Text To Brooke (And Subsequent Thread)

[pyroprincess]

Care to take a trip to the diamond district with me?

I'll even buy lunch at Languedoc.

Comments

[hellfire_empath]

There is so much yes involved in the answer to that question.

Meet you outside your place?

[pyroprincess]

Sounds good. See you soon, Brooke.

[hellfire_empath]

Brooke pulled up in front of Stephanie's place a couple of hours later, dressed in one of her typical Brooke outfits.

Brooke let herself out of the cab and walked up to the doorman, handing over her card. "Stephanie Shaw," she said simply, "is expecting me."

[pyroprincess]

The doorman opened the door to her, but as it happened, Stephanie was already waiting in the lobby. She smiled warmly at her friend, exchanging a hug and air kisses before smiling.

"The driver's already waiting. We'll do lunch first, before we go to the District. The dealers are normally closed on weekends, but I've arranged an exception." She'd cultivated her father's old connections in the diamond trade and the dealers were all eager to please. Now, if she'd wanted Saturday, that would probably have been different.

"How have things been this week?"

[hellfire_empath]

"You're a miracle worker," Brooke said, giddy. She had, in her clutch, copious amounts of cash, withdrawn from an account that Manuel had set aside for her. "Things have been alright? A couple of mishaps with some of the girls at the Institute, but its all par for the course." She had severely pissed off a girl named Willow Woods by plucking hydrangeas and hyacinths that she'd grown for Brooke's own room. Brooke hadn't realized that Willow had grown the flowers with her mutant ability.

Oops.

[pyroprincess]

"They know full well that if they indulge me, the cozy relationship continues. Father was a generous supporter of their trade, and I intend to continue that." Stephanie smirked slightly. "There's no use in letting mutually beneficial relationships lapse, after all." She had plenty of cash on her own person, though she also had a credit card and personal cheques at the ready, because there was always the possibility that the purchase value would be greater than cash could reasonably accomodate.

"One of the girls that you were with at the shelter? They seem like ... interesting folks." A little vulgar, though. And amusingly short, as she recalled.

[hellfire_empath]

"We're from different backgrounds, I suppose," Brooke replied. "I can feel all of their hate and dislike directed at me, though. It's...unpleasant. Honestly, sometimes I'm sure I'm simply redirecting that energy back at them with my words." Which totally meant that she wasn't really a sociopath or anything.

Right?

[pyroprincess]

"I suspect hate is a touch too strong of a word." She certainly picked up some dislike there, though there was no real ire there, even from the one who had supposedly played a prank on Brooke.

Stephanie paused for a moment to consider that. "It's possible, I suppose. I can't really speak to the experience of an empath. Most times I'm honestly grateful that I can't discern people's true feelings. Most of the time, it's their actions that matter anyway."

"But let's not get too weighed down by anything unpleasant. This is supposed to be fun." She smiled. "Let's go get some lunch."

[hellfire_empath]

"Lunch is good," Brooke agreed, linking her arms with her best friend. "So what are you looking to purchase today, anyway? A few new pieces of jewelry, an entire jeweler's business...?"

[pyroprincess]

"Some gemstones for personal jewelry, but I'm also looking at potentially taking over one of their businesses. I have my eye on a few of the diamond traders." Certainly, the future of Shaw Industries looked solid enough, but there was always something to be said about cultivating other projects. "It also amuses me that I have a far more real presence in the diamond trade than Emma Frost- she's a famous enough customer, but she's never really taken a serious look at the industry."

She smiled and went to the waiting limousine with Brooke. "And of course, regardless of what happens to the economy, rich people will always enjoy gold and jewels."

[hellfire_empath]

"I wouldn't mind wearing Emma Frost as a ridiculously ostentatious necklace myself," Brooke said off-handedly. "Besides, I once saw her at Harry Winston. All she does is get herself checked out after every cosmetic procedure, ensuring that she's still in flawless condition."

Brooke tossed her hair off of her shoulder and nodded. "I can't imagine having to wear some horrible hemp jewelry instead of a gold cuff, it's true," she nodded. "Honestly, sometimes I could just settle down with a rich mutant in the gemstone business. I know I'd be a lot happier."

