10436/New Surroundings

New Surroundings
Date of Scene:	14 December 2019
Location:	Study Hall - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Warrior Joe is beginning to explore his new home (on a leash and harness), Sam Guthrie and Alexis Carr act lovebirdy, and then there is Ballet. Come for the goofy puns, stay for the mental image of men participating in intense daily training in tights.
Cast of Characters:	Prismatic, Nightingale, Cannonball, Cypher, Triage

---

Prismatic has posed:
    It was a dark and dreary afternoon. Cold rain was pelting the windows, providing a drone of sound that's perfect for studying.

    Allegra has a couple of books open, taking notes in a pain, spiral-bound notebook. Next to her, not quite used to being on a harness and leash, was the roughed-up visage of Warrior Joe the cat, his one ear flicking about as he lay, chewing listlessly on the leash that was looped around the back of Allegra's chair.

Nightingale has posed:
     It was indeed dark and dreary outside, plus very quiet inside. Shannon's slipped into the study hall with her laptop bag slung over her shoulder, a small MIDI keyboard poking out of one end. She's got her wine red tunic sweater on, with brown and gold leggings and... her sheepdog slippers. Oh, my. A smile curls the corners of her lips upwards as she sees Allegra and the stalwart Warrior Joe, giving a little wave as she settles down into a seat of her own. But she doesn't say anything, not yet, just in case Allegra needs to concentrate on her notes.

Prismatic has posed:
    "H'lo, Pidgeon." Allegra geets Shannon, without looking too far up from her note-taking.

    Warrior Joe winks his good eye at the younger girl, then hops to his feet and goes as far as his harness will let him go, flops to his side and gives the most pathetic sounding 'miiiaww' to Shannon, his stub of a tail flicking. The fur on his bald spots has already begun to grow back in, thanks to treatment and good food.

    "And Joe says 'Good Morning' as well." Allegra gives a grin, looking up to Shannon.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon laughs softly, setting her gear down at her table, rising from her chair to close the distance between her and the valiant Warrior. Crouching down to appear less of a threat, she offers her hand for him to sniff or not, at his choosing. "Hello to both of you as well! It looks as if Joe's adjusting well, and I bet you're relieved to have him here, safe." Her wings aren't quite as tightly tucked behind her as they ought to be, presenting a tempting target for feline fun....

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie comes walking by the study hall. He sees the two ladies and will smile a moment, and walks by with a couple bags with non grocery store logos on them. He heads to stash some items while he has a moment to be sneaky.

Prismatic has posed:
    Warrior Joe might not have the loudes meow, but he purrs like an off-balance dump truck, shoving his head againt Shannon's hand, snaggle tooth catching lightly against her palm and just PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRs like he's full of gravel and bees.

    allegra gives a small smile, and she rubs the back of her head a moment. "It... is actually really nice to not worry so much about him. I know Carrie liked him well enough that she'd pop in and feed him if she knew I wasn't home." she admits quietly, reaching over and scritching Joe's back as he rubs his head against Shannon's hand. "I think he's happier here, though. He's been a perfect gentleman and has only scratched his post."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon giggles as she hears the raw power behind that purr, off-kilter though it was. Very gently, she scritches behind those ears--or what is left of one of them--and rubs that raggedly furry cheek. "Well, for one, I'm glad to see you safe, Warrior Joe." Yeah, there was definitely a friend for life there! Music forgotten for now, she settles down on the floor, as it seems now she has been tapped for petting duties!

Glancing up at Allegra, she smiles, her eyes gleaming with warmth. "I'm glad you're happy. It means a lot to see." One finger scritches very lightly beneath Joe's chin, and she chuckles softly. "Curious, does he enjoy catnip? I would be delighted to make him some stuffed catnip toys if so. Call it a Christmas and welcome home present."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will show back up a few moments later not having taken the time to wrap presents but at least hide them. He walks into the room looking over at the ladies and the puddy tat. He grins a bit walking over and ruffles Shannon's hair and leans over to Alexis and gives her a small kiss "Hey you two... err Three. Yea hey to you to Joe.

Prismatic has posed:
    "I honestly don't know if he's fond of catnip; I've never gotten him much in the way of toys, minus milk caps. He does enjoy those." Alexix reflects a moment, though when sam pops in she gives a smile leaning back against him as he kisses her, reaching to touch his arm in a fond caress.

    Joe hops off the table, pads right over to Shannon's lap, and flops against it, continuing to purr like a truck, and bat at a couple of wing feathers in curiosity. When Sam speaks up, the cat tilts his head back and gives a 'Mrrow.'

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon bursts out in a fit of giggles as it seems she has gained a new friend, her lap now full of a raggedy orange cat. A cat who seems to think her wings are toys. Ruffling her wings, she plays a small game of keep-away, moving the tips of her feathers just barely out of reach and making Joe work for it. "Well, I can guess a homemade cat teaser would be a hit, for sure!"

"Ack!" With wisps of her hair all askew from the tousling, Shannon peers up at Sam, letting out a little huff as she tries to blow a bit of hair away from her face, that's fallen down right in between her eyes. "Hey there, big brother! How's it going?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will find a seat and sit next to Alexis arm going around her. He will look over to Shannon and says "You get him started on that you can't be upset when he does it when your not paying attention and he sees the wings." He smiles a bit and says "So what have you been up to this morning?"

