Give and Take

[Sayl Bane]

With a crooked smile Sayl raised her left hand that now held his blaster, plucked from its holster in the time that he'd been talking. Now she was showing off, no questions asked, but she'd be lying if she said it wasn't fun to mess with people like this, especially if they didn't seem to mind the fact in the first place. It seemed that she'd finally found one who appreciated her skill, which was beginning to become a rarity. "Here's one lesson for free: try not to get too distracted." Once again her eyes flashed that red, an obvious signal to her hybrid blood.

Her eyebrow raised at the mention of a business deal. That was one agreement she would consider pursuing. "Well, if that 'business deal', as you put it, is going to work at all, you're going to have to stop teasing me like that." She leaned her head in, pausing when their faces were only an inch apart at most, slipping his blaster back into its holster. "I think you might want this back." It was her own retort to the last gesture he'd made, and after a second of looking into his eyes she leaned back, almost daring him to close the distance on his own.

"So, how is it you play pazaak?" She purposefully changed the subject, curious to see if he would make a move.

[member="Balkar Din"]

 

[Balkar Din]

Balkar had to admit, he was a bit surprised when Sayl had plucked the blaster from his side, telling him not to get distracted. A playful smirk coming around, he shot back his own retort. "Well it's kinda hard not to get distracted around you, darling. And I can't promise I'll stop teasing ya." Watching her closely, he noticed for the hundredth time how her eyes sparkled with a brilliant red ever so often. Fascinating. When she came in close, he couldn't help himself but to plant a tiny kiss on her soft lips, tugging at her piercing gently before pulling away. "So you wanna learn pazaak." He smirked at what he'd just done, then acted as if it had never happened. "There's many ways to play, but the most common you'll see is with this deck here." He pulled out a deck different from the one he'd used previously, this one with blue and red cards. "Simple, really. The blue cards add to your score. The red ones subtract. First to twenty wins."

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

It did sound simple, but Sayl knew from experience that the minute something began to sound too good to be true, it probably was. The same went for anything that regarded some type of gambling, whether with the odds or in the more literal sense. It sounded easy in theory, but that was about it. Of course, the same went for her way of making a credit here and there, so she couldn't say much. "It sounds simple, yeah. But I think there's something you aren't telling me." And maybe there wasn't, maybe that was all there was to it, but she had a feeling that wasn't quite true. There was a trick somewhere that she was missing, and she intended to find it.

For the moment, however, she decided to address something she had a feeling he'd been curious about since its first occurrence. "I'm part Chiss, by the way. So when my eyes flash red, that's why." She shrugged. "It's always been that way."

Now she smiled. "Picking pockets is simple too, really. All you have to be is fast. It's easier in a place like this, because most of 'em are too drunk to remember who they are, let alone figure out if they're missing a few credits. They usually get it in the morning, but by then they're too hungover and you'll be long gone. And you'll be able to get some practice in, too."

[member="Balkar Din"]

 

[Balkar Din]

Balkar would nod then, looking around at the various drunkards. "Yeah, I understand what you mean. The same goes for pazaak, really. The trick is simple really, as long as you don't get caught. You gotta find out which cards you're best at, and sneak them out at the right times." He demonstrated by quickly slipping a card into his sleeve, a blur of motion so that one couldn't really tell what had just happened. "Here, you try." He handed her the deck then, watching to see how well she would do for a first timer. At the comment of her heritage, he nodded with a smile. "Chiss, huh? Mystery girl over here." He flashed her another smile, then went back to watching how well she handled the cards.

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

As he produced the cards Sayl watched him closely, noting his every last move and paying careful attention to exactly how he slipped the card so seamlessly into his sleeve. It was similar to how she pocketed credits shortly after stealing them right out from under someone's nose. The same skills were applied in playing pazaak, though in a different manner. That meant it wouldn't be all that difficult for her to pick up on, at least hypothetically. Everything was always different in practice, doubly so when others made it look easy. She cracked a smile at what he had to say regarding her parentage. "I've got my dad to thank for that, but not much else."

Taking the deck that he offered, she absently shuffled the cards for a few seconds, looking them over. In the next second she took a card between her fingers and slid it into her sleeve, looking to him with a raised eyebrow in anticipation of another teasing remark.

[member="Balkar Din"]

 

[Balkar Din]

When the girl had finished her try of hiding the card, she looked back up to him for either approval or a snide comment. He'd definitely proven he had the capacity for such things. Deciding to go with the teacher side, he nodded, a little impressed. "Not bad, not bad. With as quick as your hands are, I can see you picking this up in no time. You can keep the deck, by the way. Consider it a gift." He smirked at that. After all, if she was going to try his method of thievery, she needed her own deck. He had plenty of his own, and if anything he could always pick up another if he really wanted. For the moment however, he wanted to see if he could flatter his new friend.

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

With a blink of surprise that quickly phased into a smile, Sayl shuffled the deck between her hands for a moment before it passed to her pocket almost of its own accord, a skill she'd nearly perfected after years of picking pockets. "That just means I'm going to have to get you something." For the briefest of seconds she scanned the crowd, looking back to him and not missing a beat. "How's a few credits sound? The best way to learn is from experience, and there isn't much to tell about it before you give it a shot yourself." That was true, mostly. In the way of taking credits right from under someone's nose, practicing wasn't a viable option. At least, not in her eyes.

