A/N: Alright! Journal entries of importance are left in italics! The person the entry is too will be written at the top, the person it's from at the bottom. If the entry wasn't to anyone, then only the name will appear at the bottom.
Also, the OC characters will be introduced in this chapter as well! For more information on the OC characters, hop over to the cast and crew page.
As a note, I have about 40 chapters worth of already written material - I'll continue posting them as I get them compiled. I'll try and post them up as quickly as possible. These first few chapters are really getting the characters together, setting up some of the scenes for the future, and really us just getting started.
Thanks!
Kajouka
*********************
New Faces and Bounty Hunting
Dear Jet,
Hello, I don't know if you remember me but my name if Pao Meifa. You helped me to find the Sun Stone awhile back. Do you remember me now? Anyway, things have been really really tough lately and I need a place to stay. Can I come live with you on the Bebop?
Meifa
P.S. I'm on Estoria, staying above a pub called the Blue Box. See you soon!
*********************
Jet had set the Bebop into orbit around Mars and had taken the hammerhead out down to the planet's surface. He was coming into Estoria at a easy pace. He watched the buildings underneath him and he flew to a landing space. For a second he thought that if he looked hard enough that he could see Meifa down there, but he knew that it'd be impossible to see her at this height. Jet felt a slight shudder as the Hammerhead touched down. He got out and looked at the small scrap of paper that he'd written down the address on. "The Blue Box, sound like a Jazz club" Jet mused to himself. He headed to the address at a meager pace.
He opened the door to the club and was greeted by a cloud of cheap cigarette smoke. "This isn't a place for a little girl..." Jet said to himself as he looked around. He entered the Blue Box and began to look for Meifa.
Meifa was belting out a duet with the lead singer of the band. It was an old blues tune she had heard a long time ago when she had been tagging along with her dad. The crowd had gotten really into their music and a few of them were even singing along from their seats. Meifa was so into singing she was oblivious to anything but the music and her audience.
Jet turned to the stage and heard Meifa's song - the girl was pretty good, he had to give her that. He took a seat in the front row and waited for her to finish.
The song ended with a split, she took the high note and her partner took the baritone. She was pumped up with adrenaline from the response of the crowd. Feeling spent, she placed the mic back on the stand, gave a quick curtsey and wave to the audience before bounding off the small stage.
Jet clapped; the sound of his metal hand was audible over the rest of the crowd. "Meifa!" he called to her when she got off the stage. He waved her over to his table.
Meifa's eyes grew wide when her attention was caught by a man with a metal arm calling her name. "Jet!" she called out bounding over to him at his table and throwing herself onto him for a hug. "I thought you'd never come!"
Jet gave Meifa a slight hug in return, trying in vain to look intimidating to anyone nearby. "I had a little trouble with my partners..." he said. "We should probably head back to the Bebop." Jet said, slightly eyeballing the crowd.
Meifa ran her hand against her brow. She was sweating a little from the bright lights and all her excitement. She was still trying to catch her breath when she plopped gracelessly into the chair on the opposite side of the table from Jet. "How long have you been here?" she asked. "Did you like my singing?"
"I came in halfway through the song," Jet admitted with a slight shrug "But you do have a good voice."
Meifa giggled in her excitement. "Daddy would cream me if he knew what I did," she said her face falling a bit after she remembered what had put her in this situation. Solemnly she looked back up at Jet, "Have you heard from him?"
"A little, he's getting a new job around here. In what I don't know but he's been generous enough to pay for you so it must be something good." Jet said, hoping that singing was the full extent of what Meifa did.
"Nothing good pays that well," Meifa said crossing her arms across her chest and pouting like a child.
"How about you tell about what's been happening on the ride back to the Bebop?" Jet said, motioning to get out of his chair.
Meifa followed Jet, there was nothing she could do about her father now. It was his decision. Besides, life on the Bebop would be a new form of excitement for her.
Jet led Meifa to the landing area where he had put down the Hammerhead. He opened the hatch and said "Hop in, it's a little cramped but it's a short ride..."
Meifa with her small pack retrieved from the corner table, hopped into the Hammerhead with the agility she had learned from years of running around with her father. Settling down in the back she strapped in and got ready for the ride.
