2019-06-27: That's as Many as a Quartet of Nines! (And That's Mix)
- Log: That's as Many as a Quartet of Nines! (And that's Mix)
- Cast: Kamui, Acacia Saitani, Rikku
- Where: Rin's Travel Agency
- Date: 27th June 2019
- Summary: In the middle of a Choco-caring job, Kamui and Acacia meet a truly powerful Briber...
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
Mi'ihen Highroad!
It's a sleepy, lazy day with the sun shining bright. Within Rin's Travel Agency, the chocobo ranch has acquired a temporary worker for the day, in the form of one very excited Kamui who's super-eager to play with the chocobos. The robot girl -- and she's rather... um, obviously a robot girl (as the staff of the Agency has also whispered to themselves), what with half her face broken off with a camera underneath and parts of her body having flayed synthetic skin where there's cabling and musculature fibre underneath...
The robot girl's still excited to wear baggy overalls and a chocobo hat and scoop bales of hay for the chocobos.
"Oh it's a choco's life for mui,
A choco life for mui, a choco life for mui... o/~"
She seems to be terribly happy to be working away outside, singing a chocobo folk song as she does so...!
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Kamui isn't the only one working today. Spread out across a bench, a redhead dressed in Otherworlder clothes is looking over a series of documents, spinning a pen in her hand as she considers their contents. Technically speaking, Acacia's got herself a promotion - Rin's series of travelling Primers are definitely useful, but the reporter's got a lot of experience writing almanacs herself, and self-publishing tends to give you an editor's eye. In exchange for the help they've received, she offered her skills as an editor.
It's not the only reason she's here. Kamui's presence tends to draw members of the Al Bhed, and she's been tasked by ARMS to have a chat with them in regards to Odessa's presence on Spira. If she's honest, it's not exactly the first thing on her mind right now given the situation in Kilika is looming large, but she's trying to pace herself a little given how far from home they are.
She pauses, and leans back with a grin. "Kamui, wanna see if you can take a feather away with you once you're done? I bet they're good luck, or something like that. It'd look good in your hair, maybe," she adds. She's not entirely sure about that, but it's worth seeing if it'll make Kamui light up.
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"Two - fifty or no sale!"
"Surely the daughter of Cid can afford full price?"
"Surely you remember our efforts to save your ranch from a ravenous fiend!)]"
"Well played. Two - seventy five."
"Done!"
Taking the stack of Hi-Potions, Rikku tossed one up and down in the air with a single hand as her other one opened the door of the Agency.
"You could at least pretend to respect the merchandise."
"I have a lot of respect for my ingredients!"
The girl caught the Hi-Potion and allowed a small wave.
Then looked forward at the Corral. Then back in the room at Rin.
"Is that Machina tending to your stables?"
"Why yes. Yes she is. And she is on the clock."
Rikku's eyes lingered on her.
"So if you wanted to speak to her then you would need to compensate me for her lost productivity."
Suddenly Rin found himself catching a bag full of Gil. Chuckling.
"A pleasure doing business with you."
-=-=-
Kamui might sense someone else watching her - but then again perhaps not. Rikku seems to be flanking around to examine her at various angles as she sings. "No way - how advanced is she?"
Back and forth - until she heard Acacia's statement and found her in.
Suddenly Rikku is up behind her, all smiles and cheer "Oh they're better than just good luck! These incredible birds are an endless supply of feathers that can - make anyone as swift as the Chocobo if they know the trick!"
She talks fast - almost like some random travelling salesperson selling snake oil. Except in this case the snake oil actually would be a miracle cure. Holding out a hand to offer it, "Nice to meet you! The name's Rikku! Mind introducing me to your Machina friend?"
And then backpeddling as she realizes how that sounds, "I mean - friend - who happens to be a Machina?"
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
Kamui pauses mid-scoop of her pitchfork with a big bale of hay as she looks back towards Acacia. There is a furrow of a brow as she thinks to Acacia, and then closes her eyes.
"Hmm... Master, I heard that Chocobo Feathers are not about chocobos, but used to impart Haste on the user!"
A pause, as she tilts her head.
"I don't know what that means, mui-- muiii??"
