11892/Lake side encounter

Lake side encounter
Date of Scene:	03 August 2020
Location:	Breakstone Lake - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Jimmy turned a meditation time into a training time for Shannon.
Cast of Characters:	Warpath, Nightingale

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Warpath has posed:
     The night before was good for getting some stress out, but it made more as well. Jimmy sits on the edge of the lake with his legs crossed. Soaking in what sun he can get, his shirt and tank top lay on the ground making the massive build of his upper body obvious to anyone that wants to stare.

     His eyes are closed to he wouldn't likely see anyone looking right now, but it is highly unlikely anyone will be able to sneak up on him as the rest of his senses are sharp as ever. Laying on the ground infront of him are his two favorite knives, one blade crossed over the other and reflecting the sunlight over head.

Nightingale has posed:
     It was a chaotic time the night before at the Met, with all hell breaking loose in the form of some crazy cultists bent on stealing some of the ancient Greek artifacts on display. One poor older guard caught hell and needed healing. Shannon couldn't say no. And now she was going to have to stand her ground for some time to come, to keep her nickname as it is.

     It was peaceful tonight by contrast, and she's walking out towards the lake, her left arm in a sling. Her wings are just fine, but there are times that just walking is a joy in of itself--especially on a warm summer's evening, with the setting sun turning the surface of the lake into a pool of molten gold. She smiles as she nears the water, looking out over the surface. It was a beautiful sight she would never tire of. She's dressed in black leggings, long black t-shirt with the hot pink sequined heart in the center, and old but well cared for black sneakers.

Warpath has posed:
     She's lucky tonight. His thoughts are on a lot more things than giving her a new nickname right now. He continues to meditate at the water's edge though he does comment softly,"Shannon." It is surprising how loud even the low tone can sound because of the rumble of the tone.

     Now how he picked her out is anybody's guess, but he does. His breathing settles again and he continues to soak in the rays and tries to quiet the thoughts that are running through his head tonight.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon smiles, and dips her head in greeting. "Mr. Proudstar." Maybe it was the sound of her wings ruffling behind her, maybe it was her particular footfall as she makes her way through the grass and onto the soft, sandy shore. But however it was, somehow he knew without a second glance who was drawing near. She settles down on the ground nearby, cross-legged, keeping silent so as not to disturb his meditations.

Warpath has posed:
     He is quiet for a while longer and finally takes one last deep breath, exhaling all the way out or close to it. His eyes open again and he asks,"How is your arm?" Might be he aleady knows, but it is only correct to ask.

     He turns his gaze towards you to talk a little easier now,"The infirmary made sure you wer cleaned up and bandaged?" There is a hint of concern there because he knows that she was hurt last night.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods. "I went down to the medlab. There was some tendon damage that Mr. McCoy had to repair. The guard would have been slower healing due to his age, and been put in one heck of a bind." She smiles somewhat, shrugging. "I never got to thank you for stepping in as quickly as you did. Thank you for that, though perhaps I owe you a new shirt."

     A deep sigh escapes her, and she looks out over the water, deep in thought for a few moments. "That whole thing was just... weird. Who were those people? They seemed like... cultists. The way they were talking to that one VIP, the one who ran interference for us so we could get out of there without a fuss, well... it's almost as if they were treating him as a god. It was just weird. And they seemed to be drawn to those of the artifacts that were weapons."

Warpath has posed:
     He listens to your answer and comments,"It is good you are going to recover." A shake of his head and he tells you,"You're my student. My responsibility. It's part of the job. I'm pretty sure I can manage buying my own shirt."

     "Weird is one word." he agrees softly,"I don't know who they were on either side of the fight. The would be cultists were the type that try to over power with numbers. The one who ran interference has more going than he lets on."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods slowly. "Definitely seemed like someone I wouldn't want to piss off, though he was very polite to us." Shrugging, she looks down at her left hand, attempting to curl and uncurl her fingers a little bit. It's not the greatest move, and she winces just a little bit. "Hard to tell anything without getting to know him, really. And the odds of running into him again are a million to one."

Warpath has posed:
     "If the Great Spirit wills it, we'll see him again." he mutters softly and looks over the lake again,"There's a reason you don't try to over do it with an injury right?" he asks lightly. Lessons learned without too much.

     "We'll figure things out as we go. Tell me what you learned last night." he comments. Might as well see what life lessons she picked up on.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Simple things... aren't." Lesson number one. One would think the winged teen would have learned that lesson and learned it well by now, yet hope sprang ever eternal whenever she tried to simply go out and enjoy the world. "People, situations, doesn't matter."

