One Hell of a Summer Party

[bc56]

All who come in peace are welcome.

Queen Sekhmet of the Scorching Depths has issued a proclamation for a grand festival to be held in the spirit of cooperation and goodwill between her kingdom and the Nexus. A portal is erected in Brimstone Park in Inside, a runescribed gateway that houses and stabilizes the dimensional rift.

Beyond lies the Scorching Depths, a kingdom of Hell. As the name implies, it is unbearably hot outdoors, but thankfully, outdoors is off-limits to the guests. The portal leads directly into a grand hall in the palace-city of Pandemonium, a vast construction of black and white marble, golden inlay, and elaborate sculpture.
Only a small part of the huge structure is open to the public for now, but there is still much to do there.

Spoiler: Some features of the palace (not exhaustive)

Show

The first, most obvious attraction from where you enter is the grand ballroom, where succubi and incubi in elegant clothing, along with guests of all shapes and sizes, dance in myriad styles to the tune of a demonic chamber orchestra.

A short distance away, following fiery guidelines, is a dining hall, where fiendish servants bring out platters heaping with royal fare of the highest quality, from meats to greens to cakes, and everything in between.

A room off to the side contains games of all sorts, from traditional party games to more unusual options. A spirited game of Twister is ongoing, an incubus is challenging guests to games of chess, and one enterprising partygoers brought a console and is attempting to teach a pair of succubi to play Super Smash with little success.

The palace has a magnificent set of public baths, appointed in marble and gold, which have been set aside for swimming pools and hot tubs, depending on their size and temperature. Swimsuits are required, much to the chagrin of some of the residents.

A theater has a show going on right now, a succubus stage magician performing tricks to amaze and astound. Her repertoire is very classic, but maybe the tricks are more than just sleight of hand. Whatever the case, she's very good at misdirecting the eyes.

There's also an indoor garden, the only place to find green, growing things in all of the Scorching Depths. The plants aren't anything special, since it was only established recently, but it's a quiet, secluded spot away from the hubbub of the party.

Similarly, off the beaten path is a library. Unless you're interested in the ancient arcane tomes kept there, it's an even quieter place to sit and rest.

And of course the palace stretches on, but much of it is off limits. Nearby are several places of interest where guests are not supposed to be, such as an aviary, a hellhound kennel, and a stable. The throne room isn't marked as off limits, but it is closed up. And there are many paths roped off as being under remodeling.

Because of recent events, the party is not left completely open to anyone. Guards check arrivals for weapons and blacklisted individuals at the gate and are present in all of the main areas of the party. More of them watch the palace gates to keep any curious guests from wandering out into the dangerous hellscape. Rumor would have it more are hidden among the guests and celebrating demons, watching in secret.

And then there's the question of the host. Some say Queen Sekhmet is too exhausted and likely to sleep through the whole thing. Some say she's just waiting for the right moment to make her entrance. Some others say that she's disguised herself as one of the partygoers and is enjoying herself anonymously.
Regardless of the true answer, she's nowhere to be found for now.

[Ironsmith]

[Grand Ballroom]

"...So, I want to make sure I have this straight." Ecstacy frowns as she walks alongside Marianne. "You arrange for us to be entertainers at the wedding, which is totally not our speed... but then the opportunity comes up for us to play a party where a demon band would be thematically appropriate and you sign us on as guests? What the here are you thinking, Manny?"

"Well..." The angel shrugs. "It's not quite that simple. Have any of you girls ever actually met Queen Sekhmet?"

"...No?"
"I don't think so."
"Mm."

"There's a reason for that." Marianne makes a wide gesture around the ballroom. "As of this very moment, the only people here are succubi and incubi, all of whom answer to the queen. Notice what they're rather conspicuously not doing?"

"...Oh."

"Yeah. The queen probably wouldn't approve much of our style." Marianne smiles. "But if you want someone who is otherwise sympathetic towards demons, Sekhmet is the lady to go to. So tonight, you don't have to worry about being a walking stereotype. You can just be yourselves again and nobody's going to judge you for it."

"...And suppose, just for a minute, that some of us might actually like what we do on stage?" Ecstacy challenges.

"I'm sure you can still figure something out." Marianne plucks a cupcake off a passing tray and passes it to Malady. "You are, after all, still in a room full of lust demons. If you really tried, you could probably sneak off with a couple dozen of them somewhere."

"Please don't." Malady adds, squishing up next to her friend. "Manny's right; we've got a great opportunity to make some friends here. Real friends, not... not the kind you only get for one night. That is to say... maybe we should focus on that, instead of our usual brand?"

Ecstacy sighs and gives the younger succubus an affectionate hair ruffle. "I appreciate the sentiment, but... are you seeing these people? I mean, the novelty of being able to go outside our little circle alone..."

Malady holds her hand to her chest, a little taken aback by the guitarist's words.

"...Mel, that's not what I... no, come on, don't give me that look, you know I can't resist that lo-... okay fine, no funny business tonight. Spoilsport."

Glomp!

Ecstacy sighs and wraps her arms around Malady, returning an enthusiastic hug. "...If you need us, we'll be on the dance floor." She mumbles, leading Malady over that direction.

