9342/Just a walk in the park

Just a walk in the park
Date of Scene:	27 September 2019
Location:	Bushwick, Mutant Town
Synopsis:	Megan and Rahne hang out in the park and discuss life.
Cast of Characters:	Pixie, Wolfsbane

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Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn hadn't visited Mutant Town in a while, or really left the school in a long time. It was getting pretty stuffy however, as big as the school was. Megan longed to stretch her wings and do a little exploring. Of course it required a note, and a guarantee that she'd be accompanied by an Xmen instructor or guardian. Fortunately, Mutant town was a relatively safe place for mutants, even if it wasn't safe in other ways. Even here, amongst the grime and crime, Megan was able to find a nice patch of green space in the form of a hilly park, scattered with a few treets. In the last few days of summer, she swooped and twirled and enjoyed the feel of a gentle autumn breeze as it rushed through her wings. It was nice not to have to hide under an image transducer when in public.

Wolfsbane has posed:
There are not many hilly areas in the Bushwick neighborhood. It's mostly just flat streets and high-density, low-income housing. Some may fear it could be a powder keg waiting to explode given the concentrated population of mutants that reside there, and with the Sentinel issue still a problem, one can never be too safe.

Megan wanted to visit, and there was an area that had been developed into a small block-sized park with some actual hills to it. The "secret" is it's been built on landfill, then covered over with topsoil, grass, and some pathways. Not even this thing can be completely pure in Mutant Town, but there's not much about it to the average person that stands out as out of the ordinary, and in fact the greenery and the trees that have been able to actually take root do provide a break from the norm.

A reddish-furred wolf casually makes its way along one of the paths. A few people give it a wide berth, while a couple children point out the 'big doggy.'

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn hasn't really explored Mutant town, and she doesn't know half of it's dirty little 'secrets', it's true. All she sees is a pretty green space, and for some reason, she has always felt pulled towards nature, even if it's just a postage stamp really, especially compared to real parks like Central park. She lands on one of the higher hills, peering around, and eventually spotting a big beautiful red wolf trotting towards her. At first she tenses, uncertain if it's a dangerous wild animal..But then again it could be wolfbane..she smiles and waves towards her. "Hey! Up here!"

Wolfsbane has posed:
Warnings are often made to students and other members of Xavier's to be careful about open use of powers in public, but if not in Mutant Town...then where, really? Megan is about to find out if the wolf is friend or foe, but given what is known of Wolfsbane and the fact she's given the whole 'live in Mutant Town' idea a try for the past few months, it's not hard to guess at the truth.

It's especially easy to tell when she calls out with a wolfen version of a bark, no doubt some form of greeting. Sitting back on her haunches, she waits to see if Megan will approach or if she'll just need to shift here and now before anything else.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn arches a brow at the seemingly friendly bark. And hey, aren't wolves usually pretty shy around people? Unless this is just a big dog, but she seems friendly enough. Megan laughs as she runs down the hill to meet the red wolf, wrapping her arms around her neck. Perhaps a brazen move by anyone else, but Megan has always been a bit edgy, especially with the hole in her soul deal, that tends to make her a bit more bold than normal. But there's still a bit of her that hopes she wont get bitten or scratched by the wolfie. "Hey there, Wolfsbane?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
It could be dangerous to do that to a true animal, and Wolfsbane probably wasn't even expecting someone to just come up and hug a wolf. No bite back, but given the positioning at the moment she ends up with cheek ruff against bare cheek. A whuffle follows.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn has been known to be a bit bold and daring at times, perhaps even dangerously so at times. She is perhaps fortunate that this is no ordinary wolf, and in fact someone she knows. In fact, Megan does relax visibly, grining as she attempts to scritch the wolfie behind the ears. "Heeey there, how have you been? You're such a cute little puppy.." she coos, forgetting for a moment that this cute 'puppy' is in fact a human. Or rather, a mutant who will probably not be so keen on being coddle like this.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Surprisingly enough, the wolf does not immediately shy away from the attention, cutesy as it may be. On one hand, the attention is kind of nice for what it is. It also seems like it's helping Pixie with whatever mood she's in, so she allows it to go on for now. She even tilts her head into the direction of the scritchings. The tail thwaps.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn arches a brow at the wolfie, a bit surprised that she doesn't shy away. "Wow, this is great! It's sooo cool that you're able to shapeshift! Can you talk too?" she gives the wolf more scritches under the chin, enjoy the feel of her soft red fur under her fingers. She has sooo many questions.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane can indeed talk! She proves it with a chuff, a whuffle of sorts, and she watches the winged one with half-lidded eyes as the chin is focused on. Who is she to ask Megan to stop it, especially if it feels good? Easy to forget about other things in that moment, though it can't last forever. A paw is used to nudge at a side.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn laughs, "sorry, I don't understand wolf language. But heey, wanna go for a run? I'm not a fellow wolf shifter like Andrea, but I'll do my best to keep up with you!" she glances around the park, it's fairly big and round with lots of hills and pathways and trees. It would be a good place to stretch her legs. It's perhaps why Megan is in fact dressed today in her black yoga pants and matching black tanktop with the green stripes along the sides, a head band in her hair and running shoes on her feet, determined to enjoy the last few days of summer.

