At Southern Weyr, it's /only/ eighty degrees out, and so damp and muggy as the recent rain evaporates that the Bowl is doing a good impression of a steam bath. Inside the Tipsy Kitten, it's mercifully cooler, and marginally less clammy: at least there's not water on every surface. As the sun sinks and the afternoon starts turning into evening, the place is starting to fill up with people in search of refreshment. R'zel isn't a frequent visitor here, but he drifts in today. After a copule of minutes at the bar, he ambles towards the tables with a mug of pale beer in one hand and another of plain water in the other. He sets them down carefully before dropping into a seat.

The late evening has the Kitten full and happy. The respite from the hot and wet has the place rather busy and full happy places with alcohal are perfect for cards. D'ex sits at a rather crowded table, eyes locked on his current hand. This was not a good one, he wasn't too sure about his current odds, but he had won the last game, so there was nothing to worry about yet. Of course, Zynth grew bored when D'ex cheated or did anything that had him winning too often. Down side of a dragon who liked to play cards with him. D'ex won a whole lot more when Zynth was entertained else where. Oh well. The red head shifts slightly, reaching into his pocket and pulling out another few marks. These are placed on the table slowly, with a bit of a flourish and show to it and he places his cards on the table, letting a smug smile curl over his face. Let them sweat. Let them think he had a good hand. He really didn't. But still, D'ex was here for the game, not to win. The other men at the table shift at this show, frowning at thier own hands and D'ex turns in his chair, signling the bartender. Perhaps he could get these guys really drunk. Drunk poker was better than sober. Or perhaps he could rope in some unsuspecting soul to play and loose for him. Hmmm, brown eyes skim the room, searching for a victim. Who here looks like they don't know how to play poker?

R'zel might well appear to be the very image of innocence, honesty, and general gullibility. He's got enough sense to toss back half of that pint of water before he starts on the beer, though: dehydration in this climate isn't fun. Then a taste of the brew, and he contemplates his mug for a couple of minutes, apparently deep in thought; then he rubs a hand across his sweaty forehead. After that, perhaps he's feeling more human: his eyes start to wander and take in the rest of the room. The poker players get only a passing glance at first, but there's not a huge amount going on that's of any interest, and he ends up watching the game curiously.

Gotcha. Wow, it wasn't every night that D'ex got someone who looked so easy. Once his mug is refilled, D'ex's attention turn breifly back to the game, just enough to watch someone else again raise the odds by a few marks and take his turn. His choice of cards are careful, not wanting to give away just yet that his hand sucked. Instead, attention returns to the new curious onlooker. Again, the hand goes up for the bartender, "Please, a round for my freinds here." He motions to the other players at the table then nods toward R'zel, "And my soon-to-be freind." He offers a smile, then nods toward the game, "Ever played?" His apparent generosity keeps the other players quiet as attention turns away from the game, but D'ex knew that it wouldn't keep them quiet long. It was too early in the night to have such a lousy hand, but cheating this early would get Zynth complaining.

R'zel takes a moment to realise that it's him that D'ex is talking to. He raises a hand to decline the offered drink. "Oh, not for me, thanks - I've still got plenty, and I'm not staying long." He nods towards the cards. "Dragon poker, is it? Not… really." Which isn't exactly a clear answer to a simple question. "Someone tried to teach me once," he elaborates, adding in a somewhat rueful tone, "It seemed like a quick way of getting rid of marks."

"Well you will never learn if you don't try again, yes?" D'ex's smile is unwavering and he motions for R'zel to come over. His own chair is pushed back slightly, a silent offer to make room for another chair should R'zel agree to come over and sit down. "Drinks on me either way, but there is no fun drinking alone when you could be drinking with friends." Not that D'ex has offered a name or introduced anyone at the table. It might be noted that no one else at the table is looking too particularly freindly. "It is a delightfull quick way to loose marks and a delightfully quick way to get them! Poker is a skill that can't ever hurt anyone to have." Unless you happen to be a gambling addict. Which D'ex is.

