Anger is Cool; Come to the Dark Side.

[prefers_magneto]

[Continued from here]

When Storm arrived, she would find Erik sitting at one of the outdoor tables, his back to the wall so he had a view of the street. A sunny afternoon made the sunglasses and fedora not seem suspicious to the average passerby, but he did also have the good sense not to advertise his face in public.

He looked up when she approached, gestured to the chair across from him, giving it just enough of a nudge with his power to push it out for her slightly.

"I was certain you'd change your mind."

Comments

[nimbi]

"I thought you were gone for good."

[prefers_magneto]

"I'm certain there are some who'd like that to be the case." A beat. "I hope you're not one of them, though."

[nimbi]

She sighs.

"No, I'm not. I was trying to move on, though."

[prefers_magneto]

"And have you? Are you... seeing anyone?" he asked.

[nimbi]

The smart move would probably be to say yes, but:

"No, I'm not seeing anyone."

[prefers_magneto]

"Do you... want to come see me? In New York? Tonight?" he asked hesitantly. "Might be... nicer to talk in person."

[nimbi]

Credit where credit was due, the man seemed to be sincerely trying, at least. Still, it would probably be better to just... stay away. On the other hand, it hadn't done much good so far.

Perhaps trying to talk some things out in person wasn't the worst idea.

"Alright. Where do you want to meet?"

[prefers_magneto]

"If you're comfortable coming to my hotel, we'll have the privacy to talk freely," he told her.

[nimbi]

"That works."

She wasn't really worried about being alone with him. That bridge had been crossed a long time ago.

[prefers_magneto]

There were a lot of rumours in the world about him. While he hoped she knew what kind of person he really was, it had been a while.

"I'm at the Grand Hyatt. Room 1132. I'll see you soon."

[nimbi]

Ororo wasn't sure what she was even feeling when she knocked on the door to his hotel room, but she didn't regret going. This felt like something she needed to do.

Or perhaps it was just that she wanted to, plain and simple.

[prefers_magneto]

The door opened, though he wasn't standing at it. He was further inside the room, pouring scotch into a glass. He held it out to her wordlessly.

[nimbi]

He looked well, and in spite of everything that fact made her smile a little as she walked over to accept the glass.

"Show-off."

[prefers_magneto]

"Some things never change," Erik noted lightly, pouring himself a glass as well. He looked over at Ororo. "You look lovely. That never seems to change, either."

[nimbi]

"You're biased."

Though in all honesty she'd been rather convinced that that was no longer the case.

[prefers_magneto]

"Maybe. But that doesn't make it untrue." He stepped over to clink his glass softly against hers. "To old friends," he murmured, throwing his drink back.

[nimbi]

"To old friends."

Ororo just sipped her drink, giving Erik another once-over with her eyes.

"You look like you're doing well."

[prefers_magneto]

He huffed a self-conscious laugh; looking down at himself briefly then looking at her.

"Do I? I live off the grid now. Fresh air. Manual labour. Looking after mutants that have nowhere to go."

[nimbi]

"Seems like it suits you."

Perhaps for Erik the only solution that could allow him a modicum of happiness was to leave as much of the world behind as he could.

Ororo could understand that, honestly.

[prefers_magneto]

He huffed a self-conscious laugh.

"Well. I would concede that not watching the news and living where there aren't any humans does generally keep me out of trouble."

He gestured with his glass towards the outside world. "How are things going at the school?"

[nimbi]

Ororo smiled at that, wider than she wanted to.

"That's what I was thinking, more or less. We're doing well at the institute. The children are a gift, as always."

[prefers_magneto]

Her smile made his features soften.

"I've had a few come to me from the school, but not because they didn't like it there. They had difficulties with the other children or they had issues at home."

[nimbi]

"I'm happy to know they're somewhere safe. I worry."

Every child that leaves them leaves a hole in her heart behind. Not because she feels slighted in any way, but because not always knowing what happens to them eats her up inside.

[prefers_magneto]

He considered her a moment.

"Would.... would you like me to send you a message when one joins us?"

[nimbi]

"It would mean a lot to me if you did."

After a moment of hesitation, she reached out to give his arm a gentle squeeze.

"I won't try to talk them into coming back."