ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ʙʟᴏᴏᴅ, ɢᴜᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ᴄʜᴏᴄᴏʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴄᴀᴋᴇ.

[innominata]

Date & Time: This afternoon
Location: A bar.
Characters: "Cat" and you.
Summary: Little girl hangs out at age-appropriate locations. Because that's how she rolls.


[ The girl sits at a table near the door. She has a good view of it and of the rest of the locale. She kicks her feet idly as she eats. The chair is too high for her to touch with anything but the very tip of her toes—and then only if she strains.

The owner had not been too pleased when she first began to frequent it, but she had not caused trouble and had money and had widened her eyes and jutted her lower lip and he had caved. Sometimes now he will even let her have a small cup of watered beer. She smiles and is sweet and he'll sit at the table with her when there aren't many patrons and entertain her with stories.

People like to hear themselves talk.

At the moment, she is alone. Her cup is near empty as is her plate. She takes her time. It is always cold and wet outside; she hung her cloak to dry on the chair beside her.

She shuffles a deck of cards one-handed. She has been practicing every day. The cards are as much an extension of her hands as her sword. ]

Comments

[innominata]

[ She holds out her hand expectantly. ]

[solitaire]

_{( He keeps coins on him, always, because they're more fun to have around that the Initiative's currency cards. He tosses some in the air, one by one, and they land on the table next to her hand, in a perfect stack. )}

[innominata]

[ She picks them up, rubbing them between her fingers. They disappear in her hand; she'll save the questions for later. She fans out the deck for him. ]

Pick a card.

[solitaire]

_{( He picks one out of the middle with two fingers, glancing at it once before waiting for her next step. )}

[innominata]

Put it back.

[ After he does, she shuffles the deck. ]

How did you do the trick with the coins?

[solitaire]

_{( He watches the motions with an expert eye, then laughs. )}

Years a' practice.

_{( But while he says that he flicks his thumb upwards in the same movement he used before-- demonstrating the technique. )}

[innominata]

How did you get them all to stack like they did?

[ She cuts the deck and flips over the topmost card. It's his. Her smile is knowing. ]

[solitaire]

It's a secret. <sub>( But not one he's entirely unwilling to share.

He glances at the cards and chuckles, though nodding to show he's impressed. )</sub>

Nicely done, fille.

[innominata]

I can keep secrets.

[solitaire]

Well, sharin' them can't be done like this.

_{( He pulls out a chair at her table, waiting to see if she waves him off before sitting. )}

Name's Gambit. _{( He extends a hand. )}

[innominata]

[ She stares without comprehending. ]

Do you want something?

[solitaire]

Ah, never mind.

_{( He retracts his hand sheepishly. )}

Got a name, fille?

[innominata]

Yes.

[ There's no reason for being a brat other than being a brat. ]

[solitaire]

_{( He barks out a laugh. )}

Well-played. Alright, I won't ask again.

[innominata]

I'll give you mine if you give me yours.

[solitaire]

Just said, didn't I? Gambit. _{( Which is a truer name than Remy, in some respects. )}

[innominata]

Your parents named you Gambit?

[solitaire]

_{( A shrug. )} If I ever meet 'em, I'll be sure ta ask.

[innominata]

You don't know them?

[solitaire]

Not the ones that would've given me life, no.

_{( He spreads his arms as he says that, very disparagingly. But he's smiling. )}

[innominata]

[ It's okay. She doesn't care. ]

You a bastard?

[solitaire]

_{( He raises one brow. )}

I was an orphan. Now I'm old an' none a' that seems ta much matter, anymore.

[innominata]

[ She shrugs. ]

I guess.

[solitaire]

You think it matters?

[innominata]

Others think so. I don't care. I'm not a bastard.