houseofcards_rp | [ota] It's a drinking sort of time

"Hopefully." She has her doubts, of course, but apparently that's to be expected. "There's just...there's so much that needs to be done."

Diana hadn't realized she was speaking loud enough to be heard but when Tegan comments, she manages a wry smile. "But it always manages to get done, doesn't it?"

Chin up, Tegan.

"That's true." Say what you would about the Clubs - about any Suit, really - they always managed to bounce back. Of course right now, in the thick of things, it was difficult to keep that in mind at times.

"So, how have things been going?" Garrett ...wasn't around. That was strange. Then again, she hadn't been down since that rather ill-fated discussion with Ethan and that had been...wow, months ago.

"Oh, you know, there's always something," she said with a smile as she leaned on the bar and cocked her head at Tegan. "And what'll you be having to start the evening with, Tegan?"

And then you can tell her all about what's got you looking all overwhelmed.

"A Black Label, if you please."

She hasn't been much of a drinker, not since her teens, but a beer wasn't going to hurt. Plus it was nice to be out and about and Diana was always good company.

"Garrett not around?"

On beer for Tegan. And she shook her head as she set it down, "no...he's decided to go traveling, it seems."

She sounded regretful that she was missing the help but not particularly upset about it.

"Did Garrett go back off-Deck?" Zoe looks up from the food menu with a curious look. She's not really here to drink - though she'll probably have something while she waits - but she promised Victor that she'd bring dinner back, since she was in Town running a few errands anyway.

"It looks like it," Diana nodded with a smile, "I didn't figure he was the sort to stay here forever, you know."

And she didn't hold it against him either. Some folk just weren't made for staying, particularly in a place like the Deck.

"No, I'd guess not." She hadn't known him very well, given that she'd already been spending way too much time at Spade Castle when he came to the Deck. "Are you going to look for someone else?"

"Oh, I figure I will. I got used to having someone around."

And Simon was a good bouncer, but having the extra bartender, particularly when things got busy...well, she'd been spoiled.

"I imagine it's helpful on those nights when Ethan decides he's going to invite the Deck down here for a massive party." She sets the menu down and orders the chicken primavera for two.

"And a whiskey sour while I wait, please. Maybe Simon knows someone?"

"You have no idea," Diana said fervently, if also with a bit of a laugh as she put in Zoë's order and set about fixing her drink. "Maybe....I'll have to ask him when he comes in."

Zoe laughs, leaning her elbows on the bar as she waits. "He really should at least warn you before he does that," she says. "There's always a few people who want to get out of Castle politics, anyway," she adds. "Hopefully it shouldn't be that hard to find one."

"I'll make sure to tell Ethan that too, next time I see him," she said with a grin.

"And there must be at least one or two. The trick is seeing if they can avoid dropping the glasses."

She hadn't actually seen Ethan around lately, but he was moving out of the Castle, so that could be part of it.

"Grace under pressure. Well, you'd think anyone who'd weathered a few challenges would be able to handle the rush, but maybe not."

"Depends on the challenge, I suppose."

Some were more...well, challenging, than others.

"Some are a lot less stressful than others." She'd had a number of those herself.

Before changing Suits, of course. She was pretty sure easy challenges were a thing of the past.

"You could always just put up a sign."

"I probably will," as she went to fetch Zoë's order. "But maybe you can mention it around if you hear of anybody tired of working in the Castle?"

Zoe smiles as she gets out her card to pay before finishing her drink. "I'll spread the word," she says. "Thanks, Diana. Hope it's a busy night."

Because busy is always better, of course.

"So difficult?"

Athena, having grown up a Royal... she hardly understood any form of everyday life. Especially not if it had, in her eyes, nothing to with being responsible for people. Ah well, she wasn't condescending about it for once, at least?

Diana's eyes widen a little as she takes in the new Jack of Hearts. Of course she and Athena didn't particularly know each other but she knew who the former Queen of Spades was.

"Well...work has a way of doing that, when you find yourself without he help you've gotten used to, you know?"

Well, who didn't.

"Actually... yes." In many ways, Hagen had been for her what the missing help had been for Diana. She downs her glass of... whatever it was she had ordered before.

"Where did your help go?"

Diana leaned on the bar, ready to provide a refill when Athena was ready but otherwise without any customers at the moment who needed her assistance. "Off-Deck, I think. He's a bit of a wanderer." She shrugged and laughed, "I should've hired a homebody, obviously."

"Well, seems like now that he's gone, you have good chances for a second attempt."

Do refill, Diana. This is going to be a long night.

And here she had wanted to quit.

"Definitely something to be said for second chances."

And there's your follow-up drink, Athena, like magic.

"Anything else I can get you?"

"An ashtray?" It is allowed to smoke in here, isn't it?

"Second chances, third chances, fourth chances... some people need more."

It was allowed, though Diana made an effort to encourage smokers to take it outside most of the time with a bench under the awning by the door.

Still, she didn't say anything, just slid over an ashtray for Athena.

"It can take a while to get things right." She shrugged. "Nothing actually wrong with that, though."

Perfect, absolutely perfect, and good thinking on not sending her outside.

"Why not?"

"Because we're human?"

And thus, imperfect.

"And that allows mistakes?"

And gone is her drink. Again. Someone really loves her liver.

"None of us are perfect."

And she gets another.

Eventually, Diana will cut her off, but she's still speaking sober so...

"Oh, but it's expected of some of us."

Sooner or later, Diana will find that the transition between 'sober' and 'I cannot walk anywhere ever' is a short, fluent one.

And there goes another.

"I guess I wouldn't know."

There were different pressures on Deck Royalty, after all...than the woman who supplied them with liquor.

[ota] It's a drinking sort of time

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject