[OTA] Shop and Spy

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Best order from a royal ever: go shopping and see what you can hear about what the Tower and the Devil might have in store other than dubiously romantic dates in Town.

So after a trip over to Diamond Castle, Zoe wanders first to Heartsong, her uncle's music store where Sara first spotted Burke and Asmodai, flipping through Uncle Lucien's used record collection as she listened to the chatter from the other customers. But it seems that all is quiet again on the Arcana front, and she's soon out the door again, wandering down the street and pausing here and there to look at this dress or this one or those shoes.

And listening to idle chatter, of course.

Comments

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Zoe!"

It's good cover to have a friend who has no idea what you're doing shopping with you, right?

"Hi!"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Hey, Elani," Zoe grins back at her as she pauses in front of a shop window. She hadn't even thought about bringing a friend, but it's a good idea; she could have invited Sophie, now that she thinks of it. Of course, she and Sophie would have probably gotten sidetracked picking a dress for her challenge next month, so all in all, Elani is a much better friend to be shopping with.

"Running errands?"

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Shopping, actually. I was hoping to find something to wear for the revue."

She'd already found her ball-dress but that didn't mean she didn't need another one.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Oh, what are you doing?" Sandy had finally unveiled what they were doing, and Zoe found herself hoping that Victor did, actually, go off-Deck for the entire week. Because 'Maids When You're Young Don't Marry An Old Man' is awkward when your partner is fifteen years older. "Singing?"

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Dancing, actually...Victor suggested it. I guess that will make finding the right dress even more difficult or I suppose I might need two..." one for the performance, one to rush around in and get everyone else settled.

[karatofquality.livejournal.com]

Silas needed to figure out a color scheme for his tuxedo for the ball. Time was short and, considering his recent argument with the woman who was supposed to be his shopping date, he figured he should probably just...get it out of the way. So when he encounters Zoë, well, he can't help smiling. She's always one for shopping with a smile, isn't she?

"Miss Kattalakis, how wonderful to see you."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"It's Zoe," she reminded the King of Diamonds. Dress number two and a matching black patent belt had made it into a shopping bag already, and Zoe had moved on to her one true love: shoes. The pair (http://www.barneys.com/Manolo-Blahnik-CC/501228736,default,pd.html) she's looking at have nearly four inch heels and she's pretty sure she might already have them in black at home. Which clearly just means she should go with red (http://www.barneys.com/Manolo-Blahnik-CC/501228752,default,pd.html) instead.

"But it's lovely to see you too," she added. "I was just up at Diamond Castle, actually."

[karatofquality.livejournal.com]

"My apologies," he chuckled quietly. "And those Blahniks are exquisite. They'll look lovely on you." It's complimentary not flirtatious. It's friendly. ...Shoes were his passion too, all right? The options simply weren't as varied and luscious for men as they were for women.

Inclining his head, Silas carefully lifted the next pair to the right (http://www.barneys.com/Manolo-Blahnik-Campari/501724602,default,pd.html?cgid=womens-heels&index=9). "I may be biased, but I think that these may match your disposition, if not what you've already purchased, Zoë." And as much as he usually hated yellow, these particular ones were gorgeous.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

At least he understands that the search for the perfect pair of shoes is an endless quest that results in many, many perfect pairs of shoes. She doesn't think Victor quite understands why she can't make do with two pair like he does.

She tips her head to one side as she picks up the bright, bright yellow shoes. "I bought these in red last year in Paris, for my birthday," she tells him. "I don't think I have anything in yellow." But now that she thinks of it, it would be a fun pop of color. Especially with her summer dresses.

[threecardmonty.livejournal.com]

Monty had been nosing around town as part of his layabout and chat people up duties when he spots Zoe coming out of a store. He raises a lazy hand to wave and crosses the cobblestones.

"Nice day for shopping."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"There's no such thing as a bad day for shopping, Monty." Fortunately, she hasn't acquired all that much so far. The dress, at least, should be easy enough to slip into the closet unnoticed. The red patent Manolos? Probably not so much.

"And are you helping the local economy today too?"

[threecardmonty.livejournal.com]

"Spoken like a seasoned shopper. Thought I'd take a look around, maybe pick up a new dress shirt or three. Maybe some jeans." He nods his head. "Run into a friend or two."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Are you going to get out your fancy dress for the ball again?" He'd worn a tuxedo for the masquerade, and had looked very nice in it while they danced the Viennese waltz. "If you do, I might have to beg Blythe to release you for at least one dance."

