540/An Afternoon in the Rathskeller, Hellfire Club

An Afternoon in the Rathskeller, Hellfire Club
Date of Scene:	15 March 2020
Location:	Rathskeller, Hellfire Club, NYC
Synopsis:	folks meet and mingle.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Alanna Lyons, Zatanna Zatara, Alton Schmidt, Shuri, Alex Summers, Johnny Storm, Pietro Maximoff

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Emma Frost has posed:
The Rathskeller is a old German-style bar on the fifth floor of the Hellfire Club building in midtown Manhattan. As such, the place is warm and inviting, with rustic-yet-refined wooden tables and chairs, a long bar with dozens of taps for various European draft beers, a collection of fine European wines, and even a discreet bit of more esoteric drinks for the less-than-human crowd... as well as a fairly generous selection of italian sodas for the less-than of age. It's the mid-afternoon, so The Ratheskeller, and the whole building for that matter, isn't on a cover charge, though members of the Hellfire Club do seem to get slightly more personalized service.

As one of the more accessible and relaxed areas of the building, the waiters, waitresses, and bartenders here are dressed in only slightly risque versions of what one might see as "traditional" (not exactly) garb at an Oktoberfest; the patrons vary between nicer street clothes to business attire, depending on who they are and where they just previously had been before dipping into the bar.

At the end of the bar, nursing a cloudy hefeweisen, Emma Frost scrolls through her tablet, occasionally tapping on it with her stylus. The blonde woman's white business suit is impeccable, without a crease or flaw: just like her. The bartender slides a fresh batch of soft pretzels with an extra side of beer cheese beside the CEO of Frost International's tablet, not to interrupt her work, and sidles down the bar to tend to more orders.

Alanna Lyons has posed:
Alanna Lyons is dressed for business. Neatly pressed black slacks are worn with a ruffled forest green blouse and a black blazer over the top of it. No heels, though, instead she wears simple grey flats. Heels can be tricky sometimes, and in this case she favors comfort over fashion. Sometimes you've just got to give in.

Her face might not be recognizable to most, but it might a familiar one to those with more underground connections. Business woman and member of the Lyon family--a crime family with growing influence in New York. As she makes her way to the bar, she doesn't /seem/ to be there from any business venture.

She just wants a drink.

Zatanna Zatara has posed:
She was told there would be a few minutes of delay while her membership was updated, Zatanna Zatara decided to enjoy a drink at the bar. Already settled in one of her fasionable bustiers in alternating stripes of blue and black that laces up the front with a darker blue waist coat and black slacks with a pair of sensible pumps. Sipping from her glass of wine, she sets it on the counter. It's gotten a little warm, but she's not exactly waving her magic around at the moment - she knows her father's legacy as a master of sleight of hand and stage magic is more known here.

She makes a lazy circle around the top of the glass with her finger, gently harmonizing with the sound as she reads the small print of the contract, something she's picked up on from you know... making deals with things.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
This is one of the reasons why Alton comes in here...this is the ONLY Real place he's going to get authentic German alcohol, and the good stuff at that. Now, the drinking age is much lower in Germany...so on American soil, pretty much the only place he can get a beer is in here, probably because cops wouldn't dare go anywhere near this place. Then again, as far as he can see, he's the only honest to god KID in here to begin with. Everyone else is a full adult, as far as he can tell. Well. There's benefits to dad being part of an American club, he guesses. A club where, well, his level of wealth is not unusual. It's the norm. Only the elite, in one way or another, get in here.

Alton's wearing one of his tailored suits. He knows to dress up if he's going to come here...it wouldn't do to show up looking like a normal high school kid. No, everything is fitted perfectly to his form.

Upon seeing Ms. Frost, he actually heads that way first. "Ms. Frost? Dad says his plane got delayed. The layover's gonna be extended a few hours..." Without waiting for an invitation, he just grabs a seat next to her. The bartender seems to recognize Alton, though, and a frothy mug of 'water'...well, no, it's Berliner Weisse...is placed before him.

Shuri has posed:
For her part, Shuri had heard about this bar and wished to see it. She had dressed in more traditional Wakanda clothing for the trip as she was going to a nicer place. Her goal, of course, was not to get drunk but to try the food. For the moment, or at least seemingly, she is unaccompanied. When she sees the area inside, she smiles a little. It was better than she had hoped. A lot more to see. She walks in and finds herself a seat not too far from Emma and immediately reaches out to take one of the menus from the holder on the table and looks it over.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma looks up from her tablet as Alton approaches her, tapping it a couple of times to turn off the screen. "Sinclair," she says with a lifted brow to the bartender, "remember his limit." The bartender nods crisply, stifling a chuckle. "Yes, Ms. Frost." She turns to Mr. Schmidt's son. "Is your father coming through London again? This happened last month too. I know he had a meeting with Sebastian tonight." She pulls out her phone and taps out a text quickly, informing Shaw of the delay almost routinely. Idly, she slides the pile of pretzels towards the teenager as an offering.

She glances around the bar, noting the other arrivals with somewhat of a slight start. She had gotten too wrapped up in her paperwork and hadn't noticed their arrivals. She offers a polite and sincere smile towards Zatanna, Alanna, and Shuri before nibbling on one of the pretzels herself.

Alanna Lyons has posed:
Alanna's drink of choice is a whiskey sour, and when it arrives she sips it slowly. A drink, but not there to get drunk. No, this time it's to take in people. Emma is offered a polite smile in return as she slowly scans the faces along the bar near her. A quick glance first to see if she knows any of them, and a longer glance after to see if she /needs/ to know any of them. It's just good business.

Though she doesn't speak to anyone right away, her body language is comfortable, relaxed. She's at ease here, for the moment.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Limits. Well, even HERE, they don't want him to get straight up drunk. His father can't be having that. Heir to the family and all that. Which means he sips that beer very, very slowly. He knows he has to savor and enjoy things he doesn't get to have outside of this club. "...makes me miss Germany, having this." It's about the only thing that makes him homesick, though. He generally likes it here.

