houseofcards_rp

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Intro

Joseph's spent most of his life operating under the principle that even if you don't belong somewhere, as long as you walk around acting like you do, nobody will question it.

He wonders how much that's going to apply around here, because if he had his way, he'd be exploring the entire Deck, top to bottom, wandering around in places he really probably shouldn't. What would happen if he tried to sneak around, say, Club Castle? Is it illegal? Would it merely be a faux pas? These are the kinds of things he needs answers to, and he's not sure where to get them.

For now, he's playing it safe, sticking to the accessible areas of Diamond Castle. He's been here three days, after all. There'll be time. It's probably obvious as hell that he's new, given the way he's walking around town staring at things like a tourist. All he needs is a camera and a fanny pack.

What he's looking for at the moment are 'Now Hiring' signs in storefronts, or things of that nature. He stops to pick up a copy of what seems to be the local newspaper, pausing to scan it for want ads.

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It's only his second day as King and, after his date with Brennan at the Cultural Festival, Silas is taking a stroll through Town. With a cup of coffee in one hand, he's looking through shops and streets alike.

When he comes up on the man who is obviously lost and more than a little...well. He looks so much like Silas remembers looking ten and a half years ago.

"Good afternoon, sir. Is there anything I can help you with?" His face was calm but open, welcoming and intuitive. Tell Silas your problems and let him help you find your way, young man.

Most of the other Diamonds that Joseph has met thus far have been low-to-mid-level ones. He actually knows very little about what's going on with the royalty. The one thing that's been explained is the rank system and the etiquette thereof. As a Two, he thinks it's probably prudent to assume that everyone he meets outranks him, and to address them appropriately. Just in case.

A friendly, helpful face is exactly what he needs right now, although he's not sure what Suit this guy is. Is there supposed to be a way to tell immediately? Is it just a matter of getting to know everyone? Still, Joseph will take help where he can get it. He doesn't let his relief show on his face.

"I'm just getting acquainted with the town, sir," he says with a smile. "I've only been here a few days, so I don't really know how anything works. I wanted to learn my way around and everything, and see if I could find some leads on a job. I'm, uh, a new Diamond, if that matters. Joseph Sorrentino." He offers a hand.

There are many ways for a person to communicate relief without it ever showing on one's face; the Diamonds in particular excel at this way of protecting themselves, as is evident especially with the Ace -- the Diamond Mask is almost always in place for her, and she always had the motivation to keep the Diamonds sparkling on. Silas had learned to search not only the face, but also the body language.

And considering how new this young man was, he was good at the Diamond Mask. He'd get better at it.

"Silas Taccetta, the King of Diamonds. Welcome, Lord Joseph." He didn't take that hand, but his smile was welcoming enough. The lack of contact wasn't personal; he was physically incapable of touching people, which, admittedly, made him seem rather standoffish to people he met for the first time. With luck, the young man wouldn't take too much offense to it.

"Have you come by the Castle yet to acquaint yourself with those you'll be working with? Equally importantly, have you made a decision regarding what you would like to do for work?"

Joseph is good with names and faces, but it's going to take him a while to be able to keep all of the various Face Cards straight. The one thing he's certain of is that this guy is most definitely not the King he'd been introduced to three days ago.

There are, of course, several potential explanations for that, and he'll ask someone else which one it is once he gets back to the Castle, but for the moment, he only misses a short beat as his sense of the importance of this conversation very quickly reorients itself. "Thank you, Your Majesty. I'm sorry, I didn't realize." That explains the lack of handshake, then, or at least it does in Joseph's mind. It's probably a royalty thing. He lowers his hand without objection.

"I have explored the castle some. I've been trying to meet as many people as possible. The thing is, Sire--" Everything he knows about how to address royalty, he's learned from fantasy novels, but he's trying. "Before I came here, I was a psychologist, but I don't know if there's any way to use those skills here. I worked with the school system, counseling children. Failing that, I know there's a lot of work to be done in a castle, and I've always liked cooking, so I thought maybe the kitchens could use me."

