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Summary: James and Mike meet in the garage, and discover a shared passion for all things motorized.
Date: February 8, 2010
Log Title Car Nerds
Rating: G
Xavier Mansion - Garage
Home to various cars of teachers and X-men, the garage can house at least twenty vehicles. There is also an area that has a auto body shop set up so students and teachers and work on their cars. Almost any tool a mechanic needs can be found in this garage.
Auto shop, almost any tool a mechanic needs, why YES, this is why Mike spends so much time hanging around in here. It would probably be better if he did his homework for other classes, but right now, he's using the metal-bender, and making a second collar, smaller, to carry his voicebox and image inducer. The image inducer is in his pocket, turned on, because he looks human; the voice box looks rather odd, stuck to the BACK of his neck, while he works on adjusting the fit for its protective retainer. He seems to be totally wrapped up in the project.
James, sans image inducer, comes in from a back room; having entered from a rear door at some other location. Pushing an engine stand with a pretty standard GM crate attached to it, James quietly sets up shop in the corner, He looks over and nods, putting his muzzle in the air. He sniffs in your direction for a moment, but given all the background scents, he can't discern the Mike he met from the Mike sitting nearby. He pulls up a stool and begins to give the engine a once over, keeping to himself as he pulls his goggles over his eyes.
PLING! Mike's eyes light up. Looks kinda odd with the induced-human-Mike over top of the robot him. But why? Because someone. Just opened a crate. That crate, a GM engine crate, someone has apparently been digging around in the Customs Catalog. Can't tell by the sound WHICH of the custom engines that would be, but it doesn't matter: he looks over, and the image inducer generates a grin that would rival one of Lucas' most manic. "…" Mike says, going silent for as long as it takes him to put the voicebox into its slot on the collar. Walking over to James while he fastens the collar around his neck and latches down the spring-lock, he gets close and says, "Whattsz it got in thhe boxxz then?"
James looks up at you for a moment and gives you a sniff, one eye looking out of a broken lens. "Mike?" he asks, "Didn't recognize you. One of those image thingees?" His lips pull back showing off a whole bunch of teeth. He nods to the engine, "ZZ4. Going to put a ACCEL Super Ram on the top, but I couldn't find a non-vacuum actuated distributor in back. So I'm waiting to see if I can get one from MSD or not. I don't want to reuse a recycle." He shrugs, "Supposedly, there's a '67 Vette somewhere on premises." His eye raise up towards you.
Mike says, "There wass one aa feww daayz aggo buut I szztopped beinnng thatt. Nnnot fond of the szixtyzeven vette ffor perszonal reassonz." His voice control is better than it was the other night; the robotic buzzing has become more of an overtone, and the bending tones sound more like a musical synth effect. He shrugs in return, "Dunno iff theresz onne that waaszn't mme. Annd, yeah, Immmage induzser, woulld you rrather I nnot? Eitherr isz OK by mme. Allzo, why noot juszt go wiith the Hoollley?" Since it theoretically COMES with one. "AAnd nothinng wrong wiith a good rrebuilldt."
James looks back at the engine and then back at you, "Ehhh…" he says, tongue pressing at the front of his canines, "Holley is too OEM and with a good 3-angle and a porting, the Super Ram will allow for better air flow. These aren't the Fast Burn heads, so I'm stuck with the anemic stockers. My fuel air is going to be un-mapable if I don't make up the diff elsewhere." He looks over at you, "Holley 'is' good, but I'm going EFI. I don't know enough about it, so I figure it's a good way to learn." He tilts his head a little, "I think you should be what makes you the most comfortable. Always." Sixteen or not and even behind broken glass, his eyes speak of experience in that field.
Mike grins, but that vanishes as he touches the device in his pocket and his body returns to the robot-car-look. "Yeah.. Whenn I wasz tenn, I tolld szomeone I waanted to be a motorsxycle when I greww up. Szhee didn't gett it." He looks at the engine, "Szo why not the 376? Inztead of doing the connnverszion?" He thinks about what would be required to make that conversion WORK, and goes quiet for a few minutes. Would be nice if Papa was here to talk about this.
James looks at the engine and looks at you, considering the question for a moment as his ears do their radar thing. Finally he looks at its manifold and slides a claw across the stamped firing order sequence, "Because a 376 only know how to be a 376. A ZZ4 isn't limited by a name alone." He gives your form a passing look as if that makes perfect sense! "That and I don't want to do an LS conversion," he says in a follow up, "The ZZ4 has a better chance to bolt in without cutting the rails or lowering the cradle to fit the engine height with the Super Ram on top." He lays across the engine and sighs, "But it's alllllll moot probably."
