13009/Milk Cartons: The trail is still warm

Milk Cartons: The trail is still warm
Date of Scene:	11 April 2021
Location:	Holy Ghost Church, Clinton
Synopsis:	Cloak and Dagger has returned to New York and Tandy catches up with Kurt.
Cast of Characters:	Dagger, Nightcrawler
Tinyplot:	Milk Cartons

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Dagger has posed:
It's late in the evening in Hell's Kitchen and there is a flickering light that passes by the windows of the old abandoned and run down church. The front doors are boarded up, with the only entrance through the side door, or one of the broken windows near the roof. Down below is Tandy Bowens, currently settled in one of the pews with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders.

In the corner is a number of sleeping bags and a couple of backpacks filled with supplies of non perishable food and bottled water. There is the sound of a light hum in the background, an older portable generator that is currently charging her phone. The blonde hair of Tandy is pulled up behind her into a messy pony tail, dressed in a pair of slim jeans and a New York sweater with holes in it.

Nightcrawler has posed:
There is a sound to interrupt the evening. The sound of air displacing, a BAMF that brings along with it not only threads of purple-black smoke that posses the acrid smell of burning brimstone but which also bring a particular person into being here. With his feet stuck to the inside wall, Kurt perches there, his yellow eyes glowing and his tail lightly swishing behind him. He's come alone, but he waits for a moment simply to get a lay of the interior before moving further.

There's a fairly large knapsack slung over his left shoulder, and it's been packed full of various and assorted things. A smile tugs at the corners of his lips as he spies Tandy, and he lightly drops to the ground. The landing is quiet, soft, for he knows well how to best land from the years he spent in the circus. His tail swishes behind him, a soft movement that's sinuous in nature. Straightening from the landing, he starts to approach her. "Meine dame," he offers in soft greeting, not wishing to startle her too badly.

Dagger has posed:
The sound of his teleporting noise catches Tandy's attention as she jerks her head upwards, eyes scanning through the shadows. As she lifts a hand upwards, her fingers glow, spreading out some light before her in the pitch black church. "Hey, Kurt." She calls over to the fuzzy X-Man, offering up a quick, guarded smile before she rises up to her feet.

She gives a long stretch of her body, curving her spine back a bit to crack the joints before her hands flop down at her sides. She gives a glance around the church as if looking through the shadows for her looming partner before turning her eyes back to the glowing gaze of the elf. "Been awhile, huh? Sorry.." She says in a soft, raspy voice.

"We had to leave the city to continue the trail while it was hot. We ended up in Gotham. Saved some more kids."

Nightcrawler has posed:
The shadows often favour him by lending him a measure of camouflage and making him all the harder to spot. There's a smile that finds his features anew at her greeting to him, and he watches her as she rises to her feet. He watches her further as she stretches, that languid motion catching his attention, though he doesn't let his attention linger for too long as to be considered ogling her.

"Ja, it has been a little while. I have wondered how you have been faring, and figured it was likely that you were following the trail of the missing children," he says softly, a gentle note to his voice. He understands. He slips the knapsack from over his shoulder, and steps nearer to her to offer it. There are some non perishable things in the bottom of it -- canned goods, crackers, and things along those lines, but fruits and vegetables, cheese and other similar foods at the top. "There is no need for an apology, meine dame. You do what must be done, to save them," he says softly, a smile coming to his features. He wears a pair of blue jeans, and a dark grey t-shirt, and she may or may not notice a new scar on his left upper arm.

Dagger has posed:
"It is our mission. A never ending terrible mission." Tandy says as she reaches for the bag. She gives a glance down at the contents, then offers up a smile back to him as she carries it over to the corner with the rest of her supplies. "Thank you, again. You're too nice to me. I appreciate it. I just wish Cloak could enjoy these as well. It's a shame that he doesn't need to eat." As her gaze sweeps back to him, she offers up a smile. As she makes her way back over to him, she reaches out with her warm, glowing hands to slide them over his.

As always, her fingers brush along his oddly shaped ones, giving them a squeeze. "You look good. I'm glad that you came by. I have .. missed you." Her hand slides upwards along his arm, brushing over the scar across the soft velvet of his fur. Her eyes narrow some. "What happened?"

