18908/tessa

tessa
Date of Scene:	24 August 2024
Location:	Tessa's Suite - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Tessa, Lorna Dane

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Tessa has posed:
Tessa smooths her hands down her white dress as she shows Lorna into the room. "I thought it might be easiest to just dive into things as they currently stand. You will get to see the way the work happens up front through my own preferences, and that will allow you to get a feel for how you wish to handle things in the future. I hold people to high standards and expect those that wish to be on the board to show why and how they will be a boon. Some earn it through service, such as our young Oracle."

Tessa takes a seat as she says this, gesturing for Lorna to join her on the couch and pulling up a photo and short dossier on the woman in question. "Marie-Ange has provided us invaluable service through her abilities, contacts, and personage. While I am not magically inclined, I have seen it wielded, and believe she is best served - and that we will be best served - by her being able to act as a neutral piece on the board. The monarchs agreed. We granted a similar neutral position to Victor von Doom, as a boon for providing us with methods to prevent what happened to the lamentable Susan Storm-Richards having a reoccurrence." She lightly touches a ring on her middle finger and smiles at her Knight before changing the screen to a picture of a chess board, the white side in complete disarray. "And this is what we're working to fix, you and I."

Lorna Dane has posed:
"What, exactly, did happen to Ms. Storm-Richards?"

The Hellfire Club has a certain reputation which Lorna is still learning the complex underpinnings beneath, and her outfit of the day accords with her growing understanding. A tweed field jacket, waistcoat, and breeches all suggest a sporting day of pheasant-hunting; the unbuttoned shirt, the waistcoat's dual purpose as a metal-boned bustier, and the breeches practically adhering to her body - all of which serve to proudly, shamelessly accentuate and display a wealth of curves - suggest something else entirely, especially in conjunction with high-heeled leather boots and a titanium-studded crop. Every piece is in white with the exception of a sand-hued cap practically buried amidst bright green curls and waves.

"How does someone like that," she continues to wonder while strolling over and settling in beside Tessa, "even end up somewhere like here? The parties, I get: she's rich, famous, her kids are grown... why not, right?" Emerald eyes shift towards the screen, narrowed slightly in contemplation. "But this isn't that," she quietly concludes. "Not entirely."

Tessa has posed:
"The short of it is that the Club caters across the spectrum of wealth, interest, and taste. Emphasis on the first two, naturally. That is the main reason for it to be a neutral site. You may fight inside the walls, certainly, but you will do it with words and money in the way of exclusive clubs the world over. Having the Pyms or the Storm-Richards family allows them to meet other wealthy, connected people, and we're thought of fondly for providing the sort of spaces they can use to meet discreetly. I am certain you understand. As a monarch yourself, there are perhaps some meetings that cannot be held in public for various reasons, yes? But you may reserve a conference room here and have that meeting, assured that the staff and fellow VIPs will not risk their own status with telling tales." Tessa's mouth turns downward in an actual frown as the most recent former White Queen is brought up.

"On the surface the things that Mrs. Storm-Richards claimed to want were perfectly reasonable. Power. Connections. A better future where some of the foulest scum were actually held to account. Unfortunately, her mind was compromised for the entirety of her... service, as little as you could call such a thing a service. It was conveniently found out by our other former White Queen, Emma Frost, and supposedly dealt with." She crosses her legs at the ankle, face smoothing out. "Emma saw fit to inform me. In public. She also intimated that the Black King was the driver behind the possession, although I am certain that is false. People forget that I was - and will be again, once I turn things over to you - Sebastian Shaw's personal and work assistant. There is very little that we do not know about each other and our games, particularly where the Club is concerned."

Lorna Dane has posed:
A board full of gaps and absentee lords sprawls before Lorna's eyes. The top positions are either distracted by outside responsibilities or willing placeholders; beyond them lies an array of criminals, killers, underworld merchants... ... and an archaeologist.

Ms. Croft naturally holds her attention for a long, curious beat before Lorna shifts her eyes towards Tessa. Instead of the question lurking in them, what she says is:

"Miss Frost's... questionable instincts tell an interesting story," in low and thoughtful tones. "This isn't a game for the vulgar or the overt -- it can't be, necessarily." She pauses for a beat spent waiting for confirmation, spoken or otherwise -- if she's to learn, then testing her ability to absorb information delivered explicitly or otherwise is paramount.

"And yet..."

The emerald Queen's attention finds its way back to Lara before long-- and from there, it roves around the rest of the White Court, eyes narrowing progressively with each face.

