Cadence wondered for a moment if he was on drugs. Who: Princess Cadence and Kurt Wagner When: During the Wonderland Plot Where: Kurt’s place What: Strangeness Rating: Low-ish, mentions of mutant powers and porn on the television. o.o Status: Complete!
Cadence was freaked out about everything. A lot of the girls who lived in her House had already left to go home, and the ones who were left were either leaving to stay with friends or boyfriends. The place felt empty. Cadence could have gone home to her father’s house. In fact, that’s what she’d climbed into her car and prepared to do. She had the engine running and the radio on (even though it was playing nothing but static) but once she put the car in drive and pulled away from the curb, she changed her mind. She took another route.
Without thinking, she ended up in front of Kurt’s place. Before she realized that’s where she was going, she had her bag over her shoulder and headed up to the front door to ring the bell.
The bell, when rung, sounded like ducks quacking. Kurt opened the door, his face scrunched up at the sound of the bell and the general state of everything. "Liebchen? Thank gott." He pulled her inside as a cabbage cruiser cop car drove by.
Cadence allowed herself to be tugged inside, feeling a little numb from panic and confusion. She wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his chest. “Thank God you’re not a mushroom or something.” She said, then sighed, trying to let the relief wash over her.
“Then you could lick me and get silly,” Kurt replied, grinning playfully. He briefly wondered if that would be included in the ‘going too fast’ thing then pushed it out of his mind. His expression grew serious. “Are you all right?”
Cadence flushed, but pushed those thoughts aside. She would have joked something back if she hadn’t freaked out the last time they’d... and then she’d gotten her period, so she knew everything was safe. They were safe. “I’m fine. I’m... scared. Numb. I don’t know what’s going on, and it’s terrifying, but...” She shrugged one shoulder. “Do you have any hot chocolate? Marshmallows? That’s what I want right now.”
“I have both. Vhy don’t you sit down on the couch and I vill bring you some.” Just smelling her was enough to make all his senses go crazy. She was like some kind of aphrodisiac. He walked into the kitchen, grabbing some hot cocoa mixes and making her one with extra chocolate. And marshmallows.
“Okay.” Cadence squeezed him a little more tightly, then let go and moved to the sofa to sit down, dropping her bag onto the floor at her feet. “It’s so weird. What is it? Do you have any idea?” She paused for a moment. “It’s not dangerous, is it?”
“I don’t know. I’ve dreamed of living islands that tried to eat me, and other things like that.” Kurt replied, handing her the mug and taking a seat next to her. “Often, these things seem to be much vorse than appearances.
“Then this must be old hat to you,” Cadence said, trying to tease playfully. But it didn’t come across the way she wanted it to. Her voice sounded too small, too scared. “Do you... do you think I can stay with you for a few days? Until all of this blows over?”
“You can stay vith me as long as you’d like.” There was a lot more implied in Kurt’s words than their base meaning. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her lightly, before hugging onto her tightly.
Cadence moved with him, letting him tug her into his lap. She wrapped her arms around him, returned his gentle kiss, then rested her head against his shoulder. “Thank you.” She paused for a moment, listening to his heartbeat. “What were you doing before I knocked? Nothing important, I hope.”
“I vas just trying to convince the pots and pans to let me cook something for dinner,” Kurt replied, chuckling softly. He was already distracted by the scent of Cadence, and pressed his nose into her neck.
His nose in her neck gave her goosebumps. She finally broke into a grin. “I’ll cook you dinner, Kurt.”
“I love you.” He turned her head and kissed her. “Vhat vill ve eat, then?”
“I love you, too.” Cadence managed to sneak in before the kiss. She returned it, gently. “What do you have in your cupboards?” She asked. She’d slowly been leaving things here over time. With every meal she left behind spices and dried goods, so she could have the extra materials here to cook with when she visited. “Do you have some chicken? Pasta? Beans?”
“Yes, yes, and yes.” Kurt wondered if some day she’d end up leaving herself here. He wasn’t sure he’d complain. No, he’d perfectly happily welcome her.
