2342/Tony's 45th Birthday Bash
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Tony's 45th Birthday Bash | |
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Date of Scene: | 29 May 2015 |
Location: | New York-199999 |
Synopsis: | Tony celebrates his 45th birthday in style... in DISNEY WORLD! Karaoke, food, silly gifts and happy guests, what more can a billionaire superhero want? |
Cast of Characters: | Maya, 20, 43, 73, 136, 151, Steve Rogers, 204, 238, 295, 300, 301, 434, 437, Inga, Ziggy Grover, 554, 572, 606, 696, 729, 750, 751, 754, 777, 781, 786, 796 |
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
It's Disney World!
It's a magical place.
Granted, it's no Tahiti, but Tony Stark and his family -- family, that's so weird, him having one of those -- have been exploring the Magic Kingdom and enjoying its various charms for the last three days as part of a rare, hey congratulations you're not dead and also it's your birthday celebration-slash-vacation. It's all been leading up to this evening though, and the courtyard of the Cinderella Palace has been prepared as only a billionaire can arrange. The party area is ringed by trees, cheerfully festooned in sparkling streamers and twinkling lights. There are tables piled high with all imaginable kinds of food and sweets, an open bar and lots of uniformed attendants to manage everything and make sure all of the guests are well cared-for.
In the center of the courtyard a large stage has been set up, with a large array of professional quality speakers and multicolored spotlights. Upon the stage are arranged the instruments for a real live band, and perhaps Stark's insistence that all of the karaoke entries this year be Disney numbers becomes clear: the house band knows how to play them all.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
The birthday boy himself is not in immediate attendance, as seems to be standard for these shindigs: he does love to be fashionably late to his own parties. But, as the courtyard fills with guests and the bartenders start serving up the libations in greater quantities, the stage lights dim briefly, and as eyes turn that way a number of shadowy figures can be seen mounting the steps and taking up positions at the ready instruments. A single spotlight snaps onto the figure at the front microphone, and THERE'S Tony, dressed smartly in tailored suit and tie, grinning brightly as he surveys all that he has wrought.
"Hi," he speaks into the mic, his voice amplified to booming proportions sure to get everyone's attention. "Happy birthday to me, right? I'm glad so many people could make it to eat my food and drink my booze." This is an old joke but it gets a round of chuckles from his friends and business associates. "Now, those of you who've celebrated the august occasion with me before know that I like everyone to provide their own entertainment with a little song and dance. There'll be prizes for those brave enough to take to the stage, so come on up and sign up with the band manager right over there." He points out a large, cheerful bald man wearing a shiny white suit.
- Cell (696) has posed:
The monster is out of place here.
Cell does not personally know Tony Stark. He has, at best, been yelled at by Tony Stark over the radio as he was setting up strategies during the Saiyan conflict. Cell does not, based on what little he knows of Tony Stark, like Tony Stark.
But Cell is a soldier. Commander Green of the Red Ribbon Regiment. That came with it responsibilities, duties, and things that went above and beyond personal like or dislike of another sapient entity. They did a job together. He was hired to keep people alive.
Tony Stark died.
That bothers Cell. That bothers Cell a lot.
After all, why wouldn't it? The Android prided himself on his skill. On his ability to follow through. On his ability to do his job. Tony Stark was, therefore, to Cell, a personal failure. A failure on Cell's part to do his absolute best during a contract. A failure on Cell's part to succeed against a foe that, frankly, he could've done better against. A foe he could've...
Well, there was no point in worrying about that.
Cell is dressed in his usual tuxedo, with the Red Ribbon Regiment logo plastered on his pocket protector. A Red Ribbon Regiment armband winds its way around his arm, and a lit cigar hangs out of his mouth. Under his arm is a long, wrapped bottle, wrapped in very nice paper with a very nice bow. There's a card under it, but it's unsigned - just another Red Ribbon Regiment stamp on the inside to indicate who it's from.
It's very good alcohol. For something that can't get drunk, Cell knows his booze. Very old, very strong, and very sharp. The kind of thing a soldier drinks to forget.
Cell sets the alcohol down on whatever table is there to accumulate gifts. His tail swings back and forth, like a terribly menacing pendulum, though there's no actual menace in his motion or his stance.
No. As far as Cell's concerned, this is just...paying respects to a soldier who died in the line of duty, on a job they were both on. There's no trouble from the Commander tonight.
Even the Monster has limits.
He stops, signs his name in for the contest, and moves a bit away from the crowd to smoke his cigar.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
It's been three wonderful days, and tonight will be the bestest to top them all off! Even if she will have to listen to that infernal racket as the nightly fireworks display go off again. For a blind person there's not really much to marvel at when it sounds like the sky is exploding all around you.
But Tony Stark's adoptive daughter is of course already there and ready to party. And look, she's even dressed up! Surely Pepper can be thanked for part of it... because she's wearing a dress. A comfortable green halter top dress that reaches down to her knees, and her hair is slightly curled in parts. Add in that she's even wearing metal bangles around her wrists, and she even looks rather girly. Then again, it's Toph Beifong. Everybody should know just how deceiving that can be and how girly she really is.
She's already by the band manager, making sure that nobody else gets to pick the song she wants to sing. "And don't put me up first, I'm grabbing something to eat, okay?" she states firmly, then turns on her heel and marches by the stage. "Hey, birthday boy!" she calls up to Tony. "Want me to grab something to eat and drink for you, or are you performing first as usual?"
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Stark then takes a moment to clear his throat, and draws something from inside his own suit jacket. "As usual, of course, I get to go first." He steps back and turns briefly to give some instruction to the band, then turns back to his audience, fitting the thing onto his head. As the band strikes up a lazy, swinging jazz beat behind him, he steps fully back into the spotlight, and the object of interest is revealed to be a pair of cat ears, cocked at a rakish angle to his face as he leans into the microphone and croons:
"Everybody wants to be a cat... because a cat's the only cat, who knows where it's at." He snaps his fingers and shuffles into a bouncy little sidestep, taking the mic stand with him. "Tell me -- everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat, 'cause everything else is obsolete!"
"Ooh, a square with a horn, makes you wish you weren't born, every time he plays." Behind him, someone plays a saucy trumpet riff. "But with a square in the act, you can set music back, to the cave man days, cha cha ba dum bo day!"
Stark spins, getting into the groove, and sashays with the beat. "I've heard some corny birds who tried to sing, but a cat's the only cat who knows how to swing. Who wants to dig a long haired gig or stuff like that, when everybody wants to be a cat?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7fF_loQEcw&feature=youtu.be&t=67
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
Peter Quill is sure to sign up when this is announced, then heads right back to trying to pick up Aurora. While his pants and boots and all are his usual, including the blasters and rocket boot attachments, he's ditched his jacket and such today, wearing an elaborately gaudy white t-shirt with Mickey Mouse designs all over it. He's even got mouse ears on.
But, back to Aurora, he's leaning against a wall, chatting her up. "Hey, I discovered Tumblr the other day, we -all- know you're the boss. I'd never look at these -other- princesses..."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Wait, is he...?
Toph stops in her tracks down by the stage, then sighs and rolls her eyes as Tony begins singing and dancing. Hey, she's a teenager, she's supposed to be embarrassed by her dad, right? Especially when he's dancing around with cat ears on his head.
- A-ko Magami (434) has posed:
Even if there doesn't seem to be anyone who she's familiar with at the party, A-ko Magami isn't going to turn down a chance to show up and have a good time. She shows up wearing a simple outfit that she generally wears when she goes to a party or is on the clubbing scene. Apparently, A-ko knows how to dress when she wants to have fun someplace.
When she hears the tune Tony's singing, she starts to tap her foot and smiles as well. "Ooh, a classic favorite of mine!" She says to herself. "I haven't watched this one in awhile, I should do that when I get back."
A-ko then moves to get closer, stopping briefly to get some food and a drink, before watching Tony perform the song. She starts to softly sing along with him, smiling as she remembers this part from the movie all too well.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Even though Fundroids weren't Disney products, Annie was still entirely in her element here at the park. She'd been here for a while already, having a blast on the various rides and getting some sweet merchandise to bring home (including a new costume!). But of course, as the karaoke draws closer, Annie has to be there to check it out; she loved it last time after all. She listens to Tony while trying to think of what she should sing.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
As the band segues into a cheerful, swingin' instrumental, several new figures mount the stage from the back. Large, catlike figures. The spotlights swing to shine on them as they dance up to groove around Tony on stage. Figaro. Oliver. Tigger. Simba. The Cheshire Cat. And more - seemingly every feline character Disney ever made -- or at least the ones with costumes -- joins in on a rollicking, upbeat and only very lightly choreographed dance number as the jazz music swells around them!
Then a svelte figure in a shining white, dress and matching cat ears approaches Tony to appropriate his microphone. In a smooth contralto she joins him for a few lines:
"If you want to turn me on, play your horn don't spare the tone, and blow a little soul into the tune..."
Tony gives her his most rakish smirk and sings, "Let's take it to another key, modulate, and wait for me, I'll take a few ad-libs and pretty soon... the other cats will all commence, congregatin' on the fence, underneath the alley's only light--"
The woman in white, "Where every note is out of sight..."
And then the band kicks it into high gear, as everyone, human and feline on stage, starts to stomp their feet to the beat, waving for audience participation as they howl in chorus, "Everybody, everybody, everybody wants to be a cat!"
(Hallelujah!)
As the feline chorus line dances around and around, and finally winds its way conga-style off the stage, the beat slows again, until it's just Tony in the spotlight and his ridiculous ears, and he caps it off with a throaty, "Ooooh yeeeeaaaaahhhhh!"
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
It's been three brusing days of being almost run over in bumpercars, having to deal with other peoples' small children, and saying 'excuse me' in ten languages. Potts was a little sunburnt on her feet, but was carrying on in her normal grace as she greeted guests. Her red hair was pulled into an elegant bun, and she was wearing a tasteful black dress, plattinum bangels on her wrists, small diamond drop-earings, and around her neck, one of her two favorite necklaces (the other being safely stowed away, with pictures of her family inside of its onyx interrior) -- a brilliant sapphire, set in plattinum and meant to evoke Stark's arc reactor. Her sky-high heels click smartly against the courtyard, greeting guests she knows, and trying to make introductions to faces she doesn't recognize.
When she passes by Toph, she gives a small smile, and smooths out a bit of the teenager's hair to add insult to injury.
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Oh, Tony just HAD to call out 'for those brave enough'. Frederica never lets anyone question her bravery and get away with it. Not in public at least. Fear may rule her insides from time to time... fear of intimacy, fear of losing control, fear of getting hurt. That's generally why she's so outspoken and brash... because she's afraid to show her true self.
Courage, however, is acting despite your fears. She's got PLENTY of that. Besides, she's promised herself she'll be nice to Tony. Well, nicer. Nice-ish. That includes playing his little game at his little birthday party. She moves in to visit the band manager, projecting as much confidence as she can... which might be spoiled somewhat by the faint blush that colours her cheeks as she leans in to state her choice of songs, carefully making sure no one can overhear and cast their judgment upon her choice beforetime.
- Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah Rogers is walking down Main Street USA towards the Castle. She has that wide eyed stare that says she's not only new to Disney World, She's new to the Multiverse. The worst part is she didn't actually come here for the party, She was trying to make an appointment to see Mr. Stark, and they told her this was where he'd be. The massive crowd makes it clear that's not going to happen any time soon. So she shuffles around and tries to find an area that doesn't have *too* many people in it where she can at least get a good view of the festivities.
- Thor (777) has posed:
Thor Odinson is many things. Son of Odin. Prince of Asgard. God of Thunder. Avenger. Warrior. Hero. He is beloved of his people, and of many people on Earth. Children all over know his name, and whenever lightning crackles across the New York skies, it is looked on in fond remembrance. Yes, he is a glorious specimen of a man indeed.
What he isn't is late to the party.
Thor arrives without the thunderclaps and rainbow beams familiar to the Bifrost; there isn't any need to make so spectacular an entrance whenever the revels have been thrown in someone else's honor. Dressed in a tailored gray suit and sporting a dress shirt and tie in powder blue hues -- to set off his eyes, of course -- he breaks onto the scene also sporting his signature broad smile. He looks almost normal. Human. If his blonde hair wasn't hanging loose, he'd look presentable, too, instead of just rakish, rough-edged, and charming. The stubble helps that image.
Suck it, Stark.
"My brothers and sisters!" Thor booms, arms held open in cheerful greeting. "How good it is to see you all again!"
And then Tony is dressed as a cat, dancing with cats, and prancing out a vocal sequence the likes of which would rival -- would rival --
No. There is no defining what it is Stark is doing to himself.
Thor takes a drink from a passing tray, tucks his hand into his pants pocket, and watches the performance conclude with the most shit-eating grin imaginable. "I will never let him forget this," Thor says to no one in particular.
- Rarity (136) has posed:
A big celeb birthday party is just the sort of high society even Rarity wouldn't miss out on... Though it took someone a few minutes to explain why the location was so special in the first place. When you come from a world where magic and castles and princesses truely do exist, some of that wonderment isn't entirely clear until a full explaination of what was really special about 'Disney World.'
"Now I expect you girls to be on your best behavoi--"
Rarity doesn't even get to finish that statement before the trio of fillies with her barrel past with such intensity that it actually whips her mane in the same manner as a vehicle speeding by would. Or maybe that was from the volume of the chorused "YAAAAAAAAAAY!" between the three Crusaders. Because even little pony kids love big parties at theme parks.
Rarity sighs as she shakes her head to readjust her mane. "There may be something to the 'Happiest Place on Earth' if those three are any indication. Oh well. She entertains herself with watching Tony's demonstration of the event while getting into sign up for herself.
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Coming back from the band manager, Frederica stops to ... 'enjoy' Tony's singing. She can't argue with the lyrics. Everybody wants to be a cat. But Tony.... he's just silly. She shakes her head, then goes for some of the free food and especially the free drink. She has a feeling she's going to need it tonight.
- Maya has posed:
Maya has come to wish Tony well on his birthday, also to just take in the general party. The Junker Woman was dressed casually in a fairly earth style. Still it might be considered a bit old at this point. There's so many people here some she's never even met before. Also she's even chosen to have her hair lose for once. Some people might take a moment to click to it being Maya. Given her long history of keeping it tied.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
As Pepper steps up to her Toph does smile a bit, not minding the fact that Pepper smooths out her hair. "He's really enjoying it up stage, isn't he?" she asks, then blinks at the loud arrival of a certain Asgardian. The blind earthbender blinks, then grins. "THUNDINATOR!" Oh hell yes, the loud prince of Asgard is somebody she can appreciate! She offers him a friendly wave, though she doesn't stray from Pepper for now. There are so many people here, and... it seems like Rarity and the three Cutie Mark Crusaders are here too. And there's Fred too.
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
"He's Tony. All the attention's on him." Pepper replies ruefully. "Of course he's enjoying it... and he gets to wear cat-ears." Potts adds.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
If there was ever a reason to hate meatbags, it was exemplified in when they gathered together and celebrated.
Meatbags in general were simply not as efficient as droids - you could see that in their construction. Non-Compartmentalized liquidious frames, hardwired subsystems, sloshing fluid-sacks that made up the internal components, all notoriously hard to replace for most civilizations. And yet they mulled about with their ill-made and fragile bodies as if they could last forever, burning through whatever they touched and clawing over each-other in primitive displays of attempted superiority.
However... if there was one single thing that could be said that was positive about the race of humans native to this world... it was that they did not hesitate to pursue what they were passionate about. For all the other inequities, they certainly were creatures of action.
The individual before them - Anthony 'Tony' Stark, seemed to exemplify this - not only was he superior, if not marginally so, to other humans in terms of intelligence, but he was not afraid to show it, given his efforts to draw attention on himself - from the so-called 'fashionably-late entrance' to the crisp suit and casually-sardonic way he seemed to address most others in.
Another noteworthy incident - he had been brought back from the dead. That was not typical for most meatbags... and yet, he was deemed sufficient to expand a reality-warping wish on resurrecting. Therefore, the droid felt compelled to see for himself what made the so-called brilliant inventor so worthwhile.
In order to somewhat better blend into the surroundings - and appease the purportedly massive ego of Stark - HK-47 had taken to adding gold highlights on his armor, mixing with a sharper coat of red so that his plating matched the color scheme of Stark's defining invention, the 'Iron Man' armor. Under the guise of a contracted assistance and serving droid, HK-47 had come to personally observe the restored robotics expert first hand.
ySo far... HK-47 was underwhelmed.
Why was it that all supposedly intelligent meatbags were so very eccentric?
Wondering if it was too early to wish for a blaster-toting thug to appear for him to blast, HK wheeled around, serving tray with drinks in hand, to approach a relatively small girl barefoot with black hair, fair skin and, interestingly, clear eyes - a sign of blindness - and her red-headed apparent guardian in a black dress with jewelry.
"Supplication - Greetings! Would you like a drink, miss?" The droid made sure to put as much of a sickeningly polite tone into his audio receptors as possible, nauseating as the feedback to his core was from such an act.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
As Rocket and Groot enter the area set aside for the festivities, the former chooses to scale the latter to get a better view from the aboroform's shoulder even as Groot examines the trees forcing Rocket to move to the other should so Groot's head is no longer in his way. "I can't see her, but that's not surprising in this crowd," he says as he looks this way and that. "I am Groot," ((I could call for her,)) Groot suggests to his friend. "Oh no, then everyone will come over to introduce themselves to you or something crazy like that. I'm sure she'll find us or we'll find her or... we'll just find something interesting to... look at," Rocket's eyes twinkle slightly as he stops himself from saying something else.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
After he's done making an utter spectacle of himself, Tony hops down from the stage, still wearing the ears. They seem to be one of those special sets that react to the user's brainwaves or something, because they swivel around and perk up as he greets a guest here and there, eventually making his way over to the bar to secure a drink, and then over to Pepper to secure... whatever it is Pepper gives him.
- Red (572) has posed:
Red's here for the party, but the competition is a pleasant surprise. So, she and the Transistor are quite soon in front of the man running the contest. The sword speaks for Red, in her stead. "Howdy. We'd like to participate. Thing is, my friend here lost her voice. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to make a slight adjustment. Won't break no rules, anything like that. It's her voice that'll be doin' the singing."
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell stops Tony on the way off the stage, cigar sill smoking in his mandible.
He sticks out his hand. "Sorry you died. Welcome back. Bottle on the table."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony pumps his eyebrows at his fiancee. "So what did you think? Your boyfriend's a pretty cool cat, right?"
