White Queen, Mystique and Rejoining the Party

"Well that was fun!"

Walt shrugged slightly as he had a lady on each arm. "I guess. I'm certainly glad you enjoyed yourself, Mystique."

Mystique looked up at him smiling. "I did... and stop pretending you didn't. You definitely enjoyed yourself," she held up her finger and thumb nearly but not quite touching. "If only a little bit."

Walt smirked. "Maybe just a little bit," he admitted.

Mystique leaned forward to look around him at Emma Frost on his otherside. "And you weren't the only one!" She watched Emma pointedly look away from her gaze. Mystique rolled her eyes but then thought better about it and nodded. "Well then I'm intruding. If you don't have any further need of me I'll leave you to your date, "Boss"."

Walt chuckled taking no offense to the dig but Emma stiffened just a bit. She was going to leave her alone with him. Her date. This intriguing, cunning, charming and intellectually... stimulating man.

"Before you go," Walt said and leaned down to kiss her cheek while holding her hand. "Thank you, my friend. I appreciate all your assistance tonight."

Mystique blinked then slowly smiled. She squeezed his hand. "You're welcome," she said simply then smiled at Emma. "I hope you have a good night," she wished them before taking her leave and walking away saying, "Friday you can keep the telepathy blocker up? It's fun."

(("Understood, Mystique. Congratulations on a job well done. I thought you played your part perfectly. "))

"Thanks," she said. She felt her face. She was still smiling. She shrugged. "Fuck it. Let's see what else we can get up to tonight!"

Walt and Emma watched her go. "How did you "tame", Mystique?" Emma asked wondering.

Walt chuckled. "Shush. She might still be able to hear you. She's sharp. And I didn't. I could but I don't want that for her." He smiled. "I just want her to be happy and not alone. She's like me that way. She holds herself apart from others too much and for too long. Alone even when she isn't. Perhaps especially then. I know... it's a lonely way to live and honestly wasteful. I want better for her."

Emma stared at him then started to laugh. "Ahahahaha! Do you know, I do believe are the most incredibly decent villain I've ever met? Hahaha! Simply unique! Ohohohohoho! Definitely Hellfire material!"

Walt grinned and shrugged. "I've been called lots worse... infact I think I'll chose to take that as a compliment. Thank you, Emma. You're quite the unique and superb company yourself! Easily one of the best blind dates I've been on in sometime. But, if you don't mind my asking, what was that back there? And why side with me?"

Emma smiled as they rejoined the party and when a waiter passed by they both accepted flutes of champagne. She tapped her glass to his. "To an eventful evening!"

Walt smiled. "Bit of an understatement but agreed. A very eventful evening!"

They both sipped and Emma said, "I'll answer those questions in reverse order, if you don't mind?" She winked.

Walt grinned and shook his head. "I don't mind at all. And you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm simply happy to be in your company... even if I'm desperately curious and intrigued!"

"Oh, dear!" Emma said smiling at him over her drink. "You shouldn't have admitted to that so easily. Especially after the masterful game you just played." She teased.

Walt chuckled but shook his head. "Is that what we're doing?" He winked. "That was playing for keeps my dear. There are games that aren't really games at all with the highest stakes and those I play to win. Always. Anything else is simply playing for fun. I don't mind losing to you and would even enjoy it because I'm enjoying the game because I'm playing it with you. Not against you. I've already won the prize of your company. Win or lose, the rest is inconsequential... unless we up the stakes!"

She smiled and practically purred with happiness. "Oh, that was a particularly good answer! Well played. Even if you throw the game at this point I'm pleased. Though I do hope you won't!" She watched him nod and she nodded back. "I sided with you for exactly the reasons I gave. You were right in there and Charles was in the wrong. Worse he was foolish. Making an enemy of you would be completely unwise and, if everything is true, unacceptable. It only validates the need for strengthening our alliance with you."

Walt raised his eyebrows. "But what if I truly am a heartless villain?"

She scoffed in disbelief. "Exactly, the point. Your actions in there alone proved the point. If you can do all that you say you can and you were that type, you would have ruthlessly crushed Xavier under your thumb long before. No. You felt something like this was going to happen someday. You set up contingencies and plans and let him seek you out and come to you. Then you crushed him in private with a minimum of people around and the smallest expediture. The fool saves face but he knows you've bested and defeated him. You firmly asserted yourself as at least an equal if not a superior. He'll think twice about ever crossing you again and probably follow along like a whipped dog. Moira and Orchis wanted to crush him and his dream. You saved it but then gave him a friendly and much needed slap in the face as a wake-up call to do better. In a way you were exceedingly kind."

Walt sighed. "Charles is a dreamer. I am too but I work hard to build my dreams into reality with my feet firmly planted on the ground. Chuck likes to stay in his tower on his cloud dreaming and in my opinion doesn't get his hands dirty enough, then spends all his time crying and washing them when he does. It's why he stumbles." He shook his head. "I was just speaking with Doom about Richards that way. It's the same problem I always had with Reed. When their dream towers crumble because of their faulty foundations they get the people they convinced to climb them hurt. That has always irritated me. I like dreamers but they're dangerous."

Emma smiled and nodded. "A realist dreamer, then? What a delightful contradiction. I can see that... and you're the kind who isn't above using his enemies bones to cement his foundations? No, no. I meant it as a compliment. Though you and Doom are on casual speaking terms?" She shook her head. "I can't imagine what kind of atrocities you two get up to discussing."

