Open if you want to also give her a tough time for this

[madginger]

WHO: Max and Tommy Shepherd, at least
WHERE: Somewhere outside
WHAT: Dumb skateboard tricks as a way of bonding w/her future BiL | otherwise, just skateboarding and she needs a better place for that
WHEN: Sometime in July nothing else was happening
WARNINGS: Coarse language, and this really is not a smart thing to do, will add as needed


Ever since she got her skateboard back, Max has spent a lot of time outside, even if it's hot, even it's muggy after a rain, it doesn't matter. Something about it feels like home, connects her back to it. It's comfort.

Her mind zones out when she finds a long enough stretch she can just zoom by without thinking, and the terrain offers obstacles often enough, as well. It's not as smooth as flying, not as fast, not as powerful as driving, but there's a similarity to both that she keeps seeking in her board.

Of course, it's inevitable, her wheels hit a rock and she finds herself on the ground. Max laughs at the pain, used to it by now, and finding it a small thing compared to everything else when faced with everything else. She can deal with it, as long as no one else saw her wipe out. She looks up to find...well, she's not that lucky today.

"What?"

Comments

[doubled_speed]

"Ew, no. I don't need more work. I'm already the Space Jolly Green Giant or some shit. Space Smuckers. Space Frozen Dinners."

He doesn't need to be in charge of safety too. He's got a boyfriend to take that time up with.

"Alright," he says, jogging lightly next to the board. "You ready? If there's an emergency and I need to stop you, I'm going to do it by falling back to your side, getting my hands on your shoulders, and trying to slow us down. If it's too much of one, I'm going to tackle you off that board and wrap myself around you because I'm more resistant to road rash and broken bones. Okay?"

[madginger]

"You're the one going on about safety. I would have thought you're more like a Space Taxi, but okay. Space Smuckers, then," Max says with a laugh and half roll to her eyes.

She can imagine that boyfriends takes up a lot of his time, too.

Max nods her head. "Got it. Hopefully we don't have to do any of that. But got it."

[doubled_speed]

Yeah, well maybe he doesn't want to be a taxi. He likes being something else.

"Alright. Let's go then! Whoo!"

And Tommy starts to speed up, racing ahead of her. Time to get this girl going fast!

[madginger]

She's rolling with it - something else it is, then.

Tommy speeds up, and Max stars to grin. She balances herself out and there's a laugh from her.

"How fast can you go, anyway?" she yells over the rush.

[doubled_speed]

"Faster than sound," Tommy calls back as he gets just a little more speed going.

[madginger]

Max is quiet for a moment, then shouts, "I'm not ready to go that fast!"

Yet.

[doubled_speed]

"Wouldn't do this like that. I'd carry you for that."

Because he could keep her safer then.

[madginger]

"Still not ready for it!" she shouts. Max is still all smiles.

This is fast enough. She can see the world around her, but it's going by so much faster than she could do on her own.

[doubled_speed]

"Sometimes it's hard to be ready for what's coming. But the good news is I do my best to provide what is safest."

At least he will with his boyfriend's little sister.

[madginger]

Max laughs to that.

"Fair. Maybe I need practice with the unexpected!"

[doubled_speed]

"This city is great for that!" he says with a shout of amusement as he gently pulls them more toward the center of the road.

[madginger]

Max laughs at that.

"That's one way of putting it." It's dangerous, but she's still alive.

[doubled_speed]

"I'm eloquent when I want it," Tommy laughs, half whoops even.

[madginger]

"I would say otherwise, but you did just prove it," Max quips in playful fashion.

[doubled_speed]

"Sassy punk aren't you?" he laughs, shaking his head. "Alright, we're going to gently go around a bend, you ready?"

[madginger]

"That's why we get along, and you know it!" Max shouts back with a laugh.

She almost nods her head, but remembers it's not that easy to see behind yourself. "Yes," she assures Tommy, gripping harder to the line as she bends her knees.

[doubled_speed]

"I do. You've got the hero banter down. We should get you a mask."

But Tommy starts moving to the side, moving out of the straight line from the skateboard to try and impart some sideways force.

[madginger]

"Wait," Max leans as she speaks, trying to see Tommy's face, "How serious are you? Because if you're just teasing me, I'm going to be so mad."

She's never really thought of being a super hero, herself, but Max isn't going to turn down the opportunity if it presents itself.

[doubled_speed]

"I know plenty of heroes that are just badasses that train real hard. Including some that started older than you. Why not?"

Of course he's not teasing. Heroics is as much about heart as anything else.

[madginger]

"Good thing I started training, then. I'll just have to train really hard," Max says with amusement, giddy at the idea.

"If I was fast, I would be the Scarlet Speedster. Just so you know."

[doubled_speed]

She was training? There's a moment where Tommy almost lost his footing in shock. Billy couldn't be okay with that. Unless...

"Your brother is teaching you to fight? And I'm cool with you calling yourself that. Though it makes you sound a bit like family."

[madginger]

"No. I mean, sounds like he wants to show me some stuff, maybe. But I'm training with Gladio, the guy training him," Max explains.

She chuckles. "We are. A family. Just took us a while to get here. And getting his asshole father out of the picture."

[doubled_speed]

"Oh. Big mopey," Tommy says. "He seems pretty buff. Man, I hope he doesn't make my already hot boyfriend too muscly to hug. That would be a shame. And remember, you're small and lean. You're made for fast, not to hit hard. Don't let him buff you too much either."

And that is a weird thing to say, but he really does mean it. He wants the best for Max.

"Sometimes family is hard to find," he says as he straightens their path out. "It was hard for me and my brother too."

[madginger]

"Big Mopey!" Max laughs at that. "Does he know people call him that? It's fitting, either way. He still seems knowledgeable."

More laughter from her. "But that sounds fun! If I got all big and buff, no one would mess with me." She doesn't really have the frame for it, though.

Max sounds a little more subdued on the next part. "It is. Why was it hard for you and your brother?"

[doubled_speed]

"I don't think people call him that so much as I do. Because he mopes around when his boyfriend isn't around."

Tommy's got no clue of the depth of the guy's moping yet. Still, he's amused that Max may agree and use it in the future.

"You can be knowledgeable and still mope. Case in point, my brother and his boyfriend. Significant other. Whatever they call each other. And don't underestimate how much more useful being lean and fast can be. People mess with big guys all the time. I've seen it."

As for the other thing... Well, he sighs. Heavily. But he doesn't slow down.

"We weren't born to the same families. Magic is weird."