bakerstreet | thursday pic prompt

thursday pic prompt

the picture prompt meme

i. COMMENT WITH CHARACTER
ii. OTHERS LEAVE A PICTURE (OR TWO OR THREE....)
iii. REPLY TO THEM WITH A SETTING BASED ON THE IMAGES.

THIS POST WILL BE IMAGE HEAVY.

link to an image:

embed an image in your reply:

control width and height:

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ he opens his mouth but doesn't refute her immediately. he's tempted to; he really wants to shake his head and repeat that it's his turn to take her out, even if he does it way more than he pretends to keep track of. ]

[ letting her help him pull himself to his feet, he much prefers it when they're sitting. it's not lost on him how he towers slightly over her. ]

Are you sure? You should keep that money. [ he smiles when he jokes, ] Use it to buy a monkey for when you join the circus.

The stars look really pretty tonight, huh?

(Alya's used to the hectic chaos that is Marinette's life. She accepted it, and all other forms of chaos, since the first day Ladybug appeared. Either way, she could at least refrain from making her best friend flail too much. Unless she gave her an opening to do so again.)

Yeah. They sure are.

[They're lucky. Paris is a huge city, of course, but it isn't anywhere near as polluted with smog and all, like China or elsewhere at least. So they still have this view, even in the city. Marinette will never not adore her home for many reasons, the view among them.]

[Hey I live on ibuprofen so I don't knock you. XD Sorry for the lack of response! I realized too late I didn't let you know I was going on vacation this weekend. Just came back from Nekocon... feel like I have a hangover @_@ So sleepy!]

It was like hanging on the edge of a canyon, one that went down into darkness that while familiar, a part of him, contained the unknown. He had fallen from the edge before, without any measure of safety, and in the end, had found himself dashed on the rocks. He thought of another, one that was well-known and yet not, and shied away from the thought almost immediately like a spooked horse. This wasn't him. This was someone else entirely. Someone who intrigued him on a level he couldn't quite explain, who didn't feel like a child or a student, who was inviting him with a true idea, at least to some degree, of just what it meant to say such a thing.

So there it hung, with the unknown terrifying and calling and utterly arousing his curiosity. He found himself just about to step forward when something on the telly banged - a commerical, a news piece, he had no idea - and made him realize just where they were. He wasn't a fool and knew just where it could lead, even if it was merely a heart-pounding release of the telepathic connection for them both, that would be less than pleasant or welcomed for one of his students to see.

He stepped back, so to speak.

Tonight. This is not the time or place. But there was reluctance in his voice to need to say so, something very hard to miss.

[I realized too late I never mentioned I was going on vacation... back, exhausted to the core, and zzzz....]

"Three miles?" His brows lifted, surprised at the distance. He thought about it, debating on how to push the level of this testing. "Let's keep going small with this. From here, teleport to the end of the driveway." Given that it was far from a short distance to the end of the drive, it sounded like it would be far enough away for the next test. "Same as before - thirty seconds, then return. It's about half a mile, which should test this well." He gave a quick pat to the radar in his lap.

"After that, we'll do the last test." He tapped his temple to explain what he meant. "As far as the radar is concerned, you were gone completely and appeared again there. I'm not certain if it's capable of following over distances given that the device in your uniform sends out pings, not a constant."

[Welcome back! I hope you had a blast at the con! (I was wondering a bit if all was well with you--glad to know it was a happy life occurrence and not a bad one.) Hopefully you can get some time to catch up on sleep today/tomorrow? And hahaha my last tag I was thinking that something ought to bang or clatter or make a commotion to interrupt them at the final moment--I'm so glad you did that!]

Aurus drew a sharp breath when he felt Charles withdraw, also startled by the sound on the television but even more caught by the breaking of that moment, the feeling of teetering on a precipice, waiting, suspended in an instant that seemed to extend on and on.

He didn't blame Charles for his temporary retreat. Not at all. He understood the reasons for it, but even more than that he felt the energy, like an ionic charge, that it sent through the air between them. No, this was indeed not the right time or place, but Charles could hardly have done anything to arouse Aurus's interest more than to choose to pause their forward momentum in that instant and declare it so. Truly, Aurus thought, the energy between them could not have been more erotic if Charles had chosen to continue than it was now, with his choice to wait.

