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As is often the case of an evening, the back bay doors of the garage at Xavier's are open, with some light and cock&roll radio spilling out. Partway into the bays is a '59 Chevy delivery van with a pair of tennis shoes, attached to some legs, half-dangling off the driver's side step, and there's a droplight shining inside. Dizzy thumps the starter button while holding something inside the open engine bay a couple more times as the motor seems to try to cough to life, again, and there's a little stream of Italian as it doesn't quite catch. The sneakered feet move around again, somewhat.
*
Amber's workday has come, thankfully, to a close. All that's left to do is park the Craftsman in it's spot in under her shack. That done, she kills the engine, pauses at the nearby hose to fill her Stetson about halfway full of cold water and use it as a basin to wash off her face and hands. With that out of the way, she turns her attention to the garage and cracks a smile before dashing upstairs and into her little apartment, returning with a pair of ice cold Dr Peppers.
"Evenin', Diz, sounds like ya need somethin' to wet yer whistle.", she calls out.
*
Danielle strolls unhurriedly across the lawn, a cloth-wrapped bundle slung over one shoulder. She didn't get out of a car, and her line of travel is from the trees out over yonder. Over yonder, where there's not much other than upstate woodlands. Regardless, she tromps her way up to the garage like she belongs, tossing her bundle onto a workbench and calling out, "Hey, Jules," towards the dangly feets.
*
Well, the car she uses for work is at work, and the van she uses for everything else is in Julie's care, which means Yuliya has had to redistribute someone else's pushbike to herself like a good little communist. Sure, she might be dressed in business attire, but that doesn't mean that's not been peddling. She's sweating and breathing heavily as she rolls the borrowed bike around the back of the institute. She's muttering to herself in Russian, no doubt cursing another one of her ideas. She rests the bike against the wall, and leans against the wall. "Sorry, Julie. I tried to get her faster," she offers in a Russian accent. She runs a hand through her sweaty hair, and seems to consider the two unfamiliar faces and offers a friendly little wave.
*
Julie 's hand waves inside the van, though not quite exactly making it particularly visible outside the vehicle. "Howld that thawt!" she says, perhaps about the Dr. Peppers, because there's a quiet, then a sudden very human sputtery sound, then another quiet, then there's a 'Vrrr' as the engine turns over several times, a click, and …It's alive! Diz half-tumbles out of the van, spitting a bit. "Don't worry about it, made an air bubble, silly me." She'll accept the soda, though, having apparently tasted gasoline. "Howyadoing?"
*
Amber hands Julie a bottle and sets her own on the gloor. She then takes a moment to shake the excess water out of her hat before popping it on and doffing it to the two new arrivals. "Evenin', ladies.", she says pleasantly. "Y'all thirsty a'tall? Got a lot more Dr Peppers where these came from.", she offers. "Name's Ember, new groundskeeper, 'cause ya ain't heard.", she adds, offering her hand to the two women.
"Sounds like ya got a mouthful, there, Diz. Might wanna wash your mouth out with some water 'fore ya go swallowin' anything."
*
"Nice to meetcha. I'm Dani," the Cheyenne introduces herself, lifting one hand in greeting to both Amber and Yuliya. "I'm good, thanks. Just stopped by to make use of the power tools." She proceeds to untangle her bundle, exposing a collection of mostly-smooth sticks, each about ten inches long. "Hell of a lot easier than using a pocket knife."
*
Yuliya tilts her head to the side and considers Amber and her accent curiously, though with a hint of confusion. "Speciba, but I will drink water," she offers politely. "I have seen it in the convience stores. Is it like pepsi?" She then offers a polite incline of her head at the introduction from Amber and then Dani. "It is good to meet you both. I am Yuliya." Dani's bundle of sticks does get her interest for a moment, but she remains against the door for the time being. "I hope you are not making punji sticks."
