You know the drill… Outlaw Galaxy: Old Habits Die Hard
Chapter 4
This is it, this is where the action starts, this chapter is my clincher, read it well. It gets sappy sometimes and I did my best to de-sappify it, but you know. Enjoy, Paz, and notice my use of certain fluids!
Also, I'm going to upload a fanfic I once wrote for Digimon, you should check it out, it's called Digimon: New Heroes, shibby…
------
Jean fumbled through the hallway, his head throbbing from a heavy hang over. He rubbed the back of his cranium, as he made his way to the kitchen. It was one of his all too common hang over head aches, that needed to be soothed by a bitter morning drink with caffeine and a whole bunch of pain killers. Jean winced at the pain and made a silent vow to never drink again like he did every morning. If past resolutions were any indication of how this vow would play out, he'd probably forget it in 20 minutes.
Jean stumbled forward and used the frame of the door to support himself. Hanging his head in the kitchen he was assailed by it's bright lights that hurt his sensitive eyes.
"Too bright…" he mumbled to no one in particular.
As his eyes adjusted, he sighted Sazuka sitting at the table. She was quietly taking spoonfuls of sugar and pouring them into her mug of black coffee. When she noticed him, she turned and smiled at him.
"Another late night, Jean?" she cooed.
Jean mumbled some inaudible stuff, and stalked toward the kitchen counter. He searched one of the drawers intensely.
"Did you see Angelo, this morning?" he called back at Sazuka in a groggy tone.
Sazuka threw in a few more spoonfuls of sugar in her obviously bland coffee, then used her spoon to stir it up, "Yes, I did."
Jean smacked some small vials in the drawers around, searching for a particular one, "So where is he?"
Sazuka took a sip, and satisfied with the taste closed the lid on the sugar jar and pushed it away, "He left some time ago… with Aisha." she lingered on the last word.
Jean didn't seem to pay attention as he finally found the vial he was looking for, "With who…" he said popping the cap open.
"With Aisha." she lingered again.
Jean finally registered what she had said, right as he was about to pour the pills of the vial into his mouth, "What?! What are you talking about?"
Sazuka smiled at him, "It's exactly as I said, some time ago, Angelo left and he took Aisha with him."
Jean sighed, aggravated, "Wait, start from the beginning. Why did Angelo go with Aisha and where did they go, which ever comes first."
"I'm not totally sure, but I think he took her out for coffee, which I can perfectly understand considering how poor this coffee is, we should really stop buying this brand."
"Lord…" Jean said downing several of the pills from the vial into his throat and swallowed, "That guy is too nice to people…"
"Nice? How so?" she asked confused.
Jean walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and flopped into it, "He took her for coffee because she probably had a monster hang over. That stupid girl can't even hold a tune, much less her liquor."
"Well if that's what you got out of my explanation, I must not have explained it right."
Jean place one hand on the table and his other elbow on the back of his chair, "What do you mean?"
Sazuka smiled to herself, "Poor clueless Jean… I think Angelo has a crush."
Jean gasped, "WHAT?! What the hell are you talking about?!"
"All the signs are there…"
"NO THEY AREN'T! I mean, there are none! I mean, what signs?!"
"Well, maybe it's just my assassin's perception, but for one, that dinner last night, he was constantly looking at Aisha."
"Looking? What…?"
"Every now and then he would shift his eyes toward her, you didn't notice that?"
"No… ahh, he was probably just grossed out by her table manners."
"Maybe so, but they weren't disgusted looks like you give her, but anyway, they were the same eyes as when he kissed her hand."
"Ug, don't remind me…"
"Second thing I noticed, was when you two went to that bar last night, and Aisha invited herself, he didn't seem too discourage her like you did."
"Ahh, he's just polite. His mama taught him that…"
"Third thing, this morning, it was so cute, he was worried about her, asked how she was feeling, caring for her. And that sweet little nickname he has for her, kitty cat." Sazuka chuckled a bit.
Jean stared straight at her for a moment, then muttered without moving anything but his lips, "Come to think of it… he did call her kitty cat last night, and he stuck up for her in that bar fight… and he carried her home…"
Sazuka made an "I told you so" nod, and sipped her coffee.
Jean just stared straight for another moment, then burst up, grabbing his face with his hands and howling like a baby. Sazuka jumped in surprise.
"NOOOO, we don't get crushes! We're too cool for that!" Jean whined
Sazuka just looked at him confused.
Jean crashed down onto the table, face buried in his arms, "Oh man, you don't get it Sazuka, we were above all that high school crush shit. We weren't looking for relationships, we just wanted the sex."
Sazuka giggled at Jean distress.
Jean sigh and picked his head up, "Aww, how far we've fallen… oh well. What time is it?"
Sazuka looked at the clock on the wall behind Jean, "12 'o clock."
"Sheesh, early…" he mumbled.
Sazuka giggled at him again.
"Where is everyone else?"
"Melphina and Jim went to do some of the shopping and resupplying. So…" Sazuka gave him a sly smile reserved for the specialest of occasions. She slipped one hand from her coffee mug across the table and laid it delicately on Jean's outstretched hand, "… that mean's, we're alone…"
Jean looked down at the hand, her dainty, feminine hand that hid so much strength, cream colored and smooth, laying innocently over his scared hand. His view raised up to her face; silky white complexion; strong features that beguiled her sensitive side; soft, pillowly lips; deep eyes that held virtual galaxies of depth, order and chaos in the same instant.
He frowned at her, he pulled his hand out from under hers and sat back in his chair. He spoke in a low tone, "There you go again, Sazuka. I thought I asked you to stop that."
Sazuka maintained her sly smile that only a trained assassin could muster, pulling back her hand to her coffee mug, "Oh, you are referring to it as reality now, not just an "involuntary discretion" as you so kindly described it before."
"You know I like you Sazuka, I don't wanna have to ruin our friendship or any other friendships by dealing with this problem in the open."
Sazuka's smile widened, "Oh, so it's a "problem" now."
Jean slammed his hands on the table, "Cut it out Sazuka! I'm not playing here! I want you to stop…"
Sazuka leaned in close to Jean, she took a long slender finger and traced it along Jean's jaw line, she mad a cutesy little sad voice, "Owww, where's that old Jean, huh? Where's that cute guy who was so adamant about getting me out of my robe, huh? Where's that sexy red head now, hmm?"
Jean lightly smacked her finger off his face, she responded by taking that finger and sucking on the tip seductively.
Jean scoffed, "Why do you have to do that? We were having a nice conversation and then you come up with this stupid horny shit. Where's that prim and proper Sazuka I once knew"
Sazuka sat back, that smile still on her face, "That girl was only an illusion, I am only who I let myself be… but, all is revealed when you are naked, no veils, no masks, no defense mechanisms. Why don't you come and find out who I really am…"
"Please stop…"
She betrayed her slayer's smile for only a moment, "Oh come now, Jean Starwind. If I had enticed you like this a year ago, you would be pleasing me by now."
"That was a year ago…"
"You said it yourself only a minute ago, you don't get crushes, it's all about the sex. That is all I want as well, I don't need to hang off your arm as a child does, like Melphina, I just need a little… release now and then, and I know you can give it to me right."
