Kururu Sumeragi was a genius. She didn't say that with malice or scorn, it was just a fact. Some people looked down on other people for not being as smart as them, but Kururu could hardly make that leap, considering what she was so good at. Storm riders were a solid demonstration of exactly why being a mechanical genius didn't make her better than everyone else.
That said, with the exception of Ms. Ine anyone else doing maintenance on ATs was...well it was a learning opportunity for them, which was nice. Kururu liked when her friends had a chance to learn, because they kind of needed it. The new boy who had shown up, Anthony, with the pretty blue eyes and the intense stare, had been able to tell somehow that she was a genius. She could almost understand that honestly, she could sort of tell he was too.
That said she had been sadly anticipating his failure to impress her and considering all the ways she could comfort him without showing her disappointment. Then his hands started moving, and Kururu fell in love. Not with him, well, a little bit. He was handsome and charming and interesting. But mostly she fell in love with the art. Kururu was a genius, was a master mechanic, was a queen in waiting.
She wasn't an artist. Not really, not like Anthony was. His creations weren't just beautiful in their elegance or in their brilliance, they were beautiful. He made masterpieces, and made Kururu feel something she hadn't felt since she was a little girl and saw Ms. Ine work for the first time. Kururu felt lesser. Not in technical skill maybe, though some of the principles he included in his work had floored her, but in sheer talent.
For the first time in her life someone her own age made Kururu feel pressure, and she absolutely adored it. Working together on the regalia had been transcendent, creating something new together that no one had ever seen. Anthony had gaps in his knowledge of ATs but she liked that, it meant she had a role to play. They were a team, a perfect combination, and was she blushing? She felt like she might be blushing.
When Gabishi showed up to try to kill him she was furious. How dare that face wearing freak try to take this precious thing she hadn't known she'd needed. This was a special experience between them, testing out their new baby, and not for the first time Kururu wished she could actually RIDE ATs so she could give Gabishi a stern talking too. Luckily Anthony had handled it perfectly, well, at least the overall plan was good. She'd missed some of the details. His chest was very muscular and she may have snuggled in a bit. But only for a second.
And now he was off who knows where preparing for a dash against SLEEPING FOREST of all the asanine nonsense. They could be building things together and he was off zipping around getting ready for a possibly lethal match against the kings of AT. Boys. Kururu Sumeragi rolled her eyes as she headed back up to her workshop to try to recreate that fascinating gravity manipulation system Anthony had made. She would have some strong words for him when he came to visit next.