Feeling Lucky? [Magneto]

[beckwithrosalind]

As far as Corin Danvers was concerned there was only one negative to his being a mutant, and that was the distinct lack of nerves and excitement that he should be currently feeling. The three other men sat with him around the table might have looked completely still and calm, but Corin would be very surprised if that was a true display of their emotions. He had already won just under five hundred dollars and unfortunately for his fellow gamblers, no matter what hands they held or how good they were at bluffing there was nothing they could do to prevent Corin from taking even more money from them. The trick, was, of course, to pretend that he didn't know exactly which card was about to be turned, and he definitely didn't know that the gentleman to his left was bluffing all his money away on a pair. This was the first thing that he'd actively done after discovering his abilities, and the only thing that he had his brother, Jonathan, to thank for. Without his addictions Corin would actually be having to work for a living. 

He leaned back in his chair and gestured at the passing barman, holding up his glass to indicate he wanted another refill before flicking another chip into the ever growing pile in the centre of the table.

"Feeling lucky, eh, kid?"

Corin smiled at the man to his right, a middle aged man who clearly drank too much and was probably about to lose a week's wages. "I make my own luck."

"Oh yeah? And how'd you do that?"

The man was leaning forward now, staring at him, and for the first time in a rather long time Corin was starting to feel nervous. He sank back a little in his chair, glancing at the other two players but they were looking just as intently at him. "Like I said I ma-"

"Make you're own luck, yeah, I heard you. Thing is, son, I've seen you before. Not here, other joints like this. And I ain't never seen you lose a hand. Now that got me observing, see. Everyone's got a tell." He gestured to the man opposite him, "Jim here's eye twitches when he bluffs. My old man, he used to scratch his neck. You got a tell, son, but the thing I noticed, your tell comes before you look at your cards, before the cards are even shuffled. That flick with your wrist."

Corin, trying to remain composed, took a swig from his refilled glass. "I don't know you mean."

The man chuckled and leaned back, "Sure you don't. Well here's how it's gonna play out. You're gonna put all your chips in, and we're gonna deal again and your hands are not going to move one inch off this table."

"And if I don't?" He asked, surprised that his voice was remaining so calm and really wishing that his power would come in useful at any point, but other than 'What's the likelihood that I can run away really, really fast?' nothing was springing to mind.

"Well, son, if you don't, you might want to think about how lucky you really are."


Tagged: Magneto

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Erik was looking to recruit. The team was building up nicely, especially with their newest member Emma. But the more, the better. He couldn't exactly seek out Charles for assisstence or use cerebro, so he was going to have to this the old fashioned way: look. Erik was a patient man though -- somewhat. After all, he had waited all his life to kill Shaw. If there was one thing that was certain, it was that he was determined. And right now, he was determined to find more mutants to fight for justice. To fight against the persecution of their kind. And his search . . . had let him to watching card players. It was an interesting scene to say the least. He was sitting to the side, watching; ordering drinks for himself so that he would not look too obvious. Sometimes the most interesting mutants, were found in the least expected places. So he was here hoping to find that. Though so far, he not come across anyone of remote interest or potential. Most of these men were avid gamblers, losing money, gaining money . . . whatever the result, they were all very concentrated on the game at hand -- no pun intended.

He was getting ready to give up. He placed a bill on the table for a tip and took the last sip of his drink. Setting the cup down, he rose to his feet and began to walk away. Perhaps it was fate that caused him to overhear the line spoken just as soon as he walked by. It was enough to make him pause of out pure intrigue of what could unfold. He turned, and stood, facing the table though not bringing too much attention to himself. If anyone asked, he could just say he was interested in the game currently being played. Something was going to happen, that much was clear. And Erik wanted to witness it.

Seeing the man at the table, Erik recalled his observations of him. He had been sitting here long enough. And in all that time, the man had never lost a hand. He was either extremely skilled, or was somehow cheating. And it seemed the truth was about to reveal itself. "Perhaps you should stop threatening him then and just deal the cards," Erik interjected, purposely involving himself in the situation. His voice was very calm, composed, non threatening. He gave a slight smile, confident, eager to watch what was going to happen and wanting the man doing the threatening to get on with it. "Just consider me an additional witness," he added, making a point to state that he was not going anywhere. That he was here to watch and . . . well depending on what happened, intervene or not.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[/div]

[beckwithrosalind]

AN: Not entirely happy with this one, sorry. Also if it’s easier for you, feel free to write for the other men at the table.

