Realistic or Modern Upper Eastside

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

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The Upper East Side. Manhattan, New York. Home of old money and classic New York sophistication. Unlike the loud, bustling streets of New York City, the Upper East Side is cool, calm, and collected; unhurried. You can take in the sights and everywhere you turn, walking down the streets you can observe the history, art, and the refined nature of the city. Unfortunately, the people that live in this peaceful city are anything but peaceful. Their lives are so busy whether they be businessmen, artists, models, fashion designers; they never seem to slow down. The only time it seems these rushed people are able to take a second is during the annual East Side Charity Ball. The ESCB is an event that has been thrown every year for the past 99 years by a mysterious person no one has met and this year marks 100. The IT people always show up, trying to out dress each other and outbid each other on different arts, jewelry, and even dates for the night. It'll be the most talked about event of the year. But this time, they won't be talking about it because of 'Who Wore It Best'. No, they'll be talking about this because this is where everyone's life changes. Everyone's deepest, darkest secrets will come to light and they will all be forced to live with those secrets out in the open. [div class=over]rules[/div]
[div class=num]1.[/div] If you can't commit, I understand, but don't bother joining if it's a possibility.

[div class=num]2.[/div] This is NOT a casual roleplay, and I would love some decent writers, but if you're doing your best to become better, you're welcome too! QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

[div class=num]3.[/div] If you have any questions, let me know! But I am NOT going to hold your hand through the process. This is an RPG and less collaborative writing. Your characters have autonomy, but there's no reason for us to discuss every little thing that's going to happen. If I want it to rain, it's going to rain, and you can keep your disdain for it to yourself. HOWEVER, i will explain MOST occurrences and if there is ever an issue we're adults and we can discuss it out.

[div class=num]4.[/div] Before you can reserve another character, you must first complete the one and it be accepted.

[div class=num]5.[/div] First come first served basis, meaning whoever completes their CS first and gets it accepted has that role. This isn't who finishes FIRST, it's who is ACCEPTED FIRST. We reserve the right to request edits or deny your CS flatout. [div class=num]6.[/div] I will work with writers who are trying to get better, but remember QUALITY over QUANTITY. [div class=num]7.[/div] Once you are accepted, the Discord link will be given to you





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CHARACTERS - MAIN - OOC [/div][/div][/div] [div class=first] [div class=words][div class=i]u[/div]pper eastside
[div class=bottomwords]"Whenever you feel like critisizing someone,
Just remember that all the people in this world
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F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby [/div][/div] [div class=line][div class=fimgb][div class=input] [div class=block][div class=inputwords] go forward [/div][/div][/div][/div][/div] [/div][/div] [div class=c]made by: @undine[/div] [script class=input on=click] slideUp 2000 first fadeIn 1000 second [/script] [script class=back on=click] slideDown 2000 first [/script] [script class=input on=mouseenter] addClass op inputwords [/script] [script class=input on=mouseleave] removeClass op inputwords [/script] [class=background]height: 400px; max-width: 600px; boz-sixing: border-box; margin: auto; position: relative; overflow: hidden; border: 1px solid #f1f1f1 [/class] [class=first]height: 100%; width: 100%; background: #CFCFCF; opacity: 0.99; position: relative; top: -400px [/class] [class=second]height: 100%; width: 100%; background-image:url(http://i.pinimg.com/originals/78/3a/19/783a198a811f72ede159e2b6d8f44ce9.jpg); background-size:105%; background-position: 0% 30%; opacity: 1; position: relative; top: 0px [/class] [class=back]width:100%; height: 40px; padding: 20px 0px 0px 0px; margin: auto; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: 1.5px; word-spacing: 1.5px; font-size: 13px; color: white; position: relative; top: 305px; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; cursor: pointer [/class] [class=line]height: 2px; width: 100%; background: white; position: relative; top: 130px [/class] [class=fimgb]position: relative; top: -95px; margin: auto; clip-path: polygon(0 50%, 50% 0, 100% 50%, 50% 100%); height: 180px; width: 180px; background: #fff; padding: 7px [/class] [class=input]cursor: pointer; height: 180px; width: 180px; background-image: url(http://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/wingsoffirefanon/images/4/42/1§.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20180806190151); background-size: 120%; background-position: 55% 100%; clip-path: polygon(0 50%, 50% 0, 100% 50%, 50% 100%); filter: saturate(70%) [/class] [class=inputwords]height: 10px; padding: 5px 5px 10px 5px; width: 100%; display: block; background: #fff; color: #000000; position: relative; top: 85px; font-size: 10px; font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; text-align: center; transition: all .4s ease-in-out; opacity: 0; position: relative [/class] [class name=op]opacity: 1 [/class] [class name=words]height:100px; width: 100%; font-size: 25px; font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif; position: absolute; color: #000000; top: 250px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 4.5px; text-transform: uppercase [/class] [class=topimg]height:100%; width:100%; filter: saturate(110%); transition: all .5s ease-in-out; position: relative; top: 0px; left: 0px [/class] [class name=topimg state=hover]filter: saturate(150%); [/class] [class=topwords]width:130px; height: 7%; border-bottom: 1px solid #94A12C; font-size: 12px; color: black; position: relative; top: 220px; margin: auto; font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif; font-weight: 700; word-spacing: 1px; letter-spacing: 1px; [/class] [class=bottomwords]height: 100%; width: 100%; font-size: 0.45em; text-transform: lowercase; text-align: center; font-style: oblique; top: -5px; line-height: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; position: relative; top: 10px [/class] [class=border]height: 300px; width: 345px; position: relative; margin:auto; top: -371px; left: 0px [/class] [class name=opacitybg]height: 289px; width: 350px; border: 1px solid white; background: black; opacity: 0.8; margin: auto; position: relative; top: 5px [/class] [class=i]display: inline-block; font-size: 30px; font-style: italic [/class] [class=box]height: 80%; width: 90%; padding: 5px; font-size: 11px; font-family: 'Hind', sans-serif; margin: auto; position: relative; top: -265px; line-height:16px; word-spacing: -0px; overflow: auto; text-align: justify [/class] [class=over]height: 25px; padding: 10px 0px 0px 0px; width: 100%; background: #ACACAC; font-size: 10px; font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase; position: sticky; top: 0px; text-align: center; letter-spacing: 2px; [/class] [class=num]display: inline-block; font-size: 11px; font-weight: 700 [/class] [class=c]width: 100%; text-align: center; opacity: 0; font-size: 10px [/class]

(code by @undine )





1240 EST December 17, 2019.
Winter gripped the city with the coldest hands. Temperatures had dipped to dangerously low numbers and freeze warnings had been issued across the area. Warming shelters were being opened, welcoming the homeless. Even with the literal freezing cold, the city that never sleeps refused to stop even for a second. Business had to go on as usual and if you had to brave the cold, it was best that you buttoned up under several layers.

Nothing was different for the group who was tasked with planning the East Side Charity Ball. This event was always the talk of the town when it occurred, garnering the attention of people from across the nation and even overseas. It was big. There was no doubt about the impact that it had. Even the cost of a plate (synonymous with ticket for entry for this contest) meant that for the people who were showing up, that was the place to be. $10,000 USD a plate seemed like what it would cost for a presidential campaign fundraiser, but it was purely for the benefit of charity. Dinner, an art auction, a small fashion show, and of course date auctions were the main draws on a usual year.

That's what the group was tasked with planning for the months upcoming. A group made of people from several backgrounds with several expertise. From business experts to even models. Each had their reasons for being there. Whether it was a favor for someone, a PR move, or if they just wanted to contribute to charity, this planning committee was a circle of who's who.

The meeting was taking place in an intimate room in Smile Jun, the premier restaurant for gourmet Korean food. This place was owned by Justin Ha (link to his brief CS in NPCs) who currently stood at the front of a square table with a binder in his hands as workers around him began to prepare seating places for the rest of the committee. His eyes looked up from the binder he was reading, relaying a message in his native Korean tongue to one of the workers as they nodded and left out. A moment would pass before he took a seat in the chair that had been sitting peacefully behind him, and thought for a moment, "The rest should be arriving soon..."


​

 

[copacetic]

Julien Campbell

Julien pulled her coat tight around her as she exited the subway and out onto the freezing streets of Manhattan. Her heels clicked on the sidewalk as she walked to Smile Jun. Her friends often questioned her decision to walk and take the subway everywhere rather than be driven. They didn't understand how uncomfortable being in a car made Julien after her accident. Also, it wasn't uncommon for celebrities to walk around New York. In fact, she had run into an actress she knew downtown yesterday. Julien didn't mind public transit and walking everywhere, however the freezing weather did make it very uncomfortable.

She was on her way to an important meeting at Smile Jun for a meeting with the planning committee for the notable East Side Charity Ball. This was Julien's first time on the planning committee. In years past, she had been an attendee of the ball with her family. Her mother may now be a supermodel, but when she began her career, she nearly had to quit because she had no money. It is important to Julien's mother to use their money to help those who are not as fortunate as they are. Because the Ball included a fashion show, models were important in planning it, along with fashion designers. This year, Julien was asked to be in the show and oversee the other models.

