entrancelogs | [NYE Party] happy new year and lots of fun

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[NYE Party] happy new year and lots of fun

Who: EVERYONE, but especially you!
Where: Wonderland Ballroom
When: New Year's Eve
Rating: PG - PG13 (will change if applicable)
Summary: New Year's Eve Party
The Story:

[ Previously in the month all residents received an invitation to a formal event: a black tie affair to ring in the New Year. The ballroom and adjacent areas are decked out for the party starting at eight o'clock sharp, meticulously planned and executed, glittering décor to match the no doubt glittering attire as music pours into the halls from the dance floor.

Bars flank each side, service for all manner of alcohol unless a minor requests something, and the primary setting stage features an enormous clock for the countdown. ]

[ Where will you be when the clock strikes midnight? ]

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Jane.

[Caught somewhere between shock and surprise Evelyn narrowly misses the contents of Jane's glass - whiskey, perhaps, or brandy - as it sloshes past her and manages to miss her chest.

Placing steadying hands on her friend's shoulders she gets a better look at the woman only to realise she is a.) very tipsy, if not utterly zozzled, b.) visibly upset, and c.) conspicuously lacking a particular piece of jewelry, which may or may not have something to do with parts a and c.]

...Jane, why don't you sit down with me?

[ When Jane sees Evelyn, her heart sinks a little more (which is honestly pretty low already) and she just nods. ]

Sitting, okay. We can. Your party is pretty. You're pretty. I'm ruining it with fake happiness and...and alcohol.

[She's frightfully drunk, something which becomes more apparent as Jane talks and Evelyn frowns at her in incomprehension. It isn't like Jane to let herself be so abundantly "free" with alcohol - at least, not within Evelyn's personal knowledge and experience of her.

It's discomfiting.]

You aren't ruining anything.

[Evelyn points out, not unkindly, taking the compliment in stride. Carefully taking Jane's hand, she leads her to a table a little out of the way.]

Why don't you tell me what's wrong?

[ Jane's never been this drunk in her life, she has no idea what she's doing or how else to cope. But when she sits heavily she huffs out a breath and tears immediately come to her eyes. ]

Did I tell you? Did I tell you about the baby I had?

[ She can't even remember. She told Dan. Maybe he told her and that would be fine, but Jane can't remember if she told Evelyn herself. ]

[Evelyn, the consummate Englishwoman, immediately fumbles for a handkerchief and edges her chair closer, curling a hand around one side of Jane's face. With the other she begins to dab away tears, a ceaseless flow of saltwater, bitterness coming from her in waves.

Evelyn's grip only stutters at the revelation that Jane has a child.]

No. [She says breathlessly, in shock.] No, you didn't.

I was sixteen.

[ She whispers that softly, dropping her gaze as Evelyn takes care of her. ]

My mother took her away from me while I was sleeping. I'd like another drink.

[ She needs another drink. ]

[Dear Lord. As if things with Jane's manipulative, abusive mother were not horrifying enough. But why did it take so long for Jane to share this information? Did she not know?

Evelyn supposes that, given her applied amnesia, she did not.]

Of course.

[Evelyn waves over a passing server and picks up another glass of champagne, sliding it over to Jane and making a mental note not to let her have any more after this.]

How did you learn about this if you didn't remember?

[ The entire glass goes down in two swallows before she looks at Evelyn. ]

My husband told me. Because he found her. And he shot her. And he killed her. He told me two months after I found out about her. He lied. He lied and acted like...like...like he didn't know. Like he didn't know anything. He had to tell me, because I wanted to find her. But I never will.

[ Please take pity on her and give her more champagne. ]

[It's a lot. Too much. Evelyn watches in stunned silence as she unloads something that might cripple a lesser person, an unimaginable torrent of agony. There are too many questions and, frankly, problems more answers than Jane is capable of offering.

Months ago Jane was telling her how the wedding went.

Now this.]

Oh, my dear Jane. [She pushes rumpled hair back from the woman's face, careful and soft.] I'm so sorry. I didn't know. You didn't know.

I don't know what to do.

[ It sounds so childlike, almost, and broken. She's broken, pieces scattered to the wind, and she doesn't know what to do. Kurt usually puts her back together, but this time he's the one who shattered her. ]

I left. I took off my wedding ring. He can't be the person did this to me, but he is.

[ She wants to simply stop. She's feeling too much and at the same time, not enough, numb. ]

It was an accident, he said. And he wanted to protect me. But he didn't. He didn't.

[The circumstances and details still very much escape her - how can they not, when Jane is utterly soused and in need of company more than answers? There are no simple, easy ones to give, and anything along those lines would sound far too trite for the situation as it is.]

Jane.

[Evelyn says, a little more firmly.]

With what you have told me of Kurt, I have to believe he never intended to hurt you. He wanted to protect you. But the best of intentions can be devastating.

[She knows it well. Will had done his part to keep her in the dark for her own safety. As it turned out, ignorance was not bliss so much as it was a bomb about to go off. In Jane and Kurt's case, this was unavoidable, and frankly...Evelyn doesn't know how well their relationship will truly weather it.

She left Will, and they were never the same after that. How could they be, knowing that time was defined by a lie he maintained?]

You need time away, with people who care about you. [She catches her chin in her fingers, directing her gaze.] And you need clear eyes. Whisky isn't going to solve your problems.

[ Her chin trembles under Evelyn's touch, tears making their way down her cheeks. ]

I just don't want to feel it. I can't breathe, Evelyn. I can't...

[ She falls apart then, right there at the party, feeling guilty for ruining it, for thrusting this on Evie when she's supposed to be having a good time. She's become someone who ruins parties, now she's the person people will be wary of and she shakes her head. ]

I'm sorry, I shouldn't be here. I don't know what -

[ She doesn't know what she was thinking, letting Peggy convince her to come. ]

I didn't mean to do this, I'm so sorry.

[Evelyn sees the shatter right before it arrives, edging her chair closer and moving the catch Jane as she begins to shake, to fall. The embrace is only as tight as it needs to be, conscious that Jane might want to pull away from her.]

Don't say that. You're hurt. You're more than permitted to be hurt.

[She supplements with a little squeeze.]

I'm your friend. I want you to feel as though you can come to me.

But it's your party.

[ She sniffles as she says that, looking around, and just as she suspected, every now and then someone glances her way and Jane knows she's making a scene. So, she takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. ]

Thank you. For being my friend. I know you are, and I know I can, but not now. You...you should have fun. I want you to. We can talk later.

[ She's focusing on every word, making an effort to convince herself and Evelyn that she's sobering up. Evie has Dan, and a midnight kiss she can't miss, and Jane won't be the reason why she missed it. ]

[It's Evelyn's party, and her friends can cry if they want to.]

Jane.

[She stresses, because she knows that this woman is going to continue to blame herself. She can relate, having been there many times.]

I don't give a fig about this, but I want you to get some rest. Drink some coffee, some tea, just- anything that requires brewing and not stewing. That includes beer.

Okay.

[ She says it a little guiltily, looking down. ]

I think I'm gonna...go home. Go and...have tea.

[ Which is how she'll wind up in a tea room when she drunk texts Kurt. ]

Thank you, Evie. For...you. For listening.

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[NYE Party] happy new year and lots of fun

just the person you wanted to run into!!!!!!!

she's so EMABRRASSED

honey.............................

please still be her friend after this :(

HONEY

:(

;_;

;_;

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