Our Summer Vacation...

[radgeek]

"I'm the only one that ones how to act like Sam and has the morph," Jo said.  "Regardless of my feelings toward the people there I am the only morpher qualified for this."

"But you are also the most likely to become emotionally compromised," Olivia pointed out.  "Maybe we should all go."

"And risk every one?!"

"A team always stands together," Olivia said.  "I'm going to talk to Sean about this and if he has a cold compress for my eyes."

[warren_bearclaw]

"What did you tell Sh- your mom before you left last night? I mean, did she even know you left?" Sean really wasn't liking this. "Maybe you should say that your bike got stolen, so you came here. Considering that it probably has been since it got left at the park last night, that's not really a lie. Tell her that, I don't know, you just got restless and went for a ride or something. If she asks tell her we tried to call her but her phone didn't answer." Sean felt like it was just wrong to be telling his own son to lie to his mother. It made things worse that they were divorced... or better, depending on how you looked at it. This wouldn't be the last time he'd have to lie and scheme in the near future. But still, this surely wouldn't help his relationship with any of his family.

Brian sat slumped in the couch, tired, but refusing to close his eyes. He looked at the clock. "Um guys? We need to go, like, really soon if we're gonna make it." he said loud enough for the girls to hear as well.

[radgeek]

Olivia comes in.  "I know but I must speak to Sean."  She started to pull him aside.  "You can't let her do this."

Jo sat next to Brain and demorphed so that her hair was black again.  "If I can't fight for my family what can I fight for?" she said only loud enough for Brian to hear.

[Josh (J)]

Chad sighed and slumped down in his chair. It wasn't the fair-the whole situation. At least, at the very least, it wasn't his fault...mostly. The thought of the rest of his life being changed was enough to make him shiver a little bit. Relationships would be changed forever because of this. Snapping back to reality, he looked back and forth, and decided that whatever happened, he probably wouldn't be going, if that was what was being discussed. No matter what he told his mom, he probably wouldn't be going out.

[warren_bearclaw]

Sean grabbed his keys. But before he could tell Chad to come with him, Olivia tugged on his sleeve. "Can we not let her do this? Maybe this is what she needs. I don't really think it's the greatest idea either, but what are we supposed to do? If she really wants to, how are we going to stop here? And, I don't really want to start this whole ... whatever you want to call this... on the wrong foot." Sean was worried, but he hoped it didn't show on his face too much. "I have to go take Chad home now. It really wouldn't be good if I got dragged to court for breaking our agreement. Brian has to go to this thing, but he shouldn't go alone. If you go, who'll be here with Jo? Tarry, yeah, but he won't be able to do much if she decides to follow. It's not a good plan, but I think it's the best we've got."

Humanity. Freedom. America. Brian wanted to say. But just because he had multiple reasons already lined up in his mind didn't mean that he didn't try to understand how Jo felt. "We will fight for them. Always. But we need to find out how to help them first. That's all we're going to do today... watch and learn, or at least try to." Jo's family was a bittersweet blessing, in a way. At least they had a way to find out more about their enemy. But he wouldn't say that. "Are you going to be okay?" It felt lame, but what else could you say in this situation?

[radgeek]

"To be honest," Jo started quietly, "I don't know.  You'll have to watch me while I watch you.  But there is no way that I'll sit this one out on the sidelines."  Jo's speech came more from desperation than determination.

Olivia knew better than to draw the court's attention to this house in anyway.  She rubbed her forehead.  "Fine, get Chad home.  I'll do my best to handle whatever emotional mess Josefina fines herself in."

[warren_bearclaw]

Sean nodded. "Chad, let's go." he said, nodding his head towards the door. He opened the door, and looked back at Olivia. "Be safe, don't die. Have fun." he said. He'd meant the last part, not exactly sure if that would be a good thing though.....

Brian looked at Jo, with a look of concern or care on his face. "Don't worry, I've got your back." Brian stood up slowly, stretching. He looked at the clock again, and really wanted to go. But Olivia hadn't officially cleared this little trip yet, and they'd need her help. He looked at her now, waiting.

<With which party would I be of most assistance, Prince Sean?> Tarry said. He'd been perched quietly on top of the decorative tree in the corner, listening.

Sean stopped. He blinked. "Don't... uh.. don't call me that." Prince? That just... wasn't right, Sean felt. "um... maybe you should go with Brian, I guess. But DON'T get caught. Or even seen, if you can avoid it...." He was a little flustered now. "Um... y'all stay out of trouble." Prince?

