Tasha is still a bit bleary and buzzed when she seeks out the tent of Mage Geezel of Shadow. Once she does locate it, the Jingai mage gives her a concerned look. "Would you like some tea? Your eyes are a bit bloodshot," he tells her.
"Thanks, please," Tasha replies in acceptance, stepping inside fully and holding the tent flap opened until her personal assistant, Liza, steps inside. Turning back to the mage, she follows him towards the tea kettle and asks, "Were you able to get what we talked about?"
"The last element arrived yesterday," Geezel says, offering cups of tea. "I'm afraid I don't have any sweeteners," he apologizes.
"I'll manage. The bunny and I are tougher than we look," the hybrid woman remarks with the hint of a grin on her muzzle. She looks around a moment, then walks over and has a seat at a nearby table before leaning in, hands around her tea cup as she watches the mage. "So, then, we're all set?" She asks, brows arching. "It will work as needed?"
"It should," Geezel says, and produces a small device. It's a disk about four inches across and consisting of two rings, made of some translucent black material - possibly obsidian. There are sigils inscribed into the surface by they are hard to make out. A dark gemstone takes up the center. "We don't know how fast magic will burn up on Abaddon for enchanted objects, you see."
Tasha considers the object, leaning in further more out of anticipation than a need to see clearly. She's heard of enchanged obejcts -- everyone has -- but she's never seen one; she knows now how rare and expensive they are. To even consider buying one is a mark of high status on her home world. "Can we test it, is it single-use? How does it work?" She asks, wondering if her expression appears to excitement, dread, or both; Vartans' distatse for magic is also well known on Sinai.
"This is an area effect Obfuscation enchantment," Geezel explains. "Once activated, anything or anyone within its range will become difficult to notice - so longs as nobody is looking for it. If we turned it on now, and you sent your friend outside the range of it, she'd still be able to see us because she already knows we are here. So it depends on not drawing attention in the first place, although it will muffle any sounds as well."
Tasha's brows arch further, her eyes wide. "That is very useful," she admits, reaching out to almost touch the object, but hesitating. Her hand lingers a moment, then retreats back to her tea cup. "Of course, we're be trying to avoid drawing attention so that's not a problem. You said the ... duration?" She looks up at Greezel. "Duration, it's limited because of the different quality of Sifran PF stability and satura- I mean, magic? The 'magic field'?"
"A lot of factors come into play to determine how much magic it draws," Geezel notes. "It will work longest if you can avoid having anyone look towards you at all. The fewer perceptions to be clouded, the less power it uses up. Try to walk through a room with a dozen people in it, and it will probably run dry before you reach the far end."
"Speed of movement matters as well, so if you need to move fast, you may as well turn it off," Geezel adds. "It's harder to hide something that is moving fast."
"I see, I'll keep that in mind. In fact," Tasha looks down, digging out her datapad and then suddenly stopping. "Miss Liza?" She calls out, turning to glance back at her PA. "Could you be sure to copy down these instructions? Use your datapad for this," she asks before looking back and nodding to the man. "Reliability is unknown, only hides if no one is looking for you specifically, not much use moving quickly. Anything else?"
"It should last for at least an hour of use with no more than one or two people to deceive," Geezel notes. "When it is active, you will see things brighten beyond the sphere of effect, so if things start to go dim you know the power is running out. It's fully charged now though. Turn the inner ring clockwise until it clicks, and that will activate it. Turn counter-clockwise to deactivate the effect."
Liza jots down the notes.
"The effect will radiate about six feet in all directions from the amulet," Geezel concludes.
"Good, good ..," Tasha murmurs, turning her gaze back on the device. She reaches for it again, this time actually picking it up with the delicate touch of someone who appreciates what she's holding -- and is afraif she might break it. "Then I'll be taking this now, if there's nothing else?" The hybrid pauses, looking up and arching her brows all over again.
"I'll need it back afterwards, of course, along with an evaluation of its performance," Geezel says. "It's a very expensive relic."
