I don't own Outlaw Star. ~sigh~ I don't own anything. WHAAAAA.
Enjoy kiddies ^_^
Chapter One: You'd Better Get Ready
The noodles were boiling. It was an easy enough mistake to make. After all, the average citizen of Sentinel III couldn't usually tell the exact temperature at which top ramen was supposed to be cooked. The residents of Starwind and Hawking weren't aware that one must never boil the noodles, or they could end up too soggy. Yet, if the water was too cool below boiling temperature, the noodles could come out too firm. It wasn't the fact that Gene would have noticed. And it certainly wasn't the fact that Jim would have noticed either-he usually ended up overcooking the noodles on his own, so he was quite used to soggy ramen. It was the fact that Melfina, much to her dismay, had been caught off guard daydreaming. And few things made her feel complete these days, save cooking for the group of young men that had become her family. Lately, she was beginning to wonder if she could do even that right.
With a panicked sigh, she doused a small amount of cool water to the pot, then slowly moved the noodles to another burner, one that wasn't already heated. The top ramen cooled, but Melfina knew they wouldn't be perfect. Even if Gene and the rest of them couldn't tell the difference, she would be able to detect that small hint of sogginess in the noodles. Such a simple thing, and yet it would bother her the rest of the night; And the night after that, and the night after that.
"What's up with the face Mel? You look like your dog just died or something." Blinking in surprise, Melfina turned her attention to the boy now peering over her shoulder.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, watching as the sixteen year old peeked into the pot with a smile.
"Only for a few minutes," he said honestly as he reached for the long cooking chopsticks that Melfina had grown so fond of over the years. Narrowing her eyes, Melfina snatched the chopsticks from his grip and gently rapped them over his hand with a grin that would have challenged Gene Starwind himself.
"Out of the kitchen Hikari," she said, shooing him out of her workspace. He looked at her dejectedly for a short moment, then reluctantly took a seat in one of the high stools at the kitchen counter. Mel went back to preparing dinner as the younger boy watched, occasionally blowing a lock of his sandy blond hair out of his deep blue eyes. Resting his head on one fist, he was a picture of hungry misery at that moment, and the resident chef was finding it almost hard to keep a straight face. She chose to make small conversation to keep his mind, and his hands, off of the food.
"So where did Jim go?" she asked as she stirred some unidentifiable broth that smelled too good to be true. Hikari shrugged as he discriminated over some small speck on his white shirt. "I think he went to Mora's," he said, pinching the speck in question between his thumb and forefinger. "Something about the car again." Melfina shook her head with a smile. Jim never seemed to change, no matter how old he got. Ten years ago when they had met, Jim had been scraping every penny he could away from Gene to keep his precious car running. Nothing was different now, and he made regular stops at the Renegade Repair shop to keep it running. Never mind the fact that the thing was falling apart at the seams, it was his "baby."
"Figures," she said as she tasted the broth, then handed Hikari the remains of what was in the ladle. "Careful, it's hot," she warned as she shut off the stove. "When you're done can you go get Gene? We won't wait on Jim, He hates it when we do that." Hikari nodded, though Mel couldn't tell what he approved of: going to get Gene or the soup. She took off her apron and grabbed the ladle back from Hikari, who looked as though he was on another planet for some strange reason. Not that it was the first time that had happened. Her cooking often had a strange effect on people. "Go on," she ordered with a smile as she pointed at the door. "He's at the ship I think, so you'll have to head down to the docking area." Hikari sighed as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, leaving Melfina to set the table.
She paused in her action of grabbing plates from the cabinet to stare at the ramen noodles. The overcooked ramen noodles. With a sigh she began to set the plates on the table, feeling somehow.defeated.
* * *
Gene squinted, trying to focus on the small patch of damaged ship he was welding. It was pointless, he knew, and part of his wished he could just leave it. Besides, he reasoned with himself somewhere in the back of his mind, it was only going to come loose again. Why not just leave it? Because, part of him answered, Jim would give him hell.or Gillium would. He shuddered at that thought as he snapped off the torch and lifted the work goggles from his eyes. Yawning loudly, he began to lower the pulley that was holding him some thirty feet off the ground. He wanted to fall asleep right then and there, just drift off and daydream about something, anything but the ship. But the small canister with eyes next to him seemed determined not to let that happen.
