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Seth Volkov ( outfit )


He was still loitering somewhere near the end of the buffet table, but Seth knew when a pair of eyes was watching him. His gaze flickered first in one direction, then the next, until it landed on a very familiar, auburn haired man who was wearing a smirk that Seth knew well.

Lysander was given a wink, Seth's grin widening against his wine glass. He casually made his way over to the other man, passing by a blue-haired woman whose figure and face Seth gave an appreciative look, dark eyes flickering up the long lines of her dress.

"Fancy meeting you here," he said to Lysander, Seth raising a brow as he drew nearer. "Vhat brings to gala?"





Julian Ashleigh Laurence ( outfit )


Julian was still holding the newly empty toothpick when there was a voice beside him, low and light. He didn't turn his head, but his blue eyes shifted sideways to look at the young woman, his expression remaining as annoyed as it had been before without any change.

The gaze flicked back to the currently dispersed orchestra and empty stage,
devoid of people except for the conductor, who was speaking with an important looking someone that Julian didn't particularly care to know anything about. He wasn't even sure he wanted to be spoken to at all at the present moment, come to think of it.

His fingers itched for his violin again.

"I suppose, yes." An understatement, considering how utterly devoted Julian's life was to his violin. He deposited the toothpick on a passing waiter's tray and gave the wine on it a cursory look; he wasn't supposed to drink while playing.

"There isn't much to do otherwise."




Steele Moore


Dressed in a fantastically, superbly fitted suit, a tall, blond haired man swept his way easily through the crowd. The wine was delicious, the food was excellent, and the crop was ripe for the picking. It was such a shame that Rob couldn't be here this evening, he thought with a sigh, as his gaze alighted on a beautiful young woman, and then another.

But, then again. More for him.

The woman near the Board of Directors table had him sidling over, Steele flashing her a dazzling smile.

"Hello beautiful," he said succinctly, straightening his perfectly straight tie. "I'm so glad that you've invited me here today - " Nevermind that he'd made an obscenely large donation just so that he could appear rich and probably would be eating mac and cheese for the next three weeks - " - I do hope I'll get to see your gorgeous face later on in the evening."

He waggled his brows, then sidled away, but not before giving the nurse a big wink.

There was another young woman in a dark gown, and Steele swung over towards her, stopping mid-way in his attempt to head towards the food table.

"Helloooo beautiful," said Steele, swaggering over. "And how are you this fine evening?"

Andrew Collins

Fancy parties and extravagant galas were never on his list of Things He Wanted To Do. Crashing them and making a scene while he sucked the energy out of fancy ********? Sure. Attending them as one of the suits in charge? Way less appealing. Still, he had a beautiful, seemingly human-looking woman attached to his arm, so things weren't all bad. His eyes roamed over the group they'd gathered, assessing numbers quietly.

A certain individual caught his attention, and the rather sultry look that was offered earned a sly grin in return. He winked at Seth boldly, before he turned his attention to the woman at his side.

"Quite the turn out, don't you think? But they seem to know who the real stars of the night are." He eyed Ariel--or rather, Cinnabar--appreciatively, though he had to admit that her youma features added a little something to her overall appeal. Ah well. They couldn't exactly have her out and about without a glamour.

The blue-haired woman caught his eye for a moment, but men were swooping upon her left and right, so he merely snorted with amusement. He leaned closer to his date of sorts to murmur in her ear. "We'll catch someone making out in a closet before the night is up. Guarantee it."

Rhona Lee



Rhona had only received a ticket because she had donated some of her crops to the fundraiser. Evidently, that warranted an in to the most spangled and guilded event Rhona had ever seen. When she left her apartment, Rhona had thought that she looked quite nice. It wasn't an expensive dress, but it fit well enough, showing off the curves that she had was was proud of, and the color even complimented her skin tone -- something that was difficult to achieve with the pallor that plagued her. In the light of the dressing room and her apartment, Rhona fancied herself quite the vision, even taking the time to pile her mounds of curls up atop her head and apply her long-ignored make up.

What she failed to notice, however, that this was a gala and not a high school dance. Once she arrived, Rhona suddenly felt vary... out of place. Other ladies were wearing floor length evening gowns with professional hair and make up. Rhona tugged at the hem of her own dress, trying to pull it down below her knees. She should have guessed by the embossed invitation printed such high quality card stock that it would have been a fancy dinner but... damn. All of these ladies in their evening gowns, dripping with diamonds and silk... it made Rhona feel about six inches tall. Had that woman looked sideways at her? Was that man laughing at her? It was hard to tell, the gentle din loud enough to make individual conversation difficult to make out. Or was that the sound of her blood in her ears?

