Owner	Pose
Mystique	The return of Azazel to this plane of existence had been surprising, but at least Mystique finally knew what happened to him and how Kurt had been saved. Giving the man a little time to settle, she finally called and invited him up for a drink and conversation. There was a lot of catching up to be done, and he already knew the way.
Azazel	*BAMF*     With a well remembered sound, one of the chairs suddenly has an Azazel sitting in it. "Well, took you long enough. I thought I was going to have to pop up here and start causing a little havoc before you'd call." He looks around the room with a considering look on his face, finally saying, "With the amount of time you've had, I would have thought you'd have a little more to show for it than a weapon collection." He shrugs, "Maybe it's just me, but I like a certain amount of opulence to relax in."     Finally looking right over at Mystique, he smiles slightly and asks, "So how have you been? We've got a little bit of time to catch up on. From what I hear you're not hiding in the shadows as much as you used to. I'd like to think I had something to do with that, but given how you exited the Baron's house, you seem to have still been hiding then."
Mystique	Sitting in one of the two comfortable chairs that weren't at a desk, Mystique has one leg crossed over the other. She wears her favorite outfit, white bodysuit with white thigh-high boots and a gold belt of smurf skulls around her waist. She is already holding a glass of something to drink, and on the table between them is a glass, a small container of ice and several random bottles of alcohol for Azazel to choose what he wants. "My dear, surely you realize that running this organization is more than throwing threats around and tossing C4 at the enemy," she counters with a smile, taking a sip from her glass. "I have no need for opulence any more, it's just stuff that can be taken away from you. If you would like, I'll arrange a fur covered chair and silver glasses to drink from, perhaps a nubile young female to serve you?" Shifting slightly, turning more toward him she looks him over with her yellow eyes and a slightly coy smile playing on her face. "We have a great deal to catch up on, that is very true. I still step into the shadow when needed, but when Erik put me in charge of the Brotherhood, it became a little more difficult to remain hidden."
Azazel	With a chuckle, Azazel reaches out with his tail and lifts a bottle, pours himself a drink and then replaces the bottle. He picks up the glass in one hand and sips, then replies, "Oh, running any organization tends to take a good deal of work, which makes it all the more important that you take care of yourself when you are not playing leader. The humans tend to be a bit plodding and pedestrian, but they have an appropriate saying "All work and no play makes Jack... or Raven.. a dull person."     He shrugs, "And given my rather extensive run leading the Neyaphem, I know whereof I speak. I would have gone quite insane if I spent all my time just brooding over the many issues we've had over the years. You still don't have all that much time leading, but you'll see that sooner or later you need to have a few things that just let you forget your problems for a time." Taking another sip and tilting his head slightly, his eyes flash a bit as he answers her offer, "I can live without the fur, and as for nubile young things, I rather think I'd prefer you around." He smirks and adds "Besides, given your gifts, you can be just about anything someone might be in the mood for."
Mystique	The smile goes from coy to mischievous as Mystique takes another sip of her drink. "I see you still have the skill for saying just the right things," she comments with a chuckle. "All work and no play makes Raven a dull, boring woman... that is very true, thankfully I have a lovely distraction, and then I have Clarice." She snorts at that. "Clarice nags, which she learned from me of course. I nag her to take time off, she nags me to take time off, and Lydia distracts me into taking time off. I assure you, this mutant gets lots of play." Reaching up she taps the comm in her ear to turn it down a little, always connected, just in case. "You never told me if you had any favorite forms however," she then comments, wiggling her brows a little. "So how could I possibly be what you were in the mood for?"
Azazel	"You should know that, my dear, it's the one you're in now... you. Why would I possibly want you to make yourself look like one of the monkeys? It's a useful ability, certainly, and you have amazing control over it, but I like the real you." He shrugs, "At least you have some distractions, anyway. It's good that you have someone who pushes you to take some personal time now and then. So tell me, what is this group dedicated to these days? From what I've gathered over the years, it used to be about having mutants take over, but it seems to have changed recently, at least in it's public face."     With another sip, he continues, "Really, it was a somewhat more inclusive version of my own group, but I realized a long time ago that conquering the world for the Neyaphem would be impossible because of the numbers of the normal humans. It's galling, but they breed so quickly that they just outnumber us too badly." He holds the glass up before his eyes and swirls the liquid within, then looks back over to her, asking, "So this new stance, it's just a ploy, I assume? A way to get back inside the power structure to work towards power in the shadows? That is, after all, your best option these days. Get your claws into some high ranking politicians and use them to get your way."
Mystique	Mystique's yellow eyes watch Azazel closely, not out of fear or worry, but merely drinking in that he is actually there once again. She'd played to many games with people over the years, relationships that meant nothing, something that did but ended because of the game. He had been one of those that was never a game, and had the situation been different when they met, she might still be with him. "They say that insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different results," she says calmly, eyes shifting to look into his. "We are not insane, we are dedicated, and it was decided to take out dedication to the cause in a new direction. That cause has not changed, mutants are superior and some day we will have control, but you said it yourself... humans breed faster than rabbits, the idea that we could take control of that many was insanity." Reaching to the table she collects a bottle and adds a little more whiskey to her glass. "Some humans are useful, they have a purpose and have shown without doubt that they support mutant rights. If you add to this the existence of aliens like J'onn J'onnz, Super Man, the Green Lanterns, and heroes such as Wonder Woman, Iron Man, and Batman, you reach the point that Erik and I reached. We cannot stand against such a force, but we can ready ourselves for a time when perhaps we can, and make Genosha a place for mutants to be themselves, live free, have full lives in the mean time." Now that mischievous smile returns, her eyes sparkling, "Of course it is all a ruse, an act to be played out over the years, to bide our time and prepare for the eventuality. Not all in the organization knows this Azazel," she warns, giving him a look that clearly indicates this is between them. "Even Clarice does not know, and it will remain that way for the time being." Sighing softly, she takes a sip of her drink and continues, "So many mutants, even Her Royal Majesty Queen Lorna believes that mutants and humans can live together in peace and harmony some day, it disgusts me really... but I have learned, as I said, that some humans are loyal and useful."
