Shall We Dance Scene Summary

Scene Summary: Shall We Dance

Shall We Dance
Chronicle	DC Chronicle
Date	February 20, 2016
Characters	Ginevra Bianchi Ian Kross Maeve Glaistig
Locations	Thomas Circle Apartments
Previous Scene	Save Yourself (Ginevra) A House United (Ian, Maeve)
Next Scene	Necessity (Ginevra) The Guilty Ones (Ian, Maeve)
Content Warnings	Eating Disorders

Shall We Dance is a scene from the DC Chronicle primarily featuring the characters Ian Kross and Maeve Glaistig, with a cameo appearance by Ginevra Bianchi. It depicts Ian and Maeve getting ready to attend Limbo for the evening.

Scene Summary

Maeve awakes for the evening before Ian, who is holding her and snoring in her ear. She remains in bed with him for a little while before kissing him and getting up to get ready to go to Limbo later in the evening. Ginevra Bianchi is already present in the living room, and she and Maeve shower, have drinks, gossip about Jimmy Francetti's recent affair with Jean Claude Danut, and do all of her toilette before Ginevra heads out to Limbo to make sure that everything is ready for the night. Maeve then gets ready to eat, taking out a blood pack and placing it in a dish while she works up to it.

Ian awakens for the evening finally and gets up in a good mood, remembering his night with Maeve last night. He sends Vincent Kincaid a text message and then heads to the kitchen for a drink only to find Maeve instead. He offers to leave again to give her privacy to eat, but she tells him that it isn't necessary and puts the blood away again (much to his private worry). They kiss and flirt before he asks when they need to arrive at Limbo, and Maeve offers to come in the front door with him to buy him a drink instead of her usual habit of sneaking in the stage door until after the show. He agrees and they are both pleased but awkward about this.

They both go to the bedroom to get ready, where Maeve teases Ian about what she might wear and Ian is disgruntled to discover that Vincent has removed all his clothes except for a new suit in order to force him to be fashionable. They kiss and flirt some more while Ian awkwardly compliments Maeve's hair and Maeve encourages Ian to wear the suit Vincent has provided. After Ian showers, he asks if he should wear the watch given to him by the Harpy Cynthia Black, which Maeve agrees that he should; she explains how jewelry gifts in high society work while she puts the watch on him and then helps him get dressed. They tease one another about clothes some more and Maeve asks Ian if she should be buying him jewelry, too, after which he clarifies that he's more bothered that he can't afford watches than that she doesn't buy them for him.

After a final round of teasing and getting ready for the night, they both put on their coats and Ian escorts Maeve out to the parking lot, where she suggests that he should also drive the car Cynthia bought for him, thus allowing the Harpy to see both of her gifts on display at once.

Script Summary

The script summary for this scene pares it down to only dialogue and action directions, allowing for a quicker and easier read through what was actually said and done by the characters. Click on the "Expand" tag to the right to view the entire script summary for this scene.

Shall We Dance Script Summary

Maeve awakes in bed next to Ian. She listens to him snoring briefly and then gets up to go to the living room. Offscreen, Ginevra Bianchi arrives to help Maeve shower and prepare for the evening, then leaves again. Maeve then gets a blood pack out of the refrigerator.

Ian wakes up in the bedroom and gets up. He sends Vincent Kincaid a text message and then goes to the kitchen.

IAN: What are you doing in here?

MAEVE: Good evening, Ian. What does one normally do in a kitchen?

Ian notices the blood pack.

IAN: Oh. Sorry. Do you want me to give you a minute?

MAEVE: Oh, no, I'll just finish later. I can't chase you out of the first room you come into tonight.

Maeve puts the blood pack and dish back in the refrigerator.

MAEVE: Sleepyhead.

Ian hugs Maeve.

IAN: Am not.

MAEVE: You missed Ginevra entirely. She's gone to make sure everything's ready downtown.

IAN: And luckily for me, I wasn't looking for Ginevra.

MAEVE: I should hope not.

Ian kisses Maeve, then stands back up and sighs.

IAN: Good evening. Never a dull moment, is it?

MAEVE: I believe we have to save up for dull moments.

IAN: When do we need to be there?

MAEVE: Early, I'm afraid. The Prince won't be there yet, but I should be there before he is, and I have to change. I usually just go in the stage door, but if we got there on time, we could go in the front. What do you think? You suffered through my bartending last night, so the least I can do is buy you a drink worth having.

