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Keni
JVL
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
Three Goblin Art
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tannertan36
祝日 / Permanent Vacation
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Kiana Khansmith
Misplaced Lens Cap
Show & Tell
★
Stranger Things
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@bloodbovnd
MOON JANG-MI (aka PERSEPHONE / KORE | 39 y/o | florist )
— intro | wanted connections | mirror | about | aesthetic | music
HUNTER SHAW (aka THE BIG BAD WOLF | 31 y/o | con artist )
— intro | wanted connections | mirror | about | aesthetic | music
BELLE DESROSIER (aka BELLE | 29 y/o | literature professor )
— intro | wanted connections | mirror | about | aesthetic | music
"I am," he says, assuredly. "I realized my support system was better than I was letting it be. And I'd love to... let you be a part of it if you'd like. And I can be part of yours."
He looks at Belle with a calm he doesn't think he ever did with her. Trying to convey in his actions that he's stable now and won't just leave her stumbling on a metaphorical rocking boat.
He sounded so... genuine, so sure of himself. A lovely sound to say the least. Reassuring, warm, kind... She didn't dare say the word now, not until he'd proven himself some more. After all this time Belle had to keep her guard up -- no problem for someone who was known to be stubborn. Alas, the brunette wondered how long she could resist.
"If you don't forsake me, I will." She looked towards the street in front of her leading up to a much calmer street with dim lights, which battled against the evening sun, ready to take over. They illuminated a pizzeria next to a fancier restaurant. With a sigh, Belle instinctively chose to go for the less expensive option in hopes they could just be normal for once. Money or not, she'd lived humbly all her life and had cared for Adam above all else. "You must be pretty busy managing your company. I can't imagine the stress you must go through on a daily basis, but I'm certain you actually thrive in such positions. As a leader, someone strong others can and should rely on."
Lorcan licked his teeth, reading into Hunter's words as best he could. The dynamic of power had never terribly interested Lorcan - growing up religious and leaving that life meant he was always aware of the things being lorded over him. Hunter was a chill guy, but would going into business with him really be much different than being a lackey to the casino? Maybe he'd be promoted to a "partner" in crime, but the wolfish way Hunter smiled didn't exactly reassure Lorcan.
"I think you'd be surprised how much power the dealer can hold," In fact, his skills with cards were the only thing that kept Lorcan from getting sacked all those years ago. In a way, being a cheat and liar became a blessing. He dealt a Queen and an 8 to the house, putting him slightly above the players at the table, then hit Hunter with a 3, rounding him out to the highest number at the table. Not the biggest payout since it's just the two of them playing, but an easy one - and Hunter struck Lorcan as the kind of guy who liked easy money.
"They watch the cameras, but no one can really keep track of the patterns. That’s the kind of power no boss understands until it’s gone," Except for the dealer, the one seeing the cards before anyone else. Lorcan's just playing it coy; he could determine the outcome of a card game three rounds ahead, "This isn’t the first time someone’s asked me to ‘nudge’ a few hands. You’re just the first one I’ve considered saying yes to."
"A few card tricks and you control the game, I bet?" Hunter didn't sound all that surprised, though he hoped Lorcan would tell him more about that. He could see ambition in the other man's eyes. To be promoted to a partner in crime, so to speak, they could possibly establish themselves within the casino and remain unseen for the most part. With his easy win right off the bat, Hunter did look genuinely surprised. Not that he won exactly, but how easy Lorcan managed to win him over. In no time, without missing a beat, as if he was born to do just that: manipulate the games in his favor.
"Work with me," he leaned closer, hoping their conversation would remain private, "50/50, no questions asked. Fuck the cameras, alright? They expect you to be good. If we play our cards right," he had to grin now at his own, dumb, lame joke, "we could play together. I bait them into betting, you just provide me with the right cards to win." Hunter licked over his teeth, "and let me lose a few times as well. For show."
Adam smirks and looks down, praying he's not blushing.
"I promise to behave. We can make it a lunch date so there's no hiding in dark corners."
He clears his throat before he allows his mind to wander through those memories again.
Instead, Belle is asking him to walk a different hall of memories. Cold stone and broken memories that while he knows he can't forget, he gets a shiver of fear and self-loathing.
"No one thing, really. More like a lot of little things piled so high that something had to give under the weight."
Belle looked up towards him, her eyes darting from one eye to the other, just admiring him. How strange, she thought, to not see him like anyone else saw him. There was so much softness and strength within him, she wondered how anyone could be so foolish as to try and use that to their advantage. No matter, he'd proven himself quite capable of running Bête Inc. all on his own. What else was there to say if actions spoke louder than words?
