Holiday Ball! [December GM Event]

[Aurelia]

It was with a chuckle that the woman gave a soft shake of her head at the sight of cash falling to the ground. The same individual came to give her the same amount, Aurelia holding up her hand and giving a shake of her head to show she didn't need or want it. "Sorry, he's not really fond of being touched." She apologized for the elder before they continued on to the next person.

Her fingertips curled into the skirt of her dress as she crouched down to pick up what had fallen, straightening it out before she stood and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear. "Was ist falsch?" She asked, the German easy on her tongue before she frowned. It wasn't that she was frowning at him, but the fact he wasn't enjoying himself. "Did you decide to leave the home for a while, get out?" The woman felt her lips twitch, a nod given.

"Thank you. You look handsome, too." Aurelia knew what he meant and she didn't mind it. The term was correct, either way. It was simply old-fashioned. Her blue eyes moved over the guests and she silently hoped that they were all there, in the building. That there weren't any that were glimpses of the past. An older couple flickered out of sight, proving her wrong as she looked back to the man and continued to quietly hum along with the music.

[Ariadne]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Wearing

The gentle rattle of bottles drowned out the merriment in the other room as Ari stood, arms crossed, as she watched the the catering and bar staff handle the stock that had been brought in for the event. Since receiving the order, Ari had kept quiet about how much of what had been ordered, and by whom, but she had made absolutely sure that all of the wine and champagne ordered were from the top of her top lines, and ready before the doors opened. It was only her perfectionism that held her back from joining the other guests. Still, needs much, and it would be a shame for such a prominent business women to be absent from such a high profile affair.

Since no expense had been spared on the guests for this event, Ari had seen no reason to spare expense on the gifts that she had brought for charity. Harper Rock had been good to her, and she saw no reason not to give back when provided with the opportunities. Finley assisted her in bringing the packages and setting them under the tree before Ari dismissed him to oversee the remainder of the distribution and repackaging the leftover bottles.

Overall, the room was too... gold for her taste. The brunette was unsure if she was over or underdressed in her black and white gown with her simple hairstyle. She entered during carols, with elves running around and tucking coins in pockets, and trays of snowman accessories strategically positioned throughout. Amidst the glitz and gathered crowds, she managed to pick out a few people she recognized, and she smiled a little as she saw Kaelyn in a dress that she'd sent the young lady.

Opting to take it slow for now, Ari decided to keep a low profile and headed over to the bar. Ordering a whiskey on the rocks, she half leaned against the bar as she observed the gathered populace and started running profiles.

[Mordechai]

The killer forced his stetson lower, tilting his head against the bitter wind whistling through the city from the west. It was the night before Christmas, and the streets were deserted. A few last minute shoppers scurried about like cockroaches in the light, but by and far the sidewalks were clear of all. Likely most families were gathered at home, children tucked into bed, mom decorating and baking, while dad cursed out toy manufactures, and the words ‘some assembly required. No doubt in a few homes, mom and dad were under a mistletoe, trying to get one more quickie before the reindeer hit the roof, while a few lonely souls were just curled up alone. It was not often the massive male let his mind wander, especially with all that was going on in the city lately. Fae spawned wendigos appearing within the city limits, siren mutated experiments inhabiting the labyrinth complex to the north, Fools like that damn actor prancing around singing “I am a vampire, love me.” For a moment tho, his thoughts rolled over his family and friends, reaching out delicately touching their minds to see their well- being, tracking their locations to know all were safe. kennedy was ensconced in the apartment, it had been over a year since she had last been awake, there were times he wondered if she was ever going to wake. Pru’s mind was an open book, visions of Nathaniel danced in her head, no mistletoe needed.. His children, were spread throughout the city, some sleeping like kennedy, some hunting, all safe. A small smile quirked the corners of his lips as he reached out towards the colorful gypsy, stat was his self styled ‘little sister’. The smile grew as he felt her apparent happiness and cheer, before a chill ran down his spine and he jerked upright. Her location… was the Mayoral mansion. Why oh why did she go to that trap. The killer had spent many nights sitting in the Necropolis, with its diminutive owner as she explained how it had been. Then, before, the last time humans ‘discovered’ vampires, and now history was repeating itself because too many assholes ignored it, committing the rest of us to relive it. A gathering of humans and vampires, in a mansion. Mordechai drew the shadows around him, and disappeared in a burst of speed, a single word transmitted across the city, arriving at the mansion barely seconds before he slipped inside the walls himself, “Zo”

