Prompt - The Charity Benefit (Part Two)
The Charity Benefit (2) - The Charity Benefit has drawn a social crowd and they seem keen to make conversation as well as friends. The room is full of compliments and kind words and every now and then it looks like you're catching someone's eye and one person in particular seems to be paying more attention to you than the others. The stranger lingers by a display table showcasing some of the donated auction items. They look familiar but you can’t quite place why. If you try to approach them, the stranger suddenly seems to disappear before your eyes. It might be easy to assume they got lost in the crowd, but any examination of the room makes it hard to tell where they’ve gone. More than that, it seems like sometimes you catch a glimpse of them in one part of the room only to see them disappear in the blink of an eye and immediately appear across the room in a different spot entirely. It’s impossible to get close to them, and the sensation of eyes on you never really fades.
He'd won his bet, the instant his friend had seen him he was subject to scrutiny followed by a series of jokes referencing the 'imposing' figure he tended to cut. His eyebrow had raised but his expression had been one that belied good spirits. He could see the humour in his chosen stance and he certainly hadn't been making an effort to converse at that particular point in time. Alas, it really hadn't come as any further surprise to him when his partner elected to shuffle off to inspect the display cases himself for any sign of something 'neat'.
His partner liked 'junk' for want of a better word.
That was perhaps why he had ended up with the peculiar red, star-shaped keyring. He'd taken to rolling it about in his palm, periodically inspecting it. It was 'cute' as the girls at the station would say, and he supposed he'd hold on to this one at least. It could clip to his work-belt and ensure he matched the festivities while he was on patrol. However if his companion elected to hand him anymore of them he might have a few choice words to say. Regula could appreciate something like this in small quantities, but if he was overwhelmed with them he would make his discontent known!
...If his partner wanted to collect them then fine, but he could let them jingle as a full collection on his belt alone.
It was as he turned it over in his palm again that he couldn't help but feel like there were eyes on him. He would normally be used to this, people often looked towards him while he was working, but there was something about this one that didn't sit well with him. He paused in the motion, lifting his chin and turning his head to glance in the general vicinity of whoever seemed to be looking towards him. Did he know them?
He could see her but she didn't ring any bells, someone he'd encountered in passing perhaps? He certainly met a large number of people in his line of work, but the intent at which she was paying attention to him was unsettling. His brow furrowed just a touch and he coiled his fingers round the keychain as he made to move towards her. It was better to at least bridge the gap and make some measure of friendly conversation, if only to dispel the unusual feeling in his gut.
Except by the time he had reached her, she'd gone.
It wasn't gone in the general sense that she'd walked away, no, she had literally 'poofed' before his very eyes. He blinked twice though it served to do absolutely nothing and afforded a confused glance over his shoulder to find nothing. Now that he had crossed the room though it did seem to be the appropriate time to take a look at at least one of the display cases, or it would have been if it hadn't been for the fact that as he looked down into the glass he detected the faintest reflection of...
A glance over his shoulder again to see her again, another blink and - wait, how had she managed to get over there?
His lips opened just a touch and then he remembered himself. He was in a particularly public place and if he continued to act in such a bizarre way he would end up attracting attention to himself. He had little choice other than to at least try to ignore her, but even as he returned his attention to the displays in an attempt to fit in he could see fleeting glimpses of her as she seemed to juxtapose between spots in the room... and the sense that she was watching him never left.
"See anything you like?" a voice interrupted him and he sucked in a breath, flicking his gaze towards the approaching man who he did at least recognise as his partner.
"I haven't looked yet," he admitted as he motioned to the display case. "At least not properly," he admitted.
"Your enthusiasm never ceases to amaze me," his friend drawled in return, causing Regula to roll his eyebrows just a touch. He certainly did tend to admire things at a slower rate and with a more measured level of enthusiasm, but then again, he suspected his partner would be doing the exact same thing if he was experiencing the same thing that Regula was.
Hmph.
Well as much as Regula would have liked to point out that he was otherwise distracted he would never have been believed and that really was a ribbing he could do without. For now, his experiences with the ever present inspection would just have to remain his little secret.
Total Words: 802