Letting his eyes open, Aurus exhaled slowly, sure that Charles could feel his pulse pounding and wondering if he could likewise feel the erotic frisson, wondering if it had caught him the same way. He ran his thumb over the back of the man's hand and slowly over his knuckles, and the corner of his mouth tugged in a smile, but it was the look in his eyes that could probably have made a man blush if he wasn't very well in control of himself.

He gave a subtle nod. "Tonight," he agreed.

And probably that was all a very good decision with very good timing, because only a moment later the sound of voices began to fill the hallway outside--the changeover interval between classes, Aurus presumed.

[Despite some severe stomach issues, I had a ton of fun! I go to LARP there exclusively which is a little crazy... this was the very con that got me into LARPing 10 years ago this con! It's a deep hole - now I am the head of my own LARP at a different con. Tomorrow [wed] I'll have my 'catch up' day which is something I am desperately waiting for. I feel quite a bit better today than yesterday and hoping things just keep improving. I hope everything is going well!]

His breathing was faster than it should have been, his heart racing... he had gone deeper than he had expected to but there was something far more than that. There was something electric between them, arcing and leaving a sizzle across the skin, or perhaps that was merely the feeling of Aurus' thumb across his hand. That simple touch left a tingle that remained even after it had passed, making him wonder almost if Aurus had done so naturally or not. He breathed out slowly, trying to calm it, even as the sounds of changing classes started to filter in to them.

Their gaze held, binding and asking and wanting, all by the control of a desire that came from more than just the physical. That feeling again of standing at the edge of the cliff, waiting for the terror and excitement of the fall, but it would have to remain there pulsing just under his heart for now. Tonight. An agreement to something Charles wasn't even fully sure he knew what he was getting into.

And there was a part of him that wanted nothing more, the part of him that remembered how he was before he had been so deeply hurt.

The door opened and Charles leaned back as several students paused in the doorway, staring in surprise and wonder at the new comer in the room before several came closer, clearly wanting to talk to him and find out what was going on with the new comer. Parent? New student? Visitor? But a look from Charles did manage to keep them at bay briefly, looking to Aurus and bringing up a smile. "Changing of class means Hank's freed up for your little experiment time. Shall we?"

[ah, that's okay o: i hope that you had a good time!! XD get some well-deserved rest~]

A quick nod and Kurt's features lifted in a smile, chest puffing with pride at the small amount of disbelief on his teacher's face. "End of the driveway for thirty seconds," he repeated, reaching to thread his fingers through his bangs then brushing them aside. His head bobbed again in understanding, arm lowering back to his side as he took a few steps back then vanished once more, reappearing where Charles had mentioned - at the end of the driveway.

He took a moment to gather himself, blinking lightly at the tiny dizzy spell then shaking his head in an attempt to be rid of it. While he waited, he paced back and forth along the length of the concrete, staring at his feet, the seconds ticking away in his mind. Then, with the limit drawing nearer, he spun on the ball of his foot and walked a ways up the path before returning to the Danger Room in the same manner as before.

It was a decent amount of space away from Charles, that way the haze could clear by the time he got back to his side.

[Feeling significantly better now. Things aren't still perfect body-wise, it hates the slightest interruption of pattern violently, but at least I'm not about to pass out at my desk anymore!]

For the young man who teleported, he wouldn't see the look of fascination on Charles' face as he tried to closely watch the vanishing. It was incredible to watch close up. The faint sound as air sucked in to rush and fill the spot Kurt had left, the dissipation of the smoke that had taken his place and immediately started to lose its form, the sheer speed at which it happened. There were so many questions that led his curiosity, and with Kurt it wouldn't be trouble to be able to ask them. Hank had taught him to be cautious with the skills of others who weren't as comfortable with their powers as himself.

He looked down to the radar when Kurt blipped out of the room, and when Kurt returned, he looked quite pleased. "This time there was more movement! I think the range is pleasantly larger than Hank estimated, which while might escape us on absolute precision, is better when we're trying to locate someone we have no idea of their location to begin with."

He pointed at a spot less than half an inch from the center of the radar, and though the distance was small, he looked happy for it. "You appeared approximately here."

[well, that's good, but hopefully, your body will re-adapt soon! the lag from vacation is always the worse and sleeping at a desk is not very comfy. D:]

Each time he has teleported, he's always wondered what sort of expression the ability receives in response; Kurt has never been able to see and it's only fueled his curiosity to the point of wanting to possibly get video or pictures of it. Perhaps, one day in the not-so-distant future, he'd find out how utterly captivating it could be for some people and he would have even more of a reason to take pride in such an incredible power.

