1864/Seeking Tenure
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| Seeking Tenure | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 07 August 2017 |
| Location: | Xavier's School, Westchester, New York |
| Synopsis: | Summary needed |
| Cast of Characters: | Phoenix, Sinister
|
- Phoenix has posed:
"Doctor Milbury," the red-haired woman behind the desk warmly says while reaching across it for the visitor's hand. "I took the opportunity to look into some of your work after we spoke, and I have to say, I - what I got of it, it's impressive."
Dressed in a black blazer with a dark red blouse and black slacks, Vice Principal Grey appears young enough to be the Oxford profressor's great(-great?) granddaughter. Several pieces of classically styled, yet otherwise new-looking furniture adorn the room, including three (different) chairs on the other side of the desk and a couple of barely filled bookshelves. There are no posters, no paintings, no credentials lining the walls; the desk, at least, is rather well-filled with a monitor and paperwork.
"But, well, I suppose you know that, don't you?" she adds with a wink and a grin; the latter fades in short order and her tone sobers as she continues, "So. I guess we oughtta just dive right in, and-- well, what is it that brings you to us? How can Xavier's School help you?"
- Phoenix has posed:
"Doctor Milbury," the red-haired woman behind the desk warmly says while reaching across it for the visitor's hand. "I took the opportunity to look into some of your work after we spoke, and I have to say, I - what I got of it, it's impressive."
Dressed in a black blazer with a dark red blouse and black slacks, Vice Principal Grey appears young enough to be the Oxford profressor's great(-great?) granddaughter. Several pieces of classically styled, yet otherwise new-looking furniture adorn the room, including three (different) chairs on the other side of the desk and a couple of barely filled bookshelves. There are no posters, no paintings, no credentials lining the walls; the desk, at least, is rather well-filled with a monitor and paperwork.
"But, well, I suppose you know that, don't you?" she adds with a wink and a grin; the latter fades in short order and her tone sobers as she continues, "So. I guess we oughtta just dive right in, and-- well, what is it that brings you to us? How can Xavier's School help you?"
- Sinister has posed:
Milbury is looking remarkably young for his age.
Too young, really. That's the problem.
Seated across from Jean, he rests one hand on the end of the armrest, back comfortably against the padding of the chair. It's a nice office, and he appreciates both the style and maintenance done here. It's professional enough to stir a fleeting moment of nostalgia in his breast.
"Well, Miss Grey, I'm over one hundred years old and I don't look a day over thirty," he replies in a calm, soothing baritone. "As such, the board at Oxford was more than a little suspicious of me. A man can only pass of a lack of aging as Grecian Formula number nine for so long, after all." He laughs softly, smiling pleasantly.
"I came here because I have skills to offer, years of experience, and no where else that will accept me, and I thought, perhaps, it might be nice to see how one of my best students was getting along these days."
- Phoenix has posed:
"I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you again in the flesh-- he's been absurdly busy these past few months, but I managed to get him word about our conversation; he was definitely in favor," Jean says while taking her seat. "You'd be our first resident with your particular issue, but I'd like to think we're all clever enough to figure out a way to keep your bases covered-- I mean, you've got all those degrees."
Paperwork flutters into the air above the desk as she draws her keyboard closer and drops her attention to the monitor. "Have you given any thought to what you're gonna do about a cover story?" she wonders over the soft, persistent staccato of fingers on keys and the shuffling of papers orbiting her head. "Paperwork? What'd you tell Oxford, even-- if anything?"
Speaking of paperwork: it practically files itself on one of those unused shelves after that last question, dividers sticking out of the mass at various intervals. The notch where the monitor emerges from the desk extends until it's long enough to admit a second screen, all while Jean continues to type.
"And, well, all that aside-- " she looks up, folding her arms against the edge of the desk and arching an eyebrow just a little "-- do you already have an idea of what you'd like to do, here? We have - not that it'd preclude you from doing it, obviously, because I'm sure he'd be thrilled-- we have a genetics expert on staff, so if you were looking to make the obvious move-- you may want to do some coordinating."
