Decisions, Decisions...

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Open Air

Thursday, June 13, 1622.

<sub>Andromeda rubbed his head. Okay so they dealt with everything involving Seria and Dula, so what now? Should he head over to Truesdale? It seemed like the best bet as of right now, and since Godwine was manning... or womaning the ship and the girls were either asleep or busy, Andy had time to himself. He left his bedroom door open, just to have some fresher air come in, that and he was open to anybody bothering him.

"Yeah, Truesdale sounds like a good idea at the moment..." He murmured. A headache seemed to run through him right now and he wondered if he was getting sick, much less why it's taken so long for that to happen. Maybe it was from all that stress. He still hadn't recovered...

"... Truesdale does sounds good. I need to check the ships engines anyway."</sub>

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And thus, there was a knock at the door. Loki stood in the frame, an unlit cigarette in her mouth, and a pouch in the other. She carefully chucked the pouch in the air and caught it with a chinking sound of money.

"Got yesterdays shares sorted. Didn't do as well as last time though." Loki said, sounding a little dissapointed in herself as she then gestured for Andromeda to gt ready to catch, as she passed the money over to him.

Loki also took out the papers she had been using to work out the math and opened them. "Though I recon I can make up for it in the next batch."

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<sub>Andromeda turned around when he heard that knock, half expecting it was Cepheid, but no, it was another just as nice face to look at. Loki. He brightened up a bit, as she tossed the shares in the air. He folded his arms, tapping his shoulder. Dula must have been slow yesterday...

"Well." He'd get ready to catch the pouch of money. "Something's better than nothing. It'll take awhile to make up for that illness bout." He spoke up, catching the pouch.

Andromeda would grin when she pulled out some papers. So she was going to do the math? Andromeda collapsed in his chair and then thought out loud.

"The medicine and Cepheid's infection costed us about 100 shillings. We got 10 shillings for various foods and probably saved a ton of money stealing from that orchard. Plus alcohol." He then scratched his head. "I have to go into the engine room and inspect the ship, at least at some point so I can gauge the amount of money I need to keep the ship in top shape. ... And we're running out of money. Fast."

So that's what had Andy stressed out and Captain Grumpypants for awhile.</sub>

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Loki noted the details down quickly. She chewed the end of her pen in thought.

"We're down in a rut now... but I recon since everyone's in tip top shape, we should recover financially soon enough. Plenty of air ships out there for pickings" Loki said encouragingly as she then went on to jotting a few totals and predictions.

"Only problem being, I can't stea... excuse me... collect fast enough to keep a steady funding in our current, as much as I hate to admit it." Loki sighed. "You think we'll be okay scraping the barrel until we get the repairs done?"

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<sub>Andromeda ruffled his hair, his eyes thick with worry. If he didn't get enough to support his girls... it didn't help he now had Cepheid and Loki to feed as well and Andy, being the eldest out of all of them (ha, he was born before Cepheid), he usually took all the responsibility.

"I just hope it's quick. We've had these issues before, it's just..." He paused. Nah he wouldn't tell Loki they might be at their worst this summer. "... Yeah, we'll get there soon enough."

He leaned back, looking up at the ceiling. He knew he couldn't depend on Loki for much of anything, and Andy had been trying to get his butt down in bounty hunting again. Hopefully they'll be able to steal from a ship soon.

"Travel should be picking up for other people soon. Plus I can check the bounties in Truesdale." Andy seemed unusually deep in thought this time around. No flirting... it's definitely all going to his head if he's not in the mood.</sub>

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Loki nodded, leaning against the door. Andy seemed pretty bummed out by their situation.

"Hmm...It can be worked out." Loki said. "If we need it, I could always cut in to my savings to help the repairs. Not like they're doing much use sitting doing nothing." she offered, taking the cigarette out of her mouth and putting it behind her ear for later.

Loki wasn't fully comprehending of the whole pirate life just yet, but she was getting used to it. She already knew that it wasn't as romantic as people made it sound, and she was okay with that.

Loki had also noticed a shift in Andromedas behaviour. She frowned.
"If you don't mind me saying... you've seemed really tense these past few days." She commented. "You're not letting this get to you, are you?..."

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<sub>Andromeda lifted his leg to cross it over his other as Loki spoke up. He smiled a bit, feeling a bit of the stress relieving him from this issue he had. Hm... a smoke didn't seem so bad as of right now... Andromeda's thoughts were shifted when he had to return out of imaginary land.

"I'd appreciate it, thanks." Hey look, genuine smile! ANdy's actually normal, sort of. At least, when it comes to the welfare of his crew. What a sweet guy.

"Hm?" He looked up, as Loki mentioned he seemed tense. He then put on a cheeky grin, trying to hide that facade. "Nah, I'm fine, Loki. I've always been fine."</sub>

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Loki gave a smile back as he lit up.

