He had known G'raha was a wet blanket, but he hadn't expected him to have a backbone. To say no. Astarion is about to get up and stomp off to try his luck convincing Gale, instead—with a lot more lies, now that he's learned from this obvious mistake—when G'raha suggests winning the coin back fair and square.
A laugh escapes him, high-pitched and mocking. ]
You? Oh, that's adorable. Have you ever even played Talis before?
[ That mocking laugh doesn’t seem to bother G’raha, simply rolling off of his shoulders as he continues to take his inventory. ]
I have not, but I simply need to learn the rules. Learning how to play should be relatively easy once I’ve accomplished that. Victory isn’t assured, but I like to believe I’m at least somewhat talented when it comes to playing games.
[ He tilts his head. ]
Should I be unsuccessful, I will go seek out ruins.
[ Astarion links his fingers in his lap, thoughtful. ]
Hmm.
[ Honestly, he doesn't believe that G'raha can learn to play well enough to beat some seasoned adventurers, not this quickly. Sure, he's intelligent, but he hasn't even seen a Talis deck before. At least, if his wacky story of being from another plane is to be believed. ]
...Should you be unsuccessful, you'll turn me invisible and I'll steal our coin [ and more, but he decides not to mention that now ] back.
[ He raises his eyebrows, expectant. ]
If you're so confident of your success, it shouldn't be a problem.
[ Yeah, he noticed that sidestep. But Astarion does like being the One Who Knows Things talking down to the One Who Doesn't Know Things, so he readily takes the spot of Talis teacher. Unfortunately, he doesn't have a deck handy, but G'raha's smart! He'll remember without the visual aid, surely. ]
There are four regular suits: flames, stones, waves, and winds. And then there's the trump suit. That's the major arcana.
[ Is G'raha keeping up? ]
There are quite a few games you can play with a Talis deck, but... mm. Perhaps poker might be your best bet.
[ An exasperated sigh. He'd thought G'raha only avoided deception due to some misguided ethical complaint, not because he was incapable of doing it well. Well, that's going to make any card game Astarion is good at far more challenging. ]
What is it, the ears? Maybe we could cover them up with a jaunty hat.
[ And at the mere mention of his tail, it flicks behind him a couple of times. ]
A hat would certainly help, though… I am not skilled at concealing my expression either. I have lied successfully in the past, but I fear something as trivial as a card game may prove, well… troubling.
[ Not that Astarion’s money is trivial or anything, but. You know. He can’t help that he’s earnest to a fault, something he’s never been able to grow out of. Even when he had to conceal his motivations in the past, it was a trial and a half.
He tilts his head, considering Astarion. ]
I should like to see what you have in mind in terms of headwear.
[ Well, he doesn't have something in mind, as such, but— he runs through a mental list of the party's accessories, then comes up with, ] Wyll had a rather dapper little hat.
[ One that was looted from a goblin corpse, but still! ]
And it's not like he needs it anymore now that he has those pesky horns.
[ Not that he'd care if Wyll did plan on using it, because his needs are far more urgent, but it does make it a bit easier to rid him of it if he isn't currently wearing it. Sure, it's Wyll's property, and perhaps he'd planned on selling it when they reached the next town, but... too bad! ]
[ A dapper little hat, huh. G’raha wonders how well that will pair with his own garb, but surely it won’t clash too terribly much. ]
Hm, I suppose not.
[ They’re not unlike Au Ra horns, now that he thinks about it. Are most hats here unsuitable for him now? Plenty of hats back home have room for horns and Miqo’te ears both.
Much to think about. Later.
He fixes Astarion with a look, an amused sort of sharpness in his eyes. ]
Will you nab it from his belongings while he’s distracted or kindly ask him?
( I'M SO SORRY i have no excuse except i got in a funk and scared to scroll down in my inbox... i'm still v enthusiastic about this thread but totally understand if you want to drop ❤️ )
Kindly?
[ Astarion actually laughs at that, a little shrill. It's his signature you just said something dumb laugh. A little mean for the sake of it, because G'raha is already irritating him with his stupid goody-goody principles. This would all be so much easier if he would just agree to help Astarion steal his money back! ]
Oh, and I thought you weren't funny!
[ A shake of his head. ]
'Asking nicely' won't get you anywhere in life, little kitty. Obviously, we're going to steal it.