Jet took the controls and powered up the Hammerhead. It rattled a little bit but at least it flew. He began the ascent towards the Bebop. "Hope you like Bell Peppers and Beef" Jet said in half a sing song voice.
*********************
Faye strapped into the cockpit of her zip craft and prompty took off. Jet had already left to meet with Meifa, and she had managed to slip past Spike working out in his room. Paris was still organizing her clothing and Ed seemed taken up with her new toy. In essense, she was set.
She quickly flew over the city - she already knew where she was going. There was a shit hole dump of a bar on the north side of town that would probably have plenty of dirt on her guy. Tenchi Metsumora was small, according to his stats. She should have no problems bring him down.
She landed, and sauntered into the bar. Her eyes widened as she noticed her target was sitting a side table. This was too easy. Faye nearly laughed, but suppressed it as she walked up the bar and ordered a drink. Moving across the bar, her hips swinging, she plopped down at Tenchi's table.
"Why hello," She cooed. He looked up, and raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised that an attractive woman like Faye would be interested in him. Faye took a sip of her beer and smiled again. "Really, what's a guy like you doing in a dump like this?"
"I might ask the same of you lady," he replied, his voice gruff. Faye resisted a shudder. Tenchi was not attractive at all. She reminded herself that he was just a target, and pushed on.
"Oh, I like it rough," Faye drawled, letting a bit of sexiness drip into her voice. "I've found only the tough guys can give me what I'm looking for." She took another, larger sip of her beer.
"I'm pretty tough," Tenshi gruffed out.
Faye resisted smacking him. This guy had no idea how to pick up a woman. She pushed her beer aside. "Follow me," she cooed, standing up and sauntering out the door. Men, they were all driven by one thing - their penis. She pushed out the doors and walked to the side, then swung around, drawing her gun in the process. The instant Tenchi stepped out the door, her gun was at his head. "Let's go." she barked.
"What the,' Tenchi yelled out before Faye pressed the gun harder into his temple.
"I said, let's move." Faye coughed out. "You're worth 2 million woolongs my friend." She pushed him out in front of her, and brought the gun to his back. "Now, march your ass to the nearest police station or you won't have an ass."
"I'm not worth anything to you dead," Tenshi challenged.
"And you're not worth anything if you get away either. I'd rather enjoy killing you than seeing you run. NOW WALK!" Faye ordered, her voice hard.
TenChi sighed, and complied with the request. He was beaten, and he knew it. He should have suspected something when the sexy little vixen had even walked through the door. How stupid could he have been.
Faye blew on her nails as the police booked TenChi. They handed her a card, credited with 2,000,000 woolongs. "Thanks!" Faye called, waving goodbye to her bounty as she waltzed out the door. That had gone better than she could have imagined.
Less than two hours after she'd left she was already pulling her zip craft back into the hanger on the bebop.
She walked into the living room, carrying a bag of groceries, but failed to see anyone. "Figures, no one here to praise my accomplishments. Oh well." Walking by Spike's room, she tossed 200,000 woolongs at his bed, then made her way to her own room.
*********************
Jin subconsciously rubbed at the dragon tattoo on his left arm. He did that sometimes when he was deep in thought. No matter how many times he went over, went through, and cut to shreds the budget for the Sea Dog, they still had no money. "Kade," Jin called out to his partner tossing aside the papers he had been working on. "We need money...again."
Kade stopped his push-ups for the moment and rolled onto his side. "Jin, we always need money. Where the hell does it go? We just caught a bounty last week?" He didn't know whether to laugh or cry - lately, things had just been rough for them.
"We may have caught a bounty but we also had to make repairs to the Sea Dog's thrusters," Jin explained. "Next time the bounty money might last a little longer if SOMEBODY wouldn't run their zip into our ship!"
Kade shook his head. "It's nothing new you know," he replied. "Every bounty we go after causes some sort of damage to our ship or our zips or our bodies. What we need is a big one." He stood and walked over to a pile of pin ups. "What we need is a syndicate member. They always have high bounties on their heads. Just no one is stupid enough to go after them."
"Stupid or crazy?" Jin asked getting a very suspicious glint to his emerald eyes. He walked up behind Kade to glance over the pin-ups himself. "We may not be that stupid, but we are both definitely very crazy."
