The Santayana Effect: The Set-Up

[x-adrienne.livejournal.com]

Adrienne meets Emma in Boston to discuss a proposition given to her by the Black Court's Jason Wyngarde.

Being told Emma would meet with her in Boston had caused Adrienne a slight logistical nightmare due to personal schedules and transportation, exacerbated by the haste in which she wanted to see her sister, and her agitation was beginning to grow as she showed up at Frost Enterprises. She blew past Emma's guards with a habitual coolness, though it was all she could do not to snap at them. "Hey, Em," she greeted her sister, forcing herself to calm down and be patient by telling herself that if Emma had been worried about why Adrienne wanted to see her, she could have just read her sister's mind and saved her the visit, so obviously she was making her encounter with Wyngarde into more of an issue than it really was. "How's business?"

“Business, as always, is going swimmingly, Adrienne,” responded Emma. “Pleasure, however, is proving less tractable. The Black Court are being particularly...” Emma paused, obviously searching for a word, “rambunctious at the moment. I thought it best we meet in person; I think the situation may be turning somewhat serious.”

"You do?" Adrienne asked, tone indicating she was slightly stunned by the comment. "I... didn't think you'd be worried about the seriousness of things of late. The fact that you are is... a little bit disconcerting, I must admit." So much for Emma not being worried. "They are rambunctious, aren't they? Jason Wyngarde recently threatened to cause Garrison Kane or his sister an accident if I didn't keep him on a tighter leash," she informed her sister. That wasn't really what she'd come here to say, and she wrinkled her nose at the fact that she'd expressed worry for Garrison and Vikks before voicing the part of her meeting with Wyngarde that had really brought her here.

"I'm more concerned with the fact that I'm now reasonably certain they were behind the attempt on Valentia and the subsequent disappearance of my Bishop," replied Emma. She frowned into the middle distance. "I don't know if it was Shaw. The Black Court is in - upheaval. And I can't work out why." Her gaze returned to Adrienne's face. "But they are trying to keep me off balance by threatening those close to me. I think your latest run-in with Wyngarde is, perhaps, a prelude to another attempt to distract me."

"Well, threats to my boyfriend aside," Adrienne frowned, "he didn't seem to be using me to distract you, at least not outright. But that's why I'm here. Because why else would Wyngarde make a proposal to me to read something for the Black Court with my powers when he could go through ordinary channels to appraise it? Which brings me to another reason I'm here- how would Wyngarde find out I even have powers, Em?" Her tone wasn't exactly accusatory, but Adrienne was clearly concerned about how one of Shaw's close personal friends knew she was a mutant.

Emma shrugged. “It’s what the Courts do, Adrienne. The amount of effort we put into finding out each other’s secrets is extraordinary. We play our games for all sorts of reasons; if nothing else it keeps us from getting bored.” She smiled suddenly. “Wyngarde has powers and I still don’t know what they are, no matter how much effort I put into it. Obviously I will have to increase my efforts. Wyngarde and that redhead whom he so obviously owns. Perhaps he put just as much effort into finding out what you can do with your powers. And then finding something to entice you to use them.” She paused for a moment, tapping diamond-hard fingernails on her desk. “It is a trap, of course.”

"That was my suspicion, yes," Adrienne muttered, frowning. "He wouldn't be using me to distract you so it must be some sort of trap." It wasn't as if Emma cared about her, after all. She wouldn't care if anything happened to Adrienne. Blowing out an agitated breath, she pushed hair out of her face. "And I agree, you need to figure out who these people are. It's really damn annoying not having anything on them."

“He may not think to use you to distract me,” murmured Emma. “Nonetheless, I would be distracted.”

"Aww," Adrienne smirked, "thanks sis." Despite her flippancy she was actually touched that Emma would be distracted over her. "Okay so this thing is a trap. What do I do about it? He wants me to read some artifact to verify it’s an authentic Hellfire Club relic or something. I can't see the trap in that, unless the artifact's... magic and kills me when I touch it or something."

“That would be stupid of him,” replied Emma. “It wouldn’t be playing by the rules and I doubt he’s willing to risk the penalties. If he knows what your powers are...” Emma paused. “I can think of a few options. Perhaps it might be best if I look at your meeting. It might help pinpoint what he’s planning.” She raised an enquiring eyebrow at Adrienne, obviously asking permission.

"Knock yourself out," Adrienne smiled, motioning with a sweep of her hand for Emma to go ahead. "Not literally, I mean. My powers knock me out when I get too shocked and it's not very much fun."

The Hellfire Club mansion had never been a particularly friendly place, but with Manuel in Spain and Emma engaged elsewhere- Boston, or was she still in Africa?- Adrienne was feeling a little lonely as she scanned the crowd of powerbrokers, glass of Malbec in her hand. It didn't help that she'd been going to these sorts of parties- the UN, her company, the Hellfire Club- with Garrison a lot lately, and was feeling the lack of his company in addition to the lack of the White Court members.

But sighting Doug across the room had her spirits instantly picking up, and she sashayed a few steps in his direction casually. Until Jason Wyngarde stepped into the path she had planned on taking. She froze instantly, hoping he would keep moving and she could go on her way, though her face remained blank.

