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Hanna knew there was something special about that Felineko boy.
Sure, she may have only just met him when he and his parents had first arrived in Petit Mona two years ago, but she had offered to help them move in, and she had also offered to give him a tour of the village while their families chatted to one another. She also may have known Malt, Socks, Boron and Mei her whole life – heck, she and Malt had been born one month apart from each other – but the moment Kyle locked eyes with her, she knew that there was something unique about him…not his place of birth nor his upper class status, but something else that was entirely indescribable.
She remembered the first time he’d hopped out of his father’s truck, lips creased into a scowl and brow furrowed. His head had been turned at an angle so that she could barely see the sullen look in the eye that wasn’t concealed under his bangs – a lock of ginger hair that swept over his other eye, like a bird’s wing. His ears – one of which had a noticeable notch out of it – were pressed flat against his skull, while his tail-tip lashed ever so slightly, yet ever so rapidly.
When Kyle had finally turned to face her, however, the bitter expression quickly faded. In its place was one of awe, like he had found himself standing before a goddess. Then he’d sputtered something she couldn’t exactly understand and immediately leaped back inside the truck, leaving Hanna confused.
It had continued that way in the two years that followed. Kyle would express complete disinterest in whatever new invention Socks could come up with or hiss at Boron, though only when they were in their friend group. But whenever it was just the two of them alone together, he would immediately freeze up, like a deerquus caught in the headlights. Over time, she’d also notice a slight blush colour his cheeks red, as if he was coming down with a fever, though he otherwise seemed perfectly healthy.
And then there was the matter of making friends. Hanna remembered it being something that always made Kyle’s fur bristle with anger. But she also remembered the moment Malt told him that they were all already friends, pushing the Felineko boy to his breaking point. He’d ranted on and on about how he didn’t need any friends, how he didn’t come to Petit Mona because he wanted to, and so on. It had made her feel saddened and uncomfortable…yet when she looked at Malt, she noticed that Kyle’s attitude didn’t affect him in the slightest. It was almost as if their first meeting had managed to cheer up the Caninu boy ever since…well, that incident.
Yes, Kyle had a short fuse, yes he had quite the sailor mouth with a brightly coloured vocabulary that could easily compete with some of Mei’s prettiest crayon drawings, and yes he had a tongue that was sharper than any thorn…but he wasn’t a bad person. He was just a sensitive soul who had closed off his heart and then fortified massive walls around it due to circumstances that were entirely out of his control, that was all. Hanna knew this, and so did Malt and the others.
Letting the memories play in her head over and over, she closed the book she’d been reading and leaned back with a sigh, her ears pricked as she captured the metallic whirs and hums of the Taranis, the giant tank that she and the others were now riding upon as it strolled along.
Kyle said he didn’t need friends, but Hanna knew deep down that he was lying. And tomorrow, she was going to prove it…no matter what!
“Hanna, I’m here.”
Kyle poked his head through the doorway leading into the dormitory, his expression a mixture of confusion and concern. He noticed Hanna sitting cross-legged near the two bunks, grabbing used clothes and putting them in a laundry basket – the first thing she’d bartered for when they’d arrived at the first village they came across after leaving Petit Mona.
Upon hearing Kyle call her name, the girl had immediately stopped her activity and looked up at him with a sweet smile on her face – the one that always made his heart skip a beat.
“Oh, hello, Kyle,” she chirped.
Kyle slowly and cautiously stepped into the dormitory, trying not to think about how tiny and cramped it looked. At least, he did anyway – there was barely enough room for six kids to share two bunks, and Kyle really didn’t like the idea of being forced into a single bed with Socks and Boron – especially Boron, who took up so much space that anyone who shared his bed would have to sleep on top of his belly if they wanted to avoid getting suffocated underneath (the mere memory of that would always send a shudder right down Kyle’s spine).
He shook his head to clear those thoughts away before returning his attention back to Hanna. “So, um…” he began rather hesitantly. “Malt told me you needed me. I-is there…y’know…something wrong?”
Hanna chuckled. “Nope, nothing’s wrong at all,” she replied. She then held up the basket full of dirty laundry. “I just needed a little bit of help with the laundry today, and I thought you’d be the perfect person for that.”
Kyle normally hated doing the laundry…or any other chores, for that matter. Well, except for cooking and scrap fishing. He’d learned how to make simple dishes for himself whenever his parents were away, and the scrap fishing reminded him of all the times when his mother would take him out to any of the lakes to try and catch the most exquisite fish they could find (of course, they always made sure to release those fish immediately afterward).
