The Holiday Ball [OPEN TO ALL]

[Silv]

It was official. Dick Grayson hated parties.

There were certain things about this particular party that wasn't exactly helping it along. The first part had to do with who was hosting it. This was a charity ball meant to benefit the less fortunate hosted by none other then everyone's favorite billionaire playboy: Bruce Wayne. They were celebrating how many toys and coats they had managed to collect. They boasted about how much money they had donated. But worst of all Dick was expected to attend since the whole world knew he went to private school in Jump City.

There was no escape.

Dick and Bruce had often been at odds with one another but now that he knew about his replacement…his second replacement the young acrobat was feeling far less charitable then the season expected of him. The cold stares he shot across the room at his guardian turned mentor were frosty enough that people had begun to notice. Usually Dick tried not to show their animosity openly. In the middle of a party, surrounded by rich people, he just sort of stopped caring. And it probably didn't help that he'd been here for hours, roped into helping with setup.

It was a good thing that the ballroom was large enough that the last of the Flying Graysons didn't have to go within twenty feet of Bruce if he didn't want to. Tim was lucky that he didn't "live" with Batman and wasn't actually forced to go to these ridiculous parties. Robin frowned at his holiday punch before taking a drink of it, trying to ignore the people around him that were often sending him second glances. His tie was a festive bright red and that was where his holiday cheer began and ended. The good news about being a guy was that he didn't have to deal with nonsense like dresses. His black suit was enough.

The young man paused with his punch glass, his bright eyes scanning the room for people he recognized, and didn't hate.

To anybody that hadn't grown up in a circus the place looked colorfully festive. The walls were lined with holly and twinkling lights in classic white. There was red and gold decorations on the tables with green accents that reminded him of his own Robin uniform. The wooden dance floor gleamed like it was freshly waxed and the chandeliers glittered. He would probably have approved if the entire affair wasn't so desaturated with sophistication. The amount of rich people explained it. They liked things that glittered, but weren't too ostentatious…most of the time. The rest of the time they looked ridiculous and pretentious.

Like Bruce Wayne standing there with a woman on each arm.

The Boy Wonder visibly rolled his eyes, unable to contain himself, and eliciting an offended gasp from an older woman besides him. Dick muttered something that might have been an apology in yiddish and strolled to stand a few feet away from the buffet table and watch the people dancing. At least not everyone here was a rich person. Otherwise he'd probably go drown himself in the punch bowl for want of company. The majority of the tickets had been "given out" as prizes for various things Dick hadn't been paying much attention to. He'd already had one ticket forced on him. He didn't need more.

He downed the last of his punch and meandered over to the garbage to toss his paper cup. It was going to be a long, bitter evening.

[Audrey]

Stephanie meandered into the party rather intimidated, which was a rare occasion for her. Usually she was as resilient as a garden weed in the face of adversity, but she was defenseless here. She had no mask, no gadgets, no costume, no Spoiler. Just little poor Stephanie Brown, a lower class citizen walking about with the social elite. She had worn the only formal thing she had brought over to Jump City from Gotham which was a modest shiny purple dress that almost matched her Spoiler costume's purple, but not quite. She did the best she could to tame her hair for the occasion, but it mostly just managed to go on a curly rampage after the iron was done with it. Good enough she had thought.

Now the big question was, why in the world was a lower class girl from across the country doing invited to a charity ball by one of the world's richest men? Well, it's actually a pretty short story. After having moved to Barbara's place, Stephanie suddenly got mail at the address. She never got mail at any of the hotels and she couldn't remember giving anyone Barbara's address. Doing something like that would get the social service guys after her in a heartbeat! The letter though was actually from her father. Written from Arkham, so she could only assume he was still kept up in there, it just said he'd been talking with someone special who had taken an interest into hearing her story and that together they pitched in for a Christmas gift, which was the very ticket that got her into the ball.

Many questions lingered in her head like how her dad figured out her address, who this special someone was interested in her story, and how in the world they got a ticket to a world class charity ball across the country, but she likely would never know the answers anytime soon, so she pushed them to the back of her mind. Tonight was for enjoyment! She would get a chance to socialize with someone other than Barbara without having to wear a skin-tight suit. Her first target for conversation instantly came into sight. She managed to spot none other than Dick Greyson, one of the members of the Flying Greysons! She'd recognize those soft eyes and acrobat's body her entire life!

