((Johnny Silva Ruiz continued from nowhere in particular))
It was happening again. Johnny fuckin' hated when 'it' happened. That was kind of the point, really.
'It' started nice enough. Sunny and him were on their way back to the apartment, and it wasn't raining or anything which was nice. Nothing stupid had happened, like, nobody or their dumbass dog tried to chat him up or whatever. Man like, if a guy's with his dog, you think he needs the company? Plus it was always people with nosy little brat puppies. They were lucky Sun was a sweetheart or she'd throw 'em in the river.
The thought made him smirk, staring out at the water from a bench. Sunny was older, like wine or whatever, so Johnny made sure she didn't get lazy and fat, but he also didn't want to push her if she got worn out, so a little past halfway home he stopped and took a rest, and after a bit they went on. They usually kept closer to town, but every once in a while he just needed a long walk, and she could use it, too.
But whenever he got too complacent about things being nice, weather, having time to himself (and his dog), he always worried. Like, he jinxed it. And then the nice weather started looking like it might get cloudy, and people walking by seemed like they might come closer.
Fuck. Just had to ruin it for himself. With a word of encouragement to Sunny, Johnny stood from the bench and started along the path that in a bit led back to the city. He didn't have anything else to do today. Maybe a homework thing. He was definitely looking forward to that, right? Fuck.
Sunshower, Or, The Devil is Beating His Wife
Open
It kept on happening, time after time, and he always wondered why. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that one inescapable conclusion was true.
Ross Miller needed a hobby.
((Ross Miller continued from Protools for Dummies))
Walking around had really become his go-to activity as the weather had turned around in the right direction. Maybe it was just the fact that the end of high school was approaching fast, but the usual things he'd do to kill time didn't seem to really do it for him anymore. Sure, there was hockey, but that was at a predetermined time every week and wasn't exactly something he could just pick up. Maybe if he lived in a cold-weather climate, like Minnesota. Or Canada. Or Sweden. Then he could just slip the skates on and experience the 'frozen pond' phenomena that he'd hear so much about during Winter Classic broadcasts.
But alas, he lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and outdoor ice wasn't exactly a thing that happened all that often. So instead, here he was, once again, aimlessly wandering about town and enjoying the recent run of good weather that the city was having. It was just as well, honestly. With the end of the school year right around the corner, he wanted to save his money for the Washington trip, which was bound to be an absolute fuckin' blast. After he'd had a fateful meeting one day after school with Jackson Sullivan, who'd proposed putting a little trip group together, he'd been laying the idea in a few of his peers' heads as he'd remembered. The nice thing was, a lot of people seemed game for the idea. Ariana had grumbled a lot, of course, and after a bit of consternation, she'd relented - much as she had for prom. His gruff girlfriend put up a good show, but he suspected some of the reluctance was more for show than anything else. After they'd both officially bought tickets and started actually looking at maps of the city, her interest level had skyrocketed.
So it was cool. It was something to look forward to. Unfortunately, the problem with having too much to look forward to was that in the here and now, impatience became a problem. There was the big Swiftball party that was coming up in a few weeks. Prom, which was bound to be a time, no doubt. Then the trip.
A lot coming up, but in the here and now, there was nothing for Ross to do, except wander.
Adjusting the brim of his cap against the bright sun, he glanced down at his cellular phone and scrolled through to the next song that was coming through his earphones. As the familiar intro to the 80s hit 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears started to play, he grimaced and forwarded through to the next one. Not quite the right vibe today, he supposed. The next tune was far more in-line with his mood - 'Square Hammer' had a kickin' intro and was a playlist addition he'd stumbled upon by accident. Someone on one of the online hockey message boards he frequented had suggested it as part of a bi-weekly song contest they did, and he'd enjoyed the heck out of it.
Nodding his head to the beat, he came around the corner upon someone walking their dog. Instinctively he glanced at the face for any signs of recognition - and there they were. A small knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He'd had a few classes over the years with Johnny Ruiz, and while he'd never had any personal enmity with the kid, he was sometimes hard not to notice for all of the wrong reasons.
In short - sometimes he was a real dick to their teachers; deserved or not.
As Ross closed the distance slowly between Johnny and his dog; funny, he hadn't pegged him to be an animal lover, he mulled over if he should greet the guy or not. It wasn't like he could just pretend to walk by him without seeing him, that would have been the dick move of the century. But knowing how much of a loose cannon Johnny was, did he really want to bother?