Cadence nodded. “Then I can make something.” She gave him a grin, and climbed off of his lap. The kitchen was becoming a sort of a second home to her, anyway. Or third, maybe, as she had a home with her father, and a home at the Sorority House, and now here. She pulled her hair up into a twist, tied it there, then dug her apron out of the drawer where she’d left it.
Kurt walked in after her. He wanted to watch her move. He wanted to touch her, hug her, kiss her. He wanted to make love to her. He settled with watching her.
Cadence started moving around the kitchen. She found canned tomatoes, beans, and dried pasta in the pantry, and some chicken in the freezer. She could make a pretty yummy pasta, especially with the herbs and spices she had in his cupboard. It wasn’t until she had things about half-way finished that she noticed he was watching her. She flushed.
“Staring, are we?”
“Vhy shouldn’t I? I have one of the most beautiful girlfriends in the vorld.” Kurt grinned at her, slipping closer and putting his arms around her.
Cadence closed her eyes and leaned back against him, his arms around her waist, her back against his chest. She brought her hands down to wrap her arms over his. “I love you,” she breathed. And it was very true. She found that the only place she wanted to be in that moment was in his arms.
“Make that the most beautiful of all,” he replied, good naturedly. “I vas going to put on an Errol Flynn marathon but the dvd player kept spitting the disc out and complaining.”
"Maybe it wants to watch The Princess bride instead. " Cadence said, smirking softly. She pulled out of his arms, reluctantly, to finish cooking.
“I tried that one, but it spit it out too. I’m not sure vhat it vants to vatch!” He hoped nothing too naughty, for Cadence’s sake.
“Hmm. Well, just keep trying until it doesn’t spit one out?” She suggested, stirring the chicken in the frying pan. “I’ll finish up here and bring the bowls in so we can eat on the sofa?”
“All that’s left is the porn,” Kurt joked! He laughed, disappearing out into the living room.
Cadence blinked after him. ...he was joking. Must be joking. Right? She turned back to the stove when the chicken spat at her and caught her attention.
Five minutes later, she was carrying two large bowls of delicious-looking pasta out into the living room. She settled down on the sofa and held his bowl out to him. “What did the dvd player like?”
Kurt turned to her, blushing. “Ah...I did not put that in. I assure you.”
On the television, a man and a woman were very much enjoying each other.
Cadence hadn’t noticed what was on the screen until he mentioned it. She looked up and her face fell into one of shock. Then her cheeks flushed. “Oh, um...”
Kurt tried to turn it off, but the tv refused, and the dvd player started giggling. It sounded like a mad chipmunk, which on top of the sound from the tv was disconcerting.
Well, at least it was a man and a woman. Cadence couldn’t tear her eyes away, though, as they moaned and thwapped against each other. It was like a train wreck. “...Maybe unplug it?” She asked, then swallowed. “Or... maybe we can just... go to the other room...”
Kurt lifted the unplugged cable. “Another room, ja.” It was a position he really, really wanted to try, but knew it would have to wait. Kurt was a patient man. Usually.
Cadence collected the dinner dishes and moved into the bedroom. She was feeling a little hot and bothered from the porn, but it wasn't too bad.
His eyes followed the way Cadence moved, and he groaned to himself, disappearing back into the kitchen and then shoving his head in the freezer. For reasons.
Cadence settled on his bed to eat her supper, leaving his on the bedside table. This... whatever it was that was going on outside... was strange and frightening, and Cadence couldn’t get the image of those two people on the video... what they were doing... she gave a little sigh and leaned back against the headboard, shifting a bit. Her lower abdomen was twisty.
Kurt walked in. He’d grabbed two sodas for them, and sat down in a chair next to the bed. “I suppose ve vill have to entertain ourselves, ja?”
“I suppose.” Cadence said, brightening a little bit at the sight of him coming in. She sat up in her spot against the headboard and gave him a smile. “What did you have in mind?”
“Charades!”
Cadence laughed. “Does charades even work with two people?”
“No, but ve can try!” He picked up his plate to start to eat. “At least after ve eat. This smells vonderful. I should never let you go.”
Cadence flushed deeply. “I’d be okay with that.” She said, then continued eating. They could absolutely try. The more time between them and the porn in the other room, the better.
Eventually, he finished eating, setting his plate aside and getting to his feet, stretching. “Okay..I haven’t played charades in four years.”
“That’s all right.” Cadence set her own plate aside, and picked up her soda. “It’s like riding a bicycle, I think.”
“Many things are like riding a bicycle.” He gave her a flirty grin.
“Yeah?” She asked, grinning at his grin. Her mind hadn’t gone to a naughty place. “Like what?”
“Fishing,” he replied. “Football..er, Soccer for you. Sex.”
Cadence flushed deep pink. “Oh. Right. Sex.” She said, smiling bashfully. “...let’s not have charades about that.”
“Charades about that von’t be very fun. Not like the real thing.” He went over to his closet, and pulled some things down. That way they could have some ideas to do Charades with.
She watched him. The way his body moved always impressed her. It was fluid, like a dancer. He was so handsome, and his body so athletic. She paused.
“Your ears.” She said, after a moment. They looked different today.
“Vhat about them?” Kurt looked at Cadence with a puzzled expression on his face.
“They look different.” She climbed up from the bed and crossed the room to where he was standing. Her hand lifted to touch his ear. “...pointy.”
“Verdammt,” Kurt said, turning and rushing into the bathroom. He moved his hair looking at his ears. They were indeed pointy. He opened his mouth, and some of his teeth matched. In the light of the bathroom, his hair had a subtle blue sheen to it. “Impossible!”
Cadence watched him rush off, then slowly followed. She paused, leaning against the doorframe of the bathroom. “What is it?”
He turned to look at her. “My teeth, too. And my hair is...almost blue.” Kurt ruffled his own hair, which had gone from black to a sort of raven-black.
Cadence stepped forward and lifted her hand to run her fingers through his hair. “...did you dye it?” She asked. Though, that wouldn’t explain his teeth or ears.
“Nien. I’ve never dyed it. Maybe it has to do with..the craziness outside, ja?”
“Ja?” His toothbrush repeated.
“Maybe.” Cadence was a little worried that his toothbrush or hairbrush might start making obscene noises. She turned to head back into the bedroom, then sat down on the bed. “...I like it, whatever caused it.”
He came in after her. “Ja? really?” He was worried it would get worse. That he’d look like he would in the dreams. It had taken a lot of time for him to become comfortable in his skin. He wasn’t sure how long it would take here.
“Really.” Cadence said, lifting her hand and beckoning him over to the bed. Any thought of Charades was gone from her head now. “Come here.”
He sat down next to her, looking into her eyes. “In my dreams, I’m blue all over, and vith a tail.” There was concern in his voice. He didn’t want to become something she’d hate.
“Blue skin?” Cadence asked, lifting a hand to run her thumb over his cheek. That would be a bit of a shame. He had such beautiful skin. She wouldn’t mind, though. As much as she loved the way he looked, she loved his insides a whole lot more than his outsides. He was kind, and funny, and gentle. And he loved her. That may have been what she loved most about him. He truly, honestly loved her.
“Very short fur. Soft, I’m told,” Kurt replied. “You could ask Katchen - Kitty. She seems to know me better than I know myself.”
Cadence paused. “Fur?” She asked, her thumb moving against his cheek once more before it fell. “...like... like a cat?”
“A short hair, perhaps.” What if he actually got the fur? What would he do then? Would she even still want him? “I got called the blue fuzzy elf.”
“Blue fuzzy elf?” Cadence asked. “I kinda like that.” She admitted, blushing a bit. “...I’d have to see it, though. I think I’d like you with blue fur.” She added, finally meeting his eyes again.
