12862/Children's Works Gala - Gotham City

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Children's Works Gala - Gotham City
Date of Scene: 08 October 2022
Location: Trade Hall, Gotham City
Synopsis: A very fun Gala with one of the few organizations that is not attached to a ctual crime in Gotham, the Children's Works. Battle of the Bands commences!
Cast of Characters: Phoebe Beacon, Barbara Gordon, Tim Drake, Audra Meridian, Alfred Pennyworth, Betsy Braddock, Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd




Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Gotham City Children's Works Gala!

    Probably one of the few groups in Gotham that doesn't take much of a take on the darker side of fundraising in the City, the Children's Works is one part Children's Television Workshop producing educational children's programming for public access television, one part Child Advocacy organization that helps with everything from playground updates for public spaces to funding the Children's Advocacy Service Association for lawyers for children forced to represent themselves. They even are piloting a new program for their Gatehouse Building, which will permit prisoners who earned the privilage in Blackgate to interact with their children outside the prison in a controlled and monitored area.

    Understandably, they have a very large Wayne grant that they work with, but it doesn't hurt to raise additional funds.

    This year's Gala is themed THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS: British Invasion vs. Boybands, and understandably there's a bit of buz about the theme leading up to the day.

    The Trade Hall, its sandstone fascade decorated with men at work in all the (legal) trades Gotham had in the early 1800's, is playing host to the event, as is traditional. There is a fifteen foot red carpet walk outside from the vallet parking, railings set up so that well-wishers and photographers can be kept separate (no one wants a repeat of the slugging of 2019, after all), and into the foyer where the coat check is, one can see the glitz and glam of the gala setting itself. There is a stage where an actual band, rather than a string ensemble, will be playing Boy Band classics, Beatles covers and (sanitized) British Punk and other covers. There are two digital markers in front of them showing BRITISH INVASION or BOYBAND BROS, with the British Invasion having the Union Jack, and Boyband being colored with bright pink and soft pastel/neon butterfly clips -- only the best of the 90's representing. Round tables are set up for troupes of eight, and already there are servers wearing pinstriped vests with red ties and crisp white shirts offering h'ourderves, including mini mince wellingtons (essentially cheeseburgers wrapped in puff pastry instead of a bun), and as always, the roast beef canapes with the horseradish and dill.

    Wouldn't be a Gala without them.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs is dressed nicely in the moment, not really indulging in a costume. She's really here to be 'Barbara Gordon'. It's important to her, as it was to Bruce, to make public appearances as a Gotham socialite, one well known to have the cash flow to donate to charities, so hiding herself would negate the ulterior motive of even being here.

Barbara is dressed in a close-fitting black sweater tucked in to a pair of black slacks. She's got a small black leather bag hanging across her body from one shoulder to the opposite hip, and her fiery red hair is done up in a intricate braided bun at the crown of her head. She's wearing a pair of black framed glasses too, to help give her a bit of a professional edge look.

Meandering around the crowds, Babs is speaking to those who she recognizes, or vice versa, offering smiles, and light conversation to pass some of the time while she makes her way ever closer to the point of actually donating cash to the cause.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Why all of the themed events end up with his name tagged to them on the shared Wayne social calendar, Tim will never know. It's not like he's more prone to wearing costumes than anyone else in the family! That is absolutely a personality quirk shared across the entire familial lines, both legally-established and informally-made.

    At least the Wayne money means he can forgo the whole costume thing. Because yes, he's wearing a suit. It's a very nice suit, if understated, and no he hasn't even made an attempt at matching the themeing with, say, going with a 60s-style cut. Does that mean he gets slightly less attention on the red carpet? Ehh...

    Probably no, especially not with the newest addition to the Waynes on his arm. At least Phoebe being his adopted sister means this won't make the rounds on the celeb-watch blogs.

    Once inside, the pressure of the paparazzi is lessened in exchange for the pressure of mingling with Gotham's upper crust. Almost immediately Tim is waylaid by a woman with grey hair and what he's pretty sure is a real fur wrapped around her shoulders. He is at least able to quickly nudge Phoebe in another direction so she can make an escape. AKA, go score them the good vegetarian hors d'oeuvres.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    They'd already ruined someone's career when they couldn't identity 'Baby Phoebe' as 'The mystery woman!', and Phoebe was now a familiar face among the social elite -- if slightly awkward, getting used to being 'The Latest Wayne'

    Phoebe is wearing a ombre dress, white to orange at the bottom with 'wings' attached to small, clear rings on her fingers, her neck glittering with diamonds and her braids (alas, still short), colored pale peachy-orange and beset with glittering rhinestones. She holds to Tim's arm as they come up the carpet, looking properly posh, a wide choker necklace hiding the remaining scarring of three slashes, now healed. Her orange-tinted, rimless glasses catch the light as she gives a polite smile and pained eye to the real fur wrapped around the lady's shoulders, and giving Tim a nod, she leaves off his arm in hunt of vegetarian snack foods at the gala.

