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Fox 039: Chef Fox 2
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[AN: This is the thirty ninth in the Fox Tale series. Please read them in order.]
[Creative property of Lady Quindecim]
I broke myself free from the spell of my saucy imagination and returned Mag’s greeting. It was just a quick ‘Hi’ but then, I really needed to get going. Before I could get past her, however, she touched my arm to get my attention.
Quietly, she said to me, “No library, okay? Meet me by the chessboard at lunch.” It was lighthearted and smiling and out of context would be the most trivial, innocuous comment possible. On the other hand, in context, I understood the warning for what it was.
I nodded discretely before gleefully replying, “Sure! Fine, see you there!” Perhaps I had turned up the glee just a little too much. I blame lack of sleep.
Out in the hall, Cody and Fox were talking. I had no idea what they were talking about, but of course, I generally keep hearing someone say that someone else said this or that, so I figured there must be times that they exchange this information. I honestly had every intention of leaving them to their conversation when the boy’s eye caught mine and we waved. My mind was replaying its imagination of my hand gliding across Fox’s tummy.
I managed no more than two steps towards maths and Fox was caught up beside me, “Private composition lessons from Miss Gradecko, or what?” Her voice was light and playful and it took every ounce of resolve I had to refrain from simply scooping her up in my arms, right there in the hallway.
But I held my resolve, and especially after Mag’s warning, I was not about to explain what the teacher had asked of me here in the hall, so I simply said that I figured she wanted as much distance between Mr. Sherman and myself as possible.
“I think the two of you should go toe to toe in a cage match,” she said matter of fact.
I was too shocked - startled by her comment - to be hurt or upset by it. I turned to my head to see her smiling back at me.
“Well, no, I was just being flippant. He does need his ego checked - or did - but no, I... I didn't mean it like that.” There was a falter in her smile and I realized it must be from my expression.
I recovered my disposition and smiled back at her. “Your joke just caught me off guard, is all. I know you were not serious.”
To reinforce my words, I took her hand and raced us down the hallway, surprised to hear our laughter.
* * *
I blame the sleepless night and my giddy imagination for not having any significant recollection of mathematics or chemistry, but there I was, walking down the steps in from of the school with my eyes on Mags, standing under the tree and next to the chessboard. She was bundled in her coat, hat and scarf against the cold and I was wishing for a hat myself. Despite forecast, the overcast morning failed to burn off the snow and in fact, the were traces of flakes here and there, doing their best to make it last.
As we strode over to a bench, Brad and Ginger took places at the game table and I watched as chance gave Ginger the black pieces by way of her selecting that coloured pawn concealed within Brad’s hand. We sat and Mags leaned in to me. It was casual, but it let her speak very quietly. I chanced a glance at her and saw that her scarf would obscure her mouth should anyone be trying to read her lips. It had something of a cloak-and-dagger feel as I listened carefully.
I heard her say, “With like, computers, do you know what I ‘live boot image’ is?”
“No.”
“What about an anonymizer? Anonymous proxy?” She shooed James away.
Well, in context, I think I got the idea, but, “No.”
“Okay.” I felt her shift a little against me before she continued. “Boot up your laptop with the memory stick plugged in. Follow the instructions on screen and use your last name for the password. Don’t look for anything on the web without booting up from that stick.”
I nodded a little as I said I understood.
“Do you know what a ‘honey pot’ is?”
I almost said ‘of course I do’ before thinking that she subject had not changed and I had no idea how it would be used like this.
“Okay. Imagine you want to know who is looking for government cover-ups. UFO crashes, super-secret spy planes and the JFK assassination. It’s all about finding who is looking for the right keywords. So you make a ‘honey pot’. You set up a fake domain with like a ‘dot-edu’ web address and load the servers up with all your miss-information and packed with keywords. Then it is as simple as tracking where the visitors are coming from.”
“More flies with honey than vinegar?”
“Exactly.”
I was afraid to speak plainly - my mouth was not hidden by a scarf. I never considered myself generally paranoid, but I had my issues and I applied discretion normally reserved for those personal issues to this one. Of course, that meant that there were loads of questions I wanted to ask, but... they would have to wait, or I would just have to figure things out for myself.