- Jimmy Wen (606) has posed:
When your very presence disrupts the finer advances in technology since the early fifties (give or take a decade), there's not much you can do in the world's foremost amusement park. That's okay, though, because this particular wizard loves a good party, and everyone knows Tony Stark's never thrown a bad one. He arrives, after much carefully planned and circuitous walking, with only a few oopsies. Luckily, those oopsies happened near rides with reputations for oopsies anyway, so he's mostly scot-free, unless there happens to be /another/ wizard here watching out for them. But the White Council wouldn't do that, would they?
Jimmy doesn't need to dress for a party, because his everyday attire assumes there will be one anyway. In keeping with his usual swinging bachelor dress, he's wearing a cream-colored sports jacket with black lapels, white trousers, brown loafers, and a baby blue tie. His signature aviators remain on, even in the evening. Cradled in his arm is a box roughly large enough to contain an article of clothing--he hopes Tony enjoys looking good, because inside that box is a sadly forgotten classic: a smoking jacket.
Jimmy makes his way up to the manager and scribbles something down.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony also does in fact stop to acknowledge Cell's greeting, and even shakes his hand, though it's a little creepy. It's a party after all, and it's Disney World. Nothing can go wrong tonight. "Hey, yeah, thanks. Have fun man!"
- Cell (696) has posed:
"oh, I fully intend to," Cell replies. The cheer in his voice doesn't really match the creepy gavelly insect tone.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Man, there's lots of people arriving. And as HK-47 draws close with a drink tray and offers her and Pepper drinks, Toph can't help but blink. Especially since that tone of voice does sound slightly forced... "Uh... what do you have?" she asks, turning to the droid without 'looking' at him. For now she will ignore Cell as he is totally creepy. Hey, people should know better than to cause problems here in Disney World of all places!
- Rebound (750) has posed:
It's been a while since she went to Disney World. In fact the last time she went there was the day after she won her first championship. Now she's back, though she looks quite a bit different this time around. And yet it's Disney, she might well fit in with the costumed characters, even if she's not in a costume.
At least she's not wearing grimy cargo shorts and a t-shirt this time, actually getting dressed up in something a bit nicer. It's hard to find clothes in her own world, but thankfully the Multiverse will allow her to get something that'll fit and look nice.
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
"Oh, no thank you, I'm on the clock." Potts replies politely to the droid, offering a wan smile. She goes to peck Tony on the cheek, and tries to remove any cat hears from his person like a proper responcible adult. "I always knew you were a pretty cool cat." she mumers, and then she turns, and... gives a half surprised look to Cell. And visibly appears to want to draw back from him. "Ah, Mr. Cell. Good evening."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony's ears flatten back petulantly as Pepper tries to remove them. "How will anyone know who I am if I take off my ears?" he smirks innocently.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"It is a good evening," Cell agrees with Pepper, "You chose a good night to have this. Congratulations, by the way. I understand you're engaged. I hear from some of my Regiment that the life of a soldier's wife is a difficult one, and I hope that further...unique...situations don't continue to present themselves."
Cell looks at Tony for a long moment, as if trying to decide which smartass response to volunteer. Finally, he offers "Charisma."
- Beli Klum (238) has posed:
Beli is not used to these kinds of parties, but she's shown up today. Why would she miss it, after all? Tony /died/, and after the generosity he's shown to her and Cecily, coming for the doubled celebration of 'birthday' and 'yay you're not dead day' is pretty guaranteed.
She's even dressed up a little! As she dashes into the area, terrified that she's come /late/, her open-back black dress tumbles around her legs, serving as a strange match to her excessively long hair and a strange contrast to her radiant white skin. Apparently she's used to heels, because the similarly black ones she wears don't trip her up in her dash either; helpful, considering the tall woman would make the exact opposite kind of impression that she'd want here by entering that way.
Once she's certain everything's fine and she's not actually late, Beli takes a minute to huff in relief, then gravitates over to sign her name for the karaoke lineup. And once that's done, off to-
The rephaite suddenly freezes and gains a look like she just saw a massive cockroach crawl all over the buffet table. Which isn't too far off from the truth, considering Cell's presence is what incites that. Sure, the biodroid has done some good things, for a given definition of 'good', but something about the creature just...continues to make her skin crawl.
Oh well. She takes a minute to shake that feeling off, then glides over to greet Tony anyway, smiling pleasantly despite her earlier disgust. "Tony," she greets, her soft voice still echoing with its usual small bells and dull rumbling, "it is wonderful to see you again. Have you been well in the last few days?"
Pepper also gets a bright smile (though, really, how can Beli manage any other kind?). "Good to see you, too, Pepper. I hope you have not been very overworked lately with everything going on. Preparations are in order, I hear?"
- Thor (777) has posed:
Thor strolls across the courtyard. Eventually, his ambling exploration brings him up to Stark -- still sporting his ears, it looks like -- and to Pepper Potts. "Pepper," Thor smiles. "You look lovely as always. Tony, it's nice to see you sporting a proper set of whiskers for once." The Asgardian runs his hand conspicuously under his own chin, where it rasps against his usual thick growth of stubble.
"Hm. And you're the creature they call Cell." Thor looks Cell up and down from behind the rim of his glass as he swallows a finger of what looks to be whiskey. Ice cubes chink inside the glass. "Interesting."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Gonna try really hard not to die again," Tony confirms, as he snakes an arm around Pepper's waist and gives it a squeeze, sensing her sudden tension at the proximity of the creepy bug guy. He gives his drink glass a jiggle, ice cubes clinking. "Charisma, right, of course, why didn't I think of that." His hand at his fiancee's waist slips up further to slide along her forearm, and then rub his thumb lightly over the diamond that had been his mother's engagement ring, just as a little reassurance that yes it is still there.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Yeah, well, we can't ALL rock the glorious neckbeard like some," Tony drawls laconically at the Thunderer.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
Apparently, some meatbag had once said 'genius and madness are two sides of the same coin.
However, said meatbag likely had never met Stark before.
Standing at attention, he pauses in trying to serve the young blind girl when he sees Stark himself approaching, taking only a split second before replying to the girl.
"Supplication - I believe it is called 'Vodka.' A brand named 'Grey Goose,' supposedly. However, given your juvenile frame, perhaps a club soda would suffice? Advisement - However, I insist that if you go with the former choice, you not be seen. Meatbags are so very finicky regarding rules of conduct for their progeny."
After the girl takes her drink, the droid saunters over to Stark himself, or tries to at least, holding the drink tray aloft and putting on his best 'amicable droid' impression
"Greeting - Good evening and happy birthday, m... Master!"
In spite of himself, he finds he must force out the words - unlike the REVOCS heiress Satsuki, Stark seems to lack much of the seriousness and respectable calm a master and leader of such an enterprise the droid felt he ought to have. Nevertheless, he bravely continues on.
"Supplication - Today's special is the Grey Goose brand of Vodka - supposedly a good choice, but, as a droid, I cannot offer anything more then an observation. Is there anything you need?"
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
"If they suddenly forget who you are, it's time to shut them off from the bar, dear, now give me those ears so you can look like a responcible adult." Potts admonishes playfully, but she gives a small smile to Cell in response.
"It's not one I'm unfamiliar with." Potts replies. "We have the probate on speed-dial to reverse any sort of situation that may occur, and since we're both in the superheroing business, we understand it." She replies to him. She turns, and greets Beli enthusiastically. "Beli! How are you? How is your lovely wife?" she questions, gliding over to the warrior and looking to take her hands in greeting.
"Thank you for coming." she gives a small smile, and then turns to Thor.
"Thor, so glad you could make the trip out here! How is Jane?" she questions conversationally.
- Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
In the Magical Land of Disney, perhaps a rainbow colored pegasus doesn't stand out quite so much. Unless that rainbow colored pegasus arrives at near break-neck speeds.
Rainbow Dash comes practically dive-bombing into the area, quickly looping around several strings of balloons. She twists around in mid air and doubles back, narrrowly avoiding several of decorations, trailing a streak of rainbow colors in her wake in a small aerial display. Which ends in her getting tangled up a large clump of streamers that came out of no-where.
"Eh-heh. Uhm. It's okay, I got this!" She says, wriggling and worming her out of the streamers. She's not exactly 'dressed' persae, but she's wearing her best pair of goggles on her head and has a nice flight scarf wrapped around her neck. She squirms a little more, before finally the streamers give out. "Whoa!"
Dash freefalls for a second, before wings flare out and begin to beat furiously. She stops, just scant inches from crashing right into one of the servers. "Whoops! Watch your head!"
With a grin, Rainbow takes off again, but this time at a much more controlled, easy going speed. She waves down at Toph as she passes over head, then glides past Tony. The pegasus loops around him and Pepper with one hoof outstretched for a hi-hoof/hi-five. "Hey, Tony! Happy birthday!"
- Cell (696) has posed:
"I am, mostly because it's my name. Alternatively, Commander Green of the Red Ribbon Regiment, if you prefer the...*societal* name." Cell agrees at Thor mildly. He sticks out a three-fingered hand with every image of politeness. "I don't believe we've been introduced. Pleasure."
Cell also nods politely at Beli over his cigar. "Evening."
"You've got plenty of it, chief. Good dance. Good song."
"Congratulations," Cell repeats to Pepper with the sort of enthusiasm people have at these events. He takes another drag of his smokable and fiddles.
"But, if you'll excuse me," Cell adds, "I think it's my turn to go up. Nice meeting you folks."
- Rarity (136) has posed:
And juuuuuuust as Tony and Pepper are getting cozy there's a *FWOOM* and a shower of confetti erupting behind them.
Courtesy of a certain pink poofy maned pony and her trademark pastel colored cannon of party making. Apparently she's been sitting there the entire time just waiting for the right moment, by the way Pinkie Pie is grinning from ear to ear. "What, you thought you were going to have a super biganormous birthday party without ME showing up?" Because that's like aboslutely impossible.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
"I am Groot." ((They are doing some sort of activity, we should find out what it is.)) Rocket nods and climbs down his friend and they walk over to a party planner who explains the goings on and pulls them aside, with only a little surprise on her face, to help them pick a song when Rocket admits to not being familiar with 'Disney'.
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell discards his cigar, destroying it with a flick of his fingers and a blast of energy. The cigar explodes like a firework, vanishing into ash and blowing away on the wind. The Monster Of Doctor Gero moves like a serpent along the stage. He slinks up to the microphone, though he does not coil around it. He does not really need it. Cell can make his voice loud enough to be heard when he wants to be heard, and it's not magic, or genetic power, or ki tricks. It's just the good old-fashioned charisma of a leader. His tail plucks the microphone anyway, swinging it up to his face.
Cell's horrible, twisting voice wraps around the lyrics. It fits, so terribly well. It's menacing, and slinking, and serpentine, and as he starts to wind his way around the stage, it's clear that he's doing it quite on purpose.
"I know that your powers of retention, are wet as a warthog's backside...but thick as you are, PAY ATTENTION!" Cell's mandibles part, stored cigar smoke spilling out like a dragon's smoke.
"My words," he hisses, "Are a matter of /pride/."
"It's clear from your vacant expressions that the lights are not...all /on/ upstairs. But *we're* talking kings, and successions; even *you* can't be caught unawares!" Cell's finger snaps out at a random person, probably Peter Quill, as he leaps off the stage and starts moving through the crowd. His tail winds upwards, flicking backwards and forwards as he slinks.
Cell was made for slinking. Cell is a horror movie monster in a tuxedo. He slinks with the best of them. He might even slink better than the best of them.
"A shiny new era, is tiptoeing nearer..."
Cell flips his voice. It suddenly goes incredibly high-pitched, nasally, and...well, *minion-y*. "And where do we fit in?"
Back to his own, twisting. "Just /listen/ to *teacher*."
"I know it sounds sordid, but you'll be rewarded, when at last I am given my dues!"
Cell leaps back onto the stage and brings his hands close to his chest. His hands flare with light, casting a horrible shadow across his already-horrible face. The words are almost *whispered*, *hissed*, but they carry. Oh, they carry. "and injustice, *deliciously* squared,"
And then comes the roar. "/BE PREPAAAAAAAAREEEEED!/"
The reverb in his voice is /unnatural/. The word 'prepared' slinks and warbles across the party, thrumming with unnatural unpleasantry. Implications are draped languidly across the song simply by the virtue of the monster. But he can sing, by God.
He can sing.
It's still goddamn menacing.
- A-ko Magami (434) has posed:
Meanwhile, A-ko has been mingling as best as she can and enjoying the food... until Cell gets on stage, and she can only stare in disbelief. She can't believe he's actually singing like that. She grits her teeth a little and tries to force a smile.
- Cell (696) has posed:
And then he leaps back into the crowd, as thesecond half kicks up. "Of course, quid pro quo," he observes in an almost conversationally manner, gesturing with his hand, "You're expected, to take certain...*duties*...on board."
His arm drapes around a random person. "The future is *LITTERED* with prizes," Cell brings his arm up and around, like he's painting a panorama; light follows him, tiny little orbs bursting with flash, "And though *I'm* the main addressee, the point that I must emphasize is,"
Cell's voice hits a roar, ringing, "YOU WON'T GET A *SNIFF* WITHOUT ME!"
He struts back to the stage, tail wagging with every motion. He struts like a boss. His arms go outwards, like every good commanding officer in every military ever. He gesticulates like he's giving a speech, emphasizing at all the right points to imply impassioned argument, impassioned shouting...again, the monster knows how to sing, and he knows ow to speak publically. "So PREPARE for the COUP of the century! Be prepared for the *murkiest* scam! Meticulous planning Tenacity spanning! Decades of denial! Is simply why I'll! Be king undisputed, respected, saluted! And seen for the WONDER I am!"
Cell's tail swings upwards, "Yes my tail and ambitions are bared!"
"BE PREPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARED!"
And then his voice goes *choral*. Multiple, overlaying voices. It's...unpleasant, and buzzy, and...all sorts of weird.
"Yes our tail and ambitions are bared, be PRE-PAAAAAAAAAAAARED~."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
As HK-47 elaborates on drink options, Toph arches an eyebrow where she stands. "Meat bags," she repeats, then holds up a hand. "Give me some Coke or Sprite if you have that. And yeah, next time you shouldn't offer me alcohol in front of my mom," she offers. Though she can't help but wonder what is up as he continues on to Tony. Something is fishy about that droid...! Ah, what the heck.
She turns back to her adoptive parents and the people who have joined them. "Yo, Beli."
But then Cell gets to sing. The explosion catches Toph by surprise and she blinks, looking slightly startled as the song begins. And heck it is creepy... but this song is so cool!
Excitement spreads on Toph's face, and she can't help but grin. "Oh yeah, the bad guys singing villain songs!" It probably helps that she can't see how scary he is.
- Thor (777) has posed:
"I've not been away to see Jane in some time." Is it the party's shifting light, or does a shadow fall across Thor's features? The sparkle in his gaze diminishes. "I trust she is well. I feel as though I should be there beside her now, but just being here for a short time is all I can spare." He drops his now-empty glass on the next tray to pass by. Briefly, he lifts his gaze to the stars; fortunately, any gloomy introspection is almost immediately smashed by the rasping, hissing voice echoing out from the sound system.
Thor decides to focus on a meal. "Excuse me, Pepper. I think my appetite requires satiation. You there!" He strides away toward someone pushing a cart of sandwiches. "Give me the one with the most sliced meat!"
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony eyes the 'service droid' with a look of bemusement. He'd thought all of the staff for this shindig were human. But maybe Disney has started hiring multiversal temps. He shrugs, and raises his hand with a tumbler of Scotch already in it. "I'm set, thanks. Vodka, Pep? Might help you get past my fashion statement." He grins, and his cat ears waggle back and forth. He removes his arm briefly from around her to reach up and tag Rainbow Dash for a high five!
--and then he looks back toward the stage, startled as Cell's voice BOOMS outward.
- Beli Klum (238) has posed:
Beli doesn't object to her hands being taken. Her smile stays warm for Pepper, maybe even brightening a little more. "Oh, we are both very well, thank you. Honestly...everything is wonderful, so I can hardly complain on my end. Thank you very much for having me here."
Cell...gets a smaller smile, but it's polite enough, and she even offers a slight nod of acknowledgement as he heads off. She's not going to be a complete asshole.
Thor gets a curious look when she notices the god there. A blink, then a slight craning of her neck to look up at him. Beli's tall, but still not quite /that/ tall. Even then, she offers a warm smile to him as well, though it seems he's off to tolerate food instead of...
...Cell's singing. Beli is trying her best not to pay attention, or acknowledge that he's actually not abysmal.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie looks around and gives some waves to people, particularly Rarity and, oddly enough, HK-47. She tends to like other artificial beings. But then, Cell begins his song, and Annie is... impressed. She claps enthusiastically and sincerely for his performance; he did a great job with it! She had some thoughts about what she might sing, but would wait a bit to see what the others would do.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Wait, it's her turn? Toph blinks, then hands her drink to Pepper and runs off. "Hold this for me, mom!" she urges Pepper, then heads... away from the stage?
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell bows politely to the applause, then hops off the stage. He produces another cigar as he sets the microphone back in its place with his tail.
"Sorry about that," he adds to the general group, as if he didn't just do that, "Where were we?"
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity JUST got her mane back in order when Rainbow Dash speeds by, wipping it all out of shape again. "How uncouth!" Siiigh.
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
"Gross." Peter says as he's now sitting on a tiny stool eating a funnel cake, staring at Cell.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9MfuWSQoWc
The band begins to play. Drums begin a steady and familiar beat that some might recognise as a popular song from an Asian themed Disney movie, and well, it fits doesn't it? The tough and stubborn earthbender picking a song about a girl who single-handedly defeats an invading army and questions notions about girls having to be ladylike?
Oh wait. There she is.
Most people present should know the sound of earthbending, and behold... a second stage rises up behind the party guests, and on it is Toph Beifong. As the bended stage and the girl on it rises, her expression is serious as she enters a typical hun gar bending position, a wide stance with her arms pulled back. And of course she has a microphone mounted on an earpiece so she can have her hands free to go through some kata.
"Let's get down to business to defeat the Huns!" she sings, clearly taking this whole thing seriously. While she isn't as skilled in singing as she is in bending, she does have power in her young soprano voice. "Did they send me daughters when I asked for sons?" Her right hand punches forward, and she points at the people gathered in front of her, a scowl on her face. "You're the saddest bunch I ever met, but you can bet before we're through... Mister, I'll make a man out of you~! o/'"
For the next part Toph raises her arms, and stylised pillars in the vague form of trees rise. "Tranquil as a forest but on fire within," she sings, then stomps her foot down on the stage, and the 'trees' crumble into stones resembling stylised fire." Once you find your center you are sure to win!"
She begins pacing the edge of the stage, once again pointing at various people down by her feet. "You're a spineless, pale pathetic lot and you haven't got a clue!" Her expression is determined however. "Somehow I'll make a man out of you!"
For the bridge Toph eases up on her controlled stance and alters her voice slightly as she leans over with a totally miserable expression on her face.
