1878/Stark's Yacht Party

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Stark's Yacht Party
Date of Scene: 28 May 2020
Location: Stark Party Yacht,
Synopsis: Tony Stark has a birthday party!
Thanks to: Thank you to all who came!
Cast of Characters: Pepper Potts, Thor, Achilles, Nicole Adams, James Rhodes, Tony Stark, Greer Grant, Janet van Dyne, Cecily Winters, Dinah Lance, Jane Foster, Peggy Carter, Kaminari, Karen Starr, Jessica Drew, Dane Whitman, Felicia Hardy, Jack Nolan, Steve Rogers




Pepper Potts has posed:
It's the evening that has made it into the society newspapers. It's the party where everyone who is anyone will be present on the docked yacht 'Bouyance' and help celebrate the President and CEO of Stark Industries, Tony Stark's 40th birthday. Everyone from those of note down to 'the guy who delivers the mail in the building' is there; celebrities from stage and screen, super models, business notables, political figures present and possibly future, and lastly and most importantly, friends are present. All in all? About 260 guests are present.

There is a placard as one arrives on board; on it, there are 20 common words. There is a staffer that is handing out richly decorated 'swag bags' that look to rival anything from the Red Carpet, only there is a slip of paper with instructions inside;

This is a game of words. Everyone has received 10 different items in their bags, all unique. On this list are 20 common words, and those words are posted throughout the boat. If someone uses one of those words in conversation, a challenge must be made and the person who used the word must forfeit an item of the challenger's choosing. This game will go on through the evening, ending when one person no longer has any items in their bag.

The yacht is about the size one would expect when owned by Tony Stark, that is, it has a helipad on the stern with an actual helicopter with 'Stark Industries' written across the side secured there, a pool on the bow with lounge chairs circling it, and several decks worth of wealth on display before one even gets 'below decks'. It's all tasteful, of course, and used space; not a bit is cordoned off as 'showcase'. It is festooned with celebratory decorations; various colored lights are used to illuminate the decks, addding to the showy feel. There are bars set up on each deck, tables with appetizers such as steemed mussels with chorizo, with roving waiters serving each to their measure. Tables are also set out, some for two people, some for four, and some for larger groups, each covered with a white linen tablecloth, candles and flowers with sculptured balloons as centerpiece focusses.

There is a live band playing music aft, on the maindeck with a dancefloor set up and decorated with birthday streamers. The music is playing all through the hours of party, never loud enough to interfere with conversation, but enough so that it's a gentle reminder that there is a place where one can go for 'time out' and relax.

The boat is cast from her moorings, and the cool evening air runs gently across the decks as she sails for the evening's festivities. The Bouyance is headed off-shore where it'll be out of the shipping lanes and away from prying eyes.

Thor has posed:
    When the Mighty Thor had arrived he did so with little fanfare. There was no rush of wind nor swirl of clouds. No crash of impact nor clatter of arms, for the God of Thunder arrives... on the back of a motorcycle. For it is only when the engine's roar dies down and he removes the helmet that he swings his leg off and gets set to cross the gangplank, unslinging a wineskin from his shoulder as he looks to his plus one for the evening.
    Standing there he adjusts his pony tail, pulling it back and fixing it to settle nicely, he tilts his head to the side and flashes a smile towards Dinah. "That was not quite as hazardous as you claimed. Thrilling, however." That said he offers her his arm before setting towards the gangplank.
    "Now, I have brought the mead as if I did not I feel perhaps Stark might feel slighted. But trust that I would advise you not to partake, Lady Lance."

Achilles has posed:
    Out of his SHIELD uniform, Angelo has dressed up, and cleaned up nice this evening. I mean sure, he has a whole closet of tailored suits for various occasions. He hasn't had the chance to wear many of them lately. But tonight he has a suit so dark gray that it's -almost- black, combined with a beige vest and metallic gold looking necktie. All of that is over a pristine white dress shirt.
    The extra addition he wears? The vest is more like an old waistcoat, complete with a watch and chain draped over the front of it. But let's be fair. Nobody is likely to notice him with the beauty that he is here with. He escorts Jessica Drew inside, smiling as he turns to -direct- the focus to her over him anyway, "Such a lovely ship." he says as his eyes traverse about. "Almost as lovely as my date." he adds as he offers her his elbow once more.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     It was a rare Wednesday that Nicole could cry off of her job at the Good Room. However, in her time there, she'd accumulated a few favors, and managed to call one in so she could attend this party. But why would she, a simple woman of simple tastes, even want to be at such an event? Just once, she could say she had. Just once, she might have the chance to meet new people that otherwise she might not have the chance to. A call and a message to Sam had not brought him out of hiding, but at least he would know where she was.

     Too, there was the flurry of preparation, of shopping and choosing just the right dress. She opted for an ankle-length ombre evening gown, with hues ranging from mid-sea green at the hem, to deep teal at the plunging neckline. Layers ranging from opaque and modest, to sheer and glittery, add swish and pizzaz. A pair of silvery, glittery sandals is worn with the dress, and her jewelry is kept to a simple pair of pearl studs in her ears, and a thin gold bangle on her left wrist, perhaps a family heirloom judging by the marks of age.

     It is in this that she boards the yacht, not recognizing a single soul there. But it would be alright. Taking a few deep breaths, she puts a warm smile on her face and slips into the fray, not sure who she will meet, but knowing this is likely to be an evening she will never forget. How bad could it be, after all, if some of these were friends of Sam's?

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes is a guest, yes, but he's also at work, running security and coordinating the various guards and sentries put up around the place. Of course, anybody trying to pull anything in -this- gathering was likely in for a very rude surprise as they got dogpiled by half of the most powerful humanoids on the planet. Still, some might just consider it a bigger target than usual - and some might see it as an opportunity to slip under the radar.

You never knew what baggage there might be.

He keeps relatively near to Tony, clad in a black on black Italian suit, an earpiece in his ear, without jewelry or accessory. "Keep eyes on the sky, just in case. Any incoming fliers need to be pre-registered," he says through the security feed.

Tony Stark has posed:
Tony Stark makes /entrances/. And the entrance to the massive, decked out party yacht? It's explosive.

Explosive, in that there are literal gold and red flared fireworks that go off. Spirals in a sheen of magnificent gold, silver, and multicolor flux paint the sky; projected holograms from the starboard side display electric dolphins in rippling golden blaze twisting and leaping. Sprays of mist enhance the display, making the holograms seem all the more real, as if the dolphins were kicking up golden mist, while the bursts of warmth from fireworks pulse with musical beat. Four female dancers in shiny red short-shorts, heels and tight golden tops rush out towards the area next to the lower pool area, taking positions: very clearly organized ahead of time. /That's/ going to be the spot to watch for Tony.

The spot with the sexily clad red and gold dancers.

"I'm pretty sure I'm overly pre-registered, Rhodey," Tony's voice comments slyly from Rhodes' earpiece.

Greer Grant has posed:
    Last to arrive but definitely not the quietest, and certainly one of the more vibrant to show up to Tony's Yacht, Greer Grant wriggles her sharpened toes on the pads of her feet against the deck of the boat. She lifts her fuzzed chin in the air and savors the breeze coming off the rivers and catching her long full hair like she was on the cover of a romance novel.

    The Feline Avenger's tail slowly uncurls from around her left leg, as she sees more and more familiar faces on the boat, even if she is at the back, holding an envelope in her hand as she didn't know what she should buy the great Tony Stark so she did the next best thing. A home made card and what she might call, 'An Experience'. Greer certainly hopes Tony will like his gift from her. She clutches it to her chest as she breathes in the scents of the boating life, and the hairs on the back of her neck and down into the thin fabric of her sari.

    Cats and Water... AND SUDDEN FIREWORKS "This might have been a bad idea." As the goosebumps grow from her shoulders to her arms and down to her wrists and even her ankles, making her look full and even puffy, followed by her hands leaving her front to cover her ears from the explosions.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet van Dyne arrives with Steve Rogers in tow. Not so soon as to be gauche with their early arrival, but not so late that the gangplank's held up. Steve's wearing a tuexdo of blue slightly darker than his eyes, with black lapels and pockets. It fits his frame like a second skin, and the white silk blouse under it is worn casually open without high collar or necktie.

Where Steve's in greys and charcoal, Janet wears a shade of orange so bright that it's almost luminescent. Butterfly sleeves expose the rondure of her shoulders atop subtle crenellations, matched by a single band of fabric that wraps over her shoulder from sternum to spine. A subtle flash of decolletage is barely visible beneath the ruffled strap. The short hem and asymmetrical cut, along with white stiletto sandals, adds some extra height to the petite fashionista.

She takes her time going up the gangplank, smiling with a feigned expression of demurity. Her invitation's passed off to the valet and she accepts the bag, peering into it, then hands it to Steve as she's already juggling a tiny clutch that precisely matches her dress.

She and Steve exchange murmured words at the top of the gangplank and she stands on tiptoe to kiss his cheek before he heads aft to speak with someone he recognized. Janet, on the other hand, makes a beeline for the bar.

She snares a glass of champagne and heads towards James. "Rhodey! Are you gonna join us for a drink, or are you gonna be mister fussybritches and work the whole night?" she challenges him.

Janet looks sidelong at the fireworks, then back at James. "I mean, who's gonna be dumb enough to try and sink those boat, y'know?"

Cecily Winters has posed:
    For once, Cecily is at a social event, and she's not on security. She rolls up as a passenger in a black sedan, the driver stepping out to open her door. There's hesitation, before a long leg in black stockings and white kitten heels steps out onto the pavement. Clearly feeling out of her element, with how she looks about uneasily with flattened ears, Cecily nonetheless makes her way towards the party. She's wrapped up snugly in a snugly-fitted cheongsam dress in shining white with iris-hued highlights and inner layer. ( https://tinyurl.com/y7s2tkzo ) Her tails have been carefully given a hidden fold for them to slip out the back, and she carries a small matching white purse.

    The vixen adjusts her glasses and makes her way forward, presenting two important things. Her invitation and her concealed carry. The security consultant prefers not to go anywhere without anything, and while the dress has a cut that goes about two-thirds of the way up her leg, it reveals not just the upper edge of her stocking, but the lower edge of a thigh holster.

    "No guests. Just one fox and three tails," she says kindly to whomever is taking passes, then looks around desperately for a familiar face.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper is midship at the moment, having met most people coming aboard. Currently she is in the middle of a small group of businessmen that one would only know from reading the trade papers or watching the news. In her hand, a glass of white wine is held low; more something to hold and do with her hands rather than to really drink it. At the moment, anyway.

Most may not recognize the hostess, as she is dressed for an evening of party. She wears a form fitting, green-sequined spaghetti-strapped maxi-dress with open-toed darker green heels. It dips in the front for a proper amount of decolletage, with a white-gold 18" rope chain with a diamond 'catch' holding a round-cut emerald. The spaghetti straps cross in the back, leaving a large field of pale open flesh. Her red locks are swept up in a messy updo, leaving tendrils to fall gracefully from its hold, and her face done up in natural tones, allowing for her freckles to peek through.

