Callie, Amanda - Bus Run, Saturday morning
Aug. 2nd, 2008 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAmanda checks out the newcomer.
The ride to the city was highly uneventful, but maybe that was due to building excitement associated with visiting the city. Now it was certainly not Callie's first time visiting NYC; she had visited with her family and once or twice with her school. But those trips had been centered mainly on sight-seeing or educational and cultural outings, whereas today was an open book just waiting to be written in. She had her map of Manhattan, as well as her guidebook, and her cell phone in case of emergency. One thing she did not have was any idea as to how she wanted to spend the day. As she hopped off the bus, and looked up at the cityscape Callie knew exactly where she wanted to start. She would relive an iconic piece of cinema by eating a pastry outside of Tiffany's. Cliché, yes, but it was something she had always wanted to do.
For the moment, however, she would simply stare up at the skyscrapers in awe.
"All set to take on the Big Apple?" came the British-accented voice of their driver behind her. Amanda finished locking up the van and waved to the last few students making their escape.
"Hmmmm?" Callie turned toward the woman who had just spoke. "Ya. I'm just trying to get my bearings, it's been awhile since I've been here. Don't want to get lost, you know?"
"Well, if you've got a few minutes, I usually like to have a chat to anyone new on the bus. Get to know them, lay out the rules, that sort of thing." Amanda grinned. "There's usually a free drink of some kind in it for you. Maybe even food."
"Sure, why not?" It wasn't as if New York was going anywhere. Now that Callie was living closer to the city, there would be more opportunities to visit. Besides she didn't want to do everything her first time out, it would leave less to do in subsequent visits. Not that Callie was worried about things to do, she was certain she could find something to entertain her time. "I'd just prefer not Starbucks, if possible?"
Amanda wrinkled her nose. "Fu... um, no, no Starbucks," she corrected herself, aware that she had yet to gauge Callie's swearing tolerance. She'd prefer to avoid any hassles. "There's this cafe not far from here, run by this Italian couple. Angie swears by the coffee there, if you're a coffee nut?"
Callie nodded and smiled. While not addicted to coffee yet, she had developed a taste for it over the past year. "That sounds good." She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "I'll just follow you then?"
"Like a faithful minion," Amanda joked, stuffing the van keys in her jeans pocket. "So, how're you finding the crazy house?" she asked as they walked.
Callie skipped a step to catch up with Amanda before falling into stride beside the woman. "It's interesting," she mused. "Everyone I've met has been really nice. So that's made things easier. And as weird as it is, the whole thing in Iowa helped me to gain my footing. You know? Like I'm part of a group."
"You're with the Red X crew? Good stuff - they do a lot of good work." Amanda glanced at the girl beside her, getting a feel for her personality. "And it helps having mates early on. You're from overseas, aren't you?"
"I haven't gone through training or anything, just went to help out when it was needed." While she was considering officially joining the organization, Callie was reluctant to identify herself as part of it just yet. She had not gone through the training process after all. "But ya they do a lot of good. And not really? No I'm from Vermont. You know that state to the north with really good cheddar cheese and Ben & Jerry's ice cream? But a year ago my dad and I moved to Milan."
"So you're used to being the new fish then?" Amanda gave her a grin. "I used to be a student at the school - came over from England for powers help when I was fifteen. Even with the language in common, it was a bit of a culture shock. Mind you, I think even Laurie, who used to go to school in Salem Center, found the mansion a bit strange at first."
"I guess you could say that. But I could never do what you did. You're really brave." Callie's attention was turned toward the sky, or rather the buildings that were obstructing the sky. "It was kinda like a reverse culture shock and new culture shock all in one. But I'm getting there. And everyone knows what it was like, so that helps too I suppose."
The Brit chuckled. "I didn't have a whole lot of choice about coming here - it was that or wind up with Social Services or in kiddie prison. I wasn't in the best situation and was making it worse for myself," she elaborated. "Pete - that's Pete Wisdom, you'll see him on the journals every so often, being clever - got me into the school to sort me out." Her tone turned rueful. "It worked, eventually. But yeah, the school's good that way - everyone's been the new fish at one time or other, everyone - or just about everyone - has had powers issues of some kind... It helps when you have that."
Having nothing else to say, Callie simply nodded. Her troubles didn't seem to compare with the other woman's, she couldn't imagine what she had gone though, but by the tone of Amanda's voice Callie figured it must have been pretty brutal. It would probably be better to change the subject, she figured. "So what do you do now?"