Refocusing his attention on the screen, he brought a hand to his chin and tipped his head in contemplation, "Is it possible for Doctor McCoy to work on it? As in, make it so it would still be able to track further away objects, but perfect it to where it could read as little as five to ten feet away?"

His eyes sparkled with merriment and he grinned, despite how small the distance seemed to appear on the display. "This is going to be an extremely helpful tool."

[Part of me is TERRIFIED about going to Japan on the back of how messed up my brain and body gets on the wrong sleep scheduled, but that won't stop me from going.]

Just wait until cell phone videos were the norm, Kurt. You will enjoy the hell out of it. And the good Professor will make you teleport while recording yourself. Soon.

"That's what I'm hoping. This is the first time we've had a chance to really explore it, given that it was made after... everything." His tone briefly changed, as did his expression, as his mind tried to go down that dark path he didn't like going down, but he pulled it away and gave a small shake of his head to fix it. "Well! Doctor McCoy will be quite pleased - don't be surprised if he ends up using you to test this."

He rubbed his chin, thinking, before gesturing. "What is the furthest place you know safely from here?" Given the amount of time spent in New York, and this immediate area, he knew Kurt didn't know too much of the area but he was curious to see how far they could push this safely. "Have you been near the satellite dishes nearby?" Nearby was relative. They were a few miles away, but so large it was hard to miss them!

[oh, god!! the messed up sleep schedule is TOTALLY worth it if you are going to japan! ;w; JEALOUS ARGH i wanna go so badly ...]

Once that happens, his love for technology will probably sky-rocket! He already loves the stuff and being able to do everything on a hand-held device instead of sitting in front of a computer? How absolutely exhilarating! He'll be looking forward to that day, too.

He noticed the shift in Charles' demeanor and frowned slightly, lowering the hand from his face to take hold of the telepath's shoulder, giving a comforting squeeze. Just as he was about to add reassuring words to that, the other male shook his head and Kurt nodded, doing his best to smile once again. "I would be more than willing to help him test it to the extent of its use."

The only other place he'd gone since his move to America (well, aside from taking that trip to Egypt, but that was on a plane) had probably been when they'd taken that joy ride. "Ahhh ... the mall?" At least, he was pretty sure that was the furthest he'd gone from the school. That wouldn't be a one teleport mission though. "I have not been too close to them, but I know where they are located, ja! Would you like for me to try and go that far?" Hey, if they were going to test his limits, best to do it while he had the energy, right?

[Ooh! What kind of LARPing do you do? It sounds like quite a to-do and a good adventure. (My partner and I do a lot of spoken/live RP, but we don't do the formalized game-style LARPing.) I hope you had a good day of rest and are holding up ok after the you-know-what results. This has just felt like a very long week and I am overwhelmingly glad that it's Friday.]

Aurus was sure the students saw nothing--or at least very little: hands dropping away from each other, perhaps, as he and Charles mutually sat back. Nothing directly suspect.

But that didn't stop him from feeling like the whole surface of his skin was alight with some telltale mark from the charge that had built between the two of them. There was a thrill to that, the enjoyment of a shared secret knowledge, like they had just agreed to a kind of intimate conspiracy.

Of course that sort of feeling came with the inevitable sense that everyone would be able to read it on them at once; as if the moment it was struck, it was already the worst kept secret any two people could have. This wasn't a guilty feeling for Aurus. But either way he was (luckily) much better at keeping these sorts of things private than most sylvari who had an overwhelming tendency to act like, since it felt as though everyone knew, everyone virtually did know and there was therefore no reason to bother keeping anything secret in the first place.

The biggest tell that Aurus showed was a particular look in his eyes as he nodded in assent at Charles' suggestion and moved to stand, letting Charles take the lead to Hank's lab.

Even if he managed to hide it, though, he was undeniably aware of how intense his desire for Charles had grown. Not in the crude, simple sense of lust. This was something far more complex, but something that nonetheless made him wish that he'd been able to go on touching Charles' skin, something that made his hands already miss him.