Prismatic has posed:
    Joe tries to get the feathers for a little bit, then just flops more bonelessly against Shannon's lap and spluts his legs out, completely relaxed, and proceeds to simply purr away, his stub of a tail giving little flicks.

    Aleis gives a grin as she leans back against Sam, and gives a playful huff.

    "However will I be able to determine which style of ballet to teach if I cannot find uninterrupted time?" she laments, and dramatically leans back further, draping herself accross Sam's lap, hand dramatically over her eyes, palm up. "Woe is me."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon rolls her eyes at the pair, laughing and shaking her head. "Seriously, you two. I hope one day I'm that fortunate." Idly, she stroke's Joe's fur, letting out a little sigh. "Wait, there's different styles of ballet? I thought that it was just one big thing on its own."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and rests a hand on Alexis's stomach and says "Well my dear you will just have to teach them all." He grins a bit at her, and says "Well just remember you aint gotta rush it Shannon. Remember I am five years older than you. You sometimes have to wait for something good."

Prismatic has posed:
    "Agreed, you're still young, Shannon, and it's better to wait until you find that person who takes your breath away than to settle on 'this one's good enough'. And there might be several who do take your breath away." Alexis replies, being held down by her stomach a bit as she tilts her head up.

    "And there are several different traditions of Ballet. You have English Ballet, which has a heavy concentration on building up the basics for a long, long time. Italian Ballet focuses on strength and flexibility. French, American, Danish and Russian. They all have different stylistic items and differences, but really that's more my being dramatic. I was taught French, English and Italian ballet, since my father learned Italian style, my mother learned English and my own instructor was French. And fairly traditional. You had to greet your instructor before you were permitted to go to the barre." Allegra comments quietly.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon just gives a knowing smile at the pair, and nods sagely. "Oh, I get that. I'm not about to settle for second-best. I deserve better than that." Where had that gleam of confidence come from, shimmering in her eyes and voice? The talk of various ballet styles captures her attention, and she tilts her head. "I'd be willing to be your guinea pig, regardless of what style you settle on. If your own instructor taught French, that could be a place to start. It sounds as if all would have an emphasis on strength and flexibility, really. But what differs from French, aside from the adherence to tradition?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will let Alexis up if she wants up. He brushes a stray strand of hair from her face, and says "I think we just learned normal American version to be honst.

Prismatic has posed:
    "Oh, no, that was only Madame's preference. /She/ was a traditionalist. We used to joke that she was good friends with Debussy." Allegra grins, and she remains leaning accross Sam's lap, thoughshe brings one arm up to rest her head aainst so she can look to Shannon.

    "Really, it's in some of the stretches, the sets and progressions. American ballet tends to be more flamboyant and not as focused on disipline. When I was in school, I would wake up at five, eat breakfast with my grandmother, and by six be saluting Madame and warming up. Six hours later, there would be lunch, and I would spend the rest of the day studying violin, composition, piano, sometimes history, and end with maths around six o'clock in the evening, dinner at seven and then homework and practice. And when I was twelve, maths was replaced by geography and finishing, alternating weeks."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods and smiles to herself. "Sounds a bit like me. Up by five, out on a morning run with Bean by six, saving orange, battle-scarred cats from sleazy landlords by evening. And insistent on keeping up with classes, along with everything else."

Her eyebrows shoot about halfway up her forehead as she hears Sam, and her jaw drops. "Bull. You, dancing ballet? This, I've gotta see!" She giggles madly, scritching Joe beneath his chin and enjoying the rumbling purrrrrrrrrr.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over, and says "Yea, we did not do it as a professional level. We only had classes a few times a week. " He grins and looks over to Shannon and says "Yes, I can dance Ballet, so can Doug, Berto, Rahne, and Dani as well as a few others." He tells them. "It was a school thing."

Prismatic has posed:
    "He's not strictly bad at it, either. Then again, when you are working a pas a deux chemistry is very important." Alexis would reply as she straightens up, stretching her arms a moment as she glances back at Sam. "I could go and see if the gym is busy, set barre for warm up and we could try another impromptu pas a deux. And, for what it's worth, Shannon," Alexis continues, "I'll have to try and work out just *what* to do with the additional weight of the wings, should you decide to take up tutilage."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon grins and very gently tries to dislodge Warrior Joe from his perch on her lap. "It's something I'll have to learn to work around, and unfortunately, there's no way to do so other than by actually trying. So... if you two are up for it, we could head for the gym and give this a go?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie shrugs a bit and says "We can, will have to go change and get ready." He looks over to the two and says "Going to get me back into dancing shape? I see"

Prismatic has posed:
    "oh, this should be most interesting." Allegra agrees, and she scoops up Joe (who gives a grumbling 'mowrrr' of protest, and slips him over her shoulder. "I'll change and grab my pack, and we'll meet in the gym in, oh, twenty?" she states, looking to the group. "Shannon, wear something stretchy. Yoga pants, leg warmers if you have them, arm warmers, and if you have some sort of lyrca top, that too. I'd like to see how your back muscles look, a little bit." she states gently, and she goes to take the Warrior back to her room and grab some things.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon scratches the back of her head, and shrugs. "I haven't got a lycra top, per se, but I could wear my swimsuit and some leggings over it. Will that do? What about footwear, what would you recommend for that? I have sneakers, bed slippers, boots, and barefoot."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will come walking down to the gym in a dark shirt, and white leggings and white ballet shoes. He has a towel across his neck knowing he will be sweating after a bit down here. Once down in the gym he starts stretching out a bit.