"You weren't very thorough, were you?" Gene narrowed his eyes as he stared at the small pink "can".
"You know Gillium, you should be a little more thankful that I can fix you at all. This kinda equipment isn't easy to come by, you know." Gillium merely turned his robotic gaze to Gene, openly challenging the red haired man.
"Well if you want my opinion you could at least replace my damaged parts with something that equals the original value." The voice was so matter of fact that Gene found his jaw dropping.
"Equals the original value?!? Do you have any idea how hard it is to come by parts that fit you let alone anything of 'equal value'? You're killin' me here Gillium!" The small robot merely bounced off the platform, now only five feet or so from the ground, and headed off toward the ship's entrance, muttering something about a cheap skate. Hikari had to hold back the laughter as he watched, knowing that it would only irritate Gene further. The red headed man looked down at younger boy with a less than pleasant gaze, causing the giggle that was building in Hikari's throat to worsen.
Gene stared at the blond boy with a near scowl. "So what's so funny hot shot?" Hikari shrugged, forcing the giggle to subside.
"Mel's got dinner ready. She wanted me to come get you" Gene managed a small grin. "Good. I'm starving. Is Jim back from Mora's yet?" "Nope," said Hikari with one of his signature smirks. "Still over at lover-girl's. He probably won't be back for a while yet." Gene nodded, grabbing his duster and heading off toward home as Hikari fell in step with his boss. "Good," he said as Hikari joined him, "more food for us."
Hikari nodded, looking back at the XG-P. He'd been on the ship enough over the years, but only on routine missions and odd jobs. Yet.somewhere in the back of his mind he could tell he'd be on that ship again soon. He couldn't tell why, or even how.mostly because he kept pushing the recurring visions out of his head. Never mind it for now, he told himself. It wasn't the first time he'd had visions. It could mean anything. A bodyguard job, or maybe some small tow job for Fred. After all, he couldn't always rely on what he had seen in those visions.
The only problem was, he'd never been wrong.
Enjoy kiddies ^_^
Chapter One: You'd Better Get Ready
The noodles were boiling. It was an easy enough mistake to make. After all, the average citizen of Sentinel III couldn't usually tell the exact temperature at which top ramen was supposed to be cooked. The residents of Starwind and Hawking weren't aware that one must never boil the noodles, or they could end up too soggy. Yet, if the water was too cool below boiling temperature, the noodles could come out too firm. It wasn't the fact that Gene would have noticed. And it certainly wasn't the fact that Jim would have noticed either-he usually ended up overcooking the noodles on his own, so he was quite used to soggy ramen. It was the fact that Melfina, much to her dismay, had been caught off guard daydreaming. And few things made her feel complete these days, save cooking for the group of young men that had become her family. Lately, she was beginning to wonder if she could do even that right.
With a panicked sigh, she doused a small amount of cool water to the pot, then slowly moved the noodles to another burner, one that wasn't already heated. The top ramen cooled, but Melfina knew they wouldn't be perfect. Even if Gene and the rest of them couldn't tell the difference, she would be able to detect that small hint of sogginess in the noodles. Such a simple thing, and yet it would bother her the rest of the night; And the night after that, and the night after that.
"What's up with the face Mel? You look like your dog just died or something." Blinking in surprise, Melfina turned her attention to the boy now peering over her shoulder.
"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, watching as the sixteen year old peeked into the pot with a smile.
"Only for a few minutes," he said honestly as he reached for the long cooking chopsticks that Melfina had grown so fond of over the years. Narrowing her eyes, Melfina snatched the chopsticks from his grip and gently rapped them over his hand with a grin that would have challenged Gene Starwind himself.
"Out of the kitchen Hikari," she said, shooing him out of her workspace. He looked at her dejectedly for a short moment, then reluctantly took a seat in one of the high stools at the kitchen counter. Mel went back to preparing dinner as the younger boy watched, occasionally blowing a lock of his sandy blond hair out of his deep blue eyes. Resting his head on one fist, he was a picture of hungry misery at that moment, and the resident chef was finding it almost hard to keep a straight face. She chose to make small conversation to keep his mind, and his hands, off of the food.
