Havin' a Ball

[Magneto]

Magneto had left momentarily. Now he turned his attention back to the main gathering.

"My friends", he said, suddenly raising his arms and his voice and addressing the crowded ballroom. "We celebrate our impending victory."

He stepped away and the doors to the small room shut behind him.

He began to mingle with the crowd.

[meltdown]

"Well, I apologize. I'm James Madrox. I work for Guido Carosella."


Tabitha knew about Guido Carosella. He was a media mogul. She wondered what James Madrox did working under Corsella. It could have been anything. But moreso, Tabitha wondered why there was an exact duplicate of him standing with Sam and Doug, both of whom were very angry.

She was about to address this concern when King Magnus began to address the crowd.

When he speaks, you listen.

[Sam Guthrie]

"We celebrate our impending victory."

His smile vanishing, Samuel turned to face his king. Then he snatched up another glass from one of the servants. Not without a touch of bitterness, he raised it high in the air, toasting his lord's message.

"Long Live King Magneto!" He shouted, "Hail his imperial majesty!"

Impending Victory.

He was already formulating something. Changes needed to be made, adjustments, re-workings.

There was a good chance he wouldn't sleep tonight. He had work to do.

[Doug Ramsey]

"Hail King Magnus!" Doug echoed, glad that his Lord had apparently been satisfied with whatever he had been looking for with so much concern. It was tough to see him now, the throng of guests rising and taking to the floor in loud boisterous cheering of their benefactors' proclaimation.

Question is, how true is that statement? Douglas mused. Even powerless, the humans have put up an incredible fight over the last 50 years. What was it said about cornered animals...?

"Well, Tatiana," Doug smiled, "It looks like I might have been wrong. What a pleasant surprise."

[magma]

Amara knew that she was taking far too long to follow through on Director Ramsey’s orders to fetch him a security personnel. And if she had noticed that that was the case, Amara also had no doubt that the director had noticed by now as well. That wasn’t a good thing. Not by a long shot. Her job was to do as her superiors said, and to do so without any delay. If she couldn’t even do something as simple and straight-forward as that, then what was she good for? It was a stomach-turning question.

But Amara couldn’t help it. Not really. The king’s sudden arrival had sent a buzz throughout the room and no one had wanted to pay mind to a lowly servant. It didn’t help matters that it wasn’t her way to demand anything from anyone. She was too well trained, and the belief that she was not to approach anyone of rank unless they had first acknowledged her was deeply engrained in her mind. And to Amara, even the lowliest security member was an important person. It took time for her to muster the courage to speak to them, and even after singling out the least-threatening (but still competent) seeming one out of the bunch, the short woman, Amara found that her voice only came out in a sliver of a whisper. Only by repeating herself twice more did her volume raise to an audible level and only then did the officer seem to recognize her presence.

That was enough for Amara, though. Without another moment’s hesitation, the fear of repercussions for tarrying on the completion of her duty suddenly rising in her chest, Amara took the quickest path back to Director Ramsey’s side.

Her arrival there, however, did nothing to put Amara at ease. From the looks of things, Director Ramsey had taken the matter into his own hands and had enlisted Commander Guthrie to take care of the troublemaker. Swallowing down the urge to flee, Amara bowed her head. Perhaps she was not quite as competent of a servant as she had always envisioned herself to be.

It was a rather disheartening thought.

[Tatiana]

"Pleasant indeed. A very welcome surprise." Tatiana said with a pleased grin. She had echoed the cheer for their King with the rest of the assembly and meant every word. "All the worries of the night seem to disappear when our Lord and King appears." She once again scanned the room with her eyes, and saw that every tray of drinks was full to the brim, all the better for toasting their King.

She leaned closer to whisper into Doug's ear. "I believe the servant you sent for a security officer has returned."

[Doug Ramsey]

Doug looked quizzically at Tatiana for a second, then turned in the direction she was looking.

Amara Aquilla.

Looking demure, timid and painfully aware of herself.

Doug returned his gaze back to Tatiana, his face drawing in extremely close to her, his cheek brushing against hers, his breath tickling her ear, as he spoke softly.

"Thank you, my dear. This'll take but a moment."

He then turned back to Amara, and stepped towards her, standing tall and proud, it seemed, an intimidating presence for one trained such as Amara had been.

He reached forward with one hand, gently lifting her downturned head, feeling her tremble beneath his touch, almost echoed by one of his own.

"Do not be afraid," he said softly, as soon as their eyes met. "You have served me well... as can be expected, considering. You are a good girl, Amara. A very good girl." He smiled. "Now, see if Mistress Tatiana needs anything of you, while I speak to the officer."

[Deefer Mallone]

Deefer stood respectfully waiting for Douglas to speak to her first, technically he was in charge, though she was definitely Commander Guthrie's woman, and it was his orders she would follow.
On top of that she didn't particularly like Ramsey, probably because Sam didn't, but that didn't matter, Deefer was a trained soldier and he was authority, so her stance was entirely one of professional respect.
She didn't let her feelings get in the way of anything professional.

[magma]

The sound of the director's self-assured footsteps rang loudly in Amara's ears and her body tensed in anticipation. Public humiliation. She would deserve to be made an example of, but knowing that did little to lessen the blow. She hadn't meant to do wrong, and for the first time, the injustice of such situations as these was almost enough to bring tears to Amara's pale blue eyes. She had tried her best and it wasn't enough. It wasn't enough for them.

But the scathing thought was banished from Amara's mind almost as quickly as it had made its presence known. Her superiors, she reminded herself, were that for a reason. And a good one too. To think ill of them was wrong. She was a bad servant. A very bad, ungrateful servant.

"Do not be afraid. You have served me well...as can be expected, considering. You are a good girl, Amara. A very good girl."

