Private Family Dining Room

[Magneto]

In the midst of the royal family's wing of the palace, there is a smaller, more informal dining room where Magneto and his children take their meals.

The elegant wooden table set sits eight, with comfortable padded chairs, their cushions a deep red. There is a simple candelabra in the center of the table, surrounded by a floral arrangement appropriate to the season or holiday.

A small buffet table made of the same wood sits to one side of the room, the food is set out upon it and either the family serves themselves or servants use it while serving the few guests who are ever invited into this part of the palace.

The curtains are heavy red velvet, when opened, they reveal a lovely view of the palace's private gardens through a large picture window.

The carpet is thick and plush, and a similar shade of red as the curtains. Two electrical chandeliers hang from the ceiling, making the room comfortably lit for dining. On one wall is a painting of the palace, on the other, a painting of a tropical garden.

[Magneto]

Erik sat at the head of the table, waiting for his older children and his guests to arrive. He'd changed into a long-sleeved, button-down, black silk shirt and a pair of black slacks. It was truly too hot and humid in Genosha for a suit, even in the evening and he saw no need to dress formally for this meal. Raven was his oldest ally and the tone should be casual.

He sipped from his glass of red wine, a small stack of papers in front of him. It was a few reports of activities Mystique might wish to monitor whilst he was gone.

Someone needed to look in on the Xavier Institute. It had been awhile since it had been subjected to a routine surprise inspection. Magnus was always impressed with the students who graduated from that particular academy, they were well-trained and skilled. Charles' students had been taught well.

He didn't expect anything out of ordinary, it was merely routine. Perhaps Anna-Marie would be up to a trip to her alma mater.

Magneto closed the paperwork for now, rising so that he could greet his guests when they arrived.

[Quicksilver]

Pietro walked into the dining room, with Lorna on his arm. He was sorry that Lorna's plans for the night had been spoiled, but it would be nice to have a family dinner. The Darkholmes were practically family anyways.

Even with the feud Lorna and Anna-Marie had had for several years. Over a doll of all things. A doll! He would never understand females. Never had, never would. Hell, he didn't even understand Wanda, his own twin. Women are irrational, and there was no point trying to fathom how their minds worked.

Pietro noticed his father was all ready sitting at the table, waiting for their guests. He held out a chair for Lorna, as he'd been taught.

"I still can't believe you two are still in a snit over a doll. How many years ago was it?" He hoped they weren't going to start arguing or being stubborn about something from years ago. He greeted Erik,

"Evening Father, look who is gracing us with her presence." He smiled, making his kidding apparent to both of them. They knew his sense of humor, and were used to it. He sat down in his chair across from Lorna, getting comfortable before their guests arrived.

[Scarlet Witch]

She slipped into the dining room, not at all surprised to see the rest of her family gathered already. Or to see that the conversation had turned to the doll thing. "I still can't believe you two are still in a snit over a doll. How many years ago was it?" Taking her seat, she poured herself a glass of water and raised an eyebrow. "Just think how mad you'd have gotten if someone stole one of your dolls, Pietro. Sorry. Action figures."

Taking a sip of her water, she winked at Lorna. She'd had the entire story spilled to her by the woman when she was younger, and was sure that if it wasn't for the stubbornness that both of them posessed, they'd be best friends again. But as it was, things weren't so great. She looked at her watch and turned to her father. "So... what time did you tell them?"

[Polaris]

When they entered the dining room, Lorna immediately let go of Pietro and walked over to her father. Reaching up, she gave him a kiss on his cheek and said, “Evening, Father. I think it's a special occasion when I get to see you twice in day.” She smiled as she said it to soften what could be harsh words but it was true. Either he was busy or she was and it was rare for their paths to cross like this. Perhaps the sisters bugging out on her wasn't such a bad deal after all. The only down side would be dealing with Anna-Marie but that was easily off set by the presence of Aunt Raven and possibly Kurt.

Lorna took the seat that Pietro held out for her and watched as he walked to the other side of the table to sit down. Both chairs next to her were empty and she hid her little smile as Pietro said, "I still can't believe you two are still in a snit over a doll. How many years ago was it?"

