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Hero Academy Project #1: "Party On Dudes!"


Dave ST

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So, what happens when Tatiana throws a Halloween bash and invites all of Claremont Academy with absolutely ZERO adult or ST supervision?

I dunno, you tell me.

This is a completely optional thread, started by you, the players.  Participation is completely optional, but like most writing project threads, there are rewards to finishing it.

1. This is a collabo thread, meaning all of you will be writing it together.

2. NPCs from Claremont will be there, but I will not be writing for them.  I know the list so far is not very extensive, but I can fix that (I can post a list of people we've not mentioned in game, yet).  All this means is that you'll have people present... you don't have to use any of them.

3. You're still teens, keep that in mind.  Aside from that, I have no say over what you guys do at the party.  Within reason obviously (Omega doesn't show up to D.J., for example).

It's a party.  You're teen superheroes.  Get stupid and have fun!

...and seriously, Omega is not showing up to D.J., quit smirking at the screen like that... it's not happening.

You may start this project whenever you're ready...

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For the umpteenth time Tatiana checked her costume in the Mirror while at the same time texting her friends >WHERE ARE YOU GUYS??!!?? People will be arriving soon!<

This was the first party she had thrown since getting her powers and it had taken some convincing to get her father to agree. It had to go well. Certainly Tatiana was by no means in the same level of Social Hierarchy as Cosima but she still had her own place to think about and if this party went well and even half of those invited showed it would be well worth it for everyone.

She adjusted her jacket and the tophat again, she was dressed up as a crazed homicidal madhatter for some creepy version of Alice and Wonderland. Partly because she liked creepy scary stuff and partly because she wanted to impress the singer of the band she had talked her dad into hiring, A new Metal Band called Raven Black. The singer was creepy and sexy all at tthe same time plus she had an awesome death metal growl. Not as awesome as my own, Tat thought, as she made her way down stairs to greet the guests that would be arriving soon, but then who does.

The house, already built in the style of Gothic Europe was decked out as a haunted mansion full of tricks and treats. Since there were adults who had been invited there was a full bar for them and a "soft bar" for the teens. The stage was already set up but the band wouldn't be playing until later. Right now thye were off eating dinner and then to get made up for the show. Until they started Pavel, one of her dads employees would act as DJ, he had made decent money doing that in the old country.

Tatiana went through the rmain room checking things before going to the front door to wait  allowing her over eagerness show...

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Sebastian soared over the city, hitting a rooftop before launching himself off towards another one.  He was in a shredded black suit, heavily stained with mud and driven over several times for that authentic 'buried in a swamp look'.  His hair was bleached as white as his skin and combed in such a way that his head looked flat.  He had to hand it to Cosima, she sure could do any sort of hairstyle, even to the point of making someone's head look like it was flat.  Sebastian wasn't really much of a comic book nerd and being raised in middle-of-nowhere Montana meant that he really wasn't up to speed on the pop culture of superheroism either.  He knew the Freedom League, who didn't, but aside from that he had to do a lot of googling in his room to figure out what a 'Solomon Grundy' even was.  A zombie guy buried in a swamp, was about as far as he got when he decided it was perfect for Tats party.

'Bastian, being himself, never realized that Tatiana's was pretty much all set with food, beverages and everything else one would need for a get-together, but his mom had taught him when he was a young(er) man that you never showed up to a gathering without bringing something.  So here he was, leaping across town with a duffel slung over his shoulder filled with what every good Montanan knew was proper for a Halloween party: apple cider and donuts.  The only real tricky part was leaping about the suburbs of Emerald City dressed like an invulnerable zombie and not getting the National Guard called on him.  Luckily, it turn out to be an issue.

Tatiana noticed her classmate soar over the gate in a (very) low arc, avoiding casual detection by nosy neighbors.  It wasn't hard for her to hear Sebastian hit the ground, not only was the kid a mountain of muscle, but he was rarely, if ever, graceful.  He approached her slowly, walking with a sway in his arms like he was angry and ready to throw down.

He held his arms out wide giving her a view of his costume.  "Grundy party."

"Nice," she nodded her approval.

"Thank, ya," he smiled with that bit of Montana drawl in his voice he could never quite hide.  "An yer looking as lovely as any fictitious sociopath could."  Sebastian's Montana charm and perpetual politeness was enough to make anyone's sweet tooth ache, even Tatiana, who wasn't much for sweet talk and platitudes, had learned to take it in stride.  After all, one thing was certain about Sebastian: his kindness and compliments were genuine, the damn kid couldn't help but be anything but country mannered.

