15413/Suffering the Pains of Socialites

Suffering the Pains of Socialites
Date of Scene:	19 July 2023
Location:	Westside - Queensland Park
Synopsis:	A Social function is interrupted by silly, and then by violence. Jon Kent (Superboy) is on hand to help with both
Cast of Characters:	Phoebe Beacon, Jon Kent, Gabby Kinney

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Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    The Suffering Never Ends.

    It wasn't enough that tomorrow afternoon she would be sewn into a dress and paraded around for the Wayne name to attract money to something Gotham City should be doing ANYWAY in supporting the health of the youngest, most affected of poverty in the city, or that she would rather be eating naga chilies with a cold sore than contending with the pretentious elite of Metropolis...

    ... but let's face it. She really prefers dealing with Gotham's criminal element than the tittering of some old ladies tut-tutting about 'black' hairstyles.

    But she grinned, bearing it, with her dusty pink braids pinned back, wearing a gray skirtsuit with matte gray heels and silver hoops in her ears.

    After all, you really shouldn't punch the old ladies when you're there to collect the charitable donation raised by the Ladies of the Pink Rose Social Club of the Tri-City area, which historically was founded because the Ladies of the Rose social club of the tri-city area decided to let all free women in.

    In 1848.

    And of course it was an open social event, if you had a name they would recognize you were let through, so a couple of reporters are milling about, a few photographers, someone arguing that they were an INFLUENCER on TIK TOK and they had HUNDREDS OF FOLLOWERS and the security team would be SO SORRY THEY DIDN'T LET THEM IN!

Jon Kent has posed:
How did Superboy end up at an event like this? He is here representing the Justice League, naturally. Meaning, nobody wanted to go, he is the most junior member, so they gave him a check and told him he's going to a charity event. Anybody with the slightest amount of insight or intuition can see he *hates* being here maybe almost as much as Phoebe does.

People wanting to increase their own clout and status are stopping and talking to Superboy like they were old friends. There are many selfies taken. Many hands shaken. It's a horrific mess, but Jon-El is his father's son. He takes it all standing up like a warrior. In this case, his enemies are rich, old socialites.

Finally, he manages to break away and ends up at the bar. Jon is the Goodest Boy and would never attempt to order an alcoholic beverage, not that the alcohol could affect his physiology if he did. Plus alcohol tastes gross. "Can I have a Coke, please, sir," he asks the bartender politely. He is probably one of the first people in the room to treat the bartender like an actual human being.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
There were times when friends needed some extra help, even in their civilian personas. It wasn't the first time that a few of the Waynes had reached out to Gabby to help fulfill this role for them, and she never really minded. Usually it meant getting to dress up in some really nice clothes to deal with whatever social event they were milling their way through.

Sometimes it got a bit ridiculous like when Tim had her wear that really awesome flowy dress.... But again, it wasn't really out of her wheelhouse. Gabby actually dressed up good.

The Costume of The Day was a spaghetti strap sun dress in a deep green with lots of very very very tiny white flowers all over it. It dips lower than she usually wears so she's added in two necklaces layered with little charms on them, and some pretty nice sandals with just a bit of chunky heel to give her a bit more height than normal. Really, she looked like any girl around Phoebe's age with some money to spend if the rainbow colored mini handbag she has slung in the crook of her arm was any indication.

Mostly she lingers behind Phoebe letting her talk with the others though she had complimented a few of the society members on their 'classic styling' for their own outfits. Now? Now she could not only sense but smell the tension coming from Phoebe so she does what he does best.

"Oh. My. God. Pheeeeebs." Stepping in closer she hiss-whispers near her friend's ear, "Superman is like *right* over there we should totally go say hi right? Plus I could use a drink."

Looking wide eyed toward the women that Phoebe had been speaking with she blurts in as charming a manner as she can, "I'm so sorry to tear her away just I'm suuuch a huge fan of his and god I'm so embarassed. I'll return her to you soon I promise!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe really did like the socialite thing way more when she could pretend to be mute. Now everyone knows she's talking again, and when one old lady named Pamela or Pameeli or Pancake Wafflecone Jones was harassing her on why she was an outspoken critic of 'anti-homeless archetecture' in Gotham City and Phoebe REALLY wanted to say 'well we could send them all to your house' -- but she was THANKFULLY interrupted by her Best Friend From Finishing School So Private You've NEVER Heard of it (Tim Drake's Home for Young Superheroes), and she gives an embarrassed smile, giving a little wave with a hand as she's drawn up and dragged away.

