741/Hellfire Club Genosha Spring Benefit Charity Gala

Hellfire Club Genosha Spring Benefit Charity Gala
Date of Scene:	24 March 2020
Location:	The Grand Edward Ballroom - Hellfire Club
Synopsis:	Schmoozing, boozing, donations and more. The Hellfire Spring Charity Gala is a huge success, benefitting Genosha.
Cast of Characters:	Emma Frost, Jean Grey, Scott Summers, Jennifer Walters, Sebastian Shaw, Pietro Maximoff, Warren Worthington, Tessa, Natasha Cranston, Wanda Maximoff, Piotr Rasputin, Nick Lytton, Alex Summers, Lorna Dane, Clint Barton, Michael Morbius, Lex Luthor, Karla Sofen, Carrie Kelley, Illyana Rasputina

---

Emma Frost has posed:
The Grand Edwardian is simply stunning this evening, a live ensemble to the side of the hall including a full, white and gold baby grand piano playing modern classical music which wafts through the air gently amongst the buzz of conversation from the many members and guests who have already arrived. Sweeping plumes of red and purple fabric hang from the ceiling along the outer walls; the small tables set up for socialization near the bars are decked with the Genoshan colors as well, alternating with purple and red table linens with the tails tightly and expertly twisted around their bases. Small crystal vases with freshly cut poppies, irises, crimson tulips, and fresh-faced pansies bedeck each table. The chairs are likewise adorned in purple with sweeping red bows tying the coverings to them. The ceiling, other than where the overlook from the VIP Lounge above hangs, is simply adorned with thousands of tiny, flickering lights that look like starlight.

The main stage area has been taken over with a number of beautiful works of art: paintings, sculptures, and the like; all inspired by or dedicated to Genosha or mutant-kind in general. The auction for the donated artworks is both silent and the proceeds entirely dedicated to the rebuilding of Genosha. A VIP table (this one reserved solely for the true VIPs of the evening: Shaw as the host; the children of Magneto, the fallen ruler of Genosha, and their dates; and a scarce handful of others deemed worthy by Shaw) stretches nearby, decorated much in line with the other tables, save the addition of small, delicate placards stamped in precious metal enamelled to say "Reserved" and the name of the reservee. One of those cards says "Reserved for Max Eisenhardt: King of Genosha, Freedom Fighter, Father, Friend".

Plain tuxedo-clad waitstaff wearing lapel ribbons of purple and red move freely throughout, some carrying trays of hor-d'oeuvres, petit fours, savory, salty, sweet, and some all of the above to hand-pass to the attendees as they desire; others carrying trays loaded with glasses of champagne and the signature drink of the night; the Eisenhardt, which is a gin-based cocktail of the club's own devising (some intrepid bartender earned a bonus with that one), a faintly reddish-purple variant on a French 75: gin, champagne, Chambord, with a twist of lemon and a slice of strawberry. For those who prefer something else, the bars are fully open and fully staffed with a small army of bartenders and barbacks scurrying to and fro, mixing drinks, fetching bottles of wine and bubbly, prepping fruits and mixers.

Emma Frost has posed:
Near the right bar, but away from the tables, Emma Frost has already a drink in hand, her arm delicately linked through that of her date, Alex Summers. Her gown for the evening had been designed and created by her friend and fashion maven, Janet Van Dyne: a beautiful cerulean blue sheathe dress, with a scoop neck that's relatively revealing without being immodest; close fitting through the waist and hip, with an ankle-length hem and a split up to the calf... alluringly suggestive without being tawdry, with a backless cut with a vee shape that emphasizes Emma's curves. Matching cerulean custom colored strappy high stiletto heels grace her feet, and she has no trouble at all standing or moving in them. It's not her preferred pristine white, but the color brings out her eyes, which are sparkling with delight and a touch of mischief as she leans to her date, murmuring something in an undertone into his ear. Being a member of the Board as well as recently made CEO of her father's company, she has already spoken to any number of people this evening; and will likely do so with many others.

Winston Frost, recently retired from both Frost International and the Hellfire Club Board, moves spryly through the room with his wife, Hazel, on his arm. This is the first Gala he has been to since retirement, and from the plethora of conversations he eases into and out of with other VIPs and guests of the gala. A tall man, handsome but stern-looking, with greying hair and a closely-cropped beard; he seems to wear his custom black and silver tuxedo like a second skin; not an ounce of discomfort on being dressed so formally.

On the periphery of the room, as well as occasionally passing through it, and of course in the halls, lobby, and other public spaces of the Club, a large number of Hellfire Club security forces are discreet but visible. In pristine and sharp well-fitted black suits, black ties with the flickering red flames of the Hellfire Club's sigil, and visible earpieces; in as many sizes and shapes as one might imagine. Several look like they might even be metahumans, though all are utterly professional, and for those with a discerning eye for such things definitely look like they can handle themselves (and likely others).

Music: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWV0gynK7G6pD?si=vEW0szPjTIKTJbn8X1Egiw

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean Grey is not... typically one for these galas. However, Emma invited her, and she is a friend, so of course she decided to come. Plus, well, she still has some questions about the Hellfire Club in general, so she accepted the invitation gratefully.

Currently, Jean's dress is a Wakandan-styled number, dark crimson flowing elegantly over her slender frame, stylized golden raptors (bird of prey, not dinosaurs) stitched into the design as the birds seem to soar and dance as she moves.

She also arrives, her arm gracefully tucked into the crook of Scott Summers' elbow, as he's her date for this evening...

(Hopefully another potential child from the future doesn't crash the party...)

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott is wearing a tux, and looking as comfortable on it like people that wear a tux once every two or three years. So not much. Still, he applies his famous stoic discipline and soldiers on.

Besides, he has Jean at his side, and therefore the situation is roughly a 250% better than it could be otherwise. And since Warren and Alex should also be around, he won't feel -too- alienated. Maybe.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Coming into the room, Jennifer Walters has her arm linked with her mysterious date, a man currently dressed in a tuxedo with all the expensive trimmings. He seems all business at first, but then smiles as he walks in and someone near the door says hello to him, probably recognizing him since he's a high powered New York businessman.

Jennifer Walters doesn't get a hello but doesn't say anything about this snubbing, making the best of this situation as she walks in wearing her slinky dress. A server does a drive-by but Jennifer can't quite nab a drink, though her date breaks arms with her to say, "I haven't been to the club in a long time. Oh let's see, you're wanting a drink? I spy some champagne across the room, let's head over there," he tells Jennifer. They walk over.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian Shaw, the host of the festivities and owner of the venue they are occurring in, has already been hard at work with a combination of greeting various guests as he encounters them (particularly VIP Club members) and directing the production, though in truth much of it is left to trusted subordinates at this point. Shaw is clad in a classically-cut tuxedo, though the jacket gives enough leeway to reveal hints of a crimson red waistcoat beneath. His perfectly-bowed black tie is about his neck, with a pocket square of the same crimson as his waistcoat tucked at his breast. The rest is all quite traditional...black dress pants, handcrafted Italian Leather shoes, a timepiece that might cost more than the GDP of some small nations, and plenty of confidence, warranted or otherwise.
    Mr. Shaw seems to be flying solo tonight, or at least as solo as he ever does, given the presence of his capable and nigh-inseparable assistant, Tessa Fox. Not quite lingering close enough to readily be called his escort, yet not so far removed that her role would immediately be noted as an employee rather than a companion. Perhaps an artfully-carved middle ground designed just as much to keep others guessing as anything else.

"Winston, glad you could make it, old friend." Shaw greets his longtime ally warmly, giving his hand a firm shake, and Hazel the most classic of upper-crust greetings with the mock-cheek-kiss, neither party wanting to muss their finery so early in the evening, just for a greeting. "Hazel, you look enchanting. Always a pleasure to see you here at the Club. I hope you haven't found anything wanting?"

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    Seated at the VIP table, Pietro Maximoff is doing his best effort to try not to be his usual abrupt self. After all, this is for Genosha. Even he knows he should be on his best behavior.

    However, seeing as how Pietro is making an appearance for Genosha, as prince, he knows how to dress for the part. Instead of the traditional black tuxedo that most may be wearing, Pietro is sporting a white number, with black accents upon the lapels. The white, matching the stark white of the hair upon his head, is pristine and sharply tailored, most definitely a custom affair. A black bow tie remains in place, for the time being, while a light blue pocket square adds a splash of color in the otherwise monochromatic ensemble.

    The seat besides Pietro, reserved for a plus one, is notably vacate. As is his preference. He wouldn't want to inflict tedious social humdrum upon another.

Warren Worthington has posed:
A grand gala at the Hellfire Club meant one thing to Warren Worthington. Money had to be spent to outfit himself and to accessorize. When he arrived into the Grand Edward Ballroom, his blonde hair freshly cut and combed to one side, his blue eyes sparkling with good humor as the night's festivities get underway. Though he likely pales in comparison to the young woman he has escorted this evening, Lorna Dane.

For his shirt and jacket, Warren is wearing a white, cotton, pleated tuxedo shirt by Stefano Ricci with a point collar and French cuffs. His dinner jacket is white and is also by Stefano Ricci and has a satin peaked lapel, a single-button front with chest and side welt pockets. Basted sleeves and a double-vented back that's been specially tailored to allow for his wings to be free for all to see. His bow tie, yet another article by Stefano Ricci as it seems that Warren has done some shopping at the local Neiman Marcus, is silk and has a crystal ring around the center. It is black.

His trousers are black to offset the white shirt and jacket, made by Stefano Ricci. With a flat front and straight legs that taper to the ankles with quarter top pockets and back button-welt pockets. Calf-leather dress shoes by Christian Louboutin round out his clothing, with stacked heels, steamed toes, and a smooth exterior as well as laced-up fronts.

To accessorize, Warren wears a pair of cufflinks by Santos de Cartier. They are made of solid yellow gold in the shape of a singular gold bar with two circular holes at the end. Inserted into these holes are solid, circular bars of onyx to make them appear as little 'H's'. On his left wrist is a Rolex Sky-Dweller watch, the case made out of 18 carat Everose gold with a strap made out of tobaacco leather. He also has a lapel pin, a crossed pair of flags with flag poles made out of yellow gold. One of the flags is the US Flag, with the stars and stripes being made out of diamonds, rubies and sapphires. The other flag is the flag of Genosha, made out of amethysts and rubies. For his last accessory, he has a 1901 Patek Philippe pocket watch made of 18 carat yellow gold, with an elaborate gold chain that hangs from one of his coat pockets.

He takes a look to the side at the young woman he is escorting for the evening and smiles. "Lorna, you are looking radiant this evening. That is only partially correct actually, you are radiant -every- evening, a shining star night after night. It is just that on this night, you are like the star, Polaris, the brightest star to be seen. The beacon that will guide all of us." His smile goes a little wider and then he asks, "How about a drink?"

