bakerstreet | thursday pic prompt

[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."

[Awww, I'm glad you're doing a friendsgiving! We did that a few years back and it was a blast so I hope you had a ton of fun with it today!! P.S. - Red or white wine drinker? *JUDGING* XD

Also I had an adorable thought of Kurt being gently woken up from a nightmare by a tired Xavier... felt him having one and decided to break him from it.]

Kurt better not think Charles missed that motion, causing him to frown. They weren't that far from the house, only to the end of the drive, but he was concerned. "...would you prefer to walk back or teleport back?" Charles asked quietly, his eyes full of concern. "You could teleport from a shorter distance when we're closer to the mansion." Given that Kurt was in his full gear, he couldn't just walk through the school without attracting attention.

"I definitely think this has been enough for today. I'll speak to Raven about excusing you from your lesson today." And he wouldn't take no for an answer, not when it was his testing that had tired Kurt out.

[AHHH, IT WAS SO MUCH FUN! i ate tons of food, had great company, saw a lot of friends, and consumed more alcohol. lmao definitely needed it after some crap i went through with an irl friend yesterday/this morning. UHM both?? XD i'm more of a sweet wine drinker, though?

... -GRIPS CHEST- god, that's friggin' cute. i didn't need my heart or anything. chaaarles ;A;]

It may have been noticed, though Kurt was not going to make a big deal of it. He was tired, a bit lightheaded, but Charles' enthusiasm about the lights had given him some renewed vitality. The perturbed expression on his teacher's face made him hesitate, brow furrowing with his own unsettled look. Better to not press his luck and end up going too far. "Let's walk. That will give me time to recuperate enough to get us back to the Danger Room."

He smiled, pushing through the small amount of disappointment he felt at not being able to practice with Raven, but he didn't have it in him to fuss; he'd been able to train successfully with Charles and that more than made up for him having to miss one session with the fellow blue mutant. "Thank you, Professor. I'm sure my body will be grateful for the break."

[That sounds like it was AWESOME! Glad you enjoyed it! ...I'll forgive sweet white wines. *grin* And is that approval then? It was either that or Hank could do it if that's more your interest.]

"Raven and I would both be less than pleased if you suddenly passed out in the middle of everything. Raven would be worried, as would I, but my sister would also take it out on me." He laughed, clearly meaning it as a joke, but he also knew that it was somewhat serious as well. She would have laid into him for exhausting one of her pupils and not telling her. Not that he would blame her...

So he started off towards the mansion, chair gliding well over the paved driveway. As they moved, he did keep a careful eye on Kurt, just in case. It would be less than easy to manhandle him up if the young man passed out on him.

"I believe that last teleport answered my question about connection, but I would like to do one more test in the future. If I connected to your mind, would I be able to follow you to another location or would it cut off completely? Considering that now we have confirmation consciousness remains the entire time, it's a possibility either way." Sometimes the scientist would never leave, even if he did less in the terms of research than he did when he was younger.

[so, SO awesome!! i was obviously a bit drained, considering i passed out at about five this morning and woke up at four. XD but the fact i got to socialize and see people was totally worth the tiredness. -cheers- i'm a wine-o at heart, haha! oh, total approval! i do wanna play with hank, but the idea of charles coming in to wake him just yanks my heartstrings really hard!!]

"Ach, that would not be fair! If I was feeling drained, I would say something, so there would be no reason for her to blame you." He knew Charles was only joking, yet it would truly have been his own fault if he'd pushed himself to exhaustion; Kurt knew his limits and as much as he wanted to push them, he knew when to stop before it could become dangerous.

Normally, Kurt might have been bounding up the driveway, having to stop every few minutes to make sure that he didn't get too overzealous and rush ahead, but the multiple teleports had taken their toll on his energy. He kept his pace steady at Charles' side, one hand lifting to scrub over his face then settling at his cheek as he turned to look at the other mutant with a half-smile.

"Wouldn't it be fascinating if the connection stayed that way? I could go miles away and yet you would still be one with my mind. It could be like a human locator of some sort. The next time we plan to test more theories, that is definitely one we should try."

[Well yesterday was insanity... a 1/5 of my company got laid off. I didn't but man... the tension in the office even today is thick. I'm glad everything went super well for you though! Good to hear someone having some fun. My partner and I have a liquor cabinet that is 75% wine and mead and there's two boxes of wine from our local winery down in the basement. XD Soooo maybe there's a thing in there somewhere about being wine-os! We totes should do the dream thing, then. :3]

"Raven will always find a way to give me a what-for if she can." That smile still stayed on his lips, amusement still in his voice. He loved his sister, more deeply than so many might guess given the problems that had been between them, and didn't even mind when she got on his case. ...Too much. Sometimes they still had their issues.

