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Shen and Warren, Dec 9
Shen has made her decision, so she goes to talk to Warren. He recommends Kurt, then they talk superheroing logistics!
After her talk with the Professor, Shen had made a quick trip into town to visit her uncle. There had been a lot of tea, a very nice dinner, and a long talk, and now she felt settled and determined. She texted Warren on her way to her room, changed out of her normal clothes and into a cropped long-sleeved top that worked with her wings, grew them back, then only headed over to the boys' dorm, to knock on Warren and Scott's door. "It's me!" she called out immediately, wings rustling behind her back.
"Come in, I'm decent!" More decent than usual, in fact, since Warren had actually taken to wearing shirts since it'd gotten cold. More because it seemed the thing to do than because he wanted to. Cold hardly bothered him, and his wings were annoyed by sweaters.
His shoulders looked good in them though. So hey.
He spun his stool around, to look away from the computer screen covered in a spreadsheet of his (meager, relatively speaking) assets and what he was doing to grow them.
"Hey," she greeted him with a smile, and closed the door behind herself. Scott didn't seem to be around, which was just fine with her. She liked him, but this was a conversation she'd rather have one on one with Warren, first. "So I'm interrupting a fascinating evening with Excel?"
He noticed the door-shutting and wondered again what this was about. Should be good, though. He didn't dare to hope... He just smiled. "Oh yeah, it's a regular party in here. Trying to juggle finances--now that I don't really have much of them anymore." His smile went a little wry. "And, conversely, have way more financial responsibilities. Weird how that happens."
"I'm so glad I have no idea what any of all that stuff means," Shen stated honestly, with a wave at his computer screen. She grabbed Scott's computer chair and turned it around so she could straddle it. She didn't think he'd mind; it was just a chair. "How are you doing?" she asked, more quietly, head tilted to the side.
"Busy, but okay," Warren said, pushing his hair back out of his eyes and giving his wings a ruffle. "It's weird to balance all this public crap with homework--but it would've happened sooner or later. Might as well be sooner, right?
"How about you?"
"I'm..." There was no way to answer his question without including what she'd come here to discuss, so she might as well come out with it now. "I've made up my mind. I want to come out, too." She was nervous as hell even just telling Warren, but no less determined for it.
"Yes!" Warren jumped off his stool, wings dragging it briefly before he moved far enough to disentangle it. He reached out for Shen's hands over the back of the chair. "Awesome! I mean--uh, not that I was hoping you would but..." his smile went sheepish.
Shen hadn't expected the outburst, and her wings drew in tight behind her, before she relaxed with a happy laugh, and squeezed Warren's hands. "Hey, you know, I was hoping I would."
"You'll be amazing." He squeezed her hands. Not only would it be great to have her up there with him just because he adored her, but Shen was... a woman. Also, Asian. God, they needed more diversity like burning--and more sensible, intelligent people, too. After one more squeeze, he let go of her hands. "Have you thought about what you want to do? Kurt's working on his, too."
"I have no idea," Shen admitted honestly. "A press conference isn't very... me."
"Kurt was thinking protest, which is about as you as it gets," Warren said with a chuckle.
Shen brightened up considerably at the suggestion. "Oh, that would be perfect. Wow. Kurt is the best."
"Right? I kind of love that guy." Warren chuckled. "I think he was thinking sit-in kind of thing. Signs and all."
"That would be amazing," Shen said honestly, eyes shining happily. She bit down on her grin, then nodded. "Okay, so I have to talk to him about that. But. I wanted to talk to you about... how to handle keeping the school safe. My uncle lives in Salem Center. Do you think he should move to New York, to put some distance between where I officially live and the school? Should I say I'm homeschooled? I have so many questions." And then there was the X-stuff, but they could get to that afterwards.
Warren's brow furrowed and feathers rustled thoughtfully. "It might be weirder if someone checks you out and finds your Uncle recently moved. Saying you're homeschooled, if he lives here, might be for the beset. That's a lot of 'mights' I know, but... I'd say consult Xavier on this."
