6698/Sion Re-Opens!

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Sion Re-Opens!
Date of Scene: 25 June 2021
Location: Sion - Nightclub
Synopsis: Betsy hosts a gala at a nightclub, complete with barbarians at the gate.
Cast of Characters: Betsy Braddock, Nicolai Codona, Jamie Madrox, Rogue, Laxmi Mallick, Henry McCoy, Rien D'Arqueness, Remy LeBeau, Nicole Adams, Peter Parker, Jean Grey, Samuel Guthrie




Betsy Braddock has posed:
There are floodlight, with filters to cast a faintly purple light onto the front of the club, lighting it up without subtlety. Of course, the owner of the club has invited news outlets, and is present out front, smiling for the cameras, the crowd, and her invited guests. Purple hair is freshly done, rippling in perfect waves down her back. Irridecent platform heels that lace up her calves, are paired with a pale purple off-the-shoulder dress that hits mid-thigh. The makeup is, as one might expect, flawless, and her jewelry is understated and minimal. She's letting pictures be taken, answering questions, and in general - trying to be the model-turned-business owner and wringing out every bit of publicity for the club and her mutant-equality message that she can.
     Inside, the club has security in place, bartenders and barbacks at the ready in their own areas, the music not yet full volume to let people mingle first. It's a party, after all.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Maybe it's the whole 'mutant equality' message that has Nicolai showing up sans the sunglasses he might normally wear to hide those odd eyes of his? Or maybe it's just because, despite how cool it sounds, he doesn't wear his sunglasses at night. Either way, they glow faintly in the night shadows, drawing the attention of those that know him and those that don't. He's dressed for the occasion in simple, understated style that likely still cost a fortune. His entire outfit is Dior, maybe a call out to the first time he met their hostess? However, it is just a pair of dark jeans, a white v-neck t-shirt, a simple black sport jacket and a pair of black boots.

    For now, he doesn't even bother with trying to gain the attention of said hostess, instead he picks his way through the outside crowd to the front doors.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox mingles very well, all five of him, dressed in a nice dress shirt, slacks and loafers, maybe a little out of style, but nothing offensive. His hair's slicked back a bit and at least two of him have their sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

One of him is by the bar, flirting shamelessly with a young lady there for her bachelorette party. Inappropriate, but far from criminal and the girl seems to be enjoying himself.

Two and three are generally moving about, dancing here and there giventhe opportunity, passing out cards for his detective agency occasionally whenever he hits a wall and gets rebuffed.

Number four is in the bathroom. Too many appetizers.

And five is making his way closer to Psylocke herself, hovering just beyond the reach of the press and keeping an eye on Betsy, having a proposition for her. Strictly business, of course. Well, probably. Depending.

Rogue has posed:
When Rogue arrives outside, she's wearing a dark green dress and has her hair tied up in to a bun on the back of her head. She has a black choker aorund her neck, and dark red lipstick on. Her arms are mostly covered by long black gloves that go up past her elbows.

She strides in to the place and lets her green eyes roam around the interior of the club. A smile crosses her lips as she looks toward where the drinks are being served, instantly making her way in that very direction.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Mingling amongst the crowd already is a young lady with straight, black hair, dark skin, and surprisingly green eyes. Laxmi's attire is much like she always wears - a colorful skirt with a revealing top that bares both her midriff and back. This time, however, her clothing is addorn with bead embroidery that sparkles in the club's light as she moves - as well as large, gold and emerald earrings and a necklace that's a netting of two-toned gold. Pinned into her hair, and resting at the center of her forehead, is an elaborate jewelry piece of gold, emeralds, and diamonds - if the gems are real, it must be worth a fortune.
    Approaching the bar she requests simply, "Can I get a sparkling water with a little lime juice and grenadine? Thank you."

Henry McCoy has posed:
Not one to miss a friend's event, Henry arrives dressed for the occasion. Wearing a cream-colored linen suit, the man cuts quite the dashing figure. He steps into the club, pausing to take in the atmosphere of the opening party. After a moment of adjusting to the light and the sound, he starts making his way to the bar. Once there, he nods to the bartender. "Whiskey, neat." The man smiles, fishing out his wallet from his jacket pocket.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
There's more bright smiles like she's shooting for a cover, and giving the same statement about her mission to hire mutants along with humans to give them visibility, to show that human and mutant equality can exist, and that they all can just get along, with some effort. She will excuse herself, blowing a kiss towards a particular photographer, before she will make a slow walk along the line to move inside her club.
     Her security head will stop her, a quick little update about numbers already inside, keeping her in the loop. She will nod, before she's smiling and waving to familiar faces as she heads to the bar for herself. A hand will alight on Hank's shoulder. "Doctor, you look so dignified." She'll murmur, a violet glance flicked up to her friend's face. She'll wait her turn, before she'll order a seltzer water with lime. She may have a drink later, but not just yet.
     Her eyes will move around the club, a wink for Rogue, a nod to Laxmi, a kiss blown to Nicolai. The D.J. will fade out the pre-recorded music, so the newly performing Mystik Spiral starting into their three song set, as part of Betsy's showcasing of musicians of different genres for short sets between club playlists.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Once inside and at the bar, Nicolai raises his voice to be heard over the crowd and orders a glass of Macallan Double Cask. If that's unavailable, and it might be unless Betsy made sure they had a bottle just for Nicolai, he'll order whatever's top shelf in the same category - a single malt scotch. "Run a tab," he requests once his order is served up. He fishes his wallet from his pocket and a card from the wallet to offer the bartender in return for said tab. Because that is some expensive shit he's requesting.

    "...and add hers to it," he says with an index finger gesture in Laxmi's direction. His Hindi is really really REALLY rusty, but he manages, "Big crowd!" none the less. There's nothing, not one little thing, flirtatious about the drink buying or the conversation starter, it's just Nix being Nix... he's a pretty social creature by nature. A fact proven when he points down the other way at Hank and says, "His too!" Fate or happenstance that has them all three so near one another? Just coincidence.

