13464/Blue and White All Over

Blue and White All Over
Date of Scene:	28 November 2022
Location:	The Victorian Restaurant - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	Mystique and Emma talk about the past and try to come to some sort of closure.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Raven Darkholme

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Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost has invited Raven to the Hellfire Club to talk. Making it clear it was just that, talk, with nothing greater planned. It was time for Emma to make an effort to patch things up with the Brotherhood, and Raven in particular for past mistakes. So now was the time to start at least talking to the shapeshifter to try and establish a dialogue. But now.. Now was just some food, drinking.. On Emma's dime.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The decision to accept the invitation had taken Raven a couple of hours to make. She was the sort of person who held grudges when it was suitable, and this time... it was suitable. Magneto himself had, in the end, put Emma back in her place, but that didn't mend the fences.

Arriving to the Hellfire Club, a half smirk, half smile played over Raven's blue lips as she looks the place over. Mentally she judged everything about the place, but she kept it all to herself as she made her way inside.

Dressed in a pair of white jeans tucked into white leather thigh-high boots, and a white turtleneck with diamond shaped peek-a-boo on the chest, her red hair was left to hand down around her face and shoulders as she arrived. Yellow eyes immediately went in search of where Emma has decided to settle herself.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma would be waiting over with a goblet of wine in her hand, skimming the menu as she would gesture over at Raven, "Hello, thank you for coming. I thought we might share a meal and.. Talk some. I've done some things in the past to violate your trust and those of the Brotherhood, and I'd like to try and start to mend things."

She had done things which had betrayed her allies. One more thing that she had to make up for.. And make right. IF she could not do that.. Then at least she could hopefully ensure they did not see her as a threat for the future and as one more thing to have to be solved.

"Please feel free to order whatever you like. I don't presume to know your favorites so we may have to wait a bit from the kitchen if you prefer anything exotic."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Everything that Raven did was calculated, plotted, part of the overall plan. Every movement had a purpose, to conceal body language, to ensure that reading her was impossible. Given the nature of what she was, reading her mind was difficult at best, and years of training to block made it even more so. What the entirety added up to was a cobalt mutant who emanated power but other wise was a closed book.

Making her way over to the table, she pulled out a chair and settled herself into it quit casually. Right leg moves to cross over left, then her hands settle in her lap calmly. "Magneto considers the matter closed," she states first, remembering how he had quite literally teleported into Emma's office and reminded her just how powerful a mutant he was.

Yellow eyes shift to look at the menu before they return to Emma. "As for me, time will tell if I have to make your life a living hell or if we can find a more common ground," she states calmly, smoothly, no real anger to her tone at all. "As for my favorites," a slight shrug of her shoulders is offered. "I have never been particular when it came to food, but I do have a craving for prime rib."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost wasn't trying to read Raven's mind. Even if she could with a bit of effort - which wasn't guaranteed, it would definitely be something that Raven would pick up on and would violate any sort of possibility of regaining trust, or at least detente. So Emma wasn't making any sort of effort. Or even Raven's body l anguage. That was the sort of thing that would be useless given the woman's ability to alter herself at a whim.

"Yes, but regardless that he considers it closed, I still violated your trust." There's a difference between resolving an issue and.. Fixing it, after all.

"Very well, they do have a rather excellent one here. I do believe that I'll join you." Good, they both knew where they stood on things. Emma could accept that.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Tapping her nails along the the top edge of her boot, Raven takes a moment to study Emma. She made no attempts to conceal that she was doing it, even goes so far as to cant her head slightly.

"Forgive me for being blunt Ms. Frost," she finally says. "But I find myself extremely curious as to why it matters to you if you are on good terms with me or the Brotherhood. The last time we spoke," she pulls a slow breath in before offering a hint of a smile. "it seemed to me that you were on your way to your own personal goals."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would gesture at Raven, "Yes, and I've.. Been put in a few positions since then that had my behaviors rather shoved in my face rather appropriately that have.. Made me have to confront how I've been and.. Pay the penance for them. And reconsider how I've been throughout the years and made the situation rather worse for others." She doesn't say 'make amends' for herself. But for others.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven's yellow eyes finally settle on Emma's eyes, the cant of the blue mutants head remaining as she says, "You only partly answered the question, so I will try again." A dark smile plays across her lips before she settles back in the chair.

