Hellfire Gala: Before we storm the gates...

[Craig Dragotti]

A tiny grin materialized on Mr. Dragotti's face as soon as he saw Rahne. She had been a good woman. He glanced at Wolverine and seemed neutral about him. Craig thought he recognized Kitty, but he was uncertain. His eyes widened in shock since he remembered his vow to look after Jack. He faced him and couldn't allow himself to be distracted any longer.

[Jack Sparrow]

"Oh, we certainly do not need Pete Wisdom  or Wolverine decking anyone!" Jack said to Craig as he finally managed to extract himself from the chat with Carrie Carlyle. "Ta ta, Carrie! Don't vex Emma too much!"

Jack looked back over his shoulder to see the doors had finally been opened on the mansion. "Hurray! Now let's go inside, Craig, before anyone decides to shut the doors again!"

OOC: I am setting up a new thread at the Hellfire Mansion to start the party. Please feel free to move there at your leisure.

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti tried not to imagine Pete or Wolverine hitting people. Biting his lower lip, he wondered if he and Jack would be tossed out of the party if the men fought. He suddenly wondered how Mrs. Brown was doing. Craig was suddenly sheepish since he forgot about Carrie. Mr. Dragotti's smile was one of relief as soon as the mansion doors opened. He proceeded to follow Jack very slowly.

*Exit Mr. Dragotti to Hellfire Mansion party*

[dazzler]

Alison smiled at the camera as the photog snapped her picture.  She was used to the flash of the camera and all the questions since she was in show biz.  However, Sasha looked rather uncomfortable, she turned to him and patted him on the shoulder.  "I know, these guys can be a bit much at times.  The easiest thing to do is just stop for a picture and then move on.  If you try to sneak past them they get aggressive," she said with a laugh.

"Who are you wearing tonight, Dazzler?"  a reporter asked.

Alison turned and struck another pose.  "I'm wearing  Dior tonight," she said.

"Can you give us any details on your new cd?"

"Nope, but I will say it's coming out later this year!"  she grinned.

"Who is that guy you're with?"  someone else asked as they looked at Sasha.

"My friend," Alison said, pulling Sasha along with her.  When they got out of sight of the reporter she stopped and looked at Sasha. "Okay, those guys were just getting annoying." 

 

[Pete Wisdom]

Pete rolled his eyes as he looked over at Scott and Emma.  "Yeah ... Don't want to go upsetting  Her Royal Highness."  Pete could get along with Scott fine enough but Emma was an entirely different story.  There was something about that woman that rubbed him the wrong way; and  he was 100 percent sure of himself that he'd never get along with her.

"Suppose they won't allow me to 'ave a cigarette inside will they?"  Pete really could use one right now, but they were probably finally heading in so he wasn't going to waste a perfectly good one now.  "Maybe I'll go outside  in a bit and 'ave one, eh?"

He looked over at Dana and gave her a slight smile; he still couldn't believe that he was going to be married soon.  If he was honest with himself he never saw himself ever getting married.  Not until he met Dana, and now he couldn't imagine himself not being married.  They'd start the next chapter in their lives, hopefully in the UK.  He wasn't looking forward to telling the rest of the team that they were going back to England, even though he hoped that they'd just assume they were with his job.  Then there was that whole mess with UNIT X, he still didn't know what was going on with them.  He was supposed to be the liaison between them and the X-Men, but with him moving to M-16, he would have to find a replacement.  "Looks like the cattle is finally moving into the building. "


"Who are you wearing, Sir?"  A woman asked, sticking a microphone in Pete's face.

He scrunched his face for a moment in confusion.  Wasn't this something that was usually asked to a woman?  He grinned at the reporter.  "Oh, I'm wearing Basic Black Suit," he opened the suit coat and showed them the inside.  "I'm also wearing  Basic Blue Button Up shirt and Basic Black tie."  Then he winked at Dana and spun around striking a pose for the camera.

He laughed after they left and shook his head looking at the others.  "Wot?  If they're going to ask me asinine questions then I'm going to give them asinine answers."


