Scene #9523: Trídéag: Leverage 1/3

Owner	Pose
Angela	Finn used to belong to a Fixer Office so low grade that it was simply called Yun's Office after its operator. The Office was officially a Grade Seven Office but it struggled to get real paying work resulting in its Fixers getting stuck doing non-glamorous work like chasing after lost pets but the sad truth is many of its Fixers just didn't have the ability to take on the more threatening work typically engaged with by Fixers. But it is the office that gave Finn his first shot when no other Fixer Office would give an unaugmented newbie like him the time of day. And so, earned or not, he feels indebted to Yun so when Yun contacted him asking for help Finn went to his friends in the Association to help him help Yun. What Yun wants is: He's got a job from one of the many casinos in J Corp's Nest and he needs it to go off without a hitch since it's the last shot he's got to keep his office afloat after many of his Fixers left for the Library on their own and haven't returned. If he can prove he's got the contacts to handle a job like this, 'real' work might start coming back into the office. What Yun is willing to give for the help: Yun knows the Association is looking to contract out offices and he will move his office under Trídéag's umbrella (and out from Zwei's) if this job goes well. It's a simple enough job: They'll be helping Jeong's Office catch cheaters at the casino. An on site representative will explain more there. Yun advises dressing professionally and not in one's Trídéag uniforms as this is a somewhat 'undercover' operation.
Angela	J Corp's Nest has its own Warp Gate and as befitting a Nest that specializes in security, it is normally very locked down. Yun has a temporary work permit that will get Trídéag in, though moving through Warpgate Security is still a chore. Stern faced security officers grill each Fixer about why they are coming to District 10, what they are bringing in, and of course checking their Association IDs. Riku, Matilda, and Sonetto are given extra frowns and extra questions whereas by the time they realize Xion's not a local they have to hastily ask her those extra questions in a manner that suggests this comes from a top down command. Questions like 'Why have they gotten involved in City business' and 'What do Outsiders have an interest in District 10 for?' but ultimately the work permits are valid and assuming nobody causes a stir, they'll be let through with a warning: Go straight to the Paradiso Casino where they'll be working and no lollygagging. Still, even in J Corp they aren't going to have you under constant guard. Though there is an underlying threat to not take advantage of the Nest's hospitality, everybody expects Backstreet Fixers who are visiting to be a little excited about being able to visit a Nest and will, generally, politely ignore it so long as they aren't stirring much of a fuss or diverging too much off their designated work path and schedule. The work permit is for 24 hours but as Trídéag is arriving in the early evening, they can conceivably stay at designated lodging but it isn't paid for. Finn promises to cover it. And he seems excited, if a bit temperedly, he explains he's actually been able to visit a Nest before he joined Trídéag, once, when he was securing a place for his sister in District 11 but he stayed behind in the Backstreets to get work and help pay for her medical bills. He has saved up enough that he could probably emigrate there too but he couldn't do that to the Director, he tells his companions and, besides, she's going to make The City a better place. This is the only place he can work where he feels like he is helping people. He can't throw that away. District 10's Nest gives off a vibe like the Vegas strip if the Vegas Strip was a whole country. Both street peddlers and open storefronts offer 'Luck' as part of their products either as permanent or temporary tattoos along with the usual charms and baubles one might expect to purchase. Mega hotels soar high into the sky with fancy larger than life names like Camelot Hotel and Casino or Fountain of Youth Hotel and Casino. There's slot machines in lobbies, hell there were slot machines in the Warpgate Center you came through. Well dressed guards are so ubiquitous they blend in with the scenery. The number of flashing lights along with the glitz and glam is downright headache inducing. The fact that they are spending this much power in the wake of L Corp's fall suggests the surplus and alternative power sources they must have at their disposal to keep running like this.
Angela	Paradiso Casino which is, in fact, also a hotel is frankly humble compared to some of what you've passed but that isn't the same as being humble. There's a fountain out front with a pool of water on the ceiling dripping down like a waterfall into the fountain that probably uses pipes to repurpose the water back up front so it can pour back down into the fountain like a little waterfall. Twin staircases lead up to the front door, twisting behind the impromptu waterfall into a set of large doors. A purple eyed woman with her black hair pulled back into a ponytail holds up a hand when she sees the team approach. There's a small mole below her mouth and she's got a cool frown on her face. She's wearing a black leather jacket and is carrying a particularly long sword with a purple diamond patterned hilt at her side. "You the team that's helping out today?" She offers everyone an earpiece. "The name's Hanafuda. Yun told me about you all. We can't be seen inside together so put these in and I'll give you the details over comms."
Xion	Given the notice that work for her specifically might be at Trideag, Xion had reported in at the headquarters building and grabbed a hot cocoa to catch up. Now, Xion is dressed in appropriate attire for a casino: A black tailored cut blazer over a charcoal grey cotton shirt and black silk vest with a golden keychain across the blazer's left lapel over heart with a crucifix charm dangling from the lapel's wing, jacket-matching black trousers, and of course black shoes. Her cufflinks are a gold with a black setting and a Kupo Nut red dome, which she adjusts while glancing around at anything but her perfectly fine cufflinks. It looks cool doing it, and also, why else would she wear cufflinks? Dressing professionally and also not in her Trideag jacket meant some kind of jacket. That was just local tradition! Xion almost makes it right past security with her local-looking haircut and crisp jacket, but she's roped in right at the end while making a soft 'tch'. She even has a local attitude! Bringing up her phone to show it like papers before the official, she shows off her QUESTFINDER PLATINUM and other multiverse contract work accolades like a particularly badge-like trophy case. "I'm involved because the work is here, and because my friend runs an Association. And I've got 'interest' in this District because I've got Association work. I'm on a job right now. Okay?" She asks, and then adds a "Thanks." before letting anyone speak to answer her. "I'd never gag on a lolly." Xion mutters, pulling out a lollipop and sticking it into her mouth to hold like a mouthcorner toothpick or cigarette. "Dumb." Perfectly serious. "Don't forget you can vacation in places that aren't as locked down. I hear it's called 'cosmpolitan' but if you want to travel alone or in small groups, really, most places in the Multiverse that have similar amenities to this are pretty safe. Still, I can't fault you for wanting to live it up close to home. Things make a certain sort of sense where you're from that you can bring with you but isn't ever there the same way." Xion returns to Finn conversationally, willing to pick up her own room if it would break Finn to pay for everyone. A little extra money in Finn's pocket didn't hurt Xion's feelings any, and she picked up enough bounty work to cover most of her expenses. Not that mercenary work was that rewarding, but she had the time trial record for pet rescue and luxury pet owners paid top dollar for service 'now'. And, it wasn't every single day she went to the casino dimensions! She didn't like the scent of smoke and Luxord always wanted to take her... so, now, there was a bit of sensory load that Xion could appreciate but was definitely activating her like the particularly bright feature-length lightshow and pyrotechnic experiences that could be found. Dice, coins, cards, everywhere, and Xion kept having to resist peeling off and getting extra interested in something or other until she had beat the minigame or came away with a new medallion or two. It was difficult! Despite her lolly, she was having the real flutters of interest spreading every which way, until... She's handed an earpiece? Well, she walks up to the only person with enough character features to seem important and is greeted with knowing her assumption is correct. Then, she's handed an earpiece. "Okay, but won't these be spotted? It's a casino, they're pretty picky." Xion suggests while pushing her earpiece into her left ear.
