Reflections Upon Reflections

Posted on Mon Jan 30th, 2023 @ 9:28 by Claire Cavendish & Reagan D'Angelo
Edited on on Mon Jan 30th, 2023 @ 10:54

Chapter: Prologue: Dawn of Avalon
Location: The Loch
Timeline: Late afternoon (before sunset), September 24th, 1992
3353 words - 6.7 OF Standard Post Measure

A stroll around the Loch was always a welcome invitation for Reagan. She never tired of its pristine waters, the untouched nature around it, the clean air that carried none of the stench and frantic energy of London or New York. Though she might have preferred a jog or a run, a walk with Claire near sunset was more than she could have asked for to end one of their last, quiet days well, so she wasn't exactly complaining.

Hair in a relaxed ponytail, cargo pants on with a tank top and open toed sandals dispelled any notion of more intense motion anyhow. She was here to relax, soak in the nature, and conversate with the woman next to her. If she was honest with her, Claire might have been her best friend since leaving London, even including those she still knew in the city. Well... second best, when she wasn't happily engaging with Cameron like the big brother he was to her. Her form stopped briefly to kneel and pick up a nice, shiny pebble from the edge of the water, wet and glimmering in the late afternoon sun, before she stood and caught up with Claire again. "Not that I'm complaining boss, but just out here for the walk? The company? Or did you need to get something off your chest? I think we're all just a little nervous about the children coming back... not long now."

"Can't a woman just want to take a long walk around an old Scottish loch with a friend without any ulterior motives?" Claire leaned in to bump against Rea's shoulder as an indication that she was clearly onto something with her question. "It just feels different somehow. This year." She shook her head. "I mean, I wished the general elections had gone differently. The discourse in London, and the nation really, it's." She sighed. "And then the States. Louder voices calling for registration. I'm just glad that we killed that off in the seventies here." Her mind drifted to all the other things going on in the world right now, it felt like a change in the winds, with the USSR crumbling and more and more reports from the former east-bloc showing how Soviet Russia had treated mutants, it was difficult not to feel as if their whole world was under pressure. Close to crumbling. "I just want to walk around the Loch. Forget about all that. Even if just for a moment."

"Maybe... maybe not. I wouldn't mind ulterior motives too." She grinned with the bump, looking briefly at Claire before her eyes turned forward again, to keep an eye on where she was stepping and where they were headed in general. Reeling back her arm, she gave the pebble a nice underhand toss, the rock skipping off the water once or twice before disappearing underneath the waves. "It's definitely exciting times, isn't it? And not all of it in a good way. Iron curtain comes down, great, but what's behind it that we might have to deal with..."

She looped an arm into Claire's after the purple woman's request was made plain, squeezing lightly and keeping the pace slow and relaxed. "Nothing wrong with that, boss. Last few days here, and we've all been working 25 hours a day to get ready I think. You more than the rest of us. Did you even manage to relax outside our little movie night and squash with Phoebe and Jon? I think you deserve more than a few days off."

"I had the entire summer off" A blatant lie of course, Claire'd only been away from the Institute for half a week, and that was also a business trip to the Netherlands in an effort to recruit new faculty. "I guess it's just pre-semester jitters." She pulled the locked arm closer, she'd always been a fairly physical person and it was nice to be surrounded with people that didn't flinch when she reached out for a hug. At least for the most part. There were of course a couple of faculty and students that had more issues with intimacy, and who could blame them. "Do you have everything set for the first weeks of lessons? Anything you need?"

A lifetime of being afraid of such contact usually left Reagan without, or bad habits of neglecting those closer to her when there really was no need. Kristen had only survived so long with it because she had been similar, so any moments of contact they did share had been mutually agreed upon like some unspoken business arrangement. Having friends like Claire though, in an environment like this? Cameron too. She found herself loving how much freer she could be with her expression when she wasn't always paranoid about her personal secrets somehow leaking through osmosis. "I think we all get those. You should see Cameron, even more of a squirrel than he usually is before the children get here."

She smiled at her friend, looking incredulous as her hand gently pinched the held arm. "See? There you go, right back into work mode... I am just fine, Claire. I have all I need and then some, just time to play the waiting game. So... relaxing. Banishing talk of work until we're back inside the castle. I'll brook no arguments on it."

Claire solemnly nodded. There were a lot of thoughts swimming through her mind, most of them were related to the school and all the things that still needed doing before the kids came in, which was tomorrow. They weren't major things but it was always going to keep her busy. "So, how was your time back in London? Meet any of your family? Old friends?" She couldn't really think of anything else that wasn't going to be work related.

"My mother came through on her way through Cardiff to visit my grandparents. Almost convinced me to go with, but had to settle with seeing me in London while I did my annual check-in with the board at Guardian. So... some old friends, I suppose. What about you? Any family you can still stand to see? Or other friends outside us here?" She watched Claire inquisitively, but wasn't pushy about it or anything, as lazy in her expression and words as she was in their walk. That was the goal, right?