R'zel shakes his head uncomfortably. "You're in the middle of a game: you don't want to be teaching a beginner right now." Nevertheless, he hesitates a moment or two, then continues. "Tell you what, let me watch for a round or two and see if I can remember how it's played. Then maybe…." Maybe. And maybe he's forgotten what he said about not being here long. He shuffles his chair round so that he's looking towards the players, but not close enough to be intrusive.

D'ex waves as if his spot here didn't matter. Because it really didn't. If he could get this game onto this guy, then D'ex would be golden, right? Someone else got to deal with this hell-hand. D'ex pushes his chair back a bit and holds up his hand of cards for R'zel to see, "How could I teach if I was not in the middle of a game?" He shows his hand, then turns back to the table and the not-so-paciently waiting other players for him to take his turn. A card is drawn, and woa. Hey wait a second. Eyes flicker over the table again, oooooo, maybe he could win, oooooooo … . he holds up his hand again for R'zel and taps the new card, "See? Game changer right there." Face cards were always nice and this set up just might … well, the ace in his sleeve could help but … nah, not this time … "Drink up, we'll have you playing like a pro in no time~"

R'zel nods gravely at what he's being shown, taking time to read the cards. "Right. Game changer." His eyes flick to the faces of the other players as he repeats the words. If D'ex can say it, it's not saying too much, right? Against his better judgment, he appears hooked. He scootches his chair an inch closer, takes a sip of his beer, and settles down to watch.

This was too easy. Even though it was looking like D'ex might actually win now, he was inclined to get this new guy to take over for him anyway as originally planned. It would save D'ex from a round of chides from Zynth and playing people could be just as much of a gamble as playing cards. Of course, it would not be as clean a win as D'ex usually liked to pull, but with luck suddenly in his favor, he was okay with that. He taps another of his cards and nods toward the game on the table, a silent message to pay attention to suit for the next round or so. With his own beer finished, D'ex nods for the whole table to be refilled, and R'zel of course.

R'zel doesn't protest at the second offer of beer; the first one is going down quite quickly now. Pay attention to suit? R'zel can do that. He arranges his expression into one of serious blankness, which lasts just as long as it takes for the next person to play. There's a quick sideways glance at D'ex, looking for his reaction. "I'm afraid I don't remember what all the combinations of cards are," he murmurs. "As I recall, there were rather a lot, and you have to know what beats what." He's sounding more and more like a hopeless case!

Hopeless, but D'ex could deal with that. He sees the play and there is no reaction. He catches R'zel's glance and ignores it, his own attention on the other players. It was a good play, but a bit over confident, so that man must have more of that suit in his hand. Hmmmm. D'ex gives a nod, so where were the other Ace? "S' all good. We're doing fine." He nods again, voice softer, though probebly not soft enough to be unheard by the men on either side of them. No worries… . So far … "Different combinations do matter, but the end goal is always the win. Loosing a few points here and there are okay."

"Right." R'zel's tone suggests that profound truth has been shared. "Always the win." He keeps his voice low so as not to disturb the players. When the dealer lays out a fairly high card of a different suit to the one D'ex had indicated, though, he seems to take an involuntary breath, as if he thinks it's significant. Or maybe not: he rubs his chin as if puzzled. Perhaps more beer will make it clearer? He takes another swig.

Please continue to drink, yes. D'ex uses the opportunity to drop a card and go for a draw. Not particularly useful, but not too bad. Winning this game still could be a trick. "It seems to me you are getting the hang of it. We're still doing okay. Want to choose our next play?" No way that R'zel is screw them us totally unless he wanted to drop thier Ace, and getting the guy to take his spot had to be done gradually, right? D'ex was only marginally concerned unless-wait. His eyes snap to the man sitting across from them, flicking between the man's play and his face. Oh damn. Found the ace.