IAN: I'd like that. It's been ages since a beautiful woman bought me a drink, I was beginning to worry. All right. I'll try to be quick then. Do you need the shower first?

MAEVE: Ginevra has been here for an hour, and you think I stood a chance of going unmanaged? I am showered, scented, and polished. All I have to do is go get dressed. We do most of the feminine things while you're asleep, you know.

IAN: Oh. Well, that explains a lot.

MAEVE: How should I dress, though? If we're going in the front door, I don't want to be over-ornate. I know that's much too embarrassing for you.

Maeve goes to the bedroom and Ian follows.

IAN: Warmly. If that's not too much to ask.

MAEVE: I'm afraid it is, Mr. Kross. That isn't how eveningwear works, or clubwear. It doesn't come in wool. Of course you wouldn't know, getting to wear suits all the time.

Maeve goes to the closet.

MAEVE: I can manage long. And wear a wrap. I do own coats for when we're outside, you know.

IAN: It can be cold inside.

MAEVE: That's true. But if it all goes poorly, why, I'll just turn to liquor.

IAN: But yes, long would be a nice change of--

Ian opens his closet and discovers that only one suit is hanging in it.

IAN: Someone's stolen all of my clothes.

MAEVE: Oh. Good heavens, someone has.

IAN: Did you know about this? I'm changing the bloody locks.

MAEVE: Of course not! Don't go blaming Pieter, either! He would have left something that was more... amusing to him. Don't blame Ginevra, either, dearest, she wouldn't interfere in your things. But I could send her to go and find you something else, if that one won't do. Is it something awful?

IAN: Oh, don't bother her, it can't be that bad.

Ian takes the suit out of the closet and opens the garment bag.

IAN: Huh. All right, what do you think?

MAEVE: I think it's lovely. The blue will bring out your eyes. Color's a nice thing sometimes, you know. I know it's not allowed in your clan, but you can break the rules once in a while, can't you?

IAN: I'll blame my anarchist tendencies.

Maeve touches the suit and its lining.

MAEVE: Oh, that's nice, too. You can't go wrong with a nice smooth lining.

She unwinds the wrap she's been carrying and loops it around Ian's neck to tug on him.

MAEVE: Yes, it's a very good match for your eyes! You'll be lovely. Stop fretting.

Ian leans down to kiss her.

IAN: I'm not fretting. I'm... bowing to your expertise. You're the Rose after all.

MAEVE: Oh, well, in that case, I'll critique you again once you've got it on.

IAN: All right. If you only need to get dressed then I'm behind. I'm going to go get in the shower.

Ian tosses the suit on the bed and leaves to shower. Maeve chooses a middriff-bared dress from her closet and gets dressed. When Ian returns from the shower wearing a towel, she is doing her hair and makeup.

MAEVE: You really are behind.

IAN: You had a head start. Your hair looks nice like that.

He begins toweling off to hide his embarrassment.

MAEVE: Oh, do you think so? I'm glad to hear it. There are only so many things I can do with it all by myself, and it always seems like such a shame to make Ginevra put any effort into it when we'll only have to redo it after we find out what the Prince wants for the evening. It's sweet of you to say so. Would you clasp me when you have a moment?

IAN: Hm?

He finishes drying and comes to help her.

IAN: Your hair always looks nice.

MAEVE: Ah, poor thing. You only think that because I've fooled you. That's the real reason I always make sure to wake up before you do.

Ian finishes clasping Maeve's necklace, then kisses her neck and goes to put on his suit.

IAN: Oh, shit. That reminds me. The necklace, not your hair. Should I wear that watch? Do you think?

MAEVE: That's very wise, I think.

She gets up to retrieve the watch from his bedside table. While he gets dressed, she comes to clasp the watch around his wrist.

MAEVE: That way she'll see it right away and there won't be any time for her to wonder whether you've rejected it. I ought to have worn Mr. Voyager's necklace last night if I'd thought of it. I'm already ready tonight, so he'll just have to wait.

IAN: I thought you were meant to wear it where he could see? Or is it enough that other people see you wear it?

MAEVE: I did see him last night. Remember? It's why I was late to meet you.

IAN: Oh, right.

MAEVE: I suppose as long as other people saw it and you could be sure they'd report it back in glowing terms, but it's a bit difficult to flaunt something as small as jewelry that effortlessly. I wouldn't take my chances on it with anyone you'd prefer not be annoyed. Besides, some people like to see it themselves. She'll probably expect that you have lots of watches. Positively drawers of them, all shiny and chrome. So you won't have to wear it all the time, once she's seen it. That would seem like you were... hmm, asking for something.