    His response to Betsy is a kiss to his fingertips and a little wave in her direction.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
The Madrox at the bar raises a hand in greeting to Hank, "Yo, Doc. Sup?" he calls out, getting a beer for himself and taking a long drink, "Oh, that guy over there's got me," he says, pointing to another Madrox who's coming out of the bathroom. "He's got the credit card."

The Madrox near Betsy raises ahand in greeting as she's talking to Nicolai, edging in a bit close enough to be heard, "Your security guy sucks. I've got three weapons in this club right now. Not on me, on the others, but I won't tell you which ones until you at least consider hiring me as a consultant."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Well - thank you," Laxmi answers, also in Hindi as the cost of her drink is picked up. She presses her hands together in greeting - revealing that the back of her left hand is also addorned with jewelry in gold, with emeralds and rubies, and a few rings sparkle on her right hand. "Namaste," she adds. As the drink is delivered to her she picks it up for a sip, offering a nod of greeting to Betsy, and a polite, curious look at the rather well dressed blue-furred fellow on her other side.
    "It's already shaping up to a lovely evening, isn't it?" she comments - switching back to English.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue reaches the bar area and flags down one of the servers with a wave and a bright smile. She has to present her ID, which she already had out of her black leather clutch and is offering it to the man. She's only been 21 for a handful of months afterall!

When her drink is brough tot her, the southern belle shares a few words with the server and a light laugh before she turns and lifts the mug of beer up to her lips to sip from it.

No flutey wine glass for her, nope, she went for the 20-something ounce mug of beer. She lifts it up to her smoky red hued lips and takes a sip of it, lowering it down and using a napkin to dab at her lips to clean up the foamy foam from them.

At the sight of Betsy, Rogue raises her hand and waves her black gloved fingers toward the familiar face. She looks around the club and mouths the words 'I love it here!" To her. Hank gives a wave too since Betsy was over by him.

Henry McCoy has posed:
Quite happy to see Betsy approach the bar, Henry makes certain she has room. A silly grin - the doctor may be scuffing his foot at the compliment. "You look radiant, Betsy." He responds. "Quite the lovely club - the reopening is well in swing?" A wave to Jamie and Rogue - each getting a smile in turn. "Evening you two." A slight smile at the weapons comment from Jamie, along with a shake of his head.

As his drink is taken care of, he turns and raises the glass to Nicolai in thanks. A nod and a smile.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien D'Arqueness makes her way into the club wearing a more dressy version of her normal attire. It's a white leather bustier along with white leather pants. Soft white leather boots encase her legs to above the knee. The heels on them add several inches to her less than impressive height. Her blonde hair flows down her back almost to her waist, pulled back off her face.

She moves gracefully across the floor to the bar and orders a glass of wine, then turns to face the room, leaning back against the bar, eyes scanning over the crowd.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy Braddock turns her eyes to Madrox, a sip from her glass. She won't bother to look surprised. "Jamie, darling, my head of security is a former Xavier-ite. Do you think he's going to shake down any of my friends?" Brows will lift at the end of the question, before her chin lifts. "If you cause trouble, it will be me you need to worry about. And I think we both know I can outclass any weapon you may have snuck in on a dupe, sweeting." There it is - that cold, perfect socialite smile. "Now drink, dance, and enjoy yourself, won't you? If you're serious about wanting employment, call sometime." There's a quick wink, before she will pat Hank's forearm, to shift away to start to mingle. "You have such a way with compliments, Hank. Thank you kindly." She will shift over to Nicolai to brush a casual, Euro kiss to his cheek. "Enjoying the scotch I ordered just for you, dear?" She will tease him with an easy smile. "Thank you for coming. It means a lot." Her hand will reach out, a light squeeze of his wrist. "I hope you'll save me a dance, later. But I have to go run spot checks. You understand, yes?"

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "Back atcha," Nicolai replies along with a wink. And a raise of his glass in Laxmi's direction. "It really is, little loud though!" he adds, honestly. It's really not so much his kinda scene with all the flashing lights and pulse pounding beat. Make no mistake, Nicolai loves music, music is life for him most of the time but... Give him a blues or jazz club any day.

    It somewhat interferes with his ability to keep the 'rest of his stuff' muffled. The flickering lights, particularly fuck with the mute button he usually has pushed on the 'other side' of things. It's hard to tell flickering Astral overlay from the rest of the flashing. But, it's for Bets, so... he's here.

    His glass is raised to Hank in turn and that's the last of that... he finishes off that gesture with one smooth bend of an elbow and his expensive scotch his just gone. He settles the empty down and taps the bar top twice, hit'm again, as the bartender passes by.

    That Euro kiss is, of course, returned. "You go do you, I'll talk to you later, yeah?" Really, the way he downed that first one, is there any reason to answer the scotch question. However, the suggestoin that they talk later did seem to be more true facts than casual conversation. He really does want to talk to her later. Maybe during that dance. "Only if you make'm play a slow one."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    Slipping out of the bathroom with a clap and a pelvic thrust as if he was some sort of Spidered-Man or something, Remy the Cajun is back in the room and spies his date across the floor, and a handful of people's face's he recognizes. Faces he'll have to sort through and draw names out and recollect in time.

    The man with the red eyes smiles unabashedly towards Rogue as he starts to step and slide and boogy his way over there.

    Wait, it's not that kinda club?

    Remy don't care. He's more at home in the funk than what's in the air tonight. Remy's dance moves come from re-runs of Soul Train.

    A hand rakes through Hank's fur, up his back into the hair on his head, "Heya big blue an' mademoiselle." Remy says, trying to take Betsy's hand and kiss the back of it. "Ah'd stay an' chat, but Ah have a paramour dat might rip my head off if'n Ah flurt further." The cajun winks at Hank and Betsy on his way to the Mighty Woman.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox sighs, "You can't blame a guy for trying. You're a little busy, after all, I thought maybe a little demonstration would at least help," he says. "I'm a one man security force all by myself."

Two of the Madroxi on the dance floor have now taken to dancing with each other, having apparently picked up some pretty sweet dance moves someday as they start pulling out some hip hop improvisations, even a little bit of krunk styling.

