houseofcards_rp | It's Swing Time~

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It's Swing Time~

It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out Elisha's motivation for organizing - or, honestly, delegating the organization of - a semi-formal dance party. Lucinda had suggested a ball, with stars in her eyes. She probably had already picked out ballgowns and themes in her head when Elisha had nixed the thing and - in a moment of desperation, with the memory of the swing-themed Fox wedding still in his head - suggest a Spring Swing, instead.

Everyone had run with it, and Elisha was pleased to say it had come out well. He was even more pleased to say that he didn't have to wear a suit, even if he stepped out into the lantern-lit gardens in everything but the tie. He paused near the raised dais provided for dancing and gave the small band the signal to start up the music before he attempted to fade back in the crowd. Not that that ever worked.

"Let the games begin," he murmured to no one in particular as he picked up a glass of champagne off a tray.

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Zoe's eyes lit with amusement at that. She doubted that David's impressive intelligence network - or at least formerly impressive intelligence network - went so far as to report exactly how Victor Fox picked up women, even if the phrasing was just a little similar.

"I did not know that," she said dryly, "but thank you. Shouldn't Amy claim the first dance?"

She set aside her wine, though, and placed her hand in his. It wouldn't do any harm, really.

It was unlikely that David's formerly impressive spy network would ever have found that of import. Then again, lots of the things he knew didn't seem important at the time.

"Amy will likely claim a number of dances, but as I haven't run across her yet she is forced to come second." Her hand gets tucked through his elbow as he guides her to the dance floor.

Who knows what could be useful, later. At the time she would have said that the startling part was that Victor was picking her up.

"I'm flattered." That seemed safe, she thought as they twirled onto the floor, her skirt flaring. "Are you enjoying your new position?"

He let his hands settle at her waist and guided them into a simple step, testing the waters before expecting anything difficult of her.

"There are a great many things about the Deck I enjoy." His political non-answer slipped right out, a holdover habit he saw no reason to try and break. "Are you enjoying your marriage, my dear? Mr. Fox can be quite the gentleman."

Some things never changed, Zoe thought as she smoothly matched his steps. This was Victor's favorite kind of dance, and the kind they spent most of their reception dancing to - so she was well-practiced at it and could probably manage some of the more adventurous moves.

Though that was due to Evan McCartney as much as her husband.

"There are a great many things about marriage that I enjoy," Zoe said, matching her words to his the way she was matching her steps. "But you're correct that Mr. Fox is very much a gentleman when he wishes to be."

David hadn't enjoyed most of his marriage, but he couldn't fault anyone that did. When they worked, they were worth every moment of it.

He gave her a smile missing all of his usual guile. "I am happy for you both."

And to distract from all that honesty, he started them on a series of tight twirls that led into more complicated steps. No need to let her start thinking he hated her husband any less than he did.

Being married to Victor was, she imagined, very different from being married to Athena - as fond of both of them as she was. Victor was an intensely loyal man.

The smile, more than the dancing, almost has her stumbling. The words do as well, honestly, and she falls silent for a moment.

"Why do you dislike each other so much?" She finally asked. It could, of course, be due to David's assumptions about his departure from the Deck, but she didn't think so. He and Victor had clashed even when David was King.

David has to think about that, leading them trough increasingly complicated steps. Why did he dislike Victor - beyond the obvious now, of course.

He'd disliked the man so long it was hard to really pinpoint it anymore.

"We've always been too much alike, I think. And for a very long time, he was Athena's man." Which should be explanation enough for anyone.

There was a disturbing thought, Zoe thought, even if it was accurate. That probably showed a little on her face as they danced - twirling and turning and dipping.

She didn't speak again until she'd let David lift her in a knickerbocker and her feet were both on solid ground again, but when she did, there was a calculating light in her eyes. "Didn't you consider trying to change that?" She asked. Not that he would have been necessarily successful - Victor liked his Queens, she thought.

David's face closed down. His new-self seemed much more ready to receive all sorts of advances, but this would not be one of them.

