4182/Emmanem Lose Urself

Emmanem Lose Urself
Date of Scene:	19 November 2020
Location:	Library
Synopsis:	Emma doesn't know how to make mashed potatoes.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Jean Grey, Rogue

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Emma Frost has posed:
    "I bet you wish I would just lay here on the floor, defeated, useless, limp, like when someone puts one of those heavy blankets on a cat and they just, stop working..." Emma says, upwards towards the chandelier maybe a few feet above her head, as she lays there, back down, front up towards the ceiling as she lays there, the back of her wrist across her forehead and the slightly too long sleeve obscures most of her hand.

    Emma Frost, White Queen, CEO of the Frost International corporation, is laying on the library research table with a plate of mashed potatoes near her and the fork and knife nowhere to be seen, seems she might have had a moment and is now laying on the wooden table alone and with a huff she looks only at the ceiling, trying to hide her tears.

Jean Grey has posed:
"Who's she talking to?"

Jean Grey and Rogue are standing just outside the doorway, peering into the library proper without fully entering, voices reduced to a whisper, like naturalists cautious of disturbing their subjects. In this case, the rare EmmaCat. Among the pair, the redhead is bearing a little service tray with cups and a larger pot. Clearly, this whole plan began as one of her usual 'drink warm things in a cozy place' outings, perhaps choosing the library for its quiet and seclusion.

But now their outing has morphed into something else!

While Emma has been cut off from her abilities, the process is not two-way, so it's fairly useless for Emma to try and hide such an emotional outburst, the kind of thing that telepaths can't help but hear, even when they're trying to be respectful of another's mental privacy. So, while her initial reaction is a little bit of light-hearted joking, she soon turns toward concern. Of course, Emma is no doubt a rather prideful woman, so just sweeping in to ask about her feelings isn't the best route. Instead?

"How about we have it in here?" she asks, loudly and unecessarily. "It looks pretty- oh, Miss Frost, we didn't see you. Care to join us for hot chocolate?" Tis the season.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue was right there in the doorway with Emma visible further inside of the library, coming around behind Jean to peer over her left shoulder in to the White Queen there-in. She only caught the tail-end of some muttering inside of the room, so she didn't hear what Emma said precisely, but she does see the rather unusual way the woman has found herself to 'relax'.

A grid spreads over Rogue's lips and she looks to her right to the side of Jean's face. "Soemone did a numbe'ah on this lady. Screams of a bad breakup if'n you ask me." She says it quietly, just for the redhead beside her to hear. "I'm gonna ask her."

As they enter, making their presence well known, Rogue saunters over toward the research table. "Ya know there's more comfortable places t'lounge about in this big ol' place, yeah?" She says TO Emma, someone she hasn't interacted with a whole lot in the past couple years.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma startles, jolting as she tries to sit up right quickly, but even the strongest cores have trouble with that, so she kind of lifts her legs and head only to roll over onto her side in a quick shuffle to inch to the lip of the table. The grey hood over her blonde hair as she lowers her legs and then twists her head and waist to look towards the door. Yes she was sitting like that the whole time. Don't worry about it. Who's asking.

    "Oh, you two found my- my um--- my hiding spot." The blonde says, reaching up with her exposed fingertips to pull the hood down and then fans her hair out of the sweater to rest on the cotton. She swallows hard, and feels that collar once again before moving off the table and onto her bare feet, "Y-yeah, there's lots of places..." She says while reaching to her plate of potatoes and frowning when she can't find the fork, the she might have thrown in a moment of anger. A look down, then to her left and her sight moves up a bookshelf to "Ah."

    Stepping over to the books she grabs her silverware and moves over to the table to sit down as regally as ever, she looks up to Jean and Rogue finally, putting on that false, wealthy smile, "I would love some hot chocolate but don't let me put you out if you don't have extra." She says, tapping her fork towards her snack. "I've got plenty to keep me company."

Jean Grey has posed:
Clearly, once Emma is off probation, they're going to have to send her down to the gym! Though, she does face a greater challenge in that area, given how top he-

"It's not exactly the most secret of places, but I like coming in here as well," Jean confides, smiling as she gives no outward sign of the fact that they were definitely observing this whole routine and saw _everything_. "It's quiet, for one. And the students are usually hiding from their books, rather than in any hurry to spend more time with them. So, sometimes I'll come to sit and read myself, or just enjoy view of the grounds." Nevermind that she has a big fancy office. Variety!

She glances sideways at Rogue as they both make their way further inside, and can't help but joke: "Her, I have to bribe to follow me in here." Is she suggesting that Rogue isn't a big fan of the book learnin'?! How dare.

