In Seasons of Wither We'll Stand and Deliver ((Open to HFC Inner Circle Members))

[ngm_hellfire]

After the ranks for the Inner Circle were given, Selene disappeared for a few days to handle business with other chapters of the Hellfire Club. When she returned to New York, she had invitations issued to the newly ranked members of the Inner Circle. They would each be shown to a different room from the one where they received their ranks.

The large, circular room had a black and white tiled square in its center. Where the pawns should have been on the large chessboard were two long tables. There were ornately carved and appropriately colored chairs at each spot for the rooks, bishops, and knights. No chairs sat in the white king and queen spots nor in the spot for the black king. The black queen's position had a familiar throne in it.

At each position was a triangular name plate made of gold with each person's name and rank. A couple positions had "Reserved" on their name plates: one of the white bishops and one of the black knights.

Comments

[lena_essex]

Lena was ready to mingle and make the acquaintance of the new Inner Circle members. She was wearing a black leather cocktail dress and a vintage Victorian mourning cameo on a black velvet choker, as a nod to tradition.

She sipped from a glass of red liquid, and sized up the rest of the room from over the rim.

[heirtoinhumanity]

Ahura had gone in entirely on the traditional Hellfire garb- the truth was that he found these clothes more to his liking than most modern clothing anyway. The tailoring was more precise and he'd always favored black over other colours anyway. The accents were mostly red- a little bit of 'hell' for the Hellfire. In regular business wear, one couldn't really distinguish oneself from any other well-dressed peon.

Anyone with a decent-sized purse could afford Armani.

But these were the clothes of a true aristocrat. A prince, of his own people, the Inhumans, but also of the Hellfire Club.

His eyes settled on Lena and he couldn't help but smile slightly as he walked over to where she was, glass of deep, dark red wine in his own hand.

"Lena. A pleasure as always." He bowed and took her spare hand to kiss it.

[lena_essex]

"Ahura!" Lena smiled widely. "I am delighted, although not surprised, to see you here."

She dropped her voice, and glanced around the room.

"There are some... surprises here, though."

[heirtoinhumanity]

He cast his eye around at the gathering group. Some of them looked like they more or less fit into the Hellfire Club, though not as well, in his mind, as Lena or himself did. Others, however, looked like strange additions indeed. He supposed that a society like the Hellfire Club accepted all manner of ambitious people.

Though some of them scarcely looked ambitious.

"Indeed. I suppose appearances may be deceiving, though."

He doubted nany of them would be terribly promising, but it wouldn't hurt to find out. He offered Lena his arm.

"Shall we go see if that's true?"

[lena_essex]

"Mm. Selene must have seen something in them all. I suppose it behooves us to find out what."

She took his offered arm with a sinuous, snakelike motion.

"Let us mingle."

[kinetic_assault]

Brianna arrived, wearing a form-flattering white dress and generally trying to keep her expression neutral as she looked around the room. She had a glass of water and tried to relax, idly going over the list of excuses she'd give Kayla for not being around until later tonight.

It would have been better to share this part of her life with Kayla, but not after what she'd been through. Kayla was happy. She was a X-Man. Brianna wanted that for her.

But wouldn't it be better if the X-Men weren't needed? How much time with her parents had the X-Men cost her, personally? If she could keep her friends safe, it was worth a little bit of working with less-than-reputable people.

She took another sip of her water and looked for her seat at the table.

[light_as_a_rock]

"Ah think the light side is over there."

Funny how the new Knights and Bishops and Rooks seemed to be falling into the color scheme. Eva was wearing a white linen and silk business suit, with a gold angel necklace.

She had a vague idea who Brianna was, from being around the X-Men, although they'd never met.

"Ah'm Eva."

[kinetic_assault]

Brianna turned to toward the speaker and offered a polite smile.

"Thank you, much appreciated. I'm Brianna." the Englishwoman said, offering a hand.

The woman was familiar...

"Eva Worthington?" she inquired.

Could be mildly awkward if she was who Brianna believed her to be.

[light_as_a_rock]

"Yes, Eva Worthington. Ah think we may have almost met before, although it's been a while since Ah've been to the school."

Eva shook Brianna's hand.

[kinetic_assault]

"I'd believe it." Brianna said.

"How are you enjoying the party so far? I know almost no one here." she said.

[light_as_a_rock]

Eva chuckled, and tilted her head towards Brianna in a conspiratorial manner.

"One does not enjoy these kind of parties. the object is to just get through the night without too much collateral damage."

She straightened up, and accepted a glass of Chardonnay from a passing attendant.

"Ah recognize a few of the other guests, but Ah can't say as I know any of them."

[kinetic_assault]

"Okay, I don't feel quite so bad that I don't know anyone else." Brianna said with a chuckle.

"How many of these parties have you been to, Eva?"

[light_as_a_rock]

"Well, this is the first soiree Ah have had the pleasure of attendin' for this particular group, but Ah deal with morally flexible people who may or may not admit to wantin' to take over the world every day as part of my job."

She sipped her wine.

"It is highly recommended that you read the Art of War before attendin' any charitable meet 'n' mingle function in this town. For some of 'em, Urban Warfare and Defense wouldn't be outta line, either."

[kinetic_assault]

"I'll put those on the reading list immediately." Brianna said, taking up a glass of water and trying to keep her nerves at bay.

"The Club is...dangerous. We all know that. Do you ever think maybe it can be used to better the world rather than just for making the rich richer and the powerful even more so?" she asked.

[light_as_a_rock]

That was the pitch Selene gave Eva, and apparently, Brianna too.

"Ah don't know. But Ah believe that it would be a bad idea to leave the direction the Club may take entirely in the hands of those wearin' a little too much black to this party."