Starling inhales very profoundly. She is one of the few sky knights chosen to be sent to commission Dustin at this conference as she has had a relationship with him. And the deep nervousness isn't helping one bit. It has been nearly eight months since she last saw him face to face. Even though she has seen from her disguises, he never seemed indeed saw or recognized her as Starling, but another worker or guard. So it would be nerve-racking what he might first say to her besides a simple hello. But then again, even if he did recognize her, then he might not have acknowledged her so her cover wouldn't be blown.
"Starling, your hand with the drink, is trembling," Suzy points out as the conference goes on as they sit in the back as Dustin gives a presentation on the current challenges all civilian and merchant cruisers faced both structural threats and external ones, along with other things that needed to be considered.
Starling sighs as she grabs her hand, stopping it from shaking. "Sorry. Just too much on my mind," she apologizes, trying to relax in her seat while idly listening to Dustin's lecture.
"You understand everything he is saying?" Suzy asks, a bit lost while hearing the talk about the more technical side of the lecture with diagrams on the projector.
Starling tries to give a wry smile at her favorite blizzardian. "Hardly."
"Well, we always knew that his mind works on a completely different level than our own. If not, he wouldn't have been able to build the Tailwind," Suzy points out as many are taking notes while some they notice are a bit red in the face.
Starling nods. "Yeah. And most of these guys stand no chance at remaking their ships. They would have to scrap decades of planning and design to follow Dustin's," Starling points out, starting to see signs of anger on those that are red in the face. 'It's like Dustin has said in the past. Some will not accept progress like this,' Starling thinks, not happy that Dustin had predicted this kind of reaction to his advancements.
"So, have you scheduled a meeting later today with him, or has the official done that?" Suzy questions.
Starling nods, leaning on an arm. "Yeah. I got some time scheduled with him. Let's hope he at least takes this enough for a challenge."
Suzy looks over at her. "It's Dustin. If he weren't, we would be taking him to a doctor," Suzy points out.
Starling smirks a little. "He would be pulling your ears if you did that."
Suzy says nothing as they continue. She starts wondering how the third member of their group, the official, would act towards Dustin. Being an official, she is unsure if he would be respectful or condescending. She is doubtful he will hold contempt but will stay mostly silent on the entire matter. As for how he might react to her and Starling, Suzy does think he might act as normal as ever, like when he last met them. Though, that is recapturing a moment with a different atmosphere right now.
Dustin sits across from the representative of the Free Atmos, who outlined their proposal for commissioning him, and he faked considering it, having already been convinced to take this one by Salv. 'And of course, the first ship is for commercial and cargo, with the next being civilian. How did I figure that?' he thinks to himself while looking at the specifications of what they must be able to do minimum at least. "Your opening offer for the payment?" Dustin questions before starting to haggle the price.
In the end, the representative agreed to several hundred thousand payment, royalties, a place to work in the Free Atmos, and the first ship would be given to someone of his choosing. It is so clear that the official underestimated Dustin that it is not even funny. And all in five minutes. Dustin isn't spending time sky-shark shitting this entire conversation.
"So I am guessing they sent you to help convince me, but the official didn't think it was necessary since I am so young?" Dustin asks after the official leaves the three alone.
"Honestly…" Starling starts, sighing. "He was expecting an older guy. Maybe with really rough and dirty hands. Guess he was a little disappointed during the lecture."
"So shall we get out of the way that I kept seeing you in Cyclonia?" Dustin asks, looking to Starling.
Starling freezes for a second before sighing. "Can't hide it from you with your eyes as detail-orientated as they are," she admits before trying to smile towards him while they sit across from him at the meeting table. "When did you figure it out?"
"Two seconds after that first time, I saw you dressed as a talon during the retrofit of the Tailwind," Dustin informs.
Starling sighs and facepalms into her hand. "Guess I should work on my disguise."
"Just don't put a sign around your neck saying 'I am a spy,' and you will be good," Dustin teases.
Starling chuckles a little before smiling at him. "So, how are you?"
"Fine enough. I am mostly getting established. As you know, I got enough to buy a private drydock. Before I hear anything about favoritism or complaining why there, we refitted, and it was cheaper to buy the area than move all of that stuff to a different one," Dustin informs, knowing Starling will bring it up.
Suzy raises an eyebrow, one of her ears moving up for a second to turn towards him behind her head. "One of our places isn't good enough, hoser?" she quips, smiling. "Too much trouble to even have a second one?"
"I am running the budget. Do you know how expensive it is building a ship?" Dustin asks.
"Too much?" they both ask at the same time.
"Exactly. Take that, buying the building, then the price for moving the materials, and then installing it. You are looking at nearly eight hundred thousand," Dustin says, making both flinch out that cost.
Suzy's hair sticks up a little as her ears flinch once in a while. "Eight…hundred…" she stutters.
