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.

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Claire Stanfield | Baccano!

[vinovidivici]

[fidele]

[ After overcoming the first hurdle of why? when Claire asks her to dance, her problem is this: she has never learned to dance. It isn't as though she doesn't want to be his partner for it, yet the stiffness in her posture gives away a slight apprehension for this activity, a quiet question of whether she might be letting him down by not knowing.

Chane neither nods nor shakes her head in answer, but drops her gaze to his shoulders in a split-second of hesitation, hands rising to his chest because she knows they're meant to go somewhere if they're going to dance. Every other woman in the ballroom seems to be a natural at this. But if he has asked her, his fiancée, she is willing, and her pause seems to be in wait of instructions. ]

[vinovidivici]

[ The previous dance is winding down. The difference between those dancers' graceful steps and his fiancée's wooden pose isn't lost on him, but there's nothing worrying about it. If there's anyone who appreciates the need for practice, it's Claire; and besides their first dance could just be them spinning in circles in a corner and he'd be happy.

But - she looks ready to learn, and he knows she can. The steps might take some explanation but the position is best taught by feel. Probably. It's how he's decided to go at it, anyway, cupping her right hand at the wrist with his left and trailing the pads of his fingertips up between her knuckle bones to cover her fingers. He gently pulls that hand away and hold it out by their side. His right hand goes to the proper position just below her shoulder blades - although it detours along her waist and to the small of her back first. Which just leaves her left hand still resting on his heart. ]

You can put your other hand on my shoulder if you like. I don't mind. We look pretty swell as it is. [ The grin should tell her it's got nothing to do with that. Although he does think they're undoubtedly the best looking couple in the room based on her presence alone. ]

[grumpiness]

[In this au Claire is gay and attracted to Mako. BECAUSE HE'S HOT AS HELL.

SWEETER THAN HEAVEN.

I SET FIIIIIIIIARRRRRR TO THE RAAAAAAAAIN.

I'll come up with a real scene soon...]

[grumpiness]

[OH SHIT IDEK. MAKO AND CLAIRE ARE PROBENDERS AND THEY'RE ON OPPOSING TEAMS AND ARE THE CAPTAINS AND THEY'RE AT A PROMOTIONAL EVENT AND IT'S TRADITIONAL FOR THE CAPTAINS OF OPPOSING TEAMS TO SHARE A DANCE.

Mako is edges away from the crowd a few minutes before the dance, TOTALLY set on not being the one to approach an opposing team captain. HE IS THE UKE, GODDAMMIT.]

[vinovidivici]

[ that's hot

On the other hand Claire is setting out to be the anti-wallflower in this situation. If he shies away from this noble tradition everyone will think he thought about it too much and wimped out. And that - that's not gonna happen.

So here he is, owning this strange homoerotic tradition like he thought it up himself (which, technically, he supposes he did because solipsism) and seeking out this other team captain. He doesn't need to catch hold of Mako's sleeve as he notices him slipping away. The tone of voice he uses ought to be enough to stop hom. ] Mako, right?

[grumpiness]

[Dude... Mako instinctively flinches when Claire grabs him, which is a knee-jerk reaction he picked up from the streets as a kid. His elbow pushes back against the hold as he turns to get a look at the guy, eyes widening a fraction when he recognizes him as 'that batshit player who is way too excessive'. Seriously, out of everyone here, this guy was approaching him? He should have gone after one of the few female captains wandering around the room.]


Yeah. [He keeps his response abrupt enough to indicate that he's not about to go on about himself.] Wave Tracers, right?

[vinovidivici]

You got it. [ It's a sign! Good choice, split-second decision to grab this player. Oh, and Claire does let go of Mako's sleeve like nothing happened. ] We'll be up against the Fire Ferrets in the quarter-finals, am I right? Assuming we both make it through the first round. And personally I think that's a dead cert, you guys could thrash the Badgermoles without breakin' a sweat.

[ See, he's polite, bigging up your side without saying anything about his own team. It's not that he feels there's no justification needed for saying his team will win. ]

1/2

[antiwar]

[ He didn't think he'd run into Elsa here of all places. The lady was a complete stiff! Prim, proper, and of an elite class -- so why was she at this social gathering, of all places?

Let's just say Howl decided to travel in time, for some reason, to 1930, Manhattan. Probably to get in touch with a now-dead warlock, but romancing a few ladies was to be expected! This woman, though, was relentless, and wasn't taking her heartache very well. Instead of becoming dejected and discouraged, she only fought for him harder, which quite frankly terrified Howl. She was a monster, as far as he was concerned, and he was totally the victim of her aggressive and frightening personality! She should have known! He gave her warnings that he wanted no commitment!

So as "Sweet Embraceable You" starts playing, and his eyes meet Elsa's from across the dancefloor, Howl pivots on his heel and quickly grabs the closest person to him, pulling them in close. And whispers smoothly against the undoubtedly beautiful woman's ear: ] Play along, please.

2/2

[antiwar]

[ ... And his eyes like slowly side-eye Claire and his grip on him tightens. ]


Oh.

[vinovidivici]

[ Howl is getting the most deadeyed look to enjoy while Claire processes this sudden interruption to his evening of failed marriage proposals.

There's a chance he could extort some cash from this. Is this guy willing to pay to have him play along? Or would that be taking advantage of someone obviously in dire trouble... Maybe he doesn't need remuneration for this insult. As luck would have it the guy is slight and coiffed enough to pass for a girl from behind (and even at certain angles from the front). However he's also wearing (worryingly tight) pants which kind of undermine the chances of anyone thinking a beautiful girl just grabbed him.

After several long seconds of frosty deliberation Claire smiles and takes hold of Howl's hand. Mercy is the reserve of the strong - and if this gets any weirder he'll just scalp this guy and sell his hair for wigs. ] Well, since you said please...

[antiwar]

[ The world hated him. The world wanted him to suffer. Howl blinks repeatedly, as if he could somehow vanish the sight before him if he'd done it enough times, and a surprised noise lodges itself in his throat as his hand is grabbed. He glances over his shoulder, quickly, at Elsa, who seems to be talking to some real "Wise Guys." Or accompanied by them?

Okay, so he knew she had a ring on her finger the whole time. But if he didn't know any better, these men looked like American old-time Gangsters. The kinds he had read about and seen in movies. He swallows a bit roughly, looking back at Claire, as a bout of nervous laughter leaves his throat. Lovely.

He hoped this man didn't get the wrong idea, but could he really complain? His expression becomes increasingly regretful as he reflects on the stupidity of his recklessness, before he offers Claire a more apologetic look. Yes, he decided he could finally meet the man's eyes. What a horrendous situation. ]

Ah, I'm sorry. I'm sure you get this all of the time, but I thought you were a beautiful woman!

[vinovidivici]

Is that right? [ There's now a hand placed flat below your shoulder blades. If you're going to have him dance then Claire's going to be the one leading. The smile is still erring on the amused side of predatory: lucky for you he's developed a thick skin about being mistaken for a woman. ] You're actually not wrong about that, but normally people don't make that mistake without knowing my name.

[ As he's finishing talking Claire taps his thumb lightly against Howl's knuckles to the beat of the music - one, two, three, four - and steps forward with his right foot. ]