Audra Meridian has posed:
And Audra Meridian was here because... she was here. A big Gotham upper class party wasn't really a science girl's scene, but why should helping kids have a good time for the holidays and a better life in general be drawn at such lines? Anything she could donate was just a drop in the bucket compared to what some of these people can flood the deposit box with, but that didn't make it any less important to do so. She was at least doing what small amount she could out of genuinely wanting to help and not as some big social or political appearance. That counted, right? In her mind, and that's more than enough for her.

She's not per say costumed towards one side or the other on the music scale. Just leather jackets are a standard of her attire, so finding one with the right amount of purposely gaudy to be a rocker trying to look cool wasn't hard. That and carrying around a prop toy mic in one hand (a prop guitar would of just been in the way), a pair of sunglasses and actually bothering to style up her hair, and she can at least look the part of a rocker in general. Maybe not the right era, maybe falling closer to boy band than British without really meaning to, but it was at least an effort.

But hey, at least there's food. And probably someone interesting to talk to, eventually. When she isn't distracted by the snacks.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred also makes his entrance about half a stride behind Tim and Phoebe, although with considerably less attention paid to him by the paparazzi. Actually, he interfepts the arm of one of the photographers who tries to crowd a bit too close and favors him with a few terse words before expertly redirecting the man back to the proper side of the railing with a firm pivot. He takes a moment to straighten his jacket lapels, his cuffs, and then proceeds after his charges.

He needs no costume to advertise that he's firmly representing Britain in this matter. Alfred is always well-dressed, but he has broken out his best for the occasion, and looks rather like an aged James Bond in his tailored black suit and bow tie.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy Braddock isn't a frequent member of the New England society page, but the Countess of Windsor is far from a stranger to it, either. A black Range Rover pulls up to the carpet and the driver hustles around quickly to get the door and help Betsy step down. The Countess of Windsor is a tall woman to begin with, but in her purple stiletto-heeled Ferragamo sandals, she's inches over almost anyone present. Her shoulder-length black hair is worn long on the left side, deliberately obscuring her left eye, and pinned back behind her ear on the right with a hairclip that looks like a black dahlia. The purple undertones are more subdued, giving her lustrous hair a multi colored shimmer.

She gathers the hem of her qipao and flicks it out as if unwrinkling it, but really it's to put the garment on display for the photographers. Her dress is deeply aubergine and lined with silver thread and patterns of twisting gold. The backless dress has a substantial keyhole relief below the high collar, which forms a perfectly straight line under her decolletage, and a high slit up to the mid-hip on her left side.

Head high she walks down the carpet with a total lack of self-consciousness, pausing to give a few favorable angles and smiles to the photographers. The woman knows how to work the lighting around her almost instinctually, and after thirty seconds of posing she heads into the building with the rest of the celebrities and guests of honor.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Barbara sees Tim across the way and is quick to snap a photo of him with her phone, then post it to her social media connections with the caption of <Check out Tim and his hot new date.> She smiles at him then, offers a wave, and starts to walk toward the donations area.

Passing by Betsy, Babs glances her over, and nods approvingly before she flashes the woman a smile and continues onward.

"Okay..." the redhead says as she reaches the donations area. "Which one lets me support N'Sync?" She asks one of the attendees waiting to serve those who dare offer up any money to the foundation being funded tonight.

So far, Babs hasn't noticed the arrival of Alfred or Phoebe as she tends to the business of money transfering!

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The doors open and a young blond woman steps inside. A few photographer's flashes go off, getting last pictures of Stephanie Brown before she steps inside. She's wearing a vintage dress from the 1960s. (https://i.etsystatic.com/36435448/r/il/93861a/4007191940/il_794xN.4007191940_7vt6.jpg) The strapless dress has has square panels along the neckline of a muted purple adorned with gold, that are gathered tightly around the waist. The skirt hangs loose and gives way to white and gold by the bottom of the dress.

Stepahnie moves a hand to check her hair. It was an hour and a half at the hair dresser for it, which is something she's just not used to doing. But wanted to look good for the family as she's been getting a little more attention in the press thanks to Dick Grayson.

