PM to join [The Kelp Bar] Stomping Grounds

[Demitri Maebourne]

27th of Spring, 515 AV The Kelp Bar was in a bit of a lull today. Not to say it didn't have a fair pile of patrons; as usual, the crusty and silent sailors of the Zeltivan port couldn't seem to resist the place's broken charm. Even so, it was a quiet and tired spring afternoon, and only about half the worn wooden chairs had been claimed. Demitri sat at one of the less irreparably damaged tables, across from a pot-bellied gentleman who now snored loudly in his chair, head fallen back and slightly to the left, mouth open wide in an almost comical picture of a slobbering drunk. A deck of cards sat in the middle of their table, as well as a small discard pile and a hand of five for each of the two players. The girl sighed. She had thought this game of Blush would be an easy win, given the man's drunken stupor, but hadn't accounted for him passing out mid-game. She glanced down at the cards, then at the small coin bag tied to his belt. Briefly she considered snatching the thing and bidding adieu to the rickety tavern. No... this wasn't Sunberth. The sailors wouldn't just think badly of her; she'd likely get reported and then arrested. Paying for an attorney wouldn't do, and what sort of case could she argue, anyway? She had only spent a third of a season in Zeltiva, but in that time she had learned that it was no lawless den of thieves. She would need to figure out how to be more secretive. Maybe she'd fare better if she didn't always go for the easy win. It would certainly make life more interesting, and she could expect a much better payload than the one or two mizas she'd talked this one out of. Besides, she'd been taking from these sorts since she was old enough to take. Wasn't it time to expand her parameters? Perhaps so. But until she got more used to the city, she'd stick to what she knew. There was a shout and a loud laugh in the back of the room, shattering the calm silence of the Kelp Bar. Demitri looked toward the noise to see two young sailors, one seeming very irritated and the other taking great pleasure in the aggravation of the first. She supposed it might have been a prank of sorts, but didn't bother to get a closer look as she turned back to contemplate her situation with the snoozing patron and his cards. Still, she might need to watch for those two later. They were the sort to cause an all-out brawl, given a sufficient amount of alcohol. One corner of her mouth twisting up in a smile, she quickly bent forward and took a peek at the man's cards. It was his own fault, wasn't it, for falling asleep in the middle of a game like that? When she saw them her smile widened. She hadn't memorized all of the Zeltivan deck, but she knew that her two mountains would beat his sorry two poets. Cautiously, she shook the gentleman's arm, murmuring "sir?" and "hello?" in a friendly and well-meaning voice until he stirred with a snort that made her jump in her seat. "Buhh..." he mumbled, and she affixed to him a cheerful grin. "Hello again," she exclaimed. "I believe it was your turn to bet!"

[Telor Riptide]

27th of Spring, 515 AV

Telor's laughter was that of a true sailor's. It roared through the bar as he doubled over, clutching his stomach with one hand and lacing the other over the shoulder of his new-found drinking buddy. They had both had perhaps a bit too much to drink, and it was pulling them in opposite directions.

Telor's friend, whose name was thus far unknown, was pulled down by the alcohol in his system. It pulled his lips into a tight and serious frown, and made his arms lay atop one another, crossed in the most serious manner. Telor's intoxication, however, brought him to a significantly happier place. Each joke he told seemed funnier than the last, and the fact that his friend wasn't smiling made them even better. In fact, the prank he had pulled had been the best yet.

"If you had just seen yourself!" Telor continued in slurred Fratava, "You really thought I was going t-" The Svefra collapsed in hysteria at his own words once again, punching his companion's arm playfully on the way down. After a gasp, he was able to continue. "You really thought I was deaf! Pah!" The man growled menacingly as a warning, and when Telor didn't listen, the man grabbed hold of Telor's collar.

"You calm down right now. I have a headache, I'm tired, and I came here to relax, not wake up the entire population of Zeltiva! If you insist on being such a petching child, you might as well just leave now before you get hurt." He hissed.

Telor grinned silently, his eyes lighting up with the same mischief seen in every boy's eyes just before he says something he shouldn't.

"Aww, does someone need a nap?"

The man ran at him, and Telor rushed off. The man gave chase, but seeing as there was low lighting and limited room in the shady bar, the chase didn't take long. Telor dropped his beer on the floor, hoping to trip the man, but it was no luck. Telor's (previous) friend caught him easily shoved him back into a table, slamming him hard into one of the few stable tabletops in the establishment.

