Right to a Bear's Arms, Ch. 24 (Patreon)

The steady pump of the barbell in Hera's paws was a comforting rhythm.  The weights on either end, totaling over 500 pounds, was a moderate repetition set for her.  She kept a steady pace, breath mildly puffing out of her.  The heavy metal blazing in her ears provided a comforting nostalgia that blanked her mind and let her indulge in the beat and the sensations.  She could remember performing this exact song countless times.  She closed her eyes.

She saw the stage before her.  The wildly screaming and waving fans as she strode to the front.  All around flashed lights, cameras.  Banners hung from the walls.  Brightly-lit displays showed her her own face, adorned with dark makeup around her eyes, and making her blood-red and black, frilly outfit stand out all the more against her white fur.  She raised the microphone in her paw and called out a greeting to the hundreds upon hundreds of people who had come here to see her and her band.

Hera saw her adopted family in the VIP section, cheering their hearts out.  Poppa Doring even had his beard done up with frilly black and red ribbons, like what were tied into Momma and Marissa's hair.  Finn and Uri were wide-eyed, faces painted black and red, and probably screaming the loudest.  Tyrin raised his hand and flashed her a Rock-On sign.  She mirrored it.  The whole stadium did so as well.  The cheers intensified.

She began to sing, both in her memory and in real time, although she kept her voice soft and low so she didn't disturb anyone else.  Rapid-fire drumbeats and heavy guitar shredding made her heart pound and her brain sparkle and crackle into lightning and flame.  There was no greater rush than this, at least none that she had known at that age.  She used the fire it stirred within her to pump her way through another set, and then another.

As the song wound down, she lowered the bar, arms trembling only slightly, only to add more weight to each end and start doing squats as well, the bar steadily balanced across her burly shoulders.  Her sports bra strained to contain her, double-wrapped and padded.  Her shorts did likewise, flexible material pulled to its utmost tautness around her muscular, trunk-like thighs.  The metal bar in her paw was solid and cool despite her use of it.  It did tug a bit at the tightly woven bun she had her hair done up in.

She didn't feel the fatigue.  She reveled in it.  The burn and the way her muscles tightened and loosened to each movement of the workout regimen; it was heavenly.  How much she had missed going all out like this.  She was considered fully recovered, cleared by the doctors and she still went to her weekly meetings with the psychiatrists.  She even had gotten a massage lately.  Hera had never felt better in her life.

She had Kelin to thank for that.  She pictured him in the stands with her family, watching her perform.  His eyes sparkled as he strummed on air guitar to the music.  She could even see him with his face painted like the twins were.  Her singing grew a bit louder as she switched to deadlifts now, happily curling, squatting, straining, and lifting to the beat of the song.  She had never, even once, expected to be this happy.

They had been and were in a great place.  Ever since they mated for the first time, they had seemingly only grown closer.  With that seemingly massive hurdle out of the way, Kelin had opened up to her entirely, as if a weight of expectation had been lifted.  She felt guilty about how much he must have been pressuring himself about it all, but the sheer passion he shared with her each and every time they went to bed together made her muscles surge with yet more adrenaline.  Her Aggression was tightly controlled but she allowed it to power herself more.

After the tenth set, however, her arms and legs were burning a bit more than they had been.  Maybe she wasn't back up to her peak yet after all.  She had become a bit of an addict of working out since her teenage years.  Gone were her years of chubby plushness.  She barely recognized herself in old pictures anymore.  As the playlist finally came to an end, the first track restarting itself, she lowered the bar gingerly back to the ground and then reached up to pause the music.

Her eyes opened and she looked around.  A lot of people had been glancing at her.  Most were males of various species, eyeing her rather openly.  She didn't care.  She even threw them a little, cheeky salute with a pair of fingers, the middle and ring ones, to signify that she was taken.  They grumbled or growled or chuckled but they all looked away.  Others still met her eyes inquisitively.  She realized only then that she had been singing out loud.

Her ears folded back and she flushed, fluffing up a bit.  She met those people's eyes with a sheepish smile.  "Sorry," she rumbled.  "Did not mean to bother."

