10241/Turning up the heat

Turning up the heat
Date of Scene:	28 November 2019
Location:	Wellness Office - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Shannon talks to Chris about a change to the upcoming concert. They discuss her options she prepares for the worst.
Cast of Characters:	Triage, Nightingale

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Triage has posed:
The school is quiet with many students away and the rest having already helped to prepare a fine feast for Thanksgiving. Even during this lull, the Wellness Office is open in case someone should need help. Chris sits in one of the plush visitor's chairs by the fireplace. The chair that he chose faces the door so that he will see anyone arriving, but he seems relaxed, casually reading an ebook on his tablet.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Relaxed", it would seem, was something of a luxury the past couple days, as evidenced by the smell of the ultimate comfort food coming from the kitchen despite copious holiday preparations. Oh yes. That meant... mac 'n cheese! Sometimes it was even better than chocolate for stress relief, with its memories of happy times shared with friends over a dish of gooey golden goodness. That smell soon becomes even more potent as a familiar figure does slip through the door with two bowls full on a tray, silverware and all, and steaming cups of hot cocoa.

     Unfortunately, a feather also flutters to the ground in her wake.

     Smiling a little bit, Shannon settles the tray down on the desk as quietly as she can, waiting for Chris to finish what he's reading before even making so much as a peep.

Triage has posed:
Shannon might arrive like Sandburg's fog, "on little cat feet," but she cannot hide the aroma that escorts her. The inviting fragrance tickles Chris's nose,. He lowers the tablet in time to see her padding across the floor, and to see another small feather drop from her wing. The feather rides the current of air that she leaves in her wake, descending to the floor. He knows that sign all too well. He sighs. Leaning forward, he clears the low table between the two visitor's chairs. "Bring that over here, Shannon," he invites, waving to the table. Then he smiles warmly to assure her that she is not intruding.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon takes the hint and changes course, heading over towards the pair of visitor's chairs instead, to deposit the tray on the small, low table between them. The two bowls are piled high with the good stuff, a treat that would definitely require a long run in the morning, a good hour or so in the gym before sleep, or both! She settles down into the empty chair, not even reaching for her own bowl till Chris tucks into his own, her wings slightly outspread so she's not sitting on them instead. So far, she hasn't seen any feathers drop herself, but it's only a matter of time. "Figured you could use a treat," she offers, gesturing towards the tray. "It can be a pretty thankless job, waiting in here."

Triage has posed:
"It can be dull at times," Chris agrees. "Tthen someone comes simply to borrow my ears for a while." He Leans forward again to take one of the bowls and utensils."When that someone brings a gift like this, she's particularly welcome." He offers the bowl and utensils.to Shannon. Again, he smiles warmly. Then he looks to the door and asks, "What's on your mind? Do you need some privacy?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Pfft, I'd hardly call this personal, but it's up to you." Another of the smallest of feathers flutters to the ground near Shannon's chair, as she leans over to scoop up the remaining bowl from the tray, and cradle it between her hands. A scoop of the good stuff is sent on its way down her gullet, to the tune of a small sigh of pure delight. Some comforts were timeless, and highly effective. Mostly effective, anyways. "Just had a bit of a bomb dropped on me about the concert, is all."

Triage has posed:
Chris settles in his chair, stirring the golden goodness in his bowl so that a wisp of steam rises from it while Shannon answers. Their first bites hit their mouths at the same time, and he smiles, nodding until Shannon shifts to the worry that drove her here. When she reveals that, he tilts his head. "A bomb?" He echoes. "What is it? I can't imagine Sam dropping you from the show, so it must be something else."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon snorts a little bit, biting down on her fork rather harder than needed. "I sure hope not," she mutters around a mouthful of mac 'n cheese. Realizing she's starting to talk with her mouth full, she pauses, taking a moment to savor the little bite of comfort a bit more properly. "Because if he did, Andrea and Dazzler won't have a warm-up act at all!" Her voice has begun to rise in pitch, not volume, the last few words ending on something of a squeak.

Triage has posed:
Chis reloads his fork and savors more of the gooey goodness. He seems either oblivious or unfazed when Shannon answers with her mouth still full. When her voice creaps from its usual quiet toward a shrill of panic, he lowers the fork. "What do you mean? I thought that the Glee Club was performing as part of the warm-up."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon swallows down another bite of mac 'n cheese quickly, trying to focus on that for a moment instead. It wasn't working very well. "That's what I thought, too. But I touched base with Andrea earlier today and well... turns out I'm the only one of us who's really gotten back to her with any interest in all. So it looks like I'm it." The clink of the fork as it's stabbed to the bottom of the bowl punctuates her words with the finality of the condemned facing the guillotine, wisps of steam laden with the savory aroma of cheese escaping the onslaught. "Bless Bean's heart, I'm sure he meant well, but well... I told him about it, and he tells me to think about what to do for an encore. Like I'm anywhere near good enough for that!"

