"Well, last time I left the house for a few casual games of chance, I lost my eyesight and almost died from that gang of ruffians. You sure this night isn't going to be rowdy?" She says with a bit of smirk.
"Still, I've got a bit of coin left that I wouldn't mind losing. Worst case scenario, I'll make a bit more, right? And, if I remember correctly, you're something of a devil when it comes to gambling. You had a winning streak a mile long before things turned ugly. I'll just stick close to you." She says, playfully.
Give her some time to get ready and grab her betting money, and then she'll head with you wherever you'd like to go. Sorry about the delay, I missed this response.
“A couple of days isn’t so bad, I guess. One can’t expect a miraculous re-opening after what just took place. However, I’m running kinda short on funds here.” Sam takes a moment to evaluate Bexilarius’ proposal.
“Bex, I don’t know what you have in mind, but the last time I escorted you somewhere, I ended up covered in someone else’s blood. That’s not a trend I’d like to repeat. However, I trust you. I trust in your strength. This is gonna sound a little flighty, but….you’re solid. You know? Sturdy. And it’s not just your confidence. I feel like you are the kind of person that just being around helps pull things together. I know my life has certainly got a bit more stable since you’ve been around.” She trails off near the end, looking slightly embarrassed.
“What I’m trying to say is, if you’ve got a plan, it must be a good one. And I’m in.”
Bexilarius
"A hundred paces, sure. A thousand paces, great. Another part of the world? God-like." Sam shakes her head, as if leaving a thought behind. "It's not even about blasting or frying at all! Who knows what the thing was for? I'd love the chance to find out, though. And there's only one way to get close to the thing and the years of research already done on it. I hate those mages, but I have to get in there."
"Still, money is money, and I'd like to be making some sooner rather than later. Any word from Saul on when the Goblin is gonna open again?"
Bexilarius; It's easy enough to track Sam down. She's in her small apartment. When she answers the door, she's wearing clothes this time. She's wearing thing reading glasses as well, and has a thick book tucked neatly under her arm.
"Bex! Good to see you. I wanted to thank you again for your help in getting me a job at the Goblin; I'm sure you put in a good word for me, but I hope I made it clear enough that the job is temporary. In proper bureaucratic style, I'm waiting desperately to hear from those stuck up mages."
She invites you in to her place and clears off her little table of writing supplies, putting out some fruit and a half-finished bottle of wine to share. When you ask her about any other leads she has, she simply shakes her head. "I don't really know any other mages in town. They're so tight-lipped and insular at the guild. Anyone who's not in the guild has a hard time breaking the ice with those crew. And the town itself is not exactly brimming with non-associated wizards. If you're not part of the Guild of Cyphers, why in the hells would you be in this dump of a town otherwise?"
As Larur continues chatting, plates piled with a number of things begin floating out toward you. One particular plate of bread and stinky cheese floats, dancing almost, under Bexilarius's nose.
With a bust of laughter coming from the kitchen, the plate drops on table, somewhat noisily, though intact.
A few more plates with food come floating out, dancing around the four of you. Larur simply shakes his head, but Beyar cheers when he sees that four more tankards of ale come floating out on a tray as well.
Samaritha smiles coolly as she follows them, her one hand directing them, and her other holding a large glass of red wine.
"Dinner is served, gents. And another round of cheers to the Gold Goblin from here on out. I know we can make it work, let's just try to have a little less violence on the game-floor! I don't know if I can stomach any more severed limbs."
Sam moves beside Lief and Bex, addressing both of them more closely.
"I'm so relieved that I could get some work here. I was almost ready to pack up and head back to Magnimar. I could be waiting to get into the Cypherlodge for the next thirty years the way they process things there. I find it hard to believe that a woman of my talents can not find an apprenticeship there. I hate to say it, but some of those mages could probably be apprenticed to me, if the tables were turned." She practically finishes her wine over the course of a few generous sips.
Sam rolls her eyes at Bexilarius. "Hey, I got hired on as a waitress, not a cook." she quips. "I'll rustle up something, but that's only because I'm hungry too."
