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Note: This takes place AFTER Lorna is kidnapped and returned— so sometime in the future.
With the warmer weather trying to break through Winter, more people seem to be out and about. Not that the cold stopped them; New York never seems to stop! But since it's a little more moderate, even more seem to be running their errands on foot rather then hailing taxis. It's both good and bad for someone who is very obviously 'different'. The thing is, he isn't really trying to hide, either.
Walking a few blocks uptown from his neighborhood of Hell's Kitchen, Kurt seems to be happy to stretch his legs and explore more of the city. He's probably made this trek a dozen times, but the flow of people are always different, even if the storefronts, theaters, and stripper bars aren't. If he doesn't act like he should be afraid, maybe folks won't treat him poorly. That's the mindset.
*
Lorna had been splitting her time between the Frost Institute, Westchester and Mutant Town among other places over the course of the past month and a half. A hike up town to market to get some delicious baked goods from a shop she'd found quite by accident was worth the walk in her opinion and gave her a chance to stretch her legs off campus in a fairly unthreatening area by comparison to most others.
Her hair was, for the first time in a long time, it's natural green. Bereft of hood or hat in the warmer weather, it drew more than a few eyes her way. Still, by comparison to Raven or others? It was a gentler mutation that didn't necessarily make one think mutant straight away.
Though the otherwise nice manner of dress she bore was a stark contrast to the rebellious image her hair made. A skirt around a few larger, gruffer looking men and Lorna nearly bumped into oncoming pedestrians with a soft "Sorry!" As she nibbled away at her chocolate slathered pastry.
*
No doubt a couple of the pedestrians snarl "Watchit" to the girl running into them as she eats her pastry. It's not the nicest part of town despite the fact that the Theaters of Broadway (and Burlesque) are located here. Unfortunately, it's a necessary passage to get from the upper West Side to the Lower West Side and the like so there is a good deal of pedestrian traffic.
*
A squeak and Lorna tries her best to not upset her well earned sweet, side stepping people as best she could, apologizing all the way. She grimaced, and choose instead to take a breather off to the side, pressed up against a brick wall and out of the direct path of those on the sidewalk.
An exhale escaped her and her shoulders slumped as she glanced down at her treat. "So much work for such a little thing." She mused, and shrugged, choosing to take her time to nibble away at it now.
*
Exponent has arrived.
*
Exponent has left.
*
No doubt a girl leaning against a wall in Times Square will get more than a couple of wolf-whistles and propositions; it's what the area is about, after the Theatrical part of it. Granted, being in the middle of the day, there aren't too many. Nothing aggressive as there are far too many people.
*
A scowl was aimed toward those that cat-called her. Alone she was used to such attention, but it didn't mean that Lorna liked it any. A huff and she finished off her sweet, crumpling up the paper it had been wrapped in and shoving it into her coat pocket. A glance was spared for the oncoming foot traffic, and off Lorna went once more.
A more careful step this way and that as she wove been the crowds of people going in different directions. She crossed a street, stepped into a puddle of ice melt and promptly soaked her shoes down through the stockings.
"Oh man."
*
It's easy to sort of blend into a crowd, even when one is seemingly blue with a tail. He's back to wearing his older, comfortably beat-up leather jacket, looking every bit like any other young person nowadays…aside from his skin and eye color. Hands are tucked into his pockets as he navigates the streets, deftly avoiding the hawkers at the Stripper and Burlesque clubs. He doesn't need yet another scar although there is a tiny bit of temptation.
It's lonely in his tenement apartment.
*
Perhaps it was luck, which was so unfair to Lorna otherwise, that she spotted the blue skinned man. Or it could've had something to do with the fact that she'd now grown used to looking for blue skinned mutants on a survival basis. Raven was blue, Raven typically brought trouble.
However it took her a good long while to realize it was Kurt she was seeing, and as she approached her expression brightened. She had seen him some months ago, and her life had changed in so many ways. The green haired girl waved, calling his name as she caught up to him. Shoes squeaking and squishing with ice water and sand.
*
Nightcrawler looks over at his name, his head tilting as he may or may not recognize the girl with green hair. Last he saw her, it was brown. He does, however, pause, causing a few pedestrians to curse as they nearly run into him. He doesn't seem bothered at all. Cities aren't that different across the globe. He waits and offers a sharp-toothed grin, "Hullo," before he recognizes her as the girl he met in the diner with brown hair. "It is an interesting look you have today."
*
A blush and Lorna scratched the back of her head, "I'm trying my natural color out today. See how many curses I get or grumbles from older folk. I don't think anyone will think 'hey it's a mutant' but.." She shrugged, and offered him a grin.
"I'm glad you still remember me at least. I know it's a rather.. uhm.. big change and it has been some months." She shrugged sheepishly, looking up at him with a pinch of her, yes, green eyebrows.
"And lots has happened, at least well, for me. Dunno about you.."
*
"I always try to remember people I have met," Kurt offers jovially. There's a glance at her hair again when she mentions her 'natural color' but he isn't one to talk. "I find the more you do not act afraid or…ashamed of it, the less people will notice." As far as things happening, he shrugs, his hands still in the pockets of his leather jacket, "Things happen if we want them to or not. I hope that they are good things for you."