*
Julie does accept the bottle, coming to her feet, and washing her mouth out, while raising a finger to ask pardon. and spitting the soda out quickly. Winks. to Amber. "Thanks. As gas goes, I only drink the high-test, myself," she jokes. Does however, tilt that spare finger to the very-Western gal. Wags it, like an orchestra conductor. "Ember, that's pretty good for a nickname, once it gets around. Everyone kinda gets one here." She does rinse her mouth again and spit it out off to the side of the drive again, before actually drinking the soda again. "Don't worry about it, I was just kinda doing a thing with the fuel system." She hrms, and points a finger toward the engine bay, just sort of tilting that free hand as the engine sounds change, and eventually smooth out. Meanwhile, she eyes Dani's sticks and seems to have to think about it a bit. "Arrows, I bet?"
*
Amber cocks her head a little at Yuliya's accent for a moment, then gives a little shrug. "Naw, this is bettern' Pepsi. Kinda the official drink of Texas.", she chuckles. "Guess that depends on what you're doin', miss.", she adds for Dani. "Arrows?", she asks curiously. "That'd be nifty.", she smiles. "Well, if y'all don't mind,", she adds, picking up her own botle and prizing off the top with the blunt end of her bowie knife. "I am damn near parched."
"Heh, yeah, thought it up t'other day when I met somebody. Didn't wanna use my own, so…", she shrugs nonchalantly to Diz. "Long story. Long, annoying ass, story. Suffice to say my interest in usin' banks has been more or less permanently expended. Too many idjits lookin' to rob the damn places.", she sighs.
*
"You said 'idjits', right?" Dani quirks a brow teasingly towards Amber, waggling the business end of a stick vaguely. "But you're right, way too many buffoons in town. If I hear one more 'how, kemosabe'…" She trails off as she inspects a couple of the sticks, then finds herself a small drill. "No punji sticks. Yes arrows. Trick arrows, if I do them just right. The crowds love it. Especially kids." The drill whirrs on and off a few times, with careful precision, with Dani checking her work closely the whole time. "I'm no good with cars like /some/ girls, but gimme a sharp weapon…"
*
"Pepsi is still better than the carbonated water back where I was from," Yuliya remarks with a bright smile. "One day, I might try it. Is many things to try, but usually when I try something new, violence breaks out." She gives a little shrug, like it's a fact of life to her. She then gives a little nod to Dani when informed that the sticks are for arrows and not booby traps. "What is idjit?" she asks innocently. "I have not heard that word before."
*
Julie smirks a bit, still at intervals fussing with idle and mixture screws with little twists of her free hand, occasionally making a bigger motion to rev the van's engine. Says to Dani, "We do got a lathe, you know. Come to think of it I kind of *am* a lathe, if I get a couple nails and some gloves," she winks. Looks over to Amber, though, "Well, you shouldn't haveta put up with that no more, you don't need your Daddy's or a husband's say-so to have a bank account almost a year and a half, now."
*
Amber says, "Diz, I ain't had my Daddy's or anybody else's permission for nothin' for some time now.", Amber says firmly, smiling to lighten the tone. "That said, reckon I'll just stick t' coffee cans. Worked out for me so far, more or less.", she shrugs. "Did finally have t' get my social security card, and if that wasn't the very definition of pain in the butt, I'll eat my hat.", she grumbles.
"Idjit, ya know, idiot.", Amber chuckles to Yuliya. "And I have had many similar experiences with new stuff goin' sideways on me. Ain't it annoyin' as hell?", she sighs.
"Trick arrows? You got some kinda show you do, miss?", she asks Dani curiously. "And I learned the error of my ways with that 'How' bidness in Arizona. Do not piss off an Apache.", she chuckles. "Important safety tip.""
*
Danielle considers one of the sticks… or more accurately, one of the shafts, as she muses in response to Julie, "Appreciate the thought, but I want them unbalanced just so." She quirks a grin towards the others, "Violence breaking out isn't /always/ a bad thing. Sometimes it's good for the soul. And yeah, sorta in a show. My friend is part of that Circus on the edge of the city, and since she gives me a place to camp, I do some chores, do a few archery things to impress the locals." The last comment makes her snort with a hint of tribal pride, "The Apache talk a big game. You make a Cheyenne mad, you better keep running."