[ A pause, and he sighs, exasperated. Right, G'raha is going to be a killjoy about this, too. ]
( honestly i totally understand because that's happened to me before. happy to continue, though! 💞 )
[ That laugh causes the corners of his lips to turn down into a frown. Rude!! He has thoughts about Astarion's little philosophy, and it shows in the way his brows furrow and his eyes seem to narrow slightly, but he doesn't voice it. Not right now.
He needs to focus on the game rules that are still settling in his mind, needs to tease them apart and put them back together into different strategies he could utilize.
So, he reaches down to fasten his pack, looking up at Astarion. ]
Is that an intent to return it? [ A flick of his tail. ] Borrow his hat while I finish gathering my things, will you?
[ Yes, he's leaving Astarion to be the sole one to blame if he gets caught here. ]
[ Astarion blatantly doesn't respond with whether he plans to return the hat. Who cares!! It's just a hat. He frowns at the semi-order G'raha gives after, scoffing. ]
Well. I'm borrowing it now because I want to.
[ Not because G'raha told him to! He stands, dusting off his trousers. ]
Do hurry. I'd like to have my coin back within the next few hours.
[ Not that he feels very confident about G'raha's ability to win it back by playing fair, but they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. Once they get there and G'raha sees how futile it is, surely he'll change his mind about the whole 'stealing is bad' thing. ]
[ That scoff gets G’raha to look up, and he has to bite back his amusement. He’s beginning to learn a little bit about the way Astarion works, he thinks.
It is, after all, pretty obvious that Astarion likes to get his way. G’raha doesn’t mind it, though. It’s amusing in its own way, even if this is the sort of personality he has the least amount of experience dealing with.
An adventure on its own, perhaps. An interpersonal adventure. ]
The trek towards that camp may take an hour on its own… a mere few hours’ time may not be enough.
[ But he could always amp up his walking speed if need be. ]
Even so, your coin will be back in your hands by morning, I assure you.
[ With most of his things assembled, he starts buckling up his pack. ]
All the same, Astarion slips away to take care of his own task: that is, stealing from Wyll. It's easy enough, because Wyll is far too trusting, and therefore doesn't even bother hiding his belongings. The hat is jaunty indeed; brown leather with a wide brim and a dapper little feather. He plops it on G'raha's head, right over those kitty ears. ]
Now you'll just need to control that tail.
[ He's noticed it's rather expressive, too. Sort of cute, honestly—if you find that sort of thing cute, which obviously he does not!!!—but unhelpful in this situation. ]
[ Oh. Astarion has taken care of the hat quite quickly and it's now resting upon his head. G'raha adjusts it, taking ahold of the brim and lifting it so that it rests above his eyes. ]
I would much rather not!
[ His tail sticks up rod-straight behind him, eyes widening with shock at the very thought.
... ]
Ahem. That is, sitting on it would be a danger, were it to slip out from underneath me. I can hide it well enough underneath my clothes.
[ It won't explain the cutout in his jacket for his tail, but... his pants are loose enough that all he needs to do is loosen his belt and shove his tail back in his pants. It creates an odd shape in the seat of his pants, but it's nothing he can't hide with his clothing anyway. ]
saw jonathan bailey got voted sexiest man alive, congratulations g'raha
[ Ugh. When G'raha's sweet little tail sticks up like that, it really makes Astarion want to yank it. Stop being so yankable!! He somehow resists the urge, primarily because he's still trying to stay on G'raha's good side (sort of). ]
I had no idea how sensitive your tail was, [ Astarion muses, curious, before: ] Ah, well. Do what you have to do with it, then. I don't intend to lose because your tail gives us away.
YES.... happy for g'raha now being sexiest man alive
[ G'raha has to hold himself back from refuting that it's sensitive. It is, sure, but he doesn't like the way Astarion remarks on it simply because it's embarrassing and he feels like he's been seen. ]
I do not intend to lose, tail or not.
[ Which he'll... start working on covering up now, actually, ensuring that his jacket properly covers his lower back. With his pack and everything, it should be just fine, he's sure, and he readjusts his belt. ]
'Twould seem you are eager to win against them.
[ Amusing to him, given the way Astarion was so hellbent on stealing. Bending down to pick up his pack, tail now tucked away, he lugs it over his shoulder. ]
Shall we?
