|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:27 pm
Now that she'd determined what was going on, the next part was easy.
There were a few questions on her mind, like: When had Avery first fallen for her and why did she wait so long to move? The second was, why go through all the intricate motions of trying to convince her that they were old lovers? It was a very interesting trick to say the least. In fact, it was flat out brilliant. If you watched someone long enough, you could figure out all the little things that set them off, and then pretend you know them in and out.
It was why it had disturbed her. All the things Avery had done were little things that would make her slowly fall for a person, but they were obviously not natural to the girl and so had struck a nerve. When you were with a lot of people, you got sensitive to minute details.
It was nice that Avery was easy to find. It was probably part of her plan as well. And never in her life did Uuni think she was going to walk to the tables with full intention to actually gamble.
That was exactly what she did as she located Avery, settled down in a chair and gave her the cheeriest, "So, how does this work?" she could muster.
The plan? Make her think that she'd fallen for her, too, and then crush every hope and dream she ever had later. She would never dream of doing such a cruel thing to people she respected (especially not Kess, and not Roka or R'than either), but Avery she hated, and so Avery would learn the nastiest lesson of all time: Uuni did not do love.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:48 pm
The curly-haired young woman had been shuffling one of her custom-decks of cards [a possession that showed how well off she actually was, at a 1 1/2 marks per deck] when she caught sight of Uuni's smiling face. Raising an eyebrow she dealt the girl in, as if she was any other player [of which there were three others], Avery began to speak, her throaty voice reaching each of the players ears.
"One sixteenth a mark is our big blind, one thirty-second is our small." A nod as marks were placed down on the counter, "Bet as you see fit. On your hand, raise or check," Hazel eyes found Uuni and she clarified "up the current bet or match it, and fold if you've got the guts of a wherry."
As soon as the cards were dealt out, one perfectly maintained fingernail tapped a sheet of rules on the table, subtly, for Uuni to peruse. Other players already had their 'chips', small stones Avery had been in possession of for years, and she gestured to the other brunette. "Buy in is a half-mark, so I can give you your stones."
Matter-of-fact, in charge, but warm. This was Avery's world.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 6:59 pm
This was all for show, clearly.
Uuni didn't mind as all sorts of weird terms went spinning by her ears. Instead, she took a look over the rules as Avery so helpfully pointed out. Really, why would anyone make a sport of this. It was mostly luck based, in her opinion. And yeah, she didn't have luck.
So, she scrounged out half a mark and paid her way in with full knowledge that she'd be getting next to none of it back. She didn't even seem to mind if people knew she had no idea what she was doing. They'd find out quickly anyway. There was one rule she liked: folding. Easy way out if she didn't have a hand she truly appreciated.
She made sure to catch Avery's eyes and pass her a dangerous smile before they started. She could always pretend she knew what she was doing, and maybe it would unnerve the girl a little. Just for fun.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:28 pm
[1/32 mark = grey stone, 1/16 mark =brown stone. 1/8 mark = white stone]
Avery appeared unphased and calmly began to deal the cards. Uuni, being directly across from the dealer, started out as the small blind. The big blind was posted, then it was her turn, and Avery let out her dazzling, gamester smile. "Small blind from you, beautiful? Thank you."
Whether or not she was helping Uuni by reminding her what to do, well, that was unclear. "Time for the preflop bets, kids."
The male to Uuni's right, a 23-year-old bluerider, raised the bet to an eighth mark, the final male folding his hand immediately, rather than betting. The first Candidate, which had been the big blind nodded, putting in another brown stone. "I'll call," was his only comment.
That brought it back to Uuni again. She could fold, call, or raise. Avery smiled.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:32 pm
Uuni smiled all the same.
In fact, she looked pretty pleased with herself as she folded her hand. It went on like this for a few hands.
Fold after fold. Was she even playing the game? Not exactly. And then somewhere, presumably in the middle, she stopped folding.
One could assume that it was because she'd finally figured out the rules, but no, she'd gone so far as to put in two white stones over the issue. Anyone who would know Uuni well, and probably by now, would believe she wouldn't step into a situation without knowing full well it was in her favor.
It was why she'd folded so much beforehand, right?
Oh, something like that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:44 pm
The boys looked startled at this sudden change of behavior, doing their best to cover it with furtive glances in Uuni's direction. Avery, though, said nothing, calmly waiting for the final preflop bets.
Both Candidates folded within the first two rounds, leaving the steely-eyed rider and Uuni with cards in their hands. Now the rider's brown eyes were openly locked on the brunette, as if trying to see into her mind. This went on for a full two minutes before he let out an exasperated noise and dropped his cards onto the table. Folding.
Now Avery smile, voice cool, soft as she gathered the cards [Uuni's facedown, to not ruin the girl's game], and gave the girl her pot.
"One half a mark and one thirty-second to the lovely Miss Uuni."
That, even minus the small amount one had to pay to Avery for running the game, left Uuni ahead when she counted the stones already in her possession. A total of 3/4ths a mark. Not too shabby.
And it looked as if the bet-taker was wrapping it up. Grinning and turning down requests for another round or two, she returned marks for stones, thanking the boys for playing as they dispersed.
She still didn't say a word directly to the girl, calmly counting and replacing her stones in a small bag.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:49 pm
Uuni gave it a while and waited for the boys to take off. She passed them all smiles and a few winks. Heck, she could get used to this, but she knew that trick would only work once and she wouldn't be back to play cards ever again after this if she could help it.
"You were right, I'm not so bad at this," she finally said after the silence had stretched a ways in between.