Moving nearer, Jean eventually sets the tray on the table, still occupied with Emma's food but no longer occupied by Emma herself, which has freed up considerable space. "Oh, there's plenty," she reassures, and indeed the whole little serving set has many cups, three of which she starts filling. While she wouldn't have anticipated running into Emma, there's often -someone-. So it pays to be prepared!

Rogue has posed:
Rogue stands near the edge of the table as watches Emma sitting up and getting herself straightened a bit. She smirks at her words as her eyes look around the 'book learnin' room. "You're hidin' place is the middle'a the library inside of a school filled with fifty some-odd kids?" The Belle asks, then smirks at the woman. "I bet you were great at hide'n'seek growin' up."

A chair is pulled out from the main table and Rogue settles down in to it. She glances over at Jean and grins at her. "I've always liked the library, matter'a fact. All the dark places you receded inta with a nice romantic partner? Nice and quiet while ya ... ya know, buff up on your knowledge skills t'gether." She's grinning now as she adjusts her eyes to the drink tray.

"Is that a plate'a mashed potatoes?" Rogue asks, eying a plate plate of Mashed Potatoes.

Emma Frost has posed:
    "It might not be secret, but it's plenty quiet." Emma says with her hands below her chair as she inches it closer towards the table. Once set, she leans all the way back, her posture perfect as she scoops a small bite of the potatoes with her fork and lifts it to her lips and takes a bite... "Awful. I suck at cooking." She says, putting the fork down politely and pushing the whole thing forward with a rather calm look.

    Emma turns her attention before fanning her hands out, "No one else is here, so yes, I think it's a great place to hide, though next time I snap, I'll pick a more secluded section. Maybe the non-fiction books on 18th centure whaling." Emma notes aloud before looking to Jean and smiling politely, restitching her mind and exterior moment by moment while watching the chocolate get poured. "It smells heavenly." Emma smiles.

    A look to Rogue and a frown, "You ... made out in the library?" Emma asks with a lift of an eyebrow as if that was never a thought she'd had before, she has, and Jean can attest to that. Billy Saunders in the 9th grade go to. Emma suddenly shakes her head and clears her mind. "You can have them. No salt, no butter, no pepper. It's literally a mashed potatoe." Emma frowns and offers to slide the plate to Rogue.

Jean Grey has posed:
OK, when Jean gets an unconscious and unintended glimpse at Emma's wild youth, she can't help herself from a little (and mildly incriminating) laugh, though she lifts a hand to her mouth to cover it. Nothing to see here, no brain reading going on.

"Most of Rogue's stories are made up," she advises instead, trying to restore some sense of dignity to the library. It's also perfectly Emma is not the only one on the list when it comes to handing out a little sass. "She likes to make herself sound worldly and grown-up. It's cute, I think." Of course, she can't help herself from grinning, her look toward her friend carrying just a little hint of challenge in it. "But we -do- catch students in here, now and then."

Once everything is poured and she's not worried about reaching across anywhere, Jean settles at one of the other seats at the large table. "So it's a well-known secret, you might say. And it can get busy during study hours, and around certain other times in the schedule," she explains, in case Emma is really planning on making this place a hangout. "You might want to remember that if you're going to-" Well, OK, she won't lay out what they caught Emma doing, but Emma knows!

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's eyes are on the plate of mashed potatoe and she has mutter quietly. "There's no gravy on it..." Her lips barely ghosting together as she whispers the words. The rest spoken between the two women before her makes Rogue focus her ire fully on Jean. She tips her chin up defiantly and stares down her nose at Jean, waits a few seconds, then xticks her tongue out at the redhead. Maturely, of course.

She sweeps her green eyed gaze between the two women, blond and red. "Slander and lies." The Belle says, accepting a cup of sweet drink from Jean then with one gloved hand as the other goes up to tap at the side of her head. "People inside'a me have made out in libraries, /and/ traveled the world. So that means they're my memories now, by proxy, thus ... uh, yeah."

She raises the glass of hot choclate up to her pale pink painted lips to sip from it, while her green eyes watch the plate of discusting mashed potatoes get slid toward her. She doesn't stop them, so they slide right off the table!

Emma Frost has posed:
    "Rogue, hmm." Emma says, sticking her lower lip out slightly and noding, looking towards the brunette woman and noding, "I like it. Simple." No snarky comment from that one, but then she turns her attention back to Jean and is about to take the chocolate when the white queen is quickly getting to her feet and gasping. "Oh, I'm sorry." She says, frowning, patting the table as she patters her feet on the hardwood and then looks to Jean, "D-do you have someone that... No, of course you don't." Emma frowns as she moves rapidly towards the door and the sound of her feet clapping on the wood out there can be heard as she rushes off to get ... who knows yet.