Corin looked on hearing a new voice to see another man had joined them and was also seemingly interested in just how he'd been able to win quite so often. He had no idea who the man was, he hadn't even noticed him in the room before this point, but he was fairly sure that he didn't like him; there were already enough people suspicious of him without this newcomer adding to the number. Ironically, it seemed to him that the only way to get out of being found out using his powers was to get out of the situation...by using his powers. He picked up his glass and downed the rest of the alcohol. Half a plan was forming in his mind; it was just a case of whether or not it would distract enough of them so he could make a quick getaway.

Feeling slightly more confident now that he could see a way out of this he gave the newcomer a polite smile. “You might come to regret that.” It wasn’t a threat, merely an observation. People didn’t tend to react well when Corin was forced into situations like this. He had a habit of showing off, well, there was no point in using his abilities openly if he wasn’t going to do so with style, and at present it was the only thing he could think of doing which would allow him to walk away from this unscathed. He set his glass down, rather pointedly in front of the older man, “I’m not going to play another hand, nor am I going to give you any money.” He leant forward, giving the newcomer quick glance to try to figure out where he fit into all of this, and then turned back to the man on his right. “I’m going to make this glass shatter. And then you’re all going to walk away, and leave your money here. Or I’ll do the same thing to you.”

He leant back again, eyebrows slightly raised and waiting for the man to react. Of course Corin knew that while he could easily shatter the glass, as it was simply a case of manipulating the probability of the speed at which the particles were moving, he certainly couldn’t do the same thing on any of the men around him. Still, they didn’t know that.

[Erik Lehnsherr]

There was something about this man's confidence that continued to intrigue Erik. He was either about to perform a magic trick . . . or there was more to this. More that Erik had yet to understand. What was certain, was that he was not leaving until the man carried out his threat, whether it be shattering the glass or supposedly shattering the man next to him. So he stood, watching, waiting, for him to make good on his words. While Erik was intrigued, a couple of the men scoffed with mockery at the idea of him being able to 'shatter' them. There was of course the possibility that the man would just smash the glass on someone's head but he seemed to be out numbered. So what was the plan to escape this little situation he had gotten himself in to. "I'd like to see you try," one of the men stated. It was clear that they were teaming up against one of them, the one who just so happened to be winning and taking all of their money. Such sore losers. Erik smirked at the thought of what losing did to gamblers. It caused them to lash out. Blame everyone and everything apart from themselves. Though the fact that maybe there was something more going on, could cause them to be rightfully blaming the man.

"Give us back our money, or you're the one who will be sorry." Erik had to refrain from rolling his eyes. Such trivial threats from such a trivial man. It lacked sophistication and any sort of legitimacy. Though it was clear that the other men at the table were growing more confident. And they all, including the one that spoke, looked to what seemed to be their now appointed leader: the man who had first stood up to the winning gambler. And there was Erik, simply watching with amusement to see what would happen next. He had an idea. Homo sapiens were so predictable. They would either use a weapon or their fists to resolve this issue. He hoped it was the former. Then perhaps he could join in just for the pure fun of it.

[[ I thought your post was fantastic. You have absolutely no reason to apologize! I'm sorry that mine was a little uneventful. Figured that whenever your guy makes his move, Magneto will step in. Also totally took you up on your offer and had another guy at the table speak up. Hope that's ok! Let me know if any editing is required! ]][

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

Corin almost felt sorry for the men around him, it couldn't be every day that they found themselves competing with someone who possessed skills such as his, still, if they were going to threaten him then he was going to rise to it. He just hoped that once he had made the glass shatter they would scarper, seeing as he was fully aware that there was no way he could do the same to him. It was rather unusual for him, having to bluff his way out of a situation, and he didn't much care for it.

"Like I said, I make my own luck." He looked around the men sat around the table, and gave a quick glance to the man observing before placing his palms firmly against the table. "And I will do so without moving my hands."

