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RP: 188604 [Sector Searchers] Neko-Neko-nii

A

Alex Hart

On, planet 188604, ISS Araxie

Since returning to planet 188604, the crew of the ISS Araxie had been bombarded with new members, and the onslaught wasn't about to stop. Alex was taking a break from maintaining his mecha, and getting a bite to eat at one of the many food stands dotting Osman City Spaceport, and his stomach growled in protest as he tried to wait his turn in line.

His bite would take only a few more moments as a slim form ahead leaned against the stand. Her back was arched, hands placed close together as her fingers splayed wide. A twitch of a tail and a flick of an ear to try to get the usual smirk out of the vendor and the redheaded Nekovalkyrja bounced away from the line, her high-visibility skin glinting in the sun as though she were about to burst into flame at any instant. A quick, happy thanks escaped her lips as she parked herself on a table and started people watching. The medic's badge flashed in front of her shirt as she chewed thoughtfully on a greasy sausage-like meal, and spotted someone she'd never seen before.

Alex waited his turn, each customer being given a number and having to wait about 10 minutes for their meal. When it was his turn, he ordered a simple burger and some fries. He was asked for his name so that they knew who would be picking the order up, and he gave it without a second thought. "It's Alex."

"Last name?" The vendor asked in a monotone voice.

"Tasuki."

"Alright, your order will be ready in about 10 minutes."

"Thanks."

Alex went to a nearby table, one adjacent to the Neko's table, and sat down to wait. Approximately 10 minutes later, his name was crowed by the vendor for all to hear, and he went to retreive his meal, sitting down again in the same location.

I know that name... The neko thought, and quickly connected to the data slate in her bag nearby. Captain of the Araxie, which I applied for ship's medic last night, former commander of a few other projects... Maybe my ticket offworld... Another bite of her disappointingly small and bland sausage and she turned. "Hey, Mr. Tasuki!"

Alex turned his head to the source of the voice. A neko, he thought, Huh. Don't see many out here. He stood up, tray of food in his hands, and walked over to the cat-lady in question. "Hey, that's me. Can I help you with something?"

"Just making sure I had the right guy. I'm your new medic." A slight pop of her ample chest as she stuck her hand out. "Dryad Riversong. I'm sure you saw my resume."

"Whaa...?" Alex said. "I didn't see any requests yesterday. I mean, we could use a medic onboard, but this is a bit out of the blue."

"And that's why you should take me seriously. I've been serving various field hospitals, including Saber and Skyguard, since my discharge from the Yamataian Star Army in Ye-35." She looked down at her hand, giving a little bit of a flirty wiggle of her hips. "You know you want it."

"We could use the help for sure!" Alex said, clearly unaware of what Dyrad was trying to do.

"Thank you, sir! I won't disappoint!" She shoved the rest of her hot dog down and bounced to her feet, tail flicking in her glee as she struggled to work the mass in her mouth down.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked as he saw the young woman struggling to swallow the rod of meat .

A mighty heave of her thoat and her mouth and airways cleared. "Too much sausage." A deep breath and she picked up her bag, shaking out the bun to let her copper hair flow down over her shoulders. "Still not meaty enough."

"Are you a fan of meat?" Alex asked innocently.

"So many jokes I could make out of that. I'm Dryad." The Neko smirked, letting her ears perk up in thought. "And I think next time I should go for the bigger one."

"I'm a burger fan myself." Alex said while he gestured towards his meal. "I don't get the chance to get them often though."

"Wanna hit a Neppies, first chance we're near one?" His meal was dismissed in her mind as not hers, and that he should sit down and eat. There might have been a bit of her forgetting to say it.

Alex took a bite of the greasy burger, and nodded. "As long as they're not the place that makes fried Elysian." His eyes narrowed in apparant anger for a moment.

"Not that I'm aware of. They're just the ones with the hugeass burgers that come with ammo, fries and beer. You know, the ones that make you feel all warm and bouncy even though you're stuffed to bursting?"

"I haven't really heard a lot about them." Alex said through another mouthfull of food. Manners were clearly something he had never been taught.

"So do you have many things you'll need to bring aboard?"

"Me, a bag of basic clothes, a couple of my old tools, and... That's it. I'm not sure I have any ST backups. Not an issue." She shrugged, "Should be less than a steamer trunk."

"Great. Do you need any help with anything?"

"I might have forgotten where my apartment is. If you'd help me find it, I'd be very appreciative." Give a sultry smirk and bat the eyelashes, and...

"No need." Alex said, "I'm happy to help however I can."

Nothing. No flush, no smirk, no clue to say the man had even known she was being flirty. Well, if he was this dense, she could always get him to carry her bags. "Thank you! If you want to help pack when we get there, I'd be willing to start offering favors."

"What do you mean?" Alex asked carefully. "I mean, I'd help for nothing to be honest."

