12669/The Cure: Just A Walk In The Woods

The Cure: Just A Walk In The Woods
Date of Scene:	21 January 2021
Location:	Breakstone, Westchester County
Synopsis:	Shannon catches up with Athena about recent events, including the goddess joining the Avengers. Cocoa, cookies, and wisdom are shared.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Athena
Tinyplot:	Mutant Cure

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Nightingale has posed:
     With classes just over for the day, Shannon wanted to get out for a little while and clear her head. So, dressed for the cold weather in some flannel-lined jeans, a dove-grey turtleneck sweater, a grey beanie hat, a pale gold scarf, some mittens, and good, sturdy brown hiking boots, she sets off for her familiar old thinking spot in the woods. A weighted backpack was slung over her shoulders, and she carries a separate bag of goodies with her.

     It's a short hike out to the little stone bench by the brook, off of school grounds. It's a quiet, clear day, with sunlight making little rainbows as it shines through icicles dangling from the tips of branches, the snow shining a dazzling white in the sun. A few winter birds such as chickadees, blue jays, and cardinals hop about the branches looking for food. Shannon sets down her goodie bag, and one of the things she draws out is a plastic container, with what looked like... pinecones inside. Pinecones that had been slathered in peanut butter, and rolled in bird seed, with a ribbon tied to the top. She hangs a few of these out in the trees near the stone bench for the birds, sitting back down, content to watch them enjoy the treat for now.

     Would she ever be back in the sky with them? Time would tell.

     A small incense holder is set on the bench next to her, where she can keep an eye on it, a small stick of white sage incense lit. The sweet smoke rose into the air, eliciting a small smile from the young woman. "Eat up, little guys. I'll make more of those when I get home so you don't have to go hungry."

Athena has posed:
    The winter songbirds flock to the pinecones, but it's a slightly larger bird who lands with a flutter of silent feathers when Shannon lights the incense. The brown owl lands with head bobbing, wings fluttering a little as it regards the birds, first, and then Shannon. It's unusual in a couple of respects. First, the fact that the owl is active during daylight. And second, that the jays aren't attacking it.

"Hooooooooooo...." it offers softly.

The owl flutters down and, in a soft flash of green, becomes a familiar woman. A goddess, wearing a green tunic-dress and seemingly untroubled by the cold.

Nightingale has posed:
     Perhaps she ought not to have been surprised at the owl's presence. It had been so long, though, that the last she had been out here, seemed almost like a dream. But when the brown owl with grey eyes flutters to the ground in broad daylight, she had a pretty fair inkling of who it was.

     Sure enough, her intuition proved true, a smile lightening her features as she gets to her feet, sketching a bow. "Hoo's there?" she asks, her smile turning into a wry grin. She ducks out of the way, as if in anticipation of a rotten tomato lobbed her way, chuckling softly.

Athena has posed:
Athena tilts her head, the smile remaining as she looks the girl over. A little light leaves her eyes when she notices the absence of wings, however. Without a word she steps up close and leans down to give Shannon a warm hug. Holding it for a moment, her hands find Shannon's shoulders before she whispers softly into the girl's ear. "How are you?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Mixed up. Making it, but there are times it hits hard," comes Shannon's whispered reply. The hug is returned, though the girl closes her eyes tightly, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. "I'm holding out hope there'll be a solution soon, but it's still... trying."

     From the bag on the bench, a thermos peeks out, and a second container with what looked as if it might be cookies of some sort inside. The hug is a blessed anodyne that lets her put aside some of the uncertainty for now, silence reigning for a moment or two more. "What about you, though? I didn't want to be a bother, but you are missed. How have you been?"

Athena has posed:
Athena raises up only after Shannon seems finished with the hug, the woman rising slowly. "I have decided to step out of the background." she declares. Hands on hips, she tosses her head as if to let an unseen cape unfurl in the breeze. "You are looking at the newest member of the Avengers team." Holding the pose for a moment, the goddess laughs and then steps closer to sit beside Shannon.

"And you are one of the few who actually believe in me here. You are certainly not a bother."

Nightingale has posed:
     "No kidding? That's great news! Congratulations!" Shannon actually smiles fairly wide now, reaching for the thermos and container of cookies. The thermos, of course, contains the ambrosia of the mortal realms--hot cocoa, with the first cupful poured out and offered to the goddess.

     "I seem to keep running into them at the strangest times and getting caught up in the oddest circumstances. A couple have even become more like friends. So maybe we'll run into each other more. How did you manage to join the team?"