Twisting her head around at the entrance, green eyes scan the area to be sure no one is in the way of the landing. Her face lights up, and she can't help the smile, even if the entrance is running a little large. She really wouldn't have it any other way.

Excusing herself, Pepper makes her way towards the staged entrance, reaching out to touch people on the arm to welcome them quietly. A smile, a touch, all greetings from the hostess.

Dinah Lance has posed:
    Dinah Lance is the one *driving* the motorcycle with Thor, and she dismounts only after the big man does. "It wasn't hazardous because you know how to lean properly." she replies. Slipping an arm through his own, she walks alongside the much taller man.

    For her part, Dinah is dressed in a mixture of Eastern styles. The dress is bright silk in a cheongsam style, black trimmed with gold and falling to mid-thigh. The knee boots are both for comfort and for riding, in addition to giving her a necessary few inches of height. Necessary when one is travelling with the Thunder God.

    "So Asgardian mead is good enough for Stark but not for me, is that it?"

Jane Foster has posed:
Jane Foster falls somewhere between celebrity and scientist, certainly adjacent to enough heroes but not one herself. Securing herself an invitation and a plus one probably owes something to the little slip of paper contained inside an envelope stowed safely on her person. Still, the parade of digital followers chasing after her eagerly await any kind of update and she pauses long enough to palm her phone before they get to the gorgeous yacht. "Give me a few seconds to do my part boosting the profile of the party?" Holding up the phone with a practiced ease, she sweeps the screen across the bow and back around to a parade of VIPs and friends. Explosions bursting in technicolour detail she captures for perpetuity, then laughs with her arm curling around Dane's. A few moments are spent tapping out the requisite spill of hashtags to send ripples through the digital ether. "Let's go or we might miss it."

A beaming smile brightens her face and she sheds roughly enough light to be one of the stars she studies. Or the stars on the ground, also studied. Much like the stellar impressions she wears in a dress that literally might be starlight trapped on the loom. "Can you imagine how much work went into this? Make sure we thank his assistant personally. She has put heart and soul into this," she says to Dane in a soft voice as they cross onto the deck. A bag of goodies goes well beyond whatever she might expect, but she shows gratitude for it all the same. "Where shall we begin?"

Peggy Carter has posed:
One of the more quiet, and quite alone, guests of the party is a face that very few people from the modern era would know. Peggy's return from the literal cyro-archives of SHIELD hasn't been splashed all over the news or anything. SHIELD would rather avoid the questions of how someone who was supposedly 30-some years dead has come back to life, especially with the questionable science around it all. But when she heard there were invitations to Tony Stark's 40th birthday party for SHIELD agents, well... She couldn't resist. The last time she saw the man he was a far too energetic young boy with Howard's smile and knack for trouble. She all too much was curious to see what had come of him.

So, Peggy abused her old savings account, the interest alone meaning she'd be comfortable for years, and got a tasteful emerald green dress in a timeless, 1950s style cut that exposes her left leg just to the middle-thigh and the cuban heeled stockings she wears when she walks. Black flats, still not quite strong enough to manage a whole night in heels, and her hair done in its usual, soft waves. She carries an artful looking black cane, only slightly leaning on it, but it will be a necessary help over a possibly long night. She could be some image out of a 1950s SHIELD yearbook or historical article, but she's very alive and in far more color than those old pages. She's quiet as she weaves through the crowd, taking everything in, but Tony's entrance gets an ever wider, red lipped smirk.

"...Ever a Stark, it seems." She mutters to herself, amusement heavy across her pale features.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     For a moment, Nicole has her doubts, here amongst the glitterati. Who was she to be here amongst total strangers? What made her think that the humble gift in her hand was worthy of one so great as Tony Stark? She glances down at the book-sized wrapped box in her hands, resplendent in shimmering red paper, and tied with a gold ribbon for accent.

     There is a brief touch on her arm, and a welcoming smile from Pepper. She turns to offer a smile in kind, inclining her head in greeting. At least there was one friendly face. Now, if only she could figure out where to put this gift she had brought...!

Kaminari has posed:
Kaminari's arrival is fitting of a red carpet event when the beautiful people come out to play. A long black stretch limosine with tinted windows rolls up coming to a stop before a dapper looking uniformed driver gets out and moves around the vehicle to open one of the rear most doors and help the Goddess of Rock out of the vehicle.

She is dressed in a long black sparkly evening dress that hugs her body most of the way down before flaring slightly near the ground. Around her neck is a necklace of glittery diamonds adding further sparkle against the black and her long bright white hair has been allowed to flow freely behind her. Tonight there is absolutely no attempt to hide who and what she is. She is here to see and be seen.

As she makes her ways towards the ship and up the gangplank, she accepts one of the 'goody bags' before brushing a stray white tress of hair away from her eyes and looking over those assembled to see if there are perhaps any familiar faces.

Thor has posed:
    "That is not at all what I am saying," Thor says as Dinah settles her arm through his, his smile a wide and cheerful thing as they walk along. With her in that lovely Asian dress and him in a black suit with a burgundy dress shirt, they go well together though if one knows Thor it is likely entirely all coincidence.
    "Stark is familiar with the drink, you see. He's indulged in the past. Thus he has the freedom to make that choice for himself. You can, of course, choose to drink as well..." The Asgardian walks across the gangplank, "I would just caution you for it would be your first time partaking of such, also you see..."
    There's a pause then as Thor looks to the diminutive blond beside him as he says oh so delicately. "You are very small."
    There he said it.
    But then they are on the ship together and moving amongst the crowd.

Karen Starr has posed:
    Being early to any engagement is an easy task for any Kryptonian. Thus, one must wonder why they're so very -late- all the time. Usually it's some simple excuse; An Earthquake here, a Typhoon there, someone needed hit with a building- Karen isn't likely to give any of those excuses tonight, but it is only after the boat has shoved off, that she appears on sensors, a familiar ping of her Avengers comm that marks her as incoming at Ludicrous Speed.

    When she arrives, there is this small rush of wind that puts small ripples in the water near the boat and is likely to chill anyone standing on the side from which she approaches. However, she has slowed down heavily- and casually drifts from the sky a few meters above the deck down to its surface. Her boots land with soft thuds to them, and she starts making her way to, or perhaps through, the crowd- seeking out the birthday man, whose wealth is so great, it's one of the only parties you can go to and -get- gifts.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Equally as unusual to be out of uniform as the other members of SHIELD spread throughout the crowd, Jessica has taken care with her dress and hair. The combud is very discreet next to the diamond earrings that dangle to her jaw. Her dark hair falls in glossy waves over a simple, asymmetrically cut dress that hugs her figure, the front of the dress falling in a series of small drapes reminiscent of ancient Greece. A surprise for Angelo in homage to his homeland, partly, but also because she can move in it if need be - the beige stiletto sandals will be easy to kick off.

Hand laid lightly on his arm, she leans, saying quietly, "Tell me you ate before coming. I didn't and I'm starving. Who do you know in the crowd, Angleo?"

Achilles has posed:
    Looking over the crowd, Angelo shrugs, "Know? Know of? Or like Know personally?" he asks with a smirk. With a few gestures about, he says, "There's a few of the high roller Wall Street types. Over there with Ms. Potts. I haven't -met- Ms. Potts before, but I -have- spoken with some of her associates over the years." He shrugs, "Stark doesn't farm out security services externally very often, but... we do run in -some- of the same circles."
    He reaches a hand for Jessica's hand on his arm. "hey look, isn't that Agents Foster and Whitman over there?" he asks as he leads Jessica towards the available food, "I wonder what is in these bags. But.." and then fireworks. He looks up and nods, "Of course he would go for the razzle dazzle. I wonder if he's going to try to do a hovering Sinatra style dance."

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane Whitman is officially a "+1" tonight, quite happy to be on one Jane Foster's arm. He's clad in a fairly classic Tux, well-tailored and definitely not rented. To her query, he gives a mildly bewildered shake of his head, grinning and answering sidelong.

"No idea. Look for someone one of us knows? Probably you? Or someone we don't and introduce ourselves? I'm still weirded out by being at this party for the guy I used to work for."

Pepper Potts has posed:
As Pepper passes the seemingly overwhelmed and perhaps lost Nicole, she does pause in her step, and her voice is low, though she does keep her attention cast to the landing zone. "There's a table where you can put the gifts. It should be marked. If it's not, I'm sorry and I'll make sure it is." She smiles a little brighter soon after, "Or you can give it to me and I'll put it down."

The others arriving, well.. it's doing a Pepper-heart good, as evidenced by the PA's manner and mien. She's thriving.

She does call out to those that may be too close to the LZ, and with a wave of a free hand, "You may want to step back!"

Greer Grant has posed:
    "Pepp- Ah... you go girl. Give him one for me." Greer lifts her self on the tips of her toes, mindful not to scratch the decking, but standing taller to make sure her booming voice might be heard over the din of the party and of the booms of the birthday boy. Tigra raises a fist mindful of her sari possibly slipping down.

    Green eyes begin looking for someone that could only be security and the striped woman is stepping towards someone who wouldn't have any idea how to do what she's planning. "Here, I'm giving you this to put with the other gifts. Make sure Tony gets it." Tigra threatens with a finger up towards the man's chin, almost jabbing him with her black claw. "Or I'll make sure you don't see another birthday." She's an onry kitty at the moment for sure.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     The look of one as alone as she is not lost upon Nicole. She'd seen that look on too many faces at the club. A warm smile is offered to Peggy Carter, and she chuckles. "You'd probably know better than I would, ma'am," the younger woman quips, glancing back at the gaudy display of red and gold. It was perhaps just as well that she was accustomed to loud events, otherwise the proximity to the likely 'landing zone' would be a more intense experience than one could handle.

     Turning back to Peggy, Nicole dips her head in greeting, offering her hand. "Nicole Adams, ma'am. And you are...?"

     It really was a touch bewildering, with so much to pull one's attention this way and that. She hadn't meant to slight the kindness of Pepper, and flashes her a smile of gratitude. "If you'd be willing, ma'am, I'd feel better if you were to take this. It's one of a kind, I'd rather it weren't lost. Thank you so much!"

Tony Stark has posed:
The music pulses into Deorro and Chris Brown's 'Five more Hours' while Tony makes his full appearance. He isn't in a full Iron Man suit; it's limbs only folded over his immaculate party suit, with a structure that's lightweight across his torso. He lands amidst the dancers, shedding pieces of the armor that unfold and twist away like magical red origami, in time to dip one of the dancers, and then across to another.

    "Even when we're apart I know my heart~"
    "Is still there with you~"
    Five more Hours til the Night is ours~"
    "And I'm in bed with you~"

The musical interlude is peaking in time with the fireworks displays, making it difficult to be social.

"This, right here, is my type of party," Tony Stark announces to the whole of the yacht, with a laugh and tip of wave. A kiss is blown towards the nearest well-dressed female at the LZ. "Don't worry: there won't be a speech now, I'll save it for later," he adds, his voice projected throughout the yacht. "Have some drinks, and a good time, on me," Tony adds, with a broad wave all around, soaking in the energy of the party.

