The day had been rainy and dreary, Leon was still mourning the the loss of his hat. He had to retire it away after the holes were burned in it. He didn't need to throw it out but it was his most perfect clothing item and now it was ruined. He was going to need to buy a new hat.

He brushed his hands through his bare salt and pepper hair, stepping through the threshold of the Black dove. He almost naked without it, he wore it a lot. A surprisingly sullen face was spread across his face.

Maybe a drink will fix this?

Leon went up to the bar and ordered an ale. He took a seat in a rather comfortable booth. Yes there were closer pubs to his hovel then the Dove, but the men at Silas' gate told him to spend his nights there, he hoped he wasn't going to be killed. He always looked on the bright side of life, though, he hoped to get a job. Hopefully that night was the night.

If Leon had been noticed, he certainly couldn't tell. Not at first. He was served his drink by a disinterested and slightly distracted waitress. She smirked at him in a tired sort of way instead of smiling. She might have mumbled something that actually included the word "sugar" or "sweets" in it, but she was gone before she was finished speaking, voice fading into the crowd at the other tables.

His ale was warm, but there weren't any bugs in it. That was good.

Some laughter erupted a few tables away where a round of cards was going on. Someone slammed their fist on the table in their humor and drinks went everywhere. A short, tawny-haired witch leapt up to avoid the drinks. She hissed a few choice words at the group and threw down her cards, all the while making at least one obvious glance at Leon.

Then things settled down again after a large, broad-shouldered human wiped the table with a nearby drunk's jacket. The bald, tattooed man even had the gall to place the sopping wet thing back on the unconscious drunk's shoulders, laughing. Everyone went back to playing cards as if nothing had happened, except more than one person at the table was looking now, once or twice, in Leon's direction. While he wasn't close enough to be in earshot, they might have even been talking about him.

Leon quietly sipped his ale,being a quiet patron was a could be a good thing sometimes. He sat in the booth going over life in general. He wondered where he was in life. Most of his family had already settled down, his cousin Brock had two very cute daughters. He hoped to be like him someday.

Taking another sip of his ale he looked up, he noticed a more rowdier group of customers playing cards and whispering. He got an odd vibe from the group. He glanced at them right when someone from that table was looking at him, he thought they met eyes. He quickly looked away, he closed his eyes and took a third sip from his glass.

I hope I survive the night.

Laughter roared from the table again as someone playing apparently lost all their coins. There was some grumbling, playful threatening, and a few more taunts over drinks. Then, the bald, tattooed human shoved his coins at the loser and stood up, grinning a crooked-toothed grin. As he stood, kicking back his chair, a stained, dark wooden club was visible swinging from his belt. He was a huge man, broad-shouldered and scarred. His hands could obviously crush skulls.

Hollis the Cudgel snatched up his mug and drained it's contents, wiping his mouth on the back of a meaty hand. Then he turned and walked without another word to Leon's table, not even bothering to ask as he slid into the seat across from him.

"Well, 'ello thar. I 'ear y'be lookin' fer work. Issat true?" He set his palms on the table, "Me mates o'er there bet me you're the wrong man, though. So, if y'are, you'd better jus' pretend y'ent."

Leon's whole body shuttered when the large man sat down, his hands looked as though they could choke a kenser. Leon took a deep breath. He wasn't even sure if he was the one looking for a job now, he was too intimidated.

"H-h-hello sir, I think I am the o-one you are looking for. My name is Leon, Leon Publian. The men at Silas' gate told me to come here. I was hoping to be a courier for them." Leon hoped the giant had gotten the gist of what he meant.

"Call me 'Ollis. 'Ollis the Cudgel." The large human grinned broadly, but not a single one of the teeth in his mouth looked as if they'd ever attempted to grow straight, "I ent usually one t'do any 'irin', but some folks is busy, so we all gotta share th'load."

