Hellfire Gala: Feast Fit for a King

[Craig Dragotti]

In order to be polite, Mr. Dragotti nodded at Alison. *I don't know what she sees in Sasha. My ex-mobster always causes trouble and gets in battles. He also can't kiss her due to his mask. Maybe Sasha will behave himself when he is near Alison* he thought. He turned to Jack so that he didn't have to face Sasha.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha grinned when he saw Alison. ''I was so worried about you,'' he said to her. He faced Jubilee and smiled at her. ''Thank you for keeping me company. I'll be more than happy to talk with you or hang out at the mall in the future.'' Sasha was too happy to eat.

[Jack Sparrow]

Jack's eyes grew wide at the thought of Jubilation Lee leading an expedition to a shopping mall with Sasha and Alison. That was something he'd be more than happy to avoid. Just toss in those scary Stepford Cuckoos, and the mall would be evacuated in minutes! Jack shook off the thought and turned back to Craig and Mrs. Brown.

"Ah, the wine," Jack said as the waiter came over and filled Craig's glass and then Mrs. Brown's. The waiter then filled Jack's glass, but he didn't touch it right away. He was worried about how Craig would feel with Sasha and Alison there.  "I really don't know why they make these tables so big," he huffed as he looked back toward Jubilee for a moment and then back to Craig. "They seem to think it will cause everyone to start mingling more, but I find it does the reverse."

"I rather like this pagentry," Mrs. Brown said as she motioned to the people overhead and everyone at the tables nearby. "I'm not sure old Snape there does. There is nothing wrong with this food or this company. Mr. Dragotti, thank you for being one of my dinner companions this evening."

"Here, here!" Jack added as he finally lifted his glass. He was really trying not to get too tipsy this evening. Half the X-Men might be there, but he still had his reservations about this whole soiree.

 

[Alison Blaire]

"Going with Jubilee to a mall is a rite of passage for the X-Men," Ali said to Sasha with a big grin. "We can make a day of it once we get back to Cali. As long as we get no Purifiers roaming around trying to blow up things again."

"Amen to that!" Jubilee shouted as she raised her glass of soda. "And for those checking, yes, I am obeying the drinking laws. Just wish it were Jolt Cola, but oh well."

"She lives on Jolt. Too bad we can't get you an endorsement deal," Ali said as Jubilee gave her a funny look. "I'm serious. You'd be perfect for it. You actually like the product. Once they wanted me to endorse some drink in Japan. it was gross. My agent was so upset when I couldn't go through with the commercial. It tasted like fish. Who wants fish flavored soda?"

"Cats?" Jubilee said as she set down her drink. "Or people who really dig sushi."

"I'll have to show you the video from that disaster, Sasha," Ali added as the waiter brought the food tray around again. "And speaking of fish, I'll think I'll opt for the chicken. What did you choose, Sasha?" 

[Craig Dragotti]

Mr. Dragotti glanced at the other diners and faced Jack again. ''Sasha and Jubilee seem to get along,'' he said. He saw Mrs. Brown and grinned. ''I'm more than happy to be your supper companion, Mrs. Brown.'' Mr. Dragotti saw Jack's glass of wine and frowned. ''Don't drink a whole lot, Jack.''

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''The more the merrier,'' Sasha said to Alison. His grin vanished as soon as the Purifiers were mentioned. ''Hopefully the Purifiers won't appear,'' he said before he shuddered. Sasha tilted his head at the mention of fish flavored soda. ''I chose chicken,'' he said in a matter of fact tone. He never ate fish very often.    

[Jessie Grey]

"Well it's good to be in good company first of all."" She responded to Elijah with a smile. "I must admit my....how should I put this....history both of my family and my own history I would normally never step foot inside these walls." She said as she thought back to the Hellfire Club's corruption of her mother who would have destroyed universe had things gone different.

[Taranus]

Ceri and her girlfriend Shannon made their way through the crowd towards the first family members they picked up Erin and her mother Maeve. Ceri wasn't much for parties especially ones thrown by this sort of people but with her family here along with her girlfriend it made it easier for her.

"CERI, SHANNON!, Ye made it!" Erin said as she gave them both a hug.