Tony then looks around his Landing Zone, as the speakers stop projecting his voice. Anyone in his immediate area will hear him wonder to the drinking group of models near him, "So, who's got my first Birthday drink?" Which earns Tony a laugh and a drink right away.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
What sort of socialite would Felicia Hardy be if she didn't attend what promised to be the party of the year thus far, which could only be one-upped by Tony Stark's next party? As she makes her entrance, Felicia is wearing a curve-hugging black sequin dress, cut up to here and down to there. It is practically backless, with long sleeves, as she clutches a small white package adorned with a black ribbon. Her hair falls in cascades of silver waves over her shoulders and down her bare back.

She smiles as she watches Tony's grand entrance, her blue eyes awash with a sparkle of green as she shakes her head. Nobody makes an entrance like Tony Stark.

Peggy Carter has posed:
The other unfamiliar, and seemingly alone, woman is given a brief flash of dark eyes. Peggy smiles a touch warmer, looking Nicole up and down a moment. She too carries a small gift, but it's a thin thing, about the size of a tall novel or small piece of art. But she hasn't forgotten to bring the man of the night a present, even if her's isn't near so precious as Nicole's, as she easily follows Pepper's indication of where to set things, "Thank you, Ms. Potts." Peggy has heard about her -- who hasn't, if you read the news.

She then looks back to Nicole, offering a hand. "Margaret Carter. A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Adams..." Peggy's voice is the clipped, clear tones of someone with an only slightly softened British accents. She's probably lived in the US for too many years for it to be screamingly deep, but she's never managed to shake her homeland's touch to her words.

Tony's grand entrance is rather unmissable. Peggy stares, watching every inch of the now fully grown man, far more interested in him than his dancers. The smile on her face is strange and somehow highly nostalgic, even as she readjust her hair from the wind of being anywhere NEAR the landing zone. "I... knew his father well. I don't know this Stark much at all, but he definitely has the Stark... panache."

Jack Nolan has posed:
It's hard not to stand out in a crowd when you look like Jack, but the SHIELD agent has never been invited to a billionare's party before, so he's going to go regardless. Taking care to stay away from the edge of the ship, he looks through his swag bag a bit, figuring this kind of stuff would be out of his price range on any given day.

The large stone figure is not in uniform, instead opting for a suit...Specially tailored of course, to allow for his tail and increased size. He is doing his best to mingle, despite the looks.

Thor has posed:
    "Stark!" Thor emerges from the crowd, though standing a good bit above a portion of it. He advances upon the landing zone. The tall blond man in the black and burgundy shakes his had as if so entirely disappointed in the man whose birth they celebrate. A few strides forward and then he hefts the wineskin in his hand and sets it down upon a nearby table with a resonant /thump/.
    "Of your last six elaborate entrances," He shakes his head as he slips between the entourage nearby, the crowd that has surged forth. He is able to part them, for he is Mighty. But that does bring him to the great inventor.
    "I would grant that one a seven." He says, manner reserved, held back as he shakes his head as if casting judgment so willfully.
    But then his smile breaks and a loud, 'Bwah!' is heard as he then spreads his arms and suddenly there is a great /embrace/ as the man is taken in the arms of the Asgardian and there are resonant /thump-thump-thumps/ on his back.
    "Happy Birthday you madman!"

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica giggles as unabashed as Tony at the sight of him floating in and signing a Frank Sinatra tune. That was worth the effort of braving crowd of people and wearing stiletto heels. "I know Thor, well, enough to speak to him and..."

She cranes her head when Angelo announces Jane and Dane's presence. "Let me nab something and we can go and talk to them if you'd like. I like Jane, so much, she's made me feel quite at home in SHIELD." Tapping his arm, "Ah, there's another one, not that he blends in with the crowd."

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Cecily isn't near the LZ but the music and fireworks rise to a level where she covers her ears for the moment. She mumbles something under her breath about packing a firearm but not packing earplugs. At least it's over quickly and she does rather smile at Tony's incredible entrance. She's seen footage of the aerial acrobatics of course but never actually within relative touching distance.

    She nods with approval and once again returns to looking around for friends, and especially a buffet table. And just maybe a drink. She does, of course, have to take care to navigate the crowd, and not let her tails get in the way of partygoers, doors, or anything else, really. They're cute and fluffy but can also be inconvenient.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper looks at the other woman with Nicole, her head canting as if trying to pull a memory from the cobwebs. Familiar but not.. but even if her expression falls slightly to reveal her thoughts, it rises easily once more into place. She puts a hand out to both ladies for a quick introduction, though she is also gesturing towards the pyrotechnics and Tony's landing, "I'm Pepper.. I'll.." She points again, "I'll be back. Please, enjoy."

Pepper's looking up, her attention held by her landing boss, and she's got that look on her face; pride mixed with that state of 'what are you gonna do?'. As she excuses herseelf to join the festivities there, or at least serve as guardian of the giving, Pepper begins to cross the rest of the distance, slowing for Thor's embrace. Here, now, she stays on the periphery, watching.

Jane Foster has posed:
Shimmering constellations and the silver moon in its many capricious phases pours like quicksilver over the ephemeral cloth-of-night gown that slinks over Jane. Stardust curls at her ankles once she picks out a serpentine path, using the height afforded by her modest heels to locate a proper target. "I have spent more than a few evenings at such soirees. I move, you open a path for me. On your two, straight ahead twenty meters. Ms. Carter." One benefit of her profession here: spotting a distant target and locking in despite immense distance or interference from too many luminaries. She raises her shoulders a fraction, pulling on the black chain spanning a line above her clavicle that supports the floor-pooling cape that would put her carefully crafted projections at the Hayden Planetarium to shame. It laps against Dane's tuxedo, undulating to the rhythms of finding their mutual path eventually in Pepper's direction. "Let's collect one of the stars, and then go on a round of introductions. With any luck you might get to greet your employer with someone who employed /his/ father on your arm," she teases gently, no harm in it.

They may simply have to stop along the way and pluck a verdant jewel from its setting first, an opportunity to track down one Margaret Carter in the midst of so many faces and well-known names. This means blithely circling in to the vicinity of the LZ, a friendly smile turning outright delighted. "Peggy! You look absolutely brilliant. What a surprise!" she chimes once in earshot and appropriately close. "Good evening, miss," she offers to Nicole, also close. She has a way to go before she takes note of Jessica or Achilles, given Pepper's whereabouts requires an additional greeting.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet curls fingers around her drink and slips through the crowd with a deft, stylish ease. There's an art to moving through a crowd like this; full of debutantes and celebrities, heroes-- some has-beens and hangers-on, also. She stops once or twice to exchange pleasantries with people, and skips to the head of the pack when Tony disembarks from the armor. She's moving forward when Thor *lurches*! out of nowhere and intercepts! Janet squeaks and vanishes from sight before she carooms off of him (though if you ask Janet, she'd say it was absolutely Thor's fault), and zips around his head like a manic little orange pixie, then alights at her full height. "Rude!" she chuffs at Thor, with a haughty indignation that can't possibly be sincere. "You almost scuffed up my pedicure. Happy Birthday, Tony," she says, and pivots her attention to Tony to offer him a hug and a social kiss to the cheek. "I dropped off your present earlier today. Friend of a friend, little luxury cabana on a private island in Fiji. Maui? I can't remember. But it's a dreamy little getaway. You can get some sun, you're starting to look a little pale," she teases, and grins floridly before taking a gulp of her champagne.

Kaminari has posed:
Once on board, Kaminari gravitates towards one of the servers to acquire a fluted glass of champagne, alcohol generally being the first order of business for her before she begins mingling among other guests exchanging smiles and pleasantries.

Once the man of the hour's entrance has begun, she gravitates in that direction to admire the spectacle. As a purveyor of spectacle herself she seems to have a genuine appreciation for Stark's craft and splendor.

Once the spectacle has died down she manages to pick a man out of the crowd she's only heard about in description and begins moving in his direction. That man being Thor, it is not really hard to match description to larger than life tall blonde reality.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     "The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Carter. And please, it's just Nicole." Her grip, though brief, is warm, and belies the strength of one perhaps used to playing varied instruments. Her momentary nostalgia earns an arched brow and a wry smile, as she glances between Tony Stark, and her newfound acquaintance. "If you knew his father, then you wear the years very well. May we all be so fortunate."

     As Pepper makes to tend to her duties as hostess, Nicole offers her a smile. "Thank you, ma'am...." However, her voice trails off into nothingness. No way. Myth seems to have taken on earthly form as Thor joins the festive fray. Her smile is hidden behind one hand as she steps back to give him a little space to express such... exuberance.

     Oh yes. This was indeed going to be an unforgettable evening.

Achilles has posed:
    "Get me enough to drink and I guarantee I'll be blended." offers Angelo to Jessica as he grins her way. "But in a party such as this, why not seek out new people to meet?" He turns his green eyes over the crowd... looking for folks who appear to be bereft of company. Who are here alone and regretting it. What? He's a raging extrovert and loves to seek out the wallflowers.
    "There." he says, indicating the young woman, Nicole. And then he grins, "And there is previous competition. Someone I -wanted- to hire on to Myrmidon.." he says, gesturing towards Cecily.
    "Let us present our gifts to our hosts, and go try to help someone else enjoy themselves, eh? I couldn't -help- but have fun. Not with my shield best friend... or do they call them besties? Or is it Bee Eff Eff today? I am so behind on my modern vernacular..." he adds with a shake of his head.

Tony Stark has posed:
"I'm glad to hear we're still using the 1 through 5 measurement system for things, Thor," Tony retorts with playful, easy snark, and a stumble as he's slammed on the back, but fortunately there's a bear-hug with the Asgardian, so Tony's fine. Not in the pool. "Oof, I felt that in my soul. Thanks for coming, Point Break. Particularly with Asgardian spirits in your hand."

"Fiji or Maui? Romance? I'm sold, you know that," Tony smiles back at Janet, accepting her hug once Thor has released him. "Pale? It does sound like I'd better get on a beach, then," Tony agrees with 'concern' at Janet.

Karen Starr has posed:
    Power Girl had lingered in the party for a time, searching- but it appears that she'd been searching for someone who hadn't yet made their arrival. Honestly, she probably should have assumed. Her cape flutters lightly in the wind as she makes her way towards the landing zone. She does not so much push through the crowd as she wades through them, not using any strength to make her way to the subject of the party at hand.

