howling;

                                         Questa rolled her eyes. Her anger was legendary, it had managed to get her kicked out of plenty of schools over the years. It was completely irrational and there didn’t seem to be a source for it. But still she embraced it. The dark-haired girl treated her fury like an old friend; caressed it, loved it, treated it well. It sat in the center of her being, like this vast blackness of hate and ire. Whatever it was, it was endless. There was always more anger for her to unleash, a bottomless supply. 

                                         She was in no way stupid, but that fury took over and took all her rationality away. In all actuality, Questa was quite enjoyable to be around. But that was not always easy to see. Her personality kept many at bay. The lack of control over her temper was always something that ended friendships before they ever began. While constantly in arguments, she rarely would give into the urge for physically violent displays of her ire. It usually ended with acrimony. 

                                                       “ Sheesh. I didn’t mean to hit a nerve. What is it about this school that makes everyone so grumpy? Is it something in the water? I don’t think I need more reasons to be bitchy. So what happened to you? “

                                                                                                      But at least it wouldn’t get any worse than how it already is. For the attitude and sharpness of words didn’t let up on her end but she hadn't said anything to cause him to snap. So that was enough for him to not give up either -- but that's because his temper was involuntary thing if that's the way to put it. Since, it was like Adam is definitely a grumpy person, considered too harsh or has more bite to him than necessary. He wasn’t really inviting or seemed anti social and quiet. When provoked, his anger was something that shouldn't be messed with given the severity. He can see red with no end. His actions when fueled by the rage can be relentless and unforgiving. However the moment he realized he did wrong because of the particular emotion, the boy will let up and feel guilty for his actions.

                                                That however wouldn’t be enough however. For his temper gets him all terrifying and his usual demeanor already deemed him unfit to be around others. So if he wanted to befriend somebody, there was something that make somebody stir clear before they even realize that there's a lonely heart of gold hidden amongst the thorns. Yet, it's not like he cared for that though. Being better off alone was suited for a monster like him anyways. So with the response that he received, one composed of defensive tone --- he merely stubbornly denied her of an answer.

                                                   Since it’s not like she really has to know why here...

SEND A SYMBOL FOR MY MUSE’S REACTION TO YOURS:

▼ kissing them

♢ stabbing them

♞ shooting them

✖ punching them

➶ slapping them

☠ poisoning them

☎ hugging them

☂ picking them up

✗ bringing them alcohol

✣ bringing them food

☯ coming home late

“’Caged’ seems a little cruel.” She murmured, pushing around a cherry in the melty liquid in her bowl with her spoon. “I mean, I know they like to keep us under control here, but you shouldn’t cage a ten year old.” The corners of her mouth tugged down further. “Hell of a way to destroy someone’s humanity… treating them like a rabid dog.”

He was quiet for a moment, thinking, and she waited patiently for him to say something further. She didn’t mind if he didn’t, but she figured she’d give him the chance to. When he did, his voice was rough, guarded, as if he didn’t want to say what he was saying at all. She looked up, meeting his clear blue eyes as he spoke.

“Oh…” She breathed, her chest aching softly. A tiny hand crept across the table to rest her fingertips on his hand for the briefest of moments before she withdrew again. “It’s okay. You don’t have to answer all my questions. You don’t even have to give me a reason. I know I have too many. ‘Shut up, Toulouse.’ is fine.” She said in a rush, unsure of what to do with what she’d caught a glimpse of in him.

                                                                                                      But overall even though it wasn’t a sheer shutting out, it was that nevertheless. Adam wasn’t going to let her in any amount. It was only in his nature to remained protected in his lonely and cold castle – it’s all he has ever known. Keep it in, keep it to himself, do everything alone, push everything and everyone out – sure, it was definitely not healthy since you only find everything eating you up on the inside if you don’t let it go. It’s probably a good reason for some of his emotional problems like his poor self esteem and anger issues. However, it’s the only thing that made sense to him. For he was so unsure how to let anybody in for so long that loneliness feels most at home regardless it’s not the best at all. Don’t worry about it though – just like a delicate rose, give it the right care and you get it blooming to you. He’ll open up. He had to eventually. It was simple as that if you treat the lonely little puppy right. So until then as Toulouse responded to him, the gates to the desolated place called his heart were not letting any visitors today. His words and tone, quiet as they may be, were going to reflect that to the fullest.

