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FICTION

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"The Fruit of a War-torn Life"

October 19 2535 - Hour 0621

Logan 'Log' Sutton

New Houston, Texas, United Republic of North America

P.S. I now have a discord server! Discord .gg/ceBMM2Zz6c

Pxtreon: P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin

There's something poetic about today.

Beer was given to the various guests around as I had made a party at the ranch I had bought four years ago. The UNSC was 'helpful' in creating a modest facility, especially since this was my plan to 'retire' the Spartans. Nothing extreme beyond giving them a normal life with some training both as farmhands and militia troops while also involving therapists and Halsey herself to 'defuse' some hardcoded cases.

I wouldn't say it is the best option, but it was one we took and that was sorting out some good results. At least, that's what Sif and Guilty Spark could notice. The Forerunner AI wasn't exactly a permanent resident, but he tended to 'pass by' to check my status. Same for his 'brother'. It was odd to know that both AIs were being so 'peaceful' around me considering the memories I had on them through books and games, but I guess that's one way to justify the abnormality I represented at times.

The party that I had sponsored was actually very important just like that. The memory of Harvest, forever branded on Humanity's destiny, was now being commemorated once more after ten years from the events. Ten years... I felt old despite having yet to hit the spot I considered middle-aged but... I felt old. The war made us all far older than we should have.

The Spartans took the brunt, but they were coming out of it to some extent. There was damage that couldn't be patched up no matter the hard work put into it, but good things could be grown upon it- new memories, better memories. The farm was giving them a meaning beyond war, one they were slowly settling to accept.

Johnson was among the invited parties, he had a few stories to give as the Sarge had been on the front line and met some of the 'ugly apes that tried to kill humanity from the get-go'. His jokes reminded me of how things were all in all for the BALMUNG Division.

With the Covenant collapsed and the organization reframed to include Humanity in a less centralized bureaucracy, many of the former Pro-Covenant Government had been overthrown.

Alba had became the first female Chieftain, but while her legitimacy was constantly tested, her decision to make Atriox her second-in-command and honor him with the title of 'Greatest among Warriors' had created a symbiotic relationship between the two as figures of the government. Alba led the politics, while Atriox handled what he loved to do: war against scum and traitors.

Humanity provided some relief to those societies that reached out. With Sanghelios being one of the first three, Humanity entertained a close bond with them due to their 'importance' and 'potential'. Thela's rise to planetary leadership worried me a little as I got news of that a few years ago. She even went as far as take upon herself the title of Arbiter as the Leader of the Sangheili as a whole.

A major revolution one would say and one that led to a brief two years-old civil war that culminated with her victory. What was the reward she had in mind for this glorious peak? She requested a private duel with yours truly in Sanghelios to 'settle the score'.

Where many papers would sing praise for the exceptional 'display of sportmanship' I showed in accepting the battle and leading it to a draw, not many would know that the reason we accepted to draw was due to how scandalously steamy and depraved it got to that point.

That day I learned how exceptionally cuddly Sangheili could get after an intense and brutal night of mating.

The rest of BALMUNG split away after Dr. Gerhardt's death in 2531 and Serin's decision to leave in 2533 as the woman decided to work at the ranch with me... and showed me how much she missed me. And then there was Sif. And finally Grace. Serin and Sif ending up pregnant (cue Forerunner's technology and lewd AI's plots) left me further stuck into the life I had chosen for myself as peace took a while and a lot from me to finally manifest in its truest form.

Admittedly, my life sure bore fruit to some of the most lustful outcomes possible in those cases.

I am not exactly sure how that all came to happen as war hardly shape that sort of stuff but... I was happy I wasn't going to die alone in some muddy ditch during the conflict. Things had turned out well, Humanity was safe and the worst internal threat we had had been contained.

I wouldn't say everything was solved. Not when there could be stuff I forgot or don't know about. Foes that humanity will face and, we will either be ready for it or not.

...

Bah, of course we will be ready.

I almost chuckled at that silly depressing thought. We were ready, our stance was strong and there was less chaos in the galaxy for any trouble such as the potential awakening of the Didact leading to Earth's damnation. The fleet was getting upgraded crazy fast, the military has adopted a more active readiness stance towards troubles, and inquiries hurled at potential sources of corruption from the recently-installed Lord Hood had crushed any potential worry of our position ever faltering again.

As I sipped from my bottle, glancing around as everyone was clearly having a good time. I noticed Sif sitting beside me. I still was surprised to see her new 'semi-human' body. She had switched out of the silky blue dress for something more appropriate such as a blue overall and a light-blue half-sleeved shirt under it.

"So... today is a good day to be alive."

I nodded at the woman's voice, staring at the beer and then up to her welcoming smile.

"Sif?"

"Yes, boss?" She asked curiously, making me smile some more.

"We made it."

-d-d-d-d-

AN

And thus Rough Human Touch is... OVER! Dunno just yet which story will replace it but I will be taking a mini-break to think about it, handle the commission month and also handle the work of writing more of my book. Yes, I am writing a Slice of Life book and I am already at Chapter 5. Compared to other works of mine, this one is actually longer with each chapter so... it's going to take a while for it to be out.