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Guess Who?
Summary: Several months after a sudden explosive catastrophe wiped her school from the face of the Earth, former White Queen of the Hellfire Club Emma Frost shows up on the X-Mansion's doorstep in search of shelter.
Who: Emma Frost, Wolverine, Jean Grey, Skullgirl, Hellion, Gambit When: 2010-01-30 Where: The X-Mansion {{{WhereDesc}}}

Several months ago, Emma Frost's Massachusetts Academy - or 'Frost's Finishing School for Enlightened Minds', but basically nobody but her ever referred to it as that - exploded in dramatic, fiery and mysterious fashion. Until then, Emma, under the auspices of the Hellfire Club, ran the school as sort of a competing establishment to Charles Xavier's own. Only, you know, instead of training young mutants to uphold a doctrine of peace and understanding between humans and mutants, she was grooming them to do terrible things for the sake of the Hellfire Club.

Regardless of any ideological differences, though, the school is no more. Actually, the surrounding area is no more, too; many recovered bodies, few actual clues. The former headmistress herself might have been counted among the casualties too, until maybe five, ten, fifteen seconds from now.

Clad in Prada sunglasses and a pure, white Cavalli pantsuit from /next/ season, Emma Frost's manicured index finger is depressing the buzzer attached to the X-Mansion's gates. "Bloody lovely welcome, this," she murmurs to herself after retracting her hand and crossing both arms over her chest.

Echo is currently outside in the front yard, in the Japanese gardens to be exact. She knows there is a shield mind in front of the school, but she doesn't think anything of it. Rather, she is hiding out with Mr. Bunny who she hasn't really carried about school until today. Yesterday was rough on her, and she didn't sleep too well last night.

"Hmmm." Jean happened to be in the sublevels when the buzzer sounded. It's nothing to wander over to the control room to check the cameras. Lo and behold, /that/ one person she never thought to see ringing the bell. «Logan, that's Emma Frost ringing the front bell. Perhaps you should meet me out front?» The redheaded telepath hits the button to buzz Emma through the gates, which swing open slowly to admit her, and closed again once she is through.

Julian Keller doesn't know anything about "shielded minds" really. His psionic abilities, while formidable, lie purely in the physical realm. He is, however, already out in the front yard as well. He's only just making it to the Japanese Gardens, actually in search of Echo. He's only heard vague rumormongering and seen some news reports, but he figures it might be a good idea to see if she's OK, just in case.

Logan's busy inside the mansion, doing his rounds to make sure that kids weren't acting up or going against protocol and such. He hears the telepathic message within his mind, and the man's features darken immediately. «On it, Red», he responds back towards Jean. The short man makes his way towards the foyer of the school and then steps outside to see the gates swing open and allow Emma entry. Already, he's standing there, before the front steps to the school and his arms cross over his chest. Despite this, he's silent as he watches the blonde telepath.

"Fabulous," Emma softly exhales as her pumps clack-clack-clack against the walkway leading up to the mansion's front door. Her back is straight, her chin tilted up just so - proper posture is a trait that's difficult to shake, when one's been schooled in such gestures of ettiquette for all of one's thir--twenty-five or so years. Even when en route to finding the most elegant way possible to grovel.

"Small, hairy man," she says with a rapier-thin smile to Wolverine once she's in what she figures is earshot; she slows but does not quite stop before him as she says this. "However are you, then? Where is your similarly statured, significantly less hirsute employer?"

Echo's radar is iffy through items to say the least, but she can sense Julian's mind. She rises to her feet as if to make sure, her radar soon picking up his body mass. She recongizes the way he moves as well as his body type. With Mr. Bunny hanging from one hand she quickly hurries across the ground toward the Japanese Garden entrance to meet Julian. Her movements are quick and rapid, with brief pauses. She sounds just a hint out of breath when she faces Julian.

"Juilan...how...are you doing?" She tries to act normal, placing a smile upon her lips. She is dressed well, Jubilee went and got her replacement clothes that were ruined the day before and Echo already put them on. They let her pretend things are a little more normal than they really are.

Echo can hear Emma as she heads up the drive to comfort a teacher she hasn't met yet. Her free hand instictively reaches for Julian's and Emma might feel a slight prob to her mind before it quickly withdraws...obviously too weak to do anything other than poke at your defenses. "She's really powerful Julian. Do you know who she is? She doesn't sound happy."

