1757/Dinner with the Parents

Dinner with the Parents
Date of Scene:	20 May 2020
Location:	Frost Manor, Boston, MA
Synopsis:	Alex and Emma meet at her parents place in Boston for dinner with them, and of course, the typical parental questioning.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Alex Summers

---

Emma Frost has posed:
Boston, or rather, the rather posh neighborhood that at one time was the outskirts thereof. It's not a terrible drive up, though Emma had insisted on taking one of the Club's cars to do so. The house that Emma Frost grew up in had been in the family for generations, and on the outside it may even remind Alex of Xavier's place: large, old, imposing. The buildings are a crisp white, and the buildings and grounds are well-maintained.

Emma pulls the heavy-tinted SUV into the carriage house, uncranking and glancing over to Alex. She looks somewhat worried. She's not dressed in business attire, rather in business casual, though in all-white as usual. "I know my father may be frustrating," she begins, "but please, please don't provoke him."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex is feeling sort of a sense of foreboding and doom at this point, but he's resolved to at least do his best. So, suit, slacks, button up shirt. No tie. He's idly flexing his fingers as he leans back against the seat behind him. "I'll do my best, hon." Alex says with a sigh. "I really will.

Emma Frost has posed:
"All right." She takes a deep breath, opening her car door and stepping out, waiting for Alex to join her after she's shut and locked the vehicle. Once he's with her, they walk from the Carriage House over to the main house, where Emma barely reaches the front porch before the door is flung open.

"Emma," Hazel Frost steps out to greet her middle daughter with a half hug. "And you must be Alexander," she looks over to Alex with a critical eye. If she recalls meeting him previously at the Hellfire Club, there's no sign of it.

"Mm. Mom, you look... good tonight," Emma says, relaxing slightly. <<Mom's not completely doped up on Xannies. That's a really good sign.>> she sends to Alex, without a hint of expression on her face indicating she's telepathically messaging him.

"You do too, dear. Come in, dinner will be in about an hour." she steps inside and aside from the huge double doors to let the two in behind her.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex slips out, idly straightening his suit as he buttons the top button, a little frown on his face briefly before he smooths it away, tugging idly on the bottom of the suit as he follows Emma, then smiles at Hazel, nodding to her. "A pleasure to meet you ma'am." he says simply."Thank you for having me over." He'll follow along behind Emma and her mother glancing around curiously as they enter.

Emma Frost has posed:
The house is large, overdone in that 'colonial rich people' style that is, again, not too much different than Xavier's place. Except where Xavier's has been turned into a haven for mutants and particularly mutant children, the Frost Manor is distinctly not a haven at all. Everything is perfectly in its place, clean, dusted, paintings and portraits on the walls, sculpture and busts on pedestals perfectly arranged. It seems more like a museum than a house, at least in the foyer and as Emma and Hazel lead Alex into the sitting room.

"Scotch, Alexander?" Hazel asks. Emma gives him a slight nod, even as she takes a seat on a mid 1800s settee. Probably a reproduction?

No, it's not a reproduction, it's just a meticulously maintained antique... like everything else in the room. The sitting room looks entirely early-Victorian; right down to the crystal decanters of scotch sitting on the credenza and the painted portraits on the elaborately and richly wallpapered walls.

"Where's Father?" Emma asks, trying not to look at all as nervous as she feels. Her mind reaches out a bit, searching for the presence of either of her sisters, and she lets out an audible sigh of relief when Adrienne's presence is truly no where to be found. Cordelia is... up in her room, it feels like. That's not terrible. Of course, her father's presence is something she cannot discern either, but that she's used to. He's a black hole for telepathy.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex is dearly tempted by the offer of scotch, but is also unsure if it' sa faux paux to drink before dinner. He's very much out of his comfort zone for this sort of thing, sitting carefully next to the Emma. But the nod does at least give him a hint. "That sounds lovely, thank you." he says to Hazel as he sits a bit stiffly, looking around the room. "You have a lovely home...."

Emma Frost has posed:
"Thank you, Alexander," Hazel replies, pouring four glasses with scotch in them. She hands Alex his first, then one for Emma, and one for herself. Neither Emma nor Hazel sip, however. They are waiting.

