"I might do just that" He replies after Quick finally breaks the straight face (good at keeping it up, that one). Plenty of fish in the sea, indeed. He turns to Sera when she picks up on it "Flattered as I am, I wouldn't call it 'elaborate'. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted" He gives her a smile, of the "let's just be friends" kind.
He remains silent when the Nix answers the questions he posed, intrigued that she'd be so open about it. For the entirety of her statement he appears focused and deep in thought, as if he analyzes her words - and the sounds they make. "A balance in all things. Seems like it was working pretty well for you so far. Takes a lot of fortitude to maintain it, though. Glad we have you on our side" Alex chooses not to dwell on the subject in the event he misjudged something or said one word too many. Durance and rebuilding a life is a difficult subject, Spring or no Spring. "Me?" He appears to be genuinely surprised. "I spent most of my life after escaping in the Bay area. That's where I pledged to Summer and that's where I set up a practice as a fixer and con man. Spent half my time connecting the right people and the other conning the one percent out of their hard-stolen money in something I believed was a crusade to save the weak and poor." He shakes his head, smiling with pity at his past "I thought we were making a difference, but the truth is, we weren't even making a dent. Then I realized the best way to beat the system is to make it work for me. Infect it like cancer, for the lack of a better comparison. It's proved quite effective and useful" He looks over the faces of Quick and Sera to appraise the impact the story had on them, if any. "I decided to move back home both because River City's circles of influence are much more manageable and because the political climate at the Bay has become insufferable." He pauses there to catch a breath and make up his mind about what to say next "Plus, it allows me to keep an eye on my family."
He chuckles when the topic of the Freehold's defenses is being continued "I'm not an expert either, but that's what associates are for. I think one or two front companies and a million dollars of a rainy day fund ina n offshore account are enough for a start, but it will be a lot of legwork and favors to make it happen." He pauses briefly "And don't worry, I'm not out for your money. Or anyone else's. All due respect, it's easily traceable, and besides you have a great many other talents, more valuable than any amount of greenery can provide. We all do."
Laughing at her objection to take over the world in a skirt, he asks "Really? What'd be your outfit of choice?" Because there's serious stuff and there's... well, this. Jokes. Letting one's hair down. Interestingly enough, there seems to be some kind of link between the Elemental and the Siren, a thread of understanding. He makes a mental note about it, and chooses to observe.