2013.12.29 - Reality Check

The weekend after the holidays is still quite festive. After all, Manhattan is busy getting ready for its biggest party of the year. The ball is already in place, waiting for New Year's Eve when it will make its slow descent to usher in the new year. People are still bustling around, buying things on sale or returning things or just enjoying the spirit that still infuses the city.

Warren Worthington III is one of those pedestrians today, after flying about and scoping out a potential rooftop for a New Year's Eve pop-up party. After all, what's more fun than appropriating a rooftop right in the shadow of the flying ball? They have all of the music from down below, but none of the crowds. He's currently talking on what seems to be a bluetooth as he walks through the park, "Sweetie, nobody here by that name. Everything all right?"

'Look mommy, it's an angel!'

Talia's decided to give that whole ice skating thing another try, now that there aren't time-displaced soldiers invading the park and all. It's going fine at first, though overhearing mention of an 'angel' brings her solid yellow stare skyward while gliding across the ice, circling to a halt as a look of curiosity becomes something notably more pleased.

"Yeah. It's an angel, alright."

That is the codename he's going by in this timeline, right..? Eh! Either way, she can't help but wave. He might catch sight of it from up there, maybe he's got really good eyes to go along with the wings and all. It's not like she's the most subtle creature on the planet, anyway. Even less with snow on the ground!

It's probably for the best she left her own com elsewhere today, too.

"You sure?" is said into the bluetooth but the comment said by the little girl catches Warren's attention. Since it isn't said in derision, he can't help but smile some and give a wave to the girl as he passes. As he makes his way closer to the ice skating pond, he can't help but notice a fairly familiar shade of blue out on the pond. And that shade of blue waves at him. Waving back, he then pauses, his head tilting as...that's not Kurt. It's Kurt's skin tone, but...by the shape, that is definitely not Kurt. Uh.

Nope, not Kurt! It looks like Kurt, it acts like Kurt, it's got foul-smelling teleportation services like Kurt, but it is, in fact, a Talia Wagner. She's noticed by the winged one, too! The confusion is clear enough to be seen, which just makes her grin. One of these things is not like the other...

Of course, if a meeting is in the cards then they probably want to avoid the nearby children. So, it's with a quick -Foomp!- that she vanishes from the ice, abruptly enough to startle and trip up another nearby skater or two, as she reappears closer to the cover of trees not particularly far away. She's good with taking a break from the ice, anyway.

The 'bluetooth' is turned off as that conversation seems to end. Besides, Warren is still trying to figure out the blue woman. It's not Mystique, either...is it?

Before he can squint and try to see better despite the distance, she's gone! There's a brief frown before he pulls out a cell phone to start texting something to...someone. About her? Possibly. As it is though, he's pretty much paused on the path, taking up a good swath of it between himself and the wings.

Did she just--? Whoops! TJ just lost ol' Angel, there. Quick thinking to the rescue! The Wagnerette runs toward the nearest park light and leaps up onto the very top, perching like an oversized and discolored vulture. Much harder to miss up there, and her own teleportation trick means that she'll never be all that far from her point of origin. Maybe off by a couple hundred feet at the most.

"Hey--hey! Wings! Over here, big guy!" she calls while waving her arms in the air.

Warren Worthington looks over at the name...not that it's his, but can it really mean anyone else? Anyone else in the area have wings? Not that he can see. Frowning some, he tilts his head up at the blue girl perched on the park light nearby. "Are you talking to me?" Typical New Yorker answer, although it isn't often said by those wearing cashmere and expensive shoes. He can easily see her from this distance and he steps closer to the light so he doesn't have to shout...much.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?"

"Naw, I'm talking to the statue on that eighteenth century cathedral," Talia replies with an impish grin. "Which..kinda resembles my dad," she adds while trailing off with a squint in the direction of the statue.

"Kiiinda thinking you just answered that question for the both of us," she offers while slipping back down to ground level. The skates are still in place, she didn't bother trying to shed them back there. Fortunately she's got great balance, holding a three-fingered hand out in greeting.

"Talia Wagner. Since I'm guessing you're an awful lot like the other Warren's I've bumped into over the years and across the timelines then I'm pretty sure we're all on the same side here, which means you know my father. Of sorts. ..Kurt," she almost lamely finishes. "Bet you'd have never seen the family resemblance."

Warren Worthington also glances over at the cathedral nearby before he looks back at the woman. As she slides down to street level and holds out her hand, he offers a gloved hand in return, "Wagner...so...you're the daughter he mentioned?" He looks rather skeptical still, "And you're like...his age?" Something else that she said causes him to to blink a couple of times, "I'm sorry, other Warrens? What do you mean by that?"

"Crazy, right?" Talia asks with her good humor remaining intact. "There's two ways one can go about the situation. The first is to try not to think about it too much. The second involves jumping timelines and alternate realities spanning an infinite number of possibilities and scenarios with an unlimited number of variations of each and every one of us. Kurt's maybe half the age here that he had been where I came from, so the whole father/daughter thing's remarkably less creepy."

