13450/Student Meetings - Shannon

Student Meetings - Shannon
Date of Scene:	06 June 2021
Location:	Jean's Office - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Jean has a chat with Shannon and it goes well. There's not even any yelling!
Cast of Characters:	Phoenix, Nightingale

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Phoenix has posed:
The time for this meeting has been scheduled for just after lunch. Lunch is over and the time for it is swiftly approaching. Outside the office, the summer sun shines brightly in the sky, where not a single cloud resides. A light breeze blows there, from the east, bringing just a hint of refreshing coolness with it so that it's not too terribly hot. Without that breeze, it would be too hot to want to deal with outside.

Within the confines of her office, however, it's nicely temperature controlled, and just a hair on the cool side. To that end, the all black buisness suit Jean wears today sports a long sleeved jacket. And it's just cool enough that she's still wearing it. She sits at her desk, leaned back in her chair. Her legs are crossed at the knees, and a tablet is held propped on the uppermost one, the right. She appears to be reading something, if the occasional swipe of her finger from the lower portion of the screen to the upper is anything to go by. A report or the like, probably.

Nightingale has posed:
     In the two years since Shannon had been at the school, she had been called to Miss Grey's office, or otherwise visited it voluntarily, only a handful of times. Like most kids, it was a place she generally stayed well away from. However, the call came, borne on gossamer mental wings, light as a thought, while she was in the midst of cleaning up from baking a small batch of cookies to keep in her dorm for snacks.

     <<On my way. Hope you're hungry.>>

     Cleanup finished, cookies plated, Shannon heads on down to Miss Grey's office, in black leggings, a long white t-shirt with 'Mutie Cutie' emblazoned on it in hot pink with silver and gold accents, and her daisy-toed flip flops. She has a plate of what look to be little pillow cookies, with a light glaze on top--and a smudge of flour still on her nose. There's a knock on the door, followed by the appearance of one wingtip held out like a truce flag, then the young woman peeks through herself. "Beware students bearing gifts!"

Phoenix has posed:
The overtones that had accompanied the reply had brought a smile to Jean's mouth. Cookies inbound. Yum! By the time Shannon gets to the door to knock, the tablet is off and has been layed on the desk off to her right side. Jean's eyes are on the door. "I'm not overly hungry," she says aloud as the wingtip comes in like a truce flag. "But I'll never turn down cookies. Come in, Shannon. You're not in trouble. Consider this a status update. I just want to see how you're doing."

Jean pushes her chair back a bit and stretches her legs out some. Atop the desk along with the tablet is a computer screen on the left. It is angled so only Jean can see it, with wires trailing over that side of the desk and underneath. A bottle of water sits beside the tablet.

She looks a hundred percent better than the last time she had been in the presence of Miss Wings. The fatigue is all gone. She looks well rested and as calm as she ever does. She waves to the chair on the other side of her desk, "Have a seat."

Nightingale has posed:
     "I never seem to get a batch of these to myself," Shannon says, a hint of amusement crinkling the corners of her eyes. "Which is fine, they taste better shared anyways." Balancing the plate in her hands, she reaches back with one foot to nudge the office door shut, and ambles on over to the desk. There, the plate of pillowy sweetness is deposited, for consumption at the earliest available opportunity. The delicate aroma of almonds and orange zest waft through the air, a temptation to all but those with the strongest of wills.

     As she settles down in the chair across from Miss Grey, one brow flicks upwards, soon joined by its twin on the other side. "That's... an unusual question," she begins, a little cautious. There is a little confusion simmering on the surface of her mind, warring with caution, and perhaps a little bit of relief and hope. "Wow. Ummm, okay. Where do I even begin with that one? Was there something in particular you wanted to ask about?"

Phoenix has posed:
"And therein lies the danger of being a good baker," says Jean. "Your goodies become in demand." Jean doesn't immediately reach for a cookie. But then, she has quite a strong will. She tilts her head curiously. She doesn't speak, though, waiting instead to see what Shannon is going to say. She reaches for a cookie now, a casual, graceful motion, and then leans back again. "Where to begin is easy. Start at the beginning. Tell me whatever you need to tell me and I'll ask any questions I need to from there.

Jean takes a bite of the cookie and closes her eyes for a moment. "Mmm," she murmurs. Her eyes come open again and she shakes her head at the actual question posed of her. "Nothing in particular other than, 'how are you doing?'. That's all. How are you doing? How do you feel about things? Your studies, your powers, every day life. Is there anything you need?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "I wish that question had been asked a couple years ago. It's a loaded one." Shannon shrugs lightly, giving a little flick of her wings. She reaches out to preen the feathers, smoothing them down. Her voice bore no rancor, no anger, but there was perhaps a tinge of disappointment. "I suppose a point to begin would be to answer with a question. Have you heard my second single? 'Homecoming Queen'? Or, do you remember my acceptance speech when I was voted Prom Queen?"

