DRUMROLL PLEASE...

[latebreaking]

WHO: Everyone participating and attending the CHARITY BENEFIT. Don't forget to tag yourselves!
WHERE: One of the City's many fancy, large event ballrooms
WHEN: FRIDAY, the 5th, 5 PM onward
WARNINGS: Doubtfully any?
SUMMARY: It's the big night at last! FOR YOUR OWN REFERENCE: Bidding results have been posted here.
FORMAT: Whatever is your pleasure.


The night is here at last. Please make sure you're dressed as nicely as you're able, and take care to donate at the door if you're able -- it's not required, but it's all too a good cause. Upon entering the ballroom you'll see many tables laid out with white tablecloths and place settings; feel free can sit and order something, the restaurant is open until 11PM and the bar opens at 8PM. In the left corner is the table where at any given hour or half hour interval you can find someone signing autographs and photos for imPorts or natives alike. The schedule reads:

ERIDAN AMPORA, 5PM - 5:30PM
DEPUTY MAYOR EDWARD NYMGA, 5:30PM - 6PM
CAPTAIN METROPOLIS, 6PM - 6:30PM
MORDIN SOLUS, 6:30PM - 7PM
BEAST, 7PM - 8PM
HUNTRESS, 8PM - 9PM
GREEN ARROW, 9PM - 10PM
WILD TIGER, 10PM - 11PM
IRON MAN, 11PM - 12AM

In the right corner is the auction set-up; at 8PM sharp the auctioneer will set up a ballot for silent bids to be placed, and announce the highest bids at 15 minute intervals. Good luck! It should be wrapped, like the signings, at 12 midnight. Have fun tonight, Cityzens, eat, drink, be merry, and bid until your desired option has been pried from your cold not-dead fingers. At 12:15 the WINNING BIDS will be announced.

Congratulations, everyone; you have raised $136,022! Below are separate mingling threads to utilize as you'd like: there's loads to do, just mind the clock. As usual, don't be shy about new CR!

Comments

PRE-AUCTION (5PM - 8PM)

[latebreaking]

Whether you're in the ballroom, at one of the numbered tables, ordering food, signing autographs or waiting in line for one, or hanging out in a hallway or even outside, the real action of the evening hasn't begun yet and anticipation is growing. Just don't be too nervous!

open

[wisecracked]

Originally Kenzi had no interest in this event. But she really couldn't resist the chance to dress up, even if she wasn't going to go all out fancy she loved to dress up. It didn't take her long to find a dress with a built in corset that she liked. She even managed to talk Piccolo into going as well, although finding him a suit had been a trial and a half. At the door she didn't donate anything because charity wasn't her thing. Once through the doors she took off to the bar, likely losing Piccolo in the process.

She ordered up a light drink to start off, she had to pace herself after all, and proceeded to wander around.

[amoray]

[AUTOGRAPHS.

or, eridan practices his stupid flashy signature a billion times over while homestuck stans and his rumblr followers line up, popping hors d'ouevres like they're going out of style and giving people looks that barely edge off of "stink eye". it irritates him when they're thrilled by his brush offs and silly dignified accent, rather than pissed off, but he's polite enough.

sort of. the people apparently familiar with him like it when he's pissy, for some reason. he pops off catchprases he vaguely remembers saying back home and watches them fall all over themselves with barely contained secondhand embarrassment.

every signature is finished off with an aquarius glyph. he frequently switches hands and glyph location, just to fuck with people.]

open;

[viced]

So of course the Mayor was going to be there. It was expected, of all things, for him to be there. So he was there, doing his usual thing. Schmoozing, mostly. He was, thankfully, free of the Date Auction, which meant he didn't have to worry about someone playing a goddamn prank on him for once.

It was nice, because it meant he could do what he was best at, which was making the rounds, shaking hands, smiling. He didn't necessarily sign any autographs, he left that for Edward of all people to do. He was there to spin shit into gold and make it look good, which meant he'd be all for taking pictures, and congratulating the organizers. And really, most of anything, although his hand stayed on a single glass of only half-sipped champagne, and it didn't really go any lower throughout the night.

