Alexis Almira was born to a poor family on the desolate world of Pittsburgh. At an early age, she supported her family's meager income - by selling her body to strangers old enough to be her father. In this instance, cursed with a remarkable beauty, natural red hair, and eyes the shade of purple (a most unusual trait), Alexis attracted the unwanted suits of numerous 'clients'. By the age 18, when she got away from home, Alexis was adamant that she wanted nothing to do with men.
Having saved money from her previous occupation, Alexis bought a used ship and took to the stars, taking odd jobs to just keep the ship going. At first, it was great fun. As a matter of fact, it stayed great fun. Whether it were mining, trading, or escort work, Alexis had a ball with everything, eager to learn new things. Scarred by her past experiences, however, she found it hard to make bonds with other people, at least ones that lasted.
Eventually, she got enough money to buy a Sabre from the Zoners, off of a shady dealer on Freeport Nine. It worked a lot better than her old ship, however. Lonely, and wandering in want of companionship, Alexis, while having great fun in her line of work, considered suicide more than once. Always, however, something kept her going, over the next horizon to new and better things, hopefully.
Born on planet Los Angeles, California system, Sierra Rivetti lived a quiet young life. Daughter of a Freelancer father and a home-working mother, she always had an urge to have freedom, of any sort.
Bored with the life she had gotten to know, a life of imprisonment, pampered, but imprisoned, she chose to run away from her family. She would often gaze at the stars at night, and wish that she could be free out there.
Several days wandering about, living on what she had managed to save up from her generous parents, she met a man by the name of Christian Keith, a Freelancer as well, young, handsome, still in his early 20s. Sierra was 18 at the time, and mesmerized by Christian.
They eventually fell in love with each other. She flew with him as his co-pilot aboard his Sabre and explored many systems, completed many contracts. Christian would often let Sierra pilot his Sabre, for practice.
Their relationship lasted for 5 years. It ended painfully for Sierra.
Christian took a contract, a rather dangerous one, dealing with one of the Cardamine cartels. As Sierra slept in their room, He slid away early and fired up his Sabre. The job was too dangerous for Sierra, and he didn't want her to get hurt, or get in the way.
Sierra woke up, to find that Christian wasn't beside her. She scrambled for her clothes, and ran outside to the hanger, only to find that the Sabre was nowhere in sight. Pacing frantically about, she constantly tried to contact him, to no avail.
Having to wait for Christian, she sat down in the nearby bar, drank and waited, for what seemed like an eternity. Christian never let her stay behind during a mission. She was worried. Something was wrong.
She ran back into the hangar, as she saw the Sabre touch down. She ran towards the ship and saw Christian slide down out of it, as he thumped to the ground. She ran and knelt beside him, to find several gunshot wounds in his chest. Crying hard, she held onto Christian, as he breathed his last.
Christian kissed her, as he lay in a small pool of bloody, and looked towards his Sabre. Turning to Sierra, he gave her the codes to his Sabre.
"She's all yours, my love."
With that, he closed his eyes, and died in Sierra's arms.
And so ended their 5 year relationship, which resulted in Sierra being emotionally exhausted, and despondent. She traveled Sirius, taking jobs, from one place to another, with little meaning in her actions. She mourned his passing, and visited the place where he was laid to rest, a cemetery on Freeport 9, frequently.
She needed to let go of her past. The pain she felt was excruciating, even after a year, it was no better than it was when it happened. Finally adamant about letting go, she paid one last visit to Freeport 9.
After saying one last goodbye to the remains of her loved one, she left the cemetery. Wanting to kill the inner feeling of regret and depression, she headed to the bar and started drinking.
A gorgeous redhead walked up to her and sat down beside her.
"Hey, you alright?"
"... I think so..."
"Alexis."
"Hey, I'm Sierra."
She let it all out. She told Alexis everything regarding her pains. She didn't know why she opened up to her. She was someone who was near, someone who she could talk to. It seemed that Alexis understood what Sierra was feeling, that lack of purpose.
They talked to each other for several hours. Sierra felt attracted to Alexis. There was something about her...
---
Sierra opened her eyes. Her head was on fire, a painful headache. A hangover, she thought. Closing her eyes and trying to concentrate on something other than the pain in her head, she reached to the side of her bed where she imagined her clothes were, and felt a warm, curvy figure there, curled up.
Opening her eyes, Sierra quickly turned to face the figure, still fast asleep. Another woman. Red hair. Naked.
