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Lorna stepped up to the door the next day after the Professor's visit, knocking cautiously. She'd called ahead this time, asking if perhaps Kaleb wanted to have lunch with her at the apartment. In her arms she carried a brown bag stacked high with food, and it crinkled in her arms. She had made an attempt to dress somewhat nicely, a teal sleeveless dress with little white scalloped edging on the hem, and flats. She let her green hair hang free again, only pushed back by her sunglasses.
"Hello? Kaleb? I brought food." She called from outside, waiting either for him to open the door, or to call that she was free to enter.
*
Kaleb answered the phone and the door both as he was at present the only one there. Today on the radio it was Dionne Warwick singing "Walk on By" seeming to be a quieter moment ont the radio, though it was just as likely that Martha and the Vandellas might get people dancing in the Street at any moment. The doorman let her into the building, as if she couldn't fly, land on the patio, and let herself in if she really wanted to. He seemed to be aware of this after the last week and gave her points for having the courtesy to still knock. He'd never admit that though.
Blue eyes squint at her with the same derision in them he almost seemed to always have, but it wasn't for her. There was a nod and he moved to welcome her in. Well, so far there was no yelling. He liked his windows in tact. "Hey. C'mon in. I got tea steeping." He stepped aside for her to come in and he closed the door. "Didn't expect you to call." Well who expected him to be social suddenly anywyas.
*
Lorna smiled as she stepped inside, "Oh, I'll have some tea when it's ready then." She stepped lightly inside, making to settle the bag on whatever served as the dinning room table. She very carefully started setting out wrapped sandwhiches and a rather sizable bag of chocolate chip cookies. "Have I ever told you how happy I am that New York isn't like the South and just humid? I am so thankful I live somewhere that I don't need gills to breathe." Did it seem random? Possibly, but Lorna didn't seem overly concerned as she settled into a chair and scooted it forward.
"I baked the cookies, the sandwhiches I picked up at the deli on my way over. It's this little Jewish deli my father and sister adore. It's got really good food." She beamed, glancing back to Kaleb.
"How are you doing?"
*
Kaleb followed and didn't have subglasses on while he was home alone. He was still healing from the backlash of practice the other day but even in the last 11 hours since she saw him the night before his eyes looked better; curious but better. An eyebrow lifted and he countered, "Wait til late August. New York Harbour will not disappoint." He paused and shrugged deciding she was right. He followed his nose and while he had the general rule that he did't care for people he did like stuff and could very much appreciate good food. He asked not entirely hiding his idle inquiry, "So pretty authentic then?" Did he know much about kosher delis? Not really, but didn't pretend otherwise.
Food got unpacked and he watched taking in the small details which caught him slightly off guard. His brow furrowed curiously, "You made them?" He blinked and looked from her to the cookies to her, "Yourself?" Sure he's seen Vic do this and the help do this but it was still weird to conceive actually doing these things one's self. The question staved the curiosity, "Shouldn't we be asking you that?" No he's not really forgotten about her mentioneing she got brain scrambled and dumped on a porch, or the rest of the evening. He asked quietly, "They know you came back over?"
*
A shrug followed as Lorna settled in her chair, unwrapping a sandwhich and settling it on a plate along with packets of toppings, unsure what Kaleb would want, she'd gotten a little of everything. Her own sandwhich looked rather plain, tomatoes and lettuce with pastrami cut thin. "I dunno if it's authentic per say, I just know that they like it." She shrugged again, and nodded toward the cookies.
"I like to bake, it's the one thing I'm good at it. Plus it helps that I never need oven mits. The trays just float about." She flashed Kaleb a grin, glancing over his person once again and propping her chin up with a hand.
"And yeah, of couse Uncle Charlie knows where I go. Telepath, duh." She gestured toward her head and took a bite of her food. "And it's not like he tells me not to do things. He just wants to know where I'm at. That's all. He's rather chill about everything. And I'm fine, why ask me that?"
*
Kaleb was dressed sharp and either lived and died in dress clothes or made an effort to look presentable for company. Either or both could be entirely true. The young man had standards. Oh let him do go on about how society fails to meet them. He did look impressed, though that the effort was made. "That sounds very much like cheating. I approve." Floating cookie sheets? Donna Reed eat your heart out. He went and got the tea and poured it right into glasses with ice and brought it over. He sat and took the plate with his sandwich on it finally cracking a half grin, "After last night I was pret-ty certain we wouldn't see you around a while." By we he meant him. He bit his sandwich and shook his head with a bit of a shrug. His brow furrowed like now he thought of what he was going to ask but his upbringing was such that he'd wait to speak instead of sputtering crumbs crudly trying to.
*
Lorna shrugged and rolled her eyes, "My father can handle knives chopping, keep frying pans going and take roasts out of the oven all at once. I really can't handle more than one or two things in the kitchen at a time." She offered a soft 'thanks' as he got out the tea and she took a sip with a pleased smile on her face.
