15174/Asking a favor

Asking a favor
Date of Scene:	03 June 2023
Location:	Logan's Room (North Halls), Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Angelica went to Logan to ask him about teaching to better protect herself in physical conflicts. The two had a good conversation to follow.
Cast of Characters:	Firestar, Wolverine

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Firestar has posed:
She weighs her options for a while. Not seeing Logan around for a while, Angelica decides to bite the bullet and knock on his door. Pausing at the door, the idea he might not want to be bothered does cross her features, but she finally sighs and knocks. He won't kill her, but there are worse things.

Wolverine has posed:
Silence lingers, but when Angelica presses her ear to the door she'll hear orchestrated music. The mixture of horns sound older, record from ages ago. About seven decades, plus or minus a few years. The music stops heavy footfall start to echo in the room. The person moves closer to the door. He opens it and is ready to growl at anyone outside.

But he doesn't. While the face doesn't become alit, Logan moves to the side and gestures with his neck. A universal signal to come in. Shutting the door behind her, "Want a beer?" this is his version of cordial greetings like, "Hello. How are you?" Plus, he's very stingy with the beer. If he opnely gives you one in private, it's far to assume Logan likes you.

Firestar can see Logan's room. It's not quite spartan, but there is a minimalist flare. On one wall there is a frame quote with a katana blade hanging beneath it. The picture reads, "I have high art: I hurt with cruelty those around me" - Archilochus, 650 B.C. There's a small book shelf with older books, some entirely in Japanese. Another shelf, this one half full, with DVD's. A lot of old classic samurai movies and a couple of choice action movies. A bear skin rug near his bed. A few framed photos include ones of Amiko Kobayashi, Lauren Kinney, and a photo with both James and Heather Hudson.

Against a seperate part of the room is the mini fridge. Going to fish out a beer, Logan opens the small device and pulls out a beer for himself and one for Star if she wants. Unfortunately, his bed acts as both bed and the couch when there is company. "What are ya doin' here?" he asks. From the bed she can see the mounted flat screen televsion and dvd player. It's a Christmas gift someone gave him that he would have felt bad giving back.

Firestar has posed:
When the door opens, she starts to say something. When he nods and allows her in, she nods and goes inside,"A beer sounds good, but I brought a gift as well." she offers, raising a new bottle of Evan Williams,"I'll share if you do."

She looks around the room, trying to get a feel for it. You can learn a lot about a person by what consists as art. Looking over the place she pause and sees a familiar pair,"Heather.." she commenst softly, a tone almost like missing someone,"Mac.." That makes her smile a little bit and then she moves on to talk with him.

"The other night, my self defense training proved it's limits." she replies finally,"I need a real style of defense, something that can evolve in a bad spot. Dealing with that Danger Room disaster really made it clear."

Pointing back towards the pictures she comments,"Mac and Heather both said if I ever wanted to learn, ask Logan first and then move on to others if he declines." She offers the bottle towards him,"So...I'm asking. I know Jimmy would train me, but that might be a little complicated now. I need a teacher that might care about me, but not in the way we've bee feeling of late."

Wolverine has posed:
"I don't mind sharin', but the powers keep me from enjoyin' properly. I'll take a little n' leave ya the rest," he's being kind. Logan can get buzzed, but never really drunk. Not without a -lot- of beer in the system. Same goes for most liquors.

Hearing that tone in Angelica's voice, Logan nods. "I miss her too," Logan omits the "Sometimes," part. His relationship is complicated with Alpha Flight. A lot of juxtaposed emotions.

Logan hands her a beer. He listens quietly. Before anything's said about the actual training, a phrase gives a pause. "'Not in the way we've been feeling of late.' What does that mean?" Logan wants to make sure they're on the same page. The comments give him pause.

Firestar has posed:
Trading him the whiskey for the beer, she nods and admits,"Yeah. She's one of the best people I have ever known." A wistful smile and she admits,"I miss your homeland a lot. Granted I am glad to be home and glad to be spending time here too, but Canada is beautiful."

"Sorry. Let me restate that." she comments and takes a drink,"You and I are well on the way to good friends. Jimmy and I, we're past that. I don't really want to train with someone I am involved with. Plus, Mac and Heather says you're the best and I am stuck up when it comes to training."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan sees the wistful smile, "Next time I go there, I'll offer ya a spot," Logan says. Ocean blue eyes looking toward Angelica, giving a nod of agreement.

"I'll train ya," Logan nods to Angelica, understanding what she means about training. "Sometimes a lover can be a good trainer or trainee, but it gets really hard if ya break up," there's a weight of experience to his words. Ocean blue eyes looking to Angelica. "I won't be easy on ya," he warns her.

