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Post by Evangeline on Nov 9, 2008 23:08:56 GMT -5
Guy nodded slowly, smiling. "We could read the signs. This Carl is a bigger fool than I thought."
"And thank you." Stokes gave Freda another nuzzle, and this time it came with a gentle nip.
"It's always the ones who think they're smart and know it all who do the most god-awful moronic things." Bree rolled her eyes and groaned. "I've lost count of how many times I've had to go out to sea in the middle of a gale and look for guys like these."
Greg responded with a wide, predatory grin. "And now they've slipped up big time."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 9, 2008 23:25:08 GMT -5
"Considering I haven't had that much opposition lately," said Delfina as she snapped her fingers, causing a small fireball to appear at her fingertip.
*****
Freda purred and rubbed her cheek against Stokes' as she edged a little closer to the cutter.
*****
"I'd like to see their faces when they come face-to-face with Delfina," grinned Ebony.
Shale grinned at that, knowing of the human's user status and how powerful she was.
"I was told she manipulated the water currents and scared Carl off," continued Ebony, "He was bothering Freda."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 9, 2008 23:41:56 GMT -5
"I wonder if Carl's intimidation games with Freda didn't also have a bit of lechery as well?" Bree growled. "He terrorized Erika for years, and made her his personal plaything. I wonder if he was wanting to get to a female more his size?"
"What else can you tell me about this Carl?" Guy asked intently, his eyes glittering like a wolf's.
Stokes pivoted about and began nibbling and kneading at the area behind Freda's head in a mutual-grooming gesture, positioning himself so that Freda could do the same if she wanted to.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 10, 2008 0:05:07 GMT -5
"Now that's a new way to think about it," said Ebony, "It's possible, you know, with any man who's bigger than you are. They want to be in control. I suspect he tried to get Erika to glean information out of Randy for something."
*****
Delfina raised her arm again, palm flat and facing down. A swirl of sand, like liquid, flowed out of the surface and molded itself together, forming a miniature representation of Carl's appearance. "Here, a visual reference," Delfina said, "He's actually about 50 times or more bigger, but this is what he looks like generally. Anyway, Carl is a manipulative, mean, abusive SOB. He has been giving us grief and already has Freda intimidated because she's smaller. He has been trespassing on our dive site, although he has said that he was an a salvage job, but I know he's been trying to figure out what we were doing there."
*****
Freda began to slowly nibble and kneading Stokes in return, her purring accentuating her happiness.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 10, 2008 0:42:43 GMT -5
"And what he really wants to do with her...." Bree looked disgusted. "A thug like that, no self-respecting ship-woman his size wants anything to do with. She'd drop-kick his *ss out of the harbor, and all her family then would have their own turn. It could be that he's acting on someone else's orders, or on his own initiative, but as Delfina is a user, her activities and whatever she's seeking would be of interest to certain people, regardless of what it actually is. We're just lucky we caught on to his little honeytrap in time."
"You are a user, so they would assume you're looking for something powerful," Guy stated, "and since they're nasty lowlife people with no concept of trust or anything of virtue, they would also project their own character deficits on you. Therefore, they want what you're after because they assume you would do the same as they would with it, doesn't matter what it is."
"I always tell him he should have gone into psychoanalysis." Sharon smiled waggishly.
"And my patient and I would be at each others' throats before the hour was out." Guy rolled his eyes. "I know myself too well, ma moitié*."
<<< *French term of endearment - "My (better) half">>>
Stokes was in heaven. It might progress further than this, it might not, but he would take joy in whatever Freda and the circumstances allowed. He slowly began to work his way back towards her midships in a thorough but respectful manner.
<<< I imagine this sort of mutual grooming would be what CV ships would do "in the wild" to keep rust and parasites in check. >>>
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 10, 2008 1:01:13 GMT -5
"I think Delfina's beginning to suspect that already," said Ebony, "and she's taken measures to prevent that from happening. Carl seems to have underestimated her."
*****
Delfina closed her fist and the sand mold fell back onto the ground like mud, "He really doesn't know who he's messing with." She glanced over at Raven, finally noticing him. Her focus was on him as she talked, "I can tell you what we have already found. That is, if the one who was found is willing to reveal what he really is."
Raven caught Delfina's look, got the meaning that he picked up from her thoughts, and nodded slowly in agreement.
*****
Freda continued her grooming session with Stokes, letting out purrs every now and then.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 10, 2008 1:27:39 GMT -5
<<< Last post >>>
"Another common trait of these chuckleheads." Bree snorted. "Narcissism. Assuming that everyone's mind works the same way theirs does. When you combine "narcissistic" and "stupid", and put it on a user's trail, the results aren't going to be good. And Carl's flunkies are going to be a lot like him."
<<< Like dear old Dad, Bree can go into "psychoanalytic" mode at the drop of a hat. >>>
Guy raised an eyeshade, wondering what else Delfina was about to reveal.
