every minute's like a lasso

[riches]

When: Afternoon
Rating: Depending on Dave's language, take your pick.
Characters:  Sato and a Strider.
Summary: Adopted big-sis takes the munchkin out shopping.
Log: 

[ There aren't many things Asami has come to realise she wouldn't do for Dave. He's sassy and has a heck of a mouth on him for such a young man, but she doesn't even begrudge him his minor tiff with Mako over the network; it's always been evident he's a kind kid who benefits (flourishes, even) in company, and she's more than happy to share hers. Which is how she finds herself in the deep-end of the shopping district with a fourteen-year-old boy, staring into the glossy window of a camera store with models on display that far out-strip the ones she's familiar with back home. ]

This makes the cutting-edge technology of Republic City look like ancient history.

[ It's the strangest thing to come from what is technically an out-dated world and to feel so much nostalgia for (apparently) poorly made machinery. There are a few books she's already bought during their round-robin of the stores, science texts and mechanical engineering, as well as a magazine on make-up,  but she's starting to get an itch that won't be scratched until she's spoiled Dave a little too. He's a lost child, for all his witticisms, and doing something nice for him is rapidly turning into a full-time thread of affection tied to his happiness while he shares in the maddening city of ticking.

Looking to him to gauge his interest as she wanders into the store, she wonders if having a little brother would have actually been this pleasant. There's no way Asami intends to replace Dave's guardian(s?) but managing to be something of a trustworthy figure while also enjoying being his friend is so far working out okay. Teasing him is always playful and well-meant, a safety net that she hopes conveys how comfortable she is around him despite their age difference. ]

You don't think I'm too old-fashioned, do you? 

Comments

[sickbeat]

[Dave likes Asami. She's kind, warm, friendly, and meets his sarcasm mark for mark. He appreciates talking with someone who gets that, who can go with the flow and catch his drift without him explaining. It's kind of fun, a little reminiscent of his conversations with Jade. She's older by a handful of years, taller, and with a mature air about her. The thought makes him falter a little, but only a little.

Mostly he tries not to think about it.

As they peruse the various cameras, Dave wants to try every single one of them. The camera on the devices were of the shittiest quality he's ever seen, and not even in an ironic way. They were literally just shit. So he's looking for something-- else. He thinks a professional camera for his unprofessional shots would be kind of fun.]

Old-fashioned is a bonnet and mumu. [He looks up at her, shades sliding.] Or frequent tangents about how, back in your day, you had to walk in the snow both ways with nothing but a pair of ragged boots and a compass.

The day you say tarnation unironically is the day you, Asami, are officially old-fashioned.

[riches]

You ought to mummify me if I start doing any of that stuff.

[ Lifting a camera off its stand, she looks it over and tentatively activates the touch-screen display for browsing customers. ]

This is way more advanced than anything back home, it doesn't have any real buttons. [ Where do you turn it - oh! ] I shouldn't be getting impressed by stuff like this; you're the only one who knows my shame.

[sickbeat]

Stop, you're making me blush.

[He's not, and it's all said with that particular deadpan of this is me being totally ironic and not serious that he's learned to perfect or at least mimic well. But a small curve of a smile - very small, just a flick of his lips - appears as he takes another camera and flips through the settings. It has a nice lens - that's a good start.]

Yeah, shit, Asami. Buttons are last year, so you should think about that the next time you draw out an entire schematic from memory and build whatever-the-fuck from scratch.

[riches]

I grew up playing on the race-track and watching my dad draw those original plans himself, Mr. Sass. [ Nudging him with a hip as she passes by, she leans down to inspect another model. ] It's not too difficult to jigsaw together the pieces of a car when you know what's needed to make it run.

When do you think you'll start learning how to drive?

[sickbeat]

I grew up around puppets, and you don't see me raring to sew one up anytime soon.

[He turns to take an experimental shot of Asami without warning. Despite that, it doesn't come out blurry. The quality is actually pretty fucking stellar, and he's suitably impressed.]

I guess the driving thing depends on the traffic laws around here. Of which I know jack shit.

[...the thought is kind of cool, though. Driving. Christ.]

[riches]

Why did you grow up around puppets?

[ She snaps him back, playing at being arty with a wonky, awful angle. Dave is apparently able to practically hover sideways in that photo when she shows it him before moving around the stands. ]

[sickbeat]

Because.

[A pause as he chooses between telling the truth and playing it cool. Thinking about Bro doesn't sting but the memory still kind of sucks. Especially since the last thing he remembers before he entered this place was seeing Bro's weird ass alternate universe dream self or whatever. Shenanigans.

He covers the pause by moving to another camera. Much more expensive and fancier.]

It paid the bills. Explaining more than that is triggering and we don't even have hash tags to flag 'em.

[There is a bit of a grimace in the way his lips downturn and eyebrows scrunch. He takes another picture of her. Oh, that fisheye setting kind of looks weird. He turns it around to show her.]

