diademlogs | CLOSED ˖

[ She is having more than an awful time. Gustave meanders closer, all soft and French™ and meanwhile Lottie is all frayed and fried edges. Her hair is dry— a little more unkempt, less silky soft, than usual, the heat fighting wars with her head. Her cheeks are flush and she is frowning.

Doesn't even realize how deeply it's set into her face when she turns with a hand wiping at her sweaty forehead. Mumbling, ]

Do I have a problem—? Seriously??

[ She has!! So many problems!! All of them stemming from how gross she feels, but also, you know, existentially. Then: emotionally, when she sees it's a man (huh?) talking to her. Calling her miss and— her gaze ducks down to the paper in his hand (oh), her expression changing from haughty anger to something sheepish.

That's right— she put it up the other day when her AC only decided to sputter out hot air. Then, well, stop. Someone is actually going to help her? Wow, this is so weird. And cool? ]

I mean— [ Small, rushed. Then bravely, ] Yes, hello, I am she! I am in dire need of help, actually.

You came at the perfect time. [ She says, fully meaning she is thankful somebody even showed up, much less read her directions well enough. ] Can you really fix whatever's going on with my car?

( his awkwardness is immediately on display as he sees that this person, lottie, is really having a hard time of things. it would be impolite to point out her unkempt hair, the look of someone who is having a definite hard time of the weather, flushed cheeks and sweaty.

instead, he takes her turn to enthusiasm with a bit more kindness. this kind of heat — it can make anyone turn into their worst selves. )

Well, I don't want to say it'll be a perfect fix, but...

( he glances at her car. )

I'm an engineer back in my home. Cars are a bit new to me, but the concepts are similar to what I've done in the past.

( this will be a learning experience for him! so, before she can start questioning how helpful he may actually be, gustave moves over towards the front of the car, where he knows the engine is. )

Can you describe what the problem is?

[ Engineer.. That sounds, experienced. She really got lucky?! He moves to the front of the car and it's delayed, her duck into the open car door to pull the lever that unlatches the hood. It clicks open, unlocked and only vaguely warm from her earlier attempts at praying to any god out there to magically fix her problem. ]

The air conditioner isn't working..

[ She shimmies across the console to where she knows the manual is. Not that she knows all that's in it, but Cassian told her everything about the car is in there and that seems like it'd be useful to this— guy.

—Lottie hops out of the car as she realizes she doesn't even know his name. Carboy will have to work, for now. ]

It went from cold [ A crisp 59 degrees, to be specific. ] to hot. And now it's only sputtering out air when it does decide to work.

[ And not that she's really in any place to question him, this is more to ease herself and determine how hopeful she should get (because, boy, she is sounding very much hopeful right now): ]

..The stuff you worked on had AC's, right?

( ah, the air conditioner, which he thinks is a big deal in this kind of weather. no wonder lottie has been having a hard time of things and was desperately looking for help.

once the hood is unlatched, he uses his mechanical left arm to pull it up, mostly to avoid getting burnt from the steel on his fingers. this car's engine seems all that much different from his own, but there are familiar aspects to it.

he feels confident about finding his way around.

pining the hood to stay open, he glances at the woman who comes around, holding the manual in hand. eyes look down at it, then up at her, and he offers her a smile. )

Not at all, but— ( brace yourself ) this is a common aspect to most compressors. That I've worked with before, and it's been very helpful in changing the temperature in our aquafarms.

( gustave now points at a couple of things in the engine. )

These are your reciprocating compressors. I'll have to get my hands dirty, and this might take a while — if you're alright with it?

[ Compressor? Is that engineer talk for cold air? All she can do is nod and listen, happy that despite her confusion she can still piece the important bits together (he can fix her car). She tucks the manual behind her — absolutely going to pretend like she never even brought it out because of that smile — when she's prompted to look at..

..Things.

She blinks up at him, then back at the.. Gizmos and gadgets that all make her car run, stuff that kind of blurs together in her mind as TECHNOLOGY. Mhm, is the noise she makes, as if she is following along and knows what a reciprocating processor looks like. The only real sign of her checking back into the conversation is when he mentions hands and take a while and she perks up immediately. ]

Um, yes, yeah. Of course!

[ Take your time, goes unsaid. ]

You know, cool to see [ She successfully stops herself from saying compressors unironically. She still cringes at the thought. ] AC is a constant throughout the universe. [ A beat. ] Also, do you want like a rag or something?

( oh, gustave can definitely tell that she isn't following along with what he's saying at all, but he can't really judge her too harshly. not everyone is talented in mechanics the way he is, in the same way that he isn't very good at speaking in front of others. )

That would be nice, yes. Maybe a water bottle, if you have one?

( for general use...

well, now that he has her okay, gustave takes off his backpack and puts it down on the ground, kneeling to look around for tools. )

My name's Gustave, by the way.

[ Definitely not. She's not even paying complete attention to what else he's asking for, too busy staring down at his mechanical arm now that he's otherwise preoccupied by his bag. It looks kinda cool.. Pretty, even in this god awful sun, if she squints.

Her spine goes straight at his introduction, though, Lottie deciding she should stop snooping and be a good host. ]

So good to meet you, Gustave! Seriously.

[ Her car is ridiculously roomy, which means she's stored (read: hoarded) a lot of trinkets in the back. Rags from her job(s) are included. Lukewarm water bottles are also included, both of which she hands his way after she's finished making a trip to the back. ]

Okay, so. I'm just curious— where exactly did you see my flyer?

( gustave is reminded of when people in lumière would be so happy that he showed up to help fix some broken piece of equipment or another. there was a sense of community, and they knew who to ask help from, so the enthusiasm is a little more toned down than lottie's own.

by the time she comes back around with the rags and water, he's already wrist-deep with a screwdriver or some other tool, tinkering away at the engine. he pulls out a cap, in time to receive what she's procured for him—setting them aside for now. )

Oh, ehm... ( quietly, he thinks about this. ) The motel's lobby, I think. There was a bulletin board.

( and he had just happened to glance up to see it.

he returns to tinkering away. )

This might be a temporary solution, by the way. Depending on the state of the compressor, you might have to get a newer one. ( he glances up her way, sideways, with a bit of a grin. ) We'll see about that, though. Don't worry too much.

[ The motel.. She's going to have to remember that for the next time she needs something — there's better luck there than the theater, that's for sure. She only mulls over that for a little bit, pulled away abruptly from the thought when he mentions TEMPORARY and SPENDING MONEY SHE DEFINITELY DOESN'T HAVE.

The pout she wears, in the end, is a perfect juxtaposition to the grin he sends her way. That is—..

Her hands shift to the pockets of her jeans, something like vague recognition hitting her after he's done the thing. That cheeky little side smirk. She can't put her finger on it but she isn't too distracted by it (yet), because she still has to answer!! Be present and not stare at his face. ]

..I'm gonna hold you to that! Seriously. The last thing I need right now is to be stressed.. Or hot. Maybe both!

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