2020-03-14 - The Pinnacle of Good Cheer

Summary:

A still somewhat down Hank is cheered up by and in turn cheers up the newly returned Nature Girl.

Log Info:

Storyteller: None
Date: Sat Mar 14 00:08:32 2020
Location: X-Manse Spire

Related Logs

None

Theme Song

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lin-lihank-mccoy

Forty-five degrees, and cloudy. Yeah, that suits Hank at the moment. At present he is perched on top of a spire on one of the turrets of the X-Mansion. He's dressed in fur, and shorts, and that's it. On beefy hands steadies him atop the spire, he's literally perched on a lightning rod. Yeah, better hope the weather gets no worse.

Eyes of yellow stare off into the distance, following the motion of a small flock of birds circling near the mountain park.

Nope, he's really not in that great a mood, but…he's not as low as he's been of late.

Of course…he /is/ roughly three stories in the air balanced on spike. So, not the most accessible and upbeat options of perches.


Lin arrives quietly on the grounds, she's sneaking carefully from behind Hank though not really aware of the sneaking. She does it instinctively, moves through her environment as it moves around her without any trace of passing unless she wants it so. The antlered woman pauses and closes her eyes, concentrating for several minutes until she finds Hank's mind. Her eyes snap open and she looks up and blinks. Oh. That doesn't look good. She doesn't feel there is time to encourage the weather to be nicer but a part of her mind sets to doing just that. If she can just push a few clouds away over him, just get a bit of sun through, surely it will help?

Lin remembers to make some noise this time, as she flies up towards Hank. "Don't fall please." She's not dressed for the weather, just her thin denim jacket with the collar up, shorts, a vest and no shoes. It doesn't seem to bother her though. She's holding a box of fresh fruit and vegetables that she stops to set on the roof before continuing up to Hank's height and gliding over to hover in front of him with a slight frown. "Or jump. No jumping." He's far too heavy for her to catch.


"Ah, hello Lin Li." Hank greets in that profoundly bass voice of his. His enunciation is precise, every syllable lovingly cherished. He doesn't seem too surprised when she flies up, and shrugs a little. "I've fallen further, at greater than terminal velocity and been unhurt. Especially if I land on my feet."

The Beast looks to Lin Li. "Were you looking for me in particular, or did I just catch your eye en route elsewhere?"

Hank is also clearly not dressed for the weather - and his fur is thick, pretty well impervious to even extreme cold.


She frowns harder and glides closer, staring right into those yellow eyes. "I did not ask if it would hurt you. I said do not do it." Her words are spoken softly, carefully as her mind works out which of the ones she knows fits this situation best. "Or think of it." She moves back a bit and moves to sit with her legs crossed in front of her, and in mid air in front of him. "I came to see you." She smiles now, genuine but still shy and uncertain of being welcomed. One eye casts upward to check the progress of the clouds. Scoot darkling things, scoot away.

"Maybe instead you can tell Lin why you are upset? I don't know.. a lot. But I can listen." She tries another smile, fishes out a peppermint from her pocket and offers it to Hank."


A brow Spocks up as she gets rather a bit direct with him, and then Hank nods slowly. "No, I suppose you didn't." Hank offers a faint smile. "I don't worry about things like heights most of the time." Hank admits. "Do not worry, Lin Li, I am just a bit down, not suicidal." He does look curious though. "HOw is it that you find me so easily? I know that your powers don't work on non-animals, or at least I believe that's what I read in your old files. Did your powers develop further in the years since we last spoke?"

He sighs as she asks about the why he's down. "I had with the aid of a my friends managed a serum to revert some of my overt mutations caused accidentally years ago. In a recent..incident..I was altered again, and the means to revert was removed from me." A nod. "So…I'm stuck in this monstrous form."


Oh. Oh oh. He's got her there. She cannot lie to him. She is aware that is a thing that people do but she does not see the point. IF she doesn't wish to tell someone a thing then she just doesn't. No need for lies. She hasn't ever had close enough interactions with people to even begin to see the point..until now. It's not her way though. "There is.. a difference to you. Not animal, no." She pauses to hold her hand up reassuringly. "I cannot, I do not think I can communicate with you." Perhaps, if she truly tried but she has no wish to do that. If he could sense the alienness of her mind in return it would probably be disturbing. "I can sense you though. Your emotions are very strong at times."

