Open

[foundafamily]

Who: Firo, Sato, and anyone else. 4th wall characters most definitely welcome.
What: Poker night
Where: Delight’s bar
When: During the 4th wall
Warnings: Will update as needed

[For Sato]
Firo’s just secured himself two glasses and a bottle when he sees Sato enter the bar. He waves with the bottle as he makes his way back to the table he’s picked out.

“You play cards as much as you play that ‘vita’ thing?”

If he does, this should be pretty interesting. He’s already looking forward to the potential challenge of going toe to toe with someone who seems to be somewhat limited in terms of his expressions. An easy mark is always welcome in his casino, but a challenge is just fine when he’s playing for fun.

[Open]

Firo’s commandeered one of the tables near the bar, set up so that his back is to the wall and he can face the entrance. His hat sits proudly by his elbow.

He has a few decks of cards—some are, on closer inspection, improvised pieces of paper and cardboard—in front of him. There are a few piles of random odds and ends—buttons, small stones, and more—divided into white, red, and blue.

When he spots someone walk in, he looks up from his drink and starts shuffling cards.

“You want in?”

Comments

[infinite1up]

"Not really." He played some back in the marines, but that was a long long time ago, and there was always moaning and complaining from the other guys when he joined a game, so despite the 'Pokerface' nickname, he's not exactly a card shark. Still, he knows the rules and how to bluff... and he does enjoy a good game, even the ones that don't involve bloody murder.

Before sitting down, however, he makes his own short stop at the bar to get... well, there's no coffee without the folks involved in Delight's deal, so he settles for a ginger ale.

Bringing his own drink to the table, he adds with the faintest of concern, "Actually, it's gone missing. I hope the fellow who took it is looking after it. I can't just go buy another."

[foundafamily]

As Sato sits, Firo tips the bottle--something unlabeled, but it looks close enough like wine that he'll try it--towards him. Surely he needs something stronger. He'll nudge forward the extra glass too.

He raises both eyebrows at the news. "Seriously? What kinda idiot thinks they're gonna get away with that in a place like this? It's way too easy to track people down here."

Not because of the Guard or anything--rather, in spite of them. Where Firo's from, such a thief would be tracked down by the owner and would probably wind up in several pieces.

Speaking of pieces, Firo frowns, recalling their time at Rage's temple. Maybe Sato'll kill two birds with one stone and 'volunteer' the thief for more bullets. Being a former pickpocket himself, Firo supposes it's an occupational hazard even if thinking of it makes him uncomfortable. "What're you gonna do about it?"

[infinite1up]

"Oh, I'm good," Sato smiles, brushing off the offered glass and clearly content with his non-alcoholic drink. Drinking too much is fun, but it causes problems. He's not concerned about the problems it creates for other people, but he'd rather keep his composure here and now.

"I'm sure I'll work something out," Sato says mildly, although he and Firo are clearly on the same mental wavelength in regards to the thief's eventual fate. He just needs to find him again, and come up with a new surprise. "But if you see a green fellow around somewhere in the city, you should give me a call."

[foundafamily]

Firo sighs, long-suffering. He starts dealing Shadow a hand anyway. Seven Card Stud, he decides, and he gives them each the first two face-down cards and the one face-up card. "So more reason to practice. Do you give up when you're not perfect at stuff?"

[foundafamily]

"Green? Shouldn't be too hard to find." Somebody like that'll stick out; even a place as weird as this doesn't have many green people that Firo's seen.

He's not sure if telling on said green person would count as ratting or as helping an acquaintance out. But he'll figure that out if he ever comes to it. There's no point in thinking too hard.

"Well, good luck with that. Anyway--" Sorry, Sato, but he's not going to dwell too much on that problem when he can try to segue to something more interesting (to him). "--you in for a game? You have to know poker, right?"

What self-respecting man doesn't? Having grown up among hoodlums, Firo has certain expectations of people.

[infinite1up]

"Of course," he returns with a smile as usual. "Five card stud? Texas hold 'em? If it's not one of those two, well, I'm sure I'll pick it up as we go."

"Although the question remains, what are we playing for?" Sato's not beyond the idea of playing just to keep score as it were, or even just as a way to pass the time, but he recalls something about a casino, and Firo, while a little naive and short-tempered, also seems like a fairly practical sort.