Suddenly, Rikku is there! She actually pirouettes on one leg as if to compliment Rikku's sudden investigation sequence. "Master! Oh no, has Kamui's disguise failed, mui?" Kamui asks concernedly.
... Kamui your disguise consists of a chocobo hat and overalls. It doesn't exactly... inspire secrecy. Also, your left arm is literally still a Buster because you lack the ability to turn it back into a human hand.
She sweats. "I'm not a Muichina, mui... I'm just as... human as you are!" she poses, unconvincingly. "Don't report mui for heresy."
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Acacia glances up when she spots a flash of bright colour, then snorts audibly to herself as she properly zeroes in on Rikku's sneaking around Kamui. She's kind of seen this play out before with other Al Bhed, though this one's a whole lot more forward than some of the workers she's met on the Luca docks or along the Highroads.
"<Rammu>," she greets with a lopsided grin, because that's about as far as she's gotten with the language thus far - bits and pieces of it, dimly remembered. "Oh, something like alchemy, I guess? Pretty sure I remember cucco feathers being a big thing back home, so maybe they're related somehow. Acacia Saitani," she introduces herself as she takes the hand to shake it. "With the Meria Bouletin. ... Spiran Edition, I s'pose."
"I don't mind," she adds, before glancing across at the Reploid with a hum. "But it's not my choice. It's really up to her. Kamui, it's okay. I don't think she's gonna do that. She just wants to say hi." There's an impish moment. "Maybe peer at you a bit, I think."
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"Whoa you already know about that-!? Amazing!"
Rikku considers whether the Machina knows about advanced Chemistry or simply knows about the Al Bhed sufficiently enough. Either way she's fairly impressed.
Rikku - who is an expert on knowing when someone knows less than three words of Al Bhed immediately says back, "Well hello to you too - Acacia." As they shake hands and beams, because anyone who makes an effort to even learn /one/ word of Al Bhed that isn't a curse is okay in her book. "Nice to meet you. And yeah - kind of like that! Wh- Cucco?"
She can at least work out the context that it's another kind of bird, but - is still parsing the foreign animal. "Meria Bouletin? Is that like - a newsletter about finding happiness or something?" A bit confused - as she apparently is mishearing 'Meria' as 'Merrier' or something - since she wouldn't think of that as a proper place.
However, that thought is derailed by Kamui mentionining it's not supposed to be a disguise. "I mean - that was supposed to be a disguise?" Rikku's eyes blink blink as if in shock before waving her palms together as if to try to wave off the idea that she's revealed her, "Sorry - sorry didn't mean to call attention to you or anything! And hey - hey don't worry! She's right-! I'm the /last/ person who would report you for that. Like literally the last."
Before she holds up two fingers and points at Acacia, "You're right - in fact you're so right - I just want to look at her a bit. You see I'm really interested in all this advanced technology Otherworlders have brought to Spira." She winks at that like saying she'll keep their secret - if it is one. "Hey Hob it's okay to come out."
The little spiked floating head rises up out of Rikku's bag, to start circling Kamui like some little mobile turret. "And as I learned from someone else - Machina can be people's friends - like this one! So I wouldn't dream of doing anything that would hurt you, even if some part of me is dying to examine what makes you tick."
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
"Chocobos are... not cuccos," Kamui concludes from Acacia as she introduces herself. And looks excited herself as she beams, "And I'm Kamui, also from the Meria Bouletin! Have you read our paper? We've been distributing it through the Travel Sphere with Rin's help!"
Acacia uses Al Bhed, and it seems to click on her that the girl also is Al Bhed! As she thinks back to her education when Acacia was learning some phrases and...
"<E mega aydehk lyga!>"
A pause, as she looks to Acacia. "Did I do well, Master??" She looks back to Rikku. "Rin taught me that!"
... the context in which that happened is intensely obvious.
Rikku reassures her she's not about to report her for heresy or anything either, and there's a visible relaxation in her camera eye as some of the tension bleeds out. ... literally, because a little vent goes 'hiss' as excess heat escapes from her. Whew!
"Mmm... we got brought here by accident-- wah!"
Kamui's the first one to look extremely surprised when Hob comes out, and the round sphere looks at her and chirps happily, in apparent recognition. She puts her hands to her waist.