[ He asks, but he's itching to get moving and so he'll start to head out of their camp with or without confirmation. ]
[ Well, maybe he's eager to win against them. So what! So maybe it would be sort of fun, if this whole thing works out. Astarion of course doesn't expect it to, given that he's the most cynical man in the world, but he at least hopes it'll fail in a way that's beneficial for him. Maybe once G'raha loses all of his coin, he'll finally agree to let Astarion steal it all back and then some.
The walk is somewhat lengthy, backtracking the way they first came. There are a few wayward beasties along the way, but nothing too challenging; the real challenge is having to walk at all after a day of traveling, And, for G'raha, having to listen to Astarion bitch about his sore legs. In between complaints, Astarion does have the good sense to share some card strategy with G'raha. Might as well give him a shot in the hells, even if it feels exceedingly unlikely to work.
The camp of adventurers is still somewhat rowdy at this time of the evening. There's a group of three incredibly burly and grizzled men—a half-orc, a tiefling, and a human—all sharing drinks and stories around their campfire. When they see Astarion and G'raha approaching, the half-orc stands.
"Not you again," he says, obviously referring to Astarion. ]
Gentlemen! After our little... misunderstanding—
[ "You tried to cheat us," the human points out. ]
Right, that misconception of yours. Well, I told my friend here about it, and he's eager for a rematch in my honor.
[ Astarion kicks G'raha in the shin. ] Isn't that right, G'raha?
( just wanna apologize for my slowness 🙏 currently modding a 6 week game and WHEW.... )
[ G'raha is at least polite enough to entertain some of Astarion's complaints about his legs, even as he has no problem traversing back over the dirt paths and occasionally woody terrain himself. It's fun exercise for him, and doubling back means he can allow his gaze to pore over scenery he previously skipped over.
He is, however, much more interested in the card talk, asking Astarion follow up questions about the minutiae of the rules and of potential situations he might come across.
It's when they arrive to camp that he realizes the exact reason why Astarion was so hellbent on stealing it all back. It would have been the "cleanest" option, albeit the riskiest—and one that G'raha wasn't too keen on assisting with, besides. Momentarily swerving to shoot Astarion a glare when he's kicked in the shin, he turns back to the men and clears his throat.
Ahem. ]
I should like to see if I can win back his coin. I understand he may have made an attempt at trickery, but rest assured that I shall play honestly. I would like to prove to him that skill and forthrightness can win, if possible.
[ G'raha smiles and the men seem... unconvinced, at least for the moment. The human lifts a brow and the half-orc scoffs while the tiefling calls the other two towards him so that they can hold an impromptu discussion.
He takes that moment to turn towards Astarion. ]
When you next challenge someone to cards, do take care not to cheat...
( UR SO GOOD obviously i've been egregiously slow too but feel free to be as slow as you need, i'll still be here for mr. tia!!! )
I didn't cheat, [ Astarion hisses back. ] I just...
[ He stiffens, obviously unable to find a way to describe what he did that doesn't sound like, well, cheating. ]
Played by a different set of rules.
[ That's all! Watching the men as they converse, Astarion bites his fingernails. G'raha barely knows how to play cards, and if he loses even more of their coin, they'll really be fucked. Will he be amenable to helping Astarion steal back their lost money if he's now half-responsible for losing it, or will they have to return to the others with their (literal and metaphorical) tails between their legs? Gods, Lae'zel will kill them both if she finds out.
The human, seemingly the leader of the pack, turns back. "What's your game?" Astarion pokes G'raha in the ribs with a sharp elbow. ]
( WAH THANK YOU and i will also be here for astarion!! )
[ A different set of rules, huh? That's the very definition of cheating, and the look on G'raha's face says as much—eyebrows furrowed, lips pulled down into a slight frown—before his attention turns right back to the men and Astarion is elbowing him in the ribs. ]
Ow...
[ A soft utterance as he shoots a small scowl towards Astarion's way.
Ahem. G'raha straightens as he turns toward the now very unimpressed human. It takes him a moment, a couple of breaths, before he answers. He's going to take this seriously and it shows in the way his shoulders square. ]
Talis. What say you to three rounds? Best of two will win or keep the pot he lost.
