As the Steering Wheel Turns
After a way too amusing discussion in the gundamseed live journal community, and a gag drawing on aki-mikage. I did, I had to write this. You have to have seen Destiny episode 43 and noticed Arnold's angry look when Dalida came to sit and interrupt his talking with Miriallia.
. . . . . . . . . .
Arnold looked at the calendar Dalida had up on his wall. A very attractive model posing over a car, the perfect blend of what a guy like Dalida liked. He was into cars and all of that jazz, so throw a hot chick in there, and you're set.
Only Arnold didn't want a hot chick on a car.
He wanted a hot chick next to his steering wheel.
A weird urge, yes, but he had spent the best 3 years of his life behind that thing, grabbing it, turning it to it's peak. You could call it an attachment to the inanimate object, a very odd attraction.
He was also lucky enough to have a hot chick within range to possibly pose for him over his wheel. Miriallia Haww, now single, and after two years very much attractive. He almost glowed with glee when she mentioned that loser Elthman asked her out, and she kindly said no to his ass. Arnold always thought he was gay anyway, since he always went around brooding about some guy named Yzak. So him asking her out was probably a deep down denial or something.
Whatever. He didn't care.
All that he knew was the image of her posing in her Orb uniform next to the Archangel's steering wheel was something he would have gave an arm and a leg for to get in calendar-form.
So he went to go sweet talk her, but his first attempt was foiled when Dalida came by to say hello. Miri kindly greeting him, but Arnold wanted to stab him in the face. He got up and left after 5 minutes.
"Damnit," he cursed to himself, now on his shift so he was sitting in front of the wheel. He idly ran a finger down the side of the cool metal. "If only I could get that picture…" he whispered, staring at the wheel. "But maybe second time's the charm, eh?"
And the second time was. He had Miriallia all to himself, and just like he remembered from two years ago, she was still kind and caring, and fun to talk to. And oh so cute. It was easier than anything to get to know her better and get on her good side. They both went to the bridge together after a while, and Arnold looked between Miri and the steering wheel.
About six times.
Until Murrue asked him what the hell he was doing and told him to get to his seat. So he did, and touched his steering wheel once again. The touch sent a wave of excitement down his spine, soon he would get his picture, and hang it on the wall like Dalida did with his calendar. Only Arnold didn't need 12 pictures for each month, he would be able to stare at this one forever.
So one day when he had the time, he snuck out to Orb to get a camera, and played it cool, pretending to be interested in taking pictures of other people too before he approached Miri. Andy and a cup of coffee, whoopdi fucking doo, Arnold thought. Kira and Cagalli, it was hard to tell which was the guy and which was the girl, Arnold thought. A picture of Amagi, what a big ugly nose he had, Arnold thought.
And then he looked to Miri.
"Hey! Why don't you go stand over there?" He pointed toward… his steering wheel. Oblivious to Arnold's ultimate plan, Miriallia nodded with a smile, and walked over to it.
"Tiny bit to the left."
She moved.
"Just a liiitle more."
She moved again.
"Now.. why don't you.. lean on the steering wheel there?" He asked, and tried to hide his insane glee at the thought.
Miri obeyed, and leaned an arm off the side of the steering wheel (which Arnold had lovingly named Linda).
Arnold almost died on the spot, and took about twenty pictures of her before saying she was good to move again.
Miri went back to her things still unknowing to the whole thing. But soon she would see, when she walked into Arnold's room, that very same picture, enlarged about five times and hanging in the middle of his wall in clear view.
And around her head there was a heart drawn in thick red marker.
And around the steering wheel, there was a heart drawn in thick red marker.
"..."