Factor Industries Charity Event: October 18th, 2016

[ceofactor]

Even for Benjamin Factor, arranging this charity event had been something of a challenge. Just as he held great influence in Gateway City, Thunder Corp's influence in Locke was great as well. But with time and money, all things were indeed possible in this case, and the Memorial Dance Hall was playing host to the night's events. It was a glamorous affair: politicians, captains of business, dignitaries, and celebrities had been invited. For whatever controversy that existed, the world legitimately wanted to heal the wounds left by the invasion, and that meant there were a lot of people who wanted to use events like this to either advance that cause, or to make themselves look good.

But they weren't the only sorts of individuals who had recieved an invitation.

Benjamin Factor had also made it so the Numbered would be invited to his little party. Arrivals through the teleporter would be greeted by drivers at the community center, and the same courtesy was extended to anyone who might live in Locke. The only stipulation? Was that anyone who came make an effort to make themselves presentable. If that was a problem, or anyone arrived without knowing, they had clothes on hand for people to change into.

Indeed, it seemed that the Numbered would be well provided for tonight. That being said, their presence would get people to talk, given the presence of news crews making live coverage. Nevertheless... "getting people to talk" seemed to be exactly what Benjamin Factor wanted to happen.

[Event Links: Event Speakers | NPC Interaction | General Mingle]

Comments

Lazarus Lawliet- OTA

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus did manage to pull together a somewhat decent appearance tonight. Not that it matters, because the second he stepped inside the teleporter, he'd stepped out wearing baggy jeans and a plain white t-shirt, with his suit nowhere to be seen, even when he went back to Shepherd's Haven to look for it. He'd sheepishly had to take advantage of the clothing they offered at the event, but even after donning a navy blue double-breasted suit, he looks like he fits in and thrives in this environment about as much as a fish in a desert. His suit doesn't appear comfortable in the least on him, and his hair is already tangling up again despite having had a comb run through it. He's nibbling here or there but always cautiously, as though on the lookout for symptoms of feeling ill kicking in, and since he can't be sure about the ingredients of the little hot dogs wrapped in crispy, flaky dough, he sticks pretty strictly to vegetables and sweets.

He's better at mingling on the Network. Approaching new people there is nothing but typing or speaking a few phrases. Here, he's relegated to looking on and hoping very much that he spots someone he's friends with. Maybe Misa? Having such an attractive date on his arm might inspire confidence, right? He ends up going to the bar for a gin and tonic, relying on that to loosen him up in the meantime.

[speedpariah]

Here's another face Edwin recognizes. He approaches Lazarus quickly, knowing he's something of a leader. Someone his new employers would be quite interested in hearing about.

"Ah, Mr. Lawliet!" he said, as he approached. "I'm Edwin Weller... we spoke once before, about the slime that appeared several months ago?"

He pointedly avoids saying that they spoke over the Network out loud.

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus might not be a handsome man, but he is certainly distinctive-looking. People who see his face tend to remember it, even if his crude doppelganger is their only exposure. Someday he fully expects to get a punch in the face he didn't even begin to earn because of that hateful creature, but for now, in general, it seems like people are correctly recognizing him as the wispier and more withdrawn original.

"Yes," he nods immediately, quick to confirm that he recalls the conversation. "Your insight was very valuable and I appreciated it deeply, Mr. Weller. I'm very glad to have an opportunity to meet you in person; this event seems to be serving its purpose very fully."

[speedpariah]

"Indeed," Weller replied. "I've already met a good deal many interesting people."

He smiled, however. "I'm glad to know you appreciated my insight. I've been attempting to turn that insight to recent developments, but my luck hasn't been as good."

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus' interest perks noticeably. "Recent developments? What kinds?" he asks, canting his head sideways. "If you haven't had much luck, maybe it's your turn to benefit from the insight of others. I'd be glad to offer what I can."

[speedpariah]

"Oh, surely you've seen," Weller replied, intrigued by the interest the man was showing in him. "Things appearing out of nowhere. There's been a number of Network posts about it."

