Kurt & Nico ((Backdated to the 24th))

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Just before Christmas, Nico meets another Szardos, inquires about the family traditions, and passes the time with Kurt, all in name of not thinking about te festivities



Jimaine giggled as she handed Nico a steaming cup, then curled up on her narrow bed a step away in the confined caravan. "There. That should get you warm."

Holding the cup, the goth gave Jimaine a suspicious look. "Let's see...", muttered taking a sip. It tasted like grapes, but differently. "Hmm...warm wine? This is actually nice." Screw the alcohol, Nico was freezing. "Thank you, I guess?"

"Mulled wine", the older girl said cheerfully. "Traditional for Christmas. And it is quite legal for you to drink in our home." Not that she'd have withheld it even if Nico was a little younger.

Nico smiled, not sure what else to do; the other girl was quite cheerful, which could mean she was a really nice person. Or not. Still, she was the guest, so smiling was the way to go at the moment. "Legal issues won't keep me awake at night, actually." How did she end there to begin with? Ah right, after seeing Amanda having some Kodak moments with her family she had decided to leave her alone, not sure if she was enjoying herself or being driven to madness, and certainly not in the mood to find out, and saw Jimaine there.

"So... how is life here? I mean, a caravan... sounds interesting."

"I've never known anything else", she said with a slight shrug. "But I love it. I couldn't imagine settling in one place."

"I see." Nico took another sip, feeling nice and warm. "I guess I could get used to it; not that it looks like a completely carefree life, but is...nice." She still didn't know the whole deal with Amanda and her family, but there should be a catch if she ultimately left and changed her last name. "At least here different people would live quietly...I think." And now she was thinking about Kurt, who had also followed the same path as Amanda; actually she didn't know who left who, and who did it first.

"No life is completely carefree, except a child's", Jimaine said more seriously, quoting her mother. "Most of us are accepting of... different people. My parents adopted Kurt before I was born, and we took Meggan in, and... well, there have been others."

"Oh, more?" Nico blinked, not sure if she should be surprised or not. "I mean, sorry; I was an only child, so an ever changing family size is a bit surprising for me." Giving another look at Jimaine, Nico decided to shoot the important question. "So...you do something? I mean, everyone in this family seem to have a skill of sorts."

"Kurt still adopts people", she confided easily, grinning. "That's why Cammie's here, she's his latest. And yes, I do. I'm the draborni for the clan, like my mother was. The witch."

Nico's eyebrows raised, this time in obvious surprise of the two things she had said. If Cammie was Kurt's last... what was she? Amanda's? "Witch huh? I'm a bit of a witch myself, and so is Amanda right?" Then why Jimaine said she was the witch of the family? Nico felt as if she had stepped somewhere she shouldn't have. "Amanda doesn't adopt people...right?"

"Not as much as Kurt does", Jimaine tried to reassure her. "If she brought you here, it's for a reason. Yes, she's a witch, and more powerful than me. She could have stepped into our mother's shoes..." A slight smile. "But she let me have it instead."

"I would love to know the reason; I think she sees a bit of her in me; the worrying bit probably." And Nico did see herself in Amanda, or at least what she considered she should strive to become sooner or later; once she knew her better, though. If I ever know her better. "But... she didn't. Is that weird? I mean, the whole changing her surname and God knows what else..."

"She did not grow up with us", came a soft voice from the caravan door. "Not after she was two years old. Sefton is her true name, now." Jimaine nodded, smiling a greeting over at her brother, and picked up his line of thought. "And she can't really be Szardos anymore. She thought I fitted better."

"Oh." Kurt's appearance took her by surprise, but the fact he kept talking was reassuring. "It probably does, I guess." But then why had Kurt followed her? Nico felt the question was probably the one she should ask in order to find out more than she wanted about Amanda, and so she didn't; maybe she needed to earn that information from Amanda directly. "But she is still your family, right?" The question was for Jimaine now.

"Family is more than a last name, or so I would like to believe."

