It's Not What You Know...
While Jeremy was trying his home made mech, Hitomi was puttering around in her workshop. Losing herself in her work was something she always did after a mission, regardless of how it went. It was her way of processing a mission. She was so deep in concentration that she missed Jeremy scuttling into her shop.
“Hey, ‘Omi?” Jeremy stood there waiting.
“Hmm? Hey, Jer. That the mecha you were talking about?”
Jeremy beamed proudly, “Yup! It works pretty well, too. Almost quiet enough for the field with the rubberized tips. Still need to better soundproof the chassis though.” He scratched his head thoughtfully. “I want to be careful. Don’t want her to overheat.”
Hitomi smiled at his enthusiasm. He was younger than her by five years and seemed younger than that even, with all his energy. It seemed boundless. “Try asking Buck for some of his breathable sealant. It’s got bacteria that move oxygen around. I bet that’ll help.”
Jeremy nodded. “I’ll do that. Tomorrow.” He looked a bit embarrassed. “I promised I’d show some of the younger kids a demo.” He shrugged and colored.
She smiled, partly at his self-consciousness, but mostly out of fondness. Jeremy was a good kid, and Hitomi thought he’d make a teacher once he gets more experience. With as many kids as there were around these days, they could use one.
“Oh, there you are.”
They both looked at the doorway, and suppressed a shudder. Collin De’An stood in the workshop’s threshold, insolently leaning on the frame. No one liked Collin, but Buck kept him around because he was better than anyone at talking his way into and out of things.
“Everyone is waiting for you in the gymnasium. And here you are, fraternizing with Hitomi.” The way he said her name almost dripped with malice. If everyone’s feelings for Collin was mild dislike, then Hitomi’s was a blind hatred.
“I was just showing ‘Omi on my way to the gym, Collin.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I came looking for you. Who knows what you’ll be up to here...”
Hitomi pressed her lips together and said nothing to Collin, but looked at Jeremy, and jerked her head towards the gym. He nodded.
“I’ll catch up with you later then.” Jeremy looked at Collin like he had a bad taste in his mouth and scuttled past to the gym. Collin stayed where he was, glaring at Hitomi.
She tried to resume working, but he just leaned there. “What. Do you want?” She bit off each word.
“I thought you didn’t like men.”
She paused in tightening a bolt and held her breath for a beat. “Knock it off, Collin,” She tried to sound tired rather than mad. It was an old bone of contention. When they were both younger, Collin had made no secret that he had a large crush on her. He asked her out in a very public display. When she turned him down then and there after he insisted on hearing her answer immediately, sure that she could not turn her down, he stormed away in a rage. Not long after, it came to light that she was gay, and it was like a switch was tripped. He did his best to humiliate her at every turn, and it was rumored that he even attempted to get Buck to fire her.
Despite the encouragement of her friends, she never responded, but did not make a secret of her dislike either. Time went on and he mellowed slightly, not the least because Buck told him to knock it off, but they were rarely more than civil to one another.
“Why should I?” He shook his head bitterly, “You show interest in everyone but me,” he was about to say something more, when he was cut off with a squeak as Siege had come up behind him and lifted him clear off his feet by the back of his neck.
“Bothering ‘Omi again, you little toad?” Her voice, as usual, was as calm as the eye of the storm despite the insult. “I though Buck made it clear that was not to happen anymore.” She paused and added a bit of menace to her voice, “I thought *I* made it clear.” She put him down and shoved him towards the direction of the gym. “Get going.” Collin looked back at them with unconcealed hatred as he walked quickly away, rubbing the back of his neck.
Hitomi let loose a sigh, “Thanks, partner.”
C.J. shrugged, “What’re friends for. Hey, you got a tick? I think I’ve got an idea about these raids.
Hitomi raised an eyebrow, ”Lead on, MacDuff.“
Siege quirked a smile and walked out, heading towards Buck’s workshop.
“Hey, ‘Omi?” Jeremy stood there waiting.
“Hmm? Hey, Jer. That the mecha you were talking about?”
Jeremy beamed proudly, “Yup! It works pretty well, too. Almost quiet enough for the field with the rubberized tips. Still need to better soundproof the chassis though.” He scratched his head thoughtfully. “I want to be careful. Don’t want her to overheat.”
Hitomi smiled at his enthusiasm. He was younger than her by five years and seemed younger than that even, with all his energy. It seemed boundless. “Try asking Buck for some of his breathable sealant. It’s got bacteria that move oxygen around. I bet that’ll help.”
Jeremy nodded. “I’ll do that. Tomorrow.” He looked a bit embarrassed. “I promised I’d show some of the younger kids a demo.” He shrugged and colored.
She smiled, partly at his self-consciousness, but mostly out of fondness. Jeremy was a good kid, and Hitomi thought he’d make a teacher once he gets more experience. With as many kids as there were around these days, they could use one.
“Oh, there you are.”
They both looked at the doorway, and suppressed a shudder. Collin De’An stood in the workshop’s threshold, insolently leaning on the frame. No one liked Collin, but Buck kept him around because he was better than anyone at talking his way into and out of things.
“Everyone is waiting for you in the gymnasium. And here you are, fraternizing with Hitomi.” The way he said her name almost dripped with malice. If everyone’s feelings for Collin was mild dislike, then Hitomi’s was a blind hatred.
“I was just showing ‘Omi on my way to the gym, Collin.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I came looking for you. Who knows what you’ll be up to here...”
Hitomi pressed her lips together and said nothing to Collin, but looked at Jeremy, and jerked her head towards the gym. He nodded.
“I’ll catch up with you later then.” Jeremy looked at Collin like he had a bad taste in his mouth and scuttled past to the gym. Collin stayed where he was, glaring at Hitomi.
She tried to resume working, but he just leaned there. “What. Do you want?” She bit off each word.
“I thought you didn’t like men.”
She paused in tightening a bolt and held her breath for a beat. “Knock it off, Collin,” She tried to sound tired rather than mad. It was an old bone of contention. When they were both younger, Collin had made no secret that he had a large crush on her. He asked her out in a very public display. When she turned him down then and there after he insisted on hearing her answer immediately, sure that she could not turn her down, he stormed away in a rage. Not long after, it came to light that she was gay, and it was like a switch was tripped. He did his best to humiliate her at every turn, and it was rumored that he even attempted to get Buck to fire her.
Despite the encouragement of her friends, she never responded, but did not make a secret of her dislike either. Time went on and he mellowed slightly, not the least because Buck told him to knock it off, but they were rarely more than civil to one another.
“Why should I?” He shook his head bitterly, “You show interest in everyone but me,” he was about to say something more, when he was cut off with a squeak as Siege had come up behind him and lifted him clear off his feet by the back of his neck.
“Bothering ‘Omi again, you little toad?” Her voice, as usual, was as calm as the eye of the storm despite the insult. “I though Buck made it clear that was not to happen anymore.” She paused and added a bit of menace to her voice, “I thought *I* made it clear.” She put him down and shoved him towards the direction of the gym. “Get going.” Collin looked back at them with unconcealed hatred as he walked quickly away, rubbing the back of his neck.
Hitomi let loose a sigh, “Thanks, partner.”
C.J. shrugged, “What’re friends for. Hey, you got a tick? I think I’ve got an idea about these raids.
Hitomi raised an eyebrow, ”Lead on, MacDuff.“
Siege quirked a smile and walked out, heading towards Buck’s workshop.
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