2012-07-30 Meet the Pixie

Megan sits at a table in the coffee shop, her legs swinging under her chair. There's a cup of steaming tea before her and a look of barely contained excitement on her face as she waits for her scheduled meeting with the representative of TJ's Academy. Finally, she is meeting Mutants! Glancing to the windows and the cloudy sky beyond, she murmurs quietly, "Its probably raining there now... "Sam is in a good mood, better still because he gets to drive the Professor's car. He's conscientious about going the speed limit. The Professor doesn't talk much on the way but he did tell Sam that the girl waiting for them seems like a nice kid.
Once they get to the coffee shop, Sam does the heavy lifting, getting the chair out and letting the Professor transfer from the car while he makes sure they have all what they need. He helps the Professor get up the slightly awkward little bump at the door--the place is accessible otherwise--and waits to be shown who they're meeting... and then he kicks himself mentally.
-Probably the girl with the wings, Guthrie.-
Charles has come to appreciate how helpful his students are when it comes to the little things like getting around. Oh, he's capable of handling it on his own... but sometimes, it's nice to simply accept the help gracefully. Today is no different, and the grateful smile he offers Sam as he transitions from the car to the chair is entirely genuine.For obvious reasons, finding the person they've come to meet is not difficult. Charles tries to keep the amusement off of his face when he feels Sam's mental kick, shaking his head slightly as they make their way towards the waiting young woman.
Once they're closer, Charles smiles. "Megan?" he asks, by way of announcing themselves.
Hearing her name, Megan turns. She tries to also stand up at the same time, which causes a slight imbalance problem. This is quickly solved by a fluttering of said wings as she brightly replies in a still quite thick Welsh accent, "Yes! Hello, you must be from the Academy? Please s- uh, join me?" Realizing only belatedly that one of the two is already sitting, she hurries to pull one of the other chairs out of the way, "Do you want anything to drink?""I'll take care of that," Sam says, giving Megan a smile. How could he not? The wings are beyond cute. He slides the chair Megan pulls out over to another table and helps the Professor get settled.
"Can I get you somethin', sir?" Sam's accent is nearly as heavy as Megan's, a warm, lazy drawl. "Usual tea?" Everyone who's been at the school for a bit knows what the Professor drinks.Surrounded by polite people. How nice. "Tea would be lovely, thank you." Charles smiles up at Sam before he turns his attention fully to Megan, admiring her wings as he leans forward to offer her a hand. "Institute -- but close enough, I daresay. My name is Charles Xavier. This young man is Samuel Guthrie," he says, gesturing after the same. "He's one of our teachers."
"Oh, I... " Megan tries to insist, but detangling Sam's accent slows her down, and the next thing she knows the introductions have started. Turning back to the Professor with a smile, she takes the offered hand, "Oh. sorry. Nice to meet you both. I'm Megan Gwynn. I'd really like to become one of your students for the next term, if that's possible."Sam gives Megan a quick smile, then steps aside. "Nice to meet you. I'll be right back," he says as he goes to order something for the Professor. He wasn't nearly so tractable when he was supposed to be coming to Xavier's. He'd been kinda knotted up about it.Charles gives Megan's hand a warm, friendly shake. "It's nice to meet you. TJ was quite happy to meet you," he says lightly, folding his hands against the tabletop. He's not allowing his mind to go prying, exactly... but he is listening for any signs that Megan might be more than she seems. Thus far, however, he's quite pleased by what he is (or rather, isn't) seeing.
"Your timing is good, since everyone is home for the summer right now," Charles replies thoughtfully. "So you wouldn't be coming in late at all. Does your family know you've contacted us?" he asks gently. It would not be the first time a student came to them without informing their family.Cannonball has arrived.
Brightening at the mention of TJ, Megan lifts her cup for a sip. Her own mind, completely open, is filled with the excitement of telling her grandparents about the school and wondering what it will be like to attend a school full of Mutants. There's a few memories of meeting TJ on the beach mixed in as well, now that the woman has been mentioned. "Oh, really? That's great!" She nods in reply to the question, "They do. My grandparents wanted to come too, but the bakery keeps them very busy."
