9421/Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cheese....

Sweet Dreams Are Made Of Cheese....
Date of Scene:	04 October 2019
Location:	Kitchen - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Shannon and Sam-bean talk about life, classic conundrums, and maybe--just maybe--find that more can be faced together than apart. Awwwww! <3
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Samuel Morgan

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Nightingale has posed:
     Had it really been three weeks since the Bean arrived at the school? So much living, so much growing done in such a short time, it was hard to believe it. Just as he had tried to surprise her only a few days before with cookies, now it was Shannon's turn to make a little surprise. It was one that was likely to mean a few extra miles of running that week--but it would be well worth it!

     The smell of gooey, melted cheese and butter filled the air, with the sweetness of toasted breadcrumbs throughout. Could it be? Was it... yes! It was a familiar favorite comfort food--mac 'n cheese! And the lack of blue and yellow boxes suggested that this batch was from scratch!

     Shannon's by the sink cleaning up her mess, humming a little bit as she works, her wings fluttering to the beat of a classic 1980's rock anthem.

"Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I've travelled the world and the seven seas
Everybody's lookin' for something...."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Go to the kitchen, they said. You missed lunch so get something to eat, they said. There's probably some leftover you can have, they said. Despite his reluctance to ever seek out their assistance, Bean does actually have a pretty high opinion of doctors, medics, healers and nurses. When they tell him to do something, he does. And to be honest, he was pretty hungry after sleeping clear through lunch.

    The smell lures him in. Something... familiar, long forgotten. Where did he smell that last? And so he limps through the door, shouldering it open to spare his injured hand, hit now with the full blast of the wonderful smell of fresh Mac'n Cheese. It even makes him stop a moment and enjoy it, before he's even aware of Shannon.

    "Some of them want to use you
Some of them want to get used by you.
Some of them want to abuse you
Some of them want to be abused."

    Bean's voice isn't stellar, but he can at least carry a tune. "Always thought that song was a bit suspect."

Nightingale has posed:
     Leftovers were definitely -not- on the menu this time! But what is there, is Shannon actually -dancing- by the sink to the beat of the old familiar tune. She's got a wooden spoon that's in need of washing that she's using to improvise a 'microphone', and while not the world's greatest dancer, she can hold her own as she shakes it to the beat. She doesn't even miss a beat when Bean joins in the song, singing a third above him.

She laughs and leans against the sink for a moment, with soap clinging to the tip of her nose, suds all up and down her lower arms, and a bit of a twinkle in her eyes. "Yeah, maybe it is, but you've got to admit, it's got a great beat. Kind of shocked the living heck out of my folks when I belted that one out at the top of my lungs when I was five."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "It has a good rhythm to it. Y'know, as you'd expect from a band with rhythm in their name." Bean smiles as he sits, seeming to relax. Despite being on one of the high stools by the counter, at least he can take the weight off his leg and ankle. "I take it you've heard the parody version?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon gets a trivet to rest the pan of mac 'n cheese on to cool and sets it on the counter island, still humming and shaking it to the beat. And just as the chorus of the song comes around again, the oven timer goes off. She snags an oven mitt, slides it on, and retrieves the bubbly, fragrant pan from the oven. Yeah, there is no way this is made from a boxed mix. With the pan set on the trivet to cool, the oven shut off, and most of the dishes cleaned up, Shannon slides onto one of the other stools to take a few minutes to rest. "Don't think I've heard that one... ummm, do I even want to know?" She giggles, eyebrows raised and eyes twinkling.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean takes it as a challenge, grinning as he launches into the parody.

"Sweet dreams are made of cheese,
Who am I to diss a Brie?
I Cheddar the world and the Feta Cheese,
Everybody's looking for Stilton!"

    His smile only widens when he sees that the song was actually particularly apt, noting the cheese and... where did he recognise this deliciously smelling mess from?