"Ah, Adrienne. I see you're missing your police escort. Was there a school crossing unattended? Or did another little cat get stuck up in a tree and require his attention." Wyngarde said affably. "Regardless, I need a moment of your time. There is a service that you can provide the Black Court. Especially in light of your recent, let us say, apparent wavering in support."

"Jason," Adrienne greeted, pasting a smile on her face. "Of course, tell me about this service. I'm always happy to support the Black Court- I'm sure any waverings in said support exist only in your imagination. And that's fire fighters who rescue cats, Jason," she added as an afterthought. "Though I don't think my police escort even likes cats."

"You should keep him more closely leashed. Threats to members of the Black Court are considered threats to the Black Court itself by Sebastian. It wouldn't do for him or his sister to have an accident." Jason said chillingly, and led her into a private room.

Adrienne's eyes went wide at the threat, and she was glad she was behind Wyngarde so he couldn't see her discomfort. When she sat in one of the armchairs of the private room, her face was neutral once again. "I'm sure no Black Court member would be worried enough about a threat from a Mountie to bother constructing an accident," she shrugged. "Those things take so much planning and money, I'm sure Sebastian wouldn't go arranging one over the empty threat of a snarling dog. But thank you for the advice," she simpered, digging around in her handbag for her lighter while checking to make sure her defensive spray was within easy reach. Being in a private room with Wyngarde wasn't the most ideal of circumstances, especially when he started the visit off with a threat to her boyfriend.

"The son of Christian Kane is hardly a mere 'Mountie', Adrienne. And since he's your dog, you'll be the one held responsible." Wyngarde said, taking a seat in a leather chair and lounging back. "You know, for someone who was so doggedly pursuing power before, you've done remarkably little to help Sebastian or the Black Court since we extended the invitation. It also looks like your sister has frozen you out of her little circle of advisors. Makes it difficult to see exactly what your value is, beyond the most immediate and fleeting uses, of course."

Adrienne arched a perfectly sculpted eyebrow at him. "Since you were the one extending the inital invitation, I was under the apparently mistaken impression that you would be the one to tell me in what situations you needed me to be valuable. At our first meeting it became apparent that you were the one calling the shots, not me. So I've been waiting for a chance to tag in, but I figured you were the coach, Coach. What service is it that you're needing me to provide?"

"Nothing significant. We have an artifact of the Black Court which we'd like to verify its authenticity before making a bid to the current owner. Normally we would have our normal sources conduct the investigation, but it would be time consuming and expensive, where as your powers offer an obvious immediate affirmation."

"My... powers?" Adrienne repeated in apparent disbelief, eyebrow arching again. "What... powers would those be, exactly? My brilliant powers of deduction?"

"I believe the term is psychomanstry? Something along those lines."

"Oh, right. Those powers." Adrienne didn't bother to correct the mispronounciation, or the assumption that she had said powers. She made a mental note to contact Emma when her meeting with Wyngarde was over to ask how he'd found out about her powers, though, immediately suspecting Manuel had switched loyalties. "That shouldn't be a problem, Jason. I'm happy to help the Black Court in just about any capacity, as well you know. What's the artifact, if you don't mind my asking?"

"Simply an old seal used by one of the early members of the Black Court. Appears that his family held on to it and some other effects long after they lost prominence and were removed from court, generations ago. Sebastian likes to keep a sense of history alive in the Black Court. It reminds people what we are building here."

Nodding, Adrienne took a long drag on her cigarette. "Well, I'm more than happy to help Sebastian remind people of what the Black Court is building, Jason. Where is the seal?" She looked around the room curiously.

"The current owner will release it to use for appraisal later this week. I'll be in touch when we need you."

Emma leaned back from reading Adrienne’s memory. “I’ve been in contact with Manuel, recently,” she said softly. “He hasn’t changed loyalties. I assured myself of that.” She didn’t feel the need to explain that further; she had found slicing through Manuel’s mind without asking his permission distasteful, but in the circumstances, Emma had considered it prudent and, eventually, reassuring. “Wyngarde knows exactly what you can do. Calling it psychomanstry was stupid; he’s trying to pretend he hasn’t researched it down to the finest degree.” She thought about it some more. “When you read something, you’re vulnerable. Right at the beginning, when the reading starts, your mind opens right up. Not for long, a micro-second, but if someone good is waiting for that...” Emma trailed off.

Adrienne relaxed visibly at hearing that Emma was sure Manuel hadn't switched loyalties, but her relief was short-lived and she tensed again at her sister's explanation of the vulnerability her powers brought her. "Do you think Wyngarde is a telepath? That he's been reading my mind and that he can come into my mind when I use my powers?"

It was rare that Emma let her emotions show on her face, but this time she allowed her frustration to be clear. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. There’s something about him that makes him – difficult for me to read. Difficult even to notice. It’s like he blurs my ability to see him. But I don’t think it’s straight read/write telepathy. A variation on the theme perhaps. But that doesn’t mean he hasn’t got someone who can do exactly that.” Emma’s grin was one that only her sister ever saw, open and clever and very, very wicked. “So, won’t it surprise them to find me waiting?”