12303/From Thoughts To Songs

From Thoughts To Songs
Date of Scene:	07 October 2020
Location:	Shannon's Room (East Halls), Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Tabitha visits Shannon in her dorm. The two talk about songs, the heroics of kindness, standing up against bullies, and the learning the 'finer points' of various languages.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Siphon

---

Nightingale has posed:
     Classes were done for the day, and it wasn't quite supper time. One would think that the mansion's resident winged healer in training would be in the kitchen whipping up a batch of mac 'n cheese. But no, not this time. Oh, no. She was holed up in her dorm, sitting at the piano under her window, with staff paper on the music stand, a pencil in one hand, and playing chords with the other. She hums a few notes of a rather thoughtful, pensive melody, thinks for a moment, then writes something down on the staff paper. The evening finds her dressed in bright blue leggings, a long white Tweety Bird t-shirt, and barefoot for the moment.

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha is glad to now have one piece of clothing that isn't years older than her, faded to nothing, and at least three sized too big. But since she has nothing to wear with it, the bomber jacket is sitting in her closet. She spent today finishing more academic assessments so she can be placed in the correct classes, then since she had charged herself up last night her powers training went to figuring out how strong she could be with a full tank. Now she should be tired but since she's still charged up enough to be her Best Coppertone Self she isn't feeling any of that.

    Instead she stops at her room long enough to pick up The Twins and her ancient unicorn backpack holding her 'recording studio' and heads over to knock on Shannon's door. "Hey, Fluffy! You in there?"

Nightingale has posed:
     The intermittent notes, humming, and scritching of a pencil on paper all stop the moment that Tabitha calls out through the doorway. A reply is indeed forthcoming, the sound of Shannon's voice considerably stronger than the last time the diminutive musician came to call. "Come on in, just working out a new song." The sound of her little electric teakettle whistling follows a minute or two afterwards, prompting the teen to leave off her work and go turn the kettle off. "Got some water going, if you'd like a little tea?"

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha comes in and gives a quick wave, then grins at the music apparatus. "Get some inspiration from Andrea's visit?" She shrugs when offered tea. "Probably shouldn't. Not until I'm pasty again, at least." She sets The Twins against a chair then climbs into it. The unicorn backpack is set next to her in the half plus of the seat she's not filling. "What kind of song are you working on?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just shakes her head. "No, this had nothing to do with Andrea's visit. It's a song I've had in my heart for a while but I just couldn't find the words." She sighs softly, brushing a bit of hair out of her eyes and tucking it away behind her ear, before grabbing a mug from a little area on her bookshelf. "I've seen and done some things just in my first year here that would scare the crap out of most people if they knew. And so much of it boils down to why does there have to be so much hate?"

     A teabag is plucked from a little wooden chest, unwrapped, and dropped in the cup. Wisps of steam dance over the top of the cup as she pours in the water, and the comforting smell of chamomile soon begins to waft through the air. "I asked Cap that question once, and thought a lot about it since. Maybe I still have a lot to learn about working out in the field, and probably always will. But there's music, too. That's one more way to make a stand."

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha watches the tea being made while listening to Shannon. "Music is always there." She half hugs the backpack to her side. "I try to keep mine wiht me all the time." She's quiet for a moment, then pulls her double-layer sock covered feet up to tuck underneath her. "I've only been here a week, but that's been long enough to run into trouble I'd never imagined and see the effect it had on you for one. Then last night a bit after all the excitement a celebrity werewolf told me that things I still can't imagine have attacked the school in the past. Got to see how that affected her, too. Then she encouraged me to flirt and have fun instead of worrying about that sort of thing."

    "And I will have fun. I'll be a kid, now that I'm in a place where that's actually possible." Tabitha smiles as she sits in her comfortably tucked up position. "Not gonna start flirting, though. No, thank you." Then she looks at Shannon with a question in her eyes. "You've mentioned Cap a couple times. Who is that?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "I was there at the attack Andrea told you about, if you mean the scars she got on her midriff. It was a bit of a shock that we got attacked on the grounds. But one thing I will tell you, it's incredibly rare. Plus the teachers are incredibly protective of us, so we're in good hands either way." Shannon smiles somewhat, taking a small sip of her tea, steam swirling away from her on her breath. "I have to remember to let go sometimes, too, and just have fun. You know a great one to talk to about that? Mr. Wagner. He's got a zest for life like nobody I've ever seen."