Jean Grey has posed:
Although Rogue looks truly despondent over the state of her potatos, there's nothing Jean can do for her! Or nothing that Jean is going to do for her, anyway. She gets a sympathetic (OK, maybe faux sympathetic) look, though! This is what you get for sticking your tongue out at the Headmisress!

Mostly though, Jean sips her cocoa around lips that can't quite keep from those constant looks of bright amusement at the younger woman's antiques. "I suppose you may have some hint of an idea what it's like. But it's not quite the same," she informs Rogue, seriously. Seriously and with a touch of 'you'll understand when you're older' big-sister style smugness. "Remember, I've been in there, I know what your 'borrowed' memories are like."

"Have someone that?" She's not really sure what's going on with the potato drama, but suddenly Emma is rushing off. "Oh. Well, no harm in letting her learn her way around the kitchen, I suppose." They do probably have staff, although they're more the 'make lots of food at regular meals for the students' than 'ring the bell to bring gravy' type servants that the WHITE QUEEN is used to!

Rogue has posed:
Rogue watches Emma stand up to deal with the potatoes on the floor. Since she'd let them cool, they kind of turned into a ball and only sort've broke apart on the carpet, and the plate didn't break, so it's not that big of a mess. With the woman up and after them though, Rogue notices the collar around her neck more easily. "I shoulda grabbed'em, sorry." She says to the White Queen.

Her gaze goes to Jean who gets a soft smile. "Gimme the collar she's wearin'. I'll start makin' some memories'a my own with it. Maybe right here in the book bank too no less." She's teasing, because its what she does, and another sip of her hot chocolate is soon to follow it.

Her eyes go back to Emma then. "You really need t'be wearin' that thing?" She asks. "You a villainess'a some kind? I mean, I've always known you had a bit've a icy-cold-ness about ya, but are ya dangerous now?"

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma returns about three minutes later, her hair a bit of a mess and the hoodie riding up, which she quickly adjusts with a huff. She could request to have some of her things delivered, or maybe get her cell phone or something. But she also knows it's dangerous. She knows Shaw and others at the club will be waiting for her to do something like that. To show back up on the scene and then put these people at further risk. No. She can't do that.

    Emma gets on her knees beside Rogue and takes a breath as she picks up the plate and sets it on the towel and then is careful to get the starch off the wood, then as the seconds go by, Emma is trying to clean it up well. She's not great at it, but she's trying. "I'm... yes." Emma says flatly, looking up to Rogue's green eyes and the bloodshot around her blues hint at the troubles she's dealing with internally.

    Getting up and setting the towel wrapped plate of potatoes on the table next to her when she sits down, the White Queen, white-pawn, puts her bottom heavily in the chair and sighs, hugging her hands around the now warm chocolate. "Thank you again Jean." She says, trying not to sound defeated.

Jean Grey has posed:
While Emma is running off, Jean has plenty of time to frown at Rogue. "I know everyone is rather enamored of the collars after we recovered a few, but they're not toys, and I don't like setting a precedent of cheating what we are being the solution. It's a little too easy." Of course, saying this to a woman who has more at stake in them than most, her expression is conflicted, a touch sad, a touch concerned. "I'm going to have to speak with the others about what exactly to do with the ones we have."

As Emma returns, her attention shifts over. "Villain is a tricky word," Jean points out. "But you were there, Rogue. She had helped them get Noriko and Kitty to that facility we raided. Maybe she didn't understand what they were doing, fully, but she knew in part."

So she lifts her hands, indicating uncertainty. "She did something that is difficult to forgive, but not impossible, and the people she did it to- well, we're giving them time to decide how they feel. Although no, if you asked me, I don't think she's likely to be a danger." After which, she turns a smile on Emma. "You're quite welcome. And you don't have to take your meals alone, you know. That might be a good place to start making friends."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue shows a knowing smile toward Jean with regard to the collars, but it's a pretty small expression, as she has some pretty conflicted feelings about what those collars could bring for her. Admitteldy though, they're ugly, and she doesn't really want to wear one around all the time either. So for now, instead of talking about it? She just sips her drink.

