A Foray into Fun(open)

Meegan and Rachyl wove their way into the ballroom, stopping here and there to speak with people they knew. Some of the attendees surprised her, most did not. She also recognized a lot of the faces from the halloween ball, and from her own Gala. Nachton only had so many elite. For the moment they stood with a group of men and women who did goodness knows what, though they seemed to like to blow a lot of hot air about it. Signing Meegan leaned into Rachyl, speaking quietly into the red head's ear.

"One day I'll have a computer chip implanted that stores all this useless information for me, and then I'll never have to pay attention to these blow hards again."

What the fuck was he doing? Was he storming off? Do people do that anymore?

Kyle reached up and undid his bow tie. Waiters kept passing him with tall glasses of champagne, his eyes trying to avoid them. He needed to get out of there and back to his place. Turning back once more to look at Nova, Kyle suddenly ran into a group of people, almost knocking someone down.

It was Meegan Masters, that gothic house business owner. He hadn't talked to her since that awkward meal over her break in. He grabbed her arms before she went falling to the ground. Her champagne glass went flying and shattered to the floor.

'Oh, God.' He grabbed the woman, trying to keep her from falling. The sound of the broken glass cleared the area about twenty feet around them. More good times, whee. 'Miss Masters, I'm sorry. Are you alright? I wasn't looking where I was going, I'm sorry.'

She opened her mouth to respond to a question, when she was suddenly flying through the air, and being caught by very big hands.

"Oh, shit!"

Blinking she looked up and found herself face to face with Kyle Evans, the reporter from the times that she'd spoken to after Panos had broken into her studio.

"Hello Mr. Evans. It's lovely to see you too." Her hands wrapped around his muscular biceps and she pushed her feet until they were underneath here enough to begin to push herself up. Somehow she and Kyle managed to get her up-right.

"I'm fine. I must say this will most likely be the only fun I have this evening, so I should thank you."

Laughing she removed her hands from his arms and brushed her dress back into place.

Could this night get any more embarassing?

'I'm sure you're having more fun than I am, Miss Masters.' He let go of her arms and undid the top button of his white shirt. He was looking very casual at the moment, but still feeling like a class A jack ass. His mind kept straying to the things he and Nova said earlier...shaking his head he put her out of his thoughts.

'I haven't heard anything else about the dilemma we last spoke about. Is it resolved?'

'Dilemmas? This sounds intriguing.' Yuu came up behind the tall man talking to Meegan Masters. With Tai beside her, she nodded her head with a smile.

'Excuse me for intruding. I just saw Miss Masters here and had to say hello.' She looked at the tall man and gave him a curious look. So many good looking men in Nachton. She needed to not limit herself to just one, she decided. Yuu noticed the woman standing next to Meegan as well.

'I should introduce myself. I'm Shiroir Yuukaku, Yuu for short and my companion is Ichiro Taiji. Please to meet you both.'

Poor, Kyle acted like the devil himself was after him, and she hoped that he had not gotten himself into more trouble. Not that it was her problem anyway.

"Not exactly..."

'Dilemmas? This sounds intriguing.'

Meegan looked up and smiled at Yuu. It was nice to be distracted from the most boring conversation ever, and so she took the whole thing in stride and smiled.

'Excuse me for intruding. I just saw Miss Masters here and had to say hello. I should introduce myself. I'm Shiroir Yuukaku, Yuu for short and my companion is Ichiro Taiji. Please to meet you both.'

"It is good to see you both again. May I introduce, Mr. Kyle Evans of the Nachton Times and my partner in life and business, Miss Rachyl Walker?"

Her smile widened and as a waiter approached their little group she took another glass from his tray to replace the one that had shattered and was now being cleaned up.
__________________

Tai gave a polite bow in greeting when introduced to Rachyl Walker and Kyle Evans, and nodded his head to Meegan as well.

"Konbanwa; a pleasure to see you again Miss Masters. And to meet you both," he added to her companions.

