Players: Corrin, Misha & Rashmi
Summary: Corrin asks Misha to ask Rashmi to talk to him about the Mutant Town shootings, among other topics… and boy, do they talk!
Date: July 31, 2010
Log Title: Ellis Island Talking Heads
Rating: G
Ellis Island
For generations this was the gateway to America, with literally millions of immigrants pouring through the doors to find new lives and new hope. These days it's a museum dedicated to that heritage. Wide corridors and high ceilings cause every sound to magnify and echo and distort. That, combined with the weight of history, tend to breed a sense of reverence and quiet not unlike a library or church.
The ferry over from Manhattan was busy today, it being Saturday and the weather being hot. Tourists from all over crowded the rails, snapping photos of the harbor and each other, gossiping in a dozen languages, laughing and smiling. Corrin slipped through the crowd, just another face, no one special. He found a good wall to hold up and watched the ferry approach this landmark of hope for so many new citizens, and his brow furrows. Some citizens have further to go than others to reach the promised land.
He debarks with the tourists, flowing out onto the paths with them, and heads for the seaward side of the island. He tries to stay out of the way of photographs, turning away or raising a hand when he thinks a lens is pointed in his direction. He came here to see someone, not to be seen. Look! There's a seagull! Shoot it, not him.
Misha is of course escorting Rashmi. Not that he's official or anything. He does happen to be one of the only ones visible though in the crowd, for the SHIELD agents around have blended in very well indeed. The teen is with Rashmi, wearing a long shirt in spite of the weather. It's a light one however, and not really too warm. As soon as Misha spots Corrin, he smiles and lifts a hand in greeting. Over here, sometimes glowing man! "There he is." Heavy Polish accent and rough voice and all.
Rashmi tucks a lock of hair away from her face, casting a worried look over the crowds in general, and the contact in specific. "You're sure it's okay, right?" she asks, brushing a bit of sand from her ankle-length, grey cotton skirt. "I mean, I'm supposed to be keeping my head down for a reason, and all…"
Corrin's wearing long sleeves, too, and he'd wear a jacket if it wouldn't make him stick out in this crowd like a
giant-sized sore thumb. He'll look around for Misha and Rashmi, but it takes him a moment to spot them—there are a lot of people waving at each other in this place. He smiles when he sees them, though, and changes course to meet them, ducking around clots of camera-wielding grandparents and kids with iPhones.
Ten yards from them, he stops almost too late as a small horde of shrieking children streams past, parent in pursuit. He'll walk somewhat more warily up to Misha and Rashmi and say, "Hello. Thanks for coming. Are you sure we shouldn't have done this somewhere else? Say, Central Part at midnight? It'd be safer!"
The teen spreads his hands to Rashmi, "We're sitting on a SHIELD base. They are all around us. If they can not protect you now, they never can." It's all Misha can say to assure her. This whole situation has to be rough. When Corrin makes the joke about Central Park the young man laughs. "Call it practice in blending in." Offers his hand to Corrin. "How are you, my friend? Have you seen Mr diLucci yet?" Since they talked about that too. There's a pause as he motions to the young woman next to him, "And this beautiful lady is Rashmi."
Rashmi nods a bit, glancing around her in a futile attempt to spot the undercover agents, but straightens then Corrin approaches. She flushes as Misha introduces her, shaking her head. "Hi, Mr. Corrin, it's good to um… well, actually meet you." Her cheeks darken a bit more. "…And I wanted to say I'm *really really sorry* for knocking you out like that…"
"I haven't had the opportunity to speak to him. I will, though." Corrin shakes Misha's hand, then turns to Rashmi.
"Miss Rashmi. The pleasure's all mine." He'll smile and offer his hand to her, too, then smiles wider and ducks his
head. "Actually, Corrin's my first name. 'Mr. Corrin' makes me feel like I'm in short pants."
Then she's apologizing and he's blushing. "Uh…! That was you? I didn't… it's okay… seriously, I thought that was the *bad guys*. No apology necessary! From what I heard, you got 'em, and that's what counts!"
"Hopefully soon." Misha doesn't mean to chide, but he knows that Angelo can help Corrin. Help the man desperately needs. He remembers well the dark place he spent hours talking to Corrin that one day. "I wish I could have been there to help." But he was busy that day. "Do you two want me to give you privacy? I can give some space." The smile is easy and he honestly doesn't mind at all. Regardless of the fact he very much wants to know what this is about.
