The snow was up to his knees at this point, and he didn't dare risk walking on the shoveled sidewalks. Shoveled or not, they were slippery covered in a fine sheet layer of ice after the last winter storm. Plows did a great job on the streets, only a decent handful of idiots crashed into the sides of the roads and for the most part things seemed to be in tact. Pedestrians though, they were falling on their butts more then one could blink. To the road he went, and he was stuck walking.

Endless efforts to get a license prematurely seemed to be his epic battle against Taylor. She couldn't seem to understand the importance of it all, even if he was stretching the legal side of things. After the winter, then things would change, unless he got what he needed before then. With a splatter and a blaring honk, Hokee soon found himself doing a double flipper with some rather racy words flourishing from his mouth. Car or not, they were being a down right jerk. Granted if the tides were opposite, he'd do the same thing too.

Class at the mansion was rather boring, if he changed spark plugs one more time, there was going to be a monkey wrench flying at an instructors head shortly. He needed to find some parts, a car, something else to work with if he didn't want to go insane.

With a bit of work he managed to gather up enough cash to nail himself a junker, something to hold him over till the real deal was about. All he needed was a running car, from there he could score the goods needed to get something better and bigger. Be it fate or pure accident, but as the side of his body repulsed at the new layer of slush, his attention faltered as the perfect car hit him, or he hit it. Rubbing his thigh, the squinted eyes looked about the parked car in the street. For Sale...perfect.

With a hesitant plunge, he was soon climbing through the snow bank and heading up to the door of the home in which the car was parked in front of. Time passed, bills transferred and he soon had in his hands keys and the title to his own car. Unlocking the door, his body slipped into the used car. Quick mirror adjustment and the ignition was turned.

GRrrrr rrr rr rrr. PUTTTT PTTTTT Grrrrrrrr

Of course, a junker this was, and it sounded like a jet engine was strapped to his ears. Grinding his teeth together, he pushed through the annoying sounds as his fingers fumbled for some tunes to listen to.

I'm sexy and I know it.

His eyebrows raised a bit and the volume cranked as the catchy beat thudded over the trailing muffler. Spotting the sign for Kable's Mech Shop, he flicked the blinker on for the car. For now he'd drive all legit, seat-belt and all, but once summer it things would change. Cutting the engine off, the teen sat through a bit more of the song until the beat was lost between his ears. Opening the door, he shifted his way through the parking lot. He'd need stickers on the car, not having a lot of cash left he'd have to be creative on how he'd get at least the car legal. Taking a hold of the door, he pulled it open and slipped inside. "Hey."

Travis Kable had planned to sleep in this morning, but when his body woke him two hours before his alarm, he knew that there was no more sleep in store for him. He had gotten a solid 9 hours of sleep, which was more than enough for the young man, so he stood, got dressed, made some breakfast, ate, and moved down to the garage well before the first of his fellow mechanics arrived for work at nine o’clock in the morning. He checked on the computer for parts that had been ordered, checked his email, and then began to work on a couple of the vehicles that were just sitting around in the Garage, waiting to be worked on.

One was sitting there and needed a flat replaced… a simple enough task, the wheel was removed with a whir of airtools, and with practiced precision, the nail removed, and the hole patched. After the tire was balanced and the counterweights in place, he replaced the tire and filled out the completed work order paperwork that came with each vehicle on the computer, and printed out a receipt for the owner, and placed it next to the cash register on the pile of papers that were already completed jobs. He would continue doing these small jobs until his fellow mechanics came in, where he would start letting them handle the small fry vehicles and start tackling the bigger, tougher problems.

Once in a while, one of his mechanics would come with a question, or want verification of what they had done, and he worked with his three mechanics seamlessly, having taken the time and energy to go and find out about the people he worked with. He knew each of their birthdays, a smidge of information about their family, and thus could easily have a pleasant conversation with any of them at any given time, and often, during lunch break, that was exactly what happened. It was during lunchbreak though that he heard the door chime, the electronic ‘ding’ that was emitted sounding extremely familiar to anyone who had ever played the ‘Sonic the Hedgehog’ game, as it was the noise made when you got hit and spilled the little gold coins all over the place.

