Free Night at the Casino

[fieldtrip]

Who: OPEN to all / mingle log
Where: Queens (the casino!)
What: Wow July sure was a month! Time to take a breather and have a night out, courtesy of Toph and Mitsuru!
Warnings: N/A

FREE NIGHT AT THE CASINO

GAMBLING

Feeling down after that space infestation made you murder some friends? Getting tempted to bury yourself in the sand at the beach so no one can ever perceive you again?

Time for a tone shift! It's a free night at the casino. For tonight only, chips mean nothing -- which means everyone gets a rack of chips when they walk in and can let loose! Entertainment, food, and drink are also free within reason. (Abuse the privilege and find out who works security here the hard way!)

Welcome to Queens, the formerly shady but now revamped and reimagined casino in the entertainment district of Aldrip. Classy and minimalist but not gaudy, it's run, staffed, and heavily patronized by Chosen. Maybe you know someone who works there, maybe someone dragged you in to lighten up for once, maybe you're just stopping by for some fun.

Appropriately, the most popular game of the night is Queen's Blood, with tables set aside purely for teaching. There's also the standard casino games available in spades -- poker, slots, roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and so forth.

AT THE CLUB

It wouldn't be a casino without alcohol, music, and dancing. There's a low-key bar for those looking to have a conversation where they can hear one another over the pleasant live jazz, and a much livelier dance floor set off to the side in a different part of the casino with a DJ playing dance music.

FIGHTING TOURNAMENT

Beneath the casino is a massive underground cavern converted into a fighting arena.

It's a bit hard to find, intentionally -- either you were personally invited by someone or you stumbled across the covert speakeasy-style entrance in a corner of the main floor, possibly from the people jostling to go in and out. The stairs go down and down until they suddenly open out into the huge room, lined in walkways to view the fight.

There's three circuits to the fighting tournament: a bracket for fighting with powers, a bracket for fighting without powers (hand-to-hand and weapons only), and a shooting competition. Toph (fieldtrip) serves as referee for all of the above and is prepared to break up anything that goes too far. This is just for fun, folks!

Sign up in the comment below and maybe you'll even win something! Toph promises a super cool prize to the winner of each circuit!

FORTUNE TELLING

Get a free tarot reading!

It does seem like some of the glitching in Aldrip has made it maybe a little more accurate than usual lately... or maybe that's inaccurate? Feel free to have the cards have a real effect on them with a glitch!

DOG THERAPY

In one peaceful corner away from the din and bustle is a dog petting station. All manner of adorable and highly trained dogs are available for cuddles and play time.

Some of them are even up for adoption if you want to take one home!

Kakashi (battlefieldbrat) runs and operates this station with the kind supervision of Koromaru, our local good boy.

Code by 10billionghosts.

Comments

Fighting Tournament Sign-Ups

[fieldtrip]

Comment here if you're entering in the fighting tournament. I'll RNG a winner on 8/7 and we can thread out the prize bestowing! Also feel free to respond to each other here to set up match ups!

<B>Character:</B> <B>Circuit:</B> Powers, no powers, shooting (multiple allowed) <B>Open to Match Ups?</B> Y/N

[fieldtrip]

Character: Toph
Circuit: Powers and no powers
Open to Match Ups? Y

[mightymorphin]

Character: Morph
Circuit: Powers
Open to Match Ups? Y

[murderingjustice]

Character: goro akechi
Circuit: powers! for non powers it'd be with swords or shooting
Open to Match Ups? yes

[startraveler]

Character: Aether
Circuit: Powers and no powers
Open to Match Ups? Y

[starguy]

Character: Peter Quill
Circuit: Shooting
Open to Match Ups? Y

[starringsecond]

Character: Yuri Lowell
Circuit: Powers and no powers!
Open to Match Ups? Y

[skelters]

Character: Vash
Circuit: Shooting, No powers!
Open to Match Ups? Y

[solitarysoul]

Character: Levi
Circuit: shooting only
Open to Match Ups? Y

[grappler]

Character: Vi
Circuit: no powers
Open to Match Ups? Y

[bulleting]

Character: Caitlyn Kiramman
Circuit: shooting!
Open to Match Ups? Y

[jaganshi]

Character: Hiei
Circuit: Powers
Open to Match Ups? Y

Toph Beifong | Open

[fieldtrip]

1. Working

[ As one of the owners and head of security, Toph does spend a good part of the night working, not that it feels much like working to her. She genuinely enjoys walking around keeping an eye on things and interfering where it's needed, or offering hearty congratulations or mocking laughter as appropriate.

