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Waking up to find a Succubus in your bed isn't a bad way to start a day. Unless, of course, your mind is controlled by her; which is something Magneto doesn't have to worry about (or deigns not to), so then all's well in Erik's world. With what some might say is a spring in his step, the Master of Magnetism takes himself to the workout room for his (early) morning routine, and then follows that up with a stunt in the sauna. Hmm. From one strength sapper to another; better hope no one finds him in such a weakened state.
When there is someone in a weakened state, another person is bound to find them. It's called Suckers Law. Related to Murphy's. Toxin has been working out, too, but not in the weight room. She's been scaling the cliffs for the umpteenth time. She wears safety gear! But hey, what better place to get the sea spray out of your skin than to sit in a sauna? A towel wrapped around her, Toxin enters the sauna and pauses briefly at the sight of Magneto. She manages a smile for him, then moves to lie down on a bench a few feet away. It seems we're still in 'I hate Magneto' mode.
Magneto watches as the toxic mutant enters the sauna, grinning to himself when the woman doesn't even say hello. "Are we still playing the upset child act?" he casually tosses out there as bait, before leaning back with his eyes closed and waiting for her response, if any.
Toxin keeps her eyes closed also, fanning her blonde hair out on the bench and wriggling around to relax. "No, the upset child act involves my throwing a tantrum and lobbing objects at your head." she points out in an arch tone, folding her hands across her stomach. She's the picture of calm, and it's a good thing she has such a harness on her emotions. A deep breath is taken in and let out. "I trust that you won't be involving me in any more punishment stunts of yours?"
Being in such a pleasant mood, Magneto actually emits a "Ha!" of amusement over Toxin's caustic response. "Now there's something I haven't seen in quite some time. My dear Veronica, in a fit of pique over something I've done." Leaning forward, he adds, "If I didn't know better, I'd almost have thought that you were warming to me, my dear." More chuckles eminate from his corner of the sauna. "As for my 'punishment' stunt, you can't blame that little heart-to-heart of Toad's on me, my dear. You -did-, in fact, save his life, so did you ever stop to thin that perhaps the little frog was simply thankful for your help?"
"If he was thankful for my help, Erik, he would have come to me and thanked me in his own time." is Toxin's smooth reply to that. A slow shake of her head, and she murmurs, "You know better than to think I'm warming up to you. And by the way..." She turns over on her side, propping her body up on one elbow. "Don't try to use me as some sort of leverage on Sabella. It's the worst way to make her want to do something." A slight smirk crosses her face, her golden eyes narrowed.
Magneto ooh's silently. So the pouty little child has claws, does she? Or, at least, reasoning skills. "Bah. See what thanks I get for attempting to make my followers play nice together?" He snorts at Toxin's warning about Sabella. "I'm afraid that you're quite wrong on that account, my dear. Ever since I told her about you being my right hand girl while she was .. indisposed.. she's been almost sickly sweet with attention for me..."
Toxin doesn't have claws, but she does have fangs. "That wasn't out of any duty to me, Erik Lenscherr, and you know it. You did it to see Toad sweat at having to apologize to me in front of you." See? She does know more about her fearless leader than she lets on. Toxin flops back down onto the bench and pulls her towel down once more. It's a good thing it's long. "Please. She was more interested in becoming your lover again than anything else. And if she's being sickly sweet, that's her loss. I'm afraid you won't find me resorting to such tactics."
For once, the toxic mutant's assumption is somewhat off the mark. "Wrong again, my dear child. When you left me in that room with Toad in his cage, I could see the hatred in his eyes for you over your betrayal. I warned him then that he had better thank his lucky stars that you had 'saved' him. Back in the office, I was simply reminding him of that part of his bargain." A bargain for his life. Magneto doesn't even deign to respond to the comments about Sabella. For once, let's leave the Succubus out of the conversation.
As much as Toxin would adore to get into an argument about Sabella, it doesn't look like she'll get her wish. Oh well. "He would have gotten over it, eventually. Toad's aware that I could have let him rot in that cage, and sat by to watch him die. I'm not out to be his best friend, I simply thought at the time that you wouldn't be too pleased with me if I let someone you spent so much money on kill himself while I watched. While I don't need to be thanked for what I do, occasionally it is polite to do so." Yes, yes, Toxin's a wonderful liar.
Magneto doesn't really believe all that tripe about being polite and the like, but there is one thing that he does catch on to out of all that rambling nonsense. "Damn right I would not have been pleased." He's still a little fuming over the idea that the slimey bastard nearly cost him another billion dollars in medical bills. For Erik would never admit it aloud, but he actually -needs- Toad and his skills for the time being. Let Mortimer kill himself after his work is finished..