A lot of them just grinned and chuckled.  One friendly older lady even praised her for her voice, although she did question why Hera was singing in Japanese.

Not wanting to go into it, the Ursid woman just explained it away as "I am big anime fan," to which the lady just shrugged and went about her own business.  She checked her phone.  She had a message from Kelin, dated back about twenty minutes ago.

'Giving Jeremy a tour of the campus!' it said.  'I forget how big this place is.  Hope your workout is going great!  Love you!'

She smiled brightly and sat down on a nearby bench after wiping down the equipment she had been using and setting the weights back in their proper places, as was only courteous.  Kelin was, as always, the brightest part of her day.  He inspired her to do more, smile more, and be more aware of how to be a better, nicer, kinder person than she used to be.  He really was the best thing in her life.

'Workout is good!' she messaged him back.  'Ended up singing in public without meaning to though, kill me now.'

It took her phone no time at all to ring with a message back from her boyfriend.  She put down her bottle of water and eagerly plucked the device back up.  'Aww man, and I missed it?!'  He also attached a bereft emoji with tears in its eyes.  'Oh well.  I bet everyone enjoyed it anyway.  What were you singing?'

'Karate by my old Band,' she admitted.  'And a few others.  How is Jeremy liking Arknought?'

A second later, her phone began to ring.  Chuckling, she plugged in her headset and answered it.  "Figured this was easier than texting," said Kelin's voice from the other end.  "Plus then I get to hear your voice."

Her heart soared.  "You are too adorable," she growled joyfully.

There was a gagging sound just then, followed by laughter and a slapping sound.  "Shut up you!" Kelin said to someone else, probably Jeremy.

There was a rustling and another voice came to her then.  She recognized Kelin's adopted brother's much more higher-pitched tone.  "Hey Hera!" he cried.

"Jeremy!" she exclaimed.  "How is?"

"I'm doing awesome.  This place is HUGE!"

She nodded.  She hadn't gone to the college much, only a few times to pick Kelin up from classes to go out on a date or even just to get some food.  Otherwise, she spent a lot of her time either at home, here at the gym, or running around the city just for something to do.  Maybe she could look into getting a part time job just to fill the void of when she wasn't able to be around Kelin.

She and Jeremy chatted for a bit about all the things he had seen before the phone was given back to her boyfriend.  "We should be done touring everywhere in about an hour if you want to hang out after," Kelin told her.  "Jeremy is going to be staying over at my place so I can't come over to spend the night."

"Oh darn," she teased him.  "And here I had so many plans for how to fill my evening..."

She heard him chuckle.  "Well I could use the night off anyway.  Anyone ever tell you that you're relentless?"

"Nyet," she giggled.  "I am sorry.  It is just...that good."  She didn't feel sheepish telling him this.  It was wonderful to have someone to flirt back and forth with, someone she truly connected with and whom she wanted to be at her side, in her bed, and in her arms, at all times.  She worried a lot of the time that she was overly clingy, and thus why she didn't mind when Kelin would sometimes need his space to play a game or practice music.  He was incredibly shy in doing so in front of her, but sometimes he let her listen through a door.

"Oh my god," came another disgusted sound from Jeremy, tinged with humor.  "If you two keep talking about what I think you're talking about, I'm gonna be sick."

"Sorry Jeremy," Hera said a bit louder.

"I'm not," Kelin objected firmly.  "Hey, bro, why don't we try and see if we can find you a girl too?!"

There was a squawking sound and Jeremy sounded as if he were coughing.  Maybe he had been taking a drink of something.  "What?!" he squeaked a moment or so later.  "What are you talking about this for all of a sudden?!"

"You've been single for five years," noted Kelin.  "You need to get out there more.  You're gonna be in a big new school with tons of girls of all types.  There's even some more Humans this semester if you prefer.  You deserve to be happy, man!"

"Yeah, right," responded his friend.  "But what girls are you seeing?  And which of them are gonna go for a scrawny, photographer like me?  I'm textbook Simp, Kel."