As he surveys the others who are here, he spots one of the waitstaff nearby, and with a casual hand gesture, flags him down. He takes one of the offered Eisenhardt's and nods to the waiter before looking over to his date for the evening. "Champagne or would you like to try one of these Eisenhardt's?" He asks, and as he waits for her to take her own drink, he lifts the glass to his lips and nods. "This is a damn fine drink." Someone was going to have trouble flying home tonight. While the waiter still waits for Lorna to make her selection, he quickly polishes off the rest of his Eisenhardt, puts the empty glass on the tray and takes up another one. He'd have to try to make the second one last a little longer.

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa has had to forego the trappings of absolute professionalism for the night, and you mightn't recognize her for it. While her dress is no custom design, nor did it cost an arm and a leg, Tessa wouldn't... embarrass Sebastian by showing up in something from Wal-Mart. She's dressed in a relatively simply but extremely fetching black curve-hugging dress that ands at about mid thigh, leaving her back and shoulders bare and and exposing a modest amount of cleavage while tenously kept from falling off of her body by a trio of slender straps connected to what amounts to a black choker around her neck.
    She's taken more care with her makeup, her bangs framing her face now have a certain wavyness to them, and for once she's foregone her spectacles for a pair of contact lenses, bringing out her hazel eyes; the look completed by a pair of simple open black high heeled shoes.
    While keeping a professional distance, Tessa would be remiss not to greet Winston - having worked in his orbit for many years - briefly bowwing her head respectfully and saying "Always a pleasure to see you, Mr. Frost."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    On almost any other occasion, Natasha might choose to show up fashionably late, to cement her image both as a frivolous fool who believes her wealth means rules don't apply to her and as a swaggering narcissist who can't bear the thought of making an entrance where all eyes are not on her. However, the Hellfire Club has /entirely/ too much class to have much patience with those kinds of shenanigans... And besides, given the occasion, it'd be just rude.

    There's a fine line to tread between being seen as a harmless socialite with the bad manners of the truly wealthy, and being seen as an asshole that won't get invited back -- and given the quality of the catering here, that would be a tragic loss even if it weren't the best spot to network with the rich and powerful and get a sense what's on the minds of the mighty.

    For the occasion she's wearing a dress that looks like it costs more than some small cars, exquisitely tailored to show off her features, entirely too much class to be called slinky, black with side panels of a beige that nicely brings out her skin tone, jewelry that accentuates without becoming ostentatious, tastefully understated makeup that still somehow manage to take a few years off her apparent age, smiling for the paparrazi as the limo drives off and she makes her way to the lobby elevator and from there to the ballroom.

    Once inside, she makes her way directly to Emma and Sebastian. "Miss Frost, Mister Shaw. Such a lovely gala you're throwing. I'm delighted to be here..." A polite nothing-greeting and a well practiced almost sincere smile, an almost well-concealed glance toward the wine table even as she reaches out to shake their hands.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
A couple walk into the room together, Wanda Maximoff wearing a black dress, her hand upon the elbow of Clint Barton. "Goodness Clint. This place is quite extraordinary," she tells him, the pair having taken a small tour of other areas before coming to the main room for the gala. "I think even Pietro might have trouble visiting it all in a night," she says, guessing at just how much more there is to see.

She lets her gaze roam around the room, noting a number of people, many others she does not know who they are. "Thank you for coming tonight," she tells her date, looking back from the crowd and over to Clint to flash him a bright smile. "You do dress up rather well," she tells him as she smiles over at his tuxedo. "We might have to do something like this more often. If just a night out now and then."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr is present this evening at the gala, for something that is to support mutant-kind. His towering frame is in the obligatory black tuxedo, which had to be bespoke, with matching tie. Also visible is a crimson waistcoat under the absurdly large jacket, paired with a matching pocket square. The larger-than-life mutant makes his way over to the bar and after waiting a moment, though not terribly long to the credit of the bartenders, and orders an Eisenhardt to keep with the theme.

After this, Piotr is a bit lost in thought as he takes a few moments to walk around a bit, so that he can people watch and take in the sights, occasionally taking a drink from the relatively undersized glass.

Nick Lytton has posed:
    This... is a little more overwhelming than Nick had expected, but in for a penny, in for a pound.  He'd been wanting to swing by one of the public HFC /soirees/ for some time, hoping to make a few contacts, maybe plant the seeds for a few commissions, but this... this makes him wonder just what the hell he thought he was doing last week, it could only be a mere drop in the bucket compared to what's going on here.
    Toledo boy, please meet New York City -- it's almost hard to believe they exist on the same planet.  It's a scale he has trouble comprehending, but it does convince him that letting the auction for his work be here rather than managed personally was the right decision.
    He nurses a dry martini -- gin, five to one, two olives, almost painfully cold -- and just tries to take it all in.  There are a few faces he recognizes from his little beach outing, some he knows only by reputation, many that are utterly, utterly new.
    This is going to be an interesting evening.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Emma's date, for once, is dressed up to the nines, a custom-fitted black tux that hugs his muscular form, a neat cerulean bow tie and waistcoast underlying the timeless black tux. and polished shoes. On either wrist shimmer platinum cufflinks with polished odd stones at the center of each. He grins at Emma at her comment, nodding as he people watches a bit as they walk along, following where Emma leads for the moment. It's not like he knows a vast swathe of the gala's guests, or is someone most of them would be particularly interested in talking about, seeing as many are using it as an opportunity for business networking.

    That said...he's on his girl's arm, he's feeling pretty confident about how he looks, and if nothing else, there are any number of celebrities here to people watch as they move along.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Decidedly it a choice of outfits was difficult for the young woman that had agreed to go to the Gala. After all, this one was dedicated to her loss of Genosha.. and to her father. It had taken weeks to get the outfit together. A silk gown of shimmering silvery silk was the basis, the sleeves off her shoulders, the body of the gown close fitting all the way down to a mermaid tail and was brutally plain.

It was the over-coat that took most of the attention to her outfit. A billowing, long, bell-sleeved garment of pure white. Gold embroidery ringed the sleeves, the collar, and the long reaching train that moved and stretched out like a cloak. All along the golden embroidery were names.. names of those unaccounted for. Lost. And in the center back, a large, encrusted 'M' in bold. Her hair was long, cascading down her back in waves of green curls. All dotted with more golden disks, and centering on the sparkling headpiece that was likewise, golden and heavily beaded to match.

The Queen of Genosha turned her focus to Warren, and she smiled faintly, "I still feel a little like a show piece and less than myself.." She murmured, and spotted both Pietro and Wanda present and accounted for.

"I could definitely use a drink, Warren. Thanks."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean looks around a bit, flashing a smile towards Emma and Alex as she leans a bit on Scott, then notices Wanda arrive with her date. She looks over at Scott, "Oh, Wanda's here! Though I don't recognize her date... shall we go over and say hello?"

Then, when a waitstaff passes by with champagne, she grabs one for herself, and also one for Scott, giving him the glass with a wry grin, "Here. This might help." Because well, she can sense how comfortable he feels in the tux. That is to say, not much at all.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint is definitely in unfamiliar territory but at least the blue collar archer dressed the part, with a Van Dyne tux and black waistcoat that was classic and understated and wasn't going to either his date or his teammate who gave it to him a couple of years back so he didn't embarrass the team.

(Visual: https://i.imgur.com/feD94gU.jpg).

He gives the room a once over, "Not bad," he says, underselling his reaction immensely. He does smile down at his date however, "Hey no problem," he says. "It's for your people," he says before nodding. "And sure, we can do this more often as long as you're with me to keep the sharks at bay. It's like a room full of Tony's in here."

Then spotting green hair and then white, he says, "Looks like your sibs are here," he says nodding in each's direction.

Emma Frost has posed:
"Excellent showing, as always, my friend," Winston chuckles to Shaw. "I think you may have outdone Lex's gala back in November." Hazel gives Shaw a vacant but pleasant smile, nodding aimlessly at her husband's comments. Winston glances around. "An interesting choice of charity, but who am I to question the board now that I'm retired? Speaking of retirement, that should be something you consider soon enough-- enjoy your wealth while you are still young enough to do so."

His eyes land on his daughter, a fair distance across the room. "...who is that? Is that Robert's son with Emma, then? I didn't know they were acquianted." He frowns. "I had thought she was going to be escorted by Lex again," he says dryly. "Where //is// dear Alexander? I assume all is well with him? He's almost impossible these days to get for a round on the links, what with his campaign and all." He takes a pair of the signature drinks from a passing waiter, handing one to Hazel. "Do be mindful, dear, you get light headed quickly," he asides to her.

Winston looks to Ms. Cranston, giving her a polite nod in greeting. "Winston Frost, Ms....? And this is my wife, Hazel."

Across the room, Emma leans on Alex a bit, shifting in her heels. "We should probably head up to the VIP table for a moment and check in with the guests of honor. And maybe look at the artwork." She leans up and brushes her diamond-white glossed lips against the younger Summers' brother's cheek. "Looks like Jean and Scott made it, too." She hmms. "Your brother doesn't look half-bad, even with the glasses." She gives Alex a playful grin. "Don't tell me, runs in the family."

Jennifer Walters has posed:
At the drinks, Jennifer Walters' mysterious date hands her a tiny little glass of champagne. She looks at the tiny little glass strangely, as if contemplating the size of it. As the dark businessman turns back to get his own glass, Jennifer downs the drink and smiles amusedly as he looks back at her strangely.

Jennifer Walters smiles politely at Piotr as he wanders by, maybe thinking she recognizes him. Maybe not. Her mysterious date takes the little glass from Jennifer and hmms, "There aren't any bigger glasses, I'm afraid," he chuckles, "Maybe I'll try sipping. You've heard of that, right? Could work," Jennifer comments amusedly.

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Oh, don't feel like that, Lorna. Did you spend fifty grand on a watch simply because the name of it was 'Sky-Dweller?'" Warren gently pats Lorna's arm and smiles, "Let me be -your- showpiece, this evening. Stand tall and proud and flash off the austentatious fool at your side." As he says this, he polishes off his second Eisenhardt, puts the glass down, takes up a champagne flute and offers it to Lorna, and once that's been taken, acquires himself a third Eisenhardt.

"Alright then, who shall we go approach first? Scott and Jean? They're looking cute. Or maybe we can find Emma and Alex? You lead, I shall follow." And he gestures towards the room with glass in hand.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Obviously." Alex says to Emma, his eyes twinkling. "Though I'm the better looking younger brother, of course." He raises a hand, waving towards Scott and Jean as Emma points them out. "Wouldn't hurt to go say hi though, then go visit with Lorna?" he murmurs. "I'll admit I'm a little curious about the art too, though not sure it'll be to my taste or not." he asides, starting to drift towards his brother and date. "Looks like there's some others here from the school too..."

Scott Summers has posed:
"Quicksilver is also here," notes Scott, subtly gesturing to the silver-haired man. Contrarily to Jean, he has never been close to any of the twins. Apparently they left the Brotherhood before the X-Men formed.

But he is extremely reluctant to admit Magneto might have produced anything good. Lorna being the only acknowledged exception.