"So where did Jim go?" she asked as she stirred some unidentifiable broth that smelled too good to be true. Hikari shrugged as he discriminated over some small speck on his white shirt. "I think he went to Mora's," he said, pinching the speck in question between his thumb and forefinger. "Something about the car again." Melfina shook her head with a smile. Jim never seemed to change, no matter how old he got. Ten years ago when they had met, Jim had been scraping every penny he could away from Gene to keep his precious car running. Nothing was different now, and he made regular stops at the Renegade Repair shop to keep it running. Never mind the fact that the thing was falling apart at the seams, it was his "baby."
"Figures," she said as she tasted the broth, then handed Hikari the remains of what was in the ladle. "Careful, it's hot," she warned as she shut off the stove. "When you're done can you go get Gene? We won't wait on Jim, He hates it when we do that." Hikari nodded, though Mel couldn't tell what he approved of: going to get Gene or the soup. She took off her apron and grabbed the ladle back from Hikari, who looked as though he was on another planet for some strange reason. Not that it was the first time that had happened. Her cooking often had a strange effect on people. "Go on," she ordered with a smile as she pointed at the door. "He's at the ship I think, so you'll have to head down to the docking area." Hikari sighed as he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, leaving Melfina to set the table.
She paused in her action of grabbing plates from the cabinet to stare at the ramen noodles. The overcooked ramen noodles. With a sigh she began to set the plates on the table, feeling somehow.defeated.
* * *
Gene squinted, trying to focus on the small patch of damaged ship he was welding. It was pointless, he knew, and part of his wished he could just leave it. Besides, he reasoned with himself somewhere in the back of his mind, it was only going to come loose again. Why not just leave it? Because, part of him answered, Jim would give him hell.or Gillium would. He shuddered at that thought as he snapped off the torch and lifted the work goggles from his eyes. Yawning loudly, he began to lower the pulley that was holding him some thirty feet off the ground. He wanted to fall asleep right then and there, just drift off and daydream about something, anything but the ship. But the small canister with eyes next to him seemed determined not to let that happen.
"You weren't very thorough, were you?" Gene narrowed his eyes as he stared at the small pink "can".
"You know Gillium, you should be a little more thankful that I can fix you at all. This kinda equipment isn't easy to come by, you know." Gillium merely turned his robotic gaze to Gene, openly challenging the red haired man.
"Well if you want my opinion you could at least replace my damaged parts with something that equals the original value." The voice was so matter of fact that Gene found his jaw dropping.
"Equals the original value?!? Do you have any idea how hard it is to come by parts that fit you let alone anything of 'equal value'? You're killin' me here Gillium!" The small robot merely bounced off the platform, now only five feet or so from the ground, and headed off toward the ship's entrance, muttering something about a cheap skate. Hikari had to hold back the laughter as he watched, knowing that it would only irritate Gene further. The red headed man looked down at younger boy with a less than pleasant gaze, causing the giggle that was building in Hikari's throat to worsen.
Gene stared at the blond boy with a near scowl. "So what's so funny hot shot?" Hikari shrugged, forcing the giggle to subside.
"Mel's got dinner ready. She wanted me to come get you" Gene managed a small grin. "Good. I'm starving. Is Jim back from Mora's yet?" "Nope," said Hikari with one of his signature smirks. "Still over at lover-girl's. He probably won't be back for a while yet." Gene nodded, grabbing his duster and heading off toward home as Hikari fell in step with his boss. "Good," he said as Hikari joined him, "more food for us."
Hikari nodded, looking back at the XG-P. He'd been on the ship enough over the years, but only on routine missions and odd jobs. Yet.somewhere in the back of his mind he could tell he'd be on that ship again soon. He couldn't tell why, or even how.mostly because he kept pushing the recurring visions out of his head. Never mind it for now, he told himself. It wasn't the first time he'd had visions. It could mean anything. A bodyguard job, or maybe some small tow job for Fred. After all, he couldn't always rely on what he had seen in those visions.
The only problem was, he'd never been wrong.