9486/Works In Progress

Works In Progress
Date of Scene:	08 October 2019
Location:	Kitchen - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Shannon reveals her unfinished song to Sam-bean, and he is finally able to begin to release some of his inner demons--perhaps to put them to rest.
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Samuel Morgan

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Nightingale has posed:
     This night was -not- how Shannon had pictured it going. She'd looked forward to a nice, peaceful evening, perhaps working on some music, studying, or even turning in a bit early. No such luck. Instead, she'd been called down to parts unknown, faced the God of Thunder, and had to witness the healing of Loki from the outside. Comfort was definitely needed after a night like that, and she seeks it in the form of a giant root beer float. Hey, it's one beer that she was permitted at her age, and she intended to take full advantage of the fact!

     With her drink made and in hand, she settles down at the counter with a notebook, her drink, a pen, and begins writing, humming an unfamiliar melody...

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It's not only Shannon that came away from that meeting a bit less happy, a bit less at peace with themselves. Sam-Bean comes in not too long after Shannon does, left hand rubbing his face almost obsessively, although that stops the moment he actually spots his friend. Deep breath...

    Did he know she was going to be here? Possibly not consciously. But then why did he decide to come into the kitchen anyway? He helps himself to a bottle of cold water from the fridge and breaks the seal almost angrily, taking a deep drink. Deep breath again...

    "First Captain America, now Thor... who's next?"

Nightingale has posed:
     Shannon can't help but flash Sam-bean a lopsided grin, looking up from the notebook in front of her. "That one was your own doing. You're the one that hacked into his phone. If I needed to, I could contact him." She slides off of the stool, leaving drink and notebook behind, to draw him in for a gentle hug. "But it still made me smile, afterwards. Thank you."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Bean can hear the Black Dog bark now, carefully hugging Shannon with his left arm only, holding up the bottled water with the other, and pulling away as soon as he can. "You needed cheering up, and I didn't want to use your phone without your permission. I'm glad it made you smile."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon feels the difference in the hug and it is... distressing. Her brows furrow, and she draws back when he lets go, albeit reluctantly. "But now you're the one who needs cheering up. What is it, Samuel?" She had a pretty fair idea, but waits to hear it from him, as she climbs back onto the stool, one hand on her notebook and the other on her drink.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "It's... not easy to describe." Bean begins, leaning against the kitchen island and taking a good swig from the bottle. His breathing is deep and steady, clearly being kept under tight control. "There's times my brain just goes... just goes, I suppose. Like my thoughts are going at a hundred miles an hour, while the world is limping along at a snail's pace. One after another, after another, linking together, dragging memories, linking to another thought. And I can't stop it." He looks down for a moment and looks over to Shannon, with a half smile, looking somehow more sad than ever before. "I can't stop it. It's going to happen again."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon leans over and wraps her arms and wings around him again, determined to not let him face his inner demons alone. "What's going to happen," she whispers gently. "Come on... I seriously doubt you could scare me off if you haven't already." She hums that soft little melody again, holding him for as long as he'll allow and rocking gently back and forth.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "It comes and goes." By now Bean is well aware of both arms /and/ wings around him, encasing him in a soft cocoon. He draws himself inwards, arms across his chest, to present as little of himself to the world as possible. "Bad thoughts. First all the bad memories, then being sad and a bit after that... nothing. Just nothing. Not feeling anything. That's the worst bit."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon rests her chin on Bean's shoulder, and just sighs softly. "With me, it's the exact opposite. Sometimes I feel too much." She smiles, not budging. "But I don't regret some of that. Like you, for example." And then... the melody has words. A gentle ballad, sung with surprising depth of feeling, and it won't be a song in Bean's increasingly encyclopedic memory of music.

"I look at you and see
Someone you say you can never be
Why do you hide from yourself?

I've seen it shine so bright
That glowing inner light
Taking my night, turn it to day

You are not what came before
Open up, walk through the door
I'll catch you if you stumble and you fall
Be there with you through it all..."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    It starts slowly. Almost gently. Nothing but a sudden hitch of the breath, perhaps a light shiver.

    Then there's the tensing, followed by a sudden release of tension, and now it's not hard to see the shoulders shake. The first sob is loud, the second even louder... and then the dam finally bursts.

    For the first time in years, tears roll down Sam's cheeks.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon gently guides Sam to turn around so he can cry onto her shoulder if he wants, continuing to hum that song for a few minutes. "It's not quite done yet. I was writing that for you." She just holds him for as long as he will allow, letting her wings shield him. She raises them slightly so that if by chance someone were to walk in, his face would not be immediately visible, and perhaps save him some embarrassment. "Shhhh... it's okay, you're not alone..."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The water bottle falls from cold fingers and bounces away across the floor while Sam-Bean turns around. His arms encircle Shannon and hug her tight, so tight, head on her shoulder. Hot tears roll down his face, dripping to the ground, staining cloth and skin... His whole body shakes, years of pent up emotion seeking a release.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon gently strokes Bean's hair as he cries on her shoulder, holding him just as tightly as he held onto her. "Hey... I've got you. You're okay." She smiles a little bit, resting her chin gently atop his head, as she hums that melody. "I don't think you truly realize how much you've come to mean to people around here, despite everything you said." She pauses, sighing softly, and smiles. "How much you've come to mean to me as well...."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    The tears have started, and refuse to stop. Memory after memory, emotion after emotion, Bean refuses to let go of Shannon, needing her reassuring presence. For a kid that never had a mother, hadn't known kindness in nearly eight years, her embrace is like that of an actual angel.

    In the back of Sam-Bean's mind, the leash on the Black Dog finally snaps, and the shadows surge forwards.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon can only soak up his tears in the most literal seonse, searing hot droplets seeping into the shoulder of her shirt. She can only shield him with her arms and her wings, forming a cocoon with both in which--at least for a little while--he might find a safe haven, with a heart that cares for him. All she can offer is her own inner light to help him fight the shadows. "You're not alone, Samuel," she murmurs softly, just continuing to hold on for dear life. "You've got someone who... loves you... very much, and won't let go." She lends him her own strength as best she can, not trying to stop the tears--only to hold him throughout the maelstrom of emotions that prompted them in the first place.