Ross raised his left hand and removed the earbud from his ear. He couldn't help it. He wasn't an asshole. Keeping his hand up, he gave Johnny a small wave in greeting.
"Hey man. Cool dog!"
That was good. Simple, and nonthreatening. As he wasn't really a dog person, he had fuck-all idea for what the breed was, but it was cute. The image didn't exactly fit what Ross knew of Johnny, but hey. People were full of surprises every day.
Maybe today, Johnny would surprise Ross. In a good way.
Ross Miller needed a hobby.
((Ross Miller continued from Protools for Dummies))
Walking around had really become his go-to activity as the weather had turned around in the right direction. Maybe it was just the fact that the end of high school was approaching fast, but the usual things he'd do to kill time didn't seem to really do it for him anymore. Sure, there was hockey, but that was at a predetermined time every week and wasn't exactly something he could just pick up. Maybe if he lived in a cold-weather climate, like Minnesota. Or Canada. Or Sweden. Then he could just slip the skates on and experience the 'frozen pond' phenomena that he'd hear so much about during Winter Classic broadcasts.
But alas, he lived in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and outdoor ice wasn't exactly a thing that happened all that often. So instead, here he was, once again, aimlessly wandering about town and enjoying the recent run of good weather that the city was having. It was just as well, honestly. With the end of the school year right around the corner, he wanted to save his money for the Washington trip, which was bound to be an absolute fuckin' blast. After he'd had a fateful meeting one day after school with Jackson Sullivan, who'd proposed putting a little trip group together, he'd been laying the idea in a few of his peers' heads as he'd remembered. The nice thing was, a lot of people seemed game for the idea. Ariana had grumbled a lot, of course, and after a bit of consternation, she'd relented - much as she had for prom. His gruff girlfriend put up a good show, but he suspected some of the reluctance was more for show than anything else. After they'd both officially bought tickets and started actually looking at maps of the city, her interest level had skyrocketed.
So it was cool. It was something to look forward to. Unfortunately, the problem with having too much to look forward to was that in the here and now, impatience became a problem. There was the big Swiftball party that was coming up in a few weeks. Prom, which was bound to be a time, no doubt. Then the trip.
A lot coming up, but in the here and now, there was nothing for Ross to do, except wander.
Adjusting the brim of his cap against the bright sun, he glanced down at his cellular phone and scrolled through to the next song that was coming through his earphones. As the familiar intro to the 80s hit 'Mad World' by Tears for Fears started to play, he grimaced and forwarded through to the next one. Not quite the right vibe today, he supposed. The next tune was far more in-line with his mood - 'Square Hammer' had a kickin' intro and was a playlist addition he'd stumbled upon by accident. Someone on one of the online hockey message boards he frequented had suggested it as part of a bi-weekly song contest they did, and he'd enjoyed the heck out of it.
Nodding his head to the beat, he came around the corner upon someone walking their dog. Instinctively he glanced at the face for any signs of recognition - and there they were. A small knot formed in the pit of his stomach. He'd had a few classes over the years with Johnny Ruiz, and while he'd never had any personal enmity with the kid, he was sometimes hard not to notice for all of the wrong reasons.
In short - sometimes he was a real dick to their teachers; deserved or not.
As Ross closed the distance slowly between Johnny and his dog; funny, he hadn't pegged him to be an animal lover, he mulled over if he should greet the guy or not. It wasn't like he could just pretend to walk by him without seeing him, that would have been the dick move of the century. But knowing how much of a loose cannon Johnny was, did he really want to bother?
Ross raised his left hand and removed the earbud from his ear. He couldn't help it. He wasn't an asshole. Keeping his hand up, he gave Johnny a small wave in greeting.
"Hey man. Cool dog!"
That was good. Simple, and nonthreatening. As he wasn't really a dog person, he had fuck-all idea for what the breed was, but it was cute. The image didn't exactly fit what Ross knew of Johnny, but hey. People were full of surprises every day.
Maybe today, Johnny would surprise Ross. In a good way.
Motherfucker.
He called it, natch. as soon as Russ or whoever became recognizable from down the path Johnny could tell this was the end of his good mood. This guy was-actually, wait, what was he? He played hockey, and he...wasn't actually a dick? Johnny couldn't recall off-hand having an issue with him. Also his name was Ross. Right.
Still, Johnny's first instinct was to nod tersely and keep walking. He figured they'd just pass each other by, ships in the night or something; Ross didn't strike him as the kind of guy to cozy up with anyone. Being a nice guy and trying to chat anyone up were not the same, and if he was the former, Ross would not do the latter.
