houseofcards_rp | [ota] cutting throats

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[ota] cutting throats

Normally, if Julien is seen out at a table somewhere, he does so with a deck of cards.

This time he's sitting in front of a checkerboard and he's carefully setting out the checkers.

And it may be that the former King of Spades is sitting across from him.

[ooc: blame tumblr randomnity. And Jordan. And also feel free to have your character watching the madness.]

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((If we're blaming anyone, I say we blame Christophe. He's probably done something to deserve it.))

It may very well be that the Spade's former Monarch is seated across from Julien, leg hooked over the arm of his chair and smirk across his face.

"Usual wager?"

Julien raises his eyebrows across the table at David. "Unless you planned on upping the ante."

Which wouldn't surprise him at all. He smiles slightly, tapping one of the checker pieces with a fingertip, "I don't think you've much to bargain with, though."

David placed his last checker with a thoughtful click.

"Two weeks of a Joker-free castle if you win. An undisclosed favor if I do."

"Joker free? Or just you free?"

Those are two very different things.

There's no point in questioning the favor. He knows how David works.

"Me, specifically. But, if it matters, I'll ask the others." Not that it would help anything, all of the Jokers went where they would. It'd be nigh on impossible to stop them if they decide to Spade it up.

David flashed as charming a smile as he'd ever mustered as King. "Who knows, they might even agree."

"You specifically isn't enough. You'll have to sweeten the pot."

And they both knew even he couldn't Manage the rest of the Jokers. Which Julien punctuates by moving his first piece.

David sighed and shrugged. It had been worth a try. He'd just made sure to be Very Much in the Spade's business for the next couple of weeks - just so Julien could regret it.

"Your loss." He made an answering move with a slide of his hand. Maybe it was time to go sparing with some of the baby Spades.

"I have been meaning to visit your trainees." See how much the new generation was getting on with their teacher.

"Have you," Julien says, in as bland a tone as he can muster. "I can't imagine you would find it worth your while. You being so busy and all."

With all that Very Important Work he's no longer doing.

Your move, David.

"Mmm," David hummed noncommittally. "Well, one must know what one has to work with."

Another smile - they looked so much more real on his as a Joker.

He skips a checker twice, stealing one of Julien's pieces.

"And here I thought you didn't know how to do that anymore."

If ever, Julien's tone suggests. Right before he jumps one of David's checkers and claims it for his own.

The bastard.

David let that roll off him, because he completely agreed and refused to have it matter anymore. There were enough of the lower Cards in most Suits that remembered him from before his downward spiral.

"I must say, being a man of leisure really has opened my eyes." David's smile went sharp, anyway. "Maybe I should take a page from your book and simply... follow orders."

"I should dearly like to see how long that lasts for you." He's fairly certain you're incapable of anything of the sort.

And certainly he's going to ignore the intimation that Julien is merely a servant to be ordered about.

"Certainly at least as long as you're taking to decided where to go, I hope."

"Longer than your Acehood, I would hope." Even if David is fairly certain he'd be shit at following orders, too.

But he takes the hint and moves one of his pieces.

Julien's eyes narrow. "I don't think you have that much time left."

Obviously, David is getting on in years, after all.

"Though I expect the position to be opening up soon enough." As far as Julien is concerned, Ethan's days are numbered for the position of Ace.

"Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't need that much time for it." After all, Julien's stint as Ace hadn't been so terribly long, all things considered.

Rankings changed all the time, and David was pretty sure Ethan could take care of himself. "But are you sure you want to fail at something twice?"

Considering the Spades, and how they had been before Julien's tenure, he'd actually served for quite some time. Previous Aces had had a nasty habit of waking up dead when a given Royal didn't care to keep them around anymore or some ambitious Number wanted to take their place. Present company had of course had nothing to do with that latter part. Ever. Of course not.

"Seems a better plan than wallowing in failure." Like some people. Which is what David playing at Joker looks like.

Of course not. And he would be totally offended if you implied and such ~~truth~~ lie.

"But playing in the mud makes everyone else look so very pristine. What kind of Joker would I be if I didn't give them an excuse." And if only he were playing at it. That would make the world make so much more sense.

Then again. Julien had nothing to worry about his visit to the training grounds if David was a failure. It made one wonder exactly who Julien thought he was fooling.

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[ota] cutting throats

It's not my fault my brain encourages such AWESOMENESS as this.

blaming Christophe works~

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julien just snarled a little

Aaaaah this is not even remotely bonding XD

just the cutthroatness

Ah, well. At least they're predictable.

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someone should tell them to just fuck and get over it

omg yes. This is why we have Buttoned up Suits.

truuuuuue

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