~ The grey male paced back and forth, hurt over the betrayal of Moxii.. Though he knew she had only followed her heart he felt abandoned nonetheless. He was a strong boy though, and so he forced himself to stop pacing. He must continue on, and be happy. So he had traveled back to the Agua Azul lands.. Or at least decently close. He didnt want to go into the packlands, not right now. The tension had been great when he had left, and he felt it was only growing.

The pelt tied about his waist flopped as he shook his body fre of any debris or dirt that may have befallen on him.

He needed a fun time. Something to get his mind off everything and just.. take a risk. He almost felt like taking on a bear, which he knew could be suicidal, but think how fun it would be if he didnt die!

She had finally gotten her fur clean, she was healed, her life was looking up...and finally she wasn't looking for Blackjack. Oh she still wanted to find him and get revenge, he ALWAYS managed to trump her. She had fallen into a ravine because of him! He dared her and like an idiot she raced right into his traps everytime. Well, no more! No more, she promised herself, she could resist a bet, she didn't have to go for every dare.

She jerked up as she heard the tread of paws, her ears flicked as she listened. She'd bet it was a male...ugh there she went again mentally betting. She couldn't help it though, she was a born gambler, the problem was she always went after high stakes with low odds. She slipped out and spotted the male "I knew it..." she murmured to herself with a small smirk.

~ Vegas heard the female, though he wasnt sure if she had meant for him to. He couldnt help but look in her direction.
The white female had markings of red and black, and was definitely an odd coloration, if not a fascinating one. He smiled, flicking an ear. He wondered what she was like. If she was the clingy type, he'd make this meeting brief. He was tired of females saying they needed him. He was no knight.. and never wanted to be.. At least, not anymore. He wanted adventure, action and fun. Being the knight didnt bring that much, and he realized how boring of a life he had once lived.

"Good day to you miss." He responded, though a grin played on his features.

"Miss? I hope I don't look that old, call me 21." She grinned and circled him trying to size him up, what kind of fun would he be? Did he pay fast and loose, or would he shirk from the slightest challenge? She needed someone as stupidly daring as her, someone who she could play fair odds with, not a pro, but not some rube either. Her eyes moved curiously to the pelt around his waist and she darted in close grabbing it with her teeth.

With a quick yank she managed to slip the knot and dance away from him with the pelt. Chuckling she thew it over her back and nimbly kept away from him. "Nice, very nice...I'll let you win it back if you want?" She smirked this time setting up the game, eager to see how he would react.

~ He hadnt expected the sudden grabbing of his pelt, and he widened his eyes and almost dropped his jaw. Was this female insane? How did she know he wasnt the type to rip throats out over the pelt! A gift from his mother, the pelt was special to him, but he had known what it was like to lose special things, and so he took it as another one of those times.. Though he wanted it back, and she had offered a way.

"Win it back, eh? What do you have in mind?" He asked, flicking his tail, watching it dangling from her back. He realized trying to get it back on his own was futile. The female was littler, and definitely more spry than he himself was.

She grinned as she danced confident little circles around him, he was clever, at least. He knew he was larger, stronger, but not faster, so he wanted to try and get her to give the pelt back another way. She had to admire him for sizing her up so quickly, but how did he knew she was honest? Well he'd find out...she sat back and smirked.

"We'll race...whoever wins the race will get the pelt back." She smirked and glanced over at a nearby hollowed tree, the scent of frightened rabbits was apparent. "First...we each catch a rabbit...CATCH, if you kill it...you'll never win the race..."

~ He thought about a race, and realized she didnt seem the most trustworthy type. Not..that that bothered him. He rather liked her intriguing personality. She was odd, but she entertained him.. at least she wasnt predictable in the least.

"How will catching the rabbit help us win a race?" He asked curiously. Not that he actually wanted to kill the rabbits. He wasnt hungry, and wasnt the type to kill for pleasure.

"The one who scares their rabbit best will have that rabbit running fastest back into the hole, if your rabbit gets back in first you win, if mine gets back in first I win...and I keep the pelt." She grinned at him and paused infront of him still realy to leap away. "Well, are you the betting kind? Odds aren't bad..."

She playfully flicked his nose with her tail and sauntered towards the rabbit den, she could probably manage to scoop one out. She wondered if he would be able to manage the same, he was larger, his paws were bigger. She was petite compared to him, it was amazing she had survived every gamble she had made.

~ He smiled. His family had been.. known for being stealthy, and part of the shadows. He was good at sneaking up on things, it was something he had been raised with. Momma had been an expert hunter, though he knew this wasnt part of the game.

"Ah, that makes sense. Why not? Lets do it." He smiled, eyes daring.

