New Careers with new Peers [Private; Myron Hyles, Bartok Evergreen]

[Bartok Evergreen]

"I've been training for a good many years, pretty decent shot with my bow." Bartok said. "You guys?" He hadn't sparred with many people outside of Signal, but when he had gone out for target practice in the woods, he had thought he had hit the bullseyes. Maybe Erin had just lied to him about hitting them all, he wasn't completely sure.

When Myron read off the cards, Bartok honestly wasn't sure what he was reading off. He could tell that there were cards on the coat, and he knew those impacted the hands somehow... Bartok decided to just play his hand. "Just look at these beauties!" He smiled, put his cards down what he hoped was face-up, and turned his head towards Vlithra before Myron. If he lost, he'd just laugh it off like it was some joke. He was pretty sure he'd lose. How do you win at a game when you don't know what the rules are?

[Vlithra Qing Long]

When Myron asked about the topic of training. Those were some tough times. Training, day in and day out. Barely any days with a break in between. Vlithra swore she could hear her mother yelling at her like a bootcamp trainer in her mind, in this very moment. Vlithra didn't have to mention all the combat experience she had though, plus the vigilante stuff she had to do yesterday. She was still deciding on whether or not she should tell them that was her. "Overall, I got around six years of training." Vlithra said while looking at the face up cards. Damn, she could have gotten a two pair with those. No point complaining about it though, Vlithra though, her face showing no visible reaction to seeing the cards.

Then she saw what Bartok was doing. So Vlithra was right, he didn't know how to play after all. Usually you don't reveal your cards unless you go All In. Unless he really intended to do that. Disguising her snickering as a cough, she looks at Myron to see how he reacts.

[Myron Hyles]

So Bartok was an archer who relied on sound ? Myron doubted that the colors at the tips of the arrows were just for show. "Great ! I'll look forward to not sparring with you then", he replied cheekily. Other than that, the two didn't give any clue as to their level. Some years of "training" could mean anything... "I've been to Pharos... on and off", he answered Bartok.

Then the man threw his cards down like he'd won, and Myron deadpanned for several seconds before managing a reaction. "We... don't have the same rules, do we ?", he realized. "When I said poker, I meant Atlas hold'em..." Plus, the cards weren't anything special, at this stage of the game at least. He didn't know what Bartok thought he was seeing, but it was probably incorrect. As for how much he actually saw... "Say, how do you read, normally ?" Reading the cards right would be out of the question if he was used to night writing.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok chuckled. "I can do a little close quarters as well, but that's not where my specialty lies." The bat faunus could probably, maybe take your average Joe on the streets with his tonfas, but he wasn't so sure about other Huntsmen in training. But he knew he would find himself in situations where he would have no choice but to his his fists. "But it's never too late to train and learn, for both of us. And Pharos huh? You grow up in Vale?" Bartok asked.

Bartok's smug grin faultered. He had missed something. Dang it, what was it? What were the rules for Atlas Hold'em again? Why was he asking himself the question, he didn't know. Didn't people keep betting before they put their hands down? That must've been it. Bartok slowly pushed half of his remaining arrows forward comedically. "I raise?" He asked with a playful smile?

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Bartok being a blind archer certainly made him unique upon this pile of new students coming to Beacon. Hopefully there were more unique individuals among them, like him... but preferably less flirty. Vlithra couldn't admit it right now and contrary to Myron, she was secretly looking forward to spar with him. As for Myron... all she could tell was that he was specialized in close-combat just as much as she was, if his reaction and hook sword were any indication. Vlithra was interested to see what else he could have up his sleeve... or his glove for the matter. "Well, I am pretty sure you'll get a few issues competing with the other students here." Vlithra said with a rather cheeky smile. "It's up to you to work on those issues and get better at what you do."

Speaking of issues... her smile vanished as quickly as it came, as Bartok quickly confirms Myron's and Vlithra's suspicions by trying to raise... yet again... after revealing his cards. He didn't had a single clue on how to play poker and while he was trying to be comedic about it, it didn't do anything to make Vlithra laugh. Before he can further make a fool of himself and push his arrows completly into the middle, Vlithra grabs the hilt of Carnassial Talon with her left hand and draws it. The short sword spinned once around in her hand before Vlithra held it in a reverse grip and slammed it down, like a dagger into a table, in front of the stack of arrows Bartok was pushing, making a visible notch in the floor. She then looked at Bartok, even though she knew he wouldn't meet her gaze anyway. "No, you don't raise." She says with a rather disapproving tone in her calm voice. "Instead you could have just asked for a rundown on the rules." Vlithra adds to Myron's question, sheathing her sword again. "Kind of asking myself the same thing here."