Lorna rolled her eyes at him and let him greet their father. Before she reply, Wanda came in and added her two cents worth, "Just think how mad you'd have gotten if someone stole one of your dolls, Pietro. Sorry. Action figures."

She practically growled under her breath. Now she remembered why she took dinner in her room or out with her friends most nights. “Wanda, how many times do I have to tell you, I did not steal her blessed doll. Why would I have wanted a raggedy old thing like that when I could have a new one simply by asking one of the local merchants?” Lorna countered. “Besides, if Anna-Marie would just admit that I didn't steal it, all would be forgiven. It's her own stubbornness that's the problem.”

She'd probably never get her siblings to understand but she had to try. Wanda then asked what time Father had told the Darkholmes to come and Lorna sat back, sipping her water. Hopefully, hopefully, something fun would happen tonight and it wouldn't be another boring dinner.

[Magneto]

"Evening Father, look who is gracing us with her presence."

Pietro was the first to arrive with, much to Erik's delight, Lorna on his arm. She immediately crossed to Magnus and pressed a kiss to his cheek before taking her seat in the chair her brother had politely pulled out for her. “Evening, Father. I think it's a special occasion when I get to see you twice in day.” She smiled at him, trying to soften the words.

It was not Lorna's fault she felt the way she did. He'd been away much of her life, first when gathering his followers, then fighting the war, now his administrative duties often drew him away for days, if not longer. Still, he knew she meant no harm. "And by the end of this weekend, dear child, you'll be tired of having me around," he teased gently.

Pietro took his seat and immediately began harping on his youngest sister. "I still can't believe you two are still in a snit over a doll. How many years ago was it?"

The doll incident. That had been ages ago. He was certain Raven had heard endlessly about this as well from Anna-Marie. He never said anything, as honestly, it was a trifling at the time and it was more so one now. And he certainly didn't want to hear more about it now. He shot Pietro a warning look, but it was too late.

"Just think how mad you'd have gotten if someone stole one of your dolls, Pietro. Sorry. Action figures." Wanda, with her impeccable timing and unending urge to goad her brother chose that moment to enter the dining room. Erik pulled out her chair for her, pushing it in after she was settled.

Lorna was fuming. Magnus could practically see sparks coming off his youngest child. “Wanda, how many times do I have to tell you, I did not steal her blessed doll. Why would I have wanted a raggedy old thing like that when I could have a new one simply by asking one of the local merchants?” Lorna countered. “Besides, if Anna-Marie would just admit that I didn't steal it, all would be forgiven. It's her own stubbornness that's the problem.”

It took all the composure Erik possessed not laugh at one of his children complaining about someone else being stubborn. Especially Lorna. She was the most willful of his children, who were entirely too much like him for anyone's own good.

Luckily, Wanda seemed more interested in when their guests would be arriving than the continuing the conversation about dolls and stealing and stubbornness. "So... what time did you tell them?"

"Eight," Magnus informed her as he retook his own seat. "Although depending how long it took her to track down her children, they may be a bit late." He looked over at Lorna and decided to change the subject before she decided to see if her brother could outrun lightning bolts. "I was told you had supper plans. Do not tell me you passed up an evening out to have dinner with us?"

And be teased by her siblings while glaring daggers at Anna-Marie. Erik was beginning to believe he was getting senile if he thought this meal would be a pleasant respite from the usual stuffy business dinners he usually had. Perhaps he should have just invited over Mystique for a private meal. Too late for that now. Besides, it had been a very long time since they'd had a dinner with the Darkholmes.

[Mystique]

She entered the room rather silently, catching the end of their conversation and Magneto's question to Lorna. "I was told you had supper plans. Do not tell me you passed up an evening out to have dinner with us?" Nodding a greeting at Erik, she smiled. "I'm flattered, Lorna. Really."

