#kingofcardsx

BLINKS ARE DONE SINGLY; staggered. With lids so heavy, Rudo is unsure how he keeps them open at all. His cheeks challenge his irises for the reddest feature. Perhaps downplaying it was not in the cards, given that his entrance into the mess hall involved him crash landing into his breakfast. To make matters worse, he was the last to arrive, which only exacerbated his embarrassment.

Even now, as he slumps at the table. Responding to pressure in his palm is like wading through molasses. His eyes drift to the capsule. Directing them up forces them closed. The lights are too much, even with this figure eclipsing some of them. After three — all failed — attempts to pluck the pill from his palm, Rudo lazily chucks it in and swallows it dry.

Raindinners presented itself as a space for relaxation. A place to get away from the chaos of the world, to sip a drink, to take in a show, to throw your cares away and let yourself win! Guests came in, got themselves lost amongst the rows upon rows of machines and tables, unable to find the exit once they made their way in. That was the way Crocodile had designed it, and it had been doing him well for the years. He rarely walked the floors himself, save for when he needed to go to his offices or private spaces, but this day he had made an exception.

Someone was winning too much.

It had been seemingly constant wins for two hours. His dealers were buzzing the office about the possibility of trouble, but the games had continued, and he kept losing berri. An invitation had been made for being so damned lucky- come to the VIP lounge! Rest your feet! Try out the harder tables! The more skilled tables!

       Not  too  often       did  stumbling  upon  another  pirate  mean  anything  else  than  sizing  them  up   ;   soon  followed  by  causing  chaos.  Violence.  A  ritual  the  feline  got  used  to  in  their  time  on  the  Punk.  It  is  neutral  places  like  this  where  outlaws  could    (  for  once  in  a  while  )     forget  the  trouble  or  drink  themselves  into  a  coma.  Whatever  happens  first.

   Across  a  few  tables,  ice-blue  depths  followed  a  large  man   ;   and  she  might  even  recognize  him  from  the  bounty  posters.

       ❝  That  is  rather  fascinating  .  .  .  ❞       A  tilt  of  head,  a  murmured  observation  meant  for  her  own  ears  before  the  mink  excused  herself   &   left  her  crew's  table.

Was  it  wise  to  mingle  with  strangers  in  a  place  like  this     ?    Insane,  perhaps.

But  the  sight  of  the  stranger's  wings  began  to  occupy  Linn's  head  more   &   more,  the  longer  she  was  in  the  presence  of  him.  Something  about  cats   &   birds.

     ❝  Excuse  me,  Mister.  I  was  wondering  if  you  could  spare  a  minute  of  your  time  for  some  questions    ?  ❞      The  doctor  opted  for  a  polite  tone,  so  silent  it  was  barely  noticeable  among  the  volume  surrounding  them.  Her  goals  were  embarrassingly  selfish    –    She  never  met  someone  from  Skypiea.

MEME ACCEPTING

ft. chiyo