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 Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 10:43 am
With everything being so tense at the apartment, on the rare occasions that Ellis and Kavinsky were home at the same time, the white haired teen found every excuse he could to be out. Luckily one of the lead mechanics was out on vacation so there was a vacancy he could fill and since working at the shop provided the best and most stable income, he jumped right on it.
Currently he was tinkering with a junker car while he waited for their next appointment, or walk-in, to stroll through the doors. He wore gray coveralls that were stained by grease and oil and his hands were covered in gunk while he bent over the hood of the car.
White brows were knitted together as he squinted, grunting while he fit the wrench into the correct spot. A jingling sound pulled his attention away from his project and he looked up, gray eyes darting towards the door with a frown.
He was the only one currently on the floor, which meant he had to engage the customer. Kavinsky wasn't usually first choice when it came to customer service, just because his general disposition made him look angry 24/7, but he was polite enough.
"I'll be with you in just one moment," he called, voice loud enough to be heard before he finished tightening the bolt and returning the wrench to the toolbox on the floor. Carefully wiping his hands off, he closed the hood and crossed the garage to approach the woman who'd entered.
"What can I help you with?"ATh e a r t oh hey, I managed the start!
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 12:51 pm
Camilla drove down the street in her car, glancing as far ahead as she could. Her phone was attached to a holder on her dash and showed that she was approaching the mechanic. It was a small place, but it seemed to get decent reviews. She had previously spoken with the owner and they had told her she was welcome here.
The GPS spoke and she found the mechanic shop. There were a few cars, so she knew at least some people were using them. "I wonder how busy they can get..." Camilla parked her car in a open, albeit tight, space and squeezed herself toward the open doors. Before approaching, she glanced at her car.
It was really ugly for a car. She was sure it looked nice back it's heyday, but Camilla had knowingly bought it used so she could have some fun fixing it up. She was hoping she had saved up enough to do so. Her parents had offered to buy her a car and was quite surprised with her choice. They were already paying for her college tuition, so least she could do was invest back into her car. Camilla was working whenever she got the chance, so it wasn't like she needed their help - they just wanted to help so it wasn't something she could refuse.
She approached with her keys in hand, jingling them slightly due to nervousness. Camilla looked over and heard a voice. "Hello, Sir. I'm sorry to have disturbed you."
Camilla glanced around again. "Is your boss around? I spoke to them earlier on the phone and they said I'd be welcome to bring my car in here and fix it up." She motioned towards her old, beat up car. "It's kind of an ugly thing, and I was hoping to have it upgraded and modified. Eventually repainted as well."
"Well, the odd thing was, I asked them if I could actually work on my car here, with help of course. They mentioned as long as I paid for the space on the days I worked as well as whomever I worked with, it shouldn't be an issue." Camilla couldn't help but wonder if it was an odd thing to hear.
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 6:44 pm
The towel was still in his hands, with Kavinsky's gaze dropping as he dabbed that last bit of oil from his hands as he listened. It was strange to be referred to as sir instead of having to address the teachers and faculty at Hillworth as Sir or Ma'am. "No need to call me sir," he told her almost immediately following.
He wasn't going to let anyone around the same age as him address him so strictly.
The frown that seemed like a permanent fixture on his face deepened when she asked for his supervisor. "The owner's out and the AM is knee deep in paperwork." The teen paused, seemed to weigh his choices before deciding. "It's fine. I can take care of what you need." He wasn't the most senior mechanic but his brain certainly worked in a manner far advanced for his experience and he'd spent his entire life tinkering or learning how things worked. Perks of being an inventor's kid he supposed.
"Not the most senior but I know my sh- stuff." Kavinsky was careful to censor himself at the last moment. Unfortunately Camilla continued and Kavinsky looked like his mood had re-soured. He was still polite and professional but it was hard to deny the irritation that tainted everything. "Why do you want to do the work yourself?" That seemed like a silly thing for her to be worrying about. If she could afford to rent space to learn to fix her car couldn't she just pay someone to do it?
"What are you looking to have done or I guess learn to do?"
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2016 9:36 pm
Camilla raised her arms over her head and played with her hair. If she wasn't to call him 'sir', what would she call him? He hadn't given her a name. Oh well. "Okay... Mister?" It was the best she could come up with. She felt compelled to use one since she grew up using honorifics for everyone.
"I can wait for them or come back later, if that's easier for you?" She didn't mind talking to him, but was unsure if he wanted to talk to her. When he asked her why she wanted to do the work herself, Camilla looked him in the eyes and smiled. "Why do you like doing what you do?"
She paused, looking back at her car. "Doesn't it feel right doing it? Fun even? I don't have the proper tools at home and I'm pretty sure my father doesn't want his garage filling up with my junk, so I thought I'd find a garage that would rent me space and tools."
