5638/A Dick Grayson Birthday Bash

A Dick Grayson Birthday Bash
Date of Scene:	20 March 2021
Location:	Lady Lovelace
Synopsis:	A birthday party for Dick Grayson's 27th birthday on the ritzy Lady Lovelace anchored passenger ship. Booze and cake and high society all in one.
Cast of Characters:	Stephanie Brown, Jason Todd, Gwen Stacy, Natasha Cranston, Reed Richards, Gabby Kinney, Dick Grayson, Koga Miura, Sara Pezzini, M'gann M'orzz, Conner Kent, Damian Wayne, Susan Richards

---

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The Lady Lovelace is a majestic ship from an older time. Everything about the passenger ship speaks style and elegance. Permanently docked, it is now a hotel and a venue for concerts and other entertainment.

Tonight, the entire ship has been booked for the birthday party of one Richard Grayson, son of Bruce Wayne, himself one of Gotham's most noteworthy sons. The guest list includes family and friends of the Waynes, as well as celebrities, civic figures and the usual high society one might expect at such a gathering.

Three different music acts can be found at various spots in the ship, with the main one set up in the ballroom where the main festivities take place. Heaters are set out on deck to offset the cooler spring night. Decorations abound, everything tasteful. Open bars serving top shelf drinks promise to make it a social event. Staterooms are available for guests to stay overnight should they indulge too much, or just wish to relax on the ship and head home on the morrow.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason is posted up at the bar, sipping some kind of cocktail. If he's old enough to tie, he's old enough to drink, damnit. The handsome young man is dressed for the fancy occassion in a rented tuxedo. It fits him well, and shows that the man is firmly built beneath the finery. His dark hair is touselled, and the streak of white in the front is clear. He turns slowly to watch the ballroom, sipping his drink with a somewhat annoyed expression. Someone offers him a greeting, and he gives a friendly, though non-commital one in return. He turns away, then, burying his thoughts in the drink.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
Reasons had made it so Gwen was spending a few days in Metropolis at the Titans Tower. But when Stephanie's invite came for her to go to this fancy party for none other than one of the Wayne's she immediately jumped into it. She could use the distraction! So it was that she came to Gotham once again, over to Steph's to dig for a fancy dress and here she was arriving at the party.

She is dressed in a long, sleeveless dress of a pearly white color, some flashes of black on the side. Some reminder to her secret persona Ghost Spider? Shoulders bare and high heels finish the ensemble, along with a wrapped-up gift for the birthday boy.

Gwen whistles while they are arriving, saying to Stephanie, "You weren't joking when you said this was going to be fashion." crystal blue eyes turning to a face she appears to recognize. "Wait, isn't she that actress...?" she chuckles a bit to herself and then focuses on Steph, "What is it with you and knowing all the Waynes, mmm?" yes, she still remembered when Bruce Wayne himself appeared at Steph's party!

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    When you're rich enough, you get invited to all the best parties. Even if it weren't useful for her cover, Natasha likely would attend this one -- the Waynes' parties never skimp on expenses and can generally be relied on to have decent taste.

    Natasha shows up only /slightly/ fashionably late, wearing something elegant and expensive, exchanging greetings with the usual acquaintances before making her way aboard, looking for either the guest of honor or the open bar, whichever she finds first.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards arrives at the appointed time, solo and bearing gifts. The older gentleman makes his way into the room, casually. His age and distinguished stature, not to mention any perceived eccentricity give him a bit leeway in these sorts of situations. He wears a modified jumpsuit, more formal in its cut without the usual branding, and a longer coat in the style of driver's coat over top. He's carrying a colorful bag, with a tag and a package under his arm. He smiles taking in the room, nodding to a few he knows.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney was NOT on the invite list. Her sister, however, was. And she was running late with that 'thing' she refused to divulge the details of to Gabby so it was left up to the little sister to at least stop by and make an appearance for the sake of connections, and stuff. That's her excuse, and she's sticking to it.

For those that weren't aware Laura had a clone though it might be a little unnerving to see a look alike show up wearing, of all things, a rather fashionable high end dress in a dazzling deep red. It's split up to the hip on one side so that the heeled boots worn beneath occasionally flash as she walks. Nothing untoward, but adding another 3 inches of height did help pass the younger looking clone off just a bit more as 'Laura.' Infiltration successful the teen slips into the crowd with an oblong package nicely wrapped tucked beneath her arm.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick is, of course, fashionably late for his own party. He's actually dressed somewhat casually, at the advice of his fashion guru. He's in navy blue pants with a light blue polo shirt, and a sweater also in navy blue draped over his shoulders with the sleeves loosely tied around his neck. Granted, they're van Dyne versions of typical country club garb, but still present a relaxed picture. One which complements the woman on his arm, who he is chatting with happily as they come up the gangplank.

He pauses at the top of the gangplank and waves to the crowd, not picking out any specific people yet at this early point. He does nods to anyone he knows who is near the entrance as he makes his way through the light crowd, headed for the main ballroom with his date.

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga, for some reason, had been invited. He was just a racer, really. From Japan. Apparently someone thought it would be nice for him to hob knob with the upper class of Gotham. That has brought him in.

    And while he was mostly there for 'publicity' the young man was dressed nicely in a tuxedo, shiny black shoes, and somewhat high-end casual besides that.

    The only problem with this is that he doesn't look to know a single person here, which is just making it... awkward by any number of means for him as he just plays close to wall flower or wandering around looking for someone that he might know to strike up a conversation, or might know him.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara Pezzini enters with Dick, her arm hooked around his, a smile on her face. Sara's attire is a perfect declaration of casual elegance. It's rendered all in eggshell and seafoam white, perfectly matching the whitecaps lapping at the water nearby. The fitted top hangs almost off-the-shoulder with a portrait neckline. It hugs and flatters her core and waist. The fabric transitions from a fine linen to something almost like fine-spun silk with translucent harem pants that cling to her legs with each gust of wind. Sleeves of the same material sport a shoulder-to-wrist slash that makes the flutter and puts toned muscles on display. Silver and sapphire are spread out under her chin in a art-deco neck piece of glittering jewelry. Sandal-style heels with a subtle tint of aquamarine add a playful splash of color, and the glint of a ruby set in silver near her wrist creates a pointed power accessory that sets off the rest of the ensemble. <by Janet van Dyne> A very light application of make-up has been applied, and her chestnut hair hangs loose and free, haloing her face. A small clutch style purse of eggshell hangs loosely over her left shoulder, her only real addition to the outfit.

Never in her life had she been to a party like this, and never did she think she would. It was the sort of event that only the richest socialites would get to attend and not only was this New York detective there, she was with the birthday boy himself!

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown arrives at the party with Gwen Stacy. Not dating anyone to make use of her 'plus one' on, she instead used it on someone she knew that she would have fun with. Plus it was a good excuse to get Gwen down to Gotham.