Kade leafed through a few of them. "Yeah, we're definitely crazy. So are these guys." He picked up a picture of Wang Long, one of the most wanted men in all of the system. "This guy is at the top of the list. Worth 200 million woolongs. But then, I highly doubt anyone will get to him. We need someone a bit smaller."
Jin grabbed the profile on Wang Long from Kade's hand and made a face at the picture. "How does someone that ugly rack up such a huge bounty," he said more to himself. He tossed the picture over his shoulder and grabbed a few more for himself. "Any other candidates?"
"He's the leader," Kade said, giving him another. "Toris Mofa. Worth 10 million woolongs. Looks like he's a Red Dragon Assassin. We might have to lure this guy out with some bait, but I think he's worth it." Kade handed the picture to Jin.
"If we do this, we have to be very careful. They cannot know who caught their man, or we'll be on their shit list." Kade mused, as he began pacing.
Jin took the profile for Toris, again making a comment on the guy's haggard appearance. He had a nasty looking scar running from his forehead down to his right cheek and eyes that glared you down even if it was just a photo. "Aren't we on everyone's shit list already?" Jin asked half jokingly, but sadly with a hint of realism. "I'd hate to think we've missed one."
Kade stopped his pacing for a moment and laughed, "True, Jin. It seems that more than one group of baddies is sick and tired of seeing us turn in their friends. Still, a syndicate is big trouble." And it was he who had suggested the idea! He plopped onto the couch just as Cloria walked in.
She was holding a tray of crackers and cheese, one of the few foods they had left in the house. "I thought you two might be hungry," she murmured softly, placing the tray on the table. "What is this about a syndicate?"
"You are just in time," Jin said stuffing his mouth full of cheese and crackers without any form of etiquette. "Kade and I have decided that we're crazy enough to be stupid."
Cloria frowned. "Jin, I don't know if I really like the idea of going after a syndicate." Cloria was much more grounded than either of the men in the room. She sat down next to Kade. "Sydicates are dangerous. Syndicate's don't let things drop. Once you're an enemy of the syndicate you're an enemy for life."
Jin was a rash man, but he wasn't completely oblivious to logic and reasoning Cloria presented. "There would definitely be repercussions," Jin agreed letting out a deep sigh. "But if we don't get any money soon, we're going to be pushing our zip crafts instead of riding them."
Cloria put her head down. "Do what you need to do Jin, but I've got to stay out of this one."
"Alright I have decided!" Jin said excitedly. He pulled Cloira up from the couch and held her in his arms for a few steps of the tango. "For now we'll double the bounties we catch. Two a week...at least!"
"So no more sad faces," he said smiling sweetly down at Cloira.
Cloria smiled back, "I really appreciate that Jin," she said softly. Kade simply rolled his eyes. What they wouldn't do for a woman.
*********************
Ed crawled back behind the couch with the new contraption in her hand "Edward is upset." she said to herself as she sat down in front of the comptuer
Jet walked out of the hangar and into the living room with Meifa in tow. He looked and saw Ed crawling around the couch... nothing new. He flopped onto the couch.
Faye yawned, a bit tired from her recent trip to the ghetto's of Estoria. "What's wrong now, Ed?" she asked while stretching her arms in the air.
"Edward broke it!" she hissed as she crawled back out of the room. Throwing her usual tantrums when things didn't go her way.
Meifa was wide-eyed as she walked through the ship behind Jet inspecting everything she saw. If possible her eyes got wider when she saw the strange red-haired girl. "Hello, I'm Meifa," she said in greeting to the two people she did not know.
Ed popped her head back in the room "Ohh. Another new friend for Edward?"
"So this is your friend, Jet?" Faye asked, still standing off to the side of the room. She inspected the girl from head to toe and decided the girl was definately a goodie-two-shoes. Just look at that hair!
"Yep, this is Meifa. She's going to be staying on the Bebop for a while." Jet said, barely moving on the couch.
Meifa wasn't quite sure what she should think of the welcome she was getting on the Bebop. It was definitly a whole new world for her.
Edward crawled up to Meifa and smiled "Edward welcomes you!"
Faye shrugged, "Well, it'll be crowded on the ship from here on out. Maybe she'll get along well with Paris." Faye paced to the other side of the room. "Speaking of crowded, what's for dinner Jet?"
"Your favorite," Jet said with a slight smile. "Bell Peppers and Beef, it's good for you,"
Faye flashed him a smile, "Or do you mean bell peppers?"