"England, yeah. I don't know why they can't get their planes straight. London's like that." Even his plane was held up when he came to the States in the first place, come to think of it. Alton does take the offered pretzel, munches one. At least he doesn't have a limit on those. He's also too polite to steal all of them, so he has an order of pretzels for himself brought in. So many business partners dad has. It's times like this he feels the weight of them all.

Shuri has posed:
For her part, Shuri orders her own pretzel along with some dips and a lemonade. She isn't old enough to drink in this country so she will just have to do with out. She instead looks over at Emma and smiles at her, giving her a nod. She then goes back to looking around the place. She considers it a moment before she stands up briefly and looks over to Emma Frost, "Excuse me but you look familiar." She nods her head, "Like I have read about you somewhere perhaps?"

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma chuckles at Alton. "The chef has rouladen on the menu today," she points out with a half smile. "I suspect since your father requested it last time. You might want to have some of that brought out too." She tucks her tablet into her purse. "Give me a moment, Alton, club business." She rises from her stool and makes her way over to Shuri.

"Am I remiss in believing you are Princess Shuri of Wakanda?" Emma asks politely. "May I join you? I believe an introduction to our club is in order for you, your highness."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Rouladen? Perfect. That makes Alton a happy guy. And then...since Shuri had headed over Emma's way, Emma didn't have to go far, and he overheard...wait a minute, princess of Wakanda? There's an honest to god princess in the room? Goddamn. That got Alton's attention real quick. Rouladen is great, but it'll take time to make it, and this is friggin' royalty. That just doesn't come up very much.

A princess, really? Well, if even Emma's using 'your highness', then it's probably real. It would fit the nature of this club that royalty just shows up out of nowhere. "Your highness, it's an honor." He also steps back a bit, though, since Emma has to give a tour and all that stuff. Still, he wasn't about to miss out on an honest to God princess! Man, dad might even be jealous if met the princess first. He's going to be hard pressed not to brag about the fact he met a princess back in school, except for the fact dad impressed upon him this is supposed to be a SECRET club, and not something you talk about. Man. Can't even brag about the princess. Nuts. Then again, there is a Wakandan embassy. Maybe he can claim he met the princess there? That should work.

Shuri has posed:
And then Shuri blinks and smiles, "Well, you are well-informed." She states simply enough and nods her head as she looks at Emma before looking around and gesturing over to where she is sitting, "You are welcome, however, you now have me at a disadvantage." She states simply enough, "You have not given me youir name." She shakes her haed and then looks over at Alton and nods to him as well, "Both of your names." She then stands by her chair briefly, awaiting the others and then tilting her head as she also awaits their names.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma offers her hand. "Emma Frost, CEO of Frost International." One of the top aerospace companies in the world. She had only recently been moved to the position when her father had retired at the end of last year. "And, of course, a board member of the Hellfire Club. We are always open to new membership."

Alanna Lyons has posed:
A sip from her whiskey, Alanna glances down the bar as the dialogue catches her attention. Her eyes briefly flicker towards the cluster. Interesting. She fishes her phone out, casually tapping the keys for a moment. Notes? Who knows. Still, she doesn't interrupt, mostly because it would be rude at this point to butt in. So, instead, she tends to her whiskey sour.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"Alton Schmidt, scion of Schmidt steel." Alton was told that's how he should introduce himself in here, so that's what he does. Might as well leave off the whole school and stuff like that. It's not important just now. Alton, in turn, also offers his hand. He isn't sure how it works in Wakanda. Is he supposed to just shake hands like a normal person, or kiss her hand, or what? Maybe he'll just take his cue by the way she presents herself. He finds himself wishing he'd studied that nation more.

Shuri has posed:
A hand comes out and quietly takes Emma's and Shuri gives it a soft squeeze before she takes Alton's and gives it one as well. She then settles into her seat and nods, "Excellent to meet you both though I have not heard one called oneself a scion before." She nods her head and then smiles as her pretzel arrives before she looks back at the other two, "I have heard interesting things about the Hellfire club." She nods her head, purposefully not acknowledging everything Emma said, "I would hear more from someone who is a board member."

Emma Frost has posed:
"The Hellfire Club is a social club, one like any other, in my opinion," Emma replies smoothly. "We have clubhouses here in New York, as well as the original clubhouse in London and one in Madripoor." She pauses for a moment. "That one is newer, and a replacement for the one in Hong Kong that... had an accident." She quickly smiles. "We are considering opening another-- after all, the Hellfire Club is a //global// place for socializing. Our VIPs include some of the most famous and powerful people in the world." She chuckles. "But as a board member, I'm expected to say that in our recruitment pitch. Personally, I've been a member since I was younger than Alton here, and it truly feels like a home when I'm away from home."

Alanna Lyons has posed:
A soft buzz from the phone in her hand and Alanna lifts it to scan the message over. With a small hiss of air through her teeth, she lifts the phone to her ear. "Tell them I'll handle it," she says, then lowers the phone. A card is slid over to the bartender to pay for her drink, the rest of which is downed before card and phone are returned to her purse. Pushing off her chair, she retreats to the exit.

Seems more important things were on her plate for now. So much for a casual drink.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton grins, "Well...scion, heir, it's all the same. I'm too young to have my own company yet, but since dad does..." He's still learning the whole ins and outs of running things from his father. Still, running the company is a decade or two away, Alton figures, though he might find himself on the board of directors sooner than that. Part of the reason he's here is so he can meet everybody. "It's a great club. I meet all kinds of fun people here that I can't meet anywhere else."

Shuri has posed:
"Recruitment pitch?" She asks and then tilts her head at Emma, "I see." She states simply even as she takes a piece of her pretzel and takes a bite before letting out a pleased sound before looking up at Alton briefly, "Oh? You have been apart of the Hellfire Club then?" She nods a little before she looks back to Emma and hmms, "I can't say that it doesn't interest me but I am a girl of but a small African nation. Surely I am not up to being a part of such a prestigious group?"