     She finally reaches for one of the cookies, nibbling on the still-warm treat and uttering a soft sigh of momentary delight. "If you listened, and I mean really -listened- to either of those, then you'd know there's a lot more going on inside than most people will ever see, or ask about, or really understand. I had a bestie here that did. Sam Morgan. He moved on to MIT a while back." The young woman shrugs, and cracks a light smile, tapping the side of her head and scattering a few crumbs from her cookie in the process. "Beyond that, nobody really asks, or understands the rhyme or reason to what goes on up here."

Phoenix has posed:
"I'm sorry that it wasn't asked two years ago," says Jean. She regrets that, in this moment, but there had been.. reasons. She finishes the cookie and then nods to the question. "I have. And I did. Listen, To both." It might be that Jean didn't really fully know what was going on before that single, and the homecoming speech. Or didn't realize what was going on. But the song and the speech had somewhat opened her eyes.

As had Shannon taking her time the other evening during that healing. And the fact that she hadn't wound up injured in the process. Probably because of that patience. Or so she suspects. "That's part of the reason you're here today. No, not because you did anything wrong, but because I'm asking. I want to understand. So. Talk to me. Tell me what you need, what you want."

Nightingale has posed:
     "It's hard to even express any of that," Shannon begins, her tone more than a little cautious. "I tried once or twice, with miss Pryde, and sometimes it got a little... ugly. Both of us yelled. A lot." Leaning back in the chair, she nibbles on her cookie, emotions roiling inside in a tangled mess. "A lot of it... I know everyone's concerned for my safety. I get that. The way my gifts worked, wasn't safe for me but there is no other way to train but by doing. And it wound me up in the medbay a lot. Hell, even Logan chewed me out once--and in fairness, I deserved it."

     She sighs again, trying to gather her thoughts further, which is no easy task. However, something normal and sane like enjoying a cookie helps. "When I first got here, I met with Mr. Summers, and he asked me what my plans were. Even then, I mentioned learning to heal, so I could work -with- my powers rather than have them work against me. That's why I'm going for my EMT certification next month. I've had a taste of being de-powered, and it makes a damn good backup." She smiles a little bit, and ruffles her wings. "Not to mention it proved I can still be of some use out there without everyone having to freak out and worry that I'd use my powers or something, and get hurt. Ask Warren the outcome of that one."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey nods. "I can understand that," she says. No. Really. She can understand that. She leans back in the chair and crosses her right knee over her left. "Well, I won't yell at you. What I want is to understand." She nods about being concerned for Shannon's safety. "Part of that is because you're still a minor, and the school is liable when you get injured. But you're right. That doesn't help in training your healing abilities so much. I won't deny that if Logan chewed you out, you probably deserved it." She doesn't add that he's generally a softy when it comes to the kids.

"Going for your EMT certification is a good idea. It's a good profession and in great demand." She shakes her head. "I don't want to ask Warren the outcome. I'm asking you. That being said, what is it you want, Shannon? More help in learning to control your healing power?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "Dr. McCoy's been helping with that," Shannon replies, reaching for another cookie to nibble on. "Kind of shocked me when he did. The way my gift worked, I never... NEVER... would have asked anyone to help training it. It means someone would have to be hurt, and I'm not going to ask anyone to put themselves in harm's way like that. But he stepped up over the past couple weeks, since just after Prom. Do you have any idea how it felt, having someone finally reach out like that, and -try- to understand?"

     Her smile widens a little as she thinks of the mission where she used skills she had studied hard to learn, to get a teammate out of trouble. "That... was one hell of a mission. It went pear-shaped real fast, lemme tell you. Warren did a stupid and dive-bombed some floodlights to try and give everyone some cover. It was a stupid move, but he was also out of options, to be fair. I had to go in as reserve medic and get him out of there. And it was -without- my healing gifts." She almost actually -smirks- at this one, her wings ruffling with... pride? "I may be just a student, and I may not have half the training that you or Mr. Summers or any of the others do. But I've held my own in training and in the field with all of you, and hell, even with the Avengers once or twice. I'm not useless, and I'm more than everyone probably thinks by now."

     Her shoulders slump after a moment, and she sighs deeply. "But I think everyone just remembers how it was when I first got here, and I wound up in the medbay all the time. I think that's all they see--and all they ever will see. And I want so much to stay and help here, but because of that, I don't think it'll happen."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey nods slowly. "Yeah," she says. "Yeah I do." She'd been a student once herself. So she can relate. Perhaps not in exactly the same way, but close enough that it counts. And perhaps that's one reason she's reaching out right now too. "I'm glad Doctor McCoy has been helping you with that." She's probably been kept in the loop on that. She leans forward long enough to reach for her bottle of water. As she listens to Shannon speak what's on her mind, Jean uncaps the water and drinks from it. About the time the girl finishes, she has recapped the bottle and is leaning forward to sit it atop the desk again.

"Sometimes, there is no other choice than to do something stupid and hope it works. That's why we have danger room sessions so frequently. And of course we know you're not useless, Shannon. You always step forward when there's a need. Someone who's helpless isn't capable of doing anything but being rescued."

Jean smiles ever so slightly, and nods. "Some do, I'm sure. I remember when you were first here, and all wings and already decent in flight. And yeah. You wound up in medbay a lot. But so did other students. As far as staying here and helping here goes? Is that what you want most? Even more than persuing a career singing? Or as an EMT?"