The two blonds board the boat, Stephanie walking carefully with her heels over the permanent covered gangplank. She's wearing a black dress with crossing straps around her neck that leave her shoulders bare. A small cutout lower down is just large enough to hint at her feminine curves above, while the dress melding to the narrow of her waist and curve of her hips does so below. The hem is a few inches above the knee, but with a slit to reveal more thigh.

https://i.imgur.com/7BeQ7la.jpg

Stephanie follows Gwen's motion over. "Oh that is her," she agrees. "And with Coby Ward. I loved his last picture. Though I read rumors he got overly handsy with his costar." And indeed, the handsome A-list actor has his arm around the actress, keeping her close as the pair talk with a famous musician.

A smile is given to Gwen as the two women move further onto the boat. "Tim, the brother I dated back in high school, I'm not sure he's going to be able to make it. But I can introduce you to the rest," Stephanie tells her friend. She spots Jason at the bar and smiles his way and lifts a hand to wave. "Let me drop off this present," Stephanie says, carrying a box, wrapped in deep blue with a silver bow.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz is here and in the form of a college aged red head with light green eyes. She arrives with Conner, a bag of cookies in hand, this time not burnt! She looks around with a big smile on her face and holds up a hand in greeting, "Hi!"

M'gann sets the bag down on a counter top beside other party stuff and eyes the drinks, "Not.. sure.." She looks at Conner questioningly, "I doubt you know anymore than I would if um.. yeah probably shouldn't!"

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason takes all the entrees in idly, raising his drink to Dick and his date when he enters, before he downs the remainder of his drink. He turns to the bartender and nudges the glass away. "Hit me again, old buddy of mine." He waits for his martini to be remade as he turns to glance about again.

The ne'er-do-well in the rented tux spots Stephanie and Gwen, and he flashes Stephanie a small grin before he waves, and then he looks to Gwen and considers her before giving another wave. "I'm bored as hell," he says to Steph. "So you better come back over here when you're done." He looks to Gwen, then, and offers a lopsided grin. "Hey. Jason."

Conner Kent has posed:
Since this is that kind of party, this time Conner has ditched the leather jacket for a real tux. And he is also looking vaguely uncomfortable on it. It doesn't help he is still growing up and the outfit that fit him so perfectly a year ago now feels a little constraining.

But that is typical of black tie events for him.

With M'gann, or maybe just Megan, at his side, he heads for the bar, but gets stopped by the young Martian's question. "Ah, it doesn't do anything to me. But... eh, maybe not a good place to make an experiment. Did your uncle tell you anything?"

He waves at Steph on his way in. And, of course, at Dick when the birthday boy arrives.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian had been on the other side of Jason, his small form obfuscated by the larger brother. He didn't have any alcohol with him, pity. But he did indulge in a cup of oolong tea. Equally involved in looking in the liquid, he was dressed in his custom Tom Ford suit, black with white shirt and a green tie that further accentuated his bright green eyes, an almost otherworldly bright shade.

  When Jason comments being bored as hell, Damian reflexively commented. "You too?" Before he realized he was talking to someone else, and moved to look at whom. "Brown." He commented, before looking to Gwen, observing her for a moment.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
When it becomes obvious where the presents were being stacked, Gabby strides for it purposefully. The long box tucked beneath her arm shifts slightly so that it slides down allowing her to grasp the end of it in one smooth motion that wasn't entirely dissimilar to how someone might check a rifle they were carrying in a parade fashion. It's flipped around, caught by the opposite hand, and presented to the stack of other presents by sliding it into a spot that looked appropriately stable. Tetris, FTW. Perfect execution. Infiltrated. Package delivered. And she hadn't even been caught by... Turning slightly she catches sight of Conner and a redhead which brings back a flash of memory to one of the few times she'd met some of Laura's teammates. Crackers.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick circulates on his way to the main party area, taking a detour when he spots Jason at the bar. He walks Sara over and raises a hand in greeting as they approach. Once in comfortable conversation range, he greets his brother with a smile and a "Heya Jason, glad you could make it. I'd like you to meet Sara, she's a detective with the NYPD. Sara, my brother Jason." He looks relaxed, not even bothering to glance at the drink in Jason's hand.. he's close enough and it's society.

When Damian speaks up, he grins and adds, "Ah, well, that works nicely, both in one place. Sara, this would be my other brother Damian. Damian, this is Sara, my date. Glad you could make it too, wasn't sure if I'd see you."

Given that Jason was talking to Steph and Gwen, he's got a couple more people to greet and do the intro thing with as well. "Hi Steph, you look great! Thanks for coming today. Have I met your friend? I think I'd remember her if I did, but you know my head sometimes. Ladies, this is Sara. Sara, Stephanie, she's a friend."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
The mention of Coby Ward has Gwen turn her nose a bit. Maybe she has heard the rumors too. "Mmmm, yea. Might be more than just rumors too." she glares at the actor for a small while longer before her focus goes back to the party itself and all it's glamor. It's not something she's used to for certain! She waves one hand towards Jason, "Hello there. I am Gwen. Friend of Steph's." she introducing herself, faint smile to her lips.

"And I will go with you Steph. Need to drop mine as well." She moves to follow the other girl, eyes turning to Damian, "Hey. Damian Wayne, isn't it?" look, the Wayne's are famous. "Good to meet you." bit of a grin to her lips.

Then she spots something that calls her attention riiiight over. The dress from Sara. Specially as it has those touches she'd recognize ANYWHERE. And yes, she is a Janet Van Dyne fangirl. The woman did design her suit afterall! "Damn, that dress looks fantastic. I could recognize Janet's touch anywhere..."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz thinks... "No.. no I never thought to ask! I guess I could.. try to ask him now maybe.." She doesn't explain that any further. For all anyone knows she's planning on sending a text. Of course J'onn COULD be meditating and not answer. But for now she avoids the alcohol.

"I've never had a birthday celebration before. Have you? This reminds of a Christmas party but I don't see any trees.."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown doesn't leave yet to put the present away as Jason introduces himself to Gwen. "Yes, Gwen Stacy, this is Jason Todd. Gwen's a friend of mine from New York. She's going to Empire State up there," she says in introduction. "And this is Damian Wayne, the youngest of the four brothers. Damian, this is Gwen," she says.

Her eyes move over Damian's suit and she tells him, "You look awesome in that suit. Very striking." The youngest Wayne gets a smile from Stephanie, before her eyes drift up and over the crowd and spot Conner. She waves back to him, and makes a gesture as if she'll be back. "Let me go drop this off," she says, heading for the table holding gifts.

Stephanie puts the festive, blue and silver package down. A finger runs over the silver ribbon. It's silver with a lace pattern where the edges have an extra sparkle, and she probably won't admit how long she spent just picking out the wrapping paper. But the ribbon was perfect.

