Summary:Emma Frost meets with Ms. 'Fries' Log Info:Storyteller: {$storyteller} |
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Emma has been thinking about things, a lot. Not unusual - the woman has a formidable intellect and a powerful mind, the fact is that she realizes that even with her recent wake-up call that it is a VERY important thing to have people you can count on to deal with the 'grey' areas that come up from time to time. Lets face it, even with her best intentions, Emma Grace Frost is no angel. Not even close. And business on the level she operates at can often involve shady if not outright midnight black dealings to get anything done.
The problem is that she needs new talent, people she can trust the professionalism of, but people that would be hard to impossible to trace back to her. Enter - the Dark Web. Careful research, favors are called in, and then Lena Snart would get a simple text message.
::If interested in long-term, steady income and significant perks reply with meeting location of your choosing.::
And that's it, nothing to identify it, but it DOES have the tantalizing carrot, and…really…isn't Lena at least a /little/ curious?
It was an annoyance, the messsage. The last time she had contact off the Web, it fell through and didn't result in anything progressive or profitable. It took her awhile to even answer back. She had things to work on, do, develop…money, steady money, would help with that. At length, Cold sends a message back, picking a place that might not be normal for someone like her. Giving Mick a good-bye kiss, she informs him to be ready at any moment. She means it this time, too. No fast-food or flicking off the comm link, dammit.
The location was a ritzy joint in uptown New York. There's a dress code and no prices on the menu. Snart's there, under the name Fries, sitting at a table all her own dressed in a gown of rich blue.
Annoying? Perhaps…but not so annoying that the offer didn't get a response—eventually. Once the meeting location is set, a reply text acknowledges it…and there's an attached bitcoin parcel worth about five thousand dollars.
Five K for saying 'yes, meet me here', clearly the sender has some very deep pockets and the site chosen seems all the more apt.
Into the fancy restaurant comes a quite famous woman indeed, she's been on a number of magazines over the years, CEO and majority holder of Frost International, Miss Emma Frost.
Intense blue eyes sweep over the restaurant, and then she sweeps past the concierge, past the hostess, and into the room.
What is strange is how /nobody/ but Lena seems to notice her. Dressed in a white confection of lace and jewels, the tall woman moves directly to the Fries table. "Good evening, Miss Fries."
As entrances go…not too shabby.
Lena Snart rolls her eyes up toward the towering figure. As far as they go, they could be the opposite of the other in ways - pale hair to pitch dark, perfect white against shadowy blue. At least, their gaze mirrors the other - piercing, fierce and frozen azure. Swallowing, she lifts her glass, a stout thing full of amber liquid. Knocking the drink back in one go, she sets the glass atop the table and moves her hand to motion toward the seat across from her.
"Evening. Let's get to it."
"I was hoping to meet your partner as well, or are you empowered to make arrangements for the both of you?" Emma's eyes are amused as she she holds up a hand to accept what looks like a tall iced tea from a waiter that keeps on going to another table, setting down the rest of the drinks on his tray.
A graceful sip, and then the drink is set on the table, ice…a bit of lemon…it might actually /be/ iced tea!
People knowing things was one thing, there's a brief thinning of her gaze before she blinks it away, dark lashes and orbs lined with black. "I talk, he listens. That's just how it goes." She explains easily, shifting ever so slightly within her seat. "Please. Sit. Standing makes me nerves." She muses, her smirk pressing a dimple into her cheek. "You got me here, I'm listening."
Settling into the seat, Emma yields the advantage of high ground, and does it with grace. "So." She says, a brief nod. "I wouldn't wish to start our relationship by giving you a case of the nerves." Her voice is a soft and educated near-purr, the accent kissed by Boston, and pitched softly to encourage one having to pay strict attention.
A soft laugh. "Yes, so you are." Another sip of her beverage, and then Emma nods. "Very well, no chit-chat, merely business. I have need, from time to time, for the services of people with a particular set of skills and considerable discretion. Indeed, the offer hinges upon some conditions, but - the perks…first, a steady stipend, second…if you have special needs I can open many doors for you that few could." Long fingers stroke idly at the side of her glass, the beading condensation moved with the fingertips.
"Shall I go on?"
Lena Snart rests back now, seeming to settle once the white queen takes her seat. She nods, she listens, her own expression calm, cool, and calculating. She's attentive, however, not allowing herself to look off or hear anything else about them or around them. At the question, she nods, merely pausing to order another drink.
"Excellent." The drink is moved to the side, and Emma crosses one long leg over the other, hands folding together at her knee. "The retainer would be substantial, it would require you to answer within twenty-four hours of any contact made. Any tasks will be individually negotiable and entirely separate from the retainer, which will be paid monthly simply to grease the wheels. Failure to answer will end the arrangement immediately, if you take a job and then default, severe penalties will apply. Finally, as part of the arrangement certain steps will be taken to insulate me should you be captured. Of course should you be captured while under contract, I will see to your swift release."
"You know what I do, don't you? You know what game I play, a game I'm very good at mind you, and said game will not be put on hold simply because I'm under your employment." Lena begins, hunching forward and resting her arms casually atop the table. Even in such a place, Snart simply doesn't fit in - at least where posture is concerned.
