12815/Gods and Blondes

Gods and Blondes
Date of Scene:	17 September 2022
Location:	Ice Palace
Synopsis:	Emma drops in to visit Loki and there is banter.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Loki

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Emma Frost has posed:
She hasn't been here in some time. Emma Frost has come to mind to check in with the God of Trickery on occasion. This time she comes bearing a gift. The gift, whatever it is, is held over in a large case that Emma struggles with while carrying it. Ungainly and large, still, she handles it carefully in a heavily reinforced case to keep it stable while she would go along. Emma seems to be otherwise relaxed, though she does watch her footwork just to make sure she doesn't tumble.

Loki has posed:
There were animals around the Ice Palace last time that Emma was aware of the true owner of the palace -- animals that were housing the souls of people torn apart by the Shadow King. The palace is quiet now, without those living elements. It's serene, the volume of the city oddly muted, leaving a sort of sense of being deafened, as the horns and screams of civilization fall back. It's not a mute, though, but an absense.

The ice palace is lovely despite the summer, and does seem to have a few tourists hanging around the exterior, taking pictures. They're quiet, though, as if the place held some kind of ability to create a respectful ambiance.

Light flecks of snowflakes patter down and collect on Emma as she arrives, a light dust on the parcel as well.

Emma Frost has posed:
Now it's curious - there were things here last time. Where are they now? Emma resists the temptation to do a wide area psi-scan. That would be rude and likely annoy the lord of the land. So seh goes to take a moment to catch a breath and brace the lrage case. She seems amused over with herself.

Emma takes a moment to brush along the snow falling upon her, almost like a tiara. "Why.. I almost feel welcomed." She would muse, quietly, even as her breath comes out..

Cold as frost.

Loki has posed:
Awareness of certain arrivals to the palace exists, but the response isn't always instant... Loki doesn't just drop everything to attend to visitors. Often there's other things - other mischief, plans - that keeps his attention!

Still, there are certain things set in place, such as a snowy white bird, some kind of construct of the entryway, that orients white ice head towards Emma, examining her there with snow-flecked eyes. It isn't a real creature, but magical, most definitely.

Two of the tourists see it and point at it, with curiosity, but it only has eyes for Emma.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would go to lean over and blow a gentle kiss over at the bird as it would fly trhough the air and give a bow a moment later. "Why thank you. It's lovely to be welcomed to your palace." She would give it a sense of formality and gravitas, watching back at what is likely the illusory thing.

Or perhaps the Lord of Ice himself, should he be playing something along these lines. "I come bearing a gift."

Loki has posed:
The tourists are now VERY interested at Emma interacting with the magical snow bird, and are certainly looking, but they leave her alone to talk to the magic thing anyway. Besides, Emma looks like she fits in here, and could well be part of the magic herself, to their eyes!

"I didn't invite you in," teases the snowy bird - or rather, disembodied voice from it's area. It's probably illusory, and the voice isn't identifiable as Loki's tone - though perhaps that sort of dry quality does suggest Loki.

As does it being illusion. Obviously.

"Come in if you like. The guardians will allow passage," the bird chuckles anyway, and disappears in a little fluff of snow and wind.

The doors are open, but there's a soft mist-wall across them, something that clearly repels the tourists from going inside. It won't push Emma out, though.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would go to let herself approach, "Why thank you. A pleasure to be given access as always. And do enjoy the rest of your stay. The area is quite lovely." She would blowa kiss at the tourists, going along over through the opening doors. She takes a moment to adjust her posture to hold along the very bulky gift, the heavy metal that iwa s wrapped in securely bouncing a bit before she found her balance once more.

It was something that was going to make her sore from having hauled along, and it was rather undignified. But, for Emma it was something that was worth it.. After all, what was teh point in owning a chain of spas if they didn't use them as much as possible?

Coming along, she would let the guardians guide her or for the illusion to show her where to go.

Loki has posed:
"More gifts? Or did you need a place to store your shopping while you continued on a spree?" Loki's voice lilts with an amused, light sarcasm. It's light for Loki, though Emma's experience with him isn't vast. He may feel a little bit abraisive today, though his mood doesn't seem to be on the bad side.

Loki has appeared, overly relaxed and casually, seated midway up the stairs that arch up into the second floor. It's snowing indoors, but an examination of those flakes would reveal each is a little piece of artwork, a tiny design of delicate artistry - purposeful, maybe.

"Either way you can set it there." Loki isn't moving to physically assist ,which could be read in several ways: such as that he isn't going to suggest she's weak or tired, or that he may be illusion, or some other mix of motives known to Loki only.

Loki's dressed crisply - white today, which makes his dark hair very black in contrast down on the shoulders. He looks healthy, comfortable, and fits in with the modern attire just fine. Loki's adaptive.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would smile over, "Oh.. Merely something I saw that seemed at least something you might appreciate. If not, then it seems like my sense of your taste is severely off, which is good to know on a personal level, at least." she goes to take it along with her a few moments later, laying the case down with one final unlady-like grunt. It's a heavy lead lined suitcase with heavy internal pads for stability.

"I always do enjoy the vista you have here. Everything is so lovely. And it's an aesthetic that few other places on this planet can match." Emma's tune is musing, appreciative. It is very rare that she gets a chance to simply appreciate things going on around her, if only for a few moments.

Loki has posed:
"It's a bare /shadow/ of my castle in Asgard," Loki says, with a tone that reeks of bragging, and Loki doesn't care to even hide it. It /is/ better, and he's glad to share that truth of the matter. "Which is, obviously, whatever I deem to imagine it to be. Which is often in a state of change, as imagination is an evolving thing."

It's like Loki likes to listen to himself talk, particularly when comfortable. ... Which, yes, he does.

