Pigeon's Roost - Cutting Cards, Cutting Rugs

The treasure hunting Squirrel squad attempts to kill some time, succeeding if only marginally.

Characters: Magramba, Claviger, Madison, Castus

Back to when it was raining and it was best to say inside, Castus has actually decided to join in a bit of the revelry everyone has buried themselves in, jigging it up with the other patrons who are in the middle of the tavern. The players jamming it up on stage seem to be settling for a celebratory mood, as if in answer to the increased power and speed of the rain outside, and the occasional burst of thunder and lightning providing the percussion.

Madison isn't one for 'jigging'. So she's sat in what has become Her Favorite Chair: Travel Edition. She does watch though. She even looks semi-amused. Swig. Magramba smells.

Well, it's not so much 'jigging' as it just clapping the paws and swinging each other around by the arms and whatnot. But, it's a good way to eat up the minutes until the storm dies down, and Castus actually looks like he's genuinely enjoying himself. The song is fast paced, not even really lending itself to dancing. Just... something to get happy about.

Madison is good at throwing creatures about! But not good at patching up holes in walls afterward, hence her sitting out. Yeah, that's it. She stretches some in her seat. Not saying much, but quiet enjoyment is rarely detected in Madison, so let's value it!

There's whiskey in the jar, dumma do, dumma da, and a few beasts have gotten overexcited and taken some drinks to the dance floor, making it slippery. Someone slips, or just falls over because they're inebriated. Castus is still going strong, and so is the song so get in here and dance already Mag geez.

The swinging door opens inward, and Magramba steps in, the door continuing to swing back and forth after his entrance. The squirrel's eyes narrow and his ears lay back at the merriment in the center. He slinks around the perimeter of the tavern, slipping into a chair close to Madison.

Madison heh's. Somebody slipped and fell, and that equals funny! She turns and sees Mag then, and purses her lips. "...Howdy, Sheriff."

Castus is tearing it up with his latest dance partner, a shrew about his size. The song seems to have gone past the main part and is nearing its climax. The chorus is repeated with enthusiasm. Castus waves at Madison and Mag as he goes by, just... incapable of being anything but happy right now, it seems.

Magramba waves vaguely at Madison, watching the dancing in the center with slight trepidation. He doesn't return Castus' wave, just nods briefly. "Ah, the ignorance of youth."

Madison leaves her view of interspecies romance out of it. >.< Besides, John, they're only dancing! She looks to Mag as he refuses to sell her fantastic greeting, and hm's. "Daft, maybe. Not sure about ignorant."

"The daftness of youth doesn't quite have the same ring to it." Magramba reaches over to grab a mug of something off the table. He takes a swig. "This is terrible."

Madison reaches for said mug.

Well it's not like certain /other squirrels/ are too keen on joining him! The song comes to a close just as Castus whirls away from the mob and drops onto a chair next to Mag and Madison. "What's that about malignance of youth?" he asks through a panting grin.

Magramba hands it over. "Nothing, youth. Dance finished already?"

Madison drinks, and smacks her lips. Hm. "...I don't see the problem." Pah, it's probably only paint stripper. Mag's such a weakling.

"/This/ one is, I'm sure they'll keep going." And indeed the music is beginning to pick up again already. Castus looks around for something to drink, and snatches a mug that smells least like distilled horror.

"Why is all the tea special-order?" Magramba shakes his head. "What're we going to do? I don't dance."

Madison consumes the screaming nightmares casually. It's a bit likethat bit from Honey I Shrunk the Kids when the tiny boy's in the Cheerios. "Tea gets cold." She eyerolls. "Dance, y'weakling." Madison hefts whip. Wait, she doesn't have a whip. Mental note: get a whip.

"/Don't/ dance," Castus says, raising an eyebrow at Magramba. "So you /can/, you just... choose not to? Even when there /is/ dancing going on? It's not even dancing, just... sort of jumping around."

"Whether it started cold or hot, it's headed towards room temperature," Magramba explains patiently. "And... I don't dance. I /thought/ that was self-explanitory."

Madison says, "It was. Dance away."

The music is starting to pick up again and dancers are taking their places. Perky shrew-gal is swishing her kilt, and Castus' tail is starting to twitch in time to the rhythm. "It's staaartinggg."

