STAR SOIREE

A NIGHT THAT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD

HE NODS IN CONFIRMATION WHILE NOT ENTIRELY THERE MENTALLY. Their conversation is the epitome of what a social event is supposed to be like: casual networking with peers. The side exchange of flexing trivial social statuses, while fun for most, is something Fernando has no interest in. Not unless he has a reason to scorn the person on the other end.

Ultimately, he cares little for it, settling into a neat little masquerade of smiles and filler words.

“Enjoy yourself, Miss Cole-Essam.”

His last parting words as kim cole-essam comes to entangle his wife in his silly hijinks. It’s almost wholesome enough to get him to dote on them. But that shifts gears when Fernando can feel his grimace surface from the second hand cringe that comes for Kim in any such manner.

Speaking of Kim, that makes one Council member. Fernando’s eyes scan the room again and lock onto Bill Anderson’s figure. It lingers behind the glass of a new drink, moving between chryssa glasgow, Lulu Flint, and THEO BECKETT. He doesn’t recognize either of the three but finds himself uncannily drawn onto the only one that draws his innate interest.

Here’s a hint: it’s not Bill.

TL;DR:

- bids najwa cole-essam farewell.
- watches her and kim cole-essam dance for a bit.
- almost feels happy about them; but it's kim.
- looks for Bill Anderson.
- tries to be lowkey while scoping out who he's talking to.

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]her lips spread, as if amused with Remiel Calcifet's sweetness. the smile merely widens once Eris Halla joins and she's more than willing to allow the darling girl the first dance. her mouth opens, however, and nothing comes out.

the extended hand meant for eris is snagged by Stormy Silph, illeana's eyes darting to the movement and then to gauge a reaction. her smile tightens if only for a moment before she's stepping back, golden stars fluttering with her legs. her golurk rumbles softly as she comes back into it's bubble. a greeting, perhaps.

"excuse me," she murmurs, allowing one sweeping look between the trio. her gaze settles on remiel a moment too long and she's feeling awkward, unsure. "enjoy your dance." and with that, she's turning to retreat, one of her hands drifting for a moment to brush against Eris Halla's shoulder. "you look beautiful, by the way, love."

the woman drifts between couples dancing, sidestepping to avoid interrupting their time. at some point, she feels a weight that isn't exactly what one would call normal. it takes a moment for her to recognize the cause, if only because the cause in question is a shifty little pink creature. the telltale mewl and the brushing of an invisible tail against her cheek bleeds recognition into her features.

"hello, you," she whispers, a hand rising to tickle the invisible foot dangling next to her ear. the shared mew settles in for a joyride around the party, relaxing after its lovely dance with Eva Morales. after a song or two, it'll drift on to find zenji jabami but for now, she's more than happy to allow the top of her head to be a resting place for mew.

the crowd parts enough for illeana to find another familiar face. she doesn't change course, either. on the contrary, she almost makes a beeline for the man.

"hey," she murmurs once she's closer, a hand reaching out to brush against FERNANDO SILPH's arm in warning or greeting. perhaps both, if she had to decide. "are you enjoying yourself, sir?"

star soiree.
outfit hehe
excuses herself from the group to drift through the party, invisible mew joining to rest on her head after its dance with eva, shuffles over to say hi to ferny

STAR SOIREE

A NIGHT THAT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD

EYES WIDEN WHEN HE FEELS SOMEONE ELSE COME UP ON HIM. Strange. No one sneaks up on Fernando Silph. Not close enough to invade his bubble and lay their hands on him.

A parting word, such as DEREK HOFFMAN’s, is usual. But the difference between a few feet and inches are astronomical. A horizon as wide as the stars are distant.

It means his guard is lax—weaker.

He blames it on the throbbing pulse of his bicep. Except, that too is gone. The moment Illeana brings his awareness front and center so too does she dispel the curse of his affliction.

Strange.

He turns on his heel, eyes drifting down to greet her, averting his gaze when he finds them drawn to the low cut center of her dress. “If you had to fashion a guess, Reyes, what would you put your money on?”

His face smiles but his eyes narrow at his recollection. She isn’t supposed to be here—he knows that much. She had drawn his attention earlier but he had allowed her to slide by unnoticed.

It gets lost in the constant rounds of chitter-chatter. Definitely before najwa cole-essam, even luka chêne, maybe?

TL;DR:

- illeana reyes sneaks up on him.
- except no one sneaks up on FERNANDO SILPH.
- notices his arm doesn't hurt anymore.
- turns to address her, trying not to get caught looking.
- asks her to guess whether he's 'having fun'.
- tries to remember why he didn't approach illeana earlier.

