Gathering: New Year's Eve Gala

[concierge]

The annual Nexus New Year's Eve gala began at 8 in the evening. Too grand to be contained by the lobby or dining hall, the gardens at the front of the hotel were employed, with long strings of white lights forming a twinkling canopy from the front doors all the way to the hedge maze. The weather was temperate and calm, and the night perfectly clear.

Drinks were served at various bars set up throughout the gardens and lobby, with champagne cocktails being the specialty of the night. Wheeling through the crowd was a bartender with golden cart providing warm drinks on the go: Tom and Jerrys, rum punch, negus, and Irish coffee.

Crisply-dressed wait staff wove through the collected guests with an abundance of hors d'oeuvres for all different tastes. The Bistro remained open with a limited selection of items for those who were wanting something more substantial.

Above the front doors was hung a large, gold-rimmed clock counting down the last hours, minutes, and seconds of the current year.

Comments

[nebaritralk]

"What's Irish about it?" Chiana asked curiously, having heard the order. She knows what coffee is and then some, by now, although she doesn't understand the fascination with it. But Irish? It rings a faint bell, but she can't tell which. She's going to blame the fizzy wine; she's a good twenty drinks into the party, and starting to feel a buzz.

[aspecialkindofwoman]

"Ah, yes," she deadpans, "you are terribly old. I shall have to wheel you up to to your rooms soon, old man. Help you out of your clothes and put you to bed with a hot tea."

She's teasing, especially about the tea, but the offer to take him to bed is legitimate, should he wish to take her up on it.

[averygoodshot]

"For better or worse," Aramis agrees, smiling at his friend, only staggering a bit under the greeting. "And you - you've been at the wine already, I see."

[matt_murdock]

"Hey, you're still doing better than me; I thought I put on bunny slippers this morning," Matt teases her with a knowing little smile. "And a scotch would be great, thank you. Just a little water, and no making fun of how I take my drinks." She's English, or at least sounds it, so maybe she'll get the preference; he's had enough of philistines telling him he's ruining good liquor.

"I was about to ask what part of England you're from, and then I remembered you might not even be from Earth," he says with a soft laugh.

[only_hope]

"I thought I ought to try, for once, instead of just wearing robes and looking like I don't belong," Obi-Wan said warmly, giving Chase a broad smile. "I take it that I was successful in my particular endeavor?"

Judging from the way Chase was looking at him, Obi-Wan thought he was very, very successful.

[tooktheblack]

Jon laughed a little. "He's around, I think. He didn't want to come inside but I think he's out in the gardens making a proper mess of himself. He doesn't like being so cooped up all the time."

That was, of course, an understatement. Direwolves weren't meant to be kept indoors as much as Ghost had been of late and Jon could tell that the confinement had started to chafe.

[alegalsuperhero]

"Damn," Rachel says. She doesn't know if she could handle it if she was stuck here for a year and then it hits her - Harvey was stuck here for a year and she never noticed he was gone? Even though it had been the middle of the Hessington Oil trial? How is that even possible?

"I'm used to you making the impossible happen but how did you manage to be in two places at once? You were never missing, Harvey."

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[legendthatwas]

"Oh," Martha says, and winces a bit, because she really had ought to have seen that coming. "I'm sorry, mate. Time and space like in this place are pretty fickle like that."

She doesn't really go in for the kind of sympathy that says things like 'hope you'll get to see her soon', not anymore, so instead she says, "Bet I'd like her too. Could I get you a drink? We can send her a toast, wherever she's at."

[legendthatwas]

There's little doubt in Martha's mind that Matt knew exactly what he was wearing when he put it on that morning, and she smirks a little so he can hear the verbal wink in her reply. "They're fuzzy and pink and look just like wingtips," she says, then turns to the bar, placing the order before looking back over her shoulder. He's still there when she brings the drinks back, which is something, and she gently touches his wrist as she hands him the drink, so he knows it's coming.

"To be honest, I'm told by people in the know that water's the discerning," she puts a wry twist on the word, "choice for single malt. Ice is what's for rubes." Then again, this was combined intel from her father, who'd drink anything; the Doctor, who'd have put bananas into it if you gave him a chance; and Alistair Stuart, the fourth floor anesthetist at work. "And you're in luck--as it happens, I actually am from Earth, and from England. London."