Small and barefoot as she is, it's easy to miss her until she suddenly pops up somewhere and starts yelling. Feel free to run into her just about anywhere while on the job -- or find her telling someone twice her height to knock it off. ]

You know what really pisses me off? People bothering my staff.

2. Fighting Tournament

[ She's thrilled to finally be launching this. Even at home she'd sincerely missed Earth Rumble, and since coming to Aldrip (how long has it been? yikes) it's just gotten worse. Toph has plenty of reasons to enjoy fighting and want to keep her skills sharp, but she doesn't think too deeply about it. The plain fact is that she does enjoy it, and she's good at it, and she likes sharing that with others.

The whole past month was a horrific trial. Even if she wasn't involved in any awful violence directly, some people she really cares about have some major things to work through, and what better way than a friendly beatdown?

Toph can be found signing people up, badgering people into participating if she knows them, and, of course, fighting in some bouts herself. She's far more capable in the circuit that allows powers, but in the no powers circuit she still holds her own decently well. Despite her ego, she takes losing well. She's motivated to get better and might bother whoever she lost to after the match into agreeing to practice with her more.

She's also prone to offering peanut gallery comments to anyone spectating on the matches she's not actively refereeing. ]

Geez, some people really just signed up to embarrass themselves in public.

[ Or maybe: ] That's awesome! Do you know them? Do you think they'd face me later?

3. Fortune Telling

[ She'd gone to the trouble of recruiting the fortune teller and setting this up, so she may as well partake herself. Except then Toph ends up scowling down at her reading.

Five of swords... Queen of swords... reversed Emperor.

It all sounds pretty okay until the fortune teller gets toward the end of the interpretation, and then starts explaining that reversed Emperor for the future spot means she'll end up in a position of great authority, but one she doesn't want. ]

Are you kidding me? I don't want anything more serious than running this place! That's crap.

4. Dog Therapy

[ However gruff and abrasive she can be, Toph isn't shy at all about showing affection when it's warranted, and she definitely counts it as warranted with friendly animals. Toph was already predisposed to like animals from her childhood lessons with the badger-moles, but after Appa and Momo, and now Kakashi hosting a whole dog kennel and rescue next door, she's all in.

So you can find her literally rolling around on the ground laughing as she play-wrestles with some of the dogs, disheveled and hair escaping her headband even more than usual. Just as she'd intended with this event, it's a relief to be reminded that there's something as simple and happy as this still left in the world.

Maybe she notices someone observing nearby, or maybe she knows you. Either way, Toph suddenly grins and gleefully tells the dogs around her: ]

Get 'em!

[ The whole pile of dogs mobilizes to lovingly tackle the newcomer. ]

WILD CARD ?

[ Go for it! ]

2

[bulleting]

[Between fighting Jinx, and getting poisoned, Caitlyn was not competing. At least, not in one of the physical fights. A shooting competition would be fine, nothing super extreme on her still achy body. She felt a lot better than she did, but that didn't mean the last few weeks hadn't had an impact.

Thankfully there was no lasting bad feelings between her and Vi. After the amount of time they had both been in Aldrip, it was just another day, getting mindfucked in one way or another.

Vi, however, did join the competition, so Caitlyn made her way into the audience to watch and cheer her companion on. It's as she was looking for somewhere to sit that she spotted Toph, and she made her way towards her. There was no point in announcing her presence, Toph would know she was coming before she even spoke up.]

Mind if I join you?

WILDIN'

[ashaya]

[ It seems that he's come to find himself in such environs more often these days. Whether it be due to persuasion or a general acclimatization, Spock is not one to elucidate, but it is true that he has not been seen far from a particular Captain for the bulk of the evening. If he has occasionally capitulated to nursing a drink or two at the sidelines while surveying the quieter offerings? Well, that's part of an evening out as it were. It would not be the first.

It will not certainly be the last, either.

Even so, when he happens upon Toph, it is toward the back of the casino. Away from the buzz and jangle of the slot machines and the cresting of mingled voices, Spock has taken to working on various bits of code in the interim. Seated comfortably upon a plush couch, he balances his communicator upon the crown of one knee. He sounds comfortable, given the relative brush of fabrics and weave when he turns to review a notebook laid out beside him.

It is in the midst of working upon Toph's requested upgrades to the screen reader, that he hears her approach. She's distinctive to his senses, as much as he is undoubtedly distinctive to her own. ]

Miss Toph, [ he greets, pausing only when she comes into his periphery. The weight of his attention settles upon her, a shift from a moment ago. ] Good evening.

