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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 6, 2008 23:04:37 GMT -5
"Yeah, they are," said Ebony, "Down at Phantom Cove. The leader there is Delfina."
*****
Shale closed his eyes as well and drifted off as well.
*****
Freda returned the horn blast, already underway, moving out of the cove and out into the open waters outside.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 6, 2008 23:20:06 GMT -5
Stokes blasted his own horn as he set a course for Phantom Cove.
"Mon petite diablesse." Guy smiled. "Still making my muzzle grey."
"My daughter tells me a lot about her." Sharon nodded. "And our grandkids adore her."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 6, 2008 23:35:20 GMT -5
Freda heard the horn blast, quickly figuring that it belonged to Stokes. No one's horn sounded the same. It was rather distinctive. So she knew it was Stokes.
She blasted her own horn in answer and sped up a few knots to intercept him.
*****
Shale was already asleep, purring away with Bree.
*****
"And so do her children," said Ebony.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 6, 2008 23:53:58 GMT -5
Stokes poured it on as he heard Freda's horn, and he was doing cartwheels inside. As she hove into sight, he gave his horn another short blast.
"Aye, that's the best medicine there." Greg leaned against the doorframe, watching the sleeping couple.
Guy could only nod.
"We were thinking of dropping by, to let them know what was going on with Bree." Sharon said.
Randy and Erika, after their courtesy call on Jastrow, found themselves well and truly alone for the first time. Even Dude had apparently elected to spend his morning exploring the humans' camp. The powerboat youth watched his turbine-powered companion glide silently along beside him, and wondered what she could do when running all out. A lot faster than me, he knew, but that was an exceedingly small thing to him now.
Randy nudged Erika's hull. "Race you back?"
"You serious?" she laughed.
"I'm always serious." he replied with mock pomposity.
"Sure you are." Erika rolled her eyes.
"You can give me a head start." he gunned his engine. "I wanna see you run and be happy. Don't sell yourself short just because you think it might bruise my ego or something. I'm just a professional gofer in a tourist trap, OK? I ain't got no ego left."
"All right..." Erika smiled. "Go ahead. I'll wait three minutes."
Randy opened his throttle with a rebel yell, and surged ahead bow-high with a foaming rooster tail at the stern. This was open water that he knew well, free of rocks or sandbars. It would be like that between here and Phantom Cove. Erika idled in place, counting off the seconds, and then began to move and accelerate, the whisper of her turbines rising to a keening cry as her stiletto hull cut across the surface of the Pacific. For the first time in years, she was truly running free.
The Wellcraft/Glastron mix never heard her catching up, only when she blew by him about a mile out of the cove. He slowed down, awestruck. Then, he endeavored to follow as she continued to speed beyond the cove itself, finally making a wide turn to port to bleed off speed as she came back to him. The display of power and vigor hadn't intimidated or threatened him at all. That really wasn't the way a boat's mind worked. In fact, it gave Randy a funny feeling, admiration and ardor mixed together, which pulsed ever faster as Erika returned.
"It seems we overshot the cove." she grinned mischieviously, "Oh, darn."
"I guess you're right." Randy nuzzled Erika, and she nibbled at him in return. "You ever see what the humans do with their lips?" she asked breathily.
"You mean, like this?" he opened his mouth and brought it to Erika's.
"Mmmm... like that." Erika's breathing speeded up. "That's the first time I actually tried that. Feels good."
The two had entered into the lee of a curving escarpment, hiding them from general view. There was a small beach there, and Erika turned towards it; it would serve just fine. Her aerial brushed up against Randy's and twined with it, a gesture that needed no further explanation. She was ready and he was ready, and this time, it was truly what she wanted.
<<< Last post >>>
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 7, 2008 11:53:14 GMT -5
As soon as she caught sight of Stokes, Freda answered the horn blast as they closed in on each others positions. Her eyes danced with joy.
*****
"They'll appreciate it," said Ebony, "especially Delfina. She'd been worried ever since she heard."
*****
Guarding the cove entrance like she has been doing now for a couple of days, Nerisa saw two small boats shoot past. The waves formed by their passage lapped against her sides.
The destroyer could only smile as she watched them disappear. Those two... Just having fun... I don't blame them after all that they both been through...
(((((OOC: So, I'm guessing that boats like Randy and Erika have to beach themselves to be able to do It...)))))
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2008 15:53:34 GMT -5
<<< Partially, and mostly the female. >>>
"They're going into that little place about a mile past the cove, where the land goes out into a little cape and crooks around, just big enough for a few small boats." Marty said to Nerisa. "And they're gonna hang a big DO NOT DISTURB sign."
"Maybe later this morning." Sharon nodded again.
Stokes almost leaped ahead, virtually capering, as much as a vessel his size was capable of. He approached her port-to-port and whuffed gently on her cheek. "You're a sight for sore eyes, Freda."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 7, 2008 16:14:21 GMT -5
(((((OOC: Nice idea...)))))