Jamie number four comes up and idly pops out of existence, rejoining with the original, "Well. That's what I get for going too hard at the quesadillas," he says, shaking his head.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     There were events, and then there were -events-. As Nicole made her way into the room, she took a moment to look everything and everyone over. This was a completely different crowd, with only one person she recognized--and that was Betsy herself. Taking a deep breath, she steels herself for the evening ahead, striding out to take her place behind the bar. She's taken an earlier suggestion to heart, opting for a knee-length, stylish black silk skirt to go with her short-sleeved, amethyst blouse. The click of her strappy little black sandals along the floor is lost in the general hubbub of conversation and joviality. Her hair's been caught up in a French twist, plain and simple, and only a simple pair of amethyst drop earrings sparkle in their place, framing her face.

     Right from the start, she settles in to her work, tending to one patron's drink or other, keeping her eyes and ears open for further requests. This would, it seemed, be quite a busy night!

Rogue has posed:
Rogue's eyes are out on the dance floor watching the people boop-scootin' out there, including the Jamies which has her grinning. She is lifting that big mug of beer up to her lips for another drink when Remy appears over by Hank. She grins at him continuing to flirt with the Beasty-one and shakes her head lightly.

When he approaches her she offers him the giant mug of booze to start his night off with. "Just in case." She says to him after leaning toward him.

When she leans back, she spots Nico and waves to him. "How as the motorcycle ride?" She says to him ove rthe sounds of the party around them.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Aren't clubs always, though?" Laxmi answers with an amused smile. She picks up her glass for a sip - enjoying her virgin cocktail. "It's lively, though! I find it thrilling." And her parents would just about die seeing their daughter there. But what can you do? Traditional culture can be rather constricting.
    Her eyes go to Maddrox - as one of his dupes rejoins him, a sight which causes her to blink her eyes in surprise. Huh. "You don't see that every day," she murmurs. But she seems to dismiss it from her mind, as she turns back towards the bar - her gaze going from Rogue, back to the man who bought her the drink. "You ride motorcycles?" she asks.
    Then with some embarrassment she adds, "Oh - I'm Laxmi, by the way. Laxmi Mallick."

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy Braddock will pause to glance at Nicolai's face. "Of course, darling." She barely gets much further before her hand is taken up and kissed, brows lifting. "Yes, you should pay attention to your lovely date." Betsy is in full agreement on that one. She will wander away from the bar, with a head nod and a hint of a smile for Nicole. But there are other bars in the building, and she needs to check in with the DJ about the length of the next playlist before their next live act.. tonight is just not her night for just enjoying it all.

Peter Parker has posed:
It's not like the old days, Ritchie thought as he checked his iPhone 12.
Used to be, all you needed was to put up a date and time, collect enough people, and poof! Instant mayhem. Collect the fee, stroll off as the havoc begins.

These days, though...you have to be smarter. You have to START peaceful and then wind the crowd up until something gives. Then those expecting Nice get NASTY before they can adapt to it.
So sayeth Ritchie Mars, Professional Troublemaker. He doesn't have business cards or a website for what he does, but those who know the score know how to get in touch with him.

This time, it was...well, no names, of course, he's a professional...who wants to make some ugly noise at a mutie gathering at a popular club. Ritchie reached out to the local hate groups, proposing a "spirited" but controlled demonstration, to air their grievances to the press, to "take a stand."
They responded, of course. Ritchie knew what made people tick...
...and what would make them GO OFF.

On schedule, people started moving towards the news vans and media mavens. You had to get enough together before it could happen. Like locusts--until a certain population threshold is reached, they are grasshoppers. It is when they reach that point that they turn omnivorous and try to eat the world...

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    "Ah t'ink you're right." He says towards Betsy as he conitnues past towards Rogue and the extended mug of beer, Remy whispers, "Ah love you."

    Was that to her or the golden drink? His mouth is too busy taking a heavy and long pull of the drink before passing it back and reaching up to wipe at his lips. "So, what's de plan? We expectin' some bad do-er to show up an ruin everythin' or we here t' get smashed drunk and stumble home in de jet?"

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "Nobody died!" Nicolai calls back to Rogue. That's a plus, right? His next drink is savored a little more than the first. That special order bottle likely cost into the six digits, but it's not like he won't be repaying all of it before the night's over.

    "Yeah, fair point," he replies to Laxmi. "Wassat?" he asks, barely making her words out over the din of the place. Finally it dawns. "Oh, yeah, yeah I do. Nothing quite like them honestly. Nicolai Codona, but you can call me Nix." He pushes himself up off his bar stool and moves a little closer to Laxmi to make conversating easier. Now that he's within distance that he doesn't need to shout to be heard, he admits, "This really isn't my scene, but Bets is a friend, so here I am." After a moment, he reaches into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulls out those aforementioned sunglasses he wasn't wearing. He slides them on, "The lights, they mess with my eyes." Not entirely the truth, it's not his eyes they mess with. He's hoping the sunglasses with put a damper on the issues he's having at least.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox puts aside business for tonight since business doesn't seem tob e on the agenda. The two Madroxi who had been dancing together have gotten partners of their own, a man and a woman respectively, trading dance moves back and forth.

Madrox at the bar gets a long island iced tea, putting on his shades inside and taking a long, long sip. A little weird that the man who is his own crowd looks like he feels awfully alone.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I've never been on a motorcycle before - but it does look like fun. A little frightening though, isn't it?" Laxmi asks.
    "And it's kind of you to show your friend such support." She flashes him a smile, and takes a moment to study his unusual eyes - before those sunglasses slide into place. Her expression grows a bit embarrassed - as she seems to think it was her gaze that prompted the action. She glances down at her drink for a moment, then back to Nicolai as she adds, "I hope you'll stay around long enough to hear me play. I'll be going up in a bit," she explains - before taking another sip from her glass.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     As Nicole sets down the long island iced tea next to the Madrox at the bar, she lofts one brow. "You okay?" she asks, offering a smile. Though the drink requests kept trickling in, it certainly didn't hurt to check in with the patrons. Especially one that seemed to, under normal circumstances, be his own best friend!

Peter Parker has posed:
Ritchie watched from the patio of the bistro down the street. He nodded. There seemed to be enough people.
He sent the text and started the "engine."

