Working Solo [Open]

[Adelaide Strauss]

Adelaide liked the room which she had been given for choir practise. It was well appointed, and it was even equipped with enough shelves to cope with her not inconsiderable collection of music books, although it did have to be noted that she'd left a fair few of them behind her when she'd moved to the States in the first place. And it was these books with which she was concerned today. Currently, the blonde was engaged in trying to sort out exactly what she intended to do with the choir over the next year. It was, of course, difficult when she didn't know exactly who she was going to have available to her, but she was quite pleased with her progress nevertheless.

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

With a little time off work, Fitz grabbed his guitar and music book. Using the guitar strap as one would the shoulder strap of a bag, he carried the instrument on his back, and searched around for the fine tipped pen that he used in his music book.

He made his way over to the academic building, as he was in need of a string, as his D-string had broken the night before and he didn't have a spare in his collection, so he had ordered one and was going to borrow one in the time being - and the brand new one would be put into the music room.

He walked passed a room, and then backtracked as he was sure he had seen movement. He didn't think anything untoward would be happening, but he thought it best to make sure. Tapping on the door, he opened it and smiled as he recognised the woman in the room. "Sorry to intrude." He quickly apologised. "I saw movement and just wanted to make sure it wasn't someone where they shouldn't be."

[Adelaide Strauss]

Glancing up from the pages of a book of old folk songs, Adelaide sighed and gestured towards the door, inviting whoever had knocked to enter. She did so hate to be interrupted, but then, she supposed that she really ought to get used to it. No doubt it was going to be happening with increasing frequency over the next few months, and it wasn't as though she was dealing with anything world-shatteringly important in any case. After all, she had until September to sort herself out, but the blonde had always liked to be fully prepared well in advance. It saved her from any amount of frantic rushing about later on.
"It's not a problem," she returned dismissively, closing her book and standing, offering the man a smile. "Mr. Fitzsimmons, isn't it?"

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

Fitz's smile slipped a little, as it was easy enough to see that his interruption wasn't appreciated, however, he was no longer the boy who had run away from the Family, and he mentally straightened his spine as he returned the woman's smile. "I am he." Why he had given himself such a long surname was beyond him. "Please, call me Fitz. It's a lot less of a mouthful."

He looked around the room, thinking of his time at the Heavenly School in Japan, where he had discovered music, and actually began to enjoy life. "Do you have big plans for the Fall, Ms Strauss?" He asked as his eyes returned to her, though he couldn't help but wonder if he would have a job similar to hers, teaching youngsters to use their voices to express themselves... though his form of expression would be a little different from what the school would permit.

[Adelaide Strauss]

Adelaide nodded briefly. "Fitz," she repeated, just to show willing. "I would tell you to call me Adelaide, but the same hardly applies." Certainly, her surname was a great deal simpler than her forename, and she had been lucky- some of her classmates had had names which they could hardly pronounce themselves. Adelaide was at least generally recognised. She'd tried to come up with a shorter variant, but she flatly refused to be known as 'Addy', and 'Laide' could lead to all kinds of misunderstandings.

For the first time, she gave the man a genuine smile. "Big plans? My dear sir, I always have big plans. I simply recognise when it is not the right time to execute them. As for these..." She shrugged elegantly. "I suppose we shall have to see what awaits us when September comes. As I am sure that you are aware, things can change so quickly... And can I count on your assistance, should it be required?" She gestured to his instrument. "I see that you are familiar with my subject, at least slightly."

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

He smiled and bowed his head, pleased he hadn't suggested that she call him Raven; but again, that probably would have led to more questions than he wished to answer right now, if ever.

He stood on the balls of his feet, as though preparing for flight, though had no intention to run, as he was no longer that young boy who was hidden from the world. He nodded at her words, as there was never anything wrong with big plans, and the knowledge of when to execute them. "Things tend to do a full turn on you, just as you are sure you are getting a handle on things." He said sagely.

