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Fliers have been up for weeks posted around Destiny City's shopping district, the university, and the park. It advertised a Valentines Day Charity auction to help the struggling businesses in Destiny City facilitate repairs to the sometimes damaged shops. There was a general buzz of excitement for those who weren't otherwise preoccupied for the holiday as well as other's who simply wanted to help support the city. Many of which definitely wanted to see the convention center revamped.

Balloons and streamers decorated the hall where the event was to be held signaling the events location and ladies and gentleman waited patiently to turn in tickets, check coats and bags, security being a little tight for the event, which certainly helped to make everyone feel a little more at ease.

Inside the hall, in a room that resembled was clearly a break room or lounge of some sort, the bachelors and bachelorettes sat chatting quietly or primping as they waited for their turn to take the stage, praying some old geezer didn't bid on them and ruin they Valentine's day. Still they were in it for charity, so whatever the outcome they would weather through it.

As everyone is seated the announcer walks on to the stage, a spot light coming to life, bringing all eyes to him.

"Good evening ladies and gentleman and welcome to this evening Valentine's Day Auction. We have some lovely ladies and handsome gentleman waiting just back stage who have graciously volunteered themselves for wonderful dates tonight, but before we get to that I will be explaining the rules to you."

The announcer smiled and pulled a list from his suit coat, "on the table in front of each of you is a list like the one you I have in front of you. It has a small headshot and the name of each auctionee in the order of which they will be auction. Each will be called one at a time to the stage, a small bit of information will be given about them as well as they date they have planned for the night, after which bidding will be open. The highest bidder for each will get to go on a wonderful date with the auctionee."

He paused for a moment to allow the information to sink in the continued on, "Now that all that is out of the way, let's proceed with the event. Our first bachelor up for the evening is ..."

The bidding is now open!

Phedre hadn't actually planned on doing anything for Valentine's Day, she didn't have a boyfriend, but a bachelor's auction sounded much too good to pass up. It was fun, and for charity she thought, and what was the harm? She raised her hand with a modest bid for Aloysius Sharp since they seemed to have a love of music in common.

Jessie was uncomfortable. She had no problem donating to the city to help rebuild the destruction caused by the negaverse war; she saw it as a way of fixing what damage she caused when she got in a fight. But to be dragged to a ‘auction’ with a strong hint to bid, and bid well, on the ‘prizes’ was just not something she really wanted to feel. Archimedes said ‘give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world’, and guilt trips handed down by mothers were quite a lever. Jessie’s own guilt in her lack of a love life provided the fulcrum and so like that ancient mathematician predicted… guilt did the impossible and got Jessie to show up at a big party to bid on a date with a guy…. or girl, her mother didn’t care at this point.

She would do what she promised and bid on one of the bachelors, and even if she didn’t win she would donate her bid to the charity. As she studied the headshots provided the only question that settled in her mind was who. Who should she bid on? Should she bid on more than one to hedge her bet in winning a date? Did she really want to win a date? Jessie was still debating with herself as to what she wanted to do when the announcer stepped on the stage and gave his welcoming speech. She had actually almost missed the first bachelor, Xander.

Jessie hesitated. His idea for a date sounded… ok, but it didn’t really jump out at and say ‘date’ for her. Granted the last official date she went on it was to the Natural History Smithsonian in Washington DC. She had a grand time studying all the exhibits but her date seemed to get bored fast, Jessie could only guess he wanted more of a ‘traditional’ date. A second date never materialized and Jessie didn’t really mind, the date was set up by their mother’s anyway. She was about to bid on Xander anyway when she caught the description of a date from a different bachelor.