    There's a light clapping as she filters, eventually, to the front of the crowd, patient as it comes for Tony to close much of the distance, and it's the same patience that she exercises, waiting for Tony to get out of Thor's embrace. "Congratulations on managing to make it another year, Tony. More of a feat than a lot of people give it credit." At that, she's offering a hand to shake his. "Really, I mean it. Happy Birthday." There's that billion dollar smile of hers. Seems like she's happy to be here.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Not yet having caught sight of Jane, Peggy really is almost entirely distracted by watching Tony play the crowd. She's content to stay back, not to disturb his night with strange old faces, but her smile is certain at just watching him in the crowd. Nicole's comment about her age gets a bit of a husky laugh, "Yes, well... I had more than a bit of medical assistance in that and took a few decades worth of a nap." That might explain things or make them even more worrisome. Other than that cane in her hand, Peggy Carter seemed somewhere firmly in her 30s. "It's a strange world. I'm just happy to see Stark Industries in... well, classically Stark hands. Even if I've heard it's Miss Potts who mainly keeps the plane flying straight, so to speak."

Thor has posed:
    Stepping back from Tony, Thor laughs again and thumps him on the shoulder once more, only to have his attention gained by the Winsome Wasp. He tilts his head to the side and includes her in that circle of good will granted by his smile and so open to all! Yet he bows his head, "Forgive me, good Janet. I should have known you would have been amongst us."
    Though he does make sure he steps back and clear enough for Tony to take the fore, the place of prominence his and so the Thunderer steps back, though he does nod to Nicole and offers a greeting nod in turn to Kaminari as she moves closer.
    For now, Thor seems content to take up a place a little behind and to the side, arms now folded and just looking on with a smile as his teammate works the room.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Good to see you up and about Peggy, but it looks like you don't do things by half, that's for sure." Dane gestures, indicating the chaos of the soiree. "And congratulations on your reinstatement." He adds, giving Peggy a smile. "We'll try to keep up, but I suspect that'll be harder than any of us imagine."

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes doesn't take drinks for himself, watching from nearby as Tony makes kissy-face with their fellow Avengers. He nods to Power Girl, having recently made her acquaintance himself and generally remains the stoic fixture that he's intended to be, at least in this place. Truth be told, he's not much of a party guy. He'd rather have four or five close friends with a bit of privacy than this kind of spectacle. But Tony's going to Tony and he's learned to make his peace with it.

Greer Grant has posed:
    Tigra finally threatens the deck hand enough that he takes her homemade card and slips it into his jacket pocket promising the cat person that it's safe. "Good. Or it's your ass buddy." She says with finality before moving her hand from his chin to clap against his cheek twice. "Good boy." She commends before turning on her bare heal and flipping her mane of hair over her shoulder before moving with the ferocity of a predator.

    Not long after, Tigra has a glass of wine held with the tips of her claws on her left hand and she is spinning the glass before her vibrant verdant eyes and taking in a deep breath before looking over the crowd and finds her exposed hip bumping against a certain fellow Avenger. "Heya Rhodes..." She greets in a soft almost purr, pleased to find someone a bit more casualish. She hopes.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Should anyone try and hand Tony anything, Pepper seems to suddenly appear, though on the other side of those models that are just dying to vie for the birthday-boy's attention. Particularly after hearing about a possible cabana vacation!

Her eyes hold that happiness to catch Janet, and she 'oooos' softly, "Janet, one of yours.. and Steve looks like he cleans up nicely." No polo and jeans! "Though I do owe him.." is added in a sotto voice.

Rhodey gains a glance, Thor.. that is yet another warm smile for the Asgardian. "I'll um.. I think I'll need to make sure the table is set up for presents. One of our guests couldn't find it." And if one couldn't?

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"Woah, I just said it was 'romantic'," Janet says, holding one hand aloft with a flicker. She hovers in Thor's proximity, just because he's a convenient buffer against the crowd. Not that anyone's super likely to trample the smolest Avenger, but it happens once in a while.

Spotting James, she beams at him and wriggles fingers at the ever-vigilant Rhodey. "Rhodey! Take a night off, come have a drink!" she calls at him. A little fruitless, but there it is all the same.

"Oh, Steve is here, Tony. ...somewhere," she says, looking around with a frown. "He got sidetracked the second we came on board, I think he saw some general or sergeant or someone he knew." She rolls her eyes with a tolerant, slightly adoring smile, and toys with the little patriotic pendant nestled in the hollow of her throat with an absent motion.

"Pepper! I /love/ that dress," Janet congratulates, and offers her a squeeze of the fingers and a little social cheek-kiss. "Jaw dropping, that's the word," she says. Janet tactfully doesn't take up any more of Pepper's time than absolutely necessary; the redhead is technically working, after all.

Jane Foster has posed:
"Miss Potts has a herculean task and somehow she manages to look well-rested and unruffled by all this. How, I can only imagine." Jane doesn't openly speculate but her tone holds a degree of professional admiration. "The plane needs a copilot when the pilot has such burgeoning plans. It all seems to be going smoothly." Those warm brown eyes crinkle with unshed laughter, her smile warmed and not inclined to be shunted anywhere else. "Are you enjoying it so far, Peggy?" The relentless rounds of welcome and rib-cracking hugs hardly go without notice, though she turn her attention back to Nicole and Peggy given their proximity to her and Dane. "And yes, congratulations. It's good to have you back among us."

She gives a slight smile taking in all her surroundings, and she hasn't missed that elegant orange dress Janet wears. Pretty!

Kaminari has posed:
Never having actually met Tony, Kaminari seems to have little desire to push ahead or through the crowds of well wishers who have much stronger connections to the man. Instead her target seems to be Thor and perhaps some of his Asgardian mead.

A third champagne flute is polished off as she steps up next to him once he has stepped back from the immediate crush of Tony's orbit. "You are Prince Thor, yes?" she offers him a friendly smile, "A friend suggested I should meet you since we may have a few things in common. I am Kaminari, Goddess of Thunder and Noise of the Amatsu-Kami."

Tony Stark has posed:
"Thank you, P-G; great to see you here. One of my major goals that I set each year is getting to the next birthday," Tony grins back at Power Girl, accepting her hand warmly with a wink that edges into flirt but doesn't entirely cross over into it. Tony's having a great time, and his mood is pleasant and often infectious. That's the Stark charisma at work. Power Girl and Tony can have a billion-dollar smile off. Take no prisoners!

Except there are a lot of people that want Tony's attention, so he has to keep moving. Rhodey doesn't get to be grumpy gus. Tony's on that case, and moves at him to attempt to loop an arm around his buddy's shoulders. "Was my entrance too much? I was going for 'that's way too much'," Tony asides at him, in a mock confidential tone that isn't confidential at all. "Janet, Rhodey needs a drink," Tony agrees with Janet's statement, loudly. But then Tony gets distracted by Pepper's sudden appearance, though, set back for the moment in a long blink at Pepper's dress. While she's faced away, fortunately. Well, that is.... ....Huh.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Dane is recognized and given a warmer smile, though the comment about not doing anything small gets a half laugh from Peggy. "I don't think I realized... quite how big this event would be. I should have known, though. Howard was much the same and if he could fly himself into his own birthday, he would have. Hell, he tried in his car at least twice..." Peggy shakes her head, chuckling a bit more at the memories, "But...I wanted to see. Even if I don't say hullo quite yet, the last time I saw Anthony Stark he was five and covered in some sort of food he was supposed to be eating. It seems he's switched to a more liquid diet these days." Another point in the like his father column.

Now with people that know her, Peggy stands a bit more straight and stiff. She's slightly using that cane, but making it look as best possible like she doesn't need it in the least, perhaps it's a eccentric affectation instead of something that will help her keep strength up and steady walking through the night. "But, it's very good to see you both. Jane, Dane... I see SHIELD agents have gained far better taste in clothing these years." She grins while looking over both of them. "And it is good to be back... Still in PT hell, but it's a start."

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes turns a bit at Tigra's bumping against him, raising an eyebrow, "Hey there," he says. "Looking good, but that's nothing new for you," he says. At Janet's offer of a drink, he makes a rueful face, shaking his head, "Nah, I'm at work. Y'all are the ones getting to let your hair down tonight. Uh, not that I have a lot of hair to let down in the first place," he says, stroking a head over his close-cropped hair.

"Which isn't to say that I can't be friendly," he adds to Tigra. "Just that I need to have my wits about me. Just in case. Think of me like the designated driver, except instead of an old junk-ass to drive people home, I have the War Machine."

Nicole Adams has posed:
     To some, a nearly classic Rip Van Winkle scenario might seem worrisome. But then again, strange was normal for some born perhaps a little different from others. Perhaps this wouldn't be such a bad party after all. Nicole seems to take Peggy's story in stride, a light smile playing upon her rosy lips. For her own part, she appears to be in no more than her early 20's. "Well, however it happened, it happened. May we all still be so fortunate." A soft chuff escapes her, almost but not quite a laugh, or a light chuckle. " I can only imagine how it must feel to see the way things have shaped up from your point of view."

     It seems, though, that Peggy's got friends here after all, and she inclines her head before stepping back. Perhaps a step or two /too/ far, it would seem, coming smack up against a veritable wall. A living wall. A living wall that somehow, seemed to have part of what might be a boot under her foot. "Oh shoot... I'm sorry about that!" Her face goes flame red as she turns about, peering up at Thor.

     Oh, dear.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"You do just fine. If you want old fashioned sounding vernacular, listen to any of the Asgardian's. You don't voice boom or use anachronisms. Be Ef Ef would make you sound like you were sixteen, bestie...ah, no."

Separating from him she looks down in the bag, "So what are these words we are supposed to be? if two are happy birthday, we all lose." Closing the bag, she scrutinizes Angelo a moment, a wicked smile lifting her lips, "Alright. Who are we going to meet that we don't know. Where is the one you were talking about?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
"Oh, thank you." In a way, Pepper seems a little self-consious in it, but she's doing okay. "Not too much?" It's okay to admit things to a friend, even if it's 'her' fashion designer, Janet Van Dyne!

Though, Greer! Turning about and catching the hip bump at Rhodey, her mouth opens, and then closes again slowly, and there's that .. look again. She's standing straight, green eyes on the tigress. Taking a deep breath, she lets it out slowly before she reaches out to grab a Cecily, her voice low, "Come with me. Tables.. and if you stay close, you should be okay." She pauses to look at Cecily, and her head dips, her brows rise, "Breathe. Let's get that table."

As Pepper moves through the crowds, once again, she smiles at her guests, murmurs a 'welcome' and 'please, eat and enjoy yourselves', with a touch here and there.

If anyone needs the hostess, she's reachable!

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes catches Tony's hug almost belatedly, caught off-guard as he returns the other man's embrace. "I'm not sure you believe in too much. It was perfectly you and so, it was perfect for the occasion," he grins.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
"It's just right," Janet assures Pepper, and flashes a reassuring smile at her. It's less the socialite's polished manner and more a friend's reassurances. She mutters something inaudible to Pepper, grins again, and vanishes into the crowd.

Janet passes by James and Tigra a few seconds later, with a deft pass that only a trained socialite or ninja could accomplish. "Oh, live a little, Rhodey, who's going to start something with literally the entire Avengers here?" she chivvies him. She's a glass of champagne in each hand, and they're offered to James and Tigra with a brilliantly Colgate smile. "Rhodey, would you hold these drinks for me?" she says, and tries to pass him two champagne flutes while juggling a clutch under her left elbow.

