driftfleet | Try Catching Flootemon with your Communicator!

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Try Catching Flootemon with your Communicator!

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: If you want!
Action: July Planet!
When: The month of July!

[This is another planet mingle since the first one has nearly hit captcha! Feel free to continue threads or start brand new ones!]

July Planet Information

First Mingle Post

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Charles pauses, considering. ]

You could work on your control. See if you can relax a bit. That might help the impulsive jump to a terrible thought or memory.

[Kurt draws in a slow breath, weighing the validity of Xavier's suggestion against the possible ramifications.]

That's a tricky balance to strike. We won't be here forever, Ch--Xavier, and I can't afford to be caught unaware. [Putting aside the fact that he still expects their captors to get bored and inventive, there's the problem of what will come spilling out if he relaxes too much, or how he'll keep going when they do. If. If they do.] I'm not dismissing the suggestion, mind you.

It's only a suggestion. Beyond that, I can't do much else.

[ Well. Charles could, but he's not offering that. ]

[The corners of Kurt's mouth twitch upward in a wry smile. For just a brief second, he's tempted to ask; he is so tired of hurting, even with his fears regarding the origin of Xavier and Erik's relationship.

He killed Bobby for trying to escape the weight of their war.] Nein, I don't think either of us want that. It's a good suggestion, just.. difficult.

[He sighs, tail sketching an uncertain gesture in the air behind him.] So, it seems I owe you a favor now.

[ He blinks, taken off guard. ]

I beg your pardon? What for?

I came to you for help, and you gave it. In these situations, generally a favor is exchanged for a favor.

[He explains with careful enunciation and a touch more slowly than is absolutely necessary.]

I . . . can't say much for the situations you've been, but generally, my help is for free. I don't collect favors or payments for them.

Aside from the good will and trust you accrue? [There's no judgement there, just a simple question. It makes sense; trust in Erik was all that held the X-Men together through the worst times.]

[ His gaze sharpens slightly. ]

Help should always be freely given.

[Kurt nods, unflinching.] We can always agree on that, if nothing else. [It's why he joined Magneto's X-Men instead of throwing in his lot with Apocalypse, not that he's mentioning that. Xavier's seemed touchy about the subject in the past.]

Even so.

Even so what, precisely? I'm not going to collect any favors.

[Kurt catches himself in the middle of his lips drawing back to snarl and presses them together, his tail lashing behind him.]

You and I may be family, but we are not on good terms. I don't like accepting gifts from people I don't get along with; it feels like a bribe or a trap. And before you get angry, that wasn't an accusation. You haven't done anything to warrant it, and you certainly don't need anything I have.

[Well, he might have done one thing, but Kurt's not that stupid.]

[ It takes him a few minutes to digest this. It's something Erik often had trouble with. It doesn't surprise him that much. ]

So isn't the point moot? It's not as though I can retract my help.

Not needing something and not wanting it are different things.

I was.. intending to offer to show you memories of my mother, how she raised me. [He shrugs.] Or I could tell you what I know about her specific ability; she expected me to be a shape-shifter like her, so she taught me as much as she could.

I'd be happy to see and learn of her, but not because I gave some advice.

But perhaps . . . a little more about yourself?

[Kurt blinks, surprised.]

..Okay. What do you want to know?

[ Charles shrugs. ]

Whatever you feel comfortable telling me about.

[Kurt remains silent and still for a minute, save for his tail tracing confusing loops in the air.]

So much of my life involves being an X-Man, and you don't seem to care for hearing about that. [He pauses.] ..My wife's favorite flowers were sunflowers. When I proposed to her, I bought a bit of land away from everyone and built her a home. Not by myself, the others helped. Did a fairly good job, except for putting the stove where I'd crack my toes on it once a week. The hardest part was getting sunflowers to grow along the walkway to the house; Bobby and Ororo had to talk me out of ripping the damn things up more than once.

[He pauses again, this time to smile, small but warm.] It was worth every bit of it, seeing her smile the first time I brought her home.

[ He sighs a little. Charles never did fully explain himself and that was his fault. ]

It's not that I didn't care for it. It's what was implied when we discussed. The X-Men are my ideal, Kurt. I'm glad Erik carried it out but it was my dream.

Honestly, I'm still surprised he used it at all.

Of course it was your idea. The entire team, protecting humanity, that was all to keep your ideals alive. It was only later that he turned the X-Men into soldiers; around the time I joined, and only out of necessity.

He never took credit for it. Even through the last war he would ask himself what you would have done. Believe me, other than Rogue I'm the one who heard it the most.

I don't think Erik would. He's not that kind of man, to take credit for someone else's work.

[ The part about asking what Charles would do - he doesn't respond to that. He couldn't. ]

But it had felt like - when we discussed it - Hank and I weren't X-Men. Which is far from the truth. I was being petty but that was important to me.

I'll admit, even having met two versions of Hank McCoy trusted to be X-Men, it's still difficult to wrap my head around. The man is an absolute monster in my world, it's impossible to reconcile him with.. this one.

You not being an X-Man is preposterous.

[ He shakes his head, a bitter twist. ]

There's a lot you don't know about me.

Maybe less than you think.

Tell me, do you have a stepbrother named Cain?

[ He blinks. ]

No. Other than Raven, I was an only child.

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