*Chapter 4: Let The Lessons Commence*
Kurt awoke to the sound of his stall door opening. He immediately sat up and looked blinkingly at his surroundings. He momentarily forgot where he was at before he fully remembered. In a stall, in a Mystic Barn, on the estate of human called Mr. Blaine Anderson and the human gave him a name. Kurt. Kurt Anderson. His 'cousin' that sleeps in a stall. Lovely. Kurt shook his head and looked towards the stall door. No one stood in the doorway and it was wide open. Kurt blinked, rubbed at his eyes and yawned slightly remembering the sleep he had last night. He could not remember the last time he had a decent night sleep. He was actually worried about it though with his fellow brothers and sisters screaming but remarkably they were quiet throughout the whole night minus the ones who are naturally nocturnal that kept making noises but was at the same time kind enough to keep it quiet. Kurt stretched out his arms before him, like a cat, as he cracked the bones in his fingers and his toes. Next he stretched out his legs, openly enjoying the space he had in the stall.
He then stood and bent his back backwards for a moment. He stared at the open stall door and he cocked his head slightly. He inched closer to the door, enjoying the fact that shifters are silent walkers because they walk on their toes. He stopped right at the wood of the barn and looked out. No one. Not even the guards. Faintly he thought about running but with the collar around his neck he wouldn't survive without shifting. Kurt sighed and sat cross-legged right where he stayed. Not a second after he sat Blaine walked out of a room on Kurt's right holding a key in his hands. Kurt looked over the human. Instead of his fancy clothing he wore yesterday he wore a simple button up shirt and simple pants with overly inexpensive shoes. He looked almost like a stable boy if it was not for the fact that no one else had that same mop of curly black hair and his facial features are that of the rich Master Blaine. Blaine smiled down at the shifter.
"I had a feeling that you wouldn't run away." Kurt breathed out and squinted at the stall door of the unicorn. Blaine chuckled softly which brought Kurt's eyes back to him. Kurt watched as Blaine kneeled and reached out to him. Kurt leaned back to get away from the hand and Blaine retracted it back, a sad smile on his face. "You were so open yesterday…" Blaine said quietly. The sad smile then erupted into a grin suddenly that caught Kurt off guard. "You don't need to worry Kurt. I'm just going to take off that collar of yours." Kurt's eyes must have widened because Blaine chuckled again and raised the same hand that reached out to him before. "Allow me?" Kurt slowly leaned towards him and the hand came to rest on the collar, the tips of his fingers brushing against the shifter's skin which elicited a shiver out of the shifter. The other hand with the key came up and was inserted into the slot. With a well heard click the collar opened and Blaine pulled the collar away. This time Kurt raised a hand to his neck and rubbed it as he cracked his neck. The shifter shook his body out afterwards and looked at Blaine to award him with a small smile. "There." Blaine stood and threw the collar on the ground next to the door.
Pocketing the key Blaine looked up just as the Barn doors were opening to reveal the guards bringing in the breakfast for the Mystics who were in fact still sleeping. Behind the guards came Mercedes and Rachel wearing the same outfit from yesterday. They walked up to the two with huge smiles, both holding different objects. Rachel held in her hands a tray with human food for Kurt so he can practice table etiquette, if he does not attack the plate again like yesterday. In Mercedes' hands she held some blank paper, books, and a brand new pen. Kurt raised a brow, impressed. A pen may not seem like much to us humans of a different universe but in this one pens are a rare commodity and cost as much as a prized stallion. If a pen did not show how much money Blaine Anderson had, then a new pen he was giving to a Mystic for him to write does.
"Hey honey." Mercedes said as she walked into the stall and placed her things down on a ledge.
"Hello Kurt." Rachel said as she stood with the tray in her hands. "I have your breakfast but we're going to have to wait for Wes to come with the table and a chair."
Blaine shook his head. "You left Wesley with the heavy lifting?"
"Of course!" Rachel replied. "Mercedes and I are ladies, we may be servants, but we are ladies and ladies do not carry heavy things such as a table and a chair."
Blaine smiled but shook his head. "Poor Wes…"
"He can handle it." Mercedes said. "But I should go and help him I suppose." Mercedes started to walk away and Rachel turned to watch her go.
"Yes, you go and help Mr. Montgomery Mercedes."
"I don't want to hear it Mrs. Finn Obsessed." Mercedes called as she walked away.
