Needing some fresh air

[Smiler]

(open for Pietro)

The day was sunny, and Michael decided to take a walk on the mansion's grounds - explore some parts of it that he still didn't know about. He took the path that went around the lake and followed it for some fifteen minutes before taking a small break. He turned around and took a look at the mansion. It reflected in the calm water of the lake, and that double view was truly beautiful.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro had finished his early afternoon security sweep and had a decision to make: Return to the mansion proper where Magneto lurked and he would only be frustrated, or remain outside. The last week had left him tense, anxious, and he needed no walls as a physical manifestation of his lack of freedom. Thus he remained outside. His run become a sprint became a job became a walk became a pause. At the lake, how calm the water was, how still, how peaceful. Three words that he barely knew.

There was another there, Pietro noticed, a young man also admiring the waters. He inclined his head slightly. He couldn't say "good afternoon" as there was nothing good about it. He settled for another greeting.:: "Hello."

[Smiler]

Michael noticed the man's presense with his empathy before he even heard the greeting. He turned his head at the sound of voice to look at the source of anxiety and frustration, emotions that preceded the man's arrival. "Hello," he nodded. "I don't think we've met before-" he extended his hand. "Michael."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro took the young man's hand in a firm shake. He spoke in a strangely even tone, particularly considering the students he had met these past months. Perhaps he was more grounded.:: "Pietro."

[Smiler]

Michael sensed the cautious attentiveness with which the man took in his appearance. Perhaps it was better not to give him further reason to be suspicious and wary by not revealing his abilities - he knew it was better to have people warned beforehand rather than risk them getting a mild shock after finding out. "I guess I should say this right away," he said. "I sense people's emotions and I can't control it. So if that makes you uncomfortable-"

[Pietro Maximoff]

"I'm not uncomfortable" ::Pietro said truthfully. There were aspects of mutations that were uncontrollable; he could not slow his thoughts, could not control the passage of time. So Michael could not control his empathy; Pietro could not envy him that. It was more than enough to feel his own emotions.::

[Smiler]

"That's a relief," Michael nodded briefly. "Before I came here, I usually met different reactions."

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro nodded once in understanding. Tolerance did not come easy in this life.:: "I imagine so."

[Smiler]

He wasn't being sarcastic about it; Michael liked that. Still, the wariness surrounding Pietro was in contrast with his reserved yet not aggressive attitude, and he wasn't sure what the reason for that could be or which was it could turn. "You seem to have a lot on your mind," he remarked. "Did I happen to just be here while you were planning to take a walk alone to unwind?"

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro nodded once in response. Michael was perceptive, which must come hand-in-hand with an ability such as empathy.:: "To the best of my ability, yes."

[Smiler]

Pietro admitted he had come here needing some time alone, yet Michael didn't feel as if the other man objected to his presence at the moment, so he decided not to ask whether it was better to leave Pietro alone. "Can I help in any way?" he asked instead.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Pietro considered the question; it was genuine. He had no doubt of that; the yong man radiated sincerity. The fact remained that he was a young man, mst likely a student. He should not be burdened in such a way from someone older and supposedly capable of self-reliance.:: "How old are you, Michael?"

[Smiler]

"Nineteen," Michael replied. He didn't wonder at the reason the question was asked; he knew the reason would either follow shortly, or it was a plain curiosity without any underlying motive.

[Pietro Maximoff]

::Only nineteen-years-old; he should not take these sort of concerns upon his shoulders. Having been denied a calm, peaceful childhood, having been deprived of his innocence, Pietro had his own peculiar ideas about how much children should take upon themselves. Yet he realized he was projecting his experiences, as the young man before him seemed calm and at peace, far more than Pietro had been in quite some time, far more than he had ever been at that age. He glanced at the lake, then back at the young man. He did not ask questions that could be considered rude, particularly when, turned on himself, he found them painful. Still he was curious about that calmness.:: "In that case, Michael, I don't know if you can."

[Smiler]

Michael didn't even ask if Pietro had just passed judgment on him because of his age; it was obvious anyhow. Michael wasn't shocked or offended - he merely reminded himself that different people had different outlooks on life and different ways of reasoning. But since Pietro's response was rather vague, he decided it left him an opportunity to at least conclude his suggestion, and he wasn't going to have the assessment made on the basis of his age be a decisive factor here.

If people chose to be alone as a means of dealing with stress, that usually meant there wasn't anyone they found an adequate listener. "Okay," he said, "but if you ever feel like you want to talk, I can listen," he said, "and I have my powers, though their effect won't be a lasting one."