ataraxion | 002 ¬ audio

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002 ¬ audio

I've managed cigarettes. [...Or something like them. He hasn't had to make his own in this fashion in quite some time. Still, some experimentation, and he's getting at it.] An' there's liquor enough.

Now. The important question, though--

Does anyone here play a good game of cards? Whist, perhaps? Know American poker, if that's more to someone's likin'.

Not much t' play for here, by way of stakes, but that doesn' make much a difference in a place like this.

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Oo-ooh, a colonel! Scuze me, here I thought I was just playin' with a regular man. Where you wanna play?

[Typical American. But Moran doesn't take any offence. Sounds too young to bother with it. After all, it doesn't make much difference here. Not one comment.]

Suppose one of the kitchens would suit well enough, don' you?

Don' suppose you've got a pack of cards, do you? If not, we'll see if I can't hunt one up.

See if you can. Worse come to worse, I can always make one. I'll meet ya in the kitchen, right.

[And he shuts his NV.]

[It took some doing, but. Pack of cards? Found.

And shortly after that, with a few crude cigarettes in his pocket and one in his mouth, he's checking the kitchens.

Ah. There.]

Mister Kelly?

Evenin'. Or mornin'. Whatever it is on this ship, I dunno. Anyway, hi, yeah.

[He notes the cigarette in Moran's mouth with a grin and promptly reaches into his pocket, tugging out a rather fine one of his own.]

Good. Some people raise a fuss if you smoke here, it's stupid.

Looks like you lucked out with that. [A nod to the cigarette.]

Had t' take to tryin' to make my own. Still, least they've got tobacco.

[He nods as he lights up.]

I got lucky. This girl was willin' to share with me, but, uh, I think I'll be joinin' you in hand-rolled ones soon.

So. What's the game?

Let's start [he pauses to light his own] with rummy.

Nice an' simple, both know it.

Just don't complain when you get beat, Colonel.

We'll see about that, now won't we, pup?

[He takes a seat, retrieves the cards, and shuffles twice. Then, he offers the deck to the younger amn to do the same.]

Your deal or mine?

I'll deal. Did you just call me pup? I'm twenty, thanks.

[Ha ha no he isn't, and it's not hard to guess at that lie. Still, Jack's face is nothing but indignant as he begins shuffling; he's a good liar, at least.]

An' I'm more than forty. Anythin' less than thirty's a pup to me.

[It's said congenially enough. Bright, eager young men... Valuable allies in the right circumstances, and Moran has seen enough of them, both in the Army and in London.]

[He whistles softly as he begins dealing.]

Well. I think you're older than my old man. What part o' England you from?

Surrey, actually.

[Which goes against the warm Cockney accent he speaks in, but. Well. Part of him is interested to see if the boy will know that.]

Spent most of my life, though, in India. Now that. Never was a finer place t' be.

[That flies right over Jack's head, actually, but he looks quite interested in India.]

What, really? What's it like, then?

[He takes a moment, looking at the back of the cards dealt. But only because he's thinking. Finding the right words.]

Colours and smells like you wouldn' believe. You haven' seen something red, for instance, 'til you see a wedding sari. Lush blues, lovely emeralds. Even the browns have life to 'em.

Forests thicker than you can imagine, an' if you're quiet out in one... you can always hear a tiger. Might not find 'im. Clever bastards, every last one of 'em, especially the females, mark that. But one's always watchin'.

[He leans forward, looking more and more interested by the second. The cards get a cursory glance; he's far more interested in his story.]

Have you-- you a hunter, then? What's a sari? I can't imagine-- I mean, I live in New York, I see all sorts o' stuff, but not the sorts o' colors like that. I mean, Christ, I can't even get those in paints, not really, not unless I spend near a month's wages.

[Hard question first:] Now, I'm not a man of much fashion. Know what sort of thing to wear where, but not anythin' to properly describe it.

It's... well, it's their version of a cloak, I s'pose. For women. Draped in various ways. Worn over a sort of a dress-- a choli.

Their brides-- my God. If ever somethin' were to inspire a man to marry, it'd be an Indian girl on her weddin' day. Dressed in red and gold.

Only red I've ever seen t' compare? A polished ruby, an' even that's a poor imitation half the time.

[He finally leans back, though he still looks eager, and picks up his first card.]

Well, ain't no chance o' me seein' that, so maybe I'll see an Indian girl someday. You ever marry, Colonel?

[Moran's features soften a bit, and he looks at his cards for a brief distraction.

Something else to focus on.]

No.

Never found he right girl. Offered to one woman, done wrong by someone else, an' I thought t' make it right. Right as I could, at least. She wouldn' have me, though.

Good girl, didn' want pity.

[He glances curiously over at Sebastian.]

Sorry.

[It's genuine sympathy, perhaps more gently spoken than someone might expect out of Jack.]

Better turned down by a good woman than accepted by a bad, you remember that. Got it, pup?

[The term is friendly, even more so than it was before.

He chuckles as he places a card in the discard pile. Despite the topic, he seems more wistful than regretful, and even that was giving way to whole-hearted good humour.

It would at least seem he was content with his bachelor state.]

Guess I'm just not the marryin' type. Some men aren't.

[He snorts at that-- pup-- but doesn't protest it. Idly he picks up Sebastian's discarded card and nods at his second sentence.]

Yeah. Or can't. Or don't meet the right girl. Pour us a shot, will you?

Probably could have found the right girl if I'd cared enough t' look a little harder. [He pours two drinks, having brought a bottle to the table.]

Would've been an Indian girl, more likely than not. Or one of the lot who got it in her head to be an adventuress. Knew a few of that sort. Least a bit of improvement over the typical English girls I met when I got back. Or 'fore I left.

Well, yeah, you gotta have a girl who ain't borin'. Spirit, you know? Though I guess not all English girls is like that-- I mean, there's gotta be a few who ain't so bad.

002 ¬ audio

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