[numberedshepherd]

"Certainly," he confirms. "I've kept up with them, but what I meant was how you've been attempting to deal with those developments. If you have been studying them or making headway, and if you'd be willing to share any of your findings."

[knights_king]

Arthur, dressed fairly well in a properly ironed suit with a little inch-long burn mark on the inside of it for once, looked to Lazarus with a bit of an uneasy smile as he walked up to him. He was carrying a drink--a very nice imported beer that he had a few of beforehand, in an effort to work up his courage for the night. He wasn't one for champagne and had to ask around.

"Hey," He raised his voice to Lazarus, a little unsure of what he should have suggested, but-- "You don't look too comfortable at all. Do you want a beer?"

[numberedshepherd]

Well, at least Lazarus isn't the only one who's been steadily drinking to make this tolerable. He greets Arthur with a nod, and if he looked uncomfortable before, it's nothing compared to the way he looks after Arthur points it out.

He looks like he's strongly considering some kind of rebuke about what's acceptable to comment on, but the wind is out of his sails before he even starts. He sighs heavily.

"Yeah, I'd love one. Thanks."

[knights_king]

Nodding fervently, Arthur scurried off the moment Lazarus went along with him. The other young man looked very much bothered by him right away, so he happily ran off to get the beer when he got his approval. It was always something he said, whether it was nice or less than nice. Somehow, he just got on peoples' nerves.

"Here! It's German!" Arthur came back with a tray with two tall glasses on it--both tipped off perfectly with foam at the top. Sheepishly, he set down the tray so they both could get at their glasses. "...That's all I found out about it."

[numberedshepherd]

It's not so much that Arthur gets on people's nerves; it has far more to do with how socially strange and difficult Lazarus can be.

"German? A lot of good beers are..." Lazarus says, accepting it and taking a small sip, the foam clinging to his upper lip. He nods in satisfaction. "I don't have much of a palette for beers, but I can tell enough about it to know it's not the cheap stuff."

[knights_king]

Surely enough, Arthur was becoming more and more relaxed when the topic switched to beer. At the very least, Lazarus didn't mind it at all. Though the answer wasn't what he was hoping for, Arthur was still a bit confident enough to smile. It wouldn't be the first time he had dealt with someone who wasn't beer's biggest fan.

Truth be told, he wasn't allowed to drink(by means of his self-aggrandizing worry) beer unless it was some sort of party.

"Well, a lotta people say they like it for the taste or quality, but I don't really get it," He admitted, reaching up to take his glass at the same time, the tray set aside for someone else to snatch it. He took his own sip, breathing cool against his upper lip after the foam was set by his tongue. "It's more about the warmth and ease, to me."

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus knows that hoping for a conversation with Arthur that isn't at least frustrating is a bit optimistic.

"You don't get it?" Lazarus asks. "I mean... I'm not much for the taste myself... not that I can taste it unless it's extremely strong, but the texture's not disagreeable. It's easy to pace yourself when you're drinking beer, and it's difficult to get drunk too fast. It has a lot of merits."

[solvethepuzzle]

Lazarus certainly isn't the only one searching for familiar faces in the crowd. As the party is hitting its stride, Nathan is also on the lookout for them. Dealing with so many new people is exhausting and he needs something of a break from it. Some kind of respite where he does not have to worry if he's going to say something terribly wrong or be judged for how out-of-place he looks.

Because frankly, Nathan does not fit in here any better than Lazarus does.

It isn't at the bar that he finds him. Nathan is, in fact, avoiding the bar. Not conspicuously so, at least; besides, he has the excuse of still being underage in the United States. He is picking at the food more out of a lack of anything else to do rather than actually being hungry.

They hadn't arrived together, and thus Nathan is currently unaware of the inconvenient Echo that Lazarus had gotten from using the teleporter. All he knows is that he'd seen that suit earlier, when he'd had to change himself. Being as he owns nothing suitable enough for this kind of gathering, Nathan had been forced to avail himself of Mr. Factor's generosity. Lazarus had still had something, though. So it stands out as strange.

