~Repaint Tomorrow~

=Moving On Is Never Easy=

A/N: I am no artist, unfortunately, so when it comes to describing certain techniques and styles of drawing, I'm obviously lacking in knowledge. And with the limited time I have to write these days, I can't do much research either. So, for all the artists out there, if you have the time to instruct me, my inbox is always open.

Slamming his hands on the computer desk angrily, Add let out a low growl. "Damn it!" He nearly shouted. Picking up the first thing on his desk, he flung it away from him. A loud thud sounded moments later, and Add looked to see what it was. He smiled sentimentally at the object and went to go pick it up. It was the first thing he had ever had Aisha draw for him. Something with a sleek design that wouldn't get him in too much trouble for having nearby at all times. He didn't want something that looked like a weapon, but something that was more akin to a tool to help him if he needed it. She had even named it, calling it a "dynamo". He'd liked the name so much that it stuck. Back in those days, he had truly liked Aisha. In fact, he was certain he might even have been in love. But they weren't dating then. They had just been childhood friends.

When they had first started dating, Add had been so immersed in his research that he hadn't really had the time to take Aisha on dates like other boyfriends. He hadn't really liked going anywhere that was too ar from his lab, so he had always invited her over, ordered some pizza or take out, and she would bring movies and stay the night. They would always stay cuddled up together the entire time, and the world seemed to have melted away. Nothing really mattered then, just staying there, in that moment, and feeling true bliss.

In truth, it was really against the law in Elder for Add to live on his own without an adult to supervise, but he had been a special case. The Mayor, Wally, had told Add that if he wanted to live alone, he would need a job. add had gotten an internship at a nearby college and worked in the field of robotics. There was another girl there at the time. Such a tiny thing, really, almost like a doll. But her knowledge had far surpassed his, even if his intellect was superior in certain fields. Her notes were complicated to decode and she worked on too many things at once that by the end of the day his head was still reeling and he still couldn't make sense of her codes, which she had given him a copy of. HE'd kept to himself after getting a job, and made even less time For Aisha than he had intended.

Somewhere down the line, he must have gone mad with desire for that girl's knowledge that he had broken up with Aisha and said some really mean things to her. He couldn't remember what they were, though. He'd regretted that day ever since, but with the sudden thirst for knowledge overcoming him and his infatuation with this tiny girl who worked so much and did too many things at once, he had thought the choice obvious at the time, and that was not reconciling with the girl he had hurt. He could see now how terribly wrong he had been.

AS he tried to reform the bonds of friendship they had once had, she rejected him. He offered to take her out to tea, to buy her more supplies, pay her rent...anything so that she would look at him with gratitude or at the very least, thank him. But no. Even though he tried his best just to talk to the girl, she did everything in her power to refuse him that privilege. She shunned him quite cruelly, in fact, that it frustrated him to no end.

He didn't want to come to terms with this outcome! He didn't want to admit that all of his calculations, all of the time and effort he put into just seeing the girl smile just once...had all been in vain. He wouldn't accept it, even though he knew he probably should. What he wanted was in the past. He wanted just to hear her say his name. To grin that stupid grin of her when she thought she told a witty joke but it was just terrible.

He just wanted to be a part of her life again.

Truth be told, as time passed, Add began to realize that he needed the girl. Not in the sense that he was obsessed with her presence, but her insight was really useful. ANd her people skills was definitely one thing he could use nowadays. He'd been locked up in his lab and his mind for so long he felt uncomfortable around people. When he had met that boy Elsword, he'd honestly wanted to greet him in a more friendly manner, but he had been so focused on aisha that he had been quite rude. He should probably work on that.

Add sighed."She's moved on." He finally admitted to himself, dropping the old dynamo to the floor and standing up. He looked around the dimly lit room, at the various pictured of Aisha that filled the monitors of his computers. He had tasked his dynamos to following her for a while, and taking pictures of her for him. He didn't want to forget her face. He admitted that it was pretty stalker-ish-okay, it was very stalker-ish, but who could blame him. She was a very beautiful girl, if a bit cheeky at times. He still remembered fondly the day she had taken him to his first party. She had looked so cute.

He'd been dressed up in his lab wear; his hair had also grown very long, but he didn't care to cut it. Aisha has styled it so that it covered his left eye. He found it amusing when people thought he was emo or whatever. He had assumed it was an insult, but he actually laughed with them. Aisha had to hold him back from punching anyone though.