"I'm never gonna catch my breath..."
Before she suddenly stands up and sticks her tongue out, swiping her right fingers across her neck.
"Say goodbye to those who knew me!"
The same hand moves up to hit herself on the side of her head.
"Boy, was I a fool in school for cutting gym!"
Toph's hand snaps out and points in Cell's direction.
"This guy's got them scared to death...!"
Standing upright, Toph pries her unseeing eyes open with her index fingers and thumbs, looking rather silly as she does so.
"Hope he doesn't see right through me!"
Can she even look more dramatic as she seems about to tip over, standing on one leg? Tony should know the expression on her face well enough from her early swimming lessons.
"Now I really wish that I knew how to swim!"
Here Toph motions with both hands, gesturing for the party goers. They should know the words here and back her up on the choir parts! Even so, she does get backup from the music as manly voices can be heard. "Be a man!"
"We must be swift as a coursing river..." The blind girl stomps her foot down, singing even louder and with more force as she slams her fist into her chest, "With all the force of a great typhoon, with all the strength of a raging fire. Mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"
- Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
Once again, Rainbow Dash is covered in confetti just after she passes by Tony and Pepper, this time from Pinkie's party cannon. At least the confetti in that rarely gets her tangled, but she still ends up looking even more colorful than usual when the confetti falls down on top of her. "Blegh, like I really needed to be MORE festive." She shakes off a bit of confetti and glitter, sending it scattering off of her.
When Cell takes stage, the pegasus stares, looking torn between being impressed and... weirded out. "Eerr... Yeeaaah, ooohkaay, that was kinda awkward." But she takes note of the signups, and quickly drops down to add her own name to the list after quickly glancing through what's available.
- A-ko Magami (434) has posed:
This time, A-ko recognizes the music and she starts to tap her foot once again. She doesn't know the words, so she just hums along. Still, it's nice to hear some better music this time around!
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Rocket nods quickly after hearing part of a song and points at the list. "That one, absolutely," he says, "And that movie was called /what/ again?" The party planner's answer is drowned out by Toph's performance.
- Defiant (554) has posed:
Even if he's not Armsmaster anymore, Defiant - Colin - still hates parties. In a black suit with a green tie, head neatly shaved and beard neatly trimmed, he looks vaguely uncomfortable and out of his element. Dragon, standing next to him in a matching green and black dress, dark hair done up in some vaguely Eastern style, seems far more at ease.
Will they sing? Who knows!
- Frederica (73) has posed:
It probably figures that Frederica would snort in laughter as Toph, voice less powerful than usual, insists she wishes she knew how to swim.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony joins in the chorus, booming out, "BE A MAN!" in his deepest baritone. And laughs delightedly at the creative earthbending Toph engineered to accompany her. It's... almost as clever and elaborate as his own number. Almost.
- Thor (777) has posed:
Thor looks up from his sandwich at Beli's smile. He makes an effort to chew and swallow before he speaks, but his mouth is only mostly empty when he greets the half-breed with a muffled, "Hail!"
It's a relief whenever Cell leaves the stage. Thor wonders if he'll ever be able to wash that cicada buzz from his ears.
Once Toph takes over, it's all cheers and rhythmic clapping from Thor, though. He follows right along, waving his sandwich in the air during the energetic chorus.
- Maya has posed:
Maya had been enjoying herself quite a bit when Cell started up his song number she was chilled she was creeped out and just couldn't look way from it. She may also be a victem of having to go up on stage and sing. Hopefully she can avoid it howver as Tony shouts out Be a Man. No she has no idea that's another famous Disney song, she may be finding out soon however. She does know Toph clearly is having a lof of fun she clapping for Toph when she's finally finished.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Again Toph displays her bending as she spreads her arms to her sides with her palms facing down. At least until she twists her wrists and brings her hands up, and in response the stage around her shifts and statues rise. Statues of armoured soldiers with fu manchu moustaches. "Time is racing toward us 'til the Huns arrive...!" Only those who have been tutored by Toph can know just how terrifying she can be at times, but the people on the front row should get a taste of it as her foot slams down on the edge of the stage and she leans forward and down, nearly sneering in the face of Rainbow Dash. "Heed my every order and you might survive~!" Next she snaps her hand out and points straight in Frederica's face. "You're unsuited for the rage of war, so pack up, go home you're through..." Stepping back might give them a chance to breathe, even as Toph throws her hands up in mock frustration and turns away, though she really seems to be getting into acting. "How could I make a man out of you?"
She quickly turns around to face the crowd again though, the skirt of her dress about her legs as she gestures for the crowd. Sing along and be heard!
"We must be swift as a coursing river..."
The earthbender does a sweeping motion of her hand, striking out into the air, and several of the statues 'fall' to earthen spikes that shoot up diagonally from the stage floor.
"With all the force of a great typhoon!"
More of them fall as Toph brings her foot up and then kicks her heel down, making several of the statues crumble into dust.
"With all the strength of a raging fire, mysterious as the dark side of the moon!"
Again the refrain is repeated, and this time Toph halts her destruction of faux-huns so she can focus on singing to all of her heart's content.
"We must be swift as a coursing river, with all the force of a great typhoon..."
A rumbling sound builds, even as the stage shakes...
"With all the strength of a raging fire... mysterious as the dark side of the moon~!"
Toph's arms are steady as she brings them up in a quick and forceful manner, and the remainder of the statues fall to the ground onstage!
"Hoo-ah!"
A kick to the stage is all it takes to bring it down. And as Toph takes a bow, nothing remains to tell the tale that there was indeed a stage there just seconds before. She seems rather quick to get back to Pepper to pick up her drink though, looking mighty pleased with herself!
- Ainsley (151) has posed:
Ainsley lingers near Defiant, not really bothering him with small talk. Instead, she has directed a delighted smile toward Dragon, her brows lifted. Her expression is warm and open. "This is quite a party. The last one I attended with capes in it, I was making paintings," she mentions to Dragon, her voice projecting with a slight Spanish accent. She seems to have a great deal in demeanor since they last spoke. Also she's a foot shorter and her eyes are glowing.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie listens with a grin to Toph's song, and even joins in with "Be a man!" herself, though of course she doesn't make it sound particularly manly. This was a pretty good song, she thought, and the way Toph was doing it was awesome- like real martial arts! She claps even more than she did for Cell as the performance ends.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
-
Time with his Master's... former entourage had taught HK-47 that a 'party' tended to get more chaotic and surreal the longer it went on.
The sight of the reptile creature singing was a sight that was so surreal that it could have very well topped the day he saw Ryuko Matoi be /slapped/ back to her senses by Mako Mankanshoku. In fact, he would much rather be in a battle, trading shots of blaster energy with his targets... and not beverages. It was such that he felt that, if he had been capable of it, he might weep for the situation he was in. The girl - Toph - was more... acceptable, if only for the fact that she looked more typical for the setting.
However... there was some resource. Namely that he was closer to Stark.
Time for reconnaissance.
"Complimentary - She seems... an adequate sort. Do you know the girl?" The droid moves to the bar and begins setting up a row of Scotch drinks, as they seem to be the inventor's preferred method of alcoholic self-poisoning.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony puts two fingers to his lips and whistles loudly for Toph's appreciation. He's just laughing and turning to make some clever quip to Pepper when one of the party attendants rushes up to him with a package...
- Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
When Toph takes the stage and starts to sing, Rainbow DAsh can't help but start snickering. But she lets out a loud WHOOP for the earthbender when the song gets going. Only to have Toph almost right in her face. Instinctively, Dash leans away with a startled look on her face. She topples over backwards, but when she gets back up on her hooves, the pegasus is laughing.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony is given a silver metal sphere about the size of a basketball, with thin longitudinal lines running north and south and a single latitude line running across its equator. As Tony touches it, the northern hemisphere begins to glow along each line running north and south. The Sphere lifts out of Tony's hands and hangs in the air under its own power, as the top hemisphere's lines split apart like the slices of an orange and fold open, revealing a crystalline interior, resembling the inside of a geode.
A vector projection erupts from the center of the sphere that eventually coalesces into the form of Terrible Dactyl, "Greetings, from Reptilon, Tony Stark! It is with great regret that neither I nor any of the Tyrannos are able to join you on this momentous occasion. As you can imagine, we are all quite busy on Reptilon with the reconstruction. After all, it's not every day that 150 million dinosaurs are suddenly displaced and then brought back to a world that's not quite how they left it! The combined efforts of both the Union and Confederates is definitely helping and we must thank you again for the help of the Stark Relief Foundation - their contributions have been most welcomed!"
"Lastly, I would like to thank you, personally, for your great sacrificed during our time of need, and express my extreme relief that it was not, in fact, a permanent one ... So, Please be careful, Tony ... I wouldn't want next year's party to come so dangerously close to being canceled again! Happy Egg Day, and may you have many many more."
Dactyl then puts on a pair of sunglasses and sits down at a piano, tapping lightly at the keys, a drum beat begins playing behind him "Oh, I almost forgot! Somebody mentioned a Karaoke contest, yes?"
"One minute I'm in Central Park
Then I'm down on Delancey Street
From the Bow'ry to St Marks
There's a syncopated beat"
"Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo
I'm streetwise
I can improvise
Whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo, whoo
I'm streetsmart
I've got New York City heart"
"Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
I may not have a dime
But I got street savoire faire
Why should I worry?
Why should I care?
It's just bebopulation
And I got street saviore faire"
Terrible Dactyl plays the entire song, playing his piano like a pro and doing his very best Billy Joel impersonation - "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuUQmkAzSZE"
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica scowls up at Toph for trying to claim she's unsuited for war, even in play. She will NOT have anyone questioning her courage! Of course she's been drinking and she's neither terribly practiced at the art nor has much in the way of body mass. So she just might be a wee bit tipsy.
Fortunately, she's not tipsy enough, not quite, to unleash a torrent of fire on mention of the strength of a raging fire. She holds out her hands, but flame quite carefully DOESN'T burst out. Instead she smirks upwards at the terrifying teen, her expression suggesting what she MIGHT have done had she wished it. All the strength of a raging fire?! That's HER damn it!
Still, she DOES applaud at the end of Toph's song. Silly tough girl.
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
Peter takes a large bite from his funnel cake as he watches Toph finish up her song, then claps as he finishes it off. "I have no idea what that's from, but awesome song!" he shouts, before Terrible Dactyl begins to sing. "Oh, hey, -there's- a song I know!"
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Fuss fuss fuss. Once she's made sure her mane is in order -again-, Rarity waves a hoof at Annie. "Hello dear. Enjoying the... show?" She's not entirely sure what to call this sort of compatition. After having raiding one of the waiters for snacks Sweetie Belle and Applebloom have gravitated back to her.
Of course Scootaloo practically beelined for Rainbow Dash instead, though. "I bet you have the most awesome song possible picked out, don't you? Don't you don't you don't you?!" Her wings buzz with enough frevor that she actually gets off the ground briefly in her idol worshiping moment.
- Jimmy Wen (606) has posed:
Jimmy climbs onto the stage and grabs the microphone eagerly. He taps against it, not because it's necessary, but because it's annoying. "Hello? HELLO," he asks in a mock-grating tone. He... might be impersonating Fran Drescher? His mojo doesn't seem to be interfering with the mic, which is good. "Hi there, everybody. The name's Wen, Jimmy Wen." So, that means he can quit fooling around! Jimmy nonchalantly straddles the baby grand piano on the stage, startling the player. He slides off his sunglasses, slipping them into his coat pocket, then rests his head on his hand, laying on the instrument like a 40s songstress in a packed jazz club. "Hit it, boys!"
The sax player begins a sultry introduction, with the pianist backing him up. Jimmy... yawns into the mic? He trails a finger across the piano's smooth surface, winking at the pianist and crossing his legs. Then, he sings into the mic, reaching into his coat pocket for a mirror to observe himself. He begins to sing, demonstrating a fine voice in the tenor range. "Girl, we've got work to do... Pass me the paint and glue." He adjusts his hair slightly. "Perfect isn't easy, but... it's..."
The band picks up the pace, turning the lullaby into a midtempo swing number. "MEEEEE!" He slides smoothly off of the piano, putting the mirror away and striding across the stage in time with the music, snapping with his free hand. He whirls on his heels and shoots the crowd a pouty look over his shoulder.
"When one knows the world is watching, one does what one must! Some minor /adjustments/ darling!" A comb slides out of his sleeve--of course it does--and he gives his short hair a deft little flick with the instrument. "Not for my vanity, but for /humanity./" He places a hand on his hip and flips his hair, whirling back around to face the crowd. Jimmy bends over, hand still on his hip, and searches for someone familiar to wink at--since everyone's basically a new face, he chooses the little pony with the impeccable coifure.
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell applauds politely for both Toph's and Dactyl's performances, because that's the sort of thing you do at parties. It's evidently quite sincere, although, really, who can tell? It's not like his facial structure is the structure of a normal person. His compound eyes are impossible to tell.
Jimmy, however, gets a horrific cicada-buzz laugh and a firm clap. That's some style right there.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Toph sidles up next to Tony and blinks. "You sacrificed your life and he couldn't even show up in person, huh?" she asks and takes a sip of her soda.
When the next person begins their song though, she blinks. "Well, we had me singing a guy's song, and now we have a guy singing a lady's song. Go figure!" she snickers.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
"Yep," Annie says in reply to Rarity, joining her and the Crusaders. She figures they'd be the best ones to stay with for now. "It's great. I think I'm going to do a song too, but I don't have powers and stuff to make it flashy. But that's okay, it'll be fun anyway." She nodded, looking back to the stage as the next song starts.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"It is a little rude," Cell agrees with Toph. "You don't do that sort of thing. Man dies on a campaign, you go pay your respects in person. Common courtesy. Even if he comes back to life."
- Defiant (554) has posed:
It's likely Dragon notices the differences, but is too polite to say anything about it. "I know," Dragon replies with a warm smile, "I saw. I was handling the security for that evening. And I think you painted one of Armsmaster when he was being held in the Brockton PRT HQ. We have that one in our possession."
"Mm," Defiant adds, a drink in hand. He nods over to Tony and Toph.
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
"Perhaps he's contending with threats to his hide." Potts mutters quietly, and helps herself to a martini. Hrmph. Scales couldn't even show.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
The earthbender nods her head at Cell. Sure, he's creepy, but he's got showmanship! And that is something Toph can appreciate. "I mean, he rented /Disney World/. Who would pass up on a party like this?" There's a pause. "So how do you make your voice like that anyway?"
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony manages to tear his interest away from the curious floating holo-ball that Terrible Dactyl sent him, in time to look up and see Jimmy absolutely vamping it up on the stage. He flat-out cracks up laughing. And pats Pepper on the arm. "Hey, Terry's always been all right. Maybe even Rex'll quit being such a douchebag after what we did for him."
- Rebound (750) has posed:
Sure Rebound will cheer for everyone who's actually got the guts to get up on stage and perform. Sure she used to go out and get in a cage and get her butt kicked, or kick other people's butts, in front of millions, but there's no way you could get her up on stage, she thinks. At least not without a lot more alcohol and goading.
Speaking of alcohol, she's looking for some. Rich swanky party like this has to have somebody handing out drinks, or maybe even an open bar.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"Genetic engineering," Cell replies politely over his cigar. He's inhaling so he doesn't breathe smoke at everybody and make the whole place stink, "I can mimic anybody whose genes are part of my makeup. Stack 'em over each other, and it sounds real good, don't it?"
"And then there's the creepy bug thing."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
That... sounds creepy. But then again, she /did/ ask. Toph shrugs. "So not something I can learn to do then," she concludes. "At least you can do villain songs real well."
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
Seeing someone waiting for drinks, the droid makes a mental note to bring some back-up of his own the next time one of these events takes place, grabbing a drink tray and moving up to the... horse?
There is no doubt about it - the mammalian creature before him seems to be a horned horse with a white boy and purple mane. She also seems to be, of all things, dressed in a rather artfully-done outfit. He also takes note of the human and the three smaller horses - one with wings and another with a short horn - mulling around them.
"Greeting - Hello, mammalian! May I interest any of you in a drink? We have an excellent selection available tonight - I guarantee it will be to your liking" He sets the tray on the table before them, along with a a full bottle of the Grey Goose Vodka... and then walks away.
After all, he is a serving droid, not a guardian. Surely meatbags - even quadrupedal ones - can manage their intake. Besides, he needed to keep an eye on Stark.
And all meatbags looked after each-other. At least one of them ought to have the sense to not let the others get too intoxicated if only one inconspicuously-distracting bottle was left alone, correct?
- Cell (696) has posed:
"I take lessons," the bug-monster adds, "Singing and dancing are two of my very many hobbies. I think I've gotten quite good at them."
"It's actually not the song I would've taken, but it was a good fit, so why not, you know?" Cell shrugs. "I was gonna do that one from Tarzan, uhh, 'Strangers Like Me'."
"But I figured that would actually creep people out more. Heh, heh."
- Ainsley (151) has posed:
"I was trying to communicate some outside insight when that all happened," Ainsley says, before she goes about gathering a drink for herself, just a sweet tea if she can find one to enjoy. When the exotic lizard woman returns, she continues her chat with Dragon. "That's a nice dress. Green and black are great when put together." She nods at Defiant as well, because that compliment counts him in, too. "Do the matching colors mean something?"
She's only barely paying attention to the rest of the party, looking away from the people she's with only when a new song comes up.
- Jimmy Wen (606) has posed:
"Each little /step/ or /pose!/ See how the breeding shows--HUH!" The wizard promptly bends back up and thrusts his pelvis sideways, giving the audience a sidelong glance and a seriously smug grin. "Sometimes it's too much for even meeee!" He pantomimes fainting, bending at the knees and placing his wrist on his forehead. "But! When all the world says 'yes' then who am I to say 'no?'" He struts across the stage, swinging his tie like a tassel. "Don't ask a mutt to strut like a showgirl, no girl! You need a /pro./"
The band picks up with its own little rendition of the melody, which Jimmy uses to stride across the stage like Fred Astaire, twirling on one foot, using the piano as leverage to hoist himself up and sit on the instrument once again, smiling in a way that makes the pianist simultaneously amused and uncomfortable. "NOT a flea or a flaw!~ Take a peek at that paw," He offers his wrist to the pianist, daintily bending it before taking it back. "Perfection becomes me, nest ce pas?" He shrugs, grinning, then slides off of it. "Unrivaled! UnRRRUFFLED! I'm beauty /unleashed!/ Yeah!" Wen strikes a pose in profile, making pointer fingers at, oh, let's say Cell!
