8475/Stairway to Awkward

Stairway to Awkward
Date of Scene:	24 July 2019
Location:	Second Floor, Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Terry and Sean have an awkward chat about their mutual history.
Cast of Characters:	Banshee, Siryn

---

Banshee has posed:
Taking the stairs two at a time, Sean Cassidy is headed upstairs from the main foyer. It's a calm evening, the stairs aren't loaded with students, so there's no need to weave around anyone. Students there mostly get out of his way, though: Sean carries an official quality to his movement when he's on mission. In this particular case, he's carrying a banker's box in his hands, with one of his beaten-up duffel bags hanging off a strap at his shoulder.

"Hi Mr. Cassidy," chirps a student as he passes her, and he gives her an immediate quick nod, "G'evenin' t' you, Jess," answers the off-and-on teacher's somewhat unique Irish lilt. He passes the student and arrives at the upper landing, shifting the box more to one arm to pull his sunglasses up into the front of his clipped hair. It's different from the last time he'd been here: a more spiked, short style instead of the wavy strawberry look.

Siryn has posed:
Theresa Cassidy had returned not so long ago only to find that she felt more out of sorts than she had in quite awhile. Yet she had to come back. Even if her Aunt swore up and down she was always welcome, she knew she'd overstayed her visit to help her while recovering from being sick. Quite a bit overstayed. She'd lost touch with friends she considered close as family as well as the one she knew was family for sure: Sean himself.

Not that it was hard to lose touch with him given the situation.

Terry's taken to walking the halls out of boredom. Normally she'd wander the grounds or go flying, but it was just warm enough she didn't really want to bother with that whole 'sun being out' thing and her pale skin. Just as she turns the corner she hears Jess greet her father on the stairs. Without thinking she takes off at a flat out run toward the stairs to catch up. Breezing by Jess with a mumbled, "Sorry, jus' in a hurry," she takes the steps two at a time until she skids to a halt just behind him on the stairs.

"Dad."

Banshee has posed:
Lacking the sunglasses to help with the expression, all of his surprise shows on his face to anyone on the upper landing. There's only a few people up there to see that look of a mix of alarm and uncertainty, though, before he smooths a smile into place and turns his head to look back and down to his daughter on the stair where he'd been not a moment before.

"Oh! Terry," Sean replies, perhaps a little too quickly. But the warmth isn't false: just a little uneasy, like he'd been caught doing something he wasn't sure he wanted her to witness. Carrying a box? Sneaking in? He wasn't. The emotions of all of it are tangled and illogical.

"Comin' up?" he asks, failing to have anything better to say in the moment, and ending up with that lame question. The flinch at his own words shows in his light blue eyes. If only there were some manual on this.

"Ye're lookin' well, lass," he tells her, instead, moving off the top of the stair, still turned towards her, in a clear welcome for her to fall into step with him.

Siryn has posed:
Theresa Cassidy stares right back at him with her own blue eyes roaming over his face uncertainly. She'd finally caught up to him, but now what? The way he steps to the side causes her to finish her ascent on the stairs to join him there automatically though she hesitates in responding to his greeting or question about where she was going. There was no destination in mind other than him, but to admit that?

"M'fine," she agrees, dipping her head in a quick nod. "You're... okay too?" Glancing sidelong at him she checks for any sign of injury or ailment that might make him actually come back here knowing she might be around. Instead her eyes drop to that box he was carrying with a single arched eyebrow in clear curiosity that she quickly quelches down. Instead she stares straight ahead down the hall anticipating he would start to walk that way.

"Didn't know you were back."

Banshee has posed:
While Sean doesn't dodge her stare into his face, he wasn't quite sure what to do with it other than to return her look. And a rising flare of some flushed quality to his face, from how much of her mother he can see in her with that penetrating look. It's hard to look away, for him: and he doesn't have to, since she's the one to look down at the hallway. "Yah, always," Sean replies to being okay. Even if he wasn't okay, he'd say that. He doesn't bring worry to others: just contains it like a safe.