Sam comes back with a cup of tea for the Professor--Earl Grey, hot, of course--and a cup of coffee for himself. He slips into the seat next to the Professor and shifts it back to make room for his long legs under the table.
"Did you need anything to eat, Megan?" Sam asks.Charles isn't entirely sure what makes him happier: meeting a prospective student with a /happy/ family life, or the tea arriving. ...no, he's pretty sure it's the first one. Still, the tea is a good cover for the way what little tension he'd been carrying in his posture to vanish away as he reaches for the cup with a quiet thanks. "Oh, I can see how it would. Perhaps I can come by the bakery sometime to say hello," he suggests. To say hello, and discuss the more boring aspects of the school, like scholarships and the like. "But I don't see any reason why you shouldn't be able to attend, if you would truly like to." They could make the financial angle work regardless. They always did.
Megan smiles at Sam, "I'm alright, thanks." She nods to Xavier happily, "That would be awesome, thank you!" She beams at both men, "I really do, its... " She laughs a little, "Well, its all I've wanted since I got all this!" She reaches up and pulls a little at a lock of her hair. Then something occurs to her, "So, um, is everyone at the Institute a Mutant?"
"All the students and teachers," Sam says easily. Her enthusiasm is so pleasant to be around. "Not everyone's so happy about it, everyone's got a different story, but yeah. All of us. I'm one of the flight teachers."Charles inclines his head to Sam with a grin and turns down to his tea. He's quite happy to let him chat -- he was technically a student up until somewhat recently, after all, and it lets him settle his mind more comfortably into convincing those within earshot that they're discussing something else. "We do have to keep it a secret, I'm afraid," he adds gently. "I wish that it were safe to be more open about what the Institute does... one day, it will be." He sounds certain of that.
Megan's smile, bright when Sam answers her question, falters a little as he goes on. "Oh, I see. Well, I guess that makes sense." Though really, the idea of being unhappy with her gifts is very hard to wrap her head around. The concept of secrecy is a little easier to understand, though for the most part she's simply willing to do as she's asked. "I can keep a secret." She assures Xavier. "And my grandparents can, too." Briefly, the fact that she already has a 'secret' flashes through her mind."Well, look at me," Sam says with a wink at Megan. "I think I'd have a hard time makin' those pretty wings look so good. Can't say I'd be dancing. Though I might be able to manage the hair. Just... don't tell Bobby I said that, because he'll put something pink in my shampoo to try it out." That is actually a concern. His blond hair would pick up the pink perfectly. "Do you have a favorite subject in school right now?"
"I believe you. Don't worry, I'm sure it will be just fine." Charles' head tilts fractionally at the thought that flits across Megan's mind. Not that his students having secrets was precisely unusual. Didn't all teenagers? He would simply have to be mindful, just in case. For now, he simply sips at his tea and tries not to look too amused at Sam.
Megan starts giggling, then laughing, as Sam talks. It takes her a minute to focus on the question put to her while the laughter dissipates, "Hmmmm. I'm not sure, really. I liked history before, but things are very... different here."
"Different, but not so much," Sam says. He's grinning at her gigglefit. "I'm sure history's still old. Maybe a little dusty." He does not glance sideways at the Professor when he says that. "You'll have a lot of time to get settled in and I'm happy to help you out if you need.""Oh, Logan has a way of making history class interesting," Charles says mildly, his eyes on his tea. Was that a joke? Could be. He sets his cup down after another sip and smiles across at Megan. "I attended school here up until it was time for university. Oxford was quite an adjustment," he admits. "Even setting aside the level of schooling."
Megan nods, smiling. "Thank you. I do struggle a little with the English classes." Her smile is wry, she's embarrassed but mostly ok with it. "Do you teach now, too?" She glances from him back to Sam, curious as to the subjects she might take from them.