[radgeek]

Tarry's coming too, Olivia thought.  Can we just declare this a failure now?  "Let's get this over with," said as she attempted to half morph like Jo had done earlier.

Even though she knew that she and Olivia would look like twins, Jo also half morphed.  She kept smiling as she did it.  Prince!  That is a good one Tarry.  When she was done she said to Brian, "Ready when you are."

[Josh (J)]

Chad smirked as he got into the car. Prince Sean. It suited him quite well. Of course, perhaps Sean thought of it differently...he was the leader now. Chad glanced over at him, wondering if he wanted to talk about it. Instead of saying anything, he stared out the window and let his thoughts fly on all that had happened, what was happening, and what would happen. One word could sum it all up: insane. That was what the whole thing was. Completely and totally insane. A group of people fighting slug-like aliens? No way. There was just no way that it was real....He remembered the crab morph. That was real. It still was, as a matter of fact. Even though there hadn't been much of anything done, except for the run-in and the customs office and acquiring the animals at the zoo...it wouldn't be this easy. It would get much harder really soon. And the only weapon they had was the power to change into animals. Yeah, that was a lot. A real lot.

[radgeek]

The Woodhouse family stood in front of Ultor.
"To see that all things go smoothly I will monitor everything from down here," the Visser said referring to the Yeerk pool.  "I want all of the search parties infested.  I don't want the new Yeerk pool entrance in the barn to go to waste."
"It won't sir," Jazar answered.
<<If we mess this up we're tost,>> Merlin reminded.
"Wintium," Ultor continued.  "You know more about Josefina than Yeerk on the plant.  Show that you can be useful and find the girl."
"I will do that sir," Wintium said.
"Sandresh," he said addressing the last controller.  "If your host makes trouble like she did yesterday there will be harsh consequences."
"Understood sir," Sandresh said.
Miriam had not been fighting like before.  Infesting Laurence had broken her.

[Josh (J)]

Laurence scowled and retreated as far in his mind as he could. <<Know one thing, Yeerk, that I will never ever willingly help you and your scumbag friends do anything to find Jo. And you had better not hurt her. Because if you do, I swear I'll find some way to do something to all of you. I swear I will...>>

[warren_bearclaw]

Sean waited for Chad.

"Well, let's go do something crazy." he said. He then thought that perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say in this situation... oops. He asked Olivia, "Did you want to drive? I mean... You don't exactly match your driver's license photo now." He assumed he'd be driving his own car, but he figured he should ask, since she was older.

Tarry fluttered out the door, and perched on the staircase railing.

[radgeek]

(Chad's in the car)

"You should drive," Olivia said.  "My license also has a name I can't use in public anymore."

Jo was the first out the door before Olivia could cause her to question herself more.

[warren_bearclaw]

((I'm gonna GM everyone into the cars... ))

Sean pulled out of the apartment complex with Chad in the seat next to him. As he checked the road to see if it was clear, he muttered, "Well this should be fun..." Whether it was about him and Chad, or the others, he wasn't sure. Probably both.

"Makes sense.... Don't worry, I'm not one of those stupid teen drivers you hear about all the time." Brian waited behind Sean's car. He tapped his thumb on the steering wheel.

Apparently, the light at the corner had just changed. A stream of a dozen or so cars past before there was an opening. Sean made a neat turn and drove of towards his Ex's house.

"Finally!" Brian spat once Sean pulled on to the main road. He quickly zoomed out and turned sharply into his lane, before the oncoming traffic would force him to wait again. He and Sean drove in opposite directions.

<I believe that Prince Sean's vehicle has a greater level of maneuverability than this one does. Perhaps vehicular quality is determined by age?>

[radgeek]

Jo was pinned to her seat.  "Do you mind slowing down?"
"Please," begged Olivia.  "We don't want to get pulled over."
Wintium wanted his host to shut up.  Every host he ever had was involuntary and he enjoyed crushing the voices that would distract him.  Yet some time they could still get on his nerves.  "Sandresh, how is your host doing?"
"She's suppressed and staying that way," she answered back as she set out cups of lemon-aid for the search parties.
"I don't know how they think that they can win," Wintium said.  <<Follow the lead of your wife and shut up.  You can do nothing against me or the Empire or to help your daughter.>>