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Post by arinthian on Sept 7, 2011 0:27:16 GMT -5
Arin barely heard his cell phone ring and went outside to answer it, he came back in after 6 minutes looking quite upset.
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Post by Orca on Sept 7, 2011 17:25:51 GMT -5
"Hi-Test sounds all right for now." Camm answered simply, depositing some cash via an underwing pod kit. He paid a cursory glance to the Dauntless as the warbird youth temporarily wandered back outside. There was little else for the Hunter to actively do besides pay care to his surroundings. Simply because he assumed to have covered his tracks in detouring to the Conelrad did not mean he was actually free of observation. Even the most average stranger could pass for a paid, on-hire tail who happened to get lucky with their draw of gin joints.
"Like this is his first real taste of life outside the nest," another FV man remarked, as Arin reappeared. "Lot of that goin' around."
*
"At the moment," Zigzag added. He edged aside as those others taxiing by them either stopped or slowed for a look. "That might just be what she thinks of cameras being pointed at her."
"Or the new acquaintances," Birdbrain commented, as the focus pulled back to reveal Mitzi and the assembled caretakers. Though those filming this encounter appeared to be doing so from a distance, their moves were discreet, and did not pan to reveal all sides of the property. The Tiger squinted as he tried to pair faces with names. "There's the captain, Miss Stauffer, Blanche. Them, we know. Who's the Starfighter in USAF livery?"
"Creche attaché," Freefall stated flatly, as if recognizing some semblance of an Air Force official being present at TLM had suddenly soured his mood. "Probably sent to get a preliminary look at the little Very Important Problem."
*
It would not do to jump to conclusions, or question the boss publicly. Though it was apparent the video conference was over, the pit boss lingered behind long enough to offer his own farewell to Wyler before following Abruzzi out. Eisenhof, thankfully, did not signal for Pienaar's attention, as if already knowing the sudden exodus was for a matter of urgent concern.
Eddie, having taken a position adjacent to the apron, glanced back down the path. From a distance he could see how the ground crowds parted. "En route as we speak. You and the boys go ahead and line up for landing. Kaede will keep those early birds outta your way."
*
Anita blinked mutely, momentarily bewildered by what she saw. The media had been given an inch. After releasing photographic stills at last night's press conference, it was only a matter of time before they went the whole yard with the introduction of live footage. And twelve hours appeared to be the limit how long they were or weren't willing to wait.
"They certainly didn't waste a second more than they could stand," the Mustang remarked, even as she studied the tot's yellow eyes and mottled gray coat. "Only a matter of how much damage this'll do for her now."
*
"Consider it an extension of your regular duties, if that helps," Madison quipped. "Captain Niatross looks like she's been expected to do as much, with being sent to the Keller studio and all."
*
"We can only wonder when the press will start pecking at that issue and leave these kids in peace." Ashley decided to take Zoe's advanced vernacular in stride. Shannon's information regarding the young Arrow's beyond-her-years intuition was proving correct. "I don't know if they're keeping Mitchell framed out, but there had to be some limits put in place for the Air Force to even agree to this."
Nevaeh squeaked in approval before also taking up a stone and giving it an exemplary toss. From the pile she nudged another stone over to Mitchell before offering the adults a challenging stare. Let's see who does better would be an accurate summation of its meaning.
*
"There was some scuttle about that drug dealer shacking up with said daughter," Charles offered, as Reginald seemed to have admitted all he was comfortable with saying. "After the fuel spill last week he and her were actively outted by the ex and his new mistress. That Dassault's demise was probably another ball of wax entirely, but if it wasn't any of your peoples' doing elimination says both messages were probably dealt by V.K. associates. We don't know how much say Miss Campanga had in either case, but the trickle-down theory might suggest she had a flap in the process somewhere. Given how ambitious Constanza's turnin' out, they may very well be fraternizing with some of the same circles."
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Post by arinthian on Sept 7, 2011 18:05:04 GMT -5
Arin sighed and rolled over to the bartender. "excuse me sir, if a Piper named Janika comes looking for me, tell her I went flying, I'll be over the club." he nodded politely and rolled out to the runway, started his engine and waited for the ok to take off.
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 7, 2011 22:40:10 GMT -5
Without further comment, the bartender poured some Hi-Test into a squat, cylindrical glass vessel and slid it over to the Hunter. It was then that Janet made her first appearance of the evening, greeting the regulars as she left the back-office area. Her eyes fell on Camm, and her brows raised a bit, but she said nothing.
