The Blackout Party

[Fathom]

The Hellfire Club -- Ballroom

Domino: Don't listen to jaws over there, she's still sore from our little trip to the Aqua Ring.

Heidi gave an exaggerated eye roll at Maxine's double entendre, and finished off her second canape as Maxine began discussing Emiko.

Domino: That's your first mistake. She is crazy, and not to be trifled with...not that really any of us could. Diana hasn't told me the full story of her origin, but even she seems a bit uneasy around the woman, and the fact that she's been able to taunt The Black Queen and The White King so freely...well, it's safe to assume we should all keep our distance.

Heidi raised an eyebrow at Maxine's response, as she took another sip of her drink.

"So quote-unquote crazy, even DOMINO is wary? Oh, now I truly MUST make her acquaintance."

Heidi replied with enthusiasm. Heidi had always been delighted by beings that were clearly unhinged. After all, she was very close with Camille, the former European White Queen, and she was also obviously amused by Maxine, who could easily be certified insane. Lunacy was just so much more interesting than sanity. Maxine stepped away to greet Viper and Alice, and Heidi turned to Cobra.

"You know, I really love your necklace. And that dress [she looked it over] FANTASTIC."

White Guardsman: Mistress Scarborough! There's been a breach of security! Alarms are going off all over the grounds!

The man warned, producing a tablet that was going haywire with reports and alerts. Heidi let out an exasperated sigh and then drained the rest of her elixir.

"Secure the perimeter and search every room. Anyone who can't prove their right to be here should be taken down the to dungeons in the catacombs."

She commanded, and he scurried off to obey. Curiously, just a few feet away, Alice was reacting to the disturbance as well. The woman zoomed off, leaving a glowing trail. Heidi looked back at Cobra with an expression of mild annoyance at this inconvenient interruption to their festivities.

"Come, Amanda. As Knights we have a responsibility-- and a privilege."

She said, and quickly glided through the wake Alice had left. She followed it all the way to the Parlor Room, where Alice had knocked a blonde woman on her ass.

Alice: Have you lost your senses COMPLETELY!?

Blonde: Heh, probably. Who's the sexy Vamp?

Lord Ravena was standing in the doorway, and Heidi brushed past him with a nod, the precursor of a greeting that would have to wait until the intruder was dealt with. Heidi recognized her as she neared, she'd seen her before, encased in stasis tubes on Sheena Island.

Alice: I told you NEVER to come back here.

Scion: ACTUALLY, you told me we could never have another cloak and dagger meeting again. So naturally THIS time, I rang all the bells.

Heidi didn't know the whole story, but she knew if ALICE was acting aggressively, then she needed to back the geneticist's play. She approached smoothly and without hesistation. Alice was one of Diana's chosen few, and so was Heidi. This made them natural allies, and they both respected each other well enough.

Scion: You also told me my mother would stop at nothing to bring me home. What did you expect of me, Alice? I'm NOT a coward. I DON'T RUN, I FIGHT.

Scion said, from her compromised position on the floor. Heidi stood by Alice's side, looking down on this intruder, considering the option of just killing her on the spot, since clearly she wasn't welcome here and after all, there were many copies of her at the lab back on Sheena Island. Scion sat up, and attempted to get her feet underneath her, but Heidi held out her hand, and with an audible ringing tone, her trident appeared in her grip, extended just a few centimeters from Scion's neck to prevent her from getting up.

Scion: Get that fork out of my face before I shove it up your ass.

She threatened, batting it away dismissively. Heidi snapped it right back into place.

"DO try, if you'd like the honor of being the first THING I kill with it."

 

[Wallflower]

Hellfire Mansion - Blackout Party

:: Apparently, there was no time for wagers or bets as Maxine made her quick exit upon the arrival of Viper, somebody that Amanda has known lightly during her re-education in the catacombs of the mansion. Though Amanda herself had quite a tragic life thanks to the misguided efforts of a particular member of The Six, she still would have rather gone through it again then to have been raised like Jessica. Continuously a pawn, forced into deep slumber whenever anybody couldn't figure out just what to do with her. That was no life at all. ::

Heidi: "You know, I love your necklace...and your dress? FABULOUS."

:: Amanda deduced that a compliment from Heidi Scarborough was something that she should accept, considering how downright bored by everything she seemed to be at times. ::

"Thank you, and your ensemble? Well it definitely makes a statement!"

:: At that moment alarms began to go off as security agents of both the white and black courts shuffled over to Fathom and Cobra alerting them of a disturbance. Heidi immediately took point, a little to the chagrin of Amanda, and beckoned her forward with a call to duty. ::

Heidi: "Come Amanda. As knights we have a special duty...and privilege."

:: Nodding Amanda immediately constricted forward, her unique musculature allowing her to almost slither with great speed through the crowd, past Heidi as she bumped into Benjamin Lewis, not knowing who she was. He cocked an unamused glance as she flashed her "Cobra" eyes at him and charged forward, past the bodies that Alice had left in her wake. Soon, she was in the room with Alice, Heidi and the mysterious blonde woman. Alice had knocked the woman to the floor as the two of them had words. Amanda was not sure if this woman was friend or foe and while Heidi seemed to aggressively take a stance next to Alice, Cobra held back. ::

:: Whoever this woman was, she seemed to agitate Alice, who admonished her for returning to the mansion. Surely she couldn't be so stupid to have just waltzed in, setting a number of alarms off in her wake. ::

"She drew us here intentionally."

:: Amanda stood in a defensive pose but she made no gesture of power or display that would give her away. The less a hostile intruder knew about what she could do the better. If the time came, she would strike as hard and fast as her namesake, with the element of surprise on her side. She would reveal nothing else to this woman until it was absolutely necessary. ::

:: She looked at Haleigh who was at the sharp end of Fathom's trident. ::

[to Haleigh] "Clearly you wanted the attention of The Inner Circle. You have it. So speak."

 

[Nogitsune]

Hellfire Mansion – Parlour

It did not escape Emiko’s notice – despite the fact that she didn’t pause in her hors d’oeuvre consumption - that the members of the Inner Circle were scurrying off somewhere in haste. Popping one last morsel into her mouth and wiping her hands on the arms of the chair, she raised her head, as if scenting the air. After a moment, she snapped her fingers and with a *POP* was now sitting on the top of the bar in the parlour, legs crossed at the knee and swinging back and forth.

What a delicious dessert this made for the meal she’d just had – chaos dripping off the scene, and the pain radiating off the blonde sitting on the floor before them as luscious and delicate as the finest kompeito. Heidi had her pinned down with her giant fork.

"DO try, if you'd like the honor of being the first THING I kill with it."

Emiko breathed in deeply, rolling the anticipation around her tongue before speaking.

“You don’t have to kill her right away, White Knight, just stab her with it and move it around a little. I want to see how she squirms…”

She looked down at the intruder curiously, drumming her fingers on top of the bar.

“Set my dial, push me down. When I come up I'm nice and brown. What am I?”

 

[MorningStar]

Somewhere near the Hellfire Mansion

Delilah moved fast through the crowded sidewalks, faster than a normal person could.

She didn’t think Haleigh would really do it. And that’s why she had wormholed herself to one of the large skyscrapers across the way from the Hellfire Mansion, relying on her perfect vision to keep watch. She saw Haleigh’s car arrive, and park, inconspicuously. But she hadn’t gotten out, not right away. Delilah had smiled. She knew Haleigh couldn’t really go through with this.

But then she had.

Delilah felt as if she had been sucker punched, right in the gut. And then she had to get out of there.

So now she was moving fast, headed downtown, trying to just…get away…from the Hellfire Mansion, from The Parthenon. From everything. Haleigh had been the one person other than Cameron that she could count on, who she knew would always be there for her no matter what, who would accept her no matter what. But with her lost, now it really felt like her and Cameron against the world. And she could not go to Cameron right now. Cameron had asked for space, and he deserved it. She was done letting him take care of her.

There was only one door she could knock on.

And when Bishop opened the door, she finally burst into tears and collapsed.

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Parlor Room

Having finished that bottle, Haleigh leaned over the bar and reached for another. Her body processed alcohol much faster than a baseline human, which meant it took an inhuman amount of alcohol to feel the effects, and then it took scary amounts to keep the fun going. She felt a buzz coming on, which was good because she was pretty sure she'd need to be inebriated to deal with the amount of posturing and gloating she was about to get foisted on her. It'd be like the early days of the Six all over again, where everyone hated her and challenged her at every turn, and pretended to be superior.

But this time instead of trying to be a 'good' girl..... at least I don't have to feel guilty about being my horrible self.

She thought, cracking the seal on the bottle in her hand. She smirked to herself as she got the first response to her arrival: Malice had given an over-ride command and silenced all the alarms. Someone entered the room with a great deal of speed just as Haleigh sat back down on the bar stool and turned to look. It was Alice, yanking the vodka out of Haleigh's hand and shoving her off balance. Haleigh and the bar stool both toppled to the floor with a crash.

Damn, my blood alcohol is only .15, I'm not THAT drunk yet....

She thought, propping herself up on her elbows. Alice loomed over her, quite obviously unhappy to see her. Haleigh had absolutely zero fucks to give.

Alice: Have you lost your senses COMPLETELY!?

"Heh, probably. Who's the sexy Vamp?"

She asked, eyeing the tall-dark-handsome who stood in the doorway, wearing the hell out of a white tux. She'd never seen him before, but he emanated the type of scent unique to vampirism. He smiled at her, but Alice wasn't in the mood for introductions, apparently.

Alice: I told you NEVER to come back here.

"ACTUALLY, you told me we could never have another cloak and dagger meeting again. So naturally THIS time, I rang all the bells."

She replied with insolent humor. Someone else approached, half dressed for a toga party, half dressed for an ancient war. Haleigh looked her over, then decided simply to ignore her and focus on Alice.

"You also told me my mother would stop at nothing to bring me home. What did you expect of me, Alice? I'm NOT a coward. I DON'T RUN, I FIGHT."