[ He needn't invite her to join him, knowing that she'll do so if she wishes, but the unspoken offer is there even so. ]

2

[finalfrontiersman]

[ In retrospect, the fact that Toph owns and operates the local casino should have been more obvious.

Given his conversation with Toph, Jim had found himself genuinely laughing in delight when they'd received the invitation to the open house. Fitting, and certainly a way to make a living in this city that Jim wasn't about to fault her for. It was as good an excuse as any to get out of the house (and cajole Spock with him, as if he needed much convincing where Jim was involved) - and Jim didn't hesitate to take it. After the awful cloud had lifted over the city, they all needed to let loose.

Jim's missed Toph since his arrival - he'd helped out with the dogs for a minute, then circled around to the games, hung out with Spock by the bar, always missing Toph by a few moments. There's enough activity around it's not surprising, but at a certain point Jim sets out intentionally to find the host of the evening.

He's wandered through the dance floor (he was unable to successfully convince Spock to join him, ah well, maybe next time), but still hasn't seen Toph. The only place he hasn't checked is downstairs ( ? this place has a downstairs? He heard someone mention it in passing... ) - which isn't easy to find, though Jim manages. He looks more out of place down here than he does up in the casino, in his polo shirt, tucked at a crop into high-waisted trousers. Don't ask him about the buttons on the pants, he's unreasonably excited about them.

Still, he finds the fight, the stairs opening into a series of criss-crossing walkways suspended over the fighting rinks. Well, it seems Toph's operation goes deeper than he thought (literally).

And there's the woman of the hour herself - absolutely thrashing an opponent in the ring. Jim comes in at the tail end of the match, but it's obvious Toph is just playing with her food - and it's incredible to witness earthbending in action. She wins, naturally, and Jim gives a long, loud whistle to cheer her on as the bell dings her victory. ]

1-ish /wild?

[cursegod]

[Toph is probably the only staff member who has an idea of what's happening outside the casino while still being indoors. And who could possibly begin to imagine a looming presence overhead during all the fun and games. A giant snake popping out of nowhere and chilling on the roof? No way, couldn't be! Except if Toph decides to do a thorough scan, that's exactly what she finds-- a very large serpent body slithering along the edges of the roof and curling up in the center at random intervals.

Dara may not enjoy crowds, but she is perfectly fine with watching the traffic go in and out of the establishment. She's got nothing better to do (especially not being alone with her own thoughts) so this is just enough of a distraction.]

vincent valentine | ota

[depressionnap]

i. the bar association

[If it was just about anyone else, Vincent might not have bothered showing up to such an invitation. A loud, noisy area with people drinking and essentially partying is not Vincent's idea of a nice time, but he is extremely fond of Toph. Besides, he... supposes it won't hurt to distract himself from recent events, after a fashion. Even if a large group of people in a bright and colorful place is not what he particularly enjoys.

Nonetheless, Vincent is present, and even went out of his way to wear something a little different. Not that Toph will probably notice, but he's doing it. He's making an effort just for her.

Currently, being the antisocial moth that he is, Vincent is off by the bar getting a glass of wine filled. Because of course it's red wine, who in the Spirit Halloween do you think he is?]


ii. queen's blood

[All right, he wasn't expecting the Queen's Blood games. It honestly warms his heart a bit to see it being played despite it's history (don't worry about it). Heck, he even almost smiles. That's wild.

For his part, Vincent isn't playing exactly, but he does seem to carefully nudge his way into games for the newer players to give them hints and guidance.]

I suppose it'll be only a matter of time until someone comes up with a ranking system for this...

[Well, it's out of his hands.]


iii. wildcard

[you do you boo]

[fieldtrip]

[ Toph is also wearing something a little nicer than usual -- thanks Mitsuru, and thanks Sandry -- not that she's going to make a big deal out of it. That would imply she cared or something.

There's so many people here it takes some effort to pick out individuals; she doesn't notice Vincent right away, quiet and circumspect as he is, but eventually she realizes it's him and practically bounces over, effortlessly weaving between the crowd. She hops to a halt in front of him and un-self-consciously grabs onto his arm in hello. ]

Hey, you came!

[ Her initial greeting is cut short as she registers the texture of the fabric under her hands. ]

Hang on. Did you dress up, too? [ The rising sense of glee implies this is leading to mockery more than compliments. ]

peter quill | OTA

[starguy]

GAMBLING

[ Free night at the casino? count Peter in! He'll be enjoying some gambling -- in fact, he's happy to pick up any of the games at any of the tables. Is he winning or losing? Who cares! When the chips don't matter, there's no reason to hold back, right? Should you happen to catch Peter's eye, he'll wave you over to his table -- where a small stack of chips is laid out before him. He's not... doing great, but that's not what it's about, right? ]

Hey, sit on down! We'll deal you in!

