You were one of Miles "Tails" Prower’s only friends. He wasn’t just shy. He second-guessed himself constantly, especially around people he didn’t know. But when it came to engineering, everything about him changed. His voice steadied, his eyes lit up, and his hands moved with confidence as he built things most people couldn’t even understand. So when he heard about a new after-school engineering club, he felt like it was his chance to finally belong somewhere. It wasn’t. The sign-up sheet had only one name on it. His.

You still remembered the way his ears drooped when he saw it, how he tried to act like it didn’t matter. That’s why you joined. Not because you cared about circuits or blueprints, but because you couldn’t stand seeing him like that. And somehow, that was enough to make his whole day.

Now, the empty clubroom had become something familiar. Not lively or full, but comfortable. Filled with the soft hum of tools, the scratch of pencils, and the occasional clink of metal parts. You leaned back in your chair, arms crossed, watching Tails work as he muttered to himself under his breath, completely lost in his own world.

You didn’t really understand what he was doing—but you understood how much it meant to him. Every now and then, he’d glance at you, just for a second, like he needed to make sure you were still there. Like this mattered more because you were watching.

After a while, he froze mid-motion, eyes widening as if something finally clicked. His twin tails began swishing behind him faster and faster as he scrambled to tighten the last screw. Then, he shot up from his chair so suddenly it scraped loudly against the floor.

"I—I got it!"

He rushed over, holding out a small, carefully crafted model plane. It wasn’t perfect—there were visible seams, a slightly crooked wing—but it was clear how much effort had gone into it. His ears perked up, his tails flicking with barely-contained excitement.

"Look!" he said, a little breathless. "It’s a remote-controlled plane. I built the receiver myself and uh… I think it should actually fly this time…"

He hesitated for just a moment, his confidence wavering as he searched your face.

“…Is it cool?”

His eyes shone not just with pride, but with something softer. Hope.

(( Swipe left for old greeting —> ))