bakerstreet | thursday pic prompt

[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?

[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."

[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'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.

[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.

[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.

[me too, haha! if we could just skip this whole 'winter' thing, that'd be great. oddly enough, it's been ridiculously nice this entire autumn so far.]

Well, he was hoping that it hadn't been as noticeable as he'd thought, but the bouncing back and forth had significantly drained him. This made him wonder if low energy levels were one of the reasons why Peter was constantly consuming food with high calorie and sugar counts. Either way, his lips lifted in a tired looking smile at the distance he had traveled, one hand raising into the air in triumph. "Wunderbar! We have made a small, yet great achievement with technology today."

As soon as Charles motioned toward the floor, Kurt happily dropped into a sit, bending his knees to plant his feet and leaning back onto his hands. "Thank you, Professor." His flicked that long tail around, twisting and bending the spade-like tip before letting it drape across his abdomen. "I have absolutely no problem answering questions about it. I will do my best to answer them to the best of my ability, although there may even be a few things that even I can't quite interpret just yet." Really though, the only thing he couldn't explain yet was where he would go ...

[Ug I am not looking forward to shoveling more damn snow. Getting too old for this shit XD]

Sometimes Charles felt a bit like a cat when he watched Kurt's tail. There was an odd urge to capture it when it moved and study it when he had it. A science-cat. Clearly.

"Perhaps together we can interpret more of it." Charles' tone was pleased at Kurt's openness to questions, and it left him debating on where to start. Finally, after a few moments, he nodded. "Let's start simple. Do you close your eyes when you teleport or do you leave them open?" It would lead onto further questions after that, but the answer would pave the beginning of that path.

[URGH NOOO we are apparently supposed to have a winter storm tomorrow and that is just nope everywhere. XD no snow shoveling!!]

Again, Charles would only need to ask about it; he'd have no problems letting it be held and examined, as long as there was no unnecessary yanking or twisting. Curious little professor, that he is.

Nodding in agreement, he leaned his head from side-to-side then straightened back up when Charles asked his first question, staring up at the ceiling in thought then bringing his attention back to the telepath. "I have done both. Usually, with shorter distances, I keep my eyes open. Further, I close them - mostly in concentration." The longer the distance, the harder he would have to focus on where he wanted to reappear and if it was safe to do so.

[Where do you live that you're already getting winter storms!? O.O!!!]

Well of course he wouldn't do anything to hurt it. He couldn't help but be curious, though!

Good. That was fairly what he was hoping to hear from Kurt, so he could continue as predicted. "For you is the time between locations instantaneous? It seems that the longer the distance you teleport, the longer your shall we call it 'hang time'? Or am I misinterpreting what I've seen?" How far would Kurt someday be able to travel in one vast teleport, he wondered. Could he teleport halfway around the world? From what he had been told about what occurred trying to save him, the attempt for Kurt to teleport a group was more difficult, which in a way made sense. More mass to actually move.

[>_> ... south dakota. it's funny because it was like, seventy degrees only a few days ago. our weather is so terribly indecisive.]

Then Charles is more than welcome to ask about it. Part of him even likes getting to show of the prehensile abilities.

"I move exceedingly fast, so ja. It does have something to do with distance though. I can say that I'll be somewhere in less than a minute, but if I have underestimated the amount of miles I have to travel, it would take me longer." He rolled upward off his hands, drawing his arms around to rest them on his knees, hands lacing together between them. "If I am moving with someone or multiple people, I think it's the same way, but it's simply more effort for me to do so."

[You already have snow there!? Geeeez... I'm glad I'm chilly but snow-free over here. And we're supposed to get to almost 70 today!]

"It's almost as if you are somehow... compacting time and space," Charles said after thinking it over, steeping his fingers in front of his lips. "You say you've kept your eyes open but... what do you see during that time between disappearing and reappearing?" Could the young man see anything at all? Was it completely dematerializing him somehow and recreating elsewhere? What was that smoke left behind and that faint scent of something he couldn't quite place? So many questions, all ones he knew Kurt couldn't answer himself.

[yeeep! all the way up to my ankles. -weeps- give me back my spring weather. ;A;]

"Is that ... is that actually plausible?" See, because to Kurt anything could be possible, but logically, could that explain his teleportation? "I can't exactly make out what I see. It's like ... what I imagine Peter might see when he's running past lights - bright blurs, but it's also dark for me." If that made any sort of sense to his teacher. Now, since he was thinking about it, describing what he saw was harder than he expected it to be.

[I am dreading when it comes to happen to me. :(]

"It very well could be. In many ways, I've seen our abilities defy the impossible and become something more." He tapped his own temple with a raised eyebrow, suggesting his own powers. "It very well could be plausible. McCoy would go bonkers on the mere idea and it would probably blow his mind." The mental image that brought up made him chuckle quietly.

"So there's dark - is it mostly darkness?" Because that was interesting, given that Kurt had gone outside and back just now, a good distance, and it was bright and sunny outside. "These bright blurs... are they white? Colored?" Seeing what information he could pull from the other if he could get Kurt to focus on the little details.