She takes Marzielle by the hand again into the kitchen, and there is some giggling after a while. She responds to Lief's suggestion to join them from the other room; "Sure! We'll grab something to drink while we're back here!"
"Bex!", Sam exclaims, striding over to the group of you, taking the other girl reluctantly by the hand. "So great to see you here. And I guess I'll be seeing a bit more of you this way." she winks. "This is Marzielle. She's going to be around too." Not forgetting herself, she bows respectfully to the others. "How do you do. My name is Samaritha Beldusk, originally of Magnimar."
The tail-end of their conversation can be heard as they walk down the stairs. "Well, congratulations are in order, I guess. You handled yourself well in there. I don't think it's just Saul's desperation for workers at all, I think he legitimately wanted to hire you. Oh, and by the way, I could definitely teach you a little spell to bring some colour to those cheeks. And to make you smell a little better."
When Bexilarius goes to leave the room, he's hit in the back of the head with a soft pillow. "You tease!" she laughs, playfully. When he's truly on the other side of the door, she adds, yelling: "Just don't get yourself killed, Bex!"
Laughing, she slaps away Bexilarius' hand, and pushes him backward on the bed. Climbing on top of him, she pins his arms to the bed and leans in to kiss him. "Game? I think I had enough games last night to last me for a while."
Unceremoniously throwing her robe the ground, she adds; "But I do need some work. Anything really, until I get some kind of break up with the Cyphers." Gently rubbing her fingers across Bexilarius' horns, she studies him for a moment. "I'm happy to hear that you've made such a splash. Geez, you walk in there to make some lucky coin, and you walk out with a partnership. Who else is involved? What's their story? Do you trust them? Do you trust Saul? I get the feeling that he's a bit of a slime....Look. I'll come work for you as long as I don't have to do any of this security nonsense. And as long as I don't have to run the games. I'd rather be a waitress or bartender. I've got the looks to make the tips, and it's not the same as sleeping with strangers for coin.", she winks.
Bexilarius; "Of course I'm going to invite you in.", she says, with a sweep of one hand. The other hand is desperately keeping her robe together.
She's got a number of things sprawled out on her bed; in these cramped spaces, the bed serves the additional role of a desk. Books scattered about, and a warm pot of tea close by, she takes a seat on the bed.
"I was planning on hiding away from the world today, as you can see. Last night was awful. I would have preferred to stay blind. When I could see again....that woman...the crazy woman, she was whirling her sword around. She cut a man's arm off! And the blood...." She moves a hand up in front of her mouth.
"It's something I've not been able to deal with since I was a kid. I've got no stomach for that sort of thing, really. Of course, I've never really been face to face with that kind of thing, either."
"Regardless, I was thinking of heading back in there at some point today. You know, coming face to face with my fears and all. I need to cash in these chips. Do you think it's too late?"
"What is it you're doing here, anyway, if not to poke fun at the puking girl?"
Bexilarius; Sam jumps up to answer the door, only wearing a loose-fitting robe. When she sees you, she opens the door, though her face turns bright-red. Sheepishly, she averts her eyes; "Come to embarrass me about last night?", she asks.
At the sight of the dismembered thug, flailing his bloody spray, Sam heaves, spraying her surroundings with what was previously her dinner. Shaking, she runs out of the Gold Goblin.
"From what I hear, you and I are one of the hottest couples tonight. In gambling terms, anyway. Let's turn up the heat, I say. I could stand to win a few more games, here."
The outcomes of the two bounder games are a win and a loss, leaving Bexilarius back where he started.
Spying the whole room, he sees Sam sitting at one of the Golem tables. She seems to be giggling playfully, the strap on her dress falling a couple times as she laughs. She's working the whole crowd.
Seeing you, seeing her, she blows a kiss in your direction.
Wins of 1cp, 2sp7cp, 1sp7cp, and 1sp3cp. Time to start betting gold, perhaps?
Your opponents begin thinning out as your winning streak continues. In a break between games, Sam's newly familiar perfume greets you, followed by two soft arms that wrap around your neck.
Leaning in to whisper;"I hope you're doing as well here as I am. I've already got my first badge." She takes the opportunity to bite his earlobe a little, playfully.
