2014.02.09 - Homecoming 2014

"Okay. We're going to teleport to my bedroom."

Amethyst crosses her arms and rolls her eyes, her amulet dangling from her fingers by its fine golden chain. "My princess bedroom. In a castle. Yes, it's big enough. It's private, so you don't have to hide, but try to stay away from the balcony. A guard might see you."

She raises the amulet up so that it's eye level. With a tap of her finger, the gem is set spinning. "From the sky. Because they ride flying horses. Yeah. Get ready for that sort of thing." The princess manages a smile, but it becomes honest after a moment of consideration. "By the way, everyone looks great. Really authentic."

The trip, unlike the Gemworld-accurate clothing that's been magicked up, is painless and mercifully self-controlled. Just step through the swirling purple portal, and you're there. There happens to be a large, open room. Divisions in space usage are suggested through pillars, rises or recess in the floor, and furniture. There is no far wall, only a series of pillars dividing the room from the open sky. Presumably, there is some sort of magical barrier for comfort and privacy. The artifacts used for decoration are likely priceless in the 'it would be unable to accurately price this at any market value that would have sane meaning in the world economy' sense. The spiral staircase set into the middle suggests that the apartments continue above.

Amethyst releases a breath and replaces her amulet. "Great. Everyone hang out here for a moment. I'm going to go find my mom. The doors will be locked. Everything's cleaned with spells, so you don't have to worry about maids coming in or anything."

She exits through an ornate, heavy set of double doors, and is gone for nearly thirty minutes. When the princess returns, she is wearing a sleek evening gown and looks more defeated than she's ever seemed before.

"Um. So. There's a party downstairs. I'll, um, try to explain on the way down."

"I... I might throw up," is Booster Gold's only comment, right after the transportation. It is said very quietly, a matter of fact warning, his hand over his stomach; he sometimes has issues with teleporting, probably because it puts a hiccough in his general time-space connection. He fights the nausea by standing very still for almost the entire time Amethyst is gone, with a faraway look on his face. Ultimately, he wins the battle, because vomit never occurs.

Fortunately, that's not the set up to a naughty joke. Rain really should spend more time with Amy. She'd learn a lot. "Wow, that's almost as surreal as the time Uncle Ted was almost consumed by Cthonic entities at a family barbeque." Oh, Rain. ... how the heck did you survive two decades and some, Rain? But, either way, Rain pauses and smiles. "Thanks." She boggles at the sight and expense and everything. She just looks completely wide-eyed. And then poor Booster. "Are you okay?" She asks. Otherwise, Rain is quiet. And gonna stay real still so none of those flying guards gets her.

She always ended up aggroing them in MMOs. Meggan had reported for duty in this adventure, and as she looks down at her violet finery, she nods importantly at each of Amy's words. Indeed, she essentially punctuates them. At the word of praise, she smiles, almost sparkling as she reaches up to touch where her hair has been pleated up, Renfaire-style, around a purple hibiscus flower (her own touch).

Then: Portal.

Sparkly.

"Ooo!" Meggan says, in sheer appreciation of the environs; while Amaya is absent, she turns her concerned attention to Booster, reaching up to put a hand on his back. "Captain, are you...?" she asks, trailing off then, now frowning just a bit.

She does not get bored during the wait. "Oh, this is so lovely!" she says, approximately a thousand times.

When Kwabena Odame came into the city to hunt down Pete Wisdom and get drunk with him, he did not expect that he'd end up in this. Sure, the idea of sobering up and going to another planet sounded decent. It was something to keep him far away from the Xavier Institute and the alternate universe version of himself that was being detained there.

Very far away.

He's got no idea how to describe what it is he's wearing. It's impossibly uncomfortable, and when he looked himself in the mirror earlier, he came close to punching himself in the face. 'Burgundy-Maroon Finery' might be a good way to describe it, but he can't help but feel as if he's Dave Chapelle posing as Prince.

"Pancakes," he said to himself. Bit of an inside joke.

The portal doesn't seem to bother him. He's been through a few. They don't tend to affect him much, aside from doing something a little funky to his mutation and causing what appear to be wisps of blackness to fade into the air from his skin after he passes through. Once in the other world, he just... stares.

He stares to the left, to the right, looks out through the great opening into the city beyond, and he doesn't. Say. A Word.

Magic outfits are the best outfits; and Alison's is gloriously improbable, slinky and silver with inlaid purple gems and embroidery - or is it purple with silver? Maybe it's both, splashed across each other that shamelessly display both the quality of the spell AND the body of the one who considers herself lucky enough to be in it.

"Fancy party? Jackpot!" Ali cheers, raising her arms in full 'woo hoo!' gesture. "Where are the drinks? Where are the Amethyst men? CHOP-CHOP!"

Yeah. Totally her scene.

Clad in what Aram would refer to as glimmering foppery, Gilad falls in line behind the princess Amethyst. It's not as though he couldn't pull off an aristocratic air; the problem was that the very air he carries about him is not 'snottier than thou' as much as 'touch me and die'.

"So you are expecting us to mingle...?" he asks, in the same air as one might ask "you are expecting me to step on landmines?"

Actually, strike that.

Stepping on landmines would be far more preferable for the Eternal Warrior.

Wisdom's clothing's not magical. It's also somewhat rumpled. It's also totally authentic in that it actually originated here. Other than the fact that he looks like he's a refugee from a purple renfaire, he doesn't look appreciably different-- though before the teleportation, he did leave his cigarettes at Strange's place. So he wouldn't leave them in Gemworld. Again.

"Alison," he says patiently, "try really, really hard to remember things like 'decorum'. And 'under the radar as long as possible'. And 'don't get drunk'. And 'don't talk about being from Earth'." He checks to make sure he can easily get at the gun he's got in his boot, and that he can draw his admittedly sissy sword in a hurry, glances aside at everyone else, then straightens up. Then Pete offers his arm to Amethyst and gives her the faintest of amused 'it'll be fine' looks.

The princess furrows her brow. "You okay, Booster?" Well. He looks alright. Dazzler, at least give Amy a reason to smile. "Ali, seriously, watch yourself out there. Lots of brooding, noble princes. Actually, no, go wild. You'll draw them away from me."

They set off. After a few twists and turns, the group is heading down a smaller hallway. She speaks as she walks, heels clicking rhythmically against the polished floor. Her gait doesn't suit her dress: she leans forward, more stomping than sashaying. Wearing armor everywhere breeds bad habits. "No, Gilad. Not... mingle, really. Gather intel. Find out if anyone has heard anything strange that might be Eclipso. He could be anywhere in Nilaa. People from all over Nilaa will be at this party, so it's the perfect chance."

"Quick version: this is Castle Amethyst in the Imperial Capital of Nilaa, you're all with House Amethyst. Our allied houses are Topaz, Moonstone, Diamond, Ruby, Garnet, Turquoise, Oynx, and Citrine. We oppose Houses Opal, Sardonyx, and Sapphire. Aquamarine and Emerald are neutral. You're going to forget, so OPAL BAD. AMETHYST GOOD."

Amethyst reaches the end of the hall. She turns around, looking weary and alert all at once. "Okay. All of you are adventurers in service of House Amethyst. You've been helping me. Don't mention Earth. Don't talk about your history. Also, try my uncle's wine, it's pretty good." She twirls her hand, and the doors open behind her with a shower of purple-white sparkles.

If this is the Imperial Capital of this world, the great hall is likely impressive by necessity. Despite its enormity, the space is used well. The visiting dignitaries are numerous and varied: some favor armor, others fine clothing, still more a method of dress that can only be described as 'definitely a wizard.' Though it is not an immutable rule, the majority of the people in the room wear enough of a single color that they are likely representing their allegiance.

Through this, it is easy to read in the colored blobs of party-goers which houses like each other, and which houses do not.

As Amethyst takes the first step into the room, the crowd noise quiets significantly. They have everyone's attention. After a pregnant pause, someone shouts: "HAIL AMETHYST!" The cry is quickly taken up, but not by everyone. Amy glances over her shoulder and grimaces. "Time to mingle."

"It's fine. It's cool, everyone. It's just a thing that happens sometimes," Booster assures the others, and indeed the color has returned to his face. It is fortunate for him that he looks good in purple, even though he tends to favor blue; it sets off the golden color of his hair nicely, and he knows it.

By the time Booster is down on the party floor, he is smiling and actually looks a lot like a fairytale prince--which is to say, he looks like the kind of prince you get in a Disney story, and not like an actual, brooding prince who might have someone executed for political gain. Regardless, the Gemworld gentry will have to cope with being winked at by a guy who's self-assurance is tougher than his forcefield.

Rain will remember! But she's an engineer and they're kinda weird. Which means that Rain is going to mingle about as well as hammers mingle with explosives. Hilariously. Her own garb is rather reserved. She must have agreed to sell her soul to some god of Long Coats or something. Then suddenly, more peoples! "Hi there!" She greets Kwabena. "And you too!" A Gilad! And Pete! And Ali! Poor Rain's like the cat who got turned loose in a catnip growing house. WOO *thud*.

