The Proper Motivation

Fine Dining

The doors were thrown wide with a stand of gold and silver balloons on either side; the usual low budget, mid-range decorations Gavin had come to expect from these DPD events. He wouldn't even care if there were no decorations. Less money spent on decor meant more money for food and drink. This hall was a little bigger than last year, with multiple round tables set up around the edge of a large dancefloor. Beyond the dancefloor was a stage where a DJ stand was being set up, and to the left was a bar with two members of staff bustling about behind it. Most people were currently sitting at the tables, but a fair few were still walking around and mingling in groups. It seemed they weren't quite the last to arrive as a fair few seats still sat empty.

The round tables were each covered by a white cloth, which was probably a poor choice considering the clientele. If any of those cloths were clean by the end of the evening, Gavin would eat his leather jacket. In the centre of each table was a pointless, fake flower arrangement. Gavin didn't know the type of flowers, but they were all white to match the cloth. Each place was set with a collection of silver cutlery, likely not real, and two drinking glasses. One for wine, and one for water. Two glass jugs of cold water had been set on each table, and many had already started pouring. There wasn't much space between the tables, which would be a little awkward for the servers later, and was even a challenge now for those wearing thick coats.

Every so often Gavin could see members of staff approaching those entering with offers to take their coats and store them, but many refused. Gavin didn't blame them. You never knew when someone might make off with your expensive coat or rifle through your pockets in the cloakrooms. As well as the hosts, there were also servers wandering the halls with trays of glasses. Gavin didn't know what they held, but it was probably some sort of cheap wine or champagne. That's how these things usually went. It seems androids had also been catered for. Some of the drinks were blue.

"Hey, you good?" Gavin stopped as Nines' LED span yellow and his brow pinched. To most people, he probably looked annoyed, but Gavin was used to reading his mannerisms by now. It was almost like he was in pain. They stopped walking less than a foot from the open doors and Gavin tucked a hand in his elbow to lead him to the side of the room. Nines' noise sensitivity was something he'd noticed back when they used to hate each other. Nines was always more snippy in a crowded room. The more crowded the setting, the more likely they'd fight. It had taken Gavin weeks to make the connection. He'd just put it down to androids being androids.

"I'm fine. It's just a little...overstimulating." Looking around, Gavin could see what he meant. Although the overhead lights were on for now, they were testing out the blinking, colourful lights on the dancefloor for later. The hall was pretty big. A large open space with a towering ceiling and not much on the walls to dampen the echo. There was no music playing yet, just a sea of voices booming in the large space. With so many people, it was impossible for Gavin to pick out a single conversation, but Nines' sensors were more sensitive than that. He could probably hear every conversation taking place with perfect clarity.

"Why don't you-uh, turn down your volume control?" Nines' lips quirked at that. It was an odd way of putting it, but Gavin was correct in that he could lower his audio sensitivity. With a nod, he did just that. The loud din softened. He dampened the background noise, focusing only on those in his immediate vicinity. With a sigh, he gave Gavin a nod. He was now ready to proceed. "Alright, now where are they?" Nines joined him in looking around, scanning the sea of familiar faces to find Tina and Chris.

"Gavin! Nines!" Tina's yell rose above the din, though Gavin couldn't see her. Nines helpfully pointed in her direction, and Gavin's eyes fell upon a vision in white. She was wearing a strapless dress that started with a sequined bodice and dropped into a flowing skirt that reached the floor. She looked stunning, like a summer bride. Luckily, she had a thick fur shawl over the back of her chair in case she got cold later. Miller was sitting beside her in a simple black suit, and he'd even managed to talk his wife, Jenny, into coming. Jenny had chosen a simple black dress with long sleeves that flared at the hips and fell to her knees with simple high-heeled shoes.