milliways_bar | Twelfth Night Party, Pontmercy style!

You -- yes, you, whoever you are -- got an invitation to the party. All of Milliways is welcome!

If you choose to come, you'll find Bar directing you to a big round tent that went up this afternoon on the lawn outside the bar. Marius and Cosette and various friends spent a lot of time this morning ferrying decorations in, and the waitrats spent a lot of time in the afternoon ferrying food in, but the doors won't officially open until close to sunset.

But this isn't a cheap white plastic tent, oh no. It's warm and domed and made of thick fabric, something like a very large yurt. A bit of magic keeps out the drafts, making everything extra cozy.

There's a fire in the middle of the floor, with a low screen encircling it but also magic meaning that this fire puts of warmth but will not actually burn anything, even if you step right into it. The floor is wood -- great for dancing, if you feel like it! There's a piano over against the wall for anyone who wants to make some music.

Everywhere there are garlands of European evergreen branches and herbs, studded with bright dried fruit and sparkling ornaments. (Mistletoe might very well be among them, though the Pontmercies haven't thought to supply that as an intentional party game.) There are candles and lanterns everywhere, and a big chandelier. There are no electric lights at all -- it's all fire -- but a good number of them are magical, so that nothing's going to get set on fire or covered with smoke. The general intended impression is of genteel, welcoming festivity, in a very French and very early 19th century European way.

There are food and drinks galore. Come in and enjoy the party!

[OOC: Party-style post! Subthreads for various categories and activities, etc. Open from now until whenever!

Edit: As of Joly's arrival, Cosette now has a mini-polaroid camera. Fear, Milliways. Feel free to assume that she's popped up to take a candid picture of your character(s) at any point, as long as they're not doing or wearing anything scandalous! She will happily give the resulting picture to your character if they want; it probably won't be a very good picture, in terms of composition or focus, but it will be cheerfully enthusiastic.]

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Of course Marius hasn't noticed the television.

The resulting picture will be a rather startled and somewhat blurry Marius, jerking back in surprise from the sudden flash of light.

"What on earth--?" Sorry, Joly, that somewhat distracted him from your very useful explanation.

The little box is spitting out a piece of paper? Marius looks worriedly to Joly. Did they break it?

Joly laughs, delighted with how quickly the paper comes out. "Look--have a look at the paper, it will explain better than I have, I think!"

Did they break it? Or -- no, what's this? Before everything was on that funny glass-looking tablet thing, but suddenly extruding paper is something else again.

Cosette holds up the camera for them all to see the paper on it -- she doesn't quite want to touch it, let alone tug, in case that breaks some kind of delicate machinery.

It's just black for the first moment, but already shapes are beginning to slowly appear, like faint ghosts.

Faint ghosts of a blurry, startled Marius in a festive waistcoat.

Ohhh, it's magic. Right, alright then. He leans in to get a better look.

"Well-- well, I hope that will not be the portrait we hang for all to see."

joke? a little joke? yes?

It's a joke! Joly laughs! "I'm sure you can make a much finer portrait than that, even with this little camera-- though I find, more and more, I like these informal portraits, myself, as keepsakes-- but at any rate, you will have as many chances as you like, you know! There is always more film if you wish."

Cosette laughs too, bright and merry. Totally a joke!

"I promise, my dear! No, I shall keep this one myself, we won't hang it up."

She's gonna put it by her dressing table at Milliways, where future technology requires no difficult explanations, and laugh every time she sees it.

"Here, husband, you try! It's very easy, you just look through the tiny window and press that little circle."

Have a tiny floral polaroid camera, Marius.

Marius takes it as gingerly as if it were made of blown glass. He lifts it and points it towards Cosette and Joly, squinting rather exaggeratedly through the tiny window that Cosette indicated.

"Yes, alright. I'm..." Wait. He fumbles with it for a moment. "I'm going to press the circle now."

And he does.

And there they both are, looking delighted at whoever's holding the camera! (That's you, Marius. Your friends and family like you.) "Why, you shall both become expert photographers by the time the science comes to our Paris, and make yourselves famous."

It's an easy compliment, but--"Why, you really might, you know!" It's not a serious thought, not just now; he's still grinning.

Cosette doesn't really know how to pose for a camera, but luckily she's having far too much fun right now for her smile to have any chance of becoming fixed. She is, in fact, giggling.

"There you are! Much better than mine!"

This is so much fun. Best present!!!

"It is a very kind gift," Marius says to Joly as he very very carefully hands the camera back to Cosette. "Thank you, Joly."

"You're very welcome-- I hope you find much use for it. And--thank you both, for all this. It's wonderful , especially in--in this season." His eyes are bright as he says it, but his smile is easy. Reminders of Paris are warm now, and don't sting as they once did--at least not for him.

"Thank you both,so much." He bows again to Cosette, and presses Marius' shoulder fondly, before stepping away so his friends can see to other guests.

Twelfth Night Party, Pontmercy style!

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