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon bursts out laughing, a sound Bean's rarely heard from her with such joyous abandon. "That was just too cheesy," she remarks, trying--and failing--to keep her expression and her voice perfectly deadpan. Yeah, time to get out of the way of the pun war that was bound to ensue, though perhaps it was too late as the gauntlet had been thrown down. She busies herself getting a couple bowls, forks, and a big serving spoon, to scoop out two large bowlfuls of the awesomely ooey gooey casserole. "Here you go... hope it's at least semi-edible."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's a sound that Bean has been longing to hear for a while. Mission accomplished, it seems, at least for the moment. "It's one of the few songs I know. Mostly because of the parody, I think." As the bowl is put in front of him, Bean awkwardly picks up the cutlery with his injured hand, decides that it's not going to work, and transfers the fork to his other hand. Time to eat like a barbarian. "I can't help but think I've seen this before... smelled it before, I wonder if I tasted--"

    Oh my.

    Taste is almost like a time machine. Distinct tastes are often associated with distinct memories. It's been a long time since Bean had Mac and Cheese. A very, very long time indeed. And at the first taste, his expression turns into a deep smile. A smile that actually reaches all the way to the eyes.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles from ear to ear, tucking into her own bowl of gooey goodness. "We're definitely going to have to run some extra miles after this, when you're cleared for it. But it's worth every single bite!" Oh yeah. There was that smile. She knew Bean had one in there somewhere. Mission accomplished! "This has got to be one of the ultimate comfort foods. "So when do you think you had this last?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    That first mouthful is savored for a very long time. And when Bean does finally eat, his smile doesn't go away, looking into the bowl with the expression of someone that's just remembered something that'll keep them smiling for a while. "About nine years ago, I think. In the house in Virginia. Papa told us we were going to move in a few weeks, and I was sad. So... he made this, to cheer me up." Yeah. That would have been the moment for a single tear, but the tear doesn't come. Instead there's the smile, and the warm feeling of not just delicious hot food, but of a childhood memory that had gotten... lost somewhere, in the clutter.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon feels her smile widen even more, if that were humanly possible, inclining her head. The little book that has become her constant companion these days comes out, and she has to look something up. Oh heavens, she was likely to butcher it, but had to try. "Guter gedanke, ja?" Oh yes. This was all definitely worth the extra miles that would have to be run. She reaches out to gingerly touch his hand and smiles. "I'm very happy to see you smiling so much."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Die besten." is the almost automatic reply, and it's almost natural to be talking German over the Mac and Cheese. Certainly fitting for the memory. Tucking in, he reflects on the fact that he has smiled more in the past two days than the last two years. The touch on his injured hand is allowed... it might seem like a minor thing, but really isn't. "You're a good cook, anyone would smile when they're eating this."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon blushes a little bit and smiles, very gingerly tracing the wrappings and brace that hold Bean's fingers steady while nature takes its course. It couldn't hurt to ask just one more time, could it? "Please... will you at least allow me to heal that much? Just the hand? It would be gone on me by morning." She does hold her gift back, until he says yea or nay, one way or the other. "Bitte?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Despite the polite plea, despite the correct use of German, Bean shakes his head. He's still smiling, but also very clearly not changing his mind. "No. I know you want to, and I know you just want to spare me some suffering, but... actions have consequences. This..." and he holds up the hand, it being more practical than show ribs or any other injured spot. "... this reminds me. Playing the hero is going to hurt. It's a lesson I have to learn." Another smile, and this time Bean actually thinks about why he's so stubborn about it.

    "It's a Teutonic thing, I guess. Papa was like that. Despite everything, he taught me a lot."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, and allows her hand to rest on the counter, her smile somewhat dimmed but... she understands where he's coming from. "I hate seeing people suffer. Even worse when it's someone I care about." A short, soft laugh escapes her, her smile turned somewhat rueful. "Perhaps that's why Kurt had the settings on the danger room as he did, teaching us all a lesson much the same way, ja?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Herr Wagner doesn't do anything without a good reason, I think." is Bean's conclusion. His hand finds Shannon's again, in a sure sign that he trusts her to make physical contact without going against his wishes. For someone who didn't trust the food he was being served and only drank from sealed bottles of water, he's getting more comfortable trusting people. Must be the painkillers. "First he says we'll meet with swords to determine who's the best fighter, and then he invites me to that training session to show that it doesn't matter who the best fighter is. I'm going to love his drama class."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods, smiling once more, letting him hold her hand if he wishes. She does take a couple deep breaths, restraining her gifts. A healer she might be, but she would not go against his wishes. However, that would not stop her from finding little ways to help, or to make him smile. Such as the mac 'n cheese. That was something she was going to have to file away for future reference.