"Yeah one could say we are fashionably lat.....Whoa." Ceri responded as she looked up at Alexia. "Um she looks awfully familiar..in a sense." She said as Erin laughed and responded. "Well she's your sister but yeah her father is a certain Norse God. Ceri this is Alexia, Alexia this is your sister Ceri and her girlfriend Shannon."

"Well that would make sense under the circumstances.....good to meet you sis."She said giving her new sister a hug.

[Alison Blaire]

"Yeah, we have had enough of clerics with guns and flame throwers," Alison said to Sasha as they both got their plates of chicken. "Let's find a better topic to talk about. Anything would be fine at this point."

"Except fish soda," Jubilee said with a giggle as she cut into her food. "Sorry, but that sounds weird beyond words. Carbonated fishy goodness."

"Please, Jubilee, stop," Alison said as she started to giggle herself. "You have to see the costume they wanted me to wear. It was some freaky fish outfit. Not a mermaid mind you. A fish. It was so weird."

Alison kept giggling as she thought about the fish costume. It was pink and tangerine with tons of sequins and huge fin-like covers for her arms. It was tight and hideous and just too much to think about right now.

"Have you ever had to do something like that, Sasha? I mean something so outrageous that you end up laughing about it years later."



 

[Nemain]

"A pleasure to meet you, Alexia," Shannon said as she stayed at Ceri's side. This place was way too crowded for Shannon's liking, but she took a deep breath and tried to focus on the group in front of her. Everything in her head was screaming that this event was likely a powder keg waiting to explode, but she tried to push that aside. "That means you have another cousin to meet later if Daniel decides to show up at all. Here's a picture of him at least," Shannon said as she handed her phone to Alexia. "Daniel O'Carroll. I can't tell you where he is on your family tree, but he's been my work partner for a while. Nice guy, but kind of hyper."

Shannon grabbed Ceri's hand and kissed it. "I know this isn't your idea of a fun night. Mine either. But at least we have Thom and Zack to give us silly commentary tonight," she added as she watched the acrobats overhead. "OK, who thought that was a great idea? Maybe we need to find our table? Ceri, maybe we can cut out early? Before someone comes out and tells us this is some pilot for the next big reality series on TV."

 

[The Whisperer]

"Yes, this building has many, many sad memories for the X-Men," Ewan added as he reached over and kissed Jessie while Elijah sat down next to Maddie. "My sister missed the initial forays the team had here."

"You mean Kari?" Elijah said as Ewan nodded in reply. "I saw her in the foyer with her gentleman. I'll catch up with her later. I actually need to speak to your team leaders at some point."

"Jessie's mother, Emma, and her father, Scott, you mean?" Ewan asked as he wanted to skirt the two mothers issue as deftly as possible. "I'll explain the family tree dynamic later, Elijah."

"No need," the other vampire replied with a smile. "Family is family. It is all that matters, even if at times it is hard to explain to the outside world. Some are blessed with two mothers, as Jessie is."

"It is nice to be considered a blessing," the Red Queen replied as she glanced at Elijah. "Jessie is certainly one in my life."

"In all our lives," Ewan responded as he grabbed Jessie's hand again. "A true gem indeed."

 


 

[Wolverine]

OOC: Still pinch hitting until Stalik returns--K

IC:

"And Mikey thought this was a good idea?" Logan said as he entered the room with Kari on his arm, looking overhead at the flying trapeze artists. "Or was it the other one? The bastard who stuck your son in Hell?"

"Beats me, but if they all suddenly start to drop from the ceiling, we may have a problem," Kari said quietly as she kept looking around the room. "We are going for that beer later. No question on that now. I'm going to need to shut down for a bit if this keeps up."

Logan watched as Kari waved her hand, and suddenly he could see every bit of mystic energy swirling around the room. "I take it this ain't good?"

"The fact someone in Hellfire thought it was fine to have mystics and preternatural beings rubbing elbows with these high society folks is bad enough. My parlor trick just now was minor. Something else is going on."

"Besides Shaw's sudden change of heart?" Logan growled as he thought about the Lord Imperial's speech.

"Besides everything, darling," Kari replied as she held Logan's arm tightly. "Please keep your eyes open. Emma may be caught up in old political wars, but you and I can't afford to be. If something happens here tonight, it will be as bad as the whole House of M affair, and I cannot let that happen."

