Owner Pose
Stephanie Brown The gathering for one of the Bird's own isn't at the Clocktower this time. Out of costume, out with civilians. Arrangements were made to meet up at Shooters, a well-known pool hall near Gotham University. While students make up the largest segment of the bar's normal crowd, on any given night you can see a range of different people there, from people in nearby offices going out after work, to professors or working class people from the area.

Stephanie Brown has rented out a pair of tables for the group and is sitting by them on a stool. A little sign on each is enough to cause other people in search of pool tables to move on. Though a pair of coed boys in search of something else have still lingered.

Stephanie gives them a smile. "Ah, thanks, but I'm good for drinks, and have some friends coming," she tells them. One of them give her a smile that would have made her lose all interest in him, if she had any. "Well, we could keep you company until they show up?"

Stephanie shakes her head. "Nah, but thanks. I need to check on their progress," she says, getting up to move away from them and pull out her phone. Just an excuse, and one that causes them to move on. Nearby Stephanie has a table staked out too, with a box for a cake on it, and also a wrapped gift.
Barbara Gordon Barbara is lingering in one of the corners, wearing a black denim jacket over a dark blue shirt, and black jeans. A pair of leather boots going up to mid-calf finish off her outfit, and she's got her red hair tied back in a bun on the back of her head, while her bangs are loose and dangling down around her browline. She's got a drink in front of her and her phone in her hand too, as she taps out some messages to tell folks where they are, and follow the news headlines as she ever is...

A glance is given to Steph, as Babs reaches forward to the black and silver gift she has wrapped on the standing-table beside her.
Harper Row The door opens and in comes Harper Row, trailed from behind by a pair of drones each of which have six pizzas stacked on top of them. "Oh-a-Mama-Mia, it's a-me, Harper-O! I a-come wit-a da pizza pies for de fancy lady birthday bash. Oh, no, that's starting to sound Jamaican, mon," she says.

She wears a Gotham Knights charcoal hoodie, jeans and sneakers, with her freshly dyed purple hair up in a topknot on her head like one of the little troll dolls.
Zatanna Zatara Phone in hand, Zee stands in the entrance. A flash of red hair pulls her toward the back of the room where tables have been staked out. The magician seldom goes out in her iconic costume, preferring street clothes - a vintage leather jacket over a black turtle neck and black jeans and ankle high boots.

After a wave to Stpehanie, smiling she settles in next to Babs and puts an envelope next to the black and silver package that Oracle reaches for.
Kate Kane Kate's fine. Kate is fine and easy breezy and has not been spending the past day very carefully /not/ panicking about her birthday party. Nope, she's been totally calm and composed and normal.

And that's why when she comes through the door, wearing a slinky, stylish black dress and pumps, she looks _so totally comfortable you wouldn't even believe it._

Her eyes are definitely sweeping the bar for exits and potential threats, and not because she's cataloging her friends who are in attendance as she holds the door open for the person behind her.

Despite all appearances, Kate is not hoping for a runaway train or a prison riot or... space aliens? Come on, they've got to be due for space alien invasion again, that'll break the tension.

She clears her throat and mutters out softly to whomever she's escorting in, "Well, this is it..."

This all seemed so much easier when she was discussing it with her guest a couple of days ago.
Pamela Isley Beside Kate, Poison Ivy looks a great deal more at ease. Nothing can plush the Goddess of Nature, unless there's a toxic waste dump or buldozer in here, so she strolls easily on Kate's arm with a raised brow and a quirked smirk.

Her red hair is pulled back into an elegant(ish) bun and she's wearing something considerably more appropriate than her usual attire for this outting. Though still within her natural aesthetics, the dress she wears is composed entirely of thin vines and leaves that adjusts around her voluptuous figure with a grace all its own.

