Kurt & Alani | Late Night First Meeting
Jul. 10th, 2019 10:38 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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xp_logsAlani meets the elusive Kurt Sefton and, as is becoming her habit, learns more about the mansion and mutants.
It was dark by the time Alani got out of the library, deciding not to fall asleep there while reading, and instead tiredly making her way back to her room. Maybe that’s why she didn’t immediately jump to introduce herself to the man passing by her, instead only offering a nod of acknowledgement and trying to take up as little room as possible. “‘Scuse me,” she mumbled.
Her brain finally caught up with her and she turned back to look at the man, eyes wide and shining. “Wait, are you blue?"
He blinked at her - that was a new reaction - but smiled at the look on her face. "Indeed I am. Furry, also."
"Fuck, that's awesome. I reckon you're the first furry, blue person I've met. Here or otherwise" She chuckled as if it was some kind of joke. “I’m Alani, got here in September but kinda disassociated in my room with some books since.” With that she offered a hand.
He reached out and shook it, revealing less than the usual number of fingers. "Kurt Sefton. Brother to Amanda, if you have met her - nice to meet you, Alani."
It took all of her control not to examine his hand with interest, instead her smile widened. “Amanda? I, um, I apologize, I don’t believe I’ve met her, but it’s a pleasure to meet you, Kurt Sefton. Have you been here long?”
"Oh, many, many years", he said with a grin. "I came in... 2003, I think? Somewhere around then."
“Ooh, ‘03, damn. And you’ve been here ever since?” She was practically bouncing on her feet. “Though, I reckon havin' your sister here would help keep you around?”
"It certainly does." Kurt smiled. "Though she arrived later, and there were other reasons before that... but family is certainly the greatest of them now. By blood or by adoption."
“Oh,” she blinked, “you’ve adopted or... you are adopted? I mean, not that that matters on your family, doesn’t have to be blood. I will say, though, seeing as you’re the second person I’ve met whose a set of mutant siblings here, kinda wish I had that.” She ended with a smile.
"Both", he said easily. "Adopted soon after birth by Amanda's parents, and both of us have taken on more waifs and strays since then. And I even found a half-sister by blood. You are an only child?"
“That’s... that’s really nice of you and your sister. Giving family and the like to those who need and or want it. Oh, yeah, my parents only ever had me, but I have my cousins from my mom’s side, so it’s not like I was a lone child. The only mutant among the bunch, though.” Her smile brightened as she spoke of her own family. “Oh well, not their fault, right?”
"Out of anyone's control", he agreed. "Though it often does run in families, so if any of your cousins are still young, I would keep an eye on them to be sure."
Alani cocked her head, surprise clear. "Oh! Well, that’s something to write home about. There are still some babies in the bunch, for sure... Guess I should actually learn some genetics and find me a scientist one day, huh?” Ease returned and she chuckled.
"I am sure there are plenty of people here who would talk to you about it at length, if you let them", Kurt said with a grin. "It is, after all, one of the best places to be if you want to study mutant genetics."
“Yes, yes, that’s true, I really should take people up on that,” she agreed, flashing an amused grin. “I keep saying I’ll do things and what I do mostly is sit in the library. Gotta get off my butt and follow through.”
“What kind of things are you thinking of?” he asked with interest. “Though there is always a place for research, of course.”
"Well I should probably work on actually learning about what it is I do, instead of breathing exercising it away,” she raised a thumb to count off her list. “Not hermit, find a kid to take under my wing - don’t tell them I do not have my stuff together nearly as much as it might seem - uhh... you know, fun stuff like that.”
Kurt laughed warmly. “May I ask what your powers are?”
“Worst party lights-blender combo, can’t even make a decent smoothie,” she raised her hands as she spoke, wiggling her fingers though there was no light. “And, can I ask what yours are?”
"Apart from the physical - which is mostly agility, a little night vision - I teleport. And I can draw shadows around me to move unseen in the dark."
