Not So Far Away

Who: OPEN
What: Lunar New Year celebration for the Gao Foundation
Where: the Champagne Room of the Breakers Hotel
When: Saturday night

The City's glitterati (and the occasional lucky outsider) braved the cold and snow to come together for a good cause at the Breakers Hotel. The hotel's historic Champagne Room had been transformed into an Asian fantasy land with red and gold decorations, lush (and lucky) plants and piles of oranges symbolizing prosperity for the year ahead.

The festivities kicked off with a traditional lion dance, followed by a short speech by Marian as the Gao Foundation's founder and chairperson. She thanked everyone for coming and supporting the foundation's charity efforts, gently reminding them that they could drop off their donations at several discreet locations throughout the venue, and encouraged them to have a good time. A band then took the stage to serenade the party-goers with Western and Chinese love songs, adding a more contemporary but still elegant note to the occasion.

Besides the buffet tables laden with Asian delicacies, waitstaff circulated among the party-goers with champagne and hors d'oeuvres. They were trailed by media photographers, documenting the event and the people of note who were present.

Who: Paul and OPEN
What: Running
Where: the King Cole Memorial Park
When: Saturday morning

Paul's breath billowed in puffs of steam as he jogged through the park, salt and slush crunching under his feet. If Bobby were here, he thought with a crooked smile, he would probably have thought up some off-color joke about how he really looked like a beast now, or something like that; but alas, the Ravens had literally flown south for the winter, spending the holidays someplace warm, tropical and crawling with girls in tiny bikinis.

That was fine with Paul, of course. He didn't mind spending the holidays holed up at home, with a real wood fire and a good book for company. When he felt like going out, he went for a solitary run, the way he was doing now.

His only objection to the situation - the weather and the Ravens being gone, among other things - was that it disrupted his routine. Naturally, the weekend football game was on hold until the snow melted.

But winter would be over before he knew it, right?

Who: Roger/narrative
What: Taking next steps (AKA The Big Newspaper Office Trashing of 2011)
Where: Gao Manor/the offices of the Neverland Music Express
When: Sometime between Christmas and New Year
Rating: PG

All in all, it had been a rather ho-hum holiday season. With all of his associates, being the soft, elderly businessmen that they were, taking off for warmer climes, Roger had been left to celebrate Christmas with only his daughter and her boyfriend for company.

To be fair, it hadn't been so bad - Paul Barlow hadn't hung around too much, appearing only for the important occasions, and his gift to Roger was a bottle of his favorite single-malt Scotch. Marian seemed pleased with her presents, although Roger couldn't remember what his secretary had bought for her.

And there had been one highlight to the season. Amid sitting around and pretending to enjoy spending time with his family, Roger had received a call from one of his lieutenants on the Task Force, informing him that they were ready to break into the offices of the Neverland Music Express. Ordinarily, he wouldn't pay any heed to one of those tacky music magazines, but it had come to his attention that this particular one was starting to run opinion pieces criticizing OzCorp's policies.

"If they don't stop after this, we'll go after the writer himself," said the voice on the other end of the line.

"Very good," Roger said. "You may proceed."

He smiled with cold satisfaction as he hung up. It appeared that an appointment with a very skilled, very expensive, very discreet woman of the night whose services he had availed of quite a few times in the past was in order.

Now, he could celebrate.

Who: Marian and OPEN
What: Out and about
Where: Neverland
When: Thursday afternoon
Rating: PG

It was Marian's first time in Neverland since the riots. Although it looked largely as it had the last time she had been there, you couldn't miss the air of dejection and suspicion that pervaded the area like the stink of rotting garbage. St. Mary's and the Women's Center had escaped unharmed, but many of those who came to them for aid and counseling had stopped coming around. Marian felt as though the improvements she had been working to help realize had been set back significantly. It was rather depressing.

(She also couldn't help noticing that there was something suppressed about the counselors at the Center. One seemed to have wanted to tell her something, but had eventually said nothing. Did her father's hired thugs, or the burly "security task force" patrolling the streets, have something to do with it?)

As she walked the streets of the City's most notorious quarter, she kept an eye out for a pair of crystal-blue eyes. It was silly to hope that she would run into Robin, surrounded as she was by security, but one could hope.

Who: Paul and BLO staff members (narrative)
What: WTFBBQ
Where: Barlow Law Offices
When: Thursday morning
Rating: PG

( Read more... )

Who: Little John and OPEN
What: Hanging out
Where: King Cole Memorial Park
When: Wednesday afternoon
Rating: PG

It had been a while since he had done this, and he had missed it, actually.

Little John sat in his usual spot in the King Cole Memorial Park, his battered guitar in his lap and the case open in front of him, ready to receive whatever spare change fate decided to send his way.

