xp_logs | Kurt and Korvus, Wednesday morning

Kurt tracks Korvus down to the woods and they have a friendly chat about Meggan. No, really. Then they go for breakfast.

It was probably because Korvus was meditating that it was so easy to sneak up on him, Kurt thought. The whole point was to shut out the world, after all, and that explained why Kurt was now hanging upside down from a tree above Korvus' head, thus far unnoticed. Not wanting to interrupt the boy's exercises, he was waiting patiently for Korvus to finish on his own.

Korvus meditated after his martial arts and yoga routine, leaving him in an odd pair of short white pants with a red sash. His meditation varied between fifteen minutes to an hour, fortunately today's was shorter. After twenty minutes he stood and bent down to roll up his mat.

"Hello, Korvus", Kurt said pleasantly from his branch. "I hope you had a successful session?"

"Meditation can not be unsuccessful." Korvus responded as he looked up, tilting his head a bit curiously. "This is not the standard greeting paradigm."

"Sometimes I like to be unconventional." He grinned and flipped himself upwards, settling on the branch quite comfortably. "We have not met in person, I think. I am Kurt Sefton."

"I am Korvus Rook'shir. Which you wanted me to know you know. You are too far away to shake hands but be assured it is my pleasure to meet you." Shaking hands was the physical gesture that showed a person wasn't reaching for a weapon and established the level of trust for the relationship, after all.

"Likewise." He smiled. "I did not mean to imply anything by knowing your name. I know the names of everyone who comes to live here, whether they are a student or not. I should tell you also, that I am Meggan's older brother."

"Is that relationship going to feature in this conversation?" Korvus had been told by Wade that he had a similar relationship to Meggan just before he was threatened. He was wondering if it was going to be a trend. "I am sorry that I seem wary but I find it unnerving that you hung over me during my meditation. It was my understanding that, in America, it is also unusual for people to interrupt another individual's religious experience."

"And I did not interrupt, nor would I have", Kurt pointed out. "You did not even know I was here until you had finished and were preparing to leave. As for Meggan... you need not fear threats. You are not like these American boys, I think, who sometimes need a little fear put into them to remind them to behave properly. I would only say that I love my little sister very much and remind you that she is not yet accustomed to any such relationship."

"I am not either. We have had conversations on the topic." Korvus stood on the ground, looking up awkwardly for only another moment before setting his rug down. He looked for a suitable branch and nimbly bounded off a nearby tree's trunk to hook the branch and pull himself up so he could sit at Kurt's level. "I have asked about our status as 'dating' which she prefers to keep 'slow and casual.' I have also informed her I have no interest in participating in prom's loss of virginity tradition. It assumes an earlier start at dating and I do not accept the pressure portrayed in movies."

Korvus paused to think for a moment about the other things he had learned from his conversations about Meggan. "I also get the impression that full body oil massage would be off limits, though it's a traditional martial arts practice and I'm not sure as to why. I never offered, it is traditionally something passed from instructor to student, but it was mentioned to Wade and he reacted strongly."

Kurt considered this, nodding slowly. "I am glad you will not be pressured to follow all American ways. Take what seems right to you, reject the rest, I think is the best way. And I promise you that if it is Meggan's choice and it makes her happy, I will not be after you with a shotgun or any other weapon for anything that may happen. As for the full body oil massage... perhaps not just yet. Here it would be considered something that would more likely be done between lovers or those preparing to become so."

"Who wants to be walked on before intercourse?" Korvus made a face somewhere between seriously confused and disgusted. "That would be ridiculous. Not even in Kama Sutra is that advocated and that is The Book of Love."

"Walked on?" Kurt blinked. "I think there is some crossing of purposes here. You are not referring to massage with the hands?"

"Of course not! Kalaripayattu massage is with the feet upon the body to prevent cramping and soreness after intense exercise." Korvus insisted.

"...did you explain that to Wade? Because I rather think he may have been envisioning something else. Massage by being walked upon would be somewhat more acceptable, as you say. If Meggan were taking instruction from you."

"She has never expressed interest in Kalari Payat." Korvus offered as a complete answer to the question. "And I do not know what Wade was envisioning. There are a lot of social expectations being projected. There is a theory about situational identity that is relevant. I may have to begin carrying a copy."