"Hob, have you been cheekily sneaking away from Mari??" she pouts with a big round puff on her cheek. "Nob is worried about you!"
Oh... does she know Marivel, then?
Rikku speaks about what makes her tick, though, and she tilts her head as she looks down to the giant gem on her chest that's glowing. "What makes Kamui tick..." A pause. "Cake is very important. Lots and lots of cake, mmm..." Is... is she baiting?
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
It's honestly refreshing to be facing Rikku's upbeat nature head on; it's kind of a relief after everything recently, and she finds herself grinning as she checks the facts off. "Aha, sorry. Cuccos are like small, squat, angry versions of chocobos. Meria Boule's the town I'm from back on Filgaia. It's kind of sleepy, honestly, but it's home. ... and to be honest, yeah, I try to keep things light where I can. It pays the bills better."
She's about to say something more, when-- her mouth falls open at the sight of Hob, her mind temporarily derailed. While Kamui lights up at the sight of the little creature, she chooses to give it the stink-eye instead, puffing out a breath. "... okay, I get the idea of sending me out to go get in contact with you all, but if Marivel just happened to know you well enough to dump her robots on you, she could have at least introduced us before now rather than sending me off with Kamui."
The grousing is not too serious, at least. It's less any kind of actual anger, and more the well-worn and long-suffering tone of someone who's entirely used to the Crimson Noble's shenanigans and style and yet finds herself tolerating it anyway.
Her lips move silently at Kamui's declaration, and then her eyebrows jump upwards. "I mean, I you're not /wrong/, that's for sure, so I guess it's 'good job'," she snorts to Kamui's eager question, and glances back towards the Al Bhed. "To be honest, I don't actually know a lot myself. I'm still learning how to do maintenance on her - Marivel might be better to ask, but ultimately..."
She trails off, scratching at her hair. It seems rude to call Kamui ancient or lost technology right in front of her, so she shuts up - and smirks instead. "... well, I'm starting to think she mostly runs on bribes."
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"I see! It sounds like - they have... some things in common though?" After Kamui's comment, which is then recanted the moment Acacia clarifies, "... ... Okay no offense since I've never met one but I think I prefer Chocobos already."
The question of their nespaper comes up though, in that it's actually being spread around and - "Huh!? Oh I actually haven't-! Though I don't really read the newspaper most of the time because well there's a lot of well... propaganda..."
Rikku scratches the side of her face with her hand, "And that makes more sense now that I think about i- wait your newspaper is actually a pun?" She lets out this laugh, "Hey that's pretty great!"
Kamui though speaks in Al Bhed, and Rikku immediately asks back, "Fryd ypuid bea druikr?" Perhaps testing the limits of the Machina mind by the question of /preference/ to food rather than repetition!
"And hey your accent isn't bad!"
Again she waves her hands in the air, "Oh no - no - Hob is travelling with me - Marivel sent him off with me for now! Because I was really interested in him - he's been a pretty great travelling companion."
Hob chirrups back something indecipherable in response to Kamui bringing up Nob.
Before she then giggles, "Well - I mean - all you Otherworlders are so scattered all over-! I sure haven't met everyone Marivel knows. For all I know she wanted to space it out so that she'd have a few surprises left-"
Rikku puts a hand against her chest. "Say Rikku! Have you met my two friends? The world spanning journalist and her Machina companion!"
However suddenly Rikku gets this big ol' smile on her face on both Kamui saying she runs on cake. And Acacia saying she runs on bribes
"I'll be right back."
-=-=-
Two employees of Rin's agency scratch their heads in mystery, "So I do not know what is stranger. That the employee appreciation cake in the break room is missing or that someone left behind payment."
"Let us not question it. With that much gil we can buy many cakes."
-=-=-
"Tada!" Rikku returns, presenting the simple frosted round cake to Kamui.
The frosting Al Bhed sigils that once spelled out 'Your boss appreciates you.' have all been smudged to hide the evidence of her crime which is ineffective since it's already missing pieces.
In other words-
GS: Rikku has attacked Kamui with Bribe! GS: Rikku has gained 2 Shamelessness! GS: Rikku has completed her action.
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
"I do not blame you. You must have to be some kind of strange dragon lady in order to truly love Cuccos," Kamui expresses blithely. Looks like she isn't a fan, which is the true blasphemy to this player as she types. She will conduct penance later...