    "I owe you like, four tacos." she whispers to Gabby, her heart beating faster in her chest as she grits her teeth, walking gracefully in those heels (which cost more than her motorcycle did), and she slips away. "I'm pretty sure one was going to start trying to pet my hair like it was an exotic dog. I would have gotten in trouble." she adds on, and draws through the crowd to tbe bar, and she gives a smile.

    "Hi, could I have a sprite, please? Or whatever lemon-lime is on, I'm not picky." she gives a smile, pulling out her wallet and just dropping a C-note into the tip jar.

    Because Wayne Family Powah.

    And she looks over to Superman, and she gives him a gentle smile, and a nod of her head.

Jon Kent has posed:
So here's Superboy. At a party. He already dropped off the Justice League's check. How much longer is he obligated to stay? Anyway, he is drinking a Coke and returns the hellos and waves of various people. He coughs and a little bit of Coke come out of his super nose as he spies Gabby and Phoebe. He coughs a couple of times to clear the soda from his airway.

There is something about the way he is looking at Gabby that indicates genuine surprise. He wipes the back of his hand across his nose and lips just to make sure there are no embarrassing Coke droplets there. "H-hello," is all he manages to say. It's almost like his brain short circuited or something. After standing there with a dumb look on his face, he thrusts his hand out. "Sup...Superboy," he blurts out, introducing himself. "How are you this evening?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Four tacos *and* a super sized slushie for the ride back," Gabby responds aside to Phoebe with a winning smile. A little tittering laugh comes with a toss of her head is given letting her hair flow behind her as if she'd practiced this a million times before and it was now second nature. It would seem like the two girls were just friends enjoying a pleasant day out. "That lady had creepy stalker vibes. You probably would end up her Person Poodle if you stayed any longer," she jokes keeping her words low enough so that it was just a quiet murmer to those they pass by. This wasn't her first rodeo.

Seeing Superboys' reaction to her 'disguise' was a bit of a surprise though, and one that earns a quickly playful grin in response. The designer purse is shifted from one hand to the other to gently tuck beneath her arm, design label pointing out for viewing as-one-does, while approaching. "Oh, I'll have a Jack and Coke," she requests of the bartender who gives her a dubious look. Jutting her lower lip out in a pout she quickly demures, "Oh, fine, you can't blame a girl for trying. Just a Coke with ice please. It's so hooot today." The little whine comes with one hand lifting to delicately fan herself with her hand.

With the little socialite-ing done to the bartender her eyes then alight on Superboy as he introduces himself. She steps forward to clasp his hand in her own... but there's another step forward as she leans in to give the little air-cheek kiss MWAH to each side of his cheeks. "Oh de-LIGHTED to meet you! Such a fan, you know. I'm Garbrielle Estella Du Pont the third. But you can call me Gabby. Or, just call me," she adds stepping away to flash a wink at him.

"Oooh right and this is my dear friend, Phoebe Wayne," she introduces tipping her head to the pink haired girl she'd narrowly rescued from Old White Women.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe stands a bit taller than Gabby, especially as she's in heels. She gives a friendly smile to the Superboy, forcing her shoulders to relax. Her heart was still thumping away in her chest.

    "Ah, please, forgive me for not shaking hands." she hides her calloused hands by folding them against her lower stomach, wringing them in nervousness.

    "It's nice to make your aquaintence. I don't often get to meet members of te Justice League."

Jon Kent has posed:
There is definitely an...odd expression on Superboy's face as he ponders Gabby. Does he find her attractive? Is there something about her that is odd to him? Is there...recognition seeping out somewhere? It's just a curious, curious vibe.

When Phoebe requests not to shake hands, Superboy quickly retracts his hand. "I'm very sorry, Ms. Wayne," he blurts out quickly. "I didn't mean to offend."

Then to Gabby: "Ms. Du Pont, you are looking very lovely this evening. I really like your dress."

