"Nope, sorry," Lep replied with a slight shrug. "I didn't think to bring one with me when I was ex- when I was exhilerated by the idea of leaving my planet and exploring the galaxy. Though, who knows, if you look around you might find one. The problem is that my home planet is quite isolationist. You're not likely to find others of my breed and so mercantile from home will be extremely difficult to get a hand on."
He looked at Minke, wondering why she was being so quiet. "But I suppose I can let you know if one happens to fall from the sky or something."
"What time is it?" He asked, looking up at the night sky. "It must be getting on. How long have we been talking? Are any places even still open?"
Nathan glanced at his watch briefly, “Just past half eleven, think we must’ve been talking a half hour or so. I’m sure there’re some bars open, I dunno whether you’re in luck for a steak though.”
He sighed, “Well, that’s a shame. I did think it was a little optimistic. I’ll have to visit your world one day, because I don’t think I could forgive myself if I never heard this star music now you’ve told me about it. I guess you’re right in a way, Minke,” he glanced at the woman, grinning “About me falling for the instrument. The idea of it, anyway.”
Silent for a few moments, Nathan looked down at the street as they walked, musing over the fantastical sounding instrument and lamenting that he wouldn’t get to hear it any time soon. “How are you finding Terra, then?” he finally asked, “What sort of thing do you look for when you’re exploring? Grand sights, interesting people, or what?”
Mink had a small smile on her lips. "Perhaps one day you'll be able to play." she said. My, my, and wouldn't that be something.
"How in the world did you get to Terra? I've heard of pleny Isolationist planets out there, but I've hardly ever met anyone from them who haven't done something terribly illegal to get off. Might I be delving into dangerous territory by asking?" Her eyes moved from Nathan to Lep. She really liked dangerous territory.
"Nah, don't worry about it," he answered Nathan, his arms shuffling under his coat from where he tried to keep warm. "There's always another time, another place, you know. I earned some money on those roulette wheels tonight, so I think I might treat myself to a nice hotel and fancy restaurant tomorrow."
"As for when I'm exloring, I guess I try to look for anything that I might find interesting. I don't really have any specific criteria, I just... Fly. There was an old hero on my world, basically a legend, and it is said that when he was ready to travel again, he would find the highest place for miles around and release a cravat into the wind. The cravat would fly, and no matter where it ended up, he would follow it until he found it again."
His mood seemed to slowly deteriorate into some sort of apathy, or mild depression. It had been happening for the last several minutes; a natural response besides his conscious ones to the questions being asked. Questions asked about him and his lifestyle, which inevitably led back to his culture. However, it wasn't until Minke overstepped her boundaries that it really showed on Lep's face.
What she asked? She had gone too far. And though he held no animosity or ill feeling towards her for doing so, the way his expression became nothing more than a membrane holding back a sea of anger and regret could not be ignored. Even his reply to her seemed forced, as though struggling to keep his teeth from being clenched.
"You... Have no idea."
And then? Sigh. All of it left him with the release of a breath. "Well, I think that's enough for me for tonight. It was nice to meet you both, Nathan and Minke. Maybe we'll see each other again sometime, eh?"
He smiled a little, patting them both on the shoulder before making his way off down the street without another word.
Nathan was smiling happily at Lep’s tale, when he noticed that the blue-skinned boy was quickly losing enthusiasm. He frowned faintly, and it only intensified when he replied to Minke with the seething, curt tone and the following sigh. “Oh,” he said, slightly disappointed when the alien boy announced he was leaving. “Hold up a sec!”
He reached into his pocket for his wallet and pulled out a business card (because hey, freelancing musician, they were useful) and pressed it into Lep’s hand. “Just in case you come across one of your Lightchords, call me, uhuh? Bye!” he said, grinning slyly, before waving the boy off.
It never hurt to be optimistic, after all!
Nathan was then left in the awkward position of being alone with the slightly predatory woman. He gave her a glance, and smiled. “Well, I think I should head for home too. I have to get a train back to Wing City, so I should hurry before I miss the last one! Uhm, nice meeting you! Maybe I’ll see you around here again sometime.”
He offered her a wave, and then was on his way.
Minke watched them both with her lips twisted into a frown. When Nathan came back, she gave him a tight smile.
"Mhm. Maybe. Too bad we couldn't spend more time together, huh?" she said, watching him as he walked away.
"Still, I can't let someone like you with that much money walk away for good, even if you're not interested." She walked into a nearby alleyway, then raised her hand up to the sky. Several patterns swirled along her skin, to her palm, where it peeled off, adopted color and form, then zoomed off into the air.
"Keep an eye on him, mm? Let me know where he deposits that generous sum of money."