Rikku mentions she hasn't heard of their newspaper. "Mui... looks like we should step up our advertising, Master." The way in which she addresses Acacia as Master is weird, maybe, but... robots and their masters aren't that uncommon a setup either.
The machinist remarks a question in turn and Kamui starts sweating. "<E... E ys y lyga Machina...??>"
Looks like her comprehension isn't that great yet..... she does perk up as Rikku compliments her accent though. "All that study with Rin paid off, Master!" she looks like she wants to get headpatted.
"Mari is... a really important person to me, mui," expresses Kamui. "But-- hweh?" Rikku runs off.
...
...
...
Tada!
Kamui's eye -- her good human eye widens at the same time her camera eye visibly shrinks and focuses on the cake, unwittingly becoming an accomplice of Rikku's because she's taking massive damage!
GS: Kamui takes a solid hit from Rikku's Bribe for 9,999 hit points! GS: << OVERKILL >> GS: Kamui has Fallen! She is no longer able to fight!
(BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HALL3k-fto )
"Muiister... I want caaaake..." Kamui begs, waggling hands towards Acacia.
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
"Ah, yeah," Acacia admits as Rikku mentions propaganda. From her point of view, she's not sure if Yevon tracts are propaganda per se - but she knows her viewpoint is an external one, and she can definitely see how they might be distinctly worse if you happen to be Al Bhed. "Well, you don't have to worry about that with us. We're self-published, self-written - unless you count borrowing Rin's printing press for the time being, until we can get back to Filgaia."
When she sags at Rikku's impression, it's with a rather flat expression on her face. "That definitely sounds like her alright," she sighs, then straightens up to plant a hand on her hip. "Jeez, this stuff was supposed to be serious, though. Sometimes I think she's a little too flighty for her own good," she grumbles to herself.
She's about to say more, when Rikku suddenly darts off with an idea in her head, and she puffs out a breath as she begins to see why Marivel might consider her a bit of a kindred spirit. Still, she can't help but smirk when the girl returns, cake in tow.
"... alright, alright," she sighs with a hand on her head, letting out an amused sigh. "You can have some. Just not too much, okay? I really should be trying to get you to eat better." Does that even count, for Reploids? It's not like she knows.
"And-- thanks, but I do kind of worry if I'm spoiling her," she adds towards Rikku, smirking despite herself. It fades, though, as she frowns quietly. There's no easy way to just slip a comment in about Odessa in, and she's a little loath to interrupt Kamui's happiness, so she waits until the Reploid is in cake bliss mode. "... have you seen much in the way of otherworld Machina recently? Like, a bunch of people with really advanced stuff, or a giant Machina flying?"@emit "Ah, yeah," Acacia admits as Rikku mentions propaganda. From her point of view, she's not sure if Yevon tracts are propaganda per se - but she knows her viewpoint is an external one, and she can definitely see how they might be distinctly worse if you happen to be Al Bhed. "Well, you don't have to worry about that with us. We're self-published, self-written - unless you count borrowing Rin's printing press for the time being, until we can get back to Filgaia."
When she sags at Rikku's impression, it's with a rather flat expression on her face. "That definitely sounds like her alright," she sighs, then straightens up to plant a hand on her hip. "Jeez, this stuff was supposed to be serious, though. Sometimes I think she's a little too flighty for her own good," she grumbles to herself.
She's about to say more, when Rikku suddenly darts off with an idea in her head, and she puffs out a breath as she begins to see why Marivel might consider her a bit of a kindred spirit. Still, she can't help but smirk when the girl returns, cake in tow.
"... alright, alright," she sighs with a hand on her head, letting out an amused sigh. "You can have some. Just not too much, okay? I really should be trying to get you to eat better." Does that even count, for Reploids? It's not like she knows.
"And-- thanks, but I do kind of worry if I'm spoiling her," she adds towards Rikku, smirking despite herself. It fades, though, as she frowns quietly. There's no easy way to just slip a comment in about Odessa in, and she's a little loath to interrupt Kamui's happiness, so she waits until the Reploid is in cake bliss mode. "... have you seen much in the way of otherworld Machina recently? Like, a bunch of people with really advanced stuff, or a giant Machina flying?"