"That is what I am hoping," Charles said with a pleased nod that Kurt had caught on so quickly. "It would mean possibly more immediate looks into situations that otherwise might be dangerous to do so and something that may be even of more use, the ability to give you a proper look into a place that otherwise you might not be able to safely teleport into. If I can pick up from another person what the area looks like, it could be given to you and let you teleport in. A few things have crossed my mind in such possible uses and I imagine we'll come up with more as time goes on."

Being able to go at the pace of his chair and not be concerned about being left behind was... welcomed. Sometimes keeping up with the children could be a challenge. The chair was very well made, thanks to Hank, but he was still working on being able to go much higher speeds safely. In a decade, Charles would be amazed at the fact wheelchairs would only just be getting to this point to the common masses.

[o-oh dear!! well, it's good that you didn't get laid off, but ... i can only imagine the uncomfortable air of that D: ffffff thank yooou! i'm looking forward to whatever we do for christmas/going down to see my family for the holiday. oh, very nice! normally, we don't keep alcohol in the house because my roomie and i are diabetic, but ... it was the holiday and we didn't drink excessively, so it was okay. XD huzzah for fellow wine-os! i agree, yaaahs. \o/]

"Siblings," he laughed, shaking his head and bringing one hand to the back of his head, "Ah, well. C'est la vie." An old memory flickered through his thoughts before it could be stopped and Kurt let his eyes slip shut, brow furrowing as he drew the hand around to rub the bridge of his nose.

He faintly nodded in return and although Charles was right next to him, it was like his voice was far away, barely registering to him, even though his acute sense of hearing had picked up on things much further away. The problem was that he'd effectively been distracted by something from the past, so when he tuned back in, it was somewhere in the middle of what Charles had been saying. "... ja, that would be incredibly useful. Being able to see a location from someone else then relaying it to me so that I could get to the area with no troubles. There are ... plenty of ideas that we could come up with, I'm sure."

Silently, Kurt scolded himself for losing track of his thoughts, lowering his arm to rest his fingers on the scar at his throat. He bowed his head in humiliation, peering from the corner of his eye at the telepath, hoping that he hadn't made too much of a fool out of himself when his attention had been derailed by the past.

[Hey the holidays are a good time to party just a little more than normal :3 I can't wait for Christmas... I love going home to the family and the farm and just spending a few days enjoying myself and playing with all the bunnies. We'll have baby bunnies by that point! (My mom breeds show rabbits, btw.)]

Hearing the French saying roll off Kurt's German tongue was actually quite amusing, leaving Charles with a smile hanging on his lips. However, he glanced to Kurt and for a moment thought that it seemed like the young man was a million miles away. Thus he slowed his pace just slightly, worried that it had to do with Kurt's exhaustion, but it became clear it was something else. He didn't stop speaking, though now part of his attention was more focused on Kurt than on his words. That small gesture to the throat... he hadn't dared to ask about the scarification, thinking it had been done at the hands of someone in Kurt's past and would bring up terrible memories no child should live through.

His hand reached out, gently touching the arm closest to him. The smallest physical touch to ground Kurt, offer that moment of knowledge someone was there who cared. "Kurt..." Charles started, the subject such a tender one but one that might be better to allow to come out while they weren't immediately around others. "I something troubling you?" Start out there, if there was something bothering Kurt then he wanted to work through that issue without his own prying questions possibly making things worse.

[that is exactly how i see it! XD haven't heard anything from my sister or dad lately about christmas plans, so for now, i'm guessing i'll be staying home. o: fdsjklgjlkfdsa BAB BUNBUNS so cute, oh goodness. (i bet they are some good looking rabbits!) oh, some of kurt's scarification stuff is headcanon'd, if that's okay? it's not really explained, so ... -SHRUG- also, the song that was playing while i was typing this seemed oddly appropriate for the upcoming dream idea ...]

In all honesty, he had been something amount of miles away, although it hadn't been the best of memories, there were a few lingering, happy thoughts in between - no matter how fleeting they may have seemed. The far less pleasant memory had left an odd, burning sensation in his chest and a bitter taste of bile rising in his throat. Why did this sort of thing have to come at the most inconvenient time? He wouldn't blame Charles for mentioning Raven, but when he remembered his family, it led to other things and, well ...

