Medusa and Lorna, Sunday evening

[x-medusa.livejournal.com]

Medusa stops by to speak with Lorna following her request. The snark stays inside each of their heads for the most part, so the conversation stays fairly civil, though it does not seem as if either girl truly changes their opinion of the other.

Medusa stood in the hallway outside of Lorna’s office, characteristically prompt but strangely hesitant. She regretted the exchange she had engaged in with the green haired woman over the journal system. While she had done her best to remain polite, she knew that her behavior had not been fitting for a lady and she was somewhat ashamed. She should not have responded to Lorna’s barbs and instead made an appointment to speak with her in person. However, the other woman had been rude and her treatment of Crystal, apology or not, had been unacceptable. With that thought, Medusa knocked on the open door and strode into the room. "Lorna I presume?" she inquired, her tone courteous but distant. There could not be too many green haired women running around the school. "I am here as you requested." For once, she left off her formal introduction. After all, it seemed a little silly to introduce yourself to someone with whom you had already bickered.

Lorna sighed and closed the file she'd been looking through, setting it aside. This was going to be so much fun. Why didn't she just learn to keep her mouth shut? "Hello, Medusa. Would you like to sit down?" Her own tone was a little tired but sincere. She wasn't actually trying to pick another fight here.

"Yes, thank you," Medusa said as she gingerly sat down on an empty chair. She reminded herself that this was one of Crystal's teachers, meaning that she needed to proceed cautiously with this meeting. If she had learned anything in her diplomatic training it was that it was never wise to turn down an extended olive branch. Now she would just have to wait to see if that was what this meeting was about.

"I wanted to apologise," Lorna explained without preamble. "I'm afraid, I don't have a good explanation or excuse so this is just an apology. Once I realized that you weren't the sort to joke, I should have shut up. It's a bad habit of mine." She folded her hands on the desk, "I'm sorry."

Medusa nodded, neither accepting nor rejecting the offered apology. "It has been pointed out to me that I am apparently missing an American sense of humor. I tend to take things quite seriously." Trying to follow the purple girl’s line of reasoning had almost given Medusa a headache. “I perhaps reacted more rashly to your words due to your initial encounter with my sister,” she admitted, a little reluctantly. Her hair continued to float tranquilly around her, despite the sudden increase in irritation she felt. After all, this woman had not just attacked her…she had also attacked her sister upon her arrival.

Lorna smiled ruefully, "Another occasion where I shouldn't have been on the journals. I was having a...well, nevermind. It's not really relevant and even less your business. The point is, I'm sorry that you both got very poor first impressions of me. I have to hope you're both well-bred enough to forgive even if I'm not good enough to avoid giving offense in the first place."

Raising an eyebrow, Medusa barely kept an incredulous look off her face. She disagreed with Lorna. If something had caused her to act in an inappropriate fashion, she deserved at least a cursory explanation as to the reason. However, it would not be polite to say anything along those lines and so Medusa found herself once again nodding. “I am sorry as well that something going on in your life caused you to act the way you did. I appreciate that you did apologize for your actions and you have my forgiveness.” For now.

Even the subtle change of expression was enough. Lorna sighed and rubbed at her temple, trying to tell herself that she had zero reason to dislike this girl and that maybe the entitlement that came off her in waves would, you know, get better after she settled in. And maybe Lorna would get a flying pony for her every own. "Someone very close to me died. And that was just one among several other things. Which, obviously, doesn't excuse my being rude to your sister but there you go. I had just flown back from the funeral." There were other factors. So many others, not the least of which was that Lorna had good reason to dislike spoiled, intolerant rich brats who acted like their presence was a privilege--she had the scars to prove it. "Anyway, thank you for coming down. I hope that this is the low point of your stay here."

Medusa’s expression softened, despite the automatic prickling at the feeling that Lorna had already decided just who Medusa was. “I am truly sorry for your loss. Losing a loved one is never easy.” She envied the other girl’s opportunity to snap as she had. When Medusa’s grandfather had died, she had been required to keep a placid expression on her face and utter the right responses to the condolences at the funeral. “I also owe you an apology. I was not as polite as I could have been and did not act in a way that makes me proud.”

Lorna shrugged off both the apology and the sympathy. She didn't need or expect either. It's not like Medusa had done anything objectionable. Probably not ever in her life and oh, did Lorna need to stop with the snarky internal monologue. "Don't worry about it. You're just the new kid. I'm the staff member who should have known better."

This woman was calling her a child? She bit her lip, resisting the urge to say anything rude. She would not let her manners slip again. At least she could agree with the second half of Lorna’s statement...she should have known better. “I see,” was all she said, her voice stiff and formal.

The sudden shift in Medusa's manner confused Lorna. Maybe she should just...not talk to people anymore. But Lorna never really was very good at knowing when to stop. "Um...okay, what did I say?"

Lorna’s bluntness surprised Medusa. She was not used to people acting in that fashion, except for maybe Crystal when she and Medusa were alone. Her hair flared out and then settled back down. “I just do not understand how a woman maybe a few years older than myself can see fit to call me a child,” she answered, more honest than she had intended to be due to her surprise.

"Call you a...oh, no, that's not what I meant." Lorna actually smiled, relieved that it was something simple. "I didn't mean you were a child. Just that you were new. I'd call anyone that, it's got nothing to do with age. Heck, there are a lot of people here who are younger than I am that aren't children in anyway."

The expression on Medusa’s face could best be described as puzzled. "I truly do have a lot to learn about America. Apparently most of the things people say do not mean what they should."

"Americans are really bad about that, slang, sarcasm, joking...it's all just part of regular chatter. You kind of have to do a lot of cultural mining sometimes. And we're not always any good at knowing or noticing what's going to be confusing." Lorna sat back in her chair and ran her hand through her hair, "Most people--bad moods aside--aren't going to insult you for no reason. If something seems off, just ask about it."

"I will try to remember that for the future,” she said. "Though I think it would be simpler if people just said what they meant." She stared at the woman across from her, feeling slightly uncomfortable. Medusa began to wonder if there was a place she could get a crash course in American…well, culture, for lack of a better word.

Lorna nodded, "Yeah, I'm sure that it would." She cast a surreptitious glance at the clock. "I think it'll get easier pretty quickly. We're mutants after all. That's what we do is adapt, right?" She smiled and stood, offering her hand, "I'm glad you came by. I hate to kick you out but I have to make a phone call."

Rising gracefully to her feet, Medusa shook the proffered hand. "I would not want to keep you. I hope the rest of your evening is enjoyable,” she said with a slight bow of her head. She wondered if Lorna truly had a phone call to make or if it was just an excuse to end the conversation. She was surprised to find that she did not truly care, as it was as good as an excuse as any to end the conversation, even if it had taken a less awkward turn than she had anticipated.

"Yours too. Good night, Medusa." Lorna waited until the door had closed behind the girl then sighed and flipped open the folder again and picked up the phone, dialing before she lost her nerve. "Hello, is this Worldwide Intelligence? Yes, I'd like to speak to someone about tracking down my sister."