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Lorna had had to adjust going and learning at the Xavier Institute full time. Previously the young mutant had come up on weekends from the Frost Institute to see her biological father. Now, she was there full time, and had just technically finished her freshman year of college. Though, judging by how much school work her father assigned, it was impossible to tell she was technically on summer break.
A huff of irritation escaped her as she pushed green hair back from her face, grabbing another book off the shelf and turning it over to check the title against the list her father had given her.
"It'll be easier, he said, it's useful stuff, he said." She grumbled and shook her head. "You'll have time to get out and do stuff. Yeah right, training powers, conditioning and more school work." She muttered to herself, and checked off the book off the list.
*
"Prepare yourself for the worst, Lorna, because it only gets worse from here," comes a familiar, crisp, feminine voice from the doorway to the library. Emma Frost, dressed in her customary white fashionable clothes, stands with her gloved hands clasped in front of her, her purse dangling from her wrist. She smiles warmly to the green-haired girl.
*
Lorna nearly stumbled into her own feet at the voice as she turned and caught sight of the woman dressed in white. "Miss Frost!" She made her way over with a grin, dressed in a purple sundress and sandals. Her hair was back to it's natural green at least. The lack of going into New York City proper had seemed to make her more comfortable with her mutated green.
"How are you doing? Are you settling in alright? I heard that you'd be here more often now that everything is settled." She glanced back at her armful of books and shrugged lightly, a faint tint of pink coloring her cheeks.
"I had hoped to keep working on my geophysics degree, but my father wants me to learn all these languages too.. It's not even part of my regular school work. I started with Polish just fine, but now it's German and French and everything else and it's just getting to be a jumbled up mess.. I never had to learn another language before and it's just.." She exhaled a breath and shook her head.
"I'm grateful that he's trying to teach me, it's just harder than I was expecting to keep it all … erm.. figured out I guess?"
*
Emma smiles fondly at the girl as she walks over, offering her a hug. She doesn't do this sort of thing often, but she has a bit of a soft spot for Lorna, considering their past. "You're looking well, I'm happy to say," she murmurs with approval as her icy blue eyes scan over the girl's appearance. "Thank you for asking about me. I'm doing well. Charles…" and, here, she trails off with an odd expression on her face—nervousness? embarrassment? Something! "Charles said he was going to take a look at the available space for some remodeling, to ensure I have a proper office, since we're going to share the administrative duties as headmaster and headmistress. So, I'm still in New York, at the moment. I will likely keep my residence in New York, but I'm going to be considering real estate that's a bit closer to the Institute, now that I'll be resuming my teaching," she says, pushing her awkward moment away.
Nodding her head to the list of woes, Emma grins a bit. "Well, I'm sure your father has high hopes for your education. If it helps, I am fluent in French and I'd be more than happy to help you with that. Learning multiple languages at once can be very confusing, but I've got faith in you. You've always been a hard worker," she gives Lorna a squeeze around the shoulders for encouragement. "If you're really feeling overwhelmed, though, perhaps I ought to speak to your father, mm? See if he'll reconsider your course load?"
*
Save the armful of books Lorna seemed perfectly accepting of the hug, and smiled all the more for it. "Well enough, Scott has me doing extra conditioning.." She'd mouthed off at him once or twice before. The man was her older sister's age and acted as if he were all knowing about everything. Their views on mutant rights had led to arguments as well..
Her mind skipped back on track and she nodded at the mention of the office. "I heard, and Uncle Charles, er the Professor, mentioned it. I'm just happy to see you again. Everyone here is really nice and all, it's just.. I don't quite feel like I'm going to college anymore here. It's pretty strange to find that balance.. again. And living with my father and everything.. I dunno. I like it and yet it's got its pitfalls too." Her work at Mutant Town had suffered as well, not having as easy access to the city would do that though.
"And yeah, sure, I'd totally be happy to pick up French with you. Everything my father says has a German accent. Not surprising.. but.." She shrugged and bit her lower lip, "And Professor Xavier already offered to talk to my father. My father promised he'd 'leave time for boys to court me' but that's so outdated.. ugh." Never mind that said boy she'd been interested in, Julian, (who had gone to the Frost Institute and who Emma had specifically told to leave Lorna alone— the boy had been a notorious womanizer) had stopped returning her phone calls..
*
Emma nodded her head, listening to Lorna's telling of her recent experiences. "Well, I'm sure that Scott has your best interests in mind. I've never known you to shrink from a challenge, either. If you're butting heads with him, you can always show him off by exceeding expectations. There's no better revenge than success," she says in a familiar tone, the one she uses when imparting wisdom to young, hungry minds.