Firestar has posed:
She smiles when he mentions offering the spot,"I always have a bag to go." she tells him in a conspiratorial tone/stage whisper. Taking another drink, she considers his words about training. She nods again and admits,"Yes. It's usually better to separate them to my thinking, but you have more experience than me." Her eyes do light up when he agrees though and she tells him,"I don't go easy on me, dad never went easy on me, Emma didn't go easy on me. As near as I can tell, heat forges metal. I know it will push me and stress me in its own way, but I want to be able to protect the family I am bonding to here without my powers if need be."

Wolverine has posed:
A nod comes from him, with an amused smirk. There's a simple "Shhht," noise as he pops the top to his glass beer battle. He takes a pull of the beer, the liquid runs down his throat. Ocean blue eyes look to her, "And I don't owe ya a whiskey." Logan wonders about their previous meeting. It seems Logan won the bet.

"I'll make sure ya can hold yer own. It'll take time, but you'll get there," he says just trying to be honest. Logan knows how intimidating training can be. "When do ya wanna start?"

Firestar has posed:
"Nah. I think we're good." she tells him with a wink,"Kinda why I brought this one to you. I figure I owed you one since you helped me get in the line of fire and make him see me." she admits.

Another drink and she tells him,"I am ready when you are. I have all summer. Things will get more hectic in the fall when school takes up here and over at NYU, but I will find the time." She crosses one arm over the other, letting the beer dangle in her fingers,"I will give you everything I have. Don't hold back."

Wolverine has posed:
"No pun?" Logan asks, pointing out her phrasing. He'll give Angelica a moment to think about those choice of words.

A nod comes from Logan as she talks about giving him liquor. He nods, "Alight then." It's him admitting that he won't argue her desire to give him the alcohol.

"Alright. We'll begin soon. I know you'll make the time," Logan admits. He looks to the woman for a moment, "I know ya will give everything ya got. Just don't send Jimmy after me if ya got bruises," he admits softly. Just wanting to avoid anyone wanting to mame him.

Firestar has posed:
She plays the conversation back in her head and gives him a feigned scowl that breaks into a smirk,"No pun. Wise guy." she agrees and shakes her head. When he agrees to take the bottle she seems happy with the decision,"Thank you." she mutters softly.

"I will find the time yes." she agrees,"I can't swear I will be the best student you ever had, but you will be hard pressed to find anyone that will analyze and study anything the way that I do. It isn't a brag, it's just the truth. I get obssessive." She laughs softly at the idea of sending Jimmy,"No worries about that." she assures him,"He'd consider that marks of honor most likely. He'll be glad someone is taking care of me. You, Jimmy, Vanessa, Tabitha, and Sam are becoming my family and he knows how serious I take that sort of thing. If you throw in Bobby and Spidey, my family is complete."

Wolverine has posed:
A chuckle rumbles from his throat when Angelica catches up. The chuckle turns to a smirk, the ocean blues go toward her. Then he nods to the thanks. "Don't thank me yet," Logan says, trying to sound foreboding.

"Then I can't wait to see how ya bring studyin' to combat," Logan lightly taunts. In reality, he knows. However, he's curious to see if Angelica will somehow make the same jump.

"Tabitha is good people. Haven't met the other two yet," their paths haven't crossed lately. He trusts their good people by reputation. However, it's nothing he can confirm firsthand. "Those guys ain't bad either. Fer a spider n' a snowcone," Logan jokes, a small smile on his face. Just a clear good natured bantering comment.

Firestar has posed:
"I am a notorious note taker." she warns him about the way she studies,"I ask a lot of questions and I am not happy with something until I know for sure that I know for sure."

"I enjoy Tabitha's company. I wasn't sure about her at first, but I think we grew on each other. That day in the Danger Room she showed her worth in battle for sure." she comments,"Love Spidey and Bobby. I keep thinking the three of us might end up working together again, but that remains to be seen. I haven't seen Bobby in ages and Spidey is, well he's busy."

Wolverine has posed:
"Won't know anythin' if ya don't ask," Logan says, giving his thoughts about questions. They're a good thing in his mind. Something more peopel should do, even if they're afraid to ask.

Nodding in agreement about proven worth, "Same. I saw her worth in combat that day. She's good," he pauses for a moemnt.

"I talked to her a few days before that. Seemed like good people," he gives a shimple shrug. Talk pivots back to Spider-Man.

"Sorry he's been too busy fer ya n' ya gotta slum it wit' me instead," he offers some form of condolance. It's him offering what he can. Logan knows he's an acquired taste.

Firestar has posed:
Taking a drink of her beer and nods,"I think in that respect we're going to do well." she admits to the questions section of the conversation. she smiles a little and adds,"Making a family here at least. It's good to actually have that here again." She looks at him and adds,"I went no contact with my dad like we talked about. Giving him time to cool off and try to figure out what's important."

The mention of a busy Spider Man gets a shrug,"He has a lot on his plate and it was good to see him the other night. We caught up and had a long talk. Typical of him, I brought a pizza and he hadn't eaten all day. Love that guy, but he's hard on himself."

