Now renegades are the people with their own philosophies

Posted on Sat Dec 17th, 2022 @ 10:47 by David Solarin M.D. & Claire Cavendish

Chapter: Prologue: Dawn of Avalon
Location: Courtyard
Timeline: Friday, Sept 18th, 1992
1809 words - 3.6 OF Standard Post Measure

David's familiar loping amble alerted Claire to his presence before her eyes could adjust to the figure in the distance, making his way through the iron gates that separated the Avalon Institute's courtyard from the rest of the school. Clad in pressed khakis and a white button-down, overlaid in a dark blue blazer, he looked the picture of formal politic, which was to be expected from the psychiatrist. He grinned and waved at her, eyes alight with good cheer as he approached.

"Hard to believe the holidays are over just like that," he snapped two fingers, leaning heavily on the ornate dark-wood cane that made its presence ubiquitous over the past few years. His accent was uneasily-placed, an odd mash of lilting British and upstate New York. The man was darker than usual, tanned and sun-bleached, with a few more freckles dotting his nose. He clearly hadn't spent his vacation in Scotland, but then again, his old friend had never known him to stay in one place for too long.

"Catch me all up," he shifted his focus to Claire, taking in her features with near analytic focus, head tilted to the side slightly. It was playful more than demanding, though. You can take the head shrink out of Scotland, but you can't pick your nose... or something. Unlike a majority of the faculty and students at the Institute, David wasn't a mutant. Just a plain old baseline. What he lacked in powers, though, he more than made up for in experience and competence, and it was exactly why he'd been asked to take on a position.

In an era where rising mutant-baseline tensions were prolific in daily life, it helped to have allies you could trust on your side. "Any newcomers to welcome this year?"

Claire set aside the gardening tools she was using to remove the weeds from the flagstones and walked up to meet David halfway. Immediately she pulled him into a hug and in one smooth motion to his weekend bag from him before he could protest. "Welcome home, Dave." She said as she started in the directions of the entrance. "Found a couple of new faculty. Many more students as well. Word is getting around." There was a moment of hesitance in her voice that belied her underlying anxiety at that fact.

"Oh, come on," he whined. "You know I hate Dave. It's so... I'm Daaaahve." With an amused huff, he bent down to wrap her up in a one-armed embrace, nose wrinkled as she hefted his duffel from him. It was light -> he always traveled that way, picking up most of what he needed wherever he ended up. A few instances of highway robbery had cured him of the notion to pack the kitchen-sink. "Avalon is catching," he agreed, this time softer. He wasn't one to hit the nail on the head when he could help it, but - well.

"And you may be receiving more, yet. As far as a safe haven goes -" his eyebrows bounced. He wasn't as much versed security protocols as some of the more seasoned teachers, but he knew enough to do his job effectively (mostly: listen to That Guy and do what That Guy says. He was good at that!) but beyond, he could sense the shifting winds. Outbursts of violence were becoming more common globally.

It was something he had cause to encounter on a few occasions, and it was particularly unnerving. That Claire was now reporting an increase in attendance... well, maybe he was just thinking about it all wrong, it took a head-adjustment at the best of times. And actually, these were fairly good times, if he did say so himself. "Ah, hang on -" he held up a finger. "I brought you a souvenir," he plucked a small, hand-whittled bear from his pocket and held it out. "Now, don't make fun. I'm a beginner, after all. I think he's fetching." He waved it at her.

Claire smiled at the souvenir and could immediately tell it was hand crafted by the man himself. "That's amazing, much better than anything I could do." She was much more of a performing arts person. "Bobcat?" She wondered out loud looking at the creature and the pose. They'd stepped into the large hall of the institute and her question bounced around the stone room. No matter how many tapestries she put up there was always an echo there.

"Honestly, it may be," David chuckled. "And I see we've some new pieces of artwork to boot," he lifted his chin at several draping tapestries that fluttered through the wind generated by their movements, and David didn't miss that they also added well-placed shadows strategically throughout. Every time he returned here, he found Claire managed to make it more inviting. It was positive, even if there were occasion for caution. The odd man out at the best of times, David nonetheless found himself these days more than not considering Avalon home. "It's good to be back," he murmured, eyes lifting to the elaborate lighting fixtures along the walls.

