Three For Three

Participants:

adisa_icon.gif daryl_icon.gif koshka_icon.gif

Scene Title Three For Three
Synopsis Teenagers, gambling, Chinese food, and a whole weekend ahead of them.
Date January 28, 2011

Chinatown


January is nearly over and still snow falls from the sky. But that isn't a terrible thing, it isn't an overwhelming accumulation tonight. Just enough drifts down to cling to coats and lashes and leave a dusting over newsstands and mailboxes. It creates a quieter atmosphere, too, even here in Chinatown where afternoons are usually alive with traffic of all sorts.

Which is partially why Koshka is outside, idling down a sidewalk and watching people from all walks of life going about their usual business. Of course, people watching in the snow isn't just why she's outside. Besides actually enjoying the stuff that scatters from the sky, she'd decided to give Brian and Samara some alone time. Thus finds the girl, wrapped in her usual jacket, meandering with no set destination in mind.

Around the next corner along Koshka's path, things are not so quiet— in fact, there's a steady stream of patter coming from somewhere in the middle of the gathered crowd. "Keep your eye on the ace, stay offa the queens. Couldn't be easier, am I right?" The speaker is in his thirties, with a green plaid shirt and a mess of brown hair, a couple dozen people gathered around with twenties in their hands as he moves the cards around and around. And off to one side is Daryl, working his way through a half-finished cigarette as he waits his own turn.

Not terribly unfamiliar with street gambling, though to be honest she usually tried to stear clear of gatherings like that before, Koshka pauses just beyond the corner to watch. However, she lacks just a little in height, and seeing beyond heads and shoulders is no easy task even when she tries standing on her toes.

Stepping away from the wall of the building, Koshka begins working her way through the crowd, staying mostly to the outside edges. Though paying attention to where she's going, blue eyes also pass over the crowd gathered in curiosity, never lingering on any one person until… Daryl? Picking the boy out of the gathering, Koshka begins working her way toward him.

The guy's hands move one way, then another, with a quick tilt to the side. The cards are set down— one bet comes down, and another in quick succession. "Sorry, buddy, I only take the highest bid," the dealer says as he turns over the cards. And winces. "And look what I get for my trouble! You guys are killing me today, I'm serious."

A couple more people lose a round, curse and wander off, and Daryl shuffles closer to the front, only to pause as he spots Koshka in return. "Hey," he says, hanging back long enough to leave some room for her. "Getting an early start on the weekend, huh?"

After a sidelong look to the gambling table, Koshka edges in beside Daryl. "I guess," she replies with a grin and a shrug. "Plus my guardians. Like… I don't know. I figured I could scoot for a while." So long as she's back by curfew, she won't be missed. She nods toward the table and the guy with the cards. "You do this thing?"

You haven't truly lived in New York City until you've gone shopping in every single part of it. At least that's the philosophy of Adisa Dunham. Dressed in jeans, a purple long sleeved shirt, and a puffy pink jacket, she has a black purse slung over a shoulder and she's carrying a bag of clothes. Eyes glancing around, she looks to see if there's anywhere else she'd like to shop. After all, she has to be on the lookout for a good bargain, right?

The guy in the black denim jacket on the edge of the monte crowd seems to think so. Taking a step closr to Adisa, he motions toward the dealer. "Action's hot today, oughtta get in on it while you can." Will she take the bait? The guy does seem to be paying out a little more than he's taking in…

Daryl turns to face Koshka, thinking her words over— until something clicks. "Oh, like you needed to scoot out of their place for a while, right?" The whole 'mom's boyfriend' thing does kind of imply that they're, y'know, active. Or was that the other side of the family? Hmm, maybe it was. "Yeah, it's okay if you've got some money to burn. Some days you luck out, you know?"

Not that Koshka really wanted to think on details, she does nod an affirmative. And while not officially family, they are the closest thing she has at the moment and has no problem with taking off and leaving them to watch television together. "Oh, right. Right." She nods as though she completely understands, then lifts a grin up to Daryl. "What're the odds he's cheating?"

Spotting the man with the cards, and the little group that seems to have crowded around him, Adisa's interest is piqued. Something that draws peoples' interest must be cool, right? Moving closer to the crowd, and maneuvering her way through it to get a better looks, she looks to the closest people to her, which happens to be Daryl and Koshka, and she tilts her head, "What's going on here?"

"A simple card game," Plaid Shirt chimes in, now that they've made it up closer to the front. "Got a one in three chance, and it pays two to one so you know it's fair." Round and round the cards go as he talks, while Daryl looks to Koshka and considers. "What do you think— ten apiece? We lose, I'll pay you back." A truly foolproof offer, as long as he's actually good for it.

Koshka looks back to the table, watching the hands turn the cards about in an order she can't quite follow. "I dunno. Seems like good odds but…" Giving a shrug, she glances up at the boy again, catching sight of Adisa milling nearby, though she's given little notice beyond that. "Yeah, alright." Might be the least thought out thing she's done, but the younger teenager fishes a crumpled and well worn $20 out of a pocket.

