1/9 Issue: Alternative Resources

[Svartfreja]

Timelined for after [Issue]Relationship Complications


<Monet> Monet poured her tea and moved back through the living room on the way to her study. She spared a glance at the grandfather clock as she took the first sip from her cup. Her next appointment should arrive any moment, permitting they arrived on time. She sat down at her desk and worked on clearing away the confidential paperwork from the club.

<Carol> Carol made absolutely sure she was on time. She'd also made sure to wear her not scuffed to hell boots and jeans and a nerd shirt that didn't have any holes in it. It was the best she could do without showing up in uniform. After checking her hair wasn't sticking up from the flight over, she raised a hand and pressed the bell.

<Monet> Monet knew Carol was there before the bell even rang. It's open. Please make sure to wipe your boots on the rug before tramping mud up my stairs, oui? She locked the cabinet and slipped the key into the small hidey-drawer in the secretary desk before turning back to her tea.

<Carol> I didn't walk over here but I can take them off if you'd rather... She let herself in, employing her flight to check the bottom of her boots. Not a speck. She shrugged and landed, heading along the hallway.

<Monet> No, that's fine. Merci. Monet stood and moved towards the stairs to meet with Carol once she made it up to her. I have a fresh pot of coffee prepared or you can have a cup of the tea I made for myself.

<Carol> "Coffee's good," Carol assured her once she was in sight. "I only drink tea when Jess makes me."

<Monet> "I won't make anyone drink tea. I rarely drink it myself. But I see it as such a waste to make someone drink something that would be much better suited to save for yourself or someone who wants it." Monet gave her a nod in greeting and headed to the kitchen, floating up to get one of the larger mugs for Carol's purposes. "Jessica really should also know better. I'm surprised Sebastian hasn't beaten that trait out of her yet."

<Carol> "I think you're forgetting who wears the pants in that relationship," Carol pointed out, "And I'm pretty sure she gives me tea because I'm from Boston and she's British and it tickles her funny bone. I don't mind tea... I just prefer coffee."

<Monet> "I forget nothing, but that does not mean I am not disappointed all the same in my former paramour." She lowered and handed the mug to Carol before motioning at the French press. "She has a peculiar sense of humor, that one."

<Carol> Carol took the mug and filled it, "She's quirky. I like it," she shrugged a shoulder, "Keeps you on your toes."

<Monet> "If that's what keeps you warm at night, so be it." Monet headed back out of the kitchen to her study where her tea was most assuredly being kept hot by the device Pietro had so kindly given her. "I don't care for it, personally."

<Carol> Redd was keeping her warm at night lately but Monet probably didn't mean it like that. "Well, from what I hear, you don't care for Jess at all so... I'm sure she's not expecting you to laugh at her jokes." She followed Monet with her coffee and took a sip.

<Monet> Monet sat and picked her cup back up, arching one eyebrow as she lifted it to her lips for a sip. "Non. I am not fond of her any more than she is of me." She nodded at the chair across from her antique desk and cocked her head. "But you did not come here to talk about Jessica. Or about the woman who is actually keeping you warm at night. Is there a reason she looks so much like Jean Grey?"

<Carol> "Coincidence?" Carol took the seat and held her coffee between her hands, using her powers to keep it warm. "I came to talk about some stuff I'm probably not allowed to talk about."

<Monet> That peaked Monet's interest and she set her cup down, laid her forearms on her desk, and interlaced her fingers. "If you're coming to tell me that you've been shacking up with Sebastian's son while his daughter-in-law is off gallivanting, using the excuse of nowhere else to go, when Sebastian would have gladly offered up a room at my club to you, I'm surprised you would admit it."

<Carol> Her eyebrows rose high. Wow. Just wow. "That's not what's happening. Because that isn't happening."

<Monet> "I know it's not. But you likely would not complain if it were, oui?" She smirked at the woman across from her.

<Carol> "Sure I would. He's still married to her, she's just off who the hell knows where doing who the hell knows what... Which is actually one of the things I wanted to talk to you about."

<Monet> "I don't mean in the moral sense, Carol," Monet waved an impatient hand. "I mean in the purely physical sense. If he's anything like his father in bed, you would be quite pleased." She was a little surprised that Carol wanted to discuss Hope, though. "You want to discuss the First Daughter with me? Why not consult the First Girlfriend if you're afraid to discuss it with the President? Oh, that's right, she terrifies you."

<Carol> She raised an eyebrow and slammed up her mental shields because there'd be no more of that. Damn her making her actually use effort. "I'm not discussing her with you. I'm asking you to put feelers out to the other clubs. Rogue can't do that. You can. I'm using SHIELD resources to listen out for anything that might be her... but the club has resources we don't have."