Regardless, Travis had been eating at the register, his toasted Subway sandwich quickly wrapped up and placed out of sight, and with a quick brush of his hands against his OD green coveralls, he was clean-ish. Swallowing the bit of the Bacon Chicken wrap he had been eating, he turned and saw a young man who looked to be searching for some work to be done. Out of the large windows that allowed him a good view of the parking lot out front, he saw a car which he didn’t need his ability to know it had seen better days. Standing, he presented his hand in greeting, and should the young man accept it, he would feel a firm but not crushing handshake from the hazel-eyed mechanic.

“Welcome to my Shop. The name’s Travis, what can I do for ya?” he said in a tone that was energetic, but not quite chipper. With a very quick glance, he gave the young man a once-over, and deemed that he was likely a bit young, but if he didn’t say anything, Travis wouldn’t ask either. It was often best in the world of mutants to keep one’s nose out of other people’s affairs. Not that he was scared, mind you, but he respected to power that some of them had enough to not try to make enemies needlessly.

The retro sound of the door was a bit strange, something he couldn't place at all but it had an interesting ring about to it. His timing couldn't be any more off or possibly this was good. As food was shuffled out of the way, the younger man turned his head around to try and get a quick memorization of the car he just rolled up in. "Yeah....Travis." His head turned back towards the man behind the counter, locks of dreads swung like wild chains. "Just got the car out there, got to get it...inspected."

Car insurance, nope. Driver's license, nope. Paper work was going to be a problem, and he didn't even have the cash to really pay for it all, let alone try to bribe the guy. He might have a slight problem. Just, he'd figure it out eventually. His eyes flickered about the room as small talk ceased to exist. He didn't see anything jumping out at him which he could talk about, and there were certainly things he didn't want to talk about either. On the plus side, at least he bought the car legit, sorta. He paid for it, even if the money wasn't exactly hard earned cash on his end.

Hokee's feet moved towards the door, but he stalled for a moment before looking over his shoulder. The guy had a tough face, he didn't look like someone to mess with and that much he could respect. Though he wasn't going to go all sappy or anything, just he wouldn't push to far if he had to. A head of buzzed hair, if he ever chopped off his dreadlocks that would be what he'd look like. Mercy to any soul who got in his way if that day happened. Loosing his hair was not something he was looking forward to at anytime.

"Need um..insurance still." Running his hand through the long strands of dreads, he leaned against the window looking outside. "Can you just fudge that part for now?" It was worth a shot, if he said it up front, he might be able to get a deal out of it. He couldn't be the only teen to waltz into a garage and try and get a car inspected without having everything needed. True, he wasn't exactly a model citizen, but he never cared much before about that. Life was to short to live by limits, and if he could get the car legal before returning to the mansion, then he couldn't have Taylor taking it away from him. He was going to drive the car one way or another. If he had to jump over the counter to find the stickers and slap them on, then he would do exactly that.

The Dreadlocks… an interesting touch. As a mechanic, hair got in the way more often than he could say he treasured it, so he had a set of clippers upstairs that he buzzed his head once a week with. The man spoke, but he seemed distracted by something… he didn’t even shake his hand which he had offered, which was quickly retracted. Some people had a phobia about that kind of thing, so he wouldn’t take it personally, even if he was a smidge let down. A car inspection, Travis’ specialty for more than one reason, not a problem.

But now it was time to play a little bit of a mind-game. “Alright…” he started, firing up the ‘new customer’ application on his computer. “I need an ID, preferably your Drivers License, Proof of insurance, make and model of your vehicle, phone number, and address.” He then mentioned that he had still needed to aquire insurance… not an all too uncommon thing when young people tried to get their vehicle inspected. Still, Travis was a little sympathetic towards the young man’s cause. He remembered when he first had bought his own vehicle, and could remember buying everything ahead of time because he had been able to save up the money.

Some people didn’t have that luxury.

“Alright… I think I have heard of Fudge Insurance…” he paused, giving the guy a knowing smile that was used to form a small bridge of trust, “When you get the paperwork, just bring it by the next time you need an oil change or something fixed, deal?” With that, he would wait for the young man to provide the small essentials he had asked. The questions though, were shaped in a certain way. He had asked the young man the make and model of his car not because Travis needed them, as he could tell exactly what it was by the small glance, right down to the trimmings, but did the young man know that much about his own vehicle?

