milliways_bar | (no subject)

Just out of sight of the bar itself, there's a table. Not in a shadowy corner, but not in the main drag of Milliways.

It is currently occupied by a preposterous amount of Daves. One is about thirteen, short and skinny and sulking. If Milliways has any sort of chronology, this is the 'current' Dave.

Two of them are a little older, but about the same age as each other. Still deep in puberty's grasp, maybe around fifteen. One is wearing a dealer's visor.

The next Dave looks more like the 'future' Dave who was most recently in the bar, helping out his younger self. He's probably sixteen.

The final Dave is quite a bit older, wearing a fancy suit jacket and dress shirt over a pair of black jeans. He's face down on the table with his shades mashed up against his forehead. There's a half-full glass of water next to his elbow. He mutters to himself occasionally but barely stirs.

They are apparently playing poker.

[OOC: Feel free to just toss in a reaction if this is too many Daves for you to actively thread with. It is entirely ridiculous.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"you get used to it," one of the middle Daves says. "we had a lot of practice during the game."

"that doesn't mean we had to start doing it again," Current Dave says. He hunches down into his seat and ignores the cards the dealer gives him until one of the other Daves elbow him.

"I think, if the game is still going, it probably does."

She sounds a little apologetic.

"We're all at the mercy of what we are, aren't we? Until we're not."

Hmm.

"What are we betting with?"

In amongst all the Daves, she almost forgot to ask.

The Daves all pause. Apparently they hadn't considered that either.

"uh"

One of the Daves produces a few packets of Gushers from his sylladex, and starts ripping open packets to use as poker chips. They're all flavors like 'Ranch Dressing Rampage' and 'Jammin Sour Diabetic Coma' so they're not particularly tempting to eat.

"i bid two"

"I will see that bid and raise you one."

Because honestly, getting rid of Ranch Dressing Rampage can only be beneficial to life and health, right?

Yeah, but that means someone else has to pick it up. Bogus.

That turns out to be the Dave dealing the cards, who shrugs and accepts his fate.

"ignore shrimpy me," says the other middle Dave. "he's just being a little bitch what are you up to"

"I like him," Ysalwen says simply, with a tiny bit of a shrug.

"But all right. Um. I've successfully given up the arling, which is -- good. And with some of our more recent arrivals from Kirkwall -- I now have a better idea of what I may be dealing with in smuggling out slaves from Tevinter and helping them be free? So."

That's good, right?

"And yourselves?"

"oh yeah i remember that," Future Dave says. "you were pretty happy to get that off your back weren't you"

Current Dave turns to look at her. "slaves?" he says.

"Ecstatic."

This is not a lie.

Then Ysalwen exhales, reaching out at the same time to take the cards for her turn as dealer.

"And yes. Slaves. It's -- yet another reason for people to hate mages, I suppose. Tevinter is ruled by them, and elves -- and other non-mages, if they sell themselves into it -- are kept as slaves. Unless they have magic, though I'm fairly sure that's only a question of appearances. Shockingly."

"super awkward if you're an elf and a mage," says the Dave wearing the dealer's visor.

"that fucking sucks," says Current Dave.

"Exactly."

She starts flipping out the cards, fingers quick and agile.

(Thanks, Isabela.)

"Hence the helping part. I -- don't know enough about Tevinter itself to do much politically. But smuggling and killing -- oh, how do you phrase that? -- the shit out of anyone who comes after those who escape -- that I can do."

Current Dave looks dubious, but Future Dave simply nods wisely and offers her a fist bump.

"Fight the power," mutters AU Dave, still mostly face down on the table.

Ysalwen offers Current Dave a quick, crooked smile, then reaches out to bump fists with Future Dave.

"Fight some of the power. I think I have people that I can nudge into fighting the rest while I focus a bit. For now."

Hmm.

She looks at her cards post-fistbump, and after a few moments of thought lays down three and deals herself three new ones.

"you mean you're off to hunt down pirates with your prime piece of real estate," Future Dave says. He drops two cards and accepts his new ones.

Ysa's smile is very crooked.

"I befriend pirates -- well, one pirate. I don't tend to go out looking for them otherwise, however. Slavers are -- a different story."

"yeah sure befriend that's definitely what i meant," Future Dave says.

"dude no" says Current Dave.

"no i'm pretty sure that's a thing that actually happened," says the middle Dave without the hat.

Ysalwen presses her knuckles against her mouth, stifling a smile.

(Or a laugh?)

"Well, yes."

Thanks, Isabela.

"Anyway. I call."

"so what are you gonna do then" asks a middle Dave. "are they like illegally coming over the border to hunt down slaves, or do you fucking seal team six in there and get them out"

Then he swears and tosses his cards down. Not even worth it.

"Well, the previous usurper king stole elves from our alienages and sold them to Tevinter, so. Um."

She presses her lips into a flat line.

"Going in and getting them out, mostly."

"that's pretty badass," says Current Dave.

He calls and puts his cards down. It's a flush. All diamonds.

"i don't actually remember but i think that's pretty good"

Ysalwen grins, tossing her cards facedown on the table.

"I certainly can't beat that."

Sometimes when you try for a full house you just end up sad.

(Ysa never would have dealt Current Dave a good hand on purpose. Nope. She also never learned that from Isabela, either.)

Edited 2017-01-05 14:10 (UTC)