Riku Asakura	Riku doesn't dress up very well, or at least, he doesn't feel comfortable in the dressing-up part. In reality, he looks pretty handsome in a suit. Black suit and red tie, with cufflinks that look like some sort of Kamen Rider helmet. He's got black shoes that are shined up very nicely, and his hair is combed out and parted to one side, giving him a slightly nerdy appearance. To that, he's given a pair of non-prescription glasses to keep up with the nerd angle. All in all, he looked like he could play the part of a salleryman. Gruffed at the entry into the district's nest, this causes Riku to sweat some. He's uncomfortable with lying outright, so he dances around the truth and answers the questions straight up. He's here because he's here on a job in the district, the paperwork says so. Once he's through, there is less to sweat about. After all, the devices on him don't look like weapons, but rather children's toys. Meeting Hanafuda doesn't make him any less nervous. He's given an earpiece and doesn't really know casinos that well. He's never been to one besides that one floating place where he played cards with Rufus and the Precure girls. There is debate on whether or not that was a casino anyway. He takes the earpiece and puts it into his right ear. "Is this illegal?" he asks Xion, who seems to have an objection to it, but more because it was a casino.
Timekeeper	The humanitarian work of the Trideag Association is half of what Sonetto expected out of it and most of what she wanted out of it, but this isn't alien to her either. An Association can't simply exist 'after' society has collapsed; its Fixers need to work to uphold it, even the more dubious elements, against those who would undermine it for their own gain. And it's Finn asking! The third member of their training trio is someone that Sonetto feels professionally positive towards, just like Matilda. They're two of the most adequate training partners and coworkers Sonetto could have! One might expect Sonetto to balk at the less-official method of the contract's arrival, but she's not particularly bothered by that. This is, in the end, mercenary work, and since the reward is enriching the Association rather than herself personally, having to go a tiny bit under the table for it is a sign of providing someone much-needed help rather than doing anything illicit. Bereft of a uniform for either the Foundation or the Association, Sonetto falls to the third option of dressing like an employee: a sharp fitted suit in dark blue over white, thick heels, a tie checkered with grey and white and a gold-green patch sewn onto the breast pocket, with the white scabbard of Terra all'Amore hanging on her hip. Golden clips hold both the small braids that frame her face, and the longer one down the center of her back that bundles up the upper layer of her hair to be more neatly manageable. She's also got half-gloves that don't even fully cover her palm, in the style common to her world rather than the City. There's no amount of bureaucratic questioning that could bother Sonetto at District 10's warpgate. She's not any friendlier than she needs to be, but her prompt and clear answers are laced with the atmosphere that she vaguely approves of the guards' willingness to thoroughly follow orders. Sonetto, Grade Six Fixer with the Trideag Association. She's here to assist in humanitarian efforts on account of connections with the Paladins and Director Rook. She's here, of course, on account of this being Association work, and she can provide an approximate estimate of their time spent in the District before leaving, their work permits, verification of their Fixer IDs, without becoming visibly impatient at all. When they're let through, she gives the security members a short "Thank you. Have a nice day." before leaving. The fact remains that she is pretty excited about visiting another District, though. She's never seen one that isn't completely wrecked like District 12, and she's never seen a Nest at all. The glitz and glamour of it all is enthralling for the deluge of colours at first, but it becomes overstimulating soon enough. She falls silent, voice low when she does speak, and refrains from swiveling her head around to take in the sights, though just being surrounded by the colors noises in her periphery is enough to keep her happy. "Still, I can't fault you for wanting to live it up close to home. Things make a certain sort of sense where you're from that you can bring with you but isn't ever there the same way." "I cannot imagine taking a vacation to somewhere so energetic," says Sonetto, who has not imagined taking a vacation anywhere in her life. "But there is an appeal, to the energy built into the structures themselves, is there not? I just worry... that I would not be able to keep up." Upon a minute longer of reflection, Sonetto murmurs, "Is that so? A kind of sense you can bring with you but never find again.... What is it that enables people to understand worlds other than their own, then?"
Timekeeper	The tinnitus ring of the strip outside in Sonetto's ear is almost soothing when she enters Paradiso Casino. She greets Hanafuda quietly and professionally, accepting the offered earpiece and fitting it into her ear without question. "Casino authorities surely will not mind if we are seen with earpieces, seeing as we are lawfully employed to catch cheaters," She says to Xion and Riku. "I see no reason why any of this would be illegal. We are upholding the law."
Foundation Scions	A personal request by a team-member is absolutely, positively, not something Matilda will fail to show up for, because being regarded as trusted and capable by a Peer is a drug that Matilda is constantly, constantly craving. That this also means Sonetto is likely to attend, hah, that's just coincidence! Totally! With Trídéag Association uniforms right-out of the running, and a casino a sort of venue requiring some manner of dressing up to fit in (even if the City's senses for fashion are excruciatingly difficult to fit in if you aren't dressing like Every Businessman,) and as such, Matilda Bouanich has an excellent occasion to show off a dress given to her as a birthday present, months and months past- a sporty dark blue and silver-accented affair, collared and buttoned-up, and flared past a thick teal fabric belt to just-below knee height. Evident by accent color, it has pockets, which Matilda is eager to show off can contain her important items, like her Fixer ID card, a thing she's equally ready to show off and brag about to even the likes of prickly customs agents. To add any element of formality, she's wearing elbow-length gloves, and carrying (like a messenger bag) a purse that she's using less than pockets. It's less convenient! Around her neck, tied neatly in a flight-attendant-esque manner, is a teal and dark-blue striped bandana, matching the felt and piping color of a beret cap she's decided shall top off her outfit. With no proper tie, there's truly no better spot for her to pin her all-important topaz brooch than to the beret, like some makeshift military crest of sparkly blue and gold. Wtih this much blue, silver, and teal, she's not dressed either befitting the St. Pavlov Foundation or the Trídéag Association, but, somehow, much more like Timekeeper Vertin. That has to be unintentional, right? It has to be. Surely she wouldn't dress up like her friend, and Sonetto's sort-of-boss, on purpose? She's not that much of a little weirdo, right? Matilda's answers to security-post questions are a bit stumbly, slightly exaggerated little rambles on the noble cause of trying to work as a Fixer, broad unfamiliarity and interest in District 10 in particular, and enough self-aggrandizing to hopefully (and unfortunately for her ego) impart to any security worker that she's a harmless little loser, and thus shouldn't be flagged for much of anything. Still, she's familiar with the necessities of the job posting, and how that boils down to cross-district operation, a Grade Seven Fixer (who's soon to be Six, definitely...) ought to be at least a baseline level of professional.