Studying him for a moment, her smile grew more crooked, and she hopped down off of her bar stool, standing in front of him. "Like I said, you're gonna need to be fast. It isn't just a tip, trust me. You're either quick, or you learn the hard way." It wasn't meant to scare him, but she believed in practicality, and that included giving a fair warning. Or at least, a warning to those she cared enough about to do so in the first place.

"And I'd recommend going after someone who's at least a little tipsy, your first few times. They aren't quite smart enough to figure you out right away, and it'll be easier to practice that way."

[member="Balkar Din"]

 

[Balkar Din]

"Ah, don't worry about me sweetheart", he said, teasing her with the first name he'd used on her. If anything, he doubted she would mind it now. Grinning from ear to ear, Balkar stood up next to his new friend and scanned the crowd with her, already picking out a good target. "Alright, I think I can do that. If you hear yelling and screaming, assume I karked up somewhere along the line." Before he set off, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. "Wish me luck." And with that, he was off. Pushing his way into the bustling crowd, he first tried a man who was stumbling around rather obviously. Apparently, the man couldn't hold his drink. Perfect. With a sly grin, Balkar applied the skills he learned and came away with a few extra credits. The same was quickly said of his next two targets, though he didn't expect the last. Not looking this time, he went to pocket a stout, sturdy man. Apparently he was pretty aware of his surroundings however, because he instantly turned around and glared at the smaller of the two. "Oh, hey there! Nice to meet ya. I was um... checking the stability of your pocket liners. Yep, all good! Bye!" Turing the other direction, he ran back to Sayl with a huge grin on his face, his pursuer right behind him. "Time to go!", he chirped, his face one of pure joy. Why was getting caught so fun? Maybe he enjoyed the adrenaline.

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

At first, it seemed that he'd picked up on things quickly, managing to snatch a few credits from this or that unsuspecting patron with little issue. Something of a natural skill, if Sayl had ever seen one. That was skill they could seize and improve upon in no time, perhaps even moving on to bigger targets and more challenging prospects. Not bad at all. Those hands aren't just good for pazaak, after all. Smiling slowly in quiet appreciation, she stayed out of the crowd to allow him time to work on his own. And, well, it wouldn't do good to have two pickpockets in the crowd. One would always draw less attention, and so one it would be.

That was all well and good, until he turned and began running in the opposite direction with a pursuer close at hand. Unable to stop an amused laugh she grinned and followed after him, taking his hand and pulling him with her to the exit and then the alleyway behind the building. Smiling breathlessly once she was certain they were no longer being chased, she handed over his credit pouch. "You might want this. Credits tend to help, and your friend didn't give you time to get it back." All in all, she was impressed with the talent he'd exhibited.

Laughing quietly, she studied him for a moment. "Too bad we had to leave before we could get a chance at the tables. Maybe we can play for kisses, huh?" It was an offer made with an all too familiar mischievous glint to her eyes.

[member="Balkar Din"]

 

[Balkar Din]

Balkar grinned as Sayl pulled him out and into an alley, where they seemed to have lost their pursuer. "Well, that was fun. Maybe it does take a few tries." He smirked and took the credit pouch, staring at her for a few moments. He seemed to have found a good person to hang out and indulge on his favorite sin with. At the mention of playing for kisses, he raised an eyebrow, tracing his finger along her jawline. "I'm okay with that if you are. Besides, I think i'm beginning to like you." He grinned as mischievously as she did then.

[member="Sayl Bane"]

 

[Sayl Bane]

"Like me, really? Whatever do you mean by that?" Sayl smiled mock innocently, though she knew perfectly well what he was referring to with his statement. In fact, she was beginning to feel much of the same way. Maybe this would blossom beyond just another typical bar encounter that ended with waking up with a headache and no idea of how she'd arrived there the previous night. That had become a familiar pattern in her life on the streets of Nal Hutta as she'd gotten older, a habit she'd kicked given the span of a few years. This was still a nice change, given that she found it easy to relax around him as well. A bit of an odd feeling, but a welcome one.

At his comment about it taking a few tries, she grinned knowingly. "Believe me, I know that better than anyone. Sometimes it's more fun to get caught and see the look on their face, before they start trying to kill you. That's when it's time to get out of dodge and hope they aren't smart enough to figure out where you went. And it seems he was lacking those necessary brain cells." She shrugged, unconcerned about the number of credits they'd both stolen. "Just makes our job easier, yeah?"

Pulling out the deck of pazaak cards he'd given her, she shuffled them, looking to him with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. "It's to twenty, right?"

[member="Balkar Din"]

 

[Balkar Din]

"Yeah, I like you. Got a problem with that?" Balkar smirked, intentionally flirting with her now. Hell, he was never a guy for relationships, they tended to weigh him down. But this girl... they actually had a lot in common when it came to a love of a life of fun. She could drink and steal. Just his kind of fun. Glancing at the cards as she pulled them out, he chuckled. "Yep, twenty. Maybe we can go a few rounds, yeah?" Maybe she'd learn a few tricks from him, though he was confident he wouldn't be able to be as slick in cheating around her, so he'd have to play the legit way.

[member="Sayl Bane"]