7743/A Handyman's work is never done... stupid truck.

A Handyman's work is never done... stupid truck.
Date of Scene:	08 September 2021
Location:	Garage / Stables
Synopsis:	Logan's truck needs a new clutch, but thankfully he gained a daughter instead. Logan, Laxmi and Gabby share a conversation, and Logan learns the full truth.
Cast of Characters:	Logan Howlett, Gabby Kinney, Laxmi Mallick

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Logan Howlett has posed:
The garage, nothing fancy, and Logan is once again working on his old beat up truck that decided to die... again. As if a new transmission in the middle of Arizona wasn't bad enough, now the clutch is screaming. Hanging inside the engine compartment, his rear end hanging out, along with his legs and booted feet, none of this stops him from hearing approaching people, or smelling them for that matter.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
The garage wasn't somewhere Gabby went often. After her latest birthday though, there was a little electric offroad dirtbike here that had her name on it which was neatly tucked to the side. It wasn't overly large, but it had thick tread tires and turn signals so it was, technically, street legal. Technically. There was some mud already caked on it from obvious use around the property. So she heads here not expecting to find Logan here buried ankle-deep in his truck. Curious she shifts her steps to the side of the truck peeking over into it with both arms raising to drape over the edge peering inside. "... Need any help?" She offers uncertainly. Sometimes she just didn't know how to approach Logan.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Laxmi, on the other hand, does know how to approach Logan in the moment. She'd passed through the garage a short time earlier, and she returns now - a cold beer in one hand, and a cup of sweet iced tea in the other. What she hadn't expected was for Gabby to have arrived in the meantime.
    "Oh, Miss Kinney," she greets the girl with a friendly smile - immediately holding out the glass of ice tea she holds in her hand. "Would you care for some refreshment?" she asks, a friendly smile on her features.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan heard Gabby approaching, and of course scented her on the wind. Turning to look at her from inside the engine, he grunts, "Nothing to be done really, clutch it dead." Then climbs off the truck to wipe his hands on a rag. Gabby likely gives to fricks that Logan is shirtless, Laxmi most likely doesn't either, but he is.

"Miss Mallick," he then offers, right before she appears then half smirks cause he was right. Her scent was lovely, couldn't miss it. "Passing through again?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"I have no idea what a clutch is," Gabby admits with a glance at the engine compartment he vacates as if that might tell her something. She tries to wrack her memory before something clicks. "Oh, wait, it's that third pedal isn't it? The Humvees all had those." At least she had a familiarity with it. Laxmi's approach and offering of a drink is taken with a grin, and look of surprise. "Oh! Thanks!" Given Logan has been offered a beer, though, she pauses to squint at it. "What is it?" She didn't have the family nose it would seem.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Oh - no. It's a hot day, I thought you could use a beer, Mister Logan," Laxmi remarks - offering the bottle over to him. "That's what you were having the other night, yes?" she remarks, as if she wasn't perfectly aware.
    Towards Gabby she adds, "It's a sweet tea from the fridge. So it has a fair amount of caffeine and sugar - always a great combination to hand to teens, I'm sure." And amused smile pulls at her lips.
    "I'm sorry to hear the clutch is ruined. Is it expensive to replace something like that?" she asks in a curious tone.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan lifts one brow as he accepts the beer, being exceptionally careful not to touch Laxmi's hand as he does. He remembers what she said the other night and doesn't want to be the reason she has to repent, or whatever it was.

"Uh... thanks," he offers, slightly surprised still that she did it at all. "Real nice of you Miss Mallick."

Glancing to Gabby now, there is a puzzled expression on his face, but he doesn't say anything about what caused it, instead he asks, "Ya want the beer instead, kid?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney is already taking a sip of the tea after Laxmi explains precisely what it is. A quick lipsmack comes as she apparently approves of the level of sugar in it, and flashes a grin at Laxmi. "Thanks!" It's Logan's question that earns a little wrinkle of her nose. "Nah not in the mood. Besides everyone still gets upset if I drink. I'm usually good with the rootbeer from Harry's," she explains with a little shrug of indifference. It wasn't as if she *hadn't* drunk before, she wasn't hiding it--It did jack all good for her actually. But she was still underage and there were expectations. "Caffiene and sugar won't bother me either, but I like them."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Should we really be encouraging drinking in underaged students, Mister Logan?" Laxmi asks in surprise, looking between him and the diminuative girl. Why would he even //suggest// such a thing? "This is a school!" she adds. She sighs and shakes her head, before turning her attention to safer topics.
    "I'm sure none of us want our shop teacher to get heat exhaustion. I'd be worthless at teaching a class like that, after all. And it was hardly any trouble."