Luckily for him, he his mother had taken one thing from her time in England, and that was the importance of a stiff upper lip which had been handed down to Corin and his brothers. He could feel as nervous and lacking in confidence as he liked, but he was not going to show it. All he had to do was focus on the glass and picture the particles inside it speed up and collide into it. He would take a lot more concentration than using his hands, but at least he knew that he did not have to rely on them to use his power. Within a few seconds the glass had shattered completely and shards of it now scattered across the table. Corin allowed himself a moment or two to feel rather pleased with himself before the foreman of the group spoke up again.

"What the hell?!" Before Corin had a second to process anything he was acutely aware of a pistol being cocked and aimed at his head. "You give me one good reason why I shouldn't just fire."

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Erik watched as intently as the other men. His gaze shifted between the gambler and the glass. He could see the concentration, the focus, and it was starting to look less and less like a magic trick, and more like a gift. What sort of gift this could be, Erik could only imagine. He only hoped he was not getting too ahead of himself, but the possibility of this man being a mutant, trumped all hesitation he may be feeling. He watched as the glass, as promised, shattered at the men at the table expressed their shock vocally and non verbally. Erik's intrigue seemed to pay off and he was rather pleased at himself for having stuck around to watch the show. A show that did not seem to be over yet. For one of the men withdrew a pistol and aimed it at the possible mutant's head. Typical. The man made a threat, no one listened, and when he carried it out, they still didn't listen. This truly showed the ignorance of homo sapiens, and their ultimate stupidity. Erik had previously toyed with the idea of intervening, and now . . . he most definitely could not resist.

"Allow me the pleasure of answering that question," he said, finally speaking amidst all this. And with those words, came his own revelation. He focused on the gun, conveniently made of metal, and forced it from the man's hand, causing it to float in the air. He moved his hand forward, not to touch the item, but to gain better control of it. He turned the pistol so that the barrel was facing the man who withdrew it. He just let it sit there for a moment, allowing it all to sink in. Allowing the fear to surface. For now, they were not only dealing with one dangerous man: they were dealing with two. "Now, let me revisit your words. Why don't you give me one good reason as to why I should not fire." The tables had turned quickly, and it was moments of these that Erik found enjoyment in. Keeping control on the weapon, he turned to the glass shattering gambler, giving him a slight smirk before refocusing his attention on who the gun was pointing at. "Can't think of one?" he said, purposely rushing the question, knowing he hadn't given him time to answer but that after all was the point. So with that, using his abilities, he pulled the trigger, the bullet blasting into the air but stopping right as the tip touched the man's forehead. He wasn't dead yet, but with less than a second, Erik could alter that. Having a homo sapien's life in his hands was quite an exhilarating feeling. One that made him feel powerful. Dominant over these inferior beings. It just further solidified who the stronger kind was, and it was undoubtedly mutants.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

To say that Corin had not been expecting what had just happened would be a terrific understatement. He wasn't exactly sure how he was supposed to respond, but he did know that he was so, so thankful that the newcomer was on his side and, for all intents and purposes, appeared to be just like him. If he was in a calmer, more collected mood, he'd appreciated the skill and frankly style in which the man had conducted himself. As it happened, he was left slightly shell-shocked.

If coherent thoughts had left him he could only imagine how the other men must be feeling, especially the one who was currently seconds from death. This was not, however, the time to sit in shock, and he somehow managed to pull himself together and at least pretend that he wasn't currently in awe of the man controlling the gun. Luckily he probably wouldn't be foolish in thinking that this man was on his side, for now at least. "The man asked you a question." He said rather firmly, confident that however this was going to pan out he would have someone on his side.

"What-what are you?"

Corin perhaps should not have been taking such great pleasure in the man's obvious fear, but hell, he'd threatened him and now the ball was in his court (or rather in his new found ally's, but still). "Tired of your threats, honestly." He replied, his tone casual but still controlled. He turned to the man controlling both the gun and the bullet, curious as to why he was helping him but not complaining one bit that he was. "How about you deal with this one how you like and we split the pot?"

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Erik was not sure how he had expected the glass shattering man to react. The others were predictable, always asking the wrong questions. But the person of interest, he was fairly calm. Composed. And Erik quite liked those qualities. For having someone who was possibly like him, panicking and running amok . . . well, it could be more difficult to calm them and thus, carry a conversation with them. In addition to his composed manner, he also seemed to gain the necessary confidence. For now, the two of them were united under the commonality of their possession of a gift. It showed that numbers were trivial. They were of no consequence. For a mutant, could easily overpower a group of homo sapiens. The man asked what he was. "For now, all you need know is that I am the man holding your life in the palm of my hand," he explained to him. No need to go on about details of his mutant capabilities, or even offer the formality of his name. He would not waste his breath.

