11474/A picnic by the lake

A picnic by the lake
Date of Scene:	12 May 2020
Location:	Breakstone Lake - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	They had a nice picnic and now retire to the mansion
Cast of Characters:	Firefly (Barrows), Nightingale

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Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah had a large tub filled with food and a blanket over his shoulder. He sets the blanket alongside the lake shore and he begins to put the food out of the tub on it. He told Shannon to get here and he was preparing for her arrival. Wearing one of his more nicer suits, a tie on his neck, blue with grey spots. He now waits, setting the dishes out also.

Nightingale has posed:
     The sweep of large, feathery wings and the swirling of sand devils by the lake shore herald Shannon's arrival. She's still in her blue sundress and daisy flip-flops, but her hair's been freshly brushed to gleaming, with the little blue braid on the left side of her face bearing its three silver beads. She's tucked a daisy behind her right ear just for the fun of it, and as always, has her little brown bag with her. While Josiah's brought quite a bit of food, she's adding a pan of her mac 'n cheese to the spread, smiling as she sets the pan down on a flat rock nearby.

     Out here by the lake, she seems more at peace, where it's nature and its simple beauty, a solace for the soul. "Oh, wow... you really went to the nines for this!" There's a note of pure delight in her voice, her eyes lighting up as she sees just how much trouble he's gone to.

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "Only the best for the girl I like." Josiah says with a smile as he watches the woman. He begins to serve her some food and as he gives her a plate he makes one for himself. Once satisfied he closes his eyes and begins to speak in latin, seeming to speak with fluency it would seem before saying "Amen." He says as he gestures for her to sit with him. "Come join me." He says with a smile.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon accepts the plate with a smile of gratitude, waiting till the prayer was complete, adding her own "Amen" and only then poking about the plate. There seemed to be a fairly good array of goodies; how had he managed to put it all together so quickly? Or had this been planned for a while?

     Nodding, she settled down to the blanket next to Josiah, cross-legged. "I could just about make out a few words of that prayer," she says softly. "It sounded beautiful when you said it."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "It was the lord's prayer. Nothing too flashy." Josiah says as he begins to eat his jambalya. He then smiles. "For a time the catholic church accepted our church, even offering to send a priest to travel with us." He explains. "Now it is a little iffy, since we accepted the mormon church. They dont get along." He says with a shrug.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon wrinkles her nose, and nibbles on a bit of the jambalaya. "It's the arguing amongst the different churches that pretty much drives me away from all of them," she offers. "I can't imagine that's how it was ever really intended back when it all started. It's enough for me that there is the Divine."

     A light sigh escapes her, the sweetly scented air of late spring doing much to lift her spirits, as well as the company; her smile returns as she glances out over the silvery, shimmering surface of the lake, leaning in just a tiny bit. "It's a comfort to me sometimes in that regard, being a mutant," she says. "It's nice to know the Divine isn't done being creative with us yet."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "My parents believed I was to be the next prophet. They feel mutants are chosen to do the lords work, but some lose their way." Josiah explains as he eats. He watches her. "What about your parents. I have never heard you talk about them." He says as he watches her. "Did they reject you?" He asks with sympathy.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just shakes her head and smiles. The subject of her parents actually brings a light to her eyes--as well as a touch of sorrow. "My family's been nothing but supportive and loving, from when I manifested on," she explains. "We lived in a very mutant-unfriendly area, though. It was getting worse and worse, from the time I manifested when I was fourteen on. There was actually a lot to do with the Sentinels in the area."

     She sighs softly, and smiles a little bit more, snagging a bit of okra from the jambalaya and nibbling on it. "Last July, about three days before my birthday, they saw Mr. McCoy on the news. It's no secret he's a mutant activist. Not sure how, but they found out he was up here, and the next day, we made the trip. They just wanted to know if there was somewhere safe they could send me. They had no idea about the school, but stumbled right onto the very thing they were looking for."