Tai deliberately took a passive stance, just ever so slightly behind Yuu. Pleasurable though the night may be, he was still interested in learning the ins and outs of intrigue here in Nachton, and understanding the politics. It was coincidence that he'd managed to easily acquaint himself with people who moved in those circles, however peripherally, but he wasn't going to turn up his nose at the chance to listen and learn.

His role quite subtly moved from 'Yuu's arm-decoration' to 'polite foreigner.' With that in mind, he turned to the attractive woman standing with Miss Masters.

"Partner - are you a designer as well, then, Miss Walker?"

Rachyl shook her head after she greeted the newcomers with friendly smiles and gracious nods, and a gentle repetition of their names to cement faces to memory. "No, Mr. Taiji, my formal education was in real estate and decor, but since moving to town last year I've received a good deal of training in the fashion industry. Right now, I guess you could say I'm a work-in-progress."

Rachyl giggled and shared a smile with Meegan, then looked at Ms. Yuukaku, then Ichiro before responding. "Then again, as I've learned all too often since I've been here, all of life seems to be, and when I get philosophical at moments like this, I need to shut up and just listen."

She glanced at Kyle Evans. He seemed... out of sorts. She wondered if... no no, he seemed to know Meegan, she'd mention it to her later. "And please, call me Rachyl." She extended her hand to each, now that the ice was broken.

Tai smiled at Rachyl, an expression that rarely reached his light brown eyes. Although his expression was somewhat removed, his words and his voice were still attentive.

"It seems that you're learning many different things, not just a new profession. Most people never reach the point of knowing when to simply listen."

Tai shook Rachyl's offered hand, his grasp firm, but not overly so. "Please, call me Tai. Ichiro is my family name."

He kept forgetting Americans referred to themselves first name first, family name last. He should probably do so while he was here in Nachton, as well, to avoid confusion. He didn't mind, but 'Mr Taiji' just sounded... almost humorous to him.

Embarassment flickered across Rachyl's features. She really should have known that; she'd guessed Tai's nationality but hadn't wanted to be wrong, but ended up screwing up anyway. "My apologies, Tai. In my efforts to not offend, I erred instead." She shook his hand firmly as well, then let go.

Kyle nodded automatically at the newcomers but found himself staring off at the wet bar that was set up on the other side of the ballroom. He kept blinking and turning away, only to find that his eyes were back on the bartender fixing drinks. He felt the tell tale itch again. It disgusted him because up until this very moment, he had been ok. Being on the wagon at least a month now put things in perspective, especially his reaction to Nova's nonreaction.

To put it bluntly, he was feeling like a jack ass.

He just needed to survive this conversation a little longer and then he'd excuse himself. Maybe go for a walk before finding a cab and going home. Kyle looked down at the tuxedo and made a mental note to have it dry cleaned and returned, probably just leave it at Duibne - attention Marthinus.

Kyle was staring at the bar again. He was not surprsied that Nova had not only pushed him emotionally in many ways, but to drink as well. Rolling his eyes he focused in on the conversation.

'So why does your name sound familiar, Yuu?'

Yuu turned her attention to Kyle Evans. Tanned and blue eyed. Yuu gave him an appraising look before she answered. She too was starting to tune people out, but focused again when he spoke her name. Truth be told, she hated these functions. She wondered if anyone actually liked coming to these things. It was best dressed, worst dressed, who got caught shagging, popularity contest, i.e. high school prom. She sighed mentally but gave Mr. Evans a smile.

'I'm new here in Nachton. I'm the Assistant District Attorney. My predecessor was recently murdered. I'm sure as a reporter, you know that and probably why my name sounds familiar.'

Leaning in closer to Mr. Evans, away from the others, she whispered, 'And you look as fucking bored as I do.' She gave the tall drink of water a winning smile.

Being tall had its advantages. As Yuu leaned in to comment on their similiar situations, he caught a fabulous glimpse down the front of her silk dress. He closed his eyes and sighed...a pig till the end. His mother would be proud. Kyle gave her a wry grin and whispered back.

'I'm bored out of my fucking skull and would kill for a drink, but...alas, I'm on this wagon and it wont stop to let me off, lest I fall off...if ya dig?'

