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[silverplatters]

GOETSCH, MATTHIAS.​

Endless possibilities start running through his mind the moment those words leave her mouth, however he knows better than to start guessing now, that will only make him more anxious than he already is and despite not wanting to hear what she had to say he knows she needs to say it - it’s hurting her which means it will hurt him to. “and what is about to happen?”

“what’s about to happen is…”

god. this is it.

“your father’s going to die.”

maxine’s head hangs and her lips tremble with fright. “he’s going to die because he’s a vile human being. and we both know it. we always have, haven’t we? he’s built an empire off the backs of innocent, helpless mutants being tortured and murdered for profit.”

and i deserve to die, too, for cardoning myself off the responsibility of knowing the whole truth. i could’ve done something sooner, said something sooner, been brave sooner.

“he’s always hated mutants. never saw them as real people. he’ll bury them in a shallow grave if it meant he got what he wanted—and even then, he’ll do it regardless because that’s just who he is.”

crystal. crystal. crystal. we both know what happened to crystal.

“and there’s no way to stop him from continuing on his razing of mutant rights to keep his pockets lined. no prison could ever keep him, no amount of public disdain will affect him. he’s too powerful for any real punishment. even if he’s thrown into the deepest, darkest hole in the world—he’ll come out of it ready to destroy the people who put him there.”

“i know he’s coming after me. ever since essex, i—” she catches her breath, “i wanted nothing to do with any of it. i wanted us out of essex. but that wasn’t an option for him. they’re the reason for all of this goddamn wealth, and he’ll never let it go. and i’ve angered him because i defied him. i told him i was going to pull from essex, no matter he or the board said.”

get to the point. get to the point. tell him. just tell him. you’re going to lose everything in the end, anyway. just say it. say it. say it.

“he’s going to die because he and i can’t both exist in this world. there’s no way around it—either he goes or i go.”

“because—because…” she breathes out, “—your father is a man who always gets what he wants, and he’ll leave no stone unturned to find out why i said what i said, and when he finds out—”

“he has a habit of destroying the lives of mutants, and i refuse to let him add mine to his list.”

[silverplatters]

✆ ⇄ maxine and january

January: Why not? We're still going to be living with humanity. You think I'm just going to sweep all that aside because we're better?

January: Some of my favorite designers are human. Just some.

January: And forgive me, but I'm /not/ your mother, Miss Brandt. I can't hold your hand or look over your shoulder; you're independent thinkers. You do things you want.

January: I'm just there to make sure you all don't go do something stupid. Like kidnap civilians. Or lay siege to a school.

Maxine: Oh, I'm not entirely sure, really. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, does it not?

Yes, she's aware of the irony. She's had a taste of "absolute power"—or as absolute as it can get for a nepotist puppet—and she surprisingly does not enjoy the feeling. Who would've thunk that she doesn't have the stomach for it? —or, maybe, she just doesn't have the stomach to do bad things when it's on behalf of other people. She's still young, after all!

Maxine: Of course not. Though, to no one's credit, my mother was neither a hand-holder or over-the-shoulder looker, either. It would wrinkle her silk skirt to crouch down.

Maxine: Well, you can at least expect me to do absolutely nothing for the time being. Except to be a socialite, perhaps.

[silverplatters]

✆ ⇄ maxine and january

January: Ha! Mutant-only private schools. No, Xavier has that down under lock.

January: No, no—I was thinking mutant legislation. Mutant businesses. Mutant art and culture. Mutants having a place in this world that humanity can't stain or take away.

January: And to be frank, Miss Brandt, I'd have to say that half of the people there are in it for the drinks and the bored humans and the simpering spouses.

January: Do bad, by all means. But try to do bad in a way that benefits the collective.

Maxine: So, a mutant utopia? I'd find it hard to believe if co-existence is your endgame.

Maxine: And I suppose you're in charge of all the machinations, then? And we'd just be your Girl Scouts?