Emma Frost has posed:
"We are always pleased to have any of our guests apply to join our VIP," Emma nods. "And the size of a nation matters little, it's the heart that counts." She ruffles Alton's hair fondly. "Alton's father is also a member of the board. If you'd like a tour later of the club, your highness, I'd be pleased to arrange one or provide it myself. Our clubhouse here has two restaurants, four bars, two nightclubs, and the VIP lounge." Among other, less public areas. "Any guest can take advantage of anywhere but the VIP, which is members-only."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton smiles widely, "Well, yes. The first time I was in here was when I was 10. Dad took me the first few times cause he wanted me to know people. So, I've been growing up around the place." Which makes for an interesting junior high and high school. "The good news for me, you can inherit membership from your father, so I get to be in the VIP lounge." And he makes that sound like the coolest thing ever. Because it pretty much is. "Even still, last time I saw a royal in here was that really wild party a couple years ago."

Shuri has posed:
A nod a little and then she smiles at Alton, "I do not like to throw around my royalty." She shakes her head before looking over at Emma, "And a tour would be nice at some point. I am just visiting today but I know much is happening right now so I can't simply just make committments."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma smiles. "That's fair enough." She pulls out a business card. "Shoot me a message whenever you'd like," she says. "Enjoy your drink and your visit to the Hellfire Club, Princess Shuri. It was wonderful to meet you."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton nods, "Yeah, it's great to meet you, Princess." Princess seems to stick more Alton's mind than princess of where. Just the concept of princess is awesome, where he stands. Doesn't even look too much older than he is.

Shuri has posed:
"It was nice to meet you both." She nods her head, "Until another time." ANd with that, she goes back to her pretzel and sips at her drink, smiling a little as she looks over the card that was given to her.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma moves back to her original bar seat, tapping the bartop once for a refill on her beer. "So, Alton, how are classes?" she asks, in that kind of tone you'd expect from an aunt or an older sister.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"They're going pretty well. Some are harder, some easier." Alton is once again in that sort of comfortable state. Having grown up around her, it's easier for him. "Prom is coming up soon, though, really more focused on that lately."

Emma Frost has posed:
"You have a date in mind?" Emma asks, gesturing to the bartender who brings Alton an italian soda for when he's done with his beer. "I went solo to my prom-- it's not entirely a terrible idea. At least I didn't have to have pictures with someone I ended up hating a year later."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton grins, "Oh, yeah, I have a date in mind. Her name's Christine. It's kinda been a whirlwind thing...I asked her, she accepted, then the dates started. It's great." And he seems very happy with the way things have turned out. "But...eh. Going solo is different for a guy. You would've had no trouble peeling guys away from their dates, it's a little harder for a guy to pull that trick."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma chuckles. "Is it serious? You going to bring her by the club?" she dunks a pretzel in the beer cheese, then chases it with a swig of her hefeweisen. "And, I should probably add, does your father know?"

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"...Serious? Hard to say yet. It's headed in a positive direction though, so far. I mean, I don't feel a need to bring dad in. I haven't used the L word or anything." The L word...kind of a scary thing. But it's not there yet, for all that it's been going so quickly his head is spinning a little.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma chuckles. "Well, I'll keep it to myself then. Your father won't hear it from me." //For now// is implied. Always. "But have fun. You're only in high school once, Alton." The blonde woman scans the bar, ever interested in who else might show up this afternoon.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex...really, really needs to get out of Westchester for a bit.

    It's been a few weeks now, and he still feels he's not finding his feet with this new...life, he supposes, that he's been thrust into. It's not just dealing with his powers; that would be a change by itself, certainly something to knock himself out of his comfortable academic life.

    But the sheer MADNESS of what he's been exposed to...

    Space aliens, timetossed travelers, future children of his brother, tales of futures where the world ended, people kidnapped and mindcontrolled...it's just too much to deal with after a bit.

    And so, he needed to get away, which he's done by randomly picking what looked like a good place to just sit down, have a drink, maybe some weinerschnitzel and saurkraut, and just take a moment to breath. Which is obvious to anyone who might have a good read on people's mental state as he steps in the door, looking around, then heading for an open booth.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton has been taught about where the line was...if it looks like it's becoming permanent, or if illigitimate heirs become a thing, then dad needs to know. If it's just a youthful indiscretion, dad really doesn't care. Figures it's probably good for his son to get out there and sample what women have to offer. "Yeah. And there's only 2 proms you get your entire life. Then you're graduated, and that's end of that. I kinda transferred from Ravenswood to Happy Harbor at the wrong time to do this the slow way. Had to be fast if I wanted to go."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma looks amused. "Well, there is that." She frowns a bit, glancing towards the door as Alex walks in. She isn't //exactly// skimming people's minds at the moment, but his frustrations are bubbling over psychically and tug her attention. She focuses a bit on the young man around her age and considers him thoughtfully while she sips her drink. Still, she's not going to interrupt him directly. "Sinclair," she glances over at the bartender, "it seems a guest may be a bit on the gloomy side. Have Carmen bring him the dessert menu as well."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex drops into the boot and sprawls a bit, stretching a little, before waiting for the waitress to stop by, glancing through his phone for a moment. He's a bit suprised when he's offered the dessert menu too, but doesn't seem to mind at all, quickly selecting a dark ale and ordering a slice of beinenstich to go with it, along with a pair or bratwurst, no side. That'd be the dessert, pretty much.

    That done, he settles back, letting his gaze run over the room as he people watches, mostly to distract himself.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton mostly follows Emma's line of sight. "Do you know that guy?" Cause he's never seen that guy before. Then again, he doesn't know everyone that comes and goes. A decent percentage, sure, but still...he does look like he's having a bad day. Or maye a bad week. Alton can't really tell, though.