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]they say the eyes are the window to the soul. perhaps they could be, given the circumstance. with him, she finds they're a gateway to another entity, another state of being. one of instinct and carnal functions, one easily dipped into with the dropping of a gaze.

her lips spread, almost knowing, almost up to no good. a waiter passes, then, and she shifts her attention away from FERNANDO SILPH for a moment to snag another flute of champagne from the tray with her free hand. only when she is content and sipping on bubbly, does she begin to answer him.

"well," she murmurs, a faint puff of lingering pink escaping in a soft wisp. it dissipates to join an old friend in the confines of a garden, the pang it leaves lost in the sea of music and conversation. "i'd say you're merely keeping up appearances. passing time, perhaps, until you can sneak away and occupy your time with something else."

the smile grows and the fine line keeping her from dangerous territory is blurring. and much like a good pet, she seeks a reward for her observations.

"unless i didn't hit the mark?" faintly, she feels the mew on her head shift, settling further into her hair. the tickling of a tail against her cheek in the process elicits a soft giggle, one she covers with the very hand she retracts from his arm. huh, did she not do that sooner?

star soiree.
outfit hehe
convos with ferny, grabbing for another drink as a waiter passes

STAR SOIREE

A NIGHT THAT'S OUT OF THIS WORLD

“CORRECT.”

He drops the pleasantries with her. There’s no need to keep up a farce of smiles and kind voices when he thinks he already has her underneath his thumb. But his control, like most aspect of his life, are illusionary.

“But only the first half.”

He’s quick to rescind his praise. He delivers it in a single word, concise, but pulls it back with several. All the more to leave it unsatisfactory—intentionally.

Positive reinforcement, while effective, is best doled out in measured portions. That’s how he keeps them coming, keeps them hungry for more while not left to starve and wander elsewhere.

“I have a few appearances to make and engagements to follow up on. If I’m lucky, I’ll be free by the time most of the guest have retired.”

His expression deflates.

“If.”

The perfect segue to reverse the question.

“What about you, Reyes?”

His eyes follow a loose trail from where she came. They settle on Remiel Calcifet and the company he keeps. Unsurprisingly, Stormy Silph is among them. It shouldn’t bother him—it doesn’t, he tells himself.

But something churns.

“I thought you came in with Calcifet.”

TL;DR:

- tells illeana reyes that she's partially right.
- more plain with her than fake af formal.
- tells her he has some 'things' he needs to take care of.
- but hints that he might be free later?
- asks her the same in return.
- remembers she came in with Remiel Calcifet.
- notices he's with Stormy Silph.
- unsure if he's jealous?

[attr="class","illie"]

[attr="class","illie b"]

[attr="class","illie i"]reading between lines can sometimes be difficult with FERNANDO SILPH. a complicated man, sure, with levels of intricacies to the words he speaks. she's come to adjust, come to learn little tidbits of information come best when one keeps an open mind. and like him, she drops something in his presence. of course, hers differs. where he drops pleasantries and smiles, she drops the need to analyze.

with him, she's learned to take things at face value.

"if you're lucky," she echoes. her smile drips in something close to coy, a budding signature for the woman. "are you ever truly lucky enough to escape in such a timely manner?"

the question turns, a reverse uno card pulled and shoved in her direction. truthfully, she hadn't given it much thought. her mind wanders for a moment, pausing in another portion of the room as if called, and then returns.

"at the moment," a pause, a decision being made. she drifts slightly closer, invading his bubble to whisper as if the music is deafening. it isn't, not quite yet. the melody is still sluggish, still perfect for a softer dance. "the night hasn't been foretold yet." it's still as vast and uncharted as the galaxy, as if waiting to be discovered.

whether it's him or another, however? time will tell.

the mention of Remiel Calcifet causes her to retract slightly, leaning away from his bubble. she fights the urge to look back, to check in on the royal and how he's faring. the invisible mew shifts and settles with her movements and subconsciously, she raises a hand to offer a soft pet to the mythical pokemon. in the public eye, it looks as though she's merely adjusting one of her curls.

"not technically," she retorts. they didn't come together, not in the sense he believes. there was an unspoken agreement, sure, and an extended invitation but both parties are left to their own devices for now. perhaps they'll come together and perhaps not. her mind strays from the thought, as if unwilling to dwell on it much longer. whether that's out of mild jealousy or an understanding, she can't say. instead, she flashes a smile, fully intent on appearing unfazed. "he's enjoying himself as am i."

star soiree.
outfit hehe
convos with ferny pt 3, confirms she is free for now, mew is cute n deserves pets, acknowledges remy is occupied atm