13036/A Meeting at the Church

A Meeting at the Church
Date of Scene:	15 April 2021
Location:	Holy Ghost Church, Clinton
Synopsis:	Chinese food is brought and shared. Conversation is had amongst the trio.
Cast of Characters:	Nightcrawler, Cloak, Dagger

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Nightcrawler has posed:
The shadows are stretching long as the daylight fades into dusk. The sun is sinking in the western sky, and the colours of the sunset bleed up to spill across the clouds. The clouds are grey and heavy, hanging low and promising rain for overnight. There's a certain heaviness within the air that echoes that promise, along with a bit of a chill to tease across any bare flesh that happens to be exposed to it. Within the church, given the state of its dilapidation, is likely not much better.

There comes the sound of air displacing, a tell-tale sound for those familiar with it, a BAMF that is accompanied by tendrils of purplish black smoke that reeks of burning brimstone. This time, he's appeared up on one of the shadowed rafters of the church, the shadows doing their level best to blend the fuzzy blue of him into them. Kurt's ears wiggle slightly, and his tail lightly swishes behind him as he balances on the beam, his gaze passing over the interior of the church. He has many ways of getting here, but teleporting is always fastest. It's the fastest for getting to anywhere, really. There's a knapsack slung carefully over his left shoulder, and what appears to be a tied and rolled up sleeping bag held from his right hand.

Cloak has posed:
The convenience of teleporting is one Cloak can agree with.

The shadowy man is down in his customary place near the alter, looking to be seated with his eyes closed in repose. It gives him the appearance of some sort of childhood ghost, a figure hidden under a sheet and only leaving the vague impression of a human-like shape underneath. Though he is not ghostly white but dark with the faintest, subtle blue and black striping like some sort of melanistic tiger in the night. He is not, however, asleep.

"I had hoped that our time in Gotham would have resolved this, but there's still more to do. I'm wondering if it will ever end at this point."

The sound of displaced air above draws him to lift his head and open his eyes to look towards the sound. "Ah. It's been some time."

Dagger has posed:
Glancing upwards at the sound of Cloak's voice, Tandy is currently hunkered over in her box of supplies, rustling about to find something to eat. She finally fishes out a package of ramen, then picks up a bowl as she inspects it to see how well washed it is. As she reaches for a bottle of water, she calls over. "Hey, Kurt."

As she takes the supplies over to the hot plate, she plugs it into the long extension cord to warm it up, then goes about pouring the ramen into her bowl, followed by the bottle of water once she crunches it up.

She eyes the sleeping bag with an amused smile. "You spending the night with us tonight?" She calls over to him.

Nightcrawler has posed:
That the church is not an empty place is something that Kurt notices. The dim light of the church doesn't bother him or his vision in the least. He tilts his head a touch to one side, his glowing yellow gaze taking in the sight of Cloak near to the altar. A hint of a smile touches at the corners of his lips, and there's a sinuous and lazy swish of his tail from one side to the other. "Ja, it has been," Kurt agrees, giving a small nod. "How have you been?" he asks, curious. And though he could drop to the floor of the church from where he is, he doesn't -- instead, he teleports again.

This time, he ends up at a middling point between them, and he offers a bow to Tandy. "Meine dame," he offers in greeting to her, a warm note to his voice and a smile quirking his lips. He lifts the backpack from his shoulder and offers it out. "You may find this to be more agreeable than that. Or at least, to taste better," he comments, giving a small nod. And he grins, pointed teeth showing and the surprise of the backpack's contents unrevealed. "I'm not sure, yet, but I might," he comments, tilting his head faintly to one side. His tail flicks, and there's a twitch of amusement at the end of it.

Cloak has posed:
"Well enough." Cloak replies calmly in his deep tone, sounding positively conversational for him. It's a far cry from the hostile suspicion - or flat hostile - that most people get. "You seem like you're doing alright. There were no plans for the evening, though I'll be going out later to patrol around like I usually do. This place isn't as safe as it once was. We can hope our absence made others think we left, but word will spread soon enough."