Wolfsbane has posed:
It's at this time, as Megan asks of a run or jog, that Wolfsbane decides to shift back to normal..which happens to still be while chin scritchings are being offered. She's crouched to one knee like this, and her eyes blink a few times. "Tha'..feels pretty good. Sorry, I couldna resist staying like tha' for a wee bit longer. I just had tae change so I could say I dinna mind walking for noo if ye'd like the talk. How are ye?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn laughs, stepping back as Rahne shifts back, since it'd be awkward to scratch a human chin. "Hehe, sorry about that! I guess it's a bit difficult to realize there's a mutant under all that fur! I am curious to see how fast you can run as a wolf, though! It must be so refreshing, running around as a part of nature though." she grins and stretches, "I've never been to this park before, I figured all of mutant town was just ugly, dingy slums. I wonder, how fast can you run in mutant form?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane can't help the grin that shows before the scritching stops. Awkward? Maybe, maybe not. She waves it off. "It's fine. Most people dinna even get close enough tae consider doing tha'. Ahh, how fast can I run? I've never raced, but probably just as fast as any real wolf," she explains, running a hand through her hair until both reach back to adjust the tie for her ponytail. "It's nice tae be around nature. A lot o' Mutant Town is no' much tae look a', but they tried tae make a nice place for people here."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn giggles, "You liked that, didn't you. C'mon, I'm right aren't I?" she's enjoying this, but she will enjoy runing even more. "Wow, you can run as fast as a wolf in your human form? Let's see! You ready?" she crouches a bit, getting ready to launch into a sprint. Truth be told, Megan can get lazy sometimes, relying too much on her wings. Even Samuel said that she needs to rely less on them, especially in the cases where she might not have access to them. This would be another good exercise.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane waves the teasing off with a hand. "It felt nice," she reconfirms, rubbing one of her ears in a somewhat self-aware manner. "An' I meant I can run tha' fast when I'm a full wolf..but I can run pretty fast this way too if I need," the wolfen mutant further explains. "I'll watch ye run if ye're in th' mood," she remarks, not giving off any signs that she's about to join in the exercise this time around. Instead, she sniffs. "This place smells a bit funny."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn makes a face. "Awwe, c'mon, it's only fun if I get to race ya! Then I can really push myself as hard as I can..Don't worry, even if I lose, I wont make a big deal of it. But I'll bet I'll still beat you, wolf or no wolf! I've been training hard, y'know, extra practice sessions with Samuel since the whole Sentinel event.." she makes a face, then suddenly darts off over the hill. "Catch me if you can!!" she taunts.

