A Healthy Rivalry: The Lion vs The Warrior

XXXV

Keep Me Coming

On 15 September 2017 Jolie sent a text message to AK and Karter reading: "👀 Superfruit."

They typed the name in Joojle, and found that two men from Pentatonix released an album called Future Friends. Immediately they knew it was their song, their album, and their final Indicator. They each now don a cursive, bold letter F on their right ring finger. The tattoos were simple, but just impactful enough for them.

October let Karter see Hayton and AK enjoy their favorite holiday: Halloween. They dressed up, and watched scary movies while eating candy. It wasn't really a holiday in S.A.F.E., but it was a Remembrance Day of sorts. People usually visit family graves on the day.

November brought the families together. Elias was always fond of the idea of Thanksgiving, even though European humans didn't celebrate it. He liked celebrating what he appreciated in life, and Babette loved any excuse for togetherness.

Karter's father even came. Babette had grown close to Shappa, and found the courage- through her- to open up to her own husband. She confessed how much she hated that he couldn't seem to accept their children, and suggested Immersion Therapy. With Elias and Shappa's help, he comes around more, even if only to be silent.

December was a month of change. Karter and AK were officially married on the Winter Solstice, before they read the consensus. The public had originally decided for complete transparency, but Karter had given them that anyway. So the new National Consensus was for AK to win the hearts of the people, "Let King prove himself." They decided to alternate on who will enter battle first, from now on.

That same day was the Second Mandatory Meeting of Continentals. It was extra important this time, because AK and Karter were asleep for the First Mandatory Meeting: the Summer Solstice.

5 Continentals were gathered with their PAs. Concern of the last party's arrival began to rise, moments before the sound of a zipper filled the room. Behind the seat of the Snake, an open zipper sat wide. A brown-skinned black woman in her late 40s walked in. She had glowing, black eyes and a braided updo. She was accompanied by her stand-in, and her PA- no relation to Mikhel; as noted by his black hair. The entire left half of her body was covered in scales.

This made every party gasp. Even AK knew from his past memories that the Snake's scales never reach the face, unless they were ONLY present on the face. The Snake nodded. "Others. It is time I come clean, and warn you of what I know."

Everyone in the room went on high alert. Snake looked at AK. "Are you a Bonded Uniman?"

AK nodded and held Karter's hand. "His."

Her eyes softened with longing. "First Gen." She looked to the rest. "If you are Bonded, or know who your Bonded is, bring them. If you are not, this is going to hurt."

The Bears made faces clearly depicting their hesitation- and unwillingness- to speak. After a moment, they spoke gruffly all at once, "Bea!" Their PA poked her brunette head out from the nearby snack room. They motioned her over, and she came over to sit in the middle- the Brown Bear's lap. Her natural red highlights could be seen in the light.

Karter's eyebrows creased. "Your Bonded is your PA?!"

They each glared and snarled at Karter. "What of it?!"

Karter raised his hands in surrender, and Bea lightly swatted all of them.

Bullshark called in his PA who allowed him to reach through a well-known, personal, PortStop portal; and pulled out a strange device covered in barnacles and coral. His blonde PA explained, "The Bullshark isn't a mated Bond, it's a weapon Bond."