What an idiot. At least he's, like, you know, invulnerable and super fast and all that jazz. He quickly drains the rest of his glass of Coke. The sympathetic bartender immediately gets him another. "Thank you, sir," Superboy says to him.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Really it wasn't much of a disguise if one knew Gabby to begin with. Other than the makeup and the attire and the entirely different personality she was putting on. It was just too much fun not to tease a bit, and have some fun.

Once drinks are doled out and greetings made she takes a halfstep to the side luring them further away from the bartender so she can speak. Quietly, but she had no doubt both could hear her.

"I'm on bodyguard duty, S-Man. Phoebe knows my line of work." To Phoebe she adds with a grin, "I've worked with him in the past on a few things, too. Neither one of you really seem to enjoy social events like this so I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone by playing the fangirl."

Speaking of which... He had complimented her. A quick clearing of her throat and then she gives a tittering laugh flapping a hand at Superboy while offering with voice raised, "Oh you're so sweet! No wonder you're a hero!"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Oh, I'm not offended in the least!" Phoebe gives a bright smile, and her shoulders draw up. "I ah.. I have some things I'm working though, with a therapist. But thank you very much for respecting that." her cheeks darken a little. "I don't often get that at social gatherin--" she pauses a moment, accompanying Gabby as she slides smoothly away, and as Gabby states that Phoeb knows her line of work, she relaxes a moment "Oh, you know him. Cool, cool." she states, and she sips her sprite, good quality color (or maybe it's *magic*) on her lips not staining the glass black cherry matte.

    "So, yeah, I'm one of Bruce Wayne's many adopted children. Gabby's a good friend of mine. Alfred wasn't available to run interferance tonight, so Gabby agreed to ome along." she looks out over the crowd.

    "This really isn't my crowd. Give me a good punk show... any way." she pauses, and then for just the briefest moment looks like she might cry, and then straightens herself out.

    "Repping the League the same way I'm repping the Waynes?" she asks quietly to Jon, dark eyes giving a little sparkle.

Jon Kent has posed:
I mean, obviously the name Wayne is synonymous with wealth and privilege in Gotham. And even here, in Metropolis, it's a well-known name. But it's also a common name, so Jon didn't assume she was necessarily one of *those* Waynes. But now Phoebe, herself, confirmed it.

"Yeah," he says, running his hand back through his hair and laughing. "Junior member of the League, so I didn't *draw* the short straw, the short straw was straight up *assigned* to me." He laughs a bit, sipping from the fresh Coke.

"I'm, um, close friends with one of your family. Damian. Not only are we friends but we also, um, work together sometimes." He drops that hint.

But there is a Gabby to tease! Jon-El turns to her. "So, Ms. Du Pont, which finishing school did you attend?" Oh the devilish, playful glint in the young half-Kryptonian's eyes! "Are you here with one of these wealthy, eligible bachelors?"

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Oh, Phoebe's favorite brother. Or is that Timbo? I lose track. How's he doing these days, anyway? I haven't seen him since I played dress up at that last charity gala for him." Gabby lifts her drink to take a sip while the pair seem to relax a bit around each other. At the very least she wasn't outing people other than herself. She didn't really have a known civilian identity to worry about. Maybe in the future she might.

When Jon asks about finishing school and bachelors, she just pauses with eyebrows raising. Looking to Phoebe she grins wide. "Oh he's being cute. Okay."

"Oooh why Mr. Superman sir, are you asking if I'm single?"

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    "Ah, I *see*." Phoebe states, and she gives a curl of her lips, the corners drawing up. "Damian is probably the most... aggressive of my brothers. Tim's the one I'm closest to, in temperment and work. I knew him before I was brought into the family, you know he can't refuse a hard case with a rough start." she smiles. "But I've been getting into the family business quite handily. NIce to know that Damian has a good friend out there that he can depend on." Phoebe replies, and gives a completely devilish grin. "I think I'm more troublesome than he is, though." she remarks thoughtfully, and then she looks over to Gabby, and she gives a roll of her eye, reaches into her pocket and pulls out a foldable fan with a floral cut-out motif, and offers it to Gabby.

    "IF you're going to ham it up, ham all the way." she replies with a grin.

    Somewhere, metal whispers against leather and cloth in the mingling socialites.