"It helps to be optimistic," Jet said flatly.
Faye couldn't contain herself, "Well, I can be optimistic. There is a huge package of beef sitting in the kitchen for you, Jet."
"Oh really?" Jet asked. "Who money did you buy that with?" Jet asked with genuine curiosity.
"Mine," Faye smirked. She picked up a nail file and began to play with her fingernails.
Ed had just then remebered what she was setting out to do - fix her project for Ein. Smiling she jumped down for the couch and said "Edward will leave now. Bye bye!" and with that she left.
"Am I missing something?" Meifa asked confused by the strange people around her.
"Now there's a surprise," Jet said as he stood up off the couch. He headed to the kitchen.
Faye sat down next to Meifa. "Well sweetie, we have this thing here about pulling our own weight. Jet and Spike like to think that I don't contribute anything. It makes me feel so good when I prove them wrong."
"Which is pretty rare" Jet yelled from teh kitchen as he started to chop the Peppers.
"With a packet of dead cow?" Meifa asked incrediously.
Faye rolled her eyes. "Feel lucky. We never have food on this ship. You at least will get to eat a meal tonight." 'No one appreciates anything I do!' Faye thought to herself.
Jet opened the packet of beef and set it out on a cutting board. He listened to Faye and Meifa's conversation while he slowly chopped the meat.
"So why don't they think your capable of pulling your own weight?" Meifa asked still looking about the room curiously. "Jet's a good guy, I don't think he'd judge anyone without a justification."
She was already outnumbered on this one. Where was Paris when she needed her. Faye leaned back in the couch, "I think they have a thing against woman. At least Spike sure does." She stuck her hand in the air to examine her nails and then continued to file.
Jet put a point up against Faye in his mental scoreboard as he began to fry the beef. He turned to chopping the Bell Peppers.
"Oh," Meifa said. She didn't really know Spike so couldn't respond to Faye's attack. "So what's life like on the Bebop? Is it exciting chasing down bounties all the time?"
"Oh definately!" Faye replied. "It's a real rush." Although she'd never admit it openly, she did enjoy chasing with Spike and Jet.
"I can't wait until I get a chance to chase my first bounty!" Meifa said her eyes glittering with excitement. "Do you think I can join you guys? I'm really good at finading people and objects with my feng-shui."
Faye shrugged, "that's going to be Jet's call. He's the one who is responsible for you."
Jet grimaced when he heard Meifa's hope of chasing bounties. He didn't really want her in harms way, but it was inevitable.
"Oh, yeah that's right," Meifa said slumping down a bit again. After a moment she climbed up onto the couch and called out in the direction Jet had dissapeared, "Hey Jet! Can I hunt bounties while I stay on the Bebop?"
"Ask him later, sweetie," Faye said standing, "When he gets to cooking you're lucky to get a mumble out of him. I'll show you to a room, so you can make yourself at home."
Meifa was disappointed when Jet didn't answer her but didn't let it show. She was living here now; it wouldn't be hard to ask him about it later. "Alright, lead the way," Meifa said excitedly. She grabbed her pack from the floor where she had left it and followed Faye from the room.
*********************
"Hey, Kade did you find a bounty yet?" Jin asked flopping down on the couch as he entered the room.
Kade yawned as he sat up. "Uh, yeah," he replied, grabbing the first piece of paper he saw. "This guy!"
Jin took the page on the bounty and looked it over they were already on their way towards Mars, it wouldn't be hard to shift their course a little. "Estoria, eh?" Jin said looking over the paper. "This guy will be easy."
Kade breathed a sigh of relief. He hadn't even looked at the paper. "Good. Let's switch course than and get going. I'm really looking forward to Cloria's cooking."
Jin smiled; the best thing he'd ever done was pick up Cloria. Before that the most extravagant meal on the SeaDog consisted of toast and half-burnt half-runny scrambled eggs. "You'll do anything for good food cooked by a good woman," Jin chuckled. "Besides I need off this ship, the walls start to cave in on you if you're out in space too long."
"I couldn't agree with you more. That and we need some action. The days run together with little to nothing to do," Kade stood and stretched. "Do we have enough ammo supplies for this one?"
"Yah," Jin said looking at the picture of the scrawny guy on the page. "Mr. Aho doesn't look like he'll put up to much of a fight."