Tasha nods to this; she didn't need to be told how valuable the item in her hands is. "You'll get it back if it can be brought back," she offers, knowing it's all she can promise. The object is dropped in to a pouch on her belt, a very study looking one with a equally sturdy looking fastener. "If that's all, we have a train to catch. Oh," she reaches her now free Karnor hand across the table, "thank you for your work."
The slight mage shakes the offered hand. "You are welcome. It is important for us to engender good relations with the locals, after all."
"I'll put in a good word," Tasha offers, not exactly sure she can or should after the fact. I'm sure Fudgy will understand, she assures herself as she rises.
Turning to her secretary now, the young red woman says, "Lets grab some food, then head for the train. If we're lucky we can get back before midnight," she tells her, then turns and heads out.
Once outside the camp, Liza asks, "Can you read Olympian?"
"Somewhat," Tasha admits, turning to her secretary as she walks. "I spent some time in Amazonia, as a religious figure. It's where I met Gabriel."
"The script on the amulet looked Olympian to me, from what I could see," Liza says. "It might have belonged to a priest of Kasaris originally. So you might want to offer up a little prayer to her before using it."
"I'm not sure what the Olympian gods think of me anymore," the winged woman confides, but then she tilts her head to the side and says, "But I'll offer one anyway, just in case. It's only polite, isn't it? My aunt would approve."
The vendor stalls and wagons are set up outside the train depot as usual, offering all sorts of food and souvenirs and 'luxuries' like seat cushions.
Having long since grown from seeing Gateway hawkers and their wears as 'tourist attractions' rather than attractions of the regular kind, the cadet makes her way along without really seeing them until she smells a hogie vendor in the Terran style. It's here she parts with Lisa momentarily, letting her get her own food at a stand more vegetarian-friendly. The cadet orders two hogies, a fruit-flavored drink, and a big bushel of something she's been told are 'fries' then she's off again.
Minutes later she regroups with her assistant. There's showing of ID and juggling of hogies to do, then a long commuter trip home. It's hours in that Tasha realizes she no longer sits and stares out the window; the trip, like the hawkers, has become another part of her life on Abaddon and one more way she's grown used to life here.
The Procession-free night sky of Abaddon is alight with stars, and it's near midnight when Tasha and her assistant return to the Council apartments. Gabriel knows what extended train travel can do to Tasha, so actually massages her to sleep. In the morning, the hybrid will have one last chance to meet with Katie or Hakeber before collecting Yue for the trip to Tartarus and final launch preparations.
With departure set for the evening, Tasha has to hurry; having slept until near mid-day she only has a few hours and some of that needs to be directed towards coordinating with other members of the 'Book Club.'
Soon a well-groomed if a bit bleary Cadet Argentine is making her way down the Council building's upper halls, the VIP section where she and Gabriel live and where Katherine Vesuvius is also staying. She rounds a corner, half expecting to see door men on guard.
There isn't a guard - Katie Kaboom needs to seem approachable after all - but it's Mr. Invention that answers the knock. "Ah, good day Miss Tasha," he says. "You're just in time for lunch."
"That's good, because I love lunch," Tasha notes, like any good Karnor would. "I also love Katie; is she here? I have some plans to share." Not quite willing to wait for an answer, the young woman leeeans ever so slightly to try and look past the man knowing full well he'll notice.
"Miss Vesuvius is here, yes," Mr. Invention notes. "She never misses lunch." The big Karnor then steps aside so Tasha can enter instead of just poke her head through.
This earns the big man an equally large smile, the cadet pratically bouncing her way on inside. Once in she looks around, calling out, "Katie? It's me! I'm here to eat lunch and talk about high technology!"
The VIP suite isn't all that expansive, but it does have a lounge-and-dining area with a window. The curtains are drawn, since Katie is wearing a loose tank top and some shorts at the moment. "Tasha!" she replies, and waves the other woman over. There's a platter of steaks on the table, along with bread and cheese and other things that might be used to make a sandwich, so long as it is a steak sandwich.