There's a bit of a disparity between those options, but he really doesn't have any sense of what's a reasonable kind of job to look for around here, so he thinks all he can do is shoot for what he really wants and have a contingency plan in place for if he's told to aim for something more menial.

"Please, Lord Silas will suffice. And there's no need for an apology; I was a Ten when you got here and only became King on Saturday. I'm the Assistant Director of Human Resources, directly under our Lady Jack, Avery." The correction was...instinctive. Reflexive. He couldn't handle the Your Majesties and Your Highnesses and Sires. They were important in some contexts, but on a day-to-day basis, they made him twitch on the inside.

Tilting his head, he listened curiously while Joseph explained his work history before nodding. "You would be equally useful in either position, but frankly our kitchens are overstaffed as it is. I think you would do well in the position of our Suit's therapist; Rodaeric is on sabbatical, so we have a position available, if you think you're up to the job." He smiled warmly, then chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. Your preexisting skills are going to be of more use to you than you expect. I ask only that you remember that everything you do reflects on this Suit. If what you're doing would bring shame to us, cease doing it."

He files all that information away. He's heard people addressing others as 'milord' and 'milady,' so that seems to be conventional here too.

He really had expected to be told to work his way up from the kitchens, and it's difficult to contain his surprise at the King's offer. He hadn't known that Suit therapist was a position, let alone that it was currently vacant, but hell if he's going to let that opportunity pass by without jumping at it. "I'd really appreciate that very much. Thank you. Is...there a way I should let people know, or make myself available?" Seriously, he is delighted about this.

The instruction sobers him somewhat, but he's sure that he can't have managed to do anything to embarrass the Suit yet, so it's probably just a preemptive warning. He takes it seriously. "I will, milord. I'll do whatever I can to make the Diamonds proud."

He shook his head. "Word spreads quickly enough in the Deck that all you'll need to do is move into the office." And if that wasn't the truth, Silas didn't know what was. The rumors certainly flew about virtually everything, but Silas managed to stay out of the gossip. It wasn't his business, it wasn't his interest, and his name had yet to come up, as far as he could tell, so it wasn't his concern, either. But perhaps the gossip mill would prove useful this time; he hoped so, considering the excitement apparent on the new Diamond's face.

"I admire your dedication, Joseph. So long as the Diamonds continue to shine, I don't mind what extra-vocational activities you choose to engage in." God knew that his Diamonds had enough quirky pastimes to fill the Deck with quirks. "If you haven't selected a place to live here in Town, there are several suites available within the upper floors of the Crystal Palace, should you prefer to live near your office."

"Extra-vocational activities?" It's not that he's confused as to the meaning of the phrase; he's just not sure what kinds of crazy things the other Diamonds are getting up to if the King feels the need to reassure him of that. Well, at least now he knows he's got some leeway, should he feel the need to pick up any odd hobbies. That actually sounds like it might be a good thing to do here--it could come in handy for challenges, and Joseph has absolutely no intention of staying a Two for a minute longer than necessary.

"I'll do that, sir. Thank you again." He'll just have to talk to this aforementioned Avery person, he supposes, and yeah, maybe he'll take one of the suites near his office--

No, now that he thinks about it, that won't do. Not if they're on the upper floors. Not with all those windows. If there's one irrational thing about Joseph, it's his terror of heights. He'll put curtains up in the office, but he's living on the ground floor.

All things considered, that's a minor problem to have here, when everything else about this situation is turning out so very well.

"We have a casino, a theater, a couple of bars, the practice fields, a tattoo and piercing parlor, and a myriad of other things that ought to be able to entertain you in your free time." He smiled warmly. "Don't thank me. Just convince me that my original perceptions of you aren't wrong.

"Should you need help and a preference for familiar faces, my office is in the Face Cards' wing." Giving directions slowly, precisely, and measuring by landmarks as well as distance, he tilted his head.

"Is there anything else that you need, Lord Joseph?"

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Intro

Say hello to your King, Joseph~

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Saying he's been here three days before your post, so Silas wouldn't be the King he'd talked to?

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