"Well I have poison frog mutation that is what the spots are for.. even if I feel naked showing them off like this. I am use to hiding them and covering them up in some way or another."

Ouch. .............note to self dont ask people about their mutations. they immediately ask you the same. telling people you control the dead isnt the best way to make friends...........

Cadaver almost flinched. That now stupid smile on his face.
"my powers arent as pleasant as yours..... they arent even ethical. even though ethics are all opinion most would find my abilities....well..... distasteful." A small spider, hanging from its thread landed on the banister. a thought twinkled in cadaver's grey eyes. the eyes of the dead. "however maybe i can show u without completely scaring this whole crowd." he inclined his head towards the banister. he gently and quickly squished it. "Your not an arachnid love are you?"

Cadaver's eyes glowed faintly then more brightly. that same light. one step form holy. 2 from evil. "i was given the ability to not only control dead tissues.... thus i can make undead things. i can also stitch bodies together like frankenstein." His hand wave randomly above the cadaver of the spider. tissues and muscles and organs and carapace all slowly pieced together.The little body twitched and shook finnally becoming whole again. it all took about a minute and a half. ...........thank god the body was small a human body crushed like that would make me pass out. im usually up for attaching limbs.........

Then the spider got up, crawled around a little, and waved 2 forearms at kasumi. Cadaver smiled "you can see how this would cause unrest if this was a human body"

His glowing eyes looked at her while the spider danced what could have been a jig. "what do u think?"

It was a young man who's clothes she tucked. He seemingly had not idea who Valentine was. Kind of strange even for her seeing as it was his birthday party. She shrugged it of as it was a party and nothing more. The young man was talking about the big red man. This made her think that she was actually right and that he was valentine. If so, it was his birthday and that ment she had a reason to find him and talk to him.. not that she needed one.

He wanted her to follow him and meet two other people who might help her on her quest to find the birtday boy. It was a endouvar not to be taken lightly in her eyes. She never got birthday gifts so it was a top priority to deliver the present to the person throwing the party. She followed the young man and his date a bit shyly in the hopes of finding out more.

"Actually friend, i think the dress is lovely, To be honest, I've never been to anything quite like this, or worn a dress like this" She said. truthfully She felt her own dress to be rather restrictive, the fabric felt nice against the skin, as it was one of her favorite material's. Still all the fuss that had been spent getting her hair, nails and even getting her the dress had been almost overwhelming to her and then they decided she needed to wear these heels which Aura despised. She had a feeling the dress prolbely cost more then the rest of her wardrobe, though that was saying little.

"And Yes i Am a Mutant" Aura said proudly holding her head up a bit higher as she did. "And im guessing from your that pretty eye of yours that you are two" She said intrested in the girls mutation. She had littile idea how to act prim and proper, she was just trying to resist the urge not to kill a photographer, the flashing lights were annoying, she went to rub her eye before recalling being told not to as it would smudge the make up. "I have never been to anything quite like this" she admitted her eyes still darting around as she saw flashed of light.

She looked at leila and smiled brightly with her shimmering lips "hello" She said happier now that Leila was around, she trusted Leila quite a bit. "No you are not interrupting, as for the party, well this is the first like this i have been to one" She admitted and then pulling on her dress a bit. "Their seemed to be quite a lot of work that goes into just getting ready for them" she said a bit unaware that not all parties were quite like this. "To be honest all the flashing lights kind of get on my nerves" She said a bit quieter, she was trying to keep herself in check by keeper her anoyence with the camera's and all the hype below the surface, she could work the stress off later.

Aura scanned the room, something she had been trying not to do since she walked in but she easily spotted Sam, the Snowman who had tried to get her to turn herself in, like a convict turning them self in at the gallows door. Her eyes rested on Arielle for a brief moment before turning back to the two she was chatting with. As far as she knew this was suppose to be a peaceful event. Aura figured if they were invited then they, like her had been told to keep their cool.

