2549/You'll Find Me In The Club

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You'll Find Me In The Club
Date of Scene: 21 July 2020
Location: The Dungeon - Hellfire Club
Synopsis: A fun night out at the Hellfire Club's Dungeon night club!
Cast of Characters: Emma Frost, Alex Summers, Jean Grey, Warren Worthington, Betsy Braddock, Piotr Rasputin, Julio Richter, Bobby Drake




Emma Frost has posed:
The Dungeon can be felt and heard before people even enter through the huge 'wooden' double doors leading into the cavernous darkness.

The 'lights' are down tonight, the entire club thrown into a darkness only broken by the flickering of the holographic flames of torches on the walls, and the spinning limbo-scape swirling above the dance floor proper. The bar has only black lights in limited quantity providing light to the bartenders and those ordering drinks; the few tables have false candles flickering on their tops.

The dance floor is already moving, the semi-darkness contracting and expanding with the crush of bodies.

Emma Frost has actually been here since before the club opened an hour or so prior, checking on everything before the doors open and generally providing oversight, even if she is dressed (barely) to party: white chunky platform boots, and an extremely skimpy, loose and almsot but not quite sheer white club dress that's barely long enough in the skirt to be considered decent, both sides split to the top of her hips; the neckline plunging and unfitted. Though given what others in the club are wearing, that's not really standing out too much.

She's in conversation at the end of the bar with the bar manager for the moment, both of them next to the door leading into the storage for the bar.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2gNTpZxVxW4KLyceVYFgms?si=n78R0HfjQvOHAkgg8fmebA

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex hasn't really been hanging over Emma's shoulder for this, because frankly he'd have nothing to do and just be in the way; he knows from experience it's best to let Emma get things done and come in when she's finished. Which is why he's arriving just a bit before the doors open through one of the employee doors. He's dressed in slacks and a long white coat that flares open at the bottom of the front, open enough to show the mesh shirt underneath giving a hint of pecs as he moves. Cool enought to dance in, he figures. Plain black boots for the dancing, at least, though broken in because he doesn't want to spend tomorrow regretting life when he tries to walk anywhere.

    He wanders over to the bar to join Emma. "Hey beautiful..." he murmurs, giving Emma a peck on the cheek before leaning against the bar, not saying more at first because he's letting her finish the conversation she's having to get things ready.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean arrives promptly for the party, her hair bound up in a rather severe looking bun. She's definitely dressed for the occasion, wearing a black and red corset that's something she wouldn't typically wear out, but in this case she'll make a cheerful exception. With the corset being the top half of her outfit, the lower half is a sheer skirt of similar material to Emma's, though instead of this being white its a shimmering crimson and black. Black heels adorn her feet, as she also has a particularly golden set of jewelry upon her right hand. She then glances over her shoulder, as if waiting for someone to join her.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren is wearing a black suit jacket with a white silk shirt that has a few of the top buttons undone to show a bit of chest. Black slacks and shoes round out the ensemble. Oh and his Rolex Sky Dweller watch too. Entering the Dungeon, he bobs his head a little to the music as he navigates the crowds to go and make his way over to the bar to grab himself a drink or two before he moves to socialize or, god forbid, dance.

Letting his hands smooth out the front of his coat he takes up a spot at the bar and turns to face the room as he leans against the bar to let his eyes scan over the room. He spots Emma and Alex and nods to them, and as other familiar faces come into view, he'll also offer a nod.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
It's supposed to be a fun event, she knows. She also knows this is a place where she's expected to tread lightly, given it's not really her territory. Not that that's stopped her before.

Her agenda, though, is decidedly different than it may have been before.

Nevertheless, dressed for the club, Betsy has chosen a deep violet sheath dress that covers the tops of her thighs, leaving one shoulder completely bare, the other covered by a narrow strap, artful slashes splitting the side of the dress on the same side as the bare shoulder. She steps through the doors and, as is her habit, pauses a moment to ascertain the lay of the land. Her mental awareness doesn't intrude on anyone, but she does allow her mind to pinpoint where most everyone may be. Thus, it's with fairly clear intention that she starts sliding easily between bodies to make her way toward the bar.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Not far behind Jean is Piotr. The large Russian is covered mostly in a black duster, though black pants and boots are fairly visible. Through his sheer shirt, though, his torso is somewhat visible, though the rather modest Piotr is not exactly flaunting it, instead keeping his coat as closed as possible without actually fastening it. When he walks, occasionally there is a flash of gold on his left wrist, though the cuff of the duster usually covers it.

