Chapter 2: Black and Blue Curtains
The speakers played an elevator chime, echoing throughout the office place as everyone stretched almost at the same time as it rang. The room slowly filled with murmurs and other such noises as coworkers chatted about projects, new manuscripts for different files and some such. Hannah stood up shortly after stretching, holding a thin folder in her hands with a list of reminders, she waved her hand briefly to take the office's attention.
Hannah: Alright everyone! Before the next phase of the project begins I'd like to do a routine check on our progress and some reminders is that alright?
(Everyone murmured and nodded, the whispers dying down as they pay attention)
Hannah (Flipping through paper): Alright, Team D by the next week we need those ships registered under Cerberus Company's arsenal, we still need those seven Tidal-Class ships shipped to their base. As for Teams B and C by next week I want the pre-testing data from both the Azusa and the Dominion by next week Friday, they'll be testing those next month so we have to compile them immediately prior.
(Employee, Script Guide): What about Team A? Unit 1 hasn't provided entry to the lab yet, and we haven't been able to collect any data from it.
Hannah (A bit worried): I'll go check on them today then to see when they're able to let the compiling begin is that alright?"
(The employees of Team A nods in agreement)
Hannah (Claps her hands): Alright that's it for today go please take your rest, be careful going home!
Hannah returns to her desk to do a quick scan of her documents and emails. As you scan the emails, your mind wonders about to the young man you have met yesterday, in particular, his ocean blue eyes that seemed to have the stars in the night sky glimmering inside it like a snow globe, the way those stars lit up as you parted your affection towards him, it was sweet and beautiful, you can't get enough of them.
You soon realize you have had a wide smile all this time as you think about him. (You giggle subtly to yourself)
Hannah (Flustered): Aaaaaaaaaa~ Hannaaahhhhh~ Stop itttt~!! Focuss~!
Hannah (To herself): His eyes are so beautiful… I can't…~ Hnggggghh~!
As you finish up reading your emails, thinking you've seen most of them which were just boring details about non-machinery related proposals, your mind wanders off again, though, your feelings had become solemn as you remind yourself of his eyes before you've shown your affection. It was dead, there was no warmth, it was just empty.
Hannah (Sighing tone): I know you told me you're fine… But… Are you really okay?
As Hannah follows her favourite route down to the cafeteria, she turns to the familiar double doors of the Engineering Department. The plaque that hang on the side of the door read "Engineering Room E", Hannah never noticed it before, thus taking a mental note of it.
Hannah (Curiously): Huh, this is Department E… Was I in Department E yesterday? Wait, isn't this Unit 1's lab?
You rush inside, opening the double doors slowly as you enter. You looked around to see the mechanical apparatuses and the shells and the materials scattered around yesterday weren't in their places rather, in its place, a large mechanoid kneeling on its knees decorated the center of the room. It's Unit 1.
You approach one of the shirtless men in the room looking at the mechanoid a few steps from you beside some monitors. It was the same man who left for lunch yesterday with another fellow.
Hannah (Shyly): Um… Excuse me? Can you tell me where the foreman is?
(Adelaide, Script Guide): Sure just give me a second
Hannah (Shyly): Um.. Thank you!
Adelaide picks up a megaphone, before facing the large machine and shouting at it. The chest begins to give way in loud mechanical whirring as the cockpit is revealed, as it cascaded away the blast door slid up and out came the young man from yesterday.
Hannah (Surprised): Oh… WHAT?! He's the foreman!?
(Adelaide, Script Guide): Yup, he is. I'll leave you two be in your own devices. Hey! I'm going home alright? I'll check in first thing at dawn!
Hannah (Thankful): Thank you Mr. Adelaide! Take care!
The young man approaches you, quite surprised at the interaction.
(Young Man, Script Guide): Hm? You know Lance?
Hannah: Not really, he does show up usually to help Team C with the data compilation but we don't talk often. Why do you ask? Jealous much?
(Young Man, Script Guide): I suppose so
Hannah (Blushing): Wait wha- I-
He goes for his bag beside you, it was propped on a grey office table and you watch him start to undress in front of you. You begin to fluster but you then noticed that both of his arms, as well as some patches on his body were mechanical.
Hannah (Curious): Oh… I didn't realize your arms were prosthetics…
(Young Man, Script Guide): Hm? Yeah, I'm quite surprised you didn't notice them yesterday. Considering you were asking for a lot of head pats.
Hannah (Curious, Caresses his left arm): Did you make these? They look too intricate to be factory made
(Young Man, Script Guide): I did yeah, these were older models but they hold up. They're usually meant for construction work so it's a multitool too.
Hannah (Curious): Older models? You have other models than this?
(Young Man, Script Guide): Yeah, these aren't the ones I wear every day, I have plenty more but they're quite outdated for my use. You want me to tell you more about them?
