Dog Fight. (desoto, Open)

The big guy rummaging through the fridge was doing a good job giving the guy next to the counter near heart attacks whenever he moved something out of the way. Even as he spoke. Jason thanked his lucky stars that Karim’s back was facing him so he couldn’t see him flinch every time he touched something in the fridge.

Jason notably grabbed his chest, his hand clutching at the fabric of his shirt over his heart as Karim touched the carton of eggs; EGGS written clearly on the label. For a second, he thought the cover might have been blown until Karim pushed it aside without a second thought. A sigh of relief exited his lungs just as a thought floated in his mind. Speaking a language and reading a language were two different things. Maybe he couldn’t read English… At this his perverted mind took on a turn at the possibilities of Karim accidentally walking into a woman’s restroom…

He automatically straightened up when Karim addressed him, attempting to slap on a blank expression with a tint of interest. But, his mind had been distracted and it came out as a stammer. “W-what? Oh! Yeah, cards. A fun game actually. Hang on a second..”

Now, Jason, who was always up for a game of cards, shuffled past Karim, damn this guy was huge, and opened the door to the fridge to grab left over cake. A weak grin crossed his face, “Let me get us something sweet to eat while we play- wait!” As the door opened, the carton of eggs fell, seeing that as Karim stacked random leftovers out of the way, he placed the eggs far to close to the edge of the shelf and it fell despite his attempts to catch it. His heart pounded as he automatically crouched to shield the damage and not blow his cover as his eyes greeted the a clear and yellowish gooey substance start to leak from the container. “Oh, she’ll be pissed..”

*Karim looked from the broken eggs ont the floor the jason's face with a you've-been-lying-to-me look on his face.*

"Looks like you cracked the eggs."

* He raised an eyebrow before leaning down to help clean them up. It was his fault they fell after all and he did feel guilty about that. He grabbed the box and the egg shells and threw them in the trash can but wasn't quite sure how to clean the egg off the ground.*

"So what is she really doing out there? Not shopping i take it."

Jason flinched slightly as Karim spoke even though there was no bite to the words. They sounded flat and straight to the point. Cautiously, his eyes slid over to him, “Uh-huh..”

He looked rather stunned at the accusation. “Uh.. No, really she is..” His eyes rolled as a laugh forced itself out of him.

---

Walking home, humming, Desoto was in a strangely good mood. She obviously felt like an agent for going through that boy back in at the pie. Not literally though; just shoved him aside, perhaps a little too roughly.. TOO ROUGHLY? What was she thinking?! He deserved to be pushed aside that harshly. Sure he landed on the ground and he’d have a big bruise on his rear, but that was NOT rough. A growl rumbled in her chest. She was going soft.

Still, with the pie in the bags, she’d have to refrain from particularly gory violence, and be sure to clean her hands good enough so that any trace of blood was gone..

Tap, tap, shuffle. Her ears twitched and swung back, twisting at the sounds entering them. Not normal walking; weren’t pacing; following. Something what most people would call creepily content smile graced her face as her eyes drooped shut in a dreamy like expression. She’d be able to take someone’s hand tonight.

---

The boy waved his hands defensively as he scuttled over to the sink to grab a damp wash cloth. “Naaaaah; totally shopping; really.”

"I am new but i am not simple. I know you are lying about what she is doing, which means you are trying to keep something secret. i will not ask what it is simply because it is a private matter. If you wished to tell me then i belive that decision is left to you and should not be influenced by anything but your best interest."

*Karim went back to sit on the sofa to stay out of Jason's way.*

"now then what are cards?"

For a moment there, Jason really thought that Karim would demand Desoto’s location, or at least, what she was doing. He himself would be furious if he knew that at that very moment, she was currently beating the crap out of the guy who tried to mug her. No doubt she was going to ransack the body for any valuables and toss the body into the dumpster afterwards.