"...Well. That went well." Marianne smiles and puts her hands on her hips, satisfied with the outcome thus far.

"Arguably." Euphoria mumbles, passing her smaller counterpart a glass of punch. "Stacy has a point. This isn't our usual brand of activity. Some of us may have trouble enjoying ourselves."

"Only because you've forgotten how." Marianne gives the taller succubus a comforting pat on the back. "I'm sure if you make the effort..."

Euphoria fixes a pointed glare at her.

"...we can, ah, have a little make-up party of our own afterwards, if you really don't enjoy it." Marianne quickly amends. "Does that sound palatable to you?"

"...Very."

[By The Door]

"Hi! Thank you for coming!" Miranda greets yet another guest, giving them a firm, double-palmed handshake. She's stationed herself by the door, thus far working as something of a de facto greeter for people coming into the party. She's not actually obligated, of course, but if she wants to find someone to talk to for the rest of the night, it seems prudent to hang out where they're all coming in.

Of course, it's also a useful position to be in, should someone unsavory try to make their way into the party. Miranda has a bit of an advantage here, in that she's in disguise and not likely to be recognized by anyone who hasn't seen her succubus self yet, and thus a potential troublemaker is unlikely to realize they're shaking hands with an ex-spy and therefore someone with a terrific chance of picking up an ulterior motive. So her voluntary greeting position is just as much a security bonus as it is to her own personal benefit.

Though until guests stop trickling in, that's probably going to be her primary function.

"Hi! Thank you for coming!"

[Zefir]

[By The Door]

"Hi! Thank you for coming!" Miranda greets yet another guest, giving them a firm, double-palmed handshake. She's stationed herself by the door, thus far working as something of a de facto greeter for people coming into the party. She's not actually obligated, of course, but if she wants to find someone to talk to for the rest of the night, it seems prudent to hang out where they're all coming in.

Of course, it's also a useful position to be in, should someone unsavory try to make their way into the party. Miranda has a bit of an advantage here, in that she's in disguise and not likely to be recognized by anyone who hasn't seen her succubus self yet, and thus a potential troublemaker is unlikely to realize they're shaking hands with an ex-spy and therefore someone with a terrific chance of picking up an ulterior motive. So her voluntary greeting position is just as much a security bonus as it is to her own personal benefit.

Though until guests stop trickling in, that's probably going to be her primary function.

"Hi! Thank you for coming!"

[By The Door]

And so a first non demon guest is coming to the party. Well, people might mistake him for some kind of demon related to the looks. The man seems to be taller then an average human but also very slim. his grey hair indicates he has already past half of his lifespan, yet his skin seems rather young. around his cheeck are a few scalees or something about it. His face is rather handsome.
He wears a black west and fitting pants, but his white shirt got no arms. Instead black scales grow over his upper and lower arm, which seem to be pointy and maybe the reason he doesn't wear something over it.

"Good day Miss." he says with a firm voice. "I am not very firm with the host of this event, could you provide me some informations on that person?"

[Recaiden]

[By The Door]

Message does not have time to attend parties personally.
But she can send an aspect, the charity Anchor, in her place.

Anchor is dressed in a blue ballgown, golden dancing shoes, and (as always) mirrored sunglasses. Her shadow is on fine behavior, and is exactly where it should be relative to the hallway lights, differing from Anchor only by having a tail and a different hairstyle.
She doesn't have a single weapon on her - normally she'd bring at least a pistol, but she trusts Sekhmet. She does have a sort of holy aura that might make the demons uncomfortable.

She'll shake Miranda's hand-
"Hi! Thanks to Sekhmet for hosting this, I mean, this seems like a fine party. I hope you're not stuck out here for too long?"
-and head on into the ballroom.

[Gold Leaf]

[By The Door]

Also showing up is a pair of male non-incubus demons. Their most striking feature is that their heads are thick but hollow spheres of metal, gold and iron respectively, and they have jagged mouths and triangular eyes much like jack-o-lanterns (though without noses). To complete this look, a dull red glow is all you'll see if you look inside their eyes or mouths.

Other than this, though, they look just like human males with fair skin and some (but not much) muscle. As for clothing, the gold-headed one wears grey dress trousers, black dress shoes, a white dress shirt and a red tie, and the iron-headed one has a similar outfit but wears brown instead of black shoes and swaps the tie for an overcoat. On the iron demon's hip, a large revolver is holstered.

The gold-headed demon begins to introduce himself.
"Hi! I'm Gold, named for my incredible comedy. And that's Iron, because he's ironically a terrible shot."
Iron, the iron-headed demon, speaks next.
"Neither of those things are true. I did not shave my beard so you could dirty my name like that.
"Why did you shave your beard?"
"I was tired of being compared to the Breaking Bad characters."
"Oh. Well, anyways, this is the party, right?"

[Morty]

[By The Door]

Sophie is also by the door, for the same purpose as Miranda. Though probably not at the same time, as it would be excessive. But much like Miranda, she expects someone might come to stir trouble and like Miranda, she believes herself capable of discovering their true intentions. Indeed, her Solar powers make any deceit very difficult around her.

