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 Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 2:29 am
Salem's limo approached pulled onto the block of Emiko's condo, the stretched black SUV-style luxury vehicle coming to a stop outside her place where the woman waited with an assortment of luggage. Shifting into park, the driver's door would open at the same time the trunk hatch lifted with automatic hydraulics, a portly but homely older gentleman moving around to the curb, standing between Emiko and the rear doors of the limo. It was Murphy, Salem's long-time and most-trusted driver, who opened the door for Emiko.
"Go ahead, ma'am, I'll tend to the luggage." he said politely, gesturing inside the rear cab.
Decked out with fine lighting, cherrywood paneling, with snake etchings into the arbor, a group of four already sat around the spacious interior atop the Corinthian leather seats. Trent, still licking wounds from his explosive battle with Cartwright, Erynys Reich, his head almost reaching the rear sunroof, tag title on the seat next to him, Kyra Croft, donning a cute red sundress with lacy frills, sitting next to her father Salem, the pair playing a game on her Nintendo Switch, which she'd bejeweled with pink rhinestone accents.
All wore aviator sunglasses.
Kyra's head snapped towards the door as Murphy opened it to usher Emi inside. "Mommy!" she exclaimed, almost dropping the expensive gaming device in her excitement. "Lookit! Daddy got us glasses!" she beamed, the shades in question looking a bit too large for the girl, threatening to fall off at any moment.
"Got some for you, too, Emi." Salem smiled, offering her the extra pair.
"He made us wear them." Trent said stoicly.
"They hurt my head." Eryn mildly complained in his German accent, adjusting the normal sized glasses that still looked too small for his face.
"Murph's got the luggage, then we're off to the airport. Got a jet waiting, first class all the way." Salem smiled. "Ready for an Irish adventure?"
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 3:19 pm
Stepping inside the lengthy vehicle, Emiko was given shades to unnecessarily wear and no sooner did she sit back, her young daughter insisted with much assertiveness to put the aviator shades on her mother. "Now you're in the club." Kyra stating matter of factually, then dropped her little body for a long absent hug.
Adjusting this new attachment to sit beside her, Sone beaming at her dearly missed child, who showed her how to play The Switch. Emiko gave a glancing answer to Salem, "Yes.." and returned attention right back to the one who demanded it!
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 3:33 pm
Salem admired Kyra and Emi together again, unable to stop from smiling as their daughter sat between them, showing her mother how the green shells and red shells worked. Giving Emiko a look, he'd try not to distract her from Kyra's affections but couldn't help but lean over and watch them play together. He'd missed having "Miss E." around, Kyra had, too. He wanted to soak in as much of this family time as he could.
Murphy shut the trunk door, reclaiming his place in the driver's seat after putting Emiko's luggage away. Ireland awaited, and with it a big portion of Salem's family due to welcome them for both celebration and reunion. A black speaker box built flush into the paneling in the back spoke to the group, the voice that of Murphy up front.
"We good, boss?" the loyal aide asked.
Pressing a button next to his arm rest, Salem spoke back.
"Sure thing, Murph. Let's roll, we gotta plane to catch."
With that, the stretch SUV pulled off, making way for the nearby airport with its five passengers in tow.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 3:49 pm
"Best news I've heard all day. Wake me up when we get there." He was usually a man of few words, but he was even more quiet than usual due to the concussion he had suffered during the match.
Despite the glasses pressing into his face, he was glad they kept the light away from his sensitive eyes. He shifted his position in his seat and started to nod off.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 7:15 pm
Trent would have been the one to get the seat next to the big guy. Getting crushed, while at the same time, not trying to crush anyone else next to him. He could feel the pressure against his chest and back, taking some of the air out of him. Trent was still just as sore, if not more so, since Summerslam. He had time off to relax and recover, but no one ever comes out the same way they went in a deathmatch.
"As much as I like being crammed into small spaces with you guys. I just wanted to know long this ride to the plane going to be. I know you said you had the details laid out and you wanted us to kick back, but the big lug is--"
A bump was hit as the knocked out Erynys would get pushed into Trent for a moment. Trent's eyes growing almost double the size for a moment as he would feel his ribs cry out. He would have abruptly yelled out, but he knew Emiko and Kyra were both in the vehichle as well and that was the worst thing he could possibly do. Picking up from what he was saying earlier.
"Crushing me."
