xp_logs | Hellfire Club: Emma, Adrienne, Manuel and Doug (Reply)

The White court attend a Hellfire Club halloween party and go fishing.

"Ooo, check out the woman in the lamp costume!" Adrienne exclaimed on a near squeal, tugging on the arms of both men walking into the Hellfire Club mansion with her. "Fifty bucks if one of you goes up to her and asks if you're turning her on," she giggled. Adrienne got practically giddy at Halloween. It had always been her favourite 'holiday'. And the fact that she'd convinced Manuel to dress up in a Roman gladiator costume and play Antony to her Cleopatra had put her in a very good mood.

"Fifty dollars? You'd have to make it more worth our while than that, I would think," Doug riposted with a chuckle. His eyes were hidden behind extremely dark glasses, and he held a blind man's cane in one hand. The rest of his costume was a slightly old-fashioned shirt and vest, and an extremely custom-made pair of contacts behind the glasses for if anyone asked him about the costume. He suspected his choice of clothing was a bit obscure, but the way it dovetailed with the one that Emma had decided on tickled his sense of completeness.

Emma smiled at her White Knight as she approached the group at the door, inclining her head carefully to avoid disturbing the carefully balanced arrangement of icicle-shaped crystals that decorated her crown. "Considering that she could electrocute you with her touch, prudence and several hundred dollars would best be required," she said. She glanced over the costumes, taking time to appreciate the sheer physical beauty of the men of her Court and, she had to admit, her sister. Her smile at Adrienne was considerably cooler than it had been for Doug and Manny, a typical intra-Frost greeting. "Thank you for escorting my gentlemen to the party," she said. "Having to arrive early to greet everyone has its drawbacks." Her glance skimmed the crowd behind them, touched off a particularly handsome man who looked partly-stunned, partly-delighted, the sleeves of his costume barely covering the ligature marks at his wrists. "And its compensations," she added, her mind lingering for just a moment on the brief interlude in her private chambers. "The Hellfire Club does serve the most excellent aperitifs. If you would care to join me in tasting them?" She took Doug's arm. "Sir Kay, perhaps you can take the opportunity to tell me the truths you see?"

Adrienne returned the cool smile. "Emma. Interesting choice of costume. Some sort of Ice Queen? I see you also don't hold to the traditional belief that Halloween is a time to pretend to be something you're not," the Queen of the Nile said for the benefit of the people in the near vicinity. ~Oooo, your dress is gorgeous! And that crown looks fantastic! It turned out so well!~

~Your design was excellent, Adrienne~ Emma returned to her sister. "I am always what I am, little sister," she responded out loud. "And you need to catch up on your Hans Christian Andersen." She looked back out at the crowd, and her voice dropped to a low murmur. "Doug, Manny, any first impressions that spring to mind?"

"The food is moderate," Manuel replied evenly. "And as usual, the champagne is not quite up to par yet the selections in flesh are exquisite. Quality is nine out of ten but for everything else, I give a poor seven."

Doug smiled at the byplay, and had not missed where Emma's gaze had landed. Her mind was extremely disciplined, but her body language still gave away the occasional clue. "Ah, Manuel, always so demanding," he joked. "It seems like all the usual suspects are around, though Shaw hasn't shown yet. No doubt he's doing a bit of his own entertaining in his chambers," he murmured, a slight teasing barb for Emma under the statement.

"Droit de seigneur," replied Emma. "The responsibilities of royalty are many and heavy, my Knight, so it is only fair that they are balanced with equally pleasurable rights. As for Antony and his demands..." Emma shrugged. "Tastes formed in the Old World perhaps find our New World brashness not quite to their liking. But even the most jaded palates can be sparked by sweet new flesh." Emma smiled even as she formed a telepathic switchboard so all of them heard her question to Adrienne. #Is there anyone here from Outer Court of whom we should be wary?#

Adrienne had moved a short distance away from the White Court members, conversing with a black cat and a man in a bathrobe, wary of mingling with Emma and Doug since association with them seemed like it might damage her reputation. Manuel was the only member of the White Court she felt comfortable being seen with at a court function since she was fairly certain Shaw already questioned Manuel's loyalty to Emma and Adrienne felt that she and Manuel could capitalize on that for their benefit.

#Manuel and Doug may want to get close to Wallowitz- hooked-nose, in the furs,# she told them telepathically. #He seems a staunch White Court supporter but we had lunch last week and his watch told me he's had two dinner meetings with Shaw in the past month. Manny, if Wyngarde comes in you'll pick up on my emotion spike, yes?# She wasn't sure if the other three would know the man on sight, but if Manuel had a thread of his power tuned to her he would know Wyngarde had arrived the minute Adrienne saw him, and could let Emma know.

