New times

"I can say the same, Mary." Lian said waking his head up and looking at the girl.

She was very short, only a bit taller than 150 cm. And usually girls at 13 or so are of that height. But her rather mature face that looked pretty similar to Aunt Rey's showed that she was obviously older than 13.

"When you said that you are going to work for your Dad, I thought that you will be a secretary or something. Never did I expect you to become a special forces soldier. How long have it been since then? Half a year?" Lian continued talking, with a slight smile.

"Still, guess I owe you apology. So, thank you and sorry."

"You'd just better not tell shit, so there will be no need to apologize afterwards. My Dad would have helped you anyway." Mary said, with her heavy gaze staring straight at Lian. Eyebrows furrowed, and black lines appeared between them.

"I hope so." Lian answered sighing.

"Hmph." Marry snorted and then continued in annoyed voice. "Aren't you too happy for someone in such a situation? Some bloody hell is happening outside, and you are singing a song called "Happier". Does anything seem wrong?"

"Mary, please. I know I should not have spoken like that. I'm sorry, alright? So let's have a happy chat, shall we? We haven't seen each other for so long, after all." Lian tried to placate her, seeing her annoyance. Talking with a girl in a bad mood is the worst decision a guy can make.

"Come, sit here." Lian patted bed next to him. "So, how have you been doing this half-a-year or so?"

"I've been alright. Though I think I don't really fit in special forces. So, I'll talk with my Dad about transfer." She began slowly speaking, visibly becoming more at ease. "But you didn't answer my question."

'Oh, so you really meant to ask it.' Lian smiled dryly, thinking 'I thought it was just aftermath of your bad mood.'

He leaned against the wall and began to casually chat. "Well, why should not I be happy? Or calm? Or whatever you wanted to ask. I'm now sitting in a protected building. No sort of usual crime can happen here. And if some sort of unordinary thing happens… We'll just have to deal with it then…"

He began trying new song, looking at tabs on his tablet.

"I think I have what it takes. So that is why we are so calm… Aha, got it, barre here…"

"Well, I see." Mary looked at Sofi and then returned her gaze at Lian. "Didn't you want to chat? Why are you playing guitar then?"

"Sorry." Lian said, immediately putting the guitar away. "I have never thought that playing a guitar can be this easy and fun."

"Huh?" Mary asked raised her brows a little and her eyes opened wide, her face was a perfect example of confusion.

"Nothing. Nevermind." Answered Lian. This ability was just too good. He wanted to learn more now. Which was completely opposite to how he used to behave in the past.

"Do you know that you have always pissed me off with those your 'nothing-had-happened' remarks?" She said still a bit angry.

"Me too." Sofi interjected suddenly, smiling with a corner of her lips.

"Hey-hey-hey. Stop this group assault. I did nothing wrong, alright." Lian backed up a little, putting his hand up as if surrendering. He then turned to his sister, pointing a finger at her he cried out in a indignant voice "Sis, whose side are you on?"

"On mine." Sofi said, blinking with her eyebrows raised up.

"Damn, I brought up such a selfish person…" Lian jokingly scolded. "Oh, right. Mary, where do you want to transfer?"

"Such a Godly change of topic, brother." Sofi gave him thumbs up.

Although Lian heard this, he didn't show it and continued to look at Mary. 'Sometimes ignoring is the best strategy. Or they will just continue bullsh*ting about me.'

"You know, your interactions have always amused me. You both are so free with your words and can easily let go anything that happens between you two." Mary said looking a bit upset.

'Wasn't she angry just now? And now she is sad. Is this about her brother? But the mood change should not be this extreme, right? I really don't understand girls.' Lian thought bewildered. Still, he decided that it probably would not be a wise decision to dig it further. "You didn't answer my question. Where do you want to transfer?"

"Oh, right." Mary blinked a few times. As if coming back to her senses.

"I don't really think that special forces are a fit for me. After all some things are too difficult for me because of…" She looked at her body and stopped mid-sentence.

"Because! And I also need to be proficient in everything to stay there. And that is very difficult. But I enjoyed sniper training and am pretty good at it. So, I think about becoming a sniper." Mary told her plans to Lian in some sort of either annoyed or sad voice.

Seeing the situation, Lian understood that he had to do something, or atmosphere will take a turn to Only-God-Knows where.

"Eh. Whatever, we can talk about it later. We have not seen each other for 7 months. I have not drunk since my birthday, and it was 7 months ago. So, can you arrange some wine for us? And then we will sit down and have nice chat. What do you think?"

It was understandable that after 7 months of practically no contact they needed to catch up with what has happened in each other's life.

They slowly came downstairs. All three of them, because Sofi didn't want to lose out on the meeting with Mary. Even if they were not very close, they could still be considered childhood friends.

So here they were. Sneaking at 10 PM in a dark old three-story house in the middle of the city build on bones, while outside an unknown calamity was brewing… And that was to have a drink and, apparently, sing some songs, because Lian had guitar in one of his hands and his tablet in another.

Like this they were led by Mary downwards. In silence. But some time after it was broken.

"Wow… I thought your dad was joking. But he really bought a whole specialized fridge for alcohol?"