Foundation Scions	. . . Matilda, however, does not manage to walk through the streets of District 10 without falling prey to the most devilish of hazards- tourist-trap bauble-peddling. if 'Luck' is purchaseable, on a keychain, whatever form it's in, she's one to buy it in droves, for all the good that'll do. As such, suckered in and eating up the sales pitch, Matilda winds up purchasing a matched pair of lucky cat keychains, mirrored to one another, and possibly filled with some manner of proprietary luck-boosting material, not that Matilda would doubt such a potentially dubious claim. No, she's showing off the set to Sonetto, because it's definitely so important that they both boost their luck here tonight. . . . 'I cannot imagine taking a vacation to somewhere so energetic,' "Sonetto! You would, I am certain, greatly enjoy the tranquility afforded by the gardens, the famous and exceptionally picturesque cafes, and, of course, the quiet tree-lined streets to walk down by streetlight, of the great city of Paris!" Butting in to add that, in the moment, like a button was pressed somewhere to spit-out a voice line she's said surely time and time again. Then, also as repeated, "On some opportunity that you take time-off, please, you should allow me to show you around its boroughs!" The outcome of this will be as it ever is, and she and everyone knows it. The glitz and glam of District 10's nest is something Matilda adores, actually- wide-eyed, with the light-filled night, she's got a lightness to her steps from the company and the surroundings, not really fitting with the gravity of this being a job she's signed up for. Is it excusable if it's a job for a friend? Who knows, she doesn't, she's thinking about the cover-task of a night at the casino! To the group, and not with her mind on the task, "Today, upon consulting the future in store for me, I'm certain there are enough auspicious signs overlapping for not only this job to go well, but my luck, as excellent as it ever is, to be remarkable, with friendly dice, and favorable cards in-wait for me and me alone. C'est une bonne nuit pour Mathilde, c'est certain!" 'You the team that's helping out today?' Muttered, not quite under-breath, "Personally, I would have imagined that my fame would have preceeded me most recognizably." That's against the point of being a subtle and covertly-outfitted group of fixers here to investigate without drawing attention, but Matilda likes attention, and likes fame! Who's this new person who has to question whether she's the called-in help! What's up with that! Of course, all of that is immediately abated by the fact she's being offered a gift!! Heck yes! That's a secret agent earpiece, the kind prolific investigators might get to wear for important missions, and today, that's her! "Ah-hah, I recognize this make and model! An excellent choice for this sort of task." She's lying. Putting it up to her ear, "Er, but, how again does it work..? Ah, er, before I forget, however, it is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Hanafuda!" With that, earpiece in, and an overdramatized self-steeling breath, Matilda sets herself quite obviously into business-mode! This is obvious, because of the audible-over-the-earpiece muttering of, "Concentrez-vous, concentrez-vous, Mathilde!". She must have pressed the transmit button while putting it in.
Angela	Security naturally is pretty pleased at Sonetto making it all easy for them. At first they are suspicious of course but it all clears out and is a level of honesty that they are generally unaccustomed to. By the end of the questioning, they seem enthused by her politeness and patience in the face of bureaucracy. This doesn't encourage them to let up any but they are less sour at waving her off than with the others. Riku, who looks guilty even before being accused of anything, is grilled even harder and his weapons looking like toys do not help in the slightest though they don't make things worse either. Of course, Sonetto is carrying a sword that looks like a sword so maybe it's just an open carry District (most of the City is open carry). Weirdly Xion, despite being the most aggressive about entering, gets better treatment than Riku because people accept Fixers being some degree of idiotic, rude, and impatient or all three so this all reads as pretty normal to them. Matilda too can get away without much interrogation--Fixers who act like they're going to be the next great Color are also a dime a dozen. Matilda's fitting in perfectly! ''Don't forget you can vacation in places that aren't as locked down?'' "Vacation...? Off world?" There is no official taboo or law against denizens of The City from leaving into the multiverse, but there is a sort of cultural sense that it could be made so at any time, somehow, irregardless of the impracticality of the idea. "The multiverse is real big, I actually wonder how you navigate it--I've lived in The City my whole life and even I get lost sometimes." He looks to Sonetto, "Yeah it's a bit much for me too. I imagined that the multiverse would have to be very loud itself--even bigger and louder than this District. There's I guess infinite space but people gravitate towards big cities for a reason and so cities in the multiverse--they've got to be ginormous." Matilda uses the power of purchasing power to collect lucky cat keychains! Surely they work. Of course they work. And in fact, the person who sells it to Matilda informs her that to activate the 'Luck' in the keychain, she has to rub the cat's palm firmly which will 'release a minor boost to favorible probability' in return. It only works once. The seller suggests giving the matching cat keychain to a friend, claiming it improves the effect. ''Is this illegal?'' Hanafuda says, "It's a job from a Nest." as if that's an answer to his question. Despite this being a question that is probably unpleasant to hear from the hired help, Hanafuda seems to be the sort to not really hold it against Outsiders. Makes sense they might need a little more guidance in her head. "The gamblers will know there will be observers on the lookout for cheating--normally we don't even hide the observers. Casino policy in this district will be that if they are able to cheat in a way that they don't get caught, there's no reason to pursue it. The vast majority of cheaters will get caught and be punished appropriately, they turned 'cheating' into just another way to gamble. At least, that's how our jobs go. The big fish we suspect--we haven't been able to catch even with our own observers. But your Association is well vouched for. We're hoping that whatever method they're using, your team will be able to pick up. Our team will be acting as the official observers."
Angela	She nods to the earpieces, "Those earpieces--they've got tech in there that'll make 'em tougher to notice for people who don't know they are there. Some might notice anyway, but there's no avoiding it. If we're not in proper communication, we won't be able to coordinate." Hanafuda hesitates, but nods at Sonetto's summary. "It's a basic Nest job, not Backstreets work. You don't have to worry about being stabbed in the back. No profit in it. If you're not able to catch them, you won't get hired again, but they won't send a team after you or anything." ''Personally, I would have imagined that my fame would have preceeded me most recognizably.'' "...Well, it's good it didn't, cause if it did that would sort of defeat the purpose of the assignment. This place could afford more famous Fixers, but the Grade system isn't just about finding the best people it's also about making sure you can find the right Grade Fixer for the job." ''How again does it work..?'' "Just put it in your ear. You can murmur into it and it should pick up what you say, but this is mostly so I can talk to you. If you want to turn it off, press into its side with your fingers until you hear a click. Then do the same to turn it back on."
Angela	Once everyone seems ready, Hanafuda says, "Alright, we'll be breaking off here. For a little while I want you to be mingling and gambling as normal. I've got a set of chips for all of you--They're part of our operation budget so try to make them last. If you win a profit feel free to keep that but I'll want whatever's left over otherwise to help recoup our costs." She pushes the doors open and makes her way inside, but doesn't linger with the group for long, rapidly getting lost in the crowd. Over the comms, you can hear her murmur, "The game I want you to watch will be in one hour. It's a buy-in with a set number of chips--that's already settled--but it will draw eyes if you just wait for the match." All the games one might expect at a casino are played here. There's slots, there's blackjack, there's poker tables, there's roulette wheels, craps, pachinko, and some other local specific card games that are likely unrecognizable to Trídéag. The casino has obtained a strange sort of wheel with an orb at its centerpiece with undecipherable glyphs along two spinning tracks along the side of the wheel. Ahn is shoved around seemingly at random though a big energetic shout whenever that happens. There's waitresses and waiters wandering around, dressed flatteringly in flashy colorful suits and short skirts. A blonde woman with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, wearing the uniform, passes by Riku, lightly bumping into him and she asks, "Hello cutey... You look like you could use a cocktail. You should try the Inferno, on the house." She looks over to Finn, who waves it off, and then looks to Matilda and Sonetto, "How about these friends of yours?" One of her arms is visibly a prosthetic and she looks vaguely familiar. "Perhaps they'd better appreciate our Paradise Falls. It's verryyy sweet." "Organized games have various levels, the higher the level--the better player ... or cheater if you prefer ... you are seen as. To get past our 'Silver' ranking, you've got to be a high roller. We'll be working a Gold Card game. If you've got any questions, hit me up." Hanafuda's voice crackles on the comms.