Walt shrugged. "Mostly coffees and teas. Books. Whether we want to pickup and resume our last board game or who actually won our last game of risk. Little things like that. Can't all be super science and mystic things. That'd get boring. I think that's why he hasn't tried to kill me in ages. He doesn't get a lot of "social time" visitors willing to mix business and pleasure. Hard to stop and appreciate the roses while tip toeing around the landmines of his volatile nature. I break him out of his monotonous shell when I can. Everyone is afraid of him, and definitively should be, but I find dealing Victor just requires caution. Like disarming a bomb." Walt hummed. "Actually that's perhaps the perfect analogy. As long as you're a bomb disposal expert and your insurance is paid up there's little to fear... unless you make a mistake and then you won't have to worry about it for long. I could invite you along on my next trip to scenic Latveria? It really is quite beautiful."

She looked at him and licked her lips. "You matching wits with Von Doom and holding your own over a cup of tea and a board game making chit-chat in-between discussing super science and sorcery with your life on the line? That might be... a bit too stimulating for me, though I'm sorely and suicidally tempted."

Walt blinked. "How so?"

Emma blinked then blushed staring at him. "You really don't know? I had assumed you'd guessed and were simply playing along. Well to answer your other question... I am sapiosexual."

Walt blinked then blushed. "Oh! Uh, I see! So back there... that was... stimulating for you. I apologize. I had no idea-"

"Don't apologize," she said smiling at him. "It's not the only thing I look for in a man but, yes. Watching you match wits and best Xavier? After you've been not only well mannered but playfully engaging and intellectually stimulating behind that "folksy cowboy" veneer all evening? Having you as my date has been... very... pleasantly stimulating." She bit her lip as she gave him a smoldering look.

Walt swallowed now. "Why Miss Frost-"

She'd placed a finger tip to his lips. "Emma, Walter. Emma," she said softly reminding him.

Walt smiled and kissed her finger. "Of course, Emma. Would you... care to do this again sometime?"

"Another date?" She asked smiling. "Yes, Walter. I would." She chuckled. "Infact your lady friends were already soliciting for you."

Walt chuckled and shook his head. "I should have known," he said then raising his glass drank down the rest of the champagne. He watched her do the same and held out his hand. "Would you care to dance, Emma?"

She smiled and gave him her hand. "I would love to, Walter!"

Neo felt a tap on her shoulder. She knew that trick though and turned the opposite direction to find Mystique. She smiled and gave a wave then looked her up and down and nodded her approval. It was nice to see her as "herself".

Mystique rolled her eyes... but smiled and nodded her "thanks". She used her finger to point at Neo then made a circle to indicate she should turn around.

Neo blinked but shrugged and did so as Manami smiled. Mystique was learning to play along with Neo just like everyone else.

Mystique pointed over Neo's shoulder to draw her gaze and Manami followed along as well... And there was Walt and Emma dancing. Dancing very closely. Extremely so, infact. Neo and Manami looked at each other then Mystique and smiled. The date was going exceptionally well. Manami nodded and started filming as Neo nodded and gave Mystique a thumbs-up before she started texting everyone with an update!

And Mystique laughed, grinning.

After dancing they'd gone to the bar. Walt felt Emma tense up. "Trouble?"

She nodded. "Probably. He's coming this way with that look on his face."

Walt nodded and guessed. "Logan and Jean?" And she nodded. Walt smiled. "Yeah. I figured as much, actually. Hi," he said to the bartender. "Can we get two glasses of champagne and two boiler makers? Thanks." He turned to lean against the bar and watched them approach. "Hi guys. I ordered drinks for us."

Logan snorted but watched the bartender set out the two drinks that were obviously for Emma and Jean then prepare the two mugs of beer and shots of whiskey for them. He tried hard not to smile. "Thanks," he passed Jean and Emma their drinks as Walt grabbed the whiskeys and passed him one. "You used my likeness and upset Jeanie, bub."

"Logan," Jean said placing a hand on his arm. "You guys don't have to-"

"It's fine, Jean," Walt said dropping the shotglass into the beer mug as Logan dud tge same and raising his drink to tap Logan's. "I expected this too and honestly? I've been looking forward to it." He smiled at Logan. "But not here. Y'all got some bleachers we can go behind before we throw down?"

Logan smiled. "Might be we could find a place." They both raised their drinks and started chugging them down.

Jean looked at Emma who shrugged. "Boys will be boys, I suppose?"

Jean rolled her eyes but nodded. "Nice to see ours are at least willing to keep it at the high-school level and not kindergarten."

Walt and Logan finished and slammed the empty mugs on the bar nearly simultaneously. "Ahh," Walt said then gestured smiling. "Lead the way?"

Logan smiled too. "Love too!"

[Walter Stark Penny Polendina F.R.I.D.A.Y Neopolitan Pyrrha Nikos Nora Valkyrie Yang Xiao Long Blake Belladonna Kali Belladonna Sienna Khan Willow Schnee Glynda Goodwitch Zwei Ahnassi Lifts-Her-Tail Senko Sayoko Shinozaki Roberta Cisneros Haruna Sasha Blouse Ilulu Rachel "Raven" Roth Manami "La Brava" Aiba Tsuyu "Froppy" Asui Haruhime Sanjouno Anastasia "The Baroness" Cisarovna/DeCobray Demona Mystique Pirotess Lydia Aela the Huntress Serana Mission Vao Curie Ada PAM KL-E-O Merida Gwen "Gwenom" Stacy Jubilation "Jubilee" Lee Jennifer "She-Hulk" Walters Linda T Duck Shocket Raccoon Lady Loki Elizabeth "Betty" Brant Gloria "Glory" Grant Mary Jane "MJ" Watson and Emma Frost

Will Return In

For Those About To Rock

Coming Soon]