The Feral North

Pre-Canada day



Seth liked to think he was pretty easy going. Laid back and all that kind of stuff but in real life he was easy to rile up and hard to calm back down. Everyone had their little down sides.That just happened to be a few of his. And like everyone else roaming around he had his target spots. The Charger being a huge one. The car had followed him though several places and never gave him grief once. He seriously loved the car. Even Taylor knew better then to mess with the car.

The bright red machine that was currently messing with his heart now. There was an odd knocking sound coming from the engine and no matter what he did it wasn't stopping. He knew enough to baby his baby though most patch jobs till he got to a pro but this was going to end up driving him up a wall. He didn't know anyone around least of all trust anyone to put their hands under the Nova's skirt.

It was only look that had him spotting the garage. He would have kept going matter of fact but he manged to get a peek inside and noticed the car that was being worked on. His jaw dropped and he had to make himself search for an office. So far nothing but he was nosy and had time on his hands. Only a matter of when the owner would come out looking to see who was poking around.

Little pieces of packing foam clung to hands as Morgan pulled the tall boxes apart, letting little avalanche of foam bits spill across the floor. It took a little more effort than it should have to keep from squealing with glee. The seats she had found, bought and had shipped over a month ago had finally arrived. Sure, they looked a little worn and needed some love to make 'em look pretty again, but they were originals. So the replacement seats in her Nova could go bye by finally. Lifting the leather seat easily, she maneuvered through the door onto the garage floor, fully intending on pulling her baby in right then and doing the install right then and there. Why wait right?

Of course she ended up side tracked by the glossy red car sitting in the driveway. Setting the seat down where it wouldn't get banged up by anything, she crossed the floor to open one of the bay doors to afford her a better look of the machine that had apparently come to play. Or maybe it just popped by to give her something to eye. She had to admit, whoever it belonged to was obviously taking damn good care of it from the looks of things. And red, too. Though given the glossy cherry of her own little motorized baby, maybe she was a little biased towards the color. Then again, since getting Serial's car done up in blue she had come to terms with the fact that blue was almost as nice as red or black. At least that shade of blue was.

"Poor lonely thing, look at you. All by your little Dodge self and surrounded by two wicked little Chevys." She wandered out of the bay, hands resting on hips as she circled the car, all the while wondering where the beasts owner had gotten off to before realizing that the owner was probably inside looking for her. "I'm gonna go find your daddy." With a gentile pat to the hood, she jogged back inside, mismatched eyes finally finding the owner. Or she assumed it was the owner, at least. Could always be another random that bumbled in and got lost. Except that never actually happened.

Whatever.

"Need help with anything?"

He hadn't wandered to car. The sound of something opening got his attention so he hovered close to what he thought was the office area of the garage. It wasn't overly big and impressive which worked for him. The mechanics he knew said they'd rather spend their money on tool rather than make the office nice looking. It was reassuring really.He didn't see anyone in there so had the thought that maybe he should swing around and poke his head into one of the bay doors he had seen. He didn't have to though because a moment later a voice was speaking up.


Blinking blue eyes he twisted on hell and looked to where the voice was coming from. He offered a sheepish smile and nodded stuffing his hands into his pockets. He hated to admit he couldn't fix something on the charger, it'd be awhile since he had to make that sort of confession. "Actually I could use a hand." He nodded the red machine sitting not to far from where they were standing. "There's a wicked rattle under her hood and I haven't been able to find out what's wrong. Nothing loose and everything seems to be working on but the noise is gonna drive me up a wall soon."

He nodded to the car making his way back over tugging his keys out. "Don't suppose you get take a look for me? Sometimes it's just needing another set of eyes." He finally got his keys out of his pocket and leaned against the side of the car. "Name's Seth by the way." He offered a half hearted way as part of his little introduction.

A wide grin was offered in return to the introduction. "Morgan," she offered before turning to look back at the poor, sick little Charger. Car in that condition, the guy either paid someone good money to do it for him or he maned up and took care of the baby himself. If it was the second, then she had an inkling how it much have bruised the pride to have to fine someone else to do the repair. Thankfully she had never had to do that with the Nova, and frankly, she was hoping she never would have to. A mechanic admitting that she couldn't fix her own baby would lose all the cool points he had built up over the years. Or at least never live down the endless jokes.

The grin sank into amusement as she turned, pacing towards the hood of the car. "Usually I'm the one having to ask to get under the hood of a ride like this." Fingers danced along the edge of the hood before sliding underneath and popping the latch. It took a little longer to find the rattle than she thought it might, long enough that she thought she might start climbing walls. But simple fixes usually tended to be the most aggravating. Of course, that could have just been the way her brain worked; little squishy brain cogs complicating everything with hows, whys and maybes.

Stupid squishy brain cogs.

