#c1 | genesis ortiz.

[antoniasullivan]

WHO — @genortiz WHEN — saturday, march 30th WHERE — paradise point’s ballroom

"Wow..." Toni began as she approached the masked brunette, "that dress is amazing. You look incredible." Never one to hold back a compliment, especially when due, even with a potential stranger. Which was likely most everyone in attendance for her. Toni was used to mingling and striking up random conversations. This was something that had been apart of her life thanks to her father since she was a child. "Hi, sorry, I promise I'm not hitting on you. You just look stunning and I had to say something. Where'd you get such an amazing dress?" As she asked, Toni was also aware that the dress looking so amazing might have a lot to do with the figure underneath it. Still, it was something to think about for possible future events.

[isaiahwarren]

"Steve Harvey?!" Isaiah nearly choked on his laughter. Even though he wasn't that dark nor that big, he still appreciated Gen's sense of humor. And the fact that she wasn't afraid to give him a hard time. Sometimes his stature intimidated others. "I mean, Family Feud does look kinda fun sometimes, and his style ain't bad." He leaned into her a little to signal that he was in no way offended and rolling with the joke. "Ima take that as a compliment," he grinned.

That dusting of color on her cheeks only made Genesis even more beautiful and Zey admired for a half a second. "Nah, ya got me. Honestly, I shouldn't really even bother with the mask. Who am I kidding. Just don't go too hard on that tequila, alright? We all know how you get down." Playfully, only teasing, he winked at her.

The more the man spoke, the more Genesis became confident in her prediction. Though what was wrong with having a little bit of fun first? "Hmm.." she paused, playfully resting her head atop her fist. "Between the lack of hair on your head and the surplus of hair on your face... Steve Harvey, is that you?!" As she erupted with laughter, the brunette rested a hand on the man's shoulder as if to apologize for her poor sense of humour.

"If you aren't my friend, Zey, I sincerely apologize. We'll blame that one on the tequila." This time when Genesis spoke, a faint shade of pink tinted the apples of her cheeks.

[antoniasullivan]

"Hopefully that'll turn out as a fun decision you'd made," Toni responded to her getting roped into putting herself up for auction. The mask hid just enough but the whole package showed enough that whomever she ended up on a date with would be a lucky one. "I suppose that's the good and bad thing about being friends with those in high places," she joked, decidedly tamping down her flirting due to wondering who she might know. Toni was always on an information quest.

"Thank you," she tipped her head in gratitude of the compliment. "Its a roll of the dice," she said with a shrug, "but unless our personalities are polar opposites it should be fun. Thankfully my cousin isn't up for auction." She chuckled at that. "Can you imagine people ending up with exes or family?"

The woman's response had Genesis blushing from the very moment she'd realized the brunette was flirting with her. Being bisexual was something Genesis had suppressed for many years, thanks to her religious upbringing and long-term relationship with her ex-husband. It was safe to say she hadn't much practice. "I am, actually. Got roped into it by one of the event organizers. I didn't even realize what I'd signed up for until this week." With a small chuckle, the brunette allowed her eyes to take in more of the other woman's look, admiring every inch of the gorgeous black fabric. "It certainly is. And it looks incredible on you. Whoever you get, they'll sure be lucky to find that you're their date for the evening."

[antoniasullivan]

The closer she moved to the masked woman she'd struck up conversation with the more she felt familiarity. While her initial draw had been the dress and how stunning the other looked, there was something to the voice and structure that struck a chord within her. "I'm a fool not to," she smiled broadly, "but I can't get too attached in case you're not my date later." Toni had decided to buy raffle tickets rather than put herself up for a date, though she was uncertain which was better. "Are you up for auction tonight?"

Considering she wasn't super familiar with Briar Ridge it took her a moment to place the new boutique by the pier. "Oh nice," she responded, "I should've looked locally for something to wear but I just grabbed from my closet." It had been kind of a last minute decision for her when it came to attending. "Thank you," Toni glanced down at her black dress and smoothed her hands down her sides, "it's a date dress so I suppose that's fitting, right?"

From the very moment that she had arrived at the gala, Genesis had been having fun mingling with other guests and trying to identify those she knew. While some were certainly easier than others, the brunette remained stumped by quite a few masked party-goers.

At the sound of a familiar voice, Gen did her best to place it, first wondering if it had belonged to one of her clients from work. With a warm smile and an airy chuckle, the woman shook her head as if to ease the woman's mind of any concern. "I didn't think you were hitting on me at all, but thank you! It's from that new little boutique that opened along the pier. And I have to say, you look amazing yourself!"

[isaiahwarren]

"Go on and take a guess," he smiled over to her, gaze briefly dropping down to take in and appreciate how beautifully the woman dressed herself for the night. "Let's see what you got and if I'm recognizable or not." It seemed like a fun challenge and he'd be happy to return it to her, especially since he always thought he was fairly good at picking up and holding onto the details of people he knew. And she was certainly familiar. The voice, the eyes shining through a mask attempting to shield her identity.

What he liked most about a masquerade was how it allowed people to let go of themselves for a while and just be. There was something freeing in not having to stay on top of the impressions you'd already made with others. Of course there were negatives to that, however Isaiah was hoping the guests and charitable people in attendance would take it all in a positive direction. "Love your dress, very beautiful."

starter for @isaiahwarren location: masquerade ball

Genesis could never resist contributing to a good cause, and while that was likely the only reason she'd voluntarily put herself up for auction, it was also the perfect opportunity for a night out on the town. As everyone shuffled into the Paradise Point ballroom, she couldn't help but admire what all of the other guests were wearing. It was clear that the entire town had put an effort into their appearances for the night and while some weren't as easily identifiable as others, she hoped that doing a little mingling might help her match each mask to a name.

As she approached the bar for her first round of the evening, Genesis couldn't help but spark up a conversation with the man standing nearby. "You know, these masks really make you question yourself because I wanna say I know who you are, but it's going to be really awkward if I'm wrong," she remarked with a laugh.