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?"