When she arrived at the restaurant, she was led to the table where Justin Ha was seated. So far, they were the only ones present. Julien usually ran on the early side as she often left extra time to account for any delays on the subway she could encounter. Since her journey was uneventful, she was one of the first to arrive. Not that she minded, she hated being late. It was stressful and unprofessional.​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Ailyn Sheppard

To say Ailyn Sheppard had a lot of things to do would possibly be an understatement. The winter fashion show was right around the corner and she needed to make sure her line was prepared. She planned to launch a winter edition of vibe for men and women and she was definitely falling behind. Because she was so anal about time management, she had a whole planned laid out for herself. Start the planning process in November of last year, travel to Greenland and Russia for cold climate inspiration in December, sketch her ideas out from January to when she has nothing left. This usually meant she would be done sketching by March. Get all of the materials she would need, even if it was excessive as her assistant had mentioned. It'd take about two months, they said, for all the specific colors she wanted and the particular materials she wanted. During her waiting time, that meant getting the makeup looks decided on and the small stuff such as accessories. Once her materials hit that meant she would be able to work non-stop on her looks for the runway. The only time she would stop was for the Charity Ball, where she would only worry about her look, for once, and not someone else's. The only exception would be if they put in this request before she did her material ordering, otherwise, they'd be shit out of luck. The only thing she forgot about come December was how she also needed to focus on the Charity Ball, considering she was on the council that helped prepare things for it. Since this year was so important, so many things needed to be done. Thus, creating the issue that she is now faced with; she wasn't ready.

People kept trying to reassure her that everything was perfect for the fashion show but she was not convinced it was. It wasn't until someone suggested they do a soft fashion show that her nerves were calmed for a bit. Everything was in place, it seemed, but she would still find something wrong with it. Most people said it was because she was having issues at home, wanting to avoid planning her own wedding. Something of which she hadn't even given a second thought to lately. There was no date planned, at least that she knew of, and every time it was brought to her attention, she would just wave it off and make plans to do it another time. But, now that she was putting off work to do lunch with her friends, she knew that she would have to at least do some of it today... Or at the very least tomorrow since she was hosting a small party that night. These were all the things she was thinking about behind the wheel of her all-black Model S Tesla and her way to the committee meeting. To be quite honest, she needed a break from pricking her fingers and catwalk music she wouldn't dare listen to at home. She made a small mental note to request that they play actual music, and not your basic catwalk, techno music.

When she arrived, she handed her keys off and took out her phone before entering the building. She sent a quick text to Odi, asking about his whereabouts before she felt someone tap her shoulder. Her body tensed up as she slowly turned around and realized it was Jordan. Her stoic face turned into a frown as she punched his shoulder. "Alright, asshole, get your face knocked off. You know I don't like being touched or tapped." She told him, throwing her hair over her shoulder and crossing her arms.

Jordan B. Michael

Jordan Michael had a script to finish and such a short amount of time. The director was just not feeling a lot of what he wrote and continuously wanted to make changes. He told him quite professionally and honestly, "This is bullshit; I'm not changing the script." His agent was telling him that this would be the opportunity of a lifetime for his movie to get picked up. "No, they loved the script when they hired me and came to me about the thing, then they're going to continue to love it." He sternly said. Lately, he had been learning to put his foot down when it came to his work, especially something he felt as passionately as he did about this one. Really, it was all a true story of his life at Dubois, his love life, and everything that went in between. But, people didn't know that since he changed a lot about it. Still, when someone asks him to change his whole history then, of course, he's going to get mad about it. In the past, if it were just minor works, he didn't care about the changes. "Look, tell him that if wants to continue making changes then he can buy me out and have his way. But, let's be honest here, you can't buy me out if I copywrote the whole damn thing." He gave his agent a pat on the shoulder, opening his mouth to say something else. When his phone went off, notifying him of the lunch he had agreed to attend, he sighed and grunted. It wasn't that he didn't want to go to lunch with these people, it's just that some he didn't consider a friend and more of an acquaintance. Why would he take time out of his day to eat with people he barely knew? He knew that the Ice Queen and her fiance would be attending and he knew the both of them fairly well, therefore he would go.

When he got into his blue Mazda 6 Signature, he kind of sat for a minute. It was nice to be in silence and not around a bustling set where people wanted to change shit. That was the one thing about Jordan, he didn't like change. Why change something that was fine the way it was before? He hadn't changed since high school and he saw that as a good thing. Maybe to others, it was bad, but he would always be the same Jordan B. Michael. As he pulled off and started towards the restaurant, his phone rang again. It was, as always, his agent Rachel. "Jordy, I think you should rethink this and listen to some of the things they want to do." He took a deep breath and sighed, "Rachel, don't call me Jordy. Now, I compromised on the TV Series idea, that was cool. I compromised and changing the cast a little bit and adding characters that were never there, that was cool. Now he wants me to change storylines entirely. If he wanted to make all these damn changes, he should have written the shit himself. It's a modern outlook on life; the present. I don't want it set in the past to quote, unquote "highlight some of the past tense struggles"... What the fuck does that even mean? It sounds like he made up some shit." Their conversation would go on for the next 30 minutes, even though he had arrived at the meeting 20 minutes ago. He watched as his friend Ailyn, got out of her car and hand her keys over when he decided that no more business talk would be in effect. He hung up his phone before getting out of his car and tapping her on the shoulder, knowing damn well his shit would have been rocked. She punched him and he rubbed his arm, the punch actually stinging a little. He laughed as they walked into the restaurant seeking out Justin. "If you don't like being tapped, does that mean you don't like it when-" he didn't even finish his sentence before receiving a death glare and busting out laughing before the two walked to the meeting room together.
​

Odi ( AkuTheWolfOkami )

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

LTJG Kortia Deneka Velentino
The cold always reminded her of her first mission as a SEAL. The tingle of the frigid air as it danced along her skin coupled with the tiny pain of what felt like needles coming from below the surface of her skin. The extreme cold was far from pleasant and the layers of clothing, body armor, gloves, scarf, and beanie didn't seem to do much to defend her skin from each gust that threatened to turn her into a snowman.

Hazel green eyes peeked from under the white beanie that covered her head, gazing out to the winter wonderland that seemed to stretch on for kilometres before hitting a treeline that represented the start of a forest. Gloved hands readjusted themselves on the R700 modded hunting rifle as she and three figures dressed similar to her began to march across the open field. Their white clothes made it tough to distinguish them against the ground and the now heavy snowfall.

It felt like a lifetime as they moved along before she was on her stomach in the bed of an old abandoned pick up truck that sat in a village up one of the mountain sides. Her eyes were staring through a scope with IR thermal imaging, because the snowfall had become too heavy to visibly see anything worthy of risking a naked eye shot over. Her right finger wrapped gently around the trigger as the butt of the rifle sat snugged on her shoulder. "You got an ID on the HVT?" she questioned to one of her comrades that was looking through binoculars in the same prone position next to her. There was no verbal response, but a pat on the shoulder and an almost simultaneous squeeze of a trigger.

Tia shot up in her bed, breathing hard as if she just ran a marathon. Heart pounding. Her body was drenched in sweat, eyes dilated. Despite tying and wrapping her hair up before she lied down, her hair had become a mess under the bright multi-colored scarf. Moments passed as her breathing slowed, body returning to normal as a cold breeze came from an open door that led outside to her large terrace. It was still dark outside meaning she had stirred before her alarm had rung. A chill swept down her spine as a gust of wind swept through the room like a thief in the night. Slowly she reached to her nightstand and grabbed her phone, sliding to an app before pushing a button.

In response, the door began to close slowly. Once it had completely closed it locked itself and Kortia sighed gently. She pressed another button on the phone and soft yellow lights illuminated the entire loft before she tossed the phone aside. Slowly she slid off the bed getting to her feet and moving towards one of the few actual rooms in her loft. Inside the room was a workout area with a treadmill, mat for core exercises, and some free weights. The next hour would be spent in there as she worked out while listening to trap music.

It'd be a quick walk to her bathroom as she took a shower before adorning a green silk robe, the light from the sun finally strong arming it's way through the blinds as her phone's alarm finally rang. She had an early start on her day so she figured she'd get some work in before she started to get ready for lunch with her associates.

Her feet carried her first to her bed where she picked the phone up to dismiss the alarm, before they then transported her to the kitchen. A hand reached to grip the door handle of her chrome finished refrigerator, opening it before grabbing a container that had some purple colored liquid inside. The door closed behind her as she moved to a desk with a white RAZER BLADE laptop opening it with one hand before placing her lips on her beverage and taking a sip. A rush of different flavors took over her taste buds. The dominant flavors came from berries and bananas, but there were hints of vegetables, nuts, and protein supplements. The flavor was pleasant and sure beat MREs any day.

With a gentle sigh she sat the drink down and her phone too, letting her manicured nails clack on the keyboard as she typed in her password. There would be a few clicks before she'd go to her 'military' email and typed in a password. When she finished that her phone vibrated, causing her to pick it up and text 'yes' to a number, before that number began to call.

"I am Kortia Valentino," she spoke into the phone after she answered, hanging it up as finally her emails popped up. Since most of the emails were things like happy birthdays, or weapon re-certification emails, she exited out. She was on leave....or something...and didn't need to address anything until she was recalled. So she moved to her work email which only required a password since she was on her secured home network.

This set of emails contained more pertinent things that required immediate attention in some cases. So she sat at her desk and carefully went through them. The next couple of hours saw her reading over documents, authorizing this, veto'ing that. Phone conference calls with clients and no matter how much she seemed to get done, it never seemed she was closer to emptying her queue of tasks. They'd have to wait for now. Her alarm was informing her it was now time for her to begin to get ready for her luncheon.

A gentle sigh escaped her lips as she closed the laptop gently and moved to the area that was her closet. This was time for her to really get to showcase her eye for fashion, but she didn't want to be too flashy. Be eye catching, be distinct, be memorable, but never be a peacock. That's what her father had instilled in her. Peacocks were attention grabbing, but they always smelled. Let your client be the one with the stench. She wasn't meeting with clients, but the idea always was the same. You never knew who was watching or who you'd run into. So always act as if it was a business situation.

