[NT] - Revel

[shaman_x]

[Open to everyone!]

Turn the right way down any street, glance down an unexpected alley, maybe you'll see it out of the corner of your eye. Maybe you'll catch a hint of the music drifting out of the invitingly open wooden doors. There's always something. It wants to be found, this in, this bar, this club, this pub, this restaurant. It has many

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[tm_magik]

The Winter Solstice - longest night of the year, and one of the times at which universal forces are poised to begin their slow rotation. Illyana Rasputin loves this night, the longest before the dawn.

Illyana hasn't been out in a while, not socially anyway, but remembered to wash the blood off ehr hands before slipping into a pretty handmade dress and 'porting to World's End.

[shaman_x]

"There's no apostrophe," Mike says, who happens to be standing right there, in suitable annoying Mike-fashion. "It's less a statement of place, but of inevitability: Worlds End. All-in-all," he adds, with sudden cheer, "it's best not to think about it, really! Hello, little light!"

[tm_magik]

"Did you just---" Read my mind is the rest of the sentence, but her teacher used to scold her about asking man's questions. That is, questions you already know the answers to.

So she shakes her head and smiles. "Hello, Mike. You are looking well." And male.

[shaman_x]

"I don't have to read your mind to know what you're thinking about," Mike says cheerfully. "I know things. And now I've said that, I think I owe Layla royalties."

He has two glasses of champagne. He may have had them all along. Or they just appeared. Who can really say? Well, Mike could, probably, but he just holds one out.

[tm_magik]

Illyana takes the glass with a bemused little smirk - she's been drinking vodka with Wanda. Chapmagne seems girly in comparison.

"Good solstice," she says. "Big things coming."

[shaman_x]

"It's the age of force and fire," Mike laughs. "Big things are always coming."

[tm_magik]

Illyana mulls this over and nods.

"I am not sorry I turned you into a woman, Mike," she says. "Because I think you learned something. But I AM sorry I can be such a brat." Every word is pronounced carefully between sips of champagne. "You are smarter than you look."

[shaman_x]

"I'd pretty much have to be." Mike grins. "Everyone else is getting Happy Memory Balls -- you can have one if you want, I have lots -- but this is for you."

He holds out a small silver pocket compass, dangling from a similarly silver chain.

[tm_magik]

Illyana takes it, eyes gleaming. "What does it do?"

[shaman_x]

"Work it out," he says, saluting her with his glass.

And smirking. You know, just a little.

[tm_magik]

Illyana snorts, blowing hair out of her face. Nothing's easy, especially with Mike.

"Okay," she says. "Thank you." She pauses, thinking. "I did not get you anything. Did you want something?"

[shaman_x]

"Oh, I already have what I want," Mike smiles, "but thank you for offering."

[kon_man]

"Hi!" Kon says, touching down next to her. "Haven't seen you in a while."

[tm_magik]

When she smiles, she's careful to hide her teeth.

"I have been busy," Illyana replies carefully. She's had a few drinks and her accent threatens to overwhelm her words. "Going many places. How are you, Conner?"

[kon_man]

After dealing with Raven on a daily basis, Illyana doesn't perturb Kon at all. "Good. Pretty good. So what do you do? Are you still in school?"

[tm_magik]

"Technically yes," she says. "I do not think I am maybe doing so well. You?"