When Piotr approaches Jean, he says politely, "Well, I guess we made it." He exhales, "So what do we do, now?"

Julio Richter has posed:
It's the weekend after Julio got back from his week spent in the throes of an Atlantean permahigh, and although he had dire predictions about the duration of the aftereffects, he was only rendered completely useless by hangover pains for about a full day. (Oh, joy.) By the time the group arrives at the Dungeon, at least, he's in fine enough spirits. His newly acquired leather jacket, mesh shirt, tattered jeans and boots have been augmented with a faux-hawk hairdo and some Billie Joe Armstrong eye makeup, so he's looking the part and ready to party.

Still, he's conscious of being here mainly as Bobby's arm candy. For one thing, he's the only one using a fake ID to get in, although there are mitigating circumstances there. For another, while he's on good terms with everyone here, he hasn't known them long at all, and the invite was only extended to a pretty select group.

In his mind, though, that just means he needs to make sure to make a good enough impression to get invited on these outings on his own merits. He waves to Alex and Emma when he spots them, then unlinks his arm from Bobby's and turns to walk backward and face the rest of the group. "So, we're here now," he says with a grin. "I can hit the bar -- what would everyone like for their first drinks?"

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake is dressed in that dark wine red fitted tailcoat that he'd picked up on their shopping trip over a black shirt with a rounded collar fastened at his throat, a bit of the lacey end of the sleeves of the shirt escaping from the cuffs of the jacket. It's very Interview With a Vampire-esque. His eyes are lined, his skin fair, hair styled in that sort of unstyled carelessness that it usually has. The trousers are tailor fitted and black shoes on his feet instead of his usual boots. It's more formal than he usually goes, but it was an occasion for a change. Plus, he's cool enough to get away with those layers and not break a sweat.

He grins at Julio and says, "I usually go for the most inappropriately named drink special first." He flashes a grin followed by a wink. Then he looks over to Piotr and says, "Now, we drink, and we dance, and we enjoy the eye candy." Though it's Julio that his eyes sweep over, rather than the crowd.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma finishes her discussion with the bar manager and then moves over to Alex, sliding her arms around his neck and giving him a light kiss. "Sorry about that," she says in his ear over the sound of the music. "They had to switch drink specials at the last minute, so we had to have some of the gin brought down from upstairs. Not a big deal." She glances out over the crowd, her eyes catching Jean's and giving her a wink, and releasing Alex with one hand to wave at the redhead and Piotr. "Should we get something to drink?"

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Warren," Betsy says in greeting to the winged mutant by the bar as she nears. "You're looking fine, tonight." Her violet eyes gleam some, catching what little light there is. She affords Emma and Alex a glance, and then actually gives a cordial nod of greeting and an easy smile. "Emma. Alex." There's no flirtation, however. None of that prior rivalry she's displayed. Just a simple greeting, nothing more.

She does, however, lean against the bar and order one of the tastier specials offered for the evening. Because, why else come otherwise?

Alex Summers has posed:
    "No worries, I know you're getting everything just right." Alex says easily, his arms sliding around Emma to hug her firmly for a moment, enjoying the feel of her in his arms before releasing her. "Hmm, I could go for a good ale.." he admits, raising a hand to wave towards the oncoming crowd, several of which he knows of course. Though he does...hesistate slightly upon seeing Betsy is one of those entering, his gaze flicking to Emma momentarily. "Quite a crowd..."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean places her hand on Piotr's arm, "Now, we mingle. It's all friends here, Piotr." She leans up and kisses Piotr lightly on the cheek, then guides him along into the party proper. She winks back at Emma, going over in that direction.

"Emma, the party is amazing... definitely what the doctor ordered. I should know." She grins at Emma, giving her a firm hug if allowed, though knowing Emma she keeps it brief in any event, then passes a glance over at Betsy, "Glad to see you here Betsy, it's been a little while."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"I see, will make note," Piotr says as Bobby is the first to respond, but his attention is soon drawn to Jean and her own responses, with him even giving a smile and a kiss on the forehead as they go towards the bar.

Emma and Alex get a wave from his free arm as he approaches, "Hello, Emma, Alex," the Russian says, "And a drink does sound good, do you have suggestions?" Piotr is definitely out of his element at this point.