"Of course Ill bet. Whats a little risk amongst friends." He asked, nipping at her tail as it brushed his nose, though only grabbing the tip and rather gently anyway

She smirked and trotted

Let's do it, ahh she liked him already and didn't mind betting against him. This time the odds were actually even instead of being stacked against her. She chuckled as she felt his teeth graze her tail, he was quick too. With a smirk she sauntered over to the rabbit warren and poked her nose in inhaling. She could smell the terror the little balls of fur were exuding and then she moved and slid in a paw thumping until she fell on one and dragged it out. The little mass of brown and white was shaking like a leaf as she grabbed it in her jaws, enough pressure to hold it, but not puncture it. It might just die of fright if she wasn't careful.

~ He grinned, approaching her with a nod. He knew he could do this, and at least it was all in good fun. He enjoyed a good time, and this female was just showing him quite an interesting game. He couldnt say he had ever played such a thing before.

One she poked her nose into the warren, and dug a rabbit out, he decided to take his place at the site. Digging the hole up a bit he saw the black rabbit move quickly. Lowering his muzzle, he grabbed the rabbit quickly, and pulled it out in a fluid motion. Had he been any slower, he might have applied more pressure, and that wouldnt have been a good thing. It was shaking in terror, thinking its days were done. But Vegas could only hold it between his teeth looking at 21.
At least hte rabbits were of two different looks.. That way they wouldnt confuse the rabbits of each others. It was obvious whose was whose.
He grinned, and nodded to her, letting her know he was ready.

She smirked around the mawful of rabbit at how quick he was, she gave a low rumbling growl as her rabbit thrashed in a feeble effort to escape. Quickly she trotted over to fallen log the 'starting line' of sorts, she set the rabbit down slowly and then put a paw over the quivering creature to keep it pinned in place. "Rules are, no touching it, gotta scare it just by chase and sound. First rabbit back in the warren wins, you loose if your rabbit bolts off somewhere else."

She waited to make sure he understood. "Ready?" She grinned and licked her lips eagerly anticipating the outcomes. Her heart sped a little as she planned her tactic and gave the terrified bunny a warning growl.

~ He nodded, and placed the rabbit on the earth, doing the same to pin her against the earth. The rabbit desperately tried to remove herself from under his paw, and he almost felt bad for having to terrorize the little creature. Though the feeling bad quickly dissipated as he realized its not like he was going to be eating it in the end.

"I think that sounds fun. Bet you I get it there first." He replied, winking at her before, snapping his teeth at the rabbits tail. Best to get it ready to go. He almost felt like he would be herding the creature.. Which is something he knew wouldn't be too difficult.

"On your mark..Get set.." He was going to let her finish, and his muscles were tense as he prepared to bolt. He had to make sure not to bite the creature, though his desire quickly made him regret not being able to bite.

"Go!" She snapped and released the rabbit, she chased it mentally cursing as it made a frantic zig-zag trying to get away from her and back to relative safety. Her jaws snapped dangerously close to the fluffy tail and she growled trying to scare it into running faster. She wanted to dare a glance at Vegas to see how he was faring, but she might loose her own rabbit if she did.

~ He raised his paw off the rabbit, and realized that it was starting to veer off his course instantly. Stupid thing..wouldn't you run back to your den if in such danger? He leapt to the left, trying to keep it from going any further in that direction, and snapped inches in front of its side. He growled, letting it know he was angry, and watched as its eyes widened and it took a turn to the right. Least it was heading in the right direction now. He was much too busy to look down and see if maybe 21 had gotten her rabbit to safety yet.. He didn't really care so long as he could do it first. He ran fast after the rabbit, and though he was sly, his bigger size made it hard not to barrel over the rabbit and crush it with his size.

She threw her legs forward, but it was too late, she hadn't realized that Vegas had cut in front of her. She barreled right into his backside, her terrified rabbit darted under and past. She lifted her head and growled as she saw the black rabbit manage to rush into the warren first, her frightened brown and white scrambled in after. Darn! She untangled herself to stand and sighed dropping the pelt.

~ He hadnt realized the black rabbit made it into the den before the other, until he looked after, and saw the brown rabbit rush in after. His eyes widened, and he felt a sense of extreme pride. He had done it! He had won a bet. A fair one at that. He was sure that she might have tricked him into a losing battle, but he had still been able to do it. Picking up his pelt and throwing back over his back he looked at her with a lopsided grin.

"Good game, 21. Though I bet that you cant keep up with me in the future either." He winked, just teasing.

She shook her head and slowly smiled, he was a good sport, not a braggy winner. She knew she might have been if she had won, but she wasn't a sore loser...except when loosing involved her getting thrown down a ravine or pushed over a waterfall. "Your pretty fast, but I have a feeling I'll manage to keep on your tail..."