Janika couldn't immediately head out after Arin, but gradually extricated herself from the group. Outside, she saw him circling overhead, slightly northeast. After debating with herself for a minute, the Piper woman also moved to leave the ground. It took her several minutes to get to a level immediately underneath the Dauntless. "Excuse me, are you upset about something?"
"Probably wondering about how she could have survived so long without help." Uli surmised. "And she looks in pretty good shape for not receiving any special care until recently."
"We're hardier than we're made out to be." Iris responded. "The creches treat the kids like they're made of glass. Of course no one wants to have their butt on the line if anything goes wrong, but that's just not natural."
"I might have been creche-born, but they placed me with a family before I was a month old." The Typhoon woman snorted. "Who wants to grow up in a factory? Even my instructor, stern as he is, would never agree with that."
"Well, the DoD has to deal with that now." Alain chimed in. "After so many years of holding off, they now have to wash their dirty mats in the open."
Harriet scowled slightly. "To say nothing of a few families I know of."
Louisa Abruzzi shepherded her younger sons, eleven-year-old twins, into approach position. She had responded to Kaede's challenge with a spirited reply that didn't seem to sit well with the Hien. The Aerie was about to get a bit more populated. Once the twins were safely on the ground, she touched down with a bump or two, but rolled smoothly thereafter. Her eldest son bustled out to the apron to greet them. His mother was always known for her dramatic timing.
"Hi bros, hi Mom." he smiled apologetically. "Sorry for Kaede, but she's used to dealing with barflies, not families."
"Well, that's over and done with," the yellow-and-blue female responded in brisk fashion. "I didn't want to worry you with what the landlord pulled today, we just left."
"OK, what kind of birdcrap did he do now?" Abruzzi's undertone took on a growl.
"He tried to change the locks on us before we got our stuff out." Louisa bristled indignantly. "And he and his goon of a son were haranging us all the time the moving van was here. Our things'll be here sometime tomorrow."
The Lancair muzzled what would have been a profane remark on the landlord's parentage and ancestry, but his face had become dark and stony. "Don't worry ma, we're all lawyered up. If he messes with your deposit, we'll give him a skin rash he won't forget. But I'm glad you're out of there." He turned to Eddie. "Can you and Oksana handle the early birds for me? I gotta settle some other matters."
"Either a little hurt now, or a lot more later on." Malcolm shrugged. "And people are interested now. That'll protect her some."
"It's a wonder she survived so well on her own before they found her." Jenna shook her head in wonder.
"I hope she can have some kind of normal life." Marian looked on with a sigh. "She seems to have such a strong spirit. Like Jenna was when she was that age."
Jenna rolled her eyes slightly, and blushed.
"If I can't keep a raging perv distracted for a few days, there's something wrong with me." Kaycee shot back before her eyes returned to the Gulfstream, giving that "sidelong" look. He was definitely looking her over...
"I don't think they'd want the world to see a Raptor baby in a back brace, not just yet." Zoe concurred. "But it doesn't get him down."
Mitzi flicked her head, and sent the flat rock deflecting off the ground once before it struck the pot. She had definitely enjoyed a few games during her childhood.
Mitchell bounced with pent-up energy as he waited his turn. Then, he seized on a stone and flung it fiercely at the pot. It was a somewhat larger rock, but it hit home.
"Connie-baby's stalking some pretty big game." Fogelin concurred. "Why should she settle for some p*ssant gin joints when she can hit the real big time and maybe rule her own kingdom like her relatives do? She might have been separated from them pretty early, but I figure that memory is still strong. Connie doesn't want a network, she wants an empire. But to do that, she has to connect with the REAL money. That's the background Elyse comes from. Not even Gabe Stearns' family has that much gelt."
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Post by arinthian on Sept 7, 2011 23:01:52 GMT -5
Arin banked slightly to look at Janika. "A little, my mom called and said my grandfather died last week, we never really got long, but I respected him."
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Post by Orca on Sept 8, 2011 4:58:02 GMT -5
Camm met the club manager's eye long enough to offer a wordless nod of recognition before returning focus to his fresh drink.
