Summary:Emma surprises an old 'friend' in the library of the Institute. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Not even a day off really, though not exactly a working day either. Caden's first few days back at the institute have been busy just catching back up with the world, realizing what's passed, talking to the people around and getting a feel for the place once again after everything that's gone on.
However! There is one thing that Caden finds he must do and do directly, since he's already been given a few tasks that need execution. But to do them… he needs a computer.
And not just any computer. It took some digging around the school itself, visiting equipment closets, poking around in the empty labs. Needed to gather the right pieces to create a good work station… and that led him here to the library.
Lying on his back beneath the trio of systems that have a place in the corner of the library, Caden seems to be working on undoing the winding twist of cords beneath the machines, frowning to himself as he draws a knee up and reaches for the power plugs on the back of the desk.
"Swear, go away for a few months and people forget all about cable management."
Entering the library with the intention to sit down and read over some of Sharon's transcripts, Emma is faintly amused when she sees young mister Pryde hard at work under a rack of computers. She's dressed today in a clingy white dress, it is actually quite modest, and goes to her knees! Further, almost no cleavage is on display, and there's no lacing of any sort. Her heels are modest, and she's wearing a jacket that covers her otherwise bare shoulders, the style half-length in the torso portions, the sleeves flared. Her makeup is as always flawless, but the eyeshadow and blush and gloss are all very low-key, and natural rose or fainter hues. Jewelry consists of a simple silver necklace, probably white gold or even platinum with a teardrop mounted pearl, and matching earrings and bangle.
Moving over to stand beside the rack of computers, she roots about in the toolbag no doubt present for a couple of zip-ties. "Here you go, Mister Pryde." They're offered by one graceful hand with a thousand dollar (at least) manicure.
At the sound of her voice Caden freezes. Not from fear, though there is a respectful amount of wariness in his thoughts abruptly, that much she can sense. But there's also a tinge of slowly exhaled abrupt onset of exasperation. As if of all the people in the world he could encounter today, and here, and now. She would not be at the top of the list.
But he is gracious enough to accept the twist ties and makes use of them, even as he's disconnecting the cable that he needs.
"Thank you, Ms. Frost." He says, and even manages not to let any negativity into his tone. Though it's there in his surface thoughts.
There's a slither of plastic as he pulls the disconnected cable free and then slides out from underneath the desk, grabbing the underside of it to help him pull himself up. Where he stands in front of her and gives one of those mildly pained smiles of someone trying to be polite.
"I didn't know you were kicking around here."
"Glad to help, Mister Pryde." Yes, Emma's amusement as his discomfiture is rather obvious to the lad, though it is not malicious seeming. She'll even go so far as to offer a helping hand as Caden slithers out, stepping back to give him space immediately after, or before if he refuses the hand.
Her own smile is tinged faintly with smirk, it isn't like she can help it, and he -knows- what Emma's capable of, at least in broad terms, there's just not that many telepaths around of her raw power and acumen.
"Kicking around? Interesting word choice there." She says it while remember her little 'chat' with Scott the other day, that felt rather a lot like being kicked. A brighter smile. "Yes, well, my daughter is enrolled here, have you met Sharon yet?"
The hand was, perhaps pettily, not accepted as he finished his rise to standing upright. He stepped past her moved to the other side of the desk giving her a bit more space as he snags one of the CPUs off its mount and starts to heft it over toward one of the more central round tables.
For a brief moment he seems inclined to just take the whole thing and leave. But that smacks of cowardice in his thoughts, so he sets the machine down on that table and withdraws a small screw driver from his pocket. Starting to work on it he says over his shoulder. "Oh? No I haven't had the pleasure. I'm glad you've chosen to fully dress while visiting. Is that an honor we owe to her presence?"
There's a kachunk as he takes off the side of the CPU and then sits down in the chair, setting the screw driver aside as he gets into the innards of the machine.
The rejection of the hand is not even a slight surprise, she WOULD have been surprised had Caden taken it, more honestly.
