9914/Hay Is For Horses, Apples Are For Brightwind

Hay Is For Horses, Apples Are For Brightwind
Date of Scene:	05 November 2019
Location:	Horse Stables - Xavier's School
Synopsis:	Hay is for horses, Shannon has to share her other apple with Brightwind, and Chris gets a hint of the full extent of the trauma caused to Shannon by the mutant protest in September. Plans for trips to Salem Center are also made!
Cast of Characters:	Nightingale, Triage

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Nightingale has posed:
     It's a quiet evening, with classes long since over, supper eaten, but not quite time for lights out. The day's chores are done, yet a lone winged figure ambles into the stable, with two beautiful red honeycrisp apples in hand. The soft whickering of horses and the whoosh of their breath fills the air as even the four-legged residents of the school prepare to bed down for the night. The air is redolent with the pungent scent of barns everywhere, with underlying notes of fresh, sweet hay. Shannon heads on over to Brightwind's stall, chuckling softly as she offers one of the apples on the flat of her palm. "I should have been out here sooner... I'm sorry."

Triage has posed:
The hour might be late, almost to curfew, but another has strayed from the mansion, arriving at the door several minutes later, and unaware that Shannon is there. The door opens. Chris slips inside, taking care to hold the door so that it closes quietly. As usual, he wears worn jeans, a flannel shirt, and over that a warm and loose hoodie. Seeming intent on some purpose, and therefore failing to notice Shannon, he goes to a stall and leans his quarterstaff against the wooden wall. The horse inside snorts. "Hello, old girl," he murmurs. "One of the kids said that you hurt your ankle. I'll have a look." He unlatches the door and slips inside the stall. The horse snorts again and shuffles in the stall, her feet rustling the hay.

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon hears Chris coming in and entering the nearby stall, so as soon as Brightwind has positively -inhaled- his treat, she tiptoes over to observe. While she is not quite as stealthy as some, she still covers her mouth to keep even her breath quiet, peering into the stall. She'd gotten the idea that Chris liked animals, sure, but had never seen him attempting to heal one. It was wonderful to see such tenderness and care gifted to such a noble creature, and she looks on with great interest.

Triage has posed:
Chris kneels beside the chestnut mare's back legs - not the safest place if the horse is hurt. However, he seems unconcerned. Instead, his hand follows the long, surprisingly delicate bones of her lower leg. The mare snorts again and starts to lift and move the leg. "Now, now," Chris soothes. "I know. It hurts. It's not bad. Hold still," he soothes. His hand massages the muscle while the hulking mare quiets. He sighs and closes his hand around a spot. His breath deepens. The injury is slight enough for him to heal with little concentration. In a minute, it has finished. He slowly opens his hand and nods. "There," he says. "That wasn't so bad. Was it?" He stands and pats the mare's back and watches. He moves forward from the leg's normal range of motion. The mare tests the leg, gingerly at first and then with a solid kick to the side of her stall. Chris laughs. "There! See? Your as good as new." He pats her again and starts toward the stall, only to find Shannon's eyes watching. He smiles shyly and nods to her. "I didn't expect anyone to be here," he says.

Nightingale has posed:
     "I can go if you'd rather..." Shannon glances towards the garage, smiling a little bit herself. "That was incredible. You've really got a way with animals." She inclines her head, thinking of what she's just seen. Her smile widens, and she shrugs. "Neither did I, but it's not a bad thing, either."

Triage has posed:
"Why?" Chris asks. "You already know. I can't deny it. I've tried to be careful but I always knew that someone might catch me in the act," He shrugs. He swings the gate open and steps outside. "At least it's you."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon smiles and steps forward, wrapping her arms and wings around Chris for a few moments. "Catch you in the act of what? Healing someone who needed it--even if they have four legs instead of two? That's just you being you." Turning a little bit red, she lets go after a few moments, and just smiles.

Triage has posed:
"That's the point," Chris answers. He glances to the stable where Brightwind is. "Now, they'd worry over him, because he's a pegasus. But this old girl? Some would call healing her a waste. I know better. For a horse, a fractured leg brings a one-way ticket." He shakes his head. When Shannon reddens and backs away, his head tilts slightly. "What's wrong?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head and smiles a little bit, ducking her head. "Didn't mean to embarrass you or anything," she murmurs, nodding in understanding. "I'm glad you were able to heal her," she adds, nodding towards the old mare. "She's really sweet. And has a bit of a nose for apples herself. She's almost as spoiled as Brightwind!"