He jerked his chin over his shoulder, indicating the table where he'd been playing cards, "O'er there's me mates. They'll smash your face if you're lyin', 'ear me?"

There were snickers from the table. Amber, the tawny-haired witch, blew a kiss with a sarcastic laugh.

"So, you wanna carry some of the Brother's packages? Are y'sure? You got some kinda cru-cra-credentials?" He grinned, letting the tone of his questions border between the ambiguous and threatening, perhaps a little amused by Leon's nervousness.

"C-c-credentials? You mean things I've done?" Leon's mind was scrambled, he couldn't think around a man so big. "hmm, well I've been delivering messages and packages since I was sixteen, with my dad of course. I started delivering by my self when my father ... d-died. I was twenty then, now I am twenty two. I guess I have about a good six years under my belt. Ya think that is good enough credentials?" Leon smiled at very wry smile. He knew that he was going to be working for some not so pretty characters, her just didn't think it was literal.

Leon rubbed his hands through his hair. He slumped down on the table, hoping to appear non-controversial. "Do you think I might get the job?" He said, with a smile.

"I don't see why not." Hollis smirked, big meaty hands on the tabletop as he shrugged, "Ent like we run outta needin' runners 'round 'ere. 'Course, ent always a safe job, neither. There's folks who always want what we—or 'Awke—got."

The big man reached up and ran a hand over his bald head, tilting his head at a thoughtful angle, regarding Leon carefully, "Can y'defend yerself? Y'know, if someone were to decide they want whats you got?"

"Defense?" A worried look spread across Leon's face. The men at Silas' gate said his cane and kenser weren't much protection. He didn't want to buy a firearm right off the bat, he needed to know he had the job first. "If you're asking if I have a pistol, I don't. If I need one, I'll get one as soon as I can. Those things are expansive." He shot the giant a wry smile.

"When I was on the road, coming to the Harbor. I was 'attacked' by some highwayman. He were an amateur, he threatened me with a knife. He thought I was some defenseless courier. Little did he know, I had a secret weapon." Leon laughed. "My cane. It was right by my side, he didn't even think I would do anything with it. Long story short, I don't think he'll be attacking anyone any time soon." Leon winked at the Ollis. "Well maybe I do have defense. I do think a pistol would be better protection though."

Hollis twisted a little, shifting in his seat to loosen the marred, stained club at his belt. Slamming it on the table, the huge man grinned, crooked teeth far from attractive. The handle of the club was marked with tiny lines, an obvious tally of his victims, "No'everyone needs a godsbedamned boomstick to make their point, boy." He laughed, loud and coarse in his barrel of a chest,

"'Sides, ent you a wick? Can't you mumble sommat special words an' make vroo 'appen? Eh?" He was taunting now, not particularly concerned whether or not the younger man wanted a gun, "Pistol's're expensive, so you'd best be 'opin' to make a boomin' profit 'ere in th'Arbor."

The big man shrugged, "Everyone's got their own style, I s'pose. If'n y'wanna stick someone, who am I to complain, eh?"

"Well magic is something I don't think you could do discreetly. He would have realized I was casting, and I didn't want to be gutted." He smiled at Ollis, it was an awkward smile, but it was a smile. Leon took a sip of his ale, starting to down it quicker. He hoped he would get in.

"So Ollis, what does recruitment really entail? This can't really be it, is it?" Leon didn't want to be as straight forward as he was, but he was so anxious. If he obtained a job for the Brothers he would move up more quickly in life than he would have if he just stuck to solo couriering.

"Well, you'll 'ave t'do a job, I s'pose. Somethin' not so simple, I'm guessin'." Hollis shrugged, one meaty hand reaching up to rub the back of his tattooed neck, glancing briefly over his shoulder,

"Maybe for now, you can jus' come finish our game'a'cards with us an see 'ow well you 'old out, eh?" The large human grinned, jerking his square chin in the direction of the table he'd come from. The entire table looked up, all eyes drifting briefly to Leon before returning to the cards in their hands.