This was a test to the young man’s attachment to the vehicle… often enough, people were very attached to their first car or truck. Travis’ first truck was sitting in the back lot, it was technically the only vehicle he owned at the moment. Maybe he would change that sometime… it wasn’t like he was short on money… owning a very popular and private mechanic’s shop, anything he didn’t spend on maintaining the shop or paying his employees was instead put into his pocket, so to speak. One of the nearby Bank owners was a very loyal customer of his, and had hooked him up with a Business Bank Account with the usual charges and such waived… and with his customer base, which seemed to be growing, he was never really short on funds.

ID.

One thing he hated about legal stuff, ID was always needed. Was it to much to just have a car without doing all the paper work crap. Digging into his back left hand pocket, the teen pulled out a rugged wallet which had seen better days. The worn out Velcro barely even clasped it closed and the colors were pealing and fading leaving a faint resemblance to the Power Ranger's emblem. The wallet had been cool when he was eight, but seven years later it was a bit...not exactly retro but not really cool either.

His fingers fumbled about till he pulled out his Nation card. It was better then nothing, but not really helpful either. Talking more to his wallet then the man, he couldn't help but wish he had his fingers around a fake id. Taylor really had to make his life difficult, denying him the protection he really needed. "1967 Pontiac GTO." It wasn't that flashy of a car, not yet at least, but at least the wheels turned and the thing moved forward. His fingers held tightly onto what form of identification he actually had. "Don't have a phone..."

The ID tapped against the top of his wallet as his weight shifted from one foot to the other. No phone, no real address.....yeah he wasn't exactly going to catch much of anything with the rate he was going. On the plus side, Travis at least was going to let him slide about the whole insurance thing. His feet slowly moved forward as he kept some swag about himself. Covering his face with his thumb, the ID tapped on the top of the counter. "Address is whats ever on the plates."

If only he had a really cool cigar or something to hang out of his mouth, or even a pinch of chew. He needed something that would give him an edge, even his blue stare gaze wasn't enough. Clearing his throat out seemed to be the best course of action. "Just let me know how much it'll cost and I'll get the money." His fingers played with his identification for a moment then let it drop.

Yanking off his coat he tossed it up on the counter. His hands quickly went into his pockets as he dug about for a bit longer until he caught the feeling of metal between his finger tips. Holding the diamond ring out in his palm he looked at the man with his squinted eyes. "Has to be enough for it, I just gotta get out of there."

Travis was nothing if not observant. The Velcro wallet was a solid indication that this guy wasn’t in a solid stable state back home, as he obviously couldn’t afford a good wallet to replace what looked to be something he bought at a far more impressionable part of his life. Still not his business, but it gave him some insight into the situation… it may not been that he didn’t want to get insurance, but more or less that he couldn’t afford it if he wanted to. But when the man pulled out a ‘Nation Card’, something that the mechanic had only seen a select few times in his life, things began to fall into place. Sure, the guy could drive this on the reserve, but out here in the city, he could get into some trouble. Trying to give the man the benefit of a doubt, he decided to make a comment on it, but not yet.

The man named off the make and the model of the car easily, and Travis began putting in the data into the computer… but when the man told him the ‘address’… he could help but sigh. Standing up, he looked the young man in the eyes with such intensity that it was obvious that whatever he was about to say was very serious. “If you don’t have a solid address, you could say so. Considering the lack of Driver’s License, I am guessing you live on the reserve… and I try to stay out of people’s business… but please, don’t lie to me.” The tone was both forgiving and stern, as he had to make a point.

Returning to the computer, he paused a moment to draw in a breath and let it out slowly as he finished typing in whatever information he could on the young man. He was on a razor’s edge right now with the mechanic… he could stand a lot of stuff, but lying was not one of them… he would rather someone tell him that he looks ugly than to sugar coat a lie to be nice… it was just the type of person he was. Regardless, he eyed the ring for a moment, and smirked slightly. “Well, it’s going to take a little bit to do a thorough workup of this car, seeing it’s age, so why don’t you take that down the road to Al’s Pawn Shop. The total is going to be 25 bucks even, with tax.” One thing that set his shop apart was that his prices included all taxes and whatnot, so what was listed on the board was what you paid, and it was always a nice even number… made it to where he rarely needed change, and made totals much easier to figure out at the end of the day.

He extended his right hand. “Keys please.”

He could just soil his pants right there right now. The guy wasn't making a huge deal about him not having a real address, sure he didn't seem to happy about the reply, but he just was...he would have to take this as what it was. With a bit of shrug to his shoulders, the teen looked away. He wasn't going to look at the guy in the face, how could he right now. Sure living on the run, living out of the car seemed like a cool idea, had a nice edge to it, but then there was a situation like this and he just didn't find it as fascinating. Homeless, didn't yell out badass....didn't yell out anything really other then stupid.

"No solid...." Fine, he could settle on that. He really wasn't sure where he was going or where he would go. The idea of trying to shack up with Cree was very tempting, but he didn't want to look like a dead beat. Plus living with her all the time would mean he'd have to give up some of his activities....but he could enroll in a new set of ones as well. He couldn't make up his mind on the matter, the commitment was more then he wanted to think about.

Hokee's fingers wrapped around the ring in his palm. The guy wasn't going to take it like that, he wanted actual cash. Now he'd have to hit up a pawn shop to sell the goods. This was more work then he wanted, but if it meant he could have a car it just might be worth it. Thrusting the ring deep into his pocket, he plucked up his coat and started to put it back on again. Hopefully the pawn shop up the read wasn't to far. He didn't feel like walking a million miles in the snow and ice. Ice was ice, and that was not something very nice at all.

Sleeve by sleeve he pulled the coat back on again. He would have to walk wherever the pawn shop was, and hopefully for both of them it wouldn't be far. Armed and ready with his coat back on, he shifted his hands around to put away what needed to go back in his pockets and dig out the car keys that were needed. Tossing them onto the counter he looked the guy over for a moment. "Al's Pawn Shop...alright." Zipping up his coat, Hokee strolled over to the door. "Be back in a half, unless some jerk runs me over."

***

The walk back to the garage seemed to drag on forever but speed by at the same time. The tops of his converse were soaked through and the feeling in his toes was unbearable. Boots would have been a better option, but it wasn't something he exactly had laying around. The sloshing sound of slush under the tires of passing cars gave warning to the next spray to anticipate, but even the splatters of snow weren't enough to keep his spirits down. He was going to have a car for real soon. He would actually be able to drive down the streets and no more of this walking crap for him.

The walking pace doubled as the sights of the garage hit his eyes. Jogging across the street he nearly wiped out in the middle before pinwheeling his arms to catch his balance. Have running, half skating, he made his way through the parking lot. Eager to get his car, and warm himself up again, he gleefully pulled the door open. "Hey." With swag in his step he ventured back into the waiting area again.

Normally, Travis could have waited to deal with the payment until after the work was done to the vehicle, and then taken his nice and able vehicle to the Pawn Shop… but he had to drive a point home. You don’t lie to Travis Daoine Kable… even if it is the most fucked up thing in the world. That, is why, he made the young man walk. But, it also bought him time to reward his non-confrontation to the ordeal. Some youths would disrespect the idea, walk out, and try to find a mechanic willing to put up with his crap, but this guy knew he was wrong, and stuck it out. Travis could respect that, and thus, had done a bit more than just the fundamental inspection in the short time.

But he would find out soon.

He had pulled all his mechanics to work on this vehicle for a very short amount of time to work on the vehicle, and he could honestly say that he was happy with the results. The belts, all of them had been changed. A full oil flush and change, to include the filter. The spark plugs… which he had amazingly found 3 different kinds in the engine, had been changed… and the car overall had gotten a bath. She was relatively clean, although the interior could certainly use some work getting cleaned, but that was on him. He didn’t do detailing… at least, not yet… but most importantly, he taken the muffler, cleaned it out, and actually attached it to the frame.

All that said, what he was planning to offer the young man was something completely different.

Speak of the devil, he had just washed his hands as the youth entered, and moved towards him. He flashed the young man a smile… “Your car is done, and it certainly passed inspection… but I have something that is a hair more important than your vehicle.” He paused, and flashed a knowing smirk… like he had an ace in the hole. “I want to offer you a job.” This will cause a moment of shock… he was certain, so he would let that information digest for just a hair moment.

“Ultimately, I need a shopkeep. You would just be doing little things here and there, cleaning out the cars, taking out the trash, and so on, but it’s a job. Considering you had to sell a ring to get the payment for your inspection, I can only guess that you don’t have a line of work at the moment. We can talk hours later, after we take a short drive in your car.” With that, he slung a leather jacket waiting on the counter around his back, sheathing himself, and began walking out to his vehicle that was slowly inching out of the garage. His top mechanic waited with the driver door open.

