Twelfth Night Party, Pontmercy style!

[lark_in_flight]

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.]

Comments

Re: Meet and Greet

[lark_in_flight]

"Oh, he's lovely! But--"

And this, too, is a thing she won't admit to many people, but she'll admit it to her mother, in a confiding little murmur. (Part of that, on some deeply buried level, is because her mother isn't grand, isn't even bourgeois, and Cosette never wants that to be a gulf between them; she doesn't want any sort of gulf between them, and she'll throw as many presents and hugs and confessions as she can to bridge the gap.)

"--But he's so very grand! I never know quite what to say, I feel very young and silly. But that's not at all him, you know, he's the kindest soul. You know, he was telling me of his people's parties? There's a festival -- I don't remember, perhaps it's spring -- but people climb the trees, and sing like birds for the sunrise? Isn't that funny?"

"But me, oh -- yes, at the convent. We all learned piano there, the sisters thought we ought to. I'm not so good as some of the other girls were, but I do enjoy it. I love to sing. At home or when we sing hymns at church, it's just such a wonderful uplifting feeling. Don't you think?"

Re: Meet and Greet

[farouche_bravoure]

"Climb the trees!" Fantine is entertained, and a little intrigued, by the idea. "Oh, but singing in the trees like birds would be lovely. You're right, it is such a wonderful feeling. Though I never learned properly. But I always loved it anyway."

It's fitting, somehow, to know Cosette can play and sing, that she received music lessons. It's the childhood Fantine wanted for her, and hearing of it makes her smile. "I would love to hear you play and sing sometime. Though you needn't climb any trees first, unless you want to."

Re: Meet and Greet

[lark_in_flight]

Cosette is surprised into a giggle.

"Can you imagine! You know, I did when I was a child. We weren't supposed to, the nuns scolded if they caught us, but I did. There were lovely apple trees that Papa tended. But I haven't in years. I wouldn't now!"

She almost definitely wouldn't.

Well, definitely not where anyone but a family member could see her doing it, certainly.

"But of course, I'll sing and play for you any time you like, Mother! We can sing together. I think that would be lovely."

Re: Meet and Greet

[farouche_bravoure]

And that's a lovely thought, she and her daughter singing together, enjoying music together. Fantine can't help smiling broadly. "I suppose there are pianos here," she says. "Does Marius like music?"

Re: Meet and Greet

[lark_in_flight]

"Oh, yes! That is, I don't know how much he thinks about it. He doesn't sing much, or hum to himself, or go often to hear music, you know. But he does like it. He always speaks well of it when I sing or play, or when we hear any. He has the loveliest little quiet smile, like the music is speaking right to his soul. He feels things very deeply, my dear husband. And music is full of feelings, don't you think?"

Re: Meet and Greet

[farouche_bravoure]

"Oh, yes," says Fantine, with a smile, and an inner pang. Her daughter is so happy and so in love, and it's beautiful to see. She hopes Marius is as nice a young man as he seems. He must be. God would not be so cruel as to deliver Cosette to someone who would hurt her, again.