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Sunday, one of the few days that the Circus doesn't put on shows. The reasons are not religious, but go back and the explanation, as Amanda has said many times to other inquiring minds, is a bit long and difficult to explain. She has just returned to her vardo after enjoying an afternoon out, doffing her new long white winter jacket and putting it on a hook inside her home. The circus itself is more or less quiet, save for the sounds of the animals and perhaps muffled conversation and laughter, as the various performers and employees enjoy their off day.
*
Maybe he was keeping an eye out or maybe he was just lucky. Kurt 'bamfs' near the vardo carrying a box of take-out pizza and a couple of beers. His tail ends up holding onto the pizza box as he knocks on the vardo door, "Amanda? It is Kurt. I am sorry if it is a surprise, but I promised pizza…" a while back. He's actually a little apologetic that he promised the pizza so long ago and he's only now meeting that obligation.
*
Fo a second there's no answer, but eventually a lock can be heard to move and the door swings wide open. Amanda stands there, a big smile on her face. "Kurt! Come in!" She retreats back into the vardo to give Kurt room to come inside. "You have good timing," she confesses with a little grin. "I was about to see about making something for supper."
*
Nightcrawler gets hold of the pizza box and holds it up, grinning. "Ahh, I am just that good!" is offered in English before he steps inside, presenting the pizza box to her with a gallant little bow. He switches to German, "<Authentic New York Pizza. I'm curious to see what you think of it.>" He also holds up the beer, "<Not as good as home, but it will do. It was that or Coca-Cola.>"
*
"<Pizza and beer? My mother would be terribly upset with me.>" Amanda, still grinning, gently takes either the beer or the pizza from Kurt and sets whichever onto the table inside. "Keeping busy?" She straightens the tablelcloth a bit; notably a plain one, and not the fancy affair she uses when conducting a reading.
*
Nightcrawler grins brightly, showing sharp, white teeth. "<Why? Everyone should have a night of fun every now and again, yes?>" He moves to finish setting the table with the rest of what he brought. "<Besides, I promised I would have you try the pizza here. It's very good. Different from Italy.>" At the question about keeping busy, he shrugs, "<I suppose? I do what I can to help those I can. Whether it keeps me busy…sometimes? How is the circus? Are you getting many people coming here?>"
*
Amanda shrugs her shoulders. "<Mother was very serious,>" is all the explanation she gives. When everything is further set to her likely, she finally consents to sit down with a bit of a flop. She's been on her feet all day, sitting donw is nice. "Busy as always. Which is very nice. I'm glad people find us entertaining enough to keep visiting."
*
There's a tilt of his head, "<Was she? I barely remember mine. Well, adopted mother. I believe I have met my birth mother and she is…well, I think she has many secrets. She doesn't tell me many of them.>" There's a sad little smile before he moves to open her beer for her, "<Do you have people coming to you many times then? 'Regulars'?>"
*
Curiosity, eventually, overwhelms Amanda. While she had been offered pizza in another place with another person, she settled for other food (much to the chagrin of some). Amanda's hands reach for the box and she opens it slowly. "<I have some who come every week. Some people are very afraid of the future.>"
*
"<Every week! That is fantastic!>" Kurt grins at that before he turns one of the chairs around so he can better sit at it. He waits for Amanda to choose her slice of pizza before he takes one. His smile fades then, "<I can understand why some might be afraid of the future. The city seems to always be attacked by something and people are so angry and afraid.>" Of people who are different than they are.
*
Amanda frowns in that instant, mid-prying her slice of pizza from the box. "<There are many people here. I think that's why. Cow the greater masses of people first.>" She tries to smile again. "<They do keep failing though, right?>"
*
"<Failing?>" Kurt tilts his head, "<Keep failing at what? At hurting me or others?>" He takes a piece once Amanda has, "<I think that most cannot hurt me. I've heard it all before.>" He does seem genuine in that admission.
*
Amanda gestures with a hand. "<Attacking the city, cowing the populance.>" She takes a bite of the pizza, chewing thoughtfully. Somewhere in there, her eyes go wide. "<…this is delicious!>"
*
There is a moment as he thinks before he replies, "<Have they failed? There are still attacks on us because we frighten them. I think that the attacks only make things worse.>" Kurt does brighten, however, when she likes the pizza, "<It is different from the pizza in Italy, but it is still very good, isn't it?>"
*
"<I meant humans in general, not mutants..>" Amanda frowns. "<I am sorry Kurt, I hadn't considered that the attacks were aimed at mutants only.>" Sadly the Circus does not get newspapers, and Amanda hasn't considered buying one when in the city. So the news they get… is not the best. "<We never went to Italy. This is my first time trying pizza!>" She grins. "<It is very good.>"
*
"<Well, maybe the humans are more resilient, but they seem to blame the mutants for these attacks. Maybe not always, but we are different, so they blame us.>" It's par for the course, unfortunately. Kurt takes a bite of his own piece of pizza and gives another shrug, "<I think that whever something happens, they look to the mutants first.>" Amanda's admission gets a double-take, "Was?" is asked in German, "<You have never had pizza before? Ah! Well, I am glad you like it then!>"
*
Amanda shakes her head, smiling. "Never!" she assures. "Mother cooked, or one of the other circus workers did. Always German food, or Romany." Which… is mostly whatever food is native to the area. Mostly. A few twists here and there. "They might look at mutants first. It's not fair. They'll learn."
