9066/Genosha Rises: Songs in the key of M

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Genosha Rises: Songs in the key of M
Date of Scene: 04 September 2019
Location: Backyard - Xavier's School
Synopsis: An impromptu duet leads to a great discussion on many subjects
Cast of Characters: Isotope, Nightingale




Isotope has posed:
     In Light of recent events, Brian had absconded himself to the outdoors, enjoying the evening air of the garden walkway, and the beautiful purple and reds of the sunset. He sat himself upon a bench, and strummed a tune for mostly himself.

  The young mutant was clad in his isolation suit, mostly black with a hauntingly glowing green circuit pattern around the chest and arms. Metal gauntlets adorned his forearms and metal clad boots rose to just below his calf. It was made for a purpose, not for aesthetics.

  His acoustic guitar resting on his leg, and he strummed at a slow pace. "I can see the red taillights, heading for Spain, oh and, I can see Daniel waving goodbye. God, it looks like Daniel..." His voice wasn't a professional's quality, but he was on key.

Nightingale has posed:
     Many tears had been shed by the lake the night before, questions asked, hard lessons learned. But such things were not easily left behind, when a passing was so fast and brutal, and reeked of failure. Perhaps a walk among the gardens would do some good, get outside for a little while. So Shannon does just that, her hands stuffed in the pockets of her jeans, her hair long and loose, and her wings ruffling with the tension she feels.

     But she is not alone, the soft notes of a familiar tune in an unfamiliar voice floating to her on the evening breeze. She just stops and listens for a moment, reluctant to disturb the singer initially. She simply listens to the next verse, and when the third is sung, adds her own voice, harmonizing and letting the young man take the melody.

"Oh oh, Daniel my brother you are older than me
Do you still feel the pain of the scars that won't heal?
Your eyes have died, but you see more than I
Daniel you're a star in the face of the sky...."

Isotope has posed:
     Brian keeps strumming, where his eyes had been teary, when Shannon joins in, his voice couldn't help but waver just a little as he tried to keep composure. His green eyes kept moving from Shannon to his finger placement. He was one of those souls that felt the weight of the world.

  "Daniel is traveling tonight on a plane
I can see the red taillights heading for Spain
Oh and, I can see Daniel waving goodbye..." He ends the song prematurely with a small slow flourish, it seemed fitting.

  It was then that Brian gave a small smile, a tiny bit of an acknowledgement to the moment. "It felt right, to change the lyrics a bit." He commented, his speaking voice was clearer, but the same pitch as his singing. "Thanks for the harmony." He offers, that small smile not wavering.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles a little bit, her eyes no longer teary, but those baby blues were windows to a soul that also bore its fair share of weight. "You sing well, and play guitar better than I ever could." She tilts her head and peers at the young man, thinking for a moment. "His name was Dan, so it works. No need to even change the lyrics." Her speaking voice is a gentle, smooth alto, but even that still has the slightest quaver to it. It will likely be a difficult subject to address for a little while yet. Gesturing to the bench, she says, "Misery loves company?"

Isotope has posed:
     His guitar moved from resting on his leg to resting on his foot, one hand held it steady and Brian slid on the bench, allowing more space for Shannon to plant herself.

  "That it does." He knew the news, what had happened. But he doesn't ask her how she's doing, it didn't take much supposition to know she probably felt terrible. "I-I was thinking of going to the vigil. Even in this." He pulled at the fabric of his suit and it snapped back into place. "Solidarity, you know? Not allowing the Friends to think this is somehow a win, like we will just scurry and hide in the floorboards like rats."

  A moment passes before he speaks again. "It felt like the least I could do."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods. "I was thinking about it, too. Make up for failing him just a little bit." She settles down on the bench next to the young man, her shoulders slumped slightly, looking down at her hand. "He was beyond healing. It was... so fast, so brutal. All I could do was close his eyes."

Taking a deep breath, she looks up at her erstwhile companion, grief and determination mingled in her expression, her brows furrowed but her eyes showing more of a steely look. "You're right. We can't give up. Maybe we should let one of the teachers know where we're going, though, if you wanted to go now?" She offers her hand, and smiles a bit. "Shannon... what's your name?"

