Half a compliment

Who: Marian and Ramona
Where: Uptown
When: Late afternoon

With classes behind her for the day, Ramona had been scooped up by her driver and whisked across town, away from the middling neighborhood the school was set in and brought instead to finer surroundings. They were still new to her, of course; private homes and apartments, as well as studios and small businesses that didn't need to be larger because of the prices their owners commanded. Her violin instructor, an aged Serbian man who'd also taught her Russian, was housed in one of them, and for the entire drive over Ramona had been somewhat transfixed by how the neighborhoods here overlapped.

It seemed like every few blocks things seemed to shift, for better or for worse. Houses were more kept-up, cars would become less repaired, businesses had different clientele around them, and with some time to study it all? Ramona was confident she could've formed a pattern that could explain how, only two blocks away from here, she'd seen a little diner with neon proclaiming it as Nighthawk's and more than one truly disheveled person huddled on the sidewalks around it. But there hadn't been time, because her teacher was waiting for their lesson time, and his chance to try and find fault with her command of the violin. He'd tried indeed, she had expected it, but his minor critique of her finger work or the way she plied her bow rolled right off of her back. Ramona didn't think there was much more he could teach her, after all, and these days it seemed like his pointers were more out of habit or an unwillingness to lose a student. But she put up with it anyway, remembering Quentin's words about not trying to predict people. For all she knew, her instructor did have some ancient or unknown secret that he would only share when she was literally flawless.

Still, that was too much of an unknown to invest any real time or thought in, even if she had the time to kill. Her driver was late, not that Ramona was minding much. Seated on the front stoop of his building with her instrument case at her feet, she'd been quite content to sit right here and jot down little notes about everything around her, coming and going, for the last ten minutes. And there was so much, too; the cars, the sounds echoing from both ends of the street, even the foot traffic that ran the gamut of ages.

Marian was just getting off work, having worked a double night shift meets day shift to make some extra tips and to make up for taking a night off to go to the gallery with Alec. She went a different way home this time, hoping to pass by the gallery to see if Angelo's paintings were still up or not. She wasn't more than two blocks past the diner when she spotted a girl sitting on a stoop looking like she was just taking in her surroundings. Since she felt a little like being watched she waved, smiling a little. "Hello," Marian said sweetly in a tone that didn't betray the fact that her feet, neck and back hurt.

The greeting surprised Ramona, given that exactly fourteen people had passed by without so much of a glance her way. She'd documented it, even, jotting out a loose would-be chain of elements for each of them that was being finished now with a larger symbol for Marian. It took a second, given that she actually caught Ramona's attention there, but it didn't show much beyond a widening of her eyes. Engage, she told herself, echoing Quentin's advice from a few hours ago and smiling softly at Marian. "Hello," she called in response, head tilting as she studied the other woman's poise, not to mention her outfit. What was that, exactly? Part of a uniform? "You look tired, would you like to sit?" Ramona asked, looking down at the open steps next to her.

Marian couldn't help but glance around a little. Tired didn't even cover it, not in the slightest. She was exhausted, bone dead, but working herself to death had proved as a good distraction from worrying about Roy and hating herself more than usual for what he'd said about her. He'd been right, she was selfish and horrible. When her eyes fell on the girl again she nodded. "I can sit for a bit. Are you waiting on someone?" she asked as Marian dropped onto the steps.

"Yes," came a quick, curt answer as Ramona flipped her notebook shut and scooted to one side. It was all in Marian's posture, a dozen clues about her weariness that ran from the curl in her spine past tense shoulders and right down to calves that were still knotted. That made the uniform make a little more sense; this girl was a servant of some stripe or another. "I'm waiting for my ride home, they seem to be running late," Ramona explained unconcernedly, "I take music lessons here in the city, but there must be traffic of some manner. Do you work near here?" Why else would Marian be on foot?

Marian looked down the street, as if she might see Ramona's ride. "That's not fun. I hate waiting on that sort of thing." Not that she ever had a ride to anywhere, but that wasn't the point. Waiting was waiting and it wasn't ever fun. "I do, around the corner there," Marian explained pointing in the direction she'd come. "Nighthawk's. It's a diner. They have the best pie in town." She smiled, leaning forward to rest her elbow on her knee and her head in her hand. "What kind of music lessons?"