She turns to head back to Gwen and her friends, when she spots Dick and Sara entering. Her smile grows a little more as she sees the man. She's about to wave to him when her eyes fall on Sara. Not that the woman isn't striking in her own right. But in that JVD dress, she's a vision that draws eyes for more than being on the arm of the guest of honor and birthday boy. Stephanie's lips drop open for a moment before she closes them, turning to Gwen. "Yes. It really does look fantastic," she agrees, her tone quieter than before.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Although Sara doesn't know a single person here, save for Dick of course, and she doesn't seem to mind. As they make their way about the room, and Dick brings her up to Jason and she is introduced, her right and immediately extends to offer a handshake, "Nice to meet you Jason. Damian." Her hand would be offered to Damian next. "Pleasure to meet you both."

Now her attention goes to Stephanie and Gwen, a happy, bright smile on her face. Introductions could be fun, not nerve wracking at all, nope. Her hand extends to Stephanie first, "Nice to meet you Stephanie, any friend of Dick's is a friend of mine."

Despite Gwen not being formally introduced, Sara offers her hand to her as well and offers a polite, "Hello."

Jason Todd has posed:
"Yeah, me too," Jason offers to Damian with a small smirk. He picks up his martini when it is ready and takes another sip. He's much more of a beer kind of guy, but in Rome and all that. He adjusts his bowtie with a small grumble and nods to Gwen as she depart. He turns his head and spots Reed. He cannot help but grin a bit, his thoughts turning to Valeria, probably still asleep in the Red Cave. Shut up, it's a cool name. He raises a hand to wave to the man, and if he gets close enough he offers a greeting.

"Hey there, Reed. How's the fam?"

His attention finally moves to Dick and Sara, and he shakes the hand offered. "Hey there. Happy birthday, old man. We getting you a walker soon?"

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga, meanwhile, just continues to wander around. He eventually heads over towards the bar. Because hey, bar means drink! And he probably needs it to stay around this much.

    Of course, then he spots Reed and seems to think for a moment. Something makes him scrunch his face a little. Then he shakes his head, "Oh. I need to call Johnny sometime." He rubs the bridge of his nose, grumbling about agents and long road hours.

    He's definitely a stranger, if anything else, and waves at the bartender, "Um... what do you have? These types of parties are not my usual thing. I blame my agent."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner glances back at Megan, arching an eyebrow. "Really? Well, this is much more formal than most. I did celebrate my birthday a couple times. We decided it is January first, because, really, I don't think I have one in the normal sense." He shrugs and smiles. "But you know? We will make a big party for you next time. At the Roost or at college, whatever you want."

Did he heard someone from the ESU is here? Yes, Steph mentioned it. Small word, since both M'gann and Conner are going there.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha descends on the gathering around Dick, an already half-full glass in hand -- with a silent apology to the potted plant that absorbed most of the other half -- and a smile on her face. "Mr Grayson, good evening and happy birthday. The party seems lovely so far; I hope you're enjoying it?"

    She looks the others over with a look of polite interest that is vaguely reminiscent of Bruce's when he's putting out his 'wealthy idiot' persona. "I don't think I've met your friends; introduce us?"

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian shifts his eyes to Gwen and gives a slight smile. "Yes, that's me." He says, a small salute with his nice cup of tea. As Dick mentions he didn't think he'd see Damian, a light blush shades his olive skin. He didn't want to admit he wanted to be here because of Dick, but he liked two of his older brothers, at least the one he didn't like wasn't here. That pleased Damian like no tomorrow. "I...did not want to miss the party." He admitted in a low voice, before Sara offered her hand, and Damian accepted the handshake, his was firm, but not too firm, practiced meticulously, so that he could not crush someone's hand by reflex.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards walks over to the gift table and places his present among those already there. Though, one gift he does seem to hide deeper in the pile than the others. He smiles mission accomplished, hands in pockets.
    He sees Jason, and then the drink in the young man's hands and raises an eyebrow. "Is Val not keeping you up to date? Sue is still in Hong Kong, Johnny is working with the MET on a Russian Ballet company tour, Franklin is adjusting. Val is building a spaceship with the GIRLs. How are you?"

Stephanie Brown has posed:
As Dick and Sara come over, Stephanie pushes back to her face the smile that that she had before their entrance took her attention. Blue eyes gain some warm light as Dick pays her the compliment. "Thank you. You look great too. And happy birthday," she tells Dick, warm expression growing.

It seems to take Stephanie a moment but then she remembers she should be doing an introduction as well. "This is Gwen Stacy. A friend of mine from New York. Was kind enough to be my plus one tonight," Stephanie says, giving a grateful smile over to the other blond girl. "This is Dick Grayson, the birthday boy..."

Stephanie's attention turns to Sara then. "And so you're Sara," she says, holding that smile for the beautiful woman. "So very nice to meet you. I think I saw you on Tuesday, at the convention? Though I barely recognized you at first. Not that you didn't look nice then, but... wow. You really look... radiant tonight," Stephanie tells Sara.

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian shifts his eyes to Gwen and gives a slight smile. "Yes, that's me." He says, a small salute with his nice cup of tea. As Dick mentions he didn't think he'd see Damian, a light blush shades his olive skin. He didn't want to admit he wanted to be here because of Dick, but he liked two of his older brothers, at least the one he didn't like wasn't here. That pleased Damian like no tomorrow. "I...did not want to miss the party." He admitted in a low voice, before Sara offered her hand, and Damian accepted the handshake, his was firm, but not too firm, practiced meticulously, so that he could not crush someone's hand by reflex. "The pleasure is mine, miss." He said, another nicety he's learned to cope in social situations. He obviously wasn't a normal fifteen year old.

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason shakes his head at Reed and shrugs a shoulder. "We don't talk about you guys much." He takes another sip of his martini. "But your daughter and I are usually pretty busy, so..." He trails off and looks to Natasha. "Hey. I'm Jason. Dick's much cooler brother." The muscled young man is dressed in a rented tux, and sipping a martini as he lounges against the bar.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Great to meet you all." Gwen says with a radian smile to the gathered, inclining her head in a greeting, "And happy birthday of course, Mr. Grayson." the gift has already been stashed away when Stephanie went to place her own on the place for them so she is hands-free to shake Sara's when it's offered. "Fantastic dress by the way. I am ..., quite the fan of Janet's." she admits with a slight blush coming to her features.

One of her few friends in days long gone.

"And yes, I find myself once again back in Gotham.." a look towards Stephanie. "She has a way to bring me over to the gloom.." then she looking up at the open sky. "Even if today it looks quite good. The company helps of course."

Another look over as she tries to recognize other familiar faces at the gathering. "Reed Richards is here too.." she comments to Gwen, "Which only means Sue should be as well." ah yes, another one of her favorite heroines.

This was going to turn into a fine night apparently.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Introductions complete, Sara took a moment with each to observe the person she was being introduced to. Some habits were hard to let go of, and being a detective meant being watchful. Jason didn't want to be here, that was evident. Damian did, but didn't, good brother to come. Gwen was indifferent but happy and then there was Stephanie. Every signal off that one was an alarm bell ringing in Sara's head. Time to do some tests.

