[magnetbby]

Had she struck a nerve? That was Lorna: always ruining a nice thing. It's why she had never had any. She was destined to smash it up. Her mother, a chance at a childhood. All gone. All her fault. Still, she didn't want the conversation to end. They could turn it around.

"You have pretty thin skin for someone sitting out in the cold." Lorna remarked, her tone losing a sliver of the edge. "I have to ask, you know. You never know the intentions of random junkyard dwellers." A pause then, a small smile growing on her lips. "Into my mutant genes? Easy there. These are actually premium genes. We're talking cream of the crop here."

Wasn't that what being Magneto's daughter was supposed to mean? The best of the best? If he ever cracked and started his own nation, she'd be the princess to his king. Still, it wasn't anything Lorna wanted. She would've traded the family name in a heartbeat if it meant a millisecond of normalcy. She would have preferred a father over Magneto, but that was a story for another time.

His apology caught her off guard. He seemed sincere, and sincerity wasn't something Lorna was very familiar with. "You don't have to apologize." She said quickly, almost cutting off the end of his words. "Please, don't do that. And don't keep your mouth shut. This is going to be very awkward if we're sitting here in silence. Talking to you is..." What? Enjoyable? Refreshing? "Not half bad," she settled on.

[thedailyurich]

Her smile. It warmed him. He could feel the corners of his lips fight to match her expression as his eyes moved back and force between her lips and those eyes. He had a weakness for green eyes. Despite that, he didn't want to smile and show how the smile made him feel. He wanted to make sure they were okay before shifting focus.

As she nearly caught him off he was pleasantly surprised. Guess he didn't completely shove his foot in his mouth. She seemed almost eager to keep the conversation going. That made him happy, but he couldn't tell if it was because he wanted to talk to her or because he wanted the story. He didn't have time to think about that now.

"Not have bad?" He scoffed with amusement as he drifted closer in her direction. At this point she could probably smell the combination of his spiced cologne and tobacco. "So what? Does that mean it's completely bad talking to me?" He joked back lightly, trying to move on with the conversation as a small smile found purchase to his face.

He was closer yet, now maybe five feet. He looked her over once for work and perhaps a second time for fun. She was different than he imagined. If he hadn't known better she never would have imagined she would be a terrorist let alone the daughter of Magneto. "Well it hasn't been half bad talking to you either." He shot back. "Names Ben. But you, you can call me Ben." That was a horrible joke but he had fun saying it every time.

[givesadmn]

"I'm going to need something stronger if you keep going."

[thedailyurich]

"If that's what it takes to get an interview, I'll buy."

[lotkillslewis]

"hi--welcome to the emporium! howcanihelpyou." the last bit rushed out of her. darcy totally hadn't been smoking in the back and barely heard the door open. not at all.

[thedailyurich]

Ben fought a chuckle as she scrambled. "Hey how you doin? What is this place exactly?"

[magnetbby]

"I don't have the patience for mysteries." Lorna liked answers, and she liked them as soon as she could get them. Surprises, mysteries, and secrets weren't appealing to the girl whose entire identity had felt like a giant mystery. She had an unfortunate history of being reactive when she should have stopped to think things through. Even now, the image of her aunt's disappointed face was burned into the back of Lorna's eyes.

The ease of their conversation drew her a few steps closer so she could try to see him better. While she meant to keep her guard up, Lorna didn't always realize just how the years had twisted her. She had the fangs needed to protect herself, but she still moved slowly and cautiously like a spooked animal. It was protection. Self-defense. That's what she always told herself, at least.

Now, they were close enough that Lorna could make out more distinguishing features. He looked...normal. Or, at least, as normal as a man sitting alone in an auto yard alone at night could. Dark hair, a lanky frame, cheeks tinged red from the chill. Lorna knew she likely wasn't fairing much better. Her nose was running from the cold, and she quickly wiped at with her sleeve in embarrassment.