Shutting the hood, she gave the shiny red finish a little pat. "That's a good girl." Unmatched eyes turned to her customer of the moment as she absently pulled loose a rag to begin wiping her hands. "Pokin' at that for half an hour and that already made me feel like I was gonna start gnawing through leather. I can't imagine having to drive around with it." With a grin she leaned to glance inside, making a show of checking out the steering wheel. "I'd have been chewing on that puppy after half a block of that clinking." Chuckling she started towards the office, waving for the Charger's owner to follow along. "So I can't actually remember where most of the paperwork for that is right now and since...you know...it took me forever to find a little clinky sound, call this one pro bono? Even if I knew where the stuff was, honestly, I can't let someone drive around with that."

"I'm normally picky when it some to how gets under her hood too." A hand dragged though his hair causing it to spike up slightly. "I was gonna kill something if I couldn't find someone to deal with that noise though." He shook his head watching almost nervously as Morgan picked the hood up and started poking around. He waited as best he could for Morgan to find out what was causing the noise from hell to rattle around in the front of the charger. While waiting he manged to get a peek at the other cars that were parked. His was distracted slightly by the sight of a cherry red Nova and a blue Camaro. The old school one not the the style that was being driven by high class kids whose parents would rather buy them stuff then spend time with them.

He actually got a little distracted and was surprised when Morgan started talking again. Shaking his head he wandered back to her side peeking almost worriedly into the hood of the car. "What was it?" He nodded giving a sigh like a father glad to know his teenage daughter was home and still a virgin. "I love that care almost more than myself. I would have put my head though something. Not the steering wheel though." He offered a much more relaxed smile watching as Morgan checked out the inside of the Charger. He leaned against the side of his car. "Well I can't let you have done all that work for nothing though." His eyes drifted to the cars once more before shaking his head. "I'll give you fifty. Or you can let me eye humps those beasts." He gestured to the two chevys that seemed to be mocking him somehow. He had always like the look of a Nova after all.

Her grin widened at the mention of the Nova, unable to be anything but happy about the obvious appreciation in the other's voice. "Make it a beer instead of a fifty spot, or whatever the Canadian equivalent is, and you've got yourself a done deal." Sure she had been a legal citizen of 'America's Hat' for three months, but over twenty years of thinking about money a certain way was a little hard to shake off. She probably would have adjusted better to the colorful money faster if she handled it more, but debit cards and the like were a lot easier to deal with and only ever got lost in one place. As opposed to the bills scattered about in various drawers, folders and couch cushions upstairs. Or if she would just buckle down and really get on working on the paperwork while non-frosted, however painful and tedious it might be.

Changing direction, she ambled over to the Nova to let a hand rest against the glossy hood. "This one's mine. First rusty hulk I ever bought. And the little beastie boy over there," she said, pointing at the Camaro, "I picked him up last year. Poor thing ran, but just barely and was the worst olive avocado color I've ever personally seen. Whoever came up with that color really needs to get fired. Anyway...sold him, since..I mean its a great car and all, but with the Nova I probably wouldn't end up driving it at all. So I sold him and did the restore job for the guy." Was she rambling? Probably. Some people ramble about their kids or their puppies. She rambled about the cars and robots. Tomato, potato, right? "Eye hump away." With a fond pat to the hood she slid around to pop the driver side door open, keys dangling from a finger after being fished out from a pocket.

"Course, I'd consider it payment too if you just grabbed a few beers out of the mini fridge in the office."

He had to admit the option of paying with beer was inciting for more than one reason. Not only was it cheaper, not that paying was something that bothered him, but it gave him a reason to hang out with what was looking like a person who had his case in cars if nothing else. Money was never really an option or a worry. he worked enough it shouldn't be. The only thing he really spent any money on was his charge and maybe some cloths. Food was always an everyday thing but everyone spent money on that so he wasn't going to count that as a splurge really. He nodded rubbing at the back of his head with one hand and slipping his keys into his pocket with the other.

"That works for me. Just name a brand and I'll either drag you out to grab a drink or bring something back when your not expecting it." He liked surprising people and hell he already knew where she worked so why not pull his stalker card out of the dust and start using it again. His eyes tracked after her as she moved over to the Nova's side and offered it a fond pat. He made his way circling the car slowly before glancing over at the Camaro she talked about after the Nova. Both cars were mean machines and he wouldn't mind taking either one out for a spin. He nose wrinkled at the mention of the color. "Yeah. I think blue suits it more too honestly."

He cast an eye at the cars before shaking his head and turning back to Morgan. "What kind of hours do you run around here? To tell the truth I haven't eaten yet to day and a beer with a burger sounds really good right about now." He nodded his head off to this charger and slipped his hand out of his pocket waiting to see what Morgan would say to his offer of a drink and some food. Not like she looked really busy at the moment or anything. He could use some more friends in the area after all.

