Scarlet Stardust [ Lit | Yuri | Space Pirate OA ]

[ArtfulDodger]

❂[Fʟυӽ - Fʀaɴϲiɴε]❂
Where: Storage Bay With: Deval, Nyx, and Shalenca

xxxxx "Atta girl!"
xxxxxWell, water was almost on the way, if the simpleton could just figure out how to carry liquids. Flux refrained from an exasperated sigh and smiled pleasantly up at both of them. They both looked nervous, and rightfully so, but that would subside as long as Flux remained docile. Sure enough, the one had already begun to step closer, making requests for identification. Curiosity was a beautiful thing. The thing of it was, she was asking for identification that Flux just... didn't have.

xxxxx"I would, but..." Flux had gone back to examining the backs of their hand, wiggling their fingers in the pale overhead lighting. "See, the problem is, those are some very specific needs, and I'm going to need you to ask again in about five minutes." Defensive. Old habits died hard. But Rome wasn't built in a day, and Flux certainly wasn't going to let a stranger break their spine, dogear corners, smudge print, and read all their pages with dirty hands. Today wasn't the day to be an open book. And with that, Flux shut their eyes and leaned their head back against the bottle - seemingly deaf to any further conversation for the time being, and decidedly against answering any further questions until they got some freakin' water.

xxxxxSifting through the resources in their head, Flux begun to hand-pick some of their favorites. Bipedal, yes; Other humanoids got along best with other humanoids. When you tried to approach a two-legged person on equal grounds with four, things always turned awkward. Two arms, two eyes, two ears - young, attractive; Standard human stuff. Boring, but favorable amongst this crew from what she'd seen so far. Come to think of it, most of the crew was of a rather feminine persuasion. With a lopsided smile, Flux tossed a couple small breasts into the body-part shopping cart in their mind. Well, that settled that. Now the fun part was making sense of it all, turning pieces into a coherent person. Less Frankenstein and more --

xxxxx "Francis."

xxxxxIt came as almost a whisper, the shapeshifter tasting their new name for the first time. Their eyes opened slowly. The smile remained, but turned cocky as they found Deval and Nyx's faces.

xxxxx "Don't suppose you could fetch some clothes, too? Something bright."

[Mori Kiyoshi]

☽ Genevieve ❂ Bélanger ☾
________________________________________________________


"I will do whatever it is that you require of me, Captain." Genevieve let out a thankful sigh and squeezed her eyes shut for a moment to deny any mistiness that dare reappear. She finally looked back up again, somewhat ashamed of her emotions showing. It was a rare thing for her-- her old friends would know this. But it was her one and only sister they were dealing with and she couldn't help it. She felt entirely to blame for the whole thing. "You may have assumed such, but I will be returning to the Scarlet permanently after this operation is concluded. If you will allow, of course."

"I am certain it is still correct," Gigi assured Jazda. She looked somewhat uneasy at what she was about to say, but it was important to let them know that the information was quality. “I acquired the final bits of information and access to the route using the last of the funds that I had been saving while aboard the Scarlet.” Gigi was virtually penniless after that. Black market information didn’t come cheap. Being said, she had also had a couple other sources of income throughout, but now those prospects had all dried up. “Truthfully, it will likely prove an easy endeavor for the crew. However, someone acting alone is another story entirely. I would find myself unable to do it alone, however well-equipped.”

“Pleasure to see you still with Scarlet, Eithne,” the Varoux said. She hadn’t expected any less, really. “It’s somewhat embarrassing of a situation, calling the Captain in for something like this.” She sighed and pondered over a shortened version of it that was to the point. “As I was just telling the Captain and Jazda, to summarize it, the opportunity to release my sister from UUPC care has presented itself and I found myself unable to undertake such a thing alone.” She knew that it was easier to just be out with it around Enya. And she felt a bit exhausted from emotions being far more present for her then than normal.

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✧ D e v a l ✹ V ' r u n i d ✧
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The pink blob’s responses were very interesting to Devy. It was guarded, but at the same time, rather social. It wasn’t that it was afraid to talk, per se… But she had to admit that it kind of worried her to have something like that, whatever it was, aboard. Having no data on it, and it wanting to make up stuff as it went didn’t make it any better. However, it didn’t seem like it was out to harm anyone, so Deval supposed that she could manage a common courtesy like water.