"Thank you Stephanie," she offers with a hint of a blush and smile. "To be honest, when Dick said he was going to buy me a new outfit, I never thought it would be something as amazing at this. I just hope I do this outfit justice, an original Janet van Dyne." Her arm is still hooked with Dick's, but she takes a moment to lay her other hand on his arm and look over at him with a smile. "He's really a fantastic guy, I'm so lucky to have met him."

Susan Richards has posed:
     With little warning, there is the hint of a warm, familiar presence right behind Reed, and a soft, slender pair of hands covering his eyes. "Apparently, not everyone is up to date," Susan purrs into his ear, having caught the last bit of his words to Jason. She chuckles softly, eyes twinkling with mischief--it was a delight when she could pull one over on her husband.

     Glancing over to Jason, she offers a nod of greeting, keeping her lips curled upwards in a cordial smile befitting the event. "Jason, a pleasure. I trust you're well?" The look in her light blue eyes, however, is one of a mother bear barely on the leash. It's the steely gaze of 'you had better be treating my little girl right'.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz seems to be focusing on the wall momentarily, as if she doesn't hear Conner at first. Then she turns to him and says quietly, "I just asked J'onn.. he says that I can shift my molecular form to be.. completely human if I want to see what this feels like. I.. think I will try it."

She points at a random drink, it's 100 proof bourbon, "Bar.. tender? I would like to have some of that please!" The glass is poured and Megan sniffs it, takes a small drink, and winces, "Well that is.. interesting." The warm glow coming over her feels nice though..

"I feel.. warm."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick Grayson turns to Natasha with a friendly smile, "Thank you, Miss Cranston, and I appreciate your coming, always a pleasure to see you at our events. This would be Sara" as he indicates the lovely woman on his arm, "Then my brothers Jason and Damian, my friend Stephanie and apparently her friend Gwen." At that, he returns his attention to Gwen, "Nice to meet you by the way, any friend of Stephanie's is quite welcome."

As Reed speaks to Jason, he turns to the older man and offers his hand, "Reed, glad you could make it, it's been a while." Looking at Sara, he makes further introduction, "Sara, this is Doctor Reed Richards, a friend of the family and probably the main reason I actually passed my science classes. Reed, Sara Pezzini, NYPD and my date for the evening." As Susan slips up on Reed, he grins and adds, "Susan, how lovely, Reed was just saying you were in Hong Kong. Sara, Doctor Susan Richards."

Jason Todd has posed:
Jason doesn't seem very intimidated in the presence of Reed. But when Sue appears he straightens a bit. He has a...complicated history with moms. Best not to go into. He glances down into his martini, and then back up again. "Mrs. Richards. It's good to see you. Yeah, I'm doing great. How are you?" He clears his throat and lifts his drink for another sip, this one longer.

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga glances up at 'Mrs. Richards' from his glass of something that he can't even pronounce. He looks over at Reed and Susan, then huhs and shakes his head.

    Then he realizes something and moves over that way, "Ah, excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Richards? Would you be related to a Johnny Storm? My apologies for asking, but I am still getting familiar with this side of the world."

    He does his best to have a pleasant smile at least.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
So many people, so many faces, but Sara makes sure to offer as much attention to each as she can before the next rapid fire introduction is made. Despite the stress of a social setting she's never been in, she is actually having a great deal of fun.

As the new introductions are given, her hand is offered first to Natasha, "Nice to meet you Miss Cranston." The cluster is growing, there was no way to offer her hand any more so she waves. "Dr. Richards,"a nod to Reed. "Dr. Richards." another nod to Sue. "A pleasure to meet you both."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards grins and smiles, " One of the few times I am pleased to be called out on it so publicly." He chuckles and takes Dick's hand firmly, "It has, too long. Lovely to meet you Detective Pezzini. " He takes her hand in turn, and then turns back to hug and kiss his wife as is only proper. "Thank goodness, you are my better half as always." Then to Koga, "Hmm, He's our brother."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner looks vaguely alarmed when Megan goes straight for bourbon. "Maybe Cider would be better," he suggests, too late. Oh, uh. He orders a pina colada for himself, keeping an eye on M'gann. "Warm? That is alcohol making blood vessels dilate and opening pores. Don't let you go into your brain, though. Losing control of your abilities here could be... well, not very good."

This was such a Bart thing to do! He didn't expect it from M'gann.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz looks at the glass, "Could it.. really do that?" Looking around she sees people laughing, talking, even flirting, "I.. I see." She takes another small sip and the feeling grows just a tad bit, "It does have a growing effect depending on the volume taken in. I will keep that in mind."

She decides to hold the drink and take occasional sips at this point. There's no telling what a drunk martian, especially a young one, would be like in a room full of people. She turns to Conner again, "I guess this would be a nice opportunity to meet new people right? Tim's family is pretty big.."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Once introductions had been finished, Damian emptied his cup, and hopped off the barstool he'd been sitting on. He wandered around a bit, hands in his pockets, after buttoning his jacket. There were plenty of places to get lost in on the Lady Lovelace. And hopefully a place to sit and enjoy a bit of relative quiet.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney sneaks up sneakily behind Conner and M'gann. Which is to say she just walks up normally while watching the testing of bourbon with a faintly amused expression. "You know, that's not a great one to start out with if you're affected by alcohol. It's a bit strong and tastes like swallowing a lit match." Such helpful advice is offered as she peers between the two trying not to seem like a busy body.

Gwen Stacy has posed:
With introductions out of the way Gwen pats Stephanie on the shoulder, "I think I just spotted a few acquaintances. But you are in good hands here." a wink to the other blonde and she takes a step to the side with a slight nod to the group she was with. She makes her way closer to where the bar is, waving one hand at both Conner and then M'gann. "Haven't I seen you guys at ESU a few times already?" she inquires, eyes going from one to the other.

"And already hitting on the bourbon, mmm?" She asks of M'gann's 'study' of earthly drinks. "I am Gwen. Gwen Stacy by the way." a nod also given to Gabby as she is close enough, a polite one.

A look to the bar and she asks the bartender, "A soda for me, please."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown greets Natasha Cranston as Dick introduces the woman. "Hello Ms. Cranston. I believe I saw you at Gotham U's Winter Festival," Stephanie says to her. "That was actually on my birthday." And a number of the same people were there, including Gwen and Jason. And a very, very surprise appearance by Bruce Wayne himself.

A band starts playing music for dancing, keeping the music at a volume that is a nice mix of providing for dancers while not drowning out other conversations.

Stephanie glances around the party, her eyes pausing twice in particular. One it is on Koga, and one of Stephanie's brows goes up slightly as if she's curious, or perhaps trying to place his face. When her glance continues, the same thing happens with Gabby Kinney. Though in Gabby's case, it only lasts for a second before Stephanie reacts as if she found the answer to her own question. When she catches Gabby's eye, she raises a hand to wave over towards her.