She looks like perhaps she escaped screaming in a pile of books and equations, determined to spread her love of all things mathy and engineery to the world. She can't shake her veil of awkward, which hangs on her like those annoying invisible spider webs you sometimes walk into and CAN'T GET OFF OH GOD IT'S ON YOUR FACE NOOOOOOOOO. And then comes the Spider of Social Inadequacy. Like being set on fire after rolling around a hall of legos covered in lemon juice. At least she's friendly.

Rain does have to smile at Ali, Meggan and those more inclined to party. "Okay, okay, mingle..." They don't bite, do they? Maybe someone likes mousey...? But mice have plague. Rain's gonna go all social bubonic and be the scourge of - wait. That's bad. Rain is not a social Mongol Horde. She will see where people go and um, well. ... slowly make progress towards any refreshments and maybe say hi to a wizard.

The other new arrivals get given a sympathetic look from Meggan, though when Amaya returns, she looks conditionally hopeful. "A party...?"

And then the approach. Meggan hikes up her skirt as she bustles forwards, stepping ahead with some haste. Is she... excited?

She does say to Amaya, with a sense of mildly wounded reproach, "I'm not simple, those are all quite easy to remember, really... Though I thought sardonyx was one of those fancy literary sorts of emotions," she says, trailing off to herself. When Amaya gets to the part of telling them what not to mention, and what their cover story is, she nods with increasing vigor and enthusiasm. The door opens -

It is clearest to Pete, from association with Meggan. She is absorbing the crowd, echoing what they're saying. Her features grow subtly more like Amaya's, and several steps more beautiful, though not in a fashion that quite stands out. She seems to stand a bit taller, perhaps, carrying her frame with less pure energy and more regality.

Meggan takes a deep breath - and then, with abrupt speed, throws her arms around their host in an evidently spontaneous hug. "Oh, this is just WONDERFUL!" she says, squeezing tight before hastening downwards. She practically glows in the crowd, although her current course (which is taking her past a great many people to whom she says 'hello!' in increasing pitches of enthusiasm) is taking her, perhaps inevitably, towards a blond-haired man in white and black.

"Oh, all of this is simply so splendid-!"

"Oh, my GOD, I'll be GOOD," Ali says while rolling her eyes at Pete. "I *can* handle myself Cross-Time you know, this isn't my first rodeo." Tossing her hair, she takes a quick note of which colors are good and which ones are bad - and when Amy mentions 'distract them away from me', Ali gives her the O-KAY! sign!

Once downstairs, Ali immediately heads for a throng of Turquoise Revelers - because Purple of Amethyst + Turquoise = Ali being visible from across the room. Not that the trail of multicolored sparkles of light trailing her everywhere hurt that either.

"Hell-loo, gentlemen! I hope the night finds you all well-- MY are you a handsome one!" Ali tells a frumpy-ish 3rd Son type; Like Booster Gold, the Dazzler is in Full Charm Assault Mode.

By contrast compared to Booster, the golden boy, darkhaired Gilad stalks his way through the crowd. It's not as though he were completely lacking in social skills. A mysterious smile here, a nod here, as Gilad makes his way to the table which provides the liquor. Picking up one, he shifts his way through the crowd, listening until he can find a conversation about, oh... warfare to chime in on. About how to defend ramparts, invade, stomp through hordes... At least in -that-, he can have an animated discussion.

"Princess--" Wisdom starts under his breath as people begin to veer off; his eyes are on them, one to the next to the next; he watches Meggan's shift and her direction. Then he speaks very fast and very low. "We can't let Meggan near Dark Opal unless you're closer to her, or Booster is, or I am. I don't know how well any of the others can ground her if necessary."

Revelers, nobility, they're eyes-on-Amy unless distracted, so that's all he says-- otherwise the slightly rumpled liegeman does his best impression of being the Princess's escort for as long as he can get away with it. Somehow he's managed to mask most of his wariness with a noncommittally pleasant expression.

Doctor Strange's attire is one part fancy, one part wizardly: a poofy, amethyst-coloured cap rests atop his head with a bright red feather jutting from its brim, matching an amethyst tunic embossed with a golden wen of arcane designs, and red leggings. His shoes are simple, black leather affairs; an amethyst cape that seems to seamlessly continue the patterns criss-crossing his tunic is wrapped around the whole thing, although now that he's getting his mingle on, its primary function seems to be billowing dramatically around his body--especially when he moves.

If there are any familiar faces, he'll make sure to seek them out and exchange pleasantries--and perhaps gossip; if not, he'll stick to paying his respects to some of the nobility.

"Oh! Meggan, no, I didn't mean to imply that--" Amethyst is interrupted by a hug, which staggers her back a foot but also elicits a giggle. "Haha, I'm glad--but, be careful!"

She gets more hellos back than not, and some passing attention. The man she approaches is tall, chiseled, with piercingly soulful eyes with luxurious lashes. His cape, a sparkling topaz, dances in the light. "Aye, lady," he replies, staring off into the distance with a certain windswept melancholy. "It is splendid. Such beautiful calms, however, always herald..." his voice drops a note as he lowers his head, "...terrible storms."

"Amaya, darling, are these your... minions?" a woman purrs, just within Booster's earshot. Amy smiles tightly at the voice's owner, who shares a family resemblance and an affinity for purple. She is older than Amy, but looks preternaturally young. Good genes.

"Aunt Mordiel," Amethyst begins.

Mordiel tsk tsks and raises her wine glass. "Lady Mordiel. We're in the company of minor houses and vassals."

"Lady Mordiel," Amethyst continues, looking wildly for a way out. "Have you met Sir Gold?" She leaps over (impressive in heels) and grabs Booster by the shoulder before he gets too far away, trying to spin him around.

Mordiel glances Sir Gold over while sipping her wine. She purses her lips. It's a weirdly familiar gesture. "What charming hair. It nearly matches mine. Are you from our lands?"

Amethyst crosses her arms and sighs forcefully. She starts walking, the crowd parting around her even as people offer kind words and beg questions. She turns her head to discreetly address Pete: "Opal isn't coming. His entourage never showed. Sapphire and Sardoynx came down, and that's it. They're his buffer states, and he seems content to let things stay that way. Come on, let's go see my mom."

Rain reaches one of the buffet table unharassed. Most of the people there are servants, carefully loading and unloading trays to take out into the room. There are some party-goers here, including a sad looking young girl in a pretty green dress with matching ribbons in her hair. She is currently in the process of turning a bowl of ice cubes into a diorama of snowmen and igloos, her tiny hands carefully and emphatically tracing out sigils in the air.

The frumpy third son stammers and begins to make his reply, gripping a stein so hard that it trembles. He makes it part of the way through some word starting with 'h' when he abruptly grins. His outline shimmers, rearranging to become something more slender and Aladdin-esque. His pants and vest combo are at least somewhat appropriate. "You've seen through my disguise! Surely, you must be a great sorceress or simply have exquisite taste." He extends his hand. "I'm Preet. Lord Turquoise, actually."

"Doctor Strange."

The speaker, having come up behind the mingling Sorcerer Supreme, is harsh and unhappy. She is also the only Amethyst noblewoman in the room wearing full armor. She rests a hand on a sword hilt, her purple eyes flashing. "I thought you and Nilaa had come to an understanding about your... visits."

You paged Doctor Strange with 'actually it may be best if they simply know each other by reputation. she's Lady Graciel, who has been missing for years and years after she eloped with the (now deceased) Lord Turquoise, snubbing Prince Diamond and starting a war that deposed House Amethyst and allowed House Opal to take over.'

All of this is starting to remind Booster of his early college career. Not the coursework or campus, of course, but the social gatherings and networking he had to navigate when he started to get really famous. There are even various factions in attendance that might not get along with each other. When Amethyst hauls him around, he goes with it and gives Lady Mordiel an affable wink. Then, remembering that this might not be adequate for the gentry, he touches his hand to his solar plexus and sketches a bow to her. "What an honor to meet you, Lady Mordiel. And how flattering for you to say so." Rather than give her a real answer to her last question, he straightens up and says, "Oh, I've been assisting the Princess for quite a while, now."

Rain is a minion! Best minion! Or something. She seems more at home amongst the servants, though. It's a very strange mentality, but not surprising, given her background and habits. She smiles politely at people in passing glancing around. And then she spots the sad looking young girl. "Oh wow. That is really cool," Rain beams at the girl, carefully looking over. "Um, hi." She turns red, realizing she spoke out loud. It seems no magic can enhance her social skills. She looks abashed a moment. She just kind of goes cross-eyed, then blinks owlishly. Meggan calls back, "I shall--!" as she sweeps up among others. She beams and seems radiantly Glad To Be Here - indeed, rather literally so. Of course, her glowing storm of sunshine must rise and crest upon a sparkling wave -

"Oh!" Meggan says, raising one hand up, fingers loosely curling at her collarbone, as she looks at that piercingly-eyed man. Her eyes widen. She finds herself fractionally flustered.