Her eyes go back to Emma as Jean explains a little bit further about that mission that took place recently. Her cup is lowered down to rest in front of her chest, then she shifts it over to set it on the table. "Hold up." Rogue says, moving to stand up, to place her gloved hands on to the table now to look across it at Emma. "You put my friends in a cage?" She asks, the 'mood in the room' having noticeably shifted now. "Come here. I'll take the collar off of ya." And Jean can probably picture the violent insinuation coming off of the Belle's mind at how she said that.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Jean doesn't get a look from Emma, but she gets the thoughts, that she's afraid of many people here but Rogue, Rogue is an entirely different animal. The woman doesn't react in a fearful manner, she's dealt with worse, more powerful, physically, emotionally and influentually. Turning the mug in her hands, Emma looks down at the mug and pushes it slightly away before she moves to stand on her feet full.

    The grey sweatpants and hoodie making her look younger and less impossing than her usual attire does, but she still commands a level of respect. Those eyes that have stared down countless businessmen trying to put her down or control her in some way. Emma stands up at her full height and will not back down to Rogue. "Come and get it." Emma invites, lifting her chin just slightly. It's that attitude that kept her alive for so long when dealing with Shaw, being the bigger swinging D in the room. It's how she adapted and thrived, she doesn't know that's how to not react to those she needs to accept her apologies, and Jean can easily read that broken mindset.

Jean Grey has posed:
Although a fight probably isn't what Jean was looking for when she decided to pay a visit to the library, in a way, the conflict was inevitable, and it's part of the healing process. While she starts to rise as Rogue makes an immediate and at least somewhat violent-seeming move of her own, it's not clear she that she wholly intends to try and stop the other woman. And as Emma stands her ground, she seems all the less inclined to intervene- though no doubt she is mentally preparing just in case she needs to.

"She was an idiot about it, there's no doubt about that," she goes on, continuing her earlier commentary. "But look where it got her. Locked in a cage besides them, needing -us- to save her. I think there's a certain poetic irony in that, don't you?" However, the harsh comments give way to a more familiar message, one she imagines might hit home with a certain rowdy X-Woman: "Of course, these things happen. I remember a certain young mutant who got tricked by a villain into almost killing one of my good friends and best allies..."

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's eyes are locked on Emma's, green versus blue, the invitation to come get her is only more tempting. Decisions, decisions. The Belle ponders her options, not even remotely afraid of a powered Emma, let alone a de-powered one.

But, ultimately, Jean's words flip the tables around to subdue the southern girl and she deactivates that 'Logan-like' anger inside of her and relaxes again. "Mashed Potatoes aren't even hard t'make." She says as she gathers up her cup of hot chocolate and turns around to walk off, wandering around the library for the time being.

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma stands her ground, almost wishing the girl would hurt her, maybe worse. The white queen- isn't herself, she's scared of the uncertainty of the future and the simple fact that she knows. Shaw is pissed. As Rogue turns around, Emma takes a breath and breaks the seal of her closed lips. "I didn't want to hurt anyone, I was- I was wrong." Emma says, and lowers her chin towards her chest and her eyes glance towards Jean, then back to Rogue.

    The blonde knows she's the one who should back down from anyone in this house, anyone that challenges her should get their way and wishes, and Emma is ready and willing to indulge the idea and these emotions. She messed up, but she wont cower. She will stand up every time. The woman has her resolve. The collared woman turns to pick up her hot chocolate and takes a deep breath, resting her cold fingers on the warm ceramic. "I'm sorry Jean." She whispers.

Jean Grey has posed:
Oof. It's a heavy moment, and it weighs on Jean, because she can't just see how her friend handles the emotions and memories that she dredges up, but can feel it. In a way, it was kiiiiind of a low blow, but empathy is a hard thing to teach. It also just happens to be the main difference between Xavier's philosophy and Magneto's. So forgive her if it's a sticking point!

"I don't really need you to keep apologizing to me, Emma," she finally answers the other woman, after Rogue has stalked off. "She's a hothead, but she'll calm down, I think. It's a good step for the two of you." Now repeat it with every other member of the school! Ahem. No, but in truth, Jean's expression is quite understanding. "I really meant it about the meals. The more you work on blending in with the general body here, the better it will go, I think. You may have more run-ins like this, but if you can get past Rogue's shell, or get through to Kitty... everyone else is sort of a piece of cake by comparison."

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma lowers her shoulders and sits down in her chair, a weight on her thighs and legs that causes her a slight shake that could be visible beneath the sweatpants and the blonde holds her hot chocolate tightly between her hands, and she still hasn't taken a sip of it yet. Her elbow bumps into the towel and pushes it slightly away. "I just have to go through that with everyone here after those two..." Emma says with a deep frown and a look up to Jean. "Maybe I should leave." The business woman says, knowing it's basically suicide to show up anywhere public at the moment.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue had gone up the stairs to the balcony level where she'd vanished around a corner. But she was now coming back with a small book in her left hand dangling beside her thigh as her green flowy skirt sweeps around her legs as she descends back to the main floor.