Chalk up a win for deductive reasoning. A glimpse of the diner in passing coupled with Marian's outfit had been plenty of a trail, and Ramona was right. She could've made the guess without acknowledging the other girl? But then it would've just been a guess, a prediction. "The violin," Ramona answered, gently tapping the case with one foot and letting it rock on the steps. "I've never heard of Nighthawk's, but I don't often get a chance to dine out in the city. The best pie?" she asked, interest piqued there, "Is it difficult to make a reservation?"

"Violin, how pretty." Marian wondered what it would be like to play an instrument, she'd never had a chance to do anything of the sort. "Reservation?" she said with a laugh. "Well I suppose yes, since they won't give you one. No, it's the sort of place you just walk into. It is open all night though, in case you get a craving." She smiled again, eyes bright besides the dark circles.

The laugh was slightly jarring to Ramona, telling her she'd misstepped in trying to figure out the details of Marian's work. It was somewhat embarassing for a girl who never made mistakes, who always had the right answer, but this was probably what needed to go on for her to be approachable. "Were you working all night, then?" Ramona asked, nodding at Marian's appearance. The circles, the mussed hair, the strain in her posture; Ramona often saw similar things in the hired help after her father threw functions for his friends. "And it's... just down that way, yes?" she asked, pointing down the road the way Marian had come from. She wanted to be sure for the next time her ride was late, just for a chance to try this pie.

"All last night, and all day today. I pulled a double to make up for lost time," she said with a nod. "I went to a gallery show the other night which meant I didn't get to work and I really can't miss work." She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it off her face. "Yup, two blocks over. You can't miss the neon lights. I'm there most nights. You should come by and you can sit in my section. I'm Marian by the way."

"I'm Ramona, it's very nice to meet you Marian," she offered, extending a hand across the book in her lap. "And a gallery show? Was it the expressionist works in the newspaper? i'd wanted to go, but my father said the event ran too late." There was a definite zeal there, as well as a tinge of disappointment over having missed it, but in Ramona's world, her father's rule was absolute.

"Nice to meet you as well," Marian said sweetly, taking Ramona's hand. "Um, yes? Angelo, that was the artist's name. I went with my friend Alec." At mention of Alec, Marian felt her normal tumult of emotions that came with him, and a few of them showed on her face with a little flush. "It was lovely, I'm sorry you couldn't go."

Ramona's brow creased with interest as she watched Marian, wondering what it was about this 'Alec' that prompted such changes. She wanted to jot down the occurence, but again she thought back to Quentin. Taking notes alienated people, and she could wait a little while. "Yes, Angelo Lacoste, i'd read as much," she agreed, "I love expressionism, and the article made it sound like quite the scene. Did you purchase a piece, by chance? Was that why you had to work extra hours serving at the restaurant?" It didn't dawn on Ramona that some people, like Marian, lived on a tight enough budget that one night without work could make them need to compensate.

"It was a lovely showing. I don't know much about art, but I really enjoyed everything I saw." Marian had had quite the nice time, at least up until the point where she realized that people were noticing her with Alec. That part had been hard to tolerate. At Romona's question Marian felt her face flush hot. "Oh no, I didn't. I couldn't." She dropped her eyes to her hands in her lap, fiddling with a broken nail for a moment. "I was just working to make up for the night of tips I would have made working. That's all."

Yeah, the urge to start writing was getting bad indeed as she sat there and watched Marian fidget. Was this more of the Alec nervousness? Why? Or maybe it was about money? If this girl was willing to punish herself for extra money, that was one thing, but why be embarassed over it? Everyone needed it, after all. "Do they not pay you well?" she asked frankly, "Surely there must be better means of income, yes? Something where missing one night to enjoy works of art wouldn't have such dire consequences?" Because really, Marian looked strained right now.

"They pay alright. I'm just lucky I have a job," Marian explained, still fidgeting out of embarrassment. She was uncomfortable talking about how poor she was, especially to someone who obviously had no idea what it meant to be without. "There's not much else I can do either. I'm trying to learn how to type so I can get a job at the Echo? But that's not much really."