She took a slow breath finally deciding on her outfit (see floating image). Something simple, but amplified who she was. She was ready to smile again. Genuinely. There hadn't been much smiling for her since she came back to New York. Despite the hero's welcome her parents had given her, she found little reason to smile. Somewhere between the night terrors and guilt laden swigs of alcohol, she was barely hanging on.

An exaggerated sigh escaped her lips as she slowly did a light bit of make up, before placing her clothes on. She reached for a pair of glasses, for fashion not for vision, grabbing a pair of black heeled boots and finishing off her ensemble. She moved to the bathroom to get her hair together before grabbing her brown bag and slinging one strap over her shoulder, and placing her airPods in her ears. She grabbed her phone making a call to her driver before heading towards the elevator.

When she finally reached the ground floor, she stepped out to a black SUV with tinted windows as a man in a black suit held the door open for her. She slid into the car and pressed play on her playlist, the sounds of Gunna filling her ears and transporting her to another world. Her eyes had fallen close as the 15 minute ride allowed her to listen to several artists from Drake to Gucci Mane to Lil Baby. The immersion would end when the car had become still and she could no longer feel the motor running, causing her to open her eyes.

"Thanks Roger, I'll call you," she stated gently before valet came and opened her door for her.

A few motions and steps and she found herself inside the restaurant she had grown fond of. .

"Senorita Valentino," came a voice in a Cuban-Spanish accent causing Kortia to turn and nod a hello to staff member who had beckoned her attention, "Some of your friends have already arrived and are in the private dining area" he continued in Spanish as he motioned towards where the rest of the group was.

She mouthed 'gracias' before turning to head that way, but stopped and returned her attention to him, "Yardier, bring me a double of Tino Especiales Humo neat. Actually bring me two doubles....bring me a bottle. Just bring me a whole bottle." Her Spanish permeated the air, a stark contrast to the Korean that could be heard everywhere else. She offered a bright smile to the man who could only smile back and nod, before heading off into the back.

Tino was the name of her family's distillery and brands of alcohol. Especiales Humo (literally Smoke Specials) is a line of their Cuban rum that is aged in barrels that have previously aged Bourbon Whiskey twice. This gives the rum a smokey finish and a kick that you can only find in bourbon. With this method you get the best of Caribbean Rum and American Whiskey and it is absolutely Tia's favorite.

She stepped gently through the restaurant as if she had been on a stealth mission and wanted to avoid making any noise from walking. Truth is, it was just a habit she hadn't noticed she had been doing. When she arrived at the table she looked over all of those who had arrived, nodding to Allyn first. She hadn't expected Odi to be here, but still a part of her had reached out and grabbed on some hope that he would have been. It was till no surprise that he wasn't. Her eyes moved to Jordan who she waved gently at, before glancing to the rest of them and landing on Justin, "Chico, you look well." A chuckle left her lips as she offered a genuine smile to her friend before finding a seat near Jordan. Yardier would bring the bottle she requested and two glasses, and she'd mouth a gracias before pouring herself a drink and sipping gently. So, lunch eh?

Direct Interactions: Justin Ha (Aku)
Mentions: Allyn, Jordan Melanin-Gxdess Odi (Aku), everyone there already

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Odi Beckham Jr.
Imagine waking up next to the same person for the rest of your life. Planning daily activities from breakfast to dinner. Having every decision you make affect someone else. Odilon had found that out the hard way, early with his fiancee. Financial freedom was non-existent and big purchases needed to be ran by his significant other. When he first signed with the giants as a rookie, he got a 5 million dollar signing bonus and of course as a kid with nothing he spent most of that buying his mom a house, himself cars, things like that. What he did with the last million of the signing bonus wouldn't pay dividends until about a year ago. He invested in a software start-up who was designing software for an industrial chemicals company. A little over a year ago it sold for 400 million, and as 1/4th owner he got 100 million. He didn't do much with that money, outside of investing in another company, but when he signed his extension and got his 20 million dollar signing bonus he bought 10 million dollars worth of cars. Allyn didn't seem too happy about that.

Their relationship had never been easy, always seeming to have had some strain on it even when it was its best. They thought maybe their son's birth wouldbring them closer, but it really only added a strain on them especially with how much each of them traveled. So it was no surprise that when Odi stirred his fiancee was not next to him. It never seemed to be a day where they both woke up together so it didn't really come as a shock to him as he opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling of their bedroom. He hadn't even bothered to reach out for her instead choosing to run a hand over his face before taking a deep breath as he sat up shirtless.

He knew the house was empty, so he didn't bother worrying about how loud he was going to be,"Alexa, play wake up playlist on spotify..." and with that Nonstop by Drake began to play as he moved out of the bed. The sonos speaker on their floor began to emit the sounds of the popular song as he moved to the bathroom to brush his teeth. He moved down the stairs a couple of levels until he made it to the kitchen as the music followed him, he grabbing a gatorade out of the fridge and taking a sip of it. He moved to a bowl of fruit and took an apple and bit it as he moved around.

Normally, he'd take this time to get a light workout in but he wanted to take a full day off so he moved to the office area and sat at his computer loading up Apex Legends. He spent a couple of hours playing that before he got a text on his phone from Allyn telling him to not be late for lunch. Right. Them spending time together alone was too much to ask for their off day, but happy almost wife happy life, right? He sighed heading back up the stairs to the bathroom and showering, before getting ready and texting one of his assistants to deliver his car to him as he hit the elevator and made it to the ground floor.

He stepped through the lobby and outside as the person flipped him the keys to the all black McLaren 720S Spider with the roof up before he took off through the city. He drove until he was to Smile Jun, getting out and tossing the keys to Valet before entering inside of the restaurant. He glanced around before spotting where everyone was gathered moving in, not bothering to speak to anyone (these were Allyn's friends outside of maybe Jordan and Tia) grabbing the bottle and glass that was near Tia before taking a seat next to Allyn, and pouring himself a drink and taking a slow sip.

He didn't say a word this fiancee, nor acknowledged her. He knew she probably wouldn't like that, but he wanted to show his protest about being FORCED to be apart of this.

interactions: Allyn Melanin-Gxdess

 

[sunsets]

enzo tate - smile jun
mentions: copacetic
​

Enzo dropped the fresh script onto his coffee table, shaking his head. "What kind of shit show is this?" He muttered to himself, unimpressed by the distasteful writing choice. He made a mental note to call his agency to tell them he wasn't interested in yet another film opportunity. He couldn't help but be picky - it was his career, so it should be his choice on what films he wanted to pick up and star in. This particular one had no chance of cutting any type of deal for him to change his mind. Running his hands up and down his thighs, he rose to his feet and checked the time on his watch, cursing quietly under his breath at the time. He had the committee meeting sooner than he thought.

Walking across the hardwood floor to his bathroom, Enzo was quick to take a shower and freshen up. He had been stuck inside for the past few days learning the lines of an upcoming film while suffering from whatever bug it was that was going around. He felt better now, so the idea of having to get ready and leave his apartment wasn't too daunting. Once he had finished showering and drying off, he pulled on a plain white button-up shirt, leaving the first three buttons undone, along with some straight black pants and his worn-in converse. Picking up his winter coat, he pulled it on over him to keep him warm in the unforgiving New York weather. Once he had called a car and gathered all of the things he needed, he patted his lap and watched his dog, Rocky, bound over to him excitedly. "Calm down, boy," Enzo chuckled, crouching down to run his fingers through the soft fur of his beloved companion. "I'm going out, so you're the man of the house. Be a good boy, okay?" Ruffling his dog's fur, Enzo stood back up and pulled his keys out of his coat pocket. Upon receiving a text alert that the car was outside, he made a swift exit and locked his apartment door securely.

Once he was in the warmth of the car, Enzo sat back and looked out of the car window as his personal chauffeur began the drive a couple of blocks away to Smile Jun. Enzo's own car wasn't suitable for the winter, considering it was a permanently top down car. It usually wasn't an issue as Enzo would spend most of his winter on vacation, under the sun with no worries about anything other than what concoction of drink he was going to try next. It wasn't long before the car was pulling up outside of the restaurant. Thanking the driver, Enzo prepared himself for the brisk cold before stepping out of the car. He was quick to get into the building, a member of staff informing him where the rest of the committee was having their meeting. He didn't know who was actually on the committee, so he wasn't aware if it was anyone he knew. He assumed it could only be the ones on top that had been invited, so seeing familiar faces was something Enzo was prepared for.

As he made his way over to the table, he shrugged his coat off. His eyes were quick to meet Julien's, the familiar blonde hair catching his attention almost instantly. His lips curled up in a warm smile. With the way they had left things, he was more than glad that it hadn't been bitter, or else the idea of working on the East Side Charity Ball committee with her would've been awkward, to say the least. Realistically, he should have figured that she would be here. He glanced around the table to see the other's while he rested his jacket over the chair next to Julien's, taking a seat beside her. "Fancy seeing you here," he commented as he took his seat. She was the one he was most familiar with, so it only made sense that he seated himself next to her.

 

[copacetic]

Julien Campbell

Julien watched as the others began to arrive. She gave Jordan a friendly wave as he entered and Allyn a professional nod and smile. She was glad to see Kortia as well, waving to her with a wide smile. She was relieved to have so many people she knew already here. Of course, there were others that she was bound to not know. She was a bit nervous to be on the planning side of the Charity Ball this year. Having attended in the past, she always was impressed by the end result. She wasn't sure if she had what it took to put out a result like that, but she had been chosen for a reason, right? She sipped on the water that was placed in front of her. "Kortia! I didn't know you were on the committee too. How have things been?" she asked. Between Julien's work and Kortia's military career, the two had not properly seen each other in a while. Julien was excited to know that she'd be seeing her on a regular basis while working on the East Side Charity Ball committee.

