Striking a Chord

Posted on Mon Feb 6th, 2023 @ 20:30 by Phoebe Hunter & Cameron Johnston

Chapter: Prologue: Dawn of Avalon
Location: Knights' HQ
Timeline: Sunday, September 20th - 9:45pm
1869 words - 3.7 OF Standard Post Measure

"You know, if you keep disappearing under the loch late at night, someone's going to accuse you of being a monster."

There was some small irony, Cameron supposed, to the fact that he'd only found the person he'd spent half an hour trying to track down once he'd given up on the task. Whenever Claire did that to him, it was easy to blame the shadows, and if Reagan ever managed it, it was usually something so randomly unique that there was no point trying to accuse her of intentional avoidance. Jonathan never managed it. New people meant new behavioural patterns, however, and whilst Cameron was an observant guy, there were a lot of new staff to contend with. This one, at least, seemed to fancy herself a mermaid.

Or perhaps she'd just seen him coming. It seemed like an unfair advantage.

"So is this lesson preparation or team torture schedule?," he asked, easing himself into the sofa opposite her chosen work space. The recreational area was actually fairly comfortable, he'd nearly fallen asleep in the armchair several times. Of course, if the mood took him, Cameron could cat-nap just about anywhere and often did. Protracted hours of sleep didn't come easily, his brain wasn't wired to shut down quite like that, but little 10-minute 'top ups', as he called them, were a vital part of staying healthy. It made for a good excuse anyway.

Phoebe looked up and raised an eyebrow at his statement as she took in the man just sitting there waiting for her to say something. "Pardon?" She asked not at all sure what he meant at all. She glanced down at what she was working on which was a proposal for an extracurricular activity in the way of an archery club. "Something extra." She finally decided to let him have that.

"I just figured you'd be planning something for the kids, or working on the team's training regime." Cameron's tone shifted immediately, adapting to her confusion. Their first chat had given him some hope that she had a humour that could keep up with his but the mutant was reminded that they were still virtual strangers, and she undoubtedly had a lot on her plate. "Anything I can help with?"

“For the students. I was looking at what is available and a lot of it is inside and not much outside on the grounds so I am putting a proposal together for an archery club.” Phoebe explained not quite meeting his gaze as they spoke. The adult's training sessions were more than in hand and under control. She just needed to find a moment to see what equipment was available for it.

Considering the prospect for a moment, Cam nodded slowly as the merits of not just her specific idea, but expanding the scope of extra-curricular activities, became clearer. "There does seem to have been a lot of talk around forming more clubs without any actual action taken." He studied the stoop of her head, intrigued more than anything that her demeanour was far more closed-off than the first time they'd spoken. "Any particular reason you're doing it here and not your office?" A quirk of his eyebrows, whilst rooted in kindness and a willingness to empathise, nevertheless matched the quizzical nature of his smile.

"Well I am a woman of action and I liked to see things like this happen. If this goes well maybe I will create something else but I like the thought of this and we have some of the equipment already here." Phoebe looked around and shrugged. "Seemed like a quiet place instead of the staff room or the office I share with three others." The humanities office was good for class work and bouncing ideas off but she needed a little space for herself to focus on things without distractions.

"Hey, at least you have an office." Cameron technically did, if you considered the small room at the back of the main workshop much of an administerial hub. It was certainly a final resting place for half the paperwork he tended to get behind on, relegated to a discarded copy because someone always tracked him down with a replacement copy the minute he set foot in the teacher's lounge.

"Were you needing me for something?" She asked remembering that he seemed to be looking for her.

"Half an hour ago, I was trying to check in with you to see if you've got anything to add to the maintenance list before the kids show up and it gets crazy around here. Now..." The mutant spread his hands in supplication. "Same applies, only I wasn't actually trying to find you this time." He gestured towards the hangar. "I tend to spend this time going over stuff." Every night, like clockwork. If he couldn't sleep, he could at least make himself useful.

“Design and technology deals with maintenance?” She wondered starting to gather a few plastic wallets to put stuff away in. It was a good space that she had spotted when she had toured but she should have known it would be a more his space.

"It keeps me out of mischief theoretically."

