Hellfire Gala: Willkommen! Bienvenue! Welcome!

[Darcy Litwack]

Darcy wiggled up to Abbey and smiled.  "I am a very sweet girl.  Sometimes," she said, overhearing Kitty talking about her.  Darcy hadn't really been called sweet before, it's not like she was bad or anything, but she wasn't sure is sweet was the right word.  "I may check out the YA party for a bit.  Phil, obviously, will not be going to it.  He's not into that kinda thing."

Abbey smirked.  "God, why are you even with him then?"

"Totally in it for his AARP perks," Darcy joked, taking a sip of champagne.

"That's a few years off yet," Phil said as he came up behind Darcy.  He looked at Kitty and nodded.  "It's a pleasure to see you again Ms. Pryde."

"You know my mom?" Abbey asked.  

Phil nodded.  "We worked briefly at SHIELD together."

Darcy giggled.  "Did you know that Phil's nickname is Cheese at SHIELD?  He won't tell me why, but I'm totally going to start calling him Philly Cheesesteak now!"  Darcy looked at Phil and smirked and then back to Kitty.  "That's pretty awesome you worked for SHIELD.  I'm hoping maybe I might be able to offer my services to the agency.   Not that there is anything wrong with offering my services to one of their agents," she winked at Phil which caused him to blush.

[Shadowcat]

"It's good to see again as well," Kitty said to Phil as she looked over at him. "Yes, Abbey, I worked for SHIELD for a bit, but that was before I was with your Dad. That seems like another lifetime ago," Kitty said as she looked back toward Pete and Dana. "That was around the time I was with Pete. Those were wild times."

Kitty prayed Coulson did not ask her where Stalik was. She really did not want to get into the whole 'Kalik was a Skrull' thing at the moment. She was also afraid of hurting Keillia by bring it up in the first place. She felt horrible about that whole disaster with Kalik, and she wished they had all gone with Stalik and Talin to get to the bottom of this mess.

"And you don't have to be super sweet all the time to be a nice person, Darcy. I guess I'm just happy you and Abbey are taking classes together and doing the normal things everyone in the X-Men always dreams of doing," Kitty added as she kept one eye on Kelsey and Artie. "That mess in San Francisco has been the norm for us, and we hope that is the last time insanity follows us home. I know. Wishful thinking!"

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha figured he needed someone to chat with. Someone able to understand him and hear every word. Mr. Dragotti and Reynard were not the best people to cry on. They probably would have made fun of him or turned their backs. Sasha sampled another vegetable and shrugged. ''Not bad,'' he said under his breath.

[Craig Dragotti]

Craig smiled since he enjoyed how the crackers tasted. ''Mrs. Brown should be with us, Jack. I'm certain she'll enjoy being at this type of party. Does she get any days off at all?'' Mr. Dragotti frowned at the thought of Mrs. Brown cleaning their home by herself. ''If only Mrs. Brown was invited like we were.''

[aleera]

Aleera just smiled at those around her. For the Vampire queen she was here as part of her obligation but she had mixed feelings about being here. The only thing for her that made it enjoyable was seeing some familiar faces and some she wanted to talk to for quite some time.

"Indeed she does travel in powerful circles but I know Ewan is a perfect match for her. I can see it every time they are together how much they love each other." She said with a nod to Ewan. "I know I don't have to tell you Ewan but take care of her....She's very special."

As far as this event. I tend to be the quieter sort...This is more Aro's type of function not mine but I wouldn't be a good queen if I didn't make a appearance....Plus it's good to keep tabs on the members of the council....Sometimes they make alliances with people I will simply say....I don't approve of."

Jessie smiled at her but at the same time spoke to her boyfriend through their link. {"Seems like everyone has a vested interest in us beloved.....Aleera is nice in her own way but I get the feeling she thinks I am some sort of prize for the vampire ranks....My loyalty is to you and my family."}

[Jack Sparrow]

"Oh yes, I make sure Mrs. Brown has time off. If I didn't well, I fear she'd be very cross indeed," Jack said as he looked around to see if anyone was making way to a formal dining room, but no one was budging. "She does go to events at times, but I am not certain if she has ever gone to an event like this. If I had thought of it, perhaps I should have asked her."

