xp_logs | NYE With Kevin and Felicia

Kevin and Felicia crash the Maggia New Year's party at the St. Regis.

The St Regis was undeniably luxurious, but it always struck people that their celebrated party facilities were on the small size. Even remodelled, they held the same dimensions as they had in the 1930s, and it made up for it with the richness of the decor. The guests had a similar feel. The Maggia elite were out in full force; a dramatic New Years party to show off their wealth, their power, their recent ascendancy over the Mafia in organised crime. Descendants of Italian dukes and nobles mingled with former triggermen from Hobokan who had climbed the ladder and taken over American families. A mix of ostentatious new wealth clashed with old school European flair and style, as they drank fantastically expensive champagne and pretended bonds of loyalty and friendship to each other.

And in the middle of it all was Felicia.

There had been a brief moment where a vest, a tie, had been considered, but tonight was for vanity, the first step in annihilating the people who had destroyed her family, and new beginnings. Tonight was for something a little special, knowing she had one of her closest friends by her side, keeping her safe.

"I absolutely love your makeup tonight, did you get Tatiana? I've been trying for ages but she's booked solid, who do you know?" Felicia asked an older woman, mother, a target, a shadow to blend into, that she knew. Her dress, cut and beaded in the 1930s style with some heavy adjustments in the bust by Doreen and a roll of tape, shimmered as she stepped forward, then crouched down slightly in her heels, to look at her eyes. "And those lashes."

Meanwhile, Kevin was passing glasses of champagne along the party, weaving his way through the crowd, ignored by everyone. He was the perfect servant; silent, efficient, and forgotten. He passed by Felicia with a fresh French 75 and muttered quietly to her. "Anthony Sabatio ignored the rule about no electronics. He's spent the last hour in a private room making calls. If you can get me the phone, I'll clone it and you can pass it back."

Felicia made a dark noise, not angry but a rumble. "Oh, I think I need to find one of those," she said, gesturing to the drink as Kevin passed. "Be right back. If you have the name of your lash person handy when I get back..."

Trailing off, Felicia crossed the dance floor, dodging pairs and pulls alike with a delighted warm laugh, before she landed at the bar, standing tall and glittering beside one of many small men who thought themselves big in a dark suit. "I'm thinking a... the one with sparkling wine and a lemon and I think gin?" she asked the bartender, teeth very white and sharp behind her dark red smile. "And I like gin."

"Oh, a French 75. Here, let me order one. You! Chop chop!" Anthony tapped his finger on the bar. "One for her and a fresh scotch for me."

"A scotch man. I save those for... later in the night, but I don't disapprove," Felicia said, low, her hand briefly resting on his shoulder and down his suit jacket in thanks as she watched the bartender make her drink. "I'm Erin."

"Tony. I'd ask who you're here with, but that dress... if there was a 'here with', he'd be stupid not to be here right now." He smiled in a way we thought was charming as Kevin dropped off the drinks and palmed the phone she passed to him.

Felicia chuckled, toasting him with a gentle meeting of glass, before taking a sip. Her tongue darted, catching an imaginary spare drop. "This was entirely a fuck you dress. She's not here, but I hope it's working anyway?"

"It's working. But is it just for the girls? Because that would be a waste. Just saying." Anthony said.

Meanwhile, Kevin had ducked behind the bar and slotted Sabatio's phone into a custom portable dock. Doug's programs broke apart the security in seconds, cloning the phone to the cloud, with all of his contacts and digital information now copied to X-Force's systems. He turned and made his way back, accidently bumping into Felicia and passing the phone back.

"Excuse you," Felicia called after Sydney, perturbed, long lashes making big wide eyed blinks. "Sorry, I was /going/ to say that I'm all for equal opportunity fucking," she said, curling towards him. "But honestly I've been leaning more towards the male persuasion these days. There's something a little more. Satisfying."

"Well, you know, there's men and then there's real men, like me." Anthony preened. "How about I grab a bottle of champagne and we celebrate the biggest balls in three states dropping at midnight?"

"I'd..." Felicia started, almost immediately trailing off as metallic shine reflected down the main staircase, her own kind of laser pointer, and turned slightly, looking over instinctively. A tall brunette stood at the top of the stairs, wrapped in a silken white gown. The distraction proved to be a golden mask, covering most of her face but leaving open dark brown eyes. The soft thud of her mark's phone returning to his pocket resonated as the two women made eye contact across the room.

Recognition rolled, boiled, over her and she immediately turned away. "I'd like that. Meet me by the side entrance, I need to powder things," Felicia said, her lowered timbre ticking as she slid away, trying to keep her gait steady as she made her way to the most covered door.

Kevin took a look at Felicia and slipped out the other way, making his way down the stairs. Within a few minutes, he was in the lobby of the St. Regis, his face his own, a bottle tucked under his arm as he'd ditched his waiter's coat. The elevator pinged and Felicia stepped out.

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fucking," Felicia said, crashing into him, her face immediately tucked into his collar as they walked, his arm over her shoulders. "Fuck. Let's get drunk."

"Grab a couple of glasses." He said as they passed the free cucumber water station, and with a pair of water glasses under her coat, they were outside. Kevin paused and popped the cork, secure in the fact that two white people outside of one of New York's richest hotels weren't going to get bothered by cops on New Year's Eve. He poured them each a glass. "So, you know the surprise guest."

Felicia looked up at him, meeting his glass with her own before downing it in one long pull. "I gave her that mask. Happy New Years."