meme #004 | slow-dancing ( think outside the boxstep )

[the]

slow dancing ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ a meme → COMMENT WITH YOUR CHARACTER'S NAME, FANDOM, AND PREFERENCE. → PICK A CHARACTER YOU WANT TO TAG AND GO FOR IT. → PLAY NICE; NO WANK, FLAMES, OR GENERAL HUMBUGGERY. ┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈ the deal FORMAL OR INFORMAL, WITH MUSIC OR WITHOUT, YOU COULD BE AT A GLAMOUROUS GALA WHILE A SINGER CROONS SOFTLY OR IN THE SILENCE OF YOUR OWN LIVING ROOM. WHEREVER YOU ARE, YOU HAVE THE URGE TO DANCE. DID YOU ASK YOUR PARTNER OR DID THEY ASK YOU? HAVE YOU GOT TWO LEFT FEET OR IS THE VIENNESE WALTZ YOUR JAM? IT COULD BE AWKWARD, IT COULD BE ROMANTIC. EITHER WAY IT'S CUTE AS HELL.

Comments

[femshep]

[He catches Shepard's eye from where she's standing with a glass of some sort of wine halfway across the room, and for a second the corners of her lips curl up in amusement. At that point, it seems entirely possible that she's just going to lift her glass in 'cheers' and let him continue his dance of shame, entirely in good humor (not that he'd be quite as amused).

But then she's setting the glass down and heading that direction, and in a lull in the dancing she sets her hand on Khalisah's shoulder in a forcedly civil sort of way.]

I'm going to have to cut in. I need a word with my lieutenant.

[Not, 'mind if I?' Nope. It's mandatory. At least it's not another punch in the face?]

[standsentinel]

[The 'Of course, Commander' that al-Jilani simpers is a sly and duplicitous thing. She looks pointedly from one principal to the other, smiles insincerely, and takes her leave to go stare in bewilderment at where her faithful holobot is... not.

Kaidan, safe within the established social protocols of a formal dance, sweeps Shepard into a dance hold and manoeuvres them away in quick-quick-slow time. His grin is non-regulation, but crookedly thankful.]

Flawless timing as always, Commander. I was getting real close to foisting her off on Councillor Tevos if she tried one more fishing attempt after the sex lives of the Normandy crew.

[It also remains strongly possible that the maligned reporter was trying to ask him out on a date and he missed the catch. Kaidan appears to have dropped most of his points in attentiveness into keeping the beat and navigating around the floor tonight.]

[femshep]

[Yeah, okay, his grin's a little contagious, so she's cracking a reluctant one of her own. Smiling's almost permissible, after all, with a comrade she's known as long as she has Kaidan.

And despite her utter lack of any sort of club dancing coherency, ballroom is something she's quite versed in, though not something she ever intends to brag about. So he's sweeping her off across the room and she's sweeping right along with him.

At his comment, she suppresses her grin and feigns a little bit of authoritative surprise.]

We have sex lives? Why wasn't I informed?

[standsentinel]

[Kaidan's eyes glint one he determines that Shepard knows what she's doing, and a hint of the occasional playful challenges of the battlefield crops up. The sweeping turns into signals for under-arm turns and more esoteric bits of mutual showing off as he huffs a laugh.]

It was in the fine print, ma'am. And I think Joker's taken the pertinent reports and locked himself in the head with 'em.

[femshep]

[At the taste of a challenge, her head tilts just slightly, and she takes the turns in stride. He's going to win this poor excuse for a dance-off--she may know what she's doing, but she's by far no expert--but in the meantime, she'll give him a good run for it.

In a 'don't worry' sort of tone:]

He shouldn't be in there too long.

[Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen, you've witnessed Shepard's first crack at a crewmate's sexual performance.]

[standsentinel]

[Congratulations, Shepard, the choked burst of laughter that escapes Kaidan at that nearly causes him to fall out of step.

At least he recovers in time to avoid crashing them into Ambassador Udina, although it's a near thing by that worthy's sour expression.

(Or maybe it's just Monday.)]

Always did wonder why he was so defensive about the ship being speedy for her size.

[femshep]

[She can't suppress the grin now, but it's a wary one as she says:]

Let's not get started on 'size'.

[standsentinel]

[Kaidan's laugh comes easier this time, and he gives them both a moment to catch their breath from the innuendo via a series of fifth-position breaks and other showy-but-simple footwork.

He slips back into the basic pattern of the dance and reflects, mock-thoughtfully, that]

I guess I should be careful, since we're all crewing on the same speedy little frigate.

And I have no idea how you'd make a euphemism out of the stealth systems.

[femshep]

That's simple, [she's shooting back, but then it kind of occurs to her that she's tripped into a dirty-joke-fest, so there's a moment where it seems like she might take the high road out of this particular topic of conversation.

...But she can't resist.]

In and out before anyone even noticed him there.

[standsentinel]

You're a woman of hidden talents, commander. [Kaidan's laughter, low though it is, has still turned a couple curious heads here and there. Some instinctive reflex to blend in has him dial the dancing down for a bit, although his grin flashes up again.]

So we've got size, speed and stealth dealt with... this is an easy one: weapons systems.

[femshep]

[At that, she raises a brow.] At least give me a challenge.

[standsentinel]

Well, [he says, and lifts an arm for another turn.] You could try and rise above the material, but... passing up the cargo bay, the attitude thrusters and the airlocks, how about the internal heatsinks?

[He lifts a challenging eyebrow as the turn brings her back to face him.]

[femshep]

[Still too easy. Which roundaboutly draws a low chuckle out of her throat, because:]

If Joker ever caught wind of this conversation...

[Although technically, it'd be EDI's "wrath" she'd be more worried about, in the form of correcting the measurements and ranking them compared to every other male on the ship. All kinds of information EDI knows Shepard just doesn't need to know.

Either way, her statement means her professionalism is finally catching up to her, as she dances and gives the rest of the Officer's Ball a assessing glance.]

At least this proves it, though.

[Okay, maybe one more joke, delivered as she's swept into a casual dip.]

Alliance marines do have Balls.

[standsentinel]

Great big shiny ones.

[Kaidan delivers this agreement with amused finality as he pauses, bowed over her, and then spins them away back into the music again.]

In all seriousness, now that our friend al-Jilani's stuck sorting out whatever Tali did to her holocam while I had her distracted, I'm actually glad they're throwing one. We all needed the break.