[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]

Elani nods, still smiling, but at least understanding too. "I think I know what you mean."

She's aware of his looks, after all.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"But fortunately for me, he has to go off-Deck for the week. Sandy's not going to be so lucky, I don't think, since she's dating Nicholas Rhodes." Who is...thirty-seven, Zoe thinks, so even more of an 'old man' in this scenario.

Of course, Victor will miss the ball - which she suspects was the point more so than the revue - and she'll miss dancing with him, but she wasn't entirely surprised by the news. He hates big Deck events, after all.

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Well...hopefully he has a sense of humor?" Nicholas, that is, who she hasn't spoken to, really.

And then, "so you're going to the ball alone?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"For her sake, I hope so," Zoe says with a shrug, picking up a scarf and shaking it out.

At Elani's other question, though, she nods easily. "Yes. But it won't be the first Deck ball I've gone to alone." She'd only had a date to the masquerade, after all, because Victor had taken it upon himself to get her one. Most of the others she's flown solo too, except one or two when she'd been dating someone at the time.

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"Do you like going to them alone?"

Pause. Blush.

"I mean. I didn't mean. That sounded. Uhm. Would you want company?"

Nice save, Elani.

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Well, not necessarily, no." It was just something she could handle, really.

She blinks, though, and tips her head to one side. Of course, Elani doesn't have a date because it's too soon, she thinks, and honestly a part of her hadn't been looking forward to the inevitable lulls when friends go back to their dates and she suddenly looked very interested in the buffet table.

"I'd like that," she says. "I mean, if you don't mind."

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

Elani had been feeling the same way, really. That she ought to go. That it was expected. That people would worry if she didn't. And she does love balls because, really...free food, dancing, music, beautiful clothes, what wasn't to love? But going alone just seemed, well, lonely of course. And taking an actual date was just...

Strange. And it would have felt disloyal.

But going with a friend who also didn't have a companion for the evening? Well, that was something else entirely.

"Great!" And yes, she's all smiles again, embarrassment over her slip fading quickly, "wait till you see my dress."

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

Zoe knew she'd have fun. And she hadn't even considered not going, though that was mostly because she'd had her dress made, and it seemed like a waste to hold onto it until whatever the next event was. Besides which, she was an independent girl and such and shouldn't need a boyfriend to go to the dance.

Nonetheless, she had to admit that she hadn't been looking forward to the ball quite so much since Victor confirmed he wasn't going.

But now there would be someone else there who didn't have someone else to wander back to, and she smiles back.

"Oh, you got one of those too?" Her grin widens. "I got talked into something dramatic. It's red."

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

Now she's laughing again. "We're going to look like we're going to a Christmas party, then...mine is green."

But at least they'd complement each other?

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"Someone better take pictures, then. Though I think we can depend on that." She's laughing too, now, but then she smiles.

"Thanks, Elani."

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"You're more than welcome, Zoe. I think it will be fun." And she'll smile again, "but...I guess I should go find my revue dress now, huh?"

[headfollowheart.livejournal.com]

"So do I." And she nods. "You probably should. Good luck?"