Azazel	Azazel's smile grows wider as Mystique speaks, finally nodding with a satisfied nod, "That's the Mystique I remember. I wish I had been able to be around, I could have told you from the start the violent method wouldn't work. I got to that point several thousand years ago, and the humans have only gotten worse since that. For now, this idea of Genosha seems like the best solution, a place just for mutants while you work to infiltrate the mainstream."     He sighs, "I suppose I should tell you the whole truth." Looking up, red eyes meet yellow and he says, "I no longer lead the Neyaphem. There was a coup, something about not freeing them from the Brimstone Dimension in over two thousand years." He chuckles and shakes his head, "I wish them all the luck in the world with Ophis leading them, I can pretty much guarantee that idiot won't find an escape where I couldn't." He shrugs slightly, then adds, "The funny thing is, in being deposed, I found the path to freedom, for myself at least. Not having to worry about the others, I was able to twist a little cult into summoning me with no restrictions, so I'm here for good while the others are still stuck." He raises his glass in a mocking toast "To freedom."     "So, I seem to be a free agent at the moment. Fortunately I have been planning for my return for a very long time and have no real morals, so I have a rather disgusting amount of resources tucked away across the globe." He chuckles, "I'm fairly sure my storehouses hold most of the missing art and artifacts that historians are currently missing."
Mystique	A slight smirk crosses Mystique's face over the praise of the Mystique he remembers, but its turns back into a smile after a moment. "Did you think I would change?" She asks, lifting a brow and a snort of laughter. "My personality that is, did you think my personality would change... the rest of me changes regularly." Uncrossing her legs, she sets her drink on the table and leans forward a little, "You always had a way of keeping yourself in the luxury you are accustomed to, little pockets of money hidden all over the world. I used to do that, but most of it was gathered up and taken. Now I keep it all liquidated and move it constantly through false names." Reaching over now she takes his hand, holding it lightly, even caressing the back of it. "They will learn their mistake and by then it will be too late, and in the mean time you get to return to a place where you are adored by many, loathed by others and there are still many clueless enough for you to bargain with." Lifting his hand she kisses the knuckles lightly, because that's all she can safely do at the moment. "What will you do with your freedom Azazel?" She then asks, releasing his hand.
Azazel	"Why, whatever I want. That's the point of freedom, isn't it? I just do whatever comes to me as a good idea at the time. For right now, I'm thinking about building up a little power base now that I'm here. Money is nice and all, but you need a few people at least to do your bidding. And not just hirelings, it's easy to hire servants, but actual minions are a little harder to come by."     He finishes off his drink and adds, "You know how it is, you need people who believe in you to put together anything workable. Honestly, I don't even know yet what I'll use them for, but that will come with time. I've just been enjoying the ability to spend time time here up to this point, it's been a very, VERY long time since I was free to range across the world at will."
Mystique	Mystique offers him a smile before picking her drink back up for another drink. Their sips really, enough for the flavor but not too much that she might end up drunk, that would be bad... very bad. She continues to study him, watching his face and eyes, then looks back toward the desk in the far corner. "Anything you want, the very definition of freedom," she finally offers, letting her mind come back to the topic at hand. "If there is anything I can do to assist you, you know you can ask. This isn't a quid pro quo situations either, you are one of the few people I actually fully trust and love Azazel, so if you need anything I'm here... except minions, I'm afraid I can't help with that one. Most of the time those that might be useful minions end up killed for the shit they're doing to people."
Azazel	A real smile lights up his eyes as Mystique speaks, though he does chuckle at the way she finishes up her statement. "Well, that works both ways, my dear. You are actually the only person I've ever loved, and you are the one person who can call me any time for assistance with no strings attached. Really, it's a pity you find yourself involved at the moment, but that's as may be. If you're happy, then I'm glad you found her."     This is a very strange statement coming from him, and perhaps underlines the truth of his feelings for her, because any other time his mind would be on how to get what he wants as quickly as possible. It may actually be a little disconcerting to have the inspiration for the common representation of the Devil feeling this way about you, but that's neither here nor there. "Well, for now, I think I'll wander off and enjoy a little of that freedom we were talking about. There's so very much to see out there these days."
Mystique	Mystique stands up now, stepping over to give him a hug that may linger a little longer than it should, but some thing don't change no matter how many years have passed. "Not all things are set in stone," she says plainly. "Some things can't be denied, and the truth is and always will be that I love you, and I love Lydia. Who knows what tomorrow will bring?" She places a soft kiss on his cheek then steps back, knowing full well he will bamf out at any moment. "Come by for dinner some time, spend a little time with Lydia and I, perhaps even Clarice, whom I consider a daughter... I don't know what doors will open or slam shut Azazel, but I intend to talk to Lydia. Go on, go have fun, find yourself your power base and if I come across someone who might be useful for you, and not end up dead, I'll call."
Azazel	Azazel laughs and returns the hug, returning the cheek kiss before she steps away from him. "That sounds like a good idea. Let me known when I should drop by to meet your friends in a more relaxed setting."     He gives a little wave and then simply vanishes with his normal *BAMF* sound. Can't really call it his signature sound when Kurt's so well known for it.