Present Miss!

Posted on Thu Nov 30th, 2023 @ 15:37 by Claire Cavendish & Freya Callaghan MD

Chapter: Winter's Crest Festival
Location: Headmistresses Office, Avalon Institute
Timeline: Thursday, December 17th, 1992
2162 words - 4.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Butterflies in her stomach. Why? Why did she feel like she was being sent to the principals office for being naughty? I mean in a sense she had been for using her powers so openly, for not declaring them when she came to the UK and well a lot of things probably now that she thought about it properly.

Knocking the wooden door gently it opened a touch as she peered inside. "Miss Cavendish?" she asked as she began to scan the room.

Claire looked up from her desk and to the newcomer that stood in her doorway. "Doctor Callaghan, I presume." She got up from her seat, wondering if the reference was too quirky for someone of her stature. Making her way over to the woman to shake her hand she then offered the couch in the corner for her to take a seat. "Please, come in, take a seat. Ms. Hunter informed me you'd swing by." She made her way over to a small cabinet with glasses, cups, and different drinks. "Tea?"

Freya smiled, "Yes, that's me but Freya is fine." she replied as she shook the woman's hand. The purple skin caught her a little off guard having never seen someone with that pigment before. A pretty woman, with purple hair to match, she had an air of authority about her that made Freya pay attention. "Tea, thank you." She added as she took a seat. "I'm still getting used to the flavour even after being here in the UK for a while."

"I can make it American." Claire put on her mock US accent as she said that before reverting back to her natural RP English. "No milk and sugar then, I take it?" She poured the water and put in the bags for it to soak. She preferred making individual cups over an entire pot anyway, it was a good thing secretarial kept a tight schedule on refreshing her kettle. "Tell me, what brought you over to the U.K.?" She'd read the woman's profile that had been provided to her but she always felt like it was good to have someone tell their own story.

Freya nodded at the mention of the tea. "Just a little bit of sugar please actually." she replied.

"As for why I came to the UK..." she bit the bottom of her lip a bit. A nervous habit she'd no longer realised she did. "Freedom." she said simply. "Freedom from my family. I'm the only one with abilities and my father being the ambitious politician he is didn't want a mutant daughter in the limelight to cause a media circus for him. I was never understood as a child, hidden away by those I loved and when I heard that they were planning on something more drastic I left. Thankfully I'd been applying for medical school long before and I managed to get into Edinburgh so. I left the US." she sighed. "Thankfully he's pretty much left me alone, but I think now I'm here and after what happened at the Royal Vic he might do something."

After properly soaking her own tea Claire poured a cloud of milk in and just a slight dash of sugar, before dropping a bit of sugar in her guest's as well. She made her way over to the large Chesterfields in the corner and put the tea in front of the new Biology teacher before taking a seat across in the large armchair version of the couch. The story she was telling was all too familiar with Claire, it was for that exact same reason she had almost decided to stay stateside. It just wasn't at a point where that was viable for her, financially or mentally. She'd had time to build both though. "Let me know if you need anything in the form of protection, we have connections and options." She didn't feel like it was her place to pry into these things too much. "Have you had time to explore the campus?"

Freya accepted the tea with a nod for a thank you and felt the heat from cup as she picked it up from the bottom instead of the handle. She flinched slightly forgetting that it would be scalding hot and quickly pulled her hands back. The pain quick and sharp, but thankfully subsided swiftly as she then picked it up by the handle as she should have done. "Thank you." she replied to the offer of assistance if need be. "I'm sure Senator James Callaghan will keep his feet on his own side of the Atlantic for now. I heard he's thinking of making a presidential bid so he wont want any extra distractions." she mused as she sipped her tea. "But I do appreciate your offer to help someone you just met. It is very kind, and very telling of you as a person." she thought to herself a bit more about the campus question though. "No, not a lot." she paused. "Well, I saw some on the way in. I've had a little was about in the inside. Met Mr. Temple."

"Mister Temple has a way of commanding attention." Claire smiled a bit at that. It was good to have someone that confident in their own skin, and sometimes the skin of an oversized raven. It reflected well on the students, to be apologetically themselves. "You've come at a very exciting time, next week we're having a bit of a festival before the winter break. There's still some opportunities for activities." Some of the guest teachers had called off last minute, to be expected in the current political climate. "Any special skills or hobbies you could throw a workshop together for?"

It did sound exciting and it would be nice to forget the world for a while in the company of the students and other faculty. "Could do something to do with first aid?" she asked out loud. "I am a doctor so kind of fits into my skills, although the kids might not find that interesting." she shrugged. "Am quite a good face painter." she laughed. "But I think the age group here is a bit old for that."