Johnny was a little surprised at what actually went down. Sayin' nice shit about his dog was about the best someone could do if they wanted to chat. He had a great damn dog, and people who saw that were at least worth talkin' to for a bit.
"Yeah, thanks." Sunny was clearly eager to investigate this friendly new person, so Johnny let a bit of slack on the leash so she could amble up to Ross without wrapping the damn tether around the guy's legs. He seemed not to mind her, at least to start; she was a decently big girl, but she was some kind of retriever mix
with black and white fur, so she was super-fluffy and about as intimidating as a pillow.
"Her name's Sunny." Johnny wasn't super psyched to get chatty with Ross, but Sunny liked people and he wasn't gonna drag her off until she felt acquainted. She seemed happy enough to just stop in front of him and sniff at his shoes. Johnny folded his arms and watched. Sunny wasn't the type to jump up on people, but if Ross wasn't too keen on her being friendly, well first of all his loss, but he should probably try to rein her in. If she needed it. But she wouldn't.
He could at least make like, small talk or something. "So...what's up?" Good enough.
He called it, natch. as soon as Russ or whoever became recognizable from down the path Johnny could tell this was the end of his good mood. This guy was-actually, wait, what was he? He played hockey, and he...wasn't actually a dick? Johnny couldn't recall off-hand having an issue with him. Also his name was Ross. Right.
Still, Johnny's first instinct was to nod tersely and keep walking. He figured they'd just pass each other by, ships in the night or something; Ross didn't strike him as the kind of guy to cozy up with anyone. Being a nice guy and trying to chat anyone up were not the same, and if he was the former, Ross would not do the latter.
Johnny was a little surprised at what actually went down. Sayin' nice shit about his dog was about the best someone could do if they wanted to chat. He had a great damn dog, and people who saw that were at least worth talkin' to for a bit.
"Yeah, thanks." Sunny was clearly eager to investigate this friendly new person, so Johnny let a bit of slack on the leash so she could amble up to Ross without wrapping the damn tether around the guy's legs. He seemed not to mind her, at least to start; she was a decently big girl, but she was some kind of retriever mix
with black and white fur, so she was super-fluffy and about as intimidating as a pillow.
"Her name's Sunny." Johnny wasn't super psyched to get chatty with Ross, but Sunny liked people and he wasn't gonna drag her off until she felt acquainted. She seemed happy enough to just stop in front of him and sniff at his shoes. Johnny folded his arms and watched. Sunny wasn't the type to jump up on people, but if Ross wasn't too keen on her being friendly, well first of all his loss, but he should probably try to rein her in. If she needed it. But she wouldn't.
He could at least make like, small talk or something. "So...what's up?" Good enough.
Old childhood fear of dogs notwithstanding, Ross knew that deep down, he was a big suck when it came to furry friends. Particularly big, goofy-looking ones like the good girl intently sniffing at his shoes. Considering the myriad of spots he'd been walking - including a small incidental foray into the woods beside the path a few minutes before, he supposed that his shoes were probably a fascinating olfactory experience for the excited retriever. Her tail batted back and forth excitedly, and he grinned sheepishly at Johnny.
"Sunny, huh? Well she's a good girl, that much I can tell!" Aiming the majority of the last sentence at the dog, Ross was aware of how ridiculous he probably looked to Johnny, and anyone else within earshot. At least he wasn't one of those people that baby-talked animals or children. That drove him bonkers.
Kneeling down, he held a hand out carefully, allowing the dog to sniff his palm, to identify that he wasn't a thread. As she gave his palm an accepting lick, Ross moved to pat the dog on the head, giving a nice scratch as he did so. There was something about petting a friendly dog that just made everything else seem okay; your worried just melted away.
"Man... not much. Honestly I'm just kind of killing time." He looked away from the dog and up at Johnny. "Figured I'd get a few steps in while it was nice out. It beats being cooped up inside," he gestured at the sky, "especially with it probably primed to shit rain tomorrow, you know?"
Giving the eager dog another series of pats, this time behind the ear - God, she was really fluffy, Johnny must have been really diligent at keeping her coat clean - Ross returned the inquiry.
"What about you? I mean... obviously," he gestured to Sunny and grinned, "you're being taken for a walk and all, but... good weekend for you so far?"
He probably looked like such a dork right now, but he didn't even care. More pats. What a gooooooooood girl!
"Sunny, huh? Well she's a good girl, that much I can tell!" Aiming the majority of the last sentence at the dog, Ross was aware of how ridiculous he probably looked to Johnny, and anyone else within earshot. At least he wasn't one of those people that baby-talked animals or children. That drove him bonkers.
