TASTY TREATS [ open ]

[merrick lavie bradford]

Merrick gave the person at the door her ticket and stepped into the building. She would never understand what she was doing here, she hated these kind of lovey dovey events, but something told her tonights would be worth attending. Her outfit she absolutely adored, black and silver looked fantastic on her, and since she looked "normal" she fit right in as she escaped into the sea of people. Merrick was all about illusions so being where she could pretend to be someone else, normal in this case, thrilled her to no end. She found the refreshment table and noticed the champagne as she sighed heavily looking at the person behind it. "This is all you've got in the alcohol department?" The person behind the table nodded and even apologized as Merrick groaned reaching for a glass. Her hand was greeted by the person behind the tables as she stopped her and asked for ID, this causing Merrick to stare blankly at her for a second trying to figure out of she were serious.

The girl seemed serious enough as she groaned and opened her small wallet she'd carried her makeup and money in. She flashed the girl her ID long enough for her to find the date of birth, and after tossing a crumpled up bill at her Merrick took the drink while the chick fumbled to keep the money from hitting the ground. She walked away from the table tasting the bitter champagne, probably the cheapest shit on a discount shelf at a liquor store, but she'd expect nothing more from the mayor she'd heard so much about. Glancing around she eyeballed the strangers amongst her, but with these masks covering their faces all she had to rely on were lips, jawlines, and chins for facial features. The body was still laid out nice enough that she could see it, so as her eyes darted across the room few men stood out captivating her enough to walk over.

She knew she had to hold up this illusion of being someone she wasn't so she even put a southern twang on her voice getting people to believe she was from good ol' Atlanta, Georgia. It was funny, the second people picked up on an accent they always seemed to ask where you were from like it'd start some grand conversation, but it never went much past the big reveal. She usually heard an i've always wanted to go there, an oh, or the ever popular well aren't you just a georgia peach. Those were the best ones that had her smirking just wanting to show them how much of a peach she was. The first male she wandered towards looked gorgeous as far as she'd been concerned, but when she struck up conversation his voice sounded like he'd had his nose broken one too many times in his life. "On second thought, i'm sorry, but you're going to have to take some decongestants before we continue this."

She scrunched her nose up and disappointed in herself turned around to hunt for another hidden treasure amongst the masks. The second guy looked good from afar, but the second she got closer she could see the craters from where his acne had given him a proper beating throughout his teen years. She actually felt bad for him for having to go through that, but still shallow there was no way she'd give him time or attention. "You do know they have full face masks right? Might have been a better choice," she mused though not to him, his imperfections were bully enough for the night. Was there not a single man, or hell she'd even start to settle for a woman, here tonight that could satisfy her? She finished off that lame amount of champagne, again that bitter taste practically burning a hole through her tongue, and she set the glass down on the first table she could find needing something else to take this taste out of her mouth.

She could see another refreshment table further down the room that she scrambled towards hoping they'd have something, anything, that'd do the trick of helping her.


[OUTFIT] here
[TAGGED] open!
[NOTES] Yay for Merrick in the event!

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[christian anthony blyth]

Outfit & mask

Valentines masquerade. Right. He could do this. Piece of cake. Now move. Christian looked down at his feet which were planted firmly on the ground. Go. Nothing happened. Exasperated he looked up and stared at the sight before him. The masquerade was being held in a large two story warehouse that on any given day would look dull and uninviting, but which right now looked extremely lively and pulsating. There was constantly a stream of people entering and leaving the building, the majority entering of course. This was probably the main event of the season for this city and so it naturally had to be a big bash. Craining to get a better view of the evening sky, Christian wondered if he really was doing himself a favor by coming to the party. Sure, he needed to establish a social life here, but what were the odds of him actually getting to know someone new? Everyone knew each other and had brought friends, while he would have to maneuver around, trying to make a good first impression. Grow up, he told himself. Back in Portland going to a small party or a big party wouldn't have posed any kind of problem at all. He wasn't exactly mr. social but he certainly wasn't a wallflower either.

