12062/Cats and Dogs Masquerade Fundraiser

Cats and Dogs Masquerade Fundraiser
Date of Scene:	22 August 2020
Location:	The Continental Gotham, East Park Side
Synopsis:	A fundraiser is held to raise money for an animal shelter..But things go wrong.
Cast of Characters:	Catwoman, Harry Dresden, Rage, Ivory, Karrin Murphy, Cheetah, Elixir, Lex Luthor

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Catwoman has posed:
It is a busy yet comfortable level of noise that greets our guests to the lavish gala event tonight, an event that is equal parts masquerade ball, fundraiser and animal show somehow elegantly rolled into one. The elegant and lavishly decorated ballroom is situated on the second floor of this luxury hotel, with artfully decorated tables covered in slightly animal themed table cloths with a lot of animal prints and earth tones. The tables are set in a semi circle around a dance floor and at the very back sits the stage. Beyond that is a doorway to a large balcony on one side of the lavish room and crystal chandeliers hang from an arched ceiling, offering just enough amber light to lend an exquisite moodiness to the place.

At the moment as people settle, a string quartet plays on stage amid mumbled muttering sand rumours of a surprise guest who is to perform very soon..Selina Kyle, dressed in a simple yet elegant black sequins cocktail dress and matching heels stands to one side, greeting guests, holding a domino masks over her upper face that resembles a black cat.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry doesn't get out much to public functions. He and social situations do not go hand in hand very often, mostly due to most places being to 'high tech' for his magical aura. He tends to end up short circuiting the electronics of anything post WWII era, or worse, just by being around. Still, this was Karrin's choice of event so the Wizard PI has put on his best attire, a formerly-rented tux that he found at a consignment store and had tailored to fit his 6'9" frame, and made out for a night on the town with her.

"I really don't know how you talked me into this, Murph." says Harry as he adjusts the little domino mask that he wears, tugging it away from his eyes with alight pull of his finger, . "You know how these things tend to turn out for me. Something always happens, and the building always catches on fire, and I am always blamed...even when it is not my fault!"

Rage has posed:
Having arrived earlier with her management team to set up her upcoming performance, Andrea is now dressed in a stunning black Oscar De La Renta dress that hits at the knees and has a hint of a shimmer woven throughout the fabric. The popstarlet is wearing a dab of makeup with her hair styled in playful swoops and ringlets. Settled at a table near the stage, she is sitting with a man with bright golden skin who attended the event as her plus one.

As she listens to the quartet, she hums lightly to herself as she taps along the glass of her phone with her thumbs, sending out a volley of social media updates in which she was promoting the event. Leaning over towards Josh, she gives him a playful bump of the shoulder. "Let me know if this gets overwhelming for you. I can have James take you for a walk and get some fresh air. He isn't really into these types of events." She says as she gives a motion to her heavyset bodyguard who is wearing a full suit and tie with a pair of shades over his eyes.

"I should be going up in a few minutes. So, don't be afraid to mingle either and eat the really expensive cheese and caviar crackers." She says with a bit of teasing in her voice.

Ivory has posed:
    For Ivory, they have set up kind of a double date for themselves. Not that they have 2 people they want to meet at the gala, no, they have just bought one ticket after all. No, they have a second appearance later on the gala, which might get them some logistical nightmares, but it's totally benign! So as they appear in a tuxedo, tophat and a fly, they do a rather 1930s, 1940s impression of attempted genderlessness. Because evven back then, some people managed to pull off looking feminine in a tux. As for the mask they combine with it, it's at first look rather plain white, but carefully decorated with silver lines. Self decorated, but carefully. There's little cats hidden in the lines!

They smile at the choice of strings, but they work their way over to the bar first, ordering themselves something white and absolutely unalcoholic. Because they have plans.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The incredibly tall, masked man is accompanied by a date that might be considered laughably short in turn, but no one tell her that. At least the black pumps she's wearing give Karrin Murphy a few extra inches next to Harry. The new head of Gotham's Special Investigations, newly transferred back after a stint in Bludhaven, looks almost nothing like she does in the papers. Someone's bothered tonight and even put her in a designer gown, one she certainly cannot afford on a cop's salary. It's a black, strapless dress that just covers the top of her chest down to her upper thighs, with a longer drape of black tulle hinting at skin beneath, which goes all the way to her knees. A matching wrap and her short hair slicked back into marcel waves. She looks... Lovely.

"The Police Commissioner wanted at least a few of us here to support and... new girl who just got her job back really can't argue. So, at least we get to suffer together. Besides... What else am I going to do with this tress Thomas sent? When he threatened to sick Lara on me... I didn't really... Know what he was implying." She loops her arm through his, walking a bit further into the room, blue eyes wide as she tries not to stare at the literal celebrities around.

Cheetah has posed:
Barbara-Ann Minerva, cosmetics magnate extraordinaire (and sometime Cheetah), is dressed to the nines in a crimson gown that *just* manages to stay on the right side of that imaginary line dividing "risqué" from "polite society."