Logan Howlett has posed:
There is a moment when a few choice words pass through Logan's mind regarding students and drinking, but since he sort of, maybe, likes this teacher a little, he decides to just shrug those off and say, "They'll get beer if they want it, lots of places'll sell it to em, and lots of people'll buy it for em. Figured I'd skip a step, but you're right. I shouldn't offer students beer, even my own..." He eyes Gabby again, still not entirely certain where or how, but he knows that smell.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney drums her fingers against the side of the cup when she gets a dubious glance sent her way. Instantly she finds something kind of interesting about the interior of the truck engine compartment with a thoughtful HUM or two. When it's obvious he might be fishing for an answer to WHO she was in comparison to him she flashes a toothy smile, and fingerguns toward him. "Kid? Kind of?" Then she lightly clears her throat. To Laxmi she explains, "I can't get drunk. Or drugged. Not for long at least, anyway, so it's just... I mean I know I still shouldn't drink, just it's not the same for me doing it as like, Hellion or Jubilee or ... I'm going to stop naming names now."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    How could a child know she's incapable of being drunk or drugged? ...of course, there's lots of reasonable ways. She could have been injured and in need of painkillers, or sedation... "I see," Laxmi answers Gabby. "Well... still. I don't think it's responsible for any of use to allow underaged drinking on the premisis. It could get the school in very serious trouble if it ever comes to light, and this haven is needed by so many," she points out reasonably.
    See? There's perfectly reasonable reasons for her prudishness.
    "I imagine having an ability like that can be both a blessing and a curse," she adds, giving Gabby a small smile.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan actually laughs, not at the kid, kind of part, but at the name dropping and can't get drunk, it was a very nice distraction for all of ten seconds. "Wait..." he suddenly says and his full attention goes to Gabby. Leaning in a little closer he sniffs at her again, oh yeah, definitely. "We'll talk later, right?" He then asks her, not wanting to put too much pressure on her right now, but yeah, he's going to need some answers at some point.

"There's no way anyone's going to find out," he then says to Laxmi as he looks her way again. "The school's got so many levels of protections, including an ID asking new teacher in the kitchen. No need to worry, Gabby's the only one I'd offer to anyway. The rest... meh."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney knew a lot for a kid. She was also older than she looked, though she'd at least gained some height over the past few years. Now she wasn't four five at least. THAT was always problematic with everything. She was still short though. Her genes weren't good for helping with that. "Long story," she manages to offer out to both Laxmi and Logan. It's his sniff that has her puff her chest out a little bit. There was no hiding here, but yes, there was a long overdue conversation in regards to, well, THEM. She'd probably blabbed about the relation to most of the students she knew, but he'd usually been away. Now? Now she pauses and nods after his remark. "Yeah. Soon. Promise." Before taking another sip of her tea. "Yeah, but it's okay. Comes in handy more often than not."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Teachers who ask for ID? The gall, the cheek, the nerve," Laxmi remarks in an amused tone. "Sounds like an insufferable sort."
    The sniff has her looking between the two uncertainly. It was an odd behavior, but- well. It was a school for mutants, and sometimes living in a mutant community meant things that were odd would happen periodically.
Shehe fixes her eyes on Gabby as she remarks, "If you'd like me to go, I will."
    But she's obviously leaving it up to the girl. She'd had a lovely conversation with Logan the other night - but she wasn't about to leave a female student along with a male teacher unless the girl was comfortable with the idea.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan finally takes a drink of the beer he was brought, enjoying the flavor even though he will never be able to get drunk. Look who inherited that trait. He offers a slight chuckle to Laxmi's 'tirade' about asking for ID.

"Yeah... sure, the gall," what the hell was gall? "Like I said, if I'd had ID, I'd of showed it to ya." He shrugs slightly, a hint of a grin but it just looks him more feral really.

"I don't think you need to leave though," he glances to Gabby then back to Laxmi. "I think this particular talk'll take place when the times right, not tonight. Right?" He eyes Gabby again, cause really it's her choice, not his.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney considers this a long moment only to shake her head with a grin offered to both the teachers. The one she's potentially related to, and the one that was so nice as to give up her own drink for Gabby. "It's okay, I don't mind," she assures giving a rolling shrug. "I've never hidden it. I wasn't to blame for it after all," she points out matter-of-fact. "And I never saw the point in remaining quiet about it. Just... Haven't really had a chance to share with someone who ought to have found out sooner," she adds with a guiltly look toward Logan. Then she clears her throat quietly. A single sip of the tea is taken, before she starts.

