5247/Mardi Gras Afterparty

Mardi Gras Afterparty
Date of Scene:	18 February 2021
Location:	VIP Lounge - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	Off on a tour!
Cast of Characters:	Arthur Curry, Viola Fiore

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Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry is headed out of the Mardi Gras party after it winds down and gets a little turned around, never having been in the Hellfire Club before. Trying out the elevator, he finds himself in a VIP room, which doesn't help him in getting the hell out of the place. As he looks around the room, he spots Viola and heads in her direction.

"Hey there, I remember you from earlier!" he exclaims. It's obvious that the careful attention of the bartenders has him feeling.. enthusiastic, at least. "Do you know your way around this place? It's damned confusing."

Viola Fiore has posed:
The VIP room is hopping at least for such a late hour. The party in the Dungeon was open to the public, and many of the actual members retired up here after taking in the atmosphere there for awhile.

The drinks were definitely flowing and there's laughter and loud voices. The decadent theme of the Mardi Gras results in a bit more risque behavior than usual, with the staff helping divert people to private rooms before anything too extreme happens. But there is definitely more skin displayed here than on most nights, with occasional exchanges of beaded necklaces encouraging more.

Viola finishes up talking the CEO of Roxxon into a private room. The man, she has quickly come to realize, is incorrigible. Getting him out of the Dungeon before he did something that might make it onto social media wasn't as difficult. Finally though she gets the man, and the three women accompanying him, to go off to the private suite.

She steps back away, straightening her dress, which she realizes is all twisted around. The man had more hands than octopus. "I suppose this is a bit of the price of the job," she says of working there, assuming they make her a fulltime offer.

Someone walks over and Viola looks up, eyes widening just a slight bit as the sight of Aquaman. "Mr. Curry," she says, smile coming quickly and easy. "Yes, Viola," she tells him. "That you're still here I hope is a sign you've enjoyed the party?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry nods, "Not too bad. I'm not usually one for a lot of socializing, but I guess this wasn't too bad. Maybe cause with everyone being who they are, I didn't stand out too much or something." He snorts, "You know what I mean, ya try and go drink and everybody wants to be your friend. Pain in the ass is what it usually is. S'why I usually drink in dive bars in little remote fishing towns. But in this place, I was just another person. Kind of a nice change."

"So you put this whole shindig together, huh? Hell of a job, this was a big thing." He looks around, "Looks like these folks are still party.. oh man, shouldn't do _that_ in public." He looks back to you and _not_ at the far corner, "Apparently some folks are more relaxed than I expected."

Viola Fiore has posed:
The Italian-American young woman gives small nods as Arthur relates what it is like for him in most drinking situations. "Fame makes it difficult to lead a normal life," she agrees. "Not that I've had to deal with that myself. But, we've done a lot of events for celebrities or that had them there. And those events are probably, for them, at their best, yet I still could get a sense sometimes they'd wish they could just be anonymous again," she says.

Viola makes a little gesture that tries to deflect some of the compliment, saying, "Well, I was the main planner for it. But they have such great staff here, that had a lot to do with it as well," she says. Though the young woman gives a soft, warm smile, obviously pleased at getting the compliment from Aquaman.

Viola glances towards the corner in question, standing a bit straighter as she turns back to Arthur. "Yes... well, the virtues of a private club. Most of the members are seeking somewhere they can be less inhibited." Still, when things get a bit too far, some of the staff come by to encourage them somewhere more private than the VIP room.

Viola reaches out to take Arthur's arm, if he lets her, and turn them both away from the corner. "Would you like another drink, Mr. Curry? It's on the house up here," she tells him.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry looks at the young woman taking his arm, smiles and allows himself to be redirected, "Well, maybe one more wouldn't be too bad, but only if you have something too." He starts in the direction she's urging him, "Everyone keeps telling me I have to be more social for some reason, so here I am. And I can't be social if I don't have someone to be social at."

Reaching the bar he orders a scotch, then looks at Viola, "What are you drinking tonight?" He plops down on a barstool and pats the one next to him, indicating Viola should take a seat.

Viola Fiore has posed:
Viola Fiore is doing a good job of not showing it too much, but the more time with her that Arthur has, he'll eventually pick up on the fact she's buzzing pretty darn well. Thanks to her assistant Jane forcing hurricanes on her at the order of the Club's CEO that Viola enjoy the party too.

"Oh, a scotch sounds fine," Viola says, lips turned up at the corners as he invites her to join him. She slides up onto one of the barstools, adjusting the hem of her outfit so it doesn't ride up too high. The outfit itself is a crisscross of strips of fabric. Strategically placed to cover her, but they leave more skin visible than is covered. The colors are purple and green and yellow, traditional Mardi Gras colors. She lost her mask somewhere during the evening.

"I figure, just be as social as you choose to be," she tells him, picking up her scotch as the bartender sets the two glasses down, and offering to touch her glass to his before sipping the top end alcohol.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry clinks glasses and takes a slug of his drink, "Yeah, but when I do that the others keep telling me I'm antisocial and need to get out more." He shrugs, "Never seen too much point in all the crap people put themselves through to impress each other. I mean, why should I pretend to be interested in someone's knitting hobby when I'm just not?."

He takes another drink, then looks over at you, "That said, I like the dress. Colorful and skimpy all at once. So you do anything besides the party planning, or is this a full time thing for you?"

Viola Fiore has posed:
A small group goes past, drinks in hand and laughing and talking loudly amongst themselves. Viola's eyes pick out a government official in the group, more from her having researched the membership likely to be there than from her civic awareness. Though the younger woman he has his arm around is decidedly not his wife. Viola doesn't mention it, and is getting the feeling such occurrences are not uncommon in the club that caters to the very riches and most powerful.