She's some distance from her first drink of the night but, really, who's counting? At present she's nursing a pinkish cosmopolitan and frowning inwardly at what she considers the sub-standard décor. Sub-standard meaning anything she herself has not had a direct hand in arranging. Her arms are loosely folded at her chest: Cosmo in one hand, black domino mask forgotten in the other.

Elixir has posed:
The golden-skinned kid sitting beside Andrea has a deer-in-the-headlights look on his face that hasn't changed since they arrived. It's not until Andrea leans over and bumps him that he blinks and snaps out of it. "Oh," he says and chuckles nervously. "I'm fine. Just kind of taking it all in, you know?" He looks at her and smiles, "I'm used to sitting in my room and zoning out. This..." He looks around at all of the obviously-wealthy people mingling, "This is new." And then he's back to the deer look as his eyes scan the room.

When she mentions having to go up and perform, he clears his throat. Shit. He smiles back at her once again, though, putting on a brave face. "I feel like one bite of anything here is worth more than what I usually eat in a week."

Catwoman has posed:
Once everyone is settled, Selina roses to her feet, smiling and nodding to Andrea. "Thanks again for coming Andrea, and for your generous donation. I look forward to your performance!" She smiles charmingly at her as she steps towards the stage, taking the microphone in hand.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen.." there's a brief, abrupt shriek and cackle on the microphone and the lights flicker softly. It seems they are having intermittent electrical issues for *some reason* and Selina waits patiently for only a moment before the mic and lights are back to normal.

"First I want to thank you all for coming out to support this very special fundraising event. Rest assured that your generous donation will help keep Gotham City animal shelters open longer, so they can help the many cats and dogs that find themselves in the streets, or simply abandoned, abused and starving with no place to go. Your generous donation will literally save lives and for that I am eternally grateful."

She nods especially to Andrea, "I'd like to especially thank our special guest star tonight for her incredibly generous donation of $5,000! Now before we get started, please help yourself to the all you can eat buffet table along the east wall along with a free voucher for alcohol at the bar. Now without further adue, let us give a warm welcome to the incredibly famous and talented starlet, Andrea Jackson!"

A roar of applause follows as she steps back to let the popstarlet take the stage.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I could think of a few things..." retorts Harry to Karrin as he looks down at her and waggles his brow. "None of them appropriate for here though, sadly. I guess at best we can strive for is maybe a dance or two, if my feet decide to cooperate. Do remind me to thank Thomas though, I wasn't sure what to expect from Lara either, but I was mostly convinced it wouldn't be allowed to be worn in public."

Harry places his free hand over the one Karrin has placed on his arm, and strolls forward in search of the refreshments. "A event like this has to have food and drinks somewhere, Murph. Come on, lets binge on free swag before they realize who they actually let into this place." He gets about three steps before Selina takes the stage and his eyes glance up towards her before looking back to Karrin, "You didn't tell me I had to make a donation. Hell's bells."

Rage has posed:
Giving a grin to Josh, Andrea leans in and pecks him on the cheek before she pushes herself upwards. She lifts her hand upwards to the sound of applause, then heads up on to the stage to take her place in front of her band once they are revealed. As she steps towards the microphone, she gives a quiet 'thank you' to Selina for the introduction.

As she looks out into the crowd, she leans forward to wrap her hands around the mic, allowing her powerful, crystal clear voice which has sold her millions of albums to soar through. Instead of the usual upbeat and explosive pop energy tracks that she is known for, instead, she will keep it tame.

Fleetwood Mac's Landslide.

As she sings to the acoustic set, she pours the emotion into each verse as Stevie Nicks once did back in the 70's and the 80's. As she sings, it is the type of performance known to raise goosebumps and stir the heart. It's a song of timeless wonder, of coming of age, of growing older.

Cheetah has posed:
Barbara-Ann cringes noticeably at Selina's momentary audio issues. Sometimes super-hearing is a literal pain. Now in a decidedly bad mood, she can't contain a dismissive sneer at all this talk of woe-is-me, down-on-their-luck animals. If those little beasts were so valuable, why are they starving and abandoned? Amiright?

The contents of her cocktail glass vanish beyond the gates of her ruby-red lips.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"...Lara covered it. She... uh... Covered everything. Including the layers not polite to wear in public." Karrin mutters beneath her breath, a hint of heat climbing up her cheeks. She didn't say if she was WEARING it or not, but from the look on her face? She probably is. She follows him to the side of the room, eager to get out of any sort of lime light. A little bit of a laugh escapes as the lights seem cranky about something.

"...I need to take you to these things more. Maybe they'll end earlier." She mutters against his shoulder, but is mostly staying quiet for the announcements on the stage and the vocal performance. She does nod towards the buffet table. "...Shrimp and...is that... Caviar?" It's possible Karrin Murphy has never actually seen real caviar in her life.

