Chapter Two: Overture
Love Triangles Suck
Hey again. Sorry about the whole non-paragraphical (if that's a word) presentation of the first chapter. I had to e-mail it to myself and then transfer it to a Word document because the site wouldn't accept my Appleworks ... anyway, as it turned out, when I indented for the next paragraph it mashed it all together into one big one. So now I figure I have to put an entire line in between paragraphs. Heh ... stupid me. Anyway, go ahead and read.
Billy was running an errand for the Yggdrasil crew the next morning, gathering groceries and various parts for the ship's engine. He stopped in a shop that sold such hardware, and was astonished to find CJ.
"I need some deelies for my Gear," she announced, leaning her elbows on the counter.
"You mean 'parts'?" the clerk asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Don't give me attitude," she replied. "I just want some deelies."
"Alright, I'll show you what I got ..." he mumbled, going into the back room.
"They sell Gear parts here?" Billy asked, speaking more to himself than anyone else.
"Hey, it's you! Whatcha doin' here, hon?" she asked with a smile.
"Getting some parts for the ship I travel on."
"Oh, really? And yes, they do sell Gear deelies here. Always have."
"Didn't the Gears around here go out of commission, also?"
"Are you on crack? I don't know what you're talkin' about!"
" ... Crack?" he asked, blinking.
"Ah, you small-town types don't understand anything, do you? Just never mind. Anyway, what kinda deelies're you lookin' for?"
"Just some standard engine parts."
"Why? Is it a crappy ship?"
"No, it's actually quite nice. By the way, what is your Gear called?"
"My Gear? My daddy named it Valkyrie, but I always call it Gustav."
"After your father?"
"Yup. He's the one who built it and designed it, so why not?" CJ was now resting her back against the counter, her elbows holding her up and legs set out in front of her. "You're a nice kid, you know that? I've never met someone as polite as you."
"Where'd that come from?"
"How the hell should I know? I just say whatever's on my mind."
"And by the way, I'm not a kid."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Ah! Me, too. I guess I called you 'kid' because you have eyes that remind me of a little boy."
"Alright, here are the PARTS we have," the clerk sighed, frowning slightly.
"Okay, I'll take three of these, eight of these ... oh, and one of these deelies! I've been waiting for you to get a shipment in!" she exclaimed, pointing to her selections. She pulled out her wallet and put the money on the counter. "While I'm at it, I'll pay for the stuff this kid wants, too," she added, tossing her head toward Billy.
"Why? The parts I need are expensive!"
"C'mon, I have enough money to buy all the deelies in this store! Just let me do it!" she growled. "I thought nice guys were extinct, so this is a big thing for me!"
"But -"
"Quit your bitchin' and let me pay!" she sighed angrily.
Billy blinked and shrugged. "Fine ..."
"So, tell me about this ship," she insisted while the clerk went back to the storeroom to get Billy's desired parts.
"It's a very old ship. It's a desert cruiser, submarine, aerial ship - God, it does about everything. It belongs to an ally of mine, Bart Fatima."
"The blonde kid that's king of Aveh now? Lord, he's loud."
Billy smiled at her remark. "Yes, my sentiments exactly."
"You look like a little kid when you smile, you know? Real cute."
After an awkward silence, Billy spoke. "Thanks for offering to pay for my purchase, but I shouldn't impose ..."
"Ah-ah-ah! It's already been decided. Around here, what I say goes!"
"Are you the ruler of this city or something?"
"Nah, just its guardian. I take care of everyone and everything inside the city limits. Everyone treats me with respect." The clerk came back to counter, holding a large box. "'Cept this guy. He obviously ain't too familiar with me."
CJ laid handed the money to the salesman, telling him to keep the change, and carried Billy's box and her own down the street. "Whoa! Your box alone must weight fifty pounds," he observed. "How did you get to be so strong?"
"Good genes, I guess," she replied with a smile, effortlessly maintaining the packages. "Where's your ship?"
"I'll take it from here -"
"The hell you will! I'm goin' out of my way to be nice, so just take it like a man, okay?"
"Alright ..."
"Hey, it's that scary chick!" Fei announced as Billy and CJ entered the Yggdrasil.
"She's not scary, Fei. She's actually quite nice," Billy assured him. "She paid for the parts and even carried them here ... for some reason ..."
"'Cause little Billy-boy is so cute!" she cooed, setting the boxes down and poking his cheek. "Since this is such an amazing ship, I'd also like to help install the parts. I'm a mechanic, so something this grand is just irresistible! Puh-leez?"
