Everyone raise your glasses!

[thenormalsquint]

When; Evening of Tuesday, August 13th
Rating; PG-13, at best. Angela's on her best behavior tonight.
Characters; It's Ginny's birthday party and everybody Ginny knows was invited. Let's handwave that and just show up. BTW, IT'S BLACK TIE. PUT ON YOUR SUITS, BOYS.
Summary; There's no legal drinking age in the City, but who says we can't party like there was one anyway?
Log;

This party was four years coming. The restaurant has set aside a large room just for this event and on short notice too. The food is plentiful and of various cuisines, with even a large selection of vegetarian options for those who prefer that. But of course, there is more alcohol than one has ever seen because Angela knows the people she invited and knows quite a few of them have liquor in their veins instead of blood. Rule of thumb: more liquid than solids every time.

Everything's set and ready for the birthday girl to make her appearance, so for the time being, Angela's flitting around the place dressed in more subdued colors than usual, choosing black because no one gets to stand out more than Ginny tonight, and socializing with the few guests that have shown up already.

Sadly, there are no strippers. Ginny nixed that one hard.

Comments

[medicos]

Yeah, they're written underneath. [ he's not going to point out the necklace until she finds it. ] Thought might like 'em.

[hexuality]

[It's when she starts pulling them out of the box and looking under their stands that she sees the necklace nestled among the tissue paper packaging. She pauses, then carefully sets down the plane in her hands and lifts it out of the box by its chain, pendant swinging—and she catches it in her fingers and, when she realises what it is, her expression softens and her smile grows quieter.]

A paper airplane. [Ginny sets the box aside on the table and stands to give Bones another hug, more lingering, necklace clasped in her hand still.] I love it.

[It might be one of her best memories in the City, flying paper airplanes off the roof of the hospital with him. Soft, sincere: ]

Thank you.

[medicos]

[ he'd say more, about how he'd already bought the airplane models and was set on wrapping them up as her gift when he passed by a shop one day that had the paper airplane on display. like it was just calling out to him or something equally cliche.

he doesn't, he just watches her, content with seeing the smile on her face as she holds it in her hands. the hug he returns is longer than he's usually willing to give others, but in this case, he thinks he can make an exception for her. ]

Turn around, then. I'll put it on you.

[ she got the dress and the shoes and the earrings and the hair. now to complete the ensemble. ]

[hexuality]

[It does match, almost like it's been planned, but it can't have been. Not quite like this. Ginny untangles herself from the hug and grins and spins around, automatically reaching back to pull her hair out of the way even though it's already pinned up. She lowers her hand with a sheepish laugh and clasps both in front of her as he puts on the necklace, and once that's done, she turns back to face him, arms akimbo.]

How's it look?

[medicos]

Like it belongs to you, princess.

[ never been more honest. ]

Which reminds me: since you're the birthday girl, you get the honor of having the first dance on the floor.

[hexuality]

[EVERYONE IS MAKING HER BLUSH TONIGHT. That tough Weasley girl reputation is getting shot to hell tonight. She doesn't mind. Ginny is absolutely beaming and she looks down at the necklace as if she can see how it look on her as a whole, reaching up to touch it lightly, pleased beyond measure.]

Careful, Dr McCoy. You're spoiling me.

[She raises an eyebrow at him.]

What if I don't know how to dance?

[Not at all true, she's quite good. And by that, she means she's good at ballroom stuff (thanks, Yule Ball), partner dancing. Something apparently most kids her own age in the future don't do.]

[medicos]

[ something tells him that she's lying. call it a gut feeling, or maybe that look on her face is just suspicious.

in any case, it doesn't matter. ]

Then I'll teach you. [ surprise! he knows how. ] It's real easy.

[hexuality]

A proper gentleman, aren't you?

[She's so lying. And usually it isn't as obvious, but she isn't trying to slip under the radar this time, just taking the mickey. She's almost smirking.]

As long as it isn't swing. My friend Bucky swore he'd teach me how to do that and he's from the 1940s, so you know it's the real thing.

[medicos]

Raised by my Ma to have some semblance of manners.

[ the good ol' southern rules of etiquette and all. he'd have been kicked out of the house for being such an unruly child. ]

Depends on what music's on. Maybe we can convince them to put on a slow one so you ain't tripping on anyone's feet.

[hexuality]

I can keep up.

[Said with a wicked sort of full-blown smirk that might suggest she isn't sure if he can. Old man. Ginny glances around and catches sight of the dance floor and thinks that maybe something slower might be nice, though.

(This makes her miss her father intensely.)]

But we can go slow. Ease into it for the rest of the night. You want to?

[medicos]

Whatever the birthday girl wants.

[ he'll indulge her, just this once. but he does raise his eyebrows, answering that challenge with a smirk of his own. whatever, ginny. ]

But we'll see about you keeping up.

[hexuality]

[She laughs, reaching out to tug at his hand as another song starts up, pulling him with her.]

Come along, then. Try me.