DECEMBER 24th “I knew you were too cute to be a railbird.”
He bites off his last word with a smile, canine glinting in the pink neon lights. When it doesn’t have the desired effect and the hand on his shoulder tightens instead, he lifts his hands from the table, two chips sliding down his left sleeve just as he flicks his fingers open. Something sparks.
The cards on the table glitter a pale green, and then the eight of diamonds flickers back to the same number of clubs. The dealer eyes him up, and he casts a glance at her, almost apologetic.
“Flush is better than a simple straight.” Seems to be his admission of guilt, his smile still plastered over his delicate features. Not that anything straight would be
acceptable to the young man, but he worked with what he had. The dealer stares him straight in the eye, then breaks to nod at the man with his hand still on Arthur’s shoulder.
The grip on his shoulder tightens further, and the smile morphs to a grimace. Alright, then. When the man behind him yanks him up from his seat, he comes willingly, falling against the security guard with an almost endearing stumble to his step.
“You know she’s been stacking the deck for the past four rounds, right?” He mutters, right into the man’s ear, which doesn’t earn him the kudos he would expect for outing another cheater to the establishment. Rather, it earns him a solid punch to the gut, and nausea to boot.
His grin slips from his face, then, and the nice dinner jacket flickers back into his actual shirt, putting his lower arms on display. Even the shoes he’s wearing aren’t real, the warm brown leather of his oxfords melting back into his canvas slip-ons the moment that the guard’s fist connects to his midriff.
“Right.” He coughs, already physically being dragged through a mass of playing, dancing, laughing people. He’d quite like to be one of them at this moment, and not the person he is right now (that is, a gambler who was straight up caught cheating in a casino), but, regrettably, he is himself and he’s currently being hauled away from his dearly beloved poker table.
Squirming, it seems, has no effect on this fellow. Normally, he’d be out of someone’s grip within a minute, but he’s already in the grand entrance hall and with the amount of pressure being put on his shoulder and collarbone approaching breaking capacity, he’s slowly losing hope on anything like that happening.
“Listen, I get that it’s wrong and all, but she was cheating too, and I was just trying to fix a broken system, no need to get hands with-“ For someone as out of breath as him, having just gotten his smart smile knocked off of his face with a fist to the stomach, he’s still pretty wordy. “I know it’s pretty contrarian and all but I really
wasn’t looking for trouble, just for some profit, I pinky-swear it won’t happen-“
“I ought to break that pinky of yours, along with the rest of your delicate little fingers.” The man’s low grumble shuts Arthur up, and earns him another up-and-down. He doesn’t look old enough for that deep a voice, nor does he really look
strong enough to keep this hold on the boy.
“I hear a but.”
It’s risky, but it’s left his lips before he can think about
not being snarky for once in his short life.
“You’re half-deaf, then. I ought to break your fingers, but I’ll settle for your kicking you out. You’re lucky it ain’t first quarter yet, godspawn.”
“Wait, no, I’ll take the fingers, just don’t-“ What
is he saying?
The strong hand on his shoulders pushes and pulls, and then he’s bodily thrown out of the casino, and he
really doesn’t want to be, but he’s briefly too concerned with
wanting to break his hands rather than leave the building to struggle.
Why, in the name of Hades himself, would he
want that? He needs his hands. They’re the most important part of him, two conduits for magic, the quick parts that steal wallets and know how to tie at least seventeen different knots. Why the hell would he-
Wait.
Another sequence of questions begins to form in the back of his mind, with the most important one being
why is Santa out in february which is followed by
what’s with the christmas music and then a sudden, verbal, loud -
“What day is it?”
Nobody answers him, but, glaring down at him from the sky is a moon nearly in its full quarter, and the impossibility of
that hits him like a ton of bricks. It had been first quarter when he entered the casino. It can’t have been more than a few days. It can’t be a new cycle yet. But the moon is there, and so is Santa, and the realisation that it hasn’t been
a new cycle, it’s been
ten months, hits him like a freight train, giving him no time to recover from the bricks in any way.
Barely breathing, he already knows what he’ll find spelled out in the neon sign flickering behind him. He looks anyway.
Tackily, in gold and pink,
LOTUS CASINO is spelled out for all the world to see.
Arthur curses.
Somewhere far from there, his name is spoken.
The Vegas Strip is loud, and he has no way of hearing that voice from that far away, but he does. And he shouldn’t, because it’s impossible, because the magic long since ran out, because he can’t do those things, but even demigods sometimes have miracles, and his spell holds.
Far away from where he is, someone is calling Arthur’s name, and he can hear him.
“Fiyero.” The mage-boy whispers, clenching sooty fingers to sparking fists, the name of the son of night barely leaving his lips before the hope sparks, too. Maybe, if he calls out his name, then maybe -
Then maybe all that is lost is Arthur, and maybe, if he finds the way, he can return.
He can. He will.
And if he has to lie and cheat and steal his way back to the east coast, then so it shall be.
DECEMBER 29th. LATE EVENING.
Once upon a time, he had washed up on the shore, spit out by the sea itself.
