820/Car Troubles

Car Troubles
Date of Scene:	06 June 2017
Location:	West Harlem - Mercy's Garage
Synopsis:	Harry Dresden brings a car to Mercy's Garage for repair. It's been hexed.
Cast of Characters:	Mercy Thompson, Harry Dresden

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Mercy Thompson has posed:
It's mid-afternoon in West Harlem and the streets and sidewalks are quite packed with the lunch crowd. The bulk of the businesses can be found to be open, with the majority of them feeding the crowd that can be found within the neighborhood. One business in particular, Mercy's Garage, while not an eatery is still doing a quick clip of business. Two cars sit in the parking lot waiting for their owners to pick them up, while Mercy stands next to a third. It's a fast zippy little sports car, the color red. Those fast ones are always red.

She's idly looking at a ding the size of a dent upon the passenger door, and with a faint grouse, she mutters, "A ding, he said. Pretty sure that's a dent."

Still, it's a job to do and Mercy is always happy to work on cars; even if the customer under-estimated the problem at hand. Currently the woman is dressed in her mechanic coveralls, hair pulled back in a sloppy pony-tail as she straightens up from her inspection. The door that leads into the actual garage is quite open, showing the car port down and the garage itself empty of any vehicle.

Harry Dresden has posed:
It may be a good thing that Mercy is happy to work on cars, because the...thing...that drives up with a rattling engine can barely be construed as one. The 'Blue Beetle' is mostly a powdered blue Volkswagen Beetle, but it has seen better days. The hood has been replaced with a white one...and has been gouged by claw marks? The passenger door is red, and looks to have a few bullet holes in it, while the driver side is green and dented in.

The beetle sputters into the parking lot and dies with a rattle one it manages to find rest in a vacant spot, and the drivers side door opens with a shove. One Harry Dresden, all 6'9" of him, crawls out of the small car and stretches his arms over his head, his black duster billowing out behind him as a gust of wind catches it just right. He withdraws a staff from the back seat, and starts to make his way towards Mercy, a smile on his face. as a tow truck follows him in with another car, well, in tow.

Mercy Thompson has posed:
Mercy was just about to head back into her garage when the sound and sight of a particularly odd Beetle trundles into her parking lot.

Truly. Trundles. That's the word that immediately comes to mind when it makes its sputtering way to a parking spot.

Her eyes widens slightly when she gets a look at the Volkswagen Beetle and the variety colors it holds. When the driver side door opens, Mercy will switch her surprised gaze from the those doors, the hood and the bullet holes, to the driver. Again, a wash of surprise flickers across her features when she sees the very tall man exit the very small vehicle in comparison. The fact that he withdraws a staff from the back doesn't seem to help that expression on her face either.

Still, she does have a business to run, as such, when Harry begins to make his way towards her, she'll likewise move to meet him halfway. "Afternoon." She begins, even as the vaguest of zings can be felt upon her magical senses, "I'm Mercy, owner of the garage." Her hand will be extended outward to Harry, even as her gaze turns briefly towards the tow truck that's following closely behind. "What can I help you with?"

Harry Dresden has posed:
Reaching out a hand to shake the offered one, Harry gives the mechanic a nod of greeting. "Afternoon, Mercy. I'm Harry." He offers up another polite smile as he shakes her hand. The contact between them causes a subtle shift on Harry's posture, a ever so slight narrowing of his eyes as her subtle magical aura is recognized.

It's a fleeting thing, and the smile returns almost instantly as he lets his hand drop to his side. "I have a bit of a problem. My uh...girlfriend." He pauses on that word, like he is trying it out for the first time. "Yeah.." a goofy grin forms on his face, "...my girlfriend's car seems to have had a total electrical short. I sometimes have that effect on newer technologies. It's why I stick to the Blue Beetle."

He look back at the car he emerged from, "Come to think of it the Beetle could use some TLC as well. Normally I take her to Mike, but since I am here...two birds and all that."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Nice to meet you, Harry." Comes Mercy's affable response, even as her head cants slightly to the side. Did she catch the subtle shift in his posture and his gaze, possibly, or perhaps it's in his scent. Mercy can tell a lot about a person just from the non-verbal cues of smell alone.

