A Night to Remember (all the pretty people)

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra had meant to keep her thoughts to herself, but she wasn't always the best at it. This moment was another example.

"Don't listen to me. I'm being morbid." Lyra shook her head and looked out over the glowing gardens and into the dark distance before deciding she needed to talk to someone and since she'd already let loose her macabre thoughts once on Christine, there was no point in holding back now. Nicolas wouldn't let her disappear, but that didn't mean she wasn't planning to do so anyway. What did Lyra care if she didn't impress Christine or any other socialite at the party. The evening was so pointless now and tensions were so high, although hardly anyone was aware of them.

"I just don't understand why everything has to be so complicated," she said in a tone bordering between frustrated and angry. She continued looking out into the nothingness of the night. "Idiots make really simple things into these big, complex messes and for what? So we can be miserable. Some things should just be straight forward. If you love someone then just be with them. Is that too much to ask?" Lyra counted herself among the idiots she was chastising, but first and foremost was Julian. He topped the list of idiots and she was angry at him for it.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine was having trouble following Lyra's diatribe until the end, then as comprehension dawned Christine started laughing, real belly aching laughter.

She was laughing so hard it was difficult to speak, "I'm" laugh "I'm-I'm" laugh "sor-" laugh "sorry." laugh.

Her hands were over her stomach and she sat down. Finally she took a few gulps of air, "I'm sorry Lyra. I'm not laughing at you." she giggled again.

"Unfortunately I know exactly how you feel." she explained.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra was not in a mood to be laughed at. She looked at Christine indignantly, her lips pursing and her eyes narrowing. Her expression only moderately relaxed as Christine tried to apologize through her laughter and explained that she wasn't laughing at Lyra. She was about to storm off when Christine explained that she was in a similar boat.

Lyra's expression instantly shifted, relieved that someone might finally truly be able to understand her. Samantha tried to understand and be sympathetic, but she was too close too all parties involved to really take sides (although Lyra was positive Samantha was mad at Julian for his role more than she was flustered with Lyra for her wishy-washy attitude to the men).

"You have an idiot, too?" she asked, almost with a laugh.

[Christine Montgomery]

Tears had gathered at the corners of Christine's eyes. She tried to wipe them away without smudging her make up, not sure why she cared other than she didn't want a thousand questions about why she had been crying.

She leaned back against the wall, her head tilting backwards as she looked at the stars. She wondered what her 'idiot' was doing.

"I do." she answered wistfully.

[Lyra Newbury]

That simple answer made Lyra feel so much better, though she knew she should have felt bad for Christine having to deal with an idiot man as well. "Seriously, though. I don't understand how a man can claim to love you and then say he can't be with you. All I hear is 'I can't be what you need'. It's absolutely infuriating!"

Unlike Christine, Lyra wasn't thinking about what her idiot was doing. She was too angry with him to care. She was angry that he would dangle his love in front of her like a carrot, and she was particularly angry that he seemed to have disregarded her demand for his presence tonight. It was her debut in high society, something he should have supported her in. If he cared for her as he claimed he did he would have shown up.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine's eyes began to well with tears for another reason. She swiped at them and took a shuddering breath.

Lyra was voicing Christine's thoughts exactly when it came to Dorian.

"If I wanted someone to tell me who I can and cannot be with I'd ask my father, not someone who thinks he's my father." she added bitterly.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra wanted to be nosy and ask Christine who she was talking about, wondering if she knew the man or not. But Lyra was afraid Christine might reciprocate the question and then she'd have to explain the Julian/Mason triangle and she really didn't need anyone else thinking she was chasing after only rich men for their money. One man accusing her of that was more than enough.

Seeing the tears in Christine's eyes, Lyra tried to lighten the mood. "Thinks he's your father? He didn't make you call him 'daddy' did he?" Lyra asked with overly mocking seriousness.

[Christine Montgomery]

She laughed, "Heaven's no."

She sighed picking apart a flower she had grabbed off a nearby shrub.

"He's older than me." she explained, "Not that much older than me. It certainly wouldn't make a difference in these social circles." she said thinking about the living practice of betrothals and marriages of convenience within their social sphere.

"But then that's another thing, I guess he just feels we're from two different worlds."

She turned to Lyra, "What about yours?"

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra understood the fear of not being good enough for your loved ones in high society. Her friendship with Samantha and her relationships with Julian and Mason were enough to warrant Nicolas watching her every move and threatening to "expose" her to the rest of society. Lyra couldn't even imagine how intimidated Christine's pseudo-boyfriend must feel at the prospect of courting a Montgomery. Though, Lyra was, for all intents and purposes, courting Mason which was pretty high up the social ladder too.

Of course she kept all of these thoughts properly to herself. Rule #1 of girl talk is to always side with your girlfriend when the topic is boys.

Lyra rolled her eyes at Christine's question. "He's still hung up on his ex, of course. Never mind the fact that she's been dead for years." Lyra frowned at her own words. "Oh Merlin, am I as horrible as I sound to hate this woman so much?"

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine stood and paced, something she did often these days. When she neared the ballroom she smiled and picked up her wand. She silently summoned a champagne bottle to her and popped the cork.