Isotope has posed:
     "Those things shot that one girl out of the air and vaporized her. Remember in Russia?" Brian adds in. "I like to think that when a person dies, the kindness of those around them help them move on. What you did...helped him. Even if you don't think you did."

  Of course, the upperclassman gave a shrug in self-retort. "But no one can know for sure, and live to tell the tale. So...realistically, it's what we believe that helps us still living."

  "Woah there, the vigil isn't until tomorrow. But we definitely should let them know we want to go. I'm sure we aren't the only ones thinking it." Brian then slows down enough to accept Shannon's hand and bow his head as he raises it slightly. "Brian."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head. "No, I don't remember. I haven't been here all that long, just since the end of July." She falls silent to simply listen, canting her head as she takes in his musings on the journey of the soul after crossing over. She nods, smiling faintly as she releases Brian's hand. "Then I'll try to believe that helped him."

A faint blush creeps into her cheeks and there is a definitely sheepish grin. "Sorry... this really kind of rattled me. And who knows how many others, too. I should probably check in with the rest of the people who were there, make sure they're okay, too, at some point."

Isotope has posed:
     Brian nods as Shannon explains how long she's been here. He stopped himself from pulling out his WayneTech phone to show her. That isn't a good idea.

  "That's really all we can do, believe. Incredible things start with just one belief." He didn't say good or bad things, just incredible things.

  "I think it rattled more than just you. Some people around here...are much better at hiding it. Speak with who you feel comfortable with, trauma doesn't get better overnight. Don't try and force it." He would know.

  "Last year, I destroyed my high school gym, it ended up killing another student, hurt lots of others...I still think about it, more often than I'd wish."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly, extending one wing behind him in a half-hug, if he doesn't move away. "Something like that sticks with you. Thing is, though, someone very wise told me that none of us has to deal with any of it alone." She simply falls silent to let Brian talk about his experience, if he wishes, not really pressing the matter, just... being there.

Isotope has posed:
     Brian doesn't shy away from the winged embrace. But he also doesn't shift the focus wholly onto himself. "It was when my mutation manifested. Basketball practice, I don't remember much other than waking up in the hospital, and the FBI wanted to question me about bombing the school. Since I was the only one that didn't get hurt that badly in that part of the rubble."

  "Anyway, my point is, is that lots of us here, know how trauma feels. So -you- shouldn't bear all of that on yourself too."

  He reaches his gloved hand to Shannon's shoulder and squeezes, not too hard. "Like you said, misery loves company."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and hugs him gently. "I can't even begin to imagine how that felt... how it still feels. That must have been terrifying. But it wasn't your fault. It wasn't something you could control." She looks about to say something else, but then closes her mouth and just tilts her head, peering at Brian for a long moment.

"Maybe I shouldn't bear it all myself... but I can't forget that I'm not the only one who's hurting, who has experienced similar things." When he squeezes her shoulder, Shannon does not pull away, despite having just heard about how his powers manifested. No fear whatsoever.

Isotope has posed:
     "Thats why I have this..." He gestures to the suit, it wasn't just a fashion statement. "It happens when you're a human proton accelerator." He says with a chuckle, it was then that his eyes started to glow that radium green, glowing vapor starting to plume from his orbital sockets. He quickly pulls back a little, out of reflex, most people get frightened by the sight. "Sorry, it's harmless, happens when I burn off excess energy."

  He continues, even as that vapor plume follows his head movements. "We are there for each other. So, lean on who you can, and let others lean on you when you can."

  The young man spoke wisdom beyond his years, but then again, he wasn't the usual boy high school student.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon actually smiles brightly, delighting in rather than being frightened by the differences she is discovering in the gifts of each student or teacher she has met. "That looks so neat! But... it doesn't hurt when you do that, does it? Please... don't apologize for that. Especially if it helps keep you safe!"

Shannon nods, her smile only fading slightly as she listens, but is no less fascinated by the plumes coming from Brian's eyes than before. "Sometimes, that's all even the best healer can do... just listen."

