267/Pro-HUMANA Gala

Pro-HUMANA Gala
Date of Scene:	04 March 2020
Location:	Manhattan Center for Classical Arts; a Pro-HUMANA maintained establishment
Synopsis:	The Pro-HUMANA Gala opens their fundrasing season, attended by senators, artists, actors. Terry O'Neil gets a scoop, Sam Guthrie disguised as a waiter, Illyana Rasputina disguised as a socialite, Samuel Morgan and Hal Jordan as common gala-guests and Power Girl as a very, very angry woman. Allegra Caradenza (Alexis Carr) meets up with Sanjeev Bassi, her best friend, and the absolute roller coaster of occurances are fed into a mess of an event! Watch for the fire and the confetti!
Cast of Characters:	Alexis Carr, Samuel Guthrie, Illyana Rasputina, Terry O'Neil, Sanjeev Bassi, Karen Starr, Daniel Hastings, Hal Jordan, Samuel Morgan

---

Alexis Carr has posed:
    GALA NIGHT.

    This Black-Tie Affair has been moderately the talk of the (not-meta-enjoying part) of the town, a chance to rub elbows with the rich and fabulous and somewhat full of themselves.

    The red carpet has been rolled out, the silver-and-slate fascade fo the rebuilt former opera house has been polished to mirror-like sheens, and well-wishers were lined up for a chance to meet their favorites, get autographs or see the rare appearance of Pro-HUMANA poster girl, Allegra Caradenza.

    Reporters are ready with cameras and mics to ask who celebs are wearing. Elegant women in evening gowns and tuxedoed men have begun arriving in throngs, by limo, by escorted car (and one particularly ribald entertainer arriving by motor scooter).

    Security is tight tonight. Every door had two guards on either side, wearing suits and sunglasses, with earpeices in. Armed guards roam the insides, making a few of the servers nervous -- but after a breach of security last night, couldn't be too careful.

    And when Alexis -- in her real skin as Allegra arrives, it's in a sleek, 1942 Caddilack 72 Limo, colored a deep red.

    Filipe Caradenza steps out first, and gives a brillaint smile to the crowd, and offers his hand to the girl within.

    Allegra Caradenza steps out, wearing a black, strapless ballgown, its skirts of tulle puffed out around her, the boddice alight with a thousand tiny gemstones sparkling in the light. Her hair was set with black lilies and diamonds, pulled into an up-do with her dark hair left in the odd little curl about her.

    The crowd cheered. 'Humanity's Finest artist', according to her own father who fashioned himself an expert on such things, had arrived.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie has mixed with the waitstaff again tonight his hair died brown. The young man gets a plate of au d'oeuvres and walks around. He keeps his head down a bit showing "respect" to the patrons. The tall man does listen to the chatting as he walks along.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
How many important people here, how many saturated in their own wealth and luxury? They are the very sort of people that a pretty blonde's great-grandfather seduced by the thousand-fold, and so by inadvertently brought down the wealthiest aristocracy in five centuries. How ironic she happens to stand on Millionaire's Row now watching the upper crust, flaunting their gems and countless funds, contemplating moving among them. Grigori Rasputin must be laughing from his watery grave in the Neva, or saluting her while ablaze in the darker circles of Hell.

She belongs to neither the waitstaff or the performers, but dwells in the crowd heaving and thronging to behold Allegra before her famous father shuttles her into the relative safety of the opera house. She is dressed to fit in, well but not ostentatiously screaming of wealth. Slim fingers toy with the silver chain around her neck, taking everything in with ease. She claps along with everyone else. She smiles along with everyone else. She moves along with everyone else, ushered inside. Because Illyana Rasputina is, like her fabled relative, sometimes little more than a ghost beneath the gaze and the mighty and influential.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry was one of the aforementioned reporters standing by, ready to photograph. He did so with the most half-hearted energy and the most unenthusiastic verve since Droopy the Dog made his big screen debot. He sighs as he snaps, his inner monologue going something like this:

~Allegra? Oh, how precious. How absolutely precious. I wonder if Grandma Hemiola will come, too, and bring dear cousin Largo al Factotum and her little dog Molto Adagio Con Brio Ma Non Troppo Lento. These people. And Caradenza... what a last name. It sounds like someone was falling down the dictionary and got stuck between credenza and cadenza. ~


These were not his favorite people, it was clear. The Planet had to send someone, of course, due to the notoriety of the event... and so, the intern was chosen. Because Terry could imagine what would happen if you tried to tell Lois Lane she should cover a human-supremacist event. The resulting glare would probably outperform even Superman's heat vision.

The redhead raises an eyebrow as Allegra steps out, and rolls his eyes when he remembers what her marketing tagline is. 'Humanity's finest artist.' "Right," he mutters, snapping a perfunctory set of pictures, "Because Maria Callas was just an Ethel Merman impersonator."

He could have been back at his apartment watching Netflix.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Stepping out of a polished, jet black mercedes, Sanjeev adjusted his black bow tie absently as his eyes scanned the crowd. His body moving with the practiced ease and grace of a young man who had manners of high society pounded into it for the majority of his life, he smoothly turned and offered his hand to his mother in order to help her out of the car.

    Priya Bassi stood out as she took her son's hand and stepped out of the car. Resplendent in a traditional Indian Saree, she was a good deal more colorful than some of the other people attending the event, her outfit in shades of rich purples and greens with golden embroidery. Golden bangles adorned her wrists along with various other kinds of jewelry that caused the beautiful woman in her mid-forties to accent her looks without being overly gaudy. As she stepped out of the car, Sanjeev smoothly transitioned into offering her his arm which she took as they began to walk.

    As the older woman took a few moments to adjust the skirts of her saree, an older Indian man with salt-and-pepper hair that also was reflected in his moustache walked along ahead of them with a teenaged Indian girl on his arm. Dr. Vijay Bassi was a powerhouse of a man, a medical doctor who ran one of the most successful hospitals in New York. He was a regular at events like these. His daughter Divya was on his arm, the beautiful girl wearing a less traditional outfit than her mother.

    As they walked forward, Sanjeev let the charming smile spread across his face as he nodded to the cameras. How he dreaded these occasions. At least Allegra would be here and he could drop the mask for a while when they found time. But, these sorts of events always dragged him away from his research and back into seeing his father again. But, he was a Bassi. These sorts of things were expected of him.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Allegra might have heard some of the muttering as she walks along the carpet, trying her best to maintain herself as aloof and unbothered byt he calls of her name, or even one person who shouted something that might have been 'Traitor'. And her cheeks color slightly, her head bowing as she focused on just... getting to the door. Step by step on her strappy heels that hurt her feet and made her long for pointe shoes.

    This was already a testy night. People are meandering inside the reception, waiters around passing food and flutes of champagne.

    And immediately, Allegra gives a smile, and goes to mingle, accept bows and hand-kisses from well wishers and ne'er-well wishers alike.

    The music playing is some of her own, performances and and arrangements of American Classical music.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie keeps doing the circuit he was assigned. He does catch Alexis' entry and will keep his eyes on her for a moment, almost bumping into someone, following a sorry sorry, so sorry. He keeps from spilling anything and after he has said sorry about a dozen time, he is back on the circuit. Sam makes sure to keep an eye on both the security and a bit on the other wait staff.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Important names. Important faces. They all blend together in the mix, causing the petite blonde girl to watch with the sharpness of a sentry guarding her particular patch of wall. Outward appearances, for all they count, indicate a sort of distracted air around someone showing up to be seen, a future trophy wife or a sponsor of the arts to the right eye. Possibly someone here on tickets provided through a network of social groups, university sponsorship, and knowing just the right titled chair. Illyana is safe in her bubble of ignorance, falling in behind Terry. Reporters are caustic enough when they push through a crowd, eyes divert from those around them. Already sufficiently important.

Reception calling for no champagne she is willing to take, the Russian moves into that stance of mingling with the crowd. A few murmurs here and there indicate largely excusing herself for brushing too close to someone, though she always manages to keep a little space about herself. It might be that pointed blue-eyed stare turned on anyone squeezing in a little too close, a little too eager to get a clear look at the other important people, that gorgeously colourful saree, the lady of the moment.