Either way, the coyote will listen to what the man has to say and when he stumbles upon girlfriend and then offers that goofy grin, well, the woman can't help but grin slightly at the man. "Electrical short? That's definitely a problem?" Mercy will say, even as she turns her attention momentarily back to the two cars again. "I'm sure I can help with both of them though. Why don't we get a look at your girlfriend's car first and then your's last."

And with those words said, Mercy will take a step towards the tow truck, intending to give them the all clear to bring Karrin's car to the opening of the garage. "And if you like -" Mercy will say over her shoulder with a flash of a grin, "- I could even given you an estimate on a new paint job for your car."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Paint job?" the wizard says with an almost incredulous tone, but one laced with humor as the smile forms on his face to match, "Hell's bells, I think it might hurt her feelings if I gave the beetle a paint job. Besides, that costs extra, and I am likely to tap myself out just getting Karrin's car fixed."

Harry combs his fingers through his hair and rolls one shoulder in a shrug, pointing to the little Mazda with his chin as it is moved into the garage, "Hers is the priority. I mean, she has her Harley and she isn't going to be driving anytime soon, but I'd like hers done when she gets out of the hospital. For all I know it could just be a couple of fuses, but electronics are not my thing. As far as the Beetle, well, my goal is just keeping her running."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
A point is definitely earned by Harry when he calls his car a 'her'. It's good to see someone who cares for their car, versus just seeing it as a tool. Or deathbox.

Her words, for now, are held off as Mercy helps coordinate the tow truck and the Mazda inside her garage port. Once the Mazda is safely tucked inside, Mercy will wave off the tow truck and drive. "Thanks." She'll echo out to the driver, before she looks to Harry again. "Come on inside." She invites, as she steps into the garage and immediately heads for a workbench within that holds a variety of equipment and tools. "Let's check the basics; battery, starter, alternator - then we'll go from there."

As she gathers what she'll need to start figuring out where the fault in the car lies, she'll continue to speak, "I can give you an estimation of how much it'll cost to fix." Once she figures out that problem that is, "And if it's too much we can go on to the barter system." Her gaze will move towards Harry, "A lot of folks around here don't always have the liquid cash to repair a car, and without a car they can't get to their job, which makes their cash problems worse -" Which Harry likely understands. "- It's a vicious circle."

Of course, at the mention of being in the hospital, Mercy's gaze turns sympathetic as she offers, "Oh, I hope she feels better soon. It wasn't from the car, was it?" She asks automatically, even as she automatically looks back towards the car for any signs of an accident.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Following Mercy into the Garage, Harry pauses at the garage opening and takes a moment to look around the shop. "Any important electrical equipment around here?" he asks with a slightly sheepish tone to his voice, "As I said, sometimes things that are to modern tend to fritz out around me. Usually if I am in a bad mood, so things should be alright, I just don't want to short something out."

He glances to the mechanic and rolls a shoulder in a shrug, "It's a wizard thing. Tech doesn't like us." He gives her another slight grin and leans against the garage door opening, staying away from the inside of the shop until he gets the ok to walk in further.

"Do what need to be done for Murph's car, and I'll make sure I get payment for you one way or the other. I can do barter, if it comes down to it. I don't know what need you might have for a wizard or a P.I., but I am sure we can figure something out."

Harry's face falls just a bit as Mercy asks about Karrin, "No. The car had nothing to do with it. She was shot." He pauses for a moment, and then continues on, thinking it needs more explanation. "She's a cop, over in Gotham, with SPECTRE. She got shot the other night. She is...going to be ok. It will just take her some time to get back into fighting shape."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
His caution about electrical things definitely gives Mercy pause, as she considers everything within her garage. Her gaze will go around the room for a few minutes, before she nods towards a corner near the doorway, "That's probably the safest spot for you." She says, even as she turns back to the man. A quick smile is flashed in thanks at his warning.

"You're pretty free with your wizard status." She'll manage, as she pops the hood of the car up, already ducking beneath it. And while her words might be a little muffled they're still quite understandable and showing a lack of surprise at the reveal; which might be revealing about her, of course. "Not that I mind. It's always nice to know what a person is dealing with."