"My Yggdrasil is awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Bart asked, running a hand through his blonde bangs.
"Oh, so you're the obnoxious king of Aveh, huh?" CJ asked cheerfully, holding out a gloved hand. "I'm C. Jager Schreient, the obnoxious guardian of Zeltennia!"
Bart shook her hand vigorously, smiling broadly. "I like ya," he announced, pointing at her. "You got spunk. Go ahead, work on the Yggdrasil to your heart's content. I kinda ... busted it up."
"We'll be sure to pay you heartily for your help," Sigurd said, beaming.
"Nah, don't. My band has a gig at a nightclub next week, so I have tons of money comin'."
"Band?" Elly questioned.
"Yup! Nuns with Guns! That's what we're called. I'm the lead singer." She grinned with pride.
"HA! That's a great name!" Bart laughed. "I bet you thought of that one, eh?"
"Yeah ..." She smiled. "Just on a whim ... hell, it's catchy."
"My, you're such a polite young lady," Citan said pleasantly. "Quite different from when we first met yesterday."
"Not usually ... anyway, Billy-boy said your Gears don't work. The hell is wrong with 'em?"
"They just shut down after the battle with Deus," Rico growled.
"Mind if I take a look?" she asked Bart.
"Not at all! Follow me!"
As she and Bart ran off, Billy sighed. She was such an impolite girl, but was friendly and generous at the same time. He didn't know what to make of her just yet ... she was so ill-mannered and foul-mouthed. Sure was cute, though ...
"That's Advari, my Omnigear," Bart said proudly, smiling. He allowed CJ to climb into the cockpit and mess with it.
Suddenly its eyes lit up and it took a step forward. "Works just fine!" CJ shouted, grinning down at him. "Something's wrong with you folks."
Fei, Elly, Maria, Billy and Citan dashed into the Gear dock. "Why's your Gear working?" Fei demanded.
"Why not?" CJ asked, confused by the alarmed looks on everyone's faces.
The others proceeded to check their Gears, finding that they operated just fine. "Hot damn," Elly remarked.
"God, you people are weird ..." she sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Well, anyway, Bart-o, why don't you show me to the engine room?" CJ asked happily. "I wanna see what I'm up against!"
"S ... sure ..." he stammered, still in disbelief.
CJ hummed happily as Bart escorted her to the engine. Sigurd and Maison were confused about the girl, who was making Bart a little ... edgy. "Maybe he likes her," Maison suggested.
"'Likes'?" Jessie demanded. "Are you kidding? That kid's got the hots for her! It's so damn obvious even my boy Billy can tell, can't ya, boy?"
"Whatever ..." Billy sighed as he sat down on a stool in the Gun room.
"A little jealous, kiddo?"
"Jesus, Dad, lay off!" he snarled in reply.
"Ah ... my little boy has discovered girls!" Jessie shouted, hugging his son. "I'm so proud!"
"ACK! Dammit, get off!"
"Young master, what's that girl doing in here?!" the engine room technician demanded. "She's fiddling around with everything!"
"She's a mechanic, calm down!" Bart beamed.
"Wow, this is one of those new L-type deelies!" she gasped, poking around at something.
"AH! Don't touch, don't touch!" the technician shouted, running to her side. "That's an L-type cylinder!"
"I know that!" CJ replied, agitated. "I said it was an L-type deelie, didn't I?"
"Are you able to call mechanical equipment anything other than 'deelies'?" Billy asked as he entered the room.
"Hi, Billy-boy! Your buddy sure has a nice ship here!" CJ greeted, causing Bart to laugh and blush. "Your technician has something up his ass, though."
"Oh, he's just uptight. C'mon, Jindu, go have a drink at the bar. She won't do anything wrong." Jindu left, growling. "So, CJ," Bart continued, "how long do you think it'll take to fix everything? We got in a little scuffle with some giant Deathscythe monster on the way here."
"A couple o' days, maybe a week," she replied, rubbing her hands together. "I'll have to work 'round the clock, though. Tell ya what, I'll start today. I just have to go tell my brothers where I'll be and get my tools."
"I'll escort you back to town," Bart offered, bowing.
"Oh, Lord ..." Billy remarked, turning to leave.
"Billy-boy, why don't you come, too?" CJ asked. "You owe me for carryin' that stuff for you!"