Jean poured himself some of the made coffee into an empty mug, "I said… I've changed…"
Sazuka betrayed her smile again for only a nano-second, pulling up from her chair, "People do not change. People either find themselves or bury themselves, and I know you are trying to bury yourself, Jean Starwind. You are the same man who cares only for himself, despite your little daddy-daughter routine with Melphina, I know it's true. You will get tired, and that old Jean will rise from the dead. You are a sexual predator, Jean, and you'll hunt again, it's in your nature, but you know what Jean, I am too, we should hunt together."
She turned and walked slowly to the door, "I'm leaving… I'll be back later." She called to him as she disappeared around the corner, her flowing kimono trailing behind her and her long raven hair gliding on the air as she went.
Jean exhaled, he began breathing hard to match his heart beats. Sazuka was putting tremendous pressure on him. Every since she came to him for these "hunts" as she called them, he had been trying not to give in. He loved Melphina, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. His greatest fear was that she was right, that he was only an animal looking for his next screw, that he didn't love Melphina enough to stay with only her because he's just that way. That, after one such, extremely, enticing show like this one, he would give in and give her what she wanted, whatever she wanted.
So, he decided he would keep it quiet, not addressing it, not even acknowledging the issue's existence, kept it his and Sazuka's shameful secret. Why he didn't just bring it out in the open, let the chips fall where they may, let the others affect the outcome, and accept what every hand he was dealt, he was unsure.
He had two beliefs in that respect; One, maybe deep inside him he wanted her, to take her and satisfy himself. To make her scream his name, and dominate her. Perhaps he was so tempted now because he knew somewhere, everything she said about him was true, that a part of his mind was screaming to be let out, and only his guilt, or his pride, or his fake love for Melphina, prevented him from doing so.
Or second; he knew deep down that he, in some way, needed her in his life. That, he needed his atypical family to be the same, to not let it be disrupted. Maybe he wished to keep his family just the way he could depend on them, so he would pretend nothing was wrong with it.
Either way, he thought himself completely insane, in what sense or how it related to his problem he didn't know or care to know, he just knew he was in for a giant breakdown if he didn't do something for the situation.
Still, he was going to put it out of his mind until later, take some deep breaths, go work out, or kick the shit out of a punching back, something to help him calm down. Besides, he had more pressing matters at hand, Angelo and Aisha.
Jean sighed and sipped his coffee, then spit it out all over the wall like a spray of machine gun bullets.
"Ewwwww, this is bad coffee!" he yelled, pouring half the jar of sugar into the mug of yucky, black beverage.
------
"Ewwwww!" Aisha whined as she rubbed her temples. Her head was throbbing, she was just waiting for something to help her regain her thought train.
The man across from her chuckled under his breath.
She stared at the blue haired man on the other side of the table. He was smiling at her.
Aisha scoffed, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Back to the topic at hand…"
Aisha put up her hand up, signaling for Angelo to stop, "One second… WHERE'S MY DAMN COFFEE!?" she yelled at the waitresses gabbing, slamming her fists on the table for an overkill effect.
One of the startled waitresses, hurried behind the counter of the quaint little café Aisha and Angelo had come to. She searched around and collected the necessary drinks, then hurriedly walked over to the two.
"Ok here, I'm here, no need to yell. Ok, a black coffee with cream on the side…" She said placing the drink in front of Angelo, "and… six Espressos for you, I put it all in a big cup for you… is that ok?" she asked frightened, placing an enormous sport's cooler mug filled with the volatile caffeine drink.
"Yeah, yeah… whatever, go away!" Aisha mumbled as she grabbed the enormous cup and gulped half it's contents, leaving Angelo and the waitresses stunned.
The waitresses sensing she was no longer needed, backed away to safety.
Angelo look at her with a mix of amazement and horror, "That's espresso! That's like caffeinated death!"
Aisha stopped and put her cup on the table, "Ahh, that's better."
Angelo's horror turned to amusement. He laughed a little to himself as he poured some of his cream into his coffee.
Aisha made a mock sad face, "Why do you do that, how come your always laughing at me?"
That prompted Angelo to chuckle one more time, "No, it's not you, don't worry about it. So, how's your lump?"
"Excuse me?!"
"The one on you head, I mean, where that guy hit you with the chair."
"Oh!" Aisha rubbed her hand over her achy spot, "Yeah, it's better."
"Can you even remember what happened last night?"
"Uhh, it's kinda fuzzy. I remember bits. Like, before I got drunk, a chair that wouldn't let me sit on it, I remember fighting some guys, and falling asleep on top of the bar. And I remember you!" she said pointing at Angelo.
"Oh?"
"You came to my rescue when that guy hit me." she said smiling at him "Thank you so much."
Angelo gave a secluded little smile, "No problem, but from looks of the way you were going at them, I don't think you needed my help."
"Probably not," she said boastfully, "But, you helped me and that was… nice."
"Nice? How do you mean."
Aisha sensed that she said something she shouldn't have. She averted her eyes, "Nevermind."
"Wait, wait ,wait. You can't bring it up then drop it. You can tell me?"
"Well…" Aisha didn't want to reveal why she considered it nice, it involved things she couldn't really talk to anyone about for fear that they might think her weak. "Ok, but I'm only telling you because you were nice to me."
Angelo leaned forward over the table, "I'm listening."
Aisha leaned over on the table as well, an unsure look on her face, "Everyone knows I'm strong and I'm tough, and I am, but…"
"Yeah…"
"Well I can handle almost any situation, really, there are few people who can beat me."
"I can believe it."
"I mean I can lifted 10 times the amount of any human, I can withstand bullets, missles, and bombs, I can destroy entire ships with bare hands, I…"
"… can crush the universe in the palm of my hand." Angelo joked.
Aisha sighed, "Yeah well, because I can do all those things by myself, no one even tries to help me…"
"Eh?" Angelo's face mimicked the dull, confused look that Jean got sometimes when he had no idea what was going on.
"You know, It's always; Aisha go destroy that pirate, Aisha go lift a ton of Dragonite; Katarl Katarl girl go into a battle with no back up at all and leave nothing alive. I may be a kick-ass fighter, but I'm still a person, I need help every once in awhile. Maybe not fighting, but…" Aisha trailed off, "… some one could once in a while show they care."
"Would you like some cheese with that whine?" Angelo said leaning back and pouring some more cream in his coffee, a somber smirk on his face.
"Wha? Cheese?"
Angelo used his hand to pull Aisha's head up to look into his eyes "You should buck up, your friends care about you."
"Yeah, well they sure don't show it." Aisha smiled at him, "And so when people like you help me despite me being an amazing Katarl Katarl, it makes me feel better."
"Well, yay for me then." Angelo retracted his hand and sipped his drink.
Aisha chuckled at that, "And you carried me home didn't you, thank you again."
Angelo gave her a mock thumbs up as he was still drinking. He finally finished and asked, "Do you like working with Jean and his crew?"
Aisha was a little surprised by that question, it seemed a very inappropriate and probing question, of course she did. Or did she.
"Uh, yeah, I do…"
"Yeah? Everything…" He said with those eyes again, those warm brown eyes that could stare inside her, like when he kissed her hand.
His questions were very strange. What his intent on knowing how she felt about her friends. It almost seemed like he was trying to gather information. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell him the true answer.
Aisha thought about it, only to make it appear that she wasn't thinking about what she was about to say, "Well… sometimes I feel like they don't respect me?"
