Hellfire Gala: Feast Fit for a King

[Jack Sparrow]

As Jack and Craig escorted Mrs. Brown into the dining room, the pirate stopped short as he took in the scene before him. The room was covered in mirrors and ornate gold accents, and the pink-tinged marble floor glittered with the same gold powder that could be seen in the foyer. Jack thought the glittery powder was a bit tacky, but then again, he wasn't paying for it. 

"Oh, those funny little cards," Jack said as he looked at a table lined with row after row of place cards. "Ah, it seems Tia Dalma made sure there was a card for you, Mrs. Brown, so there will be no question about your being here. Good. Now, let's take our seats."

Jack looked around for the numbered table that matched the number on his place card and finally made his way toward the table as Mrs. Brown and Craig followed him. 

"Ah! I wonder who will be joining us this evening?"

OOC: I have no assigned seating order for anyone, so feel free to pick a table

[Miranda Rydenborne]

Miri held onto Sean's hand as they made their way inside the grand dining room. She gasped as she saw some aerialists dangling from perches, ropes and other devices attached to the ceiling. "This looks like the carnival in Venice. Honestly, they could have used the money they spent on this spectacle to help the schools they plan to fund."

"I rather like it," William replied as he smirked at his sister. "And yes, I am on the list to take father's place when he decides to vacate it. He hasn't done that yet, and I somehow doubt he ever will."

"Yes, father likes to hold onto things like his ranking membership here," Miri added as she looked back at Sean and smiled. "The only reason he isn't here is because he's away on business."

{{Be happy he's away, love}} Miri said telepathically to Sean. {{We'll give him the news in good time, but he would not let an event like this keep him from sharing his feelings, and I doubt they will be good}}



  

[Craig Dragotti]

Craig's eyes widened as the area impressed him. Everything looked so fancy to him. The mirrors didn't frighten him since Tia Dalma wasn't in them! He noticed the cards on the table and seemed neutral. ''Hopefully not Sasha!'' Craig muttered after Jack inquired who would join them that evening. He still planned on keeping one eye on Shaw.

[Shadowmage]

Branan and his old friend Nathanael Langdon had been hiding in the smoking lounge that had been set up in another room of the mansion, but the two finally made their way into the dining room. "Watch your head," Branan said as he motioned toward the ceiling where the aerialists were dangling, doing tricks to amuse the diners. "And don't tell me I'm being an old fart. I know I am. My heart isn't in this, Nathanael."

"You miss Jadzia, I know," the Southerner replied in his usual New Orleans style, his words leaving his mouth with just a tinge of magnolia and whiskey mixed to good measure. "But those Trills were not too fond of you. If her successor is coming, your sister would know, and Kari has said nary a word on it, has she?"

"None," Branan answered as he looked around for anyone who might be the new host for Praxus. "And I'm at my wit's end about what to do."



 

[Jack Sparrow]

"I hope Sasha and Alison can find their own spots, far away from us," Jack replied to Craig as they started to sit at their table. The pirate captain was not thrilled by the overhead entertainers, but he had seen far crazier things at the Brethren Court. "I wonder who thought up the overhead entertainment? I pray they cease while we eat. I don't want a slipper in my soup, savvy."

"Or a person in your lap," Mrs. Brown added as she glanced around the room. There were candles everywhere, and their glow reflected in all the mirrors around the room. "Perhaps we should sit at a table that is not directly under an acrobat? What do you think, Mr. Dragotti?"

[Craig Dragotti]

''Hmm. Now I'm having second thoughts about eating anything. What if Shaw poisoned the food? Maybe I am just being paranoid.'' He saw the overhead entertainers and frowned. Hopefully nothing would drop in the food! ''Your idea of sitting far from the dancers is a good one, Mrs. Brown.''

[Ezri]

The doors to the feast hall opened up and the sound of trumpets blared.  "The Princess Ezri has arrived," a royal Trill high-guard announced.  He and the Trill trumpeter stepped off to the side, revealing a woman wearing a long white dress.  Trill royalty did not have spots like Trill commoners had, so she looked just like any normal human, but in fact she was alien.  Just recently she was joined with a symbiont named, Praxus.  She didn't expect to become a host so soon, but when Jadzia was killed in action, she didn't have much of a choice.  

