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Cornelius "Corey" Drake ([info]sandcastlegod) wrote in [info]marvel_nextgen,
@ 2010-01-19 22:02:00


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Entry tags:antaeus, argo, inactive - alisa lebeau, inactive - entienne lebeau, nicholas salem, perenawska, team - champions

Settling in?
They'd started moving into the renovated abandoned restaurant/nightclub covered scrap metal. Corey'd even arranged a recycling dumpster next to the regular one. Once the kitchen was finally covered in his explanatory signs -- one explanation of food storage and recycling having the very direct heading 'You Will Not Waste' -- he took an awful lot of sorted bags of packaging out to said recycling dumpster.


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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 09:17 am UTC (link)
He moves to the bike and crouches down next to it, keeping his hands away, but eyeing it closely, giving Tink a fair amount of personal space.
"Don't worry, I'd never touch someone else's bike without their ok, and this has some nice work." he muses as he conducts his examination.
"Looks like some scavenged parts, some wear on the valves, a few scratches... working with either a non-standard wrench set, or improvised tools, I'm guessing?" he adds, at first sounding critical.
"Half the parts look like something you'd pick out of the waste bins of an auto or bike shop, and the tooling is leaving some marks. Which... I've got to say, means this is an amazing damn piece of work. I could barely do as well with a fully stocked shop and custom tools... the former of which I'm working on, the latter of which I own." Among his most prized of his very few possessions. Ever since they'd decided to try sticking together for a bit and had moved into the Red Room he'd been doing odd work to start putting the shop together too.
"Make you an offer, Tink. Show me how you did some of this, and give me a hand with some work, and I'll let you refit your brother's bike with new or restored parts and proper tools, chrome, new paint and the works."
She's good, very good. She has to be to get that kind of offer - no one touches his tool set, normally.

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[info]sandcastlegod
2010-01-20 09:43 am UTC (link)
Corey just smiles at all this. "I'll check on the food." And he heads up the steps.

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[info]designergene
2010-01-20 08:05 pm UTC (link)
Enteinne was torn between staying right there with his sister to make sure this person didn't touch the second most important thing in his life... and following the other man inside for food. He hadn't eaten since the night before - which really wasn't unusual with the eating habits both he and Alisa were used to - but going close sixteen hours without anything but a few swallows of water still made a man's tummy rumble.

He lifted his head off his sister's shoulder to let his gaze follow the fellow named Corey as he headed up the steps, then twisted around to eye his sister and that fellow named Nick. Alisa actually seemed okay being around them. Okay for her anyway... She was still pretty skiddish, as evidenced by how she hugged herself close and stuttered when she talked. But she wasn't running scared. That counted for something. That counted for a lot. And neither of the boys had any feelings rolling off them that could be read as a threat.

If was that observation that made his decision for him. If Alisa was finally reaching out to befriend others - and said others didn't have a feeling of anger or hatred or any such thing coming off them - than Enteinne couldn't let himself stand in her way. And hanging around all protective-like wasn't going to help. Besides, he had a lock on her emotional feed now that he was in range and if she started panicking or getting scared or angry, he'd feel it and could come running.

So he gave his sister one last squeeze around shoulders and a murmured 'have fun' and went after Corey, "So you be de cook, eh?"

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 08:24 pm UTC (link)
Alisa looked up at Nick. he was complimenting her work, and even giving her an offer to have Ennie's bike fixed up so that it would be real nice. She always felt like she owed Ennie... he gave up so much for her. His personal time, his attention, his innocence... For his sacrifices, he deserved something nice, something wonderful.

She sighed, placing a hand on the back of her head, trying to think this through. Nick... seemed scary. But he was giving her an amazing job offer, and Ennie could finally relax and have fun. Her voice suddenly went flat as she spoke to Nick.

"W-what's... de catch... what else... ah gotta do... for such a t'ing?"

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[info]sandcastlegod
2010-01-20 08:27 pm UTC (link)
Corey made an affirming sound. "You should see the kitchen in this place; it's fantastic once I got it cleaned up."

The scent of lemon chicken and baked sweet potatoes will already be filling the air as they get inside the building.