*
A shrug as Lorna walked along side him, "Mostly, yeah, I guess. I mean, I found out I have a family.. that was a lot bigger than I expected. Know how freaked out I was about possibly having a father and all that stuff? Yeah, well, got a sister, and a brother, and two nephews." She flashed him a grin.
"And they're wonderful people. I wouldn't trade them for the world. So that's been good." Another drag of her hand through her hair. She was still pretty self concious about it.
"I've been helping out in Mutant Town, volunteering. That's been.. interesting."
*
"Well, that is a very good thing!" and Kurt seems truly happy for her. Nevermind that all of his family was killed twenty or so years ago, it's good to hear that others get to be reunited. "That must be very nice." His smile remains even as he listens. "Und I am sure that those in Mutant Town appreciate your help. I think we always learn something about ourselves when we help others, ja?"
*
Her grin remained and she shrugged, "Yeah it is, I've got an older sister who is so serious. I can't always tell when she's joking or not. Mostly I just assume that she isn't." She laughed softly, at the thought. "And my nephews are great too. They're sweet." She dragged a hand through her hair.
"And it just.. it's so nice." She breathed, "I might not know my mother or where she is or who she was.. but at least I have other family."
A glance was spared his way and she shoved her hands into her pockets. "Well, Mutant Town was.. complicated." She murmured, given the slaughter that had happened there and the mess with the Friends of Humanity it wasn'ta surprise that it would be considered 'complicated'. "Still, I try to help out where I can. It doesn't feel like it's enough, but.. I dunno." Another shrug.
"What have you been up to Kurt?"
*
Nightcrawler cants his head slightly, "Helping, even a little, is better than not helping at all. If you can think of ways to do more, I know that it would be welcomed as well." At her question, however, he merely shrugs, "I am afraid I have nothing so interesting to say. I continue to help with the children in Hell's Kitchen und to watch over my friend's apartment." It's not much and it's not exciting, but he doesn't want to hurt the community that has welcomed and protected him by putting them in danger.
*
A nod and Lorna heaved a sigh, "The problem, I guess.. Okay, so. I've been told by others that I'm not doing enough to help people in Mutant Town. That with my.. gifts I should be doing more. What that more is.. is.. well, there's two different.. very different schools of thought on it. And I'm not sure which is right or not. I just.." She exhaled, dragging a hand through her hair.
"It's like.. one side says that what I'm doing is fine, that I should do more like volunteering to help the needy and protect people that can't protect themselves and all.. I am totally behind that." Another rough exhale and she shook her head.
"And the other is a.. uhm a more proactive approach. I guess."
*
"Only you can decide what is right for you," Kurt points out with a sad little smile. Seems he's the confessional for so many these days. "You can listen to people und ask their advice, but in the end it is you doing these things. You are the only one who can say 'Ja, this is right for me'." But she's young and youth sometimes gets pulled where they shouldn't. "No one controls you but you. Remember that."
*
A grimace, and Lorna glanced back toward him. "You sound like my father." She smiled then, and glanced down at the sidewalk as they stepped along, her feet still wet but at least moving kept them from being too uncomfortable.
"And it feels like one of those easier said than done deals, you know?" She arched a brow upwards, tilting her head to the side. "Especially because, in the moment, when I get upset or .. or angry or something bad happens.. I mean, it's just.. then one side sounds stupid and the other sounds right. But when I calm down? I almost always regret it when I have time to stop and think." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and then offered him a wry smile.
"Sorry to be unloading on you with like morale problems.."
*
"Nothing that is worth doing is easy. Life is not easy." And Kurt is used to dealing with these moral problems. Maybe it's why he spends so much time at the Church. "We often do things we feel sorry for when we are angry, und it is up to us to learn how to stop ourselves before we hurt others. Of course it is not easy to do. But that is what makes us strong…when we try to do what is hard."
*
The moral questions had never been easy for Lorna to puzzle out, caught as she was between Professor Xavier and Raven? It was hardly any surprise that she was unable to pick one clear cut path to take. "That makes sense, I guess." She blinked, lifting her gaze upwards to consider the sky beyond for a moment and then blink back toward him.
"It's so hard to make a decision. Though I guess I don't have to particularly pick a side as it were.. If neither of my options sit well with me at the end of the day.. I guess there's always the ability to make my own."
*
Nightcrawler nods, "Of course. If you do not like what you can see, then you can make your own. There are only a few times where you have only a few choices. We can think for ourselves und we can always find other ways around things. If someone makes you choose a side, you can always walk away, ja?"
*
Lorna rubbed the bridge of her nose, "Yeah. That's true." She smiled, and then considered the sidewalk before them.
Silence settled over her for a bit and she let it linger as she mused over Kurts words.
"You know, you're incredibly easy to talk to Kurt." She flashed him another grin, folding her hands behind her back as she walked. "Thank you, for that. I guess I haven't really had time to just stop and think, or walk and think as it were."
*
A little sigh escapes and Kurt offers a sad little smile, "Ja, I have been told that before. There is always time to stop und think. If I have helped with anything, I am glad." After all, not everyone is comfortable going to a Priest or into a Confessional to discuss such concerns.
*
Another smile, and Lorna shrugs. "Well, we will see if I can manage that third path instead. I dunno. But I hope it's worth it." She pushed her hair back and glanced at the bus approaching the bus stop ahead. "Well, here's my stop. It was nice to see you again Kurt. Take care!"