closed | may/june catch-all

[faithfall]

Who: adrian & ??
Where: various
When: may/june
What: catch-all for june & migrated TDM threads

Warnings: N/A for now?

Comments

[longtooth]

[ This much, Fern and Sunday can agree on: they should give both her and Adrian's vehicles a close look after this mishap. She hadn't expected a flat tire to happen so immediately, but it seems she'd been assuming too much when she believed that these wheels would last them for the turn of a moon, at least. ]

The... engine on mine was struggling, at first. I was told it might be a question of mediocre fuel, and to add new fuel when I got to the city.

[ But this is just an example that these cars and motorcycles are plagued with problems. With a sigh, she puts that aside for now to grab the other side of the wheel and give it a tug to dislodge it from its spot in the trunk, but for some reason it gets stuck (Strength: 3), her hands slipping off of it.

It probably has a whole lot to do with what Adrian just said. Her gaze snaps over to him, gold eyes widening. ]

How much?

[ Did he accidentally add a zero? She's going to hope so. (Nevermind, she has no hope.) ]

[catharses]

[ The tire seems to have been in storage for some time. Long enough to be rather settled in the little cutout for it and though Sunday tugs on it, his strength is certainly not of much use. Physical strength was never needed in his life as an administrator, though he frowns at the tire like it's wronged the two of them.

At Fern's question, Sunday looks up to catch her look of surprise. It is surprise, right? Probably. Whatever number it was on their loan documents is also long forgotten by Sunday as well since it'd been rather meaningless to him. ]

I hope you didn't pay more than we did.

[ It must have been surprise of the bad variety, clearly, especially if that's the case. The concern in Sunday's voice is rather sincere since if she's already had engine troubles then that seems far more unfortunate than the flat tire. Speaking of that, he's forgotten about tugging the spare out of where it's wedged as he straightens back up for a moment to pat his pockets. Too many of them in this traveling coat so he'll have to organize them later, but a second later he produces the coupon he'd had in mind. ]

Here, for the fuel. Yom Crook was kind enough to provide these as part of the negotiations. I can't promise it's for much - [ complete with a slight frown at the number of joolies since without a scale, it's another meaningless number to him - ] but please take it. It's the least I can offer for your assistance here.

[faithfall]

[ Adrian, who has been traveling with Fern for well over a month now, has a much clearer understanding of her moods. His expression falters. ]

It is... a very large vehicle. There are numerous benefits. And — yes, the coupons.

[ Thank you, Sunday. It can't possibly be that much more than what she payed, right? Surely Fern is overreacting just a bit?

He comes over to attempt to help pull the tire from the trunk, but with only one usable hand until his magic returns, he's utterly useless to them. (Nat 1) ] Perhaps there's something in the toolbox we can use to leverage it out?

[ Is he trying to change the topic now? Absolutely. ]

[longtooth]

[ Sunday seems to completely misinterpret her reaction, which only gives Fern a clearer idea of just how little he must understand about the cost of things. It's the exact same story as with Alden and Adrian, both of them so desperately out of touch when they would go into town to purchase supplies. It was one thing to buy a slightly overpriced healing potion or winter coat, though. When it's a sizable purchase like one of these vehicles, being that oblivious can have long-lasting effects.

Fern stares down at the coupon that's being offered as she tries to process how hopeless both of them are, but with a frustrated grunt she snatches it from Sunday before wheeling around to pin down Adrian with a stare. ]

While I'm sure these cars are generally more expensive than a motorcycle, the difference in price shouldn't be that much. [ So no, Sunday, she did not pay more. She paid significantly less. ] Didn't you consider that the people selling these to us would try to wring us of as much as they could get away with?

[ Deep breaths. There's probably nothing to be done about it now. The damage is already done, and so she shoves Adrian aside with a pointed elbow to take another grab at the tire in some futile attempt to direct her frustration somewhere. This time she at least partially dislodges it (Strength: 9). ]

[catharses]

[ The coupon being grabbed out of his hand isn't entirely unexpected though it makes her frustration clear. It also gives Sunday something to consider along with her next words as at least there's the relief she didn't pay more for a smaller vehicle to further complicate things. ]

Is that not one of the very reasons they would seek to charge us the same amount?