“Francis,” Devy repeated, nodding. At least it had decided on a name. That was a start, if nothing else. “Alright, Francis, we’ll get you some water and clothes for now. Then maybe you can share a bit more about yourself and meet the Captain properly. I do have to log you into our system, especially if you’ll be staying. It’s protocol, I’m afraid.” With that, she turned to Nyx, who had only become confused.

“No stream,” she said simply with a shake of her head. “Follow.” She figured that she would have to keep it simple for now. The other would learn as they went. She made her way to the nearest water dispenser and took one of the plastic cups from beside it. Sitting it in the designated spot, she pressed a button and a set amount of crystal clear, pure water poured out. She picked it up and handed it to Nyx. “Cup,” she said, tapping the plastic. “Cup. Glass. Same thing. Take it back to Francis.”

She herself turned to grab some spare clothes, finding a bright-ish set stowed away. Maybe it would suit Francis fine. If not, then she could always find something else when they next landed. She returned to the new found pink alien and sat the clothes down on the table.

“Hope these will do.”

[the blue bomber]

Shalenca Polunus Crysmoll.
First patrol...

Shalenca was not known for her patience. However, she was known to be one of a few Tyloreans who didn't start fights when she got mad. So when it seemed that none of them really noticed her (a few seemed to glance at her for the briefest of moments, but it seemed that none of them really registered her existence) she gritted her teeth a little. If they'd at least acknowledged her existence, she would've been fine, but... All three beings ignored her. How could they? She was by far the largest of the group (possibly the biggest being in the crew) so how could they fail to see her? Were they that mystified by the little pink blobby thing? Shalenca admitted that seeing its form shift so dramatically was... Disorienting, but she personally thought it was a lot less noticeable than her. Eventually, the two others ran off, and Shalenca was briefly alone with the little thing... Honestly, her hand was a bit bigger than it was.

"... What makes you so special, eh?..."

She angrily growled, sitting herself next to the tiny being, and looking at it closely. Honestly, it was fascinating, but why were the other two so concerned about something like it?... She supposed that their interest might've been concern for its well-being, but the way they spoke didn't convey that. They seemed confused, more or less. However, they soon returned, and once they'd set down their things for the little pink Other, Shalenca laid her heavy hand upon the shoulder of the leading Other, the one with bright blue eyes and dark hair. Then she spoke, frustration plain in her voice.

"Perhaps I did not make myself heard the first time. I need to know why this box was broken open. I need to know if it contained anything more than the strange material within it now. And if there was, I need to know who would steal it. Have I made my position clear, or must I scream it at you?"

she said, showing the box and the 'Mosin Naga' inscription clearly and plainly. If the seemingly deaf other didn't get the point this time, she'd likely give up.

S.O. Polunus status: Cargo bay, initiating interrogation.
Crew present: Deval, Nyx, Unknown: stated name as 'Francis'.

[Beautiful Fool]

Layne Della Rovere

Rover!

Rover thought she saw something in the womans eyes as the topic of killing innocents came and went, though was too unskilled in social graces to even have the foggiest idea of what it meant. When the kist spoke of it being an unusual crew the varoux's head cocked to the side. "Why is it unusual? Didn't they raid and pillage and save us from the slavers? I thought that's what pirates were supposed to do. At least...that's what I've read about the one's from Earth." The varoux had a massive knowledge base of ancient human history, up til about two centuries ago. That is probably why the captain wanted her, or rather, the only thing she could fathom. There weren't very many other talents she possessed, though she did know a fair deal of old human weapons and their construction. This knowledge combined with the curiosity to obtain more is exactly what led to her ending up on this ship, through a series of unfortunate events unfortunately.

A quiet squeal escaped her lips as the kist agreed to allow her to stay with her. Without thinking she ran up to her and hugged her, though backed away quickly. The Varoux were rather friendly folk, but Rover wasn't quite sure about how the Kist reacted. She spoke of returning the gun, which led to the girl looking around, trying to figure out how to accomplish that. As she heard that the offer to be guided was still on the table she smiled widely. "I think I got it from the Munitions bay. But...I'm terrible with directions. I can't even remember how I got here." Her ears drooped a bit. "I hope I havn't caused any trouble. I mean...I didn't even grab bullets...it was...it's so nice to actually be able to examine one in real life! Pictures just arn't the same!" Her hands held the gun correctly, albeit uncomfortably, flipping the bolt and clicking it back into place with a fair deal of effort. She pulled the trigger and it gave a muffled click, probably due to the large amount of cosmoline in it. "Am I wrong to think that?" She set the mighty rifle down, allowing herself a moment of rest before needing to pick the behemoth up again.