"I'm not exactly an intellectual." Sam waves it off--truth is truth. he's okay with it. "Sports and flying are all I teach. I managed to get out of college alive only because my brothers and sisters knew not to hassle me when I was studying. I used to hide out and there was nothing else to do but school work."As Sam speaks, Charles just smiles supportively and reaches over to give him a light pat on the shoulder. "This will be his first round of classes as a teacher," he asides to Megan, his tone lightly conspiratorial. "But he's going to do just fine."
Megan nods in agreement, "I'm sure you will. Flying class sounds fun!" She takes another sip of tea, and picks up her spoon to stir it when she sets it down while replying in a similar tone, "And I can always help, too, if he needs it."
"Well, I'll keep that in mind. If I recall being one correctly, the students don't have a thing on my nine brothers and sisters, so I'm not too worried about teaching stuff I already know," Sam says. He looks over at the Professor and adds, "Please don't ask me to teach math, though, sir. There's a reason I have a calculator as the first app on my phone."Charles can't help but grin and shoots Megan a wink, careful to use the eye Sam can't see. "I wouldn't dream of depriving Mr. Drake of his favorite class," he tells Sam, turning to him and inclining his head. "You're safe, Sam, I promise."
Megan chuckles, deciding right then and there that she very much likes these two. And if they and TJ are so fun, this new school must be fantastic! She opens another sugar packet for her tea, wondering as she does so, "How do you keep things like that secret, though? Wouldn't people see things like kids taking flying classes?""It's a big place," Sam assures her. And, sometimes they fly at night. Cough. Night flying escapades aren't for sixteen-year olds. "There's a lot of room. And we're careful." And the Professor is kind of scary with the brain thing.Leaving aside Charles' scary brain... "We do have a fair bit of distance before we have to worry about neighbors," the professor adds helpfully. "The lake does offer some breathing room. Our flyers are usually mistaken for birds or remote controlled planes. No offense," he tells Sam. "I'm sure they think you're a very /expensive/ remote controlled plane. You are awfully fast."
Megan giggles again. She nods in understanding, accepting the explanation. "I guess that make sense." She thinks a little more, then with a start remembers something else, 'Oh that's right, the list!" Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out a small notebook and opens it, leafing through the pages until she finds what she is looking for, "My grandparents wanted me to ask some things. Like... " She skims the page, "Do you have boarding available? And can they visit?"Ah, questions. Charles keeps his smile, but he does sober noticeably. He does, after all, take such things seriously. "We do have boarding," he confirms with a tip of his head. "We ask our students to stay in the dormitories during the school year, though you're all free to go out as you like, of course. And your grandparents may absolutely visit," he adds with a smile. "Just make sure they contact the office to arrange it beforehand. We do have some students and faculty who are... anxious about their appearance, and prefer to stay out of sight. We do our best to accommodate them."
Nodding to the professor, Megan scribbles a quick note on the paper. She glances up at the clock when she looks up again, "Thanks. I'll let them know. They wanted to know about payments and everything too, but I doubt I'm the best person to relay that." She grins a little.
"I could come by the bakery tomorrow to speak with them, if that would be all right," Charles offers helpfully, one hand going into his jacket. It comes back up with one of his own business cards and a pen, which are both offered to Megan. All he needs is an address. Or, well, the name and he could use the magic of the internet to get directions, but he might as well cut out the middle-man if he can. Besides. He has a fondness for doing things the old-fashioned way.
"That'd be great!" Megan takes the card, but not the pen. And instead of writing on it, she instead produces a card of her own, with tiny silhouetted fairies surrounding the image of an open book, inside which is written 'Tylwyth Teg Bakery' along with a New York address and a phone number, "Here, will this work?"
Charles' expression brightens and he takes the offered card, smiling down at the design. He clearly approves. "Even better. Thank you very much." Card and pen slide right back into his jacket, and he gives them a light pat once they're settled. There we are."I'm not sure you'll have any scones left after he shows up." Sam grins at the Professor. He's gotten cheekier since he got settled. Or maybe Sam's just still flushed with the success of having tracked down a certain elusive alumnus. He gets up so that he can clear the way out for the Professor. "I'll be happy to drive you, sir. And not just because I'm always hungry."
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