[it's terrible. so cold and windy and URGH IT'S EVERYWHERE! like, i am not going home today D:]

He watched Charles touch the side of his head, shifting his position into a kneel, his rear settling on the back of his legs. The length of his tail moved also, absently curling around his waist, all the way around to where the heart-shaped end could rest against his ribs. "I'd be thrilled to be able to impress all my teachers with my ability. It seems so simple to me - like breathing - and yet, when it comes to other people or even other mutants, it's astounding." His only excuse for it not being as amazing had to be that he'd been doing it for so long that it was only second nature now.

"Mostly," Kurt repeated, rubbing one hand along his thigh and bringing the other one up to trace across the curve of the appendage wrapped around him, eyes slipping shut to try and conjure up the image of the lights that he would see. "They are white, but have this unique purple lining around them. Almost like the clouds at twilight hours."

[It has been INSANE here! We got crazy wind storm for two days now and last night it HAILED. I haven't seen hail in years! It was like ice slicing against skin because earlier that day? IT WAS 70 DEGREES. It was the weirdest freaking thing. A lot of wind damage around here from the storm. I hope you're okay out there!! This weekend has been so crazy but it was awesome.]

"In many ways, our own personal abilities are very much that. Personal. Much as we learned to crawl, to talk, to walk... we learn to control these gifts. Some have more difficulty, some it comes as easy as breathing. Yet each is so very personal that others have difficulty understand how it could be possible." Everything in his tone and expression showed just how fascinated he was with the whole concept, his own personal study in life.

His brows shot up at the description of the lights, trying to think what such a thing could mean. White with a purple lining... It sounded beautiful and awe inspiring, perhaps a touch terrifying. Not so much for Kurt, he could guess. Which made him think...

"Would it strain you to take me somewhere? I'm curious if those traveling with you can see such a thing." he questioned, debating with himself. "If my testing proves to be too exhausting, I'll make sure you have it cleared with Raven to rest from one practice. After all, I'm putting you through your paces now."

And he hadn't been exactly conscious to properly get his chance to see this before.

[oh my goodness! D: you got a storm that was TOTALLY WORSE. i mean, it snowed here, but the roads are just a little slippery. aside from that, we're quite fine! are you okay though?? sounds like your weather was far more exciting than ours. XD]

The astonishment in Charles' voice made him smile widely, hands moving to rest between his feet so he could use the slight leverage to rock upward into a crouch. "Ja, see! Teleportation seems so ... normal to me, but when I imagine what it might be like to be telepathic, I can only dream of the fantastic things that you and Miss Jean are capable of."

Blinking curiously at that response to his words, his head tipped to the side, one arm lifting to prop his elbow on his knee, cheek dropping into his palm. When he'd first saw the lights, they had been as alluring as they were unsettling, but now, they were just another thing that he was used to.

"Ah, it should be fine now. I've been able to rest for a decent amount of time." He shifted to stand once more, raising his hand as if to wave dismissively, but instead, he rubbed the spikes at the nape of his neck. "That's very considerate of you, Professor. I would just have to work extra hard the next session to make up for missing that one."

Always willing to go that extra mile for his teachers.

[Supposedly we're going to get 45mph wind all day today. Oh boy. I'd rather the wind than snow, though. We live in snow country. You'd figure people would be less stupid when driving in it. (Hint: they're not.) My home and everything is good, but I had a hell of a scare this morning. Wind blew a hard hat from a construction site onto the road and I ended up driving it over it. SUPER loud BANG sound and I hear thudding. I'm like FUCK it blew a tire. I get pulled over and look but all of my tires seem okay? I smell something vaguely unpleasant smelling... I got to work (happened less than 1 min from my job) and now I'm worried I'm going to go out to find a flat tire or something leaking under my car. :\]

Kurt was the kind of young man who could never sit still and really, it made him smile to watch. Raven had been like that in her younger days (hell, in a lot of ways, so had he) and when children and teenagers got really into something, it seemed to be their default mode. Kurt it was just a natural part of him and he doubted it would ever not be as such, in particular given that tail of his.

"I know you will," referring to his extra work. He was proud of the X-Men; they all had been pushing themselves to make sure that if something should ever come up again, they would be ready. None of them wanted to be caught flat-footed again. "Let's try something small, first. Whatever method would be most comfortable for you to make sure all of me comes," giving a little pat to the arm of his chair, wanting to not make things awkward by not having it make the journey as well, "let's try that trip to the end of the driveway again?"

[oh my goodness!! D: i hope that everything was okay for you today. i finally made it home (all in one piece)! it never fails - the first snow hits here and people suddenly forget that, "oh, i live in south dakota. where it snows like this EVERY YEAR, but i never remember that for SOME reason." -facepalm- idiots. ACH i hope that your vehicle is okay. usually, loud bang noises are NOT ideal and i would assume it would be a tire, but i don't know much about cars, so ... do not take my word for it! hopefully, you didn't end up with either of those problems. >:]

One of these days, someone might slip up and compare his restlessness to Peter, which he would then have to point out that there was no way he could ever move that quickly. Really though, even he has yet to figure out why he can't sit still most of the time and if he isn't fidgeting or that tail isn't moving, there must be something seriously wrong.