Not only was busking a good way to scrounge up some beer money, it also gave Little John a chance to get away from the responsibilities of being the interim leader of the Merry Men (only in Robin's absence, of course) and get a feel of how the City was dealing with the tighter reins being imposed on it. He wasn't sure yet how that knowledge was going to be helpful, but his gut told him that it was important to know.

Who: Everyone who wants to party.
What: Layla's birthday.
Where: The Satin Slipper.
When: September 13th/Yes, backdated like whoa. Evening.
Rating: PG-13 to ba safe.
Status: Open.

( Read more... )

Who: Peter and Abigail
What: Abi's finishing up a shift at the Satin Slipper. Peter just happens to be there.
Where: The Satin Slipper.
When: Monday
Rating: PG-13 - it's a shady dance club folks.

Who: Peter and Lilly
What: Hanging out
Where: Lost Boys hideout
When: Thursday
Rating: PG

( Read more... )

Who: Little John and OPEN
What: working out
Where: The Giant Killer Gym
When: Thursday night
Rating: PG

It wasn't curfew yet, so Little John didn't feel any misgivings about still being at the gym and working out on the battered exercise equipment that Giant Killer Jack had on hand.

He had fully healed from his injuries by now, but was still haunted by what had happened at the riot - not just to him, but to the people in general, too. A lot of the City's poor had been hurt or lost their homes and businesses in that madness, and while many were getting back on their feet (with a little help, of course, from the Merry Men), they were all afraid.

Little John supposed that was exactly what the mastermind behind the riots had wanted. As he bench-pressed a barbell, he thought about who that person might be.

Who: Marian and OPEN
What: At the Farmer's Market
Where: The Louis "King" Cole Memorial Park
When: Wednesday afternoon
Rating: G

Like a queen playing at being a shepherdess, every summer the Emerald District hosted what was humbly called a "farmer's market" but was in truth a showcase for the best homemade items and homegrown produce money could buy. There were certified organic and local meats, fruits and vegetables from farms that had been supplying the City with produce for as long as anyone could remember; honey, jams and jellies that sparkled like jewels; and even dainty handicrafts that added the perfect summer touch to the finer homes that could afford to redecorate. These things were incredibly exotic to the jaded customers of the Emerald District, and the vendors at the market charged them accordingly.

---

By now, Marian's father had relented enough to let her out of the house, but only to certain pre-approved locations and only with a very large bodyguard at her side. Marian thought it very cumbersome, especially since the man spoke only to her father and the new chauffeur that had been hired to replace old Matthew, but at least she was no longer cooped up in the house like some prisoner.

Who: Paul and anyone else who's interested
What: Football game
Where: The Neverland Park
When: Saturday afternoon
Rating: PG

Paul turned a football around in his hands and looked around the park.

The imposition of curfew seemed to have dampened the mood of the City somewhat. There seemed to be less activities and amusements, and people were disinterested in going out, even in the daytime when it was legal. (On the other hand, if people snuck out at night, Paul didn't want to know about it.)

Nevertheless, upon his return from Germany, he had sent text messages to the Ravens and the other regular weekend football players. Hopefully they would turn up; he needed to let off some steam.

Who: Jinn + EVERYONE.
What: Party Time.
Where: Willow Worn St. Number 11, right next to The Magic Lamp.
When: Friday Night (Backdated)
Rating: PG for now.
Status: In Progress
OOC: This was supposed to be posted Friday night, but a little fever got in the way. Feel free to drop by, eat the food and be crazy.


( Make everyone feel like they’re the guest of honor. )

Who: Layla and ???.
What: A visit to old friends.
Where: Glass Coffin Cemetery.
When: Saturday afternoon/Backdated.
Rating: PG.
Status: Narrative/Closed.

( Read more... )

Who: The March Hare + Little John
What: Breaking curfew like a porcelain plate
Where: Under a lampost, near home but not quite
When: Saturday evening
Rating: PG for now

( So you came like a missile, falling on my head with the black sky )

Who: The City's elite (plus any uninvited guests?)
What: Marian's birthday dinner
Where: Gao Manor
When: Thursday night
Rating: PG unless people have other ideas

( You say it's your birthday... )

Who: Open to everyone, especially Neverland residents
What: THE BIG NEVERLAND RIOT
Where: Neverland District
When: Monday evening
Rating: R

( Read more... )

Who: St. Mary's Orphanage staff, benefactors and residents (past and present), Claudia and her actors' troupe
What: The orphanage's Foundation Day celebration
Where: St. Mary's Orphanage
When: Tuesday afternoon
Rating: PG
Status: THNM

( Read more... )

Who: Layla, Paul and Mr. Rosewood.
What: Visit.
Where: City Penitentiary. Visitor's room.
When: Monday afternoon.
Rating: PG.
Status: Complete.

( Read more... )

Who: Lilly and OPEN
What: TBD?
Where: Horner's Corner Cafe
When: Sunday late afternoon
Rating: TBD
Status: Incomplete

( Read more... )