And only a minute or so passes before the door opens, and Winston Frost steps into the room. He has a commanding presence, and he takes a glass of the scotch. "Emma Grace." He looks to Alex. He does recognize him, and it's obvious in his expression for a moment, but... "I see you've brought your beau."

Emma stands up as her father walks in, and Alex can likely see that she is nervous.

Winston regards the young man, and moves his scotch to his left hand, putting out his right to shake Alex's. "Winston Frost. I have heard some about you, and I am looking forward to passing my own judgments."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex takes a moment but stands as well, figuring it's probably polite. Or that Winston just demands people stand when he enters a room. He seems like that type of jerk. He switches hands, taking the offered hand and shaking it firmly, though he takes a moment to decide on his phrasing. "I'm happy to demonstrate my ability. Thank you for inviting me to your home." Is what he says on the surface.

    He thinks at Emma <<I suppose I can't put what we did the other night on my list of accomplishments for his perusal, hmm?>> Though he retains a deadpan serious expression as he thinks it.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma coughs as she takes a sip of her scotch, unable to keep the flush from her cheeks. <<ALEX.>> There's a brief pause. <<And don't think this is private. Cordy is here. She can 'hear' these conversations as well as I can.>>

"Emma, are you all right?" Hazel steps to her daughter after taking a folded cloth napkin off the credenza. "The scotch must be too harsh for you, dear. Let me have a tonic brought for you instead."

Emma takes the napkin, dabbing at her face and mouth delicately. "No, Mother, it's fine, I'm fine. I just wasn't expecting it is all."

Winston lifts an eyebrow and regards both Emma and Alex with a fair amount of suspicion. "Mm." He takes a sip of his own drink, not saying anything else, though his stare is weighing and measuring. "So. Mr. Summers. My daughter tells me you're one of Sebastian's geophysicists. Are you more of an oil or a gem man, then? My experience with your sort tends to be you favor hunting one or the other."

Alex Summers has posed:
    <<Fine, fine, I'll behave.>> Well there goes some of his stress relief, being able to snark to Emma during this, but she has a point about her sister listening in. He didn't realize she had that kind of range. He steps back to stand by Emma after the handshake, resting a hand on her back as she coughs. "Went down the wrong pipe?" he says sympathetically, though he's a little mischieviously amused that he got Emma to almost snork her drink.

    "Minerals are what I have the most experience on, so gemstones of the two. I could do either, but working with shale and oil and gas deposits requires a slightly different set of skills to learn. But really, anything buriedin the ground is part of what I can locate and assist with reaching."

Emma Frost has posed:
"Interesting," Winston nods to Alex. "Anything specific Shaw is hunting?" He chuckles, holding up a hand. "I kid, I kid. I wouldn't want to get you into trouble at work for sharing company secrets." Though the man's eyes glitter with an almost predatory look. It's very easy to see him as the vicious corporate raider he had been before his retirement. "It's a lucrative skill, and one that takes more than a small amount of intellect." It's a minor concession. Emma looks somewhat pleased at that.

Winston sits in one of the bergères across from the settee, and after he has sat down, Hazel sits in the matching seat, and Emma settles back down on the settee, gripping her glass. "Your grandparents are the owners of a small aviation company in Alaska?" Winston asks Alex with some interest. Seems he's done his homework.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex joins Emma on the settee, nodding slightly to Winson as he smiles at the joke. Perhaps a bit tightly, but he's smiling. "Mr. Shaw is having me get used to the vargaries of his company at the moment before an official assignment is made." he comments, leaning back as he pauses to sip from the scotch, crossing his legs comfortably. "Yes, Summers Aviation, though after my parents' passing it was folded into a larger aviation concern as my brother and I were too young to take over in a reasonable amount of time.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma slips her hand into Alex's and squeezes a bit, placing her scotch on a side table. So far, so good. She ignores the faint buzz in her pocket as she gets a text. She will check it later. There's no way she is leaving Alex alone right now, and her parents would kill her if she started flipping through her phone.

"And your father was an officer in the Air Force. A pilot." Winston takes a sip, frowning a bit. "Frost International has a large aerospace division, you know. Have you put any thought in following in your father or grandfather's footsteps and becoming a pilot yourself?"

