capeandcowllogs | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

WHO:

eastending
WHERE: France: Paris and Strasbourg
WHEN: August 9th onward
WARNINGS: ~~idk mimes~~ No, but probably none.
SUMMARY: Kurt and Selina go on vacation despite a very sudden change in plans. Boo.
FORMAT: Quicklog?

[ Kurt's decided that it's kind of weird to visit places without being on some form of super-heroic, mutant business. While he's having a fair time, he's half-expecting something to crop up with the threat of immediate death, but... This place is without their more unusual enemies. Instead, there is the more mundane threat that he is used to, which is why they stepped off of a train in Paris, and not Munich.

There's still plenty here, of course. Paris is a rather glamorous, hyped-up sort of place, with plenty of old stuff to look at, as is Kurt's tendency during these trips. Notre Dame will have to be a stop. Right now, though, there's checking in and lunch to take care of.

He's traveling with an image inducer, simultaneously comforted and let down by how easy blending is, this way, under the guise of some unassuming-looking fellow toting luggage. There will be room to be more like himself, later, he knows. Now, in public, in a place that doesn't really want him, it's not the time. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Selina's perfectly happy to find herself in Paris. There was no emotional tie to any location for her, but she can at least sympathize. And besides, she's not going to let something as silly as international law stop her from making sure they get a bit of a go around in Germany.

That's for later, because for now all she really cares about is enjoying Paris, and making sure Kurt enjoys Paris as well. She's already dressed the part, looking perfectly natural with a single bag of luggage swinging from her shoulder. The hotel they're approaching is large and lavish, just the way she likes it. She tosses a grin over her shoulder to her companion. ]

What do you want to do first?

The train did me in. I don't think a cathedral or museum is for today.

[ aka, the reason he doesn't want to do his boring stuff is because the trip made too worn out for deep thinking or whatever. ]

I'm sure there's an adorable cafe nearby, some simple sight-seeing to do, and perhaps some manner of nightlife readily available.

Sounds like a plan.

[ She can't say she's been in the city long enough to need a vacation from it, but she's still certainly out to enjoy herself, and make sure Kurt does the same. ]

Somewhere off the beaten path, maybe.

Could we do anything else? [ Granted, Selina's not part of his usual pack of known weirdos, but she's certainly an unconventional human being. ]

I'm sure we can ask around. How's your French?

It's rusty, but I'm sure it'll come back to me. Let's get settled in and then we can go out and explore.

C'est bon à savoir. [ And he jogs ahead a few paces to make sure he gets the door for her, complete with a little bow. ] After you, mademoiselle.

Merci beaucoup, monsieur.

[ Selina returns it with a cutsie little curtsy of her own. The lobby is quite to her liking, and she makes a beeline for the desk to check them in. She speaks in low, smooth French, giving away that her French is not as rusty as she may have implied. When that's all settled, she turns back to him with a smile. ]

They'll go ahead and take our things up for us. Did you want to see the room first, or get right to the vacationing?

[ There's not much point in just looking at a bedroom, and he feels clean and un-rumpled enough to be out in public, never mind that he's holographically immaculate. So. ]

We can go ahead, see what there is to be seen. That is why we are here, yes?

Then let's get to it.

[ She hooks her arm with his, tugging him right back out of the lobby and out onto the street. It would probably be in their best interest to pick up a map, but Selina instead decides to choose a direction and go for it.

Before long, they've managed to find a little cafe nestled between a bookstore and a boutique. ]

How's this?

So perfect, I'm wondering if you planned it.

[ His eyes linger curiously on the bookstore for a moment, because he's apparently determined to show off what a nerd he is at every available opportunity. Not the moment, though... On to the cafe! ]

Inside or outside?

Outside, of course.

[ She notices the way he looks at the bookstore, making a note to stop there after lunch. She picks a table slightly away from the others on the patio, in a prime location for people watching. ]

[ Kurt sits, taking a moment to get comfortable and looking around merrily. He orders a coffee and picks up the menu, but is officially going to be distracted for some time before he actually bothers with it. ]

What a good-looking place.

It's nice.

[ Selina doesn't pay the menu much mind at all, her gaze scanning the few people that pass. It's a little out of the way, so there aren't many.

A passing family catches her eye, the little girl pulling her hand from her mother's so she can wave vigorously at the two of them. Selina grins, giving a little wave in return. It isn't until the family's disappeared from sight that she turns her attention back to her companion, smiling at him from over the rim of her glass. ]

Tell me about yourself, Kurt.