You room page-pose, "Castus has flute lesson soon."

"I don't care." Mag's tone is firm. Somewhat, anyway. "And besides, there's no one out there pretty enough to tempt me." Yeah, that's a good excuse.

Madison chokes on her drink. There's a muffled cackle in there somewhere too. Magmocking aside, she begins tapping her good footpaw a little too. "You'll regret it if you don't."

"Let me check..." Mag sits there, scrunching up his face in thought. "Nope. No I won't."

Madison pokes. >.<

"So /shallow,/" Castus berates Mag. "I bet if there /was/ someone pretty enough you'd just come up with some other excuse." Castus stands up and bows to Madison and raises an eyebrow at Mag. "Well, fair lady... Sir Dullard. /I/ will be doing something to pass the time."

"That's... kind of the point of excuses." Magramba chuckles, leaning back in his chair. "Besides, my leg still hurts. I could twist the bone back out of place out there."

Madison coughs. "He's got an excuse; said fetching beauty has a bad leg." Madison looks to Mag. "That's me, by the way, not you."

"Well, heroically keep that chair company then," Castus replies to Mag. "Madison, make sure he doesn't accidentally start having fun." And with that he turns around to rejoin the celebrations, rejoining his shrew partner with a chivalrous bow.

"Ah, the snide witticism of youth." Magramba grabs at another mug, but stops himself before taking another swig. Instead, he holds it out to Madison. "Test this for me?"

Madison pfft's. "Of course, your Majesty." >.< She eagerly takes it though XD

While he waits, Magramba watches the dancers. "...You don't dance either, do you, Maddie?"

Madison swigs. And swigs again. Mmm. Mag probably wouldn't have wanted it anyway. "Doens't mean I never did."

"Well, yeah." Magramba strokes his chin thoughtfully. "Just because of your bad leg, then?"

Madison shrugs. "Nah. Though it's a part of the bigger picture." Swiiig.

Madison says, "Told you it was hard to believe." She didn't actually, but still. Ignore this speechmark -->"

Annnnd the dance is over again! Whee! Here comes Castus stumbling back into the same chair as before. "Whoo!" he exclaims and seems rather dizzy. "/That/... was fun."

"I don't think you did, but, ok." Magramba watches Castus flop into his seat for the second time. "It was not. Quit your lying, boy."

"Sorry. Didn't have any good influences growing up. I lie like a snake. /That/ was fun." He points back to the crowd, which is slowly melting away.

"Hey, it seems they're finally finished." Magramba seems cheered by this. He limps boldy out into the middle, heading for the bar. "Snitter, old boy, gimme a tea."

"I'll pour it in yer eye if you call me old again," Snitter grumbles, even though he actually is old. His tufted eyebrows narrow at the squirrel as his tea is poured. Not in his eye, but a little cup. Castus leans back in his seat and looks at Madison. Right. At Madison.

"Thanks Snitter." Magramba gives the old rat a charming smile. "You're a chum, you know that?" And he's off, limping, cup clasped in paw, back towards Cas and Maddie.

Madison takes a second but soon noticed that she's being stared at. So stares back. An eyebrow is hoisted up.

"Nyeeeh," is Snitter's elaborate display of his voluminous vocabulary. Castus continues his silent stare for several moments. "Having a good time?"

Madison shrugs'n'nods. "As good as can be. Why?"

Magramba pauses to trade greetings with a good-natured dormouse.

Castus' turn to shrug. "Because. S'important." Stare stare.

Madison hrm's. "...Do I have something on my face?"

"I know, I noticed the fiddle player having some difficulty. Drunk, y'say?" Magramba gives the dormouse an astonished look. "Now that is something."

Castus shakes his head. "Nothing there. Just your face."

Madison hoists a brow upward. "Has it changed recently?" Swig.

Castus tilts his head this time, and finally gives a shrug. "No... still a nice face."

Madison pfft's. "I'm drunk," she looks at her mug, "And from the sounds of it, you're very drunk."

"/I'm/ very drunk?" Castus asks, recoiling and putting a paw on his chest. "You'll notice I have not touched a mug all night... barely any since we got here in fact. And either way, I'd still be being honest."

