Post by emmafrost on Jul 24, 2006 20:12:40 GMT -5
Mystique shut the door to her room and dialed Emma's number. She hoped they could get things straightened out, at least until after Baltimore. Their relationship had always teetered between playful and deadly. It was just the way they both liked it.
Far away, in Baltimore, a radiant young woman inspected the perfumes in an upscale department store. Her phone rang, and she paused in her search to pull it out of her purse. She knew from the distinct ring whom it was, and she pursed her lips and considered whether she ought to pick it up. She'd been irked at her sudden shut-out from the conference, irked enough to leave the hotel room and explore the endless possibilities of purchases that the city had to offer. It had done much to take her mind off of her annoyance, but as she heard the ring that annoyance slid back to memory.
She opened the phone and answered, miraculously sounding completely unmiffed. "Hello, darling. I wondered if you'd call." The perfect way to state it--to say that she'd thought about it, but hadn't been sitting by the phone.
"You knew I would," Mystique pulled her suit from her body, laying flat on the floor just to feel the cool metal against her skin. "That show was more for them than me. I know you know that."
Emma sighed, setting down her chosen perfumes at the counter without saying a word to the clerk. She held the phone between the side of her head and her shoulder as she pulled out a credit card and laid it atop the packages. "Ah, no long-term damage done, I suppose," she said, knowing that Mystique knew full well that Emma didn't pine over what others thought of her any more than Mystique herself did.
"Any change in plans I ought to know?" she asked as she was handed back her card. She rested her hand on the glass display case and tapped her long manicured nails as she waited for her packages.
"To my -great- surprise... no." At first sarcastic, her playful tone vanished and she sighed. "I am wondering if you weren't right about the three of us doing this on our own. Don't get me wrong... I want to help out the Brotherhood by linking our efforts. Without us they'd have gone in like common terrorists, destroyed a few buildings and left it at that. I'm afraid that's really all that's on their minds at the moment..."
Mystique stretched her legs up along the wall, pointing her toes and flexing the length of her body. She would have to make another try at it in the practice yard before the day was through.
Emma took her bag and turned from the counter, making her way toward the door. She understood best Mystique's point, but also could imagine the view of the others--after all, she was very good at getting inside people's heads. "They're anxious. They expected this to happen much more quickly than it has--last time, they were given the most basic of orders and sent in to destroy. They never saw all of the planning that went into it, and frankly we're beginning to just why that was."
"Frankly, I think it would be much easier to simply set a bomb. We won't be the only ones to go to Baltimore, we all know that. Between the X-Men and the sentinels, this will be extremely difficult to pull off without risking casualties or capture.
"But if those are risks Pyro and yourself are willing to take, then let them focus on bashing the place in--Once anything useful inside is collected. You can reign them in until that's done." They were followers--strong in their own rights, but easily controlled.
"Aside from Pyro, who is still uncompromiseable-" she said this in a tone that let Emma know just how protective she intended to be. "-dash the others. I'm going in, I'll get the information, and then I'm on the sidelines until they are ready to pull out."
Mystique rolled to her stomach, her voice smoothing a bit. "But my darling... what will YOU be doing?"
"I'll stand back and do some persuading," she said, the final word clearly having a deeper meaning. "Especially if the X-Men show. It might be fun to see what would happen if they were no longer on the same side." Her wicked amusement reflected in her voice as she spoke, savoring the thought. "Of course, I'm up for anything you might need. Work first, then play, as they always say."
Damn she loved this woman. Mystique's smile was audible as she spoke. "And then play. Of course. I think you're due for a vacation. We should go to St. Tropez again after this is over. We'll discuss politics over a well-oiled cabana boy." She laughed slowly, only half joking.
Emma laughed a true laugh, her eyes sparkling at the suggestion. "We should. We'll probably need it desperately after these next few days." She found her limo waiting where it ought to be and made a bee-line for it. The door was held open for her, and she continued as she slid inside the spacious car.
"How is life on Genosha? Do you live with that lot? That must be interesting," she finished dryly as she settled back against the white cushions of the seat. Not cushions as in seat cushions. As in decorative pillows. Emma Frost spared no expense.
"Live? No. I've only been here a few days and don't intend to stay. I only wished to make sure things were running smoothly, and for as small as their numbers are right now, it seems to be fine." She paused, curling her leg until her toes touched the top of her head. "One thing Eric took with him when he left... class."
"You know, Emma. It may not be a bad idea to polarize efforts a bit. After Baltimore, if things go well... would you be interested in creating our own sub-organization? I'd love to take the Brotherhood back but I think it's best to let the boys play army for a while. Would you talk with me about it, if I came for a visit..?"
Emma tilted her head to the side as she considered the suggestion, her eyes on the roof of the limo. "I think that's a very plausible idea," she said, her tone complimenting Mystique. "It would be nice not to have to filter through half-assed ideas..." She added, only half-joking.
"Where would you rather we go? We could stay at one of my places, which would mean New York or London--Or this could be our little getaway. St. Tropez," she ended with a soft laugh.
Mystique smiled. "Your choice, darling. For now, I've got to go. I'll call you tomorrow when we have info on our arrival in Baltimore. Do take care, I need you in one piece." The flirtation in her voice was ever-present.
"I can't wait," Emma said lavishly, and honestly. "'Bye!" She closed the phone, her smile lingering as she slid it away into her purse. Things were looking up. She was much more excited about the whole operation when she had a relaxing vacation to look forward to afterwards. She looked out the dark windows and watched the streets of Baltimore rush by. So unsuspecting. Emma smirked; that was just how she wanted them.
