Dandy Wonderous (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dandywonderous) wrote2012-09-13 12:45 am
dandywonderous) wrote2012-09-13 12:45 am
Entry tags:
moar brofic
Hajime hadn’t been sure if he was going to like the Stark Expo at first – in fact, being around all that technology made him nervous. But Jack was debuting his Jack Cube here and it would be a huge plug for him, so of course he had come along. After seeing some of the things that were on the agenda while they were there, he wished Jack would show off some of his more impressive inventions, like the anti-gravity boots he was working on or the shrink ray, but Jack hadn’t agreed.
“I’m not going to impress them, I’m going to get a toy deal. Or try to.”
“That’s very mature of you,” said Hajime with feigned surprise, and Jack stuck his tongue out at him.
“I can be mature when I want to.”
Watching Jack prepare for his presentation had been interesting. Hajime had never seen him get so into anything not related to the actual building of a machine, but he was running tests, making posters, factory designs for mass production, and making sure there were full working models as well as deconstructed models. It was a ridiculous amount of stuff; Hajime hoped the would be able to get it all to America.
“Do you really need all this for the toys and gadgets section?” he asked one afternoon, watching Jack try to pick between two posters.
“You clearly didn’t see the exhibit for the newest remote cars. Besides, this is just a remake of the Rubix Cube. I have to make it spectacular or no one will give me the time of day.” He paused. “Why? Do you think it’s overkill? Am I trying to hard?”
“You know what’s best better than I do,” Hajime pointed out. “You’ve really looked into this, it sounds like.”
“You have no idea.” Jack set his posters down and put his face in his hands. “I’m so nervous.”
Hajime walked over and put a hand on his back, rubbing a little. “You’re going to do great. The best there.”
“Thanks.”
Several weeks and many sleepless nights later, here they were, and Hajime was enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would. A lot of that was due to Jack, though, because he made it fun. Like a kid in a candy store, the redhead pulled him from exhibit to exhibit, sometimes trying to explain the machines to Hajime and other times simply saying “Trust me, it’s cool.” But the thing he most wanted to see was a certain supercomputer said to have the world’s most advanced AI, capable of learning and reacting to stimuli. It had worked out perfectly; their first day at the expo, the day before Jack’s own exhibit would go up and they would get busy, was the last day the supercomputer would be on display. They were working their way there now, Jack talking at ninety miles a minute, Hajime following along with an amused grin.
Soon they approached the building that held the computer, specially designed to stay at the optimal temperature for the machine. “There it is!” Jack cried excitedly, pulling Hajime even faster.
They entered the building. It wasn’t very crowded right now, so they could get a good look through the glass at the computer itself. Technicians and scientists stood around the hall, explaining the workings of the machine to those visiting. Down at the end, a small line had formed where people could interact with the computer through its user interface.
“Wow, that sure is a big… thing,” said Hajime, tone unimpressed to tease Jack. He expected some kind of annoyed remark, or, more likely, for Jack to ignore him in favor of pulling him toward the interface, but to his surprise he didn’t say or do anything. Hajime looked away from the computer to his friend, alarmed to see he had gone still, will shrinking down in anxiety and what he was worried to recognize as fear. He wasn’t looking at the computer, though, but at the queue for the interface.
“Jack?”
He snapped out of at his name, looking at Hajime. “S-sorry. You know, I don’t really care about this that much. Let’s go look at the cars.”
“What!?” Confused, he followed Jack out of the building. “But it’s all you’ve been talking about since we got off the plane!”
“Nah, I can make a better one. Come on.”
Hajime caught him by the arm, forcing him to turn around. “What’s wrong?”
Jack bit his lip before replying. “My… my parents were in there.”
Hajime went from surprise to protective anger in a second. How dare they come here and ruin something Jack had so been looking forward to! Hadn’t they done enough?
“Wow,” said Jack with a strained laugh. “It’s like I just told you they kicked your dog.”
No, what they did was worse, Hajime thought, but didn’t say. Instead, he pushed his glasses up his nose, looking determined.
“You wanted to see this, so let’s go see it.”
“No, I can’t! Not while they’re in there.” He held up his hands, stepping back from Hajime. “I don’t want to talk to them.”
“You won’t have to.” Hajime reached out, grabbed his wrist, and started to tug him back toward the building. “I’ll make sure that they don’t bother you.”
“I don’t want them bothering you either,” Jack said, trying to stop their advance.
“They won’t.” Hajime did stop, but not to go back. “Do you really want them controlling your life? So much that just them being there makes you give up?”
