Who

D'ex, Ryott

What

D'ex comes to Igen to get a taste of one of their Gambling dens, and Ryott's just trying to keep her head down.

When

It is sunset of the twenty-eighth day of the second month of the sixteenth turn of the 12th pass.

Where

Gambling Den, Igen Weyr

OOC Date 01 Feb 2019 05:00

 

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"HEY! Wretch! Get back over here-"


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Gambling Den

Where outside darkness exists even in the light of day due to deep shadows, within this partially hidden door light shines brightly from glows strung liberally across the beams above. People gather around round tables with cards, dice, and every kind of game of chance spread before them. Not everyone at the table plays, but all are known. Strangers, while not unwelcome, are watched carefully.


Southern is 108 and even in the evening, this is not something that anyone wants to be home for. While D'ex has been a good person for the past few months since allowed back into formation, some addictions are harder to kick than others. Whispers come of places tucked away that might not frown on such habits, and those with ears in Southern might not hear of certain blueriders finding thier way there. An escape? Or perhaps just a break from the over-worked Southern flights and generally being on a short leash. Now the knot is absent, and the redhead sits hunched over one of the round table frowning at his cards. This was a praticularly bad hand, but liquor works it's magic and is keeping D'ex from throwing it just yet. A small molten green firelizard hang half-in, half-out of D'ex's mug, ignored for now as the problem of coin on the table and a losing hand is wrestled with mutely. Damn it all, coming to this place was a wonderful idea, but this was a really horrible start to the evening.

Even thought Ryott has mostly stopped trying to pass as a boy as puberty took hold, there are certain times when it comes in handy, like trying to sneak into places that a teenage girl might be a little inconspicuous. Dressed in a baggy jacket, well worn pants and heavy boots. A cap is pulled low over her dark eyes as she makes her move and melts into the back of a largish group and uses it to slip inside. Success! Once there, she keeps her head down, but sharp gaze peruses the well lit room as she meanders about the tables. Dice? Nah, too easy to make them weighted. Dragon Poker, yeah, that's more of her speed. Wandering over to the table D'ex is at, she stands at a respectful distance as she observes the hand being currently played. But she catches that frown on the bluerider's face and she wonders if maybe it's a bluff, underselling a hand to make others call. The way the other people at the table are looking at him speculatively, it's obvious they aren't sure what to make of this newcomer in their midst.

D'ex shifts uneasily as he watches the play, damn it all, he was sure at least two other people at the table held high cards. He should drop out now. However, D'ex was an addict and this is his poison. He drops one card, but notes for the first time that the other faces around the table are uneasy. If he raised, then they would think him bluffing, but if they already thought it… . . One hand scoops the little green up and off of the mug, dropping her uncerimoniously onto his lap before moving to take a sip of the freed drink. Too many eyes here to cheat, and the frost in the back of his mind was already starting to grow into a warning… . . SO… . Fine. He pulls another set of marks out of his pocket and drops it on the table. If he could cycle out to a better hand, then maybe … Just Maybe… . An angry chirp from his lap will have D'ex brushing the green to the floor. Little wings open before she hits it, fluttering up and starting to circle above the group of spectators. AHA! A Hat! Lady lands onto a nice cap, not caring who the cap, or head, belongs to, settling down with a decisive swish of her tail. Her owner continues to completely ignore her.

Oooh the tension seems to mount when the bluerider raises again, even the audience are all intently watching the outcome of this particular hand. This of course makes for many distracted people, which is like waving a bone in front of a hungry canine for the girl with sticky fingers. She's not greedy, but if she doesn't need to play with her own marks, all the better. So spotting a particularly fat purse, she squeezes next to the man, seemingly craning her neck to get a better look. Her sleight of hand is very good, and the only thing anyone would see before she moves off slightly, is a hand being stuffed deeply into her jacket pocket. She's about to move onto another table when that cicling green firelizard decides her cap to be the right perch. FARANTH! Not wanting to make a scene, the girl lifts one hand to firmly hold onto the cap, while a silent call is made for Trouble, one of her oldest blues. He arrives a moment later and hisses at the green diving close to hopefully chase her off his humanpet.

Lady seems incredibly pleased with herself. This is a good vantage point really, and her pleasure at this perch will only falter when the perch seems to be claimed. The hissing blue will get Lady's attention and she hisses back, form arching and tail lashing as little claws dig into the hat. This is hers, she is sure of it, such a nice cap couldn't possibley be his! Really! D'ex himself remains absorbed with the game, drink finished and perhaps he might have a chance, that no one called yet must be a good thing. After all, a bad hand among a table of other bad hands had a fighting chance of winning, right? Right. Right?! Lady is a small creature, and the aggressive blue is not something she is wiling to take on alone. Lady's wings pop open, and with claws in hat, will tryi to take to the air again and take her prize with her.

