Bennie and Marina had enjoyed many of the things that related to winter. True the two Orca Animalians didn't have the thick layer of blubber that mundane Orcas used to stay warm, but their muscle was firm enough to provide some warmth. Outside of water they could even wear some of the more sturdy and warm cloths, since whales and dolphins didn't have the thick layers of fur that would be irritated by cloth. They had enjoyed a lot of the winter weather and had enjoyed watching several of the antics the kids got into over Christmas break.
"I'm still why you didn't give any base tips for kids in their snow ball war back during Christmas," Marina commented slowly as they walked along by the fields where the "Great Snow Ball War" had been held.
More recent snow storms had mostly filled in the makeshift trenches and areas where the snow had been trampled by children running about to for either side's line of trenches. Bennie paid little real attention to it.
"I'm sure the kids had fun, but my training wouldn't have given them any help with their snowball fight," Bennie answered and he gave a deep sigh, "and while much of it was set up to play to the Christmas Truce... there is a great deal of things related to warfare that I can't get behind. In terms of defending the country and protecting the oppressed from tyranny... that is one thing. But the campaign in which I lost my legs had nothing to do with that. It was something that I think was nothing more than an exercise in excuse making to find excuses to go to war... excuses made by men who spent their lives avoiding when they were young enough to serve. Iraq was NEVER about helping the Iraqis... I've never been one to believe in a lot of "liberal accusations" on the military... but from what I saw in Iraq and in the Veterans hospitals when I was brought back, I'm fairly certain that that was was primarily for Iraq's oil. Anything else was to be a bonus and countless young men were wasted for nothing at all."
Marina looked Bennie's eyes as he looked down as they walked along. His brown eyes were downcast and she could see that he wasn't very supportive of that. It was a thing Marina actually liked as helped Bennie really fit in with Animalia, as many Animalians had a hard time understanding human warfare at all. They could tolerate that humanity was different from Animalia, but that didn't mean they had to support all those differences. Bennie's differences was an assurance to Marina that not everyone would look at Animalia differently because they were different.
"I know," Marina said to him and gently rubbed his back, "but the whole thing was set up as a game... and played out historical events. Surely you could have been a sort of referee and integrate with all the children that would be part of Animalia's and Lyre's community."
"I was never much of a historian," Bennie admitted, "what the Christmas snowball fight was about was reenacting World War I's first year. The tactics I was taught when I joined the army were very different from the tactics used in 1914... and in a way, the kids were supposed to have fun. They wouldn't have fun if everything they do is judged for historical accuracy."
Marina only shrugged as they walked along.
"Besides, we've both gotten work as life guards and trainers for any Project Phoenix volunteers that also wish to be cetaceans," Bennie commented, "for the moment, both jobs look to be full time, especially with a couple of the pools in Lyre and Animalia being indoors."
Marina nodded and soon felt Bennie's strong arm wrap around her. She looked to see him looking up and actually looking a bit more cheerful.
"And we can interact with Lyre and Animalia in other ways," Bennie said warmly, "We could give swimming lessons in the summer or at the inside pools... or maybe we could look to take things further."
"Further?" Marina asked.
"Go beyond Animalia," Bennie commented, "work for the groups trying to clean up the oceans... getting all the garbage out and all that sort of thing. I'm sure there are some scientists out there that would love to have our help."
"Hmmm," Marina mused as she listened to what Bennie had just offered.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Meanwhile, Eugene was enjoying what was his specifically most fun thing to do, fly. He had learned a lot, and while he might not be as graceful as some of the songbirds and their dances, he'd found that he could manage a bit better in weather that would be bad enough to make some of the smaller flying Animalians stay on the ground for fear of being blown away. He noted that that strength was a great plus and he ran a few rescue missions with Noble during the winter to get to hikers who had gotten themselves lost in winter blizzards back to safety in Lyre. Eugene felt proud in that, as he never would have been able to do that before. In that, he had accomplished a lot.
Right now, though, he was enjoying some free time to enjoy the freedom that flight allowed for. He could stare down and see people walking and talking beneath him. Occasionally he waved, but he made sure to stay up high enough that he couldn't overhear what people were saying. It was this actually made him "jump" when he heard a voice speak to him.
"Hello," a voice said softly.
Eugene found himself rather startled and lost a little bit of altitude, which lead lead to hearing something of a giggle. He looked back over his shoulders to see a female Bald Eagle Animalian flying slightly behind him.
"Hello," she said again. "Don't be afraid of me... I won't hurt you."
"I'm sorry... I guess I've gotten used to being alone up here from time to time," Eugene answered, "as... being a former human, flight is something fun that I've never had before becoming an Animalian... and even now... flight is still fun."
"I know," the female Animalian answered, "it's why I became an Animalian too."
Eugene blinked, "You were human?"
"Yes," the female answered, "My name is Melanie. I've loved flying and when the Animalia Virus created the opportunity to fly without an airplane, so I jumped at it."
"Well... you look good," Eugene answered.
"You do too," said Melanie with a smile on her golden colored beak, "and so heroic with the rescue missions of lost hikers."
"Gotta use these eyes for something," Eugene answered.
"And it works, I suppose," Melanie replied, "Would you like some company?"
"I wouldn't mind," Eugene answered, "after all it's a free sky... and you do look good..."
"So do you," Melanie answered as the two went into a round of back and forth flirting.