"Respect?" he inquired as he narrowed his eyes at her.
Aisha lowered her head to her crossed arms, ready to vent, "They think I'm stupid. They think I don't have any ideas, that I'm just the muscle."
"Whoa, that bites"
"Yeah, and they treat me like a child, like I'm too immature to be of use, and they don't even care about me I don't think." she huffed. "And then Jean can never say anything nice about me…"
"Oh, he's not so bad once you get to know him." Angelo said sipping again as he cross one arm over his drinking arm.
"I've known him for a year, and he doesn't quit! He's constantly insulting me, tripping me, he never says thank you or good job, Aisha. I'm just that stupid Katarl Katarl to him. He sure as hell doesn't care about me"
"Hold on there, kitty cat, that's kinda harsh, I know your friends care, and they worry about how you are feeling."
"Oh yeah, then why do they always do stuff with out me, it's like Jean, Jim, and Mel are the inner circle and the rest of use are just hangers on. Why do they only include me when they want me to do something for them.
Angelo put down his cup and hung his arms behind his head, "Well, I dunno… but I can tell you this, Jean isn't, or at least he wasn't, a guy to wear his emotions outside. It's a product of the streets, a defense mechanism of sorts, he doesn't let on how he really feels usually."
"You called me kitty cat again." Aisha interrupted.
"Yep."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Well, it's just a nickname, ya know, just for fun."
"Hmm…" Aisha looked down at her black liquid, "the only nickname I every got from them was beast girl or furball or dogface."
"Oh, that Jean, he so creee-zay." Angelo said sipping his coffee with a pleasant smile.
Aisha looked around a little, then stared Angelo straight in the eye, "Why am I telling you all this, I just met you less then a day ago."
Angelo took another sip of his cup and shrugged, "Well, maybe you feel that, even though you don't know me that well, you can confide in me, I am a pretty good listener…"
"Hmm…" Aisha murmured to herself.
She knew Angelo was right. She couldn't talk to anyone else about how she felt. Jean would laugh, Jim would laugh, Sazuka wouldn't care, Melphina was too far in Jean's lap to pay attention to her. Her parents and family were too far away to understand, and she didn't really keep in touch with any friends from her home. Angelo was an acquaintance that had proven his reliability, he was the perfect person to talk to.
Aisha watched him smile. She really liked that smile, it was warm and caring. She felt content when Angelo smiled like that. Nice ass too.
Aisha sat straight up at her mental realization, surprising Angelo a little.
She had thought a naughty oriented thought about him, she couldn't have, but she did. Her entire Katarl Katarl superiority complex had been compromised. In all her travels through Human space she had never once thought about a Human in such a way. No, it was only a momentary lapse of discipline, she would not let herself think like that again or have feelings for him. In fact, it was weak to be discussing her feelings in the first place. No more, she must be a strong Katarl Katarl warrior. This human was compromising her, she needed to be away from him right now, go home and take a nap or a cold shower or something.
"Aisha, are you ok?" Angelo asked kindly.
She picked up her sport cooler and drained it's last contents, then slammed it on the table, "I'd like to go now."
-------
Jim labored with the giant cart he was pushing in front of him. All the supplies and necessities for a life in space where heaped on the small loading cart with a stiff wheel; food, toilet paper, the usual brand of coffee, among other things, and Jim had to push the heavy cart all the way from the grocery store, to the lift, and to the Outlaw Star.
Behind him, Melphina walked quietly, cute as ever, with a careless smile on her face, carrying a few other bags.
Suddenly, Melphina gasped and halted Jim by the shoulder, she pointed across the street to a small café, "Jim look over there."
Jim made an aggravated sigh, and turned his head slowly, "Do you want a cappuccino?"
"NO!" she yelled slapping him lightly on the shoulder, "Look in the window."
Jim looked more closely. In the giant bay window, that could have used a wash, there was a menu and a sign that said help wanted pasted to it from there inside, and sitting behind the window a Katarl Katarl woman and a blue-haired guy were enjoying a cup of coffee. "Oh…"
Melphina smiled a strange, out of place smile at Jim, "It's Aisha and Angelo…"
Jim raised a puzzled eye brow, "Yeah… so let's go say hi."
Melphina griped Jim's shoulder harder, "No, we can't."
"Why not."
"Do you see anyone else there?"
"No… so?"
"That means they're there alone."
Jim smirk at her, "Your powers of stating the obvious are exceptional."
Melphina smirked back, "Ha, ha…"
Jim shook his head for a moment, "Mel, I know I may be a genius, but I'm still a kid, I don't know everything."
Melphina smiled down at him. She used the hand on his shoulder to ruffle Jim's golden hair, "Sorry, kid."
Jim made a funny growling noise as he tried to stop her.
Melphina used that hand to point toward the café, "They're on a date."
That caught him a bit off guard. Jim looked up at her just plain baffled, "What?!"
"Is that so hard to believe."
"Yes! Aisha's more of kid then I am."
Melphina frowned down at him, "Well, she is still a woman, and all women need a little romance, regardless of maturity."
"Romance!" Jim was so hysterical he was having some trouble processing it all, "Let's… start over…"
Aisha on a date? The simple concept seemed as just as absurd as Jean swearing off alcohol and taking a vow of celibacy. Aisha had never showed anything partway romantic or that she wanted any romance. She seemed as immature about the subject as a little girl. She never endeavored to look attractive or seductive, whenever she put on something exciting like her dress last night, she just looked like a goofball, and she hated it. She was a tomboy to the core. She didn't even like those corny, romance halos Melphina was always begging Jean to take her to. Why would she be on a date?
And even worse, why was she on a date with this Angelo guy, she knew nothing about him. Why would she fall for a guy she'd only met the night before, when Jim was right there. Not that he liked her or anything, it was just that he didn't get it.
No, the thought of her on a date was out of the question. She was a child.
"You don't know that they are on a date." he said angrily to Melphina.
Melphina frown, "Hey, I just call 'em like I see 'em."
"You are jumping to conclusions. Aisha just probably got really drunk, again, and he bought her a coffee."
Melphina put her hands on her hips, "Well, there is a little coffee at home right, why didn't they just drink the stuff at home."
Jim made a "duh" look, "Uh, gee, I dunno, maybe they wanted some good coffee. Besides there was very little coffee left, Sazuka and Jean probably drank it all."
"All right maybe, but where is everyone else then, huh? Jean likes good coffee too, Sazuka as well, where are they?"
"Ah, you know Sazuka, she's anti-social, and Jean was probably sleeping, that lazy bastard…"
"Oh yeah, well look at their faces. Does he look like he's doing a chore."
Jim took another look at the window. Through it, he could see Angelo's face. He didn't look bored or upset, he was smiling, listening intently to Aisha talking. Aisha was going on and on about something, using her hands and arms to emphasize. She did look like she enjoyed his company.
"See, if he were truly like Jean he would dread taking Aisha anywhere." Melphina cooed in his ear.
"Uhhh…" he sighed.
"Isn't it cute."
"But I don't get it… she met him only last night."
Melphina got a starry-eyed look, "All it takes is one glance and you can fall in love, or maybe in this case that kiss he gave her hand. Ahhh, it's so romantic…"
Jim frowned and turned back to the cart and pushed it down the sidewalk again, "Whatever…" he mumbled.