The director's kind, softly spoken words should have made Amara rejoice. And had she not just been thinking traitorous thoughts, she would have. But instead, Amara only felt worse. Because Director Ramsey's words only proved how very undeserving she was, and how very noble he was. With the difference between the two of them being so undeniably obvious - she was all things horrid and he all things good - Amara could not help but see the truth. Humans really were the inferior race. And no matter what any troublemakers or rebels may say, Amara silently vowed that she would never allow herself to believe otherwise.

Too absorbed in this revelation, it never crossed Amara's mind how strange it was that someone of the director's high status knew her name. Instead, following his instructions to speak to Mistress Tatiana, Amara finally tore her gaze away from Director Ramsey's and stepped back. Still, the strange, foreign feeling of his fingers under her chin, something that Amara could only describe as being akin to being touched by someone as untouchable as a god, lingered and distractedly, she turned to Tatiana.

"Mistress Tatiana," she began, her voice sounding choked from a confusing array of suppressed emotion, "M-master Ramsey has advised me to ask you if you are currently in need of my assistance."

[Kitty Pryde]

Re-entering the ballroom shortly after her father, Katherine found that he was already surrounded by people and that he commanded the attention of everyone in the room. This was good because it would allow her to slip in unnoticed, but it was also bad in a way that bothered her: despite everything, she had hoped for some sort of approval for what he hopefully thought she had done. She hated that she had to pretend, and that she had had to leave Kurt with such awful parting words, but a part of her still sought her father’s approval for everything.

She wasn’t of his blood, and even if he never treated her any different, she never wanted him to regret his choice of adopting her.

Even if he should.

Really, carrying on with an inferior? Talking with him like an equal… dancing with him? It was simply unacceptable, especially for a princess! She was a disgrace to her father and to her kind… so why did she long to relive it?

Just forget about him. It was just a stupid moment, nothing more.

Trying to keep her face impassive, she did smile a little at how the whole room seemed to rejoice at her father’s very presence within.

[Doug Ramsey]

He had meant to alleviate her distress, and yet, she recoiled from his kind words as if he had chastised her.

Just how radically did Emma change her? Is there nothing left of the proud Nova Roma princess I once knew? Is she as dead now as the rest of her people are? If only she had... dammit. Damn. Damn. Damn.

A second of longing and distress crossed his young blonde haired and blue eyed features, before the self-chastisement thinned his lips and eyes in hooded contemplation.

"Officer..." Douglas' eyes flickered down to her breast, "...Mallone. Commander Guthrie has already personally attended to the matter that I had originally called you for. However, in doing so, he... and this guest," Douglas indicated Jamie Madrox who was currently speaking with the SHIELD leader, "brought to my attention that whoever was assigned to the door allowed the same man, dressed differently, to enter but not leave, twice now." Douglas pointed over to the Libidrox chatting up Doctor Smith... whom was apparently aware of them speaking about her companion, by the concerned look on her face. Douglas nodded, raising his glass as if to toast, at her.

"I'd like you to find that person, and see why they are allowing anyone to waltz in or out at their leisure." Director Ramsey said simply, "They apparently want to make your job of guarding the King a challenge this evening. I want no more surprises, nor do I wish to have King Magnus aware that Nicholas Fury himself could have attended tonight without anyone preventing him from doing so. Am I quite clear?"

[scott]

(continued from The Captive)



As soon as he had been able, Scott had righted the glasses on his head, and then brought a hand up to his neck to stop the trickle of blood, and stifle the stinging sensation that nagged him there. It didn’t feel like there was a lot of blood, but he could feel the sticky warmth on his fingers.

Weapon X had left the cell, dragging the young girl along with him. Scott sat up and watched them go, uncertain of what to do for the moment.

But he had to report this, so he sat up and looked around the room. There was an old medical supply kit where he found some peroxide for disinfection, and gauze to wrap around his neck. It immediately swelled red on the surface, but it was good for now.

Moments later, he was walking purposefully back into the ballroom. Eyes scanned the room and found Commander Guthrie. Having missed the impending victory speech, Scott paid no mind to the Commander’s cheerleading.

"Long Live King Magneto! Hail his imperial majesty!"

“Sir,” Scott interjected for the Commander’s ears only. “A word with you in private?”

[Deefer Mallone]

Well that wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all.
Hopefully no damage had been done, but she couldn't help but feel irritated that this hadn't been caught sooner, it was almost.... embarassing that the director had caught wind of a security breach.
She knew, of course, that it would be almost impossible to take care of that sort of thing very discreetly, and the director would likely hear of it anyway, but still.

She saluted him "Yes sir, I will investigate the matter immediately." she told him, keeping her voice low so as not to disturb any of the other ballgoers.
She nodded to him once, then turned to go find out who, on the door, had let these people in.

[Tatiana]

Tatiana did not reply to the servant right away. She was looking at Doug's back with an odd expression. Saying please was one thing, but to touch an inferior like he had? It was not her business to ask questions of him, but that little moment had stuck in her mind and would not soon be forgotten.

Shaking her head, she turned back to the servant. "All the trays are currently being filled, so take yourself to the kitchens for a five. Get a quick drink, refresh yourself, and be back here quickly. That is all I need." Tatiana nodded curtly to the other woman.

[Sam Guthrie]

"Sir,? Scott interjected for the Commander's ears only. "A word with you in private?"

Samuel nodded, taking note of Summer's bandages. Somehting had gone horribly wrong.

"Excuse me." Samuel said to the others around him, and gestured for Summers to follow. He turned sharply and headed towards the southernmost wall.

"What the hell happened to your neck?" He asked, his voice low, yet demanding, his brow furrowed.