Abyss was walking through the crowd and recognized a local billionaire was his name tump? Rump? Trumple? Bah, he didn’t care. It was the you’re fired guy.(insert odd hand gesture here) Abyss smiled wryly as a waiter handed the man something to drink and as he was about to drink the champagne, Abyss reached over and took the drink from the man’s hand and sipped from the fine crystal glass. He then commented crassly. “ could you be a dear and get me some of those delicious looking shrimp that they are carrying around?” He just spoke to one of the worlds most efficient business men as if he were one of the staff. Classic. Little did Abyss know he wasn’t picking on a human but a mutant.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mercury was currently flicking a table over and over watching the multi layered palettes of jello and other deserts shake and wiggle. He was progressively incressing the strength that he flicked the table with an would only flick it again when the gelatin had stopped wiggling. This last time was keeping him occupied with an odd smile on his face.

One of the braver staff members waked up to Mercury.

“Could I get you some Jello sir?”

“J-E-L-L-O, is made of horse hooves. Can I get you some horse hooves? Can you imagine someone turning your feet into such a weird and useless snack. I mean it isn’t really great, it is edible but not filling…no one, would choose this stuff as their last meal…and yet here we are surrounded by Hollywood. And Jello is on the snack table in heaps! Heaps!...Yeah I’ll take some, thanks. Can I have the orange one with the marsh mellows….I wonder if marshmallows are made from animal feet…Thanks.”

The girl walked over an scooped some of the orang stuff on to a plate and then carried it to the red giant. She then returned to her position with a less cheerful look on her face. Her eyes on the jello.

Mercury walked over to the nearest wall and begin his game again on a smaller scale.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mars was delighted to see that the celebrity wasn’t limited to the acting staff of Hollywood. There were great minds here, He was drawing himself into a heated debate about the genome project and wheter it was ethical. They only distraction was his eyes glancing at the entrance every so often. Pluto Had promised he was staying home, an said he could not be trusted here. But he felt in his gut that he was seizing the opportunity to make mischief. He hoped that Lori got his message about watching out for his brother he left it for her in what he thought was an obvious spot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturn meandered about the room looking sullen, eventually taking up a post near the musicians. He lit up a cigarette, a new vice for his lungs. He had decided that he needed another hobby and one that could potentially kill him sounded good. It was nights like this that really made him noxious look at the little puppets playing their part in the this is a beautiful world play…they all needed to suck it up and go look at the starving. Drink champagne with them, it was disgusting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Venus had found his way quickly to the area where the line up from the current models of the swimsuit edition of sports illustrated were currently hanging out. His wit and charm had the woman laughing and chatting with him comfortably in no time.

It was so nice to talk to man who was so comfortable with him self and didn’t make it painfully obvious that he was after the body, He knew several things about each of them that they had not mentioned in any interviews. He was smooth and was saying all the right things, He sent a waiter to get each of their favorite drinks and his tips were cleverly hidden or almost anyhow. He wasn’t trying to flaut his money, something guys did all the time to them using any resort they could to get in their swimsuits but he was playing it off the cuff an it was working…and working well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jupiter had promised. He had agreed. He would behave, up until the point that someone started something with him. Now if only he could help them along the way with starting something with him…the pretty boy leader. He would do.

Jupiter made his way over to the group that was gathering around the Ice man. Their was nothing wrong with what he said at first but more of how he said it. “Hello Ladies,” he began to the group. Then he focused on this steel character. “You’re a petite thing, you want to dance?” nothing like treating a man like a woman in front of his friends to get things started.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After a few moments near the entrance, Jaxon had spotted someone she actually wanted to talk to, and made her way over to the older gentleman. He was a friend of her father, one that she actually liked and considered to be something of a jovial uncle. He introduced her to a few of the people around him before he continued his conversation and she retrieved a drink from the bar.

Jaxon’s strong dislike for any drug or mind altering substance extended so far as to include alcohol, but she did a good job of hiding it. She always made sure her drink looked like any other, and was careful to order herself rather than allow someone else to do it. So she sipped what looked like a rum and coke, but was actually only coke. More comfortable now that she was part of a group, even if it was a group that was three times her age, she felt free to look around while listening to the conversation.