"Jaws drop, hearts stop! I'm fetchin' and classy, we're not talking Lassie!" The band slows to a dramatic crawl, growing louder and louder as the finale approaches. Jimmy slowly high-steps across the stage, vocalizing and improvising along with the melody. "Tho' many covet my bone and bow, they're barking up the wrong treeee! You pret-ty pups all ov-er the ci-ty, I have your hearts and /you/ have my pi-ty! Pretty is nice but still it's just pret-ty! Perfect my deeeeears..." Here it comes...
"Is..." Wen makes a running start for the front of the stage, sliding on his knees as the song comes to its end. "MEEEEEEEEEE!" As the band plays him off, he lays on his side, resting his head on his hand.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
The party planner with Rocket and Groot lead the pair over to the band director so that they can sign up. Along the way the girl says to Rocket, "At /that/ point in the song you want to..." but again the exact words are drowned out by the singing.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Please excuse Toph for looking confused. "You." She begins, pointing at Cell. "Take singing and dancing lessons." She snorts, snickering... and punches Cell in the arm. "Sure, Phil Collins is the perfect song choice for you! Of course!" Seriously. At least she looks amused!
As Jimmy finishes up his song she cheers loudly though, clapping and letting out a loud whistle!
Her feet pick up something though, and she turns her head slightly and raises her arm, waving it. "HEY! GROOT! OVER HERE!"
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica looks away from some of Jimmy's more ... outrageous poses, but by this point she's not very good at looking away for long. Her eyes return in spite of her wishes, and she DOES end up laughing. And clapping of course, at least when the song's done.
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
The lights on the stage turn a cold blue, and someone pumps chilled air into the space. The trees around rustle with the cold wind, and the lights in them dance around as POtts takes the stage, clad in a black business suit, a little light blue showing at the nape of the jacket.. The lights catch on the brilliant diamonds on her ring finger and dance across the gems at her ears and throat as the piano keys in with a wistful key, drawing to a lower scale. "The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen," Potts begins, her voice a little husky, "a kingdom of isolation, and it looks like..." she glances down, a folder of paperwork in her hands. "I'm the queen." she opens up the fodler, fingering through the paperwork. "The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside... couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried..."
Snap! goes the folder. "Don't let them in -- don't let them see." She waggles a long finger towards an imaginary child, "'Be the good girl you've always have to be...' conceal, don't feel, don't them them know...." she breathes, and then tosses a paper into the air, where it's lifted up by a burst of wind, ascending to the trees. "Well, now they know!"
"Let it go, let it go, can't hold it back anymore," a few more papers go flying, "Let it go -- let it go, turn away and slam the door." she tilts her head up, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. "I don't care, what they're going to say -- let the storm rage on..."
The lights twinkle again, "The cold never bothered me anyway~"
That's when the synth drums and guitar key in, and the tempo kicks up.
"IT's funny how some distance, can make everything seem small! And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all!"
The redhead in the bun strides across the stage, wide-eyed as she sings. "It's time to see what I can do--" holoscreen skick up behind her, transmitting snow bursts, leading upwards,
"To test the limits and break through--" she reaches down, and a pair of posts come up, "No right no wrong no rules for me -- I'm free~!" and lights flash, and Potts is ascending some freshly-raised stairs, one at a time! "Let it go, let it go! I'm one with the wind and sky! Let it go, let it go! You'll never see me cry!"
"Here I stand --" her foot tumps against a clear platform, "And here I'll stay! Let the storm rage on...."
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
With the instrumental break, the holoscreens twist and turn around, pictures of a vaguely familiar castle rising from the ground -- the... castle being Stark Tower instead. Because it's Tony's Birthday.
"My power flurries through the air into the ground -- my soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around -- and one thought crystalizes like an icy blast..."
Potts looks down at the business folder, and then raises it up, accusingly looking at it, "I'm never going back -- the past is in the past!"
And she throws it, the screens flashing and the business suit is now a pretty, icy blue dress that shimmers, and has a low back and no sleeves. The folder is flung away, papers scattering everywhere!
"Let it go! Let it go! And I'll rise like the break of Dawn!" the platform lowes, slowly, to not upset Potts on those six-inch heels. "Let it go, let it go!~" she brings her hands up, and pulls her hair out of the bun, and it unfurls into a classy, slightly curly cascade of strawberry blonde and red "That perfect girl is gone! Here I stand, in the light of daaaay! Let the storm rage OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON--" the holoscreens flash again, and then fade away, and Potts' lips curl into a smile. "The cold never bothered me anyway."
And she turns, pops on a Minnie Mouse ear-hat, and stalks off stage.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"I jazzercise," Cell observes cheerfully as Toph socks him, "Got the little pink exercise bands and everything. Arms, legs, tail. Once a week. Best Of The Seventies Jazz mix."
"And I've been taking jzz tap for like a year. I sing at karaoke with some of my soldiers, sometimes. It's fun. Just because I'm a monster doesn't mean I don't know how to have a good time."
He applauds politely for Pepper, but this is one of the few songs Cell doesn't recognize off the top of his head, so he can't really gauge it versus the original. It's a nice cover.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
And Tony gapes. Oh my god that's hot. That's... so hot. In spite of the theme of the song. Seeing Pepper take her hair down and /fling paperwork to the wind/... oh my god.
- Defiant (554) has posed:
"You did well," Dragon replies. In heels, she actually stands /taller/ than Defiant, as it turns out - and he's not short. "We just like the colors, it's honestly that simple. But thank you - I haven't been to many parties, so, it's nice to know I can pick an outfit. Defiant's no help in that regard."
- Red (572) has posed:
Red's turn up on the stage. She has a bit of an advantage. It's her profession. Her whole world. Her one true passion, pouring our her soul into song is who and what she is. So, the opportunity to show off? Even without her voice? Well.. there's ways around that. So, the Transistor helps out, by broadcasting the backround music and a recording of Red's voice. The woman behind the mic, though? She just hums along to the tune.
"I hear you buzzing, a fly on the wall..
In through the window, and up through the hall..
Flying in circles, just tryin' to land..
I see you hurting, I do what I can.."
Red responds as if she were singing it with her voice, still, clutching the microphone as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Leaning forward, with her hair covering her eyes. And, well.. it's not too far off, really.
"But I.. won't.. save you..
No, I.. won't.. save you.."
She leans up again, eyes searching through the audience, her voice still humming softly along with the music.
"Maybe you're looking for someone to blame..
Fighting for air, while you.. circle the drain..
Never be sorry, for your little time..
It's not when you get there, it's always the climb!"
The refrain, once more, the woman's humming just as passionate as the voice singing the lyrics. It's easy to tell that they're one and the same.
"No, I.. won't.. save you..
I won't save you..
I won't... save you.."
With that, the music and vocals fade out. The end of the show, or so it'd seem.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGMWL8cOeAU
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
She kind of expected somebody to sing that song. Okay, she expected Tony to sing that song. But when it's Pepper instead, Toph can't help but grin. Though she does lean closer to Tony and whispers something. Sure, all the images on the holo screen is lost on her, though she can at least appreciate the music. "If only we could get her to do that with the paperwork at home, huh?"
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica doesn't think the song's hot. But ... well, it's a good song. Just not hot. The dress is hot however, that's for sure. Very nice. Yes, Frederica wants one...
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
As HK watches Pepper leave the stage and the newcomer take center, he cannot help but rack his processor for the source of the lyrics "Notation - I am certain I have heard that song before at some point."
However, he doesn't have the time to muse on it, as he finally approaches the bar table again, taking note of the green reptilian executive of the Red Ribbon organization.
"Query - Do you have a preferred drink, General Green?"
- Rarity (136) has posed:
The song is nice... but much like Frederica the unicorn fashionista is taking more interest in the way Red's dress reacts to her movements as she 'sings'. "She must have quite the seamstress." Unlike some in this profession Rarity would rather admire the style of another than try to rag on it.
- Jimmy Wen (606) has posed:
Jimmy places his sunglasses back on, then hems and haws about finding a drink. The drink robot is hella cool, but it's a robot. Of course, he has no idea it's an /elite/ robot. Maybe just a regular bartender? He approaches and grabs a gin and tonic, then leans his back against the bar and searches for prime schmoozing spots while listening to Red's singing.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie cheers for Pepper. "That was great," she says, before heading up to sign up for her own turn. She grins happily as she returns to her place with Rarity and the others. "Okay, I picked one!"
- Cell (696) has posed:
"Commander Green," Cell corrects his fellow killing machine gently, "And yes, but if I told you what it was, a lot of people would get very insulted and angry and this pleasant evening would suddenly turn into a nasty South City Standoff. So let's go with a gin and tonic for the moment."
"Although, as one android to another, I think you can kick back and enjoy the party, too. I'm pretty sure they have paid staff to cater this sort of thing."
Red gets another applause, because that was damned impressive. The slinky monster appreciates slinky showmanship, after all.
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica makes her way up to the stage before throwing her hood back, revealing her 'natural' appearance for all to see. It's a dramatic, flashy, and most of all familiar gesture that probably goes some way to cover her nervousness. She gives a regal nod towards the band, then folds her hands before her in a manner approaching that of silent prayer. The music begins, and for a few moments Frederica's left with nothing to do, nothing to sing. A few moments that end up feeling like a few hours.
That changes, finally, as she begins to sing. "You think I'm an ignorant savage." she almost growls, her voice low and slightly hostile, her gaze locking onto Tony Stark, wherever he is, as if she's taking this way too personally. "And you've been so many places, I guess it must be sooooo..." she continues, her voice changing somewhat, the hostility leaving it.
Probably no surprise, if anyone knows Frederica well, that she chose a song that lets her combat her nerves with an angry-seeming introduction. The song doesn't remain so, and the girl's mood seems to lighten as it continues. Possibly that was also deliberate. She doesn't have the power to her voice that the original singer does, but her voice isn't bad and she can at least carry a tune.
"But still I cannot see if the savage one is me~ How can there be so much that you don't know?" Again the words are directed at Tony, but not angrily. She seems to be having some fun actually, throwing little barbs his way, all in fun. "You don't know.... You think you own whatever land you land on... The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i0HDygKdLM
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony raises his eyebrows in response to Freddie's glare, touching a hand to his chest in a 'what, me?' gesture. As her tone shifts to one with less hostility, he smiles and turns the raised eyebrows into a teasing waggle, which his cat ears mimick.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Even if Red isn't singing a Disney song, it's still one hell of a performance. It's not a happy song, and only made the more tragic by knowing that Red lost her voice and can no longer sing. Which explains why she is 'performing' one of her earlier songs...
Though Toph is cheered up a bit as Fred takes the stage... and begins singing a song that she recognizes. What a hell of a song to sing to a billionaire on his birthday! She can't help but snicker a bit.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
"Query - Er, whatever do you mean, commander? I am a simple serving and assistance droid, brought to serve for the night. Although, I appreciate the gesture."
He serves up the rather simple-to-serve drink, though now that he thinks about it, this might be a good opportunity to be more formal in at least one regard.
"Query - Out of curiosity, what sort of person do you think Stark is? He has invited both Confederate and Union members to this party with impunity. What if there are assassins awaiting him? Not that there are any actual assassinations planned at this moment - but... why is the organic so very open and trusting?"
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Although Rocket obviously didn't see her from his vertically challenged point of view, Groot saw Toph's wave and waves back at her after following his friend though the crowd to where they are waiting their turn on stage. He bellows out, "I am Groot!" ((Hello Toph!)) Rocket then says, "What you see her?" and Groot points towards her. Rocket then waves in the same direction.
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica even manages to smile back at Tony, not quite losing control to laughter, though there's a hint of challenge in that smile. She does have the nerve to poke fun at the birthday boy, even here. Especially here. Getting more into the song, Frederica opens up her arms, spreading fingers to reveal a pair of brightly-glowing lights. Not flames, no, just chemical lights. Flames might be fine in a private party, surrounded only by those who trust her to not lose control of her power, but she'd figured to avoid the risk in a place as public as Disney World. She gestures as she sings, pointing out the nature about them. Plants, rocks, animals. Even some of the party guests.
"Have you ever heard the wolf cry to the blue corn moon? Or asked the grinning bobcat why he grinned? Can you sing with all the voices of the mountains, can you paint with all the colours of the wind?" She slows, pauses, then continues. "Can you paint with all the colours of the wind?"
She's no longer singing at Tony Stark, instead singing to the crowd, her own nervousness only a faint memory of pink in her cheeks.
Finally though, as the song winds down, she once again turns to the Birthday Boy. "You can own the Earth and still, all you'll own is Earth until... you can paint... with all the colours... of the... wind~" And as the music winds down, she bows her head, letting the music fade.
When it's all finally over, she all but flees from the stage. She's grinning however, her eyes sparkling.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie listens to Frederica with interest. Annie had considered doing this song, but wasn't sure how appropriate it would be. Still, she claps appreciatively. It is a nice song after all.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
As Groot waves back Toph grins, then punches Tony in the arm. "Don't do anything too oogie with Pepper now, you're in /public/!" she reminds him, then heads off through the crowd towards Rocket and Groot. "You made it!" she exclaims, then reaches out and punches Groot in the arm too for good measure. "Are you guys going to sing?" Oh please, let Groot sing.
- Ainsley (151) has posed:
Ainsley shows a warmer smile at Dragon for a couple of seconds. "Excuse me. I have to go give a gift to Tony," she tells her, and then she offers a nod toward Defiant. She turns and navigates the party to get to Tony, moving with a smooth step. When she reaches Tony, she sips at her sweet tea and contemplates the social climate immediately surrounding him.
Then she reaches into her coat pocket, and pulls out a flower seemingly made of red and green crystal that is tough and yet still as soft and pliable as a flower should be, and hands it toward Tony. It has a little ribbon and a card tied to it that says 'Happy Birthday!' in glowing blue print.
"Happy birthday~" she says while she holds it out at him, seeming all-in-all 100% warmer and more pleasant than he'd be familiar with from what little interactions they've had before.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
"We're performing a song together," Rocket says. "She," he indicates the party planner with a jerk of a thumb off in the right direction, "says it isn't a duet, but we figured it out. Groot's accompanying me." Groot grins at Toph and says, "I am Groot." ((We both like this one. I think its bouncy.)) Rocket glares up at him and says, "No, it is epic! Just like us." He then grins in Toph's direction. "Not gonna tell you so don't ask," he says as if anticipating a question from her.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"If you say so," Cell replies with a wry look over his gin-and-tonic, "Personally I'd take the time to myself and let the meatbags wait on me, if I were you, but whatever makes you happy. To each his own, I hear they say."
The question brings Cell's fingers up to his chin. He brushes it thoughtfully, as if he had a beard. "Well. I don't know him that well, myself, you understand. But there's certain societal conventions. Constructs of hospitality. If you invite a guest into your home, both you and the guest are expected to behave in a certain way. Similarly, if you're a guest in someone else's home, you're expected to behave in a certain way, as is your host."
Cell takes the gin and tonic and swirls it a bit. Alcohol has exactly no effectiveness on him, so it's mostly just a convention. He takes a sip with his mandibles, applauding gently to Freddy before he turns his attention back to HK. "See, those rules are sort of an unspoken understanding of society. You sit down, you break bread with a man, and if you kill him, you're a worse monster than you could possibly be if you killed him on the battlefield. You take advantage of somebody's hospitality, and it sends a signal to the whole world: you don't deserve to live, because you can't be controlled."
"Now," Cell notes, rolling the gin and tonic in his glass, "That doesn't mean people don't do it, when they think they can get away with it. But look around." Cell points at Toph, and Pepper, at Tony, at Freddy, at Rocket, at Peter...he basically gestures at the entire group, "If somebody attacked that man, right here and now, what would you say the odds of him getting away are? Not very high, I'd say. Somewhere in the zeroes. Hell, I'd help if somebody did that. There's rules even in war."
"Even in war," Cell repeats distantly over his alcohol, a thoughtful glint in his compound eye.
"So I'd say he's a man surrounded by powerful friends and powerful family, who can afford to rest on the haunches of hospitality for a day or so, let his hair down, and enjoy not being dead." Cell pats HK on the shoulder. "Not really a personal analysis, I suppose, but it's the best I can do with what I've got."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony claps vigorously for Frederica, well able to take a little ribbing at his own expense. He is, after all, still wearing cat ears. As she exits the stage he steps back up onto it in her wake, quips something amusing to the band, and approaches the microphone. He clears his throat, and announces in a low, mischievous tone, "I have a request to make of someone in the audience. Doctor Banner..."
"Do you want to build a robot? I've got this neat AI."
"But it's biochemistry -- it's half greek to me -- c'mon big guuuuy...."
"We're used to being buddies, we're science-bros, this shit is just what we DOOOOOO!"
"Do you wanna build a robot? It doesn't have to be a robot..."
And from the crowd, near enough to the stage that the microphone can just pick up his yelling, Banner shouts back, "Go away, Tony!"
"....Fine, fuck yoooou."
And Stark scampers back off the stage.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony is greeted at the bottom of the stage steps, not by a vengeful Pepper as he half expected, but Ainsley with a flower. "...oh hey. Thanks," he replies, a little bemused as he takes the crystalline ornament and examines it. "What's this made of?"
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Toph looks amused and rather pleased as Rocket explains matters. "Epic, huh? I look forward to hearing it! And I'm not even going to ask."
Her expression turns a bit serious as she feels Cell pointing at her, and she turns her head just slightly. With all these people around it's hard to hear...
And of course when Tony steps on stage again and sings another song... and she lets out a groan. Seriously. Though Bruce's reply does make her snicker a bit. "Man, seriously... this is where I roll my eyes at my dad, right?" she asides to Rocket and Groot.
- Ainsley (151) has posed:
"Near as I can tell? Crystals. It's from the Crystal Valley," Ainsley tells him, giving Tony a wide-eyed shrug to emphasize how she hasn't the faintest clue. "I couldn't think of anything better for you, I admit. It's mostly for the sentiment." She tries an apologetic smile at him.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Groot blinks cluelessly at Toph's comment while Rocket says, "Heh, yeah... parents," in such a way that it is clear he also isn't really sure how to react to the blind earthbender's comment.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony grins back easily. "I'm hard to shop for," he admits. "But this is cool! I'll like to see what Jarvis makes of the chemical composition." Yeah, he's a supernerd.
- Maya has posed:
The singing has just been amazing for Maya, she's totally using her wrist comp to record these for later amusment one way or another. She's honesly getting to do something she seldom does. She's getting to relax and fully fade into a crowd. She's never get to do this back home even with those who still saw her just as Maya. She is however looking to get some food at this point and she debates how to springs Tony's gift on him.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Oh. They clearly don't get it. So Toph explains. "He adopted me. He is being silly on stage. That is supposed to be embarrassing, so I get to be silly and act like he's being extra stupid and groan and moan about it. Even more since he's a billionaire super hero," Toph states, waiting for the next person to sing.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
The droid seems contemplative for a moment, his red optics pulsing with what looks like deep thought. "Admission - perhaps. Musing - But then again, if your words about 'social standards' are true, then being 'waited on' would likely not inspire a desire to trust. I prefer to... know the playing field from the ground-up. It is...
