|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 0:41:36 GMT -5
Ragnheiður came out with the kids and was near them when they came to her. Once she saw she had some attention, she hung her head a bit. "I'm sorry Bree." She said.
Tyler nodded. "I would be a fool by trying anything for the next few hours." He said to Delfina.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 0:56:59 GMT -5
Bree blinked a little. "Ragna, it's OK, how could anyone have known, about me or the constraints? I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you the truth sooner. Thank you for the help you gave me." Earlier in the morning, she had taken the rest of her clothes and belongings to Louise, and asked her to give them to Ragnheiður later. Among those things was the backgammon set, with a note inside.
The children were straining to get a closer look at her. Shiori's eyes met hers for an instant, and the girl's jaw dropped. "It really IS her, the eyes are the same and she holds her head the same way as she did!"
"I'm gonna learn to fly my model helicopter just like you showed me!" Johann announced.
"Let's go sit down, where it's warm." Delfina motioned back towards the house. The cold outside couldn't be helping much either.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 1:05:15 GMT -5
Ragnheiður smiled and noted the kid's enthusiasm. "You better keep contact with us." She said. "For the sake of the little ones."
Tyler nodded and went inside the living room. There he promptly sat down on the couch. "Not joining in with the others to welcome Bree back with her body? Or was it as straining on you as it was on me?" Tyler chuckled as he noticed what he said. "Strike that last sentence out of the record."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 1:24:01 GMT -5
"I think Bree will understand." Delfina lifted her hands to her face, rubbing it slowly. "She's known me for almost fifteen years now. God, I'd fall right over her just now!"
Micheal brought in some mugs of hot coffee, and Aron was behind with the tray. Julian had also flaked out in one of the corner chairs after a night of treating the dog, the injured horses and Shayla; they'd had to put down one of the other Icies after finding it mortally wounded at the treeline. The other six horses were still rattled and had various small wounds, but would recover.
"I'd better, all right." Bree laughed. "I'll send you all a letter as soon as we're back in Auckland."
Shale smiled at the children. Their enthusiasm and energy reminded him of Joel and Daisy. Maybe at some point they could come over.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 7:36:24 GMT -5
Tyler looked at Julian, knowing that he had spent his time doing. "I am sorry about the horses." He said.
Aron sat down besides Delfina and looked up at the clock, the half hour the marine had been given to solve the puzzle was almost up.
"And we would need a return address." Ragnheiður said smiling. "Johann would want to tell you how much progress he has made with the helicopter."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 13:15:21 GMT -5
"I have that." Shale ejected a document-holder that had, among other things, stacks of business-sized cards. "You can take one of these, or a few, and it's got the mailing address for the whole mission in Auckland. Just add "Attention: Capt. LeVasseur, USCG" to it, and it'll go to the right place."
"Thank you, hon." Bree nudged her mate. All such things had been stripped from her before her initial transformation.
"War - and distasters - force everyone to make choices that they don't want." Julian answered. He had his own fair share of guilt in these matters.
About thirty seconds before the half hour was up, there was a click and a shout...
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 13:48:40 GMT -5
Ragnheiður accepted it, though she had a slight hesitation due to the size difference. "I'll take it to Micheal." She said, avoiding to display her hesitation.
"Yeah, but you were the field vet in this small war." Tyler said. "I figured I owed you at least an apology. He looked towards the doors as he heard the shout. "What's that?"
"Just me losing a bet." Aron replied and stood up, walking towards the source of the shout.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 15:43:39 GMT -5
<<< Heh, aren't I mean? I just bought a second-hand laptop for $200, yippee. Hope it lasts awhile. >>>
"It wouldn't stop a SMART thief, but it'd sure delay'em some." the Marine corporal, by the name of Haden Ah Kuoi, said to Aron. Au Kuoi was of mixed Samoan, Chinese and "Alabama Redneck" descent, and six feet three inches of solid muscle. His sort was rapidly becoming the new phenotype of "American" in the Pacific, but they were, culturally, inheriting the mantle of American culture and legal traditions. Simmons had not just selected good men to go with him, but those he had already pegged as future senior NCO and "Mustang"* prospects who might eventually build and maintain links with the Carsversians. "But God, that's gotta hurt to lose a sidearm like that."
