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Thursday, May 15th, 2025 03:18 pmWHO: Emma Frost & Warren Worthington III
WHEN: March 29, shortly before everyone leaves for "Antarctica"
WHERE: Emma's Office, Xavier Institute
WHAT: Warren stops by to talk to Emma about his arrival at the school and her upcoming mission.
WARNINGS:
“Miss Frost,” he states, “I don’t suppose I can steal a few minutes to discuss your upcoming absence?” Warren stands in the doorway, wings tucked in tight so he can step through when Emma inevitably gives him permission. His suit is pale gray, every angle perfectly pressed. Customized, obviously. It’s a process to dress professionally and accommodate his extra appendages. Sometimes he misses the trenchcoat days for their simplicity, but his vanity appreciates his immaculate feathers.
She had sensed his arrival, but even so Emma is slow to lift her gaze from the stack of papers in front of her. It's been a little while since she's seen Warren, but he looks the same as always, thoughtfully put together and tailored. The juxtaposition to how Scott usually dresses is amusing, enough that she has to press down a smile that twitches at the corners of her lips.
"Warren." A hand is lifted, indicating one of the seats across from her desk. Low backed, conveniently. "I'm only finishing up some grading and it's not terribly pressing, so please. Your trip here was pleasant?" Her own niceties - she, of course, is already in his mind and knows how his trip was.
“Very tolerable,” he confirms as he takes the seat offered to him. A private jet from L.A. to New York, only delayed slightly by standard airport traffic. He’d caught up on some light reading instead of business reports as a little treat. “I was heading to the city for a meeting, just to get it out of the way before my little sabbatical.”
Warren adjusts his wings, folding them neatly behind the chair that Emma probably put out just for him. Detail oriented as ever. That’s one thing they had in common. “But all of my personal business is settled, thankfully, and I’m prepared to cover Jean’s classes while she’s… finding herself.” This last bit is said with fondness. While he doesn’t invite Emma to root around for details, his surface thoughts assure Emma that wherever Jean is, she’s well.
The formality of all this is amusing, but Emma makes no move to do anything about it. She should stand, go over and give him a hug, but there will be time enough for that. Resting an elbow on her desk, she sets her chin in her upturned hand. Her expression is curious but otherwise not terribly open - but she'd never been terribly open with him, anyways.
"I'm glad to hear it. All of it. Having a bit more stability for Jeanie's classes for the end of the year will be good, and I think you're going to enjoy being a teacher. The children are all very funny." And it's more rewarding than she had anticipated, too, but she doesn't have to tell him that. She's certain he's expecting the sense of accomplishment.
"Once the semester is over I have a proposal for you, but for now I figure there's enough for you to settle into given our upcoming excursion. We do appreciate you coming - Moira and Gold Team will handle things fine, of course, but a little extra help will be nice. Especially from someone more seasoned. Do you know how long you're planning on staying with us?"
“At least through the end of the school year, but maybe longer if everyone can keep the ship afloat without me,” Warren answers quickly. All talk of optics and favors aside, he’s been looking forward to this. While he’s not completely sure how great he’ll be teaching students, he needs a vacation. He has Jean’s lesson plans, real world experience, and at least two online courses on how to communicate with teenagers in a mentorship position under his belt.
“Cameron’s been a real asset. Stepped up at the last minute,” he continues, feathers fluffing up a bit with satisfaction. “Maybe I’ll finally convince him to meet all of you now that I’ve trapped him in my New York offices.”
"Oh, darling, stay longer than that." Even if Emma couldn't read Warren's mind she could tell he needs a break. Some time to do worthwhile work in both helping children and, likely, playing superhero, will be a welcome break from running a company. The fact that he's made an effort to prepare is a good sign - all he needs is a little push and, like he's said, his company to not fall apart.
"It's easy enough to assist from here if you don't have to manage everything. And if you have that much faith in him then I'm sure it'll all be fine." She tilts her head. "But he's been hesitant to meet us? Shy?" It seems unlikely but, she supposes, possible.
“He’s always been a little awkward outside of work,” Warren explains, already making excuses for Cameron Hodge, a man he’s known since they were teenagers. “I think he’s just intimidated. Superheroes, independently wealthy billionaires, devastatingly beautiful CEOs, the Spanish,” he lists with a slight quirk of the lips.
