Peaking back into the world

[magnetic_magpie]

Who: Magneto and to be updated
When: Week of 4-10 through 4-15
Where: Mostly the HoA, a few others
Summary: Mags is talking to people again. A few people want to see him in person
Warnings: Will be updated
Other: Tag in with when you are meeting/where ok?

He'd made appointments with various people. He was going to keep them. But even still, he was looking entirely well. He'd lost a little weight, was tense, and mostly very still. Except his eyes. They never stopped moving.

Comments

[magnetic_magpie]

"By Edwin Markham. From The Shoes of Happiness, and Other Poems. It was published in 1913.

He drew a circle that shut me out —
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in."

He recited it easily. Lorna had scripted each line on a ring and linked the together, the last line holding the other three rings. He'd worn it on his thumb. He noticed the shift but didn't say anything. He wasn't inclined to talk about, resented being pushed, but afraid to not answer.

[motioned]

She pauses a moment, trying to work out the meaning behind the words, before realization overtakes her and she smiles.

"So it's saying that love conquers everything, in a way, huh? I really like that. She must have been really important to you."

[magnetic_magpie]

"Something like that, yes. That people use words to define others and label them in such a way that they don't matter. But love unites, rather than divides." Lorna's point had been that Mutants in general, and Magneto specifically, being so often being outsiders, shouldn't shut others out.

"She is. My youngest, my heir."

[motioned]

"That's a really good lesson, and she sounds really amazing, too!" There's more of that slightly uncomfortable shifting, though. Almost unconsciously, she chews on her bottom lip.

[magnetic_magpie]

"She is." Her shifting was making his eyes dart back to her, not really spooking him but drawing his attention repeatedly as he scanned the room.

"You're going to chap your lip."

[motioned]

She quickly moves a hand to her mouth, tentatively, before moving it away and smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry. I guess I didn't realize I was doing it."

[magnetic_magpie]

"It's all right. We all have nervous habits." His voice was gentle, and he offered a small smile, trying to be reassuring.

[motioned]

She smiles back, running a hand through her hair.

"I guess so! A lot of them are harmless, though."

[magnetic_magpie]

"A lot of them are yes. I used to chew on my school pens." His sister had broken him of that habit though, even if now he was fond of the memory.

[motioned]

"Really? Did that help with stress?" She tilts her head curiously.

[magnetic_magpie]

"It did. Gave me something to do while I was working. Children weren't supposed to fidget in school, and it kept me from getting into trouble with the teachers for it." Because he had been one of those children who hadn't be able to sit still.

[motioned]

"So how come you stopped, if it helped?"

[magnetic_magpie]

"Because my mother wished me to stop - it wore the pens out and didn't look proper. So my sister smeared bacon grease from a neighbour over them." And his face screwed up a little thinking about that one.

[motioned]

"Bacon grease? That's disgusting!" Her nose wrinkles up a little in turn.

[magnetic_magpie]

"It really was. Fairly effective way of breaking the habit." Still, he smiled a little. "Ruthie was trying to help."

[motioned]

"Ruthie? So that's your sister's name, huh?

[magnetic_magpie]

"Ruth, yes. We always called her Ruthie. She was named after our great-grandmother." Neither of them had ever met her, but they had both known Ruthie was named after their mother's grandmother.

[motioned]

"Well, she sounds really nice. I hope you can see her again."

[magnetic_magpie]

"She died a long time ago. I like to think she's at peace, I'd rather her stay there." As hard as the memories were, at least they were better than they could have been.

"Do you have siblings, back home?"

[motioned]

"Oh, I'm really sorry to hear that..." She pauses, looking towards the ground, a shade more somber.

"No, I don't have any family."

[magnetic_magpie]

"It was a long time ago." He reached over, placing a hand on her back, gentle.

"Family isn't all about blood. It's about who you love too."

[motioned]

"Well, there are a whole lot of people I love, both here and back home!"

[magnetic_magpie]

"That helps a great deal." He smiled but didn't remove his hand. It helped keep him calm too.

[motioned]

"Do you have people like that here?" She doesn't shift from his touch, though she does still seem tense, as she had before.

[magnetic_magpie]

"Quite a few." Whether or not they still returned his affection he didn't know, at least in some cases.