"There's a couple of orphans joining us this year. All of the files are on your desk." She knew he wanted to give some extra care to the more vulnerable, but without singling them out. "Brian is also back." She gave him a knowing look as they rounded the corner towards the teacher's dorms. "I know. I know. Look, he's just one more year to finish school and maybe we can have a good influence on him, you know, before he's left to his own devices."

"Ohhhh, Brian," David rolled his eyes patiently. If one could be considered the bane of his existence, it was probably Brian - but most of David's put-on airs were just-that: airs. In reality, Brian Warren was simply another vulnerable individual that David felt it necessary to assist. Usually when it came to the kids with serious conduct issues, one could point to a causal environmental factor.

It engendered a not-insignificant amount of empathy in the counselor, even if most of Brian's teachers found him insufferable.

"I'll do my best to keep him grounded. We made a lot of progress last year, had some solid rapport building - so my hope is that will continue forward, and we can find ways to mitigate his aggression. I'll make sure to go over the rest of the files this evening and submit preliminary recommendations from there," he added, following in step alongside his Purple Pal.

"We should probably take another look at the orientation programme. Brian isn't the only one wrapping things up this year. Would be good to have them prepared for their opportunities out there." This wasn't a small concern considering the current state of affairs in their country and with the elections just around the corner things might change for all of them going into the new school year. "We were able to do it on a case by case last year but with the growth that might no longer be feasible for the mentors and yourself."

"Part of what I'd like to do is establish a career opportunities portion," David said with a nod. "The case-by-case is effective enough when dealing with students applying to university, but it might make more sense to include a group of similarly-oriented kids and practice getting them out into the community, learning practical skills and the like," he said, gesturing with his hands in an animated fashion as he spoke, evidently enthused about it.

It always made Claire anxious when they talked about getting the kids out there to integrate with the community. They'd added facilities to the institute to help them learn practical skills like a garage and a greenhouse, but she also knew David was right in that they'd have to be applying those skills in the normal world as well. "I'm sure we can figure something out, as long as the safety of the kids remains the main priority."

"We might be looking at scouting ahead, figuring out more friendly areas, that type of thing. I'll be sure to run anything by you and our security personnel before heading off-grounds. I know it is not easy out there, and student safety is always my number one priority."

He knew she knew that, but sometimes - well, David was a baseline. Trusting him to grasp the nuances of existence as a mutant was always going to present a challenge, a fact that he did not begrudge. Reassuring her of such was no skin off his back. It certainly played a role in his ability to connect with the students, but fortunately - it also happened to act in his favor.

After all, most of them wouldn't stay here forever. At a certain point they would need to integrate into greater society, which meant dealing with people just like David.

Claire knew she shouldn't question David on this topic, but it was something so engrained in her from an early age that it was difficult to let go of, especially towards a normie. She coughed a bit at thinking that word, even in her head. While it was better than some of the other words mutants had developed over the years it still wasn't the proper way to address the difference. "Thanks. I know." She gave him a gentle squeeze in his bicep before coming to a halt in front of his quarters, stepping aside to allow him to open the door to his room.

It was unchanged from the way he'd left it, bed made with neat, hospital-corners and barely a hint of personal touch other than several empty planters - and a mountain of antique books lining a simple pine shelf that was clearly put together by yours truly. Perhaps it spoke to an existential paradigm, but more than likely, he simply preferred to spend time outside of his quarters. "You let me know if you need anything, too, Claire," he said, turning to face her as his fingers curled gently over the strap of his duffel to re-situate it onto his shoulder. "It's not just the students I worry over, you know." His eyes creased at the corners when he smiled. "Consider it an open invitation."

"Appreciated." It wasn't the first time David had offered her and it probably wouldn't be the last. Claire looked into the room. "Homely." Classic deflection. "Get settled in. Good night's rest. Tomorrow we'll have a little faculty get together. Get to know the new people."

"I look forward to it," he bowed his head, touching his hand to his chest enthusiastically.