A Charity Gala to End Whatever Important Thing

[ngm_miscellaneous]

New York City high society had been absolutely buzzing over this April's charity gala by a certain Mr. Tony Stark. It was seen as exclusive, or as exclusive as his 200 person guest list could be. Some invitations were a given, like Tony's daughter Alexa, whereas others came from what the party planners figured as the right people to make the party memorable or talked about.

The charity event was for the charitable arm of Stark Inc., Stark International. Despite being for charity, it was also seen as a good way for businesses to be seen and network.

The event was held at the Hudson in the Library and Private Park space. It would comfortably fit the people into its 2,600 Square Feet.

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Library Garden

[ngm_miscellaneous]

Outside of the three french doors was an immaculately kept garden. The unseasonably warm weather at this time of year made the spot seem more welcoming.

Re: Library Garden

[hellfire_empath]

Brooke Wyngarde - she was seriously considering legally changing her name to Brooke de la Rocha - stood outside in the garden, a glass of sparkling pink champagne in her right hand. She breathed in deeply, and looked around, watching party-goers mingle. She saw Roxie Danvers off in the distance and grimaced lightly, turning away from her, even if there was something going on between Brooke and Roxie's brother Alexander.

She reached up to ensure that her updo was still in place and then gently smoothed down her beige and autumn red ballgown.

She'd texted Stephanie not five minutes ago and told her where she'd be. This would be the first time that she was meeting Stephanie's mysterious Brazilian boytoy, and Brooke wanted to make a good, elegant impression.

Given that, she drained her champagne and handed the empty flute over to the nearest waiter and waited.

Re: Library Garden

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie had an excellent native sense of direction and had homed in swiftly enough to the location where Brooke was, Marcelo on her arm- and the "lead" between them being highly dubious at best. Along the way, she'd acquired a glass of red wine with the sort of effortless aplomb that came with being a Shaw.

It was a fortunate thing too, because truth be told, she was not particularly enamoured with champagne. She tended to find white wines in general rather insipid.

Seeing Brooke, she smiled broadly and walked Marcelo over to her, the sight of the much smaller woman dragging along her boyfriend probably more than a little amusing.

"Brooke." Stephanie's face lit up as she got closer to her friend, exchanging the inevitable air kisses before a much more genuine hug. "You look absolutely stunning as always." She stepped back slightly, before gesturing towards Marcelo.

"And, at very long last ... Brooke, this is Marcelo. Marcelo, Brooke." She hoped the two would hit it off well. Tension between two people so key in her life was not something she needed. Frankly, she had enough problems as it was.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo had scored his own invitation to this gala, but he was content to spend the beginning of it on Stephanie's arm. It allowed him to get a lay of the land to find people to talk with.

Of his tuxes, he picked his black Milan tuxedo, black pleated pant, white wing tip collared shirt, his pique vest, and a black bow tie. He grabbed a glass of whatever was wet and alcoholic on a tray while Stephanie grabbed her wine.

Then he got to watch the American high society woman's greeting in action. He covered his slight eyebrow raise with a drink of whatever he picked up.

"Brooke, a pleasure to meet you after hearing so much about you from Stephanie."

[frostfurlady]

It is a very nice garden, Danielle decides to herself. She's trying to keep an eye to make sure Bobbi's okay, but otherwise she absorbs herself in the garden and doesn't really notice Brooke and her people so much.

[hellfire_empath]

Brooke smiled warmly at Stephanie and actually gave her best friend an honest hug instead of an artificial air-kiss. She stepped away from Stephanie and took Marcelo in, the gems in her earrings burning like rubies as she did so. "I concur," Brooke said, holding her hand out to Marcelo. "Meeting me is always a pleasure." Pause. "But it's good to finally make your acquaintance, after having thought for awhile that you were forever out of my friend's life and heart."

[pyroprincess]

Stephanie kept up the smile, knowing that she was in public and it wouldn't do to create a scene, but internally, she was a bit annoyed with Brooke's comment. It was hard to tell what she meant by it (oh for Brooke's own empathic powers!) but it certainly didn't seem like the most seemly thing that could be said.