"Had a very unproductive expedition to Rotterdam." Claire sighed, there wasn't really much she did besides the institute. Even that trip to the Netherlands had been for Avalon, why else would she have gone to Rotterdam? She then shrugged. "I exchange Christmas cards with my brother but that's it really, so nothing on that front." There was no love lost between her and the rest of her family.

"Remind me come holiday break in December to take you out for a proper vacation with some of the other faculty. We'll rent a lodge in Switzerland, go skiing, have fun. Maybe even bring some of the children." She offered another smile, shoulder briefly bumping into the other woman's. "Better than another attempt with the ex to 'make things work', getting into a shouting match, and ending up drinking a bottle of wine alone in a hotel room. Christmas 1991, never again."

"I never was great at skiing." Claire mused, as with many if her peers they had gone on winter holidays in Austria and Switzerland. She could never quite get the hang of it, or see the fun. Though those were different times, she hadn't really gone back since her mutation had manifested. Perhaps the anonymity of a ski suit would help her enjoy the activity more now. "But I'm sure we can think of a better way to spend the holidays than what you just described." It was nice to have someone close that cared enough to want to take her, and the kids left behind, to a snow covered peak. "Places we used to go for winter were always frequented by the European upper class. I think my dad wanted to marry me off to Dutch or Swedish royalty."

"Honestly? Me either. I mostly just stayed inside and drank hot cocoa with my sister and mother while father went skiing to schmooze with business partners." She grinned tellingly at Claire. Despite her sports positive lifestyle and penchant for physical activity, skiing hadn't quite caught on with her. Maybe it was because she grew up in cities where sports were either indoors or on level ground in the middle of a concrete jungle. Mountains and trees and all that was beautiful for a hike, but the terrain never quite sat right with her for something like going high speed downhill in snow. "Not very hard to top that, don't think. At least the wine was a good vintage."

She considered Claire then, a little snicker passing her lips when she pictured that idea. "You all dressed up with a crown, looking absolutely miserable in front of all the cameras... I can picture it now. Imagine how well funded we'd be if you did though, eh? Uncaring, rich husband in some foreign country who just writes you blank checks to keep scandals under wraps? I could bite the bullet for something like that."

"You're proposing I 'take one for the team', Rea?" Claire laughed back at that. From all the strong independent women that she had the privilege of getting to know over her years in the community Reagan was certainly top tier, and to hear her speak of this, even as a joke, messed with her head. "I'd rather be scraping the barrel to make ends meet with someone like you..." She seemed to consider how that could be taken for a moment, "or Cam, or Jonathan, you know."

"As if being named royalty is that bad? Depending on your husband. Have to think of the children, Princess." She was entirely teasing in her tone, and then Claire continued and got a brief, meaningful look from Reagan. Not that Claire'd exactly be scraping the barrel with someone like her either, but that minor correction wasn't really what crossed her mind. She cleared her throat once, forcing her mind back on track and senses on to their path ahead that would eventually circle back around a little wooded area and get them back to the Institute proper. "Know what you mean. Still fun to think about though, right? I know growing up with money, some influence maybe, but... noble titles and prospects? Cam would have endless fodder for teasing."

Claire was able to suppress a laugh there. "It's not all it's set up to be." They had moved in those circles, and her father had definitely done what he could to keep them close to the royal family and other similarly influential individuals. It had of course always been his hope that his only daughter would broaden his influence. In that sense, and many more, she was a disappointment. While she still officially held the title, her brother was first in line for the hereditary role anyway. All of her father's hopes and dreams for his little Lady had melted away when she started manifesting her mutation. "Cam already thinks I'm a Queen for setting up shop in this castle, I've not felt the need to correct him and tell him I'd actually just be a Duchess." She wasn't really one for flaunting that part of her history, and was quite sure none of the faculty actually knew that she was part of that. Perhaps that was one of the reasons she preferred surrounding herself with non-Brits in the Institute.

"Will take your word for it, Sugar Plum. But I think I get it. Dad wasn't royalty, but he had his connections, his offshore bank accounts. Even used some of them to open my business." They made the little loop through the wooded area, Reagan gently steering them with their arms still linked as the blonde looked over her walking partner once more. That last tidbit got a real grin out of her. "You know your secret's safe with me. Already pokes at me with similar titles, less... wholesome implications. I'd never subject you to that too. Duchess though... That'd be a cool codename for you, don't you think?" She knew Claire well enough by now not to dig too deeply on the family thing, knew it was complicated, and could empathize even.

Their lives outside Avalon seemed so much more complicated, and in comparison, being where they were now, even doing the jobs they did between teaching and being part of the team? Sometimes it still felt like a vacation from everything else, a different life altogether, with a whole different family.