"I'm a research assistant, over at the Snow Valley Centre. It's a think tank dealing with mutant issues." Amanda caught the slight awkwardness and reminded herself honesty was all well and good, but not when applied with a shovel. "We do a combination of research-type work and some more hands-on things."
"A think tank? That sounds..." Callie's voice trailed off as she paused to think. She wasn't quite sure what a think tank was, but it sounded cool. "So, wait, basically you get paid to sit around and think stuff up about mutant issues? Actually that sounds pretty cool."
"It can be," Amanda replied easily. "Sometimes it's pretty boring, all the research work. But it's what I'm good at." She paused at a tiny coffee house, opening the door for Callie. "Here we are."
"Thank you. Oooh it's so cute," squealed Callie as she entered the café. She scanned the drink menu briefly, but truthfully she already knew what she was going to order. It was the same drink that she had been ordering ever since the weather had turned warm. She turned to Amanda and politely asked, "Do you know what you're getting?"
"Tea." Amanda flashed another grin. "Gotta stick to the British stereotypes. What about you?"
"I guess," Callie began after a brief pause. "I guess it would just be an ice coffee with cane sugar and milk. But it's really like espresso and ice and milk and sugar, and you shake them all up." Here she used her hands to help describe the process. "It's more frothy than like an iced coffee. I just hope they can do it. If not I'll just get a hot chocolate."
"Bloody hell, if they do make it, I'll have to bring Mark and Angie down here. They'll think I'm the best thing since sliced bread," Amanda replied with a snicker. "Ask and see - they're pretty good at the coffee stuff I'm told."
Callie nodded. "Should we order then?"
"Sure. I'll leave you to order the death by ice coffee thing." Amanda waved over the pretty Italian girl behind the counter and ordered her tea, before glancing at Callie expectantly.
"Ummmmmm" Callie leaned against the counter. Her mind, having been triggered with the familiar occasion of the cafè, was swirling with a strange mixture of Italian and English. She had no idea which would win out in the end, she just hoped that the girl behind the counter would understand what she wanted. "Un caffè shakerato with zucchero di canna and latte? Please?"
The girl beamed, nodding, replying in a rapid flurry of Italian: "~Of course! It isn't often someone knows to ask for that, but it is my favourite summer drink also! You are Italian?~"
Amanda, hanging back a little, smothered a smile. She'd had a feeling Callie would make friends with that particular order.
"~My father is Italian,~" Callie explained. Her own Italian was less rapid, but it flowed along nicely all the same. It was weird to be speaking Italian with someone other than her father, and she felt rude doing so in front of Amanda, but she felt it would be rude to stop now that she had started. "~We moved there last year.~" She gave Amanda an apologetic smile; she didn't mean to exclude her.
"~It's fine.~" Amanda's accent was appalling and her Italian very basic, but she was intelligible.
"~And now you are living back in America? You will have to come here when you feel homesick for good Italian coffee,~" the counter girl said with a bright smile. "~Now, please, do sit down. I'll bring you your drinks shortly.~"
"~I'm here for school. And I will. Thanks!~" Callie smiled back at the girl. As she and Amanda made their way to a table Callie turned to her companion and said, "You know everyone says that New Yorkers are rude, but I've never found that."
"I find New York's more busy and distracted than rude," Amanda commented. "Shorter attention span than London, but that's probably to do with the lack of history. New York's sometimes the excitable kid brother, or at least that's how it feels like." She chuckled slightly. "And before you think I'm completely balmy, that's part of my powers - I absorb energy from cities, so I tend to think of them a bit like personalities."
"No no no, it's not crazy at all," Callie fervidly assured her. "I feel it too! Okay well maybe not like you, but every city gives off a different vibe. So you're totally not crazy."
"But you know," she continued, calming down a bit. She was no longer bouncing in her seat but was instead deep in thought and focused on something invisible on the ceiling. "I've never met anyone with powers like that. Huh. So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Callie stared intently at Amanda, making sure she paid keen attention.
"It gets a little more complicated when you throw the magic into the mix," came the amused response, but as Callie settled and fixed her with that "I'm listening to every word you say" look, Amanda got more serious herself. "Nothing too earth-shattering, but I just wanted to make sure you're good with the security precautions. Don't go anywhere outside of the school without your Xavier's phone, let people know where you're going, use the panic button if you get into a tight spot - 's a pain in the arse, I know, but we've had enough things happen that we need to be careful."