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
The space is cloaked by illusions, so that to mundane senses, it is merely a blank wall on the upper part of the entry hall. Inside, the host paces nervously.
Ever since the setup was complete, she's been in here. She watched as Miranda put on the disguise and took her place as a greeter. She knows better than to argue; Miranda needs to feel useful. She watches some of the succubi and incubi file into the ballroom, and the weight in her chest grows. Speaking to people is hard, especially when she has to balance garnering respect as a queen and just wanting to be treated like a normal person. And with so many beautiful, regal, attractive women here, how can she show her face? She's so plain, she'd stand out, and not in a good way.
As she paces and thinks, her figure fills out, her royal gown shrinks away from her neck and her ankles, her hair unties itself and waterfalls down her back. Almost subconsciously, her appearance has become that of the Queen of Succubi, beautiful, seductive, and unattainable. She lets herself sink into that mindset. She's the most beautiful person in the palace, who would not be captivated?
At the same time, a dissenting voice arises in her head. She can't be seen like this. It wouldn't be proper. She has to maintain her noble image... But would it really hurt to be beautiful? It would help her words to be heard... She's afraid. This is her first attempt to make an impression on everyone, the entirety of the Nexus who might visit. It wasn't that long ago that her mother invaded Inside, and recently there was anti-demon attacks in Riverside, she needs to make sure she paints the right image. Is it better to be beautiful and confident, but paint herself in such a light, or to be nervous and uncomfortable, but approachable?

And so conflicted, the queen does not leave her hidden sanctum where few would know to find her. More than anything, she needs advice, or encouragement.

[Ironsmith]

[By The Door]

And so a first non demon guest is coming to the party. Well, people might mistake him for some kind of demon related to the looks. The man seems to be taller then an average human but also very slim. his grey hair indicates he has already past half of his lifespan, yet his skin seems rather young. around his cheeck are a few scalees or something about it. His face is rather handsome.
He wears a black west and fitting pants, but his white shirt got no arms. Instead black scales grow over his upper and lower arm, which seem to be pointy and maybe the reason he doesn't wear something over it.

"Good day Miss." he says with a firm voice. "I am not very firm with the host of this event, could you provide me some informations on that person?"

[By The Door]

Message does not have time to attend parties personally.
But she can send an aspect, the charity Anchor, in her place.

Anchor is dressed in a blue ballgown, golden dancing shoes, and (as always) mirrored sunglasses. Her shadow is on fine behavior, and is exactly where it should be relative to the hallway lights, differing from Anchor only by having a tail and a different hairstyle.
She doesn't have a single weapon on her - normally she'd bring at least a pistol, but she trusts Sekhmet. She does have a sort of holy aura that might make the demons uncomfortable.

She'll shake Miranda's hand-
"Hi! Thanks to Sekhmet for hosting this, I mean, this seems like a fine party. I hope you're not stuck out here for too long?"
-and head on into the ballroom.

[By The Door - Miranda, Arkant, and a Passing Message]

Miranda gives Message a little smile. "Don't worry, I'm not." She assures her, skipping right over the fact that she's not really "stuck" at the door at all. She opens her mouth to say something else, but it looks like Message is already on her way. "Have a good time!" She calls after her.

The very next person is... huh. He looks like a demon, but Miranda can't quite place what kind. Not one of the guard demons and definitely not an incubus.

Oh, well. Who is she to judge?

"Hello!" Miranda greets, in a big smile that shows off a set of pointed teeth. Arkant might get the impression that she looks vaguely familiar; she looks a lot like one of the ladies who stepped up to fight Magtok Prime when he attacked Trog's. Not exactly the same; this woman's skin is a little more red, she seems to have more of a fondness for black make-up, her hair is darker shade of crimson and her voice sounds a little huskier, putting a sort of sultry quality into her otherwise confident-and-cheerful tone. She also seems to have a different fashion sense; this succubus wears a dress that looks something like a spray-painted cheerleader's uniform, with a thigh-length skirt and a shoulderless top. And then, of course, there's the batlike wings growing out of her back, the spade tail flicking around behind her, and the short, upturned horns on her forehead.

Definitely not the same lady. Maybe a relative?

"You've never met Queen Sekhmet?" Miranda asks, propping her chin on her fist. "You're in for a treat tonight, then. She's probably just about the nicest royal of any sort I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Well, as nice as she can afford to be, really." She gives a little smile. "Sort of surprising to hear that from a guest, though. What brings you here today? Other than the free food, I mean." She jokes.

Hidden Balcony
The space is cloaked by illusions, so that to mundane senses, it is merely a blank wall on the upper part of the entry hall. Inside, the host paces nervously.
Ever since the setup was complete, she's been in here. She watched as Miranda put on the disguise and took her place as a greeter. She knows better than to argue; Miranda needs to feel useful. She watches some of the succubi and incubi file into the ballroom, and the weight in her chest grows. Speaking to people is hard, especially when she has to balance garnering respect as a queen and just wanting to be treated like a normal person. And with so many beautiful, regal, attractive women here, how can she show her face? She's so plain, she'd stand out, and not in a good way.
As she paces and thinks, her figure fills out, her royal gown shrinks away from her neck and her ankles, her hair unties itself and waterfalls down her back. Almost subconsciously, her appearance has become that of the Queen of Succubi, beautiful, seductive, and unattainable. She lets herself sink into that mindset. She's the most beautiful person in the palace, who would not be captivated?
At the same time, a dissenting voice arises in her head. She can't be seen like this. It wouldn't be proper. She has to maintain her noble image... But would it really hurt to be beautiful? It would help her words to be heard... She's afraid. This is her first attempt to make an impression on everyone, the entirety of the Nexus who might visit. It wasn't that long ago that her mother invaded Inside, and recently there was anti-demon attacks in Riverside, she needs to make sure she paints the right image. Is it better to be beautiful and confident, but paint herself in such a light, or to be nervous and uncomfortable, but approachable?