"Well, we fixed that little problem quite handily." She kissed Marcelo's cheek and gave his arm a squeeze. "Though he probably wonders where all the space in his place went." Stephanie's possessions had taken up a pretty alarming proportion of the space available at Marcelo's place. She'd also started turning part of the floor below Marcelo's place into a workout space, so she could keep sharp with her abilities.

[vesper_verde]

Marcelo smiled slightly. He couldn't tell if it was a dig or not. He let it go since if she hadn't known that Stephanie had continued caring for him after they had parted, there was a lack of communication on their part. It wasn't his business.

"I thought I had an idea of how much I was getting when I asked Steph to move in." He shrugged slightly, being careful to not dislodge his girlfriend from his arm. "I might have underestimated a little."

He spotted a familiar white-haired girl off into the garden. Marcelo tried to remember her name. First name was easy... a Danielle. Last name was foggy to him. Hrimsomethingorother was what came to mind. He didn't think that was right.

[hellfire_empath]

"Yes, I do understand that congratulations are in order," Brooke said. "Stephanie does seem to have quite the glow about her since the two of you got back together, it's true."

She turned her attention to her roommate and smiled as warmly as was Wyngardely possible. She waved at Danielle. Maybe with her around, Brooke would be less apt to say something unseemly and overly bitchy.

Maybe.

"It's nice seeing my best friend that happy again."

[call_me_phobos]

Alexander arrived through the front entrance, deciding it was best not to just appear next to Brooke and startle her. After their trip to Paris, he thought things were going well between them. Still, the demands of getting his business up and running consumed much of his time since then, though he did his best to sketch his Muse from memory whenever possible.

A need for very little sleep was extremely helpful in that regard.

When walked into the garden, he saw Brooke with a pair of people he thought he recognized. Yes...the male was Marcelo from lunch not long ago. The female was Stephanie Shaw, the other target of that dreadful tabloid piece. Alexander was about to go over and introduce himself when a prospective client approached him about some designs. Of course, business had to take precedence.

A few minutes of conversation later and Alexander was free again, though he stopped to look around for anyone else he might know here.

[frostfurlady]

Danielle eventually tore herself away from the plants, since with all the familiar scents, she wanted to say hello. "Och, hello, Marcelo. How nice to see thee." And then Alexander, and she nods and smiles.

Re: Library Garden

[light_as_a_rock]

(Continued from here)

"Related to him?" Eva raised an eyebrow. This wouldn't be the first time someone had tried the "relative" trick to scam some of the Worthington money. "What do you mean?"

Re: Library Garden

[iced_cherub]

"I was... well some of his DNA runs through me. Look, I'm not looking for anything from him... Maybe meeting him in person, but I'm okay if he wouldn't want to meet me." She glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention to them before she exposed the wings. They were a lot smaller than his wingspan. "You can call Dr. McCoy he did the blood tests. Would he have a reason to lie about something like this? I mean they were friends..." She wouldn't tell about her other parent, after all it wasn't that important at the moment right?

Re: Library Garden

[light_as_a_rock]

"Some of his DNA?"

Eva frowned.

"You're tryin' t'say he's your father?"

She was trying to keep her voice down, but her accent was getting heavier. She looked at Bobbi's wings. Not like it was totally impossible... her father had been quite the ladies' man in his day. Still was. But, that really wasn't something Eva liked to think about.

Re: Library Garden

[iced_cherub]

She nodded slightly.

"Well, more like he... I mean... the doc said I shared genetics with him an' Robert Drake. I have a feeling neither know about me yet unless the doctor called them. I... they made me... I don't know who or why."

Re: Library Garden

[light_as_a_rock]

Eva's voice rose in spite of her efforts.

"Dad... Uncle Bobby... what? What are you tryin' t'say?"

Re: Library Garden

[iced_cherub]

"I was made in a lab. I don't know how okay. All I know is when Professor Ramsey came he and his wife removed me from my parents, considering how creepy they were acting I didn't mind going and now I'm at the school. Dr. McCoy said I was related to those two and I doubt I was custom made by one of them or both." She didn't mean to, but the air around her did drop a degree.