But sure, he lets Jean drag him to greet the famous Scarlet Witch, although along the way he manages and nod to Warren and another to Alex, both as greet and as a note to chat with them later.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
    "Well, what fun would we have if not for a little competition now and again?" Shaw laughs mildly, leaving a bit of an impish grin on his face in its' passing, "As for the choice...no choice at all really. We do aim for timeliness in our selections." When Natasha makes her greeting, Shaw accepts her hand, shaking it firmly and smiling graciously, "Ms. Cranston, here to liven the place up for us?" The glimmer in his eye speaks of contemplating all manner of mischief that she might get up to, almost like a teacher who's wise to an unruly student's antics, but it's all in fun. "Ah, you haven't met?"
    Shaw glances between Winston and Natasha, "Winston Frost, Natasha Cranston. I'm sure you remember the Cranstons...longtime members." He asides to Winston.

On the matter of Emma's date, Shaw shakes his head slightly, "No, I don't think young Oliver made it tonight. That fellow goes by the name of Alex Summers. Interesting fellow...good head on his shoulders from what I can tell. Enough potential that I'm likely to give him an internship, at any rate, and see what he can make of it." The mention of Lex gets another chuckle, "Lex does love to be fashionably late. And yes, I don't think we've managed to get out on the links since the campaign began. He has to make time for the masses now."

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    The aforementioned white haired individual shifts in his seat, threatening to stand as Pietro's blue eyes take in the arriving guests. But....no. No standing. No mingling with the crowd quite yet. Pietro remains seated in his chair, looking for all the world like he is actually enjoying being there.

    Just....pay no attention to the rather quiet, yet steady humming that seems to be emitting from somewhere underneath Pietro. That...would be a steadily tapping foot. Tapping really, really fast.

    Lorna is, of course seen, with her escort from the previous affair upon her arm. And Wanda. Well...there was a moment's pause (eternity for Pietro) in which he actually considered joining her. But....she's got Barton on her arm, and Pietro hasn't quite indulged enough to brace himself for *that* encounter. So...he remains sitting. For now.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma mentally sends to Jean, <<You look gorgeous. I'll drag Alex over to Lorna and Wanda if you drag Scott.>> As always, the X-boys have to rely on the telepathic women for any complex coordination. And she and Alex begin heading over towards Magneto's daughters (and their dates).

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna accepted the drink in hand, sipping at it demurely as she cast her gaze about. "Lets go see Pietro or Wanda?" She ventured. Emma was with Alex and well, playing hostess for the club or as near to it that she felt it was better to give the telepath some space to move about and greet people first and foremost.

The green haired woman sipped at her drink, and bit back a couple of awkward comments about the other drink on offer. It was strange for her to hear it said in company. And her teeth felt set on edge. Despite the strong presence of X-men about and others that she knew and trusted implicitly. Lorna grimaced and exhaled a breath, reaching up with a hand to press against the weight of the golden plated headpiece on her brow.

"I honestly dunno how people manage to wear actual crowns.." She muttered with a faint grimace.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda smiles to Clint as he spots her colorful siblings. "Yes, they are indeed," she says. Her green eyes drift over to Pietro, and she sees him glance their way but keep her seat. She flashes him a private smile as if she imagines she deduces why he keeps his distance for the moment, so she settles for the fond look for him for now.

"Let's go over and say hello," she suggests, starting over towards Lorna and Warren. Though Jean Grey and Scott Summers reach them first. Wanda breaks out in a warm smile for the redhead. "Jean, wonderful to see you," she says, moving to give the familiar woman an air-kiss on the cheek. "You know Clint Barton already don't you?" she asks, motioning to her own date. "Clint this is Jean Grey, and Scott Summers," she says just in case they haven't met.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren catches sight of Scott and Jean, especially after Scott nods in his direction, and he gives them both a nod of greeting, then turns and nods to Lorna. "Wanda and her date and we can motion Pietro over to come and all say hi? We'll probably have other people come and gather around too I think."

When she mentions crowns, he looks up at the crown atop her head and laughs, "Honestly? I'm not sure either. I mean... can you imagine trying to fly around with that on your head? You'd spend more time holding it in place and worrying about if it was going to fall off than anything else. Tiara's... is that what they're called? Or circlets maybe? Those seem more practical. You can still have a lot of glitz and glammour with the security of it being a little more firmly placed upon one's brow." He offers up a quick smile and then nods towards Wanda.

"Looks like Wanda's getting company, let's go say hello to them all, shall we?" He'll wait for agreement before leading her over to Wanda, Barton and company.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha favours Winston with a sparkling smile as Shaw introduces her. "I believe my grandfather was invited into the Club when the New York branch was founded. The Cranstons might not be /the/ wealthiest family in the city, but it's been a long time indeed since we /weren't/ among the wealthiest. After all, no matter what changes in the world, someone will always want something that's currently a long distance away..."

    Hazel receives a smile as well as the woman shakes hands with both. "Mr. Frost, Miss Frost, pleased to meet you. But I'm sure you've more guests to greet, Sebastian, so I'm off to go and mingle..."

    And with that, she strolls off in the general direction of the nearest waiter with a tray of glasses, looking entirely in her element.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean smiles, "Oh, Wanda, it's great to see you." She returns the gesture, and looks over at Clint, offering him her hand, "A pleasure to make your acquaintance." And to Clint, her voice sounds a bit more distinct, cutting through the din of the party as she's a lot easier to hear, along with the others. Using her powers to help Clint out, as she knows a little bit about Wanda's date.

Jean then smiles back at Wanda, "I saw Pietro over there, and Lorna with Warren... I heard they were together for the opening of the Embassy a few nights ago too." Her eyes flicker over towards Emma, and she nods imperceptibly, "We should probably pay our respects to Emma at some point... just a feeling. And you're welcome to come along as well." Her lips curve in an inviting smile to the other couple.

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr after a few moments is actually starting to figure out exactly what to do here, not exactly a figure accustomed to high society. Seeing Jean, Scott, Lorna, and even Warren gives him some relief as he sees people he actually knows. He then tries to navigate the room without being a hinderance to others, which is a feat unto itself, to try and join up with the others, so that he does not look like a well-dressed statue in the corner.

Once Piotr arrives at the little knot of mutants and friend, he gives a polite nod and says, "I hope I am not interrupting, but I am glad you are all here and I hope you are all having good evening?" He smiles, and tries to give off the sense that he is more comfortable than he really is at this point.

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint grins as Scott and Jean join him and Wanda, this was the first time he'd really met some of her friends that weren't members of the team. "Hi, Clint Barton, nice to meet you both," he says, surprised at just how clearly Jean's words cut through the crowd. It's not an unpleasant surprise. Even with the high-tech hearing aids he was wearing big crowds like this were a struggle to make out every word said to him, he mostly relied on lip reading to get him through.

As for paying respects to the hostess and gathering up the rest of magneto's children, he shrugs, "Up to Wanda, I'm just the arm candy tonight, I'll follow her lead," he says, giving Wanda a wink.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna smiled at Warren from over the rim of her glass, "That sounds good, though whether or not Pietro gets up is entirely dependant on Wanda." She murmured softly, and glanced about whistling gently beneath her breath as she moved. Her steps careful and measured. The amount of fabric she wore was massive in comparison to what she usually wore. A showpiece to be sure, an outfit to catch the eye and make her presence seen as surely as her father's costume.

"I mean, most of it is held up magnetically, it's all just plated." She whispered to Warren, smiling gently as she walked along with him toward her half sister's side and the small gaggle of X-men members that circled about them.

"Hey Wanda, you look lovely. As always." She murmured as they approached.

Emma Frost has posed:
Winston shakes his head, looking a bit displeased at Shaw's revelations. "Well, then. If you'll excuse me, Sebastian? I should catch up with my daughter before she gets too caught up in things with the rabble." He nods slightly, offering his arm to his wife and the two move off towards where Emma and Alex are.

They intercept the couple before Emma and Alex have quite joined Jean, Scott, and the rest, and Winston releases Hazel's arm to embrace Emma lightly. "You look stunning, little one," he says and gives her a brief peck on the forehead.

Emma gives him a tight smile, and returns his hug, then does the same for her mother. "Ahh, Father, this is my date for the evening, Alex Summers. Alex, these are my parents, Winston and Hazel Frost."

Winston eyes the young man with a chilly look. "Summers... Summers. I don't recall the name."

Nick Lytton has posed:
    Nick allows himself a moment of professional curiosity, studying the actual glass that holds his drink -- *very* elegant, but he's pretty sure he could do better -- takes another sip, and commences to mingle slowly, heading vaguely in the direction of some of the faces he recognizes.
    Yup, still overwhelming, but this is the world he aspires to, even if he's not really of it.  Yet.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren nods, "Let us hope that she can get him to come over, I think he's a pretty interesting fellow all in all." A pause. "Kind of wish I could move through the air as quickly as speedsters can zip around, I bet it would be really fun." His eyes move up to the crown once more and he blinks, "Ohhh, yeah, I guess that makes a lot of sense. Though I imagine that is still rather annoying to deal with."

As they reach Wanda and company, he gives Wanda and Clint a nod as well as Scott and Jean one, and finally Piotr. "Wanda, a pleasure to see you again so soon." Another nod for Clint. "Scott and Jean, you both look great this evening. I'm glad to see you both here, same with you Piotr. Your jacket is very fetching. Who's the designer?"

Scott Summers has posed:
Oh yeah. Secret identities getting in the way. "Mr. Barton, a pleasure," says Scott, offering his hand for a handshake. He will let Jean explain why a couple of school teachers from Westchester know the famous Scarlet Witch of the Avengers.

And here comes Lorna, that is also going to be difficult to explain. Oh well. Maybe Emma and Jean can do a telepathic wammy later. And maybe he should have thought about this before. Bad Scott.

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa's brow raises ever so slightly as Winston excuses himself, her eyes following him as far as they can without her head turning until he's out of sight. She looks to Shaw and says, "... I don't envy Ms. Frost right now, Sir." Which may seem out of turn, but... making Emma feel comfortable and valued here IS on the agenda.

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    Actually, it isn't exactly dependant on Wanda as to whether or not Pietro will join the mingling. Pietro is perfectly willing to do or not do things on his own. Though, truthfully, Wanda does take a certain priority.

    Finally, good sense triumphs over stubbornness as Pietro stands up...that soft droning seizing as he does so. Taking a moment to partake of a drink for calming purposes, Pietro leaves the table proper to make his way over towards the growing throng of people. The expression shifts from a mild distaste to a rather passive mein as the speedster prepares to meet people at their pace, rather than his.

    And yes, the elder Maximoff is certainly angling himself towards Wanda and Lorna both, choosing a path that will bring him parallel to the two...yet apart from their respective escorts. No sense getting too friendly, after all.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean flashes a warm smile to Lorna and Warren, and also to Piotr, giving the latter a welcoming expression. "Yeet!" Okay, that must be some sort of inside joke, because she can't help but laugh a little bit as she says /that/ to the larger man. Then she seems to catch some of Scott's thoughts, shaking her head slightly in his direction.

Then, she gives Clint a warm expression, "So, have you known Wanda long?" Her eyes flicker to Wanda, and Wanda can hear Jean's voice in her head, asking if Clint is trustworthy. Since, well, yes, secret identities and all that.