Nightingale has posed:
     "See, that's where we might differ in our thinking, miss Grey," Shannon begins. "I see people like Warren, with his business, and yet he helps here, and serves as an X-man. Then there's Mr. DaCosta, who has X-Corp, plus Evolution, and still does what he can here. Hell, a few weeks ago, he was even taking time with me for some flight training. Then there's Dr. McCoy. He has his work here, but he's also got outside interests and work, I'm pretty darn sure of it. With a genius like that, you can't keep it down."

     Her smile widens even further still. "And then there's the Professor himself. He devotes himself to this place, to all of us, and is one of the kindest and wisest souls I've ever met in my life. But he also has other work he does, which will often keep him away. But none of that stops anybody I've mentioned. I don't believe, therefore, that staying and serving here, would have to exclude my studies in medicine, or music. In point of fact, it all might dovetail quite nicely, if done right."

Phoenix has posed:
"Well, that is true," agrees Jean. "And making music is not likely to be a full time thing. Even we don't do missions full time. And interests outside of this are healthy." And anybody who knows Jean knows that a lot of the time, Jean doesn't even go to her home in Breakstone, but stays here! For her, this place and being an X-Man does seem to be the entirety of Jean's life. So it's understandable she might think that way.

"Medicine would neatly complement what we do here. What you might run across in the field. Or even here. Probably even enough so to keep someone alive at a critical moment." Now that she's actually thinking about it, Shannon is right. It doesn't have to be one or the other. Everyone has hobbies, afterall. Except Jean. It might be right to say Jean's hobby is the school.

Nightingale has posed:
     "And I'm not fool enough to think that fame in music is going to last forever. Artists rise, and they fall. Sooner or later, my time will pass, and then what? No, I'm planning ahead, but damned if I'm not going to make my mark while I can." Shannon smiles wider still than she has throughout this entire talk, settling back. At the surface of her mind, there is an image of her sitting on the front steps of the mansion, with a notebook on her lap and the beginnings of a song--and a familiar, Star-Spangled Avenger next to her. It looked as if they were having a heart-to-heart, before the image on the surface of her mind fades.

     "When I first got here, my first major run out in the field, I failed, badly. Lost the one I was supposed to save, though with his injuries, there would have been no way he or I could survive. It was a kid, just 16 like I was, named Daniel. Ever since, I've been trying to write a song, and... well, I think it may finally be ready." Her smile is a little sad, a little nostalgic, but perhaps a bit hopeful. "I tried to put into words what was worth fighting for, the pain that all this madness and hate causes. And I tried to put The Dream into words, too, so maybe -everyone- can hear it in their own way, and understand it. Here, let me sing the chorus."

     Closing her eyes, Shannon hums what sounds like the lead-up to the refrain of a song, her voice ringing out clear, true, and strong when she begins to sing.

"I, I believe you and me are sisters and brothers
And I, I believe we're made to be here for each other
And we'll never fall if we walk hand in hand
Put a world that seems broken together again
Yeah I, I believe in the end, love wins...."

Phoenix has posed:
"Nothing wrong with making your mark. And you're a good way to promote the fact that mutants aren't all bad. That there's a lot of good mutants. And that we are people just like everyone else." She listens and then nods. "I remember that in a vague sort of way." She'd probably read the after action report after all was said and done.

While she listens to the singing, Jean reaches out and snags another cookie. She's finished with it by the time Shannon finishes the chorus, and she nods. "It's a good message," she says. "I can't wait to hear the finished version."

Jean tilts her head a little bit, her eyes going just a touch unfocused. Or focused on something else. "Excuse me. This has been a good meeting but I need to go. If you have anything else you need or want, please let me know and I'll see what I can do." She smiles to Shannon and rises to her feet.

Nightingale has posed:
     "Being heard... -really- heard... taken seriously... being wanted and needed... not told that I can't do this or that, or that my gift is horrible... is that so much to want?"

     Shannon rises to her feet, too, and moves around to the other side of the desk. The cookies are forgotten, and unless Jean moves aside, she is likely to find herself wrapped up in a hug--arms, wings, and all! "Thank you," she says. "You have no idea what this means. I don't mind being pulled in here for talks like this. Or hell, just come by my dorm sometime, I've almost always got tea and some kind of goodies to share."

Phoenix has posed:
Jean Grey might actually be one of the few people in the school who knows exactly what this means to Shannon. "That's not too much to want at all. You are wanted, Shannon, and your skills are very much going to be needed. Both now and in the future." Jean doesn't step aside, even though she knows what the intention is going to be before it ever happens. She knows the girl needs this.

"I'll keep that in mind," she says, about droppign by the dorm. That would freak out the other students, wouldn't it? Having the assistant principal dropping in on them! "Goodies are always welcome. And you as well. If you need something, don't hesitate to ask me. That's what I'm here for." In this moment, Jean has forgotten about the cookies. Whatever it was must be at least a little urgent, for she moves to the office door and opens it for Shannon to preceed her out.