Box of Photographs
Quote from Adriana on February 28, 2024, 12:53 pm(A short time before Sunflowers and Moonmonsters)
It was a good day for reminiscing.
The birds were chirping, the pups were behaving.
I took the old shoe box out of the closet and put it on the table.
It was filled with photographs, old film rolls, and new film rolls. It was one of those precious things that kept you going through it all, and my most prized possession along with my mother's Bible and my motorcycle.
I plucked out the film rolls and sat them aside, then reclined back in the chair. The morning light was coming through the curtains, the cabin smelled like fresh coffee, and my bones didn't seem to ache much today. Yet.
Maybe I'd ask Val to buy me some frames for my birthday, and get these up around the house proper. In the meanwhile, the shoe box had served me well.
The first couple of photographs I took out already had me laughing.
Motorcycle Lessons
The first photographs were taken by a stranger. Robin is posed resting against her motorcycle wearing a leather jacket, denim jeans and aviators, no expression on her face; her arms are crossed and she's looking to the side, as cool a a cucumber. In the background is a little downtown street of buildings. Val is just out of frame; he wants nothing to do with the photo op.
The second photograph reveals why...
Robin has gotten him into some sort of second hand gettup-he's wearing a helmet that's all too big for his head, an oversized leather jacket that hangs loosely on his awkward teen body (much like everything else he's wearing). She's also got him in aviators, and his face is still "bespeckled". Robin is laughing, doubled over with her hands on her knees, in the second photograph. The stranger must be laughing, too, because the photo appears somewhat blurry.
(A short time before Sunflowers and Moonmonsters)
It was a good day for reminiscing.
The birds were chirping, the pups were behaving.
I took the old shoe box out of the closet and put it on the table.
It was filled with photographs, old film rolls, and new film rolls. It was one of those precious things that kept you going through it all, and my most prized possession along with my mother's Bible and my motorcycle.
I plucked out the film rolls and sat them aside, then reclined back in the chair. The morning light was coming through the curtains, the cabin smelled like fresh coffee, and my bones didn't seem to ache much today. Yet.
Maybe I'd ask Val to buy me some frames for my birthday, and get these up around the house proper. In the meanwhile, the shoe box had served me well.
The first couple of photographs I took out already had me laughing.
Motorcycle Lessons
The first photographs were taken by a stranger. Robin is posed resting against her motorcycle wearing a leather jacket, denim jeans and aviators, no expression on her face; her arms are crossed and she's looking to the side, as cool a a cucumber. In the background is a little downtown street of buildings. Val is just out of frame; he wants nothing to do with the photo op.
The second photograph reveals why...
Robin has gotten him into some sort of second hand gettup-he's wearing a helmet that's all too big for his head, an oversized leather jacket that hangs loosely on his awkward teen body (much like everything else he's wearing). She's also got him in aviators, and his face is still "bespeckled". Robin is laughing, doubled over with her hands on her knees, in the second photograph. The stranger must be laughing, too, because the photo appears somewhat blurry.
Quote from Indy on February 28, 2024, 1:10 pmThose many years ago...
Valentine stared at the motorcycle, and the motorcycle seemed to stare back at him. It had started as a joke. And now it was...
Something else?
"This is stupid," he muttered to himself, "Why do I need to drive something that'll make me roadkill? What's wrong with a perfectly good car?"
In the frame of his teenage self, his soured expression oozed the sulkiness of a puppy being asked to stay. Did he really have to ? Neither the motorcycle, nor Robin, seemed to indicate he was free to go.
Those many years ago...
Valentine stared at the motorcycle, and the motorcycle seemed to stare back at him. It had started as a joke. And now it was...
Something else?
"This is stupid," he muttered to himself, "Why do I need to drive something that'll make me roadkill? What's wrong with a perfectly good car?"
In the frame of his teenage self, his soured expression oozed the sulkiness of a puppy being asked to stay. Did he really have to ? Neither the motorcycle, nor Robin, seemed to indicate he was free to go.