"It vill take more that country charm to vin dance with me," she mused.  "Vhat's in the bag?"

"Oh!  Yeah," he swung it about and hoisted it off his shoulder.  "I brought cider and donuts.  Had to go to the donut shop and get them fresh baked.  Can't have a Halloween party without cider donuts.  Back home, we'd all be sittin' in the barn sippin' cider, waiting on the haunted hay ride wagon to swing around.  We'd swap ghost stories, talk about class, bob for apples... y'know, party stuff.  Man, we had ourselves a heck of a time!"

"Sounds like a riot," she said, deadpan.  "Give to the kitchen staff, they will put it our for everyone."

He looked up at the mansion that was Tatiana's home.  "Whew, you got a kitchen staff?  I'll be.  Should be enough for everyone, I bought for about fifty people or so.  Figured that was over doing so people could have seconds if they liked.  Heck, we usually ended up with thirty or so and so much left over food."

"Fifty people was... a lot?"  Tatiana smirked evilly.  "That's so adorable."

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Tat's latest text showed she was looking forward to the party, so Rick smiled even as he continued heading for her Mansion.  .Rick had gone with something that was fairly mundane, but still it was a costume party, so he had to dress up as someone.  If someone knew him well, and everything he could do, then they'd agree it was pretty damn fitting, so he just shrugged.  Perhaps it would be showing his inner nerd abit, but he didn't care.  This was going to be a fun night.   He made his way to the mansion that was Tatiana's home, He avoided moving at his top speed.     He didn't expect anyone to recognize him, but it didn't matter.     As he finally arrived, he headed up to the door, having landed lightly on the ground with the practiced ease of years of training.  His Dark hair was spiked with gel, standing mostly straight up and back,  with a forelock angled to the left and down.   He wore black laceless boots though there was a cord around them just above the ankle.   tucked into them was the bright orange keikogi over a dark blue tee-shirt that fans of a particular anime would recognize all to well.   The armbands on his wrists were the same dark blue as his shirt, and unlike the show his clothes weren't weighted down.   It was the first time he wore something that actually hinted at how fit he was, though the guys already knew this thanks to lots of basketball  games.

He saw Tatiana and Sebastian there at the door, looked like the farmboy had just gotten there ahead of him.   He called out to them.   "Hope the fun hasn't started yet."    This got them both to turn around, and He had to chuckle at Bastion's costume.  " Solomon Grundy, born on a Monday.."   He smiled at his two friends, and looked at the "different" take on Alice in Wonderland's Mad Hatter.  "You look great too Tat, I don't think I've seen that character done quite like that."   it was true, Rick wasn't big on horror movies, and he tended to avoid films like the Saw series and such.  His mother had been pretty honest about how shitty people could be, and that some of the worst monsters he could ever face could be other people.   Still Even with that, he could see Tat had put some real work in with her costume, and surmised it was probably to impress someone.   That said she was the host, and the host of a party had to look good to set the mood for the party.


Ricks outfit
DBFZ_Adult_Gohan_Portrait.png

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>Be there soon, Tats. Still have party for TRV. And a costume change. Sisters agreed to make an appearance.< Cosima texted back.

Tonight they were filming the Halloween episode of The Royal Vandersteens. It was relatively early yet, this party mostly for the benefit of the viewers. Her family all had plans, other parties planned or to attend later in the evening. Engaging smile on her face, she flounced back into the party going on at Sonnenspiegel Castle, the white toga and surprisingly realistic feathered wings of her angel costume gleaming under the subdued lighting.

~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~

The gem-toned, lavender limousine pulled up drive to the mansion, stopping into front of the grand entrance. The driver got out and went around to the limo and opened the door, offering his hand to his passengers. His first accepted and stepped out of the limo on shiny, black, five inch stilleto heels. Cosima was covered from neck to ankles in a long, black enveloping cloak, as black as her raven hair that barely stirred in the light breeze.

Deep red lips curving in a smile - she did so enjoy Halloween, and Fastelavn in Danemark - she strutted into the Balankova estate with exaggerated swagger. "Now that I'm here," Cosima purred, winking at Rick, then chuckling, "the fun can start."

With that, Cosima threw back her shoulders and her cloak slipped from her, deftly caught by an attendant. She waggled her eyebrows and giggled at her friends' expression. "Fun, isn't it?"

