ArchivedLogs:Plenty Worth Enjoying

Plenty Worth Enjoying
Dramatis Personae Emma, Lucien, Selene
In Absentia	New Year's Eve '
Location <NYC> Hellfire Clubhouse - Upper East Side
Monochrome elegance at its finest: the Hellfire Club plays home to New York's elite, and has spared no expense in making that clear. Black and white marble tiles the floor, the pattern distinctly that of a chessboard. Rich wood paneling lines the walls, and the alcoves of the entry hall hold statues reminiscent of chess pieces. Meeting and dining halls provide plentiful space for the club's members to congregate, whatever their needs. The Hellfire's library, while far smaller than its ballroom in size, is far more prized in content. Hundreds of volumes line the meticulously tended shelves, the rarest kept carefully in climate-controlled cases under the watchful eye of the mansion's librarian. High-backed leather chairs and plush couches provide quiet reading spaces beneath soft lighting, and tall windows look out to the mansion's gardens beyond. The main ballroom of the mansion is vast and opulent, its ceiling vaulted and the balconies above curving gracefully away from the grand staircase -- an ideal place from which to Make An Entrance. The hallways that branch off from the ballroom's wide staircase lead to a wealth of offices and living suites for the Club's members and visiting guests; they run in opposing monochrome: the stark white court's quarters to one side, the dark black court's quarters to the other. After what seems like an age, especially to a class and culture that does not believe in waiting, the ballroom at the Hellfire Club is filled to the brim with merrymakers, twinkling lights, and most importantly, festive champagne. The bubbly liquid is distributed throughout the room, not only as a liquid libation, but also carried in the color scheme of the night. Gauzy nude shades mingle with shimmering bubbles around the room's light fixtures and centerpieces, reflecting the amber glow from the illumination. The color scheme was heavily hinted at on the invitation, encouraging everyone to dress to their finest in black and white -- or nothing at all. Defying her normal white palate, Emma Frost choses to embrace nude and champagne, wearing a chantel beaded evening gown, with a deep scoop neck and an even deep hem across the small of her back. The gown hugs her torso, but spills gently to the ground in sheets and ruffles of tulle and silk. The only thing that does not fit is the light blue light on the electronic device in her ear that indicates that she is linked up to her phone, hidden away in the clutch of her purse, something she is not letting go of. She smiles a very practiced, professional smile as she sorts out some issue with an ice sculpture before switching over to a call from the front desk. Someone apparently took the 'nude' hint a little too literally. "Well, that is why I have an assortment of black and white wrap dresses in the ladies lounge. See if you can encourage her to try one of those on. If not, well, it's not the worst thing the Hellfire Club has seen on a party night." Lucien has gone black, for his part, an elegantly tailored tuxedo with a faint sheen to its satiny contrast. Though he's also here to work it shows less in his case -- he's been mingling freely, sharing champagne with this person and dancing with that one. It's just off the dance floor -- a faint flush to his cheeks from recent exertion -- that he finds himself making his way towards Emma, nabbing a flute of champagne from a tray as he goes. "And likely," he cuts in in quietly amused murmur, soft Quebecois accent tinging his words, "not the worst thing it /will/ see before the night is through, with as freely as the champagne has been flowing." This comes with a small twitch of smile, and he offers the flute out to Emma. Selene has also gone black, though it's less of a fashion statement and more of an embodiment. Her dress is a sheer sequin gown, pure black in color, with a plunging V neckline and a nude underlay, the backzip exposed. She has allowed her long natural black hair to flow back, her lips with a light black lipstick over them. Selene's been mingling herself, a champagne glass in one hand, having been dancing prior but right now taking a break, eyeing around and paying attention to the room around her, both ears and mind listening in to the conversations of her fellow upperclassmen. She makes her way towards Lucien and Emma, an attempt to mingle, a slight grin coming to her face. "Ciao. How are you two doing this fine evening?". Selene gives a small smile and a glance to Emma. "You put this together, yes? Fine work, I'd say. It's very exquisite.". Whilst she makes this small talk, she's also