[ He smiles, walking towards the table where one of the men has begun to set up, grabbing the cards from somewhere nearby and shuffling them. G'raha catches the leader's eyes for just a brief moment. There's a flash of something there that G'raha can't quite define, but he knows it well.
They'll be robbed of everything on their person if he loses this. Ah... what did he get himself into? ]
[ "Name's Donall," the human says gruffly, leaning over the table to shake G'raha's hand with a very, very firm grip. Astarion notes just how much bigger and more muscular those hands are than either of theirs and prays that G'raha is really good at magic. Or Talis. It'll have to be at least one of the two.
Donall settles down at the table, looking far too calm, like he already knows the outcome of this game. Either he's just that confident that he's going to win, or—Astarion thinks, with a healthy does of paranoia—he's cheating, too. His two horned friends, the half-orc and tiefling, stand behind him with their arms crossed. Mostly, they give Astarion dirty looks. Like he's going to do something sketchy. Ridiculous.
"Go ahead and deal," Donall says, canting his head. Astarion hovers next to G'raha, frowning. ]
Darling, [ he says, and it has no hint of affection; it's more of a condescending oh, sweetie. ] Are you certain you haven't changed your mind about playing?
[ Are you sure you don't want to just turn him invisible and help him rob these guys? ]
[ That grip is firm, enough so that the bones in his hand will surely ache when he pulls away, but G'raha doesn't react to it, smile as pleasant as ever as he returns some measure of firmness. He dislikes playing at being tough, but it's necessary right now and so he'll adapt. He's always been good at adapting, after all.
When G'raha sits, there's slight tension in his shoulders that betrays a bit of nervousness, but he looks resolutely ahead anyway. The man—or Donall, as he so politely introduced himself as—may be so confident that it's a tell that he's planning to cheat, which means G'raha will need to outmaneuver him.
When there's a will, there's a way, and G'raha is much more stubborn than most.
As he starts to deal the cards, his gaze catches on the two practically looming lover Donall, as if begging Astarion to make a move. That term of endearment is also... something. Derisive or not, G'raha isn't used to it and if he weren't so focused on the task at hand, it would quite literally trip him, but in this moment, he simply turns up to smile at him. ]
My mind is set. I intend to win.
[ And with that, his gaze settles on the cards and Donall's hands, watching their every movement in much the same way those friends of his watch Astarion. ]
[ Donall shuffles the cards and deals them out, face down. He looks so smug that Astarion is convinced he must be cheating already; that, or he took one look at G'raha and assumed he didn't know what he was doing, which— yeah, Astarion can see that. This little catboy doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.
Which is why Astarion moseys over to Donall's side of the table—
"Hey," the half-orc grunts. "Back on your side." ]
What? Ugh, you can't possibly think there's anything untoward going on.
[ He raises his hands, palms out. ]
I won't move a muscle. No hand signals, no secret codes...
[ Astarion's eyes glance over at Donall's hand. It's decent, but a good hand isn't the only way to win at Talis. If you can bluff good enough, it doesn't matter what hand you have. (...Oh, gods, G'raha's going to fuck this so badly.) As Donall places his ante, Astarion's tadpole reaches out across the table to its cousin in G'raha's head, psychically nudging up against it. Let me in, it says. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
He had known G'raha was a wet blanket, but he hadn't expected him to have a backbone. To say no. Astarion is about to get up and stomp off to try his luck convincing Gale, instead—with a lot more lies, now that he's learned from this obvious mistake—when G'raha suggests winning the coin back fair and square.
A laugh escapes him, high-pitched and mocking. ]
You? Oh, that's adorable. Have you ever even played Talis before?
no subject
I have not, but I simply need to learn the rules. Learning how to play should be relatively easy once I’ve accomplished that. Victory isn’t assured, but I like to believe I’m at least somewhat talented when it comes to playing games.
[ He tilts his head. ]
Should I be unsuccessful, I will go seek out ruins.
no subject
Hmm.
[ Honestly, he doesn't believe that G'raha can learn to play well enough to beat some seasoned adventurers, not this quickly. Sure, he's intelligent, but he hasn't even seen a Talis deck before. At least, if his wacky story of being from another plane is to be believed. ]
...Should you be unsuccessful, you'll turn me invisible and I'll steal our coin [ and more, but he decides not to mention that now ] back.