The Prize!!! Noooooo!!! The wonderful thing was lost as the perch fights back. The green shrikes, high and shrill enough to finally get D'ex's attention, he turns in his chair, "HEY! Wretch! Get back over here-" Lady's flailing fluttering to keep ahold of the hat will not hold, she cannot doge the swats and lets go to a graceless flutter back to her bond. His words come to a sharp halt as he sees that Lady had been actively bothering someone. His call is instantly reversed and he waves at the angery green, "No, No, no, no! Go back to Zyn! Now! Shoooo!!! Go!!" The motion seems to only send the thing into even more of a temper. But with the touch of the blue, she poofs Between and gone. Damn it. D'ex stares at the poor soul that Lady was abusing and sighs heavily. Damn it all. He grimaces and throws his hand and leaves the table, waving toward the small figure as he starts in that direction, "Hey! Hey you, I'm sorry, I'll buy you a drink, the wretch is useless."

When the green finally vacates her cap, Ryott huffs and pulls it down over her ears, thick dark brows are pulled over cold glare as she shoots metaphorical daggers at the owner of that particular green. She doesn't thionk much about the firelizard's training, in contrast, as soon as the green is called away, Trouble merely flicks his wings soundlessly to his back and settles onto her shoulder, minimal fuss. She's just about to move to another table, hopefully blend back into the crowd until the scene is forgotten. But then D'ex is coming to actually apologize, and she narrows her dark eyes in his direction. "Just train your green better, there's no excuse for it," the "lad" replies in a low deadpan voice, a touch of exasperation creeping into her tone.
"Would if I could. But the things are literally only good for-well never mind, do you want a free drink in apology or no? She will stay away for a while, and I ought to make it up to you if you will accept." D'ex offers a hand to the boy then points at the bar, "Really, take your pick, I'll buy it and we can pretend this didn't happen. It's polite. Say Yes. We don't even have to introduce ourselves, or we can talk, I don't care. Just take the free liquor kid." He motions toward the bar again, "Pick something or I pick something for you."

Raising a brow at the man's first, Ryott has to bit her lips to correct some misjudgement there. she finds her fair of five incredibly useful for various things, but she's not much of a sharer. Looking down at the proferred hand, she cocks her head to one side and snorts softly as the man seems insistant on making it up to her. She almost enjoys how desperate he seems to save face. She usually steers clear from drink when she needs her wits about her, but he really seems not to want to take no for a answer. He does make some very good points, and his last does bring the faintest ghost of a smirk to her lips, as she gives up with a roll of her eyes, "Sure, whatever you pick will be fine." A rather non-chalant attitude for the girl, which is quite out of character for her.

One Win for the night! D'ex gives the boy a nod, and orders two ales. After all, if he is going to be in Igen, he might as well be drinking Igen-stuff. The moment that the two tankards are delivered, D'ex pushes one to Ryott and as promised, leans back against the bar and makes no effort to continue the conversation beyond holding his cup up to the kid, "Sorry about my creature's behavior." And takes a swig. Awe, good stuff. He hums and nods, dropping the needed marks on the bar. See Zynth? Being polite. Being good. Look at D'ex being a good person in a gambling den on a night he had PT in the morning. Look at how good he's being! It will register, that perhaps the kid did want to talk and D'ex's attention will jerk back to him. Okay. Converstation. Hmmm. "You really think adults are trainable? Like, maybe when she was little, but now? She's a few turns old."

Oh good, he just picked ale. Ryott can definitely handle a tankard of ale. She slips onto a stool at the bar and takes the glass offered to her with a solemn nod of her head, "Apology accepted," she replies as she brings the drink to her lips for a long swallow. Smacking her lips together appreciatively when she lwoers it again, she looks at the man skeptically over the rim of her tankard. "It's more work. She's obviously learned some bad habits," Ryott doesn't sugar coat things, and her blunt reply is accompanied by a sigh. "But it's not impossible," she finally relents with a boreed shrug of her shoulder. For his part, Trouble has curled his tail around her neck and is sitting calmly, but alert.

D'ex nods, the frown returning. His eyes flick to the blue at Ryott's shoulder, and nods again, "Okay, well, I mean. Not sure how much effort I'm willing to put in. But perhaps some." He shrugs, he's survived thus far with two un-trained firelizards. Though perhaps training them would be worth while in the long run … . D'ex nods again, "Will try." That he can promise, though as he takes another few gulps of ale, he decides that really, Igen ale isn't all that great. Why did people pay so much for this stuff? Too late now, D'ex was not about to let this go to waste, though it likely would be his last.

"Do whatever you want," Ryott replies with zero concern in a somewhat bored deadpan. "Well, if you're not willing to put in the effort, you can just keep buying drinks for the people she harasses. That works." Her tone is darkly sarcastic, but she does lift her glass slightly in his direction to show it's appreciated. She's not about to linger though, as her dark eyes wander over to a table that seems to just be setting up a new game. With a nod in D'ex's direction, she gruffly thanks him for the drink before heading over and buying into the game with the marks she purloined earlier. Hopefully her night will take a turn, and if it doesn't, well the girl still isn't out our her own purse at least.

D'ex doesn't stay, time difference and the lack of dragons in Southern means he can't afford to be out late. He returns the nod as Ryott slips into a game. D'ex will watch, but only until his drink is empty before he slips out into the night to his waiting dragon. A break from the heat and an attempt to scratch the gambling itch didn't work well, but at least now he knows that this little hub of bad habits is here. It will likely see this rider again in the future.

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