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Ch 35, SVisitor: Space Visitor

Kurt and Chelsea continued to keep Logan company, but his mind had started to wander once it got caught on the realization that he was a man pulled out of his own time. The cat boy continued to try and keep him engaged and involved in the conversation and, for the most part Logan felt as though he was able to at least provide some basic indication that he was interacting as much as a participant should but he'd been firmly dragged into his own thoughts and the celebration around him was just so much background noise.

As the fireworks continued more and more of the celebration audience began to move about, some heading to different vantage points, others starting up some night sports in the well-lit portion of the park to the left of the fireworks display, but most of them continued to sit on the grass, sprawled out and looking up. Even among those, however, several were meandering about engaging in conversation with different folks as the fireworks continued to go off. Many of the social butterflies ended up coming by to say hello to Kurt and Chelsea and, by extension, Logan.

He was pretty sure he did a fine job of representing him well enough to not embarrass his companions but he didn't engage enough to bother remembering names, and would probably forget the faces within a handful of seconds. So it continued for at least a half hour until Logan realized that he'd been addressed but hadn't bothered responding. That snapped him out of his reverie long enough to clear his throat. "Um... right. Hi. Yeah. I'm Logan. Pleasure to meet you."

Tom stared at him. "We already met, kid. You got some brain drain or somethin'? Kurt get you to try Blake's moonshine?"

Kurt took over the discussion, grabbing Logan by the wrist. "Nah... it's fine, Uncle Tom... it's just been a long day. I think I'd better get him back to his place."

Tom shrugged, his large, stony shoulders rising then falling, calling after them as the cat boy dragged Logan toward the exit to the park. "Sure... just remember that you're helpin' at the logistics bay tomorrow, Kurt!'

Logan had to move quickly to keep pace, trying three times before he managed to gather up the wherewithal to put to words the question that had been formulating in his head. "Weren't you having fun?"

Finally off the park's grass and back onto the main walking road Kurt finally slowed. "Sure, but you weren't."

Logan went to object but didn't get any further than "I--"

The cat boy offered a calming smile. "It's fine, Logan. Really. I could tell you weren't enjoying yourself, and I get it-- big groups and fireworks aren't for everyone."

Following after Kurt, Logan stared to trail behind as he thought back to what really bothered him. "It's not that... the fireworks were great."

Waiting for him to catch up, Kurt held out a hand. "What's wrong then?"

Without even thinking, Logan slid his hand into his companion's and, despite his dour thoughts, that touch somehow made him feel better... enough to actually talk about it at least. "I just realized that I'm several hundred years in the future."

Kurt offered a muted smile with a hint of a chiding tone. "It took you that long to figure out, huh?"

Sighing, Logan tried his best to offer a smile in return, but felt compelled to explain his concerns. "It makes sense on paper, sure, and I had classes to help me catch up with all the changes, but, now that I'm facing everything, and dealing with those first-hand, it's hard to just take all of it in. I mean, when I think about how much had changed in that time between the age of exploration and the era I was born in... that's how much time separates my time from now. I may as well be a neanderthal thawed out."

The cat boy stopped and turned to face him, raising a hand to brush across the side of Logan's face. The gesture was tender, but the follow up statement was full of humor. "You can't be a neanderthal, Logan-- you don't have the cheek bones to pull it off."

At first, Logan was indignant because Kurt wasn't taking him seriously but, in the end, he ended up laughing despite himself. His companion then leaned in and hugged him, seizing the moment to drop the humor and speak in a heartfelt and direct manner. "Logan... you're doing REALLY well even if you don't believe it. I know it may not feel like it, but, believe me: every last person alive probably has a story or two about Class Ones who REALLY don't get it, and I swear that you aren't one of them."

Logan fidgeted. "Maybe not, but that doesn't mean it's easy trying to get used to all the changes."

Kurt squeezed his arm. "I can't imagine what you're going through, Logan... I don't have any experience like that myself, but I remember visiting the Lunar Spire the first time and it felt... well... I felt like an alien... or like they were aliens... or--"

Smirking, Logan rested a hand on the cat boy's head between his ears. "Yeah... I know what you mean and, yeah, that's a good comparison."