Wolfsbane has posed:
If Megan really wants a race, she'll get one. And there's no rule made that says it has to be a fair one. Wolfsbane's expression goes a little flat when the 'pixie' just takes off running, and she lets the other mutant enjoy a head start before she decides to make her point about just how fast she can be. Before she may know what's happening, the same wolf Megan hugged before zips past her, pushing 30 MPH while looking like she might even be able to go beyond that a bit.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn is pretty athletic, it's true, but heightenned speed is not one of her super powers, unfortunately. Still, she is quite surprised when the red wolf rushes by her, a blur of red. "Heeey, no faaaair! You can't use your powers!" she makes a face, her wings fluttering rapidly behind her. "No no, Sam said I shouldn't be lazy and rely on my flying. I can do this!" she does use her wings just a little, just to give her a boost off the ground, but still pushes herself at least mostly using her feet. Wolfsbane will likely run circles around her at this rate, but she may have just caught up to her if even a little, with her wing boost. "Heh, you're pretty fast!" she pants, struggling to keep up, still lagging behind from time to time.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane never agreed to run like normal, though given her more animalistic side..even when she's in her half-form she's using her powers, and can therefore run faster, but would be more or less just normal without any of that in play. Instead, by the time Megan is catching up, she's sat down in the middle of the path with a paw up. For a human, it'd be akin to checking a watch. In the wolf's case, she seems to be asking for a shake of the paw. There's a bit of a chuffing sound that goes with it.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn is actually relieved for the break, and she grabs her knees, hanging her head as she tries to get her wind back. "Phew...You're...Really fast..As a wolf..Of course..If I were flying, I'd totally beat you!" she smirks, glancing around, "heey, that was super fun! Guess I got my workout for the day. Maybe Mutant town isn't all bad. I mean, it's so nice and *green* out here! Do you come here often?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane morphs back to the shape Megan is more familiar with, rising from a natural crouch. She doesn't look like she's had to exert herself much in comparison. The benefits of being the type of mutant she is, right? "Well..it's green here, but most o' Mutant Town is just buildings an' a few trees wherever they'll grow. It's nothing like th' school grounds an' forests there, or even parts o' Central Park. I do miss some o' tha'," she says, an admission at the end as she considers, "Maybe I should come here more often, but it's just no' th' same." Megan's cheerful mood, while it can be infectuous, still hasn't broken through all of Rahne's outer shell. "How fast can ye fly, anyway?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn collapses to the ground, hey, she really pushed herself today. She's never depended almost entirely on her legs, and tends to be pretty darn lazy with her wings and all. "Hah! I'll bet I could beat you easily with my wings. I can outfly a car if I really push it!" she grins, although still panting. Fortunately she brought a water bottle and she grabs for it now, dousing it over her face, drinking it thirstily. "Yeaaah, it must be hard when you're a wild wolf, confined to a place like this. But I'm sure it's rewarding in others ways though, right?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
At least she's stopped on a grassy spot, rather than a dirt path. Less messy that way. Barefoot, Wolfsbane's toes curl into the grass for a few seconds, just flexing. "I can see why they want ye tae work oot an' no' use yuir powers. There may be times ye canna use them for some reason an' need tae get away unnoticed." Or there could be other reasons she doesn't dig into right now.

A half-smile follows the mention of the wolf being 'wild,' as she knows the truth of that and takes it as joking around regardless. "There are good an' bad things about living in Mutant Town, but it's th' same way a' th' school for some people. Here, a' least, I feel like I can help some people faster if they need it an' it's something I can do. Th' mutants here mostly look oot for each other. They know whit it's like tae have tae live in th' world we have, an' it's easy tae forget about tha' sometimes a' th' school. But, Kurt also mentioned another group I might join up wi'."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods and sighs. "Yeaah. But sometimes it feels like they underestimate me. After that Sentinel attack on the mutants here in Mutant town, I thought Samuel would be impressed that I took a Sentinel down all on my own. Instead, he was disappointed that I didn't follow orders from a mutant I'm not used to and who doesn't know my abilities well.." she shrugs.

"But hey, I'll show 'em, even if I have to take extra classes, and practice harder to develop my skills separated from my powers." Megan smiles, stretching a bit as she lays down on the grass to gaze up at the sun. "Hey, I think that's great that you're out here, helping people on a day to day basis, rather than being a big flashy superhero like the Xmen..I dunno if I'll ever have what it takes to be an X-man, but it'd be nice to help people in little ways too.."

