Chez-nous la fête! [open!]

[Kateryna Braginskaya]

Kateryna felt a blush creep onto her face. It has been so long since anyone has asked her to dance, years in fact, and in such a place too. Well, it just made the forty-year old, feel like the giddy little girl she used to be.

"I- I woult love to. But perhaps a little later? I have a lot of work to do…” She looked around. Monsieur Bonnefoy seemed very nice enough, but the head waiter was a different story, while the monsieur probably wouldn’t mind seeing a couple of his staff sneaking in a quick dance.

She gave the young man a smile, she hasn’t shown in quite a long while. “But I will holt you to your word as a gentleman.” And then leaning up a little, she kissed the young man on the cheek. It was something she used to do a lot, to both girls and boys when she was younger. Is nice to relive the olt days. Patting him on the cheek in a motherly fashion, she turned around and went back to her work.

[jin]

“I’m glad you decided to come before the candles completely melted,” Jin said, sounding slightly irritated, but really quite grateful he wouldn’t have to face the rest of the party completely alone.

The bot looked between the two men, taking in the nature of their interaction just in case he would be seeing more of Roderich after the party. Arthur might strike a deal from their conversation, and while Jin didn’t exactly approve of some of his owner’s business partners (namely Ivan), it was useful to gather their likes and dislikes in order to improve their impressions of the Kirkland name.

Jin glanced back at Roderich when he had mentioned something about being Arthur’s son, despite the tight age difference and (more obviously) lack of similarities between them. ...Well, he did have rather thick eyebrows, though apparently not as thick as the blonde’s – then again, Jin had the advantage of hiding them behind his bangs. He wondered if that was why Roderich didn’t seem so interested in them, as he seemed to be with Arthur’s. There was rarely anything that escaped his notice when it came to others interacting with his owner, though thankfully (for everyone involved), Jin had enough sense not to mention it.

He kept his mouth shut and his gaze lowered as Arthur explained their relation (or, lack thereof), but was still oddly flattered by the misguided assumption.

“Oh, you’re a musician, Mister Edelstein?” Jin asked, suddenly looking more interested in that moment than he had the entire night. “Which instruments do you play?”

Of course a quick search would have answered that question in a heartbeat, however Jin had always found it more interesting to hear information straight from the source, rather than filtered through a team of editors. While waiting for Roderich to answer, he caught a brief glimpse of one Ivan Braginsky attempting to waltz with one of his bots – Allie, to be specific.

Of course.

A vague smirk pulled at his lips before he looked away, focusing back on the conversation at hand.

[zhongguo]

“Aiyaa,” Yao sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It’s a wonder this mansion hasn’t flown into space, with all the hot air that’s being exchanged in there.”

The Chinese student milled around the entrance to Francis’s mansion, pacing back and forth without any intention of going inside anytime soon. In fact, he hoped that if he freaked out enough people, they might even do him a favour and throw him out! He didn’t belong here with all these stuck up money bleeding aristocrats wearing their fancy-schmancy designer ties and fur coats made out of...oh, he didn’t even know. Walrus? Did walruses even have fur?

Not to say that Yao didn’t make an effort to dress nicely for the occasion. His usual sweatshirt and jogging pants were replaced with black slacks and a long-sleeved, dark red shirt that he had once worn to an interview. ...He hadn’t gotten the job, but that wasn’t the outfit’s fault. ...Or maybe it was?! Augh, he really should have thought this whole thing through a little bit more!

While hesitating for the hundredth time about whether to go in or call in a night and order in some ‘Chinese’, Yao noticed a wavy haired blond who also seemed to have some reservations about going inside. Unlike the rest of the party’s guest, said blond wasn’t dripping in diamonds and silk, and actually looked (dare he say it) normal. ...In fact, he looked so normal that it was a wonder Yao managed to notice him at all – perhaps he’d been standing there the whole time and just blended in with the shrubbery.

“Are you a guest, or just part of the wait staff? Because you don’t look like you earn much,” he said bluntly, pointing at the blonde’s choice of shoes.

[Lovino Vargas]

Ah... There it was. He knew there was a warmer glow of beauty hiding behind that smile somewhere, and he had managed to pull it out. Lovino patted himself on the back. If he didn't accomplish anything else, he'd at least done this.

