Should auld acquaintance be forgot... (FIRST MIRROR)

[dumbassbastards]

If you had been upstairs in the Compound or in the Hub at six in the evening of December 31, you might have thought your eyes were playing tricks on you, or that you'd once again been whisked off to some strange, new place. Within the blink of an eye, the rooms had changed, sparkling instantly with festive decorations, and it was all so

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[broken_brushes]

Just when I thought this place couldn't get any crazier, it surprises me again. Here I thought I'd just spend my New Year's Eve making out with Mason, when the island decided it had a completely different idea. It was like Insta-Party! Poof, and there was food and drink and oh my God, there was soda, real bona fide soda pop with caffeine, and I thought I could die from happiness.

I've always been an uppers sort of girl. Not that I did drugs, but I just never did jibe with alcohol. Me, I preferred stuff that brought you up, not down, you know? I didn't know what Red Bull was, but someone in the kitchen told me it gave you energy, so I'd had two of those, and then some of the pink punch, because that was recommended, too, and did I mention my dress? Oh my God, it was the most fabulous yellow dress and I really looked hot, I really, really, really did, even though it was a little bit too big and what had happened to Mason?

[londonreaping]

There was definitely something in the punch. There was most definitely something in the punch and it was something Mason approved of, highly. You couldn't taste it, but you could see it in the faces of the people that had consumed it. Soaked it in. There was something in the punch, and it was one of Mason's favorites

[broken_brushes]

"There you are!" I exclaimed, and dashed over, and I have to say, it was a pretty good dash given the heels I was wearing. They were strappy and completely fabulous but not made for dashing.

Grinning, I bounced up and gave Mason a peck on the cheek, because I felt good, really good, like I was energized, totally ready to go, and wow- "Is that corned beef? Did you try the punch? I had some, but I think there may be something in it, nothing is that color in nature, you know?"

[londonreaping]

For a small girl, she had a tackle like a linebacker, Mason thought, and he automatically wrapped his arms around her, though partially out of reflexive self-defense. She was small. But apparently fierce. And she had the softest lips in the history of lips. Really. He remembered from the hot tub. Oh, the hot tub. Though they hadn't been naked and his hand had been unable to reach the promised land because, apparently, it wasn't promised, yet. To Mason a kiss equaled entitlement to other things, but apparently, no. Weirdly, though, he wasn't bitter. He was just... feeling good. Punch-good.

"Holy shit, Shari, you had the punch?" Mason inquired, and suddenly, he was looking a little concerned... until he was laughing really, really hard. Like, danger of pissing self hard.

[canaan_divided]

Mamet remembers last year, a party just like this. He almost doesn't come, he thinks, I'll be good. But there's snow and it's fucking lonely and he can't come up with enough reasons to be good, so he gives in. One day of the year. And it's here again, in dime bags on a tray, ready. Like someone left it here just for him.

Mamet takes the tray, the whole thing, into the bathroom. He has a moment of deja vu, but only a moment, before he snorts a line.

It hits him, he feels so fucking good he doesn't know what to do with himself.

A minute passes, maybe two, maybe five, before Mamet leaves the bathroom. He's a little unsteady, a little unfocused, but he finds a bottle of Molson and he's fucking set.

[flowers_on_skin]

Eostre might be slightly drunk. She might be. She expressed enough milk for the girls for the next couple of days. Everything will be alright.

Another gin and tonic would be divine. And she was smoking a cigarillo.

"Hello, darling."

[canaan_divided]

Mamet leans in, a little unsteady, and smiles like the cat that got all the cream.

"Hi," he says, slow, drawing the word out. "You look great."

[flowers_on_skin]

Eostre smoothed silk over her chest and her hip.

"Thankyou, precious. I feel pretty great, it has to be said."

[theunascended]

Shocked was the least of the words Daniel could come up with to describe his feelings when he wandered into the Hub. It was New Years, of course, and he expected a party, but he hadn't expected quite this much of a party. He wandered through the gathering crowd, wondering if Ianto had found his way to the party, yet. He didn't expect Jack, though Tosh or Mimi or any of the other people he knew might be around.

[doctorcuddymd]

For her part, Cuddy wasn't much in the mood for a party either. The only reason she'd chosen to come was..well, truth be told she didn't know. Maybe because there was a chance she'd be seeing Jack, even a small one, and she wasn't about to pass that by. Or maybe even still that she wouldn't be able to get anything taken care of in the clinic with all the festivities going on.

Nevertheless, she was there and she was dressed for the occasion, and she decided to make the most of the evening. Reaching across the table, she took a drink for herself.

[theunascended]

Daniel knew that face. He knew the face and he knew that there should be a reason that he should talk to that face, but for the life of him, he couldn't put a name with the face. He tried to work through it, focusing first on where she was familiar from. After a moment, it came to him. The clinic. And just like that, all of the rest of the pieces came together.

Dr. Cuddy, of course. One of the two heads of the clinic.

"Dr. Cuddy," Daniel said softly, holding out a hand. "Daniel Jackson."

[doctorcuddymd]

Daniel. Of course. Immediately, Cuddy's attention was taken away from the drink and she lifted her eyes, putting her hand into the extended one. "Of course," she said. "You're Daniel. Jack told me about you."

[purplensparkly]

Trance wasn't particularly in the mood for a party, though she was always good at pretending. What she was in the mood for, however, was a drink. She was pretty sure that Beka would have a stern word for her regarding alcohol, but Beka wasn't here, so she headed through the crowd and wandered into the Hub.

She was a little surprised to see the pure amount of alcohol and food there, and was even more surprised to recognize some. After a minute, she grabbed a very familiar looking bottle. It had been her medicine, once, and would be again.

[halliwell_angel]

"Trance." Chris smiled as he made his way over to her. "How are you?" He couldn't quite get the smile off of his face. He supposed he was in a party mood, even after everything that had happened in the last few months, or maybe because of what had happened. He had some food on his plate and a drink in his hand, which if he was right was a soda. It was the simple pleasures.

[purplensparkly]

"I'm here," she said, taking a sip from her bottle. She eyed Chris carefully and couldn't resist smiling back at him. It wasn't his fault she was in a sour mood after all. "You look chipper. Having a good time?"

[halliwell_angel]

It was then he really noticed the bottle. "Are you okay?" He hoped something wasn't wrong, but then she wasn't the only drinking..still having a bottle was definitely different.

He smiled. "I'm alright, I thought it would be nice to hang out. I mean it would suck spending New Year's alone." He had before though he didn't like to remember it.

[boom_king]

The party was a lot bigger than one of Dave's party, but it had the same feel to it. After their performance, Bret wandered off, keeping out of people's way as best he could as he went to get food. He expected what he'd been eating.

What he found, however, was something completely different. It was like there was a special section just for him. Roast meat, egg salad, chips, sausages in bread - there was even Pavlova, which is what he reached for first. He hadn't had it since he'd left New Zealand, and he didn't want to risk it disappearing before he had a chance to eat it.

[dr_robchase]

Chase had accidentally ran into him, wincing slightly. "Sorry," he offered in a mumble. "Should be looking where I'm going, really."