As for this new group, Megan perks up, curious, "Ooh, what kinda group is that?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
"I'm no' even sure whit half th' students a' th' school are capable o' these days. I dinna feel like I'm a good person tae be giving advice or mentoring anyone, an'..well, like ye, I'm no' sure I'm cut oot tae be a full-time X-Man either. I do know I wouldna be able tae take oot a Sentinel all on muh own, though," Wolfsbane says, crouching with her forearms draped across her knees and thighs, rocking back and forth slightly on the balls of her feet.

"I'm no' a verra powerful mutant. I can do some useful things, but I have tae be careful whit I get intae especially if I dinna have backup." She adds, "Have ye ever heard o' Excalibur? They were based mainly in England, but I guess they're gaunae be doing some things oot this way as well."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn shrugs, "I probably just got lucky, I mean..Polaris was there, and she helped a bit I guess." she could be exaggerating. Megan's good with the grand stories. "Well I dunno, you're a New Mutant right? I think you're the perfect role model for me!" she beams, "I mean a lot of people are just all talk and hype, but hey, look at you, living out here, in the heart of mutant slumville, watching the action first hand, making big differences where it really counts. If anyone's a big role model, it's you! give yourself some credit.."

This Excalibur has her curious though, "Soo, what's Excalibur about? That sounds like a fancy name. Wasn't that the name of a sword in King Arthur? Sounds pretty funky.."

Wolfsbane has posed:
"They say sometimes it's better tae be lucky than good," Wolfsbane answers. "Th' important thing is ye helped take one doon whether it was on yuir own or wi' others. I'm just..gaunae do muh best tae avoid them. I'm no' much good facing one straight on," she explains with a shake of the head. She's got quickness and claws, but that may not work the best on them. "Ahh..if ye want tae see me as a role model for ye, ye're free tae. I dinna want tae let anyone doon by no' meeting expectations." The words of praise feel..good, even if she keeps it bottled up inside.

"Aye, an' I guess ye could say Excalibur was sort o' th' X-Men o' England, wi' Captain Britain an' all, but there's more tae it all than tha'. I honestly have no' focused as much on them as maybe I should since I came tae th' States, but Kurt says they're gaunae be around more places. Both o' us sort o' have a connection. I'm from Scotland an' ye're..whit was it, Wales?"

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn smiles, "Maybe you're too hard on yourself, Rahne." she sits up straight, peering at her thoughtfully, "But you're right, it's good to have some luck on your side. I guess I get lucky a lot. But I think I'm pretty darn good too, and no pressure, doesn't mean you gotta mark my tests or anything. But it's nice to have someone to talk to who isn't gonna judge me either.."

Megan sighs. "Just wish I could make it on the team..Oh well, maybe next time!" she arches a brow, "Ooh, Xmen of England. I know of Captain Britain, he's pretty cool! The name Excalibur s ounds familiar too, but I'm not as familiar with them as with the Xmen." she shrugs, "I'm from Wales yeah, from a tiny coal mining town. I left when I was fairly young though, about twelve or so.."

Wolfsbane has posed:
"Maybe," Wolfsbane supposes. She's often hard on herself, seeing in her someone who might not ever be 'good enough' compared to others, when she can only be as good as she's able to be in her own regard. "I've had a lot o' training, so I usually know whit I'm good an' bad a'," she explains. "An' maybe if this works oot wi' Excalibur, I can show ye around. I'm no' even sure where everything will be yet."

The wolfen woman nods slowly, head tilting. "Sam worked in coal mines," she recalls. "I was born in a small village in th' Highlands called Ullapool."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods. "Don't get me wrong, Sam's a great leader and teacher. Just wish he'd take me more seriously. Him and the others." she shrugs and smiles, "But it's okay, I'll prove myself to him, and all the others too!" Megan at least does not lack in confidence. "Soo, Excalibur, huh. That's cool. Do ya think you'll leave Mutant town permanently? I'm sure the people here would miss having you around." she bites her lip, "Highlands huh, that's cool. It'd explain the accent. Do ya miss home much?"

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane rises and tucks her hands within the folds of her outfit, pacing slowly. "Everyone wants tae prove themselves a' our age, when we're younger an' untested an'..when we think we know it all but we really dinna know much a' all," she murmurs. And she says she's not cut out for mentorship, or giving advice, or things like that. "But we all need th' chance tae fail, no' just succeed. Everyone always told me tha's how ye really learn."