"So do I..." he replied, casting a glance at the brilliantly bedecked partygoers and allowing himself a small, ironic smirk.

It wasn't fair to call it work, though. But it had been his main purpose in showing up uninvited to this party. To... Supplement his income a little. And he'd been distracted from that, even for such a worthy cause.

"Of course," he nodded, eyes brightening a little at the word 'gentleman'. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Ah, how long since he had heard that word in association with himself... Actually... Had he ever heard that word in association with himself...? Lovino was startled from this train of thought by a kiss on the cheek that made his face flare a bit pink. Then she patted him on the cheek and returned to her job, and he was still a bit dazed. A good dazed.

For, despite his creed when it came to other people... Lovino found himself a bit attached to this woman. Not overwhelmingly attached, mind you, but... He hoped she would be happy. Happier than just something as silly as dancing with her would bring. It was true, then, the only thing he'd ever learned from his family; that a woman's smile is the greatest treasure of all.

He shook his head, straightened his shoulders, and wandered at ease through the crowd. That sort of treasure, while rewarding, would not buy him food and clothes. Every so often he would brush past a lady long enough to unhook her bracelet and stuff it into the pocket of his pants, or to firmly clasp a man's hand in greeting while simultaneously removing a ring, or even to nab an especially enchanting trinket from a purse. No one seemed any the wiser about it, subtle as it was, and would no doubt notice only several minutes later, when the event would have vanished from their mind.

Rich people were sometimess the most idiotic of all. Lovino allowed himself a small laugh.

[brobrobratan]

Nikita made his way out to the outdoor patio to get a breath of fresh air. They was so much people and he could feel himself getting tired from all the chatter and the amount of people, it was a bit overwhelming. There were never this much people at the places he worked at. He deemed the whole thing quite ridiculous. There were others at the patio, but much less than the amount of people inside of the household. He enjoyed the crisp breeze and the amazing view, but he couldn't stay out on the patio for long, he had a job to do. Even though he really didn't want to, he would have to go back inside to where all the "stuffy, pompous shitfuckers" were gathered. Exhaling deeply, he once again went through the doors and back to his job.

He made his way around the main hall with the tray, starting to feel lethargic once more, though it wasn't noticeable. When working, it's a given and well-known fact that workers were to show no signs of negativity. Service with a smile, he often heard. He unconsciously made his way closer to the dance floor, where he caught the sight of a tall male with an eye-patch awkwardly trying to dance with a blonde female. The sight of the male stunned him, catching him off-guard. It was similar to the feeling of when he first glimpsed Kateryna, only this feeling was stronger. It was the feeling he got whenever he saw his older sister. That male was his sister. She was right in front of him. He could go to this male, he was right in front of him; he just had to simply walk across the floor, reach out his hand, and...

Someone bumped against him, breaking him out of his trance. The bump caused the tray to fall from his hand, which made a small clatter when it hit the floor, the food creating a small mess on the nicely polished floor. He stared at the mess before turning towards the one who had bumped into him and stared darkly.

"Watch where the fuck you're going, worthless piece of shit," he spoke, his anger extremely evident through his tone. How dare this shitty motherfucker interrupt his thoughts.

[ios]

Mei Wang, even for a fancy dinner in which she didn’t have to serve guests for once, took her sweet time picking a dress. It was nice, after all, having a day off of working constantly in search of clues of her missing brother and she wanted to look pretty! Her older brother, having found her through the internet of all ways, had invited her to a party, held by a gentleman known as Francis Bonnefoy.

Mei frowned a little, holding up a light pink dress to her body to see how it would match. As much as it was a surprise that her older brother had found her, she couldn’t help but to wonder if he even knew what happened to Jia. Well, she would be able to question him later, for now, dresses were the most important thing. Taking in a deep breath, she searched through miles of dresses and skirts, looking for the perfect dress.

Finally finding one that looked pretty, a dark blue dress that contrasted the pink she would normally wear, she smiled a little, bending down to pick up one very important accessory.

Cradling the plum blossom pin carefully, Mei smiled softly before twisting up her hair in a complicated bun and sticking the pin there to hold it. Jia had gotten this for her…of course she would wear it to a special party!