And while Mercy could say something more about the barter system, she doesn't, instead switching back to the topic of Karrin. Easing back upwards and poking her head out from under the hood, Mercy once again shows sympathy and concern now, as well. "Well, that's good she'll be all right." Then, "SPECTRE, I can't say I've heard of them." And with that said, Mercy will check the battery first. Once the negative and positive lines are attached to the battery, Mercy will step aside, "Keys inside?" She'll ask, "Let's see if we get anything on the multimeter." Even if the car doesn't turn over, something should still pop up on the multimeter for her to get some level of baseline.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry chuckles, "Well, i'm in the yellow pages under 'Wizard', so there really isn't any need for me to be secretive about it. Secretive doesn't pay the bills. Stars and sky, there are people flying around and lifting cars now a day, so I still don't understand why people have such a hard time believing in magic. Besides, as you said, it's always nice to have all the cards on the table up front. " He smiles at the coyote, moving over to the suggested spot and using his staff to lean on.

"Special investigations..." mutters Harry about the SPECTRE unit. "The deal with the things that go bump in the night that the regular cops can't handle. Vampires, Loup Garou, black magic, trolls and the like. It's kind of like SWAT for the supernatural threats."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
That causes her to pause; consideration upon her features, "You know, I don't think I've ever had the notion to look up wizards in the phone book." And that's enough to cause the coyote to grin towards the tall and lanky man. "Suppose I learned something today - never assume." The driver's side door of the Mazda will be opened and while she doesn't slide in, she will lean into the driver's space to turn the key.

Whether it turns over or not, Mercy will ease out once the key has been turned, before she moves back towards the opened hood.

"Technology is easier for them to understand." She adds, even as she checks the multimeter now, to see if it's a dead battery causing all the problems. "Magic is harder for them to define." A pointed look towards Harry now, "Sure, some of it's point a to point b, but sometimes it's point a and now we're already at z. The answers aren't clear enough for them to understand why you can enact spells -" Which she assumes he can, "- versus why I can turn into a coyote. So." They just bury their heads in the sand - that's what she'd like to say.

As for that explanation of the SPECTRE unit, Mercy will once again turn thoughtful, even as she says, "Makes sense. Though I personally would /not/ want to deal with Vampires. Nasty creatures."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry chuckles, "Not many people do. That is why I have to live paycheck to paycheck. And the ones that do look and call me, most of the time they don't believe me. In the long run, that is alright though. They don't have to believe me as long as the check clears for fifty bucks and hour plus expenses."

The engine of the Mazda doesn't turn over or even make a sound. The battery is fine, and had a full charge.

"I suppose that's true. Something like arcane forces and being able to track someone by a strand of hair and a focus of will is less easier to comprehend or believe in than a GPS signal." When she mentions turning into a coyote, Harry's head cocks a bit to the side. "Coyote? Huh. I have friends that turn into wolves, but a coyote is a new one to me. And yeah, most vampires are...well, my reputation with vampires isn't a good one. They tend to end up in flames around me."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Hmm." The coyote says as she considers the reading the multimeter is giving her. "Not the battery." The leads will be detached and wound neatly up, before Mercy takes them over to a work bench. "I was really hoping it was just a drained battery." She begins, even as she offers the wizard a smile. "Yup, coyote. I'm not really a werewolf, or a were-anything. The moon doesn't rule me. I'm just a skinwalker, if you've heard of those."

Back under the hood, the coyote will begin to visually inspect the engine; belts, primarily, to make sure it's not that. She'll even reach out her magical senses too, just in the off chance something arcane is going on.

"Tracking with a strand of hair -" Says the mechanic, even as she frowns slightly, that expression mostly hidden thanks to the hood, "You know, I might have some work for you. It involves some magical artifacts that've cropped up on the street." And then, "Good. I see nothing wrong with the majority of vamps going up in flames. Most are terrible creatures." States the coyote, even if she may know a few who aren't, but the majority definitely are.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I've heard of a few types of skin walkers." says Harry with a chuckle. "Some of them not so good, but since I am not getting the 'I want to bring you home and have you for dinner' vibe from you, I think I will assume you fall under one of the less aggressive types."

He wrinkles up his nose, "I was afraid it wasn't going to be something that simple. It happened when Karrin and I were having a rather heated...discussion. Tempers were flared, emotions were high. I was hoping it would be a quick fix, but it seems that my luck is once again bad, which is par for the course."

"Yeah, well tracking with anything related to the person you are tracking anyway. Hair, blood or saliva being the best foci to use, but an item of personal value will work as well." He pauses, shifting his weight slightly, "Magical artifacts?"

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"Ha." Says Mercy with amusement, "No, no 'my what big eyes you have grandmother' from me, thanks." When the belts check out the mechanic will just shake her head; there's a sinking feeling in her gut this fix is going to take some time.