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Let me get a Leg Spreader." Warren says to one of the people working the bar, then he turns to spot Julio coming in this direction and he nods before hearing his name being spoken aloud. "Oh, hey Betsy, how are you? Looking fabulous as you do, I see." He offers a smile and a nod. "So how's things? How are you finding the Dungeon? Quite a name for a night club, isn't it? Maybe I should've worn a lot more leather and even some chains." He laughs, but as his drink is delivered he takes it in hand and takes a sip.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma stiffens a little as she catches Betsy's greeting, but she's all properly hostess like as she nods in return. "Betsy." She returns Jean's hug, though, yes, briefly. And Warren's appearance gets a bit of an eyeroll. "Please. You act like it's the first time, every time you're here, Warren. No one should let the wings fool them: angelic, this man isn't." She orders drinks for both her and Alex: hers a cocktail, his an ale, and gives Bobby and Julio a nod of greeting as well. So far the night seems to be going quite well.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"It has," Betsy says to Jean, turning from the bar with her drink in hand, offering the redhead a warm smile. "We should fix that. Have a girl's afternoon out or something." She's always been a big believer in those sorts of things. "It's good to see you, too, Piotr," she adds, giving him a smile.

She flashes Warren an easy grin at his greeting and compliment. "YOu're always so kind," she says, playful expression on her face that eases naturally into a relaxed one. "I think Dungeon's quite the appropriate name for this place." She gives Emma a nod. "It fits the crowd, and that's important. You must be proud." There is, it should be noted, no trace of irony in her tone. It actually sounds... sincere. If a trifle odd coming from her lips.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean grins, "Oh, Warren pretending to be angelic... you should know better around /us/." She winks at Warren, "Or do I need to regale everyone with the one and only time you thought you could buy your way to an 'A' in our mutual class?" Her lips quirk a bit, as she then orders something relatively tame, the BDSMartini.

Actually, she orders two, sliding one of them over towards Piotr with a wry expression, "This, I think, is right up your alley, dear." Her eyes dance a bit, as she looks around the club with a relaxed expression.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Betsy," Piotr says politely with a nod, "Good to see you." He raises a brow at Warrens remarks as he places his order. Definitely did not expect that drink name, or really any that are being rattled off by the others. Though he takes the one offered by Jean and sips it, and is content, "Thank you," his tone warm. Though he does look over to the others, "You tried to buy an A, Warren? What sort of trouble did you get yourself into?"

Julio Richter has posed:
"The most inappropriate I can find?" Julio echoes Bobby, grinning and raising his eyebrows. "You sure about that?" He seems inclined to take the request as a challenge.

Speaking of challenges, Piotr has to go and be a bartender's worst nightmare: the customer who doesn't know what he wants. Still, Julio has handled this problem before, and already had a suggestion in mind, anyway. "It doesn't get more goth than Absinthe," he points out. "Straight, it's might be too much, but you get the scent and a little bit of the tingle in a Sazerac."

Unless the Russian raises immediate objections, Julio nods to Jean and then heads to the bar, giving Warren a smile as he takes up a position next to him and tries to catch a bartender's eye.

The first to approach is a girl in a negligée-and-stockings getup that would be absolutely jaw-dropping if Julio's tastes aligned a little differently. Instead of ogling, though, he drops into a conversation with her, as hushed as possible in their current surroundings.

Warren Worthington has posed:
"I don't know what any of you are talking about. I -AM- an Angel." Warren says, before pointedly taking a sip of his Leg Spreader, eyes moving from person to person before falling onto Jean. "Bah, I was simply testing the ethical standards of the teacher! They passed of course, so the test was successful. Though I guess I do technically 'live in sin' quite a bit, but that's really fun, so..." He shrugs and grins. "Anyway, enough about me, Piotr. It was a long time ago when I was a kid who had more money than sense. Now I have money, but also just a little bit more sense. If only a little. That's why I have a grand SCHEME that I should probably talk to the Professor about soon."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean laughs at Piotr, "I thought I told you this story... well, it's Hank's story really, but..." She gives Warren a wink as he tries to explain it away, then starts, sipping her drink occasionally.

