Mel/Kevin: The Lounge
Feb. 17th, 2026 03:08 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
xp_changeling posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
xp_logsMel runs into Kevin in the lounge and gets a bit of unneeded advice.
The lounge in the mansion was essentially a historical site, designed by Arnold Constable and looked like a set piece out of a period film set in the Gilded Age. That assumed, of course, you knew or cared who Constable was. For most of the inhabitants, it was mostly looked at as a simple bar with some comfortable if old school deep leather couches and in the winter especially, the only place you could smoke indoors due to the complicated and high powers HVAC system that deep filtered the air. Kevin never bemoaned that fact, because it often left the gorgeous historical space empty for him alone. He was working his way through his stack of printed newspapers that he seemed to get in a thick stack every morning when the door opened.
Mel had never had the pleasure of taking in the historical ambiance in the aforementioned room, if only because she knew it was Kevin's domain. After playing DnD with the man, and from what details Sharon occasionally dropped, she had decided that it would be best to not get on his bad side, and that included disrupting peace and quiet. However, her current predicament led her to break this self-imposed rule. X-Force remained elusive in her quest to try out the various teams at the mansion. X-Factor, X-Men, and even eXcal had her doing odd jobs every now and again, but the fourth had no such opportunities arise. Every inquiry had been met with the same answer: talk to Kevin. So the Kentuckian came with an offering of coffee to as Jeb might say, 'sus out the vibes'.
"Hiya Mister Sydney, I hope I ain't disturbin' ya. Jus' thought I'd poke my head in and see what this place was all about. Over two years here an' I ain't seen all the rooms in this place yet."
Kevin kinked down the corner of the paper he was reading to regard her. "It is a pretty extensive place." He said, pausing as his mental rolodex finally came up with a name. "Melody Guthrie, right? Can I get you a drink?"
"That's me! I'm alright, passed the kitchen on my way over here and made a cup. I do have an extra if you'd like one?" She grinned and held up the steaming mug. "It's technically fer Paige but lord knows she has too much caffeine as it is."
"I appreciate the offer but my drink involves more... well-" Kevin said, walking over to the bar and topping up his bourbon. "Booze. How are you?"
Was it still very much morning? Yes. Did Mel have room to judge? Absolutely not. She sipped one of the mugs and leaned against the door frame. "Oh things have been just swell fer the most part. Work is good, and no events as of late." At least not that she had been involved in. Jay had gone home, but she didn't like to think too much about that. It only made her upset. "I'm graduatin' in the spring as well, so that's neat."
"Ah yes, your final year of college. And what do you plan to do once you have that sheepskin?" He said, returning to his leather chair. "Is there a job offer lined up or do you have your sights set somewhere involving one of the mansion initiatives?"
"It ain't really a 'proper' degree, they call it a career certificate? Business management. I suppose I'll keep on working with Ms. Hope. It's a good job. Suppose I would like to get involved elsewhere as well though."
"Aren't you a little young just to settle for 'it's a good job'? The secret about this place is that unlike most people, you have free housing and no living expenses to fall back on if you need to. I think it's a good time to shoot for the moon." He took a sip from his drink. "What really interests you? There are no silly answers here."
She could go into how back home, when someone got a decent job, they clung to it for dear life. How it really was a blessing she was where she was at all given her lack of experience in most fields. But instead Mel just raised her shoulders in a half shrug. "I dunno, I really do like where I am right now. Ms. Hope is awfully accommodating. I suppose I jus' feel like I could be doin' more. Helping people, making a difference, all that. I do help out at the community center and whatnot, but it don't feel like enough sometimes."
"Helping is nebulous. Candy stripe a cancer ward and you're helping. Get at the front of an agency can do the same." Kevin said. "What is it you think you can do? Or if you can't, want to you need to do what you want to do?"
"Well, I've been given these powers fer one reason or another. They ain't flashy like eye lasers or whatever-" Mel floated for a second to demonstrate, emitting a soft glow. "- but they gotta be good fer something, right? Jus' trying to figure out what that is. Not sure any of the teams or whatever here have much use fer me aside paper pushin' and monitor watchin'."
"It's a good question. Can I apply a little old man wisdom for a moment?" He said, although his perpetual mid-30s look tended to undermine the 'old man' comment. "If you really want to help and you think that way goes through something in the mansion - Snow Valley, the X-Men, the detective agency... jump into it. If it fits for you, you'll find your footing soon enough. If it doesn't, there's nothing keeping you there if you need to make a change." Kevin paused and sipped his drink. "I drink brown liquor in the morning. It means I'm very wise."
Mel snorted. "My uncle does too, but I don't tend to take his life advice to heart. It usually involves different ways to cheat at cards." Not that such things weren't useful at times.
"But thank you... I'll think that over some."
"Seriously. You have choices. It's a rare privilege. Keep that in mind." Kevin said, picking up his newspaper.