Kade nonchalantly moseyed over behind Jin to look at the picture. "That's why I picked him out," he replied, "He looked like an easy target."
"Bullshit!" Jin called out laughing. "You pulled this off the top of the pile again!"
Kade feigned like he was hurt, "You don't think I'd do that, do ya Jin?" Kade danced around and fell on the couch like he was shot. "That hurts right through the heart." A huge grin spread on his face.
"What's the man's first name then?" Jin asked calling his bluff.
"Dammit Jin!" Kade replied. "You really know how to get at someone don't you." He sat back up. "Yea, I pulled it off the top of the pile."
Jin doubled over in laughter at his friend's response. "You can't bullshit a bullshitter, Kade," Jin said when his bout of laughter began to recede. "You should have just admitted defeat gracefully."
"Maybe so, but it was sure as hell more fun this way around," Kade replied. "So lets change course and get going. I'm getting an itchy trigger finger. Sure wouldn't want to kill the bounty."
"Kill the bounty and you'll be riding on the outside of the SeaDog," Jin threatened lightly. Nevertheless he leaned forward to the computer console on the table in front of him. With a few quick taps and a little typing he changed the destination of the ship. "Ships all set, let's go gear up."
Kade grinned, "That could be fun!" he joked as they headed for the armory. Once there, Kade picked up his twin pistols and tucked them into his belt. "How do I look?"
"Like a fool," Jin laughed strapping his own six shooters to his side with a double-belted holster. "What do you want to look like?"
"Fools tend to be considered harmless by bounties," Kade grinned, grabbing his holster and fixing himself up. "I was just joking anyway." He did that a lot.
"Just joking, huh?" Jin asked waiting until the perfect moment. Kade turned his back to him and bent over a bit to grab another pistol, and not failing to notice the perfect opportunity for a good joke, Jin kicked him in the ass. "Well then, I was just joking too." Jin knew he was asking for it but he couldn't keep himself from grinning ear to ear like a Cheshire cat.
Kade grabbed his ass and whirled around, "Your jokes aren't all that funny." he returned, trying to act angry. Kade had a hard time being angry with Jin.
"I don't know the look on your face was damn funny from over here," Jin quipped raising one eyebrow in challenge. "Must have been the lighting."
"Must have been," Kade replied, picking up a bulletproof vest and tossing it, not so softly, at Jin. Then he put one on himself. "Anyway, enough with the jokes. We've got a bounty to catch." He could feel their ship leaving the hyperspace gates. "I think we're close."
Jin zipped up the vest and zipped up his leather jacket over it, no use letting the world see what they were up to before they ever got near the bounty. By time he and Kade made it to the console the ship was nearly ready to dock in the port. With only a few calls over their radio system, and a near collision with a small transporter ship, they managed to land the SeaDog. "Ready, cowboy?" Jin asked looking at his partner. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought he should say goodbye to Cloria before he left, but shrugged off the thought, she knew what they were here for.
"Ready!" Kade replied, climbing into his zip. He checked a few switches and turned on the engines, revving his baby up. The "Blue Screamer" was, in all essence, his best friend in the world, having been with him through thick and thin. He loved the zip, and took great pains to keep her in shape. Giving Jin a thumbs up, he lifted off. Though the comm. system he spoke, "Where do you want to look?"
"If you had bothered to read the profile," Jin said pointedly. "You'd know the man's been dealing drugs, and you can't exactly sell that shit from your doorstep. So I'd say somewhere around the red light district. Now the only question is which one?"
"Well, why don't we try the North district first," Kade suggested. "They are always filled with drug runners. You remember the last one we caught there," he said, turning his zip north.
Jin chuckled at the memory. "That guy put up no fight at all, he was so doped up he thought I was the Easter Bunny," Jin laughed, they had had some crazy bounties in the past. "Sounds like a good place to start, lead the way."
Kade zoomed ahead, letting his craft hover just above the building tops. As they neared the red light district, he brought his baby down and landed in an alleyway. Opening the cockpit he slid out and waited for Jin to land.
Jin followed with Kade with ease, his zip craft, the Dragon, had served him well for a long time and he knew instinctively how to control it. Jin jumped out of his craft with the agility of a jungle cat, he always made his business to look good, even if he had no one to impress. He pushed the bounties profile page into Kade's hand. "You'll need to at least see his face before you go rushing in there," Jin said lightly as he led the way out of the alley and into the first bar he came across.
