Joachim's New Inn

OOC Yeah, got the reference after I hit send on that last one XD

IC

Joachim sat across from him and adjusted his shelves, a gesture of vanity to the untrained eye. But to the initiated, a check to make sure his extra aces were still there.

He smirked as he mentioned his reputation pleased with the answer, "I have no idea what you're talking about. I'm a respectable man of business now." He humored as the cards were dealt. 

"But who might you be, sir?" An auror, or quite the opposite?

"I'm just a kid who likes knowing stuff. No reason, it keeps my head occupied." He was eager to insist that any information he learned would never be used against the confidant. "Maybe I'm mistaken, but you remind me of a certain Russian." He hinted.

After encountering Lukas, the kitsune had been happy to gossip, especially finding someone so akin to himself. Rook then went to cast his eyes towards his cards, mentally cursing himself for the poor draw. Well, at least he hadn't bet anything..

Joachim wondered just how many games he's won through sheer sleight of hand alone. Quickly swapping one of his cards with one of his hidden aces, he resumed conversation normally, "Pretty sure I don't got any Russian in me. Think a bit of Canadian but that's it." He played dumb but knew precisely who he was referring to. 

Chezhekov, may he rot in hell. 

"What kind of stuff do you know?" You never knew these days. The poorest oyster might have the prettiest pearl.

"I could learn a lot of things if I put my mind to it." He said evasively, watching as his hand steadily got poorer and sighing internally. Luck was never his forte, but Rook had never needed to rely on it. "I keep my wits about me, ears to the ground, and somehow i remain unharmed." 

"Are you sure you're not...czechoslovakian?" he said as he deliberately picked a country close to the name that lit up his mind like fireworks. That was it, that's how he recognised him..

However, Joachim was not so easily flustered. Being a conman for many years took a degree of self control. He laughed lightly, and shook his head, "'Fraid not. All my family came from the good ole Red, White and Blue." He explained proudly as he showed his stellar hand. 

OOC and IC "Now that I think of it, a hoagie sounds good right about now." 

"Tell you what. Let's make the ante you share a secret... up for another hand?" He smirked in friendly competition. "You're kinda interesting kid..."

"Only if you'll buy me a drink first." He offered with a teasing wink, wondering if he could fluster the boy by making him uncomfortable. "Otherwise you're gonna warm all my dirty dark secrets with just a snazzy hand." Rookw as sure the boy was cheating, but couldn't prove it. However, he'd play along for now, not that he had much choice.

"Sorry buddy, I don't roll that way." The deck was shuffled as they spoke. "This is a business here, buddy. You get what you pay for..." 

Although he did wave over a waitress to bring over a tray of drinks. But since he signed their paychecks, he never had to pay. "What brings you to my inn anyway? Place to crash? Girl or boyfriend you're meeting up with? Work?"

He watched Chimmy's hands for foul play, eyeing the drinks with a feral hunger he often could keep quelled. "Curiousity. I wanted to see what you were like." His answer was blunt, not in the evasive manner that they'd been dancing along to.

"You came into your fortune very swiftly, rather convenient I would say. But i won't question much more. That ain't my job." He decided, trying to tell Joachim that he was not an auror or police.

Joachim smirked, "Just got lucky I guess. Some powerful people left me a sizable amount after they croaked..." And he couldn't thank the Death Eater who'd done the deed for him enough.

"And I figure what better way to use it than to make more dough, eh? And so this humble place was born!"

"Help a poor guy out, would ya?" He almost pleaded with Joachim - almost. "I can be your eyes and ears on the streets. You hear a lot when you've been around for a while, people stop noticing you." Rook had not completely uncovered the story of Joachim's mysterious fortunes, but he was assured that pretty much nothing that would come from Joachim's mouth would be truth. 

"What does "Abonacci" mean to you?" He asked, stopping his movements to again stare at Joachim. Maybe, maybe he'd hit a lead with this...

Oh he knew that crime lord's name. Especially from his ex, Amaya. But again, he didn't feel it necessary to share what he knew, "Abonacci? What is that, some kind of spice?" 

"Look buddy, you want to help me out? Ya gotta bring me something of value. Info, or something worth a lot of galleons. Let's me know you're serious and what you can do.."