The custom-made, sable satin dress she was almost wearing didn't leave much to the imagination, or maybe it left too much, her skin and complexion porcelain pale and flawless. It clung to every dramatic curve, the wide v-neck cut almost to her navel, blatantly revealing any rumors that she stuffed her bra were complete fabrications, and the sides were slit up almost to the hip, spectacular legs shown off to advantage by stiletto heels and sheer black stockings and garters.

Her narrow waist was emphasized by a wide belt made of chains attached to a pair of gold-studded dog collars that rested on her hips, and adorned with a small jeweled dagger that looked real instead of a mere prop. The big ruby ring on a finger also looked more real than costume jewelry, her long finger nails also lacquered black. Gold-studded bracelets encircled her wrists. Her raven hair was styled up in a distinctive, almost-beehive do, long tendrils doing nothing to conceal her bosom, but rather draw attention to how much of it was exposed.

Oh. And she had black leather wings seemingly spreading from her shoulders that flared and flapped with her movements, and a narrow, prehensile, spade-tipped tail that twisted and twined almost with a mind of its own. The tip was slowly drawing its way up 'Bastion Grundy's leg. Eyes that were more ruby than amethyst and cute, elongated fangs that turned every flash of her teeth into something predatory were almost afterthoughts.

"Just call me Elvira, Succubus of the Dark," Cosima proclaimed. "Mistress just didn't seem like enough. Although..." She smirked at the boys as she unwound lengths of chain from her waist and let the collars dangle from her fingers. "If you guys want to put on the collars and follow me around as lust-bound slaves, I won't abject. Bastion, I still think you should have come with me as my zombie love-slave."

Tatiana was almost struck dumb. She knew Cosima loved being the center of attention, but she had to admit, she never would have expected her to get made up in something even remotely like this - she seemed more like an angel, or Jessica Rabbit, or sexy version of a Disney Princess type. She walked around Cosima, taking a closer look at the surprisingly real looking wings and tail.

"You look amazing, Coss. Those wings and tail...?" Tatiana said as she came back around.

"It's Elvira tongith and I know right?!" Cosima squealed, making the wings flare again and swatting Tatiana with her tail. "The eyes are contacts, the fangs are porcelain caps, but the wings and tail were done by the best Make-Up Wizard in Hollywood." She leaned in close to speak for Tats' ear along. "Like, she's a wizard for real. I can't fly, but the wings and tail - and ivory skin too - are for real. Until morning, anyway." She stepped back with an over dramatic sign. "I had to drop Vida's name and make the appointment for Halloween like, nine months ago."

"Speaking of me, now that you're done flaunting yourself, perhaps, you'd like to introduce us to your friends, Cosima?" interrupted a husky, feminine voice.

Two of Cosima's sisters had followed her in with their respective dates. "Elvira," Cosima reiterated firmly, then scoffed. "When you look this good, why would I be done with the flaunting?"

"She's been insufferable since losing all that extra baby fat after her accident," the same sister confided in a stage whisper, amused rather than off-put by her youngest sister's antics.

Cosima rolled her eyes and then made the introductions. "This is our host, Tatiana and these are Sebastion and Richard." She gestured to her sister. "This is Vida, and her wife Amber."

Vida was a more than an attractive woman in her twenties with hair almost as dark as Cosima's currently was, a noted model and actress, nominated for an Oscar, though winning won had eluded her so far. She was dressed up as something like a Musketeer, her outfit and the sheathed rapier looking vintage and very authentic. Her wife, an equally attractive blonde a few years older and a few inches shorter was costumed as a disheveled, innocently wanton nun, the habit fitting more closely than a real one would have.

"And this is Freja with... I don't remember - sorry - another Hemsworth are you?"

The man was a few inches shorter than Freja. He scowled, but only looked up to Cosima's eyes when Freja elbowed him - hard - in the ribs. "I'm Valter. Skarsgård."

"My mistake," Cosima said with an offhand non-apology and a wicked gleam in her ruby eyes. "Acting families full of brothers, with another always seeming to pop up. Silly me, I get you guys mixed up." She looked around with forced inquisitive. "I'm sure before the night is over, another Skarsgård or Hemsworth will show up, maybe a Baldwin." She gave him a considering once over that made Freja scowl. "Though I must admit, you give Alexander a run for his money. If a brother more my age pops into existence, have Freja give him my number, hmm?"