She begins straightening his collar and cuffs.

IAN: I'm not given jewelry quote as often, unfortunately. So I'd prefer we all pretend I'm above such lavishness. That's quite the thing now, isn't it? Billionaire casual? I should start wearing jogging pants and sneakers, no one would care then.

MAEVE: Very casual. Anyone would believe you owned the entire city. But if you wore jogging pants, dearest one, then you might be expected to jog. That would be a horror. Safer in twill.

IAN: Yes, that would be asking a bit much, wouldn't it?

He catches her while she fiddles with his shirt and kisses her.

MAEVE: Are you going to wear a tie tonight? Because if you choose an especially exciting color, I'll have to change all over again.

IAN: A tie? That's the opposite direction from what I was looking for. I said casual, remember?

MAEVE: Oh, silly me, I've done it backwards then.

She intentionally rumples his collar.

MAEVE: There. Now you're properly rumpled and no one will suspect you of caring about anything.

IAN: And I don't think Vincent's left me a tie. So you're off the hook. Unless you were looking for a reason to change. Then by all means, don't let me stop you.

Maeve laughs.

MAEVE: Are you trying to say something about how I dressed? And I was so careful to choose the nice long skirt, just for you.

She goes to her vanity to apply makeup.

IAN: I see, and it looks like you've made up the difference around the middle. Very economical.

MAEVE: I tried to warn you about fashion. There's only so much fabric to go around. Otherwise I might have to take it from some other dress, and then where would it all end?

Ian goes to his closet to finish getting dressed.

MAEVE: There's no time to change. Or else I won't get to buy you that drink and you'll go on thinking no one wants to.

IAN: And of course, there's no time to change, I just said that, didn't I?

MAEVE: And, as always, I should have listened to you. Do you know, earlier I could have sworn you were disappointed that no one buys you jewelry. Have I been neglecting you again?

Ian sits down to put on his shoes and laughs.

IAN: You know, I think I'm a bit disappointed I can't buy myself a drawer full of watches? But I'd never expect you to pick up the slack. Unless you had your mind set on it, obviously. I wouldn't want to deny you the pleasure of seeing me in a new watch. Which is apparently a thing now.

MAEVE: Hmm. I don't think I've been buying anyone jewelry. Although I lend mine out to Ginevra when she goes out, you know. I've always thought that things like that are more about being glad to give the other person something they like. And since we've now had several conversations about how to pretend to like jewelry, I don't know if I'd ever be able to trust the sincerity of it. It's probably better to think of something other than decorating you. But now that you're lovely and decorated, it's time to go and let you show off for everyone, isn't it?

IAN: Oh yes, that's just the thing a man wants to hear before going out in public. Not everyone's looking to gather a crowd when they step outside, you know.

MAEVE: Oh, no, my mistake! Stoop when we're out, and I'll try to screen you from view. I had no idea this was an undercover operation.

IAN: And give me a damn minute! I've still got to... Let me fix my hair.

He runs to the bathroom and quickly does his hair, calling out to her from there.

IAN: Go get your coat, I'll be right there.

MAEVE: Of course, my lord.

She goes to the coat closet and puts on her coat, then waits for him to come back to twirl and show it off.

IAN: All right, this is probably as good as it gets.

MAEVE: Then as good as it gets will have to do. There, see? I'll be warm, I promise!

IAN: Yes, as long as you're planning on wearing your coat all night, you'll be fine.

MAEVE: I can't wear the coat all night. People would wonder what was under it. Heaven forbid, they might decide it was a game.

He puts on his own coat.

IAN: After you.

Maeve takes his arm and they go out into the parking lot.

MAEVE: You might as well go all in. Drive the car, too.

Trivia

• Although Maeve mentions having seen Chas the night before, she is lying; she was actually with Hope in A Mistake You Can't Take Back and doesn't want Ian to know about it.
  
  
• This marks the first time Ian and Maeve officially attend Limbo together instead of splitting up or meeting during the event.
  
  
• The watch under discussion here is a silver and blue Rolex Oyster Perpetual 36mm self-winding watch and retails for approximately $5,600.
  
  
• The car Maeve refers to at the end of the scene is the black Jaguar that was given to Ian by Cynthia Black, the same person who gave him the watch.