She explained, planting her left hand on the ground and sitting up. She put her right foot down and was pushing herself up to get her left foot underneath her when the sound of a tuning fork filled the air and some kind of crystal shaft came shooting from hand of Xena, Warrior Princess.

"Get that fork out of my face before I shove it up your ass."

She said with annoyance, swatting it away with her right hand.

Fathom: DO try, if you'd like the honor of being the first THING I kill with it.

The bitch replied as she whipped it back into place, and just as quickly, Haleigh drew her sidearm and pointed it up at the woman, her left hand still on the ground, her right hand aiming from her hip. The slide racked back and loaded the chamber, seemingly acting of its own accord.

"The only thing faster than this bullet is ME."

Nogitsune: You don’t have to kill her right away, White Knight, just stab her with it and move it around a little. I want to see how she squirms…

Haleigh snapped her steely gaze over to the new arrival, who was sitting up on the bar. Haleigh presented another pistol, her left hand trained now on Emiko. She was about to offer a retort when the girl presented her with a question.

Nogitsune: Set my dial, push me down. When I come up I'm nice and brown. What am I?

"Did you just call me a fucking toaster?!"

She asked, her eyes narrowing, trying to decide just whether it was a threat or not. There was some other woman here too, but she was too timid to approach, and just called over her braver friend's shoulders.

Cobra: Clearly you wanted the attention of The Inner Circle. You have it. So speak.

"Look, I didn't come here for a fight..... but I can put up with one.... If you think you're hard enough."

Fathom: HA! How hard do we have to be? Looks like you ALREADY got your ass kicked.

Haleigh took a look at herself. Her shirt was ripped in multiple places, there were holes scraped in the knees of her pants, and she still had someone else's dried blood sticking to her skin and splattered all over her shirt. She laughed for a moment or two, then shook her head.

"Oh, this? No, I just got done having sex. Mostly, this isn't even my blood. How long are you people planning on interfering with my drinking? The White Queen is on her way, she is the reason I am HERE, obviously none of you have the security clearance, or you'd have known I was coming. So how about you all back the FUCK off?"

And then finally, there was a face Haleigh recognized. It wasn't exactly one she wanted to see, but at least she KNEW who she was dealing with.

Helena: Well if it isn't little orphan Annie.

"Damn, did you just crawl out of your crypt or what? Sorry, I hadn't heard about you in so long, I figured you must have died. You certainly haven't been relevant for YEARS."

Haleigh replied with sarcasm, which she was pretty sure was the only language Helena understood.

 

[Goliath]

The Hellfire Mansion - The Blackout Party

Kristen: “And have fun. Nobody likes a Broody Brody. Especially not at a party. I'll be in touch.”

:: Mockingbird made her leave as Benjamin rolled his eyes, downing the rest of his scotch and quickly getting a refill. He had taken a nice little pill earlier before arriving and it was no mixing with the alcohol in a beautiful symphony. He may have had a job to do tonight, but that wasn't about to stop him from enjoying himself. Plus, everything was better if you were a little bit stoned. Unfortunately for somebody like Ben, while he was enjoying himself, he couldn't help but shut his mind off, couldn't stop evaluating those around him. His eyes scanned his surroundings entirely, figuring out who was important, appraising the value of their jewelry and social influence. Watching how they treated the wait staff, following a few waiters until you could see where they stepped outside to smoke at. Watching those with headsets to get a pulse on how smoothly and timely things were running. All of this special training, given to him by his father...given to him by MysTech. It was like cell memory. They would call is a lost investment, but it had kept him afloat for quite some time. He stepped through the sea of people, all enjoying themselves in different ways. Some wanted to be seen so desperately, and some were just straight up heathens, desperate to pounce on an opportunity to let their more carnal and primal side out to play. In his life, he had seen that people were one way or the other, either wound incredibly tight, carefully crafting their persona in a deliberate way, or they were the opposite: loud, messy, aggressive. Either way they were still hiding something and this was no where more clear than in America. Thankfully, it was clear that the guests of this party were of a more worldly variety. ::

:: Moving towards a quiet corner, he mindlessly chatted up an oversexed trophy wife as he kept his eye on the clear axis of power within the room, the three beautiful women dressed better than anybody in the room, conversing in a place that allowed them to be very visible without the risk of being touched. ::

“That's Australia, love.”

:: Benjamin said to the ignorant woman's exclamation that he should say in his most British accent that a dingo ate his baby. This was why he hated most Americans. His interest was piqued as he watched them begin to scamper. The glamorous bull dyke made her way up the steps to greet and fawn over a beautiful green eyed woman as security detail approached the women. Ben's instincts kicked in ass he danced through the crowd of people yet again, in order to better hear what was going on. He got dangerously close as he sipped his scotch, his back turned towards the women. ::

The man warned, producing a tablet that was going haywire with reports and alerts. Heidi let out an exasperated sigh and then drained the rest of her elixir.

“Secure the perimeter and search every room. Anyone who can't prove their right to be here should be taken down to the dungeons in the catacombs.”

She commanded, and he scurried off to obey. Curiously, just a few feet away, Alice was reacting to the disturbance as well. The woman zoomed off, leaving a glowing trail. Heidi looked back at Cobra with an expression of mild annoyance at this inconvenient interruption to their festivities.

“Come Amanda, as knights we have responsibility – and a privilege.”

:: From across the room, he watched as Kristen discreetly checked her phone as well. He didn't know much of the nature of her relationship with The Hellfire Club, but he had good reason to believe that she was a woman who knew where the bodies were buried and had shoveled enough dirt to keep her trapped here forever. If she was alerted to something, it was definitely important, and maybe it was the scotch kicking in, but Benjamin decided that his curiosity deserved to be satisfied. The young woman in the gladiator outfit zoomed past him as he turned to follow her, almost IMMEDIATELY bumping shoulders with the bombshell that was Amanda Soto. He stumbled forward a few feet, impressed with her durability, and when they made eye contact, he had initially planned something charming and unassuming to say. He was met with the eyes of a COBRA. ::

”I knew this place was full of snakes, I just hadn't anticipating on the personification being so literal!”

:: Benjamin followed them with his own speed as he bounced over and around the bodies that the woman in the lead had caused in her attempt to get to the epicenter of the emergency, a beat up looking blonde woman, and somebody he actually recognized. The Black Widow. She was well known in most intelligence circles, and by nature of his work at times, her name had definitely been mentioned. She was an urban intelligence legend, and Ben found himself face to face with the woman. The others in the room however, would not be aware of this fact. As he made his way closer, Benjamin used his power of petrification to shift into his stone form, giving him no pulse, no heartbeat, no indication of human life by any form of detection. Should anybody look upon him, he would appear to blend into the gothic setting of the manor and the dark shadows of the hall. This was a much harder feat to pull off it he was in an environment not made out of stone or having stone accents, but in a place like here, it was perfect. He continued to watch the scene quietly, on the off chance that he would need this information at a future date. ::

:: The gladiator wanted to kill the beat up blonde, the bombshell wanted to know what she wanted, and the beat up blonde herself seemed to want to drink and meet up with her good friend, The White Queen. In short – things were a little chaotic. ::

”I am to give my life up...possibly give HER up? For THESE people? They don't seemed to know their arses from their elbows.”

:: He awaited the arrival of The White Queen. The only thing that would make this moment a little better would be if he had remembered to refill his scotch before taking off after them. Hopefully this situation was smoothed over quickly. ::

 

[Malice]

The Hellfire Club- Upper level Parlor Room

As Diana led the charge, Kelly flagged down a waiter, and promptly took a glass of hemlock, handing Helena a glass of champagne before smiling. >

“If we're going to have to power walk in heels, we might as well get a good buzz going.”

< She took a long sip before she began to follow Diana towards the parlor room, where it seemed like Haleigh's arrival was going to crash and burn around her. >

Gulping the champagne, Helena gave her an approving smile.

"Oh trust me, you're going to need more than a buzz to deal with the mess we're about to walk into."

Helena quipped as they finally reached the parlor.

:: As the Queens closed in on the scene, Haleigh seemed rather sanguine as she replied to Alice. Diana couldn't help but smirk a bit. She knew the pride that Alice felt regarding the...SUCCESS of SCION. She also had a clear sense of the utter BLACKNESS that would surround the target of Diana's destruction. She wanted to spare Haleigh, but the hybrid had already provoked Malice once, hence her CURRENT body...the THIRD to date. Alice need not worry. Not anymore. She'd honored her part of their deal many times over, and Diana knew that Alice would never abandon the comfortable life she'd earned herself in some misguided notion...unlike Dominique Deveraux.::

:: Ravena and Gorgon were in attendance, but keeping a fair distance, OBSERVING. Fathom and Cobra were backing Alice, waiting to see if Haleigh would do something stupid- with Fathom being RIGHT on Haleigh, trident in hand and aimed- and while Alice was more than capable of controlling Scion if necessary, it was GOOD to see members of the Inner Circle from various courts being vigilant in guarding their domain. It was a sign of the energy that this new roster had amongst its members and that pleased the white queen. Unfortunately for them, Haleigh would not be their target or punching bag tonight.::

Calm yourself, Alice. This naughty little girl is no longer your concern. She makes her choices...and she'll suffer the consequences accordingly.

:: Diana says knowingly as she and the queens make the scene.::

"Well if it isn't little orphan Annie."

Helena smirked as she sauntered into the parlor.

"Damn, did you just crawl out of your crypt or what? Sorry, I hadn't heard about you in so long, I figured you must have died. You certainly haven't been relevant for YEARS."

Haleigh replied with sarcasm, which she was pretty sure was the only language Helena understood.

Come now, Scion. You did well not to SPOIL the evening with one of your typical modes of arrival, but you're in no position to mouth off to anyone just now.

:: Diana says as she slowly strides right up to Haleigh, who is still on the floor.::

:: She looks toward Emiko, who was perched up on the bar, with a smile, knowing how much fun Emiko would have trying to taunt & perplex Black Widow. But it was more than a morbid curiosity on the part of the mysterious white rook. Emiko would play with Haleigh, like a cat plays with her toy...or PREY...and the outcome could be rather FATAL, and the ONLY person allowed to handle Haleigh in THAT fashion would be Diana!::

PEACE, Emiko. Leave the runaway to me.

