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[sub][color=a5a5a5]A [@Hey Im Jordan] & [@Silent Observer] Collaboration
Friday Evening at The Sterling Residence[/color][/sub]
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[indent][indent]Sean was in the Sterling family garage, with his motorcycle up on the lift in front of him. A set of fine precision tools was resting on a toolbox beside him, and he was silently mouthing along [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOnSh3QlpbQ]to music[/url] that was playing through the room. He twisted wrench until he heard the click, and pulled it off of the engine, before he took a step back from the bike and spoke aloud to his Assistant, [color=a5a5a5][b]“check the compression levels?”[/b][/color] He asked, and the bike’s starter began to click, before he held up his hand. [color=a5a5a5][b]“Wait. Lower the music.”[/b][/color]

He turned around to look at the doorway, [color=a5a5a5][b]“Selena. Hey. Cut the music.”[/b][/color]

[color=ffb5fd][b]“You didn’t have to do that. I actually like Rammstein.”[/b][/color] His pretty-in-pink sister replied with a smile. Her shoes made soft ticking noises as she descended the steps. Sel’s eyes wandered from her brother to the motorcycle he was working on. [color=ffb5fd][b]“I can’t believe you actually convinced Mom to let you get that thing.”[/b][/color] She said with a smirk and walked closer. [color=ffb5fd][b]“What are you doing to it? It’s brand new, it shouldn’t need to be fixed already, right?”[/b][/color]

[color=a5a5a5][b]“I would have gotten it anyway, I paid for it myself. She bought me a helmet though — insisted on it.”[/b][/color] Sean shrugged and hit the button to lower the bike down to the ground, before launching into an explanation. [color=a5a5a5][b]“I’m tweaking the engine’s compression, to mess with acceleration versus top speed. I could have probably kept it stock, but… Who’s that fun for? This way it’ll zip up to top speed a bit higher. I’m not doing any track racing, so I figure I can have the focus be on the acceleration, versus the top speed. Plus, this way it’s more nimble going through the alleyways and backstreets — you know, in case I get in a car chase.”[/b][/color]

He rolled his eyes and shrugged, [color=a5a5a5][b]“not that it would ever happen. If you go fast enough, then the cops will just give up. That’s why I got the bike. Cops aren’t paid enough to deal with drug deals, murders, and then be asked to commit to high speed chases.”[/b][/color] Turning his attention away from the bike and back to Selena, Sean added. [color=a5a5a5][b]“You can probably convince Mom to buy you one. Just soften her up with wine first.”[/b][/color]

[color=ffb5fd][b]“That certainly sounds more like Mom.”[/b][/color] Selena chimed in with a tiny bell of a laugh when he mentioned the helmet. She walked around, viewing the bike from all angles as Sean explained what he was doing. Surprisingly enough, she understood most of what he rambled on about. The silver princess was not a gearhead by any means, she knew hardly anything about vehicles, but the words he was using were physics terms. Science was a language that both twins spoke, though Sean had always worn the nerd label a bit more boldly and proudly. While Selena gave all the fucks about what people thought of her, Sean gave none about what people thought of him. She envied that, he seemed so much more… free. [color=ffb5fd][b]“Oh… no, I don’t want one. Is that how you did it, you caught her while she was wine drunk?”[/b][/color] Sel asked with a chuckle and shook her head at her brother, a playful smile on her face.

[color=ffb5fd][b]“I mean… I don’t want one… but maybe when you’re finished tinkering, you could take me for a ride?”[/b][/color] Her tone was hopeful, and curious.

[color=a5a5a5][b]“What? Why would I do that?”[/b][/color] Sean reached in his pocket and withdrew the key, holding it out to his sister and shaking his head as he dropped it into her palm. [color=a5a5a5][b]“Just take it yourself. It’ll be more fun that way, and I trust you. What’s the worst that could happen?”[/b][/color] Again, the differences between the twins were highlighted, this time Sean’s ability to seemingly do whatever he wanted without care for the consequences, and Selena’s somewhat… cautious approach, by comparison.

[color=a5a5a5][b]“Just take it for a ride around the valley, or something, and bring it back.”[/b][/color] Sean suggested, walking over to one of the tables, to return the tools he’d been using, [color=a5a5a5][b]“just be wary of the acceleration. It… accelerates pretty hard, especially after those tweaks. I’m confident you can handle it, after all, you [i]are[/i] my twin.”[/b][/color]

[color=ffb5fd][b]“W-what?”[/b][/color] Selena uncharacteristically stumbled on her words as she looked down at the key he’d just dropped in her palm. [color=ffb5fd][b]“No, I can—”[/b][/color] She was about to say “I can’t”, but that isn’t a phrase in a Sterling’s vocabulary. Sterlings can, Sterlings will, and Sterlings [i]do[/i]. After clearing her throat lightly, she stood up a little straighter. [color=ffb5fd][b]“You at least have to show me how first, I’m never driven one before.”[/b][/color] The blonde looked down at what she was wearing briefly — a skirt, a flowy blouse, and kitten heels. [color=ffb5fd][b]“That, and I will have to buy a more appropriate outfit first.”[/b][/color]

