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xp_logsAfter Topaz' birthday binge, the Sefton siblings make sure she gets tucked into bed, safe and sound.
Topaz wasn't actually sure what time it was when she finally ordered her last Uber for the night. The last three bars had asked if she was driving, and she took that into consideration when finally deciding it was time to go home. It was probably late enough that the halls would be empty. And if they weren't, well... she doubted anyone was going to bother her.
The Uber driver eyed her warily in the rearview mirror. It was Saturday night; she was far from his first drunk fare. Most of them had been college students, out partying and being obnoxious while he drove and tried to ignore the kicks against his seat. But this one was silent to a point that it was almost unnerving, save for occasionally muttering something in a language he didn't recognize and tapping away at her phone. He was almost grateful when she fell asleep, until they arrived at her destination and he realized he had to wake her up to get her out of the car.
"Uh, kid...?"
There was a burst of reeking blue smoke nearby, as Kurt had been watching out for the car to arrive back. He smiled apologetically at the driver.
"I can take her from here. Have you been paid?"
The driver blinked for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Yeah. She's good to go." He had seen weirder things.
Kurt nodded back, and set about gathering the sleeping girl into his arms. "Come along, Topaz", he soothed as she stirred. "Up to your bed."
***
Amanda had Midnight in her lap, purring loudly as the witch stroked her, when Kurt bamfed into the room with his sleeping passenger. "Out like a light," Amanda remarked quietly, shifting the cat onto the couch cushions beside her as she stood and headed for Topaz' bedroom. "Let's get her to bed."
Kurt followed her, carrying Topaz easily.
"But still had the presence of mind to pay the driver before they left, at a guess."
"Probably didn't want to be a bother." Amanda pulled back the covers on the bed so Kurt could lay Topaz down. "Even when crashing and burning, she still doesn't want people to worry." She sighed.
He set her down carefully, and bent to take off her shoes.
"Why does she think she is such a burden to us?"
Amanda set to work on unlacing one shoe while Kurt worked on the other. "Why did I? Kid's been through so much, she's stopped believing she's worth us saving her." She shook her head. "I'm trying to give her space when she needs it, but it's so hard to see her like this, Kurt." Shoes removed, the siblings pulled the covers over the sleeping girl, while Midnight jumped onto the bed and promptly curled up on Topaz' feet. "I don't know about you, Kurt, but I could do with a drink myself after all this. My room?"
"And it seems too painful for her to even believe she might not be", he said sadly, then nodded. "I will not say no. Shall we?"
Amanda nodded, pausing only to bend and press a butterfly-light kiss to Topaz' forehead. "Happy birthday, kiddo," she whispered, before moving silently out of the bedroom and letting Kurt teleport them both to the suite she shared with Marie-Ange. "I've got beer and I've got wine," she continued, moving towards the kitchenette, barely missing a beat from the change in locations - teleporting was second nature to her now, unlike years ago when it tended to disorient her. "What's your choice?"
"Beer, please." He headed for the couch, as comfortable here as in his own room. "Unless you would rather open a bottle."
"Nah, beer's good for me too." Grabbing two bottles from the fridge, Amanda came back to join her brother on the couch, passing him a beer as she sat. Uncapping hers with a brisk twist, she drank off several mouthfuls before leaning back with a sigh. "You know, if it wasn't for the apprentice in the self-destruct spiral, this was almost fun tonight. Sneaking around, doing the spoiler thing... we worked well together."
"We always have", he agreed. "....well, almost always. When the chance has arisen. Perhaps we should go out and do it again some time... not for Topaz, though, I hope."
"We could set up a company - alcoholic bender protection service." Amanda snorted slightly. "You did well with the whole protective older brother thing you did with that creep mashing on her. I would have just put him through a wall, which isn't exactly stealthy."
He smiled a little, crookedly.
"I rather enjoyed that. It is more fun to scare them away sometimes. Marie and I tag teamed some looters once, playing demons..."
"I don't think I know that story." Amanda grinned back. "And I know at least one mugger who will be rethinking his ways. From the dumpster New York and I left him in."
"We can always hope he will, in any case. At least we can be sure he will not likely be mugging anybody else tonight. The looters were... oh, where was it. San Diego, perhaps."
