James Pleiades Hawkins!! (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rattlingthestars) wrote2022-09-26 05:41 pm
rattlingthestars) wrote2022-09-26 05:41 pm
nightfell sample | app
three tickets to pair o' dice
The sound of three darklings demonstrating the tune to the teapot song won't be leaving Jim any time soon. Standing there for it had almost been worse than posting it on the netherwork, as far as embarrassment went. It was worth it, Jim thought, with the weight of the gems weighing down his inner jacket pocket. At least he could save someone's crappy inn.
For now, he thought in the voice that wasn't-quite-his. But the bills will pile up and there's nobody there to do what they're supposed to. Just going to be one problem after another... The negativity continued to swirl as he made his way down from the roof by way of the outside railings and balconies. He paused at the bottom, getting a good look into the building's only windows for the first time. Big crowd in there if you squinted past the pipe smoke, and his ears can pick up the some kind of interesting mechanical noise under all the music.
Jim spends a little too long squinting, judging by the way the security guard shifts around to meet his eye with an unfriendly glare. He's like a billion feet tall and looks meaner than some pirates Jim knows. They size each other up in silence, Jim's fists itching with the urge to wipe that stupid glare off the guy's face, before a noise from within draws both their attention. Big n' Ugly turns, taking his eyes off just long enough for Jim to duck under the velvet rope blocking the door and take off into the interior.
"'Scuze me!" He calls as he shoves his way through the crowd, all but bouncing off a few of the patrons. From behind him there's a shout for him to stop, but that just has him moving faster. After what seems like years he spots an escalator and hops on, taking the moving steps two at a time until he makes it to a mezzanine where he can see the entire floor. It's just as crowded and smoky as ever, but it doesn't take long for him to spot the disturbance he heard from the door. Some kind of fight, he thinks. Not what he's looking for here.
Though now that he's slowed down, he isn't sure what he is looking for, here. There's way too many people to guess which ones are Alecia's parents, if they even made their way in here rather than getting jumped or something. Stupid idea.
"Y'know," says a slurring voice, somewhere to Jim's left. Jim looks up at the ceiling, wishing for some patience. He knows when he's about to get dragged into a conversation he's got no interest in. The voice continues: "Y'know, that was a pretty good chase you gave 'em before they..."
Jim glances sideways to see an elderly woman twirling a finger in the air, apparently to demonstrate security being defeated by one flight of moving stairs. The motion sends her tilting, and Jim instinctively reaches out to grab her before she upends herself over the railing onto the gaming floor below.
"Uh, thanks, ma'am-" he tries, making to extract himself from her arms. She clings tighter, instead. Welp. Still less embarrassing than the singing about small china situation, Jim thinks. "Almost took a pretty big fall there, huh?"
"Good thing I had you to look out for me!"
He hums in agreement and pats her shoulder, all the while looking desperately around for someone to take her off his hands (literally.) There is an old guy swaying in their direction, but Jim's not sure he'll be any better. He might end up looking after both of them.
"You're a good boy," she's saying. "Good. Like our daughter... always taking responsibility..."
Jim starts. Her daughter? There's no way. His luck just isn't that good. But maybe...?
"You know, she's probably pretty worried about you." He throws enough judgement in his tone that it might just penetrate through the booze he can smell on her breath. "Taking care of that inn... all alone... it's a lot of work."
The woman bursts into loud, messy tears. Right into his jacket.
Great.
"It's, um. It's okay?" He tries, along with another pat. What would his mother say in this situation? Something comforting, probably. She'd have a handkerchief, at minimum. All Jim's got is an awkward, "there, there?"
"We'd love to," says the man, who's finally made his way over to them. He's loud. Way too loud. "Never meant to leave her alone for this long! But we can't leave until we settle up..."
He looks at Jim, hopefully. Jim thinks about the pouch in his jacket pocket, but no - he's not going to use the money for the inn to keep these two out of trouble. Instead he eyes up a locking cart that a dealer had been using to move chips from the cage to the tables. It's just big enough, he thinks.
