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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 20:13:01 GMT -5
"Well, I really don't want to unveil it until Shale and Bree's wedding day..." Ebony said reluctantly, "I want to keep it under wraps for now... but you can come inside and view it, but I want you to promise me that you won't tell anybody about this, alright?"
*****
"Well, some people really deserve a Darwin Award and take themselves out of the gene pool," said Delfina.
*****
"Actually, Delfina said that in her world, human astronomers have estimated that all these stars are between billions and millions of years old," said Freda.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 20:23:33 GMT -5
"Funny thing... we use the stars to steer by at night, but we haven't really studied them the way the humans have." Stokes commented. "They sent people to the moon, but we haven't gotten much farther than satellites. Those are useful, but all they do is orbit the earth. They don't GO anywhere."
"Like those two losers who went after Aron years back." Dawn frowned.
"Scout's honor." Kendall promised.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 20:42:48 GMT -5
"With the humans here, they might probably influence space exploration that would be similar to theirs," said Freda.
*****
"They set themselves up for failure without even realizing it," said Delfina with a shrug.
*****
"Good," said Ebony with a nod, then motioned for Kendall to follow her into the tent where she had set the painting, which had a cloth covering over it.
She took the covering off, "What do you think?"
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 20:55:11 GMT -5
"Up till they popped in, nobody here really thought much of going further than that." Stokes angled his head for a better look at the waxing moon, "But the disaster that befell them made people start to wonder if they shouldn't have some kind of "insurance policy"."
"What did they think would happen when everyone was still just getting over the blowup and in no mood to put up with that?" Dawn reached down to scratch Shadow's ears.
"Wow..." Kendall studied the work. "I think this is shaping up to be one of your best so far. The lighting and shadows are colorful, but subtle. It almost seems to breathe."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 21:08:30 GMT -5
"I don't blame them," said Freda.
*****
"Well, they're dead now and I don't really care," said Delfina, "It's not good to dwell on the past anyway. I'd like to move forward into the future."
*****
"Thanks," said Ebony as she recovered it, "I've had a lot of practice what with all those commissions that I've been doing while I was in term with Arte."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 21:14:09 GMT -5
"I'm sure they'll love it." Kendall gave Ebony a peck on the cheek.
"You got a point." Dawn sighed. "I'm afraid I've been a morbid wet blanket today."
"I remember when they put the moon landing up on YouTube." Stokes grinned. "So many people wanted to see it that it crashed the whole site."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 21:25:27 GMT -5
"Thanks, I hope to finish this later tonight," said Ebony with an appreciative smile.
*****
"I don't really blame you," said Delfina, "But all you have to do is put it to rest now. You don't have to worry about it anymore."
*****
"I remember that too," said Freda with a nod, "Took the admins quite some time to bring the servers back up and running again."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 21:47:01 GMT -5
"I'll get us something to eat, OK?" Kendall started outside. "And I think it's getting close to bedtime for a certain little person."
"You're always right." Dawn got up to bring her plate back. "Don's making ice cream again."
"It crashed quite a few other networks too." Stokes laughed. "I was still at the Academy then, and the videos being sent around put ours down for a week."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 22:01:57 GMT -5
In response to Kendall's observation, Artemis yawned widely.
Ebony chuckled as she nudged her daughter, "I noticed. And where are the boys right now?"
*****
"Good," Delfina got up as well, "I'm having a sweet tooth right now."
*****
"Gosh, that was frustrating, wasn't it?" said Freda.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 22:05:22 GMT -5
"Just a sec." Kendall looked out the tent flap. "They're tossing frisbees for the dog."
"He probably used the blueberries they just picked." Dawn was already smiling in anticipation. Ice cream invariably lifted her out of a sorry mood.
"Yeah... especially when you were actually trying to get some real work done." Stokes laughed.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 22:14:41 GMT -5
"Do you think we should let them keep doing that?" asked Ebony.
*****
"Oh, that's nice," said Delfina, "We had blueberry pancakes for breakfast this morning and now we're having blueberry ice cream for desert. I missed eating ice cream."
*****
"I know the feeling," smiled Freda and gave Stokes a nuzzle.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 23:12:32 GMT -5
"They're not running after the dog or anything." Kendall said. "They're just letting him fetch it and bring it back." The NSX was keeping a close eye on them to see that they did nothing more than that.
"Mmmm..." Stokes gave Freda a loving but G-rated nibble, then started some gentle tooth-scratching in one of the usual itchy spots of a CV ship, the area just at the nape of the jaw. Giving that special little zone one's full and undivided attention was almost as good as "you-know-what" to some.
"Can't always get fresh cream here." Dawn agreed. They generally kept powdered milk here, made at their own facilities. Once a year, in early March, they commemorated the event of the blowup with a beestings meal, a pudding made from the first milking of a cow after dropping its calf. Many of the rituals of Ash Mountain seemed to revolve around the dairy.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 19, 2008 23:30:33 GMT -5
"Well, that's good," said Ebony, as she settled Artemis onto the mat beside her, "but will you call them in before it gets into the late night?"
*****
Freda relaxed and began to enjoy the attention. Her eyes closed in pleasure.
*****
"True," agreed Delfina, "But it is quite a treat whenever it's made."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 19, 2008 23:40:31 GMT -5
"Just five more minutes, boys." Kendall called out to Falcon and Kestrel.
Stokes continued his ministrations, pleased by Freda's reaction.
Randy and Erika were also tooth-scritching each other.
Dawn sat back with a small bowl of ice cream. It was the real thing, solid and velvety on the tongue. "Reminds me of this little place in St. John's when we used to go visiting there."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 20, 2008 0:03:59 GMT -5
"Awwwww..." both Kestrel and Falcon groaned at hearing this, "Just a little longer, Dad..."
*****
Freda leaned into Stokes and began to purr.
*****
"Never been there," said Delfina, with her own bowl, "but I do remember there was a Baskin Robbins near where I used to live. I went there when I had a craving for hand-scoped ice-cream. It was delicious."
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