"Hm? Oh no, it's okay," Rashmi says, smiling at Misha. "It's not like it was any Big Huge Secret, anyway." Drawing in a deep breath, she turns her attention to Corrin. "So um, Corrin… How can I help you?"
"No, Misha, stay. It's about those shootings in Mutant Town… there's been another one, and Miss Rashmi here was in it. I wanted to ask her about her impressions of the people who did it." Over her shoulder, Corrin spots a family leaving a bench. "Here—let's sit and chat. Miss Rashmi, I don't know what you saw, not in your own words. The Avengers had some police summaries, but they didn't say one thing that I thought was really important: how did you get involved? I know you weren't on the street when the shooting started…"
Relieved and glad, the young man nods as he's assured he can stay. "Thank you." Misha offers to both with a smile. He looks over his shoulder as Corrin points out the bench, and nods. Hurries over to lay claim to it. "I heard it happened in front of the new embassy too." So needs to get in contact with Magneto one of these days about that. He's so curious! Doesn't ask the numerous questions he has about the affair because this is suppose to be Corrin asking questions. Can pounce people about it later now that he knows they were involved.
Rashmi's brow furrows, nodding and following Misha to the bench, folding her hands on her lap once settled. "Well, um… Actually I was there to see the Embassy. It was *nice* to hear that Magneto did something actually *constructive,* you know? Anyway, the shooting got started, and Jono needed help…" The redhead lifts a shoulder and drops it, a casual half-shrug. "He's my friend, and those people didn't deserve to be shot at, so… I just tried to he-e-eyyy… You're in contact with the Avengers?"
Corrin nods to Misha. "Right out front. The…" [burning man][twitch] "young man in the black outfit… Jono?" He looks between Misha and Rashmi. "He was on the steps. We were chatting when the shooting started." [twitch] He addresses Rashmi. "You were in the embassy? Are you going to be working there?" Corrin pursues this thought, trying to avoid thinking of Jono, because thinking about Jono makes him think about fire and he can't think about fire.
Then Rashmi hands him a distraction, and he grabs it with both hands. "Yes! In a way. I'm on staff, under Jarvis.
Mostly cleaning and such. I asked for the summaries because they get them and I was involved, so there weren't any extra security issues to deal with."
Misha doesn't know Jono, so he looks to Rashmi. "The burning man?" That's the only name he knows Jono by. People in Mutant Town talk about it. His attention is very much on Corrin though. Especially as he says the word burning. Shouldn't have said burning. Oops! Since Rashmi offers the distraction, Misha doesn't have to make it. "Corrin allowed me on the grounds once. It was great." Said with a grin. "I've met a couple of the Avengers now thanks to Corrin."
Rashmi chuckles. "Wow… that's really cool, Misha! Um… actually no, Corrin, I was just visiting because I'd heard Magneto did some *good,* and wanted to see it. And… well, then thank him in person, which I did. Actually I intern for Ms. Walters now, so maybe next time you want to talk, just ask her to leave a hole in the schedule?" This, said with an easy, friendly smile. "And yeah, Jono's a friend of mine. He, um… actually isn't on fire, you know. He's a telekinetic, it just *looks* that way. It's how he carried you to the hospital, after the shooting."
Corrin grins at Misha. "I should ask if you can come on a tour of the mansion itself," he says, before returning his
attention to Rashi. "I think… Jono… mentioned something about Magneto." They were chatting about the building, after all. "I'm afraid I don't recall our conversation too well," since bad guys showed up and started shooting right after. Rather sweeps other concerns aside. "And… Miss Walters? Uh…" Oh! She-Hulk. "Um. I don't think I've met her yet…"
… Carried. Him. To. The. Hospital. "Oh, god. Please don't tell me that." Corrin actually backs away from Rashmi.
"Uh… I think I'll get a round of sno-cones. Hope you like cherry…" ESCAPE.
"I'd love that." To see the mansion of the Avengers would be amazing. Even if it's just to see the mundane aspects. About Jono he doesn't know, so can't answer, but he does sigh as Corrin makes an escape. There's a rueful look to Rashmi and he says quietly, "Corrin has memory trouble. He's a little unstable, especially about fire. So a burning man sends him right into fits." Really worries about Corrin, Misha does, and the teen looks after the man as he hurries off. "Give him a moment and he'll be back and better." Apologetic that. "Are you really working for She-Hulk? Oh, and how is Connor doing? I've always had the impression he doesn't like me much, so I've stayed away."