"I'm doing OK. You all right?" Julian queries of Echo, being -just- empathetic enough to be able to tell that everything -isn't- completely normal. But his attention is soon diverted towards the new arrival. A pair of spectacularly expensive sunglasses hide his scrutiny from view, but a frown furrows his brow a little bit. "I...think that's Emma Frost." Julian looks to Echo and offers a bit more explanation, "She's a pretty well known businesswoman. Very wealthy. I've never met her before but I think my parents have. I didn't know she had any powers or anything, though." He pauses, "Maybe we should go see what's up?"

"He is occupied, at the moment," Jean replies, stepping outside just in time to hear Emma inquire as to the whereabouts of Professor Xavier. She moves to stand beside Logan and clasps her hands loosely in front of. Her brows arch, and she smiles politely down at Emma from her place at the top of the steps.

"You got a reason to be here, Frost?" There's a pause as Logan adds on, "A /good/ reason?" Wolverine doesn't move from where he's currently standing, nor does he remove his dark gaze from Emma. But then, this is Logan. There isn't much else to expect here. When Jean comes from inside the mansion, he allows her to answer the question in regards to where Chuck currently is.

"Of course he is," Emma non-chalantly says. With /two/ people standing out in front, she finally decides to stop, putting her just a couple feet away from Wolverine; her smile is still perfectly intact.

"I do, in fact," she sweetly utters before reaching into her suit jacket to retrieve an envelope with Frost Industries' logo in its upper right corner. She begins to extend it towards Logan before changing her mind and holding it out slightly past him, for Jean.

"I am between jobs, darlings, and my former associates and I thought it best to save the tried and true White Queen corset and stockings for more /private/ occasions." Emma's eyes slide between the two elder mutants - so far without even the attempt at casual mental contact against either's psyche - before resting on Jean. She gestures with the envelope a little. "My resume; I am a treasure when it comes to handling children."

Echo smiles a bit shyly up at Julian, still holding his hand. "I'm fine, just...worn out. My mind needs to rest." It's difficult for Echo to explain exactly. "We can go over to see," as long as you stay by my side she adds silently. When she starts to walk over with Julian, Mr. Bunny sways gently at her side, hanging from her hand by his left arm. Poor abused rabbit.

Suddenly, the blind albino girl/teen, sometimes it is difficult to tell when Echo is having a 'difficult time' speaks up from behind Emma, "Why do you say you are a treasure when handling children?" The teenager is curious though she doesn't let go of Julian's hand when she asks.

Julian's clothing is entirely casual, but it's very expensive designer casual. In short, Julian looks like he comes from serious money. "Resume?" Julian blinks a few times, "You're trying to get a job with the school?" Which might answer Echo's question in an offhand manner. Julian's having a mild bit of trouble reconciling the reputation of Ms. Frost with the idea of her being a teacher.

A sidelong glance is offered towards that envelope as it's handed towards Jean. Wait - resume? "We don't hire scum suckers like you." He snags the envelope as it is handed off to Jean, and holds onto it. In a low yet audible voice, something that sounds akin to a growl is heard as he adds, "Especially ones that try to /steal/ students." Logan's attention then turns onto Julian. "This isn't your business," he notes in a serious manner towards the teenager. The attention paid to the student is fleeting though as he looks back at Emma and asks in a gruff tone, "How did your Academy explode anyway? You even bother tryin' to get anyone out?" Discretion is not in Logan's vocabulary.

Jean looks unruffled as Logan snatches the resume up before she can reach to take it. That goes unremarked. It's the name calling and rudeness that prompts her to glance over at him and frown faintly. "Logan," she makes his name a firm, if gentle, softly-spoken warning, "she is our guest, for the moment."

"Though," now the redhead turns her gaze on Emma. The polite smile remains fixed in place, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "He does make a good point, Emma."

"Charles' lessons of tolerance are paying--" Emma begins to sharply say before her attention is drawn by teenagers just behind her.

To her credit - given her self-praise of her acuity in dealing with children - she keeps a scowl from crossing her features when she whirls to face Echo and Julian, despite the unavoidable jab of annoyance resulting from the unexpecetd interruption.