"That would be an amazing profession," Ramona agreed, lighting up a little. Before her father had agreed to let her join the local school, the newspaper had been her window into the rest of the city, and even now she read it avidly. Even the sports section. "One of my tutors insisted I submit my papers typed, but I could do with refining my speed," she mused, "I know that my father and many of his associates are always looking to hire new staff, if you were interested in something in the interim." And that wasn't a charity offer, though it might've sounded like one. But Ramona didn't really get the idea of charity in this case, she was speaking truthfully instead. It seemed like every week saw a new face in the ranks of the maids, cooks, or groundskeepers.

"I thought so as well, but I think i have a while before I get there. I'm still learning where all the keys are," she smiled even if she was feeling a little ashamed of her position in life. If it was anyone else Ramona was speaking to, she might have run the risk of having ended the conversation, but Marian was able to keep her friendly face in place no matter what. It was how she survived. At the offer though Marian frowned a little. "I appreciate it, but I'm very good at my job." And she didn't take offers like that from strangers, which was nothing against Ramona. Charity wasn't something that Marian took advantage of much. She'd had a a hard enough time doing so with Zhen and Alec and she knew them.

"Understood," came the simple reply with a slight nod from Ramona. It wasn't even like she could guarantee that her father would hire Marian, anyway, not with the standards he held his workers to. Not with the penalties they paid for disappointing him. "I'll have to stop into Nighthawk's though, I'd like to try the food there, and perhaps we could cross paths again that way? It would remove severable variables from the probability against such an encounter." Of course, she'd either need a chance like today or some way to convince her father to let her. Which had Ramona starting to frown, until the bulk of a sleek, black Bentley rolled to the curb and parked. "This is my transportation," Ramona explained with a nod to the uniformed driver who hopped out and moved to open one of the back doors in anticipation. "Could I offer you a ride to wherever you're going, Marian?" she asked with a slight smile, "It may be close, but you look weary."

Ramona lost Marian a little in all the talk of probabilities and encounters, which left her looking confused. "You should come by," she said, avoiding all the other stuff that she didn't understand. "We'll get you that pie." She noticed Ramona's frown and was about to ask about it when the car pulled up. It reminded her of Alec's car though a different style. She stood as the driver got out, dusting off her uniform before glancing back to Ramona. "It won't be out of your way? I don't live too far from here." It would be nice to not have to walk, especially with how bad her feet hurt right now.

Ramona stood up off the steps, clutching her violin case by the handle and smoothing out her dress as she shook her head at Marian. "Not at all, I assure you. James is taking me to St. Peter's from here, and I believe it would be in the spirit of that voyage to deliver him an act of contrition for his lateness," she said with a faint grin, waving for Marian to follow as she moved for the car. "We'll be bringing my friend to her residence," Ramona told the driver before slipping into the back, satisfied with the murmur of "Of course, Ms. Ramona" that she got in answer. She waited until Marian had joined her and the doors were shut before she smiled a touch more, relaxing on the plush leather seats of the car and flipping open a small panel to reveal a pair of glasses and a capped decanter of water. "Are you thirsty?" she asked Marian as she poured herself a glass, balancing carefully against the first movement of the car, "My father tends to stock brandy back here, but his staff ensures that it's not present when I'm being escorted."

Marian followed, clutching her bag close to her as she climbed in the car feeling very underdressed to just be sitting in the car. When she pulled the water out of a panel Marian couldn't hide her shock. Everything was so very fancy, too fancy. "Um no, I'm alright. Thank you though." She ran a hand along the leather seat, thinking of Alec's car again. The thought had her glancing at Ramona, wondering if this was what it had been like to be Alec as a boy. It seemed to fit him as an adult but Ramona was just a girl and she had all of this. "What does your father do?"

The lies had been fed to her ever since she was old enough to understand them, and they'd been maintained by every member of Ramona's family under threat of pain from her father. And no one doubted Don Bartelucci when he made that threat, because he saw to it personally. So the story was firmly entrenched in Ramona's mind and accepted as utter truth. "He's a shipping magnate," she answered between sips of water, "He owns over a third of the city's docks and waterfront property, and works an investment board with other local businessmen who see to property matters across the city." And that was shared so evenly and matter-of-factly that there was no way she could be bragging about it, just answering a question. "You would think that it would mean we could live closer to town, but it's a twenty minute drive every morning for me to get to classes."