This makes Emma laugh and she sits back, shaking her head. "I suppose it's understandable to be intimidated. He can brush up on his Spanish before, at least. Nothing to be done about the rest of it." She is genuinely curious to meet him, given his long history with Warren, and mentally this impression is passed onto him.
"But there's time enough for that. Even if you do decide to leave after the semester which would, of course, be a mistake, you'll never be free of us. Now. Shall we discuss particulars of your time here? I'm hoping we won't be gone for too long, but who knows, with what a nightmare this has been." The annoyance at the situation is clear in her voice.
“Update me,” Warren answers, quickly growing serious. He’s good at it, too; all his casual thoughts settle to a laser focus. “Moira was kind enough to explain the state of the professor, but she said you would have details.”
Though the seriousness with which Warren is taking this all is appreciated, it's still amusing to Emma. This really does feel like a business meeting more than anything else.
"His consciousness has been taken by some strange mutant, and I've tracked them to Antarctica. I need a bit more time in Cerebro to pinpoint their actual location, but we'll likely leave as soon as we have it." She lets out a sigh of annoyance, picking up a pen to toy with to stop from pacing. It's all so irritating, even if it's a relief to be so close to what is ideally the finish line.
"And of course, once we get there there's the whole mess of dealing with everything. Whoever this is can obviously pull people out of their bodies, but he hasn't done any real harm to me despite encountering me twice and knowing I'm fishing around, so that's some reassurance that we can be… civil, maybe." She gives a casual shrug, as though this isn't as scary as it actually is. There's no reason for Warren to know about her level of concern. "The purpose of the marks remains a mystery, but this mutant is certainly the one who placed them and has been changing them."
Warren’s image cracks. He rubs his temples, then makes a motion to smooth out his eyebrows. A deep breath, and… Actually, he’s not ready yet. He brushes his windblown hair from his face, and tucks a stray curl behind his ear before he says a single word.
“Emma,” he begins, finally meeting her eyes, “how do you always manage to end up in the middle of this?”
It's not surprising that concern is what turns this into a meeting between friends and not a business chat. At least, Emma figures, Warren can feel very useful here with all the mess they've got going on.
"This one was not my fault," she says with a little sigh. "The universe must just find me very interesting and worthy of attention. Which is correct, of course, but I would like it to lay off a touch."
“Have you thought about transitioning to a beige color scheme? People might start mistaking you for a normal woman.” A small smile plays on Warren’s lips. Emma is one of the nosiest people he knows, and intentional or not, she absolutely played a part in all of this.
This comment brings up a bright, slightly surprised laugh in Emma. It's terrible that she forgets sometimes that he can be funny.
"Being a normal woman sounds like a nightmare, honestly. And my nosiness has only helped here." That's mostly true, she figures.
"In any case, it's clearly a bit of an ordeal, one we'll hopefully have wrapped up soon. In the meantime your help will be greatly appreciated. Along with that… it would mean a lot if you could do me a personal favor or two as well. Nothing too taxing, of course."
When Emma laughs, Warren chuckles. He can almost remember why he thought dating her was a good idea.
”Of course, what do you need?”
Pleased as always with how accommodating most people are with her, Emma stretches back into her seat with a content smile. Quickly, though, her expression falls just a little before she speaks, some of her amusement overtaken by concern.
"Mind Christian while I'm away? I doubt he'll need anything, but I worry about him and I hate the idea of being out of contact for an unknown amount of time."
”Oh, of course.” Warren doesn’t hesitate. Christian is a sweet young man, and anything he needs will be minimal. Updates on Emma’s mission, perhaps. Questions about the business. Warren’s been helping the Frosts out for years.
He waves a hand to further show what little trouble this will be. “He has my number. Is he still in New York?”
There was no doubt he'd agree, but even so Emma feels the smallest weight lifted off her shoulders at Warren's response. She'd updated Christian on the situation already, and will call him before they leave, but she's glad that now she can tell him that if he needs anything he can call Warren. Logically she knows he's an adult, and a competent one too, but it's difficult for her to let go of her protectiveness.
"I tell him most things, so don't worry about being circumspect about what you say. And yes, he's in New York. He owns the condo below mine in Manhattan. Have we really never invited you over?" She knows they have never invited him over.
