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Days after his encounter with Tourmaline, Pasi - Aue - realized that while they might have set a date for going out on a bike ride together...they had not actually thought to set a time. But he couldn't exactly send her a text or anything unless he wanted to ping the General and have him pass along a message, but that seemed a really s**t thing to do, so he just figured on showing up at a likely time and waiting if he had to.

Tourmaline came rolling up shortly after sundown, but Aue had been there for a couple hours, though he'd left a time or two and then come back. He was powered up, of course, but had pulled black sweats over his costume pants, swapped the shoes out for something with steel toes, and had a heavy hoodie over the bright white top. The only part of his senshi costume that was recognizable was the headband/diadem, but he was still obviously Aue.

The roar of the bike got the man to his feet, moving out of the shadows so she could see him standing there. "Nice machine," Aue started, smiling just a bit because Tourmaline did have a nice bike, "It could stand to be tuned up though...you're not getting optimal horsepower."

Aue had a feeling he knew what Tourmaline was going to say, even before her lips formed the shape of the syllables; his eyes narrowed in annoyance but he said nothing, hands deep in the pockets of his hoodie clenching like he'd enjoy very much if they were around her throat. Or maybe the handlebars of the bike.

".." He waited for her to get the drag on his clothing choices out of her system, as bored an expression on his face as could be managed before he bothered to talk again. "Dia isn't here. The number of pants I own that will go over this bullshit costume comfortably is exactly one piece, which you are seeing right now, and I have better things to spend my cash on."

Nowhere in any of that was an apology for looking like hobo-trash, though neither was there a denial that his 'outfit' was junk. At least his hoodie had a really intricate logo on it, referencing a death metal band in blacks and greys.

"Did you know, I cannot take most of the magic costume off before it reappears? I will experiment when I have more time, see if it's specific articles or just a percentage." Aue much preferred discussing her ride, and he cocked his head at it thoughtfully. "It's too heavy for the engine, we can fabricate something lighter and stronger. Engine could use some tweaking too, one of the pistons fires at half capacity." One hand came out to gesture here and there, "Your bike is good base to start from, but if you want something that will fly, we have much work to do."

He was fairly certain she liked speed as much as he did, so the idea would appeal. The cost might not, but that could be addressed later.

Aue's fingers twitched at being denied the chance to play with Tourmaline's bike, but he understood and also approved of her wont to take care of her civilian identity. "As far as I'm concerned, that's part of the plan." He had no illusions about whether or not he'd be corrupted eventually - he would - it was just a matter of when...and that was something he did not know.

His fingers, sans the stupid gloves which he'd set on fire earlier just to see how well the material took heat (quite well, actually), itched to touch the sleek bike, to crack her open and make the rumbling engine output at optimum. Someday.

"Some have costumes so brief I'm not sure why it matters." He gave Tourmaline a flash of teeth, shaking his head. "Still more useful like this for now, it seems." There were plans, he was certain, but he gained nothing in being impatient.

"Mine as well." Aue's tone was flat with a hint of disgust perhaps; he remembered well the fiasco of the meeting with Caedus...the way the so-called Royals had stood around fencing egos and being exceedingly ineffectual. He remembered seeing the garden-looking eternal that had spoken with some measure of sense, but mostly it was the idiocy and egos that stood out to him and soured him on the White Moon.

"Too much infighting, too many egos, much stupidity." Tourmaline wasn't wrong, he likely could have pulled off information gathering easily even without his squeaky-clean aura helping identify him as "safe". He also agreed about costuming - so far, what he'd seen of the negaverse the officers got some fair coverage, comparatively. Senshi seemed to show a lot of skin, which was also stupid.

Aue didn't hesitate when Tourmaline asked if he still wanted to ride with her, his voice sure and steady. "Yes."

Aue was truly surprised when Tourmaline stepped back instead of straddling the bike; he had assumed - and rightly so, since they really didn't know each other well at that point - that he would be riding behind her though his size would have made that awkward. But she was offering to let him drive and both of his brows went up at the unexpected gesture. It is trust she is showing, I can't fix her bike yet but she is offering an olive branch.

Or rope for him to hang himself with.

But the senshi didn't think so - she seemed to be a fairly straight-forward sort, which he appreciated a great deal. It was so rare to find people that said what they meant, without a crazy amount of idiotic subtext or subterfuge.

"I have no problems with any of this." And he would prove it by moving to run his hands along the lines of her bike before straddling it - a little low for someone of his height but it would be fine once he put his feet on the bars. The whole thing was well balanced, he could tell - she took very good care of her machine: that alone made Tourmaline rise further in his esteem.

Remembering his manners and also that someone with the ability to phase her hand through his chest to take his starseed would be pressed up against him intimately, Aue spoke again, "Thank you."

With Tourmaline's weight solid behind him, Aue kicked the stand up and out of the way while revving the engine appreciatively. He wouldn't get moving until she was wholly settled and he was certain she wouldn't be flying off (she knew better, as did he, so it seemed unlikely this would happen but even so he wanted to be certain since Tourmaline was trusting him to pilot her beloved bike). Her hands went across his shoulders, causing the senshi's mouth to twist up slightly at one corner - she wasn't the first to admire the breadth of his shoulders - but when it came to it, her arm went around his waist. Good.

"Actions speak louder, ja?" A test of his skills, no less potentially deadly or damning than a sparring session; the brunet couldn't help a low, rumbling chuckle that she would feel more than hear as they took off. He handled her bike carefully first, testing out the balance and responsiveness, but it wouldn't take long before they were speeding along the streets of Destiny City like breathing.

There was no talking until - and unless - they were slowed or stopped, but Tourmaline was certain to understand just how much fun he was having on this ride.

The last time that Aue had been on a bike with someone riding had been in Finland, he'd been too young to legally ride the motorcycle, the passenger had been his at-the-time crush...and the crash had left both of them with scars. His was up under the hairline and could only be noticed by running fingers along his scalp carefully.

Riding with Tourmaline pressed against his back was wholly different: pure enjoyment without the stomach-turning awkwardness of youth around the object of their affection. If he was a bit excited, it was forgivable - riding a well tuned bike like the one Tourma owned was a heady treat for someone like Aue - and if the way her hands drifted almost dreamily across the breadth of his shoulders and back were any indication, she was the same.

"Kaunis kone ..." He murmured, the bike braced upright between his thighs and rumbling, Tourma's warmth at his back was pleasant too. Aue felt almost as though he were dreaming. "Ja, that would be good. Better when I can work on her." Even knowing Tourmaline couldn't allow him to work on her bike yet, his mind was spinning ideas even faster than before, the sounds and sensations just perfect.

Machines were so easy, compared to people. As fun as it was on the bike, he would have to return it to Tourmaline; so with a short warning to hold on he returned to the lot they'd met up in and cut the engine after kicking the stand down. "Thank you." He would have found it difficult to face the captain and speak thanks, but with her still at his back it was easier...and he was grateful.

Being trusted with her machine was strangely touching and he found himself liking her more, which was discomfiting for someone so resolutely stand-offish.