[ It's one of those annoyingly semi-rhetorical questions Sunday often asked when someone displeased came to him with a problem. This time he (for once, somehow) catches himself and shakes his head. Even to his ears that sounds like rather than assuaging her concern he's merely parrying it into a possible argument, and the quiet chime of his earrings serve as a reminder as always. ]

What I mean to say is that the situation into which we have all arrived is ideal for such a thing to happen. Even if they'd offered any sort of reassurances otherwise we would have no way of knowing whether that's the truth.

[ Of course, that's easier to say when not having the slightest idea of just how much overpaying there's been. Surely the coupons will offset it along with the hope it wasn't too damaging of a sum, said hope being mostly useless now that the documents were signed some time ago. Back to the matter at hand as the tire refuses to come loose which could be another indicator of the state of this car and paying too much for it. ]

Leverage would be quite helpful here, I think. If there's a crowbar among the tools that might be our best bet.

[faithfall]

[ Adrian opens his mouth to argue — they don't know that he wasn't charged what it was worth, even if the price difference is great, and regardless what real choice do they ever get to have? Ser Yom Crook might have swindled them, but it isn't so awful to assume that he was being at least a bit honest. That's what this is really about.

Thankfully, Sunday interjects before the two of them can get into it. Adrian shoots him a grateful look. ]

Thank you, Mr. Sunday. [ That's all he's going to say. If they're going to argue, it isn't going to be in front of other people.

He takes a deep breath and crouches by the toolbox, flipping it open so that he can see all what they've been given. For a small mercy, he does find a crowbar. He offers it to Fern, if only because she's closer. ]

Mr. Sunday and I can work together to help lift it, if you can leverage the tire out, Lady Fern.

[longtooth]

[ A car should cost more than her motorcycle given that it's larger and can carry more people along with other supplies, yes. But Fern's instincts and street smarts are also telling her loud and clear that it shouldn't be that much more.

But Sunday is right about this much, at least. They didn't have any true way of knowing what a fair cost was, nor were they necessarily in a position to haggle given their situations. Fern had been able to do it, but she can't expect everyone else to have those same instincts.

That, and the damage is already done. ]

... Not much to be done about it now.

[ She mutters the words under her breath while Adrian thanks this Sunday. There isn't much point in dwelling further, and she can reprimand Adrian about being more careful once they've actually reached the city. For now, she takes the crowbar when it's handed over, tucking her coupon away into her pocket. ]

All right. [ She positions one end of the crowbar beneath the tire, then looks between the two of them. ] On three. [ She counts up, and as soon as she says "three," applies pressure to the crowbar, forcing the tire up and out from the spot where it was wedged. They should be able to grab it now, assuming they're not utterly hopeless. (Despite her frustration, though, she knows that Adrian isn't. As for Sunday, it remains to be seen.) ]

[catharses]

[ The reality of what's come to pass with the vehicle loan will be an unfortunate one to be stumbled across later on when it'll be apparent how correct Fern is in just how many joolies it'll take to pay even a portion of it off. But for now, it feels as attainable as any other number Sunday's glanced at upon any number of balancing sheets which contained sums he had only tangential knowledge of, and he simply nods in acknowledgement to Adrian's thanks.

The same for bracing to assist in the matter of the tire upon that countdown, and with force and luck this time the tire comes loose from where it was wedged. ]

Well. That was made much easier between the three of us since I hate to think what this would have been like had I been on my own.

[ Meaning: he'd still be here struggling with the tire, probably. Sunday won't even pretend otherwise and wouldn't have even if retrieving the tire hadn't been an ordeal. Possibly because the actual ordeal is still to come in terms of changing the tire, but: details. ]

At least we're all getting a lesson in some of the maintenance together. Shall we?

[ From here it should - hopefully - be a matter of just a few steps to complete before they're able to get going and put more of those coupons to use in the city awaiting them. ]