When she came out, she found Masakazu and Logan near the airlock. It seemed they tried to open it, without much luck at it seemed.
She smiled to them and skipped about to leave the kaichou.
Logan was staring at her, stamping his foot, while Masakazu was gazing at the inside of the ship suspiciously, as if he expected some kind of wild animal to jump out.
"Ah well... The young lady is fine...."He finally said, studying her cautiously. "What the hell were you thinking to enter into -this- like that?"Admonished Logan. "I wanted to meet Fune. She's nice!" "Nice... The last time an engineer entered in that ship, it imprisoned him for an entire day" "Yay she's nice!"The girl beamed and added "She called me baka! That's cute!" "Uh..."
Masakazu glanced at Logan who replied with a 'don't ask' expression.
Meanwhile, the girl came back near the ship and caressed its hull, smiling cheerfully. "I like her so very much!"
He shrugged. 'Oh well', he thought. "So the lady would like to buy that vessel?" "Yay!" A cunning expression appeared on his face and disappeared in a blink. He took a bored tone to say : "Very well... But you must know this vessel cost a lot to the guild and Kishiro all together... After all, this vessel has cutting-edge technologies of all sort embedded in its entrails...
And... Despite its flaws, it's a beautiful ship, don't you think?"
Logan frowned. The girl was nodding and beaming.
It looked obvious she didn't get where this was going.
"So... I'm afraid we will have to sell that ship for an high cost, even to a beautiful lady like you." The girl beamed again. As she was just glancing at the ship cheerfully, he finally sighed and asked : "How much?" The girl suddenly turned around and asked : "Can i pay in kisses?!"
Alexis was in Alaska, busy leading a patrol wing. She repressed a sigh, tempted to lecture once again Patricia and 'Lemon' about their immoderate use of the internal frequency.
That place was cold, dangerous. She didn't appreciate to be here, but she knew it was necessary to protect people like her daughter.
She was about to tell them once again to 'shut the hell up' when her AI, Val, noticed someone was trying to reach her home insistently.
Since the attempts didn't seem to stop, Val finally decided to reroute the pulse to the fighter.
"Who's calling me..."She mumbled, while keeping an eye on her scans.
She finally accepted the call and a male voice could be heard "Stop calling damnit. It's obvious you don't remember the bloody... " A high pitched voice cut it in the middle "I'm sure it's the right one this time! Hellooooo?"
Alexis, somewhat confused, finally said"Well...Hello... Who is this?" "Rmm... That's you Alex honey?"
Perplexed, she raised an eyebrow and finally asked "... Connie?"
The video feed finally caught on and the girl appeared, smiling. A man was behind her, staring at her from behind with an annoyed expression.
The girl waved, beaming "Oh hey! I tried to contact you since a while..."she said, laughing. "You did?" The man behind her was mumbling. "Don't know how much it will bloody cost..." She studied the man. "Is something wrong Connie?" The girl rolled her eyes, still smiling. "Noooo? I also wanted to call Rika to make her a joke buuuut... When i said Rika... It said command unknown... That's weird!"
Alexis repressed an amused pout at that remark. As if one only had to tell a name and be done with it. "Ah.... Eh, hello..."She finally replied, waving back. "Anyway how are you? Where are you?!" "Manhattan Orbit..."she replied, still glancing at the scans. "Ohhhh? I wish i was there!"The girl smiled softly and added mischievously"Is there cute boys around?"
Alexis looked at the icy field they were patrolling, mildly amused. "...Not that I can see." The man behind the girl was stomping his foot. The girl kept on talking, though.
"Uhhhh? You're still with that girl you talked about anyway?" "Um.." She kinda knew where this was going "Yeah, I still am..." The girl made a big smile and asked, making the man cough : "She's still funny in bed?!" Alexis took a pause, still disconcerted by her ability to ask personal questions out of the blue "Yes, she is Connie. She barely tops you, though." She giggled a bit, but caught herself swiftly.
The man was shaking his head"Errrh... What the... Nevermind. I don't want to know." "No, you don't."she said, frowning.
The girl, ignoring the man, kept on talking rapidly "And Rika honey? She's okay, right?"she asked with a somewhat worried tone. "Yeah, Rika is doing great." "She's missing me a bit?" The girl was now smiling teasingly. Alexis smiled back. "Yeah, she does miss you." "Awww... I miss her too..."
The man rolled his eyes. "You're planning to talk like that for long?"
Alexis ignored the remark. "You can come and visit us anytime sweetie." "Oh i will... As soon as i will be back in Liberty!" She smiled and raised her arms. "Speaking of which! You will never bet where i am!" "Um...Bretonia?"she pondered. "Noooooo... Okinawa!" "Oh... Why's that?"
The girl turned around and glanced at the man from the bottom. "Logie honey helped me to go there." She then thought a bit and added "Becauuuuse.... Shosho told me there was shippies here i could love. "Ah. What kind?" "Hmm..."
She turned around to glance at the man again with a questioning look.
The man shrugged. "That brat wants what seems to be a malfunctionning bomber."
Raising an eyebrow, she asked : "Why is it considered Malfunctioning?
The man shrugged once again. "Some sort of prototype involving the use of an AI. Didn't quite care enough to listen." "Mazazuzu honey said Fune doesn't like to hurt sweethearts!" "Right. Whatever."
"Eh..."Alexis tried to find back the thread, somewhat disturbed by all that chatter. "So...what do you need sweetie?"
The girl looked away and, smiling innocently, she then glanced back at the screen. "Rmm... Well... I need money!" Alexis smiled softly at that.
The man was puffing meanwhile. "You plan to give that brat some money. Don't. You will never get it ba..." "Sorry, but I made a promise and the Hunter family keeps their promises." He shrugged again. "Actually do it. This way she will leave me alone."
