|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 5:18:27 GMT -5
"Yeah!" Becky said excited, happy for getting the chance to play with Moria for the last time. She knew that she was going to to a school in England sometimes next year or the year after that, both to get her along with kids who wouldn't travel too much like the circus kids, and where she would get better care in regards of her charger conversion.
So this was possibly the last time she got to play with Moria.
"I don't listen to it that often." John smiled. "I'm not that much for the rudeness they're displaying. Ain't my cup of tea."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 14:23:00 GMT -5
Having finished and settled up, Amara glanced over to Daryush. It would be nice to watch the kids play. Illya and his friends joined the girls and headed off to the jawball court.
"At least Paul's powers of darkness aren't being used against us." Adriana smiled sardonically. "After "that night", he knows where not to tread." She looked out as the children headed off. "That's going to be hard on Becky."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 15:19:15 GMT -5
Daryush twigged on what Amara was thinking and went with her over to the court to watch the kids.
"Even after three months they're really close." John said. "And then Illya's going to be traveling with his parents once the twins can move about."
Becky served the ball after they had decided on teams. They were probably playing for more than usual, but she didn't mind it. She knew that Moria was used to it given that she was in a sports team back home, probably had few trophies and coins as well.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 15:28:27 GMT -5
Moira lunged and deflected the ball off her nose, and it caromed towards Illya who was to Becky's right. Illya caught it and heaved it towards center court, where Kyle bopped it back towards Ramona, on Becky's other side. Ramona lunged, but missed it. She rolled her eyes and picked it up to bring to Moira. "OK, your serve."
Moira then worried at the ball, building momentum, and sent it on a high parabolic arc. It was an even chance whether Becky or Illya would catch it.
Amara smiled as she watched her daughter. "That's my girl."
"And the twins were already doing hops yesterday." Adriana recalled. "Nothing like seeing the babies take their first skips and jumps." It wouldn't be long, a matter of weeks, before the twins' hardwired instincts had them flying with their mother, formating naturally off her wings. It never ceased to be a source of amazement for those outside the species.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 15:33:55 GMT -5
Becky went for the ball, and Illya had known her for long enough to know when she would go for it. She masterfully deflected the ball and over the net, where it would land masterfully inside the court if no one caught it.
Daryush nuzzled Amara slightly, not going to disturb her too much as she was watching her daughter having the last game with a friend of her here.
"I saw it." John said. "I did wonder if I aught to 'assist' them, but Felix was quick to point out the bads about that." He shrugged. "It might be easier to fly with magic, but if you don't know how to fly without it, you're screwed.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 16:46:38 GMT -5
Moira lunged again, with a grunt, and caught the ball handle. She swung her head around once and released the ball towards opposite left court. Illya bumped it, sending it in Damon's direction. Damon bounced it off his prop blade, sending it spinning back over Becky's head to Ramona. The helo girl caught it and heaved it over the net to her right; Kyle caught it. He flung it high and it bounced on the fence behind Becky. They were even now.
Amara nuzzled Daryush in turn, and groomed him a little.
"Felix is good for knowing exactly how much he should help when when to let you figure it out on your own." Adriana commented. "And he's a pretty decent guy."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 16:56:46 GMT -5
The game continued for a while, even past the usual limit of children's game as all the kids were well conditioned and weren't feeling any exhaustion just yet. Becky did miss the home field advantage she had on the beach, since she could drive all the others to exhaustion before she broke a sweat.
"He is." John said. "I was afraid that his powers would mess things up with me, but he has pretty nice control." John had been snacking on his breakfast in between the chats, and looked at the clock as he was finishing up. "I gotta see the lawyer pretty soon." He said. "And then the base owns half a horse, and it is not for eating." He smirked.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 19:04:07 GMT -5
Finally, as all things must, the game came to an end. The children then settled down to grooming each other for a time. Amara at last broke away from Daryush. Their departure time was drawing near.
"Well, I'll see you later, then." Adriana turned about. "I have to go get saddled up." With that, she went off to the prep hangar.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 19:13:22 GMT -5
"You know, I've been bracing myself for this day." Daryush said. "How come it is now that I just want to keep you here?" Even though I so unceremoniously dumped you this morning? He thought to himself, but had the sense not to say that out loud.
As Moria was leaving, she was on the receiving end of most of the grooming happening. Becky focused on her right wing root, working out any possible knots. This was the last time they would do that this year.
"See ya." John said and settled his bill.
