This Road [Penelope]

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

She'd had a shitty night. In the morning, she'd skipped school and watched a campy old film. Then, she'd headed out to grab coffee, slipping on her earphone. She'd let the synth waves wash over her, resonant and deep, with a discordant undertone that sounded like cracking glass. She turned it up higher.

When Vienna had first listened to it a couple of months ago, her skin had prickled. The song had been troubling, but now, she was used to it. Even the wobbling, jagged notes of the middle part were comforting - something to look forward to.

**** was like that. You could get used to anything, she supposed.

Instead of grabbing coffee, she found herself pausing at the threshold of the bike shop. After a moment, she entered.. This time of day, it wasn't too crowded here - a few bikes getting repaired, one or two people looking over the bikes for sale.

This wasn't her first time wandering in the shop, so she'd seen most of the used bikes for sale before. Her eyes lingered on one of the new arrivals. She frowned and stepped around it.

"Hey, this one doesn't have a price tag," she said as an aside to one of the shop workers, pulling out an earbud.

[Penelope (DELETED 7534)]

The shop was a second home to Penelope. She thought that becoming a vampire would change things, but she liked her job. And she didn’t want to give it up. Enzo had her doing all kinds of things to meet his standards of decadence, which Penelope enjoyed for different reasons. It was fun playing parts, pretending to be some lush, elegant lady. This shop, her job, it was an escape. A place to be herself.

Bereft of make-up, her hair pushed back in a messy pony tail, dressed in overalls and humming along to the music playing over the radio in the background, Penelope wasn’t really paying much attention to the customers. She was a mechanic, not a salesperson. If someone wanted their bike fixed or refurbished, she could help. Though, she supposed, Enzo was helping her with this ‘charm’ thing. So when she was approached about a price tag, Penelope drew back her shoulders and hummed a low hum, eyeing the bike in question.

”It’s not the most expensive, nor is it the cheapest,” she said, eyeing the girl curiously.

”Depends on what you’re after. Do you want something powerful, with a bit of grunt, or do you want something that’s more economical in regards to fuel consumption?” she queried. She reminded herself that she did know what she was talking about when it came to bikes. So why couldn’t she sell them, too? The boss would probably say she was far too honest – you want people to spend money, so you don’t persuade them toward the cheaper option. Penelope just couldn’t help but call ******** when she saw it.

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

I'm not here to buy, actually. Vienna had opened her mouth to say that and then realized that it wasn't true. She'd always been more aware of her mortality than most people her age, but now death wasn't just on the doorstep but possibly waiting in her living room.

She frowned. If she waited, she might never have a chance. And if she died, she wouldn't have to worry about the credit card bill.

"I'd like something more powerful," she said at last, her expression clearing. The woman probably heard that from all the first-timers, but that was no reason not to say it.

She returned the woman's curious look. "This would be my first time owning, but I've ridden a bit before. You have any recommendations?"

[Penelope (DELETED 7534)]

Penny nodded. She wasn't about to judge the woman. Penelope herself had a more powerful bike over the more economical; there was nothing like raw horsepower thrumming between one's thighs. She led the customer over to a row of bikes on display, her fingers soon sliding over the seat of the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-14R.

”It’s middle of the range. About fourteen grand – but it’s listed as one of the most powerful bikes of last year. It’s got two-hundred-and-seven point eight-six horsepower, fourteen hundred CC. The cheapest we have is the Suzuki GSX-R 1000,” she said, pointing to another bike nearby. ”The specs are a little lower. Otherwise we have the Motus and the Ducati, but they’re double the price,” she said, gesturing to all the other options.

This was the pro with motorcycles, Penelope mused. They were cheaper than cars. The fuel was cheaper, too. And a person could feel like a badass, riding them. Made traffic and parking less of a nightmare, too. She blinked as she considered all the bikes – since her turning, her eyes had remained the same colour, but had taken on a reptilian shape. Something she forgot about when she was dealing with the general public. She was gazing at the ninja lovingly – she had one herself. Not a green one, though. A red one. It did just as good.

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

Fourteen grand? She managed not to wince.

If only. Her eyes stayed on the green bike. The numbers the woman had rattled off sounded good (or at least, they sounded like they were supposed to sound good), and she liked the look of the bike. It looked sleek, powerful.

When she glanced back at the woman, she saw that she was looking at the bike, the look on her face fond, as if she was looking at a favorite pet.

"How much is the Suzuki?" she asked. She had a feeling the Suzuki would still be too much, but it didn't hurt to ask.

[Penelope (DELETED 7534)]

"About twelve thousand," she said. She hadn't missed that flinch. Yeah, she knew the struggles - money. It was a constant thorn in the side. Though, lately she'd been gathering a neat little nest egg. She was quite proud of her bank account - and her sire was, too. Surprisingly. For all of her wild behaviour, she had a head on her shoulders, too.

Penelope perched on one of the bikes, her hands dangling between her thighs.

"Look, I'm just a mechanic. I'm not a salesperson - I'm not good at the pitch, thing," she said. In fact, she hadn't even been taught. This was more of a mechanics than a sales yard, anyway - they just had a few. "I'm pretty sure they've got some plans? You don't have to buy them outright..." she said with a lazy shrug toward the other part of the shop.

[Vienna Torres (DELETED 8181)]

The difference between twelve and fourteen grand wasn't as big as she hoped. And the mechanic hadn't missed her hesitation about the money, either - but surprisingly, she wasn't treating Vienna like she was just some kid who had wandered in here hoping to find something cheap.

"Yeah, I'll check in with the salespeople," she said.

"What kind of bike do you have?" she asked, tilting her head.

[Penelope (DELETED 7534)]

Penelope pointed to the Ninja.

"One just like that, but in red," she said. The bike was parked out back, waiting for her when she was ready to go home. Maybe she'd take it for a drive; maybe she'd bring it inside, first, and fiddle with a few of the modifications.

"I've modified it a little, too - added some things, taken some things away. It runs a little smoother," she said. Hers wasn't the newest model, and she wasn't a fan of always 'leveling up'. She liked to take care of what she had, and treat it with the respect it deserved.

"It's worth the money, if you can save it, and invest," she said, nodding with the confidence of someone who'd had full satisfaction with the product.