Complete Megathread (Wintersday) Chelsea's VRS Holiday Bash!

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

[Larchmont New York 3:55PM]
Chelsea flopped around in her bed. There was a large stuffed rabbit glaring down at her. It was bought on her 8th Birthday by her father and no matter how old or how many responsibilities piled unto her. It remained by her side. She turned away from it and stared at the long wall of monitors she had along the wall.

Chelsea was a paranoid girl, She used these monitors to see every inch of the Nexon Estate. Currently, there was a lot of preparation underway and Christmas decorations being put up. Chelsea didn't have that many servants. Since she was never someone to seek a crowd but this was a different time of year. Nostalgia was a strong drug and so she had a crew getting things ready.

Taking her remote she turned all of the screens off with a single button press. Then looked at a small desk next to the bed.

"Ryoko, open Album 19, picture 1."

The mansion had been installed with Nexus's AI assistant "Nexa". It was a powerful service that played music, opened webpages, answered questions using all the top search engines, and more. Chelsea had since engineered and funded her own version for the mansion that she named Ryoko. Why? It was too dangerous to have something so easily accessed by Nexus Corp in her own home. Private hardware and software whenever possible was the only way to go when facing the dangers of both VRSA and current-day Nexus.

A small smile appeared on her face (a very rare thing to see naturally) as a holographic image of a man and woman with a small child generated on the desk. Small names hovered over each. Matthias, Ryoko and Chelsea Nexon. There was a Christmas tree behind them and a small jingle played.

"Mother, Father... I'm still doing this because it's what you would do. If my mother can give her heart to someone on her deathbed then I can make others happy as well. I just... wish it mattered more to me. But without you father... I don't feel much about any of this anymore. Maybe I can still muster up something. ...I'll try."

Closing the hologram Chelsea dragged herself out of bed. She had decided to stay in today and even now was in her pajamas. A text rang on her phone. Grabbing it she saw it was about the party. The first guests were about to arrive. She really should go and begin the first round of meet and greets.

Boo... such a chore.

---

Spoiler: Nexon Estate Theme

"Hello! Hi! Welcome! Thank you! Nice to meet you! Pleasure! Happy Holidays!"

Chelsea R. Nexon headed down the stairs and wore a business smile plastered on her face as she went around quickly giving obligatory greetings to any important business associates that had arrived already. Every time she passed enough by, her smile left her and a sigh escaped her lips.

She was wearing a Christmas costume rather than a dress for this. It had been requested that if one wanted to wear something fun they could. She would change to a more refined look later on that night. At first, she was against the goofy-looking Santa-themed outfit but was convinced to wear it several days earlier.

To say she regretted it was an understatement.

A Christmas tree was set in the foyer and a butler would meet guests at the door. Outside a stage was set up with adequate lighting for an outside dinner and entertainment. Outside of the foyer, and the outer party dining area. Most of the mansion was cut off, partially for security's sake and partially because those areas were vacant. Chelsea never really needed a ton of space in her home and if one wandered it would show. While she did have a golden spoon as a child and even now was between the masses and 1 percent. She wasn't as much a show-off of wealth and materialism as she was of heritage and technology.

The estate was also her father's second home from right around her birth. Then passed to her aunt as a gift and now has passed back to Chelsea with them both gone. She still hadn't become incredibly attached to the place. As she had grown up in another home that was sold off some time ago.

After making her round to the earliest of guests. Chelsea would spend a moment checking her phone... why? It was better than looking at a bunch of annoying people's faces, that's why!

@Ash Vargold @Kirius @Cain Darlite @Moonsong @Zelrius

<Others may still enter but you'll need a reason why you're on the guest list!>

 

[Shadow]

Larchmont, New York
Nexon Estate

Kiriya didn't really want to attend the party set up by his senior, since it was held all the way in New York. If it weren't for the modern convenience that was the Hyper Loop, it would have taken him far too long to get there. After much personal coaxing from himself, Kiriya finally made the loop by closing his eyes and barreling out of his apartment toward the Loop before jumping on. Next thing he knew, he was in New York and on time too.

