[ota] time will tell....

[wouldbetrump]

Clive had spent the morning in his office, not behind his desk but...rather in front of his dry erase board. It was covered in a web of links and possible solutions to various inter-suit issues that peppered their troubles.

Scrubbing a hand through his hair, he licked his lips a moment.

Leaving his offices, he didn't pause to speak to many. No, no...The King of Spades was intent on tending to his business of the day as quickly as possible, it seemed. But what that business was might well have been up for debate.

Comments

Does he wear knives on his forearms?

[maidenthespade]

"Thai," she answers at once. "I like things spicy." She takes his arm, not remarking on his information save for huffing a few strands of hair from her face. "I should not be surprised when confronted with humanity's self-destructive tendencies, yet here I am. Which supplier?" Surely not one of their weapons contacts. A certain Ten had put the fear of Victor into them long since.

He does noooot

[wouldbetrump]

"The medical supplier, or one. Jordan has even suggested we send Julien to handle the situation." It was not a suggestion that set well with him. "I'm not certain this one has had the pleasure of meeting out esteemed Ten."

[maidenthespade]

She pats his forearm. No dagger harness. Ridiculous man. He should not go about unprotected. He would not be first king who had dagger slipped between his ribs in some dark hallway.

Her brow furrows slightly as she considers options. "We have had to rely on Victor several times lately. Perhaps someone else." No doubt Zoe would thank them. "Jordan would make good choice. He headed Heart security."

[wouldbetrump]

He was an honest man, and more likely to hurt himself with a knife than some of the Spades that would try to slit his throat. There was a reason his profession required speaking.

"Someone other than Victor would do, I'm sure. We could even let our Head of Security deal with picking who." He said, frowning a little. Victor got under his skin, there was no denying that, and he half wondered if the man was making some game of it, too. But...Victor was good at what he did, and there was nothing even he could say against it. He could pick someone capable, and it would not involve royals playing favorites.

And allowed him to just not pick between Jordan or Julien.

[maidenthespade]

She frowns a little. "Victor has never given me cause to question his loyalty to our Suit. But by-standers could misconstrue those actions. You know as well as I always there are those looking for hint of weakness. And we must ask ourselves if we want him making these decisions on his own." Just how far are will they allow Security to cast its shadow. On Deck only? Outside? Somewhere in-between?

"So to answer question we must first assess situation. Is our contact traitorous, rebellious or perhaps merely stupid? Answer will tell us how we must proceed."

[wouldbetrump]

"Have you ever wondered why politics is so a nest of vultures?" He asked, frowning. "Victor, as I understand it, makes his fair share of decisions on his own either way." And barely made comment about what those choices were in turn. At least, however, Zoe had tempered his self-reliance. Or so he had been promised by those who had more dealings with the man. "And Julien? Would you send him?"

As for what exactly their contact was, he frowned a little. "All Jordan has passed on was that he was talking. What he could be saying, I do not know."

[maidenthespade]

"Perhaps I am romantic, but I would like to keep Victor home for little while longer. Let him enjoy honeymoon period." She taps her chin thoughtfully. "Julien...he is not ready. Or perhaps he is, but I am not ready. Are you? It seems to me Jordan has been chafing lately. Perhaps it is personal. Or maybe it is HR director in me. He is new face, unknown face. He could chat down our contact and decide from there how to handle him."

"And perhaps we should begin a 'state of Outside contacts' project. It would be too, too bad should others experience similar difficulties."

[wouldbetrump]

Jordan then. It honestly made him a little hesitant to agree, though he'd never say it. Instead he merely nodded. "Julien is not my first choice, no." He admitted, before pursing his lips a little. And she had a point, Victor had just been wed, and probably deserved a chance to be a husband first for at least a while. "Jordan...would be apt." At least he hoped. His cousin had not always been known to use the best of judgement. "He'll do well in the task.

"But I have to wonder if you mean to put him in charge of this project. Someone would need to be."

[maidenthespade]

"Outside Liaison? Not exactly security jurisdiction, though it could bleed over into it. Victor can be very charming, but...." Perhaps aura of danger was only visible to someone familiar with Deck.

"What are your thoughts?"

[wouldbetrump]

"Victor deals with things often long before either of us hear about it." He said, "I do recall several last minute trips off deck in the last six months that you did not seem overly concerned about." And whatever he was doing, Clive never got a word out of him regarding the subject.

"I do think...that an outside Liaison is useful, but we also have Ivona who handles many such things. She would not be happy to have her position handed over to anyone else."

[maidenthespade]

She shrugs. "Victor performs certain duties off Deck. So have others. Ethan, Julien...me. But it is different sort of liaison than what we are looking for, yes? I imagine both Ivona and Victor will work closely with whomever we assign. Perhaps duties will go to one of them, but we should not make workload unwieldy."

"As for Ivona, she works with governmental contacts, not our more 'colorful' ones. I doubt she'd care for sort of parties any of those people throw. Her position will not be affected. If she has problem, let her come to me to express it."

"Has it ever occurred to you," she asks half teasingly, half seriously, "we allow others to question our decisions too much? Or am I only one who fights urge to go on rampage through halls?"