"I know you were happy at Frost Academy. All of us were. But, when Charles approached me with the idea of merging… He made too many good points for me to turn down the merger. Perhaps, now that I'm here, it'll start feeling a little less unfamiliar? I can also have decorators remodel your room to look exactly as it did back at the Academy," she offers, sounding wholly serious. "I mean, too much change too soon… That can be really detrimental to your education, because you're so off balance, you can't focus on your studies. I really think speaking with your father would be a good idea, whether you want Headmaster Xavier to do it or if you'd like me to do it. I have a feeling Charles will be the softer of the two options, but I will be the more passionate. Being courted by boys isn't important, right now. Boys will always be there. Your opportunity to make something of yourself should be the thing that drives you," she points out.
*
A slight grin flashed on her lips about showing up Scott and she nods, "I can try, it's harder to do all of the obstacles without using my powers. Like there's barbed wire, and when I get tired? It's hard to keep my magnetic field close enough to not push it away. I'm getting better at it though.. so there's that." She pursed her lips together in thought, a few flashes of her recent bout when she'd had to crawl back and forth to get teammates under it had been difficult.
"I liked the Frost Academy mostly because.. well, it felt like a school. Here just feels like home. It's hard for me to switch mindsets all the time. Also to get out and just be independent. Everyone here treats me like a baby, not an adult." She pouted slightly. There were drawbacks to being Magneto's daughter, most of that involved the younger kids giving her a wide berth.
"My room is fine though, thank you." The smile was back, "I don't mind you talking to my father. Either one is fine, I know how busy everyone is though. It's just minor stuff really. I'm pretty lucky to have this place at all.."
She trailed off at the mention of boys and flushed faintly, biting her lower lip as she rocked her weight back on her heels. "Yeah.. I know."
*
"I know you think it's minor, but it's clearly having an impact on you, if you're feeling stressed and overwhelmed. I don't think you'll need to drop everything new that you're working on, but scaling back would be ideal—at least until you can get your feet under you. You're a very intelligent young woman and you're capable of more than you think, but there's something to be said for taking it easy when there have been a lot of changes. Adapting is something we, as mutants, must do in more ways than most. But, that doesn't mean that big life changes come any easier to us than to others," Emma says, looking around the impressively large library.
Then, her eyes settle back on Lorna, "I'll speak with Charles and we'll decide who should talk to your father. Perhaps we both will, in tandem. A bit of good cop, not-so-good cop, mm?" she grins. Exhaling, she sits down in a comfortable armchair and crosses her legs, putting her purse beside her in the seat. "This feels like home for you, then? I wonder if I will find it similarly welcoming. Professor Xavier certainly is aiming to make me as comfortable and welcome as possible. The other teachers and students… I'm not so certain about what sort of reception I'll receive from them," she says with a wry smile.
*
Lorna shrugged and shifted her grip on her books as Emma moved to take a seat. "Well, I guess.. I don't want my father to think like that I'm slacking or complaining just 'cause.. I dunno. He expects a lot from me. He keeps trying to be there, and it's great.. I just I dunno. He's new to being a father. I get it. And I want to impress him. I just.." She shrugged again and exhaled a breath.
"The Professor has known my father longer than I have. He'll know how to best talk to him. I just feel like a wet blanket for bringing it up. I just don't feel like I have my own time anymore. It's silly, I never lived away from home before the Frost Academy and now I feel stifled when I'm not. Maybe I should just ask to take up my volunteer work again in Mutant Town. Get out more and stuff." And then she winced, "Though I dunno if my father will want me there with all the anti-mutant stuff that's been happening." She glanced down at her books and pursed her lips, biting back a sigh.
After a moment, she glanced back to Emma and grinned, "You'll be fine here Miss Frost, Jean you've met before, and Illyana is here too. I mean, the younger students might throw a few hissy fits because you're not Professor Xavier but they'll deal. You'll win 'em over for sure. I gotta go put these away in my room, but if you want I can show you around some?"
*
Emma smiles lightly at the young woman and shakes her head, seeing hints of her younger self in the words Lorna speaks. "If your father isn't impressed, he's a fool. And, I'm pretty sure he's not a fool. There's a real difference between slacking and needing an adjustment period. Believe me, if you were complaining without cause, I'd tell you. You know that," she says with a hint of firmness in her tone. Emma, though she has a soft spot for Lorna, has never taken it easy on the green-haired young woman.
"Volunteering in Mutant Town is laudable and it will get you outside, give you some breathing room to stretch out. Nothing wrong with that. It's true that it could be dangerous, but perhaps we can find a solution that works for everyone. I'm glad you talked to me about this, though," she smiles.
"Thank you for your vote of confidence, Lorna. I appreciate it. As for showing me around, certainly. Just put your things away and come find me in here. I could use a little while to contemplate things in this quiet space. Take your time," she smiles and waves Lorna on.