The White Swanfish Gala (Open to All, including party-crashers)

[creepycyclops]

The White Swanfish Gala is this evening - A VIP-only event where invitations are only sent to the likes of the heads of industry, Mover stars, avatars, and their guests. The host is Wil Zan (Slade's affable civilian alter ego), and he is dressed in a fine white and blue silk nehru, smiling broadly and chatting with what seems like every patron there, one at a time. He has brought in the finest chefs to provide an unlimited stream of fine food and drink, popular musicians provide entertainment and lively music to dance to, and this gala is sure to be an event worth talking about for years.

Interestingly, Zan has set up some rather unusual security measures. Though your average riff-raff will be kept out, he has intentionally left strategic security gaps that can be bypassed by the bold and the cunning. Zan actually has men covertly watching these gaps, but instead of stopping these party-crashers, their instructions are to inform Zan. (This serves as a sort of test for potential apprentices that Slade may try to recruit in the future.)

((NOTE: This is an event log, so not every reply has to be toward Slade. Feel free to write what your character is doing at the party or how they snuck in, etc. "Zan" is likely to give you his attention, but others can too.))

Comments

OTA

[raavashing]

Wan had only come along for two reasons. One, because Nabooru had asked him nicely. And two, because she's been willing to help him with a warehouse raid a little over a week earlier at pretty much the drop of a Pai Sho tile. He knew she was only going to steal money and jewelry she could pawn later and, really, he didn't approve of that at all, but a favor was owed and she'd explained that going with a date would make her stand out less. Though considering the dress she'd picked, he was certain she wasn't that concerned about standing out. Wan had caught more than few people giving her long and appreciative looks.

Wan, on the other hand, technically blended in with the men at the party. Nabooru had dressed him in something flattering and he'd consented to having his hair pulled back in a neat ponytail. He also cut a pretty dashing figure - and next to Nabooru, they looked quite the understated young and up and coming power couple - but he didn't stand out nearly as much as she did. In the looks department anyway.

Having never been to one of these things before, Wan's actual activity at the party stood out like a sore thumb. He tended to stand with shoulders hunched and hung out at the edges of the crowd. When he wasn't hitting the food spread. Small portions were taken, but they weren't eaten and Wan disposed of them somewhere during his discreet absconding that would let him take a fair amount of it out with him. A few more of the poor and destitute would get to eat a little fancier when they finally left.

His only saving grace was that while he wasn't that great at acting like he belonged the way Nabooru was, Wan was a pretty convincing liar when he put his mind to it. Being Nabooru's 'arm candy' date would be his cover and not be that much of a lie either.

[[Wan can easily be found by anyone and approached when he's generally hanging out. He is not so easy to find when he's sneaking food into the small bag he'd brought along and left in the coat check. Prose or brackets are fine.]]

why hello there sir dapper gentleman

[profiteers]

[Trying to be aloof and suss out the crowd gets old quickly. And Varrick is nothing if not needing the attention of others. He spies out a likely suspect in the crowd, someone standing away from others and looking particularly dejected. Probably someone's date that got ditched as soon as someone better walked past.

Varrick slides in smoothly, a plate of nibbles still resting on one hand.]

What's with the long face, pal? You're at a party, for cripe's sake!

hello yourself good sir

[raavashing]

[Wan backed up as best he could with his back to the wall.]

Uh... I... I'm not really... comfortable...

[With Varrick being so close. Being at the party. Both.]

/rubs their hairs together

[profiteers]

[That's a clue to step in closer isn't it, he'll take it as such.]

Why not, they got everything here! Music, food , libations! Loosen up, pal, you only live once.

[raavashing]

[Yeaaaaah, no. That was way too close. Wan scooted to the side to try and give himself some more room.]

It's not really my idea of a good party, that's all. It's not bad, but... there's just a lot more... stuffy clothes and humans talking about how much money they have. I'm only here because of my date.

[profiteers]

Oh yeah? Who's the lucky gal?

[Although wow rude what's wrong with rich people who have great clothes?]

[raavashing]

Her name is Nab- Nabu. It's Nabu.

[Wan wasn't sure if he should give her full name or not and turned to look around for her. Finding her near the bar, he pointed over.]

She's the woman in the shortest dress here tonight.

