Title: Oh, I dunno... help me out here, willya? Suggestions? Anyone??? Need... muse...
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Forgot this last time... I don't own OLS (except for Jim). No seriously, don't sue me or I *will* bite you.
Premise: Oh... you don't care. Just read, k?
A/N: Yes. The last chapter was boring, and this one won't be much better... But it is longer! Uh...much longer... ^.^; Just bear with me, it starts getting good next chapter, and this one sets it up with some background info. Just review and tell me how it is, please? PLEASE?! *puppy eyes* 6.6
*****
She walked to the right of the building, past the metal garage door to an alleyway. There, in the side of the building, was another doorway. The doorknob clicked open when she tried it, and she walked into what appeared to be an indoor junk heap, filled with discarded mechanical parts and a decrepit old tractor.
"Mr. Hawking? Hello?" The e-mail had informed her to inquire about the job opening in the repair shop/garage, where the Hawking of the "company" spent most of his time. He and Gene had posted job ads, needing help to raise money for their next excursion into space, the last of which they had returned from not quite a month ago. At this time, about noon, the residence-slash-office was quiet. Aisha was working with Clyde at the bar, though it was unsure how long she would keep that job; she could hardly stand Iris. Suzuka was rarely present at any time, prefering to do her business privately and independently. She split her "paycheck" with the others, quickly quieting any initial thoughts of complaint. Gene had been browsing for bounties, which had now become a regular job for him when he wasn't tracking them down. When the girl entered the garage, he and Melfina, who spent most of her time at home base, had gone out yet again. They had grown very close and were openly affectionate. For Gene, there was more than one reason to save up his money.
As hot as it was outside, the temperature in the shop was stifling. Even the occasional draft of cooler air through a door connecting to the living area of the place offered little relief. The girl, not receiving any answer but a slight, irregular clanking sound coming from near the tractor, repeated herself.
"Mr. Hawking? M-"
"Just a minute!" The clanking gave way to a low, screechy, grinding sound, followed by a louder clank and a muffled "ow!" The girl made her way through the spare parts and grease to where she had heard the voice. As she approached from the back end of the tractor, she spied a pair of booted feet poking out from under it.
"Are you-" A blonde boy with an undeniably cute baby-face scooted out from under the machine. He waved a hand to cool off a newly swollen red finger, resisting the instinctual temptation to suck on the grimy digit. The girl's face flushed slightly as she caught sight of his shirtless torso, slightly car-greasy.
"Jim Hawking. You here by appointment?" He had a friendly, disarming voice, mild and not much deepened yet by the horrors of male puberty. She was about to reply as he stood up, but was distracted by a conspicuously placed scar, a short but deep red dash across the near center of his leanly built chest.
"Ah... no. I'm here about a job." She dug the ad out of her pocket and unfolded it. He glanced at it.
"Oh yeah... You were the first one to reply. What's your name again?" Jim turned a few steps back to a rusty and decidedly unsafe looking faucet. He turned the handle and water squirted out sporadically before settling into a regular rhythm.
"Asahi Tenrou. I-" She paused and stared as she saw a mirror of the scar she had seen before on his back, seemingly on the exact opposite side as the other. "I hope I'm not bothering you." Jim placed his injured pinky under the stream of water, then splashed his face. He grabbed a towel and dried his face and hands before replying.
"Nah. I was gonna take a break anyways." He pulled on a white, slightly grease-stained sleeveless t-shirt and flicked a damp strand of hair out of his line of vision. It immediately returned to its former position. "Wanna come inside and get something to drink?"
"Sure." She followed behind him into the cool relief of that wonderful invention known as air conditioning.
*****
A glass of lemonade clinked down on the table, leaving a ring of condensation around its base. Ice danced as Jim continued the job interview.
"Favorite movie?"
"Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King- 2003."
"You go for old-school crappy effects like that?"
"I go for the plot. And the elves." Jim grinned. "What about you?"
"Mm... I'd have to say... 007...um, I can't remember. It's like the 58th one. Pretty old."
"58? The Past Never Dies?"
"That's it. Er..." He looked upward and scratched his head. "Well." He clapped a folder shut as Asahi drank the last of her lemonade. "I guess that concludes the interview. I'll need to figure out some hours for you- any time is ok, right?" She nodded. "I'll call you tomorrow morning, 'k?"
"Sure. Thanks for the lemonade." She stood. "Bye."
"Ciao." He waved as she left and sat back in his chair with a smile. He relaxed there for a minute before getting up to put the glasses in the sink. He'd better be getting back to work.
*****
A/N: Better? Eh? Review please! I know it's been kinda boring, but the action and angst'll start up next chapter, I promise(and it'll probly be even longer-or i might revise this one later on)! Stupid ff.n... keeps screwing up.... ^.^; Bai's!
