Emma and Hope: Plotting

[xp_trance]

Hope and Emma have Thai and plot. 

Emma had decided not to have her chat with Hope at the Hellfire Club. As much as it was Emma’s second (maybe third, depending on how she felt about Frost Enterprises versus the Club on any given day) home, sometimes it was nice to eat out. So she’d booked a private room at rather delightful Thai restaurant she knew not far from the Club. She’d arrived a little early, so she was doing some work on her tablet when the door opened and the waiter smiled and ushered in Hope.

“Sit down, my dear,” said Emma. “Have you ordered a drink or should I get them to bring you something when you’ve had time to peruse the drinks menu?”

Hope smoothed her skirt before taking her seat right across from Emma. "Not yet. Class ran over and I was lucky I did not get stuck in traffic." Accepting the menu from the same waiter who had shown her in, she quickly scanned the options. "A Carignan from Languedoc-Roussillon please." 

She waited till the waiter had left, then added. "A friend recommended the massaman curry with the Carignan. I am curious to see how that combination turns out." 

“I’m more of a white wine fan myself,” said Emma and tilted her already filled glass at Hope. “I’ve found this rather luscious Californian Albarino that goes beautifully with the fish curry they do here. All very decadent and spicy, as the world should be. How is class going at the moment? What subjects are you doing this semester?”

 "Except for Corporate and Global Finance, I think it's going rather well. With Operations Management done I have finished the requisites for my business minor and for the public relations one I only have one more class to go. I am just not yet quite sure which one will be offered next year. I am also doing a fascinating colloquium on Political Behavior." Hope explained. "I might just go in that direction for my senior capstone."  

“That would be appropriate, considering the current political climate and your work with the Club,” replied Emma, pausing as the waiter delivered Hope’s wine and took their food orders. “Is there anything I could do to assist with Corporate and Global Finance? Considering the last few years of my life appear to have been entirely eaten by organising corporate and global finance. It might as well be useful for things other than ensuring Frost Enterprises will survive the coming… well, whatever it is that is coming. Hopefully not Apocalypse. He was terribly tedious and he’s definitely supposed to be dead this time.”

"I think it is mostly that way the material is presented both by the book and the professor does not work for me. They go into infinite details without offering a bigger picture or framework first. I even went to his office hours and ran into the same issue. Assistance with that might be helpful. " Hope let out a small sigh. "I prefer how the colloquium brings together much from my major and my public relations work."

 “Send me through your course notes and I’ll see if I can work out what over-riding economic theory your professor subscribes to. I might be able to provide some assistance around what framework he is working to. And if I can’t, Christine can probably give me the name of someone useful.” Emma took another sip of her wine. “And in an incredibly clumsy segue that makes me despair about the erosion of my conversational capacity, I thought perhaps it might be time for us to talk about the larger framework around your role in the Club.”

 Hope straightened up at that. "I'd say that is always useful to discuss. Are there any specific concerns?" She asked, just a tad cautiously.  

 “The only concerns relate to me, Hope darling,” replied Emma warmly. “I’ve been so caught up in everything around Frost Enterprises that I’ve been letting you drift along in the Club without sufficient direction. What I have seen of what you’ve been doing has been very good, but I just haven’t been able to provide the assistance I should. I thought perhaps we should review what you have done and work out where you would like to go. As you know, I want to use the Club to try and disrupt some of the more egregiously anti-mutant political sentiment that is out there and developing a plan for the next few months or years would probably be a very good way to start doing that.

 The tentative look in Hope's eyes turned thoughtful. "Along with a small group a few others I have been keeping an eye out, mapping what we could off and on. We started after what happened in Richmond. But with both Cara and CJ in graduate school at Georgetown and Ian returning home to take care of his mother after the car accident since September, our ability to do so has been severely limited. Building that up again would be a start."  

 “You did introduce me to the charming Betsy Braddock,” said Emma. “Who seems at least somewhat interested in what the Club may offer her. Do you have a sense of whether she may be interested in politics? Or political shenanigans, at least. I feel that we’ve let the anti-mutant sentiment drift on for far too long. I’m wondering whether it might be time for some bolder moves, and telepaths can be handy for that kind of work. But I don’t have any kind of real feeling for what Lady Braddock’s ethical framework may be.”

 "I believe Betsy is still feeling out where her interests and area of work might lie." Hope answered after a moment of consideration. "I do think she would consider the option and as I have come to know her it's my believe that she has a fairly flexible sense of morality. But I also believe that she is still searching for her boundaries in that sense."  