From the doorway, Stephanie looks about, eyes picking out familiar faces, which leaves her feeling a little better about not being able to make her entrance with Dick. She begins making her way across the room towards the others.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebs had given a look back to Alfred in appreciation when someone had gotten a little too close for comfort to the two, especially given Phoebe was still feeling out this whole 'socialite' thing. It's not a comfy space for her yet.

    Meanwhile, while Tim was waylaid, the Baby Wayne (in the sense that she was a newly minted rep for the family, still older than Damian, nyeeh!) has acquired The Loot, two plates of roast veggie skewers, onion puff pastries, and vegetarian-friendly stuffed mushrooms, one intended for her face and the other for her +1. She gives a smile as she passes behind Babs and overhears the question, looking at the two signs, looks to Barbara and then questions:

    "Who's In-Synch?"
%

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian had already made her way towards the refresement table, and in the process of picking up one of the mini wellingtons to try when she overhears the question. "No, not insync," she replies as she looks up. "N. Sync," she emphasizes, trying to get the XTREME KOOL LETTERZ of the era across. "Though I won't disagree that it's kind of a silly name in general."

Tim Drake has posed:
    Any charity event is an opportunity to network, sometimes for purely personal reasons and sometimes for other charitable concerns. Most socialites have their pet cause--Tim himself is no exception--and while it might seem a little gauche to go around asking for money for something other than the gala's sponsoring organization, it's just the reality of these types of things.

    Case in point: the woman in the fur questioning Tim. She's trying to solicit a Wayne Foundation commitment to her own cause, and after a lot of back and forth (in which her reasoning becomes more and more suspicious as time goes by) a non-commital answer is just enough to give Tim a moment to excuse himself. Back into the safe(r) orbit of one Alfred Pennyworth. "I must be out of practice," Tim says with a shake of his head. The quick glance he gives across the hall is enough for him to pick out a few familiar faces, and also another member of Gotham's 1% on a direct intercept path with himself. "Yep, I definitely need to use the bathroom *right now*."

    In Tim's head, it's a tactical retreat. In reality though he's just barely managing to not dead sprint across the hall. This place is ritzy enough that there's probably some bathroom antechamber where he can hang out and also angry react on Babs's social media post.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Barbara is using her phone to download an app, as directed, and makes the donation through it while she is listening to those around her. She looks over to see Audra, and then Phoebe who both get a smirk from the redhead. "Come on." she says at them both before looking back to her phone screen while tapping away, swiping, and other phone'isms.

"You have the whole internet at your fingertips, and you don't go looking at like... Top Lists for all the decades of music that we've been graced with as a people?"

A slow headshake is actually given then from the tech woman. "Such a shame, this upcoming generation..." She says, teasingly of course.

Once she makes the donation, she shows the attendee who provides her with a card, which she offers thanks for before stepping out of the way.

"Good to see you, Feebs." Babs says, her eyes scanning around now, catching sight of Steph too, she raises a hand to wave in the blonde's direction too.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred remains standing, eyes sweeping the ballroom and picking out the friendly faces among the crowd. He may not be staffing this event but he still sees it as his duty to keep his little brood safe. This is a /Gotham/ charity event, after all; disruptions are practically to be expected.

"I'll cover for you," he remarks under his breath to Tim, with an amused twitch of his lips that fades back to formal propriety almost immediately. He takes a step to put himself between the young man and the approaching social shark, and somehow makes it look entirely coincidental.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown makes her way across the room, her heels not preventing her from making it a graceful-looking trip. Far different than the tumble at the first gala she attended that left the girl from the literal other side of the Bristol tracks feeling mortified. There's a confidence now even in a high society situation like this that only a year or two wasn't there.

She walks over to Barbara, and Audra. Though Alfred is given a beautiful smile in a moment they meet eyes, and Tim gets a little finger wave before Stephanie turns her attention back to the redhead. "You know, not that long ago I had no idea how long it takes to get ready for something like this," she says to Barbara. A smile is given to Audra. "Hello, beautiful evening isn't it? I'm Stephanie, Stephanie Brown," she offers.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"I believe it's the prerogative of bands to have terrible names," chimes in an un-asked voice. Betsy bellies up to the bar not far behind Audra; she lifts one immaculate eyebrow at the other woman, fixing her with an unnervingly direct eye contact. Her accent is distinctly British, and like Alfred's, very upper-crust. Though there is an element of someone who grew up speaking Nihongo their entire lives.

"Vodka," she bids the barman. "On ice, with lime. Then I'll take a vesper, Gordon's and Grey Goose, and freeze it," she directs him. Betsy very much seems like the kind of person accustomed to having her way with such things.

