Prompt - The Charity Benefit (Part One)
The Charity Benefit (1) - A number of the local businesses in the area have come together to organise a charity benefit. In addition to a silent auction, there is also an evening charity ball. The community has been wanting to raise funds to fix up a few public areas for some time now and in the spirit of the Star Festival, these businesses have donated several prizes to the event to encourage people to attend. As one of the local residents you have been kindly invited to attend! Formal attire is encouraged but only required if you plan to attend the Ball.
He was here in a purely 'professional' capacity. Well, that wasn't strictly true, but he was here to represent his dojo. They had donated a number of there older and more unusual items from the founder. While the important ones had been kept for sentimental reasons it was safe to say that when it came to handing over some of the somewhat less lethal practice weapons, his dojo had been more forthcoming. Suffice to say that if there was one thing Regula had learned in his years on this green earth it was that sometimes people just wanted a really neat sword.
...Especially men of a certain age.
Thus, now suited and booted he was stood in the middle of the lobby where many of the donated items were on display. Even at a distance they looked intriguing but given the interest they were generating a fairly large crowd had already formed around them. He didn't have a problem with crowds but it was often more enjoyable to be able to browse at ones own leisure and when there was a swarm around you it generally meant that you were going to be rushed.
Instead he found it far more interesting to people watch. He was curious as to who might walk through the door, whether they would be a normal person like him or a more impressive one. Would the possibility of good PR (the cynic in him couldn't ignore it) encourage some of those with decidedly looser pockets to come in? Any opportunity to look good while showing off their wealth was generally a given and he had to wonder if maybe this would attract them... after all, there had been a considerable amount of media attention in the first few days of the festival - if that continued then this might be just what some needed to soften or improve their images.
So far there had been no one of immediate note, though he had taken to resting his back against the wall he hadn't really spotted anyone worthy of more than a half glance. That didn't necessarily mean that he hadn't seen anyone he recognised, he'd actually seen several people he did know but as he predicted they were more interested about what was on offer than socialising at this particular moment in time. No doubt that once they'd had their fill of being hurried along they would find him, he wasn't that hard to miss and he did cut a fairly recognisable figure given his disposition.
He would certainly welcome some company and he'd be more than happy to make some small talk when they were done with their nosing about, but for the time being he had nothing better to do than continue to admire the view. Patience was a virtue as they often said, and he was sure that he'd have more than enough entertainment when they did finally realise that there was more in the room than just a set of curious trinkets.
Although he was sure that one or two individuals might jest that he was part of the furniture, a statue designed to blend in as it were. He'd heard that one before, he just had to see how original his friends were feeling today.
Actually, that would make for an interesting persona bet.
Ten dollars said that his partner would crack a joke about it, when it came to that particular topic Regula was an easy target and quite frankly, it would have been out of character for his companion to miss that opportunity!
Total Words: 599
