|
   |
11:30pm finds Amber in her customary perch atop the groundskeeper's shack, swigging idly at a Dr Pepper while gazing into the sky.
"Mighty fine night for it.", she sighs contentedly to herself.
*
The door to the mansion opens. Tessa Valentine - 'Sage' as her students have dubbed her, thanks to her seemingly endless knowledge of a great many subjects - steps outside. Tucked under her arm is a copy of 'V.', the Thomas Pynchon novel. Give it a decade and she'll be that crazy person reading Gravity's Rainbow when it comes out! Under her other arm is a folding chair, which she sets within distance of the door and mansion lights. She steps down and stretches out before cracking open the book.
*
Amber spots Ms Valentine stepping out of the rear of the mansion and sits up, taking off her Stetson to give it a wave while she calls. "Evenin', Ms Valentine. Takin' some air, are we, ma'am?
*
Sage looks up for a brief moment. Even now, she has on her pink-tinted sunglasses. "Something like that," she agrees. "It's a nice night, and I've spent the majority of it couped up inside helping others. I think I earned the opportunity to enjoy a little of the evening."
*
"Tempt ya with a Dr Pepper, ma'am?", Amber calls, not concerned with the noise she's making. No way the kids are asleep at this hour on a Friday night.
*
Sage considers the offer a moment. Then she nods, gesturing at one of the ready chairs nearby. She just prefers her folding chair. "If you have more than you want.. I won't say no to a drink." She's never really been one for alcohol, and she's actually never had a Dr. Pepper before. Time to try something new. "Enjoying the night as well?"
*
Amber polishes off the remainder of her bottle, stands, tucks it neatly into the waistband of her jeans and shimmies quickly off the roof of her shack. Ducks into the shack to snag a pair of fresh ones and deposit the empty, and strolls over to join Sage. "Yepper. Always like to take a few minutes before I tuck in, ma'am.", she says, offering an ice cold bottle of Dr Pepper. "Just like the peace of it, I s'pose."
*
Sage accepts the bottle, tipping her head in thanks. "Watching the sky, or just enjoying the coolness and stillness of the evening air?" She's enjoyed both, really. Tonight it was the air she was looking for. The mansion, as much as it has become home, the air inside is sometimes stiffling.
*
"Bit a' both, I guess, ma'am.", Amber replies with a shrug. "Reckon it's mostly th' quiet.", she smirks slightly. "These young'uns can make a Godawful racket.", she chuckles. "But I ain't gotta tell you that, do I?", she winks. "You gotta be in a class with 'em."
*
Her head tilts, as though she considers, and finally Tessa shrugs. "It depends on the subject. Most of the time they're quite good." But she nods slightly at Amber. "But you're right. Sometimes they are tiring. Most of the time, in my case, that seems to stem from curiosity… so I consider it a worthy cause."
*
"Heh, yeah, I s'pose.", Amber replies, clearly still dubious as she takes the offered seat. "Most of the kids in my class, that last year, anyhow, were pretty okay, but some of 'em? Good Lord.", she sighs. "Holy terrors. Had this one Mexican girl'd damn near claw yer eyes out y' got ahead of her in the lunch line.", she continues. "Tried that with me..once.", she smirks slightly.
*
As usual, some light spills out of an open shop bay door, ..there's sounds of tools clinking, and some music spills out. One of the summer-session shop class kids gets handed a wrench as a few of same are looking over what must be one of said kids' proud new acquisitions: a slightly-weathered-looking Hudson Hornet. Diz says some words of encouragement and/or teasing and steps out into the night air to light a ciggy. She gives a wave over in the direction of Amber's usual night-time perch.
*
Sage shrugs her shoulders. "My job prior to this was dealing with businessmen from different countries, depending on who it was my employer was looking to deal with. I'll take the children any day"
*
"That sounds…interestin'.", Amber replies, cocking her head curiously. For a second, it looks like there's a follow-up question, cut-off with a clear facial expression of 'I probably don't want to know.'
Fortunately Julie emerges from her Tabernacle of the Internal Combustion Engine, giving her an excuse to stand up an give a wave. "Heya, Jules! Run up t' the shack an' snag a Dr Pepper. Me an' Ms Valentine's gettin' acquainted.", she calls out.
"You've met Miss Julie, I'm assumin, ma'am?"
*
Julie gives a wave, coming closer. "Hey, Tessa. Amber." SHe skips the soda, for now. Glances back. Smirks. "Eh, they're all right."
*
"We met some time ago. Julie works on my car when it's being particularly stubborn." Which doesn't happen -too- often, but does seem to happen every now and then. It is a Vauxhall, after all. Sage takes a slow, first sip of the offered Dr. Pepper. Hmmm. "We're just enjoying the evening," she explains.
*
"Takin' the air, as it were.", Amber smiles. "So what manner a' project y' got goin' now, Jules?", she inquires curiously. "Vauxhall, that's a Brit car, ain't it, ma'am?", she asks, shifting her attention to Tessa. "Heard tell they've got this funny negative ground thing."
*
Julie smiles. "Oh, got a few things cooking. We gotta get that new mill in in yer truck, too, if you can spare her a day or two." She does smirk a bit to Sage. "You and now Sophie with the little foreign jobs, it's starting to look like a little UN around here or something."
*
Sage speaks with a strong Received Pronunciation/BBC English accent, so having a British car shouldn't be too surprising. "A Wyvern, specifically," she says, nodding at Amber. "I had her brought over when I moved here." At Jane's request, she nods again. "Let me know when you'd like to start. I have no plans that require a car for the next week."
*
"Yeah, but Sophie's car's just so cute.", Amy chuckles. "Not t' disparage your….Wyvern?", she adds quickly to Tessa, the unfamiliar word tripping slightly off her Texas-twang-y toung.. "Wyvern? Heard a' that some place b'fore, ain't that some kinda mythical creature, ma'am?", she asks curiously. "Swear I heard that name before. Me, I got my Bertha. '36 Ford truck. Got it off a sheep rancher in Montana."
*
Julie nods, and looks to Tessa, "Yeah, that's kinda why that truck's in need of a fresher motor. The thing's been through the wars,if you know what I mean. Got something in a flathead V-8, that's funny enough, kinda like going back where it came from."
*
"It is. Also the name of a model of car by Vauxhall." There's a reason or three behind the name, if you believe the whispers. Sage shrugs. "I didn't select the vehicle based on the name."
*
"Whoa, whoa, no offense meant, ma'am.", Amber replies quickly. "Just a funny kinda word, y'know? Sticks in the brain. What's it mean? Sure I know, but just drawin' blanks", she adds. "Heh, you shoulda' seen her when I found 'er, Jules.", she chuckles, shaking her head. "She was the definition of a mess."
*
Julie laughs. "Well, messes are kinda fun sometimes, I guess."
*
Sage doesn't seem particularly offended. But, to be fair, she never seems much of -anything-. Ever Just that same neutral expression. She stands and stretching, closing her book. "I find myself a mite hungry. Anyone feel up to a snack? I'll bring it back."
*
"Bite t' eat wouldn't go amiss, ma'am. Thank you for th' offer.", Amber replies. "Can I help you any?"
*
Julie smiles, "Ah, I guess a bit of something could be all right. Been exercising and all that."