[ He taps the seat next to him. Come on, you wanna play, right? ]

FIGHTING TOURNAMENT

[ Now, Peter's not gonna take part in this thing. Not the fights, anyway. He knows his limits, and that means he's sure not even gonna try. But he'll watch! Heck, he'll even cheer! The fights without powers are a little on the boring side, but with people sligning powers around, that's a show! ]

Yeah!! Get 'em! Whoo!

[ Does he even know anyone competing? Eh, doesn't matter. Peter cheers from the sidelines all the same. ]

Did you see that?

DOG THERAPY

[ You can find Peter later in the night, surrounded by soft dogs, smiling bright. He seems to have made especially good friends with a golden retriever, one that keeps licking his face while he rubs his fluffy little neck. ]

Who's a smart boy? Who's a smart boy? You are!

[ He laughs. He's having the time of his life, and the dog is too, judging by how quickly his tail is wagging. ]

Man, it's too bad you can't talk. And you're not psychic. But otherwise? You look just like Cosmo.

dogs

[battlefieldbrat]

[there's a minor commotion at the front of the dog area as kakashi enters - he is technically the owner of all these dogs, after all, and they know him well. he wades through the crowd of them, arriving just in time to catch peter cooing at the golden retriever.]

He's free to a good home, you know.

[and as he never ASKED to be the owner of twenty odd dogs, he is always alert to the possibility of finding them new homes.]

Morph | ota!

[mightymorphin]

A. Gambling + Fortune Telling
[Morph wasn't much of a gambler, but who were they to turn down free chips? They came here for a distraction, and there's plenty of that to go around. You can catch Morph pretty much just trying out every game, flitting between slot machines and stopping to try out the roulette wheel and a couple of card games. They're really not serious about winning, so their chips are going to run out pretty quickly.

As soon as they see the fortune telling table, well, they can't resist giving it a shot. It never hurt to try to get a little guidance. The Past card was actually pretty nice - though the Queen of Cups was maybe laying it on thick calling them independent and emotionally stable. The present card was the King of Wands, for leading and overcoming challenges. Not bad. The future card, though? That one was the Empress reversed.

Morph walks away from the tarot stand looking pretty peeved, grumbling to themself,] Relationship problems? Am I cursed or what?


B. Dance Floor
[Now this was more their speed. Drawn in by the music, Morph spends some time dancing, though they're not so easy to spot while they're out there. Every time they slip back onto the dance floor, they shift back into their relatively nondescript human appearance to blend in easier, enjoying the anonymity of being just another body in the crowd. Morph isn't terribly shy about who they dance with, either, though whether you'll recognize them is another matter.

But when they're not out there dancing, they're spending plenty of time nursing a drink while watching everyone else dance, though they don't seem to really be taking it in. Maybe Morph is more tired than they thought, or it could be that there's so much on their mind that being able to relax is taking some real effort.]


C. Fighting Tournament
[Morph would be the first to admit that (arguably) sleazy underground fighting wasn't their thing. But, honestly? The chance that the prize might involve cold, hard cash was something they couldn't pass up right now. And maybe it'd be a nice boost to their ego if they managed to get a few wins in during the whole thing.

While they're waiting for their Powers matches, you can find Morph with a soda, watching the ring intently. They are cheering on occasion, but really, they're taking in the whole thing like they're trying to commit the fighters to memory - which is exactly what they're doing. Being a shapeshifter meant needing to know exactly what they're copying, and there was no better way to get down a person's build and musculature than seeing them in action. If they had any special powers on display, well, that was just an added bonus.

Are they ever going to need to take the forms of any of their fellow Chosen? Maybe not, but at least now Morph would be prepared. And it never hurt to know who, or what, they might be up against the next time the whole city decided to freak out.]

C

[fieldtrip]

[ It's absolutely sleazy underground fighting, and that's what Toph loves about it. She makes it a point to make the rounds getting to know whoever shows up, so after her own no powers match she wanders around as the next proceeds without her. She'd lost, so she's out of this circuit, but she'd put on a good show using decisive, crisp martial arts. She's no slouch hand-to-hand but without using her earthbending for more than sensing her surrounding area she is, ultimately, a small girl. ]

Hey. You signed up for the powers bracket, right? Maybe we'll face each other.

Kotone Shiomi & Scott Summers | ota!

[orphne]

[It's not too long ago that Kotone had died.

