Place Your Bets, Ladies! (IC)

[Heritage]

"I'd love one, thank you very much," Wisp smiled. "I'm pretty sure the dorm's laundry machines drums are made of aluminum and plastic so I'll actually be able to clean it. But having it melt off my back in public... . Yeah, that would be bad. Would be one heck of an icebreaker though wouldn't it?"

“Mmm, yeah, might want to wait until college, then. Ah screw it.†Grim held her hands in front of herself, and with a sudden snap there was an identical shirt in her hands, which she handed over to the striking-looking young woman. “There we go, should fit you fine.â€

--Sorry I'm late.--

The shapeshifter chuckled as she unconsciously raised a hand up to her head. “Wow, haven’t felt that since my days on the Knights! Takes a bit of getting used to, but I should be fine. Nice to meet you, Sage! Grab some food and pull up a chair.â€

"Mostly Grim just has some uncanny word of mouth skills,"

“My mouth is uncanny in general.†The petite brunette winked as she began to shuffle the cards, easily flipping them back and forth as she did a few card stunts. “So I think that’s everyone, right? Now since we gotta a few young people here tonight, I’m suggesting no real money changes hands here; say a fifty dollar chip buy-in, or should be go ‘crazy’ and set it higher?â€

"I hope we're not going to make an issue of appearances,"

"Unless we're going to have a contest about whose powers are the most...alien."

“That would be wrong, I’m thinkin’.†As she continued to creatively shuffled the deck, her hair and eye color slowly began to mimic Wisp’s. “To use an obvious poker reference, we usually don’t have much control of the hand we’re dealt, am I right?â€

[Azuth65]

Wisp set the shirt on the floor next to her chair and patted the small bulge in her pocket. "Glad you aren't going to be calling for an actual buy-in. I don't think I could afford it right now."

Thinking of her deflated wallet she sighed, "I need to get an after school job."

[Fox]

Dragonfly had managed to scare up a couple plates of food while people chatted - both carrying a decent arrangement of the available food, from pizza to the rapidly-depleting lobster nachos - one of which she surrendered to Jill. "Seems reasonable," she noted, pausing in the middle of picking up a buffalo wing, and tilting her head. "Buy-in, I mean. Not appearances. Though that too - odd superficial details matter very little. In theory." She shook her head, and shrugged. "Actually came prepared to...term. Spot? People money, if they needed it. But cash-less game is fine as well - less worry, maybe."

[Aoiroo]

Sil continued eating, only deciding to join when the conversation came back around to poker.

"Cashless is fine. Though we do something like substitute chips for oreos, or maybe lifesavers."

She gave a smile as she set aside her food,

"Otherwise probably not skit around gambling laws because I'm betting that there are at least a few cameras that might document such unherolike activities."

Letting out a light laugh she glanced around the table,

"So Grim you dealer, also what're we playing, Hold 'em, Omaha, Five Card Stud, I'm fond of Follow The Queen myself though you might not be familiar with it."

[April]

The other white-haired girl's words stung, but the sting faded when Fusion spoke up and was completely gone by the time the telepath took her seat at the table. From a logical viewpoint Sage could understand why the comment was made, people are often leery around telepaths, but knowing that didn't make it hurt any less; especially against the backdrop of the agony she inflicted on so many people when her abilities manifested and ran amok. As it is, her smile faltered just slightly but reestablished itself.

--Perhaps it's just as well,-- Sage said as she settled into her chair, --Playing without cash. Without Edge here to back me up I might have tossed the keys to the Veyron into the pot. Not that Paladin let me have the keys tonight.-- The psychic suddenly looked thoughtful. --I never knew my brother was a precog.--

Partially opening the seal on her costume and peeling the clinging material away from her cheeks and neck so that it lay open like a flared collar, Sage quirked an eyebrow at her hostess. --Perhaps you can explain this game to me?--

[Azuth65]

Wisp noticed the subtle wince cross the telepath's face and felt a stab of regret for her choice of words. Way to go jackass, make yourself look like a prick to the people you're trying to make friends with.

