It's Swing Time~

[cipherspeak]

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Elisha's motivation for organizing - or, honestly, delegating the organization of - a semi-formal dance party. Lucinda had suggested a ball, with stars in her eyes. She probably had already picked out ballgowns and themes in her head when Elisha had nixed the thing and - in a moment of desperation, with the memory of the swing-themed Fox wedding still in his head - suggest a Spring Swing, instead.

Everyone had run with it, and Elisha was pleased to say it had come out well. He was even more pleased to say that he didn't have to wear a suit, even if he stepped out into the lantern-lit gardens in everything but the tie. He paused near the raised dais provided for dancing and gave the small band the signal to start up the music before he attempted to fade back in the crowd. Not that that ever worked.

"Let the games begin," he murmured to no one in particular as he picked up a glass of champagne off a tray.

Note: Open to everyone and their brother; tag around, have fun!

Comments

[headfollowheart]

It had taken an almost startling lack of convincing to get Victor to agree to come to the dance - Zoe had just mentioned that she'd like to go, and Victor had nodded and said that they would. But it was, she supposed, swing, and thrown by one of her husband's best friends. And his other best friend is coming, too. She fully expects they'll wander off with whiskey at some point.

Now, though, she wanders along the garden paths in a lace dress and sensible pumps for dancing, a glass of white wine in her hand as she looks at the decorations the Clubs have come up with. Probably Elani, she thinks. Elisha has never struck her as the elegant party type.

[standlikestone]

"Zoe! Zoe, Zoe, oh my god." Have a Riley running to throw her arms around you, swaying ridiculously. "You need to save me from these things. I just saw Hazel." Pause. "I mean, like, saw Hazel. And I thought a garter was bad of me."

[headfollowheart]

"...Did she wear a thong?" Thongs were, admittedly, Zoe's usual underwear of choice, but she'd danced with Victor often enough to know that swing and a short skirt was not something you wanted to pair with skimpy underwear. She had on a pair of silk satin panties in a coordinating teal.

"That's horrifying. Do you want my wine?"

[standlikestone]

"Please." She will grab it and down it in a matter of seconds. Don't worry, Zoe - she'll replace it. "I mean - God, that's the sort of thing I'd wear if I was swing-dancing home alone with Evan, and by swing-dancing, in this case, I mean foreplay, and--" She goes paler. "Oh god. Oh god- but- she's Evan's age! And having sex with-- I don't want to think about this."

[headfollowheart]

She didn't really need it, anyway. Charlotte is, thank the lord, not even on Deck at the moment, so Zoe's as cool as a cucumber about all attendees. Though she doesn't really want to see Hazel's ass, either. She loops her arm into Riley's and leads her deeper into the dense Club gardens. "Don't think about it," she orders. "Remember, she doesn't matter. You're above her."

Zoe could almost be a James woman. Or at least it could be said that both Huntlys and St. Johns taught her well.

"...But seriously, she must not have even thought. I wonder how many people cracked up."

[standlikestone]

"I am above her, aren't I?" She muses, happily following Zoe. "Oh, I can get behind that. I'd never flash the vag at a party like this, contrary to popular opinion."

[headfollowheart]

"Ugh. That's an image I didn't want." She can deal with it, though. And she can absolutely be a bitch, if it helps cleanse Riley's mind. "There's a difference between having fun and being...completely inappropriate. People'll be talking about Hazel for weeks. Not you, of course. But everyone else."

[standlikestone]

"Poor Dad, though. I don't know what he was doing when he married her, but I'm sure he meant well. I'm sure he never imagined this happening." And now she just has to snicker. "And Mom looks so classy on the dance floor too. If only she'd stop flirting so much."

[headfollowheart]

"I don't know, the flirting might be a good idea," Zoe said, thoughtfully. "It's what I'd do, if Victor ever left me for someone else. Well, after I murdered him, frankly." It wasn't really something she really had to worry about, though. "But after I left him in a pool of his own blood, I'd show him he didn't matter by flirting with someone else."

[morallydefunct]

"Mrs. Fox," Victor said, coming up behind her in his suit which was not black, surprisingly. Though, really, the suit still lacked much in the way of color- or any color. But all the same, he offered he a fresh glass of wine and then his arm as he sipped at his whiskey.

"Have I mentioned you look lovely tonight?" He believed in complimenting his wife often, in truth.

[headfollowheart]

It was a lovely suit, regardless, Zoe thought as she turned at the sound of the name that was slowly becoming less surprising to her ear. Victor looked very well in gray; it served, she thought, to set off his eyes in a different way than black did.

