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"Oh, I've been traveling all of my life. My family has land holdings in many different countries. My father found it was easier to just purchase another home in a country rather than fuss with hotels." She nodded when Fallon had listed the other countries. "Tokyo is indeed one of my favorite places. My father purchased a lovely home there. It looks like a pagoda and sits on a little pond. Very surreal." Adira took a sip of her drink again. "But to count I've been to probably over 30 separate countries."

She turned when Fallon had introduced her friend. She nodded her head in acknowledgment towards her. "Pleased to meet you, Liliana." She stepped back a little, in order to open up the conversation with the other girl. "I've bid on one or two things earlier, I think the spa package and that lovely tennis bracelet. I am interested to see who gets the date with Jada though." Adira hoped it wasn't Mr. Carson. The thought of him winning it almost sent her to bid an obscene amount, just to assure that he didn't win. But that was silly, certainly someone else could've outbid that horrible man.


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Calintha had been busying herself about the food table for a while now, making small talk with those around her. She noticed Howl a little ways off, and decided to say hello again. The food was wonderful, but she made sure not to eat a ton of it and look like the weird hippo to the other guests. She walked over casually, mainly because he was surrounded with people. The debutant and the intimidating woman from the receiving line (maybe she was Jada's mother?) seemed to be in disagreement about something. She approached rather silently behind Howl and just sort of let it play out a bit.

She reached out a hand and lightly put it on Howl's shoulder. It was an interruption, yes, but Calintha didn't particularly want to speak and interrupt whatever was going on between the debutant and her mother.

Twelve chimes rang.

For the past few hours, Esen had been wandering aimlessly throughout the ballroom for most of the debut, but soon sat down at an ornate-seeming table, holding only a glass of water (the glass certainly wasn't run-of-the-mill, but looked to fit the occasion at hand). She did not look like she was having fun, though she never did. However, for once, this was true: she was not getting any enjoyment out of it. Repeat, any.

She was asked to dance a few times in there. Only once did Esen actually do so, and after ineptly dancing through a song, she was all too ready to scurry away. She was seventeen years old, and her family was in a higher income bracket than most middle-class people, but money to the point that she was a debutante and her mother a socialite? Nope, not at all. Esen certainly didn't have the looks to even pass as one.

Reflecting on a bid she made at the auction table, the older Miss Saylor came by, a small smile on her rosy lips. "You're all right?" the same lips said in a quieter-than-normal tone. "Yes, mother, if being all right involves a future eruption." Listless as ever, Esen knew she had to do something between when she left the Chamberlyn Mansion to be driven to the apartment above Rica's place of work, and when she left the apartment to get back to Crystal's dormitories. Rica joined Esen as the younger asked if she could stay the night. She didn't wish to go into further detail there, Rica knew from the minor change in expression; an affirmative answer was given by expression alone. "Do you want to go home-" Esen cut her mother off. "I made a bid at the auction block. Knowing the people in attendance, I doubt I would win, but I'd best stay here until the auction ends." Olive under green met purple under green, the olive's face holding an expression of exhaust. "Not to mention, I didn't really even want to go, besides it being a charity benefit. You 'encouraged,' so to speak, and I went. I must finish what I start..." Esen trailed off, deciding to leave off her thoughts of 'even if I regret the decision' or 'even if it will cause me more anguish in the end.'

Five thousand dollars on the dinner with Jada Chamberlyn, hah. Five thousand was a drop in the bucket to most of those attending, and being a debutante ball, most of those attending were there for Jada, hoping to claim her hand in a permanent manner that, while seemed nice at first glance, could cause trouble later on in the future if not thought out properly. Esen was born out of wedlock, not from a technical marriage. Mr. Reis and Miss F. Saylor probably held more love than the parents of some of these people, but such was irrelevant in this circle.

"Melody... I'm not sure where she is, but I should probably tell her where I'll be sleeping tonight anyhow. I think she's still on the floor."

Fallon finished her glass of bubbly juice (underage kid sheik!) and set it down on a passing tray. Her eyes strayed to the silent auction, but then returned to Adira. "My mother is too indecisive to invest in real estate. I tell her its silly, but." She shrugged, eyes moving to Liliana. "My mother made a large donation earlier. I'm not sure how she would feel about me bidding on the items too without asking. It would be nice to save Jada from a horrible date." Fallon laughed, but an idea blossomed in her head. "One moment, ladies, I'll be right back. I need to check on my mother."

Whisking across the dance floor, Fallon managed to snag Iva in between dances. Her bolero collar was bent upward. Fallon fixed it. "Hello, angel, have you danced your feet off yet?" Iva asked, swaying out of time with the music. She smiled and then glanced down at their feet. "Nope! Still there. Why don't your boogie-woogie with your mom?" Iva shook her hips and did what Fallon could only assume was some kind of sexy dance for people who grew up in the seventies and eighties.

Fallon gripped her mother's arms to stop her. "Mom, this is a nice party. I don't think that's appropriate."

Iva reached out and pinched both of Fallon's cheeks. "Look at my little teenage daughter telling her mother what's appropriate. Honey, I birthed you. I will tell you what's appropriate -- and that's boogie woogie!" Iva repeated the awkward dance, and Fallon tried to pull her to the side.

