Soulfasting Concert for Charity

[my_father_is_a_tycoon]

Who: Lenna Charlotte Tycoon, the Kagamine twins, and open invite for all
What: A Soulfast-themed charity concert and dance
When: Sunday night
Where: The Tycoon family estate
Summary: Lenna is hosting a charity event to benefit Union's poor and homeless population, along with refugees from war-torn communities outside Union's walls and people who are moving into the city but need some help while they get on their feet.  The entire city is invited, and donations are not required but are strongly encouraged in the form of Lenna smiling and making big moe eyes at everyone as they enter until they do.

[It's the beginning of the Soulfasting holiday, and despite the complications with Cresselia and Darkrai, Lenna has miraculously managed to pull together the final preparations for her charity event at the last minute.  The party itself is being held at the Tycoon mansion in the noble quarter, and the doors have been opened for any and all who wish to come and make merry.

The spacious foyer of the house has been set up with numerous tables with food and drink for the various attendees, plenty of room for dancing and mingling, and of course a large stage at the front of the room set up for Rin and Len Kagamine - Lenna's roommates and the headline performing act of the night.  There are donation boxes situated around the room, and Lenna will also be accepting larger donations personally so that she can secure them elsewhere in the house.

And because of the time of year, there is also a table set up with plenty of Pokemon-themed masks for people to wear, with a fancy sign hand written in calligraphy: 'Courtesy of the Tatsumi Gallery.'  Lenna herself is wearing a short red party dress with matching heels, greeting everyone as they enter and more or less just buzzing about making sure everyone is having a good time.]

Comments

[mid]

[ To say Katarina didn't care for events like this would be a severe understatement.

Still, she understands power and political pull just as she understands the importance of showing face. With Cass previously indisposed (doing what, Katarina couldn't say), Katarina is left attending the charity alone, staying close to the edges of the foyer, a goblet of wine in hand and a Haunter-themed party mask adorning her face. While she knows her countenance is plenty enough to keep people at bay, she enjoys the anonymity that the mask provides her, her eyes scanning the people milling about.

Taking another sip from her glass, she makes a face as the rest of the wine drains from it. She's feeling warm and light, which takes a nice edge off of things regardless of the state of her empty glass and her distaste for social functions, an a light smile graces the corners of her lips as she watches several couples moving along the dancefloor, her back bumping against the wall before she settles into a shady, inconspicuous spot. ]

[ladyofluminosity]

[That's the thing about these parties, you always end up running into someone you know, for better or for worse.]

Ezreal, come on! We've been at the food table all night, I want to dance!

[Congratulations, Katarina, you have a Crownguard in your midst, dragging along her blond ruffian of a boyfriend. Dressed in a ethereal purple gown, she wears a purrloin masquerade mask over her face.

Glancing around the room, she sees Kat and momentarily panics. Shoot, that was the last person she wanted to see, and unless she felt like awkwardly changing their path, they would pass right by her. Act like you don't see her, act like you don't see her. And pray to the gods that Ezreal decides not to make any snide comments.]

[mid]

[ While she would recognize the two young blondes anywhere, Katarina makes no effort to confront them. Not yet. Though her muscles momentarily stiffen at the sight of them moving in her direction, she sees no need to start a fight; the forced socialization of the gala has left her weary, and when a man bearing a tray with filled wine goblets passes her by, she deftly relieves him of one of them, replacing it on the tray with the empty one in her hand. She takes another sip as she makes eye contact with Lux, her expression unreadable behind her mask.

She's still not too happy after that pool party incident, but alas. She notices the way Lux goes rigid when she catches sight of her, and she gives a slight shake of her head. ]

You've nothing to fear. [ She takes another heavy sip of the wine, expelling a breath as she swallows. ] You and your little boyfriend aren't the focus of my attentions tonight.

[ A lopsided smirk. Her face was starting to feel hot. ]

[indy_wannabe]

'sup noodle. Lookin' a bit flushed there, I thought you could hold your liquor.

[mid]

Don't speak to me of things you know nothing about, pipsqueak. [hic!]

[ladyofluminosity]

[Then what is--she almost said, but, unlike their previous encounter, Lux was able to hold her tongue. Even the most innocent questions seemed to set her off, and despite herself, the blond was genuinely curious. The Du Couteau family were a very different sort, and she had the nasty habit of poking her nose into affairs that weren't her own.