"The finest voice of the age," she murmurs aside to Terry. Twins in their suffering then. "Tempra, o Diva. Tempra tu de cori ardenti." A smirk, then.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry blinks and looks at the petite blonde who seems to have read his mind. Or , at least, his spirit. "Not exactly Caballe, is it?" he answers with a little smirk, quickly glancing over the photos. Some of them were decent. He hoped it meant he needn't stay the whole event. A few more good shots should be enough to accompany whatever tepid copy the coverage of the event would merit. "But at least the fashion is good."

e He watches Allegra mingle, taking note of her demeanor. There are some, albeit not many, or at least not openly, that seemed to be giving her what his best friend would term a 'killer side-eye', but he's not quite sure if he's imagining it, or...

"Terry O'Neil. Daily Planet," he says to Illyana as a means of introduction and expiatory auto daa fe for finding himself here.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Hearing some of the less flattering remarks about Allegra coming from the crowd along with the positive ones, Sanjeev's pleasant facade did not fade in the slightest as he kept his eyes forward. The Bassi family were not usually ones to pander to the media very much considering Dr. Bassi's more strict, old-world style. And if one of them did it would be Sanjeev's sister Divya--certrainly not the eldest son of the family. In his mind, however, he knew that this was going to be one of those nights that Allie would need a distraction considering the not altogether pleasant crowd atmosphere.

    As they made their way past the doors, Vijay beckoned his son to him non-verbally. Speaking to Sanjeev in a low voice, the older man's eyes moved to Allegra and back to his son. With a silent nod, Sanjeev broke away from his family and headed toward the wait staff. A few short moments later, he had in his hands a small container of cut citrus wedges and a glass of water.

    As he headed toward Allegra, he tried to clear the irritation he felt from his mind. He had been prepared to help out his friend, but of course his father had felt it necessary to tell his son to mingle with them anyway. Vijay had an ulterior motive, of course, as there had been attempts to set his son up with the scion of humanity's music world in the past. Arriving before Allegra and her father, the young Indian man smiled pleasantly.

    "Mr. Caradenza," he greeted the older man with a respectful nod. "Ms. Caradenza." He felt the need to still be formal to his childhood friend in front of her father, if only to make sure he was still making a good impression. "I thought that perhaps it would be a good idea to have water with some citrus to prepare for the future performance?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    The fashion was, as the kids say these days, 'on fleek'. The rich and famous definitely know how to hire someone to dress them.

    Allegra flits through the crowd, greeting others, some kissing her gloved hand as she blushed, giving soft greetings and thanks for compliments. Most everyone in the crowd was older than her -- but Bassi was a refreshing face. She looks automatically releived when he makes his approach.

    "Ah, young Sanjeev Bassi! How are you doing, young man?" Filipe gives a smile, clasping the young man briefly on his shoulder. "How are your parents? Has your mother recovered from her cold yet?" he asks, and then looks between the two, and gives a slight grin.

    "I shall leave you alone -- Allegra -- /don't be late/." he reminds quietly,

    Allegra greatfully accepts the water and citris, and makes a small motion with her head to her old friend.

    "It's... it's so good to see you, Jeev. You have no idea how lonely this city has been."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over and seeing the guy come over talking to Alexis, he will stop his circuit for a moment, but soon is back at the bar getting a new platter. This one with half champagne and half non alcoholic half normal. He will end up soon near Terry and Illyana, offering them something from the tray.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry notices Sam approaching them, and as he waits for the blonde's answer to his aside, he reaches for for a non-alcoholic drink. "Thank goodness they remembered those of us not of drinking age, I'm parched." He smiles at Sam and raises an eyenrow, "Do you know if they've started circulating the hors'doeuvres?"

If he was going to be here, at least he was going to profit a bit from it.

He briefly wonders if he can intercept Allegra as she moves about. Perhaps get a quote or two from her.

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
With all the thrills and excitement present in the crowds, how easy it is for Illyana to flit off and find an appointed seat somewhere. When others are holding court, or gathered in clusters while examining phones and engaged in conversation, she seeks the surest and least path of resistance to maneuver her way deeper into the operahouse towards one of those spots well back from the stage. Alas, the best tickets and the boxes cost real money, the kind only people with double-barrelled surnames or memories of the Dutch rulership over the New York social scene ever seem to possess.

Better, though, for the shadowy deeper recesses of an upper mezzanine or the mid-back of the seating arrangement give the perfect spot to people-watch or simply stake a claim to territory with her coat laid down. That will be that.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "I'm doing well, Mr. Caradenza," the young Indian man replied, turning on the charm as he smiled winningly. "Mother's cold has mostly passed. She usually catches those on the long trips from India visiting her parents. It usually doesn't last more than a couple days when she does."

    As the evening's benefactor decided to leave them, Sanjeev let out a sigh of relief as he let go of some of his poise. Smoothly taking a glass of wine from the tray of a passing waiter, he gave Allegra a wry smile before pressing it to his lips.

    "You, too, Allie," he replied with a wink after letting the liquid slide down his throat. Not a bad age for wine considering the large-scale event. "You know how it is. Dodging my father and seeing you at the same time is never easy." He grinned at the quip. "Plus, I've taken up a position as a guest lecturer recently. My father's lent me out for one of his associates' pet projects."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Oh? Congratulations, that's wonderful Jeev!" Allegra replies with a smile, a real smile, and she gives a wry grin. "You've worked so hard for your expertiese, I'm proud of you!" the nearly-eighteen-year-old states with a smile, and she holds her glass up a moment, and goes to clink it against Sanjeev's glass before she adds the citrus slices to the water, and swirls it ti mix the fruit and ice in.

    "Do you think our parents are going to give up on us getting married? Father said he had a surprise for me, and in spite of my love for you, I *really* hope it's not a marriage arrangement -- there... is a gentleman I fancy, but Father wouldn't approve."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to Terry, and says "Yea, ah can make sure to bring the next tray Ah get by you if you want." He relaxes a bit talking to the guy and lets his accent slip out a bit. He does look over towards Alexis. He seems to be looking that way a decent amount.

Terry O'Neil has posed:
"Take your time," Terry says, sipping his drink, "Figure you're probably swamped, what with all the fashionable people here being half-crazed from hunger because they didn't want to get stains on their fineries."

He notices Sam's glances towards Allegra.

"Interesting family," he says by way of an opener. Interesting is definitely a word for it.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "It'd be nicer if I got something like that without nepotism," the young Indian man muttered into his glass as he took another sip. "My research was coming along nicely before it, and I've still got to finish my Ph.D work. Though, I can't really turn down the money if I want to be independent of the 'Bassi Family Assets'." He curled two fingers in air quotes, but held his hand down by his side between himself and Allegra so that only she could see it: their secret way of doing things that would be considered improper in high society functions.

    Quirking an eyebrow at his childhood friend, Sanjeev stopped drinking his wine for a moment. "You know that I know less about what my father's plans are than you know about yours," he said with a wry smile. "At least yours told you that he had a surprise. Mine tends to just blindside me with things." The wry smile spread into a grin as she gave him a little bit of ammunition to tease her. "Little Allie's got a guy she fancies, huh?" he laughed in a hushed whisper so that word wouldn't travel. "Your father wouldn't approve? Is he poor or something? Well, just tell him to chase you down on a runaway horse and then get stuck with you telling stories while waiting for a rescue. Then he'll be stuck with you just like I have been."

Alexis Carr has posed:
5R    "If you hadn't spooked Arwen I wouldn't have had to have you chase me down on Bill and made you talk through the night to keep m'mind off being lost in the wilds. Oh, did father want to tan us after that. Luckily, Nan thought you had a good bit of talent in the arts and liked you." she jokes back quietly, and she gives a slight smile, and looks over the whole of the assembly.

    "Well, I don't know what money he'll make, but he's handsome, strong, stubborn as anything though and --" she pauses, and she feels her heart go into her throat a moment as she looks towards that server with the brownish hair.