Edward was going over the equipment as a pilot should do. Then he heard Adriana arriving. "Our first real duty shift." Edward said smiling. "This is coming quite rapidly."
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 20:05:04 GMT -5
Amara couldn't find words for that, not right away. After a pause, she answered. "And I wish this moment could last forever?" She looked back at the children. "I hear Becky might be going to school in England at some point. The change the school year alone would be a huge adjustment for her."
Felix turned up then, having had breakfast earlier. MUCH earlier. He was an early riser. "G'morning."
"Where did the last month go?" Adriana sighed. Bateman and Brenda had worked with her for several weeks preceding, then the first training flights with Edward commenced, gradually increasing in duration and challenges until the day that they would go on duty in earnest. She moved into the prep frame and placed her chin on the headrest, and was gently clamped in. It would now be the pilot's responsibility to make sure everything went in properly.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 20:12:51 GMT -5
"I just hope that Moria will have some peers around when she comes back." Daryush said. "Still, the circus is talking about making a permanent base here. Hopefully that will get through."
"Morning." John said. "I was just about going to the law office, care to accompany me?" He asked Felix.
Edward took a careful note of everything, assuming the worst and hoping for the best. He saw no flaws in the installation, and nothing came up when he checked things over for the last time for this trip.
"Green on my end, how about yours?" Edward asked Adriana, knowing that her input was just as valuable as his even though she couldn't see everything.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 20:33:51 GMT -5
"It's a good place." Amara nodded. "Warm year 'round, not so big a place that the airspace would be too congested to practice. And a lot of room for kids to grow up in."
"Sure." the Eurocopter answered. With rotor blades gathered along his spine, he rolled along beside the Eagle youth. "I must say, you've really come along well in the past month."
"Everything's good and tight." Adriana answered. She felt the automated test routine with its baseline cues, and flicked each surface in response. "Good to go."
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 3, 2011 20:47:57 GMT -5
"It's that." Daryush said. "And the base is going to see couple of kids next year." He chuckled. "You might even be able to see Brenda with her newborn if the timing is right. I can't really imagine how Pepper's kid will turn out. Buccaneers are quite homogeneous and rarely are able to breed with other kinds."
"I think it is about the responsibilities thrust on me." John said. "I have to control my impulses lest I do something that damns me, my behaviour and response dictates if a cult gets a foothold here and I have this newfound power at my grasp and I can't ignore it. I guess who I was wouldn't have cut it for all of this, so I just have to remake myself into someone who can." John smiled. "Good news is, I'm deprogrammed from the influence of the cult."
With the final thumbs-up from the crew, Edward went into the cockpit, bringing up the interface and looking around. Training was one thing, duty was a whole new other thing.
|
|
|
Post by Evangeline on Jun 3, 2011 22:26:24 GMT -5
"I'm looking forward to it." Amara smiled at the thought of seeing a few more babies around. "And you'll probably need a few more to spell out the new mothers while they're nursing." In the tradition of the services Amara was familiar with, pregnant and nursing females often served as instructors while they were out of regular service.
"Everybody remakes themselves to some extent as they grow." Felix concurred as they reached the business center where mechanians interacted with outside business people. "I could only advise and help so much. The rest of it, John, was your doing." A visiting Blackhawk female paused as they passed. She was sleek and streamlined, coming from the American stealth lines. Her eyes, the shade of Colorado blue spruce, met his and then went along the rest of his body in a "checking-out" move. Felix blushed slightly.
With the pilot's canopy still up, Adriana rolled out. Edward's connection was a small image in one corner of her visor display. She could feel a certain tension that told her that his hands were engaged. It had taken a few weeks of work with the group captain to develop the sensitivity she needed to perceive that baseline. The Tornado blew out softly as she felt the canopy close, and rose slightly as she saw the marshaller give her the signal to light up.
|
|
|
Post by elizar on Jun 4, 2011 4:03:47 GMT -5
"Yeah." Daryush said. "And hopefully we won't get the budget axe like last time. Because we're going to need the extra help."
John saw the move and recognized for what it was. But once they were out of earshot, he leaned in. "You better hurry, or she'll eventually hear I'm the gayest one around, and there's an interspecies deviant at the base and might come to the wrong conclusion." While Ryan's plight had been resolved, some rumors had begun to go around which everyone tried to disprove.
"Let's go." Edward said, allowing Adriana to handle the take-off by herself.
|
|