[OTA] Diamond Sharp

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The Diamonds focus more on intellectual challenges. You're more likely to see chess than a MMA challenge from Diamonds rising through the ranks. Poker before sword-fighting. Debate before boxing. But Avery's usually been an outlier that way. She had her fair share of non-violent challenging - baking, singing, mah jong - but largely she's risen in

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[so_complicit]

Davin is there mostly due to some business arrangements he was making with a fellow Eight, though of Diamonds. As he's leaving, though, he's passing by the Diamond training fields on his way back to Spade Castle and his steps will slow as he realizes Avery is out there as well.

And, well, he's curious enough to pause in his walk and watch, if perhaps a bit critically.

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The Nine she's sparring with has a somewhat conventional fighting style, and it's most of what has Avery frowning - though, the wedding aside, it's shaping up to be one of those weeks that make her want to curse human resources to the heavens. "If you're really planning to challenge one of the Tens," and that's the word, and why Avery's sought this particular Nine out for practice, "you need to stop relying entirely on competitive fencing rules and forms."

She steps back and is about to tell Kylie to try again, but then she sees Davin, and waves a watching Eight in her stead before walking over, pushing slightly damp blonde hair out of her eyes. "Come looking for me, darling?" she says. Still with the usual impish grin, though her eyes still have steel in them from the sparring match.

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"Not specifically," he waved back at the Castle, "there was business to attend to, I'm afraid. But," and maybe its her imagination or maybe he's looking her up and down in a way that has nothing to do with checking out her sparring form, "I'm not at all disappointed to find you anyway, my dear."

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She'd gotten that look before, of course, just...not very much from Davin. He usually had that cordial if flirtatious mask firmly in place, after all, and that expression has an eyebrow climbing momentarily before her lips quirk up further at the corners into an even brighter smile. "I think I'd be hurt if I ever proved a disappointing surprise," she said as she hung the sabre on one of the racks at the edge of the field. It wasn't her own personal one, since her decision to blow off some steam had been something spur of the moment.

"I'd have to reexamine my entire existence, and that seems like it might be generally tedious."

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He tsked at that and then shrugged, "you know...I'm thinking that lunch sounds like a far better plan than that."

If she was interested, of course. And had the time.

"Assuming you don't need to remain out here."

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Avery flicked her eyes over the Diamonds - some of whom, she noted with some amusement, were flicking their eyes right back - and then shrugged her shoulders. "I think they can handle it without me," she said, "but I do have to change."

There was only a slight pause before she tipped her head to one side. "You're welcome to wait in my rooms." There were more than one, after all, and unexpected kisses and admiring looks, it wasn't like anything was going to happen. It hadn't so far.

Right?

[so_complicit]

And there was only another slight pause on his side of the conversation before he nodded, "I think I can handle that."

They were both adults, after all. And just because she was essentially inviting him back to some place private where she would be removing her clothing -- even if in another room -- and even if she'd made it quite obvious in the past that she would be open to advances from him and even if he'd been thinking far too regularly of late about what making advances would be like...

...well, none of that meant anything.

"Shall we?"

Did it?

[uncutclarity]

Of course it meant nothing. For once, Avery wasn't even considering the possibilities of it as she led him in the castle and let him inside the rather bohemian suite of rooms. "It shouldn't take long," she said as she tugged her hair out of the tail she'd pulled it back in before starting down the hall.

If her shirt came off before she quite reached the bedroom, revealing the Emily Dickenson poem on her shoulder, well, she never said she wouldn't tease.

It didn't mean anything, did it?

[so_complicit]

The gentleman he makes himself out to be would be sure to look more closely at the bohemian furnishings rather than watching Avery begin to disrobe even before she's fully behind closed doors.

.......shit.

They are both adults, it's true. And they both have made their possible interest clear. But they've also made it clear that...nothing's expected.

It doesn't mean anything.

And that's what he tells himself as he follows Avery's path down the hall.

[uncutclarity]

She turns with surprise when the door opens behind her, and she's still not entirely undressed. But the scraps of cotton leave her a lot less covered than his suit does, and she's almost self-conscious for a moment.

Then she looks at him and steps forward. It's the two of them, after all.

They have reputations for it not meaning anything.

That's what she's thinking as she pulls him all the way inside and closes her door behind them. What she's thinking as she backs up to the bed.

[so_complicit]

Some time later, now fully naked, fully relaxed, and fully stretched out on Avery's bed beside the woman in question; Davin will happen to catch sight of her clock and find himself laughing softly.

"I hope you don't mind having dinner instead of lunch."

But he wouldn't complain about the delay.

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It takes a moment to reply, honestly, but after a second Avery first glances at her clock and then slants Davin a look before rolling slowly onto her side. "Oh, I think I can make do," she says with a grin.

"We'll both have to clean up now, you realize."

[so_complicit]

"Oh, horrors, whatever will we do?"

And he'll roll up on his side to face her as well.

He supposes now, having provided some credence to all the rumors about them by being seen together down on the practice fields and probably seen going into her rooms and not coming out again...well, they'll have to deal with that. But actually bringing it up right now just seems like it might ruin the rather pleasant, relaxed mood.

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"Well, we're both creative people. Somehow I suspect we can come up with something."

Avery suspects that this will be non-news, really. She's pretty certain that most of the Deck - at least the ones who exert themselves thinking about this sort of thing - assumes they've been having sex already. No one else has to know that this is new.

Just because it's new, after all, doesn't mean it means something. "I was thinking Chinese."

[so_complicit]

"Chinese sounds delightful. Can I just say I'm a fan of Orange Chicken?" Particularly when it was spicy.

He pushed himself up to a sitting position, "going out then or ordering in?" There was something to be said, after all, for having to go shower...

...but then if they actually wanted to eat, ordering in might be a better idea.

[uncutclarity]

"Orange chicken is absolutely achievable." She preferred peppered pork, personally.

Her arms stretched over her head, and she paused, considering. She'd thought out, but they probably wouldn't make it out, anyway. And she did need to...mention something to Davin. About Saturday's Hamlet performance. "In, I think," she said.

It was her own fault, really, if he said no. She shouldn't let his sister get to her.