Julien had been chatting with the others as she waited for the meeting to begin. She looked up when someone entered the room, who just happened to be Enzo. She gave him a warm smile as she tucked her phone into her purse. While their agreement to end things was mutual and amicable, she always regretted it. As much as she tried, she's never gotten over it and still held feelings for him. "It's been too long. How have you been?" she greeted, leaning over for a short hug. "More importantly, how is my favorite pup?" she asked. She loved Rocky. She didn't have a dog of her own since she felt that she traveled too much for it to be fair for a dog. So, she sort of fell in love with the dog since she didn't have one of her own to love.

whoops forgot to tag you: sunsets ​

 

[Ambiloquous]

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[div class=bo]
Loca Meijer
[/div]​

[div class=bo]
Loca blew the lock of hair that flew in front of her face in frustration. The new artist was killing her day's allotment of patience within the hour. She swore under her breath and stood up from her seat and sat back down. "Tell me again what you want the track to sound like?"

When she received the exact same explanation she'd heard six times already, she blew. She smacked her laptop closed and turned around. "We're done." She shoved her laptop in her bag, pulled it over a shoulder and walked out of the studio, closing the door with a bang. She didn't care whether that artist complained about her, got a new producer or whatever the heck else he wanted to do. She had enough of his bullshit vision.

Loca walked away from the studio, ignoring the man who was leaning beside the door. He ran to catch up with her. "Bad time with the newbie?"

She rolled her eyes and gave him an assessing look. "No thanks to you, shithead."

"Sorry, sorry, I didn't think he was going to be that bad." Will put his hands up, trying to placate her. "You won't take the fact that he was an idiot against me, will you? Please tell me you're still going to the charity ball meeting."

"I don't break commitments, arsehole." Loca stopped looking at him and walked faster. She wanted to get there on time, even if she didn't choose to go.

He patted his chest with exaggerated relief. "Oh good, I was wondering what I'd say to Boseman otherwise."

Loca snorted, reaching the elevator. "He set you up on this." She pressed the downwards facing triangle and tapped her foot, impatient to get away from the nuisance.

"Well yeah, but it was for your own good. He was worried about your workaholic tendencies, you know?" Will shrugged.

"He should be glad. I work for him, after all." The elevator doors opened and she stepped in, pressing the close button before Will could say anything else. She leaned against the metal walls, tapping a simple beat with her toe as the elevator moved down without stopping.

Ding.

Walking out of the elevator, she nodded to the receptionist, Janelle. Pushing open the heavy glass doors, she blew out a puff of white breath and froze. Shit. She left her jacket in Studio 6. She debated going back for a quick second before deciding to deal with it. Winters in Ottowa were worse than this, anyway. She quickly flagged a taxi, hoping for the warmth of a heated car to soothe her.

Stepping into the car, she relaxed her tight muscles. Heated air is a blessing for the world, she thought. She was glad someone invented the heater and glad someone else was smart enough to stick it in a car. "Smile Jun," she said to the taxi driver.

When the car stopped in front of the restaurant, she studied the facade. Her conclusion was that it had a well-balanced and memorable sign. They weren't famous for nothing. She dragged herself off, but not before paying the fee and generously tipping the driver.

Pushing open the doors, she admired the aesthetics of the designer. They had pretty good taste, whoever they were. There were many bustling tables but nothing that looked like a charity committee. She paused someone who seemed to be working in the restaurant, getting the directions to the meeting room. Stepping in, the first thing she noticed were the people already inside. Looking around at the table, she noticed some faintly familiar faces. An actor and a model? She rose a brow and took an empty seat.

[/div]

 

[Aato]

Manaia Tamati

"...Let's just smooth that out... Highlight here... Get some contouring there and line... And..."

Brushes and pencils glided their way over skin, coloring various shades of brown and accents of color to a young woman's face, covering imperfections yet bringing attention to select features. Contrary to the elaborate and perhaps overly-processed styles expected given Manaia's career, the make-up artist preferred to keep her personal makeup relatively simple and clean-cut. After-all, she spent hours drawing such designs on people's faces and bodies on a daily basis and, while she loved her job, she didn't have to spend every moment feeling like she was on it.

"...Perfect."

Satisfied, her supplies were packed away into their designated areas and she left her vanity to finish dressing. Retrieving her light blue leather trench coat from the standing wooden rack, she shrugged the heavy article up onto her shoulders, hiding her white blouse from view as she began adjusting lapels, fastening buttons, and tying sashes. She then slipped her feet into a pair of ankle boots just as blue as her coat before grabbing a small brown purse and heading out the door.

While she knew the weather was cold, the frigid air had still been startling and caused her to grasp her collar closed more tightly. After five years of living in New York, one would think she would be used to the freezer-esque conditions; however, she couldn't bring herself to put up with it, especially once she could afford not to. It had become customary for her to go back home to the more temperate New Zealand and spend time with her family, disappearing for most of the winter season. However, that wasn't an option this year as she had been appointed as a member of East Side Charity Ball planning committee. There had always been buzz about the charity ball around this time of year, but she never imagined she'd be attending, much less part of the planning process. Of course, it came with a fee, but still, she felt a degree of honor. In a way, it was like the official seal on the envelope of her career that she had made it.

So, Manaia stood outside of her condo building waiting on her rideshare to arrive and hoping she wouldn't be late for the first committee meeting. For some, casual exposure was a hassle, but she generally went unnoticed by the public unless someone happened to be a beauty industry or cultural arts fan. When a quaint black car pulled up to the curb and rolled down its passenger window, a man spoke to verify her identity, some glee in his tone. Although somewhat taken aback by that fact, she confirmed his suspicions and stepped up to the car, sliding into the backseat.

Then, the fanatics began.

The two would go on to converse for the duration of the trip, the excited driver doing most of the chatting. It had been a while since she garnered this type of reaction and while the man spoke, she began to wonder if she had made a mistake, having forgotten how mentally taxing it could be. Then again, perhaps this was the type of prep she needed for all the conversing, negotiating, and acquainting she'd soon be doing.

A few minutes passed before the car pulled up to the curb outside of Smile Jun. Manaia thanked the driver before making sure she had all of her belongings and getting out of the car (of course, not without taking a picture with the chatty man first). Many scents were picked up by her senses when she entered the restaurant, causing her stomach to rumble and instantly reminding her that she hadn't eaten today. However, she cleared her throat to focus her mind and proceeded to let the greeter know the reason for her presence. She was then swiftly led to another part of the restaurant where her eyes immediately took in the expanse of the area with its long table and the sight of those who had arrived before her. A few faces were familiar and she thought it to be fortunate to already be somewhat acquainted.

Interactions: -- ​

 

[sunsets]

enzo tate - smile jun
interactions: copacetic
​

The second Julien leaned in for a friendly hug, Enzo did the same. He was glad they had left things amicably, but then again, the two of them had no reason not to. They didn't fight or even really bicker, they were good friends first and got on really well. The only problem was the clashing of their schedules, which meant they didn't really have much time for each other. The fairest thing to do was to go their own ways instead of holding onto something that they couldn't even get a grasp on. "It has been too long," Enzo agreed with a smile. He sat back in his seat and rested his elbows upon the table. "I've been good, what about you?" He shot her a warm smile.

Upon being asked about his dog, Enzo couldn't help but chuckle. "Rocky is fine. Still the man of the house, even when I'm there. I think he misses a feminine touch around the place." Enzo admitted. He knew how good Julien was to his dog considering she didn't have her own, and it was clear to see that Rocky took a liking to her, too. He wasn't just a fan of anyone and always took his time to adjust to new people. Apparently, that wasn't the case with Julien. Sometimes, Enzo even thought the dog preferred her over him. "Youll have to come and pay him a visit. I'm sure he'd love it." He suggested, his eyebrows raising slightly.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Just Saruh

"Would it be weird if the day ended in a blaze of fire as the horsemen of the apocalypse rode through Manhattan? Oh, I'd definitely be Death but not in an evil context just like...you know. Here to bring people to the next life. I'm sure there's something about that in the bible...I don't know."

White smoke filled her loft as she lied back in her bed, joint in her right hand as smoke escaped from her mouth as she blew. Occupying the space next to her was another woman with a much lighter complexion, though still brown, with blue eyes and blonde curly hair. The young woman chuckled a bit reaching for the paraphernalia in Saruh's hand before shaking her head, "You're a real dag love, but I know you're a fair dinkum so it's cute." An accent thick with the sound of the Australian people spilled out of her mouth.

Saruh could only laugh herself sitting up, "You know sometimes I forget you're half Aborigine and then you talk and I remember you ain't from here." The two women could only laugh as the blonde began to take a hit from the joint. Saruh managed to climb out of the bed, in nothing but a long t-shirt as she moved to her dresser where she located her phone and looking at her missed messages, "Oh right, a photographer is coming to do a photo shoot for some publication. It's supposed to be about me in my natural habitat so you know...stuff from my own closet, minimum make up. Just what i'd look like you know on a typical day..."

"So your usual beautiful self?"

"You know it...sooooo...shower?" and from there the two women headed to the shower. From there Saruh would head to her closet where she'd put on a fuschia hoodie and green cargo pants and grabbing a fuschia bubble coat which would be her outfit for not just the photo shoot, but the day too. The photoshoot would go smoothly before the young woman and her companion parted ways (but also she wore gloves.) She took a deep breath as she headed for the subway. It wasn't long before she came up and walked the last few blocks to the restaurant.

She took in a deep breath as she moved through the restaurant looking around for where her companions. One of the staff recognized her and directed her to the appropriate place and she nodded. She popped a pill and dry swallowed before walking and waving at the people before sitting off to the side near no one, waiting until the pill took its affect in battling her anxiety.