"As long as you're happy," she murmured, soft and somewhat melancholic as they walked through the streets to reach their destination, "as long as you have people to reach out to if you ever need someone to talk to." She wasn't explicitly thinking of herself, but anyone else that could be a good friend to him if needed. With them just rekindling, who knew what would happen over time? "A lunch date..." Belle huffed, but laughed just as quickly, "sounds perfect. You do sound like a changed man, I'm excited to get to know you again." She stopped just to gently brush over his arm, "If things turn out different than list time, then..." I'd forgive you for pushing me away. She didn't finish the sentence, not at first. "there's hope for us."
she had hoped this would be one time he wouldn't acknowledge her. like many things in her life she was left with mild disappointment. slowly, carmine turned to face him, her expression wary.
"and i suppose i'm safer with you?" her words were cool and collected, though there was an undeniable tenseness in her hands as she clutched her small canvas bag. it was run down and worn from overuse over the years, but she still kept it from sentimental value. "atleast tell me something funnier than that."
he always tried to sweet talk her like she was another one of his poor victims. someone that would fall for his charm and silver tongue. carmine knew better than to trust someone like that.
He shrugged, arms outstretched, almost to signalize he wasn't hiding any weapons or anything that could harm her. Truth be told the real culprit resided deep within himself, a hunter at heart, like his name would suggest. Hunter had a way of just making others uneasy, and, sadly, he knew of Carmine's weakness. Family issues, the family business, such a tragedy. He licked his lips in excitement. "Safer, not entirely. Happier?" He raised his eyebrows, "come on. I would not sell you out or hurt you in any way. Maybe I'm just interested. Would that be so bad?" he got closer to whisper the last bit close to her ear before moving on. Hands in his pockets, he let out a deep exhale, turning around on his heels to watch her pretty back.
"I could use someone like you on my side. You don't need to trust me and.. no strings attached, alright? I'm just in for the ride, no need to keep us bound together for too long, unless..."
Hades set down his pen, the sound barely audible in the quiet office. His eyes remained on the document before him for a moment longer than necessary, not out of inattention, but because he was considering Hunter's words. When he finally looked up, his expression was composed. "Confidence," he repeated quietly. "Is that what you call it?" There was the faintest hint of humour in his voice, though it never reached his eyes. He leaned back in his chair, fingers steepled. "Power isn't something you keep, Hunter. It's something you earn, every single day. The moment you start believing it's yours by right rather than by competence..." He let the sentence hang, meaningful in its incompletion.
"As for heads eating each other…" Hades' smile was thin. "That's what separates governance from chaos. The structure. People knowing exactly what they can and cannot do." His gaze sharpened slightly. "Which is why your... services... remain valuable. Prevention is always more elegant than clean-up.” His eyes fell on the notebook in Hunter’s hand. “Do you have anything you’d like to share?”
He was right. Hunter hated how right Hades was. The Wolf had always believed himself to be above such things, above rules and hierarchies. The only rule he understood remained kill or be killed. Devour or be devoured. Yet, those rules didn't apply to those who had been fed Ambrosia with a golden spoon all their lives. "If you consider yourself competent enough to be mayor forever, I guess the alternative would be someone even better. Can't imagine who'd ever take your place, unless." The council seemed to be pretty... eager to stay in power. Who's to say one of those wouldn't reach for even more?
"Eh, there's some funny business down at the docks. Trades, none of which are approved from any of us. Let's just say I got ourselves a huge piece of that cake." He grinned, clearly happy with himself for what he'd achieved. "They'll smuggle and deal for us. We receive 20 % of all sales. 15 for you, 5 for me." More than enough to eventually rise higher, certainly enough to get away from the streets. "They do sell some really potent stuff. Any idea who might be behind that?"
Elinor took a deep sigh, both letting go of the frustration with their family and inhaling the relaxing scents of old, worn leather covers. It was just a flight of fancy; the teacher found they could never be mad at their situation for very long. Sometimes it just would've been nice to have a kooky, eccentric dad like Belle's, not one that quickly relocated his attention onto his new family...
"Oh, I'm just being factitious. Everyone has to take care of their parents once they reach a certain age," They leaned against the shelf - watching Belle meticulously organize the books did bring a slight form of comfort and a smile to their face. Maybe it came from many, many years of serving their household, but Elinor didn't feel particularly trapped most of the time. It was just stressful, and a little constricting, to never feel quite free, "I'm well, for the most part. Since I don't have classes and grading to worry about, I'm focusing on getting more involved with the city events. My father just always needs something new, yknow, so I’m definitely staying busy, even if school is out. How are your courses going?”
