The Hellfire Club's Yule Ball, Christmas Eve, New York City.

[icecoldfrost]

This year's Yule Ball at the Hellfire Club was even more exclusive than usual, and that was saying something. The fact that Emma had scored an invitation - and hadn't forged it, thank you very much - meant that when it had arrived in the mail, it had sealed which party she and Jack would be attending on Christmas Eve. You didn't get an invite to the Yule Ball and stand them up. She'd penned her regrets to the other invitations, and that was that.

And the Club itself was bursting with light and Christmas cheer. The tableau vivant from the charity ball were back, but this time they were scenes of Christmas and morality plays.

Well, as much a morality play as it could be, when the angels were practically wearing see-through gowns, but it was the Hellfire Club. The roaming carolers were dressed, mostly, the holly and the ivy were hung, and mistletoe was strategically placed about the building.

There was spiced cider, roasting meat, and networking with the city's elite, all within the traditional Victorian atmosphere that the Club boasted. Only the elite members wore traditional garb, as their guests dressed in their modern best.

Enter the Club, and do as ye will but harm none, on Christmas Eve.

Comments

Mingling

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

The cream of the cream of New York's crop was out tonight, as the Upper East Side poured down Park Avenue and into the giant doors of the Hellfire Club. Even the embassies are dark tonight, as the Latverian, Wakandan, and Symkarian delegations accept the invitation from their distinguished neighbor.

Re: Mingling

[bitten_notshy]

Jack paused at the door to straighten his bow tie. It was a festive silver; otherwise, his tuxedo was an immaculate black.

The pause also gave him a good chance to look around and catch his breath. The decor was on a par with the most elaborate he'd ever seen when he actually was a Victorian.

"I think," he said, "we could get in all kinds of trouble here."

Re: Mingling

[icecoldfrost]

"That," Emma answered, lacing her arm with his, "Is entirely the idea."

His bowtie and tuxedo set off her sequins nicely, really, and Emma handed over their invitation to the doorman with a bright smile. "Feeling nostalgic yet?"

Re: Mingling

[bitten_notshy]

"A bit," Jack said truthfully, ignoring the rather odd look the doorman gave him. "It smells better than things ever did. There's no smoke or horse shit in the air. But the look of it all is perfect."

Re: Mingling

[icecoldfrost]

"The cigar room is a gorgeous solar on the roof," Emma offered helpfully, giving him a slight nudge to move on, and mouthing 'London' at the doorman. Which, conveniently, was the location of one of the other branches of the Club. "So you'll get your smoke, if you go up there."

"I'll pass on the scent of horse for the holiday, however."

Re: Mingling

[bitten_notshy]

"No moonlit carriage ride?" Jack teased, with a tiny smile. "I thought that was classic Manhattan at Christmas, right along with the ice skating."

Re: Mingling

[icecoldfrost]

"We can do that later, and outside," Emma stated firmly. "Not inside."

Re: Mingling

[bitten_notshy]

"No horses inside," Jack nodded. "It's a good rule. Might have saved Cathrine the Great some trouble."

He knew he was referring to a myth; he just didn't think it was worth spoiling a good punchline for.

He eyed one group of revelers, then another, seeming to size up the people in the room. "Is there anyone we should pay our respects to first?"

Re: Mingling

[icecoldfrost]

"Of course, but--" Emma didn't get much farther than that.

Re: Mingling

[nyc-npcs.livejournal.com]

"Ems! Where did you pick this one up? Wait, it's not the high school boyfriend, is it? The one I told you to dump?" The brunette looked him over like, well, a piece of meat. "Nevermind, you can keep that. Rawr."

Re: Mingling

[icecoldfrost]

"Mr. Jack Priest, may I present Miss Candace Southern. Better known as 'Candy,' because she has all the brains of a candy-cane sometimes," Emma said with a sigh, although she was smiling. "Yes, Candy, this is Jack."

"Candy's in the same business program at ESU that I am, and one of the only tolerable ones."

Re: Mingling

[nyc-npcs.livejournal.com]

"It's 'Candy' because of the two girls who have made it this far in the program without washing out, I'm the sweet one," Candy laughed. "As opposed to 'Frosty' there, but no one dares call her that in her hearing."

"Charmed, Mr. Priest."

Re: Mingling

[bitten_notshy]

"As am I, Miss Southern," Jack said, snickering the slightest bit as he offered his hand. "And you're even forgiven for telling Emma not to waste time on a boy from high school."

Emma was going to get called "Frosty" a lot for the rest of his visit.

Re: Mingling

[icecoldfrost]

Emma heard that, and was going to step on your toes - discreetly - each time you so much as thought of it, Jack.

"Don't forgive her, she's a hateful wench who keeps trying to get me into trouble," Emma retorted. "And set me up with frat boys with no more braincells than a butterfly."

Re: Mingling

[nyc-npcs.livejournal.com]

"It's New York, and she's beautiful," Candy said, unrepentant. "Of course I tried to get her to dump you."

"So, where are you at? Ems usually says something about law and then changes the subject and won't tell me anything."

Entertainment!

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

The tableau vivant started creating shifting scenes as a pretty angel narrated the story of Christmas. Did you know the Three Kings came to Bethlehem shirtless?

Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

Elsewhere in the Club...

Re: Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

Sebastien Shaw was taking a moment out from the party to lurk watch the security monitors. In particular; a pair of blondes who appeared to be having a merry time.

Re: Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

"She brought a fey bit of arm candy!" Leland, hanging over someone's shoulder like that is rude. And so is sounding so delightedly amused. "I assume she brought him, anyhow, although he'd fit right in with our angels... he's not one of the help from the last party, is he?"

Re: Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

"No, he's not one of ours; that would make things easier," Shaw answered, tapping a screen. "...but look at the way they're standing, and the way he watches her for his cues."

"He's not local; she brought her boy-toy. We haven't seen her out and about the city the last few days because she's probably been fucking his brains out."

Re: Private Room(s)

[bitten_notshy]

Something must have gotten caught in the boytoy's throat just about then. That was surely the only way to explain the fit of coughing that overtook him.

It was fascinating, the judgements people made when they didn't realize you could hear them.

Re: Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

"Poor kid looks like he's bit off more than he can chew with the Frost girl," Leland laughed. "He still looks familiar, but I can't place him."

Re: Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

"She probably just told him something scandalous about someone in the room, or made a joke at Miss Southern's expense," Shaw remarked. "She's a telepath, Leland, she's not going to say things where we can hear them; she knows there's more to the Club than the idle rich."

Re: Private Room(s)

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

"You could have mentioned she was a telepath before I did all my research for you!" Leland was furious. "Dammit, Shaw, I keep saying I think I've seen her somewhere before, and you don't think to tell me she's a telepath?"

"Now I'll have to have your Tessa check my brain and make sure she hasn't been tampering."

OOC

[all-in-hellfire.livejournal.com]

I made myself OCD because I am bored with cleaning. LA!