"With an absence of judgment for our esteemed peers," she eventually posits, "it's interesting, the motivation Mrs. Storm-Richards claimed, isn't it? A deeply-seated desire to rid the world of those she saw as unfit to live in it... alongside three of the deadliest human beings on Earth and Wilson Fisk, who is--..."

A sly, knowing smile touches her lips as she glances towards Tessa.

"... let's just say 'infamous', among the circles she lives in. So a possession, a temporary loss of faculties, sure - that's a good explanation for the paradox... but it just shifts the motivation question, doesn't it?"

It's a thought she allows to hang in the air for several quiet moment of study before she finally turns fully towards Tessa with an arching brow.

"... and if I'm being honest, all of that raises another, for me: 'What might it take to cut off any last vestiges of Emma's influence in the games?' Rebuilding means assessing what stays and what goes from the original framework... and I'm not sure that a loud, unsubtle once-was is what I would call load-bearing."

Tessa has posed:
Tessa appreciates how quickly Lorna sees the tangles on the board and graces the Viridian-haired beauty with a small smile. "Selene was wise to wish to lift you into our ranks," she compliments. "In some respects, it takes all types of people to rule the world. There will always be a criminal element, a seedy underbelly. Having an eye on it and a hand in it can be extremely useful. But some are... infamous, as you say. Mr. Shaw is as well, among the Professor's children. You, both through your own power and might and that of your father. The children of elders, often being punished for sins and slights well before their time." Her hand curls into a delicate fist. "Or punished for their genetics because some of us are scary and they are easy prey." Tessa's voice drops to something almost frigid. Then she blinks, and Tessa's face is perfectly flat, hands curled politely in her lap.

"I do believe Emma that there was some sort of presence affecting Mrs. Storm-Richards. She was not well-known to either of us on a deeper personal level when she gained our attention, merely her vast achievements and business prowess. We would not have known that her personality had changed, or would have attributed what we did notice as a thing that sometimes happens once you have shed the old trappings to embrace yourself as you wish to be. As to her influence... Ms. Frost has been allowed a deeper access than VIPs typically are due to her own time as a monarch, but it is as you say. If we wish to correct the board and bring the game to a higher level, we must assess the merit of the current trappings. While it may have once been useful to allow her that access, it does not necessarily do so anymore, and if she is not willing to face the occasional pitfalls of being on the board then she should not be granted the privileges and confidences that come with it, either. It is wise to stay on polite terms with her because of her connections, but that does not mean she needs to be in every closed-door meeting. Limiting her to the meetings that include pawns and certain longer-tenured employees will be a good start in that. I do not think Sebastian or Lex will have disagreements with that."

Lorna Dane has posed:
"I'm grateful for Selene's favor, and the opportunity it's brought me to make your acquaintance," Lorna answers with a smile of her own. It's short-lived, but bright: there's even a flash of teeth and a spark flitting across her eyes.

"And while I'm not in any hurry to announce my new friendships to the world... unlike Mrs. Storm-Richards, my time as a superhero is over-- at least, that kind," the Queen of Genosha declares as Tessa finds her way back to neutral. "The kind likely to be personally affronted by her proximity to a criminal-- because you're right," comes with a sharp lowering of her lids and furrows setting into her forehead.

"A whole hell of a lot of us are someone's criminals-- someone's scum to be held to standards designed to break them." burns in contrast to Tessa's arctic spike. A long, deep breath --

a subtle dilation and retracting of her pupils --

and her present company collectively work to hold the fire at bay, fully reined within her chest and gut.

"I just care about respecting each other's boundaries; propriety and respectability are low on the priority list."

After a wink, the monarch in green stands so she can commence hunting for Tessa's liquor stash, listening - even looking, periodically - all the while as the Herald-turned-Queen delivers her analyses. It's only when Tessa finishes that Lorna says, "Good-- reducing variables is gonna be crucial," from the kitchen while she idly walks past and studies the barely touched fixtures. "If we're rebuilding, it needs to be entirely on our terms--..."

Pausing, she taps her finger against her bottom lip for a beat or two worth of thought.

"-- what-- is the purpose of the Courts?" she then wonders, striding into view so she can lean against a wall with her eyes set on Tessa. "Not the division itself, the colors-- are they just a means to the separation? Is there a deeper significance behind them...? Nevermind the positions themselves-- we want people who're manageable, maybe even friendly, but they need to be competent, too. We have carte blanche, here: what do all these roles mean?"

