Out Of The Gray, Into The Green (Cecil)

Cecil looks at the strange ramshackle construction at the back of the bike, the added parts both rough and crude that had been affixed wherever they might fit. To have it done might have served some sort of purpose before, but now this was simply something he was uninclined to test. "...if you're saying what in thinking, thanks, but no thanks. I'm...not about to test that. It doesn't even look like it was meant for human proportions..."

Adrian just chuckled at Cecil's disbelief. It wasn't that he couldn't understand it. He had felt the same way when his dad had shown him how his bike could handle two people. The pegs did look like they were haphazardly welded on. But then again..there also seemed to be a bolt and nut missing, so it was very likely that these were done as a way of saving some degree of cash. The seat on the other hand, looked incredibly normal. Adrian's description had made it sound more haphazard than it actually was. In truth, it looked like the companion seat someone would put on a mountain bike, just with railings along the seat for someone to hold onto. The seat itself was attached to the shaft that held the main seat, and the thing looked sturdy enough.

Still, Adrian chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah..apparently grandpa had welded the pegs back on instead of letting my dad just go buy an extra set of nuts and bolts to attach them to it properly. It looks weird, but everything works."

He said as he proceeded to get settled into the back seat to prove his point. His legs were folded back a bit so that his feet could rest on the pegs. It looked uncomfortable..but it was indeed possible to sit there without risking anything. The seat hadn't sank when he sat down, nor were his feet so close to the wheel that it would risk friction burns on the passenger's legs.

"It's okay if you'd rather walk. I just figured I could offer up a ride, since I've got nothing to do, and I know how much torture it is to be running on empty." He said with a smile. Adrian was certainly a little strange, if he was offering a free ride to a stranger to take them home, solely because he had nothing better to do. Was he genuinely coming off as friendly, or was he just coming off as weird? That was a coin that he had no control over the flipping of, so only Cecil's reactions and willingness to talk to him if they ever interacted again would be the tells for what the result was.

Cecil rolled his eyes at the demonstration with a weak smile on his face. Alright...so maybe it actually held up more than the appearance might suggest. It certainly looked suspicious enough, but if it worked as it was supposed to there wasn't exactly much argument to be had there. But that still left another matter.
"It's a nice offer, but...I'll manage, one way or another. No need for this." It wasn't worth their time, and he wasn't worth the effort. It was something he'd have to do, and he wasn't inclined to let a stranger spend their time on him like this, even if he didn't have any concerns about them having an idea where he lived. "Can't get lazy just because I'm tired..."

Honestly, Adrian had been expecting Cecil to deny him. But..that still didn't help with the uneasy feeling he got from this situation. So, while he did shrug..he followed it up with something darker. "That's alright. I guess I just offered because I saw what those weird people with all of the masks said a while back. I dunno how much of the message other people got..but us in Vista got it really clearly. If anything they said is true..I dunno. That makes me kinda paranoid about people and how safe any of us are.."

Oh. Was he really talking about the Psyche Terrorist's assault on the district leader? As far as Adrian had seen, nobody had really talked about it. They all said that it was a bunch of lies at first..then the discussion had shifted to rumors and speculation..then they had just..stopped talking about it. Still..that whole situation stuck with Adrian. He remembered it.

And it made him worry about just normal people. Sure, none of them were doing anything with demons or anything. And while he didn't fully buy into the whole 'they use demons' thing..it made you think.  "But hey, I can't really force you to let me take you somewhere. That'd just be weird." He said with a chuckle as he got up off of the back seat of his bike. While he was trying to keep up the jovial tone..it was clear that he was legitimately worried, given how it was the afternoon, and he had no idea just how far Cecil was from his home. Maybe this one just had too much empathy for his own good.

...Christ, was this what he looked like to Marta? Sure, Adrian wasn't being quite so forward about it as he had been, but it sounded like they were a little freaked about the broadcast. And...he couldn't really blame them. Either the government was the enemy, or the PTs were getting big. Neither was something you wanted in your life, generally.

That he supported and enabled that message changed nothing in this regard. This stuff scared people.