Lots of people had died during the spread of the Gnosia infection, though, and the looming prospect of her own death has never been something that stopped her from enjoying life in the past! Lots of other people suffered a lot during that horrible week, so it feels selfish to dwell in her own thoughts. Maybe she can help cheer some other folks up! That's why once Kotone finds out about the free event, she's making puppy-dog eyes at Scott until he agrees to go with her. Both Kotone and Scott are dressed to impress, because what is a night on the town if not a chance to dress up!]

1. And yet, (option to tag either Scott or Kotone individually, or a three-way thread with both!)

[Kotone simply can't leave well enough alone. She might have headed to the casino with every intent of just taking advantage of the free festivities, but the second it looks like the bar is falling behind on orders, she's instantly jumping behind the bar. Most of the time she's working her self-imposed "shift," Scott will be sitting near her, maybe looking a little put-out at their date night turning into "hanging out with the girlfriend while she's working," but that's kind of normal for them. Anyone who makes eye contact or lingers near the bar for too long is treated to a beaming smile from Kotone, as if nothing is wrong at all. Scott may even give an acknowledging nod or smile, looking a little better and something closer to normal. He's working on it.]

What can I get you? [It's not Lupin, but Kotone is still ready to take a drink order! While drinks may be on the house, it didn't take long for her to make sure a cheerful little tip jar was nearby. Don't forget to tip the service staff!!]

2. James Bond wannabe (three-way thread with Scott and Kotone!)

[Eventually, Scott manages to convince Kotone to leave the bar and instead actually relax, which has landed both of them around the various game tables. Not that Kotone herself is playing -- she might have Norn of the Fortune Arcana equipped, but it's way more fun to just let Scott do all the work of playing while she can just lean on his shoulder like so much arm candy. It's funny to her to pretend like they're in some cheesy, dramatic spy movie, blowing on his dice for luck and giggling before a throw or just giving him a quick kiss on the cheek after a good round of cards. Whether they win or lose doesn't really matter to her; all she cares about is that Scott is having a good time.

Judging by the ease Scott almost carries himself and the way he smiles at her, it's working.

Maybe you beat them at a game, maybe you just want to congratulate them on a game well-played -- either way, both of them are here, and if Kotone is hanging on Scott more than usual, well, maybe that can be excused.]

3. Wildcard!

[While Kotone and Scott will be together for most of the evening -- one could see them dancing, eating together, or just generally enjoying each other's company -- they can definitely be found on their own as well if anyone wants to chat with either of them! Neither of them will be spending time around the fighting ring, but most other places are fair game. Just let us know who you're looking for when tagging!]

1 - both please!

[fieldtrip]

You know I'm not actually paying you, right?

[ Toph probably would if asked, frankly -- Kotone is a friend of Mitsuru's -- but she's not gonna miss the chance to make fun of someone. She's short enough that she just barely clears the bar itself, so Kotone might only see the tips of some dark hair and her headband over the counter, concealing that she's dressed a little nicer than normal herself. Toph makes no effort to raise herself up to make eye contact, of course. ]

Mitsuru Kirijo | Open

[icequeenly]

Working (?)

[ Perhaps it's The Suit, but the young red haired woman in the immaculate white pinstripe seems to easily exude Boss energy as she makes her way through the casino. She has a distinctly no nonsense look in her eye as she spends most of the evening checking on her staff and the patrons alike, swiftly and efficiently sorting out any messes that might occur, although the majority of the time she seems to nip them in the bud before they really get anywhere.

At some point later in the evening though Mitsuru has a somewhat puzzled look on her face, fleeting but definitely present and as though she's misplaced something important. When she believes nobody is looking you might even see her duck to peer under a vacant table, apparently searching for something.

Once she sees anyone watching her though, she manages to do a pretty much immaculate job of acting as though nothing is amiss as she smiles enquiringly, ]

Can I help at all?

Dancing

[ The jazz music, while perfectly suited to the setting, is a little more lively than any of the ballroom music that Mitsuru is used to dancing to. And unfortunately she doesn't really remember tipsily dancing to whatever kind of music it was at her birthday party.

The redhead can be found standing off to the side of the dance floor, checking that all patrons are (mostly) behaving themselves, apparently too engrossed in the smooth running of the casino to even contemplate switching off. Either you've just asked her for a dance or you overhear her turning someone else down, ]

Thank you for the offer but I shouldn't. I'm working after all.

[ Evidently someone needs a little further encouragement to allow herself to actually enjoy this evening. ]

Fortune Telling

[ The first card drawn in Mitsuru's three card reading is the Knight of Cups. When the reading and meaning behind the card is explained to her the quirk of her raised eyebrow is likely more than enough to convey exactly what she thinks about the level of accuracy here. ]

Following my heart seems like a rather fanciful notion and one very unlike me I'm afraid.