He seems so troubled, Meggan is obviously thinking. She steps closer to the topaz-caped man, his inner turmoil alluring, like a storm off the cape while you are still in the warm afternoon sunshine... but the clouds cloud move in, at any time.

She stares into his eyes.

She forgets to introduce herself.

Perhaps Pete judged the peril wrong.

So, what has a somewhat tall, bald, black man dressed up like Prince do in Gemworld? Aside from considering that he's on another planet? Aside from considering that he's on a planet of gems? Aside from considering that someone out here might actually consider himself a Prince?

He wanders. He wanders a lot, and he doesn't say a god damned thing. Certainly, people have approached him, queried him, asked him funny questions, but Kwabena hasn't spoken a word. Let them think he is a mute, or a monk, or some other strange and fantastic and beautifully dressed being of dark skin and smooth head. Hey, has anyone down here seen Pulp Fiction?

"Marsellus... Wallace," he finally answers, speaking with a man who considers himself something of interest. "Dat is my name." He raises his chin just so, and speaks with a bit of severity. "Marsellus Wallace."

"Oh, I'm very good with people," Alison admits, while giving a graceful bow. "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lord Turquoise." Resuming her previous stance, she reaches for a glass of wine from a wandering server. "I travel by the name of Dazzler, I'm a bard sworn to the service of Princess Amethyst."

Hey, he's good looking and he was shapechanged somehow! Ali lifts her glass to him, "I also know a thing or two about light magic, but certainly nothing that would compare to more broadly capable sorcerors. I apologize if I caused you to spoil your disguise unduly."

"Your mom it is," says Pete gamely, before slightly de-rumpling himself on the way. And Graciel is talking to Strange. So-- Wisdom just goes along, still trying to keep tabs, more or less, on their teammates. He's also trying really, really hard not to look like he's waiting for a very large other shoe to drop. Paranoia is uncouth, or something. "Um-- can you," he adds in a sort of vague tone, only just loudly enough for her to hear him, "do that thing you do. With the thinking."

After a brisk, apologetic bow for the duke he's chatting with, the Doctor turns to greet Lady Graciel with a smile. It is warm, friendly, and - given the Lady's tone and posture - possibly a little obnoxious.

"Lady Graciel," he replies, giving the Lady of Amethyst a more reverent bow, complete with an outstretched arm. "I believe that it amounted to limiting my visits to those occasions when it's vitally important to one of our worlds that I trouble you--no?" he continues as he straightens back up, a few crossing wrinkles creasing his brow. "Along with showing the land and its people the utmost respect, of course. That was my understanding, anyway." The smile doesn't slip; a positive attitude is his preferred defense in a world where everyone is a wizard of some kind.

"I apologize for setting you on edge, all the same, milady--and for not paying my respects sooner, upon your return. You seem every bit as impressive and imposing as your subjects suggested, though.

"My niece," Lady Mordiel says with a smile. She steps closer, but her eyes are elsewhere. Drawn in by her gaze, a server brings a tray of wine glasses. "Please, take one. Amaya's uncle Bhoj is the finest winemaker in Nilaa. But of course you know that, don't you?"

"My niece," Lady Mordiel says with a smile. She steps closer, but her eyes are elsewhere. Drawn in by her gaze, a server brings a tray of wine glasses. "Please, take one. Amaya's uncle Bhoj is the finest winemaker in Nilaa. But of course you know that, don't you?"

Her eyes dip again, and then back, slow enough to be purposeful. "And what--exactly--do you assist the princess with? She's been gone for so long. I'm worried sick about her safety."

The young girl in green looks up to Rain. Her eyes are the same color. "Thank you," she says, sounding drained. The two stare at each other silently until the witch's eyes cross, which sets the girl giggling despite herself. "Are you an adventurer? Do you have any stories?" she asks, some warmth creeping in.

The topaz-caped man tilts his head up to read Meggan's reaction. They stare. His cape flutters in the swirl of people. "My lady," he intones, resting a hand on your shoulder. "Are you too bewitched by the peril that flits about this place, wearing a friendly mask that hides an opulent face?"

He turns his head away, gazing toward the empty throne on an unoccupied dais. "I am Prince Topaz. No, I should not burden you with the doom of princely politics. You are flower in full bloom, the very essence of summer's power. Why speak of winter in your presence?"

A redheaded woman in ornate turquoise armor clanks by, holding a mug in one hand and a small barrel under her other arm. "Don't mind Topaz, wine goes right to his head. I told him to put four ice cubes in his glass, but he only used three! How daring!"

Topaz frowns and falls into thought.

"Then, Marsellus Wallace of House Amethyst, tell me how you intend to deal with House Sardonyx paying House Onyx to slip in and slit all our throats in the night while we're in one place!" the old wizard booms, punctuating his statements by slamming his iron-shod staff into the ground. He strikes so hard that the dwarf skulls suspended from his pauldrons almost fall off.

"Nothing spoils a disguise like wearing it when it's not needed," Preet says with an easy smile. "And, please," he holds his hands up. "No more bowing. This Lordship business isn't me whatsoever." He plucks a glass from a passing server, reaching around the man's shoulder to take it from his blind side. Offering it to Alison, Lord Turquoise continues: "Amaya's bard, huh? You must have some stories. She's... very good at trouble. Her best subject, really."

He glances about slyly. "Does she talk about me at all?"

"Oh no," Amethyst mutters. "Oh no, oh no, oh no." She picks up the pace, reaching back to take Pete's hand and drag him along. "Can't! My wizards may be too polite to hack into my spells, but other wizards don't care!"

"I'm sure I do," Lady Graciel replies, steel in her voice. She does not share the doctor's friendliness. Her fingers tighten around the pommel of her blade. A perceptive man would notice that there are many figures around her who are only pretending to be a part of the festivities. They are watching surreptitiously. "Nilaa is not in your jurisdiction. We left the protection of the Vishanti willingly. What is so important that you make a mockery of our sovereignty?"

"ALL HAIL!" a magically enhanced voice booms from the other end of the room. Standing on one of the lower steps of the dais is an intense man in orange, clothed nearly from head to foot in robes and scalemail. "All hail Dark Opal, true ruler of Nilaa! Pay heed to your lord and master!"

Silence, and then furious murmuring, dotted by shouts of outrage.

Topaz stands closer to Meggan, concerned.

Mordiel stands closer to Booster, sipping her wine.

"This is what I've been told," Booster agrees with Lady Mordiel's words, and even if this was a fact that had been vouchsafed to him by Amethyst less than an hour ago, he can still make that statement with cheerful truth. He nods to the server as he takes one of the glasses, and then says to Lady Mordiel, "I help protect her. Although..." he looks around, trying to see where Amaya has gotten to. "To be honest, she's good about taking care of herself."

When the voice booms out, Booster says, "Uh..." Now he is thinking back to the briefing. Opal bad, right? "Lady Mordiel, please don't think I'm trying to be rude." With his free hand, he lightly touches the woman's back, and his forcefield surrounds both of them, figure hugging and barely visible other than a glassy shine.

Rain's not sure what place she occupies on Team Princess Amethyst. Maybe token Hapless Minion, Extra HealBot, Monty Python Reference Generator... Or the one person who used Charisma as a dump stat. It's really hard to say. Either way, Rain pauses and smiles as the girl asks her questions. And why are people always so down on winter? Man, Rain hates her name some days. But she smiles and looks thoughtful. "Kind of. I do end up on a lot of adventures," She looks thoughtful. Rain doesn't seem to think of herself as terribly interesting.

But ... maybe just this once she can try. "Like, I've met a dragon and there's lots of silly ones." She tilts her head. "May I ask what to call you? I go by Rain." No title, really. She's trying to recall some of her adventures. There's a lot of them, some more lighthearted than others. She'll stick to a lighthearted story. That is, she starts and suddenly it's all DARK OPAL like Hot Topic just dropped into the castle. "... oh geez." She looks up and around. That is so not good. "Prince... Topaz," Meggan breathes out. /Lushly/.

"Oh... oh, you're flattering me," she says, and she seems perhaps even more radiant as her cheeks blush. Her skin is fractionally tanner now, a wholesome sort of summer sheen, and her eyes are even wider now.

The spell is momentarily damaged by a woman clanking by in armor. Meggan visibly pauses, watching her go, listening to her words. Her lips thin, composing her thoughts. Finally, she leaves, and the interleaved dissonance in Meggan's metaphorical soundtrack fades out.

She resumes where she left off. "Oh - I really don't know... you see, I am with Princess Amethyst's party... we are, adventurers, and..."

Someone comes in and booms ALL HAIL.

Meggan, worried, presses closer to Topaz. Close enough... /to touch/

"What's going on?" she asks, tone achingly vulnerable. "Who is that?"

Do not look at skulls and pauldrons. Do not look at skulls and pauldrons. Do not... Christ, Kwabena Odame doesn't even know what a 'pauldron' is!