Making her way to the party, and admiring the house, she looked for her brother, occasionally fixing her hair. Maybe from this crowd of rich people, she would find more information on Jia…One couldn’t let an opportunity like this pass up after all!

Looking around the entrance, hoping her brother was still outside, she frowned a little, looking around. Where was he?

Humming softly to herself, she noticed two people chatting with each other, one who had dark hair…

Ah, Big Brother! There he was!

Her heels clicking on the floor, she made her way over to Yao and smiled a little. “Gege, it’s been awhile!” she cheered with a smile, before noticing the other person he was talking to. “Ah, hello, my name is Wang Mei. It is a pleasure to meet you~”

[Roderich Edelstein]

Jin snapped into place with a satisfying click for Roderich, and he relaxed, not even aware of how his shoulders and jaw had tightened. Hearing the bot's comment to Kirkland about being slow to arrive reminded Roderich why he hadn't found an appropriate bot yet. He'd checked with a few distributors, but he had yet to find a bot that he felt would fit his lifestyle appropriately. They were simply too...human. They had wants and needs and even feelings. Perhaps it was odd that Roderich felt something with a computer for a brain shouldn't be so human, with personalities that were far too real and unpredictable. He'd expected something more robotic in personality, but with human skills and ability. Perhaps he was expecting something unrealistic. Perhaps he would have to settle for something that was more human than he was looking for.

As Roderich's mind ran though its decision-making process and Kirkland spoke about Jin, he nodded and adjusted his glasses with a finger and then sipped from his glass again, trying to look actively attentive. Even if he never stopped staring at Kirkland's face during all the actions. His mind was trying to convince him a bot with eyebrows like Kirkland would be the ideal bot.

At Kirkland's question and Jin's following one, the fingers of his free hand twitched and moved as if there were piano keys under them. "The orchestra is holding a performance next week. I’ll be the pianist in that one. I also play the violin, which ever the conductor asks for.”

[Don't worry Arthur, some posts are just longer]

[Matthew Williams]

Matthew had taken to just watching as the drone of people continued to walk in and out of the building. The sheer class that they exubricated made the Canadian all the more nervous. This was simply nothing like what the blond was used to and that was saying something. He dealt with these sorts nearly every day at one of his jobs.

The difference being: That was a job, a controlled enviornment where he was under the protection of his employer. And a place where he felt like he had to remain calm at all times. This, on the other hand, was a social event. And unfortunately for the man, he wasn't too sure how to conduct himself.

In and out. That was his plan and unknowingly, the blond had started readjusting his tie out of nerves. He'd say hi and leave. That was it, he was s sure that he could do it. So absolutely sure.

...

No, he couldn't.

Matthew sighed to himself as he had attempted to take a step toward the door, immediately turning around and coming face-to-face with an asian man. "E-excuse me?" was his initial response, but he thought about what the other had said again and then quickly shook his head. His nerves clouding his comprehension capabilities. "Ah, no. I-I'm just here for a visit." Matthew answered honestly, and then looked over the other. It was sort of a rude question, but the blond wasn't about to call him out on it. "What about you?"

Oh, shoot. That came out ruder than he had intended. This man looked normal enough, but he was bad at this sort of thing. "I-I'm sorry, didn't mean it like that." Matthew hoped that he hadn't offended the other.

[/blockquote]

[jin]

“Oh~ Classy instruments for a classy gentleman, right?” Jin asked with a slight smirk, having classified the Austrian’s appearance, demeanor, and overall income as that of a gentleman. ...At least, according to the standards he’d been programmed with.

Aah, but it was starting to get a bit stuffy where they were, and the temperature sensitive bot was starting to feel a bit overheated. It wasn’t abnormally hot, however Jin was unused to wearing a suit, and all the bodies breathing and sweating and fake laughing in the same place just made the whole space feel very humid. Remembering there was a small balcony on Francis’ second floor, the bot looked back to the two men, hoping they wouldn’t find it too rude he stepped outside for a bit.

“Dui bu qi,” Jin muttered, pausing in confusion after realising what he had said. “Excuse me,” he clarified, offering both Roderich and Arthur a polite nod before excusing himself from the conversation as well as the room.

