15720/Dad, Daughter and Some Beer

Dad, Daughter and Some Beer
Date of Scene:	19 October 2023
Location:	Logan's Room (North Halls), Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Logan and Laura do some much needed cathing up.
Cast of Characters:	Wolverine, X-23

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Wolverine has posed:
Logan moves through the cabin. A blue tooth speaker blares Motorhead's "Ace of Spades." It's a song he often plays in the garage. He's been keeping a low profile. The cabin is a good place for that. Although, he has shown up for classes and even made to the garage. So, people know he's -around-. However, outside of the routine, he kind of became a ghost. The phone that plays said Motorhead does have texting and a phone number. He'd answer them if they come.

Right now he's moving about the kitchen just cooking up a couple of steaks. Nothing hard, simple season, and sear to perfection aka medium rare. He's wearing a pair of simple cornflower blue jeans, and a button up flannel shirt that's black with light brown and tan. Logan's not quite fancy. At least he took the boots off and the hat's hanging up.

The day is stretching toward the night. Bits of gold streak across blue skies. The sun giving a last gasp of the day before it gives way to night. All-in-all a perfectly normal day.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney parks her own bike outside. It's not a full motorcycle, more akin to a hyped up dirtbike, with a lot of acceleration and not a ton of fine tuning on the controls. A shitkicker bike and she liked it that way. She didn't have much but she preferred to pay her own way. Didn't want to be dependent, not on anybody.

Not even him.

But that didn't mean she didn't care. So here she was, knocking on the cabin door. Her dark hair is falling a bit in her face. She's short, obviously, following in his footsteps, not even fully five feet tall. She wears a pair of jeans and a A-line tank over a grey sports bra. The shirt has the bloodied face of a female MMA fighter, looking defiant. She shoves her hands in her pockets as she sticks her head in. "Hey."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan hears the little shit kicker even with the music going. It roars in a particular way. In his opinion not a full-blown growl, but definitely a defiant sound. He doesn't want to use the analogy that's just ripe for the taking, even if it fits. He'll take the meat off the pans just to be safe. No one wants shoe leather for dinner.

Heavy footfalls start to move toward the door and then he opens it. Pause.

She's not quite his spitting image, but she's got the eyes, nose and height, at minimum.

"Hey Kid," his eyes go over the shirt with that female MMA Fighter. Logan gives it a nod, "Nice shirt," and then he jerks his head. A wordless invitation.

"Ya like yer steak like mine?" Logan asks more as a courtesy than anything else. The likelihood is extremely high and he knows it. "How long have ya been 'round? What have ya been doin', kid?" it's Logan's way of saying, "It's nice to see you. How are you? "

Logan only speaks elegantly when it's Japanese. The stricter language forced stricter pronunciations. "Gonna stay 'round. Always got room fer ya here, if ya ever need a break." Yes, Logan knows that Laura won't ask for help. However, he'll offer it even if she never takes it.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney moves over and grabs a chair, slouching into it a bit. She thinks about putting a boot on the table but thinks twice about it. She's nervous which makes her angry because she doesn't like being nervous, she doesn't have anything to be nervous about, she didn't ask to exist, she just...

Breathe, Laura.

"I could actually use a place to crash," she admits, looking down for a second. "Being around Xavier's, it's too much...it's institutional. Reminds me too much of...things. Too many kids around anyway. And I'm not exactly the teaching type," she says. "I still can't believe they ever talked you into it."

"I'll...chop wood or whatever old guy shit you do out here. Y'know. To help out."

"But I ain't too bad. Went to Gotham for a little while, got in a few fights. Got hit on by a guy in a cape."

Wolverine has posed:
The pans go back on the fire. The steak sizzles a little bit more, "Don't be nervous," Logan says firmly. Honestly, it could be advise to both of them. Unlike her, Logan doesn't get angry about the nerves. He just gets annoyed with it. This is one of the last people he -needs- to be nervous about. Still, Logan might blame himself for her existence. They both didn't ask for it, but here they were.

"Speaking of that. Avoid a guy named Nathaniel Essex," he pauses for a moment. There's a heavy sigh, one that Laura knows intimately one. A similar one can leave her own lips when she thinks of -that- institution.

"He's kinda like the head of the facilities we were in, but turned into a scientist. Like some kinda biologist," Logan doesn't qute know what Nathaniel does. However, he will never forget that conversation.

"Last time I heard someone speak like that, I was bein' turned into a weapon. Kinda why I question a friend right now," he admits. The whole X-Force thing is complicated.

"It's survival crap, not old man shit," Logan somewhat growls. He doesn't feel old, usually. Laura kind of reminds him that he is.

Talk of Gotham comes about and he's quick to comment, "That don't exactly narrow it down, kid. Same if ya said there's a bat or bird on the chest. He got a name?" Logan says trying not to sound protective, but it definitely borders on that tone.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney sighs, "I think I will take that beer," she says.

"I've met Essex, although not well. Just...seen him in action. Seemed to be pally enough around with the others. I was only there cause Tabby needed someone to watch her back,' she says. "He seemed like a weird freak creeper. But everyone keeps telling me I'm not supposed to judge."