He is, again, dripping with water when he reappears. Thick white snowflakes hang in the crow-feather crown of hair on his head, slowly melting down into the dark, muddy textiles of his clothes. Arthur stands at 5’6, these days, still short but taller than he once was, long-limbed and quick-fingered. Like the mages of myth, he cannot contain himself within himself, and it’s painfully obvious that his body has tried to accommodate the energy pulsing through his veins too quickly, very poorly. Knowing him (if anyone really knows him, it’s a subject of debate all in itself), the six extra inches might be an illusion if it weren’t such a steady height, and if it weren’t such an unimpressive stature. He’s nineteen now, and no boy his age would be that short by choice. The tips of his fingers are covered in soot and slowly scale into the greyish undertone of one with divine and, decidedly, mixed heritage. That same soot-black nestles under his skin, not just on top of it, a thousand-and-one little lines of ink scrawled on his arms and shoulders, up the back of his neck, in suns and moons and stars, in prayers and curse-formulas. Those are new, too, and while some flicker sea-green with mist-magic, others are all too real. Seems that he’s brought with him ink and soot and calloused knuckles, if nothing else of value. Pale green eyes drag themselves over the landscapes, judging it unkindly. Distance is written over his face, distance from this, from the changes that pulled through the landscape when he was absent from it. He does not seem to like it, going by the way his mouth pulls into a knife-drawn line. He wears a heavy midnight crown, haphazardly sat atop curls just as dark, shifting when he tilts his head, as if expecting the landscape to change with the movement. It doesn’t.
The world has changed, and it does not change with a tilt of his head. He has changed, and that does not change with his tilted head either. Those facts are similar, but unconnected. The world has not changed because he has - the world does not care for things as small as him - and he has not changed because the world has - the world is far too big for him to have noticed changes until after they’ve occurred.
The world has changed, and he has too, and those entirely unrelated facts have somehow gotten themselves gordianically knotted up into problems. Problems that most certainly aren’t solved by his head tilting to the side, but that may yet be solved by other actions he might take. It’s about time, Arthur reckons, with his mist-magic and all the wisdom gathered in two decades of life, that he starts solving.
And so he does, stalking off decidedly towards cabin 21.
queer wizard, at your service. i reckon this counts as a re-[introduction]. if you find things need explaining, follow the links! they (should) explain said things.
submitted by Check out 2982 casino Gold Coast accommodations and you’re sure to find the ideal hotel for your trip. And with prices starting at AU$116 per night, you’ll have more than enough money left over to treat yourself to a fancy dinner or a few drinks after your next effort at the table. Located 10 minutes' drive from Gold Coast beaches, Surfers Paradise and Jupiters Casino, Mercure Gold Coast Resort offers 2 outdoor swimming pools, a fitness centre, sauna and 2 tennis courts. Room was very spacious and comfortable. The pillows, mattresses and linen were clean and comfortable. Thoughtfully designed to exceed expectations, our guest rooms provide comfortable Surfers Paradise accommodation. With everything you need to succeed while at work or on holiday. Our Gold Coast hotel offers a choice of more than 269 spacious guest rooms, suites and self-contained studios. All with private balconies and many with ocean views. Hotels near The Star Gold Coast Casino, Broadbeach on Tripadvisor: Find 30,715 traveller reviews, 3,854 candid photos, and prices for 205 hotels near The Star Gold Coast Casino in Broadbeach, Australia. Mantra Crown Towers Resort, Surfers Paradise is located in the heart of the Gold Coast, just 100m from the beach and offers an exciting and memorable holiday experience. With spacious living areas, gourmet kitchens and a choice of one, two or three bedroom apartments, this Surfers Paradise accommodation is sure to please any travel enthusiast. Contact information Mantra Crown Towers Surfers Paradise 5-19 Palm Avenue Surfers Paradise, QLD 4217 P: (07) 5555 9999 F: (07) 5555 9998 E: [email protected] Crown Towers Gold Coast is probably one of the best Gold Coast family accommodation and holiday resort. Kids will love the pirate themed pool area. Featuring sandy lagoon beach with rock features throughout, pirate ship slide, children’s play ground, heated indoor pool, heated spas, and for the adults – a fully equipped gym and poolside cafe. Located in Gold Coast, 750 metres from Kurrawa Beach, The Darling at The Star Gold Coast provides accommodation with a restaurant, free private parking, an outdoor swimming pool and a fitness centre. Each accommodation at the 5-star hotel has garden views, and guests can enjoy access to a bar and to a casino. Only 25 minutes away from the Gold Coast Airport, an hour from Brisbane and situated between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach, Crowne Plaza Surfers Paradise is the perfect accommodation for everyone. At night the Gold Coast comes alive as the city lights shimmer with entertainment opportunities from the Main beach to Surfers Paradise to Broadbeach. The Star Gold Coast offers luxurious hotel accommodation, a world-class 24-hour casino, sumptuous restaurant dining, lively bars, and thrilling entertainment!
#Casino#CROWNMELBORNE#LasVegasCasino #LIFEONTOURARJUNDESAI Crown Melbourne (also referred to as #CrownCasino and Entertainment Complex) is a casino and resor... Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. In this video, I am going to detail for you what it's like being a high roller at the casino, what VIP status is like, how the casino determines whether or n... Star Casino Gold Coast Poker Vlog - Duration: 27:08. Leigh Bets 1,310 views. 27:08. 10 Tips to help you win at slot machines. ... CROWN CASINO Melbourne - Pokies - Big Red 2 - 25 September 2016 ... Having a flutter 'on red' or playing a few hands of cards can be a great way for your average punter to blow off a bit of steam. But for the casinos, this is... Save up to 25% with Smart Booking. Book it now: http://www.best-hotels.xyz/hotel/Jupiters%20Hotel%20&%20Casino/gold-coast Jupiters Hotel & Casino hotel city:... Seafood buffet at the Star Hotel and Casino on the Gold Coast. I was sitting at the tables playing poker when several security staff members removed a happy fellow player from the table for no apparent reason, he was hav... With its luxurious accommodation and spa, iconic bars, restaurants and entertainment precincts, alongside the thrills of a world-class casino, The Star Gold ... Top10 Recommended Hotels in Surfers' Paradise, Gold Coast Hotels, Queensland, Australia 1. Q1 Resort & Spa ***** http://goo.gl/v9k0NX 2. Mantra Circle On Cav...