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

[femmefashionaire]

[She handed him a bill]

Why don't you buy us some fries and we'll eat while I finish this. [Her motherly tenancies were coming out again.]

[rabbunctious]

Okay.

[He takes the bill, nods, and bounces off to buy the food. When he comes back to sit down across from her, he puts the medium-size basket of French fries and her change on the table between them and takes a long sip of his boba tea.]

Thanks again for fixing the tail for me. What's your name?

[femmefashionaire]

My name's Pia. I'm new around here. What's your name? [She was purposely sewing rather slowly, enjoying the company. She didn't have any friends her own age, but damn it she was going to befriend this little kid.]

[rabbunctious]

Sang-joon. Me and my mom, we're kind of new, too.

[He kicks one leg back and forth as he watches her sew, then takes a French fry.]

You're very careful.

[femmefashionaire]

Careful? I suppose you have to be, or you'd get poked with the needle.

[She takes a fry, holding up the sharp needle for him to see.]

Where is you mom, anyways? I don't think I was allowed to wander around the mall by myself when I was...how old are you?

[rabbunctious]

Eleven.

[He munches down on his fry, watching her carefully for any signs of judging his mom.]

I run errands for her all the time. She knows I know this city better than she does already, and she's busy putting her shop together. Clothes shop. [He clarifies for Pia, gauging her interest, then leans back to straighten his shirt so she can see.] She made all my clothes.

[femmefashionaire]

[Pia's eyebrows raise, and a glimmer of hope flares in her eyes.]

She did? Well you can tell her she's very talented. I make my own clothes, too. I made this skirt. [and I desperately need a job] maybe I could talk to you mom sometime. We'd have a lot in common.

[rabbunctious]

Sure, okay. She'd like that.

[He wipes his fingers on his pants (kids, honestly) before digging a pad of blue rabbit-shaped notes out of his pocket. He writes out the shop name and address in lowercase sixth-grade scrawl, then pulls the note free and passes it to Pia.]

That's us. Ask for Miss Lee. That's my mom.

[He's not smiling exactly, but his expression is open and generally friendly.]

[femmefashionaire]

[it was as if willy wonka himself had just handed her the golden ticket. She delicately folded it and put it in her bag, trying not to let her excitement show too much.]

Thank you, really. Here, it looks like you've got your tail back. [She cuts the thread and ties it off, then holds up the jacket like a prize winning fish. It's as good as new.] What else do you have to do today? Maybe I could help. [She really has no life.]

[rabbunctious]

[He brightens at the finished repairs and puts the jacket back on immediately.]

Thanks so much. Um, let me see.

[He reaches into his other pocket and digs out a folded note: another rabbit, but this one is pink. His mother's writing slides in and out of Korean, but what's there in her bubbly English is clear and precise.]

Mom wanted another mannequin to put in the window. A little one, for kids' clothes. [He lets out a little huff of a breath.] And then she didn't notice, but we're out of breakfast food, so I thought I'd go to the grocery store if I had enough time.

[femmefashionaire]

A mannequin? I know just where to get those, but it's not in the mall. There's a fabric store that's going out of business downtown, and it's selling all it's mannequins and other store stuff. It's actually near that weird Freshco where they sell all the healthy foods and organic, free range chicken. Though I buy my things at the farmers market, I don't mind taking you there. I have a car. [She flashes him another smile before stuffing the last of the french fries into her mouth.]

[rabbunctious]

[His face slides visibly from piqued interest to wary deliberation as he struggles between "Oh no that would be so much more convenient" and "Don't get into cars with strangers."

Finally, he pulls out his smartphone and swipes through a couple things. When he looks up again, his expression is flat.]

I've got an app that means if I don't put in the password at the right time, it'll alert my mom and like forty police stations that I've been kidnapped. So. [He waggles his phone.] I gotta be home before dinner. Okay?

[femmefashionaire]

[She blinks at the screen, then smiles and nods. She foolishly hadn't even thought about the kidnapping threat. She gathered up her things and stood.]

Right, I suppose my attempts at procuring a new little brother have been spoiled. Next time, I suppose.

[rabbunctious]

[He puts his phone back in his pocket and bounces thoughtfully on the balls of his feet.]

What happened to the old one? Your old little brother.

[He lifts both eyebrows, though the rest of his face remains mock-impassive.]

[femmefashionaire]

Nothing happened to him, I just had to move far away. [she gives a small, sad smile, but it's gone in an instant.]<\small>

I had more than one, too. I had four small brothers and a cousin who was about your age.

[rabbunctious]

[He watches her silently for a moment, then seems to come to a decision and falls in step with her, having to hop a little to keep up.]

Did you move here for a job?

[femmefashionaire]

[she has long legs, and even slowing down a little she still strides ahead of him easily.]

I suppose you could say that. I'm trying to find a job in a field I'd actually like to work in. My last job was at McDonalds,which wasn't quite my thing. So I moved here to get away from the stinky grease smell.

[She shrugs, looking down at him]

Never settle for less than you deserve! I couldn't love myself, working in that place, and I couldn't stand not loving myself. That's really important. It's a shame not many people understand you have to love yourself to love others, too. You have to get a job you love, do things that are fair to yourself, and do things that you enjoy. And then life won't suck. Your side should be unlocked.

[they had made it outside, to her shitty small car. She was already slipping into her side, fiddling with the radio. It was tuned into the political debates, but she turned it to a more kid-friendly station.]