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"If that's the case - maybe I'll check it out! Uh - what kind of cost per issue am I looking at?" Rikku scratches her chin even though she really isn't that concerned about money.
"That was weirdly specific- also I don't know what a dragon is." Rikku replies with this tone which sounds more like she's cheerfully lapping this up than actually confused.
"Yht E ys y bea bancuh!" Rikku rejoinds cheerfully. "And it really did." She adds, before clapping her hands together, "She's good people! I haven't known her for long, but I like it a lot."
However now they've moved on to cake devastation. And as Kamui whines to Acacia, Rikku waits - before then handing it over to the Reploid who has taken massive damage from her scheme!
Sneakily however Rikku has provided no utensils - as she wants to witness how Kamui handles that.
"Eh - what kind of world would it be if you couldn't spoil the Machina girl every now and then?" She grins at Acacia, "Certainly not one I want to live in!"
However Acacia then mentions Otherworld Machina and Rikku suddenly gets this expression like she'd encountered a bad smell, "Marivel mentioned that there's a Gear here now. I haven't seen it around though. Oh! I fought with the guy who's apparently leading the group that brought it here."
And with that she offers a wary look, "I can see how people can be taken in by that kind of guy. He talks a good game. One of the Crusaders joined him on the spot after Mi'ihen - but in my opinion? He's so tunnel visioned on his goal of toppling the people in power that he's gonna be trampling all over the people he's supposedly doing it /for/."
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
Kamui perks up to say, "It's 5 gil per issue. And if you become a subscriber, we add a ten percent discount from the monthly price. So it's a really good deal, mui..."
... someone probably could lecture Kamui a little, but it's clear that the Machina girl is rather child-like when it comes to prices and she's definitely not the one that negotiates deals amongst the two in the paper.
"Oh! Good call, Master... we wanted to warn you about that Gear too. So that, umm, Yevon doesn't blame your people for it. It's our problem, we don't want you to get blamed unnecessarily for it!" Kamui seems to have a kind spirit, no matter how... odd she might be otherwise. "So even a Crusader joined him, but umm..."
But... now is cake time, as Kamui lights up further and cheers as Acacia acquiesces. You can very definitely tell that she doesn't hear anything else like 'but not too much, okay?' or 'I should definitely be trying to get you to eat better' because--
POP
Oh my Bahamuts, Kamui just detached her head and props it in front of the cake. She doesn't seem to get hurt at all by this.
Then Kamui's Head opens her mouth and inhaaaaaaaaales--
--and the cake struggles as it starts to tip on the cake plate it's on and then disappears into her mouth.
Gob gob gob gob, gobu.
Cake bliss mode is starting...... now, mui...
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
Besides, Acacia clearly isn't about to lecture Kamui any time soon, at least not when it comes to the way in which she cheerfully and conscientiously remembers to advertise. With a pleased huff, she automatically pats the Reploid on the head, shortly before it gets detached.
To say she's used to this would be a massive understatement; she barely even reacts, and when she does raise her eyebrows it's only because she's extremely curious to see how Rikku reacts to the sight of Kamui calmly popping her head off and using it as a hand-held vacuum. If anything, her stare has a little more of that deadpan humour to it as she huffs out a breath.
"Well, Kamui's right - we wanted to try warning you guys. It seemed pretty obvious that Yevon would assume that it was an Al Bhed device, and I think there's enough problems around right now to include a misunderstanding like that. I guess we were a little late on the warning, though," she adds with concern at Rikku's tale of Vinsfeld. "And, I don't think you're wrong. From what he says and how he says it, it sounds like he'd give up his own Grandma because she can't hold a sword."
"... but we also wanted to try to track it, if we could," she adds after a moment, to the background noise of Kamui's 'hyooooooooo--' inhalation. "Marivel, Kamui and I are all part of a group that's trying to oppose them - but they're a hell of a lot better at getting around than we are. Any clues we can get for where they're making their base would be handy - if you hear anything, I mean. Just be careful 'round them."
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"How about fifteen percent?" Rikku asks Kamui, deciding to haggle on the subscription fee for no apparent reason other than to test if Kamui knows how to haggle!