    "... has completely lost the plot -- is that a reporter? Oh god, that *is* a reporter, isn't it?" she tenses a moment. "Sanjeev, come back with me to my dressing room for a moment?" she asks, and without even waiting for an answer the girl reaches down, grabs Sanjeev's hand and pulls him! How improper!

    Meanwhile, Filipe is mozying through the crowd, greeting people, shaking hands.

    "Hello, Senator, so good to see you! You look incredibly well -- how are things down in the South?"
    "Ah! Madame, you're looking particularly ravishing today, is that a new diamond? How chic!"

    And then he comes upon Sam and Terry. "Ah! The young waiter from last night -- I do hope that gentleman wasn't too off-putting. Such language!" he tut-tuts, and grabs a glass of bubbly from Sam.

    "And you are press? Which paper?" e inquires, looking Terry up and down.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie frowns a moment as Alexis starts to leave, but then Filipe is there and he offers the man a nod, and says "A pain, but I will admit he had a nice car." He will ramble off a bit about a Maserati" Thankfully Berto has talked enough about his Sam can pull off being a bit of a car nut.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "Allie, what's wrong with a repor-TER?" was all Sanjeev managed to get out before his arm was jerked by his childhood friend. It was all he could do to manage to not spill the wine over his suit and hand it off to a waiter before he was fully dragged away. Finally getting his feet under himself, he looked at Allegra, analyzing her body language. What had her so agitated? She should be more than used to members of the press by now--they had both practically grown up under a lens. And how did she manage to practically throw him off-balance while she was in heels? Women were amazing sometimes.

    Waiting until they were a good distance away, he gave his childhood friend a reminding tug on the arm. "What the hell, Allie?" he asked, looking at her in confusion. "What's going on with you?"

Terry O'Neil has posed:
Terry's expression undergoes a remarkable change as Filipe approaches him. If he were at a poker game, he'd probably be making bank, "I'm from the Daily Planet, signor Caradenza. Terry O'Neil." his tone is perfectly neutral and pleasant, although he watches Filipe carefully. There isn't much to his own name, except that one interview with Captain Marvel. It's highly unlikely Filipe would have read the article or listened to the podcast, but it he had, it could count against him.

"This promises to be a memorable gala," he adds, head tilted to indicate the people milling about in anticipation.

Karen Starr has posed:
    In a different city, on a balcony outlooking Metropolis' various sky-scraping buildings, the blonde form of Karen Starr is irate. Arms folded, her salmon-pink suit conforming to a pair of arms that look nothing akin to what a frumpy businesswoman, nerd, and erstwhile CEO should have. She has been debating this idly since the Gala began. Should she go? What would she say? In the end, she simply cannot tolerate it. She had let Genosha happen, and wasn't about to let something like this go unchallenged.

    The citizens of Metropolis hear a familiar, thunderous crack echo through the sky. Mere moments later, the pink streak created by the red and white mixing together burns across the Manhattan skyline. Where it heads? An art installation, of all places. She hits the ground with a little more gusto than she intended to, but she's angry. It can't be helped.

    Striding forward as if she belongs there, Power Girl is not necessarily worried about being stopped by a bodyguard or doorman. She's six-three. She'll drag them along if need be. Either way, they'd have to be brave enough to try and stop this particular woman, who looks so -effortlessly- angry.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    If you think the movement in heels is impressive, remember she also dances ballet.

    Allegra floats accross the floor, along the side of the room and slips to the backstage through the side door, lifting her skirts with a practiced motion as she releases Sanjeev's hand.

    "I spoke at the Geonosha memorial last night." she whispers as she pulls away from the crowds, looking ove rher shoulder at Sanjeev. "I didn't think anyone would recognize me. I wore a hat that hid all of my hair. I was in plainclothes. I wasn't wearing makeup. Roberto da Costa was there and /recognized me/. And it wasn't the reporter, the gent serving him is the lad I fancy, who is friends with Roberto, and this is going to be a mess -- he's a mutant. In a room full of people who hate mutants!" she turns back to Jeeves, and she raises her hand up, biting on her index finger's knuckle.

    "Jeeves, how do we make sure Sam doesn't get killed out there?"

    MEANWHILE, AS POWERGIRL ENTERS AND THE CROWD PAUSES TO TURN--

    There is a hush that hangs over the crowd as the 6'3 Power Girl enters. Two of the doormen had tried to stop her and ask her for her ticket, but realistically who is going to stop her?

    "Ah, Mr. O'Neil, yes, I read one of your articles recently, an interview with a very interesting woman..." he begins -- and then Karen Starr enters.

    Well. The event had been made public.

    "My apologies, excuse me." he states with a dark tone, and turns to regard Power Girl a sshe stalks in.

    Filipe Caradenza is not a tall man, nor physically imposing and certainly doesn't have much on Power Girl, but this was *his* event, and as a host, he would be in remiss if he didn't welcome someone of such... note... to the party.

    "Ah, good evening my 'friend'." he greets the angry woman, "I trust that you bypassed the doormen because you have purchased a ticket to our little event. Would you care for a drink?" he offers, and the crowd murmurs quietly.

    Backstage, the stage manager pokes her head in. "Allegra, your first solo is in ten."

Daniel Hastings has posed:
Karen Starr, Power Girl, epic heroine that no fool of a mortal man is going to stop from coming into gala is looking mad as a hatter. For those individuals that are eating popcorn from the nosebleed section in upstate New York, she immediately catches his eye. Daniel smiles. This.. this is the perfect moment. There are a number of boxes next to him. They're filled with a mixture of inflated balloons, confetti and a multitude of 3x5 pictures of the various scandalous moments throughout Filipe Cardenza's life. The one time with the au pair, with the secretary, the senator's daughter, the maid at the Waldorf. Each one of these scandals was quietly paid off through power and influence but the photos are out there for the persistent. Nothing on the internet ever truly goes away. And now they're back.

Even as the security guards are facing up on Karen, wondering exactly what they're supposed to do about her, confetti begins to sprinkle down from the ceiling. Multicolor balloons drop. You'd think it was a planned prop for some event at the gala. But then there are the photos flitting down to the floor and tabletops. So many photos. The indelicate bits were blurred for the underaged present but the adults can put it together quick. This is NOT a decent man. Where did it all come from? The ceiling. Like every other confetti drop at every other gala in the world. Someone must have slipped something extra into this one.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie is frowning a bit more at Alexis leaving but then he is distracted by the lady who maybe a Kryptonian depending on who is writing this week. He does relax a bit when he realizes it is a heroine, and not someone he might have to defend the guy against. Then the confetti starts to fall, and he notices the extra . He mutters under his breath, and will start to head towards the door Alexis went through. PG can handle anything that comes through the front door, he wants to make sure someone aint coming in the back while there is a distraction.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    As Allegra began to speak more, the young Indian man's jaw began to drop and then worked wordlessly in shock. This was the Allegra he grew up with? Sure, they didn't agree with their fathers' policies, but they had always been sure to /never/ get sloppy.

    "You did /what,/ Allie?!" he exclaimed in a terse whisper. "Why would you have gone there much less /speak/ there?! I'm not sure if it occurred to you, but not only would the human-supremacists eat you alive if you were discovered by the Press, which you were, but /mutants/ may not like you much either for that role?! You could have been killed!"

    And now the person she likes is here. "Fuck, he's not poor, he's a /mutant,/" he managed to get out. Sanjeev never swore. But, this seemed like extenuating circumstances. He was worried for his friend and now they were in a downright horrible position. Letting his brain work as fast as it could, he took a deep breath. He needed more information on how things were going out at the gathering. "We need a distraction so you can get him out of here if that's the case," Sanjeev said, taking his friend by the hand as he walked back toward the gala. "There are several things we could do."

    Stepping to the door to the backstage, he spotted Power Girl. "...or, there's that."

    Damn. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.

Karen Starr has posed:
    What incredible luck! Caradenza, the man Power Girl came here to berate, is the person who approaches her first. Of course, the doormen try and stop her. She walks through them as effortlessly as she does open air- it's like being brushed aside by a slow-moving semi, except angrier. She doesn't even necessarily brush them off- she could, of course, detach them and regard them as an impedance of some kind... But it sends more of a statement if she just doesn't even think of them as people. They're barely serviceable doors.