[ The request for information catches him off-guard as he's watching the happy scene trail away. He ponders over it for a moment, reaching for his own glass of water, if only to have something to do with his hands.

It's simple enough a request, but it's hard to tell what answer might be the most helpful. After a moment, he shrugs and decides on a very brief summary. ]

I was a foundling raised in a circus. At nineteen, I was found by Charles Xavier and was a mutant superhero for the rest of my initial go at life, safe for a brief attempt at the priesthood. I suppose that I still attempt superheroing, but the emphasis on that part of things isn't as strong. Feels odd, really.

[ There. About himself. He's tempted to ask her to same, but... He knows a little, and maybe it would be unsettling if she knew that. Aside, Selina was not always the most open when it came to sharing details of her past.

He himself is a willing, open book in most cases. ]

[ In a sense, it's a bit of an unfair question to ask, seeing as she would not answer such a question in kind. At least, there would be no truthful answers. Where Kurt is an open book, she is a tightly bound diary. The fact that her "previous" self may have already spilled something makes her even more protective of what secrets she may have left.

She leans in as he speaks, listening with interest. There have been many times where she merely feigned interest in a conversation, but here, it's not needed. ]

You said you teach now? Do you like that better than... heroing?

[ Another pause of consideration. He's full of those, apparently. ]

I'm not sure that I do. Both have their pros and cons. I was done with it for a while here, the X-men, but now... If I think too hard on what it became, I still have a sour taste in my mouth, but that is what I did for so long, and it was always exciting. The people that I fought alongside... Well, frequent near-death experiences really bring people together, I suppose.

[ But, uh. ] There is no reclaiming that in this place, I know.

[ Selina inhales deeply, closing her eyes and giving a small nod in agreement. She knows all about the sort of forced bond it can bring, try as you may to struggle away from it. Fortunately for her, she's good at struggling. ]

I'm sure those near-death situations still feel pretty, uh, near death.

[ Again, they differ. Those relationships are dearly prized to Kurt, and he clings to them and wants them back. He loves loving and being loved. Being close to others and having them know you well... It means acceptance, rather than fear. The almost-stressed inhale gets a brief look of concern, but it passes quickly. He turns up a smile to go with a joke. ]

It's mostly the actual death experience that gets to me, really.

[ It's not that she doesn't cherish her own relationships, quite the opposite, but fears the weakness they bring, have already brought, and the way they usually end with the person she loves getting hurt, or worse. ]

I can only imagine.

[ At any rate, she feels it might be better to steer their conversation elsewhere, if only to prevent her mind from wandering. ]

More the thought that it seems pretty unreal, now... [ Being alive for an extra year and some kind of throws your death off a bit. ] No matter, though.

I'm sure you've had plenty of daring brushes with death, yourself.

Oh, once or twice. [ Sure she sounds casual now, but the whole heart thing was... yeah. Not like she's getting into that. ]

It's not my favorite pass time, but it comes with the territory.

And your territory again? [ It's easy, for some reason, to forget that Selina makes a habit of stealing and the like to support her spending habits. So easy that he frowns a little bit upon the re-realization. ] I'm sure you could manage to avoid that sort of thing with a career change.

[ Selina leans back in her chair at the question, no intention of answering, slightly relieved to that she doesn't even need to pretend to answer. ]

Oh, I don't know. [ She examines her nails idly, giving a slight, one shouldered shrug. ] I like the job security.

But who wants to talk about work when they're on vacation?

True enough. My, but we need to find a more entertaining subject. [ Let's see... ]

What's your favorite film?

Pulp Fiction. [ Selina makes a face, lowering her voice in a pretty bad impression of a man. ] Does he look like a bitch?

[ Selina laughs, dropping the silly expression. ]

What's yours?

Edited 2012-08-20 03:59 (UTC)

Ah! [ That's not what he would have expected, really. He gets a laugh out of it. ]

Mine is Captain Blood.

Captain Blood?

[ Selina has to think for a minute or two, but she's definitely seen that before. When it comes back to her, it's impossible not to grin. ]

That does seem very you.

Or am I very it? [ That's a compliment, though. He might be on the edge of preening a little bit. ] I watched a lot of films and read a lot of novels, when I was little. I wanted to be a daring, charming, swashbuckling hero sort.

That's adorable. What about Robin Hood?

Part of my running theme, yes. [ He grins. ] Another of my favorites. I'm very predictable.

Just the right amount of predictable, I think.

[ And she can always balance it out with some unpredictability. Which seems to be the case as she's suddenly standing, a little smirk on her face. ]

Let's go.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only