The Charity Benefit (9) : A number of the local businesses in the area have come together to organize 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. Some old warehouses and estates have been cleared out by the city, so there’s a wide variety of strange antiques and hidden treasures. 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. It’s a good opportunity to dress up, meet new people, and maybe go home with something neat. Who knows what you can find to trade with Almadel, anyway? And, he’s always back in town for the Star Festival.
Players can roleplay any part of the Charity Benefit, including but not limited to mingling, dancing, enjoying the buffet, or leaving with a treasure they acquired There is no ORP set up for this but players can create group RPs if they like!
It was an abandoned thing, the invitation. Left in the street by someone unenthused, or reckless, or disillusioned. It was in Eion's hands, now, and he had taken it to the charity ball proper. For the occasion, he borrowed some clothes from Lionel — they wouldn't fit without some alteration, and Eion needed only a few darts in the right areas to last him the few hours he could play human.
Eion remembered the last time he attended such a social event. He was fifteen, then, and answering to a different name. He was human. His mother was always sending him about, scolding him, telling him how he could behave better. His brother was always off with the older kids, doing whatever they did as they practiced following in their fathers' footsteps. He was oft left with the younger ones, though he always wished he could've stuck his nose in a book and waited the whole thing out. Tried to, a few times, when he'd gotten himself into linen closets with little latticed doors and low foot traffic. He was found out by his flashlight, though.
Now, he wished he gave those balls a better chance. Tried to make friends, tried to integrate himself, tried to play human once or twice before he'd give it up, choice withheld. So much for that, he supposed. He'd try this one on a timer.
Eion felt a little awkward for being in such sharp formalwear, though it was exactly the occasion for it. He hadn't looked the part — a gremlin dressed to the nines for how his hair had grown out and he looked a little gaunt — but no one said anything to him as he sidled his way into the area. As he passed into the building, he saw that there were as many people sitting down at the tables as there were on the ballroom floor, and he wondered how many of those solitary ones were waiting for someone to ask them to dance. On first glance, though, he saw zero cute boys.
As he moved further in, careful not to bump elbows with the crowd, he saw something more imminently appealing — a buffet, laid out with all manner of self-serve food. The kind Taenite catered a Negaverse meeting with, at a glance, for Eion spied some beef wellingtons in the mix. Eion beelined for a plate and didn't care what he piled on it, for he'd eat everything down to any rats hiding in the cellar. Once he assembled a heaping plate of savory food, and tarts, and snacks, Eion searched for a table. But seeing as there were no more empty ones, he picked the seat that was by only one other guest.
lyricalballads
Posted: Tue Jun 21, 2022 10:11 pm
The ball was pretty, at least, Lucis would freely admit that. And it was important -- a place for meeting people, networking, even knowing that there was very little that was genuine about such things. Business was cutthroat and everyone wanted to look like they were the best, get the best press for their business, good reputation, and all of that.
But as pretty as things were, it was also boring. People were dancing, some might even have been flirting but by and large, it seemed people were doing what humans did best -- selfishly get themselves in the best place, regardless of what everyone else needed or wanted. Thus, he had found himself going for the buffet table and getting a big plate of food for himself that he normally wouldn't eat before sitting at a table on his own.
Really? He liked to people watch, and given how little it seemed anyone would want his attention, he might as well enjoy himself. He got all dressed up, after all, in a black suit with a purple tie, hair pulled back into a low ponytail.
It was inevitable that someone would need to share a table with him -- there were always far more people than seats, it seemed -- but he was surprised by someone moving to sit beside him, though it seemed the pair at least had similar ideas as to how to pass the evening. Might as well enjoy the food, right? Still, eyebrows arched up as he looked over at the man who'd joined him, a warm smile spread across his face. "Ah, hello there. Here to watch people, too?" Small talk. He didn't really like it but sometimes it was necessary, and it'd be rude to not at least say hello, right?
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lyricalballads
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Posted: Tue Jul 05, 2022 4:59 pm
Cutlery were something he only used when he was human, and Eion had preoccupied himself with trying to remember the proper way to hold a fork when he heard a voice. Instinct told him the question was directed at him, and when he looked up to find the source of the voice, he dropped his fork with a noisy clatter once his attention set upon the stranger. The youth caught it before it could fall into his lap, however.
"Nostalgia. So," he answered, then considered the question more closely. His gaze flittered about, finally landing on Lucis as he spoke his final answer. "Yes."
Eion cut off a piece of steak, examined it on the end of his fork, and ate it. He chewed a moment, then asked, "why are you watching people? They're either boring, dumb, or both." Which could've themselves been reasons to watch people, but Eion was more interested in how the stranger answered.
For as cute as he looked, this boy could've been scouting for recruits to the White Moon. Or he could've been a part of Infiltration — Eion wouldn't be able to tell either way, unless he knew a little more about this stranger.
lyricalballads
sorry for the delay, work killed me
Posted: Wed Jul 06, 2022 9:38 pm
There was a quirked eyebrow as silverware fell and well, he wasn't going to point it out -- that would be rude and awkward! He wasn't in the habit of trying to do either of those things, so his eyes quickly turned and looked away, out at the people mingling as he absently got a bit from his own plate, chewing carefully before swallowing, answering.
"That makes it all the more entertaining when something does inevitably happen," he chuckled. "There's always at least one scandal that ends up revealed to everyone, someone learns they're being cheated on, or that their crush is with someone else. Incredibly petty and shallow, but it's free entertainment. Might as well have something to watch when you're not rubbing elbows and trying to get in the good graces of someone else, trying to get your things where they need to be. Most people here certainly pretend to care about the young college professor, but in actuality? I haven't got any influence, therefore..."
He shrugged, eating a bit more before taking a drink. "From what people say, this is the busiest night of the year, yet nothing of note actually happens. Not that I've actually come many times before, you know, this is only my...third time? But I've certainly heard all about it. My parents came a couple of times, but they didn't have much good to say about it aside from the catering was wonderful."
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shhhhh life happens it's okay
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Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2022 4:58 am
More reasons to burn the world down, Eion supposed. He'd seen or heard of each of those things happening in his short fifteen years of being human, and they were each perfectly legitimate reasons why people were garbage whenever they saw an opportunity to be garbage. And even if he thought it was just as vicious and shallow to profit off these affairs with simple entertainment, he couldn't deny that the self-proclaimed 'young college professor' was cute. So, in the spirit of his human side, he could make an exception.
So he listened, and gestured with his fork when he (inevitably) forgot himself. "Got influence over their kids," he pointed out. "All those hopeful little successors to family ideals and businesses."
His brother had been one of those. His brother had also been influenced off that path by a professor, who placed that most poisonous idea of choosing his own path in his brother's head, and had given Eion something genuine to look up to as he grew. Perhaps this one was downplaying his influence, or referring solely to the influence game that occurred in these circles.
Eion wasn't about to guess. His attention stayed on the professor, memorizing his features, the way he moved, the way the waves of his white hair bounced when he moved too quickly for them. Of course, his attention would flicker elsewhere if the boy looked in his direction. Better to not be caught staring, he supposed. Might reflect badly on the family he didn't have anymore.
"What's of note for you?" He asked around a forkful of pinwheel. "and what's your name?" He added after.
