I Thought You Were Joking When You Said You'd Never Leave

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

Dissatisfied is an understatement. Argine is bound to hold on to her rank for as long as she's permitted to hold it, regardless of resultant detriment to the Suit. Tegan is gone. And regardless of how well-fitted for the job he may be, Pierre knows that Elisha would sooner see Eileen be both Ace and Jack than put him in that position that certainly needs to be filled. It doesn't matter how good he is at what he does at his King's command -- both on the record and off; as long as Elisha is in office, Pierre never will be higher than Ten.

So he's taking advantage of an extra opportunity to train both body and mind, working hand-to-hand with the best fighter he could reach on short notice. The man is smaller than him, but he's still fast and packs a hell if a punch. It's a hard workout for both of them. When the Six taps out so that he can shower and prepare for his shift, nothing has changed; there is no winner or loser, only two men drenched in their own seat, and Pierre's head is a but clearer. He's still frustrated, but it's under his control, even though he'll likely be snappish in response and barking commands rather than calmly delivering them today.

Posted via m.livejournal.com.

Comments

Elisha is in Morocco. So have a Nine.

[civilizedpoison.livejournal.com]

You could hardly blame the man, really. Pierre didn't exactly project the Club values in any way, shape, or form. Unless you considered Alexander to the epitome of Club values; most didn't.

Briony wasn't entirely unsympathetic, really. Before Argine had constantly been ill, Briony had gotten suspicious looks from the Queen of Clubs herself. Particularly when she rose to Eight, but her rise to Nine apparently also didn't overly please the Queen, and she could only imagine the panic that would have ensued - in Argine's bedchamber only, in all likelihood - if Briony had challenged to Ten. Fortunately, she had no desire to be Queen.

Unfortunately, it seemed no one did.

She was at the Castle for the usual reason; pharmaceutical checks, the oversight was important as long as there wasn't a Castle physician, just to make sure all the t's were crossed and i's were dotted. Going past the training grounds and the Quartermaster's office was just a part of that, because she did like to keep an eye on the Sevens and Eights who might think Medea's daughter was a good notch. So when Pierre was snapping at a Five, Briony was right there, eyebrows rising up.

"That time of the month, Pierre?"

Have a linefacey Ten, Briony.

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

The lack of motivation to run this Suit was far from satisfactory for Pierre, and all he could do was seethe. His words would, likely, fall on deaf ears, so it was virtually pointless for him to say a word.

Of course, when the pharmacist spoke -- one of his favorite outcasts, really, considering her heritage, even despite the fact that she was six years his junior -- he turned his attention toward her, giving the Five a perfect opportunity to skitter out.

Wasn't she just a doll? "A very difficult time of month, unfortunately. Invariably, toward the middle of the month, it becomes a mystery how best to care for oneself, one's rooms, and one's equipment." Ask him how happy he was about that. Go on.

[civilizedpoison.livejournal.com]

There was, then, equally no point in seething if he wasn't even going to bother saying anything about it. He couldn't hear the king's reasoning, after all, if he just sat back and pouted about it.

Briony's brows rose higher. "I was unaware their rooms were any of your business, since it doesn't affect their jobs."

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

He could be angry and perfectly justified in that anger without hearing Elisha's justifications. He wasn't trusted despite nineteen years of loyal service to this suit, and hearing his King out wouldn't change that. He'd likely go talk to him anyway when he returned, but for right now...just fuming.

"Your guess is as good as mine. But the point stands: inability reigns right now, and it's no time for it." And he was not in the mood to deal with it.

"How are you, though?"

[civilizedpoison.livejournal.com]

He wasn't trusted because he was an asshole. Nothing wrong with being an asshole, but the Clubs were the wrong Suit if you wanted to get in with the Royals with that attitude. The Spades and Diamonds were the ones who rewarded that kind of attitude - and Pierre knew that. Briony didn't have to point it out.

Pierre just had to accept that he hadn't exactly tried to fit in over the last nineteen years - and if he thought he had, he was deluding himself.

Just like Briony knew that living in Club Castle would have been a recipe for constant suspicion and watchfulness - so she hadn't.

"I'm fine," she said instead of pointing out that this wasn't boot camp. "I terrified one of the Sevens during the storm, though."

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

Pierre had had Argine and Andrew to contend with, and Edgar before that. It made it difficult to blend in, even if he tried. He didn't come across as a crazy sadistic psychopath most of the time; that's more than enough.

If his presence in the Castle weren't so necessary for his work, he'd spend more time than he did in the house he rented in Town. This was sufficient for now, even if it frustrated him beyond reason sometimes.

Boot camp or not, sometimes the little boys and girls needed to be treated like they were new soldiers. "...How did you manage that, then?" Really, he was curious. Fascinated. Tell him more.

[civilizedpoison.livejournal.com]

Briony is the daughter of the most vicious and infamous King and Queen of Spades to have come through the Deck in some time; the ones that were still used as boogeymen to make children be good. If Pierre thought that made it easy to blend in, he was delusional as well as sadistic - and the sadistic part was clear to most of the Suit.