Adisa eyes the Card Man. "I like, dunno…I think my mom may have told me something about card people on the streets. Now, like, what was it she said? I like, totally think she used a rhyme." She rolls her eyes as she tries to think of it. "If you see a person betting cardies, tread ever so softly…he could be a sharkie!" She tilts her head, watching the man slightly. "Are you like, a sharkie?" Okay, for an 18 year old, she could be using a word that doesn't sound like it was meant for a child. But still. It's the point that matter.

The rhyme draws a brief round of chuckles, but the dealer just shakes his head. "Listen, if I was a real card shark, I'd be over in Atlantic City, all right? I'm just a guy trying to make a living, I got five kids to feed." Now there's a scary mental image. This guy actually getting laid on five separate occasions?

While the dealer runs his mouth, Daryl shoots Koshka a winning smile, fishing through his pockets until he comes up with a twenty of his own, and setting them both down next to the card on the far right.

Along with a few more twenties, tightly folded up and hidden underneath the first two. The shill, hard at work.

Leaving Adisa to make up her mind - and quickly catching on to just what sort of move Daryl is pulling - Plaid sweeps up the whole wad of bills in a single smooth motion, adding it to a pile that's been starting to grow again. Thn he turns up the card, and sure enough, there's that pesky ace of spades that they've all been looking for. "See there? Lucky day for you and your girl." He picks up the pile of bills and dutifully counts off six in a row, placing them in Koshka's hand one by one.

Well, that was unexpected. Koshka watches the count, then glances up at Daryl. His twenty is held out to him, while the rest are stuffed into her pants pocket. There's a sly grin fixed to her face, though it's not likely she's fully aware of what transpired. Remember, street gambling is something the girl had usually avoided before. "Pretty cool, we should celebrate with… cookies. And now I can bring some back for Samara and Brian."

Adisa doesn't put down any money this time around. After all, she has to heed her mother's advice sometimes, right? She merely watches with slight suspicion. When Daryl and Koshka win, the suspicion on her face lessens. Well, maybe there is something to it! And just as she's about to fish out some cash to play the game with, she hears the name combination of 'Samara' and 'Brian'. Samara is a name that's unusual in and of itself in her world, but mixed in with Brian? She nudges over even closer to Koshka and Daryl. "Ummm…did you like, say Samara and Brian?" She raises an eyebrow. "Would that like, totally be Samara Dunham?"

Wait, isn't Daryl supposed to have 'won' another forty there? He isn't about to complain, though, it's money well spent. "Fortune cookies?" As classically Western as the scam is, they are still in Chinatown. But then… oh, is Adisa someone who travels in the same circles? Whatever those might be. Knowing nothing about the two except what he's bene told today, he leaves it to Koshka to field the question.

"Yeah or.. we can see what kinds of candy they—" Koshka pauses and looks up at Adisa as she interjects. Her brow furrows just a little, hands pressing deeper into her pockets. "Yeah," she answers slowly, eyes flicking toward Daryl then back again. "She's.. I know her. Why? Who're you?"

Adisa glances at Daryl for a second, although her primary attention is focused on Koshka. "Oh…em…gee! She's like, totally my sister!" Older sister at that. "I'm like, Adisa Dunham!" She smiles brightly, the card man totally forgotten for the time being. "It's like, so totally strange, running into someone who like, knows my sister in a city this big!"

Huh, that is kind of strange, isn't it? Moving away and letting another mark step up, Daryl scratches his head. The family situation's about to get explained, but… cookies, candy? Ice cream in January? This is officially a pattern. And yet Koshka is not a large girl, so what's she actually doing with all the sugar?

With another look to Daryl, Koshka shrugs. Then, with a grin rather than frown, she looks back to Adisa. "She mentioned having a sister. And a brother. I'm Koshka, this is Daryl. I'm staying with them right now. While my dad's out of town. —We were going to go shopping for… something sweet. Or… we could get Chinese food."

With a smile, Adisa says, "Like, Sami never said anything about anyone else living with her and Brian! That's like, sooooo awesome! Yeah, we've like, got an older brother. Tahir. He's on TV." A little shameless plug for her brother never hurt. "Did you like, know that Sami and Brian are like, getting married?" She stops to think about this for a moment. "Of course you did! You're like, living with them!"

And to hear it, apparently they've been jumping the gun on the honeymoon. Daryl doesn't say anything, but it's visible on his face if they happen to look. "Hey, tell 'em congrats. They set a date yet?" Chinese food sounds fine to him, there's a stand just down the block. Two of them, in case one gets backed up.

"That's because he just left yesterday," Koshka explains away why she hadn't been mentioned before. It's a lie, of course, but it comes easily enough it might as well be truth. "And I did. It's really exciting, but.. I don't know the date yet." She shrugs, then nudges Daryl with a shoulder and nods toward Adisa. "Want some Chinese?"

Adisa shakes her head. "Like, no firm date set or anything. That I know of. But like, Samara is saying soon. Like, really soon. I like, totally took her dress shopping the other day. Got her this awesome white dress. So gorgeous. Totally looks good on her." She glances between Daryl and Koshka. "Chinese? Sounds delicious! Sure, I'd like, totally love to join you guys!"

