Part 5
N/A: It will be merciful short but straight to the point...I hope.
Margareth Smith is watching her protege tailoring the blue and white dress with the appropriate skills and patience to make sure the dress is impeccable. Once the assistant completes with dexterity the gall of the said dress Margareth can only nod in approval.
"Excellent job, MJ, the dress is impeccable" Margareth states clapping her hands and even analyzing the dress thoroughly and nodding once again as her statement wasn´t disproven.
"Thank you, will Emma Frost wear this one?" MJ asked smiling smartly as she´s safely putting the tools and needles in their respective places. MJ can´t deny the dreamy look or tone as she spoke again looking at the dress. "It is really pretty. Emma will look a real vision in such dress"
Now Margareth is gazing MJ curiously. "Uhm, this dress has a certain dark history" and as her apprentice is giving her undivided attention the seamstress continues. "Technically speaking, this dress is not supposed to be used by Emma Frost, but, to her student Celeste...who may or may not be her own daughter"
MJ opens her mouth and closes as this is a new revelation that the Planet News would kill to know. Peter would literally kill to know. And getting the piercing look from her mentor the red hair is smart enough to add. "And this will be a confidential conversation among us. Got it!"
"Anyway, Kitty Pryde the Lady Phantom is the one to got the job destined to Celeste" Margareth then chuckles darkly. "I don´t need to remind again how this..." she trails off and gives a strong look at MJ.
"A confidential conversation, yes! I know!"
"Ok, then you must know that...the decision to enlist Kitty in the program was not so random as it seems. It was petty revenge and nothing more, Prof X was extremely upset with Emma´s last comments on Tyra Banks´s show ...comments about humans and mutants that prompts the man to punish her by making sure her daughter/protege will never work as a model" she concludes again not impressed with such story.
MJ blinks a few times and stops smiling. "I don´t get. I thought the X-men were super friends. You know, the found family trope" MJ even heard from Peter Parker, Spiderman, how he saw the X-men acting like family with each other ("I mean, Nightcrawler even help Jubilee and Bobby Drake in that mission and hell, even Logan and Nightcrawler seem to be a family...unless I´m seeing wrong and they´re ''flowers in the attic'' type of family")
"MJ. The X-men are nothing more than good models and actors. If they must pretend to be friends, you bet they will do, now, behind closed doors? Only God knows what they are really doing" she let her words have a deeper meaning than it should and let the dress on the safer part of the atelier-the security for a dress of Emma Frost is expensive and surely is the best- and she makes a final question.
"Were you ever hopping to be a mutant one day?"
"I was...I grow up seeing Sue Storm posing and being so heroic and I thought...I could be like her...Now, I know better"
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Ok. What will happen now? Kitty thought as the other girls are talking about their previous experiences with the media and how they ended up being selected and how they imagine the future to be now as X- ladies. Jubilee is not giving any spoiler, only speculations until the door opens again, rather anti-climax as Jean Grey enters the room.
It was hard to distinguish Jean Grey who is waving at them from the Jean Grey from the many covers. Both women are the same and so utterly different at the same time.
"Hello, welcome to the X-men..." Jean tries to make the joke but Jubilee made the signal with her hand saying to not do it. Jean pouts and continues. "Ok, jokes aside, welcome to the X-men. You 4 were selected to be the next X-ladies of the team. How are you feeling about this?" she asked patiently and offering her goodwill.
(Oh I recall my first time)
"It is ...not our choice" Kitty speaks bemused. "I mean, I can´t speak about everyone here but I can say I didn´t want to be a model and now I´m forced to be one. Is that fair?" she asked wondering if Jean will answer this question or jump to another one.
"Is not, believe is unfair to us, when I arrived here I wanted to be anything but a model..." Jean has a forlon look and Kitty never once considers that someone like Jean could not have wanted to be a model. "But, in the end, I saw that this job could help me to change the world. It is a different path but I made it my own...and I know some will do the same while others will stray away from fashion and I´m here to say this is more than valid"
Yana raises her hand. "I have a question. When we´ll be able to train and be heroines?" Yana´s Russian accent is strong but her English is understandable enough. "My brother is a model. My brother is dumb" and for some reason, Kitty chuckles at this line along with some other girls too.