[silverplatters]

O’CONNELL, CIARÁN.​

“you’re welcome,” ciarán chuckled as he moved his chair closer to the table, his gaze momentarily flickering towards their waiter before returning to maxine. she deserved far more than what he’d planned, but he was working on limited time so it would have to do for now. he’d make it up to her later. “dare i suggest we skip the catching up?” he asked, his eyebrow arched as he looked at his friend. he’d gladly catch up if maxine wanted, but he hoped she would opt not to. 

“no talking, just drinking?” maxine smirks, “you’ve given me the perfect birthday gift.” she has been drinking an awful lot lately… though ciarán doesn’t have to be privy into the ins and outs of it. she always turns out perfectly fine, anyway. even after three bottles of wine. “besides, i’ll need you to lack a visceral reaction when i tell you that…” a breath. “…i’m shutting b&g down.”

[silverplatters]

✆ ⇄ maxine and january

January: If pressed? Shake up the economy with a twitch of my nose. I've done it before with a nice dress and a nicer wig.

January: And the lunch club is mostly a guise. It's better for people to think we're stupid and rich, wasting our money with entertainment, companionship and drinks, rather than actually investing our time in something worthwhile.

Maxine: Like mutant-only private schools?

Maxine: It's fortunate that I've mastered the art of sitting still and looking pretty, then. I'd finally have something to thank my mother for.

Maxine: But you don't actually expect all of your members to be philanthropists, do you? I'm a tad bit rusty when it comes to good-doing.

[silverplatters]

DE LEÓN, SANTIAGO.​

16th September, 1998; afternoon || @silverplatters​

“Ms. Brandt, I…” Santiago had gone back and forth on whether she should approach her at all, and eventually something won out — not curiosity, not pity; he couldn’t exactly say. But approach her he did, and started the only way he really knew how. “I heard the news about your decision.”

“ah… yes,” maxine nods. her gaze is indistinct against his, and the slightest bit marred with—what is it? curiosity? skepticism? the thought rushes into her head: does santiago know about her father? does he know about her? “it took me long enough, i suppose.” to know the whole truth. to accept it. to grow a conscience. or a backbone. or a soul. “your wife and i had spoken about it, actually.”

[silverplatters]

GOETSCH, MATTHIAS.​

Matthias frowns and his smile disappears from his face as he stares at Maxine, a bit confused, perplexed and then, finally concerned. He knows something has happened, he feels that something is wrong and that sole thought makes his chest hurt, it seems like they can never have anything nice. “what happened?”

this is it, maxine surmises. although there’s a part of her that wants to take it all back, to pretend, to lie—and relish this weekend with him (and what is, quite obviously, their last)—she knows it’d be foolish to drag this out any longer than it already has. cruel, too. to let him believe that even just for three days, everything’s fine. five years apart and he finally comes back… and she was starting to think that it meant something. “it’s not about what happened. it’s what’s about to happen.”

[silverplatters]

✆ ⇄ maxine and january

January: I love a good lunch club. Call me old-fashioned.

January: And forgive me, but I have other ventures that require a deft hand. One that wouldn't survive politics, at least.

January: Of course, unless you want some nosy opposition spy to attempt to steal my records? Not after our last conversation.

Maxine: A businesswoman *and* a homemaker. How impressive.

Maxine: I hope you're about to say something trivial, like tax evasion.

Maxine: Surprisingly, I've had enough of corporate espionage in my lifetime. And nothing's of use to me at the moment, anyway. I'm unemployed, if you haven't heard.

Maxine: Maybe that's why I've taken an interest in your lunch club. What *is* a woman to do when she has too much free time?

[silverplatters]

FROM: Cyra De León <cyra-de-leon@aol.com> TO:  Maxine Brandt <mbrandt@aol.com> SUBJECT: RE: Hi.

Ha. They would find being called a bigot too much. But you know what they say– if the shoe fits. 

Honestly? I don’t know, Maxine. But I do. Perhaps it’s because I have a feeling about you. You’ve never been your parents, you’ve always been your own person. For as long as I’ve known your family, anyway. 

Maybe that’s enough for me. But I suppose it’ll be up to you to decide whether or not my faith is misplaced.