His feet moved now, taking him across the parking lot to the main entrance. While walking he lifted a hand to make sure his mask was in place and stayed there. It was a simple mask, black with red stones, and it covered his eyebrows and nose. The red stones matched his red burgundy suit, the same suit he had worn last year for prom. Without his mother there to badger him about clothes, he didn't bother buying something new. It looked neat enough anyways since he'd only ever worn it once. Christian looked down at his suit with a frown on his face. He never understood his mother's obsession with quality and price when it came to clothes. This suit had been.. well.. expensive. How much she had paid, he'd happily pushed into the back of his mind, never to be remembered again. Now that he lived on his own, he couldn't afford to buy anything of similar quality. Christian's mind backtracked. That was a lie, he could actually afford something similar if he used the money his parents sent him every month. But he would never touch that money. He made his own living now, and he would only spend the earnestly made pay.

Taking the last two steps of the stairs in one stride, Christian pulled a ticket out of his pocket and handed it to the doorman. Upon entering the building, he deliberately ignored the bar that welcomed the guests at the entrance, so all of his attention was focused on the hall itself. Christian took a moment to admire the interior. Clearly there had not been saved any money on decorations or on food, it was quite splendid. No corner of the place had been abandoned of the decorators or at least, no empty corner was visible; it was hard to tell with the amount of people in there. Closing the button of his blazer, Christian put one hand into his pocket and carefully began moving around. He was quickly frustrated by the fact that apparently every table only sold champagne. All he wanted was a nice alcohol-free refreshment to keep him occupied until he found enough courage to approach a stranger and strike up conversation. Somehow he thought that the masks would make it easier to talk to people. The mask was like a protecting facade that could take any blow to his pride.


Further down the room, he eyed another table that was less frequented than the others. That had to be the place without alcohol, he thought optimistically and sauntered through the crowd. The closer he came to the table, the thinner the crowd became until at last he reached the table and there were three people in total: him, the waiter and a girl. Smiling politely at the girl, he approached the waiter, "Excuse me. Do you sell anything nonalcoholic?". The waiter looked slightly taken aback but Christian remained unmoved - he was doing everyone in that room a favor by not drinking. The waiter gestured at a large punchball filled with a red liquid. Nodding his approval, Christian found a folded bill in his blazer-pocket and handed it over. In return he was given a glass filled with the red liquid. "Thank you," Christian lifted the glass in gesture before turning his back to the table in order to view the room. His gaze shifted sideways and he found himself watching the girl who was standing next to him. He found her very.. Christian needed a moment to chew the matter over, he wasn't sure what word to use.. dramatic? Yes, he found her rather dramatic. She was totally clad in black and silver, even her hair was black. Shifting his gaze again, he took a sip of the punch and diverted his attention to other party-goers. Everyone was seemingly out to impress, dressed in their best clothes. Of course he was no exception.

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[merrick lavie bradford]

Merrick finally made it to the table taking a breather as she looked at her drink selections. The alcoholic beverages had been thinned out, it being obvious this had to be one of the first tables hit by guests, but there were still a few that she could choose from. Tall glasses let her know it was either champagne or wine, normal booze being fit for a normal glass, but instead of complaining she just took one of the champagne glasses and smiled disapprovingly at the person standing behind the table. It didn't look like it'd be their first choice of drink either. Part of her had wanted to sneak around and look under the table to see if this person was hiding the best stuff for themselves. It's what she would do if she had to work this event. "How much do I owe you?" The man wasn't much for small talk as he held up a few fingers and she groaned. This champagne was not worth even a dollar but she agreed and handed him what she needed to. She swore to herself this would be the first and only drink she bought for herself so now she just had to find a patsy.

