Adjusting Central Faculty

[Containment]

As Cody watched the gears turn in her head, he saw something change in her face. She’d followed him, and she was already working out the plan, he could feel it. It was the kind of energy and dedication a lot of researchers in their age group didn’t want to expend, not until they found their thing. And it seemed like Pepper had just found her thing, and she practically glowed with it in a way that had nothing to do with her anomaly.

There was a hiccup, of course. There usually was, that was one of the things about research, but it wasn’t a big one, even if she seemed a little embarrassed by it. There was a list somewhere of all the things that Cody hadn’t been allowed to do at L-1, which he hadn’t checked since his transfer back. Partly because that list didn’t exist here, outside of the general “interns please do not try” rules. He was responsible for several of those rules.

"Yeah, I remember the last manager was super strict about that stuff," Cody said with a laugh. Or– well, he kind of remembered him. That was one of those weird amnestics moments where he knew exactly what he’d been like, without knowing a thing about the guy. Like, he was very gruff and stern about security; but if Cody tried to think of the color of his eyes, he felt a migraine start.

He decided to stop thinking about that. Staying in the moment was a better option anyway, and the talk with Pepper so far had been a great distraction from what was going on elsewhere. She had a way with people, he could tell. She’d make a great research lead, and he was going to make sure she had the opportunity for it.

"I’ll probably have to consult Isaac, but I think there’s uh– statute of limitations, thing, on management stuff. We’ll be able to reevaluate it. For now I think our friendly Low-Grade Leviathan shouldn’t pose an issue while we figure out the research bits."

 

[Stitches]

Pepper positively beamed at this. It was all she could do to not take a big step forward and throw her arms around the man. She bounced on her heels a little as she thought about working with more risky anomalies. She had been absolutely devastated before when her access had been limited. There was so much she wanted to get her hands on and test, so many things she wanted to try that were unusual. But more than anything, she wanted to reach the same great heights as all those around her.

“Yeah, I would love that. Thank you so much!” She gushed for a brief moment, her cheeks flushing, before she remembered who she was talking to. She looked at the ground and cleared her throat. “I mean, I would really appreciate the opportunity that you’re offering me. I greatly appreciate your belief in me.”

She tried her hardest not to smile. She really did. But this was the most positive and giddy she had felt in weeks, maybe even months. After the Breach, everything had gone wonky, and they were still recovering from it. That had left her feeling distinctly behind as L-14 had begun to house more and more anomalies that she simply wasn’t allowed to touch. She felt less than helpful being relegated to Household only. It was, well, a bit degrading as well. Dr. Kallie had tried to talk to the previous head of research several times, Mr…. Mr…. him, and he had denied all attempts are giving her more access.

All this to say, she couldn’t help but smile at the floor, her green eyes particularly shiny as she did so.

 

[Containment]

Cody recognized the look. It was relief, but the damp kind that came before a different set of stressors. He couldn’t claim to be too tough for that feeling, but especially in the last month he’d seen it on so many different people. It always felt good to see, even with the dampness, and Peppers bore it well.

"Please, you really don’t need to be that formal with me." Cody waved a hand. "It’s what I’m here for. I’m just glad you found your groove."

He looked up at the clock on the wall, then sighed and stood the rest of the way up. "I’ve gotta get back to the rounds. This was great, Pepper. We should brainstorm more sometime."

Wait, was that weird? No, that was normal. Normal researcher behavior. Why would he think it was weird? It wouldn’t be weird if it was Kallie or Eisenberg or any of the Lepidopterists. Okay, Cody, how do you break the tension…

He flashed a signature smile without hesitation or reservation, and held out a closed fist for a bump. There, keeps it casual, keeps it smooth, not as formal as a handshake. Crisis averted, and he’d be able to leave with his dignity even if she didn’t accept.

Another clean save by Dr. Cody Redd.

 

[Stitches]

Pepper’s smile grew bigger at Cody’s insistence that she not be formal. She wasn’t good at formal. Not really. And that smile turned into a laugh as Cody raised a closed fist to her. Did he want to fist-bump her? Did he know that was unbearably cute? Something about that made her overload, and tears started to fall from her eyes. She wasn’t at all concerned about them. They were tears of laughter, of joy, and she knew that Cody would understand that, given their conversation.

There was nothing left to say, at least, not at this point. She felt certain that there would be much more to say in the future to Dr. Cody Redd. But for now, Dr. Pepper was content with the following: she raised her hand in a closed fist and bumped it into his. “In that case, Cody, I look forward to working with you more in the future!”