Rashmi pales visibly, a hand coming up to her mouth. "Oh! Oh God, now I feel horrible… Um.. Okay. No more burning talk, got it, thanks. And yeah, I am. Legal assistant intern stuff, since the whole point of me going into college is for pre-law anyhow, you know? And Connor? Um… Actually no, I don't really think he dislikes you at all. Just, um… he's… well, sort of OCD. The kind that bleeds over into dealing with people. Part of it's his power's fault, I guess, so don't worry. He… *should* be all right, now. Maybe email him and see?"
Corrin comes back a couple minutes later with a cardboard tray of sno-cones and a lot less twitchiness. "Here you go. I decided to get a rainbow of colors, but don't ask me what the flavors are. I know one was called 'Dazzleberry'."
He'll wait until the others choose their conesor don'tand settles himself against a post beside the bench. He's not quite un-twitchy enough to sit down. "Where were we? Um." He'll taste his own sno-cone. "Mutant Town. Shooters. Bad guys." He looks around at Misha and Rashmi. "There's going to be a block party to celebrate the opening of the embassy. It's going to be big, noisy, and probably a prime target for the bad guys. I'm going to be there to help stop these guys, maybe get some who will talk. Are either of you interested in doing the same?"
"Don't feel bad. You couldn't have known." Misha assures. "I learned about the same way." A wan smile for that, but he doesn't explain just how he learned. "Corrin is a very good man. As you say.. hmm.. he has a good heart." The smile warms for that. "I didn't know you were going for Pre-law. That's wonderful. It should be a busy time for you learning from her." Very busy indeed. About Connor though, the young man slowly nods. "His power must work very differently than mine." Said with a little shake of the head. "I will." Email him. "Maybe he will react better to that." Said that the last time too.
With Corrin's return, Misha takes one of those wild flavors and looks at it speculatively before taking a nibble. As it doesn't nibble back, he continues on a slow progress of consuming it. "I would be." Interested. Said with a brightening of expression. A trap? Sounds great!
Rashmi takes the sno-cone with a nod of thanks, but at the sound of the plan, simply frowns down at it. "…I don't know… I mean, what's going to happen if they decide to go back to shooting bullets? …Um. Sorry… It's a *good* plan, just… Iunno. Risky." Taking a careful nibble of her multicolored sno-cone, she takes a deep breath. "But I'd like to be there, if I can make it. I'm sort of under protective custody now, so um… I'm not going to want to poke my head out until Ms. Walters gives me the all-clear."
Corrin nods to Misha. "There's a bunch of us planning on covering the party; I think we'll give those… persons a
strong shock." He nibbles a bit more on his sno-cone. "And yes, it is risky, but I don't think these shooters are going to stop. There was something in the police summaries about a game, but I don't have those details. I think Magneto might; there's a rumor that he's backing our efforts to catch these guys."
And then Rashmi distracts him again. "Protective custody? Should I ask why? And is that why there are plainsclothes all over the place watching us?"
"I think we have already been giving them that." Said with a grin about shocks. Misha doesn't think those men were ever expecting such resistance. "Game?" That has him blinking. "Yes, that would go with some of the rest I have heard." Since he's uncovered a little. Now if only he and Jono could compare notes.. Of course there's also Rashmi's protective custody, but he lets her answer that one.
And now the frown is a deep, disapproving scowl, the redhead perhaps seeking to melt her sno-cone with the power of her gaze. "Yeah… *Game.* It's on the Internet and everything… here," she says, switching hands and digging into her bookbag, pulling out a scrap of paper with the Game's address on it. "It's *horrible.* Ten Million dollars to whoever gets the most points! What kind of person *does* that?!" Flouncing back onto the bench, she snorts. "Yeah… protective custody. I could try to explain it, but just trying to think about how to gives me a headache. Something to do with time travel and me being a big enough problem in the future to be turned into John Connor now, or something. The Avengers all know what's going on, though, they could tell you more."
Corrin grins at Misha; yes, they've surprised a few groups of 'guys with guns'. It's the only part of this mess that feels good, though. He starts a bit at Rashmi's tone, then takes a bite of his sno-cone, watching her speak; that's passion, that is. Wow. He'll accept the website address and check it over, frowning. "'The Contest'? That's so… creative." He flips the scrap over to read the back, then looks it over again, before handing it back. "Someone thinks a lot of themself."
