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Safe to assume you made it out unscathed?
[ she doesn't know his name -- not yet. but she knows the comm-number. she'd taken note when their first interaction had ended. had seared the digits into her memory and filed it with all the rest of her madness. ]
A few bumps and bruises. Nothing that won't heal.
A few bumps and bruises. Nothing that won't heal.
Rogue was relieved to be on solid ground again - solid ground with atmosphere, with air and sky and sun and light. And space. Ororo's claustrophobia occasionally made the tiny ship even tinier. It had taken a few days to get her feet under her on the planet, to figure out the way these things work. She knew all too well the dangers of standing out, as well as the dangers of this type of environment, and had purchased a hat for dual purposes. She was in one of her modified jumpsuits, gloves, and a sheer cover up from the blue planet. She could see she'd have to make a few more purchases, but she wanted to be canny with the money that she had.
And that meant that she was nursing her one glass of whiskey while eyeing the card game in the corner. It could be a good way to make some money, or learn a bit more about what was around in this place. It wasn't poker, though, that much she could see.
...that just made her want to learn it more. She covertly eyed the the table, trying to discern the patterns.
And that meant that she was nursing her one glass of whiskey while eyeing the card game in the corner. It could be a good way to make some money, or learn a bit more about what was around in this place. It wasn't poker, though, that much she could see.
...that just made her want to learn it more. She covertly eyed the the table, trying to discern the patterns.
"Curious, isn't it?"
Peggy didn't materialize from the shadows. She didn't slink into view like some corner-resident spy. She'd been there all along -- a mere piece of the backdrop, but in plain view. She wore the jumpsuit she'd picked up on the Starstruck, but wore it with its top unzipped to reveal a cream-coloured silk blouse beneath. Perhaps both layers became a double caution against the dust kicked up by the wind on this planet. Or perhaps she simply couldn't abide the futuristic fabric sitting so close to her naked skin.
She placed her drink gently beside Rogue's -- the young woman she recognized from the video screen -- and invited herself to sit down. "So far, I've gathered it's a four card draw. And for some reason those cards that look a little -- but not quite -- like queens are high."
A mirthless smile. "Not that I'm complaining about that fact."
Peggy didn't materialize from the shadows. She didn't slink into view like some corner-resident spy. She'd been there all along -- a mere piece of the backdrop, but in plain view. She wore the jumpsuit she'd picked up on the Starstruck, but wore it with its top unzipped to reveal a cream-coloured silk blouse beneath. Perhaps both layers became a double caution against the dust kicked up by the wind on this planet. Or perhaps she simply couldn't abide the futuristic fabric sitting so close to her naked skin.
She placed her drink gently beside Rogue's -- the young woman she recognized from the video screen -- and invited herself to sit down. "So far, I've gathered it's a four card draw. And for some reason those cards that look a little -- but not quite -- like queens are high."
A mirthless smile. "Not that I'm complaining about that fact."
Sometimes I wonder, here. Is your ship damaged much?
Rogue nodded at Peggy -- Carter, as she had introduced herself. Best remember that, no need to confuse the woman.
She gave Carter a wry smile. "Maybe it's the rarity of women 'round this planet? Or maybe the natives finally wised up, what d'ya think?"
She gave Carter a wry smile. "Maybe it's the rarity of women 'round this planet? Or maybe the natives finally wised up, what d'ya think?"
Or we're another trophy to them. But that was a cynical thought, and so she stowed it away with the rest. It helped to take another long drink from her amber-coloured poison of almost-choice. In truth, she'd just asked for whatever was strong and halfway palatable. Whatever it was, it made her sorely miss a gin and tonic.
"I'd offer to buy you a fresh drink," a slow smile, "but I'm afraid I've no decent stockpile of credits. Not like what they're trading 'round the card table."
"I'd offer to buy you a fresh drink," a slow smile, "but I'm afraid I've no decent stockpile of credits. Not like what they're trading 'round the card table."
Rogue picked up on the speculative tone of Peggy's smile. "Does seem to be a shame that they've got so many of those chips, sittin' around, collectin' dust..."