Toxin doesn't want to admit it, but she's needed Toad's help before, too. Not to mention that she owed him for saving her life, once, and she's paid him back now. "See? Then I did the right thing." she concludes, relaxing once more onto the bench. "This doesn't mean that I forgive you for what you did, though." While what she says is certainly spiteful, there's a slightly playful note to Toxin's tone this time around. Life would certainly be more boring without her around, and besides, where would Magneto go for free brandy if she wasn't here?
"Of course not. Don't expect you to," is Magneto's response to her comment about nonforgiveness. It's true - life would be more boring without Toxin around. Then again, Erik might like boring... He wouldn't know - never experienced it for a moment in his life..
Toxin doesn't move, but one might just detect a hint of a smile around her lips. "Good." is her tart reply. She stays silent for a while longer, then speaks up again. The silence in the steamy room just gets to her. "So when to we leave on this training mission?" She rises, clutching her towel, and goes over to check on the room temperature. It's getting dry in here.
Now they're back to business - something that Magneto can deal with much more easily. "You, my dear. Not I. I am staying right here to deal with some other issues, while you and a few other Seniors go out to make men of those mice." He makes a motion with his hand for Toxin to go ahead and do what's needed in order to make the temperature more to her liking. "I was hoping to have them shipped out by the end of August, if it's possible.."
Business is so much easier to deal with. Toxin snorts at the mention of Magneto staying behind. "Oh come now, Erik. Not feeling up to braving the jungles, are we?" she teases in a light tone, adjusting the temperature and heading back to her bench. She carefully arranges herself on it, then continues talking. "Well, if we're going to bring Amara in, we'd best do it now so she doesn't lose herself totally. I'm assuming you've been told about Amara? Wonderful girl, with the way she can control shadows. Most interesting."
Magneto doesn't allow himself to be baited, so he lets Toxin's comment slide across him like the sweat that's slowly starting to bead upon his brow. "Yes, I have heard of Amara." Remembering his order to not speak of Sabella, he therefore doesn't state -how- he knows about her. "I think that her and Raidha will make a good team, considering that they're powers are similar. See to it that they work together, will you?"
Toxin has fun baiting Magneto, because on the occasions that he does fall for it make for interesting conversations. "Actually, I was hoping to train her myself. And Raidha is under Toad's jurisdiction, I believe? Or is it Mystique's? At any rate, I'll have them work together, but I'm planning on teaching her something of my trade, also." She turns her head to flash a smile at him. "It wouldn't do for you to suddenly lose me and all my work, now would it?"
Magneto doesn't keep track of who's training with who. With the recent onslaught of recruits, he's asked for monthly - instead of weekly - reports on each of them. Only those in which he sees true promise does he request more information. Until they're trained and prepared to be used in missions, he stays away. "No, it would not do to lose you," he replies gravely. The thought has crossed his mind before, and it's not one that he relishes thinking about - no matter what Toxin may believe otherwise.
Of course it crosses Toxin's mind. She's quite sure she's useful to Magneto, otherwise he probably would have tried to kill her. Again. And as long as she finds interest in the assignments he gives her, she's inclined to do them. "Now, Aramina will be coming back for a week in a few days. I'd like you to see her, if you have the time." Now there's a change of subject. But then, it wouldn't be like Toxin to acknowledge that Magneto admitted he needed her around.
The change of subject nearly catches Magneto off guard; especially considering the topic. "How is the darling child? Of course I will see her. Does she still enjoy those brandy chocolates that I gave her last time?" Whoops! Just like an old, evil genius to go giving liqueur candies to a kid.
Toxin nods. "She's doing well. Getting good grades at her school and apparently driving the teachers...." she trails off, once she realizes what Magneto said. "You WHAT??? Erik Magnus Lensherr, you should know better than to give a child alcohol!" Uh-oh, he's in trouble now, she knows more of his name than he knows of hers. Toxin sits up and leans forward. "I cannot believe you did that! You gave her liqueur candies and expect her not to get sick? No wonder I've gotten reports of her being ill. That is the most irresponsible...." She stops, standing up. Stomping her foot on the floor, she squeals in frustration at Magneto and storms out the door.
Magneto manages to get a temper tantrum out of Toxin after all. Before she rushes out, he states, "Oh, calm yourself, my dear. The child has a toxic mutant for a mother - like a wee dollop of alcohol is going to do her any harm.." But, the words are ignored, as the sauna door slams shut behind the woman.