(1807) A Friendly Card Game
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Davis left the growing crowd at the entrance of Elysium and found a dark corner of the room with a corner booth. He sat center facing the room.
Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a deck of cards and started shuffling them. And he waited. It is better to be in control than be controlled. Let them come to me.
Davis watched as kindred after kindred descended the stairs into Elysium. He watched their interactions and bided his time. He knew that eventually, one or more would approach him. Until then he would wait.
Tired of shuffling cards. Davis sets up a Faro spread.
It was an enticing bait for those who had never seen the game. It was hard to find in modern casinos and banned in others.
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"Colonel Davis." Taft says, by way of announcing himself. An obligatory scan of the Daeva's corner of the Nox reveals a table covered in cards. Not being a gambler, himself, the Shadow does not recognize the spread in front of him. Though a cursory analysis reveals a descending, reversed letter 'C' counting down from the King and ending with the Ace.
"Interesting setup. If you'll forgive my skepticism, do you imagine our kind coming to Court to gamble?" Even with Davis' recent disgrace, Taft doubts this. Perhaps it is merely the honey - or the web - to snare someone. But, seeing as how weapons are turned in upon entering the Nox, death is not the threat this hunter hides beneath his snare. So Taft willbiteplay. "What am I looking at, right now?"
| Willpower 
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"Ah, Mr. Taft, Lawrence if I may. Tis the oldest parlor game in the country, was most popular in my day. Games Faro. Simple to play and even played by some Kindred in Elysium courts that allow such distractionary vices."
Davis faro shuffles the cards one last time. "Have a seat and I will show you how it is played. Again it is most simple. You bet on the high card or the low card. Forgive me I forgot my chips but you don't need those to play. At least for the friendly game, I have set up. The house dealer, that's me will draw two cards. One will be the loser and one the winner. You, sir, can choose to place your bet on the winner or you can place your bet on the loser, indicated by placing a copper token on your bet. Now you can also bet a third way for faster action. You can bet that the winning card is higher than the losing card. Sound simple enough, eh? Now let us say you place a $100 bet on the King to be the winner and you place a $50 bet that the winning card will be the high card."
Davis draws one card. "Ace. A one. You see in Faro aces do not beat kings. They are considered to be a one. The suit doesn't matter in Faro. So now we have our losing card, let us see what the winning card is."
Davis draws a second card. "A Queen. Isn't she a beautiful sight. Well, she isn't the King so that bet stays. You can choose to remove your bet, move it to another card, or let it ride. Now each time a losing and winning card is played, that there is called a turn."
Davis points to the Queen of hearts. "Now Lawrence, that there is higher than that ace. Meaning you won the high card bet and had you put real money on it, then the house, me you see would owe you $50, your bet won, you see."
Davis reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigar and started chewing on it as he continued. "Now I know that modern casinos frown upon card counting. Faro encourages it. You see, again forgive me, I did not bring all my gear tonight. A proper Faro table has an abacus that tallies each time a card is played. Kind of gives the player an edge over the house. If you have a straight dealer, such as I. Care to play a few turns? This was, of course, the game of choice here in Sacramento in '51."
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Taft gives a non-committal tip of his head. "Whatever you prefer. is added before Taft lends his attention to the man's explanation. He hovers behind the chair for a moment before taking the offered seat. Eyes dance between the setup of the cards and the man speaking. Remaining, for the most part, silent.
"I see. Wouldn't the 'losing' card always be lower? Perhaps I'm oversimplifying the term, but I can't imagine the harm in always betting that the 'winning card' would be higher."
With the game (mostly) explained, Taft nods. "I suppose. And, perhaps, you can indulge me in conversation while we wait." Cards are cards. Not to mention the fact that this would be a friendly game... the stakes are very low.
Unless the true game has nothing to do with cards.
| Willpower | Vitae
"No, this stack represents the losing cards and this stack represents the winning stack. You're placing bets on the outcome. You're betting whether your card will be a winner or a loser. Or that the winning card will be higher than the losing card."