Standing in front of the Nexon's massive estate felt surreal. His family wasn't exactly poor, but he clearly didn't comprehend how rich some people could be. Most New Yorkers couldn't even afford the gate that was barring him from the courtyard. Wasn't it wonderful how the world is an incredibly just place?

After being let in and escorted to the main entrance, the raven-haired youth saw his reflection in a small mirror and realized that he was still in his work clothes. He looked so stiff in such formal clothes...

When the maids weren't looking, he untucked his shirt and slung his blazer over his shoulder before he followed the maids to the main lobby, where he spotted the lady of the house.

Yo senpai, long time no see. Are you still messing around on Cindr? I don't really recommend it. It blew up my phone.

 

[Ash Vargold]

"...here we are."

Aisling smiled awkwardly through greetings and and directions, feeling horribly out of place. For her to go from a bit part in life to attending an event fancy enough that even she'd heard bits and pieces about it was a lot of whiplash, and the sort of thing she would normally avoid, but... well. It was a 'job benefit'. She couldn't pass up free food on the company dime.

The people around her somehow managed to make even goofy holiday outfits look more expensive than the "ugly christmas sweater" she'd dug out of storage for this event. She had something a little nicer underneath said sweater, especially if it got too warm, but... well. If nothing else, it was people repellent.

She glanced upwards at Brian(@Hanno Futaba), her "plus one" to this event. After all, the only thing better than free food was being able to let other people also take free food. And Brian was one of the few people in the area that she had the number for.

"Well, Ha-Brian," It was going to take her forever to get used to that name, "Go wild. I'm gonna go haunt the buffet, see which genre of rich people food they've got here."

 

[Cain Darlite]

Heels weren't her go-to, nor a dress as plain as the one that hugged her body at the moment, but Danielle had to admit: she totally rocked whatever look she went for! And she absolutely loved the details on her watch, the latest little self-gift she had splurged upon. It probably wasn't going to be anything that stood out compared to the half-million-dollar Rolexes that Chelsea's other guests were going to be sporting, but it was enough to match up the casual-sophisticated look the blonde-haired woman was going for. With cosmetic glasses, Saturn-themed earrings, and glittery nail polish, as well as her camera hanging from a strap around her neck, Danielle marched into the Nexon Estate with the boldness of a lioness and...

"Omigosh! Chels, you look adorable!"

...immediately squealed. It was basically self-evident that Chelsea (@Lady N) was a cutiepie, from her bratty exterior, her softie interior, and her generally sweetheart look, but to see her friend actively lean in on it with an outfit that made her like, a whole four years younger?

"Strike a pose! This is definitely going into the photo book!"

And with the reflexes of someone who took photos for a living, Danielle had already flipped the cap off the lens, adjusting various dials to compensate for the lighting and to bring her friend into focus. And as for that plain-faced boy approaching her (@Kirius)? Well, it'd just take a quick swipe to delete photobombers.

 

[Lune]

Around a week ago she was contacted to provide some entertainment for the VRS Holiday Party in the Nexon Estate. It was baffling that the CEO was Chelsea R. Nexon, the same shy Chelsea that she met during Summerfest.

Total mindblown. She had to dress up nicely for the party to not let her friend down. Wearing a formal, yet rebellious attire that complemented her new style, the idol just appeared in the middle of the Nexon Estate party just like that.

"Danielle!" She called out and waved at the familiar short-haired girl currently taking photos (@Cain Darlite), before recognizing the other girl that was nearby.

"Chelsea! How are you? You look great!" The girl was wearing a cute Christmas costume that Dayeon did not expect, but was actually a perfect fit for her. She politely nodded to the young lady (@Lady N) and the lad beside her (@Kirius).

The idol quickly turned toward Danielle while moving closer to Chelsea. "One or two photos?" She grinned.

 

[Hanno Futaba]

The invitation was unexpected, but Brian wasn't going to just ignore it, especially coming from one of his favorite buddy. He didn't go for anything too fancy to wear, aside from his favorite jacket, followed by dark denim pants and a dark red scarf, that wouldn't last long around his neck after he was finally indoors.

A small smirk crossed his lips when Aisling (@Ash Vargold) nearly slipped his IG name, and as soon as she told her plan- "That was my plan too." He admitted, raising an eyebrow. "I wanna see if these fancy cooks are actually good," Brian said, pointing at the table that was overwhelmed with food.