Riku Asakura	Riku isn't a rude or backstreetsy kind of person, so of course, he gets extra sweated on for not being a normal fixer, and instead gets pushed through extra security and screwtany for not being the standard. It's okay, because he manages to weather it just fine and come out the other side of things with a fresh appreciation for how others in the city have to live outside the nest. He's lucky not to have been beaten up for looking guilty. 'It's a job from a Nest.' This made Riku frown just a bit, but there was no helping it now. Being reminded this was for a Nest just causes him to frown and remember just how a little bit ago he was treated for not being part of the Nest in question. '...they won't send a team after you or anything.' "Comforting..." he says, and not entirely sure if he's sarcastic or not after things before with getting in. Though he's happy, if he fails, he won't be making trouble for Lilian. 'I've got a set of chips for all of you--They're part of our operation budget so try to make them last.' "Right, but no loss if we don't return them if we lose them?" he asks, reassured by her answer. He doesn't want to screw over anyone if he can avoid it, but this seems like a good chance to get some Ramen money if he can be lucky about it. He'll have to watch how much he spends, though. 'The game I want you to watch will be in one hour. It's a buy-in with a set number of chips--that's already settled--but it will draw eyes if you just wait for the match.' "Already settled, so we don't have to worry about buying in. Great. We just have to watch for the cheater and hopefully catch them in the act." He responds to Hanafuda. 'Hello cutey... You look like you could use a cocktail.' Riku blushes and nods about the cocktail. He's interested in having the Inferno and wonders what it tastes like. "Uh, girls, do you want one too?" he asks Matilda and Sonetto. He's oblivious to whether they are even old enough for an alcoholic drink at their ages. He's twenty, so he's old enough to get some.
Xion	Xion, who has a pretty good idea about how idiotic in general what she does is, still knows a good amount of the benefit that playing to expectations gives her. She never pushes so far that it frustrates the process - she just pushes a little, because she's got places to be! This unhappy medium works well in the City when she can get away with it, and also, has to move through the checkpoints, but most of the time she wouldn't harass the border cops because it gave them something to use their power on. In the City, there was plenty else for these folk to use their power on. Sonetto bearing in during the discussion of vacations slows up the walk of Xion's purposeful trot, holding right wrist in thumb and middle finger of the left and glancing past Sonetto to the shops that Matilda split off to avail herself to just earlier. Chatting for a moment, slowing from her determined walk, Xion scans the crowd and looks at anything but Sonetto for her first answer. "There's an appeal if there's an appeal there for you," Xion speaks, considering the Nest's lights as they play reflected against her eyes. "It feels a little ingenuine to dive into these kinds of games for me, but I think I might just be someone who likes the beach over something like this. I also don't really like taking vacation-vacations, but it's better than staring at a ceiling trying to force yourself to rest, right? If this makes you feel good, then," The noirette shrugs, then drops her hand to her sides. "Maybe it's what 'vacation' is for you. And maybe you'll like Paris, too. I do hear it's nice." After a moment, Sonetto drops her tone for a question, and if she takes a glance to Xion - or is watching her the whole time - it's that second half thought that makes Xion's eyes snap to her. Her response takes a moment, processing, trying to find exactly the right way to explain things while definitely having an answer ready to go. After a bottom lip bite-chewing moment, Xion speaks, matching tone low-voiced. "People bring everything with them when they travel, cross over. They can accept things are over-here things instead of over-there things, but, when you travel between worlds it's not the same very basic presumptions at all. Say... Say, you know that thing, where some humans taste certain flavors differently due to different genetic markers? It's... sort of like that, and once you find the thing that's definitely different it'll bother you." Xion spends a long moment, several beats, hanging on that, and then she lets the answer she found loose as almost nonsequiter. "No other place has sugar that tastes right." Voice barely lifted over the crowd and bustle, over the sound of walking, but it's clear to Sonetto like Xion speaks divine words and angel-speak. It's a everything, a secret treated like fire from Heaven itself, for how it turns her face to a far-off look of reveric mild pain. "Sugar should sparkle in the mouth, it should... pop, and no other place has sugar quite like home. Sweet's just... different for everywhere else. Like everyone's wrong about it and I just have to nod and know they don't really get it even when they 'like sweet things'." --- At Hanafuda, Xion gives Riku a faint side-smile when she accepts her earpiece. "Illegal? No, but people are paying attention for all kinds of foul play. If we were at the tables with one of these, we'd be asked to leave if it's obvious. I'm just figuring out what our expected stance is." She slides her earpiece in and brushes her hair down a bit to mask it, nodding at the expectations. "So are we going to be moving around the tables, or playing in the games? I can hold my own in card games if I have to, but..." Her question is answered immediately and Xion dials it back, nodding quietly. Having played at high stakes tables before for jobs - there was always a gambling side-event to a long enough mission - she was at least confident she wasn't going to embarrass herself.
Xion	"So we're house players for you, to force people into the open or to play stupid. Got it." Xion nods placing hands in the small of her back and looking professional for as long as Hanafuda is still there leading them inside, and then keeps it rolling at a more casual one-hand-pocketed mosey into the casino floor. As she walks, her voice drops to the proscribed murmur. "What's the buy in for the Gold Card game and the betting range, so we don't act stupid about the numbers?" She questions, heading to a Baccarat table past Riku when she spots him getting... hit on? "Try the Paradise Falls!" She suggests, winking. "Tell me how it is." Before continuing her purposeful mosey towards the game that was dead easy AND could involve throwing some Ahn around showily enough while being largely passive.
Foundation Scions	'There's I guess infinite space but people gravitate towards big cities for a reason and so cities in the multiverse--they've got to be ginormous.' Though not the person asked, "This is, itself, perhaps the largest of the cities I have seen amongst the other worlds- it is a world that itself is a city, no? That is why they call it the City! I could scarcely imagine something larger. So, I doubt most firmly there is such!" She's possibly wrong, but with a smile and crossed arms, who's gonna correct her? Anyone, probably. 'But your Association is well vouched for. We're hoping that whatever method they're using, your team will be able to pick up.' Hand proudly to her chest, "It's a certainty! I, Matilda Bouanich, am an expert at investigative work of all manners, up to and including the discovery of well-disguised techniques and hidden schemes! Surely, it will be easier than seeing the future, so, it will be a piece of cake, as they say!" She hums, and glances towards Finn, who she's tasked with carrying her orbuculum. To do much of any of what she's boasted, she'll have to find a way to grab it from him when they're all inside, but it's no matter! Surely it's normal for teams to perform covert drop-offs of fourty-pound crystal balls in bowling ball bags. "Still, that they have gone un-discovered so long..." ' You don't have to worry about being stabbed in the back.' Matilda hesitates, before asking, "Do you mean that in the literal way, or the idiomatic one? Er, usually, with context one as deft as I could assume, but... the context here dictates it could be either, no?" '...Well, it's good it didn't, cause if it did that would sort of defeat the purpose of the assignment.' Quiet and pouting, "Pffft, no, it would not do that! It wouldn't!")] No support to that claim, because she's wrong. . . .