She chuckled and lifted a paw to lightly shove him, "Beginners luck you know, next time I'll get you." She smirked and stood shaking off and looking around. "You live around here? One of these your packs?"

~ He scoffed, shaking his head. He had resided in Agua Azul for awhile, but he hadn't really ever called it home. He had lived on the outsides, just watching his Uncle Wazaam to make sure he stayed safe. He hated Twist, and he wanted to make sure the big orange goof would be safe from her. Though he had heard that Wazaam had been doing a good job of keeping things in order with Twists disappearance. Maybe she'd stay gone.

"Naw not really. Though theres a war going to happen soon that I think I want to be apart of it. Course.. its the biggest gamble one could take."
He winked, and smiled at her.

"What bout you?"

"I'm a free spirit, I go wherever the game takes me." She smirked and tossed her head defiantly. "Whats your name anyway? You make it a habit to play such high stakes? Can't win them all, besides in a war only mercenaries ever really come out winning."
She flopped herself down and sprawled with the relaxed ease of someone who had nowhere to go, no one to meet.

~ He shrugged. Since Moxii, he had decided that life was one big risk anyway. He'd prefer to be the one playing the odds however, instead of the one being played. He lowered to the ground, laying on his belly and rolling over to his side in relaxation. He carried the same demeanor, as he had no where to be, and hadn't in a long, long time.

"War is one of those things that have the biggest stakes. You aren't a true gambler if you don't gamble with your life now and then. I mean.. Its the biggest gamble you could take, ya know."
He responded with a grin.

"Names Vegas."

"Vegas...I like it. You got any family? Probably not huh? Family men don't take such big risks...unless it's for the ones they love. I think that's the biggest gamble, loosing your life isn't so hard, after all once your gone you won't even feel the loss. Love, love is the biggest gamble, highest stakes, most dangerous, and very very hard to play to win." She chuckled and shook her head. "Not for me, I'd prefer to risk my neck then my heart, but I guess that's cause my folks died such a long time ago I can barely remember them. We had a pack, but the only ones left were so young we all split apart and went our own way."

~ She didn't realize how she had pinned the nail on the head when it came to his past. He flicked an ear back, and gave a nod.
"Yes, I can honestly say that love is something I don't know if I can do again. Maybe a mutual partnership where you're more of a team and lovers, than actual mates.. But I am just not in the mood to risk my heart again."
He responded, obviously hinting at the fact that he had loved and lost.
He nodded at the family bit though, and realized that he hadn't seen any of his family in so long, that he had begun to forget what they sounded like..

"Yeah I got family. A mother, father, and some siblings. All do their own thing so its not like we're close anymore.. I was never really close anyway. I preferred my shadows and solitude. Of course as I grew, and lost, I realized that gambling is just a way of life. You do it without realizing it."

"Ohh played the house huh? Always gonna loose that way..." She murmured thinking of blackjack, she had been stupid so stupid. She should have learned her lesson the first time she got hurt, blackjack liked their games, but he didn't want to play at love. She had followed him endlessly hoping he would play her heart, but he never did. Maybe it was time to give up, she thought of the weeks of suffering, broken bones mending.

"She probably wasn't worth it anyway, sometimes the stakes don't match the prize." She tried to reassure him, and herself.
She was surprised to hear he had family, parents, siblings, that must have been nice. Or maybe not so nice if he was so easily willing to leave them behind and continue with his life. "Oh..." Was all she could manage.

~ He shrugged it off again with a roll of his shoulders and looked back at her. He was aware that she had not been worth the cost he had paid to lose her. It hurt him to realize it, but once he did it had hurt a little less.

"You sound like you know this feeling as well." He responded, voice curious. He wouldn't pry though, he was aware how painful it could be to talk about those kinds of things.

"I'll be your friend though. We can be our own little team." He responded with a nod of his head and a grin. He hoped it made her feel better as he could almost feel her sadness in himself. Maybe it was more him, than feeling her.. But he still couldn't be sure.

He had family, but he really didn't think they'd ever be aware if something did happen and he passed away. But he loved em, and he always would until his death.

"Not really..." She shrugged, after all Blackjack had never even said he liked her, they enjoyed competing, but he never saw past that it seemed. She looked up at him startled by his offer of friendship then slowly smiled and nodded.
"Yeah we'd make a good team...21 and Vegas, taking Telk by storm!" She chuckled and eyed him "Maybe I'll help you with your little war huh? Keep us both alive, winners."

~ "I think I'd like that." He smiled, giving a wag of his tail and nodding. He had a friend, which wasn't likely in times like these. He hadn't been looking for one of course, though maybe that was the best kind to have.

"Both winners. Sounds like a bet."