The touch on his arm did help draw him back into reality, iridescent eyes flickering with their usual spark. He drew his head back up and turned to face his teacher, mouth dry, regardless of his attempts to work past it, "Professor, I ..." he trailed off, the rest of the words dying in his throat, the hand at his neck lowering to gingerly grip Charles'. "... it's nothing." Which was an outright lie, but he didn't want to cause more distress.

[Go for it on the headcanon! We don't know the truth and until then, we might as well headcanon. ^_^ Also, have some very cute baby bunnies from home.]

The look that Charles gave Kurt suggested he didn't believe the young man for a moment. It had nothing to do with his abilities and everything to do with the fact that Kurt was giving it all away in the look in his face, the movements of his body. Usually he would have backed off here but it was the touch to his hand in return that prompted him to say more. "...it's not nothing," he said quietly, not quite asking the question but giving Kurt every chance to speak up instead.

Sometimes all a child needed was a chance to get it off their chest, to speak about something bothering them, to try and ease some of the confusion or hurt they felt from it. Sometimes a child needed much more of a push because the confusion or hurt was like a sluggishly bleeding wound. Charles hoped Kurt was in the former category, but the young man's life had been rough from everything Raven and Kurt himself had told him. No one should have had to live like that.

[awesome!! sometimes, i really like headcanons. XD fdsjklgjflk;dsjlk;fds BB BUNNIES /WEEPS i want the black and albino ones!! or all of them. that would be fine, too.]

Kurt didn't need to be looking at Charles to know that his excuse was practically transparent; his eyes were always so expressive, no matter how much he would try to hide the actual emotions he'd be feeling. Most of the time, he never had to worry about trying to mask his true feelings, but this was one of those moments where he preferred to not cause more concern than necessary. The telepath's words made his heart sink into his stomach, the truthfulness of them ringing loud and clear in his ears. "... you're right," he whispered tentatively.

He wanted Charles and everyone else that he befriended to know that he trusted them and if he couldn't talk about his problems with someone as kind as his teacher, then what would be the point? With a quick huff, he averted his gaze to the ground beneath his feet and let his hand fall back to his side. "I was thinking about my family, which ... doesn't always come with the best of memories."

[I have only one of my own but King is a very big bunny so he's more than enough for me along with my two boy-kitties. Mom's got about... twenty? bunbuns. Including an angora that she makes yarn from! She does felting.]

Some people wore their heart on their sleeves. Hank was one of them; to someone who had known Hank as long as Charles, Hank was a transparent mask that showed every little emotion behind his heart. Raven could see him just as clearly, but then again, Hank could be one of the most caring, gentle men he had ever known. That open heart usually meant a good one that would hold secrets in the depths and never let them go, that offered love and caring freely, but it also meant they could be hurt all too easily.

Kurt was most definitely that kind of person.

There was that brief moment of pride at being able to read Kurt right to get the young man to open up a little more, but that feeling of ego was quickly pushed aside. Not now, damn it. "...what about your family, this time?" he probed gently, his voice soft, just barely heard over the birds, the faint wind, and the crunch of his wheels against the asphalt.

[big, BIG bunny, but he's so handsome! yeah, our three cats are plenty for me. ffffff holy bunnies. o_o does she like ... shave the rabbit and use the fur? /confused]

From the sounds of it, he and Hank have a lot more in common than just being blue. Perhaps, when he found enough courage to do so, he could ask Hank about being a fellow heart-sleeve wearing mutant, too.

Charles' question momentarily broke the silence, though once it settled back in, it was almost deafening. Slowly, but surely, the sound of the wheelchair, the rustling of the wind and the faint calls of birds and something else - something that vaguely sounding like buzzing and he wasn't sure if it was from their surroundings or if it was just in his head.

He brushed it aside for now, attempting to focus on the older man's question, "Their reactions when they first found out about my markings." And there it was, finally laid out for Charles to ask any sort of questions about them that he so wished, no matter how personal they could get. It was never easy to think about, but maybe, if he could talk about them, the weight on his chest would lessen.

[Big, big bunny was being super, duper cute last night. My partner and I were sitting there trading Pokemon (I got Moon, she got Sun) and he hopped on over, put his chin on my shoe, and kept nudging my toes until I would reach down and pet him. Just tooooo cute! And oh god no you don't shave them! You brush them and use the hair that comes out from the brush. They shed like crazy! You ruin their fur for months if you shave them.]

It was, no matter how open the invitation could seem, an incredibly delicate subject. Such raised flesh carved in such elegant patterns had to have quite the story behind them and Charles got the distinct feeling that they were not done by the hand of someone completely above pain. So his words were chosen with care, his pace slowing to give them more time to speak.