 

[Brightstar]

"Is it bad that I ate McDonalds on the way over here?"  Rorian said with a chuckle.  She had a long flight from NewYork to San Francisco, so she made her driver stop and get some fast food.  As rich and well off as she was, Rorian never tried to act like she was.  She was down to earth and goofy but also smart and well spoken when she needed to be.  

"I need to ask Dr. McCoy if I can give him a hand in the labs.  Also I need to see if all my schooling got transferred to SFSU from Cornell," she said as they madr their way towards the entrance of the building.

"What?" Darcy said with one eyebrow raised.  "Why the heck would you come to SFSU if you were at Cornell?  That's crazy!  I mean, I applied to Culver University and got in, but found out my mother blew my entire college fund on alcohol and online shopping just before I was set to start.  Trust me SFSU was one of the last places I wanted to go, but at least they have a decent Poli Science department.  But man, to willingly leave an Ivy League college ...."

Rorian shrugged.  "I know, my professors think I'm crazy too, but I really want to be close to my family and friends.  I just miss being off by myself," she said with a bit of sadness in her voice.  She looked at Rahne and then brightened up a bit, it was nice to have her sister around again.  She leaned into her ear and whispered.  "So any news about you and Madrox, yet?  Have you told him that you like him?"  

 

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''Please don't touch my mask! Please don't touch my mask!'' Sasha muttered as photographers stood by him. He wondered if they were curious about possible beauty or disfigured features behind the disguise. He turned to Alison as she patted him on the shoulder. Sasha shook his head in disbelief when Alison answered some questions. Then again, he figured she was used to the attention. ''Eep!'' he exclaimed as soon as a photographer wished to know who he was.

Although Sasha sometimes killed humans such as Mr. Dragotti's mob enemies without regrets, he didn't wish to add fuel to the fire that was hate for mutants. In other words, he hesitated to harm innocents. The Purifiers had been exceptions when they attacked some of his companions earlier. ''Thanks, Alison,'' he muttered after she pulled him with her. He hoped to get inside as soon as possible. ''Let's get inside,'' he muttered under his breath.

[Darcy Litwack]

forgot to post Darcy's outfit




Darcy reached for her phone just before they headed inside the gala.  <R U here yet?>  she texted Phil.

A few seconds later her phone chimed.  <Not yet.  Finishing up here.>

<Hurry up.  I look hot.>  she grinned as she typed and then took a picture of herself from the neck down while everyone was looking the other way.  She sent the text and bite her lip while she waited for a reply.

The phone chimed almost immediately.  <nice>  She scowled, she was expecting a little more than just nice.  

<Just nice?>  she typed back.

There was no response, she rolled her eyes and then typed a message to Barry.  <Wish you were here.  How is things going in SF?  I bet that  exhibit is a sight to behold.  yuck.  Oh, guess who is coming to the gala?  Agent Sexy pants! Can you even believe that?  Good thing I look extra hot tonight!  luv ya!  see you whenever we leave tonight.>


Darcy sent the text and then followed her friends into the gala.

[Shadowmage]

Branan was supposed to wait outside for his friend Nathanael Langdon, but he was getting tired of all the flashes going off in his face. "Pete, Dana! Are they driving you as crazy as they are driving me?"

"Ah! It's Tom Cruise!" someone in the crowd yelled as Branan turned and glared. He had been confused for the actor before, and that was precisely why he kept his hair long and had a beard. He did not want to be mistaken for anyone but himself, but he certainly did not want to be confused with some Hollywood actor.

"Branan, please don't get all grouchy," Dana replied as he stayed close to Pete. "And for the record, I love Basic Black Suit. Great designer who always looks great on you."

"What?" Branan asked as he gave Pete an odd look. "Oh. Those folks from Women's Wear Daily got to you, too?"

"And who are you wearing?" Dana asked as she punched her brother in the arm. 

"Suit from Back of Closet. I think that's who it is anyway. Jadzia was the one who always kept me looking good. If she were here, I bet she'd laugh herself silly because of all this fuss. Then she'd give Michael Priest what for and go get a drink."

