canon is Need For Speed. Feeling the girl power.

[shelbycobra]

Nine women in this year's Rolex 24. I can see why that made you want to bring me back.

But your idea is that I'm just hanging out around the paddock with my husband and my friends? Why wouldn't you want to say I'm out there racing? That's what I do; I'm a racing driver. I'm a three-time Rolex 24 winner. Someone, somewhere, would want me to be in their car.

[Even though her friends are out there racing and doing very well, Shelby can't help but be jealous. She wants to drive. Not stand around and eat the catering. Especially not at one of the biggest races in the motorsports world. The one that restarted her whole career.]

Oh well. Let's see if you get any more tags this time and maybe we'll be able to stick around until St. Petersburg.

Comments

[fatedgruff]

St. Petersburg? I have been there once with my parents. I remember the smell of fish and the many merchant ships. But not much else, I was quite young.

I've no idea what you mean by cars though, madame. The only races I'm familiar with are horse races, ostrich races and the fools that run from bulls down in España.

[shelbycobra]

Oh, you might mean in Germany! [Shelby says brightly.] I mean St. Petersburg, Florida.

Running with the bulls is a ridiculous idea, and I say that as somebody who regularly tries to go over 200 miles an hour. I like to think of myself as brave but I'm not going to provoke an animal. I just like driving fast.

[fatedgruff]

As far as I'm aware, St. Petersburg is the capital of the Russian Empire. The one port to the Baltic Sea? I've not heard of a country called Florida. Is it somewhere in Africa?

200... miles... an hour? Mon Dieu, don't you feel sick at that speed?

[Forgive his ignorance, he's from the 20th century..]

[shelbycobra]

It's in America. It's probably pretty different than what you're thinking.

[She pulls out her phone to show him a video. Because of course she has a video on her phone. Shelby is a fan as much as she is a driver, and she forgets that most people don't have a clue what she means.]

I'm used to going pretty fast. I've been doing stuff like this since I was a teenager.

What do you do?

[fatedgruff]

Oui! The Americas! I've heard of that strange place across the sea. Never been there myself though. My people did have several colonies over there. Then there was a war and we lost them. C'est la vie.

[He has never seen a mobile before, nor moving pictures. His eyes grow big as he watches. He's itching to pick that thing apart to try to understand how it works.] What's this magic? I've never seen such a device before. How do they even fit a soulstone in there to run it? Is it pneumatic?

I'm a Dabbler. I do a little bit of magic; pick up some odd jobs here and there. Currently I'm saving up scrips to go to Malifaux, mon cheri.

[shelbycobra]

It's a really complicated piece of machinery. I have a degree in Engineering, and I still don't understand everything about it. [Shelby laughs because while she definitely knows as much as she can about her car, there's still a knowledge gap between her and the actual engineers who prepare and maintain them for a living. She has been kicked out of her own garage a few times for wanting to help and not knowing how.]

But magic? That sounds fascinating. And you're French? [She's guessing.] I know a couple of people from France. I got to run at Le Mans a few times. Unfortunately, she was a cruel mistress.

[She got to watch a few 24 Hours of Le Mans from the bench and then the two she had participated in both forced early retirements. Nothing she could have done but that race is still the one that got away.]

How did you end up here?

[fatedgruff]

The "car" or this "device"? Because I've seen cars before. The Ford Model T by Henry Ford. I even had the fortune of driving one. I doubt it could drive as fast as 200 miles an hour, but I'm familiar enough with the engineering behind it. [Though a T-Ford pales in comparison to a modern racing car. But he wouldn't know that.] While this device, with its moving pictures... I've never seen anything like that before.

Oui, I was born in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of le Midi. My father was an administrator. Most of my childhood was spent abroad though, as his job included a lot of traveling to various parts of the world. These days I spend much time hunched over old documents, trying to parse ancient languages. I've picked up a trick or two in the process. Mostly parlor tricks.

I'm not certain... I entered through the Breach to get to the city of Malifaux, a city in another world, steeped in ancient magic and monsters. Something must have gone wrong in the process for me to land here.

[shelbycobra]

Oh, the phone? Trust me, you might be better off. [She laughs softly. Being in the public eye means she sometimes hates having a cell phone. Shelby has figured out over her career when she can get away with turning it off or ignoring calls. She needs to focus to do her job, and so she's gone whole days sometimes without looking at it.] These things can connect you to anyone in the world... which is also what makes them a pain.

[Except for in a few hours when she doesn't know it yet, but she'll be running around taking far too many pictures when one of her best friends wins the very race that she's complaining about. And then she'll feel bad about complaining. As much as Shelby wants to compete, she never bedgrudges anyone else their success.]

I spend about half the year traveling myself. Anyone who can keep up that kind of schedule has my respect. [She also has a close relationship with her father, so she appreciates family stories.] I haven't heard of where you're headed, but if I can help, I'd be happy to.

[fatedgruff]

A "phone". [He tries the word out, which makes his French accent even more prominent.] Très fascinant... where I'm from all we have are letters and word of mouth. It moves at a snail's pace, merde.

My father spent many long nights away. I spent more time with my governess than my father. [He sighs.] It's the kind of profession that takes much time away. I guess he had hoped I'd go down the same path.