As he moved on, he cast a glance at the host, not being able to ignore the fact the girl looked just like @Lady N. The idea made he chuckle faintly, especially that if this was true, it meant that the same tsun girl from that game could pull off this outfit in real life? Amazing.

A similar feeling crossed him when he saw another familiar looking girl (@Moonsong), this one not from the game, but perhaps... Something similar. He couldn't pin point it entirely, but he could vaguely remind himself of an internet video, and--

"Oh-"

Without having much more time to think, they were already near the food table, and Brian was quick to snatch something. "... I feel like I don't know anyone in here, but at the same time everyone look kinda familiar. So damn weird." He chuckled, gazing at Aisling. "You sure know some fancy people, don'tcha?" He pointed out.​

 

[Lady N]

Nexon Estate

Looks like most of the entertainment will be on time...

"Yo senpai, long time no see. Are you still messing around on Cindr? I don't really recommend it. It blew up my phone."

Looking at the young man @Kirius that called her senpai she looked shocked for a moment.

Why did he come here? He isn't supposed to be related to her at all!
Did she mistakingly invite him...?
Checking the list, yes she did.
Chelsea was definitely overwhelmed lately maybe... or desperate for.. no not at all!

"Y-Yes.. uh, konnichiwa Sekimori-san? ...go have fun and enjoy the hors d'oeuvre. Go, go!"

Hoping the stupid got the hint, Chelsea saw the most important of her guests as far as entertainment meant. The Idol she had been sure to find ways to contact for events just like this. Dayeon Song!

"Chelsea! How are you? You look great!"

But then...

"Strike a pose! This is definitely going into the photo book!"

Sigh... did she really expect anything else from Danielle? Chelsea did as she would always do in such situations... play along. Real life, especially in public was rarely a time to be natural to her feelings. This time it even wasn't what she wanted. Chelsea owed her parents that much. Don't make the name Nexon look any worse than it already did.

So she worked and built VRS to be something new in this VR-centric world. No matter how much she disliked it or that VRSA would work to crush it. The future was the future and with or without Nexus Corp itself, a Nexon will strive to stay on the forefront. Her hope was that it was not Terrasphere but something safe and that worked alongside real life, not taking one's life.

".Miss Song (@Cain Darlite), thank you for attending, not too many now? Please?"

The combination of being TOO public along with her goofy outfit being seen outside of the party was unpleasant but... too late to stress over it. Chelsea's focus shifted entirely to Dayeon (@Moonsong).

"Miss Song. Hahaha, you both share last names. I am so glad to see you here. We have a spot open for a performance from you tonight."

The tsun CEO stayed formal since she was in public. For everyone here that didn't know what her life may have been like when not around the masses and dealing with the upper class, they surely would see it now. Real life too had its own form of "nobility" which Chelsea had to dance to that beat or else. She was bleeding money as it was. This was mandatory to stay relevant.

She was then dragged away by one person after another. Until an hour had passed and she looked at exactly what was being planned for tonight. Then she saw it and she knew that was NOT her doing. Who added this and thought they were cute? Damnit, she will have a word with the one who added this.

She popped an olive in her mouth from a passing serving tray and chewed with a look of utter annoyance. That changed to a smile when eyes fell on her.

Boo.

<Chelsea won't be posting again for a while until a later time in the thread. So if anyone wants to just mingle with each other (don't worry about post order just don't double post) feel free, and @Moonsong can decide when they want to perform if at all.>

 

[Shadow]

Nexon Estate
Buffet Table

Kiriya was taken aback when Chelsea (@Lady N) chased him off. Not knowing whether or not Chelsea had completely forgotten about the whole strategy they had about pretending to be acquaintances, to avoid rousing suspicion from Nexus. He personally believed that it's better to interact openly so they fly right under Nexus' nose. Kiriya chalked it up to the holidays turning Chelsea funny. Regardless, since he was already there, he might as well have a meet and greet with some of the other guests.

The first was the short-haired blonde (@Cain Darlite) with the deadliest weapon in any informational war, a camera. With his hands in his pocket, he quickly spun around and leaned into a maid carrying a drink.