Freja and Valter were dressed up as Vikings, and they made it look good, both blond and athletic looking. Freja was a tennis player with Sharapova's height and more of Serena Willams' build. She might not have won as many championships as Williams, but she had over a decade to catch up.

With the introductions made, Cosima's sisters began to mingle, Freja and Valter making for the bar first. Seeing two of her three sisters in the flesh, her schoolmates had a better understanding for Cosima's preference for heels. She might have been the sexiest and most attractive of the Vandersteens but even with her towering, shiny black heels, Cosima was still shorter than Vida, who was just shy of six feet, let alone Freja who topped it by an inch.

"So, what's up with the Musketeer and Nun?" Sebastien wondered, peeling his eyes of Cosima for a moment to follow her sisters.

"Oh, Vida's dressed up as Julie D'Aubigny, La Maupin," Cosima said. This didn't seem to enlightened Sebastien, so she added," A 17th century swordswoman and opera singer. She had a completely crazy and awesome life. Vida has one of the accounts optioned for a movie. Among her various affairs and adventures, she snuck into a convent to follow after a woman she was having an affair with, when her parents sent her there after finding out. Then she stole a dead nun's body, put in her lover's bed, and set the room on fire to cover her escape. Amber is the nun, the lover, not the dead one."

Cosima giggled at the expression on Sebastien's face. "I know, I know. It's just like real life." She winked at Tatiana. "Who knows just how fun tonight is going to be."

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Tatiana wasn't exactly sure when she lost control of the party but five would get you ten it was around the time Cosima showed up. There had already been a goodly number of people teen friends from her old school and her pop artist days as well as some select adults she knew from school and recording and of course her new friends and a bunch of other kids from the new school she didn't know except to wave at. Then Cosima arrived and after her more people started showing up. People from TV and movies from other parts of the world and outside the gates there were photographers trying to get in. It wasn't quite chaos but it could easily slide that way and in the midst of all that Connie arrived.

Tatiana stared at her when she came through the gate.

The boys, Rich and Sabastion, looked on with a incredulous stare.

Even Cosima was speechless at least for the moment.

Qi stopped at the look from her friends even as the rest of the party went on about them unconcerned with the newest arrival.

"What? It was the only  costume I know." Qi shrugged.

She had come dressed as a Green Lantern.

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Curtis had already begun to question in his mind why he'd agreed to come to this party. The increased socialization was one thing, but this was a madhouse. Swarms of people, now cameras, Tatiana had apparently decided to shoot for three-ring circus. Well, he was committed.

Tatiana and company were adjusted to Qi's choice of wardrobe when they picked up on the sudden hush from around the gate. It was spreading like a dropping stone spreads ripples in a pond, and the epicenter was Curtis in a red sweater, collar shirt, tie. Curtis couldn't help but grin. Sure, he had considered Carl Sagan, for enlightening the masses.

But nobody disrespected Mr. Rogers.

"Hello, neighbors."

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"Woo," Sebastian clicked his tongue.  "Connie, darlin', you look great.  Awesome choice.  Curtis!  You made it!"  He nodded his head.  "Grundy approve."

"And, Co-co, you look as dark and purdy as a moonless Montana evenin',"  He shot her a complimentary wink and a smile before leaning in to her shoulder where he whispered.  "But that boy and his acting brothers ain't no different than you and your rich sisters and those Kardashian girls.  So, instead of talking down to the boy, why doncha try being a little kinder, hmm?  Don't be one of those kinda rich girls.  We already gotta deal with Astoviks scurrying about."  He kissed her gently on the cheek, disguising his down-home-country-scolding on manners as nothing more that a whisper in the ear and pulled back with a big smile.  "Save Grundy dance."

He winked again at her, showwing he was neither angry nor offended, and raised his hands high.  "GRUNDY PARTY!"

Curtis shook his head and raised his hands in protest in a vain attempt to keep the super zombie away from him.  With a quick lift Curtis was on Sebastian's shoulder like a sack of feed.  "Grundy take neighbor for awkward lady chatter.  Find Grundy dance partner, get no dates on Swamp Book.  Grundy sad!"

With laughs and applause at the antics, Grundy-'Bastian carried off Curtis to gods-only-knew-where among the party goers.

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Autumn tucked the Spellstone into the collar of her dress and looked at herself in the mirror, checking her hair and makeup before she picked up the small, studded leather box with the word "Thing" embossed in large, calligraphic letters on top from atop her dresser. She peeked inside the box and nodded, closing it once again before she set out for Tat's party.

