Announcement

[mrs_dibny]

She sees Ralph enter the room with her laptop and several bags of Spanish peanuts, which is something she's been craving like a mad fiend lately. she watches him move and mingle across a room of people greeting him. She can hear his laugh...see his smile...watch as his red hair falls in his face while her fingers itch to move it out of habit.

Comments

[itsastretch]

Travis does indeed know the plan, and has his ring all set up to push the necessary buttons, hit the music and so on.

Ralph, meanwhile, is oblivious. Either that, or more likely, he's pretending to be. This is the guy with cracker-jack box x-ray vision, birthday precognition, and all the rest.
Still, after dropping the supplies off, he heads directly for his beloved.

[mrs_dibny]

There is no fooling Ralph, but the effort yields its own rewards. Also, today could actually be the day for miracles.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," She starts. "Attention please." she waits for the murmur of conversation to die off and all eyes to go to her. She gives Ralph a smile.

"As most of you old timers here know, this man crashed my party with the fastest man alive and stole a bride while everyone was distracted."

[booster_mike]

"I'm still amazing the League hasn't brought him up on charges for brainwashing!" Booster quips.

...then realizes once again his terrible sense of timing.

[mrs_dibny]

"Someone thwap him and get it over with," she says mockingly.

[booster_mike]

Booster dutifully submits his head to Ted.

[_black_canary_]

Dinah sneaks up behind him and pops him a light one across the back of his skull.

[guy_lantern]

Yet another cup of beer gets dumped on Booster's head by a green energy hand

[mrs_dibny]

She waits for the tomfoolery and heckling to die down. It wouldn't be this type of thing if there wasn't a little going on.

"Anyway, it's been the kind of waltz you have where the guy steps on your toes, you step on his, you lose the rhythm from time to time and make up your own until you adjust. Other people come out to join you and other people leave. If you bungle it and fall down, you fall down together and laugh as you get back up."

She blinks back tears. Then winces for a second. "Sorry folks...the kid stretched and punted again for second." She looks back up into his eyes. "In short, Ralph, my darling, it's been perfect."

[middle_amazon]

Donna picked up Lian at the start of the announcement and they started making thier way to Roy as unobtrusively as possible. Once there, she continues holding her up so she can get a good view.

[gin_n_tectonic]

In back, Booker unobtrusively grabs a cocktail napkin and dabs his eyes with it. He thought Sue was class even when he was a supervillain.

[jla_extras]

Mike, one of the bartenders, offers Booker a box of tissues.

[mrs_dibny]

"There's a small problem though..." She shakes her head a bit and wipes a few tears away with the back of her free hand. "See, I got pulled away from that dance when I wasn't ready and didn't want to be. And I've seen the pictures. Everyone here and a lot that aren't helped carry Ralph through that time, and I want to thank them too. There's...been a lot of problems lately, but when it really came to helping our own get through it..."

Her eyes search for them - Hal, Arisia, Ollie and Dinah, Wally and Roy and Donna and the other kids in the room.

"We did. We all get together and we boost our own and get through it. Which is why I'm saying what I'm going to say here in front of you. See, I need you guys to, hopefully, carry Ralph and I through another day here coming up."

[guy_lantern]

In the back, bringing out clean glasses and taking the dirty ones into the kitchen...

"Man I'm confused."
No one's given Guy the 411 on Ralph/Sue/Ted yet, but it's clear to him now that something wacky occured...

[theotherlantern]

This reminds me. You owe me a refund for that bet, Guy.

[guy_lantern]

"Bullshit John Shaft. I was not lying, and that was the point. Not my fault they were pulling something.

Besides, I already credited your account back. Pierce covered what you owed."

[mrpierce2u]

It's true John. Couldn't let a brother carry that load alone. I know what these people get up to.