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Post by silverfall on Aug 31, 2005 14:39:44 GMT -5
"Oh, yes, that's great," Razz said, looking up at the balloon. "Don't worry, Rox, they're great! I was up in one just last year. Or was it the year before? Anyway, it as a killer ride."
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Post by Jewel on Aug 31, 2005 15:12:39 GMT -5
"Are we ready to go?"
"Yes, I think so," The gold pegasus replied, glancing toward the anchored balloon. "It's not far to Dream Valley.. it shouldn't take us long."
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Post by Rose on Aug 31, 2005 21:39:45 GMT -5
Coon strolled up along with the other company in tow. Her golden eyes glinted with a mischievous flare in the sun as she stole a promiscuous glance to Jewel. There was a smug grin on her lips, a silent tease that stated clearly her amusement at being released prematurely from her time. Ultimately, the thief simply winked her hello to Jewel, before continuing on her conversation.
"So, miss-"..."-tery, you mystery you. What's your story, morning glory? Start off with, what do we call you?"
"You can call me anything you'd like," Coon growled deeply in her husky tone, her chest puffed out in a prideful manor. "But if you're adamant on a name Goldie Locks--" Yet another pet name was born. "--there's always Coon Skin."
It was then that Peri's attention was tugged briefly from Kimono to the voice of the thief. He nodded absently to Kimono's words as his eye slowly caught sight of the approaching group. He did not hide the dropping jaw of surprise at seeing Coon, despite knowing somewhere in his mind that there was no other thief they could've gotten.
Coon flashed her pearly whites at Peri in an arrogant fashion, before smiling to Jewel. "Hey beautiful!"
Her ever moving golden eyes briefly noticed the necklace now on Peri's neck.
Coon couldn't help but think No question who wears the pants in that relationship.
Peri just snorted in her direction, before uttering a 'hey' to the group. Grudgingly, he folded his hooves and mumbled in addition to Kimono's earlier statement. "Yeah, I've been ill lately too. From more than one reason."
Another vile glance to Coon followed.
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Post by Roxanne on Aug 31, 2005 22:49:25 GMT -5
"Coon Skin, eh? As in rac-coon?" d**nit, no gender help there. Maybe... it... will clue me in later somehow.
Roxanne wasn't sure what she thought of 'Goldie Locks' as a nickname, especially if it was as sarcastic as she suspected, but she decided to let it slide. Clearly, she pondered, looking around at the group, this grey pony had a knack for getting on others' bad sides.
"Drama, eh? Do I know about that!" Roxanne slapped the grey pony hard on the back. "Enough with the dirty looks, champs, Bandit - sorry, Coon Skin - " And she nodded to the other stripes by way of an introduction - "is along for the ride. This thieving critter is bound to us by a breakout agreement and we've all got to deal with each other.
"So," she continued, looking at Jewel, "let's get this show on the road. And here's hoping it doesn't ACTUALLY turn out to be a killer ride." And she winked at Razzaroo.
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Post by silverfall on Aug 31, 2005 23:51:51 GMT -5
Razz frowned for a moment, wondering why Roxy wouldn't want it to be a killer ride. Then as quickly as the thought had occured to him, it was gone again. He was thinking of Kail in Dream Valley.
He put his front legs over the edge of the balloon basket and peered inside. Then he gave himself a little heave up over the side, getting in as far as his back legs. With a few more wiggles, he slid in the rest of the way.
Too bad he hadn't just thought to use the little wicker door on the front.
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Post by Jewel on Aug 31, 2005 23:53:44 GMT -5
"Hey beautiful!"
The golden pegasus's ears pinned back against her skull as the theif addressed her. Jewel arched her neck slightly, giving Coon an icy stare. Not only had she gone through the trouble of apprehending the thief, but her comrades had sprung her from jail, and now the pegasus was expected to work with her. Jewel was determined to keep her cool as best she could. She needed to contribute, not take away, from the team.
Without a word to Coon or to Peri, Jewel held her glance at Coon while reaching over and taking a hunk of Peri's mane in her mouth, and pulling him to follow her before letting go and indignantly trotting a few paces away from the group. She faced away, looking in the direction of Dream Valley.