"Oh come on!" Kelin laughed.  "There's tons of cute girls around here, plenty of them with their eyes on you.  That one Ocelot girl at the desk in the library was totally checking you out."  There was a pause and Kelin rapidly said directly into the phone.  "I'm not looking at them myself!"

Hera chuckled.  "I know, my Kelin," she consoled him.  "Give me to Jeremy again."

"Fine."  Kelin sounded relieved.

"Yeah?" asked Jeremy then, sounding still flustered.

She leaned back against the wall, grinning widely.  "Hello again, Jeremy," she growled.  "I apologize for Kelin.  He is presumptuous but just eager to see you happy.  I am too.  May I ask question as...sister?"

"Of course," Jeremy confirmed.  "Wow..." he muttered a second later.  "I have a sister.  Awesome!  Anyway go on."

"Are you looking for girlfriend?" she asked.

Jeremy laughed, sounding, again, flustered and embarrassed.  "Well... I mean..." his voice dropped to a lower, more sultry tone and he breathed into her ear, "Are you offering?"  He leaned back a second later, laughing.  "Kidding, kidding!"

She laughed too.  Jeremy was a fun guy and responded well to jokes.  "Sadly, no," she teased back.  "But that is because I am happy with Kelin.  Do I need to smack him for you?"

"Well..." Jeremy drawled out.

Kelin, sounding closeby, spouted off with, "Hey, who's side are you on, Hera?!"

"Side that I choose," she shot back with another giggle.  "But in all seriousness, Jeremy, you are very attractive young man.  You can get any girl you are wanting, if that is something you actively are looking for.  I can give you tips.  Ignore Kelin though.  He is useless at flirting and picking up girls.  I had to make move on him."

"Hey!" called Kelin again and they all laughed.

"If you say so, Hera," Jeremy grunted a second or so later.  He didn't sound all that enthused or confident.  "I mean...yeah it would be great and all, but what girl is going to go for me?  I'm Bipolar, a nervous wreck, 100% geek, and introverted as hell.  I'd be better off just focusing on school for now."

She hummed.  "That is fair, the focusing I mean.  It is new environment.  But just know that I have your back no matter what.  You are my friend.  And you are Kelin's friend."

"Thanks," Jeremy said, sounding actually grateful.  "You're awesome, Hera."

"I know," she chuckled.  "But you are pretty awesome too."

"Hold up," he said and there was a short pause.  Soft voices came from the side.  "Hey Hera, I think we need to go.  Kelin says that one of the campus directors just announced on the website that they're doing a big show or something in front of the Poly-Tech lab."

"That is okay," Hera told him.  "May I say bye to Kelin?"

There was a grunt of confirmation and Kelin's voice returned.  "Hey babe," he chuckled.  "Jeremy told you?"

"Da," she grinned.  "Have fun, okay?"

"We will.  I love you."

"Not as much as I love you."

The line clicked off and she put down her phone.  As she lowered it back into her lap, trying to decide what else to do for the time being, a shadow fell across her.  She looked up.  A tall female Anthro stood in front of her.  She looked nervous about something.  She gave the girl, probably no older than Kelin, a friendly smile despite her immediate rush of anxiety of having to talk to someone new.  She didn't recognize the girl at all.

"May I help you?" she asked.

The Feline woman flushed.  Her long, tufted tail waved and her pierced ears fluttered.  She wore very fancy-looking workout clothes, much in the same style as Hera herself in a very tight sports bra that strained across a chest that, much like Hera's, seemed to defy gravitational pull, underneath a sleeveless and loose tanktop that only came to her belly.  She also wore vented tights that went to her knees, and fingerless gloves for better grip.  Her shoes were designer and looked very expensive.  

She was incredibly pretty, ornamental spots added in underneath her eyes that complimented her lighter fur color, and hair was a bright ash blonde, hanging down around one-half of her face in a pair of cute braids while the rest was shaven close to her leonine skull.  What was more, she was just as muscular as Hera herself was, built like a trackstar with a lean, rigid and visible abdomen.  Her arms and legs, from what Hera could see, were corded like steel beams and while Hera would probably come out ahead in a lifting contest, the Lioness would most likely leave her in the dust at running or jumping.

