[Jack_Spade]

"Yeah, fill up the tanks, replace supplies if necessary and then get on with it.
Alright Al, I'll take the co-pilot seat. Together, I'm sure we'll land this bird without ripping off the swimmers and somersault the plane."

Isaint got up and drudged into the cockpit. He felt refreshed - as usual - especially since he didn't have to face any of his usual dreams.

[spoiler]
Teamwork Check for Al: Piloting Airplane:
Piloting Teamwork: 10d6t5 4 [10d6t5=5, 4, 6, 3, 5, 5, 4, 4, 2, 1]

[/spoiler]

[adamu]

"Well damn, kemo sabe, din't know you was a pilot. But teamwork do make the dream work."

Using a stabilized approach, Al had set the trim and speed thirty minutes earlier, so there wasn't much to do but be steady on the descent - he'd been dropping a hundred feet a minute for the past hour, so they were already close to the landing threshold - until the moment they hit the water. Then he gave Isaint the nod to drop the flaps in sequence as he scaled back the power.

"Smooth as a gallon o' buttermilk goin' through a hound dog."

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn nods as the plane makes the landing.  "Nice job, you two.  As smooth a landing as any I have ever had.  Say, Al, if we are keeping Snakehandler, I could improve the dock at my house in Cornwall to take it.  What do you say?"

[Jack_Spade]

"Damnit woman, how many homes do you have anyway?"
Isaint called out in mock outrage.
"Alright, now that we are alive and well after the first landing, you can enjoy the sunshine, while I try to get this gasguzzler filled up."

Isaint stood up, made sure he was dressed again and went out to find the gas station attendant.

[adamu]

Al thought about Alyce's offer as Isaint talked about gas. He was already planning on using Ducky's place in Seattle - just a matter of working out a fee. But for England - the thing would be a pain in the ass on the Thames for three reasons he could think of off the top of his head. Besides, as far as he knew, none of his companions knew where he currently lived, and he wanted to keep it that way - not for operational security, just for privacy.

"Well, since ya said ya was keepin' yer stake, makes sense. I'll wanna keep 'er outta the weather, have place to work on 'er. I'd pay fer that, but hangar like that'd be a bit of an eyesore off yer front porch."

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn laughs at ISaint. "A couple.  I would love to have you come down to Cornwall for a visit.  I have several guest rooms there.  The place is right off the moor, overlooking the Channel.  There are some walking paths into the moor and the village is only a few minutes away."

She listens to Al then shakes her head.  "You would not see it from the front porch, Al.  The water is about 200 feet below the house and over the cliff, remember?  I have had the lift repaired and it goes down to that dock and boathouse that are set in the cove below the house.  I am thinking that we could expand the boathouse as there is plenty of room there in the cove.  You should come out some time and give your opinion and I can have some people out to start the work.  I want to expand the garage area to include a helipad and workshop so I can purchase a helicopter to get to and from London faster than the train without needing to charter one each time.  I was thinking of a Hughes Stallion.. I know it seems a bit large for my needs, but if we ever need to lift the team somewhere, along with some cargo, it might be useful. If I bought something with some things installed beyond the basics, would you be able to add some more extras to get it to what I would like?"

Robyn steps gingerly off the plane and walks about a bit to stretch her legs and goes to use the station's bathroom to freshen up a bit.

*** 31***

[adamu]

"Well, one step at a time. Like I done told Flannery, fiirst let's see if she's in one piece come the end o' this here vacation. Then, since some o' y'all won't let ol' Al buy ya out, reckon we'll have ta..." and here he paused to swallow down the tedium of it all "...talk about it, make sure ever'one agrees. Damn, startin' ta sound like more work'n it's worth already."

With Isaint arranging the refuel, he got out and did a circuit of the plane, covering the preflight essentials before they took off again.

[Mercy Merchant]

Robyn finishes her tasks in the bathroom and returns to the area of the plane.  She finds a seat far enough away from the refueling operation and sits on a bench, pulling out and lighting a cigarette.  She faces out over the water and lets the time go by as she contemplates how her life is going. >>Grace [Alyce]:  Hey there.  Miss you like hell.  Trip is good so far and I am well, even if I cannot tell you where I am.  I hope that your classes are going well.  Gem and Lyd tell me they like you a lot, which is a real blessing.  I will come up to Cambridge after I get home and see all three of you.  Ta.<<

[obidancer]

The team had a long time to kill now. Deckard offered Al to keep eye of the navigation while he gets some shut eye, but the older man refused. So the Magician decided to get started with testing his new abilities. If his learning proved true, he would be able to have his spells sustain themselves. What he needed first was to cast a powerful spell that would prove hard to dispel or weaken.
He shaped the Mana surrounding him, pulling on his strength, but not to his satisfaction. He tried again, building a more powerful spell, one that would make many Magician happy. He was dizzy and his body was aching, but he dropped the spell. It was gonna be a long flight.
He rested a few hours. The process repeated, each time he was able to cast a more powerful spell until he finally shaped the biggest one he reckon he could before hurting himself too seriously.

He kept the spell active and kept manipulating it with his new found technique. And quickly the spell was now sustaining itself, fed by its own power.

Deckard let go a loud yes, excited by what he just did, and looking forward to sharing his prowess with his companions. But ISaint was in his meditation mode. Robyn had been quiet on her seat; he couldn't tell from where he was if she was reading, asleep or jacked online. She was definitely unresponsive though. And Al was in the cockpit. The small place was now fogged by the smoke of his cigarettes. It was better not to go disturb the man.

