[ open ] jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock

[lyingheart]

WHO: OPEN.
WHERE: De Chima.
WHEN: Saturday, December 13th, 2014.
WHAT: Earlier in the afternoon, there will be base-jumping in elf costumes. Later on is the charity silent date auction and different performances by USA celebrities fundraising for charity this holiday season. OOC information post here.
WARNINGS: None now, will update later. To avoid seeing all the silent auction threads, simply press on the (Hide ## comments) under the header comment for the auction section!

[ BASE JUMPING from TARTARUS TOWER ]
For those imPorts who volunteered to jump from Tartarus Tower, arrivals for fittings into their costumes begins at 2:00 PM sharp. Each costume comes with a name-tag attached, and make-up artists are on hand to help affix elf ears to participants and work on their eye make-up for the ease of the cameras catching all this live.

The jumps will start at 4:00 PM, and after all imPort elves have jumped and successfully reached the ground, they'll join the bus transporting presents and Malik to the De Chima children's hospital to deliver gifts to the children in the cancer ward (and elsewhere). ImPorts will then be transported over to the main facilities for the fundraiser event as a whole, invited to attend the Silent Date Auction as well as listen to any of the various performances occurring over the course of the evening.

[ CHARITY SILENT DATE AUCTION in DE CHIMA ]
Starting at 4:00 PM, the doors to the conference hall made available for the ImPort Charity Silent Date Auction will open. Live music will be provided, along with refreshments and catered hor d'oeuvres, and televisons displaying both the news stories and live coverage of the fundraiser events occurring over the course of the evening. ImPorts will be encouraged to attend any of these performances in person, but will not be required to leave the conference hall unless they wish to do so.

There is lounge seating available, and free wireless throughout the building. Different conference halls are hosting different events in this event center, and the largest productions are happening on a built stage outside. There's a massive lit tree in the central front courtyard of the event center, and many small stands selling hot drinks, good foods, and wares outside by the stage and surrounding streets, all with a portion of proceeds going to various named charities.

Please comment to this log with your own starters! Only the Auction Thread will be set-up under its own sub-thread, for ease of tracking. Auction Threads can be threaded in, but initial comments to those threads should be the bids that a character is placing on someone else (or themselves). Bidding will close OOCly by this time next week (or when a player states bidding is closed on their character - send me a PM to close that thread, or comment to close it on your own). ICly, all bids close at the end of the night.

Comments

Will Graham | Silent Auction | Open

[infomodder]

[He's not supposed to be here. Technically, he's not supposed to be doing anything that doesn't fall under the umbrella of "taking it easy" but he went to work today anyway. Abigail told him about it and he did his best to act peronsally uninterested, but he has business in De Chima, has to go by the old house and get what material possessions he has so he can start to finalize the move. That's his excuse if he gets caught; he was in town for business, what's wrong with stopping by an event for a little bit just to see how it's going?

Besides, it's in Virginia. There are few things more appealing to Will Graham than the state of Virginia, even if it's different from the one he knows and hides away from the rest of the world in.

He's not in his usual wardrobe, doesn't stand out in a plaid shirt and overly large jacket that can't hide the plaid disaster beneath it. No, he's a little classier this time around, at least on the surface. The gloves get stuffed in his coat pocket when he makes his way inside, of course, and there is absolutely no interest on his end in any food or drink, no matter how good or hot or whatever "selling" point there might be. His curiosity in the bidding doesn't extend too far. Freddie's surprises him more than worries him, some of the write ups are absolutely tasteless, but that's the sort of thing that sells. Sensationalism and exaggeration trump blunt truths on a constant basis, why wouldn't an event meant to bring in the money cash in on what, well...brings the cash in?

When one of the vendors ends up dropping a breakable cup, Will takes a second to steel himself before reaching down to pick up the piece of it that scatters nearest him. Time reverses. For the cup, if nothing else. All those shattered bits end up back together under his touch and he passes it back over. Still doesn't want anything to drink. Put the drink to charity or something. Or clean that cup out and fill for whoever else might be passing by, he doesn't want it. Arguing with a vendor makes more of a scene that what it has to be, though, so it doesn't last too long.

