[ota] the crown weighs on me

[wouldbetrump]

He hadn't expected some things when he took up the rank of King. And frankly all he could do is stare at the papers on his desk as if they were not there. He'd had a visit from his lovely Grandmother earlier that day, half-listened to her opinions on who he should name Ace in place of Julien, and half-listened to her congratulate him on his decision to remove the 'troublesome' factor. It was always a loving conversation with Vivienne Bernard, oh yes.

He and Michael had been avoiding each other rather well, all things considered. And for a man Clive owed an apology to, the King found himself completely devoid of words.

Instead he felt...he felt as if everyone was watching him with hungry eyes. Half to win his favor, the other half waiting for a sign of weakness before ripping him apart. Heh, maybe he was starting to under David a little too much. Paranoia was starting to creep into everything. And David was another thing that worried him, on top of it. He'd always respected the man, but there was certainly going to bad blood there- even if it wasn't outwardly admitted to.

Reaching out to the side, he picked up his glass of scotch and took a sip of it before leaning back in his chair. He hardly noticed when there was a knock on his door.

Comments

[falsepretences]

He knew that face. He'd worn it, time and again, after chats with his own mother as well as talks with Vivienne - and really, the upside to being the black sheep these days was that he didn't get discussions about strategy and tactics any longer.

"I've come to take your paperwork away," he said, a bit dryly. "Long day?"

[piqued]

To be Fair, a butler's knock isn't exactly a Noisy, Attention-Grabbing thing. It's just a brief, quiet Rap of gloved knuckles, meant to be heard beneath a conversation, not to Interrupt but to trigger an Awareness.

And to be Fair, the Look Clive is being shot by the same butler isn't so much for Favour or Weakness as out of Silent Opinion about the fact the King's having a glass of scotch when clearly it is Time for Tea. Not on the clock, not in the schedule; just from the innate Sense butlers seemed to have about the World and Moods.

Which is why, ultimately, there's a butler simply Standing with the tea service beside the paper-strewn desk rather than falling immediately into Setting. Not because of Politics. Not because of waiting to be the World being Confusing.

Just because Chives isn't completely Certain if the teacup would be swallowed up and lost forever in the King's Paperwork and Silence.

[threecardmonty]

He'd taken the damn job to indulge his habit of pestering a certain Ten, a Ten who promptly ran off to hang out at the Clubhouse. Monty considered it mighty unsportsman-like of Mr. Fox. Still, he did his job, visiting the Spades once a week, sometimes napping in his office, sometimes whittling (making sure he cleaned up his own mess so as to not offend their butler none) but mostly shooting the breeze with the lovely kitchen staff and other low to middlin' Numbers when said butler was off and about his duties.

It was something to do and not what you'd call Real Work.

So he's that unhappy to be wearing an actual, god awful suit and presenting himself before the Spade king. Didn't help none that he has a feeling Elisha's laughing his fool head off over sticking him with the damn job about now.

"Am I interrupting?"

[spysinspades]

'Hardly notice' didn't matter much to David, as the knock had been token at best. He was opening the door and slipping in ever as his knuckles still made the sound.

Perhaps it was a bit of masochism, or hurt pride, that made David search out his replacement for a bit of hello.

Or maybe it was just to rattle the poor man. It was too bad, David has always wanted to be a nice man. Honorable was the closest he'd ever managed to get, and look where that had gotten him.