A faint frown knitted Cam's eyebrows together for a moment. During their first conversation, she'd been the one to approach him and, apparently when things were on her terms, that lead to a perfectly easy-going conversation. Now, all he was getting was vibes that suggested she'd rather be left alone. This was why machinery was so much easier to figure out.

"I'll, uh, leave you to it then," he said, a twinge of regret hidden by the wince of attempting to get up off the impressively-plush seat that had a tendency to swallow him. "Looks like you've got plenty to keep you busy without me talking your ear off."

"Please don't, this is your space really, I just came here as I assumed only six or seven people could find it," Pheobe explained quickly as she glanced at his failed attempts to get out of the chair. "It might be chilly down here but it's nice and quiet. Sometimes just need that time away from people. Not quite used to everyone being around me all the time." She did not want to admit that it had made her abilities a little sensitive or the dream that she had, had for three nights on the trot about Cam right then and there.

"It's everyone's space," Cam corrected her, gently and yet with an underlying sternness that wasn't going to be easily thwarted. The most possessive he'd got was making sure that everyone knew Nessie wasn't for casual hang-outs or curious exploring, being a highly complex piece of tech that had the capacity to blow a hole in the concrete wall keeping the loch from claiming everything. "And, since you're the boss, I think you get first dibs." He smiled, offered a huff of laughter, and then gestured with his head back towards the hangar. "I spend most of my nights with that lovely lady."

"You really need to find a country that will allow you to marry her..." Phoebe said in a teasing tone before she coughed awkwardly. "You have a lot of love for her."

"Eh, she's part French." Having finally managed to climb to his feet, Cameron bent down to retrieve the cushion he'd sent onto the ground and grinned. "We'll just have to hope she doesn't throw me out of the house mid-flight."

"Ah, so you know about me being boss... No hard feelings about a newcomer coming in right?" She asked quietly hoping that it would be okay with him.

The question stopped Cameron in his tracks. What that what some of this stand-offishness was about? His brow flickered, concern mostly that he'd ever given the impression that it was a problem, before he shook his head faintly several times. "It won't be long and it'll feel like you've always been here," he quietly joked. "And, well, it's not about ego or pride or competitive career advancement. Claire wouldn't have appointed you if you weren't up for the job." Cam smiled. "Not many risks I'd refuse if she's the one suggesting them."

Phoebe nodded and allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief internally that he had at least did not mind her being the team leader and just coming into the unit. "I hope it starts to feel like this soon." It would be a lot easier to work with everyone once she knew them but she could not help the feeling of dread around Cameron. There was something she was meant to know and if she closed her eyes she could nearly grab it but the second she opened her eyes it was gone.

"You just need to remember you're not in it alone." There was a pointed component to Cameron's otherwise supportive gaze. Having reached his own conclusions about the woman's dismissive demeanour, it was probably for the best that the pilot hadn't stopped for a moment to align any part of it with her abilities. "And that some of the groundwork's already been laid. Nessie and I are getting to know each other pretty well, I have all the fancy pieces of paper that tell me I'm allowed to take her out on the town. And Bridge and I have been cobbling together our own training regime for a while now. Should see us," he added with a wink. "Imagine two people, tripping on acid, performing Swan Lake on rollerskates whilst operate a wrecking ball." His eyes gleamed. "It's nothing like that."

Phoebe avoided his gaze for small moment before she nodded as his sentiment. It was sweet but did not help the sinking feeling in her stomach. “Training regimes will start soon I have a few ideas on how to align everyone together but everyone needs to arrive first.”

A younger, less tactful Cameron would have pushed for an explanation. He was astute enough to be absolute sure now that something was bothering her, though not self-centric enough to assume it was entirely aimed at him. It was an uncomfortable dynamic, not knowing someone well enough to offer support they so clearly needed. What was it Claire kept trying to tell him? About people not being as easy to fix as cars? He smiled, hoped it was genuine enough to convey reassurance and left his response as, "And that was your first experience telling me to hold my horses." The smile became a grin. "I will bow to your wisdom, boss. And," he promised, "get out of your hair." Moving off towards the hangar, he called back, "Let me know if I can do anything though. I meant it when I said you're not doing this on your own."

“Thanks Cameron.” Phoebe called after him not sure what else she could see when the sense of doom she was experiencing around him was over powering. She had not had such a reaction like that since the night she had left Robert and that had ended in disaster to say the least.

What was going to happen this time??