middaeg | Gambling Hall- Adult Character OPEN MINGLE

Entry tags:

Gambling Hall- Adult Character OPEN MINGLE

Who: Everett Vaughan and other adult Mirrorbound characters
When: One Early Aguril Night
Where: DiplomaTea's cellar
What: Socializing mingle for Adult characters only, please!
Warnings: Smoking, alcohol, various drugs, and strip poker.

It must say something of Everett's comfort with Aefenglom that he has tossed out the facade hiding his gambling hall. Late last month, he extended an invitation around to his friends of a speakeasy style social night at DiplomaTea. He'd encouraged those he told direct to further extend the invitation to other adult Mirrorbound. Such was easy to have picked up from the grapevine of those Everett knows and who they then told. Do remember the cutesy code required for entry, it's "bees knees".

With all other patrons gone after normal operating hours, the shop is closed up. Yet, the hum of muffled conversation and music gives away the activity within. A simple ring of entry bell will get a delayed response. If it's Lord Viren, he's both very strict the password is given correctly, while also being thoroughly unamused with any answer. Everett himself will simply throw open the door enthusiastically and usher in anybody who is not obviously a child.

I. Drink, Smoke, Be Merry

Once inside, both the top floor and basement level are bustling with people. The space is crowded, but lively and playful. It's easy to join a conversation simply by meandering nearby and nodding ones head a bit. There's a piano in the above level, enchanted to place some background tunes and sometimes being actively played by Everett. Any other party goer is also welcome to take up the seat and play some tunes.

The cellar has kegs of alcoholic cinnamon spiced cider on free tap, an open bar of various liquors, and various... rolled cigarette boxes with different labels. Definitely pay attention which read "tobacco", "cannabis", and "opium" because those will give a very different evening based on choice. Everett is nothing, if not, a very generous host.

I. The Hall

The most active space would be the main gambling hall in the cellar. Everett has three main attractions here. In one corner, simply enough, is a pool table where people can play and watch while leaned up against the wall. Just be mindful when walking by, messing up someone's shot is easy enough if they're not minding their draw back reach.

Opposite that is a large gambling table with many seat. On one side there is a bowl and dice, while the other has cards for various games. Strip poker was, surprising, not Everett's idea. It simply started up and he didn't stop it.

Last and most odd is Everett's large vault beside the bar. Beside it is a set of lockpicks, set out as a challenge. His father, Vaughan, was the finest Springtide Vaultmaker and Everett has a passion for the subject of both creating and cracking difficult locks. This one must be broken the technical way, he's had antimagical runes to counter too easily meddling. Still, it's not impossible to get into and he's supposedly emptied it of anything personal, offering a small cune fortune to any who could break it.

There will be plenty of time and no limit on attempts, the party will be going for the majority of the night.

[OOC: Hi all! This is an OPEN MINGLE for adult characters! Presume all CR with Everett was invited directly and anybody without CR with him could have heard about it through the grapevine. Characters are welcome to use the above prompts or create their own in the setting.

Since these activities are all taking place in both a relatively small area and also at the time, please consider all your threads open to threadjacking and/or being witnessed or overheard by any other characters in attendance! Tag around, jump in and out of each other's conversations, have fun and don't worry about tag orders. Everett will not have his own TL, but I will definitely get him around to as many people as I can.

For characters below the age of 18, sorry, not getting into this party... but feel free to putter around outside, attempt to sneak in, or get turned down at the door!]

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hector's still learning his way around revelry. He grouses for a few moments at the door before he flatly says the ridiculous password to enter. He's drinking, of course, but he's steered away from the various types of cigarettes. His first experience was a bad one, and he's not going to repeat it.

A little tipsy, he sits down at one of the card tables for a friendly hand or two, but he's...not good at cards. Or at bluffing. And now that he's lost a few layers and his coat no longer hides his little sheep's tail, its nervous twitching broadcasts his thoughts even further.

Unfortunately, he's got the bravado of the vine behind him, and he's still attempting to bluff. His shirt goes in the pot. He's absolutely going to lose it.]

Your move.

Drink and Make Merry

[ Iramaat's taken a bit of a musical bent into her head, especially after the last party, and so she's carefully settled herself at the piano. She's a bit of an amateur with it, but she's making up for it with enthusiasm by belting out something jaunty and cheery, albeit with a few missed notes here and there. She flashes a grin at anyone who approaches, whether they're there to compliment her playing or ask her to please, stop. ]

Ah, requests? Or perhaps a tip for your beautiful musician...?

The Hall

[ Later on, Iramaat has moved on to the hall itself, a small collection of cigarettes in her pocket and a drink of some sort in her hand. Someone is going to have a fantastic time tonight, apparently. She's already a bit inebriated - but she's also never one to really back down from a challenge, so the vault has her attention. She's never really picked a lock before, but she reasons it can't be that hard. So she's staring at it with a look of concentration, one large ear cocked toward it as she figures out her plan of attack. ]

I wonder if there's a certain trick to it. Or if it's simpler than it looks.

