(no subject)

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A large motorbike roars its way through the streets of the Supercomputer. Driving it is a Game sprite, with her brother-in-law seated behind her, his arms wrapped around her torso.

Comments

[a1enzo]

Funny how you can enjoy a situation so much and still wish you didn't have to deal with it. Enzo keeps his arms firmly around her lower torso, even though that's physically awkward, and hopes he's not blushing too hard, and tries not to feel guilty about enjoying the ride.

He's really glad he's not organic right now.

[notascreensaver]

If AndrAIa notices the blushing, she dosen't say anything about it. Instead, she makes her way through traffic, enventually pulling into the parking lot of a diner.

"This the place?" she asks as she cuts the engine off.

[a1enzo]

"Uh-huh!" Jimmy's Shake Bar doesn't look like Dot's Diner, exactly, but it'd be at home in the same neighbourhood. "It's really good."

Enzo reluctantly/relievedly lets go of AndrAIa and hops down.

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa smiles and dismounts after him.

"I'm sure it is."

They cross the parking lot in realitive silence, and upon arriving at the door, she shoulders it open, holding it for the younger sprite as she steps inside. She surveys the interior, nodding her approval.

"Where do you want to sit?"

[a1enzo]

Enzo scans the room. There are already some cadets here, it being a popular off-campus hangout; a few wave to him. AndrAIa is the recipient of a number of appreciative looks from the clientèle; two of the older cadets, recalling her manner from her prior visit, wolf-whistle cheerfully.

She's also being stared at, Enzo notices, by a familiar group of youths in leather jackets. He grins as the dun-coloured boy's jaw drops. One of the binomes in the group starts to whistle as well, but stops when Johnny elbows him hard.

"Over there," he says, pointing to a couple of stools at the bar, which, while not so close to the Worms' booth as to make an encounter likely, are perfectly positioned to give them an excellent view.

[notascreensaver]

The whistling cadets get a amused smile for their troubles, and she waggles her fingers at them in greeting as she seats herself on the stool next to Enzo, leaning forward to rest her elbows on the counter as she looks over the menu.

"So what's good here, Sprout?"

[a1enzo]

The whistlers grin and exchange smug looks; others look impressed at their gall.

"The energy shakes're great. The rest of it's, y'know, diner food. I like the chili links."

[notascreensaver]

She nods and orders herself a shake, along with a burger which'll probably get some odd looks as she eats it.

"Looking forward to starting up classes again?"

[a1enzo]

"I think so. We have another Game class this term, that'll be fun! And Dad was happy about the science class."

[notascreensaver]

She smiles a small, wry smile.

"I expect you're a little ahead of most the others in your grade when it comes to the Games."

[a1enzo]

Enzo nods. "A lot of 'em haven't been in any at all."

[notascreensaver]

The Game sprite gives him a gentle, playful nudge.

"I suppose we did alright then, showing you the ropes."

[a1enzo]

"Yeah! But it also makes it more boring, not getting to play Games most of the time. No one else cares, 'cause they're not used to them."

[a1enzo]

Although there's no need to land in the middle of the Hub this time, they do make a fairly showy entrance, with a high trajectory and lots of loud gunning of the motor, 'cause, hey, why not?

Reception is similar to what they got in the diner: waved and shouted greetings to Enzo, and catcalls from a few of the braver cadets.

[notascreensaver]

Despite the showy entrance, she does park where she's supposed to this time, coming in nicely to the garage and parking in a tucked away spot.

[a1enzo]

A pair of familiar sprites look up from a monster of a car in the next aisle over.

"Hey!" calls Balun.

Tone opens her mouth and outputs something incomprehensible in 14.4Kbps.

Balun looks at her. "What'd that mean?"

"'Hello,' duh."

"Weird, sounded longer."

"Well, it's a slow language."

Enzo laughs. "Hi, guys."

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa laughs at the banter, adding her own greeting after Enzo. She dismounts and starts unstrapping a large box from the back of the bike.

"Hey, Balun, I have something for you."

[a1enzo]

Balun looks perplexed. "For me? Wha—" Then his eyes go wide as recollection stirs. "Oh, no way!"

[notascreensaver]

AndrAIa's beaming at the cadet as she heaves the box off the back of the bike.

"It's an older model of Cry than you were probably looking at, but I've tweaked it a bit, you should probably get about the same speed and power you'd get out of one of the newer models."

[a1enzo]

Balun eagerly accepts the package, bracing himself for its weight. "That's... holy spam, that's so double-sided..."

"At least you're drooling over the engine," says Tone.

"Hey, c'mon, don't be like that, babe..."

"As long as I get to help with the installation."

"'Course you do!" Girlfriend appeased, he looks back at AndrAIa. "Thank you so much. How much do...?"

[notascreensaver]

She shakes her head, waving off Balun's offer.

"Nothing. Don't worry about it."

A beat.

"Though if someone asks where you got it, make sure you tell them, alright?"

[a1enzo]

"Web, I'll post fliers!"

[notascreensaver]

She beams at the Cadet again.

"Pixelicious."

[a1enzo]

Since you can't just stick a new engine in a car on the spur of the moment, Balun and Tone elect to return to the dorm along with our heroes, but since Balun refuses all help in carrying the package, they quickly fall behind and Enzo and AndrAIa enter the student lounge by themselves. Enzo exchanges greetings while AndrAIa is mobbed with fanboys (and a fair few fangirls).

[notascreensaver]

Although bemused by the sudden influx of cadets, AndrAIa does her best to take it in stride. She smiles patiently while answering questions, shaking hands, and indulging the brave few that come foward with datapads; all the while keeping a sharp eye on her brother-in-law.

The first time she sees a certain calendar app, it's shyly presented to her by a female cadet blushing a nearly eye-searing shade of lime green.

The Game sprite stares at the calendar for just a moment, and said cadet, if possible, blushes even harder; finally, she can't contain it any longer, and she laughs at the sheer absudity of the calendar app.