"But I didn't even ask -"
"Oh, please? It'll make me happy!"
Billy sighed and gave in. "Sure thing ..."
"That's the spirit!"
"So, what's your family like, CJ?" Bart asked politely as the three headed back toward Zeltennia.
"Stupid. All four of my big brothers're idiots. You met Ruka, didn't you? He's the dumbest. My brother Lehn ain't that bad, though. Just a little hard to deal with."
"Couldn't be any worse than you," Billy grumbled before he had time to think it out.
CJ frowned back at him, causing both boys to step back, sensing a fit coming on. Suddenly she smiled and laughed. "You're right, you know? Ah, you sure hit the nail on the head!" She continued laughing as she resumed her walking. Billy and Bart glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed.
"So, how old are your brothers?" Billy asked, deciding to jump in the conversation.
"Well, Lehn is nineteen, Ruka's twenty, Akela is twenty-three and Souji is twenty-five. What about you two? Got any siblings?"
"I have a half-brother. Ironically, it's Sigurd."
"I have a younger sister, Primera."
"Oh, what a pretty name! Is she cute like you?" CJ giggled.
Billy let out a long breath through his nose and shrugged. "I don't know about THAT. She is awfully cute, though."
"CJ!" a man of roughly Bart's age shouted, running up to them. "You really had Souji worried! He's throwing a fit right now!"
"Hi, Lehn. Tell Souji I can take care of myself, okay?"
"You can tell him when you get there. He's really pissed," her bleach- blonde brother replied.
"Oh, God ..." she sighed, pushing her way past Lehn and continuing down the hill.
"Chesha!" the eldest of the Schreient children shouted as CJ, Lehn, Bart and Billy arrived at their residence. "Where were you? You went out to get some parts for Valkyrie and didn't come back!"
"Calm down! I was just helpin' these guys with their ship," she told him, a frown on her face. "I haven't even been gone two hours!"
"Don't you EVER disappear like that again!" Souji scolded, shaking a finger at her. "I was worried sick!"
"Pull your head out of your butt for a minute and listen to me," CJ said slowly and calmly. "I can take care of myself. I'm tougher than you think I am. Hell, I'm tougher than you!"
"I missed you so much!" Souji wailed, embracing his sister in a bear hug. "I love you so much, baby sis!"
"AHHHH! Stop it! Stop it! Baby sis can't breathe!" she choked out. Souji finally got the picture and let go of her, apologizing rapidly for his indiscretion. She frowned, then turned to Billy and Bart, who didn't know how to react to the situation. "This is Souji, my oldest brother. He's ... eccentric."
"Nice to meet you," Billy greeted slowly.
"Ditto," was all Bart could say, fearing he'd burst out laughing.
"Which one of you is little Chesha's boyfriend?" he asked, grinning broadly.
"Neither! God!" CJ shouted, throwing her arms in the air. "Will you stop askin' people that?!"
"What're your names?" Souji asked, ignoring his sister, as seemed to always be the case.
"Billy Lee Black."
"Bartholomew Fatima."
"Oh, King Bartholomew? My, you'd make a nice husband for my baby sister -"
"If you don't stop that I'll sit on a shotgun and pull the trigger with my big toe!" CJ shrieked, at the end of her rope.
"And Billy, what do you do for a living?"
"I ... run an orphanage and work as a mechanic in the meantime ..." he replied, a little nervous.
"You hear that, Chesha, honey? He'd make a great father for your children!" Souji laughed.
"ARGH!" she yelled, storming into the house.
"Why don't you two come in for a moment? It seems Chesha is angry about something."
"So she wants to work on your ship?" Ruka asked. "Sure you can handle having her around? She's a lot of work to look after!" He ruffled CJ's hair, causing her to slap his hand away and smooth it down again.
"I don't know," Akela growled. "It's probably a ship full of horny perverts."
CJ sighed angrily. "Oh, we're not like that!" Bart assured him. "We'll take very good care of her."
"You'd better," Akela snarled gruffly.
"Baby sister Chesha can take care of herself, can't you, sweetie?" Souji asked sweetly, smiling at her.
"Of course, shnookie-wookie pookums," she replied through gritted teeth.
"Ah, I think I'll hit the bar!" Ruka announced, standing up and stretching.
"No, you won't!" CJ ordered. "Sit down!"
"Yes, ma'am," Ruka responded meekly, obeying quickly.
