Open

[lostthebet]

Who: Cayde-6 and You!
Broadcast: Video
Action: Viewing Bay on the Marsiva
When: Today

[The feed opens to Cayde setting the device on a table where it can capture a view of him as he shuffles a deck of cards, the large expanse of space from the view bay as his backdrop (it makes him look more impressive).]

It's been a pretty crazy few days, huh? I dunno about you, but I think I need a vacation from my dreams. And they said Exos don't dream.

Anyway, I found some cards, and where there are cards; there's poker. So ... who's with me?

Comments

[thebestseller]

Get ready to be taken for all your money, bucko.

[lostthebet]

[Not exactly the hardest thing to do; just because Cayde likes gambling doesn't mean he's necessarily good at it ... Not that he's willing to admit it.]

Bring the game, friend, I ain't in it for peanuts.

[thebestseller]

I host monthly poker games with my author buddies. I have lots of experience.

[lostthebet]

Heh, lucky. I work with a lot of wet noodles.

[thebestseller]

And where's the fun in that? I'll be sure to give you a good game.

[lostthebet]

There is no fun in that. I'll look forward to an actual challenge.

[thebestseller]

Are we going to be wagering actual credits?

[lostthebet]

But of course. Unless you've got any better ideas; it's not like I have access to my stashes out here.

[thebestseller]

Just making sure. It's not like I have anything better to wager, anyway- most of my stuff is back on the Windrose.

[lostthebet]

I just got what's on my back, and there is no way in Hell you are getting your hands on this cloak. Credits should be fine, though.

[thebestseller]

As cool-looking as your cloak is, I wouldn't dare take one of your few possessions. It's important to have something from home.

[lostthebet]

Yeah, who knew I'd be missing that place? You got anything special even the most rowdy game couldn't interest you to bet?

[thebestseller]

Not with me, no. There are a few things at home with sentimental value I'd hate to wager, though... like my first-run copy of my first book.

[lostthebet]

Mmm, how I do love a first-run. Aren't many of them left, in my time; true relics of the pre-Golden Age.

[He says this having written in one and taped things in it and gutted the inside to fit a Strange Coin.]

[thebestseller]

Man, that still bums me out a little bit- books are pretty fragile, though.

[lostthebet]

Yeah, there's a lot about my universe to get bummed about. There's a lot of nifty stuff there too, so I guess it all evens out.

[lostthebet]

Okay, no, wait ... kind of still on the bummer side, what with the whole 'oops we killed a God's son' thing going on when I left.

[thebestseller]

... OK, now THAT sounds like a hell of a story. How did that happen?

[lostthebet]

It's kind of a long story, but this buggy gross race called the Hive took over our Moon, caused a lot of problems and killed a lot of Guardians. Chick I know went in with a fireteam to kill their leader, Crota? Yeah she was the only one that survived and ... okay survive is stretching it; she came back like, bat-shit crazy. I mean, you can't really blame her considering she had to watch her whole team die, but yeah. [He swirls his finger by his head and makes a cuckoo noise.]

Anyway many years down the line and he tries to take over Earth, and we're like nuh uh, not having any of that, so we got a new Fireteam, were able to equip them with better gear and weapons, and gave them all the intel we could. They go in, whoop his ass, success; Crota's dead.

[He gives a dark, wry chuckle and crosses his arms, leaning back against the wall.] Turns out his dad Oryx didn't take too kindly to that. Also turns out his dad was a Hive God, so he comes into the Sol system, giant nasty lookin' dreadnought, scads of Hive Warships. The Awoken send out their armada and it took one blast from that dreadnought to decimate them.

[For as flippant and cocky as he could be, he takes on a more somber tone.] We thought Crota was bad; now we know where he gets it.

[thebestseller]

[Castle is listening attentively the whole time, nodding and ooh-ing and ahh-ing at appropriate points.]

Holy CRAP. I have to admire anybody who tried to stand up to that, though; for all I think I'd like to be a brave hero, I'd probably be pissing my pants and running in the other direction at an armada of angry bugs coming toward me in ships.

[lostthebet]

Not much frightens the Awoken, and, well ... maybe that was their undoing. [He gives a little shrug.] Somehow I don't think they're going to be down for long, but they did take heavy losses and you gotta ask yourself, was there another way?

[thebestseller]

Yeah... sometimes you do need a good kick in your ass to stop feeling invincible. Confidence is good, but self-preservation is a good instinct to have, too.

[mikangirl]

Poker! There's a game I haven't played in a while. [Largely due to being stuck in places like this. Laaaame.]

Where you at? I'm in.

[lostthebet]

Observation room. Gotta have an appropriately epic backdrop for an appropriately epic game.

[mikangirl]

I'm on my way. Gimme five minutes.

[She's just gonna duck past the kitchen and raid it for alcohol to bring first.]

[lostthebet]

Roger that. I'll be all ready when you get here.

[mikangirl]

You got it.

[She hangs up. That's okay; she figures introductions can wait until she arrives a few minutes later, carting a bottle of rum and a handful of glasses (just in case) and looking for the guy in the funky mask. (Well. She assumes it's a mask.)]

[lostthebet]

[Yeah yeah a lot of people think it's a mask. Probably a lot more than he knows or assumes!]

Well hello there little lady, you ready to lose your proverbial pants?

[mikangirl]

[She'll learn eventually.]

I'm not sure I'll be the one doing the losing. [She holds up her bottle.] Drink?

video;

[grounds]

[Now here's a familiar face.] Guess I'd better, huh?

video;

[lostthebet]

Yeah, you'd better! I'll give you a primer before the Big Dogs show up.

video;

[grounds]

Okay, okay. Common area, or your room?

video;

[lostthebet]

[He puts a sultry edge to his tone,] Mmm, I dunno; can I trust you alone in my room?

video;

[grounds]

[This face.]

Yeah, I'd be good.

video;

[lostthebet]

[Yeah, he's a flirt. He's harmless, though.]

Alright then, see you when you get here. [Adding room location ping!]

video;

[grounds]

[She figures, but the thought alone is what caused the expression. Moving on!]

Yeah, sure. Gimme a bit, I want to get some food.

video;

[lostthebet]

Yeah, sure. When ya gotta eat, ya gotta eat.

video;

[grounds]

Want me to grab you anything? [She pauses, considering.]

You do eat, right?

Re: video;

[lostthebet]

Uh, heh, not ... really, no. At least, I haven't for a long time.

video;

[grounds]

Do I even want to know?

video;

[lostthebet]

What's there to know? I was human once, came back Exo. Got a small handful of wipes, really puts some space between now and then.

video;

[grounds]

I've got no idea what any of that means. Care to explain?

video;

[lostthebet]

Is it really necessary? Listen, thing with Exos? We gotta lotta jumbled up fragments of memories. You die, you wipe, you get brought back; not everything comes back with you. Probably a better conversation for a rainy day when there ain't nothing else to do.

video;

[grounds]

Honestly you just covered what I was asking about-- the whole die, wipe, brought back thing. So you used to be human?

Re: video;

[lostthebet]

Yeah, a long, long time ago. Don't remember much about it, really.

video;

[grounds]

Huh. Okay, then. That clears a lot up I think.