12793/The Cure: Cocoa and Chill

The Cure: Cocoa and Chill
Date of Scene:	05 March 2021
Location:	Shannon's Room (East Halls), Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Shannon and Kurt talk about the recent rescue mission at DAMT headquarters. Talk turns to cooking and tastes of home, with plans in the offing for everyone who wants to share some special dishes.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Nightcrawler
Tinyplot:	Mutant Cure

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Nightingale has posed:
     Sometimes, after a trying day, there was only one real solution--a fire on the hearth, a mug of cocoa in hand, and a feline overlord in the lap. Shannon is indulging in all three. There is the requisite fire on the hearth, and a mug of cocoa on a small tray next to her on the ground. But, as she is in her pink satin pajmas, her feline overlord has decided that he will make use of her lap as his furniture. Kneading. And kneading. And kneading some more. Oh, and for good measure, purring. VERY loudly.

Nightcrawler has posed:
For others, the solution to a trying day also includes a shower. This is what Kurt took a brief indulgence in, once they were back. It wasn't very long, not as long as he would have preferred, but... it is what it is. Dressed in a clean outfit of black jeans and a grey long-sleeved shirt, he makes his way towards the women's dormitory, and specifically to Shannon's room. His hair is tussled and damp, though it's been brushed out at some point. Once to her door, he stops beyond, and he lifts a hand to knock on it. Then it is a matter of waiting for her to answer, which he patiently does.

Nightingale has posed:
     While Shannon does not get up to answer the door, she does call out. "It's open. Come on in. I'm a little... indisposed." By the answering 'mrrow', it's plain just -why- the young woman isn't answering! "It seems I've become feline furniture for the evening!"

Nightcrawler has posed:
If he wasn't tired, he would have just teleported into her room instead of opening the door. But given how many teleportations he did in the process of rescuing the prisoners, he's feeling a bit out of go juice. There's a little smile that finds the corners of his lips at her response, and then he reaches out to open the door before stepping inside. And once within, he closes the door behind him before looking further in the room, and noticing where she is, and her lap weight. "Ah, it is a danger of having cats, I have heard," Kurt says, a smile touching the corners of his lips. He hasn't done anything about his injured shoulder, as of yet, and the wound has bled a bit down his upper arm. "Thank you, for inviting me in, mein dame," he says softly, a little smile tugging at the conrers of his lips.

Nightingale has posed:
     The first hint Shannon has that something is amiss is the way her cat's ears go back when he sees Kurt. "Squeakers? You've met Herr Wagner..." The next is the very plaintive-sounding yowl that seems to emenate from deep within that furry little body. Something was definitely off. To the tune of much feline displeasure, she dislodges the cat from her lap, pushes herself to her feet. Her slippers barely whisper against the floor as she pads across the room.

     "What. The...." The rest trails off, mercifully unintelligible. "Bumsen... how did -that- happen?!"

Nightcrawler has posed:
There is a slight tilt of Kurt's head at the cat's reaction, a flicker of curiosity showing in his glowing yellow eyes. "He does not seem to be a very pleased kitty. I am sorry if I'm causing him any distress," he says softly, lifting one of his hands to gesture slightly towards the kitty. Felines have sensitive noses, and so he can't hold it against the kitty for what is his own fault. He glances towards the kitty when it's displaced from her lap, and then he slightly flicks his ears as she crosses the room to him, listening to the faint sounds her steps cause. Then he tsks at her swearing. "Sprache, mein dame," he says softly, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It happened inside the building. There were guards that had to be fought, ja? I could not dodge all things," he says softly, a touch wearily. He tried. He tried hard. It could have been much worse. At least he dodged the cure darts that had been aimed in his direction!

Nightingale has posed:
     "Sprache, nothing..." Shannon frowns, immediately reaching for her little brown leather bag and opening it. As she's rummaging around for supplies, her frown deepens. "How come you

Nightingale has posed:
     "Sprache, nothing..." Shannon frowns, immediately reaching for her little brown leather bag and opening it. As she's rummaging around for supplies, her frown deepens. "How come you didn't go to the medbay with this?"

Nightcrawler has posed:
There's a quirked brow at her words, and he lifts his uninjured shoulder in a faint shrug. "It did not seem bad enough to warrant it. The bullet is not within it... it was a glancing blow, though it has some sting to it," he says softly. His tail lightly swishes behind him, though there's a slower movement to it at the moment. He's tired. "I... would have tended it myself, but there are challenges in treating where it is," he says softly. "I have earned the scar, if it will leave one," he adds, giving a small nod to her.

Nightingale has posed:
     "I'll get that cleaned up for you, Herr Wagner, but please, I'm only a student. And probably only ever will be one. I really must request that you to go to the medbay with this and have it looked at properly when you can." As Shannon is speaking, she's pulling some supplies from her little brown bag--some alcohol wipes, a pair of gloves, gauze pads, and tape. The gloves go on, and the acrid scent of the alcohol stings the nose as she opens the packet. "I'm sorry, this might sting a bit."

