[OTA] Business Not As Usual

[wherethewild]

Now that the snow's stopped, it's mostly just...like winter in London, really. Dreary, cold, gray. London never gets this much snow, of course, but otherwise it's a bit like home, and when Peter emerges from his hole in the basement of Diamond Castle, he's dressed for the weather in a wool peacoat, a scarf, and a hat over his hair. Add in the messenger bag draped over his shoulder, and it looks like he's dressed for a day of protecting the free world at Thames House.

He only wishes. At least what he's doing is interesting, or at least more so than fixing the internet connections of clueless Diamonds. Possibly it's even marginally dangerous, considering how the last Spade challenge went. He wouldn't have to do it, he thinks, if the Spades hadn't used quite so many ridiculous security protocols. It's legions more robust than any of the other Suits; he'd broken through the Clubs systems (well, most of them, the Royal files had a curiously complex system around them) and the Hearts, too, without much effort.

Bloody Spades.

It's not such a big deal, though. He's examined the system from every angle he can from outside it, and he's pretty sure it can be cracked if he's in it. So off to the Castle of blood and knives. If anyone asks, he can say he's visiting friends.

Might as well use his not terrible social interaction for good, after all.

Comments

[theacethatmatters]

You've met the Ace of Spades, right, Peter? No?

Well, brace yourself. Because he's not in the best of moods (even compared to his typical misanthropy) and he's heading your way.

"I believe you must be lost."

It was not, after all, a hall typically left open for just any visitor to the Castle to walk down. Not when it leads to the dungeon the server room and all.

[wherethewild]

He hasn't even met the less terrifying Aces, either the thirteen year old or the adorable tiny twenty-three year old in the Hearts. He would have rather started with either of them.

Alas, he gets the one that reminds him of the assassins subcontractors Five sometimes hires in.

"Not at all, my lord," he says benignly. And no, he's not elaborating until he absolutely has to.

[theacethatmatters]

If his life had gone differently, he could've been one of the assassins subcontractors Five sometimes hires in.

"No?"

Yes, he is now fully blocking the way down the hall, and apparently has nowhere better to be at the moment.

"Do tell."

[wherethewild]

The eyeroll is entirely mental; a good polite mask is the first thing you learn in the ridiculously elite schools he'd gone to. So he just looks curious.

"I'm delivering equipment," he says. "Cleared it with Martin in your IT department; I had a bit you need over here."

[theacethatmatters]

Julien doesn't, really, know a lot about computers. He knows enough to use one, but it's not something he's spent much time at all studying. But he knows people.

"Then I expect he'll need to be the one that brings it down."

The Ace does a very good impression of a wall.

[wherethewild]

Lord. Why don't they ever make anything easy. But then, he'd learned early in his brief career with Her Majesty's Secret Service: always cover your bases.

"I'll just call him, then, and he can explain why I'm doing it." In excruciating, technical detail if they were at all lucky.

[theacethatmatters]

The problem with a confirmed luddite is. Well.

Why waste time on the phone when you can go to the source?

So yes, yes, Julien is indeed herding you toward the office Martin is likely to be found in, Peter.

"Let's just talk to him together, mm?"

[wherethewild]

Peter waits until his back's turned on Julien (and yes, people will probably tell him that's unwise) before he rolls his eyes. He knows enough not to mess with this one, especially when he doesn't need to.

The server room would be simplest, but tapping into the wireless network will probably work as well.

"Whatever you say, m'lord Ace of Spades."

[theacethatmatters]

"Good choice," Julien says, blandly, as they walk up toward the IT department.

And really, so long as Peter keeps his hands visible and doesn't try to dash for...anything. He's likely safe from the Ace's knives.

He doesn't kill everyone who turns their back on him, after all.

That's just what the stories say.