At his question, she nodded. "Of course. I'm more than a human flashlight. That'd be someone like Jubilee. She's the X-Men's human firework." All the bright lights were a little much for Lorna. His reply led to an arched brow. "A pretentious drop out? I only graduated high school because my aunt was all over me." Lorna hadn't wanted to be there. There was too much metal that rattled when she walked past. The other students had made fun of her cheaply dyed hair and awkwardness. It had felt like prison. After being arrested a few times, that still felt true. It was just lacking inhibitor collars.

You're not just all pretty lights.

Wasn't that what she wanted to hear? The sheer force of someone potentially seeing her was an uncomfortable rush. Lorna was unfamiliar with it. She had gone from Lorna to Polaris. This stranger hadn't even asked her name. She could be any mutant. Then again, she had green hair. That tended to stick out. Did he know who she was? The feeling of paranoia crept back in. "Why do you care?" A new edge crept into her tone. "You got some kind of mutant fetish?"

[thedailyurich]

A chill hit him as she inched towards him. If he could feel his cheeks right now he'd feel the blood rush to him. He was excited or nervous. He didn't quite know why. Was it the thrill of the story? That made him feel alive most days when the world felt bleak. Could it be the danger? No it was more positive than that. If he were too take a second to truly be honest with himself, he'd realize he was having a middle school moment and was just excited to have this pretty girl approaching him. Her emerald hair drifting in the wind. To have those viridescent eyes set on him. It was all exciting. Sadly, Ben wouldn't accept that.

For the past few years he'd put relationships on the backburner. He considered himself married to the job. He'd worry about it when he was older. He's still in his 20's he needed to be a free agent and do the dangerous journalism, make a real impact. Not fantasize about building a life with someone. He needed to help build a future for those in need and serve as their voice and loud speaker. It's not that he didn't like the idea of being someone's person, but he felt he didn't deserve that till he achieved his purpose. Until he helped all the people he could. If he couldn't be proud of himself yet he didn't think another could.

He found himself drifting in her direction in the silence but took a step back at her statement. His eyebrows raised and his heart jumped in panic for but a moment. A cross between panic and and offense smeared his face before composing himself. "I'm sorry. You think I'm a mutant fetishist?" He replied as calm as he could but tone full of disbelief. "You just met me and you're already jumping to these weird ass conclusions? Not that finding a mutant attractive to would be weird, it's just weird to assume that."

He tossed his cigarette to his feet and stamped it out. "Look." He sighed as he shoved his hands in his pockets for warmth and met her eyes. "I don't know what I did to make you feel this way or what preconceptions you may have about me - and to be fair I can understand the caution - but I'm not trying to have a conversation with you just to get in your mutant genes or whatever. I asked because I'm genuinely curious. Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut? If I said something offensive, I'm sorry." Ben's tone was genuine. He was embarrassed and didn't feel like he had done anything wrong, but he knew this was a tumultuous time and he could have been less direct. If that set her off he needed to make it right.

[magnetbby]

This time, she didn't let herself laugh. Lorna caught the chuckle in her throat and quickly repurposed it into something that sounded like the bastard child of a scoff and a snort. She didn't often let her guard down enough to express humor — especially in front of a human. Well, an assumed human. It had been her first thought when they had stumbled upon one another, and while she had yet to confirm it, Lorna remained wary.

"So, you're hiding your pretentiousness. Is there anything else you're hiding?"

There was a level of privilege that came alone with her position. Lorna knew she wasn't the strongest mutant. She didn't need to be. Anyone who laid hands on her — human or mutant alike — would face the wrath of Magneto. She had convinced herself at this point it wasn't because he loved her. No. It had to be an ego or pride thing. Nonetheless, Lorna felt the buffer of her father's righteous anger.

He thought her lights were pretty. They weren't exactly lights (that was reductive) but they did create a glow. That wasn't the part of the statement that had caught Lorna by surprise. It was the fact that they were pretty. For most of her life, her magnetism had been something to hide. To resent. Later, with the Brotherhood, it was something to use. No one had ever called it pretty before.

