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10pm finds Amber bathed and into soft clothes (her hat, naturally, is very much in evidence) after a long day's work. What she's doing sitting on the roof of her shack is anyone's guess. More puzzling, how the hell did she get a cooler up there with her and how's she keeping it from falling off?
Rock and roll music plays under some V-8 music as a cameo-locket-colored 56 Chevy Nomad comes rumbling up the drive, and around there, then, the engine cuts out and the radio turns down, as it rolls on up to the garages' back entry, with a strange "VRRR" sound in place of the rumble. Then lights go out, and Diz gets out, pausing to open the tailgate and fish out a fairly long parcel.
Amber watches all this with mild curiosity as she reaches into the cooler for a bottle of something dark colored. "Howdy.", she calls, waving to the girl when she gets out. "Nice ride. Need a hand with that?"
Julie smiles, glancing back, "Hey, sure, got another one like this… ain't as heavy as it maybe looks." She reaches out a hand and a lock on one of the doors clicks open. "Come on in if you like, still gets chilly out."
Amber puts her bottle back into the cooler and begins the brief, but possibly hair-raising to an observer, process of getting off the roof and down to ground level. "Nah, it ain't so bad.", she says at length. "Hell, Montana was /way/ colder'n this." she shrugs. "'Sides, I like bein' out of doors. Ain't much to see in that apartment, ain't even got a TV yet.", she adds, moving to snag the other package.
Julie nods, "Really something else, these grounds, not that I'm from so far off. Just less altitude, I guess." That much would be obvious from her accent, of course. She also happens to have brought some beer she takes up with the other hand, apparently just having been to town. She leads on in to the shop and class area at the back, which is rather more decorated than some of the areas with the estate's vehicles and car collection further forward. "California's kinda nice, too, only you miss the snow eventually."
"California.", Amber replies, rolling her eyes slightly, letting her tone convey her opinion of the state. "They let you keep beer, here?" she asks, nodding to the six pack. "Shit, wish I'd known that when I went to the store the other day." she sighs. "I shall correct that post-haste tomorrow afternoon."
Julie nods, "Just kinda keep it away from the younger kids. I kinda keep it locked up." She wiggles a hand at a light on a dimmer, to add some illumination around a desk and some seats and stools by a fairly-rough looking Studebaker Hawk in a partial state of dis-assembly, it'd seem, with an engine looking rather fresher on a stand in front of it. There's a fair amount of automotive and accessory-logo ed fittings, there. Sets down her box, "Here, why don't you take a load off and have one, think I got my reading for classes done in town."
"Wow, that Scott feller was right yesterday, you do know you way around cars.", Amber says, giving an appreciative whistle. "Oh, thankee kindly.", Amber says, reaching for a bottle. "Ah hell, where's my manners?", she blushes, immediately removing her hat. "Think I was born in a barn or some such." she chuckles. "You goin' to college?
Julie winks, "Yeah," she says. "However long that takes, with the teaching and the rest. That goldie there's the shop class project car for a year or three, depending what else comes up along the way. Came in needing almost everything done, which is kinda what you want for teaching all this stuff." She smirks. "Ay, don't worryabout it, it's a garage." She pops the top, she's brought Schaeffer beer, with an opener screwed to a handily-placed workbench between the two. "You taking care of horses, here, too, with a hat like that? Salud."
"Cheers." Amber replies, clinking bottles before taking her turn with the bottle opener. "Looks like she'll be a doozie." she says, nodding approvingly. "So whatcha studying at uni, more mechanics?" she inquires, leaning against the bench and taking a long, slow sip from her bottle. "Well, I reckon I will, they got horses here at all.", she shrugs. "Long as it ain't sheep."
Julie winks. "Kinda. Some engineering, also been keeping up some study on jet engines, turboshafts, stuff like that. Could be I end up in California again some day, got an uncle in the helo business, there, among the usual stuff, and piston engines are on the way out for those. Anyway, school's kinda what they call a progressive education, could be Greek philosophy one minute, first aid medicine the next. You never know what folks like us could end up needing to know in this world."