"A glass of red wine," she says first then continues with. "Why does it matter? Why do you want approval from the Brotherhood or myself? Are you looking for allies, for friends, for lovers, or are you looking for puppets to attempt to control and manipulate?"

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would go tolet out a sigh, "I'm not looking for your approval either way. I don't think that I'm deserving of it. It has to be earned if at that. I'm looking to make amends, even if it's purely on a personal level. I don't deserve your trust nor can it be regained easily. I'm just looking to try and make amends for my violation on a personal level. And the wine is quite good."

She would go on, "Because.. I've been forced to see that I've made too much of my life a zero sum game. There are those against me and those that have overlapping goals, or that can made to be played to my benefit. And I've learned the hard way that it is not this way.. And that I've abused faar too many along my path of treating everything like it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Because of the life Raven has lived, she is always suspicious. A person could hand her a flower and she'd wonder why, was it poisoned and if that person wanted something in return, but amends, that she understood.

"Might I ask one, most likely very personal, question?" She says after a short time of turning the new information around in her head. It wasn't hard to understand the desire to make up for past mistakes, what played through her mind now however was just how sincere Emma might actually be.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would let out a sigh, "Because I was saved over something that I did not deserve to be. There were children being abused and sacrificed, I was caught up in it while being tortured myself. And those from the Institute saved me. I saw in those children the same things I had done to others without a care. Having done to you what you have done to everyone else without a thought forces one to have perspective. And the Institute could have left me there and they would have been justified."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Once the wine is poured and glass is in hand, Raven takes a small sip as she listens to Emma answer the question before she even asked it. She knew it was not from having her mind read or even skimmed, it was likely the answer given because everyone and their mother asked the same question. She'd been through that, over and over the same question, 'Why are you doing this? What's your gimmick?" At the time, the answer remained the same, she had fought so hard to change and alter the image of the Brotherhood in part for love, in part for friendship, but mostly because the old ways did not work.

Raven takes another sip of the wine, it really was quite lovely, then says quietly, "You said that you were saved over something you didn't deserve to be, but you aren't the one who gets to decide that. You can believe with all your heart and soul that you are damned, unworthy, should be cast out, evil, whatever term fits the situation in your own mind... but in the end, those who come to your side, those who 'save' you, whether a physical save or something else, they are the ones who know the truth."

She turns her eyes to look around the room. "I loath humans, I've never hidden that, not once, in all my years and yet..." slowly those yellow eyes return to Emma. "Some how, one beautiful mutant soul showed me that at least some humans are worthy of life. It was a stepping stone across a long, fast moving river that was my decision to change. How can I hold a grudge against you, after all this time, when the world utterly loaths me and yet many are giving me a chance to prove myself worthy?"

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would let out a sigh, "Yes. I was shown that I had tortured others.. And I was saved from being put in the same place. That I was a monster, and I was wrong to do what I did. That life was not a zero sum thing where I was allowed to be selfish and ignore the consequences. And that I had to be a better person. Because I could not go on the way I was nor forgive myself for what I had done."

And Raven was right in it. "You're better than I was. Your goals were always pure. You wanted to make things better for mutants and save them from those whom would oppress them, and ensure that they were kept from danger and remove those who hated them. For me.. My goals were always the benefit of myself. You acted for others, and I acted for my own profit."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Another small sip of the wine is taken before Raven sets the glass on the table. "How can you expect anyone to forgive you for what you have done, if you cannot even forgive yourself?" she asks bluntly, perhaps sounding too much like a mother.