"Chesha is right!" Souji smiled. "You don't need to hit the bar! She doesn't like it when you're drunk, Ruka!"
"Ignore Souji," Lehn instructed the boys. "He's subject to her every whim. He loves her more than life itself. It's quite sad, really ..."
"May I please leave, Souji?" CJ asked in a rather rude tone.
"Just let me speak with your love interests for a few more minutes, dear!"
"Oh, Lord ... kill me now ..." she murmured as she walked off.
"Where are you going, CJ?" Lehn asked.
"To get my tools!"
"So, what do you think of little Chesha? She's cute, isn't she?" Souji asked in a sappy-sweet tone.
"Oh, she's very nice," Billy answered quickly. "She's been a big help today! She offered to pay for the parts for the ship, she carried them to the Yggdrasil for some unknown reason, and she's offered to fix the engine for free."
"Yes, yes, she's very nice!" Bart agreed, sipping the tea Souji had offered them.
"So, either of you interested in marrying her?"
Bart spit his tea out, and Billy nearly choked on his. "But we just met!" Billy protested.
"Damn straight!" Akela growled. "You have to pass my inspection before you're even allowed to TOUCH my darling younger sister!"
"I'm sure Billy-boy and Bart-o would love to sit and chat, but we really should get going," CJ said quickly, pulling them up by their arms and dragging them to the door.
"That was ... odd," Billy said quietly as they left.
"Yes, I know. Walk faster, before Souji runs out and tells me I forgot a sweater!"
"So, your first name is Chesha?"
"Yeah ... and I hate it. That's why I try to get people to call me CJ like Daddy did."
"I think it's a pretty name," Bart said gently, smiling and blushing.
Billy sighed. "God ..."
"Whatever. Thanks," was CJ's uninterested reply.
When they got back to the ship, CJ and Bart immediately went down to the Engine room, where the girl began to rapidly tinker around with things.
She's such a rude girl, Billy thought to himself as he watched her yell at Jindu, who was freaking out about her touching things. She can't behave herself and she doesn't have a shred of feminine dignity. But ...
Billy's eyes widened. "Then why the HELL am I attracted to her?!" he demanded loudly, causing the other technicians to stare at him.
Hey again. Sorry about the whole non-paragraphical (if that's a word) presentation of the first chapter. I had to e-mail it to myself and then transfer it to a Word document because the site wouldn't accept my Appleworks ... anyway, as it turned out, when I indented for the next paragraph it mashed it all together into one big one. So now I figure I have to put an entire line in between paragraphs. Heh ... stupid me. Anyway, go ahead and read.
Billy was running an errand for the Yggdrasil crew the next morning, gathering groceries and various parts for the ship's engine. He stopped in a shop that sold such hardware, and was astonished to find CJ.
"I need some deelies for my Gear," she announced, leaning her elbows on the counter.
"You mean 'parts'?" the clerk asked, raising his eyebrows.
"Don't give me attitude," she replied. "I just want some deelies."
"Alright, I'll show you what I got ..." he mumbled, going into the back room.
"They sell Gear parts here?" Billy asked, speaking more to himself than anyone else.
"Hey, it's you! Whatcha doin' here, hon?" she asked with a smile.
"Getting some parts for the ship I travel on."
"Oh, really? And yes, they do sell Gear deelies here. Always have."
"Didn't the Gears around here go out of commission, also?"
"Are you on crack? I don't know what you're talkin' about!"
" ... Crack?" he asked, blinking.
"Ah, you small-town types don't understand anything, do you? Just never mind. Anyway, what kinda deelies're you lookin' for?"
"Just some standard engine parts."
"Why? Is it a crappy ship?"
"No, it's actually quite nice. By the way, what is your Gear called?"
"My Gear? My daddy named it Valkyrie, but I always call it Gustav."
"After your father?"
"Yup. He's the one who built it and designed it, so why not?" CJ was now resting her back against the counter, her elbows holding her up and legs set out in front of her. "You're a nice kid, you know that? I've never met someone as polite as you."
"Where'd that come from?"
"How the hell should I know? I just say whatever's on my mind."
"And by the way, I'm not a kid."
"How old are you?"
"Seventeen."
"Ah! Me, too. I guess I called you 'kid' because you have eyes that remind me of a little boy."
"Alright, here are the PARTS we have," the clerk sighed, frowning slightly.