Thor has posed:
    For a brief moment from his place near Stark, Thor catches sight of Jane and lifts a hand to wave in her direction. Just a small greeting given as he bobs his head companionably. But then Kaminari approaches and he meets the other deity's eyes, though his hold no recognition. Not at first at the least.
    She addresses him and he looks down to smile at her, "Aye, Thor, Son of Odin." He offers a hand and should she accept it will shake Kaminari's. She speaks further and his eyebrows lift, "Goddess of Thunder you say?!"
    "Hah!" He swoops Kaminari up into a sidearm hug and starts to walk her towards where he left that skin, "Then come, Goddess you say, let us indulge." And as easy as that she may well get her wish.
    Yet it's as he's stepping aside with his fellow divinity that Thor finds himself trod upon by none other than Ms. Adams. He extends a hand to brace her should she lose her footing. "Careful, young mortal. Tis early in the evening to lose oneself already." At that he gives her a wink and lightly pats her shoulder as he advances.

Achilles has posed:
    "Well. I don't want to force a label on you. How about just someone that I truly enjoy spending time with?" he asks Jessica. "As much as if not more than ... well.. most of my own family from back home."
    And he leans forward to peer into her bag, leaning his head alongside hers... his ear brushing her hair. Though, just to be a flirt and well.. him, he turns his head and places a half-side kiss on Jessica's cheek before saying, "Interesting items." And then he lifts his head and looks over the crowd, "Well, I think the one I -was- considering just had her biggest meeting of the night. And by biggest, I mean blonde, nordic, hammer. You know... that guy." he adds.

Greer Grant has posed:
    "You shameless fli-" Tigra quickly ends her thought at Tony shows up to engage in friendship ribbing with his friend. "Yeah Janet, this man is working WAY too sober." Tigra adds to the nonstop booze train that is about to hopefully head directly into Rhodey's veins.

    Before Tony can let Rhodey go though, distracted as he may be, the queen of the jungle cats takes the chance to slip back into the crowd. She locks eyes with Pepper for the briefest moment and Greer shrugs her bare shoulders, though her hands quickly move to keep her garment tight around her midsection. Modest, that was the word Pepper demanded.

     Hard for a woman with vibrant red hair, orange fur and thick black stripes, though the woman wearing just a sari seems to be almost invisible on a boat full of B and even A listers.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Felicia moves to place the small, rectangular package she carries onto the table as indicated by the enormous pile of gifts thereupon, if not the gestures of waiters who guide her there. She stands in admiration of the collection for a moment, but she doesn't even give pause to what could be inside the packages. At a party like this? Nothing of interest to her, save for the bauble inside the one she left on the pile. But it was one with which she could part. Otherwise, she certainly wouldn't have left it.

Turning back toward the party, Felicia snags a flute of champagne from a passing platter lifted aloft at eye-level. Then she wades into the throngs of party goers with more grace and ease than perhaps anyone deserves, in heels that high. She greets familiar faces and exchanges pleasantries, before moving along.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    To her credit, Cecily manages not to get her tails stepped on, caught on something, or groped. Her ears stay on the lowered side, catching bits and pieces of the conversations here and there but nothing 'sticking' as interesting. It's a party, and a hell of a party after all! She captures a champagne flute deftly as a tray hovers by, giving a polite 'thank you' to the staff, and works her way back around towards Stark's cluster of acquaintances and friends.

    She downs it like a shotglass, though, and immediately puts it back on the tray. All leading up to suddenly being surprised by a gorgeous redhead. "Ah...?!" she tenses, then suddenly relaxes, not having even recognized Pepper in that dress. She's stunned, "You look stunning, dear," she remembers to breathe, cheeks turning pink before she lets out a soft laugh.

    Then, of course, she nods, and follows, thankful for the 'out.' The fox mignt be accustomed to social gatherings to a degree, with her job, but this isn't just a gathering. It's a Tony Stark Birthday. "Thank you," she says gently to Pepper.

Karen Starr has posed:
    "Honestly Tony, it's a really great New Years' Resolution." she offers, giving off this little chuckle. The wink, she ignores- it's really just Tony being Tony. She claps him on the shoulder while she's got him there, but with a return of his charisma, she sets him off to continue to socialize. She's beating feet a few moments after, making her way towards Pepper.

    "Pepper! Great to see you when you're not wearing body armor." she states, reaching up to try and take the other woman by the shoulders for a moment. "Glad to see you -relaxing-, even if it's only -kind- of. Can't imagine the work you had to put in setting all of this up. Did you buy the boat for the occasion, or was it something you all just had lying around?"

Jack Nolan has posed:
Having seen the reports of the reactivation of Agent Carter, at least the parts he has access to. He manages to weave his way through the crowd to get close to her, "Agent Carter." He says, raising his voice a bit to try to get over the din of all the guests talking and mingling, "It's good to see you out and about." He just hopes he can grab her attention from all the noise.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     Lose one's self...? Oh heavens. He thought she'd over-indulged! Now that /did/ get Nicole to laugh, a grin spreading across her face. "Not a drop yet, so nothing to lose except some pride." Duly humbled and yet uplifted by the good cheer of the Thunderer, she winks, stepping away to allow him some room.

     Her eyes scan the crowd, her smile beginning to fade somewhat, her brows furrowing. "Damn it... Sam's missing all the fun." Well, at least she would have some tales to tell, it seems, when next they had the chance to meet.

Tony Stark has posed:
"Right. Seven on a scale of one to five. Thor was accurate," Tony agrees with Rhodes, downing the contents for the drink he'd taken off of one of the models when he'd first landed. Tony follows Greer's movement away from Rhodey with a questioning little lift of brow. "Not going to follow her?" Tony wonders at his friend, but only shrugs a bit, teasingly, and begins to move. Some others have come up to lavish more attention on Tony, and he's in his element. And there's enough friends around to keep it from going off the Hedonism deep end.

Maybe.

Tony /is/ now buried in a mixed supermodel embrace. One of the few times he's not looking for a drink refill. "What are all the /presents/, Toneeeeeeeeeey?" begs one of the girls, waggling her gift bag. There's an item in there that's in a box she can't open.

"Oh, I should probably unlock those gifts," Tony observes.

Jessica Drew has posed:
Angelo's extroverted side is in full flower from his behavior, Jessica eyes him with amusement, "Have you been tippling on Thor's special Asgardian drink or would you be immune to its effect?"

Searching through the crowd for the woman he had singled out, she makes a soundless oooooh, when she finds Kaminari. "I don't think she's lonely, Angelo. Really. Isn't that, oh, what is her name? Isn't that Tigra there?"

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper's puts a hand out for Cecily, just to slow her down when she's stopped in her path. It's fine, though! Karen is given a warm smile, and it turns a touch lopsided as she nods. "Right now, what I wouldn't give for my business suit," she murmurs confidingly. "Still." She perks back readily enough, "It doesn't hurt to have my favorite fashion designer on board. And she gave me her approval, so.." She's a bit amused by it, and like a few dresses in her closet, this one probably won't see the light of day again.

"I'm so glad you could make it, though." Beat. "Oh, PG, have you met Cecily? Cecily, PG.." Pepper laughs again, though relaxed, PG has it right. She is still working, and looking to make sure Tony's okay.. that no one is getting past that comfort zone of his. "The boat actually belongs to the company. It's just not used quite so obviously as tonight. But, I thought this was a special case."

Jane Foster has posed:
A tremor of dusty silver dances in perturbed orbits, sending the lunar discs adorning Jane's dress into torpid eclipse that breaks seconds after its foundation. She has yet to partake of the liquor being transferred left and right, though the flutes hold a certain interest long enough to identify the champers or wine. Little else, since this is a prime location for people watching and she indulges in that with an ebullient grace. Laughing softly, she catches the wave from Thor long enough to break from the conversation with Dane and Peggy. The Thunderer she beckons with a lift of her hand in kind. Slender chains wound from her fingertips to the edge of the star-stitched ethereal cape sing their muted melody, lost here, though not the mellow aureate flash on her wrist.

Then she dips her head and murmurs something to both peers, her cheek to the dark-haired man's to stifle something of what she might mention. Her cinnamon gaze flicks briefly to the pile of presents being added to by the moment, tempting only fools rushing security to palm something or unsettle the impressive mountain. "It seems a timely evening for the gods, too. Consider yourself a suitable addition, getting out from being cooped up in the office." A rueful tone there, maybe suggesting something ducked out from.

"You need to save that story for the right moment. Getting anything past you might be rather difficult," she encourages, positioning herself so no one knocks into Peggy by accident. Dane is more of an imposing presence, but she has the advantage of an exquisitely delicate gown that glitters brightly enough no one is going to likely miss it.

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes raises an eyebrow at Janet, "I'm not the butler," he says, passing the glasses to a nearby server, "And yeah, I know most of the Avengers are here. And if someone wanted to hit the Avengers, hitting us drunk and flatfooted would be a good idea. Some people hold grudges. And I don't mind holding down the fort. Been doing it most of my life," he says. "Never much liked champagne anyway."

The supermodel deluge will keep Tony weighed down for a bit, letting Rhodey slip over a bit to tap Pepper on the shoulder, "All clear and clean so far. Sentries all checked in, nothing to report except for a few people sneaking off to try and neck belowdeck."

Achilles has posed:
    "No, I would get smashed like anyone else. Believe me." Angelo says to Jessica with a chuckle, "And no, not -her-." he says as he gestures towards Nicole, "I mean, I don't want someone to think it's pity. I just love the idea of meeting someone who came to a party by themselves and making them feel welcome."
    He steps back a half pace and says, "In case I didn't say it earlier. You look like a dark haired Helen in that dress."
    And then he focuses his attention once more and says, "Come on. Let us say hello and see if we can help someone to enjoy their evening, eh?" he asks in that voice just barely hinted with an accent from the British isles.
    Then he hooks her arm once more, dragging her... kicking and screaming I must say... over to say hello to a stranger. Okay, so not kicking -or- screaming. It's metaphorical!

Kaminari has posed:
There are some things Kaminari is still not completely accustomed to. Handshakes are one of those things, but though it is a bit awkward and then she is swept into an arm hug. For the briefest moment there is a touch of stiffness to her born of surprise but then Thor says the magic word 'indulge' and she is more than happy to allow herself to be swept in the direction of the large wineskin.

"Heidi was right, you are a lot of fun." She grins at him, not noticing Nicole herself until they are nearly colliding, "You seem to be having fun." she grins.

Dane Whitman has posed:
"Something tells me you'll be through it all in no time, Peggy." Dane reassures the former Director of SHIELD, before dipping his head down to listen to what Jane says, nodding slightly and replying back with equal levels of quiet. His attention looks back to the crowd, forming that impromptu barrier with Jane, waving off the offer of a champagne flute for now. Hard enough to navigate through this already.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    Both ears lift, and Cecily's brow quirks. Body armor? She looks Pepper over again, finding it hard to imagine her in this dress, let alone in body armor, having seen her in business attire more than once. There's a shrug, the fox nodding. "I could see you in decent kit, dear," she muses to Pepper, then casts a gentle smile to Karen.