"That is a very generous meal. Has Mr. I gone soft or something?" Tasha inquires as she approaches the table, brows up and taloned hand gesturing at the big slab of purple meat. "Is he behind me? Because I also think he's an amazing man and an inspiration." The cadet pulls a chair, turns it around, and wraps her arms around the top, laying her head on them. "So, want to see a spaceship launch?"
Katie passes over a plate and a sandwich roll (which is more or less a small loaf of bread). "That's a silly question: of course I do!" the woman replies. "Mr. I's steaks can be a bit on the juicy side, so you probably want to wear a bib or take off anything you don't want to get messy. When is the launch?"
Tasha opens her mouth to answer, but "take off naything you don't want to get messy" rings in her head more than a little too loudly. She bites her lip, staring in the window at curtains for a long moment before replying. "Um, well," she begins, gesturing unhelpfully and vaguely. "That is, um, to say, in three days. You, you'ld need to come with us on the, uh, big airship to Tartarus. We'll lift off from there." It's only now does Tasha remember she actually does have nice things she doesn't want juice-stains on -- because Liza will give her the look -- and she shrugs off her coat before hanging it on a nearby chair back. She also turns her own chair back around and adds, "Truthfully, we'd let you come on the launch, but we're up to no good and maybe you shouldn't."
"Secret mission?" Katie asks with ears perked, and the bites into her sandwich. As warned, there's a lot of juice, most of which ends up on the woman's chin where she can't really lick it off. "I suppose my brother can tell me if I've got the clearance to know."
Tasha watches a moment only to go right back to staring at the curtain, which she tries very hard to look non chalant about -- much as if she were thinking hard. "Well," she starts to reply, reaching to scratch her nose to add that extra suggestion she really is thinking, and not about very unprofessional things, "This is a JEF mission and not really explained to the Expedition Government, really more of our self-governance charter aspect really." She looks up, spotting Mr. I. "I know I live here, but how secure do you think this apartment is?"
"The PTO doesn't spy on each other in the council building, it's neutral ground," Katie notes. "Too hard to hide surveillance gear in the budget. And Mr. I always sets up a squeaker to prevent Eeee eavesdropping."
Satisfied with the answer Tasha nods, then spreads her hands and explains, "First, we'll be deploying a satelite. After that we'll be investigating an anomalous conglomeration of wreckage at Lagrange 3, which may be an extra-system spy-post for one of the Galactic powers, then returning to perform some atmospheric manuvers. I won't be on board at that point." At this, Tasha tilts her head down and arches an eyebrow. "It'll all be dangerous, more for some of us than others. I would like you on board to learn from Gabriel and my sister about command and ship operations -- my sister's rank is Commander and she's rated for captaincy -- but it's dangerous and there are some political aspects, too."
Katie gets an odd look in her eye. "If I went along.. I'd probably explode," she admits, and licks more juice off her lips. "I'd be very distracting, certainly.."
"Um, explode?" The question is asked by a very wide-eyed Tasha, who actually leans in -- and leans in more at the juice removal. Her ears swivel forward, perked.
"Oh.. you know how I get around technology," Katie says with a grin. "Being inside of an Expedition spaceship.. I'd have coffee for blood at the point. And fireworks in my brain and elsewhere."
"I like how this sounds!" Tasha blurts out quite before she can stop herself. She covers her muzzle, leaning back, then reaches for a glass of water before taking a long, long drink. At length, she notes in a much calmer tone, "Well, if you want to come," the edges of her muzzle turn up, "of course you can. For training." The wink that follows is as much in her tone as in her eye.
"I'll certainly want to watch the launch," Katie notes. "That should be manageable, and will help me build up a tolerance." She then holds out a little jar of something yellowish. "Horseradish?" she asks.