"Do you know how the captain chooses who her crew is?" The confused gun bunny couldn't get off the thought of why she was actually part of the crew. It was a question, and to her, those needed answers. They couldn't just be forgotten or put aside.

[[Sorry! Been stupid busy. But I always try to make time for my Hexy girl.]]

Titaness Ash

[Mori Kiyoshi]

✧ D e v a l ✹ V ' r u n i d ✧
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Deval felt a hand press down on her shoulder followed immediately by a voice that seemed far from friendly. A chill ran through Devy and she quickly shrugged off the hand. Her eyes narrowed harshly as she turned for face person the hand was attached to. She found herself looking up, but was not surprised. There were many tall species aboard, it seemed. Apparently she hadn't noticed the large woman in the process of gawking at Flux releasing herself from the bottle and thinking she was having a hallucination. Not to mention her split attention from being partially loaded to the ship's inventory.

"I guarantee screaming won't get you any answers from me," Devy said plainly, looking Shalenca in the eyes. She glanced down at the box in her hands before locking on to the name and referencing it in the system. Not a lot of information on that one, that she could tell. Either whoever had inventoried had done a poor job, or there just wasn't much to be said. She turned back to the desk where Flux was and looked out to the stacks and stacks of inventory before them.

"It's a rifle. We don't know much about it other than that. It should, however, be in there." She threw a glance over her shoulder. "Either the system has not been updated on its new location, or someone has taken it without permission. However, it is just a rifle. With Captain Orianthe's loyal crew being the only ones with access to it, I doubt there is anything alarming about it's disappearance."

[ArtfulDodger]

❂[Fʟυӽ - Fʀaɴϲiɴε]❂
Where: Storage Bay With: Deval, Nyx, and Shalenca

xxxxx"Oh, goodie." Flux punctuated the word by blowing a bubble and bursting it in annoyance. More protocol. Had there ever been a time or a place where protocol wasn't a... a thing? Paperwork and systems and logs. All of that made them highly uncomfortable, and they would be sure to protest later, but right now water was the most important thing on their mind. Water to get them back to a reasonable size, especially with Goliaths like Shalenca on board.

xxxxxShe was huge! Moreso for tiny Flux, who had initially mistaken her for part of the storage bay's cargo. Now that Nyx and Deval were off on their errand, however, Flux was able to get a real good look at the woman. Their head craned waaaaay back as she approached, and immediately dropped down to busy themselves with the wonders of their own body as she sat down beside them.

xxxxx"... What makes you so special, eh?..."

xxxxxIt was one of those rhetorical questions better left unanswered, but Flux couldn't help themselves. Currently in the process of cupping themselves about the chest, they looked very much like a teenager discovering their own breasts for the first time. The answer, though half distracted, rolled slyly off their tongue: "Maybe I'll show you sometime."

xxxxxHappy day! Clothes and water! Flux snapped to attention as they were set upon the table, and practically skipped to the cup, embracing it as old friends are wont to do. Then, standing upon their tiptoes, Flux met the cool liquid with their lips and began to drink - their opaque insides swirling with new life, their small frame swelling with the newly accumulated mass. Ye gods, it was good to drink again. Clean, clear water - not the salty leavings of a dimwitted manbeast. Quickly now, the transformations took hold where they were meant to: Opaque pink jello paled to a ruddy complexion, taking on the subtle complexities of human skin, decorated with a geometric tattoo that covered both chest and back. Their hair, once the molded semblance of a Ken doll's, shifted into a messy crop of bright pink reality. Fingernails, teeth, tongue, eyes, breasts -- All the little details that made them Francis found their place, and when it was done and the cup was sucked dry, Francis sat upon the edge of the table, kicking her legs contentedly and reaching for the set of clothes she'd been given.

xxxxxThere was a reason these had been stowed away. What colorblind golfer had these once belonged to? Had Deval pulled these from an alternate reality where people evolved without eyes? In any case, they were perfect. Francis let out a tiny squeal as she shook them out, promptly shrugging on the hideous hawaiian blouse and atrocious cardigan, and hopping into the horrendous harlequin slacks without hesitation. She couldn't believe her good fortune.

