Unlikely Meetings

CHAPTER 11 - CALM BEFORE THE STORM

"Favorite movie?"

"It's between Shaw Shank and Top Gun Mav. Really it's hard to choose since they're so good for different reasons." Max moved the large quantity of supplies from the back of his car out into the recently snow cleared yard. His dogs sat on the small porch of his shed turned home, sunning themselves in the midday sun. "What about yours?"

Eli beamed as she stirred the chemical cocktail in one of the several metal buckets under her. "Princess bride! The whole thing is a masterpiece! The set, the story, the costumes! Not to mention the lead male role was a dreamboat!" She swung her arms wide as she spun in the midday light with a warm smile beaming off her face. The sun sat in the sky providing a level of warmth to the surrounding area, letting Eli work without her hat and scarf.

"Is that where you got your attractions to humans? That the main guy was human and the princess just happened to be an anthro?"

"You're a smart ass. Do you like Top Gun because the fighter pilot girl was a python?" Her hands were on her hips as she shot back to Max's comment. Her retort stopped his mind dead in his tracks as he took a moment to think before he shut his mouth.

"It didn't hurt the film in my eyes."

"Thought so." Her sly smile painted her scales giving her an air of vile hostility that only worked to worm its way into the back of mind. Her smile stayed as she thought of her next question. "Favorite song?"

Max set up the mixing station before tapping his chin. "That's a tough one, off the top of my head I'd have to say 'The Sin And The Sentence' by Tivium. The drums are just far too good off the bat but for a more mellow mood I'd say 'Hypnotize' by Sleep Token." Resting back against the trunk of a tree he pulled out his phone to play the second song he mentioned letting the dulcet tones wash over the two. The melancholic notes cause both of them to bob their heads allowing them to really begin to work. "Why are you here?"

The question surprised Eli as she was mixing the thick paste of gasoline, Styrofoam and helping level of aluminum powder and rust powder. Her eyebrow raised as Max poured diesel into the bucket of flour and began stirring much like she was.

"Uhm you were the one that asked me to help. Not sure where the confusion is." Her exposed head absorbing the sun and warming her dark scales in a very pleasing way to her.

Max shrugged as he absentmindedly stirred the white mixture until there were no clumps and it settled into a thick paste. "I didn't mean here, I meant wyoming. We've already had over two feet of snow in the past week and it's no secret reptiles try and avoid the cold unless they hibernate. So why are you here?" Eli stopped mixing the thick paste as she stood back up straight looking out to a set of mountains bordering Max's property.

"My dad and I had a falling out." She didn't look at Max the entire time as she began reminiscing. "Mom wasn't much help since she sided with him and my sisters didn't take either." Eli sneered while glaring into the distance, eyes narrowed into blood red streaks of rage and loathing. "Dumb bastard just had to keep pushing the issue until I snapped. I just hate how stubborn he is."

"I know how family gets. Part of the reason why I moved to Wyoming in the first place." Max moved closer to Eli, trying to comfort her with just his presence. "You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to. Just like when you told me I don't have to share about Iraq."

Eli drops her shoulders before whipping around and wrapping Max in a tight hug. Her tail locked his legs together as he held her in return, doing everything in his power to calm her down. "I'm afraid you'll see me differently. That you'll be as disgusted with my past and my choices as my family were and still are."