[I]Dammit! [B]Dammit![/b] I'm such an idiot, getting my hopes up like that. The odds of a mechanical genius being in the Sunderer recruits is low. Anyone like that would probably be locked up in a lab already. Hell, I probably would be if they knew my true capabilities.[/i] 

Eve's brow furrowed at the unfortunate news, eyes drifting down and looking through Penny's chest as she was momentarily lost in thought. It was a rapid dive from excitement to disappointment she hadn't been prepared for. A few seconds later she registered she was still being spoken to, and physically shook her head to ground herself in reality again.

"A-ah, sorry. Spaced out there for a sec. Th-thank you. Though I think Penny is a much cuter name." 

She offered up an apologetic smile when she met the girl's eyes again. Eve realized that while she wouldn't be getting expert pointers like she briefly hoped, she could still get pointers from Penny. And who knew? Maybe she could meet her father one day. So for now she stepped back once, giving back the space she had invaded. But she also extended her right hand, the left coming to rest on her hip.

"Suppose learning how robots tick is part of our new job, anyway. Even if you didn't make it I'd love to bounce ideas off you. If you don't mind, that is."

Either she hadn't noticed or didn't care about Penny's struggle with speech, as her eyes never left the girl when she talked. Secretly she liked her quiet nature, even if it was involuntary shyness. Most people were just too damn noisy, so it was a refreshing change.

[I]Hell, an actual friend or two wouldn't kill me, so long as they prove trustworthy. Trustworthy enough, anyway. And granted I don't drive them away on my own. Hm, yeah… forgot about that. Making friends isn't hard, me keeping them is the challenge. We'll see what happens I guess.[/i]

She smiled, a hint of sadness tainting her eyes, but the expression was perhaps the most honest so far.

[@Randomness]