[Judah Marck]

He really hadn't intended to be late, well, not THIS late. Jude had gotten home from work on time, gotten his son fed and tucked into bed with reminders of Santa watching, and still had time to get himself ready. It had all been going according to plan, he was on schedule and pretty proud of himself. Well, until Sterling decided that Jude should be just five minutes late. Of course, that five minutes had stretched into an hour and left the dark haired man scowling at his scruffy partner in the mirror as he tried to get his hair to sit just right. "You're being the cat again, Sterp." Jude calmly informed the man, referring of course to the smug kitty who'd got the cream and sat there after licking its chops. By the time he got himself together and got dressed in his party attire, an embroidered gold jacket worn over a crisp white shirt, paired with black slacks and shoes sheened to a high polish, he was bordering on rudely late. There was something of old Hollywood glamour in his outfit, not to mention the swagger that went with it thanks to his last minute confidence boost from a certain troublesome Texan he'd be leaving at home. Sterling was working a pretty heavy case, and while it was good to see him working Jude couldn't but worry about him. It was a rough world out there, and though the Paladin could handle himself there was no shortage of nasty surprises. Perhaps it was why his goodbye kisses often lingered, and why he allowed himself to be dragged back to bed for just five more minutes more often. What he wouldn't have given for five more minutes with his wife in the months after her death, and now Jude was determined not to waste any of the time he got with his boyfriend. "I'll be back around midnight, ok?" Sterling grinned, the wink he offered as response making Judah develop a rosy blush as he bustled out the door.

Arriving at the Mayor's mansion he had no real expectations. Of course he'd heard about the event, and agreed to come along after Alaric and Aurelia mentioned they'd be making an appearance, but his lack of forethought about what it would entail left him wide-eyed and full of wonder as he walked into the party. It was fairly impressive, even to a man who had grown up in grand ballrooms surrounded by laughter, who had spent years attending and later hosting grand parties. How on earth would he even find his relatives in here? The first stop was to the trees where presents were piling up for the less fortunate, Jude having brought three neatly wrapped presents in a beautifully glossy red paper, each topped with a golden bow and little note of merriment. One each from himself, his son August and Sterling.

It took him some time of wandering around, a grin on his face and a champagne glass in his hand before he finally spotted two very familiar faces. Alaric was looking stern and hassled, though clearly comforted by the presence of a relative whereas Aurelia appeared the more composed of the pair. She was, as ever, radiant and it was with great pride that he approached them both, his family. "Alaric and Aurelia, it's awesome to see you guys made it out!" He greeted each with a hug, Alaric's a formal embrace and Aurelia's accompanied by a fond kiss against her temple. "You both look great! This is, uh..." He laughed in disbelief, hands lifting to gesture around him, "Really something, huh? Here I was thinking that our parties at the Manor could be kind of over the top. I mean, duuuude. I would've been happy with a couple of trays of party food and a little music to dance to. Oh,... And wine." Though the last was added as an afterthought it was quite clear he viewed this as important, raising his champagne glass in salute and knocking back a large sip of the bubbly substance. Who said a man of God couldn't enjoy a night of socialising and a drink or two? Jude reasoned that, after all, this event was about bringing the community together that was a huge part of the work he did as Pastor. It was a night to network, to get out on the dance floor and meet a friendly face or share a little holiday cheer. As long as he was home at a reasonable hour and ready to face an excitable seven-year-old boy in the morning he was golden. Pastor Jude would let his hair down for a few hours, and he hoped the Elder, and his darling cousin, would join him.

[Game Master]

R O L E P L A Y + P R O M P T + ! ! !

Time for another photo opportunity, this time less for the people participating in the Holiday Ball and more for the season of peace itself! The elves, who have been up to all sorts of Christmas mischief up until this point, quickly erect some choir stands three rows high, in the shape of a semi-circle, in the middle of the ballroom. A troupe of young boys and girls are marched into the room, wearing clothing that is ill fitting, but of nice quality. The girls wear dresses in alternating red and green, and the boys wear simple black suits with white button-down shirts. Their ties are also red and green alternating, and are clip on.

They take to the hastily put up stands, and are introduced moments later by megaphone (because it seems the speaker system is still on the fritz). Welcome the children of Harper Rock Heritage Home! It is boys and girls like these who will see the benefits of all of the generous contributions you have all made this evening. As a special thank you, they have agreed to sing a little carol for you all!" The introduction is made by one of the older elves.