[Barry Allen]

OOC: Text back to Darcy. Barry is not here. He is in the SF Mutant Kitsch exhibit thread here

IC:

<<Creepy creepy nonsense. I hate this damned exhibit>>

<<He is lucky to have you! If he forgets that, tell him he'll have to talk to me>>

<<See what I mean?>>

Photo  of artist with models dressed as Emma Frost & Jean Grey attached

Photo of Sentinel attached

<<Some of the X-Men better show soon. And I won't wait up ;-) >>

[Wolverine]

"Basic Black Suit. Gotta love it," Logan said with a grin as he looked over at Pete and Dana. "So, Red, everyone OK with Pete joining the family?" 


Kari looked at Logan and shook her head. He knew the signs all too well that someone likely was still ticked about the upcoming wedding. "Take a guess."

"Siofra. Has to be. Your folks put up with me, and Pete is a lot more put together than I am."

"Yes, Grandmum is making noises again. She always does," Kari said as she grabbed Logan's hand. "We can still make it to our place before we get sucked into this mess."

"Oh no you don't!" Dana yelled as she tapped her foot on the sidewalk. 

"Dana, she's kidding. Right, Red?"

"Hell no, I'm not. Just jump on the subway and go. But something about this is making me very jumpy. I swore I saw Aro before. Aro is not exactly a friend of Michael Priest."



 

[Rune]

"It's a good thing Merrill isn't here, because he'd have fit with all the leather and animal furs being flashed around,"  Keillia said quietly.  "He already told Emma off twice for wearing that white fox fur stole."  

Pete nodded, "Well, 'e lucked out."  Pete put his hand up to block a flash of camera.  This was not his thing, being on parade for all the world to see.  

"Dr. Von Doom!  I'm Robert Stanley from Smithsonian magazine.  Can we ask you some questions?"  a reporter said, sticking his voice recorder in front of Keillia's face.

"Not right now, please.  I'd be more than happy to speak with you but not here at this event.  Please contact office to set up an appointment."  She turned and walked away towards the others.  "At least once we're in the media won't follow us.  I need a drink," she said shaking her head and smirking.

"Got a flask of scotch in my coat.  Fancy some?"  Pete offered. 

"No thanks, Pete," Keillia chuckled.

[Darcy Litwack]

Darcy smirked as she read Barry's texts.  He hadn't been overly thrilled when he found out that she and Agent Coulson started dating, but Darcy had convinced him that Phil was a cool guy who wasn't taking advantage of her.  She liked that Barry was sort of protective over her; he was like the brother she never had.

<<Eww!  those cosplay chicks are nasty!!>>

<<Artist looks like a douche>>

Darcy flipped her phone around and took a few snapshots of the people that were around her and sent it to Barry.

<<We have to deal with these clowns!!>>

<<Yeah, not sure when I'll be home tonight.  Late probably.>>

<<I didn't even know Phil was in NY.  He told me he was going to be at the Tap Room tonight.>>

<<Whatever.  I'm just glad I get to see him.  It's been weeks!>>

[Pete Wisdom]

"I think your grandmum hates me," Pete mumbled just loud enough for Dana to hear him.  "She always gives me an odd look every time she sees me.  I know I'm not the best catch in the world for her granddaughter, but I'm trying to work on not being so vulgar.  I've come along way since you've met me, right?  I mean, I don't tell people to sod off like I used to and I don't blow smoke in peoples faces.  Those are big steps.  Kinda proud of me self."

Pete looked over at Kari and raised his eyebrow.  "Who's Aro again?  I've heard the name several times.  I suppose there's going to be a lot people 'ere we normally don't like to mingle with."

[Sydney MacLeod]

"Aro? Dear Goddess, not him!" 

Sydney MacLeod had portaled in a group from the Buckland Academy in Edinburgh just in time to hear Pete Wisdom mention Aro. 



"Pete, Sydney MacLeod from Buckland, that snooty magic school in Edinburgh," Dana said as Sydney waved her hands madly at Severus Snape so he would move the students along from the portal. "Oh jolly. Snape is here."