"You know, it's a bad sign when you can't remember which looters you terrorised..."
Topaz wasn't actually sure what time it was when she finally ordered her last Uber for the night. The last three bars had asked if she was driving, and she took that into consideration when finally deciding it was time to go home. It was probably late enough that the halls would be empty. And if they weren't, well... she doubted anyone was going to bother her.
The Uber driver eyed her warily in the rearview mirror. It was Saturday night; she was far from his first drunk fare. Most of them had been college students, out partying and being obnoxious while he drove and tried to ignore the kicks against his seat. But this one was silent to a point that it was almost unnerving, save for occasionally muttering something in a language he didn't recognize and tapping away at her phone. He was almost grateful when she fell asleep, until they arrived at her destination and he realized he had to wake her up to get her out of the car.
"Uh, kid...?"
There was a burst of reeking blue smoke nearby, as Kurt had been watching out for the car to arrive back. He smiled apologetically at the driver.
"I can take her from here. Have you been paid?"
The driver blinked for a few seconds before nodding slowly. "Yeah. She's good to go." He had seen weirder things.
Kurt nodded back, and set about gathering the sleeping girl into his arms. "Come along, Topaz", he soothed as she stirred. "Up to your bed."
***
Amanda had Midnight in her lap, purring loudly as the witch stroked her, when Kurt bamfed into the room with his sleeping passenger. "Out like a light," Amanda remarked quietly, shifting the cat onto the couch cushions beside her as she stood and headed for Topaz' bedroom. "Let's get her to bed."
Kurt followed her, carrying Topaz easily.
"But still had the presence of mind to pay the driver before they left, at a guess."
"Probably didn't want to be a bother." Amanda pulled back the covers on the bed so Kurt could lay Topaz down. "Even when crashing and burning, she still doesn't want people to worry." She sighed.
He set her down carefully, and bent to take off her shoes.
"Why does she think she is such a burden to us?"
Amanda set to work on unlacing one shoe while Kurt worked on the other. "Why did I? Kid's been through so much, she's stopped believing she's worth us saving her." She shook her head. "I'm trying to give her space when she needs it, but it's so hard to see her like this, Kurt." Shoes removed, the siblings pulled the covers over the sleeping girl, while Midnight jumped onto the bed and promptly curled up on Topaz' feet. "I don't know about you, Kurt, but I could do with a drink myself after all this. My room?"
"And it seems too painful for her to even believe she might not be", he said sadly, then nodded. "I will not say no. Shall we?"
Amanda nodded, pausing only to bend and press a butterfly-light kiss to Topaz' forehead. "Happy birthday, kiddo," she whispered, before moving silently out of the bedroom and letting Kurt teleport them both to the suite she shared with Marie-Ange. "I've got beer and I've got wine," she continued, moving towards the kitchenette, barely missing a beat from the change in locations - teleporting was second nature to her now, unlike years ago when it tended to disorient her. "What's your choice?"
"Beer, please." He headed for the couch, as comfortable here as in his own room. "Unless you would rather open a bottle."
"Nah, beer's good for me too." Grabbing two bottles from the fridge, Amanda came back to join her brother on the couch, passing him a beer as she sat. Uncapping hers with a brisk twist, she drank off several mouthfuls before leaning back with a sigh. "You know, if it wasn't for the apprentice in the self-destruct spiral, this was almost fun tonight. Sneaking around, doing the spoiler thing... we worked well together."
"We always have", he agreed. "....well, almost always. When the chance has arisen. Perhaps we should go out and do it again some time... not for Topaz, though, I hope."
"We could set up a company - alcoholic bender protection service." Amanda snorted slightly. "You did well with the whole protective older brother thing you did with that creep mashing on her. I would have just put him through a wall, which isn't exactly stealthy."
He smiled a little, crookedly.
"I rather enjoyed that. It is more fun to scare them away sometimes. Marie and I tag teamed some looters once, playing demons..."
"I don't think I know that story." Amanda grinned back. "And I know at least one mugger who will be rethinking his ways. From the dumpster New York and I left him in."
"We can always hope he will, in any case. At least we can be sure he will not likely be mugging anybody else tonight. The looters were... oh, where was it. San Diego, perhaps."
"You know, it's a bad sign when you can't remember which looters you terrorised..."