[Coleyoly]

Captain Orianthe Marinos

"It appears that we have the necessary information and I can see the gears going in that beautiful brain of yours, Jaz." Orianthe smiled impishly. "I think with the promise that Gigi come back aboard, it is the least we can do to fetch her sister, especially since we're already here." Reaching out for her, the captain took the Varoux's hand in her own and offered a gentle squeeze. The exchange would be for official reasons, to save face, but even if Gigi had said she intended to frolic off with her sister once the task was complete, Orianthe would have swung it for her anyway. The tender look in her eyes as she looked upon her her returning crewmember said it all.

She offered the stack of papers to Jaz as she stood once more. "Have a look and see what we can come up with, love. I saw a path map in their somewhere with coordinates and what looked like a schedule. Gigi, since this is your sister and your request, you will be in the front lines." Finally she turned to Enya who had shown up with her usual roguish flare, and canted her had to the side with a serene expression.

"Excellent. Let the crew know that they can begin submitting their requests if they want something. Also let them know that Genevieve is back on board and we're going to be pissing off the UUPC. Two raids in one day ought to put them in a good mood."

Location: The bridge.xxxxWith: Gigi, Jaz, Spicaxxxx

Crewmember Nyx

She had waited with apprehension for Devy to point her in the right direction, and had taken to the lesson gratefully with awe and amazement. Pressing one thing made water come out?! Surely it was an invention of the gods, and she was blessed with the ability to use it. Nyx took the cup to the small thing - another god, or perhaps a demon? Francis? - and stood back, next to another being of whom she did not know. Had she always been there? It was possible. This world was so dazzling new to her, she didn't know where to look. Nyx openly stared at her pale features and rounded body, encountering for the first time in her entire life the concept of extra fat. That was equally as fascinating as the one known as Francis gaining size, which Nyx watched, slack-jawed. The once tiny being grew into fit in her environment as the sip of some water.

Like a plant. But very unlike a plant.

"There is so much to see..." Her harmonic voices came out somewhat high. She was a little overwhelmed. She wanted to seek out Secret who had gifted her with light and understanding, to find comfort in her accented voice, but she stood rooted the ground. The large being was speaking, and had her hand on the Goddess Devy's shoulder, but seemed to handle it gracefully. They were talking about something, a something Nyx could not place.

"What is a 'rifle'?" She asked plainly.

Location: Storage bay.xxxxWith: Devi, Flux, and Shalencaxxxx

[the blue bomber]

Shalenca Polunus Crysmoll.
A short (unscheduled) break.

Shalenca did hear what the little pink thing said, but it didn't really register at the moment. However, she did listen intently to what the pale other had to say. The box contained a rifle, and while it might have just been moved, it seemed far more likely that it had been stolen. Strangely, she said that it didn't matter so much. She said that nothing was wrong with it going missing. She said it was 'just a rifle'. Just a rifle. Only steel. Shalenca knew that she really had said it, and she knew that the translator in her strange Othersteel suit was working. She wasn't sure how to respond. Her people would discipline her, remind her what steel meant, and send her to the forge so that she could create a piece of her own. The Nomads might've asked what sort of steel it was before making their decision. The slavers would likely agree with her sentiment, given how poorly kept their gear was. However, her briefing reminded her of something. 'Culture shock'. The Others were made of so many people and species that the customs of one kind might seem barbaric to another, and perhaps vice-versa. In a world where having steel meant surviving, and each piece was made by hand in the forge, steel was vital. Steel was sacred, in some ways. As such, Shalenca was stunned, to say the least. However, the Tylorean woman understood, to some extent, that it was just who her people were. Nothing to get riled up over. However, when the 'prim' spoke up, Shalenca somehow became even paler. After a few moments, she spoke.

"I-... I'm going to leave the box here. I'm going now."