Of course it was impossible not to notice how the students watched them as they left the room. It wasn't as though these curious stares were new. Aurus had been getting them all morning, but now he couldn't help but wonder a little what the students knew, or imagined, or suspected. Barring some unforeseen mutant power, he rationally knew that they should have no way to read the energy building between himself and Charles, but Aurus had to wonder: might someone else read it? Might Hank? He didn't know nearly enough of this world's culture to guess what the reaction might be.

"I hope," he said to Charles in a low, half-playful voice once they had passed the initial group of staring students, "that your student body is not overly inclined towards gossip and speculation. I think once this volcano has been made I'd better start to meet some of them straight away lest any wild rumors take hold."

Edited (found a missing word, oops) 2016-11-11 09:55 (UTC)

[This is my dream vacation... saved up for about five years for it! (To be fair I had restart from scratch after a hospital visit but still..!)]

Sometimes, Charles had to be reminded that it didn't take a gift to feel such empathy for others. He reached up and gave a small squeeze to Kurt's hand as a silent 'thank you' for the feeling of comfort offered. "Be careful. Doctor McCoy will undoubtedly take your offer up as soon as he knows." He gave a quiet chuckle, thinking on the distance between here and the mall. Curiosity did pull at him, encouraging his next words.

"Do you think you could attempt that in one go? Here to the mall?" Oh that was certainly over the three mile limit Kurt had suggested - closer to fifteen miles. "What about from here to the dishes? That should be in your current limits, and we can see how far this shows in movement, and after that, we'll go with one or two last tests which should give you time to recover before Raven puts you through your paces."

[Two different kinds actually. One is the one I run which is at anime cons, which doesn't involve costume and it's based on a sheet like D&D and we throw rock paper scissors to determine outcomes. The characters are anime and video game characters with some other media as well! Lots of fun! The other kind I am running a spinoff but don't run the main bulk of it. This is the more 'serious' LARP which is based on a Harry Potter-like magical world (interacts with the real world, etc) where we're going to the magical college called New World Magischola (sister to the College of Wizardry, which is another LARP in Poland!) and it's full costume, all in character, can get deeply emotional. Doesn't run off sheets or stats - the only rule of play is 'Defender decides the action'. I adore this LARP with all of my heart. It really gets to you. Both LARPs I have a family within and love them all ^_^ /rambling -- I am VERY glad it's friday now... I need this weekend to get stuff done and recover! And maybe get away from the insanity that's happening in my home country sigh]

If the students had seen anything, there was no sign of it in their looks, mostly just a great deal of curiosity about the new comer and what their teacher was doing with him. They knew what Professor Xavier could do and some had seen it, so thankfully whatever rumors spread would most likely be more innocent than the truth. Sadly, or perhaps just amusingly, Charles chuckled and shook his head no. "Oh, they're very much incline to exactly that. However, I don't get the feeling that anything too bad will come of it." Which suggested that perhaps Charles had scanned the minds of his students, but in reality he was just taking a healthy guess from what he knew of his students.

"However, your little show later will hopefully settle any issues that might arise and bring together a whole new series. They're going to be fascinated by someone who has powers like yours but isn't one of us. Perhaps it'll be good to open up their worlds a little further, as you've been doing to mine." He looked up to Aurus, giving that warm smile of his, leading the other towards where Hank's lab was safely at one end of the mansion, safe if any sort of explosions should happen. Or, you know, turn the entire room red. He would never live it down. It didn't help that there was a photo of his crimson self and his class all together.

He wasn't quite ready to discuss what he had felt back in the sitting room where Aurus had been introduced to the wonder of broadcast television. Those feelings, what he saw, what he felt in his heart and under his fingers... his hand rolled on the arm of his chair, briefly feeling the tingle across his skin again. It sent a shiver along his spine, one that reminded him of why he had broken them apart.

He brought them to the entrance to the lab, then nodded towards it with an incline of his head. "Thankfully the no longer red lab. I imagine Hank's getting everything set up for your bit of scientific fun, so enjoy yourself. I'll see you after for your... introduction to the children, shall we say?"

[it's also mine! ONE DAY, i'll have money and i will go to all of the places i want to visit. XD (oh, no! D: well, at least you were able to get back to saving after!)]

Flaxen-tinted irides dilated in surprise at the returned grip, the slight curve of his lips lifting higher at the quiet gratefulness. "And what would you say if that was exactly what I was expecting? I'm quite enjoying all the technological things that Doctor McCoy has helped to educate all of us in." Maybe even more so than most of his other teammates. Or, perhaps that was his ridiculously high amount of diligence for wanting to learn as much as possible about anything.