"I'm going to try some other games to play for a bit. Don't want to draw too much attention to myself as the girl who can't lose. Even the halflings are nervous."
"Well, I was thinking of something where I could use my talents to their best advantage. That Skiffs game looks interesting. I just have to make sure all the pieces land where I want them to. Like taking candy from a baby." She runs her hand down Bexilarius' chest, gently. "You play whatever you want, I'll be back soon. I need my fortune if I'm going to play against you."
"The bar, of course. Then to get some chips. I heard our first drink's free, so I'm making it a triple. I'm saving my money for gambling. You want one too?"
Sam strides off and brings back beverages pretty shortly after.
"Ah, I think it's starting.", she says, pointing to some men carrying large torches.
Sam catches her breath after their last roll, and stumbles out of her bed. Clearly a little shaky in the knees, she goes over to a washbasin and cleans herself.
"Listen, I don't want to be late. I'm just going to put a little makeup on, some better jewels, something a little revealing, and then I'll be good to go."
She slips into a silken black dress; it's loosely fitted, and backless. A strong wind may dislodge it completely, but she wears it with confidence.
Attaching a couple pretty diamonds in her ears, and one in her nose, she's a single cantrip away from smelling like fresh roses.
Reaching over, she grabs Bexilarius' hand, and pulls him out the door.
They head to the Golden Goblin Gambling Hall to find a throng of people waiting to get in. There's a queue, and apparently all must sign a waiver to get inside.
"Just great. It's going to rain, I can tell. And we're going to get stuck here waiting for these brains to read the damn thing."
"Do I look like some naive country girl searching for the man of my dreams to sweep me off my feet? You fit the tall, dark, and handsome bit, but do I look like I'm planning to settle down? I'm going places, and you're just along for the ride."
Sam pulls Bex into her again, and the two tumble for quite some time. Now that both of them put their true intentions out in the open, they are able to pursue each other with renewed vigour. Not held up by expectations or commitment, they give in to pure passions.
Mrs. Thatcher has given up any notion she had of focusing on her flowers this afternoon.
Sam mutters a couple words, and her hand begins to glow. She runs it's glowing tip all over his body, pausing at all the sensitive places.
She magically cools, and then warms the spot, in quick succession, sending waves of sensation through his scars and through his nipples; she tugs on his remaining clothing before sending her own to rest on a pile on the floor.
She pulls him onto her with no consideration for decency or decorum. She's no stranger to desire, and she's felt his eyes on her since he entered the Publican.
She wraps her arms around him as they roll; she delicately traces and fingers the scars and wounds on his back, and the horns on his head.
"We all have scars", she manages to say, through panting and moaning.
For a time, they are as one. She certainly has skill; it sets her apart from all the other cloistered mage types that this town is so full of. The girl's lived a little.
She rolls Bexilarius onto his back, pinning his arms against the bed. She's in control for the finish, as she furiously grinds against him. She doesn't let up when he begins to tremble, and lets out a scream when she comes that terrifies Mrs. Thatcher, the old flower lady, below.
Legs still wobbly, she goes over to a small box on her dresser and produces two rolled cigarettes of a sweet smelling substance. Tossing one to Bexilarius, she snaps her fingers and both are lit.
"We don't want to be late for the tournament, do we?"
Sam leads Bexilarius down through the wharf district, and into a grimey little building. A fruit vendor operates out of the lower half of it, while a rickity staircase leads to a small room above it; this is what Sam calls home.
She cracks open the door, and motions for Bexilarius to follow her inside. The room is fairly dark; the one window into the place has long been covered in mud. An owl sits on a perch, eyes closed.
She moves over to beside her bed, and lights both candles, and incense. The light created by the flickering flames illuminates a large leather bound book that is lying on the bed. She moves it under a pillow, and pulls a large blanket over the whole thing.
Good roll. Bex is sure she has got some baggage; as a half-breed, far away from home, out on her own, there's bound to be a story. But it doesn't seem to be holding her down, or back. She seems pretty open. Maybe even a little naive. She probably hasn't been in this town long enough to have her heart broken yet.