Mentions: everyone there already

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Justin Ha
Justin kept his eyes on everyone who entered the room, the familiar faces were a bit of comfort in his life where most of the faces he met were new. He responded appropriately to those who spoke to him, and continued to watch as the people entered. He took a gentle breath and nodded as he checked his watch. He was a disciplined man and had always been, and what came with that discipline was punctuality. It was time for the meeting to start and though everyone participating had not yet arrived, it'd have to go on without them. So he took a moment to remove his tablet from a near-by bag pressed a button and a wall, or what had initially appeared to be a wall turned into a giant screen that mirrored what was on his tablet.

He looked over the guests, the members of the planning committee and with a gentle but commanding voice,"Hey guys, listen up. I appreciate you all gathering here, but it's time to get started. We don't have a lot to discuss today...in a sense, but it's enough that we should be thinking about our time. In a few minutes staff will be bringing out an assortment of our hors d'oeuvres. Keep in mind their taste as possible dishes for the food that will be presenting at the ball. I think a nod to diversity to the food would be a good place to start..."

He cleared his throat, "But that's not what's the first thing we need to talk about it. I'm sure most of us know each other, and those who don't know OF each other so we will skip the formalities for now. So now let's start with who wants to spearhead what. We have to think about music, venue, entertainment, decor, staff, food and draw in events like art auctions, date auctions, and so forth. Do we have any volunteers for anything?"

Interacts with EVERYONE in the room

LTJG Kortia Deneka Velentino

By the time Julien had spoken to her, Kortia had been on her third pour. SEALs were known for their ability to drink, for better or for worse, so it wasn't as if it was out of the ordinary. When she spotted her friend her a smile crept across her face as she offered a wave back before the smile gave way to parted lips allowing the warm liquids to flow through her mouth. The taste reminded her of home in such a weird way. The smokiness was everything Americans had built, as if she was a log cabin somewhere in a Tennessee forest accompanied with the Rum with hints of her ancestral Cuban home. It was comforting- or maybe that was her mind starting to lose focus as she slowly began to sail away from the Sober mainland to uncharted territories.

Her daze was broken when she heard noise near ears as she tried to maintain her focus enough to listen to the words that Julien was speaking only managing to catch the final few 'how are things?' Well maybe it was exactly those words but it was close enough, "You know, just waiting for this investigation to wrap up so I can hit the field again....being on leave is weird..." her words trailed off as she started to gaze off in the distance, not really focused on her friend's response. Luckily, her attention had been grasped by her ex beau which rescued her from the conversation. Not that she wasn't interested in having it, she was. It would have been nice to catch up, but the three drinks from earlier had absent-mindlessly become five that quick. She should probably stop- she had other matters to tend later that day. Who was she kidding, she'd probably cancel them anyways. None of them were too pressing.

She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes grabbing the glass and swirling the brown liquid around as she played through different scenes in her head. They varied from her time as a SEAL to her time with her brother before he passed. Some of the memories she wish she could have back, others she wish she could drink away. Shit. Five had become six and before she could allow herself to drink another she scooted the glass away and tried to make sure she could maintain her composure.

It was nothing but a stroke of luck that Justin had begun the meeting and started it with the mentioning of food. She wondered if her stomach could handle anything too out of the normal, but to pass on food from a premiere restaurant such as this would be nothing short of foolhardy. So she readjusted herself as she prepared to listen to the man. He had spoken and spoken about things that were important so she made sure to use as much as her focus as she could. When he spoke about volunteering, she motioned towards Julien and herself, "Maybe the two of us could lead the entertainment initiative? " she shrugged her shoulders and cast her gaze over to her counterpart.


Direct Interactions: Justin Ha (Aku) Semi Julien copacetic
Mentions: Everyone in the room

 

[Aato]

Brice Tang

Tap, tap, tap... Tap, tap, tap...

A black pen that had only been used once in two hours tapped impatiently against the leg of a 24-year-old who sat with a leg perched across the other at a long table with five other men and empty chairs in a board room nearly surrounded by windows. At this point, his mind had mostly drifted, bored with the topic at hand that had been repeatedly stirred up when he felt they had already come to a reasonable conclusion. While he knew that every new proposal had some sort of merit and the possibility of being more beneficial than the initial settlement, to put it simply, he didn't care. Knowing that the committee meeting for the charity ball was today, he had scheduled off in advance to avoid any hassle. However, he ended up being called in for an 'emergency' meeting that he apparently couldn't skip.

Periodically, he glanced at his watch, knowing already that he was late for the committee meeting. Now, it was just a matter of exactly how late he would be as this meeting ran overtime. As the voices of the other men droned on, he nodded accordingly. His eyes glanced over at the wall of windows, briefly wondering if jumping would be worth it and just how hard he'd have to hit the glass to make it successful. Who was he kidding? Not only was the glass reinforced, but he couldn't damage his pretty face...

"Mr. Tang... Mr. Tang..."

The loud clearing of a throat brought his attention back to the table with the new stack of documents in front of him and stares from the other men.

"We need your signature on pages one and five if you agree with the new settlement."

A small rumble came from his throat. "Apologies, gentlemen." He reached a hand up to place his signature on the documents then passed them on, watching carefully until they made it back around to the CEO of the other company. There was a final announcement about copies being made for the records of both companies then the men stood to shake hands.

'About goddamn time...' He plastered on the fake smile as he shook each man's hand before leaving, though his gesture probably felt rushed.

As soon as he stepped outside, he mildly regretted the decision of not putting on his black peacoat. But just as he had no time for the coat, there was no time for regrets and he ran swiftly to his blue BMW M5. It took all of 10 minutes for the car to roar to life and make it to Smile Jun; if it weren't for snow, he would have gotten there even quicker.

He jogged up to the door, but stopped to regain his composure, adjusting his suit jacket and brushing a hand through his hair, before making his way inside. There was no weather more important than making sure he always presented in perfect, unruffled condition. The staff seemed somewhat hesitant to guide him to the meeting room - which he understood - but still, they led him on. The woman who walked ahead of him to the room door seemed to peak inside before turning back to him and quietly letting him know that the meeting had already begun. She then gestured for him to proceed inside.

Brice Tang had arrived.

With head held high, he approached the table, taking the first available seat that caught his eye. He moved to shrug off his peacoat and place it on the back of his chair; however, it was that moment that he realized he'd forgotten it in the car during his rush. No matter. (Although he was sure anyone who noticed assumed him crazy for wearing only a suit jacket and scarf.) Now that he was seated and settled, the rest of his surroundings came into focus: the room, the scents, the faces... He was pleased to see a few acquaintances, but particularly perked upon seeing Kortia. He hadn't known she returned from deployment... A mental note was made to address that later.

With all the background factors out of the way, Brice could once again focus his ears on the details of yet another discussion at another long table.

Interactions: --​

 

[copacetic]

Julien Campbell

Julien grinned at the mention of visiting. "Of course! I miss him, I'd love to see him!" she agreed excitedly. "I've been good, just busy mostly with moving. I know I told you that I moved, but I'm finally all unpacked and settled. Here's my new address. I couldn't stay at my old place; it should be a crime to do that to such a beautiful old building. Not everybody likes the ultra modern monstrosities that are so common now, they get rid of all the charm," she complained as she pulled some paper from her purse and wrote down the address. Her old building was beautiful and historical, but the owners were gutting it and renovating it into some sleek and updated place. Julien was horrified and decided to move. "I actually own my new place. No more apartment rules, like restrictions on pets, for me. So, if you ever need a dog sitter, let me know," she explained. Because she was on the planning committee, she would be around much more often until the ball happened. She made sure all her work was local so she would be able to take on the responsibilities for the ball.

Julien nodded as Kortia spoke. "I mean I hope things go quickly for your sake, but I'm glad you're around," she responded. That's all she could get out before Justin began the meeting. She looked at Kortia when she volunteered them for entertainment. "I can do that. Also, I know I'm going to be in charge of finding the models for the fashion show as well," she explained. She was glad that she was going to be working with her friend. While she did hope her friend was back to work soon, selfishly, she was glad her friend was on leave, it would give them time to spend together. Of course, she would never say this to Kortia. She was happy to be a part of the committee in general. It gave her time to spend with Kortia and time to spend with Enzo. She would be lying if she said she wasn't excited to see he was a part of the committee as well when he walked into the room.

sunsets AkuTheWolfOkami ​

 

[Ambiloquous]

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[div class=bo]
Loca Meijer
[/div]
[div class=bo][/div]​

[div class=bo]

Loca nodded to Saruh, who was sitting off to the side, but she didn't move closer or strike up a chat. Anxiety, was it? Loca had heard of it but didn't get many chances to see it in person. She paused, wondering if she should ask about her state. Before she could start up, her attention was caught by the mention of pets nearby. Wrinkling her brows, she grimaced. It wasn't that she didn't like pets, they just took too much time and effort that she couldn't give. She wouldn't admit she hated the fact that they couldn't listen to her. By the time she had thought to look back at Saruh, she seemed to gain back her airheaded look. Loca blew out a breath.

Looking away, she thought about what she'd need for this meeting. She wasn't going to use her laptop for this. That was strictly for music only. So that left the only other thing in her bag, which was her little-used tablet. Will had gotten it second-hand and though he gave it to her as a Christmas present, she knew he just didn't want it anymore. Flipping through her laptop bag with its neat compartments, she pulled out the tablet with an attachable keypad. Out of an unnoticeable pocket in the tablet's case, she slipped her stylus out, giving it a tap before setting it down again.