The bot weaved in and out of various groups of chatty party guests, undoing the first two buttons on his shirt in hopes of cooling himself down. He didn’t overheat often, and he even made sure he was at full battery before coming to the event. Jin sighed quietly, making his way up the staircase that lead to the second level – maybe Yong Soo and Allie were right. Maybe he was getting on in years...er, year; he’d only been active for little over a year.

Stupid ever-changing technology.

After passing the umpteenth chattering clique, Jin finally made it to the second floor’s balcony, overlooking the main entrance to Francis’s estate. The small bot leaned against the stone railing, allowing the light wind blow against his face. He could feel his inner machinery cooling down already, and made a mental note to classify this feeling as ‘cold’ as well as ‘refreshing’.

Jin closed his eyes, trying to shut out the bits of muddled conversations buzzing around him.

[zhongguo]

“Mean it like what?” Yao asked, not sure whether he’d just come face to face with one of those fabled ‘stealth insults’. “Aah, never mind. I attend school with Francis and assume he invited me to his party on a whim. The only reason I even bothered coming was to see all the bots,” he said, raising his index finger. “I’m doing my thesis on them you see, and what better venue to see them in action than some frumpy party~? I would go out and buy one myself, but poor people aren’t allowed to have nice things in Eishoff. Besides, they kind of scare me.”

He looked the blond over once more, still trying to decide what kind on person he was. On the one hand, he seemed very polite and softspoken – Yao liked that. On the other hand, he was visiting Francis out of his own free will – this concerned him. Snapping his fingers and preparing to place the blame on the wealthy Frenchman (because that just made things easier), Yao heard the rapid clicking of heels coming closer and looked around to see if someone had caught on fire. His gold eyes widened to the side of golf balls when he saw his little sister walking towards them. Mei had always been hard headed and feisty while they were growing up – hopefully her attitude had mellowed out in the years he’d been away.

“Meimei!” Yao exclaimed, giving her a tight squeeze as soon as she came within arm’s reach. “Aiyaa, it’s been so long! You’ve gotten so big and so old~ ...And you look like a prostitute,” he added, taking off his jacket and throwing it around her shoulders. “Hide your cleavage before one of these rich old ladies tries to leech onto your soul so they can take possession of your youthful body!”

A playful smile signaled that the Chinese student was only joking, but no one could ever be sure when it came to Yao Wang. Mei really had grown to be a very beautiful young woman, and it took every ounce of pride he had to keep himself from crying. He missed her and Jia-Long so much!

“We have so much to catch up on meimei! You have to tell me everything that’s happened since I’ve been gone, okay?”

Yao looked from Mei to the blond expectantly, wondering if they could all just stick together until he gathered up enough information to write a 50 page thesis...which may or may not take him until the end of the party. It would be less embarrassing (for him) to observe the bots if they were in a group after all! Oh, but it would be helpful to know the taller man’s name, wouldn’t it?

“Aah! Sir, my name is Yao by the way, Wang Yao! This is my little sister Wang Mei...as she’s already told you,” he said sheepishly, not wanting to restart their sibling relationship on the wrong foot...again.

[Matthew Williams]

Matthew grew silent, allowing the other man to talk. A friendly smile eventually making its way to his features as he introduced himself and his relation to Francis. It was so nice to meet someone who was somewhat normal. Though, Matthew did know a couple of higher-society people who were decent; Francis and Ivan both coming to mind. Even if he didn't know Ivan all that well.

"O-oh, I probably should have brought Rai, then." he laughed a bit nervously. Would Rai have enjoyed something like this? The thought hadn't really crossed his mind to 'tell' the bot to come with him. He liked letting the young looking bot do as he pleased, even if the little one was reluctant to do so without orders.

But, the Canadian was curious about the thesis.

He had been about to ask exactly what it was about when he was interuptted, quickly shutting his mouth and looking over to the source. A polite young girl introducing herself, but quickly taking 'control' of the situation. Regarding the two briefly, Matthew chuckled. He himself didn't have any siblings, but it was fun to watch. "Ah, it's nice to meet you both. I-I'm Matthew Williams."