As Sara starts to talk to Stephanie, it draws her attention back to those around her and to the other woman more specifically. "An original creation? Wow. That -is- quite the gift," Stephanie tells Sara. She sees Sara's expression for Dick, and the other hand that moves to rest on his arm. "He really is a great guy," Stephanie agrees, eyes going to Dick with a soft smile as she says it, then looking back to Sara. "You look, you look really nice together," Stephanie says, pushing the friendly smile out for the other woman. Her eyes flit to both of Sara'a hands resting on Dick's arm, and then she looks away again.

Gwen's comment comes just then, giving Stephanie something to focus towards. "Get a drink," she tells Gwen, waving her on.

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha nods at each name and shakes hands. "Detective Pezzini, a pleasure. Mr. Todd, Mr, Wayne, congratulations on your brother's birthday. Stephanie, Gwen, pleased to meet you..."

    As Reed - and a moment later, Sue - make their entrances, her smile widens. "Professor Richards; Doctor Storm-Richards. Good evening indeed. I hope you're enjoying the party?"

Susan Richards has posed:
     Susan smiles warmly, enfolded for a moment in her husband's embrace, and returning his kiss in full measure. "I was able to finish up in Hong Kong a little bit early. It feels good getting into the business side of things again, but this time I'm glad that it runs so well otherwise."

     Remaining against Reed's side, Susan smiles, offering her hand to the birthday boy. "Richard, a pleasure to see you. Happy Birthday, and may you have many more in good health and happiness." Sara is offered a cordial smile and her hand as well. "A pleasure to meet you as well."

     As she turns her gaze back to Jason, her smile remains, but again, there is that subtle hint of mother bear in her presence. Would anybody ever be good enough for her little girl? "Very well myself, thank you. It was a bit of a flight back, but worth it to be home."

     A slightly less-than-familiar voice uttering a very familiar name captures her attention. She lifts her head a bit, glancing around for the source. Her eyes light upon Koga, and she smiles over at him. "Why, yes. Johnny's my brother."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner nods in agreement. "Actually he has no blood family anymore. But he was adopted by Bruce Wayne, a superrich orphan himself. And now he has a few brothers. I only know Dick, though," explaining the Wayne family might require more time than the party will allow them.

"I know Steph..." he gestures to the blonde. "But you met her too, back when Tim invited a few friends for the Saturday movies night." And..." Gabby sneaks in. The Kinneys are so sneaky! "Oh, hey. Speaking of people at that meeting. How goes? Gabby, yes?"

And then Gwen. Which makes him blink a few times, fumbling to try to remember her name. But then she herself provides it. "Oh, yes. I think we were in the writing class last semester. Fancy meeting you here, Gwen." He offers a smile and no explanation why two Sophomores (if that) are drinking alcohol here. No one asked for their (fake) id cards!

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara gives Dick's arm a light tap, as she says softly, "Hey Dick, care to get something to drink? It's your birthday after all, and you aren't getting to actually party yet."

Nothing Stephanie does or says is missed, test complete she offers the woman a smile. "It was a giant stress ball going to see Ms. van Dyne. If you ever go, I strongly urge you to have one drink of something strong so you can be relaxed through the show that is going to her office. Also, if you don't know all the current fashion codes, learn them or look like a deer in headlights like I did." Another smile is offered to Stephanie, genuine and real.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz blinks, "O-oh.. that's what he meant by brothers.." Silly M'gann does the awkward again! She smiles at Gwen, "Yes I do remember seeing you around a few times. Have you tried bourbon before then? It does have an.. odd taste. But in small amounts it's really not so bad!" She laughs nervously, probably appearing a bit more intoxicated than she actually is. She's just not all that skilled at talking to multiple people at once.

She turns to Gabby next, "Oh! I don't think we've met before.. have we? I'm Megan!" She extends her free hand just like she's seen other people do when meeting someone for the first time.

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga smiles, "Oh, good. Did he happen to come to this party as well? I have unfortunately been busy, and I meant to call him sometime. I am Koga Miura."

    The mention of Hong Kong has him raising an eyebrow, "Hong Kong? I did a race there once. Very busy city. The sights were wonderful. I recall an excellent Buddhist temple on the outskirts, and they had some interesting vehicles on the streets. That was an enjoyable experience for myself at least."

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"That's right." Gwen replies when Conner gets her name right. A roll of her eyes. "And yes, the writing class. Don't even tell me. I absorbed nothing of course." which meant she had a *lot* of trouble writing up her reports. She lets out a sigh. "Clearly not my vocation.." with her soda being served she takes a drink, certainly not appearing to care about people who might be perhaps too young to drink. She is not the police!

"I have tried it." She admits to M'gann with a faint grin, "And yep, I fully agree with your assessment." she says, taking a drink from her very normal club soda. "Not sure it's what I'd choose to open up the evening with though." a small laugh escaping her lips.

"You all know Mr. Grayson?" She then asks, looking curiously between the other trio.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney grins brightly in a way that would appear unnerving on her older sister. For her it was just par for the course. "Yeah, it was for that movie, right? Sorry I fell asleep. I guess I was more tired than I thought." At least that was the fuzzy memory she had of it... it slips away even as she tries to pin down more details to that night in her mind. Fuzzy. A quick shake of her head comes as she refocuses on the moment. Her eyes skim past toward Stephanie, and Gwen who she also greets with a grin. "Hi! I'm Gabby. Laura's sister... She couldn't make it so I stopped by to drop off a present," she explains gesturing toward the stack. "I promise it's not poisoned." She knew for certain too--That stack of gourmet cookies had at least one missing that she had tested to ensure it wasn't. By eating it.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown looks over to Dick again and nods her agreement with Sara. "Yes, if anyone deserves to cut loose tonight it's you," she tells him, giving the birthday boy a soft smile before Stephanie turns back to Sara to hear about the dress fitting.

"I don't know that's too likely," Stephanie says of the likelihood of her getting a fitting from Janet van Dyne. Or heck, even just meeting the Avenger and socialite. "But good advice to know," she says.

Stephanie looks down at her own dress. It's actually rather nice and stylish, if far short of a JVD. "I had this from someone I dated awhile back, bought it for me to go to a fancy event. I know what you mean though. Just going to the boutiques he shopped at was such an experience," she says. Stephanie's expression is a sad smile, as if resulting from the mix of good memories, and whatever ones there are that led to them no longer seeing each other.

"I should go over and say hello, I spotted a few friends of Dick's brother I haven't seen in a while," she tells Sara and Dick, with a nod of her head towards Gabby, Conner and M'gann. "Really nice to meet you Sara. I imagine having you here is probably about the best birthday present Dick could hope for," Stephanie says earnestly, and giving Sara a genuine smile at that too. "Happy birthday, Dick," she tells him before moving away through the small crowd, heading over to the other group.