She smiled at the girl, half- expecting for her to request the presence of some movie star or pop singer or teletubby. It had been a long time since Lorna's little fascination with her powers, and at the time it had gottan a little bit irritating, but now... now, she missed it. Smiling at each of the other people at the table in turn, she looked toward the door. "Kurt and Anna should be with us shortly. They had to change."

[Polaris]

Lorna was still glaring daggers at her siblings when her father changed the subject. It was for the better. As long as Anna-Marie didn't say anything tonight, neither would she, no matter how tempting it would be. Glancing at the grandfather clock that was nestled into a corner of the room, she saw that it was almost exactly eight o'clock. For as long as Lorna had known Raven, which was most of her life, the woman had never been late. I was told you had supper plans. Do not tell me you passed up an evening out to have dinner with us?" her father asked, breaking into her thoughts.

Before Lorna could voice her reply, she heard a maid escort someone into the room and Lorna knew it was Raven. Turning in her chair, Lorna stood up as Raven said, "I'm flattered, Lorna. Really."

With a wry laugh, Lorna pulled her “Aunt” into hug and said, “You know, I wouldn't bail out on a night on the town for just anyone, right?” She shot Pietro a warning look for him not to reveal that she was the one who had been stood up but seriously, she didn't know about this dinner until after she had made plans so it all worked out well enough.

Letting Raven go, she stepped back toward her chair but didn't sit down right away. As Raven explained that both Kurt and Anna-Marie were on their way in, her smile faltered just slightly. It really was hard to believe that her and Anna-Marie used to be best friends. God, they had been much closer then her and Wanda ever were, probably because there wasn't a huge age gap between them. There were some times that she missed that closeness with someone outside her family. Danni and Donni were fun but they weren't confidants. Bennet had filled that role to some extent but there were only some things that another woman would understand.

Pushing such frivolous thoughts aside, she stood there and waited for Raven's two children to arrive, one of whom would be a pain in the ass and the other who may possibly make this dinner entertaining.

[Scarlet Witch]

She rolled her eyes at her sister's reaction. It hadn't been so much an attack on her as on Pietro. Deciding that it was better to move on, she asked about the time. She checked her watch. It was close to eight, they would probably be showing up soon enough.

As if on cue, Mystique walked in, catching what Magneto had said and firing right back at Lorna. Smiling as her sister hugged their "Aunt," she nodded in the woman's direction, greeting her somewhat less enthusiastically. Lorna had always had a much more "hands-on" relationship with all of the Darkholmes. Especially before the whole doll fiasco. And she really couldn't blame her for wanting to touch Kurt. He was so... touchable.

"I'm glad you were all able to make it." It was so rare that the entire group could get together. People had things to do, training, ruling, shopping... getting all eight of them together was a special treat.

[Quicksilver]

Pietro was surprised with how upset Lorna had gotten about the doll feud. He was sorry he'd even brought it up. Of course she hadn't stolen the doll, she had never been sneaky about something she wanted. She was always right up front about it, making sure everyone knew exactly what she wanted. He'd have to talk to her later about it later. Then Raven arrived, and he smiled at her. It had been a long time since he'd seen her.

“Good evening, Raven. We're glad you could join us tonight.” Pietro stood up to be a gentleman, and pulled her chair out for her.

“You know, I wouldn't bail out on a night on the town for just anyone, right?”

Pietro caught the look Lorna was giving him. He widened his eyes, and gave her a grin back, making it clear he wasn't going to rat her out. He couldn't rat out his little sister, never had, never would. The amount of times he and Wanda had taken the blame for something Lorna had done, he'd lost track long ago. Oh yeah, he was completely and utterly whipped. But hey, so was Father. Thankfully, that was a secret only known to the family, and their closest friends.

[Rogue]

She held the door open for Kurt, trying her best not to scowl as Lorna hugged her mother. Who did she think she was? Just because she was the little princess, it didn't mean that she could go around hugging Rogue's mother whenever she wanted. Hell, Rogue was Mystique's daughter and she didn't even get to hug the woman on a daily basis. But no. Only the best for Little Lorna. The best hugs, the best dolls. Even if they both belong to your best friend.

