→ take me to wonderland.

[thedominatrix]

Who: Irene & guests.
What: Birthday drinks.
Where: Syriac Well.
When: 24th Shadri.
Notes: An outfit.

Birthdays are busy when you maintain a variety of different social circles. There's the enormous, lavish, exclusive party she throws, where she stays stone cold sober and pushes drinks on everyone else, to fascinating results- there are numerous private one on one dinners for the people who all need to feel like they're her favourite, like they're getting the special treatment, poor things, and that's almost fun just because of how dishonest it is except the boredom tends to negate that. But then there's this, which is play and not work, Irene inviting people because she likes them rather than because they need to feel invited, and because when she likes people she has to insert herself into their lives and demand as much of their attention as possible.

The surroundings are incredibly sumptuous, of course, stirred by a slight breeze from the open balcony doors. The atmosphere is intimate, private, slightly heady and unreal, urged on by some excellent wine (far from the only thing on offer, of course, but particularly notable) and Irene's languid charm, her usual society persona toned down ever so slightly as if to say well, you all know the truth, which is a very insidious sort of lie that she can still have fun telling. She's being very attentive to her guests- an uncharitable observer might suggest, in fact, that she pounces on them as they arrive.

But they wouldn't get an invite.

Comments

[thedominatrix]

There's a moment before Irene answers, surprised into a brief pause, and then everything about her falls into place and fits a little more naturally than it did a few seconds ago as she rearranges and rebuilds herself, calmer now. His statement has, of course, just raised more questions- but there's nonetheless something reassuring about hearing it. She doesn't see why he would lie.

(With that in mind- what strange company she's keeping lately).

She smiles. There's no need to respond to his earlier statements, not verbally, so she simply says, "Of course I will. Let me see- who do you already know? Hasi I think you must know from the Vault- rather a few people here frequent it, actually."

[heardmermaids]

"I've never been during working hours, but I've done my share of repairs and posted event flyers up at work." It's not uncommon knowledge that he's the one who's been tacking the notices up on the Hellsing staff corkboard. "And I know Mr. Holmes a little as well."

Lucius and Sebastian have a motley collection of running theories about who and what Mycroft is when he's back on his homeworld.

[thedominatrix]

"You do? Gosh--" She gives him a very irreverent smile. "Well done. He's hard to catch. Well! That man there is Alan Shore- an interesting raconteur in the way a venus fly trap is an interesting plant. Watch out."

Which would be her version of a glowing recommendation; that she mockingly gives it with the air of someone telling a ghost story says just as much about her as it does about Alan.