Tasha nods and stares a little overlong before looking down at the pot. She sniffs, then nods and applies some to the sandwic she had forgotten to work on. "Well, at any rate, it should be exciting. You'll be taking the airship back alone of course, since I'll be either on the ship or in the field. it's good, though! If you accept my offer, you'll need to become used to to the layout of the Bellerophon and the idea of commanding Terrans. I'll be counting on your charm and presence to direct much of the crew and I know I can trust you."
"Charm?" Katie asks with a grin. "That's not exactly a command requirement you know. Most important requirement is to have a voice that everyone listens to. And to inspire clear-headedness.. which I seem to fail at a bit," she admits. "Is your bunny going with you or staying behind?"
"Well you do distract me, but lucky for us both I won't be under your command -- and you won't be under mine. Not exactly. I'll be your, um, director. The ship owner, I'll be setting pace and giving direction but not commanding unless the situation aboslutely demands it. Besides, I'll be studying, working with artifacts and other things not related to running a ship," Tasha explains, smiling all the while. She then taps her knife atop her sandwich in a point-making sort of way. "Besides, you'll be focusing on a mixed crew of volunteers, adventure-seekers, spies and stranger things. We're not a military vessel; at best we're independants, at worst we're considered pirates by default. Whatever it is, we're not a standard Galactic crew, so we need someone who can stand on more than military presence, obligation, and duty. We pay, but we're not a merchant ship either. You'll see. And yes, Liza needs the training too. She'll be joining us in the Black."
"And how worried do I need to be over you for the more immediate mission?" Katie asks. "You won't be landing with the ship.. so you'll be off doing something else, somehow, that I really shouldn't know about. How dangerous is it?"
"Well," Tasha hedges, tilting her head andlaying her ears back. She lifts a hand and makes a circular motion with her Karnor hand's pointer, vaguely. "It's not more dangerous than some things I've done, I don't think. I mean, if I'm not killed outright I'll probably survive. They won't gain anything by killing me if they know who I am. Are you sure you really want to know? I do do these things on a regular basis now, it's soemthing you might also have to get used to." She then bites her lip head cocking the other way. "I'm really sorry to make you worry, though. It has to be done, I think, but I am sorry."
"And you're doing this alone?" Katie asks, tilting her head and putting a hand on Tasha's knee. "Who is involved on your end of things?"
That familiar electric spark shoots up Tasha's spine at the contact, muted somewhat by a discussion about risk and death. She pauses, then replies, "Not alone. A lot of us are working together. I'll be joined by a very capable operative."
"Is Miss Smith involved?" Katie asks, her eyes narrowing slightly.
"W-what isn't she involved in?" Tasha answers, spreading her hands and her ears, hoping her stumbling didn't give the secret away while assuming it definitely did.
Feeling at length that the secret's out, Tasha then asks out of curiosity, "Do you not like Miss Smith?"
"Mm-hmm," Katie goes and leans back, releasing Tasha from her ominous touch. "She used to work with my father, the General. The only reason to put a satellite in L3 is for hyperspace communication, I imagine. And Miss Smith has always wanted that."
Inwardly wincing, Tasha stares at the floor a moment before nodding slowly. "You're not wrong," she confirms, head shaking. "I know about her, if that's what you're worried about. I know what she wants the satelite for, and a bit about her. I didn't know she worked with your father." Nor does she mention how scary any assotiation with Katie's father is to her.
"The General saw a lot of combat," Katie notes. "Frankly, he doesn't get on well with women. He made Miss Smith babysit me a few times, even though she was an Army Intelligence Officer. It's probably because of her that I went into Intelligence as well. Still.. she's supposed to be retired."
"Your father sounds like a, um, intimidating man. You said he was like my Gabriel, only he ... discussed a lot. Loudly." Tasha looks up, ears askew. "Miss Riddle has been looking out for me since I got here. She helps me, off and on, and I was the one who amde a deal with her for her assistance in gaining a few crew members. It might not be a fair trade, but, well, people use me Katie. And I use them. You probably know that, though. At least I like Miss Smith."