[And she filled it out quite well, too. All things considered. But it was the shortest dress in the place. The next longest was about four inches longer and the rest of the ladies tended to fancy ankle length gowns.]

[profiteers]

Oh. Her!

[wow. Wan. New respect for you, bro. Very nice.]

She visited me on my yacht the other day. A very... Friendly young lady.

[raavashing]

She is.

[Wan agreed. He hadn't realized she would know anyone at the party. She hadn't talked like she would.]

Does she visit your yacht often? She didn't mention knowing you.

[Yay! A conversation he could sort of be less nervous about having.]

[profiteers]

Just the once. But it was a very memorable experience.

[So much respect for you now, Wan. Seriously. Get it bro.]

So are you two... Dating?

[raavashing]

[And back to awkward.]

Uh... Well, I'm her date tonight so... maybe?

[Spirits. Were they dating now? Did that qualify as dating? He didn't know!]

[profiteers]

Can I give you some advice, kid?

[He's not waiting for a reply to that.]

A gorgeous dame like that, got all the men clammering over her. She's waiting for you to make a move before the rest of these chumps do.

[raavashing]

Make a move?

[She had only invited him so she wouldn't stand out by being dateless. She wasn't actually waiting for him to make any kind of moves.

But he couldn't tell Varrick that. It would blow the cover.]

I... I'm not sure... how?

[airyopalescent]

[Now and then Bolin and Opal separate, pulled apart by this crowd or that. And at times it's simply a drift to talk to others. For one reason or another, Opal can be found alone at this point as she finally makes a break for the nearby wall through all the crowds.

She's dressed fittingly too and settles next to Wan with a low sigh. She notes Wan pretty early on and gives the man a light little smile as she relaxes.]

Mingling is harder than it looks, isn't it.

[raavashing]

[Wan returned her smile and nodded.]

Yeah. It's my first time at a party like this. You?

[airyopalescent]

The same. Well, at a party this size anyhow. It's almost intimidating.

[Manners, Opal.]

I'm Opal. It's nice to meet you.

[raavashing]

The name is Wan. Nice to meet you, too.

[He tucked his hands behind his back and leaned against the wall. He was quiet for a little while, not really sure what to talk about since she was obviously more experienced with parties like this - ignoring the size for the moment. But he felt bad just cutting off the conversation there, too. So he tried to come up with something to say that wouldn't completely out him as not being invited belonging.]

You um... you look nice.

[Sure. That worked.]

[airyopalescent]

[There comes an awkward little laugh.]

Thanks. You look nice too.

[Silence reigns a moment more and then Opal decides she ought to be the one to try to carry a conversation here. Or at least break the ice a little more.]

So are you from Republic City originally?

[raavashing]

No.

[Women like travel stories. Varrick had told him earlier. Might as well test that.]

I've been traveling the world for several years now, but this is my first time in Republic City. It's pretty different from the wilds and the smaller cities I've been through. A lot more people in one place than I'm used to.

I got here a couple weeks ago. Before that I was in the great swamp on the west coast of the Earth Kingdoms.

[airyopalescent]

[The theory seems to be true, at least in Opal's case. She leans up a little straighter, expression intrigued now.]

Why were you in the swamps?

[raavashing]

I was traveling between cities. Towns. Cities and towns. It seemed the fastest way. It was pretty nice. Lots of vines. The Spirit Wilds here in the city remind me of it. Though, they're not nearly as wet.

[Said with a bit of a laugh.]

[airyopalescent]

[That earns a laugh from her as well.]

I guess not! The Spirit Wilds are pretty fascinating though, despite the lack of water.

[raavashing]

[Oh, hey. She was into it. That Varrick guy might be worth getting more advice from.]

I like them. It's peaceful there. Makes me feel like I'm home when I lay down to sleep. None of the sounds of the city really make it through even just a few feet inside the boundary.

[airyopalescent]

Are you from somewhere in the country then originally or did you just get used to silence through traveling so much?

[raavashing]

The second. Though when I was growing up in the city, I usually spent my nights in the trees outside the walls. I could still hear the sounds of the city there, but they were faded. In the wilds, it's just me and nature.

[And sometimes the sound of the other humans who had started living near to his chosen home.]

What about you?