Belle sighed at that statement. She had to take care of her father sooner than anticipated. Not that she truly mind. Anything for her father, no matter the price, was worth it. Still, a part of her, hidden away, lacked freedom, being able to just be caught up in a new adventure, go out and live. Stuck with books, they'd become her whole obsession. Elinor's suggestion, however, did make her think. What if there was a possibility to start something completely new? To build something out of nothing just seemed like the best way to scratch that one itch she had to endure for the past few months. "Actually, we could always just put our two noggins together and actually brainstorm some more if you want to?"
She let go of the last book within the row by letting her finger drag along its spine to the bottom. "Oh, as in helping to organize everything? Or with your own booth? I love that. Well, don't be a stranger and get too busy, alright? My students are surprisingly diverse, as are their questions. Who knew you could discuss The Great Gatsby and jump right to Thousand Cranes to further analyze the dangers of Hedonism? Speaking of... this town might not be bad after all. Uh," she smiled, clearly a bit embarrassed, "I bumped into Adam the other day."
"The casino is my boss' turf," the dealer corrected, a detail that felt relevant to mention whenever Hunter was scheming something. Not that Lorcan really held much loyalty to the owners, but he didn't look forward to the whole 'kneecap breaking, sleeping with the fishes' talk either, so he tried to act as a good little worker bee for them. If they were going to split any money, Hunter would have to win it "fair and square" ( at least, as far as the security cameras could tell ).
"You could try, but roulette isn't really one that we can influence here. Craps has been doing pretty well tonight," Lorcan's second choice of game, because the probability game could actually be pretty fun when they weren't playing with loaded dice. If Hunter hopped over there after the shift swap, he might pull some cash, "Or you could take these, because I like a little friendly competition at my table."
Hunter hadn't said he wanted in the game, but the 8 and 9 cards Lorcan was sliding over to that side of the table was a strong suggestion.
"Your boss?" He let his eyes wander without lifting his head all that much. Hunter was... curious, to say the least, hungry for answers. Lorcan turned out to be a good source of information, intel if you will. Together they could at least keep each other in the know about certain underground events or politics even. "So I take it you have no real power here?" He wasn't being snarky, simply direct and calculating. He wondered how much he could get out of the casino, how much he could bleed them dry and get his own share without leaving a trace. No matter, at the end of the day he wasn't going to risk Lorcan's position nor health just for his own benefit. Hunter did have just a handful of friends; friends he cherished and protected.
"That's true. It's a high risk, high reward game. Not a fan." Hunter shrugged. He was looking for something easier, something more predictable. "Tell you what. If we play, we might as well go big tonight. We might be able to afford our own minions in no times. Not that they're extremely expensive, but who knows? Maybe your boss will be dethroned next."
Adam can't look away even as Belle rambles. It's still adorable. And she keeps glancing back over to her dad. Is she worried? Adam had never met him, though if he had, Adam definitely wouldn't have made a good impression.
He scowls. If anyone had thought she would've burned her own house down for insurance, they don't know Belle at all. He remembers her talking about growing up in that house. She never would have. And sacrificing her books?
He finally looks away as she tells him how she'd believed in him. He'd never deserved her hope.
"Yeah, I'd... yeah, we should meet up and talk more. Maybe... the pier?"
Had they ever had a date at the pier? He can't remember. Though they hadn't had a lot of "dates" so who knows?
A sense of belonging settled in her bones, surprisingly. Being the one to be pushed away, yet craving that same sort of attention... she watched the bakery in disbelief, quiet for a while, unsure whether to like that part of herself or not. After all, she was an outcast, just like him, in a way. Like a moth drawn to the flame, hoping to keep that same flame alive and well, burning, as a beacon of hope. His scowl immediately caught her attention. "They might call me odd or some sort of pyromaniac to help my father, but all of this pales in comparison to what I truly know about myself. I don't mind all that much." But when it came to her father or Adam, Belle got furious. How could they think of them as different, violent or tormented, when she'd seen goodness and compassion in both of them for the longest time?
