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 Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:06 am
 Watch waited, a little nervously, for Letter to come out. They had agreed to go on a little date together; Watch was going to take her out to a fine place for food: the meadow next to a fast food restaurant. Fries and bits of cheese and hanburger buns were numerous there, and Watch intended to be the first to take Letter there and show her around. The meadow was on the way to Watch's home, but not nearly so far. It would be a quick flight, well worth the trip. So Watch intended.
He preened his feathers into place as a last-minute touch up. He had thoroughly washed himself earlier, and also cleaned his house, despite the fact that they probably wouldn't be going there. Watch had also stopped by the meadow to make sure that there was enough food. He had found that there was and had moved it to a safer location, like preordering and reserving a table. Watch had been anticipating this moment for a long while, but he was still a little anxious. He hoped that Letter would enjoy today.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:32 am
 Letter had been cleaning her feathers and doing a spot of story telling before she headed out to meet Watch. She had been anxiously anticipating this moment all this morning. All her feathers were in perfect place. What a special day.
She flapped out of the old run-down cotton mill through a shattered window and instantly saw Watch waiting for her and ready. Always the gentleman. Thought Letter to herself.
She landed beside Watch gracefully and smiled, very happy to see him. Her heartbeat picked up once again as she folded her wings. They had been inked since their last meeting. "Hey Watch, how are yer?" She asked, delighted that they were seeing each other again.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:39 am
"Fantastic," Watch replied. "And I can see that you're doing well!" he looked admiringly at her freshly inked feathers and her kind smile. Watch would like to keep that smile there forever. "Now, then-- shall we go?" Watch wanted to get to their food before something else did. Carefully, he mentally checked everything that he had done. This date must go well! If he were to mess up... watch didn't think about it. Relax... Enjoy yourself... She'll see you as happy, and she'll be happy too. She will. he thought quietly. "Ladies first," he added politely, indicating for her to go ahead. I hope that I'm not rushing her, he thought immediately after this action.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 10:51 am
Letter nodded. "Very well thanks, and good to hear the same from you. It's great to see yer again." She said affectionately, before giving her slate wings a flap and finding a current of air to help her rise into the clear blue sky. It looked much more promising than the storms that were surrounding them the last time. But then again, they had pulled the two closer together.
Letter was filled with joy and a butterfly sensation filled her chest as she looked behind her to Watch. A date, and come to think of it, her first ever proper one. "Where to?" She called.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:07 am
"The meadow we passed last time," Watch said as soon as he had caught up. He hadn't bothered to hide the fact that he was strong enough to propell himself into the air and gracefully catch up to her both quickly and easily. This was Watch's first date as well. He gladly took the lead and escorted Letter to the restaurant. It would take maybe twenty minutes, fourty at most, to get there. In the meantime, Watch decided to have a little fun.
Remembering their first trip together, Watch said aloud to Letter, "A pidge was shot, drowned, and hung. The next day he was perfectly all right. What really happened to him?" Watch smiled at his riddle. It would be a tough one; Watch had heard it from a pidge that lived next to a photographer's house.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:17 am
Letter after a moment's silence gave a happy little gasp as she recognized what Watch meant. "A ten minute mystery, I love these games." She said excitedly as she flew along beside Watch. "It really is a tricky one. Shot..." She decided to begin firing away the questions that would eventually lead to the answer. "Right, shot. Well. Wos the pidge actually physically shot?" She started off. She knew the trick to these games was to think everything that was said through very carefully. After all, the words would hold more than one meaning.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 11:59 am
"He was shot," Watch repeated, eyes twinkling. He wasn't giving an inch! "And then drowned, and finally hung. Yet he was unharmed." Watch noted with pleasure that it was highly unlikely that they would be interrupted by a storm this time. The sky was clear and cloudless, except for a few wisps of cirrus here and there, a sure sign of good weather. Watch was also pleased that it was warm with a cool breeze; a perfect day.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 12:08 pm
"Humans hang fabrics out to dry." Commented Letter. That was simple enough. As for drowned, it couldn't have been him, and shot?" She puzzled over it all, trying to fit it all together like a complicated jigsaw puzzle. "Well if he wos un'armed it may not 'ave been a boomstick." She said thoughtfully.