Jennifer Walters has posed:
Answering her cellphone, Jennifer Walters gives some law advice to the person over the phone and she shakes her head, probably not believing what's going on right. She tells the person to calm down and continues shaking her head. She then hangs up and explains the situation to her mysterious date. They walk out of the room.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Nor I, Tessa." Sebastian replies quietly to his faithful assistant, offering an arm unabashedly now. Though to the observer perhaps just as much a means of conversing discretely as anything else, especially as well...they are conversing discretely, "But for all the encouragement and incentive we might provide, Emma's the one that has to make the choice to spread her wings and fly from Winston's grasp." Shaw briefly glances in the direction of the likely-awkward meeting between Emma, her parents, and her date. "She seems to have some attachment to the Summers boy. Maybe that can be leveraged in our favor."

He ambles along, making pleasantries and greetings galore as he goes, ever the gracious host. He spots the guest of honor, but seeing her among, he presumes, friends and family, he decides not to burden her with any other social obligation for the time being. Not like he's likely to run out of people to greet and chit-chat with anytime soon!

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna smiled and she shrugged once toward Warren. "If anyone can it's Wanda." She murmured, regardless of whether or not Pietro actually showed up to the little gaggle of X-men and the alike. The grouping was obvious to anyone that //knew//. She glided along, stepping lightly as she walked beside Warren without so much as a hobble in her step due to her heels.

"Hey Jean, hey Scott. Piotr." She nodded to each in turn as as Pietro approached, she broke away to give her older sibling a half hug.

"Pietro, you look good, as always." She greeted warmly, before turning her focus back toward Wanda and Clint. Jean's question earning a snicker of a cough. Not dignified in the least.

"Well enough.." She drawled, shooting her older sister a look.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda Maximoff greets her sister as Lorna warmly as Lorna and Warren come over. "You look stunning," Wanda says brightly to Lorna before she looks to Warren. "You're not exactly doing a good job avoiding that person playing matchmaker," she tells Warren in a gently teasing voice.

Wanda looks back to Pietro, having been about to go over and try to get him, when she sees he's on his feet. She flashes him a warm smile and reaches out a hand towards him to invite him over to join them.

Wanda looks back to the others and says, "Clint is Hawkeye. Everyone focuses on the bow instead of that handsome mug of his for some reason. It is a fetching bow though," she says, turning to smile to her date, and she leans against him just enough to give the impression he is more to her than just a date for the evening.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Hoo boy, meeting the parents was not something Alex was hoping would happen in a public setting, per se, but...well here goes. "Mr. Frost, a pleasure to meet you." he says, offering a hand. "I'm not in business, no reason you should. My grandfather was the one with the aviation company, and sadly he's passed some time ago. I'm still attending college currently."

    A hyena portion of Alex's brain very wants to introduce himself as 'a peasant', but he can't help but feel this will not improve matters. Then again, he is what he is; he's not rich, he's not powerful, and he's not connected.

    He's mostly really hoping he doesn't screw things up for Emma at this point.

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa takes Shaw's arm quietly and inclines her head towards him. Unneccessary as it may be, she does feign a small smile as if Shaw had told her something completely innocent, but internally she begins pondering the paths available if Emma's manner of 'spreading her wings' should end up resembling Shaws. Which is to say, severing the hand grasping her. It'd be an overreaction right now, perhaps, but... it'd be Emma's overreaction to make.
    "Very good, Sir." She says softly. "I will keep my ear to the ground."

Emma Frost has posed:
Winston gives Alex an extremely tight and unpleasant smile. "I see." He takes the boy's hand and shakes it, his grip firm but less out of respect and more of a show of dominance. "And where might you be matriculating, Mr. Summers?" You aren't a member of the Hellfire Club as long as Winston has been without being able to play nice. "Any Ivy, I trust?"

Emma interrupts, "It's all right Father, we should talk later perhaps. In the lounge."

"No, //no//, of course not, dear." Winston chuckles. "It's no problem at all to speak to the help sometimes."

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren lifts an eye at Jean and the word 'yeet' coming out of her mouth, and then looks at Piotr, shaking his head. "Piotr, have you been throwing people again? I should see how far into the sky you can yeet me some day soon. You up for it buddy?" Then he looks back to Wanda, looks at Lorna, then back to Wanda and smiles. "Yes, you're right, I'm doing a terrible job avoiding that matchmaker person, especially coming to this gala... -however-, I find the company of Lorna to be quite delightful and uh..."

He trails off as Pietro approaches. "Hello Pietro, I was just informing Wanda that I find Lorna's company delightful. And let me just tell you that you are looking very dapper this evening." He lifts his drink in a little salute. "Absolutely stylish, I love it. We should go shopping together for the next black tie event, I can introduce you to some people." Then he looks back to Wanda and oh, she's dropping news about Barton.

He blinks. "Hawkeye? The guy that's just like Green Arrow, but is a bit more ripped and not dressed as lamely? Nice." He gives Clint another nod, this one with a little more respect behind it.

Clint Barton has posed:
"Good to meet everyone," Clint says, suddenly finding himself and Wanda at the center of a lot of attention. "Yep, guilty," he says of being Hawkeye, before colouring a little at the rest of Wanda's introduction. "Annnd moving right along, yeah, Jean was it?" he says looking to the other red head. "We've known each other for about two years, been dating for about a month now?" he says with a glance to Wanda for confirmation. The days had been a blur.

When Pietro arrives, Clint is happy to throw the hot potato of attention his way, "Heya, Pete, good to see you," he greets his fellow Avenger.

Though Warren's remarks get a smile, "Yep, that's me," he says, offering the man a handshake.

Scott Summers has posed:
"Oh, the Avenger's archer," offers Scott, looking sincerely impressed. And he is, because Hawkeye fights super-villains only with his raw skill, not superpower or super-technology.

Maybe no telepathic whammy needed. Superheroes get a pass from Scott. They usually know how to keep secrets. Still, he won't volunteer why they known Wanda. Besides, he is looking at Alex. Looks like he might need a rescue.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex inwardly signs at the reference to 'the help', forcing himself not to bristle a bit, though there's a definite flicker in his eyes at that as they harden. "I have always preferred quality of education to size of tuition checks. I'm sure you as a connected man are aware that the educations provided by many Ivy league institutions no longer live up to their reputations? Ability is so much more effective in the real world, wouldn't you say?"

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr gives a small laugh at Jean and Warren's reference and says, "Not tonight, but I doubt that will be necessary, here." He hopes, at least. The Russian snorts at Warren's remark, but does not acknowledge it further, at this point. He nods to Clint, "Piotr Rasputin," while he may not be the most social of butterflies, he does have a sense of ettiquete.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren quickly reaches out and takes Clint hand in a firm handshake. "Warren Worthington III, a great pleasure to meet you." He releases the grip and makes way for others to shake the man's hand.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean interjects, "Actually, this time I threw him." She then grins at Warren, giving Piotr a wink. "Wasn't so hard, really." She then smiles warmly at Clint, "Well, good... and you definitely make Wanda happy. So, well, that shows you're definitely trustworthy."

And then Jean's voice echoes in Clint's head, without her actually seeming to say anything, << And I hope you don't mind, I'm amplifying some of the conversation so it's a bit easier for you to follow. Didn't realize who I was doing it /for/, of course. >> Since she picked up on the hearing issue, without realizing who was having it.

Then she catches Scott's thought about Alex, and glances over to see where Alex and Emma are talking to Emma's parents. "Uh oh..."

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    As is the norm with Pietro and Lorna as of late, the half hug is received, though with more grace than his usual stiff response. He had time to prepare. The queenly sister gets a sideward glance as a smirk curls the corners of his lips. "Of course I look good." As if there was any doubt?

    Wanda is greeted with a smile as well as Pietro takes his place amidst the group. Clint is acknowledged with a nod of the head and a crisp single word greeting of "Clint." At least, he went a little more personal than just the last name. And no commentary about the use of Pete, too. Pietro is on his best behavior.

    Finally with appropriate greetings offered to the rest (which consists of little more than eye contact and a slight tilt of head) Pietro speaks to both sisters at once. "You both look particularly good tonight. Father would have been pleased."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma lets out a long breath of air. "Yes, Father, but I wouldn't want to keep you from seeing all your friends." She forces a smile. "And I have... people still to see, and you know how that is. We can surely catch up in the lounge later." There's a pointed edge to her tone on that latter.

Winston gives her a mild, chiding look. "Tone. And we //will// talk later. Enjoy your evening, Emma." He takes Hazel's arm and moves off, spying another of his friends from his board days.

Emma refuses to look at Alex for a few moments. <<So. Jean. Your brother.>> Her voice is almost mechanical, as she starts in that direction.

Alex Summers has posed:
    <<Well. That was pleasant. Sorry.>> Alex thinks back, letting himself be pulled along. Even he knows this is just postponing the inevitable clash with Emma's father...not that he's not willing to put it off a bit longer. And perhaps marshal some reason why a student poor masters in geophysics is going to rate dating a high class socialite of Emma's caliber.

    Or how to argue it successfully to her father, anyway.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna sipped at her drink smiling at everyone in the little gathering and she exhaled a breath that was meant to hide the laughter at Jean using the term 'yeet'. It didn't entirely work, as her smile moved into a grin. "Oh geeze, Jean. You are far too pleased with yourself over that." She tsk'ed and shook her head.

As Pietro accepted her half hug, she leaned back and considered him. "I know you might not take this was a compliment.. but you do look an awful lot like him when you clean up. It's the whole powerful, imposing, I know I'm better than at least half this room look.." She only slightly teased her older brother. Her gaze sweeping back to Wanda.

"You know how gossipy our group is. You've been to the Mansion." She murmured, and smiled at Warren, coloring faintly, but not rebuking him either.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda looks over to Pietro and the smile that she gives him suggests she noticed he's on his best behavior. A passing waiter has a tray with some interesting looking beverages on it. Wanda offers the man her empty glass and then motions him over to distribute the drinks to anyone in need of one.

"Yes, about two months," Wanda agrees with Clint. "Though it was a while developing before even that," she says with a smile of remembrance. She turns back to the group, and looks over to Piotr Rasputin. "Hello, I hope the evening is going well for your as well?" she asks him. She glances about looking for Emma. "Lorna, have you had a chance to thank Miss Frost for the event? I was hoping to make my way over to her soon."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian Shaw continues his way through the crowd, Tessa on his arm, and his path draws him near where Nick Lytton is making his way. Given a near direct interception, the only polite thing to do is to extend a hand and make the greeting, "Sebastian Shaw, thrilled you could make, Mister....?" He cants his head curiously, studying a face he does not recognize, which is fairly rare around here.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma and Alex make their way over to the growing crowd, Emma's expression perfectly blank as she joins the group. "Jean," she manages warmly. "Lorna." There's a teasing flatness to her tone as she greets the winged one: "...Warren." She gives Alex's older brother a nod of her head, and then kind of looks mildly apprehensive all of a sudden. Oof. Speaking of family. She suspected Scott did //not// like her, and then her own father's obvious opinion of Alex... and there was what happened last night...