Warren gives her an exasperated smile, knowing she knows the answer to that question. “Not yet, but it seems lovely from what I’ve seen on social media.” Emma enjoys her privacy, which isn’t something he’d ever judge her for.
“But that’s good, I hate lying,” he says, “and Christian is clever. I don’t think I could keep him in the dark for more than a couple days.”
"Well, soon. When I'm back from Antarctica." Which continues to sound insane.
Emma shakes her head. "Or he'd weasel it out of you with pity. He's good at being sad, and it's hard not to give in. But, you've seen that at work." Yes, leaving Christian in Warren's hands will make this trip all the easier. She watches him for a long moment, almost curious. Seeing him is nostalgic, but brings up no other feelings.
"...are you glad to be back here, despite the circumstances?"
“I am,” he says as his smile warms, “despite the circumstances.” He adjusts his wings a little, trying to relax. This is going to be his home for a while, and Emma is moving from the ex category to the friend category.
“If the company can run without me…” he trails off. Half-finished thoughts of handing over the reins flit through his mind. He could travel more, do a bit of hero stuff, spend more time with Bobby, donate to charities. “Let’s call this a test run.”
"I think you're going to find it's very hard to leave once you've settled back in. Speaking from experience, of course."
Momentarily, Emma glances down at her desk, at the papers there waiting to be graded. A year ago being here with this task at hand never would have occurred to her. She's feeling a little sentimental, now, so a little playful barb is in order.
"You can't be that important to your company anyways."
“Is that also speaking from experience?” Warren asks innocently. (“Innocently.”)
Emma actually laughs at this. "Darling, haven't you heard? I don't do anything but charity work and go on beach vacations with my various boyfriends."
Warren laughs with her, the remaining formality between them fizzling out. “I can’t wait to see tabloid photos of you and Scott. He’s really going to charm the paparazzi.”
"We'll look amazing, despite whatever serious expression he's wearing. They'll eat it up I'm sure."
“I’d make some joke about him being a great beach accessory, if I hadn’t known him since he was a teenager,” Warren comments dryly, but Emma seems happy with this arrangement. She has strange taste in men, but he’s hardly one to judge.
If Warren was formal earlier, Emma successfully talked him out of it.
WHEN: March 29, shortly before everyone leaves for "Antarctica"
WHERE: Emma's Office, Xavier Institute
WHAT: Warren stops by to talk to Emma about his arrival at the school and her upcoming mission.
WARNINGS:
“Miss Frost,” he states, “I don’t suppose I can steal a few minutes to discuss your upcoming absence?” Warren stands in the doorway, wings tucked in tight so he can step through when Emma inevitably gives him permission. His suit is pale gray, every angle perfectly pressed. Customized, obviously. It’s a process to dress professionally and accommodate his extra appendages. Sometimes he misses the trenchcoat days for their simplicity, but his vanity appreciates his immaculate feathers.
She had sensed his arrival, but even so Emma is slow to lift her gaze from the stack of papers in front of her. It's been a little while since she's seen Warren, but he looks the same as always, thoughtfully put together and tailored. The juxtaposition to how Scott usually dresses is amusing, enough that she has to press down a smile that twitches at the corners of her lips.
"Warren." A hand is lifted, indicating one of the seats across from her desk. Low backed, conveniently. "I'm only finishing up some grading and it's not terribly pressing, so please. Your trip here was pleasant?" Her own niceties - she, of course, is already in his mind and knows how his trip was.
“Very tolerable,” he confirms as he takes the seat offered to him. A private jet from L.A. to New York, only delayed slightly by standard airport traffic. He’d caught up on some light reading instead of business reports as a little treat. “I was heading to the city for a meeting, just to get it out of the way before my little sabbatical.”
Warren adjusts his wings, folding them neatly behind the chair that Emma probably put out just for him. Detail oriented as ever. That’s one thing they had in common. “But all of my personal business is settled, thankfully, and I’m prepared to cover Jean’s classes while she’s… finding herself.” This last bit is said with fondness. While he doesn’t invite Emma to root around for details, his surface thoughts assure Emma that wherever Jean is, she’s well.
The formality of all this is amusing, but Emma makes no move to do anything about it. She should stand, go over and give him a hug, but there will be time enough for that. Resting an elbow on her desk, she sets her chin in her upturned hand. Her expression is curious but otherwise not terribly open - but she'd never been terribly open with him, anyways.