"I will do." She took that as her signal to leave. "It was nice talkin', have a good rest of yer day." And with that, Melody slipped out the room, closing the door behind her.
The lounge in the mansion was essentially a historical site, designed by Arnold Constable and looked like a set piece out of a period film set in the Gilded Age. That assumed, of course, you knew or cared who Constable was. For most of the inhabitants, it was mostly looked at as a simple bar with some comfortable if old school deep leather couches and in the winter especially, the only place you could smoke indoors due to the complicated and high powers HVAC system that deep filtered the air. Kevin never bemoaned that fact, because it often left the gorgeous historical space empty for him alone. He was working his way through his stack of printed newspapers that he seemed to get in a thick stack every morning when the door opened.
Mel had never had the pleasure of taking in the historical ambiance in the aforementioned room, if only because she knew it was Kevin's domain. After playing DnD with the man, and from what details Sharon occasionally dropped, she had decided that it would be best to not get on his bad side, and that included disrupting peace and quiet. However, her current predicament led her to break this self-imposed rule. X-Force remained elusive in her quest to try out the various teams at the mansion. X-Factor, X-Men, and even eXcal had her doing odd jobs every now and again, but the fourth had no such opportunities arise. Every inquiry had been met with the same answer: talk to Kevin. So the Kentuckian came with an offering of coffee to as Jeb might say, 'sus out the vibes'.
"Hiya Mister Sydney, I hope I ain't disturbin' ya. Jus' thought I'd poke my head in and see what this place was all about. Over two years here an' I ain't seen all the rooms in this place yet."
Kevin kinked down the corner of the paper he was reading to regard her. "It is a pretty extensive place." He said, pausing as his mental rolodex finally came up with a name. "Melody Guthrie, right? Can I get you a drink?"
"That's me! I'm alright, passed the kitchen on my way over here and made a cup. I do have an extra if you'd like one?" She grinned and held up the steaming mug. "It's technically fer Paige but lord knows she has too much caffeine as it is."
"I appreciate the offer but my drink involves more... well-" Kevin said, walking over to the bar and topping up his bourbon. "Booze. How are you?"
Was it still very much morning? Yes. Did Mel have room to judge? Absolutely not. She sipped one of the mugs and leaned against the door frame. "Oh things have been just swell fer the most part. Work is good, and no events as of late." At least not that she had been involved in. Jay had gone home, but she didn't like to think too much about that. It only made her upset. "I'm graduatin' in the spring as well, so that's neat."
"Ah yes, your final year of college. And what do you plan to do once you have that sheepskin?" He said, returning to his leather chair. "Is there a job offer lined up or do you have your sights set somewhere involving one of the mansion initiatives?"
"It ain't really a 'proper' degree, they call it a career certificate? Business management. I suppose I'll keep on working with Ms. Hope. It's a good job. Suppose I would like to get involved elsewhere as well though."
"Aren't you a little young just to settle for 'it's a good job'? The secret about this place is that unlike most people, you have free housing and no living expenses to fall back on if you need to. I think it's a good time to shoot for the moon." He took a sip from his drink. "What really interests you? There are no silly answers here."
She could go into how back home, when someone got a decent job, they clung to it for dear life. How it really was a blessing she was where she was at all given her lack of experience in most fields. But instead Mel just raised her shoulders in a half shrug. "I dunno, I really do like where I am right now. Ms. Hope is awfully accommodating. I suppose I jus' feel like I could be doin' more. Helping people, making a difference, all that. I do help out at the community center and whatnot, but it don't feel like enough sometimes."
"Helping is nebulous. Candy stripe a cancer ward and you're helping. Get at the front of an agency can do the same." Kevin said. "What is it you think you can do? Or if you can't, want to you need to do what you want to do?"
"Well, I've been given these powers fer one reason or another. They ain't flashy like eye lasers or whatever-" Mel floated for a second to demonstrate, emitting a soft glow. "- but they gotta be good fer something, right? Jus' trying to figure out what that is. Not sure any of the teams or whatever here have much use fer me aside paper pushin' and monitor watchin'."
"It's a good question. Can I apply a little old man wisdom for a moment?" He said, although his perpetual mid-30s look tended to undermine the 'old man' comment. "If you really want to help and you think that way goes through something in the mansion - Snow Valley, the X-Men, the detective agency... jump into it. If it fits for you, you'll find your footing soon enough. If it doesn't, there's nothing keeping you there if you need to make a change." Kevin paused and sipped his drink. "I drink brown liquor in the morning. It means I'm very wise."
Mel snorted. "My uncle does too, but I don't tend to take his life advice to heart. It usually involves different ways to cheat at cards." Not that such things weren't useful at times.
"But thank you... I'll think that over some."
"Seriously. You have choices. It's a rare privilege. Keep that in mind." Kevin said, picking up his newspaper.
"I will do." She took that as her signal to leave. "It was nice talkin', have a good rest of yer day." And with that, Melody slipped out the room, closing the door behind her.