“Protect that memory stick.”
“Like a thumb-drive?”
“Yep.” She stood up and waved to James who had wandered closer to the stairs, then turned back to me.
“What ‘stick?’” I asked, feeling like there was a piece I was missing... more than the other pieces.
She took her hands and placed them with a certain subtle determination into her coat pockets. “You've got it,” she said with an intonation as if I understood something, but I took that as code for telling me that I have the drive.
I stood and put my hands in my coat pocket and felt what must have been it, hard, plastic, and a little like a pack of gum but shorter. That must have been what she was doing when she shifted against me, putting the thing in there. I smiled and answered, “Yep, sure do. Thanks.”
And once she turned to join James, I headed over to the bakery, passing Mary Ann, Brian, Samwise, Brad and Ginger, all going about their business as if nothing odd had just happened. Meanwhile, my mind was racing with everything Mags said - and did not say - and all the questions that were spawned. Who was watching the honey pot and who was feeding it the information? I ran my mind back through all of the online searches I had done and the keywords I had used the night before. Mostly, I had only looked for places that had information about Twin Rivers and Midwest Textiles. We are new in town and I could not imagine anything in my search being anything that would stand out.
I realized that I had just entered the bakery and needed to put all that aside. You know, like, “Don’t look down.”
And there she was and I forgot that there was anything I was trying not to think about. There was only Fox, smiling at me.
[You have been reading the thirty ninth installment of the Fox Tale Series by Lady Quindecim.]
[If you received this text from a source other than DeviantArt, please let the author know via e-mail to lady.quindecim@gmail.com]
[I hope you have enjoyed this installment]
[Creative property of Lady Quindecim]
Page Thirty Nine: Chef Fox 2
I broke myself free from the spell of my saucy imagination and returned Mag’s greeting. It was just a quick ‘Hi’ but then, I really needed to get going. Before I could get past her, however, she touched my arm to get my attention.
Quietly, she said to me, “No library, okay? Meet me by the chessboard at lunch.” It was lighthearted and smiling and out of context would be the most trivial, innocuous comment possible. On the other hand, in context, I understood the warning for what it was.
I nodded discretely before gleefully replying, “Sure! Fine, see you there!” Perhaps I had turned up the glee just a little too much. I blame lack of sleep.
Out in the hall, Cody and Fox were talking. I had no idea what they were talking about, but of course, I generally keep hearing someone say that someone else said this or that, so I figured there must be times that they exchange this information. I honestly had every intention of leaving them to their conversation when the boy’s eye caught mine and we waved. My mind was replaying its imagination of my hand gliding across Fox’s tummy.
I managed no more than two steps towards maths and Fox was caught up beside me, “Private composition lessons from Miss Gradecko, or what?” Her voice was light and playful and it took every ounce of resolve I had to refrain from simply scooping her up in my arms, right there in the hallway.
But I held my resolve, and especially after Mag’s warning, I was not about to explain what the teacher had asked of me here in the hall, so I simply said that I figured she wanted as much distance between Mr. Sherman and myself as possible.
“I think the two of you should go toe to toe in a cage match,” she said matter of fact.
I was too shocked - startled by her comment - to be hurt or upset by it. I turned to my head to see her smiling back at me.
“Well, no, I was just being flippant. He does need his ego checked - or did - but no, I... I didn't mean it like that.” There was a falter in her smile and I realized it must be from my expression.
I recovered my disposition and smiled back at her. “Your joke just caught me off guard, is all. I know you were not serious.”
To reinforce my words, I took her hand and raced us down the hallway, surprised to hear our laughter.
* * *
I blame the sleepless night and my giddy imagination for not having any significant recollection of mathematics or chemistry, but there I was, walking down the steps in from of the school with my eyes on Mags, standing under the tree and next to the chessboard. She was bundled in her coat, hat and scarf against the cold and I was wishing for a hat myself. Despite forecast, the overcast morning failed to burn off the snow and in fact, the were traces of flakes here and there, doing their best to make it last.
As we strode over to a bench, Brad and Ginger took places at the game table and I watched as chance gave Ginger the black pieces by way of her selecting that coloured pawn concealed within Brad’s hand. We sat and Mags leaned in to me. It was casual, but it let her speak very quietly. I chanced a glance at her and saw that her scarf would obscure her mouth should anyone be trying to read her lips. It had something of a cloak-and-dagger feel as I listened carefully.