Stokes came to Freda's stern area, and stopped short after a few more nibbles. That was a boundary he wasn't sure he would cross yet. Instead, he worked his way back and switched sides. That would allow more time for both of them to figure out if they wanted to go any further tonight.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 10, 2008 11:18:28 GMT -5
"Like I've seen already," muttered Ebony, "One of them tried to kill me and instead gave me these nice scars before he went and killed himself."
The Viper rubbed at the healing scars on her hood and sides as the itching was an almost constant irritant to her.
*****
"Raven," Delfina turned to the long, black-haired young man, "Can you come here?"
"Yes?" asked Raven as he came over to where Delfina was, "What is it?"
Delfina looked at the shapechanged alien, "Raven, do you feel comfortable showing your true form to these helos here?"
Raven looked at Sharon, Guy, and Robin with scarlet eyes and for a moment he was contemplating the possibility of capture once he had done so.
'They're friends of mine,' Delfina added mentally as if to reassure the young alien, 'I don't think they would let you get captured by the government.'
"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt," sighed Raven, straightening his body as a warm, white glow enveloped it for a moment. He rose up off the ground as he body morphed and shaped itself into the large, manta-ray ship form.
When the transformation was complete, Raven hovered there for a few more seconds than slowly settled onto the sandy ground on his belly. He watched for the helos' reactions as well as looking to Delfina for reassurance.
*****
Freda felt good while the grooming session was going on. She hadn't felt this good since she had spent the night at her parents' dock years ago when she was little and she wanted this to last forever.
She glanced at Stokes for a moment before closing her eyes and letting out another purr. She hoped that this place was private enough for the next level.
"How about we get some privacy?" she asked softly.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 10, 2008 12:46:58 GMT -5
Greg noted Ebony's scratching with a frown. "I think I might have something that can deal with the itching. Just wait a sec." He went off to his medical kit and returned with a plain ceramic jar. "Another one of our family concoctions. It'll do for any vehicle."
Robin, by now, had been through some pretty wild things in her life, compared to other Carsverse denizens. She looked Raven up and down, and nodded slowly. "Okaaaaaaaaaaay."
Guy rose on his U/C shocks and stared for a moment, but recomposed himself after a prolonged beat. "Thank you for your confidence in us. We will do everything to maintain it." Sharon's reaction was more like her daughter's, but she was a Dauphin born and bred, and people of her stock were brought up to keep their cool. At last, she smiled. "Hello, Raven."
"Good idea." Stokes murmured. "There's another little inlet just beyond here, big and deep enough for us, but it's almost perfectly hidden unless you know where to look."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 10, 2008 13:12:21 GMT -5
"Oh, that's good," said Ebony with relieved sigh, "These were driving me crazy."
*****
"Hello..." Raven said shyly.
Delfina rested a hand on one of Raven's face cones, spikes, or whatever they were. "It takes a while for him, but he'll start to trust you eventually."
*****
"Can you show me where it is?" asked Freda.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 10, 2008 13:49:08 GMT -5
"This way, Freda." Stokes reluctantly broke contact with her and headed out, making sure that she could follow. "Just stay alert because it can literally appear like the land swallows a boat that's going inside."
Greg opened the jar and used wipes to apply the salve to Ebony's scabs. "Should hold it off for a day or two. A little goes a long way."
"It does work, too." Bree added.
Guy extended his nose, sniffing at Raven and finally whuffing in approval.
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 10, 2008 14:01:15 GMT -5
"Alright," said Freda as she followed Stokes, making sure to stay alert.
*****
"It feels soothing," said Ebony as the salve was rubbed on her healing scars.
*****
Delfina watched as Raven let himself be inspected by the helos. The alien was being very brave for doing something like this by taking a great risk by exposing himself in his true form.
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 10, 2008 14:12:15 GMT -5
Sharon and Robin took their turns at getting to know Raven's scent, and then blew out in a friendly fashion. "Pleased to meet you."
Stokes slowed down as he approached the shoreline, nose working. The water in the basin had a slightly different scent than the ocean water, and finally he located it. "Here's the mouth." He passed through a channel that appeared to be just wide enough for vessels of his and Freda's size. "Nothing bigger can come in here, and there doesn't seem to be anyone else there now."
"My family's been offered a small fortune for the recipe," Greg nodded, "But these little secrets are like heirlooms to us."
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Post by ebonyviper on Nov 10, 2008 14:31:47 GMT -5
"A pleasure," Raven replied, "It's nice to know there is someone here besides everyone in this camp who are tolerant of me. I would rather be treated as an intelligent individual than a thing to be experimented on because I'm different from everyone else."
*****
Freda viewed the basin curiously. She followed Stokes in through the channel and looked around. "It's very lovely and private."
*****
"I understand that," said Ebony, "and I won't do anything like that."
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Post by Evangeline on Nov 10, 2008 15:57:42 GMT -5
"It is that." Stokes nodded, stretching a bit, unwinding and allowing Freda the time to do the same. "It's also a great place to catch up on sleep now and then."
Greg took out a small amount and put it in a plastic container. "Here's some you can keep for later."
"Common sense is a rare element in the higher circles of government." Guy agreed. "So let's not burden them with any such knowledge."
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