"Yeah, yeah, they do got a lot of aerospace companies out there, don't they?" Amber replies, nodding. "Hear tell there's good money in it, too, you got the right credentials.", she adds before taking another swig. "Mm, this' good stuff." she says, peering at the bottle. "Schaeffer. Ain't familiar with this brand." she notes. "I like it. Turns out Yankees can do a thing or two right. Who'da known?" she chuckles, tossing Diz a wink. "Progressive education. Sounds nice. My own was more…in situ. i learned to do shit or I starved."
Julie laughs, "Yeah, who knows, maybe those companies'll even hire girls for engineers one day, the way things is going, but they ain't there yet. Assuming I end up any good. But, yaknow, turning wrenches is the family business, pretty much. My Uncle Angelo's got an old airstrip over on the other coast, though, mostly a speed shop and we use the strip for some drags, these days, but we still work on the old birds and stuff like that."
"Heh, you'da loved the squat I had in Arizona, then." Amber chuckles. "Some old wrecked C-47 went down durin the war on a training hop. Least I presume that's the case." she notes. "Very comfy, once I cleared out all the damn scorpions." she smirks. "Yeah, I think they will. The companies hirin' girls for engineers and the like. Hell, we won a whole war with planes and ships and guns and bombs made mostly by women. They ain't that damn dumb as to overlook that fact. They're dumb, mind ya, but not that dumb."
Julie smiles, jerking her thumb to a cart nearby. "Yeah, well, who knows if we'll ever go back to that, I mean, that's some of my Mama's welding stuff from the shipyards, but she'd really rather I was married and turned into Betty Crocker… Fat chance of that, sad to say," she says, adding a something apologetic-ish, in Italian there. "I dunno, maybe this whole womens' lib thing'll catch on, who knows."
"Heh, my momma wanted me to marry a oil man." Amber chuckles, swigging at her beer. "Settle down in Dallas with money squirtin' outta my ears." she snerks. "Yeah, good luck with that, momma.", she says, toasting playfully. "Lemme know how it works out for ya." Amber gives a little sigh and gets quiet for a moment. "Well, way I see it's thusly, ain't nobody gonna liberate you but you. You want something, you go and you get it. You don't take no shit from nobody in the process. Second you bend your knee, somebody's foot's gonna be on your back the rest of your life."
Julie winks. "Well, I dunno, we go through a lotta 40-weight around here, maybe you could get in a position to get us a discount, that way." But she raises the bottle a bit about the sentiment, more sincerely. "But, yeah, I dunno if I really wanna spend my life at a drafting board, or anything, anyhow, just wanna know about that stuff, just now. Ain't so good working on things you don't understand, you know?"
"Oh, I do, believe you me." Amber chuckles ruefully. "Had more than a few experiences went just that way.", she says, clinking bottles with Diz. "Lord, I have no idea what I'm doin', but if you'd see your way clear t'helpin' me out, I'd sure appreciate it." she chuckles, then sighs, shaking her head slowly. "So, hey, I been meanin' to ask but ain't had a chance. You're name's Diz, yeah? Is that your proper moniker or is it a nickname like Scott?"
Julie laughs, "Kinda confusing, I guess, most folks call me Dizzy or Diz except around here, funny enough, unless we're using mutant names. A lotta the kids are really into giving folks those kinds of nicks or sticking to them. Prof and Teach Hank get kinda formal about given names, sometimes, like a lotta teachers a lot, so I get Julied a lot here. You'll probably catch on.
"Gotcha.", Amber replies, nodding even though it's clear by her tone she really doesn't, but further explanation will only lead to further confusion, so let's stop the bus here. "This is a nice place, I gotta say. Professor Xavier must have some powerfully deep pockets to bankroll an operation such as this." she notes, taking another swig of her beer. "Is it true there's a jet? I heard a rumor there's a jet."
