houseofcards_rp | [ota] he's home, honey

A long night had turned into a long morning and Wraidd had work to do. She was heading up to Heart Castle and found the entry blocked by a young man sprawling across the steps. Her pencil skirt and high heels didn’t exactly allow her to step over him, and while she was tempted to step on him, there were pretenses to keep up. He was familiar but he’d been gone a bit. Wraidd had to think a moment for the name. Oh.

“Justin. Could you be a dear thing and move a bit… I don’t think that tree has done anything to you and some of us actually have responsibilities to attend to. In fact, shouldn’t you be checking in for your assignments? Being a Two doesn’t mean sitting lazing about all day young man.” Okay, so she was a little short tempered. She’d taken a coffee to go and about three tablets for her headache. The sunglasses were not helping – the world was still too bright, and she seriously wanted to kick this kid.

"It wasn't there before," Justin says, tapping a bit of ash off his cigarette but not budging an inch. "The tree. Now, I don't know too much about plants and shit...but pretty sure that tree looks too old to have popped up while I wasn't here."

He's ignoring the assignments thing.

But he will add, "who are you, again?"

Infuriating brat. Some Two’s had no sense of hierarchy.

“You’ve been gone a bit Justin. There are a lot of odd things popping up that shouldn’t be there. Why don’t you make yourself useful and go inspect the insides. There are some new buildings along the green…” Okay, she’d said she would not sacrifice any of her own but she wasn’t sure she even considered him her own.

“Wraidd… Nine of Hearts, Head of Public Relations and Ambassador to the Diamonds. As in, Justin, someone with actual work to do.”

"You know," he drawls, looking up at her. "For a head of public relations, you sure are pretty bitchy. Thought people like that were supposed to be," he waves a hand, "nice and sparkly or something."

If it's any consolation, Wraidd, he's like this with pretty much everyone. Even Eileen wants to stab him.

“I am perfectly nice to people who understand their place in the Suit and don’t feel entitled to lounge about blocking everyone’s way. Though I am pretty sure that I am not often sparkly, If you like, I can be more kind about it.” Wraidd nearly hissed, cocking her head and placing a wide smile on her face.

“Justin! We are so glad to have you back. If it wouldn’t be too much trouble, could you move over a bit so that I can get to work… I am sure that you need to get your bearings after your absence, but there is plenty for you to do if you are bored. In fact, if you would like to inspect that tree, why don’t you go lounge in the grass so that you can get a better look?” and be out of the way of proper Hearts trying to get their work done.

"So," he says, still in no hurry, though he will at least stub his cigarette out and push himself up into a standing position.

"Do you stalk me, or something? 'Cause it's kinda creepy you know who I am and I swear I've never seen you before."

And yes, he's going to look her up and down for emphasis. "Pretty sure I'd remember."

“I take a special interest in everyone in the Suit and most in the Deck. It is part of my job, don’t feel special. I was born in this Suit and have always been here, so if you haven’t seen me, you have not been paying attention.” If he thought she was going to blush at the way he looked her up and down, he truly didn’t know her. She merely cocked one hip and leveled an eyebrow at him.

“Thank you ever so much for moving out of the way Justin. It is a comfort to know that our twos are so cooperative and inquisitive. I am sure that you will be a credit to the Suit now that you have returned,” she said sweetly, edging by him so that so that she could actually get something accomplished beyond shifting an impudent two.

He didn't really care if she blushed or not, he was just...pretty much an open book when it came to that sort of thing and didn't see the point in beating around the bush.

"Well you know, I wasn't even here all that long last time anyway."

Because he'd stayed about as long as it took to get the whole in his hand more or less healed up before he'd tried leaving for greener pastures. And you see how well that had worked out for him.

"You really in a hurry or you just don't want people to see you're hungover?"

“I am quite observant… as are you it would seem. In truth, it is a matter of both. I had a very late night and much to get done today…” she saw no point in being dishonest with the Two. After all, he was only a Two, and one who lazed about at that.

“I would rather get into my office and make sure that I am suitable for my first appointment before I slog through a day that is sure to seem longer than my night and you are not helping my morning one bit – not that I expect you to. So if you’ve had ample vie of my arse… I’ll be going. I’m sure you can get another eyeful at a later date if you so choose.”

"Was looking at your tits, actually."

Okay, maybe he's not typically quite this crude, but it's entertaining. Sue him.

"But you know nothing really kept you from going in, right? Big castle. More than one door...big door here, big steps. Tell the truth, you just wanted to listen to my sparkling wit, didntcha?"

“Nice to know. I will be certain to accommodate by wearing a lower cut blouse if I think you are going to block my path again… and no darling. This is the quickest way to my office and I had no intention of splitting my skirt by stepping over you… your sparkling wit is crude sarcasm dear boy.” Then there was the fact that Wraidd had not thought to go around or into one of the other entrances. Thinking was not exactly her strong point this morning – hense her less than witty repartee with this Two. She was ashamed of the way she’d spoken to him – she’d let the façade drop and that was inexcusable.

“Grow up a bit, maybe then you’ll be fit to play with the adults.” What was done was done, she might as well be snippy.