Elixir has posed:
When Andrea leaves the table to go perform, Josh visibly sinks into his chair and tries to become as small and as invisible as possible. He does not belong here and he sure as hell knows it. There's no use trying to act like he's a member of high society. The thought crosses his mind that his skin is gold. He looks like a living trophy. Jesus, what if someone wants to buy him? What the hell are you even thinking? "I need a drink," he mutters to himself as he jumps up from his seat.

He chooses a direction and starts walking, luckily towards one of the bars in the room. Stepping up to the tender on duty, he puts his hands into the pockets of the tailored suit that doesn't belong to him, "Do you have coke?" The bartender silently reaches underneath the table and prepares a fresh soda for the kid who nods politely and takes a long sip, honestly hoping to go unnoticed until Andrea finishes her performance.

Lex Luthor has posed:
Meanwhile, Lex Luthor comes in dressed for impressions. Wearing the latest in Stuart Huges suit -the diamond edition- and wearing it tailored perfectly to his frame, the only thing that would make him stand out more is if he had a date for this event. Instead, his usual two bodyguards come in a few feet behind him in formal dress attire, modified for their profession.

Coming up one of the tables, Lex is already mingling with guests in short and hushed conversations, the business tycoon offering words and wisdom to potential colleagues, employers, employees, and rivals as he goes... until Selina speaks up, and Lex gives her his full attention briefly.

Or, he did, until the audio issue.

"Seems like someone forgot to do the mic checks first." Lex quipped to nearby patrons as he moves on. Then, he notices Barbara had decided to come, and Lex gives her a wave of greeting when her attention is going his way.

Ivory has posed:
Ivory doesn't like the audio error, but there's one good thing about wearing a mask: nobody sees you flinching. But they listen happily Andrea's performance. It's only some minute, but then she seems to spot Barbara-Ann Minerva. Which is a face they know. It takes them some minute to work their way through the crowd before they stop closeby. "Miss Minerva? Wow, that's like the first time I meet you. I mean, I'm just a little designer and you're like in the statosphere of fashion..."

Catwoman has posed:
Once Andrea takes the stage, sliding easily into the words for that emotional song, Selina steps off the stage to the right, and begins to mingle with the crowds. She does not know every face that came through the front doors, but there are a few prominent figures that stand out more than the rest.

Andrea's date, the golden boy is the first to catch her attention and she smiles and nods to him. "Mister Josh Foley, is it? It is a pleasure to meet you. What incredible skin you have." she smiles warmly enough at him. "Your girlfriend is quite the talented singer, I believe I gave her to thank in large part fir drawing such an excellent crowd tonight."

Upon seeing the quiet Ivory, Selina smiles and nods to them. "Welcome! Please, take a seat!" she offers the seat next to her as the tables are starting to fill up quickly.

She is slowly making her way to the buffet table, but doesn't eat yet herself. It is always more polite to let others take their fill first. Although Selina does take an offered glass of wine. She notices the awkward skinny scarecrow man and his petite and attractive date next. Ah yes, she has heard of 'Wizard' Harry Dresden and she smiles at them. "Greetings..Mr. Dresden and lieutenant Murphy, is it? Welcome to the gala. You both look absolutely stunning tonight!"

Its hard not to notice Lex and she certainly catches his comment which causes her to raise a slight brow. "Ah, good evening, Mr. Luthor, it is an honour to finally meet you..Actually we *did* do a full microphone and lighting check, it must have been a glitch in the system, I do apologize.."

And finally, there is Ms. Minerva, she smiles and nods to her as well. "Miss Barbara Minerva, is it? How delightful you look today. Welcome! I do apologize for the microphone glitch, I cannot understand what happened but I assure you it won't happen again.."

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry smirks, "This is Lara we are talking about. I don't think covered is the word you are looking to use, Murph. I bet whatever it was is see through and has less fabric than...something without a lot of fabric.

He glances up at the lights as they dim and the squeal of feedback echoes out of the speakers with a little shake of his head. Turning to look down at Murphy the wizard chuckles, "I'm pretty sure once people got the clue as to what was causing it, I would be blacklisted and you once again would be on someone's 'list'. You just got yourself out of that situation with Rudolph, don't make waves...or at least don't make any move waves than you already do. Come on, let's go see if those fish eggs are actually any good, and you can point out all the whose who that I don't know about."

No sooner than the words leave his mouth then Selina is there making conversation, and try as he might to not look it, Harry is startled that he is addressed by name in this place. "Um...yes..." he manages to get out before Selina is already off to the next person, loudly exclaiming to her back as she walks away, "Thank you!"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Oh god, Selina knows who she is? How does the woman know *everyone*?! Murphy's gaze goes wide, a completely polite, used to glad handing smile painting itself across her lightly glossed lips. She gives the woman a nod, "Yes, yes... Ms. Kyle, it's... an honor. Thank you for having us, of course... The GCPD are more than happy to be supporting the cause." Especially with city council selections coming up again soon enough. Karrin exchanges a brief look with Harry, her bare shoulders slightly shrugging as if to say no, she doesn't know how they know who he is already either. But then they are no longer the center of any attention and she releases a slight breath.