Before she made a break for it, Rhona made a beeline for the desert table. Maybe some food would make her feel better. After all, people were probably too involved with themselves to worry about her, some strange young woman who had just appeared. So she hid, huddled up with her plate of confections in a corner watching the festivities going on around her. If nothing else, she would get a stomach full of free food and call it a night, right? She was halfway through her slice of chocolate cake when she noticed a familiar face. She grinned, dabbed at her lips, and made her way over to her beloved student. A friend would be a blessing to have, and who knew, if trouble broke out it would be nice to have an ally at her side to break some faces. She deposited her half finished plate on a tray that was passing by and flicked as much powered sugar and frosting from her lips as possible before she made her way over to her friend.

"Jason McClayre," she purred into his ear, snaking an arm through his, "fancy meeting you here."

Shahar Montague (Outfit: Hair, Dress, Makeup, Shoes)

A hand on her elbow got Shahar's bright-eyed attention, and she turned to give the man, Leucite.... no, Mathias, a bubbly smile. "I get to come to few enough little parties like this. Outside of my usual social sphere except between 11 at night and 2 in the morning." it was as close as she would get to admitting what she did to earn her money when she wasn't playing about as a Captain of the Negaverse.

"It was not just the quiche, though I am very pleased to have found them here." she let her eyes flicker over a dark-haired man passing them with open interest, teal eyes flickering over the man and his interestingly-tailored suit. It was a mark she might keep in mind for later, if her other plans failed to pan out. "I'll tell you a secret, Mathias, and you have to swear not to repeat it to anyone." her lips quirked, her painted mouth twitching as she leaned in very close to the man, strangely shorter than her for once.

"I came to pick up chicks." her voice might have been a little loud, but her laughter definitely was, bright and delighted and bubbling.

Her attention was taken by a redhead at the table who glanced at her briefly before turning his attention to a gorgeous, statuesque woman next to him. A nice tall one, too. Shahar leaned in to Leucite- Mathias- her attention on the redhead and his enthralling companion. "We should go say hello. It's only polite to introduce yourself to the hosts, isn't it?" And she definitely wanted to collect a name or two tonight.

Preferably three, if the tall man who had passed by moments before was any indication.

Mathias White

Mathias listened, nodding his head politely as Shahar spoke. As she leaned in close, his lips flipped up into a smirk, and it took everything in his power not to roll his eyes at her "secret" that she "whispered" to him. This was a different side of Shahar than he normally saw. He didn't know why she was a bubbly, giggly mess. If anything, she was acting like Jay did when she managed to get her hands on...

... well that could be ONE possibility he supposed. Another time, another place, he would have asked the pointed question that was rattling around in his brain just then. But this was not the time, nor the place. It was none of his business to be honest, even if the thought of it tickled that righteous part of his brain that made him sorely tempted to act like a concerned parent and drag her home until she sobered up.

But, that was not why he was here. If anything, maybe it would behoove him to act as a wing man for Shahar. It wasn't like it would really hurt anything and if it made her happy well... All the better then.

"Well I could think of worse reasons to be here," Mathias said with a dry chuckle, nodding his head toward the table of the Board of Directors, noting the two Shahar was particularly enraptured by. He supposed they both looked attractive in their own ways. But again - thoughts started and ended at physical features and that was that.

"We should, you are quite right. It would be rude to not introduce ourselves." He said with a small nod. He did offer his arm to her though, before continuing toward the table.

"Would you care for an escort?" He asked with a small smirk. If nothing else, she could at least play off his straight man act for now.

Mercy Haynes

Mercy maneuvered her way toward the refreshment table. She suspected her father and mother were already moving around the room to do their general socialization thing which mean that she would be on her own for the next hour or two. If they needed her they would track her down, but as it was, she wasn't too concerned. Her eyes landed on a fellow redhead and she slowly made her way over. Watching her sip at what she was sure was cheap, watered down wine.

She supposed the one downside to her dress was how much it advertised her ample... attributes. She mentally grumbled at that - but she had decided that she had no other choice but to accept the fact that her body was going to be top-heavy and that was that. She at least still had enough baby-fat in her cheeks to keep the majority of the male population at a respectful distance, but she knew that if she kept up with Mathias... Well...

Good thing she was learning how to defend herself at any rate.

She approached the green dressed woman slowly, under the guise of looking over the non-alcoholic drink selection.

"Hello," She said, with a small nod to the woman. "First time?" She asked, noting the woman's gaze at the black haired man and blue haired woman across the room. Blinking again she made a soft, hum noise. "Huh, I wonder what he's doing here - I didn't think him the type... Also, that is totally not his girlfriend... Oh dear."

She picked up a small glass of water from the table, as the other fare really did not look inviting and took a slow sip. "Well, I guess I'll have to find a new self defense coach. He's dead."

Fritz St. James ( outfit )


Fritz's parents, great lovers of the humane, had always been generous in their donations, and while neither of their sons had inherited their like of going to extravagant events, at the very least, their sons were as like minded when it came to humanitarian aid.

Fritz himself was neither rich nor capable of large and extravagant funding, but he'd been a patron of the arts long enough that he'd had connections all over, even if it was just through various festivals and such that he'd attended as an artist. Even if he didn't paint anymore, some still knew of him, though it had been years.