::The White Queen then looks at Alice and Fathom.::

Not to worry, Alice...Heidi. Our little gatecrasher has endured quite a bit before she finally found her way here. How much MORE she endures will depend completely upon her from this moment forward.

:: Finally, she looks at Haleigh, and extends her hand, cupping the hybrid's chin with it::

But you know better, don't you Scion?

You KNOW better than to come into MY house and behave badly.

:: Diana says, as she mildly chides her wayward daughter ::

After all, that is NO WAY to get back into your MOTHER's good graces...

:: That cold, gripping "aura" of Malice's washes over Haleigh, as Malice looks deeply into Haleigh's eyes, and "looks" THROUGH her mind...her SOUL::

WE both know why you're here, don't we?

But before you even allow your mind to FORM the thought...don't you have something you need to say to me?

Your behavior on Sheena Island wasn't nice at ALL, little girl.

 

[Fathom]

The Hellfire Club -- Parlor Room

Scion: The only thing faster than this bullet is ME.

The blonde said, pulling a gun from somewhere. They were locked in a standoff of intense eye contact. Heidi could see the blonde's cold fury, her calm confidence. This woman was fearless, even when surrounded by some of scariest super humans in the world. Either that, or she was crazier than all of them put together.

Nogitsune: You don't have to kill her right away, White Knight, just stab her with it and move it around a little. I want to see how she squirms...

The blonde broke eye contact, produced another gun from thin air, and glared at Emiko. Heidi smiled, considering the idea of just wounding the intruder, and watching her crawl around and bleed all over the place. It would certainly be a good way to determine if all her bravado was just a front. She had the opportunity to do so, because Emiko was distracting the woman with a riddle. Amanda spoke up, prompting the uninvited 'guest' to state her business here.

Scion: Look, I didn't come here for a fight..... but I can put up with one.... if you think you're hard enough.

"HA! How hard do we have to be? Looks like you ALREADY got your ass kicked."

She pointed out. Heidi had to admit, she was more than a little curious about this woman. Who WAS she? Why did she show up here, looking like she'd gotten run over by a car? What was her relation to Alice?

Scion: Oh, this? No, I just got done having sex. Mostly, this isn't even my blood. How long are you people planning on interfering with my drinking? The White Queen is on her way, she is the reason I am HERE, obviously none of you have the security clearance, or you'd have known I was coming. So how about you all back the FUCK off?

There wasn't a CHANCE of that happening, even if the woman could name drop all three queens. But the blonde WAS correct; Diana was on her way. Indeed, only a few more tense seconds passed before the whole sovereign trinity arrived. The Red Queen was the first to speak, and clearly knew who the woman was, because she greeted the intruder with an almost amused familiarity. The blonde gave a mordant response immediately, and then the White Queen rebuked her, and finally Heidi at least knew the would-be adversary's name: Scion.

Diana: Not to worry, Alice...Heidi. Our little gatecrasher has endured quite a bit before she finally found her way here. How much MORE she endures will depend completely upon her from this moment forward.

"Very well then."

Heidi replied, and pulled her trident back as she sidestepped to allow Diana room to directly interact with Scion. Diana admonished Scion a bit, yet she didn't seem too worried or upset. As always, Malice carried herself with the powerful poise that had gotten her the esteemed position she held today. Interestingly, Diana referred to herself as Scion's MOTHER. Heidi recalled a recent insinuation by The Black Queen, revealing that Diana was "somebody's mother". This MUST have been who she was talking about.

Suppose it's a good thing I didn't skewer her after all....

She thought with nonchalance, and then wondered how soon they could get back to the party. She was ready to fix another toxic tincture for herself and get back to being idolized/envied.

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Parlor Room

Diana: Come now, Scion. You did well not to SPOIL the evening with one of your typical modes of arrival, but you're in no position to mouth off to anyone just now.

"Bullshit. I can mouth off from ANY position."

Haleigh replied proudly, as she leaned back against the overturned barstool, setting her elbows on it, still targeting Nogitsune and Fathom each with a pistol. Diana told Alice to calm down, and then called off her attack bitches, who seemed somewhat disappointed but complied. Haleigh reholstered her sidearms with a smug smirk, but her mother continued to lecture her in a gleeful way, lifting Haleigh's chin to command her attention.

Diana: But you know better, don't you Scion? You KNOW better than to come into MY house and behave badly. After all, that is NO WAY to get back into your MOTHER's good graces...

There was a chilling feeling, as Haleigh stared boldly back into Diana's gaze. She knew she was being scrutinized, she knew Malice was searching through her recent memories to discover just exactly HOW it had gone down. It was a piercing feeling, but Haleigh didn't flinch, or try to block her mother's search. It would be easier if she didn't fight it, and it would give Malice more confidence if she knew this wasn't an exercise in subterfuge.

Diana: WE both know why you're here, don't we? But before you even allow your mind to FORM the thought...don't you have something you need to say to me? Your behavior on Sheena Island wasn't nice at ALL, little girl.

Haleigh's initial thought was insolent, challenging, and flippant, all rolled into one succinct 'fuck you'. Her eyes still locked with Diana's, her smirk grew bigger, because she knew that just as soon as it crossed her mind, Diana 'heard' it too. A beat passed.... but truly, Haleigh knew what was required of her here. There were too many court members here for her to be so impudent. She needed to capitulate in order to be initiated, and Malice was the ONLY one here she'd surrender to. Diana was the only adversary Haleigh had ever truly respected. If any of these others tried to subjugate her, she'd put them right in their place.

"Give me a break, mother. You kept a PRETTY FUCKING SIGNIFICANT FACT from me for my ENTIRE life, which if I had KNOWN from the beginning.... I'd certainly have conducted myself differently for the past twenty years."

She started, and then shrugged.

"I was upset, I overreacted. If you require an apology, I'll gratify you.... but let's not pretend you didn't get EXACTLY what you desired. You wanted the truce to end, but it had to be a violation by a member of The Six. You're welcome. You wanted to HURT as many of them as possible, as deeply as possible. You're welcome. And you wanted ME to abandon them, and join YOU. You're welcome."

 

[Talisman]

Hellfire Mansion - Parlor Room - Blackout Party

< The Black Queen's nails tapped against the flute of hemlock in her left hand as she watched the scene unfold around her. This was the first time she had encountered Black Widow in her timeline, and she had to say, she lived up to her reputation. Insolent, aggressive and headstrong. Traits she had apparently picked up from her mother. She had to give Christopher Victory a little bit of credit. Malice had gone to great lengths to ensure that those in the consortium who had dared to have children be destroyed, and yet her own daughter had endured, been protected, despite her horrible origin. Not many in history had been able to pull one over on Diana and live to tell about it. Her cobalt blue eyes watched Alice carefully with an almost predatory like glance. >

< In her native timeline, Kelly had essentially filled Alice's role and then some. Without a version of Kelly equipped to do what she had done in her place of origin, this universe had to adjust. Enter Alice. Alice did not exist in her timeline, at least not that she knew of or definitely not how she was here. Talisman gave the woman her space, looking at her as fellow woman in the same industry, and she respected her work, but Alice represented a road block to Talisman. The Black Queen desperately wanted to push forward and bring this new consortium to a new level, and she could never be sure as to whether or not Alice would want to be a part of that journey, or would she do her best to impede on things. It would be a disservice to Alice if she chose the latter, but it was her decision to make and if Kelly needed to find another option, another woman to sucede her should the time come, she would. >

Haleigh: "I was upset, I overreacted. If you require an apology, I'll gratify you.... but let's not pretend you didn't get EXACTLY what you desired. You wanted the truce to end, but it had to be a violation by a member of The Six. You're welcome. You wanted to HURT as many of them as possible, as deeply as possible. You're welcome. And you wanted ME to abandon them, and join YOU. You're welcome."

< Haleigh's curious words caused Kelly to reach out with her omni sight. Just as Alison was a Seer and Cameron experienced flash premonition, Kelly too was gifted with a form of sight, a gift of her long and powerful lineage. She could simply see whatever was happening in real time that she wanted, her line of sight only stopping at mystical bars or wards. She saw Delilah seeking comfort with Bishop, a man she had a curious interest in. She saw Cameron looking for Ava Cassadine. She saw Blaze and Morgan seeking comfort in one another's arms. It was clear that Haleigh was speaking the truth. >

"She actually left them."

< Diana was good. VERY good. She had gotten the one that they all loved to turn against her family, forego her humanity and stand by the side of the woman who had taken everything from her and her friends. >

"Perhaps there IS something to this "slow burn" The White Queen speaks of."

< In all of her life with everything that she knew, there was just no way that Kelly could understand how Diana could have ever let something like The Six happen, but she got it now. Talisman was often the top of her field. When it came to her Christopher and Adam, she buried them when it came to technical skill and practical application. She was better and smarter than them. It was this kind of listlessness that had found her taunting Shadow Weaver, looking for a fight. >

"Every predator needs prey, and not one that lies down easily. Who would Malice be if not for her ability to thwart the would be protectors of the Earth? She needs them. They need her."

< She snapped her fingers as she received another flute of hemlock from an unknown source, thoroughly enjoying the scene that Haleigh and Diana were performing. It seemed they both wanted it enough. >

"Sounds like you've had a rough night...and a proper roll in the hay. Good for you. But if you haven't realized, we are kind of in the middle of something important here, and...well, to be honest, my cleavage is a little too good to go to waste sitting here listening to the ramblings of a bull dyke version of Diana with Kate Gosselin hair."

< Kelly peered at Haleigh. >

"Let's condense this, shall we? Haleigh Davidoff, you may be hot stuff to The Six, but you've got a LOT of ground to cover before anybody here second guesses killing on the spot for any number of reasons. And before your tongue drips of arrogance and self assurance at the many ways you might be able to dispatch us, remember this. An alliance with Diana is not just that. It is an alliance with The Sisterhood, The Black Queen and The Red Queen...."