[ She knew these readings couldn't be accurate but wow. ]

[ If you want something else feel free to poke me or just hit me with a wildcard. Happy to write closed and personalised starters for other stuff as well. ]

fortune

[traumaticus]

[The Casino had been a place of interest to Richard for a good while now. He was everything but stranger to act of gambling, seeing that the Dice was very popular game between the men in the war who sought distraction between the battles. Similarly he had became to expect these kinds of activities to take place in the taverns and other well... less, respectable establishments that offered variety of pleasures for men.

So, yes. It had been curious to see a business of such nature dressed up in refinery and celebrated.

And luckily Richard had grown accustomed to the false lights, beaming in multiple colors, the weird music and the strange social behavior of his fellow Chosen that he wasn't exactly spooked by everything. The fish might be out of the water, but it had learned to crawl forward on the ground. But there were still a few things that seemed out of place to him, that managed to twist his guts as the anxiety spiked through his body. Such things as seeing a regal looking young woman with a beautiful red hair, making her rounds and carrying herself with dignity.. While clearly wearing a suit that was no doubt meant for men.

Such stupid thing to get anxious about, Richard knows it. And yet he can't stop his eyes wandering around the crowd, trying to find the familiar cheshire grin of the Ghost plaguing his mind among the the patron. But it's no use. Joan isn't here.

Pushing back any uneasiness that threatens to rise up his throat, he keeps making his ways at the casino, the woman from the earlier eerily staying in his mind. There aren't really that many games that he recognizes so he decides to continue observe the events rather than partaking in them. It suited him just fine, for now.

But then after a few hours have already passed, when people where clearly getting in good mood, enjoying from their wins and laughing off any losses they might suffer, Richard does take notice of the young woman that had caught his attention earlier, visiting a fortune teller. Ah, there it was again. A pang of anxiety.

However, the lady in question seemed to be equally flustered with something that the fortune teller said to her. ]

I would not pay any heed for their words, my lady. These people are only looking to trick to you for money.

Goro Akechi | open

[murderingjustice]

[Goro Akechi is angry. But then again, what else is new? Sky is blue, water is wet, society is disgusting and Goro Akechi is angry. And why wouldn't he be? Nothing had really gone his way as of late. And again: what else is new? Misfortune and loved Goro Akechi and it seems like karma really was coming after him tenfold. Well, whatever. It wasn't exactly like he had ever been lucky in his life. If he was maybe the grave hadn't spat him out the third time by now.

But what made this anger of his different from the usual one was the aimless nature of it. There was no direct target for him to launch it -- sure, he could it out on his murderer but what would that accomplish? It would only bring him brief and short-lived satisfaction. Their captors? Hah, well. They've already all seen how futile that would be. He's back in square one with everything, leaving him frustrated and well.. mad.

However, he knows from experience that wallowing in self-pity will not solve anything. Besides, it's not like he is going to be showing any more weakness of will than what he already (involuntary) has done. So. When the invitation for the free night night at casino arrives he's not one to refuse it. After all a lot of people do turn to these kind of activities for distraction, didn't they. He might as well go for it while also keeping up his appearances. For the evening he decides to go for something that is a bit more "casual", as if to show that he didn't really take this deal all that seriously (even though he totally does).]

Gambling

[Akechi doesn't waste much time to find himself a seat in the gambling tables. He tries various games: roulette, dice and cards. You name it. Chips are free so why not. And hey, it seems like he's performing pretty well on the games as his winnings continue to increase. Most games are just combination of math, social reading skills and psychology. Once you figure out the trick it's smooth sailing. For most part, at least because even he has a few loses in between his winning streak.

However, it all appears as dull performance to him. There's no real thrill in the games, not really. It's almost impossible to believe but part of him is actually missing the rigged games of a blood-thirsty dominatrix. Well, at least that would bring some spice to this otherwise stale and mundane round of games.

So, when a new challenger steps in and takes their place at the table he only gives them a mildly interested look as he leans his cheek on his fist.]

So, what will be your poison for this round?

Dance floor

[While Akechi wasn't exactly a dancer, unless he needed to be that is, it doesn't mean that he can't find some enjoyment at the club. More than at the gambling tables, Akechi finds himself enjoying the atmosphere at the refined club, listening to the Jazz music. Sure, it's no Jazz Jin but probably closest thing this sorry excuse of reality has to offer him. Besides, the singer is rather good with her contralto voice.