"No." Short and to the point. He had his reasons now - and before - and they hadn't changed. If he wasn't running the shots in his body, David wouldn't trust himself, either. "And neither has Victor, I should think."

The closing down was, in and of itself, an interesting reaction, Zoe thought as they danced. The short, almost curt answer? Also interesting. Both things would have made her...wary, she decided, a few months ago. They still should, of course. David could still hurt her if he decided to, but Zoe had some more confidence in her ability to stab back.

Her smile was warm and bright. "Oh, no," she said. "I very much doubt he has. You're right."

It was a wonder that now, when he was more unstable than Julien, people worried less for their personal safety around him. Had he ever threatened them real physical harm as King? Was being thought mad really the better choice to being in power?

It wasn't disgust but something much like it curled in his stomach, and rather than let it stew inside him he directed it toward the most handy person available.

"It's a shame, really. So much dedication he's had to unstable Face Cards. One can only hope he doesn't lose interest in the Queen, as well."

Her eyebrow slowly rose up at that. If David was expecting anger on Victor's behalf...he had miscalculated, Zoe thought. Or simply didn't know his dance partner as well as he seemed to think he did.

"If you believe my husband's loyalty to be dependent upon instability, David," she said with cool amusement, "you really don't know him at all, even after all these years. Is it hard to acknowledge that, I wonder. It must be, to a man who liked to know so many things."

"I wouldn't possibly know. I can only judge by the choices he's made, hm? Julien, Athena, and before the Deck..." A slow hum of disbelief followed by a tsk.

Most of David's knowledge about Victor was guesswork and happenstance, clean-ups from very old missions and tiny slip ups that didn't quite lead to the end. But it was enough for David to pretend, and know for a fact that Zoe couldn't know everything.

"But I'm just a lowly Joker. I couldn't possibly understand." It was interesting to see that her reaction was still trying to put him on the defensive, though. Perhaps the lady wife wasn't as certain as she'd like to be.

"Of course that's all you can do, David," she murmured sweetly. "That's all anyone can do, after all. We can only judge you by the same criteria as well, right? Julien as your Ace, Athena as your Queen..."

She didn't need to know everything, and truthfully, this was a game. A dangerous one, no doubt, and one Victor probably wouldn't approve of her playing, but somehow irresistible for all that.

"The lowly Joker bit is good," she said levelly, "though I imagine you might want to cultivate a crazed-looking headtilt or wild eyes. Just to complete the picture."

"Hagen, Medea, Sean..." He continued her list for her. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression we were busy naming of all of the mad leaders I've catered to in one way or another."

The smile he gives her is full of daggers. "Me as well, I assume. And since we all know I've gone off there's no reason to shove it in everyone's faces."

A sharp turn and a lift. "But of course you're right. Victor just makes the perfect addition, when we take his little habits into account. Just shows it was a bad choice, trying to change things for a better. Spades will be Spades."

Was he going to claim, she wondered, that he'd had no say whatsoever in Julien's placement as Ace? Maybe he hadn't, which was...interesting, to say the least.

He could probably see the gears turning, though Zoe remained silent so that it wasn't clear just in what direction they were turning in. There was something nearly petulant about him, she thought. She'd never really seen it that way before, but the conclusion was inescapable now - he considered that he'd given everything to the Spades, he supposed, and they just weren't...hmm.

She smiled benignly at him, as the music ended. She wasn't capable of a smile full of daggers, and didn't wish to be. She'd already found it more valuable to be considered harmless and weak.

"I am sorry, David," she said with what seemed to be sincerity. "It must be terrible to feel so unappreciated after so many selfless actions. Thank you for the dance," she added with an elegant curtsy. "I can't say it wasn't interesting."

"No you're not," he disagreed with a smile. "You have no reason to be. It was all going to hell in a hand basket by the time you got here." A bow for the end of the dance, as was courteous.

He didn't believe for a moment she was sorry. He didn't believe she had anything to be sorry about. And he would absolutely continue to blame her so he could continue to avoid blaming himself.

But since he was living on honesty these days, there was no reason to let her leave it on a lie.

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It's Swing Time~

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