HK pauses, as if thinking the words through. "Hypothetical - Let us say that knowing people is like profiling for a perfect assassination. You can learn much by reading every scrap of information available, but it is merely statistical data - you learn far more from direct contact, watching how they present themselves and interact with others. Experiences are always better then records. Stark is one such individual - you cannot judge him based merely on what is said. It is what you would call "seeing to believe."
The droid pours another glass, just in case the Commander asks for it. "Clarification - As such, I prefer to know an individual from direct contact - distasteful as it may often be to associate with these liquidious fleshbags as it often is. If I were to put it into a single sentence, it is that I choose to serve tonight because I wished to observe before making any true forward act. This is an organic that these people expended a reality-altering single-use wishing power to resurrect... and I wished to see for myself why. Even now, it seems hard to judge him - he seems unrestrained and whimsical... and yet, it attracts these people to him like moths to flame."
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
Pepper breezes by behind Toph. "You haven't seen him at embarrassing. He's gotten /much/ better since I've trained him." Potts replies playfully, still wearing the mouse ears as she pats Toph on the hea.d
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Rocket now nods as does Groot. "Neigher of us really have had this kind of family experience," Rocket says. "For totally different reasons."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Oh hey mom! Toph doesn't even turn to face Pepper, then she quips back. "No, I haven't seen him. Ever. Sometimes I'm glad I'm blind."
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
"... tuche, kid..." Potts laughs, and breezes by to do hostess things.
- Ainsley (151) has posed:
"Whatever it is, it's alive, maybe it'll turn out to be useful for something," Ainsley muses, apparently happy that it's at least a curiosity for Tony to show to Jarvis. She nods once toward Tony, and then turns to wander off to track down Colin and Dragon again, humming one of the songs to herself.
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Oh goodness, it's her turn. Rarity politely excuses herself from Annie's company and heads up on stage. The Crusaders also scramble off, if only to go back behind stage and... one can only presume it's to help with something related to Rarity's performance. The unicorn borrows an unused microphone stand and sets in middle of the stage, then pulls out a tuxedo and tophat which she tosses on it, and then sets a cane and tap shoes next to it. Followed by taking a few steps back, then rearing up on her hind legs as she thrusts forelimbs into the air and does an overdramatically sounding chant.
"Tregunaaaa... Mekoideeeees... Trecorum! Satis! Deeeeee!"
Both her horn and the esemblem briefly flicker in a bluish glow... and then the tux and hat jump off the stand, 'picking' up the cane and floating midair as if actually being worn by someone, twirling the cane and moving around as if dancing as the band starts playing, while Rarity starts singing, occasionally waving her hooves as if directing the movements.
"o/~Substitutiary Locomotion, mystic power that's far beyond the wildest notion.
It's so weird, so feared, yet wonderful to see!
Substitutiary Locomotion come to me!
Treguna, Mekoides and Trecorum satis dee! o/~"
The tophat and cane are 'tossed' to Rarity herself, grabbing the latter with one hoof and doffing the hat on her own head, then uses the cane to dance along with the tux coat and shoes this time.
o/~I don't want locomotiary substitution, or remote intransitory convolution
Only one precise solution is the key!
Substitutiary Locomotion, it must be!
Treguna, Mekoides and Trecorum satis dee! o/~
- Cell (696) has posed:
"Charisma," Cell replies over his drink, "That's called charisma. People look up to somebody who lives and enjoys life to the fullest. People like that glow in a way other people can't hope to match. It's not like moths to a flame. It's like animals, curled up around a fire, hoping to share its warmth and light. Even when people shake their heads and denounce him, or say things about him that are totally accurate or total lies, people want a little bit of that light."
"They like him. He's likeable. He's cheerful and he has fun and he doesn't take life too seriously, and he's a little bit pretty. You'd be surprised what people will do for a pretty face. What people will excuse for a pretty face." Cell stares, hard, at the glass of alcohol in his hand. "A pretty face, charisma, and a group of close friends can conquer the whole world if you let it. Especially if money's involved."
"Why? You planning on killing him?" Cell inquires over his glass, "It's not my business, but I'll give you a tip. Don't do it surrounded by family and friends. It's never worth it. Especially if they have power."
Cell looks back into his glass. It was amazing what people could excuse with a pretty face. A pretty face was a power Cell was never going to have. A pretty face, a pretty voice - oh, he could fake the voice, but the face? No, you couldn't fake that. No, no.
The glass explodes in his hand. It doesn't appear to do any serious damage. Cell frowns and snaps his fingers, energy building into a new glass. "Sorry. Can I trouble you for another gin and tonic, buddy? Sometimes I forget my own strength."
He laughs his creepy little bug laugh and shakes his head. "Anyway, I agree with you. You learn a lot from direct contact. From meeting people. From talking to people. From learning from people. You can build a pretty good mission profile just by hanging around somebody, or getting somebody else to hang around somebody. Just..."
Cell shrugs. "When it's time to pull the trigger, if you're gonna do that, you pull the trigger in the open, or you make sure not a single person knows you did it."
- Defiant (554) has posed:
Colin and Dragon are much where they were when Ainsley went to find Tony - nursing a set of drinsk and making quiet conversation amongst themselves. They're not party people and anyone who knows Defiant for more than - oh, five seconds - already knows he'd rather be anywhere else than being /social/.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie grins as she watches Rarity's performance. It's... pretty ridiculous, honestly, but it certainly seems like Rarity is having fun with it. And from the sound of things, it was all about magic, which fit the unicorn well enough.
- Steve Rogers has posed:
"Excuse me, sorry, coming through, pardon me ... sorry I'm late ... excuse me, please?"
It WAS supposed to be a nice leisurely visit before the party, but apparently the Smithsonian has an exhibit dedicated to Captain America and His Howling Commandoes, so it's gotten harder for Steve Rogers to wander around and NOT be recognized, or at least noticed. Particularly at Disney World.
Which is why, instead of the tuxedo he'd meant to show up in, Steve is in full Captain America regalia, closer to the USO-designed costume than either of the uniforms he's worn that were meant for actual combat. At least it's not QUITE as goofy as the USO costume - and it allows him to make his way through the crowd, wheeling a red-and-gold motorcycle along. Now where is the birthday boy ... ?
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"Hey, my family life was not the best before I ran away from home. My biological parents are not like Goldie and Pepper. Heh, Goldie punched my father in the face, actually..." Toph says to Rocket, then blinks when Rarity starts her song. A song she doesn't know?
It's fun to listen to though, and Toph claps along and cheers!
And there's Steve too! Toph punches Rocket and Groot in the arm both. "Good luck on your song, guys! Mingle with the others and say hi!" Then she hurries up to Steve to follow up next to him. "Hey, you came too! About time!"
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony grins broadly upward at Rarity's show on stage. Man, that's an old one too. Almost as old as the one he picked -- which came out the year he was BORN, so that's saying something. On his birthday. And she has the magic to animate it so well too!
He turns, somewhat distractedly, when he catches sight of Captain Red White and Blue Spangles working his way through the crowd. Oh god, what's Steve gotten into this time? The uniform makes him think possible trouble, and so it's with a somewhat tense stride that he makes his way through the crowd toward his fellow Avenger. "Cap," he greets cautiously, his eyes dropping briefly to the motorcycle, uncertain what to make of that. "Everything all right?"
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Now people that have only seen a certain movie for this song may be confused at this point, because that's almost all that they used.
But Rarity doing her research for the event found a -full- version of the song, which the professional band even knew!
Which is why instead of stopping at this point the band starts playing it as more of a marching tempo. And sure enough the Crusaders come marching onto the stage
Leading a trio of replicas of the Canterlot Royal Guards' pony style armor, a deeper magical voice echoing from within the helmets to maintain the marching tempo as they rattle "TREGUNA. MEKOIDES. TRECORUM SATIS DEE" over and over, as Rarity raises the dance cane like a lead captain's rapier and joins in the 'march'.
"o/~ Substitutiary Locomotion, can create a state of clamorous commotion!
It's the spell, to quell, invasion from the sea.
Substitutiary Locomotion, is the key!
Treguna, Mekoides and Trecorum satis dee! o/~"
And then to top it off the armors stop, pull their swords from the sheaths... and start dancing with twirling them in place of canes to follow Rarity's step.
"o/~ The key to guide, the tide, that's stronger than the ocean
I want Substitutiary Locomotion
It can course, the force, to keep our country free
Substitutiary Locomotion, work for me! o/~"
Then Rarity drops down onto one knee and throws her hooves over her head, the Crusaders and then the tux and armors posing similarly behind her. ""TREGUNA. MEKOIDES. AND TRECORRRRRUM SAAAAATIS DEEEEEE!"
BA DUM DUM!
- Bruce Banner (295) has posed:
Unlike The Captain, Doctor Banner wanders about the area in a more low-key manner, trying to, aside from Disney song call-outs, make his way through the crowd and mingle to quiet spots. While he's certainly gotten better and is much more aware of his...limiations, the good doctor still tries to be cautious and maintain himself in a posture that prevents any sudden surprise visits.
Being that it's Starkk's birthday though, the aire of the place is light-hearted and Bruce, whilst staying a bit off to sides, still manges to mingle with those around him casually.
- Beli Klum (238) has posed:
Now it's her turn. Once Rarity's down, Beli takes a breath and steps up onto the stage, taking a moment to straighten out her dress before folding her arms behind her back.
The rephaite clears her throat, a sound coupled with the sudden growth of her six black wings from her back and the appearance of the three black halos behind her head. As plucking violins start over the sound system for the song she's chosen, her feathers flare with a crimson sheen, a color matched by the flames that manifest in the center of each halo. That's not all the preparation she needs, though.
First she snaps her right fingers, summoning up a pillar of shadow at her side that oozes into a vaguely humanoid shape - just enough to match her own outline, if you squint. The snap of her left fingers summons another at her other side, and both stand nearby, arms folded behind their backs as Beli has her own. The rephaite's feet tap, tap, tap...and then the three of them sing together with Beli's voice, swaying side to side in unison with their melody.
(https://goo.gl/BlWw2x)
"Laaaa la la la la la, la-la-la-la-la~. Laaa la la la la la, la-la-la-la-la~!"
The three of them begin /skipping/ in a circle, one following after the other with almost childlike glee. "Kidnap the Sandy Claws, lock him up real tight! Throw away the key and then turn off all the lights!"
Beli suddenly breaks away from the trio, standing at attention as she faces them with her finger lifted in the air. "First we're going to set some bait inside a nasty trap and wait. When he comes a-sniffing we will snap the trap and close the gate!" Her hand suddenly swings down, scooping into a tight fist - but before she can continue, one of her shadows leaps in with her own hands blazing with crimson fire. "Wait! I've got a better plan to catch this big red lobster man! Let's pop him in a boiling pot-" The flames suddenly blaze even higher in her hands. "-and when he's done we'll butter him up!"
Fortunately, those flames flicker away as the trio grab one another by the hand and twirl in a circle. "Kidnap the Sandy Claws, throw him in a box! Bury him for ninety years, then see if he talks!"
Beli suddenly breaks away again, leaving her shadows twirling on the stage as she swings her arm in a gesture to Tony. Her grin makes it seem like she's having way too much fun here. "Then Mister Oogie Boogie man can take the whole thing over then! He'll be so pleased, I do declare, that he will cook him rare!"
Another twirl sends her back onto the stage, where she folds her arms to look at one of her shadows as it chimes in. Its arm lifts, pointing up above Beli's head. "I say that we take a cannon, aim it at his door and then knock three times and when he answers-" BOOM! A (restrained, at least) blast of hellfire explodes from the shadow's hand, causing the other shadow and Beli both to duck for safety. Beli stomps her foot once she's straightened up again, frowning at that shadow. "You're so stupid! Think now, if we blow him up to smithereens, we may lose some pieces and then Jack will beat us black and green!"
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
The droid nods... and for the first time in a long time, he seems to feel obligated to share something in return.
"Supplication - I knew an individual like that once, myself. A former master of mine - a female Jedi Knight who served my creator in a time of war. She moved through action, and her subservient admirers followed her as they were enamored by her actions. However... she was what I would call the opposite of Stark, in that she was an effective introvert. She was a quiet sort, and if anything she seemed to curse having this so-called 'charisma' - she was always terrified of making a wrong choice, or causing the deaths of those that followed her seemingly against their own wills. She did not want to be responsible for their deaths and did not want their fates in her hands. She agonized over her past and was scared of the future, isolating herself in the moment and trying desperately to shove others away."
The droid pours out the new drink, passing to over to the Commander. "Continuation - Ultimately, it undid her, and she ended up losing all around her because she did not open herself up to those that came with her, leaving them behind and ultimately failing because she was afraid to rely on those that followed her. Stark is not quite as serious nor versed in war and death as my past Master, nor is he as tactful... and yet, he seems to be stronger mentally because when these fleshlings flock to him, he does not try to turn them away, nor always try to do something for nothing. He treats them as equal. A confounding gesture... but an effective one, it seems. If my own Master had brought her friends with her on her final venture, and allowed them to care for her... might she have returned to them?"
"Clarification - Oh, you need not worry. I have no intention of assassinating Stark - especially not in a crowded area filled with individuals that would destroy me before I even could pull the trigger... provided that I /was/ an assassin droid of peerless make, which I am not. Besides, he is notably more intelligent then the average meatbag - especially in the field of robotics. I would do my kind a disservice by removing such an individual... provided if I had the capability to do so."
- Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah has been almost catatonically quiet through the whole party. She's never seen this many people in one place in her entire life. Fortunately she found an open spot where she could enjoy the entertainment and not feel like she was part of a wall of people. Her whole mood seems to change when she sees Steve walking his motorcycle through the crowd. It's like she's seen a ghost. Maybe She's just a giant Captain America Fan? She does have the exact same shield on her back, You can get those in the gift shop, right?
- Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve puts the motorcycle's kickstand down, glancing briefly at the stage and Rarity's performance, then turning his attention back to Toph and Tony. "Everything's fine, Tony, just had to go to some trouble getting your presents."
Two presents? If the motorcycle is one of them .... well, there's a silver-wrapped flat package balanced on the motorcycle's seat, the right size to be a picture of some kind. And if Toph is paying a lot of attention, she might recognize the heft of that second package even when it's just balanced on the seat.
"Happy birthday, Tony," Steve adds, pulling one of his gauntlets off to shake hands with Tony.
He doesn't seem to have noticed the look he's getting from Sarah ...
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Granted once she gets the entire production off the stage and stops using her magic, the armors all collapse in a clattering heap. On top of Rarity and the Crusaders. *CRASH* It takes a moment for Rarity to lift her head out of the pile. "Remind me next time to step away before ending the spell."
"A li'l warning would be nice too!" Applebloom adds as her and Sweetie Belle try to pull off a helmet stuck to Scootaloo's rump.
- Beli Klum (238) has posed:
Again, the trio begins to shift off the stage, twirling and prancing down to where Tony lingers. "Kidnap the Sandy Claws, tie him in a bag! Throw him in the ocean, then see if he is sad!"
Finally, the tempo slows a little; Beli puts one hand on Tony's shoulder, while a shadow puts puts one on his other shoulder, both placing their free hands on their chests as they sing. "Because Mister Oogie Boogie is the meanest guy around. If I were on his Boogie list, I'd get oooout of toooooown!"
Suddenly, the third shadow pops up in front of Tony. "He'll be so pleased by our success, that he'll reward us too, I bet!" Beli and the second shadow clap their hands with glee. "Perhaps he'll make his special brew of snake and spider stew!"
The three then begin swaying around Tony again, circling around and weaving back and forth as they sing. "We're his little henchmen and we take our job with pride. We do our best to please him and stay on his good side." Beli suddenly pauses, folding her arms and frowning. "I wish my cohorts weren't so dumb." A second folds its own arms and snaps, "I'm not the dumb one!" And the third, "You're no fun!"
"SHUT UP!"
Beli's sudden frustrated shout disperses the shadows for a moment before she slides back up to the stage, flanked by her two shadows. She huffs, then composes herself to continue, wagging her finger at each of her shadows in turn. "I've got something, listen now. this one is real good, you'll see! We'll send a present to his door; upon there'll be a note to read."
The two shadows shrink and condense, sliding along the floor to move in front of Tony in the shape of...a box. Beli continues, grinning with almost uncharacteristic mischief. "Now in the box we'll wait and hide, until his curiosity entices him to look inside..." The box cracks open... "And then we'll have him! One, two, THREE!"
Fortunately, nothing jumps out of the box, but Beli does leap forward to suddenly hug Tony, dispersing the shadow entirely. She breaks away in time to grab his hands, bouncing in a circle with him as she continues. "Kidnap the Sandy Claws, beat him with a stick! Lock him up for ninety years, see what makes him tick! Kidnap the Sandy Claws, chop him into bits!" The rephaite suddenly breaks away, flapping her wings to alight back on the stage. Her arms thrust in the air as she finishes off: "Mister Oogie Boogie is sure to get his kicks!"
Beli flashes a brief fingergun at Tony...and then, embarrassment taking over as the song wraps up, she slooowly sidles off the stage, likely over to the bar area. Her wings slip back into her body, and her halos flicker away, returning her to looking somewhat less conspicuous.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Hey, Steve is calm, so why worry? Toph seems curious about the gifts that he's getting for Tony, and... hey, is the bike one of them?! The blind girl grins, and yes, she does notice the package there. "Does this mean we get to ride a bike now when we're going out for ice cream?" she asks Tony, though she does notice that one of the girls present does seem focused on Steve. And... hey, is that on her back...?
"Hey, you!" she calls out to Sarah, a curious look on her face. "You okay?"
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell gives Captain America a polite salute from where he's sitting. You don't ignore another military man at a party. You just, you don't. It's not *done*. Party ettiquette.
Rarity gets Cell's usual applause. Beli gets another round. That one Cell actually knows.
"Charisma isn't just about being loud. It's a quality people have. It's the ability to make yourself a leader. It's..." Cell rolls his shoulders, producing the pleasant sound of a cricket chirping as his wings rub together.
"It's not about war, either, even if war is a place where the charismatic thrive." Cell buzzes again, "It's just something, some untouchable something, that makes people sit up and listen to you. I don't know. Can't put my finger on it."
Otherwise, Cell is quite quiet, listening to both the music (again, he actually *knows* the song Beli's singing) and HK's story. There's a slow, languid, almost liquid motion as his finger trails the rim of the glass. He doesn't interrupt. At the end of the story, Cell drums his fingers against the table.