Once there she starts back over toward Jean and Emma, then reaches out to put the book down on the table, using her forest-green hued gloved pointer finger to point at a page inside of the now open book.

| How to: Delicious Mashed Potatoes |

"Read. Learn. Live. Prosper." Rogue tells Emma then as she moves to sit back down again where she had been before. Her now empty cup is put down on the table and she raises her hands up to sweep her hair back off of her face behind her shoulders.

Jean Grey has posed:
"That would definitely be the easier thing," Jean answers Emma. Now, she means 'easier' in terms of the emotional work required, the effort necessary to achieve personal growth, and so on. Those things would be hard. The part where Emma either gets handed over to law enforcement or immediately rekidnapped by the Hellfire Club? Maybe it's not exactly that much easier in a pragmatic view of things! But Charles has always been the big ideas sort, and Jean strives to uphold his philosophical bent.

"I don't think all of it will be so bad, either," she then points out. "Noriko seems to have warmed up already, and I'm sure there are plenty of people who will be willing to give you the chance, the benefit of the doubt." She grins. "Even if it's just because they don't know you too well."

Rogue's return seems a good sign as well, a portent of things to come. It's almost too easy! Which makes Jean a little suspicious of things, until she arrives and delivers the book. It takes her just long enough to figure out what it is... "Hah! Might not be a bad idea. If you're interested in learning how to cook," what, like a SERVANT? "I'm happy to help. While I'm no pro chef, I like to think I bake a mean cookie."

Emma Frost has posed:
    Emma looks down at the book and then back up to Rogue, before ending on Jean and blinking once. "Fine." Emma says as she stands up, takes the book and slips it under her arm. The blonde woman looks to Jean, "I'm going to borrow some of your clothes." The white queen announces, not asks as she picks up the bundled towel and starts to march out of the library and towards... somewhere.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue settles back in to her chair and brandishes her phone up in to her hands as she crosses her legs at the knee, her right foot idly bouncing inside of the suede leather boots she's wearing. She watches Emma get up and start to march out, smirking at the woman before she looks over at Jean.

"She's trouble." The Belle tells the redheaded Headmistriss. "But I don't think she's worth wastin' a good power collar on. She looks like she's full'a guilty'n sadness. This might very well be the first time she's been brought down a notch or two, an' besides, if anyone's gonna punch her, it should be Kitty, I think."

Rogue's eyes drop back down to her phone then as she peals them up enough to get her bare thumbs out from beneath them. She starts writing a text in to the school social media account...

<Stay away from the mashed potatoes in the kitchen. You've been warned.>

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean doesn't really look like she knows how to process this sudden declaration of intended wardrobe-raiding, although, given that she's encouraging Emma to turn over a new leaf... who is she to stand in the way? So she doesn't!

Shaking her head in mild disbelief with the entire situation, she turns back to the table where Rogue is now sitting, to wait while whatever transformation is occurring. It will give the two of them at least a little time to talk, since obviously the younger woman has had some things to deal with here as well. "Maybe." A pause. "Probably," she concedes. "But I think you're right, that if she's going to be trouble, it's for other reasons. I wouldn't have her here, like this, if I didn't think there was a good chance in her coming through this- I'd have just turned her over to the authorities right off." Because making the school even a tiny bit jail-like is pretty distasteful to her. "But what happend, well, I see someone who made a terrible mistake. And we all deserve our second chances."

"I don't like the business with the collar either. Frankly, I don't like having them around, given their history," she admits, curiously studying her friend the whole while. "It will come off as soon as all the other teachers have write off on it. And then what we do with it..." Even in her distaste, it's hard NOT to also imagine the boon it would be for Rogue, even for just a little while.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue deposits her phone down on to the table and drops her hands in to her lap then as she wiggles the gloves back on. She looks over to Jean and just stares at her for a few seconds before she shows her a smile.

"Whatever you decided t'do, everyone will go with it and it'll be fine." She pauses then before shaking her head once. "It'll be better than fine, it'll be great. That's what you provide around here after all. 'Greatness'." She says in an over dramatic way, it comes across as teasing, but she also means it... it's multi-layered-Rogue-affection.

She moves to stand up then gathers up the drink tray and cups. "We should go find someone else t'push around. I'm enjoyin' this."