Prismatic has posed:
    The Gym has been set for ballet practice. There were a couple of mirrors, a double barre set up, and soft music set up. Alexis's jean jacket and some arm warmers were set off to the side, along with a very worn out duffle bag with the name A. CARADENZA stitched on it.

    The music is soft, repetitive piano music, very relaxing. And Alexis herself was there, her hair pulled into a big bun, wearing pinkish tights and dark pink leotard, with a light colored skirt cover tied to it. She breathes out in time with the music as she stretches, drawing to her toes, her legs folded, her palms on the floor.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon comes into the gym in very simple attire--bright, peacock blue leggings, worn over what must be a black one-piece swimsuit left from summer. It's low cut but not indecent, and the back is very low, which affords a very clear view for the teacher. Her hair is all pulled back into a ponytail, including the little ice blue braid and its silver beads. She smiles, tilting her head as she listens to the music. "Bach's 'Prelude in C Major', right? I love playing that one, it's so soothing."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and will come walking over to Alexis after he has finished his stretching. He looks over to Shannon, and says "Hey kiddo." He will kneel down besides Alexis, and says "So, what you wanting to work on today hon?" He will ask her

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis gives a wry smile as she spots Shannon entering, and she shifts her weight around a moment before she draws to a kneel, and then hops up. Her ballet slippers are also pink, and appear to be in need of replacements. She's not wearing pointe shoes at just this morning, just simple practice slippers, and she brushes her fingers lightly to Sam's arm, giving a wry grin. "Well, I say we let Shannon learn some warm ups, so I can see where her balance lays, and then we can show her some pas de deux -- you don't happen to know the choreography of any off the top of your head, do you?" she jokes, then goes over to her bag. It's clear now to see just how Alexis manages to keep her poise even when walking around town. It is physically engrained.

    She takes out a pair of black ballet shoes that are in much, much better shape than her pink ones, and offers them to Shannon.

    "These are jut basic ballet slippers, great for practice and beginners. If I'm not too incorrect, you and I should be at least similar size that these will do for now. I'd buy bigger and then stuff them to create a box for pointe... just... doesn't work out as well as having the Real Thing." she explains. "And then I can run you through some warm-ups real quick while Sam keeps himself warmed up, and we'll run through some dancing. Sounds all right?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon sketches a formal, somewhat theatrical bow to Allegra, her wings extended as if she were on stage. She opens her mouth to offer thanks for the lessons, but then finds a pair of black practice slippers in her hand instead. Formality and tradition is forgotten for a moment, and she wraps Allegra up in a big hug, wings and all. "Thank you, really. For the slippers, and the lessons."

Sure enough, when she steps back to put them on, they fit just right, and she grins, wiggling her toes about in them. "Oh lordy, I won't be ready for pointe for a long time yet. These will be perfect." Though tempted to warm up some on her own, she instead opts to pay attention to Allegra, and let her do what she does best.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie says, "Off the top of my head no, but you give me the brief what you want and Ah should be ok. He grins at the two and moves over to the bar, and starts doing the squats needed "Stevie used to give us all kinds of grief for sloppy form when we started.""

Prismatic has posed:
    The TA gives a sound of surprise as she is full-on wing hugged, and she looks somewhat embarrassed, and she gives a huff.

    "Well, I can't have you sliding around on just your socks or your sheepdogs, can I?" the danger states, and she clears her throat a moment, and she gives a grin to Sam.

    "Good. I will continue her traditions then and give you grief when you get sloppy with your form. Now, Shannon--" she states, turning back to the winged girl. "I want you to mimic the arm movements with your wings, as well, so that you're aware where they're moving and how. Close as you can -- which means you're getting an entire side of the barre to yourself, and I'll mirror on the other side. If I notice something with your form, I'll tell you." she states, and they begin.

    Simple at first, holding to the barre, proper positioning of the feet (and Alexis uses her feet to poke Shannon's into proper place), starting with bending the knees, arm sweeping in and up, then out and up, warming up the muscles, than a deep set bend, stretching the insides of the thighs.

    Then Alexis straightens her legs and goes completely forward, stretching her back, palm flat to the ground before she rolls and brings her arm up. And then repeats, backwards. Forwards. Backwards. Switch sides. Begin again, Watch out for errant wing movement just in case as the two warm up and stretch. With the music rolling on.

Nightingale has posed:
     Despite the embarrassed look from Allegra, Shannon grins, and inclines her head to her. "I'll tell you the same thing I told Thor at the memorial. There's never a bad time to express gratitude." The danger is noted, and she makes a mental note to never come to lessons without her slippers, and also debates getting a spare pair to keep in the locker room.

     It's awkward for the winged girl at first to move with her feet in what, to her at least, is such an unusual position, but she trusts Allegra's judgement and does her best to hold to the form. For every movement of her arm, the corresponding wing is also stretched out; it's a very good thing that there is a good bit of room to either side of her, because her wingspan is considerable when both are fully outspread. The deep knee bends are a mite awkward for her, and she needs a moment to regain her balance, compensating for the weight and bulk of her wings. Bending over to rest her palms on the floor is much less awkward, and when she does so, it lets Allegra get a good view of her back muscles; they are well-toned, but not bulky. They'd have to be by nature, plus it's apparent she's also been working on her strength training as both Sam and Logan have instructed her to do.

