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Lorna sat on the edge of the steps, she fidgeted a book on her lap and her back turned back to brown thanks to an amulet made by her sister dear. Bruises marred her forehead and down the side of her cheek once more. The young woman seemed to constantly get into trouble for all her shyness. The riot had happened and the newspapers had been at it, calling Magneto a criminal.
The young magnokinetic had seen it, and the much hated paper was crumbled up in crushed clumbs at her feet. She stubbornly glowered at anyone that asked her if she was 'alright', scaring off a few younger students. Which, at least, the sunlight and warm weather permitted most of them to steer clear of Lorna at least. Erik had dropped Lorna off immediately after the riot, and then.. left, most likely up to no good, but who could say? Lorna herself certainly didn't know.
A pen clicked on and off repeatedly over her shoulder, an almost comical use of her power but perhaps a good indicator about how lost the young woman actually was.
*
Lorna isn't the only one who's seen the papers. But then, Crystal has a little more practice with reading things she'd rather not read in the papers. And hearing from a few of those more concerned students that there's a bit of a magnetic storm-cloud on the steps, she's left the kitchen to come and investigate for herself.
Of course, she also comes bearing a tray of chocolate chip cookies, which she offers over as she takes a seat on the edge of the stairs next to Lorna. "I'm sure he's going to be fine," she says gently, taking a good look at the girl.
*
A blink, and then another as Crystal arrived and she stared blankly at the cookies for a long moment. Then slowly closed her book and tugged her knees up close. "He just got back," She mumbled, her voice cracking. "And now they're saying he's a criminal and needs to be arrested. But I was there! It wasn't his fault. Everyone started acting crazy suddenly, like even the empath who was talking was all messed up. Illyana s-sa-said it was magic." She broke off, and the pen dropped to the stairs with a clatter.
"It's not right! They always blame mutants for something going wrong." She muttered.
*
"Well, it isn't the first time he's done it," Crystal sighs, though she slides a little closer as well to let her hip press against Lorna's in solidarity. "As to whether or not he's a criminal, that is for someone else to decide. Technically, the courts. Or the police. Which, yes, may not go to our favor. Magic isn't the sort of thing that's easy to prove, after all. Whether it's mutants who were affected or regular humans. Or Asgardians, for that matter."
*
Lorna grumbled, crossing her arms as she sunk forward over her knees. Her lower lip wobbling, "He can't go to jail." She mumbled, torn between being indignantly enraged on behalf of her father or heartbroken that he'd dropped her off and left. She swallowed a hard lump in her throat, and sat up after a moment, exhaling harshly.
"It's not like there's a jail they could keep him in if he didn't want to be." She added, pursing her lips. "Stupid—" She broke off, looking for a word and finding nothing suitably horrible to explain her anger against those without powers. She made a sound at the back of her throat, and the pen flipped up and stuck in the ceiling above like a dart.
"I don't trust them! Tata said a few days ago the police were beating up some guy 'cause his eyes were different! And there were killer robots in mutant town. A-and there's places now with 'no mutant' signs."
*
"I doubt very much that anyone is going to put your father in jail," Crystal agrees, dry. "And if they did, then he could always take sanctuary in Attilan if he needed to. It might…complicate things, diplomatically speaking, were we to step forward, but he isn't without sanctuaries." She sets the cookies down next to herself, resting her elbows on her knees with her hands clasped together.
"People fear change, Lorna," she says quietly. "For Inhumans, though, change is life. Change is everything. It's…our religion, you could say. And mutants are a great deal of change for a humanity that thinks change will end poorly for them. That doesn't mean they can't learn."
*
Lorna seemed to calm somewhat, knowing that there was a place in the world at least that wouldn't persecute her father at least. It was a comfort and her shoulders relaxed the thin line. She glanced up at the pen, and with a look of concentration, and lifting of her hands it floated down back to her hands without smacking into anything else.
A glance was spared for Crystal and Lorna pursed her lips. "Yeah, well if they keep trying to kill us then people like the Brotherhood are gonna get a lot more members." She muttered, and shrugged, fidgeting. "And just seeing everything going on with how they handle people that are just people?" She rolled her eyes. "I used to think people might change for the better. But it's been getting worse. The slaughter out west, in Mutant Town here! The riots, the mutants going missing, it's constant! They're not learning."
*
"And who is teaching them?" Crystal arches a brow slightly, looking around. "Not Attilan - we've remained secret. Not even this school. It's hidden from everyone. The world sees strangeness, and they rarely see what it can bring to the rest of the world. But it will take time, Lorna. And some may never be content knowing that others have gifts that they cannot have for themselves. But what is the alternative?"
*
A sniff, and Lorna reaches down to adjust her skirt and purse her lips together. "I don't know." She mumbled, looking down at the book on her lap. "But it's not okay for them to treat others like they do. It's not right. If Mutant Town can exist with a bunch of mutants with different skin tones, powers, body types of all kinds and everything else, and get along, then why can't they? It's stupid." She muttered, glancing at the cookie tray now that she was less likely to throw pens around at people.
"I don't agree with what the Brotherhood does. I've seen it with Raven before. And I like having this school that's someplace safe and all too. Without people staring at me when my hair is green. I like being free to use my powers and get better at them." She chewed her lower lip.
"It's just not okay." She heaved another sigh, "And I've asked Hope and Tommy and Billy about the future. And it still doesn't sound like it gets better either."
*
"Their future," Crystal points out. "The fact that they're here at all changes things. The future is ours to choose, Lorna." She reaches over to smooth a hand over the girl's head, wrapping her arm around her shoulders in the following motion. "Prejudice isn't okay. You're right. But I can promise you that mutants are not the first people ever to experience it. It's been with humanity forever, whether it was because of where you came from, or the color of your skin. And it hasn't all fallen apart yet."
*
Lorna sagged against Crystal as the woman wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. Her lips twisted and she bit back the need to cry, if only just. Though her own figure curled up as small as she could, and closed her eyes briefly, blinking back tears and swallowing the lump that rose in her throat.
"They try awfully hard at it though, destroying everyone just 'cause they don't like them." She mumbled, and thought about what her father, and siblings had gone through, what had led to Wanda and Pietro's existence and winced.
A sniffle followed and she rubbed at her eyes briefly. "I just want tata to come home and be safe." She warbled, her throat closing up as she trailed off into silence.
*
Crystal leans in to press a kiss to Lorna's temple, resting her brow there afterwards. "I do as well," she murmurs, giving her shoulders a squeeze. "Come on, then," she says, straightening up and picking up the cookies before offering our her other hand. "The end of the world isn't going to come before dinner, but it might come at dinner if I don't get everything finished. You can come and help."
*