"You'll be fine, dear." Patting a slender fingered hand against the birthday girl's, answering to some question or concern she'd not voiced. "It is... this. It is definitely this.." Eyes meanduring from behind the lense of square framed black glasses. "Where are your friends?"
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli enters within a few minutes of the set time, glancing about the bar. Seeing the Murderer's Row of gorgeous women in the back, it's really no wonder that the regulars are trying to find any way to get into their gathering now is it?

A little amused smirk curls on her lips as she sees the glances from the various other parts of the bar and she makes her way back toward the other Birds. She's come straight from the highschool and work, dressed in a gray silk blouse, black straight legged dress pants with modestly heeled pumps. Gotham being Gotham, she wears her own leather jacket. Maybe it's a jacket club gathering tonight?

Standing out from her attire is an aluminum and composite black briefcase complete with a sparkling gold ribbon around the handle. Setting the case on the table with the other gifts, she smiles, "Hello ladies! And the birthday girl herself. Happy birthday Kate!"
Rave Subtle and 'out of costume' wasn't really something Rave could do well, her metahuman genes expressing themselves in her neon-bluenette locks...but it probably did help that she actually -was- a student to make things a little less suspicious. At least she could try and keep the glowing to a minimum!

Pushing through the door at normal human speeds, it wasn't lost on the speedster that she seemed to be the last one to arrive, but that she'd been invited was still exciting to the young heroine.

Her usual club attire or running gear had actually been swapped out for something a little more 'fancy': her form wrapped in a dark blue backless dress that came down to just past her knees and a pair of heels. Seems the new girl was trying to make a good impression!

Craddled in her arms, a small wrapped box in black paper announced her gift to Kate.

"Hey!" she calls as she moves to the table and the gathering of faces, "Sorry I'm late!"
Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown is dressed pretty simply in a pair of black pants and a snug fitting long-sleeved blue top, the color somewhere near to that of the blond coed's eyes. Those eyes light up a bit as she sees familiar faces coming over. Ivy's dress definitely get a look, if not quite the stare of appreciation and more that it gets from some others in the bar.

"Hey guys," Stephanie says, making it a group greeting as she stuffs her phone into her back pocket. "And we have a birthday girl," she says with a grin towards Kate Kane. "I've got a pitcher of margaritas over there for anyone who wants them. Or we can order something else if those don't sound good tonight," she offers.

Harper get a hand on her shoulder and a quick, good-natured squeeze. "Zatanna, always great to see you gracing Gotham," she tells the magi. Stephanie grabs a cup then, seeing if Helena wants a margarita, and pouring her one if so.
Harper Row Harper Row heads straight for the Margaritas. Technically, she is not legal yet, but she's really close and it's Gotham and yes, there are a lot of crimefighters here, but that's not even really a crime, it's a misdemeanor, it's a tort violation, it's a ticket.

Ooooooooooooh, sweet tequila.

"Yo, Kate, I've got your present in the car, I'll give it to you later,' she says, mingling a bit and having her eyes go wide at the sight of Zatanna. Wow, Justice League.
Barbara Gordon When people start to arrive, Babs stuffs her phone in to her denim jacket pocket. She watches Zatanna approach first, and smiles brightly at her. "Welcome to the party." She says before watching everyone else stream in. "Here we go then!" Barbara says, smiling to Steph's words too before moving to get her chance to offer Kate a hug.

"What are you, like sixteen years old now?" She'll ask, before looking her over. "Dressed to the nines too... Whose your lovely friend?" She asks of Ivy, offering the natural-one a warm expression also.

"Good to see you, Pamela. Out and about, is always nice to see."

The others are also given a smile from the redhead, as she takes a step back then.
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli says, "Oh, I am absolutely ready for a margarita or three, Stephanie. Thank you!" Long day at work perhaps. She moves over to help Steph with serving up the beverages while greeting everyone

Starting with Rave, she winks, "Nah, Rave, you're fine. Birds are never late, we arrive just in time every time!" She waves to Zatanna, "Ms Sparkles. Always great to see you. Better when not in some back alley, hm?" she grins. "Barbara. Great location. Things good?" she asks, moving to offer over the first margarita to the redhead before turning to help serve up the next several cups."
Zatanna Zatara "Wouldn't miss it for the world. It's home base and you're homies," she smiles warmly to Stephanie, gesturing to the others. "It's always good to see us together. And woe betide those boys eyeing us up. They don't have a good nose for trouble from the looks of it."