Tessa has posed:
"In older times, the Court served as a way to keep and share power among the elite." Tessa nods in response to Lorna's declaration that she's not "that" sort of hero, generally in full agreement with the woman. Oh sure, she steps in when she can or must, but her battles are ultimately for something small. However, they align closely enough with better treatment for mutantkind as a whole that she can work with any side of that wish depending on what will gain the best valuation. "Booze, back room deals, women. And then the goals got loftier in some places, and of course the delight of having things your enemies only dream of - power, privilege, the ability to flaunt your excess and know nothing will be done. Many of the Courts through history have been forcibly overhauled, either by underlings disgusted by excess and infighting rising up, or for outsiders or other Courts to step in and perform a full culling of the membership. In some places, they generally are still those back room deals, whereas here... Lex and Sebastian are old friends. The Court here is - in my opinion, when it is at its best - more of a way to hone your skills against the harsh realities outside. Succeeding in business here can lead to success out there, because you know where to look, who to leverage. We have a rather large pool of power in the Court alone. Add in our VIP membership, and well. Money, power, connections... when all of that works together, it does a rather good job at creating or ceasing change."

Tessa leans back into the couch, relaxing fractionally from her general stiff posture. "The roles... vary. We have found it useful to have layers - The monarchs who are generally in charge, their inner court of the most trusted bringing various strengths with them and bolstering the weaknesses of others. An outer court of those who are still quite trusted, but younger and less experienced, being mentored by the inner court. The junior court are pawns who are learning where they would like to fit. If they would be a fit at all. There have been instances of it being used as punishment of sorts as well - obnoxious children or those who think that their relative or friend's achievements entitle them to the same benefits rather than earning them on merit. The knowing might let you start on a higher place in the shuffle, but it does not escort you to the front of the line, generally. Pawns are those who are aware there are games afoot and interested in proving themselves interesting enough to become players on the board."

Lorna Dane has posed:
Green eyes lid as Lorna drinks this valuable information in. The board remains visible through the slivers, serving as a focus for meditative listening. As a result, she says precisely what she's thinking - what the state of the board and nature of the game played in Manhattan leave her with - the moment Tessa finishes laying out some basic guidelines:

"And thus: the dire state of the White Court is an opportunity waiting to be taken."

The magnetic mutant slowly exhales, then pushes off of the wall. "I'll start thinking on who might be trustworthy enough to be brought in," she says over the steady clack of boot heels against stone floors. "Without being too obvious: stack the board too blatantly, and everyone else will get paranoid, when they should be celebrating our change in fortune."

Pulling up behind the couch, Lorna leans forward and drapes her arms across the backrest right beside Tessa. "Drunk; happy; content and confident in the knowledge that they have new tools to groom, instead of protecting their necks," she quietly adds, settling in beside the reclining Queen's head.

"Speaking of," she murmurs, "I'd rather not go rummaging through your things without getting to know you a little bit better: where do you keep your liquor?" the emerald Queen wonders.

"What do you want to drink?" follows as she straightens up.

"... and how did you end up at the center of rich men's games?" comes with a lingering look over her shoulder as she resumes her wandering tour of the apartment.

Tessa has posed:
"Precisely," Tessa murmurs. "Not Sebastian so much. He is more aware and intelligent than people like to give him credit for." She studies Lorna through lowered lashes, mind calculating what is safe enough to tell the woman and what must be kept secret and safe. "I have always been in the center of rich men's games, Queen Lorna. A nameless orphan from a war-torn country with a clever mind, sold to men smart enough to cherish the information but stupid enough to think they could play in the same leagues as Sebastian Shaw. They might have succeeded had I not decided that the crossing was not worth staying in my position for. I led them into his trap, and in return he offered me an entire world. Education. Connections. Money. His respect for my mind and ruthlessness at first, and then slowly an understanding and a level of trust. He got me in the door of where I wanted to be, who I needed to meet, but I had to earn my way up from there. As I did, I repaid him in kind. Information. Suggestions. My efficiency."

She leans into the arms behind her for a brief moment. "The bit of liquor I do keep up here is in the pantry to the right of the fridge, except for the vodka. That's in the freezer. But yes, Lex has given Sebastian more power to populate the Court than a healthy, engaged monarch should. Had he been able to be more present the past four years, his side would be in better shape and we would likely be better for it. Had Susan been the queen we thought we were getting, the issue would have been minor, at best, but as it stands... the Black Court is in good shape, and some rest drunk and sloppy on that knowledge." Tessa shakes her head as she tilts it back upright. "The Sentinels, this Galactus, the oddities around that so-called Mutant Liberation Front... we do not have the time to be drunk and sloppy. We must forge the connections and act on the things that threaten all of us, from mutants to the entire world."