Kneeling down, he held a hand out carefully, allowing the dog to sniff his palm, to identify that he wasn't a thread. As she gave his palm an accepting lick, Ross moved to pat the dog on the head, giving a nice scratch as he did so. There was something about petting a friendly dog that just made everything else seem okay; your worried just melted away.
"Man... not much. Honestly I'm just kind of killing time." He looked away from the dog and up at Johnny. "Figured I'd get a few steps in while it was nice out. It beats being cooped up inside," he gestured at the sky, "especially with it probably primed to shit rain tomorrow, you know?"
Giving the eager dog another series of pats, this time behind the ear - God, she was really fluffy, Johnny must have been really diligent at keeping her coat clean - Ross returned the inquiry.
"What about you? I mean... obviously," he gestured to Sunny and grinned, "you're being taken for a walk and all, but... good weekend for you so far?"
He probably looked like such a dork right now, but he didn't even care. More pats. What a gooooooooood girl!
Johnny actually cracked a grin. Sure, people talked about 'doggos' or whatever the stupid Twitter/Tumblr shit was now, but it was nice to see someone who actually got along with a dog. Now, Sunny was about as easy a dog to like as they got, but something being common sense didn't mean shit for a lot of people.
Sounded like Ross was bored, though. Not now, of course, but in general. That was hard for Johnny to get; if you're bored, find something to do, right? Then again, that was what Ross was doing, so he couldn't judge there. Still, seemed like being on a team and in musicals or whatever, plus school and work and college and shit, ought to keep you busy. Well, he played hockey, so-
Oh, fuck, he had to actually answer the question. Luckily, Sunny apparently thought Ross was the best damn thing she'd seen all week, so he had a bit of time to think. Well Friday he did jack-all, from early Saturday morning to past midnight he'd been in Tekken and done pretty good. He got fourth and won a whole ten bucks, but at least it was like, net gain. Fuckin' Bob. Fatass.
Whatever. "Eh, not bad. Hit up a tournament, went alright." He shrugged. Ross didn't give a shit about Tekken, and if he did he'd ask what kind of tournament. Sunny didn't seem to be letting up on the affection, though. Ross seemed to like it-of course-so Johnny figured it was only fair he let them have this until one of them got bored. Or hungry.
Johnny rubbed the back of his head, adjusting the band of his knit hat. "So...Yeah, not much. School's almost over, but I'm sick of that shit, right?"
Sounded like Ross was bored, though. Not now, of course, but in general. That was hard for Johnny to get; if you're bored, find something to do, right? Then again, that was what Ross was doing, so he couldn't judge there. Still, seemed like being on a team and in musicals or whatever, plus school and work and college and shit, ought to keep you busy. Well, he played hockey, so-
Oh, fuck, he had to actually answer the question. Luckily, Sunny apparently thought Ross was the best damn thing she'd seen all week, so he had a bit of time to think. Well Friday he did jack-all, from early Saturday morning to past midnight he'd been in Tekken and done pretty good. He got fourth and won a whole ten bucks, but at least it was like, net gain. Fuckin' Bob. Fatass.
Whatever. "Eh, not bad. Hit up a tournament, went alright." He shrugged. Ross didn't give a shit about Tekken, and if he did he'd ask what kind of tournament. Sunny didn't seem to be letting up on the affection, though. Ross seemed to like it-of course-so Johnny figured it was only fair he let them have this until one of them got bored. Or hungry.
Johnny rubbed the back of his head, adjusting the band of his knit hat. "So...Yeah, not much. School's almost over, but I'm sick of that shit, right?"
Giving the dog another small scratch behind its ear, Ross looked up and gave Johnny a knowing nod. There were people in their class who were sad that high school was ending, and were going to miss everything that it entailed, but he wasn't exactly one of them. The only thing that he likely would end up missing would be his girlfriend, but that was going to be a bridge that they crossed when it came at them. As far as high school itself? It wasn't anything special. College was something new. New often meant exciting.
"Yeah, dude. At this point it just feels like we're hurrying up to wait, you know?"
As he gently rose to his feet, Ross gave his shoulders a small stretch, hearing the telltale pop of his creaking joints as he did. He was stiff; the walking helped a bit in that regard, but he hadn't done much of substance himself today, so it felt nice to relieve that pressure.
Keying in on something that Johnny had said, Ross pressed a bit further.