A sadistic smile grew across Melphina's face, "Why do you care if Aisha goes on a date, anyway?"
Jim frowned even more, "I don't…"
"Ahhh, does little Jimmy have a crush on certain Katarl Katarl girl." she teased as she came up behind him.
Jim didn't let her. He gunned it down the sidewalk, making a bee-line away from Melphina. Melphina was caught by surprised, but regained her composure chased after him.
"Hey… Jim… wait…"
------
Angelo strolled along quietly behind Aisha as she stomped down the tunnel to the bay where the Outlaw Star was being carried. Angelo had his hands in his pockets as he tried to reason why she had suddenly changed her mood.
He watched as Aisha went on her way. She stomped like she had something on her mind that was really, REALLY bothering her. Angelo just couldn't figure out why Aisha suddenly wanted leave, he thought they were having a good time. Maybe she told him something she didn't want revealed, she had said some pretty personal stuff, and now she was beating herself up for revealing it.
Angelo cleared his throat, "Uh, Aisha, you ok?"
"I'm fine!" she yelled back to him without turning around.
"Hmm… ok, a moody chick…" he mumbled.
Aisha must have picked it up with her giant ears, he should have known, "SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!"
Angelo made an aggravated sigh, he was losing his patience with this girl, "Well… I know you're angry right now, that's pretty damn obvious, and I have no idea why…"
"SHUT UP!" she repeated.
Angelo silently restrained himself from bashing her face in, he could see why Jean had such a problem with her.
The two exited the tunnel and entered the dry dock where the Outlaw Star rested peacefully in it's clamps. From across the tarmac, Angelo could see a figure standing on the ramp way up to the ship. He was leaning against the hatch, and even from this far away, Angelo could see the displeased look on his face. For some reason, Jean had a problem with him associating with Aisha, so he guessed Jean was really going to lay into him. Angelo didn't care though, he could take anything Jean dished out.
Aisha made some angry little growling sounds, and he guessed she thought the same thing.
As they neared the ramp way, Jean stood up straight and crossed his arms as he looked at them disappointedly, "Well, if isn't Blunderella and the cradle-robbing prince…"
Angelo smiled at Jean's piss-poor attempt of an insult. Aisha, however, did not. She stormed her way up the ramp.
"SHUT UP YOU HUMAN MORON!"
"Hey watch the racial slurs, dogface…" he said before he was abruptly interrupted.
Aisha smashed her small but muscular frame into Jean as she passed. Jean went flying off the ramp and landed hard onto the tarmac with a yelp. Angelo burst out laughing as Aisha disappeared into the ship.
Angelo was still laughing as Jean pulled himself off the ground, "You'll pay, dogface!" Jean yelled.
Jean turned to Angelo who was calming down now, "So, you're trying to boink Aisha?"
That was slightly less funny then the events that just transpired, Angelo raised an eye brow. Slowing to a chuckle, "Wha…"
Jean pointed a finger at him accusingly, "You went out on a date with her, didn't you! I've got witnesses who said you asked her out for coffee!"
Angelo frowned, "Yes, I did invite her for coffee, but no it was not a date."
"Well then why did you leave the ship with her, there was coffee right here!
Angelo crossed his arms, "No offence Jean, but your coffee tastes like shit, and it actually made me more sleepy. Besides, she was in pain from her hang over, so I said I'd buy her a coffee to help the pain. It was just a nice thing to do."
Jean made a crazy accusing face, "Nice?! Then why didn't you ask anyone else to come, huh? Why did you wake me up, I have a hang over too!"
"Jean, you don't wake up until your are good and ready, you've always been that way, and I couldn't find anyone else, Jim and Melphina had left and Sazuka, don't tell her, but she gives me the creeps."
Jean made a face like he knew what he meant, "Well, then what is this thing between you and Aisha?"
Angelo walked up to his friend, "Jean, my bud, my man. I'm just being nice to a new friend. No, need to be jealous."
Jean scoffed, "I'm not jealous!"
"Well, you don't have to worry about anything, I think she's really mad at me, and I don't know why. She just started yelling, quite a set of pipes on that girl."
"Yeah, and I bet you'd like to clean those pipes, with your roto-router, no
less…" Jean snickered.
That was one insult Angelo couldn't take, he needed to defend his honor. He leaped and attacked Jean, like a brother would.
-------
Jim put down the coffee mug and stuck his tongue out, "This is bad coffee… why do we keep buying it?"
Melphina frowned at the wall behind Jim, "Where did those coffee stains come from?"
They were interrupted by loud crashing sounds coming there way. A monstrous pair of feet were beating a path closer and closer to the kitchen.
"Aisha's home." Jim said calmly, "And now we can settle this."
"No, you can't…" Melphina tried to warn, but before she could finish Aisha appeared at the entrance.
"Hey Aisha!" Jim called getting her attention before she walked out of sight, "Were you on a date with Angelo?"
Before he realized he had angered the beast, it was too late to do anything about it. Aisha's eyes glowed red, she flashed her sharp, evil fangs, and glared at the two with nothing but venom to spew, "I WAS NOT ON A DATE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
She started screaming and barreled down the hall. There was a loud crash of metal and a big thud, shortly followed by an aggravated yelp, she must have tripped on the tool box Jim left in the hall way. Jim would probably pay for that later. Aisha screamed some more as a door slid open and then slammed shout, which was odd because the doors where on automatic hydraulics, and they didn't slam shut.
After a few moments of shear silent confusion, Jim turned to Melphina with a smile on his face, "See, I told you so."
Melphina turned back to him and sighed, "You've got a lot to learn about women, little one."
-------
Aisha tore into her room, breathing heavily, and wrenched the not quick enough door shut. She turned all the lights off, fingered the switch for the air conditioning, and stripped down to her undergarments. She leapt into her bed of fluffy comforters and buried face in her pillow.
She looked up sadly, she doubted if anyone would come to see if she was all right. She did just run screaming through the halls, everyone assaulting her with these probing questions and insults about her simple conversation over coffee with Angelo.
"… Stupid Jean… stupid humans… no one cares about me," she whined.
She reached under her pillow and pulled out a tiny doll. It was a worn little beany baby of a red bear with a tan belly and a big brown nose. It was crudely designed with several big imperfections like different sized eyes. She held it between her hands, feeling it's soft fabric.
Why did Angelo have to drag this garbage out into the open. She was perfectly happy pretending she didn't have a problem with her friends, but now she was forced to recognize the issues. She was not having fun anymore, Jean's constant insults were getting to her now, Jim was becoming just as bad as Jean, Sazuka was becoming increasingly distant, and Melphina did nothing to stop Jean, her being too preoccupied with him being perfect. She was growing tired.
She was angry at Angelo for making her mad, but she knew in her heart she wasn't mad, maybe a bit happy he'd said something. Now maybe some one could understand her feelings.
"Except for you Kubi Kubi Bear, you understand me… hmm, stupid Angelo… stupid coffee…"
(one thing, do not correct me! Until you give me a signed document by the creator of Outlaw Star saying I wrote his Japanese names in English wrong, I'm going to write the names that no one knows how to spell, my way. Deal with it. Keep reading though. Paz.)