< Kelly stepped forward, her high heels clicking on the floor. >

"You bow to one of us...you bow to all of us..in respect of the club you wish to join."

< Talisman extended her hand. >

"And so...since you've so daringly set the stages with your dramatics, and the mother daughter back and forth...allow me to introduce myself."

< Smirking. >

"You may think you know me...and that will be your first mistake. I am Kelly Shaw..Black Queen of The Hellfire Club, your new ally. A would be Mother Dearest of the man you love."

< She turned her head back, looking at Helena. >

"Helena, dear. Step forth."

< Haleigh wanted into the club, she wasn't just going to have to cow tow to Diana. If she wanted to make a deal with the devil, that meant being at peace with his demons. Watching her interact with Diana in this moment, and reading the many case files on her history, Kelly knew exactly who Haleigh was. She thought she was buying them time. She truly thought that turning her back on the only people that ever gave a shit about her, was somehow going to save them all. She thought too much of herself, and Kelly had decided that this was a moment where she could alert Haleigh of the choice she was making. She called Helena forth in an act of solidarity, of forcing Haleigh to subjigate herself. She was already swallowing a great deal of pride to swear alleigance to Diana, Kelly wanted to see just how in cement this decision was. Would Haleigh erupt, turn her back on her original decision. Kelly was testing the waters, seeing what Haleigh was made of, seeing if she was as loyal to Diana as she was claiming to be. >

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Parlor Room

Kelly: Sounds like you've had a rough night...and a proper roll in the hay. Good for you. But if you haven't realized, we are kind of in the middle of something important here, and...well, to be honest, my cleavage is a little too good to go to waste sitting here listening to the ramblings of a bull dyke version of Diana with Kate Gosselin hair.

Haleigh finally looked away from Diana, to the woman who was now speaking. Haleigh sized her up, and didn't seem very impressed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was the new Black Queen, based on her dress and her audacity. Haleigh glanced back at Diana, an eyebrow raised.

Dominique's vanilla replacement thinks she can speak to ME like THAT? NO. You should have WARNED her better. I'm going to have to set her straight, aren't I?

Kelly was rambling on, suggesting Haleigh must 'bow' to them and so on, and revealing herself to be Cameron's mother. So Kelly King/Shaw, who had attacked Karen and subjected them all to a horrible reincarnation of Frost, was the Black Queen of Hellfire. Now that WAS interesting.... and it made Haleigh smirk. This woman thought she could bully Haleigh into groveling, but that wasn't going to happen. Haleigh let the woman make a fool of herself, and then she rose to her feet.

"So.....Witchfire knockoff, you washed out of your OWN timeline and managed to make yourself useful enough HERE to be allowed to believe yourself EQUAL to my mother..... and you think that I'll show YOU deference simply because of that? I'm not the one who is mistaken. FIRST OF ALL, I bow to NO ONE. I'm not some plebe, crawling to you on my knees and begging for validation."

Haleigh began, and smiled knowingly.

"You left a little something out of your summary, Kelly. You've been busy lately, vexing Karen and by extension, the Six. I bet that REALLY annoyed my mother.... considering all her carefully laid plans, that have been slowly unfolding since before you arrived. You overstepped your boundaries, didn't you? You OUGHT to be thanking me. You COULD have the Six breathing down your neck right now, wanting vengeance for Shadow Weaver, and you COULD have been held responsible for the termination of the truce. Luckily for YOU, I happened to distract them from that with my betrayal. NOW, they're all dealing with the fallout, and they'll have to take a step back and reassess their situation. If not for me, that little stunt you pulled on Karen would have been the END of you. Diana would have let them destroy you, and she would have forsaken you in order to keep her plans intact."

She sauntered past Alice, back behind the bar again, and got herself another bottle. She cracked the seal, drained half the bottle, and then continued.

"You see, my mother has done this MANY times before. Someone steps out of line, and guess who usually takes care of the problem? ME. Despite my former allegiances, I have even LESS to prove than you do. I was instrumental in taking down my father Christopher Victory, his partner Adam Chandler, and your crosstime self, among many others who've fallen from Mystech and Hellfire grace. MY reputation, unlike your own, isn't tarnished by weakness and unreliability. I've established myself as a force to be reckoned with, and that's why my mother has invited me here, to stand by her side and strengthen her cause. I haven't inserted myself here and demanded to be crowned, as you obviously have. I've been ENCOURAGED to accept my heritage and assume my RIGHTFUL position."

Haleigh paused to drain the rest of the bottle, then set it down on the bar with nonchalance. This interloper thought she knew who she was dealing with, but she obviously didn't have a clue.

"You introduce yourself as if I owe you some respect, and as a TEST to see if I'll snap because you are the King siblings' pitiful excuse for a matriarch. But I don't give a damn who YOU are. I DON'T respect you-- ANY OF YOU.... except my mother..... and possibly Alice..... [looking around at them all] Helena's alright too, I guess. Now, the rest of you will BENEFIT from my alliance with Diana. You may even eventually earn my approval... But don't think for a SECOND that I need or want YOUR admiration. I'm here for my mother, and you can all go fuck yourselves for all *I* care."

 

[Talisman]

The Hellfire Mansion - Parlor Room - Blackout Party

Scion: "So.....Witchfire knockoff, you washed out of your OWN timeline and managed to make yourself useful enough HERE to be allowed to believe yourself EQUAL to my mother..... and you think that I'll show YOU deference simply because of that? I'm not the one who is mistaken. FIRST OF ALL, I bow to NO ONE. I'm not some plebe, crawling to you on my knees and begging for validation."

< Kelly chuckled for a moment, most likely the first time anybody in this room had ever seen that. >

"Well, you've obviously foregone making yourself presentable for viewing with the human eye, I assumed at the very least you'd attempt a curtsy."

Scion: "You left a little something out of your summary, Kelly. You've been busy lately, vexing Karen and by extension, the Six. I bet that REALLY annoyed my mother.... considering all her carefully laid plans, that have been slowly unfolding since before you arrived. You overstepped your boundaries, didn't you? You OUGHT to be thanking me. You COULD have the Six breathing down your neck right now, wanting vengeance for Shadow Weaver, and you COULD have been held responsible for the termination of the truce. Luckily for YOU, I happened to distract them from that with my betrayal. NOW, they're all dealing with the fallout, and they'll have to take a step back and reassess their situation. If not for me, that little stunt you pulled on Karen would have been the END of you. Diana would have let them destroy you, and she would have forsaken you in order to keep her plans intact."

< Talisman dropped her hand as her cobalt blue eyes shimmered, the pentagram around her neck slightly sparkling as she went to the bar and took a seat at the bar next to Haleigh, grabbing the bottle from Haleigh's hand and pouring herself a glass, because she wasn't a savage. >

"You give too much credit to your former team...and yourself. You have no idea how big the operation has gotten here, how long it's been occurring and just what part the people in this room have played. So before you so succintly attempt to put me in my place and assume you know the inner workings and motivations of something that's existence you've been IGNORANT to for quite some time while it's been under your nose, because you wanted to be an Avenger and a hero, perhaps you should sit here and ponder how you TRULY came to find yourself in this parlor room, drinking all of our liquor, and coming to take your place by your mother's side."

< Haleigh was postering and it was a little annoying. She seemed to think that her connection with Malice was unique, or worse that it was organic. She immediately assumed she knew how things were operating here, and where the connections were. She didn't. Talisman had been in the timeline for quite some time, and had been responsible for any number of horrible things The Six were dealing with the fallout of. She wasn't trying to domesticate Haleigh, but she was going to make sure that her wild and aggressive ways weren't going to work here. If she wanted to serve with her mother, she would be playing a VERY different game. >

Scion: "You see, my mother has done this MANY times before. Someone steps out of line, and guess who usually takes care of the problem? ME. Despite my former allegiances, I have even LESS to prove than you do. I was instrumental in taking down my father Christopher Victory, his partner Adam Chandler, and your crosstime self, among many others who've fallen from Mystech and Hellfire grace. MY reputation, unlike your own, isn't tarnished by weakness and unreliability. I've established myself as a force to be reckoned with, and that's why my mother has invited me here, to stand by her side and strengthen her cause. I haven't inserted myself here and demanded to be crowned, as you obviously have. I've been ENCOURAGED to accept my heritage and assume my RIGHTFUL position."

< It would be easy enough to destroy Haleigh. A simple word whispered to Jessica Marcus about Haleigh Davidoff coming in to take the helm as the true viral gem of the old MysTech. She'd burn the whole building to the ground, kill Diana and Haleigh both, and this whole conversation would have been pointless. Or Kelly could simply develop something that sought out Scion's ability to bond with the TO Virus that flowed through her body. By way of the alcohol that she seemed to drink like water, or through the fabric of her clothes. It was possible..and it would be easy. She seemed to forget the fact that she was a product of science, an organism that believed she was human. >

"You speak as if you had any conscious part of what you were doing. As if the two of you have been in cahoots since the beginning. Do not rewrite history simply because you have had a revelation of your true nature, Haleigh Davidoff. You were created in a test tube, and since then have been used and manipulated your entire life into doing the things that The White Queen wanted you or needed to do. So you may have helped her achieve her goals, but let's be clear, it was despite YOUR best efforts to stop her."

Scion: "You introduce yourself as if I owe you some respect, and as a TEST to see if I'll snap because you are the King siblings' pitiful excuse for a matriarch. But I don't give a damn who YOU are. I DON'T respect you-- ANY OF YOU.... except my mother..... and possibly Alice..... [looking around at them all] Helena's alright too, I guess. Now, the rest of you will BENEFIT from my alliance with Diana. You may even eventually earn my approval... But don't think for a SECOND that I need or want YOUR admiration. I'm here for my mother, and you can all go fuck yourselves for all *I* care."

