raisetheearth | Factor Industries Charity Event: October 18th, 2016

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]

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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."

This is, at least, something Nathan does not mind being shielded from.

"Hm." It certainly doesn't surprise him to learn this. The two of them are bound to get very similar or even identical Echoes from time to time. A product of their Others being raised in the same place, for the same work, attempting to solve the same case. "Given the nature of the job, I can see how language classes would have been considered important."

"If that's the case, you'll very likely get more back. I speak... ten? Ten fluently, now. Russian was the first but it wasn't the last, and it certainly would be considered useful in our profession. Sorry... their profession. As international detectives, they'd need to be effective communicators."

He actually blinks at that. Fluency in ten languages? That seems ridiculous, even if he of course does not disbelieve it. Certainly, they have people who can fly, teleport, punch through buildings and fire off a variety of supernatural attacks, but he and Lazarus are mundane humans. Strange, maybe, but still mundane. Speaking ten languages fluently goes a little beyond that.

"They would. Though ten is . . . quite an amount. I acquired Russian and Japanese through Echoes. What others do you have?"

Lazarus worries his lip with the pad of his thumb as he thinks about it. The alcohol is slowing down his thought processes, but not enough for most people to notice. Unfortunately, Nathan isn't exactly "most people", and as he's one of the few Numbered that can match Lazarus' mental speed on a good day, he's probably pretty keenly aware of the slight lag on account of the moderately heavy drinking he's engaged in tonight. Despite stopping for Nathan's sake, it is not leaving his system anytime soon.

"Well... English, obviously, and Hebrew. I had both of those before the echoes...." he mumbles around his thumb. "The others so far are Russian, Greek, a Sicilian dialect of Italian, Japanese, German, Mandarin Chinese, American Sign Language and Spanish." He laughs after he says "Spanish," on account of it being a private and fairly cruel joke.

Too late to speak it with Cesar on a regular basis, but so it goes.

He notices it, certainly. And while it bothers him, there is nothing he can do about it save wait for the alcohol to work its way through Lazarus's system. He blinks at the laugh, not quite sure what it is about. But this likely is not the time to bring it up, and for all he knows, it's just the tipsiness that is making things amusing.

"... I suppose I should expect at least some of the Echoed ones, if not all of them."

The laughter hasn't improved Lazarus' mood, because at the heart of the matter, it isn't funny. It takes a lot just to feel like it's tolerable, some days. Even though he's the one who ultimately broke up with Cesar, a significant part of him still misses being with him, especially when he is drinking.

"You... should expect these, I'm sure. Yes. even if your other was younger than mine, and hadn't the time to learn everything..."

His hand finds a stool, and he pulls himself up on it so he can lean forward on the round cocktail table. It's better than being unsteady on his feet.

"I sent him so many texts. I don't know what I was thinking. I wanted him to know and then I didn't. But there were so many things he didn't know."

Nathan doesn't sit. Given how blatant the signs are right now, it is something of an effort simply for him not to excuse himself. Instead, his fingers curl into his hair.

He'd not even mentioned Cesar -- the 'he' has Cesar, with this coming on the heels of the strange laugh after mentioning Spanish -- and yet . . .

"Ah . . . perhaps this is not the place to be discussing this."

If Nathan did excuse himself, Lazarus would understand and forgive him, even if it took the cold sober light of morning to take the sting away from being left.

"You don't think so...?" Lazarus says, sounding like one who genuinely doesn't understand Nathan's reasoning. "I guess... is it that you think we should have this conversation somewhere more private? The bathroom, maybe...?"

It is the desire not to hurt Lazarus's feelings in the first place that keeps him here. Anyone he weren't as close to, and he may not have stayed.

"No, I mean . . ." How to get around this? "We should talk about something else instead."

Of course, Nathan being Nathan, he has no idea what to talk about.

A shadow falls over Lazarus' features, and that honesty that alcohol so often brings out in people is on full display when it comes to him.

"Something else? You... have something in mind? I don't think I've ever seen you take the lead in any conversation, so... this must be important."

Factor Industries Charity Event: October 18th, 2016

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