When a tall blonde came into view Merrick couldn't help but smirk as she checked the slender body out as it came closer. The mask was nice, it still let her see his facial definition, and she had to admit she liked what she saw. Perhaps things were looking up for her tonight...or at least they were until she heard him ask the man behind the table a question. Did he seriously just say what she thought he did? Asking if there was anything non-alcoholic was the last thing she'd expected from anyone at this place. This man, seemingly flawless, had a flaw afterall and Merrick wanted to know what kept him away from the alcohol. Perhaps he had a date and wanted to stay sober so he wouldn't make a fool of himself. That seemed to most plausible answer so she looked behind him to see if a date were trailing anywhere. He couldn't see any women but maybe she was sitting at a table waiting for him?

No, that couldn't be it either. He had only asked for one drink. Maybe she'd already found one though, maybe it had alcohol in it, or maybe Merrick was just losing her mind and needed to stop asking herself so many questions. To her surprise he'd accepted the punch and she casually watched as the waiter poured it into a cup and handed it over to him after an exchange of money. Merrick looked back out scanning the crowd so they couldn't tell she'd been watching their exchange too closely, and after he'd said thank you she figured he'd disappear off into the crowd to go and find his date somewhere. A man like this surely couldn't have came alone tonight, but when he simply turned but stayed put she had a feeling she'd been mistaken. Either that or he had a really bad date and dreaded going back, but as she glanced over again quickly he didn't seem too upset. Her thoughts were getting the best of her so she knew what had to be done to figure him out.

"I never thought i'd see someone pass up alcohol at one of the mayors events, so let me guess..." she turned towards him, not even saying hello as she cocked her head to the side a little to see him at a different angle, "either you're new to the city and don't know what to expect from these things, or you've got a girl out there who you're trying to impress by staying sober?" She tried to read his facial expressions but picked her head up taking another drink as she glanced out at the crowd. "Or it could be both?" He could have been new to the city and this could be a first date. Of course he wouldn't want to drink when he had to give whoever a good first impression. "Either that or you're a recovering alcoholic..." she mused laughing as she took a drink of her own champagne as she brought her attention back to him.

"Or I could be wrong all together and in that case-" she smirked holding a hand out for a formal greeting, hand shake and all, "the name is Merrick Bradford, and you are?" After her introduction she slipped her hand back to her side and bowed her head down in salutations. "It's nice to meet you, well most of you anyway." She pointed to the mask on his face grinning as she took another sip of her drink. At this rate that glass would be empty and she'd need another. "So what brings you here tonight?" It seemed an easy question for him to answer and could let her learn more about him so it seemed the best thing for her to say. "And more importantly, why are you passing up the alcohol?" He looked to be just old enough to drink and most people gravitated towards alcohol at his age so what was his deal? She just could not figure him out and it was bugging her.


[OUTFIT] here
[TAGGED] CHRISTIAN!
[NOTES] I hope this isn't utter crap. I have gotten like three hours of sleep last night and am dealing with a sick household so -.- but I still wanted to reply!

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[christian anthony blyth]

Outfit & mask


If he was going to entertain himself with glasses of punch the entire evening, it would be a very costly affair. Everything edible and drinkable here was clearly overpriced but people didn't seem to care; they spent their money like there was no tomorrow. Of course after a couple of glasses of champagne, tomorrow didn't matter as much as tonight and there was no such thing as moderation in a drunk person's mind. Being sober and planning to stay sober for the entire night, such concerns as economy easily intruded Christian's mind, and he had already planned how much he could spend tonight without it burning a hole in his pocket. Had he been a bit more frivolous in his nature, he would simply have taken some dollar-bills from the stash of money he kept under his bed in his suitcase. It was his money, and if used properly it would give him a bit more peace of mind by then end of the month when the bills needed to be paid. However, the money was from his parents, and in his mind it was equal to a bribe. They'd been sending him money for a year now, ever since he moved to Jacksonville, and to him it didn't symbolize that his parents trusted him and wanted to keep him safe, but that they didn't think he could make it on his own.