He just continued to keep the weapons in this strategic location, letting the fear build inside the man as he and the winning gambler had their own little conversation. Erik was being offered half of the money, but that was not what he had came here for. He turned to look at the man of interest. "A counter offer," he began to say. "You may keep all your winnings, and whatever else you wish to take, and all I request is five minutes of your time." Because that was all the time Erik required to start explaining things, and if he was able to capture the man's interest, then any time proceeding the five minutes, would be voluntary on his part, not out of obligation. Besides, he was trying to start off on a positive note by allowing the man the freedom to steal whatever he wished from the men around the table: money from their wallets, watches, and so on. None of these men were exactly in the position to oppose, for it would quite literally cost them their lives.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

While Corin wasn't entirely sure that he could trust this man, he also aware that it would definitely not be a good idea to annoy him. It seemed strange that he did not want any of Corin's winnings, all he said he wanted was five minutes, but what could he possibly want with him? Still, what other option did he have? No matter what the outcome he would probably end up needing to lie low for a while so he might as well see what the man wanted him for, and he wasn't overly keen on the possibility of having a gun pointed at his head again. In theory, he could prevent a bullet from hitting him, but he didn't want to take the risk to test it.

With little hesitation, Corin started scooping the chips off the table and into his pockets. He would have to come back to exchange them later, but at least he wasn't going to lose everything. He was tempted to start searching through the men's pockets but even he thought that they had been humiliated enough. With everything he wanted he stood up and pushed his chair back under the table. "I can do five minutes." He replied, trying to sound and appear a lot more casual than he actually felt. Not knowing whether he should wait for the man to move, or start walking away from the table, he just stayed where he was, until he saw a rather nice looking trilby which had been in the possession of the man sat opposite him. He picked it off the table and placed it on his head.

He looked at the man controlling the gun briefly before turning to address the men still sat down, picked out a chip from his pocket and flicked it onto the table. "No hard feelings, eh, lads?" He smirked, slowly starting to feel more in control and more confident that he was actually about to make it out with his winnings and unscathed. "So," he looked at the gun wielder again, "Five minutes."

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Erik watched the gambler, who was now collecting chips and confirmed that he would be able to give five minutes of his time. Erik gave a slight smile at his words, and granted him all the time he required to gather his winnings. In the meantime, sensing other metal around he lifted one other gun that had been tucked away in another man's holster. Now having two guns levitating in the air, he began to disassemble it, pulling apart the pieces so that there was no physical way to put it back together. He made sure to do it slowly enough so that everyone would see what they may have otherwise deemed impossible. He did however, keep the bullets. He didn't need the gun. It was far too pedestrian. Too unimaginative. So he would keep the bullets as a weapon. When the gambler seemed ready to leave, Erik gave a slight nod, turning his attention to the men around the table who were staring at awe.

Due to their lack of intelligence, Erik figured he had best be explicit in what was to happen next. Not because he didn't want to kill them, but because he didn't want to waste his time dealing with their attempts on him or the gambler's life once they left this area. "Gentleman, it is time we bid you farewell. I hardly need remind you of what we can do, so I suggest you find some semblance of intelligence in your minds and not attempt to follow us." It was not just Magneto who possessed a gift, so he spoke collectively; using we because he had a feeling there was more to the gambler than just shattering a glass. He then motioned with his hand to draw the bullets toward him, allowing them to circle around his head. He always had a flare for the dramatics, and why not. It was rather amusing to see those idiotic, dumb founded looks on homo sapiens faces. There was however one bullet that Erik left, and that was the one on the man's forehead. Erik then slightly tipped his hat to them, smiled and motioned for the glass shattering gambler to come with him, the bullets, following him in a trail midair.

