Odd Undercurrents

Posted on Wed Feb 5th, 2025 @ 17:04 by Rebecca McMillen & Claire Cavendish

Chapter: Besieged
Location: Avalon
Timeline: (Two hours after Cellar Dweller)
1926 words - 3.9 OF Standard Post Measure

It was something that Rebecca learned on her way up here. If you have to act fast, don't run. Running attracts attention. Mind you it was a good way to get out of a bad situation but...

*squeak squeak* went the comforting presence of a Helper Rat on her shoulder. A tag-along from her adventure in the Under Croft, and there to calm her. To ground her. To help her finish off that last bit of... okay that part wasn't important. The important part was she spent the last two hours after her encounter in her own semi-personal training ground talking to Winifred about secret aircraft and hidden rooms and who-knows-what. Probably nothing, but she had a nose for trouble. And he'd go back eventually. Would she be so lucky to get out of there if it turned to trouble? She'd rather not think that a fellow member of the faculty would attack her, but.. the notion that she couldn't immediately rule it out wasn't comforting.

So, with a little emotional support brie in her, she set off to find Claire, starting of course in her office. What's the point of having your name on the door if you weren't behind it?

As it turned out the office was empty when Rebecca arrived, but not for long. As a distinctive hiss culminated in a pop of air displaced from an empty corner in the office. A small sheet of paper swirled in the air as Claire appeared and with both her arms full of folders she was unable to reach for it to stop hitting the ground.

All of that made her take a moment to realise there was something in her office. "Oh. Hey. Miss McMillen." She made her way over to the desk and placed the folders down before retrieving the rogue spreadsheet and putting it back where it belonged on top of one of the piles. it was then that she spotted the rat on her shoulder, "and colleague" She added to her initial greeting.

"This is Fourteen. She's here to make sure I get my tasks done and not freak out over what just happened. Fourteen, this is Claire. She's good people." Rebecca handled introductions, and there was a weight there. This wasn't a term of endearment or just another title or pleasantry. This rat was being informed of a fact: Claire is Good People. A squeak from the rat was the only reply, either an acknowledgement or a greeting but Rebecca wasn't focusing on that at the moment.

"So, I was in the undercroft practicing. You wanted us to experiment, to learn the edges of our gi... potential. To figure out how far we can do what we do, which is nice and all when you make it snow or run fast. I work with rats, and most folks don't li.... we can worry about the rest of that later. I just spent about half an hour with Winifred in the undercroft. He was looking for secret airplanes or whatever, thinking we had some sort of secret air force base under the castle. Asked me if I knew of anything hidden down there, and I'm the one to ask. My friends, they go everywhere. See everything. Smell everything." she reached up to give Fourteen some affectionate chin scritchies, which the rat leaned into. "I could tell you where all the generators are, where all the wine cellars are, where all the secret long abandoned dungeons are, but he had an empty map and was intent on filling it." she paused, a squeak from Fourteen returned her to the here and now, "Yeah yeah I'm getting there, so I led him on a ..... fine, WE led him on a wild run through the undercroft and brought him back to the entrance. He didn't seem pleased, but he didn't threaten me or anything."

"Is snooping illegal, I sure hope not. But if he was intent on filling that map why not just come to you?"

There was a lot of information to process suddenly flowing from Rebecca. Claire tried to parse the factual from the emotional and the paranoia from the actual threat. "Slow down a bit. He was looking for an aeroplane? Where exactly did you run into him?" She slowly made her way around the desk and motioned for the chesterfields in the corner of her office. "Can I offer you something to drink?" She'd have to address the fact that her 'friends' knew everything down there a bit more subtly, hoping the air-locked doors would've kept our rodent snoopers.

"Yes, he mentioned a rumor of a craft, seen around the time of the Sentinel attack and, oh yes please.." a moment's reprieve as she sat and got comfortable. Fourteen scampered down her arm to rest on the armrest. "He was in the undercroft, give me a bit and i could show you exactly where." She paused, "But Fourteen and the others know the tunnels and scents of those tunnels in and out. I've seen generators, wine cellars, abandoned rooms but an aerocraft? An airport?" Rebecca giggled, it sounded so impossible.

Preparing the tea Claire was wondering exactly what to disclose to Rebecca. "There have been such rumours before." She admitted, "And it has caused students to seek out the undercroft, despite warnings. As such we have taken some precautions in the form of security. To keep the children safe. This is the first time I hear of Faculty taking the rumours seriously enough to pursue them." Those in the Knights knew not to tell, those who were inadvertently introduced to Nessie during Halloween understood the same after a conversation. "Do you or your crew ever run into any other strange people?" She put the cup of tea in front of Rebecca.