"Slumming huh? I'm good with that. I haven't had a lot of real, good friend types in life and you seem to fit the bill. You might be stuck with me now. Thank you. You know? Thank you for being willing to train me, for giving me advice about dad, for being willing to listen to be babble a time or two. Heather told me you were the best. Rough on the outside, but heart of gold. Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."

Wolverine has posed:
"Yeah. I believe that, too," Logan takes anothe rpull from his bill. Then there's a pause as the talk of family comes up. "I ain't sayin' never accept him. I ain't sayin' ya take him back either. Just gotta judge him if ya ever talk at him again. See if there's change. Not everyone does, but a few will shock ya," Logan admits and he gives her a nod.

Then there's a pause, "A lot of us are hard on ourselves. We can tell people like Spider-Man don't deserve their own abuse, but then we end up doin' that to ourselves," maybe Spidey isn't the only one of her friends that's hard on himself.

Shaking his head, "Heather holds me in too high of a regard n' ya don't gotta thank me. I was bein' honest wit' ya. That's the of it," it's not. However, Logan is still adapting to people actually looking up to him. Seeing him as something more than the brute you send in to help even out a battlefield. Old habits reinforced by recent events, but those were slowly fading in the background. They're just not completely in that background yet.

Firestar has posed:
"I am giving us a lay off. Just give him time to think about what is important." she agrees,"I think most of us that throw on a costume are too hard on ourselves. Emotional or physical or something else. We all have the proverbial cross that we bear."

"Heather does hold you in high regard. I have met a few people that do. Mac does, but he won't say it out loud." Seh reaches out and clinks his bottle with her lightly,"It isn't always easy to hear that you are valued by people. After my early life, it took a while to warm up to Alpha Flight too. It's easier to think the world is against you as a whole."

Wolverine has posed:
A nod comes from him about that lay off. It makes sense. The term "lay off" is nebulous. That's probably a good thing in his mind. Ocean blue eyes clos as his glass bottle clinks against hr.

"Lotta people pigeon hole me. I think I let it get to me deep down," he pushes aside a few memories aside. Taken by themselves, they're small things that couldn't be taken negatively at the time. However, a long list of them over time becomes death by a thousand cuts.

Ocean blue eyes open and he looks at her for a moment. She can see a bit of pain in those eyes. Shaking his head, "Yer good people Firebug," he says trying out that nickname for Angelica. It's something he's trying to mentally measure if he likes it.

Firestar has posed:
"I know you've had a hard life friend. Maybe that's why we manage to gel so well." she suggests,"I am not going to pretend I have seen half of what you have, but from the first time we met I felt drawn to you like a kindred spirit or something." she comments.

When he tries on the nickname, she smiles at him, maybe a little misty in her own eyes,"I do what I can. Some days are better than others." she comments about being good people,"You're not so bad yourself, don't matter what some people say." She considers for a very long moment and finally she asks,"So, is it OK if the Firebug hugs you or is that too weird for you?"

Wolverine has posed:
"I still think ya need yer eyes checked," but Logan doesn't protest the words. Maybe it's a silent admission. That mabye Angelica isn't alone in these thoughts. Ocean blue eyes flick to her for a moment.

The smile on her face tells him, it's an okay nickname. Definitely something to use. Logan will oepn up his arms to Angleica. No words, just action. Letting her see a different side to him without much protest. Maybe this is how he is. Sometimes instead of saying things, he shows it, like letting someone into his room when people know it's very private.

Firestar has posed:
"Got twenty twenty friend. One of the only things on me that works normal." she teases lightly. She lets that go after and when opens his arms she steps into him and hugs him tightly, almost like he's a life line in his own way. Another tear or two slides down her cheeks and she mutters softly,"Look at that. All weepy. How did that happen?"

Wolverine has posed:
Holding her a little closer to him, Logan just speaks low and soft, "I was cuttin' onions earlier. Smell must still be n my clothes," Logan clearly hasn't left the room in a small while. Nor is there any cutting board, or area, to even cut those onions. A hand rubs up and down her back slowly, as Logan doesn't let go until she's damned good and ready to end the hug.

Firestar has posed:
"Must be it." she whispers back and just hugs him for a long time. Finally she reluctantly withdraws from the embrace and tells him,"Remind me I will teach you how to cut them without the tears." she teases lightly and takes a drink from the beer to stop taking for a second,"So I'll be ready to start when you are and again, thank you, for everything."

Wolverine has posed:
"No need," Logan says and he will let go of Angelica. Taking a drink of his own beer. "It won't be tomorrow. You'll work off the beer," he says taking pitty. Knowing that hangovers a thing. And people actually -need- time to work thm off. Well, time and a lot of water.

Firestar has posed:
She nods and in a most unlady like way brushes her nose with the back of her hand. It's gross, she doesn't care. A soft laugh and she nods,"Yes. Appreciate not starting with a hang over." she agrees. She takes a drink of her beer again, then sighs softly.