"Okay, I'll take three of these, eight of these ... oh, and one of these deelies! I've been waiting for you to get a shipment in!" she exclaimed, pointing to her selections. She pulled out her wallet and put the money on the counter. "While I'm at it, I'll pay for the stuff this kid wants, too," she added, tossing her head toward Billy.
"Why? The parts I need are expensive!"
"C'mon, I have enough money to buy all the deelies in this store! Just let me do it!" she growled. "I thought nice guys were extinct, so this is a big thing for me!"
"But -"
"Quit your bitchin' and let me pay!" she sighed angrily.
Billy blinked and shrugged. "Fine ..."
"So, tell me about this ship," she insisted while the clerk went back to the storeroom to get Billy's desired parts.
"It's a very old ship. It's a desert cruiser, submarine, aerial ship - God, it does about everything. It belongs to an ally of mine, Bart Fatima."
"The blonde kid that's king of Aveh now? Lord, he's loud."
Billy smiled at her remark. "Yes, my sentiments exactly."
"You look like a little kid when you smile, you know? Real cute."
After an awkward silence, Billy spoke. "Thanks for offering to pay for my purchase, but I shouldn't impose ..."
"Ah-ah-ah! It's already been decided. Around here, what I say goes!"
"Are you the ruler of this city or something?"
"Nah, just its guardian. I take care of everyone and everything inside the city limits. Everyone treats me with respect." The clerk came back to counter, holding a large box. "'Cept this guy. He obviously ain't too familiar with me."
CJ laid handed the money to the salesman, telling him to keep the change, and carried Billy's box and her own down the street. "Whoa! Your box alone must weight fifty pounds," he observed. "How did you get to be so strong?"
"Good genes, I guess," she replied with a smile, effortlessly maintaining the packages. "Where's your ship?"
"I'll take it from here -"
"The hell you will! I'm goin' out of my way to be nice, so just take it like a man, okay?"
"Alright ..."
"Hey, it's that scary chick!" Fei announced as Billy and CJ entered the Yggdrasil.
"She's not scary, Fei. She's actually quite nice," Billy assured him. "She paid for the parts and even carried them here ... for some reason ..."
"'Cause little Billy-boy is so cute!" she cooed, setting the boxes down and poking his cheek. "Since this is such an amazing ship, I'd also like to help install the parts. I'm a mechanic, so something this grand is just irresistible! Puh-leez?"
"My Yggdrasil is awe-inspiring, isn't it?" Bart asked, running a hand through his blonde bangs.
"Oh, so you're the obnoxious king of Aveh, huh?" CJ asked cheerfully, holding out a gloved hand. "I'm C. Jager Schreient, the obnoxious guardian of Zeltennia!"
Bart shook her hand vigorously, smiling broadly. "I like ya," he announced, pointing at her. "You got spunk. Go ahead, work on the Yggdrasil to your heart's content. I kinda ... busted it up."
"We'll be sure to pay you heartily for your help," Sigurd said, beaming.
"Nah, don't. My band has a gig at a nightclub next week, so I have tons of money comin'."
"Band?" Elly questioned.
"Yup! Nuns with Guns! That's what we're called. I'm the lead singer." She grinned with pride.
"HA! That's a great name!" Bart laughed. "I bet you thought of that one, eh?"
"Yeah ..." She smiled. "Just on a whim ... hell, it's catchy."
"My, you're such a polite young lady," Citan said pleasantly. "Quite different from when we first met yesterday."
"Not usually ... anyway, Billy-boy said your Gears don't work. The hell is wrong with 'em?"
"They just shut down after the battle with Deus," Rico growled.
"Mind if I take a look?" she asked Bart.
"Not at all! Follow me!"
As she and Bart ran off, Billy sighed. She was such an impolite girl, but was friendly and generous at the same time. He didn't know what to make of her just yet ... she was so ill-mannered and foul-mouthed. Sure was cute, though ...
"That's Advari, my Omnigear," Bart said proudly, smiling. He allowed CJ to climb into the cockpit and mess with it.
Suddenly its eyes lit up and it took a step forward. "Works just fine!" CJ shouted, grinning down at him. "Something's wrong with you folks."
Fei, Elly, Maria, Billy and Citan dashed into the Gear dock. "Why's your Gear working?" Fei demanded.
"Why not?" CJ asked, confused by the alarmed looks on everyone's faces.
The others proceeded to check their Gears, finding that they operated just fine. "Hot damn," Elly remarked.