Athena has posed:
Athena crosses her ankles and accepts the cocoa, sniffing and then smiling wryly. "Don't assume that odd circumstances are always coincidence, Shannon." she replies softly, blowing on the hot stuff before taking a sip. "I simply decided that I wanted to take a more active role. I made an appointment with Tony Stark and declared my intentions to join. After a brief test, he accepted my offer." Another sip. "I defeated him in Galaga, two games out of three. He cheated on the first."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon can't help but snicker softly, a sound that turns into outright giggling. "Ha! Good one, beating him on his own turf! The man's thing is tech." Reaching for the container of cookies, she pops the lid off; the sweet, satisfying aroma of oatmeal cinnamon raisin cookies soon lingers in the wintry air. She plucks a cookie out of the container and offers the box to Athena, her smile a bit hopeful. "Don't suppose you've run into the Falcon recently, by any chance?"

Athena has posed:
Athena shrugs lightly at that. "Galaga is a game of strategy and reflexes." she replies. When the cookies are opened she leans in and selects one for herself. Then she plucks up another, with a wry smile. "Sam? I had coffee with him in the library, yes. He's a charming man, and surprisingly well-grounded. It isn't every warrior who understands the softer side of battle." A pause to take a bite of the cookie. "Why do you ask?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Very kind one, he is. Run into him a couple times myself. Went so far as to offer to help keep me on track studying for the state EMT exam." Shannon nibbles on her cookie, the comforting, familiar flavor a welcome treat as she considers how best to voice her thoughts next.

     "I'm guessing you've probably heard about the attack in Bushwick a couple weeks ago? There's a 'cure' for mutants, that had never originally been intended as a weapon. It was meant for those who had truly harmful abilities, to give them the choice to shed those gifts. But it was used as a tool of hatred instead." Pause. "I was there. So were some of my friends. A call for help in finding a way to reverse the 'cure' was put out to the Avengers, and it was the Falcon who got the call."

Athena has posed:
Athena watches Shannon's face as the girl explains, nodding slowly. "I inferred that this... 'cure'... was misused." she replies, gesturing in the direction of Shannon's former wings. "Sam was a very good person to be on the scene, without a doubt. While it is rarely a good idea to meet hatred with hatred, sometimes the best solution is a military one." The pauses for another bite, then a sip of cocoa. "I will admit that this escalation may have prompted my joining the Avengers. Some of the gods not only advocate but enjoy watching mankind tear itself apart. I never subscribed to that view."

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon shakes her head. "He wasn't actually present during the attack. He found out about it the same way most folks did, plus he'd seen me both before, and after With wings... and without." Nibbling on her cookie, the young woman smiled grimly, an expression that did not belong on a youthful face. "When he got wind of the full of it, though, he was -not- happy about it."

     She chuckles softly, finishing up her cookie and brushing some of the crumbs away on her jeans. "I'm not sure the solution here is a military one. Not entirely. I mean, it's no secret that battle often presents the need for solutions best found through science."

     Is that a cackle coming from the normally angelic girl? Surely it couldn't be! "I look forward to the day when there is a cure for the 'Cure', and it takes the wind out of the sails of all those bigots who wanted to use a tool of healing, as a weapon."

Athena has posed:
"Bigotry has no place in my world." Athena agrees softly. "Many terrible things have been done throughout history by those waving the banner of hatred. This is no different from Germany in the 1930's. The best cure for the 'Cure' is to put it down quickly, before it has the opportunity to spread more hatred." The goddess looks thoughtful for a moment, then adds. "The role of the Avengers is intentionally heroic, and the name of the team implies an active response to terrible things."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Active, yes. But not always battle." Shannon just smiles, her cackling fading into a more gentle laugh. "Cheating at Galaga notwithstanding, it can't be denied that Mr. Stark is pretty damn brilliant. Some battles aren't out in the field, but in the lab instead. I'd rather it didn't turn into a war on two fronts, if one will do the job."

     Leaving out the cookies between them, the young woman tucks her feet up beneath her, idly tracing the edge of the bench and watching the sunlight play off of flecks of snow still clinging to the stone. "Besides, more than once, one or more of the Avengers, among others I've known, have proven that there are many different ways to respond heroically to bad situations. Those are lessons you don't forget easily."

Athena has posed:
Athena watches Shannon, this girl who has lost so much, and yet still doesn't hate those who took it away. She takes another bite of the cookie. "I look forward to adding to their reputation." she replies softly. "Together, we will do what we can to make this right. But you knew that already."

Another pause, this one longer, then Athena adds. "Thank you for the cookies, Shannon."

Nightingale has posed:
     "Yes, we will." Shannon smiles, and nods. "You will, I think. I was reminded by one of your teammates once that 'You go down swinging because the world needs to see that somebody's gonna stand up to those abusing power.'" Her smile widens a bit. "I think between everyone who's in this, we'll manage de-fang the threat of the Cure as a weapon, and make things right."

     Chuckling, the young woman reaches for the lid, closing the container of cookies and placing it in Athena's hands. "You're welcome. Please, feel free to take those back with you. I'll probably wind up baking again later. It's a comfort."