He dipped his head in a bashful manner, resting both hands at his knees and absently bouncing on his toes in his crouched position. Bringing his attention back to the other male, he hurried to get to his feet, eager to see if Charles would be able to catch a glimpse of the lights through the teleporting. "I can't remember if I have moved inanimate objects before, but it should be no different." Kurt reached to grab the arm of the chair first then placed his other hand on Charles' shoulder, inhaling deep through his nose, shutting his eyes and exhaling before the two of them disappeared in a haze of smoke.

It seemed like the seconds dragged on and on, but just as he'd said, the flashes of light appeared, shrouded in deep shades of purple - some so dark that they seemed to blend with the blackness around them. The entire movement only lasted a few seconds and when they finally reappeared at the end of the driveway, he made sure to shift in front of the chair, planting both of his hands on the arms to keep it (and himself, for that matter) stable.

[Everything from my end ended up just fine (both weather and car wise!) so I can't complain! I am, however, NOT looking forward to the first snow fall. People are idiots but more so because my partner finally moved up here from down south and doesn't know how to drive in deep snow. So... well, learning experience in coming.]

Well to be fair they did have very similar inabilities to sit still! Peter might move far more quickly but that didn't make the similarity any less clear. Peter just tended to be more obnoxious with his but he couldn't help it when his body was constantly telling him to gogogogogogo. Charles silently though Kurt's tail was clearly like a cat - an indicator of mood and almost completely detached from conscious thought.

Just before he disappeared, Kurt would feel one of Charles' hands creep up to clasp onto his arm. A double catch just in case his chair did not end up going with them. However, when they landed, Charles' eyes were quite wide and his lips slightly parted. That had been... incredible. No, he definitely took back some of his initial thoughts on the matter. He had been able to think that entire time and he was certain that if his molecules were breaking down completely that conscious thought wouldn't be possible. The witness to those strange lights, just as Kurt had described them and darkness all around... could they have been in space? It had been too quick, and he had been holding his breath besides, to try and breathe and too quick to even feel a drastic change in temperature. Could those lights... be stars?

He burst out in a laugh, his surprise turning into a wide grin. "That is incredible!"

[very good, yes!! surprisingly, the news has not been full of morons that have drove themselves into any ditches. it's definitely a learning experience, but i am sure they will do just fine after a few times out!]

That is completely true, though. Every time he's seen Peter move, Kurt can't help but be enthralled. The ability to pretty much freeze time because one is moving so fast? Absolutely brilliant in his opinion. The tail's a bit of both - conscious and not-so-much at times; it can lash wildly when his mood shifts to anger or excitement and when he is calm or doing something relaxing, the appendage will absently twitch. When he wants to willingly move it, he does, like the times he has used it as a weapon.

He felt the grip on his arm, of course, knowing full well that he would have to react quickly if Charles' chair hadn't come with them. Luckily, it had and he was immediately glad that he'd moved when he did. There was a moment where his head spun, forcing him to close his eyes to try and be rid of the dizzy feeling, since it had helped before, but it was his teacher's laughter and his comment that halfway stabilized him.

His eyes fluttered, yet he smiled and chuckled quietly also. As long as he didn't make any sudden movements, he should be fine. "So, you saw them?"

[I hope you had a great thanksgiving! Took my partner to Thanksgiving to see more of my family, and it was very nice. No political talk, just a warm, fun time. Whew!]

"I did! It was- wow." Just a quiet breath out on that last word, giving a little shake of his head. "I didn't feel any immediate change of temperature, but I'm not sure if it was just too quick... however if you go outside in the winter it is a quick enough feeling." His mind was racing and it showed on his brow, pinched and eyes full of wonder.

"Yet we remain in tact. I could think in those moments. I do fully believe now there is some sort of time distortion involved, though I cautiously hesitate in the idea if it's entirely in the mind or a true one. Incredible." Another little laugh left him with him leaning back in his chair.

[thank you very much! it was wonderful and i'm glad that yours was good, too! it's always nice when you don't have to worry about politics. lmao i didn't get down to see my family, but i'll be shooting for christmas. our "three roomies giving" was awesome and we'll be doing a "friendsgiving" on saturday. XD currently, i'm enjoying leftover snacks and wine. \o/]

Charles' response made him relax, the weight on his chest from earlier lifting with the fact that someone else had seen the lights he'd spoken of before. Time and time again, he'd done his best to explain them, only to be given looks of confusion or outright disbelief. Then, when he would offer to show people, he was usually greeted with hesitance and that made him drop the subject in an instant. His teacher's astonishment filled him to the brim with pride, though. "I never thought about the shift in temperature ... Winters were always my least favorite time of the year, but I'm hoping that will change and I'll come to understand the beauty that everyone else finds in the season."

With the utmost care, Kurt straightened from his bent position, inhaling slowly and sighing in the same manner. He didn't feel too dizzy at the moment, but he still made sure to not move too quickly. "It's something that we could study further - at a later date, when we have more time."

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles

Re: Kurt and Charles