She tried her best to nonchalantly sit next to him and conceal her excitement to meet him, to not very much avail. She wiggled excitedly in her seat and was pushing her cheeks so far up her face, her makeup was smearing. "Excuse me for asking, but you're Dick Greyson aren't you? One of the members of the Flying Greysons? My dad took me to your shows all the time when I was younger, I was always completely enamored with acrobatics, so much that I went into them myself! It's really an honor to see you up close and not from the cheap seats!" she spoke to him, fudging the truth a little about the reason she picked up acrobatics. Something about him seemed oddly familiar, but she assumed it was just leftover memories from her days of going to the circus.

[Feathers]

Kimber Long (a.k.a Kimber Fowl)

FEMALE | EIGHTEEN | TEEN TITAN | SILVERWING

Now, who wouldn't want to attend Bruce Wayne charity ball? Unless, you have been living under a rock somewhere. You’re a derp! Right, not the best definition. So, sit back and listen.

As Kimber Long enter the mansion, hand in hand with her grandfather. She wore an elegant long red dress with a sparkly pink ruffled cape-like thing that wraps around her torso and stretches to the floor all around her, except her front. She has a wide dark pink belt with several golden cords connected in the middle by a large, round, blue jewel surrounded by small teardrop shaped jewels with two yellow stars to the upper right, and from this decoration dangles two medium length golden cords with several teardrop-gems dangling at the ends. She carries a matching sparkly red and pink purse in the shape of a Chinese lantern.

She was never a big fan to attend this socialite-Richie-rich-gathering. Even it was in the name of charity. She hates it! Why? It's all people comparing themselves against others. Poking fun who had the biggest yacht? Who had their face plaster over the over the top 10 richest people in the world?

But, when she heard Bruce Wayne was holding one. She didn't think twice and say yes twice, when her Yeye (Grandfather) invited her to join him to the charity ball.

Weeeelll…..

No one throws a party like Bruce Wayne. No one party down like Bruce Wayne. No one has a cute handsome ward like Bruce Wayne!

Um...Sorry Dick! Dx

“HEY DICK!”

She waved  at him from afar. Ditching her Yeye within 2 seconds flat, the very moment they arrive at the ball.

Sorry, Yeye. Cute boy calls xD

Making her way through the crowd gracefully, and doing pretty darn well (Despite her long elegant dress. Thank goodness, she didn't trip over). She could score 10/10, if this was turned into a sporty event. It didn't take her very long to join Dick side. Coincidentally was accompanied by another girl. 

“Oh hi…”

She greeted them. Taking a quick glance at the stranger. Never seeing her in the other socialite party or ball previously. She wonder, who she was?

Credits to Emma

[Deleted]

Anne stood back, watching the party. High Society didn't make sense to her, they all showed up judging trying to out do the other. It was all stupid, but mainly Anne problem was that it was when they trotted out their brilliant deaf daughter for all to see. Just because she was really good with numbers was no reason to trot her out like a monkey. At least they didn't dress her like monkey this time. She rubbed the black silk of the kimono between her fingers again. It felt so odd having her hair pined up on to of her head with hair sticks. It wasn't nearly as formal as it theoretically should be but it was a win in her book.

Anne had been toted around and showed off for a half hour before they let her go.  Which was how she found herself in the corner of the party watching everyone. It was fascinating to shake hands with the infamous Bruce Wayne, she would have loved to talk to him, but teenager no matter how brilliant were seen not heard. The young math wiz and thief watched in mild amusement before spotting a few other guest that appeared to be her age. Cat smiled tucking a stray hair behind her ear as she walked over. She recognize the boy, Dick Grayson of the Flying Graysons. The other two she didn't know. The girl in red may have been a part of her class, but then Anne never really bothered to pay attention to who was who. The girl in purple wasn't of upper crust, her dress said enough, but Anne had to give her credit. She was brave, to walk into the lion's den alone. 

Cat watched for a lull before stepping in to introduce herself. She definitely knew how purple felt, her dress was certainly not of the norm ether. Cat let herself inwardly smile, that was the second time she had given someone that name. "If I may intrude. I'm Anne. It is nice to meet others my age at one of these things."

[Deleted]

Lang was thrilled when he got a letter from Kingdon Chemicals letting him know that he had been to receive the "Alahya's Wish" scholarship. After Seattle he had sent a bunch of essays to this organization or that, hoping to join the future class of Jump University the next semester. They had a great anthropology program and an even better library. He really didn't expect to get anywhere with it.