<Monet> Monet frowned slightly as she watched Carol's aura shift with agitation. "You are really worried about Hope, aren't you? Why?"

<Carol> "You mean aside from the fact she's the President's kid and we don't know where the fuck she is?" She sighed, "She left without talking to her husband about it and he's not doing so good. I don't want to leave him in that house on his own but sooner or later I'm gonna have to. What I'd like is some kind of news to offer before that happens."

<Monet> Monet watched Carol very carefully and interlaced her fingers again, "And what will you do if the news you are able to offer is not good?"

<Carol> "I'm not gonna not tell him, if that's what you're asking. Whatever turns up, he needs to know. This whole situation isn't fair on him... I'm so mad at Hope for just leaving like that... and David for letting her." She would 100% kick his ass when he showed up.

<Monet> She let Carol stew in her anger as she took her cup back into her hands for another drink. "I will put out word that we are looking and to make sure things are handled discreetly. It would likely help to ease Sebastian's mind as well. Was that all?"

<Carol> "Well, you can tell Sebastian you're doing that if you want," she wasn't going to. She took a sip from her coffee while she considered the other thing, "What are your thoughts on Senator Shaffran?"

<Monet> "Stephanie Shaffran?" Monet chuckled and took another sip. "She's a wretched woman who will step on anyone to get what she thinks she deserves. I don't trust her as far as an infant could throw her."

<Carol> "I don't think anyone does," she frowned at her coffee before looking at Monet again, "What do you know about her?"

<Monet> "Not as much as I would like to." Monet set her tea down and smoothed her top, leaning back in her chair. "But because of what I do know, I will tell you that I do not for an instant believe that she is genuinely a senator. At least not democratically speaking. If she truly holds that title, it was bought and my guess is that it was paid for by Osborn."

<Monet> "What do you know about her?"

<Carol> "Hardly anything," she replied honestly, "She's like a ghost before she shows up as a Senator for Nebraska... and, I know, it's Nebraska... but I work for the government."

<Monet> "Indeed. I have not tried to dig very hard into her past, but I do not like her being in my club or near Sebastian or Tony. That woman crawled out of the pits of hell, but she does not belong in the Hellfire Club."

<Carol> "Can you do me a favour and look into her? I know I should be all Team Rhodey... and I am... but I'm also not an idiot and I know she's got something going on. Beth and Jean both dipped into her mind at the rally before... Beth said it was pointy in there."

<Monet> "Pointy?" That amused Monet and she smirked. "I would call it sharp. Almost as if you had a pincushion with the pins the wrong way 'round. Painful to intruders." She shook her head, "Darling, looking into ones opponent is hardly saying you're not on the team you should be on."

<Carol> "I'm not asking you to dig up dirt on her to smear her in the press," Carol pointed out, "I want to know who the fuck she is and where she came from. I want to know what her endgame is and I want to know how she got to Osborn."

<Monet> "Temper, Carol. Take a breath and a drink of your coffee." Monet used that moment to follow her own advice, taking up her tea again. "Do you have any theories? Leads? A working hypothesis at least?"

<Carol> "If I was angry right now, your lights would be flickering. This is my concerned voice," she sighed, leaning back into her seat, "I haven't spoken to her personally... but I've watched her at events. She's really interested in Tony. Like really interested. She watches him the whole time they're in the same place."

<Monet> "I'm aware, which is why I reminded you about your temper. I would like for my electronics to continue to work." Cup empty, Monet set it down on a normal coaster and flicked off the heated one. "Most women are interested in Tony, but I do agree, she approaches the matter as if he were prey to be eaten, not fucked. It is very unnerving to see."

<Carol> "Yeah and I don't know if he realises the danger he's in there..." she chewed her lip, "I don't know... her anti mutant stance is extreme but she's cozying up to the most mutant friendly President in ever. It doesn't make sense without some ulterior motive and I don't like it."

<Monet> "Well that just adds to my theory of a woman trying to climb her way to the top, oui? Perhaps it's not politics she's after? Maybe it's weaponry. Perhaps she is hoping for some sort of war and wants to control who gets the most powerful weapons."

<Carol> "Maybe... makes sense then to get into bed with two weapons manufacturing companies on opposing sides... but it'd still make more sense to sit on the fence politically. I'm just worried... and I hope it's just my prepare for all outcomes training kicking in... but just in case..."

<Monet> "On that, we agree." Monet reached up to the collar of her blouse, smoothing it and letting the knuckles of her hands brush the base of her neck. "She does not make much sense. And someone who doesn't make sense is typically a highly volatile and dangerous creature. I will have my people do more digging to find out anything possible. But, I fear, Carol, that we won't find anything."