"Umm..." she forced out, trying to give a friendly smile that faltered for some reason.

Hera stood gently, trying to make herself look as friendly and approachable as possible.  She offered out her paw to exchange scents with the girl, as was proper.  She returned the gesture immediately, back stiff and inclining her head to the side to expose her throat, as if to a superior.

What struck Hera was that, even before she took the girl's scent, was how tall she actually was.  Hera was an Ursid, one of the largest Breeds of Anthro.  At over 8 feet tall, she towered over most others that she met, whether male or female.  Sexual dimorphism also was not a thing amongst the Anthro race, with both genders having equal amounts of bulk and weight to them save for minor differences and how well they kept up their bodies.

This girl, however, was almost nose-to-nose with her, and she wasn't an Ursid.  Even big cats like her didn't usually get this big.  The scent explained everything a moment later.  An Alpha.  Hera immediately understood.  Alphism, a non-threatening condition that affected Anthros but was incredibly recessive, tied their species back thousands of years to the Peacekeeper War and the disappearance of the last of the Royals, or so said the history books.  Alphas were members of the various tribes that could trace some part of their lineage to the mysterious Royals, and thus were bigger, more confident, and overall more commanding physically and emotionally than others of their Breed.

Hera was still a bit bigger by the case of a few inches thanks to her species, but she couldn't help but feel impressed to see a real Alpha in the flesh.  It wasn't often that one might run into them.  She was drawing a lot of looks all on her own, from what Hera could see.  Males and females alike glanced more than once at the girl, but she seemingly had eyes only for the Ursid.

Turning her gaze squarely back onto her, Hera smiled wider.  She touched the proffered paw once scents had been exchanged and they shook hands.  Her grip was warm and gentle, not at all scarred or rough, but it noticeably trembled in Hera's grasp.

"Are you all right, dear?" Hera asked worriedly.

The girl flushed even more.  "Y-yes ma'am!" she exclaimed.  She winced at how loud her voice was.  "Sorry, I'm just really nervous."

"Whatever for?" implored Hera.  She had absolutely no idea what could be bothering this poor girl so much.  She seemed wholly out of her element for some reason.  She looked as natural as possible in a gym setting, and she probably was a people person, given her scent and posture.  It was just with Hera, for some reason, that she was nearly shaking in her paws.

"W-well..." the girl stammered then took a deep breath.  "I wanted to ask you for a favor, Miss."  Hera nodded, still confused.  She took something out from her bag and handed it out to Hera, bowing her head.  "I would very much like your autograph."

Now it was Hera's turn to go red and flush beneath her fur.  Her ears folded back and she looked at the notepad and pen in the girl's paw like they were vipers, preparing to bite her should she take them.  She nervously reached out and did so, nearly dropping the pen out of nervousness.  "May... I ask why?"

The girl looked back up, eyebrows furrowing in equal amounts of confusion.  Her tail swished behind her and her ears twitched more than once.  "Aren't you...?" she said, then glanced around.  She leaned in as if sharing a secret.  "Aren't you Heraru-Chan?  Of Heraru-Chan and the Idolz?"

Now it all made sense.

Hera's eyes went wide and her face broke out in a huge grin.  "O-Oh!" she grunted and she felt her worries drop away.  How adorable...she still had fans!  She only wondered how the heck she even recognized her.  "Of course I will!"  She opened the notepad and immediately signed the paper for her, writing as clearly and neatly as possible.  She added some flourishes too, remembering doing much the same for thousands of similar signings.

She held the notepad back out and the girl took it as if cradling glass.  She was beaming so much that she was practically glowing.  Her tail had gone rigid behind her and she eagerly read the name jotted down in black ink.  "Hera Doring?" she asked, glancing up and down from the paper to the Ursid's now amused face.  She nodded.  She put the paper down and held out her paw again.  "This is such an honor, Ms. Doring!  I am a huge, huge, huge fan!  I have all your albums, your collectibles, t-shirts, everything!"

