Early Morning Chat

Posted on Wed Jun 18th, 2025 @ 0:55 by Rebecca McMillen & Andrew Hallows & Penny Gardner

Chapter: Besieged
Location: Avalon Institute, Teacher's Lounge
Timeline: February, 1993. The day after the meetings.
1307 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

Andrew was just getting back into his training, having need to recover over the weekend, after having fought this mystery woman. Things had gotten even worse on Sunday, when Cameron had been killed by the same mystery woman. She had put him through the ringer pretty thoroughly, he hadn't been in a knock down drag out fight like that in a while. When he had been a vigilante, his martial arts training and military training had kept him a step above the typical thugs he had dealt with.

After the meeting regarding the loss of Cameron, Claire's arrest and Winifred's betrayal, he hadn't slept fitfully at all. On top of that there was the other meeting he had been involved in with the other remaining Knights. With all of that in mind, Andrew went out for his morning run, but as he was still in a minimal amount of pain, he didn't run more then 5k, after his shower he found himself arriving in the teacher's lounge before everyone else. This prompted him to start a pot of coffee and a kettle of water for tea, he drank both but preferred coffee over tea.

As he waited for the coffee to start, he flexed his bruised hand and rolled his neck. When he found the mystery woman he wouldn't hold back because he knew he wouldn't have to, anyone who came into the lounge would find Andrew standing in front of the coffeemaker rolling a mug between his hands.

There was a soft clearing of the throat from begin him. “Penny for your thoughts?” Penny had also had a fitful night. The previously safe walls now get almost like a trap. Penny hd thought them a bastion, a defence before last night. Now if felt like they were held together by the sheer determination of the people inside and she could see that fraying.

It was hard not to feel vindicated about Winifred though. He had given her a bad feeling. And now… now she wished she had pushed harder, done more to see the back of him before he could betray them. She sighs a little and then reaches past Andrew to grab a mug and drop a tea bag into it.

A new form entered the arena. Messed up hair, pajama pants, and mouse-themed fuzzy slippers said it all, and when she reached for a novelty mug that looked like it was made of cheese, this indeed was Rebecca. "Morning." she managed, almost on autopilot. She looked like she hadn't gotten any real sleep, and even now was just acting on muscle memory. Finding the tea, finding the kettle, finding her way through almost on instinct. "What did I miss?" she asked once she had begun the steeping process.

“Morning.” Penny responded and automatically stepped back to make space near the kettle in case the diminutive woman needed to top off her cheese mug.

“Not much.” Penny replied automatically. Everyone had been present for the briefing and since then Penny had felt like she was operating on autopilot. It was all she could really do to keep control of her powers and not accidentally ‘flash’ someone. “How you doing this morning?”

"Didn't sleep a wink." Rebecca mentioned, "Note to self, train Fourteen to make tea." she muttered to herself as she finished up the prep. "But, other then that, I'm pretty gouda." She held up the mug in the attempt at early morning comedy. She was hilarious after a few cups. "And the two of you?" the lounge felt so empty and quiet with just the three of them. It was always so full of life. Even if it was just the background din of students in the halls, sounds like that went absent weren't missed until they were gone.

Penny managed to summon a weak laugh at the cheesey pun. She didn’t feel like joking but appreciated that maybe, this time, it was good to pretend. “I’m just brie-liant, thanks for asking.” She glanced at Rebecca and gave the woman a very quick wink, then she let out a breath she had been holding onto just a little too long. Breathe, she needed to remember to breathe. It was like this morning someone had switched most of her bodies automatic functions to manual. What she normally didn’t have to think about suddenly took a little effort.

“I’m alright really. Grateful to be waking up, worried about what the day holds. Hungry and maybe a little less in control than m normal. I’m worried I’m going to flash someone by accident.” Another faint laugh. “Haven’t done that since I was at university.”

Rebecca initially regretted the pun, as it was a force of habit. Having it returned in kind lightened the moment. Penny mentioned loss of control, something Rebecca was very familiar with, and the means to live through it. "I can relate. There are a lot of places someone like me could run away and hide. Just duck my head and vanish, and let all of this blow over, but I can't do that." she related between sips. "I promised myself I wouldn't run. We need to stick together." she rallied. Or at least tried. Another sip, to hide behind her mug.

“I can understand how that would be tempting but you are right.” Penny clapped a gentle hand onto the short woman’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “Best to stick together huh? Safety in numbers and all that. Besides, your powers are incredibly useful.” She gave Rebecca a little pat and then let go, so she could grab her own cup. Tilting her head towards the seating she gave Andrew a small nudge.

“Care to sit with me for a little bit you two? Or have you got things to rush off to?” She doubted there was much to do so early but with things the way they were, she felt like it was a kindness to offer them an easy way to say no should they want it.

Rebecca hid an embarrassed smile behind her novelty mug. Being given this much validation at once wasn't something she was used to. Her thin mouse-like tail whipped about, though, betraying her feelings on the matter. "No, no I can stay around." she offered, and took a seat. She had long since had enough time to get used to having a tail, which ultimately meant no awkward moments like Sitting on that tail. "Thank you. I... don't really meet many people who think my ability is anything but weird..."

Penny gave Rebecca a sympathies look. “Oh sweetie, I don’t think you are weird at all. Well maybe the puns catch me by surprise sometimes, but who doesn’t live a cheesey joke.” She gave the woman a wink before flopping down into one of the armchairs with a woosh. “Besides, if you are weird then you are in good company. I glow if I don’t pay attention. Weird is kind of what we are aiming for around here, even if the outside world is trying to make us feel ashamed about it.”

Those words were more comforting than Penny could know. Weird is kind of what we're aiming for...

"Well, who doesn't love a good pun?" she offered in quick reply, before becoming more serious. "Thank you, though. It's good to hear, even as a reminder, that we're in this together." Together, except... "We'll make it through this." she offered something of a smile back to Penny. Given the light of the current loss of Cameron it was hard to fully smile, but times like this needed togetherness. Needed support. Plus, Fourteen was a terrible listener, so she'd need at least ONE friend. THAT thought threatened to widen the smile. Almost there.