On seeing Kate, she gives the girl a little finger gun, her smile broadening. "Want to make that two tequilas?" she asks on seeing where she is heading.
Kate Kane Kate doesn't quite heave out a sigh as Pamela walks in alongside her, but there's a visible untensing, and she might now only be 'Typical Batperson at a social gathering that doesn't involve lurking on GCPD headquarters rooftop, or the end of the world.'

Which is to say, she's as tightly wound as one of Helena's crossbows. She snorts softly and rolls her eyes, "Yeah... I'll be fine. Worst comes to worst, I just hustle everyone at pool if things get awkward, right?"

And then Kate's being snared into a hug, giving Babs a squeeze back and laughing softly, apparently the tension's easing a bit as she shrugs.

"Well, would you believe that the both of us got to talking and realized we've got a lot in common? And not just, you know, the hair colour?"

She grins lopsidedly and heaves out a long sigh, "Oh, and everyone's having at /least/ a couple drinks on my behalf, because I'm limiting myself to decidedly non-alcoholic drinks tonight!" She grins impishly and murmurs dryly, "I'm planning to have a birthday party I /remember/ for once." She tilts her head thoughtfully and arches an eyebrow, "I will allow /one/ paper umbrella in my drink though. Because it's a party."
Pamela Isley Ivy smiles to Barbara, "What we can find out about when we're not trying to dominate the world with an army of sentient, man-eating, plants hmm?" There are drinks and she is under no restraint to keep to the non-alcoholic variety. In this situation one might imagine a bit of awkwardness from someone like Ivy.

Who, through no shortness of her own doing, has made quite the name for herself as a problem for Gotham City. While that may be forgiven amongst those here, at this part, there are some in the greater pool hall atmosphere that might disagree.

She is receiving more than one ugly stare.

Not exactly the most subtle individual, is she.
Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown helps distribute more drinks. "They are kind of lax about carding people," she comments of the pool hall. "Just, you know, don't give them reason to take too much interest and they won't," she advises for anyone who like her, might be a few months short of legally consuming. Not her first time drinking at Shooters though.

She hands a drink over to someone, and then pours one for Kate. "I'll check on umbrellas," she says with a grin to her. "We've got these two pool tables all night, so feel free to start up games whenever we want," Stephanie tells them. She passes the birthday girl her drink and then heads up to the bar. It doesn't take long to return with a little umbrella for it, and some lime as a garnish which she adds to Kate's glass.
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli glances to Harper and Rave, holding two more margarita cups, "Ladies...?" She holds them up, "I mean if not... I'll find them a good home myself.."

Looking over she smiles to Ivy, "Hey Pamela. Stunning as always.." she offers an impressive nod to the fashion and environmental statement making dress.

Finally grabbing a cup for herself, she looks to Stephine, "Good to see you too, by the way." She tilts her head, "Going good?" Their circles don't seem to Venn that often after all.
Barbara Gordon "No drinking, hmm?" Babs asks Kate with a smile showing. "Well. I plan to, so... maybe I'll be the one who doesn't remember the night this time." Which she says while going to her table to retrieve her first drink she'd already acquired before folks arrived.

A glance over at Ivy and Barbara shoots her a little grin. "So what have you been keeping yourself busy with then, Pamela?" Babs asks before indulging in a sip of her drink.

She walks over to the pool cues and gathers one up, sizing it up and down with a look before she walks toward one of the tables that already has some pool balls setup on it....
Harper Row Harper Row takes a cup from Helena and shoulder-bumps against the other woman, "Thanks!" she says, drinking half of her margarita in one go.