"You are going to be an amazing captain to me, I just know it! Thank you so much for your dedication to your crew." Slipping her bag up on to a shoulder, Dryad dug her pad out and told it to take her home. Naturally, the little device blipped up a map icon about two buildings over, and she gave a "Hmmph" noise. "No wonder my lunches all run long. Well, I'm off the clock."

"Do you know where the ship is?" Alex asked Dyrad.

"Umm. Over in the spaceport. Far-ish berth?" Dryad gave a shy grin and an extended shrug. It was pretty clear that if she was near it, that was luck.

"Yeah, after all your stuff is ready I'll lead you over there." Alex said.

"Ooh, always nice to be accompanied by a strapping young man. By the way, Sky Marshal..." A slight sashay of the hips and a peek over her shoulder, and she gave a knowing smirk.

Alex looked up. "Yeah?"

"What is the mission you're sweeping me away for?"

"I'm looking for an old friend."

"Okay!" After a bit of walking, Dryad's apartment opened at a touch of her fingers to the door. "I'll get my stuff ready. I imagine this'll take some time, so go ahead and raid my fridge. Don't want anything going to waste!"

With a genuinely sweet smile and a welcoming gesture to the roomy apartment, she hoped he wouldn't notice that it was still a bit bare bones, her having literally forgotten continually to buy some furniture for the last ten months. Then again, the Star Army habits were in a more plain view.

"It's rather barebones. I guess you won't have much adusting to do to a ship cabin for yourself." Alex noted.

"Yeah, kinda forgot to buy shit. I'll get my things together. Go, raid my fridge, I beg of you!" With that, her tail disappeared into the bedroom as she dragged a steamer trunk and loaded it down with her things. When she reemerged, the trunk was loaded and being dragged unceremoneously. It was, after all, one of the larger ones.

"You want some help with that?" Alex offered as he walked over to the fridge, "I should be able to carry some of the stuff for you." After opening the fridge, he asked "What do you want to do with this food?"

"I still got some room in the trunk. I can shove it in there and we can save your cook the trouble of cooking tonight." Dryad shrugged, knowing if it was left in there, it would be bad by the time she got back. If she got back.

Some time later, on the ISS Araxie

Alex had helped carry the heaviest of the luggage to the ship, displaying a strength rare in non-neko. And Dryad had thanked him for it, grinning inwardly about her own laziness and how she'd managed to be sweet and get her way. Despite the fact that all evidence supported him doing that just because he actually was sweet.

Alex set down the luggage, which made a dull thump on the floor of the ship. "You'll have a cabin all to yourself in the crew quarters. We've got three other people on the ship, so finding an empty cabin shouldn't be too hard."

"Alright. I take it chow comes on every eight hours on the dot, and basic operations and such'll be fairly normal?" She opened the top and pulled out one of the bottles containing an iced coffee, popping the lid and taking a sip.

"Well... We don't really have very much of a tight schedule. Generally anyone can eat whenever they feel like it, and we don't have a cook so unless someone makes food you'll be stuck eating whatever you can prepare yourself. And as for basic operations, to be honest I don't even know what that means."

"Okay. So I'm just here to patch up whoever gets hurt whenever, kiss you better, and the like. The rest of the time, I'll put on my best maid outfit and keep things tidy." She smiled and took another healthy drink of her coffee. "Sounds like a plan?"


"You don't have to do any of that." Alex said. "Generally all I ask is that people clean up after themselves, so there shouldn't ever be too much of a mess."

"Aw, but that maid outfit's so cute. I'd think a man of your station would love to see it."

"I mean, I guess it would appeal to some people..." Alex mused.

A slump of the shoulders and a visible lowering of Dryad's tail and ears were all she could do for expression, noting her disappointment that he actually was this sweet and at-ease, rather than her being a successful flirt. Another positive in her eyes, as it meant she could stop giving him ideas. A quick sigh escaped her lips. "Thank you, for letting me join your crew. I won't disappoint."

"Thanks in advance for all of the work you'll probably end up doing. I've got a nasty habit of getting injured." Alex scratched the back of his head sheepsishly.

She gave a slight smile and finished her coffee, offering him one. "Don't worry. I can fix that."

"Were it so easy..." Alex said as he politely declined the coffee with a shake of his head.

"As I said. Not a problem." Another sweet smile as her offer was declined and she absently placed the empty bottle in her pocket and opened the new one. "I'm gonna get moved in. Thank you again, sir."

"If you're going to be patching me and the crew up, that's all the thanks I'll need." Alex laughed nervously.

Dryad gave a deep bow, grabbed the handle of her steamer trunk, and easily tossed over her shoulder, displaying the strength inherent in her Neko lineage, and her own laziness. Another sweet smile and she slipped deeper into the ship and out of sight.


 
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