LET'S [test] DRIVING

[cava]

IT'S THAT TIME AGAIN, YOU KNOW THE DRILL. Here's a few options, all stolen shamelessly from previous iterations.

> The Park. Man, what a nice day out. Why not enjoy it? I'm sure -- shit, yep, there's some echo monsters or whatever they're called.
> The Mall. Exactly what it says on the tin! Dodge the hordes of teenage mallrats or take part, whichever suits your tastes.
> Rainy Day. Agh, it's fucking awful out. And is it raining those vermilion things?? Now you've got an Echo to contend with on top of everything else. Find some shelter, quick!
> Arts and Crafts Fair. WILL THE KITSCH OVERWHELM YOU


or make up your own whatever this is basic and just for the purposes of getting a new test drive up.

Comments

[amajin]

[He puts his own back and then picks up a very 1970s-80s pair with gold rims and puts them on. They're a little ridiculous, but as he looks at himself with them on in the mirror, they suit him.]

I actually like these ones, though.

[He gives her a fingergun]

Pow!

[sucrosity]

[She's going to be a smart alec, but the sight of Jin in the sunglasses makes her pause, recognition freezing her. Why--? After a ten second pause, she rushes to cover it by pulling a page right out of his book, lifting her hand to her chest and grunting as if shot.]

You got me...!

[amajin]

[He puts his hand on her shoulder]

Your sacrifice will pave the way for me to be super cool in these sunglasses for the rest of my life. Go gently into that good night, my dear bun...

[Then he pops them off and looks at them again.]

Yeah, I think I'm actually gonna buy these, you wanna wait a sec?

[sucrosity]

You? Super cool?

[She raises her eyebrows, and puts her hands to her hips. He can probably feel the wave of unimpressed teenage attitude coming off of her, but when he takes them off, she relents, relaxing her posture.]

Are you gonna buy me lunch if I do?

[Said as sweetly as possible. There's even some batted lashes.]

[amajin]

I'm basically as cool as a dad can get, don't lie.

[He raises his eyebrows.]

I was probably gonna have to buy you lunch anyway.

[He flips his fingers and flutters them as he hops off to buy the glasses.]

tonight in "sandy figures out what other bad habits yoko has picked up from jin"

[sucrosity]

Cool dads really are doomed...

[She lifts her hands to wiggle them back.

Then, a beat too late--] Hey! I could buy my own lunch!

[She scowls. Stupid Dad... With him distracted by the teller, she lapses into a less clearly irritated silence. She wonders, idly, why his new aviators had seemed so familiar, as he pays, her expression slipping into something more furrowed and thoughtful for a moment. It fades away by the time he gets done--she can't think of any reason why, and it's too frustrating to beat around in her head only to come up with nothing. She puts on a smile.]

[amajin]

[He saunters back, wearing the sunglasses despite the fact that he can't see too well in the mall with them on.]

You could buy your own lunch, but it'd be with my money.

[He does an idle little spin and makes a goofy arms-raised pose]

Face it, bun, you're in my debt forever. It's Confucian.

[sucrosity]

[Not for the first time, Yoko resolves to get a job. (As soon as time permits, so... never.)]

It would not! It's in my account, so it's mine.

[Confucian...? She follows him, half-waiting for him to go falling over because it's not like a forty-year-old old man should be spinning around wearing sunglasses indoors.]

What does Confucius have to do with lunch?

[amajin]

[Well this forty-year-old man is in impeccable shape, thank you very much, though he almost walks into a bench as they go and has to tip his sunglasses onto his head.]

You know, filial piety, all that jazz. I raised you with blood and sweat and lots of tears, and there's no way you can repay me, so you gotta respect me as much as you can and take care of me when I get all old and feeble.

[He abruptly leans over and onto her.]

And I have a feeling it might be soon... But til then, I'm gonna spoil you as much as I can.

[At the last, he squeezes his cheek obnoxiously into hers, hugging her shoulders instead of leaning on her.]

[sucrosity]

[She's a little glad to see the sunglasses atop his head instead of perched on his nose. He'd hurt his face for sure if he fell over, and she'd never hear the end of it.]