"God, you people are weird ..." she sighed, scratching the back of her head. "Well, anyway, Bart-o, why don't you show me to the engine room?" CJ asked happily. "I wanna see what I'm up against!"
"S ... sure ..." he stammered, still in disbelief.
CJ hummed happily as Bart escorted her to the engine. Sigurd and Maison were confused about the girl, who was making Bart a little ... edgy. "Maybe he likes her," Maison suggested.
"'Likes'?" Jessie demanded. "Are you kidding? That kid's got the hots for her! It's so damn obvious even my boy Billy can tell, can't ya, boy?"
"Whatever ..." Billy sighed as he sat down on a stool in the Gun room.
"A little jealous, kiddo?"
"Jesus, Dad, lay off!" he snarled in reply.
"Ah ... my little boy has discovered girls!" Jessie shouted, hugging his son. "I'm so proud!"
"ACK! Dammit, get off!"
"Young master, what's that girl doing in here?!" the engine room technician demanded. "She's fiddling around with everything!"
"She's a mechanic, calm down!" Bart beamed.
"Wow, this is one of those new L-type deelies!" she gasped, poking around at something.
"AH! Don't touch, don't touch!" the technician shouted, running to her side. "That's an L-type cylinder!"
"I know that!" CJ replied, agitated. "I said it was an L-type deelie, didn't I?"
"Are you able to call mechanical equipment anything other than 'deelies'?" Billy asked as he entered the room.
"Hi, Billy-boy! Your buddy sure has a nice ship here!" CJ greeted, causing Bart to laugh and blush. "Your technician has something up his ass, though."
"Oh, he's just uptight. C'mon, Jindu, go have a drink at the bar. She won't do anything wrong." Jindu left, growling. "So, CJ," Bart continued, "how long do you think it'll take to fix everything? We got in a little scuffle with some giant Deathscythe monster on the way here."
"A couple o' days, maybe a week," she replied, rubbing her hands together. "I'll have to work 'round the clock, though. Tell ya what, I'll start today. I just have to go tell my brothers where I'll be and get my tools."
"I'll escort you back to town," Bart offered, bowing.
"Oh, Lord ..." Billy remarked, turning to leave.
"Billy-boy, why don't you come, too?" CJ asked. "You owe me for carryin' that stuff for you!"
"But I didn't even ask -"
"Oh, please? It'll make me happy!"
Billy sighed and gave in. "Sure thing ..."
"That's the spirit!"
"So, what's your family like, CJ?" Bart asked politely as the three headed back toward Zeltennia.
"Stupid. All four of my big brothers're idiots. You met Ruka, didn't you? He's the dumbest. My brother Lehn ain't that bad, though. Just a little hard to deal with."
"Couldn't be any worse than you," Billy grumbled before he had time to think it out.
CJ frowned back at him, causing both boys to step back, sensing a fit coming on. Suddenly she smiled and laughed. "You're right, you know? Ah, you sure hit the nail on the head!" She continued laughing as she resumed her walking. Billy and Bart glanced at each other, shrugged, and followed.
"So, how old are your brothers?" Billy asked, deciding to jump in the conversation.
"Well, Lehn is nineteen, Ruka's twenty, Akela is twenty-three and Souji is twenty-five. What about you two? Got any siblings?"
"I have a half-brother. Ironically, it's Sigurd."
"I have a younger sister, Primera."
"Oh, what a pretty name! Is she cute like you?" CJ giggled.
Billy let out a long breath through his nose and shrugged. "I don't know about THAT. She is awfully cute, though."
"CJ!" a man of roughly Bart's age shouted, running up to them. "You really had Souji worried! He's throwing a fit right now!"
"Hi, Lehn. Tell Souji I can take care of myself, okay?"
"You can tell him when you get there. He's really pissed," her bleach- blonde brother replied.
"Oh, God ..." she sighed, pushing her way past Lehn and continuing down the hill.
"Chesha!" the eldest of the Schreient children shouted as CJ, Lehn, Bart and Billy arrived at their residence. "Where were you? You went out to get some parts for Valkyrie and didn't come back!"
"Calm down! I was just helpin' these guys with their ship," she told him, a frown on her face. "I haven't even been gone two hours!"
"Don't you EVER disappear like that again!" Souji scolded, shaking a finger at her. "I was worried sick!"
"Pull your head out of your butt for a minute and listen to me," CJ said slowly and calmly. "I can take care of myself. I'm tougher than you think I am. Hell, I'm tougher than you!"