Cyra

FROM: Maxine Brandt <mbrandt@aol.com> TO: Cyra De León <cyra-de-leon@aol.com> SUBJECT: RE: Hi.

Cyra,

They’d prefer if you called them traditionalists, so I’ve heard.

That’s certainly a first. I don’t think I’ve ever been called anything than a dead ringer for my father. But aren’t children supposed to be like their parents, anyway?

I’ll try not to let you down, then. There’s nothing left for me to do except be an ally, right? Or try to be, at least.

Maxine

[silverplatters]

✆ ⇄ maxine and january

Maxine: So… what *is* the Hellfire Club?

January: Publicly? Mostly a debauched Dorian Grey club like the one in the 18th century. Entertainment. Rooms. Drinks. Connectivity.

January: Among the mutants and the supporters? Investment in private business and secretly funding lobbies that advance the interests of mutants.

January: Healthcare. Education. The markets. Is that a clear enough picture?

Maxine, chuckling: I thought you were a modern woman, Ms. St. James. Aren't lunch clubs, even as deceitful as this one is, are of a bygone era?

Maxine: So, capitalism melded with philanthropy, then?

Maxine: Why not just become a politician? That seems easier, doesn't it? Put a face to the movement and become a hero. Everyone loves a good hero.

[silverplatters]

GOETSCH, MATTHIAS.​

Matthias smiles at her and he can’t help but be honest with her “I pretty much begged your secretary to give me information about your plans for the weekend,” there is a mischievous glint on his eyes that had not been there for years “don’t fire her, she didn’t give them to me, but I got hold of her computer when she was on break, so I do know your schedule will allow that” 

He wants to reach out and touch her cheek, put his lips on her skin and make sure she blushes even more but he forces himself to stay still “I know, I know all of that. But, I wanted to do this, I want to celebrate your birthday with you”

“and i…” can’t thank you enough. have missed you and i’m still missing you even though you’re right in front of me. have never wanted to kiss you more than i do right now. needed this, and needed you, more than anything else in the world. have waited for you for five years. don’t want to lie to you. have to tell you something. must warn you. this is all going to end. this is all going to crash. everything will fall apart and i— “…can’t do this. i can’t do this, matthias. i’m sorry. i’m so, so sorry.”

[silverplatters]

my castle crumbled overnight i brought a knife to a gunfight they took the crown, but it's alright all the liars are calling me one nobody's heard from me for months all my flowers grew back as thorns windows boarded up after the storm all the drama queens taking swings all the jokers dressing up as kings so call it what you want

[silverplatters]

✆ ⇄ maxine and january

Maxine: So… what *is* the Hellfire Club?

[silverplatters]

september 15, 1998. maxine brandt makes a very public announcement in front of brandt & goetsch. 

[SPEECH START]

I have called this press conference to make an important, long overdue announcement. ¶

I took over as CEO of Brandt & Goetsch in February of last year, after looking forward to and fearing the position for years. / Although I inherited the title of CEO from my late father, no one was more surprised than myself when that moment came so soon after his death—it had always been our plan for me to take over leadership at the firm but not under these circumstances. ¶

I accepted the role and all its associated responsibilities, knowing that taking on this position would mean shouldering some burdens. / I’ve always believed that this law firm—founded by my father—was a part of me in the same way that my heart is. / I had been groomed to learn how to protect and make it successful for generations, so carrying his legacy within me seemed natural. ¶

But there has been a lot of change in my life since then—as there tends to be when one is thrust into such a position—and I’m here to say finally, after a long delay: ¶

There is no cause to be proud of Brandt & Goetsch. / I have lost faith in the values that this firm once embodied; given everything that has happened over the last year and throughout history before today, I refuse to remain complicit with its mistreatment of mutants. / I do not wish to be associated with a legacy whose reputation is soiled by greed, corruption, and cruelty. ¶

I am renouncing any affiliation with Essex House, the Essex Corporation, and Nathaniel Essex himself. Brandt & Goetsch has dissolved its partnerships with the mentioned parties and will cooperate fully with the FBI’s investigation of Essex Corporation. ¶