"Oh geez…" Starling mutters to herself as she figures it must have been high. But this much is not what she expected. Then again, her figures were based on other ships in progress and their dockyards. And they, which have been stagnant for years on making the same thing, have it more easy-going than whatever Dustin deals with.
"So yeah. Buying the drydock in Cyclonia was only two hundred thousand in comparison. It was a question of economics, not preferred," Dustin informs.
"That's…" Suzy starts before groaning. "Yeah. Sorry, buddy. That's not how everyone else sees it," she admits, shaking her head.
"Since when have I cared about public opinion, and they will soon stop talking when we have a facility in Atmosia itself," Dustin points out.
Starling groans and massages her head. "Dustin, there is a lot more involved than you think. Just you making your home or rather your ship home at Cyclonian territory makes it where the Free Atmosian treats you much rougher than normal. Until you move the main ship and home here, stay for at least a month, then things will be better in that aspect. Welcome to the political life," she explains, looking partially worried at him. "Even we have that problem of just seeing you in trouble half the time when we hear of you still there. Heck, Suzy keeps looking at the sky, hoping you fly in," she admits, nodding her head at the blizzardian.
Suzy immediately perks up and blushes bright red under her blue fur. "Wha…What are you talking about, hoser?!" she strikes back at Starling, glaring at the girl as her fur bristles. "I do not do that."
"And you wonder why I don't want to get involved with the Atmosian council and knights. They make it all personal," Dustin says, sighing, massaging his brow, and ignoring that jab at Suzy. "But, I see what you mean. This is an excuse to travel between the two as a neutral party. I was also looking at the budget to see if we can take on more people for our group," Dustin says.
"You might find some neutral ones, but don't expect too much," Starling informs before humming. "What are you going to do in the meantime besides hunting for more people?"
"No one will hear about this?" Dustin asks seriously, looking at the two.
Both girls look confused before frowning a little. "If you mean no one will walk in? Yes," Suzy answers, crossing her arms and leaning back in her seat.
"I mean, neither of you is to tell a soul. The next step of the Tailwind's development is to make it able to fly in the stratosphere," Dustin says seriously.
Now the girls are too interested but also shocked. "Dustin, the deeps is one thing. But the stratosphere is another world entirely," Starling speaks up, very surprised he is going for this plan by the look on his face.
"I know the deeps were easier in some ways, but they also required I make the Tailwind airtight as well, so work already started," Dustin informs.
Suzy sighs and places her head in her hands. "You are never going to stop, are you?"
"I think we stopped enough over the last five decades. Time to move forward," Dustin says as Suzy and Starling start to see him a bit differently. He had grown and now is a man who knew what he wanted. "Now, I expect you both to keep this quiet for now. I plan to announce it later after I finish with this commission. But enough of that. Let's spend time together and have fun. No more business," Dustin informs.
"You? Spending time and having fun?" Starling asks as both girls look at each other in confusion before looking back at Dustin, who has a slight smile on his face.
"Yes," Dustin says, pulling out a bottle of alcohol to share with the two.
"What the fuck is going on?" Suzy asks bluntly. Now both of them are so confused as Dustin hardly acts like this to their knowledge. Heck, when does he propose to drink alcohol, for that matter? "Dustin, are you okay?" Suzy asks, worried now, trying to sign if there is any reason why he is acting too friendly to them.
Dustin's smile fell. "Try to be a nice guy and do something and spend time with you both, and I get this. Alright fuck it," Dustin says, throwing her the bottle and gets up to leave.
Suzy catches the bottle in surprise before jumping up and getting in his way. "Dustin, you never act like this even when you do visit and be nice. Heck, this isn't you. Why are you suddenly too nice to us? And yes, that's a thing," Suzy scolds, poking his chest, sidestepping his attempts to get past her, and keeps blocking his way.
"I am not the same kid you remember anymore, Suzy. I grew up and mellowed a bit. People who aren't the Rex guardians change," Dustin says, sneaking in a stab at the Rex Guardians.
"What she means is…we are too used to the old you," Starling sighs, shaking her head before getting up and walking towards the two. "The one who looked at every project like a good challenge. That was with a smile on his face who enjoyed it all. A dream to make one of the best ships in the Atmos. And attempts to legitimately make friends, not by rushing it, but by spending time and talking. Just saying you are a 'mellowed out' isn't good enough," Starling explains, giving some air quotes. "It is a shock to see you go from so serious and never tell a soul business to want to smile so brightly and have a drink as if nothing happened in all that time."
"Well, maybe I have missed interacting with both of you. So is that too hard to understand?" Dustin asks, almost sounding miffed about this experience.
Suzy feels a small smile come through at that moment. In fact, she does feel like she is looking at the same vulnerable Dustin, who is prone to these outbursts. "Maybe it's best not to jump in like nothing. How about we go out and talk, okay? Start from there?" she offers, placing her hands on his shoulders after tossing the bottle to Starling to catch.