She opened her mouth to say something, but thankfully, her polished turd of a boyfriend decided to speak for her. Of course, he always knew the perfect thing to say in every situation, and Lux shot him a dirty look.]

I'm sorry, I'm still trying to teach him manners after the last time. [Yes she's still mad you left her. Ass.] As hard-headed as an Aggron, this one. [She tries a laugh on for size. Yep. Still awkward. Lovely. He gets a heavy slap on the shoulder for his comment and for her fo-pah.]

Why aren't you dancing? You seem like you might be good at it. Would. Be good at it. [Gods, she usually wasn't so bad at this, what was going on? Maybe she was the one in need of a drink.]

[indy_wannabe]

Graceful as a Swanna I'm sure.

[He hands Lux a wineglass]

Here honey I think you need this.

[ladyofluminosity]

[Honey? Wait, but that's--]

Hey, where did you--

[EZREAL.]

[mid]

I could say the same of you. Dancing seems like something you'd be good at. [ Was that a compliment? Katarina lifts her glass to her lips again, only to gracefully hit her mouth with her hand.

She levels Ezreal with what just may be the most cock-eyed glare in existence. ]

You really enjoy pissing me off, don't you? [ She scoffs. ] You really could do better, Crownguard, and that's saying something.

[mightofdemacia]

[Its twice before he comes over finally. Someone that was alone, he can feel a bit of kinship there if only because he doesn't want to be at the party, either.]

Some party? [His tone is a bit dry since he is hardly having fun, perhaps through his own subconscious intentions. Regardless, moving as he is has the side-effect of being tiring and he is nursing a glass of wine himself, though his looks sampled at best. Raising it, he takes another small sip and scans the crowd again.]

[mid]

[ She recognizes Garen almost instantly, loath as she is to admit that he had caught her eye several times over the course of the gala. When he approaches her, Katarina visibly stiffens, though she makes no attempt to move from her position.

The party has left her weary, and it seems to have done the same to him. Maybe it's the three glasses of wine lulling her into complacency, but Katarina is in no mood to act on the hostility previously established between the two of them. ]

Some party. [ She can definitely drink to that, and so she does. ] Though I would think you'd be more inclined to enjoy it than I, all things considered.

[mightofdemacia]

[He takes a second, longer drink this time before answering her. Mostly because he had missed her for who she was right away, and was checking.]

What gave you that idea? [Likely the Crownguard's supposed gift of gab. A trait he hadn't inherited and wants no part of.] I'm just a soldier and I'd rather be doing something productive. This was a good cause though, at least.

[Garen very much supports bridging the class gap whenever possible.]

Though, I admit I didn't expect to see you here at all.

[mid]

People like you more. [ Katarina gives a smirk behind her glass, taking another sip before lowering it. It was a pure statement of fact: Katarina wasn't first on the list of people that most nobles wanted to associate with. ] But a soldier's a soldier, no matter the way they dress. I suppose charity is a noble cause... [ She lets the sentence hang there, her tone implying everything she left unsaid. It was obvious that she wasn't the most philanthropic of nobles. ]

... I wouldn't be, if my sister weren't off doing whatever it is she does. [ Likely honeying the ear of some high-ranking Union official. ] My duty to the Du Couteau line holds far more weight than my personal interests.

[ Taking a final swig, she lowers her now-empty glass. ]

I'm surprised you aren't out there. [ She gestures to the dancefloor. ] You've had a veritable trail of pretty young things following you all night. [ Not that she's noticed, or anything. ]

[mightofdemacia]

This is news to me. [Certainly to him at least. He thought he was excessively unpopular simply by merit of being a Sword. Though he supposed her reputation was a bit more...mysterious. Harsh. Questionable. One of the few families that might be guilty of taking lives, but it's all unproven, and could just be elaborate stories. It is worth his time to know, in his opinion. However, when she makes light of the charity event, he sighs. Giving back what he doesn't need seems sensible to him. As long as he didn't give all that he had. Still this was a point he and many disagreed on in the end. It was these thoughts that caused him to dip out of the conversation a moment, listening, but not acknowledging, and even taking a few idle seconds to process her words.]

Well, I confess I think I'd rather you as you're more earnest--Not to say that is that I don't like your sister--but. [He grunts. Because he's embarrassed himself and even if he did very much agree on familial duties, now it would sound as if he's just agreeing to stay on her good side. Grunting again, he follows her gesture to the dancefloor.] A trail? You've better eyes than me. ...Though I have to question why you'd notice such a detail.