Nightcrawler has posed:
"Danke, mein dame. It is most kind of you to do, and I appreciate it very much," Kurt says softly, giving a small nod to her. He tilts his head a touch to one side, studying her for a moment, and then he gives his head a small shake. "You are a student, this is true, but... you have significant skills, ja?" he suggests, his tone sincere. "Do not put yourself down, mein dame... no one knows what the future holes for us. Your skills are not small," he says softly, giving a small nod to her. "I will have it tended in the medbay if it ends up needing it, ja," he promises, a smile touching at the corners of his lips. He watches her withdraw the supplies, and he seems pleased with her choices. "Mmm, ja, it will sting. It always does," he adds. He may not have killed anyone, but... he dealt violence, and so he feels he deserves what pain is his to bear for it.

Nightingale has posed:
     "In another year, though, my time here will be done. The odds of my being able to stay and help everyone here are minute, and I'm under no illusions otherwise." Shannon does her best to try and be gentle, as she dabs the alcohol wipe along the wound, getting a better look at it. "At least it doesn't appear deep, or to be bleeding quickly, but I would still feel better if you had this looked at in the morning."

     With the wound cleaned, the young woman layers a couple of gauze pads atop it, securing it with a few pieces of medical tape. She is very quiet, and pensive for several long moments. "I know there's still a lot of good I can do even if it's not here. But this is where my heart is. The things I've seen and done in just the year and a half I've already been here, are things most people could never imagine in a million years. I've helped heal a god. I've learned from and trained with likely some of the best out there. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly of it all, and as crazy as it might seem, wouldn't have it any other way, because I'm right in the thick of it all with my friends and family, right where we all need to be."

Nightcrawler has posed:
Both ears are perked towards her as he listens to what she says, and he tilts his head to one side as he watches here. "There are no givens in life beyond the moment that exists now, ja?" he says softly, a little smile touching his lips. His tail is held lower than what the usual is, though it still swishes a bit behind him. When the alcohol is dabbed along the wound, he hisses softly, his ears tilting back some. It stings! He knew it would, though. One of his eyebrows quirks up a touch, and then he gives a small nod. "Ja, I will have it checked in the morning," he says. Though he rather intends to come to her and have her check it. She knows what she's doing, after all. "Here, there is exposure to a great many things. A great many types of people and situations," he says softly. He lifts one of his hands, to give a slight gesture that indicates the entire school. "It is home. It is full of friends and family. People who care about and who care about you," he says softly. He tilts his head just a touch to one side, watching her, and one of his eyebrows quirks up a touch. "How are you doing, with everything that happened on the mission?" he asks curiously. He hadn't been involved in everything, himself -- he'd been occupied with rescuing the prisoners.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Honestly? I'm actually alright." Shannon cracks a small smile, as she finishes cleaning and dressing Kurt's wound. "Maybe concerned for Miss Grey, especially since I just went through everything with the Cure myself and know how it feels. I might bake some cookies later on and leave them in her office." Tilting her head a bit, she smiles some. "A little concerned for Mr. Summers, too. I'd be pretty upset, seeing someone I cared about that much shot down, and he had that on top of leading the mission in the first place. Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's got decompressing after a mission down to a science, but it's still got to be a little rough."

     As she cleans up after her work on Kurt's shoulder, she seems to think a little more about things. "Maybe I'm still just a student. But for a little while, it didn't feel like it. It was actually being needed and wanted, like I actually had something of value to contribute. It used to feel like being put in the back of the classroom with the safety scissors and glitter, when I'd be asked to be eyes in the sky and stay there, you know?" She shakes her head, laughing softly to herself. "It's taken some hard knocks and some royal screw-ups, but I don't see it like that anymore. I may train to improve my fighting skills, but I'll probably never be a front-line fighter like Logan, or Mr. Rasputin, or Mr. Proudstar. And that's fine. Recon and medics are just as needed, if not even more so. That Sentinel could easily have taken everyone by surprise, if I hadn't spotted it, and then we'd be having a very different conversation. Probably in the medbay."

Nightcrawler has posed:
There's a quirk of a brow, and then Kurt give a nod to her, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He glances then towards the wound that she's dressed for him, and he gives her a bit more of a smile. "Thank you, Shannon. Your tending of the wound has been most kind, and gentle," he says softly, sounding truly grateful. "Ja, I have concern for Jean as well. I did not see all of what happened, but I know that she was hit. I am grateful that we have a reversal for it," he says, his brow furrowing. "The cookies sound like a very good idea. Perhaps there will be enough that I might sample one of them?" he asks, his tail giving a little bit more of a swish behind him. His ears perk up a bit, as well. He tilts his head to one side, and then he gives a nod. "To be up there, to be watching over all of us... you are needed, and wanted, ja? You have value, you keep us safe. We all make mistakes and we all take some hits. It is a part of living. Keep training, and keep learning, keep making yourself stronger," he says, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "It would be a much different story if the Sentinel had not been spotted by you. Much worse. We would likely have had many more injured, many worse injuries, and not have saved all of the prisoners. You have the right of it, I think, that recon and medics are at least as important as those who fight," he says.