She grins as she looks at the tables, "Probably not fair for me to play pool," she says. She can do the physics calculations in her head, after all, and was doing angular geometry while she was still playing in sandboxes.

Plus, she had to focus on getting really wasted first.
Kate Kane Kate's shoulders rise and fall and she grins lopsidedly, "Just... trying to behave myself. In a way at least." She loops an arm around Ivy and gives her a sidelong glance and /grins/ oh so wide, "Yes! What /are/ you up to when you're not moving in the middle of the night and looking super suspicious doing it, hm?"

And as things go on, Kate continues to relax... although if any of the patrons /not/ around for the party keep throwing Ivy looks, she'll keep an eye on them... drinking or not, she wouldn't put it past her birthday party to end in a bar fight.

It's probably one of the top three ends to birthday parties in Gotham.
Pamela Isley "Thank you, Helena." Ivy says with a smile, "You look divine, as always." Despite appearing as if she's just come from work, that hardly seems to matter to the environmentalist among them. "While Kate may not be drinking, I am under no restraints. Though I have little intention of getting.. shit faced.. perhaps a few might make it easier for me not to want to strangle that man." Pointing across the pool hall at a group of said men, any of which she could be talking about, leering at the group of ladies.

"I promised to behave."

To Babs question she inclines her head, "I've moved from Gotham. I dispise this city with a venom born deep within my very being. Nothing but bad memories haunt me when I'm here..." That said, she does glance to Kate with a chuckle and an easy smile when she adds her two cents, "I don't suppose I should answer that question in mixed company, dear."

She does, however, answer the question. "Attempting to have a healthy relationship. Both plutonic and romantic. The therapists at Arkham insist that this is the bedrock of rehabilitation. I suppose, for once, I will heed their advice."

She pats Kate's hand, "In the interest of promises."
Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown picks up her drink again and takes a sip. At the question from Helena, Stephanie gets a very big smile. "I am. Doing really good," she tells Helena. "School is, well, school. But everything else has been... really good," she says, that smile beaming.

The blond coed is listening to Ivy's replies to Barbara. The comments about therapists at Akrham don't draw any visible reaction, though the thoughts are churning on the one who has had such a hard time accepting Harley Quinn's change of heart.

Stephanie goes to get herself a pool cue, rolling it on the table to check that it is not warped, then adding some chalk to the tip. "Well, good for you, in that," Stephanie tells Ivy, and doing her best to keep any conflited feelings from eroding at the sincerity that Stephanie's words otherwise have.
Zatanna Zatara Having snagged a drink for herself, Zatanna contentedly lets the conversation wash around her. A small smile animates her face as she listens to each of the powerful women, unique in their powers and accomplishments trade quips. She adds nothing to the talk but would be no where else at the moment.
Barbara Gordon Babs takes a moment to break one of the gatherings of pool balls, with a nice satisfying crack!

She rights herself up then, glances to those with her, then over to the 'guys'. She smiles then and starts to turn and walk over to 'them'.

This is where she stands for a moment, talking to the men, and sharing some words with each of them. She's introducing herself soon there-after, even offering her non-pool-cue-holding-hand to shake theirs each in turn....

It seems to be going well! Barbara is always trying to cool things from happening before they get out of hand, after all.
Kate Kane Kate snorts softly and bites her lower lip tight... and... is that a bit of a blush from Ivy's remarks? It might be! And then she's fading into just... vibing. Watching the pool, leaning in against Ivy. Eyebrows perk as Babs walks over towards the group of guys and Kate's lips press into a thin line.

"Wellll... I mean, there's always a first time for a /sober/ party of mine to end in a bar fight..." She glances to Pam and murmurs dryly, "Throwing the /second/ punch doesn't count as misbehaving by the way. Just in case it comes up."