Daryl nods to Koshka, sneaking an arm around her waist. The streets are crowded enough that he can pass it off as a necessity— if she questions it at all, that is. At this point, he's trying not to make any assumptions about her. "I'm down with it. But you're paying for Adisa." With the ill-gotten cash that he let her keep earlier.

That's how it works when you gamble, you put some down and get more back. Right? The arm around her waist earns a slightly arched brow and a defintely shy look toward Daryl, however Koshka simply falls into step with the boy. "Yeah, yeah. I'll pay for you too," she says with a shrug. Then tossing a grin to Adisa, she calls, "C'mon. You like eggrolls?"

With a soft giggle, Adisa shakes her head. "You two are like, totally cute together, you know that?" Following along with the two, she nods. "I totally love egg rolls. Eggs rolls and spring rolls. I looooove Chinese! I mean, I don't just come down here for the clothes shopping!" She giggles again. "Like, how did you meet Samara…I don't think I actually like, got your name?"

Ah, now there's more of a familiar response; it's good to have at least a few of those. Shy, Daryl can work with. The gesture is eased off - but not quite abandoned completely - as they reach the line for one of the food stands.

Cute? Not something he'd apply to himself. Definitely something he'd apply to present company. It'll all get worked out soon enough.

"Koshka," the younger girl says again, color rising into her cheeks at the assessment. Cute, pfh. We'll just pretend we didn't hear that. She pulls out the money she didn't actually win, counting out two of the four extra twenties. The rest is returned to her pocket with a grin. "She came over for a visit, friend of a friend kind of thing."

"Koshka…Koshka…Koshka…" Adisa murmurs as she memorizes the name. "A friend of a friend?" Adisa has certainly had a few of those in her life. "So, where should we like, go for the Chinese? There's like…tonnes of places around here!" That's an understatement, really. "I like, haven't been in the City too long, so I like, totally don't know many good places."

Focusing on food, Koshka looks up to the facades and displays set out showing off several eatery choices. "Eeny, meeny, miney… Moe." The fourth is pointed at, something whose signage displays a monkey chasing a tiger and words scrawled in Chinese characters, but the smells of food coming from it are tempting enough. "This one," she says, taking Daryl's hand and Adisa's arm, to keep from getting lost, in the crowd. "What do you two want to eat?"

Adisa keeps her eyes open for the restaurants, just in case something catches her eye. "Ummm…I dunno. I could like, eat just about anything right now. Like, for serious. What're you guys in the mood for? I'll like, totally follow your guys's lead on this." She looks between Daryl and Koshka, keeping her arm linked to Koshka just to make sure that she doesn't get separated.

Which one's Koshka pointing out? Oh, he's been to that one before, he recognizes the paint peeling off the front wall. "Kung pao beef's good," he suggests, fingers lacing with hers for added reinforcement. "And you said egg rolls, right?" Screw spring rolls, that's like health food or something. If he was on a health kick, he'd be at a gym or something, not out here breathing in the smog.

"Egg rolls," Koshka states rather firmly. "The kind with meat in it. And.. sesame chicken and kung pao beef. Steamed rice, too. Oh! And thirty fortune cookies." Yeah, girl's got an appetite and an insane metabolism. Stepping up to the counter, she places the order just as it is, though there's enough of a linger to allow Adisa and Daryl to add in anything else.

Adisa lets out a little 'oooh' sound as Koshka orders. She wouldn't change that order for anything! Sounds good to her. While she doesn't quite have a high metabolism, she'll be exercising it soon. Gotta enjoy yourself sometimes, right? Unless you're on a diet. Then it's like…against the rules to enjoy yourself, or have yummy foods. It's just…how it is!

Daryl counts quickly on his fingers. That's… okay, that's roughly a decent meal apiece, apart from the fortune cookies, which is just weird. He still wants to figure out what the deal is with that. "What're you two doing after this? Still got a couple days to kill." And the card game has run its course, in fact they just spotted a cop approaching and Plaid is quickly packing up his gear. And there's plenty of other things to go do after dinner.

Koshka pays, some of the change being left as a tip while the rest is unsurprisingly jammed into a pocket. "I'm just.. doing whatever," she says with a shrug. She's not expected back until curfew and has no plans to go back before then. "I'm free for anything I guess."

Adisa shrugs a little bit. "I dunno. Got no plans!" And while everyone is technically supposed to be inside by curfew, she doesn't expect Tahir will notice whether she's back or not. Or maybe he will. It also sorta depends on whether he's at the studio or not. "So like, what're you planning?"

"Don't know yet." Daryl shakes his head, thinking it over. Shopping isn't his big thing, but if they're really in the mood for it, they'll bring it up on their own. "Any good movies out this week? There's a place down the street 's got all the new stuff."

"Movies are good," Koshka offers with a shrug. "Not that I could say what's playing. But that'd be good with me." She looks up at Daryl then to Adisa. "Or… I don't know," She half laughs and shakes her head, "I picked the food place."

Adisa shrugs a little bit. "I could go for a movie." She says thoughtfully. "It like, totally depends on what movie is showing and stuff, but like…that totally sounds good to me." Pulling the other two to a table, she takes a seat herself.


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