“Well it sounds like you got a pretty cool mix, if I do say so myself - physical very much included in that." She smiled widely. "It's really cool that they go hand-in-hand."
"I am quite sure my parents did not think so when I was small", he said with a grin. "Even if the teleportation did not happen until I was 12, I could climb things very well, very early."
“Well I’m sure you didn’t use your climbing abilities for evil, right? Teleportation and tween years, though? Sounds like a recipe for parental headaches."
“In that a toddler is not capable of real evil, no. Mischief, however... And yes, for a time I was teleporting almost anywhere I wanted to go, in short range.”
"Mischievous climbing toddler? Checks out." After a pause, Alani raised a brow. "What exactly falls under this 'short range' category?"
"That depends on how much weight I am carrying. If my hands are empty, however, perhaps two or three miles at a time. I cannot cross oceans."
"Ah, yes, now I judge you for not being able to go across the world in one go." She laughed. “But, no, damn, that sounds really awesome and useful. Are you... a spy?”
He grinned. "At times I admit I may have gone into places the owners would have preferred I did not. I need to know the layout of a room before it is safe to teleport into it, but seeing a recent enough photograph will do."
"Definitely taking that as a sign that you’re a spy then... or have done spy things, at the very least. I'm starting to think that the group affiliation lines that go on here aren't as cut and dried as I may have originally thought. Is that right?"
"There is certainly some blurring from time to time", Kurt agreed. "If someone has powers or knowledge that would be particularly useful to a team they do not belong to, for a particular task they may be... deputised, as it were."
"Hm, well, I guess I'll look forward to that possibility... Thank you," she flashed another easy smile, "for putting up with these random, almost-middle-of-the-night questions from a stranger who stopped you in the hallway. I’ll have to add this to my mansion notes.”
"You are keeping notes?" he asked, amused. "I suppose it can be very confusing. Is there anything else I can answer for you?"
“Yes, I’m a very dedicated note keeper on what I learn here. Uh, not right now, I've covered a lot more than I thought I would at this time, really." Alani chuckled. "Thank you, Mr. Kurt Sefton. You have been a fount of knowledge."
It was dark by the time Alani got out of the library, deciding not to fall asleep there while reading, and instead tiredly making her way back to her room. Maybe that’s why she didn’t immediately jump to introduce herself to the man passing by her, instead only offering a nod of acknowledgement and trying to take up as little room as possible. “‘Scuse me,” she mumbled.
Her brain finally caught up with her and she turned back to look at the man, eyes wide and shining. “Wait, are you blue?"
He blinked at her - that was a new reaction - but smiled at the look on her face. "Indeed I am. Furry, also."
"Fuck, that's awesome. I reckon you're the first furry, blue person I've met. Here or otherwise" She chuckled as if it was some kind of joke. “I’m Alani, got here in September but kinda disassociated in my room with some books since.” With that she offered a hand.
He reached out and shook it, revealing less than the usual number of fingers. "Kurt Sefton. Brother to Amanda, if you have met her - nice to meet you, Alani."
It took all of her control not to examine his hand with interest, instead her smile widened. “Amanda? I, um, I apologize, I don’t believe I’ve met her, but it’s a pleasure to meet you, Kurt Sefton. Have you been here long?”
"Oh, many, many years", he said with a grin. "I came in... 2003, I think? Somewhere around then."
“Ooh, ‘03, damn. And you’ve been here ever since?” She was practically bouncing on her feet. “Though, I reckon havin' your sister here would help keep you around?”
"It certainly does." Kurt smiled. "Though she arrived later, and there were other reasons before that... but family is certainly the greatest of them now. By blood or by adoption."
“Oh,” she blinked, “you’ve adopted or... you are adopted? I mean, not that that matters on your family, doesn’t have to be blood. I will say, though, seeing as you’re the second person I’ve met whose a set of mutant siblings here, kinda wish I had that.” She ended with a smile.