But this was a dream come true. Not only was it a full ride meant for underprivileged minorities of exceptional brilliance interested in science. It was a full ride meant for underprivileged minorities of exceptional brilliance interest in science to any college with living expenses. All he had to do was keep his grades up and occasionally act like a poster boy at public events.He didn't think it was going to be that big of a deal. He'd smile, take a few pictures, be polite. These were all things he could do. He'd done that act plenty of times at military functions with his Dad so he could kiss up to his superior officer.

While Lang may have felt thrilled and excited back when he originally received the letter, right now all he could feel was an overwhelming sense of uncomfortableness and boredom. Backyard barbecues and holiday celebrations in the mess hall where miles away from thousand dollar plate dinners. The long haired boy felt like he couldn't feel like more of a stranger if he tried. Previous to this week Lang didn't even own a suit and his idea of a nice dinner out was going to Applebee's and getting an onion bloom. These were people that 100 bucks didn't even register as an amount to. He would have given a vital organ to be back home listening to Miles Davis in his underwear instead of uncomfortable too shiny shoes and a monkey suit listening to some old money and bourgeois bohemian pricks talk about their new yachts, business ventures, and how lucky or quaint he was.

However he kept it to himself. Even after being mistaken multiple times as a waiter.

It wasn't a total loss though. He did get to spend the night with a noted scientist, philanthropist, and world traveler Harper Kingdon. A self made man who pioneered many pharmaceutical advancements and was behind the cure to stage I Eurydice Syndrome.It wasn't often you got the chance to pick the brain of a man like that.

Harper Kingdon was a tall man with skin and sleekness that reminded Lang of a panther. His eyes were a cold steel where reminiscent of sterile lab equipment. But his square public function smile was warm and welcoming. "Bruce! It's so good to see you again." Harper boomed in a charismatic baritone. "I'd like you to meet the first recipient of my foundations scholarship program Lang Johnson. Lang here seeks to pursue Anthropology and wrote an amazing paper on the modern pagan sub-culture movement. I hope to see it in a lot of journals in the future." He said wrapping one arm around Lang and nudging him forward.

"Nice to meet you." Lang said with a nervous forced smile with his glasses square on his face and hair in a neat ponytail. After this he was going to get a whole bag of taco's from Taco Bell and going to eat them in his underwear while watching Buffy he decided to himself. It would be a better end to the night then keeping that tight red tie on.

[Deleted]

You don't belong here.

Shut up.

You know I'm right.

Yeah, Paige did know that she was right about having no place in a high class party such as this, not that she'd ever admit that to herself. It was true in her opinion and in a literal way; her invitation was stolen off some poor girl she'd managed to beat into unconsciousness and lock in a dumpster, where she'd probably return once this whole thing was over. She didn't go through that kind of trouble just to enjoy herself, naturally. The paper manipulator was hoping to lift something expensive off of one of the many rich fops in attendance. The fact that this was a party celebrating a successful charity wasn't weighing in on her conscience any; Paige never had a high opinion of herself.

Why should you? You're a terrible person. People either ignore you, or hate you.

She stared into her empty punch glass before scanning the ginormous room full of fancily dressed aristocrats, businessmen, and various other "important" people. Compared to them, Paige was nothing but a poor thief in a tacky black and yellow polka-dotted dress, cheap tights, and used heels, but at least that meant that nobody would look at her twice. It made her job easier, and that was more helpful than ever considering she didn't have a concrete plan. Her loot couldn't be too big, because she hadn't brought in any sort of bag. A purse would have been helpful, but that would have meant buying a bunch of crap to make it look useful. 

Idly, Paige scolded herself for not taking any extra precautions for a potentially high risk job. She could have died her hair, practiced a fake voice, hell, she could have scouted the mansion for any advantage she could find. As it stood, the only thing she had was a made-up alias: Naomi Campbell, amateur author. If that wasn't enough... well, she'd just have to improvise.

You don't even care if you fail, don't you? How low can you sink...?

She couldn't deny that accusation. Paige honestly didn't care how her mini-heist went. The idea was just an excuse for her to get out of the apartment and do something with herself instead of lying around and alternating between feeling nothing and feeling nothing but hate for herself.

So she continued to stand in the back of the room, waiting. Waiting for the right moment to seize something... anything, and take off into the night. It was simple and a little stupid, which was classic her.