    Idly, Power Girl looks around the room. She's being approached by Filipe- and this demands an audience. One that can hear. There is a rush of air, and the blonde disappears from where she was standing, for a blink of an eye. The precision that she returns to that spot is admirable. It's only as if she twitched slightly on the spot. When she gets back, though, she's holding one of the wireless microphones. She's aware that this might cause some hesitation on the part of Filipe. That's why she's making her approach now.

    "Filipe Caradenza. A word. I'm from the internet." Sure. Journalism. That's what we'll call this. She had a very, very temporary internship at the Planet back home. That's a credential in her favor.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Mr. Jordan was dressed to impress, as much as he could be, anyway. The Doorcharge? Well...that's more than he's willing to pay. So all the men watching the door and making sure everyone paid saw was a minor green glow going by about 30 minutes ago, before Hal appeared and from then on acted like he belongs there. Power Girl coming in brazenly made him smile, though. He didn't want to be quite that...direct...about seeing what was going on around here.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    To say that Sam is dressed to impress is perhaps stating the obvious. Equally obvious, however, is that he can't afford the finery and frippery of the truly well off... or even the moderately well off. But, at the least, he's presenting himself impeccably. Dark blue dinner jacket, white shirt with such sharp creases that you could use it for a shave, a silver and purple tie, dark blue slacks with a perfectly centered and straight crease fore and aft, and footwear that is polished to a mirror shine. Even his companion for the evening, a very amiable looking German Shepherd, is dressed in the canine equivalent of a suit and tie. There is no pushing for him, no trying to barge through, no using a badge to dazzle or misdirect...

    Approaching the doormen, he presents his phone with an e-ticket for the gala, all proper and paid for, in his actual name. "Morgan, Samuel Alexander. I do hope I haven't missed the concerto."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "And he's a complete idiot for being here." Allegra comments bitterly. "I should have married you when I was twelve. Would have solved this whole relationship nonsense." she half-jokes, trying to use humour to calm her nerves as they pull to the front and -- there's Power Girl. And her father.

    And Allegra freezes, her eyes going wide.

    "... Dad--" she whispers quietly.

    Filipe Caradenza is no stranger to stage fright, no stranger to mutants and other powered people confronting him. He brushes off his shoulder a moment, and gives a toothy grin.

    ... and then the confetti falls.

    People cheer, thinking perhaps this was some sort of ploy, a plan, they think it's the most exciting moment they've had at a Pro-HUMANA gala in ages -- and then people realize what's on the pictures.

    The whispering begins as people compare pictures, images of past improprieties.

    And the color drains from his face. His graying hair seems to go grayer as he looks around the room, his dark eyes registerring shock, pain. Immodesties that he had even forgotten about were now staring his cohorts.

    "... dio..." he whispers quietly, then as if in shock, turns back to Power Girl.

    Outside, the doorman looks at the phone with the E-ticket, and then looks over his shoulder. "You might wanna wait out here young man, I think things are about to get ugly inside."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will come up to Alexis and first thing he says "Not mine or anyone Ah know's doing, but if someone is doing this, they could be using it as a distraction to go for you and the rest of the performers or the money. Ah know your pissed Ah am here, but Ah was worried about you. Please, stay close." He frowns a bit as he looks around not caring really how the old man is doing but not wanting Alexis to have to see it. He though continues looking around for other possible trouble.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "Are you kidding?" he quipped back to Allegra on a reflex built from many years of teasing each other. "Who would want to marry a crazy girl like--"

    And Sanjeev stopped short at the exact same moment his childhood friend did. He placed an arm around her without thinking, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly. This was really not going to end well today. It seemed that yet another hero was doing something decidedly unheroic tonight. Was this what heroes were? Hurting people they outclassed, ignoring rules and laws, breaking people apart simply because they had strength? The only one that seemed to be different was Spider-Man.

    As the mutant approached, Sanjeev nodded to him in greeting, though he did not remove his hand from Allegra's shoulders until she moved herself.

    "You must be the guy Allegra told me about," the young Indian man said, his chestnut-hued eyes looking Sam up and down. "I don't know what was so important, but you being here puts not only you but also her in danger."

Karen Starr has posed:
    There is a moment where Power Girl isn't looking at Filipe- the definition of moment in this case being exactly two-thirds of a second, during which Karen is assessing the amount of dirty laundry that is literally being aired about the fellow she was going to attempt to dress down. Some might have more decorum, some might decide that now, when the man and his daughter are here having everything good about them sullied, is a bad time. Power Girl isn't the person to make that decision. She doesn't get to punch Filipe. Catharsis has to come another way.

    It's hard, probably, to construct a diplomatic opinion while physical evidence of your infidelity is being dropped onto peoples' tables. "Filipe, I wanted to ask you some questions regarding your alleged approval of the actions of giant robots in the island nation of Genosha."

    Then, the microphone finds its way pointed right at Filipe.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Nonsense, my friend. I'm sure you have it all under control." Sam mentions to the doorman as he starts to walk inside, exuding an air of confidence that grows entirely from past infiltration missions. Act like you're supposed to be here, and people will assume you're supposed to be here. It's a mess of confetti and ... pictures? Huh. Not what he'd expected from this fancy an occasion. Canapés, yes. Amuse Bouche, sure. The grapes of wrath finely stomped and filtered into some kind of Angry Grape Juice, probably. But salacious pictures? Hang on, he'd seen some of these before.

    There's a smile as the teenager politely takes one of the pictures from a table where it had fallen, giving a brief and very sincere apology to the people already there for depriving them of their entertainment for a moment, and then smiles. Again.

    And then he begins to laugh. It's not mockery. It's not cynicism. It's the well modulated and measured laugh of someone who is doing their best to convince someone else that something is amusing. He'll even follow it up with a few polite claps, heading towards the nominal host. "Monsieur Caradenza! Quelle drôle de blague! What a sense of humor. How long did it take to have these faked so well? Such dedication to the joke, amazing!"

    Because if he's going to get into a gala like this with a faked ticket, he's not going to be caught in some kind of outright scandal. He does /not/ want to explain that to the somewhat unnerving new handler at the Triskellion. Give people something else to believe, something to shrug off what has just happened as a joke, and hopefully they'll do just that. That, too, is misdirection. As for microphones... let's not have anything he's saying on record. That microphone has an unfortunate malfunction and shuts itself off.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Hal is watching events transpire, but since he's in civvies and Power Girl is in 'uniform', he's going to go ahead and let her make the pro mutant statements he might've made himself. Also, let her put Filipe on the spot. But, to some of the bystanders around him, he comments, "Ya know, it's one thing to want registration. Wholesale death is a whole other level of awful." Other than that, he's basically going to kick back and let Power Girl make the statements. It's kinda fun letting someone else do the work.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Have you ever been so angry that you forget the person you're cursing out might not speak your language?

    Allegra Caradenza is now that angry. Pictures of her father's past were littering the floor, the tables, the piano where she was to have sat.

    There are several confused looking waiters with a simply gigantic cake, reading 'Happiest Birthday to my Little Heart' were in the corner by the kitchen, looking confused and trying to figure out why the confetti launched early.

    And there, in the middle of it all, was an amazon of a woman accosting her father.

    Allegra Caradenza lost her cool once, but now she has regained it. She takes every ounce of her five-foot-two frame, and stalks accross the flower to Power Girl, and wedges herself between the microphone and her father.

    "How dare you. How /dare/ you. Coming in as if you have every right to be here, to embarrass and humiliate my father. Of course we do not believe in Genocide. Of course we don't want innocent lives snuffed out like candles! Innocent men, women and children who were living their lives in their own ways were buried beneath rubble. And what of you? Do you use your powers to burst into events uninvited to launch ad hominem attacks against people in their own groups? For what purpose? So that you can take some bollocks moral high ground? Any other time he is glad to speak, to take interviews, to meet in his office, at cafes, anywhere you would like to meet. But no --"

    There are literal tears in Allegra's eyes of frustration. "Are all people with ridiculous powers as radically selfish or do you just like making spectacle of yourselves?"