That said, she leans back and rests her chin in one hand and considers him with a slight frown. She doesn't think his form monsterous at all. "I think you are beautiful. Very much so. Not monsterous Hank. You are good, inside and out. But even if you think you look monsterous, you must know that you are good." She says earnestly.

"The most beautiful of what humans consider so can have the darkest most evil hearts. I have seen this. Monsterous is not you. Monsterous is the people who would do this.." Lin slides her jacket off, folds it into her lap as she turns and lifts up the back of her vest. Her back is a mass of pale, thin, white scars. As she were scourged. As she turns back she pulls down the collar of her vest and shows another shallow slice along the left side of her neck. "Or this. Someone who would take Lin's head as a trophy like the animals he hunted for money and not food. Or monsterous is.. what happened to those poaches when Lin awoke in pain and the mother hear her cries. Nothing lives there now. Nothing will for a very long time. None of that is you. But I understand..not being able to change your appearance. I would not have these, not remember that time and every time I get dressed it is there." She shrugs and smiles brightly as a single ray of sunlight shines down on them. "Much better to look like you, I think." She laughs softly. "See the sun aggrees. You cannot argue with the sun." She says it so matter of factly but there is a distinct twinkle in her eyes.


"Difference, yes. I'm more…wild, I suppose." Hank is not terribly comfortable with this. "I have always prided myself on being educated, and cultured. And I have had some issues with anger in the past, but I had thought them to remain there." He sighs. "Now that's all moot. I am much more prone to anger, to instinct driven responses instead of reasoned ones." Hank is no stranger to telepathy - if Lin /were/ to contact his mind, he would not find it all that odd or disturbing.

Hank shakes his head. "I…don't think so. You are, of course, permitted to have your own opinions, I do not doubt it but this form is not beautiful." He holds up both hands, and then flexes, extending claws a full three inches long from the fingertips. He does the same with his toes. That's a LOT of wicked three inch claws. "And then there's my fangs, my fur, my odd eyes. Hell, my body shape alone is inhuman - by every definition my appearance is monstrous - even if I strive to be otherwise, and I hope with some measure of success, in other arenas."

As she shows her scars, his lip curls and low growl forms. A hand moves to almost touch, but then is pulled back. "Yes. Those who would do such to you are indeed monster, Lin Li."

A knowing smirk. "Lin, you /do/ know I am aware of your powers — the sun, that's probably your doing, is it not?"


She grins at him impishly. "Maybe. Still you cannot argue with the sun." Then she sticks out her tongue and laughs before turning serious. She reaches out and takes Hank's hand, her fingers trailing over his claws before gently grasping the massive hand in both of her own smaller ones. "I can help, with the anger, and the instincts, well, they are not bad Hank, they are just different. You fit more now." She says softly. Then sighs and shakes her head. He won't understand and she doesn't think she can explain.

"I have such problems too." Lin admits. "If I get angry, or too sad, or even lonely. The earth responds. Only a part of my mind is human, a smaller part than the rest I think. It's part of why I came back. The other parts, plant, animal, insect, earth.. things that people don't think have a.. a consciouness. But they do, they all share in it. They all fit together, except for people. They are apart, aside. Deaf and blind and dumb to it all. A few might have some knowledge of the world and the environment and how it is important and fits but they still do not See. There is no awareness of the stream of all life. Now you are closer to it. I think it is not a bad thing. I think if you were free and I had ever considered such a thing you would make a strong and very handsome mate. I am sure that anyone who truly cares for you will think so too."

She squeezes his hand and smiles. "You are still cultured and civilised and the smartest person Lin knows." She frowns slightly at the realisation that she doesn't know a lot of people. "That was supposed to mean more than it did."


"Well, no, I don't suppose I could." Hank allows her exploration of his hand, even moving it to help, it is a rather strong and ridiculously oversized hand. He tries to parse what she's saying, and frowns a bit in concentration.

"I /fit/ more now." He murmurs.

"That sounds like a challenging thing to control." Hank comments. He does listen to the rest, to the description of how things are interconnected. "Life is a complicated and varied system, I think I begin to see what you mean." And then she speaks of him as a potential mate, and he can't help but blush a bit. "Well, I thank you for that compliment, but I do have a girlfriend already, a woman I care about very deeply." He smiles. "I am flattered, however."

A soft chuff of laughter. "I took it as you intended, not in any other context, do not worry."