"Oh I'm certain. Every castle has secrets. Some have dungeons, others might have dragons, and we have a terminal." Rebecca joked, "And some of us just like dark, quiet places. Fourteen and the rest enjoy them because they're safe. Kids enjoy them because they're spooky and forbidden, and they dare each other to take five steps down there."

"To answer your que... thank you." she paused to accept the tea, turning slightly to the rat on her shoulder, "No no, none for you. Sorry." Rebecca returned to Claire's attention, "So yeah, no. I've never seen anyone down there that... prepared to be down there. I practice down there, out of sight, but that's just me. This was the first time I saw someone down there that was looking to be down there."

Claire nodded and was a bit relieved at that fact. There were security measures in place, of course, but she knew nothing was infallible. "Good to know." She took a return trip to the tray that held the tea, grabbed a small tin and popped the top off before holding it in front of the rat. There was a small collection of digestives inside. "And you're sure you're rodent friends also never mentioned something odd or off about certain sections of the undercroft?"

The happiest rattie in the isles gleefuly snatched up a treat. Rebecca giggled, "And here you are, bribing the troops." she smiled, then turned to give Claire a glance. When you ask a question THAT specific, it was rather suspicious. However, Claire had a few things in her favor. Rebecca trusted her. Rebecca respected her. Rebecca had nowhere else to go.

"I mean, they never told me they found anything." She started, before adding, "Though if they did, and I asked them, they'd tell me honest." she turned to the rat on her shoulder, "And did you ever find anything unusual down there?" and the rat stopped nibbling on its treat to give a series of squeaks in reply before turning its attention back to the treat. "Fourteen says they never noticed anything out of the ordinary. Was there something they sh.." she paused, and just shook her head, "I'm certain there's nothing there for them to find."

"It's a very old castle, I had never considered asking the.. locals for guidance down there. I'm sure there's parts of the undercroft that even I aren't aware of." Claire realised how she must've sounded, and it was clearly starting to tug at Rebecca's curiosity. It didn't feel good to have to keep secrets from faculty, but some things benefited from just being shared among a small select group of individuals. It was at the very least good to know that the measures they had put in place to keep the area sealed off were actually good enough to keep out even the rodents.

"Next time you have nothing to do, we could take a walk." Rebecca offered. "I could show you my progress, maybe you could give me a few pointers, some ideas I hadn't thought of." someone to offer inspiration would never be turned away. "And if we do find something, we find it together. You and I can keep a secret, and they only talk to me." she offered, pausing only to take a sip of tea. "If I overstepped by practicing down there, just give the word and I'll find somewhere else. It's just, well, it's hard to practice when, well, your power makes people shriek."

"I would really appreciate that, and if you do come across anything odd in the undercroft, be sure to report it, same as you did now. Times like these everyone should be vigilant." Claire remarked before leaning forward a bit, "you practice down there as much as you want, Becca." She was confident in the security measures they had put in place to protect the Knight facilities. "Is there anything else I can do for you today?"

Rebecca gave a confident nod, feeling like some form of secret police form. A literal Rat Pack, as it were. Except rats didn't travel in packs they were, oh nevermind. "Oh of course. I'll let you know right away." she confirmed. At the notion of having, essentially, permission to practice in the undercroft, Rebecca beamed, and turned to Fourteen, "You hear that? We're official." and Fourteen gave a squeak between nibbles. Not a single crumb was missed, that rat was a professional snacker.

After a moment's consideration, Rebecca shook her head gently, "No, that was about it. It's been busy and, well, it IS rather scary out there. Let me know if you need a place to disappear." she offered, to the woman that found her in the wine cellar one night. "Fourteen has her mouth full, but if you know what to look for, trust me, she's very happy right now." the blonde smiled. Carefully she stood up, "Thank you again Claire. For the tea, for the listen... for everything."

Disappearing was Claire's primal instinct, it had taken everything in her to not try and make everything disappear when in September the Sentinel attack forced them into the limelight. Things were adding up, and now they were at her doorstep. Disappearing was no longer an option. "Thank you for coming to me, Becca. I appreciate everything you do for Avalon." It came off as much more of a farewell than she had intended.

Departing seemed Rebecca's intent. "Thank you for that, I'll.." she paused, "I should probably get back to it. Art doesn't make itself." she smiled, and there was a squeak from the rat. "Oh, Fourteen says thank you." the blonde smiled, setting the teacup down, "Take care." and with that, she turned to depart.