Emma frowns at her father. "Mmm. I really think he is more interested in... um, meteors and space rocks, Father."

Winston's eyes gleam again. "Is that so? Perhaps you may have thoughts on asteroid mining, then. Quite a lot of resources to be found there, hmm?"

Alex Summers has posed:
    "I've never really had the opportunity to gain a pilot's license, to be honest." Alex says slowly. "My parents died in a plane crash...my brother and I only survived because they had us use the only parachute. So there are...memories with that." He takes another sip of the scotch. "Mm, though asteroid mining would be fascinating, if there was an effective and reusable way to get to them. Or to move one into a stable Earth orbit to be worked on. For some reason people are less than enthused with the idea of pushing an asteroid towards Earth though."

Emma Frost has posed:
"Assuming that access wasn't as impossible as it may seem," Winston allows. "I'm sure there are more than ample metals and stone that could keep a bright young man like you busy for some time." He lifts his glass in a half salute. "I applaud Sebastian's foresight."

Emma squeezes Alex's hand again. "I don't think that's why Shaw--"

Winston cuts her off with a dismissive wave. "Of course it is. It's a brilliant move. Difficult to counter, but perhaps more reasonable to assist. I will have to think on my plan of action, then." He regards Alex with a silent measuring look. "And you and Emma are going to Aruba together? Hm." He frowns. Hazel looks away as well. "Its one thing for an occasional date, but this is quite a statement, Emma."

Emma looks down at her feet for a moment. Her father clears his throat, and she quickly snaps her head up to meet his glare. "Well, Father, I just thought it would be nice to take some time..."

"And flaunt this... relationship publicly?" Winston finishes for her. "Without any sense or care to decorum or discretion?" He looks to Alex, then to Emma. "Unless you are intending for this to be a more serious matter than I had thought."

Hazel actually smiles at that. "Is it, then? I had thought perhaps when you asked to bring him for dinner--"

Winston lifts his hand slightly and Hazel immediately quiets. "That is an excellent question. Mr. Summers, care you to answer it for me?"

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex squeezes Emma's hand back as he shifts, his eyes flicking from person to person as they talk. When it coms back to him, he blinks slightly. "I don't know that I'd call it flaunting. We aren't planning on staying at a place that's frequented by celebrities, so there shouldn't be many there to point us out from any of the other vacationers." He sips from his scotch, finishing it off as he sets the glass down carefully on a side table. "That said, yes. We are serious about each other, amd the relationship." His reply is steady, if a bit blunt. "Part of the vacation is to spend some time together and explore it more."

Emma Frost has posed:
Winston gives Alex a weighing look. He finishes his own scotch, putting the glass aside. "Interesting. I'm sure Emma has told you how seriously we take responsibility around here," he says. He looks to Emma. "I hope you are being responsible and rational about all this?"

Emma swallows and nods rapidly. "I'm not doing anything that would lead to problems," she says, a hint of saccharine in her tone.

Hazel hmms. "Just keep it that way, Emma Grace. We don't want to have to cope with last minute planning."

Emma flushes. "Its. Handled, mother. Anything like that would be very well planned. I promise."

Winston sighs. "Well, then. Serious has a particular kind of meaning in these circles, Mr. Summers. I assume from how jumpy my daughter is you likely haven't even touched on those subjects. So for now, I will leave it to her to explain to you on your little trip." He smiles, but it's more tight and predatory than genuine. "Especially given that Emma is the heir for the Frost family. There is a lot of respect and responsibility that goes with that position. Expectations. I trust she will make you aware of those things."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex's eyes flicker for a moment. "We're both adults, and aware of the issues. It's a bit early to talk about more serious subjects when we're still getting to know each other. But we've taking precautions." he says, a bit tightly. "I have no wish to disrespect Emma or cause others to do the same. Part of this trip is getting to know each other better, so I'm...sure any such things will be discussed. At some point."

    <<Not that I'd tell you a damn thing about it, you pushy...mmph.>>

Emma Frost has posed:
Hazel looks somewhat scandalized as Alex effectively admits that he and Emma are sleeping together. She takes a long draw from her glass.