Sam likewise downs her wine and looks at him coyly, "Well mister! I can't be getting too drunk, or I won't be able to win a thing tonight. I think I should....I think...I should probably get going soon. Maybe freshen up. What do you think?"
"Of course I'm going to the Gold Goblin tonight. Watch this."
Sam begins to pout, and look disaffected. Lazily, she rests her face on her hand.
"Oh, woe is me. I'm just a little girl. I don't know how to gamble like all the big men."
She leans on her tattoo, her whole hand covering it.
"I guess I'm just going to have to sit here, and be distracting."
She lifts her other hand, and pretends to be checking her nails, absently. In reality, she's floating all manner of objects over to her, somewhat discretely. Soon enough she has a little pile of mugs, bits of chalk, a couple coins, and some other clutter piled around her and Bexilarius.
"Now", she says, leaving character, "replace all this junk with gambling tokens, and we have a little strategy. Gambling is a combination of skill and luck, sure. But I think I'd rather rely on the skill, than the luck portion."
Sam looks him up and down. "I could teach you a few things, I'm sure. You handled that pretty well. Not all my secrets are hidden away in tattoos, Bex."
Bexilarius enjoys watching Sam's face change rapidly between expressions. She's following onto his every word, and he's leading her around in circles.
He can notice her skin start to blush a little, and she begins to smile more and more.
"Horns? Are you kidding me? Look at my ears!", she draws attention to her half-elven heritage, pulling her hair away for Bexilarius to see, and perhaps enticing him a little with her soft neck, "Do you have any idea what kids'll do to someone like me? Well of course you do. But we both know the outcome of something like that. You grow a little stronger. And hey, scars are great. They mean you've experienced something. You've done something. You know?"
She reaches for Bexilarius' hand, and brings it to her face. "Sometimes there's power in a scar." She has him trace his finger along the scar/tattoo along her face, his rough fingertip following every curve and twist in the design. Bexilarius can feel a little tingle flow through him as he completes the circuit.
She lets go of his hand. "Now, you should feel a little tingle in your finger. Concentrate on that, don't let it go. Okay? Now, try using your finger to float something. Here, this." She tosses a copper piece onto the bar. "I know it sounds silly, but try to make that tingle extend into the coin, and float it. You can do it."
Bex is under the effect of the spell Mage Hand until he drops Concentration.
"Well met, Bexilarius." Sam leans in close to whisper: "In truth, I'm a Cyphermage. I saw the sign on the way in; I know I'm not supposed to be in here, but I can't help going where I'm told not to. That's the whole thing with being a Cyphermage, right? Uncovering and using secret knowledge, no? Either way, I'm not a fully fledged member yet."
The proximity of her lips to Bexilarius' ear causes little vibrations to tickle it, while she speaks; her perfume wafts over him. Sitting upright and normally in her chair, she takes another drink.
"I came here a few weeks ago when I first heard about the Cypergate. I thought it was interesting enough, but now that I get here, everyone is so distracted by this Blot thing, they don't have time for an apprenticeship. But now I'm running out of money. I saved up a fair bit of coin in order to afford travelling here, but it's running out. I may just have to return to Magnimar, and write it all off to experience. I need money, but in this town, a girl like me would have to throw any morality I had out the window in order to get some decent pay."
She brushes some of her large red-hair away, revealing an intricate and beautiful tattoo on part of her face and neck. The tattoo is a combination of ink and scarring; it spirals and dances across her face, and seems to draw Bex's gaze into it.
"What about you? What's your story? How can you afford such expensive drink?"
The woman coughs a little when Bex orders such an expensive wine, and full-on spits out her own drink when he suggests that she join him.
Wiping her face, she turns to Bexilarius; "What, just like that? Is that really all you think it takes to court me? What kind of call girl do you think I am?"
She rolls her eyes; "Don't you know? The real way into a girl's heart is by being an obnoxious blowhard, and yelling and stomping on top of a table. Obviously."
She giggles and looks at Bex, checking him up and down, before extending her hand to him. Smiling she adds; "I'm Sam, by the way."