Once it was certain that Telor had been subdued, the man let him go with a grunt before storming away to the bar- probably for another drink. Telor stood, groaned, and rubbed at his back. He had hit the table hard enough that he could feel the bruise forming already, and he knew it wouldn't be pretty in the morning either. But the little bruise wasn't enough to dampen his whole mood, for he had landed on exactly the right table.

It was occupied, but not by grumpy patrons or rowdy sailors. No, seated at this table were a docile, heavyset man and a woman. A smooth, dark, and simply dressed woman...

A woman who was now staring at him. The drunken sailor managed to sputter out but a smidge of Common. "Aye! Sorry for the interruption, doll. Whatcha playing?"

[Demitri Maebourne]

From the corner of her eye the Sunberth girl saw the angrier young sailor grab the mirthful one by the collar. As the big oaf was just readying to put a few more mizas on the table, the men stood up, the one running at the other with reckless abandon. The second dropped his mug, seeming to think it might slow down the first; but it was only a second or two before they both came crashing down right in front of Demitri, knocking the table sideways and causing the whole deck to fly into the air and flutter down again in a widespread jumble around them. She still had a look of impossible surprise on her face as the assailant stood and went for the bar, receiving a swarm of dirty looks from the other afternoon patrons come to "relax." She watched him for a moment as the weary woman at the bar delivered him a beer and a soul-rending glare, saying something about how he'd be paying for that table. It wasn't until the other bloke spoke that she finally turned back around, eyes wide as ever. "Aye," he started loudly. "Sorry for the interruption, doll. Whatcha playing?" She raised an incredulous brow at being called a "doll," but it was only a moment before she burst into a loud laugh and shook her head. "Well, not a thing, anymore," she joked. "But I won't hold it against ya." He was large and muscular, with a sun-bleached mop of hair and blue eyes a few shades brighter than her own. Partially covered by his plain shirt was a tattoo the color of the Sebakem Ocean, but Demitri couldn't make out exactly what was pictured. His accent was a bit strange, the words a bit broken, and the girl wondered briefly if Common wasn't his first language. She stood with a friendly smile and offered him a hand before bending down to set the table right. By now, the big drunk across from her was wide awake, glaring daggers at the foreigner. She looked to him amicably, putting a hand on his arm as if to distract him from his hatred. "Would you mind grabbing me a kelp beer while we pick up these cards?" He looked at her for a second, eyes narrowed and frowning, before he obliged, standing and wobbling his way over to the bar. Weren't people so much more impressionable when you added a bit of alcohol to the mix? As the big one then turned his focus to the other young brawler, Demitri looked back at this new gentleman before her. "Demitri," she said in her usual cheerful way. "And you are... ?"

[Telor Riptide]

27th of Spring

Telor's face broke into a grin at the woman- Demetri's- kind words and playful expression. She seemed, not angry, but pleased that he had come along, despite their less than ideal meeting. He wondered idly if she had had too much drink too, for she was so cheery, but quickly nixed the idea as he noted her confident, clear speech and obviously sober laughter.

"Telor Riptide," He responded with a clumsy, dramatic bow to accompany his words. "At yer serivce."

To properly demonstrate his words, the Svefra bent to retrieve the handful of assaulted cards scattered on the floor. As he placed the cards on the table, the man's eyes caught on a Miza that Demetri's partner had left behind. It was just there on the rickety old seat- a gold-rimmed Miza. It had to have been left on accident, but why would he have had Mizas out at all during a game of cards? Unless...
"Gambling...?" He mumbled almost inaudibly.

"I am real sorry, again for interrupting your game." Telor said apologetically as he rose to look the woman in the eye, hoping she wouldn't recognize the glow of mischief in his eyes. "If you'dn't mind, I'll make it up to you. A new game, perchance?

"I'm not knowing how to play too well right now, but I can sure as Hai learn." Telor finished with a grin and a very tipsy hiccup.

"If you're willing to teach."

[Perplexity]

.
“Potential?”

“Perhaps.” A derisive snort.

“Perhaps? We’ve been watching long enough. Why not move now?”

“Patience. It’s better to wait than to move quickly and be made a fool.” A dark haired man sat in the corner of the Kelp Bar. His brown eyes were briefly illuminated by the draw upon his smoke pipe. The tobacco embers glowed with life before fading. He blew out a cloud of smoke, the wisps of which drifted freely about the air. Two other figures were not far away. One of them was cloaked woman who had positioned herself against the nearby wall. In her hands she held a knife and a block of wood which she whittled at thoughtfully. It was she who spoke next.