"I'm glad to hear it. All of it. Having a bit more stability for Jeanie's classes for the end of the year will be good, and I think you're going to enjoy being a teacher. The children are all very funny." And it's more rewarding than she had anticipated, too, but she doesn't have to tell him that. She's certain he's expecting the sense of accomplishment.
"Once the semester is over I have a proposal for you, but for now I figure there's enough for you to settle into given our upcoming excursion. We do appreciate you coming - Moira and Gold Team will handle things fine, of course, but a little extra help will be nice. Especially from someone more seasoned. Do you know how long you're planning on staying with us?"
“At least through the end of the school year, but maybe longer if everyone can keep the ship afloat without me,” Warren answers quickly. All talk of optics and favors aside, he’s been looking forward to this. While he’s not completely sure how great he’ll be teaching students, he needs a vacation. He has Jean’s lesson plans, real world experience, and at least two online courses on how to communicate with teenagers in a mentorship position under his belt.
“Cameron’s been a real asset. Stepped up at the last minute,” he continues, feathers fluffing up a bit with satisfaction. “Maybe I’ll finally convince him to meet all of you now that I’ve trapped him in my New York offices.”
"Oh, darling, stay longer than that." Even if Emma couldn't read Warren's mind she could tell he needs a break. Some time to do worthwhile work in both helping children and, likely, playing superhero, will be a welcome break from running a company. The fact that he's made an effort to prepare is a good sign - all he needs is a little push and, like he's said, his company to not fall apart.
"It's easy enough to assist from here if you don't have to manage everything. And if you have that much faith in him then I'm sure it'll all be fine." She tilts her head. "But he's been hesitant to meet us? Shy?" It seems unlikely but, she supposes, possible.
“He’s always been a little awkward outside of work,” Warren explains, already making excuses for Cameron Hodge, a man he’s known since they were teenagers. “I think he’s just intimidated. Superheroes, independently wealthy billionaires, devastatingly beautiful CEOs, the Spanish,” he lists with a slight quirk of the lips.
This makes Emma laugh and she sits back, shaking her head. "I suppose it's understandable to be intimidated. He can brush up on his Spanish before, at least. Nothing to be done about the rest of it." She is genuinely curious to meet him, given his long history with Warren, and mentally this impression is passed onto him.
"But there's time enough for that. Even if you do decide to leave after the semester which would, of course, be a mistake, you'll never be free of us. Now. Shall we discuss particulars of your time here? I'm hoping we won't be gone for too long, but who knows, with what a nightmare this has been." The annoyance at the situation is clear in her voice.
“Update me,” Warren answers, quickly growing serious. He’s good at it, too; all his casual thoughts settle to a laser focus. “Moira was kind enough to explain the state of the professor, but she said you would have details.”
Though the seriousness with which Warren is taking this all is appreciated, it's still amusing to Emma. This really does feel like a business meeting more than anything else.
"His consciousness has been taken by some strange mutant, and I've tracked them to Antarctica. I need a bit more time in Cerebro to pinpoint their actual location, but we'll likely leave as soon as we have it." She lets out a sigh of annoyance, picking up a pen to toy with to stop from pacing. It's all so irritating, even if it's a relief to be so close to what is ideally the finish line.
"And of course, once we get there there's the whole mess of dealing with everything. Whoever this is can obviously pull people out of their bodies, but he hasn't done any real harm to me despite encountering me twice and knowing I'm fishing around, so that's some reassurance that we can be… civil, maybe." She gives a casual shrug, as though this isn't as scary as it actually is. There's no reason for Warren to know about her level of concern. "The purpose of the marks remains a mystery, but this mutant is certainly the one who placed them and has been changing them."
Warren’s image cracks. He rubs his temples, then makes a motion to smooth out his eyebrows. A deep breath, and… Actually, he’s not ready yet. He brushes his windblown hair from his face, and tucks a stray curl behind his ear before he says a single word.
“Emma,” he begins, finally meeting her eyes, “how do you always manage to end up in the middle of this?”
It's not surprising that concern is what turns this into a meeting between friends and not a business chat. At least, Emma figures, Warren can feel very useful here with all the mess they've got going on.
