Gojyo takes another long drag of his cigarette, not looking at Jedao. He's mad at Hakkai, and this guy is really just kinda caught up in that, he realises. Going completely scorched earth on a total stranger would be stupid.
"...Thought the drinks here were free."
Can't really buy him one if that's the case, can he? It's a bit of a dry joke, meant to at least somewhat signal I'm listening. 'Stupid jealous?' What the fuck does that mean.
"You sure you don't wanna take the hubby out for celebratory drinks instead?"
You know, celebrating Hakkai's perfect new life with his perfect husband and perfect new friends. Hakkai, who can't even be bothered to go after Gojyo, instead it's this complete stranger who does...
"I'm sure I want to know more about you. I'm a spy, so it's very nefarious of me," Jedao says, blithely absurdist as he opens the way to the warden levels with what looks like a weird pack of playing cards.
Is smoking allowed in the Lounge? Fuck it: Gojyo's smoking either way. He can't quite help eyeing the weird pack of playing cards with a hint of professional interest.
"Never could get into spy dramas. Way too much complicated plot, not enough action."
"You have clearly been watching the wrong spy dramas. There are plenty that barely have any real tradecraft squished between the action scenes at all."
Jedao leaves the deck of cards on the counter as he asks the bored looking bartender - which today is a young man in a cowboy hat - for a vodka soda, and one of whatever Goyjo would like.
Probably some kind of scotch. Today is a heavy liquor kind of day, it turns out.
Gojyo's not picking the deck up - he does have a sense for other people's property, his past career notwithstanding - although he examines it while hunched over the table.
"Fuck me, can't even pick out mindless movies properly."
"I'm not sure Sanzo even knew what dramas were, so you're already ahead there," Jedao remarks, with a dry thread of old but sincere exasperation. Gojyo is touchy and occasionally baffling, but Jedao hadn't understood Sanzo at all.
He sips his own drink, then tips the incomplete Jeng-zai deck into his hands, shuffling casually.
"It has the same structure - trumps, four face cards - but the specifics are different."
He lays out four cards to demonstrate, then snorts. The Five of Roses reversed, the Fortress reversed, the Soldier reversed, the Three of Gears, reversed. Maybe he's just reading it upside down, except that it's a little on the nose as it is.
"Jeng-zai is a lot like Earth poker. But I have a regular deck too."
Gojyo likes learning new card games, but somehow the thought of being the newbie being taught by this guy makes him feel like throwing up. He downs the last of his drink, the warm weight of the alcohol already settling in his stomach.
"--Look, man, we don't gotta do this. Let's just have a couple of drinks and then you can go back home. I'm not gonna come knock down the door in the middle of the night or whatever."
"We are just having a couple of drinks," Jedao points out, scooping up the reading, secreting the cards away.
"And you should definitely knock on our door sometime soon, because Hakkai probably made a ridiculous amount of food, and I don't like human food."
He makes a face, simple rueful misery. Hakkai has never been anything but understanding about it, but it still feels bad, not being able to accept the first kind of gift he wants to give.
"Also, I love cards." No need to comment on that particular vulnerability, unless Gojyo really wants to. He pulls a different deck - regular bicycle cards - out of his other pocket and slides them over. "So if you play, you should teach me something."
There's a sharp pang of guilt: it's not like Gojyo needs it spelled out to him what Hakkai cooking ridiculous amounts of food means. Hakkai, who for so long was convinced that he could never be worthy of finding love again, and then somehow Gojyo made it sound like he agrees that Hakkai isn't worthy of it.
He reaches to refill his glass before taking the deck and starting to shuffle it.
"Fuck it: if we're gonna play, let's play something we both already know. Earth poker?"
He shuffles the deck with practised ease before handing it over to Jedao for cutting. Sure, handing the deck back and forth when it's only two players is a bit silly, but might as well do shit properly.
"Tch. Bet we can establish some kinda delivery service."
Hakkai gets to have his cooking benefit a charity case; Gojyo gets to never have to set foot in their happy home. Hakkai made it more than clear Gojyo's presence isn't required.
"See, this is why this place needs a money system so there's a point to playing for drinks instead."
Answering questions honestly? Very overrated when you can just get wasted instead. He's pretty sure he has no interest in learning anything about Jedao, at that.
Again, Gojyo down half his glass in one go. He's tempted to pointedly ask something purely practical and impersonal: how many wardens versus inmates are there on the Barge? what are floods like? ...but ugh. That'd be shitty of him, and he's already been shitty enough today. Okay, so there is maybe one thing he'd actually want to ask, but he's way too sober to go for it.
...
"So, like, does this place provide some other shit for you to eat, other than human food? I don't care what you are or why you don't like normal food, but."
Seems like it'd suck to have to eat stuff you can't stand (look at him, he's turning into Goku).
"My first inmate asked the Admiral to get me something else for one of the Earth holidays, once, and that was..." he looks away, swallows. Even if he opened himself up to the question on purpose, the vulnerability is real.
