5365/Into Hellfire

Into Hellfire
Date of Scene:	13 September 2018
Location:	New York City
Synopsis:	Janet meets Shaw, Selene, and Mysique (after a fashion) at a Hellfire Club open event.
Cast of Characters:	Sebastian Shaw, Wasp (van Dyne), Mystique, Black Queen

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Sebastian Shaw has posed:
The infamous Hellfire Club. Allegedly home to many of New York's upper crust, whether they come from places of wealth or political/corporate power. Not many get to glimpse the interior lest they be promptly removed by the staff, all of whom wield an intimidating physical presence.

This evening the Club is entertaining a small gathering of people, all sat around the room at different locations and each holding a small glass of their preferred alcohol. A quiet hum fills the room, occasionally broken up by the laughter of a table in the corner or the clearing of a throat.

Standing at the bar with his forearm resting against the surface is the man known as Sebastian Shaw. The Black King of the Inner Circle. Awaiting his drink and silently surveying the crowd as a man standing beside him talks more 'at' him than 'to' him. His wandering eyes suggest his lack of interest but the man continues to speak.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Somehow, Janet van Dyne managed to find her way onto the list of people invited to this exclusive gathering. It only makes sense, really. In addition to the JVD designer label, Ms. van Dyne hasn't exactly made a secret of her superhero identity. An Avenger AND a Madison Avenue CEO combined into one package is difficult to pass up, even for the Hellfire Club.

The petite woman is making the rounds, cradling a glass of champagne and working the crowd like the professional that she is. Sensing a lull in the conversation, she approaches the taller, broader figure of Sebastian Shaw. Waiting for his boorish companion to take a breath, Jan interjects herself into the conversation by introducing herself. "Good evening, I don't believe we've met. Janet van Dyne." She even offers a petite hand.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Ordinarily, anyone inside the Club would be a person of interest to Sebastian, but not in the case of the man standing beside him. He is an executive in the energy sector, which does make him someone worth speaking with but at the moment Sebastian just doesn't seem concerned about the words coming out of his mouth. His half-open eye lids suggest a fair amount of boredom.

Fortunately for him another guest steps in and breaks up the monotony. The young woman's voice draws his gaze over his shoulder, completely shutting the man out from his perception as his eyes scan the petite woman in front of him. The vision draws a smile across his lips as he takes the offered hand into his and bows forward to kiss just above her knuckles, "Ms. van Dyne. A pleasure."

Straightening again, his smile remains and his head tilts slightly to one side, "I am Sebastian Shaw. I'm pleased that you came." He steps back, turning slightly and spreads his arm towards the bar while looking for a beverage in her hand, "May I offer you something to drink?"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet van Dyne tilts her head at the kiss on the hand, brown eyes brightening. She knows how this game is played, alright. "So *you* are Sebastian Shaw. It's a pleasure, Mr. Shaw." Her half-full glass is deposited onto a passing waiter's tray without so much as a glance.

"May I join you at the bar? I'm very interested in learning more about this place. The architecture is wonderful, and I'm curious about some of the symbols upon the doors and fixtures."

Mystique has posed:
Mystique sits at the bar in her own right. Tonight, she's red-headed woman of slim build and striking green eyes, clad in a cocktail dress and adorned with pearls at her throat. She looks a bit young to be there, in that position. Perhaps she's someone's piece of arm candy, left to sit and drink while her better gets down to business in some smoke-filled backroom. She certainly doesn't seem like anyone important.

Of course, a few people in the room know better.

Black Queen has posed:
Dressed in her formal red dress, Selene is walking into the Hellfire Club's main room from the back. She closes the door behind her before anyone can really get back there or take a look. It's an acquired skill, then again she's also a pretty powerful telepath so its easy to walk in just as others aren't looking.

With a few smiles and nods of her head, she's meeting with people talking to them, offering happy laughs and giving over her hand in a royal way to be held. And in some instances kissed at the knuckles. And although she's not there yet, she's on her way in the direction to the bar in her expensive dress, the kind of thing that's worth more than most people's fancy cars. And the diamonds that hang from her ears have got to be worth a ton as well. She's definitely not one to hide extravagance. "Oh, no, you are no bother at all. Just saying hello, enjoy the evening, and later we must catch up." As she slides away from yet another person who wants her attention.