“Until then, stay with the other Two’s… maybe they can teach you some manners.”

She's not a Heart anymore, though - she still was when Justin left, first running from the Spades (and, more specifically, Victor) to the Hearts. And then she'd left altogether, and everything last year had happened.

All things considered, a tree in a pathway is probably the least of it.

She still has friends, though. She still visits, and now that all of her cousins have moved into Heart Castle again, she has every reason to be there.

"...Are you going to incinerate it with stares?" She asks after a moment of watching Justin. "I don't think we've had much success with that one."

Oh. Hi, Zoe. Doesn't he look thrilled to see you.

"Guess real fire might work better. Anybody tried that?"

But before she can reply, he'll add, "didn't think this place was supposed to be so fucked up." A little fucked up, yeah. But this was trippy-level fuckery.

Incredibly so. She can probably guess why, even though it's been over a year now, and she descends the steps until she's standing on the one right behind him.

"It's not supposed to be," she said, and there's a flash of apprehension that she usually manages to hide. "It's the way it's become, though." Then she pauses a beat. "Outside life not an amazing adventure, after all?"

Justin shrugs, "pretty fucked up too, in its own way I guess. Assholes no matter where you go."

And less people want to bust his kneecaps here.

Which might be kind of sad, come to think of it.

She can't remember any purposefully busted kneecaps in the last year. Busted up other things, of course, both on purpose and accidentally, but that sort of the way things were.

"That's a terribly cheerful thought," she says dryly. "They're probably going to send someone to remove that tree soon. That's what they've been doing with them."

"Realistic," he points out, waving his cigarette at her. "Trust me."

Because he's actually been out in the world. That makes him worldly. Or something.

"So what else has been goin' on, then? Might as well get the news." And she's so conveniently standing there telling him.

She raises an eyebrow at him. They were never friends, of course, but there'd been something essentially open about Zoe before Justin had left, and enough has happened to give her a good mask now.

And less of the inclination to spill everything that she'd had back when he caught her outside Victor's rooms.

"It depends what you want to know, I suppose," she says. "We don't have a book for you to reference, unfortunately."

Blink.

Well okay then.

"No? No Encyclopedia of Weird Shit? Somebody should get on that."

And then, as he stands up, "how about where the hell do magical appearing things come from?"

"No one knows the answer to that," she says, evenly. "Or, I imagine, they would stop all the magically appearing things from showing up."

She presses a hand to her chest after that; clearly it's been bothering her more than she usually lets on.

"Knowing where they come from doesn't stop 'em."

But obviously they know that.

"Not a great answer, Zo'."

Sometimes. Maybe. Sometimes he can manage to be sort of charming. Today isn't one of those days.

"Sorry," she says with a tight-lipped smile. "I don't have a better one."

She steps around him and looks over her shoulder.

"Maybe you'd like to ask Julien if he has a better one." Or Victor. He could ask Victor. That would go well.

"Or you could ask my fiance."

"You're joking, right?"

A beat.

"....your fiance?"

Why does he suspect he's not going to like to hear the answer to this one?

Of course she doesn't actually expect Justin to. And this is probably cruel, really, and Zoe's not entirely sure why she's picking on Justin.

Sometimes the words just spill out.

"You remember Victor."

Stare.

"That really is a joke, right? I mean, you've met the man."

Justin figured he'd just bite her head off on their wedding night like some creepy praying mantis reversal thing.

"Oh, no. We've never met. He'll see me for the first time on our wedding day." She rolls her eyes. "I know exactly who Victor Fox is, Justin. I've been living with him for a year."

See what all you missed while you were gone? And this was relatively minor.

"I know you know him," Justin says, irritably. "Christ, that's what I'm saying."

You are obviously touched in the head, woman.

"And?" She raises an eyebrow. "What, you want to be the one who points out what kind of man I'm marrying?"

She knows. She's not an idiot; she can't avoid knowing. But it doesn't matter to her.

"Mostly I'm pointing out you must be insane."

Then again, most Spades were.

"That's your prerogative." She's not, but she doesn't particularly care about Justin's opinion. "You're the one who came back here, though, so I wouldn't put you on a pedestal as a shining example of good mental health."

If it wasn't home and she came to the Deck with this happening? She'd turn around and go back out again.

"Never claimed to be, did I?"

Cause she's probably not wrong. "You wanna go back over to 'im, I won't be keeping you."

She supposed he hadn't.

"I was on my way," she says. "Have fun staring at the tree for now, Justin." Blythe would probably put him to work soon enough.

She's trying to leave the Castle when she almost literally runs into the man sprawled out on the stairs.

Will instead put her hands on her hips and look down on him with an expression that indicates it'd likely be best if he move.

"Justin, isn't it?"

He may not exactly be aware yet that Rowan is the new Queen, even if he's been told that Judith is no longer there.

"Yeah," he drawls, "you come to tell me I've got duties to do, too?"

Because Wraidd hadn't particularly made more of an impact than that when she'd been trying to step over him.

[ota] he's home, honey

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You knew it had to be her after the CR discussion.

dundunDUN

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