Triage has posed:
Chris waves toward the door. "They don't even think that students here can handle cats without 'adult supervision.'" He nods to Shannon. "This was a risk. I'm glad that it was you and not someone else. At least you understand." He shakes his head. "Why should I be embarrassed?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shrugs, ruffling her wings somewhat. "Fine, if you're not, I'm not." She hugs him again, sighing a little bit and smiling. "You know, I'm not even sure if my gift's limited to humanoids. Maybe one of these days I'll have to find out. I think it's pretty neat you were able to heal her," she adds, giving a little upnod towards the stall. "Just goes to show how kind and caring you are, even more."

Triage has posed:
When Shannon returns to hug him again, he returns the gesture, holding her for a moment. Then he nods. "After some careful experiments, I've found that I can heal most animals - at least, terrestrial ones." He sighs. "The news about Superman and Batman was hard on me. I might not have been able to help but ... it still haunts me. The curse of being able to heal is knowing that so many more die."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly, sighing softly. "Logan was pretty wise on that, too," she murmurs. "I... was pretty messed up about Daniel. He told me to remember that you can't always help everyone. Maybe one in five. The trick is not to focus on that other number, and focus on the one you -can- help." She smiles a little bit, happy to be held; it's enough to keep her wings from drooping.

Triage has posed:
"Few students really notice that with Logan," Chris replies. "They're right to fear what he might do if he were angry, but they don't look beyond that. They don't think about his words and his way of living the lessons. He stresses discipline because he knows that discipline stands between us and blind instinct." He nods. "I didn't know Daniel but I knew what he represented. As long as we continue to work against those who killed him, we keep his name alive. That, too, is worth remembering." He squeezes his arms around Shannon for a moment and then steps back. "I'm sure that Brightwind wants that other apple. Then we should head back inside before curfew."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon chuckles a little bit. "The other apple was for me, silly. But I suppose I can spoil him a little bit more." She turns, reluctance slowing her steps as she heads back over to Brightwind's stall, to offer up the apple on upturned palm. She sighs a little bit, holding still as the great creature inhales this second, unexpected offering as well. "Only saw him close to angry once, and even that was because he gave a shit. That was the time I was in the medbay and he got wind of it. Should've scared the crap out of me but it didn't."

With both apples now gone, she turns slowly towards the entrance to the garage. The mention of Daniel has left her eyes a bit haunted, her shoulders slightly hunched; something she has never forgotten, perhaps one of those inner demons that has never quite been vanquished. Only time would tell.

"Maybe we could go looking for that body cam tomorrow, since now not only is there that video to make for you and my folks, but what looks like an actual project that needs it as well. Extra credit... ha. Should be interesting going over that aerial survey when it's done."

Triage has posed:
Chris smiles while Shanon approaches the pegasus with her offering. "Perhaps you should leave a note to Dani about him," he teases. "At least she'll know why the recycling fee has increased." He remains by the stall of the now sound and contented mare. He glances at that leg for a moment to be sure of his work. His glimpse of Shannon's sagging shoulders and drooping wings is enough. Frowning, he approaches her from behind and reaches with a gentle hand for her arm. "If you need to talk and uncork that bottle, this is a better place than most. Only the horses and I will hear. You can count on my confidentiality. With a nice bribe of apples, I think that the horses will mind their tongues, too."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head slightly, although she doesn't pull away. "Ever have one of those things that just... well, it just sticks with you? A failure that no matter what you do, no matter how you look at it, no matter how many times people tell you it wasn't your fault, you can never quite forget? One of those things that, most times you manage to push aside, but then the smallest thing brings it all back again? And you don't want to bring it up, you don't want to disappoint the ones you care about and admire the most, so you just... well, you just keep on keeping on, because if you let yourself fall apart, there's that many more people who can and will get hurt, because you were a wreck when they needed help.? Ever have one of those?"