Chapter 4
This is it, this is where the action starts, this chapter is my clincher, read it well. It gets sappy sometimes and I did my best to de-sappify it, but you know. Enjoy, Paz, and notice my use of certain fluids!
Also, I'm going to upload a fanfic I once wrote for Digimon, you should check it out, it's called Digimon: New Heroes, shibby…
------
Jean fumbled through the hallway, his head throbbing from a heavy hang over. He rubbed the back of his cranium, as he made his way to the kitchen. It was one of his all too common hang over head aches, that needed to be soothed by a bitter morning drink with caffeine and a whole bunch of pain killers. Jean winced at the pain and made a silent vow to never drink again like he did every morning. If past resolutions were any indication of how this vow would play out, he'd probably forget it in 20 minutes.
Jean stumbled forward and used the frame of the door to support himself. Hanging his head in the kitchen he was assailed by it's bright lights that hurt his sensitive eyes.
"Too bright…" he mumbled to no one in particular.
As his eyes adjusted, he sighted Sazuka sitting at the table. She was quietly taking spoonfuls of sugar and pouring them into her mug of black coffee. When she noticed him, she turned and smiled at him.
"Another late night, Jean?" she cooed.
Jean mumbled some inaudible stuff, and stalked toward the kitchen counter. He searched one of the drawers intensely.
"Did you see Angelo, this morning?" he called back at Sazuka in a groggy tone.
Sazuka threw in a few more spoonfuls of sugar in her obviously bland coffee, then used her spoon to stir it up, "Yes, I did."
Jean smacked some small vials in the drawers around, searching for a particular one, "So where is he?"
Sazuka took a sip, and satisfied with the taste closed the lid on the sugar jar and pushed it away, "He left some time ago… with Aisha." she lingered on the last word.
Jean didn't seem to pay attention as he finally found the vial he was looking for, "With who…" he said popping the cap open.
"With Aisha." she lingered again.
Jean finally registered what she had said, right as he was about to pour the pills of the vial into his mouth, "What?! What are you talking about?"
Sazuka smiled at him, "It's exactly as I said, some time ago, Angelo left and he took Aisha with him."
Jean sighed, aggravated, "Wait, start from the beginning. Why did Angelo go with Aisha and where did they go, which ever comes first."
"I'm not totally sure, but I think he took her out for coffee, which I can perfectly understand considering how poor this coffee is, we should really stop buying this brand."
"Lord…" Jean said downing several of the pills from the vial into his throat and swallowed, "That guy is too nice to people…"
"Nice? How so?" she asked confused.
Jean walked to the table, pulled out a chair, and flopped into it, "He took her for coffee because she probably had a monster hang over. That stupid girl can't even hold a tune, much less her liquor."
"Well if that's what you got out of my explanation, I must not have explained it right."
Jean place one hand on the table and his other elbow on the back of his chair, "What do you mean?"
Sazuka smiled to herself, "Poor clueless Jean… I think Angelo has a crush."
Jean gasped, "WHAT?! What the hell are you talking about?!"
"All the signs are there…"
"NO THEY AREN'T! I mean, there are none! I mean, what signs?!"
"Well, maybe it's just my assassin's perception, but for one, that dinner last night, he was constantly looking at Aisha."
"Looking? What…?"
"Every now and then he would shift his eyes toward her, you didn't notice that?"
"No… ahh, he was probably just grossed out by her table manners."
"Maybe so, but they weren't disgusted looks like you give her, but anyway, they were the same eyes as when he kissed her hand."
"Ug, don't remind me…"
"Second thing I noticed, was when you two went to that bar last night, and Aisha invited herself, he didn't seem too discourage her like you did."
"Ahh, he's just polite. His mama taught him that…"
"Third thing, this morning, it was so cute, he was worried about her, asked how she was feeling, caring for her. And that sweet little nickname he has for her, kitty cat." Sazuka chuckled a bit.
Jean stared straight at her for a moment, then muttered without moving anything but his lips, "Come to think of it… he did call her kitty cat last night, and he stuck up for her in that bar fight… and he carried her home…"
Sazuka made an "I told you so" nod, and sipped her coffee.
Jean just stared straight for another moment, then burst up, grabbing his face with his hands and howling like a baby. Sazuka jumped in surprise.
"NOOOO, we don't get crushes! We're too cool for that!" Jean whined
Sazuka just looked at him confused.
Jean crashed down onto the table, face buried in his arms, "Oh man, you don't get it Sazuka, we were above all that high school crush shit. We weren't looking for relationships, we just wanted the sex."
Sazuka giggled at Jean distress.
Jean sigh and picked his head up, "Aww, how far we've fallen… oh well. What time is it?"
Sazuka looked at the clock on the wall behind Jean, "12 'o clock."
"Sheesh, early…" he mumbled.
Sazuka giggled at him again.
"Where is everyone else?"
"Melphina and Jim went to do some of the shopping and resupplying. So…" Sazuka gave him a sly smile reserved for the specialest of occasions. She slipped one hand from her coffee mug across the table and laid it delicately on Jean's outstretched hand, "… that mean's, we're alone…"
Jean looked down at the hand, her dainty, feminine hand that hid so much strength, cream colored and smooth, laying innocently over his scared hand. His view raised up to her face; silky white complexion; strong features that beguiled her sensitive side; soft, pillowly lips; deep eyes that held virtual galaxies of depth, order and chaos in the same instant.
He frowned at her, he pulled his hand out from under hers and sat back in his chair. He spoke in a low tone, "There you go again, Sazuka. I thought I asked you to stop that."
Sazuka maintained her sly smile that only a trained assassin could muster, pulling back her hand to her coffee mug, "Oh, you are referring to it as reality now, not just an "involuntary discretion" as you so kindly described it before."
"You know I like you Sazuka, I don't wanna have to ruin our friendship or any other friendships by dealing with this problem in the open."
Sazuka's smile widened, "Oh, so it's a "problem" now."
Jean slammed his hands on the table, "Cut it out Sazuka! I'm not playing here! I want you to stop…"
Sazuka leaned in close to Jean, she took a long slender finger and traced it along Jean's jaw line, she mad a cutesy little sad voice, "Owww, where's that old Jean, huh? Where's that cute guy who was so adamant about getting me out of my robe, huh? Where's that sexy red head now, hmm?"
Jean lightly smacked her finger off his face, she responded by taking that finger and sucking on the tip seductively.
Jean scoffed, "Why do you have to do that? We were having a nice conversation and then you come up with this stupid horny shit. Where's that prim and proper Sazuka I once knew"
Sazuka sat back, that smile still on her face, "That girl was only an illusion, I am only who I let myself be… but, all is revealed when you are naked, no veils, no masks, no defense mechanisms. Why don't you come and find out who I really am…"
"Please stop…"
She betrayed her slayer's smile for only a moment, "Oh come now, Jean Starwind. If I had enticed you like this a year ago, you would be pleasing me by now."
"That was a year ago…"
"You said it yourself only a minute ago, you don't get crushes, it's all about the sex. That is all I want as well, I don't need to hang off your arm as a child does, like Melphina, I just need a little… release now and then, and I know you can give it to me right."