"Why are you sheeple giving these MUTIES the Kardashian treatment?!" One voice, but one voice was always enough.
"What makes them so special?! Just nothing but trash DNA!"
"Is this what we're doing? Lip service to a bunch of mutie FREAKS?"

Voices rising like a breeze from a waste-treatment plant, and about as welcome. The breeze becomes a wind as more voices rose, as more people drew closer to the crowd...

Ritchie smiled. It was always nice when something goes so well...

Rogue has posed:
Rogue smiles at Remy's question and she shrugs her shoulders. "Somewhere in between totally wasted and sober." She tells him. "And I'll fly us home, now that I know you're afraid'a heights." She still doesn't believe him on that one...

She signals the bartender for another drink and orders a apple ale this time.

She looks back at Remy and tips her chin up at him. "We could get an impromptu poker game goin'. I smell wealth at this party..." She grins slyly toward him as her drink is set down in front of her and she thanks the server in French.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "Nah, not frightening. Thrilling is the word you're looking for," Nicolai explains. He turns around, back to the bar and elbows resting on it so he's able to look more directly at Laxmi as he speaks. "My girl'll hit almost two hundred and there's nothing really like it."

    But there is one thing that will get his motor running quicker than that speedster of his... music. "Going on? You perform? What do you play?" That's not just casual conversation, he's genuinely interested, excited even. It might behoove her to NOT get him started on music. He finally finishes off his second and waves down Nicole for a third. He'll have that six figure special order gone before the night's over.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
In scanning the crowd, Rien notices Jamie. And then notices Jamie, and Jamie. Her eyes narrow as the same face keeps showing up in different places in the crowd. Often the unusual such as this denotes trouble, though she picks up no hints of demonic magic. Taking a sip of her wine, she keeps note of the Jamies, but remains mostly relaxed. Having gotten a little feel for the crowd, she starts to circulate through it, looking to see if there's anyone here she knows at all.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    "Ah don't get why dat's so surprising to you..." Remy says with a shrug. "Seems Carol didn't have a bone of sympathy in her either." Remy says with a wink taking another sip before passing the mug back to Rogue with that overconfident grin of his.

    Taking the mug back as she's getting her own drink, Remy holds it under the handle, more comfortable and easier to smash into someone's noggin should the need arise. Though he assumes Betsy and Emma over there, and Rogue here would handle any trouble before he would have to.

    "Jus' cause Ah jumped offa dat buildin' dat one time... Dat was cause it was an emergency, an' Ah knew you would catch me... But Ah prolly did pee dat wet suit, Ah don't remember."

    Stepping away and having a fresh pack of playing cards come out of his sports coat, Remy goes to hold Rogue's hand but she'll find the cards in between their hands. "Lets make some scratch." He winks and drags her away from the bar.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox notices Rien noticing them and, leaving one of him at the bar to continue indulging in the drinking to drown his cares, another dupe breaks off and wanders over her way, "I saw you see me," he says by way of explanation. "Not in, like, a creepy way, I'm just a private detective so I'm good at catching on when somebody notes things are weird. Nothing bad going on, just a mutant multiplier checking out a friend's club opening. Jamie Madrox, at your service," he says.

Jean Grey has posed:
It's a bit later in the evening when Jean arrives, but that's just fashionable, right? And she actually knows the ropes when it comes to this kinda stuff, because there was a time, years earlier, where the Manhattan club circuit was very much her scene. No one tell the students about the adventures of Jean Elaine Grey, model and party girl. She's grown out of it!

Mostly.

Point is, she can work it when she wants to. And tonight, she's working it, in some perilously mini green cocktail dress dress, a black velvet choker, and some equally dangerously high boots (both in the heel sense and the thigh sense). She works her way inside past the typical throngs of people, threading the crowds with unnatural ease despite the crush of bodies. In fact, it is mildly unnatural, as she's not shy to 'cheat' a little with her powers. It keeps people from hassling her, too. Threading the sea of people, she clearly has a destination in mind. The bar.

Well, a particular spot at the bar, arriving in the vicinity of a particular Beau and Belle. "Well look at you," she tells Rogue, sliding up on one side.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Two hundred?" Laxmi repeats - her eyes widening slightly. "...kilometers, surely?" she asks. Perhaps it's the hint of European accent to his voice. Or it could just be the ridiculouslessness of that number. Why would anyone want to go 200 miles per hour on a motorcycle?
    "I play the sarod, actually. It's a fretless Indian musical instrument. Mine only has 19 strings, though." Yes. Only. But the truth is - you only play //four// of the strings, generally.
    "I also sing, and I'm well practiced in dance. Music is just... everything, isn't it?" And it really doesn't need to be //this loud// to be enjoyed, but- well. If this is what the people want...

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "No, no... that would be miles per hour," Nicolai corrects. It really *is* a ridiculous number but he wouldn't trade that thrill for anything but...

    "I've actually never played a sarod, but wouldn't mind trying it. Violin is by far my favorite, followed by the piano, but I'm pretty decent at picking up anything stringed." Pretty decent is being humble in this case.

    "It really doesn't and yes it is. I can't imagine my life without music. I sing a little myself too." He's been a little tense since the beginning because of those flickering lights, but the current conversation has the tension fading quickly.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue accepts the deck of cards from Remy and looks down at them. She does shuffle motion with the cards, since he'd been teaching her how to for some time, and with gloves on no less!

"If anyone around here'll bite..." She says, sweeping her eyes over the place again. She holds the deck in one hand and picks up her ale just as Jean arrives and Remy was about to step them awya to a table.

"Oh, hey, ya did show up after all." The Belle says to Jean. She looks her over and grins at her. "Well look at /you/!" She shoots back. "I like the collar." She notes, since they're both wearing one tonight.

"You wanna play some cards?" She asks Jean, holding up the deck and motioning to the Cajun. "We were gonna look for some mark--- well, some fellow card enthusiasts!"

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Nodding to Jamie as he comes over (and enacting a little demon sensing spell that comes up blank on him), Rien smiles as he introduces himself. "Ah, I see, that would explain it. Normally one does not see so many of the same person in one place." She chuckles and regards her wine glass, "At least not without a copious amount of alcohol. It's a pleasure to meet you, I am Rien D'Arqueness."