She took her own cigarette from her ear and twiddled it between her fingers. "If you say so." She replied with a raised eyebrow, putting the smoke back in her mouth as she turned away.

"Off to the bow. Need to get some fresh air and a smoke." She said, walking out and beginning to make her way down the hall, pulling out a lighter from her pocket, and buttoning up her coat.

As soon as she got out, she lit her cig, and put the lighter back in her pocket. She leant against the side and looked out to the sky after taking a drag.

She sighed, blowing away her smoke as she went in to thought. How was she going to be able to help fund the ship further. It already took her a day to make just under two hundred shillings, and that was on a good day alone.

She didn't want to let Andromeda or the crew down either. They had given her a roof over her head.

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<sub>"Alright..."

Andromeda looked up, as Loki walked out of the room and he was going to reply, but he couldn't find any way to speak. He remembered how he spoke about her to Reuben, just how fond he was of her, and now he had dumped so much on her. He took a deep breath, and then suddenly grinned.

Andromeda got up and walked out to the bridge, looking at her as she looked out, possibly deep in thought. He then walked up behind her, put his hand on her shoulder.

And swipe her cigarette. He then drew a breath.

"Listen, I think I might have put a little too much on you, Loki." He spoke. Despite being a bit playful here, he was being serious. Serious about courting her, I'll bet.</sub>

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"What is it with you stealing my cigarettes?" Loki asked, looking back at him with a smirk, before he spoke up, saying that he felt he had put a bit too much on her.

Loki instantly shook her head and looked back out.

"Hey. Hey. No. I offered to help you." She replied. "Sometimes I do feel like I bit off more than I can chew, but at least I have a reason to now." Loki said.

She turned around to face him. "And I said I wouldn't let you down, didn't I?" Loki asked, folding her arms.

Loki wasn't going to admit that she was struggling. Andromeda had more to worry about than her overworking herself. That was her own problem, and the last thing she wanted to do was to put it on to him.

"You don't worry about me. You got that?" Loki said sternly, waggling her finger at him.

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<sub>Andromeda put his hands in his pockets as Loki turned around, but he grinned with the cigarette in his mouth when she commented about him stealing her cigarettes. He'd put it back in her mouth though. The cigarette, not... yeah. He then smirked as he put his hand back in his pocket.

"Sharing is caring." He would frown when she spoke up about... no, Andromeda needed to know these things anyway. Plus? He could easily help her with gaining a net profit in this line of work anyway.

"You did say you wouldn't let me down, but at the same time I do have a legitimate concern for the welfare of all of the crew and I don't want you stressing out, whether you like my concern or not." he then pulled his hands out of his pocket to cross them and he looked down at her.

"I have a right to be concerned."</sub>

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Loki very happily accepted her cigarette back from him.

She had a feeling she couldn't hide it well from Andy. The look on his face already told her he knew that she was struggling, and he would take none of her telling him otherwise.

Loki leant back and looked away, submitting defeat.

"Okay...well. Maybe I am having trouble keeping up... just a little!" She replied, still being stubborn to admit, but she was probably just stumbling around aimlessly now for Words. She had said it.

"But seriously. I don't want to cause a ruckuss." Loki said, looking down in front of her. She flicked the ash of her cigarette in to the wind.

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<sub>Despite being a troll, a pirate, and a rapist with little respect for people's privacy, Andromeda was well astute with reading people's expressions. After all, how well was he with hiding his own pain anyway? He looked at her, his expression softened a bit as she admitted it.

"You're not causing too much trouble for me, trust me on that. I've known and been through trouble before, haha, I should know." A little humor played out there for him. He then reached up to place his hands on her shoulder.

"You're doing perfectly fine here on this ship~."</sub>

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Loki looked back up as she felt him rest his hands on her shoulder. Despite what she said, she still couldn't get some of her doubt out of her head.

Andromeda reasurred her she was doing fine. Loki looked slightly more releived from that encouragement.

"If you say so. You're the boss." Loki shrugged with her trademark mischevious grin. She looked away, stubbing out her cig, and flicking it over the side.

She also pulled out Andromedas wallet and slipped it back in his coat pocket.
"Also, you seriously need to keep a better eye on this." Loki said.

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<sub>Andromeda brushed his hands down her shoulder and looked at her. No he wouldn't get physical with her, not unless she made him. He'd give her a reassuring smile, that is, when she spoke up. Well yeah he is the boss.

"Good." And of course, Loki tried to steal his wallet. Again. Joke's on her, he totally emptied it out before he left his room and it was all in his drawer.

"You're trying to make me steal another kiss from you~?" He teased back, pulling her forward. Now that's the typical Andy that everybody knows.</sub>