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian laughs a bit at Barbara and Betsy's responses. "It's one way to make a name to remember I guess," she replies to the later. Following it with a nod to Stephanie. "It does, and I am quite glad I don't have to do it very often!" Her usual look is more of the wind-swept variety. Literally and metaphorically. "And it is certainly a nice night for a party." She pinches to fingers on one corner of her sunglasses to give them a little tip along with a bob of her head for the greeting. "Name's Audra. Audra Meridian."

She's still not really familiar with Gotham City as she tends to pass through more often than stay long periods, so that some of these names are Connected To Important People kind of go over her head.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Yoink.

Babs grabs a glass of champagne off a tray as it goes by, then asks the server to wait a moment. She puts her phone away again, and grabs up a second one too, holding it in her free hand now while she takes a sip from the first.

Her green eyes go to Steph, and a grin shows across her pink painted lips at the other's words. "This is why you don't try that hard, like me." She states, of her relatively down-dressed form. "Though, some of us really are pretty wildly impressive in the fancy stuff." She notes, nodding toward Stephanie, then toward Psylocke. "Check her out. She looks like something out of a Victoria's Secret advertisement, or a Prince music video, I guess."

Another sip of her champagne is taken then before Barbara watches Alfred cutting off that woman chasing Tim. "Oh, but her aspirations..." Babs mutters playfully all while standing there with two glasses of bubbly drink.

Jason Todd has posed:
How long has this event been going on? The probable/proper answer is: Long enough that arriving now is beyond fashionably late and edging into: dude why are you even bothering?

Out front, a 1969 Mustang Mach 1 in matte black with red metallic alloy rims rumbles up. As Jason emerges from the car and turns it over to the valet, he has one advantage to arriving so significantly late. Many of the media and paparazzi have moved inside.

He drove a 60's era car, but his suit? It's right out of the mid 90's. A wide lapelled suit coat made of shiny gunmetal gray fabric is worn over a black waistcoat. Under that is a gray dress shirt complete with a crimson bow tie. Because this is a Gala event. Pressed black pants, perfectly buffed black Doc Martens, and a pair of red hued round lens sunglasses (at night) and a well defined 5 O'Clock shadow complete his trip down memory lane. It's a trip he isn't bothered by taking solo.

Once inside the sunglasses disappear and he pauses to get the lay of the land. Hands rakishly stuffed into his pant pockets, he begins to make his way to the bar. Liquid courage is always a good starting place.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Whether or not some of these people are money-hungry enough to chase a Wayne into the bathroom is not something Tim's keen on finding out, so some quick stepping and diverting course to make his way through the back hallway amidst staff returning to the kitchen with empty trays does eventually result with him making his return to the gala. With his own score of h'ors d'oeuvres, since he's left Phoebe alone long enough that Tim can't expect any to be left for him.

    Another champagne flute is snagged from the tray Babs has just liberated a couple from, and Tim slips into place beside her, considering the donation challenge and the current standing between the two choices. "I feel obligated to donate something to the British Invasion side in Alfred's name," he admits to Barbara, clearly having realized what the Wayne family butler did for him moments before. Then he nods politely to the two women standing with Babs. "Evening."

    A few moments of distraction are spent with one of the charity attendees, one of whom gets to hold Tim's plate (he asked nicely!) while Tim pulls out his phone to make what is probably an obscenely large donation in Alfred's name.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Just let anyone try to cause trouble and they'll see how quickly the 'upper crust' falls off of Alfred's vocal veneer. He is, however, perfectly polite with the elderly woman who ends up in front of him, looking around puzzledly for her quarry. "Someone I can help you spot, Miss?"

"Oh, no, I just-" she replies distractedly, then doubletakes as she realizes he called her 'Miss.' "Oh!" she raises a hand to her breast self-consciously and then makes a playful shooing gesture at the gentleman before her. Sufficiently distracted, she turns to look for a different victim.

Alfred smirks to himself in a satisfied manner, and, with Tim safely escaped for the moment, he begins to slowly make his way over to the donation stations to contribute a bit extra to the British Invasion from his own pocket. He doesn't know about Tim's intentions, of course, but then Tim wouldn't know about the thousand dollar cheque he filled out and tucked into his pocket before leaving the house, either. He accepts a small plate from a passing waiter, and nibbles on some smoked salmon as he glides through the sea of humanity like a very sedate shark.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown smiles over to Audra. "I know, right!?" she says of the frequency of the galas. "Though I have to admit, I have found a bit of a fondness for these things. Had some... positive changes come from them," she says with a small, private smile. "I do wish someone was here to dance with me though," she says, adding a tiny pout that is mostly joking.

