Winterfair

[veryvorkosigan]

Vorkosigan House is astir this evening: the children are getting their own carefully supervised Winterfair party in the nursery wing, and the adults making ready to head to the Imperial Residence for the Emperor's party.

In the Dowager Countess's suite, there's one extra guest making ready.

Comments

[veryvorkosigan]

She isn't going for anything too fast or confusing; the object is to keep in sync with your partner, not throw them off.

A little heel-toe tap in between steps isn't too hard, right?

[maxwellsdemon02]

No it isn't! He's got this.

Just when he starts wondering what the signal is to switch leaders, he spots a couple near them do exactly that.

Apparently, you can do it whenever you like. He grins at Cordelia.

[veryvorkosigan]

Oh, that's a grin that looks like it's got mischief on its mind.

She grins back, and makes a sweeping after you gesture for him to mirror.

[maxwellsdemon02]

Back on L2, there's a bit of a folk revival going on. He visited a jam session with River a while back. They like to play a game in which they sing very fast, and make the crowd try to keep the dance tempo up too.

He starts with a simple reel, slowing the steps down so Cordelia can watch and see them separately. Once she has the rhythm, he speeds up.

[veryvorkosigan]

While the steps are still slow, it's easy enough to follow him; she hesitates a few times, until she has it down.

And she speeds up with him, gamely enough. He's not going to get much faster than this, is he?

[maxwellsdemon02]

Of course n...yes. Yes he is.

It's at a careful rate, though. Sneaky-like. Every now and then, he adds a little flourish, and then speeds up.

He flashes another grin at her, and extends an arm in her direction, ready to start a spin.

[veryvorkosigan]

She ... extends an arm back in his direction, mirroring his gesture.

They can't exactly clasp hands or link arms without destroying the mirroring, can they?

[maxwellsdemon02]

Hm, he didn't think of that. All right, then. He moves his hand closer, waiting for her, until just their palms touch, then raises his eyebrows at her. Happy now?

Their feet still tap out the steps of the reel.

[veryvorkosigan]

Her smile back is perfectly serene. Of course.

[maxwellsdemon02]

They start to spin, now fast enough that their feet are tapping out a counterpoint to the music. They're attracting some amused (and probably puzzled) attention from around them.

[veryvorkosigan]

Cordelia can't quite suppress a half-breathless laugh, while staying firmly on the beat.

This is ... yeah, this is faster than she's had to move in a while, and she is definitely not going to be able to keep this up for very long, but it's good to know she can still do it at all.

[maxwellsdemon02]

That's all right! They only have to keep it up until the music stops!

...and until then, Duo is going to come to an abrupt halt, and start spinning the other way.

[veryvorkosigan]

-- WELL ALL RIGHT THEN, Cordelia is going to catch herself and do the same!

A good few of the younger Vor around them are watching with unconcealed delight.

[maxwellsdemon02]

The music ends with a final dramatic flourish, and Duo bends over to catch him breath, laughing with delight. "That was terrific!" he says. "Good job keeping up, I thought you might outlast me."

[veryvorkosigan]

"If we'd kept going, who knows?" She's laughing too, and (just noticeably) short of breath.

The major-domo is announcing something over the noise; it seems it's time to be seated for the banquet.

[maxwellsdemon02]

Still chuckling, he falls in with the crowd, smiling broadly at the lady who was next to them. "I've never participated in a mirror dance before," he tells her, his careful formal accent back in action. "Not bad for a little exercise!"

She gives a light little laugh of her own. "You and the Dowager Countess were a little more...energetic than some people manage." She pats his arm lightly. "It wasn't a Barrayaran dance, was it? I hadn't seen it before."

[veryvorkosigan]

Cordelia, meanwhile, has started a cheerful conversation with the couple to their other side -- although she's keeping an ear out in case Duo needs rescuing.

[maxwellsdemon02]

"Oh no," he says, genial. "I'm just visiting. But tell me, what were the steps you and your partner were doing?"

Duo is king of small talk. Especially with pretty women. He manages to tread water until everyone is seated.

[veryvorkosigan]

Which takes a considerable time; even with the seating arrangement worked out well in advance by Lady Alys and her minions, there are still a good few hundred people to be seated at over a dozen tables, according to relative rank. Cordelia and Duo are seated not at the Emperor's table, but only one table away; their seatmates appear to be mostly other High Vor in Cordelia's age range, or the local equivalent.

Most of them are making every effort not to look askance at Duo, or ask them awkward questions.

[maxwellsdemon02]

Duo is still cheerfully formal, and seems not at all bothered that he has to ask what some of the food is. He is unfailingly polite to Cordelia, pushing in her chair, deferring to her in conversation.

He'd go for offering her the choicest tidbits off his plate too, but that might be more culturally loaded here than at home.

He seems to be enjoying himself at the very least.

[veryvorkosigan]

So does she.

And if she notices that there are a few people at other tables giving them pointed glances, followed by either sniggering or outraged whispering to each other, well ... it doesn't seem to interfere with her appetite.

Soon enough the banquet is over, with dessert being offered buffet-style in the next hall so that the dancing and mingling can resume.

[maxwellsdemon02]

Duo is used to pointed glares in his direction, and is either distracted, or intentionally ignoring them. He's still following Cordelia's lead, even if he did steal the dance.

Show him dessert, however, and he's there with bells on.

[veryvorkosigan]

There's a considerable variety of dessert out here to do justice to.

Cordelia's lingering over a choice between a cream cake and a chocolate petit four, when a gruff voice speaks from the other side of the buffet table. "Dowager Countess. A pleasure to see you here."

The speaker is an aging man in a suit that manages to look vaguely military without actually being a uniform, carrying a silver-headed walking stick in a way that suggests it's more affectation than prop. He does not look or sound like it's a pleasure to see her at all; his face is pinched, his backbone rigid with disapproval.

"Lord Vorcharkov," Cordelia says, with a polite smile. "Happy Winterfair."

[maxwellsdemon02]

Duo looks up from where he's hovering over a tray of what looks like cream cheese and spinach in puff pastry.

His eyebrows raise, but he keeps quiet for now, waiting to see this guy's reaction to Cordelia's greeting.

[veryvorkosigan]

(Sweetened mascarpone and basil, with candied walnuts lining the bottom of the pastry; it's a traditional South Continent dessert.)

Vorcharkov sniffs, apparently studying a platter of glazed fresh fruit. It's admittedly worthy of study, like a stained-glass window done in food.

"Duo, allow me to present you to Lord Vorcharkov," she says lightly. "Father-in-law to the current Count Vorgalanis, and a longtime supporter of the Conservative party. And this is Captain Duo Maxwell, a friend I met in my galactic travels."