Job Interview (for Scott Summers and Emma Frost)

[a_sloane]

It was an odd thing to reflect on: the last time he had applied for any kind of position had been decades ago. Not counting all the counterfeits, of course, but all serious positions had been offered to him since then, and of course his profession had, in essence, remained the same

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[ice_emma]

Emma was dressed in white, of course.

White trousers, with wide legs, and her favorite white kitten-heeled Jimmy Choos. A white blazer, with a camisole such a light blue it looked white, shimmering just with a hint of icy color.

She recognized Sloane at once. Distinguished and unflappable, looking far too elegant for the restaurant. Or the middle of the day, for that matter. Smiling, Emma turned towards Scott.

"That's Mr. Sloane, over there," she said quietly, making her way to the table.

[cyke_out]

Catching the man's eye, Scott gave a nod in his direction, and held two fingers up to the waiter to indicate that they would be joining Sloane's part.

"You're good with taking lead on this, right? I think he likes you. Just -- ahh, don't give him the wrong idea?"

[ice_emma]

"Scott," Emma said, rolling her eyes, but she smiled at him briefly. "I hardly think Sloane would get the wrong idea."

She approached the table and held out her hand. "Mr. Sloane. Arvin. It is so very good to see you again."

[a_sloane]

The last time Sloane had seen Emma Frost had been at a charity event, at a distance, but that combination of striking looks and elegance would have been unmistakable even if he hadn't researched her since they got in contact. Scott Summers he only knew from photographs and the newsclips around the time Charles Xavier had told the world about his school, but visual recognition was easy, in his case. There was something unexpectedly familiar in the body language, though. A man with very controlled movements, lips pressed together, taking in the place like a tactician, one step behind the beautiful woman whom one underestimated at one's peril: impossible not to think of Jack and Irina.

Sloane rose and took Emma's hand, returning her smile. If she scanned him, she might have caught something of the complicated tangle of emotions that were tied to Jack Bristow and Irina Derevko before he pushed the thought away, but his demeanour showed nothing but interest and delight at the arrival of two potential employers.

"She walks in beauty,"

[cyke_out]

"You know, Emma," Scott says conversationally. "I don't think the opportunity to torture the kids with Latin conjugations is something we should pass up lightly. God knows, we spent enough time trying to convince the Professor that it didn't have any practical value. Well, except Hank, who apparently stayed up at night coming up with puns in dead languages so they could have private jokes while the rest of us

[ice_emma]

You are doing fine, darling, and yes, I do. Emma orders a grilled chicken salad with a side of fresh fruit. She thinks, very carefully, before she speaks. She's intrigued by Arvin Sloane, though a little wary of what it is he wants. He is eager to learn something about himself, and while Emma understands that completely, she must keep the students foremost in her mind

[a_sloane]

Sloane decides that Emma is more or less favourably inclined, so the one who still needs convincing is Scott. The way Scott started to ramble, the conflicted unease about Professor Xavier and the discussion he had with Scott Summers about teachers, students and whether one ever forgave one's mentor isn't that hard to put together. As he said, he was trained for that sort of thing. While considering various approaches, he goes for a casual remark first.

"I'd be happy for a match or two," he says to Emma, "but you know, as much as it might ruin my image, I'm only good at chess. My real passion is for Monopoly." He smiles at both of them. It's not a lie; chess is good for the mind and can be very revealing - it's not a coincidence that Irina never played with either Jack or himself while still pretending to be Laura - but Monopoly is fun. It also offers more opponents to beat at the same time. The true reason for the remark, though, was to insert some distance between himself and Charles Xavier, who had to be a formidable chess

[cyke_out]

"Good," Scott says. "That's good. We've got no room for men who make promises they have no way of keeping." He thinks back, involuntarily, to those first months with Xavier, the way the man had seemed to promise everything. Scott can't remember, now, whether he really believed it, or if he just made himself act like he believed it -- because he had no more choices, nowhere else to run.

I like him, Scott thinks at Emma. "As for Monopoly," he says, "I think it's an extremely underrrated game. And if you'd be willing to sit down for a game with a few of our students on your first night at the mansion, that will give you a good chance to decide whether you really want this job." He smiles sideways at Emma. "Our students can be a handful. But if you're sure that it's what you want, we'll be happy to have you." He raises his wineglass. "I believe there is a saying about the beginning of a beautiful friendship?"