flicking her mind over them, just scanning for surface thoughts, as she normally does. "Possibly one of the finest balls of this sort I've been to.". Emma accepts the glass with her free hand, nodding to Lucien with a smile as she draws the glass closer to her chest. "Well, that goes without saying, but I do try to encourage people to not jump the gun, so to say. Drunken debauchery has its place and time and the doorway is neither." She takes a sip of the bubbly, her hair pulled black close in a low chignon. Her makeup follows the theme as well, the tones matching her skin so closely that she looks like a porcelain doll, the dress and the decor shimmering in the glitter of her eyeshadow. It's the black eyeliner, however, that brings out her vivid blue eyes. "Thank you. It was about time for me to catch up. I can't believe the time went by so quickly." Emma's mind is a busy place. She's trying to imagine how hard it really is to get ice sculptures in December in New York City. Certainly hers is the only party that poor artist has to work right now. Her eyes flicker over to Lucien, idly wondering who exactly would be taking him home tonight. Some intimate thoughts follow of the color of his skin under that shirt and the contrast between his and her shades. On her face, however, her eyes narrow on Lucien, almost defensively before she lifts the glass again to take another sip. Despite the fact that she holds the glass up, no more wine passes through her lips. "Oh, thank you. I appreciate you saying so. I don't believe I've seen you around the club yet. I'm Emma, but you must know that already." She moves the glass to the hand with her purse and extends her now free hand. "Indeed. You should at least enter the venue before -- starting the party." Lucien's fingers brush lightly against Emma's with the transfer of champagne, a faint whisper of pleasantly pleasurable warmth licking out from his touch. "I am here to ensure everyone has a good time, Emma, but you would be a priority in that respect whether or not I were --" His words trail off as Selene approaches, a small curl of smile warming his brilliant emerald eyes. "Bonsoir," he greets with a small incline of his head, offering his hand as well after Emma. His mind is an odd place, rather startlingly so in the sea of partying and pleasantly intoxicated thoughts -- there's not so much as a whisper of stray surface thought /to/ him, a cursory scan turning up nothing except a polished glassy surface, clean and smooth and blank. "Isn't it just? Emma's affairs are always -- not to be missed." Emma's mind seems normal as one should be to Selene, so she pays it no mind, calmly taking her hand and tipping her head in a sort of bow. "Indeed, a pleasure to meet you. Selene Gallio, charmed.". She takes a sip of her champagne before continuing. "No, I don't believe we've met. I just moved to the states...heh, don't even remember how long ago it was. I originate from the Paris branch, however.". Glancing over to Lucien to extend the courtesy to him, Selene stops, freezing after scanning his mind. The blankness is startlingly new to her, causing her face to sort of twist, but she quickly tries to fix this to avoid a tell, attempting to dig into Lucien as she takes another sip. "Good evening to you too, sir. I agree, I doubt I'll be missing the next one either.". If Selene's thoughts were to be dug into right now, her thoughts are mostly startled at the cleanness of Lucien's thought patterns, something she obviously hasn't seen often. She's also mentally mocking the thoughts of the other guests, seeing them as lower in a way, finding their faults and mocking them mentally as a sort of game to her. Though, she tries to keep this all hidden. "They truly are marvelous." Emma treats the dismissal of her mind with blandness, setting up shield of boring thoughts to continue to keep the other woman off her scent, her attention turning once more to her champagne. She absorbs the thoughts of those around her, letting those she picks up off of Selene drift before her mind's eye with more attention than the rest. On her face, she places a humble smile. "Thank you, again, you're both so kind. I really couldn't have done it without my staff. They are superb, but one expects no less at the Hellfire club." She glances over to the door. "I hope your stay in the US has been pleasant so far?" Lucien's handshake is warm -- warmer still because of the subtle barely-noticeable trickle of pleasant-happy feeling that whispers out from his touch. His arms cross over his chest after, a faint smile lingering on his lips as Selene freezes. "There's no kindness required in simply telling the truth." His voice is very mild, soft and gentle; his thoughts are largely concerned