Turning her attention to Betsy Braddock as Barbara mentions her, Stephanie nods her head. "I can see why she's in the magazines," she says. "Just absolutely stunning, and looking like she probably wakes up that way too!" Her words might be loud enough to carry to Betsy.

Spotting Jason's entrance, Stephanie smiles and gives a wave over towards him. A passing server has drinks on a tray and Stephanie gets herself a glass of champagne. "Thank you," she tells him as she takes a sip.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy's martini shows up and she picks the glass up with her fingertips splayed under the bowl, showing off what's surely a $200 manicure in the process. Even her nails match her outfit, and a sharp eye would see that the subtle design worked into her nail polish are tiny butterflies.

The various sidebars from the Bat-lings get Betsy's attention, though, and she drifts towards that group of notables a few long counts after Audra does.

"Spring catalogue, 2021," Betsy tells Barbara once she's in earshot. "The lace butterfly ensemble. One of my personal favorites," she informs her. Betsy looks Tim up and down speculatively and gives him the faintest of nods-- or a head gesture vaguely in that zone, anyway. When Tim's eyes go to the entrance, Betsy glances over as well. Her air of effortless grace hardens momentarily and there's a bit of tension around her eyes. But it disappears as soon as it arrived, and she looks back at Tim with a lofted brow.

"You know Jason Todd, then?" she surmises. "That--" her memory catches up to her and she gives Alfred a look, then Tim a closer scrutiny. "You *must* be Tim Drake, then," she informs the young man. "I haven't seen the Wayne family at a gala in a few years."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs is sipping from her drink when Tim arrives at her side and she shoots him a quick grin. "I liked seeing you mingle with the upper crust element of Gotham here." She chides him with a snicker of her own. "I even put a pic up of it online. You'll love it." She assures him, or just keeps the teasing up.

Babs samples yet another of her two glasses of champagne then, her eyes going back to Betsy who gets another sly grin from what Steph says of her. "Oh, so she is a model? Huh, that figures." She's saying just as the person in-question arrives. "Oh really? Huh. I'll have to check that out. I'm sure it's very lovely."

Another sip from another of the two flutes is taken then. She lowers it again and her eyes go to Jason.

"Do any of us really 'know' Jason Todd?" She asks, still being her silly self in the moment.

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian turns her gaze for a moment in Betsy's direction as well, nodding to Stephanie's assessment. "Some people are just born with it," she quips, before taking a bite out of the mini mince wellington. Oh, that's actually reasonably tasty. But this is a big social event so she's polite and finishes chewing completely then swallows before actually saying anything. "Good to see they didn't skimp on the refreshments. That'll help lighten people's moods, and a few more wallets."

Now she needs a proper drink to go with it... But this is a classy affair so it's wine and champagne. Oh well. It's still alcohol, good enough.

Tim Drake has posed:
    "He's my brother," Tim confirms, though it seems Betsy has made the mental connections to his identity anyway. He's no Bruce Wayne (or even Dick Grayson) when it comes to effortless public persona, but his name has been in the news enough outside of Gotham. If generally under less gossip-worthy circumstances.

    And somehow managing not to make a fool of himself while balancing a glass of champagne and a plate of food is part and parcel for the public persona thing, even if it means most of that food is only getting nibbled on. Even so, it's enough of a taste for him to nod in agreement with Audra's statement about the food. He steps out of the way so that the other folks with deep pockets in attendance tonight can make their own contribution, even as the marker for the British Invasion side of the donation war skyrockets. The nose-wrinkling frown he flashes at Babs is like the in-real-life version of the angry react emoji he left on her aforementioned social media post.

    He establishes himself next to Stephanie in the mingling circle and flashes her a quick smile, though it's Betsy that he addresses (again) next: "We do our best to send someone from the family to support the charities involved with the Wayne Foundation, but there's only so many of us." The unsaid Bruce adoption joke would go here, naturally.

    And with that said, he steps back (figuratively) from the ongoing conversation to gently nudge Steph with his elbow. "You should ask Jason," he tells her. No, he's definitely not trying to throw his brother under the bus.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd sees the throng of Waynes lingering near the bar. As Steph greets him, he returns her smile with a smile and nod of his own. As he passes close he offes more politely, "Ms. Brown." He might have had more to say in his slightly delayed approach to the bar but Tim is nudging Steph to dance. Who is Jason to get in the way of a trip down memory lane for those two.

"Oh no, Tim. I can't dance for shit. Please. It's the least you can do for Stephanie as the only responsible one of her soon to be brother in laws." He back pedals a few steps with a wink to Tim, turning about to lean on the bar. "Whiskey Sour. Jameson if you have it."