"Then again," she murmurs as she squints at Echo, "I see you've accepted a dead girl into your ranks; -very- progressive." She leans slightly forward, tries to soften her smile from 'snobbish and bitchy' to 'human' and mostly succeeds. "I am a shaper of young minds; it's my passion."

That said, she straightens, gives Julian a closer look, and then her smile softens further, becoming fully, sincerely appreciative. She lets her words to Echo suffice as an answer to his question, though.

"Un/fortunately/," she says as she turns around to face Logan and Jean again, "there were no threatening calls, no dramatic LED-lit countdowns, no sign to warn me of my would be demise--I don't /know/ what happened. I simply awoke in a hospital bed after it /did/."

The talk of explosions causes Echo to raise the hand holding Mr. Bunny's arm and rub her forehead. She leans against Julian's arm, her slender, pale white fingers interlinking with his own fingers. Echo is intelligent, even if the shock and stress she suffered is causing her to revert a little bit. She can gather this Emma Frost person had a school, it exploded, people died, and Logan is accusing her of not trying to save anyone. Furthermore, apparently there is competition between the two schools, as she doubts Logan means kidnapping or does he? One never knows, now do they? Echo's problem solving skills, when she actually tries is truly terrifying and not at all child-like.

Furthermore weighing in Emma's tone, the frustratedly linked words, there rings...little real emotion. Echo isn't sure what to think just yet, but trust is far from her first conclusion. Actually, she accidentally voices her first thought, "Suspicious." Emma's self-proclaimed 'treasure for children' has just showed its first failure. Echo is a non-believer.

Julian seriously considers TK-tossing Logan into the pool in the backyard for his abrupt dismissal, but despite having a hot-headed streak, not even Julian is -that- crazy (or stupid). "I don't really know what's going on here, true, but I know enough to say that if having a messed-up past were a bar from employment here, I'm pretty sure at least half the faculty here would be gone." Julian shrugs, "But whatever." As if right on cue, a chime sounds from his pocket, and he withdraws his cell phone, looking at the incoming number, "Parents. Guess I better take this." To that end, he disentangles his fingers from Echo's, giving her shoulder a brief squeeze before moving out of earshot (well except probably for Logan) to yet again explain that he's just fine and still receiving a quality education.

A gruff sound escapes from Logan's lips as he shuts up to Jean's verbal cue. Instead, he takes to crossing is arms in front of his chest while listening to both telepaths speak. His eyes divert towards Julian to watch him leave, and once he is gone, the atttention is back on the matter at hand.

"I am deeply sorry for your loss, Emma. It always the most difficult to lose children." Jean and Logan are standing on the top of the steps, in front of the doors leading into the mansion. Effectively, the two of them are blocking the way in, or out. Emma is step or two below them, and Echo remains behind her, on the ground.

"We are, indeed, quite tolerant and welcoming to all mutants seeking refuge, seeking to learn control, and most importantly, those willing to learn to use their gifts ethically and morally." Jean pauses there briefly, before continuing. "We will, of course, pass your resume on to Professor Xavier, Emma, and leave the matter in his hands. Unless," she arches a brow, "you have also come to us seeking refuge from those that would have seen you killed along with those left in your care?"

Never let it be said that Gambit doesn't know how to make an attention drawing entrance. At least one here might scent the Crazy Cajun perched on the edge of the rooftop above before Remy makes the leap for a nearby thick tree branch that puts him a little closer to the ground. There are no leaves on the branches to rustle, but it does creak under his weight when his gloved hands snag the branch and a graceful swing out and aerial flip he lands softly, silently, in a slightly crouched position behind Emma, at the very bottom of the stairs. He straightens to his full height a moment later. Always the show-off. "What dis? T'row a party and not invite Gambit?" He tsks. "Dat, it jus' ain' righ'."

"Well..." Emma drawls as for the first time today, she utilizes her psychic talents - strictly to broadcast, <<Now, now, come now,>> to a nearby mind. A car parked around the corner begins to move, though the gates being shut means that it has to come to a stop in front of them pretty quickly.