“...I hope you do,” he replied, quietly, and put his hands on her cheeks, stroking them with his fingers. “If it happens.”
“Do you think it will?” Cadence knew very little about the dreams, and hadn’t met anyone who had physical changes from them. She hadn’t had any of the dreams herself, either. She wondered if she was going to start having these weird dreams.
“My ears are pointed, ja? It might...” He wondered if he’d have the powers, and looked down at his hands. Kurt thought about teleporting.
Suddenly.
BAMF
There was the smell of sulfur and a blinding purple and black flash, and he was gone.
Cadence coughed, lifting her hand to wave whatever that was away, then jumped to her feet and stared. Kurt was gone. Just... gone. “Kurt?” She asked, trying not to panic. “Kurt??”
“Verdammt!” His voice was from somewhere nearby, and there was a crashing in the living room. Kurt tripped over the table and stumbled end over end and onto the couch.
Cadence gave another little cough--that sulfur smell was strong--and bolted into the living room. “Kurt?!” She asked, raising her voice to compete with the porn sounds coming from the television.
“I’m here. Mein gott I just... teleported!” Kurt ran his hands through his hair, clearly freaking out.
Cadence was a little confused. More than a little confused. And she looked a little frightened. Maybe it was because of the Wonderland strangeness. She had no idea. “...what happened?” She asked, torn between wanting to go comfort him and being a little afraid to.
“In my dreams, I can..move between places, instantly. As long as I can see vhere I am going or know vhat is on the other side,” he explained, eyes still widened. He was a little afraid, but he didn’t show it.
“...how?” Cadence’s brow was furrowed with confusion. She was trying to understand. “...This is something you do in your dreams? Some sort of power?” She’d read about people getting powers from their dreams, but...
“Ja. It’s something from my dreams.” He lifted his shirt up and looked back, down towards his butt. No tail. Thank god.
He was acting really strange. Cadence wondered for a moment if he was on drugs. She hadn't seen him take anything. And there was nothing strange in the pasta...
"Kurt," she said, cautiously, "what's going on?"
“My friends have shown me incredible things,” Kurt said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. “I never really let myself believe it. Even vhen I saw vith my own eyes. My best friend has claws in his hands.”
Cadence blinked. “Claws in his hands?” She asked, now seriously concerned for his mental health.
Kurt pointed just above his knuckles. “Here, here and here. It’s a … mutation? I think that’s the best vord for it.”
"A mutation." Cadence repeated. She didn't believe it. There must be some mass hallucinations going on.
Kurt brought his fingers up to his pointed ears. “That’s vhat it’s called in the dreams. We’ve shared some of them, in fact.”
Shared hallucinations? Now Cadence was having them, too. Seeing his pointed ears. She wasn’t sure what to make of it all. She moved over to sit in the chair next to the sofa, now acutely aware of the porn still playing on the television.
Kurt solved the porn problem, by turning the tv around and using pillows to try to muffle it. He turned and looked at her, feeling awkward. What could he say about any of this?
“I just...” She sighed. “I just wish things were normal.” Maybe she should never have had sex with him. That seemed to be the start of all this strangeness. Though, the blue flu took Luis before that. That was really the start. The blue flu. Maybe everyone was now sharing hallucinations because of the virus.
He looked at her a little helplessly. He couldn’t explain any of this. Not what he’d seen with his own eyes, or what was happening to him. He genuinely feared he would lose her.
“You’re not going to...” She paused. “Are you going to do it again? Just... disappear?”
“Not on purpose. Not until I can control it, anyvay.” Kurt put his hands into his pocket.
Cadence nodded. “Well.” She said, softly. “I hope you can control it soon.” For his sake, mostly. For his own sanity. She still didn’t know if it was really real. Any of it.
“Ja...” Kurt said quietly. “Ja, I hope I can.”
Cadence finally climbed up from the chair and cleared her throat. “Well, I’ll go take care of the dinner dishes.” She said, giving him a small, forced smile, then turned to head into the bedroom.