"...You can stop that any time, you know. Being right. Just take a breath and try to keep the magic buzz to a...five foot radius." She's mostly teasing there, as she fills up her plate too. They might as well take full advantage of Lara Raith's generous donation on their behalfs. "...and the bottom of this dress is see through enough. Don't get any other ideas, mister."

Cheetah has posed:
Barbara-Ann welcomes Lex's greeting with the same enthusiasm Marie Antoinette accorded discussions about the guillotine. She's probably mad at him. He knows what he did.

Her eye is soon skimming the crowd with a mixture of bemusement and thinly veiled disgust. She hasn't deigned to take her allotted seat at one of the tables as yet and is busy keeping a well-defined section of the bar warm. Speaking of which, her drink has somehow vanished. "Another." She places the empty cocktail glass down on the bar and addresses the bartender without bothering to turn her head towards him.

Just then Ivory appears. Ugh! Who is this annoying little -- wait, did Ivory just (correctly) link her to the starry cosmos? How delightful!

Minerva's expression turns on a time. Now it's all warmth and smiles. "Darling, there is no such thing as a 'little' designer!" Minerva's suddenly open body language draws Ivory into her "friendly" orbit.

She pauses in her conversation with Ivory only long enough to acknowledge Selina's mea culpa happily. Then she returns her attention to Ivory.

Elixir has posed:
Josh is mid-drink when Selina walks over and talks to him. His eyes shift in her direction but he's still taking a drink. A small dribble of the soda runs down from the side of his mouth. When she refers to Andrea as his girlfriend, he swallows and chokes for a moment. Lowering the glass, he wipes the drink from the side of his chin and swallows quickly, smiling at the hostess. "Thank you, ma'am," he replies to her compliment of his skin. "I'll pass along your thanks." He smiles in a very forced way due to feeling so damned awkward. When she turns to greet other guests, the cheesy grin remains for far too long.

It's probably not for another 10-15 seconds that he finally releases the breath he's been holding and takes another drink, finishing his soda in two long gulps. What was he thinking agreeing to come? He turns and places the empty glass onto the bar and orders another.

Ivory has posed:
Ivory lifts a gloved hand to cover their mouth at the invitation to Selina Kyle's table for a monent. "Oh my! Surely, just in a minute, miss Kyle, I love your style by the way. Is that an impression on the Bastet statue from Bubastis? What a wonderful idea!"

    Just after the pleasenties, they return to Minerva with their attention. "Oh, who would read the vogue and not know the elusive owner Cat's Eye Cosmetics, especially if the own label is also named for a feline? White Persian Cat might be nieche, and even someone dressing unisex may want to wear some cosmetics to put on a statement. It's all the right choice to make the right statement."

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I can't help it if I am right," beams Harry down towards Karrin, "I mean, it isn't hard to deduce, and I /am/ a private investigator. I have a license and everything. It's mounted on my wall, right next to the coffee maker."

Harry grabs a pair of champagne flutes from the table, offering one over to Karrin as he takes a sip from his. "So, with you being back in charge of SI in Gotham, am I going to see a sudden uptick on consultation gigs? Or would that just be 'wrong'? This whole right and wrong when it comes to paying gigs is a huge grey area for me," jokes the wizard. "But I am damn good at looking thought grey areas when there is a bunch of green on the other....hey, is that guy gold?" Harry looks pointedly at Josh, his brow raising slightly.

Lex Luthor has posed:
There's an actual chuckle. A CHUCKLE! When Barbara scoffs at him... and a nod of an acknowledgment of his teasing when Selina talks to him directly.

Sure, he knows what he did... but Barbara has always been easy to tweak. So there's that.

Then, Lex gets his attention drawn by Karrin. That dress, specifically.

He's already halfway across the room, heading towards Harry and Karrin by the time Josh is breathing again, and he's not being subtle about it.

Cheetah has posed:
Barbara-Ann's nose starts to tingle as she converses with Ivory. Even in 'mortal' form, Minerva is uniquely sensitive to magic. In between quips and pleasantries, Minerva's eyes scan her surroundings discreetly. Somebody (everybody?) here is more than they seem. How...annoying. Come to think of it, hasn't she met Ivory somewhere before?

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle doesn't hover in one place for very long, not wanting to butt in to strangers' conversations. She just smiles gently and nods to Josh, perhaps noting his discomfort with a sympathetic tilt of her head. "Are you alright?" although he quickly recovers from the choke and she looks relieved, but still curious, must be a mutant perhaps? Interesting, "It must be citing, dating a famous popstar, I am grateful that she accepted my proposition, I hope I can talk her into starring at many more concerts in the future."