Quote from Adriana on February 28, 2024, 1:20 pmRobin had her arms crossed and was standing in the open, empty lot of the abandoned supermarket. It was early on a Sunday morning in late spring, and although an occasional car drove by, nobody paid them any mind.
There was a sly smile at the corner of her lips as she watched him.
"No, sir. You said it was easy. Anyway, car might not start, or maybe you need to use my bike in a pinch. You best learn. Drive safe and you won't be roadkill. Just work on getting a feel for it, it's heavy, and you're..." she gestured to Val, "What, a hundred pounds, soaking wet, probly." she said, laughing.
"Come on. You'll be riding by the end of the day, I promise."
Robin had her arms crossed and was standing in the open, empty lot of the abandoned supermarket. It was early on a Sunday morning in late spring, and although an occasional car drove by, nobody paid them any mind.
There was a sly smile at the corner of her lips as she watched him.
"No, sir. You said it was easy. Anyway, car might not start, or maybe you need to use my bike in a pinch. You best learn. Drive safe and you won't be roadkill. Just work on getting a feel for it, it's heavy, and you're..." she gestured to Val, "What, a hundred pounds, soaking wet, probly." she said, laughing.
"Come on. You'll be riding by the end of the day, I promise."
Quote from Indy on February 29, 2024, 12:49 amValentine weighed the options. On one hand, he could stubbornly insist he wouldn't dare lower himself to such methods.. and on the other, Robin had the only keys home, and they happened to be on the motorcycle. His refusal would mean a very long Sunday at an abandoned grocery store parkinglot.
"Fine. We'll be done in an hour, then we can do something actually productive," he sniffed and regarded the steel monster before him.
"Doesn't even look that big..." he mumbled near inaudibly.
Valentine weighed the options. On one hand, he could stubbornly insist he wouldn't dare lower himself to such methods.. and on the other, Robin had the only keys home, and they happened to be on the motorcycle. His refusal would mean a very long Sunday at an abandoned grocery store parkinglot.
"Fine. We'll be done in an hour, then we can do something actually productive," he sniffed and regarded the steel monster before him.
"Doesn't even look that big..." he mumbled near inaudibly.
Quote from Adriana on March 3, 2024, 10:17 pmRobin went to sit on the concrete base of a lightpost, and watched.
"So stop talking and start walking. C'mon, big britches."
Robin went to sit on the concrete base of a lightpost, and watched.
"So stop talking and start walking. C'mon, big britches."
Quote from Indy on March 5, 2024, 2:14 pm"I was just -- I'm not-- Whatever," Valentine groaned every bit the teenager he was.
He gazed upwards at the beast like starring down a wild horse. Then scowling at Robin, he did indeed 'hop on' as easily as he had when riding behind her. Although sitting in the front seat, everything did indeed seem more intimidating. Not that he'd show it. Without waiting for Robin's direction, he kicked back at the kickstand and reached for the keys to get the engine going.
"I was just -- I'm not-- Whatever," Valentine groaned every bit the teenager he was.
He gazed upwards at the beast like starring down a wild horse. Then scowling at Robin, he did indeed 'hop on' as easily as he had when riding behind her. Although sitting in the front seat, everything did indeed seem more intimidating. Not that he'd show it. Without waiting for Robin's direction, he kicked back at the kickstand and reached for the keys to get the engine going.
Quote from Adriana on March 5, 2024, 2:27 pmRobin watched. She noticed how Val's legs were at the awkward, lengthy stage, but they'd at least be able to reach the ground on either side of the bike. She'd half expected him to go down sideways with it as soon as the kickstand went up, so she was subtly impressed.
"Alright, take it easy, get a feel for it." she said, listening to it rumble to life when the key was turned. Whether or not he showed his intimidation, Robin could read him like a neon sign, and observed the most subtle changes in his expression and body language.
Robin watched. She noticed how Val's legs were at the awkward, lengthy stage, but they'd at least be able to reach the ground on either side of the bike. She'd half expected him to go down sideways with it as soon as the kickstand went up, so she was subtly impressed.
"Alright, take it easy, get a feel for it." she said, listening to it rumble to life when the key was turned. Whether or not he showed his intimidation, Robin could read him like a neon sign, and observed the most subtle changes in his expression and body language.