"Juan Pedro Ramos Cordoval asked for a ride when I was running errands on my snowmobile." There was a slight shrug. "Apparently I drive too fast."

[butlebattler.livejournal.com]

Karin doesn't normally bother Pierre or his men when they're training, but today? Today, she felt a need to show up with a 24-pack of water bottles on her shoulder. Damnit, if Pierre won't let his men go get water, she'll bring the water to them.

"Milord."

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

His men should be intelligent enough to bring their own damn water, considering that they know what training with him entails. His men should be very aware of the consequences for having no source of hydration for regularly scheduled hydration breaks.

It's not his fault he's still training idiots.

"Karin. Is there something that I can help you with?" Just a moment. He needs to yell, "I said move!" There they go. Everyone's back to moving. Isn't that better?

[butlebattler.livejournal.com]

"I simply wanted to check in on you and your men." Isn't she so helpful and kind, Pierre? She only means well by those who belong to her Suit. While she'd never truly stand up to the Quartermaster, she thinks of these men as hers, as all the Clubs are.

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

She is helpful, and he appreciates it. He'd appreciate it more if she weren't interrupting. "As you can see, Lady, we're all doing fine. How are you?"

[butlebattler.livejournal.com]

"Wonderful, I've got a large lunch in the works--grilled cheese and tomato soup. Should I hold some in reserve in the case that your training runs late?" It would be an inconvenience to her, of course. Her subtle rage leaks from her eyes.

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

His rolling eyes are so subtle that even he hardly notices it. "That won't be necessary. You know I'm militaristic when it comes to scheduling. When I'm scheduled to be finished, I'm finished." He's testy today, Karin. Don't look for an apology.

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

Elani doesn't make it a point to seek Pierre out. They both have rather different functions in the Suit, after all and...he's rather intimidating. She is, actually, just moving down to the practice rooms so she can perform her workout routine.

She's already in there when she realizes someone else, Pierre, is as well.

"Oh-...I. Uhm. Sorry. I can go find another one."

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

He's toweling off his face when Elani enters, and he hardly makes any point of acknowledging her arrival, aside from speaking: "You don't need to go anywhere. I've just finished with this one. Unless you're in need of a partner?"

It's an offer, but his heart's not in it. If she agrees, of course, he'll stick around, but otherwise, well. No.

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

Elani smiles slightly, tentatively, "I don't think so...you would probably wipe the floor with me."

And she'd never been comfortable facing off against someone else.

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

Well, he probably would, but he can attempt a smile. "You'll never know or grow past your weaknesses if you have no one to physically point them out to you, Miss McCartney.

Just a matter of fact.

[elani-songbird.livejournal.com]

"I don't think I need to be a fighter," she shrugs.

Isn't knowing the basics of defending herself good enough?

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

He shrugs in return, tossing the towel aside. "That's your prerogative, of course. I'm just offering options."

[take2andcallme.livejournal.com]

After the storm, Caleb has vowed to be better prepared, and to make sure the Castle itself is better prepared as well. He'd passed Briony in the hall earlier coming from the pharmacy, obviously not the only one worried about future possibilities and wanting to be ready for them. Now, after double-checking the clinic's supplies, he's down by the training grounds, making sure there are plenty of freshly-stocked first aid kits nearby.

After watching Pierre and the Six go several rounds together, he was fairly positive he'd made the right choice in doing so. He kept going like that, and they were going to need more bandages close to hand. Hands in his pockets, he leaned back against the wall and watched the last round, just in case it turned out he'd be needed. It wasn't likely one of them would hurt the other on purpose, not really, but still...that much anger and frustration, and accidents were bound to happen.

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

When the Six wandered off, Pierre peeled off his shirt -- just for a moment, just to wipe his face of the sweat that's covering it. If that means the ink on his back or the scars painting his upper body are visible, well, it's just something to accept for right now.

When he spots Caleb, though, his brow arches. "Something I can help you with, Doctor?" Don't mind his panting, or just how shiny he is with sweat. He'll be fine, once he hydrates and gets a shower.

...Just as soon as he figures out where the hell he put his water.

[take2andcallme.livejournal.com]

"Just watching. Looked like you two were going pretty hard."

The 'I thought I might be patching someone up after a round like that' goes unspoken, for now. Caleb's seen worse scars than those on Pierre, so he barely spares a glance for those, instead arching his own brows back at the other man and shoving hands in his pockets.

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

"If you hold back in training, you'll hold back when it counts. That would not only be a bad thing, but it would completely negate the purpose of training at all." Ah, there's the runaway water. Glorious, glorious water.

"There aren't any injuries. I'm sorry to disappoint, but you won't be collecting a paycheck from either of us today."

[take2andcallme.livejournal.com]

One eyebrow lowers, giving Pierre a look that is more or less unruffled, but still questioning. His voice is still mild, non-confrontational, but his words are deliberate. He takes his oath seriously, after all, and that insinuation is insulting.

"That's good. I'd hate for any accidents to happen."

[hommesadique.livejournal.com]

Pierre is unintimidated by that expression, that tone. He doesn't even blink. "As would I, Dr. James. But I'm very precise, and I don't make mistakes. Nor does Jonathan, so you can rest easy."