     A bit of a grin lightens her features further. "I'm no preacher's kid though. Dad's a mortician, and mom's an artist."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "One of the towns we were traveling in didnt like mutants and they didnt buy the whole being chosen by god. So they attacked me. It was then I learned I could use this light for offensive use. I cant use it on myself, but I hit them and they ran so it did something to make them stop." Josiah says as he eats. He scoops some mac and cheese and begins to eat it. "I got to have your recipe for this stuff." He says with a smile as he watches her.

He then looks into her eyes. "So have you had a boyfriend before?" He asks curiously. "I remember you saying you had interesting parties but that they left.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Easiest stuff to make there is, that mac 'n cheese." Shannon grins at him. "You've got a quarter cup of butter and a quarter cup of all purpose flour for the roux, two cups of milk and two cups of shredded cheese for the sauce. Maybe a little salt and pepper if you like. I usually stick with Colby-jack for the cheese. That, plus the macaroni, put it in a pan with some buttered bread crumbs on top, put it in the oven just long enough to turn the crumbs nice and golden. That's it. And if you want you can skip that last part, it won't hurt it any."

     The subject of past attempts at romance do dim her spirits somewhat, and she sighs lightly. "I think I did mention that Sam was actually my first crush. But he saw me as a kid sister, so that's how it worked ou. No regrets there. Samuel Morgan... the one they sometimes call Bean... had a major crush on him, but it turned out he didn't prefer girls. We wound up best friends instead." She twirls her fork through her jambalaya, as if chasing something down, but never quite comes up with what. "There was Alex, very briefly. Had a couple dates, but he vanished." She glances over at Josiah, tilting her head to the side a bit. "You can see where I'm... not the most confident in that department."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "You had a more exciting life then I have." Josiah says with a chuckle. He then reaches into the tub and pulls out a bouquet of flowers and gives them to her. "Dont tell the others I managed to get those from new york." He says with a bit of a mischievious grin. He then looks to her and smiles. "I would like to pursue you...You and Megan are the only girls I like." He says as he eats.

Nightingale has posed:
     Immediately, Shannon sets down her plate on the blanket, reaching out to cup the bouquet in her hands. She brings them to her face and closes her eyes, inhaling deeply of their scent. "Thank you," she murmurs, her wings ruffling behind her. "These are gorgeous... I'll have to put them in a vase when I get back to my dorm." Her shoulders roll and shake a little, a soft laugh coming from her. "...and hope Squeakers doesn't get at them."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah smiles as he watches her. "I planned this out to be something we can both enjoy until I can take you to coney island." He says as he watches her. "You are probably the most beautiful girl in the school. Even with your wings, they add to your beauty making you appear angellic." He says softly as he watches her.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon looks about to say something to that, but simply closes her mouth, blushing. Her wings furl themselves around in front of her like a feathery cocoon, with the bouquet peeking up over the leading edge. "Thank you." Her voice has been reduced to barely a whisper, leaving little doubt as to her own estimation of her beauty. And is it a trick of the light, or does that blush reach all the way to her ears?

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah smiles as he leans over and gently moves a wing so he can kiss her cheek. "Its the truth. I am being honest." He says softly before closing her wings back, smiling at her.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles even more at that chaste kiss on her cheek, the upturned corners of her lips peeking through briefly as her wing is nudged aside. "I'm no angel, though. Just a girl who happens to have wings and can heal."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "And yet, you possess angelic qualities." Josiah says as he moves to hold her hand and rubs his thumb against her hand. "You may be an angel and dont know it." He says as he watches her and studies her. His food was set aside so he could hold her hands. "So I planned to kiss you on the second date, this way you wont be rushed."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon blushes and ducks her head a little bit, squeezing Josiah's hands gently. "A kiss will happen when it's natural to happen. It's not one of those things that can really be planned." she tries to explain. However, her experience in those matters wasn't much more extensive! "And I /still/ say I'm no angel. That would be you. I'm just a girl with wings who messes up a lot."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "An angel is humble." Josiah says teasingly as he moves a her hands to his lips and he kisses her knuckles. "So how are you enjoying the picnic?" He asks as he begins to go back to eating and he watches her eat as well.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles, and nibbles on the jambalaya. "It's very peaceful," she admits. "I guess in a way I'm kind of glad for the lockdown on the school. Makes you slow down, ya know? It can get pretty crazy sometimes." Her words lapse into companionable silence for a few moments, her expression thoughtful as she considers the events of recent days. "I love helping, but... in a way, it's real nice to really know the folks here are looking out for us as much as we try to for them, if that makes any sense."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah eats the macaroni and cheese and he finishes it and looks to her. "So do you want to go out with me?" He asks curiously as he studies her, hoping he is doing this right, after all it is his first attempt at an relationship with anyone.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon peers over at Josiah, considering for a moment. He was a good person, with a kind and earnest heart. She was so serious-minded, sometimes too much so. But, what could a date or two hurt? "Even if we're stuck here on grounds for a while?" she ventures, tentatively.