She realized suddenly that Kurt was already in the room. Letting go of the door, she walked over to Magneto. Two could play at this game. Leaning over, she hugged him. "Hello, Uncle Erik."
Oh, yeah. Bring up the Uncle thing. Bet Lorna didn't say anything like that to Raven. Ha.

Letting go, she smiled and waved to Wanda and then Pietro, ignoring Lorna completely. Somewhere in her head, someone was pointing out just how big of a bitch she was being. Especially since Lorna hadn't actually stolen the doll. Bur Rogue had stopped actually listening to the voices on a regular basis years earlier. She frowned as she noticed that two of the three empty seats were next to Lorna. Of course, she'd want it that way. She knew that Rogue wouldn't want to sit next to her, and so it only made sense that Kurt would end up in one of those seats. Sighing, she knew what she had to do.

Crossing to the other side of the table, she sat down next to Lorna, in the seat farthest from Magneto. Mystique would probably take the other one, since it was right next to Erik. Leaving the only open seat next to Pietro. Which was, of course, the seat that she had wanted. But she was willing to give it up if it meant that Kurt would be free from the wandering fingers of her majesty Lorna the... well, Lorna the something. Something bad.

[Nightcrawler]

Kurt slipped past his sister, rolling his eyes at the hint of expression that flitted across her face, as though she was suddenly recalling a particularly unpleasant smell. He loved his sister, he did, more than life itself, but for God's (and his, and his mother's, and everyone's...) when was she going to get over this ridiculous doll thing?

Why on earth would a pampered princess steal a stupid doll? Lorna could have simply pouted at anyone in her general vicinity and had the inventory of Toys R Us delivered to her sandbox. She didn't need to swipe the poppet of her military brat playmate...she needed a little gold ring for her little pinky finger engraved with "Reserved for Magneto" in fancy winding script.

Kurt didn't get the doll thing anyway; who needed a doll when you had their mother? What kid wouldn't give for a mom who could turn herself into Han Solo or a Dread Pirate at her children's whims?

"Hello, Uncle Erik." Kurt echoed after Rogue, smiling at Wanda, Lorna, and Pietro in turn as his sister plotted her grand coup of seating arrangement politics. He certainly didn't mind if Lorna had a roaming fingers. He was fairly sure she didn't mean anything other than to satisfy some tactile indulgence. Kurt did have suspicions that Pietro wasn't a big fan of Lorna's fascination. But honestly, who could blame her? His fur really was Luxury Incarnate.

He almost sighed when Rogue hopped into the seat next to Lorna. Oh well. Kurt sat down next to Pietro, scooting his chair close to the table and letting his tail coil around the chair back, so as to avoid tripping anyone. The heat of the rum was already fading from his lips and cheeks, sadly enough, he could have used a little buzz to carry him through the meal.

He just thanked every Saint he could think of that no one in the room was a telepath.

[Magneto]

"I'm flattered, Lorna. Really."

Erik rose as Raven entered the room, smiling a bit as Lorna embraced Mystique. Pietro rose and pulled out a chair for Raven, exchanging a look with Lorna when she claimed she'd given up her plans just to dine with the Darkholmes.

"Kurt and Anna should be with us shortly. They had to change," Raven confirmed as she looked towards the door.

"You should have let me had Exodus teleport you here," Magnus told her. "That way you wouldn't have had to change." He shrugged. "Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I can never remember who I'm supposed to be having an affair with until I read about in it the news anyway."

Magneto nodded to Kurt as he entered, mildly surprised when Rogue walked up to him and gave him a hug. "Hello, Uncle Erik." Erik returned the hug, wondering if he was part of some revenge plan on Anna-Marie's part. He wagered as much, considering the way she blatantly ignored Lorna, but acknowledged the twins. He wasn't complaining. Aside from his own daughters, he didn't have large amounts of lovely young women embracing him. Well, with ulterior motives that didn't involve politics at least.

