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Post by Evangeline on May 30, 2011 20:12:49 GMT -5
"And it's very rare to see one in specimen quality." Moira said. The shadow box mount itself was a quality piece of work, and had its own lighting system, like something one would see in a museum. That such a thing could be put together on such short notice impressed her. Expensive, but not tacky or reeking of mindless extravagance. It had an educational value, after all.
"She's always been good for keeping in touch with friends." Amara remarked. "And she'll be missing a few birthdays over there as well, like her friend Gloria's. She sent them some pictures and postcards on our mail packets."
"I see." Felix read the situation correctly, smiling slightly. "Anyway, I might as well give you my contact info, and where I'll be staying. From what info they gave me it'll almost feel like I joined the circus."
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Post by elizar on May 30, 2011 20:17:29 GMT -5
"Is there any shell like this over in your world?" Becky asked.
"Gloria?" Daryush asked. "Isn't she one of the shuttles?"
"Well, there is a circus here." John said. "You can probably join them, they can probably turn that little talent of yours into an act."
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Post by Evangeline on May 30, 2011 20:30:32 GMT -5
"I don't really know about that one, but some of the sea cones don't exist over there." Moira said. "And there's a few whelks that don't exist over here."
"Yup." Amara nodded. "She's a sweet kid, and loves to go beachcombing with Moira. The KSC is right close to the beaches, so 'craft just go wandering over all the time, though the shuttle kids are pretty closely watched, for obvious reasons."
"So I noticed." Felix let out a small laugh as he noted some of the party guests. "And we could go so far as to call it a zoo as well."
Adriana came back, with an inquiring look at the helo before turning her attention back to John. "Everything is golden." she said cryptically. It meant that they had gotten approval to use a child's identity for the honeypot account.
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Post by elizar on May 30, 2011 20:39:50 GMT -5
"How do they handle being born grounded and staying like that?" Daryush asked. "Even when newborn we get restless if we don't get off the ground, or when there's a storm coming."
"I would love to see those." Becky said. This world was her home, and the other was just another place for her. Kids born of humans of the Ash Mountain had gone through similar development on the other side.
"Good to know." John nodded to Adriana. "This is Felix Duval. He's from the User Council and is here to guide me with my talent." He introduced the Eurocopter to Adriana.
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Post by Evangeline on May 30, 2011 21:02:50 GMT -5
"They seem to cope with it pretty well." Amara answered. "They're a little different from regular 'craft people, living much more in their brains than in their bodies. It's kind of hard to explain unless you really get to know them."
"I'll send you some when I get back." Moira said. "They're pretty, and I hear the collectors on this side go crazy over them."
"Pleased to meet you, Felix." Nice door art you've got there." Adriana smiled. On Felix's passenger compartment doors were graphics, in dark grey line, of a vintage humanside cartoon character, Felix the Cat. A stuffed version was buckled into one of the seats, just visible through the tinted windows.
"Thanks." Felix replied. "Cats were the first thing people thought of when they heard my name. And they're also said to have some luck on their side."
Around them, the party was slowly starting to break up.
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Post by elizar on May 30, 2011 21:11:52 GMT -5
"I still bet that once they get into the air they're ecstatic." Daryush chuckled.
"Sweet." Becky grinned. "That means I'm going to get something rare that other would love to even see. Kinda like your rug you got from the techies."
"Yeah, cats have nine lives, but being around black cats brings nothing but back luck." John chuckled. "Would you have time to chat now or should we set up a meeting later?" John asked Felix. He realized that the helicopter probably just got here so he didn't want to let him wait if he had to set things up and get acclimated.
(( Jump to finale? ))
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Post by Evangeline on May 30, 2011 21:19:30 GMT -5
<<< Sure. >>>
"And next time I'll bring some." Moira promised, "And autographs from everybody."
"Oh, they're looking forward to it. But they'll be starting glide training soon." Amara explained. "That's when they go up on the 747 and are released in mid-air to land."
"I need to go see about my accommodations, but I'll let you know later, as soon as I can." Felix said. He was relieved to see John loosening up a little after his initial wariness. <<<< So this is what they're calling it these days? www.retailhellunderground.com/.a/6a00e54f10a098883401538ec9f313970b-500wi >>>
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Post by elizar on May 30, 2011 22:23:51 GMT -5
(( XD at the picnic supplies. And I just saw the fourth Cars 2 trailer. I did not know that I was such a fangirl over Joe Mantegna until I heard his line in it. Seriously. ))
It was early morning, and Daryush woke up next to Amara in a little walk-in shed on a disused pasture. He remembered when they first had gone there together. But now, after three months, it seemed so long ago. While they hadn't used it last night like that night, it had still been a pleasant sleep. It wasn't a high-demand spot like the upgraded resort.