[Deleted]

In any normal circumstance Charlie was completely elated to go to a Christmas party, yet she was only at the Ball to get her parents off her back. They had told her if she attended Bruce Wayne’s big shindig then they would leave her alone. Though Charlie knew that promise would be broken when they decided she should go to school and replace her brother in learning the family business. Yet the blonde had hoped to disappear by that time and live on her own. So what was one last party?

The effort to get their daughter ready as a little more since she had to be held down a few times, yet they managed to get her into a strapless ice blue dress with an intricate stone pattern on the bodice. The light blue skirt opened up to reveal a lacy skirt, which flowed down to the silver sequence high heels that pinched her feet. They managed to get her hair up into a side bun with some locks of hair framing her face. With a few very sparkly clips, which Charlie assumed were real diamonds, she looked nearly presentable. Next her parents painted some sparkles around her eyes, lipstick of some sort and placed a large necklace around her neck. She wasn’t even allowed to look in the mirror before they left in the limo. On the way there she was drilled about the who was who, who she should never speak in front of without consent, (which was everyone).

One last party Charlie, one last party, she chanted while her parents dragged her from Richie rich to Richie richer. When she was twirled in front of the head honcho himself, Bruce Wayne, Charlie said her hello’s and managed to slip away. On the way to a wall she bumped into a few people and apologized before looking a few of the fancy bracelets she acquired. The ladies would be too busy schmoozing everyone to notice the missing ice. After a quick look around she slipped them in her bodice before managing to score a champagne glass with something fizzy. 

She looked around the room and managed to catch a glimpse of herself in a window. Charlie’s childish features were suddenly missing and she looked a little more mature but she was a little too pale in the dress. Plus the jewelry was just too much! Her parents were very anxious to show off their wealth. With a quick movement she downed the liquid in the glass, a little sad that it was only apple cider, and gave a glassy smile to the person next to her with an equally icy greeting. “Hello there, enjoying this fabulous party?” Charlie wasn’t great at sarcasm on normal circumstances but again these weren’t normal circumstances. With a quick glance she knew the orange haired girl wasn’t a rich aristocrat, with the polka-dotted dress and cheap ensemble. Perhaps she was a pet project brought by one of the rich people, someone whose life they were improving.

[Audrey]

Several heads turned as the latest guest showed up to the ball. Her appearance struck quite a couple whispered conversations as no one had ever seen her before. She was a little below average height, and her complexion was in all likelihood Southeast Asian, most likely Vietnamese. Her cheeks with rosy and her face soft that made her seem very young, but her eyes told a very different story. Her eyes were old and withered, well beyond her days. They had seen more life than most of the people at this party. Her incredibly long hair was wrapped in an Audrey-Hepburn sort of bun, trailing out behind Asian bridal style. Her gown was black silk with a stylized bodice and various bits and bobbles of jade jewelry adorned her body. She walked forth with an heir of finesse like a ballerina and viewed the party around her.

Curiosity thoroughly piqued, one guest approached her. "Good evening ma'am, I've never seen you around the Jump City scene before, who would your father happen to be?" the guest asked, gasping a little as the young lady took her head and kissed it with a curtsey.
"A Mr. Lancaster. I'm afraid he could not make it, so I, his daughter Jade, am here in his place in order to keep himself acquainted with what is happening around the city. A pleasure," she replied, her voice eloquent and soft like someone recovering from a tragic disease too weak to talk with power.
"Oh yes, Mr. Lancaster! Might I say that he has a rather lovely daughter," the guest practically jittered with some manner of pointless excitement.
"I appreciate the compliment Miss. It is a privilege to be here tonight," the young girl spoke graciously as she continued on her way.

Of course, that whole thing was a complete lie. The true identity of the girl was none other than Jade Nguyen otherwise known in Jump as Cheshire. An oft unused talent of hers was that of altering her mannerisms in order to make her come off as a completely different person. Pair that with her full face mask that obscures the entirety of her facial features and even her skin tone for the most part, and you will find Jade is rather skilled at hiding her identity as Cheshire. Of course though, she had nothing to do with the social elite. She just pilfered a ticket from some raffle committee and replaced it with a fraud. Some poor sod was likely out in the cold wondering why he won a fake ticket.