The first things, and the most obvious, that she noticed were the several matching red men roaming the room involved in various activities, some of the activities very odd… Including shaking the jello table. Obviously a mutant, or several, it was easy to track them and see who they were involved with. She wanted to see who else might be a mutant, and following the most obvious clue should lead her there, if only with her eyes. As she looked around she was surprised to notice several other people with visible mutations, most to a lesser degree of the big red men, that she hadn’t noticed before.

Jaxon could feel a mounting tension in the room, though she couldn’t place its origin. Whether it was from the night slowly moving on and people’s stress over the event, uncomfortable humans rubbing elbows with mutants while they feared each other, or if it was coming from a specific place, she couldn’t tell. But there was a tingle at the back of her neck keeping her aware, making sure she paid attention to the activity in the room.

Ghost watched the exchange between Sam and Kaz a bit distractedly. There were many familiar faces here and not everyone had a large neon "Mutant" sign floating above their head. Only one statement from Sam brought Ghost's attention back to the conversation at hand. “Could have given me one hell of a beating just glad you ended it at my arm!”

Ghost had seen Sam with a broken arm, she'd also seen Kaz around the book store as a relatively kind person. And suddenly she was expected to put the two ideas she had formed in her mind together? Maybe it was easier to just keep them apart to keep the fighting to a non-existent level. When Sam turned his attention back to her, she started taking a few steps toward a table.

“...seeing as you and what’s his face split I didn’t want you to be alone tonight.” Ghost shook her head at Sam, but laughed anyway. "You are bad at this! Just calling Garrett 'what's his name' doesn't make me forget."

“Valentines day a day to be with your loved ones right? Sides you're my date for the night, I never have ditched a date before in my life I don’t plan on starting with you.”

"All the more reason for me to ditch you so your girlfriend doesn't skewer us both. Doesn't count if I abandon you, right?" She teased. Sam hazarded a glance at the lucy lady and admitted that he might even need to pay her a visit.

Ghost and Sam had taken maybe three steps toward the tables and away from Kaz when Arielle showed up with a masked friend. "Hello Sam and Ghost. Lovely party, huh?" Ghost nodded. "Lots of people I feel like I should know." She admitted to Arielle before the water elemental turned to address Kaz. Ghost turned to say a polite hello to the other two that Arielle had towed to meet Ghost and Sam.

Ghost wiggled her fingers at Shin, unsure of who exactly was under the mask and fancy tux. "Nice to see you... uh-Arielle's friend and Arielle's friend's date." She mistook Hymn and Shin for being a date considering the female's grip on Shin's Tux sleeve. Ghost thought she recognized the girl from a certain book store incident, but those memories were too hazy to be considered reliable.

Ghost grabbed Sam's arm and tried to make a hasty exit from the sudden crowd of people, but the cards were decidedly stacked against her tonight because something large and pinstriped stepped into their path. She blinked and looked up and up and up some more until she finally found a bright red face at the top of all that suit.

"Hello, Ladies... You’re a petite thing, you want to dance?” Ghost looked around. He seemed to be addressing Sam, but he did say ladies, right? Did he mean Ghost or... perhaps the masked man's date (Hymn)? Maybe the eye contact with Sam was an alpha male dominance thing?

"We were just headed for a table actually." She tried to make excuses for whoever wanted to take her up on that excuse. "But maybe come around later when more dancing is happening?" Ghost grabbed Sam's arm again and tugged. The safety of the tables was so close and yet so far.

"Thanks you Vega. You're looking quite lovely yourself this evening." He bowed his head slightly toward the woman. Vega put the check in her purse and bowed deeply. Kaz suppressed the slight flush he felt coming on. "You're quite welcome Vega. I'd be honored to come to the opening when things are ready. I'm glad I'm able to help." Kaz imagined Nicki would be pleased with his decision to help Vega, for more than a few reasons. He liked to imagine that Vega wanted to rebuild a bookstore would be 'brownie points' in Nicki's eyes.