 After another moment she added: "May I assume you are considering targeting certain personalities directly in order to create... a more hospitable environment for mutants?"  

 “I haven’t got a particular target in mind yet,” replied Emma, then paused as the waiter brought in Hope’s wine. “Primarily I’ve been trying to keep the worst anti-mutant laws from going through, but I think it may be time to change strategy. I think an injection of, and please excuse the pun, hope into mutant affairs might be useful. So thinking of perhaps targeting one of the generally liberal state legislatures, get them to pass legislation that protects mutants from discrimination. A positive action, rather than preventing negative action. No one sees when you stop the introduction of anti-mutant legislation. Whereas if we get some positive legislation passed, or get a pro-mutant protection candidate elected, that would be a far more positive sign.”

 "Finally going in assault mode... trying to change something constructive instead of basically playing whack a mole with the individual laws. The idea intrigues me. The first one is more difficult than the second.." Suddenly Hope had to grin. "... but for the second I might just have a thought." Pulling over her bag, she removed a folder from it and pushed it across the table. "Meet Jeffrey Mace. Democrat, defending one of the incumbent seats next year in the NY state senate."  

 Emma picked up the folder, flicked through it quickly. “He looks... interesting. A very progressive state Senator.” She put the folder to one side. “I will look at it in detail, of course, but why have you brought the Senator to my attention?”

 "He was first catapulted in the public eye after helping several victims after Day Zero in a collapsed building. He was only just elected in an Alderman position, the popularity helped him become mayor in the next election." Hope paused the waiter entered once more, this time to deliver their orders.  

 Once the waiter had left, she continued: "I have studied several of the reports, including some only available at the mansion. He could not have gotten some of those people free as a normal human."   

 “Ah,” said Emma delicately. “But he isn’t... a known mutant?” 

 "I have not even fully confirmed he is one, just very strong suspicions. And if he is, he is extremely discrete. But if you look at his voting and what he has said, it definitely looks like he would support some of the type of laws we just discussed. I was going to suggest him as a potential candidate to cultivate before you shared your ideas."  

 Emma smiled as she took a small bite from her fish curry. “I like your style, Hope,” she said, warmly. “So you are thinking that if he is re-elected we may have someone willing to take our ideas forward? That could be very useful. So we could concentrate our attention on making sure he’s re-elected. And then perhaps seek his assistance on providing support to mutants.”

 "I am hoping that is the case, but I also have to admit that my case is built on a lot of 'could be', 'maybe' and 'possibly'. There is only so much that background research can reveal. A telepathic scan may reveal what he himself is thinking and feeling, but would not reveal if he at least is in a somewhat supportive environment where the basic ideas can start to bloom. A period of closer observation might be beneficial, but it would take a significant investment of time." Hope continued to lay out her case as she tested her curry, then quickly took another bite as the rich flavour hit her palate.   

Emma contemplated Hope for a moment and then took a sip of her wine. “Do you have a suggestion for who may be willing to invest that time?” she asked. “I am getting the feeling you have been thinking about this in quite some detail,” she continued and smiled at Hope. 

 "You are right." Hope admitted. "If I am honest, I was hoping to combine two things. I still wish to complete an internship for my degree and from what I have seen the campaign for Mace his re-election is one I would enjoy working on. It would also give me the time to observe all that I need."  

 Pausing to sip from her wine, she added: "And between the degrees I am working on and the practical skillset that I bring with me, I have no doubts about them accepting my application." 

 Emma raised her glass in a small toast. “And I can always provide helpful references from a number of relevant people if you would think it necessary. I like your ideas very much, Hope. I think we might be able to start making some more positive moves to help mutants in the future if we can sure we’re talking to exactly the right people. Do you have any thoughts about how long it may take to gain real insight into Mace’s capacities?”

 As she considered, Hope responded to the toast. "That will depends on the access and responsibility I will be receiving, but at least a few weeks, maybe a month or three. If we want to establish our beach head here, I want to be a little more careful then I would normally be."  

 “Well,” replied Emma. “Mutantkind has spent rather a few too many years on the back foot, l don’t think an extra few months is too large a price to pay. And it sounds like you will be able to make some excellent contacts and cultivate relationships at the same time. Which can never be underestimated. I think you should go ahead with your plan. In the extremely unlikely event that you aren’t chosen for the internship, let me know and I’ll… make sure that you are chosen. And, as always, if you need any assistance at any time, just call me. On the phone or just,” Emma smiled, “call me.”

 "My application is due in around January or February, so that gives me some time. Hopefully it will work out as we hope."