     "Holy wow. You two and Chris weren't kidding. This is going to be fantastic for training."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "Well, you will do fine Shannon, everyone has to start somewhere. Ah have stepped on enough toes, and about knocked down a few people. He grins over to them, and puts his foot up on the bar, and uses it to stretch more waiting.

Cypher has posed:
Doug Ramsey says, "Yeah," Doug says from behind them, "It was like dancing with a tree. Statuesque, but immobile."

He's dressed in his suit and tie under a long winter coat. "What, don't let me interrupt.""

Prismatic has posed:
    "I told you it'd be good for you. And possibly for helping with those crevass-falls." the older dancer states, and she brings herself back up, "Ah, Mr. Ramsey, joining us for ballet practice? Sam's explained you have been trained under a great ballerina in your time." Alexis gives a smile to Doug, before running through foot stretches now. Demi-pointe, where the foot rests on the ball, and then pointe, where the foot rests on the toes. Demi. Pointe. Demi. Pointed. Gran Pliet, recover. She uses her foot to correct Shannon's stance a little bit. "The barre is here to help keep your balance, but you need not depend on it fully. adjust where you can for your wings, Pidgeon, but don't compromise your form or balance. These are meant to build up the muscle and stretch the tendon."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon does seem to be doing her best to rely on the barre as little as possible, with just a light grip upon it at most. She tries not to let her feet slide out of position while executing her knee bends, and it's in the midst of one of these that she sees Doug entering. A light up-nod is given, and she smiles over at him, rising to a full stand. "Well, then don't interrupt. How about joining in?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over to Doug, and smirks a bit "Ha, and Ha." He says but is smiling "You can help Shannon a bit, if she wants to try some of the moves Allegra and I will be doing. Unless you have let yourself get to out of it behind the desk, with all the office work

Prismatic has posed:
    The brunette gives a slight smile, turning about and bringing her leg up to the barre, she streeeetches backwards, arching her back elegantly.

    And then she rises up, bringing her leg down, and straightens.

    "All right, Shannon, you're pretty well warmed up, I suppose you'd like to see some dancing now?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon grins widely at Allegra and Sam and nods, crossing her arms and chortling. "Ohhh yes. Somehow, I can't picture Sam dancing like that. But something also tells me you two are about to blow that notion right out of the water." Glancing over at Doug, she eyes him for a moment. "He's not BS'ing about dancing, is he?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will move over to take Alexis' into a hug leaning down so she can give him a briefing on what they are going to be doing listening to her, and nodding to this he will follow her lead on what to do.

Cypher has posed:
"Hm? Oh, no, we were all taught how to dance by one of the best dancers in the world." Doug says, as he sticks his hands into his coat pocket, "He's a great dancer, even if he occasionally forgets himself and steps on people's feet. I mean, he's not as good as Bobby, but nobody's that good. Well, except me."

Prismatic has posed:
    "He's not. Mind, this is somewhat of an impromptu pas de deux, since I don't think Sam has ever performed." she gives a wry grin, "At least not the ballet I'm familiar with." she jokes, and she gives him a few instruction. A lot of French terms, and then she goes over to her tablet and the nice, calm piano music stops. There's a moment where she changes into her pointe shoes, securing them on with ribbon and soft strings come in, lead by oboes and clarients, backed on shivery strings, a harp sings.

    Any geek might be able to recognize "Across the Stars", fancy that. JOhn Williams, Star Wars.

    Alexis is graceful as she moves, floating on her tip-toes, caught in Arabesque, her expression one of longing before Sam joins her. She leans against him, one leg drawing up behind his arm, her toes appearing over his shoulder before they part, their fingertips barely hooking, strained.

    Alexis, notably, keeps her feet away from Sam's as they dance.

    The crescendo, and she leaps into his arms, spun around as she drapes elegantly, her back bending, fingertips brushing against the gym floor before she draws back up, her fingertips pressing to his chin, and the music fades as it begins to turn more tumultous.

    It's abbreviated, but elegant, and fun.

    And Alexis might be trying not to laugh.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie follows her lead, smiling at the music he does chuckle just a bit, but he also does a pretty good job following her lead, with what she wants him to do. His movements match hers, and he looks at her with a loving gaze, lost in the moment, the dance and them all there is for a moment.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles as she looks on, noting the fluidity and grace of each movement. Allegra's skill did not surprise her, but she looks shocked and pleasantly surprised to see her adopted big brother's got the moves, yo! She does close her eyes for a moment, letting out a little bit of a sigh, but there is that smile again. "Lovebirds. The pair of 'em." she murmurs, opening her eyes to glance over at Doug. "I swear. Maybe someday..."

Cypher has posed:
Doug leans against the wall, and shakes his head. "Always lookin' for love." He says, "Well... here's to you." He crosses his arms and his feet at the ankle, and watches, quietly.

Prismatic has posed:
    "In time, Pidgeon." Alexis comments as she straightens up, and winces. "I think my shank's completely broken now." she mutters, and removes the offending shoe to examine the inside of it.
    "If you run around looking for love, you'll find plenty who want to want to abuse rose tinted glasses." she warns with a smile, and she changes back into her regular ballet shoes.