Foundation Scions	'How about these friends of yours?' With a slightly rushed little motion and a 'psst', Matilda sticks her elbow out in a motion implying, if Sonetto were on the same wavelength as her, that she ought to take her arm, like they're there together. That's how they've been noticed by a staff member, so, it's only natural, right? The pleading glance she uses to try and communicate this, looks not far away from her being about to cry. Matilda do your best. 'It's verryyy sweet.' At that, though, Matilda scoffs. "An over-sweet cocktail? No, thank you, but if you have a properly made, and sufficiently sophisticated mousseux- er, sparkling wine, perhaps even one truly from Champagne? That would do better, thank you." TIP: if you play up a snooty persona every day, you can do it on an undercover job, too. "And, my assistant here," A little nudge to play along, "Will you have the same? Perhaps, if it arrives for me first, you could taste and see, no?" Oh god maybe dial it back a tiny bit, Matilda. 'Try the Paradise Falls!' Oh no! That's a nudge in a different direction than Matilda is vying for! No matter whether that's towards Sonetto or not, it's possible she'd listen, and thus Matilda would be proven to be the less-liked loser whose suggestion isn't followed because she sucks and is lame! Change course quickly! "But, but, after such, perhaps you should try that, er, the sweet beverage, what ever it is called, to be polite, if it is a house concoction. Yes! To be polite, only." Sorry random waitress! Matilda doesn't really mean anything by that! Following that, Matilda, with, hopefully, Sonetto in tow, wanders around from dice game to dice game- cards are for later, if she's some luck in those, she can't use it up now! That's totally how prophecy works, or so she's convinced enough to shy away. Roullette is fine too (Matilda's number of choice is 22, her birthday, she bets this every time.) What Matilda does not do. is any of the digital games! Those are loud and scary, and frankly, she doesn't like the imagery plastered on their sides! Besides, if anything's rigged (more than the usual house-favor), it's gotta be those! The City is sleazy with it, and she's watching out! Mumbly, "Sonetto, be aware, that there is slightly more likelihood of a six to be rolled on a cube shaped die than any other number! It's a lucky, larger number, to be made of two threes, so, that's how it is more prone to be! It is no sure thing, but, it should be considered!" This fact is not really true! Matilda's confidence is unwavering, though, in boasting to Sonetto! She wants her to think she's so cool! "Watch, if I assume that is what it will be, it is more likely, and so," Dice roll, she's wrong, and chips leave her hand. Look at her go.
Timekeeper	"There's I guess infinite space but people gravitate towards big cities for a reason and so cities in the multiverse--they've got to be ginormous." The City is, of course, 'the multiverse' to Sonetto, rather than home, but despite that, she feels a sympathetic pang of smallness at the idea. She nods and says quietly, "This is... to me, the largest city I have ever been to, to the point that I can't even begin to imagine the scale. And still, there are even larger cities beyond this, and so many of them that they are uncountable. The multiverse is an infinity of infinities...." "On some opportunity that you take time-off, please, you should allow me to show you around its boroughs!" Rather than blowing Matilda off in her normal way, Sonetto's thoughts are still occupied by Xion's offhanded comment, resulting in her doing something so bizarrely uncharacteristic as expressing interest in Matilda's internal feelings. "Is Paris the home you bring with you, Matilda?" Sonetto's fingers brush against her Foundation-checkered tie, tugging the knot to readjust it, uncertainly sentimental. "You have lived with the Foundation for most of your life, but you were still the oldest to begin your education at the SPDM. Was it those early years of your life, before then, that built your concept of home? It is always Paris that you mention, and not the Foundation." A little melancholy, while still admiring the massive floor to ceiling fountain in the lobby with awe, "Those years as a child seem to have familiarized you to the outside world as well as my years as an adult." ". . . but my luck, as excellent as it ever is, to be remarkable, with friendly dice, and favorable cards in-wait for me and me alone." Sonetto frowns a bit. "Cheating using arcane skills while we are presently on a job to prevent cheating is deeply disrespectful. Don't do this." Sonetto can be appeased by an offer of a LUCKY CAT. Recognizing the good luck charm, and receiving it from Matilda, means that Matilda is undermining her own underhanded cheater tendencies by giving her good luck charms to someone more responsible. Her smiling and saying thank you to Matilda is not really out of appreciation for the gift, but it can be interpreted as such delusionally. "Sweet's just... different for everywhere else. Like everyone's wrong about it and I just have to nod and know they don't really get it even when they 'like sweet things'." There's no doubt that Sonetto listens to Xion's tangent about sugar as the poetry that it is; when conversational threads veer into the hyper-specific and hyper-personal, demonstrating the only true way to know another person by the mutual incomprehensibility of the subject matter, is when Sonetto pays the most attention. As poetry often does, it makes her solemnly introspective, almost longing. "... I see. I believe I understand, because I know I cannot understand everything about your 'home'." Sonetto's fingers curl against the handrail, watching the crowds of Cityfolk moving in the lobby around them. "... If you were to never go back again, for years and decades, would any other sugar eventually become 'right'?"
Timekeeper	"Casino policy in this district will be that if they are able to cheat in a way that they don't get caught, there's no reason to pursue it." Sonetto is internalizing this information. 'Cheating is not a crime as long as they don't get caught. But, not getting caught at cheating for too long is a crime'. This is perfectly coherent and noncontradictory knowledge about this District with no implications. "Understood. Thank you, Miss Hanafuda. Would it be prudent to direct us towards the dealer of the later match so that we can watch to ascertain a default on his or her mannerisms?" Now, Sonetto has to blend into a Gambling Location. She has her chips, she has her outfit, and she has a mission, but... until then, she has to socialize competently, in an environment that is not only unfamiliar, but antithetical to her. Her well practiced militant charm and professionalism are absolute fucking narc red flags here, so her natural methods of blending in are worth less than nothing. She stays still for several seconds once entering the venue. "Perhaps they'd better appreciate our Paradise Falls. It's verryyy sweet." "No thank you," Sonetto says, blend-in-ingly, "I do not need alcohol." "And, my assistant here," "What?" Sonetto seems vaguely befuddled by Matilda's prodding and pssting, and is absolutely not on the wavelength of taking Matilda's arm. But when Matilda keeps talking, and even more importantly, gives instructions to Sonetto on the matter of blending into this strange and hostile environment, Sonetto firmly nods and plays along-- though Matilda's arm still isn't taken. "Okay. I will give it a taste."