"Tournament, eh? What kind, like... martial arts, or boxing or something?" He took a wild guess, not knowing enough to know what the boy was talking about. He figured that someone in as good shape as Johnny would likely be into MMA, or Crossfit, or something like that.
Of course, were he in to Crossfit; Ross mused with a bit of amusement, Johnny would likely have told him so already. Twice, even.
"Yeah, dude. At this point it just feels like we're hurrying up to wait, you know?"
As he gently rose to his feet, Ross gave his shoulders a small stretch, hearing the telltale pop of his creaking joints as he did. He was stiff; the walking helped a bit in that regard, but he hadn't done much of substance himself today, so it felt nice to relieve that pressure.
Keying in on something that Johnny had said, Ross pressed a bit further.
"Tournament, eh? What kind, like... martial arts, or boxing or something?" He took a wild guess, not knowing enough to know what the boy was talking about. He figured that someone in as good shape as Johnny would likely be into MMA, or Crossfit, or something like that.
Of course, were he in to Crossfit; Ross mused with a bit of amusement, Johnny would likely have told him so already. Twice, even.
"God, right?" Johnny was just so fuckin' sick of 'what're you gonna do when you graduate', and 'what school/schools have you applied/been accepted to' and all that shit. Like, first of all, why do you care? Either you're not ever gonna see them again, or...really that was it. 99% of people asking didn't even need to know or, probably, care.
Asking stupid questions about stuff nobody actually needs to know or wants to know was such a goddamn waste of time. Sunny was a lucky girl, though, she didn't have to deal with all this crap. Nobody asked her to do any more than not shit on the floor, and even for a dog that's not a lot. Meanwhile in Johnny land, he was gonna have to do, like, taxes. Fuck that.
"Uh, Tekken 7, actually." Johnny had no idea if Ross was into gaming. "It's a fighting game. Like..." He briefly attempted to pantomime a controller but gave up quickly. The guy either knew it or he didn't. "You like, fight other players and winners move up the bracket. It's all in one day so it's kinda a marathon, like, mentally."
"I got fourth, which is pretty good. You get ten bucks, so I broke even." Johnny shrugged. Honestly he was thinking of picking up some more characters to slot in but Dragunov's hard counters are like, none, so it wasn't really gonna make much difference. Just get good playing against people who know how to play against you, or something.
Fuck, Ross didn't give a shit about that. Johnny adjusted his hat again. "S'good stuff, if you like that stuff." He paused. Sunny seemed to be no longer excited about the new person so she ambled back to Johnny, who crouched and started scritching behind her ears and on her shoulders. She liked it right between the shoulder blades which seemed kind of weird but who was he to say what a dog liked?
Asking stupid questions about stuff nobody actually needs to know or wants to know was such a goddamn waste of time. Sunny was a lucky girl, though, she didn't have to deal with all this crap. Nobody asked her to do any more than not shit on the floor, and even for a dog that's not a lot. Meanwhile in Johnny land, he was gonna have to do, like, taxes. Fuck that.
"Uh, Tekken 7, actually." Johnny had no idea if Ross was into gaming. "It's a fighting game. Like..." He briefly attempted to pantomime a controller but gave up quickly. The guy either knew it or he didn't. "You like, fight other players and winners move up the bracket. It's all in one day so it's kinda a marathon, like, mentally."
"I got fourth, which is pretty good. You get ten bucks, so I broke even." Johnny shrugged. Honestly he was thinking of picking up some more characters to slot in but Dragunov's hard counters are like, none, so it wasn't really gonna make much difference. Just get good playing against people who know how to play against you, or something.
Fuck, Ross didn't give a shit about that. Johnny adjusted his hat again. "S'good stuff, if you like that stuff." He paused. Sunny seemed to be no longer excited about the new person so she ambled back to Johnny, who crouched and started scritching behind her ears and on her shoulders. She liked it right between the shoulder blades which seemed kind of weird but who was he to say what a dog liked?
As Johnny explained that the tournament Ross had wrongly assumed was some sort of fighting tournament was in fact - video games, he snapped along in recognition, nodding as he now understood. That was interesting. He hadn't pegged Johnny for much of a gamer, though he supposed that he didn't know a ton about him as it was. He really was full of surprises today!
"Oh, sick! Yeah, I know Tekken. I'm not exactly what you'd call... great at fighting games, but I've got a few. Mostly play them to beat up on my sister with. What else are younger siblings for, am I right?"
It occurred to him that he didn't know if Johnny had siblings or not. Hopefully he wasn't the youngest - sometimes they were touchy about that. Inwardly smacking himself, he navigated the conversation back a step.