"Thank you," she said to her guards quietly as she stepped down the stairs.  The guards walked closely behind her, keeping their eyes trained on the others in the room.  They were her bodyguards and they went everywhere she did.  Ezri's eyes shifted back and forth scanning the room for anyone that looked familiar.  She was tied closely with some of the members of the X-men, even though personally she never met them.

[Severus Snape]

After he got all the youngsters from Buckland settled in, Severus made his way alone to the fest hall.  He sat at a table in the back corner by himself.  The choice of foods were not his favorite but he managed to grab a piece of chicken and glass of some sort of wine.  What he really wanted was a glass of absinthe and a feast like the kind they served at Buckland.  He wasn't impressed by the Hellfire Club.

He let out a huff and took a bite of chicken and washed it down with a sip of wine.  He had been in such a foul mood ever since that whole mess with the Elves from the Arda started.  His tried not to let his thoughts dwell on Poppy, but he was having a hard time not thinking about her.  

[Rune]

Keillia walked over and sat down next to Branan and Nathanael.  "The food looks good at least," she smirked taking a bite of steak.  "Merrill should have come, their vegan selection is amazing.  I'm a meat and potatoes girl though."  She took and another bite and scanned the room for her uncle.


"I wonder if Doom is going to show up?  I keep hearing different things.  He's coming, he's not coming.  I don't know," she said, shrugging her shoulders.  "That's why Merrill didn't come.  He hates Doom, I know a lot of you guys do.  I should hate him also, but he's family.  The last of my family besides Merrill.  Sorry, I'm blabbering." Keillia went silent and took another bite of her food.  She had been so unlike herself lately, ever since Kalik turned out to be a Skrull, she just hadn't been herself.  She needed to get out of her funk, and quick.


Just then a sound of trumpets blared and a Trill princess was announced.  She looked over at Branan.  "Is that anyone you know?" 

[Shadowmage]

Branan tried not to bring up Victor Von Doom at all because of dealings his family had with him at various points in the time stream, but he also tried to be sensitive to Keillia's familial ties with the Latverian ruler.  "I've seen Loki and some of the heavyweights from the Mystic Council like the Volturi Aro, but I have not seen your uncle. I'm sure if he were coming that he would likely be here by now, but he has never been one to run on other people's timetables."

"He doesn't need to. He does control a whole country," Nathanael said as he nodded to Keillia. "Nathanael Langdon, Dr. Von Doom. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I thought you knew everyone, Nathanael," Branan said with a laugh. "Owning a media conglomerate does tend to make you rather visible."

Before he could continue with the conversation, Branan's eyes turned as he heard the Trill trumpets. They could not be anything else but Trill. Then he saw the woman in the white dress and felt some sort of pull toward her. "I'm sorry, but I don't know who she is. I know she's Trill, and a very important one at that. I guess we'll have to wait and see who she is. Maybe my sister knows her?"

Branan didn't dare hope too much that this might be the new host for Praxus. He knew the likelihood of Praxus coming back to the X-Men was small, so he tried not to get his hopes up. 



 

[Jack Sparrow]

"Yes, we do not need a soup tureen full of dancers!" Jack said as the trio finally found their table which was, thankfully, far from the entertainers. It was not far, sadly, from Severus Snape. The Buckland headmaster was seated at the next table, so Jack nodded to him and prayed the man would not spoil the evening. "Greetings, Severus. I trust you are finding the festivities to your liking."

Jack turned back to Craig and smirked a bit. "I will bet you five dollars the man finds fault with something, be it you, me, the food and drink, the entertainment or the temperature of the room."

[chryseis]

Alexia walked through the hall leading into the dining area. Big shows never did anything for her but she had to admit Shaw had gone all out. "Makes you wonder how much of that money could have gone into more useful things?"

She said walking with her family as Ada spoke up. "I wouldn't worry about Alexia. Shaw will do what Shaw wants to do......Remember it's a fundraiser and he has to be flashy to get people to give."

[Craig Dragotti]

''At least we are far from the entertainers,'' Mr. Dragotti muttered. He seemed curious at the sight of Severus. ''Is that his actual name, Jack? Severus?'' Hopefully Severus wouldn't find fault with him. Would the man find any fault with Sasha due to the ex-mobster's feminine mask? ''Severus must gripe quite a bit!''  