Claire nodded a bit at that, first aid was probably a good one to add to the regular curriculum, not something to set up to compete with 'rock band' and 'stage musical' and 'pastry chef' workshops. "It's really to allow them to explore some of the non-curricular stuff. To connect with creative endeavours, or to get to know a bit about everything that goes into cultural things, like we're doing a stage musical," It was something that she was going to have to take on herself with Otis leaving, not something to look forward to. She'd rope in some people for sure. "So we need people to build the stage, manage the sound systems, lights, the song and dance routines, but also the marketing materials. To give them a sense of everything that goes into it. I think we're doing a fencing workshop, African drums, I'm bringing in the local baker for pastry stuff, I think I heard Al about managing a Rock Band, you know. That sort of stuff." She hoped there might be something that struck a cord with the new addition's hobbies and interests beyond their medical degree. Although she also knew from experience that doctors had difficulties to have a life outside of that, especially young ones since there was just so much stuff to cover.

"I used to ride horses when I was younger?" she offered. "Family had a ranch where my father bred horses, had cattle, stuff like that..." she paused and thought out loud, "can lasso a bull..." Freya scrunched up her nose as she thought. "I was much more into things when I was younger but being a doctor has taken up so much of my life for the past 10 years that I struggle to make a decent cup of coffee!" she sighed and thought about how her life had turned out now and that she'd not worn that white coat, or a pair of scrubs, for a while. "I guess now I have the time to take up some more hobbies."

With more time to prepare it would've been amazing to have horse riding and care workshops added to the festival planning, but there wasn't any horses at Avalon and it would be a challenge to arrange the facilities needed for them since what had been stables in the past was now Cameron's domain. Horsepower, sure, but horses no longer rested in the stables. "I never took to horseriding, to much of my mother's dismay." A subtle smile, "Perhaps we'll think of something a bit more practical. Perhaps, for now, this is an opportunity for you to explore your own past-time activities."

Freya nodded. "My family are maybe your not so typical American looking family from the outside. Inherited wealth, political aspirations and far too much importance put on putting on a good show and not embarrassing each other. So, as we had a large home, lots of land, we had horses. Very perceptive animals, know a good heart when they are near one and I kind of spent a lot of time there when I was young. Escape the rest of the family... not that they were around a lot anyway..." she sighed. Her mind then turned to this festival, "As for the festival, I can help out with others if you need it. I like to make myself useful, otherwise I'll just mix with the kids and get used to the place."

"I'm sure we can use some help in the different workshops. Always good to have an extra couple of hands." Claire was going to be neck deep in the organisation, rehearsal, and so on regarding the Musical theatre production they were going to do. "How are your sewing skills?"

"Excellent." Freya replied. Being a doctor she often sewed people up whether that be in surgery or in A&E when they had cuts from patients before their arrival at her door. "Why?" she asked as she sipped some more tea from her cup.

"We're planning on staging a song from Les Miserables," Claire tried to find a folder of the West End rendition, "There's some period costumes, which we don't have of course. And a French flag, which for some reason is very difficult to get here in the UK." She gave a bit of a wink with that last comment.

Looking at the folder she had been given Freya subconsciously bit her lip as she concentrated. She had always done this ever since she was a child and it had seemingly followed her into adult life. "I can see what I can do about 'acquiring a French flag... I actually do know someone I went to med school with who is working over there." she said not looking up from the folder as she continued to study it.

After a minute or two she closed it and smiled at Claire. "I can work with these. I think I saw a fabric store in town and I'm sure I can at least get started on making some of these up."

"Keep the receipts." Claire was glad to hear that the new biology teacher was happy to join in on the festivities even though she only just got here. "Let me know if I can help procure some hard to get things too."

"I will ma'am. Thank you... and..." Freya hesitated. "Thank you." she said again with more emphasis and meaning. "For letting me come here. I've not had to look over my shoulder the past day or so and it's been... nice."

Claire nodded at that, it was automatic for her. She didn't exclude anyone from the sanctuary from her home. A thing proven time and again with the people joining them in the halls of Avalon. "A wise man once said 'Do not look for a sanctuary in anyone except yourself'." She gave the woman a quick pat on the shoulder, "We're just here to help you find that, and during your search we'll make sure you have someone to fall back on."

She almost felt speechless. Freya knew Claire was right, that in fact you need to feel safe within yourself before you can feel it outward. It was obvious why she was the headmistress here and why the place had the reputation it seemed to have from what Freya had found out. "That sounds perfect." she said as she placed her cup down and rose from her seat. "I'd best get out of your hair." she smiled at Claire.

"There's been plenty of people coming through here, my hair remains untussled." Claire reassured the fresh recruit to their institute, "never hesitate to knock on the door." She added for good measure before stepping with Freya and guiding her back outside.