"The glow is the least interesting part about them," Lorna finally replied. He was impressed by that, but that was nothing compared to what she could do. She cocked her head to the side. "Mm, so you're pretentious and a loser. How cliche. You have any other fun facts you want to share?"

[thedailyurich]

"Oh plenty. I'm a man of mysteries." Ben responded with an amused smirk as he took a sip of borderline cold coffee. He didn't see himself as the most interesting or secretive person either. While not exactly an open book, he wasn't the most private person. However, he needed to keep the conversation going. He needed to make sure Lorna wanted to talk to him. He needed this to be a healthy interview when they go there, and he needed her to be happy and willing to talk with him. Dammit Ben, you sound like a manipulative asshole.

His face didn't reflect his inner turmoil however. What he was trying to accomplish was set to do a lot of good for both human and mutant kind. The ends justified the means. They had to.

Her silence intrigued and concerned him. It was too dark to get a good read on her. Her body language was stiff but that could have been from the cold. Was she angry at him? Did he say something wrong? Was it inappropriate to make that comment on her mutation? Was it-? His worries came to a stop when she opened her mouth again. He had a half smile on his face for a moment that he swiftly hid behind a cigarette. He liked her attitude.

"Is that so?" He said breathing out a wreath of warm smoke. His cigarette now half burned through. "Of course I do. Not only am I pretentious loser, but I also dropped out of school. On the plus side, I know the what places have the best mediocre cups of coffee." He said raising his cup, taking a sip, and struggling to swallow the bitter, almost soured, liquid. "Now your turn." He replied leaning over onto the railing. "You're not just all pretty lights. Tell me about it. What it feels like." He had the faintest trace of a smile and look of genuine interest in his eyes. He was fascinated. He didn't care that people had the abilities to move mountains, to bring monsoons, or to blow up cities. He wanted to know how it felt to make light. To feel yourself directly impact the forces of nature and how it would define the sense of self. He wanted to know more about the human behind the powers.

[warriorblooded]

"what is that!?"

[thedailyurich]

"Huh? Looks like a rat screwed a chihuahua and that's what came out... Seen worse."

[mrvlgirl]

“I get that the term mutant may seem weird at first. Homo superior definitely isn’t much better. People are just big into labels. But I promise, we’re not scary. Well, most of us aren’t.”

[thedailyurich]

Ben took a sip from his coffee listening intently. His stylus behind hisear and his tablet on his lap. "It's definitely taking people some time to get adjusted. No debate there. But I don't get what all the fuss is about. Mutants are bad but if you weren't born that way it's fine? It's all a buncha bull."

[magnetbby]

"What the hell is a cockle?" It caught her off guard. The question slipped out on its own accord, a chuckle almost accompanying the words. She actually did laugh as he finished his sentence, her head shaking. "Maybe don't use a word like cockle if you don't even know what it means. Makes you sound pretentious."

Not that she cared. He was a stranger, a potential threat. He was nothing and she needed to remain on edge. As his eyes flickered towards her glowing fists, a wave of self-consciousness washed over her. Growing up, her powers were meant to be repressed. Held in. She didn't want to be seen with them. Back then, she had wanted to fit in. Now, Lorna let the light die from her fists. She needed to conserve her energy to be safe. She took a step closer, eyes squinting to try to see in the semi-darkness.

"Not freezing is a secondary mutation," Lorna lied. There was no way she was getting into it with a stranger. She liked the sting. It kept her centered and focused. Getting comfortable opened the door to growing soft. Growing soft meant growing weak. That wouldn't be Lorna. Not anymore. "You come out here to ruin your lungs?" She shot back. "There's gotta be a better place. Maybe outside a bar? Most people aren't hanging out here at night."

[thedailyurich]

"Make me sound pretentious? Well wouldn't want people to learn that right away, would we?" He replied wryly. She had spunk. This made his job all the more entertaining. This way he wouldn't have to force the conversation as much, he worked well with people like her.