"I was asking him about that the last time I was in the medbay... he mentioned 'Cyrano' as the likely thing we'd be working on." Her eyebrows lofted then, and her eyes twinkled, and she quirks a lopsided smile. "You know... this stuff isn't all that hard to make. It'd help teach some good basic cooking skills. Maybe that's one of the first things after cookies we could work on sometime, if you wanted?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Ah, Cyrano de Bergerac!" Bean practically beams with excitement. It just highlights the jarring contrast between his lack of knowledge of pop culture, and his nearly academic knowledge of high culture and the classics. "Great choice. A tale of being different in a world that does not take well to being different, and overcoming adversity despite such a handicap." Yeah, he can tell why Kurt chose that one.

    Cooking, though, is a completely closed book to him. The cookies he could probably do again with some minor supervision, but anything else... it might as well be magic. "It'd be nice to do. But... I wouldn't want to ruin it, y'know?" As a compliment to Shannon's cooking, he utterly finishes that bowl.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon giggles softly, and shakes her head. "Oh come on. Do you have any idea how many times I ruined mac 'n cheese while learning to make it as a kid? The very first time, I burned the cheese sauce so badly that it took a couple hours to really scrub out the pan and get it clean again. Second and third times weren't much better. You'll make plenty of mistakes cooking, but sooner or later you'll get there. And it won't be alone."

Bobbing her head, Shannon grins. "Mmhmm, that's the one. I had to look it up after, sadly. Believe it or not, I've never read it. That's going to change."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    There is such a gulf between Bean and other kids his age, it's amazing that Mac and Cheese bridges even that gap. "Guaranteed to be in the library here, along with all the other good classics. You have no idea how much of a luxury it is to even have a library. Or a kitchen you can use to cook in." No. He refuses to sink into melancholy. Refuses! Luckily the sheer disorientation from the medication makes it easier... was that a side effect of the combination with his Xanax? Hmmm... he'd have to ask the doctor next time. "Doors that don't lock from the outside but the inside. No staff to ask permission to cross the floor, a TV room with a TV that has more than a single channel, computers that actually let you connect to the outside world, a full on science lab, a music room, a dining hall that doesn't have assigned seating, a garage to work on your own bike..." He looks around, still with that smile. "Three weeks. Feels like a lifetime."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles even wider, reaching out to gently squeeze Bean's uninjured hand. "I know what you mean, a little bit. You go from one life to another, and it feels like you've compressed a lifetime's worth of living into a few weeks or a couple months. Both of us have already seen and done things that most kids our age wouldn't even begin to dream of. We can do things most people still think of as living in the realm of mythology." She nudges the remaining pan of mac 'n cheese over towards Bean, serving spoon and all. "You have no idea how proud I am to see how far you've come in just those few weeks... how proud I am to know you. And I'm willing to bet that Doug and Sam and the teachers here who have worked with you are just as proud."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "We'll see." But before Bean's words can have any kind of ominous meaning, he helps himself to the serving spoon, scoops up another helping and fills the bowl. He looks over meaningfully towards Shannon's bowl, serving spoon still in hand. "Want some more?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon giggles and nudges her bowl his way. "How is that even a question?" Oh yes. Good food could bridge many a gap, and this apparently was one of them. "Hey... looks like your hand's feeling better. And I swear, I had nothing to do with it!"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Big motions, big spoon. You learn to improvise when you can only use a few fingers." Bean mentions meaningfully, still smiling as he fills Shannon's bowl and then puts the spoon back. He will, however, need his other hand for the fork. "Thank you, by the way."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon digs into the bowl of gooey goodness, with a little sigh that can only be described as pure delight. "For what? All I did was make a little mac 'n cheese." She hums the song she was dancing to, just a little bit, her wings flexing to the beat of the melody.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Not that. Although, of course, also that. ... " Wait. What? A few furious blinks and Bean seems to have confused himself. "Starting over... It's not just the delicious food." Better. And he has to have some more Mac'n Cheese now, which delays the rest of his statement. It gets delayed even further when he takes longer than necessary to twirl a bit of molten cheese around his fork. "The teachers know me because of my file. They're all nice, but... they're all a bit wary. A bit careful around me. Doug and Cannonball saw me in handcuffs. They'll always see that, no matter what they say, or how hard they try not to see it. Laura understands the monster inside, and she helps a lot keeping it caged, but... she knows the monster. You though, you never seemed to mind, or to care. Even when I told you. Even now that you've seen what kind of people I was with. Thank you."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon blushes profusely at that, and ducks her head. But the smile is back, full force, even the corners of her eyes crinkling up. "Someday I'll probably see that monster inside, too. With as much as you've been through, there's probably no getting around that. You don't go through everything that you have, and come out entirely unscathed. But by the same token, it can't put out the flame at the core of you, the good person you are inside. That's what I see when I look at you. You have not only been through the fire and survived it, but just look at you. You're -thriving-. You're -living-, not just surviving. That... that is just something absolutely incredible. That takes a lot more strength of heart than I will ever have." She glances up, nibbling on her lower lip for just a moment. "Think about that for a moment, and then maybe you'll understand why I like you."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Through the fire and the flames..." And then, having quoted one song, Bean quotes another. "Gefährlich sind wie Schmerzen kennt, von Feuer das in Geist Verbrennt."

