starkilld:
to expect anything in this place is to already mark yourself as a worthy victim, a likely candidate for the bamboozling and otherwise easy pickings which went on in a city of this magnitude. thus, it was soon apparent to hux himself that to assume the outcome of any interaction was to tread far too boldly, this from a man whom only ever saw his end result as a victory. he could not fail. it simply was not on the table at all. the grand welcome of such a vibrant man, well he went along with it despite how questionable it seemed, how the grandeur of it played with the idea of an elegant folly far from than it did scream renowned businessman. but, after all, he knew businessmen were hardly always so cleanly described as such. even great mobsters on the outer rim stretch might refer to themselves as businessmen after all.
“ no. i’m quite alright. “ he offered, handing over his accompanying case as he entered the room. even with the dimly playing music, the click of smart, order-regulation heeled boots rang out like a harsh echo throughout the room. he appeared so out of place beside the roll of visual greed; the marketplace of a sin he had only played once or twice before, youth a blessing for that sort of thing whilst his adult life was anything but. he was brought up, you see, to not be much of a gambler. he placed trust in logic after all. in the guns he held, in the weapons he forged from living boys. not in magic. not in dreams and ideas. but he found that his rejection to play went ignored, the seat still open for him as he approached. “ i’m not one for betting, really. “ he decided to voice it, eyes flickering to the pair to rival his own wicked gaze.
what did he think about that man, honestly? he sported the same shade of flame red atop his head but their mannerisms could not have polarised more. the general clad entirely in black, a degree of smartness which only a military man might claim, whilst the other appeared so elaborate, a snake with a skin of shifting shades and exciting patterns. but he knew better. he’d seen that type before, over and over. deals were done with men like this, the kind of deals that went off-record, out of sight. now that was something he was used to. “ i doubt i even know the rules of the game — what is it that you’re playing here? “ he takes careful note of the chips within the centre of the table, promising himself not to fall astray and lose sight of his purpose there.
he glances round, to meet the eyes of ‘ the criminal ‘ as if cementing his interest with mere looks. “ if this is some rouse to swindle me, i’ll have to reconsider our terms — “
Roman was swift to assume responsibility for the case the other had so graciously delivered, reflecting quietly upon the promising weight of his contents whilst humoring the redhead’s concerns. However, empathy had never been a key component of Roman’s core nature, and he gave a scathing sort of scoff when the other debated his abilities aloud.
“Not a gambler, hm?” Roman reiterated, closing the door behind him with a loud snap. “If that were even remotely true then you wouldn’t be caught dead in a place like this.” He further chided before taking a seat adjacent to the game, his own chair at the table remaining conspicuously absent in anticipating Hux’s pending occupancy. So did the mobster permit a short interlude in which he evidently expected their prim guest to make himself at home, placing his cigar again between his lips before popping the case seated in his lap.
Cards were shuffled impatiently in the backdrop, a sweet chorus of ice cubes rocking against the walls of crystalline glasses bridging the silence as Roman conducted a swift initial estimate of the generous donation contained within. Although it was eventually broken by the gruff interruption of a player; one among many of the men Roman had once upon a time counted among his crew. Granted, that dynamic had since shifted upon his return, with Roman again left to claw his way back into a place of prominence within the underworld’s hierarchy.
“Poker night.” The man clarified, his slow exhale to follow only contributing to the distinct haze of smoke which clouded the room. “Only...ya need some collateral.”
“Let him take over my hand. To hear him tell it, he’s got a level enough head on his shoulders not to squander my earnings.” Again the redhead chipped in from his place partly concealed behind the case. Though a peek around it would avail one of the wad of bills through which gloved fingers rippled absentmindedly as he spoke.
“Though, if he loses it...well, we’ll have to think of something, now won’t we?” A smile was an inherently disarming expression-- yet when Roman affixed his guest with it now there was no warmth which emanated from behind pallid green eyes. If anything the phrase sounded something akin to a threat, reinforced by the hand of one of Roman’s cohorts which fell upon Hux’s shoulder, seeking to physically coerce him into taking the open seat.
“Relax, Red. What’s the worst that could happen?”