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
The man looks somewhat pleased to have enough of a reputation that the woman before him is familiar with his name. The smile widens, shallow wrinkles forming by his eyes as he nods to her. "Ah, the pleasure is certainly all mine. I'll have to show you around."

His eyes shift towards the young, red-headed form that Mystique has assumed for the evening and offers the girl a quick wink before turning to the bartender and ordering a scotch for himself, "And whatever she is having." He motions towards Janet to provide her drink order.

As Janet orders, he picks up the familiar sound of Selene trying to avoid another conversation. Something he's witnessed more times than he can count at this point. He glances over his shoulder to see her stepping away from another would-be-conversationalist and grins her way, offering the elegant woman a nod.

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
"Whiskey for me, please. Three rocks, two fingers." Janet orders. Brown eyes flicker about the bar, lighting briefly upon the redhead before moving on. The tall, dark-haired Selene gets a much longer look, however. Must be the dress.

"I love your shoes." Janet declares. "And the cut of that gown suits you so very well." Compliments from one woman to another are casual enough, but perhaps carry more weight when one of them runs a fashion company.

Mystique has posed:
Mystique has a glass of something fruity in front of her, complete with the requisite umbrella. Might as well keep up appearances, after all. Plus, truth be told, she rather likes fruity drinks. She doesn't have anything to prove.

She doesn't speak yet, although an amused smile curves the corner of her plum-colored mouth at Sebastian's wink. But she chose to take a form suitable to be dismissed for a reason - all the better to listen.

Black Queen has posed:
Walking up to the bartender, and having finally gotten away from people that wanted her attention to talk to chit-chat. Selene manages to find herself at the bar and she offers to the bartender a quick, "Yes, please, a glass of Tokaji." And the bartender smiles, going off to the side and pulling out from a enclosed case a bottle that looks old, the label mostly worn away with time and carefully he uncorks it and pours the glass before corking it back and storing it again in a dark case that is also temperature controlled.

With the glass of wine, Selene takes it carefully and takes a small smell of it before she sips some of it. And then finally she looks at the bar and it's patrons, and then in particular Janet when the woman compliments her shoes. "Well, thank you. It was made specifically for me, so it is good to know that the designer's work was worth my trouble of waiting." She rolls her eyes, "Weeks is not a time frame I like to hear. I am Selene, and..." She looks over to Sebastian with a smile, "Who is our rather astute guest?"

Sebastian Shaw has posed:
Recognizing Mystique's form as either being one of aversion from conversation or one to entrap any of the visitors who would be interested in her current form, Sebastian opts out of introductions between Janet and the young shapeshifter. He'll have to speak with her later to figure out which it is.

Taking his scotch and Janet's whiskey, he turns and offers over her beverage, "This, my dear, is fashion designer and businesswoman Janet van Dyne." After giving Janet her drink, he takes a short sip of his scotch and leans back against the bar, resting his elbows against it and grinning at Selene. "A compliment from a designer is some high praise," he adds before glancing back towards Janet. "I had hoped to introduce her to some of our members and get to knew her a little better." With that, he raises his glass up between himself and the two women, "Cheers."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet van Dyne inclines her head to Sebastian, adding a smile as she accepts the whiskey. "Thank you, Mr. Shaw. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Selene." The lack of a last name doesn't trouble her, apparently. After all, Janet is acquainted with quite a few people who use a single name.

She raises her glass as well. "Cheers." It's a small sip, however, rather than a gulp. "Mr. Shaw offered to show me around as well. I take it you are a member, Selene? I'm afraid most everything I've heard about the Club qualifies as a bedtime story."

Mystique has posed:
Mystique takes a slow sip of her drink, toying with her straw as she listens. Her youth, of course, is nothing but an illusion, with nearly a century of experience behind those sparkling eyes. She's familiar with Janet, of course. She makes it a point to know who the important people are - and the dangerous ones.

