Topic: More Trouble Than You Can Shake a Very Large, Metal Stick At. (Read 734 times)

Mitsuru Hishouzen · « **on:** June 24, 2009 »

Hishouzen Mitsuru chewed absently at the end of his unfiltered cigarette and stared thoughtfully at the puzzle before him, his head cocked to one side. After a few moments he took a long drag on his cigarette and turned to the young man standing next to him, raised one eyebrow and asked, "How in the hell did this even happen?"

The other man scratched the back of his head and stared sheepishly at his feet. Probably out of shame, he phrased his response as a question, "Ramps and wheelies at a construction site?"

"Dumbass." Mitsuru shook his head and tsk-tsked as he carefully placed his hand on the four foot piece of steel rebar sticking out of his friend's motorcycle. "You're lucky it went through your engine without going through you, Yagami." He flicked his cigarette in Yagami's general direction but missed him by a mile. "I'm not sure this is even the kind of thing that can be fixed." Mitsuru pulled out another cigarette and lit it, then resumed shaking his head.

"But like I was saying, I'll get laughed out of Matsudaira's garage if I bring this in... Do you know any other places, sempai?" Yagami Masahiko looked up at his upperclassman with wide, hopeful eyes.

Mitsuru let out a loud, barking laugh and shook his head ruefully. He pulled out his fancy new cellphone and did a search for nearby garages. "Looks like a place called Suzuki is the closest. I'll tow you. Just don't hold on too tight while you ride with me, okay? Keep in mind we can't stop until we get there..." Together they chained the out of commission motorcycle to Mitsuru's bike and climbed on. Yagami was careful not to upset the big white flag emblazoned with 'BANZAI OSAKA!!!' that stuck out of the back of Mitsuru's Kawasaki.

They arrived at the Suzuki garage a few minutes later.

[tag: Haruka! <3]

Haruka Suzuki · « **Reply #1 on:** June 25, 2009 »

Luckily, it seemed the garage wasn't too busy, with only a couple of vehicles present in the bay, surprisingly clean for a place regularly exposed to oil and antifreeze and other motor fluids. There were two mechanics leaning over the inner workings of a bright red convertible, while a third was working on the undercarriage of a white sedan, a hand fumbling about to grasp a tool before disappearing under the car.

At the sound of Mitsuru's engine, one of the two mechanics at the convertible, a short, thin man, looked up from his work. After assuring his companion he would return, he approached the pair. However, his steps faltered when he saw the bike, complete with its newly acquired accessory, in tow.

The mechanic bowed. "W-welcome," he said, his voice wavering with uncertainty, "How may we be of service?"

[Tag Mitsuru! :D]

Mitsuru Hishouzen · « **Reply #2 on:** June 28, 2009 »

The two young men dismounted the working motorcycle and walked around to greet the mechanic. Yagami kept his head down, displaying the appropriate shame for one who has so thoroughly screwed up their poor, innocent vehicle. Mitsuru just acted casual and seemed the very picture of nonchalance.

"Oh hey there, buddy. Just bringing in a bike for your boys to look at." He flashed a toothy smile and gestured vaguely toward the... injured motorcycle.

[tag: Haruka!]

Haruka Suzuki · « **Reply #3 on:** June 30, 2009 »

It could have been the extensive modifications that had been done to Yagami's bike, or the extent of damage done to it, but the mechanic had a hard time tearing his gaze away. It wasn't until his companion at the convertible shouted, "Taichi, please hurry! I need your hands!" that he was able to snap out of his reverie.

"I'm--afraid our motorcycle expert isn't in today," he said, "But I can see if someone can take a look at it and assess the...damage. One moment, please."

The mechanic bowed again and hurried over to the sedan, bending over to address the mechanic. "There are customers here with a broken bike," he called under the car, "But Katashi is up to his shoulders in engine and needs help. Can you see them?"

The figure underneath rolled out, sitting up and leaning casually forward on the cart. Despite the posture and the unflattering clothing and the excessive amounts of grease, it was entirely evident that this wasn't, in fact, a male mechanic. She took a glance in Mitsuru and Yagami's direction. "Of course. I'm about finished here anyway. I'll see what I can do. Thank you for letting me know."

Now discharged, Taichi hurried back over to the convertible, speaking quietly with Katashi, their voices breaking up as the sound of tools upon metal resumed. The female mechanic paused only a moment to wipe her hands on a convenient rag before standing, approaching the new customers.

