January 09, 2017:
Hank McCoy bumps into Nancy at the X-Mansion. The two talk and hash out their differences from two years ago and try to start over as friends.
Xavier's Institute
Characters
![class="image1"](http://cmbeta.wdfiles.com/local--resized-images//class="image1"/medium.jpg)
NPCs: None.
Mentions:
Plot:
Mood Music: [*\# None.]
Fade In…
"Personal Journal, entry number 437b. I am now two and a half hours into the current test of the battery for my the hardlight image inducer and readings appear to be holding steady. I have notice no disruption in form. This new prototype has an estimated life of approximately three hours eighteen minutes and thirty seven seconds. I am confident that, at current rate of battery delpition I will meet that goal."
Speaking into a digital recorder, Dr. Henry McCoy wanders the outter grounds, his mind completely oblivious to the world around him.
**
Normally during the week, Nancy would be at the Nest in the evening, working on her studies and helping the home for mutants in whatever capacity that is needed. But, having been gone for so long and only back for the last month, she has found that the Nest seems to work just fine without her a lot of the time. Nice, but also a little disappointing.
And so it is that Nancy has decided to study from her own classes at the mansion. She sits in one of the many lounges, curled up on a couch in rather casual clothing for the goth. Just a soft black sweater that falls off her shoulders with a black tank top underneath and black jeans. Her colour of the day is green, found in streaks in her hair and the bra straps allowed to peek out from under the sweater. Her book is in her lap and she twiddles with a highlighter pen in one hand.
**
Beast wasn't really paying attntion to where he was wandering, maintaining a stead stream into the recorder. He certainly didn't notice Nancy untill… "Odd, the power consumption to maintain the form has just had a significant drop, as if it is no longer forced into an excess mold of my form. That would only occur if…" He looks up, around, sees Nancy and sighs. "Experiment rendered invalid due to unforseen outside varible. Will retest." He sighs and adjusts something on his wrist. "Hello Nancy, I had heard you had returned but I believe I have not yet had the oppertunity to offer you a personal greeting. Welcome home."
**
Chewing on her lower lip, Nancy reads and then reads again. She doesn't have the advantage that most people who go to university have. She's not really the scholarly type. She needs to push facts into her head. Learning does not, and never has, come naturally to her. She doesn't even notice when Beast walks into the room. Until he says her name. She glances up, those pale grey eyes lifting to his face.
There is a flurry of emotions on her face. Recognition, a stiff moment of anger, quickly followed by a softening. Whatever has gone on in the past, Nancy has grown passed it. Mostly. "Hello, Dr. McCoy," she replies. "I think we both would have noticed if you had greeted me personally before now. Hello." She nods her head in greeting.
**
Beast sighs slightly, "Indubidly." He says with a sigh, tilting his head slightly in that fashion people use to try to read the title of a book someone else is reading. "I do apologize, I had not meant to interfere with your academic pursits. I will leave." And in fact turns to do so, then pauses, "while you were gone… I stumbled upon something… I purchased it on a whim. I'd like to give it to you. A Welcome home present perhaps.
**
The stiffness between the two is almost palpable until Hank turns to leave. Nancy grumbles to herself and she shakes her head. "Hank. Come back. I was being a bitch. I'm sorry." She slips her highlighter behind her ear and puts the social worker book down on the couch. Rising to her feet, she closes the distance. She doesn't bother putting her bubble into it's tighter hold, since she's already turned Hank into his human self.
Standing in front of him, she sighs with resignation and shrugs her shoulders. "We … listen we never really got along but… You were right. I was immature and inexperienced. Hell, I still am. But… at least I'm willing to admit it now. I'm not saying we'll ever see eye to eye but… for what it's worth, I don't hate you anymore. And I know how uncomfortable my flirting made you, so I'll stop." She then smirks that playful grin of hers that usually comes just before she flirts with him. "Even if you are still cute as hell. Okay, last one, I promise." She grabs a lollipop out of a pocket in her sweater, unwraps it and pops it in her mouth. "Present? Bribing me to keep my field to myself?"
**
Beast blushes a bit, scarlet touching his cheeks and his neck. "Well in the spirit of glasnost, I think it's fair to say that perhaps I too was overly critical and sensitive to the issue. So perhaps I should have had a deal more decorum when trying to rebuff your amourous advances.
**
The goth arches her brows as the good doctor says a word she doesn't know. Mind you, she's used to that. She reminds herself to look up the word later and smiles to hide the fact that she hates feeling stupid. "Nah, I get it. I'm not your type. Actually, my time out in space helped me get used to that. You'd be surprised how many aliens are like 'Ew! Human. No thanks.' It sorta puts it all in perspective."
**
Beast blushes brighter, "I did not mean to imply in any sense that I find you unattractive, merely was attempting to interject that I too perhaps had an inappropriate reaction and took it to a certain extrme that I otherwise would not have had circumstances been different.
**
Hank's words actually cause Nancy to laugh. She dips her head down and to the side to make eye contact as he blushes. "That is the first time you have even remotely called me attractive, Hank. Are you telling me that all I needed to do to wear you down was go away for a couple years?" Her voice has that teasing lilt to it. She stands back up, her arms crossed over her chest. "Well, how about we just … I don't know… Hank, can we start again? I'll stop making the pervy comments and we just try to get along? I learned to control it. A little. I can get it so it's just mostly skin contact. Well, a little beyond that, but pretty close to it." She then reaches out to poke the good doctor. "Hey, you mentioned presents. Gimme."