As for the protective custody… "Time travel? As in *real* time travel? That's possible?" He stops, mouth open,
because HELLO. Working for the Avengers! "Agh." Facepalm. "Of course it's real." Then he looks back at her and his expression turns speculative. If she's being protected from guys in the future… that means she'll be important. In fact, she probably already is.
Misha is rather glad he's not important. If it means having to hide like Rashmi is. Some times.. guh! "This game may not end as they wish. Or I hope it doesn't anyway." About the time travel, well, he can't say, so he doesn't. Seen shape changing aliens, so he's kind of assuming time travel is real too. Does wonder if he could get into the contest. Hmm. "Do you think I have a chance of getting into one of the groups doing the attacks? Maybe I can learn something more." Not a mutant, so they can't detect his powers that way.
"I don't know," Rashmi says warily. "I mean I'm sure it'd go okay, but… that's like *really* dangerous, Misha. If
they *did* find you out…" Leaving it at that, she looks at Corrin… and does a doubletake at his speculation.
"…What? *I* don't know what I managed to do! Maybe he just has less patience than Magneto, and took it too personally when I tell him stabbing people is stupid or something?"
Corrin regards Misha quietly. "That's a thought. They'll be expecting infiltrators, though, so you'd need a deep cover. SHIELD has the resources for that sort of thing but something like this? A game with a multi-million prize? They may have a hook in SHIELD already just to see what SHIELD finds out about them." But… but. Interesting idea. Dangerous, as Rashmi says, but interesting.
He does smile at Rashmi for her protestations, though. "Miss, time travel can't be easy, so if it was just you dissing someone? No. Too much trouble. But if you were a serious threat, such that their goals were endangered…? The cost of going after you in the past gets off-set by that. It's math, and it doesn't lie."
Misha shrugs. It's not that he's unmindful of the danger, but thinking more of the need to stop these people. "I could be a shield agent if I wished it. Really, why is the danger of helping at the party so different than this? Either way I'll be risking my life to try and stop them. If I do attempt this, it means I won't be at the party. I can't be seen helping there, and then trying to get involved.. I'll think on it however. Research this site you have given." Wanting to be careful and not entirely rush into things. "Rashmi, isn't it more of what you are going to do?" Said with a little smile.
Rashmi snorts, lips quirking in amusement. "Well. I'm not going to think too hard about it. If it happens, it
happens, and if it doesn't… well, I'm not *trying* to be all that important, so it'll be fine. Anyway, important
things. Misha… if you can do it safely… then okay. But if they're really as creepily insane as they pretend to
be, you're probably going to have to hurt or kill a mutant, you know? So just… be careful, all right?""
"Hurt or kill… that could be staged." Corrin is thinking out loud. "Have to provide proof… blood? Photos,
definitely. Maybe have a tougher mutant 'appear' and intervene, forcing retreat…" he shakes his head. "Sorry. There are possibilities in the idea but it's still extremely dangerous. Let's check out their web presence first and see what we can learn from that."
He tosses his empty sno-cone cup into the nearest trash bin. "I don't think 'try' is the problem, Miss, regarding this future thing. If they're sending bad guys from then to get to you now, you've already succeeded in becomeing important, like it or not. And with the help you're getting…?" He looks around. "That's a lot of help. You must really do a number on the mean team."
"That's the part that has me pausing." Misha agrees with Rashmi about the hurting. "It could be staged, but let's see how the party goes first? This will give me time to research, for even if those at the gathering are taken down, it will not stop those behind the site." This he is sure of. "It honestly may be too late for such an attempt now that they are public." A shake of the head, and he decides to toss what is left of his sno-cone as well. Not as good as he was hoping. "Rashmi, what ifs are pointless. It does not matter right this moment what you will do some year down the time. What matters is what you are doing now. Focus on that instead of some possibility we have no idea will become reality or not."
Rashmi lifts a shoulder. "I know… Right now, I only have two things to worry about; getting halfway decent combat training, because I'm *tired* of getting in these messes with only my powers to keep me from getting hurt, and passing my Bar in like five years. …Oh, and doing a good job at Ms. Walter's firm. …So, three things."
