(Untitled)

[mysolarsailpwns]

In a corner of the Engineering room, Jim is hard at work, building things, taking them apart, putting them back together, taking them apart again, and re-combining the parts in newer, better ways. When he's done, he'll have either invented a time machine or broken all his spare parts. At which point, he'll go rooting around for more. He likes to

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[notahick]

"...what are you doing?!"

Yeah, smeone doesn't like the mess. And she's sort of emotional so maybe that came off a little shrill.

[mysolarsailpwns]

"Working," is the only response she gets. That, and a wince.

It's a contained mess! Inna corner!

[notahick]

"You're not working, you're-- chaosing all over the floor. Boys," Paige huffs and comes over to inspect the corner-slop.

[mysolarsailpwns]

"I am so working!" Jim objects, pushing one of the intact machinations at Paige. "Look at that - battery recharger."

It'd help if Jim had any rechargeable batteries. But in the event that he gets any, he's totally ready!

[notahick]

There is a small sigh, and she settles in. "But we can use these parts for things we actually need at the time," she says quietly. "I mean, the wiring, everything. I can only husk so many times a day in to stuff folk can strip down, and Ed's over worked as it is. Conservation is important."

[mysolarsailpwns]

"Harper told me to do what I could with these," Jim says. And it's true. But only for about half of them. The other half he borrowed. With no intention to return. He is not a moral boy, when he is worried.

[notahick]

"I know very well that some of these parts are not just okay! Can't you be-- more responsible?" She is glowering! Really! And starting to clean up. "There are things we need! That are more important then letting you fool around!"

[mysolarsailpwns]

"Hey, when you've made lamps for half the occupied rooms and gotten them to charge from one solar panel, you can get on my case. Until then, back off."

Jim picks up a screwdriver, and unscrews one of the panels on one of his lamps. They're not aesthetic, but they're functional - little blocks with sockets for light bulbs. "Seeing as how I'm the only person here besides Harper who has even a basic knowledge of advanced solar tech, my fooling around is what's gonna power most of our stuff very soon."

Try and tell him he's not useful? Pssh. Not here.

[notahick]

"Excuse me?" There is a snatch of that screwdriver. "I'll have you know I have advanced marks in Shi'ar technology AND I've put in extracirricular work in other alien formats! So don't you tell me wh has a basic knowledge of your primitive solar technology, mister!"

Oh, Jim. Never even vaguely suggest to Paige she might be dumb.

She'll eat you.

[mysolarsailpwns]

"Whoopee, alien tech. You must be so proud of yourself. My plumbing ran on alien tech. And I was fixing it when I was six. Go impress someone else with your marks. I'll be over here, yanno, building stuff."

[notahick]

You know, she might regret this later.

She really might.

But Paige is emotional and distraught, and she says things, like anyone else, that they might regret. Really, it's projection.,

"What, so you can continue tryin' to impress Katara, hopin' to get into her pants?" she snaps. "You aren't tryin'. You're playin'! You're just-- wasitng her time, like you're wasting our goods and materials here. This isn't a a game, dammit! This is stuff we need to survive! THese are people's lives-- and that's a girl's heart you're foolin' around with, mister!"

Yeah, she's just sort of-- uhm. Unloading.

She'll feel like crap later. But right now? She's just sort of exploding.

[mysolarsailpwns]

You want exploding? Jim can explode too

[notahick]

"Why did you lie to her? Say you were going to go back to her world? Or does your family mean so little to you--!"

Yeah, this is a big thing, and it's all Paige's issues. Someone.. has, um, problems. But Jim is a convinient dumping ground for them, since she can't, you know, Be an adult and talk to Sokka.

...she doesn't know what to say to I want to marry you, now.

[mysolarsailpwns]

"I missed the part where that was any of your business."

[notahick]

"It's my business because when you do something stupid, I'm pickin' up the pieces, when he's pickin' up hers. You are messing my with family!"

[mysolarsailpwns]

. . . oh geeze, THAT'S who she reminded Jim of.

"Something stupid? Like caring about her? See tirade, repeat. What do you think I am, Harth? I'm not hurting her. And in case you haven't noticed, I'm pretty sure she doesn't hate me too much."