With Kaz's thoughts of Nicki, Demi let out a soft, low, semi-sad sound that echoed in his throat. At least until he met Sara's eyes and saw the shrimp sailing his way through the air. With a deft flick of his scaly tail, he flicked the shrimp up and slightly behind Kaz's back. He gripped Kaz's shirt with his hind claws and one of his foreclaws, twisted belly-up and caught the shrimp with his outstretched arm, digging the tips of his claws into the 'meat' of the shrimp.

Kaz shook Sam's hand with a firm, but friendly grip. "The Bookstore." He answered dryly, a bit surprised he didn't know about it even though he had brought Vega to the party. Kaz had assumed that the two had known each other at least that well. "Water under the bridge Sam. It seems we were both in an off mood that day, and the zealot didn't help much. Got the blood boiling a bit'eh." He chuckled lightly. Kaz pointedly ignored the remark of his own health. He wouldn't give away just how close Sam had come to puncturing his left lung. Kaz had to rush to the east side for a bit of 'special attention'. By the time he had gotten it, he had nearly reached his limit of stemming the blood flow.

Kaz listened silently as Sam and Vega spoke back and forth shortly. "Sam," Kaz spoke softly. "A bit of friendly advice from someone who knows. If you truly care for her, go to her. Don't let anything get between you two. If not, don't let things drag out."

A thought occurred to him as he was about to leave the two alone. "Actually Vega, there is something you could do for me. It's nothing big, but I'll let you enjoy the rest of your night and talk to you later." Of course Kaz had heard the three approach from behind and turned in time to look at them as he finished his sentence.

Kaz bent his arm and placed his forearm across his midsection and bowed slightly at the young lady. "Hello Arielle, the name's Kaz. Demi is flattered by your compliment, as you can see." Demi was indeed, as he was again laying across Kaz's shoulders, though he held himself up like some sort of royal cat, with his chest slightly puffed out. The whole look was ruined by the shrimp tail sticking out of his mouth.

<Ghost huh? Interesting.> He began to guess at what, if any, connection it had to her abilities. While he did this he paid little attention to the the banter between Vega and Sam. At least until he saw a familiar red giant approach them. Kaz snickered and spoke loudly for the man to hear him. From the way he spoke, Kaz guessed it was Jupiter, but he wasn't 100% sure, so he kept his words neutral, "Careful BigRed, he's tougher than he looks." Kaz turned and tilted his head to look the big man in the eyes as he spoke.

Giving a slight nod to Arielle he smiled and said, “your looking good tonight!” pointing to his head he let out a small laugh, “nice touch.” Said Sam as he stared at the fancy tiara that was placed around her head like a princess, “Save me a dance for later Ari?” Sam asked as he grinned slightly, he knew that was another thing that Leila wouldn’t be too grateful for, but Sam was more focused on having fun and not worrying too much on how Leila was going to be. ‘I should talk to her soon other wise…’ Sam pushed the thought from his head as he looked back to see more people joining them.

Grinning at his assistant’s dress attire Sam waved and said, “Looking good Shin, who’s your friend?” As he spotted a girl clinging closely to him. ‘Ari and Shin are here on a date? Or is it a friend thing like me and ghost?’ thought Sam either way he didn’t worry about it yet, if it was more than a friend thing he would most likely hear about it from a few of the residents. Nothing at the mansion could stay a secret for long.

Turning his attention back to Ghost as she began to speak and walk towards a table, but for some reason Sam wasn’t moving that much maybe one or two steps. Replying to ghost with a smile Sam said, “So his name was Garret?” then dropping the smile he added, “Odds are we will end up gravitating to each other before the night is even close to ending.” Sam knew it and so did Leila; they couldn’t stay away from each other long, even if she was mad at him.

His attention was drawn back to Kaz as he offered some friendly advice. Sam took two steps towards Kaz and two away from Ghost. After Kaz was done talking Sam nodded his head and said, “Wouldn’t dream about letting anything get between us,” Then in a lower tone Sam whispered to Kaz, “But I’m treating a friend tonight, Leila will understand once I talk to her…I hope…”

Sharing a friendly conversation with someone who could have killed you with a moments notice did wonders for the ego, he was feeling pretty confident about the night even though he had to confront his girlfriend about not bringing her to a valentines date. The only thing that could make it worse was someone looking to pick a fight, which soon happened. One of the big red body builders that helped the order bust up the mansion was walking his way.