The FV ultralights, all scouts of a local surveying firm that was supposedly a far-reaching tendril of the USGS, took the Conelrad often enough to be considered regulars, but not frequenters. One Sunday in every month for the past three years had been set aside for their unofficial gatherings here. Annie Noirot, the youngest and most inexperienced of them, was along more out of curiousity than a desire to drink and enjoy the in-house DJ's mixes. Raised in an ultralight-rich suburb on the fringes of Omaha, the sight of any old warbird was exotic in her eyes. Janet Wyler and her assorted staff, she was used to. The novelty of a disfigured Hunter turning up out of nowhere was enough for her to loose momentary interest in her colleages' conversation.
"Oi! Earth to Annie!" She flinched. Nigel Magone's distinct accent was all too easy to detect when it was directed right into her ear. "Y'still with us?"
"As always, Nigel, thank you," the junior surveyor replied, tolerantly and as loudly as she dared so as to not shout over the pulsating music. "Pardon me if I'd like to focus on something besides discussing our next project for a minute."
"Good thing, I was beginnin' to worry ya'd tuned us out completely." Knowing for his optimistic, if not mercurial attention span, the transplanted Australian quickly switched gears upon seeing a familiar face. "Miss Wyler, over here!"
*
"Something like her well-being is probably second to their concern of whoever got ahold of the materials she came from, and how," Zigzag speculated. "Suffrage issues aside, the Air Force's concern here is closing whatever loophole she slipped through, so it doesn't happen again."
"Like you once said, Iris," Birdbrain added. "Someone's head is certain to be rolling over this."
"Wonder when we'll hear about them," Freefall muttered, before glancing down to the silent Panther in their midst. "What do you think, Arthur?"
"Maybe that... if there's anyone who would try dealing in black market genestock, it would probably be Howard Fogelin."
*
"No objections here, man. I'm sure Pin can offer his own meager advice to shore us up there if we need it." Pienaar frowned, but not for the good-humored jab. The Warhawk had answered without hesitation, as though he seemed familiar with the Abruzzi family's own brand of no-nonsense. That cue was enough reason for the pit boss to believe that unquestionable compliance would be best for the moment.
"Come on, then, Bluth," the Kingcobra spoke up abruptly. "Let us see if we cannot enlist Amanda also."
Back at the main hangar's entrance, Eisenhof had taken the opportunity to look outside in time to see the trio of Lancairs descend. Puzzled, the Range Rover turned to the Stormovik woman currently tending the door. "Kind of an unexpected development, wasn't that?"
*
"If she keeps that up, she should be fine in any case," Anita reasoned, her doubts somewhat assuaged. "But if the USAF creches can't or won't fit the bill, what will Lockheed decide? They won't let just anyone take her in for long term."
*
Madison scoffed quietly to herself, but could not bring herself to feel truly offended by the Phantom's counter-remark. In a way, it reminded the Lynx of herself, in the past life before 2005. "Good to know it's nothing you can't handle, then."
*
Nevaeh stood back to allow Heather her turn, and then attempted her own serve. The stone tumbled awkwardly after the first bounce and skipped to one side on the second, but only landed in the vicinity of the flowerpot's rim. As she had shown to do before, the Raptor snorted and her tailfins snapped to one side in disappointment. The point of the round had been to see what talent Mitzi had in such a game, and even in this scaled-down version she had bested the little fighter jet. Maybe she shouldn't have acted so crossly with them before.
Casting Mitchell a blank look, she nodded at the adults and uttered, "Ohkay, huh?"
*
"But you still don't intend to stand back and make it easy for her," Charles replied. "You and V.K. have been at odds since forever, sir. You've also made it clear that animosity will be continued through the succession. Was there anything more specific you had in mind in regard to muddying the waters? We might be able to help indirectly in reaching out to other, unaffliated contacts that have too much free time to spare."
Reginald scowled at this, but perked an ear as a bout of raucous laughter in the next room managed to pierce the office's richly furnished walls.
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Post by arinthian on Sept 9, 2011 1:46:36 GMT -5
( leaving for the weekend, feel free to play Arin while I'm gone )
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Post by arinthian on Sept 11, 2011 11:20:45 GMT -5
( I'm back, anything we doing for the 11th? )
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Post by Orca on Sept 11, 2011 14:48:23 GMT -5
((I think not. This RP takes place in the past tense, spring/summer of 2008. At any rate, we don't recognize holidays or other such dates unless they pertain to the story.))