Madison pfft's again. "It's subjective, I suppose." Shrug-off. "Where's your bow?"

"Safe," is the simple answer. "Why? You have someone's day you want to ruin?"

Madison nah's. "Just curious."

"I'll probably have to use it some time soon, though," Castus reflects, looking into the rain-soaked night. "At least if we're going to want to actually get anywhere over the river."

"You want to use it?" Castus wonders. "You'll have to wait until the rain dies down, but... it's a bow. Pretty much one size fits all. Adult squirrels, anyway."

Madison hm's. Wait 'til the rain dies down, eh? "Deal. May shooting stuff begin in the morning."

Castus nods. "When did you used to use a bow?"

Madison heh's, and thinks back. "I was a... casual user of the bow at a few points in my life. Then after I got chucked out of the Abbey for a while I put in some major training."

"Oh... shame you left off it," Castus says, giving his arms a good flex. "It's a good weapon, really. I plan on making more... at least until Mag sees fit to give me a real sword."

Madison watches Cas spontaneously flex. o.O "What, has he given you one of those pesky rip-off fake swords?"

Archery does the upper body good is all! No shame in showing it off. "/No/, they are /real/ swords, just not... sword swords. You remember, earlier in the year when he provided those training weapons to me."

Madison scratches her head. "Unless they're made of wood, surely they're real swords."

"Well, I guess I could bash someone's head with them." Castus shrugs. "They're not sharp, and they're not balanced to be great fighting weapons."

Madison shrugs. "Y'know more about them than I do. Aside from wanting one hidden in my cane. That's my ingenius idea."

Castus chuckles. "You have a lot of plans for a drunk squirrel."

Madison says, "And none of them are bad."

Castus is staring again. "So what's so subjective about your face?"

Madison shrugs. "I dunno. I don't see it that often."

Castus flicks his ears. "You don't trust my judgment?"

"Miss 'fetching beauty who draws males to the dance floor?'"

Madison looks behind herself to see this 'fetching beauty'. No-one there. Hmph. Swig.

Castus looks around as well. "You're the only one I'm talking to, Madison."

Madison oh's. "I don't dance." Big, very long swig.

Castus nods. "I know. I wasn't asking. Clearly, I am not on the dance floor. I'm right here."

Madison says, "Can't be me then, I'm doing a pretty poor job of 'luring' you."

Castus holds up his index claw. "You fished me out of the pond, once, that was something!" A short pause. "And I think if you were doing a poor job, I'd be somewhere else."

Madison purses her lips. "Maybe I just attract dense creatures." It doesn't seem a dig at Cas. Much.

Castus rolls his head back until he's looking at the ceiling. "Better than nothing... although I shudder to think that I'm the next best choice above 'nothing.'"

Madison shrugs. "It means you're a step above me, says popular opinion."

"Well, popular opinion is now the minority out here," Castus says, settling paws on stomach.

Madison browhoists. "How do you work that out?"

Castus spreads his paws again, gesturing at the world around them. "Well for one thing, /I/ don't think that. And I've yet to hear anyone say that here. You're practically a drinking hero among the bar patrons. Mag doesn't think that. So the idea that you're nothing is distinctly far from these ears."

Madison shrugs. Silence. Drink.

Castus drops his arms. "You take compliments like flying arrows, you know that?" Said as if this is just a new discovery. A bit sarcastically, that is.

Madison shrugs again. "Thought you'd be used to how I tick."

Castus shrugs right back. "I am... doesn't mean it can't still be downright odd sometimes."

Castus leans towards Madison. "Maybe I should just keep showering you with compliments until one slips through."

Madison snorts. "You can try."

"Oh don't worry, fair lady, I'm an archer. And my aim /is/ getting better." Castus smiles widely.

Madison pfft's. "If 'fair lady' is any indication, you're way off the mark."

Castus raises a paw and waves it in the sky as if envisioning a sign. "How about radiant and jaw-dropping? Does that do anything for you?"

Perhaps this is something that Aden would rather not waltz consciously into, but here she comes anyways, tea in paw - aiming for a seat at the bar.

Madison inspects a lightly-clenched fist at the mention of being jaw dropping. "...Yeah, that's a little more like it."