"I missed you so much!" Souji wailed, embracing his sister in a bear hug. "I love you so much, baby sis!"
"AHHHH! Stop it! Stop it! Baby sis can't breathe!" she choked out. Souji finally got the picture and let go of her, apologizing rapidly for his indiscretion. She frowned, then turned to Billy and Bart, who didn't know how to react to the situation. "This is Souji, my oldest brother. He's ... eccentric."
"Nice to meet you," Billy greeted slowly.
"Ditto," was all Bart could say, fearing he'd burst out laughing.
"Which one of you is little Chesha's boyfriend?" he asked, grinning broadly.
"Neither! God!" CJ shouted, throwing her arms in the air. "Will you stop askin' people that?!"
"What're your names?" Souji asked, ignoring his sister, as seemed to always be the case.
"Billy Lee Black."
"Bartholomew Fatima."
"Oh, King Bartholomew? My, you'd make a nice husband for my baby sister -"
"If you don't stop that I'll sit on a shotgun and pull the trigger with my big toe!" CJ shrieked, at the end of her rope.
"And Billy, what do you do for a living?"
"I ... run an orphanage and work as a mechanic in the meantime ..." he replied, a little nervous.
"You hear that, Chesha, honey? He'd make a great father for your children!" Souji laughed.
"ARGH!" she yelled, storming into the house.
"Why don't you two come in for a moment? It seems Chesha is angry about something."
"So she wants to work on your ship?" Ruka asked. "Sure you can handle having her around? She's a lot of work to look after!" He ruffled CJ's hair, causing her to slap his hand away and smooth it down again.
"I don't know," Akela growled. "It's probably a ship full of horny perverts."
CJ sighed angrily. "Oh, we're not like that!" Bart assured him. "We'll take very good care of her."
"You'd better," Akela snarled gruffly.
"Baby sister Chesha can take care of herself, can't you, sweetie?" Souji asked sweetly, smiling at her.
"Of course, shnookie-wookie pookums," she replied through gritted teeth.
"Ah, I think I'll hit the bar!" Ruka announced, standing up and stretching.
"No, you won't!" CJ ordered. "Sit down!"
"Yes, ma'am," Ruka responded meekly, obeying quickly.
"Chesha is right!" Souji smiled. "You don't need to hit the bar! She doesn't like it when you're drunk, Ruka!"
"Ignore Souji," Lehn instructed the boys. "He's subject to her every whim. He loves her more than life itself. It's quite sad, really ..."
"May I please leave, Souji?" CJ asked in a rather rude tone.
"Just let me speak with your love interests for a few more minutes, dear!"
"Oh, Lord ... kill me now ..." she murmured as she walked off.
"Where are you going, CJ?" Lehn asked.
"To get my tools!"
"So, what do you think of little Chesha? She's cute, isn't she?" Souji asked in a sappy-sweet tone.
"Oh, she's very nice," Billy answered quickly. "She's been a big help today! She offered to pay for the parts for the ship, she carried them to the Yggdrasil for some unknown reason, and she's offered to fix the engine for free."
"Yes, yes, she's very nice!" Bart agreed, sipping the tea Souji had offered them.
"So, either of you interested in marrying her?"
Bart spit his tea out, and Billy nearly choked on his. "But we just met!" Billy protested.
"Damn straight!" Akela growled. "You have to pass my inspection before you're even allowed to TOUCH my darling younger sister!"
"I'm sure Billy-boy and Bart-o would love to sit and chat, but we really should get going," CJ said quickly, pulling them up by their arms and dragging them to the door.
"That was ... odd," Billy said quietly as they left.
"Yes, I know. Walk faster, before Souji runs out and tells me I forgot a sweater!"
"So, your first name is Chesha?"
"Yeah ... and I hate it. That's why I try to get people to call me CJ like Daddy did."
"I think it's a pretty name," Bart said gently, smiling and blushing.
Billy sighed. "God ..."
"Whatever. Thanks," was CJ's uninterested reply.
When they got back to the ship, CJ and Bart immediately went down to the Engine room, where the girl began to rapidly tinker around with things.
She's such a rude girl, Billy thought to himself as he watched her yell at Jindu, who was freaking out about her touching things. She can't behave herself and she doesn't have a shred of feminine dignity. But ...
Billy's eyes widened. "Then why the HELL am I attracted to her?!" he demanded loudly, causing the other technicians to stare at him.