Nibbling her lower lip, she seems to consider something and finally glances away. Back again, she cants her head to the side. "What type of work are we talking? You also understand that I'm the quiet one, my better half is loud."
"Sometimes quiet, sometimes not. At this point I have no immediate and pressing needs, I want to have options in case needs DO arise." Emma says with a silvery laugh. Which nobody else even glances towards. "Perhaps you should state if there's any work that is outside your collective bounds?"
"That's not an issue. We can do anything, honestly. The fact that we favor some things more than others, well…" A shrug of her slender shoulders, at least the ice queen gives thanks when her drink arrives. Instead of her usual swig and own, she sips. "Your funds are legit, aren't they? Company funded? Traced back to a reliable source that doesn't raise questions?"
"Then there's simply the matter of your interest level and the willingness of your 'better half' to consider." Emma's eyes half-lid at the question of legitimacy. "Quite." She drawls, and then bares teeth. "Cryptocurrency - untraceable, absolutely guaranteed."
A nod. "It seems I have piqued your interest…do you need time to consider?"
"That's not what I'm talking about." Lena corrects gently. "I meant something along the lines of…I open up an account, or have someone open said account. All funds, as they are re-occuring, feed into said account. They're legit, it's not dirty, and has no link to what I'm doing to get them there." Jaw tight, she thins her lips and allows them to fill back out naturally. "I want support and perhaps patronage for someone close to me. Someone that needs every chance to not follow in my footsteps." A pause, "And a percentage toward me to fund some research I'm looking into." A sip, she swallows and rests back once more. "My other half doesn't have to work with me all the time. Then again, I say jump and he does. It's not a matter of interest or willingness, it's a matter of ironing out the contract."
"Untraceable, clean, legitimate…yes. Account of your choosing, fine, and naturally free of any compromising ties." At the mention of support, Emma's smile broadens, and she nods. "That too can be arranged, support without question, but patronage must be earned. I can promise that the /chance/ be given, however." Emma hand-waives the last part. "If you have research needs, I'll be happy to assist with the underwriting, and should you find you want something marketed, I'll help with that too." She leans forward then. "People seem to think that one can just snap their fingers and expect loyalty and obedience, that is not how it works. If want you to be at my beck and call it falls to me to make sure you have the means to answer, and that you're happy with the arrangement. Fear is a useful tool, respect, that's what's -really- worth one's time."
"Hell no. We don't offer respect lightly and we usually don't care if we get any back. In the end, we do what we want because that's how it's always been. This…allows me something I cannot get otherwise. Understand this isn't for me, mostly, and understand that I work out and accept anything you're offering begrudgingly. We don't take orders well, and if we think something is off or won't work out, we will kindly, bluntly, tell you to fuck off." Lena warns, taking another swig and offering a subtle smile.
"The person I'm requesting patronage for is a good cookie. She needs this and if I can do this right by her, I will." Pause, "Is there a way or method you'd like to get into contact with her? Her grades are amazing, she needs a good place to live and time to keep up her training. Olympic hopeful that one."
"Oh, believe me Miss Fries, I'm sure I'll manage to earn you respect in time. I don't want, or expect anything other than your being available should I need you, and you are not slaves, you're…" A hand circles in the air. "…contractors—/specialists/, even. If you don't like a job, you have the option to decline it, and as I have said any such jobs are individually negotiated." She snorts at the fuck off comment. "I'm not one to micro-manage, if I contract you to do something - the most I'll ever ask is that you work within boundaries specific to the matter at hand, how you do things is up to you and nothing I want or need to know, only results matter."
Emma looks interested. "If she's in school I have extensive contacts in that field, and give several grants each year as well as fund various scholarships. Get me her name and transcripts and if I can justify it, I'll see about a grant. Regardless I'll help with the schooling and housing, and training facilities as well if she's all you say."
"Fine. I agree." Lena nods without further hesitation. "Do good by my man and the one I'm asking you to look after and things won't turn, well, cold." She smiles gently, finishing off her drink. Glass aside, she reaches for a napkin and digs a pen from a hidden away clutch bag. Scribbling down a couple of things, a name and numbers, she offers it Emma's way. "Direct contact to me. If it changes, I'll let you know. I want you to contact Lisa Snart and treat her like the princess she is. She can be a brat, entitled, something tells me you'll get along very, very well." Pause. "She's graduated, did well in school, but I don't have access to anything like transcripts or the like. She'll have them, if not, our mother will." Our mother.
"Keep her away from what I do and give her every chance you can. If she screws it up, that's her doing. Here's her number."
"Good, Miss Fries, very good. I will meet your…princess…and if she proves worth my time she'll get all you ask and maybe more." Emma takes the information, and puts it in her handbag and after a moment she offers a plain white card. "A secure number to call me at, and a secure email address. Do not abuse these, Miss Fries. Do not /lose/ these, Miss Fries. Believe me when I say that my displeasure would be considerable, and despite our cordial arrangement currently, losing or abusing my information would have ramifications you would not like." Lena might wish she could store the cold in that last line. And then Emma smiles. "But we have an agreement, I will contact you with the account information in forty-eight hours." Another rummage produces a cryptokey. "Your first month's retainer." And then Emma rises. "I look forward to meeting the princess, and to a mutually beneficial relationship, good day." And with that she walks out, people just getting out of her way, and not a one looking at her as she swishes artfully for the exit.