                                                “Hmm. It seemed appropriate to me. I mean -- if something was like that, a rabid dangerous dog, you wouldn’t want it loose about anyways. It's better off alone and so... ”

                                                And then it was nothing but silence for a while. After all that was spoken by him, his gaze drew away from the redhead. A part of him was wondering and lingering about why was he here when by himself is what was the better thing for him. For yeah, he did get mad at her. He did extensive damage to a tree. He had to do something to owe her back so he opted yes to come along. However, it was different circumstances being shown here. He, the insecure boy inside his heart, wasn’t getting uneasy about this — and that was going to deepen even more. For the girl was the one who finally broke with a single word but what she did after got him. His hand, clutched into a neutral fist position, was soon touched by hers. Dainty little fingers found their place on the top of it, a gesture of care and understanding, and it got him looking back immediately even though it was for a few moments. A pretty much confused expression that glistened Well in his pretty baby blues, it wouldn’t last long however. Just a few seconds like the action displayed, it was there that she begins to go at make better with the situation. Her string of sentences came out as a slight uncertain rush. For everything seemed sadder in some fashion and she wanted to remedy that at making him go at innermost emotions and feelings. That was something he didn’t say anything back to. Adam merely noted it and whatever she was meaning to do before he was back answering her in his usual stern and stoic tone of voice.

His answer disappointed her, was that all he was going to say, or maybe it wasn’t the right thing to ask. “You sure about that, you don’t seem so convinced.” She smiled at him, she might as well try again, there was no-one else around to talk to. Not to mention he seemed friendly enough.

                                                                                                      Ugh. How much of a mess did Adam actually looked here? He knew that he definitely didn't look normal here. People would question for sure given the lacking of his shirt, the slight dirt smudges on his right arm predominantly, and his scruffed up dirty blonde hair. It didn’t necessarily help either to his case that he looked so fatigued. The shadows underneath his eyes signified that greatly and it all together threw the girl into a state of surprised when the two were before each other. Her gaze grew and reflected that particular emotion first before the glistening of curiosity was present in them. That was enough to get him self conscious about his image. His hand goes to his locks, only to be run through them a few times just to fix it up. From there after he felt like his hair is acceptable, it then moved to his arm. His fingers rubbed against the dirt in order to wipe them out of existence --- or at least near existence.

                                                Now as he was finishing up these series of tasks, it looked like the brunette wasn’t done with him quite yet. Since it looked like she was wanting more of an answer from him, the young man couldn’t help but to look back at her once more. His azure orbs gave attention to his limbs to her while he went back to a neutral posture again, all in seriousness --- well, it wasn’t like he was going to have any other look to that certain part of his face. Always so stern and guarded, it was there that he confirmed the answer that he gave initially. For Mister Duncan wasn’t much of a talking type and he was sure a private person. So with that, there wasn’t much to this response either this time around. .

Unconsciously, she leaned forward slightly, inviting him to continue if he wished, showing him that he had her complete attention. It was a motion she’d picked up from her mother, the school counsellor. “That had to have been really difficult. I mean, to be like, ten, and dumped with a bunch of sixteen or seventeen year olds here.” She frowned slightly, wondering how anyone could have done that to their grandson.

Her own grandmother was a human, but she’d raised a mutant daughter and three mutant grandchildren as if it were the most normal thing in the world. It was she that had enrolled her grandchildren in the academy one by one as they manifested their mutations, and it had been she that never lost faith that Toulouse was as special as her siblings, despite her late start.

“I was fifteen when I sort of… blew up… in art class.” She shared quietly, taking a bite of her rapidly melting ice cream. “My siblings found out earlier… and I just kind of figured I took after my dad–human, y’know. And so this is sort of new to me still. I can’t imagine finding out something like that so early.”