But I digress. The only way to Malifaux is through the Breach, a tear in the fabric between realities. With you being unfamiliar with it, you probably can't help madame. But I appreciate the thought.

[shelbycobra]

[Shelby nods slightly, understanding to a point. Her own story is different enough as she's about to explain.]

My father also spent a lot of time traveling, but I was with him. My mother left us when I was just a few months old. So my dad had to take me to every race. [She smiles. There's no bitterness because she loves her father and considers herself lucky for all the sacrifices he made for her.] He was a driver before me. So I grew up in this world, and then when I made it to IndyCar, we actually got to work together.

He's enjoying his retirement now. Although I think he misses racing more than he lets on.

Do you have any particular hobbies outside of your work?

[fatedgruff]

Did your mother die? If so, you have my condolences. My father was a good man and he'd try to teach me everything he knew. I can understand where you're coming from, although I didn't do down the same path.

I read a lot, such as the works of Oscar Wilde or new discoveries. I watch burlesque shows and work on my physical body. I've an interest in architecture and ancient structures too. I find ways to occupy myself when I'm not working.

[shelbycobra]

No, she just left. [Shelby says it matter-of-factly.] She decided she didn't want to be a mom. But my father did an incredible job to raise me, and my stepmom is amazing. I've got a great family.

[She now has two half-brothers, two sisters-in-law and a couple of nieces and nephews. Their blended family is working out just fine. Especially since Shelby herself recently married so her father is no longer worrying about her being alone.]

I spent a few years in Europe and there's some incredible architecture in England. I didn't always have time to see it, but I got to visit a couple of places in my time off. It also rains a lot for some reason. Rainy and cold, which is not my favorite thing in the world!

[fatedgruff]

She... just left? Merde, that's very uncommon where I'm from. Women has no rights on their own. A woman leaving their husband? I feel for her. It would be simply awful.

I've never been to England myself. France and England has a very bloody history. I fear what they'd do to me.

[shelbycobra]

I think you'll find things have changed a bit. [Or a lot. But Shelby doesn't elaborate; she isn't going to give him culture shock or sound like she's lecturing. Everyone has their own background.] There's been some sexism that I had to deal with, even after I became successful, but I can say that everyone I've actually worked with and competed with has been nothing but supportive. Some of us have known each other since we were kids, so that probably helped, but they treat me well and I try to show them the same respect.

[And ignore the internet trolls and the occasional gender-based question from a reporter who doesn't know any better. Being a public sports figure is sometimes a bit like a circus.]

If there's anything I worry about, it's getting older. My career field is a young man's or woman's game. There are some of my colleagues still going strong into their 40s and I hope I can be like them. But there's always young people ready to take your seat.

[fatedgruff]

I sounds like it has, and I find that most excellente. My birthplace was founded on equality and fraternity, alas we haven't extended it to everyone still.

Oui, isn't that a problem in many careers? Youth is fleeting. The body grows weak and less capable with age. C'est la vie. Maybe you should start looking for something less demanding?

[shelbycobra]

I already have a plan for my retirement. It's in my contract that I'll move into coaching. But I'm going to keep racing until I'm not fast anymore.

[She planned to make it to 40; the iconic drivers in her sport were in their early to mid 40s. Shelby wanted to have just as long of a career so if she could keep going past 40 she would. It just came down to making sure she was still competitive. She also wouldn't hold onto a seat if she couldn't reach the high standards she expected.]

What kind of sports does your culture have? I'd invite you to a race but they're quite loud and obviously busy so I'm not sure you'd find them interesting.

[fatedgruff]

Horse races, horse polo, archery, ballet: among others. We do have cars but nobody has tried racing with them yet. Most people think they move far too fast for their liking.

[shelbycobra]

I wouldn't want to scare anybody then.

[Shelby chuckles softly, but she knows when she straps on that helmet and steps into that Chevrolet that she would definitely be going faster than it sounds like his people are comfortable with. That kind of speed is just something she's used to. In fact it seems slow in the car sometimes because she's so focused on what's happening around her that the actual momentum fades away.]

But in fairness, I'd be lost at any of those sports, either. The only thing I've ever worked toward doing since I could even think of doing anything was racing. I told my dad when I was a kid that I was going to win the Indy 500.

[More of a laugh now at her youthful arrogance.]

So if you take me out of racing I'm pretty lost. I took a year off one time, not my idea, and I had no clue what to do with myself. So you could probably teach me some things too.

[fatedgruff]

I've played tennis and cricket myself. But never something where I move faster than I'm used to, like on horses.Like I said, I found the T-Ford fast enough.

My parents raised me to become and administrator and bureaucrat. But here I am, going a very different path. They'd probably be ashamed of me if they knew. I'm happy to hear you found and shared a passion with your dad though.

I think i could learn more from you than you can from me.

[shelbycobra]

Well, if you ever want to learn anything about motor racing, please don't hesitate to ask. I love to get people introduced to IndyCar.

But if you're into the engineering part of it, I'll introduce you to Terry. I have a degree in Engineering myself and some mechanic expertise, but I don't know as much about the field as he does.

[She prided herself on knowing everything she could about her car, but that was still not as much as someone who specifically was an IndyCar engineer for a living.]

Plus he majored in Nuclear Engineering so he really knows a lot. I still don't know how he's not working for some big company making rockets or something like that.