"And why wouldn't you see me around for a while? Did Uncle Charlie totally act like he always does and tease me? Yeah. But that's just how he is. I mean, I try to call him the Professor when it's all business and stuff, but he's basically my Uncle Charlie. My father and him have been friends for years. So whenver my father goes off to who knows where, Uncle Charlie is basically what I got for an adult in my life." Plus Miss Frost, but she was more of a disapproving Aunt than anything else these days.
*
Kaleb picked up the cookie and waggled it at her before moving it to his plate as a point of emphasis, "Yes, but can he bake a mean cookie? Stabbing bread and meat at high speed does not a chocolate chip cookie make." He shrugged and took another bite letting Dionne Warwick become the Four Tops.Words were not his friend. They were a weapon and he used them to get what he wanted. Short of demands, factoids, and rants about social injustice he was a bit dead in the water. Still he paused and looked at the half eaten sandwich and fished around for some. "Thanks." It wasn't eloquent or many words but it was the important one handled with all of the finesse and dignity of throwing a brick at a sandbox. His lips pressed together and he looked back to her with bloodshot eyes, and just let her talk. "I just figured he'd talked to you. From what he said I figured… I dunno."
*
A tilt of her head followed, "Well, cookies are a food group, so I suppose." She joked lightly, nibbling at her own nabbed cookie and then sipping at her tea. She flashed him a smile at the 'Thanks', which turned into a full on grin when she was finished with her cookie.
"You're welcome. I have a major sweet tooth, so I love baking cookies. Then you can perfect the chocolate chip to dough ratio." She propped her chin up with the palm of her hand, her elbow resting on the table top.
"You don't have to worry about Uncle Charlie. Whatever he saw in your head, he'll never share it. Ever. Unless you were a danger to the school like some super secret mutant hunter or something. He'll never bring it up. Trust me, he's been in my head and seen all kinds of things I don't talk about with anyone. And unless I wanted to talk about it, he'll never bring it up."
*
Kaleb folded his hand into a ball resting a knuckle to his upper lip thoughtfully going though his version of the previous evening from his perspective. he took a drink of his tea and was clearly carrying the brain scrubbing around with him. "Yeah. Well…" he set the glass down tilting his head sideways. Finally he looked back to her and with his jaw faintly tightened set the situation out for her, "Look I know he wants to know what my intentions are, and I know he knows about certain… things, but my intention isn't to hurt you ro get you involved with things…" He was really terrible at explaining anything, "You don'twant to. I'm not… I don't want to be like Maximus. I just want people to just leave our people alone." He picked up the cookie and tapped it against the edge of the plate coming clean on that one, "I won't just stand by while it happens. If I have to odo things to make that happen I will but I didn't- I don't… I dunno."
*
Lorna lowered her glass of tea back to the table, watching him silence for a long moment as he struggled to put his thoughts together and articulate them correctly. A pause followed and she moved, picking up another cookie and setting it on his plate. Regardless if he wanted one or not. Her gaze averted. "When.. Maximus.. did what he did, it was.." She exhaled a breath, shaking her head.
"It was just after my first boyfriend, Julian Keller, yes one of those Kellers.." She added, glancing up at him and away, "Had his butler dump me over the phone." She muttered, biting back a sigh.
"Maximus found me, and offered to make everything go away for a time. And I said yes. It was stupid, but I wasn't thinking." She swallowed and reached for her tea again, tracing her fingers over the condensation.
"Uncle Charlie had to go into my head to put everything back in order, as I said before." She whispered. "But he never blamed me, or Julian. It was Maximus." She sipped at her drink and colored faintly, looking cautiously back at Kaleb.
"What I'm getting at, is if you truly meant to harm me or the students at the school, Uncle Charlie would know. But he said you're fine. As far as your intentions towards me," She shook her head. "He was teasing you to get a rise out of me. That's all. I promise."
*
Kaleb sighed but listened and ate the cookie. He put the breaks on overanalyzing everything for a moment and arched an eyebrow. "Cookie's good." Okay he finished the cookie and leaned back in his chair. He listened to her story and furrowed his brow quizically, "He had his butler break up with you? No letter or anything?" He was joking right? Right? "Putting too much stock in anyone to not be an ass and think beyond their own self-interest begets hurt and disappointment. Still, that's pretty crummy." Just because he could write people off didn't mean he didn't recognize a sour situation when he heard it. "Wh, and yeah I'm an ass, let's move past that part for a moment, but why blame Maximus entirely? I might be missing something here. He was asked to do something which he did. Though You did say he kinda turned you sorta into a vegtible and dumped you on your daddy's porch like a cabbage-" He paused and shook his head. "I htink I answered my own question."