Angela	''This is... to me, the largest city I have ever been to'' Finn marvels at that, "Woah...really? Aw geeze, I guess that was a bit insensitive of me to assume but--" He pauses. "...Yeah, I guess there might be entire worlds out there that are just one big city. And probably a lot of places I couldn't even imagine until I see them." He hesitates at some of Sonetto's words though and says, "...One of the nice things about the home you bring with you ... I guess you can always ... remodel it? I mean ... right now Trídéag is my home and maybe that doesn't seem different than 'The City' but ... to me it is." He's trying to be encouraging to his sparring pal! And he has accepted being the carrier of the orbuculum. He doesn't really see himself as having a good poker face, so to speak, and Matilda is really cool and confident in his mind so he's happy to be of help. He periodically tries to squint real hard at the orbuculum as if to see if he also has a talent for divination but in his heart he knows it can't be that easy or everybody would be doing it. ''Do you mean that in a literal way, or the idiomatic one?'' Hanafuda decides it's good to actually be very clear on this one. "They might skimp on your payment if they don't like the outcome but they aren't going to blacklist you from working in the District or, yeah, literally stab you in the back." Hanafuda explains. "It's still a low stakes job, not even involving a singularity or Diamond Card games." Which probably makes sense, Yun's Office doesn't get the sorts of job offers that people kill over all that often which is partly why it doesn't make much money. ''Xion asking more questions about how to do the job.'' Hanafuda is happy to keep answering questions because that's her job to do. Well, she doesn't sound upset at least. "Just play some games so you seem like real patrons. As for the big game, you don't have to worry about paying in. It's settled. If you still want to know, it's a hundred thousand ahn buy in but in casino games, you pay to enter the game and everybody starts with the same number of chips. At least for Gold Card and lower games. Once you get to higher stakes games, people get a bit more creative about it I hear. Just don't throw away all your chips on the first game because then you'll have to leave before you see anything." Finn IS frowning concern that the cheater(s) in question haven't been caught yet but there wouldn't be a job if they had been. "That just means they're accustomed to typical cheating methods in the District. So it might be a good idea to think about how people cheat in the multiverse itself. At least, that's probably why we were hired. Even if we can't catch the cheater, if we can eliminate possible methods--that will probably appease the casino even if we fail to catch them." ''Would it be prudent to direct us towards the dealer of the later match--'' "The game will be in a private room, I can point you to it, but the dealer for the game is presently dealing in for blackjack for table fifteen." If Sonetto can catch a glimpse of Hanafuda, she will jerk her head to the private room in question which isn't too far out of the way, the doors have already been opened and a poker table has been set up, though a pair of casino employees are standing watch and nobody's inside yet. ''Right, but no loss if we don't return them if we lost them?'' Hanafuda gives Riku a nod at that. No doubt she, like, would like to recoup what she can but has accepted it as part of the cost of doing business. Whatever the payout she's hoping for the work she's doing must cover those chips and then some.
Angela	The Random Waitress strokes Riku's chin with an index finger, "Thanks, hon, the boss doesn't like it when our patrons have dry mouths." She winks with an eye and gives him the Inferno. It's a spicy margarita with tequila and, tomato juice, sour mix, a red pepper puree, and habanero hot sauce--a fair serving of it in fact! But by the time Riku is drinking it, the Random Waitress has already turned her attention to the others. She whistles appreciatively at Matilda being a ''discerning'' drinker. "Well, hon, I can definitely get you something like that. Tell me the table you'll be at and I'll bring it right over." There's like an hour so Matilda can give her whatever table, it's not going to take THAT long but before she turns, Matilda is giving another story for Sonetto on Sonetto's behalf. The Random Waitress covers her smile with her free hand (the other is holding the tray of drinks). "Oh alright, very well, a Paradise Cocktail for your friend then." Her eyes slit down towards Sonetto's arm not being in Matilda's before making that statement. "And then I'll be back with yours." She hands the colorful cocktail over to Sonetto. It looks like: https://3f4c2184e060ce99111b-f8c0985c8cb63a71df5cb7fd729edcab.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/media/15072/rainbowparadisecocktail.jpg It is primarily composed of grenadine, pneapple juice, coconut rum, blue curacao--but it's all layered up to create that colorful layering. The waitress departs shortly thereafter to fetch Matilda's drink. Presumably. ''Xion goes to play Baccarat!'' Among the players, there's a tall woman in black shoes, green slacks, and a black button down shirt with a white poncho as jacketwear, a red jewel hanging around her neck that doesn't looking too expensive. She has shaggy brown hair and green eyes and a wide brimmed hat on top of her head. She looks over to Xion as she approaches. "Haven't seen you at these tables before." The woman says. She must be a frequent gambler. "Love your style, very snazzy, could use a bit more flare but... You strike me as a dancer. You a dancer?" Finn seems a little uneasy about leaving Matilda and Sonetto behind and so follows them to their table so he can set it down on his lap as he sits down to join them. He isn't a particualrly good gambler and he has the easiest to read poker face one can imagine. There's another woman at this table. She's got long brown hair and is wearing what looks to be a Yurodiviye uniform--albeit one that clearly has seen better days. It's been scratched up, and there's some tears, and frayed bits of cloth and it's buttoned down haphazardly. There's alcohol on her breath and she has an axe on her back that looks like it's being held together by tape. "...That's the cheater." Hanafuda murmurs on the comms. "Three seats down from you." To make matters worse, as Matilda is losing chips, the Cheater is pulling chips in, giggling all the way. "Seems like luck isn't with you today." She says to Matilda. "Cards are the most reliable way to win." Which doesn't explain why she's playing a dice game. Fortunately, Random Waitress at least returns with Matilda's drink at about this point, eyes turning to watch over the Cheater for a moment.
Riku Asakura	Riku is blushing fiercely at the attention being shown to him, but he nods with a dry mouth when she explains about her boss not liking dry mouths on the casino floor. "It's quite right. Thank you for the drink," he says and takes a sip. Sonetto gets her drink as Riku takes his drink to look at the games available. This causes him to look around to see Maltilda losing at dice, and he decides not to do that, especially with the cheater being pointed out. Riku watches the other woman for a moment, trying to see if he can figure out how she's cheating at dice, or if luck really is on her side. He sits down at a blackjack table as he does so, dealing into the current hand. He plays conservatively, taking his chips away if he starts losing, but staying there if he starts winning. There are a lot of chips to spend, more than he could have ever earned doing part-time jobs back home. It makes him nervous to be around, but he tries to push through that nervousness and spend when he wins, and withdraws when he loses. "Maybe pull back Maltilda, try some cards instead of the dice, especially with Ms. Cheater there..." he says, not recognizing the uniform she wore, saying it over the microphone they have set up in their ear. The only thing he seemed to pick up on was that her gear was well-worn. Something he's had to do before. Especially with clothing. Tape from the weapon is a new one, though. It tells him that a fight with her might go their way if they have to face her directly.
