if you only knew what we've been up to

How intriguing. That the little creature had given into that sin so very young. A smile had curved upon the edges of the archfiend's lips, seemingly a gentle touch to show that they had been listening. Yet, it wasn't that small fact that they were interested in. No, they were enthralled by how easily the human had seemingly won the game. It almost had them wondering if he had cheated. If there were some other form of magic at play, something that Mammon hadn't yet taken note of. "I'm new to town," simple words offered, as his gaze had remained upon the other. Ever fixated, ever watchful. If a careful eye were not fixed upon the human, then how would Mammon know how he had accomplished what he had. Fingers had tapped against the felt beside their own cards, faced down as the game intended. Though, there had been no care to which cards had been dealt to the demon themself. Winning the game had not been of any interest to them. That smile, however, returned as the human requested yet another card. The smell of greed was in the air. Fingers flipped over the next card, slipped it against the felt once more, "What is your name?"

"No, I've already decided on the frog. It's fitting; call it a personality thing." Raffaele said playfully, Catriel had some feline energy but his friend deserved better than living in a swamp or burying his shit in sand. "His name is Caradoc; you'll have to ask him." Witches and their secrets, Raffaele epitomized this. "This feels like an interrogation, I didn't know you were coming over to try and haul me in for questioning."

Catriel offers a shrug and he's like, half sorry because there's so much about this whole 'magic exists' thing that he just doesn't know about. "Sorry, I just never know who to talk about it all with." Glancing down, he looks to chipped purple nails and he should have redone them before going out. While he likes Raffaele, while he's glad he's told him, there's a level of life now where everything feels somewhat uncertain that makes him realize why the supernatural doesn't expose themselves. It's a lot to take whether you're excited about it or scared. "It's interesting, you know? Makes you look at people differently." Literally everyone. Was that guy just hot or a vampire? Was that other guy a bear or a literal werewolf?

"I've played since I was a kid." At the table with his mother's boyfriend and his friends. And then he'd taught friends so they could all play together and then once he'd gotten older and realized that there were entire establishments dedicated to this kind of thing, he was enamored. "I can't say I've ever seen you here before, but I usually stick to the slots." There's something about being under the dark gaze that feels....It's not like people didn't watch him play cards, that was all kind of the point, analyzing your opponent. This feels less like strategy and more like genuine interest though. It occurs to Catriel in the moment that he wants to be interesting for this person, he's never that for anyone. Or at least surrounded by supernatural, he is always the least interesting in the room, which makes him wonder what on earth this person across the table from him must be. The mundane to the extraordinary would be extraordinary. The card set between them is a three and that's fortunate, that bodes well. "Hit."

"I heard the local ponds are nice in the spring, you can find yourself a nice dude toad to squeeze the eggs out of you." Catriel seemed like he'd be the type, then again, who wasn't? Besides Epimetheus Raffaele wasn't sure if he knew anyone who wouldn't be down to get plugged, squeezed, and glucked. "Ask a specific question, get a specific answer. There's also snakes, dogs, cats. Pick your poison, and I'll pick up the tonic that'll get the job done." It was obvious that Raffaele was being flippant, but he was still of the school of thought that there was a reason why humans should be kept away from this stuff. Catriel was more likely to get hurt if he was sniffing around things he shouldn't be.

"I could be a cat." The frog dream seemed great until the eggs were mentioned, he didn't think he could take care of children, he doesn't even think he's particularly good at taking care of himself. "Sleep all day, perhaps catch some mice." Catriel takes a second to actually consider such a thing before deciding that it wouldn't really be fair to his roommates. "What's your familiar?" He asks as he goes back to adding just the tiniest bit of eyeliner to his lower waterline. "You've got one, right?" Didn't all witches? Wasn't that some big perk?

The people around them disperse until it's just the two of them at the table. it's the dealer having no issue being waved away that gets him feeling somewhere between curious and nervous. A game of Blackjack was always played between a patron and the house but he had a feeling he might be playing against thee actual house. Or at least someone very important. The nerves dissipate when the man deals out a hand and Catriel picks it up. The two cards equal eight, that's not entirely terrible, he can work with that. And he can pretend that there hadn't been the slightest bit of emphasis on the word and something occurs to him. That maybe he's read this all wrong and he's not about to be humiliated, he's being hit on. "Not often, it's more of an indulgence." He makes a point of shuffling the cards in his hand back and forth, eyes meeting the other man's over the top of them. "Hit."

The flat was lovely, a gift from Jian because his dad was supportive, whereas Kaan had always been strict about the whole no strangers in this house thing. Given Raffaele's proclivity to leaving the door unlocked and posting ads for anonymous sex online, having his own little nest downtown was convenient. It was convenient, given Raffaele's change in relationship status; his old lifestyle was a thing of the past now. "Why? Mundane humanity getting tiring?" Raffaele didn't know who he was outside of being a witch; magic was something that he'd been born with. It was the thing that had been with him the longest and was his longest-standing relationship. "I can turn you into a frog if you want; that's a real thing."

"Do frogs have to pay rent?" It's deadpan and he thinks that life wouldn't be so bad as a frog. You hang around a pond, you eat some flies, that's it, that's that. No rent, no electric bill, no wifi, no Netflix subscription. Maybe Raffaele would keep him or something, give him a nice little enclosure, spritz some water on him from time to time. "I hear things, there's all these new things around." Catriel waves a hand dismissively, as if he's not totally interested in what the witch has to say. "Every day something seems to get weirder."

Something about the whole thing feels very formal, as if he's signing something away and he's not quite sure how to feel about such a thing. There's rules to playing cards, courtesy you extended to other players, and it'd be outright rude of him to not give someone a chance to win back their money. Yet there's something about how this guy seems almost amused by the whole ordeal that has Catriel wondering if he was never going to win this one in the first place. But he's being given some leeway here by being able to choose the game. "Blackjack, you deal." There's a casual confidence to it that's all for show, it's a game he's good at and that's enough for him to feel like even if he loses, he's given it a fair shot.

Greed nestled within the heart of even the most devout. Money, luxuries, even something as simple as more time. It wafted off any who should pass him, even before that need seemed to amplify within them. Over and over again, Mammon had seen it, been witness to it as they fell into the circle of their domain. And though the Inferno no longer caged him, why should he not find cause to further that sin within them? That simply begged to be released at long last. The casino had been perfect, flashing lights that drew even the most skeptical of moths to it. One steps towards the doors of Babylon, and that dormant want within them shifted itself to the surface. Drawn towards the archfiend who stood just beyond the doors, with a waiting hand that beckoned them closer.

It should have been expected, in all honesty he was lucky he was only getting disgruntled grumbles from everyone else. Those at the table seem to easily bow out, disperse from the table and Catriel thinks he has potentially made a terrible mistake. At least on the slots, you could win a decent amount, but never enough that the house seemed to care all that much. This guy though? With those deep set dark eyes that seem to glance over the table, the money, like it isn't that big of a deal to him. Something in his stomach twists under that gaze but he can't say no. On account of it would be both poor sportsmanship and cowardly to just bow out. Thirdly, the idea of doubling the pile of chips in front of him would mean his rent portion would be taken care of and maybe he'd be able to upgrade his phone finally. "Make it worth my time, triple it." It's not entirely cocky, it's mostly casual, he's good at bluffing. To other humans, at least.