"Ah, I figured as much," Nerisa nodded, "Good for them then."
In the Navy, females in the ranks rarely had a chance for procreation unless they were marked for breeding and the raising of families were rather nil. When Nerisa was born, she was the daughter of a nomadic mother and a navy father. But when she had come of age, she had chosen to follow in her father's profession instead of taking over the leadership of the nomads from her mother. As a result of that, Nerisa was disowned by her mother and left to fend for herself. However, the Navy became her new family.
But, she had little experience with the concept called love herself, yet she was happy for Marty and Erika.
*****
"I think that'll work," said Ebony with a nod, reaching down with her antenna and absently scratched at one of her healing scars which had been received from the fight with that forklift at the Palace Caverns the other day.
*****
"And you as well," purred Freda, smiling as she felt the cutter's breath on her cheek, "I missed you."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2008 17:44:39 GMT -5
"Pardon me for asking," Sharon looked a little concerned. "But what happened to you?"
<<< I imagine that modern naval vessels are descended from nomad stock that migrated in from the polar regions during the late 19th century and gradually displaced the sailing ships. They evolved the way they did because arctic conditions demanded low-profile, tough-hulled ships to survive there, and they lived off smaller creatures that processed plankton and algae into oil. Anyway, that's my theory and I'm stickin' to it!>>>
"I admit we don't have much of a drive for that." Marty admitted. "Our time only comes once a year, and only if there's a female around."
"So.... I've got the whole day off." Stokes smiled, "Any ideas as to what we could do?"
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 7, 2008 18:01:50 GMT -5
"Oh, one of Carl's men tried to kill me," said Ebony with a shrug, "Then he jumped off a cliff to avoid getting caught by the police. It happened at a place called the Palace Caverns."
*****
(((((OOC: I like that theory...)))))
"It's a lot different in the Navy," said Nerisa, "Unless you're breeding stock, you don't get much of a choice to raise a family at any time of the year, except when you get honorably discharged or permanently disabled in battle. It was a privilege I was willing to give up."
*****
"Well, Delfina doesn't need me now," said Freda, thinking a bit, "So how about a tour of the coast?"
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2008 18:42:11 GMT -5
"Who's this "Carl"? Guy turned back from the hangar door, one 'shade upraised. "And why was this man attacking you?"
"So you pretty much "marry" the Navy then." Marty nodded.
"That sounds like an idea." Stokes looked back at the shore with some thought. "I think there's one certain part of it that we can avoid for the present, but the rest of it's all there to see." He scented Randy and Erika on the wind, and had a good idea of what they up to right now.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 7, 2008 19:09:53 GMT -5
Ebony looked over at Guy, "Carl's this big ship that's been giving the humans and Freda some grief for the past few days. He's a real intimidating guy. And this man who attacked me was one of his crew members and that he must've recognized me."
*****
"Pretty much," Nerisa bobbed her bow in agreement, "That's my life."
*****
"Then why don't you show me?" asked Freda with a smile.
(((((OOC: Hey, if a ship gets pregnant, how do they handle it?)))))
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2008 19:25:13 GMT -5
Guy's brow furrowed. "And this has been going on for... how long?"
"You've got some dedication, then." Marty shrugged. "There's lots of Navy subs, but I don't think I could handle that for a week, let alone my whole life. Which gives me considerable respect for those that can, however."
<<< They give birth in sheltered waters, unless they pass the childseed to a shipyard matrix or a host mother, which many service ships and larger vessels would do >>>
"Well... to start with..." Stokes looked out to sea, "There is this lighthouse that's actually some distance offshore, and there's this old car guy who still tends it, as it was bought by the landmark trust years ago when the beacon systems were automated."
A call came to Delfina's cell phone...
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 7, 2008 19:37:09 GMT -5
"About up to 4 to 5 days now, I believe," said Ebony, "I don't know that much more about it, since I arrived in the middle of things. Delfina can tell you more."
*****
"Well, it's nice to know that at least someone respects the Navy and those that make it their lives," said Nerisa.
*****
"I remember hearing about lighthouses becoming automated," said Freda, "Such a shame really. There's not that many traditional lighthouses left these days."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 7, 2008 19:50:46 GMT -5
"This is one of the last such on the west coast." Stokes nodded his bow. "Every so often we do a welfare check on the current occupant. It's about a half hour's cruise at twelve knots."
"All this trouble and we haven't heard about it?" Robin came up, perplexed.
"I know she may be busy, but would Delfina spare some time to talk to us?" Guy asked.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 7, 2008 20:10:29 GMT -5
(((((OOC: I have this idea that Freda, since she had been alone for a long time, might be wanting the same thing that Erika has been wanting.)))))
"I'd like to go see it," said Freda.
*****
"She wouldn't mind a visit," said Ebony, "As long as you let her know that you're coming. The humans don't like getting unexpected visits."
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