Emma Frost has posed:
"No," Emma replies, "I haven't seen him around here before." She muses silently for a moment over her beer. "But he looks like he's having a bad day. Maybe I should check in on him."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex's gaze does run over Alton and Emma, lingering briefly on Emma. Because really, seeing someone like that with another guy, you can't help but think 'lucky bastard' in purely admiring tones in your head. Which he does. His gaze doesn't rudely linger though on either, before he's distracted by his beer arriving, pausing to take a deep drink of it, then letting out a sigh as a bit of tension drains from him.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Well, it's not quite /that/ kind of a lucky bastard. Alton's a bit young for it to be that sort of thing. But he's very fortunate to be able to hang around Emma so comfortably, so there's that. "He could probably use it. He looks kinda sad for some reason." Hmmm. "Do you want me to come?" Who knows if he'd do any good or not?

Emma Frost has posed:
//You didn't have to think it so loudly.// Emma thinks to herself, chuckling suddenly (and likely without Alton knowing why). She considers the teen's offer. "Maybe not yet," she muses. "He may not want to be bothered at all, so I'll see if he feels sociable first."

With that, Emma rises from her barstool and ruffles Alton's hair, taking her beer with her as she moves gracefully over towards Alex's booth. "This seat taken?" she asks, gesturing at the boothseat across from his.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex looks suprised as he sees Emma get up to make her way over to his table, but not unhappy by the visit. "All yours, if you want it." he says simply, sitting up, his attention focusing more on his visitor now, curiosity in his gaze. Sure, it's not like he's ever had a woman ask to join him before, but usually not when they're with someone else...

    Though now that he glances back at Alton, he does look a bit young...maybe son? Stepson, possibly...definitely stepson, she doesn't look nearly old enough to have a son that age. Or maybe some other kind of relative.

    Alex gets his thoughts under control as he smiles. "I'm Alex. Alex Summers. Miss...?"

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton doesn't head over, having been asked not to, so he goes back to ordering that food he was gonna have before the princess showed up and completely distracted him. "Rouladen, please..." And then the chefs get to cooking. Also, he finally gets to have his second...frothy mug of water. Berliner Weisse, again.

Of course, Alton having a beer probably further confuses just how old he might actually be.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma returns the smile. "Emma Frost. Is this your first time at the Hellfire? If so, let me welcome you. If not... welcome back?" She takes a drink of her beer. "You look glum. Is there anything I can help with?"

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Ah...first time, yes. This place looked interesting." Alex admits after a moment, tilting her head. "Nice to meet you Emma. Do you work here?" he says curiously. "I gotta say, with the HEllfire name I was expecting a Dante and layers of Hell reference or something, but this is pretty nice."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma chuckles. "Not exactly. I'm on the board for the club, so... I guess in a way, you could consider that I work here?" She shakes her head, amused. "But... not really. I'm the CEO of Frost International." She grins a bit. "This is just where I relax when I'm not buried in paperwork and meetings." She gestures to the waitress, who nods and slips off to fetch Emma another beer. "What do you do, Mr. Summers?"

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex blinks a bit, a memory niggling at him of a recent news story he read online. "...Emma Frost, yeah, I remember now." he says, looking a bit nonplussed. "Wow, I wouldn't have expected to run into someone like you...you said you're on the board for this place? So Frost International owns it?" he says curiously, settling back as he smiles. "I guess everyone needs a place to unwind..."

Emma Frost has posed:
"Technically, Sebastian Shaw of Shaw Industries owns this building," Emma laughs. "And the Hellfire Club is a separate entity from the various businesses folks on the board run. Think of it as my hobby instead of my job." She gestures towards Alton at the bar. "That's the oldest of one of our other board members, relaxing a bit before school tomorrow. The board is very hands on with the property: we want everyone to enjoy themselves." She leans forward a bit. "Though you never told me what it is you do." She winks.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Oh? Ah, well, didn't wanna break up your talk with him." Alex says. "If you want to ask him over too. Me?" He mmms. "I'm finishing up a masters degree over at Empire State...geophysics with a minor in archeology. So, student." he says ruefully. "Almost done though, I'm turning in my dissertation in May, and tha'tll be done, so...then my job will be unemployed and looking."

Emma Frost has posed:
The waitress reappears with Alex's food and Emma's drink. Emma gestures Alton to bring his dinner over and join them. "Geophysics? Sounds fascinating. I went for the social sciences myself in school, but sometimes I almost wish I had studied a more hard science. Did you have any thoughts on what sort of position you'd be looking for?"

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton finally comes on over with his food, and his beer, now that he's been invited back into things. He was digging into that meal...growing boys need food, after all, and they've got the metabolism to deal with it. Especially kids who just might have a little extra on them. "Hey, I'm Alton." He offers a hand, after it's been properly cleaned off.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex scoots over to make room for Alton as he arrives, pushing his food to the back of the table, then tkaes the offered hand, shaking firmly. "Alex, nice to meet you." he says easily, then looks back to Emma. Well. Having an undeniably gorgeous woman walk over to talk to him has been nice for distracting his mind from his situation, but that question brings him right back to it. He pauses to take another deep drink of his beer, setting it down with a little *pah*, then mms. "Well, I'm...not sure. I recently had some, uh, family stuff come up. And I'm dealing with that, so I guess I'll be taking a little break to get that in order."