Okay, fine. He'll take water. Begrudgingly. In fact, anyone who comes across him at any point in his trip through the place probably notices that the vibe he's giving off is more in keeping with the Scrooge or the Grinch than anything or anyone who believes in the magic of holidays. There is a heart, maybe. Somewhere under the ooze of hurried bah humbug gifted with the power of fixed broken cups.

How magical.]

[conducive]

[ bah humbug indeed.

rosie, meanwhile, is the opposite, cheerfully perched on the edge of a bench with a flock of tiny humans surrounding her while they touch the quaffle sized ball of electricity in her hand and their hair stands on end like those balls at the science museum. they squeal and chatter in delight and since rosie doesn't need to put much effort into such a simple task, she can people watch while she casually explains the science of it in terms first graders can understand before they're collected by their parents and disperse.

her people watching garnered her peanuts, except for a certain teacup power. she flutters over like a butterfly, shaking sparks off her fingertips as her body absorbs the rest of the bright blue electricity she was just discharging. ]

Now that was a neat trick.

[ she points to his cup in case he thinks she was being just phenomenally self-aggrandizing, right there. ]

[infomodder]

[He's been here long enough to be somewhat accustomed to the fact of the matter that are going to be people doing plenty of things he'd never once imagined could be an actual reality back in his world. It's not that he doesn't notice the electrical display, it's that he doesn't make it obvious he's paid it any attention. How does anyone not notice that when it's close by?

It's a different situation entirely when the sparkling, sparking ball actually approaches him. Him and his brand spanking new cup of water that he didn't want, a power he hadn't used since his return. Oh God. There is a person.

A person he doesn't know.

Incoming.

None of his usual handlers are about and like hell is he going to search the crowd for anyone he knows as some sort of maladjusted last resort, safety in numbers when there's absolutely nothing unsafe going on at the moment. He stares at her, openly, taking in the way her electrical ability seems to go right back to her before he glances at her face.

He leans back as he does it, Scrooge McNoSociability, but it feeds into looking at the cup she points to well enough. There's a huff of air in the place of a laugh before he seems to relax. A little bit.]

Only works this well once. And can't fix glass bottles. Making do with what they handed out, you know?

[He wiggles that cup in the air between them as he says it. A simple question that sometimes reveals much more—no, she doesn't know, everyone back where she's from has powers, or she's had them before! Yes, she knows, God does she know, this place is so weird, everyone can just do all these strange, magical things!

For someone who's not very keen on being social he can definitely choose a few words to move small talk into a bigger, better conversation.

Whether that's his design with it this time around or not isn't obvious. It just rolls right off the tongue. Same as how, if she wants to, he's extended that cup for her to just reach out and take. Go ahead, test the mettle of the trick.

Probably don't drink out of it though.]

[conducive]

[ she shrugs, noncommittal. an accidentally diplomatic answer. she knows, boy does she ever, but this place is still wicked weird. she's literally straddling the line of knowing and not knowing. ]

S'ppose that's one way of looking at it. Or you could rage, rage against the dying of the light and dramatically quote Thomas in an effort to stick it to the man. Whatever frosts your cupcake.

[ a beat, conceding to actually answering his non question with a still non answer. ] I always had trouble with glass, too. Not very conducive.

[infomodder]

[Back to staring openly, this time at her face, trying to keep his as neutral as possible. Dramatically quote Thomas, cupcake frosting. There's something familiar in that, something that causes him to take a swig of that water the moment he pinpoints it. Long night ahead.]

Only way to quote Thomas would be dramatically. [Will says in the absolute dullest manner imaginable. The flatness in his voice cannot be anything other than purposeful. One eyebrow tilts up and gives away that much.] You're Rosie Franklin—discussed optimism with Kate Bishop and BJ's with Jayden Zharkov?

[And whether or not Old Benny had certain problematic tendencies, which is going ignored.

Some people take Will's reading up on others to a degree it doesn't touch, and despite it not being the same flat tone as before, it's also lacking anything apologetic. He's not ever sorry for the following along he does on the network and it's always telling how people take that.]