Bree gave Ragnheiður a very gentle nudge. "We've got Micheal's address too, so you might be hearing from us."
<<< * Commissioned officers promoted up from the enlisted ranks>>>
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 15:53:53 GMT -5
"I can afford another one in carverse." Aron said. "It would a great teaching tool, showing select few what they may handle in the future. At the moment, bullets and magazines are specially made by the manufacturer. They don't have any parallel here. That means that the five magazines you get it this one, is the only thing you're going to be able to use with it."
Ragnheiður was bit alarmed by the nudge, but it had been gentle. A substitute for a hug she supposed. "We'll then wait for your letter, unless Micheal or Grant will want to discuss with you at early opportunity."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 16:18:08 GMT -5
"I'll also give them a few ways they can talk to us by radio." Bree said as Micheal came out. Micheal had been through a wringer the past few days, and still was wearing a bandage from last night, but was holding up a cheerful front. He smiled to Ragnheiður and the kids before turning to Bree and Shale. "The circumstances might have been unfortunate, but we are glad to know you, and better for it."
Bree acknowledged him warmly. "Thank you. I've learned a lot in the past week, and this is something I hope to build on." Her sentiments about any kind of bonded servitude were as strong as ever, but, having seen it from the inside, and seeing what both "owners" and "owned" perceived they got from it in a best-case situation, she recognized that anything that had been entrenched for a while was going to need more than just the force of law or arms to resolve. It required solutions.
"I'll be nursing those, then." Ah Kuoi grinned. "Who knows, that manufacturer might get a contract in the future."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 16:37:31 GMT -5
((Oh wow! I just found the movie me and my bro must have driven our sitter mad with. I had lost nearly all hope on it and found it by pure dumb luck. Now to wait for the ISK to be stronger so I can shop online...))
"That's why the made such a risky investment." Aron said. "Big risk takers." He reached for his back pack and took up a smaller bag from it. "Holster, magazines and an instructions manual. But not a solution. I do not want to see the Weaver end up in Russia or the Caliphate."
Ragnheiður watched Johann trying to fly the RC helicopter in an attempt to impress Bree before she would leave.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 16:48:59 GMT -5
"That I understand." Ah Kuoi laughed. "To put it lightly, the rest of us tend to share your sentiments." He accepted the semi-rigid padded bag and carefully placed the Weaver and its magazines inside.
"Oh, you've got it now." Bree nodded with approval as Johann finally seemed to master the little beast. "But don't let the dog get it." Worf, the other Landseer, barked and chased the model as it zipped several feet above his head. That reminded her, and she sobered somewhat. "How is Jean-Luc now?"
<<< What's this movie? >>>
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 16:59:01 GMT -5
((Pound Puppies and the Legend of Big Paw. Strange, while I do recall the song "Stand by me" being one of the songs 'spoofed' in the movie, it is not listed there, while the plot is quite near how I recall it.))
"Good." Aron said. "I trust that you will take care of it and not let it fall in the wrong hands. Few magazines or not, anyone with half a mind could see how much they could get for it."
"I was told he needed another surgery." Ragnheiður said. "But he has a good chance."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jan 4, 2009 17:57:21 GMT -5
"Yeah, that bullet has to come out at some point." Bree nodded. "Julian said it was lodged too close to his spine for anything but an operation in a proper clinic. But he saved lives last night, and we owe him that much."
"He'll get filet mignon for his birthday as long as he lives." Micheal concurred.
"Oh, you can bet on that." Ah Kuoi dragged out a small, olive-drab strongbox and secured it there. "It's gonna stay in our armory vault. At some point, hopefully later than sooner, someone else is gonna reverse-engineer something, and there will be knockoffs - you should see what the Pashtun in Afghanistan turn out with just hand tools and backyard forges. But by that time, the original design will probably evolve into more improved versions and they'll always be playing catch-up."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jan 4, 2009 18:29:27 GMT -5
((Running out of things to do. Except for perhaps Bree's 'gift'.))
"When will you head back to New Zealand?" Ragnheiður asked, preparing the kids for Bree's eventual departure. She wasn't going to be around for long.
"Well, there's that, but it's a slim chance of happening until you start to buy it. Then it's guaranteed." Aron said.
|
|