Harry is given a little chuckle as she catches his response a bit too late. But she does pause to regard Murphy thoughtfully. But of course her alter ego is only too familia with run ins with police. But this lieutenant Murphy is nit from around these parts it seems. "But of course, it is always nice too see people from all walks of life. And of course I have heard interesting things of the 'wizard' Harry Dresden..I cannot say I have ever encountered the supernatural, but I suppose anything is possible, right?" She lingers a while around the hors d'ouvres, filling a small tea plate with snacks and sipping her wine. But of course she caught a glimpse of some prominent names on the guest tickets, did a bit of research, if only for her own curiosity among other things.

Her gaze continues to sweep the area, searching for familiar face, one face in particular tough she's a bit disappointed not to see him here, tonight. "Ah well, you can't have everything I suppose.." she murmurs softly to herself.

Ivory is given a sweet smile and nod, "Most certainly! Mm, I do love Persian cats, you both have exquisite tastes.." she practically purrs at Ivory and Minerva. Though Selina seems rather lost in thought now.

And just as Andrea's first song finishes, she is greeted by an enthusiastic applause before she launches into the next, her own rendition of 'Viva Forever' by Spice girls. It's a slow, heartfelt ballad that gets many people into a romantic, dancing mood as they head for the dance floor.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
The fact that Selina still takes a bit of interest in Harry gets a quiet, almost game sort of smile from Murphy. She's just being as polite and respectful as possible in a room that is way more money and power than most police gala's she's been to. She's in over her head here. So, it's smile, nod, and play nice. "If you're lucky, Ms. Kyle, you never will..." Karrin echoes about the supernatural, but doesn't keep their hostesses attention *too* long.

Then she gets the familiar tickle on the back of her neck that someone is watching her. Or, more so, someone is approaching. It's a heartbeat later that pale eyes turn in the direction of Lex Luthor. She looks back to Harry a moment, then around them, trying to figure out if the billionaire was actually approaching them or someone else. But it seems them. Her, in specific. Strong shoulders square up a bit, her smile settling back into place, though her there is a bit of tension in her arm around Harry's.

"...Good evening... Lex Luthor, if the news would have me believe..." She's trying to play at proper lady but, deep down, she's an irish cop in a far too expensive dress. She has no clue what she's doing.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Harry awkwardly has a deviled egg halfway into his mouth when Selina strikes up another conversation. Fumbling for a moment with the decision to bite and chew or remove it from his lips entirely, the Wizard hesitates just long enough for it to be even more awkward than it already was. Finally choosing to bite and chew, Harry washes the egg down with a swallow off of the champagne flute and smiles towards Selina, "I'm shocked. I mean, I know I take adds out in the yellow pages, but I rarely expect people to actually know who I am. If you ever need anything, let me know a'right? Lost items found, paranormal investigations or anything like that. But I don't do love potions, so don't ask...not that you would need a love potion because you are gorgeous...er...I mean..." Harry pats down the pockets of his tuxedo jacket, looking for something and finally coming up with a crumpled business card. "..here. You know, just in case." Way to not be an idiot, Harry.

Harry sighs, looking to Murph as Selina makes with the food, catching her glance and looking that way. "Lex Luthor?" the wizard mumbles out dumbfounded, mostly to himself since he can't really believe someone like that would be walking his way only to have it confirmed as Murphy says his name. Harry just stands there silently, eyes wide.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Lex Luthor." Lex confirms for Harry and Karrin. "The news would have you believe correct." Karrin gets a teasing *wink* from Lex as he finishes that sentence, his right hand coming out for a potential handshake. "It isn't often I see non-socialites around here. High Society can be an exclusive club at these events, but I like to get to know the people. LexCorp is, after all, meant to help people like yourselves." His eyes indicate Harry and Karrin.

Then, he looks over to Selina as the card is given... before his eyes go back to Harry, "I wouldn't mind potential consulting work, if you're looking to expand your contacts, Mr. Dresden."

His eyes, however, go back to Karrin, in her dress. Karrin can practically /feel/ Lex evaluating her outfit.

Elixir has posed:
When Selina speaks to him again, he blinks and turns back to face her, putting on a brave face and offering the woman a smile and a nod, "I'm great, thank you. Thank you for hosting this amazing event." He looks around at everyone and addresses the atmosphere, "It's really.. just great." Realizing how simple he sounds, Josh considers taking another drink of his fresh soda but then thinks better of it. Chill out for the love of god.

When she again mentions Andrea being his girlfriend, he wants to make it clear that they're just friends but he's not going to correct her. "I don't think it will take much convincing, Ms. Kyle." He looks over at Andrea as she performs, "She loves it." Looking back at Selina, "I'm sure she'd be happy to do it."

