Was it really that simple? She talked as though it may have just been a run of bad luck; debuting alongside someone prettier, perhaps, could have led to her not being "picked" as she put it. Victor supposed he could see that playing out for a few years, after which everyone would be thinking the same sorts of questions he'd just posed.

He thought for a moment, feeling he wanted to transition away from the subject and unsure how to do it. After a beat, he added slyly, "I'm not much of a fan of Quidditch."

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Fabulous set by Lady!

Chris couldn't help the chortle that burst past her lips  but desperate not to encourage this sort of behaviour in the future she was trying to affect the sort of affected look of disapproval that should have been expected as an appropriate response to an impertinent interregnum by a stranger in the grips of drink

'Did you come all the way from your party abroad, just to have this conversation?' she asked, one of her slender dark eyebrows raising in  query, 'or was there some other amusement you sought at the prewett Estate?'

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Victor grinned, pleased that he'd made her laugh, apparently despite her best efforts. "Oh, don't flatter yourself so much," he jibed, since she had apparently taken a leaf from his book and gone the route to bald questions. "I didn't take a date book and mark out all the events we might find ourselves in conversation and plan around it. But it might be the most interesting thing that happens to me tonight," he admitted. "How many balls can one attend before they all begin to look the same?"

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Fabulous set by Lady!

She sucked her teeth in a disappointed sound, and made a face of mock disappointed, 'and I'd only just finished saying that you were interesting. How quickly some gentleman leap in to contradict a lady', Christabel gave a little shrug of 'oh well' her face a picture of mock innocence, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.

'I feel rather sorry for the party that you've just left if this' she gestured to the house and the strains of the band in the air, 'Is the most interesting thing that's happened to you today.' In spite of being 26 years old, Christabel was, still, a gently bred member of the ascendancy. Her knowledge of why her brother didn't want her in attendance at the house party and the sort of shenangians that could be counted upon occurring, especially house parties hosted by this particular Prewett, was remarkably low.

'Just this season, or overall?' she added in response to his question. Christabel enjoyed dancing, the physical act, but not the preamble and fussing that came with dancing at a ball, and worse yet, as the years had progressed the number of dances she had stood up at a ball had decreased and so an evening spent loitering around the edges of the ballroom, pretending to care about the colour of Miss Abernathys stockings, or Mister Wainscots cravat pin meant her tolerance for the events was remarkably low - and yet she knew she had to go, to still be seen to be making some effort with society life. She wasn't Porphyria, she wasn't sure she could live the melodramatic life of a spinster.

'But really arn't they all the same? I'm sure I've already seen this band play at 6 events this month! The violinist will be flat on the 4th note of every second bar - listen for it' she held up her hand and sure enough as the note came around there was a vaguely painful squeal from the cat gut. 'Sticking a new theme on the same music surely makes all of the events the same in their fundamentals. IS your preference then for private parties? Smaller more intimate groups?'

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Victor shook his head, though he was smiling still. "You've glossed over an important distinction. Tonight is not today. If you hope to make this interaction the most interesting thing that happens to me today, you'll have to do better than this."

He was only teasing. She would have been hard-pressed to come up with something more interesting than a moose who could imitate everyone at the party, and if she did manage it he presumed Fitzroy Prewett wouldn't be thrilled. Her brand of interesting may have involved some property damage, if their last interaction was any indication (though to be fair, he had more than enabled her there).

"My preference is for parties with less pretension," he admitted. "Which doesn't necessarily mean small and intimate, but it does typically mean fewer debutantes."

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Fabulous set by Lady!

[post]

Did she really count as a debutante anymore? In respect she rather hoped not, as her general view was that it was a silly palava, on the other hand admitting she wasn't felt rather like admitting to spinsterhood - and she wasn't ready for that.

She feined horror - 'Less debutantes?' an affronted hand laid across her chest. 'Mister Daphnel you've gone too far! Fewer debutantes? Can you not hear the hearts of every marriage minded mother in England break? Even over the sound of that wretched violin.' she jibed, managing to control her laugh until the end, before it escaped her, as the aforementioned violin made a perfectly (for her purposes if not for the waltz) squek.

She held up her hand, counting off her fingers like check marks, 'Alright then, if I am to appropriately dazzle you with amusement, I need ensure there are no debtantes and?' it was an extreme interpretation of his response but given he was still tipsy, it was clear half measures wouldn't do. Christabel was warming to her theme now, and the sting of affront at his questions of her spinsterhood were giving way to the challenge of meeting his amusement.
[/posts]

The following 1 user Likes Christabel Daphnel's post:1 user Likes Christabel Daphnel's post
   Victor Daphnel

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Victor wasn't sure how the conversation had developed this way, but he didn't mind her latest game in the least. He grinned and put one hand to his chin as he considered.

(The first thing that came to mind was Leonid Fisk in a dimly lit wine cellar, but obviously that wasn't something he could bring up).

"Something surprising. That's the trouble with balls after balls; the monotony sets in. Anything to break the mold a bit can be amusing." On that note, he added, "Are you going to that floo powder event? I admit the invitation confused me a bit, but it's certainly not going to be typical."

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Fabulous set by Lady!

His feigned expression of overt consideration of her question brought her to a laugh again. ’we got the invitation,’ she stated ’it does seem like an odd one’ she cocked her head to one side ’I hadn’t decided yet, no one I’ve spoken to thus far will be in attendance’ , perhaps that rather made his point, most of the typical people were forbearing it in favour of more typical events.

It felt like a receipe for disaster, ladies and gents fluuing into rooms alone, there was no way propriety could be maintained between the participants, but even as she thought about it, that thrill of danger was probably the appeal. ’I suppose if it’s a choice between that and and the terrible ball on the same night, it’s not much of a competition’

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory

Victor's grin widened. "So I'll see you there?"

He hadn't even returned the invitation yet; as of ten minutes ago he hadn't been decided on whether or not he would attend. It seemed like she was intrigued as well, though, and that seemed like as good a reason as any to give it a spin. The way she had laughed as she patted out the flames on her dress the last time they'd spoken had given him the idea that they might have very similar definitions of fun.

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Fabulous set by Lady!

She opened her mouth, about to confirm her attendance for him, but he had been too able to dictate the terms of this interaction, and she would not set herself up for to lose against him again. Not let him run the board just as he had this evening. The screeching violins final note marked the end of the tortured waltz, and surprisingly, her next dance, a rather rambunctious polka had been claimed, and she spotted the gentleman already making his way to her. He was a nice man, a widower, pleasant but uninspired, but it was generally considered bad manners for an unmarried woman to turn down a dance if her card was free.

Still before he reached her, she turned to her companion, 'You might well Mister Daphnel, but I suppose if I'm playing the game right on the nights, you might never know it.' and just as the gent extended his arm to hers she flashed Mister Daphnel a last cheeky smile and a bobbing curtsey.

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The following 1 user Likes Christabel Daphnel's post:1 user Likes Christabel Daphnel's post
   Victor Daphnel

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I am my mother's savage daughter, The one who runs barefoot cursing sharp stones

I am my mother's savage daughter, I will not cut my hair, I will not lower my voice
MJ made glory