Jon Kent has posed:
Leaning into the roleplay, Jon-El response to Gabby, "Ms. Du Pont, you flatter a simple young man such as myself." He reaches out all old school style and takes her hand and leans down to kiss the back of it like some old world gentleman in some old world film. Only the prank is, instead of kissing her hand, Jon raspberries it. BUT, he has never raspberried before, so he doesn't know how much force to use. He is constantly navigating the world, throttling and mitigating his strength so he doesn't do stuff like rip doorknobs off of doors, or crush furniture when he sits down.

So, long story short, the raspberry is loud. It's really loud. It stops quite a few conversations, and a good many people turn to look to see what just happened.

Superboy stands straight again and his face is pretty much the same color as his cape. He just peers around at all of the people staring at him. He literally has no idea what to do. Lex Luthor himself couldn't have devised a more fiendish trap.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
A fan? That was unexpected to have whipped out. If anyone was going to have one though, Gabby suspected it would be Phoebe. It's taken in hand, and she flicks it out testingly to fan it about. It wasn't very different from the motions you might use with a butterfly knife, so the skill was there if unpracticed in this manner--

Then Superboy leans down to kiss her hand. The raspberry against the back of her hand tickles, and might bruise someone else. It's the noise though. The noise made all the louder by the sudden dead silence.

With a flip of her wrist the fan darts around as if she were blowing away an invisible gaseous cloud with all the delicacy of a Southern Belle. Then she looks around lifting her chin high.

"Pardon me! I guess I'm not accustomed to this Metropolis food."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    Phoebe, meanwhile, just sort of stares stoicly ahead. She opens her mouth, and then closes it, and then attempts to graciously wipe tears from her eyes because she is trying so hard not to bust out laughing that it *hurts*, but it might just look like her eyes are watering from the smell that doesn't exist. She takes a shallow breath, and then giving a cough, she shakes her head.

    "WELL. Ah. You know, regional food differences, happens to my father any time we travel." she throws Bruce under a handy bus.

    There's the tick of a hammer pulling back, the whisper of the bullet entering a chamber.

    And the flash of light on the end of a muzzle of a gun that someone's drawn out, aimed for the Wayne spare heir!

Jon Kent has posed:
It was all surreal to begin with. There was the really loud raspberry. Then Jon's close friend, Gabby, takes a metaphorical bullet for Jon. Then Phoebe is barely able to maintain composure. Plus a few billion dollars worth of socialites are all staring. I mean, surreal is as surreal does.

So when the gun sounds begin, Superboy's hearing keys in and he moves into super speed mode and it's just a little bit more surreal. The entire room slows down like everything and everyone was underwater. Jon turns as slow-motion Phoebe fights slow-motion laughter, and slow-motion Gabby waves her slow-motion fan. From across the room, there is a slow-motion muzzle flash beginning to bloom.

From Jon's perspective, he jogs in the direction of the slow-motion bullet slowly emerging from the slow-motion barrel of the slow-motion gun. For just a moment, the young half-Kryptonian has the presence of mind to ponder how isolating and lonely is it to move at super speed. He reaches out and plucks the bullet from the air. The kinetic energy has heated the bullet incredibly. Superboy barely feels it.

From anyone else's point of view, Superboy simply ceases being in one spot at the very same moment that he begins existing in another, with his hand up at eye-level, and a smoking bullet held neatly between his thumb and forefinger.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby had heard it before, that little metallic noise that sounded like heavier metal than just jewelry. The raspberry had happened then though, and as amusing as the entire situation was, it had been a loud enough a distraction that she couldn't pinpoint where it had come from. The silence of those here after helped a great deal in that regard.

She was no speedster and couldn't hold a candle to Kryptonian speed, but she was beyond the abilities of a human by far. Enhanced senses, reflexes, even her own speed out matched that of a normal human.

By the time Superboy has caught the bullet she's reacted as well. Her weight shifted to one foot to spin herself bodily in between Phoebe and the assailant.

"Down!"

The commanding word comes while that 'designer purse' snaps up and unfolds quickly into a ballistics blanket that she throws over Phoebe's head and upper back.

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    All surreal to Jon, but very surprising to the gunman who thought that he was going to surprise the crap out of some socialites. He has a tag that says PRESS on it. He has wide, brown eyes and a weedy mustache that's trying its best.

    And he looks up at Superboy, and as the smoking bullet is pressed between Jon-El's finger and thumb. He balks, and turns, and tries to make a run for it -- which given what Jon just did, isn't the brightest thing he's done today.

