Windrose Mingle - November

[passingthrough]

Who: Windrose crew and the people who stalk them
Broadcast: Probably not!
Action: Windrose
When: November

[It's been a month of loss for the Windrose. We've lost Ordis, Tenno, and now our captain The Vision. We could probably use some visitors and ship togetherness.]

Comments

[ecclesiophobic]

[Kurt holds the book as carefully as he had his infant nephew the first time he'd been placed in Kurt's arms, and with as much trepidation on his face. For a moment he stares at the book like it's going to bite him, and then, suddenly, crouches to put himself and the album in Charles' line of sight.

He turns the pages carefully, pausing at a picture of Wagner with his adopted parents.] That.. is not who I expected to see.

[axiomed]

What's so surprising about it?

[ecclesiophobic]

The Kurt Wagner I knew of had been raised by circus performers. [And the people in this picture look rather boring in comparison, normal. Just like the kind of people who tried to kill him when he was a teenager.

Kurt scowls deeply at the sudden dark twist to his thoughts and turns the pages, ignoring further pictures of Wagner completely. The photographs of Rogue make his nose sting, but his expression softens with affection. The next picture he pauses at is one with Rogue and a brunette woman wearing sunglasses. After simply staring for the better part of a minute, he says, softly:] ...She was a brunette.

[axiomed]

Irene?

[ Charles had surmised as much from the photographs. ]

Did you know her?

[ecclesiophobic]

I'm surprised you do. Although, all things considered, I suppose she'd have felt safe telling you.

[By all things considered, he means Erik and the relationship he isn't touching with a ten-foot pole. Erik why you gotta date his family in every world? Why this.]

[axiomed]

[ If he picks up on it, he doesn't ask. ]

I enjoyed our talks together.

[ecclesiophobic]

I'm sure she did as well. [Or she was playing Charles, but hell with it. She's gone and her manipulations are moot, pretty lies won't hurt anyone now. If they even are lies.

Kurt's lips press together as he continues staring at the too-young Irene.] In my world, Irene was an old woman, the oldest I'd ever seen living. She welcomed refugees to a place we called Avalon, because it was the last place on Earth that Apocalypse hadn't ruined. The air was still sweet to breathe, and you could drink from a river or eat fruit from a tree without worrying about radiation.

[And for a dizzying moment, he wants to tell Charles about how Irene had held his mother's hand like a fragile thing and asked if she were ready to come home. Of anyone, he thinks his uncle would understand. But in the world he lived in this was a secret that even his Erik couldn't be trusted with, and instead he chooses a lesser confession.] You know that I consider you family, ja?

[axiomed]

[ Charles stares. This was always the confession he was weakest to, the one that always went straight to the heart. He swallows tightly, trying to push the emotions down. ]

No. I - I didn't know that.

[ecclesiophobic]

[Charles' reaction prompts an inexplicable swell of guilt in Kurt; this feels like manipulation for the purpose of cruelty, despite Kurt's only intention being honesty. Perhaps that's why it feels like lead.

He honestly didn't think Charles would care that much.] Didn't think so, once I realized you were serious about staying out of people's minds. Which I think is ridiculous, by the way.

[axiomed]

[ He shifts, not sure what to say. The reason behind staying out of people's heads is rather obvious and Charles is sure Kurt is aware of that, though he wouldn't be aware of Charles' complicated history with his own powers. ]

It's not so much a thing that I want or care for. I have to be. Humans don't like it. Mutants don't like it.

I have enough self-respect to avoid where I'm not wanted.

[ecclesiophobic]

If humans don't like us, that's their problem. Personally, I'd much rather you saw something mildly embarrassing in my surface thoughts than lose your damn mind or cripple your own powers by keeping in your head.

[axiomed]

I'm not going to lose my mind.

[ His fingers tighten over the arm-rests. This is a surreal conversation to have and Charles is always torn between agreeing and having to defend the people who dislike his powers. ]

But it's not worth the risk.

[ecclesiophobic]

Really? Because to me it sounds like docking my tail and ears to keep the humans placated.

[There's a tiny bit of bitterness in his tone, an old anger unearthed by his recent mental and physical return to a time shortly after his first, violent, introduction to humanity.]

[axiomed]

[ Charles would laugh if he could. Instead he speaks in an even tone. ]

There are four people here who trust me completely with my powers. Three of those people are humans. Only one is a mutant. If you think I get easier acceptance among mutants, aliens or anything beyond the scope of a normal human being, you're wrong. I'm guilty before I'm innocent in everyone's eyes.

[ And the Fleet is no different, even though he's certainly met more accepting people here. Kitty's comment about his invasive ability as he was helping her with her memories had stung. Anakin's comment about how no one could ever be comfortable with him, knowing what Charles could do had stung. ]