When she once again returns her attention to some of the other guests, Josh just puts his full beverage down and looks around for a way out. Having spotted an exit, he turns back to Selina and politely waits for a lull in her mingling to smile and nod his head at her, "Thank you again for having us." He lifts his hand in a wave? He's waving at her. From a few feet away. Then he's turning and just walking towards the exit. He manages to catch Andrea's bodyguard's attention and waves at him as well then thumbs towards the door he's approaching so he can get the hell out of here and go feel nice and average again.

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle just smiles and nods knowingly at Karrin..Ahh the irony.."Yes..Lets hope not." As for Harry, she just shrugs and smiles, accepting the card. "Why thank you, it's funny, I did see your name in a flyer a few weeks ago. And of course here you are! It's a pity you dont do love spells though.." she sighs wistfully at that, still swaying slowly to the beat, glancing ever so often at the dance floor. Ahh..If only..

She glances back at Luthor now, watching him thoughtfully, thinking, "Mm, that is a very nice suit, Mr. Luther. I'll bet there are only some 50 of those in the world, mm?" She smiles sweetly, following his gaze to Karrin's dress. And smiles again,"It really is a gorgeous dress, isn't it? I'll bet your date is just dying to join you on the dance floor so you can test it out, hm?" She chuckles a bit, all in good nature of course.

"If you will excuse me, I must get ready for the auction portion of the event, it was a pleasure to meet you all!" And with that, Selina hurries off to the backstage, slipping behind the curtain on the side as Andrea's latest ballad slowly starts to wind down.


People continue to dance still for several more minutes as she prepares backstage, and some ten minutes later after a brief intermission she is back on the stage addressing the audience. No more sound glitches this time, though there is another brief flicker of lights.

"Thank you Andrea for that stellar performance! We will now be beginning the show and silent auction portion of the night's event. If you would like to participate, there will be ballots and pens at each assigned seat for you to fill out, to be collected at the end of each show."

And with that, she draws back the curtain to reveal the first contender, a lovely white Persian cat led on the stage by one of the handlers, who goes through the cat's statistics and temperament, walking him around amid applause. There are several other contenders too, a beautiful grey whippet, a very large black mixed breed cat that looks almost big enough to be a bobcat, a Dalmatian puppy cute as a button, a cute fluffy tortoise shell kitten..

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Murph is content to let Harry glad hand for business, knowing exactly how hard it's been lately. The question of consulting gets him a sideways look, "...give me two weeks on the job before I start pulling in the crazy patrol. But...yes. I'd rather your eyes on most of this shit than anyone else's." She mutters beneath her breath.

But there isn't much more time to talk about it because Selina is complimenting her dress gets a bit more of a blush. Karrin really had no clue how to conduct herself in a gown like this. She bows her head gently, "T-thank you, Ms. Kyle. Good luck with your auction."

Lex Luthor is still *right there* and talking to both of them, even if he's already pegged them as not the high society crowd. Karrin keeps a simple, diplomatic smile on her small mouth. If she catches the roaming of Lex's eyes, she makes no remark about it, but her arm against Harry's does tighten just a bit. Knuckles a little whiter than before as she restrains her normal sass and opts for a respectful introduction. "I'm Lieutenant Karrin Murphy, with GCPD. New head of Special Investigations. The commissioner thought it would be nice of Gotham Police showed their support for such a good cause." And, you know, probably made a few friends to come around to the police ball later and support them.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I'm always looking for work, Mr. Luthor," Harry says almost a little to eagerly as he fumbles around in his pockets for another card. He just had them a second ago... He pulls another card out of a different pocket this time, and offers it over to the billionaire, "Here. Feel free to call me for any consultations, and I will see what I can do for you."

Harry's eyes shift from Lex to Karrin and back, as the billionaire eyes the head of SI. The wizard clears his throat, offering up an egg to her lips, "Here /honey/," he says emphasizing the term of affection, "You should try this. It's really, really good!" The wizard's eyes narrow ever so slightly towards Lex, maybe unconsciously sending off a bit of jealous and negative energy...if the screech of feedback from the closest speaker to him is any indication.

Harry blinks and breaks away from Lex and Karrin as he sees Selena take her leave in his periphery, "Oh, of course, Ms. Kyle. The pleasure was all mine!" before he returns his attention to Lex and his date.

Ivory has posed:
    Ivory surely has met the osther side of Minerva, but as Selina starts to prepare for the Auction part, they too stand up. "I'll need to excuse myself, I need to get my mascot from their cage to their chance to enthrall someone for a day. You know, Cats don't have owners after all..." Within a minute, they're gone from the ball room.

    And some minutes later that white persian makes its way to the stage with a handler, thought it's not the human leading. It's the cat that shows it's a proper cat, the decorated collar around the neck. That one might be one Minerva might recognize.

Cheetah has posed:
Luckily for Ivory, Minerva's attention is directed elsewhere just in the nick of time. Whew! That was close! She slips a hand into her purse to withdraw a cellphone. Someone's trying to call her but the blasted thing seems to be on the fritz. Weird. Perhaps reception will be cleaner on the sidewalk outside?