[conducive]

[ rosie can take the staring. isn't too fussed with it, probably enjoys it in the peahen way of hers. yay attention from an attractive man that isn't seventeen, bless. ]

I am. [ isn't too fussed with will's stalking either since, to rosie, the communicators and the network are basically facebook. she has people friended on facebook she doesn't even know and she still trolls their pages looking at pictures and being a bitch about clothes and ugh i cannot believe he thinks that is attractive, what has the jersey shore done to the world, kill it with fire.

but because they're being introduced now, she holds out her hand, eyebrows lifting just slightly like she's daring him to take it after her little show with the children. ] At your service. And you are?

[infomodder]

[Some electrically-charged power, the great great something or other of Ben Franklin, and completely unfazed by the idea that someone she's never spoken to or met before knows her name. Her name and specific conversations where he was never once mentioned, not a whisper of him, and she doesn't find that odd or off at all.

Yes, this one is definitely a keeper.

Her eyebrows go up and Will takes (the bait) her hand, shaking it with a decidedly work grip, firm but not dominating, the squeeze quick. Yes, he can shake hands. He is trained. He does not fear a being shorted out in a public place.]

Will Graham. [Who is apparently capable of a human smile if he wants, look at that.] No relation to either of the famous reverends, fortunately.

[And some human humor, it's all or nothing. He is not a Graham cracker, hear him roar.]

[conducive]

[ she's a franklin and she was stalked by the government, people randomly knowing her name is like tuesday. this one is cute which makes it like mardi gras. tuesday of attractiveness.

her nose wrinkles delicately at his not namesake, reaching up to tuck her hair back behind her ear. ] Billy Graham, right? Is he even still alive? Must be reaching Methuselah age, by now. Which... would be fitting if his grandson is into boats.

[ random biblical references, get. ]

[infomodder]

[He's completely unaware of being found attractive at this moment. He's pretty unused it, truth be told. People are all up in his face for information or a chance to crack into his nutty head, April outright saying he had good looks was a new one. He's...not picking up on anything that gets into "I am not a hideous dog on the outside, sometimes people notice this."

He doesn't notice that his nose wrinkles exactly as hers did when she asks if Billy Graham is even still alive—why the hell would Will know?—and moves to do that thing people sometimes do, where they walk with each other as they talk. Maybe the bench is the goal. Maybe he should sit. It doesn't seem to matter too much, it just seems like Will isn't the kind of guy to stand around and be idle if he doesn't have to be and he's more than okay with a little company in that regard.]

Hell if I know. [Playing right off that biblical, it can be done.] Don't know every Graham out there. Don't know everyone into boats, either. [He is into the boats. He likes the boats. That shines through.] How you liking Virginia?

[It's for lovers.

Everyone seems to absolutely despise it.

It's perfect!]

[conducive]

Oh, I love it.

[ foiled, graham. ]

It could be a bit colder this time of year, but it's better than all that sun in Florida. [ bostonian for lyfe. ] It's a little too green for my liking here, but at least there aren't palm trees.

[ and virginia has that weird western half that no one talks about so it reminds her of massachusetts. what even is worcester? it's a silly place, let's not go there. ]

[infomodder]

[That's not the answer he was expecting, that much is obvious. But it's not a bad thing to be wrong, especially not when it relates to someone saying they love Virginia. This is a good "you were wrong, Graham" moment and he is going to chew on that with great relish.]

Give it time, it'll get colder. [He says that as if he knows. Really, he doesn't. He knows his Virginia. He has hopes for this Virginia. He might not hope for a dreamy white Christmas, but he certainly hopes it gets as damn cold as it does back in the one he knows.] Hope it doesn't pick up any palm trees with time, though.

[And that? That is an honest hope he'll let loose: no palm trees in Virginia. No thank you. No. Please, God, no. None of them.]

[conducive]

I'll take your word for it. Of course, now if it gets warmer because of rubbish global warming I'm just going to blame you completely.

[ the world now literally revolves around will. whoopsie daisy. but she's obviously teasing. ]

[infomodder]

[There's a moment where his face falls as though he is taking it seriously, as though he doesn't understand the idea of teasing and has no sense of humor or anything like it. A brief moment of confusion and terror that ends when he keeps his lips the same thin, almost frowning line as he says:]

Why me? [Truly offended.] That's the sort of thing you blame on the president. The higher ups in the government. They control the weather, after all.

