AN: the questions being asked so far are exactly what I've calculated for. It will all become clear in time. ;)
She wasn't sure what it was, exactly. She didn't feel pain. At least, not usually. That didn't mean she didn't get hurt, it just meant she didn't feel it. The longer they were in that building, the more the initial discomfort from the edges of the property grew into full on nausea. The heavier her limbs began to grow. She ignored it as best she could, focusing on the conversation at hand and taste of the drink provided, but eventually what started as a dizzying sensation had developed into a full blown headache, and she had suggested some fresh air. Not that he would know, of course. She was very good at keeping what she desired to close to the chest.
Some might be instinctively unnerved by the very appearance of her companion. Most might. The way he melted into the shadows, all but teeth and eyes disappearing, could have drawn a scream from a weak human's lips, she imagined. Her own reaction was very much the opposite, wishing instantly to reach out and test what she was witnessing, to find his shape in the darkness and see how solid it remained. This too, she kept to herself. Though he had been open so far to each of the pieces of knowledge she had given him, old habits are hard to break. She knew nothing other than the careful calculations and focused control, never mind the girlish ideas that had first fluttered in her mind those years ago. The real world, was no place for dreamers.
Or so she thought. Yet here she was, walking arm in arm with just that. He had no idea at all what stalked beside him. No clue what she was capable of, let alone what she had done. He should have kept walking that day, left her in the dirt. He should have run, the moment her gaze had fallen over him. Instead he pushed through, insistent on treating her almost...ordinary. It wasn't hard to see why. There was no possible way the world would have been any kinder to him, given his appearance alone. And yet, while he confessed of less than ideal times in his own past, it was clear he had found his place, that was the stark opposite of her own. He did more than tolerate her. And he asked for nothing.
He still glowed. But she, had given in to every expectation. Grown comfortably numb. It was instinct at this point, that when she saw a light in the dark she would snuff it out. It was easy. All she had to do, was shed the layers to reveal what waited beneath. The sharpest knife in her arsenal, was the truth. She had reached out her hand for him...and it had wavered. Hesitated. Instead she had crouched down beside the candle in the dark, watching the flickering flame and contemplating. It whispered to her promises of warmth, and she wasn't sure who was more cruel in this moment. Her for what she had become, or him for making her almost want to hope there could be anything else. She already knew how this would end. She would have no choice but to return to the hole she had crawled from. Settle into the comfort of familiar negativity. The truth was, the truth was, the truth was...instead she clung all the tighter to his arm.
"I'll have to return home sometime..." the statement lingered, laced with hesitation. Enough hesitation to earn a grin and cheeky remark,
"Well, you don't have to. You could always come home with me." he winked, the statement kept just playful enough to earn a laugh.
"I think poor Will would have a heart attack worrying!" she shook her head.
"That's what phone calls are for?" now at last she gave him a stern look, even if it was over an amused smile. He put up his free hand in show of surrender.
"Well, would you look at this!" his attention finally snapped to the world around them, the two had been wondering with no particular goal in mind. Simply enjoying the night air. The appearance of the two stepping into their path made their affiliation obvious. The tattoos and patches gave it away instantly.
"I'm not sure if they're more attracted to you, or to me at this point." she told Kurt, voice back to the neutral tones despite her eyes being narrowed.
"A little bit of both?" he matched her reaction. Cautious, annoyed, but not antagonistic. The two began to move towards them, but their movement ceased when she smiled.
"This time I'm not injured...allow me." she began to move forward, black bleeding into her eyes, the two men instantly holding their breaths though neither knew why the skinny woman terrified them. She barely broke contact when Kurt's hand reached out for hers, drawing her focus back to him. The two men could breath again, now that she wasn't looking directly at them.
