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RP: The Fringe [Chapter 4.3c] - Walk In The Park

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Sienna watched him for a second before nodding, seemingly more in confirmation to herself than in response to Seth. Switching her crossed legs once again, she leaned one elbow on the armrest of the bench, propping her temple up on the ends of her fingertips. "So tell me, clown-boy," she continued in a disorientingly nonchalant voice. "Why the fake name? Running from something, or you just like 'Sam' better?"
 
Seth gave the briefest of smiles. This time he was prepared with a story that was quite close to true. "Well I was a bit of a trouble maker when I was younger and when it was time to move on I decided to call myself that and just leave. The way I saw it was a new life for a new man but as I'm sure you could tell I'm not the best at selling it right now," he replied. The story wasn't completely false, he did plan on a new life just not with that name. "And Ma'am if you wouldn't mind, I would appreciate it if you didn't call be clown-boy or tell people about that," he added shortly after with a sheepish grin.
 
The young woman smirked chidingly. "All right then, Seth," she replied, her voice carrying a just-barely-noticeable teasing tone, "but no promises if I catch you juggling or honking your nose." She leaded forward, downing a significant portion of her water botttle in one gulp before placing it on the grass beneath the bench. Uncrossing her legs, she clasped her hands together and rested her elbows on her knees, idly looking at parts of the city skyline on the nearby, artificial horizon. "So you met some of the crew already. Any thoughts on them so far?"
 
"Uh yeah a few," Seth replied as he began to drum his fingers on his leg while he thought. "Tam the lizard man, I talk to him much but he seemed reserved and sensible. I felt that Shrie was uncomfortable to speak to me I guess and maybe not too bright, but she was nice enough," he continued slowly. "I don't know even know the 'spacer's name but she appeared to be a normal strange 'spacer."
 
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A quiet chime sounded from the little PHC strapped to the young woman's wrist. Nonchalantly, she gave her wrist a slight shake and turned it over just enough see the device's display, above which a semi-transparent greenish hologram flickered erratically into existence. Seth couldn't see it clearly enough to read it before Sienna's other hand moved across her lap and flicked the virtual image, but he did catch a glimpse of a message notification. She seemed slightly annoyed at the message's contents, but didn't react with much more than a quick sigh and a shake of her head. Tapping out a quick response, she closed the display, positioning herself at just the right angle to keep the other man on the bench from seeing what she was doing, then turned back to him and resumed their conversation.

"A 'normal strange Freespacer,'" she said with a grin, brushing a stray lock of hair from her eyes with her fingertips. "Ignoring just how much sense that statement doesn't make, I think you probably only scratched the surface of that one." She leaned forward and picked up her bottle of water again, unscrewing the cap as she panned her eyes around the dusky scenery again. "Tam's a newcomer, but he seems like a straight shooter so far. Still haven't figured Shrie out yet - she's a jittery one."
 
"Is there anything in particular I need to know about this crew of yours, like anyone I haven't met yet?" Seth asked continuing to drum is fingers. He had heard the woman say some of her crew so there had to be at least one person that wasn't at the diner.
 
"Probably," Sienna replied in a non-committal tone, still watching the wealthier people of Dawn Station's upper echelons out for their evening constitutional around them. She didn't offer anything further for a few seconds, leaving Seth to start to wonder if she was actually going to continue at first. "Amelia Stroud is our astrogator," she finally said with a quiet sigh. "Nepleslian girl, bit older than me I think. And there was another Freespacer," she continued, her upper lip curling up ever so slightly into an almost invisible sneer for a fleeting instant, "but I doubt you'll have to worry about him." Straightening her back, she reached her arms over her head, groaning slightly as she stretched until her spine popped, then intertwined her fingers behind her head and reclined in the seat, kicking her legs out in front of her, and laying one ankle over the other. "You'll have to be the one to decide what you think of 'em."
 
"Now that is something I know I can do. I'm great at judging people Ma'am," Seth responded jokingly. "So is this Stroud person or the other 'spacer as reasonable as you or are they kinda strange as well?" Although he probably already knew the answer he hoped that would be the former instead of the latter. As far as Seth could tell the only normal people were Tam and the captain. Two-thirds of the crew being kinda strange would certainly makes this an experience quite unlike what he was used to.
 
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Sienna turned her head slightly towards Seth, her hands still clasped behind it. "Didn't I tell you you'd have to decide for yourself?" she asked rhetorically.
 
"Fine I'll do it the old fashioned way without your assistance then," Seth replied with an exaggerated sigh. "If I'm not going to get anything about your crew, is there something I should know about you Ma'am?" The question was simple enough but the crew members he talked with didn't really give anything concrete about her that didn't involve money or spacing people. Seth in no way wanted to go out like that so it was in his best interest to find out how to not tick her off.
 
