874/The Art of Not Micromanaging

The Art of Not Micromanaging
Date of Scene:	30 March 2020
Location:	The Dungeon - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	The Black King and White Queen discuss the recent troubles at the Hellfire Club with the ever-dutiful Tessa. No expense is spared.
Cast of Characters:	Sebastian Shaw, Emma Frost, Tessa

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Sebastian Shaw has posed:
It has been a few days since the incident that left the infamous "Dungeon" of the Hellfire Club closed for the forseeable future, but the activity currently awhirl in the space is very much aimed at keeping that forseeable future as short as possible. Does the buzz of activity have a greater urgency due to the trio of figures seated at the bar? Perhaps, perhaps not (but probably).

For what it's worth, none of the three seem to be actually telling anyone to do anything, even if it's entirely within their power to do so. There is actually a bartender present, serving up drinks to these very select customers. She will likely be tipped well at the end of this little excursion.

Sebastian Shaw is less seated and more leaning against the bar, the better for him to watch the cleanup and beginnings of rebuilding with icy blue eyes. He doesn't look angry, or even annoyed. Just watching and contemplating. The police took a few days to conduct their investigation, and of course the Club cooperated fully. Thankfully none of the other establishments were contaminated, thanks to each having a separate supply chain (with the partial exception of the Public House)...an extravagance Shaw was chided for in the past, but he saw necessary to give each establishment a more unique atmosphere. He nods to the Bartender as she slides him an 18 year old Scotch with a single ball of ice, rolling it a bit before taking a sip.

"Well, at least we can open the rest of the club." He notes, to both of his companions, or perhaps either, or maybe just in general.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Yes. Since the public cover charges do help keep this place running, after all." Emma sips at a highball glass filled with some bright and probably fruity mixed drink, despite it being midafternoon. "I apologize for my absence the past couple of days. Between recovering from the toxin and... the medical issues with Alex," that was a minor fabrication, but only minor to Emma's mind, "I feel like I've been neglecting my duties both here and at the company. Though at least I've been able to deal with emails as far as Frost International goes." She sighs. "I'm likely going to have to be in-office for the next couple of days. The acquisition is not going to plan. I can't get them to meet face-to-face, either. Just teleconferencing."

Tessa has posed:
    "Small miracles, Sir." Tessa agrees, seated on a stool with her back to the bar, a clipboard held at an angle in her lap, and a pen in her free hand, seeming to be doing... a lot of math with the occasional dollar sign scribbled in for clarity. Her head inclines slightly, asthough raising one ear towards Emma as she speaks, before Tessa slowly turns her head in that oddly deliberate way she has to look at Emma properly.
    "Neglect is a course of action, Ms. Frost. If you've not been able, you've not been able. We're grateful to have you back as quickly as you've managed."
    It is not a heartfelt statement, just... polite. Unfailingly polite, as Tessa usually is, her face a mask of focus. She doesn't stop writing even as she looks away.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Shaw gives Emma a speculative glance, but whatever his thoughts might be, he keeps them to himself unless Emma deigns to pluck them from his skull. Unlike some, though, he's fairly well-guarded against such intrusions. Instead he simply notes, "The perils of the interconnected world." He smiles, "No doubt you'll catch up in virtually no time." His gaze looks away from Emma and towards that gash in the floor, "Seems young Mr. Summers is a bit more interesting than I'd initially suspected." He takes another sip, and then turns his head to glance at Tessa's notes, not that he doesn't completely trust her work, he's just curious to see what conclusions she's multiplying, dividing, adding, and subtracting herself to.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Mm. I knew he was powerful, but I was not aware of... exactly to the extent." Emma stirs the little stirrer in her glass a moment, seemingly lost in thought. "It makes things a bit more exciting," she says with a smirk. "For a number of reasons." She glances back to Shaw. "Speaking of... are you all right?" She's being circumspect, but Tessa HAD told her Shaw had taken a full brunt of Alex's plasma blast. "No lingering effects?"

Tessa has posed:
Tessa's notes mostly relate to the cost of the clean up and the bumps in PR needed to get business back to snuff quickly; what can be done to make it faster and whether it's cost effective in the long run. They have people for this, but it keeps her mind busy. And sometimes they miss things. When she notices Shaw's gaze, she tilts the clipboard a little more towards his field of vision, for as long as it holds his interest, and then looks to Emma as she speaks. "He's worth keeping an eye on. If you don't mind my saying, Ms. Frost." She says. She knows Alex is essentially Emma's project right now. As far as Tessa knows that's still all it is, besides some hints of infatuation. As for Emma's concern, Tessa lets Shaw answer that, though she does look to him. Tessa herself probably asked after him enough to be told to stop, but she's still curious.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Well, I suppose we should dig out some of last year's Halloween event decorations and plan on a Dungeon-themed event for the Ballroom. Perhaps on Saturday? That should allow for a bit of "warm up" reopening, not that our crew likely needs it, but our clientele might." Shaw's expression does shift towards annoyance, "We haven't found the gap in security that Crane took advantage of just yet. We know it was the mixers, but not how and where he adulterated them, but it certainly had to be in-transit based on the fact there haven't been any other such events in the city."