[The seriousness might be cracking slightly by the end. Might.]

Well, I found you anyway.

[hands4healing]

[Winry is surprised to see him at the auction, but she's surprised to see a lot of people at the auction, really. Mr. Kimblee for one. But she makes her way over, a smile on her face.]

Mr. Graham! It's nice to meet you in person.

[Her name and auction number are displayed on her dress.]

HOWDY!

[infomodder]

[Someone calling him by that name isn't...well, around here, he doesn't expect it out of many people. He expects it from one person in particular, but that's not Abel Gideon's voice, not at all. So he's confused when it hits his ears at first, that much easy to see when he turns to the voice.

Mr. Graham. God, who calls him that anymore?

Green dress, okay—oh. Oh damn. There are no dogs here. There is just Will, who had been banking on the presence of dogs to be the main focus and, thus, for his involvement to be less...personal. No one really needs to get too interested in the other human (or human-like being, he's been here long enough to not assume right off the bat) when there are dogs around.

Better pull it together, Graham. Better give out the best human-like smile he has, which is actually difficult for him, but he manages.]

Winry, right? [It's easier to pronounce her name when he's already heard it straight from her mouth. He's not always sure how people are used to greeting each other, the societies represented here so varied and straight up bizarre to him most of the time, so he slips his hand further into his coat pocket to prevent going out for a shake just yet. No need to be overly awkward when he can just be his usual awkward, though he actually looks for eye contact, doesn't stare at the ground like he's never dealt with social situations before.] Good to meet you, too. You can just call me Will, if you'd rather...save the time.

[It's not disrespectful just because he's older (or simply looks older, this place has got it all), as far as Will's concerned. He also doesn't particularly care for that specific title in the first place. Reminds him how he'll never be able to replace it, no matter how much he might have been thought as having "earned" an honorary something or other else.]

:D

[hands4healing]

[She nods, pleased at being remembered. Sometimes people don't.] Yes! It's so good to meet you in person!

[And, being a friendly, polite, young woman, Winry offers her hand. Seh's going to ignore any weirdness, because, it's this world, and there is some weirdness here, and she's accustomed to strange things happening both here and her own world. So awkward people - not a big deal.]

Even if I don't have Zoey here with me.

[She did have Ed - did Ed count? He's a 'Dog of the Military', after all. And he might be lurking around nearby. If he is, she's ignoring her personal stalker.]

[infomodder]

[He has a wonderful visual memory when he's not sick—he will always remember.

Okay, normal smiles, he can handle that. And if Winry's going to offer her hand, he's going to shake it. He's trained well enough to shake hands and do so properly, someone who's had to shake hands for work and grown used to it, though everything after he takes it back is a toss up. Still, this can't be too bad, all anxiety because he was banking on the dogs being the center of attention is unwarranted. There are plenty of people around, nothing can go too wrong, it'll be fine.]

Afraid I don't have Gunther with me, either. [Polite is always good. It's friendly he tends to have trouble with. Don't shuffle the feet, don't look around like he'd rather be anywhere else but here, now. Stay focused on the present company, that's polite.] He's not up for bid, doesn't understand how money works, and can't read. Didn't really seem like his scene.

[Terrible dog humor is one way to start things off, sure is. Perhaps the awkward is radiating.

And screaming.

Oh well.]

[hands4healing]

[Is his hand a little clammy? Winry will forgive that, or think nothing of it, because, well. These things can be a bit stressful. She's still going to smile, and give his hand a squeeze.]

Zoey's smart, but I don't think she can read, either. [She leans in a little bit.] Don't tell her I said that!

[Maybe a gentle tease will help Will?]

[infomodder]

[His hand is definitely a little clammy, in passing, in squeezing. Stress, he might blame it on the fact that his gloves are made for colder weather, anything other than the actual root of the problem. It's not good smalltalk. Or first time meeting in person talk.

She leans in and Will takes note, leans in on his own, head tilted like his ear needs to be closer to get in on...whatever this is. Whatever this—oh. Oh. That's nothing short of delightful and works, getting a huff of air in the place of a laugh and his shoulders relaxing.]