When they would leave the room, the bullet would fall from the man's forehead to his lap. And the disassembled guns would fall to the ground, now rendered useless. Erik would spare their lives this time because he had more important things to do, but next time, he would not be so considerate. When they exited the room, Erik led the man to the back alley. Perhaps a little shady, but it was quiet. Should the man's intrigue surpass five minutes, then Erik would of course offer to buy him a coffee. But for now, this was where they could hold a private conversation. He slightly opened his jacket pocket, allowing the bullets to move smoothly into the inside pocket of his trench coat. "Tell me, how did you truly break that glass?" Erik did not want to waste a moment. They would get to name exchanges, formalities, all those things soon enough. But he had five minutes, and wanted to fully determine whether the man was indeed a mutant, or if Erik's assumptions had been wrong and he was just wasting his time.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

Corin followed the man obediently out of the room. He had to admit, the man had style, and Corin found himself envious of how little effort it had taken him to dismantle the guns. It also further convinced him that he should continue trying to stay on the man's good side. He was still curious, and ever so slightly worried about what the man wanted with him. Corin had offered him half of his winnings, and seeing as he wasn't even part of the game Corin couldn't think of a reason why the man would want to talk to him. Part of him wanted to just try to run away, but he was also accutely aware of the bullets floating in mid air so running away probably wasn't the best of ideas.

"I have this thing," Corin began while fishing a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. He exhaled before continuing. "Like I said, I make my own luck." He was trying to think of a good way to explain exactly what it was he could do, but the truth was he didn't really understand it himself. As long as there was a chance a particular event could happen, Corin could make sure it did, just as he had done inside with the glass and the cards. Leaning against the brick wall of the alley he shrugged and took another drag of his cigarette. "I can make improbable things happen. The glass was easy. It's unlikely that the particles inside it would have sped up so much to cause it to shatter, but," he smiled at the man, a rather smug sort of smile. "That's sort of my thing."

He wasn't convinced at all that that had been a satisfactory explanation, and he probably wasn't going to be able to answer any in-depth questions about how his particular abilities worked. "What about you?" He asked, eager to both direct the conversation away from himself and satisfy his own curiosity. "How did you do that with those guns?" And, perhaps more importantly, was he planning on doing anything like that to Corin?

[Erik Lehnsherr]

The first words the man spoke in response to Erik's questions, confirmed it: he was a mutant. Erik had not in fact wasted his time. There was a mutant in his presence and he was eager to hear him further describe his powers. It didn't seem his powers entailed controlling glass or objects, there was more to it, and the more he elaborated, the more Erik's interest grew. It had something to do with luck and improbability, or well, perhaps probability then. Fascinating. Utterly fascinating. It never ceased to amaze Erik the kinds of gifts that mutants had, and the more he came across, the more he learned of how incredible their gifts were. "It is not a thing, but rather, a gift," he told him gently. Thing made it almost sound like a disease or illness. Gift, had a far more positive connotation to it. After all, these abilities were in fact gifts. Ones that should be celebrated, not suppressed so that they could conform to what society deemed as 'normal' and 'safe'.

"And I assume that is how you managed to win every hand you played," Erik both stated and questioned. If the man could make improbable things happened, then gambling was certainly a logical way to use such an ability. However, there was so much more that this mutant could do with such an incredible. "Would you care to show me another example?" He requested. Outside of a gambling environment, how else did this man utilize his gift. His own question directed at Erik did not fall on deaf ears. He smiled, raised his hand and with it, pulled the lighter from the man's pocket. "I possess a gift as well," he told him, moving the lighter in the air around him before allowing it to go back safely in his pocket from where it came. With the man's explanation, Erik knew it was his time to return the favor. "Mine involves the controlling of metal," he revealed, which should explain how he had taken apart the guns, and brought the bullets with him without touching them, not to mention his most recent moving of the man's lighter.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

Corin had never really thought of his abilities as a gift before, but now that the man said it he supposed he was right. Ever since he'd been able to manipulate the likelihood of things he'd started to view himself as better than others, which was why he had no problem cheating at cards. People had no problem using their natural strength or speed against other people, and ever felt guilt about being intelligent or beautiful. To Corin, his own abilities were the same thing. They were something he was born with so it would be pointless not to use them to his advantage.