Tears?! That's only because you cry, like, any time I do anything, Dad.

[She huffs, but she knows it's just the two of them, in all the ways that count. Any momentary flashes of filial piety are interrupted by him leaning on her, and she groans, craning her neck away.]

Daaaaaad! Come on, lemme go.

[She jerks her elbow at his ribs.]

You're only forty, Dad, you'll be around to be annoying for a while-- [she breaks away for a good with a brisk pace.]

[amajin]

[He fakes a sniffle]

That's cos you're such a cute little bunny, m'dear!

[He rubs her head as she breaks away, and follows along.]

So, how about lunch and then we go clothes shopping. I'll tell my boss I can't come in cos it's hard to be a single dad. I'll buy you some new boots.

[sucrosity]

[There's some groaning as she pulls out her ponytail and begins to smooth the top and tie it back up.]

I'm not a bunny!

[At the offer of new boots, however, she grins, and whirls to look at him while she talks, walking backwards.]

You mean it?! New boots would be great, the other ones are getting all cracked along the side...

[Wait.]

You were here for more than sunglasses, though, weren't you?

[She's certainly going to take him up on the offer of new boots, but if he's here for something they should take care of that first.]

[amajin]

[He lifts his shoulders]

I was gonna buy some new shirts to impress your mom with, but it was a futile endeavor from the start.

[sucrosity]

[Ah. As she'd suspected. She rolls her eyes.]

Just iron one of the ones you already have and she won't even notice.

[amajin]

She does, though! She always notices and gives me these dirty looks!!

[He groans and runs his fingers through his hair]

Hey, she doesn't talk bad about me around you, does she?

[sucrosity]

She only notices when you look like a wannabe gigolo, dad.

[At the question, her eyes flicker down. She tilts her head, drawing up her nose thoughtfully.]

We don't talk about you that much.

[And when they do, it's mostly her complaining, and her mother telling her to stop being so whiny.]

[amajin]

That silver lame shirt was amazing! I can't believe you threw it out.

[He pouts. But her commentary is reassuring at least.]

Well, that's a relief. Only when you're telling her what a great dad I am, I'm sure.

Anyway, boots, right?

[sucrosity]

I wish it were here, so I could throw it out again.

[That thing made him look like he was trying to recapture the glory days of his youth, only his youth was back when disco was a thing.

She's perfectly droll when she speaks again.]

Yes. Definitely.

Boots. Maybe floral print...

[amajin]

What, like rain boots?

[He had tried to retrieve his shirt out of the trash but someone, probably Yoko, had thrown food on it. She was devilishly clever, that one.]

You wanna get some lunch first, tell me how practice is going, tennis champ?

[sucrosity]

No, not rain boots, Doc Martens!

[She already has three pairs. Which is nowhere near enough.]

Sure! You can tell me about whatever your robots are getting up to. Have they started planning a rebellion yet?

[amajin]

Don't you already have a pair of Doc Martens?

[He's pretty sure he's bought at least two, but maybe one pair wore out? He only remembers because Doc Martens cost money.]

The most rebellious stuff my robots get up to is giving my boss the finger, and that's cos I programmed them to do that.

[sucrosity]

Yeah...? They're old, though.

[Not that a year and half had that much effect on them, realistically--but she'd milk this, if she could.]

Man, you'd think 'I build robots for a living' would be more exciting!

[amajin]

[He raises an eyebrow but he's vain enough that he has a few pairs of his favorite shoes.]

All right, all right, Doc Martens. Those are supposed to last forever, or something, aren't they? So you better not ask for another pair next week.

[He laughs]

C'mon, my robots save lives, that's pretty cool.

[sucrosity]

[Day saved by dad's ego, hell yes.]

Yes! [She shrugs.] They're supposed to. I'll wait until your next paycheck!

[Said with a smile.]

It is, but when do you built the terminator?

[amajin]

[He rolls his eyes. But he's also well aware of his weakness to begging.]

I'll just sell the old ones on Ebay the next time you want new ones.

[He shakes his head]

From my own child... Skynet built the terminators. And the guy who built Skynet blew himself up to stop that from happening. Do you want to see that happen to your dear old dad?