[OPEN] BABES IN TOYLAND

[speakveryclearly]

Date & Time: December 20th, 2013
Location: New York City!!!
Characters: HOLIDAY SHOPPERS. Please note that with mod approval, any character is allowed to have joined the mob in front of the transporter, regardless of whether they responded to the network post advertising this event.
Summary: In a bid to conserve energy, over a dozen transports do all of their Christmas shopping at once. I hope you brought money!
Warnings: None for now!

All the transports are dropped into New York at 6:00, simultaneously but scattered. Coding the drop points for this mission was hell.

It turns out that the weather is actually fairly mild on this date; there is snow neither in the air nor in the ground. That isn't to say there's nothing of visual interest: All the lights of the city are on at this hour.



The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree was lit back on December 4th.



Shop until you drop, Transports.

Comments

[controlledvariable]

For someone who's into adopting kids, he seemed to care a lot about blood.

[She can't quite keep the bitterness out of her voice, because it runs deeper than just her boyfriend's dad not liking her.]

And nah, I didn't tell him, but it's kinda hard to keep it a secret when you've got a supervillain for a dad.

[her life]

[khajidont]

He sounds like a real prize.

[That's what he says, but the way he says it, he might as well be saying what an asshole.]

At least you don't have to deal with him anymore.

[controlledvariable]

[She just shrugs]

Rich white guys.

[amirite]

OKAY NOW FOR REAL

[khajidont]

No kidding.

[So, so unimpressed.

...then again, isn't Steph dating one of those now? Anyway...]

He does some good with the money he's got, at least.

lmao

[controlledvariable]

[YEAH SHUT UP IT WAS AN ACCIDENT]

Guess so, and I probably shouldn't complain when I've got a Wayne Foundation scholarship to help me through college.

[Which she got fair and square, not just because Tim or Babs could pull strings.]

[khajidont]

Yeah? Congrats! [He's a little bit jealous. If he were back home, he'd be looking at college applications right about now, not that they have enough money to pay for it.

Brenda will probably get five hundred thousand scholarships. Him, not so much.]

What were you gonna study, anyway?

[controlledvariable]

[She shrugs, 'cause it's not really that big of a deal. Bruce hands out scholarships like they're candy, really. Especially kids from "disadvantaged backgrounds".]

The plan was to major in social work. I dunno if I'll stick with it when I get home, though.

[khajidont]

[Hearing the when there is nice, he has to admit. Not everyone is so certain.]

What else would you wanna do?

[controlledvariable]

I dunno, always figured I'd be splitting my time between that and the other gig, but...

[She trails off with a sheepish sort of shrug.

After admitting it to Peter, it's easier to think about the fact she doesn't want to be a vigilante for her whole life, but it's still a bit strange to talk about.]

[khajidont]

[He's truly surprised by that. He knows that Blue Beetle is part of a legacy, but Batgirl is a little more than that, grounded as she is to the one city. Batgirl's an icon.

Milagro's been wanting a figure of her for ages, for god's sake.]

You're not gonna do it anymore?

[controlledvariable]

[There's a lot of ways she could answer that, but in the end she just smooths down the hem of a dress she could never afford back home, and shrugs.]

I'm tired of fighting.

[There are other ways she can help people, she just can't be surrounded by violence anymore.]

[khajidont]

[Jaime takes a second to digest that, and his expression softens.]

Yeah. I can get behind that. Take some time to just live.

[Steph needs that. Maybe more than anyone else he's met here, anyone who's not a kid.]

So... if not social work, what do you figure?

[controlledvariable]

That's the plan, once I figure out how.

[She's not even sure if she'll give up being Batgirl straight away, just that she knows she doesn't want to be a vigilante forever, anymore.]

I dunno, the year I spend with Doctors Without Borders was pretty fulfilling. Maybe I'll see if I can hack it in med school.

[khajidont]

Take a shot at healing people, huh? That sounds really good.

[And difficult - more difficult than going around punching people, even. He had only spent a month working in Exsilium's clinics and hospitals, and it was easily one of the most emotionally draining times of his life.

He shoves his hands into his pockets and rocks a little onto the balls of his feet, feeling a little foolish at what he says next.]

Though if you do ever find yourself suiting up again around, say, the El Paso area, do me a favour and say hi to my sister? She's totally gonna flip when she hears I've met you.

[controlledvariable]

Yeah, I mean - I've done a bunch of training already, and I definitely know how to pull all nighters.

[How hard can med school be compared to Batman?

And Jaime doesn't need to feel foolish, or if he does, at least Steph matches, since she can't help breaking out into a grin at that. She might have been drawn to vigilantism out of a need for revenge, and she might have stuck with it because she loved the thrill and the power and the freedom but... It's things like this that make it all worth it.]

You know, I think I can manage to take the suit for one last spin, just for her.

[khajidont]

Yeah? Awesome.

[He looks undeniably pleased to hear her say that. He can imagine Milagro's reaction now, asking for a Batgirl action figure one day and being able to meet her in the flesh the next. He looks like he's somewhere else for a moment, but it's pretty clear exactly where he is.

Plus, he can totally hold this over her head for future arguments. Awesome big brothers that get Batgirl to come visit get dibs on the remote.

He raises his eyebrows at her, as if sharing in some personal joke to say,] And I think it might be just the thing to get her off her Guy Gardner kick.

[controlledvariable]

[That's sweet, the way he looks when talking about his sister. She can't imagine how hard it must be for someone to be away from family like that; Steph has her mom, and they love each other, but it's only a recent development. And it's not the first time she's gone a year without her mom, she's sure it's harder for someone like Jaime.]

Oh god, we definitely need to sort that out. Gardner isn't a good role model for anyone.

[She's heard things.]

[khajidont]

He's a good guy!

[And a mentor. Of sorts. Between the preliminary attack and now, he's been a huge help. He's a bit foul in some ways, but good and kind.

It's true, however, that people seem to be on their best behaviour around him.]

But, uh, not really the role model sort. Especially not for a little girl.

[A beat.]

Or boy. Or... kids. In general.

[controlledvariable]

I can't say I've heard all that many positive reviews.

[Occasionally Dinah would tell her stories about her time with that particular version of the Justice League, and it hasn't left Steph with a good impression.]

[khajidont]

You wouldn't know it, talking to him, [is his wry response. He can see how Guy would grate on people, especially when he goes around talking about how he used to run the Justice League.] He puts his money where his mouth is, though.

[controlledvariable]

So he's actually as full of himself and sexist as it sounds like he is?

[That's probably not what Jaime meant, Steph.]

[khajidont]

No, I meant...

[A beat.]

Well. Yeah, he kind of is. What I meant was that if you need someone to kick alien butt, he's a good guy to have around. [He flashes a grin at her.] So is Superman, but beggars can't be choosers.

[controlledvariable]

[And she grins right back, offering a shrug.]

Who says I'm begging?

[She can beat up aliens on her own tyvm]

[khajidont]

I was. I was all the way up there -- [he points one finger skyward, or more accurately, spaceward] -- and my family was down here. You bet I'll take all the help I can get.

[Frankly, anyone who helps his family out is good in his book.]

[controlledvariable]

[That makes her sober up a bit, because she'll make fun of Guy Gardner till the cows come home, but if he helped out Jaime's family, that's important.]

Guess that makes sense. Seems like those rings are pretty useful when you need 'em.