"...where did they come from?" Charles finally asked, not wanting to put words into Kurt's mouth. Perhaps, by some good grace, he was wrong and they were something natural, however unnatural that might be, but he didn't want to suggest either how he might feel about them. This was something that needed, above all else from him, to not be judged.

[o-oh, god. D: bunbun wants love and affection. fdskl;jgl;fds my roomie's cat (pancakes) has been all over me the past week, just demanding i hold him and let him snuggle my leg. ACH okay XD i wasn't sure. (I HAVEN'T SHAVED ANY RABBITS, I SWEAR) see, i didn't know that! i mean, it should have been obvious, considering how fluffy they are ...]

There were plenty of times that he wished he could claim that they were natural, mostly so he wouldn't be judged harshly after admitting that he'd made the intricate designs in his own skin. That was what made him briefly hesitate at Charles' question; the fear of disgust from his teacher. He didn't want anyone to think lesser of him because of his past or possible future, considering he'd thought multiple times about taking a blade to his skin for what had happened to Warren - repentance for letting the winged warrior die in battle.

Although Kurt was petrified at what Charles would say, he did his best to not start violently trembling, inhaling sharply and responding, "I did them myself." The breath he'd taken in released in a shaking huff, the only thing more deafening than the earlier silence currently being his pulse throbbing in his ears.

[Even my bunbun gives lots of fur when you brush him that could be used for spinning yarn (Flemish Giants were fur rabbits). Angoras are just ridiculous. They are like a 5 lbs rabbit with 10 lbs of fur. It's so long you can't even see their face properly and you have to brush it constantly to make sure it doesn't turn into a giant mat that needs to be shaved. >.> Not that we have experience in that, nope.]

Hell, so his first guess was accurate. Charles knew he had to think very quickly and say the right thing in this situation or his chance to help Kurt was not only gone but he could lock the younger man away from him. So he sped up his chair enough to partially get in front of Kurt, looking up to him. How he wished he could have taken Kurt by the shoulders and looked him dead in the eyes in that moment, but this would have to do. "Look at me," he said in a soft but firm voice.

"...I'm proud you told me," he started off, that same tone of voice, not looking away from Kurt's face regardless if Kurt decided to actually meet his eyes or not. "I'm not going to judge you based on your actions, only hope that I can help keep it from being any necessary in the future. You had your reasons, and from everything I've heard and seen, I don't blame you. We all... we all bear scars from our pasts, some on the outside, some on the inside."

His gaze dropped away, looking down to his own arm. They were something he had kept hidden from the children and parents, always making sure his shirts were long enough to hide the marks even when the cuffs were neatly rolled back as they were now. It wasn't much effort to pull back on the sleeve, shifting his shoulder and elbow up enough to let the cotton slide, knowing the odd motion would draw Kurt's eyes to it. The myriad of white marks, tucked neatly in and around the soft skin in the crook of the elbow. So many failed attempts to hit a vein when he was in the depths of his guilt and pity depression.

[i've seen flemish giants before and i googled an angora yesterday and was like, "I'VE SEEN THESE BEFORE" so much fluff. some of them even look extra, EXTRA fluffed for like, show purposes? like this one!! XD totally not. that never happens, right?]

Just as he'd predicted, the rising fear began to blossom into almost full-blown panic and had Charles not sped up, moved in front of him to stop his walking, Kurt might have made a mad dash for the door to get away. Instead, he halted entirely, only now noticing that he had brought the same hand back up to grip his throat, the tips of his claws threatening the tender skin. He hesitantly met the telepath's gaze and the hand dropped back to his side, along with his mouth falling open in complete, utter shock.

He was ... proud that he'd been able to come out with it? The urge to look away was almost overpowering, yet he kept his wide eyes locked on Charles, brow creased with perplexity. For once in his life, the blue boy didn't know what to say in response; he was so used to being pitied or berated for doing something that people claimed to be 'idiotic' that he wasn't sure how to approach someone actually telling him that they understood where he was coming from.

It was Charles who finally broke eye contact, though. He averted his attention to the older mutant's arm at the peculiar motion, squinting briefly before his eyes dilated once more at the sight of the multiple scars in the crease of Charles' elbow. "P-Professor," he stammered, cupping one hand over his mouth and reaching the other one to gingerly run the fingertip of his index digit across some of the markings. Hopefully, he hadn't taken too many liberties with such a delicate motion. "What ... what are they?"

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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