Intro / OTA!

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

So this was it. The Deck. The place she'd spent three years hunting down. The last known whereabouts of her parents. The place she was meant to call home.

She hadn't quite made up her mind about it yet. Only been there a few days, after all. So she'd taken the opportunity to explore the place, starting first with the Spades' castle and branching eventually towards The Town. She kept mostly to herself, prodding around at this and that, soaking in as much as she can without actually forcing herself to speak to anyone. Yet.

[ooc: Spades are welcome to find her on Castle grounds, otherwise, she'll be in The Town!]

Comments

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

Pardon the girl walking right into you out of a doorway. Or don't, even if she's managing an armful of miscellanies. At least only a few have spilled out of her hands. "Shi- jeez, I'm sorry!'

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena's attention is darting every which way as she takes in her surroundings, but it's easy enough for her to dodge the girl barreling towards her from the door she's just passed. She dodges quickly, reaching a hand out to grab a glass trinket before it hits the ground. The other things seem relatively unharmed by the cobblestone pavement.

"No harm done. Here," she replied, offering her the trinket back.

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

The rest are plastic; that single glass cup will be taken properly in one hand before Annie starts piling up the rest carefully in her arms. "Much obliged. Mom'd tear me to pieces if that was broken."

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena watches her a moment before finally shifting into a squat to help her gather the rest of the plastic.

"Where I'm from they have these things called "bags." Useful contraptions. Great for holding things."

[oneirophiliac.livejournal.com]

"I know, I know. But hey. It's good to play jigsaw every once in a while." Shift shift shift go the trinkets in her arms until they're just right. "Name's Annie Riordan. Never seen you round here before...?"

[piquedbutler.livejournal.com]

Wandering around Willy Nilly? Is not to be allowed. Sooner or later, all new Cards get Processed. Unfortunately for new Spades?

That tends to mean, after being greeted the first time as a Two, being deposited in the kitchen with the Castle's Butler.

It's not that Chives isn't a fair or reasonable man. It's just that... well. He's not exactly Sean. So the newest member of the Suit of Spades will get a dispassionate once-over before he extends a polishing cloth in her direction. "Have you worked with cutlery before, Miss Two?"

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

She's scowling just a bit as she stands there, taking in the kitchen. And that scowl deepens when she's presented the polishing cloth. This... wasn't exactly what she'd had in mind when she'd arrived at The Deck.

She shoots Chives a disapproving frown, arms crossed over her chest.

"Knives, yes. The other ones, only at mealtimes."

[piquedbutler.livejournal.com]

"Then won't this be quite the educational endeavour for you, Miss."

It's hard to say, of course, whether that's meant to be the Faintest Attempt at a joke or not. It's much easier to say that he's certainly Not Moving until she takes the cloth and Stands Correctly.

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

If it is a joke, she's far from laughing. Instead, she just glances him over, sizing him up, before reluctantly swiping the cloth from his hand.

"Quite."

[ogygianspade.livejournal.com]

Calypso is a Spade, but she is one of the few that prefers to live in Town with her children. Which is why she, her daughter, and her twin boys could be found enjoying the weather at an outdoor cafe.

As with all toddlers, though, the food can tend to go flying.

Apologies if any of it goes flying your way, Serena.

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena has stopped by the cafe for a bite, glancing over a few Town pamphlets she's picked up as she picks at a tuna nicoise salad. She's been fairly content ignoring the children's bustle behind her until one toddler sends a couple of grapes flying her way. She dodges one without looking up, then manages to block another one with her hand, catching it in a fist.

Glancing up from her reading, she cocks an eyebrow at the child in question.

[ogygianspade.livejournal.com]

Lycus, the culprit of the two twins, coos at her cheerily, clapping his hands playfully. Calypso, previously distracted by Priam's own grape tossing, turns to follow his gaze and stifles a sigh, "Oh, for goodness' sake, Lycus..."

Then, turning to Serena, "I'm sorry, they only recently started the throwing-things stage. Are you all right?"

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

She analyzes Lycus with a sharp eye, then shifts her gaze to Calypso.

"I'll survive."

[starscrownher.livejournal.com]

Once she does make it to the Castle - and hopefully before Chives steals her to sharpen knives - she will find a very small and not yet visibly pregnant Spade in front of her. Urania, who is Calypso's younger sister, is also in charge of Spade HR.

Though not officially.

"Welcome to Spades, Serena," she says. "How are you finding things so far?"