"What happened to the one you had?"

[numberedshepherd]

Frequently, Lazarus and Nathan give the impression of being related, or at the very least similarly afflicted in some patterned, neurotic fashion. In events like this, they usually find one another sooner or later, and Lazarus immediately nods a greeting when he sees Nathan. He also sets aside his glass of red wine, and hopes that the fact that it's going to his head won't be noticed by a young man he knows is sensitive to the effects of alcohol in others.

"My suit's gone. The teleporter ate it," he says flatly. "I got an echo from it; more clothing, but something a little more casual than the paramedic's uniform. Too casual... it's old jeans and a stretched-out white t-shirt. I checked them with the coats, since I keep everything I get back that I can, but it wasn't exactly great to arrive looking so shabby when I did put an effort into myself this evening."

Because of his multiple drinks, his tongue is a fair amount looser. The effect is a Lazarus who is less clipped and guarded and more loquacious, for better or worse.

[solvethepuzzle]

The latter impression is likely not wrong, truthfully. While the former is, it's hardly difficult to see where the where the conclusion comes from; not only do they gravitate toward one another and share similar mannerisms, but there is even a noticeable physical resemblance in their eyes.

Unfortunately, the extent of that ramble leaves Nathan to conclude that the alcohol must be getting to Lazarus a bit. But though his mouth very briefly sets in an uncomfortable line, he declines to say anything about it. Lazarus has set the drink aside for now; he'll have more time to metabolize the alcohol. It's fine. It's just fine.

"That's certainly an inconvenient time for such a thing." Nathan had gotten back a pair of white cotton pajamas during the past year, but it hadn't been under any terribly embarrassing circumstance. He even wears them at night; they are quite comfortable. "I received one as well, but at least a considerably more fortunate one than what I've gotten recently."

Part of him had been worried about what he might get, but it seems that he is getting something of a break. He needs it, considering what his life has been like lately.

[numberedshepherd]

Whip-thin and lacking in muscle and fat alike, Lazarus metabolizes alcohol... rather well, actually, but he's still a slip of a thing that barely passes for an adult man by most people's standards. While he has dealt with substance abuse issues in the past, he thinks that even though it's still his tendency to reach for the nearest (legal) drug when he's stressed or anxious, he has the willpower to curb this behavior when Nathan's around. A part of him thinks often of the boy's abusive, alcoholic father and dreads the idea of ever reminding him of that man. Lazarus is supposed to be safe and supportive, and though he might not be able to fully help calling to mind some demons, the ones he can control he tries so hard to control.

His brows raise. "You got one too?" he asks. "I'm... glad to hear that it was fortunate. What was it? Do you want to share?"

[solvethepuzzle]

Nathan appreciates the consideration that Lazarus has for him on this -- and that Tony does as well -- even if he recognizes that he's himself oversensitive to the subject. He can handle being around alcohol, he can handle people drinking responsibly. It's when he notices people being affected by it that he starts to get tense.

"I've become fluent in Russian." It's been some time since he's gained any sort of skill; the vast majority of his Echoes have been memories and objects.

[numberedshepherd]

Even though it's been a recent issue of contention, Lazarus feels protective of Nathan. They are the closest thing the other has to family at this point, and having missed and idealized it throughout his life, Lazarus has a difficult time backing off sometimes (even though Nathan specifically asked him to.)

"Russian?" Lazarus asks, looking slightly surprised but not nearly as much as someone else might be. "It must have been a requirement at Wammy's House. That was one of the first echoes I got back."

[agentthompson]

It'd be hard not to gravitate towards Lazarus at some point or another, given why Tobias is at this party. Still, it's a little difficult to find an angle. The last thing he wants to do is spook the guy, and frankly he'd have plenty reason to be spooked. Still...

It's kind of necessary, in the end.

As such, at some point when Lazarus is more or less isolated, he'll find another young man coming up along near him.

"Ah, Mr. Lawliet, right?"