"You have," she said with a little smile as she took the wine and sipped it. "But I don't mind hearing it again. Have I mentioned you look very handsome?"

[morallydefunct]

"A time or two," he said, with a smile as he finished his drink and set it on a passing tray with a nod to the two. "Perhaps you'd care for a dance, later?" He asked. It was, really, a rare treat to see him in good spirits at such an event.'

But for once, he'd thought, he didn't have to suffer through terrible music.

[headfollowheart]

Most times when she got Victor to escort her to one of these things, she felt like she was putting him through some kind of tedious torture. It was nice to see that be different this time, she thought with a soft smile.

They'd probably skip out on the summer luau, though.

"I'd like that," she said. But that was later, and she tipped her head at him, stepping closer. "But what should we do now?" She asked.

[morallydefunct]

"I suppose that depends entire on what you'd like to do, Mrs. Fox." He said, smiling at her gently as he looked down into her face. It might not have been something anyone else in the Spades would have predicted, or imagined seeing, but his usually blank, serious expressions melted away in moments like this.

"Any ideas?"

[headfollowheart]

She had had to learn to read the nuances in Victor's blank, serious mask over the last...more than a year and a half now. He wasn't a man who often laughed, or even often smiled except in the company of a very select few. It just, she thought as she smiled up at him, made the times when he did that much more special.

She reached up to straighten one of Victor's lapels and glanced down the garden path. This section of the Club gardens were more like a neatly organized wood than the formal gardens at their Castle. "Maybe a walk," she said.

It was early to disappear, but they could for a little while.

[morallydefunct]

"As My Lady wishes," he said, turning them toward the neatly trimmed and crafted woods. He didn't say much, really, but then he never did speak in depth about much of anything outside of business when necessary. He preferred the comfort of silence and music.

[headfollowheart]

The silence suits her, really, more than most would expect. But then, for as much as growing up with Hadyn has made her outgoing, there's a part of her that's always been a little quieter than her brother is.

Still, it's only quiet until they're deeper into the woods, and then she flicks a look at her husband, mischief in her eyes. "It was nice of Elisha to organize something...different."

[spysinspades]

David never passes up dancing. Particularly not when he's just about back to fighting shape. What better way to show that off than to dance with his most-disliked previous-retainer's wife.

He just had to convince her.

"Good evening, Zoe."

[headfollowheart]

After their walk, Victor had gone off to see Ben (and probably also to see the whiskey), leaving Zoe at her own devices. At least until she was snatched up by a dance partner.

Though she hadn't been expecting this one, and she watches the former King and current Joker over her glass of wine for a moment.

"Good evening, David."

[spysinspades]

"Did you know," he began casually, a smile beginning around his eyes, "that you are far too pretty to not be dancing?" Charm and compliments - he was very good at them when they didn't mean much of anything to him.

He lifted his hand towards her, palm up. "And would you care for this dance?"

[headfollowheart]

Zoe's eyes lit with amusement at that. She doubted that David's impressive intelligence network - or at least formerly impressive intelligence network - went so far as to report exactly how Victor Fox picked up women, even if the phrasing was just a little similar.

"I did not know that," she said dryly, "but thank you. Shouldn't Amy claim the first dance?"

She set aside her wine, though, and placed her hand in his. It wouldn't do any harm, really.

[spysinspades]

It was unlikely that David's formerly impressive spy network would ever have found that of import. Then again, lots of the things he knew didn't seem important at the time.

"Amy will likely claim a number of dances, but as I haven't run across her yet she is forced to come second." Her hand gets tucked through his elbow as he guides her to the dance floor.

[headfollowheart]

Who knows what could be useful, later. At the time she would have said that the startling part was that Victor was picking her up.

"I'm flattered." That seemed safe, she thought as they twirled onto the floor, her skirt flaring. "Are you enjoying your new position?"

[spysinspades]

He let his hands settle at her waist and guided them into a simple step, testing the waters before expecting anything difficult of her.

"There are a great many things about the Deck I enjoy." His political non-answer slipped right out, a holdover habit he saw no reason to try and break. "Are you enjoying your marriage, my dear? Mr. Fox can be quite the gentleman."

[headfollowheart]

Some things never changed, Zoe thought as she smoothly matched his steps. This was Victor's favorite kind of dance, and the kind they spent most of their reception dancing to - so she was well-practiced at it and could probably manage some of the more adventurous moves.

Though that was due to Evan McCartney as much as her husband.

"There are a great many things about marriage that I enjoy," Zoe said, matching her words to his the way she was matching her steps. "But you're correct that Mr. Fox is very much a gentleman when he wishes to be."