Dia duit, one and all!

We pulled it together and got the not monthly Monthly Memory done!

I’m very frustrated with myself for not getting it done last week, but I WAS, as the Victorians say, “out of humor” (look up the origins of the phrase, if you don’t know it already; it’s interesting) so I have a REASON. But is it a good one? Debatable. I, theoretically (but not really, because FATE), could have pushed through and gotten it done.

I didn’t do that though, and poor Bea was a saint to make that LOVELY piece of art so I could take it easy.

Now, before we dive in, to scatter the confusion one might have in the MM, this one is set in modern day for FUN. 

Okay, enjoy!

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Roo thundered, leaning into the gas. The highway was bustling with vehicles—pickups, minivans, jeeps, etcetera—like a beehive, but with an even tighter structure, people looking out for themselves and themselves only, being unpredictable, angering each other, and making others nervous. Actually, it was very little like a beehive, except for the visual chaos.

True to values, Roo was an acceptable, law-abiding driver, but true to herself, the fracturing of all decency by others set her in a rage, and on the road there is a good deal of that.

Within the confined space of the van there was a considerable amount of yelling, honking, and anger-filled radio station switching. And then there was Fae, half cowering, half directing, from the passenger seat.

“You’ve got a tailgater. Slow down; you’re five miles over the speed limit. Don’t you dare try to squeeze into that gap!”

“I’ve got it, Fae!” Roo cried. “Let me drive or I’m pulling over and YOU’RE going to have to drive the rest of the way to the convention!”

Abruptly a heedless driver cut her off.

“WOAH SIR; what a JERK!”

Roo pounded on the horn like it would do any good, shouting threats, and Fae slammed her hands down in irritation.

“Fae, take down the license plate!” Roo finally ordered.

“…Why?”

“So I can find out who that person is and call them and speak my mind!”

“Roo, don’t be crazy. We have, like, twenty booths to check out, and two panels to watch—”

“Just take it down!!!”

Fae shrugged, sighed, and complied.

A horn blasted from behind them.

“OH HO HO, NO YOU DON’T!” Roo bellowed, gripping the steering wheel resolutely. “I’m not going to speed just for the satisfaction of some impatient pushy pants!!!” 

Several minutes passed in frustrated concentration and boredom.

“Roo, you’re supposed to be in the other lane; we aren’t supposed to get off here,” Fae pestered.

“This DUDE is getting off, so I am, too!”

“ROO, it’s not that important! People cut each other off ALL. THE. TIME! You just have to accept that it’s a part of stupid driving culture! Not something we are ourselves inclined to participate in, but it’s still something that happens. THERE. WILL. BE. OTHERS; GET OVER IT!!!”

Roo swung her head around to glare Fae in the eye for a moment, quickly returning to focusing on the road so she wouldn’t cause a crash. “I’m SORRY, I thought I was the one DRIVING!”

Fae slammed back in her seat, huffing, and mumbled, “Doesn’t even matter now; we’re off the highway and going on a detour; thanks so much, you always make things wonderful.”

“Yeah, I do,” Roo said cheerfully, commencing to hum with enthusiasm, forgetting that she was doing this out of anger.

“How far are you going to follow this guy?”

“Until he gets wherever he’s going.”

“Which could be…miles…away. Do you know how creepy this is? They don’t know who you are, and you just start following like a hound dog! What are you going to even say to them?”

“That he needs to be more careful while driving.”

“In a bundle of frustration.”

“What’s the point if I’m not frustrated with their recklessness?!”

“Fair point, but don’t go overboard.”

“Never!”

•••

“You know, this is pretty ridiculous,” Fae proclaimed as Roo jumped out of the car at a gas station. “What’s so important about scolding this person that you tail him like a madwoman?”

“Fae dear, someone’s got to teach him to be a responsible driver!”

“Fine, fine, fine! I can’t change your mind. But be quick! I don’t want to be late to the convention!”

“Calm down; we’ve got plenty of time.”

“Yeah, until we DON’T.”

 The door slammed shut.

As Fae scrunched down in the passenger seat to avoid the surprised gaze of the other car’s driver, Roo stormed across the small cement partition and began her tirade. 

“Hey there, SIR!” 

The man, holding the gas pump loosely in his right hand, continued looking at her in complete confusion, offering a quiet and, luckily for Roo’s criminal record, humored, “Did you follow me?” before Roo launched into her fury.

“THERE ARE SEVERAL RULES OF THE ROAD WHICH YOU ARE OBLIGATED TO FOLLOW AND LEARN BEFORE RECEIVING A LICENSE, AND YOU HAVE BROKEN AT LEAST TEN OF THEM WHILE I’VE BEEN BEHIND YOU—I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?!?”

The man looked only slightly phased, but was ruffled enough to respond with, “W-who do you think YOU are? I didn’t—”

Following a little yelp caused by Fae falling off the curb, the annoyed sister popped up in the midst of the arena in time to push Roo back, turning to face the man—whose name I suppose we shall never know—and saying with conviction, “I’m sure you did not intend to commit many of the traffic violations that you did today; however, perhaps you should glance at your manual one of these days?”

The man blinked, still holding the gas pump.

“My sister runs a little hot, so if you’ll excuse her uncouth behavior—which, by the way, did not result in any damage to your person—I won’t report your out of date stickers and that broken tail light.”

Fae patted Roo’s arm and began directing her back to the car, with a nod to the driver. They made it safely back to the car and took off toward the convention once more, Roo in too much of a haze to make any more rash decision, leaving the man to wonder if he’d been putting in too many hours.

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Oh Roo…we love ya…

We did NO editing this week. *frustration*

And there’s your update.

*sigh* We really need to finish…

But for now, all I can do is wish you a lovely weekend! Slan, Gamers!

~Sincerely, 
L.B. and Bea