"There are a lot of different kinds of bedtime stories," she says in a husky voice. "Some that help you sleep - and some that make sleep impossible. I imagine the Club inspires both kinds."

Black Queen has posed:
With a pause to sip her glass again, in line with the Cheers. She doesn't say cheers, just smiles at the tradition. "A fashion designer? Well, I must then get you to make me something at some point. I do enjoy one of a kind designs. Things never to be reproduced again." And she looks to the redheaded Mystique and offers a small bit of a chuckle. "Well, you see the Hellfire Club has many facets. And it is for the elite, so the rumors and myths behind its creation, its existence, really are all just there to add to the level of appeal. The truth behind the stories all vary really."

With that she looks around and makes a small gesture with her hand, something of a wave, to indicate the place. "A long standing tradition. The Hellfire Club has been a place where people, like your self, can come and just be. It is not a place for the outside world, or the commoner who walks the street. Extravagance to them is mundane to us, so such a place as this must exist. For dreams vary dramatically from those who have and those who have not. You would not come in here looking for a cheeseburger..." She says it with some manner of disgust to the word, "So plain, something you can acquire at any street vendor." A small shake of her head, and she asks, "What sort of bedtime stories would you like to have Janet?"

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet van Dyne lifts a curious brow, looking from Selene to the young redhead and back again. The rumors are certainly confirmed, at least on the surface. She is no stranger to wealth and opulence, having been raised a debutante. But she quickly gets the sense that the Hellfire Club takes things to an entirely different level.

Janet chuckles softly, taking another sip of whiskey. "What kind would I -like- to have? That all depends on the company I'm keeping, really. But the rumors are certainly intriguing, as far as stories go. An inner circle meeting in secret to decide the fate of the world. Decadent rituals in dark chambers by candlelight. That sort of thing. The details get quickly muddy from there."

Mystique has posed:
Mystique smiles, "That's the thing about secrets. They often seem lurid and provocative to those outside, simply because they're secret. People hate not knowing things. Drives them mad as hatters. Sometimes the truth is almost disappointing if they ever find out what lurks beneath the stories. So much of the world is far more mundane and boring than we'd like to imagine. Then again," she says, tossing her red head a little bit, "Some stories don't even begin to hint at the details lurking beneath the surface. Some things stay unseen because most people can't handle the fundamental reality just out of their grasp. I like true stories best myself. And some of the best stories about the Club are absolutely true."

Black Queen has posed:
There's a bit of a chuckle at the idea of candlelit meetings, and Selene says, "Well, I can neither confirm nor deny that at times I have used candles while having a meeting in a robe." She then adds, "Albeit was a bath robe, and I was working from my home relaxing with scented candles. A perk of this era's technology." And she smiles to the redhead and gives her a little tilt of the head, "Now there you go..." A wave of her hand, "You see, Janet, the members themselves perpetuate much of the allure of this place. As you are not a member, yet, you have yet to experience all the club has to offer. That said, once you are, your bedtime stories are yours for the making. The secrets are yours to have, and hold on to, and to share with whomever you choose." And she adds after a momentary sip, "Each of our members know that this is a safe place. To come and explore what their money really has bought them. Access to their imaginations, what you can think to enjoy you can experience here. To what extent you choose to do so is not for us to decide, but merely your courage to venture. Be brave, and truly enjoy for a time, what you so rightly deserve."

Wasp (van Dyne) has posed:
Janet van Dyne chuckles softly at that, not -quite- snorting as well. "Scented candles and rose petals in your bath water?" she replies, brown eyes bright and intrigued. "Brave and adventurous... you make it sound like going on safari, Selene." Janet tosses back the last of her whiskey, tongue slipping out to wet her lips.

"If you'll both excuse me, I need to find the ladies' room." And with that, she turns to start her search with a purpose. Janet *could* explore the Club's deeper, secret places as the Wasp, of course. But that would not only be rude, it would be too predictable. There are very few people who watch the mainstream news that don't know of Janet's dual identity, after all.