"It's possible," Cell concedes, "It's possible your Master would've come back. But it's equally possible that she would've gotten everybody killed. You don't want to get hung up over maybes and what-ifs. That's how you lose yourself in all kinds of stupid shit. It's how you get locked up into, what if I had done this? What if I had done that? What if, what if, what if. At the end of the day, I've seen what-ifs and guilt trips destroy more good soldiers than a hundred bullets."
"Nobody's perfect," yet, "Nobody can see it all, nobody knows the future for certain. We just make choices one day at a time, based on what we think is the best option."
Cell knocks back the gin and tonic and stares at HK. "If you say so," he obliges, "Personally, I've never met a roboticist I didn't want to punch."
"Guess it's daddy issues," Cell adds wryly.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie gives an approving thumbs-up to Rarity and the Crusaders as they return to their place. "Good job!" she says happily. "That was a lot of fun! I haven't seen that movie though, I guess I'll have to." Maybe she could have a sleepover in Equestria sometime and they could watch it! But those thoughts were interrupted by Beli's turn on stage, which was a show of a creepier kind. ...creepy but still fun, thankfully.
- Nightblind (729) has posed:
Well. Fashionably late was a thing, right? Even with an escort to the party, it was a little difficult to navigate around the huge expanse of Disney World.
THe last time Ella had been to one, they hadn't... expanded yet. And huge parties aren't Dakota's favorite thing to be at, with loud music and all the people and food -- so Ella McRae was accompanied by a guide to the party. A red-tipped cane pauses against he leg of a chair, and she tilts her head, listening to the voices and the music going on before she slips herself to the side of some of the seats. She was wearing simple ballet flats and a dark red dress, with a clutch in hand, tethered to her wrist with a simple strap.
She heard Toph's voice, somewhere, in the crowd, but decided to just sit in a few minutes and get her bearings.
"So. This is a Multiversal Party." she states to herself. "Sounds interesting."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony is momentarily distracted by Beli's choice of song, murmuring, "Wait, that was Disney?"
And then back to Steve, who seems against all odds to have come up with an /awesome/ (and no doubt expensive) present for him! He rests a hand disbelievingly on the bike's handlebar. "Really? ...Sweet," is all he can think, and grins with genuine pleasure as he shakes the Captain's hand.
And suddenly Beli's shadows are surrounding him! He startles, jumping backward at first, though Beli herself catches him short of actually falling on his ass; and then he seems to catch onto what she's doing and laughs, gripping her hands in return and going along with the silly dance number. How could he not?
- Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah offers a weak smile to Toph, inching a little closer to the other girl, "I'm fine." She lies blatantly, "I'm just not very good with crowds.. or singing unicorns." That's at least partly true. She returns her attention to the Captain. "I don't suppose there's a way to get a VIP pass to talk to the guests on honor?" She murmurs softly.
- Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYVepDBAC0
When the band strikes up a slow piano tune, Rainbow Dash can be seen poking her head out from behind the curtains with a confused look on her face. She can be seen mouthing 'What the hay?'. This wasn't as fast paced as she thought it was!
For a second, it looks as though she might duck out. But then someone from behind (The flash of pink suggests Pinkie Pie) shoves her in, and Dash stumbles into the spotlight.
Dash's eyes dart one way, then the other. Then gulps. She approaches the edge of the stage and takes in a deep breath to sing.
"I have often dreamed
Of a far off place
Where a great, warm welcome will be waiting for me
And the crowds will cheer
When they see my face
And a voice keeps saying
This is where I'm meant to be"
Her voice sounds more at home at a rock ballad at first, but quickly adjusts to the harmony of the tune.
The music starts to swell, the beat beginning to grow bolder, more lively. She hesitates for a moment, then wings flare. They come down in a couple of quick bursts, and she takes off into the air just above the stage.
Dash rises up, then down, looping around the stage effortlessly. "I will find my way, I can go the distance," She stops at one end, hoof up to her forehead as if she were searching for something.
"If I can be strong, I know every mile will be worth my while!" Then she darts to the other side so fast that she has to swoop away from the curtain just to avoid hitting it. The wind following her makes the curtain it flare out, as if like some looming darkness was chasing her. "I'll be there some day!"
She keeps going, curtain closing behind her. "I would go most anywhere to feel like I belong! "The curtain follows her as she sweeps across the stage, causing it to sweep closed, obscuring her - for now - from view.
But the song's not over! The band is still playing...
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony also sticks out his tongue at Toph, after Beli's song concludes and he has a chance to catch his breath. "Depends, are you going to freak out and bend us into a ditch? Riding a bike's different from sitting in a car."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Beli's song surely is amusing, and Toph snickers as Tony is forced to dance with. It's always fun when people do something big with their numbers here, and even if the shadows are lost on unseeing eyes, it's clear Beli is doing something big with the song.
"So, are you going to sing, Cap?" she asks Steve.
As Rainbow takes the stage Toph turns her head... and then cheers! That song is really fitting for her pony friend! Even if it isn't rocking or as tough as the music she imagines Rainbow prefers.
Tony's comment though earns a huff. "I'm not going to freak out! I've been hitching a ride with Cap on his bike before!" So there!
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity was going to respond to Annie after dislodging from the armor pile, but she's distracted by Dash taking the stage. And just staring a bit. "That... is not the sort of song I would of expected from her."
"It's still awesome!" Scootaloo chimes up. "Because Rainbow Dash is the most awesomenest!"
Applebloom and Sweetie Belle roll their eyes as their friend goes into hero worship mode again, the latter retorting. "You don't need -est on the word when you already used most."
- Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
Music swells, becoming faster and more intense. This must have been planned, because spotlights shine on the center of the curtains, just as something flutters behind them.
Then at once, Rainbow Dash comes bursting out from behind the dark curtains at high speeds. Her scarf trails out behind her, joining the colors of her mane and tail as she loops around the gathering. Her voice is still loud over the speakers; someone must have fixed a microphone to her scarf at some point.
"I am on my way, I can go the distance!" Rainbow loops around the crowd with her wings dragging, as if she were exhausted from flying a long, long distance.
"I don't care how far, somehow I'll be strong!" Then abruptly, she speeds up with a second wind. She darts to one side of the audience, forehoof outstretched as if she were drop-kicking some giant monster about to sneak up on Toph. "I know every mile, will be worth my while!" Then darts over Rarity and the CMC, miming grabbing something and flipping it over her head. "I would go most anywhere to find where I belong!"
Meanwhile, the song flares, becoming much more intense. As Dash had been looping around the stage on her 'trek', clouds were beginning to form up behind her, forming a looming shape. She spins around the cloud shape a few times, and the clouds begin to take form. A massive, nine headed hydra, build out of clouds, towers over the crowd. Lightning crackles from its mouths, as if it were prepared to attack.
Dash stops just between it and the crowd, and rears back with her hooves up in mid air.
"I will beat the odds!"
She speeds up, looping around one of the hydra's heads. Then she comes down, bursting apart the head in a brief burst of lightning.
"I can go the distance
I will face the world"
A few more heads face the might of Rainbow's hooves, bursting them apart in brilliant bursts of lightning and cracks of thunder. When Dash rises up, the wind whipping up behind her makes the hydra seem to raise its heads to follow her. Then she drops again, both forehooves outstretched in front of her. She dives, straight into the cloud hydra, disappearing amongst its cloudy bulk. The music pauses, dramatically...
Then with a burst of lightning, the entire cloud hydra tears apart. Dash comes flying striaght out of it, a streak of lightning and color that loops around once.
"Fearless proud and strong!
I will please the gods!"
She curves around, speeding straight down at the stage again. "I can go the distance!" Barely checking her speed, she comes to land so hard on it that she skids, leaving little hoof marks on it. Despite the landing, she keeps her balance and lifts both hooves to the sky as if accepting a hero's welcome. "Till I find my heroes welcome right where I belong!"
When the music fades, Dash grins. Then dives straight off of the stage and back into the crowds.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
"Appraisal - Oh, I understand, to a degree. My creator is perhaps the one individual I would typically allow to maintenance me - but that does not mean I turn down a good upgrade when I know it is available... provided it's thoroughly cross-checked in the directory for compatibility, that is."
"Musing - Charisma is a word I have seen my Master - my true Master and creator, that is - use to great effect. She was also someone the opposite of Stark - cruel, merciless and wonderfully manipulative. And yet she could not prevent being sympathized with - even sickeningly beloved by a man who's wife and homeward she had destroyed. Even when she was forced to murder her lover during war, he did not fight back - only apologize for being unable to join her. Her charisma made people follow her even when they often knew it would bring them pain... because somehow, the pain was apparently mitigated just by being around them. Like an obsession or an addictive stimulant."
The droid glances out to the stage, observing the festivities - notably the so-called 'singing unicorn.' "Clarification - My point is that it seems charisma is almost an inherent trait, and not something a typical individual simply learns at some point. My creator reveled in it to manipulate wars and never regretted her choices, even if she sometimes regret their outcomes. My following Master was more circuit-numbingly kind-hearted, but terrified by how people followed her and always haunted by 'what-ifs' right up unto the very day she fell. Stark... is almost a mix of the two - confident and assured, yet seeming to treat all around him with a light-hearted disposition."
Another pause, as the droid looks at Stark from a distance and seems to almost fade out, as if seeing someone else in his place - or comparing an image to one in his memory banks. "Musing - If Charisma is indeed an inherent trait as I have supplicated... what causes the differences in it's effect on the individual that owns it? What makes those with charisma choose to be philanthropists over being tyrants, or for the reverse being true - or for why some seem to regret even carrying this trait? Why does it have such varied effects on those that carry it?"
- Nightblind (729) has posed:
Tap, tap, tap. The woman in the red dress moves, and settles herself down in a different locale, near the sounds of prepubescent girls idolizing somene who was just on stage. She leans over a bit, and her eyebrows rise behind her sunglasses.
"Which one is Rainbow Dash?" she questions to the group, not realizing who... or what she's talking to. Her lips purse curiously. "And... is... that a moniker?" she questions, trying to be friendly.
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica seems quite amused by Rainbow Dash's singing and presentation. Besides, the tomboy pony's cute and fun. Tompony. Ponyboy. Something like that. Either way, she applauds wildly.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
As Rainbow flies near her Toph blinks, then turns her head a bit and looks confused. Okay, she can /hear/ Rainbow flying around, there's lightning and stuff... "Okay, WHAT is going on there?" she asks the people around her, completely missing all the cool work Rainbow put into her performance due to her flying and all.
- Steve Rogers has posed:
Steve politely returns Cell's salute, then turns his attention to people who are closer and easier to talk to. If he's going to socialize further with the insectoid-looking warrior, there'll be a chance created for it.
"Tried to get it customized so it can carry a suit for you," he says to Tony, "but you may have to do that yourself, if you want to - customize it as you see fit," he grins.
And yes, he's taken Toph on his motorcycle before; she didn't freak out, but she didn't seem like a terribly happy passenger as he recalls. Granted, that COULD just have been because of the situation they were heading into ... but for now, he answers Toph, "Not sure yet. It's been a long time since I saw anything by Disney," he admits, "and I don't even recognize most of these songs." Not to mention, there's no way he could compete with some of the magical acts that are going on-stage tonight.
Then his attention settles on Sarah ... and some of his attention lands on the shield she's wearing across her back. "I think the birthday boy is the only real 'guest of honor' here," he admits, then offers a handshake to the girl. "Steve Rogers, more popularly known as Captain America."
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity turns her head a bit at the question. "Rainbow Dash is the one currently performing... and no, that is actually her name."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony gapes upward at Rainbow Dash's choice in special effects, and cups his hands to his mouth to whoop appreciatively as she concludes. Maybe he should do this thing outside every year. People are really pulling out all the stops tonight. "She... made a thunderstorm monster to fight," he explains to Toph. It's not often he feels sorry for her inability to see, but it really is too bad at times like this. One of these days, he's going to have to come up with some kind of sonar system for her...
He shakes his head out of that thought and smirks at Steve. "Oh, I don't know, I've never customized a vehicle before," he teases. His eyes wander past him to the girl with the duplicate shield on her back, and he chuckles. You'd think the only groupies you'd find here would be his /own/.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie watches Rainbow Dash's performance and smiles. "It is pretty awesome," she says in agreement with Scootaloo. "She picked a good one. It even goes with her cutie mark!" A cloud with a lightning bolt could describe the symbols of both Rainbow Dash and Zeus. Coincidence? MAYBE NOT. She then looks toward Nightblind as she approaches. "Hi," she says, noting the woman's blindness. "Are you going to sing too?" she asks curiously.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
As Sarah inches closer Toph blinks, then her expression turns stern as she hears the other girl lie. "I can tell that you're lying." At least about the first part. Though she turns more to the girl, clearly not about to ignore her. "Look, it's okay. You can talk to anybody here. If somebody tells you otherwise, I'll punch them for you. You want to talk to the birthday boy? He loves his fans."
- Inga has posed:
FINALLY! Finally Inga makes it to the party. Who would have thought it would be so difficult to find a castle? Well, actually, that was rather the easy part. It was getting in the park, getting stopped because she was carrying weapons, arguing over the use of her staff, pointedly turning down the use of a motorized scooter she was sure she'd crash, then being mistaken for someone name Elsa and practically torn to pieces by excited young girls.
So, Inga finally arrives in a lovely, now torn, light blue dress, her long white hair frazzled and generally the worse for wear. She practically falls in, eyes wide, hands shaking as they grip her staff. "I-I made it," she says, then collapses, maybe even into a chair.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"It's a weapon. A tool. Like any other in an arsenal," Cell observes over his glass, "Remember what I said about charisma and a pretty face'll let you get away with damn near anything? I'm not kidding. Dictators, demagogues, destroyers, deceivers...people will forgive someone anything if they're charismatic, pretty, and rich. The big three. The tools that make you morally OK, if you know how to spin what you're doing. You could do just what your Master did and no one'd bat an eye."
"Bet nobody did."
"It's not an inherent trait," the Monster responds after a long moment, "It's a weapon, like I said. You practice at it, you practice with it, you get better. It's a mix of confidence, of self-awareness, of a lot of things. It's a martial art. You practice charisma to get what you want. To do what you need done."
"And just like any other weapon, what's done with it depends entirely on the person. Some people are philanthropists, some people are dictators, but in the end, it's not down to charisma. It's down to the people."
Cell shrugs again, his pleasant cricket noise chirping out once more. "And also just like any other weapon, some people are naturally good at it, even if they're not trying to be, and that can lead to...well...pain. You ever meet a naturally good shot? I know a guy who can shoot further and with more accuracy than some of my best-trained soldiers, and before he joined me, he'd never practiced a day in his life. He aced the sniper course no problem. Like that." Snap.
"Imagine the same thing, but instead of shooting, it's charisma. Some people are so natural at it, they can make a whole room sit up and listen without ever bothering to talk to themselves in front of a mirror, even if they're the biggest introverts around."
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Rocket and Groot walk up on stage when they are ushered to do so and they both take up a microphone. "I'm Rocket and my friend here is called..." Groot interrupts to say, "I am Groot." ((I'm called _Groot_.))
Obviously Rocket is used to this as he chuckles and then says, "I don't know Disney but they make some good music. Just picked out this diddy, the planner seemed to think this would be good and I really like it!"
Groot then takes a step back from Rocket as the dulcid plucking of a mandoline begins to be heard in a simple and repetitive pattern though the whole, relatively brief song. This is accopmanied by Groot tapping his foot along with the beat of the song as it plays, adding a subtle thrum of the stage vibrating to the performance.
Rocket begins singing: "Robin Hood and Little John, Walkin' though the forest..." and walks back and forth in front of Groot as he does. At 'Little John' Groot sings "I am Groot." ((... Little John...)) in perfect time with Rocket.
"... Laughin' back and forth at what the other'ne has t'say. Havin' such a good time. Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally golly, what a day." Rocket does a little shoulder jiggle as he sings the yodely part.
OOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGzyDnIocug
- Nightblind (729) has posed:
Cutie Mark? Ella's head tilts a moment, listening to the crowd around her as she leans back, her hand curled lightly around the cane. "Ah." she replies, as if the explaination gave it all away. "Ella McRae, by the by, out of Stonegate city. I'm an aquaintence of Toph's." she introduces herself. "Ah... forgive me for not offering a handshake..."
- Rocket (781) has posed:
The mandolin playing and Groot's deep base foot tapping keep the rhythm as Rocket continues the song, "Never ever thinkin' there was danger in the water; They were drinkin', they just guzzled it down..." Rocket mimes drinking from a stream 'flowing' past Groot for a moment even as he sings the words.
"Never dreamin' that a schemin' sheriff and his posse Was a-watchin' them an' gatherin' around." At this point Rocket holds his hands up in the air (as suggested by the party planner apparently as she claps quietly when he does this) and then ducks behind Groot who steps forward.
Rocket continues to sing: "Robin Hood and Little John runnin' through the forest; Jumpin' fences, dodgin' trees an' tryin' to get away," but though this refrain he is lifted up to Groot's shoulders and he jumps back and forth between them. Again at 'Little John' Groot sings "I am Groot." ((... Little John...)) in perfect time with Rocket. "Contemplatin' nothin' but escape an' fin'lly makin' it. Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally, golly, what a day."
Groot reaches to the stage with one hand and Rocket slides down his arm and ends with a final refrain of "Oo-de-lally, oo-de-lally golly, what a day," before they both take a bow
Groot then sets down his microphone and steps off stage -- straight forward. Rocket follows along, jumps off the stage, and says, "Hey, I don't think they meant for us to go this way." He still has the microphone in his hand.
OOC: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGzyDnIocug
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
Peter finally stands up, cracking his neck. Then he grabs a gift box from under his stool. It's wrapped in official Mickey Mouse ears wrap. Walking over to Tony, he holds the box out to him, the box no more than a foot. "Listen, don't open this here with the kids around, but, well, just trust me. It's from space, practically a requirement for happy marriage up there. Super advanced tech."
He looks over as Rocket begins to sing, tilting his head. "So, the tree can sing."
- Ziggy Grover has posed:
Dashing through the crowd, Ziggy, clad in a black leather jacket with a green t-shirt underneath it and scruffy jeans that's seen better day, pushes people out of the way. "Excuse me, pardon me... excuse me..."
Behind him, chasing him, was a female clad in pink spandex, with a diamond pattern across her chest, waving whaat looked like a pistol.
Leaping onto tables and skitterskattering his way onto stage, Ziggy manages to grab the microphone out of the hands of Rocket.
o/~ Gotta keep...
One jump ahead of the breadline...
One swing ahead of the sword...
I steal only what I can't afford...
that's everything... o/~
Ducking underneath a sudden arrow that explodes in light, Ziggy dashes across the stage, pursued by the Pink Ranger.
o/~ One jump ahead of the lawmen,
That's all and that's no joke
These guys don't appreciate I'm broke o/~
The Pink Ranger shouts, "Riffraff street rat!"