Daryush saw that Amara was beginning to stir a bit, so he gently nipped her to get her to the world of living. Because now was the hard part. She was going back home with her kids.
John had the morning off, but not from some random scheduling, but that in an hour or so he had to go visit the lawyer he and Thomas had been seeing for the last few weeks. Roger had been the one behind the theft, but unfortunately, he had spent it all. He had already bought half of the wild filly, who hadn't been really wild but already being ridden by something. It had been banished, and she had placed fourth on her last race, and had been the fastest filly that race.
But now he went over to a small shed he had rented out. Shawn had a week ago been moved out of the clinic. While he was still recovering, he had been taking up space and vacated once he didn't need to stay there. After it had gotten out that John had made the giant donation to his medical funds, he had publicly taken on getting Shawn back to his feet so to speak.
The fence seemed almost empty. The Heinz 57 rent boy had disappeared one night, but few days later it was reported he was in Sidney, and thankfully not taking up his usual job there but getting help for his mental issues. No other rent boy had taken his place so far, leaving Ekaterina with another newly arrived and barely legal bizjet girl.
"Got your favorite." John said as he knocked on the doors of the shed.
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Post by Evangeline on May 30, 2011 22:53:09 GMT -5
"Mmmm..." Amara stirred, still clinging to the edges of dreamtime. Her eyes opened slowly, and she lifted her chin off the mat. She and Daryush had become almost like old marrieds this last month, sharing a mat, and occasionally something more. But now was the last time they would wake up together... for a while. "Is it morning already? Jeez. Where did the last month go?"
Shawn whickered as he rolled up and nosed the door aside. "Thanks a bunch." He was looking much better now, and capable of moving about on his own though the scars would be there for a lifetime. Next week he would see an orthodontist for the first consultation on getting bridgework to replace his missing teeth. "So how's it working out with that horse? I heard you all set up a syndicate and the winnings are to pay back all that money."
Pepper was just starting to show a baby bump, but the techs did not comment on it as they prepped her for another duty shift, along with Suki, Adriana and Thomas. She had undergone some day surgery three weeks before, and now an inflatable bracer was expanding the cavity behind her braincase. The full process would take a year, but the doctors were optimistic for her conversion prospects. Besides periodic expansion, nothing else needed to take place until well after Pepper had given birth. It was the start of the rest of her life. Her own birthday gift, six days before, had come from her parents, gifting her with a hundred acres of property near Bright's Bay, with access to the airport there. In time, she would have a home built there.
Lewis and Tarquin, while still in competition, had agreed on a traditional suitors' truce, which placed both under certain rules of conduct, which applied even after she had made her choice. Winners and losers were always to remain civil with each other, and respect the woman's decision. And it wasn't uncommon for worthy competitors to become friends afterward. Pepper hoped that would be the case.
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Post by elizar on May 30, 2011 23:03:23 GMT -5
Daryush chuckled. "Well, John's getting trained, showed the doors to cultists trying to bother him, and Ryan's stalker came and went." He shuddered a bit at the memory of her. She had been utterly mental and he never heard a sane word from her. "And Pepper got braces. Anything else I'm missing?" He smirked.
"Final stamps in just couple of hours." John said. "Then it's all official and ready. And the bank has finally decided to leave me alone. They could not deal with the fact that I was switching banks."
Mia was checking over Suki. While it was routine work, this day wasn't just as routine. She noticed the little signs. Even though she wasn't medically trained professional, she knew when a jet was in discomfort.
"Suki, are you okay?" She asked. "You don't look so great."
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Post by Evangeline on May 30, 2011 23:35:56 GMT -5
"I think that's it." Amara got to her treads and stretched. "Those culties sure made tracks fast when John started "poking" at them. And Felix looked like he was going to kill himself laughing." She chortled at the memory of that and the fierce look from Jewel that further encouraged their rapid departure. "That was only slightly faster than the ejection of Ryan's ex. When PAUL expresses sympathy for Ryan, that means something." She turned on the radio. "And it looks like Paul's enjoying his new hobby." Indeed, the "Jack and the Hammer" early morning show had quickly earned notoriety in Darwin and everywhere else the signal reached as humanside Australia's newest shock jock duo scandalized the top half of the Northern Territory with caustic off-color commentary and mockery of celebrities, pop culture and "news of the wierd". "Oh well. As long as he's leaving me and the kids out of it."