[mid]

[ Katarina gives a soft, sardonic laugh at what Garen says, taking another slow sip of her wine. She held no love for the Swords, but she knew Garen Crownguard to be everything she was not: kind with no reason for being so, and helpful even in the face of gaining nothing in return. People tended to like that. ] No need to be modest.

Oh? That is news to me. Cassiopeia has her fingers in many, many pots, and most men are more than happy to have her company. [ She takes another swig, the wine beginning to warm her cheeks and make her head slightly swim. ] Most people see me and clear a path. Not that I'm... complaining... [ She sighs wanly, a small smile playing on her lips. She can't help it: she giggles, though she hopes against hope he doesn't notice. ]

Hard not to notice when you're a woman. It's one of those things, you know. [ She tilts her head backwards against the wall, shutting her eyes behind her mask. Loath as she was to admit it, this was... nice. Peaceful. She can almost forget herself in the dull throb of the alcohol coursing through her veins. ] I'm surprised none of them has begged you for a dance yet.

[tagteams]

[... Is that someone growling? Well as much as growling a bird could do, but there is a Rufflet off to the side, perched against a table. He got one look at Katarina and even with her relaxed against the wall, someone jumped to conclusions and getting bad vibes from the masked red head. The bird has no idea who she is, but he don't like it. So he's just glaring daggers at her from the side, maybe he can scoop over and sneak a-]

Valor!

[Busted. The little bird rolls his eyes before flying back to the voice of the woman with a big shield mask on her head.]

Quit bothering the guests.

[mid]

[ Katarina doesn't so much as lift a hand to shoo the Rufflet away, instead bringing the glass to her lips and taking a sip, eying the Pokemon just as it eyes her. She doesn't feel that her new companion is a threat in the least, though she isn't quite a fan of the look in its eyes... she's grateful for her Litwick wandering about nearby, just in case.

When the Rufflet is summoned away, Katarina's eyes dart to the source of the voice, falling upon none other than Quinn, a fellow ranger. ]

He was fine. [ She's inclined to respect her comrades, moreso than anyone else. ] Didn't seem to care for me much, though. [ Then again, who did? Though it wasn't as if she didn't want it that way. ]

[aerial_ace]

[Cordelia wasn't one to drink, but when she was stuck in this pokegod-forsaken thing, it didn't matter how good her legs looked, she was partaking. One would think with her height that she could handle her liquor, but after two large flutes of champagne and very little to eat, she was feeling a bit woozy.

Taking off her Pumpkaboo mask, the redhead leaned against a wall, letting out a huff of a sigh. These social gatherings wore her out. She didn't seem to notice the fellow Ranger standing next to her.]

[mid]

[ Katarina doesn't greet Cordelia immediately, instead following her movements with her eyes before returning her gaze to the dancefloor. She hasn't spoken more than a few words to Cordelia before, but a comrade is a comrade. She takes note of the other woman's deep exhale before speaking. ]

Not a fan of parties either, I take it.

[aerial_ace]

[Cordelia looks over, a bit surprised.]

Katarina? [When did you get there?]

No, it's not that. Well, yes and no. It's complicated.

[mid]

Why complicated? [ She's unperturbed by Cordelia's surprise, and she makes no effort to turn her gaze back to her new companion. ]

I'd much rather be out on the field, myself. But my reasoning for disliking parties are probably much simpler than most.

[aerial_ace]

Family politics, mostly. [And with her cousins missing, she had a lot more responsibility with the Fabre family.]

[Cordelia nods in agreement.]

Likewise, but I suppose there are some good things. It's good to take a night off every once in a while.

[mid]

I can understand that. [ Katarina gives a soft snort. Oh, can she ever. ]

I suppose the break is... restful. [ She huffs before downing more wine. ] My sister is more suited for these sorts of events. I look ridiculous in this getup, and these drinks aren't working fast enough for me.

[aerial_ace]

[Katarina you are not allowed to talk about looking ridiculous, you at least fill out your dress. Cordelia straightens a bit.]

I hope that you're keeping hydrated at least.

[mid]

[ Psh. If Katarina were to notice things like that, she'd think you were stunning, Cordelia. ]

Doesn't it look like I am? [ She eyes Cordelia as she takes another deep swig, downing half the glass in one go. ]