To Gamble (Open)

[Chiru]

Chiru’s silver eyes scanned the crowd, it was nosy but seeing as her choice was either a nightclub which was perhaps worst with all the pushing and shoving and body feeling, or here… she had thought to choose this place, this location.

She tilted her head slightly as she stared at the few coins in her hand. They had been given to her when she walked in, not that she understood these coins. She frowned slightly at the fact, she really wasn’t one to gamble but she had been asked to ‘test out the waters in a more modern time’. She had agreed she would ‘test out the waters’ now she was double thinking that agreement.

Sighing she ran a hand over her pant legs careful of the spikes and straps as she did so. Fixing the maroon jacket and making sure once more that her braided hair fell freely and would not get stuck in anything she finally placed the coins into her pocket she moved towards one of the many tables on the floor. She wasn’t fully sure if this was a more boyish oufit or a girlish outfit that Raven would tend to wear… but for her it was more meant for a boyish look.

As she moved to a table called 21 she found herself watching, the game itself was clearly simple, you bet, you got cards, you tried to get 21 but not higher than 21… but what the joy of the game itself she wasn’t fully sure about. Placing one of her coins on the table she waited for the cards. Looking at them carefully she found herself with a 9 of hearts and 6 of spades, given her 15. “Dealer has 18”

Chiru lifted her head and stared at him for a moment as he listed what was showing, before going though, she frowned slightly “Hit” she said simply a King of Diamonds, she sighed as she lost.

[Ignat Lee Kan]

Ignat sat at the Black Jack table the way he had every night since he had discovered this place. He didn't really enjoy the act of gambling but the drinks were good and, most importantly, it was easy to be lost in the crowd.

"That's all you've done since coming to this city. Kept your head low and made sure you don't get on anyone's good or bad side," he thought to himself.

"I've done alright," he muttered.

"And when did you start settling for alright?"

He drank deeply from his glass and looked at the cards he had just been dealt. 10 of hearts and 7 of diamonds. As he tried to decide whether to hit or stand, his thoughts continued.

He knew what the problem was; why he was here drinking every night and blowing his coin; why he had just tried to stay out of everyone's way so far. This was still their city, not his.

Sure, he had been turned and was immortal, and his sire told him anything he wanted to know, but ever since she went into shadows, l she was less willing to talk about the day to day or night to night occurences in the city. And since she had no family to speak of, he did not have anyone else to turn to for help.

"Hit," he mumbled, and he was dealt another 10. "Fantastic," his voice
clear and audible for once. Noticing the new addition to the table for the first time he attempted to smile at her and said, "Looks like our luck is about the same tonight."

[Chiru]

Chiru blinked softly before turning her silver eyes towards him, she could smell a familiar scent on him. Yet didn’t let it go any further than that, “What does luck have to do with a game of chance?” she said tilting her head. The dealer however had taken the cards or had tried to take Chiru’s cards but she hand was on top of it clearly confused why he was taken them away.

He cleared his throat some “Miss, I have to redeal, which means all the cards” he said it as though talking to someone who was no more than a child but it worked Chiru lifted her hand and he took the cards before shooting a look across the room.

He placed the cards on the table, “6 of Diamond’s showing, possible of 16” he said as he played the guys hand, he moved towards the other two players before looking at Chiru, “Are you in miss?”

Chiru stared at the table for a moment before placing another chip on the table, seemed silly to her to have to keep putting these chips down on the table for a game. “3 of hearts, possible of 13” Chiru lifted the edge of the card that was down and stared at the 9 of clubs… it gave her 12 points or whatever they wanted to call them.

“She requires another card” she said before the man frowned heavily at her for going out of turn.

[Ignat Lee Kan]

Ignat let his attention focus on the woman and her silver gaze met his blue one. He thought she might be sizing him up but he wasn't sure. Regardless, it was obvious she was much more powerful than he was. He did not recognize her but that wasn't surprising, Shini had introduced him to very few people and he had made no connections himself yet.

“What does luck have to do with a game of chance?”

The question caught him off guard; first because it was an unusual question and second becuase he did not know how to interact with her. He didn't want to end up on someone's bad side due to a breach of etiquette or acting incorrectly.

This is why you're alone at a card table wasting money, the little voice in his head whispered before being quieted by another sip from his glass.