As I stand here today, I am not seeking forgiveness for the atrocities Brandt & Goetsch, and the Essex Corporation committed. / Doing so will not reverse any of the damage caused by our cruelty—and doing so would only benefit me without helping those we’ve let down. ¶

But I must take this opportunity to apologize for the role Brandt & Goetsch played in Essex’s cruel and unethical practices. / We were a part of it—and we did nothing to stop him or put an end to his actions. ¶

So instead, I will stand here and take full responsibility for the actions of Brandt & Goetsch. / We have abandoned the unethical business practices that led to our company’s downfall—and will no longer be a part of Nathaniel Essex’s attempts to reap financial gain from people suffering emotional pain. ¶

To this end, I have decided to close Brandt & Goetsch, New York, on October 31st of this year. / My choice is not easy, but the current climate makes it imperative that I take this measure. ¶

In the meantime, I urge everyone to take their business elsewhere. / Many firms will provide the same services as Brandt & Goetsch without exploiting those who need them most. ¶

I will temporarily retire from law practice and take a hiatus from public life. / This decision is not a reflection on the firm or its partners but a recognition that they are caught up in a system I cannot support. / My commitment now is to protecting mutant rights and ensuring that mutants are treated fairly in our society; however, it will be on my own terms. ¶

Thank you, and good evening. ¶

[SPEECH END]

tldr:

not a televised event but this will definitely be in the papers and local news

b&g ny will officially close on halloween night

yes she used her powers to let the board go along with this

yes everyone is confused as to why everyone agreed for a company shutdown out of nowhere with the only reason being ‘miss brandt said so’

yes there are some people speculating that maxine is a mutant

no she did not disclose her mutant status to anyone

nor did she publicly announce it, either

and she probably never will

maxine is unemployed

and so are a lot of people

that’s all for now!

[silverplatters]

@c23tasks 004. maxine talks about her family. content and trigger warnings: death, body image issues, eating disorders, narcissism.

WHAT WAS YOUR CHILDHOOD LIKE? WHO RAISED YOU?

"not unlike most childhoods, except for the luxurious lifestyle. there were good moments, bad moments, and moments that mustn't have been important because they'd been forgotten. i distinctly remember the scent of honeydew melon wafting around the house. that was my mother's favorite reed scent. i wouldn't say i particularly had a fun childhood overall, but it wasn't miserable relative to my social circle's childhoods. i'd use the words fine and expected."

"from the ages of one to five, my parents were a clean 50/50 in raising me. i remember this because i was six when they hired a new maid—petra—to take care of me, specifically as i was growing older and attending school. that was when the house started to get a little busy. we all had our own routines. i remember spending most of my childhood with petra, since my father worked all day and came home in the evenings, and my mother… to be honest, i never really knew what my mother did during the day. she didn't have a job. all i remember is how we would spend weekends together, up until i was fifteen, teaching me how to smile and brush my hair with a denman brush in front of the mirror for hours on end."

"since i was a child, my father always asked me how my day went during dinnertime. he always liked to steer conversations into academics. and choosing friends wisely. and work, of course. he'd mostly talk about work, wherever we were. at home, vacationing in south korea, spending our sundays at the country club. he'd play pool or poker if he wasn't talking about work. those were his only hobbies, and to be honest, he wasn't very good at either of those things. sometimes, you only get to be good at one thing in life. but i don't think he cared. i think he just enjoyed the essence of it."

"petra was the person i saw and interacted with the most during my childhood. she'd be the one to wake me up, dress me, make breakfast for me, and send me off to school. we'd watch television together in the afternoons, and she'd help me with my homework. she was the loveliest woman i'd ever met. she had children of her own, too—two boys who lived back in their hometown. when i was ten, she taught me how to make a slingshot, and i broke one of our celadon vases. my mother didn't let that go for two years."

ANY SIBLINGS? DO YOU STILL TALK?

"none that i know of."

WHO DO YOU CONSIDER FAMILY?

"none to speak of."

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU LOOK LIKE MORE?

