It seemed like a good idea at the time...

[maddeninghatter]

Date & Time: 2698, fin-de-millenium, just prior to the formation of the United Earth
Location: Las Vegas
Characters: Break, Kevin, Gilbert, Oz, Elliot, Alice, Allen, Lenalee, Rosette, Chrono, Chrysos
Summary: Fear and loathing
Warnings: Showgirls and Gilbert weeping.

The statement “Let’s go to Vegas” exists as the multiverse’s quintessential definition of, “well it seemed like a good idea at the time.” Even in this case, it really had, between zombies, insurrection, and the day to day tedium of life on the moon. Besides which, Xerxes Break has a new sentient (sentient-er) weapon, which in a stunning show of good judgement is too dangerous to test on the moonbase, nor in any concentration of people. Las Vegas, set against the backdrop of the vast, desolate Mojave desert, seemed to be a perfect choice.

When our heroes wink into existence, squinting against the early-morning desert sunshine, they’ll find themselves duly welcomed. Come play in the casino. When you feel a bit peckish, indulge in all you can eat. Take your winnings and go shopping; at night, take in a show. And if you’ve done really well gambling, unwind in a ridiculously luxurious suite.

…or is this how you’re spending the night?

Thirty-six hours in Vegas, what could possibly go wrong?

(ooc: feel free to start threads willy-nilly, name your time and place, threadjack and mingle)

Comments

[debtor]

You should understand the rules before you try that.

[He knows how utter novices fare. It's not pretty!

And he's grabbing the deck and ushering Oz over to an empty table.]

Don't worry, it's not too complicated. Anybody can pick it up. [ actually winning is a bit harder, but. ]

[velveteened]

Oh, I see.

( he follows to the empty table, sitting across from allen. )

Where did you learn, Allen?

[debtor]

[Something twists in Allen's expression and he glances to the side, but all he says is,] It was just a hobby.

[Shuffling the deck in gloved hands, with very practiced ease, and spreads them out.] Rosette explained the four suits to you?

[velveteened]

( oz leaves the topic at that, watching allen handle the cards. his own hands have fallen to his lap, for now. )

Spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs.

[debtor]

[Brightening again as he sorts them by suit.]

Right. The game they're playing is called poker. In poker, every suit is equal, but in each you've the ace, which is the highest, then the king, queen, jack, and ten through two. And the joker, sometimes.

[And he launches into an explanation of gameplay basics: dealing the cards, the ante, the rankings of each hand, etc. And of course, he'll field any questions Oz might have.]

[velveteened]

( oz is an attentive student; his concentration doesn't waver as allen explains, speaking up with the occasional question of why-is-this-so, or my-that's-interesting, or so-if-you-do-this-what-would-happen. )

And so, ( says with a glance back at those tables ) they're playing for money?

1/2

[debtor]

They are. Money or valuables, winner-takes-all, that's usually how it's played. They all have something on the line. It can get pretty serious.

[debtor]

[ he leans a little closer to Oz. ] And so they're all watching each other closely, you see. They're looking for tells, in their opponents' faces. [ he points to his eyes, ] Nobody knows how good anybody else's cards are - not unless they give themselves away.

To win, you have to put on a good act.

[velveteened]

( rosette had alluded to this a bit, calling it like a game of spies. but rosette was — not too difficult to fool in the end, having an honest personality. )

So it doesn't really matter what cards anyone has, so long as they can act like theirs are good.

[debtor]

[A quick study!]

That's right. Or, they can act like theirs are bad. You can fake a tell. There are all sorts of signs players watch for: where you look, how you talk, or how you handle your money. Even how you breathe.

Though, having a good hand certainly helps.

[Because putting on a good show is crucial, but Allen really excels in. well, cheating his way to victory. He doesn't take any chances.]

[velveteened]

So by pretending to have a bad hand, you could fool other people into wagering more because they think they'll win?

( sounds out the reasoning aloud, looking to allen for confirmation. faking a tell isn't so hard to imagine, really, with the kinds of stunts he's pulled on people to get his way.

though this goes on the list of things he wouldn't have expected of allen! )

[debtor]

Exactly!

[With a puckish grin, and a gleam in his eye,]

And as a novice, nobody would expect you to be playing them. You're just a kid, after all, right?

[velveteened]

( WOW ALLEN YOU SURE SOUND LIKE YOU SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE )

Right! If anything, I should hope they'd go easy on an innocent child.

[debtor]

[No idea what you're talking about!!]

If they've lowered their guard, you've won.

[With a quick flip of his hand, he's suddenly holding a fan of five cards as if he'd conjured them out of thin air. And he spreads them out on the table - a straight flush.]

[velveteened]

( oz may be a little used to sleights of hand by mere virtue of knowing break well, but it's still enough to get an impressed double-take out of him, all wide eyes. allen walker, you are speaking his language. )

Thank you for explaining all of this!

( he looks back at the tables again, then back to allen. )

Though, a demonstration might be the best way to learn.

[debtor]

[Heh. He gives a little shake of his head, as if to say it's no problem.

He gathers up the deck again and shuffles it thoroughly, setting it back as a neat stack in the middle, and then follows Oz's eyes to the tables. He thinks he might sense much potential in young Vessalius.]

I could give you one.

[velveteened]

I think it'd help a lot.

( he says it brightly, as if they're talking about tea or cookies rather than potentially cheating people out of their savings and belongings. )

Besides, while we're here, it'd be a shame not to play the games, right?

[debtor]

[It's only cheating

if you're caught.]

I agree. [ he watches the tables for a moment longer. he can't pass up the opportunity while he's here, definitely. ]

I think we could find a game to join, if you wanted. Or would you rather watch, first?

[velveteened]

( he shakes his head. it'd go a bit against what he'd just said, after all, to choose to watch. )

Let's join a game.

( looking around the room, there do seem to be some tables wrapping up or preparing for a new game. )

[debtor]

[And heading towards them!

OH, but wait.]

There's a fee to enter.

I don't suppose you have any money on you...

[velveteened]

Don't worry, I do!

( he pulls out his wallet and from that extricates a...not inconsiderable number of us dollars, many of which may or may not have been liberated from rosette. )