His companion flicked an ear and slowly disengaged. "What I mean is, for better or for worse, you're here with us now in our world. Habs like this are probably a little more like what you were used to in the 22nd century but there are still differences. Other habs will be even weirder. Heck-- you already spent some time at the Lunar Spire, and that's a pretty crazy place, and you're still sane, so that has to account for something."

Kurt's follow up grin really did help Logan and, as the two walked further from the fireworks still going off back at the park, Logan started to feel a little better. Letting out a steadying breath, the young man shrugged. "I suppose it's something I just have to learn to live with and get comfortable. It's not like I have much of a choice anyway."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Although he honestly wasn't sure he did, the simple seven words from Kurt unlocked something in Logan and, before the young man could question it, he began to unleash all of his inner thoughts, concerns, and reservations. He talked about everything: about awakening hundreds of years in the future, the trials and tribulations with his niece, his time at Ozar's Realm and going back over the reason why he'd come to Kalpana L4.

In the end, he brought home the realization that had struck him several times, but never so completely as when he was sitting in the park with Kurt and his sister. "I just think I'm way out of my element with Transhumanity. I can't help but feel like I'm a time traveler-- pushed way into the future and having to fight to catch up."

Kurt nodded thoughtfully. "I know I'm not down in the trenches with you or anything, but I think I get what you're saying. Transhumanity isn't the same as humanity and you didn't grow up with it, so it must be kinda frightening."

Despite his companion's encouraging and supportive tone, Logan found himself laughing as if it were a joke. "Yeah... before Corpus Verto I'd never met a talking dog... or a lady with four arms... or... well... any of the crazy stuff I've seen since then."

His companion smiled despite both of his feline ears wilting slightly. "Heh... yeah... I guess there's a lot of stuff that'd catch you by surprise if you weren't expecting it. Transhumanity does that. Heck-- I grew up in this time but Kalpana L4 is pretty time so I still get blindsided sometimes when I'm visiting other habitats."

Logan had to admit that, out of everyone outside of his Class One orientation he'd met up until that point, Kurt probably WAS the one person who probably could understood him in that regard. "Yeah.... that's true, I guess... but, still, at least you have a place you can go home to that's familiar."

The cat boy reached out and took hold of his hand. "It'll take time, but I'm sure you'll find somewhere that feels like home eventually."

Taking a deep breath, Logan let it out. He repeated it again before responding, finally finding himself calmed. "Thanks..."

Kurt gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "I figure you'll probably want to get some rest so I'll take you back to your residential block if you want..."

Weighing that for a few seconds, Logan wondered if that WAS what he wanted. He considered the offer and, surprisingly, he realized that he didn't-- the evening had been going well and it would be a shame to end it on a low note. "You said something about dinner? Is that still an option?"

The huge smile on Kurt's face helped further distance Logan from his heavy thoughts, and the cat boy nodded eagerly. "Hell yeah! It's someplace special, and they only serve dinner there during festivals like Celebration Day."

Nodding decisively, Logan committed. "Alright. Lead the way."

* * * * *

Kurt was good to his word, taking Logan somewhere that was NOT Chelsea's diner. The two walked away from the park down a path that Logan had not recalled traversing, moving further away from what he'd come to know as the commercial area, if such a place existed on Kalpana L4. The residential quarters lining the streets looked far older than the area where Logan had been housed and, the clumps of pods, usually formed in groups of eight, opened up to small collections of four, then two, until, after numerous blocks, each residential pod was surrounded by a large patio roughly the size of a small front yard back from Logan's era. Ultimately the area opened up into what almost looked like pastoral land.

Continuing on, Logan was surprised when the two of them stepped onto what he could only describe as a dirt road. He couldn't avoid asking the question. "What's this?"

Kurt grinned. "Kalpana L4 has a lot of themes among its population centers, including rural life. Granted, considering the limitations on available space, there aren't many areas like this one... and that's the reason I wanted to bring you."

