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

[12second_orz]

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.]

Comments

[vinovidivici]

[ No reaction from the room except one man's exasperated sigh as another card is laid down and Claire's smile taking on Cheshire Cat proportions. He wasn't trying to coax her into speaking telepathically but it's always a welcome decision when she does choose to, her voice as refined and charming to him as the rest of her.

Her question's a tricky one, though. Not in itself, so much, more in how to go about expressing the answer. He's not any good at voicing these things even when he can use his actual voice. Thinking back to the ASL lessons they had with Tim he manages a Because and tries to make it look careless enough to pass as a headscratch to everyone else. After that he seems momentarily stumped. ]

[fidele]

[ It isn't immediately clear to her that the smile is due to her voice, but it brings her to draw a soft breath, lips parting as if in preparation to question it. Her fingers twitch and curl slightly in her lap in reaction to his motion-- that, in comparison, is instantly understood-- while her look remains unmoving, for a few seconds.

Claire... is puzzling her, but the puzzlement has become more akin to the routine bemusement she often faces him and his ideas with than any words lost between them. An offhand, practically whispered 'because' and no continuation. It's teasing-- even she can recognise that.

Wishing she could sign back as offhandedly without making herself stand out (gesturing is not as natural for her as it is for her fiancé), her gaze darts aside to nobody in particular but her mind stays sharp, focused, although nearly as conversational as her tone ever manages to be at best. That isn't a reason. You are playing to win. ]

[vinovidivici]

[ Claire smirks at the bemused look on her face and shrugs his eyebrows. Okay, he gets the message. Be serious. But she's not exactly discouraging him from getting distracted when she's making faces like that.

While Chane might be wishing she could gesture like him, Claire's wishing he could borrow his fiancée's telepathy for the moment. He tilts his head to one side gently and sighs - or rather he mimes it. Audible sighing would draw too many angry looks from the men currently revealing their hands one by one. Hopefully she gets the message anyway: if he could talk to her it would make sitting out less boring. And then he straightens again, looks her straight in the eyes and as subtly as possible mouths two words to reassure her - next time. In this game you can't expect to win every battle, but Claire's still set on winning the war. ]

[fidele]

[ Keeping a straight face (what she judges is a straight face, comparitively) is more difficult when Claire animates the very air around him by his silent motions, which draw her eye and a slow surveying blink after a second. The other players make their own expressions of resignation, grudging defeat or hope for the next round, and it only highlights how easily he's managed to draw her attention. Amongst the others present he isn't outstanding by mere observation. But looking away now, ignoring him for the rest of the game is unthinkable.

It doesn't stop her from trying nonetheless, although he interrupts her small attempt to shift her gaze onto the person at his side. And another image flashes before her; her eyes flicker, her expression seems to halt as though repressing a gasp, only for it to show all the more noticeably on her features. 'Next time'.

Whether it reads clearer on his mouth for her attention or by aid of her power is unconfirmed, but for the latter, her concentration breaks-- slips away neglected, unable to maintain the telepathic link whilst communicating with him this simply. Uninterested in backtracking and regaining that control over it, Chane sits back slightly, holding his gaze so strongly it almost seems like a threat not to break away-- win. ]

[vinovidivici]

[ Oh boy does he love you, Chane. Even if she just wants him to score one over her boss - he doesn't think that's what that look is, but even if it was - that's enough to get him fired up for the next round like he hasn't been all night. It's like an adrenaline shot. Even if it's a game of chance he's suddenly as full of confidence as when he goes up against someone in a fight. And as dangerous as he knows that false confidence is, as aware as he is of how much work he put into making sure there was no place for chance in those fights, he can't help but buy into it a little. What kind of satisfying storyline would it be if he didn't win after catching a look like that from the heroine? The audience wouldn't stand for it. Especially not an audience that consists of just him.

This must be what that new musical flick they'd seen meant when the fella sang "luck be a lady tonight", huh.

Claire meets the challenge in her gaze and grins almost wide enough to show each of his teeth, not even breaking away after he's sure she'd have got the message. You got it.

If he wins this the money is going on that new dress they saw the other week for sure. ]