- Sinister has posed:
"I tenured my resignation from the school and left the *suggestion* that my health was failing and I wouldn't be long for this world," Dr. Milbury replies. He makes it clear what kind of suggestion that was. "That was just enough to allow me to take my leave without further issue. My affairs are settled, and as I have had no family, there was nothing other than a legacy and research to leave at the university."
"As for my function here? Well, I'm certain we can work something out. I'm here hat in hand, after all, I cannot afford to be picky or unreasonable." He laughs softly at that. "Aside from that, I have a background in medicine; all that time gave me an opportunity to pursue more than just an expertise in genetics. I can aid as a doctor if unique medical emergencies arise."
- Phoenix has posed:
'Background in medicine' sets two red eyebrows to a high angle as the Vice Principal ticks the 'FAKED OWN DEATH' and 'NO LIVING RELATIVES' boxes on Dr. Milbury's induction paperwork.
"We could definitely use a-- uniquely experienced doctor. We've got all kinds of medical facilities, but our medical expert's also our genetics expert," she replies as a smile spreads across her features. "And one of our tech experts, and a biochemistry prodigy-- I'm sure Dr. McCoy'd welcome another set of hands. We're open to you teaching, too, of course, just-- like I said, coordination! We want you to be as comfortable as possible here, and that includes making sure you've got whatever opportunities you'd like to keep yourself engaged. There're also plenty of research opportunities, once you've gotten situated a little-- we've got students who defy all kinds of biological laws just by existing."
Once that's said, she returns her eyes to the screens, typing silently for a beat or two before wondering, "So-- are you gonna want papers of some kind? A new identity? I mean, you don't wanna be holed up around high school students all day, I'm sure-- right?"
- Sinister has posed:
"I will defer to your judgement on the matter, Ma'am, in regards to identity. If you feel it is wise, I will do whatever is necessary. I'm not opposed to being around students. I've taught for decades, and I've never lost my love of inculcating the next generation with the information and skills they will need to reach their full potential in life," Milbury answers, spreading his hands.
"I am at your mercy, so to speak. I will serve in whatever means you feel would fit best." In another life, he could have been happy here, teaching alongside Charles and perhaps Moira. Life had not been so kind. Science was a harsh and demanding mistress.
"In other words, if I am dealing with youngsters day in and day out, I will not be climbing the walls desperate for some means of reprieve." He grins.
- Phoenix has posed:
"Well, that's encouraging," Jean replies while returning the grin-- and letting a piece of herself unspool into a silver thread reaching towards the doctor through dimensions unseen-- grasping for purchase enough to wriggle through the shallows of the doctor's consciousness.
"I'm going to see what we can do to get you a functioning ID-- we should have the resources for it, now, and while I'm relieved that the idea of being around students won't be inspiring thoughts of escape... you still might wanna be able to go out driving, or through an airport security line, or something, at some point," she continues amidst typing. "So, we've talked about your qualifications, you teaching the Professor, what you might do on a day to day basis here; all well and good. Who're you outside of the classroom, though? What makes you happy, sad, angry-- where do you see yourself in five years? Ten? Fifty? You don't have to tell me absolutely everything now, of course-- but, well, if you're gonna be living here, I kinda feel like I oughtta know you, y'know?" The last is said as she looks up with a muted, almost sheepish smile and a few locks of hair slide back behind an ear. "Somewhat, anyway."
- Sinister has posed:
This elicits another gentle, charming laugh. He's presenting himself well, a kindly old-yet-not-old man who is ready to retire from public life to private tutoring. "This is the first time someone within the ranks of academe has even bothered to ask such questions. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't pleased to answer. My life is an open book, Miss Grey."
His mind, however, is not. Nathan Milbury's psyche might as well be ten foot thick steel; the light fluttering and probing by Jean's mind is apparently naturally rebuffed, and deeper probing would likely make him aware that an attempt to read his surface thoughts was in progress.