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Well. It's a tad unnerving to be greeted so suddenly and expectantly, but she is new to the palace. She glances over the petite woman, sizing her up a moment before offering her an upwards quirk of the lips. To be polite.

"Interesting, to say the least. And thank you, Miss...?"

[starscrownher.livejournal.com]

"Apollonides. Urania, Six of Spades." She smiles benignly, though her eyes are sharp and assessing on Serena. "You've likely already met Chives."

Blond. Severe. Giving you orders. You can't miss him.

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

She nods, bowing her head a bit as she's observed is customary with higher ranking cards of her Deck.

"Pleasure," she nodded, logging her name in the back of her head. At the mention of Chives, she smirks a bit. "Mm. Lovely man."

[wiredspade.livejournal.com]

The Deck. The amazing, wondrous Deck. Welcome home, Ms. Sinclaire.

The Ten is not the soft type when she studies the new Two. A new Two to look up for David's eyes to keep the illusion (or the truth?) that he knows everything. And the name Sinclaire is familiar, though names passed by her brothers rather than her own.

"Hello." The word is automatic, not even polite. It's something that she needs to do. "You're new."

Of course she knows, of course Serena knows.

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena has been studied from afar enough to sense the feeling. Especially under that kind of scrutinizing gaze. She frowns, glancing over at the woman in question and analyzing her for a moment in turn.

"Afternoon," she responded, bowing her head in a respectful nod. She still wasn't quite sure who was what rank here, but being a Two, she might as well bow to everyone. Besides, this woman reeked a higher rank.

"I am." Obviously.

[wiredspade.livejournal.com]

"When did you arrive?" She walks over to Serena, still studying the new Two. Nothing reads... entirely off, not just yet. There's a less of a uncertainty that doesn't really mark her as an Outsider. She knows so many who have been wide eyed Twos. "Not too recently, I should think?"

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena isn't exactly one to show off uncertainty even when she feels it. She makes it a point to seem reasonably non-plussed in most circumstances.

She stands her ground as the woman analyzed her, and she did the same.

"Just last week."

Sorry for the delay of doom, bb. Had to discover Things.

[bitchwithabite.livejournal.com]

Shaking her head, Amy is all but running through the hallways on her latest bit of work for Julien. Something about delivering yet another stack of files directly to the people to whom they were addressed, no questions asked. Then it would be nearly time for lunch, which entails scarfing down a sandwich, side-eyeing beer, and going for the water instead. Being sober sucks. Staying sober is Hell.

A hold-over from so many years as a guard has her stopping, though. Who the hell is this new woman in her- sorry, Spade Castle?

"'Scuse me, Miss, but who the he-- who are you, and what's your business here?" Retraining her brain and mouth is also Hell. Amy is so sick of politics and niceties. Why can't she just speak her mind freely?

Oh. Right. Because she'd actually like to get back to Six someday, and she'd really like to be a Ten eventually. That requires presenting oneself as what one would like to be, but remembering to act as what one actually is. Lessons in progress, of course, but she's getting there. A little at a time, she's getting there. David might even be proud, if he bothered to pay attention.

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena's venture around the town had her curious to the layout of the place, which was currently being quenched by a massive tapestry hanging in the hallway that held a map of the Deck on it. Her eyes analyzed it curiously, studying its every detail until she was snapped from her thoughts by a woman's voice.

Frowning, she glanced over her shoulder, an eyebrow cocked. She didn't like that tone, but then again, she was still getting used to the whole ranking system here.

"Serena Sinclaire. I live here," she replied coolly, crossing her arms over her chest and turning to face the woman. Mostly to better assess her. "And you are?"

[bitchwithabite.livejournal.com]

Sinclair? Who the hell- Why was this woman even- Okay. She was from the Outside. Surely Sinclair was a common name Outside.

"Amy Sinclair, Two of Spades. I live and work here." As much as Amy was being sized up, she was returning the favor, assessing all that she could with her hands behind her back. It wasn't a threat, it was an invitation. Tell Amy all your secrets, Serena Sinclair; she'd be sure to store them for later.

"When did you move in, then?" Yeah, she wasn't believing that Serena actually belonged at Spade Castle. At all.

[cant-readmy.livejournal.com]

Serena's head perked up at the sound of the other woman's name. So this was the woman who shared her last name. Amy. The one who'd had the... how had she heard it? Ah. The meltdown.

"Pleasure," she nodded, her eyes still assessing the other woman curiously. Could they have been related? It was entirely certain. But far too early to tell.

"Just last week. And you?"