Tolerance
By: Kryptonite
A/N: This chapter and the next two chapters are from the story 'The Depth of Beauty' with permission from it's author, ladymoonlight1. So I'd like to send out a huge thanks to her for allowing me the use of her chapter, thank you!
Now I have like twenty-two pages on this story and I'm not completely finished. I'm going to (try) and update once a week, a page an update. This story starts out with the first chapter of 'Depth' because I thought it was a good premise. Please R/R it means a lot to me. Thanks.
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The restaurant was ritzy to say the least. But then again, so were all the others in this section of New York City. The clientele were the elite: the women work mink coats and the men sported hand-made Italian suits. The hum of conversation mixed with the notes of Beethoven's "Fur Elise" that was being played on the grand piano. Silverware clinked against expensive fine china, adding to the cacophony.
From this scene, one particular couple seemed to stand out. Perhaps it was the lady, with her rich cocoa skin and snow-white hair. Or her male companion, with his strange, cat-like movements. Whatever it was, there was an undeniable strange "other-ness" about the pair.
This was because they weren't human.
Ororo Munroe delicately smoothed the fresh linen napkin across her lap. Across from her, Kurt Wagner drummed his two fingers against the table in a nervous fashion. His eyes darted from side to side as if he expected an angry mob to jump out at him at any moment. He had only possessed the image inducer, the device that hid his blue skin and brilliant yellow eyes, for a little over a week. He had yet to learn to relax in a crowd.
The advent of the image inducer was the special occasion that the couple was celebrating this night. For his entire life, Kurt had been confined to the shadows. The sight of him tended to cause fear and mass panic in certain situations. Now, thanks to the concealment offered by the device, he was free to mingle with the general public, as long as he was careful not to knock anything over with his tail.
Ororo knew that that this dinner was going to cost Kurt most of his paycheck. She had refused at first, claiming that going out for pizza would be just as nice. But Kurt had insisted that this momentous occasion in his life called for something a little more special than pepperoni and extra cheese.
The waiter had already come and gone, leaving Ororo and Kurt alone in a comfortable silence. Neither one said a word for several moments. Ororo busied herself studying the dining couples closest to them. She often entertained herself by trying to pinpoint any other mutants in the crowd. She would look for any tell tale signs, any movements that would betray them. So far this group seemed to be perfectly…human. Her concentration was broken by Kurt clearing his throat.
"Are you enjoying yourself, fraulein?" he asked, smiling weakly at her.
"Yes, I am," replied Ororo. "It was very sweet of you to invite me out tonight."
Kurt shrugged off the comment. He picked up his wineglass and twirled it, watching as the red wine swished inside. "You look very nice this evening," he stated, becoming bolder.
She glanced down at the midnight blue dress she was wearing. It was made of satin, with a sweeping, low-cut neckline. She had bought it especially for this night. Around her neck hung a deep yellow topaz pendant; she reached up and began to toy with the gold chain that held it.
"Thank you, Kurt." Ororo studied her companion for a moment. He was wearing a black suit with a deep blue vest. "You look handsome yourself."
The German grinned, a faint blush staining his cheeks. "Danke," he murmured, glancing momentarily at her. He then held his glass out towards her. "A toast?" he suggested.
"To what?" she asked as she lifted her own glass.
"To tonight," he proposed.
"To us," added Ororo.
Kurt grinned. "To us," he repeated.