"Conner, um... it's Gabby right? And..." Stephanie pauses. "I'm sorry," she says to M'gann. "I'm blanking on your name." Might have something to do with M'gann having fuzzed Stephanie's memories from that night.

Dick Grayson has posed:
He nods to Sara, "You're right, of course. Fortunately, we're basically standing at the bar, so that's easily remedied." He gestures to the bartender "A martini will do, thanks" and also urges Sara towards the man to order herself something as well. As Steph speaks he smiles and tells her, "Please, enjoy yourself, not like I expect people to dance attendance on me all night. Rather prefer not being in the spotlight the whole time, not that I can avoid it at my own party, I guess."

He glances to Koga as the man addresses the Richards, noting his appearance and name, and also that the man seems a little out of place an uncomfortable. Switching to Japanese, he greets the racer, "Welcome to Gotham, I'm glad you could make it. What sort of vehicles do you race?"

Conner Kent has posed:
"It wasn't that bad," comments Conner. About the writing class. But the teacher was boring and he can't remember her name anymore. "Okay, maybe it was that bad," he decides after a second of consideration.

He grins and sips from his drink. "I met Grayson through his brother, which I have known since before they became brothers. Timothy Drake. Shame he is not here today." Maybe he will let Gwen think Megan is his +1, because explaining why M'gann knows Dick is a bit complicated. 'Parental figures work together' won't work very well, since Wayne is just a lazy billionaire.

And then Steph steps in, maybe saving them from some awkwardness. "Steph, hello. Looking good. Megan, she is Megan. I met her in college and then we found out we had common friends."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz smiles at Gabby, "Oh.. yes I remember now. The movie!" She quickly changes the subject, definitely don't want to pick at memories, "Oh you bake cookies too?! I put mine on that counter with the food. They're on a plate now.  I'd be happy to try one of yours!"

When Stephanie can't remember her she laughs nervously again, "Right.. I'm not the most memorable person.." She doesn't realize the irony of her words yet, "I'm Megan! I think I've seen you before. You know Tim right?"

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara gives Dick's arm another pat before she looks to the bartender, "Been a while since I drank anything, but it's a party so how about White Russian?" She looks back to Dick and chuckles, "So does that mean there's a chance of getting you to dance before the night is out?"

As Dick's attention shifts to Koga, she turns her eyes to the man as well. She doesn't speak Japanese, but she recognizes it.

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards smiles and casually strokes his wifes back. "You did a fantastic job, completed three weeks ahead of schedule." He looks at Sue taking her in, and nuzzles against her ear "You must be exhausted, should we relax and let the kids enjoy the day?"

Gwen Stacy has posed:
"Steph, you know everyone." Gwen notes when the other girl joins in and apparently knows that group as well, she grinning at the other blonde. "They are going to ESU too, we have had a few classes together." she explains, gesturing towards Conner.

But then she takes a brief step back and leans her hip against the side of the counter, "My classes are starting to focus more on what I want to study, which is Genetics. So I am guessing I will be seeing less of you guys in common classes." she notes to Megan and Conner. "What are you guys even studying?"

She drains the rest of her soda, setting the empty glass on the counter.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown sees a waiter going past with a tray of drinks. "Oh, those look good," she says. The glass has a blueish liquid, and there is some fruit in it including a cherry floating on the top. He passes one over to her. With the place being rented out fully, plus having rooms for people to stay, the bartenders and waiters aren't worrying about carding anyone it seems.

She takes the glass and grins as she turns back to the others she's near, taking a sip of it. "Oh, Gwen, you already have met?" she asks with a smile. "Good. And yes, Megan, Tim and I met when we were in high school. Different schools. But, anyway. Yes, the movie night. I think I ended up falling asleep, that whole night is a bit of a blur for me," Stephanie says with a little shake of her head.

She takes a sip of her drink and then chuckles warmly towards Gwen. "Pretty much everyone I know here is through Tim. He's the connected one," she assures her friend. Stephanie turns her attention to Gabby. "How have you been, Gabby? Are you looking forward to the school year being done and summer vacation to start? Just a couple more months now."

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga looks surprised before looking over at Dick. He switches to Japanese as well, "Thank you for the welcome. I race cars and motorcycles usually."

    He looks around, then at Dick, before switching back to English, "Ah, perhaps English would be better in this case? My apologies, I did not catch your name?"

    Total foreigner if he doesn't know the birthday boy. Or someone forgot to show him a photo or something for it.

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney gives a little shake of her head in response to the question of cooking. "Kind of. I mean I *tried* but after the second fire I set they banned me from the kitchen, so I bought some. It's kind of cheating I guess." Still. Cookies. Her eyes skim over to where M'gann had pointed with obvious curiosity piqued. A slight shake of her head comes again to refocus her thoughts as she was, clearly, easily distracted. She looked a good deal younger than the group around her even though she had gone with makeup in an effort to... not. Grinning toward Steph's questions she can only shrug. "I guess so. I'm still getting used to this whole school schedule thing to begin with. It's waaaay different than home schooling." When the waiter passes by she too reaches for a drink. "Ooh, cherries!" Was that alcoholic though?

Natasha Cranston has posed:
    Natasha smiles at Dick again before expertly snatching a fresh glass off the tray of a passing waiter. "But I shouldn't keep you longer. Do give my regards to your father next you see him..."

    And with that, she turns and saunters off, almost as abruptly as she showed up.

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner nods at Gwen, "I guess so, as I am aiming at a journalist major. Although still need a lot of credits and I could easily change it. Politics... maybe."

Lets not talk about that sleepy movie night anymore, yeah. Poor M'gann, acting for Tim's hurried damage control. They don't invite 'civilians' to Saturday movie nights anymore.

He never asked what was Megan's goal in college, but now he is curious.

Susan Richards has posed:
     "Oh, nonsense. I'm quite alright," Susan replies, leaning in against Reed. "Although if you could point me towards the gifts table, I'd at least like to leave Richard his gift." Indeed, from within her coat, she pulls out a box wrapped in an indigo blue furoshiki cloth, with sashiko embroidery in an elegant eight-point star pattern. "I'd have been here sooner if I hadn't stopped over in Tokyo to find Richard his birthday present."

Reed Richards has posed:
Reed Richards smirks and place his forehead against his wife's, chuckling, "I got him something as well, you are always so considerate." He smiles and guides Susan to the gift table and then on the dance floor. The mature couple slipping into each other gracefully and dancing with the casual ease of long experience and familiarity.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz hmmms at Gwen, "Well I've been taking a lot of culinary classes actually. I am thinking about becoming a cook.. maybe have my own restaurant one day!" She doesn't comment on movie night anymore though.