Manuel thought nothing but instead, focused more on his empathy, separating from the group.He liked to give definite answers rather than assumptions and wandered through the crowd, passing a jostling mad man in a tall stripped hat - clearly a black court member - and exchanged a brief greeting with another black court member in a silent handshake in passing, close to the body. There was no shame with whom he mingled with and though he could feel Emma's eyes boring into the back of his skull, Manuel ignored it for all it represented.

The occasional brush of fingers against flesh pulled him from his concentrations and distractions were plentiful when curious eyes were not only exploring his body but fingers tracing the mars of scarring on his exposed skin. He stopped further explorations before they could continue, his gladiator helmet falling a fraction to the brief exchange of a woman he did not know.

Adrienne could be seen not far from where he was and though he was within her sight, he could not quite pull his eyes from this woman. There was something strangely familiar about her.

Curious, Adrienne stopped propositioning a White Court supporter wearing only a fig leaf (not that she had any intentions of going anywhere with him, or anyone) and sashayed over to Manuel. "Pretty girl," she purred in his ear. "Who is she?" Not that she didn't intend to go find out on her own by reading a large diamond on the woman's pinky finger, but if Manuel could give her some of the basics first, so much the better.

"I do not know," Manuel said after the woman slipped away as Adrienne came to his side. His gaze briefly flickered over to Emma and Doug before he caught sight of someone in particular behind them. "Black court, I would assume--" he nodded in their direction, to where the woman passed by and greeted another. "I believe I am being baited."

As Adrienne couldn't contain the tiny flutter of fear in her stomach behind her weak mental shields, she assumed Manuel didn't need her to point out the man's identity, but she did anyway. #There's Wyngarde. Can't tell what he's supposed to be dressed as but he has a black cape?# She brought the image of what Wyngarde normally looked like to the forefront of her thoughts so Emma might match height and build. #You guys go play with him, I'm going to go see if I can learn anything about Manuel's pretty little friend,# she thought to the White Court.

#Thank you, Adrienne,# replied Emma, the thought a casual interjection through her conversation with one of her more ardent admirers from the outer courts and the interesting business proposition he was offering involving a hedge fund and rather more inside information than was even skirting on the edges of legal. #Be careful, Manny,# she added. Emma turned to Doug, taking his arm with a proprietary air. "I shall make an appointment for you, my darling Mark," she said. "But now is not the time for in-depth discussions. I'm sure you understand my duties as Queen." Mark blushed and bowed and waved her away as she turned to Doug, almost steering him. "Any idea which one is Wyngarde?" she asked Doug. Normally she'd be aware of one of Shaw's higher-level lackeys, but finding information on Wyngarde had proven frustratingly difficult.

#At a masquerade? With probably fifty other black capes in the room? Even I'm not that good, Auntie Em,# Doug shot back. He had very different avenues for information than Emma (almost certainly one of the reasons he was now her Knight), but Wyngarde did as good of a job masking himself from those avenues as he seemed to do for Emma's telepathic ones. #As much as I don't like the idea, we're probably going to have to play this one by ear.#

#We should not have to do that,# said Emma and her frown, though fleeting, was so heartfelt that the approaching outer court member veered away from her as if stung. The telepathic probe she flung out was stunning in its brief power, scouring the minds of everyone in front of her, but finding nothing useful. #I cannot find him,# she said finally, falling back within the confines of her own mind. #This isn't blocking or gadgetry. Shaw's found someone I'm mind-blind to. I think we might safely call this an emergency. Gentlemen, Adrienne, I need to find out what Wyngarde's power is. Use whatever means are at your disposal.#

Startled by Emma's discovery, Adrienne paused in her conversation with the redhead and had to gather her composure before continuing to speak to the woman, feigning an adjustment to her dress. #Manny's redhead is dodging me on gossip on all fronts- I've been poking about her identity, Shaw, and Wyngarde, and she's giving me nothing. Maybe that means something? I don't want to use my powers here; if the Black Court discovers mutation I'll certainly be blocked from using it in future, so I'll take her to one of the private rooms, see if I can't learn anything about her or Wyngarde that way.# She tried to keep the mental images of what she had in mind out of her head. Not that any of the White Court would care. #Making out with a woman with no intention of progressing to actual sex can't really be classified as cheating, right?# she mused, not really expecting an answer. #And, I mean, if I'm not really in a formal relationship with anyone or sleeping with anyone I don't really have anyone to cheat on, even if it was cheating... Okay, yeah, I'm good.# Her conscience wasn't pristine, but it could live with that.