Rogue's mind was quick. Intuitive. Peggy liked that -- not that her approval mattered much at all, she supposed. But it made it easier to stay seated beside the young woman when the young woman's company remained compelling. She nodded.
"One might even hazard a guess that they're hardly using them properly. I haven't seen any of them post serious stakes all day."
Implying, of course, that she'd been watching for a while.
"One might even hazard a guess that they're hardly using them properly. I haven't seen any of them post serious stakes all day."
Implying, of course, that she'd been watching for a while.
Oh, Rogue hadn't played this game in a long, long time. She didn't used to be any good at it, not really, growing frustrated at things unsaid and much preferring quick, blunt conversation. That was before Loki. Rogue still preferred plain, blunt conversation when it came to important communication, but this... this was almost playing before the game really began, feeling out the other to see if they would be a worthy partner in crime.
She didn't mind that at all, anymore.
Rogue leaned a little more casually against the bar as she cast a lazy (speculative) glance over the game table. "Could be they just lack the proper motivation," she took a small, casual sip of her drink before her gaze cut to Carter. "Or could be they just haven't had a very good run of cards. So far I've only seen one ground where the bets went on more'n twice."
Because, oh yes, she'd been watching too.
She didn't mind that at all, anymore.
Rogue leaned a little more casually against the bar as she cast a lazy (speculative) glance over the game table. "Could be they just lack the proper motivation," she took a small, casual sip of her drink before her gaze cut to Carter. "Or could be they just haven't had a very good run of cards. So far I've only seen one ground where the bets went on more'n twice."
Because, oh yes, she'd been watching too.
No engineer, then. I'd offer mine, but apparently he took some processor damage himself.
He's a machine. Sweet guy, though. Shame your ship doesn't have one.
Her growing smile betrayed her satisfaction. For the moment, she spent longer watching Rogue than she did the players some feet away. After all, she'd already witnessed what she needed to from the table. What she wanted to know, now, was whether this young woman could prove herself a worthy accomplice in the nascent plan all-but-beginning to brew between the pair of them.
She tilted her chin, and said softly: "The one in the hat," she indicated one of the players. "He's got himself a tell. Have you seen it yet?"
She tilted her chin, and said softly: "The one in the hat," she indicated one of the players. "He's got himself a tell. Have you seen it yet?"
What was this, an interview? Rogue's eyebrow quirked up slightly and then she gave a small smirk. "He shifts his weight ta the left when he thinks he's got a good hand, ta the right after he confirms it."
Two could play at this game. She took a little sip of her drink. "Guy ta his right?"
Two could play at this game. She took a little sip of her drink. "Guy ta his right?"
She bit down on her smile. Peggy had no need of a poker face -- not yet -- and so she relished both Rogue's observations and her own. With a precise tilt of her head, Peggy pointed out what she'd noticed a handful of minutes earlier:
"He's a proper prospector, that one. When he thinks he's hit gold, he digs 'round his back teeth with this tongue. Like a bloody archaeologist."
"He's a proper prospector, that one. When he thinks he's hit gold, he digs 'round his back teeth with this tongue. Like a bloody archaeologist."
Rogue gave a quiet off of amusement at that. "Ya paint quite the picture."
She grinned. More than one picture, actually. "'course the thing would be, should anyone decide ta go an' offer them competition, not ta upset the balance they've got goin' too much."
At least. Not right at first.
She grinned. More than one picture, actually. "'course the thing would be, should anyone decide ta go an' offer them competition, not ta upset the balance they've got goin' too much."
At least. Not right at first.
"Oh, you're quite right," she added -- breathless and betraying a mind that raced well beyond her tongue. Peggy tapped her red-varnished nails against the bar's top. More than a few had grown chipped since she'd arrived with the fleet, but she hadn't yet sourced fresh polish. A niggling concern that still ate at the back of her thoughts. "We would need to ease them into it. Of course. Or else risk chasing them right off the tables."
We.
We.
We.
A quick grin, a flash of light before it was gone. "Can't say I fully understand the game, now. Got the gist, but there could be an ace in the hole I haven't seen yet... no pun intended."
A quick grin, a flash of light before it was gone. "Can't say I fully understand the game, now. Got the gist, but there could be an ace in the hole I haven't seen yet... no pun intended."
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