"I think I'll stick with my pompous Latin one for now." Claire then smirked a bit, "Duchess Tenebris does have a certain ring to it, although I think it might have people drawing the wrong conclusions about me." It seemed ominous somehow, even without the Duchess title in front of it. She didn't really want to be ominous and scary, but the manifestation of her mutation as well as the type of abilities she had developed alongside it made people mistrust her. If not at first sight, then at least once they realised she could always be in a room with them if it wasn't properly lit with UV bulbs. "Do you think we might be overstepping with the whole Quantum Knights thing?" It had always been a concern of hers, and even though they hadn't really gotten into the thick of it as a team, some of them had experience with vigilante work. She herself had stepped in on multiple occasions to protect what she believed in. It just didn't quite jive with her philosophy of peaceful resolution.

Reagan broke into laughter at the suggested title simply adding on to Claire's already fancy codename. "With a codename like that? I'd just assume you were a high class escort with... specific clientele." She couldn't help but laugh again, still holding Claire's arm but leaning away just a bit incase physical retaliation became an option. And then the topic shifted back to something serious, drawing a squint from the blonde at her friend. "That sounds like work talk... but I'll allow it this once. No, I don't. But I may be biased as a go-getting workaholic who owns stock in her own security firm. Always been a sucker for a cause, or just a pretty pair of eyes that also has one. But I genuinely believe ours is a good one. Authorities certainly don't seem keen to curtail the levels of violence we have to deal with themselves, right? Why not us?"

There were a great many reasons for Claire to say 'not us'. But the woman on her side gave her confidence in their cause, their direction. She looked and smiled at Reagan before returning her gaze to the ground and pulling her back in closer after the jest had put some distance between them. "It feels like now, more than ever, we're barrelling towards something that we cannot stop. I just. I sometimes wonder if I'm wrong." Her gaze fell to the forest floor right in front of her, eyes darting from twig to fallen leaf.

When that draw closer came, Reagan's eyes shifted to Claire's form, studying her reaction to the words and awaiting her response. And when she got it, she didn't think twice about her rebuttal. Her hand on Claire's arm dropped to find her partner's and slip in, squeeze for assurance. "We all do, I promise you. But one thing I've never questioned? Your commitment to our mission and your leadership in this whole endeavor. Same goes for the whole team, you hear me? If something's coming, then we'll face it, head on. No regrets. There's no where I'd rather be then right here, right now, ready to tackle whatever the world throws at us, Claire."

Her eyes stayed on the woman beside her, waiting until she was sure Claire could at least look up, if not look back at her and give Reagan some assurances that she'd gotten through. It was sometimes hard for her to remember that Claire didn't have the background she did, the sheer tenacity or assuredness in acting. But she felt that was easy to do, because Claire had done all of this, with the Institute and the Knights, and done it all with no ability to hide who she was, and all that baggage from her personal life. "You're the bravest and the best of us, and I'm not going to let you forget it. So any time you need a reminder, you know where my office is, yeah?"

Claire nodded slowly, not sure whether she truly believed it or whether she'd just want the awkward moment to pass them by. Then again it was probably just her that was awkward about it. "I know." She inclined her head to the side and bumped it against Reagan's shoulder. It was nice to have someone close. She wondered if this was what people normally found in romantic relationships. A stray thought that went down an entire rabbit hole about why she was still not 'shacked up'. To which the answer was blatantly obvious to her. She snapped out of it and looked up to meet Reagan's eyes. "Thank you."

With the bump, Reagan surprised herself a little, her immediate reaction finding her head against Claire's for just a few moments while their walking motions weren't too bumpy to make it infeasible. It was nice, comfortable. Maybe too nice and comfortable? She lifted her head just in time to catch Claire moving and catch that gaze. There was a twinge there, somewhere inside, that reminded her of other things and certain other people that made her return smile somehow more reserved than she might have meant it. But she brushed it off, pushed it all back, and squeezed Claire's arm again, eyes averting forward to avoid catching that gaze for too long. "Any time, boss."

There was the word that put a stake through the heart, Boss. That's exactly what Claire had to be for these people, an administrator. The Head Teacher. They came back up to the bridge that would lead them to the main courtyard. "Same time tomorrow?" As they stepped onto the approach she unlocked their arms and gave a bit of professional distance between the two knowing there might be colleagues and students beyond the main gate, and rumours in a tight knit community such as theirs had a life of their own.

Was that something... bad she saw in Claire's reaction? A twinge of a hopeful little flame sputtering out? Regardless of deeper meaning or implications, the two were good friends, and maybe using the other woman's title over anything else was sort of the wrong thing to do then and there? Just to be on the safe side, Reagan leaned in and wrapped Claire in a nice hug, consequences and rumors be damned, before she fell back to look at the other woman with a smile. "Same time tomorrow. Don't work too hard until then, or I'll sic the doctor on you, got it? See you then, Claire."

With that, she turned to move up the property back toward the building at a light jog, figuring she'd get a little bit of harder cardio in before she got to her room. The children were nearly here, and though she hadn't let Claire expand on her worries too much, Reagan couldn't help reminding herself of them now. The world had really always been a fairly hostile place for mutants, if not affording some protection due to secrecy. Now? With how the political landscape was rapidly shifting? She was glad she was here, at the front, and able to do something about it, at least. And she had Claire to thank for that. No regrets, she'd always be thankful for that, no matter how they ended up.