Doug's head spun at the quicksilver skittishness of Adrienne's mental voice, and even though they were all communicating at the speed of thought, her 'babble' was almost too quick for him to catch all of it. #Your sister is...something else,# he sent on a tighter 'channel' to Emma. #Did you manage to catch all of that?#

#She's justifying not-cheating,# said Emma. #Having to care about someone else's feelings always makes my head hurt, quite frankly, but Adrienne cares about such things.# Her thoughts quested outward to the redhead, sifted through a layer of feelings and desires that lay outside complex shields. The smile that touched her lips was a little odd, almost melancholy. #As you may be about to find out. Manny's redhead doesn't go for women that way. But handsome young men... She's unimaginative, but willing. And if the White Knight should look her way she just might tell her tales of Wyngarde.# Emma turned to Doug and her lips on his cheek were cool. "Go after them, White Knight," she whispered. "You can serve your Queen in many ways, if you choose to do so. I have not yet worked out if you are willing to pay the price of that service; perhaps today we find out."

Wheels within wheels. #I have the feeling that we're all being set up. Manuel, Adrienne, me...maybe even you. Be careful.# Aloud, he bowed slightly. "I hear and obey, my Queen." He turned and moved after Adrienne, not hurrying, but moving with purpose through the crowd.

"Why, if it isn't Sir Kay," Adrienne greeted Doug loudly, drawing the redhead's attention to the approaching man, choosing not to call him by his Club title. "Did you know Sir Kay was one of my escorts to the party this evening?" she began with a simpering smile. "I got to know him rather well. Very chivalrous when it comes to pleasing women, aren't you, Sir Kay?" #This seduction thing isn't going as I'd hoped,# she thought. #'Seems willing enough to let me participate but I think she needs a man in the equation, but I think maybe Emma figured that out and that's why you're over here? And if so,# she added wryly, #I really hope your girlfriend saw this coming, because I'm slightly worried about my own health if she should have a problem with this.#

#You guessed right,# Doug thought. #Emma sent me over.# "Milady," he greeted the redhead, smoothly bending to kiss her hand in a gesture that might have looked more familiar from Manuel, but didn't look any less natural coming from Doug. "I do my best to be a true Knight when it comes to a lady's pleasure," he continued, turning the charm as high as it went. #I was telling Emma there's a possibility we might be all getting set up in some fashion, so watch yourself,# he warned Adrienne. #And Angie and I have talked, but I suspect we'll have to talk some more after this evening,# he thought. "Perhaps we might adjourn to a room and I could demonstrate?" he asked with a smile for both women. It might wind up awkward, but with potentially two beautiful women involved, he might as well enjoy it.

"The Queen of the Nile is but your loyal subject," Adrienne grinned, "and yours too," she added to the redhead in a low tone, mentally rolling her eyes at the cheesiness of the line. #This way we can watch each other,# she thought to Doug, not even intending it to be a double entendre. #Hey Manny, do you want to join us?# she mentally snickered.

Manuel's inward cringe was something he let them all feel and shook his head. #No, thank you. I think two is enough.# It was typically not a scenario he wanted to dip his fingers in. #White Bishop to D5, I believe I will illustrate the rules better to one of our neutrals while you are busy 'castling'# He snorted and left them.

Emma reached outward through the switchboard, checking the status of her Court; Manny's neat corralling of a outer court minion who may or may not be wavering into supporting Shaw, Adri's eager waiting for a chance to read the redhead's belongings for clues to Wyngarde, the cool underpinnings of Doug's thoughts even as his skin heated in excitement at his negotiations with the same redhead. She had gathered the best infomation gatherers she could find to her and they were doing her proud.

But now it was time to be Queen; the expectations of the Hellfire's Halloween party demanded it, and she had to admit she was not really averse to fulfilling their role for her. Her eyes flicked over the man she had enjoyed earlier; he had only whetted her appetite. She lit upon a dark-haired woman, buxom in corset and leathers, presumably some kind of pirate wench/dominatrix mix that the less purist thought amusing to mix in their costumes. She would do nicely for the show.

Emma didn't even speak to the woman as she caught her arm and towed her, eagerly following, up on to the stage. She felt the hot eyes of the minions turn to the stage, their indrawn collective breath. They knew what was coming and their hunger surged against her skin, a swirl of heated anticipation.

Emma ignored them, concentrating on the girl in front of her, whose wide brown eyes were drowning in worship of her Queen. With the slightest flicker, Emma turned to diamond and her fingers sliced upwards through the woman's corset, so it slid from her suddenly bare torso into a puddle on the floor.

The White Queen turned back to flesh, twined her fingers into the woman's hair and yanked, harshly, downwards. "Kneel," she commanded. "And pay tribute to your Queen."

Warning: Not work safe.