"I know I want to sand off the current paint. Possibly change in some of the interior parts... I'm wanting to put in a newer... better engine? Custom rims of some sort..." Camilla cringed a bit. This was going to be a very expensive hobby.
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 8:33 am
He hadn't expected her to replace sir with mister and the grimace showed that. "Kavinsky," he said, then cleared his throat. "My name is Kavinsky. Call me that. No misters or sirs needed." There was a pause and then, "please." It was his last name, that was formal enough right?
If you ignored that everyone called him that...
"No it's fine." He insisted, because it was even if his general disposition said otherwise. "I do it because I'm good at it." Kavinsky told her plainly. It was the truth, even if it went a little deeper than that, but he wasn't about to share that with some girl. "It pays the bills and it allows me to work in solitude." Most of the time.
He wouldn't deny that the sounds of working on a vehicle weren't soothing when he was wound up and stressed. It was probably why all of his time had been spent in the garage instead of at school. "Is there anything....abnormal about the car that you've noticed? Or were told was wrong with it upon purchase?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 1:11 pm
Camilla noticed his grimace. "Sorry for that. It's a force of habit since I was first able to talk. Strict thing from my parents." She wasn't sure why she felt the need to defend herself. "It's nice to meet you, Kavinsky," she responded, holding out her hand. "My name is Camilla. And don't worry, I'm not afraid of getting a bit dirty."
"To be honest, the car is fine." She knew that it made noises and wasn't the best at picking up speed, but it worked. "I bought it like that so I could fix it up. I wan to make this car my own, even if it takes more time and money."
Camilla had ideas in her head and she had a bunch of drawings and mock ups. Some were in her purse, but wasn't sure if Kavinsky would be interested. She fiddled with her bag, and depending on his answer, she was ready to show them. "Do you have any experience with that? Or anyone else coming in asking about it?
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 2:14 pm
Kavinsky appear to be studying the girl, gray eyes sharp as he looked at her face. "I don't need an apology." Like everything else about him, the sentence was sharp. His gaze dropped to her hand and for a moment, it looked like he wouldn't take it but in the end he did. The handshake was firm and short, with him dropping her hand almost immediately after.
"Fine is a relative term." His adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, glancing at the car in question. "Just because something is capable of running doesn't mean that it doesn't have issues." Most car issues, in his experience, had been around for a while and only became a 'problem' after being misdiagnosed for some time. "I would avoid any paint work until after any mechanical issues are cared for." They'd be more expensive too.
"Anyone here can help you with technical work, our shop offers a variety of services." He sounded a bit like an infomercial with his dry tone. "The first thing you should learn is how to change the oil and rotate your tires." Basics that were easy to learn and easy to teach.
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2016 10:12 pm
Camilla couldn't help but feel a bit irate at how Kavinsky was talking. She was trying her best not to lose her temper. He was definitely giving her mixed signals to if he actually wanted to help her or not. There was no issue waiting for someone that wanted to talk to her. She kept her mouth shut, not wanting to say the wrong thing or be impolite.
"I don't know specifics, but you're free to take a look at it. I'm more than willing to replace as much as necessary. We could start with the easy stuff first." She took her keys and held them in front of her so Kavinsky could take them. "You can try driving it a bit. I'm unfamiliar with the feelings still."
She had no issues learning the basics, but Camilla couldn't help but feel a bit impatient about the end results. Rummaging through the bag, Camilla pulled out one of her drawings. It was her car's basic shape, but parts were switched for lighter carbon fiber material. The wheels of it had nicer chrome rims.It looked a lot sportier than what her car was now.
Camilla couldn't help but smirk. The part she loved most was the paint detailing. It was based primarily on purple flowers, but the prominent one was nightshade flowers. Kavinsky wouldn't know why it meant so much to her, but she loved it.
"That will, hopefully, be the end result."
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 8:40 am
It was easy to tell that something about him was getting beneath the girl's skin. It was the ultimate effect he had on people because who he was was a person with sharp edges and gruff tones. Kavinsky seemed unfazed by it all and continued to approach things with a clinicalness that left him very detached.
"Regular oil changes and tire rotations are important, the engine will run smoother and you'll spend less on new tires." He paused, appeared to consider something and ran his tongue along his bottom lip. He didn't know it would be worth telling her that she wouldn't be able to do everything herself, even with a patient instructor who was probably not him.
Camilla pulled out her pages and he reached for them instinctively. Gray eyes swept over the design and white brows furrowed as he contemplated what she'd been hoping for. "Did you look to see if carbon fiber shell was even an option for your car?" The rims wouldn't be an issue but the car was older and Kavinsky didn't know if there was a supply for some of the things she wanted.
"Definitely avoid any paint related things if you're hoping to replace large chunks of the structure."
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 12:17 pm
Camilla wasn't sure if it was because she was female, or just an atypical customer. Maybe both? She hadn't been able to do much car related in high school minus things on her parents' cars, but it's not like she didn't know anything about cars.