I heard her say, “With like, computers, do you know what I ‘live boot image’ is?”
“No.”
“What about an anonymizer? Anonymous proxy?” She shooed James away.
Well, in context, I think I got the idea, but, “No.”
“Okay.” I felt her shift a little against me before she continued. “Boot up your laptop with the memory stick plugged in. Follow the instructions on screen and use your last name for the password. Don’t look for anything on the web without booting up from that stick.”
I nodded a little as I said I understood.
“Do you know what a ‘honey pot’ is?”
I almost said ‘of course I do’ before thinking that she subject had not changed and I had no idea how it would be used like this.
“Okay. Imagine you want to know who is looking for government cover-ups. UFO crashes, super-secret spy planes and the JFK assassination. It’s all about finding who is looking for the right keywords. So you make a ‘honey pot’. You set up a fake domain with like a ‘dot-edu’ web address and load the servers up with all your miss-information and packed with keywords. Then it is as simple as tracking where the visitors are coming from.”
“More flies with honey than vinegar?”
“Exactly.”
I was afraid to speak plainly - my mouth was not hidden by a scarf. I never considered myself generally paranoid, but I had my issues and I applied discretion normally reserved for those personal issues to this one. Of course, that meant that there were loads of questions I wanted to ask, but... they would have to wait, or I would just have to figure things out for myself.
“Protect that memory stick.”
“Like a thumb-drive?”
“Yep.” She stood up and waved to James who had wandered closer to the stairs, then turned back to me.
“What ‘stick?’” I asked, feeling like there was a piece I was missing... more than the other pieces.
She took her hands and placed them with a certain subtle determination into her coat pockets. “You've got it,” she said with an intonation as if I understood something, but I took that as code for telling me that I have the drive.
I stood and put my hands in my coat pocket and felt what must have been it, hard, plastic, and a little like a pack of gum but shorter. That must have been what she was doing when she shifted against me, putting the thing in there. I smiled and answered, “Yep, sure do. Thanks.”
And once she turned to join James, I headed over to the bakery, passing Mary Ann, Brian, Samwise, Brad and Ginger, all going about their business as if nothing odd had just happened. Meanwhile, my mind was racing with everything Mags said - and did not say - and all the questions that were spawned. Who was watching the honey pot and who was feeding it the information? I ran my mind back through all of the online searches I had done and the keywords I had used the night before. Mostly, I had only looked for places that had information about Twin Rivers and Midwest Textiles. We are new in town and I could not imagine anything in my search being anything that would stand out.
I realized that I had just entered the bakery and needed to put all that aside. You know, like, “Don’t look down.”
And there she was and I forgot that there was anything I was trying not to think about. There was only Fox, smiling at me.
[You have been reading the thirty ninth installment of the Fox Tale Series by Lady Quindecim.]
[If you received this text from a source other than DeviantArt, please let the author know via e-mail to lady.quindecim@gmail.com]
[I hope you have enjoyed this installment]
For those of you following along, the is (still) Wednesday of her second week in town. Last week's page - the first posted in a really long time - was also on this, the ninth day in her world. In my notes, I have them by day, then page, but I have not been really adding the day here in the comments. I think I may do that. I mean, I find it helps me as I flip back and forth during edits, so I think it may have value for the one or two people who read these too.
If this is the first one you are reading, by all means please stop and read the first one [link] first, then proceed in order, if you would be so kind.
And if you like it/them, let me know. If you do not, I would still like to know. If you are completely indifferent and do not feel it is worth your time to comment, that's okay, you can let me know that as well.