Corrin dusts his hands off. "Good plan. Besides, isn't there a grandfather effect involved? They can't kill you because if they did, you wouldn't be in the future and they wouldn't come back, so you'd be alive, and…" He pauses. "You know, time travel is confusing." A shrug and a smile.
"*Exactly,*" Rashmi grumbles, "which is why I don't even bother thinking too hard about it. Besides, the *last* thing I'd need is to get lazy figuring it'll all work out anyway because I'm big and important and infuriating in the future, right? So, I'll just make the best of not being able to leave the school without fifty dozen undercover guards for now."
"School? So you're in Barnes, too?" Corrin glances at Misha, who has wandered off to talk on the phone. He looks back to Rashmi. "That explains the watchers around us. I was wondering if it was a class assignment or something."
Rashmi bobs her head. "I was supposed to start in the fall, but, protective custody. I was going to go to NYU, but then I found out that Barnes would give me a complete free ride, no scholarships or loans or housing costs or anything. That's… pretty hard to pass up, you know? Especially if you grow up where I did, near the Kitchen."
"Hell's Kitchen." Corrin shifts to lean against his post again. "Yes, free rides are rare aroung there. But there's no
such thing as a real free ride. I'm sure SHIELD wants a promise out of you, future consideration or some such. They're government; they're not fairy godmothers. Have they spoken to you about service terms?"
"It was mentioned," Rashmi confirms. "And besides, I read the entire orientation packet, so I understand I'll probably have to do work for SHIELD or the military before I'm done. And… well, if you'd asked me a few months ago, I'd have had a really big problem with that. …But then there was the whole demons from Limbo thing, and Mr. Sinister, and a spear-throwing future bad guy wanting to turn me into one of his leather-strap minions or whatever. ….Suddenly being a government worker in exchange for the cheapest education ever isn't such a bad thing, you know?"
Corrin blinks several times. Demons? "When you put it like that…" He glances over again at Misha, still on the phone. He wonders if the boy read the orientation packet. Mind, Misha doesn't speak English as a first language, so that might not have been an option at the time. "On the other hand, most government workers can't command half a dozen floating bowling balls, so I imagine that whatever SHIELD would want you to do, it will be a bit more physically demanding than preparing legal briefs and researching obscure points of law." He regards her carefully. "Do you have defensive skills that are not part of the…" He draws a circle in the air with a finger, like an orbit of those 'bowling balls'.
"Not particularly," the redhead admits. "I took a few lessons in tactics and self-defense at my old school, but I'm… not.. really the kind of person who likes to get into fights, you know? So I'm starting to fix that now. I've already read all my books a dozen times, anyway."
Corrin considers this. Old school? What school gives classes in tactics and self-defense? Military academy? He sets the question aside for the moment and reviews the rest of the conversation. The embassy, Magneto… she thanked him in person? He may have surprised Rashmi with his Avengers connection, but she's surprising him with her mutant terrorist one.
And she doesn't like getting into fights… but she's effective, when she does. Assuming the 'spear-throwing bad guy' is the reason why there are watchers all around her, Corrin is totting up a picture of Rashmi in his head that he's not sure she wants him to be making. "You're very easy to talk to, did you know that?"
Rashmi chuckles. "I try… I mean, I want to get into law and politics when I get older, so, it's kind of a necessary skill to have."
And the facts keep adding into the picture Corrin is building. "I'd say you're on the right track. If you don't mind my asking, what are the issues that most concern you? I can't say I follow law or politics, so I'm afraid I don't see the attraction."
"Well…" And there's the clear sound of the beginning of a familiar, much-loved tale. "I'm a first-generation,
actually. Mami and Papi moved here from West Bengal, after they got married. They really believed in the American Dream, you know? So they wanted their children to have the kinds of options they never could have, and took a huge chance to come here. Papi had them change their name to Franklin, after… well, you know, Benjamin… sort of a tradition from the Old Country, like trying to bring a little of what made that person great into the family. And that's how I grew up… on stories about Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Dr. King, all these great people who changed the world just by believing *so hard* it could be changed. So… I guess it was kind of inevitable, that I'd want to get into law."
Corrin smiles. Look at the girl light up! "I don't think it was a case of 'just believing', Miss. From what I know of
all of those people, there was a lot of elbow grease that went into what they did, from walking across a country to spending years preaching and praying, making things better one life at a time." He's silent for a long moment. "That's a huge dream. A great one."
