Silver Hotel, VIP Lounge
On 4/14/2024 at 9:37 AM, Kythia said:An eminently sensible suggestion. Perhaps in nine years you will allow us to entertain you and repay the hospitality you have shown. There will be a hexennial that year or you are of course welcome on the island of Coedd. Although...well, I would not wish to jeopardise our newfound agreement by insinuating that the Biargu are stupid or careless, but I would mention that others have treated safety instructions for travelling on the island as safety suggestions and found that to be unwise. No harm is intended to them of course but the jungles of Coedd are not so urban as your magnificent casino and different precautions are necessary.
He stands and offers his hand, not sure the Biarbu use handshakes but certain they have been in a human dominated system long enough to recognise the gesture. Unless there was anything you wanted to add? Lets keep communications open.
Ben Ying didn't even blink at the human gesture of a hand shake. The Biarbu recognized it for what it was: sealing the bargain that had just been struck. Thankfully, the chair the Hotel owner sat upon allowed for a return gesture, awkward though it may have looked to outsiders. Raising a leg with a claw on it, Ben Ying lightly grasped hands with the Coedd messenger, before letting go and responding, "No, nothing more. Now, this one needs to see to other guests. Please, sit back and have a drink or two."
So saying, the black plumed Biarbu stood up, clicked the privacy screen off with a wingtip, and flowed out of the booth.
On 4/16/2024 at 5:00 AM, The Snark said:The two Loop-born exchange a brief glance as the conversation turns to the Bironian civil war and the new Treasurer. Todd nods slowly, absorbing what the Biarbu is saying (and pointedly not saying) and deciding to leave that topic well alone for now.
"Follow the money. Oldest trick in the book," he says. "Or, as I suspect is the case here, the lack of money. Consider: our first confirmed sighting" - Rhonda makes a disgruntled noise, and he corrects - "our first well-supported sighting is the Fiorid affair. Nabbing a prisoner from whatever's left over of the Grigialfheim insurgents is... well, I'm not gonna say it's easy, but I think the hard part is knowing exactly when and where to hit them. Someone who was well-informed - or just lucky - wouldn't need a lot of money or guns to get their hands on Eydis. And I think it's telling that they demanded military vessels equipped with Imperial engines. It suggests that's not something they have access to on their own - which is to say, not Elect."
"Once our ransomers have their prize, boom! They're in business. Spend money to make money... or spaceships, in this case. Lotta Kildoran yachts were hijacked in that raid, which sounds harmless if you don't know that Kildoran sorcerers like their leisure yachts more heavily armed than a kanmarra bodybuilder."
"As for what our mystery actor wants... well. That's the big question, isn't it? I don't have any theories on that; it's hard to make a pattern out of just two data points. If I'm right, they started off with secrecy and good intel as their only real assets, and now they're bootstrapping up to bigger things. Which means they're probably just hitting targets of opportunity, rather than going after their enemies, but who knows? I'm keeping an eye out for any further signs, but as far as I can tell they've been lying low the last couple of years."
"The Biarbu are sadly unaware of any additional information, though if we find something, we shall be sure to inform the appropriate representatives of the Castaways of the Loop." Ben Ying's eyes flickered to one side, gazing away from the conversation. Whether it was to consider the situation more, or if they were actually looking at something only they could see, it was impossible to tell. Still, after a moment, the hotel owner says, "This one knows that the government will be preoccupied for a few years, consolidating the burgeoning faith that others are beginning to experience regarding the Fascination of Fate. Combine that with the overwhelming desire to know what is beyond Mekhala, and it is with some regret that this one must inform Brother Todd and Sister Rhonda that our immediate efforts to ascertain the mysteries you have posed are going to be delayed, considerably, if you are requesting our help."
"A request that we would normally be keen to answer, mind, but not right now." There is a minor nod of respectful regret, before Ben Ying continues, "Unless, of course, the Loop is willing to offer some form of incentive to redirect our efforts away from our immediate concerns?"
"Please understand, this one asks this not as a condition for receiving our aid; again, were we not otherwise occupied, this line of inquiry would garner our interest greatly. Instead, the desire for incentive is merely to aid discussions amongst Biarbu to push for a more comprehensive investigation in the coming years."
OOC to Snark
Happy to help investigate, if that's what you're hoping for, but I've got a lot going on for the BRB this round and the next. I could maybe slot in an Investigation roll next round, but it would be pulling away from other things I am considering doing, so you'll need to offer me something to make it worth my time. Failing that, you'll have to wait a few rounds before I'm free to act as I work to grind towards a sixth action.
The Casino Floor, Elsewhere...
The live stream of the buffet was fulfilling. Both for everyone watching, and also Yun Chi's stomach. So many varieties of edibles!
Yet, after several hours of gorging themselves, Yun Chi could no longer contain the excitement to go and use their chits in the last game they hadn't yet played: Unlucky 13.
Yun Chi knew this was the hardest game to win, but... fortune favors the bold. So while Yun Chi was almost out of chits, they approached the roulette table, and observed for a bit. 7, 12, 3, 18... they all popped up. Yun Chi couldn't continue to stall, though. Placing their largest bet yet - 500 chits! - and going Double or Nothing for the fans watching, Yun Chi put everything they could on number 4!
DoubleOrNothing (+Intrigue)
Roulette500num4
The ball bounced, rolled, and at last, stuttered to a stop... on 9️⃣. Yet... Yun Chi was not disappointed. Their side bet was still successful! And while this might be the last game for the stream, Yun Chi still could see they were going to leave the Casino with more than they started with!
(BRB +750)