"If you're /offering/," she says as she gestures vaguely to the car coming to idle outside of the gates, "then be a dear: open the gates. Grab a bag, if you like; I am certain your cerebellum could use a good stretch, mm? But do be--"

A psychic signature, a body bouncing from point to point, then finally, speech from behind her that sounds nothing like a small girl with a bunny all startle the former headmistress enough that this time, when she whirls suddenly to face what's behind her, her body is swiftly coated in a brilliant sheen of diamond that gives off a bluish-white luminescence.

"What in blazes is the matter with you?!" she bites off sharply? "Bloo--" She pauses when she realizes that it's suddenly not chilly, windy, or /anything else/ so far as she can tell. She looks down at herself, frowns the slightest bit.

Unintended demonstration of new mutant powers or not, it's difficult for her to be /too/ put off; she's swiftly grown enamoured with her recently acquired ability to assume this particular state.

"You've nothing to be suspicious of," she blandly mutters to Echo as almost an afterthought.

Echo 'glances' up from where she stands behind Emma herself, holding Mr. Bunny in one hand, dangling via his left arm. In reality, her glance is more of a tilt of her head toward Remy, since she is blind and 'looking' at someone isn't a big deal unless she believes the use of an expression will better convey her meaning. "Hello." She doesn't seem surprised by Gambit's surprise appearance. Darn telepaths, darn radar. But Echo doesn't seem willing to linger any more now that Julian is gone. She starts to walk around Remy, her free hand reaching out to trail her pale fingertips along the outside of his duster if he allows it. But she suddenly squeaks and more like jumps BEHIND Remy with the sudden whirl of Emmma and her radar going a little crazy with the diamond body. And boy can that little body move quick when she wants to. She peers out from behind Remy, only clinging to his duster if he allows it with her one free hand. "Shouldn't you tell us who is trying to kill you if you are moving in? Otherwise, we won't know who to protect you against." Echo is fine now, just the sudden movement freaked her out, and the diamond body is leaving her a little confused...still, Echo doesn't believe she has nothing to be suspicious of if people are trying to kill Emma. Surely they are trying to do so for a reason, unless they are bad guys that maybe found out Emma's secret ID?! Wait...Emma comes off as an overly grumpy hero.

There's a slight cant of Logan's head as he picks up the scent of someone familiar. Remy. He doesn't so much as budge when Gambit goes through with his little act. A sidelong glance is offered towards Jean, «No», he mentally projects towards her, and her alone, «She's got enough money and backing to find protection on her own. I'm not dealing with her or protecting her under this roof». He watches the stint between Remy and Emma, a dark brow arching upwards as he sees the blonde woman's skin suddenly shift into something he's never seen before. "So, how long were you gonna hide this new toy of yours from us, huh, Frost? Looks like you can take care of yourself just damn fine without us." Attention turning towards Remy, Logan actually smirks and juts his head towards the other man, "Thanks, Gumbo."

That there psychic signature, /maybe/ it was picked up on but not nearly so clearly as a powerful telepath might thing it should have been. Something blocks the swamp rat's mind, shields him. He's been MIA for two and a half weeks, supposed to be gone three or four days. Typical of the Cajun. Also typical is the fact that he's come home roughed up a little. The left side of his face is battered, sporting a bruise that's fading to greens and yellows at the fringes while deeper purples and reds linger at the center near his occipital bone. There is, very likely, a colorful story behind it, but then again any story involving Remy LeBeau tends to be colorful if only because he makes sure it is. Embellishment, one of his finer skills. "Shush, mon petite, dis grown up business," he murmurs to the girl behind him. He makes no move to pull his coat from her hands, but he also doesn't turn to acknowledge her other than his murmured words. Emma's little snitfit and Twilight Vampire impersonation is all but ignored save the faint glow of his odd red eyes in response. He winks at Logan. "Anytime, mon ami, anytime. I send y'de bill later, oui?"

Jean's gaze ticks past Emma to Remy, when he lands on the ground behind the blonde. "Rem--" Her eyes widen at Emma's reaction, and the results, then narrow. "Welcome back, Remy." She turns her head to look at Logan as he broadcasts to her, the only indication that they are communicating. «Yes, she does,» Jean agrees, then adds, «however, we are a sanctuary for /all/, Logan. Even Magneto, even Emma. Even Remy. Even you, my dear friend. Something has clearly got her scared, or else she would have never risked coming here. She had to know we would not welcome her with open arms. I'm willing to welcome her, for now, and leave it up to the Professor to make a final decision... but I'm not stupid. She /is/ Emma Frost.»