When Ha asked about volunteers, she poked her stylus into the air while speedily typing down the people who were already volunteering. "I can take music." She had said it with a "can" but her tone made it sound more like a statement than an offer. Loca glanced around to see who else would offer, pointedly staring at Saruh. She had good work ethics and they were familiar, though she didn't mind someone else that worked as well.

AkuTheWolfOkami copacetic
[/div]

 

[lonecoyote]

Imani Everest​

The winter time was always one of Imani's least favorite times of the year and that was mainly due to the harsh cold nights patrolling the freezing streets while she also studied for her courses. Imani pulled down the hat that she was wearing to cover her ears from the cold and zipped up her jacket as much as she could possibly zip it up. Green eyes observed everything that was happening before and around her as she was being escorted to a nearby waiting armored van. A sigh left her lips as the cold air rushed from her lungs and her cheeks began to glow a soft shade of pink. "So, tell me what's going on. Hostage situation?" she finally spoke and looked at the police chief and his detective who were looking at the monitors in the van.

"My partner, Detective Amos is with the suspect inside of the suspects apartment. The suspect has already shot and killed his sister and her daughter. The suspect is already wanted for the death of the neighbor's 14 year old daughter who he kidnapped and raped. He also had the girl's younger 5 year old sister that is still alive, but he is holder her captive as well. Amos went to make a deal with the suspect about releasing the little girl and he did but has Amos in there and is using him as a shield and demanding money. He's had Amos in there for two days and Amos has a head injury." the detective stated and this caused Imani to pull her ponytail tighter. She watched the monitor and watched the movements as she began to speak. "We have eyes on the two buildings across and beside it, correct? Snipers on the roofs?" "Yes ma'am." "Good. Wait, what's that?" Imani could see something shiny in his hands and she immediately left the truck. "Commissioner!" "He has another hostage. It looked like a little boy, he's badly beaten. I saw him try to get up by the bodies."

Imani walked to the building where a man in a bulletproof vest stood and armed with a gun in his hands. "Give me your vest." she said and the bewildered look on his face caused Imani's brows to furrow. "I said, give me your vest." "But commissioner." "Dammit, give me your vest now or I will take your shield!" she shouted and the officer quickly removed his vest and handed it over to the young woman before him. Imani reached into the waistband of her belt and pulled out her own gun, entering the building with some men, the police chief and the detective behind her. With quick steps the apartment was quickly before them and Imani knocked on the door. A nervous but loud voice called out and Imani calmed her own. "This is police commissioner, Imani Everest. Can we talk for a moment? I just want the kid. I'll give you whatever you want, just give me the little boy. He's badly injured and he needs medical attention. You don't want another death on your hands, do you?"

*five hour time skip*

"Thank you, Commissioner." Detective Amos thanked Imani who held her arm but grinned. "No problem, gotta look out for each other." she winced as she was escorted to an ambulance. "Commissioner! Are you okay?" the voice of Imani's assistant, Vannah rang through the crowds and Imani looked up at the worried woman with a smile. "I'm fine, just got a little boo boo on my arm is all." she laughed softly and watched as one of the EMT's cut the sleeve from her shirt and was getting the bullet from the wound. "You know, most commissioners don't go out into the field anymore." her assistant scolded her and Imani sighed rather loudly. "Yeah, I know, but I'm not most commissioners. I'm still a cop and sitting at the desk all day going to meetings sucks." "Like the meeting you're supposed to be at right now for the Charity Ball?"

Imani's eyes widened and she let her head fall back in defeat. "Shit. I totally forgot. How late am I?" The last part of her question was more screamed partially out when the bullet was removed and her bandages were being put on. "You're half an hour late." Imani groaned and stood up from the back of the ambulance, grabbing her jacket and signaling for Vannah to follow. "We're just doing security, right?" "Yes, the officers have already been made aware of the ball and that volunteers will be needed from each precinct." "So why am I attending the meeting?" "Because as the commissioner of the NYPD, you're needed to check out the building and see what else may be needed for the night security wise. Since you're the big boss lady if you don't go it might be unprofessional. Plus, I think this meeting will be good for you to stay out of the office a little longer."

Imani sighed as she got into the vehicle and signaled for her driver to go. "We're going to Smile Jun, please." she said and the driver nodded as he began the drive. Vannah was still talking her ear off, but instead of listening like she should have been she was texting her brothers. Her fingers danced across the screen of the latest iPhone asking her brothers where they were with her older brother replying that he was getting ready for a date and her younger brother adding that he was packing for his trip home since he had just finished with his last final of the semester. Imani texted the men back, a small smile on her face. Being the police commissioner was a tough job and one that felt more like a desk job at times rather than a police job but this is what she did it for. She was putting her brother through college and her son was attending one of the best private schools in New York. These were privileges that Imani didn't get growing up. Imani went to a public school in the Bronx where shooting and gang violence was as common as running water. There wasn't a day that went by where Imani wasn't sure if she'd make it home, but the fire in her gut to get out of the Bronx and provide for her family pushed her to save up her money and get them out. Now, here she was sitting in a sleek black 2019 Rolls Royce helping with the infamous Charity Ball.

Fancy things were never appealing to Imani, but they were nice to have. Since becoming Police Commissioner Imani had been invited to many private events which included her getting new clothes and her hair and make up done as insisted by the mayor. With her promotion her wardrobe also changed from a uniform to pant suits and cocktail dresses. "Do I have to wear a dress to this ball?" Her assistant raised a brow and nodded. "The mayor said he'd be sending you a new dress when the date comes closer. I think he wants to wait and hear the theme colors and he'll get his designer friend to do your dress." Imani nodded and watched as the restaurant came into view. She was rather familiar with Smile Jun since it was her son's favorite restaurant and the mayor loved having lunch there. When the car pulled up Imani opened her door and looked into the car. "Go to my next meeting for me while I do this. Take notes, ask questions, and I'll call you when I'm done." she told Vannah and didn't give her any time to say anything before she shut the door and began walking to the building and shivering through the cold.

Upon entering the building she waved to a man who showed her to where the meeting was being held. Her once long sleeve cream turtle neck was now a short sleeve on the right side and had some blood on the sleeve and her pants. She wore black dress pants and chunky heels with an oversized policeman's jacket hanging from her shoulders and almost swallowing her. Her hair was a bit of a mess and thankfully the jacket covered the stains on her clothes from the earlier incident. "Thank you." she whispered to the man who nodded and patted her back. Imani looked around the table and took note of everyone in the room until her eyes landed on a certain female sitting away from everyone. A sly smile played on her lips as she walked towards the female and sat beside her, not looking at her but at the owner of the restaurant. "You didn't tell me you were going to be here, Saruh." she spoke softly and looked over at her best friend and roommate, her smile still on her lips. Imani reached out and put a hand on Saruh's leg, rubbing it gently knowing how anxious Saruh could get and trying to help calm her down. Imani kept looking at the faces in the room, knowing of most because of her job and the fact that she didn't live under a rock. She had heard of the fashion designer and loved her work, knew of the football star because the mayor always insisted on taking her and her family to home games, and some of the models. Others were foreign to her but she was looking forward to getting to know the rest. This was a nice little change from her dull meetings in offices all day.

"Will the staffing be made up of employees from the restaurant since they are the most familiar with the layout of the building? Whatever staff is needed I can see what I can do." Imani piped up after crossing her legs. Why did Vannah know her so well? This was already a better option for a meeting than one it the office building. A small yawn escaped her and she rubbed her eyes. Early mornings were always part of her life and Imani always made it to her job hours before she was supposed to be there in order to get a head start on the cases she had to present to district attorneys etc. Today was no exception and she hadn't realized how tired she was until she relaxed her body against the comfortable chair.

Interaction: Saruh Austin AkuTheWolfOkami
Mentions: everyone who beat her there

 

[Aato]

Manaia Tamati
While waiting for the meeting to commence, Manaia's mind had drifted back to food, the smells beckoning her appetite once again. She had forgotten that skipping meals didn't work very well for her - she always needed something, even if it was a morsel. However, as she looked down at her lightly grumbling stomach, she couldn't help recalling the small pudges at her sides and thinking that she could stand to miss a meal. When had that gotten there? She was always so busy working that exercised seemed it would have been more than plenty. Then again, maybe it was, but she was a foodie at heart and all the new-found money that she was admittedly still getting used to didn't help. That was one of the things that had brought her to this restaurant early on in her career and had unknowingly, briefly acquainted her with her then top-of-the-line boss, a nerve-wracking honor, really...

Her thoughts were interrupted by the stern voice of the familiar man standing at the head of the table. The meeting had begun. There were a few announcements before the chatter got underway, people determining in which ways they could contribute to the cause while others straggled in late. Manaia listened carefully before raising her hand to volunteer. "I'm open to providing all things makeup if those working on entertainment are interested," she offered, looking from Justin to glance over at Kortia and Julien. "I can also help put together the general decor and organization. Interior design isn't necessarily my expertise, but I have some experience from prepping for events back home," she said, her attentions no longer focused on anyone in particular. This was all exciting for her, not just for the factor of attending the charity ball itself, but she had never contributed to something so large and so expensive. The possibilities seemed nearly endless.