She glances over to the rest of the ladies, just to see if anyone else is keeping an eye on Babs, and Kate begins to look around for her non-alcoholic drink to enjoy, before getting herself a glass of ice water... that'll definitely do.
Rave A little exhalation of relief, Rave's gift is set aside on the table and she nods her thanks to Helena.

Pamela, eye-catching as she was and on Kate's arm definately drew attention, but Rave didn't really know the Chlorokinetic like others did.

Basking in the fact that her own 21st was two months ago, Rave claims a cup for herself as she settles in, watching the exchange so far before her attention drifts to Babs movement toward the pool table.
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli nods to Stephanie, "That's good on all fronts, then. I'm glad to hear it." Too many times things go less than perfectly for Gotham's vigilantes after all.

Wandering over, drink in hand, Helena watches as the pool tables start to get used. She sips at her cup while Ivy is considering harm toward any of the men. She can't fault the sentiment at all, honestly. And as Barbara goes to ever play the peacemaker, Helena is watching the redhead closely. It won't take a millisecond for Team Birds to clear the dugout if things go poorly with Barbara's attempt to keep things amicable.

"No bar fights Kate. You haven't even opened your presents yet." But yes, watching. No one messes with The Boss.
Pamela Isley Ivy is not master sleuth, but she's still watching Stephanie with her head tilting to one side. Whether she's aware of the skepticism or not, she turns to Kate when the redhead leans against her. An arm snakes around the birthday girls waist, leaning closer to hear what quiet murmured words are offered. "Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. You know what the tabloids would say... second punch or not, I would be the villain in that story."

No no, "There are far far better ways to handle a bully." She winks one green eye and peers over Kate's shoulder at Babs devolving the situation before it ever actually becomes a situation. "Clipping a dying leaf is the only way to save some plants."

A finger comes up to tap Kate's nose, Ivy looking then to the others gathered. "I don't know you." To Rave, to whom she smiles an easy, almost sickeningly charming, smile. "I'm Pamela Isley, but you may call me Ivy."
Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown moves over to the table after Barbara breaks. She lines up a shot, just keeping an eye on Babs now and then, though mostly she just trusts her mentor will be more than able to take care of matters. Probably have the college boys buying them drinks and going out and washing their cars for them as well.

Stephanie takes a shot, sinking one of the stripes, and then moving around to line up a second shot. She misses, moving aside then for the next shooter as she picks her drink back up to take a sip.

"There's cake too," Stephanie tells Kate. "Chocolate, with a layer of cherry filling in it." She motions over towards the box. "Whenever you're ready for it. I didn't bring ice cream, didn't know if it would melt before we got to it."
Barbara Gordon Barbara eventually parts ways witht he guys and starts to make her way back over to the table. She's got her phone back out in one hand, her other holding her pool cue. She stops near everyone then, pauses a moment, and then speaks while she taps on her phone screen.

"I don't know how I'm going to handle that many dates in one week... but I'll do my best." She says distractedly, before waiting for a beat to look up to everyone.

She smiles.

"I told them my father is the Police Commisioner. I also told them we'd get them some tickets to Zatanna's next show. So I imagine they'll leave us be." She says, shooting the Magician a big sweet smile before looking to the table.

"Who went? Stephanie? Right? It looks like a Stephanie shot..."

Babs starts to stalk back toward her table to get her drink again, her phone going back in her pocket.
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli looks ghast at Barbara. "... what have you done. There is no way in /hell/ we're letting you slum through dates with even one them..." She just eyes the redhead, then looks to Steph, "She gets a cab home. She's clearly already drunk..." She takes a long gulp of her margarita as she prepares her own little speech for those guys about how the redhead was not capable of rational decisions.
Kate Kane Kate grins /wide/ and bobs her head to Steph with a low murmur, "Well, I /definitely/ didn't swear a new year's resolution about enjoying less cake. ...But you're /all/ helping with it... I'm not the only one adding an extra rotation onto tomorrow's workout from tonight."

