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Summary: Emma asks Robyn into her office for a small chat, things work out..okay.
Date: September 16, 2010
Log Title: Standing
Rating: PG-13
Xavier Mansion - Emma Frost's Office
Miss Frost's office is not as white as one would expect, however it does present an overall theme in the room. Using a classic den/office style structure from the building, the hardwood floor has been mostly covered from entry to desk with a white carpet that has been decorative bordered in an ivy-pattern, with the center having a delicately done floral arrangement. Two plush white leather chairs sit slightly staggered and angled facing a white marble topped desk of dark-stained oak, the Xavier Academy logo in front emblazoned in a polished steel. Atop the desk is materials for physical writing as well as a dual-monitor computer system that seems keyboardless, instead having a single mouse-like interface device. To the right are a pair of striated white marble book-cases filled from top to bottom, in the center of the pair a marble fireplace that burns sedately despite the time or season.
The left wall has a series of file cabinets sitting next to another computer desk, this one with a standard keyboard and mouse with the academy logo floating sedately on the screen. Next to those is a table where mail seems to be laid out next to a carafe of what is either coffee or tea, and a small pile of cookies, which seems to vary day by day. Behind the carafe is a small containers for sugar, fresh cream, and honey.
Behind the desk is a bank of windows facing northwards, running practically from wall to wall, bordered on both sides by silver-embroidered sheer silk cloth, so even when drawn you can make out details outside, and so long as day is present, line pours in to give the room a sense of warmth. For the times when more light is required, it comes from the vaulted office ceiling from a tasteful-looking light and fan combination. Just behind the desk and on the right side is a second door with a hand-print scanner.
Once the class day has ended, Emma sits down behind her desk with her dinner on a tray on the side, once more looking somewhat untouched. Looking towards the door, she ends up peering for a moment as if in expectation of something. In the meantime Robyn has in fact received an email for him to come to her office at the dinner hour. With her jacket off, she instead has on a filmy piece that looks partly like a shirt in how it sits, but otherwise just shimmers and accents her frame. Still like a winter goddess, the sun sets behind her and the lights come up… followed by the poof of the fireplace beginning at a wave of her hand.
There's a knock on the door as Robyn got the email. It kind of pushes him to talk to Emma about what he needed to talk about at the same time find out what she wants. He's coming to the conversation putting aside in his head what happened between James and Emma according to James. "Ms. Frost? You wanted to see me?" Asks the emo looking teen whose dressed in blacks and grays as usual.
Motioning for one of the plush chairs, Emma smiles as you come inside, and sits back. Reaching over for her dinner, she stops, and then exhales… and decides better for it. Instead she leans in on the desk, and asks, "Thank you for coming today… I know this is not an easy question to ask, but I wanted to know how you felt about Selene remaining on campus? Of all that have been affected by her, yours was the most personal and the most hurtful. It is almost to a level of the hurts she has inflicted on me in the past. So I suppose beyond that… I was going to ask you if there was anything I might be able to do to assist you in the development of your powers?"
"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your dinner just…your email said.." Robyn says feeling bad about the dinner on her desk as he sits down. The question though hits him and he pauses before answering. "How I feel about Selene…remaining on campus. Sorry, I don't mean to question your judgment but I am not happy about it personally. She tried to kill me and my friends ma'am and now she's the one in charge of teaching us…" He trails off. "But it's not my choice if she stays or not. As for my powers, I don't know ma'am, I've been doing training with Addison for a while now."
Emma sighs once, "You did not… I tend to forget about a meal or so when working, especially in this place." But then she sits back, and crosses her arms in thought, "If you will give me a moment… Selene is many things, including I would daresay, as close to evil as one can get without truly losing their sense of self. But, she has had most of what makes her that taken away. The things she stole that gave her the powers she did are gone… and in as much as it galls me to say this… if she were to walk out the door today? The circles we used to run in would devour her in a heartbeat." Fingers come together as she watches the boy's responses as she takes a breath, "There is much she can teach you… to help prevent what was done from happening again… but at the same? There is much you can teach her. And perhaps finally show her the error of her ways… and bring her to a sense of genuine remorse for her actions."
"Powers don't make a person evil, her personality is still there." Robyn says quietly as he listens for the most part but he lets a lot of what she says about Selene kind of wash over him, not really caring. That is until she talks about training and Robyn looks up blinking. "Wait, you want me to train with that bi…with her?! I am already stuck having my Sunday's with her but you want to me to do more than that? A woman whose says that I need a regiment of lithium and therapy? No. Don't make me train with her."
Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before laying her hands on the table, "Robyn Larkin… do not take what I have stated and put more words in my mouth…" Her eyes soften some as she taps one cultured fingernail on the desk, "I meant the additional training she is overseeing, and nothing more. But that alone tells me your state of mind." She continues to watch for several more moments before finally saying softly, "There is much weighing on you, isn't there… and perhaps you feel that those you talk to are not truly listening. And that ourselves as staff do not truly consider your feelings. Your anger towards her is obvious… but what else is there?"
Robyn's hands grip the arms of the chair and he tries to think about what to say. "Just…a lot going on. Senior year and with her, I think I could deal with her being here if I didn't run into her much, but…a part of it is I'm scared for the team. I don't think they understand what she's done, what she could do. I don't think they understand that we need to act like a team and trust each other in order for this to work and…it's a lot ma'am. It's obvious she doesn't like me either and she'd love to just get me out of the way." Things he doesn't feel comfortable talking about with her. "And also thinking a lot about college next year."