"Capable, brave, resourceful," Castus goes on, less jokingly. "Unlike most sensible creatures, completely unafraid of swans, which /is/ jaw dropping." He trails off when Aden arrives. "Huh. Usually she's under a table by now." Especially with all the revelry that's been going on.

Aden's ears flick backwards a little, but she remains otherwise quiet (aside from a 'Dark ale, please' directed at the bartender) The snipper of conversation she just caught sounded like one she'd prefer to steer clear from O_o

Madison considers following that up with a heck of a double entendre, but somehow decides to reel herself in. "Being anything's better than all this fancypants fair lady stuff you've been spouting." Well, that's sort of like accepting his latest complements. Looking over at the sound of an order, "Make that two." Then to Cas, "She didn't strike me as a fan of the strong stuff."

Aden is a fan of the strong stuff...and the weak stuff...and the inbetween stuff too! A "thank you" is offered to the bartender again as she accepts her poison, she grasps the second mug and turns around to offer it to Madison. "Here."

"I have not been /spouting/ it," Castus says, rolling his eyes. "And you /liked/ being in that dress I pushed you into last spring festival." He nods at Aden. "Good evening."

Madison hmph's. "I seem to like a lot of things. I liked being cooped up and miserable for the longest time." THere's a point there somewhere.

"And now you're outside and lassoing swans! That's our Max, always ready to try new things," says Castus, putting his paws behind his head.

Madison coughs mid-swig. But swigs again. "Well. You can't make an omelette without... lassoing some swans. Or something."

Castus brow raises. "I think the point where you start putting two completely dissimilar idioms together is when you don't really know what you're talking about."

Madison eyerolls. "Never heard the term 'you can't make an omelette without breaking some eggs', then."

Castus purses his lips. "That one I've heard. But I've never seen an omlette result from catching a swan."

Madison shrugs, and lets a potential punchline pass by. There it goes.

Castus would wave if he could see it. "So. When'd you want to try my bow?"

Madison shrugs and looks at the raaaaaain. "Whenever it's clear enough."

"Might be a while," Castus notes quietly. "Nothing to do but tavern things until then. You expect they have any board games here?"

Madison heh's. "No idea. Cards though, that can be fun. Not all up on the rules, but mostly."

"I've never actually played a card game," Castus notes, carefully fiddling with the tuft on his ear. "Except, you know... the made up kind."

Madison heh's. Again. "Snap?" She looks around. "Not played Southsward Hold 'Em? The basics are easy enough."

"Really?" He gestures around the bar. "I can provide the cards if you'll provide the basics."

Madison nods. "Of course."

Claviger has been outside. There's probably no good reason for that, but the fact that she's coming in, means she's been out. She's dripping wet.

Madison is caught between a >_< look for Clav arriving and a smirk from all the one-liners that spring to mind. She settles for, "This, for example, is a Suited Flush." Heh. six out of ten for that one at least.

She'll have to mark her own score card, since Castus doesn't know about that. "She's not wearing a suit," Castus points out, and then hops up to go grab some cards. Yay for passing time!

Madison has to smirk at that. In-jokes, in-jokes.

"Haven't worn a suit f'r a rather long time. Once was enough though." Claviger muses, crossing to get a drink, and getting the surroundings rather wet. Shaking her tail a bit as she goes. "Heard something about cards?"

Castus passes Claviger on the way back with some cards that were procured from a table of slumbering drunks. They weren't going to be using it any time soon, and it was the tavern's cards anyway! Supposedly. He tries to do a fancy shuffle and ends up scattering the cards all over the table. "Um. Yeah. These cards."

Madison shakes her head at Clav. "Whatever gave you that..." Castus cardscatters. >.< "...idea?"

"Just a feeling." She's hopped back, having procured a flask of something. Didn't look like she asked or paid for anything there... Without invitation, she grabs a chair and sits.

Castus ahems quietly and begins to pick up the cards and place them back into an orderly pile. "... Sorry," he mumbles, tail drooping. Looks like he'll have to start at level zero.

"Something I found a day or so ago." Claviger grins, popping the cork and drinking straight from the flask. "So. What're you playing? Aside from 'pickup'."