Taking another sip from her glass, she continues, "It is quite a party, is it not? I am actually glad to see such a high profile event involving our kind, all too often we tend to hide and avoid notice." Shaking her head, she adds, "Given the general reception we get, I suppose that isn't unexpected, but this is a breath of fresh air."

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox gives a crooked grin to Rien, "D'arqueness? Wow, that is one hell of a last name. Stylish and a little sinister," he says.

"And I agree, this is definitely something people have been working towards, a lot of them in this room celebrating tonight. My only hope is that someone doesn't come and try to spoil it. Too often, when mutants start to put themselves out there, start to feel as if we can really be a part of the wider world, some bigot shows up with a lot of firepower to try and put us back in our place."

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy Braddock is winding her way between people, long used to learning how to shift through a crowd gracefully with training as an actual Lady, and a model/socialite. She will cast a cautious eye at Jamie introducing himself to someone, before she will just ping Jean in greeting from halfway across the club. Jean will understand Betsy is being super busy, right? Betsy is pretty sure, anyhow.
     A signal from one of her security team has Betsy excusing herself from a conversation, seltzer set aside before she comes close to the doors. She will step out, violet eyes falling on the shit disturbers. There's a faint sigh, a hand up to wave off the offer to have security form a buffer. With a deep breath, Betsy will pull her shoulders back and lift her chin, heading for the lights to address the malcontents. Those she knows well, may be alerted sooner than later, but right now - diplomacy will be tried.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     It seemed that Madrox had matters well in hand, and duty called for Nicole. Flashing a winning smile at Nicolai, she deftly balances a fresh glass on the tip of one finger, pouring out a measure of the Macallan in with practiced hand. Its warm golden hues made it seem as if the setting sun had somehow turned to liquid and settled in the glass, which she sets down in front of Nicolai. "There you are, sir. And another musician, it sounds like," she adds, extending her smile to include Laxmi as well.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    "Another choker, a black belt in suc- OW." Remy says, rubbing at his side again for the second time in as many days. "Be mo' carful Anna." Remy says rubbing his side as he looks back to Jean and nods, "Grabba drink an' meet us, we'll be fairly noticable." The cajun winks towards Jean before he tugs on Rogue's hand and into the crowds.

    Nostrils flair, and the hair on the back of his neck stands up. "Ah love it when ya get like dis." He says towards Rogue as they smell the whiff of fancy and overly expensive aromas. Meaning someone has money and is willing to show it off simply by smell. These are the best people to go after as they're usually incredibly hubristic. "Dis way."

Peter Parker has posed:
Ritchie stood up. He was waiting for that magical moment when it all crystallized. All it needed was the right catalyst.

News feeds were lighting up. Twitter, Instagram, even TikTok clips of the demonstration were floating all over the 'Net as the regular news tried to report on what was going on around them for their own channels and websites.

The cops were busy with the distraction he had set up downtown, so he had a little more leeway and...

And then someone had issues with how Connor Austen of the DAILY BUGLE was representing his point of view and swung, knocking Austen of the DAILY BUGLE from his position on the sidewalk.
CATALYST.
Violence bloomed like a nuclear mushroom cloud. The yelling can now be heard inside. Bricks and bottles begin to strike the front of the club.

Ritchie smiled, then began strolling south.

A job well-done.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "I've no desire to try going that fast, myself. If anything happened at that speed..." A shudder runs briefly through Laxmi's form. You wouldn't have much a chance, would you?
    She's more than happy to steer the conversation back to the top of music. It's a //much// safer topic. "Well - after my set, you can join me by the stage, and see what you make of the sarod," she invites warmly. Can't have him fiddling with it before her set. Not that she expects anything to go wrong - but, well, she can hardly risk her instrument before a performance, can she? "It's an unusual instrument - by Western standards. It has such a haunting quality to it... I really enjoy it. It adds depth." There's a bit of a commotion going on towards the entrance of the club - people looking back towards the doors, angry mutters. Laxmi starts to look that way herself, a faint frown on her features.
    "I hope nothing's amiss outside..."

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Nicolai lowers his sunglasses to about halfway down his nose to look over them. Those odd, glowing eyes of his track Betsy through the crowd. His brow furrows. He pushes off the bar with a distracted aside to Laxmi. "Stay put, yeah, get behind the bar if..." If what? He doesn't finish the sentiment before he starts through the crowd, elbowing his way toward the front doors. That should be the answer to Laxmi's concern, right?

    He'll allow Betsy the attempt at diplomacy, but he won't be far behind her when it happens. Sunglasses get removed completely and tucked away again.

Jean Grey has posed:
"Cards?" Jean gives first Rogue, and then her counterpart, an even, lidded-eye look, her expression flat and... well, being honest, just a touch judgmental. Naturally Remy's follow up doesn't help! "Really? Come on, this isn't Harry's. Is this really the best you can come up with?" While it was Rogue who asked, her counterpart is the one catching the majority of the stare. Still, she answers Rogue: "No, that's alright. You can do that anywhere, you know? This place is, well, it's kind of a bit more special, hmm? I'm gonna grab a drink, and then think I'm gonna hit the floor. Maybe -you- find -me- if you get bored, hmm?"

She hangs out at the bar long enough to get served, using the opportunity to catch Betsy as the familiar mental presence sounds off. << Love what you've done with the place, by the way. Let's catch up later, hmm? >>

And then, true to her promise and after taking a couple sips of her beverage (vodka appletini), she starts another sashaying journey out onto the dance floor. If there's any sense she has an idea of what's happening outside, she doesn't let it show. In fact, she's rather willfully ignoring it. And if she has to brainwash a couple dozen people into similar mental oblivion so she's not robbed of her night out dancing? Well, who's going to stop her?