"That's good. That bank sucked anyway, and now the chickens are coming home to roost for them." Shawn smiled, flexing a wing that had just come back into use. "And the doctor says I can start physiotherapy next week, and if all goes well I can be flying again by the winter. I just don't know how to thank all of you for your support."
"Just feeling a little queasy." Suki said. "Been like this three mornings in a row now, but it always goes away in an hour or so. I dunno if I should see the doctor or what."
Pepper glanced over. "Oh, crikey. Maybe you're up the duff like me!"
"Me? Preggo?" Suki laughed nervously. "I knew I had to replace that coil, but I thought I was safe for another week or so."
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Post by elizar on May 31, 2011 6:24:07 GMT -5
"Oh, he knows he's going to get a blanket party if he starts doing that." Daryush chuckled. He nipped slightly on Amara. "Amara." He said, now a bit too seriously. "I think we've been putting off something, something that we really need to address before you go."
"We take care of our own." John said. "Even though they never signed up in the first place. It wouldn't do the base that good if people knew they could get away with murder here, as long as they pick the right target." He sighed.
"At least Brenda has admitted to her pregnancy." Mia said. "But then again, she never had any protection to begin with. You just had an expired one." She moved over to one of Suki's sweet spots and began rubbing it. "The signs are a bit too obvious here, I think you aught to get tested at least."
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Post by Evangeline on May 31, 2011 13:02:46 GMT -5
Amara had a feeling of what that was leading to. "I know." She sighed. "Don't let me hold you back if someone else comes up once I'm gone, OK? All I would want is that they're a good person who treats you right."
"You have a point there, John." Shawn smiled wryly. "And I did hear a bit of news on that front, from Kat. She just got over the last legal hurdle and secured a lease on some hangar stalls at the west end. Salon Cerise is opening soon. I won't be going back into that business, but at least the conditions for the new pros will be safer."
"I will." Suki promised. "Funny thing is, I could SEE it happening with Brenda. Aidan is such a stud he could get a girl pregnant by looking at her. Well, he'll be in for a surprise when he comes to spend his furlough here."
Suki clammed up as Brenda made her appearance. The Hornet woman advanced up the line, doing her usual inspection before coming to rest beside Suki. Then, her nose twitched and her eyes followed as she finally scented what was going on with the squadron leader. "Oh God... not YOU too!" Johansen, stationed beside them, put on a convincing show of DIDN'T-SEE-NOTHING-DIDN'T-HEAR-NOTHING as Pepper leaned over slightly and smiled. "Glad to know I'm not the only one, but poor Alicia can't babysit'em all while we're on duty. We'll have to hire somebody."
"If we can go in on it together, all the better." Suki concurred.
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Post by elizar on May 31, 2011 13:26:12 GMT -5
"And I want the same for you." Daryush said. "I know that Paul didn't treat you right. I know I'm the first honest lay you've ever had, the first real relationship without breed pressure and that." He sighed. "But I'm not the only one you're ever going to get. Now you know of it should really be. Go back home, find someone for you, and then next year you can introduce him to your exes." He smirked finally.
"I wonder if that bizjet girl is going to be first of her hires." John said. "It looks like she is too 'fresh' in the business, hasn't been burned yet despite the fact that she doesn't look her age at all." There had been a great hubbub when she had arrived, everyone thinking that her an actual preteen and not legal. And even though she had revealed her actual age, people were still unsure, afraid of the clientele she would bring with her.
"This is going to be such a baby base." Mia sniggered. "We're going to have to hire a nanny. All we need now is for Jodi to give virgin birth. It wouldn't be that surprising."
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Post by Evangeline on May 31, 2011 14:04:50 GMT -5
"We'll see." Amara blinked back a few tears. "But I'll keep in touch, OK? Send you guys some cards and NASA swag. But don't go celibate on my account." finally, she turned towards the door. It would be time to gather her kids at the club for one last breakfast there before going.
"Kat said she'd do what she could to keep that girl out of trouble." Shawn said. "And security will be keeping a closer eye on the back fence to keep the pervs on notice. They can never completely eliminate the problem, but they can manage it."
Jodi, several places down, just smiled primly and shook her head in a NOT-GONNA-HAPPEN way. She had entered the year of silence, and while she could still speak in work-related matters, and when addressed by a superior, casual conversation was out.
"The nanny, definitely." Suki sighed. "As long as they can handle the kids, I don't care what species.
"We'll have to discuss that." Pepper nodded, "Maybe over dinner tonight, eh?"
"Sounds reasonable." Suki nodded, glancing towards Brenda. She had no idea what arrangements the boss-bird might have in mind for her own situation.
After a pause, Brenda smiled. "I'd agree."
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