Prompt 21: Aloof

"No, no, no!" Nora said with an exasperated sigh. "The Wind Jammer is a precision tool – you're firing it like a lava gun!"

Nora wondered for the thousandth time why she had ever been crazy enough to accept this job. Training Nocturna to be a member of the Dragonator Corps was proving far more problematic than she had ever originally anticipated.

The blue mutant female rolled her golden eyes as she took aim at another target. "I've been on the receiving end of these enough times to know that's not true," Nocturna sassed back.

Nora tried to control her rapidly building temper. "Of course when we're fighting hordes of gremwings were going to change the pulse to maximum dispersion. We want to knock as many of those creatures from the sky possible with a single shot."

"And here I thought you were always aiming for me," Nocturna said.

Nora marched back to the mutant and adjusted the setting on the Wind Jammer, desperately trying to not rise to the backhanded insults being bandied about. "Look here," Nora said, pointing to a small readout on Nocturna's armband. "This is the control panel for changing from a pulse to beam, and also controlling the dispersion ratio of the shot. Nora quickly changed it from pulse to beam, and narrowed the beam setting to the minimum. "Now give it a try."

Nocturna looked skeptical but aimed for the next target and fired the Wind Jammer. A thin, cutting beam shot out and sliced the target cleanly in half.

"Do you see what I mean?" Nora said. "Wind Jammers can cut through solid rock given enough time on that setting."

"Looks like you might not be just another pretty face after all," Nocturna said, raising an eye ridge.

Nora worked with Nocturna for another hour, this time practicing with the moving robotic targets that the dragonators had programmed to match known gremwings flight patterns. Nora was sweating by the end, and she could see Nocturna was winded as well.

"I'll never say you dragonators don't take your training seriously," Nocturna said as she finally pulled off the Wind Jammer gauntlet and returned it to Nora. They certainly weren't at the point that Nocturna could carry a weapon around Airlandis, even if she could train with one.

Nocturna left the training area, and Nora put away a few things before she saw a call coming through on her vox. A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth despite her best effort as Nora saw it was Peak calling. The two of them had been spending a lot of time together recently, though Nora wasn't sure she wanted it to be anything official at the moment.

"Whatcha doing for dinner, babe?" Peak asked.

Nora never had any plans; Peak should know that by now. "Nothing much, just grabbing something in the Replimat," she replied. "Why, are you thinking of joining me?" she teased, her voice coy.

"I'm always up for the Replimat mystery meat if it's with you," Peak said. "Catch you there in a half hour?"

"Count on it," Nora replied before signing off. She was never sure what her and Peak really had going on. There was friendship for sure, but ever since he had tricked her into spending New Year's with his family…well, it felt like there might be something more. She had kissed him at the Dragonator Ball too. Looking back, Nora couldn't say why she had done it; maybe it was the music and the champagne and the stars. But that was just silly. Nora had never been the kind of girl swayed by those ridiculous things.

Nora pushed all that aside as she finished writing her daily report on Nocturna's training for Z'neth. Booking it to the Replimat, Nora waved to Peak from across the crowded dining room. He had reserved a table for two. Sometimes it was just them, and other times she was sure he made a point to have her sit and interact with the other dragonators more.

"So," Peak said as she settled down at the table with her tray. "How was your lesson with Lady Blue?"

"We made progress on the Wind Jammers, but not much else. Peak, I still don't understand why Z'neth thought it would be good for me to teach Nocturna. Surely he or Apex would be more qualified," Nora said.

"Dunno," Peak said, spearing a slice of the mystery meat on his fork. "But I think he specifically wanted to distance himself from all her activities here on Airlandis. People are starting to talk, you know."

Nora almost choked on her tea. She started to cough. "Wait, you mean…?" she asked, giving Peak an incredulous look.

Peak put up his hands. "Hey, I just said people are starting to talk. I have no idea; but do me a favor and don't mention that around Apex. She nearly ripped me a new one when I made a joke about it the other day."

"Well, putting that aside, I put in my report that Nocturna will probably be ready for her first belowclouds mission in a couple of weeks," Nora said. "And I do think it would be better to have Z'neth there."

They discussed possible training mission sites for a bit longer before Peak remembered he was scheduled to leave for a crystal run later than evening. As he was getting up from their table, he turned back to Nora and asked, "So, the talent show is in a couple of weeks. Summit is playing a song he wrote, and all of the family is going. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?"

"You mean like a date?" Nora asked, trying to hold an expressionless look on her face.

Peak scratched the back of his head. "Well, yeah. A date. You know, when two people who like each other do something fun together?"

"Well, since you put it that way," Nora said. "Because I do in fact like you, I would be happy to be your date for the evening."

Peak blushed as he moved closer back to Nora. "And how about evenings after that?"

"One day at a time, tiger," Nora quipped, giving Peak a shy smile. "You're going to ruin my steely, unapproachable reputation at this rate."