[Jessie Grey]

Jessie smiled as she became slightly bashful. For her it meant a lot that her family held her in that regard. For the young Phoenix it meant a lot of wounds from her various lives were starting to heal and with Ewan in her life especially he was helping her walk a path she wasn't sure if she could stay on but with him by her side she knew she could do anything.

"That means the world to me to hear that guys and know I feel the same way 10 fold." She said before adding telepathically to Ewan. {"With you Ewan I feel like I could walk through the fires of eternity and come out shining brighter than ever."} She smiled to him before saying to her mother telepathically. {"And regardless of what my family thinks mother I am blessed to have you in my life....I feel like a kindred spirit to you."}

[The Red Queen]

{{As I feel with you, daughter}} Maddie  said telepathically in reply to Jessie as she smiled at her dinner companions. "Family is indeed a very precious thing," she said as she looked toward Elijah. The Red Queen was tied into more things than the X-Men likely knew, and Maddie or Jean or whoever she really was or let them think she was, the woman was a player. "I take it yours will be here this evening?"

Ewan looked at the Red Queen in amazement, and she smiled back at him. "Yes, I have heard of Elijah and his siblings in many of my dealings with the mystic world. Niklaus and Rebekah, I believe?"

"Niklaus is needed in San Francisco for the Mystic Council gathering, and Rebekah is off on some grand romantic adventure with her latest paramour, so you are stuck with me," Elijah replied as he nodded to Maddie. "I hope my company will suffice."

"I think tonight will be one of many amazing things," Maddie noted as she smiled at Jessie again. "Can you feel the energy around us, Jessie? You can almost reach out and touch it." 


 

[Jessie Grey]

"Yes I can mother."She said as she responded. "A lot of positive but also a lot of negative....I fear some here have issues putting past experiences aside...."She said as she was referring to all parties not just one. "I will say one thing for Shaw....He brought parties together that on any other night would be severing each others limbs off." She said with a laugh while continuing to speak to the Red Queen.{"I must admit mother I feel the same pull of this place that you have felt in the past as well..."}She said knowing the Red Queen would know exactly what she was talking about.

[Shinigami]

Ichigo Harada had been wandering around looking for Julian Keller and Naomi Madison, but he had only succeeded in getting into a scuffle with one of those kids from Buckland Academy. He couldn't help it the kid thought Ichigo was a full-on demon. He also couldn't help the fact he hit the kid in the jaw in self defense. At least he didn't stab the little crazy with his zanpakuto.

"Where did those two go?" Ichigo muttered as he kept looking around, feeling all the while that someone was watching him. "It figures. I get a wannabe demon hunter in my face and a lecture about it for half an hour, and Julian and Naomi are having fun. Julian! Naomi!" he yelled in hopes of finding his fellow students.
 

[The Red Queen]

Maddie knew exactly what Jessie meant, and that actually scared the Red Queen for a moment. The fact Jessie was feeling the same pull was slightly terrifying, and she knew exactly why Jessie felt it. {{It is Selene Gallio's doing. What I mean is that she picked this location because of the ley lines. Magic courses through the very ground here}}

"Gentlemen, I may be considered an excessive worrier, but I would keep watch over Jessie tonight," Maddie said so none but those at the table could hear her. "While Shaw may have brokered a miracle by what is going on here, the fact so much magic is in play is bothersome. And the effect it could have on a her, or really on anyone who has been touched by the Phoenix, could be devastating. Jessie, I know. You can handle yourself well. But it is a mother's place to worry. Always."


 

[Sasha Sadovsky]

''It's interesting that you're a mutant, but you find fish soda odd,'' Sasha said to Jubilee. He suddenly looked sheepish. ''My apologies, Jubilee. I never meant to insult you. It's just strange how you find something so peculiar.'' Sasha faced Alison and began to scowl. ''I don't know about laughing, Alison.''

Sasha turned to Craig and glowered at him. ''Does forcing me to hit Reynard like a human Punch and Judy count as something outrageous? I certainly won't laugh about being forced to attend a 16-hour opera!'' He shook his head in disbelief.