She ignored the man and asked"So how much do you need sweetie?" "Hmmm...."
The girl glanced once again at the man with a questionning look. "Errh... You actually didn't listen at all. Bloody hell."
Alexis glared at the man. "I'd be very choosey about what you say buddy.
I'm not captain of a Liberty Siege Cruiser for nothing now.", she added, frowning.
The man chuckled unkindly. "You weren't the one who had to bear that brat in your bloody ship during two weeks.
She took my bed and sleeps naked in it, damnit!"
Alexis couldn't repress a giggle when she heard that. "Sounds like Connie."
The girl was giggling, attempting to tickle the man. "I proposed you to share the bed if you wanted." "I will pass."He replied, taking some distance from her.
Alexis, amused, observed the ploy for a while. She then finally asked, focusing at the man "How much does she need?"
He finally gained enough distance and made a bored face. "They dare asking an awful lot... Something like fourteen millions... If you add what that brat owes me... That would make fifteen." "Fourteen millions?! For a malfunctioning bomber?"
She glanced at the girl who seemed to be busy playing with some controls right now. "So, Connie, you sure you want that ship? She nodded, smiling. "Yay! I love Fune. She's funny! She's calling me baka!"
Alex facepalm'd.
The man was staring at her somewhat unkindly. "Told you that's stupid." "Connie, you should learn some Kusari from Kei or Reiko if they're around when you visit." "I shooould? Buuut it sounds so complicated!" "Not really sweetie."
She then thought quickly and added : "Anyways. I'll give you six millions for this 'malfunctioning' craft." The girl beamed. "Six? Awww that's so nice, Alex! Buuut... What i can do in return?" "Eh.."
"I could tell Rika bed stories?" "We'll figure something out" The girl burst out laughing. "You're thinking of something naughty, right?", she asked, smiling mischievously.
Alexis grinned. "Maybe, maybe not. What can I say, you're irresistible." The girl made a comic pout "Am i?" "Yes, you are." "Yay!" She shouted, making the man behind her grimace.
Glancing at the man, Alexis then said : "But right now, lets get you a ship and get away from that grumpy old man there." He Mumbled indistinctly something that didn't seem to be a compliment.
The girl leaned forward as if she could come closer to Alexis that way. "You will say hi to Rika for me?" "Of course!" "Thankie!"
Alexis smiled a bit as she was doing what was necessary to transfer the money. "I'll wire the money for the ship now."
The man checked the console for a while and finally mumbled. "We received money... Surprising."
Blowing a kiss, the girl said : Thanks love! I will call you when i go back to Liberty? "Sounds like a plan."replied Alexis, catching the kiss. "Yay!" "Fly safe sweetie."
The man was trying to reach to the console without the girl starting to annoy him. "Now close the bloody comm before it costs a bloody million." "Byeb..."
Alexis remained thoughtful during a few seconds.
She finally focused back on her mission, hoping no one else would bother her today...
When he wasn't earning some creds by hauling the helium 3 from the mining stations to the various depots the guild had around, Logan was in Fujisawa's bar.
He started to be well known there for his proverbial ability to stand sake and others assorted beverages.
Incidentally... Also because of the quantity of creds he was investing in the local economy this way...
When he wasn't there... Well... He was on the docks...
On that tiring evening, he was there, looking at the strange vessel that brat insisted to buy.
The girl spent quite a considerable time working on the vessel.
Not that she was actually skilled at engineering or anything related. Let's say she had quite some skills to 'motivate' others.
Logan rolled his eyes and took a generous puff from his cigar at that thought.
Walking around the ship, he nodded. The result wasn't that bad, he had to admit. <Stop looking at me, meatbag>
He almost jumped at the feminine voice that seemed to come from no where. Again that malfunctioning AI the brat was calling her friend. "Don't worry, trashcan. As if i was planning to come close enough to touch you."
He grunted and took another puff.
Damn toaster. -It- almost caught him off-guard. Was he feeling amusement in -its- voice? Surely his imagination.
He walked back around the vessel and stopped near the airlock, from where some noise was coming.
Finally he saw the girl coming out. Took a while...
She smiled.
"Oh that's you, love? Ages i didn't see you!"
She jumped on him and gave him a hug. Logan forgot how high the probabilities were for that to happen and was unable to dodge the ignominious cuddle.
Nor was he able to stop her to confiscate the cigar as he was too busy trying to gain back his composure.
"I told you it's bad for your health!" She said, leaning back and getting out of reach.
Logan was about to yell at her but he shrugged instead and reached for another cigar in his pocket.
"Whatever, lass. So... I see your toaster friend is still as lovely." The girl beamed "Oh? She's such a sweetheart..." She started to caress the Kaichou hull softly.
"We're almost done, you know?! Akikiro honey says it will need only a couple of days to finish the inside of the quarters! Can't wait to see her dancing!" "Yeye..."He shrugged, making a bored face. Only a minute he was there and that brat was already tiring him with her bottomless cheerful attitude.
He then raised an eyebrow. "Akikiro... Wait.. You mean Akihiro? That puny boy working all the time here and there?" "Yay? He's so nice!" "Sure sure..."He puffed, lighting on his cigar.
"If you ask me, that boy is looking too much at your back every time you..." "Stevens-san is jealous i'd say, miss Concordia."
The man was standing in the middle of the airlock, glancing quizzically at Logan. "Speak of the devil.."he mumbled, taking a puff.
"Stevens-san.. Don't forget you owe me 2300 credits from that poker of the last week."
Logan mumbled again and started to walk away "The hell if i pay you, rice eat..."