Iggy mulled over the question for a moment as he watched the dealer gather up the cards and redeal. From the short exchange the woman and the dealer had, it was obvious she wasn't familiar with games or places like this and it made her more...approachable.

"For someone like myself, it has everything to do with it. I'd rather my fortune or misfortune be because of my own luckiness or unluckiness rather than the cause of random chance. Everyone has their own preferences though."

He looked down at his cards and saw the 6 staring up at him. He decided to put his philosophy on the table and didn't bother looking at the down card. Seeing the frown on the dealer's face due to the woman, he forced himself to speak outside of his comfort zone even more, "Go ahead and give her the card. You've got all night with me to get back any money you might lose."

[Chiru]

Chiru still didn’t understand what it had to do with anything, luck was more something based on the Gods and why would they care about silly games? She almost wanted to walk away at that very thought, yet she was here to try something ‘new’ and more ‘modern’ and not so ‘old fashion’ she hated that thought. “If you wish to believe in such a thing then you are not taken the odds in your favor” her eyes turned towards him for a moment “knowing the odds is what these games are about correct, knowing when to bluff and when not to bluff not that she’s very good at bluffing…” she frowned softly at this fact before turning back to the dealer and her ‘hand’.

The dealer didn’t seem so pleased with the answer but he placed a 2 of clubs and this time he smiled overly much “Now…”

“Require another one” he seemed a bit confused and looked towards what she could only guess was his bosses before looking at everyone at the table. “Miss…” he said as he placed down a 6 of clubs. “perhaps a game you do know…”

“What does she say when she wishes to have no more cards?” the dealer hit his head; clearly he wasn’t into the whole teaching someone how to play a card game that they should know.

[Ignat Lee Kan]

The man chuckled to himself and thought about how he had ended up in this city and in this state. "The odds are never in my favor. Especially in a place like this. The house always wins in the end."

"But to a certain point, you're right. You need to know the odds of getting the card you need to hit 21 and not bust, but if you always play it safe by the odds, you're never playing your game, just someone else's. You need to know when you need to risk busting to get that much closer to 21 or risk standing when you have almost nothing trusting that everyone else will bust. When you know your luck and use it, then it's your game, win or lose."

You should take your own advice more often.

He shook his head to try and jar the little voice that had been nagging at him for his entire life; pushing him to be more and better than what he was. He was trying hard to be comfortable with the back and forth but right now, he wanted nothing more than to be able to talk to Shini and ask her who this woman was, whether she was someone to feared or respected or both.

She's not your mother that you have to run to before every decision

Iggy watched the woman finish playing and waited for the dealer to explain standing and getting over his exasperation to the woman before hitting and receiving a 10 of hearts and standing there. As the dealer dealt with the other players, he looked at his glass, he found it empty. There would be a new one soon enough, but in the meantime, he knew there was only one way to keep the voice from continuing to nag at him.

"If you don't mind the personal inquiry, what would one call you? My name is Ignat, Iggy for short..." he hesitated for a moment before adding his newly adopted surname, "Kan."

[Chiru]

Chiru stared at him as though he had grown a second head and this second head was the more boring thing in the world on top of it. She sighed heavily for a moment before looking at her cards again, paying little attention to the man for a moment, “Put your faith in something silly… she knows her place and there is a different between a silly card game and life” she said with a frown. Besides when it came down to this ‘house always winning’ she knew for a fact that wasn’t a case, all you had to do was steal from the house and they lose… of course… you make it look like someone else did it, like say the boss and they’re insurance didn’t even cover the damages that way.

After a moment she sighed it was sure taken a long time for this round to get done, she clearly was not much of a gambler, “Her name is… well we shall make it easy for you English speakers… Chiru Shuukakshamaru-Takha’e-BiancoLuce… of the house Kirin von Mana” she would leave out her clan. “Kan…” she said for a moment, she didn’t know anyone with the last name Kan or at least not that she knew of off the top of her head. So she pushed the name back for later.

Her eyes turned towards the dealer “Is it common for one to speak so much during these games?” she was under the expression of small talk, to her small talk was just that a hi and a how are you, no real greeting, perhaps a small talk about the weather or something along those lines… perhaps she had been the cause of it all. Playing a game she clearly didn’t know.