At Emma's expression of concern, Shaw smiles towards her with a genuine degree of warmth, "I'm fine now. I had what amounted to a terrible sunburn for a couple of days, but enough pounding away at the plate with a healthy application of burn creme helped it heal quickly."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma scowls. "If he weren't in the custody of New York's finest, I'd //ask// him." For values of ask that involve ripping the information from his skull, willingly or unwillingly. "For now, I suppose we may need to do a few spot checks of incoming stock. If nothing else I'm sure Lex can whip up something that is easy for our staff to manage. His technology is usually fairly user-friendly." She takes a sip, then drums her fingertips on the bar. "Tessa, can you look into that for us?" she asks idly. She nods to Shaw when he mentions his ease of recovery. "Good. I suppose we should thank Stark for his ill-conceived political performance. Had he not annoyed you sufficiently, we'd be short a few VIPs and likely most of a nightclub."

Tessa has posed:
Tessa nods once to Sebastian, satisfied with his answer, and looks to Emma. "It may be for the best, Ms. Frost." She replies, "I am not familiar with the intricacies of how your mind interacts with others, but by all accounts Dr. Crane is..." Tessa adjusts her glasses. "... quite mad."
    Tessa nods to Emma and says "I'll begin right now, Ms. Frost." She says, and swaps her clip baord for a laptop on the bar, and opens it in her lap. Regarding Stark, she asks - her voice not distracted despite her preoccupation - "Shall I arrange a gift basket for him and his wife?"
    Tessa still doesn't like that THAT little tidbit came out of nowhere.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"I suppose it's only appropriate." Shaw says of the fruit basket, shaking his head, "Never thought I'd see the day. Though I'm half wondering if she's simply some high priced escort Stark hired to play a role. The man may be an ass, but only a fool would underestimate his intelligence. The American people seem to be insipid enough to think "being a family man" is some sort of criteria for leadership. Which does perhaps give him some small advantage over Lex in their current contest. Though given Mr. Stark's colorful romantic past, I wouldn't expect quite as large a boost as another more staid candidate might receive."

Emma Frost has posed:
"You're probably right, Tessa," Emma sighs. "And you're not wrong, Sebastian. For some reason, many voters see it as a requirement. Mostly because they are idiots." She finishes off her drink. "Still. Since he is eager to use the club for advertising purposes, perhaps we may be able to convince him to host a fundraiser or rally here? Obviously, offering Lex the same option, but I can see that as good for the club."

Tessa has posed:
    "Very good, Sir." Tessa says of the gift basket, though in truth there had been a hint of derision behind the suggestion. It's hard to tell with her. Still without looking away, Tessa says "People respond well to familiar things. And project themselves onto those in power. A man in a domestic life seems relatable. A highly attractive wife makes him enviable. The average person does not think to look past this vague comaraderie." Tessa stops typing for a moment and looks up. "... So yes. Idiocy." She agrees, partly just for the sake of not being contrarian, and partly because... yes. She does not care to be this familiar with how the average person's shallow perception of the broader world works.
    And she has her own observations on the Natalie Stark situation, but that's neither here nor there.
    "Both are sound ideas. Though I fear Mr. Luthor may not resonate with the-" Tessa inclines her head slightly, "-'hip' clientele we draw to this establishment. ... Mr. Stark's past indiscretions could be an avenue if we need it, however." Tessa clears her throat softly and turns the screen of her laptop around to show Emma the basics of her conclusions as far as stocks go. It's fairly positive, actually! People are still pretty desperate for a good time in the current environment, and the rich and their children still have money to burn.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Maybe we could put some Durian in it." Shaw offhandedly mentions to Tessa, but then sighs in resignation, "But no...we should be tasteful, he's still a VIP client." He does nod between Tessa and Emma as he takes another gulp of his scotch, "Send the invite to both of them. Olive branch for Tony as it were. No charge to either of them." Shaw shrugs, "Could be neither takes us up on it, both of them are well capable of self-funding, but between our various establishments I'd say we have a good cross section of potential donors for either. Or it could simply be a sort of rally."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma nods, though that directive wasn't directed towards her. "The gala is coming up-- I saw something in my messages about the invitations. I'm sorry I didn't have time to look in depth-- you know. Things." She head tilts. "Everything is still as scheduled, going to plan?"

