Of Feathers and Red Heads - (Jean)

[Vidar Anfinson]

{desc=(Jean and Vidar in Westchester, NY)}OOC: For anyone that cares there really is a coffee shop named this... it's located in Phoenix, AZ.

Vidar pushed open the door to the Brew Ha Ha coffee shop. Instantly he was greeted by the smell of roasting coffee beans and fresh ground coffee, not to mention the assorted pastries that were for sale near the register. As he entered the shop, a military style sea bag in his left hand, for a moment all conversation ceased as every patron and employee turned their attention on the newcomer that was, obviously, a mutant. The large Norwegian gave each of the patrons a look that said, very clearly, that he was not someone to mess with as he approached the counter.

"Tea, hot, Earl Grey, large," Vidar said in a slightly accented voice. The drink was placed in front of him and he paid for it. As he reached out to pick up the cup of steaming tea a red triple stripe of feathers encircling his right bicep flashed noticeably to the rest of the patrons, though what the blood red stripe of feathers, or the single black stripe of feathers around his left bicep, might have meant was anyone's guess.

With the drink paid for and in hand the big man worked his way through the crowded coffee shop being mindful that his wings didn't strike anyone in the process. 'Avoid trouble and trouble will avoid you,' as his father had often said. Reaching a corner table in the back the avian mutant spun the chair around and settled onto it in a way that would not be uncomfortable for his wings. Most chairs weren't designed with his physiology in mind. He also seated himself so that he could keep his literally eagle-eyed gaze on all of the shop's entrances with his back to the wall.

The instructions he had received, via e-mail, from someone he assumed was a recruiter with the Mutant School he had applied to had indicated that she would meet him in this place at four in the afternoon for an interview. She had also indicated that he should be prepared to move in at the school and begin work immediately if hired which was why he had the massive canvas bag with him. He sipped at his tea and glanced down at his watch, which indicated that the local time was quarter til four.

Not much longer to wait now, though, in truth he had no idea what the person he was looking for looked like though he knew he would be easy enough to spot.

[Jean Grey]

Jean wandered in to the coffee shop with purpose. She ordered her coffee, a large dark roast and went to sit at the table that housed, quite clearly, the man with whom she was here to speak.

She was wearing her trademark black suit, the dress jacket and pencil skirt with a red blouse underneath, her black leather dress shoes and around her eyes there were hints of brown and just a tiny bit of green to accent her eye colour. She smiled in a friendly way as she sat.

"Vidar I presume,

[/b]" she said relatively quietly. "I am Jean Grey, headmistress of the Xavier Institute. I believe we have been emailing. It has come to my attention that you wish to hold a professional position at our establishment?[/b]" Her tone said she was asking a question though it was worded as a statement.

She wanted him to go on a little bit about what he was looking for, and then she would get to what they had available for him. She understood his eagerness to get into a position with them, she'd been more than a little bit excited herself when she was asked to be the headmistress when the school re-opened. It had been six years after the horrific incident in which she had caused the death of the great Charles Xavier, but she hoped she could rectify this with her actions in the future.

Hopefully should could make his dreams a reality.[/blockquote][/justify]

[Vidar Anfinson]

Vidar watched as a redheaded woman entered the coffee shop and moved to get her drink. One of the great things about his enhanced mutation is that it was possible for him to watch people without staring and making it painfully obvious that he was doing exactly that. On the one hand the redhead was a good looking woman, so he wanted to watch her. On the other, and more important, hand he was watching her because she was dressed very professionally. Odds were good she was the one he was here to meet. That was confirmed when, a few moments later, she was approaching his table. Years of experience had taught him that people that looked normal didn't simply approach him to chat. If they came to him they did it for a reason because they were looking for him.

"Affirmative, on both counts," he said, nodding his head slightly in her direction. Using a foot he pushed the chair opposite of him out from the table and gestured with a hand to indicate she was welcome to the seat as he sipped at his drink.

She obviously knew who he was, so repeating his name for her would have been rather pointless, as far as the winged man was concerned. She knew who he was. She had his resume. He had submitted the forms from Norway that he needed to submit as well as relevant visa and passport information. In short, Jean had as much information as she needed from a professional standpoint. He'd also checked the website and knew what jobs the school had available.

"I believe I am suited to the groundskeeper position," he said evenly, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. There was no need to drag this out any more than necessary. "Grew up on farms, know how to make things grow, have an eye for aesthetics. I can also teach flying classes to those with the gifts and provide an extra security presence at the school, obviously. America has an issue with weapons in schools and a mutant school will be a natural target. To be blunt, I have skills I know your organization can use. How do living arrangements work for the groundskeeper? Are employees required to submit to a telepathic scan prior to employment?"

[Jean Grey]

Jean was impressed. This man was articulate and as she understood it quite well known for his work with the military in his homeland. He seemed nice enough and Jean was not about to do what everybody always expected her to do and go rooting around in her head.

She liked to give people the opportunity to come clean with information.

Though she wasn't sure what he would have to come clean with. Being an ex-military man, there was definitely some screening that needed to be done. She looked him in the eye as he spoke, smiling in a friendly manner.

It was refreshing to see a mutant who wasn't scorned and out for revenge, as so many of the young students she'd come across lately were.

"There in a home on campus for the groundskeeper and all of the equipment required,

[/b]" she answered his first question politely, in a confident voice. She was trained to be authoritative despite her more shy nature. "There's no telepathic scan required, though there is a psychological evaluation. I'm sure you understand. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt before invading their privacy. There should be no reason to go nosing around in somebody's thoughts.[/b]"

Jean uncrossed her ankles and straightened out her posture, considering standing. There wasn't much more to be said here. "We can do the psychological evaluation whenever you are ready. Should we be heading back to the establishment?[/b]"

Jean stood and took several steps toward the door, inviting Vidar to follow her.[/blockquote][/justify]

[Vidar Anfinson]

"There in a home on campus for the groundskeeper and all of the equipment required. There's no telepathic scan required, though there is a psychological evaluation. I'm sure you understand. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt before invading their privacy. There should be no reason to go nosing around in somebody's thoughts."

Vidar nodded and sipped at his drink. He had no desire to allow the redhead, or anyone else for that matter, to go nosing about in his thoughts. His thoughts, and his past, were his own. There was also, of course, the highly sensitive nature of some aspects of his past. Still, he could quite understand the need, and desire, to subject employees to a psychological evaluation. Especially for people with his background.

"Good," was the avian man's one word response to Jean's answer to his questions.

"We can do the psychological evaluation whenever you are ready. Should we be heading back to the establishment?"

The big Norwegian shrugged his feathered shoulders and rose from his seat. Grabbing his tea he tossed down the rest of the beverage in a few gulps and dropped the cup in a trash can on the way out the door following Jean. As he got up he also grabbed his sea bag and shouldered it. As he moved through the shop he again shot a glance around that seemed to dare anyone to do or say anything about the fact that he was leaving the shop with a redhead of normal appearance.

As there was no need to engage in further discussion with Jean Vidar remained silent. If she had more questions she wished to ask between now and the start of the psychological evaluation then she could ask them and he would answer. However, the Norwegian ex-soldier could hardly be described as someone that was chatty and, truly, he had very little interest in engaging Jean in conversation. regardless of how attractive the woman was.