Fritz was relatively sure that he was just on the mailing list for the happenings in Destiny City, and that was how he'd received his invitation, but it was a nice reason to get a little dressed up and go do things, even if that was hard nowadays.

Easier. Slowly, perhaps, but steadily easier.

Rhys wasn't here to be a buffer - not that he needed much of one, but it would have at least taken some of the edge off of Fritz's nerves. He didn't feel so much out of place as he just felt slightly overwhelmed by the sheer number of people in the room already, Fritz slowly making his way past the throngs of gathering guests, easing out of the path of anyone who he might come into contact with.

Breathe. Everything is okay. You came here to have a good time. You came here to have fun. You came here to...

Fritz's thoughts abruptly tailed off, because he'd passed a group of laughing youngsters and standing a few feet away was Cordelia.

Except it didn't...look like Cordelia. It did, and it didn't, because she wasn't in her normal, every day clothes, which admittedly, had always looked nice on her. This was something sleek and elegant and long, the blue dress the perfect shade to match her dark hair, the hemline reaching the ground without it being a trailing tail. Elegant, impressive, and dignified.

And breathtakingly, overwhelmingly beautiful.

Fritz felt his chest constricting and tried to remember how to breathe properly. He'd known Cordy was coming to the gala as well, but he had not expected...this. Something inside of him was twisting, his stomach fluttering, and for a moment he could do nothing but stand there, forcing himself to remain calm.

When he'd managed to get his breath back, he straightened his shoulders and carefully made his way towards her, Fritz tucking his hands together behind him. He stopped just near to her and peered around, his expression a little shy.

"Good evening, Cordy."





Julian Ashleigh Laurence ( outfit )


Some part of his mind clicked at the introduction, perhaps because she was also a violinist as well, though it shouldn't - didn't - probably didn't - make any difference. Julian was not exactly well known for getting along with anyone, let alone his fellow musicians, mostly because he was perfectly aware that he didn't need any of them and vice versa.

He idly tugged at the cuff of a sleeve just for something to do with his hands. "Julian Laurence, second chair violinist with the Destiny City Ballet Company Orchestra. I'm here substituting on behalf of a violinist whose illness compromised their ability to perform tonight."

His tone of voice was clearly disapproving, bordering on irritated. Julian straightened his cuffs again, wishing he was back on stage.

"It's a Draskóczy," he said, after a moment. The violin had cost an absolute fortune to be made - probably the cost of a small house, or more - but his grandparents had only wanted the best, and would never have settled for anything less. "It was touched up last year, in pristine condition."

As if he would ever let it be otherwise. Currently it was resting on the chair up on stage, though Julian hated to just have it sitting out during their intermission, even if that was the case here. He would have preferred to have had it tucked carefully away where it belonged, or back in his hands.

His gaze flicked sideways again.

"And yours?"




Seth Volkov ( outfit )


He did not miss Drew's grin, or the wink, Seth wondering if there was a possibility of perhaps a little liason later with the man. The curvy woman on his arm was probably a date, but it wasn't like that would make things more difficult for either of them.

Besides. Seth was open minded.

Next to him, Lysander was looking as good as he had the first time that Seth had seen him, all dressed up this time. Seth gave him an appreciative once over, not flinching away at all at the touch of fingers along his jacket. He gave a casual shrug.

"Yes. Vhat do you think? It suits, no?"

Seth's grin was amused.

"You clean up well."

Jason McClayre Jr.

Jason gave her a playful little scowl when she brought up his flowers. It's not like he had picked out his uniform. It was fate that had given him such a lovely crown to wear on his head. "You're just jealous." He still had a little blush on his face though, okay so it was a little weird to be a guy walking around with a flower tiara. At least when he looked over at her again she also had a faint blush on her face. So at least he wasn't the only one having an awkward time with all of this.

"It okay, just follow my lead. I've been doing this for years now." Jason might look like an easy-going college student to most people at first glance. No one could really guess that he was a member of a bif of a high-class family with a history for going to these sorts of event. He was taught to play the violin when he was young, but upgraded to a guitar when he could choose those sorts of things for himself. He had done a lot to re-work his image as he got older. That didn't mean that he'd forget everything he was taught though. It was the least he could do for his parents in situations like these. He rested his hand gently on her hip and then took her other hand in his, coaching her through the steps as they danced in the admittedly small crowd at the moment.

He was a bit shy to admit why he was here, also just a tad bit uncertain about it. However, they were allies and Rhona had already done such much for him recently. She might as well start to get to know him as Jason. "My father is a Doctor. He donated a considerable amount. As the oldest child I sort of had to come and be a part of the politics at play here." He didn't really like it, but he didn't complain either. "You have a garden? That's interesting." He was still wrapping his idea around Rhona being a normal person just like everyone else. Really, all of this was still new and crazy to him. Hopefully he wasn't being too insensitive.