She turned listening to Lyra then frowned, something about Lyra's situation sounded familiar, but she brushed it off.

"I suppose I'd hate a woman too if she stood between me and my idiot. Right now it's just my idiot and his nobility." Christine snarled before drinking. She held the bottle out for her new friend.

[Lyra Newbury]

Lyra took the bottle as it was offered and drank before responding. She often called Julian's regretful alter-ego 'Noble Julian'. After they would sleep together Noble Julian would rear his gorgeous head and make Lyra feel guilty and generally terrible for having coerced him into a situation he seemingly wanted before. It wasn't actually very noble of him to make her hate herself so much, but Lyra was too in love to recognize that. Lyra passed the bottle back to Christine.

"My idiot's so bloody noble that he didn't even bother to attend tonight. And he knew it was important to me that he be here." Her voice cracked as she spoke, her anger receding into sadness.

It didn't matter that she had spent all day in a state of panic over Mason and Julian finding out about each other tonight. The fact that he didn't bother to show up at all was proof that he didn't care for her as much as he claimed. Maybe she should just come clean to Mason and hope he can forgive her so they can stay together. Mason wasn't afraid to prove his feelings for Lyra.

[Christine Montgomery]

"It's still early." Christine said with sympathy. She was too distracted by recent events she completely forgot that her date hadn't showed up either. For some reason it made her both sad and relieved.

She took the bottle back and drank deeply. "We should toss the whole lot of them over a bloody cliff."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Alek wanted to play on that. He showed up fashionably in a tux that would make all the ladies simper as he passed.

"Who are we throwing off a cliff now, love?" Alek asked as he approached the girls.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine whirled around spilling the champagne. She had a guilty expression on her face until it melted into one of appreciation as she looked him over, "You clean up nice." she said with a grin.

It was surprising to Christine that he wore a suit as well as he wore leather and jeans. For a moment she held her breath. If she weren't head over ass in love with another man Alek would have won her heart in that moment.

As it was she teased him, " We are condemning your sex good sir." she smirked before taking another drink of champagne.

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

"And you, my dear, are simply gorgeous," Alek replied, eyeing her for a moment as if she were a piece of meat. He came too quick enough, but the compliment was noticed. 

“Apologies on behalf of my gender for whatever wrongs we’ve done to you stunning ladies,” Alek said with a grin before leaning in to whisper in Christine’s ear. “I’ve never had a complaint about my sex, however.” He smirked at her and turned his attention to Lyra.

“And this is the woman of the hour. So lovely to meet you. There’s a gentleman inside simply raving about you, though his description didn’t do you justice.” He lifted her hand and pressed it to his lips.


Lyra watched the interaction between Christine and this man, wondering if this was Christine's idiot. After a short moment she determined it probably wasn't, as this man was very blatantly interested in Christine with no signs of noble-assery in sight.

Lyra looked quickly to the ballroom behind her, wondering if Alek was speaking of Julian. In all likelihood the man in question was Mason, which still felt nice but her heart sank a bit at this realization. She let Alek kiss her hand and she smiled, flattered at his response to her appearance.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine was blind when it came to men, much like Lyra was, if it wasn't 'the' man, then the others just didn't compare. That being said, a person could do much worse than the likes of Aleksander Eiriksen and Mason Marlowe.

Christine grinned at his manners and flirtatiousness. It set her at ease how playful he was. Truth be told Alek matched her temperament a lot more than serious Dorian did.

Christine blushed when he mentioned his abilities in the bedroom.

"You're just charming enough to convince me. We'll only toss half of your gender off a cliff."

[Lyra Newbury]

Alek smiled at Christine, pleased at the banter between them. "And why are you ladies sitting out here instead of enjoying the party? You know they have champagne inside," he said, eyeing the bottle in Christine's hand.


"We just needed some fresh air," Lyra answered, looking in through the grand windows to the party inside. "But I suppose I should be getting back in there. If I throw off the schedule Sam would murder me. It was lovely meeting you," she said to Alek. "I'll see you inside," Lyra said to Christine as she left the pair. On her way back inside Lyra grinned, glad to see that she wasn't the only one with a sordid love triangle to deal with.

[Christine Montgomery]

Christine's love triangle was less sordid than Lyra's. For one Alek knew exactly where she stood, and Dorian seemed determined to end things. There was no accidental intimacy other than a kiss, to suggest that all was not lost between them.

Christine gave a goodbye wave to Lyra wishing her luck as she did so.

She turned toward Alek, "Yes but this champagne is all mine." she informed him, "And no one to scold me for drinking all of it."

[Aleksander “Alek” Eiriksen]

"I'd suspect you'd hex anyone who dared to try," Alek replied. While his intentions with Christine weren't purely noble, Alek did enjoy her. She had a lively spirit.

"Have the vultures been circling?" he asked, curious as to the real reason Christine was drinking in the garden.

[Christine Montgomery]

"It's to be expected." she said on a long sigh straightening out her dress, "At least my cousin had enough sense not to ask me for a private interview for her magazine. Can't say too much about the other outlets though. I guess the press conference didn't really answer anyone's questions." she took another sip.