"And now she's disappeared," Katie complains with a sigh. "I wanted to meet with her for dinner at least, just to catch up. So she's probably off doing something involved with your mission then, that almost certainly will involve bribes or seduction or kidnapping."
"Well," Tasha begins, glancing away and tilting her head, "at least all of that is going to be for me. Um, I'm sort of the uh, mastermind behind this mission. It's, um, my mission."
"So it's all your plan?" Katie prods.
"It kind of is," Tasha confirms, suddenly very interested in the curtains agin.
"You really are terrible at evasion, Tasha," Katie points out. "You need to learn how to lie while looking at people in the face, instead of looking around and coming across as guilty. Do you feel guilty, for some reason?"
"I'm usually better at this," Tasha admits, risking a glance back. "It's just it's harder when it's you. I can't lie to Gabriel, either, and it's not like I have training like Miss Riddle. The old me said everything she felt; I'm new at this sort of thing and I'm doing the best I can." Looking back fully, the younger woman spreads her hands. "Besides, you'd probably hear the details sooner or later if you come with me. I'm mounting an raid on the Kampfengruppe to steal the contents of their holy text. I need to cross-reference the information with other pieces I have in anticipation of another mission."
"As for guilt," and here Tasha sucks in a breath, then exhales, "a lot of people will be at risk for me, and I or the others may need to kill some poor soul whose only mistake was endangering us for breaking in to his or her home. There's political issues, too. I don't like the Kampfengruppe abd part of me is glad to show them up, but I'm risking other people this time. It's different when it's just me. But this needs to be done. It does."
"Oh.." Katie says, looking surprised. "I guess that means they do have books. I always assumed they just ate them or burned them for warmth. And the person going in with you is more experienced at this sort of thing?"
"She's an agent. A Terragens agent -- associated with Terra. A psychic, a special breed of human who can sense thoughts. She's probably the most dangerous person coming along, whatever she looks like," the cadet explains, eyes a little wide. "I wouldn't normally go this far, I didn't help refound the JEF to invade and scare people. Maybe I'm losing my right to be a JEF member? I just don't have time, and I need answers. Not having them may be far worse than than the worst of what could go wrong with this mission."
"The Kampf don't count, politically," Katie notes. "Nobody would give them a second thought at all if they hadn't lucked into control of the Gateway. For now. This planet has been at war for.. ever.. so none of this is going to be a shock to anyone. Nobody will worry about you stealing from the Kampf, because they already assume you can steal from them. We all do it all the time. It's practically our economy."
"I just don't like it," Tasha notes, hands fallig to rest on the table. "I've avoided becoming a dictator and I don't like using the JEF for missions outside its goal of exploration, and I don't like risking people. I know sometimes I'm a bit gung ho, or maybe even bloodthristy when things are bad, but I've tried to be better than that. The JEF is supposed to be better than that." There's a long pause after Tasha sighs, the young woman rubbing her nose as she stares at her sandwich, no longer hungry. "Just because they're weak doesn't mean I should treat them like a source of profit. Part of me would like to see them gone, but I'm trying not to be callous about them. I don't know, maybe I am a fool and Blackwings is right -- weak. I'll do it though. I will. I need the answers, because not having them is worse."
"So stop worrying about it or feeling guilty," Katie says. "Because that will get you killed. You can't hesitate or debate the proper course of action when you're in the moment - and it takes a lot of training to be able to put that stuff out of your head and just react without thinking. And like you said, others will be at risk. So my advice to you is to think as little as possible during the mission."
"Well, don't worry about that," Tasha insists, looking up and meeting Katie in the eye. "It's not like I've never fought for my life before. I know to get it together during the mission, it's times like this when it gets to me. When I'm reflecting." She then tilts her head and lets her ears go askew again. "Gabriel says I get mopey when I'm alone, you should probably know about that if we're going to be around each other a lot." She then shakes her head, forcing a somewhat awkward smile on to her face. "But you probably know that too. Anyway, that's the operation. It leads to another one, later. Then I -- we? -- leave for the Galactic on yet another operation, a series of them. That's if things work out."