Nightcrawler has posed:
"To save all of those that can be saved," Kurt says, giving a small nod. She isn't the only one to have such a mission. He watches her check the backpack, then take it over to put it with her other supplies. "You're welcome, Tandy. I will help you in any way that I can," he says softly, a smile easily coming to his features. He lifts his right hand, lightly tussling his hair, and then he gives a nod. "Food is a great pleasure. Or at least, it has always been one for me. I think, even if I didn't need to eat, I still would," he comments.

Willingly, he lets her claim his hand between her own, and he turns his hand just so to be able to give one of her hands a soft squeeze. "You look good, too. I've been coming by periodically, to see if you were here. I've missed you, too," he says, ducking his chin a touch and watching her. There's nary a flinch when she touches the scar, the second newest of those that have come since the last time she saw him, and he faintly tilts his head to one side. "It is nothing, meine dame... a bullet, is all," he says softly. Which was, at the time, the lesser of two evils.

Dagger has posed:
"A bullet is more than nothing. Someone hurt you." Tandy says as her glowing fingers brush along the scar, highliting the soft fuzz around it so that she can get a better look. Her other hand squeezes his in return, fingers brtushing over his knuckles gently before she brings it up to place a soft kiss to the top of it. "Cloak and I are back now, so we don't plan on going anywhere for awhile, not unless new leads take us away from the city, but I'll make sure to let you know and keep better in touch. I meant to, just .. I was very focused on the mission. I tend to tune everything around me out."

The hand along his scar slides up higher upon his arm, brushing his bicep, then settles against his shoulder. She tilts her head up to look up at him. "I'm glad you're okay though. I'd be upset if I was to come home and heard worse news because the bullet hit something other than your arm." As she slides away from him, she heads back to the pew and settles in, drawing the blanket around her, but she scoots over to make room for him.

Nightcrawler has posed:
"Well... it's maybe a little more than nothing?" Kurt suggests, a little smile tugging at the corners of his lips. He's not one to make much of being hurt, really. Though he does give a small nod. "Ja, someone hurt me. I'm healed and well. It was either be hit by the bullet or be hit with a Cure dart," he says, tilting his head a touch to one side. He offers that perhaps a bit too plainly, but it's the truth of what happened. He wouldn't lie to her. It is fully healed, though it's not terribly old as of yet -- a month, perhaps. "Ja, please let me know," he says softly, a smile coming to his features and his pointed teeth showing a bit.

Lightly, his tail swishes behind him, and he lifts his free hand to lightly brush his fingers along her jaw a little bit, a soft touch. "I'm okay," he affirms, his smile easily returning. "The Neyaphem was worse. The man-ghost was almost worse," he adds. Then he blinks almost as though he hadn't necessarily meant to say that, and he attempts to look innocent, the end of his tail flicking from one side to the other. He follows her over to the pew, and he settles next to her, slipping an arm around her and giving her a little squeeze.

Dagger has posed:
"The what now? The Neya -- ?" Tandy asks as she slides in under his arm, tucking herself against him. She curls her own arm around his waist as she rests her cheek against his shoulder and half lids her eyes. As usual, she burns like a star to the touch, her inner light having elevated her body heat quite a few degrees. She's warm, even if she rests beneath a blanket at times. "What's a man ghost?" As she pulls him a bit closer, she folds herself in against him for that extra bit of heat from him. Even in the Spring, the church can still be chilly, or downright humid. It's never calm.

"If you would have got hit by that cure dart, would you have been upset?" She asks him curiously, brushing her hand along his fur again. "Would you lose your tail and grow more fingers? Would the fur melt away?" She asks hima as her chin tilts upwards to look into his bright yellow eyes.

Nightcrawler has posed:
"Neyaphem," Kurt supplies, giving a small nod. He offers no explanation as to what a Neyaphem is, though, interestingly enough. He keeps an arm around her, drawing her close and lightly adjusting the blanket around her, to keep her warm. The scar left by the Neyaphem isn't visible, though the stitches were removed some while ago and it's not as old as the bullet wound. Lightly, he slips his tail around her as well, adding just a little more to the hug that he keeps her in. "Well... he was a man, at first. And then he was a ghost. With a ghost horse, and a halberd. He called me the spawn of Satan and wanted to banish me back to Hell. He was in the church, in Mutant Town... I haven't been back there since," Kurt says softly, his brow furrowing a moment. He had been a fatalistic idiot, in the moment, but he was still alive to tell the tale.

