Sunday Snippet: Why We Fight

Crap. I can't believe May is almost over. It's been a crazy month. We're finally getting through the Covid crud. Thankfully, I'm still negative and I'm crossing my fingers I stay that way.

Had a solid week of work projects and got some extra writing in also. My oracle cards this week had a majority of work-life balance advice this week and I'm trying to pay heed and take time to do fun stuff along with the work.

Had a semi-decent week of viewing. Made a full round of my regular streaming services and played a little catch up with some small things I'd been saving up for a while.

Caught another episode of The Snoopy Show and laughed out loud several times. Pitty Snoopy against Lucy is always fun.

Started Signora Volpe because two of my favorite actors are in it and it's a mystery series. Really enjoyed the first episode and I'm looking forward to more.

Watched the first part of Silent Witness. Very interesting episode and a bit of a departure from the way cases are usually presented. I'm looking forward to the second part.

Finished up a Classic Who arc and actually kind of enjoyed it. This is an odd season and I'm still not quite sure how I feel about Mel as a companion.

Enjoyed another episode of The Mandalorian. I love the pacing and the small reveals and the humor. This is a fun show even if it not necessarily supposed to be.

Caught another episode of Harrow and loved it. Putting Farley, Harrow, and Daniels in the wild ended up being hilarious. Not sure how I feel about Grace and her ex—I'm not really that interested and I don't like being jerked around. I do know I'm not a fan of James and I'm going to be interested to see if they end up making him as awful as I think they will.

Watched another episode of Blue Heelers and enjoyed it. It's always cool to see how the southern hemisphere celebrates a holiday like Christmas when it's the middle of summer for them.

Enjoyed another MasterClass lesson with Neil deGrasse Tyson. I liked the focus on inspiring curiosity in your audience. There were a couple of great takeaways from that.

Caught another episode of The Babysitter's Club and, again, I totally get why so many people loved this show. I'll savor the two seasons available.

Watched two more episodes of Classic Rugrats. I love the trip down memory lane and how much fun the show has with classic pop culture references.

Finished season four of Chicago Med and, wow, ending on a cliffhanger for sure. I'm glad I can start season five right away.

Last but not least, I caught up on a few things I've had on hold. I watched several Passionflix options. Dirty, Sweet Valentine, Wicked bloopers, and I finally finished up Seduction and Snacks, which I ended up enjoying so much. The laugh out loud funny moments were exactly what I needed to end the week. I hope they do more with sexy romcoms.

That's it for the life update this week. Tonight's post is from Why We Fight, a novella that puts the characters in a war zone where they find some common ground that leads to deep feelings.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Emmett Barley, an embedded investigative reporter, pushes Pier Luphen, the squadron leader, for honest answers about the war they're fighting. She tries to take the status quo, but Emmett won't have it. He's heard the military party line his entire life and he wants the truth or nothing. He also wants Pier, but she's not willing to compromise her mission regardless of how she feels about Emmett.

And a sneaky peek…

Emmett settled across from Pier and fired off three ice-breaker questions.

Pier narrowed her gaze. "If I answer, is it off the record?" Her fork stabbed a piece of pasta.

His lips curved. "If you want them to be." At least she thought to ask. "It's always good to check with me and specify."

She gave him a brief rundown of her career and the bases she'd been stationed on.

The meal went by quickly and he actually didn't want it to end.

He set his spoon aside. "You fascinate me—in a great way." He'd love to dig deep and find out what really made her tick.

She leaned back and widened her eyes. "Why? I'm not that interesting."

He gave an honest answer. "You've got leadership quality written all over you." And something indefinable, which always intrigued him.

She snorted. "I'm flattered, but I can't take you seriously." Her shoulder lifted. "I do my job, period."

Emmett took the opening. "Speaking of, what does your unit see on a day-to-day basis?" He might as well get some background.

Pier gave him the party line. They did their duty, but she downplayed that as being a cog in a well-oiled machine.

Emmett shook his head. "I'm not having that. Off the record, remember?" If he wanted the honor-glory flag wave, he could've stayed home and called his dad or brothers.

She shrugged. "Look, it's a war. What do you want me to say?"

He didn't hesitate. "The truth … as you see it. I grew up with the status quo, but even on base, I saw the cracks in the carefully constructed version of the stories we told ourselves." And he'd witnessed more than a few of those fissures turn into deep, dark chasms of anguish.

She cocked her head. "Is that why you chose journalism? To expose what you perceive as a lie?"

His lips twitched. "Answering a question with a question is a standard stall tactic." He shook his head. "Points for the spin though." He loved their back and forth.

She snorted. "Not stalling. Still trying to figure your angle." She leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest.

He took a moment before responding. "I don't have a solid one. I tend to write about my observations, hopefully in an unbiased voice." At least he tried hard to be fair to all involved.

She lifted her chin. "Okay." She relaxed and leaned forward a little. "But what's your biggest question?" Genuine curiosity filled her voice.

He grew thoughtful, wanting to be honest. "Why we fight?" He'd been trying to shape a story around the reasons for a long time and wanted to get deep, right down to the marrow, before he attempted to write it.

She gave him a standard line but one she clearly believed. "To protect our freedom and way of life."

He pushed back a little. "But who decides our way of life is better than the next persons?" The answer to that question continued to elude him.

She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand.

"I know. The subject is too broad for a simple answer. I get that."

Her lips curved in a half-smile. "There is that. You can't find simple answers in a complex melting pot of issues."

He nodded. "I know. That's why I seek truth in the smaller concerns. Right now, that's how your unit works together. You're the main hub for the supply lines in and out, right?"

Her head bobbed up and down. "We receive and send goods to our outposts. That's the simple answer."

He smiled. "And the complicated one?"

She shook her head. "Would take too long to get into at this hour." She rose. "I'll stop by in the morning and you can see for yourself." She started for the exit.

He followed her out of the mess hall. "I'm looking forward to it." And to spending more time with her.

She angled her head around. "I'll lay money you'll be ready to cry tears of boredom within two hours." She stopped outside his door.

Emmett chuckled. "May be, but at least I have something nice to look at." He couldn't resist the flirty vibe.

Pier opened her mouth then shut it and gave him a considering look. "0600, Mr. Barley. Be ready."

He saluted and entered his quarters. He enjoyed their sparring and he'd lay odds she did, too. 0600 seemed like a long time to wait for more banter.

I'm enjoying this one. Emmett is going to try very hard to get under Pier's skin and he might or might not like being there. Stay tuned.

 

That's it for this week. Catch everyone on the flipside.

ML Skye