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[rathercommon]

Hullo. Kitty here.

[ A little wave, and a slightly melancholy smile. ]

So...Knock Out has gone home. For those who knew him. For those who didn't...He was someone clever, nearly genius. An unparalleled inventor and tinkerer. Handsome, too - you'd know him if you saw him by his very handsome face. He was quick-witted and funny and more than a little devious. And I'll miss him.

[ A breath. ]

He left a garage behind. I know enough about my own car to fix it when there are problems, but I wouldn't even be able to begin to continue his projects. His cars are beyond clever, beyond anything that exists in this world - And I don't want them to rust away half-built. I want to finish them, and give them to people who need them. They go absurdly fast, and they're good for the environment, and they don't hover. I know a lot of you hate the hovering.

So here's a request. Are there people out there who can help me? I haven't got much to pay you all with, but I know lots of people do need cars. So if you help me build two, you can keep one. Or - if you can't put in that many hours, that's fine; you can just learn a bit about new technology from what he put together. It'd help develop your skills, promise.

[ And, with a little wry smile: ]

And I'll absolutely buy pizza and root beer for people helping out. Or real beer, why not. What's the point of having a fake I.D. if it isn't getting used?

[ Her smile broadens into something a little teasing after that last bit. ]

Thanks.

Comments

[instars]

I can.

You don't have to buy me food. Would you like a resume?

[rathercommon]

[ Erm - ]

Well, if you've got one, I'll take a look, yeah.

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[abduxel]

[Abduxel, having been gone for a month, is on screen now looking basically the same as ever. The ways going home changed him are not terribly perceptible at first glance.]

Home blows. But some of us come back.

[He grins wide and winks.]

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[rathercommon]

[ Oh - She blinks. And then a little bit of her melancholy mood lifts. ]

Abduxel. You're back. How long were you gone?

[bindsthedead]

I- I suppose that explains why he hasn't shown up for lessons.

I know even less about mechanics than you do, but I might be able to help if people want to be payed for their time.

[rathercommon]

You're willing to donate money, then?

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[quaerit]

I'm sorry about your friend.

[ First and foremost. He hadn't known Knock Out (really, that's the name we're going with? All right, fine, it's not like he's judging. Really, though?), but he cares about Kitty, and he knows it's not really the cars she's upset about.

Interesting cars, though. If they're anything like Kitty's, they'd be impressive. Gansey likes cars, and he likes impressive, and he likes Kitty.

Unfortunately, he is no one's mechanic. It's a time for congratulations if he ever manages to fix the Pig.

He does know an excellent alternative, though. ]

You should ask Adam. He's the best I know when it comes to cars, he's brilliant. He already works in a garage, too. You wouldn't find anyone better.

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[rathercommon]

[ Gansey gets a smile soon as he comes on the screen - and an honest one, too, not pretending to be in good spirits. Genuine. She's glad to see him - and gladder to hear that suggestion. ]

Is he really? I wouldn't have suspected. He seems so...brainy. I'd not have taken him for someone who likes that sort of thing.

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[flowerette]

A lot of people have ported out recently, haven't they?

[ Raina frowns, having lost two of her own. ]

But have you thought about handing the projects over to Tony Stark?

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[rathercommon]

Er -

[ Not after what she's heard from Billy Kaplan. ]

I haven't, really. Would he be interested?

[slightlyoffchilt]

You were close to Knock Out?

[rathercommon]

[ A little hesitantly: ]

He was a friend. Yeah. Did you know him, Dr Chilton?

[resipiscent]

I don't know anything about cars, but I'd like to help if there's something I can do.

[rathercommon]

[ A smile. She's glad to hear from him. ]

Lifting heavy boxes?

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[pobrecisco]

I don't work with cars much, but I'm an engineer, and I'm sure it wouldn't hurt if I poked around.

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[rathercommon]

No, I'm quite sure it wouldn't. His stuff really was brilliant - it'd probably be quite educational for you, actually.

[akito]

I can help every now and then, between my job and school! I'm free Thursdays through Sundays, usually. And I might be able to get building cars to count toward my classwork since it would be applied mechanical engineering, technically!