    "So, Doug, I hear you claim you were better than Sam at ballet?" she inquires.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will move to take the shoes she just was wearing. He looks at them, and studies them a bit seeing size and what is broken about them. He smirks a bit "Well Ah will admit Ah think he took classes longer than Ah did. We met at the classes actually.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon laughs, and just shakes her head. "Not going to settle for second best, told ya that already. And there are plenty of toads out there. Thanks, I'd rather not kiss them all to find my prince." Her brows furrow as she hears Alexis, and she takes a step forward. "Your shoe broke, but hopefully you didn't break along with it?"

Cypher has posed:
"I did it because I wanted to meet girls." Doug says, with an easy shrug. "Not a lot of girls in track chess club boy scouts or the Adventurer's League."

Then he shakes his head, "If you're trying to lure me into dancing, I'm afraid I left my tights in another life."

Prismatic has posed:
    "Mm? Oh! No, see, pointe shoes --if I might borrow that back, Sam? -- are a special sort of ballet shoe." Alexis states, and then she draws down, kneeling comfortably on the floor as she picks at the shoe a moment. "A lot of professional dancers might go through one or more sets of pointe shoes per week." she explains, and lets Shannon hold both shoes. "The shank is made of leather, bound and stitched, and helps give the support when I'm up on the toes, or en pointe." she explains gently, and you can feel the box at the bottom is all stiffened. What typically breaks in my shoes is right here --" Alexis bends the broken shoe "Because my feet are very strong now. Luckily, I'm small, these shoes might be about six months old."

    And she gives a rueful look over to Doug, and shrugs her shoulders. "You don't need tights, strictly speaking, but I understand, Doug. Besides, there's other dancing than ballet. Line, square, samba, waltzes..."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods, and says "Yea, Ah gotta teach her how to square dance, might have you do the calling, as long as you don't do it in Klingon." He is joking with his friend right?" He looks to Doug and while the other are not looking at him and mouths "Find me a good deal on pointe shoes, if ya can."

Cypher has posed:
'In your size?' Doug mouths back, before he crosses his eyes, and then shrugs, which is Doug for 'Ok I'll try'.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon examines the shoes closely and nods, squeezing the toes to feel the stiffened area. "Wow. I can imagine you'd need that kind of support for some of the moves you were pulling. Me, I'll be lucky to be able to just keep my balance with a simple deep knee bend. But like Sam said, everyone's got to start somewhere."

She glances back at Doug as she's offering the shoes to Allegra, and smiles. "Aw, c'mon. Not even a little bit? See, you won't even need tights!"

Prismatic has posed:
    "Leave the gentleman alone, Shannon, we've enticed him enough." Alexis grins, and she ccepts the shoes back.

    "You do. It's very stressful on your calves, which is why dancers have such muscular legs." she gives a thought.

    Perhaps sometime, Shannon, I would like to take you to St. Cici's, where I grew up. You'd probably fit in well there."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will point to the ladies to tell Doug for who and hold up enough fingers for the size of the shoe. "I figure once I show Alexis some of the more country moves, she she will be out dancing me by far.

Cypher has posed:
"Well, as Sam will attest, I've never really been able to say no to a challenge." He reaches down and unlaces his shoes, before he takes them off, and stands there in his work socks.

"Let me just take a moment to stretch and think back on Drill Sargeant Stevie Hunter's lessons." He sheds his work coat, and stretches, leisurely.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon raises her eyebrows and smiles at Alexis. "That'd be lovely. I'm guessing my inducer would be necessary, though? Or are they pretty open-minded?" Though when she opens her mouth to respond to letting Doug alone...

...he surprises her by actually accepting the invitation to join in! She smiles wide, happy enough to see a friend joining in. "Stevie Hunter? Who's that?"

Prismatic has posed:
    "I already outdance you, Sam, I just don't know the steps to Achey Breakey Heart. Once I master that two-step, you're doomed." Alexis replies playfully. She stretches her arms over her head, then draws one behind her back.

    "Well, I know a Stephanie Hunter who was a dancer of great renown, until there was a serious knee injurty. Leg injuries can pretty fairly end your entire career as a dancer, since it makes it diffcult to perform day in and day out." Alexis replies, and she leans back to grab her tablet.

    "Any particular piece you would like, Doug?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods a bit and says "Sounds like it could be Stevie, it was a knee injury that put her out of dancing professionally. She is a great lady. Actually should probably take you to meet her sometime, she is someoen you could trust to talk ballet with and not tell anyone who you were.

Cypher has posed:
    "Yeah, that's her." Doug says, "But if you know her she prefers to be called by her nickname. She's in congress now. I've talked to her about X-Corporation a couple of times, I have her number."

Prismatic has posed:
    "I don't know her. Not personally, no. I don't know many American dancers, and most I know who have moved on professionally dance in London, Paris, or St. Petersburg." Alexis gives a wry smile "Except for Madame, who shall live in purpetuity to torture young students into proper French pronunciation!"

    And she turns to Shannon quietly. "My nan and her aide-du-campe know I'm a mutant. You would be safe there. Everyone's too busy studying to care about what you have on your back, and they have a very, very strict student respect policy."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles and nods, ruffling her wings lightly. "It'll be something to look forward to, then." She tilts her head, stepping back and letting Doug take the floor, intrigued. It seems the people she'd come to know and regard as friends, some even as family, were full of surprises today!