He nodded at the man's next words. After what had happened inside there was no longer any point in pretending that he hadn't been cheating. He was starting to trust the man (or at least was more confident that those bullets would be remaning in the man's pocket) so was happy to show off a little, besides, it wasn't often that he could openly use his abilities. With a smirk and a flick of his wrist he was levitating a few inches off the ground. "It's simple really." he said, feeling rather confident now that his gift was being appreciated. "Just a question of how likely it is that gravity will temporarily stop working on me." After a few moments he was back on the ground, mainly because floating was something he hardly ever did and he wasn't sure just how long he could keep it going. He was supposed to be impressive, after all.



Corin watched in unsuppressed awe as his lighter left his pocket, floated for a moment and then returned to him. He probably should have guessed that the man had control over metal seeing as he had been moving the bullets and dismantled the gun. He was no longer trying to pretend he wasn't impressed anymore. "Now that is something worth writing home about."

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Erik's smile grew as he watched the man begin to levitate into the air. He was not only impressed by the talent that his gift provided him with, but rather, the use of it. The ways in which the mutant used his ability to create innovative results. After all, a mutant was undoubtedly powerful with their gift, but they were even more formidable when they knew how to use it. Creativity was essential, and this man clearly had it. "Incredible," Erik praised. "With such a gift, and the intellect you possess in how it is used, one can hardly imagine the infinite possibilities of what you can do with such an ability." He was speaking his mind, having no problem with vocalizing his thoughts. Mutants deserved to be praised, and in the world they were not living in, it was not done nearly enough. Instead, they were living in fear. Hiding from everyone. And it was truly a shame. They were the future, and should be embraced now rather than later, as oppose to persecuted.

But he would get to all that later. Right now, he was still getting better acquainted to the man. He then spoke of Magneto's own abilities, sharing a mutual feeling of impressiveness: for where Magneto praised him, the mutant now praised Magneto. "Erik, perhaps one day better known as Magneto." His mutant name. One that Mystique had referred to him as, and one that had quite rapdily grown on him. He was starting to build his reputation, and would rather be known as Magneto, a mutant, rather than Erik, a civilian. He extended his hand to the mutant, expecting to learn his own name as well so that he could refer to him as something other than 'mutant', 'glass shatterer' or 'winning gambler'. "How much do you know about your gift, or those like you who possess other abilities?" Erik asked, wondering if the man knew about other mutants, or if he was one feeling alone in his powers. It had taken time for Erik himself to encounter another mutant, for he was sheltered in the concentration camp he was forced into.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

This was the first time someone had actually been impressed by what he could do. Usually when people found out there reactions were very much the same as the men at the table had been. It was either anger, fear, disgust or a mixture of all three. But now he had managed to find himself who not only accepted what he could do, but actually praised it as well. He couldn't help but think that this how people should react, they should be impressed by him. Having said that, the man's next words did somewhat take away from Corin's rising self-confidence. Corin had never "imagined the infinite possibilities", he'd just cheated at cards, and then sometimes got caught out.

"Corin, Corin Danvers." He replied, quickly dropping and stubbing out his cigarette so he could shake Erik's hand. He didn't question what Erik meant by being better known as Magneto, nor did he want to sound ignorant so he just nodded as though he knew exactly what he'd meant. While he had heard about people with varying abilities he'd never actually spoken to one like this and didn't want to risk ruining whatever was happening by asking stupid questions.

He shrugged at Erik's question, starting to feel more and more naive. It seemed so stupid now that he thought about it, not knowing why or even exactly how he could do the things that he could do. The way Erik spoke and this casualness in which he had observed Corin's gambling suggested that he was very much capable of providing Corin with some answers though, and that was something that he might not have spent much time considering before, but certainly wanted to learn more about now.

"I've never really thought about it." He was fully aware how that sounded and considered lighting another cigarette so give him something else to focus on instead of how inadequate his answer sounded. "I mean, I've heard about...others before but mainly rumours."

[Erik Lehnsherr]

Erik watched him carefully. He seemed very nonchalant, and as he had previously established, he quite liked that quality. It allowed their conversation to progress smoothly and without his effort of calming the man -- who's name was now known to Erik -- down. "A pleasure," he told him after they shook hands. He then went on to answer Erik's question, stating that he had never really thought about it. "Haven't you?" Magneto challenged. "You have never wondered about your gift; about the extent of what you can do or why and how you can do it. Of whether there are more out there like you?" He was making an assumption that Corin's mindset was like Erik's and others out there. He could be wrong, but part of him hoped he was at least a little accurate in his assumption. Erik purposely left those questions unanswered, and instead, glanced at his watch.