"If you promise to behave?" Under one, simple condition. Belle already lead the way, unable to really look at her father, or the bakery, again. There were some things she just had to step away from for a while. Fidgeting with her fingers, rubbing them, holding them, Belle kept a steady pace, ignoring all others this time around. He made her nervous, in a good way, like being transported to the past, like watching a mirror image of herself, unable to stop that past self from repeating the same mistakes. He'd changed, didn't he? So, naturally, Belle believed things would be different. No wound would remain open forever. Wounds healed with enough care, with enough attention and love. "There's so much goodness in you. I always hoped you'd find your own way, even if others don't really get what you are. So, if you did change, then they're inclined to change their opinion." Belle shook her head, "what happened in order for you to change?"
Belle 🌹
Harriet was sort of used to being noticed when she walked in a room, though maybe that standard of living had changed ever since she moved out here. It was nice having down-to-earth friends like Jang-Mi, who weren't intimidated away from a snarky comment.
"Well, I thought just swinging a wrecking ball at your wall would be rude, it's always best to ask first," The red head gleaned, a little startled by the hug but not unhappy. Where Harriet grew up, greeting folks with a kiss on the cheek was common, but there wasn't any affection in it. Conversely, Jang-Mi's hugs felt soft as a flower petal.
"Yes, I think that's a real possibility. It's a little hard to throw events during the summer, taking into account the tourism and the hurricane season. I wouldn't want your lovely displays getting damaged," She thought for a moment, trying to take after Jang-Mi's eye for design, "Surely we don't have the scope for a Rose Bowl... But maybe something similar, highlighting small businesses and the like."
Jang-Mi huffed at the other woman's words. Always one hell of a woman, something she deeply admired about the other. Unapologetic, fun, exciting - she wondered if everyone saw her like this or if people avoided her at times for being too... her. Not everyone could handle this kind of confrontation or sass. Truth be told, Jang-Mi had grown into a protective role, someone who could stand up for herself. A necessary step after her mother's mistreatment, always being hidden away from the world, like something that could be sold to the best bidder, not once letting her roam free before that specific choice was made. Pathetic, really, maybe that's why she loved flowers so much: they represented nature's beauty, wrapped up in things, that grew regardless of conditions, through cracks on tarmac or hot places. No matter, they adapted, thrived.
"Actually, what are the chances of me becoming affiliated with a bridal boutique or any wedding planners? I think having a core list of suppliers would help with the overall satisfaction rate. With 5 % or more off," she shrugged. Cunning, that one, but she wanted to give her florist shop a fighting chance within Godscobh. "If they marry, who knows? You might be run over by clients soon," she laughed. Quite frankly Jang-Mi loved dark humor more than light hearted jokes.
The warmth of Belle’s embrace caught him a little off guard, but it was very, very welcome. He returned the embrace, allowing himself the moment of affection, despite not being used to it. Her enthusiasm was definitely rubbing off on him already, and a bright smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Belle, darling,” he smiled and took a step back to take her in. “You’re an absolute vision. I was just thinking this place really needed some proper literary sophistication.” He gave her a playful wink. He glanced towards the booth she indicated towards and nodded, eager to follow her. Honestly, Belle was one of few people he could follow to the ends of the earth without getting bored half-way.
He wasn’t sure if he liked the word expensive, knowing that his wallet didn’t have all that much contents, but he didn’t say that. Instead, he adjusted his emerald scarf, and gave her a nod. “Alright, let’s do it. But just know you chose this when I become insufferable about literature and art when I’ve been drinking.” He smiled at her, offering her his arm to hold. “Lead the way, darling.”
A real charmer, that one. Belle wasn't all that used to the good kind of compliments. Sure, there were enough men whistling, calling her names, asking for something only for her to politely direct the conversation to another direction or simply decline -- only to be met with hostility. Haneul had a way of speaking which immediately drew her closer, like he understood her language like no other could at the moment. "Thank you," despite her prior attempts not to engage in such talks, Belle understood the importance of just being kind, of accepting a compliment and not dismiss it. Instead, she let her hand glide to Haneul's back, gently rubbing his shoulder blade in gentle appreciation, "I can only give that compliment back to you. At least now I have someone who will understand the difference between Austen and Brontë or might just agree with me, that a cover's not as important as its story."
Laughing at his words, Belle simply nodded, "I hope that's a promise." Cheerfully taking his arm, she let him lead the way, "Come to think of it, we could grab something to eat along the way. I once read in a culinary guide, that bananas are berries, but strawberries aren't. Looks can be deceiving, as does popular opinion hinders us from letting the truth blossom." Laughing at her own trivia, Belle eventually pointed to one of the booths in the far back. "Candied grapes would fit so well right now. Or Crepes. Thoughts?"