Betsy Braddock has posed:
There's a shout, and anyone /without/ some form of resistance or shielding, will hear it in their heads, and not just their ears. "THAT IS ENOUGH!" As violence starts to erupt, Betsy will walk bold as brass and without fear, into the middle of things. Bricks and bottles, randomly found and thrown missiles will stop shy of hitting the front of the club, after the first few struck. Anything thrown at her will never touch her, either, as she walks further into the crowd. "I am a lady by title, and a model. I have actual talents, unlike the Kardashians." Her voice still ringing with that edge of telepathy. People near her will find their movements slowed, as if moving through thick and sticky molasses. "This is about showing the normal humans that mutants are just people, too. There may be a minor difference of a /single/ gene, but mutants are just like you!"

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Indeed. //If what//? Laxmi stays where she is for a few moments - then pulls out her cellphone, to see if it can enlighten her about what's going on outside. She winces as she finds a live stream of some of the action outside the club. Why do people have to be so- She lets out a sigh, her gaze going from the view she can see on her phone, to the front of the club. Cautiously - she starts to make her way in that direction. As has recently been proven to her - her abilities can defuse tense situations. Shouldn't she at least try?
    It was a terrifying notion, though, given the anger in that crowd. The urge to take Nicolai's advice and hide was definitely tempting.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue gives Remy a grin and shakes her head. "Well, we'll have our fun, yeah?" She says back at him before she glances toward the front of the place. She can hear the shouts and commotion. "We got a party outside it looks like too."

Her stare goes over to Jean and she smirks at her turning down the card game. "Looks like we might not even have a chance t'do that either." She motions to the front but Jean is already going in to full bar mode. Certainly can't blame her!

The Belle does /not/ move to the fornt of the place though, as she's got a drink in her hand and is just going to let things figure itself out. She does see Betsy moving in that direction though.

"They're gonna regret it..." Rogue mutters as she glances over to Remy.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox holds up a finger to Rien, "I apologize, things seem to have gotten a little sticky outside, need to focus my concentration there."

And this time all the Madroxi do turn towards the front as one. And then multiply. Clusters of two, three, four, starting to come together and marching towards the front as a mob of their very own.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    Nicolai doesn't follow Betsy out into the crowd, but he does make sure he can keep his eyes on her. Every item thrown that misses, makes his blood boil a little. His hands clench into fists at his sides, but... he's nothing if not controlled, for the most part. Never mind the slight rattle and shake of small items around him, those glasses on that table just inside the door, that sign on the wall, those flowers over there. ... also pay no mind to the sudden frigidness in the air around him. ... or the fact that he's suddenly gone from relatively attractive white dude with weird eyes to deathly pale B-movie ghoul in 2.2 seconds.

    Really, he's nothing if not controlled.

Nicole Adams has posed:
     Since Jean stays long enough to get her vodka appletini, Nicole takes care to serve it with a little flair--a garnish of thin apple slices fans itself out like a bird's tail at the edge of the martini glass, with a curl of green peel formed -just so- to create the neck of some exotic creature greeting her. She holds out the drink and keeps a smile on her face. However, she also keeps one ear and eye out, looking towards the commotion that seems to be happening outside. "Baptism by fire," she murmurs, shaking her head. "Oi."

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    "Suit yourself red! Also, maybe use a hair net when ya down in the basement room next time." Remy says with a knowing wink. He'll get his joke, Rogue should get his joke, Jean will have to pull the sources out of his mind as he's dragging Rogue away into the crowd.

    Remy's head snaps up when Rogue says something and the taller man is trying to look towards the door, but can't. But he does catch that hint of telepathy shouting and he shakes his head, "People are dumb... Humans an' mutants alike. Can't ever leave well enough alone." Remy says and without missing a beat, he's moving through the dance floor towards the rear fire escape.

    Conciously he thinks it'll be darker out there, but there's also his youthful training kicking in. Always have as many means of egress as possible. "Ah mighta lost the scent, damn Ah sound like Logan..."

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien tilts her head as the sound starts to filter into the club, then sighs and looks to Jamie, "Just had to say it, didn't you?" She shakes her head, "The humans just can't handle us having anything of our own."

When Jamie starts heading to the front, she does as well, depositing her glass on a table as she goes by and muttering a few words the bring a shimmering field into existence like a second skin over her. She doesn't go outside, just puts herself in a position to help keep any riot from spilling into the club if things get that bad.

Peter Parker has posed:
Heads are already oriented on the front of the club as Betsy makes her appearance. The mental fog she creates stifles the growing momentum of the impending riot, still only in its infancy. Hard to think means hard to act, and the mob begins to lose the full head of steam it had built up.

A few more objects are thrown, but none of them get close to their targets.

Then others appear, and fear begins to grow. This is not going the way it's supposed to go, and no one seems to know quite why. The reporters are similarly stymied, but someone helps Austen to his feet. His nose is bleeding, but he has the presence of mind to have his microphone aimed at her when she speaks, and he sends it out on the BUGLE'S Twitter feed.

"There may be a minor difference of a /single/ gene, but mutants are just like you!"

It spreads through the 'Net like a virus, gaining strength even as the rioters grow uncertain.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie comes walking into the club looking about. The young man is dressed for a night out, but is keeping to the edge of the party for now, getting his bearings of the place. He does make his way towards the bar, nodding to those he knows if he catches their eyes.

Jean Grey has posed:
One thing Jean does not make a frequent habbit of is looking around Remy's mind to figure out what crude things he's thinking! Down this road lies only madness. Madness, and sometimes a need for extra showers.

No, 'Red' is focused wholly on her night out. A night out which, it seems, stands imperiled with going south rather quickly. But she's really, truly, doing her very best to avoid paying any attention to it. This is supposed to be her night off, away from the school, and definitely away from whatever that nonsense is. And in the center of the room, surrounded by a bubble of people, she dances. It's an artifical oasis, where outside worries are forgotten, and no one is paying attention to anything but what they came here for. And yes, she's 'cheating' a bit to get it. But fuck it. The people outside should be thankful it's the party girl that wants to let loose, and not some OTHER part of her.

Lalala dancing.