[ Wishful thinking, perhaps. Still, she's not about to give up! At least not yet. ]

[ Iramaat eyes Hector with a grin that's almost lecherous from over her hand of cards, self-assured and very at ease. She, as it turns out, loves bluffing. So cards are a great deal of fun for her. She has her jacket in the pot, but she still has shirt and cravat and almost everything else on. ]

I call. And raise-

[ She slowly undoes here cravat with one hand and then drops it onto the table with a dramatic flourish. ]

Let's see what you're made of, Hector.

[ viren is, honest to god, trying not to be a complete party pooper here. this was meant to be a festivity where people enjoyed themselves, and he'd come upon being beckoned by everett to do so. he knows he could've stayed elsewhere. ]

[ so, instead of marching on over and demanding the amateur pianist stop mid-song, when she comes to a natural pause, he's at her side. in his claws, ready to drop should she outstretch a hand, he holds several coins. ]

Not a tip. [ he clarifies. ] I'm paying you to play better. Please.

Edited 2020-08-02 17:50 (UTC)

[ Iramaat holds out her hand to accept the money, her face the picture of guileless innocence. ]

Better? I don't think I know that one. How does it go? Can you hum the melody?

[ viren deadass stares at her. he's yet to drop the coins. ]

It means I want improvement. [ —okay, he's caught onto the fact that she's messing with him, but he repeats himself regardless. ] Fewer missed notes, singing on proper key.

[SIGH... Everett rubs his face, pushing forward money because he's (perhaps too easily) on a winning streak and has plenty of cash on the table to make up for being fully clothed still.

His hand is actually decent, too. How does he just keep getting good hands?Maybe someone should make him bet that coat of his, too long of sleeves on that...]

I call. [and pushes forward an amount he's deemed good enough to match the current clothing bets on the table]

... if I win, you're both getting dressed again! [stop being a prude, Everett, everybody knows you're not even good at it]

[ Iramaat returns his look with one of sweetness and light. ]

Oh, that sort of thing.

[ She hums and flashes a smile. ]

I can't guarantee anything. [ Her free hand taps at the keys, banging out a quick set of scales. ]

Well, try harder, then.

[ going by his tone, viren seems to think this is a perfectly reasonable request. ]

Take more care while playing. [ aka enjoy yourself less. ] Half payment now, half payment afterward, should you do better. Acceptable?

I could also keep enjoying myself as I am, you know.

[ She smiles at him, her tone incredibly sweet and understanding. ]

I am enjoying myself after all and I don't need tips, although they are welcome. Contributions may end up being more effective than not...

[ This is what the kids call 'extortion'. ]

[ viren blinks, and then wrinkles his nose. ]

I don't reward people for poor performances. [ wow, someone has high standards. ] But, so long as the end result is the same, I don't care how you should explain it yourself.

[ while he holds a few back, he does drop some coins into her palm. and he steps away!! prepared to listen, and evidently expecting that that exchange should have Fixed things. ]

[Show up, get your booze on.]
[Everett's last party had been absolutely exhausting, and half of it was barely remembered-- but it had also been fun, both in its eccentricy and in that primal way that spoke to those wild, reckless faun instincts that tended to press on him, needing an outlet. So of course as he heard about it, he'd decided to show up and see what it's about. (And... let his housemates know. For one, in case they wanted to tag along. For two, in case it ended up being a three-day disaster again.)

And really-- he'll have to ask Everett about the spiced cider, or compliment him on his brewing abilities. That dumb goat tail sticking out from underneath the waist band of his kilt is swaying happily at trying it. The clearly hand-rolled cigarettes get a look, but he'll probably... hold off on that. For now.

He'll hold up his drink in an offer to clink glasses or toast with whoever is next to him, lips curling up faintly.]

As good a way to celebrate being stuck here for a year as any, I guess.

[It's bad to gamble when your lowest jrpg stat is luck.]

[He likes to think he's not beholden to his Persona any more. He hadn't had it for over a year now, after all, and surely the shitty luck it brought wouldn't still linger and grasp at him?

But then the bowl is over turned to show the dice. And while he'd called odds, the sum is even. With a grumble, he shoves the cunes forward on the table, adding to the considerably stack he'd lost. In a playful sort of aggravation, he pulls a face, even as he picks one of the (tobacco) cigarettes off the ashtray he'd rested it on, bringing it up to take a drag.]

Gonna be even more broke than usual, at this rate. You wanna try a different game?

[That safe, tho!]

[He has absolutely no desire to try and lockpick the damn thing-- hell, he wouldn't even know how. Sure, on TV there was always some scrappy girl who just swirled a hairpin in there to buy her freedom, but... there's a reason that doesn't work in real life.

But he is fascinated by watching anyone attempting it, be it from the tools they choose to pick out from the ones laid out, or the way they crouch down to try and get the heavy door open. He's sitting on top of a nearby table, furry legs dangling in front of him, with the thin hoove barely brushing the floor as they sway, and he finally speaks up.]

You even know what you're doing with that?

[Anything else!]

[Feel free to hit me up for anything! Drag him into a drinking contest, lets do some drugs, lets have questionable bets and gambles-- or even just shoot the shit in the smokey, speakeasy atmosphere! Shinjiro will be content to wander around and check everything out, or be pulled into conversations.]