Being sober had made his level of disclosure incredibly high and it annoyed him. He felt his face flush slightly.

'Maybe I'll grab something to eat. I bet they're having something with asparagus. They always have asparagus at these things.' He nudged a passing waiter and quietly asked for a coke. At least his conversation with the young looking ADA was distracting him from drinking. He mentally scored her on a scale of 1-10, 10 being getting her into a broom closet, but again he closed his eyes at his pig headedness.

Kyle was really not happy.

'Asparagus...yum.' She made a face and laughed. Yuu watched Kyle's expressions and almost laughed at some of them. 'Is something bothering you, Mr. Evans? I saw you bump into Meegan here. You weren't watching where you were going,' she gave him a tsk tsk face, 'what got you so hot under the collar...if you don't mind me asking, that is?'

Yuu was never one to gossip...ok that's a lie, she was always up for gossip. She listened to Kyle intently, still ignoring the others.

'I bet I can guess. Female problems?'

It must be like a radar or some sort of sensory perception that women had that told them someone was upset. He'd never understand women.

'You're a woman...obviously,' he cleared his throat, 'what is it with you all that feel the need to be independent? I mean, when we love you, you think we're weak. Why do women think being in control means belittling something special? Y'all are so pretty but oh my god I want bang my head against the wall sometimes trying to figure women out. What is so hard about getting a straight answer?'

Kyle was angry and embarassed again. He turned towards the bar and took a step.

'You know, I'm sorry. Forget that. I'm...just tired. I've had a rough week, let me tell you. It was nice meeting you, Miss Yuukaku.' Kyle gave her a small bow and looked towards the wet bar, then turned the opposite direction and headed out towards the foyer.

((OOC - out and into the garden))

Yuu blinked several times as Kyle went on his tirade. Suddenly he excused himself and left once again in haste. She held up her glass to toast him a fare thee well. Stepping back over to Tai, she pointed towards the retreating Evans.

'You men...so odd.' She wrapped her arm around Tai's as she drank her champagne and listened in to the conversation at hand.

Tai shook his head at Rachyl while Yuu occupied herself with the other man, Kyle Evans.

"No apologies necessary," he said. "Different customs, different formalities. Best to err on the first meeting, than to err repeatedly on future ones."

He felt Yuu's arm entwine with his once again, he looked down at her as she spoke, and then up again at the retreating back of Evans.

"Managed to chase that one off, did you?" he murmured to Yuu. "Was it intentional, or merely a side benefit?"

He maintained no illusions, however. The two of them were playing several different games, and only one of those had brought them together in Nachton. Tai hadn't put aside any of his for Yuu, and would have been disappointed if she had for him. He was surprised at Evans' quick departure, however, as Yuu could certainly be entrancing when she meant to.

Meegan sipped at her champagne as Rachyl and Tai made introductory comments. She watched Yuu and Kyle as well, you could tell a lot about a person when they were playing games, but poor Kyle wasn't much of a player, and Yuu had him out classed by a mile. Suddenly the man was striding away. 'Whoops. The demons have returned to nip at his heels. She chuckled softly.

"Ah, Mr. Evans, always in a hurry to go nowhere." She watched him leave the ballroom and shook her head lightly. She wondered if he might be able to help her at some point.

"How are you two finding Nachton?"

Shay was very surprised to see so many familiar faces at the ball. Had she only been in Nachton a matter of a few months, and if so, how was it she had already met so many of its residents?

The one group she noticed right off the bat, was the group from Tacharan...Simon, Carol...a younger boy, and a red-headed...a red-headed man!! Addison?? Shay would have made a beeline for the man had she been alone. She had only met him once, and was slightly curious as to why she had been seeking him out ever since, although she had found him fun, and did wish to get to know him better.

But a quick glance at Alexi, and Shay wisely decided to remain with her man. Should she get a chance later, to say hi to Addison, she would. Or, should Alexi wish to greet their clanmates, of course she would accompany him. She rather hoped Simon would breach the gap first though...in an attempt to foster good will with Alexi, and reinforce his desire to show his clansman his sincerity in what he had spoken about at the last meeting. Only time would tell if that would come to pass.