Sierra's eyes widened as she thought of what might have happened last night with this girl...
Snuggling closer to Sierra, the softly spoken word 'Alexis' stirred her to consciousness. Slowly, she turned over with a smile on her face, and said "Hey you."
"W-w-what happened?" Sierra stammered out, realizing just how naked she was at the moment.
Cuddling up next to Sierra, Alexis asked in a seductive voice: "What do you think happened, dear?"
A blush lit up Sierra's face, and Alexis couldn't help but laugh in sheer delight. At first, Sierra tried to retreat from it, but soon she surrendered and pressed her body up against Alexis, and felt what she had forgotten...
An hour or so later
Sierra lay on her back, panting. She was sold. Alexis was amazing, and there was no going back. Alexis, also on her back, looked over and smiled.
From then on, they were inseparable. Two Freelancers flying Sabres about, taking jobs together always. They even went so far as to get the exact same gun loadouts on their ships. Of course, this wasn't to say they were exclusive - far from it. Every time they met other girls, they flirted shamelessly, sometimes on broadcast channels. Most were taken aback, but the two girls pushed past the awkwardness. It was a sport for them.
One day in Omicron Gamma, the duo were sitting over Crete in their Sabres, idly bantering with the locals, who were... slow, to say the least. No less than three Cruisers sat around, lolling and taking leisurely pot-shots at each other. There was a girl in a Titan whom Alexis was hitting on rather hard, named Valentina. She was skittish, to say the least, but had an open mind. After awhile, she agreed to meet Alexis on the surface, and so they did...
~ ~ ~ ~
The next day, Valentina was shy though happy. After waking up and slipping out of bed, which had a noticeable lump that could only be a slumbering body, she donned clothes and left. She met Alexis by their ships, and asked if there was anything she could get for her. Alexis considered, then, glancing at the Tizona del Cids, smiled. She asked for two Tizona del Cids and a turret.
Being a Freelancer meant more than knowing how to fly. It meant connections, knowing people that knew people that had brothers that needed something done. In such knowledge, there comes the potential for some very interesting business deals.
The LSF were always a fun bunch, especially when one applied certain forms of persuasion. Research Station Willard had extensive gun-testing facilities, and as such produced and reverse-engineered nearly every model of weapon available - or at least they'd like to think. Most aren't clear for use, but for an enterprising Freelancer such as Alexis Almira, anything was possible.
It was a matter of cake for her to get access to their stores, and two guns caught her eye - the ARCHANGEL and the GUARDIAN. They looked beautiful together, the orange and blue complementing each other wonderfully.
' Wrote:A ravishing redhead walked into the bar, obviously Libertonian by origin, and went straight to the counter. She ordered sake, beaming smiles at all the girls in the room, some friendly and some seductive, which are usually returned in like.
Alexis Almira drank in silence, waiting to be approached by a curious Chrysanthemum.
A few minutes later...
Takako walked into the tea house, muttering Kusari curses on every trader who'd slipped past her that day, and gave CobaltWatsas a somewhat disgusted glance before heading up to the bar, happening to take a seat alongside the strange redhead. She shot the woman a surprised glance and said "I am not seeing you here before now..."
"I imagine you haven't," she replied, drinking some of her sake. "I've been around, mostly collecting the GMG bounties in Sigma 13... a Dragon saved my butt the other day, though I think I could've handled the five Corsairs myself," she laughed.
"Anyways," she continued, gregariously, "I just adore the Chrysanthemums. Love the cause. Can I get you a drink?" At the last, she has a certain twinkle in her eye and set to her smile.
Takako shrugged. "If you are insisting, tea would be nice." She stretched. "Aaah... so much time in cockpit. Is nice, having room for actual moving..."
Alexis' smile widened. "Why, I do happen to give the most lovely massages..." She waved at the bartender ("Steve, is it?") to bring her newfound friend a drink. "Perhaps, if you have time later, I could demonstrate it to you?" She takes another sip of her sake.
Takako raised an eyebrow. "You are... how is it you are saying? Coming on with me, yes?" She received her Cardamine-infused tea and took a sip with an amused half-smile. "I must be saying, I am receiving many coming-ons from pervert Junker, and from bartender. But not from woman before. Is new." She set the cup down. "Word of advice. If you are not liking Cardamine, I am recommend you are staying with sake. Many Cardamine in tea."