"You look spectacular tonight," he said while keeping his eyes on where the camera was pointing. Once he was certain that the photographer was paying him no mind, he immediately patted the flustering maid on the arm before walking away with a simple, "see ya."

When the idol (@Moonsong) acknowledged Kiriya with a nod, he gestured a 'hey' with his hand before strutting toward the food area.

Senpai really went out of her way to put on a show, huh? Kiriya was amazed at the length rich people go through to stay relevant despite their personal issues. It was admirable if anything.

After making his way to where the more ordinary people were namely Aisling @Ash Vargold and Brian @Hanno Futaba, Kiriya greeted them.

Now you guys look as out of place as I am. My name is Kiriya, nice to meet ya. How did you guys become acquainted with senpai of all people?

 

[Lune]

She smiled upon noticing that the CEO called her formally by her last name, understanding that even at this moment she had to put on a front. "Thank you for the opportunity, Miss Nexon. I will put on a grand performance for sure." The idol bowed in gratitude before Chelsea (@Lady N) went to greet the other guests. Looking at the time, she excused herself as well. "Oh yeah, the performance! See you later, Danielle!" (@Cain Darlite)

"Greetings, Dayeon Song here! Hope everyone's having a great time so far tonight." She paused, her brain running out of things to say already. Should've prepared a short speech or some stand-up jokes, but it's too late now. "Enjoy the food, enjoy the drink, and enjoy the performance!" Dayeon decided to move on with her performance instead, which everyone might or might have not anticipated.

Spoiler: You know what it is

"All I want for Christmas..."

Wait for it.

"... Is you~" Okay, that's a hell of a long high note. She said that this performance would be grand, but this moment might even be legendary considering how well she sang that one. How dare they call her the worst vocalist among the Slime Girls.

"Thank you, enjoy the night!" Now that the opener's over, time to mingle over to the buffet. The sight of expensive food was making her hungry already.

Rolls

Expertise Check
1d100 (95) + 50 = 145
Presence | Moonsong | 1548 | Singing All I Want for Christmas is You

 

[Ash Vargold]

Aisling made at Brian's comment. Chelsea was... very recognizable, yes. She hadn't even bothered to change her character's hair color, had she? Brian (@Hanno Futaba) had met her as well - he probably caught on immediately. "I recently got a job, working for VRS. All us employees were on the list."

She took a moment to smell a bowl of punch, checking for the smell of alcohol... and then remembered herself and pulled back. She tried not too look too embarrassed as she ladled some of it into a cup.

That had been a... problem, lately.

"To be honest, I'm sort of surprised I was on the list at all, she said, attention gradually shifting towards the live music. She didn't know much about the singer (@Moonsong), but she recognized the voice from the radio. "I haven't even gotten the benefits sorted out yet..."

Aisling blinked as Kiriya (@Kirius) approached and engaged, face neutral to counteract the twinge of anxiety. So much for flying under the radar, huh? That's what she got for looking like a normal person amidst a sea of festive peacocks.

"Senpai...?" Aisling glanced where Kiriya had come from, and... ah. He must know her. "Oh. I'm a VRS employee. Aisling, nice to meet you."

She held out a hand, hoping that Kiriya wouldn't ask what kind of blogger she was. She'd yet to put together her front-facing blog.

 

[Hanno Futaba]

"Honestly, that kinda fits ya." Brian smirked at Aisling's (@Ash Vargold) reveal, now understanding why she was so reserved at the kind of 'business' she was dealing with when they first met in real life.

Brian was slightly distracted by the voice that once again sounded fairly familiar, but when he heard the introduction as Dayeon Song (@Moonsong), the man blinked surprised and looked in her direction immediately. The remainder of Moonsong telling him to search for K-Pop ionYouTube's trending page, the fact he did, and the matching names made it easy for him to put two and two together.

"Even you are here..?" Brian muttered, with wide open eyes until an unfamiliar voice snatched his attention, and he glanced at Kiriya (@Kirius). "Oh- Heya buddy! Nice to meet'cha too. Name's Brian." He introduced himself, raising an eyebrow. "Senpai? You mean the Nexon young lady?" What a mouthful.