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa types 'durian' into a note. She then slowly backspaces it out of the note. "Yes, Sir; right away." She says - Tessa does not put off tasks ever unless someone makes her; they're either getting done, or in que. So she's already drafting emails to the appropriate departments, sparing one eye to look at Emma, "Pending heightened security, and any more unexpected Gotham imports, I don't forsee any delay, Ms. Frost."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"It's a bit more of a generic theme than we usually might deploy, but I felt like going harder in that direction might be in poor taste given the subject matter. Let the Cause be the centerpiece, even more so than usual." Shaw considers a few moments, "Incidentally, send a message to Miss Dane, Tessa. If she desires an escort and doesn't feel like she has a suitable candidate, I humbly offer myself in that role, though will take no offense if she declines. Otherwise I think we can keep this particular event a solo affair. We have too much other work to do to worry about you finding me a date."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma grins a bit at Shaw. "I suppose it's not as easy for you as it is for me," she teases lightly. The last one of these things, Emma and Lex had gone together... in a perfectly political and non romantic way. Lex hasn't repeated that since he had started running for office though... for good reason. Neither he nor Emma welcomed the scrutiny.

Emma turns her attention towards the damaged floor, and seems to be lost in silent thought.

Tessa has posed:
    Not having to find and screen suitable dates for Mr. Shaw probably frees up an entire hour from Tessa's work schedule.
    She's not sure what to do with that much free time.
    She may have to tend bar or something to keep herself busy. Harley DID say she has a knack for it!
    "Of course, Mr. Shaw. Best of luck."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Between Emma's comment and what almost sounds like a joke from Tessa, Shaw's eyebrows raise, but he looks amused, before polishing off the rest of his drink, "I fear I might have reached that portion of my life where I become "Distinguished," yes." He chuckles, before canting his head at Emma, silent a few moments before finally asking the obvious, "Everything all right, Emma?"

Emma Frost has posed:
"Oh, not much. Just hoping my date doesn't accidentally blow a hole in the floor at the gala." It's delivered in a lighthearted manner, but there's a bit of worry behind it. "That could get messy, and we don't like messes here."

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa turns enough to point one eye at Emma, and then silently closes her laptop. While it may be an odd concept to anyone who knows Tessa in passing, there are... mixed feelings at work here. On the one hand, the happiness of her employers (well, her employer and those close to him) is paramount. On the other hand, it's a miracle that Alex ONLY burnt her uncommonly durable employer - which is bad enough - and didn't kill anyone - which would be a PR nightmare.
    "... Security should be sufficient to avoid any future unexpected psychtropic incursions." She says, apparently without irony, as if it hadn't been a joke. Though she does ask: "... Is there no way, then, to suppress his... difficulties with your power, Ms. Frost?"

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Yes, our security staff is likely going to be earning a great deal of overtime in preparation for the Gala. Though if you're asking my opinion on the matter, I think it will be fine, and I think if you enjoy Mr. Summers' company then I would encourage it all the more so." Sebastian muses aloud, not really elaborating as to any particular reason -why- he encourages just such a thing. "I think we can safely surmise the incident here was an outlier. He seems to have a reasonable head on his shoulders and I haven't seen any reports of random explosions of...plasma, I'm guessing?" He shrugs, "Ergo, normally he's under control. And if bad comes to worse I end up with another very bad sunburn and possibly find myself outed. As it stands we're lucky the circumstances of the incident here made any discrepancy easy to dismiss as hallucination, and few were clear-headed enough to be paying attention to anything but their own safety regardless." There was the matter of Stark and his...wife? That's still such an odd thought. But Tony hadn't exactly communicated anything since and Shaw wasn't about to invite commentary.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma considers Tessa's query. "I think if I was put in a position where I must, the best I could do would be to knock him out and hope that sufficed to do so. However, my understanding of his... abilities... is that it's less intent to use them so much as it's intent to keep them bottled up. Ergo, knocking him out may simply remove what control he may have at the time." She sighs.

She looks to Shaw and lifts a brow. "Really? I would think you'd be of a mind with father-- he isn't exactly the type of society we tend to spend time with."