Insert toothy smile here.

"So, yeah. Other Kurts, other Warrens, though I haven't actually met another version of myself yet. Not for lack of trying. Anyway, hi! Awesome day, isn't it?"

"Uhm." Warren's experience with timelines and alternate realities is currently nonexistent. "But..." he pauses and then changes the question, "Why here and why now? Are you just traveling through? Are you going to just tell Kurt that he has this daughter and then leave his life, making him wonder if he should then have a daughter in this...reality...so that you can continue to exist or something?" Someone's at least seen movies about this sort of thing. Like...'Back to the Future'.

Blink. "..Wow, that's kinda dark," Talia quietly observes before shaking her head. "Not hardly. Best answer I have for you is: I don't know. Just kinda appeared here one day, no idea how or why, can't leave, just..here I am. In fact I've been lurking about this reality for several months now," she thinks while trying to tick off the time on her fingers. Three per hand means she's on her second hand really quickly. After running through the six she just gives up. "Anyway, far as we can tell I'm here for the long haul. No inter-reality pranks on my part."

And Warren's about to go a little darker, "I just...there really is no good way to say this. You seem like a cheerful person and all, but...I just sort of got back in touch with Kurt and while I don't know what's been going on all these months with him, but...I know how trusting he can be. I don't want to see him hurt." It's about as much of a threat as he's able to offer -- after all, he can't really threaten harm to someone who can just teleport away from him in an instant. "I'm sorry if that's kind of negative of me, but...I know that I've been hurt by lies and I don't want to see him hurt by them either."

Pizza! Did someone -forget- there was a date for pizza?!

BAMF!

There is a distinct sound of air rushing to fill a void, and Kurt finds himself set in a tree once again. Yellow, glowing eyes search the immediate area for Talia- he promised pizza, and frankly, he's hungry.

And there... there she is... with Warren?

It's only an easy leap to the ground that needs be taken before he's near the pair. "Warren..." and he sounds surprised, but not upset. "Frohe Weihnachten." Merry Christmas!

"Talia.. I'm sorry. I was pulled away.." before he looks at Warren again, "Would you like to come for pizza with us?"

Um. Wow. Well. Here Talia clasps her hands together at sternum level, head dipped forward slightly as she just -stares- back at Warren. "That's ..really kinda depressing. Um. Yeah, you're different from the other Warrens I've met. Look," she tries with a showing of two empty palms and a touch of caution in her tone, "I don't know ..what it is that you're thinking I might end up doing here, but ..what makes you think that I'm lying to anyone?"

She should have kept the conversation from progressing beyond the first option: Try not to think about it too much. Things have gotten all complicated now! Maybe more so once she hears the telltale sound of teleportation nearby.

Suddenly, there's Kurt. The hug that he gets from TJ is perhaps a bit more enthusiastic than the norm. "Dad!"

"I'm in business. Believe me. I know all about exploitation..." Warren starts before asking, "What were all the other Warrens like?" Not that he'll necessarily get an answer with Kurt appearing there. His hands find the pockets of his overcoat, "Merry Christmas to you too, Kurt. Pizza?" He looks at Talia who hugs her young father, "I'm not too sure my company would be welcome. I just met your...uhm. Daughter. This is weird."

The moment Kurt is near Talia, the tail enwraps hers, and the hug that is given pushes him back a little. Not that he's upset about it, but he isn't quite ready for it. Balance is everything to an acrobat, however, and once the hug is done, an arm remains wrapped about her shoulder and the tail entwined.

"She mentioned the other Warrens?" Kurt looks beside him and chuckles softly. "She's seen so many different versions of us. It's nice to know, however, that I haven't truly changed through them all."

The observation regarding whether or not he's welcome, and how.. weird it is, however, gains a quirked head. "Of course you are. If you were not, I wouldn't have asked. Und ja.. it may seem a little strange, but there is nothing in my life that is not. Und when something -good- comes my way?" Kurt can't help it; he's accepted that he's got a grown daughter, and he can see himself in the things she does... her mannerisms, her attitude on life. And that's not to mention her looks!

"Herzchen," Kurt begins, "can you save us a seat at Luigi's? I want a pasta pie, und a soda." That'll take a few minutes to cook.

"Cheerful," Talia almost automatically replies to Warren with a few thoughtful dips of her head, drifting away from Kurt. Then, voice dropping in volume slightly, she glances back to the other Wagner and mentions "This guy thinks I'm trying to hurt you."

"Not the only thing gettin' a little weird here," she adds a moment later, looking perhaps a little eager to help out by claiming the mentioned items from Luigi's. A smart tail-salute is given, along with a "Right-ho," before another sudden -Foomp!- leaves behind her silhouette in thick purple-hued smoke. Gone with the wind!