< Talisman downed her drink in one gulp, and stood up, returning to her stance next to Helena and Amanda. >

"I introduced myself as The Black Queen of The Hellfire Club. That last bit was for a bit of dramatic effect. I never tire of saying this, in fact it gives me perverse pleasure, but I am no matriarch. I am no mother, and more importantly, I am no sprite. Your respect is no consequence to anybody in this room I'm sure, but your alleigance is required. Your word is required. You may be very important to Diana...and as such, that will only ensure to protect YOU. I trust you haven't forgotten the many times you've lost your life over the years, only to be saved by divine intervention, and not the hand of your mother? Trust that when you walked onto this property, the favor you might have garnered with any pantheon is void. So..take a look at the people in this room, your new co-workers, and realize that it's not YOU in the position to eventually give them favor or respect, in fact it's just the opposite. And you SHOULD care, but that's something that I don't particularly feel the need to worry about. By all means, continue to posterize as the prodigal daughter. I'm sure it will bode well for you..."

< She turned to address the group, her long sleek ponytail dangling just below the very bottom of her spine. >

"Of course, I might be getting ahead of myself. Diana could just want to keep you as a kept woman, deep in the hidden quarters of the mansion, like Alice. She could choose to kill you. As I'm sure you've been aware of for quite some time...since you are so enlightened, everything that happens to you, everything that you do, every decision you make...well it comes from the hand of The White Queen...So Diana. What say you?"

 

[Enchantrah]

Haleigh: "Damn, did you just crawl out of your crypt or what? Sorry, I hadn't heard about you in so long, I figured you must have died. You certainly haven't been relevant for YEARS."

"So says the traitor."

Helena sauntered forward, taking a seat on a stool by the bar and crossing her exposed legs.

"While you've been self imploding, i've been here, helping rebuild an empire."

Helena stated casually as she sipped her champagne.

"The lull before the storm my dear...."

Her smirk grew as she eyed Haleigh with a steely gaze. The woman was a firecracker and unpredictable, but sometimes making the loudest noise wasn't always the most strategic move. Helena worked behind the scenes at the Hellfire Club, recruiting and rebuilding the very inner circle that were standing in that room. She helped make what was now the strongest Inner Circle in MysTech history a reality. But she didn't need to prove that, nor acknowledge it to anyone--especially Haleigh Davidoff. Unlike many in this room, she didn't feel the need to flaunt her powers or flex her abilities to show how much of a threat she was. So there she sat, listening to Diana chide her daughter, Heidi threaten her, Emiko tease her, and Amanda warn her. Blah blah blah.

Then there was Kelly. The woman proceeded to make a grandiose reveal of who she was and how Haleigh would bow down to her. Helena's eyebrows lifted with both amusement and surprise as she sat back in her chair, her empty flute morphing into a martini glass filled with vodka. Taking a sip, now this was going to be interesting. Kelly Shaw showing her balls to Diana's daughter....who most likely had actual balls.

Kelly: "Helena, dear. Step forth."

Caught mid sip, Helena gave a what the fuck look. Come forth?

"Oh i'm quite fine here, your majesty. But please, continue."

She deadpanned, followed by a roll of her eyes. Did Kelly have the right idea of telling Haleigh exactly what the deal was going forward? Yes. Was she going about it the right way? Absolutely not. Haleigh was a specific beast to tame, and telling her to bow down and submit was only going to make her BITE. But what did Helena know? She had just been dealing with this woman since her deadbeat niece introduced them almost 10 years ago.

Haleigh: "You introduce yourself as if I owe you some respect, and as a TEST to see if I'll snap because you are the King siblings' pitiful excuse for a matriarch. But I don't give a damn who YOU are. I DON'T respect you-- ANY OF YOU.... except my mother..... and possibly Alice..... [looking around at them all] Helena's alright too, I guess."

Helena raised her martini glass giving Haleigh a cheers.

Haleigh: "Now, the rest of you will BENEFIT from my alliance with Diana. You may even eventually earn my approval... But don't think for a SECOND that I need or want YOUR admiration. I'm here for my mother, and you can all go fuck yourselves for all *I* care."

[sarcastically] "I can feel the familial love."

She quickly finished her drink.

"WELL, I would like to get to this damn party before it ends, so if we're done here? [slipping off the barstool, she moved to Diana's side] Can we clean Chaz Bono [Haleigh] up and go downstairs?"

 

[Lord Ravena]

An interloper. And a familiar one, at least by the daytime reading he had done. And she was as delicious as her reputation, giving Lord Ravena a well-deserved compliment and smelling of blood. Second-rate thug blood, but blood nonetheless.

Lord Ravena smiled at the scene as people postured, demanded, threatened, and bid others to come or to go. As for him, he knew that Diana would not waste an asset that she had cultivated, as she had this woman, only to waste her upon delivery.

"WELL, I would like to get to this damn party before it ends, so if we're done here? [slipping off the barstool, she moved to Diana's side] Can we clean Chaz Bono [Haleigh] up and go downstairs?"

Surely we must, and we SHALL.

With a snap of his fingers Haleigh was lifted off the ground and covered in a thick fog, her body cleansed and bare beneath the shimmer. Lord Ravena stepped forward, his hand clasped behind his back.

Child, I am Lord Ravena, the White King of the Hellfire Club, and this party was, in part, for ME. The sudden return of the prodigal White Princess is an...INTERESTING development and I MUST INSIST out of respect for my Queen that you accompany us in our revelry this evening. This next part is easy, Haleigh...wish for that which you would most like to wear and I will give your wish shape. And then we shall see how well you enjoy life for once, freed from the guilt and concern of ridiculous duties to creatures that should be serving you instead. Come now, I suspect that revelry is no hard feat for one such as yourself. Wish for your raiment and lets be off to enjoy power without consequence.

Lord Ravena held out his hand, waiting for the Scion to take it.

 

[Mockingbird]

The Hellfire Mansion - Blackout Party

:: So far the night was a success. People were enjoying themselves, ready to talk both business and pleasure, two of Kristen's favorite subjects. For a moment she wished her husband Thorn could be here by her side, but the two had made a deal a long time ago. She would continue her work with The Hellfire Club and he would remain blissfully ignorant, and thankfully both of their schedules were busy enough that Thorn probably didn't know where she was anyway. Taking an elegant sip of her wine, she had reached the perfect level of homeostasis. A level where her emotions were comfortably drowned by her increasing high blood alcohol concentration. The sweet spot so to speak. ::

:: She stopped an inconspicuous member of the crowd and gripped him by the arm. He was one of her security detail as he was jetting off to deal with the number of security protocols that had been breeched upon the arrival of Scion to The Hellfire Mansion. Kristen had been debriefed on the situation beforehand, but she knew better than to divulge such information to those who didn't need to know it. ::

"Stand down, Gaspar. Everything is as it should be. Right now, I'd like you to have the agents standing at the left corridor herd Jessica Marcus to the crowd just left of that bannister. They are old friends of the Marcus family. They will shower her with compliments and keep her occupied, which is just what we need. The arrival of the queens looks to be delayed. It's our job to make sure that everything is taken care of until that moment."

[pausing for a moment]

"And ensure Hanby and Dutro remain near them as well. They should provide enough eye candy and idle conversation to keep Maxine Dupont occupied. She has a history of not behaving well at Hellfire functions. Let's not have history repeat itself."

:: The man nodded as Kristen looked down at her watch. She had been given a timeframe by Diana. Should that timeframe be exceeded she was to intervene. For now, she surveyed the scene before looking at her almost empty glass. For a moment she pondered stopping for the night, until she realized what a stupid idea that was. She needed to be herself tonight, and that meant she was to remain good and loaded. ::

"A drunk man speaks a sober mind...or something like that."

:: Seemingly upon the very thought, a waiter came around with an icy cold fresh glass. ::

"Nicely done."

:: Kristen smiled as she brought the glass to her lips, making her way through the large landscape that was The Blackout Party. Every space of the mansion seemed to be full, and it caused her to feel perversely nostalgic. There was a time in her life where events like this WERE her life. When MysTech was it's peak, she was right there with them. She had been a part of their history for decades, helping them get to where they needed to go, using her connections as a well positioned woman in the world to further their cause. To those that mattered in this circle, she was a heavy hitter, and while her ties were mysterious to many, she knew that the people who mattered knew who she was and what she was capable of doing. And besides, she didn't answer to them, didn't work specifically for them. The only woman she deigned herself to answer to was Diana, and that was because of a deal the two had struck some two decades before this party..back when she was Kristen Ashcroft. Back when her first husband was still alive and working with Spencer and Marcus. But that was another lifetime ago, and in the grand scheme of things, people like Kristen, Alice and Diana had taken MysTech to levels that Lord Spencer and James Marcus could have only dreamed. It was barely worth mentioning their existence at this point. ::

:: She looked down at her watch once again. It was time. ::

:: Pushing forward with an aura of elegance and class, she quickly moved past the crowd of people and the scene she had created thanks to her security team. Jessica and Maxine were both conversing in a friendly and easy way. Walking down the hall, she rounded a corner and entered the parlor room, but not before giving an admonishment to a certain spy. ::

"Back to the party Benjamin. It's not your time."

:: Entering the room, she had just caught the tail end of what was being said. ::

Talisman: "So Diana. What say you?"

Enchantrah: "Well, I would like to get to this damn party before it ends, so if we're done here? Can we clean Chaz Bono up and go downstairs?"

"The Red Queen has a point. Hello, Helena dear."

:: She walked over to Enchantrah and did a signature double air kiss. Helena Quartermaine was one of the few women in the WORLD that could stand next to Kristen Pratt as a global socialite on the same level as her. They knew each other very well, and by way of her service to Diana, Kristen had extended an olive branch on more than one occassion to Helena, offering her services. She looked over at Talisman. ::

"I think enough has been said for the time being, Dr. Shaw. Excuse me if I offend, but I'm still a bit fuzzy on the details of your timeline, so allow me to introduce myself. Kristen Pratt of the Cambridge Pratts by way of the Greenwich Jennings."