Rachel giggled and turned back to face Blaine and Kurt. "So Master Blaine, what's on the agenda today?"
"We're going to start with his eating habits." Kurt looked at Blaine and raised a brow but Blaine ignored him. This was just like his 'can he retain information' line from yesterday. He does know eating etiquette it is just when you are hungry like he was and the food was right there… "Then we'll start with writing and the alphabet and that will be fairly all. I don't want to push all this information on him."
"That's probably for the best." Rachel agreed. "Then tomorrow we can try to teach him to walk flat on his feet." Kurt moved his gaze from Blaine to Rachel. He knows how to walk flat on his feet. He does truly. It is just nature to walk on his toes.
Blaine nodded in agreement. "Then we can teach him how to read and talk." Kurt nodded then. He did not know how to read so that did not sound very demeaning at all and of course he is mute and cannot form words and that would surely be useful.
"Then to dance."
"We need to get him to look the part of a human first Miss Berry. More importantly we need him to look like he's a cousin of mine."
"That shouldn't be that hard or expensive though. You are the richest in your family and thus he wouldn't have to wear such expensive clothing."
"Yes but need to give him a fake occupation then teach him about it so he can strike up conversation."
Rachel shook her head. "Master Blaine, you sound as if you don't think he could handle it."
"And you believe he can?"
"Yes actually. He's smart Master Blaine, just, uneducated." She paused. "And as for that fake occupation…" She tossed a glance at Kurt, cocking her head in thought. Kurt stared back at her, also cocking his head; she smiled at him in result. "To me he looks like he could be a doctor or perhaps a musician." Kurt sat up straighter and nodded excitedly. He loves music and sound. His mother had told him when they lived in the breeding facility that their family had been a musical one and played many songs from both human and Mystical lore. Rachel giggled, straightened her head and looked back at Blaine. "It looks like musician it is."
Blaine smiled in result. Since he owns a company that produces instruments, if they have the time, he could teach him how to play a guitar or a piano or both even. "Kurt Anderson, musician." Blaine nodded. "Has a nice ring to it wouldn't you agree Kurt?" Kurt smiled and nodded in answer.
At that moment Wes, wearing something similar to Blaine, and Mercedes came back into the Barn, Wes carrying a small table that would really only seat one and Mercedes carrying the chair. Without a word the two went inside the stall, Wes set the table up against the top left corner of the stall and Mercedes tucked the seat under it so when someone sits down their back is to the door. "There, now Kurt has a sitting area to practice and eat like a human." Mercedes commented as the two went out of the stall.
"Thank you Miss Jones for helping me." Wes said as he stood in his spot beside Blaine.
"It was my pleasure Mr. Montgomery." Rachel playfully nudged her in the arm with her elbow in which Mercedes reacted by ordering her to put the tray inside the stall. A giggling Rachel did as she was told and placed the tray on the table. "Come on honey." Mercedes said as she lifted Kurt up from the floor. "Let's teach you how to eat like a dignified human." Kurt rolled his eyes and went straight to the table.
Sitting down on the chair Kurt crossed his legs and looked down at the breakfast. Some oatmeal, a glass of juice and some fried bacon. He was joined by Rachel on his side, Mercedes behind her and Blaine and Wes standing in the doorway, and she was about to speak when Kurt took the napkin on the edge of the tray and laid it on his lap. Grabbing the spoon he gently dipped it into the oatmeal and lifted up the semi-full spoon, because you never fill your eating utensil in polite society, you take small, dainty bites, blew on it softly and placed the spoon in his mouth, chewing it quietly and then swallowing before he went back and spooned some more oatmeal into his mouth, following the same process. Rachel backed up and by this time Blaine and Wes were watching him eat, pleasantly surprised that he knew how to eat despite what happened yesterday.
Kurt ignored their gazes; it was starting to make him uncomfortable, and switched on to the bacon, placing the spoon down before hand. He grabbed the knife and fork and started to cut the bacon, because you never lift greasy food up with your fingers, it's unsanitary, stabbed a cut piece of bacon and lifted it into his mouth. He continued to eat the food, the humans watching on, slowly becoming thankful that they did not have to waste too much time on teaching him proper etiquette. Once Kurt was done and full, he had eaten it all, he drank the juice slow and peacefully and not like he would have wanted it, all in one gulp. Placing the empty glass down, he took his napkin off from his lap, cleaned his fingers and hands and gently wiped his mouth before placing it back on the tray. Feeling remotely proud of himself for showing off to these doubting humans he turned in his chair slightly and tossed a glance of arrogance to the humans, tilting his nose up at the end before turning back and crossing his arms before his chest.