Frankly, Miss Frost wanted to melt into the floor and cease existing for awhile.

However, that's not what one does in a polite society. "Miss Maximoff." She looks towards the others in the group, whom she does not recognize.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren sips a bit on his drink as his eyes flick between Lorna and Jean, nodding perhaps at Lorna's amusement over the word 'yeet'. He also, wisely, stays quiet as Pietro and Lorna exchange some words and the like. It's only when Lorna mentions the group being gossipy that he pipes in once more. "Oh, I do love the gossip. I'm not sure how much of it is true and how much is fancy, but it's all very interesting stuff." He takes another sip of his drink and then blinks, "Wait, why are you bringing up gossip? Oh, is it because we've been seen together at two of these fancy events? Bah, let people talk."

He turns then towards Emma and Alex as they arrive. "Good evening Emma, Alex. Hope everything is going well for you both."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha, meanwhile, appears to be on her fifth glass of champagne already, swiping another from a passing waiter as she exchanges small talk with a high ranking executive of a pharmaceutical company, laughing appreciatively as he brags about his company's recent record profits. She raises her glass dramatically at him as he finishes his story.

    "Well said, Phil. To your health, and the health of your many customers. Definitely a toast worth drinking to," she finishes, putting deed to word, then placing her only half empty glass on a nearby shelf as she wanders off, like the social butterfly she's pretending to be, mentally filing away what he probably wouldn't have let slip about his personal income if he'd been less drunk and more cautious to look into later.

    Meandering through the crowd, she spots Pietro and Wanda and heads for them, snagging up a fresh glass as she turns her smile on the mutant royalty. "Mr. and Miss Maximoff, such a pleasure to meet you in person at last. I was hoping to have the opportunity to thank you for your quick action with that unpleasantness in Manhattan last month..."

Michael Morbius has posed:
Dr. Michael Morbius is late. Uncharacteristically so. But the long series of disappointing results has degraded his sense of self that he completely forgot about the charity gala.

One hurried shower, shave, and suiting-up later, he steps into the ballroom and looks around.

He doesn't know anyone here. But one goes to such things to meet people, and hopefully his donation will elevate him above being a charity case himself.

*Enough, Michael. Enjoy yourself. One must live while one can.*

So, the Nobel laureate looks for the bar. He felt he could use a drink.

Nick Lytton has posed:
    Snapped out of his reverie, Nick manages to stop with sufficient grace that there is no drink spillage.  He offers his hand in return -- it's unusually warm, but not uncomfortably so.  "Lytton.  Nick Lytton," he says by way of introduction.  "Nice to meet you, Mr. Shaw -- and may I thank you and Ms. Frost again for handling the auction of my sculpture.  It's going to do a lot better here than anything I could have organized on my own."

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Warren, right? Sorry, still getting all the names straight." Alex apologizes as he offers a hand. "Nice to see you all here...I feel a bit out of my depth, so friendly faces are good." Speaking of that...he can feel the tenseness in Emma and shifts his hand slightly down, seeking hers, then giving it a little comforting squeeze. "Jean, Lorna, Scott, nice to see all of you...that's quite a dress you have there Lorna." he compliments.

Jean Grey has posed:
It doesn't take a telepath to sense Emma's distress, and Jean reaches over to give Emma a warm hug. "Hey, Emma." She gives quiet support, though she gives the woman a smile, "You look fantastic. So do you, Alex."

She smiles reassuringly to the platinum blonde, "Excellent turnout, and this definitely seems like it's going to be a great success. Though did you want to get a table to sit down? Might be easier to converse that way." The invitation is definitely open, of course, and certain things... might be discussed a little easier that way.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna sipped at her drink and snickered softly at Warren, "I was talking more of Jean asking how well she knew Clint and all. I mean, part of it is safety, sure.. the other part? Gossip. Sheer gossip." She wiggled her fingers toward the redhead in question and glanced back to her half sister.

"No, I haven't had a chance to yet. We just got here." She murmured in regards to Wanda's question and her thanking Miss Frost. She sighed heavily, and looked about to find the icy blonde, only for Emma to come over to the little gaggle of Avengers and X-men.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear.." She joked lightly, and shot Emma a look as she greeted Warren. Well aware of the teasing matchmaking the other mutant had been up to in the last few days. A glance was spared for her outfit as Alex complimented her, and she smiled.

"Emma's doing, who else would have helped me put together something so fantastical?" She drawled, "And besides, you cleaned up nicely too."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian Shaw shakes Nick's hand firmly, then breaks into a pleased smile, "Ah! Mr. Lytton, a pleasure to meet you. Your piece was the glass castle, wasn't it? Spectacular work. I could scarcely believe the degree of detail you worked into it." He glances to the brunette on his arm, "We did put in a bid for that, didn't we?" He looks back to Nick, a touch apologetic, "My assistant, Miss Tessa Fox." He offers by way of introduction.

There's a cant of his head, "You have a real talent, Mr. Lytton, or do you prefer just Nick? I'm almost upset that I hadn't come across your work sooner, we're often on the prowl for new artists to liven up our displays around the club." He grins a touch impishly, "If I'm fortunate enough to win the castle, I do think I might display it somewhere very prominent here in the Club...I feel like there would be a bit of a statement in that that might keep people guessing."

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma returns Jean's hug, and nods. "I can definitely arrange a table or two together for us all--" she gestures towards the scattered gathering of tables. "And besides, tables are very nice for holding drinks, and I think at least I need a few strong ones." She gives a wry grin.

Jean recieves a private telepathic message that's more of a series of feelings and half thoughts than strictly words, but mostly frustration and a snide joke or two about expecting to have potential future dystopian children of her own. Emma's a little bit stressed.

"But no, please, let's all grab seats and relax some," she says, happy to lead the way to a pair of tables and have a couple of the waitstaff set them up for a the small crowd.

Lorna's comment earns a bit of a grin. "Well, I just pointed you in the right direction..."

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa nods her head once. "Of course, Mr. Shaw. Your offer was very generous." She answers, and smiles faintly, offering her hand as well as she's introduced to Nick. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lytton."
    She seems... 'nice' isn't the word. Polite. She stares a little too intently at all times.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "I, on the other hand, will give Emma full and complete credit for how well I clean up." Alex says dryly, following the blonde in question over and pulling out a chair for her before taking a seat herself. "Have to admit, I do like the waistcoat over the cumberbund. Reminds me of some friends I knew who were really into the old steampunk style costumes."

    He leans back in his chair as he gets comfortable, waving down a passing waitress with a tray of champagne and taking one for himself and one for Emma as he offers it to her. "It's nice to see so many people willing to put their money where their mouth is to help out Genosha."

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Oh, right, -right-." Warren nods his understanding to Lorna and then looks over at Alex and takes the offered hand. "That's right, Warren." He nods at the Summers and then settles back to give Piotr a quick glance. "Have you tried these drinks, Piotr? They're quite delicious. You should grab a few and let yourself relax a little."

There is the BRIEFEST of seconds when the thought that runs through Warren's mind is: 'Oh, did she just call me something fantastical? SWEET.' But then the rest of the words enter his brain and everything registers correctly. "Oh, did you two go out for a trip about town? That sounds like fun. Maybe I can take Scott and Alex out some day to do a bit of shopping for some new threads. I think there's some silk shirts that would go well with the glasses, Scott." He smiles briefly before finishing off his third Eisenhardt.

Luckily waitstaff is nearby so he can pick up a fourth.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda sees Emma and Alex join the little group in conversation and says, "We wanted to thank you for hosting this for Genosha and her survivors. It's a wonderful thing that you're doing, Miss Frost. Please convey our gratitude to the rest of your membership as well, if you would?" Wanda tells her.

Wanda smiles to Emma and motions to Clint. "Have you met my boyfriend, Clint Barton? Clint, this is Emma Frost, one of the hosts of tonight's event," she says to her teammate. Wanda tells Emma in a stage whisper, "An opportunity to get him dressed up in a tux is worth a second thank you from me as well."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr looms quietly for most of the time, content not to be the focus of attention, though the newer arrivals of Emma and Alex to the little group results in a nod, "Good evening," he says politely before hearing Warren's question and holds up his hand with the relatively tiny glass half-filled with the signature drink of the night, which he has only be nursing slowly, "Indeed, it is rather good, I believe."

Nick Lytton has posed:
    He takes Tessa's hand -- again, his own is unusually warm, but not uncomfortably so.  "The pleasure is mine, Ms. Fox."
    Well, that's a never-fail way to draw the artist out, compliment his work.  "Thank you, Mr. Shaw -- and 'Nick' will be just fine.  Of course, I had a little help on the detail work -- not only Green Lantern, but an unknown meta in the audience provided some of the molds for the live pour."  You just had to get him started on his work...  "Wish I knew who it was so I could thank them.  And I've had the week to polish it up in the studio."
    He looks around the function space, much more appraisingly than critically.  "I'd be very happy to discuss any work you might be interested in, Mr. Shaw.  I do love a challenging commission."

Clint Barton has posed:
Clint takes one of those signature cocktails himself having a tentative sip at first before taking a more healthy swallow right after. "Stay close," he tells the waiter with a grin, before Emma arrives and it's time to make himself known to their hostess. "A pleasure, Miss Frost, and this is a fantastic party thank you for hosting it." Alex is given a nod too. "Nice to meet you, Clint Barton," he says, extending his hand to the man.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma nods and smiles at Wanda, and offers her hand to Clint to shake. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Barton," she says graciously. "And truly, this is the least the club could do. Between the pledges and the silent auction we are hoping that a significant dent can be made in the needs for rebuilding Hammer Bay and getting the people of Genosha out of tents and hopefully back to some minor sense of normalcy. After such a tragedy, a return to normal is quite welcome and needed, and whatever we can do to help provide it..." she trails off. She squeezes Alex's hand abesntly.

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    "Only half of the room, Lorna?" An innocent enough question, given the flat tone Pietro gives it. But...Wanda and Lorna know better. It's that touch of snark, faint but noticeable, that tips it off.

    Then a turn, to regard the newly arrived Natasha Cranston. The greeting given causes Pietro to balk momentarily. A glance is cast over to Wanda, with the expression clearly showing that Pietro did not prepare himself for this particular social wrinkle. Still, it is only a couple of seconds before Pietro regains his composure and offers a short bow to Natasha. "We only did what anyone else would do, if given the opportunity." Well, of course they did more than just that, but humility is the word of the day today, as Pietro keeps reminding himself. "There is no need for personal graditude, though my sister and I certainly appreciate it, Miss?"

    The last word is held out in the air. Surely, Natasha recognized Pietro and Wanda...but Pietro has no idea who Natasha is at the moment.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna smiled faintly, smothering the urge to outright snort a laugh as she pulled back her amusement at the various points of conversation happening around her. Mostly Warren. "Sitting down sounds great Emma, thank you." She gestured to the long trail of an overcoat like gartment she wore, and she raised a brow.

"Seriously though the embroidery on this is intense and I would never have thought to have it done in time for this. You're a miracle worker." She murmured, and inclined her head toward Wanda as her older sibling thanked the telepathetic blond for arranging everything that was required for this benefit.