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Post by arinthian on Sept 11, 2011 15:28:56 GMT -5
( hmm, ok, just wondering, anyway, seems not much happened while I was in the San Juan Islands. )
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 12, 2011 0:01:50 GMT -5
<<< I've been away at a con with limited computer access over the weekend. I'll post tomorrow. Sorry for the delay. >>>
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 12, 2011 23:16:19 GMT -5
Janika's eyes widened. "When did they learn of his passing? Just now?" She banked slightly to match Arin's pace and altitude, while taking a course that would keep them out of the way of incoming traffic. Below them, the joint was just starting to jump now. Sundays, as a rule, were quieter, but the absence of a cover charge and cheaper drinks on this night always drew a few more in.
Venus Mortimer, the PUMA woman, leaned in towards Nigel and Annie. "I wonder if Jan knows that guy. Looks like she might." She rapidly shifted gears and smiled as the EE Lightning came over. "Hey, Jan."
"Hello, loves." Janet smiled to her regulars. "Another nice Sunday, but just as well we have air conditioning, eh?" She took a discreet glance back towards Sid. He'll either sit there sulking all evening or spill his guts. Which will it be?
"And he has to know that sooner or later, they'll be knocking on his door." Iris snorted, baring her teeth and jigging her nose in a gesture that for her was startling. "Goons and lawyers and bought pols can only protect him for so long. They're not going to go down with him."
"So he'll be making plans too." Uli deduced, scuffing a main gear lazily across the floor. "Perhaps, Constanza might make him a deal he can't refuse. She has to have come to the same conclusions."
Harriet said nothing, but her beautiful dove-grey face had gone a little paler.
"Not to us." Oksana shrugged. "The new boss's family was already having problems, and his mom can't take much more stress for health reasons. But we also have two more kids to deal with, and they're preteen boys. The others are not quite their age and peers are important at that time in their lives. Gonna be interesting if it wasn't already."
Mandy cocked her head this way and that as she weighed the impact of these new developments. She didn't know Mrs. Abruzzi and the brothers as well as Eddie, and the woman had always seemed a little sharp in that "TV judge" sense. But bringing up three active boys without a father's input would do that to a person. Seeing Eddie and Pienaar approach, the Voodoo turned abruptly. "OK, am I right in assuming you need someone to run some interference?"
"I would say they'd go for a carefully vetted guardian or family situation." Jenna speculated. "The creche would be too much of a culture shock. They have to get a sense of where she is psychologically and emotionally, which is why the evaluation period."
Josh frowned slightly. "It's a wonder she hasn't gone completely feral."
"There was a never a normal, healthy guy born that I couldn't deal with." Kaycee looked up and smirked at the Lynx. "And if he wasn't, the Maker gave us teeth for a reason." With that, the Phantom turned her gaze back to the scuffle session.
"OK." the Schwalbe nodded. Now and then, scents blew in from other places, and she was getting an overall sense of who was here. There was a persistent Eurofighter scent that she detected now and then. Who was that? With the camera on her, she couldn't look back to see what her producer was doing, but she hoped the man wasn't eyeing up Capt. Niatross' fuselage again. Mueller was one of those men who just had to "have some" every night, or almost. So far, the Captain had been calm and decorous, but "horndog trainer" wasn't in her official job description. And Mitzi's attention had to be on Nevaeh for the time being. "Your turn again?"
"That's definitely an option." the Bonanza nodded. "The time's coming when we can't be at each other's throats indefinitely, but I want to be in the strongest possible position. But there's a time factor involved. First, we need to deal with that nosy f***er. I don't think Constanza will really mourn the loss. She'll know we're out to protect our interests, but she's not gonna miss him at all. She'll just know she has to be more careful."
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Post by arinthian on Sept 12, 2011 23:58:40 GMT -5
Arin sighed. "No they knew since they were up there, but were only able to call me tonight." he rolled slowly and flew upside down. "Mind if we land? I dont trust myself." he asked.
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Post by Orca on Sept 13, 2011 1:15:42 GMT -5
"Just as," Nigel agreed. Easy-going as he was, he wasn't about to defer to a heavier subject right off the bat. "After last night's shocker of a storm, it's just good to see you held up all right here."
Annie, though less familiar with Janet than her colleagues, gave the jet woman a small smile in return, but the ultralight held her words for the time being.
*
Freefall's customary scowl deepened, both for Arthur's mention of another crime boss and the connections to be drawn between him and current events. "A scenario that largely depends on how fast that ship sinks. If Fogelin is half as smart as they say he is, he's going to come to the same assumption and do his damnest to keep things from unraveling where he can, call in favors, tap new resources prematurely. He'll run out of cash before he runs out of back-up plans."