Ohhhh, Marian thought trying hard to keep it off her face. "That sounds important," she said after a moment. It certainly felt important if the seat she was in could be any indication. "Are you still in school?" she asked then flushed when she realized she was only asking questions. "Sorry, I'm being nosy."

To Ramona, there was no need to be apologetic, she was just as nosy every day. Albeit with fewer questions? But still, she lived to pry out the details. "Don't worry, Marian. I'm prone to seeking out details about others too. The fragments of each equation are necessary to understand the conclusions," she assured the other girl, smiling around the edge of her glass. Really, Ramona was pleased right now, feeling like she'd figured out some bit of marian in kind. And she never made any effort to hide the details of her own life; sharing them came easily when she was asked. "But yes, I just started classes in the city, I'd mostly had private tutors in the past. As for my father's work?" Ramona mused, shrugging as she missed the wary glance her driver aimed back, "To hear him tell it, the city would grind to a halt without him. I just know that he's very good at his business."

Marian thought there were a lot of people in the city who thought whatever they did was important enough that stopping would bring the show to a grinding halt, but that wasn't often reality. Still, Marian noticed the glance from the driver and the car was very nice, so perhaps this time it was closer to reality than wishful thinking. "At the high school then?" she asked feeling less ashamed for asking questions.

"Yes. I only enrolled about a month ago, but I like it so far," Ramona answered, smiling a touch. "There's a great deal to try and understand." Not the classes, though, they'd been almost dismissively easy for Ramona. no, her interest was in the people, the odd social rules and customs that ruled them, and Quentin's theory that it wasn't rules, it was something akin to chaos. "Tomorrow I get to test for first chair in orchestra, and I admit that I'm a touch nervous." not that she looked it, and whatever nerves there were didn't come from the usual places. Ramona was on edge simply because she'd be playing for new people, not because there was any chance that her competition was better.

"Are your classes hard?" Marian asked, assuming that was what Ramona must have meant, not thinking for an instant that just being around people would be the difficult part. "First chair is good then?" There was another thing Marian knew nothing about. She wondered if Alec did, or Roy did. If it was some sort of knowledge that she was just supposed to have but didn't. "I'm sure you'll be great though. You shouldn't be nervous."

Ramona's smile dimmed, a quizzical expression settling in as she looked Marian's way. How was she so sure? Was it blind assumption? Social platitudes? She was trying to make Ramona feel better, maybe? That was unexpected, given that her father had always been more of the school of thought that said she would either be good enough, or she'd fail, and there would be no room for consoling between. "My father expects me to win, and I can't disappoint him," she said resolutely, lips pressing thin in a slight show of determination. "First chair is very good, even if I've never played in a full orchestra before. Our teacher says the firsts for each instrument are given solo performances, as well as quartet pieces among themselves for concerts through the school year." And she had to have it, just so she'd be able to prove that her lessons weren't in vain. "This has been the only instance since enrolling that has had me anxious," Ramona eventually concluded, refilling her water carefully, "So no, my classes are far from hard. Are you in school as well?" Marian looked like she might be close in age, after all, though that would clash with her working schedule.

"Oh, well...hopefully you won't let him down?" Marian didn't sound sure and Ramona's quizzical look had her confused as well. "That does sound very good. Very exciting even. Do you have a good chance of getting it?" At Ramona's question Marian shook her head. "Oh no, I'm...too old. Nineteen." That was ignoring the part that Marian didn't actually finish school. She'd gotten close but before she could finish things got bad in her family and she had to focus on taking care of other and working as well.