    She clasps her hands at her waist and bows her head politely in greeting, "Ah, a pleasure, dear," she says to the other woman. "Wonderful to see that Mister Stark has so many friends to wish him well on a big round number birthday, though it's still a bit easy to get lost here." It's hard to tell if she's referring to the crowd, or the cavernous yacht.

Peggy Carter has posed:
As another agent approaches, one she doesn't quite know yet but she's getting used to the thought that 30 years worth of agents have come and gone since she was in charge, Peggy gives Jack a bit more of a smile and a tilt of her head, offering her right hand as she shifts the subtle, dark cane to her left. "I fear you have me at a loss, I don't think we've... properly met yet. But yes, it's good to be back..." She'll give Jack's hand a brief, warm shake before letting her palms settle back together on the head of her cane. Her dark eyes are mainly for the party around them, but even in th chaos she doesn't miss much of the small group of SHIELD that's now at her side. Listening to and watching everything, just like the old days.

"I met... Thor... the other day. Still a bit to comprehend actual Norse gods walking about, but he seems a proper gentleman in the end... and I'm sure he's got some stories. I'm just happy not to be in that med room any longer... O

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet pouts as James sees right through her ruse. "See, that's why you need to /relax/ more," she prompts him. "Live a little. It's okay Rhodey," she soothes, and beams at him. "I've got your back. If you want to duck out and chase the redhead, I'll cover for ya."

Janet grins with something almost like apology (almost) and slips away, moving back to meet up with Pepper to offer some rallying support. "Oh my gosh, hi Power Girl!" Janet tells the towering blonde, and beams a smile up at her. She doesn't barge into PG's personal space like with some of her Avenger friends, but she does offer the social courtesies of hugs and cheek-kisses. "I'm glad you came out here. I had this /wild/ idea for a new costume for you. Dying to try it out. You game to be a pincushion for a couple hours?" she offers. "Come by on Monday morning, we'll make it a working brunch with some ~mimosas~," she offers, and dances her shoulders back and forth.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Any longer... and a party is a good excuse to get out. But yes, Dane... the OT is impressed at progress so far. The only reason I got out tonight. I'm...frustrated and annoyed with the whole thing and would like to be cleared for the field. So, this is going pretty much as you would expect it would." Peggy dead pans at her own stubbornness.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Felicia moves past Tony and his gaggle of hangers-on. She gives a crooked little smirk as she affords him a wiggle-fingered wave and mouths a "Happy Birthday," opting not to interrupt his supermodel entourage as she finds a table and peruses the faces at the party, finding only those familiar from having looked back at her from news articles and research online. It's enthralling to watch them in their own habitat. There is a lot to learn from the social behaviour of those who might otherwise like to put her in shackles. Under other circumstances.

Pepper Potts has posed:
To look back at where Tony is, Pepper's gaze lingers for a long moment, her lips pressed, and when Rhodey departs, leaving Tony to his devices, she exhales softly before turning back around to attend those around her. "Thank you, Rhodey." People will want to go belowdecks. It's natural...

The sound of the simpering, 'Tooooooonnyyyy' grates, and she fights that smile back to her face. Of course, she also recalls she has that glass of wine that she's been nursing since people boarded.

"Armor, Cecily. My work clothes," Pepper teases. "That's it."

Janet's arrival is certainly also quite welcome, and brows rise as she considers the offer floated to Karen. The glass of white wine is lifted to her lips and she takes a light sip, looking over the rim again, checking on all of her guests to be sure they're okay.

The evening cruise out to sea, or at least 5 miles out does take some time, and after a little while, Pepper does announce,

"We'll be seating for dinner. Everyone has a card at their table."

While the hor'doevres are buffet style as well as carried by waiters to those that are mingling, chatting, grouping to talk social, or shop, or politics, the entrees are not. Each table has a card with a name embossed upon it. The plates are fine china, the silverware all matching and delicate, water glasses and wine glasses sit atop. (Thankfully the sea is calm tonight!)

Choices, courtesy of a caterer from the Upper East Side, are Charred Chicken with sweet potatoes and Oranges, chile-marinated pork with Vietnamese brussel sprouts, mustard crusted boneless prime rib with cream sauce, and a seafood offering of seared scallops with a brown butter and lemon pan sauce. The vegetables are squash risotto with toasted petitas, carrots and walnuts, and, of course, salad.

Thor has posed:
    To Kaminari, even as Thor's eyes follow after Nicole for a moment, "It is a fine night for revelry." Then he looks back to the other goddess and grins openly, "We are here. We are alive. There is much to drink. To eat. And there are good friends to celebrate with."
    Then he gives Kaminari a nod as he laughs, "And new ones to make, and good to find a soul that shares perhaps a touch of kinship with mine if only for it to be gifted by the touch of the storm upon both of us."
    That said he reaches the wineskin there upon the table, a hearty thing that seems like it well could serve a fair amount of guests. The stopper is popped with a resonant /thwok!/ and then he grabs whatever suitable nearby vessel will serve for he and Kaminari. "The first drink," He pours.
    "Is for Stark." Across the distance he /yells/, "STARK! Happy Birthday!" Then he kicks back his drink, his own vessel apparently a champagne flute he found.
    "The next then," He wipes his chin, "Is for us, those touched by the storm. Join me, Kaminari!"
    Again he drinks.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     Oh, great. Another one who thought she was drunk! Nicole's cheeks seem to take on whole new shades of rose, and she flashes a grin at Kaminari. There's a light, citrus-floral scent about her, but not one bit of that bears any hint of alcohol. "I'm trying," she offers, with a light chuckle. "A bit more intense than a night at the club here." A bit more at ease now, she shifts her gaze between the two divinities, simply accepting them as they are. Offering her hand to each in turn, she smiles. "Nicole Adams. Pleasure to meet you both."

Jane Foster has posed:
Jack enters into the triangle drawn formerly by Jane, Peggy, and Dane. That makes them a neat square, shielding the former director or creating enough gravity to start accreting a waiter here or a bystander there. Chaos coagulating in the regular social physics will eventually settle down, and that can be deemed an entirely welcome thing. "He is quite the gentleman, isn't he, Ms. Carter? I am rather overdue to catch up with several people," Jane observes from her comfortably arrayed spot, "but in such a venue, we might all be hard pressed for more than a few fleeting words."

She tucks in her cape a little closer to avoid any fashionable mishaps, since the last thing she needs is a social media presence for /that/ rather than the abundance of other opportunities to comment upon later. The swivel of people all around keep them moving onward. Thor's shout snaps her gaze back in his and Tony's direction.

Habit, really. People shout, pay close heed. "Sir," she says to Jack. "I'm not sure whether we have been acquainted, but I am Jane Foster. Jane, if you prefer." She offers her hand for a shake in kind, the glimmering golden cuff around her wrist the only deviation from a palate defined by night-darkness and silver.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
Seeing a brief opening, Felicia rises from her table and excuses herself to approach the birthday boy himself. She arches a brow, winding her way through his entourage, and circling him closely as she looks him up and down.

"Is it possible that you get more handsome with every passing year? Or is it only my imagination?" She pauses before Tony to watch him appraisingly as a mischievous smile plays across her lips. "And you should be ashamed of yourself, putting such an infuriatingly delicious trick in the gift bags." She tsks as she moves in to hug Tony. "But what can I say? I've always been drawn to things that sparkle."

Tony Stark has posed:
There's a lot going on for Tony to field, as the Birthday Boy. He has a finger-gun to shoot back at Thor, though, as he's called out to, with an immediate easy grin.

"Just working up your anticipation," Tony teases the girl that begged at him. And then he orients on Pepper's announcement. He'll give her a hand there.

"I heard there's delicious food being served," Tony says, tapping into the yacht's music system to make the comment. "I hear it pairs well with drinks, but I'm unconvinced," he jokes, starting to head that way.

"I /do/ make imagination into reality," Tony teases Felicia. The voice carries, he didn't shut off his connection to the speakers over the whole yacht while he gets his hug from Felicia.

Karen Starr has posed:
    There's a laugh- and if anything might make someone feel jealous or somehow self-conscious, it's... Probably that. Either way, she taps her gloved left hand on Pepper's shoulder a couple of times, before speaking proper words. "So 'just lying around' it is." She states, returning to idle smiling and merriness. "Listen, just relax. You've got a lot of big guns here, and I'm sure even if the sea tries to swallow the place up, any one of us could manage to pick it back up out before it got too dangerous." she notes, before turning her attention to Rhodey. "You too. I'm sure the suit doesn't need you to be that tense." Then, back to Pepper. "I'm glad -to- be here. Even if I was a little 'late.'"

    To Cecily, she offers a friendly dip of her head. "Good to meet you. I go by Power Girl. Last time I saw her, we were picking -someone- out of a cell. Great to see people are all on their feet and making merry. A fast recovery is a good recovery."

    Then, suddenly, Janet. Hugging PG is like hanging off of a Gargoyle made of Adamantium, unless you're holding onto the soft bits. There's a small roll of her eyes at the cheek-kiss and the design Janet's worked up. "I'll submit to fitting, and I'll try it on, but I warn, I'm -very- attached to the getup. I made it myself in the heart of a blazing star." That's kind of a lie. The part about the star, at least- but she -did- make it herself. "Monday it is."

Kaminari has posed:
Kaminari appears to be quite taken with Thor, it is not every day she encounters a kindred spirit after all let alone another god and she seems to be quite genuinely having a great time. "Yes! A toast to this encounter, this is a party afterall and we should all that is has to offer.

She watches as Thor uncorks the Asgardian alcohol, her eyes practically lighting up, "Of course, it is only fitting that the man of the hour should drink first," though her eyes trail in the direction of Tony, perhaps remembering he is human and what happens to humans who drink godly booze, "Will he be okay with that?" Her expression seems to be more curiousity than actually worried and she'd clearly like to see the outcome.

Her latest champagne flute is passed off somewhere, five? seven? she's likely lost count, as she takes the new vessel from Thor and holds it high as if to toast "Kanpai!" and she drinks and drinks, savoring the alcohol, "That was delicious!"

She grins at Nicole when the hand is offered, "Kaminari, a pleasure to meet you Nicole." her handshake is light, not really going in for the American style of firm hearty grips or perhaps just not wanting to accidentally crush Nicole's hand.

Jack Nolan has posed:
"Ah, yes of course. Jack Nolan." Strange name for a big stone monster, though it's the one his parents gave him. He shakes Peggy's hand, carefully, not wanting to dig in with those claws by accident. Once the shake is done, he offers a smile to Jane as well, "It's good to meet you Jane." He says, "I hope I'm not interrupting anything, just trying to mingle and keep my head down." He glances around, "Even though keeping my head down still puts me like a foot over everybody else."

Pepper Potts has posed:
Hrmph.. it's more breathed than spoken, and Pepper's got that tight-lipped smile going on, particularly as the microphone picks up his whispers. She pulls her head back up, chin up, and looks at the ladies that surround her now. She does offer a softly chuffed laugh, followed by the, "lying around, yes," answer. "There's a lot of that."

