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

[sponsorigami]

[ He bows as part of his apology but then chastises himself over doing so. ]

No glass... only a ill-fated cell phone.

[ Ivan bends over to pick up the fallen object. Screen's cracked and black. Damn it. That's not a good sign. He doesn't care much about the phone, but all the progress on his writing... ]

[metalbent]

Well, crap. Sorry.

[ ...Not that she'd run into him, but - well, that sucked. ]

Did you need to call someone or something? Or like, is there data on there?

[sponsorigami]

I was writing something, and I don't think it saved.

[ He gives a small sigh. ]

Maybe I should stick with paper and pencil...

[metalbent]

Maybe a tech person could see about it? I can't say I know that much about phones, or anything, but...worth a shot?

[ KINDA... ]

Wait, you were writing on your phone?

[sponsorigami]

It's easier to carry than a laptop, and I usually have it on me unlike a notebook. Easier to keep everything together too.

[ He has tried writing in the margins of his notebooks for school, but he finds that sometimes passages or story notes go missing. ]

[metalbent]

What sorts of things do you write? Adventures?

[ If he says "romances" her interest in his writing will dissipate, and there will probably be faces made. ]

[sponsorigami]

[ He hates this question. Ivan never knows how he wants to answer. ]

Adventure is one way to put it. I can't say I really know yet though.

[ He'd probably fail at writing a romance. His love life is... what is a love life? ]

[metalbent]

"In progress" or "I don't know" are acceptable answers.

At least you've learned a valuable lesson for writing through meeting me, don't you think?

[ so magnanimous. ]

[sponsorigami]

[ He thinks accepting those answers makes her worlds different than the people he normally encounters. ]

Yes, ma'am. Don't walk and write at the same.

[metalbent]

Good boy!

[ ...He's probably (definitely) older than her, but. ]

In that case, I think I can say my good deed for the day is done!

[sponsorigami]

[ By a few years most likely ]

You did two. You could have gotten really angry at me for running into you.

[metalbent]

Yeah, well. If I got angry every time someone knocked into me, I'd spend a lot of my time getting annoyed. Locke's pretty busy.

[sponsorigami]

[ Most tried to find fault in him for the smallest thing, even if it was outside of his control. The fact that she's being relatively pleasant to him still is a surprise... and nice. ]

I think I'd have to say you're better than most people I meet.

[metalbent]

[ She can be nice! ...Although give her time and she'll mock him for things. ...At least it's generally well-meaning. Ish. ]

Ha, really? Mind if I put you down as a reference, then?

[sponsorigami]

[ That makes Ivan laugh a little. ]

Sure, you can write down "Ivan Karelin" if you think I'll be a good enough one.

[metalbent]

Sophie Bai.

[ She grins. ]

Not that I'm sure I'll be much of a reference for the literary world, but - I'm told it's polite to give your name when you have someone else's.

[sponsorigami]

It's better than no reference at all, right? You have to put something down.

[ Ivan finds himself less and less worried about his phone and the writing. ]

[metalbent]

True! Weirdly enough putting down imaginary people apparently doesn't go over that well. Or so I'm told.

[ ...SHE HASN'T TRIED IT, BUT SHE WOULD IF IT CAME UP. ]

[sponsorigami]

It's only if they actually follow up on the references, right? How can they tell otherwise?

[metalbent]

Do you think they don't follow up on them?

[sponsorigami]

Then I hope it's by email or phone because doing so in person is probably going to confuse them and think I'm a fake.

[metalbent]

Well, that's true enough. I mean - not sure how it would work, actually...?

[ She's very seriously considering this, leaning on her cane absently. ]

I'm sure it'll probably work out.