The Perk, Early Monday Afternoon

[icecoldfrost]

Emma was finished with all her finals, Fandom courses and Danger Shop tutorials alike, and was celebrating in her own, time-honored fashion.

With coffee.

She'd turned in her acceptance of ESU's offer, hopefully aced Kerrigan's class, and had a fabulous prom. She was on top of the world, and felt like nothing could get her down.

Unfortunately, the world had other plans.

[OOC: Looking for some particular visitors, but open Perk is open! Feel free to pester a Frost, any Frost!]

Comments

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

Under normal circumstances, Adrienne didn't walk, she sauntered. Occasionally prowled, depending on the circumstances. And, when she was putting on a good show about being a businesswoman, she strode. It looked powerful.

Today, however, as she made her way into the Perk and beelined to Emma's table, she strutted. And why shouldn't she? Emma's entire world was about to come crashing around her ears, and Adri got to watch.

"Emma, darling! Don't you look all..." Her eyes skimmed over Emma. "Well, whatever, it's nice you see you anyway."

[icecoldfrost]

This was what happened when she failed to follow through on her brilliant ideas, wasn't it? She hadn't gotten that restraining order, and now Emma's least-favorite family member was here.

"Graduation isn't until next weekend, darling," she replied, sipping her coffee serenely. "Go home, and come back then. Maybe you can even take pictures if I make valedictorian."

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

"You're so cute when you're naive," Adrienne said sweetly, taking the other chair at the table. "I'm sorry, were you really hoping that we'd be here to watch that? Mom taking pictures while Daddy films it on the recorder? And then we'll end the day with a big group hug and 'Goooo, Frosts!'"

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly Emma. You're crazier than I thought."

[icecoldfrost]

"No, I was just enjoying the thought that if you did try to show, security would throw you out on your asses since I didn't submit your names as my guests," she replied cheerfully. "Actually, you shouldn't be here now, either, since it's not a friends and family weekend. I wonder if Sheriff Vimes has a cell just for uninvited tourists?"

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

"Here on business," Adrienne said breezily. "So sorry to burst your bubble, Ems, but we don't need your permission to come by and visit."

Her grin had a sharp and malicious edge. "There's a lot of things we don't need your permission for, sweetheart."

[icecoldfrost]

"There isn't a single business on the island that you'd be interested in," she said bluntly, "-and when the faculty finds out you're harassing a student, I doubt you'll be staying long."

"So spit it out. What do you want, Adrienne?"

She'd said 'we,' that was never a good sign.

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

"Our family whole and together once more," Adrienne said piously. "Under one roof, where we can help and care for our more vulnerable and...weak-minded members. I just want what's best for you, Emma dear."

[icecoldfrost]

Emma was out of her seat and in Adrienne's face instantly. "Fuck. You," she hissed. "Not happening. I'm eighteen, and whatever little scheme you're up to isn't going to work. The faster you get that through your brain, the happier you'll be."

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Some time after Adrienne had made her entrance, it was time for another Frost to wander in, making a point to cast a dismissive look in Emma's direction before heading to the counter. Once she was there, she ordered herself an iced cappuccino, wandered back towards the tables, sat down relatively near to Emma, and slurped.

Loudly.

Not that you'd be able to tell, over the sheer volume of the 80s punk music streaming from her headphones. Cordelia Frost was tired of this island already.

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

"Honestly, Cordelia," Adrienne said, rolling her eyes. Why were both her younger sisters so damn annoying? "I know this island is the back end of nowhere, but could you please stop acting like the poster child for Disaffected Youth of America?"

It was so common!

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Cordelia's response to that (and why should Adrienne expect any different), was to raise an eyebrow, pull her lip back in a bit of a sneer, and then gesture toward her headphones with one hand, as if asking if maybe Adrienne was blind or something.

Whether she was demonstrating that she had no idea what the hell her sister had just said, or was simply pointing out that with her phones on she didn't think she was bothering anyone, was anybody's best guess.

Either way, duh, Adrienne. Just duh.

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

She wasn't going to go over there and rip Cordelia's headphones off.

She wasn't going to go over there and rip Cordelia's headphones off.

Cordelia was actually being quiet for a change and behaving herself and Adrienne did not want to have to answer to Winston if that stopped being true.

She wasn't going to go over there and rip Cordelia's headphones off.

Dammit, she so was.

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Oh, it was on, Adrienne. It was so on.

"What the hell, Adrienne! What, do you think you have some kind of point to prove?" Cordelia was making a snatch for her headphones right on back, thank you. "I was listening to that."