[ He raises his eyebrows, expectant. ]
If you're so confident of your success, it shouldn't be a problem.
no subject
Well. He’d be a fool to back down now and to downplay his confidence. There’s a beat of silence. ]
Would you care to teach me the rules?
[ Yes, he’s avoiding giving a direct answer right now. He isn’t saying no… but he isn’t agreeing either. ]
no subject
There are four regular suits: flames, stones, waves, and winds. And then there's the trump suit. That's the major arcana.
[ Is G'raha keeping up? ]
There are quite a few games you can play with a Talis deck, but... mm. Perhaps poker might be your best bet.
no subject
Any reason you suggest poker specifically? I must confess I am quite easy to read, so any game involving obfuscation is difficult…
[ Remembering the rules? Not a problem. Pretending he doesn’t have a bad hand?
A huge issue. ]
no subject
You can't lie?
[ An exasperated sigh. He'd thought G'raha only avoided deception due to some misguided ethical complaint, not because he was incapable of doing it well. Well, that's going to make any card game Astarion is good at far more challenging. ]
What is it, the ears? Maybe we could cover them up with a jaunty hat.
no subject
[ And at the mere mention of his tail, it flicks behind him a couple of times. ]
A hat would certainly help, though… I am not skilled at concealing my expression either. I have lied successfully in the past, but I fear something as trivial as a card game may prove, well… troubling.
[ Not that Astarion’s money is trivial or anything, but. You know. He can’t help that he’s earnest to a fault, something he’s never been able to grow out of. Even when he had to conceal his motivations in the past, it was a trial and a half.
He tilts his head, considering Astarion. ]
I should like to see what you have in mind in terms of headwear.
no subject
[ One that was looted from a goblin corpse, but still! ]
And it's not like he needs it anymore now that he has those pesky horns.
[ Not that he'd care if Wyll did plan on using it, because his needs are far more urgent, but it does make it a bit easier to rid him of it if he isn't currently wearing it. Sure, it's Wyll's property, and perhaps he'd planned on selling it when they reached the next town, but... too bad! ]
Shall we liberate him of it?
no subject
Hm, I suppose not.
[ They’re not unlike Au Ra horns, now that he thinks about it. Are most hats here unsuitable for him now? Plenty of hats back home have room for horns and Miqo’te ears both.
Much to think about. Later.
He fixes Astarion with a look, an amused sort of sharpness in his eyes. ]
Will you nab it from his belongings while he’s distracted or kindly ask him?
no subject
Kindly?
[ Astarion actually laughs at that, a little shrill. It's his signature you just said something dumb laugh. A little mean for the sake of it, because G'raha is already irritating him with his stupid goody-goody principles. This would all be so much easier if he would just agree to help Astarion steal his money back! ]
Oh, and I thought you weren't funny!
[ A shake of his head. ]
'Asking nicely' won't get you anywhere in life, little kitty. Obviously, we're going to steal it.
[ A pause, and he sighs, exasperated. Right, G'raha is going to be a killjoy about this, too. ]
Ugh, I mean 'borrow without permission'.
no subject
[ That laugh causes the corners of his lips to turn down into a frown. Rude!! He has thoughts about Astarion's little philosophy, and it shows in the way his brows furrow and his eyes seem to narrow slightly, but he doesn't voice it. Not right now.
He needs to focus on the game rules that are still settling in his mind, needs to tease them apart and put them back together into different strategies he could utilize.
So, he reaches down to fasten his pack, looking up at Astarion. ]
Is that an intent to return it? [ A flick of his tail. ] Borrow his hat while I finish gathering my things, will you?
[ Yes, he's leaving Astarion to be the sole one to blame if he gets caught here. ]
no subject
Well. I'm borrowing it now because I want to.
[ Not because G'raha told him to! He stands, dusting off his trousers. ]
Do hurry. I'd like to have my coin back within the next few hours.
[ Not that he feels very confident about G'raha's ability to win it back by playing fair, but they'll cross that bridge when they get to it. Once they get there and G'raha sees how futile it is, surely he'll change his mind about the whole 'stealing is bad' thing. ]
no subject
It is, after all, pretty obvious that Astarion likes to get his way. G’raha doesn’t mind it, though. It’s amusing in its own way, even if this is the sort of personality he has the least amount of experience dealing with.