OPEN

[acrossyourpath]

[ Felicia is quite relaxed, despite all the buzz. She has nothing riding on this evening aside from the desire to have a good time; she studies the auction program carefully, dressed in a black-sleeved white dress with knee high black boots, and divides her time from sitting at the still-closed bar (it's a nice view, with plenty of empty seats) to standing outside and watching people filter in.

Charity isn't a priority of hers, but some of the bidding items seem extremely promising to her. She's got a glass of sparkling water with her, decorated with an olive-laden toothpick. ]

open;

[dragony]

She is wholly anticipating the night to end in disaster, but Ruka doesn't have anything more pressing to do on this Friday night. So, why not tempt fate, as they always tend to do? There was always the slimmest of possibilities that the night will end well.

There's no appeal to her for autographs, so she skips the lines, instead opting to flit around the ballroom, catching snippets of conversation, watching the night unfold. With her hair still dyed brown and enough hair carefully styled to hide the more subtly-colored eye patch, she might be harder to recognize as the green-haired girl so many people have come to know, but blending has its perks. It's the reason behind it, in the first place.

As she captures a few photographs of interesting scenes—they'll make a good source of reference later—she ponders just how late in the evening it will be before the catastrophe emerges.

open

[hackeralastair]

It still counted if one showed up fashionably late, yes? As much as these kinds of events really weren't his thing, Alastair was actually taking some of the things Ruka said to him to heart. If he wasn't going to make friends out of his coworkers or patrons, or other locals, the least he could do was try to rub elbows with the other freaks and geeks, right?

He didn't have much in the way of formal wear, the only pair of pants he owned that weren't jeans were skin-tight black leather, the kind for clubbing. Those, with a tight black sweater, were the best he could manage. He prowled his way in at ten to eight, annoyed that he was still too early for the bar but at least he missed the dining and mingling part. It wasn't like him to go all wallflower, but there he was, just sort of scoping out the crowd and wondering what possessed him to come looking for friends.

open for autographs!

[professorlionface]

[Hank sits at his table, twiddling his pen in one hand, his headshots all laid out in front of him. He brought along an image inducer, mostly as a parlor gag, partly as a demonstration of his work. Maybe a stack of pamphlets about the Xavier Institute, as well.

His attention keeps going off to the auction case. Those damn so puppets unsettle him. He checks his watch, there's still some time. He'll have to do something about them.]

open

[namekian]

Piccolo unfortunately was dragged to this display... Kenzi had managed to find a suit that fit him, and the entire time he wondered how he was convinced to go to this thing in the first place. It was strange... people throwing money for services and dates. "It was for a good cause", they all said. The namek gladly stuck to the wall, keeping a close eye on Kenzi to assure she wasn't going overboard on the booze or the spending.

Really, spending time with her was like babysitting half the time. He crossed his arms over his chest, contemplating removing the purple tie Kenzi had managed to get on him.

How did anyone move in these things?

OPEN.

[swordedpast]

He knows exactly what's going on, of course. It's hard to miss Rin's mark on the description of him that's up for the auction. And that's the only reason he's here. If anyone else had submitted his name, he'd have ignored the prank and bailed on the auction entirely.

For Rin, though? Maybe if he plays her joke out to the end, she'll smile more. Just don't expect him to admit that's his motivation, of course.

He doesn't look all that grumpy, for once. Actually, he looks elegant, in his suit and with his hair tidier than usual, but rather blank. He waits outside the ballroom, leaning slightly against the wall of a hallway, regarding passersby expressionlessly.

Which is how one of the more senior waiters mistakes him for a new employee slacking on the job. Which is how, in turn, he winds up being dragged into the ballroom, a platter of hors d'oeuvres in his hands.

Archer stands there with an increasingly long-suffering look creeping onto his face, casting his gaze about for somewhere to drop off the platter so he can vanish once more.

OPEN.

[seeksherownsalvation]

The lure of food is a strong one for certain people. Kyouko shows up bright and early, cheer in her eyes and a smug grin on her face...