Blaine erupted into laughter then causing all of them to turn to look at them. "Now I understand the phrase to never judge a book by its cover." Looking at Kurt he added. "And this book is no exception." The shifter smiled shyly and turned his head away. "Miss Berry, take away the tray and you and Miss Jones return back to the manor to resume your regular chores. Mr. Montgomery and I will remain here to continue teaching him."
"Yes Master Blaine." The women replied. Rachel quickly took the tray away, winking at Kurt as she did so, and followed Mercedes out.
By this time the guards were done filling up the other Mystics' feeding troughs and refilling their water and the said Mystics were starting to wake up and go towards the food. The screaming will not start until they are all fed.
"Let's begin shall we?" Blaine asked as he walked over to the things Mercedes had laid down. He grabbed the papers and a book and walked over to Kurt, placing the things down before him. This is when Kurt started to become nervous. He did not know how to read or to write and this would surely be difficult. Blaine opened the book to the first few pages to reveal that it was actually a children's book to learn how to write. Kurt felt himself being demeaned again but pushed that aside. "This is the alphabet." Blaine said simply as he passed his fingers along the length of the letters, upper and lower case. "The upper case letters are the larger ones and lower case is obviously the smaller letters. The upper case letters are used for names, or places, or important things." Kurt blinked and scowled. He knew that. He wants to learn how to write, he does not want the whole lesson. Listening to Blaine with one ear he reached for the pen and inspected it. Blaine chuckled and took the pen away. "Listen Kurt." Kurt rolled his and sighed, his head falling forward limply. It looks like he is to endure the whole lesson. After the whole lesson on letters and their importance in the English language Blaine handed Kurt the pen, clicking it so that he can use it. Kurt gripped the pen in his hands and Blaine's hand covered his as he fixed his hand into the proper position. Kurt felt himself blush as Blaine's hand moved over his. Kurt shook himself mentally. He and a human? There was no chance. He will be killed and Blaine would be jailed, or worse, killed. "Now," Blaine said releasing Kurt's hand and the chill of the air hit his now uncovered hand. "Try to copy the letters in this book on the paper."
Kurt sighed and placed the pen on the paper and dragged a hard, dark line on the paper as he tried to copy the first upper case letter. "Don't press the pen too hard Kurt." Wes said as he stood above him. "And don't worry about your writing matching that in the book. Every person's calligraphy is different." Kurt sighed again and moved the pen over to a clean space. Trying again Kurt softly moved the pen to form a very sloppy 'A' on the paper. The humans behind him did not say anything so Kurt continued, slowly and softly ruining the perfect letters that are in the book with his own inexperienced, sloppy letters. When he reached the letter 'F' the other Mystics had started their screaming and crying which made writing difficult so every letter starting from 'F' had gotten, remarkably, even sloppier. He finally reached the letter 'O' after nearly fifteen minutes on the other letters. Kurt started to feel guilty with taking up so much time of the humans who are so kind of them to teach him. He wrote out a squiggly 'O' follow by a near identical 'o'. Kurt groaned. He could not even get the easiest letters to be somewhat recognizable. Wes chuckled. "At least you made them to look alike." Kurt blushed bright red in embarrassment as he stopped writing out the letters.
"At least he's trying Wesley." Blaine said softly. The human bent and at the waist and looked at Kurt who looked at him through his eyelashes. "Now, don't listen to Wes here. Calligraphy is very hard to learn and you haven't had the liberty to constantly look at this type of writing to get an idea on how it's supposed to look. I wouldn't be surprised if this took all four months for you to learn, maybe even more."
Kurt smiled faintly and decided to start back up again as Blaine straightened. It took another fifteen minutes to finish up the alphabet. Kurt groaned and placed the pen down, rubbing his fingers and hand and inspected the blisters that appeared on his skin. Blaine simply turned the papers he used around and pushed them back in his direction. "Start over." He said with hardly any emotion.
"But Master Blaine… He has blisters…" Wes said trying to defend the shifter.
"And we only have four months."