“Shop’s yours for an hour. Make sure to get McConnel’s van done before four, he’s swinging by with his kids, so it needs to be ready, alright?” he said with both kindness and authority. “You got it Boss.” he replied, moving inside. He waited then for the youth to come out and climb in the car… and would wait with the keys for it dangling in his hand. He had specifically had the guys pull the car out, turned off, in neutral for dramatic effect… the engine sounded like a whole new breed of animal from when he first got his hands on it. A lot of work still needed to be done, granted… but that was half the reason that he was making the offer on the job… after he got done with work, they could easily work on his car for a little bit every day, and he wouldn’t get charged for labor, because he would be able to do the work with a little supervision.

He would wait for him to get in and fire up the engine, and wait for a reaction. Then, and only then, would he move around to the other side and climb in so they could continue their discussion.

There was something more then his car. S***. Did this guy do some sort of background check or did Taylor call around to every car shop in a 50mile radius to tell them to never let him actually get his car. If she stopped him from getting a car, oh there was going to be major raising of hell. That woman had a thing about obeying all the laws and keeping her nose clean, he had every intention of shoving her face down in a giant puddle of mud if she--did the guy seriously offer him a job. If it was humanly possible for his eyes to squint even smaller, then it was exactly what he did. You couldn't just walk into a garage and luck out for the guy to look over major important things plus give you a job. There had to be a catch. He must know something, life couldn't go right, not for him at least.

Shop hand....the name of occupation wasn't exactly all that thrilling, but it was a job. Taking a step backwards, he kept his eyes on Travis. There had to be a hidden agenda, there had to be. Taking out trash, cleaning stuff up. This was like...slavery. Hear him out....just...s*** this guy has to know something.Travis was pulling on a jacket...he wanted to take a short drive with him. Mob man, serial killer....damnit stop thinking. "Okay?" Quizzically he followed after the man, to bad he didn't have a snow brush to use in case if things got a bit shady.

Doors were being held open for him. This was...not...normal. Then his car rolled out from the garage, or he thought it was his car. It certainly looked better then what he had drove in. "<insert profanity of choice here>". Spinning around quickly Hokee looked back in the shop. Was there a camera clue there ready to put him on some hoax TV show where they surprise the crap out of you and then tell you it was all a joke? Looking through the window, he could see the plates...those were the same plates he brought in, right? After a few turns inside the shop, he walked back out side while his hand weaved through his dreadlocks.

Travis seemed to be waiting at the car for him to climb in. Could his legs even move that far? This was a totally different buzz that he wasn't used to having. Normally his coursing surge of adrenaline was due to other reasons of negative circumstances but this was...like taking in a nice long leisurely look at Cree's legs or feeling the soft flesh of woman curves cupped in his hands. A miracle at hand, he managed to get down to his car. The outside of it looked breathtaking, though the inside still needed a bit of work. It was like he was sitting on a throne, this was his kingdom now. Reclining the seat back a bit, he ran both his hands in his hair relaxing. He really had a car, he really honest to goodness had a car. Sure it was a junker, but it looked so much better then he ever thought. The headrest felt like a million feather pillows, he could just sleep right there in the car forever and never complain in the slightest. There was no way on earth he'd ever let this thing out of his hands again. Unless he was doing stuff with Cree, but it be locked up and hiding under a tarp so no one like him might get their hands on it.

Taking the keys from Travis' hand, he put them in the ignition. The purr from under the hood was something he could have only fantasized about and the soft vibrations of the wheel in his hand felt like sweet love making, or what he imagined it to feel like. Life. Was. Great. Letting go of the wheel long enough to adjust his seat to a better position, he just marveled at the difference. Chills ran up and down his arm, this time not due to another spray of slush from a car or the winter wind mocking at him. After Travis climbed into the car, he couldn't resist any longer. Revving the engine he actually smiled. Now this would really impress Cree. "Damn fine."

The panic on the young man’s face before he had said that he was going to offer him a job was priceless, and made the moment completely worth the trouble of fixing up his car. Lord he wish he had a camera for that moment, but he also wondered what it was that had caused him such a stressful moment. Once again, not really his business, and if the young man wanted to shed some insight on the subject, he would on his own accord. The expression on his face when he realized he had just been offered a job was even better than the one of fear, and Travis couldn’t help but suppress a laugh quickly. He was throwing this kid for a loop, he could tell.