The incredibly dis-placed African has to think really hard about the question that is asked of him. Not only is it in English (Which, by the way, how is that happening? Magic? Universal Translator? Hollywood laziness?) - which happens to be his second language - but it's in an incredibly strange kind of English that he's only seen in one of those strange DVD's he borrowed from Kurt Wagner once.

Kwabena Odame:. . o o O O (Oh man, I really hope there's no swashbuckling. Not here. Please not here.)

The words slip free from Kwabena's mouth before he can really consider whether it's wise to speak them or not. "Simple, really." A brief glance is cast about, before he gives the old man a look that all but screams, 'BE TACTFUL YOU STUPID DRUNK'. He leans closer, speaking very quietly. "Don't stop your... 'celebrations' until each one of dem is so drunk, dey won't know de business end of a blade from de limp lengths of dere..."

He draws a blank on whatever word these strange people might call a phallus.

"... house-building... shafts."

Grimace.

Kwabena reaches out for a glass of wine as it passes by, and lifts it in a toast with an altogether forced smirk of slyness on his face.

Then, there is a pronouncement. A very loud one, to which Kwabena lifts his glass and drinks.

"You have NO idea," Ali responds to Lord Turquoise's suspicion of stories, and she clinks her glass against his. One she gets some of that very fine indeed wine down her... Preet asks her if Amy ever talks about him.

In that tone of voice. Ohgod. Swallowing hard, a hundred thousand things race through Ali's head all at once - how to let him down easy while not causing a diplomatic incident? One does NOT SEND an X-Man to PREVENT Diplomatic Incidents!

"Well--" Ali starts to say, but then Dark Opal has the good sense to stomp in and be imposing and horrible, and it's all she can do to not say 'Oh thank God' out loud because THAT would undoubtedly go just as poorly as telling Lord Turquoise that Princess Amethyst is romantically attached to someone who isn't him. She turns, and starts drawing in any spare sound from the edges of the crowd around her -- no one will miss a few waves here and there.

Pete's dragged along, for sure-- but only for a step, after that he's picked up the pace considerably. By the time they're getting to where Strange and Graciel are, though, the shoe he's been waiting for has dropped. Instantly, his hand in Amy's has spiked in temperature, and his eyes have gone a muddy brown. "Tell me where you need me," he hisses urgently. "And don't worry about Shift." Because yes: he has, this whole time of watching, at least managed to see who's talking to what colors.

"Well," Strange begins, smile fading somewhat as he leans a little nearer to Graciel, "I think it best not to ruin the mood with such dark talk; this is a celebration, after all. What I can say is that I do not come here lightly--and that this time, I am at least here alongside one of Nilaa's own."

Who happens to be approaching at a pretty respectable clip, as Stephen discovers when he scans the room for her.

"Speaking of," he quietly adds with a slight bow towards Amethyst and a small step to the side to give she and Pete some space to draw some heat fr--talk to Graciel. He's fairly happy to stand off to the side and let Graciel and her daughter catch up without interference, and even begins looking around for some sign of an hors d'oeuvres platter.

Unfortunately, once Dark Opal announces himself, he has to ignore his appetite in favor of turning his eyes to the entrance and studiously watching for the man himself to enter.

"That is something," Mordiel admits to Booster's assessment of her niece, though she's lost a great deal of interest in him while he got there.

Sardonyx getting on stage and shouting is far more interesting. She watches keenly, ignoring Booster until he physically touches her. The noblewoman glances his way, then gingerly reaches out to touch the glassy field. "Oh, my. I suppose you did have something interesting to show me, after all. Quickly, say something clever about glass houses and kiss me."

Mordiel remains watching the dais and toying with her glass, so perhaps this is not an earnest suggestion.

"There aren't any silly dragons in Nilaa," the green-clad girl replies, not exactly with remorse but rather lacking any sort of tone at all. Rain's name brings a touch of smile back: "I like that. I'm Princess Emerald. The Younger."

She also falls silent at the announcement, though she remains near her ice sculpture and does not appear particularly frightened.

Topaz flares his cape, spreading an arm to allow Meggan to duck into if she is so inclined. "Stay near, fair maiden! My magic will protect you, or I shall lay dead and spent in your defense." He raises a fist toward the dais, his defined eyebrows knit in regal defiance. "It is Lord Sardonyx, Dark Opal's footman! See how he debases the pride of his house and people through flagrant cronyism! Alas, I fear the night will grow darker yet."

Preet raises an eyebrow. Does he know? He knows. He's crafty. Of course he knows. It's always the scruffy rogues in the vests that are too clever for their own good. He opens his mouth to interrupt Ali and--thank you, Dark Opal.

"House-building shafts," the old wizard repeats, rubbing his luxurious beard. "Yes. I must consider your words. I retire to my study!" He does not seem interested in the true ruler of Nilaa and promptly retires, presumably to his study.

"Make sure everyone is okay, please?" Amethyst asks, squeezing Pete's hand and letting him go. A part of her would prefer if Dr. Strange took up this task while Pete stayed her escort, but there's no way she's asking the doc to do that.

"This is not a celebration," Graciel begins, raising a hand to point accusingly at the Sorcerer Supreme. Amaya, hurrying over as fast as she can without adventure boots on, has caught her eye. Graciel straightens her posture and lowers her arms, dropping the hand from her sword pommel as well. "Mom," Amy begins, glancing toward the dais.

"Lady Graciel," she corrects, turning her head to stare at Sardoynx. "He's standing too near your throne."

With a flourish of red cape, someone else stands closer still. The billowing fabric comes from nowhere, disentangling itself to reveal its wearer: a tall, dark figure with skin like patterned stone. His laughter booms as he swishes his cape, spinning so that it makes him look like a dracula. "Good subjects, pay me heed!"

Dark Opal rises to his full height, armor glinting. He strokes the end of his upward-curling mustache, red eyes searching the gathered audience. His teeth are dazzlingly white. "I have come to hear you renew your vows to me. Me! All of you, renounce your pacts and bonds and ask for no blessings..."

The throne behind him erupts into weirdly colored flame, flickering between grey and white and silver. It builds, becoming a giant laughing skull with a lolling serpent's tongue.

"...SAVE MINE! HA HA HA HA."

It is an interesting truth that Booster lacks the ability to be embarrassed, so at Mordiel's suggestion he does not blush, nor does he even seem shocked. He just tells her, "Not even boulders can shatter this 'glass'. I'll promise you a kiss once I'm sure there isn't any danger..." His brow furrows a bit, and he gestures towards the dark figure on the dais with the wine glass he is holding. "I'm sorry, I am not really up on the most current political situation here. I'm going to assume that it would be a serious diplomatic faux pas for me to clobber him right now."

Booster starts to take a sip of his wine, looking concerned and mildly fascinated, then he pauses and adds, "I mean, otherwise, I can do that. I'm kind of holding back for the Princess's sake."

Blink. Rain looks a bit worried at the turn of affairs. She furrows her brows a bit, but then she smiles to the green-clad girl. "Thank you. And it is a pleasure to meet you, Princess Emerald. The Younger. Is there a preferred name or title I should use? I am - I - think - I am a bit - I would feel bad if I upset you, and um," She pauses. Was that proper? Oh geez. She does manage a half-bow. "And really? I guess that makes sense. Although, I wonder if sometimes dragon humor doesn't translate well. " After all, the ones she ran into here had an odd fixation and many fire related hobbies. Hmm. "Uh oh." She blinks, as the throne erupts into flame and then suddenly he's riffing off of Skeletor, GI Joe and possibly some snakes (do you have any idea how hard it is to find a lawyer as a snake? Ssssssssssub poenas are the worst!). Rain is still terribly awkward.

Prince Topaz vows to spend his life in her defense, if it should be needful. "Oh, Prince...! You needn't - I mean, I can - Oh!"

Dark Opal appears. 'nuff said, true believers.

Meggan stares at this man with an expression of pure surprise, which soon tapers into a sort of squinting puzzlement, and then a slowly dawning, stiff-lipped defiant aspect. The skull over the throne, she thinks. REALLY.

Inwardly, she considers her options. But she's loving her dress and this is a wonderful party, with a charming prince and everything. Therefore, she asks Prince Topaz, quietly, "I can bear you from here, Prince, or someone else, if you've need to leave. He doesn't have any horcruxes, does he...?"

For a moment or two, Kwabena is distracted from the proceedings by the the manner in which the old wizard respond to his advice. He cocks his head, watches silently as the wizard scurries off, then looks back toward Sardonyx and the impressive arrival of Dark Opal.

And he cocks an eyebrow in an utterly disbelieving manner.

Now, this is one of those rare moments where Kwabena isn't about to rush in, bust something up, and cause explosions. He's actually being tactful. The fucktacle that just took place in Nevada has him thinking very hard and very long about this little thing one calls, 'tact'. So, he lifts his wine glass and begins drinking - it is good wine - but as he performs what many-a-spy refer to as the 'disarmingly slow booze chug', he's gradually turning about until he's in position where he can keep an eye trained on Lordimus Opalus, and another on Pete Wisdom. Why Pete, rather than Amethyst?