Hera laughed and she shook the girl's paw once again.  "I am honored and delighted to still have fans like you," she rumbled, truly meaning it.  "It is so nice to meet you."  They beamed at one another before, feeling guilty, Hera motioned to the bench she had been sitting on.  "Care to join me?  Am taking break from working out."

"Oh!" the girl gasped and she sat down beside her idol without delay.  "Thank you so much!"  She looked at the signature again and again, looking stunned.  "I cannot believe it..." she kept muttering.

Hera chuckled, finally shaking her out of her reverie.  "I have question, if that is okay?"

"Of course!" the girl exclaimed.  Her brows furrowed again.  "Wait, are you Russian?  Are you for real?  So the website was right about that too?!  Awesome!"  She flushed again, ears jingling.  "Sorry, sorry.  Fangirling.  Get it together..."  She took a deep breath, causing her shirt to stretch to contain her assets impressively.  Hera noticed that,  even despite the difference in Breed, there too they were nearly the same in size, not just in height or musculature, although Hera was a bit bulkier while this girl was more athletic and built for competitive sports.

"Yes, I am Russian," she chuckled.  "I wanted to ask how you recognized me."

The girl smiled, chuckling on her own.  She tapped her ear.  "I heard you singing along to Karate a little bit ago.  It's one of my favorites."

Hera grimaced.  "Note to self...never sing in public again," she muttered, then grinned at a now frantically nervous-looking girl again.  "Am joking, dear.  I am delighted that my singing is still good enough for fans to recognize me for it.  Even if my Japanese is not so good anymore."

"Oh no ma'am!" the young woman nearly shouted.  "You sound as amazing as ever!  Did you really study opera?"

"Nyet," chuckled Hera.  "I am self trained.  Although, I did take singing classes as very young cub."

The girl looked practically starry-eyed.  "That is so amazing...you're incredible ma'am.  Sorry.  I don't mean to gush and all.  It's just...me and my friends are such huge fans.  They are not going to believe me that I met you..."

Hera smiled wider.  "Do you want picture to prove?"

Her eyes went, if possible even wider.  "Oh...oh my Spirits yes!"  She held out her trembling phone and took a picture of Hera, who posed herself as she used to for showings and photographs.  Then, after that, she pulled the girl into her side and they both mirrored a hand-sign together for a side-by-side selfie.  She smelled wonderful, a natural and warm scent that made Hera trust she had nothing but good intentions.  The girl gazed at the photos, once again star-struck.  "This is so cool..." she purred.

Hera laughed, getting her attention again.  "I do not think I got name, however," she teased.  "Unless you want to sign something for me too?"

Looking abashed, the girl once again held out a tawny paw.  "Absolutely, Ms. Doring."

"Hera," she corrected with a laugh.

"Hera.  Wow."  She flushed again.  "My name's Ashleigh Leora Prydel.  My friends all call me Ash."

They shook paws for a third time, Ursid wrapped around Leonid.  They shared a smile.

"So, what brings you here today, Ash?" Hera asked politely.  She found she rather liked this young woman for how courteous and energetic she was.

Ash grinned.  "Well...I'm new in town and have been looking for something to do," she explained.  "I'm recently moved from the Districts, you see."

Hera nodded.  "I have never been out there.  Are they nice?  Doing well with recent changes?"

"Yeah, it's a very nice area.  The schools are well-funded and we were one of the first to start the Cohabitation Act to include Humans into our areas.  I'm even friends with one."  She seemed very proud about this.  Then she abruptly became nervous again.  "That's...also another thing I wanted to ask you about, Ms...Hera."

"About what?"

Taking a deep breath, Ash fixed her eyes squarely on Hera's.  "I didn't really intend to try and talk to you about who you actually are.  I mean, I'm still blown away that you're actually Heraru-Chan.  You look so different!  Still, that voice."  She shuddered.  "Chills."  Shaking herself, Ash continued, looking embarrassed by Hera's giggle.  "But I was...kind of wanting to ask your advice on something.  See, a few of the trainers were giving me advice on how the place worked and I...ended up asking if there are a lot of Human trainers or members here."

Hera cocked her head to the side, continuing to listen with the utmost patience.