"Wicked Jack, I can go get the dear lady, if you wish," Tia Dalma said as she walked up behind Jack and Craig. "It was nice of you to think of her, Craig."

[The Whisperer]

OOC: I am going to use this as an open invitation for gamers to drop preternatural folks into the Mystic Council grouping. Feel free to let your imaginations run wild. --K

{{I agree. I have a feeling that people are jockeying for position about you, beloved. I remember that all too well from my own sisters. Women of power are, sadly, often seen as pawns on a chess board}} Ewan replied to Jessie as he kept looking around the room. If Aleera and Aro were here, he was sure one other player would be here besides maybe Alrik. He thought Alrik had a problem with Michael Priest, so he knew the Norse vampire might not show up. 

{{Remember my Aunt Eavan mentioned a vampire named Niklaus and his siblings, Elijah and Rebekah? They are not only old money, they are truly ancient money.  I would not be surprised to see them arrive tonight}}

"Aleera, I thought it a bit odd that Melkir would postpone the start of the Council meetings because of this party. Do you expect a lot of Council members to attend? Beyond all of us I mean?"

[Althena Dalmasca]

"Cain," Marina diverted her attention to her massive companion, who largely kept to himself and remained quiet since their arrival. A bummer, in her opinion. The Juggernaut should be the life of the party, but here he was, doing nothing. And Marina was quite bored of it. "Don't get yourself into trouble." A stretch of her upper body later, the telepath uncrossed her legs and stood up.

It was time to have some fun.

A quick glance around the room revealed quite a number of potential targets of interest. There were the obvious ones like billionaires and movie stars, but she didn't want to start off with such a high value person, she wanted to flex her muscles and start off one someone smaller. The bigshots with a lot of money tended to be easy. A bat of the eyelash and a little leg shown could get someone to a bed in a matter of minutes if they were wealthy. Those types tended to have flexible morality, especially if they were married.

The unknown types tended to be far more committed, and more fun to break.

So, instead of running off to Tony Stark or Brian Williams or even Tony Danza (was that Tony Danza she saw off in the corner? That would have to be investigated later), her eyes wandered around until she could find someone who was a bit reserved in their actions and body language. Someone that would be hard, but not impossible, to break. After all, if her keen manipulative dialog wouldn't do it, some slight nudging via pheromones would be able to get the job done.

Sushi roll in one hand and a martini glass in another, Marina slowly pivoted back and forth until, eventually, her eyes settled on a target. "Jackpot."

Eagle eyed focus allowed the woman to bypass the hairy short guy who seemed uncomfortable in a tuxedo and the red haired woman who reeked of psionic energy and of Celtic paganism. She did stutter step for a moment when she locked on to the blonde haired girl. "Hmm, she smells like Thor. Might make a fun diversion later. Note, Thor would make a fun diversion later."

The others in the group were pretty much irrelevant to Marina at the moment, she was focused purely on the middle aged SHIELD agent. Seducing SHIELD agents were a past time of hers back when he was locked away in on of their maximum security cells. Unfortunately, those parts of her memory were quite fuzzy. It made her depressed sometimes when she thought about it. Which probably why sought to pursue the agent.

Sushi roll gone and her martini glass half empty, she slid past the short, fuzzy man with the mutton chops, pivoted around the Celtic redhead and moved directly in front of the middle aged SHIELD agent and stared at him. Hard. With blatant disregard for his (younger) hot girlfriend that stood next to him. Maybe Marina would make a play for her next. But for now, she wanted the agent in the suit. "Your corneas are lovingly transparent and your irides are a wondrous shade of blue." Random. "Wanna go play naked tag in the broom closet?" Just as random.

"She can come too," she said with a gesture toward the younger girl made with her martini.

[Craig Dragotti]

''That's good to know,'' Mr. Dragotti said as he smiled. He shrugged for a few seconds. ''I wish I could remember if she was busy by the time we departed.'' Mr. Dragotti turned his head as soon as Tia Dalma spoke. She wasn't as terrifying up close. ''Thanks, Tia,'' he said to her.