Jean poured himself some of the made coffee into an empty mug, "I said… I've changed…"
Sazuka betrayed her smile again for only a nano-second, pulling up from her chair, "People do not change. People either find themselves or bury themselves, and I know you are trying to bury yourself, Jean Starwind. You are the same man who cares only for himself, despite your little daddy-daughter routine with Melphina, I know it's true. You will get tired, and that old Jean will rise from the dead. You are a sexual predator, Jean, and you'll hunt again, it's in your nature, but you know what Jean, I am too, we should hunt together."
She turned and walked slowly to the door, "I'm leaving… I'll be back later." She called to him as she disappeared around the corner, her flowing kimono trailing behind her and her long raven hair gliding on the air as she went.
Jean exhaled, he began breathing hard to match his heart beats. Sazuka was putting tremendous pressure on him. Every since she came to him for these "hunts" as she called them, he had been trying not to give in. He loved Melphina, but he would be lying if he said he wasn't tempted. His greatest fear was that she was right, that he was only an animal looking for his next screw, that he didn't love Melphina enough to stay with only her because he's just that way. That, after one such, extremely, enticing show like this one, he would give in and give her what she wanted, whatever she wanted.
So, he decided he would keep it quiet, not addressing it, not even acknowledging the issue's existence, kept it his and Sazuka's shameful secret. Why he didn't just bring it out in the open, let the chips fall where they may, let the others affect the outcome, and accept what every hand he was dealt, he was unsure.
He had two beliefs in that respect; One, maybe deep inside him he wanted her, to take her and satisfy himself. To make her scream his name, and dominate her. Perhaps he was so tempted now because he knew somewhere, everything she said about him was true, that a part of his mind was screaming to be let out, and only his guilt, or his pride, or his fake love for Melphina, prevented him from doing so.
Or second; he knew deep down that he, in some way, needed her in his life. That, he needed his atypical family to be the same, to not let it be disrupted. Maybe he wished to keep his family just the way he could depend on them, so he would pretend nothing was wrong with it.
Either way, he thought himself completely insane, in what sense or how it related to his problem he didn't know or care to know, he just knew he was in for a giant breakdown if he didn't do something for the situation.
Still, he was going to put it out of his mind until later, take some deep breaths, go work out, or kick the shit out of a punching back, something to help him calm down. Besides, he had more pressing matters at hand, Angelo and Aisha.
Jean sighed and sipped his coffee, then spit it out all over the wall like a spray of machine gun bullets.
"Ewwwww, this is bad coffee!" he yelled, pouring half the jar of sugar into the mug of yucky, black beverage.
------
"Ewwwww!" Aisha whined as she rubbed her temples. Her head was throbbing, she was just waiting for something to help her regain her thought train.
The man across from her chuckled under his breath.
She stared at the blue haired man on the other side of the table. He was smiling at her.
Aisha scoffed, "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Back to the topic at hand…"
Aisha put up her hand up, signaling for Angelo to stop, "One second… WHERE'S MY DAMN COFFEE!?" she yelled at the waitresses gabbing, slamming her fists on the table for an overkill effect.
One of the startled waitresses, hurried behind the counter of the quaint little café Aisha and Angelo had come to. She searched around and collected the necessary drinks, then hurriedly walked over to the two.
"Ok here, I'm here, no need to yell. Ok, a black coffee with cream on the side…" She said placing the drink in front of Angelo, "and… six Espressos for you, I put it all in a big cup for you… is that ok?" she asked frightened, placing an enormous sport's cooler mug filled with the volatile caffeine drink.
"Yeah, yeah… whatever, go away!" Aisha mumbled as she grabbed the enormous cup and gulped half it's contents, leaving Angelo and the waitresses stunned.
The waitresses sensing she was no longer needed, backed away to safety.
Angelo look at her with a mix of amazement and horror, "That's espresso! That's like caffeinated death!"
Aisha stopped and put her cup on the table, "Ahh, that's better."
Angelo's horror turned to amusement. He laughed a little to himself as he poured some of his cream into his coffee.
Aisha made a mock sad face, "Why do you do that, how come your always laughing at me?"
That prompted Angelo to chuckle one more time, "No, it's not you, don't worry about it. So, how's your lump?"
"Excuse me?!"
"The one on you head, I mean, where that guy hit you with the chair."
"Oh!" Aisha rubbed her hand over her achy spot, "Yeah, it's better."
"Can you even remember what happened last night?"
"Uhh, it's kinda fuzzy. I remember bits. Like, before I got drunk, a chair that wouldn't let me sit on it, I remember fighting some guys, and falling asleep on top of the bar. And I remember you!" she said pointing at Angelo.
"Oh?"
"You came to my rescue when that guy hit me." she said smiling at him "Thank you so much."
Angelo gave a secluded little smile, "No problem, but from looks of the way you were going at them, I don't think you needed my help."
"Probably not," she said boastfully, "But, you helped me and that was… nice."
"Nice? How do you mean."
Aisha sensed that she said something she shouldn't have. She averted her eyes, "Nevermind."
"Wait, wait ,wait. You can't bring it up then drop it. You can tell me?"
"Well…" Aisha didn't want to reveal why she considered it nice, it involved things she couldn't really talk to anyone about for fear that they might think her weak. "Ok, but I'm only telling you because you were nice to me."
Angelo leaned forward over the table, "I'm listening."
Aisha leaned over on the table as well, an unsure look on her face, "Everyone knows I'm strong and I'm tough, and I am, but…"
"Yeah…"
"Well I can handle almost any situation, really, there are few people who can beat me."
"I can believe it."
"I mean I can lifted 10 times the amount of any human, I can withstand bullets, missles, and bombs, I can destroy entire ships with bare hands, I…"
"… can crush the universe in the palm of my hand." Angelo joked.
Aisha sighed, "Yeah well, because I can do all those things by myself, no one even tries to help me…"
"Eh?" Angelo's face mimicked the dull, confused look that Jean got sometimes when he had no idea what was going on.
"You know, It's always; Aisha go destroy that pirate, Aisha go lift a ton of Dragonite; Katarl Katarl girl go into a battle with no back up at all and leave nothing alive. I may be a kick-ass fighter, but I'm still a person, I need help every once in awhile. Maybe not fighting, but…" Aisha trailed off, "… some one could once in a while show they care."
"Would you like some cheese with that whine?" Angelo said leaning back and pouring some more cream in his coffee, a somber smirk on his face.
"Wha? Cheese?"
Angelo used his hand to pull Aisha's head up to look into his eyes "You should buck up, your friends care about you."
"Yeah, well they sure don't show it." Aisha smiled at him, "And so when people like you help me despite me being an amazing Katarl Katarl, it makes me feel better."
"Well, yay for me then." Angelo retracted his hand and sipped his drink.
Aisha chuckled at that, "And you carried me home didn't you, thank you again."
Angelo gave her a mock thumbs up as he was still drinking. He finally finished and asked, "Do you like working with Jean and his crew?"
Aisha was a little surprised by that question, it seemed a very inappropriate and probing question, of course she did. Or did she.
"Uh, yeah, I do…"
"Yeah? Everything…" He said with those eyes again, those warm brown eyes that could stare inside her, like when he kissed her hand.
His questions were very strange. What his intent on knowing how she felt about her friends. It almost seemed like he was trying to gather information. She supposed it wouldn't hurt to tell him the true answer.
Aisha thought about it, only to make it appear that she wasn't thinking about what she was about to say, "Well… sometimes I feel like they don't respect me?"
