Chapter Text
To say Suletta slept well would have been a lie. She had stayed awake most of the night staring at the ceiling as Miorine snored softly beside her, back pressing just slightly into her arm as she curled in on herself. The pilot didn't have the courage to ask her about her dreams after they woke, trying to ignore the fact the girl had cried quietly in her sleep. It made her stomach twist uncomfortably and that wasn't something she wanted to unpack just yet.
The plan they had eventually worked out consisted of: three times a week, Miorine would come to the Ochs Earth building, and start small with on-board simulations. Usually after classes were done for the day. And Suletta would dedicate three days of her free time to helping out in the greenhouse. Leaving both girls one free day to do whatever they please. "Make sure you go over this with your sister, I don't want her to be pulled into something she wasn't planning to be pulled into." Miorine said, sending the document to Suletta's notebook.
The taller girl nodded, patting the device simply, kicking on her shoes before they left the room for the day. "She's not really someone who gets pulled into things." She chuckled softly, tapping on her tablet once more, brows furrowing in concentration.
"What?" The smaller of the two stopped, noticing that Suletta's footsteps weren't trailing hers. "Is there a problem?"
"O-oh well… I-I don't really know my way around. S-so I'm trying to understand the map." She murmured softly, embarrassed as she looked up from her notebook.
"Where are you going?" Miorine asked, tilting her head and extending her hand for the device. Her companion handed it off, explaining she was heading to her first class of the day, and the building and quadrant it was held in. The device was returned with a GPS app set up to point out the location. "There. That should keep you from getting lost." She said, "It will tell you which line to ride and what stop as well."
"T-t-thank you so much!" Suletta said, gratefully as she held her notebook close to her chest. "Asticassia is so big! It's hard to get used to it!"
"I suppose in your first few days it can be overwhelming." She hummed, "Well, I'll see you later this evening." She added, turning away to walk down the hall once again. The taller girl smiled brightly, hugging her notebook closer yet again before hurrying off in the direction of the GPS.
—
Later that day she hummed softly, tapping at her notebook once more, trying to understand some problem or another when her sister sat down next to her. "So?" Ericht asked, tilting her head as she nibbled on some food.
"Mm?" The girl glanced up, somewhat distracted.
"This girl that was mean to you?" Her older sister urged, trying to peek over her shoulder as if her notebook would hold a secret.
"S-she's actually pretty nice…" Suletta admitted, poking at her fingers. "I think she's just… under a lot of stress." She murmured.
"Oh? Nice how?"
"Well… she lent me some clothes and let me share her bed… a-and she said she'd let me help her with her plants!"
"Woah woah woah." Ericht put her hands up. "Share her bed ??" She asked, eyes lighting up. "Like–you slept together??!?"
"W-well I mean… I didn't really sleep." Suletta flushed dark, looking down. "I-I was really nervous and–"
"My BABY sister. Sleeping with some mean girl?? I didn't even know you liked girls!"
"Eri! You know it's not like that!" Suletta huffed, perturbed as she frowned at her. "We just slept– separately –in the same bed." The older girl laughed softly, shoving her little sister.
"Aw you know I like to just ruffle your feathers." She hummed softly before leaning back in her chair. "But man. A sleepover. You're dedicated to actually making friends here, huh?" She smiled, "I'm glad for you!"
"W-well… s-she just seemed… l-like she needed someone…" Suletta murmured softly, tracing a water ring on the table with her finger. "Speaking of! I um… invited her over today. We're going to go over some piloting drills." She announced.
"Piloting drills? With what?" Eri asked with a frown.
"C-cali–"
" CALIBARN ?!" The oldest pressed, looking slightly freaked out now. "Suletta. You don't know this girl. You can't just put her in a gun–" she cut herself off before lowering her voice to a whisper. "You can't just put her into a Gundam !" She hissed, frowning. "If the wrong people find out–"
"I know!" She sighed softly, pushing her sister away. "She's just going to run some sims at first. She says she can't pilot at all… I just wanna measure what she could do." She huffed softly, crossing her arms. "Plus, if you're worried, you could join us. Aerial might be better for her to learn in anyway."