“Here.” Hanna’s voice brought him back to his senses. He blinked and noticed that she was standing right in front of him, holding the basket between them both. She stood there like a stone statue, awaiting his response…although Kyle noticed that there was a rather distant look that plagued her pink eyes.
Kyle hesitated, with only one paw slightly raised as he weighed in on his decision. From the way Hanna was holding out the basket to him and the friendly smile she was giving him, it was clear that she was putting her trust in him. Plus, this was a good opportunity for him to get closer to her without any sort of interference. Although, he could tell that there was something else she was hiding from him.
Taking a deep breath to relax his pounding heart, he reached over to grab one handle of the laundry basket while Hanna gripped the other. Before Kyle could utter anything, he found himself being partly dragged along as Hanna made her way to the makeshift laundromat. For a girl who was just as petite as himself, she was certainly strong enough to throw her own weight around.
Two buckets of soapy water awaited them, along with some sponges and washboards – probably prepared by Chick, one of the two newcomers onboard the Taranis alongside her twin brother Hack. Kyle remembered how the twins had stowed away because they wanted to find food – one could only imagine the outrage he felt when it was discovered that it was his food that they’d stolen…everything that he’d worked his ass off on growing and cultivating, with his own two paws!
Of course, the twins did apologize soon afterwards, with even Chick promising to help make up for the theft. As much as Kyle hated to admit it, he did appreciate them being so genuine.
The two Felineko put the laundry basket between them and went over to their respective buckets. While Hanna simply rolled up her sleeves in preparation, Kyle took off his cardigan and tie and set them aside so they didn’t get wet before rolling up the sleeves on his dress shirt. Together, the two of them began to work on washing the clothes that lay in the basket.
For a while, not a single word was exchanged. The only noise was splashing water and the creaking metallic symphony of the Taranis as it lumbered along some vast prairie. However, that didn’t stop Kyle from occasionally sneaking a glance at Hanna every now and again. A slight blush began to tint his cheeks a bright rosy pink like the colour of Hanna’s eyes and hair, though he immediately turned away the instant she caught his own eyes, which were gold like the sun.
“So, um, Kyle,” she began. Kyle’s notched ear twitched at the sound of her voice.
“Y-yeah,” he responded.
“I’ve noticed that you’ve done a lot of scrap fishing lately. Is there a reason for that?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s just that…” She paused to gaze at her reflection in the water, one paw clutching the top of the washboard and the other holding a white shirt. “It’s not that we don’t appreciate your contribution – in fact, Socks has been commenting on how he feels like there’s more than enough scrap to upgrade the Taranis. I’m just curious, is all. How did you get so good at it in the first place?”
A rush of excitement flooded Kyle’s chest, causing his heart to beat at a slightly faster tempo than usual. This was it – this was his chance to actually get one step closer to Hanna! And he sure as hell wasn’t going to squander it!
He cleared his throat. “Well, uh, where to begin,” he said. Hanna leaned a little closer, eyes wide with curiosity and interest, even as he struggled to find the right words.
Maybe it would be best if he tried to be more open and honest with her, he silently told himself. “Well, when I was younger, Mom would sometimes bring me out on a fishing trip.”
That seemed to snag Hanna’s attention even more. “Oh, really?” she said, clasping her paws with excitement. “Do tell!”
Kyle nodded his head. “Sure!” Before he knew it, he found himself going off on a long spiel on all the places he’d gone to, where the best possible fishing trips were and all the fish he’d caught, including some rarities. “Oh, and don’t tell Malt or anyone else, but…” His eyes glittered at the one memory that always kept to the forefront of his mind. “I even caught a venomspine fish once!”
Hanna’s eyes widened, her mouth agape. “A-are you serious,” she squeaked. “A venomspine fish? Kyle, aren’t those things dangerous?”
Kyle stiffened. Just like that, all the excitement he had completely evaporated. He felt like a complete and utter fool for revealing his riskiest achievement to such a sweet girl.
“…Y-yeahhhhh…??” he responded, his voice meek. “Yeah, I knew that.”
Venomspine fish were a popular delicacy in some cultures, but they had venomous spines growing along their backs, hence their name. Even the slightest scratch or puncture could deliver one drop of venom that was potent enough to kill any unlucky person within days. For some unexplained reason, Felineko were more resistant to the venom compared to Caninu, though it didn’t make a scrap of difference to the fatality rates between the two species.
Hanna let out a sigh of relief. “Well, if all you did was catch and release, then it's a good thing you released that venomspine fish afterwards.” Her face twisted into one of worry. “You didn’t get scratched, did you?”