“No!” Jack snapped. He looked hurt, though, and Hajime suddenly felt bad for pushing him. “It’s just hard.”
“I know it is.” He let go of Jack’s wrist. “I’m sorry. I’m not going to force you to do this if you don’t want to. But I really think that if you let this go now just because they’re there, you’ll regret it later.”
Jack hesitated, and for a second he really thought he was going to back out. But then he stepped forward, slowly moving back toward the building.
“Let’s do it,” he said resolutely, and Hajime grinned and followed.
Back inside the building, Jack’s parents were still in line, next to the front. Jack ignored them, instead talking to one of the technicians. At first the man looked ready to write him off as a no-good punk here to vandalize the exhibits when no one was looking, but it wasn’t long before Jack was impressing him with his understanding of the computer. Hajime laughed to himself; it wasn’t the first time his friend had gotten that series of reactions here.
When the moved into the line, the Spicers were just moving out. Jack stiffened as they walked toward them, and Hajime moved closer, protectively, not quite grabbing the other boy’s hand but brushing his against Jack’s to remind him he was there.
He knew it would be impossible for them to miss Jack. How could one not recognize a guy who looked like Jack did? And sure enough, their eyes did catch Jack’s as they walked past.
Mr. Spicer looked immediately away and walked a little straighter, almost pompously, as he went by the more slouched figure of his son. Mrs. Spicer, however, lingered longer on her son’s face, and for a second Hajime thought she would actually say something to him. Now he really did grab Jack’s hand, others in the line be damned.
But she didn’t speak. She tore her eyes away and took a few quick steps to catch up to her husband. Just like that, they were gone from the building.
Jack released his held breath, shaking just a little. “That went okay.”
“How are you?” Hajime asked. His will wasn’t as sunken as it had been when they first walked in, but it wasn’t as high as earlier in the day, either.
“I’m fine, really.” As though to prove it, Jack let go of Hajime’s hand. They stepped forward in line. It would be their turn to play with the computer soon.
“I’m proud of you,” Hajime told him, and Jack cracked a little smile.
“All I did was stand there.”
“But you didn’t run away. That was brave.”
“If you hadn’t been here, I would have.”
Hajime shrugged. “That’s what real family does.”
Jack stared at him, then started laughing. “Oh man, that was so cheesy.”
“It sounded cooler in my head,” he grumbled. But it was good to hear Jack laughing again, even if it was at his expense. He deserved to enjoy this day.
And tomorrow he would give the best presentation at the Expo. Hajime was sure of it.
“I’m not going to impress them, I’m going to get a toy deal. Or try to.”
“That’s very mature of you,” said Hajime with feigned surprise, and Jack stuck his tongue out at him.
“I can be mature when I want to.”
Watching Jack prepare for his presentation had been interesting. Hajime had never seen him get so into anything not related to the actual building of a machine, but he was running tests, making posters, factory designs for mass production, and making sure there were full working models as well as deconstructed models. It was a ridiculous amount of stuff; Hajime hoped the would be able to get it all to America.
“Do you really need all this for the toys and gadgets section?” he asked one afternoon, watching Jack try to pick between two posters.
“You clearly didn’t see the exhibit for the newest remote cars. Besides, this is just a remake of the Rubix Cube. I have to make it spectacular or no one will give me the time of day.” He paused. “Why? Do you think it’s overkill? Am I trying to hard?”
“You know what’s best better than I do,” Hajime pointed out. “You’ve really looked into this, it sounds like.”
“You have no idea.” Jack set his posters down and put his face in his hands. “I’m so nervous.”
Hajime walked over and put a hand on his back, rubbing a little. “You’re going to do great. The best there.”
“Thanks.”
Several weeks and many sleepless nights later, here they were, and Hajime was enjoying it a lot more than he thought he would. A lot of that was due to Jack, though, because he made it fun. Like a kid in a candy store, the redhead pulled him from exhibit to exhibit, sometimes trying to explain the machines to Hajime and other times simply saying “Trust me, it’s cool.” But the thing he most wanted to see was a certain supercomputer said to have the world’s most advanced AI, capable of learning and reacting to stimuli. It had worked out perfectly; their first day at the expo, the day before Jack’s own exhibit would go up and they would get busy, was the last day the supercomputer would be on display. They were working their way there now, Jack talking at ninety miles a minute, Hajime following along with an amused grin.
Soon they approached the building that held the computer, specially designed to stay at the optimal temperature for the machine. “There it is!” Jack cried excitedly, pulling Hajime even faster.
