Right to a Bear's Arms: The Amazon and the Shorty

Ch. 4

It was not cold out, but a light breeze still filled the air, heralding the continuance of a brisk and healthy spring season. As it ever was around this time, the gym's jogging track was shrouded in a light mist that came up from a distant, sparkling lake that the trails looped around at various intersecting points. Kelin had thrown on a sleeveless hoodie jacket over his tanktop, if only to keep himself from getting too cold since he wouldn't be running. He shielded his eyes a bit from the bright sunshine as it peaked through the scattered cloud coverage, and then grinned up at Hera as she stood in the entranceway. He saw her fur ripple slightly in the breeze, her ears alert and nose twitching. It had the habit of making her lips quiver ever so slightly every time she seemed to catch a new scent, the muzzle pointing itself in the new direction and snuffling even while her head remained perfectly still.

He couldn't really tell, since he wasn't as accustomed to her rather mellow personality and mannerisms, but she seemed happy now that she was outside. Her long, silver-colored hair caught the sunlight in the most glorious of ways and her eyes sparkled as she looked out across the stretch of natural woodlands. Dark, paved walkways wandered here and there through the trees, barely occupied at the moment save for a few Anthros and none close at all. She glanced down at him after several minutes of taking in the scenery and he made a sweeping gesture with his arm, smiling despite himself. He felt foolish but okay doing so. Her response was a long, slow blink, but somehow it seemed perfectly dainty and fitting to his more exuberant style.

Her crutches settled into a soft clicking rhythm as they slowly made their way down the concrete steps and across the paved path towards the darker asphalt of the trails. A sign nearby read, "Welcome to the Bear Arms natural forest jogging track and park! Please be mindful of others during your stay, do not feed the wildlife, and smile! You are on candid camera!" A cartoonishly styled bear was featured on the billboard next to each point, smiling, winking, and walking purposefully as it detailed the length of each trail and gave a numerical equivalent for how intense it was.

Chuckling, he couldn't help but look away sheepishly from the cartoony bear as Hera leaned down to read the rules as well. He heard her sniff once and, trying to maintain his composure, he glanced up at her to see an annoyed expression on her face. "Cute, aint it?" he asked, voice ambiguous.

She grunted. "Area is nice, but logo is silly. Something my uncle Sergei would do if he owned gym. Even name is pun. As if having bear arms is cute." She glanced at her own arm and flexed it, boulders of toned muscle bunching and cording together beneath the thick fur.

He blushed a bit and coughed, looking away and hiding his growing smirk. "Maybe it's more to have something to aspire to for other people and breeds," he said calmly. "I'd kill to be that built."

"Would look ridiculous on you," she countered and he winced; that took some of the wind out of his sails. She began clicking away down the trail, and then glanced back, that playful twinkle in her eyes. It didn't take away from how cold and distant her eyes remained, but he recognized that she was teasing him again. He felt himself grinning sheepishly again at being played and he hurried after her to catch up.

"You saying that humans can't be that jacked?" he asked playfully in return. "I've seen a few professional lifters that might be able to out-bulk you, except for the height and unfair advantage you have."

She nodded along, still smirking and flashing her teeth at him. It was still intimidating but he didn't think that she meant it entirely to be so. He suspected if she ever did mean to show her fangs, it would have been like earlier with the Doberman trainer, and he would be running as fast as he could to get away. "Would never say that," she said succinctly. "But your build, skinny like pop star, and tall, for human. Big arms and muscles on you... would look silly I think. Fine as you are, would bet others are telling you this."