The box was dropped without a thought. Shalenca walked off without another word. And after a few moments of fiddling with that strange wrist device, she found her way to the feast hall (what kind of a word was 'cafeteria'?) discovering that it was even more removed from her people's way. Othersteel devices seemed to make food from nothing. Instead of minstrels or songstresses, there were Othersteel devices putting forth music that honestly seemed to mean nothing. Perhaps the translator couldn't keep the rhythm proper. However, she supposed that there was some glimpse of the familiar: They spoke, they drank, and a few laughed. So Shalenca approached the strange devices... Hm. The previous Other had spoken to it. Was that how it worked?

"Place your order, please."

"I need a drink."

"Specifics, please."

"A hard drink. The burning milk."

"No match in database. Do you mean one of the following?"

Shalenca had been told of this, too. The translator was not perfect, and did not know everything. So she looked through the options, and chose something close to what she meant. She had no idea what a 'Russian' was, or if they were normally white, but the drink was what she wanted. And she wanted a lot. Fortunately, the machine was smart, and made a strange container that connected to her helm. Unfortunately, the drink wasn't quite the same. It froze much more easily than what she was used to, and though it wasn't frozen solid, it was close. Lenca decided that she'd need some more help in the future. However, for the moment she was able to sit, drink, and listen to her comrades. She might not've understood any of the context behind what they said, but at least she understood the words.

S.O. Polunus status: Cafeteria, on unscheduled break. Call back to patrol? Y/N
Crew present:Formerly with Deval, Nyx, and Unknown: stated name as 'Francis'.

[Mori Kiyoshi]

☽ Genevieve ❂ Bélanger ☾
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"I have no qualms with putting myself in danger first and foremost," Genevieve agreed immediately. Even if something were to go wrong, she would let herself be thrown to the authorities before her sister or any member of the crew. "Fear not for those who accompany me," she reassured, though it was likely unnecessary. "I will protect them as if they were my own." While she wasn't attached terribly to many on the Scarlet, these were not her resources to expend. Giving any less than her full protection to them would be a disservice to the Captain.

She found herself feeling nearly guilty onxe again, asking for all the help once Orianthe took her hand. For a moment, she found herself unable to meet her eyes, but thought better of it. She gave the Captain a nod of thanks and a look that said it all. She knew there would be plenty for the two of them to discuss once the situation with Vivienne was taken care of.

"Captain, I have a number of things that I would like to... address with you when we are finished." She wasn't ashamed of what she had done while gone. She was not one for regrets. However, there were actions taken that were not consistent with her normal behavior. It was something that it might do good to get off her chest when the time arose. "To... 'catch up', if you will."

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✧ D e v a l ✹ V ' r u n i d ✧
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Devy turned and grabbed the box with a heavy sigh. That was one of the problems with having so many different species on board. Many didn't have a concept of how the crew was ranked, for one. And many didn't know how to interact with the majority of the ship's members. But they all learned soon enough, she guessed. There weren't often problems that lingered too long. Placing the box on the desk by the now-empty bottle, Devy pushed back her bangs and turned to Flux and Nyx.

"Sorry about that," she offered. She had to think a minute on how to respond to Nyx's inquiry. "Rifle is a weapon. Made of steel," she explained, patting the metal wall behind her. She had no idea how to begin to explain that it was a ranged weapon, so she simply stated, "like a bow and arrow".

"And as for you," she said, turning to Francis, "... let me make one thing clear, okay?" She sat down and pulled up the file for 'love potion #9' and changed the name to simply 'Francis'. She was trying not to gawk at the now-larger alien, but it was difficult after such a miraculous change. "This is like a new beginning for you. We're not going to research you on the UUPC database or anything. So whatever info you're gonna give me to put in your file...make it good, okay?" She gave a smirk, trying to ignore the bad combination of clothes she had pulled for Flux.

[ArtfulDodger]

❂[Fʟυӽ - Fʀaɴϲiɴε]❂
Where: Storage Bay With: Deval, Nyx, and Shalenca

xxxxx "The UUPC's got nothing on me anyway," Francis mumbled, adjusting her new threads to her comfort. This one was pretty fun so far; A lot of formality, but certainly not a no-nonsense type. There was a little wiggle room for teasing, anyway. She could feel it.