She pauses long enough to send one last 'telepathic' (but not really) blast of ire in Lex's direction before slinking out of the room. "Can you hear me now?"

Lex Luthor has posed:
"I didn't actually check how many personally, but I've heard rumors of anywhere between three to fifty. Frankly, I just love the feel of it." Lex gives a million dollar smile to Selina, "I'm sure they'll do dresses in this flavor eventually, too. I can let you know if they do." Lex, taking the card from Harry with a smile and nod to the man, brings his eyes to Karrin again. "I've got a whole line for the fashion conscious, if you're looking for some variety and don't know how to pick for yourself." Lex offers, casually.

Pegged her and then some. "Your date is welcome along as well, of course." Lex gestures with a head nod to Harry.

Catwoman has posed:
Several cheers go up as the animals take their walk around, and at the end of it, there are many bids placed on each of the animals. Harry May pick up something...Unusual from the big black bobcat though...

This time its the manager of the animal shelter who takes the stage. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your ballots, I shall now call out the winners. Please wait until the end of the gala to pick up your new pet and thanks once again for your support! Our lovely Andrea has just one last show for the night, but before that.."
He turns to Selina, presenting a beautiful gold statue of a cat with onyx eyes, "I would like to present this lovely award to our host for the night, as well as a special thanks for the money that Selina helped to raise to keep our doors open!"

There is a burst of applause as Selina steps to accept the trophy..The lights flicker again..Then go out completely this time leaving the ballroom in complete darkness for a few minutes, which gets a few cries of shock from the audience....

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin isn't exactly a romantic, but being fed a deviled egg in front of a billionaire on the fanciest date night she and Harry ever had? Well, this is a new level. She's trying to smile while politely chewing and only momentarily shoots dagger eyes at Harry to *keep it calm*. She'd say something, but she's busy trying to swallow an entire deviled egg while not getting it on a black dress that costs probably a month of her salary.

Her free hand comes up, hiding her lips for a moment. Lip gloss is going to be utterly ruined now, but she didn't really know how to wear it anyway. She finally manages to swallow, Harry getting a smile that could just slightly kill as she mutters, "Thank you, *honey*. I didn't think I was capable of trying that all on my own, *honey*." It's not exactly the start of a fight. SHe's mostly teasing, even if she slightly wants to kill him. There is a comfortable, old feeling of this dynamic. Neither of them were wearing rings, but there is that old married couple vibe just screaming off their awkwardness.

"Uh... that... That's very kind of you, Mr. Luthor. I don't know that I could afford any of them unless I really get a pay bump, but I'll..." And then the room is in darkness. There was applause. People were having fun. Everything was fine. Now it's all dark.
Karrin Murphyarrin immediately, instinctively drops to the floor. The sound of her digging beneath tulle doesn't last very long as she brings out a gun from somewhere hidden in that whole mess, but she wasn't coming to this unarmed. "...Stay behind me, Mr. Luthor. Harry... you got eyes on anything?" She's *all* business now, body crouched protectively as she scans over the darkened room.

Harry Dresden has posed:
Opening his mouth to say something to Lex, oblivious to the daggers Karrin is sending at him with her eyes, Harry gets distracted by...something...up on the stage and his head turns instinctively towards the black bobcat that is being paraded around up there. His mouth open again, this time looking to say something to Karrin when the lights go out.

Instinctively he pulls out the silver pentacle from his shirt, attached to the silver chain around his neck and sends a force of his will through it to make it glow a bright white. "I saw nothing, Murph. There was a feeling, something odd about one of the animals, but other than that I didn't see a thing."

Lex Luthor has posed:
As the lights go out, Lex looks up to the ceiling... before he takes out his LexPhone and moves to turn on the light.

Only for that light to short out almost immediately, and Lex to sigh. Sigh hard.

"Lucky I keep backups." Lex mutters, even as the lights come on, and Karrin... has a gun? "I almost want to ask where you hid that, but your date might get a bit more jealous of me offering clothing." Lex smirks, before he pockets the card. "Nothing says you need to buy any of it. Consider it a lesson in the world of fashion, if you're willing." Lex offers, before he looks to the animals on auction that were taken. "I was almost tempted for the bobcat, but I'm pretty sure Mercy and Hope would skin me alive if I tried to keep a pet." Lex teases.

Catwoman has posed:
Harry might just hear something, very subtle, almost inaudible to human ears. The sound of a large animal skulking, lurking.lThen pouncing, sharp claws scratching the ground as it steps onto the stage. Selina gives a sudden cry of pain then tumbles to the ground.

The lights flicker back on then and the there is a confused mumbling among the audience. "Everyone please stay calm! Uh, we seem to be having technical difficulties!" The shelter manager says, the microphone squeaking briefly. "Is everyone alright?" Selina is laying on the floor, clutching her hand though she climbs to her feet quickly enough. "Ahh, I'm fine, something..Shoved me over, scratched me. Oh! The trophy is missing...!"