"So, way back when we were the first class, we had an essay to write for a book report. This is when it was the five of us as students, plus the Professor teaching. So, Warren, who didn't want to do any of the reading, gave Hank a thousand dollar check to do the essay for him. Which, well, Hank agreed to." She grins a bit. "Imagine Warren's surprise when the Professor decided the day of that all our reports should be submitted mentally instead. And our poor little Warren was just standing there, blushing terribly with nary a thought in his little birdie head." She teases, but in good fun, as it was a while ago.

A more innocent time, really, as she continues, "Turns out, Hank ratted Warren out to the Professor." She then pauses, then adds, "/AFTER/ he cashed the check."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake glances over to notice Betsy among those joining them. One brow ticks up just a little bit as he looks from her to Emma, but since things seem chill, he maintains his own chill. "Evening, Emma," he says as they get closer. "Betsy. Warren." He flashes a grin at the bewinged man as they make their way to the bar.

"Positive," Bobby says to Julio with a flash of a grin, definitely issuing it as a challenge to see what he comes up with. He is a little slower to make his way up to the bar. When he gets there he grins over at Warren and says, "Sin is in, baby, sin is in." Which is a bit of old Denis Leary but he doesn't seem to care whether anyone gets the reference.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"But I already have drink..." Piotr says too late and now he has two. It is going to be a long night. He then, though turns his attention to Jean's story and raises a brow, "I shall make note of this for my Russian students. The art ones will not so easily fake this. Though good on Hank for cashing check, make it expensive lesson." The Russian nods. "But I hope you have learned your lesson Warren, da?" He sips his martini, letting the other drink rest in his other hand for the time being.

"It will not be long until classes resume, but I am glad for the relief of summer," Piotr notes. "Though I do not look forward to children's mischief in the manor. It is hard enough keeping many of them in line, and in some cases keep staff in line!" He laughs, clearly joking, though Warren's comment gets another raised brow, "What idea are you bringing the Professor?"

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex shakes his head a bit, having acquired a dark ale from the bartender as he leans back, sipping from it. "I have to admit, a thousand is the most I've heard someone get paid for just an essay. Usually that's like disertation level purchasing." he says amusedly, shaking his head a bit. "Hey everyone...welcome."

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy laughs lightly at Jean's story, eyeing Warren. "I think that behaviour should surprise me more than it does," she opines, taking a swallow of her drink. Then, "Hello, Bobby," she says as he approaches and greets them. Nope. The purple haired ninja is apparently on her best behaviour tonight.

In a place called the Dungeon.

Where good behaviour is not strictly required.

Uh-huh. Make of that what you will.

"I'm thinking about dance," she declares suddenly, placing her drink on the bar. "Anyone else care to dance?" She's not going to single out anyone, either.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren raises a finger. "A point of clarification. I -HAD- thoughts, the thoughts of a teenage boy who had spent the previous evening looking at varous adult videos the previous evening. I was trying my damnedest not to think of those while having to apologize for not having done the assignment." He shrugs and takes another sip of his drink. "Oh well, it was only a thousand dollars and I did manage to somehow make it past that class, ha."

Bobby's comment receives a grin and a nod. "Indeed it is, Bobby. Indeed it is." He looks over to Alex. "I was young, and had no real concept on what things should be valued at. The follies of youth and all that." He looks at Betsy, grins and asks Piotr, "Hey can you teach us all how to do that squat dancing thing that Russians do?"

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio makes two double-fisted trips, bringing Jean her Martini and Piotr his Sazerac first, then rejoining Bobby. For his drink, he's holding a sort of crystal goblet full of what appears to be sparkling green wine: a Little Death in the Afternoon. He passes Bobby a brown and gold drink with a crown of egg-foam dashed with bitters.

"When I told her I needed something filthy for my boyfriend," he says, flushing just a little as he actually uses the word, "she said she knew just the thing. A Rum Santorum?" He looks a little bit bewildered, and admits, "I don't know the word, but she promised it was funny."

When Betsy suggests dancing, though, he knocks back a mouthful of mixed absinthe and prosecco, and answers, "Si! Dancing sounds great."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles over at Bobby and the others, about to say something when Piotr finds himself with two drinks... and Betsy asks for a dance partner. "Well, Betsy, I'd be game for a dance." Her eyes flash with a bit of amusement, as she gives Piotr a grin. "You don't have to, if you don't want to, Piotr."