Kyle shook his head no.
“Oh, that’s good!” She giggled. “If anything, you must be super lucky to have caught and released one, and lived to tell the tale!”
Kyle smirked. “Y’know, I’ve got a few photo albums containing those pictures of my catches,” he said. “If we get back home, maybe we can dig around to see if any of them survived the attack.”
Hanna nodded. “Good idea.” She put a finger to her chin. “Although, there is one request I’d like to make.”
He tilted his head to the side. “And that would be…?”
“If you’re going to show me your fishing photos…” She paused to give him an unusually cheeky grin. “You gotta show me your baby photos, too!”
Kyle felt his cheeks flare up as every fur on his body stood on end. He dropped both the piece of clothing he was working on as well as the washboard, letting them both sink into the bottom of the bucket.
“M-m-my…wh-WHAT?” he sputtered, a great blush covering his face and the tips of his ears. Dear God, anything but those! Especially the ones that contained some extremely embarrassing memories that he would do anything to keep buried, never to see the light of day.
Hanna snorted and rolled her eyes. “Your baby photos, silly,” she replied. “Even just one quick peek.”
“…Whhhhhyyyyy???”
“Why not?” At that moment, she sidled up to him, causing his cheeks to flare up even more. “I just wanted to see what you looked like way back when. I bet you were a cute little potato, just like Mei!”
Kyle looked away. “O-oh yeah,” he stammered. “W-well, I-I-I bet you were even cuter than m-me!”
An awkward silence followed. Then, Kyle noticed the corners of Hanna’s mouth twitch upward. She snickered a bit before erupting into a full-blown laughter.
Kyle couldn’t help but chuckle a little bit as a smile of his own plastered his face. He loved talking with Hanna, and he loved being with her. It made him feel alive in a way that he’d never been before. With Hanna, he didn’t need to do anything particularly special to impress her; he just needed to be himself.
For a time, he felt like he’d been dragged beneath the deep, dark waters of his own turmoil, anchored down by his own negative emotions. But Hanna…sweet, smiling, soft-spoken Hanna…she was like a small spark in that darkness. And over time, that spark grew into an ember, and then a blaze that evaporated the dark water around him.
Hanna…was his light. And he wouldn’t let anyone take that light away from him!
The two of them spent the rest of the washing in silence, just enjoying each other’s company. Once they were done, they then brought everything outside atop the roof of the Taranis. Several clotheslines were strung along the two metal poles, where the laundry would be hung up to dry.
As Kyle hung up a pair of socks, he couldn’t help but steal a glance at Hanna. He noticed the way the sun hit at just the right angle, its soft golden rays lighting up her hair like a pink flame – warm but also nurturing, just like her. A gentle breeze blew by, causing that flame to flow a little.
He blushed, realizing just how beautiful she was…how precious she was to him. And yet, she too could perish within an eye’s blink – whether by gunfire from the Berman units, or by the ominous Soul Cannon that slumbered within the base of the Taranis, its chamber like hungry jaws of steel just waiting to snatch up and devour any unfortunate victims who wandered too close.
He couldn’t – nay, he wouldn’t – let that happen! Not to Hanna, and definitely not to anyone else (not that he’d admit the latter bit, of course). If anything, he’d sooner throw himself in that cannon than let one of them die!
Besides, it wasn’t like anyone would miss him when he was gone…right?
“Kyle?”
He jumped at the sound of his name being called. He shook himself to snap out of his daze and noticed that Hanna was glancing back at him with a concerned look on her face.
“Are you alright, Kyle?” she asked again.
“Ah, um…” His heart hammered in his chest as he struggled to come up with an answer. But no matter how hard he tried, the words just refused to leave.
Hanna approached him and gently put a paw to his forehead. Kyle flinched at the touch, hoping she wouldn’t pay attention to how clammy he felt against her paw.
“Hmm…” she murmured. She withdrew her paw and took a step back. “Well, your face is awfully red, but you’re not at risk of coming down with a fever, so there’s that.”
Kyle was still completely speechless, his body stiff as stone. It was like all that confidence he had built up until now had completely evaporated, leaving him a complete and utter mess.
“By the way, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something,” said Hanna.
“Y-yes?” Kyle said, inwardly cringing at the way his voice faltered.
“I thought it would be nice if we got to know each other a little bit better.”
Kyle’s breath caught in his throat. “O-oh, uh, r-really,” he stammered. “G-get to know each other a little bit better, huh?” He gulped and tugged at the collar of his dress shirt. “W-well, uh, s-sure, I mean, why not, right? Maybe you could tell me a little bit more about yourself, since I already did so earlier before.”