"My weapon of choice has always been Mortal Kombat, though. Something about being able to tear your opponent in half, or rip their heart out, or throw your blade-hat at them..." Ross trailed off, laughing at how ridiculous it all sounded out loud. It was kind of amazing that he'd been permitted to play those games as early as he had; he still had the really old Mortal Kombat games on his PS3 that he sometimes tried to play. Arcade games were a bit before his time, but his father had assured him that when he was a kid, there would be people lined up from all over to play the original Mortal Kombat against one another, or to battle one another in Street Fighter. A tournament like Johnny had played in was almost a throwback to that era.
"Shit, man. Ten bucks is ten bucks. If you break even, no shame in that. What's the grand prize to the winner?"
Ross wasn't much of a gamer; he liked gambling even less. He didn't routinely have the money with which to spend on things like that, so he was fine just playing games for fun. Of course, if there were real money to be made, that could be an interesting way to spend one's time.
"Oh, sick! Yeah, I know Tekken. I'm not exactly what you'd call... great at fighting games, but I've got a few. Mostly play them to beat up on my sister with. What else are younger siblings for, am I right?"
It occurred to him that he didn't know if Johnny had siblings or not. Hopefully he wasn't the youngest - sometimes they were touchy about that. Inwardly smacking himself, he navigated the conversation back a step.
"My weapon of choice has always been Mortal Kombat, though. Something about being able to tear your opponent in half, or rip their heart out, or throw your blade-hat at them..." Ross trailed off, laughing at how ridiculous it all sounded out loud. It was kind of amazing that he'd been permitted to play those games as early as he had; he still had the really old Mortal Kombat games on his PS3 that he sometimes tried to play. Arcade games were a bit before his time, but his father had assured him that when he was a kid, there would be people lined up from all over to play the original Mortal Kombat against one another, or to battle one another in Street Fighter. A tournament like Johnny had played in was almost a throwback to that era.
"Shit, man. Ten bucks is ten bucks. If you break even, no shame in that. What's the grand prize to the winner?"
Ross wasn't much of a gamer; he liked gambling even less. He didn't routinely have the money with which to spend on things like that, so he was fine just playing games for fun. Of course, if there were real money to be made, that could be an interesting way to spend one's time.
Still on one knee to pet Sunny, Johnny raised an eyebrow at Ross. Okay, fair, he probably didn't know about Johnny's family--he wouldn't have told him, anyway--, but that kinda attitude was just shit. Johnny's didn't pick on him too much--too busy giving themselves bad eyes studying--but really? "C'mon man, that big brother crap is bull."
Luckily, he was in a better mood now, so he'd let it slide this time. Sunny seemed content to just lay around so he continued to scritch her, which helped. Like a support animal but not. "Anyway yeah, I know MK. A lil bit, anyway." He didn't know a lot, truth be told, but it wasn't as bad as people said. Yeah, the fatalities or whatever were brutal but, let's be honest, everything can be fuckin' brutal. The gonzo stuff made it less bad if anything.
Fuckin' people on the 'ohh video games make you violent' thing, like yeah dipshit, 'cause whatever people did before, making animals fight or dueling or barfights or whatever, those were fine. Shootin' a fake dude? God forbid.
Whatever. The people who thought that way were gonna die of strokes or whatever got the old, angry people. "Prize depends, this time was like, a hundred?" He shrugged. It was good money, yeah, and it sucked he didn't get it, but at the moment, he had better things to think about. Like rubbing his dog's tummy when she rolled over.
"Eh, 'sno big deal. You could always give it a try, they have smaller things for casual players." Yeah, yeah, 'filthy casual' but who gives a shit? Not everyone has time to be as much a loser as anyone who really complained about casual players of something.
Luckily, he was in a better mood now, so he'd let it slide this time. Sunny seemed content to just lay around so he continued to scritch her, which helped. Like a support animal but not. "Anyway yeah, I know MK. A lil bit, anyway." He didn't know a lot, truth be told, but it wasn't as bad as people said. Yeah, the fatalities or whatever were brutal but, let's be honest, everything can be fuckin' brutal. The gonzo stuff made it less bad if anything.
Fuckin' people on the 'ohh video games make you violent' thing, like yeah dipshit, 'cause whatever people did before, making animals fight or dueling or barfights or whatever, those were fine. Shootin' a fake dude? God forbid.
Whatever. The people who thought that way were gonna die of strokes or whatever got the old, angry people. "Prize depends, this time was like, a hundred?" He shrugged. It was good money, yeah, and it sucked he didn't get it, but at the moment, he had better things to think about. Like rubbing his dog's tummy when she rolled over.