"He says I never have before," Ramona said with a much softer, self-satisfied smile. She'd been raised to make her father proud, and she excelled at it. "And I shouldn't have much difficulty beating the boy who has it now, no," she went on dismissively, "His bowing is atrocious, more like how my instructor says gypsy beggars would play back in his home land." And it hadn't really dawned on her that conquering this other student, or being so unconcerned with him, would have social repercussions. "You're nineteen?" Ramona asked, surprised and obviously appreciative, "You don't look it. Exposure to air pollutants on your walks and conditions in the restaurant would have contributed to more build-up in your complexion, I'd have thought." And yes, Marian looked a bit grimy, but not quite to where Ramona had imagined most working people would.

"Well then it shouldn't be a problem then, getting the place." Though Marian had to admit the way she spoke out it seemed a little harsh as if she didn't care about more than the outcome, not what would happen with her classmate. Still, that might just be that she was devoted and focused. Sometimes people got like that when they were dedicated. At the other comment, Marian found herself rubbing at her cheek self consciously. "Um, thank you?" She glanced out the window spotting what street they were on. "Turn left up here," she told the driver.

Ramona smiled brighter there, pleased that her compliment was taken well overall. Maybe Marian wasn't used to getting compliments from people like her, and that explained the hesitation? It seemed likely to Ramona, and she made a mental note that complimenting down the socio-economic ladder was generally well-received. Who wouldn't like praise from someone who had more? "You're very welcome," she said earnestly, "What sort of job were you hoping to get at the newspaper?" Because in Ramona's mind, if Marian cleaned up a bit and did her hair? She'd be more than presentable, which was a key part of success according to her father. If you got the look right, you were halfway to getting what you wanted. And that had always eluded Ramona on a personal level, which was why she dressed like she was living ten years in the past.

Marian smiled a little awkwardly as Ramona seemed enthusiastic about the compliment that only half felt like a compliment anyway. "I...umm. I'm not sure? Maybe just typing as a secretary or something and then I can move up from there?" Marian hadn't actually gotten that far in her plan. She was still on the 'learn to type' step, the rest would fall into place after that.

"Do keep me informed about your progress with the typewriter if we manage to cross paths again," Ramona insisted quietly, "I'm sure my father knows someone down at the Echo who could at least guarantee you an interview once you felt confident about your skills. And once you did? I just know they'd give you an opportunity." Social platitudes. Well-wishing, that was what that was. It felt strange to say something she didn't categorically know to be true, though. But it was highly likely, in Ramona's mind. A cleaner ensemble, confidence in her skills, and a word to Ramona's father could definitely cinch something as minor as secretarial work for Marian. And to her, this was huge progress. She was taking part in the lives of people around the city! making them better, even!

"I...um...Thank you," Marian said softly, feeling a shred of hope there, more than she had before. "I'll tell you when you come for pie." There was more enthusiasm in the second statement, happy and bubbly waitress taking over, while she pushed the shy sad girl away. "It's this one," she said to the driver, pointing towards her building. "Thank you for the ride," she told Ramona, meaning it.

That was very welcome to Ramona's ears, too, because it meant that she'd done so good at this that Marian wanted to talk with her again. Engage, she silently echoed once more, smiling with personal pride over her success before she spoke up to the driver. "James, see Ms. Marian out," she instructed neatly as the car rolled to a stop outside of Marian's building. Ramona realized dimly that she'd never seen one of these run-down houses for so long before, only ever while driving past, and sitting still outside of one wasn't doing her opinion any favors.

"Yes miss," the driver said, popping his door open and rounding the car. "It was very nice to make your acquaintance, Marian," Ramona told her while they had an unobserved moment, "And thank you as well, for the company. Keep working on your typing, and I'll be hoping to hear good things when I see you again."

Marian opened her mouth to protest, but the driver was already out of the car before she could. That left her frowning a little, but she looked back at Ramona instead, pulling out a smile. "And yours Ramona. Good luck on your test tomorrow, for first chair. I'm looking forward to hearing about your music when you come visit the diner." The door opened and with another smile Marian collected her bag and slipped out of the car, stooping to wave goodbye before she walked up to her building.

There wasn't a wave back, but Ramona definitely returned the smile from inside the car as she watched the other girl retreat towards her building. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard of an adjustment. Maybe it'd be one more thing to take pride in for handling with ease. Either way, it would definitely keep her in a good mood all the way to the cathedral, and from there? Ramona wouldn't need any bolstering.