    After all, he thinks it's good form to learn to not blow things up randomly with a heretofore undiscovered mutant ability that decided to unlock a few week sback before trying to try out for tenure positions. Just bad form to accidentally blow up your department.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma mms. "Family can be... vexing from time to time, but in my experience they only want what's best for you." She stifles a wince, thinking of her own father... who is rather overbearing, to put it mildly. "I'm sure it will all work out for the best, Alex."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton thinks about it, and, "My home life is actually pretty good. Not only do I get to be in places like this, but my parents have always been there for me when I needed something. Better, they teach me how to take care of my own stuff. Not every parent does that, I've found."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex sighs. "Yeah, I keep getting told I'll get used to things, but...it's just been a lot to take all at once. I was separated from my brother when we were still kids, when my folks died in a plane crash. Wasn't expecting to see him in the first place, wasn't even sure WHERE he's gone...I looked for a while, but couldn't find any sign of him. And that's just come with...family legacy stuff I guess." He twists his lips a bit. "So...when I get used to the new place I'm in, maybe I can draft a map back out to where I thought I was going, but for now...feel like I lost my compass in the jungle somewhere."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma frowns a little, shaking her head. "I suppose the bright side is you've found your brother again," she says. "It should get better as you get used to it."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton considers it from another angle. "I never had siblings. Not sure why I never had siblings, but...just never came up, I guess. At least you still have a brother to look for in the first place. And ya know, even if you've lost a compass, family will always be there."

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Yeah. Seeing him again is good." Alex admits, smiling a bit at Emma. "Just...it's everything at once, right when I'm already stressed getting my dissertation done. Why I'm out tonight, I just needed some time out and away from everything, you know?" He waves down the waitress, finishing his beer and asking for a refill before he settles back again, looking a bit more relaxed. Then again, that's German beer and he downed it quickly, so there are reasons for that. "So you two are just hanging out here, relaxing?"

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny Storm has been a regular at the HFC since he was well, Alton's age or there abouts, the benefit of being a celebrity. Tonight the younget member of the first family of superheroes, is wandering a little aimlessly through the club, in a sports jacket and jeans when he spots the little gathering in The Rathskeller and he changes direction to head inside.

"Beer me," he says to the barman before grinning with arms wide, "Emma," he greets brightly. No he doesn't go in for the hug he knows better, but that spirit is there. "Good to see you, who are your friends?"

Despite his age Johnny Storm is still Johnny Storm, blonde hair, blue eyes, the big smile and the cocky attitude. Unchanging as the mountains and Reed's hair do.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma nods. "I was finishing up some paperwork earlier, but I had to get out of the office to do it. Sometimes a change of scenery is nice--" and then Johnny Storm appears, and Emma brightens a bit. "Johnny!," she returns his greeting. "Not surprising to see you here this time of day," her tone is light, for Emma. "This is Mike Schmidt's--" referring to one of the boardmembers of the Hellfire Club and another VIP-- "son, Alton, and this is Alex Summers. He's a geophyiscist." She looks to the other two at the table, scooting over to make room for Johnny on the bench beside her. "Alton, Alex, this is Johnny Storm."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Looks up to see...THE Johnny Storm. Holy hell, being part of this club is AWESOME. Meeting one of the 4 is great. Geez. In one day he's met a princess and one of the fantastic 4. He is having a truly great day. "Mr. Storm, it's an honor." He offers a hand. "It's great to meet you." He's a little starstruck, particularly with his own secret designs on being a hero himself.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex is similarly gobsmacked. Okay, meeting a CEO of a major aerospace company (who happens to be gorgeous and roughly his age) was already a (very welcome) suprise, and now he's seeing a genuine superhero and celebrity in his own right, someone he used to have an action figure for when he was younger. He takes a moment to close his mouth where it was hanging over slightly, recovering. "Uh, yeah, hey! Huge fan...I had your lunchbox when I was younger..." he blurts out, but offers a hand as well. Okay, not the smoothest meeting ever, perhaps! "Thanks, for all you and your team have done for everyone." he says, recovering his aplomb.

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny grins, "Hey you know me, I'd make a crappy lawyer, never met a bar I could pass," he says to Emma before turning his attention to her two companions, he grips Alton's hand and gives it a firm pump. "Good to meetcha, Alton, Mike's kid huh?" he says. Damn that makes him feel old.

Well until Alex mentions the lunchbox, "Which one? Not the one from 95 right? Ugh, hate the picture on that one," he says good naturedly. "And hey, you're welcome Alex. Geophysisist huh? You should meet my buddy Ben," he jokes lightly. "Mind if I join you guys?"

Emma Frost has posed:
"How //is// Ben doing these days?" Emma says as Johnny joins them. "You want me to have Carmen bring out pretzels and schnitzel, Johnny?" she asks with a chuckle, already gesturing the waitress over. She glances to Alex. "Mr. Grimm might know someone looking for a geophyscist, actually, Alex," she muses. "Or Mr. Richards." Yes, to young Emma, the Fantastic Four were all Mister and Missus... save Johnny of course. Of course. "And no, Alton, that's your last one-- don't think I didn't notice."

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"Yessir. My dad's flight got delayed, and he got caught on layover in London. Again." That happens entirely too often, as far as it goes. But when Johnny asks to join them? This is really, really great.

"By all means, sir. What's it like to save the world? To fight bad guys like that? There's so many people who are alive today because of what you and the others have done."

And there's Emma, looking after what he's drinking again. Because yes, he's had 2 beers. Thankfully, nobody cards around here. But hey, at least he gets to enjoy some great food. "...well, that's 2 more than I'd get anywhere else."

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Oh, hell, I don't know if I'm up to working with Reed Richards, I just like digging in the dirt." Alex says modestly, taking his beer as the waitress drops it off, sipping from it. "I mean, if Ben Grimm knows someone, I won't say no, mind...these days it's hard as hell to find a tenure job unless you're willing to get enough grants to pay your own salary." he adds ruefully.

    He quiets a bit, letting Alton ask his questions as he pauses to take a bite of one of his bratwursts, munching away as he listens for a moment.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"Definitely," Johnny answers Emma about the food., before settling in and pushing a hand through his hair, "Well, I can talk to Ben at least, or get you hooked up with one of our Fantastic Grants if you qualify," he promises Alex. "He's just down on Yancy street and doing fine," he says with a smile for Emma. "I'll let him know you said hi. As for Reed, Sue and the kids, off-world some pulsar thing that Reed thinks is a suitable destination for a family road trip," he rolls his eyes. He'd endured more than his fair share of those.