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 08:31 pm UTC (link)
"Like I said, the catch is you got to show me how you did some of this stuff. Maybe gimme a hand with my bike. I'll be completely honest with you, you're good. You're damn good. I'm one of the best motorcycle mechs around. Even in this economy, I got a part time gig restoring Harleys in nothing flat. I put my own bike together working mostly for parts and tools over the years. With close to the right parts and right tools, I can make a bike do almost anything... and looking at your work, so can you... except you do it with misfit parts, some bent metal, and parts that just ain't supposed to do what you're making them do. I want to see what you can do with a properly fitted shop and tools that are meant to do what you want them to do, and see what you come up with."

He looks back to her work. "I know bikes... and I know talent. You got it, I want to see what you can do with it. And if you're anywhere near as good as it looks like you are, I can get you a job that pays real money, easy... and can keep an eye on you while you're at it so no one gives you any trouble."

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 08:36 pm UTC (link)
"Well... ah... sorta can' teach yah do to what ah do... It's like ah know 'ow ta do it, but can' explain it." She shrugged her shoulders. There did not seem to be a catch, he made no mentions of sex... so this must be a safe job, then. Looking back over at Nick, she twiddled her fingers, before finally speaking. "If... if you can give mah a part, any part... ah can demonstrate what ah can do... would only take mah five or so minutes... But... ah accept yah offer."

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 08:40 pm UTC (link)
Right now, even being who he is, he's not going to mention sex. The girl just screams damaged goods. So far, from the casual affection and how protective he is of her, he's pretty sure its not her brother. She genuinely seems to feel safe around him, so its a good start.

"Oh, right, mutant thing then. Still, I might be able to pick up some ideas. And I can teach you some of the parts and tools and stuff then, so you don't need to wing it so much. You want to guide his bike into my shop here, and I'll wheel mine in? I'll get you my toolkit and a couple parts, and you can show me what you can do by replacing the pipe there with the part meant for a Harley Sportster instead of sports car parts?"

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 08:47 pm UTC (link)
"Oui..." She walked over to Ennie's bike and flipped up the kickstand, while she held on to the handlebars. She followed Nick's lead, trying to keep up with him as much as possible. "So... jus' replace de pipe... wit' a real Harley one? Ennie... would like dat... shouldn' take mah long ta do."

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 08:58 pm UTC (link)
He takes his time about it, and tries to keep things focused on bikes. Machines she seems to have no problem with.
He opens up his shop's bay door, then just leaves it open. Usually he'd close up, but they'll be here a while, and he doubts she's ready to be in an enclosed and soundproofed place with him just yet.

He gets down his toolset and opens it up on one of the tables next to the work areas, a real and proper shop set, with about two hundred different tools, fittings and parts in one case.

He takes out one of the socket wrench bodies, and lays out four of the heads. "Ok, here's the proper fittings for what you were using there. This fitting on the left? That's the size that that model Harley is supposed to use. I'll get you the right bolts. If you use the right sizes and tools, you won't get those scratches or need to widen anything. And yeah, just take off the old pipe and toss it in that box labeled parts. I'll sell it to an auto shop for scrap parts. Then we're going to put on the piece that was supposed to go there. If this goes easy, we'll get to work on some harder repairs. Eventually, we're probably going to take most of the bike apart, and rebuild it with factory pieces. How long have you been keeping that thing running on scavenged parts?"

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 09:05 pm UTC (link)
"Five years..." She put the stand back up, and seemed to move to the tools as he spoke, without needing him to tell her which to use. She knelt down and moved at a fast speed with her hands, quickly removing the pipe she used on Ennie's bike with ease, and then placing it down on the ground. Alisa then got up, and took the new pipe from the table, and then placed it where the old one had been. She used the various tools to secure it in place properly, and in a little less than seven minutes, she was done. Just like that.

"All Done... N-nick... take a look, yeah?"

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 09:08 pm UTC (link)
He watches, suitably impressed. Its good that her talent apparently tells her not only how to do the work, but what tools to use if they're available. That's good, very good. Harley owners don't tend to like non-standard parts being used on their bikes.

He whistles low. "That was fast. Clean too. You like the feel of that wrench set, or would you prefer a smaller one, more fit for your grip?" he asks as he crouches to inspect her work.