"Y'know 'ow t'play wild nines, don'tcha?"

"Wild nines? Oh, of course I know how to play wild nines. It's one of the easiest games in the book." What Hollis didn't know was that Leon was lying. He had only played wild nines once, he failed miserably. He was never able to pick it up and the rules, for some reason, went over his head.

"Wild nines is an easy game. Real easy." Leon was still sitting, he was going to let the giant get up first. He tried to show as much respect as possible to Hollis. If he didn't, may not have been seen again.

Hollis had no clue Leon was lying, not being the type for deep thinking so much as hard hitting. It was no skin off his back whether or not the wick could play so much as he wanted to work, so the burly human stood with a grunt,

"Alright then. Let's see you put your money where your mouth is." He grinned, all his crooked teeth like poorly planted trees in ugly rows. Turning to shuffle to the other table, he waited for Leon before sitting back down to his hand,

"Deal an extra one in there, Sharps. Seems to me we gots a new recruit to break in." Hollis chuckled, nodding his head toward a tall, lanky wick with his hair hidden underneath a bright bandanna, more than a handful of face piercings, and a variety of tattoos on both arms that disappeared up into the loose sleeves of his shirt, "Say 'ello to some of th'Brothers, why dont'cha?"

Everyone at the table, from Amber to Sharps to the other two criminals looked up at Leon expectantly.

Leon's eyes tried to shy away from the dealer. Even though he was a wick, he was not a big fan of peircings. He felt they disrupted from the faces natural beauty. He nodded at everyone at the table, hoping to give off good vibes. They all looked hardened and stoic, how all brothers looked, even the woman.

"Hesta, junta. How are y'all doing this day? Looks like you kovs got a mant game going on. Are you sure I ent interupting?" He has gotten himself into a rather sticky situation, he was now going to try and get out of this game, while still trying to get into the brothers.

(( Reference for the game can be found here: http://www.ehow.com/how_16949_play-crazy-eights.html, only there's more emphasis on bluffing and hoarding nines in Wild Nines. All cards will be randomly generated by random.org. ))

Amber smiled and moved her chair over, making room for Leon between herself and Wren. Sharps chuckled and tossed the proper number of cards into the cleared space on the table, setting the deck back down when he was done. Hollis retook his seat and glanced at his cards before nodding his head around the table as a means of introduction,

"S'Amber there. An' Wren. That lil'un there's Farrow," Hollis indicated the youngest at the table, a dark-haired human boy hardly into his teens, "Watch yer pockets 'round that one." The large human laughed, Farrow grinning stupidly at the compliment, freckled face beaming, "Lastly, 'at's Ol'Maybell. Don't let 'er age fool ya, neither. She's pretty mean at a game'o'cards."

The old witch grinned a practically toothless smile, eying Leon with her good eye, "What? Speak up!"

The Cudgel smirked, "Nothin' Nan. Jus' play yer 'and."

Sharps looked to the deck in the middle of the table, "I'm gonna turn a card over. Everyone make sure they've looked at their hands."

Leon's five cards consisted of a four of diamonds, a three of hearts, a king and queen of clubs, and a queen of spades.

Leon grinned at the cards he was dealt; he didn't know if they were good, but he liked the pictures on them. He glanced at everyone's eyes. Some were shifty, shooting looks at everyone sat at the table, others were concentrated on their cards and the deck. Leon was neither of those, he was looking at the people and the cards.

He hoped they didn't figure out he couldn't play. If they found out he lied, they might break his kneecaps. Leon was now wishing to pick up how the game worked as fast as possible. It was terribly unlikely though.

Sharps turned over the top card of the stockpile in the center of their table; it was a two of clubs. Nan was to his left, followed by Wren, then Leon, then Amber, Farrow, and finally Hollis before the circle was completed by the pierced and tattooed dealer.