After doing so, he would grind his teeth and focus on not saying any obscenities.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2023 8:28 pm
His eyes flipped open at the bump when he felt himself knocked into Trent. He gave him a bleary half awake scowl before he moved closer to the opposite way and drifted back to sleep.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2023 7:24 pm
Salem sat comfortably next to Kyra, the limo casually cruising the streets towards the airfield where his jet was primed and ready. It was a fun ride for him, seeing Kyra and Emiko reconnect and engage one another, the taunts back and forth over who won which game. He knew the car ride was soon to end with them nearing their destination, but it was a trivial complaint - there'd be hours on the jet, time enough to see mother and child bond further. There were a lot of things Salem wanted to talk about with Emiko, thoughts and feelings he hadn't quite brought into words, but in this moment, their smiles were enough.
"Be at the jet in ten, boss." Murphy chimed in through the speaker.
"Thanks, Murph." Salem replied through the two-way, still watching Emiko and Kyra getting on.
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Posted: Thu Aug 31, 2023 8:58 pm
With about ten minutes left, before a group of busy movement would take them away from this moment.. "I know.. a great quick game and an oldie at that, it's perfect."
Emiko gave Kyra a daring eye, creating telling face from her of pure enticement, already fully drawn in with all their back and forth, trade off gameplay.
"Oooooh, show me-tell me-let me see-play it-whatisitigot-" Emiko held the gaming device up high. "Tsk, aah, let me load it.. it's called Tetris.."
Kyra watched on in.. disappointment. The poor bore of grey graphics and bland rotation of random appearing blocks to stack.
After a short minute, Purple Princess had already gotten down the simple rules of gameplay, and felt to be an expert by pure sight.
"Alright, your turn." Emiko handed the Nintendo for her daughters turn.. who was soon horribly engrossed with it!
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2023 9:27 am
Salem distracted himself by watching Kyra and Emiko play together, enjoying the mother and daughter's overdue bonding time. Murphy was pulling into the private entrance of the airport that led to the restricted area of the airfield reserved for leasing purposes, meaning they could bypass a lot of the hassle and red tape typical passengers endured. But Salem pondered to himself whether his family in Belfast would make up the difference of lost inconvenience once they'd arrived, it'd been a few years since he'd seen so many of them and here he was bringing a whole posse and a child along for the trip.
Murphy chimed in across the speakers as he pulled into the hangar dedicated to Salem's jet, a long, sleek thing of beauty soaked in black gloss with a golden outline of a Copperhead along the tailfin. Waiting outside the extended stairway were a set of six people, two pilots and four attendants, all in sharp grey uniforms with gold accents. Murphy pulled up alongside the twin engine wonder, parking and popping the trunk as he and the flight attendants started to unload and board the luggage from the back of the limo. Kyra, for her part, broke away from the screen of her game and stuck her palms to the window, marveling at the aerial machine.
"Like it?" he asked, smiling and scritching her scalp. "It's a leftover bonus from my days running the Marauders." he said, turning back to glance at the rest of his group. "She'll get us there, but it'll be some twelve hours. But there's a couple bedrooms, shower, lounge, and the flight seats are heated and massage capable."
Popping the door open as the attendants and Murphy were wheeling the last of the suitcases aboard, Salem grinned down at Kyra. "Ready to fly like Superman?" he asked, seeing a light flare up in the kid's eyes.
"I'm WONDER WOMAAAN!" she shouted, blasting over Salem's lap and out the door in an excited dash for the plane!
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2023 4:21 pm
Glancing to the plane for a second and a second became a moment, as Emiko eyed it pessimistically. It seemed to her, that Salem liked to flaunt his wealth..
Sone's opinionated thoughts brushed aside to a smile at her dear daughter prancing out for the plane. Following quickly, dotting over the safety of Krya.
"Stay close! Keep with the group, we'll be on it soon enough!"
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 8:19 am
He rubbed his eyes as the car started to slow down within the restricted section of the airport. He was wondering what type of transportation they would be using and his eyes widened as he saw the plane and a smile came to his face when he heard what amenities were on board.
It would be a 12 hour trip, but that would fly by with a nice shower and a good rest. He gave Salem a clap on his shoulder. "This is gonna be a much needed break and traveling in style I see."
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Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2023 2:22 pm
After Erynys got out, Trent would follow behind. Looked to be in better spirits than before. Most likely due to the fact he left the stretch-SUV and was about to lavish on the overpriced bird of Salem. He would walk behind Erynys and converge with the rest of the group. Before Salem could respond to the big guy, Trent would add.
"A little more than stylish. I will be sure to take full advantage of all the conveniences available during this trip."
He would say to Salem with a huge grin on his face. Had to tease to his friend where he could. After all, don't get a chance to do this often. That's why, as soon as everyone got in the plane, he was going to do some taste testing and see what other goodies he could find.
Yeah, this is well deserved. Thanks, Salem!
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