[OTA] Musical Thrones

[cipherspeak]

He'd stolen Hadyn's cigarettes the morning before, when the messenger had run in breathlessly with the news of Carmella's disappearance, but Elisha hadn't had the time to light up. Not between organizing the futile search and then taking the slow walk over to Heart Castle to tell Jonathan Montenegro that his wife was gone. And then, of course, he'd spent far too long fielding panicked questions from Clubs - and anyone else who made their way to his office.

But finally he'd slipped off, going down back stairs and cutting through the kitchens before stepping into the cold, crisp February air. There was a bit of blue in the sky, breaking through the cloud cover, but it was still fucking cold and he hadn't bothered to grab his coat or his gloves, leaving him standing in the gardens in jeans, boots and a sweater. Elisha exhaled as he leaned against a stone wall, and he closed his eyes for a moment before he fished the cigarettes out of his pocket and lit one with the old zippo he hadn't used for anything but candles in months.

He was going to get a migraine from this. He was going to get a migraine anyway, though, so there wasn't any point in abstaining. He was going to have to find another new Queen, he thought. Maybe he should just go without.

Comments

[a_sudden_change]

Lying would be awkward when she knows they've been seen in public together. And some of the stories she's heard about Elisha suggest he's at least canny enough to recognize one when he heard it.

"No, I don't suppose there is. Good thing there seem to be plenty of eligible choices around here otherwise."

And she does mean in general. She's also heard about Elisha's serious long-term relationship with a nice boy from the Hearts. So no worries about her trying to chat you up, Elisha.

[cipherspeak]

He prefers men anyway, as a general rule.

"Maybe you can convince your friend in the Diamonds. He seems...energetic." Probably not very good, though. Still, energy was good for something.

[a_sudden_change]

"I don't know," she says, airily, as she finishes the cigarette and stubs it out on the wall. "I just thought I'd see who I could pick up in one of the bars around here."

There certainly were more than enough for the number of people. But then, she just figured most of them were functioning alcoholics.

[cipherspeak]

Alcoholism was the most popular pasttime in the Deck; the other substances, at least, didn't tend to take hold as ,uch.

"You shouldn't have any trouble, I imagine," he says. "Unless you have difficulty herding cattle."

[a_sudden_change]

"I hear it's rather like shooting fish in a barrel, but I can't say I've tried either one."

The simile didn't really work, but she wasn't too worried about it. They were just making conversation, after all. "Thanks for your time, your Majesty."

[cipherspeak]

"Not at all," he says, and watches as she goes. Hard to say, yet, whether she was involved in whatever that Two of Diamonds was up to, if he was even up to anything at all. But he might keep an eye out, anyway.