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Post by @ Dizzy @ on Feb 18, 2010 22:37:28 GMT -5
"Come on folks, step right up! Don't be shy, find the lady, win some dough!" Luna's slim paws moved automatically, shifting and reshifting the three old playing cards in front of her. It was the classic set-up. Find the queen after she shuffled for a minute- win some money. Don't find it, lose money. However, unlike when she played the game on her own, she was playing legit. She was moving a little slower than usual, to give the crowd a fighting chance. She wasn't palming the Queen like she usually did- instead it was still within the three- able to be found if the player had a quick enough eye. Of course, she wasn't being honest out of the goodness of her heart. No, there was something else going on here- a delightful double-blind.
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 18, 2010 23:10:02 GMT -5
And give the crowd a chance she did. Most street-players who cheated would often end up driving away potental players, as they would all be convinced of their treachery and not want to play against such stacked odds. Luna, on the other hand, was drawing in more people by the minute simply by playing honestly. Soon, the crowd had bubbled until it nearly reached the alleyway that the small group of Legionaires had just emerged from, filled with people who believed they could beat the cat at her own game. Of course, just because she was playing fair didn't mean she didn't have the upper hand. "It's a blindfold kick back type of a game Called the Kansas City Shuffle Whereas you look left and they fall right Into the Kansas City Shuffle."Axe hummed the song under his breath as he calmly made his way through the crowd, taking a different route each time to avoid being in any one person's view for too long. It was amazing how easily distracted one could get when the prospect of winning money was involved. As everyone stared at the makeshift cardtable Luna had set up, watching her movements, trying to either win the game or call her out for some percieved slight of hand, they had left their backs wholely and completely wide open. Therefore, it was with virtually no effort at all that Axe was able to reach into nearly every person's hammerspace and pickpocket them blind. Of course, he made sure not to rob everyone of everything, as then it would only take one person to notice for the whole operation to come crashing down. He only took small ammounts from a person, waiting for a rotation in the crowd before taking another pass through. Some pocket change here, a wallet there... Each score was minor, but it didn't take long for the totals to begin to add up. As he took another stroll through the crowd, putting on the side near the alleyway, he took out a single ring from his profits and flipped it in the air. "Thanks for falling right, suckers."
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Post by @ Dizzy @ on Feb 18, 2010 23:17:32 GMT -5
Luna kept half an eye on Axe while her hands worked on automatic. She grinned as she watched him work. He really was amazing, able to work a crowd with no hesitation at all. She was better, of course, but Axe was a pleasure to watch in action. Something about the way he always sang when he worked, it was rather.. cheery. It always made her feel a little light and fuzzy, anyway. She grinned as he popped a ring up in the air, and looked up at her crowd, making sure to meet their eyes. An honest person always made eye contact, right? "Aww, such a pity. But even the best gotta lose some, huh?" Luna grinned good-naturedly as the player in front of her found the Queen, and she handed over the winning amount. It was a small loss, nothing compared to what Axe was probably hauling in.
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Post by Lans on Feb 18, 2010 23:46:57 GMT -5
It was then that Inari noticed that their landing spot wasn't as empty as it usually was. Chaos damned- Of all the times for people to actually be here, he thought, letting out a low growl as he did. Sill, at least it appeared that no one had noticed their arrival, that was fortunate for them...otherwise he might have had to eliminate some witnesses before word leaked out. "Lets go," he said to the others, "And try not to draw attention to yourselves."
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Post by The Huggernaut on Feb 19, 2010 2:27:44 GMT -5
Inari's words fell on deaf ears... as Anansi was approaching the table. This looked easy enough. Keep track of a card? Please. Child's play. So, with a bit of muscling, some mechanically assisted, Anansi was standing in front of the feline's table. "I'll play."
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Post by Jamie Lee on Feb 19, 2010 2:31:35 GMT -5
Lance was... doing only slightly better, having joined the outskirts of the crowd without bothering to muscle his way in for a closer look. He turned back, giving a look to Inari that was accompanied by a shrug, before turning back to see how Anansi would fare.
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Post by @ Dizzy @ on Feb 20, 2010 1:37:05 GMT -5
"Well, well, always happy to see a new face. Place your bet, let's see what you've got." Luna smiled up at the newcomer, a cool-looking spider girl. "What'dya think? She can top me, right folks?" She addressed the crowd quickly, making sure to keep all the attention on her and away from Axe and his work.