[foundafamily]

"Hold 'em's gettin' pretty popular where I'm from. Let's do that."

Firo beams at the question, pleased that Sato asked. He drops the deck of cards and instead cups his hands around the piles of colorful knick-knacks in front of him. "We can use these as chips. I'll give you some to start." He generously nudges over 10 white, 5 red, and 2 blue.

"What to play for..." Hm. He squints up at the ceiling, because he hadn't really thought too far ahead. "There's no money here, but we could do stories. That's what Miriam wanted to bet for before."

[infinite1up]

Well, now. He'd been thinking of something a little more exciting, but on the other hand, why waste a perfectly good opportunity to learn a bit more about one of his 'fellow' immortals?

Sato organizes his makeshift chips neatly to the side, next to his glass. "Why, that sounds like a wonderful idea," he says, settling into his seat and waiting for the first cards to be dealt. "Of course only true stories, hmm?"

[foundafamily]

In the interest of fairness--mainly just to keep things fun--Firo gives himself the same number and amount of chips as Sato. He shoves the rest off to the side.

He shuffles the cards quickly, maybe even a little showily. "Huh? Yeah, sure, I guess. Higher stakes that way, right?"

He deals them each two facedown cards and waits for Sato to bet. He pretends to take a peek at his own cards when he does, though he's really watching Sato out of the corner of his eye.

[infinite1up]

It's apparent immediately that trying to get a read on Sato is going to be something else... he's smiling as usual, lifting up the corners just enough to get a quick peek at his cards before putting them back down.

"And the higher the bet the better the story? Let's see now... the white ones are the low-value, I assume," he says, sliding a single white chip into the middle of the table. Start things off nice and easy and see where Firo goes with it.

[foundafamily]

"Yep. It's hard without actual money here, but back home white's the lowest, red's higher, and blue's higher than that."

He really should've found a way to convert the dollar amounts to something related to stories. He notes that for next time.

The bet doesn't tell him too much yet either, but he's not too concerned. It's still early in the game. Firo wouldn't have thought that a guy who'd kill himself repeatedly for bullets to be risk-averse, so he decides not to read too much into this early bet.

"What, you're afraid you won't have anything good to tell me?" He matches, though, wanting to give Sato the same noncommittal wager.

He deals three cards face up in the middle of the table, ready for the next betting round.

[infinite1up]

Sato doesn't look at his two cards a second time, leaving them face-down as he slides out another single white chip. "Raise."

Apparently Sato has about the same thoughts as Firo, suggesting pleasantly as he taps one of two blue chips with one finger, "Well, we can't just wager life-changing tales right away, can we?"

[foundafamily]

"Re-raise." Firo adds three of his own white chips this time. If someone has to escalate this, he will.

He grins and shrugs one shoulder as he adds another card face-up to the middle of the table. "Why not? It'd make it more fun, wouldn't it?"

He's sure there are things he doesn't want to share with Sato, but he realizes that his biggest secret--immortality--is a pointless thing to hide from another immortal. It's freeing, in a way, just as much as it is unnerving. He can't forget that he still needs to figure out if Sato knows how to devour an immortal.

[infinite1up]

"It would. Call." Sato replies, without the slightest change in expression, not checking his cards once again as he matches Firo's bet. He doesn't change anything on the next card either, simply saying "Check."

Firo's right of course, that a big bet is more fun. But as much as he likes playing games, Sato also likes to win, and seeing Firo's reaction to a conservative strategy is more information to add to the pile.

[foundafamily]

Very close to the vest is the name of the game, it seems. Firo supposes this means it's at least more of a challenge than the loud and flashy players who come to his casino. They're easy business, but they're largely all the same.

"You say that, and then you play like that..." He grins, amused. He wouldn't speak so unprofessionally in his casino, but this isn't his casino. There can be a bit of prodding.

He slides in two white chips, once again veering toward the boring. Partly strategy, partly mild spite.

[infinite1up]

Sato merely matches Firo's bet again.

"Well, now. It's only fun to make large wagers if you know you'll win. It's been a while since I played, so I might be a little rusty." His hand actually isn't looking that great, but he does want to see if Firo takes the comment at face value, or as reverse psychology.

[foundafamily]

Firo raises an eyebrow. Rusty. Yeah fucking right, pal. "You can't try to hustle me now--we're too far in the game. And it wouldn't work anyway."

