xp_logs | Kurt and Pietro, by the lake around midday

Pietro finds Kurt out by the lake, just about ready to make an important decision. Which he does.

He'd had a lot of time to think, over the last day or two. The final result of this seemed to be Kurt, sitting alone on the lakeshore, turning a certain thin-bladed knife over and over in his hands.

He had a decision to make, and it all hinged on what he did with that knife right now.

Out on his usual constitutional, Pietro spotted Kurt sitting by the lake and angled in; he'd been meaning to see how the other man was recovering from his sudden hospitalization, and now seemed as good a time as any.

"Wagner," he greeted Kurt as he pulled to a halt. "You're looking well." Another heartbeat, and Pietro's eyebrows climbed as the details registered. "Better than usual, in point of fact." The obvious explanation for the knife positively leaped to mind, but he decided to see what Kurt would say about it, if anything.

Kurt turned to look up at him, offering a half smile. "I imagine I am. Thanks to several people, though I cannot give details. They are not all mine to give. How are you, Pietro?"

"Oh, I'm not asking for details. It's not my job to find them out anymore, after all." Pietro's answering smile held a very slight twist. "I'm doing well enough. Progress continues to plod along. What brings you out here?"

"I had some thinking to do", was the simple answer. "The mansion tends to be a little noisy for such things, sometimes. Even in the night."

Pietro snorted. "Well, I can certainly understand that." After a thoughtful pause, he added "Would you like to talk about it?"

"I see no reason why not", Kurt said after a moment, looking out over the lake. "You will remember the scars I bore, before the accident?"

"They were distinctive, yes," Pietro replied, his voice dry but nonjudgmental. "And a bit too elaborate, I thought, to be accidental?"

"Not accidental at all", Kurt acknowledged with a nod. "They took no small time and effort to complete, in fact, one at a time. And now they are gone - the healing went a little further than I think anyone was expecting."

"My first instinct," Pietro said slowly, "is to congratulate you on the happy accident--but really, I suppose that depends on what they meant to you, and whether you're happy they're gone." He nodded toward the knife. "Since it would be fairly easy to conclude, from context, that you're wondering if you want to put them back."

Kurt laughed a little at that, humourlessly. "No one should ever tell you you are stupid, Pietro. The scars were there to mark my sins. But it is the New Year, and I have a new name, and I think, perhaps... it is time to leave sins and scars in the past."

"I'll tell Wanda you said so," Pietro replied with a quiet chuckle. "You, she might listen to." His expression flickered back to complete seriousness. "And I think, for whatever it's worth, that you're making the right decision. You have a rare chance here, and I for one would be disappointed if you didn't take advantage of it. Especially since everyone's likely to applaud your attempt to leave your past mistakes behind."

"Perhaps I should have said 'no one but your sister'", Kurt returned, nodding and pushing himself to his feet, the knife still in his hand. "It is a sibling prerogative, after all. And yes, I think they will." He turned, at that, looking out over the lake... and trying to pick a good spot, as far out as possible.

Pietro folded his arms and stood back, doing his best not to spoil the other man's personal moment--or his concentration. The lake wasn't entirely frozen over yet, but it would be a pity if a distraction made Kurt miss the water.

There. He'd done a little knife-throwing, in the past - in the circus, especially a small one, everyone tended to do a little of anything they had any talent for, and he had a good eye and a good arm - and the spot he was looking at was large enough he was confident of hitting it even after these years.

He drew his arm back, and threw.

Pietro tracked the knife's arc out over the lake, and knew before it was halfway to its destination that Kurt had thrown true. He waited until the sound of the splash had died away, the echoes lingering as if to honor the moment, before saying simply "Good throw."

Kurt smiled faintly, with a simple "Thank you." He looked for a moment or two longer at where the knife had been before, decisively, turning away. "I think... I will teleport back up to the house. Shall we see who arrives first? I can give you a short headstart if you like."

"A head start?" Pietro raised an amused eyebrow. "Please, Wagner, don't insult me. Count it off."

Kurt laughed - genuinely laughed - and began the count to three. On 'three', though there might have been a tiny hesitation after 'two', he was gone.

The smoke of his teleportation barely had time to form before it was whipped into nothing as Pietro also vanished.