Of course, that fantastic mind can do a lot, often in parallel, and beyond the conscious level, some portion of her psyche keeps a shallow link to all her friends, keeping tabs on Betsy out front, on Remy and Rogue as they seemingly move to abandon ship.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy is still standing tall, wading into that ocean of the lowest common denomenators. "They want a chance to earn a living. To have somewhere to call home. Have friends and family. No one is affording them any special treatment. I am offering them equality - even as they dare expose themselves, wanting to work here, among humans, knowing some of the small minded people of the world will hate them, harass them, attack them. Is that what you want to be? Hating your fellow man for a genetic quirk they have no control over? Hating someone for wanting to live? What if it was your sister, your child? Mutants are born to non-mutants, every day! Being a mutant is like having two different colored eyes, or a genetic condition that affects your life. It doesn't make a mutant less than human! "

Rogue has posed:
Rogue is trailing after Remy for a handful of step son her black heeled shoes before she stops and looks back toward the front of the club. She frowns at the shouting outside and just shakes her head before she looks toward where Gambit was by the exit i nthe back. She gives him HUGE EYES and then motions toward Jean on the dance floor.

"Can't leave everyone here." She mouths out to Remy whether he can hear it or understand it.

She looks over at Jean on the dance floor enjoying herself and it makes the belle grin and raise her drink up for a sip from it. "Now that's how ya party." She quietly says mostly to herself.

Sam's entrance through the riot out front looking all cool and calm about it has Rogue spitting her drink out of her mouth and trying to stop herself from laughing. This is serious, Rogue, it's serious, he gets a wave across the dance floor from her though.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
Jamie Madrox moves and builds up behind Betsy, but not pushing into the mob behind her. He -will- retrieve her if anyone tries to drag her down, though, a lifeline of limbs and bodies. Her words are stirring and powerful, but Jamie's going to make it clear that there's a mob of its own to contend with. He crowds at the front, several dozen of him now all standing with the hands clasped at their waist. Wait, are they flexing a little?

Maybe. But when you're the Multiple Man, you can do that sort of thing.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    It takes a second, but Nicolai slowly pulls himself together. Things that were rattling and shaking stop, the air temperature rises slowly back to normal and finally, he's back to looking like a relatively handsome dude with weird eyes. He's still there, watching, making sure nothing threatens Betsy in a way she can't handle, but he's keeping his temper controlled by thoughts of making the entire idiotic crowd out there do the chicken dance. How tempting that is, but he won't. ...not yet.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    There's a fear in his eyes when Rogue shoots him those HUGE EYES, and he wants to shake her off, tell her 'no' that they need to get out before things get bad. That's what his body is telling him.

    Remy takes a deep breath, his chest swelling as he resigns to be a good person tonight. "Fine."

    The cajun is usally okay with ignoring things, but this feels ... feels like a sort of betrayal. His face starts to get sweaty and his hands clammy. As he catches up to Rogue he puts his hands on her waist and pulls close to her to whisper in her ear. "Running or fighting is fine wit' me, but pretending everythin' is fine..." Remy frowns against Rogue, eyes looking towards Jean.

    "Feels wron'."

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Laxmi gets close enough to the front of the club to really see what is going on outside - and it seems as if things are, hopefully, under control? Tempers can flare in an instant, though, so after a moment's hesitation the young mutant begins to sing - quietly at first, but slowly growing in volume as she projects her voice as only someone with a Vocal degree from Juilliard truly can. With the sound of her voice - a soothing, wordless melody - comes a sensation of calm, and peace, and wellbeing. The sensation approaches a feeling lassitude, that could be difficult to overcome. Especially for those untrained in resisting such things. Even while she sings, though, she tries to hang back - unseen. Last thing she wants is to get truly involved in //this//.

Rien D'Arqueness has posed:
Rien lurks near the side of the club nearest the door, though the fact that the sound outside seems to be dying down gives her the chance to relax. The defensive spell stays in place around her body though, no reason to drop it until it's certain things are calm again. Waving a server over, she orders a glass of wine to replace the one she abandoned when the problem started.

Once she gets the glass, she shakes her head and takes a sip, muttering, "Never fails." She tries to put it out of her mind, but doesn't move further back into the club yet. Too many years of training, hunting and investigating to just dismiss possible problems.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie knows the people here. He knows if Betsy needs them she will tell them. He can be there pretty quickly. He looks over to the bartender, and orders a coke. He will keep an eye on the car in general quiet waiting to see if Betsy wants back up, but letting her handle this her way.

Peter Parker has posed:
The disadvantage that mobs have that organized groups don't is structure. If there is no leader, a mob has no one to look to for direction. And there is no such leader here.

People begin to decide this isn't worth the effort and begin drawing away from the front of the club.
The exodus becomes more pronounced at the sounds of approaching sirens. The riot degrades into a disconnected mob, with becomes a slowly-spreading batch of smaller groups.
As Austen continues, oddly taking the lead for the rest of the media, talking in a clear voice about the message Betsy is trying to convey, people scatter faster, no longer wanting any part of this.

Jean Grey has posed:
As Remy worries over Jean's apparent lack of concern, he (and Rogue!) receive a reminder of that surface-level link she's maintaining: an image flashes, of the mob outside, or rather, a sort of cartoonish cariacture of how Jean imagines them, given she hasn't even set eyes on them. They appear as some mix of cavemen, religious cariactures, and douchey fratbros. They stand around, grunting, hooting, and waving anti-mutant signs, many of which contain spelling errors. Needless to say, it is not a flattering depiction.

Betsy is also in the vision, but more realistic in appearance, indeed somewhat idealized. Beautiful, fierce and powerful. And yet, she looks bored by the scene, far from intimidated. And when her patience runs out, the image makes a quick, casual slash with her arm, a glowing psychic blade briefly flashing into existence.

The mob are all instantly and cartoonishly beheaded, their eyes illustrated with X's, their lolling tongues with P's.

All of this, of course, is a total fantasy and not a true representation of what happens out front. But it demonstrates Jean's contempt for the situation, and her confidence in her fellow telepath.

It also all happens without Jean's dance party seemingly being interrupted.

Jamie Madrox has posed:
With the mob withdrawing and the threat breaking up, Jamie recombines, his dupes popping and vanishing before the eyes, leaving finally just one man reaching into his pocket and pulling out his vape pen as he steps back out into the streets.

He just doesn't really have the spirit to party anymore tonight. Time to go back to the apartment and get cozy with a bottle of Kentucky's finest. He puffs some mist into the air and starts to stroll down the street and away from the club...

