Challenge for King of Clubs

[cipherspeak]

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[ishineon]

Alexander meant well, Säde had always thought. It was simply that the way he went about things- the way and the speed with which he tried to change his Suit- was not what the Clubs wanted, not what anyone in the Deck expected. So when at last a Ten of Clubs takes initiative, Säde isn't going to miss this challenge. No matter the winner.

Even if the fact that the challenge was to be held with riddles made her shake her head in private. Whatever works.

"Congratulations, milord," Säde says, a slight warmth colouring her Diamond-sharp smile.

[cipherspeak]

Riddles were more about...proving a point than anything else. Certainly Elisha could have challenged Alexander in something the last King would have preferred; he'd won his last two challenges, fighting. But that wasn't the Clubs.

So riddles. And then swords, of course, but that was to be expected.

"Thank you, Lady Säde." That will take adjusting, the milords from people who were ranked above him oh....about twenty minutes ago. "Thank you for coming." He doesn't say that he realizes the Diamonds must be in upheaval, what with the loss of a Jack. But he knows how that goes; it wasn't that long ago that they lost Lancelot more permanently than the Diamonds have lost Avery.

[ishineon]

It's longer ago that the Diamonds lost Hector for what they eventually assumed was permanent, and it's at least a blessing that Avery is alive and whole. In one aspect, anyway. (Helena ran away, a coward's trick. It was hardly a loss.)

"You're quite welcome. I believe my king will be along shortly to offer his congratulations as well." She cocks her head. "Your swordsmanship was exemplary, your choice of challenge... unorthodox, but well-thought, in my opinion."

[cipherspeak]

Helena had hardly been a Jack, in Elisha's opinion; but then, his only experience with her had been a meeting last fall where she'd been less than impressive, to say the least. But Hector was a good man, and a good Jack. And Avery was smart. She would, he expected, persevere.

"I wanted the Clubs to see that challenges in our Suit don't have to be martial," Elisha says with a faint smile. "A philosophy I believe both your king and queen agree on." Not that he planned to forbid such things - the Clubs could be part fighters, and part intellectuals. Alexander's mistake had been trying to make them all soldiers.

[ishineon]

Her smile quirks. "Indeed so. Something that the less physical of your Suit will appreciate." Defence is one thing, always a good thing to practice. Offence... well, offence isn't for everyone, and there's always been balance enough for one half to protect the rest, if necessary. If it ever came to that.

And the looming threat of the Arcana was no less dangerous for how long they'd been there.

[cipherspeak]

He'll keep encouraging defense, of course. But Alexander was too much of a warrior not to combine it with offense; that was how he'd learned, after all. It was how Elisha had learned, too. But he'd also learned it wasn't the only way, and you couldn't force it on people.

Not really.

"It's been a while since we had many of that sort," he said with a faint smile. "I was wondering if I might speak to you, actually, about this year's harvest festival."

[ishineon]

If Alexander was the north wind, Elisha would likely be a welcome sun for the Clubs.

She spreads her hands. "Certainly. Anything in particular?"

[cipherspeak]

"A carnival has been suggested to me," Elisha says, and shrugs. It seems similar to the cultural festival they just had, but the Club who'd come up with the idea had been excited about. "With food and rides and the like. I imagine, if we decide to go that route, we might need to pool resources between Suits to bring rides in, et cetera. Not to mention harness the Deck entertainers for it."

[ishineon]

"That's quite fair. I can think of a few Diamonds with connections that might be useful; I'll have their details sent over. Though, rides? You're having them brought in from Outside, I assume?" She cocks an eyebrow.

[cipherspeak]

"Just a few, Lady Säde. There's already a few carnival-appropriate things Deck-side." And more than one or two would be a logistical nightmare. As he's explained to the head of event planning several times already.

[ishineon]

She nods her head approvingly. "Understandable. And there are far more things to do at a carnival than just rides. I'm sure no one would say no to a game or two."

[cipherspeak]

"Oh, games and booths of all kinds, I think. And the food, of course. It should be good for the children." Even if he has no idea how he's going to get a Ferris Wheel on Deck.

[ishineon]

Piecemeal, probably. Maybe not in time for this one, but perhaps the next. Whenever that might be.

"I don't believe carnival food is meant to be good for anyone, except perhaps as a notable and unrepeated experience in life," she says, amused. "But certainly we can't leave a thing out."

[cipherspeak]

"It would be an incomplete job if we did." And they were all thorough types of people.

He links his hands behind his back and tilts his head at her. "Athena spoke to me some weeks back, about our envoys." Him, and not Alexander, but Athena had probably parsed which way the wind was blowing.

Of course, now the Clubs didn't have an envoy. But that was another matter.

[ishineon]

Säde nods a confirmation. "I spoke to the Spades in turn. Katya was agreeable to allowing Zoe the same, and Zoe herself doesn't mind sharing. Avery handled the rest after that, but..." Her lips twist and she sighs. "Still, I think we're able to go forward with the matter. Have you chosen anyone as Frankie's replacement?"

She doubts it, since he's barely been King for an hour, but it's worthwhile to ask.

[cipherspeak]

He shakes his head. "Not yet," and of course, Säde probably doesn't realize that Elisha had chosen Frankie in the first place and strongly suggested it to Argine. He tries to keep quiet about that kind of thing. Well, tried.

"But we'll move quickly enough on that," he said. Elani, possibly, or...his eyes settle on Margo. She's newly returned, but that might be an advantage. "And we should schedule the meeting in short order. The longer we linger, the longer they'll linger."