"Both", he said easily. "Adopted soon after birth by Amanda's parents, and both of us have taken on more waifs and strays since then. And I even found a half-sister by blood. You are an only child?"
“That’s... that’s really nice of you and your sister. Giving family and the like to those who need and or want it. Oh, yeah, my parents only ever had me, but I have my cousins from my mom’s side, so it’s not like I was a lone child. The only mutant among the bunch, though.” Her smile brightened as she spoke of her own family. “Oh well, not their fault, right?”
"Out of anyone's control", he agreed. "Though it often does run in families, so if any of your cousins are still young, I would keep an eye on them to be sure."
Alani cocked her head, surprise clear. "Oh! Well, that’s something to write home about. There are still some babies in the bunch, for sure... Guess I should actually learn some genetics and find me a scientist one day, huh?” Ease returned and she chuckled.
"I am sure there are plenty of people here who would talk to you about it at length, if you let them", Kurt said with a grin. "It is, after all, one of the best places to be if you want to study mutant genetics."
“Yes, yes, that’s true, I really should take people up on that,” she agreed, flashing an amused grin. “I keep saying I’ll do things and what I do mostly is sit in the library. Gotta get off my butt and follow through.”
“What kind of things are you thinking of?” he asked with interest. “Though there is always a place for research, of course.”
"Well I should probably work on actually learning about what it is I do, instead of breathing exercising it away,” she raised a thumb to count off her list. “Not hermit, find a kid to take under my wing - don’t tell them I do not have my stuff together nearly as much as it might seem - uhh... you know, fun stuff like that.”
Kurt laughed warmly. “May I ask what your powers are?”
“Worst party lights-blender combo, can’t even make a decent smoothie,” she raised her hands as she spoke, wiggling her fingers though there was no light. “And, can I ask what yours are?”
"Apart from the physical - which is mostly agility, a little night vision - I teleport. And I can draw shadows around me to move unseen in the dark."
“Well it sounds like you got a pretty cool mix, if I do say so myself - physical very much included in that." She smiled widely. "It's really cool that they go hand-in-hand."
"I am quite sure my parents did not think so when I was small", he said with a grin. "Even if the teleportation did not happen until I was 12, I could climb things very well, very early."
“Well I’m sure you didn’t use your climbing abilities for evil, right? Teleportation and tween years, though? Sounds like a recipe for parental headaches."
“In that a toddler is not capable of real evil, no. Mischief, however... And yes, for a time I was teleporting almost anywhere I wanted to go, in short range.”
"Mischievous climbing toddler? Checks out." After a pause, Alani raised a brow. "What exactly falls under this 'short range' category?"
"That depends on how much weight I am carrying. If my hands are empty, however, perhaps two or three miles at a time. I cannot cross oceans."
"Ah, yes, now I judge you for not being able to go across the world in one go." She laughed. “But, no, damn, that sounds really awesome and useful. Are you... a spy?”
He grinned. "At times I admit I may have gone into places the owners would have preferred I did not. I need to know the layout of a room before it is safe to teleport into it, but seeing a recent enough photograph will do."
"Definitely taking that as a sign that you’re a spy then... or have done spy things, at the very least. I'm starting to think that the group affiliation lines that go on here aren't as cut and dried as I may have originally thought. Is that right?"
"There is certainly some blurring from time to time", Kurt agreed. "If someone has powers or knowledge that would be particularly useful to a team they do not belong to, for a particular task they may be... deputised, as it were."
"Hm, well, I guess I'll look forward to that possibility... Thank you," she flashed another easy smile, "for putting up with these random, almost-middle-of-the-night questions from a stranger who stopped you in the hallway. I’ll have to add this to my mansion notes.”
"You are keeping notes?" he asked, amused. "I suppose it can be very confusing. Is there anything else I can answer for you?"
“Yes, I’m a very dedicated note keeper on what I learn here. Uh, not right now, I've covered a lot more than I thought I would at this time, really." Alani chuckled. "Thank you, Mr. Kurt Sefton. You have been a fount of knowledge."