She also noticed Arin Bjorn, and his friend, Thaddeus Grey, as a part of yet another small crowd of people. She had only met the two men briefly though, so she didn't feel the need to invade their group. She would of course greet them as well, should the opportunity present itself.

And then her eyes settled on the two women she had met a few times...Rachyl and Meegan. And since they were seemingly alone, at least for the moment, she thought they would be a good place to start to mingle.

"Mathias, there are Rachyl, and Meegan...shall we go say hello?"

She smiled up at Alexi, and started tugging him slowly towards the two women. Had she not already been a little weak-kneed, she was certain that would have done it. How it was that this man could look at her so...innocently, and yet turn her into jello, would never cease to amaze her. She didn't have to stretch far to reach his lips, not in the heels she was wearing, but she kissed him softly before tugging on him yet again.

A veritable sea of humanity,vampire and mortal alike, greeted them upon entrance. Well it IS the first social event of the year, he thought to himself.

Scanning the crowd, he reflexively scanned the crowd looking for Ellis,half expecting her to be here. It took him a moment to realize that no,she wasn't here and in fact wouldn't be here...ever.

He noticed Simon and Carol at a table across the way with what looked like Jan,Nova and..Addison? He wondered if perhaps he had missed a notice regarding the ball,but no..there wasn't anything he recalled. Perhaps my feelings regarding Ellis and the recent events has left me persona non grata with the new hierarchy, he mused. If that was true then it was their problem,not his. Mathias loyalty was toTacharan first and foremost - it was for others to interpret that as they would.

Directing his eyes where Shay indicated he noticed Ms. Masters and her partner. Mathias had perhaps spoken two sentences to either woman,but Shay knew them and as his presence wasn't desired elsewhere there was no reason not to go.

Plus she was tugging on his arm

Smiling at his love, Mathias chuckled.

"Yes love, that would be fine - so you can stop trying to rip my arm off! "

"Oh please...like I could actually move you anywhere you didn't want to go."

She laughed at his teasing...yet gave his arm one more yank, for good measure. Had she not been so shaky on her feet still, she wouldn't have felt the need to keep him at her hip. She would have still wanted him there, that was a given...but normally she wouldn't have minded him wandering off on his own.

Tonight she was just too afraid of not being able to keep on her feet, and didn't want to make a fool out of herself, if it could be avoided.

"Hello Rachyl...Meegan...it's nice to see you both again. You're both looking striking tonight."

Shay hoped the women remembered her, and Alexi...talk about feeling foolish, if they didn't.

Tai was about to answer Meegan's question; in fact, he'd just opened his mouth to respond, when they were interrupted by another couple, led by a woman who appeared to be leading her partner. Ever the nature of men, he thought ironically, to follow willingly where the woman leads.

Tais raised an eyebrow at the new male, looking down his nose just a bit at the woman. Only a bit, however, as she was just a few inches shorter than Tai himself.

"Shalimar"
"Hello Rachyl...Meegan...it's nice to see you both again. You're both looking striking tonight."

"I am enjoying Nachton a good deal so far," Tai interjected, smoothly picking the conversation back up from where it had been just a few moments before. "I can't speak for Yuu, of course, but I believe the time we've spent together has been mutually enjoyable, at least."

Only then did Tai move back just a bit and nod at the new couple. "Good evening."

Shay blushed from her ears to her toes, when she realized she had interrupted a conversation. From the direction she and Alexi had approached Meegan, Shay hadn't even noticed a man standing there talking.

"Oh sh...sir...I am so sorry. I didn't notice you standing there, or I would have never interrupted."

Pulling Alexi up behind her, for support, Shay continued.

"Please forgive me for my rudeness, and accept my apology, and excuse as having been a little under the weather recently? I'm really not rude normally."

She looked straight up at Alexi, standing over her. And feeling more mortified by her actions just now, than she had been by anything in a long time, Shay just wanted to escape.

"Meegan, Rachyl...we'll come back later, when we're not butting in."

She gave each woman a have smile in apology, began backing up, pushing Alexi as she did.

