xp_logs | In Giving of Ourselves: Something ventured, something gained.

After music class, Terry has a request for Alison. But first, dancing pens!

Class was over for the day but Terry lingered, watching Alison as she straightened her desk. Terry was still tapping her rolled up essay against her leg, worrying her lower lip between her teeth in a clear state of indecision. That wasn't like her at all and she knew that Alison would pick up on it. Hopefully by then she would have worked out exactly how she was going to make her request.

"Sit dooooown," Alison finally hummed while never looking up from her notes, papers being shuffled about as she hunted for the pen which had somehow managed to make an escape. Again. It had been doing so during the entire class, to the point where some of the students had started snickering or offering her their own pens. Grr. "Sit down and taaalk to me, or red headed child of Ireland..."

Terry smiled and did as she was told, pausing only to fish out the errant pen from where it was marking a page in a book. She sat primly, folding her hands on top of her paper, a little more at ease. "I don't remember learning that one when I was a wee lass," she teased, voice lilting with her amusement.

"I made it up. All for you, oh clever discoverer of wayward pens." The last word was punctuated by Alison flopping forward on her desk, one arm extended and fingers wriggling in a come hither gesture at the pen. "C'mon pen. You know you like me. You're red and made to be used on student papers. C'mon now, come to mommy..."

Terry held the pen up and wiggled it at Alison. "No, no. I do not want to mark papers. I want to draw pretty pictures of roses and sunsets! I'm an artist!" she declared in a high pitched voice punctuated with little giggles. She made the pen dance over the desk. "I'm a ballerina!"

Alison lunged over the desk, making a far too quick grab for the pen with a growl of not entirely pretend victory. "You're now my helpless victim and papers you will mark until you run dry!" Half hanging over her desk, evil laughter was fairly easy to achieve at that point.

Terry collapsed into helpless laughter, propping her head on her hands as she giggled, entire body shaking with amusement. "Sure and yeh're a fierce master. The poor thing never stood a chance. No wonder they hide from yeh," she managed to say finally, much too amused to maintain her American accent.

"Mwahahaha! Mine, mine! All miiine!" And now that she was in danger of tipping over the desk and falling into Terry's lap, Alison finally made a token effort at finding a way back to her chair, all the while waving the red pen in the air rather gleefully.

Shaking her head and grinning, Terry rolled her eyes at her teacher. Her nerves crept back in as her amusement faded and she folded her hands into her lap, "I actually had a favour to ask, if you've a moment?"

"Hrmm?" Terry's suddenly sober expression didn't escape her and Alison, after carefully setting the pen down well within sight and giving it a stern look, sat back down in her chair to give Terry a more serious look. "What's up, sweetie?"

"It's sort of a big favour and it's okay if you say no," Terry assured her first, blue eyes just a little too wide and hopeful. "But I've been thinking about my voice lessons and, I'm doing well, right? Like I could maybe, possibly record something at your studio?"

"Record something at the studio?" Alison blinked, staring at Terry for a moment, taken by surprise at the request. And then winced, looking pained. "I... you know, not so long ago, it wouldn't have been such an issue, but well... things are a bit tight these days. Can I ask you why, first?"

Terry fidgeted in her seat, not really looking forward to explaining, sure that it would sound like a stupid idea once she said it out loud. "I...I can buy Christmas presents for everyone without a problem. Sean's allowance is generous. But it doesn't seem right to use his money to buy him something so, I thought, maybe I could record something for him. From home, yeh know? It would only be the one song and I wouldn't need much time."

...well, damn. Damn! To say it was progress was the understatement of the year, Alison decided, remembering only too well the shrieking temper tantrums about Sean from not that long ago. Or at least, it felt like not too long ago. "I'm afraid it's a bit more complicated than that, Terry. There's booking time and staff to pay while you record and the first track won't be the one you keep. And then there's staff and..." trailing off, Alison smiled a bit wryly. "The studio budget isn't quite as loose as it used to be and Stephanie, the studio manager, has been pretty careful about things lately. Yes, even for me," Alison grinned a bit at that. "Hrm. I think... well, we might be able to work something out though. How much free time d'you have for the next while, d'you think?"

Terry's shoulder slumped at the initial no, ready to concede graciously and give up her, after all, quite daft idea. Alison's question caught her off guard and she had to think about it. "After finals are done, all the time in the world. Before then, weekends, I suppose and after school some," she answered finally, a bit hesitant.

"Okay..." Alison remained silent for a moment, thinking her notion over. "Tell you what. Let me talk to Stephanie about it, but... how would you feel about working to pay off your studio time?" They'd have to organize things stat, but the latest recording sessions hadn't been so long ago and it wouldn't be too much of a problem. And she suspected Stephanie would take very well to a young person to throw random tasks at as well as generally introduce to the less glamorous and more technical side of the industry.

Terry sat bolt upright, "Really? I mean, could I?" Working didn't bother Terry, she could cheerfully turn her hand to just about any task and the opportunity to work at an actual studio as well as not having to beg a favour from her teacher? "I would absolutely do that. For as long as it would take."

"Oh man." Alison facepalmed, shaking her head. "Just don't let Stephanie hear you say that or I'll have to explain to Sean how his daughter ended up in indentured slavery, okay?"