"Well tell Mike I said hello," but then he gets down to the questions. "First off, it's Johnny not sir, even Emma doesn't call me Mr. Storm," he says. "Saving people is great, it's why I do what I do, as for the fights, there's some good some bad. Depends on who you're fighting and why. Why got folks you want to save or bad guys you want to fight?"

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma chuckles. "If such an occurrence presents itself, Johnny, you'll be the first we call." Carmen the waitress arrives with a giant-sized plate of the soft pretzels, multiple ramekins of beer cheese and hot mustard, a plate of schnitzel and bratwursts, and several other tidbits of good bar food to go with good beer. Behind her is a second waitress with another round of beers, except for Alton: she has a cherry italian soda for him. Cloth napkins for the table as well. And a fireproof napkin for Johnny. Wonder why.

"The Fantastic Grants are wonderful. A lot of great scientists get the funding they need to make the world a better place," Emma nods.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton...demurrs a little bit. "Well, I mean, if I could fight bad guys, I would." And, well, he can, so he did! But he doesn't want to let that particular cat out of that particular bag. He also has to think about protecting those close to him. Unlike Johnny, he doesn't have a family full of powered people.

"But...it must be great to be the guy people rely on. To be the one who saves somebody who would've been hurt killed otherwise. To, well...be that guy."

"If there's no great glorious end to all this, if nothing we do matters... , then all that matters is what we do. 'Cause that's all there is. What we do." However he can, wherever he can... "All I wanna do is help. I wanna help because, I don't think people should suffer as they do. Because, if there's no bigger meaning, then the smallest act of kindness is the greatest thing in the world."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex hesistates, but isn't going to turn down help where it's offered. "That'd be great. I've heard of the grants, but I've never tried to compete for one yet. I'll have to come up with something really worthwhile for it then." he says, chuckling. He raises a brow at the family trip idea as he leans back, letting Alton gush a little bit, a faint smile coming to his lips. Nice to hear, the idealism. Alex finds himself fighting to be just a realist most days. Or a pragmatist, at least. But he can remember when he was like that still, all seeing the best in the world."

    Now that he thinks on it, he guesses the professor and his motley crew still feel that way too. And his brother. Hell, he's certainly met people just this past week who've lived through things that would have broken a lot of people with less strong wills.

    "So you're keeping the home fires burning, so to speak, while everyone else is off on their trip?" he says amusedly.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"Thanks, so what's up with you in the world of business, Emma? Sue talk to you about that women CEO's thing?" he asks her as his eyes widen at the bounty being delivered to the table.

He helps himself to a beer first then sets it down to listen to Alton. "Well, work at it hard enough you can, I mean look at all the cops, soldiers and well Hawkeye," he says with a grin. "No powers, still kick ass. Heck, Hawkeye even has a song in that Avengers musical," he says with a shake of his head. "Thank god there wasn't a one of those for the four," he says.

As for the philosophy of heroism... "I dunno, I didn't really think about why I was doing a thing, just did it because it felt right, y'know? Listen to your gut kid, it'll do you better than worrying about a bunch of quotes," he smiles then softening his words."But it sounds like your heart is in the right place."

As for Alex he nods, "Definitely try out, Reed likes to look at the finalists, but don't let that intimidate you, if you've got a good idea he'll back it."

A smile then and another sip of beer. "So to speak," he says of keeping the home fires burning. "But yeah, someone's got to show the flag, and of course as soon as everyone's busy Doom's off doing Doom things again." He means the 'help' he's giving Genosha, which so far has actually been helpful.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma shakes her head. "We've been having some issues with one of the new engines for the commercial division," she admits. "But I suspect our people will work it out soon enough. Father is enjoying his retirement, for now, at least. He is only checking up on me twice a week instead of daily."

She chuckles at the mention of Doom. "I understand the Latverian community outreach and emergency assistance programs are going well," she opines.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton definitely means to work at it...though he does have a little bit extra to work with then cops and officers and what not. "Hawkeye...does shoot arrows. But he never misses. If you rewatch that battle, he never missed a single shot he took. Are you sure he has no powers?" Cause that's up for debate. Eliminating human error is impressive.

"Well...I think we need to have our why. Because it'll get hard. And you need to have a reason to push through. I'm trying to work out my why, even if it'll probably be easier to find later in life."

Alex Summers has posed:
    "I'm willing to give it my best shot." Alex says to Johnny, nodding. "Hell, if Dr. Richards likes it, it'll make me feel I'm definitley on the right track. Even being considered as a finalist would be awesome." He takes a long draught from his beer, setting the glass back down as he exhales. "Man, stuff has a kick. Been forever since I got to try the good stuff." His cheeks are just a bit flushed...higher alcohol content and all in real German beer.

    "You can be really, really skilled and not miss too." Alex opines. "But yeah, the whole Genosha thing..." He frowns. "...damn, that's just...insane. They still haven't found out what happened there? I heard they had SHIELD over investigating.' He snorts. "At least Doom isnt' there to conquer it or something."

    After all, there's not much left to conquer at this point.

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    As Alex questions on what might have happened at Genosha....almost as if on cue, another individual enters the bar. And, judging from the slightly elevated reactions from the waitstaff on hand, it is someone that has been seen there before. With the tall, thin build as well as the head of white hair, those in the know would recognize the new arrival as one Pietro Maximoff. And....it appears that he has frequented this particular bar more than a few times, as one of the bartenders reaches over to a certain tap and tops off a glass for the newcomer, passing it to Pietro as he approaches the bar.

    A glance about the room finds the table with at least a few familiar faces, even if Pietro may not be on quite so friendly terms with them. But, then again, since when is Pietro ever on friendly terms with anyone? Johnny receives a nod, as well as Emma....though Pietro himself makes no attempt to approach. Not yet, at least.
    

Johnny Storm has posed:
Johnny grins, "Hey, progress is progress, Sue stopped checking my expense accounts last year so, sort of know the feeling," says the one time CFO of Fantastic Four Inc. Don't ask it was a disaster.