"I'm accompanying my friend." Brain said, honestly, gesturing at Aisling with his shoulder.

"But now that I'm here, I guess I did meet your Senpai before, she looks very familiar... World's small, and all." He shrugged with a quiet chuckle.

 

[Shadow]

Kiriya, fortunately, did not push things further when Aisling (@Ash Vargold) answered him. Instead, he focused on the part where she asked about the senpai thing, which he figured that he really should stop using Japanese honorifics since he wasn't in Japan.

Clearing his throat, he dove right into the fabricated story he apparently had devised for the both of them. "We were acquainted at school, where she asked me out, but I turned her down because I wanted to spend all of my time preparing to intern at Nexus Corp. Ah, right. Here's my card if you would like my socials," Kiriya said as he reached into his pocket and handed a card to the older woman.

Turning toward the lanky lad, Kiriya let out a chuckle. "I'm sure you might have seen her in a video somewhere on the internet. The world is small after all. Anyways, let's have some rich people food, I'm starving!"

Kiriya walked toward the fancy serving table and gestured for the service people to grab the food he was most interested in.

@Ash Vargold @Hanno Futaba @Lady N

 

[Raid Boss]

After Dayeon (@Moonsong) performed her song, a sharply-dressed blond man in the audience clapped alongside the other guests. No one knew who he was until he came up to Dayeon and inadvertently introduced himself to both the idol and Danielle (@Cain Darlite).

"Ford Milgard. I'm with the New Yorker. Could I trouble you for a signature? You could say that I'm a big fan." The man named Ford smiled as he presented a blank card to the songstress.

Up until then, the reporter has been busy cozying up to the attendees, taking notes of their stories and connection to the lady of the house (@Lady N). However, he did his fair share in entertaining the guests with his own stories and never pushed the envelope in his reporter's duties to ensure that he doesn't disrupt the festive and lighthearted mood of the party.

People who were particularly perceptive could feel that Ford was really dialing up his charming personality while interacting with the socialites attending the party.

 

[Pandora*]

Hitomi Aki

Spoiler: Theme

"Hmmm... oh dear... this is quite a pickle...."

A finger moved from one piece to another over a chessboard. From pawn to knight, to rook, to pawn again. A bite of the lip. Light green-cyan eyes move from the pieces to another set of eyes across the way. A man of slightly older age from a well-known law firm. Possibly someone Chelsea stayed in touch with for any potential violations of certain laws involving a certain game ever catching up with the woman, who looked to be in her early 30s. The man looked annoyed. He tapped a finger on the playing table.

The two formally dressed individuals were sitting in a room that had been set up as a game area with a spot to play various Christmas themed boardgames, including a chess board with festive game pieces like elves and reindeer instead of pawns and knights... In these modern times few indulged in such activities anymore but here were two that did. The woman, Hitomi Aki, had played several games with this man so far. He was a known master of the game and it showed. Not once had she had a checkmate against him.

"Miss Aki... perhaps today?"

A long sip of iced water with a single lemon slice for flavor. Her eyes never left the board through her glasses. The man raised a brow. Her finger moved around a bit more hastily before she shook her head in defeat.

"...Ahahaha, I am afraid I have to admit defeat again Mr.Renaldo."

The man gave an unamused look and gazed around the room to see if anyone else wanted to play.

"*Harrumph*. Thank you for the games. I think I'll play someone else now if you don't mind?"

"Yes, of course. I had quite a bit of fun. It was very stimulating! I suppose my one talent will always be my work ethic... oohhh, I have so much work! It's hard to find time to perfect my game. Well, perhaps we can play again next year!"

Rising she offered to shake the man's hand and he irritably complied. The moment she headed back toward the foyer and where the main party was taking place. He muttered to himself and shook his head.

Placing the glass onto a passing maid's tray with a small bow. Hitomi adjusted her cuffs and took a look around. This was not her first time in the once-famous Nexon Estate. In fact, she had been invited here many times including during Chelsea's time here.

