Uh Huh

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Norte"]

"It sounds like you have played a lot, maybe I should bend to your wisdom here."

I murmured back as my thumb slowly brushed back and forth the edge of her hand. The fact that she hadn't pulled it back yet spoke to me. The smirk combined with the fact she didn't step closer? Told me just a bit more. Not yet ready to stop playing. "I play for keeps myself, Card, so your conundrum is felt." There was something pure about playing a winning hand, no?

Her smirk answered with my own again.

"I usually end up on top." In the end. "Mmm, I could go for a few games, why not? You already bought me one round anyway."

Before she could step out, I stepped in.

Leaning in, cheek brushing cheek lightly, as breath reached the skin of her ear. "Maybe you will get to be on top tonight." After that I glided past her, but unless she took her hand back? It would still be there, curled in mine, pulling her along just a bit.

In truth I just liked the touch of her hand here.

 

[Aristotle Tater]

"Mmmm careful," I murmured, eyes flicking down to my hand in his, the stroke of his thumb, "Some prizes ain't for keeps."

Something worth finding out first. If he was the trifling sort or expected more. The former was not only fine, but necessary. I'd learned not to spend time on the later, no matter how sweet it seemed in the moment.

We'd been standing close, but when he stepped in was when just how broad he was really struck home. I'm not particularly dainty, but hooo boy those shoulders could carry a mountain.

At his agreement I laughed, cocking my head to the side to indicate the direction I'd noticed the games in- other side of the bar from where they'd herded us for that strange little event- in the distance I heard another chime of that bell. Just enough of a sound to start to turn my head in that direction, reflexive- when he stepped in.

Up until then he'd been careful I realized. Because in that moment he moved. Not merely stepped but glided. There was the predator, lurking beneath the surface of bad lines and teases. There was something dangerous. Was that a good thing or a bad? Depended.

"Oh Hiron," I knew he'd feel my smirk against his cheek. "Something you should know about me." Turning my head slightly, my lips brushed just the curve of his ear. "I always end up on top. Nothing maybe about it."

I didn't pull my hand back, letting him lead after that- at least as far as which game we were playing since I'd given him that choice. We shifted through the crowd and I got a good view. Took a moment to appreciate it too. And there was that glide again. Either a couple drinks made him looser with his natural stride or he'd stopped hiding it on purpose. Wasn't sure which.

He chose pool and my smile widened.

"I'll grab the balls?" I said innocently, before laughing and drawing my hand out of his to rack them.

[member="Hiron Vizsla"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Norte"]

"Some prizes dun' need to be."

There had been more than one moment where I had considered settling down.

Letting it all behind and just relax for a bit. Let the hair down. Stop looking over the shoulder. Put the armor away. Why not? Who said that this life had to be the life forever and ever? But every single time... reality came knocking. I got antsy. Heels started scratching and then I jumped into my ship again and left. Luckily I had never tried settling down with someone though.

That would have been awkward.

Either way- she wouldn't find any disagreement with me here. Whatever happened tonight? There was no expectation for it to be more than this was. A good time shared, then moving on again.

"Mmmm, I would like to see if that is in.... the cards." Shifting the head just a bit, until nose touched nose, brushing past. There the kiss could have happened. If I had pushed further, taking that chance.

Didn't.

I wanted to see how long we could string this along, before we had to. Needed to. Felt the hunger consume. "Don't forget to grab the stick too." Innocently as I took two, passing one over to her. "Tough to play with the balls alone." Glint wicked as I met her eyes. At this point neither of us was trying to be subtle. Why? We both knew what this was and what it could be.

"Break?"

 

[Aristotle Tater]

"Gotta know just how to stack the deck to make sure you get what you want out of it."

Accepting the cue, my expression was deadpan. "It would be rather difficult without one," I replied with a straight face. "Probably make for a very disappointing game. Might as well play a different one entirely then."

A ghost of a smile then, letting it break through.

"Suits," I said, brushing past him, closer than strictly polite.

It had been a while since I'd played, but some things you didn't forget. A moment there, a flicker of something.

She knew she had played. Had been good. But in that moment she couldn't actually remember playing a single game. Just that moment or ever? When WAS the last time she had played-

A blink and it was gone again. Weird.

Leaning over, lining up the shot. Good light, good felt, well worn but not scratched to hell and back. The cue heavy in my hand. Bet these tables were packed on any other night. This was probably the place's slow one, which would explain the continued murmur from the other side and the general emptiness everywhere else. For a moment everything else fell away.

Clack CRACK clatter.

I stood up, glancing over my shoulder at him. The sound of two thunks. The direction of his attention, most decidedly not on the pool table, made me laugh.

"Gonna have to check if you weren't watching if I'm solids or stripes I guess," I said with a smirk.

[member="Hiron Vizsla"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Norte"]

Ooph.

Yeah, that was... yeah.

I glanced back up straight into her smirk and grinned without reserve. "I figured you'd drop at least one ball there anyway, so I would know which balls are mine by the time you start again." That glance ghosted down again, not even waiting for her to turn back again. "I think I will be able to pay attention." Glance back up. "Yeah, I will be good." It was interesting to see her play though. I hadn't played... a lot? Maybe once or twice. Not that it wasn't a fun game or anything.

Just.

Not a lot of opportunities?

Ain't like there is space for a pool table in my starship, eh?

Clack CRACK clatter, clatter, claaaatter.

No thunk.

"Let's see how much I can stack this deck." I took up my cue again, eyeing the table a bit. Leaning down once I noticed an opportunity. Would be a tricky shot, she hadn't been doing me any favors.

 

[Aristotle Tater]

Stripes at it turned out- both of them. That meant I was two ahead of him from the get go and I wasn't going to pretend I wasn't a little smug about it. Of course I made up for it- realized I'd left myself no shots. Couldn't really complain, breaking was always a mixed bag. With two in the hole and his eyes not on the table, I focused instead on leaving the set up even worse for him.

Okay so I'm a queen, so sue me.

I stepped back to give him some room. Setting the butt of the cue against the floor, my head tilted to the side.

I could appreciate the view myself.

"Good luck," I called, smirk in my voice, but stayed out of his personal space while he was lining up his shot. The flirting hadn't gone that far, nor had my desire to mess with him. Either of those might change later however.

Didn't pretend I wasn't watching him though.

[member="Hiron Vizsla"]

 

[Hira Mitsae]

[member="Norte"]

Oh, even with the distraction, I saw what she had done.

That was hilarious.

I even snorted as I saw the sudden geography of the balls on the table. "Tricky... tricky." I murmured softly, as I eyed the options. None of them were great, honestly, but that was honestly fine. I wasn't here to win at this game. Most of my focus was on the larger one. It took me a bit, bending here and there, to realize that she hadn't left me with a single option to get a good shot.

Not even a fifty fifty shot.

"Ain't even lady luck who can gimme this round, thanks." More amused tone than anything else. I lined up a shot, giving her a good view. Then making it. It was a bad shot.... for her anyway.

A smirk over my shoulder.

"Think I am rusty, maybe next round you can give me some pointers." That last bit murmured as I brushed past her. Privacy? Who needed that.