As sentai sparks flash around him, Ziggy jumps behind Frederica, pausing a moment to sing to her face:
o/~ Scoundrel take that just a little snack, guys
Rip him open, take it back, guys
I can take a hint, gotta face the facts
You're my only friend, Abu... o/~
Pretending to snatch something from Frederica's ears, Ziggy holds up what looks like a radio. Ziggy pushes the device's button, and a voice (recognizable to those who know as Dr. K), sounding very much like it was singing against its will sings:
o/~ Who? Oh, it's sad, Aladdin's hit the bottom
He's become a one man rise in crime
I'd blame parents, except he hasn't got 'em
Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat... o/~
Ziggy pinches Frederica's cheeks, before running off, as the Pink Ranger looms ever so much closer, with flips to land in front of him. Diving underneath her legs, Ziggy scrambles across the floor, singing into the microphone.
o/~ Tell you all about it when I got the time
One jump ahead of the slowpokes
One skip ahead of my doom
Next time gonna use a nom de plume
One jump ahead of the hitmen
One hit ahead of the flock...o/~
Standing up, Ziggy affects a nonchalant stroll towards Tony.
o/~ I think I'll take a stroll around the block o/~
Voice from radio: Stop!
Another Voice: Thief!
Another Voice: Vandal!
Another Voice: Outrage!
Another Voice: Scandal!
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
Pepper heard that. And she turns, and looks at Peter Quill in /absolute dismay/.
And she blinks a moment. "So, I get to meet you in person, Mr. Quill."
- Ziggy Grover has posed:
The voice continues to sing, extremely dourly, even as Pink Ranger jumps in front of Tony, forcing Ziggy to detour:
o/~ Let's not be too hasty
Still I think he's rather tasty
Gotta eat to live, gotta steal to eat
Otherwise we'd get along... o/~
Shaking his head, Ziggy grabs ahold of a curtain and begins climbing, trying to get up and away from the Pink Ranger.
o/~ Wrong
One jump ahead of the hoofbeats
(Voice: Vandal!)
One hop ahead of the hump
(Voice: Street rat!)
One trick ahead of disaster
(Voice: Scoundrel!) o/~
"Doc, you're taking too much pleasure in calling me names," Ziggy mutters, as he keeps climbing. Standing on top of the stage lights on the ceiling, the young man salutes nonchalantly at the Pink Ranger, who shakes a fist, and exits stage right.
o/~ They're quick, but I'm much faster o/~
Pink Ranger: Take that!
An flash arrow, from the bow of the Pink Ranger off-stage flashes past him, causing him to wince. Whooo, too close.
o/~ Here goes, better throw my hand in
Wish me happy landin' all I gotta do is jump... o/~
... Dropping the mike, Ziggy dives off...
"RPM, GET IN GEAR!"
And then he activates his teleport and...
... disappears.
SOMEWHERE ON SPLASH MOUNTAIN
...
*SPLASH*
"... glub..."
There was a brief pause, as Ranger Green flails in the water, and then...
"... You forgot to deliver the present," Dr. K notes dryly.
- Rarity (136) has posed:
".. Don't let muh sister know there's trees that walk 'round on their own," Applebloom comments mostly to herself. "Bad 'nuff she still sends postcards to Bloomburg..."
Rarity isn't flustered much by Ella's awkwardness. "Well, my name is Rarity." Gestures a forehoof at the three smaller ponies. "This is my sister Sweetie Belle, and her friends Applebloom and Scootaloo."
Except there's no orange pegasus filly there anymore, just a vagely filly shaped cloud as Scootaloo rushes off to fangush at Rainbow Dash some more.
- Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
Sarah's only half aware of Toph talking. She's looking at Steve like she's absolutely flabbergasted. She wants to scream out "(IT'S ME POP!!)" But someone warned her that awkward encounters like this might happen, "H-Hi Pop!" Her eyes widen and she momentarily covers her mouth with both hands as if she's spoken a sin "I..I mean.. Sir. Uhm, Mr. Rogers? It's nice to meet you." She does shake his hand at least, and her own grip is far stronger than one would expect of a girl her size.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Even if her attention is on Sarah, Toph does perk up when Rocket and Groot step up on the stage and begin their song. And she laughs! "WOOOOH!" she cheers, putting her fingers in her mouth to whistle loudly in approval!
This is hilarious! Especially with Groot... and oh man!
When Peter Quill arrives though with a gift she blinks, arching an eyebrow. And makes a face. "Oogie...!" she says, sticking her tongue out. Okay, whatever it is it seems that it wouldn't have made much of a difference if Tony had opened it up here or not.
Let us focus on Sarah instead. And blinks. Oh. And then she turns to Steve. Okay, multiversal hijinks at bay here?
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony is still busy laughing at Groot's contribution to the duet, when Quill approaches him and shoves a box at him. 'I don't like being handed things,' is the first thing that pops through his head, but he banishes it with a quick squeeze of his eyes and... then... listens to Pete's description of it. "...Riiight," he replies, warily, as he takes the box and does NOT open it. "Uh... thanks," he manages. Not that he and Pepper need any help in THAT department. Seriously, space sex toys? He gives Toph a sideways look at her exclamation, and makes a note either to open the box well away from her... or to ask her what she 'saw' in it, depending on how much he wants to embarrass her.
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica is startled as Ziggy, foolish boy that he is, sings directly at her. Like, speechless and flustered sort of startled. Enough so that when he pinches her cheeks she's too damn slow to whap him one like she so obviously WANTS to! There's a swing and a miss, yep, just fast enough to make Ziggy inadvertently look good even if she wasn't exactly aiming to maim. Not *exactly* aiming to maim.
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
"Heeeyy Pepper Potts!" Peter offers her a little wave, before taking a sip from the straws attached to his Official Disney Drink Cup Hat. "Oh, yeah, you're a scientist, so you probably know not to hit the weird four dimensional button. That one's not for humans."
- Nightblind (729) has posed:
"A pleasure to meet you, Rarity, Applebloom, Sweetie Bell, Scootaloo." Ella replies kindly. She pushes her glasses up the bridge of her nose a bit more as she considers the names. "So... by the names, you're either... robots, or... ponies?" she stammers a moment, and settles her free hand in her lap. "I'm afraid I can't tell the difference between anyone just yet by voices. PRetty much everyone sounds quite alike." she offers as a slight joke.
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
". . . I don't think we'll be needing such a thing, Mr. Quill." Pepper Potts replies with a tone of voice that suggests that it's not a topic she'd like to further discuss. "Tony, maybe we should put that one away for a /different/ time?"
- Rocket (781) has posed:
"So, do you think they'll insist on my returning this microphone, Groot?" Rocket asks his friend softly only to have the question blare out of the speakers. "I am Groot." ((I am sure they will.)) Groot says in reply with a grin.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
And welp, there's Pepper to pick up the slack on ALL of the awkwardness to be milked from Mr. Quill's gift. Tony quietly tucks the box into the storage compartment of the motorcycle, and tries to follow what on earth is going on by the stage. Some kind of disturbance? Oh -- it's another singer. With backup! He laughs, particularly as Ziggy teases Frederica because who doesn't love teasing Freddie... but his ready applause hesitates when the young man disappears. "Was that... part of the performance?" he asks no one in particular.
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
She can tell that Tony is looking at her, and luckily he isn't saying anything. Though Peter doesn't seem to know when to shut his mouth. Especially when he talks to Pepper.
Okay, he asked for it!
Toph's eyebrow twitches, and she stomps her foot into the ground, and in response an earthen spike shoots up. Aimed right for Peter's ass. And the blind girl is blushing as she points directly at Star Lord's face. "Don't go talking about how the gift is inappropriate for kids and then mention weird four dimensional buttons, Parfait Lord!" she half squeaks, looking mighty annoyed!
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
"And I'm Annie Sandberg," Annie added to the ponies' introductions. "I'm an android, myself! But I'm friends with Miss Rarity and the others," she explains. Do people really sound so similar? I mean, with her it'd be excusable- her voice was synthesized based on the performance of a voice actress, so there was already someone she sounded like.
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
Peter heads up onto the stage, at some point replacing his Disney ears with an official Disney drink holder hat. He's sucking Mountain Dew out of it. Then, taking the microphone, he clears his throat. "Hey, I'm Peter Quill. You might know me as the Legendary Outlaw, Star-Lord. I haven't been to Earth in over twenty years, but I've been trying to catch up with all the notable Disney movies. I picked out what seemed to be the most iconic of the last decade. At least that's what the channel I saw it on said."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTIcIzKjGjg
"Zoom zoom zoom." Peter begins in falsetto, gyrating his hips and bobbing his head. "Zoom zoom zoom!"
"Stargazing mega fact, you hit me like a mega blast. Giving me a technicolor world!" He points at Mara with the mic, bobbing his head at her.
"Putting me in overdrive, speed of light I'm so alive. Could you be my supernova girl?" He shoots a wink and a nod at Rarity, aiming a hip gyration that way, because why not?
He starts to walk around the stage, damned near strutting, always with the hip swaying. "Instant planetary mega stellar hydro static, there's no gravity between us, our love is automatic!"
He spins around and points at pepper. "Zoom zoom zoom, make my heart go boom boom! My supernova girl!"
He swings an invisible lasso and tosses it at the costumed Aurora. "Zoom zoom zoom, make my heart go boom boom! My supernova girl!"
He starts galloping toward the other end of the stage now, as if he's riding an invisible horse, and nods to Rainbow dash. "Zoom zoom zoom, make my heart go boom boom! My supernova girl!"
He squints at HK-47. Sure, that thing could be a girl, best to make her feel good about herself. So he starts doing the robot across the stage as he focuses his attention on HK. "Zoom zoom zoom, make my heart go boom boom! My supernova girl!"
Right as he's about to head into the second part of the song, he spins around, slips, and suddenly just falls off the stage and onto his back on the ground. "Er... I think I'm done!"
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity nods her head a bit. "We are Ponies from Equestria, yes." She's just... ignoring the conversation going on over there with Tony and Pepper and... oh, he went up on stage now. "Excuse me a moment, please." Rarity comments to her company.
Then turns, stands on her back hooves, and points a front one at Quill on the stage. "YOU STILL OWE ME A PARFIET MISTER!"
But Quill is probably use to women randomly calling him out by now I bet.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
'What the... fuck is he singing?' Tony mouths silently to Pepper, more than happy to have something more bizarre than the gift he was just given to focus on. Only belatedly, then, does something else he witnessed penetrate all of the other confusion in his brain, and he /stares/ at Sarah. "Did you just call him Pop?" he laughs. "Oh man. Cap. Someone else appreciates how old you are!"
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Rocket nods to Groot's comment as he watches Ziggy walk away with the microphone. He didn't even resist after that gaff with the live mic.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
"Assessment - Out of those that followed my creator to war... only one of them objected. When she returned, a monastery order sworn to defending the Galaxy - the same that trained her - resisted. But in time, she drove them to the brink. However, before that, they succeeded in capturing her and erasing her memories to try and turn her to their side... but her original personality and traits remained, and she eventually turned back against them."
HK pauses, thinking something through as he looks back at Stark. "Musing - I can perceive your point about what Charisma is... but what motivates it's use is what fascinates me. The effects it has are almost beyond the ability to calculate. Assessment - That is one major thing thing I have noticed - how widespread the effects of this 'charisma' is when the individual who holds it breaks or changes. My Creator and my following Master were both idealistic leaders who rebelled against their monetary order to lead the galaxy to war against an invading race of barbaric warriors... and the war changed them. My Creator became convinced that the only way to stop mass death was to take over the galaxy herself and manage it so well that no more wars of that scale would occur - and everyone under her became impassioned to do the same, committing atrocity after perfectly-executed atrocity in the name of the 'greater good' of ending large-scale war. My following Master was horrified and withdrew into herself, never wanting to be in a position of leadership ever again - and in turn, all who met her could innately feel her pain and seemed drawn to her mental scarring. When they changed, all under them and around reflected it."
The droid then gestures to Stark and his impromptu family. "Assessment - Stark was a weapons mogul who believed that the more weapons his people had, the safer they were. But like my past Masters, his views changed when he saw a battlefield in person. He became convinced that it was less about production and more about finesse - doing more with what was had, and being creative. His newfound empathy is a regrettable side-effect, but yet I cannot deny that it seems to give him a sense of motivation that helps in his discovery of abstract solutions."
The droid's train of thought is nearly entirely derailed when he is suddenly addressed as a female by the meatbag on the stage. Without missing a beat, he reaches under the table, grabs one of the lemons meant for creating lemon-wedges, loads it into his wrist-launcher and fires it at the stage straight for the offending flesh bag.
He then ignores whatever result comes next, smoothly returning his attention to Commander Green - "Query - Now... where were we?"
- Kimberly Hart (786) has posed:
After slipping off stage left from Ziggy's performance, the Pink Ranger, still in her outfit, is looking a bit perplexed while emerging somewhere closer to Tony. "So uh.. he had the gift. I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he can, sorry about that." By her tone it's clear she's smiling apologetically under that helmet while a hand rubs the back of it. "This is an awesome party, by the way. Happy Birthday!" She gives him a friendly, lax salute and steps off...
..Towards the bar! Yes, drinking is going to be a challenge, but she's determined to stay incognito today. "Could I have a virgin strawberry daiquiri, please?"
- Pepper Potts (204) has posed:
Pepper was watching the stage with that unique look about her, her arms crossed. Tony might recognize it as a similar look she might have given him at some point.
The "this should go well" look. It doesn't let up one bit when Quill is dancing, and gyrating. She's only thanking goodness that Toph is blind and can't... really partake in this chicanery.
And when Quill slips, she brings a hand to her mouth, covering it, though her eyes show concern.
She doesn't want anyone /hurt/...
- Nightblind (729) has posed:
"Hello, Annie. Ella McRae, totally... regularly human. Not paticularly exciting at all, save from the company." she gives a helpless shrug, "I'm afraid I came late to the party, it seems like it's quite the crowd, yes?" she replies conversationally... and then. "... that... guy owes you parfaits? ... OH! ... I recall that day."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony recognizes that look on Pepper's face. That stance. And he is so incredibly happy to see it directed at someone /else/ for once. Ha ha, he's the GOOD ONE!
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
"I'm okay! You should have seen me that one time I fought like -three- Kree judge guys, and they kicked me out of a spaceship, and somehow I survived!." Peter may or may not be lying. Toph knows that he's lying.
He pushes himself up, pulling a piece of lemon from his forehead. Staring down at it for a long moment, he raises it to squeeze it into one of his Mountain Dew cans. "I know that I owe some lovely young girl parfait. Who was it?"
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie nods to Ella before hurrying up to the stage as her turn comes. She looks rather ordinary by comparison to some of the previous entrants. She doubts that she could really stand up to some of the more theatrical performances that had come before her, so she thought she'd just try a song that she felt good about. A song about... adventure. And so, as the sound of the flute and violin began to fill the area, the little android began to sing, with a voice that was strong enough to carry, but also still thoroughly childlike. "What I love most about rivers is, you can't step in the same river twice. The water's always changing, always flowing. But people, I guess, can't live like that, we all must pay a price. To be safe, we lose our chance of ever knowing... What's around the riverbend! Waiting just around the riverbend!"
As the music reaches a high point, Annie begins to run about the stage, making dramatic gestures as if rowing a canoe, looking out into the distance. "I look once more, just around the riverbend! Beyond the shore, where the gulls fly free!" Annie even flaps her arms like seagull wings here. "Don't know what for, what I dream the day might send just around the riverbend, for me... Coming for me..."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Toph stands next to Pepper, her face blank. "... I don't remember /this/ Disney song either," she mumbles. And she's glad that Tony put the gift from Peter away. And as for who he owes a parfait?
"You owe me some brain bleach too," she says. Nopes. It's not easy being Toph Beifong at times.
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell applauds politely. "Megastellar isn't a word," he notes to Peter as Peter passes, "But I blame the songwriters."
The horrible monster swings his tail around to make room for Kimberly as he thinks over his latest gin and tonic. Again, it doesn't do *anything* for him. Drunkenness is a state for real people, not killmotrons. He nods politely at the young lady, which is probably a little disconcerting, because he's a giant humanoid bug-man in a tuxedo, but he doesn't seem to be particularly interested in hostilities. Cell has, in fact, been a model guest all night.
He swirls the glass again. "I think people with charisma often get caught up in their own hype. In their own...personalities. I think it's especially dangerous for the people with natural talent. You can convince anybody of anything, and that means you can convince yourself of things, too. Hell, I think that's just a trait of intelligence in general." Cell holds up the glass. "People can convince themselves they're right no matter what the facts are. They curl up in their own opinions and boom. That's how self-righteous bullshit happens."
Cell watches the lemon fly. The lemon isn't a weapon. He's not gonna stop it. He looks back at HK, without missing a beat. "I think I've changed my mind. Make my next one a vodka sour. I'm suddenly in the mood for lemon."
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Between verses Annie looks about at the crowd, gathering herself for the next part, then starts to look about at the surroundings as she continues the song. "I feel it there beyond those trees, or right behind these waterfalls. Can I ignore that sound of distant drumming, for a handsome sturdy husband who builds handsome sturdy walls, and never dreams that something might be coming? Just around the riverbend! Just around the riverbend!" Once more, the song reaches its peak and Annie starts to run around again, gesturing dramatically into the distance.
"I look once more just around the riverbend! Beyond the shore, somewhere past the sea! Don't know what for, why do all my dreams extend just around the riverbend? Just around the riverbend..." And now, the song has come to its slow conclusion, and Annie returns to the center of the stage to finish it off in simple fashion.
"Should I choose the smoothest course, steady as the beating drum? Should I marry Kocoum? Is all my dreaming at an end? Or do you still wait for me, Dream Giver, just around the riverbend?"
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony also blinks and turns a still-amused expression toward Kim as she addresses him. Oh, yeah, she was backing Ziggy up on that song, so she should know. She does not, however, cover the question of exactly where Ziggy /is/ now. "It was... quite the performance," he manages. He doesn't bother telling her he doesn't need any presents. People seem determined to give them to him regardless. "Thanks!" is all he says instead, and returns the lazy salute as she goes off to get a drink.
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity puts a hoof to her lips to whistle sharply in Quill's direction when he mentions owing ladies parfaits to get his attention.
See, she totally is a small equine. Good reason to be glad you just offered ice cream based snacks instead of other things at that pretty voice, isn't it?
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie looks with a hopeful face up to the sky as the song concludes.
- Nightblind (729) has posed:
The blind girl in the red dress raises her cane up. "Yo." she calls out. "I was also part of such a conversation regarding parfaits." she gives a cheerful grin in Quill's direction, over the ponies.