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: Forgot this last time... I don't own OLS (except for Jim). No seriously, don't sue me or I *will* bite you.
Premise: Oh... you don't care. Just read, k?
A/N: Yes. The last chapter was boring, and this one won't be much better... But it is longer! Uh...much longer... ^.^; Just bear with me, it starts getting good next chapter, and this one sets it up with some background info. Just review and tell me how it is, please? PLEASE?! *puppy eyes* 6.6
*****
She walked to the right of the building, past the metal garage door to an alleyway. There, in the side of the building, was another doorway. The doorknob clicked open when she tried it, and she walked into what appeared to be an indoor junk heap, filled with discarded mechanical parts and a decrepit old tractor.
"Mr. Hawking? Hello?" The e-mail had informed her to inquire about the job opening in the repair shop/garage, where the Hawking of the "company" spent most of his time. He and Gene had posted job ads, needing help to raise money for their next excursion into space, the last of which they had returned from not quite a month ago. At this time, about noon, the residence-slash-office was quiet. Aisha was working with Clyde at the bar, though it was unsure how long she would keep that job; she could hardly stand Iris. Suzuka was rarely present at any time, prefering to do her business privately and independently. She split her "paycheck" with the others, quickly quieting any initial thoughts of complaint. Gene had been browsing for bounties, which had now become a regular job for him when he wasn't tracking them down. When the girl entered the garage, he and Melfina, who spent most of her time at home base, had gone out yet again. They had grown very close and were openly affectionate. For Gene, there was more than one reason to save up his money.
As hot as it was outside, the temperature in the shop was stifling. Even the occasional draft of cooler air through a door connecting to the living area of the place offered little relief. The girl, not receiving any answer but a slight, irregular clanking sound coming from near the tractor, repeated herself.
"Mr. Hawking? M-"
"Just a minute!" The clanking gave way to a low, screechy, grinding sound, followed by a louder clank and a muffled "ow!" The girl made her way through the spare parts and grease to where she had heard the voice. As she approached from the back end of the tractor, she spied a pair of booted feet poking out from under it.
"Are you-" A blonde boy with an undeniably cute baby-face scooted out from under the machine. He waved a hand to cool off a newly swollen red finger, resisting the instinctual temptation to suck on the grimy digit. The girl's face flushed slightly as she caught sight of his shirtless torso, slightly car-greasy.
"Jim Hawking. You here by appointment?" He had a friendly, disarming voice, mild and not much deepened yet by the horrors of male puberty. She was about to reply as he stood up, but was distracted by a conspicuously placed scar, a short but deep red dash across the near center of his leanly built chest.
"Ah... no. I'm here about a job." She dug the ad out of her pocket and unfolded it. He glanced at it.
"Oh yeah... You were the first one to reply. What's your name again?" Jim turned a few steps back to a rusty and decidedly unsafe looking faucet. He turned the handle and water squirted out sporadically before settling into a regular rhythm.
"Asahi Tenrou. I-" She paused and stared as she saw a mirror of the scar she had seen before on his back, seemingly on the exact opposite side as the other. "I hope I'm not bothering you." Jim placed his injured pinky under the stream of water, then splashed his face. He grabbed a towel and dried his face and hands before replying.
"Nah. I was gonna take a break anyways." He pulled on a white, slightly grease-stained sleeveless t-shirt and flicked a damp strand of hair out of his line of vision. It immediately returned to its former position. "Wanna come inside and get something to drink?"
"Sure." She followed behind him into the cool relief of that wonderful invention known as air conditioning.
*****
A glass of lemonade clinked down on the table, leaving a ring of condensation around its base. Ice danced as Jim continued the job interview.
"Favorite movie?"
"Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King- 2003."
"You go for old-school crappy effects like that?"
"I go for the plot. And the elves." Jim grinned. "What about you?"
"Mm... I'd have to say... 007...um, I can't remember. It's like the 58th one. Pretty old."
"58? The Past Never Dies?"
"That's it. Er..." He looked upward and scratched his head. "Well." He clapped a folder shut as Asahi drank the last of her lemonade. "I guess that concludes the interview. I'll need to figure out some hours for you- any time is ok, right?" She nodded. "I'll call you tomorrow morning, 'k?"
"Sure. Thanks for the lemonade." She stood. "Bye."
"Ciao." He waved as she left and sat back in his chair with a smile. He relaxed there for a minute before getting up to put the glasses in the sink. He'd better be getting back to work.
*****
A/N: Better? Eh? Review please! I know it's been kinda boring, but the action and angst'll start up next chapter, I promise(and it'll probly be even longer-or i might revise this one later on)! Stupid ff.n... keeps screwing up.... ^.^; Bai's!