Triage has posed:
"What about Andrea and Dazzler?" Chris objects. "They'll perform after you. Right? I'll be there to see you. I'm eager for that. But honestly ..." He frowns and shakes his head. "Most people will want to see Andrea and Dazzler. They have the top billing. They should have the encore, if anyone has it." He stares at his bowl, as if willing the mac 'n' cheese to offer comfort without his effort. Then he sighs and forks another bite into his mouth.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shrugs, and pulls her feet up onto the chair with her, sort of curling up and lounging off to the side. She considers this for a moment, trying to focus on eating the mac 'n cheese slowly. Anything for a more pleasant focus at the moment would be a blessing. "You'd think that would be the case. But what if I'm asked anyways? I don't have a second song of my own to add, and I was hoping to avoid performing anyone else's work." She sighs softly, shaking her head. "I don't know.. 'Bohemian Rhapsody', maybe? Just as a backup plan?"

Triage has posed:
Chris nods while he swallows his mac 'n' cheese. "If you can cover six octaves, play all of the instruments, and you're secretly Jamie Madrox's twin sister, you might manage Bohemian Rhapsody," he answers in a tone of purposeful exaggeration, hoping to coax a smile or even a laugh from Shannon. Shifting to seriousness, he suggests, "Talk to Andrea and Dazzler. Tell them that if anyone deserves the encore, they do. Appeal to their egos if necessary." He chews and swallows another bite before he notes, "Either of them should be able to perform one of their hits in their sleep. They should handle the encore." Then he wonders. "Will you be backstage while they perform?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles a little bit. "Worst part is, part of me actually hopes a little bit for that encore. At least it would mean I did well enough with my own song to deserve it. As for Bohemian Rhapsody, it was a piece meant for piano to begin with, so that shouldn't be a problem." She pauses with her fork in the air as she realizes what she just said, just staring at Chris for a moment. "Why you sneaky devil... look what you just made me do!" She can't help a little laugh then, the sound bubbling up from within her whether she wills it or no. "Naah. Not hanging around backstage, there will be other occasions for that, maybe. But there won't be many other chances to hang out with the clan. It's taking a lot for them to come up this far for the event as it is."

Triage has posed:
Chris hadn't meant to trick her. That becomes clear when Shannon describes the origin of Queen's magnum opus and he pauses for a moment to consider her words. He nods. "That's true," he admits. "Still, if you really don't want to preform twice, and you'll be in the audience, remind them about that. You'd need to leave your seat and go back up there. They'll be on stage already. It would make more sense for them to perform." He finishes his meal and sets the empty bowl on the tray. Reaching for the cocoa, he adds, "I was planning to sit near the Guthries. If you'd like, I'll save you a seat. If there's an intermission betwen your opening and the main act, I'll get root beers for both of us."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles a little bit, tilting her head as she considers this. "Figure if they're going to ask for an encore it'll either happen pretty quickly, or not at all. And even if I have to get back up from my seat to do it, then so be it." She's silent for a few moments as she savors the last few bites of the mac 'n cheese, wishing briefly she'd thought to bring in more of the stuff. Oh yes. This was definitely going to require a longer morning run to mitigate the effects of such rich food! "But a third time's out of the question, because you're right, the spotlight belongs on Andrea and Dazzler. And how could I say no to a root beer? Really?" The last is spoken with a hint of amusement, a bit of laughter dancing in her words, her eyebrows raised.

Triage has posed:
Seeing that Shannon has finished with her bowl, Chris reaches for it. "You brought cocoa for dessert," he reminds her, seeming to have anticipated her longing for more comfort. "Whatever happens, you'll be fine," he assures. "I think that the stars will want, and should have, the encore. That's what most of the audience will expect. If what I've heard is true, Dazzler has been somewhat away from the limelight. They'll want to see her and Andrea, particularly if they perform a duet. Beside that, you're already dropping feathers over this. You might want to consider how much anxiety you want to risk."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Ah crap... am I?" Shannon's cheeks turn a little rosy as she investigates the ground near the chair, and does indeed find a feather has fallen there. There's also one about halfway between the doorway and the fireplace, a silent witness to her building stage fright. The cocoa has to wait for a moment as she spreads her wings to examine them, and make certain that they're still fit for flight. A sigh of relief escapes her as, thankfully, those two feathers seem to be the only ones missing--and they're just tiny ones, at that. The reminder about the cocoa is a timely one, the distraction enough to temporarily derail her and shift her focus onto more pleasant matters, the young mutant cupping her hands around the mug just to savor the warmth for a moment or two. "True. I'll just have one extra song ready in case, but the main focus of the show really should be on them."

Triage has posed:
"Better to hear it from a friend ..." Chris coments, eyeing the two feathers. If she dropped those, she might have dropped others along the way. He nods. "Be ready with a backup, but do talk to them. You should be able to convince them that they should have the encores and the standing ovations. They're the pros. Then you'll be able to relax after your big moment in the spotlight. Root beer will be waiting. I promise that."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles at the prospect of the root beer, and breathes a sigh of relief. "Two songs at most. My own and one other. But no more. And that's even if the second one is necessary at all. I think they'll get the standing ovations anyways, they deserve it. Not me." Those great big wings start furling themselves around her like a cocoon, as she sips the cocoa. The warmth does a lot of good, and the bit of comfort is a welcome one. "Thank you."

Triage has posed:
Chris smiles over his own cocoa, savoring the warmth that it delivers. "I'm glad if.I helped," he replies. "You'll be busy for the next two weeks, rehearsing your song and preparing for that encore, but for now, sit back, take a deep breath, and relax." He sips more from his cup and then adds, "Whatever happens, you'll be fine and we'll be proud of you. I know that."