"I ... could certainly try," he stated, voice wavering between determination and being unsure. On one hand, he wanted to test his limits - to see how far he could actually get in one teleport, but with that came the possibility of exhaustion or worse - falling unconscious. "The dishes I can do. That's well within my limit, ja. After this, I'll have to take time to recover before Miss Darkholme runs me ragged."

He drew his other hand up, pressing the heel of his palm against his forehead and turning his head to the side, huffing in an over-dramatic fashion. An easy laugh followed soon after though, the arm dropping back against his side. "Should I do the same thing and wait for thirty minutes then return?"

[That all sounds very fun, the latter group in particular! I can totally imagine the emotional potential. I was in Potter fandom years ago and had a group of friends who would get together for annual retreats each year and we'd have temporary RP spurts with everyone in costume (but all playing fandom characters). Nowadays it's just my partner and I, but this is the a huge part of how the relationships between our cast of GW2 characters have been built. Do you have a good option for getting out of the states for the weekend? (Wouldn't it be lovely to go lie on a beach somewhere for 48 hrs. /dreams)]

"I shall endeavor to to arouse no suspicions, I promise." But really, if Charles felt confident that the students were fine, then Aurus would take his word on it. It wasn't his chief concern anyway--he was far too distracted by the man beside him, the feeling that every glance they shared and every smile held a hint of additional meaning. And there was, admittedly, also a part of him that thrilled at the idea of how shocked some people here just might be if they knew the truth behind the two of them moving through the hallway together.

These notions, for the moment, could be pure levity and playfulness, and there need not be any talk about the meanings behind them. They could just feel buoyant and lighthearted, and as far as Aurus was concerned that was something to be valued in itself. Given how Charles had recoiled from the initial broaching of the topic, it was an absolute win.

Pausing outside of Hank's lab, Aurus scanned the hall around them for a moment to assure that they were alone. Perhaps it was always a bit more quiet at this end of the house, or perhaps the students were already making their way to their next classes. Regardless, things here were quiet, and there were no prying eyes to worry over.

"Then I go off to my next adventure," Aurus said with mock formality and a roguish smile. "Find me out in your garden later. I'll be the one in the center of the crowd with the glowing stone tablet. You'll want to see that." And he knew that Charles would because he'd not explained a thing about his plan and the promise of a glowing stone tablet would be an inevitable curiosity.

Presently, he reached out a hand and brushed his fingers along Charles' shoulder, then down his chest beside the aster still placed in his lapel, lingering just a moment, fingertips pressed lightly over the man's heart as he held his gaze.

He only paused for a beat, then turned and gave a knock on Hank's lab door to announce himself before stepping in.

"I hope you've got something good to show me, Hank. I've learned of satellites and been shown television. You've got some competition."

[If you could get over to Poland, you could play with that group there... we actually have a LOT of out-of-country-ers come for Magischola. A bunch of people from the UK, Denmark... and all over the US. I need to get a lot done around the house this weekend but oooooo lying on the beach sounds so lovely right now.]

It left Charles sitting there with a stunned expression - eyes wide, lips slightly parted. It wasn't an expression he very often wore yet somehow Aurus was managing to get it out of him again and again today. He watched the door shut and slowly sunk back into his chair, eyes closing slowly until he could rub a hand over his face. His fingers trickled down to where Aurus' fingers had rested over his heart which was currently beating quickly, almost a flutter. It felt like being a teenager again around the pretty girls. Having someone bring that feeling out in him felt all too rare. Moira had done it, with that sharp wit and intelligence and the look in her eyes, and Erik... damn him.

His fingers briefly fisted in the clothing over his chest before he released it. For right now, he had to go deal with paper work for the school, and... think. There was a great deal he needed to think about but more, he had to come to a decision. It was obvious that tonight was going to need a decision from him. Either he could let it go or he could keep protecting himself as he had been. His hand came down, pushing back the cuff on his sleeve to reveal the track marks that had been left behind by the drugs he had taken to keep the use of his legs and surpress the mental powers that had brought such pain to his life. He felt the thin, raised lines under his fingertips and let out a breath, then sent the wheelchair back in the other direction.