Kurt nodded again. "I think you will find social expectations are projected wherever you go, and unless you return home, they will be strange to you for quite some time. I have lived in America for many years and still sometimes things strike me as odd."

"That is not encouraging." Korvus noted. "This is home now."

"You will adjust", was all Kurt could offer as comfort. "Mostly. Or at the very least, you will learn what those social expectations are and which you can safely ignore."

"Does Meggan have other family members or people whom consider themselves nearly such from which I should expect another conversation?" Korvus asked with a sigh. "I lost my family and, more than tedious, I find it to be a sad reminder of that fact."

"Living in this country, only our sister Amanda, and she does not live in the mansion", Kurt told him. "I will tell her of the situation myself and that I do not feel any lecture or threats are necessary. Two such talks ought to suffice for anyone, hm? And I am sorry for your loss."

"Thank you for your consideration." Korvus said with a smile.

Kurt smiled back. "As I said, I think you can be trusted with Meggan. And it seems you are made of tougher stuff than her last date - Wade and I may have accidentally scared him off."

Korvus nodded, thinking for a moment. "How did you do that?" He asked curiously. He wanted to gather more information on dating from a source other than movies.

The smile changed to a vaguely shifty look at that question. "We were having a knife throwing competition in the front hall when he came in. Only at an inanimate target, I assure you. And then we asked him a few questions."

"Wade asked me about making a rifle. It seems that weapons often feature in these conversations." Korvus noted.

"For the physically unassuming or those without unusual strength, they are very useful if you want to be intimidating", Kurt said easily. "And Wade does love his guns."

"I asked Wade why he wanted to intimidate me while speaking of Meggan but I didn't receive a satisfactory answer. Deterrence doesn't have a statistically significant rate of effect in law enforcement. I do not see any reason that would change in context of teenage dating." Korvus mused for a moment before looking to Kurt for his opinion.

Kurt chuckled. "For one thing, most teenage boys are not hardened criminals", he pointed out. "For another, law enforcement are not allowed to threaten more than the law allows, which some see as hardly a punishment at all. Believe me, if someone did take advantage of my Meggan, or worse, tried to force her into things against her will, he would be feeling very sorry for himself as soon as I caught him, and I see no reason not to inform her dates of that fact."

"What if she was the culprit?" Korvus asked curiously.

He got an honestly surprised look at that suggestion. "Meggan would never do that", Kurt said with certainty. "I cannot think of anyone less likely to do deliberate harm to another person."

Korvus thought genuinely for a long moment, certainly seeming to be collecting information more than trying to instigate any sort of argument. "I can not either. I just do not expect either you or Wade would react well if someone warned Meggan before a date as they warn those she is dating. Wade said he would out of fairness but I feel he may have been placating me."

"Not everything in this world is fair", Kurt told him with a shrug. "My interest here is in protecting Meggan. It is not a matter of treating all men equally to all women, it is a question of my understanding what all too many men and teenage boys are capable of, and not wanting my sister ever to understand it. I think you, personally, will behave with more respect, but I would rather give the warning without need than find out too late that I was wrong."

"I appreciate your confidence in me." Korvus decided to spare Kurt the reference to Benevolent Sexism or the other issues he felt this kind of conversation had. The man cared for his sister and he didn't have to challenge that anymore.

"You are very welcome, Korvus." He glanced down at the mat abandoned on the ground. "And it occurs to me perhaps you had somewhere else to be. Do not let me delay you any more, if so."

"A shower before classes but my meditation was short today." Korvus didn't want their entire interaction to be focused around Kurt's concern for Meggan, though he did not know what else they might talk about.

Kurt nodded, clearly also casting about for something innocuous to bring up. "...have you eaten yet today? Everyone should eat breakfast."

"I usually eat after my shower. I have been focusing on learning traditional cooking techniques." Korvus smiled, he could work with this topic. "Methi thepla is what I plan to attempt this morning."

"I could meet you in the kitchen?" Kurt suggested. "I do not know methi thepla, it would be interesting to see how it is made."

Korvus nodded and rolled forward off the branch, landing on his feet from the flip. "I will meet you there in fifteen minutes, then."

"I look forward to it."