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa listens to Emma quietly, no visible change taking place on her face, though she is both disappointed and curious to hear that. Rather than voicing her feeling on the matter, Tessa simply says "I see." she opens her laptop again and begins typing even as she goes on, taking Shaw's response into account, "We shall trust Mr. Summers then, as long as you, Ms. Frost."
    Personal talk regarding fathers and personal opinions on societal missteps? THAT she'll leave to Sebastian.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Your father and I don't agree on everything. Above all I'm not of the mind that social class is an Adamantium cage that none of us dare stray from. Any society that does not allow for new blood and new ideas stagnates...becomes complacent. And for us, that would be a sure sentence of a slow death...or a swift one if the right enemy takes advantage." Sebastian notes, "Besides, you work hard. You deserve to enjoy yourself when you get the chance to play, regardless of who it's with."

There's a wry grin as Shaw flicks his blue eyes towards Tessa a moment and notes, not-quite-offhandedly, "Besides, I'd like to think I'm not a complete hypocrite on the matter of the portfolio size of those I enjoy the companionship of."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma chuckles a bit. "That's fair." She looks to Tessa. "Do we have an estimate on when the Dungeon will reopen? Revenue-wise, it is one of the highest producers in the building, after all."

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa's hands abruptly stop moving for about half a second at Shaw's comment, and the corner of her lip subtly twitches once or twice before she says softly. "... I'm satisfied with my comphensation, Mr. Shaw."
    Tessa is, to put it mildly, not the life of most parties, even if she can sometimes fulfill a role for a short while. But perhaps Shaw knows a side of her others don't.
    To answer Emma's question, she needs about as much time to think as it takes for her to blink - as if the file was already open in front of her eyes even if the math sits on a clip board on the bar behind her. "If our workmen stay motivated to operate at peak efficiency for the duration of the work required... Two weeks, with a margin for human error." She adjusts her glasses. "A day or two could be shaved off at greater expense and more difficult coordination, but I believe the expense would be greater than the revenue from those days in service." They would essentially be purchasing the impressed admiration of those paying attention. Which isn't nothing, but most of the Dungeon's clientele perhaps only pay attention to the check box next to the words 'Can I party today?' and wouldn't really notice.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
It might shock some to know how many shares of Shaw Industries Tessa owns (albeit likely not anyone present). Not enough to have a seat on the board of that particular company, distinct from the Hellfire Club, though she gets to sit in on those meetings regardless thanks to her position. -Just- under the amount that would gain her any publicity as a major shareholder. But just enough to serve as an effective hedge against the other boardmembers if they dared to try anything funny against Shaw himself. So far they've behaved, though, mostly due to hand-over-fist profits.

"Well, perhaps I'll give you a raise regardless." Shaw teases Tessa ever-so-lightly, "And speaking of which, tell our contractors that there'll be a 25 percent cash bonus if they come in one day or more under schedule, and an additional 10 percent per each day beyond that. Subject, of course, to a full inspection and verification of the quality of the work." Shaw grins, "A bit in the black won't hurt us, but letting our reputation waver might. Spare no expense, Tessa." He doesn't specifically tell her to be his eyes and ears while the contractors work...he doesn't need to. But she's a perfect substitute for Shaw's presence when he doesn't want to micromanage.

"And on that note, I suppose I should have something to eat besides Scotch." Shaw steps away from the bar and stretches a bit, "Tessa, call the Strait Lace and have them prepare my table. Tell them I'll be up in ten minutes." He glances to Emma, "Care to grab a bite with us, Miss Frost? Or do the perils of acquisitions and mergers outweigh a leisurely meal?"

Emma Frost has posed:
"Sadly, I must decline," Emma replies, "but if I weren't catching up, I would certainly join you. Perhaps another evening?" She stands herself. "And speaking of, I really need to be getting back to my mountains of emails."

Tessa has posed:
    "You're too generous, Sir." is Tessa's unfailingly even-toned response, though her eyes linger on Shaw for a moment, head inclined slightly, as overtly in on the joke as she's usually willing to broadcast.
    Tessa opens a new file without looking, and writes down Shaw's instructions as she speaks them. She doesn't need to, but it's nice to have a record other people can look at. And it beats having to explain her Mutation. "Of course, Mr. Shaw. The Dungeon will open as soon as physically possible."
    The last keystroke barely translates to the screen when her phone appears in her hand. Though as it rings, she looks to Emma and nods her head. "Take care, Ms. Frost. I will let you know if anything urgent requires your attention."
    Like Tessa doesn't have enough to juggle. Which, in fairness, she might not.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Another time, then." Shaw nods to Emma, giving a gracious smile before he starts to head back towards the exit, Tessa undoubtedly following after once she's given the Bartender a generous tip for her service and discretion (it's not like the Board members pay for their drinks here, after all). He pauses in his journey only to give encouragement to a few of the workers as he passes, and then he and Tessa disappear from view as the trio breaks up to deal with the rest of their evening, whatever it might entail.