"But you said—"
"That it might take more than four months to teach him how to write. And be that as that may I don't want to take so long on the matter. We have other important things to teach him, specifically how to talk, but to do so he at least needs to know his alphabet." Towards Kurt he said "Now when you're writing them again you're going to try and sound them out." Kurt breathed out and shook his hand out before reluctantly taking the pen in his hands again. "Now the letter 'A'…"
"Ah…" Kurt sounded out as he sloppily wrote the 'A'. "Ah…" He sounded again as he wrote the lowercase form.
When Kurt reached the letter 'T' Wes left to retrieve some drinks for the three of them and some cream for Kurt's hands. Meanwhile the lesson continued and it once again took another fifty minutes or so to get to the end of the alphabet. "And the letter 'Z'…"
"Zeh… Zeh…" Releasing the pen and letting it fall onto the table Kurt cradled his hand to his chest as he rubbed it with his other hand. There were now even more blisters on his hands.
Blaine took up the papers and placed them under the book before pushing more papers towards him. "Again."
Kurt shook his head, his hand throbbing. "Neh…" He sounded out, trying to say 'no'. "Neh…"
"Kurt, again." Blaine urged again.
"Neh!"
"Again." Blaine said strongly taking the pen and holding it out to the shifter. Kurt shook his head again, eyes slammed shut.
Wes came in just in time and handed Blaine a glass of water and going to Kurt's side. "Here, have some water." Kurt took the glass with his un-blistered hand and quickly gulped down the water, handing the empty glass to Wes. Wes put the glass up and ignored his own glass that he rested on a ledge and pulled out a packet of cream from his pocket. "Here," Wes said uncapping the container. "Rub this on your hand. It should help a bit." Kurt opened his hand and Wes gasped. "God Master Blaine…" Wes said softly as he squeezed a good amount onto the Mystic's hand. "What were you thinking asking him to do it again?" Blaine looked away in response. Wes sighed as he watched the Mystic rub the cream into his hands. "We should let him rest for now Master Blaine. We'll return later in the day to continue his lesson." Blaine sighed and walked out of the stall without a word. Wes looked at the Mystic who was now slumping over the table. "Please excuse the master Kurt. He… He just doesn't want to see you go to Karofsky. He won't treat you well that man. All his Mystics are barely alive and all he's concerned with is beating Master Blaine in their challenge that they have." Kurt did not even move. Wes sighed once more and recapped the container before putting it on the ledge before Kurt. "If it continues to hurt just put a bit more on your hand and rub it in." Wes grabbed his glass of water and gulped it down before taking Kurt's empty one and walking out, closing and locking the stall door behind him.
Kurt finally released the breath he has been holding since he finished drinking his water and opened his eyes, letting tears fall onto the papers and the table. He continued to rub his hand under the table, his hands resting on his lap. Kurt let himself cry over the pain in his hand for a moment or so before shaking his head and rubbing his eyes dry. He got out of the chair and paced around the stall. There was one window and the sunlight shone in making him feel warm. Finding no other thing to do but pace and make himself crazy from his pacing he threw his arms threw the iron bars, the same ones that are on his door but older, and let them hang out of the window, his face pressed up against the bars. He sighed and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth from the sun. He only had his eyes shut for a fraction of a minute before a neigh from across the way reached his ears.
Lifting his arms out and turning around he saw that the unicorn once again had her head out and had her head slightly turned. She neighed again, though this time it was not to get his attention, it was a concerned neigh. Kurt walked to the door and looked at the bars that were still glowing. Ignoring the shocks he placed his hands on the bars and looked at the unicorn. She neighed again. He nodded in response to her question; 'Are you okay shifter?'
Clearing his throat he neighed back. 'I'm fine… My hands hurt.'
The unicorn nickered in response. 'And why do they hurt shifter?'
Kurt sighed and neighed back. 'The name's Kurt and they hurt because I'm learning how to write.'
She whinnied in response; a laugh. 'You're trying too hard to become a human shifter.' She obviously ignored his name.
'I don't want to go to Karofsky. I hear he's a bad man.'
'Karofsky? Oh yes he's a bad man alright, and I haven't even met him personally. But what does he have to do with you learning how to write?'
'Blaine and Karofsky made a bet. I have to be mistakable as a human by the Christmas Eve Gala or else I go with him and Blaine has to pay 5,000 pounds to him too.'
'And what does Blaine get if he wins?'
'Karofsky has to pay for everything Blaine did to get me more "human-like".'
The unicorn whinnied again. 'This particular human doesn't need more money.'
'Maybe it was the only thing Karofsky could give that was of any value to a man like Blaine.' The unicorn nodded and Kurt sighed, removing his hands from the bars because it was starting to really hurt. He inspected them quickly and after seeing no burn marks he looked back up at the unicorn. 'Excuse me, unicorn, do the rest of the Mystics here call Blaine by his first name too?' Kurt neighed out.
The unicorn whinnied and shook her head. 'The others are wild or first generations, they call him Tyrannical or Anderson or Tyrannical Anderson and so on and so forth.' The unicorn paused. 'I'm a second generation and I'm smart enough to realize that this is possibly the best place to be in right now. Not even the wild is safe. You'll just be recaptured again in a matter of weeks.'
'I'm a fourth generation.' Kurt neighed, trying to relate. The unicorn remained silent and Kurt turned and was about to pace again when a neigh brought him back to turn around.
'My name is Scarlota.' She neighed out.
Kurt smiled. 'Scarlota… It's a pretty name.' She did not reply and Kurt found himself sitting back on the chair in a matter of seconds. Rubbing his hands Kurt looked at the open book before him. Even Scarlota said that Karofsky is a bad man and she has not even met him personally. Kurt sighed and straightened his back. He concluded that he did not want to go to Karofsky and he agreed with Scarlota, the wild was not the best place to be in right now, no matter what the other Mystics in this barn may think. Kurt picked up the pen and started to practice his calligraphy while he sounded out the letters.
*Chronicle of the Mystics*
Hours later Blaine and Wes came back, along with both Rachel and Mercedes with Kurt's lunch. When Blaine unlocked the stall door and opened it Kurt stood up from the table quickly and turned to face the humans, holding his latest writing in his hand, blood from the blisters dripping onto the paper and onto the stall floor. "Kurt!" The women erupted. Rachel handed the tray to Wes and rushed with Mercedes over to the shifter. They tried to look at his hands but Kurt shook his head and walked between them and straight up to Blaine where he lifted up the mediocre calligraphy to his face. But that was not what surprised Blaine. Kurt turned the paper over to reveal that he had spelled his name, correctly, by sounding out his name, even the last name. "K-Kurt A-And-ders-son." Kurt stuttered out, sighed deeply when he finished.
Blaine looked up from the blood stained paper to look at the shifter in the eyes, which were a shivering green at that moment. "You never cease to amaze me shifter."
Kurt crossed his arms before his chest. Wes spoke for Kurt. "He wants you to apologize for what you did to him earlier."
"What did he do to my Kurt?" Mercedes hollered.
Ignoring her Blaine smiled softly at Kurt. "Kurt, I apologize for forcing you to write when your hand was in pain." Kurt nodded once stiffly and let his arms drop to his side. "But please…" Blaine reached out and took the Mystic's bleeding hand in his and with his other hand Blaine took the paper out of his hands to inspect the bleeding hand. "Please don't do this again to yourself." Looking up once again Blaine raised a brow at the Mystic. "I'll tell you what. I won't push you, and you won't hurt yourself pushing yourself. Deal?"
Kurt pursed his lips together in thought and then smiled as he removed his hurt hand and raised his other hand. Blaine gripped the hand and gave it a good shake before releasing it. The two let their arms fall back to their side. Kurt was then pulled back by Rachel as she then inspected the bleeding hand with Mercedes. "We need bandages and rubbing alcohol." Rachel said to Mercedes.
"I'll run off and get them. Don't let him eat before I come back." Mercedes said as she rushed out of the stall.
Rachel scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Let him eat with a bleeding hand? How stupid does she think I am?"
Blaine watched with guilt as Rachel continued to cradle Kurt's hand in both of hers. Wes beside him, still holding the tray, told him "Don't feel guilty Master Blaine. You couldn't possibly know that he was going to do this. It's not your fault. Only his." Blaine nodded slowly but still couldn't help the guilt as he watch the Mystic's blood slowly drip onto the floor.
Chapter four complete! Blaine got a little bit crazy with the calligraphy there for a moment but he learned his lesson and it looks like Kurt made a new friend! Scarlota the unicorn from across the way! Yay! Lol.
PLEASE REVIEW! The fate of the world rests in your reviews!