sirenspull_logs | a lady doesn't wander all over the room [POKER GAME]

Who: Tonegawa and anyone who wants to come play poker or just mingle!
When: Evening of June 5th, from around 6-9pm (travel home included, etc)
Where: Ukyou's teahouse
Summary: Tonegawa's hosting a poker evening (see here); hope you've got a good hand, because not everyone is going to play fairly. It should make for an interesting game.
Warnings: Probably language.

[Rather than nominating his own apartment as the spot for their game, Tonegawa has chosen to opt for more of an open house- in more ways than one, now that he’s allowing most people in provided they don’t make any trouble for him. The late Ukyou’s teahouse, while not quite in line with his usual sleek, modern affairs, seems a fair compromise, and better than renting something so serious as a conference room in a hotel- this is, after all, to be a casual game.

That said, he’s still had Western tables and chairs moved into the room- not perfectly in keeping with the décor, but to hell with having to sit on the floor for the entire evening- and made sure it opens onto a small private courtyard for the smokers. Drinks are served by a couple of the house’s geisha. Casual doesn’t have to mean sloppy, after all. He takes care of his guests.

They’re due to start at around seven, but there’s plenty of time to take in the spring rains with a cold drink and a little pre-competition conversation. Chat. Doubtless, the company will be varied- not too varied, if Laforet-kun is doing her job properly, but certainly worth a word or two.]

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[ Another guest comes into the teahouse, and as she enters Claire happens to catch sight of a familiar slouch outside in the drizzle. He catches hold of the door before one of the geishas can slide it shut again, hops out into the courtyard and strides over to tap his friend on the arm. ]

Hey. If I'd known you were coming I'd have asked if you wanted to work out a code beforehand. Turn a chip counter-clockwise if you want me to raise, that sorta thing? [ It's not 100% a joke but he grins like it is, just in case of eavesdroppers. And Kaiji looks a little like he could use a light-hearted ice-breaker. Claire had seen him go through a whole spectrum of gambling-related tension during that unfortunate tournament a few months back, but where this expression fits on it he's not quite sure. ]

[You'll have to forgive him if he seems a little twitchy. Kaiji starts as Claire taps his arm, head jerking around like he's expecting to see a bouncer twice his size looming over him rather than a friend. Actually, he kind of turns out to be half right anyway.]

Ah... Claire... [he relaxes, managing a small, if slightly shaken, smile of his own] Sure, why not? With your left hand for a flush, right for a straight?

[If he's being serious, Kaiji hasn't picked up on it just yet. He's a little surprised to see him here, to be honest; he'd replied to that Network post before saying he'd be interested but...

Claire can take care of himself, he knows that. So, why's he's feeling so uneasy about it?]

[ Claire laughs despite the nervous twitch. ] Yeah, works for me. [ Serious or not he's got it memorized now.

The grin droops along with his increasingly soggy cowlick. ] You okay? You seem kinda het up about something.

[a pause] Let's get under cover. Like Tonegawa's gonna let you in if there's any chance of you dripping on his Italian loafers.

[Why yes, that is a touch of bitterness but for once it's not just barely restrained scorn- it meant to cover his uncertainty. He said "you", not "us". The odds of Tonegawa letting him in are looking increasingly slim based on the company he attempting to court tonight. A bunch of suits with too much money to burn.

Kaiji ducks under the roof for shelter, shaking out his hair.

[quietly] ... what're you doing here, man?

[ Claire juts his jaw out childishly. He hovers a moment, debating whether to try and drag whatever's on Kaiji's mind out of him or roll with that subject change.

A second later he ducks under the covering alongside Kaiji and leans back on the wall. After all the breaks he's gotten from him he probably owes at least one get-out-of-awkward-questioning-free card. For now. ]

Well, there's this poker game going on. [ Grin. Okay, he'll do you the service of not being totally facetious in the face of a serious question. ] ... I take it you know Tonegawa, right? When he made that post about it a while back I just figured, why not? I'm as good with cards as the next fella. [ He shoots a questioning look. Isn't that a good enough reason? ]

[Kaiji licks his lips- the question alone makes him unusually antsy. That's a whole new can of worms right there. Of course, he does owe Claire something of an explanation. He was so honest with him about his own past that... well, it would be unfair to hold out. They're supposed to be friends, right?]

[after a short pause] Yeah. I know him. Comes from the same place I do.

[Hopefully that will speak for itself.]

Ah. [ That does go a long way to explaining things. Knowing the way Kaiji acts around some of the Lion's Gate clientele that fit Tonegawa's type... the man must either be the cause of that or just provoke the same symptoms for some reason. ]

Some bad blood between you guys, I take it. [ That also explains the stressed-out aura going this guy's putting out right now. Claire glances at the teahouse where he swears he can see a beak-nosed silhouette through a paper door before looking back at Kaiji. ] ... Your poker face is lookin' a little worse for wear already, buddy. You sure you wanna do this?

You could say that.

[You could. And that's all he's admitting to right now. Still, he weakens a little at Claire's concern, even smiling- and it's a much more vulnerable smile than normal too, lacking any of its usual bitter, sneering quality. The other man could see through any false bravado easily, he's sure of it... and besides, he's feeling oddly comfortable laying his unease so bare before him. He trusts him with it.]

[clapping a hand to his shoulder] It'll hold up. Not that it'd do much good even if it was completely perfect. [he leans in, lowering his voice] Just a heads up, Claire. He might be all smiles right now but deep down he's just a fuckin' shark bearing his teeth- he fights dirty. Expect him to do it tonight.

[ Claire nods. Tonegawa didn't strike him as the type to let scruples get in the way of winning but he'd come along anyway, never able to step down from a perceived challenge. What drove Kaiji to come here despite how seriously he's taking the risk still isn't clear to him... ] I'm not surprised. Another pig that's just a shark in a suit, huh. [ Uh. Squint. That was probably an animal metaphor too far. ] - - If y'know what I mean.

[ He clasps a hand to Kaiji's arm reassuringly. ] If we're both watchin' out for him he can't get away with much.

a lady doesn't wander all over the room [POKER GAME]

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sakss where did this reply go

kaiji must have smoked it by mistake!

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