[The Alchemist]

"I wish Riley had come along," Edward said to his cousin Tessa as he looked at all the people in the room. Many of them were paler shades of people he once knew back home, and that made him sadder than he was letting on. "Shanae, who are all these people? And...Goddess, that's the Juggernaut!"

"There are so many people here, and the one you recognize is Cain Marko?" Marrac said as he walked up behind his cousins and Shanae. "Was he in your world, too?"

"No, I saw his name in some research I was doing on the family," Edward replied as he saw this world's version of his father in the distance. "I still can't get used to that. He's my father, but he's also not really like my father at all. I know. I sound like a nitwit. Where's Declan?"

"Trying to scare up something that isn't meat or fish wrapped in more meat or fish," Marrac said with a grin. "It's for one of the other students. He'd eat a cow if you let him. Said student tumbled off her heels, and he made her sit down while he got her some food. Knight in shining armor and all that."

"What about Hugh and Jack?" Edward asked as he deflected someone from running into Tessa with a tray of canapes. "I swear I'll spell this lot so no one gets food in their hair or on their clothes."

"Jack is stalking Tony Stark, and Hugh is trying to keep him from stalking Tony Stark," Marrac said as he turned to see his mother, Adaryn, staring at Iron Man as he held court with some reporter in a corner near the staircase. "And if that keeps up, I'll need to go get my Mum and make sure she stays away from Stark as well."

[Sydney MacLeod]

Sydney and Rose led the contingent from Buckland inside, and she already heard a few of the usual Hogwarts jokes as she went past some of the people in the foyer. "I swear, I'll find the goopiest dip and drop it on that moron's head," Sydney hissed as she looked around for anyone she and her sister might know. "OK, Emma Frost is over there with Scott Summers and some guy I don't recognize. I wonder...oh wait!"

As she started across the room, Sydney looked around for a guy with white hair and a red coat, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. But his friend was. "Hi! John, right?" Syd yelled as she waved her hand and rushed over, coming to a stop in front of John and some of the ladies around him. Her mouth dropped as she recognized Maureen MacNealy, but first things first. "I met you very briefly when you were still in New York. I took your friend Dante on that trip to Brazil. By any chance is he coming tonight? I have something I think he might be interested in seeing."

Syd looked at Mo who was, by now, rolling her eyes. "Is this the old 'I'd like to show him my etchings' ploy, Sydney? That hasn't worked for centuries, darling," Mo added with a slight giggle as she pushed back some hair out of her eyes.

"Nice to see you too, Maureen," Sydney replied as she grabbed a crab puff off a passing tray. "And no. It's a gun I found in the armory under Buckland. I thought he might take an interest in seeing the thing, but I've been up to my tuckus in grading papers and demon hunting the last few weeks."

Sydney smiled as she looked at John. He really was a nice guy, and for the life of her she wondered how a fruit loop like Maureen MacNealy had gravitated toward him and not caused all holy hell to break out already. 

[Cyclops]

{{Shaw and Priest must be on a recruiting drive,}} Scott said to Emma as the two of them finally made their way into the room arm and arm, flash bulbs bombarding them as they went. {{There has to be something in the works.}} Scott quickly glanced back at Brian, who seemed to be hamming it up for the cameras. Though the billionaire seemed to come off as totally not-Tony Stark, there seemed to be plenty of similarities between the two.

But he was an old friend of Emma's, so hopefully their situation doesn't turn into one that was too similar to how theirs was currently with Iron Man.

Of course, all of those thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sight of his ex. It didn't help things that his ex just so happened to be the evil clone of his deceased wife. Not to mention, she was supposed to be dead, too! The life of a Summers was far too complicated sometimes. "Madelyne," He said to her with a quick glance over at the others surrounding him. "Surprise to see you here too." Not much to be said on that end. She had as much of a troubled relationship with the Hellfire Club as he and the other X-Men here. The fact that they were all present didn't make him feel any better about this whole situation.

[The Red Queen]

"And I'm sure you're wondering why I actually decided to show up," Maddie said to Scott as she kept one eye on Emma. It was so much fun to yank her chain. "It's actually fun to come here and get into a bit of innocent fun. Spiking the punch, so to speak. And frankly I wanted to get to know some of the family a bit better," Maddie said as she nodded to Jessie.

