Nights Are Fair Drawing In

Posted on Thu Nov 23rd, 2023 @ 21:46 by Freya Callaghan MD & Phoebe Hunter

Chapter: All Hallow's Eve
Location: The Glen Bar, Somewhere In Scotland
1392 words - 2.8 OF Standard Post Measure

Bar work hadn't been where she'd seen herself once she'd gotten her medical degree but she'd done this during university and for the moment it kept her fed and warm in a hostel down the road. It was a job, no questions asked really and in a pinch it was working out until she decided what to do next after the incident in the hospital.

The Glen, well what you could you say about it? It was an old fashioned bar, rarely a woman seen in the place apart from behind the bar itself. It used to be an old drinking house and the décor showed with the old fashioned cornicing and almost 1900's feel to it. The bar itself was quite large and there were still a few regulars using it to prop themselves up. Hamish the owner let them sleep some off before going back to their wives and told Freya to leave them be mostly, maybe give them a poke closer to actual closing time.

Freya was underneath the bar restocking a small fridge with some Tennant's lager, a staple drink in most of Scotland and should it ever run dry a riot would be had. In an old mining town such as this the men had little to do here.

Phoebe looked around the bar and sighed to herself as she looked at the photo she had been given trying to match it up to a face. Everyone looked older and so much more grubby than a woman around her age so she had, had no luck yet despite her abilities telling her the woman would be there.

“Come on girly and have a drink with me?” A man slurred to her which made the red head smirk.

“I’d eat you alive and spit out what remains for your wife and her sister to eat.” She said siding past him to lean against the bar waiting for someone to serve her.

Freya giggled a little at the dumbstruck look on Tam's face. He was often like that and she'd been on the receiving end of his advances a few times. Declined of course, much to his disappointment. As she rose from her lower position she regard the redhead that now stood at her bar.

"Don't mind Tam. He's harmless, but I do love that you appear to have broken him." Freya looked at him and he was still running over in his mind what this new lady had said. "What can I get ya hon"? she asked.

Phoebe looked back at the man and smiled brightly at him before turning to the woman again. This was Freya Callaghan without a doubt. The mutant who had healed people and ran. It was a shame that she had that night as it would have made protecting her a lot easier and would have involved her not having to drive so far on a school night. “Some men deserve to be broken.” She said quietly sizing the woman up. “I think it’s more what can I get for you … doctor.” She said the last part low and steady so that no one else could hear.

Freya fumbled the glasses she was holding and they made a loud clink together as she heard this stranger calling her by her doctor title. It felt like it didn't bode well and she started looking towards the exit, looking at the booths for shadows moving and the lights outside the bar for the same. Once she regained something of what could be called composure she poured the stranger a small vodka tonic and slid it towards her slowly. "How do you know who I am?" she asked as her heart sped up a little.

“I worked for some people who were alerted to your presence and the fact you would be very valuable to the wrong type of people if I did not get involved.” Phoebe took the drink that was offered and just looked at it. She was not drinking but she looked like she was going to at the very least and did not look quite as out of place.

People who alerted were alerted towards her presence? It already sounded like the hundreds of stories she'd heard growing up of how people used to disappear without warning into the darkness of the night. She didn't consider herself valuable, she just worked happily as a doctor and helped those were she could without being noticed. Her last attempt pushed things too far. "I didn't think anyone would look for me... let alone the wrong type of people." Freya replied. "What kind of people are you?" she asked.

It was a good question to be fair and not one she had been asked before but then again she had never tried to do this type of thing without her identification card. “The type of people who drive miles on a school night to give you a card.” Phoebe held out the card that held the castles details on.

Freya put forward her hand with a little hesitation before taking the card from this woman. "Who are you?" she asked as she read the details. Freya had heard whispers of this school before. It had a good reputation but she associated it with taking in kids more so than adults. "And are you asking me to come to this school?" she looked at the woman carefully looking to see any change in body language that would help Freya judge her truthfulness.

Phoebe smiled at the woman kindly as she took the card. That was at least a start to the woman joining them that she was at least open to the idea. It would be in her best interests but who was she to force the subject, people had free will and they could do what they wanted to do despite best efforts of others. “Well we could use a doctor or whatever qualifications you have in teaching.” Phoebe said staring back. “And my name is Phoebe.” She said simply, she did not need to know more than that right then and there.

"Nice to meet you, Phoebe." Freya had a feeling this Phoebe knew a lot more about her than she would ever find out about them. "I wouldn't mind being a doctor for your school." she added as she looked the card once over again. "I can't imagine there will be much need for that, but as for teaching skills... I could learn." she shrugged. "Wasn't really at the full teaching stage for training new doctors but I did teach a few things to a few people."

Phoebe smiled as her eyes flashed white for a second before returning to normal. It was lost in the darkness of the bar but it revealed that they were similar. “Who knows what we need but you should come and check it all it.”

Freya stared at Phoebe for a moment, she was close enough to see the eyes of the woman turn white and then return to her normal pupil and beautifully brown iris returned. Her mouth hung agape for a second or two but she closed it quick enough with a rather large gulp to follow.

Phoebe was like her, different obviously in abilities by the look of it and it made her curious but now was not the time to question her so openly in such a Human setting. "I think I'd like that." she smiled warmly before leaning in towards Phoebe to whisper. "This place smells anyway."

Phoebe shrugged. It was a quaint type of place that Scotland had in abundance that were fast becoming obsolete in the rest of the United Kingdom. “Lots of fresh air in the place on the card.” Phoebe said. “I hope to see you soon,” she added before disappearing into bar and it the door into the night as if she had not just upset a patron or changed someone’s view on life.

Freya had looked down at the card again as Phoebe spoke and when she looked back up she was gone. "Cool." she said with a rather impressed nod. "I wonder if she can teleport..." she said to herself quietly as she protected the card and placed it into her pocket. "I think it's time to hand in my resignation."