Overall, it was just your regular Halloween party. Aisha had made up a story about their clothes: he was a scientist and she was his beautiful assistant. He had added the beautiful part. Aisha's blush was really cute. They'd danced, held hands, kissed once before everyone teased them so much Aisha huffed and pouted cutely as she stormed off with her cheeks puffed out like a blowfish. Add cackled as he walked after her, taking her in his arms from behind and reassuring her that their teasing meant nothing. Aisha had calmed down eventually, but it took some doing. He took her to haunted houses to loosen her up, then they watched scary movies at his house all night. She'd been scared so badly she was up all night and two more days straight. Add had her skip school and stay with him because of that.

He'd rocked the girl to sleep and hummed a song from his childhood to her to soother her to sleep.

Add sighed in defeat, shoulders slumping as he ran a hand over his face. How could he get her to see that he was sorry? That he wanted another chance? She wouldn't even look his way longer than she needed to, and with that boy there, she had something else to focus on besides him. He couldn't very well kill the boy; that would definitely cause her to draw away from him. He frowned. Why was this girl so complicated?

"Young master? Is something amiss?" A mechanical voice called from nearby. Add looked over to the diamond shaped dynamo at his side and shook his head. It was nothing important. "Very well. You have an appointment today at 3 o'clock. You'd best get ready sir." Add nodded. With one last glance at the monitors, he turned away to get ready.

x

"Well, well! If it isn't the prodigy himself!" A voice boomed from the other side of the room as he entered. Add grimaced. Wally. Even after the loss of his daughter and his position of Mayor of Elder, he remained loyal only to his own personal gain. He was a greedy man, Add came to realize, however he came to realize too late that he was in too deep with the man to come out unscathed. HE'd had a part in his siphoning funds from the budget into the man's own bank account, after all, and part of that money funded his research. If he took Wally down, he'd go with him. HE was an accomplice, after all. Scowling at the grinning man, Add took his usual seat at the long table, far from the man. "Where have you been? We've been waiting to start the meeting for an hour!"

"I have my own schedule too, you realize." Add responded coolly. Wally shrugged. He didn't care, as long as the boy was there to build his machines. Add could have spat at that word if he hadn't already joined this foolish charade. The things Add created were more than just machines, but neither were they anything like the Nasods that Eve created. His dynamos were based on that research, yes, but he'd added his own touches here and there as well. They were primarily for collecting data, after all, and protecting him from attack. They were also linked to his eye as well, so he could control them at any time. For the moment, they simply floated idly by behind his chair, a grim reminder to everyone there that he was armed, pissed and very, very dangerous. "Now, what is your latest project?" Add demanded.

"This!" Wally said, throwing his arms open wide as the curtain fell from a giant screen. On it a slideshow went by somewhat quickly, but what it showed, at least interested Add somewhat. Of course he would most likely refuse to help like always. He owed nothing to Wally anyway, and he kept his funds in a separate account the man couldn't touch, even with all the connections he had. "With this, we could make millions!"

"It's just another one of your clunky useless machines." Add spat, rolling his eyes. "You tried selling them to the military last time and they refused after they failed to meet the standards and failed the combat testing." Wally scowled at the boy, but managed to get his anger under control. Everyone stopped what they were doing to stare between Add and Wally. It was a well known fact that neither of them got along very well, especially after Add recovered from is madness and discovered the ruins he had left of his life. Wally had used him during that time to create all sorts of weapons, the very thing Add told him he hadn't wanted to make in the first place. Since then, they had been at odds.

"Ah, but you see, that's just the shell. Inside is something else. Something that even my daughter couldn't create!" Wally shouted to Add as the boy got up to leave. He'd heard enough, and Wally was beginning to grate on his nerved. "What if I told you, I could create a nasod more powerful than anything my daughter could ever have? Something with such unimaginable power that nations would be brought to their knees?"

Add froze and sighed. "I would tell you to shove it and never bother me again. I've stood by you and watched you and your toys try and fail time and again and I want no part of this game anymore. I'm leaving. And I'm taking all the research your daughter left. You know as well as I do that she meant it for me when she left anyway. I only let you use it to see what a sad joke you would become, and it's just not funny anymore." Add waved over his shoulder as he left, leaving Wally to his rage.

As he closed the door, Add leaned against it and rubbed his temples. "Young master, I do not believe that was the wisest course of action." The dynamo to his right replied, flying close to console him. Add nodded. He knew that. "What do you propose we do? Without WAlly, we have no more money, and you canot access your account, remembber? All your assets were seized."

"I know that!" Add hissed, snatching the dynamo from the air and holding it in his clenched fist. "I'll think of something." sighing to himself, Add began walking. "Let's see if Aisha will let us live with her."