Hannah (Happy, Curious): Of course I'd like to know more about your stuff! Come on! I know a place downtown where we can go hangout for a while!
(Note: There is a huge time skip from here to the café as well as the Young Man telling stories as it is unnecessary for this script. The following scene is after they've arrived at the café and finished the storytelling)
Hannah (Stomach full): Hahhhh~ That was nice isn't it?
(Young Man, Script Guide): Yup, it feels nice to rest once in a while
Hannah (Stirring her drink, Curious): Do you not take breaks? I feel like you've been working a lot on your machines
(Young Man, Script Guide): I don't rest often, I'm too busy leading Cerberus, I don't have that much time to take a break since I have to help with Akagi too
Hannah (Surprised): What…. You lead Cerberus?!
(Young Man, Script Guide): Hey now, let's keep it down. But yeah, I do lead Cerberus, and I'm the foreman to Akagi
Hannah (Confused): I'm trying to understand how I missed all of that information right now…
(Young Man, Script Guide) [Chuckling]: Hahahaha~ That's fine~
Hannah blushes as the young man in front of her gave her a warm smile.
Hannah (Softly, Absent mindedly): You… Have a really great smile…
(Young Man, Script Guide) [Flustered, Choking] I- Wha- ?
Hannah (Softly): Oh sorry- I got distracted that's my bad!
(Young Man, Script Guide): What do you mean… My smile is great..?
Hannah (Shyly): Y-you know… Like… You've never seen someone smile like that or something…
The young man still seems confused, staring at you as to wait for you to elaborate on your reply.
Hannah (Shyly): H-how do I put this… It just… Hm… It feels like this is the first time you've actually smiled in a while is all.. that's how I felt when you know, you smiled like 'that'
(Young Man, Script Guide) [Flustered]: Is.. that so…
Hannah (Blushing): You know… It's not bad you know, to smile like that, but…
(Young Man, Script Guide): But..?
Hannah (Blushing): Um… But I'd like it.. if you only smiled like that for me…
Hannah (In her thoughts, Panicking): WHAT ARE YOU SAYINGGGGGG??? ARE YOU INSANE?? HE MIGHT BE THINKING WE LIKE HIM FOR LOOKS OR JUST-
You look up to see the young man's eyes twinkling like the starry sky amidst the ocean. He doesn't seem to think what you may have feared of him thinking, quite the opposite really though, within his clear dark blue eyes, you see clouds of doubt above its surface, preventing you to see under the waves.
Hannah (Shyly, Flustered): H-Hey… Are you okay..? You've been silent for a while, did I say something wrong?
The young man snaps back into reality, blinking rapidly as he looked away from your eyes, they're now nervous, twitching puddles of clear yet clouded ponds of this man's soul.
(Young Man, Script Guide) [Flustered, Speechless]: I… Yeah.. I'm fine, it's just nobody has said something like that to me before so… I don't really know what to say or reply…
You look at your watch to see it's quite late at night, you glanced around the café too see that most of the customers have gone and left and only a few remain along with the two of you. You sense that he seems to want to out himself of the situation but, you hold his hand as he covers his face and slowly put it on the table, he avoids your gaze.
Hannah (Mustering courage): Hey… I know I'm not supposed to pry into some else's life but, I just can't help but feel the need to be there for you. You must've endured so many hardships going through with that kind of family…
The young man looks at you quite perplexed and confused.
(Young Man, Script Guide): You… Remember that?
Hannah (Smiling softly): Of course dummy! I don't understand the pain you're going through with all of that but, I couldn't just leave you like this, rather I can't… And I don't want to.
(Young Man, Script Guide) [Hesitant]: You.. Don't really have to do this…
Hannah (Confident) But I want to do this, this is my choice to do so, and I'm not backing down from it.
He looks away, his eyes getting a bit cloudier than before.
(Young Man, Script Guide): Someone told me the same thing… That it's their choice.. but they left me, and that was it for me, I want to know what differs you from them, but I'm scared to take that step
You look at him with a somber stare, you fully realize his pain although artificially. You have a gist of what this man has gone through. And despite the short time you have found him, you hold onto his hand tightly as he pulls it away, and he stares at it, trying to weakly pull it away.
Hannah (Softly, Assuring): Hey… Look at me, I don't want to leave this… Without doing something for you. You're a great person, it's unfortunate that you fell into that kind of family and I wish I could just turn time back and scold them for treating you so badly… I wish I was there with you, when nobody was.
The young man falls silent as he looks at you in the eye, and you see his ocean muddied and dark as if the lantern behind it had been snuffed. You feel cold, you feel pain in your heart to see someone.
Hannah: I'm here… You're not alone anymore… And neither am I… I want to give you something that nobody has ever given you… I want to share that special feeling with you.
The young man looks down, looking at your hand wrapped over his.
Hannah: Will you… Let me? I can wait for an answer, it doesn't have to be now. Okay?