"This one was not my fault," she says with a little sigh. "The universe must just find me very interesting and worthy of attention. Which is correct, of course, but I would like it to lay off a touch."
“Have you thought about transitioning to a beige color scheme? People might start mistaking you for a normal woman.” A small smile plays on Warren’s lips. Emma is one of the nosiest people he knows, and intentional or not, she absolutely played a part in all of this.
This comment brings up a bright, slightly surprised laugh in Emma. It's terrible that she forgets sometimes that he can be funny.
"Being a normal woman sounds like a nightmare, honestly. And my nosiness has only helped here." That's mostly true, she figures.
"In any case, it's clearly a bit of an ordeal, one we'll hopefully have wrapped up soon. In the meantime your help will be greatly appreciated. Along with that… it would mean a lot if you could do me a personal favor or two as well. Nothing too taxing, of course."
When Emma laughs, Warren chuckles. He can almost remember why he thought dating her was a good idea.
”Of course, what do you need?”
Pleased as always with how accommodating most people are with her, Emma stretches back into her seat with a content smile. Quickly, though, her expression falls just a little before she speaks, some of her amusement overtaken by concern.
"Mind Christian while I'm away? I doubt he'll need anything, but I worry about him and I hate the idea of being out of contact for an unknown amount of time."
”Oh, of course.” Warren doesn’t hesitate. Christian is a sweet young man, and anything he needs will be minimal. Updates on Emma’s mission, perhaps. Questions about the business. Warren’s been helping the Frosts out for years.
He waves a hand to further show what little trouble this will be. “He has my number. Is he still in New York?”
There was no doubt he'd agree, but even so Emma feels the smallest weight lifted off her shoulders at Warren's response. She'd updated Christian on the situation already, and will call him before they leave, but she's glad that now she can tell him that if he needs anything he can call Warren. Logically she knows he's an adult, and a competent one too, but it's difficult for her to let go of her protectiveness.
"I tell him most things, so don't worry about being circumspect about what you say. And yes, he's in New York. He owns the condo below mine in Manhattan. Have we really never invited you over?" She knows they have never invited him over.
Warren gives her an exasperated smile, knowing she knows the answer to that question. “Not yet, but it seems lovely from what I’ve seen on social media.” Emma enjoys her privacy, which isn’t something he’d ever judge her for.
“But that’s good, I hate lying,” he says, “and Christian is clever. I don’t think I could keep him in the dark for more than a couple days.”
"Well, soon. When I'm back from Antarctica." Which continues to sound insane.
Emma shakes her head. "Or he'd weasel it out of you with pity. He's good at being sad, and it's hard not to give in. But, you've seen that at work." Yes, leaving Christian in Warren's hands will make this trip all the easier. She watches him for a long moment, almost curious. Seeing him is nostalgic, but brings up no other feelings.
"...are you glad to be back here, despite the circumstances?"
“I am,” he says as his smile warms, “despite the circumstances.” He adjusts his wings a little, trying to relax. This is going to be his home for a while, and Emma is moving from the ex category to the friend category.
“If the company can run without me…” he trails off. Half-finished thoughts of handing over the reins flit through his mind. He could travel more, do a bit of hero stuff, spend more time with Bobby, donate to charities. “Let’s call this a test run.”
"I think you're going to find it's very hard to leave once you've settled back in. Speaking from experience, of course."
Momentarily, Emma glances down at her desk, at the papers there waiting to be graded. A year ago being here with this task at hand never would have occurred to her. She's feeling a little sentimental, now, so a little playful barb is in order.
"You can't be that important to your company anyways."
“Is that also speaking from experience?” Warren asks innocently. (“Innocently.”)
Emma actually laughs at this. "Darling, haven't you heard? I don't do anything but charity work and go on beach vacations with my various boyfriends."
Warren laughs with her, the remaining formality between them fizzling out. “I can’t wait to see tabloid photos of you and Scott. He’s really going to charm the paparazzi.”
"We'll look amazing, despite whatever serious expression he's wearing. They'll eat it up I'm sure."
“I’d make some joke about him being a great beach accessory, if I hadn’t known him since he was a teenager,” Warren comments dryly, but Emma seems happy with this arrangement. She has strange taste in men, but he’s hardly one to judge.
If Warren was formal earlier, Emma successfully talked him out of it.