Her attention is only gone for a moment, that fleeting glance before she is focused fully on Arthur. "Thank you," she says, sitting up a little straighter though the twenty-three year old generally has excellent posture. A compliment from an honest to good superhero can do that to a girl. "I didn't have much time to find something for myself. They have a clothing coordinator here, believe it or not. The moment I saw it I just fell in love with it," she tells Arthur, seeming very pleased at his comment.

She sips her scotch and says, "I just graduated Columbia last year. Sociology. I had worked part time during school with an event planner, Gloria. Wonderful woman. And I was debating what to do with my degree then. I had kind of been aiming myself towards maybe finding a charity that works with people in need. And then Gloria offered me a full partnership with her. Which... yeah so I was tempted between helping people, or a life making a really nice living, getting to spend my time at these gorgeous events." She sighs, and covers her face. "Here I am talking to someone who literally saves the world, and I'm telling my story how I took the path paved with gold," she says.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry snorts, "Don't stress it. Just cause I can make do without a real job doesn't mean everyone can. You gotta make a living, after all." He looks around, "And there's gotta be a certain draw to getting to hang out in places like this. Hell, I might even come here now and then. That Shaw guy told me I was welcome any time, so I guess I'm part of the *air quotes* elite.

He smirks, "Probably just wants more titles on the member list to impress people, raise his membership fee." Now that sounds like the cynical Arthur we know and love. "But I might come in cause like I said, people didn't make a big deal. I can come in, have a few drinks, take off without a big fuss. And it's easier to get to then Maine or Norway."

Viola Fiore has posed:
The young woman sips her scrotch as she listens to Arthur, and her eyes shine softly at him over the glass as he gives her absolution for pursuing the job making the bucks instead of the more charitable one. "It does have a definite allure. I'd never seen the place before, just heard of it," she tells Arthur. "And the reality is even more than the few rumors I'd heard. I don't know if you've had a tour of the place yet. But it is really quite remarkable. Beyond anything I'd have envisioned."

She takes another sip and then joins with Arthur in giving a quick grin. "I'm sure for the CEO of some corporation, getting to sit and talk sports with you while smoking a cigar and enjoying a glass would have a certain appeal." She glances down for a moment, murmuring, "I see the appeal in it," though it doesn't seem like it was intended for him to catch, though she might not be aware of his senses. "If it means we might bump into one another again, then I'm definitely in favor of your visits. You are quite charming," she tells Arthur.

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry shakes his head, "Other than the little self tour I just took trying to find the way out, haven't seen much of it. Seems pretty big though. Easy to get lost in." He chuckles, "Which might be part of the appeal for some people, I suppose, just vanish and be left alone. That's usually my method of socializing, but I was good today, I sat at the bar and actually talked with people."

He smirks, "Not that I'm gonna be the new face of the League or anything, but maybe I can be seen in public now and then." He glances over at Viola, "Especially when there's cute girls to talk to, that makes it way easier." He finishes his drink and gets a refill from the bartender, it's probably about his tenth of the evening. He's a little way into 'sociable buzz' territory.

Viola Fiore has posed:
"You might not have seen some of the best parts then," Viola tells him, "As they tend to keep those more private when not in use. Discretion is very much the byword here, I've found. Of course if someone in the public eye wants to let their hair down, they don't want to have to worry about someone tweeting out a picture of them doing it," she says.

Viola takes another sip of her scotch. As Arthur glances at her and makes the comment about things that make visiting there easier, she gets a soft flush to her cheeks, along with a pleased smile. "I'd be happy to show you around if you'd like, give you the full tour. Which I myself only received two weeks ago, so I might still be scarce on some of the details. Should we get a bottle to take with us, if so?"

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry grins at her, "Now that sounds like a plan, both tour and bottle." He waves the bartender over and quickly has a bottle of excellent scotch in hand, then stands from his barstool and offers his hand to Viola, "Shaw was saying how the club was founded by English nobles who hated the king at the time. Think my situation in Atlantis kinda hit a nerve with him, cause that was when he said I was welcome any time."

He smirks again, "Of course, right after that was when Felicia said she thought the nobles used the club to fool around quietly and do stuff they didn't want people to know about." He looks around the room, lowers his voice and murmers to her, "Personally, I think that part of the theme is kind of the main draw of the place."

Viola Fiore has posed:
Viola rises gracefully from her chair, her heels giving her an extra couple of inches but still falling well short of the quite tall Atlantean. She takes her rock glass in one hand, and lets Arthur take the other. She motions towards one of the exits and talks with him while they walk.

"Oh I'm sure that is the largest part of the appeal," she says. "I'm not even sure what the membership fees are but I know they are exorbitant. One probably isn't going to pay that for just a social club, even one as fine as this," she tells him. "And, well, you'll see with some of the locations," she tells him. There's a faint blush to her cheeks as if brought on by memories of her own tour. "I admit that I know very little about Atlantis. Though now I'm wishing that I did. But, it sounds like it also might not be the kind of thing that is going to leave you relaxed to discuss, so not something we need to talk about," she tells Arthur. "But judging by the number of people who attended the party without their wife? I'd say it's a really good bet that's the case, yes."

Arthur Curry has posed:
Arthur Curry nods, "Yeah, maybe we can talk a little about Atlantis another time, we don't really share a ton.. old habits." He shrugs, "Besides, I've got good scotch, a pretty girl, a stupidly overpriced club to tour, the last thing I care about right now is politics."

He keeps his pace slow enough that she can comfortably walk beside him without having to hurry at all as they head for the indicated exit. "Ok, I'm in your hands, show me what this place has to offer."