“Alrighty then! Card game! A simple one; let me think..” As he spoke, he simultaneously went back to the living room, pulling out a sudden deck of cards from his pants pocket. Having cards on hand was a good weapon of distraction, seeing that Desoto had dragged him into one of her schemes to use him as bait..

The cushion on the chair let out a weak ‘pfft’ of air as he sat, leaning over to spread out the cards in a showy fashion. “These are cards, my out of ordinarily tall friend. They come in many sizes and colors, but remain the same rectangle appearance.” Moving his hand again, he gathered them up and shuffled them professionally, envisioning the classic gambling scene with the drugs, money and girls. Really, he could do without the drugs but the money and girls he would absolutely love.

"Now wait wait what is that your doing with the thumbs?"

*Karim was a bit interested in what Jason did since it was something else he could bring back to the village. If he could find one of these 'deck-of-cards' and learn some games with them, it might be more entertaining then Cracking, which was a game his tribesmen played.

"Perhaps you and i could trade a game yes? You teach me a cards game, and i teach you a game from my tribe."

“Sweet deal then!” Jason exclaimed as he spread out the cards and shuffled them yet again. In response to answer the other occupant of the room, “Shuffling; mixing up the cards. It’s a rule to do so and it keeps each playing experience different. It also helps from cheating somewhat.” He then divided the deck in half, followed by dealing out seven cards for himself and Karim. “This game is called King’s Corners.” Launching into the rules, Jason set the deck down and flipped four cards over from the deck, placing them around the four sides of the mass of cards. “First one to get rid of all their cards-”

The doorbell rang once before being followed by banging, not doubt by a fist belonging to an impatient being.

“Hrm. Lemmie grab thaaat… Ah. You didn’t get anymore more eggs, huh? Why’d you get pie?!”

Desoto shot him a dirty look as she stiffly shoved past him, smoothing down her clothes, her voice gruffer and a bit deeper than usual, “He didn’t leave? Goody. Expect news on a body soon.” Turning her front to face Jason, she hid the stab wound she received to her back from the less than successful mugger. Thankfully, there was a shadow to further shield it from view as she twisted back around to cover up a wince and tromped to the kitchen, taking a glance at the cards before rolling her eyes.

Jason followed after flashing a weak smile at Karim before sitting down. “Must have had a run in with someone she didn’t like. Back to the cards?” He motioned towards the cards on the table, ignoring the annoyance tugging at his fingers to check up on her physically. He always did so after she came back, and a little later at times where it was more apparent, and would sometimes wait until her pride bent enough to ask him to patch her up. Although the latter had Desoto in a foul mood complete with cursing, sulking and a whole lot of threats rolled into a ill package.

(Hey check the "Conversate" topic for another site i'm on.)

*Karim and Jackel both instantly smelled the blood on her. Karim Kept Jackel back and did not press the issue. She obviously had trust issues with new people. SInce Karim was still fairly new to her, and vice versa, he would have to wait before throwing words around.*

"You have a hole in your jacket. I can fix that for you if you like."

((Alrighty dude))

At the mention of her having a hole in her jacket, a blank expression crossed her face, “I do? Really?” she did so much as to turn around quickly, trying to see what he was talking about, even if that quick twist in motion made her injury throb in protest. Her eyes glanced at him, not hostile but just suspicious, “Huh. Must be the lighting, dude.”

Jason leaned back, draping an arm behind his seat as he stared at Desoto. “A hole, hm?”

At the sudden team up, Desoto felt a little threatened and retaliated as she stomped loudly, “Shush. Just cause he thinks there’s one, there isn’t. Overprotective little fish, huh? Kuff! Males..” Still grumbling, her shadow moved from the living room where Karim and Jason were seated to the hallway where the rooms would be kept. The slamming of a door was obviously her closing it.

In response to her slamming the door shut, Jason barked after her, “Hey, hey, hey! You lock your door, I’ll take off the doorknob!”

*Karim waited until things settled a bit and for Jason to retake his seat before speaking again.*

"The hole has a thick liquid coming from it and the smell of blood is in the air."

