xp_logs | (no subject)

With a sigh, Kitty made her way towards Pete and Jake's office. She'd talked to Jake, and wasn't as worried as she had been, but it was one of those things she figured other people ought to know about. Especially considering, well, everything. Standing in the doorway, she knocked lightly on the door frame. "Mr. Wisdom, sir? Can I talk to you?" No matter how often Logan or Pete said not to, it was still hard for her not to call them 'sir'. It was just a thing.

"You're determined to make me sound like Peppermint bleeding Patty, aren't you?" Pete looked up from the documents he was reading, and grinned at her.

"'Course you can." He gestured to a chair. "What's on your mind?"

Kitty blinked at the response, then smiled. Stepping into the room and taking the offered chair, Kitty briefly considered how to explain.

"I wasn't trying to snoop, I promise," Kitty started. "Only, last Saturday I was kind of bored, and poking about through the mansion's server records and I stumbled across something kind of strange. A double signal packet with an encryption I'd never seen before. Only, the two signals didn't match, you see?" She looked hopefully at Pete, not sure how much technical detail he'd understand.

"It was like, well, it turns out it was someone saying one thing and sending another thing via IM, all twisted up and hidden under an encrypt. Um, so I got curious..." Kitty blushed. "And maybe a little suspicious, since the attack had only been, like, two days ago. So, I kind of decrypted it. Turns out it was something Jake, er, Mr. Gavin, was sending."

Ah. Pete knew there was something he'd been forgetting to check on. Scratch had been right - he was going soft. He fought down the urge to light up. First things first...

"Listen, I'm the last person to tell you off for reading something you shouldn't. So can we take it as read that we both know that the rest of the world disapproves of this sort of behaviour, even if it is pretty useful sometimes, and I'll avoid being a hypocrite for the time being?"

Kitty smiled, somewhat relieved, and nodded.

"Now, slightly more importantly, if I've understood you right, my colleague has been talking to people outside this house in a secret manner? And you've cracked it? What was it? I'm assuming he wasn't just chatting up some 40 year old trucker from Minnesota again..."

"No, sir," Kitty said. "He was talking to his father. Mostly just telling him that the attack had happened, and who it had been, who got hurt, that sort of thing. Only, of course, that was what he was writing, and what he was saying was 'oh, I don't have any money, woe is me.'" She giggled faintly. "So, after I cracked it, I went to talk to him, because Al and the Professor and everyone has been saying I should instead of assuming things and, um, doing stuff about it." Eyes cast down, Kitty couldn't help the blush that tinged her cheeks.

"Um, so, Jake, um, Mr. Gavin," she edited, shaking her head, "said that it was sort of routine for him, and then he, well, he kind of offered me a job. I thought he was joking, but he says he's serious."

"I'm sure he is, Kitty. I'm surprised it's taken him this long to get around to it, to be honest. Yeah, he's right - it would be routine for him to do that, unfortunately. I'm not wild about it, but it would be. I'll have a chat with the Prof about it, now you've brought it up, if you don't mind. I'm sure he'd agree with me that in the circumstances you did nothing wrong..."

He twirled a pen through his fingers, absently.

"About the job offer, well, there's not an agency on the planet that wouldn't love to hire you given the chance. But if it were me, well, I'm damn sure that you can find better uses for your gifts when you come to look for a job that to wind up in his or my line of work. And to be honest, it doesn't help that I don't much like his employers - I don't go a bundle for the mercenary ethic they work to. But when all's said and done, it's your call. I'd find out as much as you can about Infonet before making your mind up. And bear in mind that whatever they cash they offer you at the outset will be about half what you're worth, so if you decide to go for it, haggle with them."

Kitty blinked, stunned. "You're kidding, right?" she blurted out. "I mean, yeah, ok, I'm not half bad but well..." Jake had mentioned some very large numbers. "Why would anyone want me that much?"

Pete smiled.

"Right. You're fifteen years old, and you're already 'not half bad'. Hell, three times in the last year that I know about you've done things that professionals who've been working for years would have had trouble with, and you've proved that you're not afraid to take risks if you're given good enough reason. Even aside from your computer skills and mutant gifts, you're seriously bloody impressive, Kitty, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. But ten years, and the right kind of training, you could leave people like me and Jake standing in your dust if you wanted - I've got no doubt whatsoever about that. Me, I think you can do a hell of a lot sodding better than than winding up in Jake's or my line of work, and I fucking know you can do better than doing it for anyone with enough wedge to pay your fees. So yeah, I'm not bloody surprised Jake's trying to recruit you already."

Kitty looked down at the floor, her blush deepening as half a dozen protests died on her lips. "Oh..." was all she said, then looked up. "Um, yeah, ok. Um..." Well, that's something to think about... "So, uh, you know, now, um... about Jake, uh, Mr. Gavin. Right. Um, the reporting to his father thing, that is. Not, um, the other thing... And," she added, "um, I know about the other thing, I guess. Yeah. Um, wow..."

Pete bit back a chuckle. "Listen, you did the right thing, talking to us both. I'll add to to my list of things to talk to the Prof about. And I meant what I said - you can do a hell of a lot better than my line of work - your boyfriend's a lot brighter than I was at his age."

Kitty smiled, and nodded slightly. It was definitely going to be something to think about, but she was very glad that he'd talk to the Professor.

He stood. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a fag very badly indeed."

"Oh, of course." Standing quickly, she added, "Thank you for talking to me, sir."

Current Mood: not paranoid!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

x-dazzler.livejournal.com

*glomps the kitty*

From:

x-kitten.livejournal.com

Yeah for decreased paranoia!

From:

x-dazzler.livejournal.com

Talking! Yes!

*twirls about madly*

:D

From:

x-crowdofone.livejournal.com

Even aside from your computer skills and mutant gifts, you're seriously bloody impressive, Kitty, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Yay, Pete! See, it's not just the snog-colored glasses. :)