Kimono looked uneasy, not comfortable with the sudden change in atmosphere with Coon's arrival. The purple stallion slowly stepped back, next to Ice Crystal. He knew enough from his readings that crossing a mare was an invitation to injury.
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Post by Crescent on Sept 1, 2005 8:15:33 GMT -5
Hollow Heart was not left unconscious of the change in atmosphere, and the bad feeling that seemed to exist between Jewel, Peri and Coon. He couldn't tell what it was all about, but he didn't care to know the details. The main point was that they were already late and they had a mission. Everything else was irrelevant, feelings and all.
He went to the balloon, looking at the complicated climbing operation of Razz's with a raised eyebrow. Then he, very meaningfully, unlatched the little wicker door and opened it. He pushed the red and the orange champions into the balloon basket and then turned round at the door, looking at Jewel, Roxy and Coon.
"We have a mission to accomplish," he said calmly, with a cool, unemotional voice. "The Locket has been stolen. The Rainbow needs us. Will you work together for this one goal, more important than any single life here, or shall we waste some more time on meaningless bickering?" His eyes settled on Roxy and Coon Skin. "Into the balloon, now. We are losing precious time every heartbeat."
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Post by Ice Crystal on Sept 1, 2005 10:37:41 GMT -5
He appreciated Kimono's reassurance, later thanking him for the correction.
Ice Crystal flinched briefly at the loud call, but eased as he set his eyes on the Sapphire-jeweled stallion. Following Kimono's gesture, he to padded up to the white pony, listening to the ensuing conversation between, what appeared to be, old friends. He smiled at his introduction, bowing his head slightly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both."
He blinked at the golden pegasus' unusual reaction to the "soap star's" amulet. His brows furrowed in a private attempt to understand what she was doing. But before capable of politely looking elsewhere, she herd Peri Winkle away, in uneasy focus, he considered. Glancing at the source of the sudden shift, he tilted his head to a side ...
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Post by silverfall on Sept 1, 2005 18:21:32 GMT -5
Razz watched Hollow unlatch the door. "Whoa!" he said. "The rainbow sure knew what it was doing when it made you the Yellow. That's really clever putting a door in." He swung it back and forth, then let it go. It swung wide and then swung shut. "Nicely weighted. I wonder what other neat features this baby has."
He immediately climbed onto the propane tank, clung to one of the cables, and poked his head under the skirt of the balloon. Apparently pleased with whatever he'd been looking at, he came back down a bit and began pestering the gas burner. Naturally, his foot hit the propane knob. The little flames blazed higher and threatened to burn his nose. He jerked back, nearly lost his balance, and jumped down. The whole basket jostled under his shifting weight and he rubbed his tender nostrils. The balloon started to lift, tugging on the line of its anchor.
(I'll be gone for the holiday weekend.)
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Post by Rose Rebellion on Sept 1, 2005 19:24:55 GMT -5
Coon merely gloated with a twisted pride as she saw the manor Jewel pulled Peri off in. It wasn't everyday a thief was pardoned just so easily. It was a good feeling, even if she was getting on everybody's nerves.
Still smiling, she head turned her head and noticed with widening eyes the basket beginning to lift. Half clumsily she leapt forward and grabbed the basket's rim. This didn't effectively jerk the balloon back down to the ground, but it kept it from climbing further.
"Ughn," Coon grunted, pulling the basket at a tilt to peer into it. "Let's wait until everyone's inside before we do this, or at least until I'm in. I've no interest in walking to Dream Valley."
Then the gray masculine mare looked over the side of her shoulder to the others gathered. "All aboard! First floor electronics. Second floor exciting underwear. Third floor sporting gear!"
She then pushed off of her legs and went over the baskets rim and into the basket beside Razz and Hollow. Deductively she placed Razz with the voice in her head, and Coon suddenly recalled having met the stall months ago. Kail had been doting on him.
Noddingly, she murmured to Razz, "I hope you and Princess are still honkey dory." And, having been a big flirt to Kailani for some time and had an after thought. And if you two ain't, and you hurt her any, I'll be sure to do something about it.
