12108/Garden Rest

Garden Rest
Date of Scene:	01 September 2020
Location:	Student Gardens, Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Josh and Shannon reconnect after almost a year. She takes it easy on him.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Elixir

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Nightingale has posed:
     Late summer soon must give way to early autumn. The once-verdant green leaves upon the trees have begun to lose some of their midsummer brilliance, one or two here and there taking on shades of pale gold, and even the odd crimson one for a splash of spice. The long rays of summer sun have begun to shorten, and the air no longer feels like a sauna going full blast. Cicadas still sing their whirring, clicking song, peep frogs cheep somewhere in the distance, and in the garden, what looks for all the world from behind like a giant bird wends its way amidst the plants.

     But no, it's not a bird. It's one of the mansion's myriad residents. Shannon is kneeling down next to the chamomile with a shallow basket on the ground next to her. She's dressed in some light blue jeans that ride low on her hips, a short sleeved, white button-up shirt tied up beneath her chest to leave her midriff bare, and a pair of flip-flops with daisies on the toes. At the moment, she's humming softly, her wings rustling behind her as they move slowly in time with her song. In one hand, a pair of clippers goes flick, flick, flick, and a few buds of chamomile here and there are deposited in her basket.

Elixir has posed:
What was supposed to be an intense gym session turned out to be not quite that. It was intense, but it was the exertion of using his powers that has him both physically and mentally wiped out. He overdid it today and it's showing. From the mansion comes a boy with golden skin and messed up hair. He's walking but kind of swaying a bit as he does, almost like he's had a few drinks.

Not really aware of anyone or anything else in the garden, Josh makes his way over to a grassy patch, his shirt slung over his shoulder so the breeze can cool his skin directly, some droplets of water from the shower still clinging to him. When he finds a suitable place, he tosses his shirt onto the ground and then follows suit, dropping to a sitting position before he collapses back onto his back with a heavy sigh, "Please don't ever make me get up." He closes his eyes as he speaks the words out loud to himself.

Nightingale has posed:
     The words might have been spoken out loud to himself, but they did not go un-heard. Hearing what sounded like a very weary soul that might need a little help, Shannon rises from her crouch, turning about to look for the source of the voice. "Why, what's wr...."

     And then it hit her.

     She goes stock still, her wings tense and extending out behind her, eyebrows giving a little flick as they begin the journey upwards.

     It was a voice she had never expected to hear again, nor anybody she had ever thought was going to come back.

     "...Josh...?"

Elixir has posed:
Lying in the grass after a shower is just what he needed. His chest rises and falls steadily and he just... exists for a moment. The light breeze, the plants and flowers around him rustling quietly, the sound of wings flittering. The last sound draws a look of mild confusion on Josh's face as he opens his eyes and looks up to see Shannon just as she says his name.

A smile crosses his face and he lifts up a barely-functioning arm to offer her a wave, "Hey Shannon." His absence from the grounds and as her trainor for the past year doesn't dawn on him in his current state.

He rests his head back down against the grass and breathes in heavily and then exhales slowly, "What are you up to out here?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Coughing a little bit, Shannon does glance towards the ground. Uncertainty was etched in her features. Were her ears and eyes playing tricks on her? But the sound of her name from someone who had seemingly disappeared--or had they?--confirms the reality of the situation. "Just clipping some chamomile for tea," she replies. For a moment, it looks as if she is caught between a smile and a scowl, her brows furrowing even as the corners of her lips tug upwards.

     "What about you, though?" she finally asks, after a bit of silence. "I haven't heard from you for... oh wow, for almost a year now. Are you alright?"

Elixir has posed:
What she sees is a clearly exhausted Josh laid out on the ground and completely unaware (at the moment at least) of the weight behind his appearance after so long. It'll come to him, especially since Shannon is seeming to be a little confused about his presence there now.

"I'm.. I'm good," he says almost dreamily. It's a wonder he was even able to shower without passing out and drowning. "I just went a little overboard with my powers." He opens his eyes and pushes himself up to prop against his elbows so he can look at her. He doesn't want to be rude and just talk to her with his eyes closed. "Oh, right." He suddenly realizes how long it's been since he's seen her. Or talked to her. "Yeah, I got suuuper busy and got lost in my studies. Kind of buried myself in school." He offers her a nearly-apologetic smile, "How have you been?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Well... at least you've been alright." What else could Shannon say to that? As firmly as she closed her eyes, her fingers curling and relaxing at her sides, she appears torn between relief and anger for the long absence with no word. Mist gathers at the corners of her eyes, spilling its banks in twin crystalline rivulets trickling down her face. "This year's been a little crazy," she begins, a bit cautious. "I've gotten to meet people I never thought it would be possible to, live more than most do in a lifetime, fall flat on my face more than once, had my heart broken a few times, and still somehow managed to do well with my studies."