    The flames at the candles within about twenty feet of the angry teenager are burning a little bit hotter.

    Filipe looks probably more surprised at Allegra's outburst than even the pictures.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Sanjeev was not one usually to rise to anger. He usually chose to sit back and analyze situations to try to mediate arguments and try to defuse them. But, seeing his childhood friend in as much pain as she was rendered by a so-called hero made his blood boil. He had seen so many recent examples of people who claimed heroism abusing their power. It made him have shame for recently discovering his own. It was not that he believed the human-supremacist tag line. But, his own experiences had been showing him just how flawed these so-called heroes actually were.

    Taking a deep breath in and out, Sanjeev left the backstage door and followed Allegra to where she was standing between Power Girl and her father. He stood next to her in solidarity, his chestnut-hued eyes staring defiantly at Power Girl, the green flecks in his pools standing out a little more in the firelight. His defiance was wordless, but it was palpable.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie says, "is looking the other way to make sure none are coming up on them, and then Alexis is off towards PG. "Damn is, we gotta." and the guy is heading that way now "Doublt damn it." He mutters. He really does not think PG will hit anyone here, and he does not want to protect her dad. He starts to head over and notices something. He stops in his tracks and mutters "Oh this is going to get alot worse before it gets better." He will start running through what to do in his head, as he is heading over towards this uproar as well."

Karen Starr has posed:
    Power Girl has a response, of course. She did not come mentally unprepared. The microphone malfunctions, but right now, she's altogether too into it. She shouts- and that's... Very unfortunate. She's not a canary, but her lungs can carry her voice enough to fill the room. She won't break any windows or glasses, but it's hard not to call a room to quiet when you're the shouting-angry alien that could have flipped the building if she wanted.

    "How -DARE- you offer your PASSIVE SUPPORT?!" she calls, shouting down at the smaller woman. "I was -there.- Too late. Not enough. Lifting rocks off of the innocent men women and children for whom we could do nothing but retrieve the bodies. Sometimes, it's all I can do to make a spectacle. To be seen, and heard. Because I can't punch people like you. Goodness, I want to- but I can't. Because it's not a crime to dance and be happy while you do nothing but remove protections and create restrictions for people who are being -hunted.-"

    There's a pause, then- but not one long enough that she'll let the other woman retake the offensive. "You're doing everything BUT celebrating. All the other forms of support for what happened in Genosha are here. Not a single one of you is mourning. Not a single one of you is doing anything but happily ignoring it while demanding that you're better. I came here because the lot of you needed to be taken down a peg. Because what you're doing here is -dangerous.- You celebrating the things you're celebrating here and now provide the power base for people who make giant robots that do NOTHING but kill mutants. And do not tell me that Filipe Caradenza doesn't -know- that."

    She's pointing, now, her finger hovering but a small amount from the other woman's chest. "So I come here. I come here and I demand that your father defend himself from the truth. That he might not be throwing any parties, but that he's celebrating the loss of so many lives, and I'm calling this collection of human garbage -exactly- what it is... A victory lap."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Such passion! Even though he's standing to the side, even though he is technically not supposed to be here and even though he has no reason to say or do anything right now, Bean can't help but offer a formal, courteous bow to Alexis. "Mademoiselle Caradenza. Such fire, such zeal. I have heard it so often in your music, in the soul of your performance, but to see such passion in person, I feel truly honored. May I say that I look forward to hearing you perform today?"

    And then he turns to Karen, giving her a slightly less formal bow. "And miss. I admire your passion and the spirit of your argument which must necessarily burn deep within. But is this the right place or time to pursue such matters? And in such a way? Your point could surely have been made through official channels, or perhaps even in a public forum? Not, I am sure, while trespassing on a private function?"

    The very act of defending Felipe from Karen is repugnant to him, but he's very much with Sanjeev... heroes should be better than this.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Hal is considering switching IDs...it'd take a little bit of invisibility to back his friend up so he has time to change into uniform...but Power Girl appears to have things well in hand, and...maybe she doesn't need any support at all. Maybe she can make the point about how wrong this is, without Hal doing much of anything. However...he IS in civilian clothing, so maybe he can back her up another way, as Hal turns to the people around him, "...Sometimes I wonder. Maybe this IS wrong..."

Hal is now pretending like he's supposed to be there, but his mind is being changed by this. Maybe others will follow suit.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Filipe clears his throat. And he motions over to the very, very confused cooks.

    "... actually, it was Allegra's birthday party. She is among the best artists humanity has produced. You see around us people that she has learned are her friends. People she has grown up with, moving from place to place, living in hotels. She wanted to perform for the public for her birthday, but as you can see -- she's something of a target. And far too passionate for her own good." Filipe states, straightening his lapels and finding himself recovered, just a little.

    "So, charge a small fortune. Donate it to causes for control of people like You. After all, my little girl used to be so scared of mutants and aliens. Now she faces threats from People Like You every day of her life. And she has no powers of flight, or imperviousness to defend herself." Filipe states, and with the utmost calm. "I wanted to give her a venue to play. And now you have taken it from her. My apologies, my heart, that it was ruined.

    Most in the room are more like Filipe -- or worse, like the senator in the corner who thinks all mutants are an abomination affront God, Karen and Hal aren't going to find a lot of common ground here.

    Allera herself looks angry, then confused -- and she spots the cake. The very confused cooks. And she turns back to Karen, whose finger is jabbed towards her chest, and the smaller girl tries to stand up just a little taller -- with her heels leaving the ground. The fire within that circle keys up a little higher, flames licking at discarded or unclaimed images from the smutdrop.

    "You have no idea what lives I live." she states in cold fury to Power Girl.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "Thank you very much for ruining my best friend's birthday," Sanjeev stated to Power Girl coldly. "You are exactly why my family dislikes heroes. Throwing around your power with disregard for the law. Did you even pay for a ticket to the event? I suppose not." The young Indian man reached down and took hold of Allegra's hand, squeezing it comfortingly, trying to will some of his own strength to her. This had to be hard for her considering she had spoken at Genosha and lent itself to their cause just to have someone come and ruin her birthday and accuse her of not. Glancing from Allegra's hand to Power Girl, his eyes were cold.

    "Please leave."

Hal Jordan has posed:
Hal sees the opinion of the crowd isn't being swayed by his 'maybe I was wrong' approach. Well...he can keep trying.

"I mean, what if we have gone too far?"

Hal does his best to implant some doubt into the Humana types around him, but he can tell he's kinda falling on mostly deaf ears. Still, if even 1 or 2 people are listening to him, this is all worth it.

Karen Starr has posed:
    Power Girl is not about to let the man posture and regain ground. She may be the only one taking the position, but she'll die on this hill if she has to. Her attention flits momentarily to Sam Morgan. Her brow raises. "Why, so that they can burst into innocent people's homes with rifles? So that they can rip mutant children away from their mothers, because they managed to convince enough idiots to vote that mutants aren't people? When is a good time? When they're -already- taking away rights? The mutants in Genosha weren't safe in their homes. Why should they?"

    Back to Filipe. "How pathetic." she responds, "How big you want to be, Filipe, and here you are -cowering- behind your daughter, like a shield. -She- wanted to perform, but -you- turned this into a stage for -your- opinions. I almost feel sorry for her for that. Doubly so because I'm not exactly convinced that what's happening here isn't poetry." she states, pulling back just slightly. The allegation is enough. It doesn't matter if she's right.

    "Because I imagine people are going to start noticing the flames soon enough. I don't think it's just the confetti."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    You don't change the opinion of the truly biased with words. The worst that can happen is that they only believe more firmly in what they believed before, because any attack on such a core belief will require an attack on a sense of identity. And most people hate to admit they've been wrong about something, especially something that has shaped their entire lives. Which is why Bean hasn't come here to change minds or persuade anyone of how wrong they are. He hasn't come here to start trouble or even a score.

    He came here to stop people from causing trouble, and by doing so only making things worse for mutants in the long run.