A behind the scenes look at the exhibits at the ESM? The dinner didn’t really interest her although a part of her wondered how Russian food tasted. The idea of spending time exploring and asking about the exhibits… that was worth biding on so she timidly raised her hand and bid her whole ‘auction’ money on Iouri Spekter. She didn’t think she would win but it was for a good cause anyway.

~~~~~~~~~~

Quinn stretched out in a chair in the ‘bachelor/bachelorette’ lounge… or as he silently thought of it, The meat locker. He didn’t know how the rest of his fellow eye candy got roped into this shindig but Quinn was not happy he caved to his mom’s request. She had said that she was on the committee and they really needed more bachelors to even out the numbers, how it was for ‘such a good cause’, and she would fund any type of date he chose. None of her pleas or arguments was going to make him join in the farce the auction was but when he said no the look in her eyes as she accepted it, one of hurt and sadness, made him agree against his better judgment.

So here he was in a charcoal blazer and slacks. His formal white shirt un-tucked and the first two buttons undone. Comfortable but still fairly formal. Distantly Quinn wondered what the others had offered as dates but shrugged the thought off, after all he would learn about them as soon as they were put on the auction block. Instead Quinn focused on the night ahead and his promised date. He was going to take her… or him he belated mentally added, to a local laser tag place and after a game or two they would go to a little hole in the wall that served fantastic Italian food and a IMAX showing of any movie they wanted. If his date wasn’t too tired by then a hour or two at the local clubs would add the perfect ending to a good date.

Jennie wasn't really one for silly bachelor/ette auctions, really. She wasn't all that concerned about having a date for Valentine's, since if she didn't, she'd just be working extra shifts at the restaurant or you know, doing something actually useful with her evening. Evil didn't take a break just because it was some stupid holiday for romance and couples and fluff.

Alright, or maybe it did, but that didn't mean she particularly wanted to.

Her mother had tried to convince her to be one of the bachelorettes at auction, but she had vehemently refused to do that. It was ridiculous to sit on a stage and be bid on by strangers for, of all things, a date. Also, in her opinion, it was quite a lot creepy, really. so instead she was here bidding with dear Mummy's support. None of the boys looked particularly interesting, but, well - the date description for one Miss Arilee Selvig sounded, if nothing else, really, really fun. She supposed she could give herself a break and have a fun evening, even if it didn't in the end mean much at all.

So she raised her hand to bid on Arilee Selvig. She glanced over to see a look of surprise on her mother's face. Perhaps she was expected to bid on one of the handsome gentlemen - but handsome gentlemen had never been her type. And all of them were pansies, anyway.

Standing up on the stage was probably the most awkward thing Avacyn had yet subjected herself to here in Destiny City. Still, she was pretty sure she wasn't going to have a date any time soon - even if there was a certain someone she'd really, really like to have one with - so she'd decided to go the "be bid on by strangers for charity" route. And then never speak of it to anyone in her family. At all. At least she didn't see anyone she knew in the crowd, so far.

Of course, the person she'd most like to be going on that date with was also on stage, and she really wished she hadn't signed up, because she would've bid on Arilee in a heartbeat.

It occurred to her that was a little desperate, but she really liked being around her when they were Amytis and Chariklo and things had gone really well and it had been fun - so maybe she'd have to suck it up next time they were training and just ask her out. Yeah, that was a good idea, be brave and try.

Still, that was a worry for another time, because right now she was being bid on. Or not - and she wasn't sure if she was pleased or disappointed that no hands had gone up for her yet. Maybe she'd get out of this without a date after all.

So, Karen had signed her up for a date auction. Knowing Karen, this was nothing new. Yet still, the fact she was interupting her personal business like this annoyed Jade a little. Especially when the date was going to happen in a place where her friend was working. She could only hope Karen would not make her feeling too embarrased.

Other than that, she was taking this well. She was pretty sure this date would not be as bad like some of previous dates she had experienced. And this event was for the charity which helped her feel a bit better and try her best to impress bidders by her elegant behaviour and well thought appearance. She couldn't embarrass the Destiny City or Calm Mind or herself by acting like a fool.

The announcer stood on stage with the bachelors and bachelorettes watching the chaos ensue. Maybe they should have let them all come onto the stage at one time. He certainly couldn't keep up with the bids as they were called for one or another, but unfortunately not some. Luckily there were helpers running around trying to make sure each bid was caught and seeing who was still in the running and who wasn't.

Bid began to quite down and the helper were gather people to the side. Orah was grabbed having won the bid for the Xander Jacobs. After which Xander was escorted off the stage and over to her. The pair were lead to the donation booth where "bid payment" was made before they could galavant off onto a date or possibly schedule a good time if they liked.

Phedre found herself escorted over to the side to wait for Aloysius Sharp to be escorted to her. After the pair was introduced they were escorted over to the donation table for "bid payment" after which they would be free as birds to do what they please. Be it go on the date or schedule for a good convenient time.

Next Ulane found himself plucked from his table as bids for Terry Hyatt quieted down and Ulane was found to be the highest. Terry was lead from the stage to his date, after which the pair was lead to the donation table for "bid payement." Then they were free to work it out amongst themselves to leave or schedule a better time.

Jessie found herself being lead to the side by a helper to wait patiently for Iouri Spekter to be brought to her. The bidding those far seemed to go fairly quickly though there were so in the crowd who'd been indecisive and frowned, other who were still being indecisive. Once Jessie was introduced to Iouri, the pair were lead over the donation table to make "bid payment" before they could leave or schedule a time for the date if they didnt want to do it today.

Harley was next to find herself plucked from her seat and escorted to the side while Ariel Misnah was escorted off the stage and over to her evening date! The pair were then lead over to the donation table to make the "bid payment" after which they were free to do as they pleased, leaving or scheduling.

Next Jennie was scooped up and lead over to the side to wait for her Arilee Selvig to be escorted off the stage and over to her. They we're introduced before being led to the donation table to make "bid payment" after which they were free to go.

Arias found himself being grabbed up a few moment after he'd made his bid and led over to the side to wait for Lianna Beauchamps to be brought to him. After they were introduced they were lead over to the donation table for "bid payment" before they were free to go.

Only five remained and the announcer looked out into the crowd of indecisive and some slightly upset faces. He watched a few hands twitch and he knew there were more bids to be hand, but not everyone had as quick as some others.

"Come on ladies and gentleman. I can see some of you still think. Maybe you don't want to be the first to bid, afraid you'll be outbit, but there's only one way to find out," he said encouragingly.

Then he added, "and for anyone where bidding isn't your cup of tea, but you would like to make a donation, there is a donation table off to the side. Feel free to visit it and make a donation there."