Everyone either had to lay down a card of the the same suit, of the same number but a different suit, or a wild nine. If none of those were possible, the player would have to draw a card until they could play. The trick came when one tried to bluff—putting down three cards and claiming them all clubs or two cards and claiming them both the same number. That's where the trouble came in, as everyone wanted to hoard their wild nines so as not to get any penalty points in the end.

Nan delicately placed a two of hearts with a slightly toothless smack of her lips. Wren kept a blank expression, the wirey middle-aged human woman finally setting down her queen of hearts before arching a well-manicured eyebrow at Leon,

"Yer turn, sweets. Whatcha got?"

Leon's face was flushed and confused. It was his turn, his turn. He had no idea what to do. He shot looks to the rest of the table, they were all looking at him. This was it. If he had learned anything on his travels around the country, it was that it was best to conform.

He saw that both the cards that were lied down had hearts on them. He looked at his hand, he only had one card with hearts on it. Putting it all on the line, he put the three of hearts down, hoping they didn't catch his lie.

"Nice one, right?" He said to Wren, flashing her a false grin.

"If'n y'say so." Smirked the woman, deciding it was too early in the game to make too many hopeful statements.

Amber set down a three of clubs, and Farrow was forced to draw two cards before he could put down a seven of clubs with a fat-lipped scowl. Hollis tossed down to other sevens with a satisfied expression on his tattooed face—one of diamonds and the other of spades.

The circle went around again, returning to Leon as a two of diamonds facing up at him. No one else had had to draw yet but Farrow, and everyone had managed to play without the help of a single nine. Whether or not anyone had any wild cards was still a mystery.

A whole round had gone by without the henchmen figuring out his bluff, Leon never played Wild Nines. Leon wasn't about to let them know this though. He decided to follow his gut and do what he did last time, put down a card of the previous suit. He thanked Alioe for letting him have a four of diamonds in his hand.

He slowly kissed the card and then placed it on the pile. This was turning out to be his day, well it seemed like it was.

(( SFSR ))

Whether or not anyone was paying enough attention to Leon to catch his cluelessness or to even suspect he was bluffing was hard to tell. The blank faces and concentrating scowls of the other players, even the usually distractedly jovial Nan, seemed to mask any potential for reading into their thoughts. They'd all been at this table before, around a game of cards, and no one was about to let their own thoughts be read across their expressions any time soon. Whatever they hoped to take advantage of in the game, be it Leon or each other, revealing that would hardly have helped their situation any.

So, the random twitches, slight listless hand movements, shifty eyes, and other such signals were largely left to coincidence and mystery. If Leon had been able to recognize any of the tells of the different players, some were definitely more comfortable in this element than others.

The cards were piled on again, with Sharps and Wren both having to draw. By the time the pile was left facing Leon, it was an Ace of Diamonds staring up at him.

Farrow shifted uncomfortably, eying the pile of cards to draw from before glancing at the three in his hand,

"S'a good game." He grunted, still youthful cheeks drawn up in a goofy, teenaged smile as he teased the wick, "We don't get much fresh meat lately."

Leon placed down the king of clubs on the ace of diamonds. This was absolutely wrong for the game, if someone knew he didn’t know the game, they would have gave him a break; these thugs did not. They all probably thought he was just plain stupid. To Leon this placement was perfectly logical. Now, Leon’s logic didn’t work like most; it was a bit more … eccentric. It worked like this: Everyone knows that a king comes after an ace in card decks, so placing a king above an ace made sense to him. Everybody else probably thought it was the most random card placement in the history of wild nines.

He grinned at the rest of the crowd. He didn’t know he did anything wrong. He actually thought he did something right, he really needed to learn the rules of this game; his life could depend on it.

Leon glanced at an old wooden clock in the corner of the pub, it had been getting late. He didn’t know when the game would end, but he hoped as soon as possible. He had pets to take care of. His yoffel was never a good thing to be left alone for too long, he liked to chew on things.