Winterizing?

Who: Dorian and Ash
Where: Motor Masters
When: Afternoon

With winter on it's way, Dorian realized he'd need to prepare for snow for the first time in his life. He wasn't so much worried about the house yet, but one day of ice had shown him that getting his car ready would be the first step he needed to take. And he wasn't exactly sure where to start. It was the reason he'd headed up to one of the local garages, figuring there would be someone there that could help him out. The bay doors were shut, so he went inside, where loud music was blasting from within. Rather than yell over it, Dorian stepped into the garage itself, looking for whomever worked there.

Ash was preoccupied with rocking out while he was on his back under a car on risers, so he didn't notice that he had company right away. It wasn't until the rush of cold from the door hit his arm that he looked over and saw a pair of jeaned legs that wasn't there before. "Ho!" he exclaimed, to let whoever know there was life. He pushed himself out from under the car on his rolling board and stood up, snagging the stereo remote from off of the car hood and turning the music down. "Howdy," he greeted the potential customer. "What can I do ya for?"

Dorian grinned as the guy slid out from beneath the car, having expected him to come from somewhere, just not there. Though it did fit, didn't it? "I'm looking to winter proof my car before it's a crisis," Dorian said once the music had been turned down. "It's my first time dealing with snow, so I need a little guidance. Think you can help me out?"

"You have come to the right place, my man," the angel said with a crooked grin. He banged on the top of the car enthusiastically and looked around the shop. It was currently kind of full, but he could re-arrange some stuff. "You want a full-service winterization? Or just the basics? If the car's never dealt with snow before, you probably want the full-service, in my humble." He grabbed a rag to start wiping his hands off with, coming around in closer to Dorian.

"I'll go with the full-service then. With my luck, going with the basics would end up leaving off the one thing I really need," Dorian grinned. "Do you have time to get to it now? Or should I bring it back later?" It didn't look like there was room for Dorian's car, but he wasn't in a hurry. It wasn't like three feet of snow should be dumped over night.

"You'll actually probably want to leave it here," Ash said, making a bit of an apologetic face. "Unless you wanna wait around until tomorrow, which is when I'll probably get the tires." And because the dude didn't really know what he was getting into, he started to tick things off on his fingers. "Snow tires are an option, up to you. But I'll have to drain and re-fill your radiator, change out the oil -- always a good precaution when the temp's about to drop, get you some new wipers, check your hoses, your plugs, your belts, and see if you need a tune-up. When's the last time you had a full service fun on it?"

"I can't even recall," Dorian said with a little laugh. "Normally I just check things myself, maintenance-wise, so it'd probably be good to have you look at it. I'm sure there are things I missed." Or hadn't even been aware to check. Dorian was decent with cars, and could change his own oil and tires, but having a professional look things over before winter hit was probably a good idea. "Do you think snow tires are necessary here?" he asked. "I can leave it, if that's easiest."

"Tires ain't no sweat off my ass, just depends on how much money you wanna spend," Ash said with a shrug. It was honest, at least. He didn't mind doing any sort of work -- save for trying to cram his arms down into those fucking German-made compact cars, fuckin' A -- it was just up to the customer on how much they wanted him to do. He enjoyed what he did. "Haven't been through a winter here yet, but I'm guessin' if everybody's not exaggerating? You'd do good to have them." He paused, then wiped his right hand off on his jeans to offer it forward. "I'm Ash, by the way, nice to meet you," he added with a grin.

"That's kind of the impression I've been getting. Never driven on snow before, but I might as well be prepared," Dorian said. He didn't wanna be the one stuck in a ditch the first time the roads iced over. It'd be a sure sign that he wasn't a local. "I'm Dorian," he said, taking Ash's hand and shaking firmly. "Good to meet you, too. So you're new to Marquette as well? How're you finding it so far?" He was always curious, since he knew that he'd been pulled an interest other than a sleepy little northern town.

"Eh, fairly new. Got a couple months under my belt," Ash told him with a faint chuckle. "It's ... interesting. I'm more used to bit cities, so it's definitely different, but not in a terrible way." He didn't comment on all the weird shit that had gone down, not sure at all how long Dorian had been there. It was a subject he would rather avoid, if at all possible. He hated spreading those bullshit explanations that never made any sense to him. "How 'bout you? Where'd you hail from where it doesn't snow?"