"Snooty? You have Emma Frost to deal with, and you call us snooty?" Sydney said to Dana as both women burst out laughing. "Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Syd, go find a man, will you?" Dana added with a smirk.

"Hey, you have a ton of eligible men at your school, so I might go check a few of them out."

[Rose MacLeod]

"Oh for crying out loud," Rose said as she walked up behind her sister. "This is not a meat market, Syd. What are you planning to do? Rope an eligible bachelor?"

"Can't I have some fun? Or did Grandpa tell you to make sure I behaved?" Sydney chided her sister as Rose fixed the various layers of her skirt. 



"No, he's too busy with Piper hunting that demon in Madrid. Just be happy he didn't ask us to go along," Rose added as she looked back at the other Buckland staff members and students who had come along for the party. "Elle! Andrew! Don't hide in the back."

"And that's why they hide in the back!" Syd said as she smacked her hand on her forehead. "Mingle, guys, but don't get in stupid. No twerking! No...oh, you-knowing!"

Rose knew exactly what that meant. No magic.

[Darkwing]

"You might be glad I'm here, but I can think of about a dozen other things I'd rather be doing right now. Like relaxing in Italy, for example." Or better yet, running down the streets of New York, LA, or Boston, breaking the legs of drug dealers or their ilk. In fact, if it wasn't for the fact that getting some more intel on the Hellfire Club was high on his to-do list, Brian wouldn't have been here at all.

That, and Allen told him to take a day off. Jumping around from Boston to Chicago and to the occasional team up with one of the Avengers members he could actually tolerate would wear down pretty much anyone. Granted, he was going to be back to business as usual by the next day, having an evening to physically relax, even if he wasn't mentally relaxed, was beneficial.

Tonight I came on my own," he said in reply to Emma's question. "I figured I could pull from one of your ranks. Which one of your X-Men friends is single?" He chuckled immediately afterward.

He was only half-joking.

[Deleted]

"Hey, I ate before we got here, too!" Rahne said as she chuckled at Rorian's comment. "But I also did a workout in the Danger Room, so I burned most of it off. That was silly."

Rahne was worried about Rorian transferring as much as some of the others had been. She was as brilliant as her father was, and Rahne did not want to see Rorian going to a school that might not fit her abilities. "I'm sure Hank will be absolutely thrilled to have you in the labs. Keiko's cousin Jiao is supposed to help him as well, but I know Hank has been swamped. Ever since M-Day, he's been working day and night to find a way to kick start the X gene again. Maybe you'll have luck. Fresh eyes to the problem, you know?"

It was the mention of Jamie that got Rahne a bit flustered. "No, I haven't really had the chance to say anything. The move got us all a bit crazy. Crazier than usual, I mean."

[Emma Frost]

"Oh yes, Brian, your house on Lake Como. I'm surprised you haven't sold it now that the Hollywood crowd is calling it home," Emma replied as she saw another one of the media vultures coming their way. {{To all the reporters, paparazzi and camera people, I will gladly speak to you later}} she said in a mental blast to the assorted people descending on their location.  "Scott, I think we really need to take Warren up on that offer to get us a PR person. This is insane."

Emma tried to look not too vexed as flashes kept going off. She smiled back at Scott and then gave Brian a quizzical look. "You're kidding me, correct? I thought you had the Little Black Book to end all Little Black Books. Now, I know the Tinsley Mortimers and Paris Hiltons are the ones who likely flock to you first, and you have the good taste to shoo them away. You send them to Tony Stark, right?" Emma added as she glanced around. "Do you have anyone in particular who caught your eye, or should I fly blind here, Brian?"

{{Dear heaven. He wants me to set him up? Scott, this could be a disaster}} Emma said telepathically to Scott as she tried to figure out who would be a suitable companion for Brian. {{I know who to avoid at least}}

[Goddess]

"My grandmum doesn't hate you, Pete," Dana said as she pulled him away from the arriving group from Buckland. "She's more peeved your bosses passed over my Uncle Valen. He's told her a million times he did not want your job. She just doesn't listen. He thinks you're the best man for the job, and he's been in your line of work for a long time."

