<strong><strong>~ Mae Little aka "MeiMei"- at the cargo bay doors in the process of disembarking the ship with Vincent to explore Persephone ~</strong></strong><br/><br/><br/>It was more than obvious that Mae had a fondness for the handsome Companion. Pleasure sparkled in her eyes as she absorbed his kindness with the simple yet warm welcome. The teen was seen by many people as spirited and headstrong, but only a rare few understood her well enough to see the vulnerable child still hiding behind her bold green eyes.  Lex was one of those people, highly intuitive and able to read beyond the show the energetic youth put on for the entire verse and everyone in it. In fact Mae often wondered if he just might know her better than she knew herself. This was never more apparent from response that flooded her mind from the simple questions he put forth as he held her protectively in his arms.<br/><br/><strong>"How you been, Mei-mei? I missed you. Did you miss me, too?"</strong><br/><br/>The simple fact that someone had missed her and had actually acknowledged it shot through her defences like a speeding bullet and touched her exposed insecurities with a soothing balm. The results  of which hit her quickly causing her bottom lip to tremble as she buried her face into the crook of Lex’s neck feeling the bite of tears forming in the back of her eyes.<br/><br/>Having asked a similar question to both Dani and Simeon earlier without receiving a response, Mae had struggled with the internal voice that had been whispering cruel, unpleasant and decidedly negative replies on her shipmates behalf in the back of her mind. She had fought with her emotions as they grew sensitive to every word spoken to her from that point and beyond. Had she not had a vice grip on her self-control, Sasha would have suffered the blow from Mae's momentary lack of self-confidence, resulting undoubtedly with Mae being sent to her room like a spoiled child, or worse.<br/><br/>As she hugged Lex her arms wrapped around him tightly, perhaps more so than what was necessary, hiding her eyes as she blinked back the tears that sprang from her uncertainty. “I did miss you!”<em>More than you could ever truly know! </em>The second part of her answer was said internally as she pulled back from the hug after regaining her composure. Mae flashed a sassy grin to cover for her momentary lapse of poise before adding playfully "other than Vinnie here, there ain't no one on this here boat that can appreciate my joke tellin' I tell you it's a sorry affair! Folk just don't know how to have a good time no more.”<br/><br/>As Mae chatted happily her eyes drifted over to the stranger that stood nearby assuming that he was the new crew member who had come to join the motley cast of unique personalities that made up her makeshift family and crew of The Gamble. Mae let her eyes drift along his body, taking in his rough exterior with an appreciative eye. She was more than curious about him and couldn't help but wonder where he might fit into the group.<br/><br/>During her silent scrutiny of the man, the plucky pilot found her attention once again focused on the highly amusing disembarking passenger.  Mae giggled as Mrs. Sylvester struck again, fondling yet another unsuspecting backside. The younger girl had to admit the old lady had spunk. Something Mae herself could understand and in fact held in spades. Shifting off to the side, yet remaining close enough to both Vincent and Lex for her own comfort, and possibly for their own protection from wandering hands, Mae gave the newest crew member a nod of her head in a form of greeting.<br/><br/>"Wei, what about you?” she called over to who she would soon find out was Steve McPherson "can you appreciate truly cheesy and lame ass jokes? More importantly, can you add to them?”  Her smile grew as she moved toward the newest crew member, her hips swaying softly in a way that came naturally to the young seductress. "The name's Little...Mae Little, the boats official Bao bei and pilot" she teased as she tossed him an impish grin, fluttering her eyelashes comically and extending her hand in form of greeting.<br/><br/><div align="center">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><br/>Hey!: Wei<br/>Sweetheart: Bao bei<br/>