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Post by Evangeline on Jul 12, 2010 20:06:17 GMT -5
"I'm a hopeless caffeine fiend." Pepper admitted as she pulled into an empty slot. Most of the others from the squadron weren't down yet. "But that applegrass infusion also sounds tempting."
"Not at all." Amara shrugged again. "I don't think there'll be a lot of people there right now." The fuel bar, adjacent to the public square and screen, was only one-third occupied at nine in the morning, having seen off the early-morning rush and the late-morning crowd coming off of exercises wouldn't be in for a while. It was then that she saw the Sukhoi, standing with his Buccaneer companion. She crept into a slot one over from the two, wondering why she was suddenly feeling butterflies inside. But how could he possibly be so different, so novel, from anyone else of her kind that she'd met here so far?
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Post by elizar on Jul 12, 2010 20:27:45 GMT -5
"At least it's healthier." Daryush chuckled as ordering his own applegrass infusion. He noticed Amara's eyes resting on him a bit longer than most did. "Hey, should we invite her over here? It's not like she knows any on the base other than those the court order tells her not to meddle with now." He said low to Pepper.
Marianne was aside in the corner of the slot. She had noticed Amara's interest in Daryush. "They're not together, but I think you can smell that." She said.
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 12, 2010 20:52:29 GMT -5
Pepper just smiled and gave a vigorous nod...
Yes... Amara shifted her head, looking to see that there was no sign of her ex anywhere about. There was no sound or scent of him. It was as if she had come out of a desert, and here was this cool, frosty drink right in front of her. In a way, she had been dwelling in a desert for the last few years, that desert known as "Sleeping Alone." It was only now, with the kids not around, that Amara's "animal nature" as she called it, was out of its cage and taunting her, "Honey, there's no end of eager males about, no end of MILF-seekers or cougar-hunters you could've had at the drop of a flap, and let's face it, you ARE getting to that age, but this one ain't one of'em. This one is a MAN."
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Post by elizar on Jul 12, 2010 21:05:47 GMT -5
Daryush chuckled as he saw the vigorous nodding, then turned to Amara's slot. "Enough space in here for three and we wouldn't mind the company." He said as he had gotten her attention. Though he realized he already had it when he had turned to her.
Marianne seemed to make the decision for Amara and walked over to the separator, then looking back at Amara to see if she would follow.
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 12, 2010 21:16:56 GMT -5
Amara looked up, meeting the Sukhoi's liquid-dark eyes. Without showing too much alacrity, she edged over the demarcation line and slowly sidled up beside Daryush, intent on not coming across like a teenybopper chasing a teen idol. "I appreciate it." Her nostrils fluttered as she breathed him in. "I was listening in on your freq this morning. You might have lost that round with your wing commander, but you certainly didn't give it away or sell it cheap."
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Post by elizar on Jul 12, 2010 21:32:38 GMT -5
"Thanks for the complement." Daryush said smiling. "My name is Daryush Walberg and this is Kiana Baylor, likes to be called "Pepper". I'm Frogfoot in the air, but just Daryush on the ground, or Dary for short."
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 12, 2010 21:42:45 GMT -5
<<< For some reason, this affair reminds me so much of Leonard Cohen's songs... www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pA5UhNaYw0&feature=related >>> "Amara Sutherland." the F-16 smiled, "And I'm pleased to meet you both." Pepper nodded and smiled again, but didn't do anything that would interrupt Daryush at this time. "So..." Amara looked back at the posted menu items, including some specials written out with chalk. "You've been coming here a lot longer than me, so what would you recommend?"
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Post by elizar on Jul 13, 2010 6:39:17 GMT -5
"The applegrass drink is as fresh as it can be. If you want it fresher just go outside, but do clean up after yourself." Daryush said. "They also make a mean Tropicana blend, and their sweet tea has tapioca bubbles if you're for that."
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 13, 2010 16:25:15 GMT -5
"I don't like messy stuff, so I'll just go for the drink." Amara smirked. "I don't think I'm ready for tapioca bubbles just yet." When the attendant came up, she gave her order. While waiting, she turned back to Daryush and Pepper. "So how long have the two of you been serving here?"
"Two years in September." Pepper answered. "Our line's been outmode thirty years on our own side, but I really wanted to do something like we were born for."
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Post by elizar on Jul 13, 2010 16:41:09 GMT -5
"Been here almost nine months." Daryush said. "Feels a lot shorter. As for why I'm here is partly the same reason Pepper's here." He left out the other reason tactfully. Nearly everyone had some skeletons in their closets. And there was also the fact he would have gotten a position in Middle East pretty easily, but still chose humanverse over it because of his western upbringing.
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 13, 2010 17:12:32 GMT -5
"As you c'n see, I sort of "adopted" him." Pepper admitted. "I had no brothers in my family, and we aren't too far apart in general type."
Amara chuckled. "I guess over here, "family" is wherever you can find it."
Others filed up to the fuel bar, moaning about their short "lives" in today's training. Pepper listened in on some of it. "I guess the Alpha Mare and the Bushranger are really on this morning. I really hope they can beat Hammer even after taking on all this lot, 'cause he'll be insufferable otherwise."
Amara snorted lightly. Paul had been insufferable from the time the breeding program matched them up to the time she packed up the kids and left.
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Post by elizar on Jul 13, 2010 17:28:19 GMT -5
"Seems that they've really found a magical match of talent and communication." Daryush said. "I don't feel as bad about losing now." He chuckled.
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 13, 2010 19:16:31 GMT -5
Pepper took on a more introspective expression than most who knew her would be accustomed to seeing. "I've thought of taking the evaluations, you know. Maybe I'm not quite up there with the wing commander IQ-wise, but they say that's not what finally decides'em. They say character and sense of self matter more, and all the better if you have strong relationships with your own kind to balance it out."
"They don't want any neurotics or doormats." Amara summed it up. "Sensible policy, given the risks."
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Post by elizar on Jul 13, 2010 19:38:02 GMT -5
Given where the conversation was going, Daryush regretted bringing up the subject given the arranged marriage Paul and Amara had been through. "I heard that you are working at NASA, how's that going?"
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Post by Evangeline on Jul 14, 2010 0:57:03 GMT -5
"Basically, I'm an MP." Amara answered frankly. "We also get the honor of escorting the shuttle when he comes in to land. It's a good job, pay and health plan are decent and the kids get to go to the on-site school at KSC, along with the shuttle kids. I also get to kick *ssholes out of the officers' club on occasion, and that's fun too." she grinned wickedly.
"Hey, it's Hammer's turn now!" someone called out. All eyes turned to the screen in the common area.
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