"I'd like to think so," Rashmi answers, flushing quietly. "And I know it takes a lot of work… *Trust* me, you don't shoot for Constitutional Law without knowing what you're getting into. But, it's my calling, and I *honestly believe* people can really change the world if they want to bad enough."
"Constitutional Law!" Corrin laughs, delighted. "No wonder you're taking the free ride from SHIELD! They're pretty much front line when it comes to policing violations on that level!"
"Wow, really?" Rashmi says, perking up. "I had no idea, actually… I'm afraid I don't know all that much about
SHIELD… which I guess is sort of how they like it? But that's good to know… It means they won't be trying to make me let my law slip in favor of Special Forces Ranger SEAL training stuff… Thanks!"
"They're going after the big guns — folks like HYDRA, who are government breakers. The kinds of people who would, given enough rope, hang ninety-nine percent of the rest of the world just for being in the way. Yeah, front line." Corrin grins. "It's big, it's international, and it is going to be in your face more often than not. It isn't for the faint of heart — are you up for that?"
"Not in the slightest," is the prompt reply, but an answering grin. "That's why I'm not making a *career* out of it, after all. Besides, while that sounds really exciting? My boss drove me through space in a convertible last week, how is SHIELD really expecting to *top* that?"
Corrin CHOKES. "A *convertible*?!"
"I have *no idea* how that works, either," Rashmi says, laughing. "All I know is, the firm Ms. Walters works for
handles a lot of superpowers cases… and stuff outside *reality.* You should see the size of the NDA I had to sign, I think I'd need at least three hard-science degrees just to understand *why* some of those rules need followed."
Corrin stops laughing. "Er… NDA? Should you be having this conversation? I mean, if it's crossing security lines…."
Rashmi snorts, amused. "Nothing I've said so far you couldn't have gotten just by walking in the door, don't worry…"
"Still." He rubs a hand through his hair, nervous tic, obviously. "I don't think a space-capable convertible is really
the sort of 'walk through the door' kind of information most people could expect to pick up."
"Well no," Rashmi admits, "that's more under the heading 'So entirely crazy nobody would ever believe it anyway.' But, still not under the NDA. Besides, once you've gotten used to Awesome Andy, the rest of it all just sort of washes over you."
Corrin desperately wants to ask who or what Awesome Andy is; he doesn't dare. He casts around for something else to say and comes up with, "So… why *were* you in the convertible? Just a joy ride, or… something I shouldn't ask about?"
"Work," comes the light, airy reply. "I'm Ms. Walters' legal assistant, so, she tends to need me to take notes and be a second set of ears in case she misses something when she's out consulting."
"You take notes… in space?" Sorry, Corrin can't help it. He HAS to ask!
"Well, not *in* space," Rashmi answers, chuckling. "Just wherever we were after we'd *finished* going through space."
Corrin isn't sure if he's incredulous or just jaw-dropping envious. He settles on, "If you don't carry a camera
wherever you go, girl, START."
"Oh I *couldn't,*" the redhead protests. "I mean, nevermind that in some cases it'd be a *horrible* breach of
privacy… But also, rules. I mean if you were visiting some Russian criminal to see if you can make a case for him, would *you* want some teenager snapping pictures of him for her scrapbook?"
"Well, no, not *there*." Corrin is turning red. "But of the ride! Through space! You can leave the camera in the car when you… take your notes." He shrugs both shoulders. "Because who is going to steal it? They'd think it belonged to She-Hulk, and who's going to cross her?"
"I'll think about it," is the answer, the redhead mulling this idea over. "…Would it help if I said I have a picture
of Ms. Walters dressed up as the Wicked Witch of the West?"
Way to stop Corrin cold there, Rashmi. He freezes, thinking about it, and you can almost see the wheels turning… just how hawt was the Shulkie in that outfit…?
And then he realizes what sort of face he's making and he turns crimson. "Um," he says. The hair gets mussed. "Uh…"
Rashmi does, to her credit, try not to laugh. …*Unfortunately,* trying doesn't imply success, and the sound that escapes her sinuses is the sort of suppressed-snort that can only ever be laughter slipping its leash. However, her cellphone is produced, a few keys poked, and there in the screen indeed is She-Hulk as Elphaba… next to a comparatively tiny, red-haired Hindi Glinda. Complete with bubbles.
