The Ballad of Lady Luck

[Zandra Tal'verda]

How old? Older than her, probably. He looked older anyway. And among her people, she was still looked upon as a young lady, almost a teenager. She snorted in amusement and flipped her card. Nine. Not bad. She could do worse.
"Alright, young man, your turn again."

 

[Keter]

He laughed to buy himself time as he tentatively reached out. He was not a master at force manipulation, at least in a temporal way. He was the absolute lord of the space surrounding himself though. But occasions such as this allowed him to at least practice his least developed skills. His hand hovered over each of the three remaining cards. Each felt...safe, though he knew that it was all about the long game. With a five, even a ten was safe for now. He chose the furthest to his left, and revealed an eight. His total was now thirteen. Getting somewhere.

"Well, you know what they say, the old ones know more tricks," he replied with a smirk at the woman, leaning back in his chair. He would have to be careful. He would have to appear the reckless fool to keep her interest. But the echani...they were known for their martial talents, much like the mandalorians. Perhaps she could prove useful...

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

"More tricks? Oh, do tell," her voice was breathy, suggestive- or at least that was how she was trying to sound. With the alcohol in her veins, it was kind of hard to tell sometimes.

His total was thirteen now. She smiled at him and winked and she turned over another card. She was going in order from right to left. No skill. Just luck.
Three.
She had twelve now. Her eyes twinkled excitedly. The game was getting interesting!

 

[Keter]

"Ah but that would spoil the surprise," he replied politely, flipping the leftmost card. A two. Total of fifteen. He had a good chance of getting another low card...The blond looked up at her from his card and shrugged. "Beginner's luck I suppose." Still, the woman seemed slightly...out of it. His eyes whirred slightly as he focused past her exterior. Increased heart rate...and body temperature. Normal for someone who had been drinking and was enjoying a good game. He shrugged again and leaned forwards to study her next move.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Such a tease. She was liking this guy. Not just as a sucker who was about to give her his credits. Without even looking at her card, she flipped the next one over.
Six.
She had nineteen. She glanced down for a second, and then blew her opponent across the table from her a kiss.
"Beginners luck," she teased.

 

[Keter]

He tilted his head to one side and looked down. "Well, damned if I do, damned if I don't. Though i preferred to be damned for doing," he shrugged and flipped his last card. A one. Keter shook his head with a smirk as he leaned back. "Ah, seems like your win then miss," he said, pulling out the credits and placing them on the table between their cards. "Still, a surprisingly simple game," he offered, sipping his drink again, feeling the alcohol burn its way to his stomach.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

She thought about pretending to be shocked, but why bother. She scooped the credits into her bag after counting them really quick and then grabbed her cards.
"Simple, yeah," she agreed, shuffling the deck, "But ya had fun, right? Another round? What do ya say? I'm sure you'll win this time."

 

[Keter]

Keter laughed. "Yeah sure, I got money to burn. New job and all," he replied with a shrug. And he did. After squaring away his first payment with Zelkot Industries, he had put half of it in the vault in Dis for family use, and the other half for personal expenses - gambling, drinks, ship maintenance, weapon maintenance, etc etc. He had a feeling he was going to lose this round too, but the woman was proving amiable enough company and helped pass the time wonderfully.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Money to burn. That's what she wanted to hear. She drained her glass, and gave him another flirty smile.
"Well then mista' big shot! You gunna buy this lady a drink or what? Since ya got 'money to burn' and all."
She placed four cards in front of him, then herself.

 

[Keter]

He shook his head with a smile. "Ah, but why would such a lovely lady be so reliant on charity?" he asked slyly, tapping the right most card. "And ladies first," he offered, sipping his drink. "Besides, where's the fun in getting someone drunk? Ends an evening too quickly," Keter pointed out, leaning back in his chair as if to get a better perspective on her. Maybe not the most militant echani, but one who struck him as isolated. Reliant on others. Could be ideal for the job he had in mind...if she wanted that of course.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

The Echani raised a white eyebrow as he shrugged off her latest attempt at flirting.
"Ooooh.... I get it now," she grinned, as if realization suddenly hit her, "You're playing for the other team! I gotcha!"
She winked as if to say 'your secrets safe with me' and put her finger on the first card, but didn't flip it over.
"Well, if you got the credits, what do you say we make this more interesting? Double the bet? 40 credits this time."