:: Kristen knew Kelly King very well, in fact, much better than most others in the room, including Helena and Diana. The nature of her duties often saw her tasked with entertaining Kelly King, ensuring that she didn't get into much trouble, or entertaining her at parties. Damage control. While the two weren't friends, Kristen had a certain deep understanding about Witchfire that the others just didn't. It was a little bittersweet to see Talisman, knowing that in another life, free from mental illness and her own narcissism, Kelly King could be standing here now. ::

[looking around at the others in the room]

"For those of you who believe my pretentious title to mean nothing, and really I don't blame you, just know I am one of the few precious people in this world that gets to wear a canary yellow dress to The Blackout Party and get away with it. Do with that information what you will."

"Now, I know everybody is excited and a little bit on edge, but this is a Hellfire sponsored event with no members of the court currently on the floor. This party isn't just for kicks and giggles, it's an opportunity."

:: She turned her attention towards the members of The Inner Circle - Amanda, Heidi and Emiko. ::

"Tonight is your debut within the court, which means your service to the club begins now. Tonight, you converse, you analyze, you set things up, get people on your side, expand your connections, and get a true feel for this world you are now apart of. And believe me, this is not the European branch. We don't throw parties without purpose."

[looking back over at Talisman]

"Right now, you have high ranking members of Tricell as well as free agents from the now defunct WilPharma, just looking to sell their services and save their own skins in the wake of the death of William Stryker and Alycia Barnett's crusade to take WilPharma down.."

[smirking]

"Just because Charope...or anybody at WilPharma doesn't know who really signs their paychecks doesn't mean we still can't use them to our advantage."

[turning to Enchantrah]

"And Calpernia De Versailles has been walking around with a trophy husband that...okay, all hellfire business aside, you've just got to see, because really, the view is spectacular. Not only that, she's become quite smitten. I've heard she's signed everything over to him, or at least added his name on the accounts. Calpernia's holdings offer a very diverse portfolio should they fall into the right hands. It's a situation that begs for The Red Queen to do her work."

[turning to Alice]

"Alice. Sweet girl. You look beautiful. It's comforting to know that after so many years, you still practice what I taught you."

:: She walked over towards Alice and grabbed her by the hand, squeezing it for a moment. ::

"You and I have work to do."

:: Looking at Scion. ::

"You'll come with us. I've prepared quarters in anticipation of your arrival and selected a number of options for you to try on. We don't have much time, so please...I know it's not in your nature, but trust that I'm here to help."

:: She turned a knowing glance at Diana and Ravena who were standing side by side. ::

"The two of you have an entire city to scandalize. I will take care of the back end, as always and await further instruction. The main room is secure and stable and my team is perfectly in place. All that is left is the arrival of the court and the announcement they've been waiting for."

:: She had just said a lot in a short amount of time and she could see the look of bamboozlement on everyone's faces. ::

"Well, don't just stand there. Let's move!"

:: Kristen clapped their hands getting everyone in order ::

 

[Malice]

Hellfire Mansion- upper level, parlor room

:: There was two layers of interaction unfolding now. The physical and vocal, and the unseen, the unheard...the PSYCHIC.::

:: Diana stood sentry, and seemed UNUSUALLY silent for what was happening between Haleigh and Kelly, but the truth was, she was certainly aware of what was going on, but was already sending out telepathic commands across the mansion to various staff, AND other notable individuals like Kristen Pratt. Preparations were in order, and while the staff could handle other parts, the handling of Haleigh Davidoff would only be left to those DIRECTLY in Malice's personal inner circle- namely Alice and MockingBird.::

:: As for the verbal confrontation unfolding, it WAS amusing, that Talisman would expect Malice's daughter to BOW before her and Helena. The White Princess had one Queen, her MOTHER.::

:: Diana knew Kelly was aware of what was at stake for HER. She HAD gone too far with the whole Frost/Shadow Weaver debacle, and it was ONLY Kelly's ability to prove herself in other key ways that had spared her a fate similar to her crosstime analogue. The Black Queen had been taking the "corrective action" Malice subjected her to in their last meeting to heart, and adjusting accordingly, the indications of that were noticed, but she WAS, after all, an ECHO of her analogue, Kelly King, and some things about her, no matter how ANNOYING, were probably INNATE.::

:: Kelly knew where she stood with Diana. If she got to a point where her CONS outweighed her PROS, she would JOIN Christopher, Adam, and Kelly King...in the land of the DEAD. ::

:: Still, Diana allowed this moment to unfold, to SEE if Haleigh COULD handle someone like Kelly calling her on the ties to the Six that had meant SO MUCH TO HER for so long! EVERYONE in that room, even RAVENA, had his or her moment in the uncomfortable glare of a spotlight, Haleigh would be no exception.::

< Talisman downed her drink in one gulp, and stood up, returning to her stance next to Helena and Amanda. >

"I introduced myself as The Black Queen of The Hellfire Club. That last bit was for a bit of dramatic effect. I never tire of saying this, in fact it gives me perverse pleasure, but I am no matriarch. I am no mother, and more importantly, I am no sprite. Your respect is no consequence to anybody in this room I'm sure, but your alleigance is required. Your word is required. You may be very important to Diana...and as such, that will only ensure to protect YOU. I trust you haven't forgotten the many times you've lost your life over the years, only to be saved by divine intervention, and not the hand of your mother? Trust that when you walked onto this property, the favor you might have garnered with any pantheon is void. So..take a look at the people in this room, your new co-workers, and realize that it's not YOU in the position to eventually give them favor or respect, in fact it's just the opposite. And you SHOULD care, but that's something that I don't particularly feel the need to worry about. By all means, continue to posterize as the prodigal daughter. I'm sure it will bode well for you..."

Haleigh finally looked away from Diana, to the woman who was now speaking. Haleigh sized her up, and didn't seem very impressed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was the new Black Queen, based on her dress and her audacity. Haleigh glanced back at Diana, an eyebrow raised.

Dominique's vanilla replacement thinks she can speak to ME like THAT? NO. You should have WARNED her better. I'm going to have to set her straight, aren't I?

I don't have to warn ANYONE, YOU should know that by now. Do you REALLY need help in this moment, Scion? You've endured the wrath of Spellbinder, and the withering verbal assaults of Shadow Weaver, and the cold brutality of Harbinger. SURELY you can handle THIS. BESIDES, you DO have a lot of baggage. Now is the time for you to SHED that baggage, and show that you CAN handle yourself as my White Princess, and since Kelly likes to cross boundaries with people, she might as well get a REMINDER of the corrective action I gave her immediately following that whole Frost/ShadowWeaver debacle.

::She smiled knowingly at her daughter as she continued::

Hold yourself in readiness, little girl. The night is young, and this moment with Kelly is nothing more than a prelim.

< She turned to address the group, her long sleek ponytail dangling just below the very bottom of her spine. >

"Of course, I might be getting ahead of myself. Diana could just want to keep you as a kept woman, deep in the hidden quarters of the mansion, like Alice. She could choose to kill you. As I'm sure you've been aware of for quite some time...since you are so enlightened, everything that happens to you, everything that you do, every decision you make...well it comes from the hand of The White Queen...So Diana. What say you?"

::Truer words were never spoken. But Kelly had gotten a dose of her own medicine as Haleigh laid out quite clearly, HER recent messy behavior. Suffice to say, there would be no love lost between the Black Queen and the White Princess, but what a delicious source of PAIN it would be for the Six to have to face BOTH OF THEM on the battle field!? Diana was PLEASED at what was yet to come.::

You walked a very thin line, Talisman, but you're not one to shy away from risky, even taboo things. And your subtle shift in behavior as of late has not gone unnoticed. Let us hope that you don't REGRESS out of some misguided impulse TONIGHT.

:: Eyeing the Black Queen for a moment, before looking to Haleigh, who was NOW being greeted rather exuberantly by Lord Ravena.::

With a snap of his fingers Haleigh was lifted off the ground and covered in a thick fog, her body cleansed and bare beneath the shimmer. Lord Ravena stepped forward, his hand clasped behind his back.

Child, I am Lord Ravena, the White King of the Hellfire Club, and this party was, in part, for ME. The sudden return of the prodigal White Princess is an...INTERESTING development and I MUST INSIST out of respect for my Queen that you accompany us in our revelry this evening. This next part is easy, Haleigh...wish for that which you would most like to wear and I will give your wish shape. And then we shall see how well you enjoy life for once, freed from the guilt and concern of ridiculous duties to creatures that should be serving you instead. Come now, I suspect that revelry is no hard feat for one such as yourself. Wish for your raiment and lets be off to enjoy power without consequence.

Lord Ravena held out his hand, waiting for the Scion to take it.

Oh...she WILL be joining us, now that she has APOLOGIZED for her recent behavior, and come to her senses. She knew that this was where her TRUE destiny would be and now that she's stopped resisting, she can finally LIVE again.

:: Malice places HER hand upon Ravena's hand and lowers it.::

Conjure a gown befitting my White Princess. But refrain from doing anything else. Heidi Scarborough was one thing, Haleigh Davidoff is another, and she will be prepared by MY design and command.

:: At that moment, Mockingbird arrives, and immediately moves into action, per Diana's direction, previously relayed to her telepathically.::

[looking around at the others in the room]

"For those of you who believe my pretentious title to mean nothing, and really I don't blame you, just know I am one of the few precious people in this world that gets to wear a canary yellow dress to The Blackout Party and get away with it. Do with that information what you will."

"Now, I know everybody is excited and a little bit on edge, but this is a Hellfire sponsored event with no members of the court currently on the floor. This party isn't just for kicks and giggles, it's an opportunity."

:: She turned her attention towards the members of The Inner Circle - Amanda, Heidi and Emiko. ::

"Tonight is your debut within the court, which means your service to the club begins now. Tonight, you converse, you analyze, you set things up, get people on your side, expand your connections, and get a true feel for this world you are now apart of. And believe me, this is not the European branch. We don't throw parties without purpose."