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 09:15 pm UTC (link)
"Ah... ah can work wit' any tool set, really... de size o' de tools don' seem ta mattah none." She nodded her head, watching him inspect her work. She picked up the old Pipe, looking where she scratched in her name and Ennie's, as well as the date she got the part for him. her fingers ran over this etching as Nick continued to inspect her work. "Ah'll... take whatevah you willin' ta give mah... ah... ah ain' demandin' ..."

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 09:24 pm UTC (link)
"Nuh uh, not that easy. These bikes aren't just functional. There's a dozen makers out there that make that. People buy, and stay loyal to Harleys for a reason. When you take care of them, maintain them right, they're works of art. Go to somewhere like Sturgis, and you'll see Harleys worth two-hundred grand or more. People sell their houses to soup up their Harley and go on the road. Someone who can work magic in repair and restoration can make a good living, because some of the people who ride can and will pay for the very best. And mutant power or not, you might well be the best I've ever seen. And trust me, I know bikes. They were the only good thing about growing up. So I don't want to know what will work for you. I don't want to know what you can make function. I want to know what feels good and comfortable in your hand. I want to know whether a hard rubber grip, padded grip or tool metal grip feels best and will let you work the longest without hurting your hands. I want to know if you /like/ that toolset, or if a women's set will work better for you. Because if you're willing to help me take restoration work here, you will make any money I invest in you now to get you your own tools and your own shop set up, and make it way more than worthwhile. I wouldn't expect Picasso to work with house brushes, I wouldn't ask Corey to sculpt with loose gravel, and your talent is being wasted going through dumpsters. You're an artist, maybe the best I've seen. If I'm going to offer you a job, I'm going to make sure you have the right tools to work with."

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 09:32 pm UTC (link)
"Dey... dey make... women's sets... o' tools?" She blinked at this. She never heard of such a thing. Most of the tools she owned she took from dumpsters. She was amazed at all the things that people threw away. She could restore and make good of trash... and now, she was being offered the ability to gain good tools, and to fix good bikes... and for money. This guy... he had faith in her.

"Can... can ah get... pink rubber grip... handles?" She never worked with rubber comfort grips before... and they sound like they would be, well, comfortable. "I-if non... den... den regular would be... good."

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 09:41 pm UTC (link)
"See? Now we're talking." He knows what its like to be poor, dirt poor. He often is, when he's on the road. None of what she's saying seems to come as any surprise.
"Yes, we will get you a 400 piece shop kit with pink rubber comfort grips. You can pay me back by doing the next refits on my bike."
Yes, after that display, he's willing to let her work on his bike.
"Don't worry about what you owe me or anything for it. I take restoration work in here. With a second mechanic, and as fast as you work, even just at twenty hours a week, I can take a lot more work. I'll knock some of the cost of tools and your brother's bike parts for work on my bike, and then take fifteen percent out of your paycheck until we're even. You won't have to talk to or deal with the customers, just work on bikes. I cannot guarantee there will always be work, but when there is, I'll pay you seventeen dollars an hour for as much or as little as you want to work. You want the job?"

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 09:47 pm UTC (link)
She nodded her head feverishly. "Oui, oui ah wan' de job..." With an income like that, Ennie would not have to steal food from the market anymore, or clothes... or anything. They could live comfortably, as they should. This would be a big change! For once, she would bring in the income, and Ennie could relax, and perhaps get some schooling.

"Mah name... is Alisa... LeBeau...."

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 09:50 pm UTC (link)
He extends his hand to her. Big show of trust on her part to give out her name, and he's not taking it lightly.
"A pleasure to meet you, Alisa LeBeau. I'm Nicholas Salem. You and your brother got a place to stay? If you get on with people, we could fix you two up rooms next to each other. Tons of space in this old club. And a shorter commute to work for you." He didn't miss that she'd basically snuck out before.

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 09:54 pm UTC (link)
"We... we got a small house... but... me an' Ennie share a room, an' a bed... b-but non... non in a bad way... we... we jus'... always slept in de same bed... as kids." She felt a bit embarrassed giving out such information. But, she felt like she could trust Nick. She even extended her hand and shook his. She actually touched another man without flinching, a big step for her. "But... but dis place... nice... bigger den ours... ah t'ink... it would be good ta stay here. E-especially if... if ah be workin' here for yah, non?"

A small smile crept up on Alisa's face, as she finally made eye contact with Nick.

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 10:00 pm UTC (link)
He meets her look directly, not at all concerned for her mutant feature. After all, would be kind of hard to say much bad about mutants when he's demon possessed and all.

