Every hero movie needs a party

[no_applause]

WHO: Anyone and everyone
WHERE: Some Ballroom
WHAT: PARTAY! AKA the Fundraiser Padme is throwing to raise money for Tony's philanthropic oopsie
WHEN: mid-April
WARNINGS: Nothing in general. Potential for villain violence.

((ooc: This is a general mingle post. Go forth and do whatever you want! I've set the scene for the party but what you do in it is up to you! Want to party and schmooze with some rich folks? Go for it! Want to be a bad guy and try to steal shit from under said rich people's noses? Fabulous! Want to be a hero and stop said bad guys. Awesome! Want to brood and sulk like the dark angsty DC character you've always wanted to be? You do you, boo. Go forth and have fun!))

Maybe you're well to do in the city. Maybe you just know a guy who knows a guy. Or maybe you just have the right connections and heard it through the grapevine. One way or another, you've heard about the party of the month. Padme Naberrie Amidala, on behalf of the Stark Industries Board of Directors, has planned the finest fundraising event of her career to help pay for the new wing on the children's hospital... And maybe some starving children Tony wants to save.

Arrival

The entrance sets the stage for the whole event. Lit posts leading up to a wide circular doorway. The red carpet from the sidewalk is lined with paparazzi looking to snap some primo pictures of the attendees. Pose for the cameras, mingle, or just grab a drink from one of the waitstaff as you head inside.

Dinner is Served

The tables are set with fine place settings and beautiful center pieces. Most of the room is decked out in black and white, so as to not draw attention to the lovely colored gowns worn by many of the attendees. The gourmet meal has several options to satisfy everyone. The deserts are even more elaborate. Grab a bite and socialize. Or steal a seat or a plate when no one's looking. I'm not the boss of you.

Time to Socialize

There might not be a formal dance floor but the string quintet is playing some lovely music while the guests mingle. Now's the time to grab a glass of champagne or something from the bar. Snag some fancy looking hors d'oeuvres from a wandering server and spend time with your fellow citizens of this fine city.

Auction!

It is a fundraiser, after all. Aside from the cost to get in (unless you're a filthy freeloader who snuck in the back door), there is also a silent auction set up for attendees. But there are no gift baskets or wreathes in this auction. Nay, my friends. There is a reason there are guards at the door. This auction includes such things as Rolex watches, diamond necklaces, ski trips to the Andes and other fancy rich people things.

But the cherry on top is Tony Stark's contribution. A car that mysterious billionaire Din Djarin is rumored to have his eye on. The car has somehow been brought into the event and is on display for anyone to admire. But remember, that car did belong to Tony Stark, so none of you villains even think about trying to steal it!

The Bar

Every formal event has to have a bar for people tired of champagne or those who just want to be antisocial and run away for a while. Does this really need any more description than that?

Comments

[beholding_archivist]

Jon opens his mouth to argue. That's one of his strong points after all. But not much in terms of arguing is happening once Tony grabs his hand again, sending what at least feels like a jolt of lightning through Jon's very being and quite effectively shutting him up. The best he can do at that point is stare dumbly at that hand pulling him along. How he manages not to trip will remain a mystery even to himself.

It's when Tony has pulled him all the way to the entrance that Jon finally manages to look up, frowning upon recognizing the place. So Tony is kicking him out?

"Aight." He exhales sharply, though his eyes fall back down onto where his hand is being kept by Tony and he finds it difficult to pull it back. Instead, he finds himself hold onto the other's hand maybe a little tighter.

His tone isn't any less grim when he speaks again and he doesn't exactly look back up at Tony but rather keeps staring at their hands. At least he's determined. "I will... Fix... this. And prove to you that I'm not lying!"

[in_extremis]

While it didn't make any of this seem at all normal, Jon breaking out of his frantic confusion loop for the familiar knit of determination under his skin had Tony breathing easier in the night air, even if it did feel particularly cold on the back of his neck. There were torn petals, ribbons and glints of glitter or lost stones littering the carpet that had been so heavily trafficked as the event began, making it feel morosely abandoned as though the party was already over and they were the last two standing as Tony tried to gently ease Jon's hold on his hand by covering it with the other, like he could warm it enough to melt the tension.

"You don't have anything to prove to me. I'm trying, okay? I'm working on it. The car isn't far, so--if you know what we have to do...Is it that eye? Nobody's been able to touch it. Can you...is this just a conversation we can have?" he encouraged, indication more than dragging Jon any further until he seemed to have caught up.

[beholding_archivist]

"The eye only watches." Jon shakes his head. If it affects anyone, it's only him. Which might be an idea worth of concern, but Jon doesn't exactly consider it that. Though he admits something else: "And I don't know what needs to be done. I will figure it out. Because you won't believe me otherwise." Frowning, he moves his attention towards the main event. "Even my cats aren't as real as they seem..." And this is something he hates saying out loud. At best they are only real to a degree, and Jon doesn't quite like that thought.

"...I will have to check some books." That's the conclusion he has to offer at this point. And the best course of action coming to mind without magically stumbling over the solution.

[in_extremis]

If any part of this conversation was most convincing to Tony that Jon wasn't fucking around, it was admitting that his cats might not be real. He love those damn things enough to make Tony raise his eyebrows in shock at Jon himself saying anything so treacherous about them. They weren't real, but Tony was? And Jon seemed to be trying to get away from him now, which Tony did not know how to reconcile with the squeeze around his hand.

"Sure, okay," Tony muttered for maybe the thousandth time, and could perhaps hear now how that could have sounded patronizing and less helpful than he hoped. "This sounds like the kind of problem you solve in a library," wasn't much better, but Tony was focused on carefully retrieving his hand and trying to figure out what he was supposed to do with this encounter until it blew up in his face. It would be nice if Jon could give him some warning, so Tony tried, "Uh...call me. When you get home."

[beholding_archivist]

With his hand free and clear permission to leave, Jon lingers a little longer, his thoughts tumbling about without truly reaching a conclusion.

After a few more moments, he nods regardless, then takes a step closer and leans up to press a quick little kiss to the corner of Tony's mouth. Here, he doesn't linger but withdraws quickly, making to turn away swiftly to hide the blush on his face, muttering more to himself while starting to walk towards the main entrance. "-...in case we hate us even more when everything's fixed and- I- I'll call you, yes. I can do that.... R-right."

Eventually Tony may notice that not a single one of Jon's cats is following him just now. The felines will remain with the party and will turn out to be among the final guests to leave.

[in_extremis]

After that conversation, Tony wasn't entirely convinced that Jon turning away was a mercy, and that he might have known regardless that he had just set Tony on fire and the general system failure of Tony's competing tactile reactions. It took Tony longer than he was proud of to reboot after Jon's quickly delivered halt and catch fire instruction, leaving him in a daze that would permeate much of the rest of his night, and that he quickly discovered lingering at the bar like he had been told not to was not going to fix. Instead, he found himself staring curiously at people, trying to see them from a different angle and spot what had been telling Jon that they weren't real, and risking touching more hands and leaning close to whisper in more ears than he would have otherwise allowed himself. It meant he hardly noticed the mothcats remaining, until he was considering the Countess and what could have been so wrong with her, relatively speaking, and realized very belatedly that she was at the party without her usual escort. Offering her a cheesecake, a scratch, and a kiss did not leave Tony with any more understanding of what Jon had been talking about, and any one of the three was likely to make her sick, Tony was sure. Hopefully, she would sleep better than he did.