There's a very faint smirk that plays more in Emma's eyes and eyebrow rather than her mouth proper before she settles herself a bit more, and then inclines her head, "Forgive me for saying this, young man… but you are all young, and as such, things can tend to be underestimated. It is only with hindsight to we understand and forgive circumstance. I understand quite well the risk of placing her in this position, but I also understand the benefit. Any other teacher or mentor here will… forgive the bluntness… coddle. Much of this on your own personal front is about control… and about fear, I think. And fighting this fight, learning in this harsh manner… is beneficial. In many respects, Arcade, Mister Sinister, Magneto… all the rogues and villians the X-men faced, including myself… were as much teacher as Charles was." Emma then adds in a considering and careful tone, "But the lessons they taught were sometimes taken with more permanency. Life here in the last year has taught you many things… and some of them I believe were wrong. Things I am attempting to correct."
"I don't think there is any way me or Theo or Connor or Lucas or Jinx can predict her, and that's why I want to get us to work as a team. If we trust each other and work with each other and have each other's backs, then we can face the unpredictable together but…it's hard." Robyn says and it's not hard for him to work with the others, it's hard getting them to see what he believes. "I don't trust her Ms. Frost and I don't think I could ever find it in myself to forgive her. I am scared of her and what might happen with this team and I know she's not going to be nice to me."
A sigh, and another shake of the head as Emma stands up and turns around to look outside and the evening air, her hands behind her back. Those simple shifts makes the sheer top shimmer around her in the varied light as the woman replies, "You cannot force someone to believe something, Mister Larkin. There are those of us who can yes… change their thoughts, insert ideas… but truly making someone believe something is… well… it's a small miracle of it's own. I would counsel you then… balance your worries with patience. The tension crackles around you, I can feel it even from here… and while you might be able to put your worries into words… there may be more that you cannot speak of yet." There's a pause before she says, "You have experienced trauma, and as such, it can lead to side effects that are long-reaching. We're not blind to what you're going through, Robyn… not in the slightest."
Robyn just sits there in silence for quite some time. He doesn't really know what to say, or what to feel right now. He's got a flood of thoughts and emotions he's just not comfortable sharing with Emma and he doesn't know who to turn to. "How do I deal with her petty threats from here on Ms. Frost? How do I just let her personal jabs at me roll off my back like everyone expects me to?" He finally asks quietly.
"Well first…" Emma says in a rich tone, "Selene is not medical staff… all her money, everything she has at the moment comes from us… or more importantly, it comes from myself. Which means I can see every action taken, and extrapolate what is needed from there. She could not buy what she would threaten you with, without my knowing it, and without us being in a position to stop her from doing it. And you can thank young Master Heathe for this. His repeated theft of anesthetics has lead us to much stricter medical protocols." Another brief pause and she waves a hand over her food, bringing it's warmth back up without drying it out, "Her motivation is to get you to quit… and in doing so she will be free once more to devote her time to researching her ascendancy once more. Every class you take, every time you force her to create new challenges… this thwarts her, and forces her to be reminded of her failures."
"I already decided I'm not going to quit, no matter what." Robyn says in the same quiet voice. "I didn't think she actually would Ms. Frost it's just…it's going to be tough." He knows this isn't gonna be an easy road but he's going to work hard and is determined to succeed at this team. "I have an odd question Ms. Frost…do you think, I mean I know Lucas wants to but….I can possibly have it in me to lead others?"
Emma shakes her head once, "I can provide every vote of confidence in the world, but at the end of the day, it is what is inside of you that determines if you can lead or not. You inspire trust from others, and I see you try hard to bring them together and hold them together." But then she holds up a finger, "However… I will say this to you in all honesty. Leadership has everything to do with trust, because without being able to trust those around you, or under you… success means nothing. So in that, I do feel you have the potential to become a leader one day."
Robyn nods as that's something he kind of needed to hear, a small vote of confidence. "I know, I'm even willing to trust Theo and work with him and put our past behind us." And Robyn and Theo don't have the best of relationships. "I want to make sure the team is safe and that we are just that, a team. I don't think this training will do us much good if we don't realize that." He then finally looks up at Ms. Frost and takes a deep breath. "Ms. Frost, I don't think you're doing bad, being a headmistress. I can see you're trying so..thank you."
That finger comes up once more, "I am not quite finished, but I thank you for the compliment. There is much wrong with this school, I am endeavouring to fix. One of those things is that nothing has been done to help you learn to control your need for mental energy. Instead, I have only seen record of Addison coddling that need, and leaving you with a crutch. I want to end this. If you are willing, I would like to have you go through a series of scans, including an MRI. Done before and after a feeding, and done after a period of time that you have stated to the physicians that the migraines begin. It is imperative to understand not only what is happening mentally, but physically. This will mean less free time for you, as I will have to do some of this personally."
Robyn nods as it looks like his senior year is getting busier and busier but then he doesn't think he'd be able to get into college without getting this under control. "Okay Ms. Frost, I'll do what I can." And it hasn't been just Addison but Jono as well. "Let me know when you want to start and we can get this done. Is there anything else you need cause I have to get some last minute homework done." He's not saying it to be rude just more he's a slacker on homework.
She chuckles softly, and then leans back in her chair, looking at her meal, before saying, "And I have a dinner to enjoy… so yes… we should part ways. Please do remember, my door is open should you need someone to speak to outside your daily issues. And if I am busy, I will find time for any request a student brings to me. Please… take a cookie before you go. Fresh delivered this morning."