with work, dwelling on this guest who may need extra attentiveness, that one who should be kept far away from another, who is there alone and who would /like/ to leave with company. Only the faintest tightening of his jaw, the slightest press of his fingers against his elbow, betrays the sudden harsh /stab/ of agony that rips through his mind, a sharp searing /present/ to welcome this intrusion into his thoughts. Beneath the spike of pain he offers for Selene his thoughts are -- /keenly/ well aware of this digging, a softly whispering: << -- It isn't polite to enter uninvited, >> murmuring under the lancing pain. Anything Selene was going to say is cut short instantly by the pain Lucien tosses at Selene after she reads him. She begins to stumble, but quickly regains her footing, grabbing her stomach and growling. "Agh, I drank a bit too much.". Lancing her mind back at Lucien, digging has stopped, only a quick projection being sent. << I apologize, I was just curious how a mind could be so blank, so clean, so..tidy. I can see you like your privacy, I'll stop intruding. >>. Selene rises completely back up to her feet, nodding. "But I think I'll be fine. America is..well, it has it's ups and it's downs. The finer parts, like this club, they really make it a great place. And then..there's the lower parts. The recent..incident that crossed the nation. But, I think I enjoy it here. Will be a pleasant place to move my life, I can guarantee." Emma appears completely surprised when Selene stumbles, her eyes widening and her free hand held out to help stabilize her. She blinks rapidly, a wash of Lucien's pain read off of him, but dismissed just as rapidly to keep up appearances. Lucky for her, her attention is primarily on the club member. "Oh, goodness. Do you need something to eat? I can order you something to sooth your stomache if you're having problems, or someone to take you up to your room, should you wish to be alone." She quiets when Selene gathers herself and begins speaking as if nothing had happened. She inhales softly through her nose and wets her lips. "So, you intend to stay in New York?" Lucien's hand moves out reflexively, too, touching to Selene's elbow to help her balance. The pain vanishes as neatly as it came. << Merci. >> It actually sounds polite, now, this quiet thanks at Selene's apology. His touch comes with another very /quiet/ subtle wash of pleasant happiness, now. "The recent incident spread through much of the world, regrettably. But thankfully, efforts here helped to contain it. I /do/ hope you find --" There's a faint increase in the warm pleasant feeling before he drops his hand away. "-- plenty in America worth enjoying." After the initial shock, Selene's moved from thought tracing on them. Any use of her powers she had been using on others, all of it is being used on herself as she is actively focusing all her mind on holding her defenses up as high as she can, nearly barring anyone from inside completely, obviously flustered by this. Selene grabs Emma's free hand as a ruse of her own to keep to her act, still completely unaware of Emma's true nature. "I have a penthouse in the neighborhood, actually. Not far, I can call my driver to get me, but I don't think I'll be leaving yet. I'm fine, was just..yes, I think food would be delightful, thank you.". She looks towards Lucien, whilst she has a polite looking smile, it shows deeper inside a bit of anger towards him. "Oh, I think there is plenty worth enjoying. And I plan on staying here a very, very, /very/ long time.". Emma pulls a coiled up sheet of paper from her purse and hands it to Selene, all politeness. The paper, a half sheet, four inches by eleven, contains a few items that are currently being considered tonight's menu. "You can, of course, order anything you like. These just happen to be more readily available and will be served to you quicker." She turns her attention to Lucien, gaze studying his face, a hint of concern in her visage. "And would you like anything, while I'm putting in the order?" Brows rise expectantly, but no menu is offered to him. He is expected to know this! He's entertaining the club members after all. Lucien's face is just a touch paler than it was before the wash of agony, but his smile is warm as ever. "How fortunate for New York to have you, then. We will endeavour to make it worth your while." He leans in towards Emma, offering a very light brush of cheek-to-cheek kiss that comes with a brief flicker of pleasure. "Oh, I've had -- quite enough for the moment. I should get back -- I promised Ms. Renard over there a dance. I would hate to shirk my responsibilities. -- Ms. Gallio." His head dips in a small polite nod, and he slips back off through the bustle of the party.