     Taking a few deep breaths, the younger healer just says nothing for a few long moments. "Are... you actually back now?" Her voice sounds so small, for just a few moments.

Elixir has posed:
Josh sits up more fully now, leaning his upper body forward so he can rest his elbows against his knees and looks up at Shannon as she speaks. He can see that she's struggling and probably wants to scream at him. "Sounds like you've had a jam-packed year," he says with a soft smile. He doesn't want to brush off the obvious pain that she's feeling, so he doesn't avoid it.

"It's okay, Shannon. You can be angry with me," he says as his body tenses up a bit, preparing for the worst. He was so consumed with his own life that he didn't reach out to pretty much anyone. He's so used to being a loner that he doesn't really know how to consider others the way that.. well, others do. "I'm back now and for good. If you would like to yell at me, please do. I left without a word, so I definitely deserve it."

Nightingale has posed:
     "You have no idea how tempting that is," Shannon says, her voice gone very low, and very, very quiet. "I was counting on you, and you didn't even leave some kind of word just to at least say you were okay, even if you couldn't make it back for a while. Do you even want to know the half of what's been going on?" She presses her lips together in a thin line, taking several deep breaths to keep her voice somewhat even. "Let's start with Loki's little visit here. Yes, -that- Loki. Fooled us all into thinking he was a kid that got in a bit over his head and needed help. So... yeah. That one put me in the medbay for about a week. A lot of times this year, it felt like being swamped, like I was getting in over my head, but I muddled through."

     Ducking her head, it looks for a moment as if she might actually take a swing, but instead, she sits down, cross-legged, curling her fingers into the ground beneath. "And even that doesn't cover the half of it. Not only had I been let down by my mentor... but it felt as if I'd lost someone I was starting to think of as a friend, too."

Elixir has posed:
When she begins speaking, Josh remains silent. She needs to let it out and he knows that. He's not going to interrupt or defend himself. He knows he did thinkgs wrong, even though his actions were not malicious. When she speaks of Loki and ending up in the medbay, Josh frowns. "I'm sorry you had a rough time. And that I wasn't around to be there to help you through it all." He pauses and glances down at the grass at his feet, "And I apologize for not leaving a note. I didn't realize that the last time I left would actually be the last time until now, otherwise I would have."

He pauses again for a moment, then glances up at her, "I should've called to let you know I wouldn't be around for a while." He sighs, "I just got sidetracked and the next thing I knew it was a year later." He knows its no excuse and doesn't make the shittiness of what he did any better. "But I do want to know what you've been up to and what you've gone through. I do think of you as a friend."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Life happens. I get that. Probably wasn't much you could do about it, either. Makes me feel bad for dumping on you like this when you don't deserve it." Where one droplet falls, another chases it soon after, the relief of getting things off her chest leaving Shannon shaking. "And then to top it all off, you pulled a Shannon and overextended yourself." This last -almost- has her laughing, though what actually comes out is a short whuff of breath, with an odd little half-smile.

     "Please, if possible, leave some kind of message if you ever have to go again? And please... is there anything I can get you? Any way to help?" Because that's what friends do, right?

     "At least you're back... and there'll hopefully be plenty of time to catch up now. OH... finally did finish that song I showed you the last time we got to talk. And wouldn't you know I actually got to sing it to the Man of Steel?"

Elixir has posed:
"Eh, I probably deserve it," Josh says, but feels better that Shannon seems to be not quite as pissed at him as she probably should be. When she makes the joke about spreading himself to thin like she does, he smiles and looks back down at the grass. "You got that right," he says quietly before looking back up.

"If I leave again, I'll be sure to let you know. Promise." Her offer to help him makes him smile and he shakes his head, "I just need to rest, honestly. I pushed myself way too hard today and now I'm paying for it. I can barely hold my head up."

When she mentions finishing her song and singing it for Superman, Josh's eyes widen and his bros raise, "Are you serious? That's freakin' awesome! What did he say?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "He actually seemed to like it," she replies, cracking a bit of a smile. "Probably the only person alive who can claim she sang for him both alive and dead. He thought I ought to be a musician or even a reporter but I said naah, leave the reporting to experts like miss Lane, I'm aiming for medicine." Now, Shannon just rolls her eyes a bit as she opens them, allowing herself a bit of a chuckle. "Actually had to call him out for being too modest, twice. Is that how others feel when I pull the same thing?"

     Peering over at Josh, she nods slowly, even now unable to hold back the healer's instinct. "What could have been bad enough for you to overextend yourself like that? You're probably the strongest healer I know of. It's a toss-up between you and Triage for that." Pause. "If it helps any, when I spread myself too thin, it's time for the protein and veggies to get energy back. Would that help you at all, plus rest?"