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "She is in congress? Wow how did I miss that?" he will ask Doug. "It is good to hear though it means we do have at least one person on our side of things in there.

Cypher has posed:
Doug shrugs. "We're all busy." He thinks about it, and then says, "Well, 'Tis the Season, the Nutcracker." He gestures, into a broad sweep. It's obvious he has studied, even if he can't quite manage the lighter than air elegance anymore, his footwork's good. "Think we can still do that lift, Sam?"

Prismatic has posed:
    "... oh dear. Which part of Nutcracker? Otherwise i'm going with Arabian Coffee." the brunette gives a grin as she settles with the tablet, and scrolls through some music. She notably does not go with Arabian Coffee.

    She chooes the most animated piece out of the Nutcracker, the crowd favorite 'Russian' Candycane dance.

Prismatic has posed:
    "Pity we don't have the hoops for this one." she gives a wry grin, rubbing her arms a moment.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon laughs, and claps her hands together with delight when she hears the music chosen. "That one's difficult to play on the piano, but the Arabian dance is a real pleasure." She finds herself humming along with the music, her wings even starting to ruffle and to flap somewhat in time with the music.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie will nod to Doug, and he moves to a position to help Doug with the part he wants to do. "Ok, so we got this, but remember to put a little extra step in it, to help with that swipped brown betty." He chuckles a bit

Cypher has posed:
"I am one hundred and fifty pounds on the nose, the *same* weight I was when I was sixteen, thank you very much," The very trim and fit Doug says. They've obviously practiced this before, he moves in an easy swift step so that Sam can casually catch him and lift him over his head, though he'll probably need to use both hands, as Doug is not a 95-pound Ballerina.

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis gives a wry smile as she leans back a moment, settling her chin on her knee as she leans over to Shannon, still watching the guys. "We used to use this as 'follow the leader' music in four beats. It's interesting to listen to the banter with it." she grins.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles and has a very hard time staying still when it comes to this particular piece of music. "There were times I'd watch videos of this being performed as a child, and wished I could dance like that. Who knows, maybe that's at least one wish that could come true. I'll just have to work my wingfeathers off at it."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie moves to catch Doug as he leaps to him. Sam is wearing Ballet gear, and as he catches the man with the russian nutcracker music playing. "If the music changes to Time of my life, Ah am dropping you on your head." He jokes with his friend. Both arms are used and he spins with doug before lowering him back to the ground and says "Ah always think Russian Ah think the dance Fonzie did in Happy Days."

Cypher has posed:
Doug moves easily into the catch. "Dancing's good for strength, flexibility, and tandem movement. If you can dance with someone you can fight alongside them."

He lands, neatly enough, and then brushes himself off. "Berto really was the best dancer out of all of us, but I'll never tell him that to his face. It'd give him a swelled head, and his head is swelled enough."

Prismatic has posed:
    "The dance who did in what?" Alexis questions Sam's ancient TV knowledge as she grabs up her tablet again, giving a grin to Doug and Sam.

    "So, what you're saying is we've got to get Berto in here, and then maybe recruit a couple more young ladies, and then we have the Xavier School Corps d' Ballet." she jokes.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon can't help but applaud at the display from Doug, grinning. "Hey, I wouldn't go putting yourself down. You're really good. And you're right about the dancing, too." This seemed to be a day full of pleasant surprises. She's over by Allegra, while Sam and Doug execute a dance sequence to the tune of the lively 'Russian' tune from 'The Nutcracker'. For her own part, her wings are moving back and forth in time with the music, and she keeps humming the tune, the song apparently one of her favorites.

"I'd say we have a pretty good start to that right here, Allegra. Safe to say, you've got me sold on learning ballet now."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "This dance." He will step aside, and go through the "fonzie" dance. Afterwards he is a bit out of breath but he does it pretty well. He looks over to Alexis "From an old TV show my Pa liked."

Cypher has posed:
"Amara and I - you've never met Amara - used to do this one routine..." Doug says, before he snaps his fingers, and says, "Nevermind." Then he adds, "Time of my Life is from 'Dirty Dancing'."

Prismatic has posed:
    Allegra breathes out as she watches Sam dance the dance of the Fonz, and she claps her hands in time. "OH! So Russian was the best choice for you on that one!" she gives a laugh. "Maybe I should dig out the choreography to that..." she considerrs, then looks to Doug. "OH! I'm familiar with that one--" and she stands up, stretching in her pink leotard as she adjusts the white wrap-aroud skirt (after all, gotta keep some modesty).

    "Amara -- she was the one who had the album, wasn't she?" he questions, looking to Sam.

Triage has posed:
The door opens and a head pops into the room. Chris glances around at the arrangement and nods to Sam and Alexis. "I was passing and saw the light," he explains. "So you found a good room for the class," he concludes. "Have you thought about organizing a trip into the city for one of the performances of The Nutcracker? It's a bit of a tradition."

Nightingale has posed:
     It's sort of like when you hear the word 'Flash'. You have to finish the line. One mention of 'Time of My Life', and Shannon can't help humming, then singing part of the song.

"Now I've had the time of my life
No, I've never felt like this before
Yes, I swear it's the truth
And I owe it all to you..."