*
A nod, and a grimace followed, "Yeah." She exhaled a breath, finishing off her sandwhich. "Well, he was my first boyfriend. No one wanted to date a green haired freak in a small town. I dyed my hair, but everyone knew something was 'wrong' with me." She muttered and shrugged. "Julian just happened to be the first boy that ever asked me out."
A sigh followed, "So I cared a bit too much. Was it stupid when I said yes? Of course, but I was upset and Maximus just offered to make it all go away. So I wouldn't be sad. I didn't really get that he'd erase everything." She exhaled a breath. "My father was .. decidedly upset when I got my memory back and was able to say what happened. And I'm pretty sure it was all meant to hurt him. Maximus.."
She made a face, pausing briefly. "Maximus doesn't like my father to put it bluntly. My father and I helped dispose him from being King of the Inhumans. He was willing to kill people to keep his crown."
*
Kaleb winced faintly. He could not relate at all but it actually illict a reaction from him. "Yeah. The good news is our parents are out of country until October. After then we'll ahve to find a way to explain the apartment. I told Kaleb just to tell them we're splitting the large room and the patio is Vic's. Jay?" He sighed shaking his head, "Jay won't be able to be on property. That would go… poorly. So I get it. It's a piss poor reason, but they need to not know. He's got enough problems ya know? I know you… get that. It's unfair but I spent my summer with those folks. Prople like them?" He paused and sighed looking at her figuring she did get it. "Why you think I don't like people? I know what they're like. I'm a jerk but I'm honest. Those people? They're liars and trust me I know what they talk about behind closed doors. Ain't okay how they treated you but honestly? They did you a favour. You don't need people like that. You're better than them."
*
Lorna exhaled a soft breath, her lips twitching faintly as she reached over and grabbed herself another cookie. "Well, maybe you could spend some time at the school 'till then. I mean, you're obviously welcome now." She flashed him a smile. "Think about it. A whole school with people just like us. No one afraid about being who they are, about using their powers. Just free to be who you are." She shrugged lightly and nibbled on her cookie.
"I love my adoptive parents, their baseline human, but.. they just tried to do their best with me. They tried to make sure I was safe as they could make me. A little mutant girl adopted with green hair. I mean, who else would've taken me out of Poland even with that?" She arched a brow.
"Even if it meant I didn't really get out for most of my childhood." She murmured softly, "I get why they did it, to try to protect me from other people.. but.. I don't know. Maybe it wasn't so helpful." She shrugged again and sighed.
"Right, well, you let me know whenever you want to take a drive up to the school, yeah?"
*
Kaleb admitted the unfortunate truth, "Few probably." Well at least he didn't sugar coat things. A faint smile tugged at the corner of him mouth, "Yeah it sounds good on paper. You said our parents won't find out though?" Huge sticking point but he seemed to accept her previous testiment as evidence of this. He glanced back with a arched eyebrow, "Pretty sure your Uncle won't let me get out of this one. And I guess," He considered it pickign up his glass giving it a half swirl. "I'd like you to be right. Be nice not to have to stay hidden all the damn time." He bit his lip and paused and panned a look to her slowly. "Korna?" Bloodshot eyes squint at her, "What specifically did Maximus DO to make your father depose him?" There were a lot of thoughts going through his head. Another cookie moved to his plate and his expression turned thoughtful, "I may… need to talk to your father." He pushed himself up from teh table and took the cookie with him motioning for her to join him as he crossed the room.
*
"Your parents won't find out, promise." She flashed him a smile, "You only met Uncle Charlie, but Miss Emma Frost, she's a telepath too. And she co-heads the school. She had her own university here in the city, but after meeting Unclie Charlie, they well.. they decided to combine schools. And she's quite a high society lady from what I can tell, and no one knows." She grinned.
"Plus we have a lot of other mutants there, that aren't openly out to the world, so you won't be alone. I mean, everyone there has to be looked over before they can even get close." She tilted her head, considering Kaleb before she finished off her tea. A sigh pulling from her lips.
"Maximus is the second son of this royal line thing. They have a secret Kingdom on the other side of the world, the Inhumans.. A group of well, they're not human per say, but they have powered people. Ones that get powers from this mist thing. Anyways, Crystal is his cousin. A Princess. my father's girl. Anyways, Maximus had exiled her, her sister, and I guess his older brother who was supposed to be King?" She shrugged and shook her head. "I don't get it all. Other than Maximus has mind powers and used them on their council. So my father promised to help Crystal. It was a huge battle, and we won and Maximus was exiled." She exhaled a breath, glancing back toward Kaleb.
"My life is crazy, okay?"