But she's definitely moving towards the cake as she rolls her eyes at Pam and snorts softly, "Yes, well, the soft touch has never /really/ been my strong suit. I'm a bit of a sledgehammer when it comes to problems like that... or, okay, most problems. All problems really. You do /not/ want me to help move a couch."

She flashes Helena a little grin and snickers softly, "Okay, fine, fair point. No bar fight, just a nice, leisurely night of pool and cake and drinks... and everyone getting to know each other.

Her eyebrows perk and she sighs out softly, "God, how constantly 'on' am I that this seems impossible?" She looks back to Babs and shakes her head with a laugh, "And /you/! You are terrifyingly efficient, Babs..." She eyes the pool table and mutters, "And I am not playing /any/ of you at pool."
Pamela Isley Despite her natural charisma, which has to be the product of some genetic mutation for those who knew her before she became the Druidess, Ivy stands quietly when not being directly addressed. These were old friends and she is a new variable added to the equation. There's nothing awkward about her silence, however. She just seems better suited to watching when there's no direct stimuli.

A house plant engaging the home where she resides as a casual observer rather than a direct participant. The clank of balls together on the table, the promise of cake.. she does accept one of the shots and slams it back with the others.

"Interesting manner of dealing with them." She confides in Babs, "A friend of mine once installed tinder on the phone of their roommate. She said she accepted... mmm.. hundreds? I'm not sure of the exact number.. but quite a few dates for a single night."

While others are scoffing, Ivy smiles, "I have the utmost faith in you giving them all an amazing evening. Just pack extra clothes in your trunk."
Stephanie Brown "Oh," Stephanie says of Barbara, "She's already packing plenty in her trunk." She gives the redhead a big, teasing grin and then goes over to take another shot on the pool table. The 11 ball goes into a corner pocket, and then the 13 into a side before she misses the next shot.

The blond girl returns to get her drink and take a sip of the margarita. "Yes, no fights tonight. If it can be helped," she says, blowing at a few wisps of hair that fall in front of her eyes. "Promised I'd be good on girl's night out," she tells them as she goes over to the table where the cake box is at.

Stephanie pulls out the cake, which has a simple, "Happy Birthday Kate!" written on it in frosting. She pulls out a few little candles, putting them on the cake and lightning it. "Not a full number, but it's symbolic," she tells Kate. "Time to make a wish!"
Barbara Gordon After taking down another sip of her drink, Babs picks up her black and silver gift for Kate. She walks toward her while grinning toward Helena, then to Ivy. "You got a hell of a friend there. I'd like to meet them. Marathon runner, I take it?" She asks with that soft grin before she smiles big and happy at Kate.

"Here." She tells her, stuffing the gift toward her. "I hope it fits. You're kind of a hard one to size-up with eyes only, you know?" She teases light heartedly before she steps back toward Helena to watch Steph take her next shot.

"You've gotten good at this, Stephy."

She softly elbows Helena then. "How are things with you, Trouble?" She asks as she goes to take her own next shot after Steph fouls out.
Kate Kane Kate downright /saunters/ over to her birthday cake, because... well, hey, it's her night, and her friends are here, and her /girlfriend/ and yeah, Kate's feeling pretty on top of the world. She snorts out and eyes Babs, "I am /not/ venturing into the discussion of trunks, or costumes fitting... okay, except for that. I swear."

And then she narrows her eyes at Steph and murmurs dryly, "I'm pretty sure if you use the proper number of candles, you get a lecture on 'operational security' or something anyhow."

And then she's spinning to take the gift and smile, "Thanks, Babs... and of /course/ I am. All part of the mystique."

She takes a deep breath and leans over the cake to breathe out.

Training to hold her breath for extended periods underwater is /not/ cheating when it comes to blowing out your birthday cake candles.