Mitsuru Hishouzen · « **Reply #4 on:** July 10, 2009 »

"Much obliged." Mitsuru waved away the mechanic, watching idly as the man made his way through the garage, no doubt looking for some unsuspecting co-worker to foist Yagami's ridiculous problem off on.

He pulled a cigarette from his overcoat pocket, rolling it absently between his fingers as he looked around the garage, sizing it up. "Place looks pretty state of the art, I guess..." He muttered at Yagami. "Not a bad back up for when Matsudaira's busy, as long as their bike guy is halfway decent, huh?" He went to light his cigarette and waited for his companion to agree. Yagami, however, was staring, wide-eyed, at the mechanic walking toward them.

Mitsuru followed his gaze, and when he spotted the female mechanic his cigarette fell from his gaping mouth. "I am never going back to Matsudaira's again."

His slack-jawed expression quickly twitched into an ear-to-ear grin as he strode toward the lady mechanic, meeting her halfway and practically purring, "Well hello there, neesan."

Haruka Suzuki · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2009 »

She paused in the face of his less-than-conventional greeting, raising a curious eyebrow. Nevertheless, maintaining decorum as the best course for the moment, she bowed to Mitsuru and Yagami. "Hello," she said. If she was at all impressed by Mitsuru's forwardness, she didn't show it. "I understand you're having problems with a bike?"

Mitsuru Hishouzen · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2009 »

Though he was usually never one to be bothered with decorum, Mitsuru ignored his urge to flirt with abandon and instead returned Haruka's bow, still grinning all the while. "Problems. Yeah, well mostly it's just one BIG problem." He coughed lightly, clearing his throat, and gestured toward the big piece of metal coming out of the motorcycle's engine.

Haruka Suzuki · « **Reply #7 on:** July 13, 2009 »

Her gaze shifted to the bike, and she frowned. "I was hoping that was only decoration," she muttered, approaching the impaled motor for a closer examination. She walked around it, inspecting the damage, pushing a stray lock of hair out of her face while she gave the metal a test-wiggle. "How did you manage to do this?" she asked, her voice incredulous as she knelt down, resting her hand on the bike as if it were a wounded animal.

Mitsuru Hishouzen · « **Reply #8 on:** July 14, 2009 »

Though his grin never left his face, Mitsuru's tone got downright defensive. "Hey, I didn't do anything." He nudged Yagami in the ribs, hard. "Tell her." The other man looked sheepishly at his feet, idly pushing a pebble around with his toe. "........ramps and wheelies at a construction site," he finally mumbled, the words barely audible.

Mitsuru took pity on his shy friend and took charge once again. "So is there anything you can do to help, neesan?"

Haruka Suzuki · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2009 »

She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it again, instead giving Yagami a chastizing look. If you kept your bike on the ground, you wouldn't have these problems. She then directed her attention to the injured bike once more. "Hard to say," she concluded, "It looks like the metal might've gone through the crankshaft, but it needs to come out before I can be sure. It went in straight, so we should be able to wrench it out, at least."

She glanced up at Misturu and paused, her eyes narrowing. It seemed almost like she was searching for something, maybe trying to figure out if she'd seen him before. After a moment, she pursed her lips and resumed. "If you'd like, you can come back later after I've gotten a more thorough look."

Mitsuru Hishouzen · « **Reply #10 on:** July 17, 2009 »

"Is that bad?" Yagami asked in a very small voice, but Mitsuru ignored him. "Crankshaft. Right. I was worried about that." He nodded his head in agreement as he circled around the bike. He paused when he caught her gaze and raised one eyebrow, curious. After a moment he came to a startling (if however WRONG) realization and his mouth curled up into the most self-satisfied of smiles.

Oh yeah. She totally wants me.

"Oh, yeah, sure thing neesan. I would be very happy to come back later..." He put on hand on the seat of the broken motorcycle and leaned across it, his big bright smile now looking downright predatory. "...Like maybe when your shift is over?" His eyebrows gave a suggestive waggle.

Haruka Suzuki · « **Reply #11 on:** July 20, 2009 »

There was a moment of genuine surprise on the mechanic's face before her brow furrowed. "I'm sure the rest of the day will be unnecessary. A couple of hours would be more than sufficient," she said, irritation creeping into her voice as she bent down to unhook the motorcycles, "Considering your concern, I'm sure you're both anxious to hear what the verdict is."

She gripped the handlebars of the broken bike and started to wheel it further into the shop, ignoring its current role as Mitsuru's perch.