Shen nodded in agreement, worrying her bottom lip. She released with a small sigh - one of determination more than anything else. "And then we have to figure out how to image-induce our X-selves."
Warren's face lit up. "I was thinking metal wings. How cool would that be?"
Shen laughed. "Pretty awesome. I think I'll just change the color on mine. And pick an older face, different body."
"What about a mask?" Warren wondered. "I mean, hair should probably change for both of us, but like a little domino?"
"Aren't we all gonna be wearing masks?" Shen asked. "I mean, facial recognition software is a thing, right? Or is that just in movies?"
Warren frowned. "Right. I keep forgetting the actual NSA and/or FBI will be after us, not just a bunch of assholes. Okay, yeah, fair. But I like my face." He was close to pouting.
"Yes, you're very pretty," Shen told him, in a way that made it clear she was ready to rant at him if he didn't stop being a child about it.
Which made him laugh. "Okay, okay. Point taken. I had my moment as the Avenging Angel, I should just be grateful there's a way to get back at it at all."
Shen grinned. "We all should be grateful we have this kind of opportunity." Her smile dimmed a little, but only to become less about amusement, and more about something deeply personal. "I really wanna make a change, you know?"
Warren nodded, still smiling but also completely in earnest. "Me too, more than anything. That's where most of the pressure comes from, honestly. It's not the press or people freaking out about my wings. It's how bad I want that."
"I'm so glad you're doing this too," Shen stated honestly. "And Kurt. I mean, I'm sure your boyfriends are great, I just don't really know them." They certainly didn't give her the same warm, comforting feeling as knowing Warren and Kurt were in it with her.
"They're not the easiest to get to know." He chuckled, feathers ruffling with amusement. "But who knows, maybe after this, you will. And yeah, Kurt--that guy's amazing. Total ray of sunshine. Though he prefers to be called 'sweetheart' or 'blueberry muffin'. So he says." Which was just another reason to love him.
"Yeah, I'm not much for pet names, I think I'll stick with calling him Kurt," Shen stated with an amused smile.
"Same," Warren admitted with a chuckle. "For all my romantic stupidity at times. But just the fact that he said 'blueberry muffin' makes me love him even more."
Shen smiled. "I'll totally give you that. I think something might be going on between him and Jeanne-Marie. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking. They're both so amazing, you know?"
"Now that she's stopped looking at me like I'm trying to steal something from her" --which Warren suspected was Jean-Paul, but anyhow-- "I definitely see what you see in her. And Kurt--actually. That's. Kind of scary adorable."
"I know!" Shen agreed with a bright, bright smile. "I knew you'd get it. I really hope it's not wishful thinking."
"JP will... actually I don't know," Warren admitted. "Normally I'd say Kurt is the kind of guy you'd like your sister to date, but he incurred the Wrath of Jean-Paul when he put his nose into their fight. Personally, I could kiss him for it."
"He did? Oh, he really is the best," Shen stated with feeling. "I would've, but I would've made things worse, I'm pretty sure. Ugh. Anyway, they're speaking again, so yay. And Jean-Paul can suck it if he disapproves of the two of them." Which still might just be in her mind, but she hoped not.
Warren managed not to let his first thought pop out of his mouth, and then was very proud of himself. "Fair. Even someone as protective as him can't complain about a blueberry muffin like that."
Shen laughed at his answer. "You're not gonna let the muffin thing go."
"It's so cute!" Warren protested, also laughing.
"It is, but..." Still laughing, she shook her head. "I got nothing. Go ahead. Keep going. The cuteness will prevail."
"That's what we'll tell ourselves when it comes to all this," Warren decided. "We're too cute for it not to work."
"Cute and charming," Shen confirmed with a decisive nod.
Warren held out a fist for a bump. “Word.”
Shen laughed, and bumped his fist.
