basic_powers | Seattle Summer Showoff

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Seattle Summer Showoff

As they exist from the narrow door of the linen closet for his apartment, Dinah will see two doors down the hallway to her left. One has a biohazard sign hanging from it, and the other is part-way open, enough that one can see the window and bed inside. There's a couple of photos hanging from the wall, one of Beauford and a blonde young woman laughing with the lights of a carnival in the twilight background, and one with Beauford and a reddish-brown haired man in a repurposed tan flightsuit, grinning in front of a college graduation ceremony.

To her right, she'll see that Beauford was infact not exaggerating at all about the shoebox size of his apartment's kitchen, as there is only a tiny island seperating it from the small living room. There's a well-used black futon and coffee table with a little black laptop on top of magazines and comic books. Against the wall there's a shelf with a flatscreen tv, several videogame consoles and a dvd/bluray player. Light filters through the curtain outside and Dinah can likely see the door out of the apartment with three bicycles hanging from hooks beside it on the wall, and pannier bags for the bikes hung with coats and hats from the coat rack.

It doesn't take much guessing to figure out that the blue and gunmetal bike is Beauford's from the homemade welds and adjustments given to it.

"Welcome to my humble bachelor pad...I'd give you the tour but this is pretty much it."

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Like she has to, anyways, the checkout is swift and merciless. Beauford departs with some socks and some little figurines for gifts, and Dinah gets one of 2 of her plush octopi, along with a cheap little drawstring backpack.

The walk to the bike rental shop is only about a block away. And the paperwork for two rentals is quickly filled out by Beauford.

"You got any preference? I'd recommend something with at least 3 different gear speeds."

"No preference," Dinah says cheerfully, giving the bikes a critical look.

"I haven't ridden a real bicycle in ages. I hear you never forget how to, though."

"Yeah, you never really forget..." Depending on when you started at least. He's just going to be picking out two semi-sturdy looking racing bikes from the racks with the attendant. And two helmets, if the one Dinah lent him earlier is anything to judge by...well. It looks like Beauford got her helmet size spot on.

"First leg of this is going to be entirely uphill sadly....but once we get to a certain point, it'll be mostly downhill to the Piccodalio's."

"I think I can manage an uphill climb," Dinah says, tightening the strap of her helmet around her chin. "Depending on how uphill it is, anyway."

She also takes a minute to finsh a small, overpriced bottle of water she picked up in the gift shop, as well.

"Pretty uphill...about a quarter mile sadly." Beauford grins, strapping on his own helmet and handing her the second snack bar. For him the uphill ride isn't going to be that much trouble, but he suspects that partway through it, Dinah will want to have something to eat. "But we can make up for that with a nice scenic trolley ride to get back up close to my apartments."

Dinah always wants something to eat.

She tucks the snack bar into a pocket as she swings her leg over the bike, standing up over the saddle for a second.

"Sounds great - lead the way," she says, before kicking off.

And with that, they're off pushing to get up the hill. Beauford wasn't kidding about it being a bit tough, Seattle is a very hilly city. They actually pass a couple of old-fashioned trolley cars heading down the other way to the ocean scenic line before the grade of the slope shows any sign of being less of a challenge.

It's also across a couple of stoplights and crossings, so they're not moving on sheer momentum the entire trip.

After they get to a certain intersection, Beauford's already making a right turn to go down a very long hill.

Make that go very quickly down a long hill.

Beauford's worry about Dinah needing the snack bar wasn't quite on form - she gets to the top just a bike length behind him, where she finally pauses to have the bar, giving him the head start.

Then she re-pockets the wrapper, leans forward, and rockets behind him.

Normally he wouldn't bother pedaling while going downhill like this, but there are a couple of factors coming into play..

The light ahead is just about to turn green, and if they time it just right, they won't have to stop biking like maniacs all the way down.

Dinah's knocked her bike up a few gears and is giving it everything she's got, her expression determines, although her eyes are laughing. It'd be forgivable if that look she gives him as she passes would be interpreted as a challenge.

...if it is a challenge, Beauford is certainly willing to meet it head on! Without endangering either of their lives.

There is a close shave when he rockets through a yellow light just a second behind her though.

"Slow down! turn ahead!"

Dinah nods, seeing the turn ahead, and eases on the brakes, suddenly very aware that the light weight of this bike is going to make turning a different monster than on heavier motorbike. So she slams the brakes harder and skims around the turn, undercutting him slightly, with a quick glance behind to make sure he's OK.

"Gah!"

He's fine, just working on regaining himself a bit after getting undercut like that. Light weight bike make for hard turns yesyesyes.

"..blrgh...alright..two blocks ahead and we can drop our bikes off there..Peccadilio's is another block down." Beauford calls out, pointing out the small bike rental sign amid all of the upscale downtown buildings.

"Sorry!" Dinah calls back, genuinely sounding like she is.

As the street levels out, she slows down more gently, to a easier pace to the bike place, where she stops just outside.

"Told you I wasn't used to these bikes."

"I'll keep that in mind next time, or else rent a heavier build of a bike so it's more like your motorcycle." Beauford muses, pulling out their rental stubs and getting back his security deposit on them as the bikes get picked up by an attendant.

...And the wind picks up, just enough that both of them can get a good noseful of smells from the restaurants just a few blocks over, with the smells of things being deep-fried and sauteed.

"...ooh."

"Oh my god," Dinah says, breathes almost. "I'm so hungry right now I might just eat the whole place."

"Down, girl."

Beauford grins wryly....he is just as hungry right now for a good meal after that run and ride. Thus, it is with a little more urgency that he's stepping forward to hurry down the block towards the pizza place.

"Come on, if there isn't a cart vendor along the way, we're getting double orders of calamari rings and fried cheese curds as appetizers."

"I'll be good," says Dinah, who might be pouting a little, but it's hard to tell while she's trying so hard not to laugh.

She follows him quickly, falling instep beside him with an urgency too great for much conversation.

Until she sees a cart between them and the restaurant. "Oh, flautas!"

...Yeah, there's no way in hell Beauford's passing up on these, he's stopping at the cart where a small peruvian man is standing with little tortillas, trays of meat and toppings and sizzling deep-frier going.

"Four please? Beef and rice." Beauford's already getting out his wallet, while scanning the price sheet. "All with hot sauce, sour cream, cheese and guac?"

"Si, si..un momento."

"[They look delicious,]" Dinah says in Spanish, eyes not leaving the food as he prepares it. "There are no decent flauta carts in New York."

She can't say Gotham, of course, but that's what she means.

"[Thank you, pretty lady.]" The man replies, offhandly and neatly rolling up the flautas with the outsides turning golden crisp in the deep fryer.

"...really? Maybe you just have trouble finding the cart." Beauford raises an eyebrow and a grin. He's got an idea of the city Dinah's talking about.

"I think I know my city," Dinah objects, eyes on the fryer before she realises that a watched fryer never fries. She looks back at Beauford just as they are ready and her eyes get that hungry look again. "Gracias."

"You're talking to the New York city boy who can find a raisin curry cart in five minutes." Beauford grins back at Dinah, teasing just a tad, because NOTHING works better for distraction from hunger than a good jibe.

Dinah's eyes scowl at him while her smile stay fixed in place and they walk away from the cart.

After her first mouthful is down, "you know I wasn't talking about your New York."

"I know you weren't, from the moment you said 'New York'." Beauford chuckles, biting into his two flautas. "Could've gotten away with using Chicago."

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