Still, Loki does center back on her gift, standing up and approaching, with a mood that suggests if he's curious, he's hiding it, to not seem overly interested. He doesn't touch it, but looks, brow up. "Normally I wouldn't maintain this palace, but it's on a wonderful line of magic to power it, so it's almost as if it builds itself - like a tree, and I simply prune it into shape." Loki indicates the present, "If you want to partake of my reaction, you'll need to open. My presence here is illusion, as I am elsewhere."

Emma Frost has posed:
It is something that Emma is used to. Taking pride in one's work is something that is near universal to humans, and likely to most species of any realm, Earthern or other. "I do hope to see it properly someday. But such indulgences are unimportant now." She would mm. "And it sounds like everything you've found a way to mix the pragmatic and the prettiness. You have an abode here that befits your work and your own granduer." She's teasing him.

She would mm, "OF course." She goes to open it over carefully. There is a chessboard within made out of marble. Inside are figures carved of ivory reflecting the Greek and Asgardian pantheons as the black and white pieces.

"It's a rather popular human pasttime to use such things while one relaxes and plans."

Loki has posed:
Loki immediately laughs, "I don't /reside/ here. Or even stay here." What a silly idea! "This is .. a project, at most. I have far too many enemies to place myself so easily into their warpath." Loki's teasing, though of course Loki has enemies - the 'taking over New York' situation makes for a lot of anger. Loki's treating it lightly at the moment, which does mask however he feels about any of that. There's patience, though - a god can afford some ants to be upset. They're a drop in the bucket.

"I'm familiar with chess," Loki says, dryly, as she explains what chess is. "You'll find I have /great/ awareness of Midgard's games and culture, particularly compared to others from Asgard." Loki's a little insulted, but takes in the pieces as she opens it.

A wash of illusion rolls over the board, as things appear to suddenly come to life, and rush into battle. The white king of Asgard is toppled by a black knight. "oh no," Loki mock-gasps. Oh no indeed.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would go to fold her arms together, "Why yes, I did presume. It's a rather popular pasttime. I'd assume you of all beings would be familiar with it. The strategies, the reactions, the schemes.. I'm not sure whether you would find it engaging, but it is considered a very good way to gauge the moods of those that you're interacting with." And manipulating. That goes without saying.

Emma does watch over at him as he takes the pieces out and just smiles like the Cheshire Cat. "Oh, how horrific. It does appear like the King has fallen. So whatsoever shall take over now?"

Loki has posed:
"I believe the game's over when that happens, unless you play another version of chess than I do," Loki teases her innocently. It was just illusion - nothing really moved. Loki's not present to be able to impact things in that way, at least not while simply casting this particular illusion set. Everything neatly seems to fade back into place.

Loki's illusion gives Emma a bit of a stare when she explains the purposes of chess, after Loki had just said he knew what the game was. "Right," Loki says, tightly. Yes, it's a good way to do those things.

Loki is a moody little cat, sometimes, and some of that is showing here. "Keep bringing me gifts, and people will get the wrong idea. Or is that YOUR scheme?" Loki questions. It's playful, really, he's amusing himself.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would look amused over and fold her hands together, "Oh.. I do have my own schemes. Whehter or not you factor into them at all.. Perhaps I'm here merely as I appreciate your company and do considedr it polite to bring a gift as is expected as a guest in your palace. Perhpas I wish to bring you into my schemes at a date when I find most beneficial to include you in them."

Speaking to the God of Tricks, Emma would sit down and cross one leg over one another. "Or among other things I appreciate your company." After all, so few were so good at playing up appearances and manipulation as Loki. Like might apprecaite the presence of like.

Loki has posed:
"Of course. I appreciate that a woman of your intelligence would recognize, at the /very/ least, potential continued use of me as an ally, should once again you need to siphon souls out of the astral," Loki chuckles. He 'sits' as well - there is plenty of area to recline like royalty in this lower area of the Ice Palace. Real seating, as well as fluffy white snow-like pillow formations - it just varies by what the visitor likes most. Or perhaps Loki's current choice of how much he likes the visitor or not, if he makes them stand!

"I /do/ like that I'm not forced to pretend to be someone else here. That's a little rare for me on Midgard," Loki says, with a reflective quality, green eyes a little distant, as if he were counting the times when that was the case, and it may not be a high number. "By the way, I /am/ a member of the Hellfire Club. I wouldn't expect you to know that, it's under an alias."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would glance over at Loki for a few moments, in consideration of his stance and presence. "Do consider me impressed. I've never met anyone on MIdgard that could make such well crafted illusions and pass along such good sensory information." There are some likely. Just not ones that Emma has necessarily interacted with.

"I would be surprised if you were not. The Club might not be useful, but even in antagonism it can be a rather effective locale to pull strings from. A useful evil, Is uppose the parlance is."

Loki has posed:
"No, illusions would be my particular specialty... though not the only one. Best not to compare me to Midgard anyway, it will just make them look sad, and small." Loki's being matter of fact - this is just his viewpoint of the scope of human mages in his area of talent. It's no secret that he's not a huge fan of generic humans, though his respect shown to Emma may reinforce that mutants may not share that pale view.

"But few had personal tutolage from the queen of Asgard - as well as the advantages of thousands of your years." Loki and his bragging ... still, there's information here, and Loki's being somewhat trusting by being willing to share some things about himself. Emma will just have to ignore some of the opinionated arrogance coating that information!

Though there's something else here, too, which is that Loki's behavior is a little forced, somehow. Perhaps the arrogance is something he's pushing forward, to meet her expectations. There's puzzles, of course, and most don't have the patience to sift through it with Loki.

"Come, set up your gift, then," Loki invites. Emma may get a game, after all, as the Ice Palace serenely sets quite a good place to talk, enjoy chess, and consider the meaning of any of that.