The lack of constant lighting meant that they were walking hand-in-hand on what amounted to a country road with nothing other than backup lighting from the night-time equivalent illumination-- it almost felt like walking under a full moon. Just as Logan was getting used to the darkness, however, the two rounded a bend to discover that, up ahead, there was a collection of residential pods.

The were five in total, shaped more like houses than shipping containers, and arranged in a horseshoe pattern with what appeared to be an enormous gazebo in the center. Lights were draped all across the fences and in long lines between the houses and the gazebo, giving the 'courtyard' a festive air. Then again, Logan realized, the patry-like feel could also have had something to do with the numerous people gathered around laughing and talking with one another as they mulled about.

As they drew closer the main thing that caught Logan's attention was a bonfire. "Hey, Kurt... that's not a REAL fire, is it?"

The cat boy chuckled. "Considering we're on an enclosed habitat an uncontrolled fire THAT size wouldn't exactly be safe so, even though it looks like it's an ancient wooden bonfire, no-- it's actually a carefully managed chemical fire... L4 Ranch uses it for the bbq they hold here during celebrations."

Logan was about to question that but, before he could, his next breath took in the mouth watering aroma of roast meat. His line of questioning was suddenly meat-focused. "You mean they use fire to cook food?"

Kurt giggled. "Yes, Logan... that's what bbq suggests, and it wouldn't make sense to replicate food when there's a perfectly good fire going."

As they drew nearer to the celebration Kurt had to explain the situation: animals were not a common feature on most habs but the family owned a nearby orbital called "L4 Ranch" and lived the lifestyle by choice. They took it upon themselves to practice the kind of animal husbandry that went extinct around the time the Earth became uninhabitable; their entire habitat was designed to grow animals. They made it a point to make a few animals available for every celebration as food. Kurt completed the explanation with a matter of fact "And, since I thought this might be something good for you to experience, I wanted to bring you."

The situation finally started to sink in, especially when Logan saw two people in a brightly lit area cutting apart what looked like half of a pig. "Woah-- are they really butchering a pig?"

Kurt nodded. "Yep. They usually have three or four of them every celebration-- you should see the... uh..." he paused for a moment, almost as if trying to figure out how to say something in a foreign language. "the 'North Carolina whole hog roast'."

Logan had never seen a full roast pig, but had heard stories of Hawaiian celebrations that included it, there was something more on his mind than the uncertainty with which his host phrased a cooking style. "So, you mean to tell me that they have livestock here on the Kalpana L4 habitat?"

The cat boy shook his head, stopping as the two of them approached the festive gathering. "No-- like I said: the family lives here, but they have a smaller habitat that circles Kalpana L4 called the 'L4 Ranch'.... their animals are THERE. They just bring a few of them selectively here when they want to celebrate."

Staring blankly at the scene of people searing up pork chops on a metal grate, Logan glanced over to Kurt. "You mean, rather than having the meal fabricated?"

His companion nodded. "Right."

Logan pushed further. "Or... I dunno... just fabricating the meat without needing the animal or something?"

Kurt shrugged. "It's a traditional, ancestral practice."

It took several seconds before Logan could come up with a reply to that. "Barbecuing? An ancestral practice?"

The cat boy nodded again. "Yes. And protected via the Kalpana L4 charter. Citizens are allowed to practice ancient rituals and celebrate traditional lifestyles. Plenty of people here find the whole idea of slaughtering an animal to be distasteful, but it is still a protected right."

Still having trouble combining the idea of a bbq and some kind of 'ancient ritual', Logan eventually had to give up. "Well... I guess so long as they're allowed to do it without breaking any laws or whatever..."

The lengthy philosophical contemplation of raising animals on a habitat or slaughtering animals when the loss of life was completely unnecessary was left by the wayside as Kurt brought Logan into the celebration. It was readily evident that those taking part in the bbq knew the cat boy and were happy to welcome him. Further, they readily invited Logan to join them as well and, for a time, at least, things felt halfway 'normal'. Despite the insanity he'd been subjected to over the course of his several weeks in 'the future', if Logan didn't think too hard about it the celebration almost felt like he was back in the 22nd century.