Isotope has posed:
     Brian's brow raises in surprise. "They say it's my body's way of...keeping me from blowing up. Doesn't hurt, and I can see just fine. Just a little brighter."

  A light chuckle comes from the upperclassman, and that same small smile returns to his face. "Luckily, I don't need the suit as much as I used to. But when tensions are high...I'd rather not blow a hole into the school, or burn it down."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods and grins. "Still... okay, you've got to admit, that suit looks pretty neat, in a sci-fi sort of way. And even more, someone had to have the brains and the creativity to think something like that up to begin with. That's got to be a superpower in of itself!"

She chuckles a little bit, and glances down at her hands. "In my case, it's knowing where and when to heal, and when not to... and learning to be able to hold that ability back when necessary. It's been getting a little better, I can sometimes sense an injury rather than flat-out absorbing it. But that needs more practice."

Isotope has posed:
     "It was a power. Forge made it for me." Brian responds, then smiles. "That's what we all learn here. Just in different ways."

  A moment passes before Brian speaks again. "Okay, it is kind of cool, but destructive too, I don't like being able to hurt people. The way I see it, the less I have to use them, the better."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly. "Understandable. In my case... I have to make sure my power doesn't hurt -me-. What good will it do someone who needs it out there, if I'm laid out because I did something stupid?" She tilts her head, looking down at her hands. "Still... the healing's been improving a little. Not just holding it back, but when I do use it, healing from its use a little bit faster."

She shrugs, and smiles. "Kind of gives me hope that, with practice, I'll be at less risk out there." She smiles warmly, reaching over to gently squeeze Brian's hand. "Could be the same for you. Or any of us. Practice makes perfect... or at least closer to it."

Isotope has posed:
     "You sacrifice your body to heal others?" He asks, not being too familiar with the goings on of all the newer people.

  He shakes his head in response though. "Yes, even with just a year, it's much better to control than originally." Brian adds in.

  "So, we can put up a sign that we are going to organize a trip to the vigil. I doubt anyone will deny us paying our respects."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and shrugs lightly. "It's nothing I would ever have planned, but it's the hand I was dealt. In a way, though, I'm glad the gifts I was given are something that can maybe do a bit of good out there." Her smile is a bit lopsided, and she chuckles softly. "My folks started calling me their little Nightingale because of the healing. It kind of put a better spin on it when the gift first manifested. It was nothing as bad as some have experienced, but it was enough to isolate me from those I had thought friends, people I thought I could trust."

She takes a bit of a breath and lets out a slow sigh. "It was a campfire cooking accident at summer camp, the year I turned fourteen. My best friend went and got herself burned. When I went to put a cool compress on it... yeah. It happened. She freaked out. Counselors freaked out. I got sent home and pretty much told to never come back." Her smile returns somewhat. "My family's still there for me, though. I'm incredibly lucky... just wish others could be that fortunate. But the ones here are, aren't they? We're our own family."

Shannon nods again, with the chirping of a cricket somewhere nearby all that breaks the silence for several moments. "Right, good idea about the sign. Hopefully there'll be more of us that want to go pay respects."

Isotope has posed:
     Brian watches and listens as Shannon opens up to him, the glowing steadily subsides and his eyes return to normal. "My parents...don't understand. But they still love me. They're the only ones in our burrow that remember what actually happened at the school. Everyone else thinks I died in the explosion. But we have the chance to choose a family here."

  "I just chose Isotope, once I heard I do what I do. I'm not really radioactive though." Brian takes a moment to stand, and offer a hand to assist Shannon up. "It's a plan, it'd be nice to have a Kiki Dee to have in a duet on the way there. We can laugh watching everyone else wonder what the hell we are singing."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles a little bit, and rolls her eyes. "Most people probably wouldn't have a clue." She sobers a little bit, and nods towards Brian's guitar. "If you bring that along, maybe we could sing 'Daniel'. It'd be fitting. If others know it, they can join in. If not, well... at least maybe somewhere... somehow... Dan hears and knows he's not forgotten."