Winston nods slightly. "Well. Hazel, dear, let us check on dinner. Emma, if you want to show him around?" And he and his wife leave off to the dining room.

Emma let's out a long breath. "That could have been worse," she murmurs.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex sighs out, relaxing slightly, but squeezing her hand slightly. 'Think so? Mmm...he's certainly less dismissive. But that's because he wants to know why Shaw hired me., I suspect." he murmurs softly, leaning into Emma slightly. "I think I scandalized your mother a bit though." he notes ruefully.
F

Emma Frost has posed:
"A bit," Emma says dryly. "You didnt have to tell her we are... you know." She stands up, popping her neck. "Mm. We probably have a little bit. Want to see upstairs? I don't think Cordy is up for meeting anyone, but I can show you around."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex grunts as he gets to his feet, offering Emma a hand up. "Sure, let's roam a bit before we deal with dinner." He smiles faintly. "And it's fine if she's not. I could use a minute or three to get ready for the next part."

Emma Frost has posed:
Leading him to the sweeping staircase, Emma frowns. "Its not that bad, is it?" she sounds slightly worried. "Mm. So up here," she leads him upstairs, "Is where all the actual private living space is. Down there is Cordy's room. She still lives here. I did, too, actually, except for when I was in the dorms, until I became a member of the Board a couple months ago." That may be a small contributor to how spartan and unlived in her apartment is. "Mm. Adrienne's room is here. Thank god she isn't home today." Emma passes by that door quickly. "And here is my old room." She pushes the door open.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "No, just...a bit stressful. Watching what I say and how I say it." Alex admits freely as he follows Emma up, looking around as she points things out, then stopping by her door. "Did you leave anything here?" he wonders curiously, as he steps inside to look around.

Emma Frost has posed:
The room has a queen sized bed similar to the one in her apartment: four poster with curtains. Only here the curtains are slightly frilly and a light blue color. There is a large well made rug over the hardwood floor, a closed armoire and a desk with a neat collection of sparkly gel pens, colored pencils, and a handful of notebooks that look like they still hold notes from classes in them sitting on the desk. There are a couple of framed pieces of artwork hanging in the room, and a couple of posters for a couple of science fiction and fantasy movies. Everything is neat and organized, but theres far more color and life here than in her apartment.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex smiles as he turns in place, looking around. "Yes. This is very you." he murmurs, walking over to look at some of the posters. His tone is approving, as he glances over at Emma. "I like it...I mean, I've never rated the four poster bed, myself, but with my luck I'd probably thrash around and kick it and have the whole thing collapse on me."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma laughs a little. "Mm, so that's why you rather us stay at your place than mine," she says lightly, crossing her arms. "Because you're afraid you'll pull the bed down getting tangled in the curtains or something." She shakes her head. "Terrible. No class," she teases. "I love the curtains. I can pull them shut and everything outside goes away," she murmurs.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Mmm, I can see that...." Alex says, walking back over to her to slide an arm around her. "I do like the posters...and pens...seeing that side of you." he admits, more softly. "Your apartment seems really sterile without those little touches and items that are 'yours' as opposed to just pretty."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma frowns a bit, looking away. "I guess," she mutters. She fidgets a little, leaning against him. She turns her head to steal a kiss on his cheek.

"Scandal." A quiet, emotionless voice comes from the door. "Emma, you have someone in your room. Mother will be upset." The girl in the doorway is a couple years younger than Emma, with the same dark hair Alex had seen in their memories of their past selves. She looks concerned, and distant.

"I wasn't trying to disturb you," Emma says quickly. "Cordelia, this is my friend Alex. Alex, this is my little sister Cordelia."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex turns to face Cordelia smiling at her in a friendly way. "Hello Cordelia. Sorry if we're a bother, Emma was just showing me around the house. It's nice to meet you."

Emma Frost has posed:
Cordelia stares at Alex, frowning. <<You shouldn't be up here like this.>> both Emma and Alex hear in their heads. <<Its not appropriate.>> And with that, Cordelia turns and shuffles back to her own room, not really acknowledging Alex at all.

"Mm. Lets... head downstairs and see if dinner is ready. She seems to be in one of her moods." Emma escorts Alex out and shuts the door.