Instead she turns back to Gabby, "Oh that's okay! Sometimes I get too excited when I'm cooking and.. make a mess.. or burn something..."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick switches back to English with a nod, "Of course, easier for everyone else. I'm a fan of motorcycles myself, have a few nice ones. Richard Grayson, pleasure to meet you. So you're a friend of Johnny, then? Please, enjoy youself at the party." He nods to the small knot of people he's been speaking with, "Must circulate a little, you know how it is. Please, have a good evening." He links arms with Sara again and moves into the crowd, greeting the occasional person he's seen at one or another society event.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Up on stage, the band finishes a song and a hired MC steps out. She's a well known DJ, Vesper Fairchild, and has been running music in one of the other spots on the ship. Some spotlights turn on to illuminate her, helping to draw people's attention as the conversations start to quiet.

"The Wayne family would like to thank everyone for coming out tonight," she says into the microphone. "To celebrate Dick Grayson's 27th birthday." Another spotlight comes on, picking Dick out of the crowd and lighting him up. "Now I've been handed a few comments to make. Embarrassing stories from his past that the family wanted me to share," she says, holding up what looks like a scroll of paper.

She holds onto the end and the rest falls from her hand, unraveling, and unraveling. Hitting the floor and rolling across it. People being to chuckle at the length of it. Vesper looks to Dick and says, "I'll find you later, Mr. Grayson, and we can discuss my payment for not reading this," she says, drawing more laughter as she discards the scroll of paper.

Some of the waiters roll in a large birthday cake. It's three layers tall, with "Happy 27th Dick Grayson" on the top in frosting. There's a candle for each year, already burning as they roll it over to Dick. "And there's a song appropriate for the moment. I think you all know it," Vesper says. She turns to the band who strike up a rousing version of the happy birthday song, the audience joining in. "I hope you've got some good lungs, that's a lot of candles. Make your wish," she tells Dick when the singing ends.

Stephanie joins in, singing loudly during the birthday song.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara extends her hand to Koga now, a smile on her face, "Pleasure to meet you Koga, I'm Sara Pezzini, New York city detective." Once the hand is shook, or ignored, it goes back around Dick's arm. "I enjoy riding motorcycles, but I don't think I'm enough of a dare devil to race them."

As the spotlight hits Dick, and thus herself she blinks and slips a cordial smile in place. Her hand tightens a little on Dick's arm, not that it can be seen but he can feel it. She joins in singing the birthday song, adding at the end, "And many moooore!" before kissing him lightly on the cheek. "Happy Birthday, Dick."

Gabby Kinney has posed:
Gabby Kinney pops the cherry of the drink into her mouth to chew on right before tipping the blue concoction back for a large gulp. It's upon this gulp she realizes her mistake as her face scrunches a little. Okay it did taste pretty good. Enough so that she takes another sip before reluctantly passing the half-emptied glass back to the waiter. "Wasn't supposed to drink that," she mutters quietly to herself. Thankfully there's enough of a distraction when the cake rolls out, and the birthday songs are sung, that she manages to sneak away before anyone can start asking questions like 'why aren't you drunk?'

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz watches as the DJ comes out and smiles big as Dick Grayson's birthday is officially announced. But she's soon watching in horror as the spotlight moves to single Dick out in front.. of.. everyone.. and then the entire room sings happy birthday. Her eyes are wide as she talks to the little group near her, "I would pass out.." She says matter of factly.. and then, "I.. would.. totally.. faint.."

She takes a small sip of her bourbon and calms down a bit, "Sorry.. all I could think about is how I do not want that to happen when it's my turn for a birthday party.."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick is used to being in the spotlight, as it were, although this is a bit more literal than most of the time. You can't even tell how much he actually hates it, the easy smile never flickering for a second. He waves to the crowd as he is called out, and laughs appropriately at Vesper's joke, giving a thumbs up at the payment comment. As the strains of Happy Birthday start up, he slips his arm around Sara's waist and waits for the song to complete before taking a couple of deep breaths and blowing out the candles.

He does manage it in one go, as is correct birthday etiquette and turns to Sara afterward, giving her a little kiss before waving to the crowd. A waiter hands him a mike, and he addresses the crowd, "Thank you all, I appreciate all of you taking the time to be here today. Vesper, we'll talk about burning that list later, see me over by the bar." Another look over the crowd, and he adds, "Please, enjoy yourselves, we've got two bands and DJ Vesper all going in different venues, so you can doubtless find music you like, the buffets are open and anyone who likes can see one of the staff for a room key if you wish to, or need to, spend the night rather than travel, we've got the whole ship. Again, thank you all for your good wishes and company!"

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga smiles, shaking hands, "Happy birthday, Mr. Grayson. And nice to meet you as well, Detective." He smiles, then shakes his head a bit as he steps back to avoid the spotlight.

    He does join in the birthday singing at least. Laughing a bit at the embarrassing stories aspect. Afterwards, he starts to move around to mingle a little. Perhaps looking for someone to dance with, but otherwise. Well, Koga is back to being slightly lost now.

    The racer does look considerate, humming a bit. And he doesn't look too sure on who to approach at the moment. The comment from M'gann has Koga at least interested as he overhears. "Ah, it is something that you get used to." He says towards M'gann. "There are still embarassing moments, but well... you get the idea. My apologies, I could not help but hear abut the fainting."

Conner Kent has posed:
Conner didn't even know cooking was a thing at college. That bears more questions. But then the DJ calls for attention and he ends up joining the singing and cheering instead.

"It is no biggie, Megan," he offers after some silence returns. "Most birthday parties are just a few friends gathering together. Also, you get to decide who and where."

Damian Wayne has posed:
     Damian had come back at least for the cake, not that he would indulge in a piece, but he understood the importance of being there.

  He sang along, even if he didn't quite know the complete words, the birthday song in Arabic is a very different song.

  He was close to the stage for it though, clapping his hands afterward for a cheer for the birthday boy. He was starting to get accustomed to the public type of life the Waynes had around Gotham. Yes, there was the mayor, and other known families, but the Waynes had long been the Kennedy-esque Camelot of the 60's in Gotham.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The waiters begin cutting the cake and plating it, and soon other servers are moving through the crowd carrying trays. Distributing plates of cake to those who wish it, and also they have bowls of gourmet ice cream.

The Moon is out tonight, low in the sky so its reflection is a silver streak across the water. As the spotlights on Dick and on the stage are doused, instead some lights along just the ocean-side railing of the ship light up.

Further out at sea a barge is floating, an on cue a few soft 'thumps' can be heard across the water. Fireworks blossom in the sky a moment later. Crackling streamers of red, yellow and orange. Glowing white pyrotechnic blossoms with smaller explosions of blow from the middle, each finally bursting into pinwheels of light that scatter in all directions.

The fireworks display is a beautiful one, many of the crowd drifting over to that side of the ship to watch it better. Stephanie Brown sips her drink as she watches it. She can't help but get a soft smile at seeing the lengths gone to for the birthday. It's like those strings of light in the sky are punctuation marks on the differences between what she's known, and this family that has embraced her the last year. She looks over to Dick, smiling softly at the celebration in his honor. Stephanie's eyes go to the woman at Dick's side before she looks down at her drink, getting a bite of pineapple floating on the top. She eats it, and then takes a long drink from the rum and vodka beverage.

