The Valentine's Date Auction [OPEN]

[diamonds_forever]

WHO: Eveyone who signed up + the school in general
WHAT: this thing
WHERE: Right here, in the Institute
WHEN: Saturday evening, the 14th
WARNING(S): Given the nature of the event, I almost expect it, but remember the rules regarding that kind of thing. Take it off the log if it goes there.

⊗Never let it be said that Emma didn't know her stuff. Not content with the paltry and tired and cliche decorations Kurt and subjected the students to at previous events, she had completely taken over, using a combination of her wealth and mutant powers to create a sort of bohemian love palace for the students. Dance floor, tables, the finest foods. This was not a party the likes of which they had seen before... unless they were part of the older crowd, and had witnessed Emma at work before.

Was she good or was she good? On the stage, Emma stood proudly, taking each of the auctionable singles to the stage, one by one, and selling off just a fraction of their free time to the highest bidder. And the fact that it was all for charity left the whole situation comfortably guilt and obligation free.

Of course, as the host, she was more focused on the party and its guests as a whole than any particular individuals... Attempts at sneaking off probably would go unremarked upon. Probably.

[[ OOC: Each auction will receive its own top level, as well as a top level for general mingling. PLEASE CONSULT THE PLOTTING POST BEFORE BIDDING ]]

Comments

open

[presto_turn]

[Valentine's the way the U.S. handled it was much less stressful than the holiday back home. That's what Shindou had told someone not so long ago, anyway.

You could be forgiven for thinking that maybe he's changed his mind, tonight, though. He's playing more of the wallflower than usual, hanging off to one side with a plastic cup full of punch, through the majority of the auction. Besides stepping in to make sure his kouhai's well-spoken for, he just...feels kind of ambivalent about it?

Everyone's gotten so caught up in it, and he really just can't?? Even if he tells himself it's only an event for charity and the school.

So, he'll be over here with his drink and a cocktail napkin, scribbling what looks like some kind of diagram on it in ink, marking lines and circles and the occasional X. Soccer plays? Battle plans?

Either way, it's holding his interest more readily than the party around him.]

[now_i_know]

[In the wallflower corner, Catherine was looking for anything else to distract her then socializing. Not that she wouldn't have liked to have been a part of it, but right now everything seemed much louder and brighter than usual. The energy made her heart beat and put her on edge.]

[So she was mostly moseying around the outer edge of the perimeter when she saw the boy scribbling on a... napkin? That was worth looking into.]

[She only needed a glance before voicing out loud.]

Y'know, Tic-Tac-Toe is usually a two-person game.

[presto_turn]

[It's complete reflex, Shindou shifting his forearm to cover the napkin the instant that Catherine speaks up. He'd zoned out harder than he'd intended to at that point, not thinking that anyone would notice that he was less than fixated on the festivities.]

That's not...

[He turns to look her way, flushing a little, then back down towards what he'd been writing. Still not moving that arm.]

I was just jotting something down. I got distracted, I guess.

[now_i_know]

[Protective much? Well... as curious as Labrys was, it wasn't any of her business.]

Yeah? Musta been pretty important, especially with how loud it is.

But I'm not gonna pry.

[She resolved to let the conversation end there. He did seem pretty invested in it, and she did came out of the blue.]

[presto_turn]

[It...really wasn't, honestly.

Once Shindou actually has a second to gather himself, he immediately turns self-conscious and draws his hands back down towards his lap, frowning the girl's way. (Flustered as he is, he can't even remember now whether he's seen her around before...?)]

Sorry. That was rude, wasn't it...?

It's not, I just wasn't paying attention, and you surprised me.

[Under closer inspection, if Catherine bothers to look, the lines on Shindou's napkin form a musical staff, not a tic-tac-toe board. The mistake's nor hard to make, though, between the scribbly penmanship and the repeated stretches of notes he's crossed out.]

[now_i_know]

[She notices, but still isn't going to say anything about it. She was still reasonably sure that this was important. Or at least, in her mind, it was.]

[So onto the other point.]

Yeah, it was pretty rude.

And even though y'didn't apologize for it, I'll forgive yahs.

[He was soooort of leading up to it, yes?]

[presto_turn]

[Wow, excuse you, he totally just said sorry!

Which prompts a somewhat abashed look when he's excused like that, but...it's not worth doubling back and making things worse over.]