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred makes his own contribution to the cause, and if he notices that Tim has already made a rather large donation in his name, he doesn't mention it as he drifts near to the little family group again. "I'd be delighted to take the lady for a turn around the floor," he offers, "if none of the younger gents has the fortitude." Gauntlet thrown.

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian has refreshments and drinks, but it's not enough to distract her knack for details from picking up bits of the conversation going between the various people around her. Which turn out to be several members of the extended Wayne family, she's gathered from context.
"Well, it makes sense a millionaire that has given a home to several youths would want representation at a charity geared towards helping kids," she observes, it's close enough to an 'adoption' joke even if not intentionally meant like that.

She sips some wine.. and nearly chokes on it having to stifle laughter as a very proper British gentleman steps in on the topic of dancing and threatens to show up every young man in the room.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Jason's denial of having any ability to dance is, of course, exactly what is likely to prod Stephanie into asking him. "Well," Stephanie tells Jason, "You do have going for you that you aren't as short as Damian. I mean, if I danced with him, his head would be right about..." she says, gesturing with her hand as if she were a display at a theme park that said, "You must be this tall to dance with the girl". She brings her hand simulating Damian's height up against her and his face would be right about where the strapless dress's neckline is revealing a bit of cleavage.

As Alfred steps over and makes his offer, Stephanie's eyes and face light up. Say this for her, the blue-eyed blond who wears her emotions on her sleeve (which the dress doesn't really have) is capable of some dazzling smiles when triggered by something touching. "I would be absolutely delighted," she tells Alfred, offering him her hand and ready to follow him out onto the dance floor.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs finishes off one of her two drinks, and sets it down on the bar's edge, soon to be grasped up by the tender tending to the bar's tender cleanliness. She then holds the last glass in her hands, and watches the others are they continue to mingle. A grin on her pink hued lips shows, as Jason approaches, and orders himself a drink, but when she spots Alfred giving a donation, she tips her chin up at the elder man of the Wayne collective.

"Alfred. Come on. I know you're a closet N'Sync freak. Tell me you helped push our home team advantage over the edge." She chides him playfully before she nods toward Betsy.

"I want to see our lovely model friend here out there strutting her stuff in that utterly fantastic dress. So by all means. Both of you should entertain me, is what I'm getting at." The bolsterous redhead states with a continued smile lingering upon her lips.

Oh yeah, and she takes another drink of her drink.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
At six feet and possibly a little more, Alfred is certainly tall enough to dance with her. Not losing his poise for a moment, he hands off his hors d'oeuvre plate to a hovering waiter, and proffers his elbow to meet Stephanie's hand.

"Afraid not, Ms. Gordon," he remarks laconically. "It was the Sex Pistols for me, back in the day."

Leaving them to recover from that particular barb, he leads Stephanie out onto the dance floor. "Absolutely stunning dress," he can be overheard complimenting her gravely. At least ONE man at this party has some class.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs has a utterly happy, and pleased, expression befall her face upon hearing that response from Alfred. She doesn't make any noise, she just has a super happy expression cross her features! She then looks around at the others still gathered around her before she raises her champagne up for one more sip. "Absolutely wonderful." The redhead declares.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd gets his drink and turns, wandering off as if there had been no conversation let alone any attempts to foist dancing upon others instead of just actually asking. But that isn't the Wayne family way so why should he change it now?

Drifting over to the donations, he studies the bands showns as he sips from his quality cocktail. Pulling his phone out with his other hand he tap taps away, making his own vote and donation. Tucking his phone away he drifts around the event. He's barely known in any of the circles the Waynes are usually in. As such he can enjoy that meager measure of anonymity and he seems to have contented himself with doing just that.

Audra Meridian has posed:
Audra Meridian blinks once. Twice. Mostly at the Sex Pistols remark. Then she remembers something, and it makes her snicker.

"They did write a song titled God Save The Queen." And he's British. That makes it more humorous.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Maybe Tim ought to have risen to the challenge, but all Alfred gets is a quick back-step and a raising of hands from him. Dancing with an ex is a murky line he's not sure about crossing, even if it's Stephanie.

    Sorry, Steph.

    "He's probably got moves we don't even know about, anyway," Tim points out after Stephanie's already accepted Alfred's offer. Though he's left shaking his head after the Sex Pistols comment. To Audra as an aside, because there's something extra enjoyable about commiserating with someone who isn't aware of their entire family shenanigans, Tim adds: "That song was banned by the BBC back in 1977."