Moments later, the young ladies and gentlemen launch into an enthusiastic (though perhaps not excellent) rendition of the Carol of the Bells.

[Time to feel that Holiday feeling!]

[Game Master]

MORI, ayuka ◦ Hebigumo Foundation Representative ◦ #804080

[for_peace][/for_peace][for_sirens][/for_sirens]

It seemed that Santa was drawing quite the little crowd to him, which wasn’t that surprising really. Old Saint Nick was an icon of the Holiday season, as popularized by commercial entities and popular culture. And of course, when the orphans were shown into the ballroom, there were no few of them that cast the man in the jolly red suit a look as if they wanted to gravitate in his direction. Perhaps they wanted to share with him the lists containing their desires. Ayuka knew that for many of them, a few gifts weren’t going to amount to much when what they really wanted was home and family. It made her think, for a moment, about her own daughter. Not one she had given birth to, but one she had chosen for herself. The life of a child without a real home was a rough one. They often felt that they were loved less than everyone else, because their mothers and fathers had given them up. Ms. Mori had adopted Paisley shortly after moving to Harper Rock, and watching the young boys and girls singing, she couldn’t help but think about her - tucked in bed. Warm. Safe.

Many parents don’t choose their children. I chose you. Out of everyone in the entire world, I wanted you the absolute most. My love for you is always going to reflect that. Never ever doubt how much of my heart you take up.

Words she’d said after her daughter fell to sleep. At the age of six, that was a heavy conversation to have. One best saved for when she was just a little older. Until then, Ayuka had made every effort to make sure the girl knew.

She was snapped out of the momentary thought, her lips forming a larger smile. Okay. So they were not the best organized, and the song sounded a little bit like they were all singing in different keys, but still. It was sweet. Loud. But sweet.

“Criminology? In Harper Rock? I have to imagine with crime rates being what they are here, it has to be either one of the very best places to study or one of the very worst. Everything from gang warfare to...well.” She decided not to say it. She was in ‘mixed’ company after all, and bringing up the spike in violent crime after vampires first emerged from the Shadow Realm seemed to be a little tactless. None the less; it was entirely true. At the end of the day, both vampires and sirens needed humanity to survive. For vampires; it was as a source of food. For sirens; to perpetuate their own species. To find mates. To bring up their young. In a way, they were both parasitic. Maybe that made them more alike than either group wanted to admit.

But who did that make the real enemy? Was there one?

“It’s great to meet all of you.” She repeated the five names in her head. Caligrace. Freyja. Azraeth. Flynn. Mortll. She’d learned to do that to assign names to faces, so she didn’t forget them. “What did you plan to do with that degree?” She asked of Every a moment later. “My own education is in the area of public relations and mass communication. I did my schooling in the States though.” She explained, glancing around once more. Her gaze settled on pair who were quietly speaking in the distance. There was this distinguished air to the man in question. Though it seemed perhaps he was just a smidge uncomfortable? She leaned closer to Amalea to whisper in the woman’s ear. “I will be back momentarily. I see someone in need of a little need of Holiday cheer.” The move perhaps seemed a little more intimate than intended. Or maybe not.

Whatever the case, she offered a little nod to Every, and the others who had gathered close. “Just a sec. Won’t be long.” She promised before making her way towards Alaric, Aurelia, and a third, newly arrived face.

[Flynn]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Flynn hadn't missed the kiss that Amalea received on their way over to greet her, but he hadn't really seen the significance in it that Azraeth did, because he didn't share that kind of relationship with the woman. They were on friendly terms, and the Paladin would always have her back when push came to shove, but they hadn't quite hit a deep enough emotional bond for him to come to a dead stop in surprise. Unlike the vampire at his side, who managed to cause the human to stumble backwards due to their locked arms. A scowl of annoyance was directed in his partner's direction, only for the other man to insinuate that all the kissing around them meant they needed to take part, as well. He could have tried to avoid it, attempted a escape, but it would have been fruitless in the end. One way or another, the vampire would have gotten his kiss. And the brief nature of it was...really for the best. Az had a hairpin trigger.

