Backwater Nexus. Mall. Let's Rock and Ride!

[misslucysleeches]

Lucy approaches the mall with just a little trepidation, smoothing out her dress (bright green with yellow flowers on the skirt -- and it's just over knee length, so a certain little pitcher needn't worry if she's around tonight) and making sure her hair is pulled back neatly in its ponytail. Silver's mention of the Rock N Ride nights at the mall stuck with her even after her return to her own world. So, after a rather annoying day trying to make sure her passport was up-to-date, she's decided it's time to seek out some fun and see what else this Nexus has to offer. "Just hope they accept regular old American dollars," she mumbles, patting her purse by her side as she reaches the front entrance. (Nothing in her vast array of literature suggested they wouldn't, but discretion, valor, etc.)

Comments

[random_xtras]

"Which are those?" Ryan gives her an alert and quizzical look that clearly shows his youth. Then he perks and laughs as salsa music comes from the stage-played on Rap's trumpet.

[misslucysleeches]

"Ah --" Uh-oh. Awkward. "Ones on the -- movie screen." Darn it, how does she explain this --

Salsa! Salsa music shall save her. "You know how to dance to this stuff?" she asks, seizing on it as a topic change of awesomeness.

[random_xtras]

"Oh! Baytech!" Ryan grins, but then blushes and rubs the back of his head. "Um. No, I don't really dance, and I need to stay here so people can find me..."

"I can dance to this!" says another cheerful young male voice, this one flavoured with Japan. "Here, Ryan, hold Barbie."

Ryan looks down at the My Size Barbie clothed in a pretty casual party dress that he's now holding, then looks up at the guy who handed it to him, who is a six foot tall yellow mech in a tech similar to the old first generation cartoon's. "Power Joe, you've never danced salsa."

"I've studied it," retorts Power Joe, his cheer unabated as he turns to grin hopefully at Lucy.

[misslucysleeches]

Whew -- he does know! She nods, relieved. "Yeah, them!" Her smile fades a little though as he continues. "Aw, I see. . ."

And then a roughly man-sized yellow mech comes along holding a My Size Barbie. The weird never stops here. She giggles, then nods over at the guy. "Well, nobody's expecting you to be perfect -- least of all me," she tells him. "I know all the moves, but it's been a while since I actually danced it." She holds out a hand. "Lucy Leech. Nice to meet you."

[random_xtras]

"I'm Power Joe, the cool member of the Brave Police!" He shakes her hand in a gentle and professional manner which does nothing to hide the youthful cheer in his expression. "Also one of the few singles ones left."

Ryan kicks him on the butt at this point, but he just winces and scowls slightly before grinning again. From Ryan's grin and from his own actions there's evidently no harm in Power Joe. He's just another slightly goofy young guy, despite being made of non organic material.

[misslucysleeches]

"I'm sure you are," Lucy says with another giggle. "Aw, really? Surely you would have been snapped up by a nice mech by now," she jokes.

There seems to be a lot of butt-kicking going on tonight. Lucy shakes her head -- maybe it's a young guy thing. At any rate, she gives Power Joe a grin. "Well, shall we see just how good you are at the salsa?"

[random_xtras]

Power Joe's face falls into an O of dismay even as he moves to start dancing. "No. I don't want a mech. I want a pretty girl like my brothers have."

Young enough to take things literally, and to not realize that to some folk all bots are mech(a). But he's got surprisingly good moves for all that.

[misslucysleeches]

Whoops. Darn it, something like this is just why she said mech in the first place. "Oh -- I meant that -- I thought saying girl would sound too, ah, human -- not that I --"

You know what, she's just going to shut up now and dance, because she can't see herself getting out of this hole with that shovel anytime soon.

[random_xtras]

He studies her thoughtfully as they dance through the rest of that number, and then, as the music goes to another salsa beat, it's like a light has come on behind his guileless green eyes.

"Ohhhhhhh. You meant like 'mecha'." He gives a rollicking laugh. "And I'm a person too! I'm a boy. With a cute butt to shake!"

And he does so and is rewarded by a few catcalls and whistles.

[misslucysleeches]

"Right!" Lucy says, glad he gets what she meant by now. "I'm sorry, I thought 'mech' was all-inclusive. I didn't realize it specifically meant 'male-identifying.'" She needs to brush up on her terminology, it appears.

She snickers at the butt-shaking. "Yeah, I know you're a person -- with a cute butt," she adds with a wink. "I was just trying not to offend by using the wrong words." Which worked out great, didn't it? she adds to herself. (She'd say that out loud, but she's not entirely sure now he'd pick up on the sarcasm.)