When We're Rollin Through the Wild Wild West

[geonomy]

Who: Everyone! EVERYONE!
Broadcast: IF YOU WANNA
Action: Everywhere! EVERYWHERE!
When: Mid-September - Mid-October

[How's your ship doing, pardners? Is it still pretty damaged? Is it glitching out hardcore? Well, there is one place to land to take care of all that, and that's on a dusty old moon in front of a planet that no one wants to go to. On this moon, you'll find a civilization that looks a lot like one's stepped into a wild west movie, hardened cowpolk and mutant horses and all. Will you become a vigilante, hunting bounties and stopping gangs from doing their dirty work? Will you go exploring planetside, with a cowboy hat and a stalk of wheat in your mouth to complete the look? Good luck with that; there is no wheat. This town ain't big enough for all you flooters, but make it so! For the ratings!

In other words, it's a planet mingle! Get 'er done!]

[September Planet info here]

Comments

B

[save_the_souls]

[Allen's sitting at the card table while Varric is talking. He's not even paying attention to the story. No. What he is paying attention to is the table. And more specifically, he is focused on something truly atrocious.]

[He just lost a hand.]

[He narrows his eyes as he tries to figure out how this dwarf did it. How could this happen?]

[merchantprince]

[You don't have to be a mage to do a little magic. Or maybe he's just crazy lucky? It's hard to tell, but he seems to have a talent for making people look where he wants them to.

He puts in a bet for the next hand and gets absolutely nothing good. Maybe that was on purpose, too-- but either way, losing here makes him look less suspicious.]

Damn, looks like I'm out a couple credits.

[A woman at Varric's side pats his shoulder in sympathy. Varric is having the time of his life though, and he gives Allen a sly wink.]

[save_the_souls]

[Oh yes, Allen knows better. He caught the wink. The guy threw the hand intentionally. Classic move. But how was he winning?]

[He takes a drink of juice as he tries to keep a friendly poker face on. Right. Keep calm. Maybe he should just play legit a few rounds and see what this guy is doing. It's not like he needs this money right now. He's already made enough bank to keep up with the Blue Fish's needs. it's mostly just been pride and thrills at this point. So time to be friendly and sympathetic.]

That's how it goes. You still seem to have plenty though!

[merchantprince]

I'm just lucky tonight, I suppose. Must be the lovely lady on my arm. [Said lady titters. She blows a kiss at Varric's cards, as if that might bless them for next round.

He places another bet, bigger this time. Not suspiciously huge yet a decent amount.]

You're not doing too badly yourself, considering.

[save_the_souls]

[oh dear lord, he has to resist the urge to roll his eyes in front of the lady.]

Thank you. I suppose the luck is going around.

[merchantprince]

You'd probably feel fifty times luckier with someone like Miss Minnie on your arm.

[He could probably pay someone to pretend to like you, you sad soul.]

[save_the_souls]

[ .... ]

[Okay normally he's all for playing down what he has with Clay (ITS CASUAL), BUT YOU KNOW WHAT DWARF?]

Maybe, but I'm actually seeing someone and they aren't made of wood - [UNLIKE SOMEONE'S LOVER HERE] - so I don't think having someone else on my arm would bring me much luck, thank you.

[merchantprince]

[Okay, that's hilarious and Varric can't help but burst into laughter. It's warm, not offended.]

In that case, having a lady on your arm would bring the opposite. I'm thinking shoes being thrown at your head... bleached clothes if you're lucky.

[He's speaking from personal experience.]

[save_the_souls]

[Frankly it's really hard for him to imagine Clay doing anything vengeful like that. Especially when they weren't really serious. BUT WHATEVER]

[But man, he took that jab in such good spirits. He wants to be annoyed at that, but it's hard and he still finds himself Slightly Approving and making a small laugh sound. Rude.]

Ha- yes, exactly. Rather not risk any of that.

[merchantprince]

[Varric glances over the hand he's been dealt. Not a great hand, so he folds this time.]

How long have you been stuck on the Fleet of Fun?

[save_the_souls]

[..Damn. His hand is shit too, no wonder he normally cheats- so he folds]

It'll be a year in October.

[merchantprince]

A whole year, huh? That's nothing to sneeze at.

[He takes a drink of whatever amber-colored booze is in his glass.]

Hope it's better than what you left behind.

[save_the_souls]

[And that, actually gives Allen pause and he seems to be lost in a moment of thought. He always kept his true feelings about being away from home close to his chest- sometimes so close even he couldn't see them. It was true that he hated that he was kidnapped by Atroma, that they were essentially no better than slavers in his eyes. When he thought about it that way, he felt the old and deep anger that he had tried to bury the day he changed his name, proving that those embers had never truly gone out. In that way, he hated being here.]

[And yet...he had so much here. Ino, Crowley, Alex, his crew, his friends, Clay, his memories, his health. It was likely he was going to live to twenty-four and remember it. He hadn't expected that to happen. This fleet wasn't as dangerous as Paradisa, and he slowly stopped waking up afraid every morning. Nor did he have to constantly have to worry about the war back home...not that he had a home to go back to, if going missing says anything]

[Finally, he faintly smiles]

I think it is, yes.

[merchantprince]

[Varric can kinda see the gears turning in Allen's head. He has no idea what he's thinking, of course, but there's no denying the spirit in that smile. People on Thedas don't smile like that much. Yet another reminder of what Varric left behind, too.]

Good, I'm glad to hear that. More juice?

[It's been a while since he had an assassination attempt, personally. He could get used to this-- and he has, although he'll always want to go home. No matter how shitty Thedas becomes, it's his shithole. He has a duty. And realizing that just makes him miss Hawke more. Damn it, girl, her heroism rubbed off on him like stink off a nug.

Oh well.]