They were standing in a dimly lit room that was obviously recently redecorated. There stood a few sofas in pairs opposite to each other with tables in between. The room itself was in rich green and brown colors. With a round ancient-looking chandelier hanging in the middle of the room. And now they stood under the chandelier in front of a rather small fridge. It was only a meter or so tall. But it was still a fridge made exclusively for keeping alcohol. It was also beautifully decorated to fit in the room's atmosphere. On both sides of it stood wooden cabinets. When the group opened them, they saw that both cupboards had a great variety of alcohol, while there were pretty many in the fridge as well. Everything added up would probably be enough to fill a jacuzzi bath.

'Hell, what strange things am I thinking about? What jacuzzi bath…'

"So, what do you want? There is so much here that you can just name whatever and we can find it." Mary said, turning her head towards Lian.

"Well…" With a pondering look and a hand on his chin Lian was eyeing the drinks. "I think something like a hard liquor is better now. So, what about Thai bamboo rum?"

"Em. I don't think that we have specifically Thai rum, but we probably…" When Mary was talking, searching for something that could fit criteria, she felt two hand on her shoulders. And then those hand started gently massage her.

"You should not be so serious. You need to have some fun. Let's go sit on the sofa." Lian at some point in time gave his belonging to his sister and freed his hands. He then slowly walked with Mary towards sofa. "Sofi, give the guitar back. And go find something easy to drink and tasty."

"Sure." She nodded her head and went towards the bar.

Coming to the sofa and sitting opposite to Mary, he asked looking at her. "Do you mind if we listen to some music?"

"Go for it." She said.

"Alright then. You know. This is a very important for me song. I lived through the whole first year of uni listening to it. I turned it on every single time I woke up. You can even call it my anthem. So please, listen carefully, alright?" Lian said with a very concerned face.

"Um, alright." Sofi nodded. She then sat straight and started carefully looking at the tablet in Lian's hands.

"Alright, I'm starting then…" Lian pressed the play button.

'Today I don't feel like doing anything…'

"Are you kidding me?" She said, laughing with her hand over her mouth. "This is you anthem?"

"What is wrong with it?" Lian stood up, looking like he was fuming with righteous rage. As if something most precious to him had been tarnished.

"Nothing is wrong with the song. It is great. But everything is wrong with your brain." Sofi said, walking slowly towards the sofa with a tray on her hand. "Here you go. Your light-and-tasty drink."

Sofi put a glass of transparent odorless liquid in front of Lian. Then she put two wineglasses on the other side of the table and sat next to Mary. The song was still going.

"This is not water, right?" Lian asked.

"It is water." Sofi nodded. Then picked up her glass of wine and began to slowly sip it.

"I see. Ha-ha. Funny." He said in annoyed voice. "Water is the easiest thing to drink, right. Did you put sugar in there to make it tasty? Such a cheap prank, sis."

"Brother, your analytical abilities are so great. Are you a reincarnation of Sherlock Holmes?" Sofi put the wineglass back on the table and continued savoring the wine in her mouth. She didn't even bother to look up at her brother.

"Alright then." He swiftly moved over the table and grabbed the wineglass. Then leaning against the back of the sofa he said in a relaxed voice. "You are still underage. And also annoying. So, no alcohol today for you."

"Do you want to fight it out?" Sofi asked, beginning to stand up. "You should know. If I'll stand up, then you will go down."

"Sure, come on. Let me see what you've got." Lian stood up and took a purposefully wrong, but funny-looking boxer stance with his arms moving in front of him. It was a motion that told 'Come here. I've got it!'

Seeing her threat having no effect, Sofi stood up and walked towards the bar. "No thanks. I'd better just pour myself some more."

"Bring the bottle here then." Lian said sitting back on the sofa.

"Ok."

"So, Mary. Back to topic. Let me tell you let me tell you a story that happened a few months ago." And with this phrase a nice and funny two-hour-long chat started.

…

Already past the midnight Lian and his sister bade farewell to Mary who went back to a next-door building where her squad was located.

Walking upstairs Lian was thinking. 'Why Mary was in such a jumpy mood? It should not be because of my words. Not to such extend at least. In any case, hope she is better now… She told about different physical exercises that soldiers must do. I really wonder now, does my ability apply to physical education as well?'

Walking past a window between second and third floor Lian came closer to have a look outside. There he saw a clouded veil that covered the sky all the way to the horizon. There was light lit up in some of the hoses, but much less than usual. With the help of that light he could make out outlines of some buildings that were destroyed in different ways. The entire atmosphere was one of gloom.

But Lian had a strange feeling. As if this was not a disaster. At least not for everyone. And that, as they say, this was exactly that time where heroes will rise. And, maybe, he will have a place there as well.

"I guess alcohol is still in action." He murmured to himself. "Physical education. Let's start tomorrow."

"It's not tomorrow, but today already. Over midnight, you drunkard. Who made you drink all that wine by yourself?" Sofi was not far away and heard everything he said. She just had to interject.

But, strangely to her, Lian didn't start their usual fight. He just smiled a little. "You are right. It's today…"

He then shook his head and he was back to his usual self. Taking the stairs, he began talking. "So, there are peoples' lives being destroyed out there, you know? And we were sitting here drinking and singing. What do you think about it?"

"I have nothing to complain about."

"Right… nothing to complain about. Me too. Good night, sis."