[touch-and-see.livejournal.com]

"Oh, go steal another one of Mother's pills and learn to behave yourself in public," Adrienne hissed, trying to keep the headphones away. More loudly she added, "Cordy, greet your big sister properly. Or she's going to think you didn't miss her after she ran off."

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

"I'll get to it," Cordelia replied, closing her hand around the cord of her headphones where the plugged into her walkman and giving it a good yank. If this kept up for much longer, there was nothing stopping her from kicking her foot out under the table to connect with Adrienne's shin.

She so wanted to kick Adrienne in the shin.

"She's been gone for ages. She can cope with me enjoying my drink before rushing over to cover her with sisterly affection or whatever."

Hah.

[icecoldfrost]

Emma was resisting the urge to start banging her head against the table. She needed to finish her coffee, at a normal pace, and not let her sisters drive her out of her coffee shop.

Then she could go scream off the roof of the dorms and try to come up with a plan.

She pulled a pen out of her purse and quickly scribbled on her napkin before holding it up.

Nice to see you too, Cordelia.

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Cordelia regarded the note with a cool eye and another thoughtful, pointedly more obnoxious slurp of her cappuccino. Was it nice to see her? Really?

Could have fooled her.

Still, after a moment, she might have leaned forward over her table, propping herself up by her elbows, so that she could give Emma a look that pretty much screamed 'bitch, please.'

"You can't have missed me all that much, Emma."

She was here, after all.

[icecoldfrost]

"It was sarcasm, Cord, but you are currently my favorite living sibling," Emma replied dryly. "Just because I got fed up with playing Winston's games doesn't mean I hate all members of our family."

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Well. That was something, Cordelia supposed. She regarded Emma coolly for another moment before reaching into her pocket and turning the volume down on her walkman. Slightly.

The qualifier there wasn't helping, Emma. The 'living' part.

"It's so nice to know that I count, Emma."

You could tell how thrilled she was by the way she was rolling her eyes.

[icecoldfrost]

"Would you seriously have come with me?" Emma asked, rolling her eyes right back. "Sorry I didn't stop to consult, but I was busy trying not to get thrown out like he did to Christian, and I didn't think you were interested."

It really wasn't fair that Cord got the revolving door of multiple rehab stints, and Emma and Christian hadn't been so lucky.

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Would anyone who had ever met Winston blame her for all the rehab stints?

"Well, it doesn't look like you have to worry too much about being thrown out," Cordelia replied, holding up her drink as if it was the most interesting thing in the world to her, right now. "Not if he has any say in the matter."

She didn't sound all that thrilled about that.

... Not that she tended to sound thrilled about much.

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

After getting Adrienne's helpful text, Winston strode into the coffee shop to confront his wayward daughter. Both his wayward daughters.

"Well, Adrienne," he said, his gaze locked on Emma. "I see your talent for finding your sister remains undiminished." In his peripheral vision, she glowed at his praise, chin lifting as she gave her sister a smug grin. "Too bad it couldn't have manifested earlier, when it would have actually been useful."

Her face fell and she opened to mouth to protest. He waved a hand to shut her up. He wasn't finished speaking yet, and when Winston Frost was speaking, everyone else remained silent.

Breaking off his glare at Emma, he turned towards Hazel, who had followed behind him, meekly and quietly as she did everything now.

"I thought I told you to keep Cordelia with you," he said, voice quiet. "I thought I was very clear when I gave you those instructions."

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

Quiet or not, Hazel still look distressed. Under certain circumstances, a quiet Winston was even more frightening than a blustering one. She couldn't remember whether Winston had told her to do that or not, but it didn't matter. Lots of things were fuzzy these days and one didn't contradict Winston.

"I'm sorry, dear," she said, her voice thin and papery, like a dried petals. "I just laid down for a few minutes. I had a headache."

[coldhardfrosts.livejournal.com]

"Of course you did," Winston said. "Just long enough for Cordelia to disobey me. You should probably count your pills when we get back, just to be on the safe side."

Not that Hazel would have any idea whether her pills were missing anyway. Not with the way she went through them.

"Cordelia! You left your mother when she was ill, going against my explicit instructions. I wish I could say I was surprised."

He was ignoring Emma for now, of course. The one daughter he hadn't seen in years, just letting the dread grow within her, while she sat and stewed and worried about just how angry he was. He would deal with his middle daughter when he was good and ready to and not before.

[icecoldfrost]

That assumed she was still the middle daughter vying for approval, and was willing to wait to be addressed.

"You ought to know by now that the Frost girls do as they like, Winston," she drawled, flagging the barrista for another glass. "I don't know why you bother to tell them to behave."

"You do know that the definition of insanity is doing - or saying - the same thing over and over again and expecting different results, yes?"