In a Quiet Corner of the Club ((open))

[Harbinger]

The Harbinger entered the club, still in his hero'ing best. He had been to the club a few times without his mask, but some nights he was willing to showcase that, yes, heroes like to let their hair down as it were. This was, of course, figurative; his greying auburn locks were bound back in a single neat pony tail. On his arm was woman, in her mid 20's it would seem, with short cropped brown hair. Her attire was barely 'fetish': the knee high black boots were as close as she got. The rest of her outfit was a black denim miniskirt, and partly ripped black T-shirt.

"I can't believe you're taking me here, Harbinger," she said leaning close.

He smiled behind his mask. "I sang karaoke. You share a few glasses of wine with me. A fair trade I think."

They moved through the crowd, and past the bar. He paused their progress enough to place a bill on the counter and indicate to the bartender that he would need two glasses of wine, something reasonable, brought to their table. Then he lead the girl over to quiet corner where they could sit and watch the comings and goings. The settled in next to each other, and waited for their wine.

((open to anyone. The girl with The Harbinger is not a super anyone would recognize. She's just a civilian. Though, if it's relevant, she is a professor of Veterinary Biology at MCU.))

[Lilith]

Lilith walked by wearing a quite revealing vinyl dress. It was yet another in her vast collection of fetish clothing, the front cut low, hugging and lifting her bosom, the bottom hugging her hips and going nearly down to her angles. It was not a true hobble skirt, but it did some getting used to to move properly. She was used to it.

She seemed somewhat oblivious of the goings-on in the Club as she quickly interfaced with her sleek datapad, tapping the screen with the tips of her blood red painted fingernails. She actually had not expected to be here in too much a business capacity this evenining, but it seemed she could hardly be here when not mixing business and pleasure. A young woman trotted up to her, garbed all in black, her particular clothing marking her as a somewhat high level employee here. Lilith spoke with her briefly. The girl moved away, and Lilith continued her walk.

She paused suddenly and looked over at Harbinger and his date. She managed to somehow tuck the datapad away, though her dress was nearly skin-right, and she seemed to be carrying no hand bag. With a pleasing grin on her face, she sauntered over.

"Sean, what a delight," she said, "What brings you here this evening?"

[Harbinger]

The Harbinger smiled and reached out to take Lillith's hand and place a kiss upon it respectfully.

"Actually," he said gesturing to his companion, "my dear friend Valerie here owed me a period of penance still, and we decided that it was only fair she accompany me here to enjoy the sights, sounds and smells of the perfect fetish club." He tapped his mask. "She, like you, is one of the few who knows both of my identities."

The woman had been staring fairly openly at Lillith's latex encased form. Her eyes flicked away only to follow another 'extreme' look or state of undress, then back to Lillith again. "It's a pleasure, really," she politely, her voice raised a bit to be heard over the music. "It's not Karaoke but it's fun," she added her cheeks flushed with embarassed excitement. She tried to look away and appear more casual and relaxed.

The Harbinger spoke again. "I did want to see who was out tonight and I hope to perhaps meet some of those who are more recently progressing from our little 'dance club' and into the House Proper. That and watching Valerie's reactions to some of our more adveturesome members will prove quite entertaining." This final comment elicited a playful shove from the woman who seemed to relax for the moment with the distraction.

[Lilith]

"Karaoke?" Lilith commented, grinning playfully, her lips pursing together as though in thought, "I'd be inclined to think that might serve was worse punishment to some than anything we might dream up here in the Club."

She then turned her attention to the girl, seeming to appraise her, "Valerie, how delightful to meet you."

A waitress showed up then with their wine. She set the glasses on the table, then stood back dutifully for a moment.

"Be a dear and fetch me a martini," Lilith ordered in a sweet voice, and the girl inclined her head and scuttled off, "I hope you do not mind me stopping by. I had actually come out tonight with more social leanings, but no one else yet seems here ... besides the normal rabble," she added, flicking an elegant had away from them.

[Harbinger]

The Harbinger chuckled at Lillith's comment on karaoke. "Well, it appears that I sing in a similar range to Barry Manilow so the torture was minimized." He leaned forward, a hand covering his companions. "Thought I assure you, Valerie and I worked out a safeword before I took the stage, just in case."

Valerie pulled her hand back quickly to cover her eyes with a touch of embarassment.

The Harbinger continued. "And not only can Valerie manage a modest Taylor Swift but a rather passable Bret Micheals." He turned to Valerie. "Now is this nearly as bad as you imagined?"

She looked up again, and then over at Lillith. She was trying not to stare, and turned to look out over the sea of bodies and dancers. "Actually," she started pensively, "it's a bit tame compared to what I was expecting. I mean, yeah, there's a lot of latex, but the dancing isn't much worse then Clutch Cargo or the old City Club." She let out a light shrug and watched as a man on a leash followed along behind a woman in a latex bodysuit and thigh high boots. "Well... not ~much~ worse."

[Lilith]

Lilith laughed at Sean's mention of a safeword for karaoke. She then turned her eyes to the pretty young lady as she spoke.