Xion	Caught at the tail end of her thoughts, continuing for a bit into the matters of the casino's games, Xion lingers and explains. And, before that, she lingers and listens. The touching of the checkered piece and the longing looks, the distance of face and feeling. She doesn't have to press close, psychically, to see the cloth twist of a Heart move in space. Her lips come up again, another smile, very slight, head canted. "I haven't had to live like that, so, I wouldn't know. I think it's possible to change your mind. I think it's possible to have your mind changed for you. But, I don't think it could ever make the wrong sugar taste right. It's not like other places have sugar that tastes bad, even, just..." Discussion of drinks is something Xion leaves rolling in her meaning, having suggested the sweet drink for Sonetto, but something to very slowly nurse while working on their complimentary chip stack couldn't be out of place. A drink, free and forgotten, gave something for the hands to do, and an excuse not to talk as well if needs be. Xion's sense leaves Matilda with Sonetto, certainly getting the vibe that the girls know how to work together, despite the Paris conjecture. 'Just play some games' is easy enough, and hence why Xion heads for Baccarat. Baccarat won't reveal her skill level at poker to anyone watching out for observers, but it will put chips in play and give her some time to sit down and look around. Since she's fresh to the table she of course gets plenty of time to take some quiet action and observe while relaxing and glancing around, leaving minimum bets and dropping chips between player and banker without structure. Any further questions, even subvocalized, would be giveaways, so Xion doesn't get to mutter darkly about 'needing to know what she's supposed to know', and instead has table talk to operate through. "I suppose, same to you?" Xion returns with an amused look and remainingly lopsided grin, flipping over her cards as she's finally dealt into the table while, of course, betting on herself as the player. "That I've not seen you around, either." She clarifies with a wink, 'winning' the Baccarat flip with a seven (ten-seven) and turning over hand to lean against table. "I'm sure I could use more flair, but I'd rather look good and not be distracted than try to put on 'great' while I'm busy trying to win. Show up wearing what you need, you know?" She fires back, before she's asked a bit more of a personal question. "A dancer? Well. . ." Xion's crack of a grin carries into an admittance of "-I've been known to move.", and as the player passes away from her, she takes a pass on a hand to restack her chips and bridge up her neat rows into taller and narrower stacks. "I think I'd rather be dancing than playing cards, but one of those has more to do with Ahn than the other." She suggests, not quite able to blatantly glance over at the cheater to get a good eye on them. There's plenty of characters, but dialing in actually meant putting her game face on and playing the right games long enough to look like she knew what she was doing. She was really thankful the game was poker. She at least knew how to play poker! And baccarat, but, baccarat had a lot less rules.
Timekeeper	"The game will be in a private room, I can point you to it, but the dealer for the game is presently dealing in for blackjack for table fifteen." "Got it." When Sonetto is focused on the mission rather than the environment, she's an impeccable Fixer. Her eyes flick between the dealer and the private room, lingering on the guards for an imperceptible moment before nonchalantly wandering away, laying a discreet finger on her earpiece to activate it. She leans one elbow on the bar besides Matilda, sipping the... whatever it was that Matilda told her to order to cover her mouth. "Has the room been preemptively combed over for any accessories for cheating? Also, are the employees by the door associated with your unit of cheating-preventors, or are they considered unknown variables? " The most obvious way, Sonetto reasons, for a cheater to get away with cheating, would be to have the people who check whether someone's cheating be on their side. A casino employee must presumably already be an unscrupulous person due to their choice in employment, and therefore seems very prone to bribery by a criminal to set up any kind of mechanism or device that will help with their cheating, so she passively eyes the door to see if anyone goes in or comes out in a suspicious way. "Sonetto, be aware, that there is slightly more likelihood of a six to be rolled on a cube shaped die than any other number!" During the haze of being given instructions to navigate the stressful environment, Sonetto somehow ended up in a circumstance where her only nearby allies are Finn and Matilda. Taking stock of this fact all of a sudden, Sonetto ends up deciding that she can even take an interest in what Matilda is doing, because it is in her nature to be an assistant rather than the gambler up front. "I see. These minor considerations are what separates the novices from the experts, in matters of repeated variances of luck, aren't they? If one number is luckier, naturally another number must be unluckier." Matilda proceeds to lose. This doesn't actually change Sonetto's opinion at all, because she's aware of the fact that sometimes things happen one way even when they might have happened another way. It may inadvertently rub salt in her wound, that Sonetto's response comes after it's already declared that Matilda beefed it. "Yes, I am watching." "...That's the cheater." Enemy! Enemy spotted! Sonetto doesn't move for several seconds after the words come through her comms, casually shifting in her chair besides Matilda to rotate in the woman's direction. When she snarks at Matilda, Sonetto tilts her head to the side, hands in her lap. "Cards are the most reliable way to win." "Is that due to... the expression of skill?" The glyphs on the orb in the casino activated Sonetto's sharp doggy ears for any sense of magic going on here. She doesn't have the same kind of natural attentiveness as the Timekeeper, but if she gets a whiff of arcane activity off of the cheater, she'll follow that trail to its logical conclusion.
Foundation Scions	'Is Paris the home you bring with you, Matilda?' "Hein?" Matilda squeaks, actually, at the question. It's so out of the blue to be asked something like that by Sonetto, that she simply hadn't loaded the topic into her mind well enough to carry on in-stride. So, dizzy-eyed, she pulls together a rambly answer- "Well, er, I suppose, though Paris itself was only for some of the time... there was also the home of mon grand-père, which, I remember being warm, but... Paris, that is where my family is, so, it is where I am in spirit, no? I return there, when there is opportunity, I, someday, will live there again, if I am so lucky, so... yes! I do think so, no? Though, er, it is not as if that Paris I was born in still exists, and though the city is timeless in its fame..." A wistful little sigh. 'Those years as a child seem to have familiarized you to the outside world as well as my years as an adult.' "Eh? Er, but, most of what I myself have seen of it, has, has been more recent than my young childhood! I have travelled on-occasion, and, it's important to foster much curiosity, and an eagerness towards seeing new things! Ah..." 'Cheating using arcane skills while we are presently on a job to prevent cheating is deeply disrespectful. Don't do this.' "Hein? But, but I did not do any such thing! Simply knowing that it might be a lucky day to do such a thing as a job, that I could not change the day of, how is that cheating? It isn't such!" Her tone rises, the exact same way as defending how she totally isn't underhanded and dishonorable in a swordfight. However, Matilda, too, is appeased by Sonetto taking the lucky cat, because that's a good thing that proves she's lucky (Sonetto liked her gift object!!) and it immediately wipes any scandalized, defensive sentiment out of her mind completely to extrapolate a potential future where this leads to the two of them working together more, growing closer, falling in forbidden love, becoming even-more-famous investigators, yadda yadda- who has time for thinking about cheating at gambling with important wistful daydreaming to do! . . .