"You're gonna put some girl in my Aerial?" Eri crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes.
"Obviously not ! I'm just making a suggestion if you're so worried." She pouted, crossing her arms.
Ericht narrowed her eyes before relaxing. "Not in Aerial…" she hummed quietly, "I'll supervise though." She relented eventually. "I'm the senior operator here, so I'll take responsibility."
"Y-you will?" Suletta smiled brightly, "I'm glad. I was hoping you would join in." She said, relieved.
"You're such an idiot." Ericht laughed, ruffling her hair. "So when's this girl coming over?" She hummed.
"W-we decided we could get to it t-tonight. And it's Miss Miorine." Suletta huffed softly.
"You should make sure you get dinner." Her sister hummed, tapping away on her notebook. "You can't invite someone over and then not have them anything to eat."
"R-right! I'll make sure to have stuff." She flushed darkly, picking back up her own notebook and typing away on it.
—
Suletta hummed to herself, working away on Calibarn as she waited for Miorine to show up. She tapped through various different menus, setting up the practice simulators. "Suletta?" The voice caused her to jump, heart leaping in her chest as Miorine floated up into her cockpit's range of view.
"M-miss Miorine! Y-you're early!" She said, quickly picking up the various items floating around her. "I-I-I was gonna make snacks and–"
"I'm fine. Is it ready?" She looked over the large machine.
"I'm finishing up switching him over to simulation mode."
"This isn't like the mobile suits I'm used to." Miorine crossed her arms in the low gravity. "Much more advanced."
"These aren't public models." Suletta explained, "I don't think they ever will be." She added before sliding from her chair and extending her hand toward the smaller girl. Her partner allowed her to grab it, pulling her in; she settled in the chair, her companion standing hunched next to her as the hydrolics on the door hissed, closing them in. The various lights of the panels lit up, the display showing the hangar in front of them until Suletta leaned forward, tapping one or two more buttons and suddenly the display looked like the surface of the moon.
"Now what?" Miorine asked, looking up at the taller girl.
"Show me what you can do?" Suletta suggested, "I don't know what your baseline is. This beginner course will help me see how skilled you are."
"Alright then." The smaller woman hummed as her partner clicked a final button before a countdown flashed. At the *START* the display dimmed slightly, and she noticed enemy suits popping up on the radar. Her eyes scanned the field, locating her opponents and her hands gripped the controls using them to move the simulation forward. She checked the weapons systems, locating something that could protect her and began manually aiming at the offenders.
It wasn't long before Suletta realized Miorine had little to no instincts when it came to battle, and her aim left more than something to be desired. Her movements were jerky and not at all normal for any pilot she's ever met. Honestly, she could probably pilot a mobile suit better when she was four.
Simulation Failed
The words shone bright against the main screen and Miorine huffed softly, looking up at her companion. "Impressed?" She asked ironically before she leaned back into the seat tapping her fingers against her arm impatiently.
"Honestly? Yes." She hummed, kneeling slightly as she touched Miorine's shoulder, shifting her forward somewhat to check the connections on her suit. Her face held a look of confusion as the smaller girl pulled away from the touch.
"What are you doing?" She asked, Suletta realizing she must have been rude to push her slightly like that.
"O-oh! I'm so sorry!! I-I was j-just worried the permit connection was having trouble with your suit." She said, pulling away quickly.
"Permit connection?" Miorine asked, confused, "What do you mean?"
"The normal suit allows a connection to your machine via the permit that runs it. I'm sure you're familiar with the resource: it helps run many things throughout the fronts… but for mobile suits it also helps the pilot connect almost…neuropathically with the machine." The heiress blinked slowly, not quite understanding. "It's like… your suit knows what to do because your brain is telling it to."
"I… didn't know that's how mobile suits are piloted." Miorine admitted, looking at the controls. "Does it feel any specific way?" She asked, tilting her head.
"Just that… like your display is in your helmet almost more than in front of you." The normally nervous girl seemed at home inside the cockpit of her suit. "We use normal suits to connect with the machine because they have certain limiters and safety precautions in place to meter the exposure of Permit on your nervous system."