Kurt takes a moment, look up to the heights of the church as he considers her questions about the Cure dart. "They act quickly, from what I understand. I... don't know, all of what would have happened. I suspect that there would be many things that would be different... no more blue, no more fur. No more pointed ears or tail or glowing eyes, no more pointed teeth," he says softly, frowning for a moment. "No more teleporting. I have always been this way, Tandy... I don't know how to be any other. I was, when it happened, in a prison, helping to rescue prisoners as quickly as could be done. Teleporting them from inside to outside," he says softly, bringing his gaze to meet hers.

Dagger has posed:
"I know that church. Cloak and I stayed there for awhile and never saw a ghost." Tandy trails off in thought, then squints her eyes as she curls her hand into a fist as light bleeds through the knuckles. "But Cloak and I will go back and we will resolve it. Cloak has a way of dealing with things." He is terrifying. The stuff of nightmares. Where Dagger may have some of her humanity, Tyrone has lost his long ago. They tug and pull at each other at times, but when they go on a mission together, there is no mistaken they were born to serve each other in combat. They are fierce.

As she listens to the rest of his tale about the cure and it's effects, she turns her eyes to his and gives him a smile. "It's a good thing you didn't get hit by it, right? I bet you'd be fugly." She says, then leans in to press her lips against his for a brief kiss. "And I like the way you are. Is it over though? Or is there more fight left to get the Cure off the streets here?"

Nightcrawler has posed:
"I have never seen one before there either. That was the first time, and the only time, so far," Kurt says, a thoughtful tone to his voice. His gaze turns to her hand, to take note of the light that spills from between her fingers, and then he gives a small shake of his head. "No, Tandy. Please, do not," he says softly, a touch worried. "He did not kill me, he did not hurt me. I don't even know if the man-ghost is even still at the church," he says, his brow furrowing a little bit. He doesn't know what the man-ghost is, or what it's capable of, but it hadn't killed him. It had, somehow, missed him. Even though he'd been kneeling on the floor at the altar of the church.

One of his eyebrows quirks up at her words, and there's a grin that finds the corners of his lips. He leans in to meet that brief kiss that she offers, and he lifts his free hand to lightly draw his fingers through her hair. His touch is soft, and he chuckles softly. "I probably would be," he comments, winking at her. He gives her a soft squeeze, comfortable. "I think it's over... I haven't heard more about it. And, well... I kind of like me the way I am. And you as you, too," he adds, quirking a smile.

Dagger has posed:
"Sometimes I wish I could be someone else though." Tandy admits as she lets out a soft breath in thought. "These powers burn me up inside and without Cloak, I'd explode like a star. Without me, he'd go mad with hunger and devour everyone for their light. He and I will forever be connected after one night of misfortune in which we were taken against our will and experimented on. It's not fair for either of us, even if we have become best friends in the process."

She glances down at his hands again, then tilts her chin up at him. "But I'm glad to hear that the Cure is no longer a real threat to anyone at the moment, and I'm happy that you are happy with who you are. You're perfect the way you are. Just like how God made you." She says as she gives a glance through the dark church towards the symbol of Jesus hanging from his cross. She stares for a long moment, then scrunches up her face, followed by a shake of her head.

"I should get ready to go out on patrol though. You're always welcome to come with Cloak and I." She says as she brushes her hand along his shirt gently. "But I do have some time if you wanted to catch up before I have to head out."

Nightcrawler has posed:
Softly, Kurt moves his hand to rest it at her outer arm, and he lightly rubs her arm. "You are, in a fashion, complements of each other. Two halves of a coin. Made to work together," he says softly, a gentle tone to his voice. "You ground each other, and you have each other's back. Life is seldom fair, it seems. You and he do good in this world, and that is sometimes not a common thing," he says softly.

A brief look is given to his hands, and then he looks to her, a smile quirking at the corners of his lips. "I'm glad for that as well," he says. And a blush of colour comes to his cheeks, unseen because of his natural colour but felt for the warmth. "I... don't know about perfect. But, I do the best that I can with how I am, with what I am. God made me the way that I am for a reason, and it took a while to come to terms with that," he says softly, giving her a soft squeeze.

"I should come with you, on your patrol. If you don't mind having me around, that is. And maybe a sword or three," he comments, quirking a bit of a grin. "I'd like that, to catch up with you," he adds, breathing in the scent of her and then kissing her hair.