Deep in thought, Christian automatically took a sip of the punch. Wrinkling his nose, he looked at the content of the glass with disappointment. It was too sweet, way too sweet. How much sugar had they put into the thing? Deciding that he would look a fool if he put the glass away after one sip and after just purchasing it, he held tightly onto the glass. To other people the punch would probably taste just fine, perhaps like juice or a soft drink, but Christian was highly alert when it came to sugar. Back when he'd been diagnosed with schizophrenia his doctor had stressed the importance of him monitoring his sugar intake. Too much sugar and high saturated fat could result in him having other diseases like diabetes, and it could even make his schizophrenia worse. Imagine being told that as a kid. He wasn't allowed to touch sweets, cookies and if he wanted a coke, well that would have to be a diet one.. After that message Halloween held no meaning to him.

The thought of his parents bribe money along with the memory of all the sugarless years, brought his mood down a notch. He was in total control of the sugar thing, the decision not to drink the punch just having proved the point, but when it came to the money, he had not properly stood up against his parents. That's it, he thought and had a minor epiphany, he should just gather all that money and send it back. Once they saw that he had not spend a single dime of the money, they would know that he had been providing for himself all along. Yes, he would send it back as soon as he got home. Christian half debated going home right this moment, such a determination burned in his gut. Before he had the chance to make reality of it, someone spoke to him. Not just someone, but the girl whose appearance he'd deemed to be dramatic.

As he turned and faced her, he was greeted not by a mere 'hello' but by an entire conversation carried out on her part alone. Opening his mouth to reply to her guesswork, he realized that she had not finished talking yet, and abruptly shut his mouth. Instead of attempting to reply, he tried to keep up, running all her scenarios through his head. New to the city, that was somewhat true. Girl to impress, definitely not the case. Recovering alcohol, not exactly. And just as Christian reached the conclusion that she was wrong all together, the girl did too. The girl whose name was Merrick. Merrick Bradford. The name didn’t ring a bell but it did add to her mystery - it was an unusual name, and she looked like an unusual girl. Extending his hand, mirroring her smile with one of his own, Christian shook hers. He knew better than to introduce himself just yet. She had caught her breath but didn’t seem finished talking yet. Christian was quite enthralled by her ability to convey so many speculations and information over such a short amount of time.

Suddenly he was snapped out of his fascination and had to do some talking himself. ”Pleased to meet you Merrick Bradford. I’m Christian Blyth.” Although they knew each others names now, Christian still felt as if he was participating in some sort of a charade. With the mask covering his face, he was not his usual self, and since she didn't know him, he could in fact reconstruct his entire personality and go along with it for the rest of the night. Such a silly thought. Christian almost shook his head in amusement. No, he was just Christian without the imagination to reinvent himself. He could not and would not make up some wild story of why he didn't drink, but instead take a few steps around the truth and tell the facts in a more pleasant way. It would be a bit of a mood killer if he declared that he had a mental disorder and would freak out in various ways if he drank alcohol.

"Uhmm.." What brought him here tonight? Tough question to answer at the top of his head. His gaze flickered across the room before landing on her face again. "I guess I was intrigued." Christian shrugged and added with a slight grin, "This is supposed to be the grand event of the season." Christian almost brought the glass up to his lips again but upon realizing what he was doing, he sighed and placed the glass on the table. Having nothing to occupy his hands with now, he decided to place them in his pockets as casually as he could manage. "I don't feel like drinking tonight," unless it's beer and I'm off my medication, he thought after the words left his mouth. It was nearly the truth, at least close enough for Christian to utter it with confidence. Eager to change the subject and avoid further questions about any abnormal behavior, he nodded towards the crowd, "What about you, Merrick, are you standing here with me to avoid an awkward date or donating money by drinking?" Small-talking was not his favorite pass-time and often he failed, like right now. Scratching the back of his neck, Christian quickly added, "I mean, since the drinks are so expensive. Makes you think that the mayor is planning to build a new library or something.." Trailing off, Christian stopped talking and looked momentarily down at his shoes before looking back at her with an apologetic smile on his lips. Maybe he should reconsider the whole reinventing himself idea and improve his conversational skills.



Notes: It's not crap, not at all! I hope they get better soon. I know what it's like to babysit men who are sick.. Goddamn whiny creatures..