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon just smiles, her cheeks a bit flushed, and she dips her head. "Bitte. And it seems I'll have to bake at least a double batch of cookies, ja?" Laughing, she shakes her head, reaching out to very gingerly poke Kurt's midsection. "Do you have a black hole hidden somewhere in your stomach?"

     She considers some of what Kurt says, and purses her lips some. "Of course I'll keep training in other areas as always, same as all of you. But I can't help wondering if I could have done better, if I could have spotted safer paths from the compound to the Blackbird, so you wouldn't have had to tire yourself out quite as much, maybe. Are there ways to train to improve that skill as well?"

Nightcrawler has posed:
There's a smile to tug the corners of his lips, and a hint of his pointed teeth can be seen. "Mmm, ja, it seems that might be best. I might need more than one sample to know if they are good," he comments, a hint of amusement finding his voice. Not expecting the poke that befalls his midsection, he misses any and all opportunities of deflecting or preventing it. And he makes a little surprised 'oo' sound, his chin ducking slightly a moment after that. He looks to her, a touch sheepishly. "Maybe? There is always room for more of your delicious baking, ja?" he says, quirking a grin that shows his pointed teeth. He tilts his head a touch to one side, studying her, and his brow furrows a touch. "There is always more to learn. You did well, Shannon. The path from the compound to the Blackbird did not look to be a bad one. It did not feel to be a bad one when I walked it, the last time," he says. "There is a certain distance that I can go, but it is a good distance... a couple of miles. Beyond that... sometimes, rarely. It is harder. It is more a matter of the number of trips. The number of times of going in and out. I made many trips to the prisoners, and many back. And sometimes, there were guards to fight within, and I would teleport while I was in there as well, in fighting them," he explains. Or at least, he does his best to explain it. "I... don't know if there are ways to extend it. I try to keep myself well, to be able to endure it better. Longer."

Nightingale has posed:
     "It might not have looked to be a bad one, but there could easily have been traps in the area. We were incredibly lucky." The silly little 'oo' sound has Shannon giggling, and she nods. "My baking, and your cooking. We still have to make that schnitzel sometime. And if there are other tastes of home you would care to introduce us all to, heck, make a day of it and just have some fun with the whole thing." Just for the fun of it, she moves as if to poke at his belly again. There is little doubt that her inner child is alive and well, despite the day's events.

Nightcrawler has posed:
"This is a true thing, there could have been traps. But there were not. I think they did not expect anyone to come and mount a rescue for their prisoners," Kurt says, his tone thoughtful. "Perhaps we were lucky. Or perhaps we had the right angel watching over us all, ja?" he suggests. "Ja, it is a good combination -- your baking, and my cooking. I enjoy it. Ah, I miss the foods from my home. There are many of them. I will have to pick some things up to see about making them. Perhaps I can help you with making a German chocolate cake, ja?" he suggests with a bit of a grin. Since she's done it to him once already, he's a bit more aware of when she goes to do it to him again. And his tail flicks forward to lightly snake around her wrist, the end of his tail lightly patting her hand. "You are mischief, sometimes," he says, amusement beneath his words.

Nightingale has posed:
     "If it involves pecans, I wouldn't be able to have the cake. Those are the one and only nut I'm actually allergic to. But walnuts would be perfectly fine." Shannon laughs as her wrist is easily caught, making a grand show of trying to get away. "Okay, so that settles it. Soon, we'll have a 'taste of home' day, starting with some foods from your home. Ooooo... maybe that's something we could extend to others, let them have fun with it the same way."

Nightcrawler has posed:
"I will have to check to see what it uses, but... one nut is nutty enough to be used in place of another, ja?" Kurt says, giving a small nod to her. "If it calls for pecans, then we can use walnuts as easily," he adds. He keeps her wrist captive for a long moment, the end of his tail lightly tapping on her hand. Then he slips his tail out from around her wrist, and he gives a nod to her words. "Ja, now that you have stirred up such thoughts of the food from home, it will need to be soon. I will make enough for there to be some for everyone, if they wish it. Perhaps something for you to find out, ja? Favourite dishes from those who are from other countries, and then we can do a special meal night of those dishes," he says, quirking a bit of a grin. He's quiet a moment, then catches up one of her hands in order to lightly brush his lips against the back of it before releasing her hand. Impish, perhaps. "We will speak of the idea more tomorrow, mein dame, and see what details might be ironed out. Thank you, again, for your kindness and for your skill. I must rest, but a good night to you," he says softly, a smile coming to his features. He dallies only a moment, and then he BAMF's, leaving the odour of brimstone behind as he does, and teleporting himself directly to his bed. It's been a long day!