Nathan and Emma, Sunday afternoon

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Nathan is minding his own business and fetching some mail when he runs into someone he hasn't seen in (quite literally) years. Emma is waiting to see Charles and has some financial issues on her mind.


Ordinarily Nathan would have let the pile of file folders float behind him, but he'd just picked these up from the mail and there were a number of things in them he'd been waiting some time to read. He leafed through them as he walked, heading back through the mansion in the general direction of the boathouse. They had him sufficiently distracted that he had walked right past the doors of the sunroom before his preoccupied brain registered the identity of the blonde woman sitting inside, a cup of something - tea? coffee? - at her elbow.

He hadn't known Emma Frost for long enough to know whether she was a tea or coffee person. Eyes narrowing slightly, Nathan took two steps back, raising an eyebrow.

"Hello."

"Nathan." Emma arched a perfect blonde brow at him. "If you wish to talk to Charles, he shall be back shortly." Her attitude was cool enough to allow him to continue on his way if he wished, but not so uninviting as to drive him away if he wished to talk. United Nations diplomats would sell their first-born children to be allowed to learn at Emma's immaculate and expensively-clad feet.

"I was just on my way back out," Nathan said, and let go out of the files. They floated together into a neat pile and hovered at his elbow. "Interesting to see you here. It's been a while, hasn't it?" he said somewhat cautiously, wondering how she'd weathered the astral crisis. She looked... perfectly composed, but then, this was Emma Frost.

Being Emma Frost, if she had experienced any difficulties with the changes to the astral plane, she was not about to let on to someone she only knew so well (then again, being Emma Frost, if she had experienced any difficulties with anything, she was not about to let on to anyone ever). Her answer was, therefore (and not unexpectedly), perfectly composed. "Quite some time. I was intending to return earlier, but Frost Enterprises has been particularly - interesting - these last few years. One becomes quite a target when one is strong enough to be considered a threat." As Emma raised her cup, a curl of scent drifted by Nathan, confirming that it was tea that she sipped so delicately. Her eyes were clear, almost innocent in their bland expression but, as usual, there were a thousand ways to take her words.

Nathan leaned against the doorframe, eyeing her. "It's been an interesting few years all around. Did you hear I'm running an NGO office now?" He didn't jump to the conclusion that she had, although he wouldn't be surprised if she knew all about Elpis. She'd always struck him as a woman who kept up to date. "They've even got me house-trained to the point where I don't shoot annoying bureaucrats. It's been a long and arduous process."

"Bureaucrats are important, Nathan. They keep the wheels oiled. And not by using their unmopped bodily fluids to do so." The words were said in a serious tone, but a smile warmed Emma's face unexpectedly. "I am delighted that you are learning to tap some of your - lesser used talents. The world deserves to learn about your gentler side. So - how does it feel to be working for the greater good? In a way that requires less explosions than is usual, anyway?"

He gave her a slight, ironic smile that recognized the qualifier. "Occasionally rewarding. Often frustrating." After a moment, he came in and sat down in one of the chairs opposite hers, the files floating to a nearby table. He wasn't getting the impression that his presence was unwelcome, and his back hurt today. Sitting was preferable to standing for long periods of time.

"Different routes to the same basic end," he said after a long moment. "And I'm still with the team, so I get to hit people on a regular basis. Sometimes with buildings." He was maybe trying too hard to be witty.

"A joy that scarcely diminishes with time," replied Emma. She was aware of Nathan's tension, but knew that he was trying hard for a light tone to their banter, so she played along with it, a smile in her voice as she said, "There are times when I am quite nostalgic for the appearance of a well-aimed building. Certain meetings with certain captains of industry spring to mind. Of course, there are always other ways to relieve the tension."

What was it with women and making comments like that? It was a good thing he didn't have a cup of tea. Nathan cracked another slight smile, though. "Given that I'm a married man, I'm going to be good and not ask you what you mean by that."

"I meant taking over their companies, Nathan, of course. Whatever else could I possibly mean?" Emma's voice was a purr of delight, but then became more serious. "I presume that your NGO has the same funding issues as all philanthropic enterprises? As in, too few of them." She sighed. "Charles and I are discussing the funding of Snow Valley. It's amazing how much money a research facility can chew through. I'm considering restructuring the trust."

"You mean, your mannerly little think-tank isn't being financially prudent?" There was a flicker of honest mirth in Nathan's gray eyes. He was being something of a smartass, given that she knew he knew how Snow Valley really spent her money. "You should start making them fly coach."

"They may have to start walking," replied Emma. She sighed and Nathan felt the slightest whisper of her telepathic probe ghost past him, a courtesy to let him know that she was checking for potential eavesdroppers. Her next words indicated that she had found none. "Monsieur LeBeau and Mister Wisdom can spend money like water, Nathan. As can anyone who thinks they need just one more piece of information from one more highly paid informant to neutralise one more potential threat from one more possible enemy. Particularly when it is not their money that they are spending." Her frustration was apparent in her words, unusual in the always-ever-so-cool White Queen. "I am not entirely sure that quite so many things need to go boom as seems to occur on the Snow Valley accounts."

Nathan absorbed her words and the frustration behind them, wondering if Pete and Remy knew that she who held the purse strings was beginning to chafe just a little. Hopefully. They are spies, after all.

"It's funny how deep pockets aren't bottomless ones, isn't he?" he said, keeping his voice light. "When I funneled my inheritance into Elpis, I was under the impression that we'd never spend it all. Yet here we are, not two years later, contemplating fundraising for some of our projects. I suppose it's a matter of not draining the well dry."

"Indeed. Particularly when you are trying to explain in your business accounts how a charitable trust is worthy of so many funds when it produces only limited research results." Emma reached for her tea, sipped it delicately. "Monsieur LeBeau and Mister Wisdom have become a little lax on keeping an eye on expenses. I believe they may need to taste the firm lash of discipline again."

Nathan almost choked. The mental image was disturbing. Maybe he ought to give Pete a heads-up? No... Pete could handle Emma. Then again, maybe I ought to give him a heads-up on Dom's behalf, so there's as little handling Emma as possible.

She was clearly waiting for some sort of response. "Well, objectively speaking, it is your money. I get the sense they do good work, however little I generally know about the details, so I might make sure you get a clear view of the cost-benefit ratio." Nathan rolled his eyes slightly - at himself. "And if I said something like that in one of my meetings with my financial advisor, he'd probably give me candy."

"Ah - candy from strangers. One of my very favourite things." Emma smiled slightly, but then her words became business-like again. "Your advisor is giving you sound counsel, Nathan, but the problem is somewhat multiplied when you are running two sets of books and your business competitors so very much like reporting you to the authorities. And while I'm as big a fan as any of a vigorous interrogation session with an IRS auditor in a fetching dark suit, I don't particularly want Snow Valley's affairs being laid out in front of a grand jury. I think my interest in the Snow Valley may have to become a little more - hands-on."

Pete, Remy... may you live in interesting times. Actually, maybe he was more interested to find out just who wound up as the alpha female over there if Emma did indeed take a more active interest. "Well," he said more lightly, "as someone else who likes to pretend there are thirty hours in the day, I wish you the best with that. Who needs sleep, anyway?"

"Armani and Van Cleef & Arpels are the only necessities in life, Nathan. I find everything else is negotiable. However, as you point out, time is a finite commodity and, delightful as our chat has been, I'm sure I have taken enough of yours." Emma paused for a second, distracted. "And Charles is about to return." Her attention returned to Nathan and her smile was radiant. "Perhaps we can continue our discussion on appropriate punishments for our errant spendthrifts on some other occasion."