"Respect?" he inquired as he narrowed his eyes at her.
Aisha lowered her head to her crossed arms, ready to vent, "They think I'm stupid. They think I don't have any ideas, that I'm just the muscle."
"Whoa, that bites"
"Yeah, and they treat me like a child, like I'm too immature to be of use, and they don't even care about me I don't think." she huffed. "And then Jean can never say anything nice about me…"
"Oh, he's not so bad once you get to know him." Angelo said sipping again as he cross one arm over his drinking arm.
"I've known him for a year, and he doesn't quit! He's constantly insulting me, tripping me, he never says thank you or good job, Aisha. I'm just that stupid Katarl Katarl to him. He sure as hell doesn't care about me"
"Hold on there, kitty cat, that's kinda harsh, I know your friends care, and they worry about how you are feeling."
"Oh yeah, then why do they always do stuff with out me, it's like Jean, Jim, and Mel are the inner circle and the rest of use are just hangers on. Why do they only include me when they want me to do something for them.
Angelo put down his cup and hung his arms behind his head, "Well, I dunno… but I can tell you this, Jean isn't, or at least he wasn't, a guy to wear his emotions outside. It's a product of the streets, a defense mechanism of sorts, he doesn't let on how he really feels usually."
"You called me kitty cat again." Aisha interrupted.
"Yep."
"Why do you keep calling me that?"
"Well, it's just a nickname, ya know, just for fun."
"Hmm…" Aisha looked down at her black liquid, "the only nickname I every got from them was beast girl or furball or dogface."
"Oh, that Jean, he so creee-zay." Angelo said sipping his coffee with a pleasant smile.
Aisha looked around a little, then stared Angelo straight in the eye, "Why am I telling you all this, I just met you less then a day ago."
Angelo took another sip of his cup and shrugged, "Well, maybe you feel that, even though you don't know me that well, you can confide in me, I am a pretty good listener…"
"Hmm…" Aisha murmured to herself.
She knew Angelo was right. She couldn't talk to anyone else about how she felt. Jean would laugh, Jim would laugh, Sazuka wouldn't care, Melphina was too far in Jean's lap to pay attention to her. Her parents and family were too far away to understand, and she didn't really keep in touch with any friends from her home. Angelo was an acquaintance that had proven his reliability, he was the perfect person to talk to.
Aisha watched him smile. She really liked that smile, it was warm and caring. She felt content when Angelo smiled like that. Nice ass too.
Aisha sat straight up at her mental realization, surprising Angelo a little.
She had thought a naughty oriented thought about him, she couldn't have, but she did. Her entire Katarl Katarl superiority complex had been compromised. In all her travels through Human space she had never once thought about a Human in such a way. No, it was only a momentary lapse of discipline, she would not let herself think like that again or have feelings for him. In fact, it was weak to be discussing her feelings in the first place. No more, she must be a strong Katarl Katarl warrior. This human was compromising her, she needed to be away from him right now, go home and take a nap or a cold shower or something.
"Aisha, are you ok?" Angelo asked kindly.
She picked up her sport cooler and drained it's last contents, then slammed it on the table, "I'd like to go now."
-------
Jim labored with the giant cart he was pushing in front of him. All the supplies and necessities for a life in space where heaped on the small loading cart with a stiff wheel; food, toilet paper, the usual brand of coffee, among other things, and Jim had to push the heavy cart all the way from the grocery store, to the lift, and to the Outlaw Star.
Behind him, Melphina walked quietly, cute as ever, with a careless smile on her face, carrying a few other bags.
Suddenly, Melphina gasped and halted Jim by the shoulder, she pointed across the street to a small café, "Jim look over there."
Jim made an aggravated sigh, and turned his head slowly, "Do you want a cappuccino?"
"NO!" she yelled slapping him lightly on the shoulder, "Look in the window."
Jim looked more closely. In the giant bay window, that could have used a wash, there was a menu and a sign that said help wanted pasted to it from there inside, and sitting behind the window a Katarl Katarl woman and a blue-haired guy were enjoying a cup of coffee. "Oh…"
Melphina smiled a strange, out of place smile at Jim, "It's Aisha and Angelo…"
Jim raised a puzzled eye brow, "Yeah… so let's go say hi."
Melphina griped Jim's shoulder harder, "No, we can't."
"Why not."
"Do you see anyone else there?"
"No… so?"
"That means they're there alone."
Jim smirk at her, "Your powers of stating the obvious are exceptional."
Melphina smirked back, "Ha, ha…"
Jim shook his head for a moment, "Mel, I know I may be a genius, but I'm still a kid, I don't know everything."
Melphina smiled down at him. She used the hand on his shoulder to ruffle Jim's golden hair, "Sorry, kid."
Jim made a funny growling noise as he tried to stop her.
Melphina used that hand to point toward the café, "They're on a date."
That caught him a bit off guard. Jim looked up at her just plain baffled, "What?!"
"Is that so hard to believe."
"Yes! Aisha's more of kid then I am."
Melphina frowned down at him, "Well, she is still a woman, and all women need a little romance, regardless of maturity."
"Romance!" Jim was so hysterical he was having some trouble processing it all, "Let's… start over…"
Aisha on a date? The simple concept seemed as just as absurd as Jean swearing off alcohol and taking a vow of celibacy. Aisha had never showed anything partway romantic or that she wanted any romance. She seemed as immature about the subject as a little girl. She never endeavored to look attractive or seductive, whenever she put on something exciting like her dress last night, she just looked like a goofball, and she hated it. She was a tomboy to the core. She didn't even like those corny, romance halos Melphina was always begging Jean to take her to. Why would she be on a date?
And even worse, why was she on a date with this Angelo guy, she knew nothing about him. Why would she fall for a guy she'd only met the night before, when Jim was right there. Not that he liked her or anything, it was just that he didn't get it.
No, the thought of her on a date was out of the question. She was a child.
"You don't know that they are on a date." he said angrily to Melphina.
Melphina frown, "Hey, I just call 'em like I see 'em."
"You are jumping to conclusions. Aisha just probably got really drunk, again, and he bought her a coffee."
Melphina put her hands on her hips, "Well, there is a little coffee at home right, why didn't they just drink the stuff at home."
Jim made a "duh" look, "Uh, gee, I dunno, maybe they wanted some good coffee. Besides there was very little coffee left, Sazuka and Jean probably drank it all."
"All right maybe, but where is everyone else then, huh? Jean likes good coffee too, Sazuka as well, where are they?"
"Ah, you know Sazuka, she's anti-social, and Jean was probably sleeping, that lazy bastard…"
"Oh yeah, well look at their faces. Does he look like he's doing a chore."
Jim took another look at the window. Through it, he could see Angelo's face. He didn't look bored or upset, he was smiling, listening intently to Aisha talking. Aisha was going on and on about something, using her hands and arms to emphasize. She did look like she enjoyed his company.
"See, if he were truly like Jean he would dread taking Aisha anywhere." Melphina cooed in his ear.
"Uhhh…" he sighed.
"Isn't it cute."
"But I don't get it… she met him only last night."
Melphina got a starry-eyed look, "All it takes is one glance and you can fall in love, or maybe in this case that kiss he gave her hand. Ahhh, it's so romantic…"
Jim frowned and turned back to the cart and pushed it down the sidewalk again, "Whatever…" he mumbled.