“Sloppy is what I’d say. Could use some work.” There came a grumble. This time from a broad shouldered young man. He was handsome by all accounts with warm brown hair, a fair amount of scruff on his face and dark green eyes. He was rocking back and forth on the legs of his chair, a dangerous feat but by his motions, balance wasn’t an issue for him. The three of them were dressed in an assortment of cloth and leather armor one might see on the person of a woodsman. Were one to look closely they would catch a glimpse of sheathed weaponry around their waists. The young man voiced his displeasure though none of their voices carries beyond their table.

“We’ve been searching for a whole season. You wouldn’t say we’ve found at least one good prospect?” Though none of them made eye contact both the woman and young man seemed to be waiting for word from the dark haired man. He merely tapped the tip of his pipe against his chin then clicked it between his teeth.

“We wait.” The young man folded his arms over his chest and looked away out into the crowd of patrons. He seemed on edge but it was not irritation. It was more he seemed anxious, ready to push forward with excitement. The woman however continued her carving of the wood block an amused smirk touching her lips.

“You really should pick up a hobby.” The young man cast a glare in her direction to which he received a quiet chuckle. From there they sat in silence for a brief time as the young man received a mug of kelp beer. The elder of the three, the dark haired one, was staring intently across the room though his eyes were shadowed by the corner. In his gaze he kept track on a young woman entertaining a drunk blonde.

For what reason was he observing? The night would tell. One way or another.

[Demitri Maebourne]

OOC._. Oh my, how mysterious and foreboding. Some would even say- ahem- perplexing. *breaks out into worst-wordplay-ever-dance* "Telor Riptide," he called himself. Demitri immediately registered the name as Svefra, and it was beyond all suspicion that he wasn't native to this city. He bowed with exceptional flair, and the girl couldn't help but allow herself another brief chuckle. "At yer service." Immediately after this show of clumsy enthusiasm, he dropped to the floor and started to gather the cards. "Oh," she breathed, and was about to bend to help him when he popped up, just as suddenly as before. "I am really sorry, again for interrupting your game," he apologized, and his expression seemed that of either a truly shameful man or a very good actor. "If you'dn't mind, I'll make it up to you. A new game, perchance?" Demitri noticed a sort of clever spark in the Svefra's eye, leading her to pause ever-slightly, but brushed it off as a moment of purer lucidity in an otherwise tipsy night. "I'm not knowing how to play too well right now," he carried on. "But I can sure as Hai learn." At this the girl matched his grin, chuckling ever-slightly again at his hiccup. "If you're willing to teach." She nodded cheerfully, then paused to remember the other man she'd been playing with. Firstly, they were his cards- she'd not yet acquired her own Zeltivan deck. Secondly, he likely wouldn't be in the best of moods if made to play with one of the table-murderers. And thirdly- most importantly- Demitri had hoped to trick him out of a sizable pile of mizas tonight. Could that still be done? Perhaps if she was even more friendly than usual... She didn't have to think about that a great deal more. The heavyset man was bent at a 45-degree angle over the bar, seeming to struggle just to keep his eyes half-open. He was sure to fall asleep in the next chime or two. The girl sighed; she wouldn't come by a fool like that again tonight. She turned back to face Telor, her grin wide and bright as ever. "Of course I'd be willing to teach," she obliged. "Though I don't know too much about the Zeltivan deck. We might be evenly matched!" Even as she said that, she doubted he would trust the assertion. True, by the time they were done he would likely know just as much as her about the game- but that was also assuming he was sober enough to pay a fair amount of attention. She may even be able to get him to bet a few mizas later. This wouldn't be as easy a steal as the other bloke; still, she would take what she could get. Besides, it was about time she refined her taste in suckers. She was just sitting down, back to the wall in the other man's original chair, when she felt eyes on her. Her brow wrinkled for just a moment- her eyes darted to the side, then back to the table just as quickly. No, surely they weren't watching her. The three in the corner of the Kelp Bar were dressed in the simple clothes of laborers; even in the shadows, they did not emit an outright foreboding feeling. Still, it was odd for Demitri to feel that way so suddenly. She liked to think that she had honed her instincts in the anarchy of Sunberth- it was easy to get killed if you didn't suspect at least half the people you encountered. Yet there was always little doubt that something nasty was brewing there. Here in Zeltiva... she must have been imagining things. Even the Kelp Bar, one of the far less well-kept establishments of the city, was worth at least three buildings from her old neighborhood. She couldn't bring herself to look back for fear of alerting someone to her suspicions, but repeated in her mind that she was just being paranoid, that her paranoia might unnerve the new player if she let it get out of hand. Exhaling deeply in an attempt to calm her haywire nerves, she looked back to Telor with that same self-assured smile. "Have you... ever played Blush?"