*
Kurt gives a wistful little sigh, "<German or Romany food…I haven't had that in ages! I haven't found a good German restaurant here…>" and even if he did, he's not sure he could enter. There's still some hesitation regarding non-Roma Germans. "<Thank you. No, it's not fair, but I am used to it.>"
*
Amanda tsks gently. "Then you need to come by more often. I made Rheinischer Sauerbraten and Reibekuchen a few nights ago, for another friend. She'd never had German food." And it was a pleasure to introduce her to something new!
*
There's a sudden quiet as Kurt works on his slice of pizza. He seems quite interested in the taste of pizza before he offers, "<I don't want to frighten your friends. I'm sure your cooking is delicious, but I wouldn't want to be in the way.>" There's a sad little smile then, "<If it bothers you…I can not come by. I just…miss talking to someone nice who grew up as I did.>" Sort of. Circus, Roma, German…check check and check.
*
Amanda frowns. "Bother me? What, you?" She laughs. "Don't be ridiculous!" As for the rest of it…? "Come and see. Ororo is wonderful, and you should meet her. She is new to this country too, from Africa!" She grins. "I feel when we are spending time together, we are discovering new things together."
*
Nightcrawler brightens, "<You think that?>" If he could blush, he might. "<I thought about seeing more of the Country, but…right now, I think it would be difficult.>" Maybe it would have been hard for someone to come here from Africa as well. "<Well, I'm happy to introduce you to pizza. I would be happy to show you more of what I have found in the city, if you would like.>"
*
Amanda nods. "I think so," she says. "Ororo seems very accepting." She didn't even bat an eyelash at the card reading, and was more than happy to accept it as real as anything else could be. "On the note of the city, you never did tell me where you are staying," she points out.
*
"I did not?" Kurt switches to English, "I am in Hell's Kitchen. I am staying with a good friend who is away much of the time. So I have the place to myself. But the building is getting very busy…I still do not know if it's good or not." There's another smirk then. "Do you know where Hell's Kitchen is? It is near Times Square a little. I would not walk there alone…"
*
Amanda considers for a long moment. Kurt has admitted to her that he is a mutant. That this is not a costume. So… "I will let you in on a secret," Amanda murmurs. "I try not to walk anywhere if I can help it." There's a bit of a twinkle in her eye as she says this. And then, a demonstration. Unlike Kurt, there is no bamf, no smell of brimstone. One instant Amanda is sitting, and then she vanishes in a bright light, reappearing a few feet away. "Tah-dah."
*
It would be quite the costume for him to be wearing it all the time! Maybe Hollywood couldn't even make a costume this good? Kurt figures it's fairly obvious that he's obviously not the 'normal' human. An eyebrow arches as she offers her secret and he sits up a little straighter. When she disappears and reappears in the light, his yellow eyes widen. "Magic?" There's a look about the vardo to see if she has anything to create an illusion.
*
No illusion. Amanda demonstrates this by walking back, sitting down, and resuming eating her pizza. Of course, it could be a /really/ good illusion. "Magic," she confirms, in a soft voice. "I probably am not as good as I should be at my age.. complications in my training. But.. here I am."
*
Nightcrawler gives a low whistle at the explanation, "Roma magic? I have heard of it…I think my mother spoke of it, but I was very little und did not understand much." He smiles then, "I am impressed. Do you need to know where you are going to use the magic to get there? Or can you go wherever you want even if you do not know the place?"
*
"I need to have an idea of where I am going. A photograph would help. Being there before, myself, would help even better." Which explains why Amanda has been so keen to explore the city as thoroughly as she can. "I admit I don't know if the magic is Roma specifically. Mother said it was always the women in our family, so I assumed…"
*
That sounds familiar. Kurt nods, "Ja, that is like me. If I know where I am going, then it is easier to get there. I can guess, but I do not want to end up in a wall or someplace dangerous." Taking another piece of pizza, he thinks a bit, "I do not know if it is Roma either. I was not shown Roma magic…" but he's also male. "I was also young when we were taken. In the Circus they spoke of it, but no one did the magic."
*
"I need to learn more," Amanda confesses. "I would like to protect the Circus, should we ever need it." Just a barrier. Something to keep the nasties out. "I will have to find something or someone to help, if I can't do it on my own." She smiles. "I suppose you've gone around the city as much as you can?"
*
"Ja, a bit. Mostly at night…" he taps one of his three fingers at his eyes, "These eyes of mine see well at night und I am able to hide best then." Less people notice him. "I also stay to rooftops und fire escapes und shadows. It is different, but it means I can go more places. The park is very nice at night when it is warm when you look at it from the top of the hotels there." Kurt grins widely and takes a bite of his second piece of pizza.
He seems more than happy to talk about the places he's visited in the City and answer any questions Amanda may have. There is also, most likely, an offer to take her to some of them if she'd like to see them…day or night.
*