And so conflicted, the queen does not leave her hidden sanctum where few would know to find her. More than anything, she needs advice, or encouragement.

[Hidden Balcony]

"Having trouble with your look, Seksy?"

The intruder on Sekhmet's private room apparently didn't have that problem. Her usual cotton and leather wear are gone now, in favor of a short, chartreuse dress, free of any frills, apart from a band of blue-green fabric around her waist, which only seems to serve to draw attention to her bloated belly.

Braon gives Sekhmet a little smile and shakes her head, the cascade of her peek-a-boo-style bangs gently swaying and echoing the motion. "Funny. I never really thought of you as the type to overthink things, and yet." She makes her way over to a nearby, unoccupied chair and lowers herself into it, letting out a little groan of exertion in the process.

"Don't mind me. Just needed to step away from the crowd for a bit. Didn't actually expect to run into you here." She adds, rolling her head back against the wall and closing her eyes. "...'Here' as in 'right here', obviously. I figured you'd be at the party somewhere, being the host and all."

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
"Braon?" Sekhmet is taken by surprise. She still hates that nickname, by the way. "I didn't expect you to be here." She means here at the party, rather than here in this room (although Braon being in the room is also slightly surprising). Unlike Braon, Sekhmet is no longer pregnant. Braon can also see that Sekhmet is stuck halfway through a succubus transformation, so the appearance comment is certainly warranted, but not welcome. "And you have a better suggestion?" Braon might want to be careful with her next words. This interruption has got Sekhmet in a bit of a bad mood.

[Ironsmith]

[Hidden Balcony]

"Oh-hoo, touchy." Says the pot to the kettle. "But since you asked, I might." Braon shuffles slightly in her chair, taking a moment to swallow back a bout of nausea. "...You're trying way too hard to be something you're not. How do you expect thing to go for you if you step out of this room looking like one of your servants, hm?" She shrugs. "You already know a lot of the people out there, and they already know you. They'll smell phoniness from a mile away, and good luck getting their help to solidify the image."

Braon stands and pokes Sekhmet in the corners of her mouth, pushing them toward a forced smile. "Most of them seem to like Sekhmet Brignole well enough. Why would you ever want to be anyone else?"

[Morty]

[By The Door]

Also showing up is a pair of male non-incubus demons. Their most striking feature is that their heads are thick but hollow spheres of metal, gold and iron respectively, and they have jagged mouths and triangular eyes much like jack-o-lanterns (though without noses). To complete this look, a dull red glow is all you'll see if you look inside their eyes or mouths.

Other than this, though, they look just like human males with fair skin and some (but not much) muscle. As for clothing, the gold-headed one wears grey dress trousers, black dress shoes, a white dress shirt and a red tie, and the iron-headed one has a similar outfit but wears brown instead of black shoes and swaps the tie for an overcoat. On the iron demon's hip, a large revolver is holstered.

The gold-headed demon begins to introduce himself.
"Hi! I'm Gold, named for my incredible comedy. And that's Iron, because he's ironically a terrible shot."
Iron, the iron-headed demon, speaks next.
"Neither of those things are true. I did not shave my beard so you could dirty my name like that.
"Why did you shave your beard?"
"I was tired of being compared to the Breaking Bad characters."
"Oh. Well, anyways, this is the party, right?"

The two will be greeted by a short, dark-skinned human woman with piercing blue eyes and wearing a modest but form-fitting dark purple dress.

"Yes, this is indeed the party. Thank you for coming. My name is Sophie Mouchabière, a friend of our hostess'."

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
"Braon. It's not that simple. Do you really think this many people are all my friends? I invited everyone... Uh, look down there." She points to the entry below where a half-elf reporter and a cameraman are standing in a relatively empty space, cameras rolling.
"I'm Marisha Branet, with Inside News Network. We're here live from the 'Scorching Depths,' where an incredible party is under way. The queen here, Sekhmet Brignole, has ordered this place opened to the public for celebration tonight. There's been no sign of our hostess so far, but if that name sounds familiar, it's because it's not the first time she's been in the news. Last year, Queen Sapphira of the Scorching Depths attacked inside in search of her missing daughter, Sekhmet. She and her demonic armies we're defeated by Vigil, thankfully, but now it seems her daughter is in charge and interested in being a more public figure. Until she makes an appearance at the party, however, we'll have to wait and appreciate the scenery. Back to you..." The cameraman lowers his camera and the reporter sighs. "After Riverside, segments about demons are really popular. An interview with Queen Sekhmet could make or break my career, you know?" "Yeah? I've heard the devil's food cake here is to die for. Wanna get a bite?" "Sure. Doesn't seem like her majesty is around right now."