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
"Wow, you're actually a pony." Peter says as he heads over to Rarity, staring down at her. He rubs his chin as he considers this situation. She -can- talk, and she has actual hair, buuut... man. What would Captain Kirk do? "How old are you?"
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
As applause ripples through the crowd for Annie's performance, the band manager waves a signal across to Stark. He catches it, nods and jogs over to mount the stage again. "Seems that's all of our contestants for tonight. Anyone else got the guts? Last call!"
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
Annie receives applause from Toph, who is glad for some normal entertainment that doesn't involve hip gyration. "Wooooh! Go wolfie girl!" It is a nice song, even if it isn't from her favourite Disney movie.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Groot heads back to the circle of trees surroudning the party and Rocket, seeming slightly dejected over the loss of the microphone, follows his friend.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
As the droid speaks to Commander Green, he takes note of the female asking for a beverage. Proceeding to his task with a speed that almost radiates impatience in his task, HK serves up the strawberry-fruit beverage. "Supplication - Take your time. Feel no rush in coming back, miss" he says curtly. He also - rather more respectfully - serves up the vodka lemon, seeming satisfied by the intent in the Commander's comment.
"Supplication - It seems that the world will always need it's leaders to flock around like cattle and livestock. They also seem incapable of letting them go in most instances - almost as though they become immortalized, be it by a small cadre or by insurmountable masses. They become almost obsessed with the idea that their idols are either immortal... or that they cannot live without them"
Spotting the meatbag - Quill, he believes - the droid loads another lemon into his wrist-launcher and shoots it straight at the organic.
- Steve Rogers has posed:
Yes, as far as Steve can tell, the girl did indeed call *him* 'Pop'. Which seems, appropriately, somewhat old-fashioned ... either that or there's something afoot which needs a dedicated investigation.
Rather than asking pointed or prying questions of the girl, though, Steve just shakes her hand, not wincing at how strong her grip is - impressively firm, that's for sure - and nodding. "Glad to meet you as well," he says.
- Rarity (136) has posed:
"I though you always said it was impolite to ask a woman her ag--" But Sweetie Belle is quickly quieted with a hoof over the mouth.
"In this case it is to be expected," Rarity quickly corrects the younger unicorn. "Our ages aren't always visually distinct to non-equestrian races." After which she turns her gaze back up to Quill. "Old enough to own and operate my own fashion boutique." Though after a pause Rarity rubs her chin with a forehoof. "Though our society doesn't exactly measure maturity in the same gauge as many of your human ones, so I am not entirely sure where this would put..." she shrugs a little. ".. How about we avoid any potential faux paus and keep to the parfaits, hmmm? Not that you aren't roguishly attractive for your kind."
- Cell (696) has posed:
"I think rather that people are addicted to opinions," Cell offers over his vodka sour, "Opinions breed conflict. Conflict is a natural drive of organisms. They want to grow, change, evolve, get stronger, get better. Civilizations are the same, I imagine, and since a civilization is just a big group..."
Cell gestures. "Opinions become traits. Traits become selected by breeding, by testing, by survival. The useful ones die out. Evolution."
- Kimberly Hart (786) has posed:
The Pink Ranger just sort of stares at HK-47 for a moment, not expecting to be told not to come back soon. "Er.. Right, thanks." She mutters and glances sidelong at the familiar voice beside her, that being Cell, and sort of.. shuffles a bit away from the bar and maneuvers her straw under her helmet.
She wishes Ziggy would hurry up and get back from wherever it is he teleported to. It's a bit awkward being at a party and not knowing anyone..
- Peter Quill (751) has posed:
"I guess I -am- roguishly attractive..." Peter rubs the side of his stubbly face while sipping at the hat straw for a second. "I've had some pretty taboo things going on. I guess it'd be different if you were an -alien- pony, from space." He offers his hand to her, then nods. "Alright, let's stick to parfaits, unless you magically get turned into a humanoid, then we'll re-negotiate."
Then, suddenly, a lemon hits him in the back. "Ow!" and he turns around, picking it up. He frowns and shows it to Rarity. "Someone keeps giving me lemons. I guess I should make lemonade."
- Rarity (136) has posed:
"WE DIDN'T DO IT!" The fillies chorus almost reflexively when Quill is pelted with a lemon.
".. Let's just not mention the time you tried to get cutie marks for lemonade making." Rarity sighs. "That took weeks to get the stains out." Don't ask how they managed to make lemonade stain, either."
- Ziggy Grover has posed:
Sludging in, squishing wet footprints in his wake, Ziggy enters, back in his leather jacket and civvies.
Seeing the Pink Ranger with Tony, Ziggy squishes his way to the table. "Happy birthday," the civilian greets, pausing to shake his head wildly, water flying.
Glancing about, Ziggy looks out towards the bar, and whistles. "Hey, Pinky! I'm here! Sorry about that, teleporting accident."
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
"Musing - And yet, they are so very reluctant to let those who founded them die out. Stark was resurrected even when there were potentially countless endeavors that could have been done instead. If anything, charisma makes individuals become anchored to the one it belongs to, until they stop being self-sufficient. One such individual is a subject of study for my master - a female named Arturia Pendragon. She took on all that her people requested of her, to the point that she effectively became their god... but when she died, her kingdom fell to pieces. Her people could not survive without her."
y The droid tilts his head in a gesture of curiosity. "Query - Do you believe that Stark's charisma made those around him too attached to let him go? Or do you believe this is simply some other expression of devotion? What makes one individual with charisma worth saving even if they themselves protest that the needs of many outweigh the needs of the few? What exactly is the /limit/ of what charisma can justify?"
- Richard Stadler (300) has posed:
Rick was, sadly, late enough to miss all the songs sung. It may have been the fact that, given that this was a crowded theme park that, for some reason, had a policy from walking in with a firearm strapped to his back. He had internally comprimised by leaving the grenades at home, but it wasn't like he could just say 'Zombies' and walk right in.
So it had taken a bit of manuevering, and then a lot of walking to get where the party was supposed to be. At least this was the only place you saw a billionaire, ponies, and space captains getting together.
"Stark." He'll say, extending a hand. And a card. "Happy birthday. It's a giftcard. Honestly, my unique choices were between guns, gear, and armor, and I'm sure you have everything of the latter 2 and no want of the former."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony shrugs, as no one else volunteers, replaces the microphone in its stand and turns to confer with the band for their opinions. He waves a hand toward the bar, and a couple of the attendants bring up trays with bottles of beer to help the hard-working musicians re-hydrate as they discuss the extremely serious matter of whose performance was their favorite.
Finally, after some minutes, Tony laughs and claps the saxophonist on the back at some shared joke, then turns to address the crowd again. "Okay, I think we have a winner. I just wanna say, /everyone/ did an amazing job this year. I mean really. You guys went above and beyond, it was incredible. So I don't feel bad about giving away the thousands of dollars worth of party favors," he adds with a sardonic smirk.
"Without further ado! EVERYONE who participated is getting one of these--" he turns to accept a box from another Disney employee, and hefts it up with some difficulty. Apparently it's fairly heavy. "This is a complete blu-ray collection of every Disney movie ever released in theaters. YOU'RE WELCOME," he announces loudly.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"I think the Dragon Balls are a bad thing," Cell replies blankly, "They cheat death of its due and they make this sort of thing get real fuzzy."
"But I couldn't say for sure one way or another. You'd have to ask someone who knows about him." He watches Kimberly give the Usual Reaction to his presence, then looks back at his vodka sour.
"Besides. People get awful attached to each other very, very easily."
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie was returning to her seat near Rarity, but the pony seemed to be busy dealing with Peter Quill. So instead, Annie maneuvered over to the table where Ziggy was meeting with Kimberly. "Hi!" she said to Ziggy, happy to see him again. It had been a while! "You did a great job. Maybe next time I'll get someone to help me with mine," she adds. She's about to introduce herself to Kimberly when Tony offers his present. "Wow, all of them? I think I'm going to have to have some movie nights at my house!"
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"Look," Toph voices up as she heads over to the bar and puts her empty glass down, "even if Goldie has more charisma than all the rest of you dunderheads put together, that isn't the reason why we worked hard to revive him. Gimmie another Coke," she says to HK-47. "He saved me from dying last year, so now he owes /me/ one." Once she has her drink she turns and heads off again.
Great, now he's giving away blu-ray movies. Well, she already has them all, but maybe she can give it to somebody who wasn't here? Or maybe Tony didn't bother getting her one since they already have all the Disney movies.
- Sarah Rogers (796) has posed:
"It's just an expression." Sarah lies apologetically, trying to regain her composure. Then she falls silent, She's apparently star-struck, or something? "It's getting late, I should probably go." She says finally. Asking the Avengers if they could open a dimensional portal was a stupid idea anyway.
- Rocket (781) has posed:
Rocket's eyes light up and he says to Groot, "Now I don't have to go out and /buy/ Robin Hood in order to watch it!" Groot replies, "I am Groot." ((Good, keeps you out of places you'll try to take a five fingered discount in.))
- Rarity (136) has posed:
Rarity idly hushes the girls. "He's announcing who won." Or first, what everyone wins. ".. Well that will be useful for the next time Twilight wants to have a sleepover."
- Cell (696) has posed:
Cell gives Richard a salute, as well. Just like with Captain America. It's a military guy thing.
Cell takes the BluRays, glances at Toph, and just hands them off to her. "Here. Give these to somebody who's got the time to enjoy 'em."
- Frederica (73) has posed:
Frederica leans over towards Toph. "He has more ego than everyone here put together." she corrects the earthbender. Still, she's also watching for the announcement. At the description of what it is, she grins in delight. THAT is a very nice gift indeed. She loves animated movies!
- Rainbow Dash (43) has posed:
"What the hay is a blu-ray anyway?" Rainbow Dash asks as she comes down for a landing after a visit to the concessions. She has a cup tucked in one hoof, and a rootbeer mustache around her muzzle already. A pause, as she picks up snippits of conversation. "Oooh, movies! Okay, sounds waaay cooler."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"IN ADDITION," Stark continues, clearly enjoying the attention and the scattered oohs and ahhs at his incredibly generous choice of party favors, "We've got a special gift for our grand prize winner." He reaches inside his suit jacket and holds up a much smaller packet of papers in one hand. "This is an all-expenses paid trip for two, to right here. You can stay in the Cinderella Castle, visit all the attractions and ride all the rides you can squeeze in for three days. Since this is something I've just done, I can promise you it's pretty damn fun."
His eyes sweep the crowd, narrowing critically as if he's trying to come to some last minute decision. But of course he's already made it. He stabs a finger toward the chosen, rather wet and bedraggled winner. "Ziggy Grover! Hope you've got someone to take with you, buddy." He just MIGHT find Kimberly in the crowd and give her a wink too.
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
"Appraisal - Indeed. With such a device - referred to as 'deus ex machina' by humans, I believe - it becomes very easy to trivialize things like well-executed deaths. When a person dies, it leaves an impact - their lovers grieve, their progeny become embittered, their family interweaves into itself to protect from harm like a shellfish" - he glances meaningfully to Toph as he serves another soda to her. "Death is a natural component of existence - even I, wonderful piece of craftsmanship that I am, will cease to be at one point. To have a way to undo that makes loss seem less impactful - it makes the consequences artificial. It makes life... easy. Easy to believe you have control over... and easy to simply bury the memories and forget what was experienced or whatever experiences or teachings came of it, presenting that it never happened"
"Continuation - To resurrect one from death is to cheapen what has been lost, to the point that you can become complacent and assured. On the other hand, to hear it from a pilot I met before, it supposedly can also make one more determined to not lose something if it is regained, since second chances are supposedly rare. It seems to be a balancing act for most meatbags - the difference between believing that one can find a way, and believing that there is /always/ a way even if it is not possible. It can blur reality with delusion, and turn hope into obsession. This was also something my Master researched when looking into the history of Arturia Pendragon, who obsessed over an artifact known as the Holy Grail, intent on using it to restore her ailing kingdom."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
His duties as master of ceremonies thus complete, Tony hands off the packet of tickets and vouchers to the band manager for Ziggy to come up and claim, along with the boxes of collectors edition blu-rays, and trots down the stage steps. Where he's met by Stadler and his gift card. He chuckles. "Hey, you didn't have to get me anything. Thanks for coming, Rick, I... wasn't actually expecting you." Something in his eyes seems to indicate he's genuinely pleased though, as he shakes the man's hand.
- Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Huh, a full collection of blu-rays. That's going to be fun for the Garage," Ziggy responds absentmindedly, as he looks towards Pink Ranger. "We should check that out, and..."
Wait, what?
"I won...? I won...? Wow, you like me. You -really- like me!"
Trotting his way to the stage to come claim things, Ziggy pauses on his way to greet Tony. "Hi, um..." Reaching into his jacket, Ziggy pulls out a very wet flat box. "Uh. Had a little accident. Uh... here, if it doesn't work anymore, call Dr. K. OH, and happy birthday again."
- Toph Beifong (20) has posed:
"Don't tell me about life being easy, Rusty," she mutters. "Maybe if you knew him you would know /why/ we had to do it. And reviving him did not cheapen it!" Oh yes, the girl looks annoyed! Toph snorts and is about to head off when Cell gives the blu-ray collection to her. The blind girl halts, then hands them back. "If you like singing and dancing, then you will find the time to enjoy them, buddy!" she says firmly before she turns to Frederica. "You don't need to tell me, I live with the guy!"
Though indeed, Ziggy has gotten a nice price. And she herself does know it's a fairly cool prize, considering she just spent three days here with her family too. With drink in hand she heads over to the stage again, speaking up so Tony can hear her over the applause Ziggy is getting. "You missed people stroking your ego again, dad." Then again, everybody showed up to his birthday. And he hardly needs to hear all the stuff Cell said about him.
- Cell (696) has posed:
"It's a motivator. Like any other. It gives people reason to act. The Dragon Balls take that reason away. Who needs to worry about dying if it can just be wished away? Who needs to push forward and grow if they're immortal?" Cell puts the glass down and folds his fingers in front of him.
"That's why Vegeta got cocky. Got stupid. He let himself believe in his own immortality, until it broke. He believed he couldn't be defeated, so he lost the fear of death. The realization that he could be removed from the gene pool. Immortality is a crutch for life-forms."
- Kimberly Hart (786) has posed:
Kimberly Hart perks up when Ziggy calls her way, smiling under her helmet and waving, though she seems worried once she's closer. "Ziggy, you're all wet, what happened? Did you land in a river or something?" She about to ask further, but Annie comes up to compliment them, the ranger turning to her and offering a hidden smile with a nod. "Oh, thanks! Yours was awesome too. Everyone really put a lot of effort into their songs! I especially liked-- Eh?"
Wait, did Tony just say Ziggy won the grand prize? ...To stay at Disneyworld? Oh snap! "Who, congrats, Ziggy, that's awesome!" Kim is awstruck and beaming, glad for him, though Tony's implicating wink has her pausing and bashfully rubbing the back of her helm.
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
Tony just can't get away from people trying to hand him things tonight. It's your birthday, Stark, be gracious. He smirks and accepts the flat, wet box from Ziggy. "Thanks," he replies. "I gotta respect a man who'll teleport into... let me guess, Splash Mountain? Just to give me a good show on my birthday. Hey, have fun with the tickets. Everything's good for a year, so you can pick whenever's a good time for you."
- Richard Stadler (300) has posed:
Stadler looks over to Cell for a moment, at the saluate. He doesn't recognize the man or the uniform, but he was someone who read his threat assessments. If he was here and not recognizable, chances are it was someone respectable. So that meant coming to attention for a brief moment and returning the saluate properly. A bit of a longer look, and then back to Tony. "Well, I couldn't resist heading down for such an auspicious celebration. Might actually flash the CAC card at Shades of Green here and hope no one notices the dimensional difference. I've never been down here, before. Most of my time in Florida was a few years ago in Jacksonville."
- HK-47 (754) has posed:
The droid nods, seeming to agree entirely with the Commander's sentiments. "Appraisal - Indeed. It makes our existence feel... even more meaningless. Action leaves a larger impact when the one who achieved it is not around - legend is born from what was, not just from what is. It is the same as stagnation"
Seeing Stark, the droid waves him over, pulling something out from under the bar. "Statement - Ah, Master Stark! I was also told to provide you with these - complements of my... supplier. I trust you will enjoy them."
The droid then holds out a box-set of two DVD's... but the surprising part is the title - Iron Man 1 & 2, both licensed by a group called Marvel and by Disney, or rather an alternate-world version of Disney where Iron Man is apparently a fictional character.
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
Annie claps for Ziggy as he wins, turning to the Pink Ranger as he goes to accept his prize. "My name's Annie Sandberg. I guess you're Ziggy's friend too?" She was always pleased to meet friends of her friends. Connections!
- Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Thank you!" Ziggy responds, as he claims his prize, and then returns, falling in next to the Pink Ranger. "Man, a trip for two! Ever been here before? I never have... well, other than this -time-," he says breathlessly. "Have you...?"
He peers at Pink Ranger. "Are you okay?" he asks. "Your face's red."
... Nevermind that he can't see through helmets. "Hey Annie! How you doing?"
- Cell (696) has posed:
"True enough," Cell agrees, "Wishes are a horrible thing. Achievements rendered meaningless...sacrifices made empty and hollow...what a world."
Cell nods at Tony. "Hell of a party. Congratulations, again. Make sure you don't waste that bottle, it's top-shelf."
- Tony Stark (301) has posed:
"Oh wow I've heard of these!" Tony exclaims, as he flips over the DVD cases to read the back covers. "I mean I've seen some of my comic books from other worlds. I even signed some for some guy's kid." Those are probably worth a fortune. "Thanks, weird robot guy!"
He gives Cell a smirking nod. "And thanks, too. Don't worry, I know how to handle top shelf."
- Kimberly Hart (786) has posed:
Kimberly Hart glances Annie's way at her introduction and offers a hidden smirk while nodding. "Yeah, just met him a few weeks ago after joining the Multiverse. Good to meet you, Annie. I'm..." She pauses, unsure how to continue. "..I'm the Pink Ranger." Wow, that feels awkward. Thankfuly Ziggy sweeps back in to act as a distraction, Kim offering him an excited little nod. "Congrats, Ziggy! And yeah, I've been to one when I was younger, was pretty fun."
But then he has to mention her face and she unintentionally stammers a little. "I uh.. I'm fine.. And it's pink, y'know."
- Annie Sandberg (437) has posed:
"Hi Ziggy! I'm doing good. It's been a really fun day," Annie answers. "It's too bad I'm not staying longer. But maybe I'll come back someday!" She grinned back at Kim, not minding not knowing her name for now. Secrets were for keeping after all.
- Ziggy Grover has posed:
"No problem, Annie... well we gave him his present, and this place's a lot of fun. We should get in some rides. Wanna ride Space Mountain?" Ziggy asks, tilting his head at Pink Ranger.