:: Kristen served as the "circuit breaker" in this moment, to INTERRUPT the current of highly charged thoughts, emotions, and potentially IMPULSIVE energy swirling around the room. Her arrival was perfectly timed, and like Alice and Emiko, her relationship with Diana was one that was shrouded in mystery, but it did not make her presence any less valuable or weighted even among such a powerful incarnation of the Inner Circle.::

[turning to Alice]

"Alice. Sweet girl. You look beautiful. It's comforting to know that after so many years, you still practice what I taught you."

:: She walked over towards Alice and grabbed her by the hand, squeezing it for a moment. ::

"You and I have work to do."

:: Looking at Scion. ::

"You'll come with us. I've prepared quarters in anticipation of your arrival and selected a number of options for you to try on. We don't have much time, so please...I know it's not in your nature, but trust that I'm here to help."

:: She turned a knowing glance at Diana and Ravena who were standing side by side. ::

"The two of you have an entire city to scandalize. I will take care of the back end, as always and await further instruction. The main room is secure and stable and my team is perfectly in place. All that is left is the arrival of the court and the announcement they've been waiting for."

:: She had just said a lot in a short amount of time and she could see the look of bamboozlement on everyone's faces. ::

"Well, don't just stand there. Let's move!"

:: Kristen clapped their hands getting everyone in order ::

:: Diana nodded with approval::

Move along, Scion.

:: She says as she gently but noticeably ushers Haleigh toward Alice, who looked much less agitated now, and Kristen, who's history with Diana ENCOMPASSED Alice, much to the intrigue of others in the room.::

When next I see you, I expect you to LOOK the part.

Between Lord Ravena's conjuring of a gown to suit you, and the carefully applied makeover in finesse as only Mockingbird can provide, and finally, a proper UPDATING on your new surroundings and what you can expect- that ALICE will provide you...I'm sure sure you'll THEN be ready to stand with us as we present the White King AND the White Princess to the American Branch of the Hellfire Club tonight.

:: toward Fathom, Cobra and Nogitsune::

Return to the balcony and take your places.

:: Finally, to Helena and Kelly.::

Let us go...

:: Taking Lord Ravena's arm::

...Before anyone ELSE decides to show up.

:: Echoing Helena's agitation at the delay, and even the collective restlessness that was growing amongst the assembled Hellfire Club that she was registering via her empathy. But even if no one else realized it, THIS unexpected delay was MOST worthwhile. It was proof once again, that Diana's plans were carried out the way they were for a REASON, and the PAYOFF was tremendous!::

:: SHE had Scion in her posession, and she'd forced Haleigh to serve the Six a heartbreaking amount of PAIN as the truce was destroyed. NOW it was time to REVEL in power without consequence.::

 

[Seer]

Into the night

<< Maxim, the man known in infamy as Bishop, had seen many faces and presentations from Delilah, most of them in recent months had been shades of anger and resentment following the Blue Moon, but something about her presentation tonight was especially poignant.>>

<< It was not like her to come to HIM in a moment of such distress, and since they knew Alexia was still safe in the care of Ororo right now, what could the matter be?!>>

<< He brought her inside and closed the door, before anyone could become aware of her crying, and he sat her down, waiting for her to finally collect herself enough to tell her just what was wrong!>>

-------------------------------

<< The Hellfire Mansion>>

<< Things couldn't be more RIGHT at the Hellfire Mansion, and now, nearly ALL of the Inner Circle was assembled on the balcony, overlooking the crowd gathered on the main floor below.>>

<< There was more money, power, connection and influence in this mysterious mansion tonight than there was on the entire east coast, maybe even the whole country.>>

<< And on the balcony, stood the largest, and most powerful incarnation of the Inner Circle to date. Tonight was to be the coronation of the FIRST White King in the recent history of the American Branch of the Hellfire Club, and now, there would be a White Princess joining them as well, making the White Court the fullest in roster it had been since Diana herself became the White Queen many moons ago. But her court was not filled with just ANY randomly selected individuals. The White Rook, Knight, Princess and King were each powerful individuals with direct personal ties to Diana, individuals that she KNEW would be loyal to HER and to the cause of the Inner Circle. She reigned over the White Court, and the Inner Circle as a whole dominated the Hellfire Club, and by extension, MANY facets of modern society, including government, politics and wide variety of industries.>>

<< The Red Queen was the only person to have enjoyed logevity along side Diana. Helena and Diana were not only survivors, they were predators, each had their unique style of hunting their prey, and together, they had learned many valuable lessons of strategy during their time in the "Shadows & Skulls" timeline. >>

<< The Black Queen was among the "New blood" of the evolving Inner Circle, she was NEW to this timeline, but had a unique and twisted backstory that made her a fast and emotionally disturbing connection to it, and to Diana herself. She was adjusting to her new role in the Inner Circle in this timeline, and her court- which consisted of Cobra, and the newly presented Gorgon, mirrored the cool mystique that was associated with her. >>

<< The Hellfire Club's ultimate statement: Power without consequence, was what pushed it's mission...world domination, and the Inner Circle ruled the HC, which meant THEY ultimately pulled those levers. >>

<< Tonight, it was time to revel in that power, as only they could, and with this new, diverse, powerful roster of the Inner Circle, the HC would know new heights of success, and new depths of personal drama and intrigue. It wouldn't be better any other way.>>

<< And now the crowd, eager with anticipation to get on with the evening's events, stood watching and waiting. The conversation buzz had quieted down and all present had fully charged glasses as they looked toward the balcony.>>

<< Those SPECIAL VIP guests- such as Sharon Kelly, Alice, Jessica Marcus and Maxine Dupont- an associate of the Inner Circle, but NOT an official member of any court- were comfortably seated in the VIP "Opera Box" above the main floor. >>

<< Haleigh Davidoff, having been refreshed by Lord Raven's magicks, and suitably made over and glammed up by Kristen Pratt, as well as being properly tested and briefed by Alice, was the last to join the Inner Circle on the balcony, quietly ushered to them by Kristen, who then made HER way to the Opera Box to join Sharon and the others. >>

<< The time has come for the official debut of the White King, AND White Princess.>>

 

[Black Widow]

The Hellfire Club -- Parlor Room

Diana let Haleigh fend for herself, so to speak, but it wasn't like Haleigh was bothered. She COULD handle whatever they thought they could hit her with, and she needed to. She couldn't rely on her mother's protection, that would be weakness in the eyes of the rest of the inner circle.

Helena knew how to act, tossing back a couple of clever quips and raising her glass, but mostly accepting Haleigh's arrival without fuss. Haleigh didn't see any need to further antagonize Helena, in fact, Haleigh figured that she and the Red Queen would understand each other just fine. After all, they both hated her niece, Alexis, so they had at least ONE subject to agree upon.

But Kelly..... she was trying hard to dominate Haleigh here, and it just wouldn't work. She tried to intone that the Hellfire club had become some big operation, and that Haleigh was ignorant of its recent growth. She tried to imply that Haleigh needed to stop and consider her new situation, as if she hadn't done that already. Haleigh just shook her head dismissively.

"You'd like to be correct in saying I overestimate my former allies, but again, you're sorely mistaken. I know exactly what they are capable of, and the TRUTH of the matter is that like your predecessor Witchfire, you SERIOUSLY underestimate them. YOU might pause to consider the fact that hubris catalyzed the demise of your alternate self. If you can't learn from your own mistakes, you're doomed to repeat them. You want to dismiss the Six as do-gooders and 'heroes', but that's a foolish notion. They may indeed be considered heroes, but only because they can be compared to the likes of US.... in REALITY, they've ALL been influenced by darkness, some more than others. They fight it, but that doesn't make them weaker than anyone here. And you may all be inclined to believe that you will stomp them down, but there isn't a shot glass full of experience between the lot of you, NOT when it comes to The Six. You're in for a rude awakening if you face them with empty imperiousness. Helena and Diana alone know what they're dealing with, so you'd all do well to take your cues from them. Notice they have a healthy respect for the challenge and have been closely following a plan that doesn't rely on pompous arrogance.... it's the reason they're still ON TOP."

Haleigh could tell from the look on Kelly's face that the Black Queen was considering killing her, and Haleigh's expression almost seemed to be daring Kelly to do it, but apparently the Black Queen thought better of the idea, and so they continued their discussion. Kelly had more to say on the topic of Haleigh's history cleaning up Mystech messes, as well. She seemed eager to set Haleigh 'straight', or keep her honest or whatever.

"No, I merely acknowledged the facts. My mother casts off those who outlive their usefulness, and I have historically been there to take care of the problem. My personal objectives at the time are irrelevant, the outcome is not. Diana is a master of Machiavellian manipulations, and I am a master of murderous mayhem. We may have been at odds in the past, but now that I know the TRUTH of my origin.... we won't be."

Kelly then insisted she was no matriarch, which made Haleigh smile. For somebody who didn't want to be anybody's mother, she sure made a big deal out of identifying herself as such. Even more amusing was the fact that there were things about Kelly's children that Haleigh could reveal that might make Kelly reconsider her denouncement of them.... but not yet. Haleigh knew that soon enough, Cameron and Alison would come for Kelly, each sibling with very different reasons and motives. Was Kelly worthy of the efforts Cameron would make to understand her, or was she more deserving of Alison's designs to eliminate her? Only time would tell. As Kelly gave Haleigh a number of suggestions, Haleigh looked bored to death.

Kelly: So..take a look at the people in this room, your new co-workers, and realize that it's not YOU in the position to eventually give them favor or respect, in fact it's just the opposite. And you SHOULD care, but that's something that I don't particularly feel the need to worry about. By all means, continue to posterize as the prodigal daughter. I'm sure it will bode well for you.

"Yeah, I'll take all that under advisement."

