i've got to make my bed if i'm gonna lay with you

[themysciran]

WHO: neck snapper and snap-ee
WHERE: some fancy-ass ballroom
WHEN: tonight
WARNINGS: thinly veiled animosity
SUMMARY: diana and max lord are representing the city as diplomats during a stuffy rich people dinner party in an attempt to raise money and spread ~goodwill~ after the latest mass destruction incident
FORMAT: prose first then whatever

It was for a good cause.

Diana had to convince herself of this several times during the night, through smiles and handshakes and introductions, smooth words perfectly crafted to convince the guests tonight that there is a distinct divide between imPorts -- those who simply wanted to belong and protect their fellow citizens, and the very, very select few who preferred the complete opposite. So please donate money to fix the damage they so mindlessly caused, thank you very much.

When Maxwell Lord arrived in the City, Diana did not expect to work so closely with him. His previous presence in her life represented a time she didn't want to dwell on, but it was unavoidable now that she only had to turn to the side to see his face and hear his voice. Everything about him was a reminder, and she can't find it within herself to appreciate the irony of the situation. Wonder Woman and Maxwell Lord, diplomatic partners.

Still, this allowed her to keep a close eye on him -- it was not her way to dismiss a person's desire to prove himself a better person than previously thought, but she cannot bring herself to completely embrace his earnest words. If he were truly a changed man, then his actions will prove it. Time will tell, and for now, she pushed their history to the back of her mind and focused on the reason they were working together despite everything between them.

Comments

[retconman]

It was a good thing Max Lord was so practiced at smiling.

Since he and Diana arrived, he had made sure to keep a reasonable distance until the dinner came, when they would be expected to sit together. Even being there with Diana couldn't discourage him too much; dinner parties and fundraisers were his element. Boring, maybe, but he knew them like the back of his hand. He could open his mouth and set it to auto-pilot, walking from person to person like a persistent bumblebee in the spring, describing to them the sincere efforts of the Import community to make their presence here an asset, how the last thing they wanted was to burden the native citizens here with their existence, how action was being taken to handle those few Imports who wanted nothing more to cause trouble. He flashed his teeth, he winked, he shook hands, and when the time came he drifted back into Diana's orbit.

"Tough crowd, aren't they?" He said, adjusting his tie but still smiling. "They must be hungry. Any luck?"

[themysciran]

"I've managed to convince a couple of them," she murmured, taking a seat as the waiters started bringing in appetizers. Diana herself was no stranger to this type of setting, and for every polite denial there were a few half-promises. At the very least, she planted the seed in their minds -- and most of the time, that was enough. "Nowhere near our goal, of course. But the night is just beginning, and if they are hungry, the food looks delicious."

[retconman]

"People are always more generous after they eat," Max said optimistically, taking a seat next to her. He watched the food mill in, then watched the faces of the other guests sitting around various tables, trying to map out a strategy. "I've gotten some interest myself, but it's a good thing the night isn't over. Obviously I'm going to need to run some more aggressive PR campaigns and soon."

He folded his napkin in his lap. He had gotten a few people interested -- people didn't routinely compare him to a car salesman for nothing, and he knew many ins and outs of business like the back of his hand -- but he wished he could expedite the process through a little extra persuasion. He wouldn't risk it, though. Not with Diana around.

[themysciran]

She tucked a wayward stand of hair behind her ear, silent as a plate was placed in front of her. It was difficult to engage in small talk, especially when there was so much potential to fall into dangerous territory. "I'm certain you'll have no trouble with that, especially with how much experience you have in that area."

Diana takes a small bite of her food. "Speaking of, I heard you're managing a group of superheroes in the City." A dangerous topic unto itself, perhaps.

[retconman]

"I'm not too concerned. Still, it would be nice to come away from tonight with more than just a handful of promises. We'll have to turn up the charm."

Max smiled at her, earnest and openly, before glancing down to his place in order to cut into a steak slowly, with care.

"The Avengers," he specified, with a nod. "As of this month. It feels great to get back in the saddle again. I..." His smile took a sheepish tilt. "I missed it, you know. The last few years have been -- so much of them have been a blur, honestly. And a blank. But there are familiar things that make me feel like I've gone back in time to when things were, you know... simpler."

[themysciran]

Diana returned his smile, albeit a bit cautiously. "You did an excellent job with the League. It's a shame we all drifted apart afterwards...perhaps things could have been different."

She raised a hand as if to place it on his shoulder before slowly placing it back on her lap midway through. It was so easy to fall back to how she usually interacted with people. She cleared her throat. "I have no doubt you'll do well, both tonight and with the Avengers."

[retconman]

"I have high hopes for the Avengers. I think they could be one of our big tickets to unity between us and them. Meta and non-meta," he said, disliking having to refer to himself as a 'meta.' The sacrifices he made for this business. "You know there's always a place for you on the team, too," he added, despite never discussing the matter with the Avengers. She was freaking Wonder Woman. Besides, he didn't expect her to take him seriously.