Running her fingers through her own hair, she took in a deep breath and let her eyes venture along the curves Avery's chest. "I wanted to apologize for I acted earlier today. It was wrong of me to accuse you of anything so ridiculous."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 7:57 pm
".... Mmn." A smile touched Avery's full mouth and she glanced up from the deck she was arranging to meet Uuni's gaze. "An apology?"
Those slim, long fingers shuffled and organized the cards with surprising skill as she seemed to pay them no mind.
"Now I really think you're starting to like me." Interupting the start of an interesting conversation was a handsome bronze firelizard arriving from Between, chirruping at Avery as he stomped about the table.
The young woman reached out to remove a note from his leg, reading it and scratching out a response very quickly before tying it back onto the flit and feeding him a morsel from a pouch at her side.
"There now, Dskarv. No, no more you wee, cheeky beastie." A shooing motion and the bronze squawked at her near-affectionately before disappearing.
A shrug for Uuni as she disregarded the event. "My father's." If possible, she seemed in an even better mood, clearing the table and raising her brows at the other brunette.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:02 pm
Uuni tilted her head slightly but did not look away. "Don't let it get to your head," she began to say before the explosion of color arrived on scene.
Uuni wasn't sure she liked firelizards. Okay, she never really had, but she was a good enough actor to let her smile broaden as she saw the beast.
She nodded as Avery explained. Had a good relationship with her father, did she? Uuni hated hers. In comparison, the rest of her family was tolerable, but not him.
"I owe you a walk, right? You know, one without awful accusations?" Rising from the table, she helped Avery clear the rest of it. She'd watched enough of this to organize and give things to Avery so she could further organize them in the appropriate fashion.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:12 pm
Avery's response was a while coming, and when it was, she spoke quietly, her tone as amused as ever, but her interesting eyes held a bit of wariness. Uuni was not someone she trusted, far from it, and the girl had already proven herself to be a bit... Loose in the moral and mental department.
Nonetheless, she nodded, picking up her things which were light and fit into two small, cloth bags. "... I suppose you do."
Heading toward the candidates' quarters, she clearly intended on putting her stuff away.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:18 pm
For a second, Uuni almost thought she was going to get rejected. Everything about it screamed so. She was used to that, but. . . it would certainly leave her a bit confused as to Avery's actual motives.
At last the okay reached her ears and she breathed a heavy sigh of relief. An inward one, of course. Outwardly, Uuni remained completely relaxed.
She followed Avery to wherever she was headed and her eyes wandered the halls on the way. She'd be able to remember where they were going with ease. She did better with directions than she ever had with names.
For now, she remained quiet. No need to push the girl.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:24 pm
Unlike a surprising number of Candidates' rooms, Avery's wasn't crowded in the slightest. Perhaps this was because of her status, or her money, or her domineering behavior, but nonetheless, she only had one roommate and the girl spent most of her time either out of the quarters or out of Avery's way.
The curly-haired brunette unlocked a chest, putting her bags inside before relocking it and sitting on it, back against the wall as she let her eyes linger on Uuni.
The nights on Ista were far warmer than back home, and she rarely had to change her clothing after sundown, still, she had to wonder what the other girl had in mind. "Where are we going? It's near... curfew."
The game had, indeed, run a little late.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:31 pm
Uuni let a smile slip over her features once more. "Come on, you've been out past curfew before, haven't you?" Or maybe it was just Uuni that broke the rules. Hah.
"If it bothers you, we don't have to go. I owe you a walk, but you can cash it in whenever you want."
Uuni settled onto the chest next to Avery instead. For a little while, she closed her eyes and merely thought about it. "Why'd you bring all that stuff up about traumatic experiences and lovers the other day?" she asked quietly, her eyes on Avery's neck now and from there to curls.
"Do you mind?" she asked as she raised a hand near the curly locks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 8:36 pm
"Yes, I've been. And I don't mind going out again."
It was startlingly nice of Uuni to ask. Having such wild curls resulted in Avery having them fondled repeatedly by those that had no right to do so. So, naturally, like most curly-haired people, she had ended up a bit touchy about it. Uuni, though, seemed to know that, and it was something that Avery clearly liked, by the smile that brightened her face.
"Of course." Her way she said it, casually, was almost as if Uuni had always been touching her hair. As for her first question. A sigh, and she briefly closed her eyes, before letting her gaze go to the entry-way, rather than the brunette at her side.
"Because it's true and I have an interest in it."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 27, 2009 9:15 pm
Well, that was settled then. And walks in the night, despite the moon, were always some of her favourites. If it happened to rain, Uuni would be in heaven.
At the invitation, however, she passed a similar, brightened smile before letting her fingers tail back along the girl's neck and from there to move the dark, winding strands out of the way of the girl's face. Something in the way they felt, or maybe it was how Avery had said it was okay, made her feel nauseous inside.
There it was again. That same feeling that punched her into the gut and made her want to stop whatever it was she was doing. Instead, she ignored it although her touch lightened to that insecure motion again.
She barely caught the words that Avery began to speak. She placated to the more sadistic side of herself by saying, "You're going to make me think you actually like me with talk like that." It was a low whisper spoken close to the girl's neck before Uuni stood and extended her hand.
"Is that what you were going to ask about on the walk?" The tone was curious and not accusing.
But, then, she didn't know if she could keep this up. It was too easy, for one, and she was starting to feel guilty for it. It was a lot like lying through her teeth, and she wasn't that fond of lying. She would mislead to a point, and generally only to those she didn't find to be worth her time and those she hated.
Seeing Avery quiet, almost insecure was very unnerving. It reminded her of someone, and almost at once she wanted to stop this game.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