 

As the others greeted each other Autumn approached, gliding silently through the air. She was difficult to see against the night sky due to tall the black she wore, but as she drew near, she was noticed, her black, patent leather shoes finally touching the ground.

"Salutations." she said in a total deadpan voice, her face expressionless.

Her flat affect suited her costume though, as she stood there in a somewhat short, button up, black dress with a white collar, black stockings that came just past the knee and large, clunky, black, patent leather shoes. Thanks to makeup her skin was rather pale and her eyes were lined in black. Her long, dark hair was parted down the middle and hung down on either side of her face in matching braids, finishing her Wednesday Addams costume.

"Thing would like to say hello as well." she added as she held out the small leather box, which opened as a hand, clearly not her own, lifted the lid of the box and reached out, ready to shake hands.

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  • 3 weeks later...

The glare Cosima-Currently-Elvira shot Sebastian should have wreathed him in hellfire. How dare he?! Comparing her to the Kardashians and the Astoviks... The nerve! But Cosima couldn't sustain her ire. It was like being angry at a puppy. And he might have had a point. In poking fun at her sister's fickle proclivities, she certainly hadn't taken Valter's feelings into consideration. She sighed in exasperation - she so hated admitting she was wrong, even to herself.

"How is that dress even staying on?" A passing party-goer asked her breasts.

"Psychokinesis," Cosima said offhandely, realizing belatedly that it wasn't someone 'in know'. She had thought the leer belonged to Dale, but it was hard to identify a shapeshifter.

"Huh?"

"Fashion tape. Lots and lots of fashion tape," she amended smoothly with a deep breath the boy noticed and a big, fang-baring grin he didn't.

She forgot about him when Autumn as Wednesday Addams showed up. Cosima walked around her with an appraising glance, tail swishing. "Nice, very nice," Elvira murmured appreciatively, flapping a hand from side to side in consideration. "Could use a bit of slutting up - it is Halloween - but a great costume, Autumn." She took a step back, hands on hips as she gave Autumn a half-grin once over. "You really should dress as though you're always attending a social function, costume or otherwise. Between this and girl's night --" she nodded at Connie in her Green Lantern outfit with a grin, "-- You've proven you have better fashion sense than you show around school."

Her ruby eyes widened at the sight of the friendly hand. "Oooh!" She leaned forward, seeming in real danger of toppling over, reaching out a hand to shake, when she paused and eyed Autumn suspiciously. "This isn't, like, a real, real hand, that, you know, you --" Cosima waggled her fingers in a parody of bad spellcasting, and lowered her voice so that she wouldn't be overheard, "-- dug up from a grave or something and used magic to zombie to life is it?"

The minuscule curve to Autumn's lips was perfect Wednesday Addams, suggesting without admitting to anything.

Cosima straightened back up with a sigh, eying the animated hand askance. "Well. Thing will just have to play with himself for now. I need a drink."

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Sure, he was backwoods country but if there was one thing people in a small town knew how to do, it was party.  No stranger to having a good time, Sebastian paraded Curtis through the party screaming 'Grundy party!' and while Curtis thought it would be something that would make others laugh at him, they all cheered them both on as if they were both in on Halloween fun.  They cheered them on, shouted and generally the whole thing played like were partying in a frat house than Tatiana's mansion. 

Curtis was surprised by how many compliments he got on his costume, despite how many people he had to correct on the fact that Mr. Rodgers was at no point in time ever covered in blood from head to toe after he defeated Chuck Norris.  That was simply internet rumors, completely unconfirmed.

"How do you do it?"  Curtis asked as the two were getting themselves drinks at a large spread set out by caterers themed from various classic horror movies.  "You don't know any of these people, but you walk through like you're best friends with them all.  Why?"

"Why not?"  Sebastian said, smiling and nodding to a pretty young lady walking past them, at least he hoped it was a lady.  Halloween could get a guy into trouble.  "I mean, think about it, Curt they're just people.  They put their pants on one leg at a time like everybody else.  Sure, not all of them'ere gonna take a shine to me, but that's not my fault.  It's theirs.  I get it, you got that super brain and you're all super smart... it's hard to relate to people.  Luckily, you got me.  Last thing I gotta worry about is intelligence, so stick around and I'll help ya mingle and have a good time."

