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 Words could not convey how pleased she was with herself. They didn't need to. There was a spring in her step as she walked, her eyes were bright and her smile was merry. Even though she'd yet to physically touch her car today, she had already made great progress. Haphazard wondering about the city may have been enough for her to find a good garage for herself and even her shiny black corolla, but it wasn't good for specific parts. Fortunately, a bit of sleuthing got her moving in exactly the right direction. Inside the decrepit house, she'd found a thick book with thin yellow pages: a phone book. Obviously she wouldn't be making any calls, but there was more information contained in that book than simply a bunch of random digits: there were addresses, too.
Skimming through it earlier, she'd found the location of one East Coast Autozone, located at 237 Waverley Rd. This seemingly useless address was rendered more relevant by her second discovery in the desk drawer... a city and regional map! After scrawling down the address of the store in her messy print on a piece of paper, she tucked it along with the map and her owner's manual into her bag. While the sun still hung groggily on the horizon, she set off. It did not take the ambitious and excited girl long to orient herself; much of the journey involved only two major roads! From her garage at the corner of Hillsboro and Auburn, she quickly made her way to Main St and eventually to Braemar Dr, which soon turned into the road of interest.
The 7 km journey took her less than two hours and before long, she was riffling through the back storage room of the abandoned auto parts store. By now the sun was higher up in the sky and shining brightly, as were her spirits. As she looked through the store, she found various tubes and hoses still in their original wrappers, not degraded by the sun or elements. She found a battery, spark plugs, oil, and transmission fluid. Jackpot. She even found a bottle of polishing wax, but that would need to be all for this trip. At least she already knew where to go in the future... and maybe once the car actually ran, she'd be able to transport 'maintenance' supplies more easily. For now, though, she was set. Arranging as much as she could in her bag and placing what remained in some discarded shopping bags, she started her journey back home. The return trip took longer with all of the extra weight, but if she had to guess it was still early afternoon as she stepped in the door.
Charger yawned sleepily from the couch as she entered the structure, and she tossed down her bags beside him. A combination of needing light to work and it being a lovely day convinced her to open both large bays in the garage. Whistling and humming to herself, she popped open the hood and began to work as sunshine spilled in around her. Occasionally she'd summon the raccoon's assistance; he'd grab her a wrench or a rag, she'd pat him on the head and keep working. Every so often she'd also take a quick hit from her tiny pipe, which she otherwise rested on a workbench behind her; she was certainly in the zone and loving every minute of it .
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He had made a mistake. Gabriel had left Phoenix Valley knowing that. It was stupid and it was his own fault, but he had read that look and knew what it meant. By all accounts this could have perhaps been paranoia, but a wiser part of the three-year-old doubted this. Though Gabriel intended to return to Inferni, he had instead turned south-west and towards the city. It was a subconscious decision, and he had not fully realized he had done so until the ground had turned to concrete.
Though the hybrid had no purpose in being in Halifax, he was content to wander the streets with an absent-minded pace. He perhaps resembled a lost dog gone wild, searching the streets for a lost master or companion. The charms around his neck twanged and twinkled with each step, a noise that was so familiar to the Aquila that it was virtually unheard. It occurred to him, as he went, to perhaps see if there was anything of use to be found here. Or, at the very least, something to keep his idle mind from going to those dark places as it so often did.
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Her hands and fingers moved with practiced dexterity as she tinkered around with the car's innards. It was really quite fascinating to the girl how everything connected together--not unlike a living organism's insides. There were separate systems that flowed together and into one another, and integrated together they became something much greater. A gas tank was no marvel... even somewhat natural container type devices could be found in nature (bowl shaped rocks, for instance). A gas tank that served to feed a running vehicle was so much more.
With the new hoses secured in place, she decided to move on to the electrical components. The battery was easy enough to replace; the spark plugs proved slightly more elusive. Tapping her nails lightly on the plastic cover over the engine, Maserati "humphed" to herself and took two steps back from under the hood. Charger tilted his head questioningly and the dark woman shrugged. Wiping grease from her hands onto the rag, she picked up her bowl and took a long, thoughtful hit. Smoke appeared in a cloud around her; surely anybody walking by would notice the funny scent as they approached, as previous hits had long diffused from the garage.
She picked up her handbook and moved outside the door, leaning against the side of the garage casually as she flipped through the pages. She'd spotted her entry in the table of contents when a vague, yet distinct tinkling sound reached her ears. They pricked forward in response and she peered up from her reference manual curiously as she sought to pinpoint the sound's source. In the distance on the main roadway she spotted a male Luperci, but she could discern no distinguishable features just yet. Tipping her head to one side, she glanced back down to her book and flipped through to the appropriate page. All the while, she kept a mindful ear and eye (in the form of periphery) on the approaching stranger.
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What worried him was the idea that the sea would shift its favor and cast out the body. It was not unlikely, he realized in retrospective. He should have buried her, or burnt the remains. A fire would have attracted attention. It would have taken too long to bury the corpse. She deserved neither. For all of his life that woman had been a thorn in his side, and her son had taken up that role with diligence. At least Zana had not proven to be like that side of her family (not yet, at least).
It was a familiar scent that carried with the wind quite suddenly, one that Gabriel associated with a long-gone Russian. The Aquila’s nose twitched, muzzle seeking a source. Soon enough he found the source; a peculiar looking female near a car. Curious, the hybrid approached with his head high and his tail slightly raised, not sure exactly what the girl was doing.
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Ah; so that's where the buggers were. Under the hunk of plastic that covered the engine... why hadn't she thought of that? Maz was about to go back in her garage when she realised the approaching stranger had gotten much closer. Now that he was within plain view, she recognised him at once: Gabriel. His resemblance to Talitha was uncanny (although perhaps it was best to think of that the other way around) and his mannerisms seemed to fit Anselm's description. Clearly she lived here, clearly she wasn't bothering anybody, and clearly her half acre or so of land didn't even have any 'resources' in the traditional sense; there was no stream in the back yard and prey didn't make a habit of congregating here. Why, then, the slight display of dominance? And no words of greeting? Awkward.
One brow had inadvertently raised as she watched him approach in silence, and now the petite woman shook her head and stepped forward, one hand extended. Maserati de le Poer, she offered firmly in greeting. Her own tail was kept in a neutral position, but her ears were pricked forward with interest and her crimson eyes watched him carefully. Oi reckon Corona or Talitha got around to tellin' yeh I was lookin' for yeh? she wondered lightly, head tipped to one side. Of course, he hadn't seemed to recognise her at all (and she doubted he would go this far out of his way to find her, even if she did have messages from Anselm), but she was hoping the names would make him chill out a bit.
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Four legged, Gabriel found her display of greeting a peculiar choice. Though, once she offered her name, he found that it could be justified. If there was one thing the de le Poer’s were known for, it was their madness. Quirky, sometimes dangerous, madness. The mention of his sister and daughter helped confirm that she was in fact who she said she was. Relaxing and coming forward, he offered a single wag of the tail in greeting.
“You could have called, you know,” he said, tone suggesting there was a slight amount of teasing in it. The fact she had chosen to spend her time as she had (apparently involved with the vehicle) was peculiar. Of course, she seemed peculiar enough with her colorful fur and companion.
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