Martha's given up on explaining to Americans where Harringay is.

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[sawny]

"I'd like that," Jamie says. "You're a good sort, Martha. Anyone who offers a drink to a grieving Scotsman can be considered a friend." That, at least, is said with a bit of a laugh. He's grieving, yes, but he's got to put one foot in front of the other or Claire would hate him for it. He canna just quit.

"What's your drink?"

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He frowns a little, because he will have to call on all of the science fiction (and some fact) references he has to explain this. He shakes his head and finishes his drink. "I don't know exactly how it works, but time is different here," he says. "When you go back - if you go back -" he doesn't do 'false hope' "you'll be walking out the door to go see Donna. It'll be like you never left. That's why you didn't notice I was gone."

[alegalsuperhero]

"So I'm not missing class or work or anything like that? I'm here," Rachel says, pointing to the floor of the hotel where she and Harvey are standing, "and I'm also there?"

It's kind of like a gift in the best way - now she has all the time in the world to do everything she hasn't had time to do.

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

Another shake of his head. "No, you're just here. Time here is moving faster than time there. As far as everyone there knows, you're still leaving your apartment. When you go back, you'll still be leaving your apartment, and you won't be here anymore."

[alegalsuperhero]

It's a little mind boggling. Rachel is used to impossible things being flown by her on a regular basis since she lives with Mike and works with them both but to see it in action is something else. Besides, this is far-fetched, even for them. This breaks the laws of the universe.

"You know, this is going to make law school a hell of a lot easier."

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He feeds her a look. "You already have a huge headstart on law school. You already know probably 3/4 of the case law." And how to find the rest.

"Besides, how do you know you won't come wandering in here two seconds before a huge test with no study materials?" Yup, he's a jerk. Life sucks.

Re: Martha Jones - OTA

[trulyoracular]

So that's why the universe is telling him all about new beginnings. And here he'd just thought that he was being told that so he could start a new hobby or something. "Well, regardless of what we're celebrating, we need drinks," he announces cheerfully, offering his elbow. "Shall we?"

[alegalsuperhero]

Rachel narrows her eyes at him. "What you're supposed to say is that I'm going to come in here with my arms laden with books and have infinite time to study for the bar exam, which I will pass on my first try in three different states."

It sounds nice even if it's so not her luck to waltz into something like that. She took dozens of times to get the LSAT down - what's the bar going to be like?

[notgivingyourmoneyback]

He doesn't quite go so far as to pinch the bridge of his nose at her response, but it's close.

"First, you're not me." That's about passing the Bar for three states on the first try. "Second, who the hell carries books around all the time? Though, you could end up with some incredible biceps that way. Third, who says you're stuck here? You could go through a door and end up right back where you were in the next ten minutes." Or, so the theory goes. He doesn't get to leave that often.

[praiseandglory]

"It's not my fault you're late to the wine," Porthos agrees with another grin, and raises his glass at his friend before taking a sip. He'll need a lot more than he has had before he's properly drunk, but he has every intention of getting there.

[nebaritralk]

"Guess I'll have to make do with your company, then, Jon," she told him with another sharp grin. He was fun to tease, what could she say.

[averygoodshot]

"I am late," Aramis says, fondness writ all over his face. "Are you planning on shooting things off the heads of others this evening? Do we need to prepare for such feats?"

[praiseandglory]

"Are you volunteering?" Porthos asks, and puts his hand on Aramis's back to draw him towards the bar. He needs wine, obviously. "Most people do not trust me as you do."

[averygoodshot]

Of course Aramis follows. This is what he does; he stands shoulder to shoulder with Porthos. "I suppose I am," he says. After all, Porthos has never missed.

He takes a newly-poured glass of wine and raises it to Porthos.

[praiseandglory]

"Well, I'm not drunk enough yet," Porthos replies with a grin, and raises his glass to his friend. "Let's see to that."

[averygoodshot]

"Cheers," Aramis agrees and he doesn't gulp his wine, but take a nice, long gulp.

"All is well with you, Porthos?" It seems so strange that they are not joined at the hip as they are in Paris.