I didn't mean it to be. Just...I lost track of the auctions earlier, so...

[An uncomfortable sigh. He should be trying harder to be sociable, if only because the dance is an event for the whole Institute community. He's sure of that much.]

Thanks. I suppose.

[now_i_know]

[To her, it was water under the bridge. If nothing else, having a small clash like that was... fun, a little.]

[Not that she wanted to do the song and dance all the time, of course.]

Catherine.

[She gave a flat smile and offered Shindou a... well... there's no other way to say it: a hand made out of metal.]

[presto_turn]

[If nothing else, that saves Shindou from worrying that he's forgetting someone from his third period math class or the like here. He's pretty sure he'd remember something like that.

As things stand, he takes Catherine's hand rather tentatively, not entirely sure what to make of it at first. That metal's not a cover, right? So, is it physically part of her or some kind of prosthetic? Should he be careful gripping onto it?

But nothing seems to go awry when he does, so he'll straightforwardly shake hands and offer back an (only mildly awkward) smile.]

Shindou Takuto. Nice to meet you.

Are you new here this semester...?

[now_i_know]

[The hand is unusually natural in it's motions, except... metal. No mistaking it. Almost like she's wearing metal gauntlets.]

[The question made her frown, a bit.]

'm not sure. I just got here.

[She looked out at everything.]

The place seems... fun, though. But I don't think parties happen all the time.

[She looked back with a soft smile.] That would get pretty boring.

[presto_turn]

It's the first one we've had in a while, actually.

[That doesn't help make him feel like less of a heel for being unable to get into the mood with the rest of the school, but oh well. He can at least be polite towards a new student - very new by the sound of it - if nothing else. It'd be horrible not to do at least that much, especially when she sounds like she's taking to the school, otherwise.]

This one's more energetic than most of them get, with the auction, though. Everyone's caught up with that for right now. That'll keep people talking all weekend.

[now_i_know]

[She laughed.]

That's good. I think after all of this excitement, I'm gonna need to take a nap!

[Still...]

You're... not gonna try to enjoy it yourself? If it's been a while, you may have to wait for the next time.

[Somewhat making friendly, but really she was just speaking the first thing that came to mind that sounded conversational.]

[presto_turn]

Ah...I'm alright over here.

I was mostly just watching the auction before. I don't dance much, either, so...

[He'd honestly hoped that he was doing a slightly better job of acting like he was a functioning part of the celebration, but that cat was probably out of the bag, now. The uncertain smile he's wearing now says he's well-aware of that much.]

I'm just glad everyone's getting some time to relax for tonight.

[That, at least, he can sound earnest about. They all definitely deserve it after the past few months.]

1/2

[now_i_know]

[On her end, she wasn't sure what to make of the situation. He definitely was solemn, but she wasn't sure why.]

Well, if you wanted a girl to dance with, you could have asked me.

[She grinned a bit and gave her thigh a swift smack.]

I'm pretty sure these weren't meant for dancin' in.

2/2

[now_i_know]

[And then she offered him her hand.]

You in?

[presto_turn]

No, really, that's not...

[Dancing had to have been the last thing on his mind. He can't see how everyone else even gets themselves in the mood for it.

Tomorrow, they'll be back to watching the headlines with a grimace, waiting for the other shoe to drop and praying they'll be ready for it, whether it's Trask or Genosha or the FoH. But tonight somehow the most important thing is who's hanging around with who and who won who's auction?

He envies that a little, but envy doesn't make it easier to join in.]

I -- [On the other hand, here's a girl he doesn't know offering to dance with him, and that's a more concrete quandary. What's he supposed to do, pretend he's too busy doodling Chopin on his napkin...?

He swallows hard, then takes her hand again, the smile he's putting on gone distinctly wavery.]

Alright. If you want, but... [Turning his head in the direction of the dance-floor and the speakers set up around it.] I don't even know this song at all.

[now_i_know]

[That's all she needed to hear.]

[Holding tightly to his hand, Catherine gets up and starts moving toward the dance floor in a rush... you know... before he could change his mind. Incidentally, apparently super strength maaay be one of her powers, since her pull is strong.]

[As for the music...]

I dunno what it is neither! Must be new. But you gotta admit, it's kinda catchy!

[And thus did they proceed to dance.]