A glance was spared for Pietro, and she smiled again. "Well, I mean, Wanda is here, I'm here.. we're at least fifty percent of the room right there." She teased.

Michael Morbius has posed:
Michael sighed. "No...I do not drink WINE. it disagrees with me. Just...make me a gin and tonic. Light on the gin, heavy on the tonic water."
Michael looked around the cavernous room filled with people. A varied and interesting mix. He was gratified to see so many people willing to do something for a good cause.
He leaned over the bartop, then settled back. Trying to garner attention and sympathy was so egotistical. He figured he could walk around, try to find some billboard or notification at how much was donated. Have a few more gin and tonics, and then make a graceful exit.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Ahh, quite the collaboration there, Mr. Lytton. I hope my offer was very generous indeed, if I'm bidding against people who knew the pedigree a little better than I did." Sebastian Shaw does have an excellent memory for pertinent detail, but he can't possibly be on top of absolutely //everything//. That's what he has Tessa for! Speaking of which...

"I assume we have your contact information on file from when you submitted the piece?" He looks towards Tessa again, "Do I have any openings in my schedule next week?"

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    "Natasha. Natasha Cranston," Natasha introduces herself to the silver-haired speedster. "And you saved quite a few lives that day. Including that of my driver." Her smile warms perceptibly. "I'm glad I have this opportunity to thank you in person... And to offer my deepest condolences. If Cranston Multinational can do anything to assist in helping rebuild Genosha, do let me know."

Alex Summers has posed:
    "Pleasure to meet you Clint." Alex says simply, offering a hand. "Alex Summers." He smiles at Pietro's greeting. "Good to see you again Pietro...and this is your sister?" he says curiously, looking to Wanda. "Charmed as well."

    When Natasha speaks up, however, his attention turns to her...and there's a definite little mental twitch in Alex's mind as he freezes for a moment.

    Not so much because of Natasha herself. But because he's aware he nearly accidentally vaporized her and her hubby. Mind, he wasn't in his right mind at the time, and he doesn't even know if she'll remember him, considering the madness that was going on.

    But, wow, yeah, what do you say to someone after that? Sory for nearly reducing you and your hubby to fine ash?

    And as a result of that, he just...clams up, his usual open manner short-circuiting for the moment.

Wanda Maximoff has posed:
Wanda turns to Natasha Cranston and nods along with what her brother said. "Yes, we were glad to be able to help," she says. "It was a bad time for everyone, and a lot of people stepped forward to make a difference. I'm glad your driver was alright as well," Wanda tells Natasha.

The offer gets a warm smile from Wanda. "We will be needing to bring in... well, quite a bit. More than teleporting can handle. I believe we can definitely be in touch when the rebuilding begins in earnest," Wanda agrees. "Thank you very much for the offer, Miss Cranston."

Tessa has posed:
    Tessa's brain IS a fairly expansive hard drive, and these facts are easy for her to find. Tessa nods once, and begins to reach upward, making it a quarter of the way to adjust a pair of glasses that don't exist. Her hand drops and she no-sells the tic. "We do, Sir." She says of contact information. "You do, Sir." She says of open schedule. "Mr. Freeman had to cancel. I would be happy to schedule Mr. Lytton in to meet you-" she turns the direction of her speech from Shaw to Nick mid-sentence, "-if you would like, Myr. Lytton. The next opening is at least a week over, but we can work with what's conveniant for you."
    She suddenly seems a lot less like Shaw's typically beautiful date - which the casual observer would assume - and a lot more like Shaw's unusually gorgeous Secretary. Weird.

Nick Lytton has posed:
    Be prepared!  Fortunately, Nick was a Boy Scout in his youth, and he nearly has a business card withdrawn from an inner jacket pocket -- until it's no longer needed, thanks to Tessa.  "Almost any time is fine -- that's the advantage of having an artist's schedule, I can be as flexible as I like.  I think the only things I have on my plate next week are a class on Thursday morning, and I'm demonstrating on Tuesday afternoon.  Other than that, free as a bird."

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren gives Piotr a little head nod as his big buddy gives his thoughts on the Eisenhardt special beverage. Then he's looking at the whole group of them and a smile comes to his face. "I'm really happy with how this all turned out, and I'm glad for all the good that it will do because of it. This is a good night, yes, in more ways than one, but a really good night." He lifts his glass up to the group and smiles. "I hate to be that sappy idiot that goes and makes some really lame toast, but you know what? I feel the need to. To spending time with good friends for a good cause. I enjoy the time I spend with you all." He then takes another long sip of his drink.

Michael Morbius has posed:
Michael takes the drink and eyes it for a moment, then sips it almost delicately. The bitterness is welcome. Even since he reached the latter stages, he's developed a taste for bitter things.

It seems almost poetic.

He beckons to the barkeep, then asks, "Would you happen to know who might be in charge of this gala affair. Pity it's not a masquerade ball, those seem more interesting..."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean comes back to the table, sitting between Emma and Scott as she looks a bit wry, "Well, Emma... what sort of drinks are you thinking of here, because I could use a few myself." Particularly at the thought of future children showing up... she's got enough already!

Getting that drink, she then smiles over at Warren at his toast, raising her glass to it as the drink arrived just in time, looking over at him and Lorna, "Well said."

Lex Luthor has posed:
Enter Lex Luthor.

There's naturally some comotion to announce the arrival of the billionaire presidential candidate and presumptive nominee of the Tomorrow Party. Of course there would be one without his political candidacy but the additional security and press just adds to it. Though thankfully except for a lone bodyguard and the diligent Miss Tessmacher, Lex enters the ballroom alone, heads turning in his direction as he does.

Lex pauses for a moment, helps himself to a drink, though he doesn't bring it to his lips, giving a nod of greeting to the hostess instead before his eyes seek out Sebastian and he gives his former classmate a nod as well before pausing to shake hands with a few well-wishers on the way to mingle with the people he was really here to see.

Emma Frost has posed:
At Emma's gesture, a pair of waitstaff come to the table(s) and drop off a plethora of full champagne glasses and glasses of the drink of the night... more than sufficient for all there to get one, or another, and a few left over besides. She grins at Jean a bit wryly herself. She lifts her glass to Warren's toast, sipping her champagne and for the moment remaining silent, simply content to listen to the conversation around her.

Scott Summers has posed:
Scott has been listening at the conversations contributing little besides nods and monosyllables. Actually, this is normal for him. He is pretty bad at casual conversation. As if saving his words for when he has something important to say.

Now dragged to a table, he almost seems relieved. Friends and family, he can handle a little better. He looks mock-scandalized at Jean when she says she wants 'a few drinks'. But it is okay, he is the driver. "You okay, Alex," he asks his younger brother. Emma's folks seemed quite the ordeal!

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna moves to sit down, grateful to not have to drag the heavily embroidered train about her as she walked. It was lovely, but it was heavy and while the needlework was all done in metallic threads.. she didn't //want// to spend the whole night magnetically lifting up her outfit to just get from point A to point B either.

A sigh pulled from her lips as she sipped at her drink and settled into her chair, leaning back fully. "Indeed, well said Warren." As she raised her glass and sipped her gaze scanning about the room to fall on the arrival of Lex Luthor and back.

"So, where do we all fall in Lex's running for president? Not that I think I can vote anymore, being the ruler of a foreign country.."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
"Mister Sebastian Shaw owns the establishment, Sir, and is the host of the Gala." The barkeep replies to Michael, readily enough.

Said Sebastian Shaw smiles towards Tessa briefly, then looks back to Nick, "Next week it is, then. Someone will contact you with the details." Shaw extends his hand once more, "Just be warned, if I don't win the Castle I might commission something even more spectacular just to spite whoever does." There's a humored smile, and then a nod, "Enjoy the party, Nick, and thank you again for your contribution."

And with his excusing of himself, he and his companion move on, more greetings, more pleasantries, always more...but he knew what he was signing up for, so he weathers it all with a twinkle in his eye and a warm smile, if a well-faked one in a few instances.

Then Tessa leans up to murmur something in his ear, and Shaw's attention turns to the newly-arrived Lex. He grins and the pair heads in that direction, with Shaw closing in just as Lex manages to finish the last of this particular throng's handshakes.

"Lex. Good to see you my friend. I appreciate you taking the time." He extends his hand, "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but we're on-pace to beat the November haul. It's a shame you'll be too busy with your transition team in November to get a rematch, but I suppose we can set it for...I don't know, eight years from now?" The smile is mirthful, even if ego demands a bit of a challenge and a bit of a gloat. Hardly new for this pair.

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex inhales and lets out a sigh, looking over at Scott. "...I get the feeling her dad might not approve." he murmurs, in what is likely the understatement of the night thus far. "The whole not upper class, not in an Ivy league school, and 'the help'." He shrugs slightly, taking a deeper drink of his glass at that. "How's things with you?"

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren smiles to Jean and Emma and then catches sight of Lex Luthor and Lorna's question gives him a moment of pause as he leans into his chair a little. "Hrm, I'm not really sure who I am for or against yet. There's a lot of reasons to vote for Mr. Stark, and reasons to vote for Mr. Luther. I suppose I'm waiting to see who decides to really hammer home the mutant issues, or at least who is better on mutant issues."

He licks his bottom lip and swirls the liquid around in his glass. "I hate to be a single issue voter right now, but I kind of need to hear more about that part of their platforms before saying one way or another."

Michael Morbius has posed:
Michael ahs, and is about to step forward. He was not sure what he intended to say, but then the other man steps forward and...
<Good Lord above, is that Lex Luthor?> he says in slightly-accented Greek. Well, he supposed a presidential candidate superseded a doctor. He chuckled and looked back to the bartender, placing a $50 on the bartop. "Keep the change, young man, and enjoy life. One must accept the fact that one must meet one's Maker, and enjoy the fact they do not know the date of the appointment."

Dr. Morbius salutes the bartender with his glass. "Ya mas."

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha smiles at Wanda's response, putting her still full glass down on a ledge in order to fish a business card out of a fashionably concealed pocket. "Done. This isn't the place to discuss specifics and logistics, but once you have a list of what you'll need, call me and I'll see it arranged. For now, though..."

    She sways just a little. "... I think I may have had a bit too much of the excellent wine. I'll ask Sebastian to have a cab called before I do something too embarassing..."

    With that and another smile, she wanders off, fading into the crowds almost immediately.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean looks wryly at Warren, "Gee, which out of touch billionaire do I want running this country. Yeah, I'm not entirely sure myself. I'm going to need to wait and see, too." She hrms, sipping her champagne as she then looks over towards Lorna, "Though, well, you never really rescinded your citizenship here, right? You can still vote."

A bit of a chuckle, as she shakes her head, "Oof, politics. That's going to make me drink more, I think..." She then catches Scott's mock-scandalized look, then smirks, "Don't //you// start."