"Well, at least one, somewhere, is..." is murmured in response to Talia's answer about the other Warrens. As Talia teleports out, Warren then turns to Kurt, "Yeah. While I appreciate the invitation, I'm not too sure that your...uh...Talia likes me very much. I questioned her so I guess I don't blame her so much for that." He sort of can't help but be a bit cynical about interpersonal relationships and trust right now. "She seems very nice though. She seems to have gotten your personality."

Kurt dips his head at Talia's words and exhales in a sigh. "Go on, Herzchen," he murmurs. "I'll be along."

The tail salute is smiled at, and Kurt adds his own, once it's unraveled from her own tail. "See you soon. Und no peppers."

Once Talia teleports out, Kurt straightens a little, and his head cants. "Warren, she is my daughter. Not my... my daughter, but mine. I would hope that any version of me would respect und understand the importance of family. I do it for me as much as her. Und, she's a great kid. She has my sense of humour." And acrobatics. A proud smile comes to his face again, and he can't help but add, "You would be impressed with the way she swings a sword, too."

Now, however, his expression grows serious, "I understand cynical. But, as you are my friend, I cannot help but believe you are in so many timelines, could you do this to your friend's daughter? I would like to believe that I would find a place for yours."

"I'm in this timeline, Kurt. Ever and always in this timeline. I'm glad that somewhere, there's a Warren that's cheerful and happy-go-lucky and thinks that life is just awesome, but here and now, I know that's just not true. Life is. Sometimes it sucks and sometimes it doesn't," Warren explains matter-of-factly. "I've seen people exploit others so many times...I just wouldn't want you to be hurt if you found out that she was doing that to you." In his experience, family isn't automatically inclusive. In fact, his whole experience with society is that it is, distinctly, -exclusive-.

"I doubt I'd ever have a daughter. Or a son. Or any sort of kid. I don't want to make your pizza dinner uncomfortable by my presence. Sorry, I can't just...suddenly welcome people like that. If I was like that, I'd be eaten alive here. I sometimes envy your ability to do that. I'm guessing that's why you're...going off and doing things and finding daughters from other dimensions and I'm stuck on Wall Street."

"Warren," Kurt begins. "If I took everything that life has given me und let it push me down, I would never be up. From birth, mein freund. Being tossed off a cliff as a baby, to never truly being adopted.. everything? I wouldn't be alive today. But I choose not to because it is my choice. I choose how I feel, I choose how I react. I choose to love my family as they are, und wish for them the peace that I'd found." Peace.

Kurt's voice turns to something not much more than a whisper, "I am always telling a friend that compassion doesn't mean weakness. That I am some dupe, someone to fool because I trust blindly? Give me a reason NOT to trust. But until then?" He chuckles softly, "It's really not that hard."

"I never said...or thought that you were weak, Kurt," Warren explains. "On the contrary." There's a wry sort of smile then as Warren shakes his head, "You really have seen the positive in everything, haven't you? I wish I had those rose-colored glasses. People just want two things. Money and fame. They'll do almost anything for it because they think that it will buy them happiness. It doesn't...I can attest to that. But it buys pleasure. It doesn't make people nicer though. Just greedier." He just sort of shrugs then, "So...please apologize to Miss Wagner if I offended her. I didn't mean to assume, but I find that's just what most people are up to."

"I'm not the one who needs to apologize, Warren," Kurt reminds his friend. "Not everyone wants those. Most people are quite happy doing what it is they do. Living their lives und not being bothered by anyone." A sigh exits the blue, fuzzy body, and he shakes his head slowly. "Come down und wear peasant clothes for a bit, Warren. See the world as I do. Take time off after the New Year."

Warren Worthington actually laughs at that, "Come on, Kurt. If you were to stop anyone on this street and asked them if they wanted more money or to be famous, how many would answer that they wouldn't want that?" The laugh turns into a bemused look as he crosses his arms, "Wear peasant clothes? Just what is that supposed to mean?" The bemused look fades at the mention of time off, "Why should I?" Because time off means rattling around in his penthouse alone or having to put up with his parents and rattling around -their- mansion. "You don't want your pizza to get cold..."

"But would they lie? Cheat? Steal? The news is full of people giving money away. Returning it to their rightful owners." Kurt exhales in that same sigh again, and puts a hand on his friend's arm. "No. You leave the penthouse for a time und live with us paupers." Okay, a pauper with a $14 million dollar yacht taken from Cuban drug smugglers...

"As to why you should? Do you really want to learn more or are you happy in your penthouse, thinking the worst of people?"

Still, Warren is right. Pizza is now probably beginning to get cold. Or Talia is eating it without him! "Time for pie."

BAMF!

"Since when were you a pauper?" Warren tries, but then Kurt is off to Luigi's for pizza. He's left standing in the park, frowning at the points that his friend just made. He looks about the park briefly before he takes a couple of steps and takes to the air. Now, if he can just find this 'Luigi's' that they were going to. How many can be in the area anyhow?