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    When the crowd begins to disperse, it does nothing to improve Nicolai's mood. He'll have to catch up with Betsy later. He does linger a moment or two before heading for the door, to listen to Laxmi sing with unabashed appreciation for her talent - musical and otherwise - written in his expression. He just can't help himself, when he crosses paths with one of the more cowardice of the idiot bunch, he phases into 'Haunt' and says, "Boo..." only to watch the man scramble back a few steps. Petty much? Damn straight, he's sick of this shit.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    Laxmi continues singing - past the point where she feels there's any risk of the mob reforming, and finally lets her voice quietly fade out, her gaze finding Nicolai's with an almost embarrassed smile. Hiding and singing from the shadows wasn't the most comfortable thing. She really hadn't wanted to be the face splashed across the news after all of this, however.
    "Well. That was... invigorating?" she offers towards the man.
    It wasn't. It was frustrating, and angering, but that's what the world was like, after all. "I think Miss Braddock has things well in hand, though, doesn't she?" she adds - as she starts back towards the bar.
    If she'd noticed his two brief moments as 'Haunt' - she makes no comment upon them.

Rogue has posed:
Rogue listens to Remy's words whispered to her and she looks to the front again. "Betsy's got it." She says just before Jean shows that off with her creative interpretation of what's happening outside which has Rogue smiling and her eyes roaming around the room withher head statinary, like 'where did that come from?'.

She looks back to Remy and sips her drink again before she sets it down on the table and takes hold of his hand. "Dance time." She says, dragging him out toward the floor where their other teammate is already having fun on her night off and out.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy Braddock will eventually lower the TK she's been using. She will step up to Austen, and apologize for his bloodied nose, and not caring if she's on camera, telling him if he needed, she would pay for his medical needs related to this reporting. She will smile, wave to those reporters still around, before she will head back inside. She will find Nicolai with her eyes, moving to catch up with her friend. "I'm sorry about our dance. Are you free for lunch tomorrow?"

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    Remy blinks a few times and shrugs his shoulders at the vision, because what else can you do. Especially when there's who knows how many telepaths around.

    Jean.

    Betsy.

    Is that Emma... Wait. She's too short...

    "Fine." Remy says towards Anna as she takes his hand and he puts his drink down too after a long pull leaving it about half drunk.

    Moving to the floor and unbuttoning his jacket, and showing off the glossy-like shirt beneath Remy puts his hands up and is slowly getting used to the music in the club. "Ain't bad in 'ere."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie leans against the bar relaxing as things seem to be over. He expected a few problems, but Betsy handling things well and quickly may limit how much problems they have in the future and than is a good thing.

Nicolai Codona has posed:
    "One way of putting it," is tossed out for Laxmi, muttered really.

    Nicolai is caught just before he's out of sight and down the street. "Yeah, sure," he tells Betsy, his tone distracted and a little ... bristly. Not at her of course, but at the situation. It's one of his hot buttons really, he doesn't have many but that was one of them, it has a big warning sign: Danger: Do Not Press. It's a good thing he'd had a few drinks to relax him before it all started or that temper could have really stirred the pot.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    "Stay off your motorcycle!" Laxmi calls down the walkway towards Nicolai. After all - she's pretty sure whatever he'd been drinking had not been a virgin beverage. She watches the man for a moment - then nods to Besty. "I'd better get ready for my set," she adds - now that the excitement is over.
     The young woman - with a really overstated amount of jewelry - makes her way through the club and towards the stage, sparkling dramatically as she moves. Really, can you ever have //too// much jewelry? Not according to the Hindu people.

Jean Grey has posed:
While Jean has appeared utterly lost to the music, entirely swallowed up by the crowd, it doesn't take much beyond her friends finally giving up on their escape and coming to join her for her, in turn, to find them. Nearly the moment Rogue guides Remy out onto the floor, just past another couple, she steps out from somewhere in the mass of people, sidling right up beside them. "Gave up on cards?" she wonders, with an animated smile. Notably, the crowd out front isn't even brought up, as a reason for their change of heart or otherwise.

Why even dignify the whole thing?

Her steps take her in a wiggling orbit around the pair, backward hip-bumping (ok, that makes it butt bumping) Rogue on one of her passes, while laughing at Remy's faint praise. "See? Sometimes it's nice to just relax and enjoy yourself. Not everything has to be a hustle... or a fight."

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy Braddock will lift her brows at Nicolai, her head tipping a bit. "I had it all in hand. Settle your ruffled feathers." There's that Euro kiss to his cheek. "I'll call you tomorrow. Get home safe." Her hand will find his, to give it a squeeze. She will turn to head back to the club, and to check in on all the stations. She doesn't want anything else to go awry.

Remy LeBeau has posed:
    "Mon ami, everythin' is a hustle, or a fight." Remy counters, it's what happens when you're raised by crooks and meant to wed into killers. It's how your world is built. He doesn't admit this, but, it's nice to kind of not worry about anything. Not having to fight or flight.

    The cajun rolls his eyes and starts to bob his head to the beat moving his hips slightly and even shuffling his feet, allowing the ladies to be the more expressive ones. They simply move better than he does. No cap.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie miles as he sees some of his friend having fun on the dance floor. He will head up to the second floor for a bit finding a seat and watching those here.

Laxmi Mallick has posed:
    As the DJ wraps up his set - it's Laxmi that takes the stage, backed by a fairly typical band with guitar, and bass, and drums. In her own hands, however, is a sarod - an Indian instrument with nineteen strings and a fretless metal neck. She starts out with the typical greetings many bands offer as they take the stage. "How's everyone doing tonight? A big thanks to our gracious host tonight - Ms. Betsy Braddock. I'm Laxmi Mallick - I hope you folks are enjoying yourselves - and remembering to tip the bar staff. They're working hard, tonight!"
    She begins to play a few notes on her unusual instrument - the sounds deep, and haunting as her fingers slide seemlessly up and down the neck of the instrument, causing the notes to slide as well. After a few moments, the band starts behind her - and they launch into a upbeat rock number, the words unfamiliar to anyone who doesn't happen to speak Hindu.