Sekhmet looks away from the departing news crew. "You, uh, see? It's my first, uh, real entry into the, uh, public. After this, I, uh, can't hide anymore. So, uh, if they see a stammering, uh, nervous wreck, uh, that's bad. They'd, uh, lose respect for me. I wouldn't be able to act with the, uh, authority I need some times. If I were a succubus, at least I'd be comfortable speaking in public."

[Ironsmith]

[Hidden Balcony]

"Oh, please." Braon waves a hand dismissively. "You think those people want to see a succubus? Especially one in a position of power? The very same position that was previously occupied by your mother, who used said power to royally mess up their lives? Common sense says 'screw that'!"

The pregnant fiendling puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head. "...Besides, you missed the point. People like Sekhmet Brignole. You have people down there who are living proof of that. A lot of people. You think that's a fluke?" She gives Sekhmet a hard poke in the sternum. "This lady, right here, she wins hearts and minds. Maybe they won't respect, uh, a s-stuttering, unsure-of-herself queen. But they also won't hate her."

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
"I'd, uh, seem weak, like a pushover. They'd, uh, doubt my ability to control my kingdom or handle threats," Sekhmet counters, "They wouldn't dislike me, but they wouldn't trust me." She shakes her head. "I'm not even sure whether you're trying to make a fool of me for your own amusement." She doesn't really think that. Braon's advice rings true. But the very fact that it's Braon giving the advice gives Sekhmet pause. Miranda, uh, can you come up here? she telepathically signals, Someone else can, uh, take the door for a bit. Hopefully that will get the impostor succubus to come offer a second opinion.

[Ironsmith]

[Hidden Balcony]

"That's because you are." Braon replies with a little sneer. "And why would that not be the case? You took the throne less than a year ago. Did you think you were going to work out all the bugs in that time?"

bunk!

Miranda rubs her shoulder as she steps into the room, a slightly embarrassed expression on her face. Sorry. Thought the door was a little further over.

Braon frowns. "Gee, lady, do ya mind? The queen and I are trying to have a private talk here."

"I gathered as much." Miranda clears her throat and smiles at Sekhmet, hands folded in front of her politely. "Would you like me to remove her, your highness?"

"What makes you think you ca-ah-ah-AH!" Braon lets out a pained series of gasps and grabs at her ear, which is currently wedged between Miranda's fingernails.

[Zefir]

[By The Door - Miranda, Arkant, and a Passing Message]

Miranda gives Message a little smile. "Don't worry, I'm not." She assures her, skipping right over the fact that she's not really "stuck" at the door at all. She opens her mouth to say something else, but it looks like Message is already on her way. "Have a good time!" She calls after her.

The very next person is... huh. He looks like a demon, but Miranda can't quite place what kind. Not one of the guard demons and definitely not an incubus.

Oh, well. Who is she to judge?

"Hello!" Miranda greets, in a big smile that shows off a set of pointed teeth. Arkant might get the impression that she looks vaguely familiar; she looks a lot like one of the ladies who stepped up to fight Magtok Prime when he attacked Trog's. Not exactly the same; this woman's skin is a little more red, she seems to have more of a fondness for black make-up, her hair is darker shade of crimson and her voice sounds a little huskier, putting a sort of sultry quality into her otherwise confident-and-cheerful tone. She also seems to have a different fashion sense; this succubus wears a dress that looks something like a spray-painted cheerleader's uniform, with a thigh-length skirt and a shoulderless top. And then, of course, there's the batlike wings growing out of her back, the spade tail flicking around behind her, and the short, upturned horns on her forehead.

Definitely not the same lady. Maybe a relative?

"You've never met Queen Sekhmet?" Miranda asks, propping her chin on her fist. "You're in for a treat tonight, then. She's probably just about the nicest royal of any sort I've ever had the pleasure of working with. Well, as nice as she can afford to be, really." She gives a little smile. "Sort of surprising to hear that from a guest, though. What brings you here today? Other than the free food, I mean." She jokes.

[By The Door - Miranda, Arkant, and a Passing Message]

Well he abrly remembers, but then again it comes up again. Maybe that person died and was reborn as a succubi or something like that? Not sure if the person was a succubi in the first place.

"Correct." he says. "I never had the pleasure to meet her as my business was rather time consuming and needed to much attention. This in mind my reason to come here is quiet simple. I do need to get some connections and those parties tend to be very usefull in achiving it, right?" he asks. His view turns up to the hidden balcony, not that he can clearly see it but he knows that there is something hidden. Yet he leaves it be and focuses back on the woman.
"What else could you tell me about her? I don't wanna step on her bad side just because I mention something wrong."

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
"Not quite yet, Miranda," Sekhmet replies. "If you still think I'm a pushover, Braon, you've never hurt me enough for me to push back. And you should pray you never do." The fiendish queen's voice runs ice cold and knife sharp. Hopefully Braon takes the warning seriously. "Braon, you may go." Sekhmet takes a breath. "Miranda, what do you think?" she asks, cheering up almost immediately, "Would it be better, uh, for me to, uh, appear tonight as a succubus, uh, with confidence and certainty, to, uh, show a strong (and, uh, attractive) face or to be my regular self, uh, more approachable and, uh, human, but, uh, with, uh, you know... I'm not good at speaking in public and it will, uh, make me look like a weak ruler?"