[Telor Riptide]

27th of Spring

OOC*bounces in excitement* I have no words.
Also, sorry for the short post. It seemed appropriate for the circumstances. I'll try my best to post more in future replies.

The large Svefra man sat down at the table clumsily, nodding to Demetri as she seated herself across from him.

For a brief second, she seemed uneasy. She looked about with an expression of muted curiousity, as though she were looking for the source of a sound. Telor looked too, but by then the discomfort subsided, and her smile returned. Decidedly unperturbed by the momentary upset, Telor grinned and listened as she asked him about a card game.

"Blush?"

Telor was almost certain he knew blush, for it was rising to his cheeks at that very moment. However, Demetri seemed to have another idea. She had mentioned a Zeltivan deck, as if it were different than others, but he didn't have a clue what any deck looked like. Shyke! Why hadn't he ever let his siblings teach him?

Instead of saying this out loud, Telor shook his head and spoke slowly. "Blush? Naw, never played that one. Ain't too hard, is it? If that fella back there can play, so can I."

Telor tossed in what he hoped looked like a confident wink as he jerked his head in the direction of the drunk at the bar jokingly.

[Demitri Maebourne]

OOCX3 No worries. Also sorry for the delay. Telor sat across from Demitri with a nod, and once again the girl noted his mild clumsiness. Perhaps if he got in another drink or two, it would be just as easy to get some mizas out of him as the other man. Not that she'd push too hard, no- this may just turn out to be a lovely card game- but she made a note of it nonetheless. "Blush," he repeated curiously, and seemed to ponder it for a moment. She nodded and leaned forward, shuffling the deck with slow, absent-minded movements and studying him with muted interest. Finally he shook his head and continued, "Blush? Naw, never played that one." "Ain't too hard, is it? If that fella back there can play, so can I." Demitri looked back at the man Telor had referenced, and couldn't help but let out a small laugh. He may as well have been unconscious, head an inch or two from the table, eyes drooping, mug of kelp beer still half-full and held in front of him like a treasured heirloom. She looked at the other man who still sat, but his back was too her. Still, his actions- particularly those offenses made toward the table- led her to believe that he wasn't far off from the first man's current state. "Well, I'm not sure," she said, turning back to him with a mirroring wink. "If you're as drunk as your friend there, this may take a while." "The Zeltivan deck isn't too different from others," she began. "Or so I'm told. The highest cards are... God, Mage, Mountain, and Poet." She paused at this, unsure if she had gotten the order right; after all, she was a great deal more comfortable with Sunberth's cards, and even her knowledge of that didn't stretch all too far. Still she continued, unable to control her pauses but retaining her ever-confident tone, despite her shameful lack of knowledge. "The suits are... scrolls. And quills, and ships. And water. And that's all that's different." She kept her friendly smile as well, hoping that Telor wouldn't recognize a hint of agitation in her eyes. People knew of the Sunberth deck here- why couldn't she ever find someone who owned one? At least then she'd know what she was doing the whole way through. Oh, well; Demitri knew she'd get the hang of it if she just kept playing. Besides, she knew how to play Blush just as well as any old sailor. The hard part was over. "Now, each player gets five cards," she explained, quickly doling out a set for each of them; she left them face-up, afraid that she may need to help him learn what his hand meant. "If there's betting involved, usually that'll happen once beforehand and then again at every step- but I can explain that later if you like." "Now, each player gets to look at their cards- the others don't see them, of course- and then they can trade in up to three of them in the hopes of getting a better hand." The process of explaining the game felt monotonous to Demitri, even if she was a less-than-experienced player, but still she held an expression of cheer as if it was her solemn duty to be amicable and encouraging. In truth, she didn't know if this was just her way, or if she'd taught herself to do it as a means of tricking people. After all, not a soul in Sunberth would have trusted an unfriendly face. Of course, they rarely trusted a friendly one, but it did make things a bit easier now and again. She exhaled calmly, and demonstrated her last words by taking up three of the cards she'd given herself, setting them aside, and then drawing three new ones from the deck she still held. "After this- well, after this and sometimes a bet- each player shows their cards and whoever has the best hand wins!" She looked at Telor and suppressed a pessimistic sigh. She wasn't sure he'd understand any of this; how drunk was he? He seemed fairly well-spoken, which led her to hope, but who knew, really? She picked up the cards and shuffled them back into the deck before looking back at him with a slightly knotted brow. "Does all of that make sense? I know it might be a bit overwhelming, but I'm sure it'll come to you once we start playing! Oh, and do you need me to explain anything else?" OOCAnd oh my goodness, I'm sorry if this post is a big boring beast. Just thought I might get all of the explaining out in one go. ^^;

