It was always fun coming here. Las Pegasus always had a kind of risky feel to it that got Darrus excited every time he walked down the heavily lit streets and took part in the many games available that threatened to leave him even poorer than he usually was, but that was always part of the fun. Darrus was the kind of pony who knew that you never played to win when you gambled here, but instead just payed to play the games, the fun being in howfar you can get on your money before being sent home. It was to be expected that you will be leaving with a lighter bit pouch when you passed that sign on the road that thanked you for your visit as you left either angry or laughing. Darrus was always the latter.

Then again Darrus also did tend to try and maximize his chances... Being a wandering stallion with little money to his name, it shouldn't be too much of a surprise that he'd learned a few tricks here and there to improve his net worth when given the opportunity to win some money. He did carry a dagger for self defense for a reason after all, especially in a town like this. Thankfully he hadn't needed to flip it around any tonight as he had done something different for once, sticking to more fancy casinos and dives where you would be more likely to find an oil baron or millionaire on their off days throwing money away just because they could. And, wouldn't ya know it, his luck had even been pretty good the last couple nights, a few poker games going his way while a blackjack table here and a lucky slot machine there had done wonders in weighing down his money pouch.

In fact, he'd been so... lucky lately that the management of the establishment he'd been growing most fond of had... Um... "encouraged" him to take a "break" at one of the local nightclubs they also happened to own. Had some fancy name, "La Flamme en Bouteille" or something, Darrus didn't know. All he had done was follow the simple directions needed to reach it as he felt it would be interesting to check out, the name of the place he'd found sounding close enough to match what he was looking for.

It took a few minutes to convince the buys out front to let him in - a small note needing to be handed off, some managers needing to be spoken to and so on - but he was able to get in eventually, Darrus standing out like a sore thumb amongst the other more classy ponies having their fancy drinks and going about their fun.

Welp! First things first!

Darrus headed for the bar, him taking up a stool and smiling at the bartender who seemed surprised to see somepony like him taking up one of the seats.

"Uh... Can I help you?" the bartender asked, her sounding confused and looking like she was trying to decide if she should call somepony from security to check this stallion out. Surely he'd snuck in... but how...

"Cider, if you would please," Darrus replied, seeming annoyingly casual about it as he found the confusion amusing, "Hard cider, whatever you've got, you'll find I have a tab for the night that somepony else will be handling," he informed with a wink, the bartender not looking convinced as she awkwardly paused then decided just to go with it for the moment. As Darrus waited for the deliberately slow bartender to do as he'd asked, he spun his stool around to look over the other ponies in the nightclub, checking out what their idea of fun was as he wondered what exactly those giving him odd looks were thinking.

Well, seemed like a majority of ponies in these kinds of places liked to mostly just talk. The lower music and nicer decorations, while nice he guessed, was quite a switch from the usual thumping and changing lights that came from the easier to get into places that he more often visited on his trips to the city, and the general atmosphere seemed a lot more relaxed to what he'd expect from a nightclub.

... Least the ponies around here seemed to take extra care in their appearance. Not to say that regular clubs were full of ugly ponies, that being a silly thought, it was just interesting to see mares who considered themselves to be more classy pretty themselves up for a night out on the town. Darrus had taken to checking out those who had decided to hang around as he drank his cider, him giving the bartender another nod and smirk when shed hoofed it over as she still looked a bit irritated by his presence, and in so doing had noticed a particular mare relaxing in a corner of the roof on a sofa. Was quite the looker, definitely a stand out among the crowd, and she seemed to be alone and just relaxing from what he could tell. He hadn't stared after noticing her, his mind instead moving on to trying to think of a way he could approach and start up conversation as he turned his gaze up towards the sky.

Hmm. Offering to buy her a drink would be both silly and boring, silly due to her already having one and boring in that it was as far from being original as possible. Maybe... Nah... Or perhaps...

He gave a quiet snort of amusement at the idea that popped into his head, him taking another drink of his cider before rolling his shoulders and stepping down from his stool, him using a hoof to "fix" up his mane and cloak which of course led to both just looking the way they usually did, Darrus then casually walking over towards the couch and then leaning on the railing keeping ponies from wandering off the roof. He sipped his drink, looked over the edge to the streets below, then turned his head to the mare lounging on the couch nearby.

'Excuse me, Miss," he began, wearing a confident smile that he never went anywhere without, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could help me with something. You see, earlier in the night I accidentally dropped my contact lenses over the side of the roof here, and I noticed that you seem to be enjoying the sights, so I was wondering if perhaps you happened to spot them in the streets below during your gazing?" he sipped his drink casually before adding on in a jokingly concerned tone, "I would hate for somepony to step on them."

"Yeah, that seems about right," Darrus said, casting another glance over the side of the building but obviously not all that concerned about the contact lenses he'd made up solely to start a talk and jokingly continuing with, "Ah well. They more assisted than provided anyway." He agreed with the mare when she mentioned it not being all that cold up on the roof, one of the bar's sources of heat - one of a number of covered jets of flame - blasting off nearby and arming things up, but Darrus without his cloak was Darrus feeling naked. Which could also be fun, sure, but still.

"You could say it's just my style," he took a step closer to the couch, not sitting down on the couch with her but closing the distance enough to allow the two to speak more comfortably, "Me without my cloak would be like me without my mane. Just unfortunate and depressing for anypony who might witness it.

"My name is Darrus by the way," he introduced himself, a small gesture being made with his hoof as if trying to parody a super upper class bow made by gentlecolts, "and from what you've said, I take it you come here often? It's my first time being invited, so I'm hoping the regulars are as gentle to new guys as some are fair," he gave the mare one of his usual cocky smiles at that before moving on with something he figured would be a laughable stretch, "You guys get many backroom poker brawls here?"

"It's a pleasure, Star. Also, Really? You mean those prim looking stallions over there won't suddenly break out into a bout of fisticuffs over some wager at the drop of one of the fancy hats ponies are wearing?" Darrus joked, over blowing just how classy the place was now as he gestured off towards some direction full of ponies.

"And, heh, that wouldn't surprise me," he then responded to Star claiming it wasn't all that tricky to gain entry to the bar, though even then he'd wonder why he'd already been given such a hassle by the employees. Maybe they just didn't like the look of him, or maybe they were warned before hand that he was coming somehow... Or maybe Star just got in easier cause of her looks. Whatever the reason it was irrelevant now that he was inside.

"I was "Invited" to come here," he repeated, this time using air quotations and adding emphasis on the key word before taking another sip of his drink, "The management in one of the casinos had noticed how well I was doing when playing their games, and I suppose they got worried that I would waste my entire visit in there. So, out of the kindness of their hearts I'm sure, they told me of this bar here and "encouraged" me to come and relax. Didn't want me to get bored by the sound of chips falling in my favor, after all. Figured it would be a nice change of pace though, so I went along with it.

"At least the drinks should be free. Maybe. Either way, you could add yours to my tab if you'd like. Would be a small but fun way of fully accepting their generosity should said generosity be a reality.

"I assume, since you frequent this place, that you live in the city or at least visit often? I've only been here a few times in my travels, but it always tends to leave a lasting impression, so actually living here must be pretty interesting, so says the tourist. What do you do, if you don't mind my asking?"