Davis continued to draw cards, demonstrating and explaining the game.
"One of the key elements of a good Faro dealer is the ability to spark conversation." And Taft is an individual that I would much like to converse with. "Our meeting that one night was cut short and I regret not getting to socialize with you more. Winner!" Davis exclaims indicating that Taft had won his recent bet. "Too bad this is only a friendly game, you could have made a tidy sum on that bet. What shall we discuss?"
Davis had avoided her, but Rebecca was not phased, and her appearance maintained that imagine. She appeared, for all to see, friendly. No malice or ill-intent--if there was any--was exposed to the Daeva or Mekhet.
Approaching the table slowly, non-threateningly, she looked down at the game. Rebecca had spent countless hours around backroom poker games or speakeasy blackjack. She hadn't always played herself, but she had observed all manner of games of chance and luck. Her eyes traced over the layout of the cards and analyzed the brief bit of explanation Davis had given, and a friendly smile spread across her face. A memory of a time Rebecca and Martinez had spent working their way through Texas came to mind. A little saloon on the outskirts of San Antonio where one deal or another was taking place. The Kindred at the center of it had been quite taken with the game.
"Ahh. Faro. I haven't seen this game in some time. Mind if I join?" While waiting for a response from the dealer she politely nodded to Taft. "Priscus Taft, good to see you again."
3 successes
Lina didn't give a third of a shit about card games most of the time. However, this particular game had persons of interest at the table, and so she would find a place. Strolling over, the small Daeva observed quietly for a minute to let a break in the conversation happen before speaking. "Hi, everyone. Mind if I..."
Moretti gestured to a chair and flashed a shy smile. Maybe Davis would tell her to fuck off. She didn't want to presume and disrupt his night; this was Elysium, after all, and keeping the peace was essential.
"Looks like a fun game. I caught the tail end of the explanation. You the gambling type, Priscus Taft?"
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Taft lets out a nasal "Hmph." at the cards' results. "Depending on your persuasion, conversation might be required just to move things along. I'll admit to not spending much time with games. So tell me, Colonel, how did your evening end? There was simply too much chaos and stimulation for me to find a meal." There had certainly been interesting choices in the crowd that evening. If Davis managed to seduce one, Taft might be a tad impressed.
"Madam Simmons." he says, at her approach. "You're also familiar with this game? I'm at a disadvantage. I'm not even sure if the game is meant for so many players."
Despite the new stimuli, Taft's eyes lock on the athletic brunette when she makes herself known. "Hardly. I prefer to have a little more control over things. Certainly outside of a friendly game." It's a bold pronouncement to make in front of three relatively unfamiliar Kindred. But that, perhaps, is the point.
Particularly interesting to Taft is the realization that three of the four names on the bulletin from Elysium have all gravitated to the same place. Would the friendly tone of this card game shift, he wonders?
| Willpower | Vitae
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Davis smiled as his lure attracted those he wanted as well as those he didn't.
Responding to Taft's query, "That is a shame you did not fare as well as I that evening. I was indeed most lucrative with the ladies that evening."
Responding to Lina, "Why, all are welcome at my table. Please sit and join us. I take it you received my parcel to your satisfaction. I do hope you liked the color, I had it custom made to your specifications." Davis was referring to the dress and not the unladylike armor Lina had requested.
Acknowledging Simmon's presence, "Madame Simmons." This was Elysium, they were Invictus, he would follow protocol. "So wonderful for you to join us. Pleases me to know you are familiar with one of my other hobbies." The prospects of gunplay ruined at their last encounter. "How have you been since we last met? Not too busy I hope."
Davis dealt a few more rounds. "Lawrence, I would hate to think my game of Faro bores you. I say, what can I do to make it worth your wile?"
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A Little Friendly Competition
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