[Telor Riptide]

27th of Spring

Telor nodded slowly throughout her whole spiel to convey his understanding, but in reality, he couldn't have been more lost. There were ships, quills, scrolls, and what? Did the suits change the value of a card? And...the highest cards were Gods, Mages, and Mountains, right? That made sense. But why would Poets be worth a lot? Telor mentally excused the nonsensical nature of the deck and continued nodding anyway.

After another second of hesitation, the girl went on to explain the individual game. It seemed that there was a lot of betting and counting card values.

Well, as long as she could count for him...

"Okay, so first, I get five cards." Telor repeated her instructions dutifully. "I look them over," Telor glanced down at the cards in front of him. Having virtually no idea what they meant, but knowing he saw no Gods, Mages, Mountains, or Poets, the sailor selected three cards at random. "And if I want to, I can turn these in and pray to Ovek I get new, better cards. Right?"

Telor nodded once more as he laid his hand back down on the table. "I think I've got it. I'd like to try a round, if you wouldn't mind.

"And, uh, first..." The man blinked slowly and let his head stop spinning before he spoke again. Waving his hand to the bartender, he shouted over the quiet murmur of the bar, "I could get some water?"

The bartender brought the sailor a glass quickly, likely not wanting to upset the noisy drunk. Once he had taken a sip and steadied his view, Telor nodded for the last time.

"Alright, I'm ready."

[Demitri Maebourne]

Telor nodded at everything the girl said, and she considered adding in something ridiculous just to see if he kept doing it. No, best not confuse him- that is, more so than she surely already had. Well, she'd never been any sort of teacher, and she wasn't going to suddenly become a professional gambling instructor today. She nodded with him a bit, as if it might reassure him. "Okay," he said when she finished. "So first, I get five cards." "I look them over," he stared at them for a moment as if to demonstrate just as Demitri had. "and if I want to, I can turn these in and pray to Ovek I get new, better cards. Right?" The girl nodded enthusiastically, pausing only for an instant in curiosity- Ovek? Was that a god? Demitri had never known much of the deities; her mother wasn't exactly a storyteller, nor was any other person in Sunberth who might know a thing or two. The girl knew of Laviku; how could she not, in Zeltiva, and in all her fascination with her Svefra heritage? But Ovek, and Rhaus, and Leth, and all those other figures of worship? The mention of the names immediately felt like gibberish to her. She had to ask. She was getting sidetracked from the primary goal- to play a game of cards that would hopefully lead to some healthy winnings- but she would let her curiosity get the better of her... just this once. "What's an Ovek?" The Svefra man seemed a bit more confident now. He ordered water, which surprised Demitri just a bit; maybe he wasn't as much a fool as the rest of her potential targets in this place. She shrugged to herself slightly. The odds were still in her favor, as far as she could see. "Alright, I'm ready." "That you are," Demitri responded cheerfully, and began to dole out the cards with unusual speed. They flew off a bit to the sides, and once or twice she had to catch one before it zipped right off the shaky old table. Still she enjoyed her small dash of flair, even if she might look the fool on occasion. Practice made perfect, right? Five cards to Telor, and five to the Sunberth girl. She placed the deck in the middle and smiled brightly at him, waiting to make sure he knew what he was doing before turning to her own hand. She'd see how he fared in this first round before suggesting a bet; she may have been a thief and an amateur trickster, but never a greedy one. She looked once more at the oaf at the bar. She never thought it possible for someone to appear so close to unconsciousness without actually putting their head down. Briefly the girl wondered what he'd do if he woke up before she left, if he'd be in the mood to be taken advantage of, if he'd throw a drunken punch at Telor the second he saw him again. Then again, the girl could worry about that if it actually happened. Right now, things did not look all too wonderful for Sir Oaf. She turned back to the table, looked at Telor again expectantly.