"U-Um, are you sure I need to wear this?" Jesgil stammered, a bit red in the cheeks as she stepped out of the changing room that was provided for her? This day, she was not adorned by the usual wear she adorned herself in, but more of a tight one piece, hugging her body, especially at the top where a window exposed her chest maybe a bit too much. Instead of her skirt, her legs were bare aside from the fishnet stockings, and the heels felt a little too silly. At least I don't have to wear bunny ears? she tried to comfort herself, but her red face was clearly not hiding any secrets. The last thing she put on her was the black-chained necklace decorated with a small shard of obsidian.

"You wear a maid outfit all day and that embarrasses ya?" the orc in front of the dressing room cackled, "Look, all we want is to make our guests as comfortable as possible! If that means offering them a bit of eye candy to the servers, I see no issue with it."

"As long as I don't have to give any of them special services," Jesgil muttered back, though louder than she hoped considering the cackling that followed afterwards. Oh, what a poor time to get low on silver. It was always a fight to get by, and when no one really needed, she would quickly jump on whatever job came up… They just never really expected to have such a dress code as this. At the very least, it also meant free room along with her pay as long as she did her work.

With a final sigh, the Draconian sucked it back in and stepped out. "Looking good. I bet the guests would just fall for ya! I see can see your tips already! Now then, show them what ya got!" With a nod, and a swallow down of her pride, Jesgil stepped out of the back area and into the public floor of the casinos.

The halls were noisy as ever as feet wandered the halls, cards were tossed onto the tables, and dice were tossed around. Stern eyes were around for every now and then, but most of the time, it was just to ensure brawls didn't get too messy or to get the wasted back to their rooms or the couch.  Just look like you are a regular she assured herself as she stepped her way up to a blackjack table, where a game was underway. The dealer sat silent, looking unphased as the guests contemplated how they would handle their hands while the dealer sat with an open Queen and another unknown sleeping underneath.

"Greetings, sirs and madams," Jesgil stated, placing her glowing smile on her face. "I do hope Lady Shiloh has been blessing your games so far. May I offer any of you some drinks?"

It had been a hell of a day trying to find their way through Jayou, and in the end they had yet to find a single piece of property that was up for grabs. That, coupled with the fact that the trio had spent most of their coin just getting here left Raile in an interesting bind. As it turned out, Jayou was known for high stakes gambling, and there were quite a few landowners that participated as well. Raile had given the twins the rest of the night to do as they pleased, though with explicit instruction to not gamble, since he knew very well where that might lead.

The red haired merchant had scouted the gambling dens well, and found one that was particularly well known for its service. Good service means good alcohol and good times. Good alcohol and times lead to mistakes being made. Mistakes lead to profit.

That being said, his night had started off poorly, but in the last few rounds he had made a decent comeback. Poker was his usual games, but most o f the tables had been filled. So, while waiting for one of them to drop out, he found himself trying his hand at blackjack. The merchant sat back in his chair, eying the queen. Chances are high it’s a low card. Dealer isn’t cheating though, but the odds are definitely weird. He thumbed his facedown card, and bit his lip.

“Stay,” he said finally. It was a risk, but in the end, he wasn’t playing for anything serious. He was holding out his big bets for poker, where he excelled. He looked up to see a seductively dressed waitress, who despite her pleasant smile, seemed out of place. None of that really mattered to Raile, though, and he nodded to her question about drinks.

“What do you have that’s strong and local?” he asked as the dealer played out their own hand.

When the word "Stay" was declared (even if his eyes were more looking for the hand motion), the dealer nodded before taking his queen to flip over his own card before drawing a new one to add to his score, as if working autonomously. He had signs that he had plenty of years dealing the cards, though his personality (or lack there of) was possibly one of the reasons why his table was much more empty than the others. Still, watching his hands move around the table was like a performance on its own as he sorted through the winning chips, passing them out before taking the losing claims and the rest of the cards before dealing out new hands.

Still, as mesmerizing it was to see the dealer sort out everything without an inch of worry, Jesgil had to keep her attention focused on her guests. "Many of our drinks here are local, I am assure you," Jesgil replied with a smile on her face, holding the tray in her arms in front of her stomach. "After all, with so many artisans, its easy to find a fresh brew from these local lands, and if you want strong, then I would recommend a Bahtil Spirit, brewed with high quality grains and the fresh water from the local hot springs. In fact, we have just collected a new batch earlier this morning, so I can assure you its quality."

As the new hands now laid on the table, the ship slowed itself into port, trading off passengers and supplies before taking off again. Not that anyone inside would know unless they were accustomed to ship movements. After all, despite the ship's size, there were no windows that decorated the walls, allowing the gamblers outside to peer into the outside world. All light came from candles and magic orbs that floated in the sky. In fact, some even guessed that it were the dealers who controlled these lights, as many of the floating lights hovered above the tables themselves.

