10140/Run in the snow

Run in the snow
Date of Scene:	21 November 2019
Location:	Gym - X-Men Base
Synopsis:	Shannon and Colossus talk about family and adjusting from being an only child to a sibling, over a morning workout.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Colossus

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Nightingale has posed:
     For all her appreciation of the classic 'Rocky' movies, one thing Shannon was /not/ about to do was to try running up the side of a mountain in the snow. Or run in the snow, period. Winters in her home state of Connecticut had not quite prepared her for one in upstate New York, not by a long shot. It left one option for the time being--time to hit the gym. She's on one of the mats on the ground, sitting down and stretching out as is sensible to do. A long white t-shirt, peacock blue leggings, and her old white sneakers suffice for a workout. This time, her hair is tied back in a ponytail--including one odd braid on the side of her face, which is dyed an improbable shade of ice blue, just a few shades darker than a glacier. It was fairly quiet in the gym for the moment, with nightmares held at bay.

Colossus has posed:
Colossus arrives in his shorts and a tank top, his arms and shoulders exposed. Even in his human form, he's powerfully muscled and built a bit like a tank. He drops his gymbag with his change of clothes and starts to clank around the weight set, setting things in place when he glances over to see Shannon on the mat, "Good morning, Shannon. I hope the day finds you well," he says. THey're both early risers it seems, dawn not even a kiss on the horizon.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon eases out of her stretch, sitting straight up as she hears someone else in the gym. Her eyebrows raise as she sees just how much weight is being set up, an amount that would likely put her in the wellness office for the attempt to lift it. "Good morning! Yeah, Bean got me in the habit of morning runs, but I don't feel like pulling a Rocky today." Mild amusement glints in her eyes, and her smile quirks upwards. "How's it going with you this morning?"

Colossus has posed:
Colossus smiles, "I like the cold myself, but it is not my day for cardio," he says. "I am well. Good night's sleep. I passed out reading. Thoreau. One of the wiser American philosophers," he says. He does a quick set of reps, relatively light for him. There are superhuman weights here, too, but he isn't pushing his upper limits in armor form today. Those use supergravity generators to simulate extreme weights safely. "I imagine I will have quite an appetite after. Maybe we can have breakfast together, if you like."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles and inclines her head. "Sounds good to me, if you don't mind my lousy cooking." It would seem 'light' for Mr. Rasputin was 'holy moly' for most others, and especially for her. SHe lets out a low whistle and chuckles softly, shaking her head in disbelief. If this was just warming up for him, what would pushing the limits look like? Alas, not everyone is blessed with strength like that, so she simply opts for the treadmill to start, keeping up with her bit of cardio for the morning. It was better than no morning run at all! "Don't think I've ever read anything by Thoreau. Shame on me."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus makes a dismissive sound, "Your cooking is perfectly fine. And if you have trouble, I am a pretty good cook myself," he says, doing his reps rapid fire and then taking a moment to wipe his brow with a towel.

"I enjoy it, but it is not for everyone. Dry, pondering. Thoughtful. Not particularly exciting. Much like me," he jokes.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Wait. Did I just hear you put yourself down? Why, I oughta...!!!" This has Shannon grumbling to no end, her light running steps on the treadmill taking on a very distinct, displeased thudding sound. "Since when is 'thoughtful' a bad thing? Hmm? Or sometimes 'quiet'?" Her wings are spreading out a bit, and her feathers look rather ruffled.

Colossus has posed:
Colossus smiles, "Did I say that they were bad? No. Simply that they were not for everyone. No one is for everyone. I like who I am. But it does not suit others, often. My sister, first and foremost. She loves me for who I am, but I know that it drives her crazy, too," he says. "I would not dream of inspiring your wrath by self-denigrating," he says in amusement.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles softly, settling her wings in neatly behind her, feathers smoothing right down. "Good," she teases, her tone playful. "See that you don't." Says she who just put down her own cooking! Oh, ye who calls the kettle black!

A smile plays upon her lips, and she laughs a little bit. "You've been used to that your whole life, though," she muses. "I'm only just now getting used to the idea of having anything akin to siblings. Even sort of adopted. I've grown up an only child. Only one to survive out of six. The rest were lost either before, or very shortly after birth. You... are incredibly fortunate to have your sister."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus nods, "I know. I thought her lost for a very long time. To her, it was time in Limbo, but to us she just...disappeared. We didn't know where. And when she came back, she was so different. It still felt like we'd lost her, for a while. Now I see Illyana in the girl I know, but it took me time to look past the changes. And yes, I am very, very lucky," he says. "I am glad you're adjusting to your new situation."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly. "Family or friends, or even mentors... I imagine all would be in a similar position, if someone disappeared like that and then came back after a long time." A wistful note in her voice hints that she might know all too well how it feels, though for the moment she says nothing further on the matter. She smiles once more, though, and lets out a short laugh, easing off of the treadmill. "Still adjusting, but it gets a little easier every day. It's definitely interesting going from being an only child, to having someone take you in like a little sister and wind up with a huge family in addition to the one you grew up with. But interesting in a good way, I think."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus nods softly, "That is a positive way to look upon it," he says. He sets asides the weights and heads over to the chin-up bar, putting his hands up and doing pull-ups slowly, impressive enough given his physical weight. "I was an only child for a few years, until Illyana came along. It is, as you say, an adjustment. Even more so, I imagine, at your age. But I trust that some of your new siblings will become among your best friends," he says.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon observes for a moment as Colossus works on his chin-ups, eyebrows raised. She glances over at another bar, and shrugs. What could it hurt to try? However, while her strength is fairly good for a girl her age, her form... well... needs a little work. Still, she does manage to pull herself up by her hands on the bar, smiling some. "One already has. One, I'm finally getting to know a little better. The rest, I have yet to actually meet. The Guthrie clan is fairly large." She chuckles and grins a little bit. "Supposedly they're coming up this way in a couple weeks, though I haven't heard an exact date." She pauses a moment. "Hope I have that song I'm working on ready in time..."

Colossus has posed:
Colossus comes over to help brace her, offering a hand in case she falls, just playing the part of spotter. "The Guthries are among the finest families. Sam himself is genuine and true and good man," he says.

"It would be nice to have them about during the holidays. They are a festive bunch."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just smiles wide, and nods firmly. "He is, very much so, and they are. Jay's not so bad, eitherrr... ACK!" It's perhaps just as well Colossus is 'spotting' her, because she does indeed wind up losing her grip on the bar. Thankfully, it's not far to fall, however, with major injury avoided--only a blow to her pride.