Like the large bald bodyguard sometimes seen with Chelsea, Hitomi had been one of the few people to keep in touch with the fallen Nexon. While that man had left Nexus Corp during its great turnover to stay with the heiress that he had grown attached to. Hitomi still worked for Nexus to this day. However even with her many responsibilities, the spectacled woman never once forgot the daughter of Matthias and Ryoko Nexon. In a way, she almost felt like they were family.

"Hmm, I wonder what the next performance will be? Look at all these interesting guests. I should introduce myself... Ahhh perhaps I should wait to be approached. I certainly don't want to appear desperate..."

Although she looked very well put together in her dress, her easily confused-looking face and ditzy yet soft voice created an odd atmosphere about her...

 

[Cain Darlite]

On the one hand, it was adorable to see Chelsea try so hard, but on the other hand, alas, the usage of Misters and Misses made it pretty clear that this really was a professional networking event, rather than a social one. Well, that was fine. When it came to impromptu afterparties, Danielle was a master. And if this was going to be a networking event...well she was here in a professional capacity too; her card wallet was stuffed full of business cards, and her camera wasn't just used to create blackmail material with, after all.

Yup, if Chelsea was going to abandon her to talk up some middle-aged men and Dayeon was going to hit everyone with (well-sung) Christmas shopping mall music, then Danielle was certainly going to get shit done here as well! Striding through the estate, the short-haired woman tried out bites of tasty but wholly unidentifiable food while offering to take photos of anyone who wanted to commemorate a reunion or a new friendship. With the sheer amount of motifs present, from glitzy Christmas trees to sparkling champagne towers to oversized neon star structures, there were way too many good spots for people-photos. It wasn't necessary her own expertise, of course, but it didn't need to be a masterful picture. It just needed to look good for social media, to capture the vibe of happiness that had spread so contagiously amongst the guests. Even better, of course, was that she was doing it for free!

Well, as free as learning names and earning gratitude could be.

By the time Dayeon's song had ended, Danielle herself had traded off a good selection of business cards with the affluent guests, and she swung by to reconvene with the idol, two flutes of white wine in hand.

"Pretty singing as always Dayeon," she said, passing one glass to her friend. "But you could've remixed it at least. Give it some edge to really shake things up."

There was the dapper gentleman as well, a reporter of sorts that she had spotted in the periphery. She looked him up and down, approving of his smart casual outfit, and stuck out a hand for a shake. "Danielle Song. Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Ford." A wink, a sip of the wine. Fruity and clear. "Even if you're only here for the prettier lady."

 

[Ash Vargold]

Aisling politely accepted the business card from Kiriya(@Kirios), taking a moment to look it over before sliding it into a pocket. Business card exchanges were a cultural thing, but she wasn't exactly the sort to have one. "Thank you. Sorry I don't have one to give back. I'm not particularly active on social media, anyhow."

And the one she was active on wasn't one she wanted to share freely.

"Nexus Corp, huh... I hear working for them is pretty rough." She stepped aside, giving Kiriya clear access to the buffet. "Hopefully they treat their interns better than their contractors. I've heard Stories...."

She took the moment to glance around the room. An endless sea of faces, all unrecognizable. Oh, to have the effortless confidence she could have in Terrasphere. Instead, it was everything she could do to keep herself from excusing herself to hide in the bathroom or something.

 

[Lune]

Going down from the stage, Dayeon joined back the photographer who offered her a glass of rich people's drink, whatever it was. "Thank you!"

She chuckled at Danielle's (@Cain Darlite) suggestion of remixing the (in)famous Christmas classic, to which the idol commented. "Nah, I don't think these high-class people would appreciate a more... adventurous rendition," alluding to one cover of Barbie Girl she did in the past.

Sipping the drink, she quickly noticed it was a white wine; and she wasn't good with alcohol.

The sudden appearance of a blonde gentleman (@Raid Boss) between the two women caused them to halt the casual talk, switching back to formality. "Oh, hello, Mister Milgard. Of course, you could." At least there's the excuse for putting away the wine on the nearest table.

The idol slightly bowed at him while accepting the blank card with both hands, before pulling out a silver sharpie from the pocket of her pants, signing it with her usual 'Dayeon' added with a doodle of a moon at the end.