As Sil mentioned alternatives to chips using candies and cookies a smile crossed Wisp's face and she recalled a Halloween five years previous where she and some of her friends had spent almost six hours ringing doorbells asking for candy then taking the haul home and playing a simplified form of blackjack with their sugary rewards. "That is a good idea Sil. If we did this again, maybe we should schedule the game for shortly after a major candy-selling holiday though. If we'd waited four days we could also throw in a sub-game of chocolate Russian roulette," she chuckled.

"As for our game tonight, I have to confess, I'm a poker virgin. I never even watched the various tournaments on TV. It struck me as kinda like watching NASCAR, kind of a waste of airwaves that could be better used with an episode of Mythbusters or the like."

[Gizmo]

"I'm not not making an issue," Jill clarified hastily, spreading her free hand outward as she accepted the plate from Dragonfly and took a seat. "There's just this guy Sage hangs out with who... enh, never mind." It was probably just a coincidence, and if it wasn't she probably didn't want to know the detail anyway. "Some of us are actually planning to use the ol' college fund," she drawled as the conversation turned to betting, "so that's just as well."

[April]

Sage chuckled and took a good look at Wisp. --I see what you mean Jill,-- the telepath said, --but that wouldn't happen; not in this universe at least. Don't get me wrong, he's a good guy and a great friend.--

The psychic removed her gloves and tucked them into one of her thigh pouches. --But it's that pesky Y chromosome, it's just not my thing.--

[Avenger Assembled]

"Superheroes should stick to gambling with adrenaline," offered Fusion. "At least until they're old enough to be betting their own money. Getting your kicks with adventure is a lot more fun." She gave a hissy sort of laugh and went on, "Better to be addicted to wearing the costume than addicted to craps." She scooped over a plate for herself, picking up some of Wisp's hot wings. When she ate, her mouth was exposed, showing even white teeth. "I'd suggest five-card draw. It's simple, easy to remember, and doesn't take long between rounds." She studied the others, taking in everything they said, but opted not to comment on teen relations till she heard more.

"In fact, why don't we do just that?" Fusion went into action, moving chairs and tables around as discreetly as possible, tentacles extending over everyone's head in a rapid bit of motion as she worked. Joan was a superhero, but she was also a mom who'd organized kids games in the past. Even if her kid preferred inside games that didn't even get you sweating..."Seven's a big game, but I think we can make it work. I suggest we sit Jill O'Cure, Dragonfly, Sage, myself, Grim, Silhouette, and Wisp, wasn't it? Like so. She demonstrated an arrangement where Jill O'Cure sat opposite her, then the others all ticked around the table clockwise until they came back to the quip-wielding healer. "Unless any of you girls has a better idea?" She had to remind herself that these were equals.

[Heritage]

"I'd suggest five-card draw. It's simple, easy to remember, and doesn't take long between rounds."

Grim frowned slightly at the suggested game, but had no problem with the seating arrangements.

"Uh, yeah, this looks good; I'll be honest, I've only played Texas hold 'em and I suck at that, so I can't imagine stud will be that much different."

She held up her hand and fanned several conjured cheat cards showing all the possible poker hands. "Anybody need one? I know I do. Fuze, if you wanna explain the rules, I'd appreciate it." An open bottle of Corona appeared in her hand and she took a long swig; this was gonna be interesting.

[Fox]

Dragonfly glanced at the cheat cards, committing their contents to memory as she sat down in her tentacle-designated seat next to Jill. "Mmh. Haven't played much myself. Should be...interesting." count cards? - could - cheating? - likely a poor player - evens things out? - unfair advantage - see how it goes first "Quick run through rules might be good. Suspect you know more about the game than many of us."