"The five minutes I have requested is over." Meaning, Corin had fulfilled his agreement; they had met for the alloted time. Whatever came after, Erik wanted it to be of Corin's own decision, free from obligation. If there was one thing Magneto did not intend to do, it was force someone -- especially a mutant -- to stay in his presence. It was a choice. An option they had. And all Erik could do was hope he had peaked Corin's interest. "I can give you answers, Mr. Danvers," Erik offered. "Or if you so wish, we can part ways, allowing you to return to your normal life, not knowing more about who you are." If he had heard about others, rumors about others, it had meant that he had not encountered many other mutants. He did not know what Corin's priorities were. With Charles, he could appeal to the individual person's specific interest by entering their mind. With Erik, he had to base it on assumptions and what he could read from the person and determine from their actions. It was far more challenging, but Erik had no other choice at the moment. "The choice is yours," he added, giving him that; offering him this ultimatum: stay to find out more, or depart lacking answers that he may (or may not) be interested in knowing.

Credit to Pyro for graphics

[beckwithrosalind]

Alright, well, Corin was clearly already a disappointment as far as Erik was concerned. He'd never had much motivation for anything, besides getting money of course, so finding out more about what he could do and why had never really interested him. Of course he'd enjoyed the fact that his brothers didn't have any tricks up their sleeves, and he felt no remorse at cheating other people out of their money by using it but that was as far as it went. That was probably because he had never met anyone like him, but now that he'd seen what Erik could do (and it was far impressive than fixing cards) his curiosity was certainly piqued. "Well, no." He answered rather feebly, before continuing with a brief "But-" and then stopped himself. What he was about to say - that he was definitely interested now, having met this man - sounded awfully pathetic. He shrugged a little awkwardly. "Why didn't really seem to matter."

Answers were definitely something he wanted, and not only that but it felt...strange to find someone else like him. It was a good strange, but a strange one nonetheless. It was rather stupid really, he imagined that he was just as surprised by Erik's display inside as the other men did, even though Corin himself could do things that elicited such responses. There was something holding him back a little though, he had, after all, only just met the man. Yes, he had helped him out with the men inside but still. Corin wasn't a stupid man - well, not all of the time - and he hadn't managed to be quite so successful in casinos and places such as this without being able to read people. Only with Erik he wasn't sure where the man was, or what he wanted in return for such information. "What's in this for you?" He asked, hoping that wasn't an offensive question, but if he was going to go along with whatever the man was offering he wanted to know why it was being offered in the first place.

[Erik Lehnsherr]

It seemed that Erik had peaked the man's interest. He would not have to concern himself with a time limit any longer for Corin's statements and eventual question made it evident that he wished to know more about this little, arrangement. "Perhaps one day, it will," Erik said in response to Corin's admittance that why did not seem to matter. It should. And only would if he realized more about the oppressive society they were living in, and the future that they would determine. For this was just the start of human evolution. Corin then asked a question that did not come to a surprise to Erik. The infamous what's in it for you? What do you have to gain? What do you get out of it? The notion of reciprocity: do something to gain something. For Erik, it did not quite work like that. But he also knew by saying 'nothing', it would only arouse suspicion. They lived in a very distrusting society, and for good reason. Dangerous threats lurked around them. Even mutants could not trust one another.

"All I want," Magneto began to say. "Is for our kind to thrive." That was it. Really, it was that simple and yet there was a whole lot more to it. He would not divulge into the complex politics of this statement . . . not yet anyway. That would come if Corin continued to express interest in Erik's views. "The only way to ensure that, is to secure our survival. Teach others like us how to use their abilities to their full potential." He paused for a moment, realizing he was getting steering that conversation towards his political views, but perhaps something he said would resonate with Corin. "We are living as a persecuted people. I do not make this offer to you to benefit myself, but rather, to benefit our race, which is inclusive of you." That, was how he could best answer the question. He never lied, and would not manipulate his answer, making false promises. Corin would not have to give him anything he was not willing to, and the most that Magneto would ask from him, was loyalty -- should he decide to join the Brotherhood. But again, that would be a choice he made of his own free will.