"Back, aye; mmm, two month, jus' about," Sean replies, "Though mos' o' it's been 'elpin Cap'n Quaid in th' city, police're under pressure wi' the Sen'nels: 'n now this new drug." It's probably zero shock that Sean would talk about work. It's like a default setting with him.

He begins to carry his box towards the staff hall, while he talks to her. "'pect to be 'ere at least a week, though?" It's more an offer than a statement.

Siryn has posed:
It was a start at least even if he was just babbling about work. Maybe that would be some aspect they could bond over enough to start communicating. If she had any proper work of her own to talk of at least. Sweeping a hand up she tucks the length of her hair behind her ear as she nods clearly listening at the same time. "Mmm. I've heard they've been an issue. Sentinels an' all."

"There was this thing with the moon the other week. Investigating some stuff up there. Kitty knows more about it though." Rats. There went that idea. Terry takes a deeper breath, and forces herself to look back at him with a tight smile. "Yeah?" There's that moment of tension in her again as she tries to put her words to her needs, and ends up just twisting her hair around her finger until it coils tight enough to earn a little wince. It snaps her out of it at least.

"I was, ah... I was hopin' you could tell me 'bout me mum. Since I never... You know."

Banshee has posed:
Sean doesn't have his own faculty room at this point: and it's apparent, when he gets a little confused about which door he's headed to, and needs to fish out a key from pocket to check it. He's still listening to her, though. "Th' moon? Aye, think there was a report on th' trip," Sean answers distractedly, before getting to the door, and offering her the key with a quick smile. "G' me a hand, would'y'please?" he asks hopefully, voice warm: since he has the box, it'd be easier for her to help unlock.

And then she swings the topic and he manages not to drop the box while looking at her with a mix of shock and dismay. "Y' mum?" Sean begins. It takes a second for him to resolve who she means. "/Maeve/?" Sean is clearly disoriented, and his emotions catch up. It's like watching his friendly, relaxed façade crumble into loss and sadness.

"O'course, Terry," Sean says, voice more quiet, a depth and vibration coming into it as his vocal chords draw on his emotion of the topic. "Yeh, I kin do that. What... what brought this on?" he asks, collecting himself.

Siryn has posed:
Theresa Cassidy reaches out to take the key from him gingerly as it becomes obvious he's juggling things just a bit. Turning to the door she reaches for the knob and almost misses the faltering reaction from Sean at her question. Almost. It was her turn to grow momentarily stiff as she hesitates in turning the key in the door while debating just how honest to be.

"Never got t'know her, did I?" The door is opened and she swings it wide with arm outstretched to hold it open for Sean as she turns to the side to allow him through. It gives her time to look at him again, her own expression a bit pained over the topic. Even if she was the one that brought it up. Curiosity won out though, and she takes a deep breath again.

"Auntie talks 'bout her o'course, but it's not the same. Always 'bout how when they were little they'd do this and that. Not what she was like, who she was... I dunno." Her voice drops a little, a hint of wavering tremor in her own voice. "Figured it'd be a place t'start."

Banshee has posed:
Sean recovered from the question: the general 'everything is fine' face doesn't fully resurface, though: he doesn't feel ashamed of his sadness or his loss, and doesn't cover it up. There's an honesty to Sean, that shows with that acceptance of how he feels about Maeve.

With the box, he brings it into the room, and sets it down on the main coffee table. He pulls the duffel bag off as well, setting it near the box. It's small: he travels pretty lightly. He travels often; best not to take a lot with you.

Sean settles his hands at his sides now, one thumb hooked into a pocket, and regards Theresa with a quiet, thoughtful look. He's sad, but still game to talk. To try.

"I see so much've 'er in you," Sean sighs. "I know that ain' nearly enough," he says, more heavily. "I woulda had you know 'er e'ery day." His light eyes drop to the carpet, then sweep aside. "She was m' world."

Sean is more certainly sad, but smiles anyway, perhaps from a positive memory. And perhaps a clear reason why Sean is alone; he hasn't moved on.