WHO:Emma Frost & Chuck Bass WHEN: End of March WHERE: Victrola WHAT: Emma and Chuck conclude business with a celebratory visit to Chuck's club RATING/WARNINGS: None STATUS: Complete
Chuck usually liked to do things himself. However he remembered Emma Frost from when he was younger. She was in a similar situation to himself. Taking over her father’s empire. Chuck had spiraled out of control after his own father’s death. Even though he was getting his act together now, the board had given his company to his Uncle Jackass. The fact that Emma seemed to despise Jack as well was a definite bonus. Clearly the woman had good taste and could sniff out bullshit a mile away. Going in on a deal together didn’t sound so bad, in fact it could even be beneficial for the both of them.
They had spent the afternoon going over the property. Assessing all the work that needed to be done. The permits they needed to acquire. One of Chuck’s least favorite things. But all that could be dealt with more tomorrow. For now it was time for a night off, well Chuck was never fully off the clock but still. He had brought Emma back to Victrola for drinks and entertainment. Leading her to one of the VIP couches near the stage. “I much prefer doing business with you than your old man,” he commented taking a sip of his scotch, eyes on the stage as he spoke.
Bart Bass wasn’t exactly a nice man. But Emma had liked him. Far more than Jack, with whom she did not get along with and would make a point in being a thorny prick in his life as long as she could. Business with dear Charles was a good way of doing that in her opinion, especially if it was a profitable venture.
The tedious parts of the job were always the least favourite, but necessary evils all the same. At least the celebratory drinks afterwards were doubly earned having put up with it all. “That’s because my father was a boorish old codger without two creative cells to rub together.” Winston was the eternal ‘if it’s not broke don’t fix it’ in business. An exciting venture to him would be a new coloured textile. The problem of course was his ferociousness made him a successful business man.
“I’m far more delightful.” Emma smirked, raising her glass of champagne to her lips while splitting her attention to the ladies dancing.
Chuck didn’t admire many people, but Emma was one of them. She was doing what he wanted to do. Running her father’s companies and making them her own. He knew one day he would get there, preferably sooner rather than later, he just had to take Jack down. Emma might just be helpful with that, at the very least he knew the fact that he was working with her annoyed the hell out of his uncle.
Chuck nodded in agreement at the creativity comment. He knew what that was like. “My father was stuck in his ways as well,” he admitted. “Didn’t want to branch out. I tried to get him to open a burlesque club for years.” He had been more successful convincing Bart in the dreams. Opening it at just sixteen. He hadn’t been quite as successful opening up his father to new ideas in his real life, and part of him despised the fact that his father couldn’t see just how successful Victrola was. Deep down Chuck was still the child seeking his father’s approval and praise. Not that he would ever admit it.
“A statement I am more than happy to agree with,” Chuck responded with a smirk of his own.
Getting out of a parent’s shadow was always difficult, although Emma decided instead to built a skyscraper to shadow her own father, something that she would forever lord over him. But Emma’s relationship with her father was horrifically complicated and unlikely to be something that anyone would soon understand.
“Sometimes it’s the uncertainty. While sex sells in any and all of it’s forms, sometimes it’s decidedly more risque than the safe bet of not.” Although Emma was in all ways a fan of the indulgences of the world, her time with the Sebastian at his club, she was an exceptionally high class escort -after years of stripping too. Emma wasn’t shy about this, why bother? It was all very well documented too.
“However, you can rest well in the knowledge that it is a decidedly popular venue. I’m intending on bringing my international group here next month, hopefully to off-set any complications that Orange County may throw at them while they visit.”
“I’ve never been one to play it safe.” Too bad his father never realized that. Part of Chuck would always long for Bart to be proud of him. So while he didn’t know the details of Emma’s relationship with her own father, he certainly understood what it was like to live in the shadow, to need approval.
Chuck found burlesque more appealing, even sexier than exotic dancing. His dancers knew how to tease the clients, show just enough to leave them begging for more without being trashy or slutty about it. And yes it was the perfect place to entertain for business. Especially corporate clients. They needed a place to let loose, enjoy the female physique without going completely crazy. “This place is more insanity than I was expecting,” Chuck admitted. “Raining blood and that fog? I’d rather not experience that again. But as I have said, just let me know whenever you plan on bringing clients here and I will make sure you have the VIP treatment.”