Kade pushed it back, "I did look while we were in the SeaDog," he replied. "Besides, I'm ready... hey!" he called out, rushing to catch up to Jin. He stuffed the paper into his shirt and pushed into the bar behind his friend.
Jin's eyes roamed over every occupant in the room, being careful not to rest on anyone person more than the last. "Looks like your instincts are as true as ever," Jin said softly over his shoulder to Kade. He carefully chose a seat at the bar that placed him within range of the bounty but still blocking him and the door. "Beer please," Jin said to the bartender as he took his seat.
Kade sauntered up to the bar and stood next to him. "I'll take one too, he said," leaning against the bar top so that he could get a good look around, without appearing to obvious. To the casual observer, he was just looking at Jin. It was a routine they had practiced a thousand times.
Jin could have smiled; this was going to be much too easy. Their mark gave him a friendly smile, and Jin nodded back. "You two looking for some fun here on Mars?" the man asked with a twinkle in his eye. Jin finally gave in and smiled back to their very...very stupid bounty. "My friend and I just got in, and that is exactly our intention."
Kade grinned, "You got something you think we might want," he said his voice low. "I've been in the mood for some candy. It's been a long ride in a boring ship to get here." How stupid, yes, how very stupid.
The stupid man managed an even stupider grin when he heard the word candy. "If you can wait on those beers a moment and come with me, I can show you some real entertainment," Aho said wringing his hands in renewed excitement. "This better be some damn good entertainment if I have to leave a cold beer behind," Jin said testing the man.
Kade suppressed a grin. This would be too easy, he thought waiting for the man's answer.
"This will only take a moment," Aho said standing up from the bar. "The foam will still be fresh when you get back."
Kade nodded, and followed Aho out of the bar and into the back alleyway. "Show us what you got," he said. As Aho reached into his pockets to pull out his drugs, Kade reached into his shirt and pulled out his gun. "Nice try, buddy," he said trying not to laugh. This was too easy!
Like a cornered rat Aho's eyes grew round as saucers. He grabbed a knife from his belt and threw it blindly as he took off to run down the alley.
Jin dodged the knife as it came at him, but wasn't quite fast enough. The knife just grazed his right arm, hardly gaining a wince from Jin as he took off in pursuit. Reaching a hand over to his new injury Jin cursed. "The little bastard," he exclaimed. "He ripped my jacket!"
"Why chase him?" Kade laughed. He cocked his gun and aimed low, putting a bullet right into Aho's ankle. The man stumbled to the ground. "The rules are alive - they never said anything about walking."
Jin stopped running in pursuit and stared openly back at Kade. "Warn a man before you pull that thing out," Jin exclaimed. Making his way towards Aho curled up in a ball on the ground, Jin kicked him, not enough to break ribs, but just enough to appease his anger for his jacket. "Let's get this guy to the closest station. I'm done with him."
Kade put his gun away and walked over to where Aho was laying. He grabbed the guy where he was laying and with sheer force of will, dragged him back to the street. "I think there is a station a half mile North. Take us ten minutes to drag him there. Why don't you pick me up in the zip? I don't want his blood tainting mine." With that, Kade was off, dragging a pissed off Aho down the street.
Jin laughed, but as he turned to make his way back towards the zip he cursed. Ripping off his jacket he first inspected the hole left in the leather, and than the small rivulet of blood running down his arm. He would have Cloria look at it later. He jumped into his zip and a few moments later was at the station to pick up Kade.
Kade dragged Aho into the station. It only took a moment to collect their bounty and he was out the door. "All in a day's work," he said, giving the thumbs up sign to Jin. They'd be eating in no time.
*********************
Meifa wandered about the Bebop. Faye had shown her to a small but available room that she could use. It hadn't taken her long to unpack and her curiosity got the better of her, so now she was exploring everything she could on the ship.
The remains of bell peppers and actual beef rested lightly in Spike's stomach, a pleasant diversion from their usual all-veggie diet. He walked slowly in place in the rotating ship's core, pensive, but stopped in place when he saw Meifa. "So, what do you think?" he asked casually.