The young winged mutant just rolls her eyes and lets out a sardonic laugh, ruffling her wings a little bit. "I'll be alright, somehow. Kind of have to be. We all have to find our own answers in the end, whining and complaining isn't going to do anybody any good. If I keep falling apart like this, then there's not much chance of making the a-team when I graduate... and that many fewer I'll be able to help, because I wasn't good enough... because I was weak."

Triage has posed:
"Yes," Chris answers simply. "I've had those failures. Having our gifts doesn't lesson that. It doesn't guarantee success. I'm sure that everyone, even Logan and the Captain, has memories to hide from all but a few trusted people." He sighs. "That brings us back to where we often seem to land. You shouldn't guard that bottle and keep adding to it. It might explode and cause more harm than it would cause if you open it occasionally."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon frowns slightly at the mention of those two names, and sighs softly. "Both of them know about it. Both helped, in their way. But it's one of those things that just doesn't go away, and there are days between that and a lot of other things that have happened, I'm not entirely sure how to cope. And I'm not about to bug either of them about it again. Let them think the demon's at rest. I refuse to seem weak in front of either of them."

Triage has posed:
Chris sighs again. "If someone told you that you could drive the demon away simply by talking about it, that person was lying," he objects. "Even in the scriptures, Jesus and the apostles never drove demons away by casual conversation. They gave orders. We're not talking about that kind. This is more like a ghost, a haunting. If I told you that you could drive this demon away simply by talking about it, or if I led you to believe that, I'm sorry and I need your forgiveness." He gently squeezes Shannon's arm. "It won't go away, but talking about it will weaken it so that you can deal with it. So, find someone to trust completely, someone who cares about you and what happens in your head and heart. Then talk about that ghost."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head. "Nobody ever said it would go away just by talking. Thank whatever god you believe in that nobody's misled me like that. So you have no cause to apologize. But, it doesn't weaken, either. When I'm angry at myself for the failure that caused that demon, I usually hit the gym or try to find something to distract myself from focusing on it. That lets me sleep at night, but it never quite goes away." She turns and hugs Chris for a moment, even her wings gone tense with agitation. "So what do you do with a persistent ghost like that?"

Triage has posed:
Chris returns the hug. "Persistence pays," he answers. "As I said, you talk. The relief might seem temporary and weak, but with time, it will grow. It's like positive conditioning. You talk. You feel relief. You talk more. You feel more relief. If you worry about what someone else will think, find someone who cares and who accepts that you have this problem, that you'll need to talk about it often, and that talking will help. It might last last for a lifetime and that's okay as long as you can depend on that other person to be there and listen."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods a little bit. "I should feel relief, but I only feel weak for not having gotten over it. There are times I wish I could show you that ghost, rather than just talk about it, because there are just no words that work well enough." She's not inclined to let go of the hug, not for some time yet. "What words are enough to describe the horror when an innocent is shot down for standing up what they believe in? What words are enough to tell just how it feels to hear that call for help on the comms, to answer it, and find it's already too late?"

Triage has posed:
"Words always fail. They're finite and our comprehension is finite." Chris notes. He lifts a hand to rub Shannon's back between her wings. "When you read a good book, you don't have a perfect imagine of what the author meant, but you have enough to understand. I don't need a perfect image to understand what happened. Someone called. You answered that call, but you were too late to help. Now, you're torturing yourself for that. I'm sure that you did your best just as you did in the danger room with those push-ups. If you were late, something must have happened. What was it?"

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon falls silent as Chris rubs her back, even that taking a little longer than usual to have much effect on her. "It was a protest march in Mutant Town. Things went south real fast. One kid was shot in the back by a Sentinel. Daniel. Call went out to go help the wounded, and thankfully, he was the only one. He was also the only fatality. It was probably instantaneous. At least, I hope for his sake it was. His back was blown away, could see right through to the ribs and internals." She shivers a little bit. "It's stayed with me since, no matter how I try to talk about it or make sense of it on my own. So I just... keep on keeping on. Heal everyone I can, no matter what it takes."