Hades stopped mid-conversation when he heard his name. His smile faltered for a quick moment, but he soon recovered. He turned his gaze towards her. She looked exactly like he remembered her. If not a little more like a menace. His polite smile was back on his features before he spoke. “Jang-mi.” He said as a greeting, giving her a polite bow. “I wasn’t expecting to see you here.” His eyes swept over the floral arrangements surrounding them. Of course it was her work. He had been too busy charming donors to really notice before. Everything looked beautiful and vibrant, just the way it should for an event like this. “The flowers are…” He paused, searching for a word that wouldn’t give away just how affected he was by her presence. “You’ve outdone yourself.”
He glanced around at the other attendees, before excusing himself from the group, gesturing for her to come with him. “I wasn’t sure the decorator would be attending the event,” he said, his voice now a little sharper as he walked beside her away from the guests. “You’ve kept busy? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
Jang-Mi could feel herself move just a bit closer, one small, almost insignificant step closer, once he uttered her name, like a call from within. He had her undivided attention, as per usual. His magnetic self, paired with looks that probably would cause so many more to swoon, made Hades irresistible. To be honest if it wasn't for the flowers, Jang-Mi wouldn't have been here tonight, but given the opportunity, the cash, and now, seeing him... Jang-Mi furrowed her brows together, incapable of fully figuring out what they were. Probably on the worse end, off rather than on, on a break? A long break? A short one? A never ending one? "Thank you. They asked me to give a thorough explanation on how Godscobh-native benefitted our environment. Each flower and plant represents some form of biologic masterpiece on its own," Jang-Mi explained, casually pointing towards some of the various flowers. She locked eyes with him and dropped her hand immediately.
This wasn't about the flowers at all, was it? Jang-Mi, almost out of habit, suddenly considered herself unworthy of his presence. Despite their history -- her mother had managed to shelter her too much, giving the florist almost no opportunities to truly blossom on her own. Now that she did, even the smallest bits of admiration worried her. "I'm sure you'll understand, that I'm the busiest in Spring and Summer. I'm here now, so, we might as well," she stopped herself from saying anything completely horrendous. She rolled her eyes then, sighing in disbelief as she tried to form her thoughts, "to be honest, our seasonal... relationship, if you want to call that, just isn't something I can push aside and forget until you show up again, you know?"
Adam doesn't know what compelled him to even look in the direction of the noise let alone approach when he realized who it was.
But here he is, standing in front of Belle of people. The very person he swore to himself he'd leave well enough alone. He'd fucked up her life enough as it is. And apparently he wants to fuck it up even more.
He tilts his head toward Crumb Trail across the street. "I uh... the bakery used to be my parents favorite places to go."
He stuffs his hands into his slacks pockets. "I heard about the fire. I'm sorry. You're house was really beautiful." He'd never been inside but he'd seen the outside. It really was something special.
He feels so strange having her gaze on him again after all this time. Does he look the same to her? Does he look like that broken young man still?
"I'm... better," he says finally. "You?"
She could balance work, her father's health and her own social struggles perfectly well. They all seemed so... significant, yet the latter oftentimes happened to fall short for obvious reasons. Not that Belle herself did anything against that, in fact, she considered reading her only real outlet for the past few months, reading whichever book still available to her after the fire, able to escape for just a moment. Even now with her father being weak and working far too much for his own good, Belle managed to let her own desires slip through the cracks, accidentally, while meeting Adam. Lucky, to fill that gap with something so unattainable, so desirable. A perfectly imperfect piece in her puzzle, jagged and robust, yet completing her all the same.
Fidgeting with her dress, Belle followed his gaze towards the bakery, her eyes displaying her worry, as she was incapable of hiding her feelings whatsoever. "I'm so sorry, I should've known," she couldn't remember. Then again, she couldn't remember if he ever told her. She considered this to be a sign of strength, to, despite everything, return to a place so full of memory, good or bad, to tackle that feeling head on. "Thank you, uhm, some believe I've set that fire myself, to collect the insurance in order to manage. Most of my books perished, old copies, my diary," she stopped, sighing in anger, "I couldn't let my father's inventions burst into flames, they were unique." She'd chosen his possessions over her own, knowing, that every book could be relived inside of her head. Belle smiled. "I always believed you would feel better eventually," one hand reached for his arm, squeezing it ever so gently before letting it fall to her side again, "I never lost that hope." Belle checked on her father once more. Realizing he'd begun to work while sitting, the brunette simply sighed and turned around to her ex-boyfriend. "Busy, apparently," she laughed in disbelief, "if you want to, we could... talk, somewhere else? We have some catching up to do, especially considering you're feeling better. I'm relieved," her brows were furrowed together, relief clearly visible on her face, "things might've been difficult, but I kept thinking of you from time to time, hopefuly to hear from you and how you're doing, Adam."