"Oh, I'm sure it'll work out.. just never how you think it will," Katie points out with a grin. "How's the horseradish? It can be a bit spicy for some."
"Let me try it." After taking a bite of her glacially-paced and recently completed sandwich, Tasha nods slowly as she savors the flavor and the gives Katie a thumb's up before swallowing. "I like it," she admits, grinning back. "Spicey, it has bite, but not mouth burning spice like some Khattan foods. So," she cocks her head again, "any more questions you want to trick out of me? I should be glad, because this is the sort of thing I'll be expecting you to do with people who aren't me."
"Well.. have you been given any interrogation practice?" Katie asks. "That is.. practice at not telling your interrogator the truth?"
"Take a guess," Tasha replies, rolling her eyes afterwards as she takes another bite.
A swallow later and Tasha notes, "I can threaten to destroy their entire nation though," almost as an afterthought, one she also tries hard not to think too hard about.
"Well.. hopefully if you get caught they won't try to seduce it out of you," Katie says with a grin. "Bosch is the most unromantic language ever devised, I think. Plus they probably wouldn't even think of trying that."
"Besides, Humans are weird looking," Tasha notes, giving Katie a bit of an 'ew' face. "They have fur, but only on their head? It's weird. They're all smooth. I look horribe without fur, and they have to do it all the time. I guess they're better than Kavis and, um, those head-cutting insect clients of the Celestials. Well, maybe. I don't know, it might be even."
"You don't think Miss Necessity is cute?" Katie gasps, but then grins. "Just don't get caught, alright? And try not to blow anything up, either."
"Oh don't get me in to trouble! She won't cook for me anymore, that would be horrible," Tasha insists, shaking a finger at her secret lover. "And I know I don't seem like much, but I grew up getting in to fist fights with anyone and everyone. I've fought ghosts, killed a Sifran demon with half my face melted, and had a conversation with a being so alien I couldn't comprehend him without pain. I've beat mild insanity, risen from being nobody to ger this far. I'm tougher than I seem."
"But can you knock a man down with one punch without killing him?" Katie asks, maybe with a bit too much excitement in her voice. "You should bring blindfolds and restraints with you. They might be useful on the mission, and have other uses outside of missions."
"Oh." Tasha blinks several times, slowly sipping her glass of water as she watches the other woman. At length she says, "That is very interesting. Um, useful. Useful. I could probably use lessons in, um, interrogation." More slow sipping. Very slow.
"Well, I could sit in your lap and ask you embarrassing questions, but that probably wouldn't be fair," Katie admits, and has a sip of her own drink (which looks mixed and smells alcoholic). "It will be good to see my brother again, too. Maybe put on a little show for the troops. Must be boring out there."
"Very," Tasha agrees, desperately wanting to talk about something else but equally unsure how to approach it. Instead, she focuses on boring but useful practicality. "Would you mind entertaining a few of our people, too? They, um, don't get out much either. They need to remain in the ship, for, well, important reasons. My sister. You know about her, and Fred our engineer. I bet you and my sister would get along well; did you meet her while I was learning to paint in the tube?"
"She was very.. charming.. in a forced sort of way," Katie recalls. "I'm not sure she was happy to see me there, actually, but I couldn't get a good read on her. Scent control training or something. But of course I'd like to tour the ship again before launch."