There really was no end goal to being here at this ball. No precious item to steal, no secret plot, no stealth bombing. Jade just enjoyed being herself without the worry of alignments or endgoals, or purposes every now and then, which is wonderfully what these balls provided. Everyone was maskless. No secret identities to live up to, no fights to be had. Simply a bunch of seemingly ordinary people forced to play nice, which every now and then is what everyone needs. Just some good quality socialization.

[Gaunt]

Hoo boy, this was exciting. Kaie had never been to a fancy party before, and she hadn't worn a dress since she'd gotten taller than most basketball players. This was truly a momentous occasion. She'd talked Ma into letting her get a nice dress, a bit longer and darker than she would have liked but still a nice one. Sadly, Ma would only let her wear super-long dresses that put her at risk of tripping and smashing through the floor. She was really picky about that, to Kaie's dismay.

Still, this was no time to be fussy about a little dress. There was fun to be had, glamor to be seen, and dinky little hors d'oeuvres to be eaten. She planned to do it all. It had been too long since she'd partied hardy, and dammit she was going to enjoy herself if it killed her! The only thing that really worried her about the fanciness were her shoes. With her mass she couldn't wear heels, and she was starting to worry flats might have been too informal. If only formal attire rules had been made with giants in mind!

Once she got inside, Kaie eased up considerably when she saw a friend. Kimber was there, one of her classmates from Kingston. The girl seemed to be talking to Dick Grayson. Kaie had never met Dick, but she'd heard of him in tabloids. A few months ago there had been some scandalous rumors about Starfire flying off with him. The giant filed this information away for later, it would be awkward to ask about in public. She made her way towards the duo, giving a big smile. "Hey Kimber, who's yer friend?"

[Silv]

Dick swiveled, his blue eyes catching the gaze of a young blond who had come up to talk to him. He let all the agitation he had towards his mentor bleed from his face and gave her a neutrally pleasant mask. She was asking if he was Dick Grayson, of the famous Flying Graysons, and he gave a small nod. There might have been a smile on his lips, but there was sadness in his eyes at the memory.

"Hi," the boy said. "Yes, I'm Dick. I'm glad you enjoyed our shows so much," it was the politically polite response to a topic he didn't particularly enjoy discussing. He missed flying almost as much as he missed his parents. "So you say you're an acrobat, Miss…?" he trailed off, a clear indication he had no idea what her name was. "Which circus are you a part o-"

An asian in a flowing gown popped out of the crowd shouting his name and interrupting his question. The boy looked startled for half a second as he turned on his heel to see what was going on. At first he wasn't sure who had called out to him, but then he saw a gleam of silver. A genuine smile lit up his face when he saw Kimber. "Hey Kimber!" he greeted his friend. A cursory glance around the ballroom and a shrug later the boy nodded his head. "It's alright. It's a lot better now though," he flashed a grin at the two girls, happy to have people to talk to, when yet another girl came over to talk to him.

Maybe he ought to add chick magnet to his skill list. It would look fantastic next to detective skills or acrobatics.

"Hey Anne," the boy greeted the girl in the kimono with a smile. She'd at least given her name. "I'm Dick," he introduced himself. "Yeah, it's pretty awful to be stuck at these events with a whole bunch of old people," the boy in the red tie confided with a nod. "Though, what's worse is when the old people try to set you up with what few other teens are around. Or their granddaughters," he pulled a slight face and laughed at the idea like any eligible bachelor was apt to do.

He heard Kaie coming before he saw her. The last thing Dick actually expected was for the giantess to join his throng of female followers, but she apparently couldn't resist the Grayson charm either. "You must be Kaie," he greeted with a smile that quickly turned sheepish. "Word travels fast around school. Call me Dick."

---

Bruce Wayne gave his usual, well practiced charming smile when Harper Kingdon came over towards him with a young boy in tow. The billionaire's brow raised ever so slightly in recognition. He hadn't expected his old friend's grandson to be coming to this party. "Hello, Lang, was it?" the man asked pleasantly, shrugging off a woman in a sparkly red dress who was whining something about punch. "One moment," he informed her before his attention turned back to the two men. He tried not to let the exasperation show on his face when she whined again and sulked off. Bruce actually hated parties more then Dick did.

"Congratulations on the scholarship," the CEO of Wayne enterprise said. "Anthropology is quite the topic. And you must be brilliant to have caught Harper's attention," this intelligence was actually interesting to Bruce. It certainly showed promise for the next generation. His obvious interest int he topic showed, but not overtly, as he continued. "Do you go to school in this area, Lang?" the man's gaze went off to a boy standing in a gaggle of girls. "There are many fine schools in Jump City." it was no secret he had sent his ward to one of them.

