Players:
Summary: Selene wants Rashmi's help at the Mansion. Both ladies manage to keep their claws back long enough to work out a deal.
Date: October 3, 2010
Log Title: A Modest Proposal
Rating: Log Rating. PG
Xavier Mansion - Front Gates
Large Iron gates standing twelve feet tall in front of you with an elaborate letter X designed on each of the gates. An Iron Gate stretches around both sides of the school. The gates are usually found closed and open to those who know the correct code to enter in the keypad on the left. Beyond the gates a large statue can be seen in a courtyard and a building in the shape of an X.
It's barely a few hours into the afternoon, and Selene is already ready for the day to end. Since approximately 9pm the previous day the school has been in a form of lock down. Just one of the many side effects of having several staff and students go suddenly, inexplicably missing. Another of which is having a equal number of the faculty stop by ones room wanting to know where you hid the bodies. However, even as daunting of a task convincing others of your innocence is, Selene isn't about to give anyone the satisfaction of holding her responsible by disappearing into the word work while things blow over. Instead, the Black Queen is down stairs, outside, and one a cell phone as she talks to yet another name on a list of highly-ranked alumni, hoping someone knows something. "I see," she says into the phone, "Well, if anyone calls you, let us know."
As if the day weren't perfect enough, the gate opens to admit one of the school's many alumni, unhappily familiar to the Black Queen. That she knows little about the recent disaster, evident in her blithe, innocent smile, the sweep of her eyes as she searches the grounds for one of her many friends… but finds only the Black Queen, and unhappy at that, and some of the brightness leaches out of her face, replaced with distant puzzlement.
There's a wave of a hand, as if to signal a stop to one's progress, made directly at Rashmi. Into her phone, Selene responds to the unheard voice, "Understood." Without as much as a good bye, she hangs up her phone and puts it away, "Rashmi, you were on my list of those to call and alert." She moves to intercept, her path to place her directly in front of the other woman, "Several of the staff and faculty have gone missing." She smiles slyly, "I'll presume your innocence, and ask directly. Are yo aware of anything that may have caused the disappearance?"
Rashmi rears back as she's signaled to halt, blinking sharply. A muscle twitches at the back of her jaw as Selene approaches, but as the elder woman begins to speak, loosens, then seems to unlatch entirely, her mouth falling partway open. "…Wait what. … …*Who* has gone missing, exactly, Ma'am?"
"Scott, Emma, and Kenta' from the staff. Most of my team from the students, James, a 'David' a Kisha, Chloe…give or take 5 more. Security is still looking into it. It's the weekend, so we can't preform a final count until tonight." She shrugs, as if this all was of little consequence.
The sound that comes out of Rashmi's throat, very like a squeak. A sound of terrified disbelief, to match the horrified, wide-eyed stare. "Oh my God," she murmurs, shaking her head. "That's…" She pauses, a thought occurring to her, eyes flicking up toward Selene, but then an eyebrow twitches, and she shakes her head, dismissing it unsaid. "…Okay… um… Well… The whole point of me coming here on Sundays is to help out, so… How can I help?"
"Well," Selene responds, "The thing we need the most is someone who relates to the students on their level. Someone they trust. If you can take ownership of that task, Addison and I would greatly appreciate it." Again, her reaction is blase at best. But, then again, with Emma gone it can be aid her year just got better.
Rashmi's brow furrows, shoulders sagging just enough to be noticed. "…You need a liason," she says partly to herself, tugging her braid over her shoulder. "…I can probably beg out of Saturdays at the Embassy, but the rest of the week? I don't know. Colleges don't react well to students taking an unspecified leave of absence… and I'm *pretty sure* nobody here wants it to be known around SHIELD that the one person actively holding your leash is gone… Um… well… So to speak."
There's a quick arch of brow Selene's body going stiff. Coldly, she corrects, "No One holds my leash child. Emma and I have a professional arrangement. And if you presume to reduce this conversation to another poorly orchestrated tit-for-tat, then your help will not be required." The rest of the conversation is forgotten for the moment.
Rashmi squeezes her eyes shut, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Ma'am… I'm just saying that *whatever* the arrangement is, to the rest of the world it looks like there is something keeping you from… whatever it is you'd normally do, and that it was Ms. Frost's idea. And part of the outside world happens to include a large government agency who is currently paying every last cent of my college studies. And whom I will have to tell that my help is, apparently, needed here, because Ms. Frost and Mr. Summers have disappeared. So I apologize for my word use, but not my worries."
Always quick to take offense, and less quick to let it go, Selene keeps her harsh, intense gaze trained on Rashmi, "Then I suggest, child, that until you see me firmly perched on the room with fiddle in hand you keep your worries involving me and your government to yourself. Or is it enough to remind you of Magneto's current roll at this school and the concerns your school might have with that? That is, of course, since I'm sure you were not singling me out."