"Yeah, forget about that," he tells the old man, over the old woman's sniffles. "I've got a better idea, but you're going to have to be quiet and listen up..."
The sound of three darklings demonstrating the tune to the teapot song won't be leaving Jim any time soon. Standing there for it had almost been worse than posting it on the netherwork, as far as embarrassment went. It was worth it, Jim thought, with the weight of the gems weighing down his inner jacket pocket. At least he could save someone's crappy inn.
For now, he thought in the voice that wasn't-quite-his. But the bills will pile up and there's nobody there to do what they're supposed to. Just going to be one problem after another... The negativity continued to swirl as he made his way down from the roof by way of the outside railings and balconies. He paused at the bottom, getting a good look into the building's only windows for the first time. Big crowd in there if you squinted past the pipe smoke, and his ears can pick up the some kind of interesting mechanical noise under all the music.
Jim spends a little too long squinting, judging by the way the security guard shifts around to meet his eye with an unfriendly glare. He's like a billion feet tall and looks meaner than some pirates Jim knows. They size each other up in silence, Jim's fists itching with the urge to wipe that stupid glare off the guy's face, before a noise from within draws both their attention. Big n' Ugly turns, taking his eyes off just long enough for Jim to duck under the velvet rope blocking the door and take off into the interior.
"'Scuze me!" He calls as he shoves his way through the crowd, all but bouncing off a few of the patrons. From behind him there's a shout for him to stop, but that just has him moving faster. After what seems like years he spots an escalator and hops on, taking the moving steps two at a time until he makes it to a mezzanine where he can see the entire floor. It's just as crowded and smoky as ever, but it doesn't take long for him to spot the disturbance he heard from the door. Some kind of fight, he thinks. Not what he's looking for here.
Though now that he's slowed down, he isn't sure what he is looking for, here. There's way too many people to guess which ones are Alecia's parents, if they even made their way in here rather than getting jumped or something. Stupid idea.
"Y'know," says a slurring voice, somewhere to Jim's left. Jim looks up at the ceiling, wishing for some patience. He knows when he's about to get dragged into a conversation he's got no interest in. The voice continues: "Y'know, that was a pretty good chase you gave 'em before they..."
Jim glances sideways to see an elderly woman twirling a finger in the air, apparently to demonstrate security being defeated by one flight of moving stairs. The motion sends her tilting, and Jim instinctively reaches out to grab her before she upends herself over the railing onto the gaming floor below.
"Uh, thanks, ma'am-" he tries, making to extract himself from her arms. She clings tighter, instead. Welp. Still less embarrassing than the singing about small china situation, Jim thinks. "Almost took a pretty big fall there, huh?"
"Good thing I had you to look out for me!"
He hums in agreement and pats her shoulder, all the while looking desperately around for someone to take her off his hands (literally.) There is an old guy swaying in their direction, but Jim's not sure he'll be any better. He might end up looking after both of them.
"You're a good boy," she's saying. "Good. Like our daughter... always taking responsibility..."
Jim starts. Her daughter? There's no way. His luck just isn't that good. But maybe...?
"You know, she's probably pretty worried about you." He throws enough judgement in his tone that it might just penetrate through the booze he can smell on her breath. "Taking care of that inn... all alone... it's a lot of work."
The woman bursts into loud, messy tears. Right into his jacket.
Great.
"It's, um. It's okay?" He tries, along with another pat. What would his mother say in this situation? Something comforting, probably. She'd have a handkerchief, at minimum. All Jim's got is an awkward, "there, there?"
"We'd love to," says the man, who's finally made his way over to them. He's loud. Way too loud. "Never meant to leave her alone for this long! But we can't leave until we settle up..."
He looks at Jim, hopefully. Jim thinks about the pouch in his jacket pocket, but no - he's not going to use the money for the inn to keep these two out of trouble. Instead he eyes up a locking cart that a dealer had been using to move chips from the cage to the tables. It's just big enough, he thinks.
"Yeah, forget about that," he tells the old man, over the old woman's sniffles. "I've got a better idea, but you're going to have to be quiet and listen up..."
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