Room 528, Monday Morning

[icecoldfrost]

Emma had skipped last night's party, since she had no reason whatsoever to deal with a bunch of teachers and other adults in her spare time. Besides, she had plans to be out late tonight, and had needed her beauty sleep.

Right now she was curled up on her bed, happily ensconced in her AP Algebra textbook as she worked on her correspondence class final. Mmmm...math.


[OOC: For a ginger, but door & post are open before that!]

Comments

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

"Because you'd never make it on a team. You'd get people killed with your selfishness," Jean shot back. "And it wasn't telepathic help. It was your 'help'. It was you taking the easy way. You're a sad person, Emma. Trying to play like you have the moral highground when no one in their right mind would think that way."

[icecoldfrost]

Emma's hand shot out to slap Jean across the face.

"I am not crazy," she said coldly. "Don't you ever imply another person isn't in their right mind just because they don't agree with you. I keep asking for your alternatives -- which I still don't hear you providing -- but don't you fucking dare insult me by dismissing my methods as crazy."

She'd tried to help someone once using Jean's methods. Warm fuzzy feelings and puppies and talking. And in the end, he just ended up dead and broken. She wasn't going to make that mistake with Jono.

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

The hand was stopped before she had any chance of striking Jean. Like hitting a brick wall.

"My alternatives? Work with them. I'm helping Jono strengthen his walls to keep you or anyone like you out. And teaching him to work with his powers so he doesn't need to be afraid of them. Too much work for you, though."

There was a pause before she lashed out with a telepathic slap right on back. "Don't start a fight you can't win."

[icecoldfrost]

"Oh, so now it's okay to use our powers to pick on people, if we don't like their reasons," Emma snarled, eyes lighting up in savage glee. "Make up your mind, Jeannie. Either I'm supposed to play like all the other kids, or we get special treatment. You can't have it both ways."

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

"And I'm weak if I don't use my powers, right Emma?" Jean rolled her eyes. "You're just mad you can't win."

[icecoldfrost]

"If you aren't willing to use the gifts you've been given? Of course you're weak," she agreed. "I was just curious if you could even recognize your own hypocrisy."

"Although I'm thrilled to tears that you do actually have the balls to use what the genetic gods gave you, even if the best you can manage is psychic hair-pulling. Now if you'd only give me a reason besides 'because it's wrong and I say so...'" Emma suggested. "No? Then get out of my room. If Jono's got a problem with me, he can man-up and say it to my face. But I don't have to take this from a spoiled, snot-nosed little brat like you."

She couldn't take shields like Jean's on a straight-on fight, no. Emma knew that. But she hadn't survived this long without being willing to take on someone bigger than she was.

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

Maybe in some other time, with more training and experience Emma could take her on in an unfair fight. But that wasn't here or now.

"I'm a hypocrite? That's rich coming from you, Emma. I would think you knew all about it, considering how much coming out of your mouth is. I told you why I was here and you can't even seem to understand morality that's not yours. Because it's weak or something. Am I weak, Emma? No. I'm stronger than you'll ever be in any way. And that is what annoys you so much."

There was a pause before she added. "And, if I wanted to do more than hairpulling, you wouldn't be so happy. So just get over yourself and grow up. I'm pulling my punches with you for a reason."

[icecoldfrost]

"Your reasons so far aren't any better than mine," she said simply, pointing at the door. "Because you haven't said a damned thing that wasn't 'because I say so.'"

"And as much as I'm sure you hate to hear it, in my world, there's no Jean Grey Moral Authority, and I've got no reason to listen to the fuming of an indignant teenager. You aren't my teacher, or my mentor, or anyone else with any authority in my life. So I'm going to tell you one more time to get out of my room, or I will go to the administration and file charges of harassment."

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

'You want a reason? You did it without permission. It's the psychic equivalent of rape, Emma."

[icecoldfrost]

"Don't be so melodramatic. He wanted help -- which implies consent, I should think -- and I gave him a glimpse of what it could be like," she snapped. "I didn't make him do anything he didn't want to do, I just let him be happy for once in his miserable manifestation."

"Like I said, HE doesn't like it, I'll listen to him. You're just butting your nose in where it doesn't belong."

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

"Did he ask you to go into his head?"

[icecoldfrost]

Emma looked at Jean as if she was stupid. Which, well, she was.

"You ask a telepath for help, what else are you asking for?"

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

Jean shot her that look right one back. "That's not an answer. He either actually asked you or he didn't. Just asking for unspecified help doesn't give permission for you to alter his mind."

[icecoldfrost]

"It's the truthful answer," she shot back. "Jono's a big boy, Jean, and he knows what I am. Hell, he supposedly knows another version of me."

"What else did he expect from me? Kittens, puppies, and hand-holding?"

Seriously. She was Emma Frost. That didn't really change with age or between universes.

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

"And that makes what you did okay?" Jean asked. "You don't have any morals at all, do you? You took advantage of someone when they needed a friend and I hope you never do that again. For your sake. I won't play nice next time."

[icecoldfrost]

Emma threw up her hands. "Believe whatever you want to believe, but I did what I thought was right because I actually liked Jono as a person, and he deserves to be happy. I don't care if you don't think it was moral or not, and I don't owe you anything."

"He wants an apology if I misunderstood what he wanted? He can damn well grow a pair and come find me himself. It doesn't mean he'll get it, but he's the only one with a right to be mad at me. Not you."

"Now, I've been nice enough to put up with this verbal abuse, but I have a final to finish before tonight's party, and I don't respect you enough to care about your opinion. So please, don't do anything for 'my sake', other than get out of my room."

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

"I don't want your respect. It's worthless coming from you. You can't even understand how wrong what you did was because you're too horrible inside to see how your cruel actions affect other people," Jean replied. She took a breath, filling the room with her own psychic presence for a moment. "Don't touch anyone like that again. Or I'll let everyone know what a monster you are."

[icecoldfrost]

Emma just smiled, letting her own power flare, sliding around her and comforting her. This was her room, her space, and she wasn't going to let Jean bully her.

"Go ahead," she said, spreading her arms. "Tell everyone what a horrid person Emma is. Have fun shouting it from the rooftops. Just go away."

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

And yet she was still weaker.

Jean rolled her eyes. "You're a monster, Emma." Waving her hand, Jean let a small shift of pressure happen in Emma's inner ear as she turned away to leave. It was that or let the power keep building until she burst again. "And I hope you learn to change before you're all alone."

[icecoldfrost]

Emma let out a yelp as the vertigo hit, and fell backwards to hit her desk.

"If I'm a monster, darling," she murmured, just loud enough to hear as she watched Jean's retreat with a feral grin, "Then I'm not the only one."

Hypocritical little bitch.

[ihavenocodename.livejournal.com]

Jean only paused for a moment before leaving. < Then I'm one who will always be there to stop you. >