"We have good security here, mostly the residents. We'll get each of you your own room." That'd be healthier, another good step for her to work towards. "It won't be much, but it'll be your own space. I'll have your toolset by the end of the week. Talk to your brother, and he can talk to me if there's any questions. I'll make sure stuff is squared up with everyone."
And yes, he's well aware they're thieves, that her brother has probably done some stuff he's not proud of. So has Nick, and Alisa is useful enough to make it a worthwhile gamble. And if they do screw a good thing up somehow, well, he'll be able to find them.

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 10:41 pm UTC (link)
"Okay... ah'll talk ta Ennie... ah jus'... hope he lets mah stay. be easier for mah to be here... den 'ave ta travel ta work. Ah don'... like bein' around too many people. Umm... do you know where de kitchen is? he be dere..." She smiled a little more. "W-would you mind... takin' mah dere?"

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 10:51 pm UTC (link)
"I'll take you there in a second, sure. I bet food'll be done soon. But before we do that, now that this is square, I want to make one thing /absolutely/ clear. I am not a nice guy or a white knight. Any Cinderella fantasies need to go away, right now. This sounds like a great deal, and it is, but its /not/ a charity. Its a job offer, and you will treat it like one. I'm fronting you money for tools, rooms and repairs, it is a loan, not a gift. Your brother gets to come along because you're more than worth it. But if you tell me you'll work twenty hours in a week, you will work twenty hours that week. If you tell me you'll do forty, you will work forty, because that's what I'll be billing customers for. If you screw up, I will tell you, and you will do the work again til its right. The people who pay this kind of money for repairs do not want functional. They want it to look right, feel right and sound right. They are paying top dollar for high quality machines with a trademarked sound and a lot of history. Parts for 50's and 60's Harleys are not cheap, so if you damage them, it comes out of your pay. We do not use modern parts when someone wants their 72 'Glide fixed, we use restored or remolded '72 parts. I'll take care of getting the right things, but you'll be expected to do the work you're told and that you commit to."

He pauses, still looking her straight in the eye.

"You're getting this job offer because you are /good/. You are /worth/ this kind of money, and its just the beginning. If you can learn the language, get schooled up enough to tell a shovelhead from a panhead on sight, know what bolts go into a '59, not just fix them, but speak the language, I will dock my own pay to help get you certified, because a certified mechanic with your speed and skill could make 30 to 45 dollars an hour and get people driving 500 miles to come to your shop - and I think you're good enough to do it, and if so, I want you working in my shop. But that's as far as talent gets you - your foot in the door. From now on, you will earn your room and board, you will earn your job, and you will earn my trust. Do you understand?"

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[info]temperence
2010-01-20 11:01 pm UTC (link)
"Ah... ah understand... crystal clear." She nodded her head. She did not think of this as some Cinderella thing to be honest. She thought of it more or less like being a kid on the street and finding a bottle of bubbles with the wand still inside of it. 'It's jus'... nice... ta 'ave someone who 'as... faith in yah is all... an'... an' ah will work hard... ah'm... ah'm non de kinda person... to take stuff an' run..."

No, she thought. That would be Ennie. She was more of a push over and one who always wanted to do the right thing. Ennie's thievery and their past always had her labeled as a thief, despite never taking part in such activities, willingly. She only put up with Ennie's stealing, because she thought it made him feel good... and it kept them from starving to death. Toying with her fingers, she looked at Nick and spoke again.

"Ah'm... non a bad person... really... ah keep mah word... even if dat don' mean much for you. But... ah... ah guess... ah can prove mahself. Ah'll... ah'll let yah ask mah anyt'ing yah want... an' ah'll give yah an honest answer!"

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[info]vicious_cycle
2010-01-20 11:08 pm UTC (link)
He nods. "For right now, that's good enough for me. If I had thought you were a thief and a liar, you wouldn't have gotten this far. I'm not going to ask you to prove anything to me, because you have no reason to trust me yet. If and when I prove myself worth trusting, then we'll play twenty serious questions, and it'll go both ways, ok? Until then, you can prove yourself worth the investment by being a good worker... which means starting with getting your strength up and putting on about five pounds. Come on, the kitchen is this way." he replies, heading up to show her the way.

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