12241/The Taste of Victory

The Taste of Victory
Date of Scene:	26 September 2020
Location:	Rec Room - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Shannon and Ted talk about the X-men vs. Avengers basketball game, their gifts, and life in general over some good snacks.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Ted Gammage

---

Nightingale has posed:
     Even though her belly was full of Rocky Road ice cream from a brief foray into Salem Center--which, remarkably, went without any negative incidents this time--Shannon had finally decided to allow herself a minor victory celebration. After all, the home team had beaten the Avengers, on /their/ home court! So, dressed in her pink silk two-piece PJ's, and her floofy Old English Sheepdog slippers, she flops down on a beanbag somewhat near the pool table, with a rather large plate of loaded nachos in her lap, and a 2 liter bottle of root beer off to one side.

     Victory had never tasted so good!

Ted Gammage has posed:
Slowly, Ted makes his way in. It's apparently snack time as he's a bag of chips with him. Currently, however, he looks like he got out of the shower recently, his hair still hanging a bit damply. He's wearing his comfy outfit as well, soft t-shirt and a pair of jogging pants. He's forgone shoes, just wearing socks currently, and that only because the temperature has taken a slight dip lately. He gives an idle yawn as he steps in, glancing about. He sees his friend, gives a light smile and a lazy wave. "Feelin' snackish t'night too? If y'rather not have company, ah can head off somewhere else."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Naah, it's alright. Maybe my eyes were bigger than my stomach anyways, if you want some nachos, too?" Pushing herself up from the beanbag which had been cradling her in lazy comfort, Shannon smiles, heading over for the sofa and flopping down there instead. The smell of jalapenos, spiced beef, cheese, and sour cream permeates the air with spicy, gooey goodness, tempting the appetite. "Had one heck of a basketball game last night. Home team won."

Ted Gammage has posed:
"Ah didn't know we had a Basketball Team," Ted notes. "Who'd we play? Do we have ah group we play in 'cause honestly that seems less than fair," he muses. He does take a few of the nacho chips but he's a bit more subdued, not planning on going heavy with the eating. Soon, he settles nearby, just sitting on the floor by the couch.

Nightingale has posed:
     "It was some of the teachers, and I got to go along and play as well, against the Avengers." Well, if Ted was going to sit on the floor, then so was Shannon! She slides off of the couch, leaning back against the sofa, setting the plate of nachos down between them. "They fielded a couple decent players. Well, one was, at least. Mr. Stark may be a genius when it comes to science and tech, but he's no basketball star, bless him! Thor, well... he was pretty enthusiastic about the game, at least, but I think he's mixing his sports up sometimes. It was all good fun in the end, though."

Ted Gammage has posed:
Ted's a southern farmboy, use to sitting on the floor. He too leans back against the sofa as he listens, "The Avengers? Man...probably an interesting game. Ah mean, assuming they let Ironman use the armor. Isn't he like 90?" He ponders a bit longer, "Oof, ah'm not sure about Thor either. Seems like...y'know, lotta lightning. Still, sounds like it ended well." He rolls a shoulder lightly. "What brought on the game, ah wonder."

Nightingale has posed:
     Laughing, Shannon just shakes her head. "No armor this time. And no lightning, either. Nobody was using their powers on either side. Everyone played well in the end, though yeah... it was kind of a slaughter." She holds up her hand, thumb and forefinger pinched together, grinning. Her wings, ever with a mind of their own, seem almost to be laughing, spreading out and beating the air slightly. "No idea what brought on the game, but glad it happened. The Professor referee'd the game, and honestly, I think he was harder on our side than theirs. So, no bias there."

Ted Gammage has posed:
"The Professor was there?" Ted now quirks a brow. "Ah'm surprised. Thought he was busy. Ah don't know if ah've even seen him since I started here." He squints lightly against any wind her wings might be flapping up, and he chuckles, "Sad ah missed it. Though, basketball weren't really my sport." He watches a few moments, "Y'do seem to go on th' most fun trips. Might be ah should try t'get out every now and again, ah suppose."

Nightingale has posed:
     One wingfeather flutters free in the avian fit of mirth, twirling through the air to land right in Ted's bag of chips. Shannon grimaces a bit, flushing a delicate shade of rose. For a moment, it looks as if her wings might furl themselves around her again to hide her face. "Ugh, sorry about that!"

Ted Gammage has posed:
He watches the feather float on down into the chips. He shrugs and just plucks it out, "Why be sorry?" he asks, raising a brow. "Ain't something y'got control over, didn't harm no one," he wiggles the feather in the air a bit, "Might've made ah good quill," he notes, teasingly. "Might have ah future in Hipster Writing Products," he suggests.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just watches Ted play with the feather a little bit, smiling behind her wings. Yes, they finally had hidden her again. "Okay, I'll try not to be sorry. And... a good quill? I've got no idea how to make those. Do you?"

