Trickery & Thievery

Domino couldn’t just sit, for hours, and not know anything of Radix’s well-being.

He had taken his leave, without Aimee tagging along this time, and made his way back down to Dram. He wouldn’t fit in anywhere up in Zioc, so despite not liking Dram all that much, it was the only place he could go. And without thinking, his feet took him to the only place he really felt like he could truly be, no judgment nor jabs at his current, even messier appearance.

Trick’s casino.

The bright neon lights hurt his eyes, they always did, but somehow he smiled under the respirator. No doubt about it, no hesitation, he opened the doors and let himself in.

“We’re closed right now!” Trick yelled out, “So hit it!”

“I don’t think I will,” Domino responded smugly.

There was a pause, and then Trick’s familiar head popped out from a doorway, taking a second to recognise who it was, “Domi, baby!”

“What have I told you about calling me that?” Domino walked up to the door Trick had just popped out of, smiling wider.

“To not! But I don’t care!” Tricks laughed, loud and commanding, “Please, come in! I’m having some work done right now, so I can’t move.”

Domino tilted his head a bit, “Who’s doing your work now? I thought Oskar was…”

“He is. I know you two weren’t friends, but it never gets easier without him here…” Trick sighed, “Nevertheless! I’d love for you to meet Ricket!”

Domino finally got time to peek around the door Trick was yelling from, seeing his familiar friend holding out their arm to a very small robot. They looked up at him, and without even raising their arm, the goggles on their eyes lifted up.

“An R1 model?” Domino mumbled, “I thought they went out of circulation ages ago.”

Ricket shrugged, “Doesn’t everyone?”

“I found poor Ricket half destroyed on the streets! I may not be smart in android physiology, but I have my connections,” Trick gestured with their free hand, “So, I got them fixed up!”

Domino didn’t know what to really say, but figured that he had to say something, “Hey, glad you got patched up. Mean world out there.”

Ricket stared at Domino, dead in his eyes, before shrugging and going back to fixing up Trick’s cybernetic arm.

“So, what have you done this time?” Domino asked in Trick’s direction, “Smash it up again?”

“Hm?” Trick quickly laughed as they realised what was being asked, “Oh, no! Just general maintenance.”

“I’m adding a secret compartment, right —” Ricket pointed to Trick’s wrist, “— here. It’ll be big enough to hide things like cards or knives.”

Domino laughed, a lot harder than he had meant to, “Still swindling the general public of their hard earned cash?”

“Hey!” Trick put their free hand to their heart, “I do warn people! The house always wins, and all that.”

Domino nodded slowly, “Sure, whatever you say, Tick.”

“Tick?”

“Yeah,” Domino smirked under his respirator, “Like those blood sucking parasites?”

“Ouch!” Trick let out a fake sob, “You hurt me! I’m no parasite!”

“Of course not.”

“Are you two in love?” Ricket interrupted, getting a laugh from Trick and a scoff from Domino.

“Oh, god no!” Trick responded, “Domino is taken, and very happily I should add. Actually, how is Radix doing? I heard the news.”

“From who?” Domino bristled slightly.

“No clue!” Trick shrugged with one shoulder, “I just got a letter.”

“That’s… odd,” Domino squinted his eyes, but quickly shook away his thoughts, “They’re being operated on right now by a V1.”

“They still exist?” Trick sounded genuinely shocked.

“Apparently. Big angry fucker too, Visconti I think his name was.”

“Visconti is operating on Radix?” Trick sounded even more shocked.

“You know him?”

“Who doesn’t?” Ricket piped up, finally stopping their tinkering.

“Exactly that,” Trick pulled back their arm, wiggling their fingers as a test, “Everyone knows Visconti! He’s hard to miss, given his size.”

“Yeah, well, he wasn’t very excited to see me either,” Domino rubbed the back of his neck, “I think the only reason he didn’t punch me through several walls is because I know Radix.”

“You have to admit, it makes sense,” Trick patted Ricket on the head, “You’re free to go and explore! Some coins for your trouble.”

Ricket took the coins and ran out of the room excitedly, leaving the two friends alone.

“Yeah, it does make sense,” Domino sighed, “Only thing that makes sense right now.”

“I assume you’ve figured it out then?” Trick stood up from their chair, striding over to Domino, “About Radix.”

“Yeah.”

There was a silence between the two, in which Domino stared at the floor. There had been a lot of change in the past day or two, and he hadn’t exactly taken all of that in. He felt like he didn’t have the time to take it in. Radix was the top priority, his little pity party could wait.

Snapping him from his trance, Trick hugged him, tight.

“Radix had been meaning to tell you,” Trick’s voice was muffled slightly by the hug, “They came to me about it, they had wanted to tell you for so long.”

Domino froze, before slowly hugging Trick back, “I know why they didn’t.”

“They just loved you too much to lose you.”

Domino broke. He buried his face into Trick’s shoulder and started crying, hard. He didn’t even try to say anything, simply sobbed into Trick while they brushed through his hair. He didn’t realise how much he’d been needing this, just someone to comfort him.

“How about we get you sat down? I’ll grab you something to drink and eat, does that sound nice?”

Domino nodded harshly, but didn’t stop crying. He probably wouldn’t for a while.