"I'll be fine, Adrian. Nothing's dumb enough to try something during the day, let alone in a public spot. You'd have to have a deathwish."

Adrian wasn't exactly freaking out about everything. He seemed calm enough. But it was also very clear that he was both being paranoid at the moment, and had been thinking the worst about everything. So even though he believed Cecil's assertion that they'd be fine during the day, Adrian just sighed and shrugged. "Yeah..I know. But doesn't stop me from worrying. That whole thing was kinda worrying, after all."

He had a point. However, he didn't know that he was in fact standing in front of someone who had supported and enabled the very broadcast that had worried so many people, and had led to the 'vanishing' of one of the district leaders. Instead, he saw a normal person, someone who had just had a very long day. Still, he stretched a bit. He really didn't have much to say this time. He didn't really converse normally all that much..so if Cecil wanted to keep talking, he might very well have to lead the conversation for a bit.

Usually, one did not expect the consequence of taking down a government leader and using the facilities they had to make a terrorist broadcast across the city to be something like this. Worrying people, possible panic, attention from government forces and general increased risk and tension, that was sure.
Someone trying to give you a bike ride home...? Not so much.

Cecil simply lets his eyes slide closed, a wave of tiredness washing over him. "I get that...I'd just appreciate it if you'd at least trust me with this much." It would be so easy to doze off right now...fall into slumber until a moment unknown. "You don't need to fret."

While Adrian did want to trust Cecil with this much..it didn't stop him from still being worried about the whole demon thing. So to see Cecil's eyes close like that while he stood there? It made Adrian decide things right now. "Well, if you didn't look like you were about to fall asleep standing up, I'd trust you more. Get on the damn bike." He said as he crossed his arms over his chest. The tone had shifted measurably. Instead of being an offer, this sounded more like an order. Adrian didn't exactly like taking this tone..but there was obviously no way that he'd get home on his own before nightfall.

Adrian had gotten in trouble with breaking curfew before. He understood that those rules were in place for a reason. He didn't need someone else getting in trouble for them. If Cecil voiced his desire not to, Adrian would speak up again. "I'm not going to take no as an answer from someone that looks like their about to just pass out within minutes. Get on the damn bike, and start giving me directions.' He said as he got on the proper seat of his bike. Well, he certainly seemed to be rather stubborn about this.

With a little more effort than it really should have taken, Cecil flicked one eyelid open, fixing Adrian with a rather flat look. "Last I knew, I was on a bench. Falling asleep standing would be quite an achievement."
Regardless of Adrian's insistence, Cecil was not about to be budged right now. He was not getting on that bike, he was not letting this person go out of the way for him, and he wasn't risking someone else getting caught out in the dark again. "I can make sure I get back one way or another, whether by myself or not. You're not even in the district, and you're definitely not getting back before dark if you get me home. I'll be fine without your help. You won't be fine if you help." And in the end, that was that. Only one of them really understood the things in the dark here, and only one of them had any ability at all to deal with them if they met them, should they get caught in the night.
That person was not Adrian in either case.

For a good while, Adrian just stared blankly at Cecil. Trying to read him was an impossible task for anyone. His face took on a blank, apathetic expression when he was just zoned out or staring at things. He honestly did just want to help. But some people were stubborn in their ideals of not wanting help. He could understand that. After all, his dad was one of those people. He had been the one who had kept their family together during the events that led to the recreation of this very city. It wasn't something he wasn't used to. So after a solid few moments of silence, he just chuckled and shook his head.

"Well, you might be tired, but I see that it doesn't keep you from being stubborn about someone else following the rules. Nothing wrong with that. Just thought I would try to help is all." He said as he kicked the stand of his bike back up. "Just try to stay out of trouble, Cecil." He said as he leaned forward, his arms crossed as they rested atop his handlebars.

"And try not to sleep too long. I don't think the people running this place would take kindly to some high schooler sleeping on their benches~" He said with a chuckle before he turned his bike around and pedaled off. It was getting kind of late in the afternoon after all. So heading home now was probably the best idea. With any luck, he'd actually be able to make curfew this time.

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