Part One: Fox at First Sight → [link] ←
Part Two: Foxy Lady → [link] ←
Part Three: Still a Fox → [link] ←
Part Four: Fellowship of the Fox → [link] ←
Part Five: Fox Free Period → [link] ←
Part Six: Fox, but not Forgotten → [link] ←
Part Seven: Fox Report → [link] ←
Part Eight: Fox in socks → [link] ←
Part Nine: Lingering Fox → [link] ←
Part Ten: Bargain with a Fox → [link] ←
Part Eleven: Speechless Fox → [link] ←
Part Twelve: Fox Filled Dreams → [link] ←
Part Thirteen: In a Box, With a Fox → [link] ←
Part Fourteen: Fox and Stone → [link] ←
Part Fifteen: Chef Fox & On the Spot → [link] ←
Part Sixteen: Fox Proud → [link] ←
Part Seventeen: Fox is Watching → [link] ←
Part Eighteen: Foxless Day? → [link] ←
Part Nineteen: Cornered Without a Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty: A Fighting Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty One: What Fox Can Never Know → [link] ←
Part Twenty Two: The Wounded Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Three: The True Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Four: Holding On To Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Five: A Box for Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Six: A Locked Box for Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Seven: Putting Fox Aside → [link] ←
Page Twenty Eight: The Fox Path → [link] ←
Page Twenty Nine: Fox Has Secrets → [link] ←
Page Thirty: Happy Fox → [link] ←
Page Thirty One: Walking With Fox → [link] ←
Page Thirty Two: Fox’s Gift → [link] ←
Page Thirty Three: A Foxed Conviction → [link] ←
Page Thirty Four: Fox’s Town → [link] ←
Page Thirty Five: Fox at Hand → [link] ←
Page Thirty Six: A Foxy Habit → [link] ←
Page Thirty Seven: I Can Dream About Fox → [link] ←
Page Thirty Eight: Chef Fox 1 → [link] ←
Page Thirty Nine: Chef Fox 2 → You are Here ←
Page Forty: Chef Fox 3 → [link] ←
If, for whatever reason, you want to use any of this/these, please check with me first.
As always, comments and feedback are welcome.
If this is the first one you are reading, by all means please stop and read the first one [link] first, then proceed in order, if you would be so kind.
And if you like it/them, let me know. If you do not, I would still like to know. If you are completely indifferent and do not feel it is worth your time to comment, that's okay, you can let me know that as well.
Part One: Fox at First Sight → [link] ←
Part Two: Foxy Lady → [link] ←
Part Three: Still a Fox → [link] ←
Part Four: Fellowship of the Fox → [link] ←
Part Five: Fox Free Period → [link] ←
Part Six: Fox, but not Forgotten → [link] ←
Part Seven: Fox Report → [link] ←
Part Eight: Fox in socks → [link] ←
Part Nine: Lingering Fox → [link] ←
Part Ten: Bargain with a Fox → [link] ←
Part Eleven: Speechless Fox → [link] ←
Part Twelve: Fox Filled Dreams → [link] ←
Part Thirteen: In a Box, With a Fox → [link] ←
Part Fourteen: Fox and Stone → [link] ←
Part Fifteen: Chef Fox & On the Spot → [link] ←
Part Sixteen: Fox Proud → [link] ←
Part Seventeen: Fox is Watching → [link] ←
Part Eighteen: Foxless Day? → [link] ←
Part Nineteen: Cornered Without a Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty: A Fighting Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty One: What Fox Can Never Know → [link] ←
Part Twenty Two: The Wounded Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Three: The True Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Four: Holding On To Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Five: A Box for Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Six: A Locked Box for Fox → [link] ←
Part Twenty Seven: Putting Fox Aside → [link] ←
Page Twenty Eight: The Fox Path → [link] ←
Page Twenty Nine: Fox Has Secrets → [link] ←
Page Thirty: Happy Fox → [link] ←
Page Thirty One: Walking With Fox → [link] ←
Page Thirty Two: Fox’s Gift → [link] ←
Page Thirty Three: A Foxed Conviction → [link] ←
Page Thirty Four: Fox’s Town → [link] ←
Page Thirty Five: Fox at Hand → [link] ←
Page Thirty Six: A Foxy Habit → [link] ←
Page Thirty Seven: I Can Dream About Fox → [link] ←
Page Thirty Eight: Chef Fox 1 → [link] ←
Page Thirty Nine: Chef Fox 2 → You are Here ←
Page Forty: Chef Fox 3 → [link] ←
If, for whatever reason, you want to use any of this/these, please check with me first.
As always, comments and feedback are welcome.
© 2013 - 2024 LadyQuindecim
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