"I don't think there is need for that, we can easily-"
"Let them find someone else to hurt?" his frown only deepened, both of their gazes returning to the men. She wasn't certain if he could feel it, but she could. The blood lust dripped off of them, anger and disgust twisting their insides and radiating hatred. If not them, it would be someone else. Kurt couldn't feel these things as tangibly as she could, but he knew more than enough to understand the situation. She was right. She did fall back a step though, leaning in to whisper to him,
"I have an idea." his grip on her released, and she strode forward with all the confidence her experience granted. Outwards it rippled, coiling around the boys like tangible serpents, she expected they would be able to feel the scales sliding across their skin. Even Kurt couldn't help but to shiver, the street lamp above him flickering out. The men were easily twice her muscle mass, but the closer she came the more they shrank back, instinct trumping the reasonable realization of physical differences. If they thought how she felt was bad, that was before she spoke. They heard the voice of a child, simultaneously innocent and sinister.
"Do you think I'm a mutant?" her head tilted with the question, and she gave them a moment to struggle and fail to answer. Then she continued, lifting a hand slowly towards the closer one's face, he flinched as if she meant to slap him.
"Not at all, my lovelies. The word you might use, is demon." her smile reflected the confession well enough that their terror spiked another few notches. That, she could feel.
"You might wonder why then, would I set my attention on you? Simple." she circled around them, and neither had enough sense to strike, both were struggling too hard to breath. After a complete circle, she stopped and addressed them again.
"Humans like you are my favorite meal. There's nothing quite as sweet as the fear of an evil man. Two, in fact. Every act of violence you have lived, that blood lust dripping off your skin, it calls to me. Draws me in. Reminds me of home." she sighed the last, once more teasing that she might touch one of them, but pausing instead to look back at Kurt.
"Wouldn't you agree?" that was all they needed. The moment her gaze left them, they were able to move again, jumping back. Stumbling over their own feat and each other, they didn't give her a chance to re-establish her spell or for him to answer. They ran, as fast as their legs could carry them. She let them go, and drew the disquiet back to linger over her skin.
"People like that are remarkably superstitious. I wonder if this might make them hesitate next time?" At least, that's an explanation she expected he would be pleased with. In truth she was indeed drawn to people like that. Their sin tugged and pulled and whispered to her. She enjoyed bringing men like that to their knees. There were few things as satisfying as a boisterous brute learning he wasn't the top of the food chain at all. But for now she let the satisfaction be explained away with the idea that perhaps the two had been frightened into turning over a new leaf.
"We could certainly hope so." he found his legs again, though was obviously not as pleased with the interruption, or the idea that they could still go back to their old ways. He wasn't quite convinced. Curious, perhaps her earlier observations wasn't accurate. He may just have more sense than she was giving him credit for. She made note to adjust her perspective accordingly.
"We could go chase them into a church?" she offered, which brought the smile back despite his shake of head.
"Nein, fraulein, I don't think that would be necessary. Though I see now why you tried to refuse my help initially. Minus the injury, did you have that situation under control after all?" she couldn't help but smirk, giving him his answer.
"And here I thought I'd been your knight in shining armor!" he lamented theatrically, complete with over the top body language. The very idea could have insulted her, but his presentation only transformed her smirk into a smile.
"Well, sometimes it's the thought that counts." she returned to his side, his next statement remaining playful enough. Or flirtatious instead of cautious?
"Perhaps I should be more careful if I'm going to pursue you?" he was leaning in instead of away, the mischievous nature that had slipped into his smile making her heart leap and face grow warm, though her voice didn't betray her.
"I think if I wanted to hurt you, I've had ample opportunity. You did eat my food." a casual remark about poison probably wasn't the best way to reassure, but it came far too easily from her tongue.
"What is it you want, then?" there was little space between them now, as perfect of a moment as any. But there were so many other ways to hurt someone, that had nothing to do with poison or physical blows. What she wanted was easy to figure out, but not as easy to accomplish. She didn't have it in her to rush forward without concern for the consequences. Instead she leaned forward more slowly, and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.
"For now, as much as I've enjoyed your company, I should probably head home." she put up a hand before he could argue, if jokingly, "Yes, I'm sure. Not that you make the choice an easy one." she prodded in return.
"Where would be the fun in that?" he winked, but relented to the request. She should probably not have done that. She should probably have run, if he wasn't going to. But it seemed both of them were just stubborn enough, to be determined to see where this would end up.