xp_logs | Hope & Kurt

Hope meets one of Xavier's most distinctive teachers.

Kurt was humming under his breath as he stepped around one of the mansion's many corners, only to draw himself up just in time to avoid running straight into the newest student.... who was looking a little lost.

"Good morning, Hope", he said politely. "Can I help you with anything?"

Hope frowned as she stared at the map, trying to figure out where she had ended up on her way to the library. "Good morning." She looked up from her map. "Yes please...I was looking for the lib..." Hope's voice trailed of as she met the man's yellow eyes and took in his appearance. "Uhm..."

The reaction was nothing new, and he just gave her a kind smile in response. "The library? Would you like me to walk you there so you can learn the way?"

"Uhm... uhm." A faint blush colored Hope's face. "Uhm... yes please?" She mentally kicked herself. "I am sorry, sir. I am not really used to visible mutations." She explained a little shyly as she walked next to him.

"That is fine", he assured her. "Many people are not before they come here, and I know you meant no offense. Your life before was very different, I understand."

"Yes sir." Hope nodded, keeping her eyes mostly to the floor in front of her, but she stole small peeks from the corners of her eyes. She was just a little curious... "I have never met a visible mutant before. I believe no one I knew was a mutant, unless they were keeping it hidden."

"They may have done", he said a little sadly. "All too many of us who can hide it, feel they must for their own safety or just to continue being accepted."

Hope was silent as she considered that. "I never really thought about it." She replied. "We learned a little about mutants at school. It must be very difficult though if you cannot hide what you are..." The 'like you' went unsaid, but was clearly implied.

"I have never known anything else", he told her. "I was, quite literally, born this way. It is harder, I think, for those who do not know what they are until their manifestation, when suddenly their powers come on them or, as in the case of a man I know, they suddenly grow very large wings."

Her head shot up. "A man with wings? You mean like an angel? He lives here too?" Hope blurted out. Almost immediately she covered her mouth with her hand and colored again. A man who might resemble an angel and a man who resembled something that came more from the... dark side? It was almost as if she was in one of the fantasy books she loved to read...

"He used to, and he is still here quite often", was the easy response. "And yes, he does look very like the classical image of an angel. His name is Warren Worthington, and being from good family yourself, you may have heard of his."

"Worthington..." Hope mouthed the name as she thought. Her father had mentioned a company related to that family, but she never really listened when he talked about business, since that was not her place. "I think my father might have been familiar with the family, but I am not completely sure."

"It seems likely." He glanced at her sideways. "As it happens, since he manifested, he has not been on particularly good terms with his father anyway."

She could only nod to that, but she automatically filed the information inside her mind. <i>Always remember what you could use to your advantage, Hope.<i> One of the many things her mother used to drill into her. "I am sorry to hear that, sir." She replied politely after a bit of silence.

He'd mentioned it only because, without saying so outright, he thought she might need someone who really understood her own situation, and now he just nodded. "Another thing that is regrettably common for us. Although there are a number of notable exceptions, and certainly many who just quietly get on with things."

"I have heard such stories indeed. They are often very sad." Hope carefully stayed neutral, not wanting to think about her own situation with her parents, wanting to avoid the tears that otherwise might come. Suddenly something occurred to her and she grabbed the subject change with both hands. "I am sorry, sir, but I never quite caught your name?"

"Oh, I am sorry, it slipped my mind. I did introduce myself on the journals, but perhaps the picture I use there is not the best identification - Kurt Sefton."

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Sefton." Hope said with a small smile. "And I saw your introduction on my journal. You teach Dance and German if I remember correctly?" She was glad with the opportunity to steer the conversation into safer waters...

"Principally, yes, along with gymnastics", he confirmed. "Though as I said, if requested I have been known to teach people fencing, the Romany language, and circus skills."

"May I ask what you mean with circus skills? And Romany is the official name for the gypsy language, if I remember correctly?" Hope asked, both because she was curious and to keep the conversation going.

"Correct", Kurt answered. "It was the first language I learned to speak. As for circus skills - trapeze, tightrope walking, perhaps a little knife throwing if I think someone will have an aptitude. I grew up in a small family circus, you see."

"It sounds like a very different way to grow up." Hope observed. "Trapeze and tightrope walking sound very interesting though..."

"I teach those mostly informally one on one, in the gym", he told her. "And yes, I suppose it was. My parents knew at a very early age that I would be gifted in acrobatics, and started to teach me as soon as they could."

Hope nodded again. "My mother arranged for me to learn the basics of ballroom dancing when I grew up. I thought it was quite fun. Maybe I will pick it up again..." She mused out loud. And maybe, just maybe, her parents would appreciate her choice to learn more of that important skill.

"You are certainly free to choose that as an elective", Kurt said cheerfully. "I always welcome more people in my classes."

"I will certainly consider it, Mr. Sefton. It sounds very interesting." Hope looked around her for a moment, trying to figure out where they were at the moment. "I think it will be while before I fully know my way around..." She had completely forgotten to keep an eye on the route.

"Most likely", he said sympathetically. "The library is just this way. If you get lost again, you will usually find there is somebody around who can show you where you are trying to go."

Hope watched over to the doors. "Thank you for your assistance, Mr. Sefton." She said with a sincere smile. "Again, my apologies for being so startled."

"Think nothing of it." He smiled back. "You can always ask the staff for anything you may need."