Since she'd moved into her room on the ground floor (The closest to the empty stables) Jack had stayed inside it with the door closed, the only thing emerging the sounds of metal being hammered and wrenched, power tools being used, and every now and then, black streaks of cursing. She'd come down for most dinners, but she was quiet and withdrawn, almost standoffish sometimes, picking apart her food before excusing herself quickly.
Inshabel had asked them all to give her time, but Ino's curiously had gotten the better of her. Peering through Jack's keyhole, she could only see her back, not all the cases and crates she'd dolly-lifted into her room. She was hammering something... Ino knew she had power armor, but she wanted to see it.
She absent-mindedly tried the copper doorknob, and then looked shocked when it clicked and the door opened. She braced and flashed toward Jack, but she continued her work, not even looking around. Ino hesitantly walked into the room, eyeing the open boxes and tools scattered on the carpet.
"Hello!... How are you this day?" She asked brightly. Jack continued to hammer the metal in front of her on her work-table, part of a big metal arm from what Ino could see. She didn't respond, or even act as though she'd heard her.
Ino frowned and walked closer, craning her head over Jack's shoulder. "Is that your-"
Jack jumped in her seat and whirled around, her teeth clenched and anger in her eyes. Ino jerked back and put her hands up in front of her, before Jack winced and shook her head hurriedly. She waved around at Ino before jerking her thumb toward herself, running her hand over her right ear. A slim piece of metal curled around the outside, before it dipped into her ear canal and into her head.
"Sorry. I didn't have my hearing on. You spooked me, that was all." She said, looking at Ino and not smiling. Her voice was rough, almost like she was hoarse from yelling. "...Is it time for supper? I'm not hungry. Thanks, though."
"Oh, ah, no. I was just wondering, well... What are you doing?" Ino asked hesitantly. Her eye shot from the arm, to Jack, to the arm, and back again before she smiled. Jack didn't return it.
"Fixing problems before they happen. Last time I maintained my gear was before I got took down." Jack said, picking her ball-peen hammer back in hand. "Haven't got a chance to do any upkeep on it since. Sorry for the noise, I'll try and work quieter."
With that, she turned and went back to work. Ino paused before sitting down next to her, eyeing the skeleton of a big metal arm that Jack was forcing back into perfect shape. The other woman side-eyed her, but said nothing else.
"So... What was Jail like? Did you acquire a gang tattoo?" Ino asked, soldiering on.
"It was a low fucking point. It was awful." Jack said roughly, glancing at Ino's unhappy frown. "...It was bad, but parts were good for me. I had a lot of time to think. They had these enrichment classes you could do. You ever been to camp? Like those. I learned to read better. They set my hearing aid up, too. The other inmates were mostly what made it a shithole."
"Did they not like you?"
"I don't know. Probably not. It was more, when you got a pack of cigarettes and a nine foot tall, four armed lizard person that weighs five of you snatches them, what're you going to do, punch her?...That was what I did. That scaly bitch broke four of my ribs." Jack grunted, putting down the section of forearm she was working on. "...hand me my spanner, would you?"
Ino looked around, before slowly picking up a screwdriver and giving it to Jack. She looked down before looking at Ino. "No, the spanner."
Ino gave her some solder.
"A spanner is a wrench... Here. This thing." Jack said, showing it to her before loosening some bolts.
"Oh, I see...You're from Solis, like Inshabel?" Ino asked, picking up the screwdriver and examining it doubtfully.
"Yeah. A different part, though. The Eastmarch is as Far East as you can go before mountains stop you. My corner was a mining town. Mom was a blacksmith, dad died in a cave-in when I was young. My mom taught me the trade, taught me a little about engineering and all that. Things were good." Jack trailed off, eyeing the hand of her armor. The middle finger kept squeaking...
"What happened?" Ino asked. She wouldn't have, but Jack looked too angry and sad to not want to talk about it.
"Shit got bad, and shit went worse. You know exactly what I mean." She said, her green-blue eyes holding Ino's red one and measuring her. "I wasn't born deaf, let's put it that way. But that time was like Jail, too. It was real fucking dark, but I made this-" she waved her hand over her pieces and parts-"-out of it. Because of it."
"I'm sorry..." Ino murmured. She would've hugged Jack, but she almost felt that would be a bad idea. So instead-
"I, well, if you wouldn't mind... What does your armor look like? Can I see it? Please?"
She'd guessed right; Jack turned to her with real surprise, before she actually smiled for the first time Ino had seen. "You really want to?"
"Yes! Yes, please!" Ino said excitedly. Jack looked around, her smile fading.
"Give me a few minutes to gather it up. I guess I can work the kinks out afterward..."
Even standing there, only on and active, the armor rumbled. It was a low feeling, more vibration than sound, but when Jack moved, it momentarily rose. She lifted her shield and hit the edge hard to her chest, nodding in satisfaction at the solid metal knock it made. She finally felt like she was at home.
"Guess it's-" Jack started, putting her shield down.
"Who's driving a f*cking truck inside?!" Trace yelled from the attic. Jack met Ino's eye and covered her mouth with her gauntlet, before they were both chuckling.
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