Xaviers!

Emilie pulled out the bike and put out the kickstand then flourished in front of Steph to invite her to sit down.

"Sit down, and I shall show you how it works."

Steph did as instructed, swinging a leg over the scooter and taking a seat, hands resting on her thighs for now. “Assuming it’s not *that* different from a bike?

"Very similar to a bike yes, but it handles a bit different. It's a bit zippier, like a crotch rocket, but not as much power as one obvs."

“I meant a bicycle, but I follow,” she smiled.

“Where’s the gas and where’s the brake?”

"Oh well then this'll get interesting real fast." She laughed.

"Turn here for gas, pull this for break." She added, indicating the proper parts therein.

"You can go slow at first, but not too slow or like a bicycle, it will drop on ya."

Steph nodded in understanding as she watched the parts get pointed out to her. “Alright...I think this makes some sense. So...I guess I just try it and hope I don’t wreck your vehicle?”

"You won't wreck it, don't worry. " Emilie said encouragingly.

Steph nodded and took off a bit quicker than she intended, startling her a bit and sending her into a fit of laughter, but she pretty quickly got a handle on operating the thing. She did a couple of circuits around the roundabout near the garage before coming to a halt in front of Em.

“Oh this thing is fun.”

That was when the scooter suddenly lurched forward about a yard.

Stephanie was sitting with her hands resting on her thighs when the moped moved, and if not for her unnaturally good reflexes, even in human form, probably would have been on the ground. She dove forward to to grab onto the handlebars and regain control.

“Holy cow! What did I just do?”

"Huh...

Maybe it's got some buggy wiring..." Em commented, as she knew Steph didn't do anything.

Steph screwed up her face in confusion. “Huh. Weird. So you haven’t had that happen to you before?”

Emilie doesn't quite get a chance to answer, as the scooter suddenly takes off full-tilt with Stephanie clinging to it.

"Oooohhhh fuuucccccckkkk...." Emilie stated, stunned by what just happened. It took her a moment to really register it before she took chase after the bike and Steph.

"Hit the brake! Hit the brake!"

Steph yelped in surprise as she almost fell off the bike when it sped off. Her eyes yellowed and she felt a growl building in her throat.

Not now...I can do this myself!

Her roommate’s voice registered and she let out a grunt of effort as she adjusted her weight over the center of the bike and squeezed the brakes.

The front brake catches before the rear, pitching the seat upward, and Steph over the handlebars!

Steph went flying forward over the handlebars with a shriek before skidding across the pavement almost face-first, tumbling a bit, and landing in a hedge.

Her everything hurt, but a more familiar pain quickly replaced the road rash and probably broken collar bone as she thrashed in the bush, her clothes ripping as her body rearranged itself, her screams deepening and turning into growls.

“MotherFUCKER!!!” she roared from the ground, the pain of the shift fading, but that of the road rash still stinging.

Emilie ran up to Steph as she shifted, concerned for her safety.

"Are you okay?!"

Steph growled, “Hurts...had worse...but hurts.”

She tried to sit up, and let out a yelp of pain. “Bike okay? What’d I do wrong?”

"I have no idea. You didn't seem to be doing anything wrong." She replied, and began looking about for said bike.

The scooter seems... perfectly fine. Sitting there, its motor idling.

Emilie climbed onto it, furrowing her brow. She did not accelerate, waiting to see what happens.

“Felt like the thing took off on its own,” Steph growled, finally pushing herself upright despite the pain. “But I must have just hit the gas or something...”

Nothing unexpected happens.

"Hey Steph....

If I asked you to try to sit on the bike again, would that be asking too much?"

Steph looked up at her roommate skeptically, “...Suppose I could, sure.”

She pushed herself upright with a grunt, shaking off the tattered remnants of her shirt and letting it fall to the ground. “I really liked that shirt...and these jeans,” she grumbled.

“...bike gonna hold big me? Not sure I can go back to normal.”

" Good point. Maybe just pretending you want to ride will be sufficiant. Try just grabbing the handlebars."

Stephanie limped over to the bike, paused for a moment, and then lifted her leg over the bike to straddle it, squatting down without putting her full weight on it, and lightly took hold of the handlebars.

There's a faint tug on her hands from the handlebars. Almost a jerk.

Could be her imagination.

Steph cocked her head as she looked down at what almost seemed to be a tug from the bike. Surely she was imagining things. She gripped the bars tighter and put a tiny bit more of her large form onto the bike, but still kept both legs planted firmly on the ground.

Em continued to leer, waiting for some shit to pop off again.

There is a brief revving of the engine. Someone inclined to anthropomorphize objects might think it was testing them.

"WILLIAM STANTON ARE YOU PRETENDING TO BE MY BIKE?!"

“Wait...does Will...There’s a William Stanton too?” Steph asked, seemingly confused, as she’d only met Will as a she.

“...and he can turn into a motorcycle?”

"Not too, just one and they can turn into whatever they please, including a motorbike they may or may not have 'borrowed' once to get the general feel for!" Emilie responds, kicking at the front tire to get a reaction from the little moped.

The moped's horn goes off in a brief blurt that almost sounds like a pained yelp and it guns its engine, taking off with Steph or without her.

"Oh fuck! GET BACK HERE, STOP DRIVING OFF!" Emilie yelled after the bike which has now proven itself sentient.

Steph had loosened her grip just enough to be surprised by the rapid departure of the bike underneath her so she was struck by the slight back of the seat right beneath her tail as the bike sped out from her and she was knocked flat on her back decidedly ungracefully.

"Fuck," she growled...well...more gasped, the wind knocked out of her.

The moped zigs and zags and ultimately veers onto the sidewalk and behind a nearby building.

Emilie chases after and is leery about rounding the corner, watching the little machine quietly for a moment to see what it's up to.