"Is it safe?" Miorine asked, "Permit interacting with your body like that?"
"In the quantities that are generally in mobile suits, the most that could occur is some sickness, especially if your body isn't used to interacting with permit." She tapped the 'chin' of her helmet in thought. "So you're saying nothing changes when you are piloting at all? Everything is the same? You're just in the seat moving sticks around?" She asked, confused.
"I thought that's all that piloting was about?" The heiress seemed annoyed.
"Sounds to me like your body rejects the permit." The screen on Calibarn 's control panel switched to the video feed of a call. "My name is Ericht, Suletta's big sister." The caller said, seemingly in the cockpit of another mobile suit. "That's a very rare affliction, Miss Miorine Rembran."
"Eri!" Suletta pouted as she crossed her arms, looking at the call. "This is a private channel!" She reached out to press some buttons. "How did you even dial in??"
Miorine kept her eyes locked on the older girl who stared down at her through the call.
"Eri, don't be rude!" Suletta huffed softly, breaking Ericht's concentration and finally she looked at her sister.
"Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude! I just happened to be testing channels and overheard." Ericht said simply, tapping at some buttons. "I hope you'll stay for dinner, Miorine, Suletta was hoping to thank you for last night."
The younger flushed dark, snapping her mouth shut.
"I suppose I could." She stated simply, leaning back once again in the chair, crossing her arms. It seemed Suletta didn't understand the weight of her name, but Ericht certainly did. The older sister smiled easily, though there was clearly something underneath, very different from the easygoing sincerity of Suletta's.
"Y-you will?" Suletta said, excitement spreading through her chest. "Y-you… t-t-thank you!"
Miorine sighed internally, it wasn't exactly her plan to be so close to this girl, and now it seemed like she was being pulled in more and more. "See you at dinner then, miss Rembran." The other girl said before the video call cut off, leaving her and Suletta alone once more.
"Sorry about Ericht." The taller girl frowned softly, "S-she's just really protective of me." She hummed, poking her fingers together.
"It's fine. Now, about this piloting… can you show me what it feels like for you to do it?" Miorine asked, shifting to move out of the chair. Suletta took her spot before looking up at her, a little flustered. "What?" The smaller girl said, noticing her eyes flicking back and forth a few times.
"W-well… m-maybe it would be easier i-if you s-s-sat in my l-l-lap… a-and felt how I controlled Calibarn."
"Hah?" The girl arched her brow, crossing her arms.
"O-or not!! I completely understand!!" Suletta looked down, focusing her attention on setting up the simulation once again, flushing furiously.
Miorine watched her for a long moment, heaving a heavy sigh and uncrossing her arms. "I won't get in your way? You'll be able to see?" She asked as Suletta looked up.
"Y-you'll be fine." She said before the smaller girl pushed her way between her and the console, finding a spot comfortably on her thighs. Suletta gulped thickly, "I-is it okay to grab your hands?" She asked as Miorine relaxed.
"It's fine. Do as you need." Miorine relented, allowing Suletta's larger hands to engulf hers, gently curling her fingers around the control sticks for the mobile suit as the sim started. She felt a heat rise on her cheeks at the warmth splayed against her back, feeling Suletta lean into her.
"Alright. Let's do a few drills." She suggested, gently taking Miorine through practice drills, trying to get her to understand the motions of piloting at least until she figured out if the girl actually couldn't perceive through the permit connection.
It was a short while longer before the two found themselves in the common area of the Ochs Earth building, Suletta quickly setting about making dinner. Ericht on the other hand had plans to talk to her sister's new "friend".
"What's your angle?" She said, cutting to the chase as she peered at the slightly smaller girl over her drink. "What do you want from Suletta?"
Miorine blinked, baffled. "What do I want from her?? She's the one putting her nose in other people's business." She grumbled irritably as she sipped her own drink. "Now she has a big stupid target on her back because she decided to try and teach Guel Jeturk manners."