Do you know if he left behind any notes or blueprints?


[ and added a moment later, because he totally forgot-- ]

...Oh! And I'm Akito! It's good to meet you, Miss Kitty. I'm sorry that your friend is gone.

[rathercommon]

Erm - I don't know, actually, to tell you the truth. I'll have to sort through his office. It's a little hard to say - he seemed like something of an improviser, truth be told. When it came to building cars.

That's really sweet of you, though. Offering to help. I'll take you up on it.

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[brushoff]

[ for once, this isn't Dorian bothering Kitty, but asking her an actual question ]

Will this garage actually take on paying customers or will it be simply saving the world through giving cars to starving children in Africa or what have you? Because my Vespa's overdue for a paint job.

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[rathercommon]

[ She eyes him suspiciously, and wants to answer nastily, because giving cars to starving children, honestly. But instead, for once, she contains her bristling. Blame it on the reminder from Dr Chilton about having been responsible for Dorian's gruesome death. ]

I don't know. If we turn it into a long-term enterprise, I'll have to turn it over to someone else. It's not something I'd be able to run.

[ video ]

[disorder_heaven]

I'd offer you my help, but I don't think I've ever been inside a car. [ Though he's thrown a few of them. Into buildings. A couple times. ] I'm good with technology like computers, but not like with... Well, anything with wheels.

...But about your friend vanishing, is... Is that something that happens a lot?

[ video ]

[rathercommon]

Well, there are computers integrated into these cars, at least. So maybe I'll ask you for help later.

[ But she tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, face a little melancholy. ]

Anyway. It...Yeah. It's really common, actually. People go home really frequently.

VOICE.

[mantlepieces]

[ Hm. Ordinarily this is the kind of request for help Reggie would love to ignore, but actually, it may be a good opportunity to solve a problem of his. ]

I can help you fix some of 'em, probably -- as long as it ain't anything you need an engineering degree or somethin' to do. But you gotta do me a favor in exchange.

VOICE.

[rathercommon]

[ She hesitates, frowning. Because, you know, Reggie. Who even knows what he's going to ask. ]

What sort of favor?

( audio. )

[aberth]

I can help you out.

[ Adam's calm voice comes clearly through the audio device. The background is a little noisy, he's out and about so he hasn't been able to check the replies, hasn't seen Gansey already letting Kitty know. ]

I was working part time in a garage back home. And I do weekends here. So I have the basics down. I'd just need to see how different it is from the stuff I know.

( audio. )

[rathercommon]

Yeah?

[ She sounds genuinely hopeful, though reserved - genuine happiness at the offer warring with her attempt to keep from sounding too effusive and flattering and complimentary. ]

Gansey said you were really good with this sort of thing. And I'd really, really like it if you would - I'm sure there are lots of people who'd be brilliant, but I'd like having someone I trust.

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[textualhealing]

Not gonna help you fix them up, but I'll take a car.

[Totally helpful, always and forever.]

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[rathercommon]

That's not how it works, Mr Winger.

( not here )

[grimreaping]

[ A sealed envelope is delivered to Kitty's home a day or so after this network post, and it contains two neat stacks of bills, enough to fund a couple of garage employees for a few weeks so that Kitty isn't paying them out of her own pocket. It includes a handwritten, though unsigned note, which reads: ]

I'm sorry your friend went home. I hope this helps you finish the projects in his garage.

[rathercommon]

[ Oh. And Kitty, maddeningly, doesn't recognize the handwriting. Who...? She'll take it, to be sure, and use it, but she will be so frustrated over not being able to thank whoever did this. ]

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[daimeinashi]

[So Sai is still really awkward about Feelings And Things, so he's going to skip over the whole "I'm sorry your friend left" part which he doesn't really know how to handle and move onto the other part.]

If you need someone to purchase alcohol for you without bothering with the false ID, I can do it.

[.....by transforming into someone old enough that nobody would ask. cough.]

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[rathercommon]

Oh.

[ A slightly embarrassed laugh. ]

That's all right. I was mostly joking about the beer.