I won't, don't worry. [As if this is truly serious business worthy of being stamped confidential. He should probably not veer into anything too literal, though, that just sounds like being a smartass.] How you finding De Chima? No beaches up here like the ones down in Florida.

[Better? Maybe better. He seems to feel a little better about his route, opting to step out—walking and talking together, that's the cue he's giving, not trying to get away. There's a bench nearby, that could be the goal.

He's just not keen on standing around idly for too long.]

[hands4healing]

[Winry's pleased he's relaxed a bit at her joke. She can tell he's relaxed a bit - his shoulders aren't as stiff, and the lines aren't as evident around his mouth. She smiles as he begins walking - she's accustomed to that, too - Ed's not one for staying still unless he's exhausted. So walking. She could do that.]

It's chillier! I wish someone had told me that. I could've brought a heavier jacket.

[Or worn a warmer dress, though it's all right inside here. Comfortable, temperature wise.

Small talk. Not a bad thing, Will, see?]

[infomodder]

[She gets another glance at the mention of a heavier jacket, Will's eyes focused on the straps. They don't seem to be of much use if she has to deal with that chill, nothing else over it. It's easier to relax, to be more open to small talk when there is something else going on to prevent true, rotting idleness. If she makes an obvious cue to sit somewhere, he'll follow, but if she's good with walking and talking for now?

Like hell he's going to speak against it. It's not bad at all.]

Gets a lot chillier here than it does in Florida. [His hands are firmly stuck in his pockets, but he looks at his own coat and then looks around to some of the others nearby, eyebrow raised.] If it starts snowing or gets to be too much, you could always just borrow one from somebody.

[Borrow or take without asking, whatever works.]

[hands4healing]

Snowing? Really? Do you think that could happen? [Big eyes, considering Ed, and snow, and everything that happened in Briggs. But a child-like glee is there, too, because...sledding, and snowball fights, and...!

She is fine with walking and talking. And nodding and smiling at other people as they pass them.]

The last time I was in snow, it wasn't...a good time. But I don't hold anything against it!

[infomodder]

[Childlike glee, he's not used overly used to it (or any glee, honestly). It is truly more infectious than it has any right to be, reminds him of Sasha's enthusiasm when it comes to food, makes Winry endearing instead of obnoxious. He pulls a face and shrugs, pointedly ignoring nodding or smiling at any other people walking by. Winry's his current focal point.

Holding anything against a natural occurrence...well, not a topic he should get on.]

I don't know. [He didn't check the weather before he made his way up here, has no problems confessing a lack of expertise in something.] Didn't look like it would when I got here, but...snow's snow. Sometimes it just happens.

[Nature does it's own thing, can't nobody stop it.]

[hands4healing]

It would be nice if it snowed. [Except for her whole lack of proper clothing, but, her not-boyfriend is an alchemist, and could probably come up with something for her if she asked.]

What about you, Will? Do you like the snow? Or the sun more?

[infomodder]

[Nice if it snowed, yes, Will seems to agree with that one. Granted, Will is in damn warm clothing and is used to Virginia in its colder days, doesn't have to worry about the problems that might arise due to lack of cover like with Winry's dress. He nods, visibly agrees that it would be nice if it snowed, and then has to find a way to say that without it sounding like he prefers anything else but sunny because he's a grumpy, sad, lonely guy who has problems with anything joyous.]

Depends on the situation. [Welcome to the glorious world of non-answers, Winry. Still, he can fish in either environment. Just has to adapt before he goes out.] But snow can be easier to adjust to, and...it's nice [That word doesn't sound like it's a common one in Will's vocabulary, but he's trying.] to have a reason to stay in, get some work done or cozy up with the dogs. What about you?

[Snow lets people get away with not leaving the house.

Snow is fucking awesome. To Will. Is it to Winry, who had her little beach party, someone more social than him? Is it more of a pain than a blessing? Is there a time and a place for not dealing with people in her book, too? As shifty as his answer might be, he does lift an eyebrow when he asks.

Genuine interest in her answer; people like that, returned interest instead of plowing through "getting to know you talk" with a look that makes them feel like the other party is positively bored to death and showing it. He's not bored at all with her, with this conversation, and doing his best to show as much. Inclusive. Turning a new leaf before the new year isn't unheard of!]