Mike nods. All valid points. Especially the point about modding the frame, but, that really requires knowing what chassis he was going to drop it into. The vette? Mmmaybe, but … "Szo why iz it moot?"
James looks up, defeated, full of mock woe "Because I have these hams for fists." He shows off his clawed hands, "I'm just now learning how to use over sized tools, but even those don't take in account my oversized killer nails."
Mike reaches over a (somewhat outsized, robot, clawed, tire-treaded) hand to compare with James's - they're more dextrous looking, but they don't fit easily into tight spaces at ALL. "Jamezz? Mmy pxxxpa, ugh. Mmy daad hasz big haandz too … Uuzses biigger haandlez. Ii gott hisz olld szet wheen he goot the deeal wiith Crafftzman. Waant to tryy themm?" Yeah, James may lack in manual dexterity, but that's WHY we have tools, right?
James flails, "Nooo…I'll be allllright." Siiiiiiggggh. "But thanks. I'll keep that in mind. Thank you." He grins, looking over his shoulder at you, ears flattening, "But, if you wanted to do all my mods for me, it might make things more bearable." He winks.
Mike laughs … Looks weird because his body doesn't laugh, and it sounds a bit odd. Just a bit. He answers that one easily. "Szuure, but you gotta do whaat partz you can right?? ANND… I can tezt out anny modz you waant to make befoore wee install 'em. AAsz long as theere's nobodyy waatchcing." Yeah, Mike? Remember they keep telling you that you're not allowed to possess the teachers' cars? Mike?? Are you listening?
"Hmmmm," James says, "I dunno! But I'll start making a list of the things I want, how about that?" The hyena glances over at the clock on the wall and frowns, "Crap. I need to pack up. There's things I have to do before I go to bet. Part of my 're-education' for running off to the zoo to fight demons." He sticks his tongue out and crosses his arms.
Mike lights his eyes again. "Szometimee Ii'd liike to hear aabout thatt. Ii wwould hope iit couldn't haapen to mee buut, iiII … yeahhz. Annd I'mm not dooing all yoouur hoommeworrk foor yoou … fforr free." He blinks one eye in a robot-limited wink.
James smiles, "Hey, even I'm not that big of an ass. But, honestly, I 'am' trying to overcome some issues with my hands. I used to rebuild engines at home all the time before 'this' happened." This referring to his change. He shrugs, "Actually, I was working on an old military truck when it happened; 3/4 ton. My grandfathers." He pulls his goggles off his eyes and gives you a look, nose slightly elevated, "And thanks." Genuine honestly in that last part.
"Szounds llike a greatt mmachine. Annd aall I waant inn exchange iizs somme help wwith oother cllasssez. I gett borred, Iii slaaack off, I fflunk, tthe rrrentz go tthermonuuclear, mmmore groundiing. OOr ddettenttionnnz, I guezs it wouold bee here." Mike shrugs, and is returning the honesty … he's already gotten behind in four of eight classes.
James nods and gives that some thought, "I will if I can. But, no promises on that. I'm somewhat behind myself. Being possessed did nothing for my GPA." He snaps his jaw closed with a *clack* "We'll talk about it later, how's that?" No sly, cleverness here. The trade sounds good to the beasty.
Mike offers a closed fist in the traditional fist-bump of bargain-sealing, "YYou got it. Allzo, Rashmi iis kiinda like Hermoiooonyy… Nnot good wwiith baad sstudeentz." Can you tell someone already considered asking, and decided against it?
James offers a fist-bump in return. "Rashmi is good people. She tolerates my SHTs so much better than I deserve." He gives you a glance at what’s probably a new word, "SHTs: Stupid Hyena Tricks." He smiles, "Anyways, she's the most awesome of awesome." He stands and 'picks up' the engine, setting it over in the corner—a feat of strength that's common place around here, "So…I'll see you around."
Mike says, "Aaightt, Jamesz. I gotta clean upp… Myy owwn detention." He doesn't say what it was for, but probably had something to do with Lucas. Nearly everyone else getting in trouble has to do with that one.
"Szee you later ammigo.""
James offers a friendly waves and heads out the main bay, "Night Mike. Have a good one." He ohs! "Sorry if I came off distracted the other night. It's…the norm." He winks and starts back towards the school.
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