Wish's Folly

Extra One: Mater: Private Eye

"Thanks, Flo." Liv smiled while she picked up the drink. It was a bit much for one day- built in a canister more suiting for her friends than herself. Nonetheless, it was a canister of fruit juice, and she would happily take the chance to actually have a tasty drink for once... That wasn't made by Fillmore.

"No problem, sweetie." Flo gave a nod. The sun had set maybe an hour or so ago. This was the earliest that Liv had ever dared to stay out, and even then this was only to get some extra time with the others. Mater and Lightning were currently fueling up, and Fillmore had once more dragged Sarge towards the traffic light to watch it blink yellow.

Thankfully it had been a quiet week... Ever since Lightning moved into town, business had been booming.- That of course meant Liv's appearances at night went way down, and explaining why the 'abandoned shop' hadn't been torn down was getting more difficult. At the moment, however, she was just ready to take her waking drink and put it back in her home. Couldn't just permanently take a cone- she would risk getting spotted far more easily that way.

"Soooo..." Liv made her way to Lightning and Mater, sitting down on the pavement in front of them both. Lightning was drinking from a canister, as was Mater. The canisters had no rust on them (or hippie paintings), just pure steel. Hopefully that meant they were Flo's. "Anything exciting happen t'day?"

"Wellllll... Ah tol' Ligh'nin' here 'bout th' time Ah was'a private eye!" Liv quirked an eyebrow. Lightning had only been moved in for a few days... And already Mater was starting with that stuff? She hummed, casting a glance to Lightning. The bewildered expression he gave was all she needed.

"Sounds like it was a fun day, then... Didja enjoy the conga line?" She grinned. Lightning's mouth opened mutely. Mater nodded, his smile stretching from mirror to mirror.

"Of course Ah did!" He demonstrated, flinging one tire forward and one back with a 'cha!'. Liv dared to take a sip of her fruit juice. It was actually pretty good.- It was of the same quality one expected of a gas station, but it was better than anything she'd had in months.

"Glad to hear it." She took another draft of the juice. Delicious.... "I'm a hint fuzzy on the details... You were saved by Lieutenant Lightning, right?" McQueen's jaw dropped as Mater nodded.

"Of course Ah was!" He took a large sip from his oil canister, nearly emptying it in a single go. "'N' Ah stopped Big D, 'course." He smirked before taking another sip of his oil. The can now empty, he used his hook (how even did it Liv never knew) to swing the can onto his bed. "Now if'n ya'll need me, Ah'mma go catch some z's!" Mater took off.

Lightning remained there, his oil still partially full as he blinked a few times. He then quirked an eyebrow.

"... How'd you guess?..." Liv drank some more of her fruit juice before bothering to respond.

"Easy." She glanced towards Mater, who was nearly at his junkyard already. The guy's tow line was swinging from side to side, just waiting for the next time he'd have to tow another car back to town. "... Mater's always telling the same stories... It's like a tradition for him.- And some of the guys like to bring in their cousins n' family so that Mater can think the stories are 'real'.- Like Flo's sister, Glo."

".. That makes more sense than those stories being real, I guess." Lightning finally went back to sipping his oil. Liv hummed.

"Well, some of them are true- he just adds in the listener to make them feel more included. I remember him telling me I was part of some elite flying squad, once... I nearly died on the spot." Liv chuckled quietly.

"... One of the Falcon Hawks who saved him from a free-fall to his wreck?" Lightning's response was on-point. Liv pushed the canister of fruit juice away from herself.

"You better believe it!... I thought he was a mile high for a night or two, if y'get what I mean..." Lightning rolled his eyes.

"... He's my best friend, what can I say... He's always high." The two were silent for a moment as they locked eyes....

And then broke down into twin fits of laughter.