There was suspicion, disbelief, and a myriad of other emotions that swam through the young man’s eyes, but he took none of it to heart. It was the reaction, the shock, to the unwavering kindness that Travis was showing the young man… he would have to be tested, of course, to see how trustworthy he would be, as his first impression wasn’t all that great. He had lied to Travis once, and hopefully learned his lesson by the long trek through the snow and slush… the mechanic also refrained from mentioning that he had witnessed him almost busting his ass on the ice in anticipation of getting his car. Travis himself had done it, not something that anyone was usually all that proud of, to say the least.

He noticed the young man also seemed to have looked back at the shop, like he felt like he was being watched, or perhaps dreaming or something. This was certainly reality, to say the least, but once again, Travis kept his comments to himself… if there was one thing he was good at, it was placing his words when they needed to be said. The young man seemed hesitant, but when the vehicle rumbled to life, and sounded so much more smooth than the first time, he could see the love in the young man’s eyes for his vehicle… the same look that Travis himself had for his truck. It was a sense of accomplishment and attachment… your first vehicle, the iconic moment of rising from being a boy to a young adult, for most. He could see that in his expression, and quickly moved to the other side and entered the vehicle.

The two words that came out of his mouth were all he needed in appreciation.

But with that, he made a bit of a suggestion. “So, let’s take her out for a spin while we talk details on your employment.” he said patiently and more as a request than a command. Trying to command a youth when you didn’t hold a true place of authority over said individual usually resulted in rebellion… gentle suggestion to someone who you had the appreciation of was usually far more effective. “So, talk to me. What’s your availability for hours? And have you come up with a name for this old girl yet?” he asked with a pat to the dashboard much the same way someone would a loved pet.

Take the car out for a spin. Take the car out for a spin....wait...take the car out for a....He couldn't be awake, this couldn't be real. Was he honestly having a decent dream in the back of Taylor's car in the garage at the Mansion? It was just to realistic, to perfect, to...hell if this was a dream he could enjoy it as long as it lasted. Pity to the poor fool who dared to wake him from it. "Spin...yeah." This wasn't going to be like the joy rides he had before, this was not the car he wanted to spin out on the street and crash into a mailbox nor something he wanted to roll into a ditch.

He was someone. He was important. He was a god.

With his foot pressed on the brake, his hand started to caress the top of the dashboard. Any dust that might be collecting between his finger tips was like icing on a cake. A sweet, sweet cake that he intended on enjoying for a long time. Shifting the car into gear, his foot slid off the break as he tapped the gas. The feel of her under his feet, the simple response of her under his body, it was meant to be. A little work might have been done on the car, but it felt like a new vehicle to him now. This was not the same car he drove an hour ago.

Waiting to pull out of the parking lot, he actually flipped his blinker on. His inside peculated about as this dream world continued to grow. He had plenty of chances to pull out of the lot, but the feeling of the soft rumble under his foot, the rhythm of the wheel in his hands, he just didn't want to end the moment. Once the street was completely clear, the youth in him roared out as he pealed out. Twisting the wheel back and forth to regain control after a bit of a slide, he couldn't help but picture how slick this would be in the summer. The smell of burning rubber under the heat of the sun was already picturing in the back of his nose. Leaning back in the seat a bit, he left one hand on the wheel as his arm rested against the frame of the door.

The black paint on the car rolled about in his mind. It was a good color, but for some reason he couldn't think of a better color for it to be other then a nice deep purple. He might have to hit up a library or something like that to find out the best paint to do cars and all, but it would be worth it. With his mind drifting a bit, he nearly forgot to stop at a stop sign. No wonder he trashed a few cars already with his efforts to make it to NYC.

Availability? Slowing down a bit, mainly because his foot was getting slightly heavy on the gas, Hokee had to think of when he could show up at the shop. Sure he told Taylor he'd do a class...but a job offered him money and money meant he could really deck out his car. "Whenever.I'll eat, sleep, breath there." He dropped out of real school once, it couldn't be that hard to do it again. He'd be a pro soon at this rate. It wasn't like he was actually attending a real school, it was just a class. With a job he didn't need to stay with all the freak mutants, he could live life the way it should be. Forget about going back their tonight, he'd just pull over someplace and sleep the night in his car. This was his home now, no one or nothing would take him away from this fine workmanship.