"All right." R'zel watches the next couple of plays, his face maintaining its impassive seriousness for at least half a minute. Hey, he might even develop a poker face one of these days, right? As D'ex's turn approaches, he raises his hand, points one-fingered to one of the lower cards, and then makes a minute flick of the same finger that might suggest ditching the card. It's a neutral sort of move; not bold but also not foolish. This time his sideways glance at D'ex is more subtle, but it's accompanied by a questioning lift of the eyebrow.

The approval of the choice comes only in D'ex's instant play of the card, dropping it and giving a single, near-imperceptive nod. As the game continued, he tapped the Ace he held, then the suit of the card next to it, one hand dropping into his lap and pointing across the table. It was a good choice, but knowing where the that ace was would be vital to winning, if they were to win. Or, if R'zel was to win, since D'ex didn't plan on finishing this game. R'zel seemed to have the hang of it, now how to ditch the place and dump him with the cards. Hm.

R'zel starts to nod sagely at what he's being shown, but then stops himself - it must look as if he's suddenly remembered that he's not supposed to give anything away. The next couple of players are making similar sorts of moves, anyway. R'zel follows their play, lips pursing as he tries to work out what they're up to. Then one player - not the one with the ace - throws his hand in, face down on the table. He's folding.

D'ex is surprised, but that guy must have figured out who had the aces. D'ex scans the other players, scared yet? Hmmm. Did he miss something? Why is that man leaving? Perhaps for the same reason D'ex is. His eyes move upward, scanning the area around them for firelizards, but the dealer has been good at keeping them away. Easy cheating was teaching a lizard to send images of other people's hands, but only rookies went for that sort of thing. "We'll see you tomorrow night then? Or wait out til the next game?" He offers the man a smile, but shifts to hide his hand. Turning back to R'zel, he offers the cards,

"LIsten, I think you've got this, but I need to run. By dragon doesn't appreciate me getting drunk and he destroyed some lady's garden last time I wasn't paying attention." Imply Zynth is a high maintiance dragon, slip away, just enough liquor at the table to cool heads, a good set up, perhaps R'zel will even win?

R'zel sets his beer on the edge of the table and laces his fingers, rubbing them together as he contemplates that suggestion. Is that a hint of suspicion in his eyes? Was he in fact not born yesterday? "Ah, no. You may think I've got it, but I'm quite certain I haven't," he concludes. "I'd probably ruin it for everyone else. You can always fold, can't you, if you have to run?"
Folding was giving up. He'd moved too fast, maybe another drink in R'zel would have done it? Drat. Folding was giving up. D'ex knew that this hand could win, but he was not going to sit here to do it. If he folded the other Ace holder would win. If he stayed, he was not garenteed a win, but it was possible. Choices choices. "And there is no way I could convince you to sit in for me?" His eyes flicker to the other players, now watching this little debate with interest. They would know he has a chance if he is going to argue the point. Drat.

R'zel lets out an over-dramatic sigh, and looks pointedly at the cards in D'ex's hand, then those on the table. Finally, he gives a slight chuckle and says deliberately, "Oh, I don't think so," in a tone rather different from his previous innocence. If it looks as if he's refusing to take on a hand that's far worse than it actually is - well, so much the better, if D'ex decides to carry on playing. "Thanks for letting me sit in on the game," he tells the table, smiles all round, and gets to his feet.

Damn it. He could win, but it would take too much for D'ex to stay and try. Apparently this guy knew the game better than he was letting on and the pathetically lousy hand that D'ex had started with. Oh well. "Thanks anyway, next time then." D'ex forces his tone to remain freindly despite the shift in R'zel. A cool touch in his mind and D'ex knows that Zynth is laughing at him. Damn them both. He looks over his cards again and shakes his head, "Sorry gentlemen, keep me a seat for tommorrow, yes?" He folds, cards face down. Standing, D'ex pays the bartender and starts out without another word. So much for playing the bronzer, next time. Yes, next time, there was always next time. And the blue rider is gone.

The bronzerider takes the rest of his beer to another table, out of sight of the card players, and finishes it in solitude before heading off to supper.