[riches]

[ As strangely evasive as his answer is, she doesn't press for more information. Resting a hand on his shoulder as she inspects the new picture, Asami fiddles with the settings around the nozzle ... or whatever it is. Easily enough, she flips back to the other point of conversation that likely won't make him uncomfortable. ]

I can show you how to drive on an empty parking lot one night, if you're up for it. I'd feel better knowing you had some way of getting out of trouble in a hurry, even if it's not strictly legal.

[ The fancy camera is noted, lifted up enough to take a picture of both of them as she ducks down. ]

Only if you want to, of course. We're all flying by the seat of our pants getting kidnapped, after all.

[sickbeat]

[She's so- nice. He half-wonders if this is some kind of trap. Not that she comes off as malicious, no, or even particularly scheming. She's not Bro by any means, but there's a part of him that still expects to turn around and discover that she's actually some kind of ninja and pulls swords out faster than should be possible.

He shrugs, appreciating that she seems to appreciate the art of a good self-portrait snapshot. Angled myspace shots are the height of irony. He doesn't go as far as to pose with duck-lips, however. Some lines need not be crossed.]

Sure.

[He holds his hand out for the camera she took their picture with.]

Let's go for a drive in your rad ride. You bringing mom?

[Mom = Mako lmfao.]

[riches]

[ Handing back the camera, she's about to reply when the connection is made and a laugh won't be tamped down on. ]

Mako can't drive, he'd just be in the way. Plus, he might throttle you if he hears you calling him that often enough.

[sickbeat]

[He clicks to look at their photo. Then clicks out to check some of the other features.

Yes.

Yes this is the one.]

Is that an invitation for me to continue?

[There's a pixel of a smirk on his lips. He can be an irritating brat sometimes, but that Mako dude seriously needed like an entire bottle's worth of chill pills. Dude has something way too big rammed up his butt.]

[riches]

[ She keeps her eye on him as he looks over the camera, casually enough offering a hand as though to put it back on the stand. ]

If you did, don't come hiding behind my coat-tails.

[sickbeat]

[Oh.

He looks down at the camera then back at her. Well, he doesn't want to appear too attached to the damn thing. It's not like he's seriously into this anyway. He can keep it in mind for later-- and he sets the camera in her palm.]

Hell no, pops, if anything's going down, I'm tattling on you.

[riches]

[ Casually putting it back on the stand, doop dee doop. ]

Traitor. Hey, could you head out to the hotdog stand on the street and buy us some snacks? [ There you go, bro, have a bill or two. ] I need to ask these guys some boring stuff about attaching a wireless to my moped, it'd only make you bang your head on the wall while you wait.

[sickbeat]

[His glasses slide down enough to show a distinct eyeroll as he takes the money.]

Fine, go get your geek on in peace. I'll be back.

[He swoops out to get them their delicious greasy food, unaware of Asami's nefarious schemes.]

[riches]

[ Super nefarious!!! Waiting until she's sure Dave's crossed the street, she hurries over to an assistant and has the fancy camera boxed and bagged. Very pleased with herself, Asami heads out to meet him with an innocent whistle. ]

Hey! Cool guy. [ Lifting the handles, she offers it over. ] You ran out and forgot something.

[sickbeat]

[He takes his takeout box from the hot dog guy before looking at Asami and her bag in confusion. He didn't-- no. She didn't.

Dave is very !!! right now.]

What.

[It's not his birthday. He doesn't remember doing anything particularly special for her. Is it secretly a bomb? He doesn't understand.

He's still just very !!! and stares at the bag with wide, shadesed eyes.]

[riches]

[ Take the bag being wiggled at you, Dave!!! ]

You're still a kid and should have something fun to do around here for as long as we're stuck. C'mon.

[sickbeat]

[He does and...he just stares at it, at the bit of the box he can see from between the handles. If he stares at it instead of her, maybe he can stop from ~blushing~.]

You sure are sassy for an older woman.

[Sniff.

He brings the box close before holding out the take out box of hot dogs.]

Thanks.

[riches]

Says the scamp. No problem.

[ Ooh, hotdogs. Munching on hers as she nudges him to walk along beside her. ]

My only condition is you take flattering photos of me, if any.

[sickbeat]

[He is no longer interested in eating, but he does follow at her side, already digging at the box, a 1-pixel smile on his face that he isn't really aware of.]

I don't know if even I can pull that off.

[The 1-pixel smile might widen to a whole 2-pixels.]

[riches]

[ 2 pixels /FAINTS ]

You've got moxy, did you know that? [ Ruffling his hair a little. ] Smart Alec.

[sickbeat]

I'm all about moxy.

[He tries to duck from under the ruffling but can't without risking the safety of his camera bleh. Once he's got it out, he slides in the battery and turns it on.

3 pixels worth of smiles holy shit someone call the presses.]

[riches]

[ There aren't words for how happy she is that he's pleased, but maybe swag comes into it. ]

It's so different to anything we have. Our cameras need a veil and they puff out smoke, it's a real inconvenience.

[sickbeat]

[He sets up a filter - it is basically a blueish instagram-like filter - and points the camera at her, taking a picture with pseudo ninja-like swiftness.]

The daunting future still has shit like that, too. For real photographers. See, this has a digital interface, [he taps the screen] but it's not a real hipster camera without film.