1210/The Auction of the Arcane

The Auction of the Arcane
Date of Scene:	29 June 2017
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Doctor Doom, Sarah Osborn, Gambit

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Doctor Doom has posed:
Once every seven blue moons, a special event is hosted in an ever-changing site whose location is known only among those in positions of incredible wealth, power, and influence.

And sometimes, that information extends beyond such circles--with those learning of it brokering lucrative deals for themselves and their clients, who seek to join in the ages-old tradition of...

THE AUCTION OF THE ARCANE!

Originally a "Goblin's Market" for sorcerers, hedge wizards, and madmen, the auction has, since the onset of super-powered individuals and alien presences on Earth, expanded to include all manner of bizarre, unholy, powerful, and incredibly collectible items and artifacts.

This year, the site is a redecorated warehouse in New Utrecht, in a space carved out behind a labyrinth of imported junk to be sold to tourists.

On the docket for sale today:

* A reliquary of a saint, purported to have been a mutant
* A prototype formula said to have been used on a Cold War-era Soviet version of Captain America
* A tarot deck said to belong to Cynthia von Doom
* A map of the multiverse that changes every time it is refolded
* More TBD!

Sarah Osborn has posed:
New Utrecht is normall;y a bit beyone Sarah's perview, but she is here. She learned about the event from come of her contacts among the Scoobies...where they learned it she did not ask. So why is she here...well to see what she can learn. Sarah is the kind to study everything. Of course, she is not likely to actually be able to buy anything, wealth is not her forte, but just studying the Multiverse Map, examining the relic with ther Auric Scanners, and getting any kind of chemical breakdown of the the soviet formula is bound to be worthg the effort...if she can manage.

Gambit has posed:
Remy has found his way to this event and is doing so on his own, without the approval or knowledge of the other x-men or even Charles Xavier or his fiancee. No, he's here on his own and hoping to get something for himself, for the soon to be misses, or more likely, to keep tabs on a specific item that's had his attention since he first heard of it.

The man doesn't normally believe in the tarot cards, but today, this deck is something that's intrigued the cajun for a long LONG time.

He wears a fairly formal suit, a tuxedo with two coat tails off his back, a top hat that's purposefully short and a walking cane with a ruby colored stone set in the top of the black shaft.

He's dressed to the nines.

The man carries his bidding plaque under his left arm and nods his head to the other fine folk, each many MANY steps up the social ladder above him, but to those not in the know, he'd fit in fairly well.

Doctor Doom has posed:
Among those others in the crowd? Victor von Doom himself, standing half a head above most of the crowd, thanks in part to his natural height and in part to his armor and hood. In a place relatively packed due to the limitation of space, those near to Doom seem to have provided him--or maybe themselves--a bit of breathing room.

The auctioneer up front begins calling the event to order, and the first item to go up is a collection of metal shavings said to be shedded skin cells from Commander Steel. There's a brief back and forth between two bidders, but the item ultimately goes for a relatively cheap price.

Next up is a pair of Goblin bombs. One is said to have been defused, but the other has not--and, according to the auctioneer, the current owner does not feel brave enough to attempt it.

There's some activity here--a few bidders who seem like the types to be interested in the technology and at least one who must just be a private collector of such memorabilia.

An attendee near Goblin Girl looks briefly in her direction. "Not keeping it all in-house, huh?" he asks quietly. "Or theme, or whatever, I don't know."

A different attendee leans toward Remy. "What are you looking to get here, handsome? Maybe we can come to an ... agreement ... about something nice and pretty."

Gambit has posed:
Leaning in to whisper to the woman with a glance of his ruby and black eyes, "I t'ink we can bot' agree you's t'e prettiest t'in' 'ere." He whispers kindly with a wink before looking back up to the auction block, waiting patiently for the cards to come up.

His eyes glance towards Doom, but nothing more. There's no chance he'll make a scene like he's prone to do, right?

And Goblin-Girl(?) Whoever she is, must be some eccentric wealthy woman wanting to show of and be part of the crowd while being seen and hidden.

His eyes glance over much of the crowd in the same way, curious about nearly everyone but remaining stoic and apparently rich.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Goblin-girl comments, "I could defuse the bombs easy enough, I sport different gear myself but I figure out how All the Green Goblin's gear works long ago. If the winning bidder cares to pay me to defuse it, I will do so, otherwise, it is not my affair." She plans, some day, to go against Spider-man, since the Green Goblin has done so often, knowing how he does his stuff and fights effectively against the web-slinger is important. She does run an Aura Scan on the scn and metal samble...commander Steel was rumored to have a unique form of artificial musculature...but this apperars to be actually organic, nothing interesting.