Yuu reached out and switched her flute with a full one as Tai rather effortlessly continued his interrupted conversation with Meegan. The other couple had come up quite abruptly and seemed to not have noticed her and Tai. No introduction was made, so Yuu continued watching, not offering their names as Tai did not miss a beat.

'I'd have to agree, Nachton isn't quite like the west coast. Seems to be more cultured...or tries to be.' She looked at new couple, not incoincidently. Looking back at Tai she gave him a soft nudge.

'Tai's quite the architect and has been filling my head with all sorts of knowledge.' Yuu gave him a wink.

Rachyl had barely had time to react to Shay's approach. She said hello, realized she was intruding, apologized and left... the whole exchange couldn't have taken more than thirty seconds.

The socialite voice inside her head that she repressed - remembering that she, too, is a human being with thoughts and feelings - was yelling, "Don't interact with her tonight, that just means you condone her rudeness" but she told it quite firmly to shut up. She liked Shay, well, as much as she could for having only met the woman once, and then only for a half hour or so before she and her man disappeared from Connie's Halloween party...

Shaking her head, she caught the tail end of Yuu's statement. "Tai's quite the architect and has been filling my head with all sorts of knowledge." Smiling, she remembered Veronica, and wondered if she would want to get to know Tai for his wondrous erections.

That thought nearly caused her to snarf her champagne through her nose, so she settled for a polite cough and asked, trying to keep her voice even, "What sort of architecture is your field of interest, Tai?"

Tai paid no attention to the woman who was now backing away after her embarrassing faux pas. The man with her said nothing, either, so he simply turned back to Rachyl.

"Traditional Japanese architecture, really, but we try to mix it with modernism and bring the past and the present together. I can show you my portfolio sometime, if you like."

What the woman and her companion did was of no importance to him; if they truly had anything at all to offer, it would have been obvious when they'd first arrived. Tai looked back down at Yuu and smiled. She had plenty to offer, for example. And Rachyl and Meegan, well, they were of fairly like mind. As long as the conversation was amusing, it was well with him.

Both irritated with herself, and with the man who hadn't accepted her apology, Shay turned towards Alexi, hand on his, and looked up at him.

"Can we go visit someone else now, please?"

Her voice was tiny, like that of a ten year old, since the sting of her embarrassment had yet to leave. All in the world she wanted now, was to be somewhere else. To top it off, she didn't know why neither Rachyl or Meegan had even said hello to her, or acknowledged her at all.

The worst part was that had it been even a few weeks down the line, and she had fully recovered from things, she would have been much better at dealing with this type of snobbery. But tonight, she just wasn't in her normal form.

Oh
Hell
No

That Shay had interrupted Rachyl and Meegan's other guests,ok. She was still feeling the effects of the effects of the surgery. However the man's otright rudeness and the woman's snarky remarks could not be ignored.

Nor would they.


"Perhaps you did not hear over the din" he gestured to the quietly humming crowd "But Shay did apologize for the interruption. As protocol seems important to you and your friend, I know missing it would prove embarassing to you."

Turning to the young woman with him, he flashed one of his patented 'Oh did you just screw up' smiles.

"Young miss, what Nachton does possess is an understanding of this simple truth. Comments and conversation reveal character. Something I think the...west coast..could stand to learn."

Squeezing Shay's hand,he bowed to Rachyl and Meegan.

"Rachyl,Meegan - it was a pleasure to meet you again although it was unfortunately as brief as before. If we arelucky, we will see you before the night is over. Do'svendonya"

With that he turned and led Shay off into the crowd.

((ooc - Shay and Mathias out))

The Mayor swooped in with a hand on his pocket and his other resting gently on Yuu's back.

'Well now...having some good ole huff and puff snobbery here, aren't we?' He gave Yuu a leering grin who returned it but shrugging off his slowly lowering hand. 'Some people just don't have the common sense to interrupt a conversation without proper introduction.'

The Mayor's statement neglected to strike him as ironic as he bowed deeply and took his leave of the handsome group, no doubt off to interject into another conversation in hopes of catching a glimpse of some pretty young flesh.