Re: Library Garden

[light_as_a_rock]

Eva sat down heavily on a nearby bench.

"This kinda crap is only s'pposed t'happen to th' Summers kids."

Re: Library Garden

[iced_cherub]

"Why you think I just want to meet him? I'm fine with how things are." She toed the ground a little. "I'm sorry I probably shouldn't have said anything."

Re: Library Garden

[light_as_a_rock]

"Ah don't know why you want t'meet him, that's just it."

Eva's fingertips drummed on the bench.

"Daddy is a wealthy man. And one of th' most well known public mutants around. Pardon me if Ah'm just the tiniest bit suspicious of an instant sister poppin' out of the woodpile. Even one with wings."

Re: Library Garden

[iced_cherub]

She bit her lip a little. "Because I need to know it a problem I have is genetic or not. I didn't want to ask Dr. McCoy because well..." She didn't look up. "Because I need to know how to stop it without causing a problem. I don't want to be the person I was made to be."

She looked up at Eva. "Don't worry I don't want to be part of the family unless all of you accept me. I go by the name that I've used all my life." She toyed with her bracelet, her wings folding back up and poof hidden again.

Re: Library Garden

[valeria_richards]

The Gardens wasn't quite a place of escape. Everyone who wanted to escape the madness probably went out here with everyone else who was going crazy and pretending they weren't. It helped that Valeria had means of escaping if she didn't want to be seen. But not as much as she would want. She had a date.

Her cousin, not her blood cousin but cousin enough for her. She brought Ryan.

She looked adorable enough, fresh and young enough in the peach bandeau dress she wore with a simple black stole and matching pink peach heels. When she arrived she flashed her smile brightly, as if nothing had changed. Questions about her parents but she smiled, shook her head, and pretended she had nothing better to do. Oh, the pointed out the singleness but she didn't care.

That's what you're supposed to do when coming out of the word work. Smile. Pretend. She didn't think she'd be any good but Valeria was shocking herself. She clutched to a Roy Rogers as she quietly people watched. Though she did warn Ryan she'd be off in the Gardens for a while to get her breath and regain her composure before drifting to cameras and people she knew.

Re: Library Garden

[realstarpower]

Ryan surveyed the crowd around him. Beautiful women. Great looking guys. Impossibly rich, most of them. He was aware that a good section of this crowd probably also wore their spandex costumes beneath their elegant finery, or they were wearing something created out of unstable molecules that could suddenly switch from elegant to practical.

For his part, Ryan carried in his hand a strawberry nojito and looked - if he thought so himself - quite stunning in his casually undone tuxedo.

"How's it feel, dipping ye old toe back into the social whirlpool?"

Re: Library Garden

[valeria_richards]

Oh, Valeria should have thought about that when considering what to wear. The whole switching to unstable molocules but the dress she bought. (She really did!) But then again, it wouldn't be the first time she came to a party not ready to fight. And she managed.

"... that looks good. That isn't something your brother is going to clobber me for, is it?" The drink looked fruity and yummy but for all she knew there could be vodka in there. And of course her little cousin did. Undone tuxedos were a classic.

"It would be better without the cameras. I think I should have worn a dress with straps." She shrugs, "Happily, I've not seen any of my celebrity crushes here." She had one or two but c-list might be the best thing to call them. "So I'm not ditching you for now. But if I see Neil deGrasse Tyson - who I am a fan of - not a crush - you're on your own, kiddo."

Re: Library Garden

[realstarpower]

"No, no. This is all kinds of non-alcoholic," Ryan said. He waved the glass under Val's nose for a second so she could inhale the non-alcoholic strawberry-mintiness of it all.

"Don't worry, you're far from the first person who's going to have some nip-slippage going on," he said, eyeing a particularly cougar-y looking socialite.

"Well, hey, as long as Mike Tyson's brother doesn't, like, bite your ear off, I'd say you're good to go with him. Though I don't know how Frankie would react to it."