    Phoebe's no slouch when it comes to reaction times, but she lacks the Kryptonian speed or Gabby's finer senses. She gives an awkward squawk of a sound as she's brought down. People dive for cover. Crystal glassware is shattered as people run. The Bartender dives for cover.

    Phoebe brings her hands up over her head, and is covered by the ballistics blanket from Gabby's fancy purse, and begins to breathe hard. Gabby might pick up that the olfactory effect of her magic -- that citrusy, pepper, rose smell is coming in a little bit harder as Phoebe attempts to keep ehr panic response down.

    "Did he get the gunman?"

Jon Kent has posed:
As the gunman and his bad mustache turn to flee, this confuses Jon. Some battles should never be fought, and this is one of them. He cants his head to one side in confusion as he furrows his eyebrows. He lets the gunman take 2, 3, 4 steps.

"Really?" he asks with genuine, un-ironic incredulity in his voice.

5 steps, 6, 7, 8. "Why would he try..."

Attendees, ill-prepared for this sort of melee are screaming or hiding or running -- or all three in some cases. They push and scramble and shove and snarl. How quickly the veneer of civilization breaks down.

9, 10, 11, 12.

Jon looks over his shoulder to assess the situation with his friends -- one old and dear, the other brand new. Gabby has that situation well under control. She's a professional and her actions and decisions in this type of situation are above reproach.

13, 14, 15, 16...OOF! The gunman runs right into Superboy, who appears before him.

"Sir, please don't make me render you unconscious. Surrender your weapons and kneel on the floor until the authorities arrive." Nineteen years old, looks like he's fifteen, skinny as one of the fenceposts on the Kent Family Farm, and that gunman running at full speed didn't move him so much as a millimeter. "Please, sir, I urge you."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney keeps her hands on the blanket pressing a light weight to the back of Phoebe's shoulders while everyone around them panics. The touch withdraws as soon as she has the chance to glance over her shoulder seeing what was going on with the confrontation between the gunman, and Superboy.

"He's got him," she assures quietly to her frightened friend. "Deep breath. Hold it count of three. Let it out count of three. Are you good to move to the car?" If she wasn't she'd haul her into one of the nearby rooms she had spied earlier in case of needing to withdraw for one reason or another. For now though it was a matter of keeping Phoebe calm, and keeping calm herself in the ensuing chaos as socialites run by. The poor bartender was beneath the table staring out wide-eyed at them.

"He's got him, Pheeb, it's okay."

Phoebe Beacon has posed:
    There was no irony in the gunman's face, and he takes a knee and drops his weapon "OKAY! OKAY! I give up!" he calls out, and puts his hands behind his head even. No, he's not going to try and fight Superboy. That would definitely be a losing fight, and defeated he just goes "Uh... I'm staying in Metropolis right? They're not gonna feed me to The Batman?"

    Phoebe takes a deep breath, and breathes out, deep breath. Count to three. Let it out. "Let's get out of here. I don't think we'll have a better opportunity. This is so *weird*..." she whispers, "I never get shot at outside of armor!"

Jon Kent has posed:
Superboy picks up any weapons that the gunman may have surrendered. He also does a quick x-ray vision scan to make sure he is not concealing any other threats.

"Sir, I am not a civil authority and I am not empowered to negotiate on the city's behalf. This is a citizen's arrest only, and I am detaining you here until the police arrive."

He watches with relief as Gabby leads Phoebe out of the area. He watches as she moves with such professionalism and expertise, and all while wearing that dress that she is absolutely KILLING. He catches himself and turns back to keep a close eye on his detainee.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
"Sounds like an excellent time to exit stage left then," Gabby agrees, attempting to make a small joke with the phrasing. This was a play they were putting on in a manner of speaking--Though only in their reactions. "I would say 'you get used to it' but I really don't recommend it." Shooting without being in armor was baaad.

Either way she helps Phoebe up, offering her arm to be held rather than holding onto her. The ballistics blanket is grasped with her other hand so that she can pull it off gently so as to not tug on any of Pheobe's hair in the process. Satisfied, she heads off with one last look toward Superboy and the gunman.

"Thanks, S-man. Owe you one. Catch up later." She doesn't raise her voice or call out, just speaks normally. He'd hear, she knew.