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "Even if we are stuck here. WE can always have a movie night in one of the rooms." He says as he watches the girl. He smiles at her and he looks around. "Maybe have that race on who is faster." He says with a grin.

Nightingale has posed:
     At that, Shannon grins. "Honestly, I'm curious to see what your top speed is. Would you mind if I talked with Sam, see about maybe testing your gifts out in the danger room? I mean, okay, the healing stuff, sure, that wouldn't work. But it's like he said, if you can create a construct from the lightforce solid enough to manipulate other objects with, then there's probably plenty to test out right there. Plus, since you can create wings to fly, it could be interesting to see what your top speed is, and how long you can sustain the wings safely."

     She can't quite resist a little wink. "Besides," she continues. "I'd probably wipe the floor with ya anyways in a race."

     And thus is the gauntlet thrown down!

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "Probably I can only go about as fast as a small car." Josiah says with a smirk. He then looks to her. "In the mean time we can work out our relationship." He says as he watches her and he leans in to kiss her hand again. "So you have no qualms dating a religious man?" He asks teasingly.

Nightingale has posed:
     "One's faith is important, but it's not the whole person." She smiles, tilting her head and blushing a bit as he kisses her hand. "You sure you're going to be okay being anywhere near someone who has no qualms talking to the old gods just like you and I are talking right now?"

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "I dont mind. MEans you can introduce me." Josiah says as he watches her blush. "I like watching you blush." He says with a smile and looks her over. "So what do you want to do next? Movie night? Video game night?" He asks curiously.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Guess that depends on what sort of games you like," Shannon muses. "I kind of like puzzle and RPG games, things that have cooperative play. Minecraft's one of my favorites. It's just one big sandbox you can pretty much do anything you like in." She chuckles softly, and shrugs. "So far, the one I've had the most contact with is Poseidon. He's actually pretty interesting to talk to. Sure gave an interesting perspective on being a mutant once." She smiles a bit more. "Movie night could be fun, too. Maybe since we're all of us stuck here during lockdown, make it a whole student body thing. Find something most ages can enjoy, make some snacks, and have at it."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "I like rpgs, like fallout and the elder scrolls. My favorite game is Fallout new vegas and the outer worlds." He says with a smile as he watches her. He then gets some more food and begins to eat once more, watching her as she eats. "Would prince of egypt be age appropriate?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon's jaw drops for a moment, and then she gets a huge grin on her face. "Slightly older kids, maybe, because of the slavery and the plagues, but... holy heck, how did you know that's one of my favorites?" Laughing, she frees her hands to begin tapping out a lively rhythm on the cooler Josiah had brought to hold the food, much in the same style one might on a doumbek. She begins with the opening lines of one of her favorite songs from the film.

"A single thread in a tapestry
Though its color brightly shine
Can never see its purpose
In the pattern of the grand design

And the stone that sits on the very top
Of the mountain's mighty face
Does it think it's more important
Than the stones that form the base?