But it might be showing off a little.
Pamela Isley Ivy watches Kate saunter towards her cake wearing a smile as genuine and sweet as anyone could possibly imagine for Poison Ivy. When all of the candles are blown out, she claps for her, even a little enthusiasm. Thought here's no chance that she'll be singing. She murmurs, stepping up to be the first to offer post candle interaction, as is her right.

She snakes a hand around the redheads waist, turning her gently into a hug. Then, once she's pulling back, she kisses her just as gently. "Happy birthday, beautiful." One hand rests on her cheek, stepping back and away so that others may have their moment to do their congratulatory post-game rituals.

"I'll get you her tinder profile." She says with Babs of this roommate, grinning devilishly and offering a wink. No commentary made on the subjects of trunks. Her's, of course, being the biggest. Obviously.

Because it's Spring.
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli watches as the cake is prepared and the candles are lit. "Wait, we're not going to sing before Kate blows the candles out?" she asks playfully. Not about to start singing, herself, she turns and picks up the briefcase and sets it closer to Kate for when she's ready to open it. It's somewhat heavy but at least it isn't ticking.
Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown gives a tiny shrug of her shoulders. "If Kate would like us too. I figured she'd probably rather listen to a llama being choked though," she says with a chuckle, likely remembering how they sounded the last time they all sang happy birthday.

A brief clap is given when Kate gets the candles in one go. Stephanie moves over to begin removing them from the cake, and then begins cutting slices and placing them on the small plates she brought. She starts handing the cake out. Rich chocolate frosting and very moist chocolate cake, with a layer of cherry filling. The colors, of course, might make sense to most people there.

"Got you a present as well," Stephanie says. She grabs a box that's wrapped in blue paper with a white bow, and slides it over towards Kate.
Barbara Gordon Babs spends a few rounds sinking some shots herself before she drops the cue ball in the pocket and just abandons the table! When she saunters back over to the others she sees the cake is being put out of its fiery state, and a grin is given to Helena. "We'll sing later, after more alcohol loosens up our tongues." She notes before looking to Kate, and reaching out to pick up her drink glass. She raises it up.

"Happy birthday, Katey." She uses a name she assumes Kate won't like! "We're really glad to be ... your friends, and not your enemies. We look forward to as many more of these as we can get together too, and well, when any of us fall, we know you'll be there to pick us up again. Just like we will be there, for you."

She says it all with sincerity in her voice, following it with a light smile before she sips her drink.

"And I got you a magazine. And ... inside it are the keys to a cabin up north. The Magazine is the local attractions. It's a ... little place I've saved up for, to give us all a northern retreat to go to any time we need to get away from Gotham. It's a beautiful place. A place on the lake.... you and... Pamela here are welcome to head up there any time you'd like. But, try not to soak up too much of the beauty before any of the rest of us get a chance to go."
Kate Kane As Kate finishes blowing out her candles and stands up smoothly, it's just in time to twist into that hug and kiss from Pamela, with only a mild amount of tensing at the public display of affection, and even that's counteracted by the extra little squeeze she puts into the hug after initial tension. Once the kiss breaks, Kate grins /broadly/ at Helena and points as she turns and eyes the briefcase with a lifted eyebrow, "Hey... birthday girl doesn't have to sing, so if you all want to? I'm totally not going to stop you. Or refrain from filming you."

And then she's opening Steph's present, admiring a gorgeous dark shirt and whistling out softly, "Well, /hello/ new lounging around in total comfort wear."

Babs earns just the slightest narrowing of emerald eyes, a real 'Oh, just you wait until your birthday now, Gordon' glare... followed by a wide grin, laughing softly, "Well said... and I'm really glad for all of you. And for understanding me and my ways, even when I don't. Maybe especialyl then."

She snorts and shakes her head with a little laugh, "Oh, don't worry, I'm sure we'll leave some of the sights unseen for you all on your turns!" She quirks an eyebrow and hums, "...We should probably do that soon. I mean, I haven't heard of any crises in the last couple of weeks."