[Audrey]

Stephanie really should've seen this coming. Celebrities never get left along for long, and worst of all, it seemed all these other girls were his friends. She just seemed like some hopeless fan... Well really, she was a hopeless fan, but it wasn't like she was pestering for an autograph. To be honest, she wanted to actually know what Dick had been up to since... Oh man, she had completely forgotten what Barbara had told her, that Dick's parents were actually killed by that jerk, Carmine Falcone. Come to think of it, it was Falcone that laid the hurt on her father and turned him to crime. She hoped that guy got himself killed in a drug exchange or something.

"Brown. Ms. Stephanie Brown," she said, speaking louder in order to get her voice out among the new many people showing up. "I uhm... I'm not part of any circus, I just do gymnastics and stuff with my school and some... recreational stuff," suddenly her mind began flashing to her experiences. "Parkour," she remembered that failed chase after the deaf theif. "Vaulting," her lovely full speed ram into Robin 1. "Martial Arts," punching that gravity control chick in the face. "I'm a jack of all trades sort of. I'm pretty clever too. I figured out who Batman is. I can't tell you though, it's a secret. I think if I told anyone, he'd come after me!" she finished with a smile and a wink.

He was probably going to think she was either bluffing or wrong about Batman, but she felt comfortable knowing she was actually right. Of course, she wouldn't even lay down a hint to his identity. Barbara would KILL her. Not to mention, that guy was standing not 10 feet away from them. If she dropped his name in connection with the Dark Knight, this whole party would go into an uproar. Though, a little teensy part of Stephanie wanted to walk up to the big Wayne and just glare right into his eyes and go 'I KNOW WHO YOU ARE BATMAN.' and just walk away without letting him say anything. Barbara would also kill her if she did that though. In fact, I think she'd kill her, revive her, then kill her again if she pulled a stunt like that. So for now, it would simply be her cheeky joke between her and Dick.

[Deleted]

How is this woman always able to find me? Elodie MacKelter thought as once again Mrs. D'Anconia and her flock of crackling old hens found her. All of looked the same, graying hair and wrinkled faces, but it was clear that D'Anconia was the queen of their flock. She was an intimidating woman with such a scowl that it would possibly put Robins to shame. Her grey hair was strictly held back, not a hair out of place, and her steel grey eyes were sharp and hawkish.

Nothing escaped her view, which is why Elodie had no chance of coming here tonight and not being seen by her. They brought her into their group as they spoke of how successful this charity ball was going. They spoke about how much each of them donated, with Elodie finding out that she had donated the 2nd most out of their group.

Elodie MacKelter had been attending these types of events since she was young, having been her fathers date when her mother was unable to go. She had been a charming, intelligent, and well-behaved. She showed respect to those with old money, while charming those who had recently acquired theirs. It was easy for her to blend into this type of crowd, for she was one of their own.

"I must say, Elodie, that you look as lovely as a pearl. That color suits you," Mrs. D'Anconia said, and Elodie smiled gently at the older woman, looking down at her dress. The top of her dress was fitted though the skirt was flow-y, with pleated rosettes on her top. It was also a lovely shade of pink. A pale pink that you sometimes find inside shells. It went perfectly with her coloring, for it was well known that redheads had the hardest time wearing classic black dresses and sometimes red dresses. And there was no way Elodie would show up in green.

Her signature strawberry blonde hair was coiled up in an elaborate style, revealing the shape of her head, poised on her neck like a flower on its stem. Several small curls escaped the coiffure and strayed down on to her neck and brow, making the whole effect more natural, in spite of the formality of her dress.

"Thank you. Its so difficult to find a color that would work with my hair. Now, what do you think of these decorations? I believe that they are brilliantly festive," Elodie said, admiring the room. It was as though a store full of Christmas decorations had exploded, and yet it reminded Elodie of good times.

"Elodie, is that Mr. Grayson over there?" Mrs. D'Anconia voice was sharp and questioning, and Elodie looked over her shoulder and spotted Dick, who was surrounded by girls. Someones a chick magnet. I must make fun of him about this later, Elodie thought as she glanced at the old hens, who were frowning and looking at one another. "Perhaps I should go over... Mrs. D'Anconia started to say, her eye twitching, but Elodie interrupted her in the most gentlest of ways. "While I agree that would be an excellent idea, I also believe it would be best to allow him to speak with the girls while we discover who they are, " Elodie said with a sly little smile, knowing these old hens would enjoy going on information hunts. When your as old as them, you had to learn to entertain yourself. And when it came to finding out who the new people were, there was nothing more they enjoyed more. 