Lin looks relieved. "Good. And I am glad about your girlfriend. My point was, you might be different but it's not a bad different. I think you will see that in time. I will help you." She considers his comment and thinks for a bit after squuezing his hand and letting it go. "It's not control, not exactly. It is, just trying to stay calm. Staying present in the moment. It is harder at times than others I suppose. I never really thought of it that way though. It's just the way it has always been." She shrugs again. "If I go away from people I don't have any problems but I am.. less. Because a part of me is human. That is why I returned instead of..welll."

Her hesitation is clear and for the first time she looks down and fiddles with her jacket. It's not a nervous gesture exactly, more unsettled. She isn't sure she wants to continue that thought so she goes with another instead. "I just don't know if I can fit in here. If I am people enough." She rolls her eyes and sighs again. "See. This, this is more words than I have ever spoken to a person. Ever." Lin thinks about that for a moment and then smiles and looks up. "It's not so hard as I imagined. I think that is good."


"Well, I've little choice other than to deal. My form is immutable now, the treatment null and void and now for all my efforts I'm even /more/ bestial than I was before." Hank's brow furrows as Lin tries to explain, and then he nods. "Humanity is for you a muscle, one you need to exercise lest it atrophy. I don't believe you should leave, not unless you come to hate it here. You are in part human, yes? Well, humans are social animals, and need one another's company. As you said, you're incomplete without the human, so, work on it. Even as you offer your help, I offer mine."

A smiles. "No, talking is not all that hard, it just takes practice. I'm rather verbose, myself. In fact I know many probably would call me a chatterbox."


"It doesn't bother me, talking to you. I am glad to do it. And I will be glad of your help." Lin smiles. She thinks about what he says though and it makes sense for the most part. A muscle. Yes. She studies him for a moment, remembering telling him not to think of jumping. "Before..before I came back.."

She stops again. Lin likes this man. She doesn't like a lot of people and it has come to her attention that the only people she's managed to get along with so far are people like Nick and Isis, and now Hank. Maybe he can help to find more of the human part of herself. Before it's gone completely.

"To deal. That is what I had to decide. Retreat to the wilds forevermore. Return and try or.." Her voice softens. "Answer my mother's call and rejoin the stream. She wishes it. If I let go physical form and join her, she would be..more. I am not.. not certain that would be a good thing."


"I try to be approachable." And then Hank pauses, and looks at where he's still perched, and laughs softly. "Well, usually." Still laughing, he starts to wobble a bit. And laughs a little harder. "Not that it gave you any pause, of course."

Settling a little, he steadies. "Still, I am glad you find me comfortable to speak with."

Unaware of her thoughts, he can tell she's trying hard to find words, that she's deep in thought about something.

The reveal about her mother's call, he can only assume she means Mother Earth, Gaia as many refer to her. "It would not be be a good thing." Hank states firmly. "It would mean no more Lin Li, and that is not a good thing."


Lin smiles again. "Thank you. " She looks thoughtful. "No one has ever said that before. To me." She clarifies. Which might sound sad but she seems pretty happy at the moment, her eyes twinkling. "Do not fall!" She playfully shoves at him, without actually touching. "It would also be a bad thing if there was no more you. Remember the flower I grew for you? It evolved, life evolves and changes. That is what you have done, what I am trying to do. To be.. more." Her lips quirk. "You are more for sure." Was that another joke? "But a very good more!" She covers her face with her hands. "Aiii. Lin is no good at this." He can see her peeking at him between her fingers. It's true she struggles with this kind of interaction but she might be layingit on pretty thick in the hopes of improving his mood and self image more at the moment.


"Well, obviously you need to hang around people more, I imagine that bugs aren't nearly the conversationalists you can find around here." As Lin cautions him not to fall he grips the top of the lightning rod firmly, and then lifts himself up to balance on the one hand apparently without effort until he's inverted, but keeps his eyes at her level.

"I won't fall. I can do this for hours." Hank promises.

"I still have that flower." He admits. "It is rather fond of J-Pop." Of course the flower is fond of japanese pop music!


Lin laughs and claps her hands. "See. That is very.. amazing. Or is cool?" She chuckles softly. "I only know what that music is because I watched some people at the place I get drinks sometimes." She enjoys music alot. That stuff had kind of bemused her though. "I am glad. I made it to live long if it is in the dirt and has enough water. Just becareful if you put them outside, it might move itself to another spot." Which is why she included the splash of bright white, to make it easier to see.