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 20, 2010 5:25:45 GMT -5
Axe paused for a moment as he watched the spider girl push her way to the front of the crowd to play. Something about her seemed... different, but he didn't know why. Ah, well, it wasn't like it mattered. She was just another person he'd have to steal from, especially if she started winning. Turning away from her, he continued on his way... and then froze in his tracks as he spotted the teal wolf standing near the back of the crowd. Could that really be?... Same build, same cocky look... Yeah, there was no doubt in his mind about who that could be. With a grin, the hyena approached him... And attempted to pickpocket him like all the rest. [dice=6] ... Of course, he actually wasn't really trying that time, as he was honestly hoping that the wolf would notice him...[rand=017341919759789437886681070184421997215032721626983374912381476787]
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Post by Jamie Lee on Feb 20, 2010 5:37:01 GMT -5
[dice=6] (Pwned~)Lance's brow knit together, sensing suspicious movement from behind. Movement that paused a little too conveniently at his backside. Oh yeah, his street instinct was all too familiar with this, which was why Axe would suddenly feel the chilling crush of Lance's cloaked mechanical arm bear down on his wrist. "Hey buddy, mind keeping that hand--" he paused, his eyes going wide when he caught a glimpse of just who he was holding. "Yo! Axe!"[rand=90043695171865099769362655718459653140260985282398268222336681]
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 20, 2010 6:13:31 GMT -5
Yeah, he expected he was gonna be caught. Knowing Lance for as long as he did, he knew the wolf would notice the pickpocketing almost instantaniously and, while he hadn't actually seen him for months now, he doubted the man would've lost his edge. However, what Axe didn't anticipate was for Lance to grab his arm so... hard. He could've swore he heard something chip or crack in his arm as the wolf clamped down on it. His hand also felt strangely cold, too, but he was too busy responding to the crushing pain to notice that. He silently thanked himself that he had he had chosen to try and pickpocket Lance with his left hand, since if this was his still-burned right hand, he'd probably be unable to keep it in and let out a yell, all but blowing his cover. As it stood, the hyena simply inhaled sharply, noting dryly to himself that now both his hands were equally hurting, and turned to the wolf. "Geez, Lance, I wasn't aware that you being lonely at night would result in you building up your hand-strength this much."
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Post by Lans on Feb 20, 2010 16:25:32 GMT -5
And that was when Axe would feel another hand grip him by the back of the head, the fingers of which seemed to grip him in a way that it felt like a bunch of knives were prodding his skull. Naturally, it was Inari who was this arms owner, and of course it was his right arm. "Lance...do you know this...garbage?" the other wolf asked, pulling Axe's head back to get a look at him. Normally he didn't give too much of a damn about Lance, but he wasn't about to let some trash get away with stealing from a Dark Legion member.
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 20, 2010 16:51:47 GMT -5
And then Axe found himself getting grabbed by the head and staring into the face of a very unamused wolf. However, if getting grabbed by the head hurt him, he didn't show it, instead doing his best to look back at Lance, replying in a near perfect impersonation of the canine's tone. "Lance... do you know this... psycho?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on Feb 20, 2010 17:21:21 GMT -5
"That pile of garbage is my best friend," Lance answered without a trace of irony in his voice. "Put him down, he's cool."
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Post by The Huggernaut on Feb 20, 2010 20:10:11 GMT -5
Anansi just shrugged, and put down a few rings. "Ok, let's see what you've got." She smirked a little, leaning on the table slightly.
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Post by @ Dizzy @ on Feb 20, 2010 20:34:52 GMT -5
Luna smirked right back. This girl had spirit, she could tell. Time to cut loose, if only for this round. She shuffled the cards in her palm a few times, then laid them out. She flipped over each, showing the spider where the Queen lay. Then she flipped them back over, and the game began. Her little paws were practically blurred as she moved, the cards going left, right, over and under each other, shifting places so quickly that they barely touched the table that they were on. When she was finished, she folded her arms and smirked up at the spider with pride. "So... where's the Lady, lady?"
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Post by Lans on Feb 20, 2010 23:04:30 GMT -5
"Your 'friend' should learn to think before he acts," Inari said, roughly shoving Axe away, disapointed that Lance would probably make a fuss if he were to 'teach' the hyena a lesson. "Not that I should have expected much of that from one of your old friends."
