1 [voice]

[foundafamily]

Hey, listen up. I’ve got an idea.

[Evidently a very important one, judging by how soberly he’s speaking.]

Obviously we need things to do in between gettin’ set on fire and havin’ our heads messed with. So I was gonna set up a card table in the bar—could be poker, faro, anything if we can get enough players for it. If people like it, we could make it a regular thing.

If you don’t know how to play, I’ll teach you. And if anybody knows any other games, I’d like to see ‘em.

Comments

[foundafamily]

[Never took an interest? Firo shakes his head in dismay.]

Lucky for you, we don't have the cards of my world. Or, well, I recognize only some of these symbols. This deck has bullets--

[He jerks his wrist and a card with blue circles as the markings leaps out onto the table between them. It's soon followed by one with blue stars.]

--and stars. Those're normally only in special decks. I don't recognize the other ones.

[He tosses an example of each out anyway: a rectangle with indents in the top and bottom and a simple arch. Both yellow.]

What's yours have?

[tongueamok]

[Carlisle looks at his cards, his nose wrinkling.]

I've got a spiral, some stars, and what appears to be a knife through a heart. Grisly suits, these.

[foundafamily]

Huh. These people really got "creative", huh?

[He tries to catch Carlisle's eye for a knowing nod. They may be really different, but they can relate on the previous occupants of Hadriel being really weird.]

[tongueamok]

[As he glances Firo's way, their eyes do meet. They're off him a second later, a nervous smile tugging at the corner of his mouth -- it's his usual reaction.]

I suppose. Either that, or whatever so-called god that made these knows as much about them as they do about us.

[Which is to say 'not much at all.']

[foundafamily]

[Firo raises an eyebrow at that. He doesn't know Carlisle well enough to recognize or understand his mannerisms.]

You're probably right about that one.

...Do you really not wanna play? Just come out and say it if that's the case.

[tongueamok]

[That just seems to make his agitation worse.]

What? No, I mean -- I'm already here. I didn't mean to give off that impression.

[foundafamily]

So you do wanna play or you’re just sayin’ you do so that you don’t waste a trip?

[He’s teasing a bit, but he does his best to keep his expression serious. It’s more fun that way.

…And, admittedly, he is pretty curious about this guy he’s supposed to know. This is one way to find out what he’s really like.]

[tongueamok]

A little of both, honestly. I live at the top of a Spire, so it is a long walk down.

[And a longer trip back up. At least he told the truth; he can offer Firo that much, given what he once put the man through.]

[foundafamily]

Huh. So sorry for your trouble.

[Firo sounds oddly not sorry, though it's not so odd to people who know him well enough to know that he's a sarcastic and inconsiderate dick.

He sighs; he'd hoped Carlisle wasn't one of these types, but he probably should've checked before relentlessly harassing him into coming here...]

You're not one of those people who thinks cards are the devil or somethin', right?

[But wait! Another explanation for Carlisle's strangeness has come to mind. Firo's eyes widen a bit and he leans in, curious. This might explain why he's so weird--he's just nervous.]

...Wait, do you owe me money for a card game we played back wherever it was you said you knew me from?

[tongueamok]

[He holds his hands in front of him defensively.]

What? Ah, no! No. No no, definitely not.

[It's worse. It's way worse than that.]

I don't owe you money, and I don't think cards are sinful or anything like that. I've just... I mean, I work at a church. Gambling and card games aren't something we practice there. Lots of work, and not much time for recreation, you see.

[foundafamily]

[If he were only aiming to torment the poor guy, Firo’d just say that the word of a debtor is no proof that he doesn’t owe anything. But he does have a goal here besides simple teasing, so he just leans back and shrugs.]

Still doesn’t explain why you’re actin’ so weird.

[tongueamok]

[Carlisle gives him an unsure look.]

If you're referring to my nervous demeanor, I assure you I'm like this all the time.

[foundafamily]

[Firo's eyes widen just a tad; he's surprised to hear Carlisle be so frank about that.]

Seriously? And you just come right out and admit that?

[tongueamok]

It's not as though it's a secret, lad.

[Though he's not exactly warm on the idea he's constantly nervous, he has to admit that more than one person has described him as "high-strung."]

[foundafamily]

[He glares at Carlisle.]

Don’t call me ‘lad.’

And, you know, shouldn’t you work on fixin’ that? It’s definitely not gonna help you win at this.

[tongueamok]

[He utters an apology under his breath, forgetful that the colloquialism doesn't sit well with everyone.]

Ah, my uncles always said something similar, about fixing it. I've just learned to live with it.

[foundafamily]

[Firo looks him over, considering that.]

Huh. Who knows, maybe it’ll help you—if you’re always nervous, that could almost be a bluff by itself.

Just doesn’t sound like a fun way to live.

[tongueamok]

It's the only way I know, and it has gotten me this far, so I suppose it can't be all bad.

[foundafamily]

[Without even considering that Carlisle might not want his "help":]

Well, what's your problem? Are you scared of people? Do you have a guilty conscience?

[tongueamok]

I—

[There's a distinct pause, followed by the look of someone who absolutely does have a guilty conscience. In this case, it's not just his nervous habits, but it concerns Firo himself.

Or, well... the other Firo. Another Firo from another time and another world.]

Um.

[He looks down to his cards. Nope, no answers there. He'd rather continue with denial (no, what he'd really rather do is not talk about this at all), but he has amends he must, at the very least, try to make. With a sigh, he gives some semblance of an answer.]

Both, I suppose. I don't expect life has been perfect for anyone.

[foundafamily]

[Given how evasive Firo finds that answer, he definitely has an easy time believing that both are in action here.]

What the hell does that mean? I'm askin' you, not 'anyone'.

[tongueamok]

[Carlisle's brow furrows as he glares at his cards, as though they were the ones prodding him for answers. He doesn't like talking about his cursed nature with people he trusts, let alone someone who is more of an acquaintance -- an acquaintance to whom he owes amends, even if said acquaintance doesn't remember why.]

I- I have a condition, one that doesn't exactly inspire goodwill in people back home. It's not contagious or anything, but it does mean I tend to sleep with one eye open.

[foundafamily]

A condition, huh? So you're sick and people hate you for it?

[Sounds a little weird to him. Nobody back home was exactly fond of hanging around with people with TB, but it's not like they actively tried to attack them. At least no more than they did any other person.]

That sounds pretty stupid of 'em, if you ask me.

[tongueamok]

I am inclined to agree, but that's just the way it is. There's not to be done about it.

[And certainly not from him.]

[foundafamily]

There's nothin' to do about people not likin' you because of that?

[He sighs. How is the solution not obvious?]

You tell 'em they're assholes, that's what you do about it. And if they wanna make something of it, then you go at it.