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz sighs in relief at Conner's and Koga's words and starts clapping, "That's... quite a relief actually. I thought all birthdays were like this!" The fireworks display makes her forget about her anxiety. She even sets her drink down and walks to the railing.

"I don't think I'll need any more of that drink.. looks like birthday parties aren't all that nervewracking after all." She does glance at Koga again, "I don't think we've met before.. I'm Megan!" She extends a hand.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
For the first time, Sara actually urges Dick to move to the side of the ship with the fireworks. For the most part she followed his lead, but when it came to fireworks, he was going to watch or get drug there to watch cause she wanted to see them.

"You truly go all out," she comments to Dick, watching the blossoms in the sky of color before she adds, "But I know the truth," she looks to Dick, leaning to kiss his cheek lightly and speaking softly in his ear low enough that only the closet people might have even a slight chance of hearing. "You hate all of this."

Dick Grayson has posed:
Dick shrugs slightly and replies to Sara just as quietly, "It's expected. But yeah, not really my thing. I like a party, but I could do without the spotlight." He keeps his arm around her waist as they watch the fireworks, which he does actually enjoy. Afterwards, he leads her back into the society crowd, donning his polite yet warm smile as armor as he greets politicians, businessmen and general social hangers-on of all types.

He makes an appearance at each of the music venues, making sure to do all the expected rounds, even finding some time to dance with Sara a couple of times, as well as the expected passing her off as various society matron take their turns with him, making inconsequential small talk. When she's in sight, he looks over at Steph with a bit of an expression like he wishes he could hang with her younger crowd.. they seem more fun. But it's his party, and proper society manners are ingrained by now.

Sara Pezzini has posed:
Sara adjusts easily to being 'parked' so Dick can do what he has to. She may not fully understand this level of society, or the requirements of it, but she's open minded enough to accept that some things are for appearances if nothing else.

As the night moves on, she finishes the White Russian, then has to try one of the blue drinks that were floating around, rather enjoying it's flavor, and the music, and getting those little moments with Dick that she can. He looked good, the mask he wore at these events was flawless, absolutely flawless. She had no idea how he maintained it through all the pomp and circumstance.

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga smiles, "My name is Koga." He says towards Megan. "It is a pleasure, Megan. And you are?" He looks to Conner, at least waiting for an introduction possibly.

    Then his own attention is drawn to the fireworks. He doesn't cheer or anything, but it is obvious that he likes them at least from the smile on his face.

    Well, that certainly made it worth it so far from the looks. He wonders a bit at something and starts to look around for the birthday boy again. After all, he knows how uncomfortable these events can be at times.

Stephanie Brown has posed:
The fireworks eventually come to an end and Stephanie turns back to Gwen, Conner and Megan. "I think I got a sparkler once," she says in a tone as if she's joking. Though if Megan is at all aware of the thoughts of others around her at the time, she might pick up on some emotions from Stephanie that suggest there's some truth to the joke.

Stephanie motions towards Koga. "If you guys will excuse me a moment, someone I need to talk to," she tells them. And then she makes her way over to him. When she can speak to him without interrupting, Stephanie says, "Pardon me, but you're Koga Miura, aren't you?" If she gets a confirmation, Stephanie smiles. "My, well a friend, and I were planning on racing in the Extreme Cup series when it comes back through this part of the country. I understand you've raced in it before," she says. The racing series itself is an underground thing, and rather rough at that. It makes the kind of contact in NASCAR look like child's play and the cars tend to take a beating.

Conner Kent has posed:
"Hello, I am Conner," replies the young man to Koga's question. He was distracted by the fireworks. That is his excuse. Then he grins at Megan again. "They are not... I mean, this thing seems more a city-wide social gathering for business and political reasons. Birthday parties are to have fun with friends. I hope Dick gets a private one after this... thing."

M'gann M'orzz has posed:
M'gann M'orzz nods again, "I.. see." She stares at the fireworks for a moment longer, "But the fireworks I wouldn't mind too much." She smiles, "When's Tim's birthday again?"

Koga Miura has posed:
    Turning to look at Conner, a small smile is given, "He is right. Usually these are more private, but well... social and politics figure into something like this. I might go find him again. He mentioned a love of motorcycles, and I know how boring these are at times. Someone to talk to about a mutual interest could be fun."

    He looks around again, scanning the crowd a bit, but unable to see Dick at the moment. And well, then he is approached by Stephanie. The comment has him looking at her. "I am." He confirms.

    Then the type of race... he looks at her funny. "I can neither deny nor say I was in that, I hope you know. I have heard of it, however. It is not something to enter lightly." He frowns, looking at Stephanie, "So just who are you to want to enter that sort of race? The track and such are safer, and there are smaller races for newer people to get into the action, I am sure."

Stephanie Brown has posed:
Stephanie Brown replies to Koga, "Oh I'm sorry. My name is Stephanie. Stephanie Brown," and she offers him her hand in greeting. As she does, she finds herself wondering if Japanese people shake hands usually. Well, too late, she already put it out there.

She gives a tiny shrug of her shoulders then. "Oh, just a bit of a thrill seeker I guess, when it comes to something like that. My friend got to see the New York race. And knew I'd love getting into something like that. We've been working on cars to enter it since then," she says to him.

Stephanie glances around the party as they talk. She spots Dick and Sara out on the dance floor and it brings her a soft smile as she looks back to continue her conversation with Koga.

Dick Grayson has posed:
Finally, Dick has shaken all the hands, greeted all the people and danced with all the ladies who want to be seen with him. He's probabkly had a friendly word for everyone who showed up, and just generally plays proper host to a high society gathering, steering Sara through it all at his side, knowing that while may be going through the motions, she is just completely out of her comfort zone. He makes sure to take breaks where he just talks to her, steals a dance here and there, and makes sure she's as comfortable with the whole elaborate scene as he can make her. Finally, as things start to wind down and about half the guests have left, he quietly slips away with her. Quiet being something he's good at, very few people probably see them vanish into the ship and away from the party, which goes on through the night.

Koga Miura has posed:
    Koga looks at her thoughtfully, then shakes his head, "To be honest, my advice is don't enter. Even us thrill seekers at the top fear that one. The money isn't worth it, nor is the time it takes to fix up the cars afterwards. In most cases, those cars are totalled. At worst, they will never run the same again.""

    Koga looks out at the waters. "How did you hear my name as far as entering that monster?" Yep. He's not happy about that one. Not happy in the slightest. He takes a sip of his drink, which looks to be some sort of bourbon.

    Oh yes, Koga definitely looks unhappy about that sort of race. Very much so. If he did enter, well... bad experience. Very bad experience it looks like.