"S-specifically," Ash continued, coughing.  "I wanted to ask them on advice on how to...ask one out."

Hera's eyes blinked.

"And a lot of the trainers suggested I come talk to...you.  Apparently they know about you and your...boyfriend?" she cocked her head to the side, wincing slightly as if worried this was crossing a line.  At Hera's dumbfounded expression, she hurried to try and explain.  "S-see, I figured that...more than anyone you might understand!"

"Understand?" Hera asked, still confused.

Ash looked abruptly very embarrassed.  Her ears deflated and her tail sank.  "N-nevermind..." she muttered, looking crestfallen and defeated.  "I'm really sorry to bother you."  She made to stand up.

Hera shot out a paw, touching Ash's arm.  "Dear, it is all right," she assured the Lioness.  "I do not judge you at all for interest or mind for asking question.  I am just...confused by situation."  Under her gentle cajoling and pressure on her arm, Ash sat back down beside her.

"You...you see" she resumed speaking, voice a bit rough and shaky.  "I just started going to Arknought University.  And there's this guy in one of my classes, a couple years older than me, who is a Human, and I thought I... liked him.  I wanted to ask him out but...he already had a girlfriend.  She was a Human too, so he probably wouldn't have been into Anthros, and I can understand that, but...I can't help what I'm attracted to.  I've been called a ... you know what before.  So has my friend, who is dating the Human I told you about, also my friend.  They never seemed to care and I figured I didn't need to either.  It's a stupid insult anyway.  Everyone else is allowed to love who they love, why can't I?"  Hera nodded and Ash seemed to finally get a little more confident, if still shaken.  "I've always...found Humans fascinating.  Like...they're so different from us."  Hera nodded.  "Sure, there was always the stigma and the racism and the history and everything.  But...aren't we better now?"

Looking away to the side, Hera glanced around the gym.  It was still predominantly Anthro but there were more Humans than had been here before.  "We are," Hera said, hesitantly.  "But, as you said, there is still history to consider.  Not everyone is so open-minded.  I have been...very lucky."

Ash took a deep breath.  "I'm...not a freak, am I?" she asked suddenly, looking very worried.

Hera shook her head firmly.  "Not at all, Ashleigh," she assured the young Lioness.  "Unless I am freak too."  She winked.  Ash chuckled nervously.  "Love is free and should be welcomed with open arms.  You seem like very nice, wonderful, kind young lady.  Any guy, Human or not, would be lucky to have you."

The Leonid smiled even wider, blushing hard beneath her fur.

Hera crossed her arms, looking contemplative now.  "As far as how to ask out Human..." she continued.  "How would you ask out...anyone?"  She glanced at Ash again.

The Lioness looked crestfallen again, but this time angry.  "I wouldn't know..." she muttered.  "Lions don't...really date outside of our Prides.  Me and mine had a bit of a falling out.  I left them and joined up with my new friends."  She pulled out her phone again, clicking open the gallery and showing Hera a picture of a ragtag bunch of teenagers all clumped together on a ratty old couch in a classroom.  All of them wore heavy, authentic leather biker jackets over their clothes, studded with spikes on the shoulders.  They held up a banner that read "The Misfits."

On the right hand side, there was Ash, looking much the same as she did now but with all her hair shaven down to her feline skull, a good look for her, although her current style of having it long and hanging on either side of her head in twin, loose braids, was attractive too.  There was a Leopard girl, thin and athletic, in a cheerleader outfit.  She had on a lot of makeup but she had the biggest smile.  Beside her was an African Wild dog Canine, pretty as a model, in very fashionable clothes that accented her hourglass frame.  A French beret was perched between her tall ears.  On the left side there was the biggest of their group, a hulking Hyena girl who held the banner's end in her teeth.  Her arm was wrapped around a squashed little figure nestled between all the furry bodies on the couch, looking flustered but happy.  He was a Human, short, attractive, plain brown hair and eyes.  His leather jacket looked too big on him.

