[TTD] Crusin' down the coast, going about 99 [Tara]

The night sky was dark, but it felt nice to be flying. He had been through so much in the past few months, being shadowed through his job like a baby who needed sitting-by an auror, no less. Actually, an auror on work-probation, which was almost worse. He was being watched by someone who couldn’t even get her own job right. Who made these rules and why were they do ridiculous? Even so, Ashley had grown very fond of @Roslyn Hayes as the months had passed. While June was coming up soon, his six months with the Ministry, he worried about being separated from her. Would she want anything to do with him when they weren’t working together? Any chance she’d witch departments to be his partner, because there was no way he’d switch departments—and he’d never ask her to do that. Even so, working with her felt… right? Like working with Indiana or Cheyenne (sometimes) or Jessica and Jonathan. He felt like she could hold her own and be fun doing it. Maybe it was more than professional appreciation going on there, he knew, but he was trying to keep his personal feelings at bay. She hadn’t proven that she felt similarly, and he hated to bark up the wrong tree.
 
He was trying to let go of things, just enjoy the night air a little bit. It was weird flying so high, bike’s invisibility on, but he was pretty sure he was safe from muggles’ prying eyes. Even so, he was flying over a wizarding village regardless. The night was foggy, it was hard to see in front of his nose, but he sensed that there was someone coming. Why? He didn’t know. He couldn’t see anything. Then, suddenly, he swerved big to the left, barely missing a girl on broomstick. “Woah!” He called out, loud enough for her to hear. “Sorry about that!” He didn’t know if it was his fault or hers, but he didn’t want to hurt her if he could help it, or offend her, even. He wasn’t the type to insult someone he ran into.
 
“You alright?” He said, slowing to a stop and hovering midair. “Nice ride, by the way.” He checked her and she seemed okay. “Tough biz, flying a night, especially without a light.” The headlight was off, to keep with the invisibility charm. He turned It off briefly, just so she could see his cherry red Arial Square 4.  “Not often I see anyone mid-air.” He teased lightly. “You heading anywhere fast, or just going off for a ride?” Broomstick wasn’t really the best method of travel even if it was fun. He had loved brooms in his youth, but it was hard to pack a broomstick up with everything he owned. 
 
“You don’t wanna go for a ride, do you? See how fast these things compare?”

@Tara Kingsley

It was dark and cool and the night air made her feel brand new. After being confiscated by the Ministry and then stolen by thugs, Tara was very happy that her prized possession - her broom - was back where it belonged and she had been working for the past week on some new modifications that would make night flying better, among other special souped up tricks. It wasn't all 100% yet but she was getting there, but considering not all of her charms were exactly legal, she preferred to test them at night when there was less of a chance of running into anyone.

At least that what's she thought before she suddenly heard a noise right on her tail and had glanced back only to see a man on a bike heading for a collision course. With quick thinking, she had swerved down and he went left, her heart dropping with the movement before she circled back.

"What the hell!!" Tara yelled, some of the anger in her voice getting carried away on the wind as she glared over at the guy on the bike who had almost ran her over when there was literally clear sky in any direction. Fucking idiot! Her heart was pounding with the adrenaline of the quick maneuvers and while some small part of her could appreciate the opportunity since it gave her a chance to test out the stabilization and agility modifications she had added to her broom, she also wasn't going to thank him for it. As usual, she wanted things to be on her terms.

His apology didn't make her feel any less irritated and her jaw ticked, her long ponytail at the nape of her neck snapping along in the wind behind her. His smooth lines did nothing for her, but she could appreciate the bike which was why she was staying at all instead of flipping him the bird and turned round the other way. "I don't think that's any of your business," she told him with a sweet smile, having to speak a little louder to be heard.

Tara heard the challenge in his voice and while she didn't usually entertain idiots who almost ran her off her broom, she couldn't resist either. "Do you honestly think you'll win?" she asked, looking over his bike again. She was confident that he wouldn't, but he didn't need to know that.

Ashley was a little put off by the woman’s reaction. He had apologized, even though she was the one flying around on broomstick at night without a light. Given, he hadn’t had a light on either, but he had good reason—there was very little legal about a flying motorcycle, especially one he had charmed himself to be that way. He took pride in his bike, constantly restoring it and maintaining it meticulously. One such element of maintenance was fancying it up with the flying and speed charms, which he had nearly mastered. He let her annoyance roll off him, though, and continued to smile. 
 
“I dunno.” He shrugged, seriously unsure. “It depends on how fast your broom can go. Mine’s pretty quick.” He admitted. ”On land, and in the air.” He was hoping the two of them didn’t end on poor footing. He didn’t like the idea of ‘witnesses’ seeing him flying around late at night, and he wondered if she might feel the same way. What had she been doing out in the middle of the night flying around with no lights? Probably nothing wholesome. 
 
“Care to find out?” He asked, a playful lilt to his voice. “There’s a muggle clock tower about a mile that way.” He pointed. “Wanna meet me there?”  

"Oh, it's plenty quick," Tara retorted quickly, though she took the opportunity to look over his ride again. She wasn't necessarily well-versed in motorcycles, but she did appreciate their power and beauty. She had always been tempted to learn to ride herself but hadn't gotten around to it yet. The idea of nudging him off his own bike and flying it herself was a nice image in her mind, but she knew she didn't have the know-how to do that just yet. It was fun to imagine how he'd react though.

She glanced in the direction he pointed, seeing the tall shadow of a clock tower in the distance with its face lit up golden and she nodded. "I'll take you up on that," she agreed easily, reaching out her palm to shake on it in a gentleman's agreement. He was challenging a broom racer to a race? Bring it on.

"3..2.." and she was gone, a flash of a grin on her lips as she started just before she got to one. She leaned far over her broom, her dark hair whipping in the wind behind her as she kept her eyes on the prize.