    Like Babs, he's finished off champagne flute number one, but that's going to be it for him. He asks for a water of the barman after, with a quick slide of a couple bills across out of habit, and then he's left to observe the dance (and Jason's retreating back) in a casual lean. Just going to hold up the bar here, don't mind him.

    "It really is," he says to Barbara.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown smiles as she slips her hand onto Alfred's offered arm and walks with him out onto the dance floor. The band is just finishing a previous song, a few of the dancing couples of which there weren't that many, going to seek drinks or food, leaving more space on the dance floor.

Seeing the stately British gentleman and the young American woman take the dance floor, the band converse for a few seconds and then a piano player begins playing, accompanied primarily by a violin in a song that is perfect for a slow tango.

Stephanie moves her hand into Alfred's and puts her other hand up near his shoulder as she waits to let him lead her in the dance.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
Betsy's brows lift with approval when Alfred collects Stephanie onto the floor for a dance. The Brit certainly seems to appreciate the older gentleman's chivalrous nature-- and at Barbara's chivvying, she gives Jason a look of bemused challenge. Then Jason wanders off. She slides her eyes to Tim, but the young Drake takes his own leave to get some water and then Not Watch his ex dance with their chaperone.

Betsy glances skywards in supplication, tosses her martini back in a gulp, and gives Babs' hand a tug to the dance floor. "I admit I'm not at my strongest as a lead, but if no one's going to ask us to dance, best we entertain ourselves," she bids Barbara, and drifts out onto the dance floor with Babs firmly in hand.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
Babs is watching Jason, and then Todd, and then the tango music catches her and she looks out to THEN watch Alfred and Steph. "So fancy, so prett-- Oh!"

Her hand grabbed by the model, her other handing off her mostly empty glass of champagne to whomever would take it from her, and the glasses-wearing, slacks wearing, black sweater wearing redhead is swept out to the dance floor!

Hand in hand with Betsy now, Babs smiles at her. "Hi." She says once they're face to face. "I heard that you are in magazines, and such. Wait. Do they still make magazines?" The Techie of the Bat-fam then asks as she starts to move to the music, lead by the graceful guidance of the fancy dress adorned Miss Braddock.

"I'm Barbara, by the way. Babs. Or Barbie. Wait, no, I'll kill you if you call me Barbie." She introduces herself with a tiny smirk showing there-after.

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
Alfred has surely torn up a few dance floors in his youth, and while he may not be up to quite the same gyrations he was once able to manage, this slower tempo is ideal to show off some fancy footwork without putting his hip out. He smiles confidently, meeting Stephanie's eyes and murmurs, "Not to worry, I haven't dropped a partner yet." He leads her into a bold twirl, one hand steady at the small of her back to help guide the motion. "Not familiar with this one? Just let your feet do what comes naturally." He's confident he can make her look good in any case.

(Something like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XywTdT2NQQ)

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The high-heeled skills of Stephanie Brown have come a long way in the last two years. She gives Alfred back a smile that speaks of her confidence in his ability to lead her.

And then he's guiding her with that expert touch, Stephanie moved through turns and very soon finding herself able to match Alfred's footwork. The gliding motions of the slow tango just seem to come naturally under his lead.

A number of the other gala attendees turn from their conversations to watch. Between a fit young woman in a flattering dress being twirled about gracefully, and a stately older gentleman showing great, impressive skill that belies age, there is something appealing about the sight for many of the watching eyes.

Stephanie's smile beams at Alfred, one of her big toothy ones that is an expression of unrefined joy. "You are so going to have to teach Dick this," she tells him quietly at a moment that she's brought in to dance closer to the gentleman's gentleman.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason Todd hasn't given the group another gaze since he drifted over to make his donation. As the dancing happens, he is moving in the opposite direction. Anyone famliar with techniques used by a certain always eligible Billionaire, and bothers to notice will see that he has managed to end run and is now steps from the exit. A pause only to put on his sunglasses once again, and he is once more in motion for the door.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"Hello; I am; they do," Betsy responds, answering each of Babs' questions in kind. "And my name is Elizabeth, but my friends call me Betsy." The leggy model has that effortless sense of sophistication that only comes with many generations of refined breeding. Betsy has no qualms about any attention she and Barba might be getting, and a turn on the dance floor with the bright-eyed redhead seems worth enduring whatever society muttering might follow.

She doesn't have Alfred's technical skill, but there's an innate sense of grace and balance that makes one feel absolutely surefooted when dancing with her. The footwork is elegant in its simplicity, and Betsy does a fine job of leading Babs around in such a way that the other young woman looks completely self-assured and deliberate with each step she takes.

