A Guild of Moonlit Shadows (A KOTLC FanFic)

~25~ Bargaining chips and Casino chips

"Because someone much more attractive calls me that and also, my name is Vienna. Not blondie."

"Alright then Vienna, can't you tell us what your cards are? You just out bet everyone on those cards, the least you can do is show us what ya got!"

Amalia smiled as her chips were counted and she grabbed her drink, turning over her two cards.

A four of spades and a one of diamonds. Completely useless. She bluffed all of them out of their money.

Everyone at the table raged, but Amalia merely placed a hand on her hip as she took an obnoxious sip of her drink. Two men at the very end that folded their cards in the second round looked ready to throw hands. When they watched Amalia walk away before getting up to follow her, it seems like that is exactly what they would do. And Alexios let them.

Amalia turned into a dark hallway, winking at Maha as she passed her. The two guys followed her into the hallway, clearly ready to get their money back.

But when they didn't follow Amalia back out the hallway, Alexios knew they were onto phase two of their plan.

Amalia slid two key cards out of the back of her dress. The two guys had them in their waistbands, just like they were told. Amalia was the key to phase one, getting those two Neverseen informants away from the table by stealing them of their money, then beating the shit out of them to get their keycards. All completely to the Neverseen guards and employees packed in the casino. Alexios never would've guessed that the Neverseen would've hidden an artifact in one of their criminally owned casinos in the Neutral territories, but he had to admit, he never would've thought of it.

Alexios watched as Amalia walked up behind Nour, pretending to be his girlfriend. If it were real, Nour would be getting Alexios's fist to his chin, and they would be doing a different plan. But Nour was pansexual with a preference for men, and he saw Amalia as a sister. She slyly handed him his card as they looped arm in arm and began walked through the seas of people. It was hard to keep track of them with all of the drunk patrons and screaming losers, but he managed to watch them begin their ascent up the stairs. 

Alexios glugged down the rest of his drink before striding away from the poker game and picking up another vodka cranberry from one of the waiters, right as Maha switched shifts with another dealer. Alexios had already apologized to Maha time and time again when they were coming up with the plan. Still, when he collided with Maha, his brain was racked with guilt even as he started screaming his script as his drinking dribbled down his shirt.

"Are you kidding me?!"

Maha gasped, snatching a white cloth from behind the counter, "I'm so sorry sir! It's my first night shift and it isn't normally this busy during the day-"

Alexios scoffed, "Is that the blubbering excuse you tell your boss whenever you fuck up?!" One of the patrons stood up, pointing a finger into Alexios' chest, "Hey buddy, it was an accident!"

"You would say that! At least she didn't spill vodka on your thousand dollar jacket. But you wouldn't even know what fashion tastes like, would you? Where is that vest from, your mother's bedroom?"

"How dare you-"

"Oh it couldn't possibly be from your mother's closet, I would've noticed it there last night." Alexios had to admit, he was improvising now. And having a blast with it. By the way Maha was pursing her lips, she was trying not to laugh from his sudden choice away from the script.

The patron went bug-eyed, his round face turning red, "Why, you are the most annoying scummy man that has ever graced this planet-"

Alexios gave him a smirk, "That's not what your mom said last night."