"Emma," Jean turns her attention once more to the blonde. "You are welcome here as a guest. However, understand that firstly, I want full access to your mind before I allow you through these doors. Secondly, the matter of your employment, and your extended stay, is completely up to Professor Xavier."

"When it suited me, you awful, brutish ex--" Emma begins to snap before Jean's far more reasonable words cut her off. She draws in a deep breath, lets it out, and then brushes strands of gossamer hair back over a shoulder - each sort of tinkles as it makes contacts with the others, like long, slender chimes.

"I awoke from a years long chemical binge to the bloody Hellfire Club seeing fit to murder my students and a number of other people who I am sure were perfectly nice, in their ways; tromping about through my thoughts simply to let me through your doors seems rather like insult atop injury, darling." She huffs primly, crosses her arms and turns towards the front of the mansion with her arms once again over her chest. "The /least/ you could do is allow me the chance to settle in a bit; perhaps wait for /Charles/ to handle this delicate work."

Echo shakes her head. She has her own opinion of 'grown up business', since grown up business affects her own safty and security, she believes she deserves knowledge of it so that she can make informed and educated decisions. Would adults listen to her though? Noooo. But she's actually a very nice person when she isn't breaking bad guys bones and stuff, so she doesn't yell or throw a fit. She has someone else to cling to, so she is content for now. After all, people looking at her or not has never bothered her before, and she is still being spoken too, even if it is annoying words. Echo does have to wince for Emma when Jean demands full access to her mind. Echo knows how not fun it is to have someone in your mind completely and fully.

Jean may or may not notice, that the gazed gunshot wound on Echo's side doesn't appear to be bothering her movements in the least. She also hasn't asked for any pain killers today. Echo whispers softly toward Remy, "Ye sho' bill 'im fo' lots o' ice cream an' M&M's, an' share 'em with me." It appears Echo has attempted to adopt Remy's Cajun speaking style. Uh-oh. It's a poor imitation for now, but likely won't be for long if she sticks with it. She records the information Emma does provide, recording it to run through her mind again later. But no point in letting on she's more intelligent than she looks by saying anything further that isn't 'cute' and 'innocent'.

Admittedly, when Logan hears Emma start to snap towards him, a wry smirk appears upon his face. As she protests Jean's decision, he shakes his head and speaks up, "No deal. You heard her. Either you open up or you can walk away." Honestly, he's being a bit too gruff and stubborn with this matter, but it can all be chalked to saying that the hair on Logan's neck won't stop standing on end. He doesn't trust this situation, whether he's wrong or right. On that note, he cants his head slightly to the side again, as though trying to pass it off as him stretching the muscles within his neck - yet actually trying to discern Emma's scent and see if there's any tell-tale signature there, a trace of anything that he could pick up on. «Fine,» Logan retorts rather gruffly towards Jean, mentally. «Don't come back with apologies and 'I shoulda listened'. Ain't in the mood for 'I told you so's.» From the sound of it, he's getting rather annoyed with her as well.

"Merci, Cher," Remy replies in regards to Jean's welcome. Her further words, however, draw the dimples from his cheeks and the smile from his lips. Those lips, they set into a thin line. His eyes flare just a little brighter. He narrows them and flickers his gaze toward Logan. "Is she fo'real?" It's hard to say if he's talking about Jean's 'open arms' welcome of Emma or Emma herself. "Mon Dieu, Gambit go away, place go t'hell de after day he come back!" Wait... He looks confused for a moment. Did he just insult himself? Naw! It only went to hell because he was gone, not because he came /back/. "I t'ink, maybe, dat ya fo'sure ain' in de position t'bargain, oui?" Directed at Emma, most certainly. "Sush you, 'fore I send y'off t'bed wit'out no ice cream." The words are spoken in a hissed whisper, not exactly harsh, but leaving little room for argument and they're aimed at Echo. He has his own opinion on the matter as well and his opinion doesn't include little girls being in all this to begin with. For the moment, Logan seems to be the only sane and rational one standing here outside of Remy himself. Huh, place /has/ gone to hell if that's the case. But he's sooooo on board with this being a Bad Idea. He refocuses his gaze on 'sanity'. One eyebrow climbs independently of the other, questioning silently, 'Seriously? No, really? /Seriously/?!'