"Coming on to you, dear," Alexis corrected, "And I'll take note of the Cardamine in the tea... I do adore you Chrysanthemums, but I'm not a huge fan of the Outcasts... I mostly ignore them because of you lot." She smiled, then asks, "So, never had a girl 'come on' to you before?" Another sip of her sake taken, and she ordered another.
"No, never." Takako shook her head. "Is not something I am expecting." She finished her tea. "Am Takako, by the way. Nakajima Takako."
"Why I'm Alexis Almira, hon," she said, proffering her hand, "Freelancer extraordinare. Just bagged me three Corsairs, by my lonesome. So..." she said, trailing off and looking suddenly sheepish, "you open to new experiences, dear?"
"Pleased for meeting you, Alexis Almira," Takako said, bowing slightly. "What kind of new experiences? Like, seeing no trader taking shortcuts through space of Sisterhood and Blood Dragons?" She laughed. "That will be a day... But, in seriousness, what experiences are you meaning?"
At about that time, CobaltWatsas stumbled back into the Tea House. Having sobered up just enough to use basic english.
"Dagnabbit! Mah ship is totalled! Who could have done such a... *gasp!*" He abruptly stopped as he saw Ironwatsas, who turned around, equally shocked.
"...I knew this day would come..." He stated coldly.
The two stared at each other dramatically for a while, taking in the implications of each other's presance.
Most of the people in the tea house were watching the two, confused. Naomi tapped Takako and Alexis on the shoulders. "Yeah, we may want to take this elsewhere. I think this is about to get really screwy in here."
Takako scowled. "Yes. Is good idea. Alexis, we should be going somewhere quieter to get away from baka cyborg and baka relative." She set her finished tea down. "My room, perhaps. Is easier for talking in private."
Alexis smiled at Takako, nodded, and whispered, "Maybe your room is best. Come on hon, let's go." She stood up, downed the rest of her sake, and allowed her new friend to lead the way out of the Tea House.
The next morning...
Takako woke up slowly, murmuring in her sleep, and then rolled over, and was rather shocked to see the slumbering form of Alexis Almira in her bed.
((I assume I can post here, 'cause Takako is my character... if not, let me know.))
"Waa!" Takako yelped, reeling slightly and sitting up, pulse racing, clutching the sheets to her chest. She put a hand to her throbbing head and started chattering frantically to herself in Kusari, trying to get a grip on the situation. "N-nani kore?! Hoka no onna...! Eeto. Eeto. Namae wa... Alexis Almira. Hai... hai. Soshte, izakaya de Alexis-san to hanashta... hai, sore ga oboeteiru... demo, doushte Alexis-san mo atashi no beddo ga imasu?! Hadaka no yo! S-Sore wa... Aaaa, taihen. Taihen!" She put her head in both hands. "Aaaaa... dou sureba ii?" She fell backwards onto her pillow, face bright red. "Kyaaaaa..." she whimpered. "Hazukashii... Atama ga itai..."*
The mortified Chrysanthemum decided to risk waking Alexis. "A-Alexis-san?" she said timidly, gently prodding the redhead's shoulder.
((*"Wh-What's this?! Another woman...! Um. Um. Her name is... Alexis Almira. Yes... yes. And, I talked with Alexis-san at the bar... yes, I remember that... but why is Alexis in my bed with me?! Naked, at that! T-that's... ooooh, this is bad. This is bad! Aaaah... what should I do? Gah... this is embarrassing... My head hurts..."))
Alexis stirred in her sleep and rolled over, eying Takako with open appraisal, slow smile spreading across her face. Her memory was obviously not clouded by alcohol. Takako was gibbering Kusarian, so Alexis put a finger to her lip and made a shushing noise.
"It's alright, nothing's wrong. Don't worry."
Sliding out of bed, Alexis pulled on her clothes and stood up proudly. "You were wonderful." With that, she walked to the kitchenette and asked if she minded if she made breakfast.
"D-demo, nani ga okotta no yo?!*" Realising Alexis probably didn't speak Kusari, she started again. "What... what meaning is, I am thinking to had too much cardamine last night... or not enough. What was... happen? What... why 'wonderful'?" She pressed her hands to her throbbing head. "Kyaa... My head is much hurting..."
"Why, you were opened to new and wonderful experiences, hon. My first time was so liberating... I got to see what life truly is like." Alexis shivered with remembered joy as she rooted around the cupboards. "What have you got in here? Or do you eat in the bar all the time?" She punctuated the sentence with a giggle.