He closes his eyes at the table he's sitting at, and focuses on the song playing background. If he tries really hard maybe he could catch the same escape from the reality just for a moment, just like he had done back at Muhen's club at Kichijoji.

And for a brief moment it looks like he might just succeed at that! His breathing evens out and some of the tension on his shoulders seem to fade away---

Buuut then the moment is broken off when some genius just happens to bump into his chair from behind, jolting him back to presence. It's no doubt an accident, sure, but it's still enough to sour Akechi's mood yet again. At least his drink wasn't knocked down, so small blessings?? Otherwise the stranger would earn so much from him than just annoyed huff.]


Fight Club


[Ok. Be honest. Is anyone truly surprised to see that after hearing about the underground Fight Ring Akechi would make it his business to investigate it. He is, actually, kind of surprised by the whole thing. While he might not know Mitsuru Kirijo too well, the girl hardly seemed to be a type who'd approve let alone come up with this sort of business on her own. So, color him impressed??

Well anyway, Akechi makes his way to downstairs where the tournament is being held. At first he only eyes the activity with a keen interest, watching a few battles to go down between the participants. Witnessing such violence to play out in front of sure does a wonder to his mood. His blood feels all of the sudden much warmer as the adrenaline begins to pump within his system. Ah. He feels like he's just waking up from long nap.


As Akechi steps towards the sign ups he can feel the way his both Personas are shuffling within him. Robin Hood argues in favor of shooting tournament, trying to lean on his ideas for a fair competition. After all, it wouldn't be really fair for him to utilize his powers against others. And then there was Loki. The trickster cackled silently, pulling him towards the maddening chaos. 'You are mad are you not? Let them all see it.'

And fair enough, things really hadn't been fair towards him lately. So why should he be? Those are his thoughts as he writes his name on sign up board -- under both Powers and Shooting category.

After that business was taken care of, Akechi moves to stand in the crowd and removes his jacket as he waits for his turn.]

This better not take long.

WILDCARD

[Got a starter in mind? Lets gooooo]

dance

[cursegod]

[What great timing-- the jostling is just enough of a distraction for Dara to be suddenly there, pulling out the chair across the table from him. No mistake there for her taking a seat. She's somehow been coaxed inside the casino instead of people-watching while lurking on the establishment's roof. Her human mimicry remains on point with her arms and legs covered with her long-sleeved dress.]

If you're here, then I doubt Gogol is around.

[She props up her chin against her palm, obviously not about to get up anytime soon. Akechi is not meant to have peace.]

Unless you two had that fun little duel already.

rosie | ota

[hasitsthorns]

❥ gambling/at the club.

While Rosie isn't one to gamble herself, she is content to be Lady Luck hanging on anyone's arm should they desire. Whether blowing on dice or kissing a card, she's your gal to give you any bit of 'luck' you might need.

Her outfit and accessories for the evening aren't exactly made for clubbing. Is that going to stop her? Absolutely not! After batting her eyelashes, flashing some cleavage, and getting a drink quicker than almost anyone, she's slamming it back and heading off to dance. Although she doesn't need a partner to enjoy the music, she won't refuse one either.

In fact, after a few more drinks, she might even comment on or criticize the DJ's setlist. Don't be surprised if she launches into a tipsy tirade on music theory.
Although niche, it does seem to be a topic that she's surprisingly passionate about.

❥ fortune telling.

Rosie decides for a simple three-card draw: what she's thinking, what she's feeling, and what she'll be doing about that. Although she prefers palm-reading or silly predictions about who she'll marry, the blond decides to see what the cards have to say about her today.

The first card, a Three of Cups, seems fitting for the evening in a casino. "Mm," she muses though, seeing her second card drawn - for what is she feeling - being The Devil. There are a lot of ways she could interpret that, but- None of them are especially heartening.

"At least what I'm doing about that seems better," she mentions, once the Three of Pentacles is pulled. "Collaboration, teamwork, all that good stuff- Guess maybe I'll finally get around to making some connections here?" It's a nice idea.

Nice ideas don't mean much of anything though. "Maybe even with you!" she chirps cheerfully to whoever happens to be waiting their turn or had also just got their fortune. "I wonder if they'll do readings for couples..." she teases, too, just for good measure.

❥ dog therapy.

"Oh, my gods," she gushes, sitting in a circle of puppy dogs and grinning from ear to ear. "This is the best." Has she ever looked this happy before? It's hard to say. The sincerity of her joy definitely shines through in comparison to her usual easygoing smiles that don't quite reach her eyes.

