milliways_bar | (no subject)

(no subject)

Marius looks-- well, Marius often looks faintly startled, but he looks particularly so as he steps into Milliways. He is surprised, in the first instance, by Milliways itself, which he did not quite intend to enter; and then by the large tree. This, too, is a dual surprise, both because Christmas trees are not yet the done thing in Paris of 1833, and because it is not yet Christmas in Paris of 1833.

He wanders over to look at the tree with that same faintly befuddled expression, now mingled with a touch of curiosity.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Marius!" Joly smiles happily, waving the staircase. He's only about halfway down the staircase, but he waves down, and hurries the rest of the way as much as is compatible with a slight veneer of dignity. "Your timing is as always wonderful; you've arrived just in time for the celebrations!"

"Oh-- yes." He seems embarrassed to have been caught staring at the tree, and takes a step away. "It's always rather disorienting. It's only a few weeks since I was here last, and yet months have passed here."

Joly laughs, not unsympathetic. "I often feel the same myself, here. But here you are at last! Will you be staying for Christmas Day? How is life on your side of the door? Still traveling with dear Madame Pontmercy and her father? Is he still well?"

"We have just returned to Paris, and all are well-- it is kind of you to ask. And as for Christmas, well-- well, I could hardly say. How many days away is it here?" He laughs suddenly. "Why, it was really only a few months ago by my reckoning that we had our party for Epiphany! And yet..."

And yet it's somehow Christmas again. THIS PLACE.

"Ah, good! I knew the trip would do you all well, if nothing disastrous happened!" Cheery thoughts! Trips in his own world, health in his own world, was never entirely reliable. "How are things in the city?" It's not just a pleasantry. He doesn't miss Paris the way some of his friends do, but it was home, and it will take more than a handful of years for him to stop wondering and worrying over the people there.

"And you've come here when it's only three days until Christmas Day--or at least so it was this morning! And so you may steal yourself an early Christmas this year, if you want. " He laughs, and presses Marius's shoulder. "I don't know of anything as fine as your party last year, but we always have some sort of gathering here. You'd be welcome, both of you."

Well. The planned event is probably too entirely a thing for their own little republic of the dead for Cosette or maybe even Marius to enjoy.
But they can all always manage a second party that Madame Pontmercy *will* feel herself welcome at, and Marius too.

Edited 2017-12-22 07:09 (UTC)

"So soon! Well! Well, it may be I will stay a day or two-- or three. If it has really been so long, I am sure there will be a great deal to catch up on. And that is how it feels in Paris, too. It seems quite itself, of course-- and nothing at my grandfather's house ever changes."

It's out before he has time to be startled at how easily it came out. Has he ever spoken to Joly (to anyone?) about his grandfather, really? In any case, he knows he's never done so easily, casually, the way other people just mention their families.

Well!

In most continuities of this post, Marius has come to Milliways alone. But in this particular one, the door stays open behind him for just long enough for a bustle of skirts and sleeves and ringleted hair to appear in the doorway behind him.

"Oh!" says Cosette, letting her shawl fall down around her elbows, and stepping into the bar. "Dear old Milliways!" She beams about the room, impartially, and then rather more partially at Marius, as she starts over to join him.

"What lovely peculiar decorations someone has put up, don't you think, husband?"

"Yes," Marius agrees, though he's definitely inclining towards 'peculiar.' "--it seems a great deal of trouble to get a tree indoors."

"Doesn't it?" she laughs, delighted.

What a funny thing for someone to have done! Though of course here, it might very well be magic, or not a real tree at all.

"I wonder why it's here? It's lovely, though. Look, it's like a giant garland, all of it!"

"It does give the room a fine scent." Though if that's the only reason, that seems... excessive. "--oh, and look-- it's winter outside."

Snow and everything! How long has it been on this side of the door?

Cosette laughs again, a bright peal.

Winter! When it's only autumn at home, when it was warm here at Milliways too not so very long ago!

"I will never understand Milliways. I declare it firmly; it's the strangest place I could ever imagine. But what absurdity! Why not snow, why not a tree indoors? Come, husband, if it's winter, let's have chestnuts and chocolate by the fire."

"Oh, well--" Well, he can't say no to that. He even smiles a little, and offers her his arm to escort her over to the bar to request them.

Cosette, who was certainly reckoning on that, dimples up at him with great satisfaction, and tucks her hand into his arm.

And leans her head just for a moment against his shoulder, fondly. (Fortunately, she was indoors, so she's not wearing a bonnet just now.)

A moment later, she's chattering happily away again. "I shall ask Madame Bar if she has an explanation for the tree. Is there anything else you would like? You must order it if so. You must have whatever little treat you think would be nice, I insist. It's an order from your wife, you cannot think to disobey such a thing! Oh, but look, how sweet! There are little glass birds all about the branches. What a pretty idea someone had."

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-22 07:18 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

lark_in_flight - 2017-12-22 07:35 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-22 07:40 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

lark_in_flight - 2017-12-22 07:46 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-22 22:43 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

lark_in_flight - 2017-12-22 23:30 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-22 23:51 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

lark_in_flight - 2017-12-23 05:32 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-23 05:34 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

lark_in_flight - 2017-12-24 06:16 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-24 06:26 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

lark_in_flight - 2017-12-25 06:05 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

heartbeneathastone - 2017-12-25 06:12 (UTC) - Expand

"Hell of a tree," Gabriel says, pausing with his mug on the way back to the fireplace. "Hard to find 'em this big in my time, the fake ones are more common."

Marius' clothes are interesting and make Gabriel think he must be from a pretty old time period, relatively. Being as new to the Bar as he is, Gabe finds this interesting. Gabe himself is dressed in sweats: today was supposed to be recovery for the procedure he underwent yesterday though no evidence of that can be seen.

Old fashioned clothes, a very formal air-- he's definitely not from any kind of culture that wears sweats.

"Oh, ah-- is this custom from your country, then?"

Gabriel has a hard time being formal even in dress uniform. It's not that he can't, more that he doesn't see the point.

"Christmas trees? Originated in Germany if I remember gradeschool right." He gives Marius an appraising look. When the hell were Christmas trees invented? "Couldn't tell you exactly when, but by my time they pretty much worldwide.

"Ah! Germany, I see." He looks back curiously to the tree. "And where, ah, where are you from?"

Uh.

"My country doesn't exist yet when you're from," Gabriel says with uncertainty. "2041. I'm not gonna screw up your timeline if I say, am I?"

Nobody's said anything about time travel shenanigans to him.

"Screw up...? I-- that is, I know already that some people here are from times beyond my own," Marius says uncertainly. "I have not been told there is any harm in the knowledge."