Frowning slightly as what Kaz called ‘Big Red’ asked him to dance after calling him petite thing, normally this would have caused Sam to lose it, the old Sam would have charged him then and their trying to place a shard of ice in the side of his neck, but this was the 2.0 version of Sam. The fact that he was ordered that there will be no fighting what so ever at this ball helped him restrain himself all the more.

He wasn’t going to fight, at least not physically, “Umm…. I’m flattered but sorry big guy, you’re not my type and it looks like you got to left feet.” It was then that he felt Ghost tug him over to a table, “It was nice meeting you though,” he grinned and then waved to everyone else and followed Ghost to a table, he knew she was the passive type and he didn’t feel like putting her or himself into a position that would get them in trouble.

“Oh hey,” Shin exclaimed, walking up to the red body double of Abyss offering a smile. “Mr. Valentine, I presume? It’s great meeting someone of your stature on a night such as this. My friend here,” He looked over to Hymn with a wink. “Has something for you. Why don’t you give it to him?”

Shin took a few steps back to stand next to Arielle, grinning smugly. He turned to shoot a look at the man she was talking to, whose name was apparently ‘Kaz’. He nodded his head in a slight bow.

“Hello, Kaz. My name is Shin.” Then his attention darted back to Sam and Ghost, who had wandered off to a table. Had Sam just asked his date for a dance? Maybe he’d have to return the favor…he tilted his mask down to reveal face, peering at the other tables around the party. He glanced back at Arielle.

“After this, do you want to dance?”

Kasumi sees what is going on as she blinks a few times "Wow that is rather cool." she nods as she looks at the spider as she smiles "Aw look he is dancing!" She could not help but to giggle as she shakes her head "I can leap real high and clime on things. I can fall rather far and not die just be in pain for a few days."

Kasumi nods softly "I think your powers are rather good. I mean all of our powers are not the same and that is what makes us so strong." She nods softly part of her wants to dance yet she is to shy to ask. Her eyes looks to the people that is dancing as she lets out a soft sigh form her lips as she runs her hand down the back of her neck.

Kasumi smiles some as she shakes her head. She looks back at Cadaver as she smiles more "It is nice to meet someone new. I feel like still I should not be here." she looks down as she shakes her head "I mean I come form small town this all seems so odd to me.." she looks down as she speaks of that.

She was following the young man and his date through the crowd with her present tugged against her chest. She was glad she had her mask on. No voices from strange people tonight, atleast that was the idea. Suddenly they where standing in front of another man. He was tall and chatty. There was also the ghosty woman from the bookstore. Good for her that she recovered and was at the party. It took a moment to get used the to pointy eared fellow who assumgly was named Kaz. She had so many questions for him but she kept them to herself. And suddenly the very familiar big red man stood in amoungst them.

“Mr. Valentine, I presume? It’s great meeting someone of your stature on a night such as this. My friend here,” He looked over to Hymn with a wink. “Has something for you. Why don’t you give it to him?”

And ofcourse he was the birtday boy. He and 6 others if she was correct. Last time she met him she picked up some about 7 of them. She stepped forward and presented him his present. "Happy birthday." She said.

Arielle laughed as Sam complimented her and her tiara. "Thank you and of course, you're looking stunning yourself. And I'll gladly save you a dance." she said and then eyed the big muscled guy with red skin who seemed to be asking Sam for a dance.

"Aww. That's so cute!" Arielle giggled. "I think that it's just wonderful how confident and open you are and how you're willing to be yourself. Ya know? And you certainly have a nice taste in guys," she spoke to the Abyss clone, Jupiter. Sam didn't seem to take too kindly to the offer and left with Ghost after exchanging his own words to Jupiter. Then it turned out that big red was the guy the masked woman had been seeking out. Arielle smiled as she handed him a present and she looked back to Shin who had asked her if she'd like to dance.