"Family? Jessie, surely you don't consider Madelyne your mother, do you? She and Jean are light years apart. Even I will admit that," Emma said as she looked between Maddie and Scott. "Simple DNA does not..." 

"Make a mother? Emma, would you say the same about your Cuckoos?" Maddie said with sly grin as she looked back past Scott toward where Karenza and Wolverine were standing. "Then again, none of us know about the joys of motherhood as much as your sister, Ewan."

"Madelyne, please, let's not drag my sister and her children into this chat," Ewan replied as he shot a look at the Red Queen.  "Her circumstances are very, very different."

[Jessie Grey]

"Mother."Jessie said as she took a moment before continuing. "You know how I came into being. I am part of a thousand different realities, a thousand different pasts and a thousand different futures. You are my mother. Jean is my mother and." She said as she took a pause before continuing again "Madelyne is my mother.....I am connected to all of you." She held on to Ewan's hand for support.

"You are right mother it's more than DNA. It's thoughts, emotions, and memories are what makes each of you my family. I am my own person but you are all family. My path is my own and nothing influences that" She then spoke to Emma telepathically for a moment.

{"Mother I know this is hard to understand but you must trust me.I must embrace all of who I am. The light and the dark. It's what makes me, me. I love you with all my heart and I am so happy to be in your life. Jean guides me in her own way and believe it or not she does care about you and dad. Remember I am your daughter just as much I am Jean's or Madelyne's."}

She then looked at the Red Queen. "And Ewan is right. Fate chose Kari for the path she takes. She has her own cross to bare and I respect her gratefully for embracing that cross."

[Sasha Sadovsky]

*I hope the punch isn't spiked!* Sasha thought. He focused on the red liquid for a few moments until he took a cup. Tilting the object near his mouth, he took a tiny sip. *Nothing yet* he thought before he sipped the drink again. Sasha guessed the punch was OK and consumed the rest of it in one gulp. He wouldn't have put it past Mr. Dragotti to drug a possible drink out of revenge.

''Are you having a good time so far, Alison?'' Sasha poured more of the red liquid into his cup. He made sure to enjoy every bit of it. Drinking at a snail's pace, he made sure not to turn his head. Why spoil the moment by viewing his ex-employer?

[sebastianshaw]

The night raged on and the guests were having a blast despite Scott Summers chagrin.  Curiousity was at an all time high, and Sebastian Shaw had yet to show his face.  Michael Priest was entertaining, and many of the Hellfire Club's former members such as Emma Frost had entered, waiting for Sebastian Shaw's next outrageous action.  What those at the Club didn't realize is that Sebastian Shaw had successfully aquired enough power and influence to rise above the rank of Black King.  He had decided to campaign for the position of the late Sir Gordan Phillips, Lord Imperial.  He had traveled to each Hellfire Club Chapter and gained influence upon each for his vote to rise.  He was attempting to unite the Hellfire Club, a once unimaginable action.

Sebastian Shaw sat at his throne in the Inner Circle's hidden chambers within the Club's interior, drinking an aged to perfection Scotch in a platinum chalice decorated with rubies. In front of him was a holographic screen monitoring the festivities.  Something was different about Sebastian Shaw, however.  A smile was plastered upon the older man's face.  Placing his chalice on the table in front of him, Shaw rose from his seat.  It was time to to reveal himself.  He patted his Victorian garb down, inspecting for perfection.  Flawless.

The once known Black King walked out, peering out over the huddled masses from atop the grand staircase wrapped in red carpet, laced with real gold as trumpets sounded off, gathering everyones attention.  He stood, silent for a moment as the murmors died down.  He nodded to a few familiar faces, while ignoring Emma Frost's presence in the Club.  He was sure she had tried using her mental powers to scour the Hellfire Club's premises.  He had called for his Psi Mages to up their numbers for protection.  She was used to such Psionic dampers, and normal precaution would not be enough.  Despite the White Queen's status among the X-Men, she was known for taking what she wanted.  It was a trait that had attracted him in the beginning.  Together, the White Queen and Black King had redefined Hellfire.

"Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls!  WELCOME!"  Sebastian Shaw's voice was boisterous and joyful.  It didn't sound like himself.  "These celebrations shall be greater than ever before... This is my word to you.  It is a NEW ERA OF HELLFIRE!!!!!" Slowly, Sebastian began making his way down the stairs.  "This is a celebration for the ages... To mark the united front of each Hellfire Club Chapter; Globalization if you will.  And I shall serve it, as Lord Imperial!  

"The Hellfire Club represents unmatched power.  This power is molded by our own wills... But in light of this new era, I vow to make this a power one that will change the world.  Shaw Industries will now donate 25% of our profits to charitable organizations.  I implore you all to do the same.  It is time to rejoice!  With great power comes ultimate responsibility.  We must do what we can to mold the world... Not into one of bloodshed and struggle... but of one with kindness and collaboration!  To mark the occasion, I propose a toast!  Shall we no longer do well, but do good!"

Immediately, the voices grew to a roar and Shaw walked down upon the masses.

[Mrs Maureen Brown]

One moment Maureen Brown had been standing in her Master Jack's house, and the next the terrifying visage of Tia Dalma had popped from the enchanted mirror and whisked her here. Wherever here was. In the transit, Mrs. Brown found her garments transformed into a lovely evening gown fit for a woman of her age. 



"Oh my goodness," she said as she moved through the crowd, looking on as the host of the event proposed a toast. The man seemed very, very rich and perhaps a bit snockered as he moved into the crowd. "Oh! Master Jack! Mr. Dragotti!" Mrs. Brown called out as she moved toward the two gentlemen. She looked toward Tia Dalma and seemed to recoil a tad. The woman always scared her out of her wits. "Sirs, one minute I was cleaning the dishes, and the next I'm here. What is going on?"

Mrs. Brown nodded to Mr. Dragotti and smiled as she looked around at everyone. "This party is very, very grand!"

[Craig Dragotti]

The sudden appearance of Mrs. Brown caused Mr. Dragotti's eyes to widen a bit. *Tia Dalma sure was fast with transporting Mrs. Brown here* he thought. He concentrated on her evening gown and assumed she looked quite gorgeous in it. ''I asked about you until Tia Dalma brought you here,'' Mr. Dragotti answered. His eyes settled on Shaw for a moment before he frowned. He turned to Jack.

''There's something not quite right about that Victorian outfit wearing fellow, Jack and Mrs. Brown. I'm not sure what it is yet. He seems as though he's up to no good.'' Mr. Dragotti had no idea if Sebastian heard him or not.  

[The Red Queen]

"Let's not get into talk of bearing crosses," Maddie replied as she smiled at Jessie. "I know. It's all figurative. But let's focus on the better points in life tonight and not dwell on the grim ones."

{{Thank you, Jessie. What you said means the world to me}} Maddie said telepathically to her daughter before Sebastian Shaw made his presence known. Maddie could see Michael Priest going a tad red as Shaw upstaged him. "Ah, Sebastian, Sebastian. He is always one to make the stage his own."

Maddie looked back to Jessie again and smiled as she realized what was happening. Emma was, for the moment anyway, speechless, and Scott had to accept the fact that Maddie would be part of their lives through Jessie. "A very noble speech, don't you think, everyone? But how many will pony up and follow Sebastian's example?"

[Belenus]

Padraic had been shadowing Edward, Tessa, Declan and Marrac most of the evening so far, but he knew he couldn't set foot into that party for the younger adults, so he had to impart a bit of wisdom to them before they headed into the festivities.

"Eddie," he said as he motioned for the young alchemist to follow him, "please listen to Declan and Marrac and get Tessa out of there if things get too wild. You and I are used to that nonsense from back home where the parties get out of hand at the drop of a hat. Remember that mess in Brixton?"

"I do, and I don't want that at all, even though I'm sure Tessa could handle herself if push came to shove," Edward replied just before Sebastian Shaw made his speech. "Did we have a Shaw in our world?"

"I never met him if we did, and our Hellfire Club was a bit more mystically-inclined. You can thank your grandfather for that," Padraic responded as he continued to keep an eye on Shaw. "Now, you three better get going to that party."

