Spiders?!?!

"Ahhh," Shand tilted his head back and forth, toying with the idea. "Eh, what can I say, it's an addiction, I'm degenerate." He put down the frying pan and shook his closed fist, then threw the jewels that had appeared there on the table. "And no worries, love," He glanced back at Samantha, "Those are mine, I didn't steal them OR borrow them from anywhere."
"You're degenerate...that's the first intelligent thing you've said all day," Dolan mumbled from the corner, trying to scrape spider guts off the wall.

"I wouldnt mind if you bet those and they were mine.. That's not my problem." I glared at Rhain
"come on, 'mommy', have fun, take some risks." Rhain smiled again
Daric leaned over to Xyle,"what are they talking about?"
Xyle sighed,"Rhain has a thing for this necklace thing Shand gave Samantha so he tries to get her to bet it."
Daric frowned,"so this is normal?"
Xyle nodded and picked up his hand,"pretty much."

Shand leaned over to Xyle. "Also why I gave it to her... she has a much, much tighter grasp on these sort of things than I do." He winked, half-stuck his tongue out, and pulled another handful of semi-precious bits of jewel out of his pocket.
"And you know what, if I lose 'em, it'll be a good thing, that way I won't get mugged on the way home." Shand cracked his neck and smiled slyly at Rhain. "Deal me in, Loverboy."

Rhain half cringed, half stuck out his tongue,"I think you're thinking of my father." he dealer another hand of cards to an empty spot on the floor and motioned Shand to sit down,"last chance, Samantha" he winked already knowing my answer

"Ohhh no, I was thinking of you," Shand grinned widely, "My mind is right where it's always been," He pointed out the window first, then furrowed his brow, stumbled a bit, and pointed to his forehead. "Right there. Where I can keep tabs on it... so what it is that YOU'LL be betting tonight? Anything worth trying for?"

Rhain smiled, "The same as usual." He took our a large bag from who knows where and threw it down. "Two hundred gold pieces along with precious gems, as usual." He looked around the gambling circle as Aeren sighed.
"I cant believe you steal from your own kingdom..." Aeren shook his head

"Borrowing," Shand interjected, picking up his cards. "It's just borrowing...no shame in that..."
"You don't find any shame in stealing either," Dolan put in.
"Dire circumstances may demand it, I don't control circumstances and refuse to let them control my psyche. Are we ready yet?"

"yes, yes, be patient." Rhain grabbed his own hand,"Besides, I am stealing for I dont plan on giving any of that back." He smiled. "Anyone besides Samantha want to play? After we get started, I wont deal you in unless your bet is more valuable then all the bets we've gotten so far."

Dolan rolled his eyes. "Can't you rub off on him a little more?" He asked Locke with arms folded.
"Yeah, tell him not to gamble away what probably should've been our inheritance," Searc mumbled. "This is ridiculous... I'm leaving now."
"Do you know how we got here?' Shand asked, eyes plastered to his hand.
"Why?" Searc asked warily.
"Oh, I was just wondering if you knew because I sure don't. Have no clue how we're getting back, either."
Dolan groaned.

Locke frowned,"he's not my son so I shouldn't have to rub off on him but I find myself trying to anyways because of his father."
"so... None of you can back?" Xyle smiled and looked at Daric.

'Someone's gotta make up for it," Dolan shook his head. "It's a shame that he's a lot more like him than he realizes."
"Nope, Xyle, mate, we're marooned here, it would seem," Shand rubbed his chin, his mind totally in the card game. "By the way, if we have to sleep here, I call the bed," He winked.
"That was innapropriate," Searc scowled.
"You're innapropriate," Shand sneered back. "And it wasn't, seeing as there are no hammocks here, the bed is the next closest thing to my natural environment, regardless of who will be in the bed beside me." He shrugged innocently.
"Yeah, that would've been a capital idea, before Locke destroyed the bed and everything else on this green earth," Seth eyed Locke.
"Ok, the couch works too," Shand waved his hand obliviously.