[color=a5a5a5][b]“Buy? Don’t you have jeans and a jacket? The whole biker getup, with the sleek black jumpsuit… That’s Helmsley style, more than Sterling I think. ‘Course, it’s not surprising you want to go shopping. Look, it’s this simple.”[/b][/color] He swung a leg over the bike and gestured at the handlebars, [color=a5a5a5][b]“look. The lever on the left is the clutch. Pull it in before you shift. You’ll know when to shift, the bike will be making a noise when the gears are winding and are ready to go. The right side has the throttle,”[/b][/color] he said, twisting the grip to show. [color=a5a5a5][b]“And the lever is the front brake. You basically don’t ever want to touch it when you’re going fast, or you’ll flip over forward and either die or have your face scraped off. On the left peg is the shifter. It’s a 6 gear bike. All the way down is first gear. Halfway between first and second is neutral. On the right peg is the rear brake. It’s better to just downshift to slow down, but if you want to use a brake, use that one. That’s how it’s done. Any questions?”[/b][/color]

Selena rolled her eyes slightly at his jeans and jacket comment. Of [i]course[/i] she already had clothes that she [i]could[/i] wear, but this was a special occasion. Her first time riding a motorcycle. It could be her [i]last[/i] time riding a motorcycle, and she’d be damned if she didn’t go out in top notch style. Special occasions called for new outfits, and it’d been a while since she’d gone a shopping date with her bestie. A fews weeks, at least. As her brother went on his lecture about the controls, Selena nodded along. For the most part, she was following the instructions, but with the warning that she could have her face scraped off if she messed up… she decided she might want to do some further studying before trying it herself.

[color=ffb5fd][b]“Hmm…”[/b][/color] She mused when Sean asked if she had any questions. [color=ffb5fd][b]“I’ll quiz myself.”[/b][/color] Selena circled around the bike, pointing at the left handle. [color=ffb5fd][b]“Clutch, for shifting gears, I should know when to shift.”[/b][/color] She moved her hand to the right side of the handlebars [color=ffb5fd][b]“Throttle, makes it go faster, yeah? And the lever is the front brake, don’t use at high speed for risk of losing face,”[/b][/color] Things got a little muddy when it came to the pegs. The left one shifted gears, and the right one is another brake — a better brake to use? She pointed to the pegs, [color=ffb5fd][b]“Shifter and other brake. How did I do?”[/b][/color]

Sean listened closely to his sister’s words as she tried to read back all the information that he’d given her. As she went, he nodded along with her. She was doing a good job, though that was simply to be expected; after all, she [i]was[/i] a Sterling. [color=a5a5a5][b]“You did good. You should be fine, so long as you stick to the advice I gave you and don’t forget anything important.”[/b][/color] Sean said, leaning against the garage wall. [color=a5a5a5][b]“Let’s go shopping, I guess.”[/b][/color] As he said that, he made a bit of a noise; was he seriously suggesting shopping? Much had changed.

Sel beamed a smile in response to her brother’s praise. [color=ffb5fd][b]“I won’t forget. I’ll also probably watch some videos tonight and learn more before I actually try it. I’d quite like to keep my face the way it is, so more knowledge is better.”[/b][/color] She tossed the key back to Sean and eyed him with a raised brow. [color=ffb5fd][b]“You don’t want to go shopping, I know you. I’ll just go with Jamie tomorrow morning, it’s been a while since we had a bestie date.”[/b][/color] Selena offered, giving her brother a perfect out. [color=ffb5fd][b]“Though, I’d love to do something else with you! Maybe we could go somewhere [i]good[/i] to eat? If we stay here, Mom’ll try to push more health foods on us, and I could pretty much kill for a cheeseburger right now.”[/b][/color] Yes, you heard right. The Sterling’s eldest daughter preferred greasy goodness to the stereotypical valley girl salads and quinoa.

Sean’s hand whipped up and snatched the key out of the air after they were thrown his way. [color=a5a5a5][b]“That sounds infinitely better than any other possible option.”[/b][/color] Sean said in immediate agreement after Selena suggested that he sit out the shopping trip. Whatever it took to keep him out of a store was a good deal as far as he was concerned. When she suggested leaving to eat, Sean’s eyebrow raised slightly, and he thought about it a moment, before making a suggestion. [color=a5a5a5][b]“I heard some people who looked like they know about food mention a place called the Sunshine Diner. But…”[/b][/color]

[color=a5a5a5][b]“We have to take the twins.”[/b][/color]

Selena narrowed her eyes at her brother. He’d been back long enough to see how the twins acted around her. He [i]knew[/i] what he was asking of her. [color=ffb5fd][b]“Fine. But... only because I know the milkshakes are ace there. You’ll drive, I have to text and make plans for tomorrow.”[/b][/color] Selena said, kissing her brother on the cheek before heading inside to fetch the hellions. Sean would prefer to drive anyway, lest he be caught in her pink monstrosity again. Plus, she’d be loathe to let the twins touch her car’s pristine leather interior.[/indent][/indent]