#gothamsstarter

[jestergirls]

Ecco had attended countless events like this over the years. She knew how to spot who to shake hands with, who to smile at, who to flirt with a little. This was exactly like every other event she would have attended as Jeremiah's proxy, and she knew what he expected of her. She was to act like she always did -- greet strangers and acquaintances as if nothing had changed, when, in fact, everything had changed for Jeremiah, and, by extension, for her.

So, Ecco picked up a glass from a waiter's tray and sipped it casually. She addressed the person next to her, looking up at the podium where Mayor James had made his speech. "How long do you think it'll be until he follows through on those promises he made?"

[ofbalance]

SO. Dick knew Gotham like the back of his hand. Not that it was quite his home town but it was the closest thing he had. There was never quite a normal to Gotham, and the city was never at rest. Nonetheless Dick was not here in an enforcement capacity, nor Nightwing or Officer Grayson. Today he was just Dick, enjoying the festivities and keep an eye for the inevitable weirdness center that would pop up. “Could I have a drink with one of those tiny pink umbrellas?” He asked the bartender, only to frown at their response. “I mean-- it’s cool they come in blue but I asked for pink.” And so came the drink with the little pink umbrella. “Thank you.” Dick said.

[mobqueenfishmooney]

Music echoed through Hypno. Fish always preferred a live band to a DJ, felt it gave the club a classier air. Nevertheless, there did appear to be some kind of disturbance happening at the bar. She strode down the stairs and glided over, nosebleed heels clacking against the floor loud enough to cut through the music. "What seems to be the problem here?" she asked, glancing from her bartender to the patron at the bar. "I don't like my atmosphere being... disrupted. So someone better start talking. Now."

[ofmarkov]

These events unnerved her. All these people so loud, all over each other, fake laughter filling the air. Tara didn’t trust it. It left her with the need to be on guard, as if they were soon to be attacked quite easily. Less ‘they’ more she. There was little else she cared about after all. She regretted coming out, but all the same she couldn’t allow herself to be unaware of what occurred in the city. Being clueless wasn’t something Tara could ever allow herself to be again. Taking a sip of red wine her face quickly churned. “This is awful.” She remarked.

[from-starbolts]

Koriand'r made her way around the crowd, wandering aimlessly as she searched for-- well, she was not sure what she was searching for. A friend to speak with, perhaps? Or maybe she was watching for trouble. She approached a server and took the fruitiest drink on the tray. The glass was tall and filled with a pink liquid. Strawberries and raspberries floated among the ice cubes. Koriand'r took a sip and grinned at the sweet taste with the hint of heat that followed. The girl moved to go through the crowd again but she tripped over the unusually long train of someone's gown and spilled her drink all over the person in front of her. "X'Hal's light, I apologize profusely, I am not usually so careless."

[smilingjerome]

"I thought everyone in Gotham was off at that little soiree," Jerome called out, laughing wildly. He turned around slowly, brick in hand. A knife in the other "Oh, this isn't for you, don't worry. This is for fun," he said, brandishing the knife. "And this brick is for that window. I was gonna smash it, you see, it's so quiet -- and I hate the quiet." His voice went low, dark, his whole clouding over. But then he smiled, his scarred skin stretching and twisting horrifically. "But! It's to be expected when everyone's invited to a big party and you're not -- Not my scene anyway, too stuffy, too --" Jerome made a face, gagging. "Boring." He shuddered dramatically, and looked back with a smile. "Except there's you now. Saw your reflection in the glass, ain't that something. Tell me," he drawled, dragging the blade of the knife along the brick. "What's it gonna take to make you smile?"

[mobqueenfishmooney]

The mayor's little cause felt... so appropriate. Personal, even. Fish Mooney had lost everything, her territory, her club, and her life -- but then she returned. Badder than ever, thanks to Dr. Strange. Time to improve the city, indeed. She sauntered inside, hair styled high on her head, the red striking against the black. Though not as striking as the mismatched eyes, staring around the room. Her stare flung daggers where necessary, lingered where her curiosity was piqued. She had some of her crew with her, a basic entourage. A treat for her closest and most loyal family members, rather than actual bodyguards. In quarters close as this, she could take care of herself. "Classy affair, isn't it just?" she drawled, plucking a drink carefully off a passing tray. Her sharp nails tapping against the glass. "This city has just gone to hell the past few years. Comes from having a man in charge, of course."

[stepfordisabella]

Isabella had been out of hospital for weeks, and yet she was still having what the doctor had called side effects from the accident. It's only reasonable you won't recover overnight, he said in his slow, calm, voice. You were in a coma for two years. Isabella had managed to brush off a lot of the small, odd, things. Misplacing her house keys, mis-shelving books, losing her train of thought. But right now, as she stood in the middle of the street on her way to work, she found herself entirely lost. She knew she walked, but she had taken a long weekend, and now the journey from her apartment to the library had apparently vanished from her head. She pulled out her phone, but this area of the city, with its tall buildings, had dreadful signal, and she had no internet connection.

Probably foolishly, she reached out and stopped a passer-by, grabbing their arm a little rougher than she usually would have, betraying her concern. "Excuse me," she said. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but you wouldn't know the way to the library, would you?" She managed to keep her tone polite and friendly, and she even smiled, ignoring her the way her heart was racing. The doctor had warned her this would happen. It would be fine.