At the mention of the school issued cell phone Callie started digging around in the cloth bag that she carried around. She could have sworn she had put it in there that morning, but now she was unsure. As she rummaged through the various articles that cluttered her tote, she considered possibly cleaning it out and downsizing. But then again she never knew when she would need a portable first aid kit. "Found it," Callie gleefully exclaimed and placed it on the table in front of her. "I knew I had it. So that's it? No areas that are off-limits? No buddy system? I'm on my own, except for if I get in trouble?" The idea was a little daunting, but exciting nevertheless. "Hopefully I won't get into anything major. I'm usually pretty careful."
"Well, I'd suggest you avoid FOH headquarters - I'll give you the address for there - and the seedier parts of town and if you need to, you can always find someone around the brownstone; that's where us Snow Valley folks live. Don't mind Sarah if she's grumpy at you - that usually means she likes you. If she doesn't, she'll throw something at you, usually one of her bones." Amanda winked to show she was joking about the last. "The phones have a GPS tracking device in them, so if you have it on you, Forge will know where you are."
Callie nodded and played with the phone in front of her, spinning it around in a circle. "Ya. I promise not to go into like the Bronx or anything. Or protest at the Friends' HQ." She gave a little chuckle. "And no accepting candy from strangers. No talking to strange men, or women. Ummmm what else? Look both ways before crossing the street. Keep my bag close. Make sure not to lose my cell phone... Wait. What happens if I lose my phone?"
"Then you come straight to the brownstone to let one of us know and we'll get Forge to track it down for you." Amanda shrugged a little. "It's the flaw in the brilliant plan, but we can't actually implant microchips in you lot to keep track of you." She was only half-joking this time.
"Right. Awesome. Got it." Callie nodded in understanding. "All else fails head to the brownstone." Pause. "Where's the brownstone?"
Amanda burst into laughter. "If you've got time, I'll take you by there." She paused as the waitress came back, setting their drinks down and giving Callie an extra-big smile. "Once we're done here."
Callie thanked the waitress as the frothy concoction was set before her. "That would probably be a much better plan than just showing me on the map," she said laughing. "Wouldn't do me well to get lost while I'm already lost."
The ride to the city was highly uneventful, but maybe that was due to building excitement associated with visiting the city. Now it was certainly not Callie's first time visiting NYC; she had visited with her family and once or twice with her school. But those trips had been centered mainly on sight-seeing or educational and cultural outings, whereas today was an open book just waiting to be written in. She had her map of Manhattan, as well as her guidebook, and her cell phone in case of emergency. One thing she did not have was any idea as to how she wanted to spend the day. As she hopped off the bus, and looked up at the cityscape Callie knew exactly where she wanted to start. She would relive an iconic piece of cinema by eating a pastry outside of Tiffany's. Cliché, yes, but it was something she had always wanted to do.
For the moment, however, she would simply stare up at the skyscrapers in awe.
"All set to take on the Big Apple?" came the British-accented voice of their driver behind her. Amanda finished locking up the van and waved to the last few students making their escape.
"Hmmmm?" Callie turned toward the woman who had just spoke. "Ya. I'm just trying to get my bearings, it's been awhile since I've been here. Don't want to get lost, you know?"
"Well, if you've got a few minutes, I usually like to have a chat to anyone new on the bus. Get to know them, lay out the rules, that sort of thing." Amanda grinned. "There's usually a free drink of some kind in it for you. Maybe even food."
"Sure, why not?" It wasn't as if New York was going anywhere. Now that Callie was living closer to the city, there would be more opportunities to visit. Besides she didn't want to do everything her first time out, it would leave less to do in subsequent visits. Not that Callie was worried about things to do, she was certain she could find something to entertain her time. "I'd just prefer not Starbucks, if possible?"
Amanda wrinkled her nose. "Fu... um, no, no Starbucks," she corrected herself, aware that she had yet to gauge Callie's swearing tolerance. She'd prefer to avoid any hassles. "There's this cafe not far from here, run by this Italian couple. Angie swears by the coffee there, if you're a coffee nut?"
Callie nodded and smiled. While not addicted to coffee yet, she had developed a taste for it over the past year. "That sounds good." She adjusted the bag on her shoulder. "I'll just follow you then?"
"Like a faithful minion," Amanda joked, stuffing the van keys in her jeans pocket. "So, how're you finding the crazy house?" she asked as they walked.