Quote from Indy on March 10, 2024, 4:04 amRobin's warning came too late. To her sensitive hearing, his heart was a rush in his ears and his skin flushed with a wave of heat. Fear made bravery - or foolishness - of him. His fingers gripped the clutch, more by instinct than thought, and the 'cycle roared to life!
He didn't get very far. His own sense of balance on it was thrown by the surprise of its life, and it careened to the side not more than twenty paces away. Valentine was tangled up in the enormous motorcycle, but quick inspection would prove he was no more than bruised. The greatest injury was to his fragile sense of ego.
Burning faced, he tried to crawl out from under it but the enormous weight had pinned one of his legs. He tried to push it aside, but it was far heavier than he had anticipated. It felt like an elephant weighed on top of him.
Robin's warning came too late. To her sensitive hearing, his heart was a rush in his ears and his skin flushed with a wave of heat. Fear made bravery - or foolishness - of him. His fingers gripped the clutch, more by instinct than thought, and the 'cycle roared to life!
He didn't get very far. His own sense of balance on it was thrown by the surprise of its life, and it careened to the side not more than twenty paces away. Valentine was tangled up in the enormous motorcycle, but quick inspection would prove he was no more than bruised. The greatest injury was to his fragile sense of ego.
Burning faced, he tried to crawl out from under it but the enormous weight had pinned one of his legs. He tried to push it aside, but it was far heavier than he had anticipated. It felt like an elephant weighed on top of him.
Quote from Adriana on March 11, 2024, 4:00 pmVal was pinned for mere seconds, before Robin came by and set it straight.
"You're good, try again. Happens." she said, seeming to have anticipated the event well in advance. She put the kickstand back up and stepped away to let Val sort himself out. She was capable of lending a hand or even hoisting him up from his predicament with little effort, but was like a mom watching a toddler learning to walk and knowing that they'd fall a hundred times.
Val was pinned for mere seconds, before Robin came by and set it straight.
"You're good, try again. Happens." she said, seeming to have anticipated the event well in advance. She put the kickstand back up and stepped away to let Val sort himself out. She was capable of lending a hand or even hoisting him up from his predicament with little effort, but was like a mom watching a toddler learning to walk and knowing that they'd fall a hundred times.
Quote from Indy on March 13, 2024, 2:19 pmValentine said nothing as he shuffled to his feet, eyes pining hard on the gravel of the ground. Although nothing in Robin's tone suggested she intended to humiliate him, certainly he felt the effect all the same.
"This is stupid," he whined at the dirt, "Most adults try to keep kids off motorcycles".
In truth, his present tantrum had nothing to do with motorcycles nor his concern of their safety. As a person who regularly risked his life in the pursuit of far more dangerous foe, he was far from a cautious person. Rather, it came from the intrinsic fear of being bad at something. Particularly, being bad at something in front of another person.
Even his own skills as a hunter, he had largely learned as much on his own as he could - and those times he had received lessons for it, had not been given nor accepted much tolerance for failure.
"Not getting back on that thing," he snipped his nose up at her, "I'm walkin' home".
Which was, of course, a silly prospect as 'home' was over twenty miles away presently...
Valentine said nothing as he shuffled to his feet, eyes pining hard on the gravel of the ground. Although nothing in Robin's tone suggested she intended to humiliate him, certainly he felt the effect all the same.
"This is stupid," he whined at the dirt, "Most adults try to keep kids off motorcycles".
In truth, his present tantrum had nothing to do with motorcycles nor his concern of their safety. As a person who regularly risked his life in the pursuit of far more dangerous foe, he was far from a cautious person. Rather, it came from the intrinsic fear of being bad at something. Particularly, being bad at something in front of another person.
Even his own skills as a hunter, he had largely learned as much on his own as he could - and those times he had received lessons for it, had not been given nor accepted much tolerance for failure.
"Not getting back on that thing," he snipped his nose up at her, "I'm walkin' home".
Which was, of course, a silly prospect as 'home' was over twenty miles away presently...