"my mother. i have everything she has, except for my father's nose. her hair, lips, eyes, body—it's all from her. i think that's why she was incredibly… protective of how i looked. she never hid the disappointment and irritation on her face when i so much as had a single strand of stray hair across my forehead. or how she'd pinch my skin as a sign that i was getting fuller, by her standards."

WHO DO YOU THINK YOU'RE MORE LIKE?

"my father. though, to be clear, it isn't anything to be proud of. i don't think i'm a raging narcissist. i've got that, at least."

DO YOU HAVE CHILDREN?

"absolutely not."

DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE FAMILY MEMBER?

"when i was younger, definitely my father. relative to my mother, he made a genuine effort to bond with me. or, at least, that's how i thought it was back then. he humored my nonsensical questions as a child and my more genuine curiosities as a teenager. he had the answers to everything, and i appreciated that."

"i never got the sense that my mother ever liked me as a person. even as a child. though, to her credit, my feelings of being born to be corrected didn't just stem from her. i felt that from my father, too, but in a completely different way. my mother always viewed me as something that needed to be strapped to a table and tinkered to perfection, while my father took on the role of a … whose every word was law. he influenced a lot of my worldviews and how i think. he's the reason why my english name is maxine. he chose that for me."

WHAT ABOUT YOUR LEAST FAVORITE?

"between the spineless man who lied to his family about being a mutant and was complicit in a flurry of human rights violations for decades—which, in turn, endangered his daughter and left her to fix the calamitous mess he left behind, and the narcissist who very clearly didn't want a child and, at several times, openly displayed her disdain through her endless criticisms of my arms, my belly, my legs…"

"…at least my mother hated me to my face. i appreciate the honesty."

DOES YOUR FAMILY HAVE ANY SECRETS?

"my family is built from all the truths we'd covered and forgotten."

"my father lived half a life until the day he died for reasons i can't quite accept. i can't accept the fear he felt, even if i have that same fear. i'm carrying it for him now, too. i can't accept his greed, even if i'm just as fearful of losing everything i have, as meaningless as they are. it's all very grecian, really. "

"my mother wanted to be an artist in a family of doctors who clawed their way out of poverty through intellect and hard work. i only know this because the last time i visited her hometown, her old paintings were thrown out of their house because they were soaked and mottled. it must have been maddening to have never had a voice your entire life."

"i can see why they were a perfect match. she was waiting to blossom, and he had a knack for blooming. and along the way… it all went wrong."

"when my father died, so did my mother. anyone can tell there's nothing behind her eyes anymore. she lives alone in our old house. doing nothing. speaking to no one. i tried—heaven knows i tried. it was the only time i've ever begged for my mother. i felt alone during that time. i felt, ironically, powerless."

"she loved him more than anyone or anything else in the world, and that will never change. even after i'd told her how my father lied to us both. after i'd told her i was just like him. because maybe that would've swayed her. she told me not to ruin what was left in her mind about her husband."

"the secret that encompasses all of this, i think, is that i don't have a family anymore."

[silverplatters]

Daniel Lavery & Cecilia Corrigan, From the Makers of “Two-Mom Energy Drink,” It’s “Let Your Father Die Energy Drink”

[silverplatters]

MATTHIAS GOETSCH​

He had miss it, the sound of her laughter, it makes him ache when it is cut off short and yet at the same time it also makes him smile in return, a small nod following in response to her question. “A whole weekend, actually” it seemed little when he compared it to the previous years, as a child Matthias remembers wanting to extend her birthday celebrations for a whole week. “I think you deserve to have a nice time,” he shrugs “I just happened to be able to arrange that for you”

“a whole weekend?” maxine repeats, her laughter now a palpable and genuine response. “i don’t think my schedule will allow that.” (that’s a lie, she doesn’t have a life anymore.) despite herself—and everything that’s happening that matthias isn’t privy to yet—she gets a bit flushed, “this… you didn’t have to do this, matthias. really, it’s—” maxine gestures to the quiet luxury of the mykonos, “—i don’t celebrate my birthday anymore, is all.” that, and there’s a little niggle of a feeling that’s starting to creep up from the bottom of her spine. it feels like guilt.