Corrin has to look. He comes over to stare… and he laughs. "That is so… so…!" He swallows that word. She's a
girl… well, young woman, but still female and not the audience for what he was about to say. Then he realizes who 'Glinda' is and he yelps. "Oh, my…! That's wonderful. That's…" He could say a few things about flying monkeys and tin men, but again, NOT THE AUDIENCE. Ahem. "You're looking a little shy, there. I don't see why—that's a great costume."
"…Because I grew up in Hell's Kitchen and suddenly I'm dressing up to go to *Tony Stark's* costume party?" Comes the amused response. "And… here…" A few more pictures are scrolled through (Tony as Mal Reynolds, Mach IV as the Blue Beetle) until the sought-for photo is found, Cleopatra speaking to a *very* dashing Julius Caesar in full armor. "…And I'd just finished saying goodbye to Ms. Frost and Magneto."
Corrin realizes he doesn't know what costume Tony was supposed to be, or any of the other Firefly appearances… what is he missing? The Blue Beetle gets his eyebrows rising—not exactly an obvious pick. But Cleo and Julius… "Magneto."
Emma Frost is another person he's very hazy on, but Magneto? "You mentioned thanking him in person. I imagine you did it at this party." Tony Stark? And Magneto? The thought makes him frown.
Rashmi bobs her head. "Well, yeah. I mean, how else are you going to get someone to understand that being
*constructive* is the best way to get the sort of changes that're really *needed* made happen, if you ignore when they *do* decent things? Besides, he's not really a bad *person.* Just… well, the sort of revolutionary that makes people *hate* revolutionaries, you know? What he *wants* when you get down to it is for mutants not to have to be afraid. What he *does* is make everyone afraid of mutants. Which is pretty stupid, honestly."
"Not to defend the man, but from what I've heard, he sees himself more as avenging angel than revolutionary. He's the guy who going to get on your case if you step out of line. Not the super nice-nice way of getting things done, and it invites way too much tit-for-tat BS to be effective, but it's what he's always done. It may be the only thing he truly knows." Corrin straightens up and studies the picture, tapping his chin with his thumb. "He's very hands-on. Not like the guys SHIELD goes up against — they're all about cut-outs and red herrings and scapegoats. And they're serial — there's always another body behind the body you see, pulling strings. Magneto… what you see is what you get. Mostly. It's both why he's so dangerous and why he'll never win. You know he'll do what he says he'll do… and you know that's all he'll do."
"I'd say you're pretty much right on everything, except one count; he *does* respect what *works,* whether it lives up to his vision or not." The phone is closed, replaced in her book bag. "Besides… Once I can manage to forget to be afraid of him, he's… actually pretty fun to argue with. I'll probably never agree with anything he does, and most of what he says… But people tend to forget; Professor Xavier and he were old, old friends, and did a lot of work together. So there's *something* good in there, it's just buried under years and years of hurt and bitterness and frustration, you know?"
"Professor who?" There's another gap in Corrin's knowledge. Should he know this name? "I'm sorry… I think that's my disinterest in politics showing again. I don't think I recall anything about Magneto actually doing good… well, before Genosha, and that's been a mixed bag, at best." Xavier… the mention of Genosha rings a bell. "Wait… wasn't Xavier one of the people working with Magneto in Genosha?"
Rashmi bobs her head. "That's right. And the Professor is probably the single biggest legal activist for mutant
rights in the world, so far. And that's how you can tell that Magneto isn't all bad; at the very very end of things, the two of them want the same thing; for people to stop treating mutants now like they did black people in the Fifties. Pull the analogy out, and Professor Xavier could be compared to Dr. King, and Magneto to Malcolm X."
"The main difference being that Magneto has survived all of the assassins sent against him, and outlived his earliest admirers. He now has generations of them… including people like you, Miss, who are opposite to him, politically and legally, but who still respect him. That's a remarkable difference between him and Malcolm X… or any other person you might name from the civil rights movement. It's more like he was Malcolm X and Rosa Parks, combined — the first nationally known antagonist to the status quo, and the most politically vocal, all in one package." Corrin's mouth twists in a wry expression. "And dynamite… or maybe just nitro-glycerin. A whole passel of nitro-glycerin."
"Yeah, that'd be about right," Rashmi says around a wry smirk. "The *real* problem is, people start thinking that to get anything done, you've got to be like him and blow up buildings. Which makes it *important* when all of a sudden an embassy and safe-house springs up overnight, that people *realize* exactly what he did and why he did it, and make sure he *knows* it."