Raile cursed at the losing hand as the chips were exchanged, and sighed. Well, it’s not like I’m particularly amazing at blackjack, he thought. He glanced to the waitress and nodded at her suggestion. “The Baltil Spirit sounds great. I’ll take a few rounds of that. Cost isn’t an issue,” he said firmly. The cards were dealt out again, Raile found himself once more facing off against bad odds.

Sixteen. He frowned. A ten and six. He sighed, using the signal for a hit, and said it aloud out of habit. A five. “Stay,” he said, motioning his hand. There was at least some luck in the cards tonight. The fact was, though, that this wasn’t where he needed to be playing. He needed to find someone who was willing to bet a lot more than what passed hands at this table. He glanced up to see the shuffling of chairs as people dropped out and joined in other games. I’ll wait for the drink and then switch tables.

He turned back to watch the dealer draw a perfect 21, and Raile cursed again. Never mind what I said about luck…. The merchant sighed as once again his chips were taken. He was really hoping that this was not a premonition for how the rest of the night would turn out. After all, it would take an extraordinary amount of luck for him to score a shopfront. I almost wish Kalina were here. I know i told them not to gamble, but at least I’d have increased my odds….and I could have kept an eye out on her drinking….

He was starting to kick himself for his lack of forethought. When it comes to those two, you really don’t pay enough attention, do you, Raile? he chastised himself.

Though Jesgil listened to the request of the patron, her eyes were nervously staring down on the table, watching the wins and losses getting cleaned up. What really got her spooked was the push that was on the table that was taken as a loss. She didn't want to stir up a storm with the guests, but it still felt wrong to let such an error get by. So, as the dealer got ready for a new hand, Jesgil knelt over, whispering what she saw to the man in private, causing him to hold a card midway off the deck, eyes dilated as he stared off into  this own memories, looking back on the tables. When he caught it there, panic was quick to mix in as he tried to process how to handle it.

"Very well. Please give me a moment," she told the guest as she stepped away to fetch a bottle. As she was done, the dealer finally tossed out the card he held before returning to his stack of chips, sorting through them before setting a new pile up, sliding them back towards Raile. "Forgive me. It has been a long night. Maybe a moment of moonlight would do me good," he tried to chuckle off. If Raiel went to examine his pile, he would notice a new chip was in the pile, equal to the highest value he offered in the last hand, most likely as a form of forgiveness on messing up and to possibly keep quiet about the accident. Still, he could easily win it back just as easily.

It was about another hand before Jesgil returned back to the table, a fresh bottle of spirits and a glass on the platter. Letting Raile deal with his cards before him, Jesgil went about to set the glass for him, pouring the glass full of the drink before setting the bottle next to it. "Please be careful with your drink," she assured him, keeping the smile on her face before slipping the bill next to it.

The whole exchange between the waitress and the dealer confused Raile for a moment, but he understood why moments later as the dealer made an apology. The merchant’s eyes caught a new chip, and he immediately understood. Blackjack was not his normal game, so the rules fairly often slipped his mind, and in the moment he had not even noticed the error himself. I’ll have to leave her a decent tip… he thought as the waitress moved away to get his beverage.

Another hand went by, to which Raile managed a win, and the waitress returned and poured him his drink. As she poured the drink, Raile played out the last hand (a loss), and then sighed, grabbing the drink and taking a quick swig before standing up, taking the chips he had. “I’ll be moving to a different table now.” He was eying a particular game where there seemed to be some gaudily dressed individuals. Shouldn’t be too much to win a few rounds against them. The merchant was in luck: a free seat.

“Mind if I join?” he asked. As there were nods around, he sat down at the table, and was dealt in. His first hand wasn’t the worst, but he had yet to do a proper read on the rest of the players at the table. Raile would keep it small until he understood how the others played, and thus kept his initial bets as low as possible. A round went by, with Raile folding after the bet went higher than he was willing to go with his hand, and already he was almost done with his first drink.

I wonder if that waitress is still working. I still need to thank her. Of course…Leilah and Kalina might get jealous if I’m too generous… He sighed. He genuinely hoped the twins weren’t getting into too much trouble.

As the rounds at the poker table kept going, one of the men at the table waved down one of the wandering waitresses. If Raile was even paying attention, the face should be pretty recognizable. "Hey, can you be a dear and offer me a gem?" he asked her in a bit of a whisper, his eyes making sure the dealer was not paying too much attention.

"A… gem?" Jesgil was not quite sure what he meant by that? Was it some kind of specialty drink? No, probably not, considering he had half a bottle of spirits next to him, and the man did not care to waste a glass on it either. Was it a form of snack? Like a hard candy? If that was the case, then I would have known about it. Still, whatever it was, it seemed he was in desperate need.

"Yeah, a gem," he assured her, though this time being a bit more frontal once the dealer's eyes were away from her, flashing his hand to the Draconian waitress, making much more sense what he meant: a diamond. His hand was one card away from having a flush, but there was a spade in the way of his earnings. Essentially,  she wanted to help him cheat.

