nextgenerationmarvel | A Grand Soiree [Open to anyone with potential business at the NYC branch of the Hellfire Club]

"There hasn't been a party like this in years at this location, has there?" Sebastian turned towards Tessa, or rather, the clone of her that Essex had made for him. It was true, though, there was an energy in the old place that hadn't been seen ever since before he died for the first time. They didn't know yet, that he would take this moment to make his reemegence into the public eye, but there were rumours that there would be a grand surprise.

"No, sir. Attendance at the New York branch's soirees has been declining for some years." Tessa replied crisply. He wondered, vaguely, what the original Tessa would think of this pitch-perfect copy of her. As for Tessa's part, she was aware of Sage's existence and regarded it as nothing more than a vague curiosity.

Sebastian continued to watch guests filing in through the cameras at the command centre he'd installed some years ago beneath the halls of the Hellfire Club.

"What about my would-be heirs?" Sebastian spoke with a faint sneer. Disappointing as they were in many ways, they were his family. His legacy. They would have to do. He couldn't have another Shinobi on his hands.

"I expect they will both attend. I've spotted Stephanie, but but Alistaire as of yet." Tessa replied again.

"Good. And others have been invited too. The Braddock and the Worthington girls." Sebastian turned again towards the monitors. "Keep a close eye on the witch, would you? I won't have her ruining my night."

"Yes, sir."

Sebastian lifted a glass of fine whisky to his lips and took a slow sip, watching the event unfolding before him. A grand collection of the finest of New York society. A fine audience for him to emerge before, like the phoenix.

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"So do you," Brooke said, breaking apart from the hug. She stared at Stephanie for a long moment. It felt as though this was the first time they'd spoken in months, though Brooke knew that not much time at all had passed since their last conversation. "Marcelo," she then said, offering Stephanie's un-New-Yorker fiance a hand. "How do you do? You do look...dashing."

Marcelo had been going stir-crazy in the penthouse. He still had a bit to go before he could go back to work. As entertaining as Sancho was, he needed to get out. Stephanie had helped him get dressed since his wounds still pulled painfully every once in awhile.

He wasn't particularly bothered by the disdain he was surrounded by. Though seeing this part of Stephanie's life was a little eye-opening. He gave a gentle grin at her promising smile.

Then they were heading toward a brunette he heard about often but had only met once.

"Brooke," he greeted politely with a small nod. He looked slightly surprised by the offered hand. He shook the offered hand. "Nice to see you again. You look quite beautiful tonight."

"Isn't he though?" Stephanie replied smoothly, going up on tiptoes slightly to kiss his cheek. He was certainly a fetching man and there were a few women that were giving him openly lustful glances.

"So, are you ready for the main event?" She managed to make it sound, almost effortlessly, like she was looking forward to it, but Brooke's advanced empathic powers would pick up traces of Stephanie's deep ambivalence towards her father's return. She didn't know what to think of this next step.

It was also safe to say that her love for the man had been largely extinguished by his brutal behaviour towards her. She respected him, yes, feared him, but she didn't really think she loved him anymore. She expected relationships to be reciprocal, and Stephanie knew Sebastian shaw her as an asset.

Brooke might have openly gagged if it wouldn't have insulted her best friend. Marcelo was a good-looking man, sure, even if those dreads were in poor taste, but he wasn't from New York. He wasn't from society. Not as Brooke Aurelia Wyngarde saw it.

Still, Stephanie's question forced Brooke to shift her attention towards her friend. "What's going on?" she asked, lowering her voice a few octaves. "You don't...you seem conflicted."

"I had a wonderful fashion consultant this evening." She just happened to be the one kissing his cheek.

Marcelo took one of Stephanie's hands in his and gave it a small squeeze. If he could focus on being here for her, he could ignore his own emotions on what was going to happen. A lot of it being highly unimpressed with Sebastian Shaw.

He was the heir to Brazil's largest corporation. Stephanie considered that to be plenty 'society' enough, even though she would've loved him regardless. Though his impressive fortune and connections did smooth things over occasionally.

Stephanie squeezed his hand back, her expression taking on a slightly harder cast. "This isn't really the appropriate place for that discussion. Maybe another time."

The effortless smile came back, though the emotional aura did little more than dull slightly.

Brooke nodded slowly. It could wait, but she was concerned. Still, there were many eyes on all three of them, and for good reasons. She reached up and gently adjusted an earring. "Brunch tomorrow at my apartment? I can have Sharona whip up some lemon-ricotta pancakes with a raspberry syrup?" Of course, that would only happen if things went well tonight. She looked at Marcelo and added, "You're more than invited to come along as well, of course."

His free hand went to brush across the spot where Vargas' sword had emerged from being shoved through his body. He tried to cover it by adjusting the buttons on his jacket.

"I appreciate the invitation, but I must decline. Tonight might be my only social outing for the week." He shrugged slightly and held Stephanie's hand a little tighter. "Doctor's orders on not being a third wheel."

Stephanie looked over at him, finding it impossible not to notice what he was doing. She frowned a little. It was ... still difficult sometimes, to know that he'd been hurt so severely. She may have saved his life by intervening, but it was far too close. Her hand gripped his back a little protectively.

"You wouldn't be a third wheel, darling. But ... perhaps it would be good to have some girl time. We could all do dinner another night? Perhaps you could bring Alexander. If he isn't overly horrified with me ..." Yes, because of the flaming naked angel business. Rather sordid, really.

Whatever it was that Stephanie and Marcelo were feeling, Brooke felt it too. She blinked for a moment, wondering what exactly was going on, but turned her attention back to Stephanie rather quickly. "Alexander's fine," she said quickly. "And yes, perhaps some girl time is in order. There's clearly much to discuss," she said, her eyes darting towards Marcelo quickly.

"Dinner sounds fine," he said with a lightness he didn't really feel. He was still out of sorts after the attack on Veridian. Also, his general distaste for Stephanie's father was nice undertone to his internal feelings.

"Maybe at the restaurant you two own?"

"The Bistro Provencal is always open for our business." Stephanie replied with a thin smile she wasn't necessarily feeling. Her own feelings about Sebastian weren't all that much better, considering everything that had happened. How cruelly he'd treated her.

"We shouldn't deprive the others here of our beautiful selves, though. Let's go circulate some, shall we?"

Brooke nodded her head in ascent, her eyes surveying the crowd. Alistair was there, obviously. Most of the Lords Cardinal were present. Selene being very...Selene. Brooke shuddered. She'd have to keep her distance from that one. There was no telling what Selene might want with Brooke's youth and beauty if she were ever to catch the psychic vampire's eye.

"Make connections and all that, the good old Hellfire way."

A Grand Soiree [Open to anyone with potential business at the NYC branch of the Hellfire Club]

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