Disclaimer: Prof. Xavier, Nightcrawler, Pyro, and Iceman belong to Marvel, no matter how hard
I wish otherwise. Flame belongs to me. If you would like to borrow her for some reason, please ask first.
Note: I wrote this before I saw 'Strategy X."
Pairing: None
I was in a hurry that day. Pyro had started another fight with Iceman. Unable
to stop or calm him, I did what any other 17 year old fearing for her brother and friends would have done. I ran as fast as
I could to the professor's office. When I burst in, there was a stranger there, back to me, completely covered in a brown
cloak. A small bag lay on the floor next to them.
"Hello Flame," Professor Xavier greeted me. "What seems to be the matter?"
he added, apparently noting my present state.
"Pro-fessor," I panted. "Pyro and-- Iceman-- are fighting--- in the kitchen-"
"Again?" he asked. "Well, perhaps I should see to that then. Flame?"
"Yes?"
"Would you mind telling Kurt a bit about this place from your point of
view? Perhaps show him around a bit?" He gestured to the stranger, who's backside remained in my direction.
Something that didn't change after I agreed and the professor had left.
I could see some blue-tinted hair peeking out from under the hood of the cloak, but nothing else. 'He must be under the impression
he's ugly or something,' I thought to myself.
"Hi, I'm Flame," I said out loud, holding my hand out to him.
"Hevo," he replied, inching away and avoiding eye contact with me.
"My brother Pyro and I have been here since we were kids. Since
we were 12."
"How vold are voo now?" He seemed genuinely interested.
"We're 17, fraternal twins. How old are you?"
"Sevanteen and a hav. Voo vust know a vot avout dis place, living here
so vong."
"I like to think so. Not to sound like a cheap commercial, but this /is/
a wonderful place. It's so closed off, you can practice using your ablities almost anywhere. If you don't mind me asking,
what is your ability?"
After a pause, he said, "Telvoporting."
"Cool!" I said. It was then I noticed-- Was that a tail?-- peeking out
from under his cloak. 'Good,' I thought,'If it is, and it's attached to him, he must be letting his guard down, whether he
realizes it or not.' I chatted on at his questions, seeing how far down I could get his guard to go.
"Vhat can voo do?" he asked.
"I can manipulate fire. But sometimes I create it unconsciously
or involuntarily, like when I'm asleep, having a nightmare, or angry. So Bobby sleeps next door to me."
"Vovy?
"Aka Iceman. That says it all, I think."
Kurt chuckled. That was definitely a pointed tail peeking out from under
his cloak. I couldn't hold back any longer. I was born a smartass with very little control over my mouth, and this had to
be said.
"Cute tail."
I heard him gasp and the tail shot back under the cloak.
"It's ok, Kurt," I said. "You won't be judged here. Everyone here has
been laughed at, spit on, and rejected. We'd be hypocrites to judge you."
"Vut.. I can't stay here. I vo, now." He turned to leave, but I couldn't have
that. I whipped out my lighter and sent fire toward the doorknob, making it too hot to touch.
"Please Kurt, don't go. You do belong here, I'm sure of it. Apparently,
you look a little different. So what?! Obviously, I don't want you to go, but if you've got somewhere else--"
"EEOOOWWWW! DAMN IT FLAME!" came a voice from outside the door. I recognized
the voice as the words came out of his mouth.
"Cool it down then, Icey!" I called to Bobby. He must've, coming through
the door seconds later.
"Professor Xavier asked me to tell you two it's time for dinner if you're
hungry." With that, he left.
"Well, I guess I'll just leave you alone then," I stated and began to
leave.
"Vait-" Kurt began, and I turned. Large, mitten-covered hands reached
for the hood. 'God, it must be hot under there,' I thought.
Head bowed, he pulled back his hood, revealing more blue-tinted hair.
Then he raised his head. His hair isn't the only thing thats blue. He's completely covered in blue fur. But other than that,
he looked the same as any other teenager.
"There," I said as I smiled. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"
Kurt returned the comment with a small, shy smile. "Zat's not vhere the
differvances end," he said sadly.
"Well, so far I know you have blue fur and a pointy tail. And yet, I'm
still daring you to take the cloak off." I gave him a challenging smile.
He seemed intrigued. "Vut vill voo give me iv I do?" he asked.
"What do you want?" I asked
He paused to think. "A voom neah vours," he stated.
"Done," I said. "The room across from mine is currently vacant."
Kurt seemed satisfied with the answer. Shyly but defiantly, he took off his
mittens. Two long fingers and a thumb extended from each hand.
"Nothing too horribly wrong," I informed him. He smiled again, an action that
was definitely growing on me. "You have a wonderful smile."