Warpath has posed:
     Letting her think back and start answering his question he lets her talk and he listens. There is more value in listening then people give credit. Once she manages to work her way through the initial thoughts he comments,"Every situation evolves whether to the good or to the bad. You have to adjust. Simplicity would be nice. People and situations never are."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Exactly. Animals are so much simpler." Shannon cracks a small smile, glancing back up towards the mansion. "Think that's why I don't mind taking care of barn chores. And I love my cat. Pleasantly surprised that Sam, Alexis, and Miss Cassidy let me keep him. Poor little guy was sealed in a box with no airholes, in the bottom of a Christmas gift bag by Deadpool. I let the kitten out and he just took to me. My furry little study buddy."

Warpath has posed:
     "Wilson put a kitten in a sealed box?" he asks increduously,"Not that anything he does should actually surprise me really." He sighs and shakes his head,"That one is beyond deranged."

     "Animals are a better choice by far." he agrees,"They can be trusted to tell you when you are crossing the line. They don't turn on you. If one attacks you it is because it is either wild or angered. Angry is generally caused by behaviors. Humans are...less reliable."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon nods, and sighs softly. "I'll never understand hatred," she murmurs. What, though, of other life lessons? Her brows furrow, as she tries to think. "There's no shame in retreat when necessary. And help can come from seemingly unlikely sources."

Warpath has posed:
     "It takes time." he comments in regards to hate,"It takes time for you to understand their perspective. Hate boils down to fear in regards to mutants." He points to the ground infront of him and tells you softly,"Sit here." He continues to talk after that,"Retreat is necessary sometimes. Allies can come in various shapes and sizes."

Nightingale has posed:
     Scooting over on the shore to sit in front of Warpath, Shannon settles in to listen. "Also finding it is much easier for me to give help than to accept it." She wrinkles her nose, and tries to smile a little.

Warpath has posed:
     "It's in your nature." he replies softly,"What I am about to show you will go against your nature." he continues. Picking up one of the vibranium blades he twists it in his palm and presents the hilt towards you,"I know you don't want to kill anyone and I know you care about all."

     He nods to you to take the weapon and continues,"If you never draw blood with it, you need to know how to defend yourself from someone using one." There is much room for debate in his tone, but you can try of course.

Nightingale has posed:
     Mostly, up to this point, when it came to the matter of (mostly) listening to her teachers, Shannon did at least try. It was very rare for her to openly balk at something she was being told to do. But in this instance, Warpath was right. Though the winged teen tries to reach for the grip of the rather considerable blade, each time, she draws back, shaking her head. Each time brings her closer to tears, her wings ruffling, spreading out behind her and tense as she tries to fight that part of her nature.

     But for the moment, she cannot seem to bring herself to even touch the blade, let alone pick it up fully.

Warpath has posed:
     Knowing she wouldn't pick it up, Jimmy tells her softly,"I know this is difficult and I don't want you to use it to cut or stab someone. I want you to use it to protect you from a blade." he explains,"To use the blade to fend off another blade. That is all. This is a weapon, but it is also a tool and can be used for a variety of purposes."

Nightingale has posed:
     Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath, Shannon forces herself to take the blade, a shuddering sigh escaping from her. Her wings droop, and she bows her head. Her grip on the hilt is not the best for that particular blade. Oh sure, she was used to large kitchen knives, but this? This was an entirely different matter. "One day I may have to whether I like it or not, though... and I dread that day."

Warpath has posed:
     Picking up the other knife,"Life happens and there is no stopping it." he comments. Demonstrating how he wants you hold the weapon he tells you softly,"We will take this very slowly. Nothing about this is comfortable at first. In time you will get used to it."

     Gently he reaches over with his free hand and adjusts your grip on the hilt,"You want to have the control of the weapon, but you don't want to grip it too tighy. Too much tension makes it easy to disarm you and lose your control of the weapon."

Nightingale has posed:
     "A lot like holding one's fist too tightly, or hyper-extending one's arm when throwing a punch," Shannon remarks. Okay, this part at least made some sense. It seems at least she'd been trying to pick up some hand-to-hand, and the source seemed fairly likely. Keeping her hand relaxed--thank heavens her right arm had escaped injury the night before--she tests the heft of the knife in her hand.

     Under her breath, though likely audible to one with enhanced senses, she might be heard to be reminding herself of what Warpath had said, about the blade having other purposes as well. It seems to help some, though when it comes to a blade she's seen do considerable damage in battle, it will take some time for her to relax more fully.

Warpath has posed:
     "A lot like that yes." he agrees. Letting you get used to the heft of it he touches the edge of your blade with his,"If you never draw blood from another person I want you to learn how to defelect another blade." he repeats softly. He knows this is almost impossible for her, but she needs to get an understanding.

     He starts to gently push the blade against hers and starts to guide her arm with his in a lazy slow circle then figure eight,"Feel the way the blades shift against each other and how the momentum carries."