Honestly, there was a little much going on for the Paladin's liking. Too many glittering lights, too many faces, and too much attempting to split his focus. Like the fact that elven helpers were rushing through the room, dropping baggies off to each person in attendance, it seemed. Flynn accepted his own with a small blink, the jingle within revealing the contents, and it was only as he tucked it away in his pocket that a female voice caught demanded his attention. Turning to find the source, he found himself face to face with Tiamat. They hadn't had a chance to talk too much, to get to know each other beyond a sort of...business arrangement, in that he provided her with gun parts as he came across them. As she held out her own baggie of coins, which grew a little heavier with her additions to it, he opened his mouth to protest. But, she was already slipping through the crowd once more, on to her next destination. The Paladin tracked the woman for only a moment, making note of the general direction so that he could catch up with her, later.

When they finally reached Amalea and broke away for the major portion of the crowd, Flynn practically sighed with relief. Even in the face of more than one new face, he couldn't bring himself to care, because six females was better than the masses behind him. His attention moved to each face as it was introduced to him, though it lingered on the woman that had been playing tonsil hockey with Lea before moving on to Every, who offered her hand in greeting directly to him. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, he took it in his own and smiled, "I'm sure the pleasure is all mine, Every." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he carefully released the hold and took a step back as Azraeth leaned in against him. "It's a pleasure to meet you all, of course. You'll have to forgive me, but I'm not quite the socialite that Azraeth is." The last was added after the fact, as if he suddenly realized he was possibly being rude in not acknowledging them all.

Ayuka Mori then excused herself, and it was only when she was out of earshot that Flynn's signature smirk took over his expression and his eyes landed on Lea. "That was an interesting lip lock you had there. If this one..." he paused, nudging at Az's ribs with his elbow. "...was capable of having a heart attack, he just might have." The human knew how close the vampire and blood thief were, and he suspected that it came as such a surprise because his partner had no idea who the woman was, or what her relation to Amalea happened to be. And as the woman in question had just excused herself, it fell on the beautiful redhead to, perhaps, offer some kind of explanation. Except that Flynn didn't plan to stick around to hear it.

"And on that note..." he paused, using a single hand pressed against his vampire's back to keep him steady as he took a step backwards. Flynn leaned in close enough to rest his chin against his partner's shoulder, angling his head so that his lips were dangerously close to the man's ear so that he speak softly into it. "I'll be right back. That woman from before? I've got to go find her and protest." He pulled away with a kiss against Azraeth's jawline and proceeded to take several more steps away from the group. His gaze shifted to the women of the group, to whom he offered a charming smile and a bow of his head. "Ladies, if you'll excuse me." With that, the human turned and disappeared into the crowd, headed in the general area of the last place he had seen Tiamat.

[Azraeth]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Of course Az took note of the woman who gifted her coins to his lover. His gut instinct, upon realizing that she wasn’t one of the people clad in the festive elvish costumes was. Who the hell is that? And why the **** are they… Mid thought though, he recognized her. He had seen her a few times at various gatherings. But she was always on the outskirts, always hugging the perimeter. When everyone else seemed to be going out of their way to try and get to know each other...she would read a book. As a consequence of that, he’d never gotten much beyond knowing that she and Mortll had some sort of relationship. He had seen posts by her on the Dragomir CrowNet perhaps? Well, at the very least, she didn’t seem to be having much trouble fitting in. Or at least, that was the impression Azraeth got from the brief glimpse that told him she was talking to someone else.

He could almost pick up on the way tension melted from Flynn when they were faced with some familiarity - this was only enhanced when he felt the Paladin press against his back. In that moment, someone could have told him the world was on fire, and he probably wouldn’t have cared all that much, at the moment. It was one of those triggers for immediate relaxation. The week that Az had spent healing from massive brain trauma had only made this worst. Because even with the higher functioning of his mind stripped away, Flynn had still been there. Had taken care of him, had let him cling terrified and in pain. What didn’t kill a person (vampires especially), only made them stronger. He could have blamed Amalea in part for putting him in that position, but then he would have been forced to admit that coming out of it on the other side had left him feeling closer to the Paladin than he had before. Not more. Love wasn’t quantifiable in that way. Deeper. Stronger. More connected.

Not that he suspected anyone would notice, even if they had been there to see what happened in the privacy of that particular home. Az was, by nature, a clingy son-of-a-*****.

“What beautiful names!” he said of Freyja - named for a goddess, and Caligrace - meaning...beauty and grace? Perhaps it was a family name.

