Laissez les bons temps rouler! [Mirror One]

[broken_brushes]

The island had done it again. Whether it was pure chance or benevolence none of them would ever know, but somehow, someway, the place had seen fit to give them all booze again

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[alethioliar]

Lyra was fond of the Shrovetide; the pre-Lenten season brought the Gyptians out in full force, the veiled candle lights from their floating boats visible from the canal's edges at night. Her last Shrove Tuesday before the island had also brought out the loudest boys from St. Augustine's just across the river; one of them had tried to kiss her and he'd ended up with several beads tied around his ankles.

Though armed with plenty of shiny, multicolored beads, Lyra had no intentions of tying anyone up with them. She was maskless as she flitted around the party, but she'd dressed as all the older women of Oxford would have just for a laugh. There was a drink in her hand but she wasn't drinking, and had no real plans to; she'd learned her lesson.

[ifsogirl]

The first thing she thinks when she looks at Lyra is that she looks absolutely spectacular. Ilse did the best job she could have with with what the clothes box gave her [she'd really lucked out with that green dress she'd worn to the club, she thought-- no way it was going to gift her with someone that awesome again anytime soon], but still. She gives Lyra a huge grin as she walks up to her, maskless as well. "Hey!" she says cheerfully, a half-drunk glass of wine in her hand. "Long time no see, stranger!"

[alethioliar]

"Ilse!" she grinned, genuinely excited to see her. Now that she'd seen both Ilse and Serena around quite a bit she had a hard time believing she'd ever mistaken the two. "Too long, I think," she admitted. "All right?" she asked before quickly correcting herself; people usually gave her a look of confusion whenever she used that phrase. "I mean, how have you been?"

Lyra thought, just then, that she'd been rather unfair to the girl the first time they'd met. Ilse was one of the nicest ones she knew.

[ifsogirl]

Ilse nods as she smiles at the girl. "Yeah, pretty good. How about you? I really really love your dress," she says before she can give Lyra a chance to answer, putting her hand lightly on the girl's arm. It really had been a while since she'd seen Lyra, with plenty happening in the interim period. Probably for both of them.

Being perfectly honest about it, she doesn't actually know much about the other girl, only that she's friends with Bert and has a very striking young pine marten called Pan who is very intelligent. But Ilse was certain from the beginning of Lyra quite a lot.

[aminorkey]

There's been humming coming from roughly the area where Peter Smith-Kingsley is standing for the past fifteen minutes. He can't help the good mood. He's got a pleasant atmosphere, decent music (horrid singing, really, including him), and beautiful clothes. After years in Italy, he's grown a fine appreciation for a good mask, so he sports one himself and makes himself at home with a glass of Prosecco.

Hours of celebration ahead and Peter refuses to wane.

[poison_lipstick]

Saffron had on another of the dresses Prior had made her tonight, and she absolutely loved it. She'd also donned a pretty half mask in purple and rhinestones to match her dress, though it did absolutely nothing to hide who she was given her red hair and distinctive figure. Saffron didn't care, though; she wasn't looking to disguise herself.

Tonight, she came to the party already knowing who she was going home with. But she'd come to enjoy herself, mingle with the crowd, and of course earn and give away beads, and that's what she was going to do. That, and drink some really ruttin' great wine.

[theunascended]

Daniel couldn't help the urge. When he saw her, he double-checked for mistletoe. Oh, he was sure that it had probably been Dick's insistence that started most of that, but it was still a kneejerk reaction.

"Sorry," he said, flushing a little and running a hand over the back of his neck. "Helen, right?"

[poison_lipstick]

A slow smile curved Saffron's lips as she watched Daniel check above her head. "That's me," she replied. "No mistletoe this time, just beads to barter."

[theunascended]

"Well, since there's little point in me showing off my chest in return for beads, what do you want for them?" It was only polite to ask, after all. Especially when she was probably expecting it.

[provincialbelle]

Belle did love singing at the club, though she found that she often ran out of songs and didn't know any others that would suit. Still, when she was given the night off in favour of a party, she thought it would be too rude to ignore it. "Mon dieu," she noted as she marvelled at the party about her, spinning in a slow circle.

Her simple blue dress seemed inadequate, now.

[assured_of_this]

That sort of artless awe is noteworthy, if only for how rarely Nate's ever seen it, even here. He himself hasn't been on the island long enough to find wonder in free-flowing libations or beignets, and he watches the girl turn slowly around before speaking.

"It's really something, isn't it?" he asks, an easy enough assessment even for someone like himself, used to privilege.

[provincialbelle]

Belle nearly startled herself into a small jump when she heard someone speaking to her. She rested her hand on her chest to catch her breath, smiling warmly as she looked at the man who was speaking to her. "I certainly didn't expect to see something like this when I came to fetch a spot of tea, no! Not at all!"

[assured_of_this]

"It's definitely not what I expected when I came up here for dinner, either," he allows, his smile sympathetic if only for having startled her. There's something vaguely familiar about her that he can't place yet, a niggling sort of familiarity he's not sure he wants to give a name to for all that it might skew his worldview.

"Do you celebrate Mardi Gras where you're from?" he asks, assuming the answer to be in the affirmative if only because of her casual use of French.

[loveintriangles]

Oh, Nessa had had a wonderful time gathering all sorts of beads and feathers and coloured laces to embellish her plain green dress. She had come to love these types of carefree parties with so much cheer.

Now she had come to the grand display of food, to indulge quite unapologetically in her secret sweet tooth. And this was quite possibly the best chocolate cake she had tasted in years. The frosting alone could cause teeth to fall off, but it would be worth the loss. She took a fork-full and closed her eyes.

True indulging bliss.

[assured_of_this]

"That good, huh?" Nate has to ask, paused in helping himself to some cake to watch the seemingly religious experience of eating it. Plate in one hand and server still held in the other, he smiles and adds, "Guess I made the right choice. I almost went with the pineapple upside down cake."

[loveintriangles]

Nessa hadn't realised she had kept her eyes closed until someone spoke to her. She opened them and smiled to the young man. "You did indeed. Though I should warn you; it is proving to be quite addictive."

[assured_of_this]

"There aren't chocoholics for nothing," he chuckles, and lifts his forkful of cake in a pseudo-salute the woman's way. When he take the bite, however, he has to give her credit for having a completely appropriate reaction; it's got to be the most sinful thing he's ever tasted.

"...wow," he manages at length with a shake of his head, as if trying to recover.