Elodie looked back at Dick and waved at him, smiling a bit as she indicated Mrs. D'Anconia with her eyes and then made a face that expressed her feelings about the old woman pretty well.

[Aly]

When Barbara received an email from Bruce, she wasn't really surprised. Of course in the email he wanted to see how she was doing and to get a little insight on Robin's activities, but she was a little shocked that he called her out on using his bank accounts. The old man wasn't miffed or anything, he was actually asking if she would buy herself a ticket to the annual Wayne Enterprises Christmas Ball, this year being hosted at the Jump City branch of the company. Looked like she needed to be a little more careful with her spending, but she wouldn't say no to the man. Even though they weren't on the best terms at the moment, he at least was giving her inner girl a chance to come out and dress up. Robin would be there, probably hating the whole thing, being surrounded by girls, like always at these things. She just hoped it wouldn't go like the last formal event they had attended. This time, she wouldn't be wearing something that could be easily and speedily changed out of and into her uniform.

Even though she may be all serious and whatnot in the suit, she was a little less uptight when she was out of it. Not meaning the spandex alone, of course. Shopping was fun, even though she was doing it alone. She probably could have talked to Stephanie and gotten her a ticket as well as a dress, but the girl had been chattering forever about the mail she had gotten from her father with a ticket inside. It didn't take Barbara long to decide on a form fitting, floor length midnight blue strapless dress accented with black lace at the top, just barely concealing the plunge it took in the middle about halfway down her chest. Just enough cleavage to make the boys wanting to see more, but not coming off as a total slut. This time around, she wasn't just dressing to impress. There was no thigh-high slit or barely crotch-covering hem. It was elegant, and sometimes shimmered when she moved.

After a few hours of socializing after arriving fashionably late, she stood up at the second floor walkway that was edged by a railing so that she could look down at the other guests. Like she had predicted, Dick Grayson was surrounded by a gaggle of little chicks young ladies vying for his attention. He looked absolutely pleased about it as well. Bruce hadn't talked to either of them yet, it seemed.

With her flaming red locks in an elegant updo and two curls framing her face, she actually looked pretty good to her own standards. She had even been approached by a few eligible bachelors mostly older than herself, and many of them wrongly assumed that she was older, some of which brought her a glass of champagne. Each one bored her to death and to politely get rid of them, she talked about things she knew to be way over their heads like the status of the economy, or how to modify a cellphone to do something just a little illegal. They were always polite, saying they had business to discuss with someone, or a relative to greet. She always politely excused them, and after the fifth, she had made her way up here with an extra glass of champagne to drink after this one.

She wasn't the only one up on the indoor balcony, as some were returning to their guest suites with drunken ladies on their arms. These things were nice to dress up for, but the whole idea was contradictory. They would spend oodles to dress themselves in brand-new and brand-named clothing and jewelry, while boasting of their charitable donations, which were oftentimes less than the price of their complete outfit for the night. It really disgusted her, coming from not exactly the best part of town back in Gotham, where many didn't know when they would find something for their next meal.

Taking the glass of champagne and a little rock from inside her clutch, she walked over to the railing and lounged on it, seeking out her target. He wasn't far away, just a little to the right, and a bit below her. Taking the rock in her hand, she tossed it, praying it wouldn't bounce off and hit someone else. With a small toss, she launched the rock down onto Dick Grayson's shiny black hair, which it promptly bounced off and fell to the floor, bird-side up. She had painted a small little black bird on the rock, and hoped that he would look up to see where it had came from. He most likely wanted out of here, or at least a break from here, as much as she did. Hopefully he accepted her invitation.

[Feathers]

Kimber Long (a.k.a Kimber Fowl)

FEMALE | EIGHTEEN | TEEN TITAN | SILVERWING

Kimber Long secretly pouts inside.

Was it her? Or did every lady in the room seem to be attracted to Dick Greyson for some reason? Like, he was some sort of a chick magnet? Not, that she could blame them. He does has his own wicked charm, and personality. That could kill. xDInviting more and more (Okay, there weren't that many of them, but they were a lot of them) of them to join their little circle, which was now a crowd. 