Jean is quiet while Logan and Remy make their opinions known. «Sometimes, Logan, we just have to take a chance on someone, and hope we are making the right decision. I can't turn away someone who needs us, but I'm not taking that chance on faith alone.» "I am tasked and trusted with protecting my students," she says aloud, finally, her voice remaining pleasant and polite. "Just as you were with yours, Emma. The difference is that I am /not/ on a chemical binge. I am -- clearly, we all are -- highly suspicious of you, and your motives, with good reason. I can assure you, that I will not be /tromping/ through your thoughts." Her voice begins to change, just a touch now, her tone taking on that same firmness that she took with Logan earlier, "But you are not coming inside until I am confident that allowing you in is not going to bring us more grief than that which will accompany your very being here. The /least/ I can do is send you off our grounds, to sit in your car until the Professor becomes available, which could be days. And I am perfectly happy to do so to ensure the safety of my children, friends, and loved ones that your presence may put at risk." No, Jean does not notice Echo's movements at the moment, though she is peripherally aware of the girl. She is focused on Emma, and handling the situation at hand.

Echo had enough. She has enough information to start researching: 'Emma Frost', 'Academy, explosion at said academy', 'Hellfire Club', let's just say the internet will be hot to trot once Echo gets inside with her trusty translator to help her cruise the web. She hasn't been thinking about becoming a P.I. and isn't expecting it to just happen like magic. She is going to earn it. She gives one last final tug on Remy's duster, "You owe me ice cream." She then moves to dart inside with a quick, sudden speed. Emma actually has one little pale hand and slender pale fingers caress over her hardened body as the girl jets past. Echo doesn't even say farewell, she doesn't think people would be particularly listening for it. She actually kicks off the ground just past Emma and flips up the stairs, a harsh exhale of air the only hint that reveals her body is damanged and she is in any pain. Still, without a pause, she dartas through the front door, slamming it behind her as she heads upstairs toward a computer in the rec room to explore the possibilities. Knowledge is power after all.

"Fi--"

Emma looks down as Echo hurries past her and fingers brush across her body. Her lips press into a thin line. She looks up at Jean to display her displeasure.

"I can see that you /need/ me; your children are terribly ill-mannered." With that, a subtle ripple passes across the surface of her skin; glinting diamond becomes unblemished flesh in its wake.

"Come, then; have your look. Perhaps we can /lunch/ in the ruins of my life, while we're there, dear," she distastefully says."

Nothing... Dammit. «You know Chuck'll give everyone another chance. As patient as he is, he's too forgiving...» He wants to add more, but Logan stops himself, lest he wants an angered Jean on his hands. He looks back towards Remy and inhales a sharp breath before nodding his head slowly towards the Cajun in response. Despite the tension in the air, he breaks away from the main conversation to note towards Remy, "You and I need to catch up, Swamp Rat." He then shrugs off an amused breath and in a sarcastic tone adds, "You sure pick one helluva time to come back." As the student makes her exit, he barely notices her pass, aside for the slamming of the front door. "Need? Sure. We'll invite you in, and the next thing we know, you'll be playing telepathic marionette with our staff and students. Just what we need."

Remy coughs"connasse"coughs. Even the French have 'c-words'! "She is one t'talk about manners, oui? Marchin' up in here like she own de place?" His nose wrinkles in distaste. Leave it to LeBeau to say exactly what's on his mind! When he's not trying to get away with something, or hide something, or... "Y'all got lot o'growin' t'do t'catch up wit' me." The jibe is clearly aimed at Logan, but the tone is teasing, as is the wink that follows the words. "Always show when I needed, mon ami, dat not change much." Considering he's still standing behind Emma, he feels free to make little 'yakketyyak' motions with his hand and roll his eyes melodramatically.