Still, it's time for dinner, and Pepper makes her apologies to the ladies, "Time for dinner," is explained. The PA-at-work begins to usher people middeck where the tables are set up, the candles are lit and dancing, giving off a warm glow, even as the colored lights blink their own illumination. She helps people find their seats, finding their way, setting them up with the proper meals before allowing the wait staff to actually do their job.

Once done, Pepper moves to sit down at her spot at the table, but continues to watch everyone to make sure everything is okay.

The hostess.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Promises about the costuming are exchanged with Power Girl, along with other pleasantries, and Janet ends up drifting towards the fancy seating with a drink in hand. The gaggle of allies and friends doesn't move with any great hurry, but Janet does dawdle as she waits for Steve to catch up from his own social obligations, before they head down into the dining room.

Felicia Hardy has posed:
"You certainly do," Felicia replies, as Tony's voice echoes across the yacht. She giggles, perhaps tipsily, and steps back to let Tony be Tony. "And you'll never hear me complain."

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes smiles, "I'm doing just fine as I am. I'm not really a party person or, at least, not this kind of party. But it's Tony's show and he's happy and he's my friend, so here I am," he smiles, "I don't mind playing my part. It's no burden and I'm free to do otherwise if I liked. Don't worry about me," he says. "Once the party's over, I'll have a cigar and a brandy and loosen the old tie."

Jessica Drew has posed:
The dinner announcement has Jessica searching through the crowd for the other people in SHIELD. She'd enjoy spending time with them out of the context of work, a rarity. With a tug on Angelo's elbow, she leans into him, "Look there is Jane, Dane and the ex-director Peggy. Let's get over to them. Who knows we might be seated near them at the table. Oh and Jack. Have you met him yet?"

The crowd begins moving towards their places ushered by the hostess, Pepper.

Tony Stark has posed:
"You literally /just/ complained that one of the presents is locked," Tony teases Felicia in return, smirking back at her, and offering no suggestion of how she should open it. Tony is now on the move, though handshaking his way through the party guests, headed for the food zone. ...He'll be a little while, but not too long, seeing as he's hungry.

Thor has posed:
    As Nicole presents herself, Thor smiles and accepts her hand, but not quite the way when he greets a warrior, more gentle and delicate but he gives her a nod. "Lady Adams, I trust you are enjoying yourself?" He gives a nod in the direction of one of the passing servers, "I would offer you a drink but Asgardian Mead is not for those with... a delicate constitution."
    That said he nods and fills another round for himself and Kaminari.
    "Good Kaminari, I place this skin in your charge. I bind you on your honor to offer caution to those who would imbibe, but if there are brave souls who so wish to take the challenge, then laud them for their courage."
    That said he /thumps/ the other deity again on the shoulder then nods to Nicole. "If you both will excuse me, I must find my guest."
    He turns and moves into the crowd.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    "Oh? Oh!" Cecily gives Pepper a sheepish smile, "And here I was imagining you in a class-III vest over a flak jacket with reinforced joints..." she shakes her head. "If you ever do need a business suit that can take a bullet, dear, I can refer you to someone," the vixen gives a wink to the redhead.

    Then it's back to PG. "Power Girl? Always lovely to see more hero-types about. Makes my job a lot easier, in fact," she gives PG a genuine smile, sounding like she appreciates that sort of work. "Picking Tony out of a cell? Not... hard to imagine... though did it have something to do with an over-inebriated public disturbance or something more sinsiter?" she queries, curious of the circumstances.

    But then the dinner bell is rung, and the fox is suddenly left Pepper-less. At the least, she shadows the hostess, thankful for the help locating her own table. Even if the venue is crowded, at least the plates are, too.

Peggy Carter has posed:
"Agent Nolan, then... A pleasure." Peggy shows full trust in other agents, even if the mang is a strange, large stone creature. She's seen stranger. She gives his hand a shake which is probably considered delicate on her part, but she has no need to show off strength (strength she doesn't quite have right now) to someone else. It's a respectful, warm shake, nothing else.

Then she's gazing back to Jane and gives a warmer smile, "Don't feel a need to hover about here, go catch up with who you need. I didn't come to... have a large night of partying, even though I know that's how these things go. I'm mainly here to... watch. Learn. Though, perhaps some food would be a wise idea too." She winks towards the trio of SHIELD agents around her, before nodding in the direction of one of the SHIELD designated tables. Chances are a few of them were sitting together, at least.

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding to Jessica, Angelo takes a last look off to the other side before he shrugs, "Okay. Let's have a bit. You did say that you were hungry. Plus, co-workers and such sound like cool fun. Come on." And then he pauses, "You said ex-dir... okay, sure." he adds with a smirk as he moves along at Jessica's side.

Jane Foster has posed:
A melodic playing of Holst's Planets -- Ode to Death, stand-in for Pluto -- radiates up from the small purse that keeps at least a very few items that a girl might need. The ominous tremor of strings leaping together with the choral elements, might seem strange here, but there's a scintillating, ominous beauty to the fragmentary composition lavishly forged from the phone. Jane pauses for a moment to slip the device free, skimming a look over the screen brought to light by a pattern sketched out. Nothing so thrilling as it could be.

A melodic disposition silenced, she gives a quick look. "Here, I fear, is the hour when my fairy godmother comes to collect me and reminds me that my ride turns into a pumpkin." A fleeting smile for Dane becomes a swift murmur as she offers her arm to him. "May we? Cutting it any closer and the train won't get me back to the lab in time to grab those readings on Denebola." A line appears between her brows. "Or that worrisome pulsation coming out of Orion, but if I hear one more person say the star's going supernova, I am challenging them to a scientific duel on Twitter."

She offers that friendly smile to Peggy and Jack. "So with that, I fear I must hasten away. Though if it's a consolation, Ms. Drew and her lovely companion are headed here, it looks like!" A wave to Angelo and Jessica carries that friendly greeting-and-farewell in one. But there's work to be done, and not even Tony Stark's party stops her from studying the actual stars.

Steve Rogers has posed:
Dawdling does result in a Steve appearing out of the crowd, perhaps using his height (and breadth of shoulders) to make his way over to Janet. An arm granted for her hand to alight upon, a murmur to her ear and small smile, and they've entered the dining room.

"There's Tony away from the microphone, gimme a sec, <<Seillean>>," he says after escorting the Wasp to her chair. He's sure that she's seated first, drink nearby, before he threads his way through the crowd again towards Tony.

"Might've outdone last year's extravaganza," he says by way of greeting to the genius-inventor, grinning enough to show dimples. Tony does get a pat on the shoulder, though not overly-hard. He takes a moment to scan through the crowd for familiar faces, sure to find them, sure to smile or lift a hand in greeting.

Dane Whitman has posed:
Dane gives Jane a nod, taking Jane's arm in the spirit with which it was offered. He gives a smile to Peggy and Jack, and doubles-down on Jane's wave hello/goodbye to Jessica and Angelos before he's escorting the good Doctor back to her lab. Anything for love and SCIENCE!

Karen Starr has posed:
    Power Girl breaks from Pepper, Cecily, and Janet, but not before offering more words to the person so concerned with Pepper's safety. "I do what I can. Time for dinner." she offers, giving off this little smirk.

    Karen makes her way towards a seat surrounded by, for the moment, entirely empty chairs- not choosing to place herself among any of the others that have already taken their places, she just leans back slightly, and folds her arms.

Jessica Drew has posed:
The dinner announcement has Jessica searching through the crowd for the other people in SHIELD. She'd enjoy spending time with them out of the context of work, a rarity. With a tug on Angelo's elbow, she leans into him, "Look there is Jane, Dane and the ex-director Peggy. Let's get over to them. Who knows we might be seated near them at the table. Oh and Jack. Have you met him yet?"

The crowd begins moving towards their places ushered by the hostess, Pepper. People brush by her as she stands looking for the others.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     Wonderful. She'd gone from someone who overindulged to someone with a delicate constitution. Her eyes sparkle at the challenge, and she gently chides the Thunderer. "Appearances can be deceiving," she cautions, her smile turning decidedly mischievous--a look also shared with Kaminari.

     "I do believe that is a challenge I heard, is it not? Surely that can't be so strong a drink as to knock me down?" For her height, she was slim, maybe a little over a hundred pounds or so soaking wet. What could the woman be thinking? Or, had Thor indeed misjudged her? Would there even be a chance to find out? For, as the challenge was issued, the crowd began making their way to their places to partake of the birthday dinner being hosted.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper reaches out to try and catch Tony's attention. The plates are set and he's got a spot that is properly marked for the man of the hour. "Sit down and have something. I've got you your own plate." While she may not know all of Tony's habits and food preferences, over the years she's gotten pretty good in knowing how far down the culinary road he'd go.. "Eat something."

Just in case it looks like there's something going on, Pepper looks back up and briefly smiles at those who may be looking at her. It's not likely; Tony's the man!

And, the dinner plates begin arriving, the servers moving like a well trained army; drinks are served, refilled; anything that may be desired can be found on board this ship.

Tony Stark has posed:
"Yeah, soon," Tony agrees with Pepper: it is a tone often used when he needs to go work in his Workshop. He's doing something first! Food needs to wait just a bit longer!

"Steve," Tony greets his friend, not allowing just the shoulder-pat, but a side-hug. Tony's had some drinks and he's comfy and happy. His birthday is, so far, a great success in his eyes. "Give me some help," Tony directs, expectant and not accepting much 'no'. This is happening.

Tony returns to using the speakers, throughout the yacht. "I know the food is amazing, but--- If you'll direct your attention to my lovely assistant, Captain Steve Rogers," Tony announces, /loud/, into the dining area!

Tony pauses, waiting for a moment, and giving Steve a few small golf claps, and cheeky smirk.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet smiles approvingly up at Steve when she's seated, his casual chivalry earning him a pleased expression. "Hurry back," she bids Steve, and shifts to cross her legs under the table before reaching for a drink in front of her.

Only then does the socialite look around, and spots Peggy in conversational range. "Ms. Carter!" she says, sounding pleasantly surprised. "I didn't know you'd be here tonight." She glances around and then leans forward with a conspiratorial sotto voce: "Are you here to keep Tony in line for his Birthday?" she says, with a gently teasing tone and a florid grin.

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet puts fingers to lips and blows a shockingly loud wolf-whistle as Tony calls Steve out.

Achilles has posed:
    Well, this oughta be interesting. Angelo moves alongside Jessica as they approach Peggy and company. While his hair style might have changed... HE has not. He steps up and gives Peggy a lifted brow of greeting. It was... how he always said hi to her back then. They were wartime intelligence operatives in France. It was crazy. Stupid Nazi's.
    Either way, let's see how long it takes for her to remember him.

Kaminari has posed:
Kaminari has been entrusted with a large skin of Asgardian Mead, truly this a good day. She accepts the thump on her back from Thor and waves after him as he departs, "I shall accept this important task! Hopefully we can catch up again later."