[numberedshepherd]

Sadly, it's not exactly difficult to get Lazarus of all people isolated. It's his natural state, the one he returns to automatically when he's had enough of what feels forced and difficult. The faces are starting to blur together and the voices are too loud, and he makes the switch to water in an effort to unsaturate his buzz and keep himself sharp and alert. He's a prime candidate for needing a bodyguard; recognizable, controversial and weak-looking, he used to have one before he decided he was more likely to eat Lazarus than protect him. He can't help but brood on this a little as he makes his way toward a quieter section of the party, entertaining the notion of maybe slipping through a staff door to slip through the kitchen and find true solitude for a while.

He sees one, a discreet entrance that says "keep out." He's noticed caterers making use of it throughout the evening, but just as he's about to take his first quick, purposeful step toward it, he hears an unfamiliar voice speak his name.

You could keep walking. Pretend you didn't hear, make a break for it once you're through the kitchen.

Actually, he couldn't really. He paused too long, reacted too noticeably. It's obvious he heard, and he is here to do his part to support the one group that has always made him feel like he fits in and belongs, alone among all the groups he's ever superficially belonged to. He can endure one more conversation for their sake, can't he?

He turns, nodding. "Yes, that's right."

I don't forget faces or voices. I don't know his. Therefore we haven't met, and if he's Numbered he hasn't appeared openly on the Network yet.

"What is your name, and what can I do for you?"

[agentthompson]

If there's anything a man like Thompson knows, it's the sight of a man who looks cornered. Of course, Lazarus isn't the kind of man he typically sees in such a state, so he's sympathetic to the man's apparent social awkwardness. As Lazarus greets him, he draws closer, keeping his demeanor stern and professional.

"I was hoping we could have a conversation," he said, eyeing the exit that Lazarus was staring at. "You look like you want to get out of here, and honestly, I can sympathize with that. As for my name... I was hoping I might be able to tell you that in private."

After a brief pause, he continued. "I can imagine what you might be thinking," he said. "But be assured, I'm not up to anything. But you look like a guy who can tell when someone has something to hide."

[numberedshepherd]

Lazarus regards him with his typical glassy, dark-eyed stare, neither welcoming or dismissing his presence. He hasn't made a decision yet about the man, but immediately asking for a private audience with him isn't exactly reassuring.

Well, if you say you're not going to try anything, it must be true, said no one with any sense ever.

"Sometimes I'm that kind of guy," he says levelly. "But as flattering as that impression is, I have to confess that it's not always the case. I'd prefer to speak while I'm in earshot of my associates until I'm more certain, and if you truly have nothing to hide, you shouldn't have a problem humoring me."

It isn't so much a demand as a test; Lazarus wants to see if the man is willing to acquiesce to his terms, but doesn't plan to actually ask him to follow through. He wants to hear what he has to say at least as the man seems to want to say it.

[agentthompson]

Thompson regarded him for a moment. Lazarus was definitely smart, and he respected that.

"Alright then," he replied. "Maybe this can help you be a little more certain. Or at least why I want to talk more privately."

He nodded to Lazarus's words, and reached into his pocket... and pulled out what looked like a business card, which he then handed to L. The card identified him as an agent of the FBI. A message that, hopefully, would tell Lazarus why he didn't want to say more in a room full of crowded people

"You're not in trouble, Mr. Lawliet," his voice at a more level, private tone. "Just, we both want to do what's best for the Numbered, and I want to introduce myself as a friend. But a little bit at a time, first."

[numberedshepherd]

Smart, cautious... both things that benefit a person who looks like he could break under a stiff wind and doesn't hold up so well in dangerous situations. The card clearly piques his interest, but then again, anyone can print business cards with just about anything on them.

"If this is the truth, then your reasons for wanting to speak privately are good ones," he admits. "But business cards are easy to forge, given that anyone can print anything. Badges are a little more difficult; if you can discreetly show me yours, I'll follow, and we speak in as private a setting as you'd like, so long as we don't lock the door and it's within this building."

My friends know where I am, goes implied but unsaid.