*
Kaleb walke and didn't look over his shoulder under the presumption that he asked for something and owuld get it, so clearly she was following. To be fair history has supported this presumption well. He walked across the living room and right into his room which was military clean. Everything was linen white or grey, and the majority of one brick outer wall had a long self along the wall which housed an extensive and organized record collection and the top able to serve as a bench or low table. It dead ended into a small but professional drafting table. The wall to teh right had the door standing open to the walkout patio balcony. Okay it was a good view. Kaleb was interested in the journal that she'd looked at before. "Yeaaaah I might have helped him get his hands on something he needs to sorta help him o something about that. Your dad might want to know." He chewed at his lip thoughtfully and flipped the book open to teh temple. "We brought him there to do some sort of… research things. Crazy artifacts that he said would disintegrate us. Things rising up from the dead… Yeah. Your life is a bit crazy." He blinked and gave her an easier smile, "Sometime I'll tell you about my summer in Europe and the Doctor. We'll compare some notes." He considered and added as a footnote, "Crazy's okay."
*
Lorna, finished eating anyways, got up to follow him. She glanced around his room with keen and undisguised interest. When it came to the journal he'd shown her before, she crowded around, peering down at the temple he'd carefully drawn. She inhaled sharply at Kaleb's discription and she crossed her arms shivering faintly. "Oh my God, Kaleb." She pressed her hands to her lips.
"I have to tell Miss Crystal.. and.." She exhaled her breath in a great woosh, her shoulders rising and falling. "I don't know how to find my father. He … you're right, he needs to know. I can talk to Uncle Charlie, he can find him." She dragged her hands through her hair, looking decidedly worried.
*
The guy loved music, and on his wall were some of the photos of places he's been; always of places never of people.At least he wasn't a complete sociopath, just very detached, but he seemed to still like something. Right now it was not accidently ending the world in a ball of disintegrating architecture. Not before enrollment!
He took a deep breath and looked… well it was hard to say but he had something that passed for a feeling on the issue knit into his brow. "He let me go back and draw, ya know, whatever I wanted. He was weird but really super groovy. I didn't think much of it at the time. Here. These were the statues out in the front. This is the part of the temple where we fought these dead piraates." He paused and shook his head, "And there's a phrase I didn't think I'd be using anytime soon." He squint his bloodshot eyes shut and shook his head. "He had to g do a thing in the other room. Said he had what he needed, but was kinda vague and really excited. Might be nothin but I dunno. Said I coould go back. Might to see what I might've missed. If he meant it." He went quiet and looked at the cookie in his hands and back to her, "Hey, I'm kinda awful, yeah but I really, really didn't know okay?" Which for some reason he needed her to believe even if he couldn't tell anyone why.
*
Lorna nodded, her hands still threaded through her hair. "I know." She whispered, "I know you had no idea who he was or what he was trying to do. It's not your fault he used you to get what he wanted." She closed her eyes briefly, tightly. Her brows furrowing. "He does that. He uses people. After I fist met him, he sent me this expensive fur shawl. All to get my father upset, because he hates the fact my father is with his cousin. He hates mutants." She whispered.
"It's not your fault you didn't know. He can be odd, but still sound smart. Still sound not so bad. Trust me, I know better than a lot of people."
*
Kaleb stood stil, jaw clenching. His hand might be a fist if it wasn't for the cookie. He stared hard at the drawing. Had he seriously been duped by his own tricks? Seriously? He couldn't tell which part of the equastion had him in more of a snit.
Curiously the sound on the radio in the other room started to throw a lot of static and white noise. He turned and just started pacing slowly. The radio was definiately off stationa at this point and Kaleb looked up to Lorna with a weighted lookpicking his words very carefully before laying proverbial shrapnal all oer the immediate area.
"Lorna, you…wouldn't lie to me right?" He was willing to go as far as believe this which migh be sort of a big step for someone who generally held others in little to no regard.
*
Lorna blinked, her brows furrowing sharply. "What? No! What good would lying to you be? Your brother is a telepath, he could tell right? It wouldn't go over very well. Not to mention we're… friends at least, right? I-I don't lie to friends. Not if I can help it. Not about anything serious." She bit her lower lip, her gaze drifting toward the direction the static was coming from and frowned.
"Kaleb? Kaleb are you alright?"
*
Kaleb waited for that answer. It wasn't telling where he was going with all this and the static hung. So he didn't handle anger well, good to know. He did accpet her answer at face value and admitted letting the static subside. "No need. If I really wanted to I could prolly make you tell me." He lifted a hand towards teh noise source closing it carefully, letting the static subside and letting the music fall back on frequency. He thought about it and shook his head, "You're cool. I don't need to. Don't… want to." It was a weird question and one he never really sat and thought about but he nodded to her. "Yeah. We're good. Just, I dunno. Every time" He hand to laugh at it really, "every time there's some opportunity to change anything it's always the same bunk. Professor Ellis, Dr. Delon, now Maximus? People either want to hunt us or use us as weapons and I'm just," He shook his head "I don't even know."