He deals the fifth card into the middle of the table.

"And there's the river."

[foundafamily]

Firo raises an eyebrow and continues as stubbornly as if he hasn't been insulted. "No. I know I'm good at this stuff. You just need to listen better." He pauses, because he actually likes the sound of that. Warming to his role as the harsh martinet, he smiles a little as he continues, "Not just to learn the game, you know. You need to pay attention to the other players if you're ever going to do well at it."

Is that actually Shadow's problem? Even Firo's not totally sure, but he thinks it seems to work well enough.

[infinite1up]

"It wouldn't?" Sato says, seeming mildly bemused, and once again refusing to be the one that starts the raise. He's playing it straight, which seems to be exactly what Firo doesn't think he'll do. No real bluffs right now, playing about what he figures this hand is worth. "Check."

[foundafamily]

Firo frowns, just a little insulted. "I wasn't born yesterday. That trick's so old it's not even a trick anymore."

If he were planning to try to cheat, here's where Firo might let himself be baited into really ramping up the betting. Or if he'd read enough from the other player, he'd go high or low depending on what he'd divined of their hand and attitude. But neither is the case, so he keeps it conservative still. Looking now, there's little chance his hand will be good enough to merit breaking the bank, but he doesn't want to pull back at all lest that tip Sato off.

Two more white chips and a blank look back at his opponent.

He hopes it's just as annoying to Sato as that guy's betting has been to Firo. But even though it's annoying, the blandness tells Firo something, he thinks; there'll be other hands, surely, so this is part of the long game. Poker's one area where Firo's learned to be patient.

[infinite1up]

Sato actually considers folding, just to mystify Firo a little more. But he's not really the type to just quit and the stakes aren't very high -- not very high at all, considering that despite his earlier words, he has no intention of telling a completely truthful story.

No, all in all, this is just an excuse to play around a little. Have some fun.

With that in mind, he matches Firo's bet, then flips over his cards. "Just high card, I'm afraid," he smiles. Actually it's a little better than that -- there's a Queen in the river to match the Queen in his hand, but he's intentionally playing dumb. The question is if Firo will point it out to him.

[foundafamily]

Firo's lost for a reply at first, though he does hide a smile at Shadow's ears. Poker is simply a natural aspect of life. "Why? Everybody likes it. Don't you play anything like this back home?

"You can start the bets, by the way. Use these." He pushes 10 white 'chips' (really just odds and ends he has on the table), 5 blue, and 2 red toward Shadow.

[foundafamily]

Firo's hand is a high card at a Jack, so a loss for him either way. There's no way he's not going to notice that second Queen in the middle of the table--anyone would see it, he thinks. Now that the hand's over, he forgets the careful blankness on his face and finds himself frowning.

Sato really does think he's an idiot, doesn't he?

Firo growls low in his throat, rises from his chair, and pushes the pot toward Sato. He has little patience for what he sees as not being taken seriously, but a win is a win. "You know, I'd count that at my casino, even if you were just fuckin' around. Just cut it out and tell me what story you wanna hear.

[infinite1up]

"It's just a fun little game, right Firo? Just seeing if you were paying attention," Sato chuckles. As easy to rile up as ever.

He slides the pile of little white 'chips' back across to his side of the table. "Why don't you tell me about... hmm. A time you had to make tough decision," he adds, turning over one of the white-marked pieces in his fingers.

[foundafamily]

Firo sits back down but continues to pout until Sato describes the story he wants. His jaw drops open a little bit. He doesn't know what kind of question he expected, but it wasn't that.

"A tough decision..?" This time when his mouth thins, it's simply in concentration. He reaches for the cards to shuffle the deck again--they can start playing the next hand while they talk. It's hard enough thinking of a story for this, given as he doesn't want to let on any weaknesses. And there's another problem too:

"I don't know. I've never really had to think much about anything. You probably think that's a lie to get outta this, but it's the truth." Firo doesn't decide. He just does.

Still, he has to pay his debts, because nobody will ever come to play again if the house can't pay up. It's about more than just games--it's his reputation too. He sighs. "Well... When I was a picciotto I had to choose between one of my brothers and my Family's orders. I could tell you that one, but it still wasn't that tough to decide. I just made my choice and accepted whatever the consequences were."