[Emma Frost]

Emma looked at Scott and mentally raged as first Maddie then Sebastian Shaw got into her cerebral grill and made a mess of it. {{Do not get me started on the red haired shrew in the tacky dress. I'll get to her later. Darling, I do believe Shaw has lost his marbles}} Emma fairly screamed in Scott's mind as she felt herself getting swallowed up in cheers of the fools and idiots that seemed to be peppering the crowd. {{Either he's had a concussion and needs medical attention, or he is a pod person. That is not the Sebastian Shaw I know. Now, I'll be a good little social butterfly and see if I can trip him up a tad}}

As the former White Queen looked around the room at the cheering guests, Emma made her way to Sebastian. "A truly moving speech, Sebastian. So much more passionate than those I remember from the good old days. And Lord Imperial? Most impressive indeed. When did that all come about, and what did you have to promise to the other branches besides bundles of money?"

Emma knew full well that the politics of Hellfire was often the most dangerous game in town. To become Lord Imperial, Shaw had to either have enough dirt to bury the other kings or enough cash to shut them up. She knew Michael Priest had his own army, so he likely did not need Shaw's filthy lucre. In the case of the Gray King, the prize had to be more than cold, hard cash.

"And how did he convince you to allow Madelyne Pryor into these halls again? She said Priest is considering her for Red Queen of London.  Take some advice from dear Auntie Emma. Bar the doors before she makes herself at home, Sebastian."

[Mrs Maureen Brown]

Mrs. Brown was used to Captain Jack wandering around in all manner of dress, so the clothing of this Mr. Shaw did not bother her as much as it might bother others, but she knew Mr. Dragotti had a very good point about the man's behavior. "Perhaps he's just been celebrating a bit ahead of the guests, and that's made him a shade off his game," she said very quietly so as not to offend any of the party organizers who might be in the midst of the crowd.  "He does seem a bit dodgy, though. Then again, he'd likely say the same about me if he knew I was not a captain of industry."

Jack's housekeeper felt a bit odd being in the middle of this grand soiree, but she was please Mr. Dragotti had thought she should be there. "Thank you for thinking of me, Mrs. Dragotti. And to be honest, my transport here was a bit off-putting. Tia Dalma is a force of nature, and I am not used to such things."

Mrs. Brown nodded to Tia Dalma and the others behind them. "Thank you, though, dear lady, for getting me here safely." Mrs. Brown then turned back to Mr. Dragotti. "Do they have dinner planned, or will it be all these appetizers? Or did they say yet?" 

[Damon MacFeorais]

Damon had been avoiding anyone with the last name of Bianchi and doing it spectacularly well so far. He'd stumbled upon one of the bacchanal rooms off the main wing for those of his kind--a place to go tap a vein of a willing partner. He knew in the pit of his stomach that Michael Priest had set that up for Aro and the other vampire royalty roaming the building. For some reason he couldn't finger that very thought bothered him.

Maybe it was because there were so many non-powered humans here? Maybe he was afraid the world was not ready to know such thing truly existed? Or maybe he thought it was a trap?

As he pondered the possibilities, Damon saw the girl who had been with Kitty and Abbey Pryde earlier. Darcy. Yes, Darcy. And then he saw who was next to her. {{SHIELD? Phil Coulson? Great. We have SHIELD here. Whoopdie damn do}} he thought as he saw the other young woman circling around them. She reminded Damon of some of the young, incredibly hot vampire girls he knew. That alone had to be a problem. She didn't read as a vampire.

"Now, now. It's not nice to play with your food in public," he said as he circled behind Coulson and Darcy and looked at the newcomer. "And here I thought I was the one only one who did stuff like this."

Damon smirked as he watched the woman sip her martini. "What? Four can be just as much fun."

 

[Craig Dragotti]

''Though, I probably shouldn't judge others since I'm a former mob boss,'' Craig muttered. He turned to Mrs. Brown and smiled at her. ''No problem. Mrs. Brown,'' he said. Craig shrugged after Mrs. Brown's questions. ''As far as I know, we're only eating appetizers. I thought Jack said something about roast beef possibly being served.'' 

[Jessie Grey]

"I dunno I have mixed feelings about the whole thing.....This is not the Shaw I remember." Jessie said as she kept close to Ewan she started to speak to him through their link. {"I think this new situation with Maddie has rubbed Emma the wrong way....Honestly I don't know how to fix it."}