Grinning, she moved over to the blue beast and popped open the door. It only took a second to lean across the seat to open the glove compartment before she was handing a picture over. That poor car, in all its banged up, avocado 'glory', sitting in the back lot; no restore job was really right without being able to see what the car looked like before someone fixed it. It had been years since she did her work on the Nova, but she still had that Polaroid of it stuck to the visor. On the tail of that thought she grabbed that faded picture too, noting for a second how faded it really was. And how much younger she looked standing next to it. God, that had been a hell of a day too; rained on, broke down on the way out there to see it, and then arguing with her dad that yes, yes that was the car she was going to spend with the money it had taken her months working to earn.

Course, that argument didn't have anything on the one that came up when she said she didn't want him buying a car for her.

"Hours are pretty much whenever, actually. I'm the only one working here at this point, and I own the damn place so...hours are whatever I feel like." She had been on the verge of turning down the offer of food and beer, given how much work she had to do just to break even this month, but the muted growl from her stomach changed her mind. That and she was a little fuzzy on when the last time was that she stopped to grab something to eat. It had been lunch, that much she knew for sure. Yesterday maybe?

Keys rattled as they were pulled from a back pocket. "You've twisted my arm. Beer and a burger it is." Brows arched upwards and she looked between the two red cars, chewing absently at her lower lip. Choices, choices... "Not gonna lie though, the only places I know about are little Chinese food take outs. And the bars. You know, there's a bar down by the docks that has the best wings I've ever had in my life. Just..litlte hole in the wall place that doesn't even have anything better than well rum, but still." Blinking, she shook the little thought train back onto its tracks and looked back at the other. "Sorry. I get a little rambly sometimes. Anyway...you lead, I follow?"

When Morgan made the move over to the blue car Seth followed admiring the line of the car before looking back and noticing that Morgan was handing over a picture. He figured it was most likely a before picture and wasn't wrong as he looked at it. "Looks like the kind of color my grandparents would have killed on a car. Not split pea soup but pretty frigging close to it." He shook his head before handing the picture back to Morgan. He blinked himself out of his thoughts as Morgan handed him another picture. This one of the Nova. He grinned noticing Morgan right away instead of the car. "How long ago was this? You look tiny compared to the car." He took a step away in case Morgan had the thought to snatch the picture back over his comment and gave the car a better look.

"Nice job. I can't even claim that much for the charger. It was mostly up to date 'cept for a few things. Even working full time I got it all done in about a month. And that's cuz I was waiting one a couple of parts." He handed both pictures back head tilting to the side as he listened to Morgan talk. Wings did sound like the better option and he had a pretty good idea he knew what area that place should be. "Follow me?" He wandered over to the charger and slipped in gunning it a little for Morgan's benefit as he made his way out of the shop's parking lot and down the road. It didn't take long before he was parking yet again.

He was leaning against the car a relaxed look on his face. "Nice work with the knocking. I half expected it to some back just to mock me or something." He pushed off the car and headed to the small bar pub style building he had seen. After opening the door for Morgan he followed her in letting her take the lead since she had been here before and he hadn't. Not to bad looking inside really. He'd been in worse places before.

The Nova rumbled to a stop near the Charger, idling for a second before falling silent. Part of her wanted to say say to hell with the food and see if her partner for the moment would be up for seeing who could get their steel beasts down the street faster. But they were in a terrible place for that. Too many people, too many cars and ... well it just wasn't exactly legal, now was it? Maybe another time, somewhere off in the boonies of Canada, somewhere where the moose held sway and the...oh god, no. No, that wouldn't work. What if she hit a moose? She'd seen what that could do to a can. Sure, the pictures had been newer cars, all fiberglass and 'organic' lines with their rubber bumpers, but she was still pretty sure a monster like a moose would do very bad things to the Nova. So maybe she'd have to find a track somewhere to use. Because she was really wanting to see that Charger go through its paces.

Getting out of the car she followed after Seth, patting the Charger on the way. "Nah, she's a good girl. The only car's that'll sass like that are Hondas."

Strolling into the bar, she blinked for a moment to let her eyes adapt to the light. It didn't takes as long as it used to, which was an awesome as hell perk, but some habits are sticky and hard to drop. "Hey, Tim!" Waving to the bartender, she moved easily through the gathered patrons and slid into a booth. The bartender, Morgan was convinced, was half human and half something really, really big. Nice guy, sweet as a puppy and probably about as dangerous, but God help her if he didn't look like he could chew on bolts and spit out tacks. Elbows on the table she leaned forward, amiably letting her favorite wings maker ruffle her hair.

"Looks like you remembered what a nap was for once. Usual, Mo?"

"Yes and yes. With that saucy stuff you used last time?" Puppy eyes were a dirty, underhanded trick, but if it got her more of that creamy secret dipping sauce, it was totally worth it. Watching the bartender wander off, she settled her attention back on Seth. "Guy makes the best sauce I've ever had in my life. Not a clue what he puts in it though." A grin settled across her face, hands idly rolling a salt shaker back and forth. "So, you usually pay for stuff with food?"