Another sip of his beer, and a nod for Alton, "Yeah guy's a helluva shot," he says. "Green Arrow too, hung with him a bit back in my Justice League days." he says. "Decent dude."

Like many of the Four, Johnny had done a bit of team jumping to help 'find himself' in the 2010's.

As for why? Johnny actually thinks about it, "Yeah, fair point, and feet to the fire," small smirk at the word choice. "I'd say my why's always been my family. It's what we do, who we are."

"Go for it man, and yeah, not bad right?" he says to Alex hoisting his mug. "Yet," Johnny adds about Doom's in Genosha. "Not sure what his plan is, but he's always got one."

The white haired speedster is given a nod, "Wanna come hang out?" he calls to the man, before looking to Alton. "World famous CEO, member of the Fantastic Four /and/ an Avenger all in one day."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma nods politely to Pietro... not quite giving him as warm a greeting as she did Johnny, but... its Pietro. She chuckles at Alton. "And a prince, technically, I think. Though that might be a sore subject for him," she considers. She very much keeps her telepathy in check: Pietro isn't exactly a fun mind to delve into.
Shepying that Alex's mug is only half full, she makes a discreet gesture and another pint is brought out.

Alton Schmidt has posed:
"And a princess. Her Highness Shuri of Wakanda was here earlier." In the room. the only one he's known a significant amount of time is Emma, so she's actually helping stabilize the young man right about now. "...an actual princess. Not just in video games anymore." For Mario or Link or whoever to rescue. There was always someone off the save them. And yeah, now there's another...well...

"I'm sorry for your loss." If Pietro is technically a Prince, he's prince of a nation that just got blown to bits...and somehow 'sorry for his loss' seems hollow, but he can't think of anything better to say to comfort the man.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex doesn't really have an opinion about Pietro personally, but he recognizes him, especailly after Johnny mentions him being an Avenger. Well. He definitely wasn't expecting to walk in such rarified company for a night out, but, hell, it's actulaly MORE normal than most of his last week, so he'll take it.

    The younger Summers polishes off the last of his first bratwurst and starts on the second, not noticing the refill from Emma at first as his original glass is taken away when it's empty. It's magic beer! It just keeps reappearing! "Yeah, more the merrier...." he says, sitting up a bit more. By this point, he's just getting used to celebrities wandering in, or at least the initial shock has faded a bit.

    "Wait, he's a prince?" Alex adds, his brain catching up to the conversation, but skipping over the whole 'and he might not like you pointing that out' part. Yeeeeeah. He's just a tad buzzed by this point. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, sorry for what happened. I hope they find the bastards responsible."

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    The invitation is accepted and Pietro walks over, glass in hand. There isn't much in way of greeting...though it could very well be the fact that the whole prince of a ruined nation thing that he is receiving sympathy for. And Pietro doesn't take sympathy well. There is a moment of hesitation, faint but perceptible, before the Avenger replies. With a simple 'Thank you.' But, for what he is thanking for remains a mystery. At least, to most. He could be thanking for the condolences...or simply for being invited over.

    However, it is to Alex that earns Pietro's attention. And in particular his last statement. "Yes, I will find the party responsible." No they, nor even we...but the singular possessive is used. And that is given with a calm assurity. One could almost believe he will do it.

Emma Frost has posed:
"I'm glad you could join us, Mr. Maximoff," Emma says in a business like and polite tone. "I'm sure between the Avengers and SHIELD the perpetrators will be found in short order

Alton Schmidt has posed:
Alton looks up, and..."...I don't know if this is a good question or a bad question, but...what was it like, before?" Maybe if he lets Pietro talk about the home he had about 34 days ago, he'll feel a little better? Well. Maybe not. But it's worth a shot.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Or with Doom helping too." Alex mutters, sipping from his beer as he leans back against the corner between the back wall and his side of the booth, stuffing the remainder of his bratwurst in his maw as he finishes it off. He is...nicely mello now.

    Of course, the temperature in the immediate area has also risen by several degrees as a result. But so far, it's minor. He glances over at Alton's question, then back to Pietro; not sure how he'll take being asked about his home that was just nuked, effectively.

    Then he looks back at Emma instead, because she's much more attractive to look at, if he's going to be entirely honest about it.

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    "It was not perfect." Pietro turns to regard Alton, the question not entirely unexpected. However, if Alton was expecting Pietro to wax nostaglic, well....that simply isn't going to happen. "It wasn't perfect because nothing ever is. Certaintly nothing my father ever touched. But, it did not deserve what happened." The words are calm, but definitely with a forced edge to them. Like Pietro is trying like hell to remain as civil as possible.

    With, knowing him, is most likely the case.

    "As far as the support being offered, whatever offered shall be accepted. Carefully, warily, but accepted nonetheless." Which means not even former terrorist Pietro Maximoff is all that keen on accepting Doom's assistance blindly.

Johnny Storm has posed:
"Don't count on it," Johnny grumbles about Doom. "Doom will only avenge Genosha, if it serves his purposes. It's just how he is," he turns to Pietro then. 'That said if you do find out who did this, then you and your sisters can count on the Fantastic Four to help any way we can to bring them to justice." Johnny knows that's not what Pietro had in mind, justice, not in the way the Four dealt with it anyhow, but he still had to make the offer.

As to the description of Genosha, Johnny nods and has a silent drink in its honour.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma also lifts her glass silently and does the same. She frowns a little at the rising temperature, wondering if she should slip off and make sure the air system was working properly on this floor. Perhaps if it continues to get worse...

She glances at Alex, the corner of her lips tugging slightly upward with amusement. She was quite used to the sorts of thoughts he was having directed at her, to be honest. A wrinkle of further, dark amusement crossed her mind as she imagined the young Summers being summoned to the Inner Circle when court was in session. His head would likely explode.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex belatedly raises his cup as well, then sips from it again. At least he's slowing down a bit, as the knowledge of just how unsteady he is starts to leak through his brain pan. With that comes a jagged jolt of concern...is he leaking? He discharged before he came over...he can't be full already, can he? Dammit. He tries to gather his fogged thought, pushing, a definitely underlying fear of losing control driving him to get a bit more sober. At least, until he's pretty sure he's more or less not going to blow up the bar. And the nice people with him.