[Myron Hyles]

Did he grow up in Vale ? "Yes...", Myron answered the much taller man, "...less than you, though." He was proud of his joke, but then Vlithra threw a quip at him. She hid it behind a somewhat motivational talk, but he saw that smile. Well, she didn't rise to the baits earlier, so he wasn't going to either. Still, "issues competing with others" ? Who did she take him for ?... He wouldn't rise to the bait anyway.
"Yeah, I know. I guess there must be some skilled students out there. Can't wait to meet them", he rised to the bait... Dammit. At least he'd waited until her dagger was sheathed, but he was probably going to eat those words some day, as he didn't fancy his chances against Bartok. He didn't know about Vlithra, but he was more confident if she only fought with blades.

Myron sighed and gathered the cards when she asked about the rules too. "Everyone knows a different version of poker, then ? I'm definitely gonna turn the dorms into an unlicensed casino." He should have suggested rock-paper-scissors...
"Anyway, I've learned to play with five communal cards", he said while mock-dealing a whole game. "Two per player, bets, three face-up, bets, a fourth one, bets, the fifth, bets again, and then you lose to me." Perfect. Or it would have been if the deck hadn't slipped out of his hands and spilled over afterwards. He facepalmed.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok's large bat ears twitched when Vlithra pulled out her sword, and Bartok was sure she wasn't going to hurt him. He heard it twirl in the air, and he became only slightly sure. Then she started swinging it down at his hand, and he became scared. As the blade came down, Bartok leapt up and back a step with a shriek, taking back his furthest leg to stand alone on one foot, arms raised dramatically like he was in a cartoon. Then she sorta spoiled that he had no idea what he was doing. He could be ashamed and admit it, or he could play it to his advantage.

"Oh, but if I knew the rules, it wouldn't be as funny when I overconfidently lose all my arrows!" He only settled down once her sword was sheathed once more. "Now you've gone and burned away all my smoke and mirrors" He said the last part with a dramatic tone, inclining his head to her. He then listened to Myron's explanation of the game. Bartok nodded along with him until the deck spilled out.

"To answer your questions on reading, I read braille." He said, then hastily added, "Ihaveaquestionofmyown, are there things written on these cards? Words or something? I really don't see anything." He picked up one of the cards that were dealt to him and he put it up to his goggles, closing one eye. As if that would help.

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Cheeky Myron. Very cheeky. Vlithra thought to herself, fuming a bit on the inside. What he said implied that Vlithra didn't belong to the skillful, which ticked her a bit off. "Same." she answered to Myron, just to spite him. Guess that meant Vlithra had to prove her capabilities to him at some point. He would be in for a suprise.

That aside, Myron gave a very quick explanation on the rules of Atlas Hold'em poker and still, even if Bartok seemed to understand it, deep down Vlithra doubted that he understood anything of what Myron was saying. He dealt another game... only for him to spill the deck. Vlithra let out a small giggle in response to Myron spilling the cards, before then collecting said cards. "Well, not if you lose the cards first." Vlithra said with a noticeable grin on her face. At least Bartok confirmed that he can read braille. "You'll need a braille poker deck in your casino then." She said looking at Myron.

A sudden change in sound made Vlithra look over her shoulder to the holo-screen she once stood beside. The news report that was going was cut off by a introductory video to Beacon. Vlithra guessed this meant that the airship wasn't far away from it's destination then. She faces back to her two goofball companions shortly after. "Seems like the airship won't take much longer to arrive."

[Myron Hyles]

"Same", Vlithra answered. Seriously, the "No you" retort ? Couldn't she do better ? Myron would have told her how disappointing that was, had he not shot himself in the foot by spilling the cards. Did he really just make a fool of himself after spending half the trip teasing them ? What a first impression... He was too busy berating himself for his screw-up to laugh when Bartok started his theatrics again.

When the man admitted to not seeing the cards' numbers, however, that made Myron's jaw drop. "Forget braille... I'll need Dust-powered interactive cards that play themselves", he despaired. "This is... this is terrible. You poor child."
Only half of his pity was faked as he grabbed Bartok's shoulders. He spent his whole life not being able to enjoy even Go Fish... that was like not knowing about pepper for seventeen years straight ! The horror ! "I'm gonna have to redo your whole education, Bartok. I'll free you from your suffering, I swear..." At Vlithra's announce, Myron coughed and backed off. "Some other time, maybe."

[Bartok Evergreen]

It wasn't lost on Bartok the small exchange between the other two. He was so wrapped up in the game that he hadn't quite caught what Myron had said. Darn. Well, as much as he heard everything, best to pretend he hadn't.

Now Bartok was about %50 sure that there was nothing on the cards, but his question to whether they had something or not was supposed to get some laughter. It got him pity, like he couldn't even attempt to play the game. At first he resented it, but then he felt that Myron's words were only partially pity and jokes themselves.

Then the news cast changed, and his ears couldn't help but swivel towards the speakers. Myron backed off, and Bartok played along. He put his hands on the ground and bowed his head to the floor. "Please, Master Myron of gambling, teach me all that you know about the sacred cards! Free me from ignorance and let me bask in enlightenment!"