     In answer to Tabitha's question, she just smiles, taking another sip of her tea. "That would be Captain Rogers."

Siphon has posed:
    Tabitha nods when Andrea's scars are mentioned. "Yeah, that one. And I'm sure it is safe. I mean, just look at all the things people can do here." The talk of letting go and having fun causes her to shrugs and smirk. "Andrea warned me against becoming jaded and cynical. Not sure I was really able to get the point across that I was raised that way. There isn't an orphan in the world who isn't jaded to some degree. I haven't met Mr. Wagner yet. Is he fun?"

    The mention of Captain Rogers gets a further shrug. "So a friend of yours, then? Is he a ship captain or something like that?" She chuckles a bit, "So many things I still have to learn about."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon's eyebrows just loft. Higher. And higher. And then she chuckles softly. "You might know him a little better as Captain America." She shrugs and settles down on her piano bench again, running one hand over the keys for a few moments, her mug held in the other. "He reached out when he didn't have to and showed some kindness. It's good to remember that sometimes, that's all that's needed. You probably made a difference to a lot of kids back in Maine, just by being there for them when they needed someone, too."

     Shannon nods as she listens. "There were times I didn't see eye-to-eye with Andrea but we've since made our peace. She's right. Working against becoming jaded, or any -more- jaded, is something to always keep an eye on."

     Her smile widens into a grin, and she actually laughs for once. "Oh yes. Mr. Wagner is a lot of fun. Kind soul, too, but oh can he be protective. I think you'll like him when you meet him. I started learning a little German so he'd have someone to speak it with." Pausing, she grins. "Maybe we could both work on that?"

Siphon has posed:
    The blank look that stays on Tabitha's face at 'Captain America' speaks volumes. Yes, she really was /that/ sheltered in Bar Harbor. "It's good that he took the time to help you." She shrugs about the orphans though. "Day to day, maybe. But by now they've started to actively forget me. It's a defense mechanism. I hope the ones that don't forget me are smart enough to badmouth me around the town bullies. Might keep them from becoming the new targets."

    "I could give German a try, sure. Don't know how good I'll be at learning a new langauge, but it's worth a shot." Tabitha takes the upbeat and holds on to it.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Or you could have inspired them to be that brave and kind. Which, frankly, I think the world needs more of. You never really forget when someone helps you like that. Some part of it always stays with you, even if you can't quite remember where it came from." Regarding bullies and forgetfulness, Shannon just frowns, very deeply. "I hope they -don't- forget, then, and stand up to those bullies. Gawd, I hate bullies."

     Thankfully, the more pensive moment does not last for very long, once again turning into something cloer to mirth. "Lesson number one in German, then. Be VERY careful how you pronounce 'Bunsen' burner in science class. One letter different turns it into the German equivalent of the F-word." She snickers softly, actually blushing a bit. Could she have been guilty of the same? Surely not!

Siphon has posed:
    "I didn't make myself a target back there to inspire. I did it because I was the only one who could take a hit and still make it to class the next day." Tabitha has tucked herself up smaller, pulling her legs up to hide her face behind them. "Besides, most of them are too young to be trying anything like that, Katr..." Tabitha freezes open mouthed as she chokes down the name she almost said. Instead she latches on to the language jokes quick as she can. "I'll try to remember that, but what's the fun in /not/ learning how to curse in other languages?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "That might not have been the intent, but it just might convince someone else to stand up against bullies, too." Shannon is quiet for the moment, as Tabitha stops shy of saying that name. She doesn't ask, doesn't press for answers, just listens. The language joke, though, is what seems to take, and she allows the moment to pass,, cracking a grin. "Lesson #2. 'Thank you' is the best word in any language. In German, that'd be 'Danke'."

     As for the 'finer points' of other languages? Shannon just snickers, then giggles, then outright guffaws. "Exactly. For example....!"

     And the rest, as they say, dear reader, is history.