She then pauses, and gives Julio a grin, "Wait, you're going to make an honest man of Bobby? Good luck with that." She gives Bobby a friendly wink at that, as it's a rare thing for three of the Original Five to be out at the same time, these days.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Yes!" Betsy says, grinning to Julio. "Grab your boy and come shake your tails. Just what the doctor ordered." A beat, she grins to Jean as the redhead agrees. "Right, Doctor?" Jean did finish that degree within recent memory, didn't she?

Regardless, the purple garbbed woman is, in fact, here to have a good time. So she dances her way out towards the dance floor, moving backwards so she can still see her friends; avoiding other gyrating bodies through the sheer advantage her mental awareness of the crowd brings.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma snickers a little at the drink Julio had gotten for Bobby, but has one of those all-too-innocent faces immediately after. "I might join the dancing in a bit, I need to be at least two drinks in."

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake takes the drink that Julio hands him and takes a swig of it experimentally, making a slight face. It's perhaps the texture of the egg-foam that gets him, because he looks a little uncertain about it. But then when Julio gives him the name he coughs and starts to laugh, "Oh god. It was bad before, now it is truly terrible." He slides an arm around Julio and kisses his cheek. "I'll explain it to you later.. you definitely won that challenge, though."

Jean gets a laugh and an arch of his eyebrows. "I'm always an honest man," he protests, giving her a lazy sort of grin as he leans in against Julio comfortably. "But yeah, somehow I've managed not to scare him off."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"You and Bobby are together?" Piotr asks, a little surprised, "I see!" He gives a nod and looks to Warren, "That takes space and is something I certainly can, it is not exactly venue or music for it." He chuckles, "Though I often do it in my Russian class as an example when students ask."

It takes a bit but he sets his drinks down after finishing the martini. Piotr looks to Jean, and says, "Let me finish this one and I will join you, would not want drink to go to waste." He begins working on it, though he is a bit red in the cheeks at this point.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren bliiinks at the name of the drink Julio brings over. "Hey, is it frothy?" He asks, even as a few of them prepare to go off and dance. Jean's comment earns a grin and he looks over at her. "Well, it's about time a few of us were made more honest, yeah? Haven't really had the time to go and tell anyone just yet but I asked Alison to move in with me. So alas, so ends the day of Warren's galvanting youth."

He looks over and grins at Piotr. "Fine, fine. But you're gonna teach me one day. I'll hold you to it."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio nods to Warren, and accurately (if cluelessly) answers, "Si, the frothiness is from giving the eggs a good shake." He smiles a little bit apologetically at Bobby when he promises to explain, then offers, "If you don't like it, you can have some of mine?"

When Jean enters the conversation, the idiom she uses leads to another little misunderstanding. "He's not dishonest!" Julio reflexively protests. Then, remembering who he's talking to, he leans a little closer and asks, alarmed, "Wait, he's not, is he?"

But unless she's following, Jean won't have much time to answer, as he's being pulled along toward the dance floor in Betsy's wake, and reaching out to catch Bobby to drag him along with. All Julio himself has time for is a happily shouted, "We are!" at Piotr's question.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean laughs softly at that, "No, he's pretty honest. You're a lucky guy, Julio." She gives him a grin, then she finds herself dancing with Betsy for the moment, since Piotr is still working on his drinks. Which, well, she doesn't seem to mind at all, as she cuts a rather graceful figure on the dance floor.

Like Betsy, it helps to be able to sense who is nearby and plot your own way around, though she does reach out mentally to the purple-haired mutant, just enough thought-sharing to keep their movements in sync to each other and the music.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy lifts her arms over her head as she starts to dance, laughing lightly at the banter between her friends. "Congratulations," she says to Warren with regard to Alison. "That's a big step." Frankly, whatever her behaviour in the past, she's pretty content with her life at the moment. Her own club is doing well, for a start up, and she's been reasonably successful with her side projects, as well.

The kids she helped rescue from the mutant traffickers are recovering in safehouses across the city. She visits them regularly to make sure it stays that way.

So, tonight is a good night to unwind.

She feels that subtle sense of Jean against her consciousness and nods, letting the natural sync between their movements happen.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby Drake abandons the drink in exchange for taking a sip of Julio's gratefully. He grins over at Jean when she backs him up, giving her a wink. Bobby definitely wouldn't make a very good spy or poker player. He wears his feelings pretty openly, and definitely is a little too honest for his own good at times. But then he's being bodily tugged out toward the dancefloor and he laughs, letting Julio pull him along. He laughs at Julio's shout back to Piotr and lets that stand as confirmation. "Oh hey, congrats Warren," he says when Warren mentions asking Alison to move in with him.