    More food. Good food. "I've been given a chance that few people ever get. And that means I have to learn to be worthy of it. I know you like me." His hand finds Shannon's again, his smile just a tad softer, warmer. "But those people, you've seen what they're capable of. And they will come for me, sooner probably rather than later. You've seen how that ends."

Nightingale has posed:
"Learn to be worthy of it? If you weren't worthy of it, I don't think you'd even be here." Shannon does not pull her hand away as Bean reaches for her again, her own smile taking on a softer quality few if any have ever--and will ever--see. "They may come for you, but do you really think that there's a single person here who wouldn't move heaven and earth to get you back? If that day ever comes, if I cannot be there, then I will be here. And next time, I won't take no for an answer healing you. So don't get too badly hurt." She dips her head towards him, gently lifting his hand towards her face. A mark of trust, perhaps? She's seen him in combat. He could do a great deal of harm if the black dog was ever unleashed. Yet there is no fear.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "When that day comes..." Bean starts, gently pressing the back of his hand against Shannon's cheek, smiling. "... when it comes, I won't let anyone here put themselves at risk. The school's been too good to me, the people too kind. Especially you. If you got killed trying to protect me, I'd never forgive myself. That's something I'd never come back from, I know it. So when they do come, and I know about it, they'll have to do things on my terms, not theirs. And they know that too." Eventually he goes back to the bowl, wrapping his hands around it, feeling the residual warmth. "But I know that there's not a single person here that wouldn't stop me from trying to do this by myself. And that's a nice feeling... but it's also a dilemma, you know?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon closes her eyes and smiles, uttering a soft sigh of contentment as she leans very slightly into that touch, however brief it is. "Then I have even more reason to stay alive, don't I?" She's silent for the space of several heartbeats, basking in the pure happiness that seems to light her up from within. Her wings slowly spread to their full span, not snapping outwards. "Then we prepare for that day, together." Her eyes open, and her wings relax, but the smile does not fade. "What dilemma?"

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "The oldest dilemma of all." Bean smiles, looking up from his bowl. "The knowledge that you can't do this by yourself, and at the same time not wanting to put anyone you care for at risk. But it's not my choice. And as you say, we'll prepare for that day together." A slow blink and he nearly topples over the table and into the serving pan, catching himself just in time. "Whooo... sorry, still a bit dizzy."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon starts forward, holding out a hand to catch Bean by the shoulder and steady him. "Easy there. Need a hand back to the dorms? And should I be calling the wellness office?" Her brows furrow, though the smile still remains, probably set in place for a good long time to come. "Come on... maybe some rest will do more good than my healing could."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Deep breath, bright smile. With elaborate slowness, Bean stands and leans against the counter. "I could use a shoulder. Would you?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods and comes around the counter, leaving bowl and serving pan behind. Those would have to be cleaned up later. It was a little more important to get Bean back to his dorm, where he could rest and continue to heal from his injuries. "Okay, one step at a time... just take it easy."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
Samuel puts his arm around Shannon's shoulder and starts to walk, limping slightly. "So ... what kind of movies do you like?"