<Carol> "Yeah and, that being the case, would mean she's extremely dangerous. If she can hide her past from your people and mine, you know she's done some super shady stuff to achieve that. Do what you can and let me know... I'll keep trying on my end."

<Monet> "What if she doesn't have a past? This would not be the first person to be created, after all."

<Carol> "Then I wanna know who created her and what for. I don't care how deep the rabbit hole goes, I wanna get to the bottom of it."

<Monet> "If we're able to find the hole, we'll jump in together." Monet nodded once. "The fact that you are worried shouldn't unnerve me since you're scared of Rogue, but this worry isn't without merit and it is feeding my doubts. We may not see eye to eye on much, but on this, I agree."

<Carol> "If Rogue had done to you what she did to me, you'd think twice before you trusted her too." Carol finished her coffee but kept the cup in her lap because Monet would probably try to ram it down her throat if she put it on the desk minus a coaster. "Can't plan for the fallout if I don't have all the pieces of the puzzle."

<Monet> "Possibly. But not trusting someone and being afraid to be around them are completely different." She lightly shrugged one shoulder as she smoothed the bottom half of her blouse again. "And what if we never find the pieces? You're a soldier. Sometimes you have to plan for all of the options, not just the most likely."

<Carol> "Yeah, well... Trauma's a helluva thing and you shouldn't judge people for that." She cared less about the desk now and plonked the cup on the edge. "I'm already preparing for the worst. It's what I do. But there's no harm in digging a little bit more while there's still time."

<Monet> "I'm aware. And I don't. I do judge people for not doing their jobs, however." She arched an eyebrow at the mug. "Non, there is not. Not yet anyway. What happens when we find answers, however, remains to be seen."

<Carol> "We'll just have to cross that bridge when we come to it," she smoothed her palms over her lap, "You know where I am if you find anything... or if you decide I owe you a favour for this."

<Monet> "You owe me nothing for this, Carol. I'm not a mafia don. I'm just as curious as you." Since the conversation seemed to be coming to a conclusion, Monet stood, picking up her cup. "I do expect to be kept abreast of your own findings, however."

<Carol> "If anything turns up, I'll let you know..." she got to her feet, "So far, it's not looking good though."

<Monet> "Oui. We must remember that she also has powerful friends to hide what your powerful friends are trying to locate. If there is anything to find, we will find it, if only by sheer cunning."

<Carol> She sighed heavily, "Hate to say it, but it kinda makes me miss Viper's particular brand of finding shit people don't want found. At least she made herself useful when she blew up that island..." She tucked her hands in her back pockets.

<Monet> "Ophelia is better off wherever she is. Wretched creature. But that does not mean we cannot take a page from her book on how to go about getting our information." Monet smirked at Carol. "You might want to make sure your investigations stay off-the-record from here-on-in."

<Carol> "SHIELD does everything off-the-record but I'll make sure it's off the off record too, don't worry. Fury knows when not to ask questions and who to ask the questions that need asking. It's basically his job."

<Monet> "Bien. Things will likely get unsavory, so to speak. Even for him." She picked up Carol's mug as well and then arched an eyebrow. "I assume those were the only things you made an appointment to speak to me about?"

<Carol> "Yeah... most things I can handle through official channels but... sometimes I gotta ask for help. Do me a favour and make sure anyone you talk to about Hope knows how important it is that it stays out of the press. I don't care how you do it."

<Monet> Monet laughed, "Chere, I think you would realize that being the daughter of a diplomat, I know very well how important it is to keep things of this nature out of the eye of the press."

<Carol> "See, I know that... but if I don't say it and it somehow leaks out anyway I'll feel like it's my fault. So I'm just saving myself some insanity later."

<Monet> That made her roll her eyes. "It does no one any good to feel guilty over things that are out of their control. Come now, I must get back to work if I'm to send spies looking for lost little girls and ghostly women."

<Carol> "Yeah, yeah, I get it..." she turned for the door, "Be careful when you turn those rocks over to see what's underneath..." Monet wasn't her favourite person but she'd feel bad if something crawled out and bit her in the ass over this.

<Monet> "There's that guilt again." Monet shook her head and tsked. "I'm a grown woman. I know what I'm doing and the risks involved. If anything happens to me in the process, it is my own doing. Now, shoo fly."

<Carol> "I can't help it, okay?" she raised a hand in semblance of a wave, even though her back was turned, as she headed for the stairs, "Just be glad you're on the list of people I'd feel bad about."