Being Emma, she follows and sits on the opposite side of the same table, kiddy-corner to Caden, and sets her manilla folders down. As she settles there's a faint waft of her perfume, something subtle and floral, and then laughs very softly. "Oh, yes. I am trying something new - dressing appropriately for the environs, fortunately if I'm in costume, well, scanty is generally expected of any woman, but it is sort a trademark of The White Queen."
Nope! Not going to piss off any time soon. Either she's genuinely curious, enjoying vexing Caden, or — most likely of all: Both.
"In any case, yes, Sharon is a factor. I'll do nothing to risk her standing here, the educational opportunities are inestimable, and this is a haven for Mutants, she needs exposure to others who can be trusted with her nature."
Her sincerity is manifest, she /could/ be manipulating him, but doesn't seem to be - all signs point to her genuinely meaning every word!
She can see him nodding as she takes the seat across from him, though he keeps his eyes right on focused on what he's doing. Which seems to be cannibalizing this machine for parts as he pops out a few sticks of RAM and then starts working on unplugging some of the power components.
"Well," He starts and only then do his hazel irises slip over towards her, meeting her gaze. No charitable expression there, but she can see the flicker in his thoughts, entertaining the possibility that she is being earnest. He'll allow it to exist in his mind without utterly dispatching it though the cynicism is there, keeping an eye on it.
"I hope that everything goes well then, Emma." e says that and then bites the inside of his cheek, eying the gear, then her again. "And I hope you're sincere. But forgive me if I don't embrace you with open arms. Besides. I'm a little busy here."
That said there's a kachunk as one of the power adapters is pulled free.
Emma just watches him work for a time, and seems content to do so. When he looks up, she nods once. "The loss of my students…that nearly destroyed me, Mister Pryde." She permits his use of her given name, their past history earning him the right here, at this time, in this place. "I cannot undo the past, reverse the mistakes made then, but when Doctor McCoy reunited me with Sharon…when I learned she was alive when I had thought her dead for years, that gave me a chance to at least /try/ and make amends, to do better." Emma's gaze is steady, her eyes clear.
Yes, she's a businesswoman and once a supervillain, hopefully she's not playing him, but the fact is she surely seems to be completely honest and open right now.
"Nothing is more important to me than Sharon. And our people need our protection, despite great strides in recent years, we're still very much at risk, we mutants." A soft-indrawn breath, and then she nods. "Yes, of course you are, forgive my distraction Mister Pryde. I will leave you to it." She doesn't -actually- leave, however, instead she turns her gaze to the folders and their contents, concentrating on them exclusively.
The young X-Man gives a nod a few times as he listens to Emma even as he goes back in for the processor, taking his time to be very careful of the connections and letting him wiggle parts free very slowly. Yet he listens to her tale and tries to gauge her. She can likely sense the faint warring back and forth in his mind, pulling and prodding between the sides that says this is an angle she's working…
While the other side would rather hope that she's being sincere.
For now it wins out that he'll accept the possibility though be watchful, but the sentiment that wins him over to the side is that he'd rather accept the possibility and be proven wrong. Than to presume her deception and be proven right.
"I don't think we're ever going to be friends, Ms. Frost." He extracts the processor and then sets it on the table next to the other cannibalized pieces. "But I do hope you have success in this. And that I won't carry any of our history as prejudice against your daughter."
Then, in a curious moment of openness he says with a small almost pained smile. "I think that's the best I can do."
That Caden is willing to at least entertain the chance Emma's earnest, well, that's more than she expected. "I can ask nothing more of you, Mister Pryde." Emma smiles dazzlingly then, as she rises. "I hope your project works out to your expectations or better, Mister Pryde." A moment to gather up the papers, and then she inclines her head before leaving the room with an elegant and fairly distracting amount of swish. Hard not to when in heels of course, but Emma has long practiced the swish on the oft proven theory that men have only enough blood to keep one head at a time functional, so the swish is quite deliberate in the distraction factor.
Love her or hate her, there's no arguing that Emma Frost is a stunningly beautiful woman and knows how to make the most of her charms.