Callie skipped a step to catch up with Amanda before falling into stride beside the woman. "It's interesting," she mused. "Everyone I've met has been really nice. So that's made things easier. And as weird as it is, the whole thing in Iowa helped me to gain my footing. You know? Like I'm part of a group."
"You're with the Red X crew? Good stuff - they do a lot of good work." Amanda glanced at the girl beside her, getting a feel for her personality. "And it helps having mates early on. You're from overseas, aren't you?"
"I haven't gone through training or anything, just went to help out when it was needed." While she was considering officially joining the organization, Callie was reluctant to identify herself as part of it just yet. She had not gone through the training process after all. "But ya they do a lot of good. And not really? No I'm from Vermont. You know that state to the north with really good cheddar cheese and Ben & Jerry's ice cream? But a year ago my dad and I moved to Milan."
"So you're used to being the new fish then?" Amanda gave her a grin. "I used to be a student at the school - came over from England for powers help when I was fifteen. Even with the language in common, it was a bit of a culture shock. Mind you, I think even Laurie, who used to go to school in Salem Center, found the mansion a bit strange at first."
"I guess you could say that. But I could never do what you did. You're really brave." Callie's attention was turned toward the sky, or rather the buildings that were obstructing the sky. "It was kinda like a reverse culture shock and new culture shock all in one. But I'm getting there. And everyone knows what it was like, so that helps too I suppose."
The Brit chuckled. "I didn't have a whole lot of choice about coming here - it was that or wind up with Social Services or in kiddie prison. I wasn't in the best situation and was making it worse for myself," she elaborated. "Pete - that's Pete Wisdom, you'll see him on the journals every so often, being clever - got me into the school to sort me out." Her tone turned rueful. "It worked, eventually. But yeah, the school's good that way - everyone's been the new fish at one time or other, everyone - or just about everyone - has had powers issues of some kind... It helps when you have that."
Having nothing else to say, Callie simply nodded. Her troubles didn't seem to compare with the other woman's, she couldn't imagine what she had gone though, but by the tone of Amanda's voice Callie figured it must have been pretty brutal. It would probably be better to change the subject, she figured. "So what do you do now?"
"I'm a research assistant, over at the Snow Valley Centre. It's a think tank dealing with mutant issues." Amanda caught the slight awkwardness and reminded herself honesty was all well and good, but not when applied with a shovel. "We do a combination of research-type work and some more hands-on things."
"A think tank? That sounds..." Callie's voice trailed off as she paused to think. She wasn't quite sure what a think tank was, but it sounded cool. "So, wait, basically you get paid to sit around and think stuff up about mutant issues? Actually that sounds pretty cool."
"It can be," Amanda replied easily. "Sometimes it's pretty boring, all the research work. But it's what I'm good at." She paused at a tiny coffee house, opening the door for Callie. "Here we are."
"Thank you. Oooh it's so cute," squealed Callie as she entered the café. She scanned the drink menu briefly, but truthfully she already knew what she was going to order. It was the same drink that she had been ordering ever since the weather had turned warm. She turned to Amanda and politely asked, "Do you know what you're getting?"
"Tea." Amanda flashed another grin. "Gotta stick to the British stereotypes. What about you?"
"I guess," Callie began after a brief pause. "I guess it would just be an ice coffee with cane sugar and milk. But it's really like espresso and ice and milk and sugar, and you shake them all up." Here she used her hands to help describe the process. "It's more frothy than like an iced coffee. I just hope they can do it. If not I'll just get a hot chocolate."
"Bloody hell, if they do make it, I'll have to bring Mark and Angie down here. They'll think I'm the best thing since sliced bread," Amanda replied with a snicker. "Ask and see - they're pretty good at the coffee stuff I'm told."
Callie nodded. "Should we order then?"
"Sure. I'll leave you to order the death by ice coffee thing." Amanda waved over the pretty Italian girl behind the counter and ordered her tea, before glancing at Callie expectantly.
"Ummmmmm" Callie leaned against the counter. Her mind, having been triggered with the familiar occasion of the cafè, was swirling with a strange mixture of Italian and English. She had no idea which would win out in the end, she just hoped that the girl behind the counter would understand what she wanted. "Un caffè shakerato with zucchero di canna and latte? Please?"