"Really?" Tasha tilts her head, muzzle pursing a moment before she wrinkles it. "Come to think of it she did seem a bit uncomfortable when I mentioned meeting you, I wonder what that was about? I mean, you are Katie Kaboom, but my sister hasn't had as much exposure to Abaddonian culture and you both have a lot in common. It's really weird." Her head shakes and then she shrugs. "Nora's usually the scary one. Commander Nora Argentine. She's an Elite, like Gabriel. An Alpha, even if she's been suffering. I really expected you two to get along. Oh well." She bites her lip, then says, "Of course you'll get a tour. Oh," her head tilts all over again, "Speaking of scary, is your father really that bad? Everyone talks about him like he's some sort of looming version of Gabriel."
"He's retired and grumpy," Katie notes. "He's the one that set me up with Mr. Invention. Not sure how they knew one another before that. Even though he's retired, he's still technically overseeing a lot of old secret stuff. Abandoned bases, doomsday machines.. mad scientist stuff."
"So he is almost a looming version of Gabriel," Tasha realizes, blinking. "I hope there isn't a sinister version of me in there somewhere. That would make you the dark version of Nora; maybe that's why you don't get along?" The edges of the younger woman's muzzle turn up, then she grins lopsidedly and shakes her glass at the other. "Speaking of unlikely and convoluted things, I was signing 'Winged Gift Versus Lightning Dragon' books a week ago. From 'Kaboom Komix.' I'm contraband now."
"Oh, what'd you think of the artwork?" Katie asks, grinning. "The artist is a very talented young man."
"I looked heroic, noble, and my breasts were huge," the hybrid woman reports, then she grins even wider. "So of course I love it, not that the Silent-Ones notice or anything, except Tomorrow's-Hope but he's a pervert. A soon to be married pervert. Still," she tilts her head, "if I wasn't with my Gabriel, I'd really have considered him. It's for the best, though, right? I shouldn't be greedy anyway. Oh, and I have a copy of the book back in my quarters. If you need mroe stories for them, well, I'm a sailor -- what else do you need to know!"
"Maybe we'll have you battle aliens in space next time," Katie says. "Oh, how was Star City?"
"Very pretty -- from far away and from a window. I barely got to see any of it, and the parts I did see had a lot of glaring. I tell you," the cadet shakes her half-eaten sandwich Katie words, "if I didn't know the Archon, Tomorrow's-Dope, a number of the engineer caste, Tail and maybe even that sour old hero from Zion I might have given up on the Silent-Ones after that trip. I started to resent using the JEF to help those people; I think they really worship the art of being smug and condescending."
"Well, they are good at it," Katie points out. "This may be a canine-ist view.. but they are cats, after all. They don't know the joy of chasing after things like we do!"
"Or being chased after, but maybe that's because I'm a bird," Tasha agrees, grinning widely. "You know, now that you've interrogated me, and done all those other things -- I know what you're up to -- you really should finish what you started. You shouldn't be cruel." The insistence comes with a wagging of the tail, and an even wider grin. "But of course you'll probably just tease me some more, you're very, um, sadistic Miss Vesuvius. I should have known better than to be taken up be a sophisticated, city-star."
"Oh, I intent to finish once the Ajax is underway," Katie says. "Just you, me.. and Gabriel. And I do not have daddy issues.." Her eyes are sparkling a bit.. is this a test?
Tasha's ears shoot up, then slowly wilt askew as she tries to figure out what was just leveled at her. Is she being teased for having daddy issues? Has Katie changed her mind about Gabriel, or is this one more tease? Is the whole thing a joke? Trial? Something else? Her brain doesn't start to smoke, but to her it feels like it might as well be. At length she squirms, stuffing her sandwich in her mouth and mumbling a, "You are mean," around it in an exasperated, frusterated-yet-bewildered tone.
And then Tasha promptly stands up. "I'm not built for all this manipulation," she insists, reaching for her jacket, sandwich still held in her teeth. "I'm going to go take it out on poor Hake-bear, you evil woman."
"See you on the airship, Tasha," Katie says, and winks. "Thanks for the invitation! You can talk over mine with Gabriel though if you like."
"I know you're not serious." Tasha insists, sliding her arms in to her coat. "You didn't like it before, you really shouldn't tease me. Or him."
