The Heart of the Ocean (DNB)

The Royal and The Straight

The chapter name is just poker terminology, trust me.

Fun fact: I learned poker for this chapter, if it doesn't make sense, it's because I still don't really know how to play...

TW/CW: descriptions of alcohol, tobacco/alcohol consumption, mentions of forced feminization, gambling and non-explicit descriptions of a naked woman's body.

***************************************************************

Dawson:

⠀⠀⠀Breakfast was decent. Dream stole a piece of bread and slathered marmalade on top and took a walk around the boat. It was half past nine o'clock in the morning, early sun still rising over the icy waters. The air was cold and windy. Dream squinted as he exited the hall, sun shining through the windows. Leaving the stairwell, second class children ran around, a ball being tossed between their feet.

⠀⠀⠀Picking a lounge chair with a decent view of the water, and the perfect distance to the nearest restroom and the dining hall, Dream laid back, hat over his eyes.

⠀⠀⠀"Perry's tryin' Texas Hold'em today," A man with a New York accent said to another man. Dream's ears perked at the name of a poker game.

⠀⠀⠀Texas Hold'em was a pretty new way of playing poker, only surfacing back ten years ago. Dream had learned how to play from his Texan-born friend Sapnap.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh really?" An Italian accented male voice answered, "Where's he gonna do that? With the Irish?"

⠀⠀⠀"Nah, them rich Americans in the first class gotta buncha games goin' in an houa'." The other man whispered very loudly.

⠀⠀⠀"And Perry's gonna try!" The Italian laughed a hearty laugh, "He's got some nerve!"

⠀⠀⠀Dream sat up. The two men were sitting in the lounge chairs next to him, "Where's this poker game gonna be?" He asked, startling the black-haired men.

⠀⠀⠀"Jesus! You said 'e was asleep!" The Italian scolded.

⠀⠀⠀"I thought 'e was," The New Yorker defended, the Italian glared, "'ow was I supposed ta know, 'is 'at was covern' 'is eyes!"

⠀⠀⠀They both had equally difficult to understand accents, missing vowels and the end of verbs left and right as they scolded each other.

⠀⠀⠀"You're just like ya wife, always scoldin' ya!" The New Yorker jabbed his finger in the Italian's face.

⠀⠀⠀"Nah, you don't speak uh my wife like that! I speak uh my wife like that," He glared, "You wanna try that again, American Pussy?"

⠀⠀⠀"You're from Queens!"

⠀⠀⠀"Uh, guys?" Dream interrupted, earning a loud "WHAT?" as they both glared at Dream.

⠀⠀⠀"Were you going to tell me where this poker game's happenin'?" Dream offered.

⠀⠀⠀"Oh, someplace near the first-class dinin' room, ya can't miss it, it's got like fancy chairs and shit everywhere. It smells like alcohol and cigarettes." The New Yorker explained.

⠀⠀⠀"Jim!" The Italian smacked 'Jim' on the back of his head.

⠀⠀⠀"See ya there," Jim waved and he and the Italian left, presumably to get food, going in the direction of the second-class dining area.

⠀⠀⠀Dream smiled wide, thinking of playing poker again.

⠀⠀⠀"No. You played yesterday and got us tickets to this boat and over ten pounds, ya gotta chill man," was Sapnap's response once Sapnap caught up and Dream told him.