Because if shit goes down, he can't base his play on the woman of the hour and her actions. He's got to base his play on the actions of those who are severely interested in protecting her. He's just along for the ride.

And really. The skull is pretty damned tacky.

Watching Dark Opal with rapt attention... Ali leans her head towards Lord Turquoise without taking her eyes off the garish (yes, even by HER standards: garish!) scene; "I'm going to guess that we're not going to encourage this. Do you fight, Lord Preet? Are your men prepared under all their finery?"

This is also why the Defenders need comm units! Nevermind what you might have heard about Dazzler and comm units.

Hiding her face breifly behind her glass of wine (while finishing it, because it IS good), Ali turns to crane her neck a bit and see if she can catch the eye of any of her comrades.

Well: Pete would also rather stick by Amethyst, but she doesn't tend to need his protection, and he's bound to keep his focus split her way anyway. So he slips away into the startled crowd, seeking out his friends and their situations. He has relatively recent locks on their general positions, so it doesn't take him long. Rain first-- when he sees her with a young girl in green, he bends down a little, one hand on Rain's back and fingertips lightly on the girl's shoulder. "Things," he says in a low voice, "are about to get unsafe. Rain, if you'd escort this lovely young woman to a place of safety -- she's most likely to know where and with whom she should go -- I would be most obliged." Softly and urgently spoken, quick and quiet, and he's gone into the crowd again.

Next up is Meggan -- who's with -- the most dramatic blond guy he's seen since Braddock himself at his angstiest; he can't help rolling his eyes, but it's over with by the time he gets there. "My lord, my lady," he says to them (whilst projecting toward Meggan his expectations of her to BE MEGGAN ABOVE ALL, just in case), "please watch each other's backs; if you can get someone trustworthy to help spread the word for noncombatants to get to a safe place as quickly as possible, what's potentially an overabundance of tragedy may be averted."

Done, done, and on to the next one! Booster-- is freakin' just fine. And so is Mordiel. Booster and cougars, frequently inevitable. So, Alison! Who is... talking to someone that looks suspiciously like Pete's own self. Once more slipping through the crowd, Wisdom approaches the two and tells them-- he's getting out of breath by now, all this rushing and talking fast, "Trying to get noncombatants out in case this turns into the shitstorm it looks like it might. My lord, please have some of your people to see to this; else be ready for said chaos. Amethyst is with Strange. Dazz, flashbangs between the crowd and the dias on notice if necessary, else improv as ever."

He stays there a second longer so he can scan for Shift-- /there/. And Shift is, in fact looking at him. Excellent. Pete jerks his head toward the closest shadows, mimes smoking a cigarette and blowing the smoke overhead, then indicates Opal and Sardonyx with another tilt of his head. His face is grim. He hopes Kwa gets the idea. He misses groupthink, for like, once in his life.

"Ah," Strange contritely murmurs as Dark Opal gives his spiel; by the end of it, he is frowning down at the floor.

"My apologies; no disrespect intended." It's only when Opal lapses into maniacal cackling that the Doctor dares look over at Graciel. "Admittedly, I never--had much cause to follow Nilaan politics," he adds, a bit lamely. After a lingering look up at the dais, he looks to Graciel one more time and says, "In any case, if you will excuse me..."

He's about as familiar with Dark Opal's person as his policies, but all the same, he contorts his left hand into a defensive form beneath his cape as he follows Pete's lead in entering the crowd--or, rather, backing away from Graciel until he's among the rest of the gathering. Instead of recon, his focus is on trying to put himself where he may be most needed, should Dark Opal happen to decide to pop off--and as long as Amethyst is with her mother, it may not necessarily be 'at Graciel's side'.

"It wouldn't be the first Housemeet to end that way, actually," Lady Mordiel muses. She shrugs. "You should do it. By necessity I am attempting to be a nicer person, however, so I will tell you that you will likely end up turned into a statue or dimensionally shifted into the Squamous Maze."

She taps the edge of her empty glass. "I'm sure mazes are not high on your party activity list."

"Just Princess Emerald," the girl replies to Rain. "Unless one of my older sisters are there, and then you should talk to them." When Pete arrives, she looks mutely up at him, and then turns her green eyes on Rain to see her response. As Dark Opal continues his routine, a green-clad guard arrives and clears his throat. The young princess frowns, waves at Rain, and allows herself to be led away.

"Ah, brave vision of nobility!" Topaz murmurs, still standing in a defiant stance against the dais. "Be you a spirit, sent by nature to carry me away to peaceful flowering fields? Aye, I wish I could fly with you to this wondrous place, where I could compose my poetry in peace forever more, but..."

His hand strays to his jeweled sword. "...I am a prince, and cannot deny my duty. Save another soul, fairest one! I go to stand with my fellows--and perhaps to breathe my last!"

Topaz dashes off, making his way through the crowds. The turquoise armored woman from earlier is near his destination, and slaps him on the back when he arrives. He doubles over coughing.

"Nope," Preet replies, eyes wide and wine suddenly gone. He smiles brightly but also deliriously at Pete when he arrives. "'Shitstorms?' There's a first time for everything, I guess. Look, I don't handle guards. There's a lot of very impressive older men with beards who handle House Turquoise's soldiers. What I do handle is not being around when flaming skulls become a part of the conversation. I'll be sure to tell my top beard guy what's happening on my way out. Want to come?"

He waits a beat for a response, then nods at the answer, salutes, and slips into the crowd. He's gone in a moment.

Graciel clutches Amethyst's arm. The princess tears her gaze from Dark Opal to look at her mother, seeing her without pretense for the first time in months. This cuts through whatever problems they had. This is bad.

"Amaya, he will try to provoke you but he knows that he can no longer do as he pleases. Do not let him draw you into a situation where he has the upper hand."

Graciel's tone is sharp and instructive. She knows the situation as well as Amy. When two people live side by side for as long as they have, working against the odds that they have, they develop methods of finding the same page very quickly. She releases her daughter's arm. Princess Amethyst turns to look up onto the dais, where Dark Opal is performing an impromptu wedding for a terrified young couple.

"It's okay, mom," she mutters, low enough that no one will hear her call her that. "We're going to play it cool."

Now, where did Pete get to?

"I appreciate the warning, Lady Mordiel," Booster says, rather graciously under the circumstances. "I understand there is always danger involved in dealing with this kind of situation." He looks around, then, and puts his wine glass on the nearest table. "I'll hope the maze doesn't have a ceiling." He floats up into the air, then, touching his fingertips to his forehead in a little salute to Lady Mordiel, and then he flies towards the dais.

Although Booster is wearing appropriate finery for the occasion, he is glowing golden, which works well with all the purple. "Excuse me," he says, floating as he addresses Dark Opal. He folds his arms across his chest. "I think there are those here who might... take umbrage with these claims you're making. I think you need to calm down and preferably use your inside voice while we deal with this."

Rain frowns a little. Sadface. She nods to the Princess. "I see. And oh. Um, see you. Good to meet you, your highness!" Rain waves. Well. That's that, and she will move closer to Pete and the others, doing her best to see if she can hear anything. And she's possibly in time, hoping that Booster doesn't get mauled by passing cougars (literal or figurative -dating ouside your genus is always awkward). Inch, inch through the crowd. The (not so) Majestic Rain is doing what she does best - squeakin' through! Towards Amy and possibly Pete!

Meggan picks up Pete's vibe, but with some confusion at first. Her brow furrows, lips pursing - and then enlightenment dawns, like sun on a clear Midlands morning!

Her attention returns to Topaz then, and when she sees him reaching for his sword, she curls her hand - fingernails manicured, draped with a sheen of satin linked to a ring on her middle finger, just like Daphne the princess - in echoed resolve.

Resolve that echoes out from her in turn, like a subtle emotional chime. It is perhaps a very British emotion, a slightly frowning determination, and hopefully it will pour out and stiffen spines that may be wobbling, and still feet that may be tempted to flee or kneel.

Folding her arms, Meggan answers Topaz: "Yes."

And also, "I won't leave, then. Not unless someone's hurt." Her lower lip pooches out just a bit, and she strides a half-pace behind the Prince, if he moves.

"You got it," Ali tells Pete, and then - yes, she blows a kiss to the departing Preet and downs the rest of her wine. It's focus time: Someone said IMPROVISE!

It's a trick she's only pulled a couple of times; focusing the sounds her powers sometimes make to be specific rather than whatever randomly expresses itself (A 'Zark!' here, a 'PAFF!' there), as well as the focus complicated holograms require... The stored energy cost is vast, but the result will hopefully be worth it.

"NEVER!" - the voice seems to come from... Lord Sardonyx himself?! A chorus of "WE RENOUNCE YOU!" from other nobles of the house joins shortly thereafter.

"YOU'RE A FOOL, OPAL!" Shouts... Lady Sapphire?! "House Sapphire will see your END!" Her whole house seems to shout "*AYE!!*" in solidarity.