     She stops, seeing Chris, waving both a hand and a wing and smiling. "Hey there! Oooo... what's this about going into the city for The Nutcracker?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie smiles and says "Ah always thought, that was a cool dance." He walks over putting an arm around Alexis, and says "You think we should go to the ballet and see who all wants to go? " He will asks her "You ok going?"

Cypher has posed:
"Yeah well, I'm too busy." Doug admits. "Besides, Jubilee and I are off again, which officially makes this the second relationship I've gone through in two months..." Doug raises his eyebrows and then asks, plainly, "Sam, am I the team scoundrel? Was that me? The cad, the gadabout, the bounder, the rake, the rogue, the himbo? Was that my niche all along? If so, *why didn't I date more*?"

Prismatic has posed:
    "Welcome to the Xavier School Dance-and-Sing along. Any requests?" Alexis asks of Chris as he comes in, drawing herself up. She's still wearing her pink leotard and pink tights, but she's going to grab her denim jacket to prevent going too cold.

    "Well, I'd be fine going to the New York one. I beleive I know someone in the Boston Ballet version whom I'd rather not... encounter." he states quietly, and rubs the back of her head.

    "And Doug, you can't be a bounder, that's a dog."

Triage has posed:
Chris grins and waves to Shannon. "I was in the office, listening to one of the few stations that still plays classical music, and the announcer mentioned that the station would have its annual drawings. One is for tickets to see The Nutcracker. The other is to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall." Then he looks to Doug. "Is that why she's been scarce?" he asks. "I've not seen her around here since the great Thanksgiving Day disaster." He looks to Alexis and Sam, and offers, "On a lark, I entered both drawings. The tickets are in blocks of four, so if I win any, I'd be glad to give the two of you a pair."

Cypher has posed:
    "Well not that I know of, we really just agreed that it was a fun fling and wished each other well," Doug says, "But she's a restless spirit, like me, so who knows?" He shrugs, once.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon just grins from ear to ear, her wings spreading out even though she is, by some miracle, staying otherwise still. "Oh that would be epic if you won any of those! Have any of you ever seen the Radio City Music Hall Christmas show? If you haven't, seriously, /do it/. It's worth it." She holds up both hands, fingers crossed, and grins.

Her smile does dim somewhat as she peers over at Doug, her hands lowering. "Wow. I'm sorry to hear that. Are you going to be okay?"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie looks over and says "Ah never thought of you as the team himbo, but maybe that is why Berto and you butted heads? You were taking his job?" He jokes, and says "Seriously though I don't think there is anything wrong with ya Doug. You need someone to talk to Ah am willing to listen, but Ah think it is more just not found the one for the long term yet.

Prismatic has posed:
    "The Nutcracker would be fun to see in person." the dancer replies, sitting back down with her jacket on near Shannon, the shorter dancer sans wings looks up at the gathering around them, and gives a small shrug, being the new person in the grouping. She looks to Triage, and gives a wry grin.

    "Nor have I seen the Rockettes." she gives a small smile and a shrug.

Triage has posed:
"Well, if I win tickets, I'd be glad to remedy that for you," Chris offers. "As I said, they'll come in blocks of four. I don't need four tickets, but an outing like that might boost interest in your little ... project." He waves to indicate the room. "I saw The Nutcracker once in Detroit, when I was a boy." He glances to Shannon and adds, "Even before tonight, I'd heard from a reliable source that the Christmas show at Radio City is quite a seasonal treat. So if tickets are free, both should be worth splurging for a trip." Looking to Doug, he shrugs. "I don't know much more than anyone else does about Jubilee, but I'd say that Sam has a point. You the right one might be waiting in your future and you simply haven't turned that corner yet."

Cypher has posed:
Doug lets out a sigh. "Yeah, well." He waves a hand. "Like I said, I don't even know HOW to be in love yet. I never got the practice. While you guys were chasing girls I was having revelatory experiences merging into a singular entity with a techno-organic alien DON'T read too much into that," Doug says, pointing at the others assembled with his techno-organic hand.

Nightingale has posed:
     "I don't think anybody ever really knows how to be in love going into it, Doug. It just kind of happens, whether you're ready for it and have a clue or not." Shannon offers a sympathetic smile--but then a perplexed look. "Don't read too much into... oh my...." Of course, when you tell someone not to read too much into something, that's /exactly/ what's going to happen, right?

Prismatic has posed:
    "... for what it's worth, I went on a date with Sam to stop Andrea from trying to set us up. Where I was working." Alexis states wryly, "My papa would call it Al'improviso Amore -- a love from out of the blue." She sighs, then turns to Sam.

    "Can you imagine if you had driven the station wagon to the club that night we met?"

Triage has posed:
Chris shakes his head. "If someone claims to be an expert on love, Doug, he's probably delusional," he smirks. "They don't teach it in school except as part of literature. Most of that's about how badly it ends in some cases." Then he looks at Alexis and Sam. "Then we have these two to remind us that literature isn't always a reliable source." He grins.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles and moves over to very gently swat Sam and Alexis each in turn with her wing, more like a playful thump to the shoulder than anything serious. "No it's not. Lovebirds." She's giggling and making silly kissyface noises at them both, relishing the opportunity to tease the living hell out of her older brother from another mother.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie chuckles and says "Oh Ah am sure we would have been dating so much quicker, as you were impressed with my sensibility, and how I must have just blown through my pay." He jokes a bit. "You know in a way we got both Andrea and Kitty to thank. She was the one who got the bike in a lot for the school. " He leans down kisses Alexis' cheek, and says "I was extremely lucky she agreed to go out with me."