Slowly Curtis's head tilted up and to the side to look at Sebastian who was gazing over the food, practically salivating.  The guy never stopped eating.  "Do you hear yourself sometimes?"  The big lummox was mildly amusing sometimes.

"Well, well, well..." cooed a voice from opposite Sebastian, the kid was big enough to be a wall, it seemed, then Curtis saw who said it.  Summer Astovik, who was currently dressed as Anna from Frozen and her sister Autumn, was dressed as Elsa, which seemed rather appropriate.  Their costumes were a bit more 'adult' than Disney might have gone with, the dressees were shorter, they exposed more chest, and Curtis didn't remember either of the sisters in the movie wearing heels like they were.  If Disney ever opened a nightclub for all the teens they turned into 'troubled', Curtis was pretty sure that was the outfits he would see.  "Don't you look delicious."  She shot a disapproving look to Curtis and offered him the hello he was going to get from her.  "Nerd."

"Mmm," Sebastian stood straight, his hands filled with hors d'oeuvres.  "They are.  Try that one."  He pointed to a cheese, cracker... thingie.

Autumn offered up a disapproving glare at Sebastian, positively disgusted by the fact that he was talking, or at least attempting to, with something in his mouth.  "Curtis."  She nodded to him as Sebastian smiled and finished eating, offering her a wave of wiggled fingers.  "Idiot."

"I didn't mean the food, Sebastian." Summer's look was almost predatory.  She still hadn't caught on that Sebastian was a simply guy and Big City straight forwardness just didn't seem to get through his impervious head.

Sebastian nodded.  "Oh, I know what you meant, darlin'.  But when you called my friends here a nerd, I kinda lost interest in the rest of the conversation.  I just don't understand you California people.  All this money and glamour and you don't seem to get that it doesn't matter how pretty you are on the out side when you're all as ugly on the inside as the swamp I resurrected in.  It's kinda sad..."

Elsa-Autumn raised an eyebrow in stark disbelief at the utter crap she was just exposed to.  Was she just lectured by a guy who tended horses for a living that were smarter than him?  Her cold blue eyes glared at Curtis.  "Is he always this..."

Silently Curtis nodded in that universal 'yep pretty much' kinda way.  "Naive?  Yeah.  Yeah... he uhh... well, everyone has their hobbies, I suppose."

"Now hold on a minute," Sebastian started to talk but Anna-Summer's eyes darted to her sister, then Curtis, then her sister.

"Dance with me!"  She gripped Sebastian's thick arm, gaining his attention.  "Look, we're not nice, I get it.  Horrible, terrible people, yadda, yadda... but how much evil can I do if you're dancing with me?  Hmm?  Humor me? Just one... or five... or ten..."  Her smile was as enticing as her puppy dog eyes and like her own father a million times over... Sebastian fell for them.

"Oh, fine.  C'mon," he offered his arm and she hooked hers in his and off they went.  So much for his wingman.

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There was a pause, as Autumn and Curtis observed the passing of the two. They knew someone had bitten off more than they could chew, and Curtis would put the money on it ultimately being Summer Astovik. Finally, her sister passed him a look that asked how he could put up with the big idiot. "He has a certain charisma." Curtis admitted under her scrutiny.

But all the loads of empty-headed naivete. 'They're just people.' That was the whole problem - because it wasn't simply a matter of the intelligence gap. He remembered the bullying, the epithets in his younger years in Nebraska. He knew children, and teens too, whatever their reputed innocence, were cruel, petty, ignorant and willing to pick on the outsider. Even in a school of outsiders by way of super-powers, they would simply use all the other usual criteria for whom to collect with and whom to target.

Sebastian was like a puppy, devoid of malice but not someone you could exactly take seriously, Cosima was a slightly more amiable version of Summer Astovik, Rick was rather bland, Qi was a bit distant and austere... honestly, the one true peer he could see was 'Mulan' Autumn, even if her occult leanings and 'magic' needed proper scientific codifying.

Or possibly Autumn Astovik too - genetic kin wasn't something you could help, after all.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Elvira gave a modesty threatening harrumph when it seemed no one was going to show the courtesy of procuring her a drink, then spun on an elegant, spike heeled boot and sashayed towards the bar. With the heels and devilish tails and wings, it was a very impressive sashay.

Sidling up to the bar, Elvira found herself next to Valter. There was an awkward silence as he waited to be served and she looked around for her sister, nibbling on her lower lip and wincing when a fang pressed down more sharply then intended. She could just make out Freja in another room, speaking with someone she didn't recognize.