Shaking her head, she adds, "I'm no' sure yet. I think they have a place around Bludhaven, over west o' Gotham City. Tha's further away from th' school than Mutant Town is. I'm no' sure how it'll work as far as where we stay, how active we'll be. I've no' even met th' others yet. An' I do miss home a lot, but there are other parts of it I'm all right wi' leaving in th' past." She looks out across what she can see of the area, though they aren't high up enough to get a good view of downtown from here.

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods and bites her lip. "Wow, you really are good at this stuff. I guess you're right, we can't learn from our mistakes unless we fail first, right? I just hope those failures aren't too painful!" still, Megan seems pretty positive, pretty certain she wont fail too much or too hard in her attempts at becoming an Xman.

'As for this Bludhaven place, never heard of it. Sounds kinda romantic.." she smilees, "Well, I'd be sad to go, but if I get the hang of my teleporting power, I'm pretty sure I could come visit any time I want! It's always worth it to try something new, too! But..What is it in the past that you're running away from?" She seems concerned, and maybe a bit curious.

Wolfsbane has posed:
Waving it off, the Scot says, "It's just things others have told me tha' makes sense when ye think about it a wee bit. An' I dunno. Bludhaven sounds dangerous tae me, just based on th' name." She gives Megan a long look when powers are brought up. She knows something happened to her with Illyana, but it doesn't seem she's willing to ask for any details about all that. All she adds, as she glances away from the winged girl, is, "Someone I'd rather no' think about. Muh life is in a much better place since I left there."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn blinks slowly. "Oh..I'm sorry, I guess you'd rather not talk about it." she laughs a bit, stretching, enjoying the warmth, the soft green grass beneath her, the pleasant company of Rahne. "I mean, there are parts in my past that I'd rather not remember either..Like how it felt to have a piece of my soul ripped out..." she shivers a bit at the memory, a brief look of terror, pain and..Something else - regret? crossing her features. But she's not one to mull for long, and she smiles, brushing a black streaked strand of hair out of her dark eyes. "Well, maybe you'll find your place in Excalibur. Doesn't Captain Britain live in like, a castle or something? That would be cool!"

Wolfsbane has posed:
"It's..family stuff. Maybe another time," Wolfsbane answers. And then, there it is. The talk about part of Megan's soul being..stolen, taken away, whatever it exactly was. "I canna really imagine tha'," she confesses, a grimace in her expression. "I wish I knew how ye stayed so cheerful in spite o' tha'. It probably says something about yuir resiliency." She pauses, nodding before adding, "I heard he does. Apparently they even have one in Bludhaven."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn nods. "It's okay, I get that." she shrugs, "As for my soul, well..I guess it coulda been worse, I coulda turned into a creepy demon thing and ruled over Limbo as it's queen." she is totally not talking about Illyana or anything. "I mean, it was painful, but apparently I've got plenty of soul to spare. Besides, I have my team mates to keep me in good spirits. So it really isn't all that bad. And I have this magic ability which is actually pretty cool..The soul dagger took some getting used to, but it sure helped in a pinch more than once!" her wings flutter in bright shades of pink and red. "So really it's not all that bad. I kinda pity Illy almost. I mean, she was totally corrupted and she always has this stormcloud over herhead. But she did promise to help me refine my magic so that' a bonus I suppose.."

Wolfsbane has posed:
Wolfsbane comes over to reach out and touch Megan's arm gently. "I'm sorry ye had tae go through any o' tha'. I think Illyana is a good person at her core, but there are other things tha' she's always having tae battle tae keep in control o' everything. As long as ye're able tae handle it all, ye'll be fine." She looks around the park area, then adds, "I should be getting back tae muh place, but if ye're hungry we can go get something tae eat first. It was nice tae see ye oot here."

Pixie has posed:
Megan Gwynn smiles and shrugs. "It's okay, really. I get that she's been through a lot, and heck, now I've experienced some of that pain too. I guess we have lots in common. I suppose eventually we might get along okay, it's just gonna take some time." Megan smiles brightly, shrugging it off like it's nothing, which it isn't. "Yeah, I should let you head out. But it'd be cool to stop at a restaraunt on the way, or even take out. Know any good places?"