The Whitmoore Apartments - Christmas Party

Noelle sat alone in her apartment, staring out the window of the high rise to the streets and parks below. Buildings, people, bad guys -- everything but snow. It was enough to make a girl homesick.

Not that they'd even had much of a traditional Christmas celebration up at the lab on the Circle. No tree, for one things, and most of the presents were shipped in from down South, wrapped not in festive paper but lots of brown packaging, covered in stamps from around the world. But Dr. Palkichov always dressed as Father Christmas, and left a piece of chocolate in everyone's shoes, lined up at the door of the sleeping quarters, and there was always the Christmas Day dog races to enjoy...

Yeah, it just wasn't going to be the same.

Not that it had to be. Noelle didn't mind a little change now and then -- hey, she'd left the Circle for Paragon City, hadn't she? And she'd happily bought and decorated her first ever real Christmas Tree just that weekend. It sat on top of her table, twinkling with a sad strand of lights she'd found in a discount store and a few homemade paper snowflakes. She threw a wave of ice at it just for fun, loving the look of real icicles on the green branches. 'Course, when it melted, it was a mess to clean up, but she choose to put that thought from her head, and sent out a blast of artic air to keep the temp down for a little while longer.

"Baron here, what can I do for you Stateswoman. Oh, hello Texan Star. Is everything aright?" Rufus listened a moment and his tense shoulders relaxed. Clearly this was not a panic call nor a call to arms. It was a call to dinner.

"A dinner party? When?" Rufus listened and scratched his chin. "Yes, of course. No, I don't think I'd be able to attend. I had planned to cover Paragon city that night. Keep Founders Falls free of menaces, maybe Brickstown too. Then there's always trouble over in Crey's Folly. Someone's got to watch the city..." It was a lame excuse, and Rufus knew it. Traditionally, most gangs took Christmas off. They have families too, and there's an unofficial "cease-fire", or at least a lessening of tensions around the holidays. The boroughs will practically take care of themselves, as the heroes who now live in them will police them for anyone breaking the "truce", like the Devouring Earth, the Clockwork, or Rikti.

The Rikti, them again. So, Rufus, how much longer are you going to let those monkeys influence your life? How much longer are you going to sit, sullen on a roof top, while what's left of your life passes you by? I'm sure Emily would love to go to a grown-up super-hero party...

It was incredibly ironic at times that his child ward, Verdegris, had the same first name as his wife...

And what would she think...how much longer Rufus? How much?

Rufus realized that Texan Star was apologizing for keeping him from his work and was about to hang up. "Texan Star, hang on. I'm in. Yeah, I just thought it over and I think the city will be fine without me hopping around it's rooftops for a night. Mind if I bring Emily? Verdegris. Yeah, the kid, she's kinda my daughter now. Yeah, adopted. I could bring Streak too if that's alright. Streak. Silver-Streak. Yeah, the cute one. All of them? Tell you what, I hope you got enough plates, because I'll tell Malcalypse and all the other Knights and we'll see what we can get going. Need me to bring anything? What's that?"

Rufus couldn't hold in his laughter, and a little chuckle escaped. Another truth to shatter the stereotype; superheroes can't do everything, sometimes that includes cooking.

"No, no, *cough* nothing. I'll tell you what, leave the main course to me. Arrange to have the side dishes covered; starch, bread, veggies, pie, whatever. You handle that, I've got the main course and the wine to go with it. No problem. Who else is coming? Okay. Okay. Good, I like him, he's a good guy. Heh, the old man, nice. Nope, no probelms, just need to know how many I'm cooking for."

The Baron blinked a little. "Yeah, I'll cook the main course. Yes, I can cook too. Heh, she certainly thought so..." Rufus smiled inwardly, thinking of the Emily that was his wife.

"Hey, thank you and thank States for the invitation...oh, uh, one last thing. Capes or casual? Yeah, maybe you'd better have States call me back about that one, we should probably decide that soon. It doesn't matter to me, and I don't think Mal would be bothered, but there may be some folks who'd prefer masks. Again, have States call me, we'd decide and discuss."

"Thanks again Texan Star...okay, but only if you call me Rufus and stop calling me sir!" Rufus laughed as he hung up the phone, hoping Josie could hear the good natured scolding he gave her for her formality.

Rufus studied the map again, but his mind was focused on lighter subjects. A party. Well, I guess I'd better spread the word.

Rufus keyed his phone for "The Lab."

Interrupting her mopey thoughts, the tinny notes of "Winter Wonderland" echoed across the apartment, and Noelle jumped up from her window seat to check the caller display on her cell phone.