After her talk with the Professor, Shen had made a quick trip into town to visit her uncle. There had been a lot of tea, a very nice dinner, and a long talk, and now she felt settled and determined. She texted Warren on her way to her room, changed out of her normal clothes and into a cropped long-sleeved top that worked with her wings, grew them back, then only headed over to the boys' dorm, to knock on Warren and Scott's door. "It's me!" she called out immediately, wings rustling behind her back.
"Come in, I'm decent!" More decent than usual, in fact, since Warren had actually taken to wearing shirts since it'd gotten cold. More because it seemed the thing to do than because he wanted to. Cold hardly bothered him, and his wings were annoyed by sweaters.
His shoulders looked good in them though. So hey.
He spun his stool around, to look away from the computer screen covered in a spreadsheet of his (meager, relatively speaking) assets and what he was doing to grow them.
"Hey," she greeted him with a smile, and closed the door behind herself. Scott didn't seem to be around, which was just fine with her. She liked him, but this was a conversation she'd rather have one on one with Warren, first. "So I'm interrupting a fascinating evening with Excel?"
He noticed the door-shutting and wondered again what this was about. Should be good, though. He didn't dare to hope... He just smiled. "Oh yeah, it's a regular party in here. Trying to juggle finances--now that I don't really have much of them anymore." His smile went a little wry. "And, conversely, have way more financial responsibilities. Weird how that happens."
"I'm so glad I have no idea what any of all that stuff means," Shen stated honestly, with a wave at his computer screen. She grabbed Scott's computer chair and turned it around so she could straddle it. She didn't think he'd mind; it was just a chair. "How are you doing?" she asked, more quietly, head tilted to the side.
"Busy, but okay," Warren said, pushing his hair back out of his eyes and giving his wings a ruffle. "It's weird to balance all this public crap with homework--but it would've happened sooner or later. Might as well be sooner, right?
"How about you?"
"I'm..." There was no way to answer his question without including what she'd come here to discuss, so she might as well come out with it now. "I've made up my mind. I want to come out, too." She was nervous as hell even just telling Warren, but no less determined for it.
"Yes!" Warren jumped off his stool, wings dragging it briefly before he moved far enough to disentangle it. He reached out for Shen's hands over the back of the chair. "Awesome! I mean--uh, not that I was hoping you would but..." his smile went sheepish.
Shen hadn't expected the outburst, and her wings drew in tight behind her, before she relaxed with a happy laugh, and squeezed Warren's hands. "Hey, you know, I was hoping I would."
"You'll be amazing." He squeezed her hands. Not only would it be great to have her up there with him just because he adored her, but Shen was... a woman. Also, Asian. God, they needed more diversity like burning--and more sensible, intelligent people, too. After one more squeeze, he let go of her hands. "Have you thought about what you want to do? Kurt's working on his, too."
"I have no idea," Shen admitted honestly. "A press conference isn't very... me."
"Kurt was thinking protest, which is about as you as it gets," Warren said with a chuckle.
Shen brightened up considerably at the suggestion. "Oh, that would be perfect. Wow. Kurt is the best."
"Right? I kind of love that guy." Warren chuckled. "I think he was thinking sit-in kind of thing. Signs and all."
"That would be amazing," Shen said honestly, eyes shining happily. She bit down on her grin, then nodded. "Okay, so I have to talk to him about that. But. I wanted to talk to you about... how to handle keeping the school safe. My uncle lives in Salem Center. Do you think he should move to New York, to put some distance between where I officially live and the school? Should I say I'm homeschooled? I have so many questions." And then there was the X-stuff, but they could get to that afterwards.
Warren's brow furrowed and feathers rustled thoughtfully. "It might be weirder if someone checks you out and finds your Uncle recently moved. Saying you're homeschooled, if he lives here, might be for the beset. That's a lot of 'mights' I know, but... I'd say consult Xavier on this."