"I've done both from my garage before. I learned on my father's car." The garage was large enough, but of course she wasn't going to ask her dad or invest in all the other parts by herself. "We didn't have some tools like the one to balance tires and it was harder to get under the car than at a formal mechanics garage, but it worked anyways."
Sometimes she wished she had asked for a fancier car, but Camilla hadn't wanted to spend a lot on the basic car and even more on modifying it. "I've contacted a few places that said they were willing to find and/or make if I needed it. Of course, more expensive, but at least they were willing." Her car was somewhat obsolete for a 'sporty' car, but not completely so parts were not impossible, just... costly.
Camilla grinned. "Of course. I've had time and has already done some stenciling for it, but definitely will be the final touch." She couldn't help but go back to one question though. "Are you willing to help, or shall I wait for someone else? I think it could potentially be a lot of fun, so I'd rather stick with working with one other person than switching every few times I come in."Nuxaz (( I'm slowly running out of car information learned from the hubby... LOL ))
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 1:26 pm
Kavinsky looked unimpressed.
The only true sign of a reaction was the way the paper crinkled in his hands as his grip tightened. "If you've had experience, why didn't you say so?" His tone was as even as his expression was blank, stoic. He wasn't terribly surprised, it wasn't like changing oil or rotating tires were too difficult to learn.
"Why not just custom build a car instead of restoring one what won't look a thing like it did when you first started?" He wasn't being mean, but it was the only was to show his slight curiosity. There was a reason his only friend was Ellis.
His jaw appeared to tick as she questioned him, gray eyes narrowing slightly in annoyance. Kavinsky always hated when someone questioned his abilities. "I know how to do my job, quite well, so teaching you wouldn't be an issue." There was a bit more bite this time. "I'm not here to be your friend or really even to make you feel good about yourself. I'm good at my job and I'm reliable, probably here more than the others." He didn't have a family to go home to, not one that was ever really home anyway. "It's more of a matter if you'd prefer someone else."
He didn't care if she did.
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 1:59 pm
"You never really asked. You just said I should learn some of the basics." Camilla shrugged off his reaction. She had enough people that imply that she didn't know much, so it wasn't new to her.
She bit her lip. It honestly would have been a lot easier, but not what she wanted. "I wanted to transform a car. Something ugly can become something quite exquisite if someone were willing to put in the time and money." Camilla wanted to see the ugly caterpillar of a car blossom into a gorgeous butterfly. The idea of it was quite satisfying. Even a caterpillar had to melt into a puddle of goo before being a butterfly. The same, but different.
Kavinsky wasn't the only one to be annoyed. "Well, if you're just doing your job, maybe I should find someone else?" She couldn't help but get a bit irked. "Even if you do your job quite well, what's the point of doing it if you don't enjoy it? I'm pretty sure you could probably find other jobs that pay better and don't require you to work out a sweat."
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 2:13 pm
Juvie had always been a trip because Kavinsky was the master of a mean look, or at the very least looking so unconcerned and hardened that i didn't matter. "And you said yes." Not exactly, but close enough in his book. "That implies you don't know."
Kavinsky wanted to snort at her, sneer even but didn't because there was still an edge of professionalism to him. "You're more than welcome to," he quipped easily. "I never said I didn't enjoy it." He did, working on cars and other things reminded him of his father and the countless hours baba had spent in the garage with his tinkered toys.
"Besides, not everyone has the privilege to be choosey about where they work." The shop was probably the only place he would willingly chose to work at. His other jobs were just a means to an end.
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2016 10:14 pm
Camilla was running out of words to say to him. She had tried her best to be polite, but it felt like she wasn't getting anywhere with him. Yes, a job was a job, but if it's supposed to be a longer-term deal, Camilla would at least want to get along with whomever would be aiding her.
"I really hope you weren't implying something about myself." She gave Kavinsky a side glare. "As a person that does what she loves to do, no matter how hard it is to find a commission that I want to do." Camilla took pride in what she did, even if she was choosy with what she did. It was irritating to listen to someone that sounded like they didn't take pride in what they did. At least that's what it sounded like to her.
She felt like she had wasted her time coming here. The person she had initially spoken to hadn't been around, and the chat with Kavinsky felt really unproductive. "I think I'll take my chances and possibly call your boss later. We don't seem to be getting anywhere."
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Posted: Sat Sep 03, 2016 9:43 am
He looked unimpressed, strong arms folding across his chest. "I imply nothing," he remarked too calm in the face of her irritation. He didn't say much after, choosing simply to stare back at her as she continued to talk.
He could have offered counter arguments but didn't, because he didn't see the point.
"You do that. Perhaps he can assist you better." The owner was much more personal than he was. "Have a nice day," he said, more sharply than necessary before stepping back and walking away from her.
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