Though, that's when the awkward set in. Should he leave the two be? It looked like they had something important to discuss. Yet, another part of him was so desperate to stick close to the only patch of sanity that had graced him this evening. Maybe if he offered for them to all go inside together? It was starting to get a bit chilly anyway; not that Matthew minded.

"Maybe we should go inside and continue? It's getting a bit nippy."

[/blockquote]

[Francis Bonnefoy]

Francis stood by the fruit punch bowl happily serving himself. Satisfied with the amount in his glass, he moved to lean against the wall. He looked around the room, scanning the area to see if there were any person or persons he hadn't had the chance to greet yet. He noted that a few people he himself had invited haven't arrived yet. Francis pouted. Well they don't know what they're missing out on! It was time to start the games!

The host moved to the front of his mansion, he was going to tell the valet that the time has come.

It was through the window that he caught a glimpse of Yao outside the entrance and as much as he was surprised and pleased-not-being-close to-the-right-word-at-all, he realised that Yao was chatting with Matthew! Francis smiled, he thought the Canadian wouldn't come.

Stepping outside he went to join his friend and his classmate.

But it wasn't them he went to greet first.

"My what is lovely mademoiselle such as yourself doing out here in the cold, and with coat that doesn't do that pretty dress justice?" Extending his arm in a gentleman manner, he gently took her hand and kissed it. "Allo, mademoiselle. I am Francis Bonnefoy, your host for this soiree."

[/size]

[ios]

Mei smiled at her older brother before giving him a quick hug before pouting as he placed his jacket on her shoulders. She kept on the jacket regardless, due to the fact that she was cold, before poking her older brother in the cheek. “You’re not Mama, Gege, I can wear what I want. Besides, I’m a big girl now! Not before you left for university.”

She smiled politely at Matthew, dipping her head a little in a bow as her older brother reintroduced her to Matthew. “What are you doing outside though Gege with…ah…” She paused for a moment, not sure what to call Matthew.

Mister Williams? Mister Matthew? Just Matthew would be a little rude after all, since they just met. “ – Mister Williams?” She looked inside, to where the party was then back at the two, waiting for some sort of an answer. “Shouldn’t you be going inside…?”

Where it was a little warmer?

Not saying this out loud of course, she shifted the jacket over her shoulders before hearing a man speak, moving up to the three of them.

Blushing at the kiss to the hand, she smiled brightly at the older man. “A pleasure to meet you Mister Bonnefoy, I am Yao’s younger sister, Wang Mei.”

[arthur]

"I shall have to purchase tickets immediately." Arthur nodded with finality. "I do look forward to the performance, Mr. Edelstein." He glanced after Jin, watching him go, before stepping slightly away.

"I beg your pardon, but I am thirsty. I believe I'll try to locate some of that champagne that Bonnefoy is sure to have floating around here." As he stepped back, he brushed past another man, a brunet. Arthur went to apologize, when he felt the familiar weight of the pocket watch passed down in his family suddenly start to lift.

Quite casually, he seized the young man's wrist and leveled a glare in his direction. "Release it and I won't call attention."

((Had to reply, Lovi. Feel free to punch the Brit in the face!))

[Lovino Vargas]

Oh, f- ... No. No, he didn't curse. Not even in his head, not in a place like this. Calm. Calm, because his oaths always showed so vividly on his face. He needed to remain a gentleman. A... Gentleman...

As he pondered this with racing heart, his arm went rigid in the blond man's grip. Oh how he hated when people grabbed his wrist... Hated it, so much...

But the other man was being discreet, and so Lovino didn't struggle or cause a scene, as he might have otherwise. Even though his knife burned so temptingly in his pocket. He'd have to let this one go... It was a shame. An utter shame.

Because he could tell as he let the watch chain slide gently through his fingers as he released it. He could tell by the fierce glare leveled at him through emerald green eyes. A glare that was not simply irate, but ferally protective. This watch was no mere bauble to the man in front of him. It was significant, important, in some way. While that didn't always equal monetary value, it satisfied the angry little twinges in his heart that hated, hated, hated everyone and everything the world had created.

But, it was not to be.

"My mistake," Lovino said softly, gaze blank and cold as he stared into the other's eyes and dropped the last link in the watch chain.

No, it was not to be. For now.

((Why would I punch him? D: Poor bugger's just protecting his stuff!))