"I can fly or hover for awhile too. Hover longer, flying is like walking and you get tired eventually."

"I don't think the winged Lady I met liked me but I accidently tried to attack her youngling." Lin winces. "I healed her wing though. That was interesting. She was not a feral but wings are wings and so I tried and it worked. I don't think she liked me any more even so. Still glad that I could, to not be able to fly when you can.." Lin shudders.


"Your flower? It is both amazing -and- cool, yes." Yup, Hank just overtly misinterpreted. The scamp. Still, it shows his sense of humor is still there, even if his mood was less than stellar. After all…he picked about the most isolated spot still on the grounds as his perch of pensive ponderings.

He does file away the note that the plant might just move about. That's…interesting.

A soft laugh. "Mmm, I'm aware, I helped compile your files here you know. Though we'll need to run some tests to get your new benchmarks, that can wait of course. As to the Winged lady not liking you very much…that's on her. And it sounds like your mistake would be a solid reason for displeasure."


Lin nods. "Yes. I thought Nick and his friend were in danger.. Didn't really think, just moved." It had caught her off guard a little, that reaction. She doesn't usually move so hastily. It's going to take time to get used to being so involved with other people. Her reactions aren't always going to be right.

Lin grins. "No, bugs don't have as much interesting things to say as you." She ponders for a moment. "It's a different kind of interesting. Simple. Concerns of only now, in the moment. This talking, it's.." Very different. Complex. So many shades, layers of meaning, and not meaning. "Oh." Lin frowns. "That didn't sound right, did it? Of course you are more interesting than the bugs!" Ah nooo. She starts foward to offer Hank a hug, then freezes in place, her expression more than a little like a deer caught in the headlights.


Eyes of yellow are kind, and he nods understanding before pushing up with his one hand and then inverting again, feet grabbing the lightning rod firmly and holding him effortlessly aloft. "Instincts are hard to fight, sometimes, Lin Li. It is a lesson that I have to relearn, and that you may never have learned - control is never simple, but determination is something I'm sure you're not lacking in."

A laugh. "Well, bugs also communicate in very different ways than hominids do, for example I believe pheremones and chemical markers are far more their language, mm?" A chuff of laughter. "I took no offense, my friend." And then she moves to hug him, and he does not move as she freezes. A curious look at that, not angry or upset, just curious.


She waits just long enough for it to be apparent that she is indeed very awkward with this kind of thing and then hugs Hank. She still isn't entirely sure he'll welcome a hug but now she's commited! The hug is happening. "Oh." This time she sounds surprised. "You're warm." Well that isn't less awkward she thinks and slowly pulls back with a blush. "This doesn't seem so weird when watching others do it." Gahh. Then she suddenly catches a glimmer of understanding. "Others learn how to.. to people.. by being raised. Parents, siblings, friends."

No wonder she's so awful with this kind of stuff. "Lin was raised by animals!" She laughs in delight. "Not her fault. She..I. I will learn. I'm determined, yes." She grins. Then nods, "That is how bugs do. You know a lot."


The hug is accepted and even returned, another chuff at the surprise that the HULKING FURRY GUY is warm! "Mm…my body temperature is a bit higher than statistical average." Hank comments. "And the fur seems to help." A shrug, and then he releases Lin, and sighs a bit. "I am being mopey." He declares. He smiles as Lin realizes the truest truth. "Indeed you were, and socialization is /learned/ behavior, Lin Li. It takes time. Catseye was also raised by animals, cats specifically and it has profoundly affected how she interacts with people. Perhaps seek her guidance, she has a very good mind and a good heart."

And then he gets a sort of bratty look and without a bit of warning LEAPS off the building, the lightning rod waving back and forth with the force he applied to push off. Graceful as can be, the massive Beast turns in mid air, arms spread wide as he spins several times and then lands on the grass in a three point landing that makes a small crater, and sends a ripple of compression wave around from the point of contact.


Lin grins. Lack of abilities in this arena aside, she seems to be succeeding in her mission to cheer her new friend up. She takes note of the name of the Catseye woman for later. Her eyes widen and Lin whips around to follow Hank's progress with a small gasp of alarm. "Oooh. He fast." She dives after, going slower because she stops to grab the box of fresh fruit and veggies she brought. Her landing is also less impactful. She frowns, narrows warm brown eyes at Hank and then mimics his bratty look.