A pang of guilt struck his gut as the green auroras faded into the night. It was beautiful while it lasted and his glance stole them from the world. With the green glow gone it was harder to watch her body language, harder to read her. That was a talent of Ben's. He could practically tell what his subjects were thinking during and interview just by watching them. People thought that you just had to be fancy with your words to make it as a journalist, but it took so much more. You needed to read your subjects. Know how each question made them react, if their phrasing revealed any potential hidden emotions or agendas, and you had to know just how far to push to get your answers. He'd be a good therapist if he only liked people.

"Well damn. You make pretty lights and save on the gas bill. Color me impressed." He mused fighting a small smile before taking a deep drag for the momentary warmth it provided. "Well I guess we're not most people then." He shot back just as quickly. "I didn't come here to be around most people. I don't like most people."

[magnetbby]

Life was a bitch. At this point, it felt like no one knew that better than Lorna Dane. Traumatic childhood accident that had killed her mother and been her fault? Check. Mutant powers? Check. Terrorist homosapien hating father? Double check. The green hair was just the icing on the cake.

It had only been a few months since Lorna had found her way to the Brotherhood, since she had washed black dye from her hair for what she swore would be the last time. Mutant and proud, right? She was all but shouting it from the streets, all while wrestling with the inner doubt and self-hatred that had plagued her for her entire life. She didn't fit in back home, and she didn't fit in with the Brotherhood. Lorna was, as always, adrift.

Visiting the auto yard was becoming a habit. It was a chance to get away from the likes of Toad and the other Brotherhood members; they were loud and smelly and more than Lorna cared to deal with most of the time. She only stayed because of her father. Magneto, the man who didn't want her. Who had never wanted her. Despite that, Lorna craved his approval with a desperation that was downright embarrassing. Her father had known about her for years; he had been with her in the aftermath of the accident that had killed her mother and step-father. But he had left her. He had her memories changed and freaking left her to grow up confused. It was hard to not be resentful. More-so, it was hard to believe that he actually wanted her in the Brotherhood now.

But enough of the daddy issues.

Lorna sought sanctuary both from others and herself. The tough act was a survival strategy. A hard exterior brushed off the jabs and comments while Lorna tried to hide how utterly new she was to being a mutant publicly. She stole away for moments of privacy so she could find time to breath again. Being surrounded by metal and car parts felt surprisingly peaceful. Just feeling the magnetic hum that surrounded her in the auto yard was enough to keep her coming back to god forsaken Queens time and time again. After close, it was always empty. Lots of metal to manipulate, no humans around. It may as well have been heaven.

No humans, that is, except for tonight. She had been busying herself trying to lift cars and test the limits of her mutation when she decided to look for something heavier to move. Her walk around the auto yard was when she first noticed him. One human, sitting all alone smoking a cigarette. Weird. Weren't humans weird though? Lorna had grown up among them, felt their wrath and their unwarranted hatred. One second they were casually smoking a cigarette and the next they were yelling anti-mutant slurs. It was enough to instantly put Lorna on edge.

She hadn't realized how long she had been staring until he looked over and they made eye contact. At least, she assumed they did. It was dim in the lot, and the green glow around her fists didn't illuminate much other than the fact that she wasn't human.

"Little cold for a cigarette, isn't it?" She asked, voice projecting to cover the space between them. It was cold in general. Her jacket had been left at the Brotherhood headquarters. Lorna — ever the masochist — enjoyed punishing herself in small amounts. It had been like that her entire life. Pausing, she sighed. "Look, I don't want any trouble."

Surprising, maybe, coming from someone with her affiliation, but true all the same.

[thedailyurich]

There she was. Polaris. Officer of the Brotherhood of Mutants and Daughter of Magneto. He knew she'd be here but not yet, not now. He came here just for her but he was shocked all the same at the sight of her. Her emerald hair billowing in the wind, the aurora's encompassing her hands. He thought he'd be scared by it or at least intimidated, but it was beautiful. The raw powers of nature that she controlled, it was hard to pull his eyes from her hands.

