FFM 2025 25: So Much Gossip

Continuing from FFM 2025 23: Tiredness with a time skip. This is definitely late because I didn’t have the energy to prune 56 words from this and then finish editing this yesterday… and then stuff to do notable changes to kept coming up while editing today. Welp, at least I’m still getting today’s flashfic out on time…

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The powers that be did not let them have a rematch for weeks; whenever Steirdrar would have been rested enough to spar with Agent Ket, the Eskel-Zai either was deployed or sported dark circles so prominent Steirdrar was ready to make excuses to postpone the spar, had Agent Ket not agreed that she was too tired for it. And whenever Agent Ket would have been ready for the rematch, it was Steirdrar who was indisposed one way or the other.

In the meantime, they wound up talking quite often, both in-person and via messages they left for each other at his desk whenever one of them got deployed. Steirdrar got a proper tour of the Afterglow, learning about the armory, the plant room and other facilities within the ship that was more a full-blown mobile base than anything else. He talked with QWERTY every now and then too, although, with the android more interested in doing aers own thing when off-duty, those conversations rarely lasted long. Steirdrar was certain ae was constantly making notes about him nevertheless; he had read the pair’s files (as much as his clearance had allowed) and QWERTY’s knack for information-processing had been noted there as one of aers strongest skills when in action.

Steirdrar also had no doubt that QWERTY was keeping an eye on him for Agent Ket’s sake. It was irrelevant whether it was because of distrust towards him or protectiveness towards her; Steirdrar stayed on his best behavior nevertheless to avoid giving the android a reason to advise Agent Ket to limit her interactions with him. He had quickly come to enjoy the easy camaraderie with Agent Ket so much that he did not want to risk ruining it.

The gossip had gotten louder and wilder with every meal shared, every visit to the Afterglow, every longer conversation they had when out and about. There had even been utterly absurd suspicions that he was sleeping with her to get something from her, as if there was something he wanted that any single person could give him and that he could compensate for it only with sex.

As if he would ever dare suggest hooking up to Agent Ket, even if it would be just because they were both pent-up and needed to someone work through their biological needs with no strings attached; even if this base did foster a culture of mechanical hook-ups like the IR bases with little to no access to civilians to hook up with did, that was certain to damage their relationship, either for its audacity or for Agent Ket mistaking his motivation of “I feel comfortable with you” for him having planned to get into her armor for a longer time. Considering the things gossip was saying about her, he would not be able to blame her for assuming his intentions were perverted rather than pragmatic.

Honestly, Steirdrar had half a mind to report the gossipers for the more outrageous things he had heard them say about the Eskel-Zai even though Agent Ket had only rolled her eyes at them; it was one thing for them to say that she had a history of promiscuity but the more detailed claims… Those crossed multiple lines.

It was even worse when people asked him about what he saw in her. Feigning obliviousness would not work forever but, frankly, remarking that the Draconihide bodysuit alone — not to mention the armorplates and equipment — obscured Agent Ket’s body to the point where there was nothing that he generally considered sexy visible in her form would be even worse. Either the gossip would get even worse or Agent Ket would take offense, if only for the fact that he had looked at her in a way that made it register that he was not sexually attracted to her with her armor — a vital part of her way of life — on. Or both. It could easily be both.

Had he not still been on probation, he would have requested a transfer to some other base and kept in touch with Agent Ket long-distance. That would probably help them both with the gossip, especially since at this point things probably would not get better if he informed the higher-ups about it.

What a damn mess he had gotten himself into.

“You’re frustrated.”

Steirdrar startled. “Oh, QWERTY. Sorry, when did you get here?”

QWERTY’s face remained blank. “The warehouse: five minutes ago. Your vicinity: one minute and counting ago.”

“I see.” Steirdrar straightened himself. “Can I help you with something?”

“Ardo said the Twilight Sky‘s crew’s extempore supply haul included some older armor and that it should be around here.”

“Armor…” Steirdrar looked over the crates he and some others were helping to process. “That one over here.”

“Thank you.” QWERTY stayed still. “You did not respond to my observation about your mental state.”

Steirdrar suppressed a grimace. “The gossip is completely out of hand, that’s all.”

“Right, the lut’ortana’tea‘s urge to discuss and speculate matters not their business.” QWERTY rolled aers eyes. “Some people are far too complacent in knowing we cannot retaliate traditionally without messing up the entire base.”

“Indeed,” Steirdrar sighed.

“They also underestimate us; we have means of getting back at them in a way that does not disrupt the base’s operations. Would you be interested in taking part?”

Steirdrar had to take a moment to make sure he had heard the android right. “…Would I be useful?”

“Of course. Your skillset would be a boon to my project.”

Steirdrar had a bad feeling. “Your project?”

QWERTY’s faceplates arranged themselves into a smile. “Yes. Beyari is not involved, not yet at least.”

Steirdrar had no idea what he would be signing up for, but he was morbidly curious. “I’m not saying yes but I’d certainly like to hear you out.”

“Excellent. I will come find you in two hours, then.”

“See you then.”

Satisfied, QWERTY moved on to inspect the armor. Steirdrar resumed his work and wondered what he was getting into.