"That's me," explained Ash, ticking off each face with a claw.  "That's Shazi Cane, the Leopard.  She's a cheerleader now.  The Canine girl is Zenza Farrol.  And that's Kenzi Heen the Hyena and Anon Ymous the Human.  Him and Kenzi are going strong two years now."

Hera blinked in surprise and looked hard at the Hyena snuggling hard against the much smaller Human.  Her smile widened.  Such a small world.  Sergeant Heen at the Precinct.  Who would have thought it?

Returning her attention to Ash, Hera saw the fondness warring with something else as she stared at the happy couple.  Jealousy?

"I just...I want what they have," she growled out.  "I know that makes me a really crappy friend.  They went through a lot at the start of their relationship.  She has HAD and my...Pride started some serious shit that made me leave them too quick to talk about.  Now they're trying to mend fences and want to become friends again, saying they've changed but I don't know.  Part of me misses them, since they're my oldest friends, but other parts of me want nothing to do with racists like them."

Hera listened and understood it all perfectly, even if she had no idea how she would have handled the situation herself.

"But...as far as the dating thing goes, I've never...dated.  Well, not outside the Pride anyway."  Ash sighed deeply.  "Wade and I were supposed to be a thing but...that whole polygamy thing isn't for me.  I want a guy that is entirely mine that I never have to share.  But...I have no idea how to go about getting him."

"Just ask."

Ash blinked and stared at Hera.  "Just...ask?"

"Just ask.  Like you were going to before.  Humans are not that different from us.  The purists and racists that think so are dead wrong.  We may not be the same species at all, but we work together.  Trust me on this."  Hera even allowed herself to wink once at her.  "Be yourself.  You seem like wonderful young woman.  But also be patient.  Right guy will come.  Perhaps sooner than you think."

"Yeah but how do I...?"

"Just ask."  Hera put a paw on Ash's shoulders.  "Start small.  Everyone wants the big, fall in love, romance, but they have to start where everything else does.  In the heart.  In the mind.  Become friends.  Do not put pressures onto situation but don't hide things.  Find subtle ways to be around them.  And make sure you like them for who they are, not who you think they are.  More importantly, let them like you for who you are.  That is best advice I can give."

Ash mulled all of that over, feline eyes flicking from side to side, before she smiled.  "Thanks Hera, you're...amazing.  They say don't meet your heroes but...I'm really glad I met you."

"As I am glad to have met you.  You are a good friend to have."  Hera's nose wiggled and she gave Ash a big smile.  Kelin had taught her how to smile like she always meant it to look.  She used to be so closed off and unemotional.  It wasn't with everyone but she was slowly learning how to be warmer to the people she liked.

"So...so we're friends now?" Ash asked, sounding very shy all of a sudden.  Hera nodded immediately.  Ash shakily held out her phone.  "Can I ask for your number then?  I promise I'm not some crazy stalker or anything.  And I wouldn't bother you too much for anything that isn't important.  It's just...nice to have someone to talk to, being new here and all."

"Being new can be scary," she nodded.  She took the phone and happily put in her contact information.  "But it is not so bad with friends.  Text me."

Ash took her phone back, eyes wide and shiny with emotion.  "Thank you..." she muttered, sent a quick confirmation text that Hera happily showed that she had received a moment later and thusly added into her contacts.  She took a picture of Ash by herself and had the Lioness send the side-by-side to her.  They chatted for a while longer about various other things.

Eventually they had to part ways.  Ash had an assignment to get to and Hera was starting to get hungry.  They promised to talk more and Hera left, glowing inside, to have made one of her very first friends all on her own.  She made sure to remind herself to thank Kelin for it as soon as they could get some time together.

It felt like the start of something brand new, something wonderful, and something entirely different.  Like, it was all still the same story as it had always been, but, with each new turn of the page, with every character they met, the tale they wove together just kept growing more and more.  What had begun as innocent and harmless as possible had become something that mattered more than anything had in a long time.  It was wholesome and loving, it was bright and beautiful.

Hera would be eternally grateful to Kelin for showing her the way out of that darkness she had been lost in.  Her life was finally moving forwards again.  She only hoped he was ready to come along for the long ride together.  Something told her that he was.  That alone put a new smile on her face.