multipup post

[noble_6]

The Sabre Program is winding down. The specifications have been finalized, all internal systems are up and running. They'll be sending Natalie somewhere else soon, and she can't say she isn't ready for some good old fashioned trigger pulling. On the other hand, they loaded up the full complement of Sabre's weapons today and Natalie got to take her out for target practice. She's still grinning when she takes a seat at the bar to order dinner.


The Fourth of July celebrations have gotten started early in North Carolina. Somebody must have cleared out the fireworks stand down the road, based on the amount of explosions Artemis can hear from her house. The noise has done nothing but spin the girls into a steadily bigger frenzy, so Artemis brought them to the bar to run into out of there system. Conclusion: one goddess, sitting on a rock by the lake shore, with six hounds running in varying degrees of proximity. Two of the dogs are fighting over a stick; the goddess has a beer.

Comments

[scurlock]

A face that the goddess hasn't seen in awhile is slowly coming into view -- Doc is headed along the shoreline, keeping an eye on the pack of hounds as he returns from a walk to the beach inlet at the far end of the lake.

There's a thin trail of smoke escaping from the cigarette dangling between his fingertips, but a small smirk is curled at his mouth once he realizes who it is sitting on the rock with the beer.

"Evenin', stranger," he calls.

[untiedtheknots]

"Hey, you."

She grins back, hoisting her bottle in salute.

One of the dogs stops running in circles long enough to sniff at Doc's boots.

[scurlock]

The boots smell of a healthy mixture of horse shit and human blood -- so the dog lucky enough to get a whiff of the boots will be interested for awhile, at least.

One last drag off the smoke, before he tosses it to the ground and stubs it out with his toe.

(She's a woman, and he only smokes around certain women these days -- and Artemis is definitely not in the category with the ones that he does.)

"S'been awhile," he finishes the approach, reaching down to scratch the dog nearest between the ears.

[untiedtheknots]

Petra is indeed fascinated by his boots, switching back and forth between them. The dog lucky enough to receive the scratches--Tanis--bumps her head into his hand for a moment before flopping down at his feet and rolling onto her back.

"It has," she agrees. "How've you been?"

You have to start catching up somewhere.

[scurlock]

"Busy. It's been a long couple'a months."

He refrains from kneeling to give Tanis belly rubs, for the moment. Artemis has his attention.

"I've been out Nevada way," he says. "Had to cut out of the territories after I ran into a bit of trouble. Keepin' my head down, doin' some business...you know how it is."

(He shot a man in Reno last night -- and didn't stick around to watch him die.)

"What about yourself?"

[untiedtheknots]

"Wandering up and down the east coast," she replies.

"Keeping my head down."

(There's trouble back home and she doesn't know how to fix it, so she's staying away for now.)

"Somebody started setting off their fireworks early; got the girls all excited, so I figured they could wear themselves out here."

[cupisempty]

"And you're looking pleased," Jake says, claiming the seat next to Natalie. Greetings are for other people! Or maybe he'll get there in a moment.

[noble_6]

"Weapons testing with the Sabre," she replies.

"Full load-out."

[cupisempty]

"...oh that sounds pretty sweet."

[noble_6]

"Extremely."

Natalie's expression gets a little dreamy for a second.

[cupisempty]

(she's beautiful when she looks like that)

"So, you being posted somewhere else soon you reckon?"

[noble_6]

She nods.

"They'll probably put me back out on the circuit, bouncing around to wherever they've found something for me to kill."

[cupisempty]

He grins at her. "It's a life."

[noble_6]

She scrubs a hand through her hair.

"And as fun as this whole pilot gig has been, I definitely miss it."

[cupisempty]

"They won't keep you with your bird?"

[noble_6]

She shakes her head.

"That was a special assignment. They wanted a Spartan as their test pilot and I was available. Hell, I might never actually fly the thing in combat."

[cupisempty]

He nods. "Got it. Still, gotta be good to stop just testing stuff."

He figures it's like training - it's tough, but still nothing like the real thing. And god help him, but he loves the real thing.

[noble_6]

Natalie laughs.

"Absolutely. Training drones aren't exactly a challenge."

[cupisempty]

"Oh, you get drones. I get the rest of my company." Then he grins. "And my sergeant regularly hands me my ass, so it gets a little boring after a while."

[noble_6]

Her grins sharpens.

"I get drones when I'm in the plane; I get whoever I can otherwise."

[cupisempty]

He grins back. "Aw, no fancy-ass robotic sparring partners? I figured one of us would have had them by now."

[noble_6]

"You'd think, wouldn't you? We should really talk to somebody about getting a refund for these futures."

[cupisempty]

"Start a petition. Go and storm the castle of the Grand Designer..."

[noble_6]

"I'm sure we could recruit backup around here."

[cupisempty]

"Now that's true. And this is the kind of place where the Grand Designer would hang out, too."

[noble_6]

"Wouldn't even have to storm a castle; just get the room number from Bar.



Think you can charm it out of her?"

[cupisempty]

Before he can do more than open his mouth, a napkin appears.

Don't even think about it :)

He laughs. "Well, there goes that idea."

[noble_6]

"Sorry, ma'am. Had to ask.


What about samosas?"

A plateful appears without any color commentary. There might even be enough to share.

[cupisempty]

"You have excellent decisions."

Bar's food is so bad. It's good, and made from actual food, and he can't get enough of it.

[noble_6]

"Now you're catching on," she says around a mouthful of samosa.