"But I can't tell if what I've told you so far is relevant." He half lied, wondering how Joachim would respond to that. "I'd tell you different things if they were." Rook almost smirked at Joachim, certain the conman in front of him had scammed Chezekov and damned Abonacci's gang in the process. But rook didn't know who was the new spearhead of Abonacci's people - if there even was one..

He was missing a piece of the puzzle ; he hated it.

Something out of the corner of his eyes caught his attention, and he spotted a man nervously shuffling towards them. Interesting...

"Well..." He took out his pipe and lite it as he debated in his mind how to answer the next question, "If I was to know this 'Abonazzi' what would you have to say about him?"

Joachim also followed his line of sight toward the man. He didn't know what he was doing but he looked at the two bodyguards he had nearby just to be sure they were as vigilant as him. It was a welcome change of pace for other people to look out for him, even if it was only because he paid them.

"I would say.." He began, briefly closing his eyes as he concentrated. "-that your business with him may seem done and dusted, but it's not."

The man was still shuffling closer, as if compelled to do so. His hands quaked as he tried to sidestep the bodyguards.

A frown crossed Rook's face. "As an example, He's trying to poison you." He said flatly, eyes now looking directly at the wannabe perpetrator. "The nervousness is an act to try and slip past your guards; He thought about begging you and causing a distraction so he could tamper with your drink." The man blanched, and Rook remained perfectly still, resisting the urge to let a smirk cross his face. 

"He's barely trying to cover up his intentions."

His hand went up to his collar, casually adjusting it to let building heat escape it, "You know, I think I'd like to talk elsewhere if it's all the same to you.." He nervously chuckled, trying and failing to put on confident aires. 

Fortunately, the bodyguards like getting paid so they cut the man off, their placid and unmoving demeanors likening them to immovable stone walls. 

Another man, roughly Joachim's age with red hair and a bulking figure stepped over to Joachim with a wild smile, "Problem boss?"

"Nah Sawyer, I think we got it..." Joachim assured him as he stood up and readdressed Rook, "My office?" He offers.

"Please." Rook's brow creased with the strain that was currently being placed upon him, appearing drained at the statement of interactions that had processed themselves through the wannabe assailant's mind. "You aren't in any imminent danger, so there's no need to look nervous." He offered with a light smile, despite the weariness evident in his green eyes.

Rising to his feet, he spoke with certainty. "I am also here to protect you for now, should you need it." Rook had promised himself he would not fight any potential allies until he had a better, more calculated view of their weaknesses. Not that he thought he'd ever need to in this particular situation of course; he was trying to earn Joachim's confidence.

"Can never be too careful this day and age." Joachim retook his seat slowly, as though he didn't want to give away his unease.

"Before it was easy, you know?" He shrugged casually, " Just don't piss off the guys with the hoods and the tattoos on their arms. But now," he shrugged, "it's up in the air."

He nodded silently, eyes closing in concentration as the ... noise of everyone around him grated on his nerves. He'd avoided people for so long that he'd forgotten how annoying they were.

"I find people are quite easy to read." Rook said calmly, casting his gaze towards Joachim's uncomfortable posture. The boy was trying to hide it well, but you didn't need to be a mindreader if you could spot the signs close enough. "This room is full of malicious intent; i guess it is up in the air like you say. But it doesn't have to be, i can help you out."

He then went back to scanning the room, eyes narrowing in on another person who tried to shuffle away from his stare. Another one?

"And what would you get from it?" Joachim posed. "Most of the people who do things for me don't do so out of the goodness of their hearts, ya know?"

"A place to stay." He said flatly, as if it was obvious. "Like I said before, I haven't got much but the clothes on my back."

"Fine whatever!" He hastily agreed as he kept watching the approaching people.

"so what would you like me to do?" He turned his searching stare onto Joachim, wondering what he'd find if he pried into the man's mind. Not that he would, since it was impolite to do so to allies. But he could feel the hedonism radiate off him, waves of black and red which interested him to his very core.

No prying.


He let out a sigh, tapping his fingers on the card table. "I could tell you many things about anyone you choose in here."

"Well I'd love to know what their issue with me is, if ya can..." Curiosity was starting to overtake his concern for himself. If this guy could do what he claimed, he'd just made himself a very useful and profitable friend.

"Who?" He peered around, brow furrowing again as he tried to hone in on any particular negative thread or thought that pervaded their minds. For Rook it wasn't as easy as singling out one person.