Folding her arms across the back of Deval's chair and leaning in to peer over her shoulder, Francis watched her edit the file. So far, it was virtually empty. Normally, that would've been satisfying. Well actually, under normal circumstances, she would've been upset at the file's very existence. But up until now she'd tried to live a normal life as normal people, with normal friends and normal jobs. She'd had plenty of "new beginnings" before, but somehow they all turned out the same way; the way that replaying a videogame went. Sure, sometimes you selected different missions and got different achievements, but in the end - was it really all that different? How many times could she play out the same scenarios, repeat the same lines, hang out with the same kinds of people and take the same kinds of lovers to bed..? How long could she live life being bored and, quite simply, lonely?

Deval was right. This was a new beginning, and she had better make it good.

"You can leave that potion thing on there... if you want. I kinda dug it. Not too far from the truth, either. None of this... Leaves the ship, right?"

[Coleyoly]

Captain Orianthe Marinos

"On the contrary, Gigi. They are your own," Orianthe replied immediately. With a cant of her head and a smile on her lips, she once again met her returning crewmember's eyes. "There is no 'them' anymore about it, only 'we' and 'us'. You may have left Scarlet, but your return to us tells me that Scarlet has never left you. This is not an arrival, but a homecoming.

"Normally I would say this is cause for a party, but perhaps on another day." They would not celebrate on the same evening of the funeral for two of their own.

Rising to her bare feet once more, the Pteroian light-footed across the cold floor. "In the meantime we'll hide in that nearby moon's shadow. And..." She sighed playfully. "I suppose I'll go fetch my boots."

Location: The bridge.xxxxWith: Gigi, Jaz, Spicaxxxx

Crewmember Nyx

"A weapon..." She echoed in her multi-toned voice. It would have to be something she was introduced to later to get a better picture of it, but weaponry was not a concept lost to Nyx. Weapons were things that could be used to hunt prey and defend ones self, but they were also things of incredible danger to others. In the hands of young ones, many safety precautions had to be made. If she understood Shalenca correctly, one of those weapons was missing and they did not know who had it. There was already someone here who arrived under the radar, and was only now being discovered.

The fact that Devy was not concerned was concerning to Nyx.

"Goddess," She approached carefully. "If 'rifle' is a weapon and if 'Francis' hid and was not seen until now, we should be worried? We do not know who has the weapon. What if a demon hid and has it now?"

Location: Storage bay.xxxxWith: Devi, Flux, and Shalencaxxxx

[Mori Kiyoshi]

☽ Genevieve ❂ Bélanger ☾
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"Yes, another day," Gigi agreed wholeheartedly. She wasn't sure that she knew either of the dead, but even so, it was respectable. The Scarlet was a place where celebrations were held freely, but even they had the sense not to hold a party and a funeral in the same day. Gigi straightened to her full height, having fairly well finished her conversation with the Captain. She would never admit this aloud, lest she offend said Captain, but Gigi had a tendency to slouch slightly to have an easier time meeting Orianthe's gaze. It was a useful secondary function of kneeling in her presence as well, though it was still primarily out of respect.

"I shall analyze the vessel's route and blueprints further in order to familiarize myself with the space in which we will be fighting."

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✧ D e v a l ✹ V ' r u n i d ✧
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"That's right," Devy confirmed for Francis. "None of these files circulate anywhere but on board the ship." With a moment's thought and a few quick taps of the Backspace key, she reentered the file name. Since Francis seemed to like the original entry, she'd keep it.

'Love Potion #9 [A.K.A. Francis]'

The pink text flashed at her, and she projected the image out and into the air for Francis to see before she kept typing. Just minor details about her appearance, mostly, while she let the other alien think up something good to put on file. Even though said appearance was subject to change.

"That suit you okay," she asked, not looking up. Until Nyx spoke, of course. She stopped and looked up at the giant with a furrowed brow. She was having trouble getting used to the whole 'Goddess' thing, but it seemed that a couple members of the crew may have received such nicknames. She thought for a minute, staring up at her for a moment before responding.

"I think Francis is... special," she said with a glance to the amoeba. "But maybe you're right, Nyx." It was so hard to keep up with things around the ship sometimes. There was more that one time in which she had to reprimand others for not upgrading the status of items when they used them. It wasn't like she was going to leave this unattended for long. Just until the new loot was all sorted.

"You can look into it if you'd like, Nyx. See if you find it?" She pulled up and projected a picture of the rifle that was supposed to be inside the box, just in case she had a hankering to do so.