"I'm the youngest of The Sisters. There were ten of us. All made from stolen DNA from the first clone, so I'm a copy of a copy. Probably why out of ten of us, I was the only one to develop the X-Gene. At least that's what I figure. You scan a copy too many times and it just goes all fuzzy..." Lightly she clears her throat. "But I guess genetics might be different. Anyway."
Gabby pauses to scratch just behind her ear using the gesture as a moment to gather her thoughts. "The labs that made us used us for experiments. Trained us to fight to be bodyguards, assassins, whatever they wanted. My sisters kept me out of the worst of it. They tried to protect me from doing the worst of the work. But when we realized I was a mutant, it became harder. We started to plan a way out--And then they ran the last test on us. They did something to us," she explains jabbing a finger at her head. "Put something in us that turned off our ability to feel pain. My sisters started dying, one by one." Here she pauses with a look on her face that many had likely see on Logan before. Pure. Unadultered rage. If she were stronger, the white-knuckled grip she had on it might cause it to shatter. Her eyes close a moment so that she can take a few deep calming breaths to put that part of herself away. "That's who I am."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Oh... my dear girl," Laxmi says softly. There's concern, pain, and sympathy in her voice and expression at the thought of all she must have suffered in her short life. Training children as body guards and assassins? Experimenting on them so unethically, that it killed nine of the ten? The fear and grief Gabby must have felt as each one of her sisters passed away... "You're the only one who survived?"
    Though she isn't normally one for casual physical contact, certainly not with someone she hardly knew, she nonetheless moves closer to Gabby, putting a hand on the back of her shoulder - and if she seems accepting of it, will even try to guide her in for a hug.
    "What monsters... But what a blessing that you are safe now."
    If only the other girls could have been saved, as well...

Logan Howlett has posed:
The beer no longer holds any interest to Logan, his vision has turned this bright crimson and that expression of rage that was just on Gabby's face passes across his own... but not at Gabby, in fact he is very pointedly looks away to the other side of the room to let the rage rise and fall inside himself. He knew who it was, he knew why it was, and now he knew who was his next target if they still existed. Slowly, a deep breath, a moment and he locks most of it back up.

Turning slowly back to look at Gabby, he actually kneels himself in front of her, so look her more in the eyes. "I understand," he says more calmly that is his nature. "I know what they did to you, and how they did it. I'm furious... but... not at you. Who you are is you, Gabby Kinney, never let anything they did change that, never be ashamed of who you are, or what you are."

He glances for a moment to Laxmi then immediately looks back to Gabby. "Yeah know this ain't my kinda thing kid, but... you're a part of me, so if there's anything you need, or want, including revenge, come to me."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney doesn't pull away from hugs at all. When Laxmi pulls her into one she's quite willing to return it with a tight squeeze that relents after a few moments. "I'm okay," she assures. "Only four of us escaped, and only two of us survived. Bellona went off on her own though. She stops by sometimes to check on me." And perhaps it was her own mutation, however non-exciting as it was, that made her also immune to the effects of the nanomachines that had been put into them all.

When Logan crouches down in front of her to bridge that gap in height she offers a wan smile. Usually cheerful and energetic, she just seemed a bit tired at the moment. It doesn't stop her from leaning in to throw her arms around his neck giving him a firm hug though--He was within striking distance. "I'm not. I won't. I promised them..." But still it was good to hear that, too, and a little hiccup comes from her. Not quite crying but she almost did. Almost.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I'm glad you still have one of your sisters - and I will offer prayers for the others," Laxmi offers sincerely - releasing the girl easily so she can go to Logan instead, and watching the pair as Gabby hugs the gruff man.
    She may not be a violent person herself - but there are some people in this world that the world would be better off without. People who were, perhaps, too broken to offer anything of value in this life. "I hope you know, my door will always be open if you need a friendly ear, or some quiet company - or if you just want to listen to a little music while I practice. You can knock anytime - day or night." Because the Gods only know how the girl gets any sleep with such a heavy burden at such a young age.

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan wraps one arm around Gabby. He wasn't expecting the hug, nor was he usually a huggy-feely guy, but this was different. One, that was some seriously messed up connection to him, but it /was/ a connection. Two, she needed the hug. She was just a kid, and again that was some seriously messed up crap for a kid to have come from. Finally three, he liked her. It had nothing to do with that new connection he just learned about, and everything to do with her spunk.

While she's close, in that hug that she can break any time she wants to, he whispers something in her ear. "You got support kid, no matter what."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney takes a deep breath and nods again, only it's a bit jerky given she's hugging Logan. She knew he wasn't a touchy feely sort though. Still. She indulges a moment longer before stepping back to free him up. "Thanks. Both of you," she adds glancing up at Laxmi with a grin as well. "I do really good most of the time though, really."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I'm glad to hear it," Laxmi agrees. "But we should none of us be too proud to ask for help - when it's warrented. That's what community is for, isn't it? To support one another in moments of need." She smiles at Gabby as she adds, "You seem like a caring young lady. I have little doubt that others can rely on you - when they have need."
    She looks between the pair as she adds, "And however it comes to us, however we define it... it's always nice to have family."

Logan Howlett has posed:
Logan only thought he had a son, and apparently now he has two, three, maybe four daughters, if he counted Rien. This was getting messy, maybe Scott's idea of celibacy was a good idea.

"Family is who you make it," he offers, because the Professor taught him that. "Hell, look at me. I come back to this mansion every school year because... it's the only home I've had in a long time. Don't think you ever have to do it alone, any of it."