Aboard the Astral Queen

[Heraklion]

At the beginning of a new day Shizuma got up early, she is excited about going shopping, of course she has done this before but she has no memory about any of it, by the time Ana got out of bed Shizuma was already dressed and ready to go. "I guess we'll have breakfast on the way then" she smiles and they get on their way. The ship is divided in several districts as it where so the two women make their way to the shopping district, Shizuma was very eager to use an R.P.T. (Rapid Personnel Transport) to get there, she had been admiring these small hovering two person transports the other day and she couldn't wait to get in one. It's easy to use, slide your credit card into the central panel and tell it where you want to go. But Ana thought otherwise "I suggest we go on foot senora Sakuragi, you have gained a few pounds since the last time I saw you." she says on a teasing tone. Shizuma was disappointed but she agrees and so they eventually reach the shopping district on foot and by using a couple of elevators.

They walk into a tiny bistro and order breakfast for two as they wait Shizuma is looking at a screen on the wall in front of her, it shows alot of different things, some commercials of other shops or job offerings from shops and factories aboard the ship, every once in a while a screen shows up with some information about the ship itself and it's current location. Finally their breakfast arrives and as they enjoy it they talk about the day to come. After they finished dinner Shizuma pays with her creditcard and they get on their way, a couple of shops away from the bistro they came across the first clothing store, they walk through the isles and stop sometimes to look at something, they reach the dresses and Ana takes one out and holds it against Shizuma's chest to see if it would fit her "I think this would look good on you, you always liked to wear dresses. Do you remember that?" Shizuma shakes her head "I don't know... Don't they have something that looks more like this?" she gestures at the giveaway jeans and top she was wearing and Ana sighs as she puts the dress away again. They spent almost two hours in the shop looking for some clothes Shizuma likes but at last they manage to get some.

Meanwhile Flint leaves the same bistro where the two woman had breakfast earlier that day, he had a cup of coffee in his left hand and a virtual copy of the Astral Times in his right, as he walks down the wide hallway he is reading his newspaper and sipping his coffee. Being caught up in an article he's reading he didn't notice the two women come out of the clothing store and bumps right into them. He only just manages to prevent spilling his coffee "Sorry I wasn't paying attention to..." he looks up at the women "Oh, it's you two. How is your new home?" Ana gives him a dirty look "You mean the new home we needed because you burned down senora Sakuragi's house?" Flint looks down in shame and apologizes again, Shizuma is gazing at the shiny badge on his chest and points at it "What is that?" Flint follows her pointing finger and looks at his badge, he looks up at her and proudly says "I'm the commanders apprentice, he's teaching me everything so that I can eventually take command of this ship." Shizuma looks impressed "I wish I could be of any use, it's the least I can do in return for the commanders hospitality." She smiles at Flint and he could feel his chest warm up, he isn't a fool and just like any other healthy man he likes beautiful women, but Shizuma has something he couldn't explain, he realized he was standing there, staring at Shizuma for far to long and stutters "I-if you w-want I can ask the commander i-if he has a p-place for you?" Shizuma looks as if she was going to explode of happiness, she hugs Flint "Arigato Flint-kun!" She let's go of him and suddenly runs off, she had spotted an entertainer in something that looks like a nomad costume. Flint looks confused and gazes at the booty of the woman who had just hugged him, then he noticed Ana standing in front of him with her arms crossed. "uhm... yes?" Ana pokes his chest with her index finger several times "I know what you're up to and I won't let you if you even as much as think about doing something to her I will seperate you're manhood from your body and crush them with a hammer and if you're lucky i'll do it in that order!" She runs after Shizuma who was trying to push over the entertainer in his nomad costume, leaving a confused and partly terrified Flint behind.

---