...only to be turned away at the door.

"What the heck! I'm an imPort, so I get to be here, right? You can't turn me away 'cause I'm not good enough!"

It takes a good minute or two of her ranting and complaining before she finally registers the reason she's being refused: a sweatshirt and jeans are not appropriate attire for a charity ball.

"Oh yeah? Fine! What about this?"

Yes, that nice little red dress she just transformed into is fine, but the giant spear that seems to come with it is not.

By the time other people are filtering into the now-open ballroom, Kyouko looks like she's finally ready to slink away and grab some real clothes. But she hesitates at the entrance for a little while first, staring wistfully at the arrivals...

[incywincyhero]

[Peter wasn't planning on bidding on anything. Besides recent money concerns from the slow exodus of the Spider-Haus, he just wasn't that interested in any of the items -- and with Carol's departure still smarting, the idea of even a joke date rankles.

So he's just here to socialize. Possibly later in the evening he'll pick up a few photos for City Lights, but right now he's mingling, a flute of sparkling apple cider in hand.]

Autographs (open)

[heal_or_execute]

Mordin is standing behind his table instead of sitting, too full of energy to hold still right now. He has a lot going on, and has only made half an hour of his time available to sign copies of his academic articles for charity. Mordin's aware he doesn't have as much of a 'fan base' as other ImPorts, and isn't worried about disappointing anyone.

Despite his tight schedule, he won't let anything stop him from chatting at-length with anyone coming for his autograph. The chance for interesting conversation and learning new things is almost always worth the investment of time, in the Professor's opinion.

[teamme]

So... putting himself up to be auctioned might have not been a smart idea, Leo is beginning to realize that. It wasn't that he didn't want to go on a date, he was actually all for it. And whatever money he managed to make would go to a good cause so there was that.

But he hadn't considered the embarrassment potential. So he's... nervously nibbling on any food he finds around, not even really noticing what he's eating. His anxiousness is pretty apparent to anyone who would care to notice him.

Autograph Signing: Open

[amiga]

[She's impressed at the turn out so far, even more impressed that a few people seem to know who she is and that she is Batman's daughter. After a year spent trying to convince people that she was who she said she was, it felt good to have the public at large acknowledge her and her contributions.

She poses for photos, even allowing herself to smile in that sly way that her mother taught her. And when she signs 'Huntress', she purposely makes the H's look different from when she signs her own name.]

open for autographs! and general mingling!

[longbowhunter]

[At least his tragic fashion sense hadn't been a detriment to Ollie's ability to show up on time for this shindig. The great thing about costumes was that they were, more or less, a uniform. Everything fit in its proper place and there wasn't a whole lot of creativity after the initial design process was done. More than that, though, you got used to them after a while. There was no awkward shuffling around in a dress shirt, or fancy shoes here; Ollie looks utterly comfortable and at ease in the green leather and nylon. He smiles easily at anybody in his general area, leaning up on his bow (a more impressive, obviously more customized weapon than the one that would be up for auction later), and even tips his silly Robin Hood-style hat every now and then to a pretty girl as she passes.]

open!

[egohalfempty]

The event hasn't even started and Cyd has already glued herself to the wall. No one should be surprised. Her dress, a last minute buy from a local thrift shop, sits somewhere between cute and frumpy. The dark green is flattering but the cut isn't doing her any favors. Not to mention she's pretty wobbly in these heels.

Anyway, her eyes are wide and desperate, anxiously scanning the growing crowd for a familiar face. Please, oh please, let her spot someone she knows.

AUCTION (8PM - 12AM)

[latebreaking]

The auction may be a silent one, but tensions are still high. Even if you're still at your table enjoying your meal or at the bar having a drink, it's impossible to miss the people at the other end of the room putting their ballots in, though at least the auctioneer's announcements every once in a while aren't loud enough to interrupt anything else. If you're bidding, there are chairs by the balloting for your convenience. If you're being bidden on, fear not; you're welcome to mingle around the event like normal, just don't stray too far.