Julie smirks. "Well, that'd be kinda crazy, wouldn't it, a school jet in a place like this?" She winks, though, possibly teasing. "And the Prof, well, yeah, he kinda comes from the upper crust, I guess. There's a few benefactors, too, you can figure. I figure there's at least some rich folks who wouldn't be there if they weren't smart enough to know what a place like this can mean to the world, or what not having em would." She adds, taking out a pack of smokes and offering one over before taking one, herself. "Anyway, we'll have a look at that ride of yours about any time, I guess. Maybe a chance to see how the kids are coming along with the diagnosis skills. More experience they get there, the better."
"Yeah, yeah, I take your point entirely. Say the word 'mutant' and there's more'n a few apt to fill their didies." Amber nods, shaking her head ruefully. "He seems a good sort, all of ya do." she says, nodding slowly. "To the Xavier Institute.", she proposes, holding the remaining third of her beer up in tribute. "Please, Lord, let's get it right this time." she smirks. At the mention of looking after Bertha, Amber gives a short bark of laughter. "Ha! I dunno if I want y'all lookin' at Bertha. A proper mechanic lookin' at my handywork? You might have an anyeurism or somethin'." she giggles.
Julie smirks, "Don'worryabout it. Probably, I seen worse, but, hey, sometimes you learn something new from someone else's meatball jerry-rigging." She points out toward where there's a big old six-wheeled truck stashed nearby. "You shoulda seen how some of that ol' Power Wagon was when we, ah, got hold of her. "
"Heh, I can believe it. You oughta seen Bertha when I found 'er. Took me most of that summer to figure out how to get 'er runnin' again. Say this for Ford, they build somethin', they don't mess about." (Imagine Amber's disappointment when the Pinto debuts in about a decade.) "Yeah, you're gonna learn somethin' all right." she chuckles. "Don't do /that/." she winks teasingly.
Julie ahs, "As long as the bones is still good, you can just keep changing out parts, pretty much. We done up a lotta flathead V-8s, plenty of people still using 'em, and all. I'll have to show you the Raider out there, though, some of the woodland out there, could even need the six-wheel drive, some seasons." Dizzy, well, she'll likely be a bit horrified at the coming 'malaise era' of American cars. Fortunately, her powers ought to help her get through the energy crises, at least. She does chuckle, though, "Anyway, whatever we do, no sense not-doing it right.
"Amen to that one." Amber nods respectfully. "No matter what it might be.", she adds firmly. "That-a-way, you ain't gotta do it over." she smirks. "Say, not meanin' to impose, but you got anything to read?", she asks. "Finished the last paperback I had last night and I forgot to hit the library."
Julie hrms, and thinks. "Ah, probably something, between classes and some stuff somene keeps trying to get me to read. Had something in mind, maybe?"
Amber gives a little shrug, polishing off the rest of her beer and looking around for a place to put the bottle. "I'm up for anything, really. Just wanna keep the noggin' occupied for a spell 'fore I go to bed." she replies simply. "Thanks for the beer, owe ya one." she smiles.
Julie smirks. "Forget about it,, Think I got one of those books everyone's on about lately with these hobbit guys in em." She kicks out to roll her chair along a desk, and looks under some paperwork, and finds what she's looking for, a Tolkien book. "Maybe see what you think, there. Guy sure put a lot into it, that's for sure."
"Ha! Fellowship of The Ring…been a spell since I been down Hobbiton way." Amber grins, "Thank you very kindly, miss. I'll be sure this gets back to ya." she promises. "Those books kept me goin' a many a mile." she smiles. "Ya know, they get the right feller in the director's chair, this'd make one hell of a movie."
Julie smirks a bit, "Think they'd need to find a whole lotta short guys."
Amber chuckles. "Yeah, there is that.", she snerks. "Anyhow, I thank you kindly for the beer, the book, and the coversation, miss Diz.", Amber says putting her hat back on her head. "But I'd best be heading bedwards. Got composting to do in the mornin'. Lookin' forward to that 'bout as much as a firin' squad. Might be borrowin' a few ounces of gasoline." she notes. "Fire's only way to get the stink out."
Julie nods, "I got some old diesel around, that'll probably end up tasting better in a garden than ethyl's liable to."
"Naw, not to garden with. To bathe with." Amber winks. "Benefits of bein' fireproof." she winks.