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

Hadyn wasn't always the best shopper, but he was trying to not panic about his challenge this coming Friday. In truth- this was not going well.

And Zoe was now his sister- which was still awkward to think about.

"So...." he said, coming up on her slowly. "How's it going?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

They hadn't seen much of each other, since Hadyn got back. Oh, she'd seen him, of course, enough to ascertain that he was alive and home and hit him upside the head for not calling for that many days running but...well, it was undeniably different, wasn't it? She'd gone from being an only child to apparently not so much an only child, and she'd delivered Georgios his annual birthday flowers with a rather pissed off expression.

So. There was that.

She looked up from where she was listening in to a conversation between a Town Diamond and Spade under the guise of trying on silk scarves and smiled. "I think the Royals are trying to see how much work I can take on without cracking," she said dryly. "Other than that, okay. How's...practice?"

[maskofhearts.livejournal.com]

"Pretty sure beating my head against a wall would be more effective." If only because he wasn't sure he could really preform what he'd written...now that a good bit of the anger had drained away.

"Might rewrite it." Not that he'd ever get anything else written before Friday. "Who knows." But all the same, he slipped his arms a bit unexpectedly around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. But who it was for, really, was probably up for debate.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Zoe winced in sympathy as she refolded a scarf and set it aside. "You haven't told me what it's about," she said, and then paused, blinking as Hadyn hugged her. A moment later she slipped her arms around his waist, though, leaning in to him and closing her eyes.

Still, "what was that for?" Seemed to be the question to ask.

[somuchheart.livejournal.com]

She's smarter now - understands that hiding in her room throwing herself at anything resembling work isn't a good thing. So Blythe's out and about in Town. She's still worried out of her mind, of course, but she can distract herself with something slightly more social.

And so, when she sees Zoe, it's with an air of relief that she approaches her, trying for a little smile. "Hey Zoe. How are you? What are you-- Are you looking for a dress for the ball?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Zoe notices that the smile is a little dim, of course. Things have been kept quiet about Ceiro; when she finds out, it might be the first moment she even briefly regrets switching Suits, if only because she would have known if she'd still been a Heart.

"For the ball? Oh, no, I'm having a dress made. Signora Pivoni promised it'd be ready a few days before. Shoes, actually. It needs heels, and I sort of...got rid of a lot of mine in January."

[somuchheart.livejournal.com]

"Right." Blythe takes a little breath. "That makes sense. I should probably be looking for a dress too, honestly. The ball is coming up... faster than expected, I guess. This summer just flew by."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

I saw Monty a little earlier," Zoe begins, and then pauses, watching Blythe, because there is something seriously wrong. Zoe's been this kind of forced calm herself. "Did something happen, Blythe?"

[morallydefunct.livejournal.com]

"I like first," he said as he appeared behind her, looking over the dresses she was mulling over. "You'd look lovely in it." And she would. But then, he always thought she looked rather lovely in most of the things she wore

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

She'd practically already set the first one aside, as much as she liked it, just because there weren't that many places for her to wear a silk tulle cocktail dress. The second one, on the other hand, would be fine for everyday.

Zoe looked back at Victor. Somehow, she thought, he managed to appear out of nowhere, and she still hadn't quite figured out how. "Do you think so?" she asked, trailing her fingers over the skirt. "Maybe I should try it on."

[morallydefunct.livejournal.com]

"Maybe you should," he agreed, though it was more because it would put her out of sight for a moment than as he glanced about the shop briefly. He didn't often buy her things, but there was a certain amount of apologizing that would be done soon enough.

It never hurt to add a bit of...icing to it.

"What is the worst that could happen?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

For a moment, she nearly asked him to come back with her, for the privacy more than anything else, but then her eyebrows lifted slightly as he looked around the shop. Her birthday wasn't for over a month. Their anniversary...

Was a little hard to pinpoint, actually.

She shook off that wondering consideration and smiled a little, taking the dress off the rack. "I'll be right back."

She might have have taken a little longer than necessary when she reappeared in the silk dress with a pair of gold heels (http://www.polyvore.com/prada_rose_gold_strappy_sandal/thing?id=51643853) she'd grabbed off a nearby shelf. "Well?"