"Eh, 'sno big deal. You could always give it a try, they have smaller things for casual players." Yeah, yeah, 'filthy casual' but who gives a shit? Not everyone has time to be as much a loser as anyone who really complained about casual players of something.
Oh - Ross had said that bit in jest, and he supposed that Johnny didn't know him well enough to know that he was kidding around. His sister was a good kid, and even though she was younger, she did well enough in the occasional PS4 battles that it wasn't like he was mopping the floor with her or being mean. Holding his palms up in front of him, he backtracked a little bit to correct the mistaken impression.
"No, no. I'm just messing around. If we're being honest, if she played video games at all, she'd probably wipe the floor with me. But you know how a lot of teenage girls get. Video games become a lot less of a priority when you hit a certain age." He paused. "At least, that's how it went with Emily."
Nodding as Johnny confirmed the grand prize amount, Ross wondered what he'd do with one hundred dollars. He didn't have a lot of disposable income at this point in his life, and a lot of his time was spent volunteering at the local Chattanooga cable television station - which naturally, didn't pay. The hours had been fewer and further between as of late, and any odd jobs he did take usually had their earnings go towards a new set of hockey gear or funds for a night out with his friends.
Or prom. Or the end-of-year trip.
No wonder he had no money, damn.
"That sounds pretty sweet though, man. Kind of amazing that you can make money playing video games, right? Like, you have professional video game players nowadays. Never would've thought that would be a thing." He laughed, and shrugged.
"Not sure I'd be a good fit, honestly. I get my ass handed to me playing sports games most of the time online, and there's nothing worse then getting chirped by some eight year-old kid from Switzerland who keeps beating you repeatedly in NHL."
His frustration level often rose playing those sorts of games. He was fine against the AI or the computer, but once other people were involved? He didn't play enough to be that good. Glancing down at the dog, who was having a gay old time rolling around in the grass, Ross changed the subject.
"You going on the big end-of-year trip? DC's supposed to be pretty rad this time of year."
His excitement got the better of him. The year was winding down, and every time he talked to someone, inevitably he wondered about the future: prom, the trip, and beyond. Where would people go to school? What were they planning to do? Who might Ross feasibly see around? All of these were questions that he constantly wondered, and constantly he had to try and slow his brain down. One thing after the other. Keep it simple - prom was its own thing; Ariana was his main focus that night, but the trip? That was the next big one. It was going to be a blast; Ross knew it.
"No, no. I'm just messing around. If we're being honest, if she played video games at all, she'd probably wipe the floor with me. But you know how a lot of teenage girls get. Video games become a lot less of a priority when you hit a certain age." He paused. "At least, that's how it went with Emily."
Nodding as Johnny confirmed the grand prize amount, Ross wondered what he'd do with one hundred dollars. He didn't have a lot of disposable income at this point in his life, and a lot of his time was spent volunteering at the local Chattanooga cable television station - which naturally, didn't pay. The hours had been fewer and further between as of late, and any odd jobs he did take usually had their earnings go towards a new set of hockey gear or funds for a night out with his friends.
Or prom. Or the end-of-year trip.
No wonder he had no money, damn.
"That sounds pretty sweet though, man. Kind of amazing that you can make money playing video games, right? Like, you have professional video game players nowadays. Never would've thought that would be a thing." He laughed, and shrugged.
"Not sure I'd be a good fit, honestly. I get my ass handed to me playing sports games most of the time online, and there's nothing worse then getting chirped by some eight year-old kid from Switzerland who keeps beating you repeatedly in NHL."
His frustration level often rose playing those sorts of games. He was fine against the AI or the computer, but once other people were involved? He didn't play enough to be that good. Glancing down at the dog, who was having a gay old time rolling around in the grass, Ross changed the subject.
"You going on the big end-of-year trip? DC's supposed to be pretty rad this time of year."
His excitement got the better of him. The year was winding down, and every time he talked to someone, inevitably he wondered about the future: prom, the trip, and beyond. Where would people go to school? What were they planning to do? Who might Ross feasibly see around? All of these were questions that he constantly wondered, and constantly he had to try and slow his brain down. One thing after the other. Keep it simple - prom was its own thing; Ariana was his main focus that night, but the trip? That was the next big one. It was going to be a blast; Ross knew it.