The woman who had been kissing Lea departed for a moment, and immediately Flynn used this opportunity...to point out how Az had reacted. While Az’s hand was still lifted in a wave after her as if to say ‘goodbye for now’. The vampire’s lips formed a thin line and he turned his head so that when a chin came to rest on his shoulder, it just took him leaning a little to nip at a jawline in soft reprimand. “Whaaat? No. I totally handled that with grace and poise...though also tell me absolutely everything about her and what’s going on.” He said, his gaze shifting back to the redhead.

But before she could answer, Flynn also excused himself. The Mystic resisted the urge to follow along after. He was so not going to playact as a puppy. Besides. That would have been rude to the ladies he’d just met, and those to whom he was getting acquainted. Of course. That just meant he, seconds later, had to resist the urge to ask one of them for a pair of binoculars. But honestly. Who would have had those? So instead, his gaze just briefly followed the human, much the way his hand had in the few seconds after the departure, to give a hip a firm, possessive little squeeze. And...was that Mordie? He never would have thought the giant of a man would show up at an event like the Holiday Ball. Maybe the enormous killer was just getting in the spirit of the season or something. Hopefully he wasn’t planning to like. Try and murder a bunch of people or something. THAT would totally have been bad news bears. Speaking of which. “Knock on wood, but it seems like things are legitimately going nicely for once. If anyone hears ticking though, we might have to do some searching.” He chuckled then. Because vampire events always seemed to go to ****.

Well. Less so in recent months. Maybe that was because the humans knew about them, and all that extra scrutiny was good for something. It was a nice change of pace.

[Elizabeth]

As Doc came around to the idea of relaxing and worrying less, Elizabeth also got the message about Ripper from Amalea. Her eyes glanced in his direction, wondering if he would be as brazen as he sometimes made himself out to be and try to pull something in such a public venue. Hopefully not, but Ripper was a genuine wild card, and while she found that endearing at some moments, this was not one of those moments. Not with children being the main focus of this event.

Her eyes then moved to Zodiac, Elizabeth lifting her glass to the woman in a gesture of acknowledgement. When her eyes fell on Azreath, the one she bet against when Amalea was fighting him, she dipped her head in his direction. "I believe anyone that tried anything tonight would be ever so foolish, given there are so many of us..." though, perhaps this was the perfect setting for something to happen. At least, that was what some of her paranoia was telling her, until the children arrived. No sane person would slaughter children just to kill vampires...at least she hoped not.

"And, no. I have not met 'Chub,' yet. You have spoken of her a couple times, but I have never met her. Is she here?" Elizabeth glanced around, but saw a few vampire faces she did not know, so 'Chub' could be anyone.

[Doc]

[for_peace][/for_peace]

Doc looked from Lizzie toward Chub, also known as Kaelyn, “She’s the one with the blonde bouncy curls, standing with ****-for-brains main squeeze Tia-something.” He looked back at Lizzie, “I would introduce you but I am in a good mood, and I have no desire to see it end.” He paused, thought a moment and then added, “Because of that other person.. Not Chub. I like Chub.”

He then smiled, “When you do get introduced to her.. Brace yourself. She is .. high energy and can be very intense over the strangest things. I have given up on trying to understand how her mind works. I just go with the flow, until she crosses a line,...” Again he paused, then stopped and abruptly changed the subject. “So.. you have plans to go England. You mentioned it before, but time and unforeseen work has always seemed to step in before I could get any details. Planning to be gone long?”

Snagging a drink, off a passing server’s tray, he sipped it. There was more he wanted to ask her about her trip. He was more than curious. But Lizzie’s life was her own, and as much as he might want to know; Doc knew ultimately that.. If Lizzie wanted him to know she would tell him. Therefore he kept his question short and to the point. He would be able to tell from her answer, whether or not she wanted to share the full details with him. Well, except that they were in a public place. She may not want to even speak if it here. Yet, there again, he would be to understand more by what she didn’t say, than by what she did.

Having finished the newly acquired second drink, and having been dissatisfied with it as well. Doc looked at beverages being served here at the bar, by which he and Lizzie stood. It was all wine and champagne. If there was a wine bar, there had to be a liquor bar. Looking around the very crowded room, he spotted what he was looking for. Much to his surprise, there across the room, at the liquor bar was Ariadne. He was pleasantly surprised. For months she had locked herself away, and now here she was, out in public .. no.. in the ‘human’ public. He was inordinately pleased to see her. He would have to go speak to her.