"Good evening, child," he greeted her, stepping over to the right to pull out the chair next to his for her to sit when Rogue practically leapt into the chair on the other side of Lorna. For a moment, Erik wondered if he'd lost control of his powers and shocked the poor girl. He shook his head slightly, once again wondering if he'd been in his right mind thinking this dinner was a wise idea.

Kurt parroted his sister's greeting as he took the chair next to Pietro. "Good evening, Kurt."

Magneto suspected there was more going on here than he cared to think about. And he'd thought a small informal dinner would be avoiding politics. He'd forgotten about the doll nonsense and thought the girls were old enough to have put it behind them.

Casting Raven a long suffering look, he pulled out the chair next to his. "Shall we get the business out of the way first?" he suggested, waiting until she was comfortably settled before taking his own seat.

[Mystique]

"Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I can never remember who I'm supposed to be having an affair with until I read about in it the news anyway." Her jaw dropped. "Are you cheating on me?" Grinning, she turned as the twins greeted her.

“Good evening, Raven. We're glad you could join us tonight.” She smiled at Pietro and Wanda, turning as Lorna answered, “You know, I wouldn't bail out on a night on the town for just anyone, right?” She smiled again as the girl hugged her, moving toward the open seat as her children finally decided to make their grand entrance.

And what an angry, jealous entrance it was. She couldn't help but roll her eyes as Rogue obviously did her best to make Lorna uncomfortable. Instead of sitting as she had planned, she stood, ready to make sure that her daughter didn't try anything stupid. She smiled at Kurt, relieved that at least one of them was behaving like a civilized person. Finally, things seemed to settle down, and she took the seat that Erik held out for her. "Shall we get the business out of the way first?"

She nodded, settling into the seat. "That's probably the best idea."

[Polaris]

"Oh well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I can never remember who I'm supposed to be having an affair with until I read about in it the news anyway,” her father commented about the ever growing number of paparazzi that seemed to make their home outside the palace gates.

Lorna snickered just slightly and it was about the time Anna-Marie and Kurt came in. “You realize that you put yourself into their line of sight by staying locked up, don't you?” Lorna said to not only her father but her siblings as well. “Why do you think I go out so much? They are so used to me and anything I do that I rarely make the tabloids any more,” she explained. What none of them realized, though, was that it was a complete and utter lie. She didn't go out nearly every night to make herself more accessible to the press and therefore less interesting. She went out to forget how lonely being the youngest child of Magneto really was.

When she had first started doing the “club scene” as a teenager, it had been to get any attention from her father that she could get. She didn't care if he came into her room to yell at her for the newest scene she had caused or if he had to bail her out of jail, which only happened once, none of that mattered. All she cared about was that he was standing in the same room as she was and she had his complete and undivided attention. Eventually, she stopped making a fool of herself in that aspect and discovered that if she was busy dancing and drinking, she could forget that she didn't see her father and often her siblings for days, sometimes weeks, on end. Her friends were rotating as most of them were only interested in how far Magneto's daughter could get them up on the social ladder. What few guys she dated after her rather rambunctious teenage years were either terrified of her father and brother or they only wanted her because of her father. It was probably why it had been almost two years since she'd had a date.

Brushing off the rather depressing thoughts, Lorna heard Raven reply, "Are you cheating on me?" Raven gave her usual grin of “just kidding!” but Lorna shook her head.

As they all sat down, Anna-Marie practically pushing Kurt to the seat next to Pietro instead of her (too bad Anna forgot that the table was just so wide and Lorna's legs were rather long and it would be simple to just play footsie with Kurt if she wanted to), Lorna looked to both her father and Raven and said quite seriously, “Why don't you two hook up? It's been nearly twenty years since mom died. Besides, at least someone in this house would be having sex on a regular basis.”

One of the kitchen servers put a brandy snifter in front of her, half full of the dark liquid and Lorna picked it up and sipped on it. Even if she couldn't go out and drink she could still get the stuff in her own home. Her father decided to start with business and it took all Lorna's willpower not to roll her eyes. Couldn't they do that after dinner? Not saying anything, she simply stretched her legs out under the table and sat there, waiting to die from sheer boredom.