"So, what brings you to this party? Any interesting scoops around?" The woman politely handed back the card while asking the charming reporter. They usually have pretty wild unpublished stories and of course, Dayeon is up for some gossip. It would be a high-end party without people throwing around the latest rumors.

 

[Shadow]

While Kiriya pointed out to the serving staff which item he wanted so they could transfer it onto his plate, he listened to Aisling (@Ash Vargold) speak about his employer and flashed a weary smile.

Ahaha... I do feel like disposable trash sometimes, but the pay is pretty okay for an internship. Their biggest issue is that they are very picky about their hiring picks. I don't mean to say this as a brag, but I was the only one among the recent-grads who got picked up. Now, I'm stuck having to do the work of 5 interns. I can't say how it is with contractors. Are you thinking about picking up contracting work with them? I can introduce you if you would like.

After his plate was full, Kiriya began skimming from the top, having a sampling of the expensive food being served. When he recognized a familiar face, Kiriya waved to Aisling before heading toward the indigo-haired lady (@Pandora*).

Oh hey, if it isn't the esteemed Hitomi-senpai. What are you doing here? Is our employer finally thinking about buying out this estate and kicking Chelsea-senpai out on the streets?

His greeting was perky while the follow-up was laced with sarcasm.

 

[Raid Boss]

While Dayeon (@Lune) was busy signing his card, Ford turned his attention toward Danielle (@Cain Darlite).

"Not just the pretty folks, I'm here for the wine too," Ford offered the photographer a warm smile as he took her hand for a shake.

After Dayeon returned his card, the blond carefully enclosed it in a holder before he slipped it into his breast pocket as he listened to her follow-up.

"The drinks haven't flowed yet, so only things that end up in cheap tabloids. I'm here for the big fish, Nexus. Especially since they seem particularly keen on a certain game, of late," Ford jested as he took a sip of wine, all the while keeping his eyes on people with affiliation to any organization that starts with N.

 

[Pandora*]

Hitomi Aki

"Oh hey, if it isn't the esteemed Hitomi-senpai. What are you doing here? Is our employer finally thinking about buying out this estate and kicking Chelsea-senpai out on the streets?

A slight pause as Hitomi glanced at him. A hand entering a pocket and the other touching the side of her glasses. A smile formed and words soon thereafter.

"Yes? Oh yes! You are the intern boy? Yes hai hai! I think we've met on a few occasions. I do like to remember names. I just have to search through the clutter that is in my skull ahaha. Oooh, let's see how long it takes me! Hmmmm...."

A person passed and look at the hair decoration she wore. It looked a little like someone put a Duelist Masters device and made it a headpiece. It never even slid which was impressive considering how it looked. It must have been lightweight. It wasn't very fitting for a holiday look, however.

"Kiriya Sekimori (@Kirius)? The intern! I hope you are doing well. Nexus is a very demanding company. I feel like I work 24/7 and never have an ounce of time.. but here I am! Thank reckless consumerism for the blessing of holiday vacations!"

His sarcasm was completely missed by her apparently.

"I do worry about Little Chelsie-chan. The young lady seems a little lost and I try to keep in touch. Keep an eye on her would you? People have begun to exit game in real life much more frequently these days. Depression is a terrible thing and she's a delicate girl unlike her mother."

The chipper professional held a concerned look until her attention turned to another. Speaking of which...

"Nexus. Especially since they seem particularly keen on a certain game, of late."

"Oh did someone say game? Always a word on the populace's tongue these days. I just finished a game of chess! It's so difficult to find someone to play, what with everyone sticking to their screens and headsets all of the time. Sigh... I can't understand it. I work on screens daily. Why would I have time to do so for games? I never can find the time for something like that. On the other hand, I can't ignore a game like chess. If god was real and played games. It would be a very similar game don't you think?!"

Hitomi put a hand on her chest, now obviously embarrassed by her often-cited idiosyncrasy.

"Oooh I'm so sorryyyy. I apologize for my annoying nature. I yap far too much. I compensate for how little casual chatting I get with my job. Did I interrupt you? My name is Hitomi by the way... you?

Although it was directed at all of the members present. She looked at Ford when she said it.

@Raid Boss @Lune @Cain Darlite