All Things Bright and Beautiful

"Oh no! I'm not picking! I'd get lynched." She chuckled at her own little joke, her staff wouldn't lynch her, but they would definitely use her image in a game of hangman. "I'm more than happy to wait until after the holidays Rachyl and I are swaped as well, so we'll take care of the while thing in January. My staff is great, you may find you prefer one of my more laid back girls or Jeff. Jeff is always a good choice."[/i]

Meegan was handed a cup of coffee that had been creamed and sugared. She gave it a sip and approved. She wondered briefly who knew what she took in her coffee and made a mental note to send a gushing letter to the caterer in the next few days.

"Oh look! The dancing has started, which means I need to bolt my coffee. I promise a dance to one of the opera singers."

She smiled at her friends and took a large gulp of the scalding liquid.

Nyra giggled. She had known that picking one of them would lead to trouble in the company but as she knew none of the others, what was she to do. "Maybe we can set up a meeting and you can recommend a few casual people to me."

Another bounce at the realization that dancing was starting. What a magical evening. With her hand gently stroking Connie's she leaned over and gently kissed her cheek.

"Can I steal Rachyl for a dance?" Hopefully her lover would not mind and her friend was available.

A small squeak escaped her lips, when Alexi caressed her ass, but she managed to keep it small, and fairly quiet. She was 'trying' to maintain some facade of sophistication, and it wasn't the easiest to do with his incorrigibility. He earned a seductive peek at her tongue for his words, before she winked and turned to Bertrand.



"Oh yes, we were just thinking of possibly buying a couple more, but...do you think we might impose upon you just a little, and ask for an evening showing? Mathias, and I both have pretty rigid schedules..."

Shay grinned at Alexi, again feeling very cosmopolitan. It was quite the thing to feel both seasoned, and naive at the same time, and speaking to an art dealer while attending her first charity ball cast her into both moods.

"Maybe we could schedule something over dinner. Have you eaten yet?"

Shay and Alexi seemed to be among the few that hadn't enjoyed the repast, as yet. She noticed Nyra herself was leaving the dining area, and making her way to the dance floor. She hoped Alexi would enjoy a dance with her, before they left for they called it a night.

Gently patting her hand he made sure she knew his time was flexable. "No bother at all to make an evening appointment. Do that all the time for many people, work late most do, with scarce time to get out during the day."

Pulling a small calendar from his pocket he flipped pages briefly until he found a free block. "Thank you for the off my dear, so generous of you. I must regretfully decline at this time as I promised a very nice woman a dance as soon as it started. My appolgies."

Glancing down at the calendar to confirm the date he had in mind. "I do show several openings right after the new year if you would have time then. Simply give me a call or I can pencil you in now and if it doesnt work out I can reschedule you anytime."

A matronly woman in a sedate blue evening gown was making her way towards Bertrand. He was thrilled to have the chance to dance with her, he just regretted his timing was rushed.

Connie leaned minutely into Nyra's kiss. So much promise behind that kiss. She smiled at her shorter lover, then up to her even shorter friend. "Of course."

Grinning impishly, she said, "Bring her back before your next birthday." With a wink, she stood and offered Nyra's hand to Rachyl. "Enjoy."

As the two walked off to the dance floor, she whispered to Meegan, "We have some very special women, don't we. And you know she will want to have both you and Rachyl for her shopper assistants. And I'd like to give the modelling gig to her. I don't know if she'll accept it, though. She can occasionally be very... self-conscious about her body. She shouldn't be, though," Connie mused, mostly to herself, "as she is an amazingly attractive woman."

Nyra almost skipped to the dance floor as she towed Rachyl along beside her. The music was slow and sweeping so that the two women could twirl gracefully about the floor. Several other couples were as moved by the music but some just sedately moved with the beat.

Nyra was having none of that. She and Rachyl moved fluidly as the music carried them about the floor. It was only once the music stopped that she realized that poor Rachyl had simply been dragged along with her. The artist bit her lip and appologized.

"I so hope you dont mind me leading like that. It was just that the music caught me up and would accept nothing less."

Smiling sheepishly she hoped her dance partner still wished to continue.

Rachyl giggled as Nyra pulled her through the tables to the dance floor, noting a spring in both their steps.

She was surprised, though, when the taller woman took the lead in the dance. Even more so when she apologized. She almost asked her to repeat what she'd said, Rachyl had been so caught up in enjoying the dance.

"If I'd minded, dear, I would have said something. I quite enjoyed it. I don't often get led quite so expertly!" Rachyl's hands gave the artist's waist a gentle squeeze, and a warm smile pulled at her lips, as the next song began. The designer's assistant found herself wanting to talk, but even moreso just enjoying the not-quite-intimate intimate dance with her good friend.