"Well, we have many layers here at the Club," she said, "I believe your gentlemen here has been kind enough to start you in what is indeed one of the tamer areas. The night is also hardly underway. I daresay we might find something for you a bit more adventurous or stimulating, if you so desire."

Lilith grinned pleasantly.

[Harbinger]

Valerie stared back at Lilith. The Harbinger sat next to her, his arm streched over the back of the booth, and his hand resting on her far shoulder. He watched her reaction out of the corner of his eye. She blinked a few times. He leaned over and asked in a low voice. "So what do you think, something more adventerous?"

"Pineapple!"

The Harbinger let out a chuckle and gave his friend's shoulder a squeeze. "I think that's a no on the exploring more of the club, or at least on experiening it."

[Lilith]

Lilith chuckled, showing a bit more levity than her norm at this utterance.

"Ahh, the code language of our culture," she mused.

The waitress returned with a fresh martini standing its tall-stemmed glass in the center of her tray. Lilith thanked her with a short smile and took the drink.

"May I join you two?" she asked, angling her eyes down to the available seating at the booth, "Or is this more a private affair?"

[Harbinger]

Settling down, Valerie glanced at The Harbinger and back at Lilith. "Oh, we're just here as friends." She took a breath quietly making a calculation and then leaned forward a bit. "I like to see man's face when he makes love to me."

The Harbinger rolled his eyes and extended his arm along the back of the rounded booth indicating the seat next to him.

"You see, sometimes she's more forward then I am."

[Lilith]

"Indeed," Lilith veritably purred, sliding into the booth, "So, how long have you two 'known' each other?"

She sipped of her drink, looking about a bit, though she gave these two most of her attention. She was curious if any others might show up this evening.

[Harbinger]

Valerie watched as Lilith slid into the booth with them, her face pleasant and free of jealousy. "I think ~The Harbinger~ and I have been friends for a few years now." She put strong emphasis on his hero name as she said it. "I had a break down on my way home from my office, and when some gangers started getting a little too close, I called Sean, and this kind fellow showed up to save me."

The Harbinger smiled and gave her shoulder a squeeze. "Of course at the time she had no idea that either of us, Sean or I, would be seen at a place like this."

"Oh... there were rumors," Valerie countered quickly. "About ~both~ of you. Remember that one tabloid spread about the club and some heroes coming here. There was even the rumor that one of the Champions came here regularly."

[Lilith]

"One of the Champions? My, my, " Lilith said, raising her eyebrows, "Well I cannot say as I have heard any such rumors," she added, pursing her lips playfully.

She then tilted her glass up, taking a nice draught as she continued to look at Valerie.

"I am not surprised that you met -Mr. Harbringer- here under such circumstances," she smiled, "He can be quite the knight-in-shining-armor."

Lilith laid a hand on Sean's arm, giving him a gentle pat.

[Harbinger]

The Harbinger gave a nod. "Well given that so much of the fetish world is tied to masks, and hoods, it's not inconcievable." He pointed at a woman in a black latex cat suit, her short dark hair dancing out over a full face mask, her piericing blue eyes and black painted lips the only flesh visible. "That could be Saphire hiding under all that, though if she really wanted to avoid betraying herself she should be gagged as well. It would give her an excuse not to let us hear her voice."

He looked out at the various other people milling around. "And really who of has has seen Defender out of uniform? That guy buying drinks at the bar, or there tipping the cage dancer, could be him and none of us would be the wiser."

He smiled at Lilith's comment about being a knight in shining armor. "As to rushing to the rescue of a fair damsel, who here would not? I would wager that even at the club, the majority of us understand our responsibilities to each other. I mean, if that girl with the gas mask showed real distress, wouldn't we all rush to get it off of her so she could breathe?"

[Lilith]

"Indeed we would," Lilith replied, nodding, "We take our 'play' very seriously here. And I suppose it does not take an army of psychologists to identify the underlying simmer of fetish in the superhero community."

She sipped her martini, looking over at one of the women to which Sean had refered.

"I think Sapphire usually dresses differently when she comes in here," she said, grinning.

[Harbinger]

Valerie followed the woman the two had been talking about, considering her own take on it. "You do seem to all have a thing for masks, that's for sure," she said finally, taking a drink of her own wine. "I mean heroes that is, not fetish.. uh.. people."

At Lilith's comment she blinked a bit and moved forward. "Wait, are you saying that Saphire does come here?" She looked at The Harbinger who was attempting, and failing, to hide a giggle.

"Personally," he confided, "I'm fairly sure she does not. Witchcraft? I would wager a yes. Defender? Perhaps but as a submissive. Saphire? No, I think she still has a little too much purity to her." He grinned over at Lilith. "Though I can think of a few Domme's that would welcome a chance to cure her of it."

[Lilith]

"Not the least of which would be me," Lilith said, perking her eyebrows briefly then taking a sip of her drink.

"Though I do not think it is often too much of a hot debate topic, such conjectures are indeed fun."

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