Although there were still major differences, the celebration around the bonfire did feel a little more like his own time and that helped him relax. Kurt remained nearby, serving as a constant reminder that the inclusion of a cat boy in the activities meant that Logan was not actually in his own time, but it was something he was able to not only permit, but to accept. He really did enjoy Kurt's presence, and it was grounding in a way to have him present at what felt like the kind of party he'd find in his own time-- it even helped him to relax after his existential breakdown.

Before Logan knew it two hours had passed and he was near-bursting from the food he'd eaten. There were several dishes like what Logan would have expected at a bbq, incluiding different kinds of salads (green, potato, and macaroni), which were undeniably fabricated, yet still fit right in with the celebratory's theme. Three different bean dishes, a colletion of biscuits, corn bread, and savory jalapeno muffins rounded out the offering. They were all wonderful in their own way, and helped Logan overlook the horrible preparation of the meat... which he ate anyway.

Truth be told, the bbq was probably some of the worst he'd ever had, made even more obvious since the food available from fabricators was close to perfect and the pig prepared by the family that ran L4 Ranch were NOT good at barbecuing. The meat was cooked uneven; the spices were inconsistent at best; bits of the meat were charred... yet, surprisingly, Logan began to understand the 'ceremony' behind it all-- more than anything else that was what made him so eager to eat such 'less than good' bbq. It was horrible; it was wonderful.

As midnight came and went, Logan kept Kurt company at the celebration. The hosts were gracious folks, entertaining around fifty or sixty people in total-- almost all natives of Kalpana L4 excluding Logan himself, and two other folks who split after about twenty minutes. Surrounded by hosts, a few other visitors, and Kurt, Logan was honestly surprised at how relaxed he felt-- whether it was the casual nature of the get-together or the lack of commitment or requirements to be there, he enjoyed it. Of course, by the time it was closer to 1am than it was midnight, he realized that he was going to end up being awake twenty hours before long and, about that time, Kurt finally seemed ready to call it a night as well.

The discussions meandered along through different paths just as their trip back toward the more populous residential block. As usual, Kurt had to provide guidance to Logan, who had barely begun to figure out the first few blocks around his assigned quarters. By the time he began to recognize the area, Logan realized the night was coming to an end. "You know... despite all the... well... the EVERYTHING tonight, I did have a lot of fun."

Kurt was all smiles, offering him a wink. "Of course! It was Celebration Day. Having fun is usually a foregone conclusion."

They were both silent as Logan was led up to the door to his quarters. Lingering for several moments, the young man had his hand on the knob, but he didn't turn it. His mind was in chaos, contemplating the rollercoaster of emotions that had sent him sprawling multiple times that night yet, somehow, he'd always managed to stand back up-- usually with Kurt's help. Turning to regard the cat boy, Logan noticed that his guide remained by his side, even going so far as to offer a smile when they locked eyes.

When Logan didn't say anything, one of Kurt's eyes flicked. "Um... you alright? Isn't this where you're supposed to say 'Thanks for everything, Kurt. Goodnight.'?"

It was a very straight forward statement and, in all honesty, being fed lines should have suited Logan just fine but, for some reason he couldn't figure out, the young man didn't end up taking the advice. Instead, he set aside the countless questions, quandaries, hesitations, and confusions flickering at his mind and he spoke the little inner thought that had been plaguing him for days. "I... uh... was gonna... invite you in?"

Kurts cheeks reddened slightly. "Now you're just playing with me."

Committing to the statement more thoroughly than he thought possible, Logan's hand made it to his companion's shoulder and he spoke with more conviction. "I'd like you to stay here tonight. With me."

The cat boy's cheeks reddened even more, but he had never seemed to be the shy sort, and it was readily evident that he wasn't about to start in that moment. "Well damn... how could I turn down an invitation like that?"