"I'd love to," she smiled back. After that though we will have some refreshments. Or at least I will. I'm getting a bit hungry..." she said placing a hand on her stomach.

Koga moved out of defensive mode as the group started to mingle and split up…maybe even the big mean types liked to call a truce and simply go to nice parties every so often. Now that he was done protecting a considerate if egocentric star. He could go and chase the shooting star that was lighting up his dreams at night. She stood in the balcony and he was kind of glad she hadn’t picked out his face from the crowd yet…that he noticed. Calley hadn’t either. Well, Coldsteel had used his powers on the entrance so obviously peaceful use of powers weren’t out. That would make things easier he kept his eyes up toward the ceiling and then fond the wall beneath the balcony that he wanted. He slipped off his shoes and his black nice socks. Shoving them into his shoes and then tying the laces so they were strong enough to throw over his shoulder. He then caused a minor scene that would have easily unnerved him elsewhere, for any other reason, but Katrina was up there and the crowd was too thick to bother with. He climbed until he got to the balcony and pulled himself up and over the edge. He sat dangling on the edge.

“Hi Guysss, Happy Valentines’.” He spoke to both Calley and Katrina and anyone else that may have arrived or been there the whole time while he wasn’t paying attention. Now he just had to get up the courage to give her, her gift.

"trust me im not so comfortable here either.. i just hide it better. Believe it or not until just recently i was out on the streets."

.......yeah go on peter. stick up those defenses and dont let anyone know how really odd you feel amongst all this glamour.....


Kasumi's eyes look to all the people dancing as she lets out a soft sigh and runs her hand down her neck. Cadaver looked with her looking at the vast mass of people doing all kinds of dance. The band played some song he didnt know. but it was catchy. and he could dance to it. his head swayed alittle with the music.
Cadaver found himself tempted to wave a lighter. but the soft sigh kasumi breathed out made him think.


........as if the kinesics arent obvious enough. im no dancer, but itd be rude as hell for me to ignore her. not to mention that i need to meet new people, and kasumi is a nice girl............

"Bet that agility can make you one hell of a dancer Kasumi. You wana head out to the floor?" He looked her in the eyes with a sincere and knowing face. " just cause we feel a little awkward doesnt mean we have to show it. It doesnt mean we cant go out and have some fun like everyone else" He had a short laugh "although our outfits dont match, maybe we can pull off a forest colors theme."

........laughter is the easiest way to break any odd mood......

"We were just headed for a table actually." She tried to make excuses for whoever wanted to take her up on that excuse. "But maybe come around later when more dancing is happening?"

Why didn’t people understand…maybe he should have just walked up and told him what he thought of their ideals instead…apparently they were a bit dense.

"Careful BigRed, he's tougher than he looks."

Jupiter opened his mouth to respond to Kaz, what was he doing associating with the, and complimenting them no less, no he was talking with the woman…maybe he was finally over the bookworm…Nicki was sweet, but if she disappeared during the registration, well Jupiter thought that the odds of seeing her again were grim.

“Umm…. I’m flattered but sorry big guy, you’re not my type and it looks like you got to left feet.”

Jupiter’s answer to Kaz died on his lips, his red knuckles quickly turned to white.

“It was nice meeting you though,”

That sonofab.. Jupiter’s rage shifted slightly as a young man exclaimed happily.

“Oh hey,” “Mr. Valentine, I presume? It’s great meeting someone of your stature on a night such as this. My friend here,”

“I, What?” Jupiter had just been blind folded and spun around. Coldsteel was being pulled away by the woman and he hadn’t even broken anything over his face yet.

“Has something for you. Why don’t you give it to him?”

"Happy birthday."

“Hymn?” she was one of a big group they had taken out of a mental ward, best to humor her. And some how she was mixed in with this lot as well. “Thanks!” He said toward Shin and Hymn. Shin had obviously been helping her look for him.

"Aww. That's so cute!" Arielle giggled. "I think that it's just wonderful how confident and open you are and how you're willing to be yourself. Ya know? And you certainly have a nice taste in guys."

