, "It's my favorite part of the park. The pond."
"Yeah," he agreed with a nod, the corners of his mouth still pulled up in amusement, "It's…quiet."
She nodded, an agreeing smile splitting her face, "It is."
Sadie skidded to a halt in front of John, discarding the ball at his feet. The dog panted heavily, rear still wiggling with excitement as she let out an expectant groan. The dog nosed the ball towards him, obviously uncaring of her overly exerted state.
"I should get her home. It's her dinner time," Violet explained, lifting the lead over her head and dropping to a knee. Sadie sat beside her obediently, panting heavily while Violet clipped her lead back to her harness.
"Alright."
"It was nice to meet you, John. Sorry again for nearly hitting you with a ball. And for the weird bird fact," she finished with another pleasant giggle.
He smiled, Violet straightening up again. Her bangs fell in her eyes and he felt the strange urge to reach out and brush them away. Instead, he kept his arms firmly crossed. "Anytime."
She half smiled, scooping the ball up. She whistled again, breaking into a jog, Sadie trotting at her side as they started to cross the field towards the street. John watched her hair swish as she jogged, keeping time with each step. She turned after a few steps, smiling at him over her shoulder and giving him a little wave. He returned it, feeling silly as he gave her a small awkward smile back. He turned back to the pond, Cortana's voice filling his head.
"Chief, during your conversation with her, your body released high levels of dopamine and norepinephrine. Your heart rate increased and when you touched her hand, you began to perspire. I believe you are attracted to that woman!"
"Leave it alone, Cortana," he responded. The street lamps flickered on as the sun ducked under the horizon, the pond reflecting the first glimmer of stars along with the window lights.
"You never let me have any fun. Anyhow, if you would still like to attend the performance, we should be on our way to the amphitheater. It begins in approximately five minutes."
John pushed the sound of bell-like laughter from his mind, suddenly reminded of his original mission in attending the park. He turned over his shoulder, swallowing the lump in his throat that had formed when he saw her jog across the field towards him, feet carrying back towards the walking paths. He glanced towards the direction in which she and Sadie had trotted off, searching for the bounce of her ponytail on the empty sidewalk. She was already gone, the sidewalk empty of bright pink running shoes and a far too tired dog. For the second time that night, his eyes returned to the illuminated windows. This time, he wondered if one of those lights had beckoned her home as well.