Doctor Doom has posed:
The next item on the docket causes a number of murmurs in the crowd, along with attempts to glance-without-noticeably-glancing in Doom's direction: the tarot deck said to have been his mother's.

"Oh, you," the woman next to Remy giggles, offering him a wry smile. "I hear the tarot can tell you all about your future ... you know, I can predict your evening if you manage to get that deck." She offers a quick wink.

The attendee near Goblin-Girl nods in response to her statements. "Fair enough. So what're you here to get? Anything special?" he asks in a hushed tone.

Victor von Doom, meanwhile, stands as soon as the tarot deck is brought out. "I will bid one hundred thousand dollars," he says in a loud, if calm, voice, one that's amplified by his armored suit.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Goblin-Girl replies, after thinking about it for a bit, "Information. I deal with the arcane and unusual on a frequent basis. Studying what is passing through here tells me a lot about the current state of the supernatural community." What she says is true enough, though incomplete.

Gambit has posed:
Remy curses to himself silently as he's trapped in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation. Then Doom stands up and places his bid. SHIT! Remy thinks to himself before swallowing his fear and lifting his paddle slowly, "One hundred thousand and one dollar!" He's gonna have his fun so it seems.

Doctor Doom has posed:
Victor von Doom keeps his gaze on the auctioneer or, at least, on the tarot deck. "Two hundred thousand," he bids.

Someone nearby seems desperate to cough but unwilling to make any sound or movement that might seem like a counter-bid. A few beads of sweat begin to bead on his reddened forehead.

"Surely you can do better than a tacky single-dollar increase, handsome," the woman next to Remy whispers. "Unless you're trying to just show off how impressive your backbone really is in this crowd. That much is working, for sure." She grins.

Two attendees near Goblin-Girl whisper to one another: "So what are the odds on us all dying in the next two minutes?" "Think it'll take that long, do you?"

Gambit has posed:
"It's not about backbone cheri." Remy notes in a whisper before raising his paddle again, and eliciting a sigh from the auctioneer. "Two hundred thousand, one dollar." Remmy says with a glance towards Doom, risking his neck for such a chance to stare death in the face and give the entity a wedgie.

He's going to regret this, he's sure.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Goblin-Girl shakes her face-mask at the other attendees, "Doom is not going to start a fight here, he is a Gentleman of the Old School. He is here under a promise of peaceful behavior and will behave as promised. Now, it is unlikely he can be outbid, the net worth of his personal fortune is in the billions and he has access to the entire budget of the country of Latvaria. However, he may decide not to bid and then to confront the winning bidder AFTER the auction and make that person an offer they can not refuse." Goblin-Girl has goos sources of information on nearly any subject...

Doctor Doom has posed:
The Latverian tyrant very slowly shifts his gaze toward Remy's. His eyes narrow just slightly--maybe he's raising an eyebrow? it's impossible to tell behind the permanent scowl of his faceplate--and he raises a hand, palm toward the auctioneer.

"Five hundred thousand dollars," Doom says. "And I trust this farce will end. Now."

The man trying not to cough suddenly does so, and immediately slaps both hands over his mouth and dives down toward the floor, out of sight.

The auctioneer, cringing, offers an understanding nod. "The bid is at five thousand dollars. Going once...?" he asks, as most of the assembled crowd turns to look at Remy.

"Now /this/ is an exciting evening," the woman next to him says with a quiet clap of her hands.

Meanwhile, near Goblin-Girl, the two whispering attendees look to her. "Gentleman or not, this is basically an invitation to get dead." "You know that's right," affirms the second of the two.

Gambit has posed:
Clearing his throat first, Remy lifts the board and says, "Five hundred thousand, TWO, dollars." Another look is sent Doom's direction. This could be the end of his life, and yet, here he is, refusing to back down, despite having to find a way to spend five hundred thousand dollars for a deck of tarot cards that MAY or MAY NOT BE magical.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah is pretty sure about Doom's reactions, but the other bidder she is not as familiar with. She turns on her aura scanner to check out WHAT the other bidder is, and glances at the card deck in passing. She can tell that the other bidder is primarily human, though effected by some outside energy that seems to amplify a natural ability of some kind. What kind of ability she is not certain, not is the type of amplification known to her.