Lex Luthor has posed:
Unlike with the person Lex had just been shaking hands with, there's something like a genuine smile from Lex when he claps hands with Sebastian. "Good to see you," he says and sounds like he means it. "And is that so?" he asks, brow raising slightly. "Guess, I'll have to settle for putting this gala's numbers over the top then." He says glancing back to Miss Tessmacher, who comes forward with a cheque for Tessa to take, with a very generous donation for the people of Genosha. "At least for the next eight years," he says with a wink for Sebastian.

"So, should pay my respects to Emma care to join me? Looks like she's assembled quite a crowd as usual."

Karla Sofen has posed:
Fashionable late? Well, lose the fashionable.

But Karla Sofen eventually does make an appearance to the gala, the californian blonde dressed in a dark red gown, cut on the sides, a pair of glasses on because she is such a respectful psychiatrist as everyone knows and just the bare minimum in jewelry, a bracer and a pair of earrings.

Blue eyes turn here and there throughout the entry hall as she walks in. "Ah, thank you." catching just one of those last flutes out a passing waiter.

Some champagne to start with? Why not? And then it's time to enter and mingle, she walks slowly, inspecting the gathered, taking in the groups in that analytical manner of hers.

Tessa has posed:
    "It's wonderful to see you, Mr. Luthor." Tessa says, putting a little extra effort into sounding nice, and even smiling sorta like a real person! Besides his position in the Inner Circle, and his looming power on the world stage... Lex is a friend of Sebastian's, which upgrades Lex to Important in her mind on a scale higher than most. So she tries her best.
    Tessa takes the check in her free hand, and her eyes squint a little bit at the numbers involved, even though she can see it just fine. "... That will certainly do the trick, Mr. Luthor. You're extremely generous."

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    A rather thankful expression is offered to Wanda as she handles Natasha's well wishes (and business offers) with aplomb. Pietro....just isn't the public relations type. Natasha does get a polite bow once more before she takes her leave. Then, the speedster migrates with the rest of the X-group (and Lorna) to remain social. But...not too social.

Scott Summers has posed:
"I didn't start nothing," Replies Scott to Jean, a wry grin in his lips meaning you-know-what-I-think. Which is... that teasing her can be fun.

Poor Alex, though, deserves some advice. "No man is good enough for the girlfriend's father, I suppose. But he will have to deal, she has chosen you."

Also, "Stark all the way. He has flaws, but he is a hero."

Piotr Rasputin has posed:
Piotr having finished his drink, went to go fetch a new one, to also get some social breathing space. On his way back, he sees that his previous conversation partners had moved to a table, being a tad self-concious about his size, the large Russian elects to find an adjacent table and rotates the chair to face the others, so that he can actually move and says, "My apologies."

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian Shaw nods to Lex and gestures towards where Emma is seated with a cluster of varied and interesting people. As they move in that direction, Sebastian speaks in a more discrete tone, "Winston's here. It's your call as to whether he's your old friend or conveniently ignored, but he's definitely trying to put his thumb on the scales." There's a tone of exasperation that leaks through for just a moment there. "Though seeing you with Emma might be enough to quiet him. You know he's never going to give up on that, right?"

Sebastian keeps the scowl from reaching his face, but there's a certain heated tension in his voice when he adds, "Short of having an incident like the one I had with his eldest."

But by the time they're approaching the tables that Lorna and her family and friends have gathered, it's back to all smiles, and even mostly genuine, though he gives Lex the honor of starting the greeting. Man of the hour and all.

Nick Lytton has posed:
    Nick bows slightly as they leave... then drains off the rest of his martini in one go.  He had not been aiming that high, but he's not about to let go of an opportunity like this.  It could be a huge step up.
    He glances at the ceiling... maybe he might get to make the chandelier he's always wanted to.  Just a hope.
    Feeling a little giddy, he finds himself a spot slightly removed from the crowd, where he's unlikely to be noticed... and surreptitiously ties a knot in the stem of the cocktail glass, and leaves it on a tray to be collected.  That ought to give the wait staff something to chuckle over.

Michael Morbius has posed:
Dr. Morbius finished his drink, then pays for a refill with another fifty. It's not like he was saving it for anything.
He found it quite amazing. Usually, at conferences, seminars, universities, people sought him out for autographs, insights...it could be very tiring. It is almost...comforting to be a nobody in a room full of somebodies.

He smiled at the thought, then took another sip. He figured, he could finish this drink, slip out without a word, and Shaw would have only his donation to wonder who it was. Maybe he might actually wonder for awhile. The thought amused him.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren looks over at Scott as he offers advice to Alex and he nods. While it might not be his place necessarily, he feels as if he should comment and so he does, "Alex, I would focus on her happiness. Her happiness is the only thing that matters in the world when it comes to someone you care about. That is something you can focus on, something you can work on."

Oh, and speaking of Scott. Since he is here and all. "Oh, Scott. After getting some serious inspiration from someone who is very intelligent and wise." Is that a flicker of his eyes in the direction of Lorna? "I have decided that I am going to work at becoming a teacher at the school in the near future. If I can help teach others fiscal responsibility and business, and maybe economics, I think it will do some good." This coming from the guy who dropped cash on a watch because the line was called 'Sky-Dweller' but some things are better left unsaid.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma. Looks. Mortified. She drains her glass and takes another. <<I don't think an entire day at the spa is going to help this.>> She sends to Lorna and Jean. <<But I'm considering trying that theory out.>>

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna snorted a laugh at Jean's commentary, even as she arched a brow toward Warren. "Whether or not you have the same rights as a standard human should be a single issue vote, Warren." She smiled, but it was strained as she sipped at her drink. "US laws are finicky about citizenship and who can vote or not. Really less about my revoking my citizenship and more of the US government's doing is my guess." She shrugged once and sighed.

"I would imagine though that since he's here that Luthor is going to make a donation of some kind." She mused. Which is about when Sebastian leds Lex Luthor over to the gaggle of mutants and the alike.

Alex Summers has posed:
    "I dunno about Stark. I mean...sure, I'd love to have a drink with him or have him DJ a party. Dunno about him running a country or international politics. He's brilliant, but so's Luthor." Alex comments thoughtfully, though he nods ruefully to Scott's comment about Emma's father. "I'm still making up my mind on it, it'll depend what kind of platforms they have."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean gives Emma a wry look, << If you're buying I'm there. >> She chuckles a bit, then straightens her posture a bit as the Presidential candidate walks over. Wouldn't do to be slouching in front of someone like that, after all. Then she looks over at Karla Sofen, and blinks a bit. "Wait, is that Dr. Sofen? I've read some of her papers..."

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren looks over at Lorna, gives a serious nod about that single issue vote, and then follows gazes as Lex Luthor himself comes over. Well this should be interesting at least.

Karla Sofen has posed:
Some big names here tonight. It makes Dr Sofen smile just so, taking in the group of mutants, adjusting her glasses, then Luthor's bald head, unmistakable anywhere, and of course the president of the board, Mr. Shaw.

But she knows better than to interrupt. And mmmm, isn't this champagne delicious? She could get used to this kind of life...

But then she notes a look her way, blue eyes turning to settle on Jean. She offers the woman a polite, gentle nod. She most likely hasn't heard what was spoken over yonder but the glimmer of recognition does seem to appease her ego. And she has a big one to appease afterall.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Just a trifle," Lex assures Tessa before adding with a smile. "And the position with LexCorp is still available, just so you know," he tells the woman, not that he was seriously trying to poach her, but it was a little tease as much for Sebastian as it was for his talented assistant.

Lex lets out a breath at the mention of Winston Frost, "I am not sure I have the stomach for mor of his adorable attempts at matchmaking, so, hopefully my shaking hands with Emma will sate him for the evening.

Then they're at Emma's table, "Emma," Lex greets effusively, "Wonderful gala,.Sebastian was just telling me that you're on course to beat mine from November, congratulations," he offers the woman his hand, and then turns to her companions. "Your Majesty," he greets Lorna with a respectful bow of his head and then a nod is given to Warren. "Mr. Worthington. Apologies for interupting but I just had to say hello."

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    Pietro himself remains standing, though he does remain near the table. Like the others, he does notice the political candidate and billionaire approach. And...it doesn't seem to change his stance. Though...he does seem rather satisfied that Luthor gave his sister a proper greeting.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley descends from the VIP level where she'd managed to hide out for a good portion of the evening. There was work to be done, and that meant having to come down here to make at least the proper appearance, and shake a few hands, and hand off a few checks. Even if it meant braving the crowd by herself. The petite ginger makes her way through the tables with gaze searching for the appropriate few faces she was told to look for. Sure, she could simply catch one of the staff no doubt, but some things were best done at least making a few potential connections in the process. That's how this was done, wasn't it?

Unfortunately that meant finding herself lingering not far from the table where Lex Luthor was greeting... quite a few celebrity faces it seemed. She pauses nearby nursing her champagne flute while waiting for a moment to dip in without being completely crass and interrupting.

Scott Summers has posed:
Scot glances at Warren, surprised. "Oh, that is good Warren," er... possibly good. Then again, Warren can probably charm the kids in five minutes, and then convince them do whatever they need to pass the course. And that is seventy five percent of what he needs to be a good teacher. The question is more if he has time to teach along running his corporation.

"Politicians rarely do a third of what they promise, anyway," he comments to Alex. "Unless Stark or Luthor have the guts to directly confront the whole system, their options are very limited. As always. So..." he glances up to see Luthor approaching, and goes quiet. Friend of Emma, he guesses.

Tessa has posed:
    A more genuine smile finds its way to Tessa's lips as Lex's familiar offer, and says, "It's under consideration, as always Mr. Luthor. Thank you." Despite what one may think Tessa is where she wants to be. Granted this is given a relatively limited testing sample, but she has it pretty good, all things considered.
    She nods politely to the group as they're brough in, and gives a more pronounced bow of her head to Lorna.

Emma Frost has posed:
Emma gives Lex a warm smile, standing up to shake his hand and give him a half hug. "Lex. I'm glad you had time to make it." She glances around the table. "Ah, folks, this is Lex Luthor, CEO and Owner of LexCorp and hopefully our next President." If that didn't tell you where Emma stood on the previous subject.

"Lex, ah, these are some very great friends of Queen Lorna; I believe you've met her brother Pietro, but this is their sister Wanda Maximoff... mm, and this is Scott Summers and Jean Grey. They are teachers at a private school upstate. This is.. Peter? Piotr. Also a teacher at the same school, if I recall? And you know Warren, of course." She hms. "And this is another Alexander, Alex Summers, my date for the evening." She manages to introduce the table to the Presidential candidate and fellow board member.

Michael Morbius has posed:
Dr. Morbius knocks back the second drink, but is already feeling a little unsettled. Perhaps he should have simply sent a card. Ah, well, it was nice to be completely anonymous.
He smiles to the bartender, then drops a $100 on the bar. "Thanks for your timely assistance, but I believe I shall be going. Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow."

Michael steps away from the bar and heads for the door.

At the very least, it was informative and educational.

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna looked up as Lex Luthor approached and greeted the table. A drink in hand as she leaned an elbow against the table top and angled her figure to better meet his gaze. She sipped at her wine, and then carefully set the glass down as he greeted her and she inclined her head simply in response.

