TLV IC Inbox

[deuceoftears]

Comments

[deuceoftears]

"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."

[cigsandbeer]

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."

[deuceoftears]

"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."

[cigsandbeer]

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?"

[deuceoftears]

"Sounds good," Jedao agrees, refilling his own drink and fishing under the bar for some peanuts to use as chips.

"And we're in 5-13." For future knocking purposes.

[cigsandbeer]

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.

[deuceoftears]

"That seems cruel," Jedao muses, cutting the deck neatly, without at all specifying whom he thinks it would be cruel to.

[cigsandbeer]

In an exaggerated high, yet completely deadpan voice:

"Oh no, something seemingly cruel is occurring, however will we survive."

[deuceoftears]

"And not even the fun kind," Jedao adds, equally deadpan, scooting Gojyo's half of the peanuts across the bar.

[cigsandbeer]

God fucking damn it. Normally, Gojyo is the first to crack dirty jokes, but just the thought of imagining this guy's sex life...

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.

[deuceoftears]

"Normally, with someone new and no real money, I'd play for questions," Jedao muses, sliding a few ante peanuts into the space between them.

"What do think? One per hand?"

[cigsandbeer]

Gojyo matches the ante, and scoffs lightly.

"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."

[deuceoftears]

A minute later, Jedao gives a pinched little sigh, folds, and refills both their drinks.

"Okay, first question goes to you," he says, seemingly reluctant.

[cigsandbeer]

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).

[deuceoftears]

Jedao shakes his head.

"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."

[cigsandbeer]

--Fuck. He didn't mean to ask an actual sensitive question.

"Sorry. That sucks, though."

He shuffles and deals again.

[deuceoftears]

"Thank you," he says simply, sincerely. He wouldn't have minded the impersonal question, pointed or no, just used it as an excuse to be Helpful, and he doesn't mind sharing what he has, either. He wants the two of them to know each other a little more as people, instead of simply as the shape on the other side of Hakkai.

He doesn't fold, next time - he's only got two pair, jacks high. He'll leave it to luck.

[cigsandbeer]

When playing against a new, unknown opponent, on the very few occasions Gojyo employs any actual strategy instead of just having fun with it he tends to not play too aggressively at first, to get a sense of the other person's style.

Which, in this instance, results in the weaker hand. Bah. He takes a consolation swig of his drink.

[deuceoftears]

Jedao scoops up his peanuts. Considers all the possible things he could ask.

"I know I was kind of being a bitch about it before, but is it weird for you if I think you're pretty?"

1/?

[cigsandbeer]

actually 2/2 done already

[cigsandbeer]

"--Oy, what the fuck kinda question is that?"

Downing the rest of his glass because clearly the situation calls for it.

"I mean. I'm gorgeous; obviously I know that. What the hell do I care if you notice?"

Re: actually 2/2 done already

[deuceoftears]

"Earth people are weird about it sometimes, that's all. If it bothered you I'd know not to mention it."

He is not at all convinced that Gojyo doesn't care.

1/3

[cigsandbeer]

"Yeah, well. Too bad for you: I don't swing that way--"

[cigsandbeer]

(Hang on.)

[cigsandbeer]

"Hang on: you're married! Stop looking at other people!"

Is it perfectly acceptable in Saiyukiverse to have concubines? Yes. Does Gojyo himself not have a monogamous bone in his body? Also yes. But how dare this guy imply just Hakkai isn't enough for him??