 

[Keter]

Keter threw his head back and laughed at that. "Oh that's a good one," he said with a grin. "For that, we can make it fifty," he said. Honestly, that was the most silly thing he had ever heard. He liked this woman. She had a nice irreverence to her.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

He laughed. That was all the proof she needed to be positively convinced that her companion preferred the company of men.
"Fifty? Ooooh, Mister, you do like to gamble don'cha?"
With that, she'd accepted the bet and flipped her first card.
Two.
She frowned, and peered at the card as if she couldn't quite read it. Maybe because she actually couldn't read it, not very well. She was swaying ever so slightly in her seat, face resting on her palm.
"So, you got a boyfriend then?"
Her idea of small talk.

 

[Keter]

Keter chuckled. "No," he answered honestly. "You?" he asked, flipping his own card. Ten. Troublesome start.

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

She laughed loudly at the very idea of having a boyfriend.
"No way, guy. I don't see someone more than once. Complicates things. And I ain't exactly anyone's ideal, ya know?"
She flipped her card. Eight. A nice even ten now.
"So ya ever been with a woman?" she asked suggestively, pushing back long white hair.

 

[Keter]

"I wouldn't say that," the blond shrugged, looking at his cards. "So no ties to anyone? On your own in the big bad galaxy?" the blond idly asked, flipping another card. A seven. Seventeen. Damn close. He looked up at her with a smirk. "Oh yes."

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

She frowned as her flipped the card. He was close. Very close.
"Well, Kinda. I got this bard that seems to be everywhere i go. Funny guy. And my sister is always trying to get me to work for her...."
She rolled her eyes at that idea and flipped her card. it was a seven. They were even now. It was close. They could both go over if they chose to flip the next card,then it would be a draw. but one of them would have to risk it or it would be a draw anyways.
"So, you've been with a woman, but you prefer men, right? Ya know... I was with a woman once. At least, I think it was a woman. Can't really remember, actually..."
She trailed off for a moment, then suddenly remembered what she was actually going to ask.
"Oh yeah! So, got anyone? Or are you a wanderer too?"

 

[Keter]

"A bard? That must be nice," he replied, finger idly tapping one of the remaining cards. It didn't feel risky..."So what does your sister do, if she thinks she can hire you?" The animosity was clear. So of course it called to Keter's curiosity. "No, I do not prefer men," he replied, looking straight at her. "Honestly, to think I'm, as you put it, batting for the other team, just because I won't jump in your pants at the first opportunity," he said with a shake of his head. "And yes. A wife," the blond replied with a smile as he flipped his card. A two. Nineteen. "Your move."

 

[Zandra Tal'verda]

Oh, that was a lot of rejection in a very short amount of time. So she was wrong about his preference. That was fine. She'd been wrong before.
But then he called her out on trying to sleep with him. Whatever. She'd also been rejected before. A lot.
Then he had a wife... Oooh, awkward. Still, it wasn't exactly a no. She'd been with married men before.
But when he flipped that card... that was when things got REAL.

She bit her lip, nervous for the first time.
Lady Luck, don't fail me now! Not for 50 credits!
She flipped the card. She almost cried.
3.

 

[Keter]

Keter shook his head and laughed. "Ah...I guess I have nothing left to lose again," he replied, flipping his last card. A two. He smiled at the woman, who ahd seemed to be seriously nervous until now. "Your win again," he stated without malice, handing over the credits. "Let me ask you something," he said, returning the cards in preparation for the next round. "Have you ever considered getting a more stable income?"