Chapter Text
Adrian exhaled sharply from all their vents, signalling that they were tired and done with work for the day. The other scientists in the room paid them no mind as they left, scuttling around the lab like normal. They all knew Adrian liked to have their free time, and, after + (4) years of working with them, knew to respect that.
The large Eridian made their way down the hall, aiming to find a private, sound-proof place to eat. The echo of their footsteps gave them a clear view of the surroundings, bouncing off the rough walls and their own carapace. From time to time, they passed an open door, out of which poured an array of noises, voices and echoes, painting a clear image of everything in the room. It was a familiar symphony that they grew to enjoy, and they hummed lightly, content.
Right then, that peaceful symphony was broken by a very loud, unknown voice. Said voice was spouting unnecessary curses, and the Eridian to whom it belonged was stomping I (1) of their legs in frustration. Already, Adrian could tell the Eridian was tinkering with a lump of xenonite, welding tools in V (2) hands, surrounded by mounds of mechanical equipment. The xenonite contraption on the work bench was misshapen, which was probably the cause of their frustration.
As Adrian came closer, and the semi-soundproof walls made way to an open door, they could clearly perceive the Eridian, who had momentarily stopped yelling curse words. They were relatively small and rough, and while their carapace was slightly asymmetrical, it resonated sound in an appealing fashion. I (1) of their legs was split and battered, which shifted the vibrations of their stomping in an unusual way.
And their voice! Now that they’d stopped cursing, and were instead humming a low note of frustration, Adrian could tell their tone was as smooth as it was inconstant, with a lilting accent that gave some of their notes a rougher sound.
Stars above, Adrian was infatuated.
It had been λ (3) weeks, and Adrian had found out all there was to know about the new Eridian. They were a mechanic that had recently been moved to Adrian’s workplace, among the best in their profession, apparently, despite being only around +Iℓℓ (905) years old - less than one fifth of an Eridian’s life expectancy. Still, they were just around Adrian’s age - which made them immensely happy, of course, but also even more nervous than they were before.
They still hadn’t talked to the guy. The small, rough Eridian with the stunning voice was always so busy, always working on something or other, fixing or creating all kinds of mechanisms and xenonite creations. What was Adrian supposed to say? Just come up to them, pull them away from important work, and… what, introduce themself? That sounded so bland, so… uninteresting! They had to do better than that, think of something special!
That’s why, for the past λ (3) weeks, they’d made no move. Only stood by and listened.
That is until a certain day, when they’d gone back home and settled themself comfortably to watch I (1) of their hatchmates sleep, they decided to bring their predicament up in conversation.
They were currently sitting in what was essentially a patch of beaten dirt, which served as a bed, surrounded by vaguely sound-proof fabric to help the residing Eridians relax. Adrian and their hatchmate, Cobalt, were watching another of their cluster - Azure - as they fell asleep. To pass the time, Adrian decided to speak.
‘There is an Eridian at work whom I’ve grown quite fond of,’ they said, and immediately regretted it, seeing Cobalt recoil in faux-shock.
‘You mean… a potential mate, question?’ Cobalt’s tone had an overlay of high-pitched notes, indicating teasing disbelief.
‘If only. I’m too afraid to even talk to them, much less try my hand at courting.’ Adrian tilted their carapace in mild disappointment.
‘Are you kidding? You’re probably the most attractive Eridian in that place, have you heard the things your coworkers are saying about you, question?’ Cobalt tapped their foot twice for question, a bit harsher than usual. ‘Whoever caught your attention must really be something, huh?’
Adrian let out a wistful hum.
‘You should hear their voice, I’ve never heard such a tone before! And the way sound bounces off their shell, and the way they move… I cannot describe it to you in words.’
‘What’s their name, question?’ Cobalt moved closer, now invested.
‘I’ve heard their name is Rocky.’ They turned that name around in their brain, the various notes holding the sound of something greater, some deep secret that Adrian themself must uncover.
‘If only I had the courage to speak to you, Rocky…’
‘Don’t be absurd. Why would they want to have anything to do with a common Eridian like me?’ Rocky grabbed their wrench and fixed a loose bearing, while with the other hand pouring some grease into it. The Eridian next to them - Galena, Rocky’s work buddy - stepped away to give them some space to work.
‘Every day they stop in that corridor, listen in on you working, mutter something and walk away. You think that’s normal Eridian behaviour, question?’
‘No, no, no, you are mistaken.’ Rocky grabbed their welding tool and the mixing components for xenonite, tilting their carapace in frustration. ‘Adrian is a beautiful, special Eridian. I am a boring mechanic.’
‘Hold on, you like them back, question?’ Galena tapped their foot twice in rapid succession, tilting to the side.
‘Of course I do! Stupid question.’ Rocky did not stop their work, now balancing on only V (2) legs, with λ (3) in motion, propped against the work table. ‘Adrian is beautiful and resonant, and makes the smoothest sounds. Everyone knows that.’
‘It’s true, but they haven’t accepted anyone’s courting yet. I think…’
‘I think I have no shot if no Eridian was good enough for them. I’m a boring, small Eridian with a broken leg and an accent. Adrian is out of my league, statement.’
With that, they pushed Galena with I (1) of their legs, indicating for them to leave. The other Eridian’s carapace lowered sadly, but they hummed a quick “may we meet again” and left.
Rocky paused their work for a moment, tapping their claw on their model to perceive any imperfections better. There weren’t any, of course, even with their head in the clouds their work was flawless.
But that wouldn’t be enough for someone like Adrian.
Rocky had noticed them, of course they did. How could you miss someone like Adrian - with that tall, medium-rough carapace, those sharp angles that reflected and directed the sound like clean-cut crystal, the subtle jewelry and most trendy outfits that they so loved to flaunt - they were impossible to miss. The effortless smoothness of their voice, their elegant movements - all of it made Rocky oh, so jealous and oh, so smitten.
That’s exactly why every time Adrian appeared in their range of hearing, they pretended not to notice, shrunk into themself and feigned being busy busy busy, just to drive their attention away. There was no way they were actually paying special attention to Rocky, and if they were, Rocky had to change their mind immediately. They could do so much better than Rocky.
Even if it hurt all V (5) of Rocky’s hearts.