She glances sidelong and Pam and murmurs dryly, "I mean, I did hear about Poison Ivy getting up to no good, but I think those reports may have been greatly exaggerated. I intend to investigate though."

Her gaze sweeps back to Helena's briefcase, and then up to the woman herself, "It's not a crossbow, is it?"
Pamela Isley Ivy takes another shot, then eyes the cake with a mixture of desire and apprehension. These things tend to go straight to her hips, you see. And she's not nearly as athletically inclined as the other women present. Nor does she engage in endless hours of exercise to pretend otherwise, no. To have a piece is welcoming those extra pounds unmolested.

It's truly a delicate balancing act.

With only Babs gift being explaned in earnest to distract her.

"A cabin in the woods, secluded from all humans other than one? Whom, through expossure alone, I have become decidedly fond?" Her tongue snaps off the roof of her mouth in a loud 'tsk'. "I assure you, that once I have left it will be a great deal MORE beautiful than when I arrived." The nature of who she is... on nature.

She smiles affectionately at Kate and decides to have a piece of cake.

Nothing at all to do with a promise of time alone in a cabin to sway her either.

That's purely coincidental.
Harper Row Harper Row has been very drunk on a couch and actually fell asleep for a little bit. She pushes up and stretches, her purple hair having come undone from her topknot and falling haphazardly around her face as she goes up to where people are gathered near the cake.

"What'd I miss?" she asks.
Helena Bertinelli Helena Bertinelli smiles as Barbara says what all of them are thinking. She nods, "Hear hear." Then she takes a bite of the cake while Kate is opening presents. They're all great, because everyone takes the time to think about what they are gifting. Then there's Helena.

"No, not crossbows. If you decide to use them as weapons? It would probably be viewed universally as a travesty against good taste. I hope."

The case easily opens when the time comes. Inside the hard sided case are three bottles. A bottle of red wine, one of white and a bottle of Vodka, all from vineyards in Sicily. Each from one of the best years of their respective labels.

"When in doubt, stick with what you know..." She observes.
Stephanie Brown Stephanie Brown aggressively stabs at her cake with a fork and takes a bite. "Mmm. Been looking forward to this since I picked it up," she says with a happy sigh. She smiles as Kate opens up the shirt. Barbara for sure would likely notice the cashmere it is made of, and know it's out of Stephanie's price range. So likely certain Wayne ward had a hand in its purchase.

"Wow, that sounds like it should be an awesome time," Stephanie says with a grin as she finds out Barbara got Kate. And then Helena's present is revealed. "And perfect to take with you on the trip! It's almost like things were coordinated," she says with a warm chuckle.
Barbara Gordon Barbara looks over to Harper. "Welcome back to the land of the living." She tells her with a sly grin. "There's some water there on the table. why don't you dive in to that a bit?" She asks before she looks to the other gifts. "Nice shirt. I am pretty damn fond of wrapping up in cashmere when I can..." She notes, a plate of cake in her own hands, Babs pushes her butt back against the pool table's edge, scootching her way up on to it to enjoy the treat with a fork, and her drink beside her on the green felt top.

To Ivy, after enjoying her first bite, Babs smiles widely. "I look forward to seeing what you do with the place. Nobody knows how to do some landscaping better than you, I am very sure...." She notes in a bit of dry humor.

"So then. We ready for more shots, maybe some darts? Then we see about that bar fight?" She asks, her eyes going over everyone to gauge their reactions.
Kate Kane Kate laughs softly and murmurs out, "Well, that's it, everyone have some cake..." She eyes Pam and murmurs dryly, "Even you. No no, especially you!" She takes her own bite and closes her eyes for a moment, before heaving out a low, relaxed sigh, "This is definitely going in the books as the best birthday."

She shrugs her shoulders and murmurs dryly, "Well, okay, my best birthday. We're just all going to have to try and top it for whoever's next up!"

She flashes Barbara a grin, "And she does pretty amazing work. Brooklyn's got one particular rooftop that's just stunning now."