Johnny thought it was dumb that people thought professional gaming was silly. As someone who played the most popular sport on earth and did gaming, Johnny had an opinion. If you can get stupid money kicking a ball, what's the difference if you're getting that money with the kind of skills it took to play Tekken, or even any of those other eSports. That shit wasn't easy to do as well as pros did it.
Not that Ross gave a shit about any of that. Johnny just nodded at what the guy was saying until he got asked another question.
"Trip? Uh, yeah, I am." He'd saved up for a while to pay for it, since obviously his dad wasn't going to spot him on it. Not like senior trip was worth a damn, fuck. He just wanted to see the museums, really, but fuck if he was going to tell his parents that. "It'll be fun, I guess."
Sunny seemed to be ready to go, soon. She'd gotten back on her feet and was looking around. "Hey, I'm gonna head home, good talking you to man." Johnny shrugged and began walking. Sunny stopped to sniff Ross's shoes again but started following again after a moment.
Not that Ross gave a shit about any of that. Johnny just nodded at what the guy was saying until he got asked another question.
"Trip? Uh, yeah, I am." He'd saved up for a while to pay for it, since obviously his dad wasn't going to spot him on it. Not like senior trip was worth a damn, fuck. He just wanted to see the museums, really, but fuck if he was going to tell his parents that. "It'll be fun, I guess."
Sunny seemed to be ready to go, soon. She'd gotten back on her feet and was looking around. "Hey, I'm gonna head home, good talking you to man." Johnny shrugged and began walking. Sunny stopped to sniff Ross's shoes again but started following again after a moment.
Nodding in approval, Ross glanced at the dog one more time as it wandered over to sniff his shoes. "Good shit, man. I think it'll be a solid time. Honestly can't wait to get going. There's so much to see there, it's gonna be rad!"
Seemingly finished with the chance meeting, Johnny made a move to head off, bidding Ross farewell and waiting for his faithful companion to finish up with the sniffing. Ross wasn't about to stand in his way, so he smiled and held up a hand to wave him farewell.
"Right on, man. Good chatting with you, dude. You have a good one - maybe I'll see you around!"
With that, Ross turned around and headed off, mind firmly set on where he'd go next. Who knew where his feet would take him next? Such was the way that things tended to go whenever he got walking.
At least he got to see a cute dog.
((Ross Miller continued in Reflections))
Seemingly finished with the chance meeting, Johnny made a move to head off, bidding Ross farewell and waiting for his faithful companion to finish up with the sniffing. Ross wasn't about to stand in his way, so he smiled and held up a hand to wave him farewell.
"Right on, man. Good chatting with you, dude. You have a good one - maybe I'll see you around!"
With that, Ross turned around and headed off, mind firmly set on where he'd go next. Who knew where his feet would take him next? Such was the way that things tended to go whenever he got walking.
At least he got to see a cute dog.
((Ross Miller continued in Reflections))
Johnny waved briskly to Ross as he headed off. "Later, dude." He started walking back towards the city and his place.
Honestly? Johnny was in a pretty good mood. He had expected that whole thing to be a real pain in the ass, but it turned out...good? The guy was actually pretty chill, he was nice to Johnny's dog, and he had some not-shit opinions. It was kinda nice.
Meh. They'd probably never talk much again. Pretty cool or not, Ross ran in a different pack than Johnny. He was a lone wolf, really. He looked down at Sunny and scoffed. What the fuck was he doing with animal metaphor? That kinda shit just made him look like even more of a loser.
Then again, wasn't like that kind of stuff wasn't already everywhere. People liked to think they were such hot shit, but then they compare themselves or other folks to animals? Hypocrites.
Shit, now he was getting in a bad mood again. Johnny stopped and knelt, scratching Sunny's ears again, before continuing.
Johnny Silva Ruiz continued at the zoo
Honestly? Johnny was in a pretty good mood. He had expected that whole thing to be a real pain in the ass, but it turned out...good? The guy was actually pretty chill, he was nice to Johnny's dog, and he had some not-shit opinions. It was kinda nice.
Meh. They'd probably never talk much again. Pretty cool or not, Ross ran in a different pack than Johnny. He was a lone wolf, really. He looked down at Sunny and scoffed. What the fuck was he doing with animal metaphor? That kinda shit just made him look like even more of a loser.
Then again, wasn't like that kind of stuff wasn't already everywhere. People liked to think they were such hot shit, but then they compare themselves or other folks to animals? Hypocrites.
Shit, now he was getting in a bad mood again. Johnny stopped and knelt, scratching Sunny's ears again, before continuing.
Johnny Silva Ruiz continued at the zoo