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

[darkhourdear]

He appreciates her trying, at least.

Phillip tries to hide his frown when she calls him too young. He knows he's not openly Numbered or anything, but seriously, nothing is going to hurt him here. He's fine. "My parents know, yeah. Mr. Factor helped me get here and everything. And my friend's a couple grades ahead of me." Which is to say Toushirou's actually a year older than him and skipped some grades, and neglects to mention that Toushirou will look like he's 10 for next 200 years.

[billkiller]

Arlene, for all her flaws and all her envy, isn't a terrible person. Just kind of misguided sometimes. She does her best with what she has and if she comes up short, well... blame her upbringing, she is always quick to say.

"What do you think of Mr. Factor, anyway?" she asks casually. "Isn't he running around doing card tricks for everyone? Awfully funny behavior for a CEO."

He should be dressed nice and drinking wine and making hoity-toity small talk. Like Arlene!

"Hm. I still don't think that most parents would let someone your age be so far from home all by yourself. I wouldn't, if I was your mama."

[darkhourdear]

Funny behavior, maybe, but the reminder makes Phillip smile. "Yeah, he is. He's nice! And his card tricks were funny." Yes, Phillip asked to see what. Mr. Factor might have said he wasn't a natural performer, but that's not how it came off to Phillip. (Maybe that should concern him more than it does- it's not really in his nature to be suspicious of people, though.)

Phillip shrugs. It's a good thing you're not his mom, then, isn't it? "I guess they're probably a little worried. But this was a really good opportunity so I wasn't gonna say no."

[billkiller]

Arlene's a corn-fed hick doing her best to fit into the latest version of glitz and glamour in her previously drab existence. She's owning it in a strange way, but at least she's managing to do just that.

"Hm. I didn't see any. Don't really like card tricks," she says with a sip of wine. "But it's good to know he's nice. He seems awful tangled up in what we're up to, so it's better that he is, all things considered."

She answers the comment about parents with another drink of wine. "I was career-focused at your age, too. Also in show business. I do get it."

[darkhourdear]

We're, huh? Well... she's definitely Numbered, then. Phillip opts to stay out of that particular line of fire.

"Really?" He doesn't recognize her at all, but... he knows better than to say it like that. "What did you do?"

[billkiller]

She doesn't say more about the Numbered; he has, perhaps wisely, latched onto a topic that is both precious and fascinating to the somewhat vain Arlene.

"I was a model some years ago," she says proudly. "In Las Vegas. I was so popular that my agent couldn't keep up with everyone who wanted to book me. And when you're a model, you kind of have to start young."

[darkhourdear]

"Oh, wow, that's really cool! I don't think I could do that." It's sort of flattery, because he's always impressed when people do things that he can't, but also he's pretty sure he would be a terrible model because he would get bored. (For a teenage boy, he's certainly pretty enough to be one.)

[billkiller]

"You could definitely do it," she's quick to assure him, and old throwback to how she and her highschool friends would talk.

No, Arlene, you're not ugly. Look at your legs! Your eyes! Oh my God I WISH I looked like you. You could be a model. You SHOULD be a model.

Denial, insistence, reluctant, coquettish acceptance. It's an old dance. A dance she misses, now that no one talks to her that way.

"You're good-looking and already an actor. Especially if you started working out and building some muscle, I bet one of those stores aimed at teenagers who love the beach would just snap you up."

[darkhourdear]

(Phillip is almost totally incapable of building visible muscle, buuuut he doesn't know that yet. Puberty!!)

"You think so?" That's such a weird thought, but Phillip's pretty sure it'll never happen. He'd rather have acting jobs, anyway. "When did you start modelling and stuff? I know you said you had to start young..."

[billkiller]

"Definitely," Arlene confirms with a bright smile. "I've been in the industry for so long that I can spot talent easily as well as an agent. Maybe even better."

Probably not the case, but it sure is nice to think so.

"I started when I was 15. Moved to Vegas and everything for my career. I was pretty dedicated."

[darkhourdear]

"Oh, wow." 15 is older than him, so he's not sure he would call that young. (10 is young. Nevermind that when he was 10, he was practically an adult.) "When did you move here?"

[billkiller]

"To Locke City?" Arlene asks, sounding surprised. "People are around from all over the place, but I did move here. Pretty recently, actually. Got a new job out here and relocated from Gateway, where I moved after Vegas went tits up."

She puts a gloved hand over her mouth.

"Sorry. I should watch my language. I know you're not a little kid, but you're still pretty young."

[darkhourdear]

"Oh. Right, sorry. I forgot that I'm not the only one who doesn't live here right now." Well, at least this is actually where she lives.

...Phillip has to bite his lip to not smile at the... was it cussing? He's not sure, it's not a phrase he's heard before. "It's ok," he says, because he is totally an adult, ok, "What do you do now?"

[billkiller]

Arlene counts silently and absentmindedly on her long, gloved fingers as she considers it. "Well... let's see. Tonight people from Gateway are here and that... hippie commune? The thing in New Zealand? I don't know a lot about it but I heard a lot of people like us moved out there after the Invasion. I also saw a group..." she gestures toward the Infinita folks that have arrived this evening, "...and I don't know where they're all from."

She fluffs her hair a little bit. "I'm like a spokeswoman," she says proudly. "I can't talk about it too much here, but it's a great job. Better than any I've ever had, probably."

[darkhourdear]

Phillip looks around at all of them, taking them in as well. Sheperd's Haven is the place in New Zealand, he thinks, but the other people.... no idea.

He'll smile back at her when she seems pleased about her job, but... not being able to talk about it worries him a little. "Why can't you talk about it here? Is it a secret?" Please don't let it be a secret.

[billkiller]

For the first time, a shadow seems to fall over Arlene's newly bright and well cared-for features. "Well... it's just a lot of boring details," she recovers with a quick smile, even though a keen eye can catch a touch of nervousness. "I wouldn't want to drone on and keep you from enjoying the party you were invited to speak at! A lot of eyes are on you. I really shouldn't hold you hostage much longer anyway."

[darkhourdear]

That's... suspicious, and Phillip really hopes the giant red flag raising in his mind is for nothing. "Oh, ok," he says, his own smile back and it's a good thing he's a great actor, because it hides that inner wariness, "Well, it was nice talking to you!"

[billkiller]

Arlene, well and truly fooled by his acting skills, gives a small wave. She feels like she's absolutely home free and counts herself lucky as she gives him some cordial parting words and weaves her way back through the crowd.