Before anyone can realize there are duplicates of several of these people, and that the noise is a bit off; before Dark Opal can do more than sputter or turn purple with rage... A series of magnesium-bright flashes bloom to life around Dark Opal and his 'loyal' houses, less-bright 'guide lights' leading non-combatants towards the exits.

Anyone looking at Dazzler after all this will notice that she's definitely going to need a minute or two to gather herself back up to snuff.

Then, during the confusion, a column of darkness falls from the ceiling. In a place like Gemworld, there are bound to be all sorts of rumors, mostly related to magic and magicking. However, this column of smoke is no spell, nor is it incantation, for it is the living biomatter that is Shift.

The tendrils of living smoke curl around each other -- perhaps on their own, perhaps for dramatic effect -- until they split into two distinct columns. One piles right into Opal's mouth and nose, the other searching for the same of Sardonyx. For a moment, both find themselves stuck upright as the smoke fills every crevasse of their lungs, so forceful that the bodies can't even cough him out at first.

And then, when the coughs do come? Shift fights it, forcing his way deeper and deeper.


 * CUT TO MARVEL INSIDER INTERVIEW**

"'There's a joke to be made here', we said." Joss Whedon recounts his journey at writing 'Shift: In Gemworld'.

"We smoked ample amount of reefer while considering whether to make the joke or not, but in the end, Pizza and Doritos won the day, and the writers decided not to make lewd jokes about just how deep Shift can go. Instead, we all laughed and laughed about that one time that Cyclops let a blast loose into a Fleshy Wall. Wasn't it Liefeld who wrote that one? Ah, fuck it, really we just got stupid high and decided to write this shit because, fuck it, why not?"

-Joss Whedon, 2014.


 * CUT BACK TO THE SCENE**

Pete looks up from where he's darted and ducked behind and around people, blank face trained on Booster for a second-- he should've expected that. He knows he should have expected that. It's an excellent diversion, and once he starts thinking about this later, he'll hate himself just a little more for thinking of Booster's invulnerable diplomacy as a distraction instead of what it is. But with all eyes on him, for now, this'll be so much easier.

He's most of the way across the room from Amethyst, gone up and around toward the front but making sure he's moving with the crowd, his dark purple clothing only one color among many. When he sees the duplicates starting to appear, he looks to make sure he sees smoke and then pushes up to the side of the front of the crowd. He's in position. Shift's in position. Confusion is mounting. He comes up alongside Gilad and the Lady Turquoise and says quietly, "Try to only subdue the ones whose loyalties to him are questionable. And close your eyes until after the thunder."

And then the flashbangs, and-- though he can't see for all the brightness, Peter Wisdom knows exactly where Dark Opal is. It's all in a split second that he brings his hands up to his sides and quite literally shoots from the hip: ten incandescently brilliant slivers, sharp as obsidian and hot as the sun, fly straight and true toward the traitorous snake. But who can even see something like that, for all the sudden deafening sound and light?

He'd been having a rather pleasant exchange about just -how- to broach a castle wall. As Lady Turquoise had been expousing the finer details of having ramparts fully armed and loaded for bear, Gilad had been discussing just how to broach the defenses with a broad and quick strike, achieving full penetration of the defenses with an entering wedge. And then things went to hell, and the Eternal Warrior exchanges a quick glance with the Lady Turquoise.

Taking a deep breath, Gilad inclines his head towards Turquoise. "Milady. I shall follow your lead." She, of course, would know best who the ones would be questionable.

"Seraphim shield the man of Gold," Strange murmurs as he carefully weaves through the crowd, "lest Dark Opal expose him to horrors untold!" His right arm is thrust high for a moment when he completes the invocation, and then Booster's field ripples, before almost seeming to boil momentarily; when it settles, a web of protective symbols is visible just beneath its surface.

The skulls, the flashbangs, the illusions, the hot knives, Shift--there are an awful number of distractions and obfuscations making it difficult to immediately determine what, exactly, is happening on the dais, but Booster Gold's forcefield is difficult to miss, and with the turn that things have taken, giving it a little extra reinforcement against whatever foul magics Dark Opal might bring to bear given a moment to focus himself seems like the most expedient option; if push comes to shove - if Booster has to absorb Opal's wrath for the sake of protecting the other attendees from it - he may as well have the best chances the Sorceror Supreme can provide of not winding up a gold and blue frog, or something.

Prince Topaz, who has joined Lady Turquoise--who does not appear to be any relation to Lord Turquoise, judging from her hair--looks back at Meggan and grins ruefully. "Ah. Another soul bound by concern. We truly are damned, but beautifully so."

Lady Turquoise pauses in her conversation with Gilad to look at Topaz incredulously. She is thankfully given something else to concentrate on by Pete, to whom she cannot resist grinning. She looks like someone just told her what she's getting for her birthday.

With a wave, Dark Opal dismisses the happy couple, who are now wed in opalescent matrimony.

This neatly leaves him facing Booster Gold, to whom he smiles. It is the kind of smile that his eyes do not share.

"A petitioner!" he hisses, grasping his cape. "For shame, to waste your audience with me speaking nonsense." The weirdly-patterned man raises his hand, fingers curling. "Now, to give you your answer--"

The ghostly voices interrupt him. The room falls silent, even more than it already had. No shuffling. No murmurs. No sighs. Sardonyx, occupying one of the lower steps on the dais, turns white as a sheet. He glances up to Dark Opal, then, with a face full of fury, raises his hands and turns his glowing fingertips on the crowd.

Dark Opal's expression slinks away, leaving a blank harshness on his striped face. He looks across the crowd, and fixes eyes on Dazzler.

Not that he has time to do anything. The flash part of flashbang explodes before him, obscuring Opal and his supporters, as the Houses Sardonyx and Sapphire compose the majority of those around the throne.

The crowd, already uneasy from the witchery--literally everyone in the room is a wizard, and things not being what they seem is easier to accept--breaks. There are further lights and flashes as motivated or paranoid spellcasters make their exits, and booming yells as guard captains organize their staffs and account for their charges.

Shift's gamble is played. Lord Sardonyx, roaring and gesturing, is an easy target aside from the forceful exhalation. The X-Man paralyzes him in short order, leaving the armored man at the mercy of his stolen lungs.

Dark Opal is much the same. There is no struggling, however, which makes it actually easier. The coughing never comes. What Shift may not be able to see, however, is Dark Opal raising his hands and twisting them into a single, forceful gesture.

The bottom of his lungs split open, revealing a starfield. It is space. It has to be. That's the only way to explain all the air rushing into the vacuum. In the distance, a huge, purple-grey planet spins around to reveal an enormous face with red eyes and a dazzling smile. It opens its titanic mouth: "HA HA HA HA HA."

On the dais, Dark Opal keeps his mouth wide open as he begins to walk down the stairs. An inhuman howl shrieks from between his smiling lips as more air is sucked into his lungs, along with a distant "ha ha ha ha ha."

Lady Turquoise had her sword out before this even really began, when people were still trying to make sense of things. It is a huge, monstrous slab of wicked metal. Prince Topaz, by comparison, has drawn a slender jeweled blade and interposed himself for Meggan's defense.

Turquoise, bellowing loud enough to be heard over the retreating crowd and the howling Opal and mutant lightbursts, offers Gilad her battle plan: "ALL OPAL-LOVERS MUST DIE."

She is not fast enough. Dark Opal, barely down two steps, is pierced by multiple incandescent knives. He stops suddenly, closes his mouth, and looks down. Perhaps satisfied, he collapses and rolls down the stairs, tangling up in his voluminous cape as he goes.

Lady Turquoise stops, the point of her sword lowering in defeat. "I--huh."

"WHAT DID YOU DO," Princess Amethyst shrieks, fingers threaded through her hair but not quite tearing it out. Her mother stands behind her, statue-like in poise and readability. A towering, burly man in yellow holds her by her elbow, whispering into her ear. She nods.

The room is mostly clear. House Amethyst guards and several retinues of particularly friendly and over-represented houses--Citrine, Diamond, Topaz, Turquoise--remain in the room. They are only half brought to bear against the masses of Sardoynx and Sapphire soldiers, because the latter two are intent on tearing each other to shreds.

It is not quiet, but it is close. Lady Graciel gestures, and then her voice speaks as if she is standing just nearby:


 * "An army marches from the northeast."|

"The Red Prince!" Topaz announces with appropriate theater-sense, turning from the contained Sardoynx-Sapphire melee. "He marches with Lady Sapphire's army!"

Still floating in mid-air, Booster looks legitimately shocked when the attack is pressed against Lord Sardonyx and Dark Opal. Even though he brought his hand up reflexively to shield his eyes when the flash-bangs went off, he is close enough to make out what happens. He looks around, then drops down to land at the base of the steps.

This should not be a big surprise to anyone who knows Booster; even though he flew up with the intention of possibly punching Dark Opal if he did not cease his dramatics, now he is crouching down to see if the guy is dead or alive.