Elixir has posed:
Josh listens to her story with an exhausted awe. He's drained, but it's Superman she's talking about. He can't even imagine tlaking to the man, much less performing in front of him. "Modest? Psh." He grins as he jests, "I can't picture that guy being modest." Not like he walks around flaunting his badassness, though.

Her question makes the smile fade and he eventually sighs, "Just got caught up with school. I want to do a good job, you know? And it's hard." He glances at Shannon and smiles at her kind words, "I appreciate that. I'm trying to get better. Especially when it comes to combat. I'm pretty garbage, so I have a lot more to learn." He sits back and rests on his outstretched hands behind him, sinking between his shoulders, "A ton of rest, yes. We'll see about the veggies." He scrunches up his nose at the thought, but she's right. They'd help. "Anything else cool been going on around here?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "If it helps any, I could stand some improvement in combat, too. Been working with Logan since a few weeks after I got here, and some work with the bo staff with Mr. LeBeau." Shrugging, Shannon cracks a little bit of a smile. "Must be doing -something- right though. Got looped in on a training session in the danger room a few weeks ago, and it wasn't exactly student level. Actually held my own with the A-team. Is it wrong to be a little proud of that? Oh, and yes. The Man of Steel is actually /very/ modest. Don't be surprised if you have to call him out on it, if you ever wind up meeting him."

     Falling silent for a little bit, she listens to the tale Josh has to tell, smiling. The struggle to do well in classes, plus improve one's gifts, was a familiar one. "If it would help any, I'd be happy to help you study. Maybe go for morning runs. Ever since Bean went on to MIT, I've been keeping up with those by myself."

     As for what else has been happening on the old home front while he was away? Shannon just rolls her eyes and chuckles. "A /lot/. Wound up befriending Captain Rogers. Lorna's coronation got a bit messy and yeeeah, let's say her dad went ballistic. With good reason. Got a lot of new students incoming. Went with miss Grey and miss Braddock to bring Jeremy in. Went with Mr. Summers down to Louisiana to bring in Ted. There's also Adam, Indira, and the newest one is Xiomara. Most of us are on the New Mutants. Not Xiomara yet, think she's still getting her feet under her here. And let's not even list the number of scrapes I've been in the middle of!"

Elixir has posed:
"That's not a bad idea," Josh says with a grin, reaching up to rub the back of his neck. He shakes his head to clear it up before perching back on his hands again. He really just wants to lie down and pass out in the grass for the evening.

"At this point you could probably teach me a thing or two on how to handle myself. I'm definitely going to start going for runs in the mornings. Today taught me how out of shape I am in the cardio department."

Listening to everything that has been happening over the past year, Josh sighs. He's missed being around here and is glad to be back. Although in the back of his mind he's more concerned than ever about his studies. Then again, some of the X-Men are smarter than pretty much any professor at NYU so he could be in a worse position. "Sounds more exciting that being in the library for a year."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon laughs, and just shakes her head. "You learn to appreciate the quiet moments. God, I'm starting to sound like the teachers, talking like that." Smiling to herself, she just chuckles, glancing over at Josh. "There's still way too much I have to learn. But I'd be glad to go on those morning runs with you, and seriously, I'd consider asking Mr. Summers about his parkour runs. Those can be pretty intense. Good way to get back into things."

     Flopping back onto the grass, the winged teen just lets out a sigh, and smiles. "Come on. Being in the library isn't all -that- bad! What have you been up to all this time? I can't be the only one with stories to tell here?"

Elixir has posed:
"Parkour sounds a little more advanced than I'm used to. It'd be awesome in the long run, though," he says through a grin. Hell, he can barely run more than 5 minutes now. "I'll take you up on the morning run offer, though."

Now that he's dried off more, he snatches up his shirt and tugs it down over his head. It's not a good look to be hanging out shirtless in the garden. "I did have an interesting night last week," he says as he recalls the event with a light chuckle. "Andrea needed a last minute plus-one to some charity event so she forced me to tag along. It was a bunch of insanely rich people and then basically me. It was so damn awkward. I think I lasted about 45 minutes and then snuck the hell out and went home."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon snickers softly, shaking her head. "I don't know how Andrea manages to handle all those fancy events sometimes. Heck, you remember when we went to that hospital charity event, the one where I wound up meeting Mera? That sounds about how I felt. It was pretty overwhelming. I think if you and Captain Rogers hadn't been there, I'd have snuck out a whole lot sooner." Pause. "She's got a boyfriend, though. Jay Guthrie. Ooof. Bet the poor guy's in the doghouse if he was supposed to go to that with her!"