"You're welcome to come along or rest here." He says further. "I don't anticipate anymore trouble than any other night, which usually amounts to thieves and a few individuals who don't understand others personal spaces."

Dagger has posed:
"You got me Chinese!" Tandy says with a happy noise in her throat as she puts her make shift ramen situation to the side. She heads over to the fuzzy elf and gives him a smile, sniffing at the air. She leans in and gives him a quick kiss, curling her arms around his waist for a hug before she lets him go and takes the bag from him. Settling down into a pew, she makes some room for him to join her.

"Yes, you should come with us tonight. Cloak and I have missed the city and we are looking to stretch our legs and bring some bad guys down. It should be a fairly eventful night." Opening the box of noodles, she dips a fork in to scoop some into her mouth happily with a loud rumble in her throat. "Mm. It's so good."

"Cloak, do you want me to feed you enough light to make you solid so you can have some too?" She calls over to Tyrone.

Nightcrawler has posed:
"That's good to hear," Kurt says, looking to Cloak and giving a small nod. He sets the sleeping bag down on the floor, and then he lifts his right hand to tussle his hair a bit. "Ah, well... I'm not dead, ja? Despite the efforts of some things," he comments, lifting his right shoulder in a slight shrug. "Ja, I've been doing well. Mostly keeping from getting in trouble," he says with a grin. He has an odd definition of keeping out of trouble! There's a slight flick of interest that possesses his tail at the mention of patrolling, and Kurt gives a small nod. "Danke, for the invitation. I may well come along with you, on patrol," he offers, one of his eyebrows quirking up just a touch. "I've stopped by here a number of times while you were gone, and I didn't see anyone here or seeming to pay it much mind. Although, I tried not to come too often or be too obvious when I did come by," he adds, a thoughtful note to his voice. "There will always be people who feel they can get ahead by breaking laws, it seems," he adds, giving a small shake of his head.

Kurt chuckles, his glowing gaze turning to Tandy, and he gives a nod. "Ja, I brought Chinese. It was on the way," he says with a grin. It wasn't, but he made it be on the way. He slips his right arm around her to hug her and kiss her back, giving her a bit of a squeeze before letting her go, and letting her take the knapsack from him. He follows her over to the pew, settling easily next to her. In addition to the noodles, there's wonton soup and egg rolls and a stirfry of beef with vegetables and sweet'n'sour chicken. "It is. I had a feeling you might enjoy it," Kurt says, giving a nod to her.

Cloak has posed:
The suggestion from Tandy seems to make Cloak uncomfortable as he seems to withdraw slightly and fold his arms over his chest. "Maybe later. It's alright. I don't need to waste food just for the experience, it's more important to save it." He does come over to join them closer at least, even if he seems opposed to taking part in dinner.

"I'm glad to hear things around here were quiet. We're not the only ones who watch these streets, so I'm sure they haven't been left unwatched. Still, it will be good to re-establish ourselves. I imagine it will be a quiet patrol, or will be, once the criminals know we're back in town."

Dagger has posed:
"It's not a waste, Ty, if you are enjoying it. This is so delicious. Will you please join us for dinner? It'd mean a lot to me." Tandy says as she glances up at him with her blue eyes. She takes another bite of food as she sinks in against Kurt's shoulder. "I just want you to be happy also."

She lets out a soft breath to herself in thought. "It has been quiet, but that just means they're getting better at hiding their sins. We need to hunt the shadows harder, look deeper, shake some of these gangs down. I wish we had someone on the inside of the police force to partner with."

Nightcrawler has posed:
There's a brief glance given to Cloak at his reaction to Tandy's suggestion, but Kurt doesn't linger his attention. He doesn't want to make Tyrone more uncomfortable at all. His glowing gaze turns to Tandy, and he gives a nod to agree with her. "Food is to be enjoyed. There is plenty here for all three of us and then some. It feeds more than just the body, to have a hearty meal to eat. It feeds the soul, it feeds the bonds that lie between people," he says softly, a thoughtful tone to his voice. He's not trying to push but rather simply offer his opinion about it.