[Shinjiro switches between watching Iramaat watch the vault, to glancing down at those tools himself. They look like something a dentist would use. He imagines. (And really, he can't even think of the last time he'd even been to one, but that's just the sort of rambling thought that meanders into one's head when they're a good few drinks in.]

I mean... I figure there's always gotta be a trick to it. I just dunno what that is.

[Said as though he has any idea what he's talking about.]

It's just a matter of how it works and keeping it from working right.... right?

[Now how a lock even works, that's a complete fuckin' mystery to him.]

You gonna try it?

[Hector frowns at Everett. Spoilsport. He really has no reason to be shy. Hector's seen what's under those clothes.]

That's not the game, Everett.

[He turns to Iramaat for confirmation. His sash goes into the pot. They're all having fun, aren't they?]

If one of us wins, our host needs to put away that money and start playing, don't you agree? That's much more fun.

[It'll be on Iramaat to actually win, because Hector's cards are garbage, and everyone at this table likely knows it.]

We could play a traditional game from my homeland! [A warning, immediately, mischief and enthusiasm sparking in Everett's eyes.]

Mermaid's Gambit is fairly simple. The game moves in turns between the players, who make up the rules as they go, negotiating their additions each round. The core of the game is to twist presumptions and play so long as the game is still fun and challenging. The loser concedes when they no longer enjoy the game. [it's a game about being clever, where luck is only brought in if a player adds it to the structure of the game. Everett is a fan]

Would you like to try a round?

[The suggestion gets his attention, if not his full understanding. Any and all rules are made up, and negotiated... But it's abstract enouhg for him to have trouble wrapping his head around. Long, goaty ears flicker in consideration, before he nods.]

Yeah, we can give it a go. I might understand better by playing it.

[Though it's interesting, what Everett had said, about it being based on presumptions. He folds his arms on the table, idly moving the cigarette between his fingers.]

So guess we need a rule to start with, right? You wanna go first?

Well, that's your decision, isn't it?

[ Iramaat calls out to him as he walks away, tone airy. ]

Now then-

[ She stretches, pockets the coins, and begins to play again.

If anything, she's worse. She makes eye contact with him incredibly deliberately. ]

Edited 2020-08-02 22:59 (UTC)

[ Iramaat flashes a smile at Hector, then at Everett. Thank you, Hector, for suggesting it so she didn't have to. ]

Oh, I agree - in fact, put the money away and bid something - like your jacket...

[ She fingers her cards. She's probably cheating, just like Everett is - but she's willing to focus the attention of the table on him. ]

Very good, very good. [Any more explanation would spoil it, anyways. He takes the dice again and rolls them in his palm for letting them fall into the bowl. He rolls a total above a six combined, so he assesses his first rules]

Rolling above a six gives the roller a point. Do you object?

[ oh — that is demonstrably worse! iramaat will probably even see viren involuntarily flinch if she misses a key.

but. has she ever made eye contact with an aggressive dog? well, that's sort of the stare that she receives in return, with viren refusing to look away until the song completes. once it does, he sips his drink (somehow managing to do so contemptuously), then turns his attention elsewhere with a huff. fauns, good lord. ]

Something like that I imagine...

[ She hums to herself, rubbing at her chin as she considers the mechanism. She'll really have to give this a go. No guarantee of success! ]

And I think I might because it seems fascinating. Can't pass up the challenge, you know. Are you going to try as well?

[ She seems satisfied with that. Once he looks away with a huff, she's back to playing at a more tolerable level. She is an amateur, but at least she's not deliberately playing in the wrong key or missing notes. It's tolerable.

At least someone is having a good time? ]

[He watches the way Everett moves to the dice, idly rolling them with all the comfort of someone in their natural habitat. And he watches the roll, pausing for a moment to try and think.

Points hadn't seemed to matter for the objective of the game. So the gain or lose of them didn't really affect anything. At least not until they decided they did? And so he nods.] Alright. But all sixes loses one. That work?

[He has no reason to pick that, but.... that seems to be how the game works??? He's at least trying. And so he takes the dice himself, letting them shake between his fingers for just a moment, before tossing them into the bowl. 5.]

You didn't say the rule 'til after you rolled, so we're both at nil, yeah?

[Shinjiro is quick to shake his head at the question.]

Nah, I'd end breaking the damn things in the lock and ruining it for everyone else. I'm good with just watching.

[He takes up his drink and gets a bit closer, if only to look over her shoulder at the lock. It looks.... like any other lock, really. A slot for a key nestled on an edge, where a doorknob would be on anything else, and who knows what sort of mechanisms would flip the bar inside.]

You can at least see how far you get.

That works. [Everett agrees with ease to the caveat before the second question is posed. A question that makes the square blacks of his eyes widen just slightly with delight. Enthusiastically, he praises]

You, lad, are just the keen sort of mind for this game! Nil would be correct, under my rule. Your turn.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 8

Gambling Hall- Adult Character OPEN MINGLE

The Hall

Iramaat

no subject

drink & make merry

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

The hall!

no subject

It's bad to gamble...

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Re: The hall!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject