15062/V-Dubs at Mercy's

V-Dubs at Mercy's
Date of Scene:	09 May 2023
Location:	Mercy's Garage - Fort Joseph, Haven
Synopsis:	Mercy's garage gets a pair of extra Volkswagens! That's two Dub's at once! That's like a quad-u!
Cast of Characters:	Domino, Mercy Thompson, Quake

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Domino has posed:
The BMW had been a total bust. Domino can admit it. Rather than try to persuade (drag) Mercy out of her garage to the middle of nowhere to try and diagnose the dead vehicle, Dom made a point of getting her frickin' money back then started looking elsewhere.

Today 'elsewhere' is pulling up to the shop. Breaking the afternoon's silence is the rev of an engine and the merry chirp of wheels skipping across parking lot as a lovely blue Golf R slides into alignment with a garage door. 2010 model year, four doors, looks to be in good shape, and complete with an existing vanity plate of 'INDI6O.'

Don't ask.

The horn is given a quick double-tap then one grinning albino lady hops out, spinning the keys about on a crooked index finger like she would a handgun.

"Always nice when I can drive 'em back to the lot" she idly comments while waiting to see if anyone is home at Mercy's. She should be in. It's during work hours! Says so right on the sign and everything.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
While Mercy doesn't necessarily *listen* to all the traffic driving through the parking lot she also can't say she doesn't *not* listen.

Blame it on the coyote ears. They just prick upward at any interesting sound, especially specific types of engines. Like VW engines, for instance.

Either way, when Domino slides on up to her garage, Mercy can't help but pause in her tinkering. She ducks out from beneath the hood of Mr. Nie's car and closes it with a quiet thump, before she reaches for a towel.

With a click of a button the garage side-door begins its slow clink upward and while Mercy could (shoud) wait for it to finish raising upward, she ducks beneath it when there's just enough space for her to do so. The towel she used to wipe her hands free of grime is slung over a shoulder as she grins at the sight that before her. "Nice ride you got there."

Quake has posed:
Skye had the card since her little foray to the country. Sure, she didn't want to admit it, but, these days Gretel was getting on in years, and were she a horse, she would have put her out the pasture, or shot her. One or the other.

Dom was right, despite her reassurances that the sound was just the gravel, in reality, Gretel was making that noise almost consistently.

'Mercy's Garage'

On one side of the card it was written, and on the back, the address, plus the fact that Mercy was a VW bug specialist. A quick check before deciding to see if she was worthy of Gretel maintenance. It looked real? By the 4 and 5 stars it appeared that this Mercy had some happy customers?

But the thing that made up Skye's mind was the muffler falling off, and no amount of wire hangers would fix it anymore.

The noise was the first thing that announced Gretel, even before seeing her..

Domino has posed:
There the pale woman dressed in black stands, holding her arms out wide in a 'ta-da!' gesture. "And it just so happens I know the best shop in the tri-city area to have her checked out. How's that for a lucky..break..."

They can both hear it coming. Mercy better than Domino, no doubt. The image which accompanies the wounded old beast will trigger different emotions within the two. For Mercy, a true classic is coming into harbor. For Dom, it's her former salvation on four wheels. (It DOES still have all four, doesn't it?)

Arms slowly drift downward. A sideways grin is passed to Mercy. "I know this one. Catch." The Golf's keys are tossed to the mechanic then she's stepping out toward the street to help guide Skye into the right area. It's fortuitous timing! Then again, that's kind of this gal's deal.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"It's a beauty." Mercy begins, as she steps closer to Domino and her very-nice-looking-ride, but as to that flattery? Mercy laughs. "I can check her out like we talked about, yes. We'll just need to -"

Mercy's words trail off as her sensitive ears pick up the sound of a muffler gone south for the winter. When Domino tosses her the Golf's keys, Mercy catches them neatly out of the air, and while she could be useful and move the car to a better spot, she doesn't.

Not when Domino admits to knowing *this one*.

"Well, they sure do need a new muffler, sounds like." Murmurs the mechanic as she follows after Domino, no matter the fact that the car is probably coming to *her* garage.

The garage door is now open which allows a quick view inside the garage proper. There's only one little four door sedan parked inside, slate gray in color, and it's clear there garage can fit two cars comfortably. Three if they were all smaller type models.

Quake has posed:
"Come on Gretel! Just a little bit further. Then we'll get you all fixed up. Promise."

The fact is, Skye didn't know *IF*she could fix her up this time. With the muffler, the shady drift shaft, the constant squealing, and the engine going *pop* *bing* *bang* like Skye was out in the country. It was so bad that the mechanics from SHIELD refused to touch Gretel anymore.

As far as they were concerned Skye could afford a new vehicle - easily. They had even put their choices on a paper for her!

No go! With Gretel Skye was firm. More than firm. She was stubborn. And some of them had forgotten how stubborn she could be.

Rounding into the parking lot, Skye turned off the engine, and petted Gretel one more time. "It'll be okay. You'll see." And with that, she hopped out. "Is there a Mercy about.. oh. Well well. If it isn't Domino." Yes, Skye had researched *that* too. "Which makes you.." Turning to Mercy, "..the owner of the fine establishment."

Domino has posed:
The spotted lady dips her head when Skye calls her out, "Guilty as charged. Sounds like if you waited any longer I'd be the one coming to save you" she teases. "One more nifty car and we could start charging admission around here."

Skye meets Mercy, Mercy meets Skye. During this introductory moment Dom gets a closer look at the old van, going so far as to crouch down and peer at what remains of its exhaust. She's no expert, she's just nosy. "Well there's your problem" she can be heard casually saying to herself.

The poor hackerette and her undying devotion to her vehicle puts her on point as far as Dom's concerned. The Golf is a disposable workhorse rather than a family member, which means she also has no qualms with taking a seat on the fender.

"I'm gonna assume you're going to be busy for a while" she tells Mercy with a crooked smile.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
At the sight of Gretel, Mercy can't but pause mid-step, as she watches it trundle into the parking lot. She doesn't even try to pretend she's not staring at the van and when it finally pulls to a stop, the coyote resumes her walking and quickly steps over.

At her naming, from both Skye and from Domino, Mercy smiles. "Yup, this is my garage." She extends a hand to Skye, to shake if she feels inclined. "Mercy Thompson, pleasure to meet you."

Only after introductions are through does Mercy's gaze turn back to the VW van and similarly to Domino, Mercy crouches down to look at Gretel's underbelly. "Sounds like your girl here potentially needs a new muffler." Which might mean a new exhaust system too, but Mercy doesn't say that part out loud. Not yet. Not until she has a chance to look at it.

"Were you looking to spot fix?" Asks Mercy as she straightens back upright, attention turning to Skye again. "Or some sort of overhaul?"

Quake has posed:
"Amongst other things." Skye knows not to lie to the person who you are interviewing to be your mechanic. And given the age of Gretel, it was doubly imperative she lay the line. Gretel was her baby, after all!

"That is just the noisiest problem. Let me be frank, I have had good.. and I mean *really fucking good* mechanics look after her. Gretel - her name is Gretel. And they have washed their hands on it, saying nothing more could be done."

Domino has posed:
Content to let the other two do some business (it had been Dom's intention after all!) she gives them some time while turning to her phone and slipping blue sunglasses over her eyes. It's a nice day out and never a bad time to catch up on some business.

Hearing Skye mention 'really fucking good mechanics' earns her a glance over the top of form-fitting black polymer frames. She has a -real- good idea of who Skye is referring to here but isn't..saying..a word.

"Gretel here saved us all from a much worse fate. If things played out a bit differently you might have hated me for what I rolled up in" she tells Mercy. "At this point I think I might owe her a little something, too."

Blink. Back to the screen she looks. Tapping turns to reading. Reading to scrolling. Scrolling to tapping...

Gosh, today's just getting better all the time.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
At the naming of the van, Mercy turns a look back to the vehicle, "Nice to meet you, Gretel.", because she sure is like that, Mercy sure is.

Then it's back to Skye as the other woman speaks again, detailing just who she's already had look at Gretel. Nodding in her understanding, Mercy says. "Well, I specialize in VWs, and while I can't say I'm the best of the best I might still have a few tips and tricks specifically for VWs that the others wouldn't necessarily know."

"Course, that doesn't mean I can work miracles. Cars, just like any other thing out there, has a life span and eventually we come to the end of it, but I can do my best to try to keep her running for as long as we can."

When Domino chimes in about just how much she might possibly owe Gretel, especially where it concerns what sort of car Domino might have arrived in, Mercy grins faintly. "Well, I'll work doubly hard then, since it saved my poor eyes from whatever Domino originally had picked out."

Quake has posed:
"Speaking of garbage.. did you find your car out there?" After all, Dom had to phone a tow truck to wander the country roads looking for her car. "You must have been desperate." Skye smirks at her.

Of course, there is still Gretel. "For my job we have some kick ass mechanics, but they aren't VW bug specialists, and frankly they aren't in love with my Gretel. They would rather pick me out something that is modern and full of bells and whistles." And how!

Skye shakes her head.

"I have had Gretel half my life. She saved me more times than I can say. Your garage has a good.." She thinks about it. "No, a great reputation. I need a miracle."

Domino has posed:
Domino stops playing with her phone, looking up past it to Mercy. "I didn't say it was -ugly.- Just a piece of shit. Total drivetrain failure within twenty minutes. Wasn't even hotdogging it."

It really makes her wonder why all of that happened, too. Usually everything plays out IN her favor, not AGAINST it. Maybe fate was trying to tell her something?

To Skye with a blue-lensed eye-roll, she claims "Left it on the side of the road. It's the owner's problem, not mine. Just had to have some words first, get it all straightened out."

'Words.' Sure.

"This one's not perfect but I have faith. Once worked with some punk kid who called himself Indigo, oddly enough. Always had his bangs dyed a dark blue. 'The action's always up front,' he'd go on about."

She pauses, momentarily lost in thought. "Wonder whatever happened to that dumbass. One day he just up and disappeared."

Another second of thought, then a shrug. "Anyway, not unlike that dude this beast has some hidden gremlins up front. Some dings to the face, hesitation in lower revs. Might have seen a low speed collision or two. Definitely like the kid" she slowly nods.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Skye earns a sympathetic look from Mercy, an understanding nod, "Don't I understand. Most people don't have any sort of real appreciation for just what a VW can do for you. They're a workhorse. Sometimes a powerhouse, depending on what you do with what you got, but a definite workhorse."

It's clear Mercy has real feelings on this subject. "And besides, you can't go getting rid of family with something newer, just because it has all the supposed bells and whistles. I'm telling you, most of the newer cars have more electrical and computer problems than the older generations."

Yes, Mercy definitely has feelings on this subject, as she figuratively steps right onto her soapbox.

The praise about her garage garners a slight hand wave from Mercy. "I just try to do what's right, that's all. How about I take a look at Gretel and see what I can do and what needs to be done, and we can decide what our next steps might be to keep the good girl running?"

As to Domino and what she has to say, Mercy can't help but snort softly with amusement. "Indigo sounds like a few part-time assistants I've had." Mercy shakes her head then, before she adds. "We can definitely look at your new ride too. See what we can suss out to make sure Indi there doesn't leave you stranded on the side of the road."

Quake has posed:
Dom's reply gets a laugh out of Skye. "You are my kind of girl - but don't be telling my boss. Actually, he probably knows it." Skye was one of the 'special projects' he worked on.

As to Mercy, "It was my home for many years, so anything you can do for it, I would be appreciative for it." As Mercy says, most people do not get it.

Skye does.

"Here, let me give you my number, and let me know when you've got an estimate." She scribbles on a paper. "There."

Domino has posed:
"I will -happily- avoid your boss wherever possible" Domino assures Skye.

Mercy receives a single thumbs up as the pale merc tucks her phone away. "Exactly what I'm looking for. If she serves well we might start digging into some mods but make sure she'll be up to the task first."

There's no sense installing bullet resistant glass and armored lining if the car's only so-so, after all. But the consideration is there... As much as the albino loves her sport coupes there's something about an all wheel drive hot hatch for deep urban operations which just plain -works.- And enough storage to keep her going! This one even passed the fifty cal test.

"And you've already got mine" she says in regards to phone numbers. A quick hop away from the fender leads to one entirely casual-borderline-sarcastic salute to Mercy and she also readies to depart on foot. "Have a good one, girls."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
The bit of paper is accepted and automatically Mercy glances down at the numbers. The phone number will then be tucked away in one of her coverall pockets, before in return, she extends her card to Skye as well. "Here's my info as well. If the estimate turns out to be too high we can definitely work on some kind of credit. I know how it goes when it comes to money being tight."

Domino's antics garner a grin from Mercy. "Mods. I'll give you a call when I've finished my inspection, then we can discuss what *mods* you'd like."

With an amused head-shake, Mercy raises her hand and gives both women a quick wave. "You ladies both have a great afternoon and once I have an update you'll be hearing from me. I'm sure it'll be sooner rather than later."

And just like that, Mercy now has two new cars to settle in her shop, and see what might need to be done to bring them both up to full health. Hopefully without breaking anyone's bank.