Holy noodles. Pete just got all up in Dark Opal's grill. WITH HOT KNIVES AND STUFF. Rain is stunned, and jerks reflexively. Her survival instinct cancelling curiousity is down for routine maintenance today. Rain looks just as confused as Lady Turquoise and shrugs. A sympathetic, confused look. "Yeah..." She looks boggled. Dark Opal's going all SPACE ODDITY on Kwabena and things just got all weird. Then Amy shrieks and is - doing her thing. Rain is at a loss, but she'll make sure no one gets out of the contained melee or watch for anyone friendly who needs a spot of healing. Or anyone in need of a newting. She's going to do that, yes.

Someone who was looking right at Meggan might see her eyelids momentarily seal shut, but that's one of those super-slow-mo camera things. She's run into flash-bang devices before, although she does seem momentarily befuzzled by the bang part.

The wind tugs at her hair. The hell wind, the space wind. Her eyes are revealed again. She sees a planet, laughing.

Meggan frowns.

"Peter," she says, with a sort of weak disapproval, and a frown. It is more sorrowful than furious as she thinks: killing an enemy or trying to, anyway, is terrible - but he was demanding fealty, like on Game of Thrones, and, of course, the man appeared to have a space portal with an evil planet in his abdomen. Even so, after all of this -

Army!!

She looks up, to Prince Topaz, biting her lip. Her eyes flick around - seeing Captain Booster Gold getting down to see if the man's alive or dead-- there's Amaya herself of course -- where are the others? She can't make them out. "Whose army is that? Is that good?" she asks Topaz, plucking, on reflex, at his sleeve.

Kwabena wasn't entirely sure what Pete had up his sleeve. He's also certainly not expecting for the space he's occupying to become space of an entirely different nature. It's all he can do not to reform while still inside both Opal and Sardonyx, for he realizes in the nick of time that if he's really going into space, he'd better stay in smoke form. The gas comes pouring out of Sardonyx, freeing him from it's grasp while being sucked toward that gaping maw.

He's also not expecting to come into contact with super-hot plasma, but after Istanbul especially, Wisdom knew exactly what he was doing. The hotknives, cutting through Opal, ignite the gas that has filled the enemy's lungs. For Kwabena, it's either let the singed part of his transformed body go, forever to be lodged in Opal's chest cavity, or transform with it.

He goes with the latter.

Suddenly, millions of gaseous bio-particles become super-excited, turning into plasma while still trapped inside of Opal's body. The chain reaction rips upward, making it appear as if Opal just began to violently exhale white-hot energy. Oh, he'll try to free himself from Opal's chest cavity, but if he's not fast enough...

Well.

Things for Opal might get pretty ugly.

There's a moment as all Hell is breaking loose, that a very tired Dazzler locks eyes with an incensed Dark Opal... and a shiver runs right down her spine. He knows? How--?

The thing with having mutant mastery over light: with all the chaotic and bring things happening, you still see *everything.* Even things as bright or hot as the sun. When Dark Opal goes down, Dazzler sees it. She knew Pete was planning SOMEthing... but a political assassination?

She'll have to decide how she feels about it later; now is Battle. Dazzler will decide how being able to switch mental gears keeps getting easier and easier makes her feel later, too. Once the incoming Red Prince and armies are announced and fretted over, there's a strange moment where there isn't a sound throughout all of Castle Amethyst -- Dazzler's fists balled at her sides, she doesn't even *glow*, not yet. She's has a horrible feeling she's going to need every decibel of it.

The scream of outrage from Amethyst shreds Pete from one side; the quiet sorrowful disapproval from Meggan cuts from the other.

Wisdom doesn't have the time or capacity for emotion right now.

Shielding his eyes, the Briton yells out, "Carter! Get back--!" but then Shift's doing the thing that was going to be the fallback plan in case the hotknives didn't actually wax the guy, and now might be overkill but it's better to be safe than sorry, right?

Then Wisdom's on his way back toward Amaya and Graciel and Strange, and possibly even Mordiel, but he's not running this time. More like walking purposefully and quickly. His face is white, but his hands are steady. "My liege, my lady," he says to Amy and her mother respectively with an abbreviated bow, clipped and businesslike; his words thereafter are fast and steamroller-relentless. "The army may disperse at the news; with respect, I suggest allowing three of the most frightened and confused members of House Sapphire to bring it to them, shadowed by a scout. They're no longer in the position I presume they believe they held, and hearing of chaos, betrayal, and the death of Dark Opal may stay them long enough for you to muster and inform the loyal forces herein; the scout should be unseen, and fast enough to get back with an assessment."

Okay, maybe his hands are shaking a little; maybe that's why he's clasped them behind his back, standing stiffly.

At last! The time for action was set. And with Lady Turquoise leading the way, Gilad joined her side, sword at ready.

But when Turquoise freezes, Gilad hesitates, due to Amethyst's cry.

"Amaya?" Gilad asks, confusion clear on his face. What was he to fight? There is a look towards Turquoise, and then Gilad approaches Amethyst slowly, quietly. Stoic as ever, he inquires, "Milady? What would you have us do?"

Doctor Strange can't - or perhaps just doesn't - do much more than watch as Dark Opal descends to his messy, plasma-induced death. His eyes are still wide with disbelief as he scans the crowd for, then watches Pete as he heads towards Amaya and her mother, and by the time the Agent is laying out his advice, Stephen has to shut his eyes and look away to re-center himself.

"Eye of Agamotto," he murmurs after exhaling, "let us speak without words..." A golden circle glows beneath his tunic for a moment before going dim, and the possibly familiar feeling of having one's consciousness expanded in a contained fashion spreads throughout the team.


 * "We'll want to keep an eye on any stragglers,"| he thinks as he tries to work his way through the crowd to the dais, so that he can lend an expert eye to Booster's check-up, |"Princess: be on guard, in case Dark Opal still has some hidden trick remaining--or if he still has some life left in him."|

Dark Opal is wrapped up in his cape and dead. Booster, who is from the future, will have the expertise to tell that it was from knives.

"The Red Prince, Carnelian," Prince Topaz continues, grim. "He is Dark Opal's misbegotten son. It has long been suggested that he would be wed to Lady Sapphire to secure his father's alliance. Only Sapphire's magic could allow an army to penetrate this far into the heartland during a Housemeet!"

Dark Opal's corpse begins to heave. His mouth burns first as the plasma first escapes from there, but soon after the cape catches fire as well. The majority of the Sardonyx and Sapphire soldiers have been subdued at this point, but as the fallen Lord Opal is proven definitively dead by plasma steadily eating away his chest cavity, the rest surrender or are swept from the field. This is in no small part due to Lady Turquoise finally wading in, having abandoned her sword to favor her mailed fists.

Lord Sardonyx, fierce to the last even has he fights off the lingering pain of Shift's attack, looks upon Opal with a mixture of revulsion and contempt. Wordlessly, he reaches for a jewel set into his gauntlet and crushes it, disappearing in a flash of light and a rush of wind.

Princess Amethyst does not look at Pete. She stares past him, where the soldiers of House Amethyst and their allies are neatly pulling aside Opal's retinue. The dark lord's body remains where it is, smoking and still.

Behind her, Lady Graciel stands with her hands at her side and chin tilted up. She is flanked by her advisers, each a heroic sort in their own right. She, not her daughter, is looking at Pete. From the look of her, she has already made her decision. She must not be curious about what her daughter is thinking.

The princess's movements are slow and uncertain, like she is numb. Her hands fall from her head, though they hang limply and without her mother's martial pride. She finds Pete's gaze, her expression uncomprehending. "People live here, Pete. This is their home. They're going to have to live with this!"

Lady Mordiel sweeps out from behind a pillar, her dress flowing about her bare feet as she steps sprightly into the light. "They'll already know he's dead, if he's dead," she says. "Everyone will, soon. Of course, I could explain what's happening to you, but let's just leave it at--" Mordiel wiggles her fingers, "--magic."

Graciel is unmoved by her sister. Instead: "Princess Amethyst. The other houses will be waiting for a proclamation. What are your orders?"

Amethyst falls to her knees, legs splayed awkwardly. She's not used to wearing dresses like this. "I--I think we--"

Amy buries her face in her hands. "Go home. I want you all to go home. I have to fix this."

Lady Graciel crosses her arms. "Doctor Strange," she says, voice raised. "Will you honor the princess's wishes, or must we plan for war with you as well?"

Booster is leaning in to assess Dark Opal's condition, and when the corpse erupts with liquid fire he leans back with his hand up as if to shield his face. This is simply reflex, as his force field--reinforced with Doctor Strange's magic--protects him from the flames. His hair and clothing flutter in the buffeting heat, but he does not look at all singed as he rises to his feet. "He -is- dead, unless he has the power to .. replace or renew himself." He takes a few steps back, away from the roasted body, then turns to walk closer to where Amethyst is. Quieter, he says, "Princess, I'll do as you ask. Although if you need my help in any way, I'll stay."