[silhouetto]

[Around the early part of the evening, Khashoggi can be found lingering around the balloting area, paying close attention to the auctioneer. His face remains impassive, but he's watching the man tensely. Obviously he's considering this very important. Every now and then, he takes out his phone, does some math on the calculator app, then returns to watching the auctioneer like a hawk watches a rabbit.

One wonders how the hell he can actually read his ballot with his sunglasses on. He's dressed in a long black leather jacket, with a button up black oxford, tie and slacks. It looks a little u-boat chic but this is dressy for him, alright?]

[not_really_charlie]

Charlie places a few bids... Okay, more than a few. You might actually see her sneaking away with her computer, at some point, mentally interfacing with the network to work silently and furiously. Nothing to see there. It isn't like she's hacking her way into whatever counts as a conservative party's funs, siphininoning off some of their wealth to splinter among various charities, and using the smallest portion to make her own bids.

What sort of crazy awesome, Robin-hood type person would do that in a room filled with super heroes, anyway? Nope. Nothing to see here. Just keep on walking.

[foreverbouncing]

[Charlie is enjoying herself way too much tonight, watching the bidding, running over to the table to bid some more, talking to everyone, obviously enjoying herself more than she had expected. She'd come because it sounded sort of fun, but it was turning out to be a lot more than she expected!]

[She's not even sure why she's bidding on people at this point, except that she can afford to to and it seems fun, and she scans the crowd trying to figure out who she's competing against...which she can't, because she's terrible at that.]

Open

[aggressiveapathy]

[April is going back and forth between the tables and the ballot area at an almost alarming rate considering the height of her heels. The black evening dress is nice and classy, save for the piece of paper taped to her back which, scrawled in hasty sharpie, reads 'Bid For Terry. Reward for winner.'

The smirk does not leave her face the entire four hour period.]

[xxii_thefool]

Minako has for the most part seemed pretty relaxed, never mind that she's one of the volunteers up for auction. She didn't come with any particular intentions of bidding on anything or anyone herself; she's content to enjoy her dinner and watch people come and go back and forth from putting in their ballots with mild, cheerful curiosity.

Midway through the evening, though, inspiration strikes. She pops quickly over to fill out a ballot, and deposits it with a smile that practically sparkles with mischief.

POST-AUCTION (12AM - onward)

[latebreaking]

The results are almost in! Or are they in already? Argue, panic, sulk, or celebrate accordingly; the restaurant may be closed but the bar is open until 2 AM, so you don't have to leave yet if you don't want to. Otherwise, feel free to keep chatting, to enjoy the night air, to rub your wins in your rivals's faces or finally chat up your date for what might even be the first time.

[not_really_charlie]

It's easy to watch Charlie fidgeting, as her eyes scan the crowd. She's just waiting for the call to go up. Who's been bidding on her? Every time she sees a pretty girl, she half smiles. And every time she sees a guy... well. Maybe they just want a few computer skills.

She's a little more worried about Cyd, anyway. her faux-twin. Somehow, Charlie felt a responsibility to this other version of herself. If anyone took advantage, she intended to be there to do something...

open

[wisecracked]

Kenzi sat in shocked silence. Okay, maybe less shocked looking given how much she's drank over the course of the evening but she's shocked none-the-less. She hadn't expected to actually win a date with Gil. She only bid on him to raise the price and you know, maybe save him from a potentially embarrassing time with a stranger not because she was jealous or anything. She hadn't expected her plan to actually work.

And bidding on Roy, well, that was just a spur of the moment thing; as were any other bids she put in. She never expected to win any of those either so winning Roy is just as much of a surprise.

After a moment of staring at the table in surprise she rose and went to get another drink from the bar.

Re: open

[not_really_charlie]

She's extremely likely to find Charlie there, sputtering over something far too strong and then taking another sip. She knows it's just one date, but some guy winning her and Cyd both freaked her out.

When she sees another girl coming to the bar, she gives what she hopes is a sympathetic smile. It might come off more as a grimace, though.