"You'd survive anywhere. You don't need to do survival crap. So you like it. And that's...cool, I guess, whatever. I'm just not as much of a country type as you. But yeah, the school...I just don't fit in there. I'm not one of their kids and I'm not one of their peers. I dunno. I'm nobody."

She shrugs about the Gothamite, "I didn't get a name. He didn't ask mine. Just gave me the 'thou shalt not kill speech' while checking out my ass."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan will go for the beer and pop off the top, then move back toward Laura. Handing her the bottle, Logan finishes up the steaks. "I wanna be on that team, but I'm worried maybe she's doin' the wrong thing, I don't know," Logan goes back and forth. He does want too trust his friend.

"I'm still thinkin on it," he confesses.

"There's even a garden in back," Logan smirks. He doesn't mind country, but can survive in any city. Madripoor is proof of that. "You'll find yer own. Trust me. They did a lot fer me. It's why I do it. Gotta give em' a chance, and I know how that sounds," he heard similar speeches himself. However, they dd become true.

"Only in Gotham," Logan shakes his head. He tries to push past that. Again, not wanting to sound overprotective. "We'll work out a system if ya ever have company like that," he knows that could be more awkward than it already is.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney takes a sip of the beer, "Yeah, I know the feeling. One minute, I'm trying to be good and pure and be a better person, Laura, and all that other crap. Then we end up hanging out with that weirdo and the Juggernaut on missions? I dunno. I go to look after the backs of the ones I like. The mission, the ra-ra team bullshit? Nah, miss me on that."

At the last bit, she laughs, "I wouldn't bring one of 'em home. I ain't much for, uh...relationships. Mostly just ships in the night, y'know. Not real personal," she says. "That's...probably too much information. I don't know. Boundaries are...hard for me. I didn't have secret parts of me until I came out into the real world. No modesty in the lab," she says. "Seems like a contradiction, but I know that's just me being what I am. Who I am."

Wolverine has posed:
Logan looks at Laura, "Sometimes it helps to get a purpose. But I know that ain't fer everyone," he shrugs a bit then pulls the steaks off the pan. Serving them on the plates. Laura, despite her efforts, reminds Logan of himself. Back when he was free of the facility and before Alpha Flight, maybe right at the beginning.

"I'm just makin' yer feelin' welcomed n' I don't wanna walk in with Cape Boy not wearin' cape," then he looks at her for a moment. "It's hard to let em' in. It's worth it, most of the time, but that's what it takes. Time, you'll come into yer own eventually," Logan's just trying to guide her a little bit. Maybe she would listen to him.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney makes a face, "Like I said, didn't even get the name," she says. "Purpose is what I always had. Whether I liked it or not. I like being able to decide for myself, for a while. Doesn't mean I won't do good or fight assholes who try to make the world a shittier place. Just means I don't want anybody being my boss. I don't want to be ordered anymore. I wanna do what I wanna do, whether anybody else likes it or not," she says.

She takes another long draw on the beer, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"How do you get by on these? I don't think I'd even have a buzz if I hadn't dropped an edible when I got here," she says.

"But, I, uh...I appreciate it. The part about you wanting to welcome me. I feel welcomed. Thank you," she says. Awkward.

Wolverine has posed:
Logan smirks and shakes his head. "I know what ya mean, it's havin' the freedom we didn't have in our respective cages," another nod comes back from him. Again, she's a reflection of him, just with the clock wound back a few decades or so. Ocean blue eyes take her in and then he sets the steak down in front of her. Just a simple piece of ribeye seared, with salt, pepper, garlic and some butter to create an au jus.

"I like the taste, but I've complained 'bout Shine n' all this other. It sucks because we might never be able to get a buzz or somethin' goin'. Imagine if we were black out drunk," Logan says just pointing out. Everyone has those horror stories. Logan knows it would be truly horrific if they had a night like that.

"Yer welcome, kid. No need to thank," he says waving if off like it was no big deal.

X-23 has posed:
Laura Kinney nods, "Yeah, I know. Can't control ourselves. Animals underneath," she says. "I dunno. Part of the problem is we get hurt a lot but we still feel it, so it's just...sometimes I'd like to be less sensitive, y'know? Like, we're tough, but I feel everything, taste everything, it's all just rushing in. I don't always...I can't always shut everything out. Not the way I used to," she says.

She had been disassociated, broken, mind-numbed when she was in her cage. Now she's alive and free and all the feeling's rushed back to the limbs she'd been lying on. It prickles and it stings. Pins and needles, only of the mind.

She eats quickly and heartily, knife and fork, efficient in the way she'd been taught. "It tastes good," she says. A simple compliment, but sincere. "Speaking of which, if I did bring someone home, you'd hear everything. Smell everything. Be kind of rude of me."

Wolverine has posed:
"Then we might be more number than we already are," Logan admits. That's actually a fear of his. To turn into something unfeeling and dangerous. "I hate that 'bout us. We still feel everythn'. Lotta people ferget that. They just see the healin' not knowin' what it takes,' Logan shakes his head a little bit.
"This is home fer as long as ya want, kid." Logan at the end of the day just wants Laura to be comfortable and hopefully feel like she had a home. Or at least, a port in the storm.