Hank, however, had to laugh in surprise at Aurus' choice of words. "Is that so? Well, come over here and we'll let you actually make some science instead of just seeing it." The chemicals needed were laying out along with a pair of goggles for the sylvari. "It'll be much more fun to actually be a part of it. I haven't done this in a long time... fun for me, too."

[Poland is one of the places in Europe I've never been, but I can imagine folks popping over for weekend visits for RP--we had a lot of friends from Denmark who used to spontaneously come to the UK for the weekend. Who knows, perhaps someday...when life is all less manic. Alas, no beach in either of our near futures, but perhaps some nice chill relaxing alongside getting life things done over the weekend.]

Truly shifting his focus to Hank and the experience at hand was, when it came right down to it, no small feat, even with all of Aurus' long practice of ordering his mind. He was still genuinely interested in what Hank was going to show him, and that made it easier, even as thoughts of Charles lingered.

He was half wondering about whether Hank would be able to read the new developments and subtle shifts of emotion on him straight away...or perhaps not quite yet but straight away when he saw him and Charles together next...or perhaps not at all. Perhaps everyone wonders if they have a "tell," but he had to actively stifle this train of though so that it wouldn't distract him as he stepped over to look at what Hank had arranged.

It was fair to say that he didn't have the first clue what he was seeing, so mystified curiosity helped him focus too. "What is all of this?" he asked as he looked over the spread which appeared completely un-volcano like to him. Just a bunch of bottles and jars and things (and also, what were those goggles for?)

He gave Hank a lightly teasing smile, "Are you going to try and teach me what all the fuss about science is? In my world people would call you daft for trying to make a sylvari appreciate such things."

[That's pretty much it! I save a tiny bit every week and it eventually adds up into something worth a trip! This is my very first time leaving the country so I'm SO nervous but So excited!]

"Well, thirty seconds would do," Charles said with a little tease on the slip of the tongue, his eyes bright with it. He gave a firm nod and gestured a little with his head. "Go on, and come back. The other tests will be shorter and I have some questions we can go through before those start to give you a short break before we continue."

Kurt's playfulness was refreshing. The children made him happier, gave him a goal and a focus in life that very few other things did. They didn't know his past, though Kurt knew some of the hells and had seen one of his weakest moments which gave them a different connection than most of the others. Jean, Scott, Kurt, Peter... though the last was a hard sell.

[That's the trick of it, isn't it? When life is less hectic. Doesn't happen nearly often enough, though!]

If Hank guessed anything, he didn't show it, but there was a brief lingering glance towards the door that held a great deal of weight. In the back of his mind, he made a note to talk to Charles when they were done here. Something was going on, but he wasn't quite sure what it was. Sometimes Charles kept things from him, but often... he knew, even if he been an enabler before. He tended to want to please.

"Well all of this," gesturing over the table, "are what we're going to make our little psuedo-volcano with." He patted each ingredient as he spoke. "Baking soda, sand, water, vinegar, red food coloring, and for a bit of fun... sparklers. They're a type of firework. Now mind you, we're building a little version of the monster sized one Charles allowed his class to build and on top of that, let's just say children with powers they can't quite control can sometimes be well, enthusiastic."

But it wouldn't be long until they had a set up volcano made out of the sand he dumped onto the lab table they were working on. He offered over the pack of matches as the sparkler was stuck into the top, looking pleased. "Want to do the honors? Goggles on first, though." Popping his own on. Safety mattered, even if they were both adults.

[once i get a job, that's what i want to do - start putting a little aside to begin a small nest egg for things that i might need/could spend on things i want. a trip to japan would be magical. *_* ohhh, i bet! it sounds super exciting and i'm sure you'll have a TON of fun!]

"Very well, Professor." With another quick nod, the German mutant stepped back a few paces and shut his eyes, focusing his thoughts on the location of the satellite dishes and if he would be able to reach it without exhausting himself. A few moments later, he disappeared in another puff of smoke, re-materializing at the edge of where he'd wanted to be. So, perhaps he had underestimated the point of exactly where he had planned to be, but all it took was a few long strides and he was in front of the dishes, staring up at them with curiosity.

Thirty seconds never seemed to last long enough for him to sit still, although he didn't feel like he'd been overly drained, despite the fact that he'd done quite a few ports over the length of time he and Charles had started this testing. Once again, Kurt reappeared in the Danger Room, but this time, his movements held a slight wobbling of the knees when he moved toward his teacher, causing him to hesitate for a moment. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and tried to recenter himself, concentrating on just trying to stay on his feet. After he was sure that he wouldn't hit the ground, he straightened up and moved back over to Charles, silently hoping that the device had given them a little more to work with.