«That is what makes him a great man.» Jean refuses to rise to the bait regarding her students' manners. "Perhaps another time. For now, I will be content to examine the ruins for myself." She descends the stairs until she one step above Emma. There is no need to instruct the other woman on the process, which makes it that much quicker. "Keep it up, Remy, and you will find yourself compelled to cluck every time you open your mouth." It is an idle threat, of course, coming from Jean, and it is perhaps uncertain whether she is making it because of Remy's short joke aimed at Logan, or his mocking of Emma behind her back.

Lifting her hands, Jean places them on either side of Emma's head, almost but not quite touching the silken blonde hair. Before taking the plunge, she takes a calming breath to steady herself. Only then does she lower her shields enough to go sifting through Emma's thoughts. She does so delicately, being thorough in her search of the other woman's mind, but not so intrusive that she goes back further than necessary to suss out whether Emma is here genuinely, or because she has malicious intentions.

"Oh, Logan--" Emma pauses thoughtfully for a moment as she peers over her shoulder at Gambit, squints, then shrugs and returns her attention to Jean. "... Cajun thing; don't worry. They shan't be student-only, my lessons; I am nothing if not a giver." She brings her hands up to place them gently against the backs of Jean's hands when they go to her head; she'll also, if she can, take a step or two back to sort of lead the redhead off of the stairs before the probe can begin in earnest, because tiny details like that are meaningful to her.

Either way, Jean will be treated to Emma, standing at the center of a classroom-in-the-round, followed by the brief flash of a tiny Sentinel's head in a window.

'Tiny' in this case means that the attached robot is maybe four or five feet tall instead of a towering monstrosity.

A split-second after that flash, the whole place erupts in light, fire, and so very many screams; a fleeting glimpse of Emma's body shifting as it did earlier, in response to Gamibt, is available before it all goes black.

Logan carefully watches the two telepaths go through with their mental link. As Emma leads Jean off of the stairs, Logan steps forward, in a protective manner of sorts. His arms uncross from the front of his chest and instead end up balled at his sides, as though he's ready to jump into a fight if anything goes wrong. The man watches them intently, listening, and even inhales deeply to make sure that there are no issues. One like him is never too sure when it comes to telepaths. As Jean steps closer to Emma, Remy's eyes flash a brilliant sort of red. Considering where he is, he feels no need to wear the sunglasses he normally dons to hide those odd eyes. The bright flash might even be noticed by Emma with the way it reflects off the things around him. It's momentary, there and gone, leaving only a faint glow in its place afterwards. His posture changes as well. His lean, lanky form goes from 'just chillin to 'coiled and ready'. Woman's already pulled one unknown hat trick out this evening, the Cajun readies himself for a second now that Red's within arm's reach. "Gambit don' need no lessons in bein' a putain, Merci." No, no... Gambit can be a bitch all on his own, yes.. yes he can. "Y'don' wan' non of dis 'Cajun's t'ing. Couldn' handle it." A beat and he adds, "Bawk, Bawk..."

The corner of Jean's mouth quirks up as Emma leads her down onto equal footing. She doesn't protest it. Once the psychic link as been established, though, the smile fades into a look of concentration. It doesn't take too long for the expression on Jean's face to change. She gasps softly and winces. "Oh, Emma..." Now, she does rest her hands on Emma's head, but the gesture is one of solace and comfort. She's not done poking around, yet, though.

«When did the Hellfire Club employ the use of Sentinels, Emma?» Jean's brows knit once more as she focuses on the scenes unfolding in the other woman's head. «Why would they have done this to you? To these poor children? Show me.»

"One look--at you--I can--te--..." Emma murmurs, only for her attention to drift deeper within. Even /she/ has something of a hard time managing to balance insults in the physical world with deep psychic contact; it's something she's been working on, though.

«Right about /then/, I would wager,» she bites off after materializing in her shades, her Italian suit, right there amidst the freeze-framed death and destruction. «Shaw made noises about 'protection' and 'the government' and 'robots', but nothing on /this/ scale.»

Just like that, the scene shifts to Emma - in the white lingerie she pretty much always wore as a member of the Hellfire Club - and Sebastian Shaw, arguing soundlessly in a shadowed office. Suited Emma is standing to the left of the pair of them.

«To answer the far more /important/ question: arguments over the equitable distribution of resources - i.e., my precious Hellions - created quite the rift. He wanted soldiers--I'd come to /care/ about the wonderful little terrors.»