He took a sip of his water, noticing her hand and pretending not to.

"There's a lot of work to be done, but I think I'm up to the job. It's like riding a bicycle."

[themysciran]

"I'm flattered, but you know I have to pass," she said, knowing her declining was just a formality. They go through the motions; they play the roles they're given. Neither of them can afford to deviate from the script. "I wouldn't be able to stand certain individuals' disappointed faces, for one."

She allowed her smile to become less forced. The night didn't have to be filled with tense pauses and stilted formalities, after all.

[retconman]

Max smiled, and shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "You can't blame me for asking." He watched her carefully, though didn't stare. Mostly he was checking for any trace of scrutiny, checking to see if she believed him or not. If he was still alive he must have been doing something wrong, Max figured. But he didn't want to push his luck. He glanced around the room again.

"But what a team we make, huh?" He said, gesturing. The irony was completely bittersweet.

[themysciran]

She gave a slight nod, letting the clink of silverware and loud buzz of conversation in the room blend into the background. "There's a reason we're both here tonight."

A couple she was talking to earlier passed by their table, and she smiled at them as they walked through. "We need our combined skills, considering we don't have the influence and recognition we do back home." Diana took a sip from her glass -- ice water only -- and allowed herself a small smile. "It's not an unwelcome challenge."

[retconman]

The diplomatic princess and the charismatic businessman; definitely a force to be reckoned with. Max sipped his glass -- also water, he was no good with alcohol -- and took another careful glance of Diana's expression when she looked toward a passing couple. He took a bite or two of his food.

"No, it's not. I like a good challenge now and then, it keeps you on your toes. Motivated. It's not as hard to build up resources as someone might assume, if you're persuasive enough."

[themysciran]

"And more than a few people will benefit from this." She focused her attention on the other members of their table for a moment, most who were busy eating but some glancing at the pair occasionally. "I would like to do more for this City and this world, but it will take a while, especially since Themyscira does not exist here. Still, we're not alone."

[retconman]

"No, we're not. I think every diplomatic effort that we're making is a step more for progress and it's just luck they've got two of the best people here to do it. Imagine if they had Lex Luthor doing our job," Max said with a smirk, although of course if Lex could become president he could probably make do. Max disliked him enough to decide not to count that.

"We're doing the people's work. It's worth every second of effort."

[themysciran]

"Now that's a crisis we absolutely don't need." The admittedly few encounters Diana has had with Lex Luthor were extremely unpleasant, and the thought of him being ported in was enough to mar her face with a slight frown.

"I'm glad to do what I can to help the people in this world," she said, the frown disappearing as fast as it had appeared. "Even if my reach isn't as wide here as it is back home, that doesn't mean I can't contribute anything. After all, we were brought here for a reason." Supposedly.

[retconman]

"We contribute what we can. It's the least we can do considering we're the reason this world is a mess in the first place." Max briefly wished he did have alcohol, if only to lighten his own increasingly tensing mood.

"So, how long have you been here, Diana?"

[themysciran]

"I wouldn't say that we're the reason, but we are a contributing factor." Not that their own world is so different from this one, but that was a topic that veered far too close to dangerous territory.

"Since the beginning of March, but I've been here once before," Diana said, accepting the change of topic without protest. "It seems that the Porter has taken a liking to me."

[retconman]

"I guess opinions may vary," Max said amiably, glancing at her once before taking another careful sip of water. He shrugged the topic off easily.

"How long was it before that? It's interesting, to me. They never notice a difference back home, do they?" It seemed too much of a stretch to assume this place was the reason Wonder Woman had disappeared from everyone's memory briefly. The timing didn't add up, for one thing.

[themysciran]

Diana stayed silent on the matter, knowing that anything else she said would be contrary to his beliefs and would cause a disagreement neither of them can risk. At least, not right now.

"It's been speculated, yes. The evidence we do have leans towards that theory." And as far as Diana knew, she hadn't disappeared back home. She wasn't aware of the drastic shift in her timeline -- Max's question was nothing more than a curious inquiry to her.

[retconman]

"That's interesting. Takes some of the pressure of going home off, you could say. Or the urgency, at least. You can just sit back and settle into a second life."

He drummed his fingers briefly against the edge of the table.

"It's kind of creepy when you really consider it, isn't it?"

[themysciran]

"Many view it as a second chance, a new beginning." Diana looked at him, eyes piercing. There was no shrewdness or suspicion; it was simply a searching gaze, as if she could see Max's true intentions simply by looking at him. "I believe you do, as well."

[retconman]

Max glanced, meeting her gaze for a moment, but he kept it a brief look. He smiled a little uncertainly, an expression of wistfulness on his face.

"That's right. I wouldn't get a chance like this back home, I'm -- well, of course, because I'm dead, but you get my meaning. It serves that purpose; I don't really have anything else."