"Suletta is a born rescuer. She senses trouble better than anyone I've ever met." Ericht hummed, "But you had to have known she was sponsored by Ochs Earth? You know the big bad demon of the Benerit group?"
"I don't know about Ochs Earth, but my mother supported Vanadis… So regardless of how my father feels, I choose to trust you too." Miorine said, "Plus, the fact that Ochs Earth is still in the Group speaks to its potential. Demon or no, there's some use for you."
Ericht laughed out loud, finding her forward way of speaking refreshing compared to most suit types. "I don't understand how you can be so honest but so guarded at the same time." She smiled, as if she knew some secret Miorine wasn't privy to. "But I guess when it comes down to it, there's nothing wrong with either way of acting."
The smaller girl gave Ericht another look, not quite understanding how this girl seemed to be so… all knowing. She nearly opened her mouth to ask her what she meant by what she'd said before Suletta returned with some food, offering the plates to everyone before sitting down with her own. "Thank you. This looks good." Miorine had to admit, taking the fork in her hand and beginning to eat.
"I'm still learning to cook. I-it might b-be handy to know one day." She murmured, "P-plus! W-we don't get the opportunity to eat like this all the time. Especially on Mercury!" She sighed, grimacing somewhat at the memories of eating only nutrient paste, vitamins, and water. What a sad time for her taste buds.
"Oh yeah. Paste for dinner was always my least favorite thing." Ericht said as she ate away at the food happily. "So how are you doing with the lessons?" She asked, striking up conversation.
"It's only the first day, but Miss Miorine seems to understand the basics at least." Suletta smiled at her student. "Honestly, I think she's just going to have to go through drills until she gets how to react without permit. I've been thinking about how to get around it all evening now, and I can't think of one thing."
“Maybe it’s something we can ask mom about… But I don’t know how she’d react to that.” Ericht laughed softly, “She might not like that you’re letting your friend into our mobile suits.”
“Suletta told me that they’re not market-viable.” Miorine said, “Would she be unhappy a stranger is piloting a prototype?”
“It’s just that… Calibarn and Aerial are well…” the older girl looked down, thinking hard on it. “They’re not suitable to pilot for normal people.” She ended on. “There’s a lot I can’t really talk about, but they’re special suits.”
Miorine frowned, looking at her plate before looking up. “Not suitable to pilot for normal people?” She arched her brow.
“Without getting too into it… You need to have a very high resistance to Permit.” Eri said simply with a shrug. “Luckily, you have no reaction to it, so you wouldn’t have anything to worry about.” she waved with a smile. “Don’t think about it too hard.”
Miorine rolled her eyes before going back to her food. “M-Miss Miorine. U-um… I c-can walk you home tonight?” Suletta pipped up after a moment, finishing off her food, setting the plate on the table.
“You don’t have to. I know very well how to get home.” She waved dismissively, “Don’t worry about me.” Miorine stood to wash off her plate, not being one to leave dirty dishes around other’s houses. (Her own she could care less) “I suppose I’ll see you at the greenhouse tomorrow?” she offered, heading toward the door.
Suletta smiled brightly standing to see her off. “Of course!” she exclaimed, taking a moment to look her over as she exited toward the door. Her eyes rested momentarily on the dark mark that marred the smaller girl’s wrist, her smile falling just a bit. “Make sure you ice your wrist if it starts to hurt, and if piloting is too uncomfortable, please let me know.”
“It’s fine.” Miorine said, quickly covering the offending skin with her free hand. “Thanks for the food. Have a good night.” She added, pushing out the door as soon as Suletta opened it, leaving the girl standing in the doorway.
“Hey, don’t let your concern become overbearing, little sis.” Ericht called from the couch, leaning back and scrolling through her notebook once again. “Miorine probably isn’t comfortable with folks worrying after her, you might scare her away.”
“You’re probably right.” Suletta sighed softly, scratching the back of her head. “I’ll try to remember that.” She said simply before heading off to finish what all she had left to do with the evening, trying to push away the feeling that clung to her like steam in a shower. Something that told her that Miorine belonged here with her, and not all alone.