<strong>Marie, talking with Jenna, Addressing some Concerns for Dr. Mephiston, Saying Hello to Maximillian and Selena</strong><br/><br/>“No need to get anything for me just yet, love,” Marie said to Jenna. She reached over and caress Jenna’s cheeks with a lace-gloved finger. “Perhaps a bit later. I want to make sure everything is running smoothly, and our guests are all quite comfortable, before I start to indulge my appetites.”<br/><br/>Marie listened idly to a rather odd gentleman speaking with a lovely young woman at the bar. Both fascinated her. Marie believed the man to be Dr. Mephiston … and she smiled, when he heard his name mentioned.<em>All that studying was well worth the effort,</em>she thought. The woman was called Selena Yttrium, Marie thought, but she was less certain of that.<br/><br/>When Dr. Mephiston began to produce considerably substantial sums of money at the bar, Marie raised an eyebrow at this, but otherwise said nothing, preferring to let Jenna address the issue first.<br/><br/>“You’re correct, good sir … I don’t believe that we have the financial facilities to accommodate you, at the moment. Though I most certainly can check with our honored host, Lee Chang, in case I’m mistaken.” She smiled pleasantly at Dr. Mephiston, and casually took a seat at the bar next to him. “Lee Chang is always full of surprises. In the meantime, have no fear, your expenses shall be covered for the evening, and I’m sure we can sort out everything out by tomorrow morning.”<br/><br/>“I’m Marie Broussard, by the way.” She reached over and gently patted one of Dr. Mephiston’s hands. “I’ll be one of your hostesses during your stay here at the Pleasure Dome. Is there anything I can do to make your stay here more pleasurable?” She glanced over at the woman he’d been chatting with, and winked at her. “Or do you have such matters well in hand?”<br/><br/>Marie also glanced over her shoulder at a young man who looked quite disgruntled ... Maximillian, one the brilliant tinkerers who had come to work for Lee Chang. She had no desire to see him look so upset, on any day, but particularly not when so many guests were arriving.<br/><br/>"And you, Maximillian?" Lilith asked. "How goes everything for you, darling?"<br/><br/><br/><br/>