Jean smiles at that. "You´ll have to endure being a model for one year, while being trained, after that, Shield or Excalibur will gladly accept you and you´re free to go be a hero" and adds "is that ok?"
Yana nods still thinking her brother is a fool for wanting to be a model.
"Hey, I have a question. So..." Tabitha raises her hand and looks at Jean without care. "I was given a choice. Be a model or go to jail. Yes, you know I shoplift and no, I´m not a kleptomaniac. I was just having fun and took two lipstick and blushes" she crosses her arms. "Why pick me?"
Now Jubilee has a dark look as Jean drops the smile for a moment. "To save you, look..." Jean´s tone is a bit darker now and Kitty feels chill on her spine. "Not everyone likes mutants"
Jubilee interjected. "Do you know the Sentinel project?" and no one aside Jean and Jubilee seem to know what this supposed to mean. "Good, let´s leave like that"
Tabitha Smith has no more questions.
"Ok, to cheer up the bad mood, how about we take the initial photos?" Amara seems to be ecstatic about this. "Each new member needs to have the initial photo. It is sort of a souvenir. And we´re luck cause Jubilee will take the photo for us"
"Girls, your lucky day cause my photos are always cute"
Oh, great...we have to take photos...ok, I guess I can do this.
"And if a model does poorly during the first year?" Kitty asked having a few bad scenarios in her mind.
"No one will be expelled, Kitty and no one here will be doing anything they can´t do it. If you feel you reach your limit...let us know and we´ll be there to help or change the situation. All we ask ...is for you to try"
"As long I don´t have to do a lingerie session...or nude. I can try"
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Emma Frost recognizes Jubilee´s voice in any place and is heading towards the room where she opens the door-thanks to her powers- and see Jubilee having fun with the new girls. Emma had no problem with identifying Kitty Pryde- and spot Kitty Pryde smiling pretty to the camera.
A sweet smile...but Celeste could have done better...now, she will have no chance.
Emma did her best and ignored Jean Grey who is being too obvious in regard to her feelings to Emma Frost. "Emma, I should have to know. Who is alive always shows up" Jean replied gritting her teeth as she gives the fakest smile ever.
Emma replies in equal measure. "Jean, of course, you would be here...missing your daughter already?" Kitty is not knowledgeable about their relationship, but, has the gut feeling Emma throws an insult to Jean and it was not well appreciated.
Don´t think about murder, Jean. You promised.
"So, aside from being a lonely bitch, what are you up to?" Jean asked still smiling fakely and Emma still shows the same measure. Emma Frost is equal to the cover in many magazines.
The blonde woman looks at Kitty and the sensation of "Snow White and the Evil Queen" plays in Kitty´s mind-Kitty had the feeling Emma is trying to read her mind, for whatever reason, she´s closing her eyes and imaging a brick of wall and slowly lifting her middle finger to Emma-as now the older blonde is peering at Kitty.
"So, that´s the Ghost Lady? Pathetic...I have seen better cosplay of Scarlet Witch in Animecons" Emma states playing with a crude smile on her face.
Kitty is not impressed. "And I saw cheaper looks of White Queen so convincing that for a moment I had to wonder if you change profession" Kitty shot back.
Emma Frost arch one eyebrow. "Uhm, you have a way with words...must have been very popular in school" another attempt.
Kitty shrugs. "Define popularity. Because where I see ...you seem desperate than popular and right now, you´re proving this"
Jean put an arm on Emma and the two are telepathic speaking for a moment until Emma leaves with a frown on her face. "Bye Emma, tell to Dr. Mark his surgery is well done. I can´t even see it wasn´t real" Jean shouts back innocently as Emma says something nasty about Jean and her husband. "Don´t worry Emma, one someone will love you"
"Pryde, congratulations!" Jean said once Emma is out of the room. "You have a natural talent to block telepaths"
Jubilee and the others are asking for tips in this regard and Jean is not offended by this.