Doctor Doom has posed:
"I, Doom, trust your relationship to Cynthia von Doom was much closer and stronger than my own," Doom says quietly. "As such, Doom shall abstain from bidding further."

His eyes definitely narrow. "But if you have been toying with me ... know that Doom will obliterate even your memory to ensure none from this or any future generation may ever be so humiliated."

Something falls to the ground nearby. Was that a pin dropping?!

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Pretty much as predicted, Doom is closing the bidding, but attempting to get the prize anyway. She wonders what the other bidder will do. However, something tells her to keep an eye on the one who clearly wanted to bid but did not.

Gambit has posed:
Remy looks up from the woman next to him and then to Doom, then back over to the auctioneer as he speaks

"SOLD!" GAVEL SLAM

"I won?" Remy asks, lifting his hands in the air and pumping them, in a very uncouth manner!

He clears his throat and straightens his coat before sitting back down with a cough, looking back and forth. No answer to Doom's question however.

Doctor Doom has posed:
"You won!" the woman next to Remy cheers, throwing her arms around his neck, squeezing for a hug.

Doctor Doom stands silently, slowly folding his arms over his chest and staring at the tarot winner.

The auctioneer moves to the next lot, the multiverse map, while a clipboard-wielding associate heads to Remy. "I trust you have your wire transfer information, sir? Or did you come with your assets in liquid form?"

The attendees near Goblin-Girl lean toward her. "So ... if things go down ... you'll protect us, right?" one asks, while the other swallows a lump in his throat.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Goblin-Girl studies the map. It appears to be something more like cloth than paper, but not really either. She is distracted by the implications of whst she is observing by her auric scan...THAT is definately the real thing...the map itself appears to be roughly seven dimensional...incredible!

Gambit has posed:
Remy stands, giving the woman's hug a squeeze back around her waist. Then the associate for the auction is at his side and Remy stands up, a phone quickly at his ear as he's calling someone to get the funds ready in his accounts immediately. He holds up a finger to the auction associate and moves outside of the bidding crowd, still getting things in order.

Doctor Doom has posed:
While the auction continues, with a number of interested parties beginning to drive the price up for the map of the multiverse, Doom stares at the departing man--even continuing to stare in theh direction of the exit for several long minutes after he steps outside.

"What would someone even want to do with that?" one of the attendees near Goblin-Girl mutters. "Not like they're putting an interdimensional ship up for auction or anything."

The woman who had been sitting next to Remy begins to look disappointed when he doesn't immediately return, and she ultimately sits in a slouch, pouting, her desire for auction-related excitement exhausted.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Goblin-Girl shakes her head, "If you do not understand what you can use it for, they it would be impossible to explain." There are weak points in all worlds, the map would show those weak points and let someone cross between then worlds unassisted. Kind of like a guide to teleportation...

Doctor Doom has posed:
"You know what /I/ hope they have?" one of the attendees whispers.
"What?" replies their partner.
"Some of that Krypton ice!" says the first.
"You really are an idiot," says the second.

The multiverse map leaves with someone who definitely looks like they have some sort of magical inclination.

"Finally," the auctioneer says, "our last item. Believed to be a mutant saint's reliquary, this item may have incredible healing powers. At the very least, it's a valuable piece of history."

The bidding begins, and it's explosive. At least half the room wants this item.

Of course, the sealed item--on close inspection--is in fact empty.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Once Sarah scans the reliquary she knows it is empty. As it is the last item gor sale she sits pondering what she has learned today. The promised super soldier serum never materialized, possibly the seller withdrew it after making private arrangements elsewhere.

Doctor Doom has posed:
For his part, Doctor Doom waits until the auction has nearly cleared out before he leaves, having stared, motionless, in wait for Remy's return that never happens.

The auction crew provides the Latverian some room as he departs, not making eye contact.

As he leaves, Doom pauses and looks back toward the auctioneer. "Doom will not forget this slight, you cur. It is embarrassing to accept such paltry incremental bids. What has become of the Auction of the Arcane?"

He shakes his head and departs into the evening.

Sarah Osborn has posed:
Sarah leaves as the crowd starts to depart. Doom is clearly unhappy, he will probably seek out the other bidder, and what happens after depends on whether the other bidder is willing to sell...or was working as an agent for someone else and the item is already out of their possession.