The sun gently warmed her back and she was grateful for the cool breeze to glide in. She would not give in. This mystery had to have hidden meaning.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 12:15 pm
"That's true," Watch said, grinning. It was so nice flying with Letter. She was very clever, too, being able to solve riddles and such. And she could take a challenge! Watch could see no fault in Letter; she must be perfect. He continued on, enjoying the fresh air. Flying and doing riddles with Letter was enough for Watch to decide that the date was going very well already. Certainly he was having fun, and it looked as if Letter was, too.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 12:30 pm
Letter, like Watch was very happy to be flying next to Watch. She felt like one of the most lucky and privileged pidges to be flying with him. And it was her of all pidge that he was taking out on a date! She would never have guessed in a million years that she would end up with him.
"I'm really not sure." She said after a good ten minutes of thought. Letter had never grasped the concept of cameras before.
(Gotta go for a bit. Back in a hour or so.)
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 1:19 pm
Watch was more than happy to explain. "Humans have a box-thing that makes a falsh and copies the picture of the thing it "shot". So, that's how the pidge was shot; by a ca-mer-ra. Then, the picture comes out and needs to be put in a preperation liquid, so the picture was drowned. Finally, it was hung up to dry. That's how he was shot, drowned, hung, and still came out perfectly okay!" Watch smiled at how close Letter had come. She had the wits, if not all of the trivia knowledge that Watch had. After all, Letter had been born and raised in Big Ma's flock, whereas Watch had always been out and about in the wilderness.
Watch breathed deeply and tilted towards Letter. His wingtip almost brushed hers, but not quite. "Do you have one for me?" he asked brightly, looking at her with one of his eyes.
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Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 3:33 pm
Letter's eyes lit up as Watch chattered merrily away to her. She made sure to take all of the valuable information in, finding all of it fascinating. "Cam, camer-, ca-me-ra." Said Letter, finally able to pronounce the word after some difficulties. These human words were always tricky, but utterly intriguing. "That was a wonderful challenge. They say yer learn somethin' new every day, which you do. Quite a lot a the time about humans and their objects. The lists never seem ta end." She said thoughtfully as she glided beside Watch, her eyes drifting towards the the stunning pidge. She kept close to him as they flew. It was heavenly being this close, but her common sense told her no closer for now. Her heart said otherwise, but she went along with her head.
Letter thought a moment, looking forwards once more. "Yes, I think I do. Feed me and I Live. Give me Drink and I Die. What Am I?"
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Posted: Sun May 18, 2008 3:32 pm
"Hmmm..." Watch thought aloud. "Feed me and I live... Well, everything alive needs food, as far as I know. Give me drink and I die... That's odd," Watch had to think for a bit on that one, "I thought that everything needed to drink, too... So, maybe it's not something like a pidge or a cat." Watch's eyes drifted to human things. Could it be a tacks-y? No, they put liquid in those, Watch knew. Suddenly, it dawned upon him.
"It's a fire, right?" he asked. "You 'feed' it wood and stuff, but water puts it out!" Watch grinned. It hadn't been the most difficult riddle ever, but Watch was always a little proud of himself after figuring one out. It was a lot of fun! As Watch happened to glance down, he noticed that they were nearly to their destination.
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 10:45 am
Letter nodded happily. "That's right, well done!" Riddles never failed to delight her once they were solved. "Good thinking. Lots of these riddles need human words to be figured out. Would you like another? She asked Watch looking at the raccoon-marked pidge again. This time, if he accepted she would use one of her harder ones. She flapped her wings a little harder to gain some air and to be picked up once again by the gentle breeze.
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Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 2:08 pm
"Alright," he said, glad for an excuse to look right into the eyes of the slate pidge beside him. She had beautiful inkings-- simple, yet elegant. Watch wondered who Letter got to ink her; the human hand writing could mean anything, but it took skill to master all of the loops and squiggles. Watch guessed that the writing had been copied from a letter or two, chosen because they shared Letter's name. Letter was a wonderful name, too... It was modest, but had its own little ring, little shine, to it. Just like letter herself...
Watch brought himself back to earth and forced himself to look at the air ahead so that he didn't fly into anything. Still, he could not stop his gaze from drifting back to Letter. "I'm game," Watch said when he could not tear his eyes off of Letter's lusturious head feathers. He had to say something, or Letter might have gotten a little creeped out by Watch's staring.
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