[For srs. /wistful sigh I've been so bad this weekend though. Properly shut my brain off and vegged which is no good considering how much work I should have gotten done.]

Aurus certainly noticed the way Hank looked towards the door when and he would have quite liked to know what he was thinking in that moment. Ironically though, that wish just made him think of Charles again: Charles was a man who could answer that question for himself whenever he wanted, whenever curiosity struck. But as Aurus now knew, he didn't simply do it whenever curiosity struck.

How had he come to exercise that level of restraint, of self control? How many times in his life had he sated his curiosity only to discover, perhaps, that the answers were something other than what he wished to hear? How did he grow to understand that the promise of small immediate knowledge was less of a pure pleasure than it must at first seem? Did he learn it as a child? For that matter, had his powers been with him his whole life?

All these were things that the two of them had not spoken of yet, and Aurus made a mental note that later, when the time was right, he would ask. For now though, there was the volcano to be building.

What was appealing about this, as far as Aurus was concerned, was not so much the science of it, but the company: Hank was an enjoyable young man to be around, his soft social awkwardness a fascinating counterpoint to his confidence in the lab. So even if the sylvari wasn't interested in learning the science of what they were doing qua the science, he was still a good attentive student who asked questions and paid attention.

He was slightly incredulous about the idea that they were going to light any type of firework indoors. Tyria did certainly have fireworks, but they were almost invariably the sort that shot up into the air and exploded in dazzling colors. He put on the goggles though (strange things that they were--not made of glass and leather or, indeed, any substance that he was familiar with) and took the proffered matches.

"Very well. This being your lab and your demonstration, I can safely say that I bear no responsibility for whatever happens next." It was all teasing though, because of course Hank would know exactly what was going to happen, and Aurus wasn't genuinely worried about any of it.

He struck the match, lit the sparkler fuse, and took a step back from the table, watching as it burned down, and more than half expecting the loud bang of an explosion--albeit a contained one--when it did.

[Ahhh I want it to be May!]

Don't think he didn't catch that little wobble there, Kurt. Charles looked quite pleased when Kurt returned, tapping about two inches from the center which given the relative size of the radar screen, was definitely not a poor amount. "It was here this time, and I think Doctor McCoy is going to be estastic about it. We would able to fly above where we estimate someone is and locate them fairly accurately... and if Hank can work on one with a longer range, we should be in business. One step at a time, but this is a step in the right direction." He nodded to Kurt, pleased, then gestured towards the floor.

"Take a break for a few minutes, then we'll keep going. In the mean time..." He leaned forward, elbow braced on the top of the tracking device. "Do you mind some questions about your powers? They may be a little in depth, but if they're too disconcerning, we can go to another." There were things that he wanted badly to know as much as test, given that teleportation was both a very useful power and one he had only seen another time before. ...A part of him still wondered that latter part, too.

"I'm not Charles," Hank joked, a smile coming up to his lips. "I promise no explosions, no being covered in baking soda soaked in red food dye." Which explained the crimson nightmare of a photo that Charles still got a chuckle over. He stepped back as well, eyes bright as he watched the fun.

And it was. The sparkler lit up and happily shot golden sparkles up along with fire, while baking soda-dish soap lava spurt out along with it and down the sides of the sand volcano. A little messy, a lot of fun, and the fascinating (to him) reaction to make carbon dioxide. He gave a little chuckle at the whole thing, after all this was meant for very young children, before he peered over towards their alien visitor. The golden light really set off against that strange blue skin, making him seem even more other worldly than he was. This whole thing, in many ways, was one strange moment after another but Charles clearly seemed keen on Aurus.

Inside, Hank was... worried. Charles didn't open himself up to many and he didn't assume Charles had to Aurus, but there was something in that little moment that hinted to him something was going on. Charles wouldn't allow Aurus to remain here if the other was a danger, but just what it was Hank couldn't put a finger on. Some part of him wanted to make things were okay - for Charles' sake as much as the school.

"What do you think?" He asked, the smile still remaining despite his own concerned thoughts.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 47 of 61

thursday pic prompt

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject

Re: Kurt and Charles

no subject