The girl beamed, nodding, replying in a rapid flurry of Italian: "~Of course! It isn't often someone knows to ask for that, but it is my favourite summer drink also! You are Italian?~"
Amanda, hanging back a little, smothered a smile. She'd had a feeling Callie would make friends with that particular order.
"~My father is Italian,~" Callie explained. Her own Italian was less rapid, but it flowed along nicely all the same. It was weird to be speaking Italian with someone other than her father, and she felt rude doing so in front of Amanda, but she felt it would be rude to stop now that she had started. "~We moved there last year.~" She gave Amanda an apologetic smile; she didn't mean to exclude her.
"~It's fine.~" Amanda's accent was appalling and her Italian very basic, but she was intelligible.
"~And now you are living back in America? You will have to come here when you feel homesick for good Italian coffee,~" the counter girl said with a bright smile. "~Now, please, do sit down. I'll bring you your drinks shortly.~"
"~I'm here for school. And I will. Thanks!~" Callie smiled back at the girl. As she and Amanda made their way to a table Callie turned to her companion and said, "You know everyone says that New Yorkers are rude, but I've never found that."
"I find New York's more busy and distracted than rude," Amanda commented. "Shorter attention span than London, but that's probably to do with the lack of history. New York's sometimes the excitable kid brother, or at least that's how it feels like." She chuckled slightly. "And before you think I'm completely balmy, that's part of my powers - I absorb energy from cities, so I tend to think of them a bit like personalities."
"No no no, it's not crazy at all," Callie fervidly assured her. "I feel it too! Okay well maybe not like you, but every city gives off a different vibe. So you're totally not crazy."
"But you know," she continued, calming down a bit. She was no longer bouncing in her seat but was instead deep in thought and focused on something invisible on the ceiling. "I've never met anyone with powers like that. Huh. So what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" Callie stared intently at Amanda, making sure she paid keen attention.
"It gets a little more complicated when you throw the magic into the mix," came the amused response, but as Callie settled and fixed her with that "I'm listening to every word you say" look, Amanda got more serious herself. "Nothing too earth-shattering, but I just wanted to make sure you're good with the security precautions. Don't go anywhere outside of the school without your Xavier's phone, let people know where you're going, use the panic button if you get into a tight spot - 's a pain in the arse, I know, but we've had enough things happen that we need to be careful."
At the mention of the school issued cell phone Callie started digging around in the cloth bag that she carried around. She could have sworn she had put it in there that morning, but now she was unsure. As she rummaged through the various articles that cluttered her tote, she considered possibly cleaning it out and downsizing. But then again she never knew when she would need a portable first aid kit. "Found it," Callie gleefully exclaimed and placed it on the table in front of her. "I knew I had it. So that's it? No areas that are off-limits? No buddy system? I'm on my own, except for if I get in trouble?" The idea was a little daunting, but exciting nevertheless. "Hopefully I won't get into anything major. I'm usually pretty careful."
"Well, I'd suggest you avoid FOH headquarters - I'll give you the address for there - and the seedier parts of town and if you need to, you can always find someone around the brownstone; that's where us Snow Valley folks live. Don't mind Sarah if she's grumpy at you - that usually means she likes you. If she doesn't, she'll throw something at you, usually one of her bones." Amanda winked to show she was joking about the last. "The phones have a GPS tracking device in them, so if you have it on you, Forge will know where you are."
Callie nodded and played with the phone in front of her, spinning it around in a circle. "Ya. I promise not to go into like the Bronx or anything. Or protest at the Friends' HQ." She gave a little chuckle. "And no accepting candy from strangers. No talking to strange men, or women. Ummmm what else? Look both ways before crossing the street. Keep my bag close. Make sure not to lose my cell phone... Wait. What happens if I lose my phone?"
"Then you come straight to the brownstone to let one of us know and we'll get Forge to track it down for you." Amanda shrugged a little. "It's the flaw in the brilliant plan, but we can't actually implant microchips in you lot to keep track of you." She was only half-joking this time.
"Right. Awesome. Got it." Callie nodded in understanding. "All else fails head to the brownstone." Pause. "Where's the brownstone?"
Amanda burst into laughter. "If you've got time, I'll take you by there." She paused as the waitress came back, setting their drinks down and giving Callie an extra-big smile. "Once we're done here."
Callie thanked the waitress as the frothy concoction was set before her. "That would probably be a much better plan than just showing me on the map," she said laughing. "Wouldn't do me well to get lost while I'm already lost."