Not giving time for an explanation, she turned to the retreating forms of Peri and Jewel and whistled for their attention.
Peri scowled between grunting various phrases that meant 'ow' by the way he was dragged by Jewel. Finally he pulled his mane from her mouth and rubbed his neck tenderly where the hair was. "Owwww... you sure you don't want me along just to make sure that gender bending abomination doesn't do anything funny?"
It was as if Coon's sudden appearance had fuelled Peri with a biting jealousy and anger (Coon *had* hit on Jewel in the middle of the God battle, after all), and it seemed to replace the initial sorrow that Jewel was leaving at all. Wasn’t it better to be mad at the company one was traveling with than that one was leaving at all?
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Post by Jewel on Sept 1, 2005 19:53:17 GMT -5
"Owwww... you sure you don't want me along just to make sure that gender bending abomination doesn't do anything funny?"
"Oh, Peri, I'm sorry.." The pegasus hadn't realized that in her spike of anger from Coon, she had pulled much harder than she had meant to. She was simply trying to get him to follow her. Brushing her muzzle along his neck, she placed a few small, quick kisses on the base of his mane where she had tugged, and pulled him close for a hug while she was at it.
Not giving time for an explanation, she turned to the retreating forms of Peri and Jewel and whistled for their attention.
"I have to go," She said, glancing skyward then returning to Peri's deep blue eyes. "I love you. Be safe. Take care of them," The peg half-smiled to the best of her ability before giving the white stallion one last kiss.
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Post by Roxanne on Sept 1, 2005 21:04:21 GMT -5
Roxanne huffed through her nostrils at Hollow's lecture, and muttered something that sounded like "you mumble intelligence mutter let rest of us grumble talking."
But the grey pony's jesting put her in a better mood once again. "Exciting undies, eh? Sounds like a good level to be at!" and quickly while the balloon was still at a reasonable level, she reached up to open the door, waggled her rear and hoisted herself in.
As the balloon rose into the air, she nudged her way to sit between Coon Skin and Razzaroo, happily inhaling the breeze. "Well Bandit, Roo..." She put a hoof around each of their shoulders. "Ain't this gonna be a trip!"
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Post by Rose Rebellion on Sept 1, 2005 21:05:46 GMT -5
Panic hit Peri for the last time, and before Jewel could fully pull from him, he reached and grasped a hoof. Without words he pulled her back into him for a much longer kiss. Slowly he broke it, and assured, "I love you too. Please come back in one piece."
There was a pleading look in his eye while his glass eye stared lifelessly forward. "I don't know what I'll do if you die again." There was true concern in his voice, and an utter truth that Peri would honestly be useless if Jewel disappeared completely.
His eye wavered, threatening theatric tears once more. A deep breath was inhaled, and gently he released her hoof from his grip. Silently, but bravely on his part, he took two steps back and nodded to her, finally confirming that she could leave.
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Post by Jewel on Sept 1, 2005 22:12:00 GMT -5
"I don't know what I'll do if you die again."
Jewel felt a tingle at the back of her mind, no doubt the indigo stripe. Amidst her worry and pain of leaving Peri, the warm effect of the stripe soothed her like endorphins. She suddenly felt stronger, more capable, and more driven to fulfil her duty.
"Then we'll just have to not let that happen, huh?" The pegasus smiled, an expression full of love for the actor before her. It was this image she wanted to leave Peri with, not one of tears.
With that last smile, Jewel reared, picked up speed, and leapt into the sky. As she climbed, she heard Kimono's faint call of "Return safely!" It wasn't long before she reached the same altitude of the balloon. With one last glace to the stallions below, Jewel soared diagnally behind the balloon, catching some of the air current.
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Post by Rose Rebellion on Sept 1, 2005 22:19:54 GMT -5
Peri sniffled, but watched with a squinting eye until there was no possible way he could spot or even yell out to her. Sulkily, his entire body just seemed to slump, threatening to drop down in what was emotional exhaustion. But Peri refused to allow his body to think of that. Shaking his head in disapproval, he did his best to straighten his shoulders. And slowly he headed back towards Kimono and Ice.
A waning smile on his face, obviously fake, Peri asked, "Is it too early to get a beer?"
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