[Severus Snape]

Severus looked up at Jack, his lip turning up just slightly.  "The entertainment is not to my liking at all.  This whole atmosphere is not to my liking," he said making sure he enunciated every word slowly.  He took a bite of chicken.

"The chicken is dry, the wine is weak, the vegetables are undercooked ..." he huffed and pulled his wand out of the arm of his cape.  He tapped it on the side of the table and mumbled some incantation, turning his glass of wine into a glass of absinthe.  The food transformed into a plate of delicious looking roast meats and cooked vegetables.

"Now if I could only do something about those acrobats," he said with a glare.  "I don't think the Hellfire Club would appreciate a room full of toads, though."

[Jack Sparrow]

"You'll have to forgive Severus," Jack said to Craig and Mrs. Brown, "He is used to the highest standards from back in his days with Merlin. It was Merlin, correct?" Jack asked the wizard as he saw all the Buckland students sitting off in a far corner looking ready to make a break for it. "And yes, his given name is Severus. A very storied name it is, too, if what all the other wizards say is true. They can be such a bunch of chatterboxes!"

Jack glanced at the glass of absinthe and remembered how much the headmaster of Buckland liked that beverage. "Perhaps you can turn them all into green faeries instead?" Jack said with a chuckle as he looked at the absinthe and then back to the acrobats. "Then again, that might not be the best idea. But Severus, can you help reassure Craig that the food the rest of us souls will eat isn't poisoned? I'd ask Fiona Marlowe to wipe up a spell, but she isn't here."

[Infinity]

Ryder led Sandrine inside through one of the side entrances of the ballroom and wove in and out of the crowd finding their seats. She saw the Viking Ada up ahead, and there was a new girl standing next to her. "Oh good! We won't be the only ones here at this table," she said as she made her way to the two women. "Hi Ada. You may not remember me. I'm Ryder Priest. My father is one of the English professors at school. This is my new friend, Sandrine Michaelides. She's going to be joining the school now, too. Her cousin is Miri Rydenborne."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Sandrine said as she looked at the table where they would be sitting. "This is certainly quite a gathering. I've been to some of my cousin's fundraisers, but this one outdoes anything I've seen before."

Ryder smiled as she looked at the newcomer, wondering why she looked familiar and yet wasn't familiar to her at all. "My uncle is Michael Priest, so he is as much to credit for this party as Mr. Shaw. Or, if truth be told, held responsible for the excess."   

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti grinned and laughed in a loud tone after Severus griped. *Jack was correct about Severus finding fault with everything* he thought. Noticing other people, he manually concealed his mouth for a moment. Looking sheepish, he turned to Severus. Craig's eyes widened in shock at the sight of him using a wand to transform food into what he liked. *If Severus hears me speaking ill of him, he might turn me into something terrible!* he mused.

[Francesca Bianchi]

"I thought I whiffed the scent of a complainer. Doesn't this please even you, Severus?"

Francesca Bianchi stood near where Severus was sitting and tapped her foot lightly on the floor. She knew he was a fussy sort, but this made her stand in shock and watch him change things to his liking. "I'm sorry it doesn't meet with your approval," she said in a soft, Italian-accented voice.  "And Jack, you could have said hello before. My brother might be on your long list of bothersome souls, but I thought all was right between us."  

"My apologies, Francesca," Jack said with a slight bow to the lady. "Francesca Bianchi, please let me introduce Maureen Brown and Craig Dragotti."

"I have met Mrs. Brown before, Jack. In Milan. When she had to bail you out of that fix with the Mystic Council. It's a  pleasure to see you again," she said as she nodded to Jack's housekeeper. "And it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Dragotti. I hope that the three of you, at least, are enjoying the evening."

 

[Craig Dragotti]

Francesca's Italian-accented voice was why Mr. Dragotti looked up. He smiled after he faced her. One eyebrow was raised in interest when Francesca mentioned Mrs. Brown bailing Jack out of a fix. Why was he not shocked about Jack getting in trouble? Mr. Dragotti smiled at Francesca and nodded at her. ''The evening is good so far as long as my ex-button man doesn't bother me.''

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha glanced over his shoulder as he stepped into a new area. *Hopefully Alison will be able to sit with me in here* he thought as he looked a bit worried. The food was able to distract him. He smiled when he saw a variety of delicious meals on the table. Sasha was so distracted that he never noticed Mr. Dragotti as he sat next to him. He gasped when he saw his ex-employer. 