Meifa was playing with the way the gravity pulled at her and giggled when she ran across Spike. "I think I want to be a bounty hunter as well," she said looking up at the green haired man. "It must be very exciting!"
Spike couldn't help but smile. "Sure, it's exciting," he said. "And dangerous. And the pay is terrible. And did I mention dangerous? Jet, Faye, and I can handle ourselves, but you should be very careful."
"You don't have to worry about me," Meifa said becoming serious. In a matter of moments it seemed she aged years just by the switch in her moods. "I was always going in and out of dangerous situations when I worked with my father. I know how to handle myself, I don't need anyone to look after me."
Spike nodded slowly to himself. Only time would tell on that one. "Why are you on the Bebop, anyway? Jet never really told me. Don't you have anyplace better to go than this floating junk heap?"
"Nope," Meifa said reverting back to her more childish state. "This is my home now, well...for a while I guess. I've never really stayed in one place for a long time before, I wonder what it will be like."
"Do you have any other place to be?" she asked him his own question in return.
Spike paused for a moment. "I used to, I guess," he said contemplatively. "I ... let's just say I got into an argument with the management. Teamed up with Jet, would up here."
"That sounds like my own story," Meifa giggled. "But you're story sounds sadder than mine. Do you wish you could go back there sometimes?"
"Sometimes," Spike admitted. He was walking on the mental equivalent of thin ice and he'd already promised himself that he wouldn't dwell. "But things changed, I had to leave."
"Yup," Meifa said cheerfully. "We do have similar stories. Anyway, you live here; you should give me a tour of the Bebop. I don't even know where the showers are yet!"
"All right, then," Spike said, turning and ducking into a hatch as it revolved by. For some reason, he was actually developing a liking for Meifa. He headed down the corridor. "Here's Faye's room ... here's the bathroom ... here's Jet's bonsai collection, and be sure not to touch those ... that's my room over there." He gestured over his shoulder. "And down that way is the living room and kitchen, which you've already seen."
Meifa followed him paying close attention to each of the places he pointed out. "That's it?" Meifa asked when he stopped. "What about the training room, or your weapons storage? There has to be more to this ship than a couple of bedrooms and a bonsai collection."
Spike laughed. "Yeah, there's plenty more! C'mon, you." He pivoted gracefully and ducked back through the hatch into the revolving corridor. Slowly, he walked against the direction it was turning so Meifa could keep up. "Through there we've got the hangar where we keep our zips," he said, pointing to the first. "In there are service corridors. In there is my room and Jet's, and our pathetic excuse of an armory. Through there are some service corridors that eventually link to the kitchen, and a little observation room I like to go to for practice. Through there we've got the big freezer and other storage space for all our random junk. And through that hatch up there we have the main controls. Anything else you want to know?"
"What do you do all day on the Bebop?" Meifa asked still curious as to the machinations of the ship and its people. "You can't just be hunting bounties all the time."
"Space travel gets really boring really fast," Spike admitted. "We kill time however we can. Jet has his trees, I practice, Ed programs, and Faye ... does whatever Faye does. We play cards, argue, and look out for the next bounty. But there's a whole lot of sitting around and doing nothing. I'll share a tip with you - if you don't mind being interrupted, the couch in the living room is a great place to catch a nap." Spike opened the hatch into the aforementioned room and stepped through, careful to keep his balance as gravity went crazy for a moment. "See?"
Meifa giggled, Spike was definitely the one to ask about the Bebop. "So really you are all like a big awkward family," she exclaimed stepping carefully back into the living room and taking a seat on the couch.
Yeah, a family the bickered all the time over the most pointless stuff, but then didn't most families do that? She did have a point. Spike leaned over the back of the couch and idly lit up a cigarette. "If you want to look at it that way, sure," he told her. "Although most families don't hunt criminals."
"Every family has its quirks I guess," Meifa said once again thinking of her father and the few times she had aided him in being a criminal. Although, she didn't know it was illegal until it was too late. "You shouldn't smoke its bad for you."
Spike deliberately took another long, slow draw on his cigarette. "It's relaxing," he told her. "Besides, I probably won't live long enough to die of cancer anyway."
"Why do you think that?" Meifa knew she was asking too many questions but she couldn't help herself.
Spike shot Meifa a sharp glance. "Call it a hunch," he said contritely.