A sadistic smile grew across Melphina's face, "Why do you care if Aisha goes on a date, anyway?"
Jim frowned even more, "I don't…"
"Ahhh, does little Jimmy have a crush on certain Katarl Katarl girl." she teased as she came up behind him.
Jim didn't let her. He gunned it down the sidewalk, making a bee-line away from Melphina. Melphina was caught by surprised, but regained her composure chased after him.
"Hey… Jim… wait…"
------
Angelo strolled along quietly behind Aisha as she stomped down the tunnel to the bay where the Outlaw Star was being carried. Angelo had his hands in his pockets as he tried to reason why she had suddenly changed her mood.
He watched as Aisha went on her way. She stomped like she had something on her mind that was really, REALLY bothering her. Angelo just couldn't figure out why Aisha suddenly wanted leave, he thought they were having a good time. Maybe she told him something she didn't want revealed, she had said some pretty personal stuff, and now she was beating herself up for revealing it.
Angelo cleared his throat, "Uh, Aisha, you ok?"
"I'm fine!" she yelled back to him without turning around.
"Hmm… ok, a moody chick…" he mumbled.
Aisha must have picked it up with her giant ears, he should have known, "SHUT UP! YOU DON'T KNOW ME! YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME!"
Angelo made an aggravated sigh, he was losing his patience with this girl, "Well… I know you're angry right now, that's pretty damn obvious, and I have no idea why…"
"SHUT UP!" she repeated.
Angelo silently restrained himself from bashing her face in, he could see why Jean had such a problem with her.
The two exited the tunnel and entered the dry dock where the Outlaw Star rested peacefully in it's clamps. From across the tarmac, Angelo could see a figure standing on the ramp way up to the ship. He was leaning against the hatch, and even from this far away, Angelo could see the displeased look on his face. For some reason, Jean had a problem with him associating with Aisha, so he guessed Jean was really going to lay into him. Angelo didn't care though, he could take anything Jean dished out.
Aisha made some angry little growling sounds, and he guessed she thought the same thing.
As they neared the ramp way, Jean stood up straight and crossed his arms as he looked at them disappointedly, "Well, if isn't Blunderella and the cradle-robbing prince…"
Angelo smiled at Jean's piss-poor attempt of an insult. Aisha, however, did not. She stormed her way up the ramp.
"SHUT UP YOU HUMAN MORON!"
"Hey watch the racial slurs, dogface…" he said before he was abruptly interrupted.
Aisha smashed her small but muscular frame into Jean as she passed. Jean went flying off the ramp and landed hard onto the tarmac with a yelp. Angelo burst out laughing as Aisha disappeared into the ship.
Angelo was still laughing as Jean pulled himself off the ground, "You'll pay, dogface!" Jean yelled.
Jean turned to Angelo who was calming down now, "So, you're trying to boink Aisha?"
That was slightly less funny then the events that just transpired, Angelo raised an eye brow. Slowing to a chuckle, "Wha…"
Jean pointed a finger at him accusingly, "You went out on a date with her, didn't you! I've got witnesses who said you asked her out for coffee!"
Angelo frowned, "Yes, I did invite her for coffee, but no it was not a date."
"Well then why did you leave the ship with her, there was coffee right here!
Angelo crossed his arms, "No offence Jean, but your coffee tastes like shit, and it actually made me more sleepy. Besides, she was in pain from her hang over, so I said I'd buy her a coffee to help the pain. It was just a nice thing to do."
Jean made a crazy accusing face, "Nice?! Then why didn't you ask anyone else to come, huh? Why did you wake me up, I have a hang over too!"
"Jean, you don't wake up until your are good and ready, you've always been that way, and I couldn't find anyone else, Jim and Melphina had left and Sazuka, don't tell her, but she gives me the creeps."
Jean made a face like he knew what he meant, "Well, then what is this thing between you and Aisha?"
Angelo walked up to his friend, "Jean, my bud, my man. I'm just being nice to a new friend. No, need to be jealous."
Jean scoffed, "I'm not jealous!"
"Well, you don't have to worry about anything, I think she's really mad at me, and I don't know why. She just started yelling, quite a set of pipes on that girl."
"Yeah, and I bet you'd like to clean those pipes, with your roto-router, no
less…" Jean snickered.
That was one insult Angelo couldn't take, he needed to defend his honor. He leaped and attacked Jean, like a brother would.
-------
Jim put down the coffee mug and stuck his tongue out, "This is bad coffee… why do we keep buying it?"
Melphina frowned at the wall behind Jim, "Where did those coffee stains come from?"
They were interrupted by loud crashing sounds coming there way. A monstrous pair of feet were beating a path closer and closer to the kitchen.
"Aisha's home." Jim said calmly, "And now we can settle this."
"No, you can't…" Melphina tried to warn, but before she could finish Aisha appeared at the entrance.
"Hey Aisha!" Jim called getting her attention before she walked out of sight, "Were you on a date with Angelo?"
Before he realized he had angered the beast, it was too late to do anything about it. Aisha's eyes glowed red, she flashed her sharp, evil fangs, and glared at the two with nothing but venom to spew, "I WAS NOT ON A DATE! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
She started screaming and barreled down the hall. There was a loud crash of metal and a big thud, shortly followed by an aggravated yelp, she must have tripped on the tool box Jim left in the hall way. Jim would probably pay for that later. Aisha screamed some more as a door slid open and then slammed shout, which was odd because the doors where on automatic hydraulics, and they didn't slam shut.
After a few moments of shear silent confusion, Jim turned to Melphina with a smile on his face, "See, I told you so."
Melphina turned back to him and sighed, "You've got a lot to learn about women, little one."
-------
Aisha tore into her room, breathing heavily, and wrenched the not quick enough door shut. She turned all the lights off, fingered the switch for the air conditioning, and stripped down to her undergarments. She leapt into her bed of fluffy comforters and buried face in her pillow.
She looked up sadly, she doubted if anyone would come to see if she was all right. She did just run screaming through the halls, everyone assaulting her with these probing questions and insults about her simple conversation over coffee with Angelo.
"… Stupid Jean… stupid humans… no one cares about me," she whined.
She reached under her pillow and pulled out a tiny doll. It was a worn little beany baby of a red bear with a tan belly and a big brown nose. It was crudely designed with several big imperfections like different sized eyes. She held it between her hands, feeling it's soft fabric.
Why did Angelo have to drag this garbage out into the open. She was perfectly happy pretending she didn't have a problem with her friends, but now she was forced to recognize the issues. She was not having fun anymore, Jean's constant insults were getting to her now, Jim was becoming just as bad as Jean, Sazuka was becoming increasingly distant, and Melphina did nothing to stop Jean, her being too preoccupied with him being perfect. She was growing tired.
She was angry at Angelo for making her mad, but she knew in her heart she wasn't mad, maybe a bit happy he'd said something. Now maybe some one could understand her feelings.
"Except for you Kubi Kubi Bear, you understand me… hmm, stupid Angelo… stupid coffee…"
(one thing, do not correct me! Until you give me a signed document by the creator of Outlaw Star saying I wrote his Japanese names in English wrong, I'm going to write the names that no one knows how to spell, my way. Deal with it. Keep reading though. Paz.)