"Why did he do that? Seriously? Magneto has been p… puking in the punchbowl since he first arrived on the world stage. He's more well known for how he breaks things than for how he makes them. Why did he choose to build a Genoshan embassy now? Why not last year? Why not next year? I think I can figure out why in Mutant Town." Corrin crosses his arms. "He's volatile. I have to wonder if it wasn't just a whim, one of those spur-of-the-moment things that he'll forget about when something else catches his attention. The man has more power than some classical gods, for pity's sake!"
Rashmi grins at this; clearly, the redhead is having *fun,* in the same way a natural artist would, doodling on a piece of paper. "Take that literally for a second; not blasphemy, just simple comparison. He's more powerful than some gods. Ergo, he is a god himself. A god of fire, brimstone and wrath, of Sodom and Gomorrah and pillars of salt." She raises a finger, her grin widening. "And now he has a child. Genosha."
Corrin raises a skeptical eyebrow. "Wrath, definitely. Not so much the Sodom and Gomorrah… more like Joshua and the walls of Jericho. Or Hephaestus in his forge, Maker to the Gods. Or…" He shakes his head. "And like the gods of old, he abandons his child to gallivant in meadows elsewhere. He's here in New York, after all. Why? Last I heard, Genosha was struggling. A man who can raise a multi-story building in a single night would probably be useful in a land wracked with internal strife and stricken with the damages on the land that strife has brought. How is Genosha improved if Magneto stays here?"
"Because it is his child," Rashmi says again. "And show me a parent that hasn't had to fight that urge to drop their child off for the first day of kindergarten, every time. He doesn't want Genosha to be *his* country, Corrin… he wants it to be it's own land. To live beyond him, maybe even give hope to mutants the world over, the same way American Dream spurred so many to come here and seek freedom. And it's a *good* dream, you know, nothing base or ignoble about it. But it's still his baby, and sometimes you have to let your baby fall down once in a while."
Corrin considers Rashmi for a long moment. "I don't know that forming a nation-sized ghetto is the best 'dream' that mutants could have. Yes, in the best of all worlds, it would be a safe haven for people who cannot find safety anywhere else, but it isn't safe. It isn't even a functioning country. Magneto may have been aiming for… uh… Israel, but he got Palestine. Or maybe Afghanistan."
Rashmi shrugs. "I didn't say it was the *best* way to do things, but it's a step in the right direction. The *best* way to do things would be to get it through the world's head that mutants are just as much people as anyone else; with the same capacity for grace or damnation that everyone else has. But like you said—he's been fighting for so long, he doesn't do well with anything else. This is the best he can do. And, honestly… you have to admit, it's pretty admirable for someone who's tried to destroy New York more times than I care to count."
Corrin says, "I think the only way the whole world will agree that we're all human — mutants, non-mutants, whites, blacks, Americans, Russians, Atlanteans, Mole Men — is if we're facing something other than ourselves. Something out there." He points up at the hot July sky. "As people, we're just too good at seeing our differences. We need something *else* to contrast ourselves to."
Rashmi nods slowly, letting out a quiet sigh. "Yeah… it's a pretty bad habit we've grown all this time… But you
just said; we *can* band together. Even if for a little bit, that means the capacity is there. Which tells me, one day… if we want it to be… it won't be an occasional thing. And on that day, we'll have become the people He *meant* for us to become."
Corrin smiles lopsidedly. "Do you anticipate being there, on that day?"
Rashmi chuckles. "It'd be nice, sure… But even a step in the right direction will be enough for me."
"…Yes." Corrin spends a moment thinking about that. A step… "Well. I've found our conversation stimulating, Miss, but I think I should be getting back soon. The afternoon has nearly gone and I'm due for a shift this evening. Thank you for meeting with me, and thank you for the information about that web site. I'll be sure to study it, in hopes of making a few steps of my own." A smile. "These people will not prevail."
Rashmi bobs her head, standing up from the bench and turning a bright smile on Corrin. "It was really great talking to you too, Corrin. And I'm really sorry again for knocking you out. Next time, I'll try not to get you caught up in what I do."
Corrin shrugs. "I was doing all right until I had to drop my shield, and then…" He spreads his hands. "I'll live. And
thank you, for future trying."
