Play by Post Thread

[Ebiris]

After session 4

Rudy makes his way to the Crooked Lantern, finding that the tavern is doing good business as he can tell from the noise from within even as he approaches. The door is open to the street and he enters to a steady roaring of half-shouted conversations, entirely shouted orders, and a rather frenetic accordion tune that several men and women are singing and dancing to, gaily spinning around on one half of the tavern where a few tables have been cleared.

Luck happens to be on his side, because he finds Maril quite easily amidst the crowded clientele, currently engaged in a game of darts with two other patrons, one Rudy recognises as Shug, still looking a bit pale and unsteady on his feet, and the other a short scraggly-bearded man who might be a tall and skinny dwarf but one can't quite be sure...

[Carthrat]

Rudy opts to leave Myra outside instead of having her oozing presence unnerve the locals- at least, those inside the pub.

"Hey, hey! Send a round over to the dartsmen, eh?" he calls, palming a few coins to the nearest waitress and opting to approach the group just after the drinks arrive, grinning like a cat.

"My repatriations. No hard feelings, right?"

[Ebiris]

The two men present regard Rudy with states of recognition that vary between 'dazed' and 'none', but Maril favours him with a grin, showing her pearly white teeth below her slightly squashed and crooked nose. "Hey, it's whatsyername!" she seems to be far better dressed than when she was seen last, still wearing the same slightly worn leather bodice but with a fine looking white silk shirt underneath, and a set of black pantaloons in the same expensive fabric, although coupled with the frayed red bandana in her hair it makes her appearance a study of contrasts. A rapier hangs off her hip, but there's no sign of her crossbow.

She takes her ale and has a deep draught, her two companions following, although Shug barely sips at his. "No need for reparations, I made out well enough, but that's real gentlemanly of you anyhow," she goes on, sidling up to Rudy. "Think you can throw a dart as well as you can shoot a crossbow? This guy here thinks he's a hustler, but we might be able to pull a fast one ourselves..."

[Carthrat]

"Never played this in my life." Rudy cheerily stretches his palms and loosens the cuffs of his comparatively rumpled shirt. "But how hard can it be? And how much has he had tonight?"  he adds, starting to head towards the board to pick off the darts already stuck in it.

[Ebiris]

"Less than he'd like you to think," Maril whispers to Rudy before grinning inanely at the scraggly-bearded man who raises his drink back. Luckily the game is simple, despite Rudy's lack of knowledge, although Maril takes great pains to belabour all her explanations to Rudy of how the game is played, before she turns to the alleged 'hustler'. "So, hey, we've been having fun up til now, but howsabout we make things interesting?" she offers, leaning forward a bit to present a view that's not quite as good as what she showed Rudy on the boat.

"How interesting's that?" the dwarf/man asks, swilling his ale around.

"I've got a good feeling about my boy here," she gives Rudy a fond slap on the ass. "Five gold says he takes the next game. Whaddya say?"

He seems to mull it over for a moment before smiling and nodding, "Easy money."

Maril just smiles and turns her back on him, throwing her arms around Rudy and giving him a quick kiss - oooh, tongue! "For luck," she smirks before whispering, "Lose."

[Carthrat]

Rudy's arm snakes its way around Maril's back until he's grasping her firmly by the waist. "Not so, my friend. Tonight, you're gonna get to see the real deal!" he replies, picking up the darts in his other hand and twisting to face the dartboard properly. A girl in one arm, cash in his pocket and a prank on the go, is there anything more sublime?

Carelessly, he flings the darts haphazardly towards the target, ending with an outstretched hand pointing valiantly towards the bullseye.

[Ebiris]

Maril's not a bad armful, even if her face shows evidence of a few violent altercations, it's clearly kept her fit otherwise, and she has no compunctions at all about draping herself over a man she doesn't even know the name of. Shug decides to sit out this game while the short man shakes his head at Rudy's careless throwing, recovering the darts for his own turn... and he's actually pretty good. He easily beats Rudy, but he might well have done so even if Rudy had been trying properly. "Oh, that was pretty terrible, I almost feel bad for taking your money," he smirks at Rudy and his girl, showing a gold tooth. "How about we go double or nothing on this next one so you have a chance to win it back?"

[Carthrat]

"You're a sportsman, aren'tcha? I'll take you on again," replies Rudy. "But hey, don't feel bad, it's just cash. I got the real prize already, see? Come on, love, time to get serious," he adds, heading to grab the darts and then wrapping his opposite arm around Maril. "Don't mind if I use me good arm, right?"