"..." Oh geez. Poor Pete. Poor Amy. Rain feels a twinge of sadness and guilt for both. She looks between them. A deep breath. She looks to Amy. "I won't disobey, but if there's anything I can do, let me know, okay?" Rain realizes she's just a commoner, but hey. She can try, right? She looks to Pete, perhaps trying to figure out his reaction. Concern on her face is evident for both. Right then.

Meggan says to Topaz, baffled, "Then all of this was --?"

She looks at the dead man, wicked as he may be; steals a momentary glance to Pete, but only a momentary one. "... I hope we'll meet again," she tells the Prince, "but... I fear that I must leave." Her wistful tone shifts as she says, a bit more grumpily, "And we only got to spend a few /minutes/...!"

She draws away from the blond man and moves towards - well, the other blond man, her heels clicking as she sneaks Rain a momentary finger-wiggling wave, having finally caught sight of her again.

She considers saying something to Lady Graciel, but in the end, only gives her a vaguely wounded look.

Spewn forth from the mouth of Lord Opal, the brilliant bands of pure white energy coalesce around something vaguely human shaped. It is with great effort that Kwabena musters the energy to become absorbed into his body, his gaseous body, and the bands soon begin to fade, consumed by tendrils of black. It is much like the invisible wrapping of a body in bandage that Kwabena reforms, strands of smoke turning back into flesh and bone.

When he's finally 'human' again, the mutant finds himself amidst chaos. There is pointing and screaming, one lady screaming out about how Opal has given birth to a new, dark form, clad in black. Indeed, the purple garments long forgotten, Kwabena is in the gunmetal gray of his X-Men uniform, sans X markings of course, which makes him appear quite out of place.

A gasp of air precedes the rampant reaching of hands for different parts of his body, patting them down to make sure he's all still in one piece. Only then does he turn to look behind with a grimacing frown at what's left over. For a moment he's caught up in it, before the magic expands his mind in a way much similar to Nate Grey's telepathic link.

Scrambling to his feet, Kwabena leaves Opal to Booster and Strange, moving through the crowds with long, purposeful steps. His expression has gone utterly blank. Famished, he snatches up a discarded leg of meat from some place nearby and just eats. Absorbing all of that plasma expends a lot of energy, and he feels as if he's breaking a week's fast. It's an odd sight, to be sure; the man turned weapon, feasting on someone else's spoils as he seeks out his compatriots. It doesn't matter to him who delivered the killing stroke; the end result was gruesome.

Dazzler only nods at Amy - though she does briefly touch her fist to her heart, before she walks over to join Shift and give him something resembling a sardonic smile. "I think this might make you an official Defender. Have you had enough 'weird' yet?" She's got to make light, otherwise the mood is just too oppressively heavy for her to bear. "C'mon, let's get out of here."

Wisdom meets Lady Graciel's gaze evenly, silent for a moment before he glances toward Mordiel, if only briefly. Then his eyes are on Princess Amethyst. He doesn't move toward her, doesn't try to touch her; he suspects any attempt to do so would only result in revulsion on her part, and possibly a scene.

"Highness," he says after one abortive attempt, "I know that. If you order me back, I'm bound to go. If I've broken my oath, I'll bear those consequences under Nilaian law as surely as I intend to see this through." A beat. Then, steadily, "to fix this with the least possible loss of life."

His face is still white; his eyes aren't shuttered-- but since Amy's face is in her hands, it'll only be Graciel that sees the despair and resolve there. It'll only be the team that hears his thought: 'Let the Defenders help you, even if you never want to see me again.'

Doctor Strange is more interested in seeking out lurking malevolent energies or the like than checking Dark Opal's vitals as such, his check-up mostly consists of passing a hand above and along the length tyrant's body while staring at it really intently. The Eye of Agamotto snakes up from beneath his tunic to settle on his brow as he does his examination, but it's more of a formality than anything.

That third eye is still there when Strange straightens up, and it remains open when the other two shut as he briskly rubs his face once his hands fall, he turns to look between Lady Graciel and her daughter's requests, and his attention eventually settles on the former.

"There is more at play, here--more at stake than this man's untimely end and the ramifications of it, milady," he says in a voice that's both weary and resolved. "I cannot leave--" He momentarily pauses and begins to correct himself before stopping again as he considers his allies.

Well--one ally, in particular Pete gets a conflicted look before he returns his attention to Graciel and exhales, "We can't leave without some assurance that they'll be seen to. If that's cause enough to declare war, then by all means--make whatever plans feel are necessary." His attention shifts to Amethyst as he notes, "You would, regrettably, not be the first--on this mission alone," but he has to quickly turn his eyes back to Graciel, lest the determined face he's managing to put forward crack.

"I only ask that you wait to enact them until after your land are cleansed of the darkness descending on it."

Prince Topaz's smile is the happily ever after that follows the darkest storm. He briefly cups Meggan's cheek. "You may see me again any time you wish, dearest maiden, if only you look into the first rays of a clear day's sun."

He turns away, cape swirling, a single tear rolling down his cheek.

"When I am away, this is how I remember home."

Dark Opal is dead. There are no malevolent energies from the body. His pendant, shaped like a leering face, is an unusual void. It is, however, inactive.

"You really do not respect us, do you?" Lady Graciel says, condemnation creeping into her otherwise impassive tone. "This is why I shunned Earth's magical community during my exile. This is why I chose to return to Nilaa after all those years. It is the callous individuality."

Amethyst tucks her legs beneath her, proud enough to compose herself but not enough to stand. "I am not angered," she says, dully. "I am not making a poor decision." The princess pointedly stares forward, toward the dais, and no one else.

"It was wrong of me to bring everyone here like this. This is not how I should have conducted myself. Please, leave, for now. I will send for you when there is something constructive to be done."

The princess grasps her amulet. Another swirling, purple-white portal glimmers into existence near her. She looks up to Strange. "I know what I am doing."

Booster nods to Princess Amethyst, then turns and very quietly says to Doctor Strange, "Meaning no disrespect, Doctor, this isn't our decision to make." He gives a slight bow to the remainder of the court, and of course Lady Mordiel gets a special nod, and then Booster heads for the portal. That seems to be that--it is remarkably serious behavior for Booster Gold, but the truth is he is rattled beyond the means to deal with it by making lighthearted comments.

This matter goes beyond Meggan's head, for the most part. She returns Prince Topaz's gaze as he cups her cheek, eyes wide and liquid. "Ah..."

And then they part.

She looks towards Amethyst with a slight pooching out of the lower lip, emanating sympathy wordlessly, before pausing to give her a deep, heartfelt curtsey. After this: Through the gate!

Dazzler just gets a 'look' from Shift, but that's probably in part because he's all but gorging himself on the meat of some animal he's probably never heard of before.

Pete's voice in his head draws his attention, even as he takes up pace next to Alison. The expression is noted, as is the whole way Amethyst seems to be reacting to this.

"Someone's gonna have to make sure he doesn't ovah do it on de scotch latah." There's an undertone to Shift's response to Dazzler that suggests that yes, this does make him an official Defender.

Without another word, he walks toward the portal. There's a pack of cigarettes and a flask full of bourbon back home.

That's it, then. Pete steps back, gives an almost mechanically perfunctory bow, and steps toward the event horiz-- the portal, working at something on his belt as he goes. He doesn't look at anyone else, doesn't give anyone any challenges, doesn't-- anything.

Even stops walking for a second, and just looks down at the gorgeous floor, and the long strip of mist silk that just fell through his hands and fluttered there. Through his hands, insubstantial, untouchable.

He closes his eyes, and leaves.

"I am simply unwilling to risk allowing my respect for Nilaa's independence to lead to endanger it," Doctor Strange evenly replies, "any more than our carelessness already has." He seems to have even more to say on his - and the Defenders' - behalf, but when Amethyst speaks, his protests melt away so that he can fix his attention on her and listen; his resolved expression, much like his defiant words, falls away as he does so, and by the time the portal has appeared, he is squinting gravely at his apprentice, somewhere between concern and wounded pride.

"If you're certain, Amy--if you are absolutely certain that this is what's best for you and your people..." he quietly concedes before turning his eyes away from she and her mother both and heading for the portal.

"You know how to reach us--and that I can be here in moments, should the need ever arise." The last reminder is given as he passes the royal pair, and right afterwards, he steps through the portal and is gone.

The portal closes behind strange.

Amy Winston remains on the floor. The guards have returned the room to normalcy. It's just House Amethyst now. The ally and vassal house members have left. Just family.

"I liked them," Mordiel says stretching her arms. "Did you see the shape-changer? It was like he was breaking for tea."

Graciel does not approach her daughter. She glances over her shoulder and nods to the larger man on her right. He silently crosses the room. Dark Opal's corpse must be taken to the divination pools.

"Amaya. This is going to get worse before it has any chance of getting better."

The princess does not respond. Mordiel places a hand on her sister's shoulder. Graciel bows her head.

"Amy. Did you enjoy your time on Earth?"

"I did," Princess Amethyst replies.