[Ironsmith]

[By The Door - Miranda, Arkant, and a Passing Message]

Well he abrly remembers, but then again it comes up again. Maybe that person died and was reborn as a succubi or something like that? Not sure if the person was a succubi in the first place.

"Correct." he says. "I never had the pleasure to meet her as my business was rather time consuming and needed to much attention. This in mind my reason to come here is quiet simple. I do need to get some connections and those parties tend to be very usefull in achiving it, right?" he asks. His view turns up to the hidden balcony, not that he can clearly see it but he knows that there is something hidden. Yet he leaves it be and focuses back on the woman.
"What else could you tell me about her? I don't wanna step on her bad side just because I mention something wrong."

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"You'd be hard-pressed to do that. The queen is a tolerant woman; I doubt you'd get much of a rise out of her even if you deliberately provoked her." Miranda gestures inside. "If you're here to make friends, by all means. What's a party like this for, if not bringing people together?"

Hidden Balcony
"Not quite yet, Miranda," Sekhmet replies. "If you still think I'm a pushover, Braon, you've never hurt me enough for me to push back. And you should pray you never do." The fiendish queen's voice runs ice cold and knife sharp. Hopefully Braon takes the warning seriously. "Braon, you may go." Sekhmet takes a breath. "Miranda, what do you think?" she asks, cheering up almost immediately, "Would it be better, uh, for me to, uh, appear tonight as a succubus, uh, with confidence and certainty, to, uh, show a strong (and, uh, attractive) face or to be my regular self, uh, more approachable and, uh, human, but, uh, with, uh, you know... I'm not good at speaking in public and it will, uh, make me look like a weak ruler?"

[Hidden Balcony]

"In light of the new wave of anti-demon sentiment, is showing up as a succubus really appropriate?"

"That's what I sai-ow!" Braon rubs at her ear after Miranda releases it, still wincing as she runs her finger over the sore spot on her lobe.

"Really? What else did you say?"

"That she should be honest about what she is. She's at least still likeable to anyone not named 'Braon'." The fiendling mutters. "And that pretending to be something she's not is just going to blow up in her face. And what she is, is an inexperienced, ineffectual queen who doesn't even really want to be here."

Miranda lets out a little sigh. "I can't say I entirely disagree. This is a situation where honesty is probably your best bet."

Braon smirks and crosses her arms.

"But if you're going to make a point of telling the truth, it might serve you better to tell the whole truth." Miranda adds. "Yes, you're inexperienced. Yes, your confidence could be... better. But that doesn't make you weak. You're fully aware of your own shortcomings and you've surrounded yourself with a court that will help you overcome them. You're willing to listen to people wiser and more experienced than you, and to make your decisions based on more than your own counsel." Miranda gives Sekhmet a reassuring smile. "As a ruler, particularly a young ruler, that's important. Knowing you can't do everything yourself and having a willingness to work with your team both take maturity and strength of character; marks of a great leader."

Miranda gestures over the balcony at the guests down below. "Most of that court is even here today already, in some capacity or another. When you go down there, have some of them come with you. Either they'll inspire the confidence you need, or you can ask them to speak on your behalf. Both will work as assurances that the Scorching Depths are not just run by a frightened, stammering new queen, and that there is still very real power behind the throne." She gives the queen a little pat on the shoulder. "And of course, Sekhmet Brignole is still a delight to be around, so you won't exactly be giving up that, either. Best of both worlds."

Braon opens her mouth to add something, quietly decides against it, and turns to leave, waddling out the door without further comment.

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
Sekhmet sighs with relief when Braon leaves. "I, uh, guess you're right. I don't need to be confident if I have friends who can, uh, be confident for me." Already, she's shifting back to her normal shape, abandoning the vestiges of succubusness, except for a slight enhancement to her height and figure (the twinges of jealousy are still there after all). She takes another deep breath. "Let's, uh, go meet some reporters. But, uh, you should put something more presentable on first." Miranda's getup is great for blending in among succubi, but probably shouldn't be on the news. She might even want to take the disguise off entirely, given her earlier comment about succubi not making good news.

[Zefir]

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"You'd be hard-pressed to do that. The queen is a tolerant woman; I doubt you'd get much of a rise out of her even if you deliberately provoked her." Miranda gestures inside. "If you're here to make friends, by all means. What's a party like this for, if not bringing people together?"

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Well, as you know these days demons are all over the news in the nexus, so it might not be something she wanted to talk about on a party." Arkant replies. "But If you don't mind i do have some other questions to ask you. if you don't mind." he does make a short pause but assuming she doesn't suddendly disapear he goes on.

"Have we met befor? I can remember someone very simular to you at Trogs. If it helps a guy named Magtok Prime was present as well."