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[merrick lavie bradford]

Merrick hadn't ever been one to take things slow and to her introductions took too much time. That's why when she met new people her observations would tell her everything she needed to know about them. She could tell someones social status, what sort of job they held, and around the total of their yearly gross income. Men were easier than women since they wore all these answers on their sleeves, but women would do all these little tricks to make themselves appear to be something they were not. Here Merrick was the true magician and yet all these women were playing tricks on the community without so much as a magic word or wave of a wand. She looked at society from a different standpoint so she could see through all the smoke and mirrors, but she had to admit some chicks really did know how to work it.

Still as she reached the end of her roll this man remained something of a mystery. Perhaps all these masks and costumes had her senses shaken because usually it'd be easy to tell with just a simple glance. Her hand extended as she'd take not of how strong his hand was during their shake, and afterwards as she withdrew her hand back to her side she had been impressed. His grip had been stronger than she'd thought from someone as tall and lean as him. This man was just full of surprises and she couldn't wait to uncover the next one. "No wonder you had such a firm handshake," she admitted when he gave her his name, "there's some power behind that name of yours isn't there?" She could be wrong but she sure hoped she wasn't.

She was anxious to hear what else he had to say when he started it with an uhmm, a classic sign that he was trying to piece together what he should say so he doesn't give away too much. Everyone used that stall tactic, it'd buy them a couple extra seconds, but now all Merrick wanted to do was read between the lines and draw her own conclusions. It'd probably be more fun for her that way if this man was going to beat around the bush about things. Though now that she figured he was hiding something she would try to find it out. It could make for some entertainment before this party picked up (if it ever did). "Well now that you're here is it all you dreamed it would be?" She picked her hands up and motioned at the crowd infront of them dancing and gathering.

"First thing you have to know about these things is the more hyped up they are the worst they'll actually be. It's just Mayor Nolan's way of dipping into our pockets. He promises us the stars and the moon and we end up getting-" she looked around and brought her eyes back to him. He had to have understood and if not there was no hope for him. She watched as he placed the drink on the table and she smirked. "Not really doing it for you?" She asked casually pointing at the glass, again her mind going back to alcohol as she looked at what she'd been drinking. Maybe her idea of him as an ex-alcoholic could be right. Here he was trying to cover his desire for booze but nothing would satisfy him like the poison of alcohol...but she wasn't going to make up her mind before she heard a little more out of him.

I don't feel like drinking tonight, the words left his lips and as her ears caught them she nodded slowly, "you're probably the only one here that feels that way." She looked around at all the glistening cups filled with alcohol before drawing her attention back to her companion. "It either makes you the smartest of the bunch or a fool," she teased tipping her glass to him before drinking the last few sips and placing it empty on the table. When he turned the questions on her she drew her shoulders up for a shrug grinning vividly at him, "I guess if those are my only options i'd say the second. Giving back to a community I get so much out of," she chuckled having worded it perfectly for her liking. "I'm not really one for dates. I haven't been able to find someone who can handle me," that was the understatement of the year!

She laughed shaking her head when he'd brought up the idea of building a new library, or doing anything worthwhile for the city at least, "you really must be new here if you think the man would do something that'd actually help this community. He probably just had a guest house he wanted to build or wanted a new pool or something," she could tell he was having a hard time finding the things to say, so to avoid that she grinned as she took his hand without giving him a chance to react while she walked him to the floor. Neither had glasses in their hands so she didn't have to worry about spilling anything anymore, and when they were in the crowd she turned to him and closed the large gap between them. "How about we see if you're a better dancer than you are a conversationalist shall we?" She looked to his hand and hoped he'd know what to do with it. Either that or he could leave because it's not like she was forcing him to stay here, but she did sort of force him onto the floor. Eh, she couldn't help that she just took what she wanted and never asked questions.

[OUTFIT] here
[TAGGED] christian!
[NOTES] So I sort of god modded that he had a firm grip in the handshake so I hope that's not too bad >.> Hah, and also she sort of just dragged him out on the floor because...well it's Merrick so she's not about asking. Hope it's alright ^.^

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