How him trying to pick a fight ended in him outing himself on his birthday he had no idea.“…yeah.” Jupiter replied with a sigh… at least none of the others were here to over hear it. Then in a very Pluto-esque moment a thought struck him…he did have a brother that would happily whirl the Ice boy around the floor…Maybe he would send Venus back to finish what he started in a very different way.

“Kaz, Hymn, How have you two been?” He looked at her and smiled slightly, this was a rare occasion even if it wasn’t the correct date. He hadn’t received very many presents in his life at all, so he wouldn’t complain. “ May, open it?”

~~~~~~

Venus sat smiling and chatting away at the girls until he noted that there were yet bigger fish to fry. And one was being wasted on a geezer that must have been a friend of the family. So a simple switch would need to be put in place. Abyss would be the most capable but he was preoccupied which meant the transition would have to be a bit slower to play…Mars would have been his second pick, but ever since blondy,he wasn’t as interested in his second hand game, maybe, Saturn could…maybe Saturn could work them all into a depression. Jupiter was busy. Merc! Was playing with Jello…he could play with Jello by them and the sports illustrated girls were all drunk… It would work. They shouldn’t even notice the conveniently different color pinstripes. “ I’ll be right back ladies you want anything from the dessert table…and on that note why exactly aren’t all of you sitting there?” that got a few giggles and smirks. Venus crossed the floor and sent a very abashed but uncaring Mercury toward the group of women to the table with various cakes and what not.

Mercury set in Venus’s spot and stated simply that he was back. He handed the ones that wanted cake, their choice. He looked around at the women that were fawning over him due to his brother and started his game over with a more entertaining twist. He glanced around at his companions and then began to tap the back of the couch. He smirked as they didn’t seem to mind.

After Mercury was properly settled and the girls seemed no wiser just yet, Venus continued onward over to the unpredictable Jaxon Kane, her parents made the news now and then and might be recognizable to the common man, but she was an attractive young woman and Venus made it his business to know who was who in his city. Besides he couldn’t bear to see her go to waste on the wrinkly thing she was bestowing her attention to at the moment. Ah, his work was made even easier she left the geezer to head for a drink. He wasn’t absolutely sure, but he didn’t think she hit twenty one just yet. Nope back to the golden oldies…

“Excuse me, Miss Kane, I was wondering if I might steal you away from all this excitement for a dance? The Floor could use the encouragement, and it is obvious that your presence would do just the thing to liven it up.”He then spoke to the others in the circle. “Find it in your hearts Gentlemen, to forgive me for whisking this lovely young woman away.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Saturn put out his cigarette in a drink as a waiter walked by. He surveyed the room and wondered how many of these people were here for the party, to be seen and how many simply wanted to connect with their fellow beings.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mars had one several points with his peers and had given suggestions to a couple of nobel winners on their current projects he was having the intellectual time of his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
Abyss eyes widened as a voice replied in his head.

**Abyss is it? My name is not tump or rump, and I do not fetch for anyone, people fetch for me. You speak to me that way again and I will melt your little brain with pleasue. I however, appreciate what you are doing, I of course can’t get involved directly, but I would be happy to send funds your way if you found some legitimate fronts for me to fund. No then run along before I have you reliving your twelfth birthday for the rest of your life. Keep this between the two of us and perhaps we can meet properly. A bit of advice, not every mutant has the luxury of proclaiming it with his flesh whether he wants too or not.**

“ I apologize for the insult, I will take your advice in stride, Perhaps we can arrange a meeting another day.” Abyss did an about face and waved good bye mentally to the man that had just trespassed about in his mind for fun. This field trip was educational after all. He didn’t have too long to be concerned with the trespassing billionaire.

His eyes landed on a ghost from the orders past, it had been a long time since he had seen her, and only slightly less time since he thought she was dead. He moved quickly to catch up with her as she headed to one of the various stair ways. He gently scooped her up from her walk directly into a bear hug, an then set her down as quickly to hold her back and take a look at her.

“Sara! I thought you died.” He then reeled her back into a hug. “If you didn’t want to come back that’s one thing but you could have let us know you were alive.”