He continues without missing a beat, no reaction. "I suppose I'm stereotypically British. I enjoy gardening, curling up with a good book to read. I love classic literature of all cultures, or just thumbing through the pages of history. I find the past casts a long shadow on present, if one is willing to look."
There's a soft sigh and the smile fades from his face. "Fifty years. I don't know where I'd be. Where we would be. It's my hope that in fifty years, we aren't eradicated or enslaved. That was one reason I'd sought out this institution. Charles' legacy and devotion to mutantkind is a beacon in the dark."
"Beyond the grand pattern, I would be quite happy to continue to add to the fund of knowledge concerning both the practical and theoretical in regards to genetics and the evolution of sentient life in general."
- Phoenix has posed:
Wrinkles shoot through the redhead's brow when unexpected resistance is met, only to fade a moment later when she withdraws with a exhale through her nostrils.
Otherwise, she gives little sign that anything is amiss either, though the smile that followed her request for details was small indeed - forced, almost - and she's sitting up straighter than she was a moment ago. His answers elicit intermittent nods and soft vocalizations of agreement, and by the time he reminds her of his association with Charles - and, more importantly, his apparent faith in Charles' mission - her shoulders drop a little.
"I don't think enough people are willing," she muses, canting her head slightly. "If they were, they'd maybe find new and interesting mistakes to make, and you wouldn't have had to leave Oxford." A silent beat passes as green eyes seek to remain fixed thoughtfully upon his.
"Please allow me to welcome you to the faculty of Xavier's School for the Gifted, on a probationary basis," she says while rising and offering both a smile and her hand across the desk. "Strictly as a matter of protocol, of course! I'm confident that by bringing your knowledge and experience here, you'll help to ensure that eradication or enslavement won't even be conceivable in fifty years' time-- if not ten; I like to think that the students we send out into the world are his legacy, are that beacon; I've got no doubt that you'll help them - and all of us - shine as brightly as we can."
Once she's got all of that - and a small sigh - out, she adds one more thing:
"D'you have any questions for me, Doctor?"
- Sinister has posed:
Nathan's eyes share that same bit of tired sadness. He knows. He empathises. Change takes a long time, perhaps longer than any of their lifetimes. Perhaps never. Like Cro Magnun and Homo Erectus, there may only be one species left standing in an increasingly diversifying world.
He speaks it. "Change can sometimes take a very long while. Longer than lifetimes," he somberly opines. "I believe Lao Tzu understood this best, when he said, Heaven lasts long, and the earth abides. What is the secret of their durability? Is it because they do not live for themselves, that they last so long?"
"Or, if you wish it in less esoteric terms: Patience is a virtue."
He stands from his chair, and reaches out to take Jean's hand, shaking firmly but not too firmly, two pumps and release. "Thank you very much, Miss Grey, this means more to me than you can imagine. I only hope to honor that legacy and do what I can, and with luck, longer than the probation period."
Releasing her hand, he addresses her last point. "Yes. You seem distressed, Miss Grey. If it's not amiss to ask, is something wrong?"
- Phoenix has posed:
Green eyes narrow slightly, bemusedly, as the Vice Principal's hand falls to rest on the desk and her head cants again. "A little tired, I guess - I'm not a multi-field expert, but I keep pretty busy, just the same," she replies with a smile.
Keys fall and rise; the 'SCANNING ISSUES(PSI)' box of Dr. Milbury's paperwork is ticked.
"I apologize if I somehow seemed-- well." A small, sheepish chuckle as she lets her eyes slip from his, briefly. "I'm fine, I assure you, and it was a pleasure to meet you, today; the probationary period'll fly by, I bet! We'll be very fortunate to have you here, that's for sure. Office space might be a little tight while we get things sorted out, but we'll make sure you're accommodated, don't worry; push comes to shove, we can make room for you in the medical area for now."
- Sinister has posed:
"That will be just fine. I've worked in small quarters. I've lived in small quarters. The houses in the states are usually much larger than the ones back home," Nathan reassures. "Once again, thank you so much. I'm in your debt."