[Jubilee]

"Hoo boy, I have seen everything," Jubilee said as she and Jono walked into the dining room and saw people flying overhead on trapeze bars. "This is a dinner, right? Not Ringling Brothers? Monet is going to be pissed she didn't make it."

"Or happy as hell she didn't have to toss some high flyer off her lap," Jono replied as they made their way to their table. "And wait a tick. Aren't those two not supposed to be together?" he added as he pointed toward Mr. Dragotti and Sasha.

"Uhm, yeah. Thought so," Jubilee groaned as she hung her head and sighed deeply. She grabbed a chair and plopped down next to Sasha. "I'll hold this seat for Alison until she gets back from the powder room, Sasha. Have you seen anything so crazy in all your life?" Then Jubilee noticed Jack was also at the table and laughed. "OK, maybe not as crazy as Captain Jack there, but close enough!" 

 

[Francesca Bianchi]

Francesca's brow furrowed when Mr. Dragotti said the words button man. She knew all too well what that term referred to. Her brother, in his time, had had his own button men in his employ. "I am glad the evening has been good for you so far, Mr. Dragotti, and if I can do anything to help with the seating arrangements, please let me know. Sebastian Shaw and Michael Priest may be the major hosts of this evening, but the members of the Italian branches of Hellfire want the night to be a memorable one for all. Have you had a chance to peruse the wine selections for this evening, Mr. Dragotti? Many are from my families winery."

[Tytanic]

Conversation.

There was one of those going on, but he got distracted by something far far more important to him and dear to his heart: food. Picking at these toddler sized snacks did nothing but make him hungrier, even after he exploited his speed to pretty much snatch an entire tray for himself. As interested as he was in the lives and statements of the people around him--he was very interested, it was the type of person he was--he was hungry. Provide him with an opportunity to eat, and he's going to eat.

"I'm sorry," Johnathan said, interrupting both Sydney and Maureen for the moment, "But food was mentioned by somebody, and I'm hungry. So..." The sentence lingered for a moment before he shifted his attention and began to follow the others toward the dining area. He didn't feel too bad about it, they were hungry too and he was fairly certain that they would follow him so they could continue their conversation and enjoy the food.

After all, wasn't that the point of the party in the first place?

Bypassing the slow moving and the massive, yet to him, incredibly light doors, the strong man entered the dining area and paused as he caught a whiff of all of the delicious, delicious food. "Pot roast. I smell pot roast."

Quickly, he found his table and sat down. They couldn't start serving the food soon enough.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha trembled in anxiety when he noticed Mr. Dragotti. Would his ex-employer tell him off or hit him? Perhaps Mr. Dragotti would remove his mask by force and smash it on the floor out of spite! If only Alison was present or by his body. Sasha's eyes widened in shock the minute he saw Jubilee. He shook his head after he heard her question.

*Mr. Dragotti must be really distracted if he doesn't know I'm sitting by him yet* Sasha thought. He lifted his mask in order to reveal only his teeth. Part of him was tempted to use his power to hurt Mr. Dragotti for everything he did to him during the past. Sasha was going to be a gentleman now. That meant not revealing Mr. Dragotti's humiliating secrets. It certainly meant not hurting him.  

[Craig Dragotti]

''The seating arrangements are good so far, Miss Bianchi.'' Mr. Dragotti's eyebrow ascended in curiosity at the mention of the Italian branches of the Hellfire Club. ''Italian branches of the Hellfire Club?'' Mr. Dragotti shook his head back and forth. ''I'm trying not to drink a whole lot of wine.'' He wasn't sure if it was a good idea to mention Jack's habit of consuming a huge amount of alcohol.

Mr. Dragotti turned his head and faced Sasha. His eyes widened while his jaw dropped in disbelief. A scowl appeared on his face. ''Do NOT do anything to humiliate me tonight, Sasha!'' he said through his teeth. Part of him wished to display a bit of fire on his palm in order to intimidate Sasha, but why take the chance of being thrown out of the party? It took a lot of self control to not attack his ex-button man.

Craig frowned as he worried about Sasha revealing what a crybaby he was when it came to his deceased wife. Maybe his ex-button man would inform everyone about the time he threw every pair of his boxers out the window one evening. Perhaps expose Mr. Dragotti's cruel and unusual punishments. His eyes remained on Sasha while he scowled at him.