Straightening from beneath the hood, Mercy will turn to eye Harry a moment. "Went to the dark side for a second there with your emotions, eh?" She'll ask, humor easily heard in those words of hers. Yes, Mercy's totally a Star Wars fan (and Star Trek!). "What say I keep the car overnight?" She asks, even as she dips a hand into her pocket for a card, "I've a feeling it's going to take me longer to trace down the short. I won't fix anything until I get your go ahead?"

And she'll walk that card over and offer it to him - it holds her phone #, address and e-mail for contact. "Yup, magical artifacts. A friend -" And there's a stumble for Mercy now, she'll come back to that later in her head, "- and I stumbled upon an illegal auction house. The majority of the people didn't seem to have a clue that several of the items up for bid were magical in nature; but some did. I got the name of one of them, but hit a roadblock with what I could find on her."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Grinning, Harry replies, "Well, they had cookies. What can I say, I'm a sucker for warm cookies with gooey chocolate chips." The humor is cut short with a sigh, "But yeah, there was some serious emotions floating about, and....I cursed her car. It's likely to be the computer itself."

He reaches out and takes the card, reaching into his pocket with his free hand to produce a card of his own, offering his right back. "Go ahead and keep it as long as you need. She won't need it anytime soon. Go ahead and fix whatever you find, you have my permission to do any repairs you need.

Shoving the card into his pocket he looks back to Mercy, "Huh, interesting. Well, I am willing to give you an assist if you need it. I can help with the research if you need it, and if I don't know anything I bet my research assistant likely will. He is a bit of a know-it-all."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
"A curse?" Echoes the coyote with a vague grimace upon her lips, her gaze turning for a second back to that car. "Great."

But she'll fix it, or figure out /how/ to.

Giving herself a little shake, Mercy turns back to Harry and accepts his card. She'll give it a quick curious look, before it's tucked safely within the pocket of her coveralls. It's nice to know some people still use physical cards, versus more digital ways. "All right." She'll say to his proactive permission, "But if it's really crazy I'm still giving a call."

Moving back to the car, Mercy will lower the hood with a slight bang-thump, then it'll be given a pat, "Don't worry, we'll figure out what's wrong with you." Comes the murmur from the mechanic, even as her attention moves back to Harry. "A know-it-all assistant? Sounds fun." She adds, with a grin, "But sure. When you come to pick up the car I'll have the information for you. I might also have an artifact for you to look at too. It might be encircled by a pound of salt and some blessed water currently."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Not like a curse, curse. More of a 'make electronics fail' curse. Find the short and things should be good."

That last sentence gets Harry's attention. "OH really? That bad, huh?" And then a thought hits him and his face goes slightly pale, "Please tell me it isn't a coin. A blackened silver denarius coin. I've already had one of those pop up recently, and if anyone has touched it..."

He leave the last sentence open ended, combing his fingers through his hair as he lets out a slow sigh. "Let's just say it would be bad if that is what it is. When you want me to come over, call me. I'll bring Bob along and let him get a look at it."

Mercy Thompson has posed:
His explanation of just what type of curse sits upon the car allows Mercy's expression to ease slightly. One less thing to worry about, that's for sure.

Still, when the man pales, Mercy's expression turns slightly worried. At his question, she'll thankfully be able to quickly shake her head in the negative. "No, not a coin." She says first and foremost, "It's a mirror. Or, was a mirror. Let's just say we had to shoot it to stop the spells from causing anymore chaos." Her head will tilt slightly to the side now, as she considers the man before her, "I'll keep in mind about the coin and if I come across one I'll make sure not to touch it."

And while she'd like to ask what it'd do suddenly from the front end of the office a loud *DING* can be heard, as someone rings the bell atop the counter. Expression turning slightly irritated, Mercy will say, "Dangit. That's a customer. Let me take a look at your girlfriend's car and then give you a call, okay? And then you and Bob can come over to take a look at the mirror, see what you both can figure out from it."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry nods. "Sounds like a plan, Mercy. Thank you, and I will be expecting your call. Just, leave a message with my service if I don't answer. No cell phone." He smiles and makes his way towards the abomination of a car known as the Blue Beetle. "And yeah, if you see coins...just stay away. Whatever you do, don't let it touch your skin."

"Talk to you soon!"