All of a sudden the ground around them rumbles, a tiny quake of the earth. She cheats! "Ha!" The grass responds to her burst of amusement and in a moments time it's head height in a ring around the crater and still growing, moving to weave a net over their heads just in time to cover them from the rain that starts to fall. Lin carefully sets the box down, looks at Hank and then asks in a hushed voice "Too much?"


Well, the thing is that Hank is very well aware of her social inexperience and factors that in. He looks past the awkward and reacts to the intentions, and that has a lot of impact. The long and the short is that he responds not to what she says, but rather focuses on what she means. Well, usually, sometimes he fails to get the right perspective but he's quick to reassess.

Fast and tough. Clearly.

Eyes warm, he watches the display of plant growth form up, and provide them a living gazebo. "Not at all, this is a safe place, use your powers. Personally I find it engaging." Especially when they see a lightning bolt strike the rod he was perched on moments before, and the odd break in the clouds still shining sun on the spire.

"Thank you, Lin Li. I was…not in a good headspace."


"Aaaiiii." Lin comments in mild alarm at the lightning. "That was accident!" She hadn't called it but it had been about to storm. She had stopped focusing on the weather, a mistake nearly. "I know." She returns her attention to Hank with an understanding look, and this time because she isn't overthinking it, the hug is more natural. "It will get better. You call Lin if you feel bad. I will come. We can talk about things. Or test powers. Make notes." She recalls her backup plan for helping him then. Or at least, giving him something new to focus on.

"I had an idea. To take plants and make them stronger. So they are like medicine. Like with, tea. Only more powerful. Which ones would be good though? And how strong to make it? Which ones to combine into a new plant?" A pause. "I make really good poisoins too but I don't do that much. People who want that usually want for bad reason. Sometimes okay, like farming. Mostly though..seems..suspicious." She shakes her head with chagrin. "Lin should not go back to Hong Kong ever, probably."


Lin's dismay proves that his suspicion she was affecting the weather was warranted, which is interesting. That's a significant upgrade to her powers right there. "Not to worry, Lin Li, you wouldn't have let it strike were we still up there." He laughs softly and hugs back again. "Truly, you're fine, and you've done a laudable job at cheering me up."

He ponders the plants idea. "That is a very interesting notion, Lin Li, but it will take care. There's a lot of things that could go wrong." And then he shakes his head. "Poisons are definitely something you want to be careful about." No, Hank doth not approve - not in general, anyway. And then he looks to Lin. "So…why can you not go to China then?"


Lin blushes and looks down and toes the dirt with her bare foot. "Mistakes were made." She peers up at Hank and then looks back down and fiddles with a pouch on her belt. She keeps a large variety of seeds in there, and after a moment find the one she wants and holds it in her palm. A moments focus, a brush of her power and it sprouts and grows into a flower. A poppy flower. Papaver Somniferum to be exact. "Worse than poision really. I thought.. they were selling flowers. Tricked me." She'd figured it out before long but some damage had been done, the wrong kind of attention gathered. On more than one front.

"I know what lies are but not.. not why. Or when people lie. Or how. What they wanted was mixed with others, many fields. I figured it out but..too late." She nods fervently in aggreement. "Yes, things go wrong. That's why I need your help." She smiles but still seems a bit deflated remembering just what she can do when she has no idea what she is doing.


"Well…for all you were raised by the Children of Gaia…you're still human, Lin Li." Hank rests his massive furred hands Lin Li's shoulders. "And that, dear lady, means you're imperfect. We all of us are." And yes 'us', Hank includes himself. And the pain underlying that makes it very plain that he is speaking from personal experience.

The hands squeeze a bit. "And of course I'll help you, we all will." He smiles. "Come…lets get inside, I'll bake you some brownies, mm?"


Her stomach rumbles loudly and Lin blushes again as sets the grass to wither and mulch itself. Once they climb out of the crater it should fill it nicely. She hands Hank the box and claps her hands. "Yum! What goes in brownies?" She'll have to remember so she can grow some of it for next time. She also stops long enough to look Hank over and then grin. "I think you are pretty perfect. You just don't know it yet. If you did, then you wouldn't be! You'd be too rooster." It may or may not come to him that she probably meant cocky. Much more cheerful, and very grateful he wasn't angry over her admisson of wrong doing, Lin offers her free arm to Hank and skips forward, little dasies sprouting in her wake.


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