[Ironsmith]

Hidden Balcony
Sekhmet sighs with relief when Braon leaves. "I, uh, guess you're right. I don't need to be confident if I have friends who can, uh, be confident for me." Already, she's shifting back to her normal shape, abandoning the vestiges of succubusness, except for a slight enhancement to her height and figure (the twinges of jealousy are still there after all). She takes another deep breath. "Let's, uh, go meet some reporters. But, uh, you should put something more presentable on first." Miranda's getup is great for blending in among succubi, but probably shouldn't be on the news. She might even want to take the disguise off entirely, given her earlier comment about succubi not making good news.

[Hidden Balcony]

Miranda gives a little nod and disappears from the balcony for a moment. She hadn't specifically volunteered to accompany Sekhmet down, but given the plan she put forward and that she was the one doing it, that was a foreseeable outcome. She's already mentally preparing herself for the interview, as best she can. She's only got a vague idea of what the reporters are going to ask, and...

Oh, now it's sinking in. She's going to be helping represent a queen. On Inside-wide television. Joy.

Miranda tries to hide that fresh wave of anxiety as she returns to the balcony, disguise eschewed in favor of an off-white slip-dress. She hasn't had time to alter her appearance much more than that, but she's at least presentable for television. "All right. Ready when you are." She says with a smile.

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Well, as you know these days demons are all over the news in the nexus, so it might not be something she wanted to talk about on a party." Arkant replies. "But If you don't mind i do have some other questions to ask you. if you don't mind." he does make a short pause but assuming she doesn't suddendly disapear he goes on.

"Have we met befor? I can remember someone very simular to you at Trogs. If it helps a guy named Magtok Prime was present as well."

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

Well. No point in denying it now. "Yeah, that was me." Miranda grins, hands on her hips in a somewhat-more-confident pose. "I was the lady throwing around all of the gas canisters. The name's Cortez. Miranda Cortez." She offers her hand again, taking this second meeting as a good sign that they're going to be crossing paths again in the future.

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony
In that time, Sekhmet changes also, mostly by finishing the changes to the clothes she was already wearing. One could possibly say she's overdoing it. Her dress is woven from strands of shimmering black metal, the same material as the guards' armor. Woven into the fabric are diamond studs, forming a pattern that looks almost like a night sky full of stars. Another pair of diamonds serve as the queen's earrings, and a final one, toroid-shaped, ties back her hair.
"Ready?" She asks Miranda.

[Zefir]

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

Arkant grabs her hand for shaking again.

"Arkant Del Gadis, nice to meet you again Miss Cortez." he says firmly. "I'm sure you remember i didn't contribut much to the fight. I'm not really a fighter. I am a business man." he says. He had two bodyguards nearby in trogs if I remember right but non of them would be here anyway.
"Would you know what happened after that Prime guy flew away?"

[Ironsmith]

[Hidden Balcony]

Miranda gives the demon queen a small, rueful smile. She just said that she was ready. Sekhmet's nerves are showing; on some level, she might be trying to further delay the interview, if only for a couple more seconds. "Hey, now." Miranda gives her a little pat on the shoulder. "You're going to do wonderfully. You've already got the visual presentation nailed."

Sekhmet's success might not be guaranteed, but going into this interview with the expectation of failure wasn't going to do her any favors.

Miranda turns and takes a deep breath, steadying herself for the coming challenge. "Okay. I'm going to go in ahead of you. Keep me just off to your side; I'm your assistant, not your boss. They're probably going to film your arrival, maybe snap a picture or two. If you see anything to that effect, smile and look at the camera for a moment, but don't react beyond that. Just pretend it's another person standing there and you'll do fine."

And with that, Miranda steps out from behind the illusions, taking up her position just off to Sekhmet's right.

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Yes and no. We tracked him to a factory in Skyside and had a second confrontation there, which ended with the destruction of that building. I've heard through the grapevine that he's made sporadic appearances elsewhere, but so far, VIGIL is doing a good job of keeping him from gaining any momentum." Miranda explains as she shakes his hand. "If you don't mind, why do you ask?"

[Gold Leaf]

[By the Door]

The iron-headed demon looks down at the girl. He himself is five foot eleven, while Gold is six foot one.

"Don't mention it. Though, who is the hostess of this party, anyways?"

"Is she hot?"

Iron scowls at Gold for this.

"Gold! Not only is that a terrible question, but you are in a committed relationship with another man!"

"Exactly. So you can be 200% sure I'm just kidding!"

"You keep acting a fool, I'm having your boyfriend pick you up."

"Alright, fine. Message recieved. No antics, no silliness, no cahoots, no tomfoolery. Not even a smidgen. I'll even pinky swear on it. That means, if I mess up, I'll bite my own pinky off."

"Good. Now then..."

Iron turns back to the lady, his expression becoming more neutral now.

"...about this hostess?"

[bc56]

Hidden Balcony -> Interview
"Right, right, uh, okay." Sekhmet steels herself, and steps out of the hidden chamber.

She and Miranda begin to follow the course the reporters they saw took, but there's a slight problem. There are more reporters looking for an interview with the queen. It's just a question of which one reaches them first.

[Zefir]

[Hidden Balcony]

Miranda gives the demon queen a small, rueful smile. She just said that she was ready. Sekhmet's nerves are showing; on some level, she might be trying to further delay the interview, if only for a couple more seconds. "Hey, now." Miranda gives her a little pat on the shoulder. "You're going to do wonderfully. You've already got the visual presentation nailed."