Foundation Scions	. . . 'Has the room been preemptively combed over for any accessories for cheating?' Mumbled to the earpiece, "If it has not, that is something I can ensure ease of, so fear not!" 'Seems like luck isn't with you today.' "Excuse me? Should I know you? Because I do not, and I am a very good knower of people, so, there! I will have you know that I am exceptionally lucky, in all things, and just whatever it is that you have observed, is an unremarkable gap in a broader image of fortune and good chance! Hmph!" Is she playing this up at all or is this just genuine Matilda? The glass clinks besides her, and she gives a quick 'Merci' to the wait-staff, before picking it up and taking a too-big sip, and trying not to wrinkle her face up from carbonation getting up to the back of her nasal cavity. "Besides, it does not count yet. I've only just now gotten my drink, so, clearly, this is all a prelude to better things, and the real luck is yet to come. You'll see, certainly, if you stick around to watch!" As mentioned, Matilda offers the drink first towards Sonetto to try, before snatching it back after. Freak. If rubbing the little cat keychain gives her a brief bit of luck, she'll expend that to see if she can roll just a little bit better against the cheater, in these dice games, because she simply needs to get her rating up! This doesn't necessarily mean that the way to do so is by playing well, but spending more is something that comes from playing more, at least. And, to that regard, she's got to do so quickly, because she has another little plan in place- Mumbled into her microphone, like a little prayer of luck when rolling, to disguise the words, somewhat anxious, "Finn, if you would please meet me soon by the powder room, with my orbuculum, as now is perhaps the best time to perform a divination ritual, before the poker game begins. If spotting her manipulation is so tricky, we will need all the help I can give, no?" Dice roll, mumbling done, and games carry on until she sets her glass (only half-emptied, she's savoring it, because if it's the glass Sonetto has also sipped from and thus an important object to keep around) down on its napkin. A little louder, but fitting her boasting demeanor, she announces, "I'll be excusing myself briefly! " and then skedaddles away, to go perform strange bathroom rituals. It's fine to light candles in those, right? One retreated, and set up as much as she can in the semi-privacy of a public bathroom, with incense and charms from her bowling ball bag and the all-important crystal ball, Matilda is querying her orb for two things: one, a vision of leads on any sort of cheating mechanism, should there be one, and two, a vision of what to watch out for in the cheater's own behaviors. Both incantations take minutes to set up, to view, and to fuss over. Better hope the security guards don't get worried for her.
Angela	The Random Waitress is lingering by the group, occassionally stopping by one or another to offer a drink, though she lingers by Matilda and Sonetto the most and Xion the least. She rubs at her prosthetic arm periodically, but eventually she vanishes away to tend to the other customers. "My style's impeccable. Both in attire and on the dancefloor." The woman with Xion says. "You've been ''known'' to move, have you?" Her lips twist into a smile. "Name's Aida. You should show me how you move sometime so I can ''know'' you too." She turns from the game, waving a hand that she's skipping the round. "You know, my crew--they believe the best way to get to know someone is to see their dance form. Whether they're a good dancer or an amateur, you can only really know 'em once you've seen how they move to the beat. Helpful in a scrap too, that's a kind of dance too after all. But everyone prefers the partner to dance with rather than dance at, no? Tell me how I get to see you move." ''Has the room been preemptively combed for any accessories for cheating?'' "Yeah, plenty of times. Feel free to give it a look over yourself if you think we missed something though. The security here should be reliable, though they are with the casino--not us--but I can't say it's impossible for them to be in on something. Not a mindreader. If they are in on it, this is a more serious issue than we thought." ''Is that due to... the expression of skill?'' "Mm..." The woman seems to be surprised by the question, glancing up at the ceiling as she ponders over it. "I'd say it's just the odds. Each game has a 'house edge'." Miss Cheater says. "Poker's good if you know what you're doing, but it's also got the toughest competition, but the best game if you want good odds is Blackjack. Craps is also good--not cards, and it's not as newbie friendly, but once you get the hang of it the odds aren't bad there either. Never do the slots unless you want to throw away money, the house edge in slots is crazy. It's all flash and fun but if you want to win, stay away." The orb seems anachronistic to the casino--it might be foreign--but it doesn't seem to be emanating any arcane energy, it's some sort of technological device. By and large, The City doesn't really acknowledge magic as ''magic'' but that doesn't mean that some of the 'City Tech' doesn't ping as arcane enough for such senses. For example, Matilda's keychains ping as 'arcane'--the person who sold her those lucky keychains and claimed they would boost her fortune wasn't lying, though the effect seems mild. And it's inert. Inactive until Matilda performs the activation function. "The typical cheating methods we encounter usually involve Luck Boosting Tattoos. Every time we've checked our cheater for them we haven't found them. They can be washable or permanent, but there's all sorts of charms that have that effect so it's not always tats." A fair number of people at the casino seem to have some similar tools to the lucky keychains on their person of varying strengths and potencies, though most are so mild as to be essentially unnoticeable. But strangely enough, Miss Cheater doesn't seem to have any sort of 'luck boosting' item on her, at least not one that Sonetto she can sense. What she DOES have is some sort of aura around her axe. It's very faint, as if it hasn't been used for a while, but there's an echo of some form of cyrokinetic augmentation around that axe of hers though it's presently not active.
Angela	Finn turns his head and admits over the comms, "She probably wouldn't be cheating ''now'' if her goal is to cheat in the games. I don't see any of the typical charms or tats though it probably wouldn't be displayed out in the open anyway. .... Uh, but I do know that's a Yurodiviye uniform, but it looks old. We helped protect one of their distribution centers recently--" Though of course they're not in a position to plug the Yurodiviye for information and Finn knows it so he looks a bit bashful for even bringing it up. ''I will have you know that I am exceptionally lucky, in all things--'' "Wow wow, color me corrected..." Miss Cheater says. "Sorry for butting in. Call me Rodya, now you know me and all's well yeah?" She gives Matilda a lobsided grin. "No, no, you're right. That's a good point. Luck doesn't count until you get your drinks. Best way to hear Lady Luck's whispers. I can stick around to watch for a little while but I'm in the poker tourney coming up so you gotta win before that." She doesn't know that Matilda's going to be there! Matilda uses her keychain which, coincidentally, will help Sonetto recognize when the 'Lucky' artifact is activated. Rodya's eyes glance to the keychain but doesn't make mention of it. She bets moderately and loses to Matilda on the next dice roll. "Well well well..." Rodya says. "Looks like you showed me. I shouldn't have doubted you." She waves a hand indicating she's quitting while she's down and ends up swaying unsteadily to her feet, resting her hand on the chair to keep herself from falling over. "Looks like they're opening up the room." She says. "If you want to ask your friend Rodya for more tips later, hit me up later." She starts wobbling towards the poker table. There's still time before the game starts but Rodya immediately rests her head on the table and closes her eyes, waving off attempts from the Random Waitress (who, weirdly enough, also seems to have some sort of psychokinetic item hidden in their uniform) to bring her water. Looks like said Waitrees is working that Poker Room. Aida is slow to move to that room, waiting to hear what Xion has to say before making her way over. ''Finn, if you would please meet me soon by the powder room...'' Finn, who hasn't been feeling helpful so far, is happy for the chance to do a task for Matilda. "Sure thing, Matilda!" He beams, hefting the orbuculum in both arms, cradling it like it's his own baby and that the world will explode if he drops it. Finn will helpfully take the orbuculum over and will linger nearby in case she needs anything else, occassionally assuring security away from what Matilda's up to. He's so earnest he's having pretty good luck with that. And when Matilda queries the orb, she'll notice that there is a swirl of chaotic probability involved in the upcoming poker game. In other words, plenty of people are going to be cheating. But strangely enough as it pertains to Rodya, that is the one thing NOT to look out for. If Rodya is cheating, she's not using probability magic. Instead the orb warns of ... something involving the temperature? "Game's starting soon, I'll be joining in the room but I won't be able to communicate directly for obvious reasons." Hanafuda says over comms.