She takes a shuddering breath and lets it out again slowly, trying to bleed off the emotions, but remains tense. "Seeing Andrea ripped up like that with the attack on the garden... brought it all back again. You could save her, but I never would have been able to. So I have to keep getting better, and never let there be another Daniel if at all posible. And if I can't heal someone... then damned if I'm not going to do what I can to prevent the need for it to begin with. I don't think you or Bean or Logan really understand how important this project of ours really is to me... or why I've tried so hard, both before and after you came back."

Triage has posed:
Chris continues to massage Shannon's back. He listens in silence while she finally talks in detail about the trauma of her attempt to rescue Daniel. "I ... didn't know," he answers. He frowns for a moment. "Had you seen anything like that before the march, even in simulation in the DR?" he asks. "I wasn't there. I didn't see what you saw, clearly too close to forget. I've seen others, both in the DR and on the streets. I was fortunate with my first healing but not with all of them." He shakes his head. "I can't read your mind and so I can't appreciate fully why you push yourself. Still, I want to understand and I want to help you. So, keep talking. It will help me to understand and you to know that you have support."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shakes her head slowly. "It was just a little over two months ago, beginning of September. I hadn't had too much DR training by that point. Being able to train in there was, and still is, a bit of a treat, a privelege. Nothing, and I mean /nothing/ I had encountered in there up to that point or seen in there since has measured up to that. Andrea's injury was the closest, and I was down with broken bones myself. Plus the nature of my gift would have rendered it fatal to me. My healing factor may be improving but it's not quite up to the point of Logan's yet. If it ever gets there. So the only sensible thing to do is to try and prevent the need for that gift if possible." She hugs a little more tightly, as if by doing so she could banish the ghosts that haunt her. "At least I was still able to help Winifred. Twice. Once with your help. There's been more than that 'one in five' Logan told me about, but... this one's stuck with me, and it just will not go away. I'm pretty sure the A-team has their share of things like this they remember. Maybe some more than most. But if I don't learn to cope with it now, I'll never be able to help them. Just... I don't know how."

Triage has posed:
"So that truly was your 'baptism of fire," Chris concludes. "I was out of town at Marquette for some research when the Sentinels attacked. I saw reports. I came back to the city on the day of the memorial, in time to drop my bags at home and head to the park." He frowns. "I was in the crowd. I remember seeing you on the stage. I remember thinking, 'How brave she is to do that.' If I'd known you and if I'd known about this, I would have been in front. If I could have made my way to you, I would have given you a hug." He sighs. "You needed to talk about what happened. I hope that you did, and I hope that you found someone smart enough to just listen."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon nods slowly. "Yeah it was. Then there was the whole mess with Loki not long after that. just a few weeks later. I couldn't let what happened to Daniel happen to him, too. Though none of us knew who it was at the time. I think even if he came back now, I'd probably still do the same, so god help me. But the odds of that are slim to none." She rolls her eyes a little bit, and cracks a little bit of a smile. "I hope whatever got him into that mess was worth it in the end. Funny... without even knowing it, he saved my life that day, too. If that healing had been broken off... we wouldn't be here."

Triage has posed:
"Perhaps he knew that," Chris suggests. "In the legends, he is notorious for tricks, but I'd like to think that even he has some integrity, and might have acted on your behalf. Whether he knew it or not, I'm glad that you're safe. We've had enough disruption." He smiles. "We should go into town soon to get that camera. The guitar might wait for another day, but I won't forget it, or dinner."

Nightingale has posed:
Shannon shrugs, and smiles faintly. "The odds of ever knowing that for sure are close to nil. But I've learned that 'impossible' is a very dirty word, worse than any of the curses in any language there is. I've seen some pretty close to impossible things, and it's likely only scratched the surface." She rubs her temples lightly, to ward off a vicious headache that seems to be forming, and nods. "Maybe one day I'll get to thank him. Perhaps make a small gift like I did for his brother. Even if that flies against common sense... I want to think there's some small hope in there somewhere."

Nodding, the young woman leaves off the hug, turning to head back towards the mansion. "Camera tomorrow afternoon, then? And if we happen to run into the perfect guitar, well, we'll deal with it as it comes."

Triage has posed:
Chris steps back, smiling. "That's a deal, on both counts. I think that we should get the camera and return promptly so that we can check it before you take the flights," he suggests. "If we don't find the guitar on that trip, it will only mean another opportunity to escape for a while." He follows Shannon into the garage.