**
Beast blushes a it more and nods, "Ahh yes, presents! It's im my bedroom if you care to follow me… I mean not that I want to get you into my bedroom alone. I mean I do want you to come up to my bedroom and we would be alone, but I don't want you to think I want to get you alone in my bed room.
**
Nancy's lips tighten. Don't say it. Just don't say it. No flirting with him, you promised. But he makes it so easy to tease him!! She keeps her arms crossed over her chest, fingers biting into her arms to keep herself from saying something in response that is only going to make the shy man all the more embarassed. "Well, as a member of the faculty now, I'm actually permitted in your room," she says, rather proud of herself for being able to keep it all business. "And I wouldn't even dream of you trying to take advantage of me, Hank." The fuzzy blue ape just doesn't have it in him.
**
Beast relaxes and nods slightly. Then leads the way upstairs, bounding his way up with a smile that looks, as usual positively feral, despite his human form. They get to his room in short order of course and he heads over to the Bookshelf. At first one might be surprised how neat everything is… till one notices the dust and realizes he is almost never in here.
**
Nancy follows along after having gathered up her textbook. She looks both ways to make sure no one is around to see befor putting on her extremely NOT goth Hello Kitty slippers. If anyone asks, she'll say they were a gift. A gag gift. Which they were, but she wears them anyway. Nancy keeps her power to herself as she follows, noticing that Hank hasn't gone fuzzy and blue. "Ummmm… Doc? Did you find the cure you were looking for? Did my blood help?"
Upon arriving at the room, Nancy notices the dust and just smiles and shakes her head. She caught him sleeping at his lab desk often enough to know that that is the reason for the room up here being so pristine.
**
Beast blinks a bit and looks down at his wrist. "Oh my stars and garters I thought I shut this thing off.." He says and the blue and Fuzzy beast does reappear. "It did help, yes, I mad significant advances, but I ran out of sample and thus research had to be halted." He takes an LP off of the shelf and blows the dust from it, handing it to her. The cover is not in English, but the person on the front of it is unmistakeable. Herself, much much younger, drawing a bow across her cello.
**
Again, Nancy has to bite her lower lip as Beast uses his antiquated sayings. It's these little things that make him so much fun to tease with flirting with him. It's like teasing some guy from the turn of the last century that has managed to so up in the modern day. She looks at the blue fur, still catching herself wondering what it feels like. Not that she would ever touch without consent. "I can give you another sample if you need it," she offers.
When the album is offered to her, Nancy's eyes go wide. She flips it over, looking for english. "Where did you find this? What does it say? My translator device only works on spoken word."
**
Beast says, "Portuguise, although that is hardly important. It's simply your name and the venue that it was recorded at." He says with a smile. "I've listened to it a few times, but I do want you to have it." He says with an easy smile, "Perhaps it will convince you to renew your efforts.""
**
Nancy is flabergasted. Her performance was recorded and released? She nods, recalling that her mother mentioned something to that effect while she was gone. As Hank brings up the point of her returning to her music, Nancy sighs. "Why does everyone want me to go back to music? Not that I don't love playing, but… whats wrong with me being a social worker? With me actually knowing how to help other people, not just giving them a place to live?" The goth closes her eyes and sits down on the bed. "I love playing, really, I do. But my music is so selfish. It's not like I play for any of you. You could all not even exist when Baby and I play."
**
"Perhaps it is because," He says taking the album back for just a moment and removing it, placing it on an old record player and bringing the needle to the first groove, "It is such a joy to other people if that is your intention or not. YOur work at the Nest helps people, no questions about that Nancy. You help their bodies. But in truth, there are many who could and will do that same work." He takes both of her hands in his, not an intimate gesture so much as a comforting one, like his hands were gently embracing her's. "But this is a gift given rarely and to few. That ability to balm ones soul."
**
And for the first time, someone who is trying to get Nancy to return to her music gives her a reason worth listening to. The fact that it is coming from Hank of all people shocks Nancy, leaving her sitting there with her hands in his, blinking. "This is gonna make me sound even more dumb, but… I was so mad at you saying I was… well, you used bigger words and all, but called me dumb. Music… It just comes so easy. It's just … it's there and I just let it pour out of me. I guess I figured if I could be one of those booky types, get a real degree, that you wouldn't think I was dumb anymore. You and Bobby and… well, everyone."
**
Beast blinks slightly, "I have never once believed you were dumb Nancy. You may not have my level of education, but then few do. And yes, perhaps I thought you were a bit immature. And yes, I may have exagerated those feelings and allowed myself to be…rude quite frankly. But dumb? No I never thought that.
**
Smiling sheepishly, Nancy shrugs a shoulder. "Could be I was just reading into your behaviour my own insecurities." She still doesn't take her hands from out of his, instead pulling him with them to sit on the bed. "I was pretty angry back then. You just sorta gave me a target." She takes a deep breath and shrugs again. "So… any word from Bobby? Or did I seriously mess that up too?"
**
Beast sighs a bit, "I have not seen him. I do appologize." He says and finally releases her hands, the sound of her younger selfs playing filling the air in the otherwise quiet room.
**
Sighs with resignation and flops onto the bed. "Yeah, well, I can't really expect for him to have hung around when he didn't know if I was alive or dead or in another dimension or whatever. Probably mad at me for running off the way I did. Which I don't blame him for."
Kicking off her kitty slippers, so not goth, she pokes at Beast's thigh with a toe. He's human again, her field touching him. "So, what have you done in the last two years? Like that thing that makes you look like you. C'mon science nerd, talk nerdy to me."