As they make their way out onto the dancefloor, he slides in close to Julio and begins to move in time with the music, easily. "Finally made it to your club the other day," Bobby says to Betsy. He'd stopped by before it was finished to chat with her about it a little bit, and the plans she'd had for it. His expression turns a little bit mischievous. "Sorry about the couch." That might require a little further explanation at a later time.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
"Congratulations!" Piotr raises his glass, which is already mostly empty, to Warren, "And da, you will learn dance. Though you will not be able to bribe your way into learning. That is not how it works!" He chuckles and finishes his drink. He is not exactly pacing, usually he drinks beer at bars (gotta love teacher salaries!). Though he is relatively unaffected by the drinks, Piotr is now a little more comfortable, mentally and takes a deep breath before moving towards the dance floor.

The Russian makes his way over to where Jean and Betsy are dancing and makes an attempt to join in. Admittedly, he is not the best dancer, but Piotr puts in some effort in trying to do his best. At least he is not plodding around like an ox.

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Thanks, Betsy! You too, Bobby, I appreciate it." Warren smiles over at Betsy first and then Bobby. "It -is- a big step and I'm a little nervous but also pretty excited. For that and for whatever else the future may hold. I might be doing less heroic stuff too soon, maybe. I need to talk to the Professor about something where I can try to push for a lot more mutant rights since I see that as one of the biggest issues of our time right now." A pause. "Though I guess I'm a bit biased maybe?" He shrugs and looks over towards Piotr. "Thanks man. And yeah, I'll definitely learn and I'll make it look goooooood." He grins.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean gives Betsy a grin, moving to one side of Piotr as the three seem to form a triangle of sorts. Jean smiles warmly at Piotr, looping him into the mental communication she's sharing with Betsy, << Here, Piotr, relax and enjoy. >> There's warmth in her thoughts about Piotr, as she gives him a few impromptu tips and hints on the dance floor, relaxing and enjoying herself with her friends. It's been a long while since she could claim that, even as the golden rings and chain glitter and jangle on her right hand...

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio flashes Warren a quick thumbs-up from the dance floor. He doesn't really know the winged mutant or Alison, well enough to contribute much to that conversation, but he seems happy for them.

For a part-time punk, Julio's a pretty good dancer, in secret. He's good at navigating the crowd in the dark, for one thing; the dancers' beat-synced footfalls give his mutant senses a clear vibrational map of the room, so there's minimal bumping into people.

Once the group has picked a spot, his hands slide down to Bobby's waist as the two men pull together. He moves fluidly with the thumping bass, catching Bobby's hand to take a sip of his drink.

He nearly chokes on it as his date mentions the couch, though. "The couch?" he splutters. "That was /her/ couch?" He doesn't know Betsy, apart from one X-men briefing, so he hadn't made the connection. Oh, god, and she's a telepath, isn't she?? "Lo siento," he mumbles.

As Piotr joins them, he also maneuvers so that the big Russian will be between him and the purple-haired Brit, and gives Bobby a wide-eyed look before downing some more of their shared drink.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma orders a second drink before she's finished her first, which she throws back to finish. She reaches out to snag Alex's hand with her free one. She seems relatively content for the moment... no drama, no crisises, nor... anything really drawing her attention. She leans up, kissing his cheek lightly and smirks at what he's wearing. <<Let me down this and we can go dance too,>> she teeps to him.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Did you?" Betsy says to Bobby, continuing to dance happily, easily in synch with her partners. Then, she laughs. "The couch? Wait, that was *you*?" She rolls her eyes. "Well. At least you returned it. I really don't intend to redecorate *quite* this soon." Not before she's actually had the grand opening.

Which, yes, will happen. And fairly soon, too.

Perhaps that's the reason for her change of demeanor. "It's alright, Julio," she says, smiling at him. "It's supposed to be a mutant-friendly place. I've got insurance for worse than disappearing furniture, trust me." She gives him a saucy wink, because it's actually safe to do so with him.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex smiles at Emma's thought, nodding to her as he pauses to down the rest of his ale, setting the empty back on the bar to be disposed of before following Emma out to the dance floor after she finishes his. And...well, he's not a great dancer. Energetic. But mostly Midwest white boy dancing.