"It's a pleasure to meet all of you...and tell me about it"

She tugs her dark brown hair behind her ear. Agreeing everyone. About meeting the same age group of people. And match making by their guardians to their delight. And other stuff she can't remember that was spoken much earlier. Blah...Blah...blah...

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Kimber Long"

She gave a firm handshake to each girl who joined the group, even to ones she knows. Recognizing some of them of Kingston Academy, who knew her as....Kimber Fowl.

Oh oh!

She gonna have a field day. Clearly up the mix identity and name. Maybe they can mistaken Long and Fowl. Right? It sounds kinda similar. Right? She needs a distraction...badly right now. And speak of the angel...

"KAIE!"

She was stunned and surprise to see her best friend, and her fellow Titan teammate. So surprise, that she even lets out a small shout. Quickly recovering herself from the embarrassment, like all fine lady should do. She was so glad that Dick Grayson took charge and personally, introduce himself to Kaie, when she asked.

"Yup! And this is Stephanie" She points to the girl in purple. "Anne" Pointed to another in black kimono "Annnd last but not least, Charlie" She points to the last girl in blue. "Guys...I mean ladies, meet Kaie. We go to the same school together, with Dick and Charlie. And..."

Before she could say more. She was cut off by Stephanie, who started talking a lot. Wait, did she say Batman?!

"Um, okay...That's interesting..."

Was the few words she could conclude with.

Credits to Emma

[Elenaphant]

Starfire arrived to the party best-dressed, standing out from the crowd. Not because her red and green dress could compare to what others could afford. Not because she had vivid, dark red hair, green-sclera eyes or skin with a tinge of orange. She was best dressed because she was wearing her smile. That instantly made her far more beautiful than any lady, more charming than any man, in Cyborg's opinion. Having her at his arm made the entire affair more bearable. It was the holiday season and he'd make more of an effort not to judge, be it out of envy or genuine criticism. It was a nearing Christmas time. It was for a good cause. Let everyone else lose sight of that, but the two Titans walked in together to make the best of the situation.

Victor Stone came from money, but his family ran in an unusual circle of it. Still, he understood the society better than most did. These were business people, a room full of exceptionally intelligent and hard-working people who had empires to run. They also did give significantly to charities, despite what their appearances would suggest. Sure, they may seem full of themselves, maybe they even were, but it wasn't like they were dressed for the gala or Oscars. They were well-bred enough to know what was in poor taste. Rather, it was probably the casual attitude about being surrounded by opulence that would give the impression of being haughty. You don't host and attract people who are worth millions and billions at your run of the mill picnic party. He also knew that this was all paid for by Wayne, on top of what he'd be contributing undoubtedly.

An event this big, by such a big name, also brought the much-needed attention. There were news crew outside, people giving interviews, and public officials who were asked to come and talk. The 'tickets' to the place were also part of the process, with 100% proceeds going toward the cause as a way to get everyone to contribute, with a lot more people who had been asked in based off merit, like Lang and so forth. Cyborg and Starfire hadn't won any ticket; they were here as guest speakers to as part of their own PR. Robin couldn't make it, so Cyborg was there filling in for him. Star had the right attitude for these events, and did well speaking on behalf of good causes. She was also a bit of a mascot, being the sweetheart of the team. 

Five minutes into arrival, just outside the event, a journalist and a news cam had asked to speak. Cyborg adjusted his tie, wearing a large suit that had to be tailored to his fit, and they replied to the best of their ability. Yes, they would be speaking tonight. It was a good cause. Thank you, they tried to dress well tonight. 

"Is there anything you'd like to say to Jump City before we let you go?"

"Happy holidays and stay safe!"

Now maybe they could nab some food. 

---

OOC:

Just a reminder as this will be a larger thread, to try and pay attention to post-order, incorporating those who join in. Some semblance of it will inevitably shatter, because many conversations and the like are taking place, but try not to post too often in a row. Let others reply first if it is closer to their turn before yours. Also, try not to parachute into someone else's interaction. If too many people are interacting with Dick Grayson, who said what when will get confusing for all people involved. This will also be a longer thread, so try to be inclusive of others and I'm sure we'll all get around to interacting with each other. 

Also, wow so many unhappy people XD You'd think a charity event would be a bad thing. Insert-happy-Starfire-and-Cyborg-GO!