They entered the building. It wasn’t very crowded right now, so they could get a good look through the glass at the computer itself. Technicians and scientists stood around the hall, explaining the workings of the machine to those visiting. Down at the end, a small line had formed where people could interact with the computer through its user interface.
“Wow, that sure is a big… thing,” said Hajime, tone unimpressed to tease Jack. He expected some kind of annoyed remark, or, more likely, for Jack to ignore him in favor of pulling him toward the interface, but to his surprise he didn’t say or do anything. Hajime looked away from the computer to his friend, alarmed to see he had gone still, will shrinking down in anxiety and what he was worried to recognize as fear. He wasn’t looking at the computer, though, but at the queue for the interface.
“Jack?”
He snapped out of at his name, looking at Hajime. “S-sorry. You know, I don’t really care about this that much. Let’s go look at the cars.”
“What!?” Confused, he followed Jack out of the building. “But it’s all you’ve been talking about since we got off the plane!”
“Nah, I can make a better one. Come on.”
Hajime caught him by the arm, forcing him to turn around. “What’s wrong?”
Jack bit his lip before replying. “My… my parents were in there.”
Hajime went from surprise to protective anger in a second. How dare they come here and ruin something Jack had so been looking forward to! Hadn’t they done enough?
“Wow,” said Jack with a strained laugh. “It’s like I just told you they kicked your dog.”
No, what they did was worse, Hajime thought, but didn’t say. Instead, he pushed his glasses up his nose, looking determined.
“You wanted to see this, so let’s go see it.”
“No, I can’t! Not while they’re in there.” He held up his hands, stepping back from Hajime. “I don’t want to talk to them.”
“You won’t have to.” Hajime reached out, grabbed his wrist, and started to tug him back toward the building. “I’ll make sure that they don’t bother you.”
“I don’t want them bothering you either,” Jack said, trying to stop their advance.
“They won’t.” Hajime did stop, but not to go back. “Do you really want them controlling your life? So much that just them being there makes you give up?”
“No!” Jack snapped. He looked hurt, though, and Hajime suddenly felt bad for pushing him. “It’s just hard.”
“I know it is.” He let go of Jack’s wrist. “I’m sorry. I’m not going to force you to do this if you don’t want to. But I really think that if you let this go now just because they’re there, you’ll regret it later.”
Jack hesitated, and for a second he really thought he was going to back out. But then he stepped forward, slowly moving back toward the building.
“Let’s do it,” he said resolutely, and Hajime grinned and followed.
Back inside the building, Jack’s parents were still in line, next to the front. Jack ignored them, instead talking to one of the technicians. At first the man looked ready to write him off as a no-good punk here to vandalize the exhibits when no one was looking, but it wasn’t long before Jack was impressing him with his understanding of the computer. Hajime laughed to himself; it wasn’t the first time his friend had gotten that series of reactions here.
When the moved into the line, the Spicers were just moving out. Jack stiffened as they walked toward them, and Hajime moved closer, protectively, not quite grabbing the other boy’s hand but brushing his against Jack’s to remind him he was there.
He knew it would be impossible for them to miss Jack. How could one not recognize a guy who looked like Jack did? And sure enough, their eyes did catch Jack’s as they walked past.
Mr. Spicer looked immediately away and walked a little straighter, almost pompously, as he went by the more slouched figure of his son. Mrs. Spicer, however, lingered longer on her son’s face, and for a second Hajime thought she would actually say something to him. Now he really did grab Jack’s hand, others in the line be damned.
But she didn’t speak. She tore her eyes away and took a few quick steps to catch up to her husband. Just like that, they were gone from the building.
Jack released his held breath, shaking just a little. “That went okay.”
“How are you?” Hajime asked. His will wasn’t as sunken as it had been when they first walked in, but it wasn’t as high as earlier in the day, either.
“I’m fine, really.” As though to prove it, Jack let go of Hajime’s hand. They stepped forward in line. It would be their turn to play with the computer soon.
“I’m proud of you,” Hajime told him, and Jack cracked a little smile.
“All I did was stand there.”
“But you didn’t run away. That was brave.”
“If you hadn’t been here, I would have.”
Hajime shrugged. “That’s what real family does.”
Jack stared at him, then started laughing. “Oh man, that was so cheesy.”
“It sounded cooler in my head,” he grumbled. But it was good to hear Jack laughing again, even if it was at his expense. He deserved to enjoy this day.
And tomorrow he would give the best presentation at the Expo. Hajime was sure of it.