    "I must respectfully agree with the gentleman, miss. Perhaps now would be an excellent time to leave and go write an editorial. This is still a birthday party. Your threat of arson is very misplaced."

    Had he noticed the flames? Yes, he'd noticed the flames. Does he have his suspicions? Of course, he goes to a school for metahumans, and spent most of his life surviving by noticing such details. But airing such things here is tantamount to suicide. Surely even Karen must know that? "Or maybe you'll join me outside for a bit of fresh air?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will stop and turn his eyes to Powergirl at the last bit. He stops and speaks quietly most will not hear it but he hoped PG does. "I don't think she knows... and when it happens she will loose so much. He is a miserable prick, but does it have to happen to her like this. She will probably loose him, and happening to him I could care less, but to her?" he will turn and looks starting to head towards the wall and the fire alarm, happening to be close to Hal.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Good old Hal is still trying to change minds, mostly by planting doubt. He is an avatar of Will. You can't usually overcome Will with direct force. But doubt? That can cause even the strongest construct of Will to lose its edge.

"I don't know. Maybe we really should think about how we appear to the public." Hal continues to throw What Ifs? out there.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    That comment took the wind right out of Allegra's sails. Te fire all turns back to normal and the color positively drains from Allegra's face, and she looks around to the candles, making sure they're not still going odd. She looks to Sanjeeves, and to her father, and then she takes a few steps back from Power Girl -- then flat out turns away and retreats with her figurative tail between her legs.

    "Mr. Bassi, if you would not mind seeing to your mother and sister, I will ask someone to see to Allegra." Filipe states, regaining his cool again. "And, You saw yourself in, I'm sure you can see yourself out since my security clearly is of no concern. Thank you for your thoughts and considerations, I'm certain it will be all over the news in the morning. If you care to speak further on my private views, might I suggest lodging an appointment with my secretary, like a /normal/ person?"

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "I..." was all Sanjeev could manage to speak in response to Filipe as his childhood friend retreated. He raised a hand to reach out to her figure, but then let it drop. As much as he wanted to go help her, he was bound by decorum. If he left to go after her when Filipe told him directly to go to his family, it was likely he would just make things worse. "Of course, Mr. Caradenza," he finally said, a smile crossing his face as he nodded. Though, one of his hands at his side balled into a fist.

    With a sidelong glance at Power Girl, he walked past her back toward his family's table where his father had been watching everything. He was sure that Dr. Bassi was going to have some questions for him--questions he wasn't sure how to answer himself.

Karen Starr has posed:
    Momentarily, Power Girl turns her head to face Sanjeev. "How duplicitous. You're all happy and friendly during an alien invasion, and if there were a mutant deciding they'd do -exactly- what you think they'll do, you'd turn right to 'people like me' to stop them. Then when we're done, you want us to be locked up for the crime of being different. Executed if you think they're dangerous enough, right? Even if they've never had an errant thought to misusing the powers they -never- asked for, you want them banished, or worse. You're the -exact- kind of slime, you and your whole family, who are responsible for what happened in Genosha, and do you know what the worst thing of it is? I'd stil save your life. Without a moment's hesitation. How grotesque a thought, that I'll gladly save scum."

    Her attention returns to Allegra, who is fleeing- and Filipe, who is posturing. "Yes. Have an -attendant- see to your -daughter.- Again we all get to see how -pathetic- you really are. Even without all the infidelity. Good luck controlling -that- narrative."

    She turns, then, and starts to leave. She'd gotten the last word.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie is at the wall. He has his hand on the fire alarm, he will stop and he moves to head to where Alexis is going. He is a man in a tux, should not be getting to much attention now. He will try to get to what ever door the young woman is heading towards, and hold it open for her if he can and follow her.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Two seconds. Three seconds. Five seconds. The fixed smile remains on Bean's face, his hand down by his side stroking Bear between the ears. Watching Karen leave. Eight seconds. Ten seconds. Aaaaaand, exhale. "Gott im Himmel..." The teenager shakes his head, breathing in and starting to relax now that the confrontation is over. "Decorum is clearly lost on some people." At least he stopped that entire incident from being recorded.

    "My apologies if I intruded, Mister Caradenza." the teenager turns to the host, the very image of good manners if not entirely of being the right social class. "But I cannot stand rudeness like that."

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Filipe glares at Power Girl's back as she makes her exit, and he exhales as well, turning and looking to Mr. Morgan as he approaches with his service dog. The man looks at Bean, and then at the dog, and then at Mr. Morgan again before he returns to a confident smile. "Ah, well, one becomes used to it when you are in my position, though that was, in fact, the most powerful woman who has ever been in my presence, and to be sure I thought my daughter's temper would have gotten the better of her and she would have struck first! Ha, my temper has cooled in my old age." he states, trying to sound friendly but he just sounds... annoyed.

    "WELL. I need a microphone that is working, there is time to recover this event yet -- Maestro!" he calls out to the stage, "Something to soothe the frazzeled nerves! And ladies and gentlemen if you would *please* pass that nonsense confetti to your closest waiter for disposal!"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Allegra passes by Sam, and she doesn't stop. She stumbles slightly as she goes, rushing back to the sanctuary of her dressing room, lifting her skirt that she might run that much faster.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Sanjeev let Power Girl speak her peace without responding. It was quite obvious that she was angry and he knew that continuing to respond to her would just cause her to stay longer. And the longer she stayed, the worse the situation would get. This party was for Allegra, and for it to continue, whatever this was needed to stop. It was not as if he was not well-schooled in holding his tongue with his many years of being around the rich and powerful, so he simply stood next to his family to watch what would unfold next.

    Unfortunately, his place was not by his childhood friend's side at the moment. But, when she needed him, he would be there. Taking a fresh glass of wine from the tray of a server, he placed it next to him on the table in order to be polite. Dutifully, his family gathered the picture confetti next to them and handed them off to the other servers. Of course, Dr. Bassi was muttering about litter the entire time.

Hal Jordan has posed:
Well...that's about done then. Hal figured he hadn't gotten anywhere by standing off to the side making doubtful comments. No matter. He still has a chance to make more doubtful comments. Maybe if he sliiiides over Felipe's way, he might make a few more doubtful comments. "...That was...hmmm. You ever wondered...if maybe she had a point? I'm starting to wonder if maybe we've overdone things a little..."

Hal's doing his best to sound like the biggest doubter in the universe.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will change his stance a bit as he follows Alexis, trying to look more like security than a waiter. He will follow the girl into her dressing room, and says to her "I got a fast car out back, you can run off with a waiter for a while, and be away from this while it calms down hon." He half expects her to turn on him, and is sorta waiitng on it.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to call on me." Bean ends his conversation with Felipe with a courteous bow, leaving the man's presence as quickly as decorum allows. He doesn't even slow down to grab a glass of something that looks non-alcoholic from a tray that passes close enough by. He's been to these kinds of events before, usually for business, and he's feeling happier and more confident here than in the central plaza of his new school. He nods to people at semi-random, offering a salute of his glass to those he can recognise from public office, and ever so slowly circulating closer to Hal.

    With a smile, and without seeming to move his lips, he gives Hal a look and mentions in a conversational undertone. "What are you doing?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "No. I think my father's had enough scandal for one night. A drop of his past improprieties into everyone's tapas plate. Who.. who would have done such a thing?" Allegra asks quietly, shuddering as she lights a scented candle. Lavender, relaxing and calm, flits up --- and she tosses a packet of matches to the side as she just leans against the counter, and swallows thickly.

    "She could have killed me with a flick of her finger, and there was nothing anyone could do about it."

Hal Jordan has posed:
Oh, there's someone listening. Turning to Bean, "Hey, I'm a test pilot, kid. I'm one of the few people on this planet who gets to fly without having powers of any kind. Still...you get perspective up there, even when all you're doing is flying a jet. The wild blue yonder...I have an idea of what it's like to see what all those metas zooming around must be seeing."