*
Julie laughs a bit there, and holds up both hands, one of them soda-bottle-laden as it is, 'All's I ever asked in Arizona was 'How do I get back to Route 66 from here.' She inclines a head toward Dani, though, and says to Amber, "You oughtta see her horse sometime, he's really something else, you wanna talk about tricks." Looks to Dani, "Maybe goes without saying by now, but thanks for the air cover with that thing and those people. If you didn't hear I could fill you in on some."
*
"Oh, idiot." Yuliya finally makes her way into the workshop, and moves to inspect on of the benches. Once she's certain it's free of oil and grease, she hops up and sits down on it. "Da, I hate that when it happens, Ember," she offers to Amber. "One time I got garlic bread, and a gunfight broke out!" She then frowns a little bit. "Able was there, moaning at me to not kill. His grenades were only concussive charges." She folds her arms over her stomach and grumps for a moment. She then offers a bright grin towards Dani. "Okay, I will remember not to annoy a Cheyenne. If I go back to pulling pranks, I will remember that."
*
Amber gives a snort of laughter at Dani's comment. "I /did/ keep runnin', miss. The sumbitch /caught/ me. But, hell, had it comin'.", she shrugs. Diz's mention of Route 66 elicits another chuckle. "Think that's pretty much th' only question /to/ ask in Arizona. How the hell you get /outta/ it? Outside of th' Grand Canyon, ain't much to reccomend the place, honestly.", she sighs, shaking her head slightly. "Tombstone was a distinct diappointment. Reckon I got there too late.", she winks playfully. "Garlic bread leaning to a gunfight?", she asks of Yulia, pausing to take another big swig of Dr Pepper. "Now there's a story in that someplace. Yer gonna have to tell it one day.", she grins.
*
Danielle grunts easily, nods. "Anytime, of course. I'd like to catch up sometime soon, but I gotta get this done and get home. Amanda worries when I'm away so long." With that, she turns more of her focus onto whatever arcane crafting thing she's doing to her sticks.
*
Julie pauses intermittently to apparently remotely-twiddle engine things. Yuliya may notice the tailpipe smokes a great deal less, as it happens. She smirks to Amber, "And here I thought gunfights with garlic bread was supposed to by what everyone thinks about Italians, here." She seems temporarily-satisfied enough with the van's engine enough to make a twisting motion of her hand to shut the motor down. She adds to Yuliya, with a cautioning finger. "We ain't here to be running around killing people. Anyone with a gun could do that. Possibly even some kinda idgit." She wiggles her fingers in the air there. "We got ways to not croak people those mooks ain't even imagined."
*
Yuliya purses her lips again, and then laughs softly. "Oh trust me, it was one of the gunfights that I wasn't intending, but I'll tell you sometime." She remains where she is. Of course with Dizzy talking about not killing people, she pokes out her tongue towards her in a rather mature manner. "Hey, I'm pretty good with firearms! And besides, I didn't kill anyone that time. Maiming? Different barrel of goats." She purses her lips for a moment, still cheerful. "Yeah, I've been trying very hard not to croak people, Auntie Julie. No buildings or tanks have been harmed in this city by me, even immediately outside of it."
*
Amber gives another snort of laughter to Diz. "Well, I didn' wanna go enforcin' sterotypes or anythin'.", she winks teasingy. "Tho', I do love me some spaghetti an' garlic bread.", she grins. "Remember th' first time I ever et it. Thought I'd died n' gone t' heaven. Shoot, now I'm all hungry.", she sighs. Diz's mention of mooks draws a chuckle. "Okay, I been hearin' you say that for a spell now, but what in tarnation does that actually mean?", she asks, polishing off her Dr Pepper@r"Ain't ever killed anybody.", she nods to Yulia. "Made more than a few folks wish they'd kept it in their pants, tho. Funny thing about lightin' someone afire, they tend to forget they've got a gun. Guess they got more important workin's to see to.", she chuckles. "Probably a good thing."