"Yes," the young captain responded as a little girl skipped past them, singing softly to herself, her mother walking briskly a few steps behind. Sienna mostly stayed right where she was, only pulling her crossed ankles in just enough to make room for the mother and daughter to pass, before kicking her legs out once more, and nestling her head further back into her interlaced fingers. She closed her eyes and exhaled slowly through her nostrils; it was still fairly clear that the young woman didn't feel her best. "I don't like answering questions," she continued, "and I don't like explaining myself. I've been told it's something I should probably work on, but it ain't gonna change quickly. So as long as you remember where your paycheck's coming from, you and I will get along just fine. Ain't nothing more than that you need to know."

No sooner than she'd finished talking, an impeccably preened young Geshrin male approached them, holding a miniature recording device of some kind. His pristinely manicured hands, his short-cropped and precisely parted black hair, and the way his flawless peach-colored skin seemed to glow in the starlight gave him an almost androgynous appearance, bordering on feminine beauty. He wasn't very tall, and had a very slight frame, but he moved with the grace and flamboyance of a dancer. A bright smile was on his face as he walked up to them. "Good evening, beautiful people!" he cheerily greeted them. "Would the lovely couple like to have their picture taken, to commemorate this beautiful night?"

Sienna didn't so much as flinch, shift in her seat, or even open her eyes. There was no possible way she hadn't heard him, but her lack of reaction made it obvious she didn't even consider that the pretty young man could possibly have been talking to her.
 
Seth stared at the man with his mouth open slightly. His face reddened slightly as he glanced over at Sienna before looking back at the strange man. "Uh actually sir I don't like having my picture taken and we're not a couple," he began hoping he would say anything that would get him in hot water. "I was just having a nice chat with this stranger and I met some of her uh, friends," he continued not sounding very sure of himself when he mentioned the crew members being her friends and just overall wishing the man would leave quickly.
 
Sienna lifted her head when Seth spoke, arching an eyebrow in mild puzzlement as to what he was talking about. When she noticed the prissy young Geshrin brandishing the camera and looking at the two of them expectantly, her expression changed to a defensive scowl and her cheeks flushed a slight tint of red as her mind caught up. "What? No," she said irritably. Her jaw worked a few times as she vainly attempted to explain away the misconception, but due either to the fact that Seth had already offered a satisfactory explanation, or possibly that she was too flustered to offer an immediate response, she simply closed her mouth and grunted. "Just piss off," she said tersely.

The young man shrugged, unfazed by the hostile reaction, and when his eyes turned to Seth, he gave him an uncomfortably friendly smile and wink. "As you wish, then," he said. "Enjoy your evening, you two!"

The young woman subtly bristled for a few seconds before clearing her throat and turning her head to Seth, fingers still clasped behind her head. "And don't you let that go to your head either," she commanded.
 
"What me? Why I'd never," Seth replied with a grin waving his hands as if to dismiss the matter. "He seemed nice enough, if you want I'm sure I could get his number for you. I thought you two were forming a connection," He sarcastically continued. Sienna's reaction was crucial to this. Seth was really hoping he wasn't being hired by another person with a stick surgically implanted in their rear end.
 
A blank, almost nonplussed expression lingered on the young woman's face. Sienna didn't respond for a few seconds, leaving Seth to begin questioning the wisdom of such a response, until a sly little smirk tugged her lips upwards. "I'm gonna assume that was a joke," she said coolly. "A stupid one, but a joke nonetheless." Unclasping her hands, she leaned forward and folded them together in front of her, placing the soles of her boots squarely on the ground as she propped her elbows on her knees, her head still turned in his direction. "You got anything else you wanna clear up before we make this official?"
 
"Yeah one thing. I'm not really allowed in Nepleslia so if we have to go there can you not tell them I'm coming," Seth responded hesitantly. Explaining being wanted for double homicide when he only killed one person was not something he really wanted to get into but he had a feeling he would quite be able to get out of it.
 
"I don't make a habit of announcing my plans to anyone," Sienna replied matter-of-factly, tilting her head slightly as she eyed the other Nepleslian. "But I do need to know if you're gonna bring any heat down on me or my ship. I ain't going down for someone else's problems." The look in her eyes made it clear she wasn't joking. "Understand?"
 
"I understand completely. That is why I was planing on eventually telling you that I'm wanted for some gang activity when I was younger," Seth replied in a somber tone. He felt really uncomfortable talking about it and shifted in his seat slightly with his eyes down. "That's the only thing really," he said talking a little quieter than before.
 
Sienna's head tilted slightly as she watched Seth's reaction with a mixture of curiosity and... something else. One of her eyebrows crept up on her forehead, and her lips parted, though she didn't say anything for a couple of seconds. "You don't strike me as the ganger type," she commented flatly.
 
"I don't," Seth replied putting on a fake air of offense. "What is that supposed to mean anyway? Are you trying to say I'm not good or tough enough for something like that?" He had no idea where he was going with this but it couldn't hurt to push it. "I'll have you know that I was great at that type of crap."
 
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