Bobby Drake has posed:
Bobby's a pretty good dancer, some of the natural grace and agility from being a skilled skater translating over, that and he just genuinely loves dancing. He laughs when Julio nearly chokes on his drink. "Uh huh," he confirms when Julio makes the connection that it was Betsy's couch that they'd inadvertently disappeared temporarily from the club. The wide-eyed look from Julio only sets him to laughing, unable to contain it, the sparkle of amusement clear in his blue eyes even in the darkness of the club. He steals the drink to take another sip before returning to Julio. Julio seems to need it more than him.
"Mighta been," Bobby says to Betsy, taking blame for the couch even though it wasn't he that actually disappeared it. "It was a... temporary relocation. Glad it got back safe." He grins when she explains she has insurance for far worse than the occasional piece of missing furniture.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
When Piotr is looped into the mental link, he is a bit more graceful. While he is no professional dancer or even expert. Toes go uncrushed, and he is at least mostly comfortable. At peace knowing he is not being stared at or made fun of, at least for now. It makes life a little easier. Though the talk of the stolen couch or whatever incident occurred has him befuddled, the Russian instead returns his focus on dancing, and (admittedly) Jean. Piotr is actually happy. And that is strange.

Julio Richter has posed:
Once it becomes clear that Betsy isn't going to get mad at him for vanishing her furniture, Julio relaxes a little. "Thanks for understanding," he says, still a bit sheepish, but at least not trying to hide behind Piotr anymore. A little bit of leeway might be necessary if he wants to make those good impressions tonight.

Bobby laughing at him is OK, though. "You're so cute when you're making fun of me," Julio says with dry amusement, enjoying a little more of their drink. He is cute, though. It's hard to get annoyed when the man is moving that gracefully and so obviously enjoying himself.

A keening synth line, undergirded by a distorted electric guitar, heralds the beginning of a dance song he actually knows, and Julio gives Bobby a quick peck on the cheek before backing away a little bit to dance more energetically. He hops backward three times on the beat, pogo-style, and his crooked arms go over his head, spreading the sides of his jacket like wings.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Always, Julio," she reassures Bobby's date. "Anytime."

Of course, given Alex's white-boy-dancing routine, it's unlikely anyone else here needs to worry about winning the worst dancer award. But he's also among friends, which means the only ones to mention it are likely to be those whose intention will only be light hearted teasing, not any real harm.

Mindful, however, of where she is and what her agenda is for the evening -- beyond having fun -- Betsy will *not* be among those jesters.

She's purposely trying to make nice, tonight.

Thus, she intends to drink, dance, and enjoy the company of her friends -- old and new alike.

Bobby Drake has posed:
"Only because I like you," Bobby grins at Julio with that broad grin. "Besides, I owe you for that drink," he laughs. He lets Julio slip away from him so that he can watch him dance, taking a step or two back and acquiring himself another drink to hold and sip as he watches his friends on the dancefloor for a little bit, just enjoying the night out with everyone. He grins over at Betsy and says, "You owe me at least once dance tonight, too."

Julio Richter has posed:
Julio goes a little bit wild as his song continues, bouncing and spinning, only keeping his drink from splashing everywhere by making sure its level is well below the rim of the glass. So conscientious! He drops back to his feet for some headbanging during a particularly percussive pre-chorus, but other than that, he never seems to be on the ground for more than a half-beat at a time.

There's a lot to be said for the feeling he has now: the liberation of being surrounded by people he can trust. Mistakes made, but forgiven, and room allowed for growth. It's not a familiar environment for Julio, but it gives the normally grounded mutant a feeling of lightness he can only welcome in such weighty times.

The song segues into its bridge, still propulsive but in a more fluid, ethereal way, and Julio sweeps back up to Bobby, clinking their glasses together with a breathless smile. "Let's dance with her together," he suggests. "I want to get to know all your friends." And for the remainder of the night, he does just that.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Just pick the song, dove," Betsy tells Bobby, flashing him another easy grin, gyrating in a circle as the beat picks up. "And, yes, you come, too, Julio." She winks, mainly because she wants to make sure Julio is included. And again, because they're friends and there's no threat between them. Thus, she is fluid and easy on her feet, and clearly enjoying herself.

All in all, it's a good night.