*
Julie smirks. "It's like mugs: you know, sometimes hoods, sometimes toughs, sometimes even gangsters, always could be thugs, but not necessarily more than a mook, know what I mean?" She thinks. "Could be like a bandito with emphasis on the 'ito,' capiche?" Pauses a moment, "But hey, when it's my turn to cook around here I can do a spaghett." She winks to Yuliya. "Well, you know what we say here. Keep working on that, and, I almost got you set up with a carburetor that wasn't designed in the first World War."
*
Yuliya glances towards Amber and then goes strangely quiet when Ember admits she hasn't killed anyone. Though it doesn't take long before she makes a face at the talk of lighting people on fire. "Ewww. I bet the burning hair smell took a while to get out of your clothes," she comments, finally being a bit serious. "Do you ever worry that any extra ammunition they carry will cook off while they are on fire?" She then glances towards Julie again. "I am trying! Trust me on it." Then she grins happily. "Oh, thank you Julie! Maybe it will run better now. Can it blow smoke on demand?"
*
"OH! Okay, I get it now.", Amber nods to Diz. "Hey, you think you might could teach me a thing or two about cookin'?", she asks diffidently. "Chef Boyardee an' beenie weenies an' mac n' cheese are fine enough, but they get a mite wearisome after a while.", she sighs. "Ain't got much of a kitchen in my shack.", she notes. "But I got a stove an' a pretty decent oven. "I can even offer a trade, teach me spaghetti an' I'll teach you chicken fried steak.", she offers with a grin. "Mashed 'taters an' gravy, th' whole bit."
"Ain't the best smell in the world, to be sure.", she notes for Yuliya's benefit. "But don't get much in yer clothin' iff'n you keep your distance. Far as extry rounds cookin' off, the …mooks.", she says, giving Diz a wink. "I usually hafta deal with ain't exactly soldiers. Just idjits with cheap revolvers an' more balls than brains."
*
Julie raises a finger to Yuliya. "Not yet, but don't worryabout it. First we get rid of smoke you ain't supposed to be making, then we put a smoke fogger in. You can't do a good James Bond if you're down on compression in a cylinder from a gunked up ring or something. and running lousy, anyway. I put something in the crankcase oil that could be enough to free that up, though, if we give it a bit of time." She does spare a glance toward Amber, "I guess maybe we could work something out, there. As for revolvers, unless they're already cocked, they need to revolve, so all's I gotta do is not let them do that." She wiggles her fingers again.
*
Yuliya tilts her head to the side, and purses her lips for a moment. "Oh, gopniks," she comments with a knowing nod. Her stomach growls for a moment and she looks thoughtful. "I should raid the kitchen, see what leftovers I can liberate." A nod is then given, and she slides off the bench. "You ruin my fun. I wanted more smoke!" She offers a soft laugh and takes a moment to brush down her suit. "But thank you for the time you've been taking. I'll give you some more alcohol as payment sooner rather than later."
*
"Heh, ain't got that kinda power, Diz.", Amber chuckles, then tips her hat deeply to Yuliya. "Was nice meetin' ya, miss. Ya ever need anythin', I'm right over yonder.", she says, jerking her thumb in the direction of her little shack. "I'd best be gettin' on my own self.", she notes. "Good soak in th' tub, bit of supper an' a good, long read'd do me just fine.", she smiles tiredly. "Oh, Diz, do not let me forget to get that book back t' ya.", she adds quickly.
*
Julie smiles. "I guess let me know how that book ends sometime." She winks. "Also maybe we oughtta look at your truck pretty soon. Maybe just put another mill in there. Oughtta be easy, the boys in my family been handing down flathead V-8s like Sunday suits since I was like this high." She indicates the stature of, presumably, a much smaller Diz.
*