Sekhmet's success might not be guaranteed, but going into this interview with the expectation of failure wasn't going to do her any favors.

Miranda turns and takes a deep breath, steadying herself for the coming challenge. "Okay. I'm going to go in ahead of you. Keep me just off to your side; I'm your assistant, not your boss. They're probably going to film your arrival, maybe snap a picture or two. If you see anything to that effect, smile and look at the camera for a moment, but don't react beyond that. Just pretend it's another person standing there and you'll do fine."

And with that, Miranda steps out from behind the illusions, taking up her position just off to Sekhmet's right.

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Yes and no. We tracked him to a factory in Skyside and had a second confrontation there, which ended with the destruction of that building. I've heard through the grapevine that he's made sporadic appearances elsewhere, but so far, VIGIL is doing a good job of keeping him from gaining any momentum." Miranda explains as she shakes his hand. "If you don't mind, why do you ask?"

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Well, seeing you just reminded me that he exists. He was making a bit of a scene when people kneeled down." Arkant replies. "It sounds like he is no mayor problem right now as he already got the attention of Vigil. I have to admit my work seems to be overwhelming when I hear what kind of news i missed. I just catched up latly, for example i heared about the recent Riverside events. a shame isn't it?"

[Shadowcaller]

Hidden Balcony -> Interview
"Right, right, uh, okay." Sekhmet steels herself, and steps out of the hidden chamber.

She and Miranda begin to follow the course the reporters they saw took, but there's a slight problem. There are more reporters looking for an interview with the queen. It's just a question of which one reaches them first.

Interview

Among the journalists that have come to interview Sekhmet there's Faith Sunsworn, a dark haired- well, while she's certainly human-shaped even a casual glance will tell you that perhaps 'post-human' would be more of an accurate description. She has unnaturally pale skin and yellow pupil-less eyes.



She, like the other journalists, raises her hand and waves it to get the demon queen's attention. Despite she summer heat she still wear gloves and if that wasn't enough of a clue that they weren't to protect her from the cold her hands also seem unusually large.

"Sekhmet Brignole! Are you doing anything to combat the growing anti-infernal sentiments?!"

[Ironsmith]

Hidden Balcony -> Interview
"Right, right, uh, okay." Sekhmet steels herself, and steps out of the hidden chamber.

She and Miranda begin to follow the course the reporters they saw took, but there's a slight problem. There are more reporters looking for an interview with the queen. It's just a question of which one reaches them first.

Interview

Among the journalists that have come to interview Sekhmet there's Faith Sunsworn, a dark haired- well, while she's certainly human-shaped even a casual glance will tell you that perhaps 'post-human' would be more of an accurate description. She has unnaturally pale skin and yellow pupil-less eyes.



She, like the other journalists, raises her hand and waves it to get the demon queen's attention. Despite she summer heat she still wear gloves and if that wasn't enough of a clue that they weren't to protect her from the cold her hands also seem unusually large.

"Sekhmet Brignole! Are you doing anything to combat the growing anti-infernal sentiments?!"

[Interview]

"Of course she is!" Miranda wants to say, but bites back her tongue to avoid speaking out of turn. This is still, in the end, Sekhmet's interview. She's here to help, not do it for her, unless Sekhmet explicitly instructs her otherwise.

With that in mind, she tries to "think at" Sekhmet, the way she would in her succubus disguise... maybe the queen can still hear her, one way or another.

Of course you are. You've opened your home to everyone in the Nexus in the spirit of peaceful coexistence. Part of the point of this whole event is to let the public know that demons as a whole aren't so bad.

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Well, seeing you just reminded me that he exists. He was making a bit of a scene when people kneeled down." Arkant replies. "It sounds like he is no mayor problem right now as he already got the attention of Vigil. I have to admit my work seems to be overwhelming when I hear what kind of news i missed. I just catched up latly, for example i heared about the recent Riverside events. a shame isn't it?"

[By The Door - Miranda and Arkant]

"Yeah. My heart goes out to those girls and their fans in the hospital." Miranda replies with a little sigh. "It's always disheartening to hear about something like that on the news. Just when you think the world's got its act together, bam, domestic terrorism." She crosses her arms and shakes her head. "There are days when I wish I could take everyone aside for a minute and try to talk some sense into them, but aside from being logistically impossible, it's... dubious, in terms of how well that would work. Prime is a perfect example; there are people in the Nexus who just want to break things and won't listen to reason. I keep telling myself that's a very small number, but... I don't know. It's hard to find the sense in something like that."

[bc56]

Interview
Uh, yes, that was the idea," Sekhmet responds to Miranda. That answers one question, the fiendish queen can still hear her thoughts.
"I am. This party is a, uh, test for future, uh, outreach activities. I hope that we can learn to live and work together peacefully, and being able to, uh, celebrate together is, uh, a first step towards that."
The occasional stammer in Sekhmet's voice betrays her inexperience, her nervousness. She's clearly not comfortable speaking in public, and less clearly afraid the various reporters might publish a negative report on her.