"Mister Luthor. A pleasure." She murmured, politely. Even if she was getting well into her wine cup at this point. Warren was a worthy escort if only for handing her drinks regularly.

"I'm assuming that since you're here that you're supporting Genosha in her hour of need?" She asked, arching a brow upward. "I'm grateful for it, if that is so. Though I cannot help but wonder what your position is regarding mutants in general." She mused lightly, still smiling. But there was a hint of steel to her gaze as she spoke.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
As it so happens, Sebastian and Tessa are pulled away from Lex's orbit before they reach the crowded tables, and while dealing with whatever small matter it is they briefly discuss with a staff member that looks like they might be some kind of supervisor or other, the moment that follows the departure of said employee may give a certain scion of Gotham her chance....

Warren Worthington has posed:
"Mr. Luther, a pleasure to see you." Warren says with an easy smile for the potential future President. His eyes dart over to Emma as she provides with Lex with introductions for the rest of the group. "We were just talking about the campaign a little actually I..." He trails off as Lorna goes into the bit about Genosha and mutants in general, and so he puts his drink down for a minute to flag down a passing waiter, where he acquires another glass for Lorna, placing it before her with a smile.

"I too am interested in mutant rights, Mr. Luther. My own status is very clearly presented to the public and while money can shield me in many respects, there are countless who need help and need to have their rights protected."

Illyana Rasputina has posed:
Certain places are off limits to someone of Illyana's stature or apparent age. Theoretically, they would be off limits to her, too, barring the fact very few things keep out a teleporter of her calibre... or she can use the excuse of her brother's presence to finagle her way in. With such tender years, she has mastered the icy stare that disrobes even the doughtiest bouncer down to his skin, then visually flenses the man to viscera and hidden secrets as the torpid, slow-moving tick of seconds scrape past. Questions that slither past can be resolved with something other than the application of an unlimited credit card if anyone really feels like getting in the way. There's no need to bluff here. Not truly. But should it come to pass, weight can be thrown.

Otherwise, she slides in like the midnight vision of trouble she is, a glittering creation of blacker-than-black to complement her winter fairness. La!

Carrie Kelley has posed:
At the very least while introductions are made around the table Carrie is able to eavesdrop taking a glance around at each. Lorna was easily spotted and recognized; not many had such green hair that was obviously not dyed that shade. The siblings introduced however were a new addition to her knowledge of the Genoshan royalty. Wanda is regarded, then off to the brother mentioned... Whom earns a little grin and mumble of, "Well, they certainly grown them handsome in Genosha." With that little grin she glances away again toward the far more recognizable form of Sebastian Shaw.

Emma was far less intimidating, but he was the one to give the money to. So she heads that way with a little clearing of her throat. "Pardon the interruption Mr. Shaw, but I was told you were the man to see about donations for this evening."

Karla Sofen has posed:
Now this should be interesting. Karla is, of course, angling herself to walk closer to the table where the mutants and Luthor are close by, catching drift of that question posed by Lorna and deciding to stay just in that middle ground of being close but not with the group. Taking in and listening.

It does make her take note of Shaw, Tessa and Carrie not too far from her, just a brief smile given their way, then another drink off her glass, draining it down.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Lex doesn't blink when Lorna offers her questions, he simply smiles, "I absolutely support Genosha in her hour of need and for as long after as she might want my help," he answers smoothly. "As for my policy on mutants, I feel people are people no matter what's in their DNA, my plan would be to treat them accordingly, as individuals and look how best we can meet their needs, rather than trying to shoehorn everyone into an one size fits all solution," he says and then nods to Warren. "But we can do more to protect their rights as Mr. Worthington says, and making mutants a protected class under the civil rights act would be on my legislative agenda."

He smiles then, "Ultimately, I want mutants to have every chance at the American dream as anyone else, and I'm happy to help make that possible."

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean arches a brow at Lex Luthor's words, "Really? Well, that's... very enlightened of you, Mister Luthor, and quite refreshing." She smiles a bit, actually showing a bit of warmth there, though her eyes do occasionally flicker towards Dr. Sofen, as if seeking an opportunity to say hello...

Lorna Dane has posed:
Lorna listened with care, flashing Warren a smile as he slid a new glass in front of her. She was utterly tickled with that, and reached for it as she shifted about in her chair with the expert balance of having hold of the world by magnetism lent her. Not a single awkward twist to her fabric or the chair getting in her way would happen. Wine or not.

"Well, that is a lovely sentiment, Mister Luthor. Well said indeed even. As it stands right now the US government has been sorely lacking in any sympathy for Genosha beyond their typical useless lip service of thoughts and prayers. We've seen much more involvement from Wakanda and Latveria, for instance. I would love to see a change of formal policy in that regard." She mused lightly, seeming to give it some consideration for once.

Despite Scott's obvious preference for Tony Stark, Lorna looked at least open to the other option at the moment... Not that she was sure she could even vote.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian Shaw turns his gaze to Carrie when she makes her approach, looking a bit bemused, "Really? Well I'm certainly someone who can be seen for that sort of thing. Miss...Kelley, isn't it? A pleasure to see you here, I'm going to guess that Bruce was otherwise occupied?" There's a bemusement there, as though this is hardly any sort of surprise. Bruce rarely makes the trip out here. "In any case, Tessa and I would be happy to help, especially if it involves a donation." He gestures to Tessa, where the check no doubt is to be directed. "By the by, who was it that said to see me personally?"

Pietro Maximoff has posed:
    There is a moment where the male Maximoff seems rather disillusioned by Luthor's short campaign speech. But, the expression is quickly abolished from Pietro's features, replaced with another one of those neutral stances of his. It seems that Pietro may have heard such platitudes before. Still, his sister is holding her own, asking questions and making commentary that he himself would...only with more tact.

    Pietro speaks, his words, tinged with his particular Eastern European accent, echoing his agreement with his youngest sister. "I would very much like to see that, as well." Refering to the formal policy change.

    But, then again, that should be as no surprise to the presidential candidate. Pietro's views are not exactly secret.

Warren Worthington has posed:
Warren is suitably impressed by how Lex responds to the issue of mutant rights. So impressed that he lifts his glass up to the man. "Well said, Mr. Luthor. Well said. Thank you very much for being so forthcoming in your answer. I'll be paying more attention to your campaign as well as doing a bit of research on any Super PACs that are backing you." He offers Lex a quick smile and turns to share that smile on Lorna, clearly he is pleased that a presidential candidate would be so open and have such a strong position regarding this issue.

Karla Sofen has posed:
As she gets a second look out of Jean that seems right about enough for Karla to move forward, weaving past the tables to approach the redhead, providing just that opportunity, no matter how direct she may be. But being direct is one of her things too.

"Good evening." She offers to Jean, taking in the rest of her champagne. "I do wonder if we have met before. Couldn't help notice your look."

Alex Summers has posed:
    Alex quiets a bit as the talk turns to politics, though he nods in greeting to Luthor and will shake his hand if it's offered. He may be on the fence but he's not actively against anyone, after all. His brow raises at the mutant rights aspect of what he says - though he'd prefer something concrete, that's not a bad promise either.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"When I'm in office, I'll do all I can for Genosha of course, but best case scenario, that's in January, in the meantime I would be happy to do what I can to assist personally, as I am sure will my successor at LexCorp. The wheels of democracy turn slowly and in this case, perhaps a bit too slowly for the needs of your people," he says with all due solemnity, nodding to Jean and Pietro as well for their comments before turning his attention to Warren. "Of course, my assistant Miss Tessmacher would be happy to help with any inquiries," he says.

Then smiling to Emma, he puts a hand on her shoulder, "I've stolen your guests attention long enough, but thank you for letting me stop by and pay my respects, do give my regards to Winston, I hear he's about," he waves a hand dismissively. "Somewhere." Then saluting with his drink to the table Lex is off into the crowd of people around shaking hands and exchanging greetings.

Jean Grey has posed:
Jean shakes her head at Karla, giving the older woman a smile, "No, actually we haven't, but I know who you are, or rather... well, I've read your papers." She extends a hand towards Karla, "Jean Grey, I'm working on my psychiatric degree and, well, I really admire the insight and craft you put into your thesis, Doctor Sofen. It's very enlightening, and an interesting way to approach problems that I hadn't considered before." The praise is very genuine, as she seems like a bit of a fan.

Carrie Kelley has posed:
Carrie Kelley gives a little cluck of her tongue when Shaw directs her to Tessa, and she offers a little look of chagrin. "Ah, I rather thought I might have been set up a little there," she admits with a chuckle. "Unfortunately yes, my father's quite busy these days with his own endeavors. I'm likely to be his liason for ventures outside of Gotham for some time." Even as she speaks she pulls from her purse a check already printed out which she offers toward Tessa. "It was Ms. Gallio upstairs that suggested I find you. I do hope I'm not being too much a bother. I realize you must be quite busy organizing this evening. Please, on behalf of the Wayne Foundation, we wish to offer the people of Genosha twenty million to aid in their recouperation."

Before she can simply be waved off after the donation she dips her hand into her purse again to pull out a second check. "And from myself personally, the ten million that was earmarked for my membership here next year. If you would see it also aid the cause I'd greatly appreciate it. It's needed far more now." Here, her expression actually hardens a moment as her easy, relaxed expression slips. There's a hardened edge a moment as she states, "What happened should never happen again. Ever."

Karla Sofen has posed:
Yes, Karla's expression does show she is quite pleased to having been recognized, specially when it seems like it's a fan. Do feed her ego. She does welcome it, taking Jean's hand for a pleasant shake. "Well met, Jean. And thank you. The mind is such an interesting object of study, is it not?" her hand then returning to her front after the shake.

"Well, I shouldn't make that question since you are fellow psychiatrist afterall, or soon to be." And there is indeed some genuine touch to her smile too. Not something she was expecting tonight. "I am always more than glad to exchange viewpoints on those works with others. Perhaps we should meet again sometime." she offers.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Sebastian cants his head curiously at Carrie's words, and at mention of Selene's surname, there's a flicker of anger, exasperation, and just plain resignation. An itch between the shoulder blades that can't quite be reached and never stops, but it quickly fades, leaving behind a genuine and gracious smile at Carrie's explanation, "It's no bother, Miss Kelley. The generosity of your father...and of yourrself...is quite appreciated." As Tessa accepts the checks, "And that said, in recognition of your compassion, I will be happy to personally extend your VIP membership to permanent status beginning on your twenty-first birthday."

Sebastian grins, impishly, extending a hand to Carrie, "And it will be a pleasure to hopefully see you here for many years to come. If everyone shared your outlook, there likely wouldn't be need for..." He gestures vaguely, indicating the soiree, "All this. As it stands we'd like to keep you around..." He winks, "Helps keeps our final tallies up and all."

With the hand clasped and released, he gives Carrie a nod, "If you will excuse me?"

Emma Frost has posed:
The gala remains in full swing well into the night. And the next day, when the checks, pledges, and auction wins are tallied, there is a quite sizable amount prepared to go towards the rebuilding of Hammer Bay in Genosha.

By all accounts, the Spring Charity Gala was a hit.