She replied, with a tone that said she still didn't give a single fuck. Helena vocalized her intent to get back to the party, while also tossing another insult Haleigh's way. She might as well stop wasting her wit. Soon they would all realize Haleigh could not be insulted, because their opinions didn't matter in the least to her. For her part, Haleigh had already picked up on many of the nuances of the hierarchy here. Each of the queens had their ranking, and the rest of the inner circle had revealed their own personalities as well. Haleigh would continue to evaluate them as the night went on. Then there was the White King. He'd been quiet, withholding his opinion and letting the situation unfold, no doubt ready to act if necessary, but otherwise patient. Finally, when the matter seemed settled, he introduced himself, and gave Haleigh what could essentially be called a shower.

Lord Ravena: Child, I am Lord Ravena, the White King of the Hellfire Club, and this party was, in part, for ME. The sudden return of the prodigal White Princessis an ...INTERESTING development and I MUST INSIST out of respect for my Queen that you accompany us in our revelry this evening.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, but be ware.... I am NO CHILD. But I AM thrilled to liven up your party."

She said with a wink. He offered to dress her as well, and extended his hand, and tellingly, Diana stepped in to intercede. Haleigh smiled, clearly amused as she realized that Diana was sleeping with this man and had just drawn a line for them both.

Some other woman started talking, and it was clear her role was something of a hostess, here to usher them all back to their places and ensure this soirée went smoothly. Haleigh was encouraged to go with Alice and this flatscan, Kristen Pratt. Haleigh reluctantly complied, because she was just buzzed enough now to maybe enjoy some revelry, and there was still a lot to learn about her new companions.

It didn't take long to get dressed, because Haleigh wasn't the type to primp in front of a vanity. She looked over the selection Kristen had provided, but it was Ravena that had provided what Haleigh ended up wearing. Her dress, fitting for her new role, had only the most subtle reference to her previous persona; the dark accents were patterned intricately as a spider's web, and in the center of the buckle, the red hourglass shape of a black widow was featured.

 

[Goliath]

Hellfire Club - Blackout Party

"Witchfire..."

:: Benjamin recognized Kelly immediately, or at least the version of Kelly that he knew. Years ago, when he had been in the service of MysTech, he had met Kelly King. In fact, he was wearing a gift she had given him right now. On his right hand, on his index finger sat a beautiful and ornate looking ring. It was a ring enchanted by Witchfire to protect Benjamin from Cassandra Johnson's power. It was what kept him alive the night that Ruby tried to drain him. The night that he failed to recover her for MysTech's use. The night he truly went "rogue" and never looked back. He wore this ring everyday, on the off chance that Cassandra might come looking for him, and attempt to finish him off. The nature of his power might have protected him from her power in general, but if she were to catch him off guard, before he could activate his defenses, it would be a done deal. Things were beginning to make sense to Ben, and his interest in participating in the night's fesitivities was growing exponentially. ::

"But this isn't Witchfire. This is like...another version of her. HER...but not her..."

:: Benjamin was a mutant, so he believed in the possibility of many things. But he lived most of his life on the run, living firmly in the human world and operating under their terms in order to survive. He wasn't well versed in the concept of mutliple timelines, of transcending the bonds of time and space, so to see this woman, it was rather shocking, and to see how comfortable and unassuming everybody else seemed about it, even so much so as to call this new Kelly out for the old Kelly's actions, well it definitely made things more exciting. ::

"What AM I about to get involved with...."

:: He respected the presentation of The Black Queen, and she was rather easy on the eyes. She seemed to be the only person in the room who wasn't just bending over and accepting the arrival of a woman who had been an enemy to the Hellfire Club for many years. Black Widow, who was now apparently going by the codename of Scion was a wildcard, and they should have been wary of her, but nobody in the room seemed to echo Kelly Shaw's concern, or at least they were too scared to have an opinion that might dare to be countered by The White Queen, the woman who very clearly ran the show around her. When she arrived, he noticed a large amount of attention go towards her, a level of respect that the others didn't have. Benjamin couldn't be sure if this was because of respect or fear, but he assumed that it was a mixture of both. Kelly was making a show of strength on behalf of The Inner Circle, to show Scion that there were other players in the room that she wouldn't be able to walk all over, and she was showing them that Haleigh, although now swearing allegiance to Diana as her daughter and White Princess, was more foe than friend. Even if they didn't believe her, or refused to back her play, Haleigh's words were clear. She wouldn't trust anybody in this room, and she didn't care about their respect. She was to be The White Princess and everybody would just have to deal with it. Bejamin wasn't a fan of dictators, and thankfully for him, it seemed that The White Court was full. Though he had been brought here by Kristen Pratt, he began to realize that his future lied on either the red or black courts, and after watching this situation unfold, he hoped that he would end the night under the banner of The Black Court, and he had a feeling that Kristen felt the same way. ::

Mockingbird: "Back to the party Benjamin. It's not your time."

:: Kristen suddenly appeared in the hallway, and somehow she had detected his presence, be it because of his absence out on the floor or some other unknown method. She was very good and precise. He knew that when he first met her and seeing her weave through the room with a kind of frenetic grace and poise, it was clear how she had gotten her name. People like mockingbirds because they were pretty, they wanted to hear their voices, listened to their songs. It was the same quality that Kristen had. She had presence. Even if you didn't know who she was, you could ascertain that she was important in some way. Watching her dazzle guests at the party and seeing how they reacted to her, well it was like watching somebody listen to a mockingbird sing. He smirked. ::

"Perhaps flatscans...even American ones aren't all that bad."

:: He had heard Kristen's request but he didn't move. He had already seen the conversation this far, he wanted a conclusion. If he was going to serve on a court, he needed to see how they operated, who liked who, how they interacted with each other, and where he could fit in if necessary. This had been a good thing for him to witness, and just before this little meeting was over, Benjamin relieved himself and made his way back to the party. When he saw that the others were beginning to take their places, about to have the party truly begin, Ben went to the Opera Box, where Kristen had instructed him to go. He was not yet an official member of any court, and it seemed that Kristen was determined to present her gift in a specific way. He was content. Taking a seat, soon Kristen arrived, and took a seat next to him. By now his scotch had been refreshed and he took a warm sip, leaning in to speak with Mockingbird. ::

"I have to say, I had my doubts about all of this, but after what I just witnessed in the parlor room? I'm a little excited to interact with this motley crew of cheeky bastards. Perhaps this is where I am supposed to be..."

:: Benjamin looked over towards Kelly, his eyes starting at her head, resting on her cleavage, before scaling back down. A devilish grin creeped across his face. ::

"And perhaps that is where I am supposed to be later..."

 

[Wallflower]

Blackout Party - The Parlor Room

:: In terms of the conversation unfolding in front of the inner circle between Talisman and Scion, Amanda's blood ran black. Part of Cobra's education had been to pour over the many security files that The Hellfire Club maintained on The Six and MysTech's lingering grasp on the world. As a woman who loved characters and the written word, this had been one of her more treasured experiences while living in the catacombs of the mansion. The case files read like a graphic novel - full of violence, scandal and magic. When she realized that she was standing before Black Widow herself, even she took to pause for a moment. As a lover of archetypes and subtext, Amanda was somebody who viewed the world like it was a story to be written, and in that context, Black Widow was important figure. Though would be fiercely loyal to Kelly Shaw until the end of time for what she done for her, she couldn't help but feel a bit of the fandom of seeing such a big character up close and in person. Always the antihero's hero, Black Widow seem to walk the grey matter of morality with grace and skill. Her ties to the members of The Six ran probably deeper than anybody else. They loved her, and she loved them. To see her at The Hellfire Mansion pledging allegiance to The White Queen as the new White Princess, well Amanda could feel almost feel the betrayal residually. The revelation caused Amanda to immediately go on edge. She didn't trust this new alliance. From everything she knew, nothing pointed to the idea that Haleigh Davidoff of all people would betray The Six. Even upon the apparent revelation that she was the daughter of Malice. She seemed too strong to allow that to destroy her, so Amanda concluded that this was a farce. At some point and time, Haleigh Davidoff would betray them and return to the arms of The Six. ::

"But she will NOT destroy The Black Court."

:: Amanda had gone from reading about these people, to now being a part of it herself. This was not an opportunity she would let somebody take from her, and if that meant she had to ride Haleigh Davidoff's ass, braid her hair, gossip about boys or kill her outright, then so be it. Cobra had wasted her life once before, she wasn't about to do it again, or let it come at the hands of somebody else. So as Talisman and Scion went back and forth, Amanda's cold blood began to warm for a moment. Now that she had made her decision with regards to the new White Princess, she too began to feel irritated at missing the party. Helena's words were well timed as Kristen Pratt sauntered into the room like a polite but firm torndao. Amanda had seen only glimpses of Kristen, and there seemed to be nobody on staff who seemed to be able to say exactly who she was and what she did around her, but she seemed harmless enough. And she was human, so there was that. ::

Mockingbird: "Tonight is your debut within the court, which means your service to the club begins now. Tonight, you converse, you analyze, you set things up, get people on your side, expand your connections, and get a true feel for this world you are now apart of. And believe me, this is not the European branch. We don't throw parties without purpose."

:: Cobra nodded. Probably more so than the others in the room, Amanda WANTED this. She was ready to put everything she had trained for to the test. She was ready to prove herself to her Black Queen and the rest of The Inner Circle, and now that there were other members of The Inner Circle, she couldn't help but to feel a tad bit competitive. She was ready to earn her spot at the table, closer than the others. ::

Malice: "Return to the balcony, and take your places."

"Yes White Queen."

:: Amanda enjoyed Malice thoroughly. She reminded her of Marquise de Merteuil in Dangerous Liaisons. Straight up sinful with a rare kind of elegance. In the wake of the Frost caper, Amanda had taken to ensuring that relations between the black and white courts wouldn't remain strained. She made sure to gain favor with Diana, and keep the lines of communication open. ::

:: Making her leave of the room, Amanda walked back down the hallway and up the stairs, towards the balcony. Her jeweled gown sitting delicately and scandalously on her body, as her hands gripped the bannister of the balcony and she surveyed the party around her. It was everything she ever dreamed of and more. Everything that Talisman had promised. Tonight, Cobra's life would finally begin. She felt royal. ::

:: She smirked to herself. ::

"Now let them eat cake!"