Shen nodded in agreement, worrying her bottom lip. She released with a small sigh - one of determination more than anything else. "And then we have to figure out how to image-induce our X-selves."
Warren's face lit up. "I was thinking metal wings. How cool would that be?"
Shen laughed. "Pretty awesome. I think I'll just change the color on mine. And pick an older face, different body."
"What about a mask?" Warren wondered. "I mean, hair should probably change for both of us, but like a little domino?"
"Aren't we all gonna be wearing masks?" Shen asked. "I mean, facial recognition software is a thing, right? Or is that just in movies?"
Warren frowned. "Right. I keep forgetting the actual NSA and/or FBI will be after us, not just a bunch of assholes. Okay, yeah, fair. But I like my face." He was close to pouting.
"Yes, you're very pretty," Shen told him, in a way that made it clear she was ready to rant at him if he didn't stop being a child about it.
Which made him laugh. "Okay, okay. Point taken. I had my moment as the Avenging Angel, I should just be grateful there's a way to get back at it at all."
Shen grinned. "We all should be grateful we have this kind of opportunity." Her smile dimmed a little, but only to become less about amusement, and more about something deeply personal. "I really wanna make a change, you know?"
Warren nodded, still smiling but also completely in earnest. "Me too, more than anything. That's where most of the pressure comes from, honestly. It's not the press or people freaking out about my wings. It's how bad I want that."
"I'm so glad you're doing this too," Shen stated honestly. "And Kurt. I mean, I'm sure your boyfriends are great, I just don't really know them." They certainly didn't give her the same warm, comforting feeling as knowing Warren and Kurt were in it with her.
"They're not the easiest to get to know." He chuckled, feathers ruffling with amusement. "But who knows, maybe after this, you will. And yeah, Kurt--that guy's amazing. Total ray of sunshine. Though he prefers to be called 'sweetheart' or 'blueberry muffin'. So he says." Which was just another reason to love him.
"Yeah, I'm not much for pet names, I think I'll stick with calling him Kurt," Shen stated with an amused smile.
"Same," Warren admitted with a chuckle. "For all my romantic stupidity at times. But just the fact that he said 'blueberry muffin' makes me love him even more."
Shen smiled. "I'll totally give you that. I think something might be going on between him and Jeanne-Marie. Or maybe it's just wishful thinking. They're both so amazing, you know?"
"Now that she's stopped looking at me like I'm trying to steal something from her" --which Warren suspected was Jean-Paul, but anyhow-- "I definitely see what you see in her. And Kurt--actually. That's. Kind of scary adorable."
"I know!" Shen agreed with a bright, bright smile. "I knew you'd get it. I really hope it's not wishful thinking."
"JP will... actually I don't know," Warren admitted. "Normally I'd say Kurt is the kind of guy you'd like your sister to date, but he incurred the Wrath of Jean-Paul when he put his nose into their fight. Personally, I could kiss him for it."
"He did? Oh, he really is the best," Shen stated with feeling. "I would've, but I would've made things worse, I'm pretty sure. Ugh. Anyway, they're speaking again, so yay. And Jean-Paul can suck it if he disapproves of the two of them." Which still might just be in her mind, but she hoped not.
Warren managed not to let his first thought pop out of his mouth, and then was very proud of himself. "Fair. Even someone as protective as him can't complain about a blueberry muffin like that."
Shen laughed at his answer. "You're not gonna let the muffin thing go."
"It's so cute!" Warren protested, also laughing.
"It is, but..." Still laughing, she shook her head. "I got nothing. Go ahead. Keep going. The cuteness will prevail."
"That's what we'll tell ourselves when it comes to all this," Warren decided. "We're too cute for it not to work."
"Cute and charming," Shen confirmed with a decisive nod.
Warren held out a fist for a bump. “Word.”
Shen laughed, and bumped his fist.
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Kurt is so glad Shen will be joining him for this! Also, he loves how much they got a kick out of the blueberry muffin thing haha