"Koko." The name rolled off his tongue like a passionate kiss. There could be no better name for the car, nothing would fit the beauty that she captured. "Dark Koko." His mouth watered slightly as the euphoric feelings prickled his spinal chord. Rubbing the door a bit, he couldn't help but wait for the nights he'd have with her. With nice gleaming silver to shine from her wheels and deep dark purple paint job, baby she'd be hot. After he'd get the car all spiffed up to a new paint job and such, he'd pick up Cree. "No....just Koko."

The young man still seemed to be dazed, or in shock, or both. Travis did his best to stifle a laugh at this fact, but he couldn’t hide the smile he had on his face. He had likely help transform this young man’s life, likely forever. That was fine… he could deal with that, because with a little guidance, he could very easily see this young man turning out just fine. He just needed a little help, and Travis felt good that he had provided the young man with the first step, a decent entry level job, and help with his vehicle. He noticed the young man seemed to be a little inexperienced in the realm of driving though, and he knew that he didn’t have a license.

Both of which were things he could fix.

It was even more evident as he did an amature burnout of the parking lot… likely wearing a good amount of tread off his tires, and considering the cold and slick conditions, he could have damaged the vehicle. Travis, at no time, expressed worry… he had at least waited until the street was clear, and anything broken could easily be fixed. He also knew, at any time, he could wrench control of the vehicle from the young man with nothing more than a thought should the situation prove dangerous. He wouldn’t unless he absolutely had to, of course, but regardless, the option was there.

He was obviously daydreaming, nearly missing a stop sign, and Travis continued to stay quiet for now… let him enjoy it, drink it in… it would make what would happen soon very much better. He did grow a small bit less joyous at his response for hours though… that was something that would have to be addressed quickly. “I know I ain’t your Dad kid… but education is important if you want to survive in this world, although I do appreciate your dedication to the idea of the job. By the way you are talkin’ too, you ain’t got a place to stay, so I also have a couch that is more than available if you want to sleep there. Or, worst comes to worst, you can pull ‘Koko’ into the garage and sleep there… it’ll be warmer than outside.”

That being said, he needed to lay down the rule.

“But you gotta get educated. I’ll help out with whatever I can, and as a bonus, I might have some special parts for your car as long as your attendance stays up and you are actually try in class. Believe it or not, I was a lot like you not all that many years ago… but the only reason I am where I am now is getting through the hell that is the Public Education System.”

He would let that settle… he had even promised rewards for his vehicle if he complied… not a bad deal, honestly.

Letting his foot off the break, Hokee gently applied a bit of gas to move the car forward again. The silence for the most part in the car was nice, he had almost forgotten that he had a passenger. Swallowing harshly, he tried to keep his composer but found it slightly difficult. Narrowing his eyes a bit, he pushed the accelerator down more and worked his way to drive down the street. Freedom of driving should help ease down the conflicting dealings between his ears. Course your not my dad, to sober.Shifting his weight in the seat, the teen's right shoulder moved higher towards his ear as he leaned more back into the seat.

"School doesn't get along with me." There was no lie about that one, or was it that he didn't get along with school well. Either way it didn't make much difference. Some people were meant to be scholars and then there were others who were meant to be nothing. Nothing was fine, it worked. Why hold high expectations to yourself, it just gave room for more disappointment. "This lady tried to get me taking classes...can't stand her." Turning the car around a corner, he took a bit of satisfaction of running through some slush spraying a parked car. With any luck it could have been one of the many that got him earlier throughout the day.

Pulling the car over to the side of the road, he put the car in park and turned the engine off. Turning his head out the driver side window, he kept his gaze away from the man. Taylor gave him the deal first, a place to stay and all he had to do was show up for one class a semester. It seemed reasonable, but it just wasn't his thing. Now he had the option of actually having a real job, get a chance to tweak his car more and there was a couch he could sleep on. Either option he was stuck with schooling, something he didn't really want one way or another.

Could he just deny the job and live on the streets in his car? It could be done, just pull over to different places, sleep there for the night and muddle his way through the day finding things to do. He could hit up the stores, find stuff with his five figure discount and take it into the pawn shop. Not an honest living, but it sure was better then school. Running a hand through his hair he tried to keep his cool. Getting a car today was enough to keep him excited for sometime, then his car getting spiffed up like it was, an option for a place to stay. How much could he take in one day.