"The criminal element sometimes has a way of becoming bold when the patrols are less frequent or of less people. It is the way of the world," Kurt says softly, frowning a little bit. They start to think that they can get away with things. He slips his right arm around Tandy, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Sins can never truly be hidden, meine dame. They are a mark upon the soul," Kurt says softly, a small smile finding the corners of his lips. "I fear I have little help to offer, there... I know none of those who are on the police," he adds.

Cloak has posed:
Cloak does not look like he's enjoying the prospect one bit. There's the faint impression like he was a hackled dog in the corner with the way his shoulders hunch. The tension doesn't leave, even as he remarks quietly, "Fine, if it'll mean a lot to you. Don't waste your energy if you can't spare it. I know it takes a lot out of you."

Mention of the police bring a disgruntled noise to him. "Are any of the police really trustworthy anymore? Certainly not those in Gotham. You could smell the stink coming from them as much as the alleyways."

Dagger has posed:
"Not those in Gotham. But there are police here that are good people. That woman we met awhile ago, Brigid. She seems trustworthy." Tandy says as she leans in against his chest as she takes another bite of sweet chicken from another box. She looks over towards Tyrone and gives him a smile. She reaches out with her hand as light circles around her fingers, then pours in a blast as she amps herself up to fill his dark shadowy cloak, to push back at the hunger and the beast that is buried deep within.

Once done, she lets out a weary sigh, reaching up to touch her head as she feels a bit dizzy. "Woo." She murmurs under her breath, then rubs at her eyes with the back of her hand. She looks over towards Cloak expectantly.

Cloak has posed:
"Maybe." Cloak says at mention of the officer but he doesn't sound entirely convinced. But then, trust does not seem to come easily to him.

The light flooding across and into him casts the man in stark relief, throwing his shadow back against the wall behind him as it burns away the darkness that surrounds him. As the light fades, it leaves... a man. Average height and build. Twenties, physically mature, with a face that could have appeared young except its clouded with old traumas. The cloak hangs around him lifelessly, looking like nothing more than fabric. Even the hood settles lackluster as he reaches up a normal looking hand to push it away.

"..." He seems ready to talk and then pauses, falling quiet with his lips compressing in a line tight enough to blanch some of the color out. "...t-t...t-here." His teeth clench before he forces them to relax. Even his voice lacks the depth of before. He's quiet spoken, with a distinct stutter.

Nightcrawler has posed:
There's a soft swish of his tail behind him, and then Kurt slips it around Tandy, keeping her close. He watches, his ears perking up a touch, and yet he stays quiet as there's the transfer of light from Tandy to Tyrone. He gives her a little bit of a squeeze when it's been done, a flicker of concern chasing through his eyes. If he has questions at all, he doesn't ask them. This is something that's more between them, after all, and he respects that. He doesn't seem bothered at all by any of it.

His glowing gaze slips from Tandy over to Tyrone, and he tilts his head slightly to one side. And then he smiles before lifting his left hand to gesture towards the food. "Help yourself to anything that you would like, there is plenty of everything," he offers, smiling easily and giving a small nod.

"The police, well... I expect they are much like other people, ja? There are good ones, there are bad ones, there are ones in between," he says, giving a slight shrug.

Dagger has posed:
"There is bad people everywhere. You just need to find the one or two that are helpful that can make a difference." Tandy takes a box of food and hands it over towards Tyrone with a big smile on his face. She likes the sight of the real him and not the frightful shadow that swallows up bad guys. She strokes the tail around her waist gently a few times with her fingers.