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 20, 2010 23:57:32 GMT -5
Axe rubbed the back of his neck, shooting a glare at Inari as he did so. Yeah, he already hated this guy. "On the contary, I think I just need to learn how to pickpocket better. You, on the other hand, need to learn some self-restraint before you end up crushing the head of someone poor soul who had the audacity to cut in front of you at the checkout line. That, and oral hygine. Your breath reaks so much of Chu-Nan food I'm afraid I might become a victim of second-hand MSG." Having said that, the hyena turned back to Lance. "Now, as I was going to say before I was so rudely interrupted... Lance, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler! Where have you been!?" He gave Lance a quick, light punch on the shoulder, making it rather clear that his previous line was just his special way of saying hello. "I haven't seen you since the Spagonia Job! So tell me, you still have that phobia of clock towers?"
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Post by Jamie Lee on Feb 21, 2010 4:16:28 GMT -5
"Oh, don't even get me started on the clock tower. My ears are still ringing!" Lance smirked, returning a slug to Axe's shoulder. "Besides, you're one to talk after that moment in the wine cellar."
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 21, 2010 5:11:58 GMT -5
"Hey, don't blame me for that one. You were the one who decided to try and make a molotov cocktail out of a keg for the break-in." The hyena let out a chuckle as he folded his arms, turning slightly serious for a moment. "Seriously, though, where have you been these past few months? I'm not one for being too concerned about the well-being of partners-in-crime, but even I was staring to wonder. Don't tell me you've been bumming around with emo-boy all this time."
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Post by The Huggernaut on Feb 21, 2010 23:10:24 GMT -5
[dice=2] (1 she finds it, 2 she doesn't.) Anansi just smirked a bit more. She's managed to keep track of the card, even as fast as Luna'd been going. Turns out there WAS a perk to being a cyborg. So... she reached down, and flipped the queen over. "Heh."[rand=3892550950278082380817050056305735273632030734356073422964138081]
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Post by @ Dizzy @ on Feb 21, 2010 23:16:45 GMT -5
"Dude." Luna stared at the flipped over Queen, black eyes wide with surprise. She remembered to be charming a second later. "...And we have a WINNAHHH! Well played, lady, very well played." She hadn't even guessed, had just flipped the card over. She'd known, no doubt.
Man, what she'd give to have eyes that good. She could follow her own cards, but when it came to others, she wasn't perfect. This girl was good.
"Dang, maybe you should be up here instead of me." Luna grinned as she handed the spider her well-earned rings. "I'm impressed, and that's sayin' something."
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Post by Lans on Feb 21, 2010 23:41:02 GMT -5
"Lance's whereabouts are no conern of yours," Inari said in a dangerous tone, meant not only for Axe but for Lance as well, a subtle warning to keep his trap shut about Legion matters. "Besides, we need to move on."
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Post by Jamie Lee on Feb 22, 2010 1:50:32 GMT -5
"Meh, you go on," Lance waved flippantly, ignoring the other wolf's tone. "I'm just a tag-along who has women to molest, remember? Go be dark and creepy to someone who'll actually care."
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Post by Lans on Feb 22, 2010 2:22:19 GMT -5
"Exactly," Inari responded, with a nasty grin. " You decided to tag along, so you will be remaining with the group. Besides, I'm not about to let you out of my sight while this ketchup stain from your past is around."
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Post by Jamie Lee on Feb 22, 2010 2:52:28 GMT -5
Lance casually eyed Inari for a moment, before shrugging pulling a swift about face, facing Axe. "So, ketchup stain, where's those fries I ordered, ah?"
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Post by SHM 128 III on Feb 22, 2010 3:22:45 GMT -5
The hyena just looked back at Lance with an obvious smirk. "Bite me, you moldy piece of lettuce."
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Post by The Huggernaut on Feb 24, 2010 0:24:46 GMT -5
The spider just grinned, slipping her rings into her hammerspace. "Nah, I think I'm good on this side of the table. You just start repeating yourself when you move the cards is all." With that... cryptic comment, Anansi starts to turn to head back towards the others.
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Post by @ Dizzy @ on Feb 24, 2010 0:34:38 GMT -5
Holy crap. Luna stared after her, mouth slightly open. "Hey, lady, are you a casino dealer or something?! Can you get me a job? Can you teach me?" She was grinning widely. That hadn't been too bad- she'd lost some rings, but paid for some good advice. So she was being too routine? Easily fixable. "Thanks for the advice!" Time to really reel in some suckers.
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Post by Lans on Feb 25, 2010 2:46:22 GMT -5
"..." Inari chose to ignore the comments, mostly because he saw Anansi rejoining them from the direction of the game table. "I hope you at least won if you were going to waste time on that."
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Post by The Huggernaut on Feb 25, 2010 2:54:24 GMT -5
"Of course." The spider smirked, stretching her arms over her head. "I pity the idiot who tries her next, though."
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