So how can you see what your life is worth
Or where your value lies?
You can never see through the eyes of man
You must look at your life
Look at your life through heaven's eyes...."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "hiding cruelties merely makes it more likely to happen again but yes thats one of my favorite songs." Josiah says as he listens to sing and he smiles. He watches her make music and sing and he just studies her intently. He eats slowly as he seems to be enjoying the show.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Well, we could ask the teachers about that one, see if they think it's okay. They give the all clear, heck, I'd be all for it." Oh, she can't help singing her heart out with this song, as she echoes the wild, free drumbeat, one verse in particular standing out and sung with even more depth.

"No life can escape being blown about
By the winds of change and chance
And though you never know all the steps
You must learn to join the dance
You must learn to join the dance...."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah smiles at her and he watches her intently. He moves to stand and offer his hand. "Shall we dance?" He asks with a grin as he watches the girl now. His gaze doesnt leave her eyes as he listens to her singing.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles, hopping to her feet, still humming the song. "I can't dance, but who cares?" Indeed, even if one doesn't know how, they must learn to join the dance....

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah smiles as he dances with her. He watches his feet every so often to keep from being stepped on. He looks into her eyes and smiles more. "So you want to become an X-men. is that your only dream? no desire to be the first winged ballerina?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles, trying to watch her feet and keep her wings out of the way. "Well... I /am/ taking some of Alexis' ballet classes. It was to help me with bo staff fighting at first but it's actually kind of fun on its own." She rests her head on his shoulder for a second, letting herself relax a bit.

     "I had a lot of dreams before my mutations manifested. A lot of them with music, maybe becoming a good composer, or playing with the Boston Symphony. Thought those dreams were gone. Found out otherwise after being here for a while."

     She chuckles a little, and rolls her eyes a bit. "I don't plan on giving up any of those. Being a healer, maybe studying medicine... music... who knows, maybe one day I'll make the A-team here. I'll chase down any dream I want. Amazing, the odd lessons you can pick up from a trickster."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah strokes her hair affectionatly as he dances with her. He then smiles at her. "I wanted to spread the word of god. LEarn more religions...maybe take college classes on religion." He says calmly as he watches the woman and just holds her close.

Nightingale has posed:
     Smiling, Shannon tilts her face up to look at Josiah. "Mythology might be a good place to start," she suggests. "I think miss Munroe teaches that class. Maybe you could ask her about it?"

     By some miracle, neither of them steps in what is left of the food. "It's good you have your faith to hold on to. Many don't have even that much."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    Josiah smiles at her and had moved her away from the food and was dancing with her. "So what do you want to do now?" He asks as he looks into her eyes and smiles as he leans in to kiss her head affectionatly.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon allows herself a sigh of contentment and smiles. "I hadn't thought that far ahead," she admits. "If this were the dead of summer, I'd say go for a swim. We could see who'd make it back to the mansion first, sort of have that race? I don't know... what would -you- want to do?"

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "Hold you for as long as possible." He says truthfully as he holds the girl. He looks about and then at her. He smiles and seems content as well, moving slowly as if doing a slow dance.

Nightingale has posed:
     "I can deal with that." She smiles and looks content to simply dance for a while, with the sun setting over the lake seeming to turn it to molten gold and set it on fire. "It's nice getting out in the field and doing some real good out there," she murmurs. "But it's nice to have some quiet and downtime, too. Maybe we could just pick a movie later and have some popcorn or something."

Firefly (Barrows) has posed:
    "Sure you pick the movie and I provide the popcorn." He says as he strokes her hair affectionatly as he holds her. He then moves back a little to look into her eyes and smiles. "So shall we gather the food and head out?" He asks curiously.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods and smiles, stepping back a bit. She turns to help gather up the food and the blanket, cleaning up the spot so it would be as if the pair was never there. Carry in, carry out. At least she remembered that from her summer camp days well enough. "Maybe if it were later in the summer, too, we could have a campfire out here, and maybe roast some franks and make s'mores. You know, the simple joys." She chuckles and dips her head, her arms full of picnic goodies. "Last one back's a rotten egg!"