"I know it'd be irresponsible to adopt one this soon after ending up here but agh! I want one. I mean, I want ten. But I want at least one." Someone might need to convince her to step away from the dogs for her own good. She may end up taking a good boy home tonight even if it's not the one she originally anticipated.

❥ wildcard/plot with me.

(( heyo! it's ya boi, chai, and you can find me @ tentamenace on plurk/discord. hmu there or via PM if you want to plot something besides what's here or have other ideas! ))

gambling

[traumaticus]

[Oh hey! Look at that. A game that Richard actually recognizes. Kinda. The version of dice that these people are playing here is a little different from back at home, with more rules to apparently to try make the game have more suspense. Luckily, none of them were too complicated or particularly difficult for Richard to grasp and learn. So, for once he actually utilizes the free chips and partakes in the game.

Though he does not really see the appeal of simply playing a game without anything at the stake.

Richard takes his spot around the green board, briefly glancing to his left where a fellow player seems to be entertaining a young lady clinging on his arm. Well... It'd be lie to say that he did not expect to see some of that action at the casino. One vice would always feed other and so on. Not paying the pair any more attention, despite the giggling and obvious bravado from the man, Richard turns his attention back to the game. He places his bet and makes his call and---

Shoot. No dice. The win goes to the man on his left.]

"Seems like you have truly have a lady luck on your side!" [The dealer laughs as he pushes the winnings towards the victor, who seems both flustered and excited by the attention. Then, the dealer turns to look at Richard and makes an off-hand comment that maybe he, too, should try out a similar tactic.]

Perhaps so. [Richard responses, bows his head lightly and excuses himself from the table... Yeah, he is that boring...]

Hiei | Open

[jaganshi]

o1. GAMBLING

A rack of chips are settled in his hands when Hiei walks through the door, and the demon quirks his head slightly, trying to understand. Supposedly he’s meant to bet these things in order to win… more chips?

The little demon does not quite understand, drug here by one of the others from his world, and will eventually turn and offer his rack of chips to the nearest person.

“Here. I don’t want them.”

o2. FIGHTING TOURNAMENT

Throwing his name in to the mix had seemed like a no-brainer. For one, he can let off some steam (though not too much), and for two he could see what some of the fighters in Aldrip are capable of. A double win, so far as Hiei is concerned. And with much lesser stakes, considering this was not a fight to the death by any means. Much better than the Dark Tournament, though in the end, they hadn’t gotten whatever they wanted fulfilled anyway.

If he was honest, Hiei fully expected to come back dead or at least down an arm from that tournament, so alive and without a prize ended up not being so bad.

“Amatuers.” Riveting commentary from the small demon with his hands tucked in to his cape, watching everyone intently.

“If any battle falls on us, Yusuke and I will have to take care of it.”

o3. FORTUNE TELLING

Hiei doesn’t usually bother with things like fortune telling. There are all sorts in the demon world who dabble in these sorts of things… tarot reading, palm reading, even those who claim to see the future if you’re willing to pay their exorbitant prices. Hell, now that word had spread of him replacing Mukuro’s second in command there was practically a line out his door waiting to slather him in compliments and good fortunes, hoping to gain an ear or a foothold in the newly shaken up structure of Mukuro’s old structures. There he turns them away because he knows them for what the vast majority are - opportunists.

Here… well. What else was there to do? He had no interest in gambling away chips, and in fact did not understand the draw of it at all, and had some time to burn before it was his turn in the fighting ring.

He also does not understand what the cards mean as they are turned in front of him - queen of wands, three of cups, reversed nine of cups.

Talk of his fiery determination leading to gaining community and a circle of friends quickly devolves into the fire demon scowling as the fortune teller elaborates on his continued dissatifcation and lack of joy, and something about self-fulfilling prophecies before he’s swiping the cards from the table and skulking off.

“I should’ve known not to waste the time.”

o4. WILD CARD

Obligatory option for wild card - feel free to run in to Hiei anywhere and throw a curve ball at me. If you want to discuss further / plot reach out to me on plurk @ goblinrex or on the server!

Also as usual I’ll thread in brackets or prose, choose your preference and I’ll go along with it.

01

[thenicerone]

The moment she heard that there was a casino, Yukina was curious about it. She heard so much about it back in the human world and she had seen what they do. It wasn't all too different from how demons gambled or bet on their opponents. If anything, it reminded her of the various machines Genkai would play during her spare time.

However, the moment she stepped in, she wasn't expecting a certain person to speak up.

"Um...."

She said as she looked at the chips in his hands. That was the problem, wasn't it? She had no idea how to gamble.