“Oh, dear, you have no idea.” Because the blood rain was just one thing in a long line of things, wasn’t it? Emma hadn’t expected it at all, and had her business not already been up and running and making money, she might’ve considered shifting the place. But she knew that moving would cost her money in the long run.
Besides, Orange County had Jean.
But Emma wasn’t in the business of telling everyone that she was telepathic, not even promising young business minded associates. Dear Charles would discover all this on his own. “I will be sure to, unfortunately these are former work partners of my fathers, I do happen to need that additional wow factor to appease them.” The bitch of it was that they came into things already wanting to say no.
That comment caused an eyebrow raise from Chuck, encouraging her to go on. He didn’t like being out of the loop on things. It was rare that he was, although ever since moving to this place it seemed like there was something he was missing. At first he thought everyone that dreamed was insane, until he started the dreams of his own. But all the weird shit that seemed to happen? Where did that come from? Where did the dreams come from? “Care to elaborate?”
The problem with people that did business with Chuck’s father and he had a feeling Emma’s as well, sometimes they were stuck in their own ways. The good thing about a burlesque club was that it wasn’t cheap nor did it appear cheap. It was more of an art form than anything. It was a way for them to excuse their want. “Ah, well this place is full of wow factor,” he smirked gesturing to the girls on stage as if to prove his point.
Emma’s ‘difference’ wasn’t exactly a secret, not in this world or in her dreams. There were a few people on the network who knew, friends that were aware of just how less than normal she was at this stage. But the question wasn’t about friends, it was about her business partners. She doubted any of them would stab her in the back, but there was always a question mark beside that. But Charles, well, she could always ruin his life if he double crossed her, and he was so helpful so far.
“There are certain…traits that can pass over from these dreams. And I’m sure you’ve noticed the horrific weather situation.” Not least of all helpful for a woman who tended to wear white regularly. She was never getting that blood out of her coat. “Some people dream of things that really shouldn’t be possible.”
Wow factor indeed, and Emma was certain that she could at the very least distract these slimy fools long enough that they’d agree to anything she wanted.
Chuck had witnessed all the strange weather. The fog had almost burned Blair’s feet off. Nothing he ever wanted to experience again. If he wasn’t so determined to prove himself and take over Bass Industries he would get the hell out of this place. Go back to Europe. But he was going to earn his way back to running the company, outshine Jack and his father and send Jack’s ass here. Let the acid fog eat him.
“I’m well aware of how bizarre the weather can be,” Chuck commented. As far as traits passing over, nothing like that had happened to him, but he had seen things on that network. People posting about being sorcerers, healing powers, werewolves, vampires. He wasn’t entirely sure how much of that he believed although with the things he had witnessed it was becoming more and more likely that these things could happen. As far as Emma was concerned, if she had received some type of trait or ability from the dreams he wouldn’t sell her out. She was far too valuable a business partner, plus he actually enjoyed working with her unlike some of the other insufferable bores he had to endure. “Have you received any of these traits?” he asked reading between the lines of her previous statement.
The weather was probably the first thing that people noticed, it was most likely the most obvious thing. And while this whole area was very good at figuring out cover-ups for why these things happened, it was harder to swallow the ‘global warming’ excuse all the time.
“That depends on just how you rate telepathy on the scale of ‘weird shit’.” Emma of course punctuated it with a sip from her glass, eyes on the stage even as she was gauging the reaction. If she was to the same ability here as she was in her dreams, it would be no problem to remove this segment of the conversation from memory.
However, at this point in her ability she wasn’t yet sure she could isolate specific memories just yet. She was mostly counting on Charles’ loyalty there.
Chuck certainly hadn’t said weird shit out loud. He usually chose his spoken words more carefully, although the term did sum up Orange County fairly well. Although along with the rest of her comment it made perfect sense. That certainly caught Chuck’s attention, abruptly turning his head to look at Emma. “On a scale of 1-10? I give it a 4.” Ten being the weirdest. “Are you reading my mind right now?” And no he wouldn’t share the information with anyone, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about having his mind read.