Prismatic has posed:
    "I figured you have Kitty to thank for the Spider-Man costume." Alexis grins mirthfully, leaning a little bit more against Sam as he kisses her cheek, and she gives a shrug.

    "But like I said, I wasn't expecting to find Sam. Less Shannon, or Chris, Bean, Andrea and Kitty -- this whole, wonderful family."

Triage has posed:
Chris grins when Shannon playfully swats Sam and Alexis on the shoulders. Then he smiles and bows his head when Alexis includes him in her list of family. He looks to Sam and agrees, "I think that both of you did well," he praises. "It's clear that you're good for each other. That'll go a long way." Then he sighs and apologizes, "I shouldn't have interrupted the lesson, but you'll have those tickets, and the prospect of a fine date, if I win."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon can't help smiling at Sam and Alexis, happy as a clam to have been included as family to them both--but then hears Chris. Her eyebrows loft, and she just... turns on him. Arms crossed, eyebrows raised, but something of a smile turning the corners of her mouth upwards. "You have nothing to apologize for. So please, don't. Besides," she adds, chortling. "You were the one encouraging me to ask about ballet to begin with, for bo staff fighting."

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie grins and says "Should I see about buying that Spiderman costume?" He will ask Alexis rubbing her back. "Plus we were mostly done with the lesson just goofing around really by the time you came in.

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis gives a small grin, but then at the idea of Sam just wearing the Spiderman outfit, she turns pink.

    The embarrased, flushed pink as she straightens up, giving a soft 'aah' sound in embarrassement. "That is really and honestly not a requirement! You have so many clothes already you own more clothes than me! More shoes than me too!" she stammers a moment.

Triage has posed:
"Then I'm glad that I arrived when I did," Chris answers to Sam and Shannon. "No harm, no fowl," he adds. He nods particularly to Shannon. "I don't deny that," he says. "Ballet should give you some new moves for combat, like twirling and leaping." He nods.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon lets out a groan, facepalming at the pun. She attempts to swat Chris with one wing, laughing. "That took a lot of pluck, good sir." Oh, the humanity! The PUNS!

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie grins more as Alexis blushes. "Well I aint so sure about that if count the ballet shoes." He looks over to to the others and says "Gonna have to pick up movie night again with some classics for people to see.'

Prismatic has posed:
    "Hey, we were doing Nutcracker, not Swan Lake, and those puns are so, so painful." Alexis laughsas she goes to stand. "No need to wing it there, ladies and gentlemen."

Triage has posed:
Chris nods when Sam mentions movie night. "Now would be a good time for some seasonal classics," he agrees. "We could gather in the rec room with popcorn and other snacks. I think that we should offer a few trips to the city for the students to shop if they'd like," he recommends. "Now that they have more time, they might need something to do." Then he grins to Shannon. "Some people have glorious wings. The rest of us rely on our wits to charm."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon raises her eyebrows, trying--and failing--to keep a grin off of her face. "Oi! I may not always have them about me but I do have wits, too. Scattered, but they're there!" The compliment, however, does have her turning bright red, and those very wings in question furling around her like a cocoon to shield her face from view.

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie nods a bit and says "Ok, so Die Hard, Gremlins, Trading Places, A Christmas story." he names a few classics and some that should be. "Maybe a few of the older ones as well as the cartoons."

Prismatic has posed:
    Alexis gives a smile, then arhes her back and yawns. "Well, that was a pretty thrilling first session. Perhaps I'll have to ask the Headmistres about ordering hammocks for the lads..." she trails off a moment, then eans dooown to Shannon. And gives her a little, soft, pinch on the wing.

    "You can't trust some lads to keep down among all the pretty girls in tights, after all. It's for their protection."

Triage has posed:
Chris nods when Sam lists his ideas about classics. "I'd suggest asking the students for suggestions, too," he recommends. Then he looks to Alexis. His eyebrows rise for a moment. Perhaps his wits also have failed. "I suppose that I should head back to the office," he concludes with a shrug. "If the weather worsens, we'll face the annual battle against cabin fever."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon wrinkles her nose at the mention of The Gremlins, looking as if she'd just eaten a whole lemon, pith, peel, seeds, and all. "I'll take a hard pass on that one," she says. "But what about 'It's A Wonderful Life'? And no remakes of that one, it's gotta be the one with Jimmy Stewart." The rest of the movies get a smile from her, for the most part. However... "Ummm... 'Die Hard'? I've never seen it, but even just the title sure doesn't sound like a Christmas movie..."

Her nose seems to be wrinkling for another reason, though. "Phew. Off to the showers for me, and I've got a few Christmas presents to finish up." Giggling, she winks at Sam and Allegra, scooting out the door. "Keep out of trouble, you two, don't do anything I wouldn't do and don't name it after me if you do!"

Cannonball has posed:
Samuel Guthrie stretches a bit and say "Ah think Ah am gonna head up, and change." He gathers his stuff together and leans in to whisper something to Alexis.

Prismatic has posed:
    At the whisper, the poor Brit takes a breath, turns, and punchest Sam in the shoulder as her ears turn pink again, laughing, but she doesn't share the secret.