Date Guidance [Sean]

[Ann Hudgins]

She thought back on the day she had first approached Dr. Neville and how things had changed. It had been almost a year ago, and she was such a different person than who she was--of course she had a long way to go before she was...well good and happy with who she was, but the point was she had improved so much since she had started visiting Sean. He'd helped her so much, and she definitely held him in the highest esteem. He was like her father (and certainly had given her enough guidance to be called as such).

She knocked on the door, even though he'd probably already knew she was standing outside, as she made a habit of being punctual and arriving at the same time every day she went to see him. After her two knocks, she waited until she heard his admittance and walked in, a smile on her face--such a difference from her first arrival. She made herself comfortable in her chair--which she always sat in now--and smiled towards her mentor. "Hello Dr. Neville, how are you? Having a good day, I hope?"

Was it terribly obvious that Ann was actually....optimistic and upbeat? Yes, it was. She couldn't wipe the grin off her face, and if she did manage to get rid of it, it would slowly grow back and the process would start again. She just couldn't help it. Today was a good day. She woke up with a crazy warm feeling in the pit of her stomach that just refused to go away, it had her skin all hyper sensitive--now she had felt this 'crush bug' before, but it had never been...well hers. But now she was feeling it, full force. It was a wonderful feeling.

God, how sappy had she become?

She snorted quietly to herself and covered her hand with her mouth until she got a hold of herself. "So...I need some...advice." Now she wasn't so prone to grinning. This part would really embarrass the hell out of her. She sighed as she fidgeted in the chair, the optimistic shiny new Ann was slowly transforming back into the confident-less quite girl. "So I told you a while ago about that physics project I had to do, with Alex McKenzie?" She asked for clarification, to see if he remembered before she continued. "Yeah, the egg didn't make it, but anyway, while we made the egg saving device, we had gotten to talking about tattoos because he has some." Ann had already said as much before. "I had jokingly suggested he draw me one when I think one up, because seeing his made me want to get one." She shrugged her shoulders slightly.

"Anyway, the other day I got the idea in my head about what I wanted, and it just sort of festered. Anyway, I had remembered what he had said about drawing it for me and so I wanted to ask him if he still wanted to, only I hadn't gotten his number from him and he doesn't live in the dorms. Luckily my roommate had his number and I called him." She made it this far without blushing, but now her face started to redden.

"He asked me to go on a date with him." She chewed her lip and finally let her torrent of words to come to an end, however it occurred to her she hadn't exactly specified to him what she needed advice about--however he knew her well enough to realize she had absolutely no idea what one did on a date, at all.

((I hope I didn't rush into it to fast, but Ann just wanted to get to the point ^.^))

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Ann had started visiting Sean for regular sessions in the spring of last year, and she had made an incredible amount of progress since then. The psychiatrist could not be more pleased with how she had broken out of her introverted and shy cocoon. That was not to say that her personality had changed, nor did he expect it to. Ann was a sweet girl, and she would always be shy and introverted to an extent; that was simply part of who she was. However, she was no longer so shy and introverted that she hid from others, for fear of being overwhelmed by their emotions or fear of rejection. He was proud of her, and with all of the progress she made, he knew that she would be just fine when she went off to college or out into the “real world”, beyond the safety of Hammel’s walls.

He continued to meet with Ann, both for her regular sessions to work on any of her social or emotional issues, and intermittently whenever she had a problem. The arrangement seemed to serve her well, and he was always happy to meet with her. The telepath was fond of her, and she had become one of his protégés.

The psychiatrist maintained the same open door policy that he’d established when he first began working at his alma mater those decades ago. As long as he wasn’t in session, having a meeting, or reviewing confidential material his door was open and anyone who wanted to speak to him was welcome. He’d been writing notes for a staff meeting when Ann arrived, and he waved her in. He certainly had time for whatever she wanted to discuss, since this wasn’t her usual session time. He returned her smile. “I’m doing just fine, Ann, thank you.” He then gestured at the usual chair for her to sit in and make herself comfortable.