Locke shrugged,"I'm protective." it was the only defense he gave
I frowned and looked at my bed,"wonderful... Looks like I'll have to make sleeping arrangements for all of you and myself ...if all of you stay here, don't you think Micaela will worry?"
Rhain stared blankly at his hand... Obviously wearing his poker face,"she can over as well if she'd like."
"I don't think Locke would even let you sit on her bed the same time she was on it." Xyle tilted his head as he examined his hand not paying attention to the fact his comment was a few seconds late

"I'd like to see Locke try to stop me," Shand mumbled as he thumbed through his cards. "Just cuz he's an assassin doesn't make him the freakin' boss of me..."
Searc stared at Shand as if he had just professed to belong to the monkey species.
"Ok, well it gives him the means to certainly ACT like the boss of me, but I'm not gonna just lie down and die," Shand sneered.
"...If it was in the bed, would you lie down and die then?" Dolan asked. When bombarded with several dirty looks, he held his hands up innocently. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist. I saw a possible way that we could all be happy and I just couldn't pass it up."

I facepalmed,"at least he was trying, I guess.."
"since when did you take Dolan's side?" Locke tilted his head
"I didn't " I frowned
"she did because it involved Shand" Rhain smiled which was rare for him when in a game of cards
"I didn't !" I glared at him

"'Course you did, Baby," Shand smiled mischievously, stretching out on the floor. He whispered playfully. "It's completely fine if you want me, I may admit to similar emotional pulls to-"
"Can we just start now, for heaven's sake?" Seth rolled his eyes.
"I'm so proud," Dolan folded his arms sarcastically.

I looked away, "I cant say anything without you people taking it a different way."
Aeren sighed, "Can I just say I lose already?"
"Revealing you have a bad hand before the game has started? Shame on you...I thought I taught you better." Rhain smiled over to his brother.
"It's no so much my hand as it is the fact that I cant gamble period." Aeren frowned.
"This is a game for fun, dear brother, no gambling here." Rhain looked back at his cards.

Shand threw his cards into the air and let them rain down onto his head. "Then why am I playing?!? I don't do anything for fun!!!"
"Because then the world couldn't possibly handle you," Dolan shook his head, smiling. "This way we have a slight chance of surviving."
"So I just threw my stuff out on the table... to act as a centerpiece while we played?" Shand asked, his hands folded properly and his eyes wide in anticipation of a response. He blinked. Exaggeratedly. Several times.

Rhain looked at Shand then to his cards that were all over the floor,"Shand...my answers are to please those who ask whether they're true or not." he glanced to Aeren quickly
"what does that mean?" Xyle eyed Rhain
"it means he is gambling but he said he wasn't to please Aeren." I glared over Rhain offended face,"consider that as payback." he frowned like he had been betrayed...

'And it's your fault that everyone just saw my cards!" Shand exclaimed, putting both his hands on top of his head.
"This sounds like it was fated from the beginning...I'd stay out if I were you," Dolan warned.
"Woah-hoho, and you most certainly are not," Shand inhaled deeply, stabilizing himself. "I demand another hand... of cards. Three physical hands would be overkill."

Rhain smiled,"grow up and live with your mistake but your bet stays."
"Rhain!" I turned to him
"as you've revealed, I am gambling not playing for fun." Rhain shrugged

Shand tilted his head for a moment, completely calm. Then, he tilted it the other way, staring at Rhain.
"I can tell you're the type that would taste good to a seamonster."
"Please, Shand," Seth shook his head.
"No, I'm serious. They like the royal, pompous, spoiled,arrogant types..." he paused, as if coming to a sudden revelation. "...so that puts you and Pharris both on the list! Together! Daddy would be so proud," Shand winked at Rhain, then stood and bowed dramatically.

Rhain glared at him,"I am not like him!"
I laughed,"says you... Go ahead, call me a dog, then we'll see who's right."
Locke sighed,"alright alright, let's not fight.. Especially since we'll all have to be together for who knows how long."

"Oh, nonono, Rhain, I didn't mean to offend you," Shand moved his hands all about in a mock apology, "You see, that whole 'your bet stays' thing was just like something he would do though, and the connection surprised me, but, hey, we can't all escape our DNA though, right?" He winked at Dolan. "I must just be one of the lucky ones..."

Rhain threw his cards down, but made sure that they fell face down, "I am not like that ego centric man! There is NO connection between us!"
Aeren hid his face behind his cards, "Besides looks..."

"Nonono, that's quite alright," Shand grinned at him craftily. "I understand the thing with the royals... stay on your toes and hold your ears, they say..." He winked yet again. "I don't condemn you for being inable to escape destiny. I actually think it's rather epic..."
He leaned over to Seth and whispered in a loud voice that Rhain could still hear. "Just like a spoiled little prince to take out the only competition... that sounds like Pharris to you, doesn't it?"