Madison raises her brow. "You didn't 'find' that near my belongings, I hope."

"Um. Madison mentioned Southsward Hold 'Em or Snap, but I have no idea what those are." Castus has finished hastily re-arranging the cards and puts them in the middle of the table, safely away from his inexperienced fingers.

Claviger grins. "I found it somewhere. Didn't look like your flask, though". She eyes the cards. "Always did like snap..."

Madison still eyes the flask. True enough it doesn't look like hers, but then, if /she/ were the one stealing drinks, she'd decanter them into another container. She'd do that, and she just knows that the idea would cross Clav's mind. Still, at least she left her special expensive stuff back at the abbey. She looks up as Castus misinterprets her Snap quip as serious, and then Clav's agreement. Eye-narrowing. Hm. Where's this going?

"Uh..." Castus looks back and forth between the two of them. "Right. So... what are we doing?"

"Some sort of card game, I thought." Sip. She's still grinning, sitting back relaxed now. She's still wet, too, tail dripping a puddle onto the floor.

Claviger, that is.

Madison snorts. "Yes, /we/ are." Still, that's as far as her Clav protests go. For now at least.

"Okay." Castus begins to separate the cards again, looking straight at Madison this time. "Let's do that, then?" His gaze flicks quickly to Claviger and back to her. "Unless you want to take this somewhere private." Of course, she'd have to get up for that, and probably won't.

Claviger raises her eyebrows. "Somewhere... private? That sort of game is it?" Smirky.

Madison narrows her eyes at Clav. Then widens them at Cas. THen narrows them more at Clav again. "...Just deal the cards."

"Just sayin'." Castus shrugs, and... deals the cards? Even though he has no idea what he's doing. He tosses out six to Madison and six for himself, face-down. That's how it always starts, or so he's seen before.

Claviger watches the cards dealt. And drips. She's a little drier, the tavern's a little wetter- she's sure things are balanced enough. "What're you playing for?"

Madison looks at the cards. Cas is doing well so far. "Fun. Whatever that is."

"Yep. Fun!" Castus says, and looks to Madison for guidance. "Okay, so... we put down a couple each, first, or...?"

Claviger tilts her head. "You... ran out of coin?" Genuinely puzzled by this.

Madison nods to Cas. "You need cards that match up. So choose any you don't want and swap them for others." She puts a few back. "He doesn't know the rules proper yet. Unlike some people I like my underhandedness to be a challenge somewhat."

Castus takes a few cards and puts an equal number back, raising an eyebrow at Claviger. "There is such a thing as just playing, you know," he remarks, and looks back at Madison. "When we do put them down? Do we have to like... be forceful about it?" He's seen some others do that, getting really excited about matters of a couple cards.

"I think I used to do that as a dibbun..." Claviger responds, both times to Castus this time. "Oh, extremely forceful." Sip.

Madison realises she hasn't swigged in the last few minutes. She remedies this, and, "We reveal after we're satisfied with our cards." Ignorrrre.

Castus, in that case, takes up a couple more cards and puts another couple down. He feels vaguely like he should be embarrassed at what Clav says for some reason, but just can't read enough into it. At last, he nods. "Okay. I think I got it."

Claviger just watches for a moment. Then decides to prop her feet up on the table edge, leaving plenty of room for cards; she wants to watch the game after all.

Madison sideways-glances. "Mmm. Muddy footpaws. Fantastic." Whether they're muddy or not. She reveals her cards.

As does Castus. He looks between the two sets. "Um. Who wins?" he wonders aloud. Did they even specify what kind of game it was? >.>

Her boots are indeed muddy. And Claviger just smiles in response and leaves them up there. She inclines her head, interested in who has won. "Winner can buy the next meal?"

Madison nods. "You've got three twos. You win. Weyhey."

Castus blinks, and looks between the two sets. Suddenly, a smile spreads over his lips. "Ha ha. Hey! Look at that! Wow!" Suddenly he knows why people get so excited about winning. He then turns to Claviger and raises an eyebrow. "Am I the /only/ one who brought money on this trip?"

"Hah. I thought so. Well, Sir Knight... Guess you're buying." Claviger then considers his question. "You know... Probably, yes."