"Moved up here early in the summer. I run a bookstore down on Washington and Sixth called Nevermore. It's been a good investment so far," Dorian said. He'd not realized just how needed a supernatural bookstore might be in a town like Marquette, so it was really just his luck. "I grew up down in New Orleans, though. Definitely no snow in that part of the south. I'd still be wearing a t-shirt and flip flops if I was there now."

"Ah I've seen it!" Ash said, looking over his shoulder at Dorian as he moved away for a moment to the worktable, grabbing up a grimy clipboard and a pen to start writing out a work order. He just happened to make a point of knowing where things were in town, and he'd eyed that bookstore several times. Heading back toward the door Dorian had come in, he made a gesture for the other man to follow, talking as he did so. "I stayed in Nawlins for a while myself, quite some years ago," he said, tossing Dorian a grin. "One hell of a town, that's for damn sure." Especially in the 1800s. "Wouldn't mind going back sometime soon, and I'm thinkin' I'll especially want to once winter hits." He chuckled.

"You should drop by sometime. Just kinda changed things up, so the rare books are for rent. Means people don't have to spend as much. Kind of a cross between a library and a video store," Dorian said, following after Ash. "And I totally get heading down to Nola this winter. I might have to take a trip down there myself, if not before Christmas, maybe around Mardi Gras." It was something to think about, at least. He'd have to see if Aiden was game, or maybe Joey.

"Oh hell yes, that would be the shit," Ash said, backing up anything to do with Mardi Gras one-hundred percent. The only thing that really topped it was Carnival, in his personal experience. He looked at Dorian's car and started making notes on the make and model and year, then opened up the driver's side door to jot down the VIN number on the sticker inside. He crouched and leaned to peek under it. The cold didn't seem to bother him in just a black t-shirt and ripped jeans. "I'll probably be doin' that, though, see what you've got," he added, standing up again.

As someone who grew up in New Orleans, Dorian had a great appreciation for Mardi Gras. He'd gone every year he could, starting in middle school. It meant sneaking out of the house, but that wasn't all that hard. Even if he wasn't old enough to score a drink, the occasional flash of titties had been worth it. "If you're looking for something and can't find it, just give me a call. I can track down just about anything. At least when it comes to paranormal literature," Dorian smiled. "Just can't weather proof my car."

"Hey, we all got our talents," Ash chuckled. He checked over what he'd written, and then offered the clipboard and pen over to the other man. "I'm gonna have to call around to get you a price on the tires," he said, nodding to the paper. "But if you write your number down, I can give you a call when I've got an actual estimate for all of it. I don't do anything 'til I get the greenlight from you, and if you don't dig the dollar sign, you're totally free to take it elsewhere." He knew no matter what the tires cost, he would end up giving the guy a fair price. It was just how he did business, and one might want to make an ally out of a man who ran a paranormal bookstore.

"I'm good with that," Dorian said, taking the clipboard from Ash. He scanned over everything, wanting to make sure he understood what he was paying for as well, then wrote down his number. He knew this would cost a bit, but hopefully it would prevent him from getting stuck in the snow. Ash also seemed like a good guy, so he was inclined to trust the price he gave him, but he wouldn't say that now. If he did, who knew what price Ash would give him. "So I leave it with you for now?" Dorian asked, handing the clipboard back.

"Yup, if that's good with you. I'll make some calls today before I close up, and if i can't get a solid price, I'll have one in the morning for you to yay or nay," he said easily, taking back his information and tucking it up under his arm. He offered Dorian a crooked grin and pulled his smooshed cigarette pack out of one pocket, shaking one loose. "Then I can get it done ASAP for you. You got a ride somewhere for now?" He tucked the smoke between his lips and offered the pack to Dorian with a raised eyebrow.

"Naw, but I'm used to walking. No big deal," Dorian said, taking one of the offered cigarettes. He knew it was cold, but he had his coat, and now he had a cigarette, and he figured that would be plenty. If he wanted to go out, he'd give Aiden a call. Or maybe he'd just spend the night in.