Arthur tilted his head, visibly perturbed by the hybrid's predictions. Tossing that name out on a whim, he hadn't thought the response would be so curt and matter-of-fact. "What makes you all so sure?"
"Because rumor has it that's how he fixes most problems - by throwing money at them. The Pelada scandal was case in point. Justice in that case was out to fry a selected fall guy and a politican, while Fogelin dealed some generous donations around and slipped off the radar. His luck held out twenty years ago. He might be arrogant enough to think it'll hold a second time."
*
Eddie managed a easy smile for the girls as Pienaar rolled by and beckoned Eisenhof to follow. Clearly, he wished to confer with the off-roader away from given distractions. "It's nothin' we haven't been doing already, Mands. Brai just needs us to hold the fort without him for a spell, keep the early birds in a calm and collective state. Pin says he'll get the maintinance crew to start prepping another hangar for them. If it can't be done tonight, I'm willing to give mine up for conveinence. Weather shouldn't be nearly as violent tonight as it was last."
*
"It is, really," Anita concurred, after a moment of pondering the Bearcat's observation. She glanced at the nearest screen again. Nadia, her background, and the given parallels to this situation came abruptly to mind. "That'll probably be explained in time, once they narrow down her origin, or how she could have gotten around at all without so much as a suspicious report being made. It either means Raptor kids can be especially sneaky, or maybe she wasn't at large for as long as one might think."
*
With the tension largely gone, Nevaeh allowed herself to feel marginally relaxed with the developing game. Despite the intrusion, Mitzi was proving to be in the same vein of calm and non-threatening as Zoe, Blanche, and Heather had been. Squeaking an affirmative, the Raptor retrieved a new stone from the pile and eyeballed the flowerpot once more.
Ashley eyed the camera crew instead, leaning back on her mainwheels for a better look. "How long do you think they'll drag this out?"
*
"We've got no qualms with helping you send that message," Charles reaffirmed, feeling and sounding more casual with the warmth of a good drink in his tanks. "Sounds to me like you have it all thought out."
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Post by Evangeline on Sept 20, 2011 14:58:31 GMT -5
"No problem." Janika followed Arin back to the approach path. Things hit him kind of hard, don't they?
"Neighbors down the street from me had their roof half torn off." Venus recalled. "I hope their insurance is good."
"Likewise." the EE Lightning shook her head in dismay. "We had a couple of leaks, but Rudy got to them this morning." Janet was a stickler on maintenance. "Well, I'll see you again in a bit." With that, she moved on.
"That was then, this is now." Iris snorted. "And last time, they didn't actually go so far as to reproduce from the genestock. The DoD people aren't going to take all the blame by themselves, they won't stop until they find someone to string up. Fogelin has to be sweating a little by now, and might make some desperate moves."
"Good thing we have the space available." Oksana nodded. "Though we might have to clear more junk out. But people come before stuff. She looked up as the early birds started to get stacked in the east. "Some people just can't stand going a single night without a drink."
In the meantime, Abruzzi was getting mobbed by his younger twin brothers, who were twelvish in years and rambunctious. "Hey, dudes, easy on the paint, that cost me a mint!" Their mother was still fuming about the last fight with their now-former landlord. Oksana smirked slightly. "Now there's another set of feathers that need some smoothing." Whose job would that be, Eddie's or Pienaar's?
"I'd go so far as to say it might be a function of her personality." Malcolm stated. "She seems like an independent little miss. I don't think someone raised in a creche would develop that kind of character."
"Which is why they're probably keeping her there for thirty days." Josh added. "To see where she is psychologically."
"Maybe another few minutes." Zoe answered. Beside her and Ashley, the other children waited. The TV people had agreed to keep them out of camera view to preserve their privacy. "But it'll be interesting to see where this goes once everyone out there gets a good look."
"That's my track record." Fogelin smiled wryly. It was almost an innocent look, until one really saw how the corners of his mouth lay, just exposing the canines. Bonanzas had a rather pompous reputation among the prop-driven set, and leaned towards the affluent professional track. But something had steered this one down a darker path. "First thing, find that Sid Camm b*st*rd and show him some "love". Don't be stingy with it."
Joyce responded with a toothy smile of her own. "Looking forward to it."
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