The next day was Cooger's party. Dark made a point to put Cooger's gifts, and a prop Dark had prepared, into the car before they got dressed, just to make sure absolutely nothing was forgotten. Then, after the twins were dressed, and therefore could watch Ivy, Dark and Daizi went upstairs to dress themselves. Dark put on a pair of pinstripe pants, his most billowy dress shirt, and then, after a few moments of looking at himself with the shirt buttoned down nearly to his navel, committed to his idea and buttoned it up the rest of the way, adding a red silk cravat, pinned with his gold snake tie pin, and donned his most suitable waistcoat. Then, admiring how the look was coming together, he combed his hair back, adding a deeper side part than he usually wore. He styled his hair, and then making extensive use of his beard products, twisted his mustache up to make it as devious as possible. Satisfied, he washed his hands, rolled down his sleeves. and put on his best suit jacket, the one he seldomly got to wear. Then, he added a red rose to his lapel and his pocket watch. Afterwards, he looked in the mirror and thought to himself... He looked like he was on a trip to Georgia with the intent to challenge a man to a fiddle contest. Chuckling to himself, and feeling like the owner of the Carnival of his dreams, he slipped a little vial he had prepared into his pocket, and went to help Daizi with her corset.
She was already wearing a black chemise and ruffled skirt, and although she could lace up her red, spider-adorned corset on her own, it was more fun to have him to it. She stood, holding the bed post, even though her corset fit properly so it did not strangle her to wear it, mostly for the vibe of being helped into it. It was a difficult thing for them both, when putting clothes on inspired desires to do the opposite. After her corset was laced, Dark helped her put her necklace on, and after she slipped her chemise down off her shoulders, he kissed her on the newly-bare skin. Then he put her hands on her waist and turned her around, admiring the way her necklace drew his eye to what her corset exentuated. With a reading and alluring laugh, Daizi stretched up onto her toes to kiss him before saying, "You're going to ruin my lipstick, Goose," before breaking away and putting in the numerous earrings she had chosen for the day and hiking up her skirt, revealing the stockings and the barest hint of petticoat and her red velvet boots.
This settled, they retrieved Ivy. After Daizi carefully styled her hair into little pigtails, which she tied with ribbons, Dark dressed her in a little prairie dress. They had a tie-on bonnet for her and everything, but didn't put it on yet in hopes she would wear it for at least a little while amongst guests (and, to be fair, Dark wasn't wearing his hat yet, either). Afterwards, the were ready to meet the twins at the car.