for quiteafew

[electro_kinetic]

It's not hard to find Noriko on any given day at the school. Not only does she have electric blue hair braided up into a beaded mohawk--which, thankfully, her manager at work does not give two shits about--but she's kind of the only electrokinetic. Follow the sound of crackling and popping and it will either lead you to her, or to the microwave containing someone's popcorn.

Today she's probably even easier to find; she's in the remodeled kitchen, late, after coming back to the school from the coffeeshop with her work shirt in hand. Her tee-shirt is still on the counter, and on closer inspection she seems to have a massive black eye to take care of and a set of headphones at probably hearing-damaging volume levels in her ears, bent over in front of the freezer.

Dinner and an icepack, that is the plan.

Comments

[quiteafew]

"You miss him." The words are softly spoken, low enough that Nori can pretend she didn't hear if she so chooses. Kurt won't push the issue if she does; they've just met, and some wounds are too deep even if they hadn't.

"I am very blessed that the family who found me were not afraid of how I look."

[electro_kinetic]

"He's my baby brother," Noriko replies just as softly, though that's mostly so she isn't overheard outside of the two of them. "I'm always going to miss him."

She can't not say that, and it's true as the day is long. She'll always miss her family. "It's not how I look. It's what I am. My father doesn't believe in mutants, and he says I've brought shame to my family with what I've done."

[quiteafew]

Kurt nods, pale yellow eyes warm in a sympathetic face. "I hope that when he is old enough, he will find you." Much as he would like to promise her that she will see her brother again, Kurt has no way of fulfilling that promise and suspects the sentiment would be no comfort.

He scoffs, a huff of air and a sneer that twists his face in a way that, for the brief moment it lasts, turns a face that's been friendly enough into something that looks hateful. Neat trick for such a small expression. "How does he explain what you are, then? Does he think you're a demon?"

[electro_kinetic]

"I don't think that one's ever gonna happen," she says, though it doesn't make her cry to think about it anymore. It's been a while since that happened.

The sneer honestly takes her aback--she's not frightened so much as incredibly surprised that his face can turn so quickly to the other end of the spectrum. But she breaks her stare to shake her head, though unthinkingly pressing her tongue between her notably un-pointed teeth. "No, not a demon. He just thinks I'm faking it, and doesn't believe I'm any different. He thinks it's all a play for attention and he won't accept any other explanation."

[quiteafew]

For the second time in their conversation Kurt looks away. His features falls into dark shadow as he ducks his head, and the shadows cast by the fold of his clothes and his frame similarly darken.

"I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, I forgot myself."

[electro_kinetic]

"Don't," Noriko says suddenly, reaching for his hand--mistakenly, with the one that had been holding the icepack on her face. "Don't apologize. It's not bad," she exhorts. "I promise."

[quiteafew]

Gooseflesh raises at the cool touch, and though Kurt slips his hand out from other her's he rests it on top of her hand, a gentle touch so as not to scratch her skin with the edges of his calluses. "You have the cold hands to go with your warm heart, but you are wrong. I know what I look like, and when I am angry I look terrifying."

[electro_kinetic]

"Kurt, you don't scare me. You surprised me, but if I was afraid you'd know it." She'd be sparking and glowing, for one. And that's a lightshow not many people can miss. But she turns her hand palm-up and squeezes his gently; she can only guess at the resistance he'll feel, but she doubts she'll hurt him with such a gentle motion.

"Angry I'll give you. Terrifying we will have to disagree on; I have seen worse."

[quiteafew]

He doesn't show any sign of discomfort, though privately he's a little embarrassed at having forgotten about the gauntlets. He'd been looking right at them a second ago.

Fingers curling around Noriko's metal-covered hand, Kurt squeezes a little harder than he normally would. "Nein; that was not anger you saw Noriko. I don't doubt that you have seen worse than my temper, but that was scorn."

[electro_kinetic]

"Scorn for whom?" she asks, glancing to their hands when she actually feels pressure, something almost no one manages in those gauntlets. It's not an uneasy glance, it's more faintly amazed as she curls her fingers back around his.

"Or what?"

[quiteafew]

"I have strong hands," he murmurs, in answer to the glance she casts their hands. His adjust slightly, fingers sliding apart so her four fit between his two. It isn't the most comfortable way for him to hold someone's hand, but it won't squish her fingers.

"Your--I don't agree with your vater's--I'm sorry, father's, stance on mutants. If you'll forgive me saying so, he sounds very ignorant."

[electro_kinetic]

"I noticed," she says with a happy, but small smile. "Normally I can't feel anything through the gauntlets. People don't squeeze very hard and I don't feel it."

Noriko can only shrug at Kurt's response. "He's always been that way. I called him oyaji once, like an informal tease--it means 'old man', and that didn't go well at all."