So he decided to try to Quicken another spell. This time he knew the best way to get the full extend of his power would be to get some help. He called on his newly bound Water Elemental, and asked for his assistance in the casting of the spell. And everything went much more smoothly. He cast a powerful spell, didn't feel its strain and managed to quicken it. 

He thanked his Elemental and stood up. His whole world felt different, slower, controllable. He felt like he was on drugs, but without any side effects. The beauty of Magic.

Satisfied with himself, he went back to his seat. The rest of the flight was mostly spend running the video Robyn gave him of his wife on her death bed. Her last words to him.  He dimmed the shade of his glasses, as tears were filling his eyes. Not that his companions were paying attention, but just in case.

Then he slept, and again, a totally dreamless sleep, like his mind had blocked that feature, maybe to protect itself. He woke up to ISaint offering Al a hand for the landing.

****

When Deckard stepped out, he took a deep breath, taking in the sun and the fresh air.  He wished they would stay there a bit longer, he could use some tanning.





[spoiler]Increase Reflexes F8: 18d6t5 3
Drain DV8: 15d6t5 6 2 stun
Increase Reflexes F8: 18d6t5 4 re-try
Drain DV8: 15d6t5 4 6 stun
Natural healing: 8d6t5 0 6stun 1h
Natural healing: 8d6t5 3 3 stun 2h
Natural healing: 8d6t5 1 2 stun 3h
Increase Reflexes F8: 18d6t5 5 re-try
Drain DV8: 15d6t5 6 5 stun
Natural healing: 8d6t5 2 3 stun 4h
Natural healing: 8d6t5 3 0 stun 5h
Increase Reflexes F8: 18d6t5 9 Limit 8
Quicken Spell with 1 karma
Drain DV8: 15d6t5 6 2 stun
Natural healing: 8d6t5 2 0 stun 6h

Deflection F8 + Spirit Aid: 30d6t5 12 Limit 8
Quicken spell with 1 karma
Drain DV7: 15d6t5 7 0 stun
[spoiler]

[Mercy Merchant]

After a while on the bench, two of Robyn's flying eyes pick up Rick's movements as he walks about.  She hesitates a moment then rises from her seat and walks over to him. "Hey, I hope that I am not interrupting?  I might be very presumptuous and please tell me to leave it if you want to, but I was wondering if you want to talk?"

[adamu]

Al cpmpleted his abbreviated walk-around at about the same time the refuel was complete, at which point they were technically ready to go.

But several of his coworkers were still stretching their legs, and he'd never been to Hawaii before. Plus he saw a shack perched at the top of the beach with a sign that said Peanut Bruddah and Jelly's International House of Spam, and his fate was sealed.

The place turned out to be as small on the inside as it had looked from the outside, the interior dimly lit and festooned with wilting leis - minus the pretty girl to put them over your head.

There were no other customers, only a fat, bewhiskered old islander sweating in front of an overworked air conditioner. Of course Al ordered spam and pineapple. With beer.

[Jack_Spade]

It hadn't been a problem to find fuel. It just seemed as if the small ork boy - nominally in charge since there was no sign of his parents or the owner - hadn't been doing this job for too long... or at all before.
The fuel nozzle had to weigh almost as much as the boy and the last time the hose real had been oiled must have been sometime in the early fifties.
Looking on for a minute, Isaint's impatience and pity won over him letting the boy show pride in his work.

Finally, the pump started and by the time the extended range tanks were full, it sounded suspiciously as if the stations underground tank was about to run dry. Transferring the fuel fee likely provided in one hour as much revenue for the small station as it made in a normal week.

Isaint had taken off his clothes to let them air out a bit from the cigarette smoke. But now he couldn't put them on again since he smelled like a small refinery. So he decided to take a short shower in the plane, while his chummers enjoyed the break. After all they could fill up the used freshwater while they were here. 

[obidancer]

Deckard offered Robyn his best smile even if the elf couldn't directly see it. Interrupting? Oh no! I was gonna get some shaved ice for everyone, to cool down for a second and enjoy the weather. Why don't you come along? What is it you wan to talk about?

[obidancer]

Robyn Lysander

[adamu]

Al didn't know for sure, but he doubted this place had an AR menu. No paper ones either - just a smudged listing of items on an old blackboard hung over the window to what passed for a kitchen but was more like a dusty back room with a hot plate, microwave, piles of dirty pots and pans, and a couple of big coolers. Al's mouth watered.

After the man slapped Al's spam and pineapple onto a tin plate, he returned to the exact same spot he'd started at.

The food was impossibly good. Al congratulated himself on his democratic palate.

"Tell ya what, Tonto, I been livin' on freeze-dried Vitasoy all the way from Seattle, an' this here is some fine cuisine. So whyn't ya gimme that there Pu Pu Burger ta boot, an' I'll jist hope it's nothin' like what it sounds like. Reckon, when in Paradise right?"

The man contemplated a spot on the wall until Al was just about to repeat himself, then rose with a creak and started taking things out of coolers. As he prepared the order, Al tried again. "Helluva place ya got here. You Peanut Brudder or Jelly?"

If the man heard him, he gave no sign. Deaf or surly, it made no difference to Al. He suspected this was not the person that had named the place. Nor the one to lavish it with flowers...a couple of weeks ago, anyway.

Undeterred, Al began to talk about his favorite subject, himself....