Alexis

Alexis was sprawled out at the outskirts of their encampment, being too big to fit in any of the caravans. She had a portable desk out and was working on her paperwork diligently. Her Writer's Aid was twirling about, enjoying the cool weather and the slight breeze passing through. Alexis hardly made any mistakes but her feathered friend was always there as a failsafe. She ran through some of the expenses. Most of it was maintenance with some food and clothing bills, as expected. They did need to keep a whole caravan running and the terrain they traveled through wasn't exactly friendly.

Hydrangea's caravan especially was always subject to some sort of leakage. When it wasn't getting caught on fire, the floorboards were being melted. It was kind of a headache but Hydrangea didn't seem to mind and fixed her own messes. It was much better than Charlie's impulsive buying habits. He always needed to get the newest set of playing cards that he saw, and as the technical head of the group, he was inclined to spend whatever he pleased. That is, until Alexis came along. Frivolous spending was quickly banned and Charlie's wallet was confiscated for use in the caravan instead. Of course, Alexis still gave him an allowance, but he'd have to learn to save up. Lagoon's expenses were the most reasonable and he was also the most reasonable to talk with. His harp was needed to perform, so of course, it had to be in the best condition.

Alexis then looked up from her work as Storm flew over with a grin on his face and a letter in his hands. She sighed, snatching the letter from him and making sure it hadn't been opened. The Spiral always liked snooping into other people's affairs.

"Sooooo... who's this Vepar person?" Storm asked, "That's what the sender marked his name as. It is a he riiiight?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "He's my lover. He helped with setting up and repairing some of the caravans a while back, surely you haven't forgotten?"

"Oooh... the little sciency Nocturne? He spoke waaaay too fancy. It made me sleepy," Storm chuckled, "So it's a loooooove letter? How spicy!"

"Why don't you go on your way now?" Alexis said, standing up and reminding the smaller dragon of their difference in size, "Before I make you."

"Oops, alright!" The Spiral quickly fled, leaving behind an icy trail.

Alexis sighed and sat back down to read the letter, which she was relieved to find unopened. Vepar usually started his letters to her with sweet and adoring prose, something the Imperial admittedly liked though it was rather embarrassing for others to see it. As she read, a small smile made it's way across her lips. This time, his opening was a short poem about how Alexis was like the autumn and how much he missed her. It had been a long time since they'd seen each other. They were always moving around with the caravan, so Alexis didn't have much downtime to spend with Vepar. She did long to see him again, to hear him ramble on about everything he'd learned since their parting, to see him turn red when she complimented him, to spend the night stargazing with him instead of sleeping outside on her own as she so often did.

Her daughter had gone under Vepar's wing as well. The latter half of the letter talked about how big of a help Bronze always was and how Vepar was lucky to have both of them. Bronze had decided to pursue a scientific path like Vepar and Alexis didn't hold it against her. She knew that deskwork wasn't everyone's cup of tea, especially for a dragon as active and hands-on as Bronze. It did pain her that they couldn't meet more often due to her work though. At least it paid well enough. Despite Charlie's chaotic setup, they drew some good attention due to how peculiar they were. With some proper planning and organizing, Alexis had been able to turn a mighty good profit. That way, she could be paid and the troupe wouldn't be dirt poor and relying on the help of kind strangers to get by.

Vepar's projects always needed lots of funding too. He was the type that forgot about costs when he really set his mind to things. It was a trait that Alexis liked about him though, he was always so determined and excited whenever he made a new discovery. She could remember how his eyes sparkled with joy and how he talked at length about his projects like a kid in showing off at show and tell. Alexis sighed, putting away the letter and finishing up her work. After reviewing everything, she tucked it neatly away in her suitcase, then got up with a heave to go talk to Charlie. She tapped on Charlie's caravan lightly, taking care not to scratch up the custom aqua and green paint.

"Charlie, could I talk to you about our next destination?" Alexis asked.