    He does set his glass down with an effort. Time to drink water maybe, which he orders from a passing waitress.

    When he catches Emma glancing his way he reflexively shoots her a cocky smile. As you do when a beautiful women smiles at you. Was she checking him out? Hah! He could be so lucky. Seriously, this last week he's met more women that look like should be freaking supermodels...and at least two could read his mind, which is intimidating in its own way. At least he's safe with Emma not doing /that/.

    Because he's definitely having to catch his gaze from wandering, which at least speaks at a certain amount of willpower.

    "Maybe, but I don't have any trouble wishing Doom on whoever did this. Hah! Wishing doom. Like a wyrd." Alex grins a bit. "Like the old Norse, with their dooms..."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma frowns suddenly. Alex's thoughts aren't exactly shielded, and she is reading enough of his thoughts to suddenly feel a mild bit of discomfort..

Emma Frost has posed:
...not at his thoughts of her, exactly, but that he was in contact with at least a couple of telepaths. Other telepaths made Emma... cautious. Her sisters were bad enough. Others outside the family could be dangerous. She quickly smiles, though she wonders what Summers sudden preoccupation with leaking might be...

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    It doesn't take a mind reader to catch the exchange between Alex and Emma. Pietro himself doesn't say anything, but he definitely rolls his eyes in mild disdain as he takes a sip from his glass. The sudden frowning is missed, though, as Pietro's gaze was upon Alex at the time. The rise in temperature is felt...but only mildly reacted to. Perhaps it was the reason for the drink.

    "Yes, well, Doom can have what's left." Again, that confidence on display for all.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex isn't really making an attempt to hide those thoughts. Really, it's at the heart of everything that was bothering him when he walked in...the damned powers that showed up out of nowhere when his professor tried to kill him a few weeks ago, the memory of the giant hole blown through the side of the school building, thankfully where no one else was working late at the time, a confused montage of trying to learn to control it, then perhaps because Emma is there right back to said "supermodels" he remembers reading his mind, that being a certain redhead and a British ninja girl, which has him totally confused about how to feel about it...not like he can be mad at them if it's just how they are, but still, he's vaguely embarrassed that he probably thought something he would have preferred not be "heard" per se.

    "So...ah. I guess Lorna is your sister, then? She seemed nice. Met her the other day. A little, uh...overwhelmed, maybe. Is your other sister on Genosha too?" he wonders.

Emma Frost has posed:
Interesting. Emma regards Alex with more than just the surface interest she had earlier. Unlike Pietro... and others of his kind... Emma's status as a mutant was unknown outside of her immediate family and a few choice members of the Inner Circle. She toys with whether or not delving into the young man's mind would be of value to her or the Inner Circle. She was certainly intrigued at the possibilities of what information he might hold, however.

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    A slight nod is given to Alex in response. "Half sister." Overwhelmed? Well...that would happen if one found herself thrusted onto the world's stage, queen of ruin. "Understandable that she seemed....distracted." Going with the understatement on that one. There is a pause, before Pietro speaks about Wanda. "No. My sister Wanda is here, in New York." Again, Pietro isn't much with providing the information. But, with the way he spoke, it is certainly apparent that Pietro is certainly more caring for Wanda than Lorna. There was a distant air when speaking about Lorna, the heir to Genosha. That distance was not heard when speaking of Wanda. "She was safe."

    Of course Wanda was. She and Pietro were in New York at the time. A fact that Pietro is certainly grateful for...yet besides himself since he wasn't *there* to help. Not that he could have done much, regardless on how fast he truly is.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Emma, at least will see the fairly clear image of finding Lorna on the verge of tears walking into a kitchen somewhere, talking with another girl, Hope. And the swell of sympathy for her. Which just leads to all sorts of memories of the craziness of said mansion...people talking about how painful it is to regenerate skin, a earnest girl baking talking to him about being kidnapped and mind controlled, a girl popping out of a tear in reality out front of a large stately manor, a /second/ beat up guy doing the same and fallign in the duck pond, causing him and the first girl to pull him out, ranting about an Apocalypse and a Sinister and then ther's the other redhead who apparently lights on fire when she flies...there's a LOT of sympathy for Jean. And for his brother. A bit less for the latter.

    It's just too much, and that is why, dear viewers (really just Emma) why Alex is here getting a good, strong drink. And trying not to accidentally blow up anything.

    "That's good, I'm glad she was safe." Alex says , nodding slightly as he leans forwards, idly poking at the slice of custard layered cake he originaly ordered with his food that he's not unsure if he should add to the amount of alcohol already in his stomach.

Emma Frost has posed:
"I am too," Emma agrees, though she had already heard through the grapevine that Wanda was fine. The benefits of the club, so to speak. It was a great place for gossip.

Emma closes her eyes as she does a quick delve of Alex's mostly surface thoughts. That was an awful lot of awfully powerful mutants in one place that wasn't Genosha. And more than a couple of them seem potentially threatening to the club. She opens her eyes and finishes her beer, musing. She is glad she wandered into the public areas instead of sticking to the VIP. Interesting things can come out of the regulars, too, it seems.

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    The glass in his hand is drained relatively quickly, and, with that, Pietro rises to his feet. "If you all would excuse me..." As to what the excuse would be for remains unspoken, but that is also very much Pietro. Because sometimes it just takes too long, at least in his mind, to explain what he is going to do...rather than just go and do it. But, at least, this time, he offers something. "I just recently returned to New York and I should get certain affairs in order."

    In other words, he probably should go talk to his sister. But he isn't going to say that. With a slight bow (mainly for Emma), Pietro turns to depart....but not before returning the now-empty glass to the bartop.