Despite the school year being over, Elinor didn't really feel like things had slowed down much. They were still so busy with taking care of their father, and the whole mess with keeping up on the city council was enough to drive anyone crazy. Or at least, be the specific things needed to get under Elinor's skin.
"I think our dads need to start a book club together," Elinor thumbed along the row of books lining the library shelves, not really sure what they were looking for. Surely Belle would understand - she was probably even busier teaching summer semester and had a father she was close with. Although Elinor loved their dad, sometimes it was suffocating to even try to get out of the house, "That might make him call a little less, right?"
@bloodbovnd ( Belle )
Belle browsed through the books, rearranging them whenever needed just to feel better. The spine had to be in perfect condition, displayed with care. They all told their own little story, did they not? One unique and more adventurous than the other, transporting one's mind away, out of Godscobh, somewhere far away. "You really think my dad would be willing to trade his inventions for books? I could never take that away from him," she mumbled, but immediately smiled to apologize, "ever since my mom died, my dad really made sure to focus all his energy on me and his inventions, but it's an intriguing idea, I must give you that." Grabbing a copy of Don Quixote, Belle sighed and now fully turned towards Elinor.
"Elinor, if there's anything I can do to make things easier for you, please don't hesitate to ask. I mean, how have things been for you?" she just now realized how she'd aligned the spines to give them a sort of symmetry, almost to help Elinor.
Despite being relatively new to town, Harriet had grown quite the social circle here with all her outreach to local businesses and support groups for women in town. They were often professional relationships, the red head had a tendency to keep people at arms length, but every once in a while someone could break through that exterior of stoicism and grow a little warmth in Harriet's heart. And since she was such a wonderful florist, it was no wonder Jang-Mi grew on Harriet like a vine.
"Have you thought about opening up this wall a little more? It could expand that back storage and give you more display space," Harriet walked around the shop in clicking heels, taking in the scents, "I might be able to get a mural painted there, you never know."
@bloodbovnd ( Jang-Mi )
She'd been busy. With the seasons changing, Jang-Mi could always anticipate which occasions would appear more often. The Winter was notorious for deaths, while spring and summer was famous for its weddings. In any case, she decorated her shop accordingly, displaying more flowers with special meanings according to the more common occurrence. Fall usually allowed her to mix them up, switch things, just fully focus on decay and display the variety of both. Halloween, too, and how beautiful some flowers behaved as they slowly died. Finishing her last bouquet, Jang-Mi placed it into a lilac vase, contrasting the yellow flowers perfectly. Now, upon hearing Harriet enter, heels clicking against the floor, Jang-Mi fully relaxed and greeted her with a welcoming smile.
"A 'hi' would've also worked," she grinned from ear to ear while stepping away from the bouquet to hug her, even for just a moment. "Is that an offer? I might be able to do that, actually," she let her finger brush over her lower lip, focusing on what could be. "I could use some funds, especially town run events. Hey, if you have a deal for me, I'm all ears. I could definitely use the extra money. So, you got something for me?"
Trust and friendship weren't too common in Lorcan's line of work, especially when he was only biding his time at the casino until he could find a way out. Of course there was always the possibility he'd impress someone and get a rank up in the place, but anyone's "good opinion" of him was really only based on his merit at a little worker bee. For now, they were content to keep him counting cards and raking in cash in the evenings.
"Deal in?" Lorcan nodded in Hunter's direction, a little surprised to see him patrolling the casino floor. Probably just looking for the next little old lady to scam... But hey, no judgements.
@bloodbovnd ( Hunter )
He was keeping himself busy. Wearing his best, and only, suit, Hunter eyes each player with curiosity. Counting cards, trying to see if he found out any tells, he relentlessly looked for ways to get through another night. The wolf wasn't the only person to have an eye on the price, so he immediately had an idea in mind.
"You know, the casino's your turf. I'd be willing to share 50/50, considering you provide the... scenery." He licked along his teeth, predatory, eager, "there's a guy at 5 o'clock putting it all on red. If I play along, lose a few rounds, we might get him to go all in." Hunter leaned towards Lorcan, "what do you say, friend?"