Interactions: (loosely) Kortia AkuTheWolfOkami , Julien copacetic ​

 

[Melanin-Gxdess]

Ailyn Sheppard

While Ailyn waited for the meeting to kick off, she was doodling in her idea journal. The latest picture was of a nearly see-through dress, black in color. The only covering of the dress would be something of a black bodysuit that would have mesh material. She drew little arrows pointing to each portion, labeling the parts of the dress and the materials she wanted to use for them. The top layer would be made out of nothing but lace and would stop a few inches above the knee. Real Fashion Nova material, but she would add to it later to make it a little classier. Maybe she would design it for herself to wear to this year's ball if she could get her line done on time. Otherwise, she was digging in the back of her closet for whatever old dress she had back there. Once she was satisfied with her work, she put her journal away; just in time to see Kortia walk in. She knew her, but didn't know her, know her. The other female was more so Jordan and Odi's friend than anything. Ailyn did a little bit of people watching as everyone started to file in the room. It was amazing how she hadn't filled her cup with a mimosa but when she realized she hadn't, she immediately got to it. Instead of your basic orange juice and champagne, she added a splash of strawberry to it and got to drinking. If we're being honest here, her cup was more like champagne with a splash of juices for color but the only one who noticed that was Jordan. A long time ago he had learned to not call her out on the amount of chaser she actually added. That first punch was the last time he ever did such a thing; that day was also the last time he would ever allow her to make a drink for him, too. Noticing Kortia taking a seat next to Jordan, Ailyn accidentally elbowed him hard in the ribs, to which he grunted at. "Ow! What the hell?" He harshly whispered before turning to her, annoyance on his face. "Why you ain't cuff her yet?" She asked, a mischevious grin on her face. He glanced at her then back at Ailyn, rubbing his rib and chuckling. "First off, I'm sure she got eyes for someone else and second, I don't feel for her like that. She just cool to kick it with, you know?" The English graduate took a small pause before correcting his friend's grammar, "And it's why haven't you, not why you ain't. I can't have an illiterate friend, now." To which Ailyn gave him a sarcastic smile and lifted her middle finger. "Use your words." He teased, receiving the comment, "Non-verbal communication counts." She took a sip of her glass before shrugging. "Don't worry. We'll get you married and then our kids can get married so you'll have to put up with me forever." Ailyn was starting to lighten up a bit today, as she had been stressed and annoyed all day. The light mood quickly turned sour as she saw Odi walk in, sit next to her, and not say anything. Jordan took note of this and made an "Ah shit" face as Ailyn took a pause.

To say she was annoyed by her fiance's actions was an understatement. She knew he didn't want to attend the meeting but had stressed the importance of it. The two of them were a united front, which meant he would have to put up with the same stupid shit she did. In all honesty, she was tired of hearing moan and complain about it all and made a point to tell him so. "Don't start with your shit today, Odilon." She said, the volume of her voice low enough that others couldn't hear, but high enough that he definitely would. The only time she would call him by his full name was when she was absolutely enamored with him, or absolutely pissed. By the looks of her raised brow, she definitely wasn't the former. Before she could say more, Justin began the meeting. She turned her attention to him and listened as he and many others in the group spoke up. When she got a chance to speak, it was at the venue. "Well, 583 Park Avenue is always a choice. Big enough for up to 1,300 people, of course, there may be less that show up. We could always take a trip down there and check it out." She would need to any way she thought to herself. If she were going to do the fashion show, she wanted to see the ambiance and decided which aesthetic she wanted to go with.
Jordan B. Michael

Jordan was sort of quiet, always being one to observe what was going on instead of speaking. So watching the events break out between everyone was sort of interesting. Some people knew each other and others didn't, and that was probably the most interesting thing to him. Half these people had no idea who the other half was, being mutual friends of this person and that person. It made sense though considering their professions were all completely different. Jordan might never have crossed paths with a model in his day to day, but now he has thanks to his friend the fashion designer. It was always amusing that they were all on this little committee together, despite not knowing who the benefactor of this little soiree was. Either way, it was going to be a night to remember. Jordan helped himself to some of the food laid out, reaching for a plain croissant before listening to Ailyn suggest a venue. He nodded his head at the idea, "583 PA is nice that's for sure. We had a launch party there last winter. Guastavino's is pretty dope too. Either way, I can help you with staffing." He said, looking at Imani. "We have a ton of college kids on set looking for more work and what not."

​

Mentions:
Everyone Present

​

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Odi Beckham Jr.
He had already taken a sip of the beverage before Ailyn spoke to him, the warm sensation spreading through every fiber of his being. "Now this! This was how you had an off day." He knew he'd regret it by tomorrow, when he'd have to hit the gym a little extra hard after practice to negate the empty calories of the spirit, but boy spirit was the right thing to call it. It sure seemed to lift his.

He glanced to the bottle checking the label out and noting the name before he nodded. He'd have to ask Kortia to order a few cases of this for himself, and only himself. With a gentle nod he went to take another sip but his fiancee's voice shot through his ears first. She was not happy about his actions as evident by her use of his whole name. They weren't having relations at the moment so......which as bad as it may sound was overly satisfying for him. He wanted to irk her nerves more than he had already done but Justin began to speak so he stowed his retort and put the beverage to his lip instead.

He gave a good listen to everything everyone had said. Well....he hadn't listened at all. Not to a single soul. In fact he had tuned completely out. Well at least until a certain police commissioner had made her way inside of the room. I mean, who could have missed that police coat, commanding aura and those....those eyes. He had his eyes fixated on Imani from the moment she had entered the room until the moment she sat down. He noticed every little thing she did from the way she walked, to the way she comforted Saruh. To say she had caught his attention may have been bit of an understatement.

When he caught a chance between all of the exchanges he spoke up, "Haha, I know you mentioned date auctions. If they are willing, we have a few big ticket possible dates here. Saruh, the models, an actor, Lady Commissioner here. I'm sure I can lend a hand and get a couple of my teammates to participate too. I know there will be a few sports fans in the audience."



interactions: Ailyn Melanin-Gxdess Everyone in attendance

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

LTJG Kortia Deneka Velentino

Julien's response seemed about par for course as what she'd expect from her friend. She wasn't sure if her attention to detail had come from her life as a Navy SEAL or if she had always been that way. Her personality seemed to have gotten blurred somewhere along the lines and it was often hard to tell who she really was and who she had become. Maybe there wasn't a difference between the two. Maybe it was fair to say that who she became was no different than who she was. Maybe this was the alcohol that was distorting her thoughts and causing some sort of pseudo philosophical crisis mixed with a tad bit of existential and identity crisis. Maybe it was depression she had already been suffering through and the alcohol just didn't help.

Whatever the case was, she tried to compose herself once more so that she wouldn't slur her words as she spoke, "I think Julien and I could definitely handle the models for the fashion show, along with the ..." her words trailed off as she was about to mention Ailyn and Manaia's expertise, as her focus was broken by the entrance of one Brice Tang. A tidal wave of emotions hit her all at once- ones that she had not been prepared to process. She bit her lip a bit, before glancing to Jordan trying to filter through what was going on in her head.

"Man...manai-" she had whispered a bit under her breath as she was trying to find her words again, but was rescued by Manaia speaking up for herself. That saved her a bit as she glanced from Jordan to her hands watching her fingers fiddle with themselves. She tucked one of her curly strands behind her ear as she took a slow breath. She wanted to see if Jordan was free tonight, to maybe have a serious date but the way her loins had reacted to seeing Brice...

Maybe it was the liquor. She could always blame it on the liquor, right? She shook her head as she looked up again, "Perhaps Julien, Manaia, and myself can spear head the fashion show while Manaia and Ailyn also take on the venue and decor? "

She didn't intend to make decisions for others, she was just trying to suggest possible matches that would help things flow well. "I also can team up with the police commissioner about security. Oh, and I'd be ok with entering the date auction if that's what we're doing."


Direct Interactions: Justin Ha (Aku) Julien copacetic
Mentions: Everyone in the room

 

[lonecoyote]

Nicolai Mascolo

​

The sound of music blaring from his phone coupled with the pounding of fists against his front door managed to stir awake the italian tattoo clad man who was laying with an arm and leg hanging off of his bed and a dark haired female beside him with her hair a mess. Slowly grey eyes opened and a hand came up to rub them as he took a deep breath and looked around the room as his vision cleared and everything came into focus. "Che cazzo.....(what the fuck)" he let out in his native tongue, moving his other arm from beneath the woman beside him to throw the covers off of himself and walk to the door of his apartment slowly. It was quite a trip from his room to the front door and on the way he stopped by the fridge and grabbed a small bottle of apple juice and opened it, taking sips until he reached the door. Nicolai didn't even bother to peek through the peep hole to see who may be on the other side of it.

With a quick motion after turning the knob, Nicolai was met face to face with his manager. "Nicolai! Where the hell is your-" she was caught off by the site of her client standing before her in all of his tattooed glory completely nude. "Fuuuuuck, Nicolai..." she groaned and covered her eyes. "Put some pants on you dick." Nicolai looked down and then back up, shrugging before grabbing a blanket off of the couch and wrapping it around his waist. His manager walked inside and anyone would feel bad for the poor woman having to manage an adult who acted like a teenager. Her eyes looked around his apartment and saw that he had a rather large canvas that had half of a face painted on it and it looked to be melting and revealing a rather colorful and shiny skull beneath it. She approached the painting and examined it closely, reaching out and feeling the textures he had added two nights ago. "This is wonderful, Nicolai. When will it be done?" Nicolai's eyes looked at her as he grabbed a cigarette and lit it, inhaling slowly and holding the slim tobacco between his fingers.