"So tonight after we get some food in ourselves and Ty's powers come back, we'll head out and go stomp on some bad guys. But for now, I'd be happy to just hangout and take a walk around the block and just be normal people for a change. You know what I mean? We can go past the park, maybe listen to some music outside of a club."

She gives a smile towards Tyrone, trying to look encouraging.

Cloak has posed:
"M-mm-my e-exper'nce w-with 'em a-a'int b-been great." States Tyrone towards Kurt regarding the police force as he walks for one of the pews and sinks down into the seat with the fabric settling with a heavy thump around him. There's no signs of his normal shadowy, weightless aura. Just flesh, bone, and deep seated traumas as he doesn't even raise his eyes up. He radiates it as much as wrath in his more common persona.

"Y-yeah. W-ww-we c-c-can do t-that." He stammers quietly as he picks up a container of soup, as if leaving the more substantial food for them. Or he's just not confident in his chewing abilities.

Nightcrawler has posed:
"This is sadly not a false thing. There are bad people everywhere," Kurt agrees, giving a small nod. "But there are good people everywhere as well," he adds, one of his eyebrows quirking up a touch. His life has been shaped by people of both types. The tail that's around Tandy gives her a little bit of a squeeze, a strong and fuzzy tail. He could pick her up with just his tail, if he really wanted to. But he likes the feel of her near to him, and he leans into her just a little bit.

Kurt gives a nod, a smile easily coming to his features and showing his pointed teeth. "This sounds like a very good plan, ja. Although, well... I will try to be normal," he comments, pausing briefly before adding, "As normal as I get, at least. Y'know, for a fuzzy blue elf," he adds with a grin, his yellow eyes glowing a touch brighter. Compared to regular people, he's definitely not physically normal, but he accepts it.

Dagger has posed:
"Just put a hoodie on and pull it over your head. It's cool enough out to do so." Tandy says as she tucks into the food again. She slides the eggrolls over to Tyrone as well to ensure that he gets some chewing in. She knows how much he misses food. Even if he won't admit to it much in public, but she can tell.

"I think Bridget O'Reily though has always been straight with us. She's even quit trying to arrest us." There is a note of amusement in her throat. She smiles at the squeeze about her waist by the tail, giving another soft stroke to it with her fingers. The months they've been courting has caused her to be a bit more comfortable now, no longer feeling on edge with his presence.

"Ty, maybe this weekend you and I can go out to the boardwalk and spend an afternoon at the beach and get some cotton candy and do some rides." She says as she looks over to her partner. She's been trying to little by little inject normalcy into their lives, so that not every moment is spent on their mission.

Cloak has posed:
Tyrone looks to the eggroll with a small, tight smile even as he gingerly sips on soup. When was the last time he probably ate? Both of his hands on the container tighten just a little, like he was loathe to let it go.

"W-we c-c-can." He says towards Tandy as he glances up at them, though his eyes barely linger before they drop back down again. His shoulders hunch under the tattered threads of the fabric hanging off of them.

"Y-y-you m-mmay f-fit in m-mm-m..." He grits his teeth with a rough sigh and an agitated gesture towards an old duffle off to one side. One that Tandy would know contains some spare clothes of his in case of emergencies that are rarely used.

Nightcrawler has posed:
It seems likely that the fuzzy blue elf has already eaten, given that he doesn't help himself to the Chinese food that he brought. Though that's not entirely out of the ordinary. Lifting his left hand, Kurt lightly tussles his hair a bit, listening to the pair of them. "I haven't heard anything about a Bridget O'Reily. Though it seems to body well that she has quit trying to arrest either of you," he comments, a thoughtful tone to his voice.

There's a little sound that comes from him as she strokes his tail again, and he snugs her a little bit with it. "The boardwalk is a good idea. So many treats and rides and games to enjoy, and to have fun with," he says with a smile. "I like the caramel corn that has the peanuts. It kind of reminds me of the circus," he comments, giving a small nod. "I appreciate the offering, danke," he adds sincerely, inclining his head towards Tyrone.