He shrugs, "So, I have some sympathy for that point of view. To see nothing but clouds zooming by...I know what that feels like." This is clearly a guy who loves his job. "Faster, higher, further...I can't imagine a better job."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Sounds interesting." Beat. Bean takes a sip from his drink, letting the pause hang for a moment, while the German Shepherd at his side is giving Hal a curious look. Did he smell this human before? "Honestly, I'd love to fly one of the fast machines some day, not the trash haulers or the winged taxi. But I guess that's still a few years in the future." Possibly. Maybe. Who knows? How hard can it be?

    "But I was, of course, talking about your views. Your dissent. Your subtle planting of seeds of doubt in the stone hearts of the true zealot." Another sip of his drink, and a salute with the glass. "Keep it up, Mister...?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Filipe Caradenza re-mingles in the group , and takes the microphone.

    He clears his throat, and holds up his hands as a few people clap.

    "I want to apologize, on behalf of everyone and to everyone, for the interruptions." he states. "Understandably, this is the most excitement we've had at a Pro-HUMANA event for quite some time!" a few titters of laughter. "Mr. Bassi, Dr. Bassi, everything is all right at your table, my friends?" he asks, and giving a smile he explains:

    "Usually we do not have many high-profile Metapowered at our events, what a night! However, Power Girl did say she has been working for the recovery of lives in Geonosha, and we hsould be understanding that feeling powerless can take quite a toll on someone's psyche." he states.

    "Now, an interlude to sooth our nerves. Please, help yourselves to the tapas, and the cake. I apologize that the surprise was ruined." he states, and slips form the stage -- but instead of making out back for Allegra, he approaches the Bassi table as classical music keys up, the artists on stage just keep playing in spite of the confusion.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie says, "Ah would have done my best, if she had eared back Ah was coming blasting across." He admits. To be honest it went better than Ah was pretty sure, I was going to be blasting across the hall to save your dad tonight." He admits. He will walk over and hugs her to him."

Hal Jordan has posed:
Hal offers his hand to the kid, who seems to approve of his doubtful ways. "Jordan. Hal Jordan. Thanks kid. I'm glad to see I'm not alone in my way of thinking about all this. It just...feels like we've all gone a little too far, and maybe we need to pull back a little bit. Pushing this sort of thing on a community that's seen millions of lives lost...that was the first backlash...it's probably not gonna be the last."

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    At Filipe's direct address to their table while he was giving his speech, Sanjeev waved in response while his father adjusted his glasses and gave a thumbs up--his attempt at acting younger maybe? Who knew.

    When their host approached their table, Sanjeev and Vijay were already on their feet to welcome him. Of course, Priya and Divya remained seated.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Sam Morgan." the teenager shakes the hand in a firm grip. A firm grip of a calloused hand, not part of the usual crowd here then... "And you're preaching to the choir, but I was afraid someone was going to do something unfortunate today. And that, Mister Jordan, would only have made matters worse. I see at least one Governor here, who will, after this little interlude, probably put his signature under any bill that passes his desk that restricts the use of metahuman powers without even reading the thing. That is the power these incidents have. The correct method for the correct problem, that is the only way forward."

    With another nod and a salute of his glass, Bean turns, only to mention over his shoulder. "Try the albondigas, well worth the cover charge." Because who doesn't like spicy meatballs? Which reminds him to go score himself some...

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Doctor. Madam. Sanjeev. Divya." the man bows to the ladies, and reaches to shake the good doctor's hand. "Thank you for coming. More than anything it would have meant a lot to Allegra to have real friends in the audience. Perhaps later in the week we can meet up for dinner, should your schedule allow -- I know you're a busy man, Doctor Bassi!" he gives a smie to his old friend, and cake begins to be divvied out, in spite of the lack of birthday girl.

    "Thank you for checking on your family, Sanjeev. If you wouldn't mind checking on Allegra? She... probably doesn't want to see me, right this moment, hm?" he gives a sad smile, picking up some of the pictures that had completely littered the party and stuffing them in his pocket.

    Back in the dressing room, Allegra just sits against the counter, crossing her arms over the sweetheart plunge of her gown before Sam hugs her to him, and she sighs against him.

    "This was supposed to be my night. The night that I could prove that things aren't what they're cracked up to be, that they're missing the big picture... but now it'll be years until I can speak that way again. I'm going to have to do so much work and outreach and now knowing that I'll get recognized -- and possibly hurt -- if I venture into Bushwick again... I don't know Sam. Maybe this is a sign that we should stick to our own kind." she whispers. "After today, my father's going to double down."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks to her, and and says "Alexis, Alegra... Al you fight for peoples rights they are people who will hate you for it and fight you for it." He continues to hold her close, and says "It will be a long time and a lot of work before we are accepted. Before a girl is not scared her secret is going to come out.. Ah saw hon." He tries to be gentle with her.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "I will always make time for you, Filipe," Dr. Bassi stated gruffly, adjusted his glasses while shaking their host's hand firmly. Ever the old world Indian man. "You are the only person who seems to make sense these days. With what that hero did here even more so! Throwing around power like it's Might Makes Right."

    Looking between Filipe and his father, Sanjeev simply smiled at their host. "Of course I can go check on her, Mr. Caradenza," he stated with a smile. It faded a little as he caught the cake being divvied up without her. Allie deserved to be here. His gaze refocused on Filipe. "She deserves some happiness after all these interruptions to her birthday. This is her day."

    Excusing himself from the table politely and leaving his father and Filipe to discuss things together, Sanjeev made his way across the gala hall through the backstage entrance. His Italian leather shoes echoed down the hallway as he approached the dressing room door. With a wry smile, he knocked the classic "Shave and a Hair Cut" against the door so that Allegra would know it was him.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Allegra breathes out.

    "What secrets? That I went and spoke at the memorial? That's no secret. Roberto said so." Allegra purposefully misunderstands what Sam said, and she pulls back from him, "That's Sanjeev. He's... been my best friend since I was four." she states quietly, "He's safe."

    "Sanjeev, the door's open." she calls back to the lad on the other side.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    Despite the advice on food, Bean doesn't actually load up on tapas himself. He's been circulating for a while, getting into some very brief noncommittal verbal exchanges, before he slips his way out of the main room. Because he doesn't know many other mutants, and he needs to know for sure. Especially in this case.

    Sanjeev gets there before he does, and Bean hangs back a bit. Of course, he's not exactly trying to pass unseen. Almost impossible to do so anyway, with a dog constantly at his side.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will just reach over and let his fingers move through the flame of the candle for just a moment, long enough not to get burned but enough to speak without word. He turns and will look over to actually meet this friend she seems close to.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    The young Indian man, however, is far more concerned with his friend's mental state in the room due to the events that just recently transpired with Power Girl than he was focused on anyone that happened to be behind him. So, when Allegra called out that the door was open, Sanjeev simply opened the door. He took one step in before he realized that Sam was in the room with her.

    "Oh, I'm sorry," he said, glancing between Allegra and Sam, then back to Allegra again. "Am I interrupting?" The right corner of his mouth quirked upward into a crooked smile as he continued. "Was he giving you your birthday present, Allie?" It was a joke calculated to alleviate whatever remnants of depressed mental state his childhood friend had. Figuring out the right things to say was something he was good at. Hopefully, him teasing her would bring her back to their usual state.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    How to approach this? Ponder, ponder... It takes Bean exactly five seconds to come up with the answer to the question of how he's going to go through that door without being instantly suspect. And all he has to do is quickly double back to the main room, grab a certain something, and then traipse back. In fact, it gives him a solid reason to be back here when questioned, something which the teen isn't expecting but can't entirely discount. And, let's face it, his dog is dressed better than he is, novelty canine clothes being much cheaper than the rental of a proper tuxedo.

    "Miss Caradenza?" he knocks on the door, opening it with his left hand considering his right hand and arm are carrying The Items. "Apologies for interrupting, but cake is being served, and I didn't want you to miss out."

    Cake. Three plates, three generous slices. Of course Bean hadn't counted on Sam also being here... Great, now he actually does look and sound like a waiter. "Would you like me to leave them somewhere?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    Alexis tries to feign confusion, but denial is certainly a state one can live in.

    Sanjeev opens the door, and the young woman looks at how close Sam was standing to her, and she gives a quick mental calculation before she turns red.

