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

[These things were always exercises in both patience and ingenuity. The first tended to last about as long as it took to make it inside, and the latter just sort of picked up from there. While it couldn't really be said - except maybe laughably - that he was in any great possession of the patience part, he definitely had more than his fair share of the other. Probably more than was strictly necessary, really. Enough to actually wind up having it sort of start overlapping itself and falling into the detrimental categories instead of being a benefit.

Heh. At a benefit.

Easier to have it count as a positive with other people around to spread the socialites, and he decided he was a bit bored with the handful around him - honestly, the conversations - so he made some sort of concluding, amusing comment he wasn't really paying attention to and made his way over to where his attention had settled instead.]

That regulation party attire?

[ Phil Coulson considered herself a soldier and an agent rather than a diplomat, but the agent part at times included, almost by definition, diplomatic aspects and all things considered, she knew she possessed the skills necessary to fulfil the more diplomatic aspects of her work.

Which didn't mean that she always enjoyed it.

Tonight, she'd made a point to spend some time talking to those people who had something to say in matters of interest to SHIELD — and a point in being seen spending time talking to some of them as well, because for all that SHIELD was an intelligence agency that relied on secrecy, public image had its relevance. Depending on the public.

She should, perhaps, have expected that it might include Tony Stark. ]

Mr Stark.

[ Resisting the urge to smooth her hands over the dark green evening gown was easy only because she'd long trained herself out of gestures like that. ]

SHIELD doesn't have regulations when it comes to party attire. [ A beat. ] Depending on your definition of party.

[She should have, yes. But he won't fault her for it. He's generous like that. He gives the room a little glance-over before looking back at her.]

This isn't my definition at all. I don't even think it's a synonym. My definition of party usually winds up involving some sort of international property rights dispute.

[Or, you know. Something like that.]

Granted I guess there's enough authorities here to make a pretty good go of things. You draw the short straw? I'd have thought you had the ranking to dupe some poor junior agent into this particular atten-dance party.

And traumatise our youngest and brightest when they run into you?

[ She's smiling as she says it — wearing make-up for once, even — to take the sting out of the words. Not that she is particularly worried that he couldn't handle it. ]

I hope there's be no international disputes tonight. [ She has more than enough to do just making small-talk to politicians. And him. ]

Traumatise? I don't traumatise people. Anyway, they're gonna have to meet me as some point. Probably. You guys always seem to send them in groups of no less than fifteen when they show up at my house.

[Also he thinks you just insulted yourself, sort of, calling them all the 'brightest'.]

I'm not planning on it. Still signing things from last time. You guys are the reason the rainforests are disappearing.

That's for emotional support.

[ She did, but it was rather on purpose. Especially at events such as this one, it often pays to be unassuming, bland and friendly rather than attempting to be the centre of attention. That she knows her own intelligence is enough. ]

Only because some people find it easier to hack into digital records than look up paper copies.

That hurts my feelings.

['Unassuming'? Everything you just said is like the opposite of everything he's ever done.]

You say that like it's a bad thing. Do you know how annoying it is to find someone who's refused to digitize?

I apologise. [ Well, not really— rather, she'll simply say that in a completely dry tone and let him draw his own conclusions from it.

And yes. That is, rather, the point. ]

We're not doing it to annoy you.

[He's resisting the urge to just make a face at that because he's already nearing his tabloid quota for the month and needs to save a couple for emergencies.]

Uh huh. I'm not sure I believe that but I'll choose to anyway. As your consultant I want you to know I fully advocate electronic copies - at least scans of the paperwork somewhere.

So noted, Mr Stark. [ She could point out that that is not at all the area in which he's supposed to consult them; or perhaps that there are digital copies of everything, or even that the lack of digital copies is partly due to him— not having something to hack is a good deterrent against hacking but other than the first one, none of it would be true.

So she simply gives him a small and deliberately bland smile. ]

[Oh he's quite aware that it's not his within his consulting area, he just... cares about that particular boundary about as much as he cares about any other. You guys gave him a job based purely on his giving you his own opinions. It was obvious where that was going to go.

He would also be both flattered and annoyed if you told him they specifically did more things on paper because of him. Even if it was a lie. I'm not sure it isn't something he already sort of thinks is the case.]

You need a drink. You want a drink?

[ There's a reason he's only a consultant, though, and part of that reason is that it gives them endless leeway to ignore his opinions.

She is, technically, on duty— but part of the public image thing is, at times, to sip champagne in a delicate manner she finds easy enough to emulate and difficult to really feel. ] A drink'd be nice.

[WHICH IS ALSO ANNOYING. Seriously. He doesn't like it when people don't listen to him anyway, which is kind of often for some reason. People who specifically brought him in for something and then ignored it are just... heckletweet.

He just sort of nods and then goes off to get drinks, because drinks are a thing he can totally do all by himself. Doesn't take long to come back.]

Okay so I've picked out the socialites and the cognoscenti and the SHIELD heads and maidens and crap, but who else is here? I don't actually know what this one is for.

[ Heckletweet. She would laugh if she knew those thoughts. And wasn't at a party, really.

She takes her drink from him with another smile. ] Thanks.

Didn't you read the invitation?

[ r00d. ]

I don't usually actually get the invitations themselves, per se. You know, I just sort of get told to show up and then everybody hopes real big.

What a charming life you lead. [ Take that as you will, Tony, her voice is giving nothing away. ]

[ Seriously, could you be like, slightly more helpful. He's not that great with communication anyway and you don't give off the, what, 70% of the stuff that's based on body language. ]

You should come by sometime, be a little more a part of it. It's not that bad.

[ No :| ]

I already have a job, Mr Stark. [ But she sees her least favourite Councilman making his way over to them, the one who's always staring at her breasts rather than her face and who behaves as though the fact that she is a woman disqualifies her from the work she does.

Even Tony Stark's presence is infintely preferable to his, and he presents an obvious escape route. ] Do you dance?

[ y r u so negative ]

Doesn't have to be work.

[ Hey! He can do dancing. Even if there's an ulterior motive. ] I thought you'd never ask. C'mon.

I don't even want to know.

[ Good. Dancing with him is probably going to be one of her smoother escapes— and she puts her hand in his, the other up on his shoulder, stepping closer. ]

[ He slides right into this new interaction with the same relative ease he does most others, except with less sandpapery against the grain-ness and more smooooooth. ]

Now there's an interesting concept. Is there anything you do want to know? Need to know, basics. You know.

About you, Mr Stark?

[ All those lessons paid off, she's following his lead easily. The way her lips curl says she knows exactly what reaction her next words will evoke: ]

You're not that interesting.

[ ....... ]

Are you serious? You can't be serious. Did you just intimate something about me being boring.

I'm serious. [ Still smiling. This is the first thing this evening that she's enjoying. ]

[ He doesn't even care that she's smiling and clearly amused because she's still saying it and who on earth could even jokingly assume that. ]

How can you say something like that? I'm eccentric, a genius. With social skills, I'd add. I'm not boring. That's... Ridiculous.

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