"Ov, zank voo. Vut its nozing compared to zose eyes, Fraulien."
I was my turn to blush profusely.
Seemingly satisfied with himself, he went to his cloak buttons. Underneath
it, he was wearing long pants and a T shirt. It was hard to believe that two toes, no matter how large, were able to support
that entire body. He certainly was built for someone his age.
"I vost mein shoves avong ze way," he said sheepishly.
"That's ok," I said. "We'll figure something out. Would you like to drop your
stuff off in your new room before dinner?"
I saw him glance nervously towards the door. "Everyone's at dinner," I assured
him. "We'll only see two, maybe three people, if any at all." He left his cloak on, but loosely so, and picked up his bag.
I showed him different places as I went, opting to take the long way around, avoiding the kitchen and dining room. Eventually,
we got to a bedroom corridor.
"This hall is all bedrooms," I informed him. "One of quite a few. Once you
get to know people, you'll get to know who's is whos."
"Vere's vour's?" he asked.
"Down here," I said, smiling. We walked three more doors down. "This is my
room," I said, gesturing to the left.
"So zis vould be mine?" he asked, looking across to the right.
"Yup," I confirmed. "Do you want some help settling in?"
"Vell, zere's not much tvo 'seddle vin,' vut vou're velcome vin."
"Ok," I said, following him in. "What do you think? It's not very personable,
but none are to start with. And I'll have to show you where to get sheets and stuff."
"I vove vit," he said spacily. I watched him take in the room. A queen bed,
dresser, mirror (which he glared at), closet, small bathroom, and a window looking out on the grounds with a balcony. Same
as everyone else's. I saw Kurt reach int his bag and pull out a frame. He gave it a meloncoly smile. Then he looked over at
me and showed me. "My parvents," he stated. "They vound me ohn a river bank. I asked zem once if vit was a hard decision,
adopting a vussy vlue vavy. Vy voder said all she saw vas a devenceless child."
"She sounds quite kind."
"Not an avgry vone in her vody. She nevar evan yelled at ve. Evar. Avnd Ah
got vinto a vot of trouvle as va kid."
We spent the next hour or so trading stories about tramatizing our adults. Then
there was a knock on the door.
"Vould voo, please?" he asked me. I nodded, not blaming him for being shy.
"Forge!" I greeted my friend.
"Where's Kurt?" he asked.
"Wow, this place is worse than a pack of cheerleaders."
"Indeed," said the professor, appearing form behind Forge.
"I got something for him," Forge continued, holding a small box. "I'm thinking
it might help him be a little less shy."
"Come on in," I said. "Kurt, this is Forge. He's our resident handyman. Forge,
this is Kurt."
"Pleasure," Forge said, reaching out for Kurt's hand. Tentatively, Kurt took
it.
"Whatcha got?" I asked Forge.
"An image inducer. Attached to a watch. But I need Kurt's wrist size so there's
not too much band."
Kurt looked so hopeful. I just hoped how impressed I was showed on my face,
since I really was. Forge is such a genius.
"So, friend, if I could see whichever wrist you want it on...." he continued
to Kurt,who held out his left hand. Forge's tool arm changed to a tape measure, startling Kurt.
"I told you, there's something
different about /everyone/ here," I reminded him while Forge measured his wrist. Then Forge went back to the box, making adjustments
with his tool arm as a screwdriver. Kurt watched with immense interest.
"Here you are!" Forge stated proudly. "To activate it, you'll just have match
up the two lines, kinda like a pill box."
Kurt let Forge put the watch on him. Then he went over to the mirror he'd glared
at earlier. Soon there was a caucasion boy where the blue one had been. Too bad, I liked blue on him. Kurt, however, was speechless
with gratitude. But I had no troulble finding mine.
"Forge, you're a flaming genius!" I said, hugging him, closing my hands into
fists so I didn't lose control. Professor Xavier looked quite pleased with his pupil. And finally, Kurt found some words.
"Dank voo," he said, still in awe of what he had been given.
"You're welcome," Forge said, smiling. Then he turn his attention to me. "If
I were truly a genius, I would have figured out a way to make it more than just visual."
Kurt and I looked at him, confused.
Forge explained. "For example, if you touched someone, they would still feel
two fuzzy fingers."
"Vit's still vonderfal," Kurt said.
"I have to take you shopping," I decided out loud.
"Ve?" Kurt asked. I nodded.
"Don't argue with her," Forge advised. "It'll go easier that way."
"Shut up," I said.
"Ah don't have much money vith ve," Kurt stated.
"That's ok," I informed him. "I accidentally lost my temper in Sears once.
They love me there now."