[Aoiroo]

Sil smiled at the cheat cards,

"I'm more a hold'em girl myself, but studs fine as well. Basic game, five cards a person, go around make your bets, discard four cards draw new ones than go around and bet until your not willing to anymore. After that, we lay them down and see who takes the pot. Pretty simple really, hold'em's a bit more exciting. Hold'em, everyone gets two cards than you do a round of bets and you can only deal with the hand your dealt. Four cards are flipped by the dealer off the deck and you see if you can play with those cards than you bet again, 'nother card goes off the deck, bet again, than last card and last bets. Person with the best hand played with the cards onthe table and the cards you were dealt personally takes the pot."

Glancing over at Grim she straightened her posture and reached for her another dip covered nacho,

"So what'll be our play currency for tonight?"

[Avenger Assembled]

She has a very strange accent. I wonder where she's from. It would explain her social problems. It can't be easy to try and function in a group this large, poor thing. She must not get out much. Fusion was a big believer in socialization, especially for girls whose mothers had evidently run off and left them to be raised by wolves so that they didn't know better than to talk over people. When Silhouette was done talking, Fusion politely explained the rules of draw poker, suggesting they limit themselves to five cards and drawing three to shorten things out. "I think we've got good numbers here. " She started shuffling as she talked, then began dealing. "All right, our game is five-card draw. I, ah, left my purse in my other bodysuit, but I'll let you ladies decide what we bet."

[Gizmo]

Jill accepted the cheat card from Grim but placed it face down in front of her without much of a glance as she occupied herself throughout Fusion's explanation of the game's rules by surreptitiously sliding her leg under the table to brush against Dragonfly's. Although her brother had somewhat downplayed the spade themed element to his heroic identity since the showdown with Jakken Staff and his followers, and Jill herself had never made much public acknowledgment that she technically held the position of Jack of Coins, there was no denying a more than passing familiarity with card games. Whether that was some inherited predisposition or the result of growing up in a competitive though close family was hard to say. "You wanna just make up some chips, Grim?" she suggested when the topic of betting came up.

[Heritage]

"You wanna just make up some chips, Grim?"

Grim frowned as she gently moved aside a few paper plates. "I actually bought some chips, which have mysteriosuly disappeared...ah, here we go!" She held the tubes of poker chips in one hand while gesturing at them with the other, not unlike a Price is Right model. "I figured real chips were more honest, but if people want, I can conjure up, like, a ton of Thin Mints to use for bidding. I could even make them different colors."

She started to unwrap the chips and put them into neat piles by color. "Does a five dollar ante sound good?"

She'd been pointedly ignoring her cards until the bidding issue was resolved; she also wasn't too keen to see just how crappy her first hand was, at least not right away.

Who knows, maybe I'll be lucky for once.

[Avenger Assembled]

"Five dollars," agreed Joan, hmming as she put two cards down and deal herself two more. She put the five dollars in the pot, then sat back to study the others. "So, you ladies are new to gambling, eh? I'm no veteran myself, but I've been around a few times. There's this great casino in Osaka that's built inside the hollowed-out shell of one of the first giant space robots that invaded the Pacific back in the early 50s. The whole operation's in there, all the way from the waterpark in the feet to the revolving restaurant in the head. Back when I was working in the Japanese sphere, they comped everyone on our team free tickets as long as we made sure no bad guys ever took it down. You've got to watch yourself with those giant robots, some of them are quicker than quick and stronger than strong."

[Heritage]

After distributing the requisite fifty dollars in chips to each player, the changeling finally had a look at her cards.

"So, you ladies are new to gambling, eh? I'm no veteran myself, but I've been around a few times. There's this great casino in Osaka that's built inside the hollowed-out shell of one of the first giant space robots that invaded the Pacific back in the early 50s. The whole operation's in there, all the way from the waterpark in the feet to the revolving restaurant in the head. Back when I was working in the Japanese sphere, they comped everyone on our team free tickets as long as we made sure no bad guys ever took it down. You've got to watch yourself with those giant robots, some of them are quicker than quick and stronger than strong."