"I-I'm sorry, sir, but that is not a service I can provide," she kept low herself, trying to keep her smile on her face as he hugged the platter, though it seemed to have only stirred him a bit more than usual.

"Oh, really? Then how about you get me some love then. With an outfit like that, that's a service, right?" He held a free hand out with a grabby motion towards her as his face was red with ale and lust. The obsidian decoration around her neck began to shimmer as she felt some frost build up in her throat, but worked her mind to push it back. Now now, if I do that to a customer, I am sure to lose this job, she told herself as she tried to signal to the dealer. How can this man be so blind to these shenanigans?

Raile was already having infinitely better luck after switching to poker, which was perhaps the main reason the other patron was asking for help with his hand. After all, it would be a shame for such a patron to lose to a man of Raile’s caliber. It just wouldn’t be proper.

The merchant, though, had noted that one of the waitresses had been with a patron for quite some time. That woman from before. He started to flag her, when he noticed that the man was being less than gentleman like. Raile’s brow furrowed. The merchant may have been a tad bit shady at times, but he had always had a decent moral compass.

He glanced down at his hand, and with a sigh, placed it down. “Excuse me, just a moment…” he said, standing up. “I could use a refill on my drink…” He walked around the table.

“Am I…interrupting,” he asked as he approached the two. “If you wouldn’t mind, I would like a refill…” His eyes met hers with a knowing look. “And if I remember correctly, sir…” he glanced to the obviously drunk individual. “Patrons are to keep their hands off of both the dealers and other staff. I would like to think such an…esteemed person such as yourself would know better than to break the rules of this fine establishment. However, if you are insistent, I believe I know of a few brothels I passed on the way here that would love to take your coin….”

At this point, Raile was mostly bluffing. However, just like with poker, a bluff was all confidence based, as being a business savvy individual had left him with years of skills that might be considered, well, a bit shady, if not useful.

The draconian was all but glad to see a similar face right now, even if he was just that to her: a face. Still, if he was willing to intervene and help get some space, she was sure to take it. "Did you leave your bottle at the other table? I will be sure to fetch it for you," she smiled, taking the moment to step away back to the blackjack table. Luckily, the bottle still rested there by the dealer. "Your replacement still has yet to come?" she asked, getting a shake a as reply as he continued to deal cards. "Well, be sure to get some rest when he does, okay?"

"Heh, esteemed? Ye right!" the drunkard exclaimed. "Look at ye, thinkin' yer all big and that cause ye got a couple lucky hands. Look, if I want a couple lucky hands, I get lucky hands. After all, if I don't get what I wish, all I have to do is let papa know, and things will be taken care of. Now, if ye think ye can interrupt my fun, I will be sure to let papa know." A smug look was mixed in with the drunken face as he locked eyes with Raile.

If Raile was sharp-eyed, he would note an item in his chest pocket: a handkerchief with an emblem sticking out of it. A family emblem. The reason why the dealer made no motion against such open cheating and hands on with the waitress was because of mafia connections, and a big one like that if such a subordinate was gazed away. It was probably something all the staff except for the new hand was familiar with, thus such a cocky attitude. No one would dare challenge him.

"Forgive me," she stated as she returned back to Raile's side, "but I have refilled your glass and rested the bottle right next to it. Is there anything else you gentlemen need?"

The drunkard’s demeanor started to change as he talked over Raile all high and mightily. The phrasing he used caused the merchant to reassess the situation, and upon noticing the emblem on his handkerchief. It was all starting to click together, which only served to piss the hard working merchant off more. This was a new problem all together.

Raile had been planning on settling down and starting a storefront business versus his usual travelling about. Settling down where there were shady influences, though, that was something he had not considered. Taxes, protection fees, bribes…expenditures that could ruin any honest merchant in the trade. He would have to reconsider Jayou as an option if this were the case.

Not that he wouldn’t run into similar issues wherever he went. What he needed was muscle. Someone he could hire for protection. It would require someone who isn’t a local, and who isn’t afraid of a larger organization… He frowned. Finding that would take time.

That brought him back to the troubles at hand. He had already managed to piss off one person associated with it. At this point, he wondered if it even mattered. He would either find someone to help, or not. So, I guess there’s no point in turning back now. The man wanted to play dirty…well, just because Raile was used to winning legitimately, it didn’t mean he wasn’t below cheating. After all…the rules of the game had changed.

“Ah, I’m terribly sorry,” Raile said with a fake smile. “I didn’t realize who you were. I’ll just go back to my seat then…and we’ll play some more hands.” He knew the man would cheat now. And so, one game ended and another started. He glanced to the woman, and with a smile, apologized.

“Sorry. I was a little rude to interrupt. Thank you for refilling my glass.” With a quick wink, he made his way back to his seat, and picked up his hand.