A four. Well, that wasn’t terribly bad. Of course with all the others just broadcasting their abilities for the world, it probably wasn’t that big a deal. Magic club and all was such a talked about group. “I try not to, but sadly it doesn’t come with a remote.”
It was invasive, Emma was very much aware of that, and she knew it would only grow to be more invasive. At first she hadn’t really considered it a terrible thing, no secrets always seemed like a wondrous concept, didn’t it. However that quickly changed when no secrets turned out to be a slew of information that Emma didn’t want in the least. “I have a mental shield, it manages the information flow a little easier. However, if I concentrate, then yes, I can read your mind.” Unless it was one of the few who seemed to have their own little mental blocks. Which she knew some people did.
“Does that make you uncomfortable?”
Of course it made him uncomfortable. Who would want their thoughts read? Although Chuck did have somewhat of a public persona, known as Bart’s son the partying playboy. But he was a rather private person. There was also the fact that he was trying to put all that behind him. Make a real name for himself.
“Yes,” Chuck replied coolly finishing off his drink. There was no point trying to hid it, she’d probably just read it from his mind anyway. “Would you be comfortable with someone reading your thoughts?” he asked eyes focussed on her. One of his bartenders noticed his glass was empty, immediately bringing him a fresh drink. One of the perks of owning a club.
“Someone does, on a very regular basis.” Of course, Jean was a very special case, wasn’t she. “Try not to fret too much, dear. I promise I’m not in the business of rooting around in there for your secrets.” No, Emma might’ve, perhaps if they were rivals. Used it to her advantage and found all the ways to ruin someone. However, she wasn’t looking to do such things with business partners.
“You’d be amazed at just how tedious it is. Not to mention the headache.” The number of people thinking at her constantly, and it was never anything remotely interesting at all. “It was fun for a total of two hours at work, and then I immediately set to working out how to block people out.” Was anyone actually that interesting to warrant really investigating their mind?
“It does make for a very good bargaining tool, after all, I know exactly what potential clients want, and I can give it to them.”
Chuck still didn’t like the idea. But he could definitely see the advantages. As long as it wasn’t being used on him. He had already been interested in doing business with Emma, hence his reaching out to her. But now he was even more inclined. Given what she could do? It was much better to be on her good side. Chuck wasn’t stupid.
“I feel as though we might need to make some sort of contract that states you can not read my mind,” he paused taking a sip of his drink. “Although I can’t imagine what my lawyers would think of that,” he smirked at the thought. He was fairly certain none of them were ‘dreamers’. It was truly the only way he could feel completely comfortably around Emma. Trust wasn’t an easy concept for him. “However, as long as you use that gift on clients and competition and not myself I suppose I can accept it.” Not like he had any other choice really. “I’d hate to let that come between what could potentially be a lucrative partnership.”
“If you want a privacy agreement, we can work on that. However, I will give you my word not to invade your mind without your consent.” She and Jean had already come to an agreement to enter one another’s minds freely, but even then, they weren’t to the stage where they shared absolutely everything. It would come, she knew that, but it would take some time to work towards that. “Mind reading is merely one facet of it. Telepathy includes mental conversation, projecting a voice. I’m afraid I can’t say I’ll never use that.” Mostly because it was very fun to have an exceptionally private conversation that others were left out of.
“But again, with express permission given.” If it hadn’t been Emma, she would’ve felt the same as Charles about the prospects of someone invading her mind, there were decidedly private things that some people longed to keep to themselves.
“Do let me know if Jack ever stops by the OC, I’m very sure I can show you the merits of it.” She’d need to work on her skills with telepathic suggestion.
Chuck wasn’t entirely sure he understood how that worked. Wouldn’t he need to be telepathic as well to have the conversation? Questions for another time perhaps. If she ever attempted this telepathic conversation he supposed he would find out. Right now he just wanted to digest the information he’d been given.
“I would love to know what that bastard is thinking,” he admitted. There were definite upsides to her ability. He just didn’t want his own mind read. “Next time he stops by for a visit we’ll have to set up a business dinner.” It would be perfect. “But for now let’s just enjoy our new partnership.”