"She's still my sister", Jimaine agreed, looking straight at her. "There were... difficulties, I did some stupid things, but we even work together sometimes now."

Nico nodded in silence. "Hm," said, unsure of what to add. She wasn't particularly polite, but this was the family of Amanda and Kurt, so she had to be careful with the stuff she said. "If everything is alright now, then the past is the past, right?"

"As far as the past ever really stays in the past, yes, it is", Jimaine told her. "And Kurt here's always my big brother. Even if he's three thousand miles away most of the time", with a wry grin for the blue man.

The answer was...interesting. As long as the past stayed there? It didn't sound definitive at all, Nico thought, but she didn't know what Jimaine meant, so maybe it was just a way she had to talk. Turning back to Kurt, Nico felt like leaving the place. "How is Amanda doing?"

"Fine." He grinned, amused. "The last time I saw her, Stefan was demonstrating that he can still pick her up and turn her upside down when he feels like it."

Nico smiled at the comment. "Cute," answered as she looked back at Jimaine once more. "Well, it was nice to meet you. See you around, I guess."

"Nice to meet you too, Nico!" Jimaine answered sincerely. "I'll be here, and just ask anyone if you want more mulled wine."

"I'll certainly do that," replied Nico as she went out, followed by Kurt. "She's... nice, but I keep thinking there is more than niceness there. No offense, but the whole gypsy thing makes my imagination go wild."

"Jimaine likes to play up the gypsy witch image for outsiders sometimes", he admitted with a chuckle. "And then sometimes she forgets... but I promise you she is just a girl with some extra powers."

"You mention it as if it wasn't a big deal," answered the girl with a grin as they walked. "Mr. Sefton..." Nico set her eyes on the horizon, trying to sound not as curious as she felt. "Why do you have Amanda's last name? I'll understand if you prefer not to answer me."

"I may have a slightly odd perspective." He considered the question, giving it due weight. "I will answer. The truth is... did Jimaine tell you I am adopted, while you were talking?"

Nico frowned a little. "She kind of did, I think? But then you would be a Szardos, right? Actually, Amanda would to, but alright, she had her reasons to retake her original last name and all that." What was Kurt trying to imply? Nico was starting to feel scared of knowing; family issues were usually messy, and because of that they were private.

"Amanda was born a Szardos", he corrected. "But she was taken so young, the name she chose for herself represents her more. As for me, I was born among these people, to a woman who gave me a name before she left me. The surname belonged to my birth father. Certain things came to light that led me to change it."

"Wait...what?" Nico tried to make things have more sense, but it was of no use. "You know what, forget about me asking; I'm more confused than before, and I really don't feel like pushing this topic anymore." Really, it was messy, just as she had thought; she would need more than she wanted to put all the pieces together, and even if she was quite curious, she forced herself to stop wondering about it. "It's not like your family is as simple as mine...oh, wait, I'm not the best example." Nico tried to smile, but it came out forced. "I guess you can understand my thing with families now? When one's own is a failure, you try to see how other people live their lives."

"It is a little difficult to explain without touching on things that are not mine to tell", he said with a tone of faint apology. "And yes, I do understand. My family situation includes rather too many siblings, by blood and adoption, to be simple."

"I understand, so don't worry." Well, there was no point of feeling all down while being on a foreign country, visiting the family of the one in charge of teaching her magic, which lived on a caravan! All in all it was pretty awesome and mind distracting. "Ah, I need more of that mulled wine now," commented with a small chuckle.

"Then we will just have to get you some. I believe there is a kettle of it brewing on that fire", he indicated which one he meant.

Nico beamed at Kurt, allowing the man to see her like that just because the mullet wine could probably turn into an addiction soon enough. But the thought of her own family and the Chritsmas she had had in the past made her smile die, face turning away as she looked back at the fire. "Happy Christmas, I guess."

"And to you, Nico", he said more quietly, seeing the changed look on her face. "I hope we can make it an enjoyable one."