http://notanoptimist.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] notanoptimist.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] shatterverse2007-11-13 02:31 pm

(no subject)

Eventually, the Eden Team gets the car going, by the grace of Sokka's brilliance alone.

(Granted, he's not entirely sure what was wrong with the car still, as it had started up while he was busy kicking and cursing at the damn thing to just start already! ...but no one else needs to know that.)



Steph called first dibs on driving and Sokka and Mel had exchanged a glance and a quick, silent game of rock-paper-scissors to decide who got to sleep and who had to stay awake and monitor Steph's skills. The whispered argument Sokka started when Mel had rock and he had scissors stops abruptly when Steph looks over, but Sokka makes sure to kick his sister before climbing into the passenger's seat.

When his eyes aren't riveted to the window and the ruined buildings around them, he's glancing back at Mel and the babies. Partly to make sure they haven't been stolen to another world already, mostly to make sure no one's going to wake up, start crying, and wake everyone else up while she's at it.
alwaysroomforhope: (Default)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 10:46 pm (UTC)(link)
Steph snorts, eyes on the road, at one of those glances. She genuinely is a safe driver; they're going slowly even when she's obviously itching to put her foot down and just get there, navigating potholes and cracks in the road with care.

"You know, Socks, not only have I been driving safely since I was fifteen, but I've also never lost someone out of the back of the car."

Beat.

"Or out of the front." She flashes him a quick grin. "Except when we were vigilante-ing and they wanted out, but that doesn't count."
alwaysroomforhope: (no u! / teasing)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 10:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Steph sticks her tongue out at him, and frowns intently at the dashboard, under the wheel, around the ignition --

"Damn! I knew I should've picked a car with an ejector seat." She sighs, eyes back on the road, very sad. "I guess I'll just have to ask what you're worrying about instead."
alwaysroomforhope: (chin on hand)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 11:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Steph nods, smirk softening into a smile, although the road they're driving down now is shattered and clogged with vehicles and she can't spare the attention to look back at them herself.

"If they start fading away, I'm grabbing onto them and going with. And you too. But we only just landed here, I figure we've probably got about a year before whatever's doing it yanks us off again."

It's a good thing to have the road to focus on -- it means she doesn't have to make him uncomfortable by looking at him when she says, with a hint of genuine concern squished under the teasing tone, "How about you, while we're talking about looking after babies? You sleeping all right?"

There hadn't been any booze left in any of the places they'd checked; Steph figures it'd be the first thing evacuees and looters would go for, but she worries about him.
alwaysroomforhope: (girl wonder! and proud of it!)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
Steph grins with relief. She doesn't mind Looks, as long as he's okay.

"Sweet. Does that mean you should be getting out and walking now, so you're tired enough later? Cos I'll totally let you. You can jump out now."

She's obviously teasing, though, not actually slowing down.

"Must've been a change, you being the one having to put up with the whining."
alwaysroomforhope: (giggling / i know something u don't!)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Like, twice," she protests, but she grins. "...and okay, yeah, you have a point.

"There's just so many mocking opportunities, with a tiny version of you running around."
alwaysroomforhope: (listening happily)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Steph laughs. "He did all right. Hey, I didn't know you could use a sword as well as a boomerang. I'm totally impressed, how come you never told me?"

She slows down so he can ogle the trucks, grinning.
alwaysroomforhope: (listening anxiously)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 11:39 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, well, that's a relief," Steph says cheerfully, grinning over at him. "I was afraid I was gonna have to work harder to kick your ass after that display. They okay?"

She's apparently forgotten that she was mocking him ten seconds ago for needing to reassure himself that everyone's here and well.
alwaysroomforhope: (narrowed eyes)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-13 11:54 pm (UTC)(link)
The car jolts -- Steph's foot slamming on the brakes -- until she realises he's joking, and panic melts from her face.

"Oooh, if I wasn't driving, I'd smack you so hard for that, you jerk," she informs him haughtily, but she's laughing by this time, at herself as well as at him. "Soooo maybe I'm a little clingy. Can you blame me? As far as I know, this is my world." She gestures one-handed at their surroundings.
alwaysroomforhope: (listening anxiously)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-14 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
Steph nods, turning serious with the conversation, looking out at the grey destruction around them.

"Yeah. I'll be heaps less worried if I can just find out for sure whether they're here or whether -- whatever, y'know. I just have to know for sure."

She wrinkles up her nose at him, giving him a grin. "I really hope it's not. It's kind of getting to me. I'm getting twitchy."
alwaysroomforhope: (no u! / teasing)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-14 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
"Involuntary muscle spasms," Steph says, nodding. One hand twitches to show him.

Slap.

"See? Twitch twitch."
alwaysroomforhope: (no u! / teasing)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-14 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
"You love me." She grins, watching the road while she twists her hand to flick at his head. "You need someone to keep that massive ego down."
alwaysroomforhope: (red bikini / happy laughing)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-14 12:29 am (UTC)(link)
"Obviously they're not doing a good enough job," Steph points out, smirking. "Sorry, you'll just have to put up with me as well."
alwaysroomforhope: (troubled)

[personal profile] alwaysroomforhope 2007-11-14 12:49 am (UTC)(link)
Steph lifts an eyebrow at him. "Hey, you don't have to come," she says, suddenly serious again. Just in case he meant that. "I mean it. My mom's pretty much ... well, she's ... sick."

Junkie.

"And Dad ... honestly, I don't even wanna look for him. He can look after himself. He's good at that.

"You and Mel, I'm totally okay with you guys -- like, I dunno, you can just cruise around and do whatever you want, you don't have to come with at all."

Page 1 of 5