He didn’t ask what was on her mind. After seeing Ann over these months, he knew that she would eventually give voice to whatever had brought her to his office. Lo and behold, she did, explaining that she needed advice and then providing a long back story about making friends with McKenzie. The psychiatrist was familiar with him, although he didn’t find himself in Sean’s office for disciplinary meetings which made him instantly more mature than half the male student population. He listened patiently while Ann explained the process by which they’d become friends and which ended in her being asked on a date.

So it was romantic advice she required. Usually when someone asked it was about sex due to the lectures. But she had been isolated by her power, and he understood in a way that many others didn’t. “Where are you going? Have you discussed that? Or has he decided to surprise you?”After that, he could go over the basics with her. It was hardly so intimidating, although he understood the mysticism surrounding it. Then again, he was also almost forty years removed from it.

[Ann Hudgins]

Like so many times, Ann started with confidence, and as she spoke, she just...lost it. She came in the room with a positive attitude, but as she spoke and told her story, she was just slowly going back to that curled up terminally quite girl that would rather nod instead of reply--OK so it wasn't that bad, but Ann was embarrassed (yet also thrilled) to admit that she actually had a date. She did realized she hadn't put any of that into a question, or even explain what advice she actually needed.

"The lake. We decided on the lake. Kinda like a picnic or something. We might eat before. Or there. I dunno." Ann flapped her hand a little at the uncertainty of it all. "I just...don't know if I should act different than...everyday me...or if I should try to dress up...or...I mean, is there a certain type of date etiquette I should know about?" She looked a little lost for a moment before she looked to Sean, who had helped her so much in the past. She probably was just overreacting and didn't need to stress so much about something as 'simple' as a date.

But the thing was, for Ann, it wasn't simple at all. She, who had not been able to hold a good conversation with more than two people, was going on a date with someone that had expressed a liking for her and whom she liked as well. It was a mutual thing going on, and it was a chance for her to be normal. That word was like a dream to her. Something she wanted, but not something she was or could be. It was a dream. It was something that was happening this Saturday at noon, and she just did not want to mess it up by...being the Ann that couldn't form a proper sentence in a room full of teenagers. She knew on some level that Alex liked her because she was...her, and not someone else. She was smart enough to realize that, but she also knew she couldn't just go into this thing without getting any sort of advice (that wasn't from her twelve year old roommate).

[Dr. Sean Neville]

She had started strong, and that was progress. The psychiatrist remembered vividly how she had behaved when she had first come to his office last year, and how conversation had been like pulling teeth. She’d had a tendency to drift in and out of conversation, and then would shy away when he displayed any familiarity with a topic she raised unless it was advice. Thankfully, she’d taken his advice. She had a while to go, but her progress was palpable and Sean was proud of her. To think, last year she was afraid to have a pen pal and now she was going on a date.

The psychiatrist smiled gently at her. The uncertainty was at once both endearing and reminiscent of him when he’d had his first date, also at Hammel; although he had been younger. He had also been at Hammel for three years before Maggie had expressed any interest in him whatsoever, which illustrated the importance of proper socialization if nothing else. “Since you’re going to the lake, I hope you both remember to dress warm.” Vermont in the winter wasn’t the ideal setting for a picnic, but then again, as students Ann and Alex didn’t have their pick of climates.

A picnic was classically romantic; it was also relatively innocent. The telepath could envision this now: cold breeze, genuine kindness, potential awkwardness and all. “Since I’m not going on this date, you can dismiss this, but I’d pack a picnic lunch either way. Then I’d check on the weather; if it’s too cold, you can eat indoors to stay warm and then head down to the lake. If the sun’s out and we have a rare break, you can eat down at the lake and enjoy the view.” If she wanted, he could order a dessert for them: cookies or brownies from the bakery that he visited regularly. “And of course you should be yourself.” He smiled at her; were she any other young woman, he would gently touch her arm. “He asked you out, after all.” As for the topic of dressing up...”Since you’re going to the lake, you needn’t dress up, aside from an extra sweater. You generally dress for the location.” When she started going out to fancy restaurants, then he could help her dress up. “Etiquette varies depending on what he says and on what you want to do while you’re there.”