[Craig Dragotti]

Craig grinned after Sasha mentioned the Punch and Judy punishment. He tried not to laugh in a loud tone. The past punishment entertained him, but he thought his button men deserved to suffer for what they did to him. Acts such as throwing his underwear out the window. Craig shrugged following the opera comment. ''I enjoyed the opera. I understood Italian,'' he muttered under his breath.

[Jubilee]

"Hey, no worries, Sasha," Jubilee replied as she thought about the fish soda again. "I know. You'd think with all the stuff we've seen as X-Men that fish soda wouldn't make my radar. It just sounds, well, fishy!" Jubilee started to wave her hands like fins on a fish and pursed her lips like she was making a fish face. Then she thought about what Sasha said about the Punch & Judy show stuff. That had to stink.  

"Sorry. I know I'm pretty goofy," Jubilee added as she looked back to see if Jono was wandering back. "And I don't exactly have the best track record for bringing up dinner topics that don't get the guests all peeved. I didn't mean to ruin anybody's dinner."

 

[Alison Blaire]

"I'm not the biggest opera buff, I admit that, Alison said to Sasha as she tried to imagine what he had to do in the past. And I certainly would not want to be a human punching bag or have to punch someone like a punching bag," she added as she she shook her head. "That could not have been any fun at all. I know you all have a very long history, and I can't understand all of it. I probably shouldn't even try, I guess."

Dazzler tapped her fork on her plate as she thought about what life must have been like in the past for Sasha, Reynard and Craig. They each had their own unique histories before they met, and then their joint history seemed just as full of strife and pain. 

"Hey, why don't we toast to better days ahead. For all of us?"

[Belatu-Cadros]

OOC: I switched my pics for this character to Toby Regbo of the TV show Reign. This will be the last switch for this character.--K

IC:

Bryan stood in the doorway, watching as his family started to gather in the great dining hall. He saw his mother walking in the distance with that feral fellow she was so smitten with. He could have gone over to her, but he chose not to do so yet. If truth be told, part of him wanted to scream at her for leaving him so long ago, but the great portion just wanted the answer to one question.

Why?

His Uncle Quinn had said his mother had been forced to give him up, but that is not exactly what his father had told him. After all these centuries it really should not have mattered, but oh, it did matter so much. 

"I need a drink. Then I'll talk to her," he said under his breath as he looked around for anyone who might be familiar to him. "Not the pirate. No, Not sitting there," Bryan said as he wove through the area between the table. "Not the twit from Buckland either," he muttered as he saw Snape.

Bryan then settled on a table with a man downing pot roast and two women, one of whom had bright purple hair and a very loud mouth. "Good evening," he said as he placed his hand on a chair. "Is this seat taken?"

[Pepper Potts]

Pepper had lost Tony to some gaggle of supermodels. Gaggle. Was that even the right word? Pepper had no clue, but she figured Tony was going to do what Tony does best. He'd schmooze and pose for pictures and let one of those pretty ladies play with his repulsor or something, and then he'd mope about Oksana later on when he got home.

"Why am I even here?" she asked herself as she looked at the place cards on the tables near the doorway. "I wonder if Brian Williams' assistant has to do all these fun things? Oh wait. That would be his butler. That poor man likely had enough on his hands. He wouldn't need to be involved in affairs like this one.

"And I wonder where Brian will be sitting tonight?" she mused as she looked for her seating assignment. "And I pray I am not at the same table as...too late."  

Yes, Pepper was going to spend her evening looking at Emma Frost. Oh, joy of joys. 

[Craig Dragotti]

''You didn't ruin anyone's dinner,'' Craig said to Jubilee. Chicken distracted him for a moment as he ate more food. He glanced at Alison and frowned. Did she remember about Sasha's past task as a hit-man? The man killed Mr. Dragotti's mob enemies every now and then. ''Good idea, Alison,'' he said to her after she mentioned a toast.

[Sasha Sadovsky]

Sasha's sigh was one of relief when Jubilee said she wasn't offended. He smiled at her fish imitation. ''You didn't ruin my dinner, Jubilee.'' Sasha turned to Alison. ''Mr. Dragotti was very creative with punishments. I know I didn't always behave, but some of the punishments were a bit cruel.'' Sasha grinned when Alison suggested a toast.