Dana knew her various family members likely drove Pete nuts a good lot of the time. Hell, they drove her nuts as well.

"You know, when this nonsense is over, we should go back to England for a bit. I mean, I know you have to for work, but maybe we need to just set up house there and have someone else be the liaison to Unit X? And I realize Scott and Emma might have no clue about Unit X yet. Not how they work, I mean. But I get the feeling things are only going to get crazier. And speaking of crazy, maybe we should head inside? I've had enough of the Fleet Street wannabes."



 

[Iron Man]

OOC: as I said on the app, borrowing Director Stark for a bit--Karen

IC:

"Why did I ever let you talk me into this?" Tony Stark, director of SHIELD and founder of The Avengers, said to his friend and Stark head honcho Pepper Potts as they walked the red carpet toward the Hellfire Mansion. "Oh wait. Brian Williams. That's why," Tony added with a tiny smirk. "Admit it. You like the guy."

"What?" Pepper replied as she glared at Tony. "Brian is a nice guy, but he is way too complicated. Like you. I do not need another you in my life."

"And that would be bad because?" Tony asked and then turned to wave at some of the press standing behind barriers near the red carpet.

"Because I have enough to do keeping you in line, Mr. Director," Pepper said with a stare that could melt one of Tony's visors. "And...did you talk to Oksana yet?"

"That's what Maria Hill says, too, and no, not yet. She's off on some secret project," Tony added as he walked up behind Williams, Scott Summers and Emma Frost. "So, we all here to have a good time for a good cause tonight? Or are we all suspecting things are going to get crazy enough to make Perez Hilton blush."

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha began to have second thoughts about attending the party with every passing second. The multiple reporters and guests overwhelmed him. Too many camera flashes, vocals, etc. The Russian stumbled back for a moment, but regained his balance. He dreaded the thought of someone unmasking him both intentionally and unintentionally. He wondered if anyone would mistake him for a woman due to his feminine mask, long hair, etc. and hope to see what was behind the disguise.

[Chieftain]

Zach, Cassie and Erin were in the line behind Sasha and Alison, and Zach could feel how anxious Sasha was. Zach had picked up that annoying habit from his mother. He could feel everything everyone was feeling, and sometimes it took a lot of effort to dial it all down.

"I hate things like this," he said as he moved closer to Sasha. "Zach MacFeorais. I never got to introduce myself before we left. That base is so big, I'm sure there are a lot of other people I haven't met yet. I just hope the music isn't a snore. We don't need people napping in the middle of the party."

[Pixie]

"Well, if Alison isn't performing, it will be boring!" Megan said as she and some of the other students stepped out of her portal. She looked right at Zach, Ali and Sasha and wagged her finger. "I thought you were going to wait for us!"

"Megan, we took way too long to get ready," Lexi replied as she pulled out her camera to snap some shots for her scrapbook. "I don't blame them for leaving on their own."

"Oh, I know. I'm just being silly," she said as she fluttered her wings a bit. As she looked around, Megan couldn't help but feel a bit overwhelmed as she felt all sorts of magic in the air. She decided not to worry about it just yet and focused instead on the entertainment for the gala. "Alison, you look gorgeous tonight. And who is playing for the party if you aren't? Any clue?"




 

[Jubilee]

"Oh God, it's cold!" Jubilee yelled as she and Jono walked out of the portal after Megan and Lexi.

"It's a balmy 75," Jono chuckled as Jubilee pretended to shiver.

"That is too cold for this Cali girl! But I guess a party is a good enough reason to come back East for one night. That and seeing Logan in a tux. How did Kari pull that one off?"

"Not a clue, gel. Will Monet be gracing us with her presence this evening," Jono asked as he tried to keep a photographer from snapping pictures of them. "Wankers!"

"Monet? Would she miss an event like this? Seriously. Jono, you already know the answer."