[pyroprincess]

"I've no doubt. A lot of those procedures have best-by dates that she's probably getting close to ..." Not that she was precisely old or anything, but it was well-known that she was already enamoured with cosmetic surgery when she was younger than either Brooke or Stephanie were now.

"Hemp is a useful industrial substance. I have investments in foreign producers ... but indeed. The classics never die." She smirked a little puckishly. "Well, Brooke, that could be arranged easily enough." Now came the wondering whether Brooke would actually get the joke.

[hellfire_empath]

"Hemp jewelry is also the tragic style choice of gross hipsters who can't live anywhere else except in the outer boroughs," Brooke said haughtily. "Useful or not, as a clothing option, it's about as disgusting as the snow-spewing guttersnipe that Rachel let into the Institute."

She paused.

"I don't understand."

[pyroprincess]

"Heaven forbid, the outer boroughs. Surely the worst place to live in the world." Stephanie teased gently. As glad as she was to live on her skyscraper overlooking Central Park, Brooklyn wasn't exactly Afghanistan. "Snow-spewing guttersnipe, hm? That is the one who froze your shoes, I am assuming?"

Jokes weren't as fun when they had to be explained. "The joke is that I'm a rich mutant getting into the jewelry industry and that same-sex marriage is legal in New York." She laughed. "It sounds even sillier explaining it."

[pyroprincess]

The maitre'd didn't dignify Brooke's comment with a response and simply went off in inimitable professional fashion. Stephanie grinned slightly. "We could go to Spain ... it's not too hard to find spots away from the worst of the American- or British, tourists." And as for her own family which she didn't ever want to see again? They'd simply give their lands a wide berth.

It didn't take too long for a platter of amuse-bouches to arrive, all presented with an artist's eye to detail. It was a little atypical of them to arrive on a plate like that, clearly intended to be shared. Stephanie smiled at it, though.

"I'll give them this much, they know their audience. The Michelin-starred version of a tapas platter."

[hellfire_empath]

"As well they should," Brooke said, reaching out to pick up some of the food for herself. Her stomach softly rumbled - she hadn't realized how hungry she was until the food arrived.

"Spain would be wonderful. I should get in touch with that side of me, especially seeing as how I'm partially Spanish myself." Maybe she'd find out more about her father. He never really spoke about his past, and it made it difficult for Brooke to get to know him. Indeed, he never really spoke about much pre-Hellions life, and the things that she'd heard from Rachel, post-Hellions-life, hadn't been the most wonderful things.

But he wasn't that man anymore, right?

She took another long drink of wine. "Besides, I need to know more about where I come from."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie always had to be a little careful when eating with other people. Hunger for her was a constant companion, and she required between five and six thousand calories a day. It created a habit of carefully watching, for etiquette reasons, how one ate in public and often going home and wolfing down a giant steak dinner. So she was a good girl and didn't eat all of the food.

Which was delicious- and seemingly non-controversial. Certainly, it was clear that they were using premium, expensive ingredients and perhaps the foie gras mousse was a touch controversial, but so far it didn't seem like something that needed to be secret. Perhaps it was mostly a publicity scheme.

"I certainly couldn't tell you. I would say, though, that you don't have to agree with everything he did to care about him. My father did a lot of terrible things, but I still loved him. He was my father and in his demanding way, he was very good to me." She took a long sip of her wine. "Spring Break, then? Off to Spain?"

"I guarantee you won't be disappointed." As the tapas platter disappeared, another plate, this time of carefully arranged sushi and sashimi was presented. There was something peculiar about the way that the maitre'd insisted that it was impossible for it to be any fresher. What he didn't say, exactly, is that there were still-living fish slowly dying in the kitchens. For those customers that appreciated the spectacle, they would dine from the living fish itself- but he reasoned the two women were not that type.

And Languedoc prided itself on knowing its customers.

[hellfire_empath]

There was a time when Brooke might have given anything to have that sort of luxurious calorie intake. For her, food had always been a tricky thing, having suffered from bulimia for most of junior high and high school.

She had a better handle on such things, now.

"I can't read him," Brooke said, "At all. Except for when he's sweet-talking me. It's weird."