"I don't always tease," Katie says. "Plus.. can't get more private than an airship."
"Well.." Goes Tasha, who slows in putting on her jacket, eying the woman around her sandwich. "I'll think about it. If you're serious. I'm just surprised you changed your mind." She gets her arms in and takesn her sandwich back, then turns to ask, "Why did you change your mind? Isn't it ... Isn't it not what you wanted? I do have daddy issues, and I don't change my mind that much." She pauses, then flicks her ears. "Well, usually. Most of the time?"
"Part of it is that I'm worried for you," Katie says. "Which means Gabriel is probably worried as well. You need to be relaxed."
"Wow," goes Tasha, who lowers her sandwich and turns to face Katie more completely. "I, um, well ... That's really nice of you." She then tilts hr head, brows arching a little. "In a mean sort of way," she then adds, but she smiles. "How you don't get along with my sister I'll never know, but it is really nice of you. I thought you were just trying to rile me. I know I'm easy when it comes to some things; and easy target. I'\ might have a dog-head, but I'm still a Vartan. We're not exactly known for our emotional control." She thenexhales, stepping closer and leaning over. "So I guess you're nice to me after all, and he is worried. I know he is. He never says it and doesn't always show it, but I know he worries every time I step in to danger -- and you wonder why I'm always feeling guilty. I'm really just a selfish, horrible person." She then kisses Katie on the nose. "I'm glad someone loves me. I still take offence that I'm always percieved as uptight, though!"
"He doesn't want to seem worried because that might effect your decisions," Katie says. "And who ever thought you were uptight? And it's not like I'm offering purely out of altruism - I'm worried too. I'd like to work that tension out, make a nice memory.. and maybe enjoy the naughtiness of being out of public view."
"Well, whatever the reason, I'm grateful. I don't mind sharing him with you; he really is a wonderful man. Wonderful at a lot of things," Tasha notes, leaning back and wiggling her ears. She then seems to be about to say something else, then pauses and asks, "Oh, wait, wouldn't it be your first time?"
Katie's ears blush and fold back. "Well.. you'd be there.. and I assumed you'd go first too, so I'd be more comfortable with it," she admits.
"Wow your first time," Tasha reapsts in a voice of hush awe and nostalgia. She reaches back and almost runs her fingers through her hair, but glances up and halts the motion, rubing her shoulders instead. "That brings back memories. Not really good memories, but still. The first time. Well, if you're chosing anyone, Gabriel is the best choice. It took some time, but I got him to play along. He was a bit stuffy at first, but he's very attentive -- and he's big too. Big like you'd expect, seeing as how he's the biggest Karnor I've ever met. Like a Varta-"
It's about here Tasha pauses again, then leans in, eyes wide. "Oh, wow, you're really blushing! Should I stop?" There's the distinct hint of a grin past that concerned look.
"Well... uh.. my calm and controlled demeanor is cracking a bit," Katie admits. "And it's not like I haven't.. uh.. well. See you tonight?" she finishes with, grinning nervously.
"I'm going to have to plan ahead," Tasha remarks, although to Katie or herself it isn't clear. She taps the side of her muzzle and nods, then turns and smiles Katie-wards. "Lucky for you, I'm a good teacher. But you remember, right? Well, I'm better with men. I'll show you. But you know, Gabriel taught me a lot too." She winks, then steps back and waggles her fingers. "See you soon! Wear whatever you want!"
Katie waves, and says, "I'll pack for practicality! And I'm glad you liked the horseradish. Not many do."
"I have exotic tastes!" Tasha calls back, stepping towards the door. She turns and blows a kiss, then turns and grins at Mr. I as well. "Want a kiss too?" She asks.
"Not with horseradish breath, thank you," Mr. I says politely, as he leads Tasha out of the suite.
"Always the gentleman," Tasha notes before she steps out the door. She gives another finger-wiggle-wave in the doorway, then she's off.