He needed a distraction. Looking at the dashboard, he located the perfect thing. He hadn't a chance yet to really look under the hood and no better time then now. He needed to buy his time, he needed to let things mull over....he needed to find a way to avoid school. Opening the door, he climbed out of the car, that was after he remembered he was buckled up and had to free himself (and retrieving the keys from the ignition). Having to keep an eye on traffic, he finally made his way to the front of the car. Feeling for the latch, he pulled the hood up. Looking for a moment he spotted what he needed and soon the hood of his car was standing up in the air like it should. Crossing his arms, his squinted eyes just stared at everything. He wasn't really looking for anything in particular, but drifting away mentally. He needed time, time to figure what the hell to do.

He was getting a feel for the car… slowly but surely getting a handle for the play in the brakes, the responsiveness of the gas, and so on. It would take time, and practice, but he would be provided time… it was completely up to him to take the time to get to know the car. He needed a license though, which meant time, practice and patience. Probably a spot of cash too, for whatever fees he might have to pay. All of that was in his grasp… he needed to do things the right way, and Travis was willing to put him on the right path. He was digesting the situation still, it was plain on his face, so what he needed now was time to figure things out.

Travis couldn’t help but laugh a little though. “Oh trust me, me either until I found Shop class, where I found my talent with cars and such… but let me give you the truest statement I know of… ‘Nothing worth a damn is easy to get…’. Simply put, if you want something that’s good, you gotta work for it. School sucks, granted, but in the longrun, it will make shit easier. You can’t think about the present all the time, and now I sound like a philosopher or some crap so I’m gonna shut up.” He paused with a wry smile, and watched as he carefully drove his car around for a moment.

He finally pulled over to the side of the road and stopped, and couldn’t help but notice that the young man obviously had some sort of issues with looking him in the eye. Maybe it was some kind of self-confidence issue… who could tell, perhaps he could work on that too while he was in his care. The more he thought about it, the more it seemed like he was adopting the young man rather than just giving him a helping hand in the right direction. Oh well… maybe that was how it was supposed to be. He was a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, even if he doesn’t understand the reasoning right away. It always became apparent in time, and he would give it that time and see what happened.

The man got out of the car and began looking over his engine… the simple action of opening the hood showed his level of mechanical expertise… which was slight at best. That was fine… as long as he was willing to learn Travis could teach him anything he ever wanted to know, not only about mechanics and how to maintain his vehicle, but as far as the little things too. Idly, Travis wondered why he saw himself so much in the young man… there were some stark differences, for certain, but there was something else… a bond he felt more than could explain.

Oh well, it was time to make his move. Stepping out of the car, he rounded the corner to where he was looking at the engine. “I know I just slapped a lot on your plate. Take some time, mull it over, and get back to me on it either way, alright?” Not really waiting for a response, he turned, put his hands in his pockets, and began to walk back towards the shop. The ball was in his court now…

The insides of his stomach curled in the back of his throat. The very thing he wanted was paired up with the very thing he didn't want to do. Sure nothing in life would come easy to him if he didn't blah blah....but still the general concept of it all seemed to semi sane. The mix of new and old parts shimmed under the hood as the light from the sun pranced about under his hood. It was in this haze of zoning out a voice broke through again, a voice that he wasn't completely sure to much about. The guy was giving him options, options he didn't have elsewhere but was it worth it if he had to go to school again?

Nodding his head slightly, he kept his eyes on the engine. There was a lot on his plate, to much, maybe. "Travis?" That was the guy's name, right? With everything sloshing about in his head, he couldn't be to certain of anything right now, more so anything that was life changing.

Running his hand through his hair, he turned slightly. "Travis?" The guy was walking away! Well that really sucked. Sure he might have gotten out of his own car without saying much of anything, but he hadn't expected the man to go waltzing away on him. Slightly annoyed he would just have to bite his tongue on this matter.

Being extra careful, he closed the hood of his car and jogged up the street in the direction Travis was walking. "Hey." The word seemed to be the word of the day from him, or at least his way of greetings of sorts. "Would I have to do the whole school thing right away or could I...settle in first?" It was important to know, he didn't want to throw himself into something and not know what was going to happen. School was not something to look forward to, but cash would be nice.

Rubbing the back of his neck, he knew there were certain things he'd have to do. Maybe he could pull off getting a few days off to figure things out more. He might have made to the trip to NYC in a drop of a dime, but leaving school was much easier then going back to it. He didn't even like it when September hit every year and he had to give up his free time to sit around in stuffy classrooms and such. On the plus side, he had been offered a couch to sleep on, and he got this without threatening Travis with a snow brush, this was an improvement.