Throwing away money on trivial pursuits is a pretty heady experience- but hey, it's all in the line of work, and it's a job with fuzzy expenses, ain't it? This time, Rudy takes a moment to line up his shots properly...

[Ebiris]

Code Select Expand

[18:16] <Kallen> roll 1d20+5 pointblanking
[18:16] * +Hatbot --> "Kallen rolls 1d20+5 pointblanking and gets 7." [1d20=2]
[18:16] <@Janson> roll 1d20+6
[18:17] * +Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+6 and gets 21." [1d20=15]

Despite Rudy making an honest effort, he still loses, and quite badly to boot. Maybe he's too out of his usual element for comfort? But for some reason Maril gives him a smile before she scowls and hands over ten shiny gold coins which vanish into the bearded man's moneypouch. "You think you're hot shit, don'tcha? That was just luck, though! I got fifty gold that says he'll take you this time!"

The darts player laughs out loud at that declaration, while Shug edges away. "Fifty? Maril, you've been stuck on land too long, you're going crazy," he turns his attention to Rudy, "Man, you gonna let her throw away her money like that? 'Cause if you don't stop her I sure won't."

[Carthrat]

"Ain't like I'm her husband!" replies Rudy, poised to throw the darts once more. "I mean, how d'ya repay trust like that? You gotta at least try, friend, or you won't make it where it counts in life."

Still, while this is the sort of thing he's normally good at, the bullseye seems to be evading him today. It's not the money that counts here, but playing the role of a useless fop isn't one he wants to take on indefinitely. Nothing for it but to let them fly again, though!

[Ebiris]

Code Select Expand

[18:30] <Kallen> roll 1d20+5 I can hear the synth
[18:30] * +Hatbot --> "Kallen rolls 1d20+5 I can hear the synth and gets 16." [1d20=11]
[18:30] <@Janson> roll 1d20+6
[18:30] * +Hatbot --> "Janson rolls 1d20+6 and gets 19." [1d20=13]

It's a very close run game, Maril hanging on tensely to Rudy's side as darts are thrown and numbers counted up... but Rudy's foe squeaks it by a small margin. This time there's no sign at all of a smile on the brunette's lips as her fellow gambler grins and rubs his hands together. Her eyes dart around furiously for a moment, before she suddenly slips out of Rudy's embrace as if she was never there and gives him a violent shove straight at the smaller man!

Not sticking around to see the results, she abruptly turns and bolts for the doorway!

Rudy she failed to beat your CMD on the shove, so you're able to resist the shove if you care to

[Carthrat]

Rudy bats away the shove and makes a low whistle. "Sorry, boss," he remarks, flipping the gambler a single platinum piece. "Ain't for me to know when the dames'll break out of line, eh? I got so many, so y'know how it is. Oi, MYRA! In the door!" he yells, counting on the abominations remarkably good ears to catch his voice and occupy the way out, whilst he comes up the other side.

[Ebiris]

Maril's run on the door is blocked by Myra, the two engaging in a brief but inconclusive tussle before the human woman fully registers the unholy nature of her foe and falls back on her rear in fear! The darts player catches Rudy's coin with an adroit snatch, sauntering after Rudy towards the door while a space is cleared and the music stops. "Tryin' ta welch out? For shame, Maril," the man leers down at her. "Thanks to your boytoy here you still owe thirty."

Maril manages to shoot Rudy a filthy look even through her obvious fear of Myra, before giving the hustler a weak smile. "Was just... going to get the money I left in my other coat, Kivas," she offers. "I'm a bit short right now, that's all."

The now named Kivas grins and tuts. "Can't cover your gambling debts? Sounds like you've got a problem... say, that's a nice shirt," he reaches down and pulls on her ruffled sleeve. "Izzat silk?"

[Carthrat]

"It's not good to spend your money entirely frivolously," admonishes Rudy, idly rolling another platinum coin around his palm. "You're not even making full use of the shirt! Why, look, all those buttons going shamelessly unused! You're rather in luck, though," he adds, trying very hard to restrain his innate smirk. "Need to speak to you 'bout something, and it's a chance to earn back your losses. Whaddya say?"

[Ebiris]

Perhaps recalling the large sack of platinum that Rudy obtained yesterday, Maril's attitude quickly reverses back to how it was when he first showed up! Yanking her arm away from Kivas, she stands up and leans into Rudy, "Sounds like I'm all yours, loverboy..." she says in a passable attempt at seductiveness, trapping his free arm against her bosom.

Meanwhile the music starts up along with the thrum of conversation around the tavern as a fight seems to be averted.