"Magneto is wearing a lot of hats at the moment, Ma'am," Rashmi says, twisting her braid in her hands. "Among them, diplomat at the Embassy I'm currently working in. And since he *is,* his position at the school is a lot less difficult to justify. Look; your reputation precedes you, Ma'am, as I'm sure you're far too aware. I can't help that, nor can I help that you've apparently done little to change that reputation but get offended when you're glared at for things you *don't* do. That's just how I see it, and whether I'm wrong or not is something I'll just have to find out." Drawing in a deep breath, she looks up, meeting Selene's gaze. "You want help. I'm perfectly willing to give it as I can. And to prove it, I *will* be happy to do a lot of fast talking to people so far over my head they aren't even *required* to listen to me. The rest of it can be dealt with as it comes. Fair?"
Waving a hand at Rashmi, her eyes following in a similar fashion, Selene interjects a quick and hard, "If it will mean that you will stop prattling at me and find some unsuspecting and supportive cow to bore, then by all means, your form of help is welcome." No, this won't be easy on either of them. "If your school is a concern of yours, I would take it up with Addison. I'm sure he can find a way to have your disappearance excused. Should it come to that."
"Possibly," Rashmi concedes, eyes narrowing at the black-haired woman. "…But as much care as I've *always* taken in my studies, it means I'm going to have to ask a price from *you,* specifically. Whether or not you're willing to cooperate, controls how much help I can give."
"Such as?" Selene asks coldly, simply. Her form still stone-solid, even as her fists come to rest on her hips.
"Most of my other classes I can take care of on my own time," Rashmi says, clearly leading up to her proposal. "But one requires me to hear the lessons, as well as study, and frankly there's no good online tutor to compare. …So." Tilting her head, the redhead raises an eyebrow. "…How well d'you remember your Latin?"
There's a good 10 second pause as Selene just stares. Then, as if a wind had shifted, she smiles, "A capite ad calcem." with a head tilt, the Black Queen offers a friendlier, "And here I was prepared to send you back from which you came after giving you some pointless speech about Xavier's dream and how your lack of faith and help." The smile grows ever so slightly, "You've surprised me…so I'll humor your request as you have humored me."
"This school gave me too much to be that selfish," Rashmi sniffs. "I'm *certainly* not going to let it down if I can at all manage." With a shrug, she lets go of her braid, hauling at the strap of her bookbag. "So… the more I know, the better I can help. Is there anything you've learned that you haven't told me, Ma'am?"
"That is what Logan would refer to as a 'loaded question,' would he not?" Selene asks. She searches her memory for a moment, "Not really, as we know little at the moment. The school is still in panic mode and looking for a likely source to blame. Myself included. But let me make myself clear on that topic: Sam Guthrie still lives, so it's obviously not my doing." She cracked an evil-bitch smile and tilts her head in a very lizard-like manner.
Rashmi doesn't roll her eyes… That would be more disrespectful than she's willing to be at the moment. But the *desire* to, practically rolling off her in waves. "Actually no, it was a perfectly straight question, Ma'am. You'll find that if I'm *asking* a loaded question like that, it won't have much of anything to do with important things. So let's make that clear right now; as far as the school's problems go, I intend to be fully straight with you, as long as I can trust in the same in return. Fair enough?"
"Allow me to rephrase," Selene offers, "It is a 'complex' question. As for the rest…fair enough." There's another hand wave, a near dismissal if you will. "As things are discovered, I will update you. But, until someone claims responsibility, we're in the dark as to who, what, and why." How is left absent, as if it might already be known.
Rashmi nods slowly. "Does anyone have an idea as to how?" is her first question, nodding towards the school doors. "You left that bit out, so…"
"That tidbit is being researched as we speak," Selene offers, "But the video cameras caught some interesting disturbances inside and outside the school." The Black Queen (and all that entails) turns on her heel and walks towards the school, "If you wish to see it, follow me. if not, then we both have our duties to perform. And several at that."
Rashmi falls into step behind Selene, letting out a quiet breath. "Thank you, Ma'am. …I know this won't be easy for either of us, but the school's the important thing. So I'd like to apologize for my conduct on our last… meeting. It's the first time I've ever had to push past, um… *personal* dislike, and I probably could have managed it better."
Probably only adding relevance to one of the many unofficial titles the staff have for her, Selene responds with, "Apology noted and accepted—pending your apology for today as well. Of course." Heading for the door and the security center buried somewhere int he mansion, Selene takes Rashmi to see the recordings, Addison, and anything else that might be required.