Nightingale has posed:
     As the two blades flash in the light of the setting sun, the light, ringing grind of metal against metal almost sounding as a song, Shannon allows her arm to follow the path set by Warpath's blade. The rise and fall, the clash and slide of metal against metal, almost becomes like a dance. At a few points, she nearly drops the knife, as the hilt works against her thumb, but recovers. "It's almost as if the knives dance," she murmurs. "Deadly, but a dance."

Warpath has posed:
     Continuing to dance the blades with you he looks you in the eyes and tells you,"I want you to be able to move through the excercise while looking at me. Not watching the weapons. Peripheral vision, disassociative vision, and body awareness." A lot of words that aren't common place for most people, but if you have a question he knows you will ask.

Nightingale has posed:
     None of those terms were unfamiliar to the young healer. They were things she had encountered in one form or another already during her time here at the school. A faint smile appears on Shannon's face, and she nods, though habit is difficult to break. She attempts to keep her eyes forward, looking at Warpath and not the blades--but every so often, she catches herself stealing a glance back over where the two weapons dance in the air. "This... could take a while. It did with staff fighting, too."

Warpath has posed:
     "If it's worthwhile it will take time." he comments softly,"Another night I will tell you what those phrases and words mean." he tells you,"For tonight I just want you to feel the movement of the weapons and the pressures against each other. All in good time."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Peripheral vision. Awareness of vision outside of one's immediate field of view, usually to the sides when one is looking straight ahead. Body awareness... using context, I'd guess that's something like being aware of what your body is doing, without having to look, maybe? Disassociative vision... okay, that one's new," Shannon admits to the last one.

     The dance of the blades continues on at an unhurried pace, and though the winged teen remains less than comfortable with a bladed weapon in hand--one actually intended for war--still, at least she is not near to tears. Perhaps that was a step forward.

Warpath has posed:
     He nods as he listens to you analyze what he has said and prove you have it understood. The blades conitnue for a moment and then he pauses. His eyes on your he tells you,"Look at my eyes. Directly. Nothing wandering." he explains softly. Putting his knife down, he takes yours gently as well. Things change quick with him.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon looks only too happy to relinquish the blade in her hand to Warpath, the relief plain in the depths of her pale azure eyes. Too, her wings relax visibly behind her, feathers much less ruffled than a few minutes prior. It does take a little effort for her to keep her gaze fixed upon his, and not glance to one side or the other, on the lookout for one surprise or another.

Warpath has posed:

     "Now. Looking at me, try to focus past me. Look at my nose and try to see past it." he continues,"Focus past. It will be like a double vision. You'll notice you are able to see out of your peripherals better and won't be focused on the source of an attack because you will be aware of things happening without looking at them."

Nightingale has posed:
     Nodding, Shannon tries to focus on his nose just as he said to do. Initially, her eyes cross a little. It was a strange sort of 'seeing', really. "Whoah. That's... weird," she mutters. "It's almost like -you- fade out, but everything to the sides fades in." It's not something she holds well for more than a minute or so at a time, each time she loses focus frustrating her more and more. "I'm so used to using my hearing and sight more than this. It feels strange."

Warpath has posed:
     "It takes practice." he assures you softly and blinks finally setting his vision back in place. He's done it enough it is easy,"Before you know it, it will be second nature." He smiles a little bit and rests his hands on the ground again,"It is good to use all your senses yes. This just helps to extends your vision."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon has to squint her eyes shut for a moment to re-focus them, after trying so many times to shift the focus of her vision. But when she does open them again, it is to see that little smile. Her eyebrows loft, and her lips twitch, quirking upwards. "Is that a smile I see?" she asks, unable to resist a little bit of good-natured teasing. But it was an illusion of a smile, right?

Warpath has posed:
     "I don't now what you are talking about." he replies softly,"Such things do not exist on my face." he adds,"You're seeing things. Maybe your eyes are still out of adjustment." he reaches over and gently taps the top of her head,"How does it look now?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Somehow, Shannon manages to stifle a giggle, though her eyes are definitely twinkling now. "It was there. I saw it." As a testament to his teaching, as he reaches over to tap the top of her head, she brings her good right arm up into a high block, if only for just a moment, and very gently at that.

Warpath has posed:
     "Careful Trouble Sponge. Stories of your new code name could get out." he teases softly and puts his hand on the ground after the high block,"A good reflex." he adds lightly. The offers one of those incredibly unusual wink as well,"Is your arm doing better?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Trouble Sponge? Really?" That gets an eyeroll from the winged teen, and an outright laugh. There was just no holding back the mirth, any more than there was getting Warpath to stop coming up with all the nicknames. "Thanks... I could be better though. But yeah, my arm's getting a little better. Going to have the sling on a few more days, then it's light duty for a day or two more so I can work the muscles and tendons back in."