He gave her a slight bow, making sure the guitar didn't fly over his shoulder. "I would be honoured to help in any way I can, should you need it." He shrugged slightly. "I am quite familiar with your subject, just not a side I have particularly embraced in a while." Sure, he still wrote music, just not with the enthusiasm as he had at the Heavenly School.

[Adelaide Strauss]

"Isn't that the truth," Adelaide murmured, speaking half to herself. If only life was just a little simpler then the world as a whole would work out so much better... but perhaps that was the point. After all, if life was easy then why bother to live it? But Adelaide didn't teach philosophy partly because it wasn't a part of the Blue Ridge curriculum and partly because she was terrible at it, and so she abandoned that train of thought sharply and moved on to something which she did feel at home with; her own subject.

She nodded at the man's offer. "I'll bear that in mind," the blonde assured him with a minimalism smile. "No doubt there'll be a meeting about it in due course if Anne McDermot has anything to do with it."

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

Fitz smiled, he quite liked Anne's way of getting things done, and could easily picture her on a navy ship. With his job though, he wasn't sure how much time he would have to offer Adelaide once the school started up again.

He shifted the guitar on his shoulder, and remembered why he was down here. "You wouldn't have a D-string handy, per-chance?" I've ordered one, but thought I'd come and see if I could grab one from down here and when the new one arrives, it can go into storage here." And then there were moments when he wished that timid child would return and shut him up.

[Adelaide Strauss]

Although Adelaide appreciated the vice principal's efficiency, she did think that such a thing could be taken too far. Of all the meetings that she'd sat through since arriving here at Blue Ridge, she could only think of a few which had actually had anything to do with her, and yes, it was good to know what was going on, but did she really need to know about the English department's accounts for the last quarter?

"I expect so," she replied, picking out a key from the bunch that hung around her neck and fitting it into a cupboard door. "Help yourself."

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

"Thanks." Fitz grinned as he stepped forward and looked in the cupboard long enough to find the string he needed for his guitar, and then dropped the guitar from his shoulder and resting his foot on a chair he swiftly fitted the new string and then tuned the instrument by ear, nodding his head when he got the pitch he needed, and just to make sure, he played the first verse of Michael Row the Boat Ashore. "Sorry." He laughed at himself as he dropped his hand. "Do you have any requests?"

[Adelaide Strauss]

"Welcome," Adelaide returned briefly, turning her attention back to the book on her desk. Considering it appraisingly, she pencilled a couple of notes in the margin to the effect that she was going to have to be quite extraordinarily lucky if she wanted to be able to tackle this one any time soon, before glancing up as the man returned. "Vivaldi's Four Seasons," she replied drily.

[Fiachra Fitzsimmons]

Fitz laughed as he placed the key on her desk, then just because he could, he played the first half a dozen cords of Vivaldi's Spring. He actually knew all of the song, but it would just take too long, and he knew that they both had things to do... or at least she had things to do, while he returned to writing songs.

"Again, I thank you for your help. And I apologise for bursting in on you as I did." He shrugged as he swung the guitar back over his shoulder. "You know where to find me, should you be in need of my help." He gave her a wave and left the room, pulling the door too behind him.

[Adelaide Strauss]

Adelaide raised an eyebrow- she hadn't actually expected the man to even be able to play the melody, much less to actually do so. She might have paid him a compliment, or at least made a remark to the effect that his skills were impressive, but she was attempting to work, and she had already been interrupted quite far enough. Commenting would only have delayed her colleague's departure, and, now that the essential pleasantries had been exchanged and she had fulfilled a useful function by securing an offer of the man's help, she really saw no reason to detain him any longer than was strictly necessary.

"You're welcome," she returned, flashing him a brief and unexpected smile. The blonde ran one elegant hand through her long hair as she watched the man walking out of the door, and then she breathed a sigh of relief. Adelaide held no objections to being sociable, within reason, and she could function perfectly well in a busy environment, but she did like to have time to herself, and she most certainly didn't like to be interrupted when she was working, which was why she took a dim view of other staff members entering her classroom. It disrupted the working atmosphere.