"Four days." he said simply and leaned against the counter, still wondering why the hell she was there and he wasn't still in bed asleep. If he could plan it just right, maybe he could get that dark haired beauty from last night to stay longer. "Why are you here, Angela?" he finally asked and his manager turned to look at him with anger resurfacing onto her face. "I almost forgot you bastard!" she yelled and threw a pillow at him causing him to almost drop his cigarette. "Dammit, Angie!" he growled back at her and she only threw another pillow at him. "You're supposed to be at the meeting for the Charity Ball you bum! This is an important event for you to get more exposure and to help those less fortunate!" she continued to yell and throw more pillows at him. I think the real question here is why does Nicolai have so many damn pillows? To be completely honest, Nicolai remembered the meeting and had absolutely no interest in it. Not because he was a cold heartless monster, but because he didn't like people knowing what he looked like and associating him with his emotional and beautiful paintings like the one he was working on currently. His current painting that sat in his living room represented the inner beauty a person has within them and how that beauty all depends on the person themselves. For this person, it was a woman who on the inside was full of life with flowers and greenery flowing through her skeleton, but there were some dry patches and dead flowers and such that represented the hard times in her life and how she had to give up parts of it throughout it.

"I'll go to the next one! It'll be fine!" he shielded his face as the cushions came flying at him and he had to catch them. Damn could the woman throw hard for something that should be soft. "No, you're making me look bad as your manager damn you!" she growled and he shook his head, moving closer to her and grabbing her wrists with a firm grip. "I'll go to the next one, Angie. I promise." he said and gave her his best puppy dog look that she could which made her go from anger to relaxing and rolling her eyes. "Fine. But you better go." she said and leaned up to press a kiss against his lips. Nicolai kissed her back before stepping away and escorting her to the door. "I'll text you later, ok? I'm still worn out from last night." he winked to her and Angela rolled her eyes and began to walk away. "You're so charming it's disgusting." she said and flipped him off as he laughed and closed the door.

Truth be told, Nicolai didn't want to go because he heard through the grape vine that the female commissioner was going to be there and the two of them didn't exactly get along. Was it childish to avoid her? Yes. Did he care? Absolutely not. After grabbing a banana and watching a youtube video or two, Nicolai grabbed one of his pre rolled joints and lit it. He took a slow hit before reaching for a pill bottle and shaking two into his palm. He popped the pills and finished off his apple juice, replacing the bottle with the joint and taking a hit as he stared at his new painting. "It needs more life." he said and bent down to grab a paintbrush and pick up where he left off.

Mentions: Imani
Interactions: none, he's skipping the meeting. oops.

 

[AkuTheWolfOkami]

Just Saruh

The room was merely a bunch of noise as Saruh fiddled with her hands. Some words came through clear, but with no meaning. Other words sounded like white noise that had no meaning. She probably should have smoked again before she got here, or maybe that would have affected her paranoia. Either way she needed the pills she took awhile ago to kick in. She wanted to contribute to the meeting but...

If it had been anyone else who had touched her leg, Saruh would have jumped straight out of her shoes. Yet, there was something oddly familiar about the hand and the voice that accompanied it. It seemed to cause everything in the room to come into view, and the noises had become words. She took a deep breath as she smiled and offered a nod to Imani, "I'm like a hundred percent sure that I told you busy bee..." she chuckled a bit before rubbing her eyes. She yawned a bit and took moment to readjust herself as everyone mentioned how they could help.

With a shrug of her shoulders she spoke up, "I'm sure we can do something and combine the fashion show with a concert. Something like project runway would be smooth. I'm a hundred percent sure I can perform, and like could probably get a couple others. I think that would be a good idea."

Mentions: imani lonecoyote everyone there already

 

[lonecoyote]

Imani Everest​

Imani listened to everyone and took mental notes, making eye contact to those who mentioned or spoke to her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see a glass being given to her. Imani smiled and nodded taking the glass and putting it to her lips and taking a drink. The alcohol burned her throat and she let out a breath. "Sure, I'll participate in a date auction. Sounds fun." she laughs a bit and her eyes went over to a female and nodded to her. "Thank you, I'll need all the help that I can get. I'll give you my number so we can talk about this further." she smiled again but on the inside she was so tired and could care less about this meeting.

Her eyes looked over to Saruh and she shrugged her shoulders. "I mean, probably. It's been a long week." she said softly and took the rest of the drink as a shot and hung the glass loosely by her fingertips. Her mind began to wander as everyone continued to talk and she zoned out, not really thinking about anything in particular but more so just going through the motions of what she needed to do after the meeting and when she got home. Her younger brother Anthony was sure to be over. Hell, the kid never really moved out when he started going to college and even though Imani was paying for his apartment every month. She couldn't be all too upset at the kid though, at least with him at home she knew that he was safe and not getting into any trouble.

Imani honestly wasn't sure what she could do to help out with the rest as it seemed everyone could use their talents or fame to help out while she could just do police stuff and run security. The thought of the date auction made her laugh and she honestly was joking when she said that she would participate. There's no way anyone would bid on her. Sure, Imani knew that she could turn heads when she wanted to and the woman had confidence like no other and if she wanted she could steal your man faster than you could say 'Thank you, next'. But that's not who this Imani was anymore. She was a civilized, upstanding, and motherly woman. Plus, her heart had already been spoken for. She looked down at her ring finger where her ring usually sat, but while she was on the job she didn't wear the jewelry for fear of losing it or it getting scuffed up while she was on the job.

A noise snapped Imani back to the restaurant and she blinked, looking around and offering a small smile before looking at Saruh. "I'll give my baby daddy a call and see if he can perform as well. It'll be fun." she nodded before pulling her phone out and typing on it rather quickly before putting it back into her pocket. She didn't send a text but instead made a note to call Zay. And with that, Imani put her hands on her thighs and smiled. "I think that's all I'm needed for, right? My talents lie in security and for that I'll have to look at the space with the floor plans and all exits myself. It's been a long day and I just want to go home and see my baby." she looked at everyone before to Justin. "Is that alright with you, Mr. Ha? Or is there something else that you need me for?" she asked, raising a brow and tilting her head to the right ever so slightly.

Interactions: AkuTheWolfOkami

 

[copacetic]

Julien Campbell

"I'm fine with participating in the date auction. I do have two friends who are Victoria's Secret Angels who may be willing to help out with it if we need more people," she offered. She was honestly a bit nervous about participating in it, however. What if the person who bid on her was an asshole? What if nobody bid on her? Despite these worries, Julien wanted to participate since it was for charity. Pushing those thoughts aside, Julien picked at the food in front of her, deciding which was the thing that she liked the most. She hadn't eaten at Smile Jun before as she rarely ate at restaurants. The food was wonderful, so it was definitely a plus that they would be the ones catering the event.

Julien listened as Kortia spoke, giving her a look of concern when she seemed to have trouble with her words. She wanted to ask if she was okay, but it was neither the time nor place for that. Plus, she wasn't too sure if she was just stumbling over her words or not, since she seemed to collect herself after Manaia spoke. "That would be perfect. You always do such creative looks that always fit with the theme of the show," she complimented. Manaia and Julien had crossed paths a few times with their careers overlapping, so Julien was familiar with the quality of her work. She definitely was one of the best Julien had encountered, and Julien had met many makeup artists throughout her career.

Julien snapped her fingers and pointed at Saruh after she spoke. "Yes, a concert with the fashion show would be a great idea. It would give it more of a personal touch and an opportunity for the audience to connect," she agreed with a grin. She took a sip of the water she had in front of her. Julien shifted in her chair, hoping that the others agreed. She knew Saruh was quite talented, though she wasn't very familiar with her discography. However, she did know the guests would most definitely look forward to and appreciate her performance.

AkuTheWolfOkami Aato

 

[Aato]

Brice Tang
Brice was silent as he listened to the others speak and lounged back in his seat while an outstretched hand rested on the table, toying with a folded scrap of paper between his fingers. Although this meeting centered around a topic that could be considered relatively "fun" by comparison to the norm, he still found himself nearly as bored as he had been at his previous meeting. Really, focusing had become an issue and he seemed to observe the people speaking more than listen to their words, bits and pieces of information catching his attention. The women here were all different but really quite the lookers, and as he sneaked more glances around the table, more people became familiar. Even if he didn't know them on a personal level, he'd seen them through media.

He really should have been putting more effort into being attentive yet was caught somewhere between thinking of the things he'd rather be doing - still a bit annoyed by earlier's unexpected obligation - and trying to figure out his own contribution to the charity ball's setup. The young man had no qualms with admitting he was primarily a one-trick pony. His occupation had given him some transferable skills; however, he could almost guarantee that he wasn't the only one who could offer such traits. He could sketch ideas on paper, but was no artist. His organizational skills could make someone with OCD cry with satisfaction, but surely anyone could do that. Need something negotiated in your favor? Consider it done... His words were always confident and came across smoothly when necessary; people didn't scare him. Plus, he spoke two Chinese dialects... but he had no interest in being a host and was quite sure translation of that type wouldn't be needed. Then again, he could always be that person with the fun little booth who sits in the corner and writes random words and phrases in Chinese for folks; that always seemed to fascinate people. The thought caused him to smirk as he stifled a small laugh at the tawdry idea...

One of several mentions of the date auction drew his focus back to the present. A few of the women had volunteered, including Kortia whom he noticed choked on and slurred her words. While the concept of her being auctioned for a date seemed to unsettle something within him, the abnormality of her behavior overshadowed that fact. It caused him to hike an eyebrow and he glanced down to the glass in front of her before his eyes returned to her face. The usual glow of her skin was... off, perhaps more sallow. That would be something else to add to the list when he caught up with her later. Though, right now - and it was likely the wrong thought to follow up with, but - a drink sounded perfect and he was disappointed he hadn't thought of it sooner.

Brice sat up and signaled to one of the attendants to order a drink, little white paper piece still between his fingers. A glass of Irish coffee promptly found its way in front of him and he took a sip of the warm, spiked beverage then looked at the other committee members, finally settling and offering himself as useful, "I wouldn't mind hosting for the night or segments of the night... I can also stay behind the scenes and help with budgeting and the like."

Interactions: Everyone ​