“And I also thought it would be nice if you could get along with everybody else, too.”
Something just shattered in Kyle when she said that.
“O-oh…everybody else?”
“Well, yes.” Hanna tilted her head to the side. “Did I say something strange?”
Kyle looked away, finally tearing eye contact from her. “N-no,” he replied. “Why do you ask?”
He didn’t even notice the deadpanned look Hanna gave him. “Well, the reason I called you to help out with the laundry in the first place was to have this kind of talk,” she said. “Earlier before, Chick told me that you were making fun of her for being a lady.”
Kyle winced inwardly. Shit, he should’ve known that Chick or Hack would tattle him off to either Malt or Hanna…or both. He was lucky that he was only getting a verbal lashing.
He lowered his head as a pang of guilt stabbed at him. “W-well, what do you expect me to do?”
Hanna let out a sigh that sounded like a mix between frustration and sympathy. “For now, the best thing to do would be to find Chick and apologize to her,” she answered. “And then, maybe try and find a way that you two can get along with each other better.”
“…Why? Why should I?” Kyle’s muzzle crinkled with disgust. “Like I said before, I don’t need friends.”
“I’m not telling you to be friends with everyone, I’m just saying that you should try and get along with everyone better,” Hanna told him matter-of-factly.
Kyle said nothing, his tail lashing to and fro. Get along with everybody? Be friends with them?
To hell with that!
The white-furred Felineko sighed. “But if you’re not going to do it for yourself, then at least try to do it for me. Alright?”
Another moment of uneasy silence hung between them. Finally, Kyle let out a breath as he turned his attention back to Hanna. “Fine,” he said. “I’ll find Chick and apologize to her.”
Hanna’s sweet smile returned. “Thank you, Kyle.”
Neither of the two Felineko seemed to notice the sun was beginning to set until Hanna realized that it was starting to get dark. “Oh, looks like it’s almost time to make dinner,” she announced.
“You go on ahead,” Kyle said, waving her off. “I’m just…gonna finish up the rest of the laundry.” It was a white lie – he only wanted to stay up here a little longer to reflect on what Hanna had told him.
To his luck, Hanna didn't seem to notice. “Okay, I’ll let you know when it’s ready.” She turned and began to head for the ladder that would take her back down, when she paused to look at him. “Oh, by the way, we’re going to be making a new bunk in the dormitory soon, so everyone will have some more room to sleep.”
Kyle let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God!” A new bunk meant a good chance that he could finally have room to sleep in without the cramped feeling that had plagued him for days on end.
Hanna chuckled as she went down the rest of the way. Kyle heard her re-enter the Taranis and close the door behind her, leaving him alone on the tank’s rooftop. The instant she vanished, however, that happy feeling melted away into a cranky scowl. He sat down and curled up with his knees tucked close to his chest.
So Chick managed to rat him out and tell Malt and Hanna. That definitely made her no different than some of the girls who’d teased him back in the city – some of his old “friends”. And now, Hanna wanted him to apologize to the kid who was five years younger than him, and try to get along with her?
Venom bristled his fur. Friends were nothing but selfish cowards who talked shit about you behind your back. One moment, they’d get close to you, only to immediately discard you afterwards once they no longer had a use for you.
If you won’t do it for yourself…then do it for Hanna.
His ears shot up.
It’s what she would have wanted, isn’t it?
Kyle didn’t move an inch. Hanna had been so eager to introduce him to Socks and Boron, Malt and Mei all those years ago, even though he’d told her that he didn’t need any friends. And when Malt had shouted at him that he wanted to be his friend, Kyle had merely scoffed at the idea.
But that was back then. Things were different now.
The children were in the middle of a war. A war between Gasco and Berman, with them caught in the crossfire. And all to save their families.
Kyle took a deep breath as he leaned against the wall, trying to ignore the cold metal brushing against his spine. He turned his attention to the sky, wistfully watching the birds flying overhead as the setting sun began to sink into the distant horizon.
“Alright, Hanna,” he whispered to himself. “I’ll take up on your offer. I’ll try my best to get along with everyone here. But don’t expect me to be friends with everyone, you hear?”
Of course, he didn’t expect a response. Why wouldn’t he? But still, unknown to himself, he felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward as he let out a small grin, as if he’d heard Hanna’s response anyway. The wind gently blew overhead, almost carrying an answer, provided by a voice similar to hers.
Thank you, Kyle. I promise, you won’t regret it.