Meegan sipped from her coffee as Connie spoke. She nodded in between sips.

"I can't be her shopper, I just don't have the time what with the spring line coming out in a month's time and the summer line after that. Rachyl sadly won't have the time either I work her like a mule not to mention we're moving on top of all of it."

Meegan sipped from her coffee again. She'd love to shop with Nyra and dress her to the nines, she just couldn't, not in good conscience anyway.

"As to giving Nyra the gig, I think that's a great idea! I have some stuff in the spring line that will look fabulous on her. Especially with that carefree feel she has about her. I have this purple kilt and top that is to die for. I think she'll look darling in it."

She watched Rachyl and Nyra swing around the dance floor. Just as she was finishing her coffee, the opera singer approached her for the dance he had been promised. She set her coffee cup down and gave Connie a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Please excuse me, duty calls." She gave the singer a wink and allowed him to lead her onto the floor.

Connie nodded, believing and understanding Meegan's business and busy-ness, though she couldn't help but be slightly disappointed as to the reasons. Business must go on... But wasn't Nyra, as the winner of the Year Shopper, her business?

"Ah well, no sense seeing cobwebs in the perfectly spotless room." "Enjoy your dance dear."

She watched both Meegan and her partner, and Rachyl and Nyra sashaying around the floor. Connie found her eyes glued to the roundness of Nyra's bottom, the sparkle in her eyes, twinkle in her smile... And was so extremely focused on her lover that she didn't hear the young man asking her to dance.

"Oh, sir, thank you so much for the offer. Unfortunately, I'm dance-floor impaired, and I'd rather you not end up with a broken leg. Eleven left feet, you see." He didn't look like he believed her, and just took it as a rejection. His face fell, and he moved onto the next table.

"Poor boy. You broke his heart, Connie."
"Better his heart than his leg."
"Maybe you just want to break the skin?"

Of course at the thought of snacking on the kid, she couldn't help but giggle. She was probably two hundred years older than he, and sometimes the vampire jokes still made her laugh uncontrollably.

" After the first of the year will work great Bertrand, perhaps the evening of the 4th?"

That way some of the holiday insanity will have died down.

Of course that made Mathias wonder what plans Shay might have for New Years Eve...how odd,this was the first Mathias could honestly remember wondering about activities on a holiday simply for the holiday. How..wonderful it felt. He smiled at Shay, it was due to her and the love they shared that he could even marvel about such things.

"I wonder Bertrand, and this may not be something you handle, but do you have or perhaps know of a dealer in Icons? Preferably 10th century Byzantine?"

Ever the devout soul Mathias chuckled to himself. The icons were functional as art and also a reminder to him of where he came from.

Music began playing and trickles of people made their way to the dance floor. Smiling,Mathias extended his hand to Bertrand.

"You will excuse me,but I have not had the chance to trip the light fantastic with Shay this evening and I can no longer restrain myself"

Turning to Shay,he gave a half bow and held his arm out.

"Milady? May I have the honor of this dance?"

Shaking hands with Mathias after jotting down his name in the tiny box for the 4th, Bertrand wished them well. "I look forward to seeing you then. Just give me a call if you need to reschedule. I can see if there is a dealer of Icons locally and have the information or even samples by then."

By now the matron in blue had stopped at the table and was smiling widely at the gallery manager. As he stood he placed a gallant kiss upon her hand. Before she could drag him to the dancing area he thanked the couple.

"Thank you again for your time. Have a wonderful evening you two."

Feeling quite relieved the artist gave herself to the next dance. Leading as before though a dramatic sweeping combination that thrilled her. The music was fabulous as it built to a crecendo. Nyra found herself breathing slightly faster than normal and thought that this dancing must qualify as exercise.

"Thank you so much. It was just so easy to become captured by the mood."

Not wanting the dance to end, the artist was gratefull when a slower song began. Something sedate with very minimal beat or musical climaxes. "Can we continue? Though this one will be slower."

Rachyl smiled at Nyra's relief at the slower song, and nodded deferentially. "Of course we can continue. I'd like to. We can go until you want to stop or we pass out as the last dancers sometime tomorrow morning!" With that, she winked, and laughed brightly as Nyra dipped her wide at the beginning of the song.

The date Alexi suggested to Bertrand was good for her. Once things were taken care of in New York, she would not need to return there until April or May, if that soon.

When her lover turned towards the dance floor, of course she nodded, and smiled, after wishing Bertrand a good night. She ached to be in Alexi's arms, and always enjoyed it when that could be accomplished in public.

"And you so know I love it when you don't restrain yourself."