"Suzy. You already drank half the bottle," Starling informs, looking into the bottle.
Suzy gives a glare at Starling, and the girl immediately shuts up, stepping away from them a little.
Dustin smiles as he sits on a bench in the town, Suzy and Starling eating some of the food they grabbed on the way here. After announcing after the entire meeting ended that he is making another impossible goal, the whole room was understatedly in shock. Reaching the stratosphere is one thing. But being able to fly in it is an entirely separate issue. Dustin did say his ship is now sealed, but the main problem is staying at that height without refueling on fuel and air to stay up. Never mind other supplies needed or the thrust to keep afloat with all the weight.
But the girls know that if Dustin sets a goal as impossible as that, he will work hard on making sure it comes true. He already did two. Making such a brand new ship, it blows everyone else out of the sky. And now can go deeper than even the deepest record by the Murk Raiders. So where else can Dustin go? The stratosphere, of course. A place where only so few have seen the world from that height, you can count on one hand—some by accident.
Yet even though his mind is troubled by what to counter, he does think about what Suzy said. Him expecting to rekindle their relationships just like nothing happened. Maybe he did expect too much and hoped for an easy victory after what he had to deal with. Ships and sculptures he can handle. Heck, he can do eye surgery even for a rare raptor issue. But relationships are another matter entirely. Maybe he might have to look at things another way when interacting with others to keep them all good friends. He can't push them away or treat them like another project with what he knows. Because unlike projects, even people change, as he mentioned, but the mind still hopes for the familiar.
When Dustin looks at the two girls eating happily, one blizzardian enjoying herself a bit too much with getting some food stains on her cheek fur and the other girl eating slowly and enjoying the taste, he thinks that maybe he should have read the room. These girls did expect to catch back up with him on many things they have missed together. But being too sudden with serious news to light and happy tone would tip anyone off if something is wrong. And Suzy, always a mood reader, catches on fast. He smiles a bit more as he remembers when she did talk to him on that mountain, how she made him think through things with her help and find the correct answers that were eating away at him. Looking back at that moment in the meeting room, Suzy once again did the same thing. She was able to stop him with another question. One that he has to answer no matter what. She does have a compelling voice that he can't ever stop listening to. It made him feel so at ease and deflated when she lets him relax and enjoy himself. And when it comes to helping him sort through his problems, Suzy is there for him.
Starling on the hand keeps him on the straight and narrow. The truth of the matter of the world, since Dustin does tends to close himself off when he works on various things. She helped drag him away from the familiar and saw something in a better or different light. If she didn't do that a few times in the past, Dustin could have been stuck wandering around without knowing what was going on. Maybe even get into deep trouble. It is almost amusing to Dustin that even if Starling is busy and spying for the Free Atmosians, she ends up saving his butt a few times when it counts without even being there or trying. Starling had to put things into simple terms for him as it got heated in that meeting room. He almost left due to his stupidity and also two good friends. And Suzy had to go and block his way with another serious question while Starling helped explain every thought going through their heads at that moment. Even Dustin's mind wasn't thinking much at that time. To admit his way, Dustin set the entire talk he was planning with his two oldest friends in his mind as if he was strategically going about how to get the best deal. Which, looking back on it now, is not what is needed.
Maybe he does need to go out more. But he would have to ask some of the crew to do so, not as employees or various workers. No, he would have to do it as friends going out for a night on the town, which could be tough considering how they view him. And it doesn't help matters as he can give orders to Cyclonis when it's needed. She knows he will never abuse her power because he doesn't have a real need for it. But when it happens, she will do it as when he gives an order to her; it means it's a serious matter that must be attended to.
At this point, maybe he should start with Cyclonis and Salv when they are not busy. They seem like good companions, to begin with, just being themselves instead of their jobs. And he can learn how to be a better friend to Suzy and Starling fully…but that might take a while as he knows it would be hard to break this habit. But he does have to try, at least.
"Come on man. Eat up," Suzy mumbles through her food as she pushes over a tray of them to the deep thinking man.
Dustin blinks when she talks before smiling. "Yeah…" he sighs back before starting to eat as well.
Starling smiles as she notices his interaction much better than before. Not as cold or sudden. But more soft and warm. But the bigger question remains. "So after this, you are going back to your ship and keep working?"
Dustin pauses for a second before sighing. "Yeah. Have to work…" he then notices Suzy's ears flinching at the sound of what he said before smiling at them. "But I will make personal time for my crewmates and even you guys over the radio if too far," he promises, trying to smile and offer some degree of comfort.
The two girls smile, seeing that Dustin is getting better at this than last time. "Great. Now eat up, hoser," Suzy pushes, giving him another plate to eat as he hasn't eaten much the entire time since they sat down.
Dustin chuckles before and starts to grab more food. "Sure," he agrees before eating away to the happiness of the girls across the little table.