Ted Gammage has posed:
"No idea," Ted says. "Ah was kiddin'." He glances over and smiles, "Yer hidin' again," he notes. "Is it that embarassin'?" He stretches out his legs and raises his arms over his head with a soft grunt, working his muscles for a moment. The couch creaks omniously, remind him he should probably take it easy and he just relaxes again. "Stray feathers ain't nothin' to worry 'bout."

Nightingale has posed:
     "It can be, a little. It's like T.P. on the shoe winding up in someone's food. Besides," Shannon adds, making the conscious effort to unfurl her wings again. "A girl's got her pride." Hearing that sound from him as he works his muscles, she peers at Ted with a little bit of concern. "You okay?" she asks, her voice soft.

Ted Gammage has posed:
"Oh, ah'm fine," he says. "Jus' not sleepin' enough prolly. Got bad dreams sometimes. Nothin' too weird here, though." He yawns softly, "Ah haven't had a workout good enough t'really hurt me, if that's what yer worried 'bout," he jokes with a soft chuckle. "Part o' why ah'm here, right?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Nodding once, Shannon still does give Ted the once-over, reassuring hereslf that, at least physically, he was fine. "Bad dreams?" she asks, one wing extending to brush lightly against his shoulder, as if attempting to offer some measure of comfort. "Want to talk about it?"

Ted Gammage has posed:
He thinks, then shakes his head, "Nah," he says. "It's nothin'." He's content to leave it there. He glances over at the touch and he smiles lightly, "Really, ah'm fine. Just tryin' to keep up at school an' build ah car, and, ah suppose train with the team when we do that." He leans back, "Ah just still gotta be a bit careful t'not crush things y'know?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "That was fun, working on the car." A light smile curls Shannon's lips upwards as she looks over at Ted, her nachos forgotten at least for the moment. "You've been getting really good at not crushing things. You didn't crush me before."

Ted Gammage has posed:
"Yeah, ah'd probably gotten ah talkin' to if ah had," he says, just teasing her a little bit. "Also, ah might miss y'. Don't got many friends, y'know." he says. "Ah think ah'm intimidatin'. Grrr." He puts on his best mean face, but it kind of looks comical, as if he's not very use to doing such things.

Nightingale has posed:
     What starts as an attempt at a rather menacing expression only ends in Shannon giggling. Leaning over, she hugs Ted--perhaps not the reaction one should have to a veritable mountain of a teen growling like a bear! "Only intimidating to bank robbers and bullies."

Ted Gammage has posed:
"Mm, ah think that was probably more th' part where ah pulled the doors off th' hinges," he notes. He accepts the hug and one-arm hugs back very lightly still. "Maybe also when ah bent them ah bit. Ah suppose it would be kinda freaky. Jus' glad no one really got hurt." He chuckles, "Never did find out if ah was bullet proof, thoug that's probably ah good thing, yeah?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "A very good thing. Not something I'd really care to see tested on anyone here." Stifling a yawn, Shannon just smiles, her wings settling in at her back once more. "I guess to someone else, some of the things we do can seem pretty amazing, or even intimidating when we're not meaning to be. But no, you're not freaky."

Ted Gammage has posed:
"Ah'm a little freaky," he notes with a laugh. "Ah mean, ah can pick up a car, that's wild, y'know. Ah don't think its anythin' compared t'what Jer can do, though. An you. A little spookin' is one thing, but healin' someone. Or just...doin' the thing with the devices. All that stuff, super neat." He too yawns, though, and looks about, "Prolly gettin' late, huh?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Yeah, the healing can actually be a little freaky," Shannon admits, scratching the back of her neck a little bit. "I saw some security footage of a major healing I had been taking care of, and seeing it from the outside like that, it kind of made me understand why people think it can be such a difficult gift. And Jer? Not the first technopath I've met, but definitely pretty impressive gifts." Smiling some, she gets up, scooping up the plate of nachos. "Wish I was half as gifted as either of you sometimes."

Ted Gammage has posed:
"Pfff, me? Naw, don't want none of this. What good is it?" He smiles a bit more, "Strongman Punch!" He says the last in a bit of a 'Caveman' tone. "Anyways, its better t' be able to help folk y'know, and ah think you will. With and without yer power." He hefts himself up, "But that's prolly enough fer t'night right?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Nodding, the winged teen just smiles, shuffling towards the door. "Just hope they let mutants study for the state EMT exam. Guess I'll find out in a few months." Pausing by the doorway, she turns to look back over her shoulder, ducking her head a bit. "Goodnight, Ted. Sleep well when you get there!"