                                                                                                      It looked like this conversation was going to dwell deep in the touchy feely topics. For now that she got family and his duration here, everything was so serious. The mood was dampened from what was supposed to be a make up for unsightly tempers into a therapy session of sorts. At least with this, Adam was saying something. Not very detailed and lacked of information because he was uncomfortable with that in general so don’t expect him to spill much, he was giving responses back. Answers about his past, something that usually stays locked away in the isolated castle called his heart, in ways that were okay for now – it was definite progress than anything before. It wasn’t like his options could go much though as he took another scoop of his ice cream. It was either not say anything or say something to avoid answering the questions just to make things awkward or at least say something to what she asked in a way that was comfortable to him at the most even though it didn’t give her a clear picture. It would have made no sense to follow her this far without engaging in conversation in necessary required ways while they were eating frozen creamy treats. If anything, Adam could opt out the moment lines were crossed. Just not say anything for back up move whenever he couldn’t answer, that would get it across to Toulouse as she leaned in closer towards him. Her lips frowned slightly. His guarded blue hue darted at her in noticing for her actions — a little habit he can’t shake due to the predatory instincts embedded in him. The young man picked that she would listen to him while she was getting to know him slowly. Her response to his answer was spoken with a sense of sympathy to each word. That wouldn’t be what was needed to know everything — oh no. One had to fully earn their place in his heart to see the boy both inside and out over time. Not a simple thing at all, the boy soon returned his own string of sentences back to her. For it wasn’t that bad to say something...now.

                                                “Eh. It’s not like I was better out with others there though. Better if I was contained somewhere, caged somewhere given the circumstances. And it wouldn’t have been that bad with the age group since Year One kids are basically twelve or thirteen years old…”

                                                However, these next part was going to a tough one. Due with the topic, she couldn’t help but to mention with little detail too where and when she found out her ability and how her siblings found out earlier before she couldn’t imagine finding out very young. And really -- she couldn’t. It was the most horrible way to discover that you're a mutant, especially it makes you a werewolf. On a frigid night with the full moon high in the sky, a little blonde boy having his body and mind twisted into a massive wolf monstrosity with feral behavior, the groans of pain as he dragged himself to the frozen and dominant rose garden, falling to his knees into the pure white snow as he was feeling nothing but agony all by himself--- oh, the memory of that December played in his head so vividly. It was something he was definitely uneasy with sharing but suppose since she did to him, he could do the same at least. Just in vague ways too because it was going to deny her knowing that his power ( -- or curse) is lycanthropy. For having less people know that he's basically a monster, the better as he quietly shared back at her in that gruff, unwelcoming voice of his.

                                                “ I – had nobody. I had no idea if my parents were or not. I couldn’t really ask my grandfather about them. It’s not like he could understand me and what I was going through. So, it was certainly a rude awakening nevertheless. I found out on a cold winter night, Christmas eve and it just wasn’t pretty at all. Not the present I was looking for. "

The corridor was deserted. Clearly nobody got up at this time not just her room-mates. She was in her own world as she walked down the hall and as she made it outside she happily welcomed the cool air. She figured nobody was around considering she hadn’t seen anyone but then she wasn’t really paying much attention. It wasn’t until she started to set off through the grounds that she saw someone walking towards her. He was quite tall but what she happened to notice was the fact that he was shirtless… “Eventful evening?” She joked lightly. He was definitely in shape that was for sure.

                                                                                                      But at least it was the weekend. So with his body weary in time with what he was dealing with prior, he can take it easy in this case. There was no worry of hurrying and getting ready for classes. People didn’t have to deal with a moody, extra grumpy Adam for sure. He could simply go back to his dorm, take a nice hot shower to ease his muscles and rid any dirt off of him if he had any, and get some proper sleep in a bed – not on the dirty, cold floor. Just a necessary time to unwind and rest, that would be the perfect thing ever. For one can’t realize how many times he has gone through this – the cases and scenarios where the young man would handle being back entirely himself in both mind and body after being the so called Beast throughout hours and nights. Having your form be twisted into a monstrosity against your choosing is obviously not easy. It’s tiring as hell and took so much out of you at times. So regardless him growing accustomed to these moments, it didn’t change how much a nice steaming washing and a comfortable, soft bed brought him so much peace. To finally be something human, to be something that you can recognize inside and outside as you fall asleep under those circumstances and not the ones you were dealing with before – you have no idea how much simple things like those meant to him.

                                                However, the person before him was completely unaware of it. She wasn’t going to realize that there was so much more than a night gone wrong filled with shenanigans and possible debauchery as she jokingly commented in a light manner. Yet, that was okay with him. Adam didn’t really care given his guarded, distant heart and his particular insecurities. It wasn’t preferred to say anything his lycanthropy so in response, he merely answered in the shortest way possible that was grumpy sounding, of course.

                                            But  thank goodness it was early in the morning. There wasn't going to be a bunch of people awake during this time so he might make it okay--

                                               { ..... }