*Karim picked up his hand of cards and looked at the field before him. He placed a black seven and a red six down before saying "Go".*

"The hole has a thick liquid coming from it and the smell of blood is in the air."

It took a second for Karim’s statement to sink in. Jason wasn’t even around him when he even said ‘go’. In fact, when the realization sunk in in those few moments he was up and bounding to her room, “DESOTOOOO!” And the sound of a door being swung open. Followed very closely by a few seconds of silence only to be shattered by an earsplitting shriek.

Now, there were simple rules in Jason’s and Desoto’s home. One, don’t bring home random puppies. Two, don’t come crawling back in a life or death condition. And three… Don’t bust into a room when the door is closed. When he happened to open the door, she had been changing and had basically stripped herself of all of her upper torso garments and was looking in the mirror to determine weather or not to tell the doctor of the house she had been stabbed. Then said doctor had to open the door. And see her.

“Stop starring ya pervert!”

“Wait! Hold still! I have to look at that!”

“No you - OWOWOWOW! Okay, okay! UncleUncle!”

*Karim Remained sitting and waiting for Jason to return to continue the game. He was confident he did the right thing in letting Jason know about the wound. Being a man of his word Karim was not going to ask how she got the wound or what she had been doing, but that didn't stop him from making obserbations and thoeries.*

Jason returned after a good half hour, having to clean up the stab wound and stitch it back up, much to Desoto’s dismay. She hated needles, especially if they were poking her.

“Sooo sorry about thaaaat..” He apologized, looking slightly torn up; his clothes did at least. Taking a seat, he picked up his cards again for his turn and, seeing he could do nothing, drew a card and leaned back. “Ah, almost forgot,” nudging Karim on the arm, “You’re going to be bunking here. Can’t have you wandering without a place to stay, hm?”

((not my best... Caught a cough cold..))

"I assume from the context of that word Bunking would mean sleeping here... in your place. Hmm. I'm afraid i can not ask for physical charity. It, what was the word i heard earlier... Negates the point of my pilgrimage. Negates means cancel yes?"

*While Karim was speaking he kept his eyes on the field. seeing nothig change he was forced to draw a card and then wait again. He had another row to play but he needed a few other cards to be played first. He reassambled his hand so he could easily place the cards down all at once.*

A pilgrimage? “Hrmm… You got the meaning of negate down. But that sounds kinda interesting… Are you sure you can’t take up any offers though? Desoto will stalk you. And we’re not the type to let anyone turn down an offer, you know.” Jason let out a hearty chuckle as he leaned over, placing a black king down on a corner, followed by a red queen before drawing another card. “She literally tied me to a chair and force fed me cake she made for my birthday.” Looking up as he tapped his chin with his free hand, he felt someone boring a hole into his back.

“He’s staaaaaying…” Desoto hunched over in a dark shape, her hands looming over Jason as if to grab his shoulders, which she did as she bared her teeth. “Aren’t you Karim?”

Unlike Jason’s understanding, he was far more understanding than she was, she didn’t care for the rules this pilgrimage had for Karim. She’d have to be locked in a closet or physically restrained from making sure that Karim would stay. Her eyes flicked over to the darker occupant of the seat as she spoke his name, willing to break one of his legs to keep him in the house. Still staring at him, and her voice neutral as her ears quirked back, “Whose winning?”

*Karim looked up from his hand of card with his usual curious yet insightful look.*

"I am sure Mr. Jason's offer is sincirely from one person to another but Desoto i can see has a different intention. I am unsure waht it is and you yourself may not know but there is a difference between your offers, evn though you offer the same thing. Another thing i hav recently noticed about you is that thing must go your way. If they do not you will go to the extreames to make sure they do. Although you should know that most of the time it is simple something you want not something you need."

*Karim looked back down to his hand and back at the cards on the table as if nothing had just happened. He awaited Jason to take his turn now that Karim's was over.*

"I will be teaching Jason a game aftr i learn this one. If you wish you can join us. I think it is a game you will enjoy."