A dark smile played across her lips for a moment, "My goals would benefit mutants, yes that is true, but my goals also benefit myself. Take over the world for mutants, rule the world with humans as the slaves, how would that not benefit all mutants?" She snorts then finally offers a softer smile. "You have to learn to love yourself, forgive yourself, and only then will you be able to move on. And yes, I'm still working on that part."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would go tofold her hands together, "Yes, for all the fun that ruling the world would entail.. I think that it's far too tedious. Think of all the bureaucracy that would require. All the tedium, the meetings, the paperwork.. Do you want to have to listen to people cmplain all day and know you have to maintain a million different things? And.. You're right. We have to be better for those we care about>"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
For one split second, perhaps one heart beat Raven's eyes narrow in anger as she looks at the wine in the glass, then they are normal again, as if it never happened.

"Erik would be the real ruler, I would merely take over another country or some such," she comments with a soft chuckle, completely blowing off that moment. "Probably would be too much work, though admittedly, attempting to get human to accept mutants is a great deal of work as well."

Emma Frost has posed:
And Emma would catch that quick switch over in Raven's eyes. There's a querying look in her face but she doesn't ask that question. "I'm sorry if I offended at all." Her tone is gentle but not pushing the matter if Raven doesn't remotely respond to it.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven shakes her head slowly before letting her eyes finally lift to Emma's face. "You didn't offend me," she offers bluntly. "I am merely a bitter old woman with too many lost loves... and no, I do not wish to talk about it."

The drink taken of the wine is a bit larger this time before once again the glass is set on the table. "Do you're working with Xavier and his... er... staff?" She then asks, making sure to once again pretend the X-Men weren't a real thing, attempting to keep the secrets that Charles insisted on. "Or are you doing something else?"

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "Of course. I won't inquire further." She would go to fold her fingers together and let the matter drop. "I'm worrking at Xavier's at least part time. Aiding in the occasional mission or where my telepathy is useful. Supporting them financially and when they would help me aiding in teaching. They don't need me particularly often, moreso due to how well staffed the institute and the team is."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"Former students move on to be staff," Raven sort of sing-songs, completely fake and making it obvious it's fake. "Such a wonderful way for mutants to live their hidden lives."

Now she laughs, "Oops, did I say that outloud? My bad... I should have said it was a wonderful way to hide from life."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would laugh quietly, "I see, perhaps." She would note over. "I don't presume to say otherwise. I'm somewht appreciative that they let me interact with the students at all. When I was a young girl, I wanted to be a teacher. This, at least.."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Raven levels her eyes on Emma, watching her, once again studying her intently. "Nicely dodged, Miss Frost," she finally says, and holds her glass up as if to make a toast and nods her head in the woman's direction as well.

"You do realize that there are three schools in Bushwick that need teachers," she then says a little to firmly, perhaps a hint of distaste in her tone. "Hundreds of young human and mutant children who don't meet Charles' standards to attend his Institute." A small sip of wine is taken. "There are numerous schools in Genosha as well that need teachers, if you are seriously interested in teaching... and so you know, this animosity is aimed at Charles, not you."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "Yes. And I'm more than happy to offer funding and assistance to them in whatever way I can when it comes to help recruit for them and ensure that they're properly equipped and given the resources they need. My own spetrum of teaching is however limited. I presume that the Brotherhood prefers to teach it's members hands on and that my skills as a general educator are somewhat limited. And I am more than happy to help ensure that teachers going to Genosha are properly funded and trained. But my domain is primarily telepathy."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"The Brotherhood is more hands on," Raven says with a nod. "But we are also working to educate many adult mutants who never got the chance to go to school, those who wish an education that is."

She glances toward the kitchen a moment, a movement at the door drawing her attention before she looks back to Emma. "There are only two telepaths in the Brotherhood, and both are on long term assignments away from the Asteroid." She taps her fingers along the edge of the bottom of the glass as she continues, "You like to toss your money around. Never a bad thing mind you, merely noticed. I believe Genosha is well in hand between Queen Lorna and the former King. Bushwick on the other hand can always use help."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma Frost would nod, "I'll ensure that whatever resources and contacts I have will be available to you in the matter as you deem appropriate. I'll be in touch in some time with what I have available that I hope will be fitting and you can judge for yourself on the matter. And do take care."