Far away, in Baltimore, a radiant young woman inspected the perfumes in an upscale department store. Her phone rang, and she paused in her search to pull it out of her purse. She knew from the distinct ring whom it was, and she pursed her lips and considered whether she ought to pick it up. She'd been irked at her sudden shut-out from the conference, irked enough to leave the hotel room and explore the endless possibilities of purchases that the city had to offer. It had done much to take her mind off of her annoyance, but as she heard the ring that annoyance slid back to memory.
She opened the phone and answered, miraculously sounding completely unmiffed. "Hello, darling. I wondered if you'd call." The perfect way to state it--to say that she'd thought about it, but hadn't been sitting by the phone.
"You knew I would," Mystique pulled her suit from her body, laying flat on the floor just to feel the cool metal against her skin. "That show was more for them than me. I know you know that."
Emma sighed, setting down her chosen perfumes at the counter without saying a word to the clerk. She held the phone between the side of her head and her shoulder as she pulled out a credit card and laid it atop the packages. "Ah, no long-term damage done, I suppose," she said, knowing that Mystique knew full well that Emma didn't pine over what others thought of her any more than Mystique herself did.
"Any change in plans I ought to know?" she asked as she was handed back her card. She rested her hand on the glass display case and tapped her long manicured nails as she waited for her packages.
"To my -great- surprise... no." At first sarcastic, her playful tone vanished and she sighed. "I am wondering if you weren't right about the three of us doing this on our own. Don't get me wrong... I want to help out the Brotherhood by linking our efforts. Without us they'd have gone in like common terrorists, destroyed a few buildings and left it at that. I'm afraid that's really all that's on their minds at the moment..."
Mystique stretched her legs up along the wall, pointing her toes and flexing the length of her body. She would have to make another try at it in the practice yard before the day was through.
Emma took her bag and turned from the counter, making her way toward the door. She understood best Mystique's point, but also could imagine the view of the others--after all, she was very good at getting inside people's heads. "They're anxious. They expected this to happen much more quickly than it has--last time, they were given the most basic of orders and sent in to destroy. They never saw all of the planning that went into it, and frankly we're beginning to just why that was."
"Frankly, I think it would be much easier to simply set a bomb. We won't be the only ones to go to Baltimore, we all know that. Between the X-Men and the sentinels, this will be extremely difficult to pull off without risking casualties or capture.
"But if those are risks Pyro and yourself are willing to take, then let them focus on bashing the place in--Once anything useful inside is collected. You can reign them in until that's done." They were followers--strong in their own rights, but easily controlled.
"Aside from Pyro, who is still uncompromiseable-" she said this in a tone that let Emma know just how protective she intended to be. "-dash the others. I'm going in, I'll get the information, and then I'm on the sidelines until they are ready to pull out."
Mystique rolled to her stomach, her voice smoothing a bit. "But my darling... what will YOU be doing?"
"I'll stand back and do some persuading," she said, the final word clearly having a deeper meaning. "Especially if the X-Men show. It might be fun to see what would happen if they were no longer on the same side." Her wicked amusement reflected in her voice as she spoke, savoring the thought. "Of course, I'm up for anything you might need. Work first, then play, as they always say."
Damn she loved this woman. Mystique's smile was audible as she spoke. "And then play. Of course. I think you're due for a vacation. We should go to St. Tropez again after this is over. We'll discuss politics over a well-oiled cabana boy." She laughed slowly, only half joking.
Emma laughed a true laugh, her eyes sparkling at the suggestion. "We should. We'll probably need it desperately after these next few days." She found her limo waiting where it ought to be and made a bee-line for it. The door was held open for her, and she continued as she slid inside the spacious car.
"How is life on Genosha? Do you live with that lot? That must be interesting," she finished dryly as she settled back against the white cushions of the seat. Not cushions as in seat cushions. As in decorative pillows. Emma Frost spared no expense.
"Live? No. I've only been here a few days and don't intend to stay. I only wished to make sure things were running smoothly, and for as small as their numbers are right now, it seems to be fine." She paused, curling her leg until her toes touched the top of her head. "One thing Eric took with him when he left... class."
"You know, Emma. It may not be a bad idea to polarize efforts a bit. After Baltimore, if things go well... would you be interested in creating our own sub-organization? I'd love to take the Brotherhood back but I think it's best to let the boys play army for a while. Would you talk with me about it, if I came for a visit..?"
Emma tilted her head to the side as she considered the suggestion, her eyes on the roof of the limo. "I think that's a very plausible idea," she said, her tone complimenting Mystique. "It would be nice not to have to filter through half-assed ideas..." She added, only half-joking.
"Where would you rather we go? We could stay at one of my places, which would mean New York or London--Or this could be our little getaway. St. Tropez," she ended with a soft laugh.
Mystique smiled. "Your choice, darling. For now, I've got to go. I'll call you tomorrow when we have info on our arrival in Baltimore. Do take care, I need you in one piece." The flirtation in her voice was ever-present.
"I can't wait," Emma said lavishly, and honestly. "'Bye!" She closed the phone, her smile lingering as she slid it away into her purse. Things were looking up. She was much more excited about the whole operation when she had a relaxing vacation to look forward to afterwards. She looked out the dark windows and watched the streets of Baltimore rush by. So unsuspecting. Emma smirked; that was just how she wanted them.