An adventure on its own, perhaps. An interpersonal adventure. ]
The trek towards that camp may take an hour on its own… a mere few hours’ time may not be enough.
[ But he could always amp up his walking speed if need be. ]
Even so, your coin will be back in your hands by morning, I assure you.
[ With most of his things assembled, he starts buckling up his pack. ]
no subject
All the same, Astarion slips away to take care of his own task: that is, stealing from Wyll. It's easy enough, because Wyll is far too trusting, and therefore doesn't even bother hiding his belongings. The hat is jaunty indeed; brown leather with a wide brim and a dapper little feather. He plops it on G'raha's head, right over those kitty ears. ]
Now you'll just need to control that tail.
[ He's noticed it's rather expressive, too. Sort of cute, honestly—if you find that sort of thing cute, which obviously he does not!!!—but unhelpful in this situation. ]
Maybe you can just... sit on it.
no subject
I would much rather not!
[ His tail sticks up rod-straight behind him, eyes widening with shock at the very thought.
... ]
Ahem. That is, sitting on it would be a danger, were it to slip out from underneath me. I can hide it well enough underneath my clothes.
[ It won't explain the cutout in his jacket for his tail, but... his pants are loose enough that all he needs to do is loosen his belt and shove his tail back in his pants. It creates an odd shape in the seat of his pants, but it's nothing he can't hide with his clothing anyway. ]
saw jonathan bailey got voted sexiest man alive, congratulations g'raha
I had no idea how sensitive your tail was, [ Astarion muses, curious, before: ] Ah, well. Do what you have to do with it, then. I don't intend to lose because your tail gives us away.
YES.... happy for g'raha now being sexiest man alive
I do not intend to lose, tail or not.
[ Which he'll... start working on covering up now, actually, ensuring that his jacket properly covers his lower back. With his pack and everything, it should be just fine, he's sure, and he readjusts his belt. ]
'Twould seem you are eager to win against them.
[ Amusing to him, given the way Astarion was so hellbent on stealing. Bending down to pick up his pack, tail now tucked away, he lugs it over his shoulder. ]
Shall we?
[ He asks, but he's itching to get moving and so he'll start to head out of their camp with or without confirmation. ]
no subject
The walk is somewhat lengthy, backtracking the way they first came. There are a few wayward beasties along the way, but nothing too challenging; the real challenge is having to walk at all after a day of traveling, And, for G'raha, having to listen to Astarion bitch about his sore legs. In between complaints, Astarion does have the good sense to share some card strategy with G'raha. Might as well give him a shot in the hells, even if it feels exceedingly unlikely to work.
The camp of adventurers is still somewhat rowdy at this time of the evening. There's a group of three incredibly burly and grizzled men—a half-orc, a tiefling, and a human—all sharing drinks and stories around their campfire. When they see Astarion and G'raha approaching, the half-orc stands.
"Not you again," he says, obviously referring to Astarion. ]
Gentlemen! After our little... misunderstanding—
[ "You tried to cheat us," the human points out. ]
Right, that misconception of yours. Well, I told my friend here about it, and he's eager for a rematch in my honor.
[ Astarion kicks G'raha in the shin. ] Isn't that right, G'raha?
no subject
[ G'raha is at least polite enough to entertain some of Astarion's complaints about his legs, even as he has no problem traversing back over the dirt paths and occasionally woody terrain himself. It's fun exercise for him, and doubling back means he can allow his gaze to pore over scenery he previously skipped over.
He is, however, much more interested in the card talk, asking Astarion follow up questions about the minutiae of the rules and of potential situations he might come across.
It's when they arrive to camp that he realizes the exact reason why Astarion was so hellbent on stealing it all back. It would have been the "cleanest" option, albeit the riskiest—and one that G'raha wasn't too keen on assisting with, besides. Momentarily swerving to shoot Astarion a glare when he's kicked in the shin, he turns back to the men and clears his throat.
Ahem. ]
I should like to see if I can win back his coin. I understand he may have made an attempt at trickery, but rest assured that I shall play honestly. I would like to prove to him that skill and forthrightness can win, if possible.
