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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Then those magicians of note are unscholarly, and also boring.

"My friend is interested in alcohol, and amusing things," Combeferre says, dryly, and then, to do Courfeyrac justice, adds, "and yes, he was also very interested to hear of my studies in magic. I don't believe he's attempted it himself, but he was very curious to hear of your world, and how magic works there."

"Then I hope very much I shall have the chance to meet him! But first--" He reaches for a cup. "If I may...?"

"Why, of course!" Combeferre grins, and pours out a cup for Segundus--and for himself, too. "To your health, my friend!"

"And to yours-- Merry Christmas, sir!"

He takes a drink. After a moment or two, he gives a startled little laugh as the glowing begins: with his very pale skin and very dark hair and eyes, the effect is even a touch eerie. He can't see this, of course-- he can only stare in delighted wonder at his own glittering hands.

Combeferre laughs, too, as his own hands start to sparkle and glow. "Is this how fairies look in your world? Would we frighten people if we went there?"

"I suppose we might be taken for fairies," he laughs. "But I cannot say if people would be frightened to encounter them."

Combeferre fishes in his pocket and pulls out a phone. "Would you like your picture taken like this?"

"My-- I beg your pardon?"

Mr Segundus's rather narrow scholarly focus means he has not paid much attention to the technology of Milliways.

Yay, a chance to share new technology with a friend!

"You haven't seen these? They're marvelous! It's a phone, short for telephone--originally used for long-distance communications, you would talk into it like this, see--" Combeferre holds it to his face to demonstrate. "--but then it became combined with the functions of other devices, computing machines, and cameras, which take pictures. Perfect pictures, better than any portrait. Shall I demonstrate?" He holds it up, ready to take a picture.

"Which part will you demonstrate?" Mr Segundus asks with a laugh. "It sounds as if it does most everything!"

"Oh, the picture-taking, I think! Surely this--" He gestures at Segundus's sparkling face. "--deserves to be memorialized?"

"Oh, um, very well!" He's already blushing. "For-- for your records, I suppose--"

"Yes," Combeferre agrees, eagerly. "And for personal recollection, of course, but also for records, for study--"

He raises the phone. Smile, Segundus, it's for Science! And magic.

He-- smiles? (He mostly looks confused in a good-natured way.)

One press to the screen, and Segundus is there on it, looking confused and good-natured and glimmering eerily.

Combeferre shows him, smiling. "See?"

"Goodness!" He leans in, reaches uncertainly for the screen. "My goodness."

Combeferre offers him the phone. "Go on, look if you'd like."

He takes it delicately, holding it by the edges like he might a very rare and delicate book. He is not vain by any means, but he can perhaps be excused for taking a moment or two to stare at such a perfect image of his own face.

"How very strange," he says at last.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Combeferre beams. TECHNOLOGY.

"It is really quite something!" He is definitely quietly wishing he didn't now know quite how shabby his cravat was looking. But he hands the phone back with smile. "And your spell is really quite splendid! How long does it last?"

~~As long as the mun finds entertaining.~~ "Depends on how much you drink," says Combeferre. "A glass that size--perhaps two hours? I'm glad you enjoy it! At first I feared it might be a frivolous use of magic, but...well, I decided there was nothing wrong with bringing people enjoyment, provided I confirmed its safety first."

"I find there are a great many spells that seem inane or frivolous now, but when you begin to investigate, it almost always transpires that they served some purpose!" Mr Segundus says enthusiastically. "I am not sure which Pale spell you drew upon, but with a little more knowledge of its provenance, I'm sure we could discover..."

...stop him at aaaany time.

But why stop him, when Combeferre can nod enthusiastically and chime in at various points instead!

...at some point, they will head to the Library to continue their discussion with the aid of reference materials, possibly still glowing as they do.

Twelfth Night Party, Pontmercy style!

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