Brooke stared down at the fish. The last time she'd had sashimi, she'd spent the better part of a weekend locked in her bathroom.

Still, this was Languedoc. There was nothing to worry about, right?

And so she dug in.

"Yes," she added. "Spring break. Spain. Just don't expect me to go running with the bulls."

[pyroprincess]

Luxury or burden? It was hard to say. Sometimes it felt horrible to have to order the driver to pull up at some greasy burger joint, because it was the only place that could offer up food quickly enough for her needs. Though it was certainly nice to never have to worry about weight- she did find, though, she had to be a little careful about exercise and muscle mass.

The safety of the fish was a non-issue, as only the finest ingredients were ever allowed to pass through the restaurant. And the freshness was beyond compare. Indeed, the salmon was still alive, with the tuna having just recently expired.

Stephanie smirked slightly. "What? You don't enjoy the imminent risk of being gored by a testosterone-addled bovine?" Of course, she wasn't really interested in it either, partly because it wouldn't even be a challenge for her.

"I suppose this means that La Tomatina is also out." Her smirk turned into a grin.

[hellfire_empath]

"Being attacked by tomatoes? No thank you. Especially considering the fact that I'm sure I'll end up the victim of a food fight in the Institute any day now." They were jealous of her skin, hair, and wardrobe. She understood, entirely.

"Have you ever been to either, though?" It was a fair question. Despite having lived in New York, she knew many who had never been to the Statue of Liberty or the Empire State Building.

[pyroprincess]

"I don't recall any food fights during my time there, but from what I hear, the recent crop of girls is a little wilder than the last." She actually remembered things being fairly genteel. And were she privy to Brooke's thoughts, well, it was possible, but most likely they simply had different values. Ones she didn't understand as well.

"I've seen the running of the bulls once. Not participated in it, though. Dreadfully improper for a good Catholic girl." Stephanie laughed and took another sip of her wine, which was topped off as if by magic by a passing server. "As for La Tomatina ... never. I get disgruntled enough when I spill something on my clothes, nevermind having a giant tomato fight."

[hellfire_empath]

"Wilder? You have a snow rat ragamuffin, Wolverine's daughter, and the one who organized the shelter thing the other weekend." She paused. "They're uncouth."

Another pause, as she helped herself to more sashimi. The maitre d' was right. This did taste ridiculously fresh.

"We should take them to La Tomatina," she finally said. "Well, you know, if I wasn't in danger of being brutally attacked by them."

[pyroprincess]

"Only if we have full-body wetsuits on underneath our clothes. I don't feel like having to scrub tomato juice off of myself." Stepanie laughed, and helped herself to more of the sashimi, which was really the best she'd ever had.

"I wonder if they have fish in the kitchens that they prepare to order. This certainly tastes fresher than most any I've had before." As Stephanie spoke, the poor salmon finally expired in the kitchens. As the sashimi started to dwindle down, their glasses were topped up and another course came out, a dish organized around the finest grade of milk-fed veal.

[hellfire_empath]

"They probably do," Brooke said. "I'd imagine it was part of their special menu for their more worthy guests." Not that those who dined at Languedoc weren't worthy, but once in awhile you'd find some pathetic refugee from the Jersey Shore who'd saved up enough to have an appetizer or something.

"I'll pass on the La Tomatina thing. I'd rather not be forced to wear a Jaclyn Smith design from K-Mart out in public for any event, even if it is to waste the product. I'm sure I'm allergic to anything lower than Bloomingdale's." And really. Bloomis was the lowest that Brooke would ever go.

She gently poked at the veal. "It's possible they have their own farm right outside town."

[pyroprincess]

"I consider that quite likely." Stephanie for her part got right into the veal. "It's delicious." As for the crowd at Langudoc, she doubted that someone with those sorts of shady credentials would even be allowed to dine there. She'd certainly heard of people being declined from service there. They took exclusivity rather seriously here.

"Rest assured, I won't be taking you to La Tomatina." Stephanie chuckled and sipped her wine. Once the veal disappeared, it was replaced by an intermezzo of sorts, a selection of vegetarian dishes made from rare and exotic ingredients.