She purred into his ear, as their arms wrapped around each other. Another thing to be said about having lived so many years...Alexi danced wonderfully.

As they moved around the dance floor, Shay closed her eyes, and felt she could have been floating. It was a glorious feeling, being enveloped in his strong, firm, lead, and gave her a needed sense of security. She felt nothing bad could happen to either of them, when they were together like this.

"What are these 'icons' you asked Bertand about?"

The word sounded familiar, outside of the context she immediately thought of...those little pictures on her computer desktop, but she couldn't place them in the art world.

Her head resting on his shoulder, she couldn't resist occasionally pressing her lips to his neck, while her fingers lightly traced the shell of his ear. It was exciting to be so ready for him, and yet know she had to keep her movements to those of propriety.

After half a dozen songs, Nyra started to tire. The pace was slow but they kept dancing in such an exuberant manner that it was quite a workout.

Hugging Rachyl, the artist thanked her heartily. "Thank you so much, that was amazingly fun. You dance so wonderfully."

She stuck out her elbow and nodded her head towards the table Connie sat at. "Would you have time to sit and visit a moment?"

Rachyl warmed when Nyra hugged her, and flushed at the compliment. "One can only dance wonderfully if her partner is just as wonderful!"

With a wink, she smiled and nodded, then hooked her hand about Nyra's arm. "Sure, I have a few moments."

After a moment's reflection and just a second in the chair at Connie's table, she commented, "You and I should go ballroom dancing from time to time. Get both of us out of the house, leave our creative lovelies some time to themselves."

Rachyl's motive wasn't really ulterior; rather, she just wanted a friend to chat with. Veronica wasn't really accessible at all, and it would be nice to bounce things - ideas, plots, surprise plans - off a woman who was not her lover. And it gave her and Nyra something in common.

With a giggle, she amended in a hushed whisper, eyes sparkling mischievously, "Then again, we'd have to let them know we would be dating!"

It was at times like this,just holding Shay - the world faded away and left them by themselves. Which was how it should be, Mathias and Shay together. This perfect moment,this crystalized reflection of transcendent joy - Mathias truly felt like he had been redeemed and this woman's love was his reward.

Shay's words sent a wonderful shiver down his back - remembering those times brought out a feral grin and he pressed close to Shay.

"Perhaps thisnight will find us both unleashing the beast within.." his voice husky,almost a growl.


As always,shay was a wonderful partner and they glided along the floor -as if on air. Mathias noticed Nyra dancing with a redhead and looked about for Connie. As they passed he smiled and nodded at Nyra.

"An icon - at least how I mean it, is a painting that represents Christ,Mary,The Apostles,Saints or scenes from there lives. In the Orthodox version of christianity we regarded them much like others regarded statues to the Virgin MAry or stained glass creations. It is a reminder of where I come from,and I find having them around to be a comfort. I hope you don't mind love - Iknow you want me to feel at home."

The music had begun to die down,although Mathias had not noticed, wrapped in Shay as he was.

"Would seem time has passed by again love - shall we go home?" He extended his arm to Shay, and out the door they went.

(( OOC - Shay and Mathias out,pending responses. Permission to move Shay given ))

Meegan was beyond grateful when her stage manager beckoned to her, forcing her to excuse herself from a very...handsy partner. She hadn't managed to dance with Rachyl, but she had been so reluctant to separate her from Nyra. She promised to make it up to herself once they got home later that evening.

She slipped behind the draping curtain to be informed that it was time to begin the fashion show. She gave her usual go out there and knock 'em dead pep talk then headed out to the podium as a gong sounded twice to silence the DJ and gather the attention of the guests.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I want to thank you on behalf of the Children's hospital and Gothic-ah fashions for joining us this evening."

she paused for the polite applause and smiled warmly at her now captive audience.

"We have a special treat for you this evening. Myself and nine other designers have made two creations each, following the theme All Things Bright and Beautiful, for your pleasure. Each design will be available for purchase after the show and all proceeds will go to the Children."

A small pause for applause, and Meegan too the time to straighten and check over her description cards. The only designs she could MC with out them were her own and she really really didn't want to screw this up.

She gave a small nod to the DJ and he started to bass heavy music that would accompany the models, but not drown out her voice. A tall brunette stepped out onto the catwalk and Meegan entered her most favorite world.

"Sasha wears an offering from D&G. This is a sheer white knee-length gauze over satin bra and hipster panties. Sandals are calf leather, jewelry of cultured pearls. Great for a sunset stroll on the beach or for the wedding night."

The model exited the stage and a shorter red-head took her place.

"Julie brings Gothic-ah's first fashion to the stage. The skirt is a silver satin, made to hug the body while giving ease of movement through hips and knees. Her corset is made of silver and black satin and brocade. It laces beautifully up the back with silver satin ribbon through black enameled eyelets."