"Who is the older gentleman with your friend?" Betsy inquires of Babs, and flickers her amythyst eyes towards Steph and Alfred. "The accent is a dead giveaway, he must be British. A friend of the family, perhaps?" she guesses.

Barbara Gordon has posed:
"I'm suddenly regretfl for not getting one of my fancy dresses out of the closet." Babs admits in a moment of her dance with Betsy when she can. Her hair is tied up, her black framed glasses finishing that Gothic Librarian look that she's carefully cultivated for the evening. Babs is wearing heels though, which make her similar in height to Betsy, and do help give some elegance to their combined efforts of dancing out here together.

A quick look is sent out to the others around them, before Babs' lense-covered eyes fall upon Betsy's again. She flashes a grin.

"Alfred Pennyworth. He's the man who raised Bruce Wayne after the family's tragedy when Bruce was very little." She states, giving a glance to Steph and Alfred, though Alfred in particular. "He's a true God-send." She says in a moment of less playful brevity, as her eyes go back to Betsy, and the Briton woman gets another soft smile from the redhead.

"You're good at this." Babs then says of Betsy's dancing, doing her best to keep up with her, though Betsy will easily tell that Babs is not an experienced dancer, let alone, any form of a tango. But, she improvises well, and has good experience at least in moving her body!

Alfred Pennyworth has posed:
"Delighted to, if you can convince him to submit to the tutelage," Alfred chuckles. "If I could teach Master Bruce how not to step all over a lady's feet, I suppose I must have some skill as an instructor."

By the time the song draws toward a conclusion, he's breathing a bit harder, but otherwise none the worse for wear. He's enjoying himself too; any missteps by either of them are cause for grins, not embarrassment. "Next you see him," he suggests cheekily, "you might tell him how the old man showed him up." In the end, he makes a show of bowing and kissing her hand. "For the part of the old man, he offers gracious thanks for the lady's indulgence."

This is followed up by a short little exhalation as he catches his breath.

Tim Drake has posed:
    Standing by the bar is not the best place to avoid people seeking you out, but Tim can spare a few moments to watch both pairs joining the dance floor as he sips his water. If he manages to film a few short clips on his phone for later dissemination amongst the family.

    And then he spots the same woman from before headed his way, so he dips out.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
As the song and the dance end, Stephanie joins others in clapping for the band and then she smiles brightly at Alfred as he kisses her hand. "Oh, I'll definitely make sure to let Dick know," she says with a warm laugh. "Thank you Alfred. You make me feel graceful," she tells him. Though she was graceful, even with Stephanie's hard-earned confidence the last year, some things will take a little longer for her to accept about herself, it seems.

Stephanie loops her hands about Alfred's arm to let him lead her back off the dance floor. "Would you like a drink?" she asks him, and looking to enjoy the chance to be the one to get something for him for a change. "I'm going to have to grab Jason now. That boy -needs- to dance," she says to Alfred with a warm laugh.

Betsy Braddock has posed:
"I never miss a chance to dress up," Betsy tells Barbara, and the corners of her mulberry-stained lip curl up in a ghosting smile. "You're quite an athlete, though. I could see it in how you move. And--" she brings Barbara through a simple turn and walks with her to land in step again on the other side. "you have a wonderful sense of rhythm."

The song ends and Betsy runs her hand down to Babs' mid-back, forming an all-too-graceful curve of her spine to support Barbara when she's dipped. Up they go again, and Betsy flashes Stephanie and Alfred an approving smile. "Thank you, Babs, for the dance," she bids the redhead. "I wouldn't mind at all doing this again sometime."

Barbara Gordon has posed:
The compliment of her ability to move is received well, Babs showing a glimmering grin at this from the Briton model she's sharing a dance with. "I used to do a lot of frisbee-golf, you see." She jokes, in a little nerdy kind of way, obviously not about to spill a bunch of personal info about all her rad as hell Jiu-jitsu tropies back in her apartment, let alone... you know, everything else.

Instead, Barbara just enjoys the dance with the elegant woman, right up to the being-dipped part, which she leans in to! Her right leg coming up at the knee, while her back arches and her red hair dangles a little beneath her tipped back head. When she's brought back up, she's laughing softly, maybe because the alcohol has loosened her up some, but likely because the whole process of engaging in this kind of affair, is just contageously fun.

Her hand goes to rest on Bety's shoulder then while the other grips her side. "Thank you. This was fun." She says with a smile for the other woman. "Next time, I'll make sure to dress properly for it, so as not to cramp your wonderful style."