Downtime 2, wk 3: Somewhere on the M23

[Will Stanton]

"My best friend just couldn't put up with it," he said, starting to gather his own. "But thank you."

[Onyx]

Onyx gets dressed in silence before stepping back towards Will, "Promise you'll come back?"

[Will Stanton]

"...how much would it hurt you if I DID end up back with her? I mean...after today..."

[Onyx]

"I would much rather you both were happy," Onyx says quietly, "And right now, neither of you are. Even after what we did."

Onyx leans forward and gives Will a quick peck, touching his moped with her freehand and taking them back to where they came from.

[Will Stanton]

"You've complicated things a bit," Will sighed. "Don't worry about it, I don't regret it...it was nice. It's just more complicated now. And I want YOU to be happy, too. Today was...it was a ton of fun. Part of me can't wait to do it again. Part of me is worried about it. Just complicated, that's all.

I'll...I should come back, shouldn't I. But I want to get past this block...if I head back to campus, what would I shift into? I gotta solve this problem, if just for myself. And if I just try to do it while human, well, people'd talk to me and stuff, or I could go get coffee or something--defeats the purpose. And there are enough people who know me there that I risk getting recognized or something if I'm just sitting out in the open; you know, 'huh, new trash can--I wonder if it's Will.'

You have any suggestions?" he smiled. "Or should I motor on off to Brighton."

[Onyx]

"You could stay with me," Onyx suggests, "Be a scarf or something. No one pays any attention to me, ma'am."

[Will Stanton]

"...you'd put up with me? I mean, a lot of folks would find that creepy, and all."

[Onyx]

"You can stay with me as long as you want, Will," Onyx says, "I don't mind."

[Will Stanton]

Will paused, considering.

"OK. You pick what you want me to be, if you don't mind me sticking around for a day or so. Something you won't be too bugged by me being.

Just, uh, nothing that's gonna get thrown in the trash," he smiled. "And, um, try not to give any hints that it's me--treat whatever it is just like you would treat any other whatever."

[Onyx]

Onyx thinks for a moment, "...A coat. A warm one, like yours."

[Will Stanton]

Will smiled, and walked a quick circle around Onyx. "Just gauging size...

And thanks for doing this," he smiled, giving Onyx a quick peck on the cheek, before walking over to his moped, seemingly stumbling and wavering, before collapsing on top of it, thinning out as he did so, his skin turning a deep brown, ending up with a nice long coat draped over the handlebars, under his normal clothes.

[Onyx]

Onyx picks up the coat with a smile, pulling it over her shoulders and putting it on. For a minute, she just holds it tightly, her hands feeling along the soft material.

[Will Stanton]

Will's paid real fine attention to detail--even the stitching on the inside is there. The tag also has, apparently sewn into it, the words 'for Onyx'.

It fits well, too--Will has had a lot of experience judging forms, true, but this fits as if Onyx had had it tailored for herself.

[Onyx]

Onyx considers the moped for a moment before wheeling it towards the shadows, stepping it through to the XU garages.