Rikku lets out this small sigh as they discuss Odessa, scratching her cheek, "They would do that - wouldn't they? Blame us. And even if they don't - we'd still get blamed indirectly anyhow just for using Machina."
It's a thought that's occurred to her - she'd hoped that all of this exposure to Machina would help open up the people of Spira to new possibilities - but if it's used as a weapon of conquest? That's that.
"Well I appreciate you thinking of us. We have it hard enough even trying to salvage a few Machina without people bringing down huge weapons of conquest." Before her lip curls, "Yeah that sounds like him. I'm gonna write Home and tell the folks there not to give him the time of day if he shows up with an offer for alliance."
Rikku finds herself unable to look away from Kamui popping off her head. And eating the cake. She just can't look away.
Can't.
Can't.
Won't.
A finger slowly points at Kamui while she speaks to Acacia, "I probably shouldn't ask how her digestive system works - right?"
The finger slowly drops, "Yeah - ARMs right?" Apparently she knows what that is even if she didn't know what Meria Boule is. "If I catch wind of its location - I'll send word. There aren't too many places on Spira where you can hide something like that."
There's an almost secretive smile, like she knows /many/ of them.
<Pose Tracker> Kamui has posed.
If Kamui knows how to haggle, it certainly is a moot point right now -- though by how easy she is to bribe, it rather seems like the answer is 'no' with how...
zzz...
zzz...
zzz...
Comfy her Head is.
Kamui's Body, poor thing that it is, nods at Rikku when she mentions her appreciation. It... err, nods -- as in, wags its upper torso in the approximate notion of nodding -- when she mentions writing Home to tell folks about Odessa. She considers that a heads up sent! Mission successful!
As to the mystery of Kamui's digestive system?
...
...
That might have to remain a muistery..........
<Pose Tracker> Acacia Saitani has posed.
There might not be any information about Odessa's whereabouts, but that's not the part that Acacia's worried about most, if she's honest - the sigh of relief as Rikku says she'll contact Home gives that much away, and she breaks into a lopsided smile immediately afterwards. "... thanks. That's a load off, at least. We warned some of the others about it, as well, but I hadn't heard much on the whole yet."
The fact that Rikku knows about ARMS isn't a surprise, not with Marivel around, so she nods with a frown that is somehow a satisfied one. "Yeah. I'm not exactly one of their fighters or anything, I'm just there to try to connect the dots and check what's going on. But chasing Odessa's pretty much the same thing as chasing news, in the end. We're sticking near to the waystations, so you'll probably find us there."
Slowly, she watches as Kamui inhales the remnants of the cake. "... to be honest, I'd been wondering if I should ask Marivel about that. At the same time, I'm not sure if it'll help to know, exactly..."
She pats the Reploid on the head, at least, then grins as she pulls out a small sheaf of paper. The Spiran version of the Meria Bouletin isn't much bigger than a travel primer, but that's because paper's a little limited on Spira. "Well, see what you think. First one's on the house, I guess," she offers it over.
"But, I swear the Filgaian one is a bit more meaty," she adds with a puff of air. Still, at least the Spiran version features some very pretty photos of Macalania and Guadosalam, a brief introduction to the Calm Lands and its history - and all the discussion on Luca sightseeing you could want. Shame about that impending war...
<Pose Tracker> Rikku has posed.
"It'll be fine. We Al Bhed aren't a hive mind. We don't /all/ know each other - but - word still travels fast among us." The girl winks, "Oh also - if you see me anywhere but here - treat me like I'm not an Al Bhed - but just any other Spiran - pretty please? There's this boat I just don't want to rock just yet."
Rikku actually crouches down to actually look at Kamui in this comfy mode - perhaps trying to theorize exactly how it works and if she actually sleeps.
"Makes sense to me. If I were running an organization like that I'd want a journalist on the payroll." She grins, "And that's not me saying I'd want to manipulate the press. Just that they're dedicated at digging up information that's useful!"
Rikku does tilt her head to look at Kamui in a new angle. Before taking that sheaf of paper.
"Hey thanks! I'll give it a read later. Maybe you'll make a true believer out of me..."
She does snicker a little at the idea of it being a little light, "Hey that's okay - I mean being so far away from home it's only reasonable to think that it wouldn't have the same 'breadth' when it comes to the news."