Remy watches, obviously disturbed by Jean's reaction and how it changes so easily. The Cajun, he's not so much for the whole trusting thing. In his mind, all of this could be some elaborate ruse, a trick... a trap, no matter how good Jeanie is with the mental mumbo-jumbo. His growing agitation is evident in his eyes, in the way the flare and fade, flare and fade like little throbbing beacons of red light.

While physically, Jean's expression doesn't change, the mental image of herself that is projecting into Emma's mind does. «Yes, that is a side-effect.» The smile fades, and she eyes the arguing pair thoughtfully. «And you refused to give him soldiers, so he wiped them all out?» Hmm. «Was he aware of your secondary mutation? Does he know or suspect that you have survived?»

«Is /that/ what you people are calling them? Well. No, I would imagine that he was not, as -I- was not aware of my 'secondary mutation' prior to waking in my hospital bed.» Emma's psychic self is sure to put finger quotes around 'secondary mutation', because it's the kind of phrase that pretty much requires them.

«I would imagine he'll be aware -soon-; most of my holdings in Frost Industries have been shuffled off to one of my darling sisters, and I've made certain not to make any move towards changing that. Sebastian Shaw is a strange, violent and vengeful creature; I suspect it's rather an elaborate cover for some towering carnal inadequacy or another.»

With that, Sebastian vanishes, and lingerie-clad Emma does too. Emma's psychic avatar strolls to the room's partly obfuscated mahogany desc, daintily sits on its edge and crosses one leg loosely over the other.

«'Secondary mutation'. /Really/. Have we had enough of Auntie Emma's penny dreadfuls, then?» The distaste behind these words is palpable, especially by the end; to suggest that she is uncomfortable to be retreading this particular ground would be an understatement, and here in the depths of her psyche, it's difficult to hide such impressions as well as she otherwise might.

Meanwhile, in the real world, Emma is just kind of placidly staring into Jean's eyes. It's almost soulful.

After the mental probing, once Logan sees the two women come out of their strange trance-like state, he watches them for a moment. Eyes flit from one telepath to the other before he finally speaks up and asks in an offhanded manner, "So...?"

Sooo... indeed. Remy expression sort of echoes Logan's one word question. Of course it likely doesn't matter what stories he hears this evening, they'll make little difference yet. Trust issues much? No, not Gambit. At least it looks like Jean's out of immediate danger, so he can relax a little bit. Just a little bit. A tiny little bit. Enough that his eyes aren't pulsating light so much anymore.

«Yes, Auntie Emma, we're quite through. If it is any comfort to you, I won't sleep for a week without having nightmares of your children screaming.» With that, Jean withdraws from Emma's mind. Once clear, she gently pulls her hands back, and crosses her arms over her chest. "So, we'll need to open the gates so the car can pull in. I'll help bring Emma's bags in, and we'll get her a room. Logan, Remy," Jean looks up at each of them in turn, her expression sad and grave. The screams of the dying children are still ringing in her mind. "She has suffered a terrible loss. The Hellfire Club believes she perished in the fire. Her secondary mutation -- the diamond skin -- kicked in as a smaller version of a Sentinel razed her school. There was nothing she could have done to save them. If it weren't for the diamond skin, she wouldn't have survived, either."

«And I will sleep as soundly as your strange, grabby dead child no doubt must, but I'm glad that I could share, love.»

Once she's back in step with the flow of time and space, Emma's eyes flutter for a brief moment and then she slides her hands into her suit pockets. Her thin smile returns as she smoothly turns 'round to stoll towards the gates. "Fortunate for me, doubly so for the rest of you, I suppose; I am /magnificent/ in diamond." She sighs softly, contemplates a moment, then taps a finger thoughtfully to her chin.

"I shall have to think long and hard on where to put my 'X'..."

Logan blinks as he listens to what Jean says. A part of him is really hoping that she's joking - for both the school's sake and Emma's, but judging by her tone, it doesn't seem that way. Mr. Defensive suddenly changes stances and breathes out. As much as he knows he may not like this, he moves forward to step down from the front porch and follows Emma up until the driveway, where her car can pull into. "C'mon, Swamp Rat," he sighs out. "We got bags to carry."