    "Ah, go choke." Alexis replies with familiarity to the tease, and she does relax. She takes a deep breath.

    "So, better introduction, I suppose -- Sam, this is Sanjeev Bassi, he's been my friend since I was pretty much a toddler, once spooked a horse we were riding so bad it threw us into the duckpond at my nan's home. Jeeves, SamuelGurthrie, private schooler, pizza delivery, occasional bad spy and professional partaker in daft ideas who obviously didn't know it was my birthday until about ten minutes ago." she introduces the two,

    And then cake!

    However, she looks to Sam, and looks to Bear, and she brings her fingers up a moment, steepling them in front of her lips and goes: "Security is ridiculously lapse -- come in lad, with your friend, and close the door. I can split a piece with someone -- just want a nibble. Have to watch my figure, after all." she jokes

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie looks over to Alexis, and seeing as how San's joke went well he will try to "Ah can watch it for you hon," He jokes a bit, but adds "No, if I had known it was your birthday, Ah would have brought you something hon, Ah will have it next time Ah know the perfect thing.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    Sanjeev couldn't help but laugh at his childhood friend's reaction. "You first, Allie," he retorted, actually sticking his tongue out for a moment. Giving Sam a sidelong glance, he winked at him. "She only turns that exact shade of red when she really likes a person. You must be a good guy." Offering him a hand to shake, he introduced himself. "Like Allie said, I'm Sanjeev Bassi. She calls me Jeeves. We've been keeping each other sane through events like this for years."

    Hearing a knock at the door, he opened it to allow Bean into the room. That was odd. A man with a dog bearing cake? Though, when Allegra chose to let them in, he shrugged. It was her call. "You can I can share if you want, Allie. I don't think having too much cake will go well with the wine I drank. You should at least eat cake on your birthday of all days."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    With a polite nod, Bean enters and closes the door behind him with a foot, after making sure Bear's tail is clear. That's an issue more than he would care to admit, and it wouldn't help his appearance if things went into slapstick comedy now. He hands off one plate to Sanjeev, one to Sam, and then places the last plate on a table nearby.

    "To be fair to your security, I'm a little bit good at this. Happy birthday. Sometimes all you need to celebrate is some good friends, a scented candle, and about ... oh, three thousand calories of frosting, would you say? Nearer to five?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "... this is actually the first birthday party I've ever had, so it is by default the best one I've ever had." Alexis gives a grin, and she reaches into a bag and pulls out a couple of foldable plastic forks, snaps one into place, and pokes at Sanjeev's side, then at the cake.

    "So, are you a mutant who has snuck in too? It seems we've had a bit of an issue with them in the last couple of days." she asks Sam Morgan, grabbing a towel from the side to lay over the layers ofskirt on her dress. "My father always has places to be around this time of year, and mum was always in a spring show. An' I never expected much from Nan, since she had three hundred kids she worried on with."

    And she points at Sam. "And you. Watch it. I'm mad at you for sneaking into the event."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will shake Sanjeeve's hand "As she said Ah am Sam, and Ah do things she thinks are dumb when Ah am worried about her. " He does smile at her and says "I still got the fast car, we can take out once everyone knows your safe." He says to Alexis.

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "I'm hoping it's closer to three for all our sakes," the young Indian man replied to Bean with a grin. "When Allie eats something rich, when she works out later she grunts like a water buffa--Oi!" Sanjeev cut off what he was saying as he swatted playfully at the foldable plastic fork Allegra was poking him with. "Ok, ok! It's more like a bison!" He laughed aloud as he placed the cake Bean handed him on the table before sitting in one of the chairs.

    "Well, if this is the first one, it's all the more reason for us to make sure it's a good one, Allie," he said with a grin. "After all, we have to raise the bar for next year, don't we?" Running a hand through his hair, he sighed as his chestnut-hued eyes shifted to Sam. "Unfortunately, if either of us leaves the event it'll be conspicuous as hell, Sam. We're both figures of public families and there's press here. Not to mention Allie's supposed to perform tonight. If she doesn't...it may draw attention to tonight's...other events." He purposefully didn't elaborate on what those were. While he hadn't noticed that the candle flames had been out of the ordinary, it was hard not to think about them when Power Girl blatantly referenced them before she left. But, he wasn't about to press one of his closest friends about it. Especially when he had secrets of his own.

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "I am." There's no point denying it, and Bean always likes to build trust by not denying the patently obvious. "But, again to the credit of your security, the ticket I showed them was real. It just didn't exist in their database until I showed it. As I said, I'm a bit good at this. Apologies for the duplicity. But I can assure you, my intent was pure." The accent is not quite pure New York. There's a hint of the Carolinas in there, and more than a smattering of Kentucky. Possibly affected. "Last thing I would want to do is disrupt a birthday celebration. Especially a first, although at least you were spared the clowns."

    The teenager gives Sam a smile, a perfectly amiable smile. "A fast car might not be the wisest idea at the moment. At this time of day, an estate car or possibly a hatchback attracts less attention." And he motions to Sanjeev. "Mister Bassi has the truth of it. Mister Bassi or Doctor Bassi? I seem to recall a Doctor Bassi signing up as a guest lecturer at a certain school. Your father?"

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Your subaru doesn't count as a fast car -- though if we wanted a night on the town, it would fit all of us." Alexis comments, and purses her lips a moment, entertaining the scandal that would errupt if the lady of the gala disappeared with three gentlemen -- might even outweigh the picture confetti.

    "But perhaps it would be best if I would at least stay to perform. Might be a little shakey,but I'm certain the moment I touch the keys or the strings I'll be fine." she replies, and she looks at Sanjeev.

    "And I do not snort like a bison. I'm /refined/, thank you. Like a Derbyshire racehorse."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie smirks and says "Oh I brought Berto's car, figured it would fit in better." He tells her. "Only two seats, but if I had mine, we would even have room for the dog." He jokes a bit, and says "I thought it was a bit more high pitched while jumping from building to building."

Sanjeev Bassi has posed:
    "My father's the physician, so he's Doctor Bassi," the young Indian man replied to Bean. "He doesn't teach, and I can neither confirm nor deny any lecturing positions at any schools." He smiled wryly at the young man who previous brought them cake. That was the stipulation of his contract with Dr. MacIntyre and he wasn't about to break it even in confidence.

    "I know it might be a lot, Allie, but see if you can," Sanjeev said to his childhood friend, giving her a reassuring smile. "You're not alone. You've got people supporting you. If you want, I can even run it with you backstage before you go on. I'm not on your level anymore, but I can still hold a tune at least. A certain teacher of ours would skin me alive if I couldn't. Maybe playing together will make you feel better."

    "...and don't make me break out the color palette of the different shades of red you go when you're working out."

Samuel Morgan has posed:
    "Then clearly as a Lipizaner." Bean comments on Sam's 'higher pitched' remark, before raising an eyebrow at Sanjeev, but accepting his indirect admission with a nod. The truth of that would come out eventually, no doubt, and there was no point pressing the man for details he was clearly reluctant to provide.

    "For what it's worth, Miss Caradenza, allow me to admit that at least part of the reason I'm here is to hear you perform. My father was quite fond of your work, and he was a man of good taste." Which means that Bean snuck into a gala event for people deeply suspicious of mutants, as a mutant, to hear Alexis play. That's some risk.

Alexis Carr has posed:
    "Well then I would be remiss if you were to miss it." Allegra replies to Bean quietly, and she purses her lips a moment as she looks between Sanjeev and Bean Sam, and she points her fork at Jeeves. "I'll tell her you forgot the difference between an g-sharp and an a-flat on your violin, and she will hunt you down and make you practice until your fingers bleed." she states, and she takes a breath, and leans her head back. "Well, I won't be able to sing, for the cake... and my posturing at Power Girl... so I believe the violin and piano." and she breathes out, looking to the assembled gentlemen around her -- and to Bear -- and she nods, and brushes any remaining cake crumbs off her dress, and draws to a stand.

    "Sam, I trust you can let Mr. Morgan know where else I play in the area? Migt be safer." she smiles, and tottles off to tell the stage manager that she is fully recovered.