[ G'raha smiles and the men seem... unconvinced, at least for the moment. The human lifts a brow and the half-orc scoffs while the tiefling calls the other two towards him so that they can hold an impromptu discussion.
He takes that moment to turn towards Astarion. ]
When you next challenge someone to cards, do take care not to cheat...
no subject
I didn't cheat, [ Astarion hisses back. ] I just...
[ He stiffens, obviously unable to find a way to describe what he did that doesn't sound like, well, cheating. ]
Played by a different set of rules.
[ That's all! Watching the men as they converse, Astarion bites his fingernails. G'raha barely knows how to play cards, and if he loses even more of their coin, they'll really be fucked. Will he be amenable to helping Astarion steal back their lost money if he's now half-responsible for losing it, or will they have to return to the others with their (literal and metaphorical) tails between their legs? Gods, Lae'zel will kill them both if she finds out.
The human, seemingly the leader of the pack, turns back. "What's your game?" Astarion pokes G'raha in the ribs with a sharp elbow. ]
no subject
[ A different set of rules, huh? That's the very definition of cheating, and the look on G'raha's face says as much—eyebrows furrowed, lips pulled down into a slight frown—before his attention turns right back to the men and Astarion is elbowing him in the ribs. ]
Ow...
[ A soft utterance as he shoots a small scowl towards Astarion's way.
Ahem. G'raha straightens as he turns toward the now very unimpressed human. It takes him a moment, a couple of breaths, before he answers. He's going to take this seriously and it shows in the way his shoulders square. ]
Talis. What say you to three rounds? Best of two will win or keep the pot he lost.
[ He smiles, walking towards the table where one of the men has begun to set up, grabbing the cards from somewhere nearby and shuffling them. G'raha catches the leader's eyes for just a brief moment. There's a flash of something there that G'raha can't quite define, but he knows it well.
They'll be robbed of everything on their person if he loses this. Ah... what did he get himself into? ]
Shall we?
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Donall settles down at the table, looking far too calm, like he already knows the outcome of this game. Either he's just that confident that he's going to win, or—Astarion thinks, with a healthy does of paranoia—he's cheating, too. His two horned friends, the half-orc and tiefling, stand behind him with their arms crossed. Mostly, they give Astarion dirty looks. Like he's going to do something sketchy. Ridiculous.
"Go ahead and deal," Donall says, canting his head. Astarion hovers next to G'raha, frowning. ]
Darling, [ he says, and it has no hint of affection; it's more of a condescending oh, sweetie. ] Are you certain you haven't changed your mind about playing?
[ Are you sure you don't want to just turn him invisible and help him rob these guys? ]
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[ That grip is firm, enough so that the bones in his hand will surely ache when he pulls away, but G'raha doesn't react to it, smile as pleasant as ever as he returns some measure of firmness. He dislikes playing at being tough, but it's necessary right now and so he'll adapt. He's always been good at adapting, after all.
When G'raha sits, there's slight tension in his shoulders that betrays a bit of nervousness, but he looks resolutely ahead anyway. The man—or Donall, as he so politely introduced himself as—may be so confident that it's a tell that he's planning to cheat, which means G'raha will need to outmaneuver him.
When there's a will, there's a way, and G'raha is much more stubborn than most.
As he starts to deal the cards, his gaze catches on the two practically looming lover Donall, as if begging Astarion to make a move. That term of endearment is also... something. Derisive or not, G'raha isn't used to it and if he weren't so focused on the task at hand, it would quite literally trip him, but in this moment, he simply turns up to smile at him. ]
My mind is set. I intend to win.
[ And with that, his gaze settles on the cards and Donall's hands, watching their every movement in much the same way those friends of his watch Astarion. ]
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Which is why Astarion moseys over to Donall's side of the table—
"Hey," the half-orc grunts. "Back on your side." ]
What? Ugh, you can't possibly think there's anything untoward going on.
[ He raises his hands, palms out. ]
I won't move a muscle. No hand signals, no secret codes...
[ Astarion's eyes glance over at Donall's hand. It's decent, but a good hand isn't the only way to win at Talis. If you can bluff good enough, it doesn't matter what hand you have. (...Oh, gods, G'raha's going to fuck this so badly.) As Donall places his ante, Astarion's tadpole reaches out across the table to its cousin in G'raha's head, psychically nudging up against it. Let me in, it says. ]