[Vlithra Qing Long]

Vlithra snickered while she kept collecting the cards, all the while watching the theatrics going on in front of her. If noone noticed the three students sitting on the ground so far, they would have surely noticed them by now. Myron's feigned despair and Bartok's sillyness really made for quite the show. She just knew these two were going to become good friends with each other. Vlithra wasn't sure yet wether or not she could say the same about herself though. She had mixed feelings about the attitudes of these two. Maybe that was just because she was way to serious minded right now. Vlithra dismissed these thoughts for now and shook her head with a slight laugh, while collecting the last few cards and adding them to the almost complete deck in her hand.

Noticing the airship changing altitude to land and the welcoming speech from the holo-screens dying down, Vlithra stood up to her full height and took her jacket from her shoulders. Know what? Why not play along? She thought before she spins around once, folding her jacket over her arm like a towel and holding it in front of her chest, like a butler would. She then held the fully assembled card deck with her other arm towards Myron for him to take, while leaning forward towards him. "Here, oh graceful Master of spilling cards. Your deck, if you may." She said imitating the humble tone a servant of sorts would give off. The more than sarcastic title aside, her impression was very compareable to a butler to say the least with the whole thing being more emphasized by her wearing an actual shirt and vest. She even does a slight bowing gesture with a smile on her face, after Myron would take the deck.

The airship would come to a sudden standstill, it had finally landed on Beacon ground. In one motion Vlithra threw her jacket up with one arm, catched it at the collar and let it rest on her shoulder. She wouldn't need it for the rest of the way, the sun was shining bright today anyway. "I'll see you two around campus then. I'll be looking forward to that poker night Myron." She would say with a bit of a devilish grin on her face before turning away from the two and walking towards the exit doors of the air ship which were opening right in that moment.

Stepping outside and walking down the ramp she wondered wether or not she should have left a personal business card in the deck for Myron. Would have been an easy way to stay in touch with him. Then again, probably wouldn't take long before she'd run into him or Bartok again. Secretly she hoped she wouldn't meet the latter again that soon. Bartok's flirting once a day was enough, that's for sure. Now were did they say again was the opening ceremony?

[Myron Hyles]

That Bartok would go above and beyond his dramatic tone was expected. Vlithra's act was not, however. She played the butler quite well, too, though her figure and getup made her look more like a bodyguard. And now, thanks to Bartok's loudness (and a bit of his too), all the looks were on them, despite the Beacon teacher on screen. To be fair, they had been getting looks for the better part of ten minutes.
Myron had to impress now ; dropping the act would be anticlimactic. He picked up his coat from the floor and as he stood up, he tried to remember what little he learned about old language. Who said reading old poetry in primary school wasn't useful later in life ? Well, everybody said that, and they were mostly right. But in this case, he was glad to put to use the random knowledge he never asked for.

"I thank thee", he exclaimed in a loud and pompous voice. He put his coat on with a flourish, took the cards from Vlithra's hand and turned to face Bartok as well. "Yes, I shalt teach thee, for thou deservest to reacheth the light." The speech might be inaccurate... but nobody could tell anyway. Myron brandished the deck like a holy artifact and went on : "Taken highlone, these cards are nothing more than numbers and symbols, but they art most wondrouser than the sum of their parts ! Before thy eyes, the very meaning of life is writ on these fifty-two bits of paper. Thou needest only decipher it."

Satisfied with the performance, he stowed the deck in its pocket and helped Bartok up. Vlithra gave them parting words before walking away, to which Myron waved. Then he figured she'd had the last words with "Master of spilling cards". Unacceptable. "And I'll be waiting..." Was that a teacher in front of the landing zone ? "... for that strip poker...", he finished with a meek voice and a cough. He didn't know the rules here, but he'd rather not test them and have his room raided at random hours. Vlithra won this time. With a quick "See you sometime" to Bartok, he hurried out of the airship, still grinning from all the nonsense.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok looked upwards at Myron like he was some religious figure or god, mouth slightly open in awe. It was all in the theatrics, but Bartok knew that everyone was looking at them and this would have an impact on how they were seen. Or, at least he heard them looking their way and whispering. It was an odd thing to say that one could hear someone facing a direction, but it was true. People normally stepped with their heel first before their toes, and connecting those two points of sound told a direction. Not to mention voice, that was the biggest teller, but when you took in the sound of clothes moving and the context of wherever you were, Bartok had no real trouble telling where someone was looking. If they were standing still and quiet, it would be harder for sure.

Bartok let Myron help him up and once the sharade was obviously over and Myron said his goodbye, Bartok knew that he had to save at least a little face. Right now he was seen as one who bowed before others, literally. That wouldn't do, that wouldn't get him anywhere. "And I'm looking forward to sparing with you! Hope you get good at dodging arrows before then!" He called after Myron. Maybe that would do something for his image. And why did he sound so meek when mentioning the strip poker? Bartok collected his arrows, quiver and tonfas before heading down the ramp.