She covertly eyed Valter. Okay, he wasn't one of the Chrises, but he was handsome enough, maybe a bit broody. Cosima thought it probably tickled Freja that Valter was shorter than she was. She also caught his eyes flicking over her more than once, her lips curving in a faint, coy grin He was tensed, frustrated, maybe angry. Her grin faded in a self-recriminating twist.

"I'm -"

"Don't want to hear it," Valter growled, jerking his eyes from the curvaceous young woman once more and trying to get the bartender's attention.

She gave a sniff, nose scrunching up cutely. "You'll hear it anyway." She took a deep breath, then let it out in a long sigh. Damn it! "I'm... sorry. I only meant to tease my sister about her... fickle interests, and in doing that, I treated you poorly. I didn't recognize you, but I could have mentioned it in a much more gracious manner. For that, I sincerely apologize, Valter."

Valter's eyes went back to her, widening in surprise. She spoke in flawless, fluent Swedish. Cosima chuckled and smiled impishly. "My sisters and I are very gifted with tongues. But I will admit, I grew up in a world vastly different from most, one where I usually got what I wanted and didn't have to worry about consequences." She glanced casually towards the dance floor catching sight of a tall, broad-shouldered zombie-looking figure and sighed again. "I'm trying to be better about it. Mistakes still happen, unfortunately."

Valter gave her a look as though he had never seen her before. "You're not much like your sisters, are you, Cosima Vandersteen?"

"Oh, we aren't all that different," Cosima replied, amused. "They took all the height, but I ended up with the majority of the curves," Though they took their time to show up and needed a boost from an industrial accident involving lasers and Viridian crystals, "and am much better with social media. We might differ in a few other, teensy, tiny minor ways too." She held a long nailed forefinger and thumb half an inch apart. Her brows rose as she noticed something over Valter's shoulder. "Oops, here comes Freja-zilla. Let me help you out, Valter."

Elvira raised a hand in a small wave, and almost like magic, the bartender appeared before her. "What can I get for you, Ms. Vandersteen?"

"It's Elvira for tonight, honey. And if you would, could you help my friend here? I'm not in a rush, but he might be."

Valter didn't seem entirely mollified, but he gave her a tight nod of gratitude. He rattled off his order and the bartender got him his drinks in short order before turning his attention back to Elvira. She shifted slightly, striking a pose and making her wings flare. He was giving her an appreciative look, but wasn't leering and his gaze even ended up back on her face.

"What it'll be, Mistress of the Night?"

Elvira's grin widened, pleased. "What do you have in a red?"

The bartender's professionally flirtatious  slipped for just a moment. "I'm afraid I can't serve you alcohol. I'm well aware of how old you are, Elvira. Social Media and all that. Probably not the best look for all you're young, impressionable followers, either."

"Oh, pooh!" Elvira pouted, trying to look innocent with wide, pleading eyes. It might have worked, if her eyes weren't ruby red and she was more undressed than dressed and looked like she consumed men for appetizers. "I forgot. Denmark doesn't have a minimum drinking age, just a legal age for when you can buy it. I'll have to take to Tats about that for next year. What's a Danish Succubus Princess to do?" she exhorted in exasperation. "Not even a cocktail?"

The bartender's lips twitched - he almost wanted to let her get away with it. "No alcoholic cocktails. Do you want a virgin?"

Elvira's smile went from ear to ear as he gave her the perfect setup, knowingly too. She barely restrained herself from clapping and squealing in delight, instead strutting a step and leaning on the bar with exaggerated moxie and resignation. "Maybe, but, ah... I'll have a couple of drinks first." She mouthed a 'thank you'. "A mocktail will be fine..."

"Jeff."

"... Jeff. Something..." She grinned to show up her fangs. "... red. Just not a Bloody Mary."

And Jeff whipped her up a delicious, deep red drink. Elvira took a sip from the highball glass and inhaled sharply in surprise. It was tart, with raspberry, black berry, some citrus, and... ginger? Maybe a hint of mint. It was delightful. She took another sip. "Remember this one, Jeff. I'll be back for another."

She took a selfie with Jeff, stuck it with a pithy amount of hashtags - some people went so overboard with hashtags, that they became meaningless - and added the recipe to the Instagram. With a final wink to her current favourite bartender, Elvira went back to circulating, slowing spiraling in on the dance floor.

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