"Or it's the perfect time. Warms the cockles. Whatever the hell those are." He responded as he flicked his eyes up to meet hers, taking in another hot and soothing drag.

His thoughts churned like a sea at storm, his heart raise, and stomach fluttered with excitement. Here it was. His chance. His time to get a real hard hitting story again. Write something that can make a difference, make people believe in humanity. Stop it Urich. He was getting ahead of himself. There were still plenty of chances for him to screw this up or get murdered for saying the wrong thing.

"That makes two of us." Ben replied as he let out another cloud of smoke. "You come here to try to freeze to death or something?" He added just to fill the silence and continue the conversation as he gestured to her ill prepared outfit. While he tried to ignore the green swirling around her hands he couldn't keep from taking a quick glance.

[thedailyurich]

What was your debut article written on and do you still think it's good?

"Not my best work but a pretty good article, paid for it with a concussion though. It was a piece on a street gang that was using some higher end tech. Y'know the type. Made from materials from all these heroes, villains, and aliens leave lying around after fights. They were just a bunch of punks but the article gave enough info to get one of them tracked down and arrested. They didn't like that and found me after dark to take a cheap shot at me. Maybe would have died too if it weren't for their toy blowing up grabbing the attention of some street cops. That's when I realized what I do has real consequences but can really make a difference."

[thedailyurich]

Would you compromise your morals to get a story?

"I hope not. If I give up my morals for a story I'm just like those asshole paparazzi and tabloid writers. I want to write something real, meaningful, and impactful. I didn't become a journalist just to fuel my own ego - even if that's a side effect - I became one because I wanted to make a change with my words. To inspire and inform. Give the knowledge to the people and send the truth through all the noise to try and make the world a better place. If I compromise my morals doing that all that I accomplish will have a dark blot around it."

[thedailyurich]

Thoughts on J. Jonah Jameson?

"J. Jonah Jameson. The man the myth the douchebag. We've got a complicated relationship. Do I like him? No. Do I respect him? Mostly. I owe him for my break. He's the one that took a chance on me and put my article in the paper when I was a freelancer dropout. Granted, I all but shoved it up his ass so he couldn't ignore, but regardless, I have an appreciation for him for doing that. He's done a lot with the Bugle and for all the weird opinions he has on Spider-Man and other Vigilantes he's helped the Bugle do some good. Provided a place to talk about issues that really matter and speak on equality. He doesn't give a shit what other people think and that makes for as honest of a News Paper you can get. Even if the opinion pieces on Spider-Man are borderline libel. They should just kiss and make up already."

[thedailyurich]

@magnetbby

It was one of those bitter windy nights. The kind of night where that cold biting wind came off from the harbor, making your nose so cold it stung. He hated it. The coffee he bought as an over priced hand warmer had already gone tepid. He couldn't keep himself from wondering if it was worth it as he reached for his pack of cigarettes. Not just because it was cold, he'd swim in that sludge he called the Harbor in a blizzard if it meant a good story. It was the moral implications that made him hesitate. Yeah, he did this because he wanted to get the truth out there. Make sure that the morons that just by into all the fear mongering get a swift kick in the ass to make them remember the world isn't in black and white; even if his news paper was.

He tapped his carton on his hand loosening his greatest vice before sliding one between his lips. As he felt around for his matches - no lighter today, couldn't risk bringing any more metal here if this went wrong - he kept reminding him that he wasn't stalking that woman, Polaris, but was just engaging in investigative journalism, but that didn't make him feel much better about tailing a girl around for the past week. Probably looked like a pervert.

His thoughts briefly cleared as a dim glow over took him and his corner of the the auto yard with a crackle and a hiss as he let his match, using his hand to save it from the wind. He held the smoldering cgarette between his teeth as he he shook out his watch and dropped it on the ground; he'd pick it up when it cooled off.

He took a long deep drag as the warmth filled his lungs making him feel remotely thawed; he almost didn't want to let it out, but oxygen won in the end. "What are you doing, Urich?" He sighed to himself as he was surrounded in a halo of smoke.