'Carry on!'

((ooc mayor in and out - permission to put his grubby hands on Yuu))

Rachyl stared at the Mayor's back as he left. "You know, I'm beginning to think there was some sort of unwritten code for 'please come bother us because we're not being talkative enough' that no one told me about."

To Tai, she said, "That would be interesting to view, Tai, thank you. I'm not into architecture much myself, as I prefer to sell it as opposed to stare at it and interpret it," she winked, "but an absent friend went to college for it."

Tai raised his eyebrows at both the couple and the mayor.

Mayor - one arm-lock to immobilize and then the knife into the kidney. Maybe the garrote. That was a favorite.

Annoying couple - well, they hadn't been annoyed enough to give their names although that had never stopped Tai before, but they weren't really worthy of the bother.

Neither was the Mayor, for that matter, but Tai was beginning to wonder how these people had ever created a successful city if this was the best they could come up with. The political games the Yakuza played would have them floudering in a
heartbeat.

He turned his tawny eyes back to Rachyl and smiled at her again. "No doubt our polite conversation wasn't enough. But it is interesting to me, and therefore anyone who believes otherwise can just move along."

Tai eyed the retreating backs of the couple who had interrupted and then left so quickly. He marked their faces silently, just in case he should ever encounter them again.

Unlikely, but possible.

Then he looked down at Yuu, hoping she hadn't taken the Mayor's insult too badly. "Another drink? Something stronger, perhaps?" He addressed the question to both Meegan and Rachyl as well.

'He's a pig.' Yuu rolled her eyes and her hand tried to wipe away the ickiness of the Mayor's touch on her lower back.

'I definitely need something stronger. First the rude woman and her sheepish date coming to her rescue her from HER faux pa. How lucky for him she returned his backbone to do that, by the way, and then the Mayor and his grubby hands.'

Yuu knew her statement was harsh, but really the nerve of some people just blew her mind. God she wanted a cigarette right then.

'Definitely something stronger.'

The waiter weaved around the guests while mentally trying not to curse or crash into one of the patrons. With a grand smile he presented the appetizers.

'Time for dinner to start, Ladies and Gentlemen. To your tables!'

Then the waiter proceeded on to his own to start his show.

Tai clasped Yuu's arm closer, stroking her hand as he envisioned the Mayor's hopeful and eventual demise. Had Yuu decided to pursue someone else's attentions tonight, he would have been fine with that, but as it was she had stuck with him and therefore he took offense to someone encroaching on what was, for the moment at least, his territory.

"Let's get that drink, shall we?" he asked her. Turning to Meegan and Rachyl, he bowed slightly from the waist. "It was a pleasure to see you again Miss Masters, and to meet you Miss Walker. Perhaps we will see each other again while I'm in town."

((ooc: Yuu and Tai out))

"Likewise, Tai, Yuu. Enjoy your night."

Rachyl was glad she'd sat down with Meegan, and dinner proved to be a wonderful treat. She hadn't had asparagus in a very long time!

[I]The big bang.
[/I]
The sudden blast originating from the corner of the room you entered and knocks everyone off their feet. Bits of wood, metal, and slivers of glass pelt the floor around the guests. An inferno has risen up in the corner. The only safe exit is the garden doors, and the entire room seems to be headed there at once.

Meegan had remained inexplicably quiet through the rest of the conversation with Tai and Yuu, as well as the brief encounter with Shay and Mathias. She could not explain why nor did she feel it necessary. She and Rachyl sat down to dinner and enjoyed light conversation with their table mates until all hell broke loose.

The world around them exploded in fare and noise and Meegan was pushed from her chair and her gown torn. She screamed as she fell and grabbed for Rachyl. Crying and breathing too fast they managed to get to their feet.

"What's going on? What's happened?"

"I don't know. We need to get our of here."

Holding tight to one another they made their way to the exit with the rest of the crowd. Meegan reached up to wipe something wet from her head and her hand came away bloody she cried out and nearly fainted. Rachyl held her fast and they made their way outside.

(ooc meegan and Rachyl out)