"It was so good. But I don't even know what it was, exactly, and I think it would have been...not safe for most people to be around. I can survive on regular protein, so. Whatever. I'll fix it when I get my next deal."
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Re: cw homophobic nonsense
"Well, that was confusing and horrible," Jedao says with straightforward sort of bleak cheer, hands in his pockets.
"Let's start over. Hi, I'm Jedao, and I'm a little bit stupid jealous of you. Welcome to the barge. Can I get you a drink?"
Re: cw homophobic nonsense
"...Thought the drinks here were free."
Can't really buy him one if that's the case, can he? It's a bit of a dry joke, meant to at least somewhat signal I'm listening. 'Stupid jealous?' What the fuck does that mean.
Re: cw homophobic nonsense
Re: cw homophobic nonsense
You know, celebrating Hakkai's perfect new life with his perfect husband and perfect new friends. Hakkai, who can't even be bothered to go after Gojyo, instead it's this complete stranger who does...
He does follow Jedao, though.
Re: cw homophobic nonsense
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Is smoking allowed in the Lounge? Fuck it: Gojyo's smoking either way. He can't quite help eyeing the weird pack of playing cards with a hint of professional interest.
"Never could get into spy dramas. Way too much complicated plot, not enough action."
Or sex scenes.
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Jedao leaves the deck of cards on the counter as he asks the bored looking bartender - which today is a young man in a cowboy hat - for a vodka soda, and one of whatever Goyjo would like.
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Gojyo's not picking the deck up - he does have a sense for other people's property, his past career notwithstanding - although he examines it while hunched over the table.
"Fuck me, can't even pick out mindless movies properly."
Ha ha. He downs half his glass in one go.
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"I'm not sure Sanzo even knew what dramas were, so you're already ahead there," Jedao remarks, with a dry thread of old but sincere exasperation. Gojyo is touchy and occasionally baffling, but Jedao hadn't understood Sanzo at all.
He sips his own drink, then tips the incomplete Jeng-zai deck into his hands, shuffling casually.
"You play?"
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"Pretty sure Sanzo doesn't know what fiction is, period."
...Of fucking course this dude knew Sanzo as well in this little parallel life of Hakkai's. Next thing he'll be told Goku was here too.
"Sure. Just probably not whatever fuck otherwordly game you're thinking of. That a Tarot deck?"
It looks a bit like one.
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He lays out four cards to demonstrate, then snorts. The Five of Roses reversed, the Fortress reversed, the Soldier reversed, the Three of Gears, reversed. Maybe he's just reading it upside down, except that it's a little on the nose as it is.
"Jeng-zai is a lot like Earth poker. But I have a regular deck too."
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"--Look, man, we don't gotta do this. Let's just have a couple of drinks and then you can go back home. I'm not gonna come knock down the door in the middle of the night or whatever."
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"And you should definitely knock on our door sometime soon, because Hakkai probably made a ridiculous amount of food, and I don't like human food."
He makes a face, simple rueful misery. Hakkai has never been anything but understanding about it, but it still feels bad, not being able to accept the first kind of gift he wants to give.
"Also, I love cards." No need to comment on that particular vulnerability, unless Gojyo really wants to. He pulls a different deck - regular bicycle cards - out of his other pocket and slides them over. "So if you play, you should teach me something."
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He reaches to refill his glass before taking the deck and starting to shuffle it.
"Fuck it: if we're gonna play, let's play something we both already know. Earth poker?"
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"And we're in 5-13." For future knocking purposes.
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"Tch. Bet we can establish some kinda delivery service."
Hakkai gets to have his cooking benefit a charity case; Gojyo gets to never have to set foot in their happy home. Hakkai made it more than clear Gojyo's presence isn't required.
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"Oh no, something seemingly cruel is occurring, however will we survive."
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He takes the deck back and starts dealing.
"Yeah, well. Too bad, that, huh."
They're obviously not continuing on like back at home, so it is what it is.
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"What do think? One per hand?"
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"See, this is why this place needs a money system so there's a point to playing for drinks instead."
Answering questions honestly? Very overrated when you can just get wasted instead. He's pretty sure he has no interest in learning anything about Jedao, at that.
"...Fine, whatever."
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"Okay, first question goes to you," he says, seemingly reluctant.
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...
"So, like, does this place provide some other shit for you to eat, other than human food? I don't care what you are or why you don't like normal food, but."
Seems like it'd suck to have to eat stuff you can't stand (look at him, he's turning into Goku).
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"My first inmate asked the Admiral to get me something else for one of the Earth holidays, once, and that was..." he looks away, swallows. Even if he opened himself up to the question on purpose, the vulnerability is real.
"It was so good. But I don't even know what it was, exactly, and I think it would have been...not safe for most people to be around. I can survive on regular protein, so. Whatever. I'll fix it when I get my next deal."
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1/?
actually 2/2 done already
Re: actually 2/2 done already
1/3
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