Her gaze then shifts to Nicole as she takes a moment to size her up and shrugs. The girl heard Thor's warning after all and she's apparently not nearly so picky about who she'll share dangerously potent beverages with. "If you're up for the challenge," she searches out an appropriate cup and pours Nicole a full glass, "Have at it then."

She waits to see how Nicole's drink goes before making sure the one Thor poured out for Tony is still safe, "This needs to get into the hands of the birthday boy, coming?" she asks Nicole, and then as the appointed Guardian of the Mead she sets about delivering Tony's first cup of the flask to him making her way in his direction.

Steve Rogers has posed:
"Help? Alright." Good-naturedly, Steve lingers nearby, thumbs slung off the pockets of his dress pants. And then there's Tony on the speakers and the Captain's golden brows nearly lift off his face. Now wearing a mildly rueful smile, he lifts his hand and waves at the crowd, chin tucked only the slightest. Janet's wolf-whistle almost makes him laugh -- almost.

"Happy to be here, Tony." He pitches his voice to carry well enough, glancing over at the man again, openly curious about what on earth he's up to.

Peggy Carter has posed:
Well, the sight of Steve up there besides *Tony* was not something Peggy expected to hit home as much as it does. She goes quiet in the few side conversations she's been having, the look on the venerable agent's features several decades and a thousand miles away as she remembers a few other stages with a Stark and Rogers, but that was a long time ago. Her meal is quietly ignored as she stares at the stage, but the approach of another spectre from the past does manage to faintly drag her eyes away. She blinks at Angelo, almost drowsy confusion as she pulls herself out of nostalgia only to see another face from those days, though a different part of her work.

"... Brasi? No...I'm sorry. My mind isn't quite here and goodness if you don't look like someone... I used to work with." Maybe a party this big wasn't a great idea so early in her recovery. She gives Angelo, his date, and Stoneclaw all an apologetic smile, forcing herself to focus more on the table near than the strangely historical sight on the stage.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     Raising her glass ever so slightly, Nicole takes a moment to appraise the drink, swirling it lightly and taking a cautious sniff. Lovely amber in color, with a sweet, heady aroma. It's potent, there's no lie there, one whiff is more than enough to tell her that. "Salut!" A cautious sip is taken, tested, and a smile appears on the woman's face, wreathing her features with a hint of pure delight.

     "Now /this/ is a drink to remember."

     The next draught is not quite so timid, and is in fact quite a hearty swig. Yet, as she makes her way over with Kaminari, Nicole seems otherwise... unaffected by the Asgardian ale.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper exhales again in a soft chuff of air, but she watches him go past, green eyes following his path. Brows rise as Steve is asked to accompany him, as the 'lovely assistant', and she laughs, looking back at Janet for the wolf whistle, and the reaction it garners. Now, in these few moments, she is relaxing; probably the first time this evening. Mostly.

Looking out at the tables, Pepper catches the look on the only tangentially identified Peggy Carter's face. Her attention lingers on the other woman, following the gaze up to the two friends up front. Hmmm..

Jessica Drew has posed:
Murmuring to Angelo by her side, Jessica poses her knife and fork, "You all remind me of elves. Ancient and young. But this seems to be a bit much for her. Keep an eye on her. She's tough, that's for sure. You only have to know one percent of her history to know that. Still... do, if you don't think I'm being officious."

She lifts her glass in a salute to the blonde man, eyes sparkling with a wry melange of amusement and teasing, "And really, a dark-haired Helen. I'd be more content with one ship if it is a steady one than a thousand."

Tony Stark has posed:
"In your goodie bags, you may have noticed a mysterious item," Tony says, adjusting the near-invisible mic he's been wearing extending from the side of his head for most of the evening, with a brief brush of fingers. Tony's in announcer mode: Stark CEO, salesman extraordinaire. It may be no wonder he wasn't doing shabby in his bid for president. "Model for us," Tony suggests playfully to Steve, stepping away from what has become his current 'stage' to snare a bag from one of the people nearby. "You'll get it back," he teases the woman with a flash of smile.

"Captain America is welcome to hold anything of mine," she replies.

Tony fishes the black, flat box out of the goodie bag and hands it to Steve. There's an expectant 'well?' in the motion. Model it, obviously!

Achilles has posed:
    Okay, Angelo will seek out Peggy later. This woman deserves the truth if anyone does. He'll make sure to bring Jessica along too for moral support. Hah! He needs moral support. Interesting... he does.
    Either way, he smiles and says, "I'm sorry ma'am. Perhaps you met my great grandfather? That -was- his name. But we can talk later when you're feeling better."
    That said, he turns to lead Jessica to a table where they can sit, eat, and observe the festivities.

Jack Nolan has posed:
"It's good to see you again, Jessica." Jack says, as he raises his drink to her in greeting. He takes another drink from it, and hrms faintly, "Everything tastes kinda weird still." He murmers to himself, since his tongue isn't exactly normal anymore, "I suppose it'll take time to get used to it."

Peggy Carter has posed:
There's something behind her eyes, or perhaps it's the look in Angelo's, that tells Peggy she's missing something. Jessica is given a little nod in greeting, even if she fortunately doesn't catch the implication that she isn't 100 percent. The older agent falls quiet for most of the rest of the evening, bowing out with the next wave of SHIELD agents that head back to the city, after taking the next little bit to watch grown Tony from afar and let herself drown in silent, happy memories of far more simple times.

Steve Rogers has posed:
A spread of Steve's hands and glance towards the audience is still accompanied by the wry little smile. Stages are nothing new to him, not his man. He waits patiently for Tony to grab a bag, pointedly ignores the woman's comment, and then takes the shallow darkly-hued box.

With humoring theatricality, he shows all sides of the box to the left and to the right side of the room, even taking a moment to draw a palm underneath it a la Vanna White. Then, he turns, holding the box out flat on his palm and gives Tony a patient look, eyebrows lifted.

Pepper Potts has posed:
Those sitting around Pepper's table, more distant out, that is, those notables from the Council, flown in from points around the world, they dig into their Red Carpet quality swag bags, passing up a few of the baubles in order to get to the flat box.

Pepper doesn't have a bag, thus nothing to pull. But that's more than okay! The expression on her face suggests that this isn't a surprise to her (she hates those!), and is acting the role of secondary gift giver. As was remarked earlier, what other party can one attend that the guests GET really amazing things to bring home, and a surprise to boot?

Kaminari has posed:
As they make their way generally in the direction of Tony Stark or at least where he will eventually in theory wind up around the food, Kaminari does take note of Nicole's lack of face planting as she drinks the Asgardian Mead and seems pleasantly surprised. "Oh?" she makes an impressed sound, "It is not every day you find humans capable of drinking that. You passed the challenge, that deserves a reward." she fishes around in her purse for a moment until she comes out with two rectangular stiff looking pieces of paper, "I'm doing a concert series at Radio City Music Hall right now, feel free to come for a show." she offers the concert tickets to Nicole. Just before her attention is stolen by the theatrics of Tony and Steve, pausing the Mead Guardian's quest of Mead delivery for the moment.

Tony Stark has posed:
While the attention is on Steve and his amazing start (continuation?) to a modeling career in the making, Tony also drops back towards an assistant that heard some of the keywords, and was ready: Tony obtains an Iron Man gauntlet from the assistant, which wraps around his hand and arm, and powers up with a deep hum. "Let's open those on up," Tony says, grandly, with a snap of fingers of the gauntlet.

All around the party, the black shells of metallic casing move, opening the gifts in the gift baggies. "I decided I'd be //giving// gifts today, not just accepting them. Each of you has a brand new SI-BEE, latest off the mobile device lines for Stark Industries. You get one; and you. /Eeeeeverybody/ gets a BEE." Yes, that was a bit of an Oprah moment, snarky, but Tony's grinning.

The mobile devices vary in color a little bit, but they are all sleek, stylish, mostly indestructible, and engraved for those attending. "I expect some embarrassing pictures to be taken before this night is out," Tony declares, flashing a sudden proud look directly to Pepper, probably unrelated to the comment he'd just made, and more related to launching the new product with the sneak-peek to the guests.

Cecily Winters has posed:
    A moment of clarity, and Cecily slips her hand into her bag. She hadn't particpated in the word game so had just been carrying around the small Santa-Stark-Sack she was given without too much thought for the moment. As everyone rummages for their own enigma box, so too does she do the same. Her food will have to wait, as she looks over the prize. The vixen casts a questioning look to Pepper then she focuses on the unfolding show of wonderful bromance up on the stage, ears lifted and swiveled in Steve and Tony's direction.

    And then the big reveal! She places the device on the table at it self-opens, and she peers intently at it. Well, a new high-tech mobile device never, ever hurts in her business, and with a genuine smile, lifts her hands to begin clapping for the ever-so-generous birthday boy!

Janet van Dyne has posed:
Janet attacks her gift with the natural talent of a Gen Z, native-born; it takes her only seconds to figure out how to use it and she holds it aloft to take a selfie, grinning into the camera with a cheeky expression and getting a few others in the background with the shot.

"Sure, the phone's nice, but what's the data plan gonna cost us?" Janet calls with a teasing tone, raising her voice to cut across the hubbub.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     Nicole peers over the edge of her glass up towards the head table, where a rather good-humored bit of ribbing seemed to be taking place between old friends. And one of them was one she recognized from photos Sam had shown her. No wonder the two men got along, she mused to herself, taking a swig of her ale. They seemed to share a similar sense of humor. Friends that laughed together, stayed together.

     Kaminari's sound of pleasant surprise garnered her attention for a moment, though, a twinkle dancing in her peridot eyes. She lowered her voice slightly, chuckling. "Appearances can be deceiving. There can be more to people than you think." The concert tickets were met with raised brows, and a widened smile. "Thank you!" she chimes, her appreciation genuine. "I'll have to see when I can get Sam to join me. This would be a great night out!"

     It seemed there was more to many things this evening than met the eye at first. As the gift from her bag reveals itself, her jaw drops, followed by a grin. "Nice!" All of a sudden, her gift seemed homey and a bit too humble in comparison. What could possibly top this? Along with others, she calls out her thanks, grinning. Oh, yes, she too indulges in the taking of pictures, not the least of which are the birthday boy and his friends up front, and many of the partygoers.

     If it were not for that photographic evidence, she might not believe the evening ever occurred, herself!

Pepper Potts has posed:
Pepper watches as the dawning realization comes from that gauntleted *snap* as all the phones seem to light at once, activating. Out towards the back, there are lots of pictures being taken, and finally, dinner can be had.

As for the rest of the evening? The band is aft, near the helicopter, and there is a dance floor. For those who have a sweet tooth, there is the dessert table complete with a chocolate fountain.

It's a party for the books!

Happy 40th, Tony!

Kaminari has posed:
Kaminari grins at Nicole, "Indeed." and refills the other woman's cup from the flask Thor left her. Eventually the Mead quest is completed and the first of the flask finds its way into Tony's possession as Thor intended. What happens to the rest of the flask? That is a story for another day.