Julie left the stage to be replaced by another tall brunette

"Ellana brings us an offering from Ribbons. This fashion is made entirely of orchid, plum, lavender and white ribbon. The skirt comes to the three quarter thigh mark and her bodice is made in the style of a camisole. The Ribbons fashion is perfect for Sunday brunch or high tea. Don't worry ladies it is fully lined and won't give anything away."

Ellana exited, Meegan was smiling softly. She loved fashion shows, her's others, as MC, behind the stage, in the audience, she just loved them. A tall blonde entered the stage.

"Here we have Aria sporting the fashion from R-L and P. This black mesh shift is hand woven with thousands of shimmering black and silver beads. It's single shoulder neck line makes it a shoo in for a night out on the town. It is paired with a pair of patent leather pumps and black pearl jewelry, from the RL and P sister line."

The models exchanged again, this time another shorter young woman, with black hair.

"Lacey brings us the ladies offering from Black Skull, a rising gothic fashion house. Here we are given a crushed purple velvet skirt that falls to the knee in a biased cut and edged in black tulle. The bodice is made of silk with a subtle spider web pattern. Each web is accented with tiny silver sequins. This ensemble is paired with a high heeled mary jane and fishnet stockings. Thank you Lacey."

Lacey had been a little off on her timing and had not reached the end of the run way by the time Meegan had finished the card, and so the thank you was necessary to put the girl on target.

For the next thirty minutes, Meegan described the eighteen fashions donated to the charity. Breaking up her commentary with a sip of water now and then.

As the models came on in their fashions all together in a sort of constant stream to give the audience a final time to see all of the fashions, Meegan took the time to watch as well, there was that one from Black Skull that she had in mind for Rachyl as a thank you gift.

The models left the catwalk and Meegan stood waiting for the people to finish their ovation so that she could thank them for their time and money, give the total from the silent auction and wish them good night.


"Ladies and Gentleman. Let me once again thank you for coming out and opening your hearts and your wallets, for the Nachton Children's Hospital. It is my great pleasure to announce that our silent auction brought in a grand total of seventy thousand ninety dollars. What a wonderful Christmas you all have made for the Children of Nachton."

She joined in the exuberant applause. These people had done such a wonderful thing it was right they feel proud of themselves. She made a motion like patting the top of a dogs head with both her hands in mid-air to get every one to quiet down and listen.


"There will be plenty more dancing and the wine is still flowing. Please enjoy your evening, and one again I thank you for coming out here tonight. If you would like to purchase any of the fashions seen here tonight, the gentlemen in white jackets to my right will gladly assist you in that endeavor. Merry Christmas!"

She stepped away from the podium to the wondrous applause of her audience. Hopefully she would be able to get over to the white coated men and buy that dress.




((OOC feel free to play this as you choose. I will be making a final post and having the Gala locked on Friday evening. I hope you all enjoyed the party.))

She'd declined eleven offers to dance. Some had taken it with a bit more aplomb than the first young man; other smirked, some looked disbelieving. She didn't care. She enjoyed watching her lover and friend together.

"Oh, no! Did I just think that!?"
"You sure did, Stone. Just don't let it get to your head."
"It wasn't my head I'm worried about."

She snagged a martini off a passing waiter's tray. She'd not wanted to drink tonight, but that thought needed to be washed away quickly.

Connie watched as Nyra and Rachyl returned to the table she sat at. The single martini had only been enough to warm her belly, but at least her brain - and other parts - were a little less rebellious. Rachyl whispered to Nyra, then any response was obliterated to Connie's hearing by the sudden announcement of the Fashion Show's beginning.

She watched the assorted fashions carefully, wondering if Nyra would be interested in any. She'd have to contact the designer or supplier with measurements, though, and she realized she wouldn't mind the leg work.

"oh, that sounds like such fun!" Nyra smiled at Rachyl. She was thrilled to be able to build the friendship that had started in the mall. At the dating comment the artist laughed enthusiastically. "Oh you are too much, Rachyl."

The ladies reached the table and sat just as the fashion show started. While everything was quite beautiful some of it puzzled her greatly. An outfit made of ribbon? Spiderweb patter? How very interesting. Watching with all her attention the room slipped away, as she looked with an artists eye. The styles were different from her own experience but each had such a flair, drama or creativity. She knew why Gothic-ah was so popular, this was walking art.

Her hand was firmly wrapped around Connie's as she realized the show was over and she had quite effectively ignored her companions for the entire length of it. She blushed mightily at her faux pas. "Sorry, that was beautiful and caught me right up."