Even as Logan's heart skipped a beat, he was already opening the door. They both ended up stumbling into the residential block together, lips pressing together, tongues entwined as thoroughly as their tongues. Logan felt Kurt's hips push against his as their bodies connected and he paused when he felt the firmness between the cat boy's legs. Kiss broken, Kurt looked to him, attentiveness in his gaze. "Everything alright?"

Logan tried to figure out the best way to explain his reason for pausing. He could explain that he wasn't interested in men but the fact that he was enjoying being with Kurt meant that it wouldn't wholly be the truth. He WAS interested in being with Kurt and he couldn't deny that any longer, but he WASN'T attracted to men. He'd never been with a man. He tried to figure out how to convey what he was thinking. "I... uh...."

Kurt pulled back, a hint of concern on his face. "Do you want to stop, Logan? Are we moving to fast for you?"

Shaking his head, the young man went to take a seat on the sofa. "No. It's not that... it's.. just..." he let out a long breath. "I have no idea how to explain it... I... just..."

His companion went to take a seat near him on the sofa, leaving the middle of three cushions empty in order to provide Logan more space. "If you're having trouble figuring out how to say what you want to say, just be blunt. Uncle Tom does, so I'm used to it."

The accompanying grin from Kurt helped Logan feel a little better about it and he hazarded taking the cat boy at face value. He felt his cheeks flare into a blush as he said "I'm not attracted to guys-- uh... usually."

Kurt cocked his head to the side quizzically. "Okay... so you're gynosexual?"

Logan blinked blankly. "What?"

The cat boy smirked. "You're attracted to feminine."

Nodding, he acknowledged the statement. "Women. Right."

Kurt cocked his head to the side, apparently thrown off by Logan's confirmation. "And... you're NOT attracted to me?"

Logan winced inwardly, realizing his concern over possibly flubbing the discussion was well-founded. "No-- I... I mean, I AM."

The cat boy smirked. "I'm not a woman, you know."

Wincing, Logan nodded. "Right. I know. That's what I-- argh." he put his head in his hands, shaking it back and forth until he felt Kurt's arms around his shoulders.

Kurt gave him a hug. "Let's work through it then: you're attracted to me even though I'm not a woman... why?"

It was a simple question superficially, but Logan found trouble answering it. In the end he settled for a very basic answer. "Because I am?"

His companion laughed-- it wasn't scornful, but it was a little bruising regardless. The follow up comment helped a little though. "I mean, that's nice to hear, but it really isn't much of an answer, now is it?"

When Logan didn't provide a follow up Kurt did. "Like I said, I think you may be gynosexual. Lemme ask you: what are the kinds of ladies you usually date?"

Logan found the question as painful as a knife to the gut. "I... uh... don't."

Kurt paused, one ear raising while the other rotated sideways. "Don't what?"

"I don't usually date."

The cat boy smiled, but only for a moment, both ears swiveling forward as he sat up a little straighter. "Logan... do you like 'girly girls' or someone more 'gender creative'?"

It took several seconds for Logan to realize what Kurt was trying to say, but once he did, it made sense. "I like them, uh... on the more feminine side. Why?"

Kurt leaned forward with a smirk. "Sexy librarian with glasses, high school cheerleader, or housewife with an apron?"

Feeling a little silly about the question about his 'preferred type', Logan shrugged. "Any? All of em, I guess?"

The cat boy continued. "What about a sexy maid outfit or gal in overalls with a jackhammer and a hard hat?"

Logan needed even less time to answer. "Maid."

Kurt's smirk widened into a smile. "Gal in overalls with a jackhammer, or a lean, sexy little cat boy dressed in lingerie?"

Logan's knee-jerk reaction was to choose the woman but, even before the words made it out of his mouth, he saw the frilly pink strap to Kurt's bra peeking out from beneath his neck line and he had to pause. "Y-you."

His companion smirked. "Flatterer."

It earned Logan another kiss, and another and, before long, Logan got to see more of the lingerie worn by 'a lean, sexy little cat boi'. Even as Kurt was working to undo Logan's pants, he murmured in his ear "Yeah... you're a gynosexual. Congrats on learning something new about yourself, Logan."

Logan learned a lot more that night.