She frowns as she glances around. The animals are all there, looking a bit flustered as their handlers lead them back to their cages...Oh wait, looks like the black bobcat is missing? How strange..

Karrin Murphy has posed:
Karrin is doing her very best to listen for other threats, so she doesn't quite banter back with Lex yet, her gun still pointed at the ground and the bulky shawl she was holding to hide that bump at the small of her back is now on the floor. But it's too dark to get a clear shot for anyone, really. And no one is directly attacking. "...I'll... keep that in mind, Mr. Luthor." She murmurs to him, respect in her voice, but there's the sharpness behind it of someone on duty. Harry's report about the cat and the sound of a cry of pain shifts her a bit closer to the stage, now instinctively putting herself between both Lex, Harry, and the stage beyond. But then the lights are coming back up.

Slowly, she unfolds from her crouched position. The back of the tulle is torn and her shawl abandoned, but she's still got that weapon in hand. Sharp eyes watch the whole room warily, blinking at Selina's comment about the missing trophy. "...Is that empty cage where you got that bad feeling, Harry?" She asks the tall wizard at her side.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"Seems about right," confirms the wizard to Murphy as he starts to stroll in that direction, his long strides carrying him quickly over towards the stage and away from Lex and Murphy. "I'm pretty sure it was the black cat that was up there."

Upon seeing Selina getting back up from the ground, Harry makes his ways over towards her at a hurried pace, "Ms. Kyle? Are you alright?"

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Good." Lex offers Karrin a business card of his own, before he turns and starts to head for the exit.

While not a coward by any means, Lex is certainly not here to fight... or to take chances in fighting.

Mercy and Hope lead their boss out of the party, towards the Limo.

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle sighs and nods, still a bit shaken as she glances at Harry. "Y-yes, I think so.lWhat on earth *was* that? That was no ordinary cat!" she laughs nervously, straightening her dress as she peers around. The shelter manager frowns but doesn't want to scare the guests away. "Um...Alright then..Ah..Just a..Technical glitch, nothing to worry about! Please continue!"

And at his request, more music is played and people return to enjoying their night..For the most part. Selina seems pretty shaken up though as she heads off the stage, rubbing her scratched arm. "ouch, it stings..Wow, What a night.." she sighs, glancing around. "Well, it could have been worse, we could have lost.."

"Excuse me, Ms. Kyle?" one of the security guards runs up to them, looking flustered, "Um, my apologies, but it seems someone has broken into the safe and stolen some $20,000..Fortunately not all the money was collected and put away but it looks like that's most of our funds collected tonight.."

Selina's eyes widen in horror. "Good grief...What on earth just happened...?"

Karrin Murphy has posed:
As Harry affirms there was something strange about the bobcat, Karrin lets out a low breath. She really didn't plan for tonight to be her first case on SI. She gives Lex a brief nod as the man hands her a card and exits, but fashion is the last thing on her mind right now. She nods for Harry to join her, walking closer to the stage to actually listen to what mess might be happening.

"...20,000. Well, it could have been worse, but if that bobcat is involved. I guess I transferred back to SI just in time." She deadpans, carefully holstering her gun back at the holster behind her waist. It's pretty obvious it's there now, but she's in full work mode. "...I'd say get ready to consult, but you might be able to make more money working for her..." SHe's only half teasing as she settles at the side of the stage, readying to start taking statements.

Harry Dresden has posed:
"I'm no detective," says Harry with a roll of his shoulders, "but isn't it obvious? You don't have to be Batman to figure out who did this. Money stolen, cat figure stolen, cat possibly used in the crime itself? It's got to be one of those cat-persons right? Catman? Catwoman? Cattween? All the signs point to that, don't they?"

Harru reaches up and undoes the bow tie, letting it hang loose around his neck as he undoes the top button of his shirt, "At least that is the Occam's razor solution to it. At least that was Nick's answer to everything, nothing ever seems to cut and dry in my experience. Murph, let me know if forensics picks up hair or anything. I might be able to use it for a tracking spell."

Catwoman has posed:
Selina Kyle blinks slowly. "Umm.....They're just...Cats? Cats dont just up and steal money...Good grief, this is really bizarre, I think I need to take a rest.." she sighs, "Well I have your number, Mr. Dresden, I shall give you a call. Thank you for your assistance.." oh yeah, she should probably get that wound tended to,it looks pretty angry.

Karrin Murphy has posed:
"Ma'am... You should probably see some medical care about that hand. I'll... start coordinating with GCPD about the missing items. We'll get this under control." And then Karrin is jogging off to the front area where her phone is. She gives Harry a slightly apologetic smile -- so much for a nice date, but they both have work to do. He'll be sniffing around for possible magical evidence and she, well... She'll spend the rest of the night taking statements and looking for evidence in a couture gown.

She's never going to live this down at the precinct.