She caught a whiff of something familiar. "Mom, are you... have you been..." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Are you drunk?" In all of her life, Fallon had only seen her mother drink wine or champagne, and only on rare occasions like Seder. This was the first time that she had ever seen her mother affected by alcohol. Her cheeks flushed, embarrassed. If Iva made a fool out of her at this important party, Fallon would pretend not to know her.

Iva slung an arm around her daughter and leaned on to her for support. "Fallon. Baby. Sometimes, you just gotta live. You can't spend your whole life being uptight and miserable. Shake that hair out!" Iva moved to ruffle Fallon's hair, and the teenager swerved away as if a rattlesnake had just lunged at her.

Fallon narrowed her eyes. "Don't," she hissed. Iva should know better. Iva knew how important appearances were to Fallon, and normally, she indulged her daughter in these quirks. Who was this woman? "Szelem will never like you if you embarrass her here. Which you will. You need to go sit down." The voice Fallon used to address her mother was that of a peer, not a child. She believed that she knew best and her mother was the one in need of guidance.

Iva frowned. Then her chin wrinkled. Tears sprang to her eyes. Was she crying? Fallon stiffened, tugging her mother farther and farther from the crowd. It was impossible to avoid everyone. "Mom, what is wrong with you? Is something wrong?" It was not like Iva to act like this. Not at all.

Iva tugged her bolero jacket and whimpered. Fallon could see that her mother wanted to say something, but whatever it was, she seemed incapable. Iva leaned in toward Fallon and whispered, "I don't feel very good..."

In a flash, Fallon was in fix-it mode. She swiftly led her mother off the dance floor and up to Jada's room. Guests weren't supposed to go up there, but Fallon hoped Jada would understand. She got her mother into bed, removing her shoes and jacket. Before Fallon could say anything, Iva had passed out.

Perfect.

She retreated back down the stairs several minutes later. The mask of composure was back in place, but confusion stirred behind her eyes. Adira and Liliana were still there, thankfully. "Sorry about that, girls. My mother said I was welcome to go bid a little. Would you like to join me?" Fallon slowly began to make her way toward the silent auction tables. Maybe spending a little money would fix the ache in her chest.

Azzo had finally found her. she was quite hard to catch, he smiled, "Nice enough." He said with a smile, "What about yourself?"

He'd seen her with plenty of the older men dancing. "Enjoy your dances?" He asked curiously as he hummed to the music that was still playing. He'd certainly seen her dancing with the older men. Not quite what he'd expected of her, but it was a party and best to be polite most of the time.

"Wouldn't be up for one more dance would you?" He asked with a smile offering her his arm. "If not, would you at least accompany me until I end up having to be embarrassed by my Grams again?" His honey brown eyes were roving for where his grandmother was. Finding her still at the bid tables, probably bidding on more than she should. He gave a soft sigh. "At least she's over by the bid tables, hard to get into trouble there... I think."

Azzo chuckled softly, giving a bow before she took his arm. "Good, I can't believe it's already this late." He said softly to her as they walked out to the dancer floor to join the others.

"She's bad enough." He said keeping the converstation between them. "Almost made me crawl into a hole in front of Lily and Melody and Melody's friend.... Quinn." He said softly. Grandparents... really.

He shook his head, "So are your parents here?" He asked curiously, "Or were you allowed without a leash?"

Azzo chuckled, "Then again she's only this bad at parties." He said softly. Wrinkling his nose eyes catching a glance at her every now and then.

"Ahh, Right. I forgot." He said softly, apologetically. "You just seem to be a daddy's girl." He added in, he'd seen fathers protect their little girls before, not wanting to let them out of their sights. Mel's was a prime example, even though he had yet to meet him face to face.

He nodded, "Yes they will be I image." It was like he didn't even bother to notice it was a possible insult to his gender. That was how Azzo was, took things like that with a grain of salt when coming from peers. "I'm sure they'll calm down and realize hard work and callouses never hurt anyone though."

He'd always heard his grandfather talk about it, the old days were his family lived on a farm with 10 siblings and everyone of them up at the crack of dawn. Who in their right mind could stand to have 10 siblings?

"I suppose I got lucky enough to not have to work quite as hard... though a small fortune isn't anything compared to some of the other pockets around here I'm sure." He said in a lower tone than normal frowning and eyes glancing over to his grandmother.

A smile lit Fallon's features, much brighter than she usually looked. "I would love that, yes. I don't think anyone is strong enough to refuse a spa day." She leaned in conspiratorially. "I won't outbid you, promise." She moved over to the tables where the auction items sat.

A cloud of people milled about, some eying pages, some enjoying the nearby bar. The bidding would close in just a minute. Rows of waiters were poised at the ready to snatch up the pages as soon as it was time. Magenta eyes trailed over the papers, but she had more in mind than just perusing the items. Fallon had an early birthday gift to give Jada, but she'd have to wait until the right moment.

As soon as the thought entered her mind, waiters wearing white gloves appeared and began to scoop up papers. Fallon darted in a flash to one of the most prominent spots, a small space on the table lit lightly by candles. She snatched the paper from the waiter and then smiled apologetically. "One moment, sorry." Fallon leaned forward and scribbled a name and a bid of $6000 on the top line. She passed it back to the waiter, smiling even as he fixed her with a critical look.

Fallon had just won a date with Jada. Well. Fallon hadn't. The person whose name she had written down had.

Marlo Xanis.

((Auction GMing done with permission from Infinities!))