Grim considered her cards for a bit with a fairly neutral expression, discarded two and received two replacements from the tentacled dealer.

"Well, I once dated a Japanese robot, so having dinner inside one might be a bit weird; I mean, he wasn't a giant robot...actually I guess he kinda was, compared to me anyways, but then most folks are. Giants, that is."

She tossed her five dollar ante into the pot and took another sip of conjured Corona.

[Aoiroo]

Throwing the five chip starting in the pot, Sil looked at her cards while she let one of her hands hover over them like she was picking and choosing. Pulling out all but one she slipped them into the discard pile and drew four more.

"I play semi-regularly, tournaments sometimes, usually Hold'Em since it's the most popular casino version. The whole giant robot thing isn't that surprising either, though I hardly see the purpose. If all those scientists who spent time making such sophisticated remote controlled AIs could just patent or work honestly they could probably make a lot more money than running around challenging heroes and stealing stuff."

[Avenger Assembled]

Fusion gave Grimalkin a look, the huge white eyepieces over her face narrowing as she studied the little pixie suspiciously. "I didn't know male robots were even _made_ in Japan, much less ones with interest in 'dating' human women. In my experience, half the AIs that come out of Japanese-influenced technological systems were programmed by some poorly-socialized otaku with his own perverted image of what femininity should be. Sounds like you got lucky if you found one worth your time." To Silhouette, she added, "You're damn right. The problem is, there are too many people with incredible talents and powers without the morality and basic human decency to back it up. Those skeezy superscientists are the worst. I'm glad we've got men like Viktor Archeville here in Freedom City to set things straight."

[Gizmo]

"So are they sarcastic tentacle quotes when you use them?" Jill drawled dryly as she glanced confidently at her hand and rolled one of her chips in her hard as she waited for play to reach her. The coltish teen evidently didn't much appreciate the tone Fusion had taken with Grim, though her tone remained on the friendly side of challenging. "Anyway, 'Japanese-influenced' doesn't exactly rule out a lot of tech companies. It's not like AIs can help where they were born any more than anybody else."

[Avenger Assembled]

"Honey," said Fusion, sounding half-amused and half-fatigued, "I appreciate your open-mindedness, but when you've had a chance to see up close and personal that Solo Takashi's robots really are anatomically correct and he really does do with them everything his sicko freak mind can imagine, we'll see how enthusiastic you are about embracing robots built by sex freaks. Don't get me wrong," she added, "I've marched in my share of Galatea Parades. Sentient AIs deserve the same rights as anyone else with intelligence and self-awareness, and I think it's a damn shame this country makes it so tough on them. But that means the bad ones get the same treatment that bad humans do, whether that's lockup or just people like us tearing them a new one when they're causing trouble."

Joan hmmed, not wanting to make an enemy of a kid who was guilty of nothing other than having some passion. "Like what you and Jack of all Blades did to those robots at the bank robbery last month. That was some really fine work, especially when you backed up the new guy like that. Not a lot of heroes your age have what it takes to be part of a Daring Duo."

[Fox]

"Solo....Doc Otaku?" Dragonfly distractedly asked, frowning at her cards and trying to run numbers in her head while she conversed. "Not fond of the name. Or his style. Still, does impressive work; would very much enjoy getting my hands on one of his creations."

She tilted her head, reaching for some chips...and paused, blinking as she realized just how that sounded. "....for science. To research, I mean," she backpedaled, glancing up at Fusion and then at Jill, and back again. "Take apart. Have no respect for the creator, but the creations are well-made by all indications. Engineering curiosity. Would learn a lot. Haven't built in that style - usually stick to steel and glass, bypasses challenges...in...mmh...." Her head sunk back down on her shoulders, partly hiding her face behind her cards. "....n...nevermind."

[Gizmo]

"It's okay, querida, we knew what you meant," Jill assured Dragonfly with a sympathetic smile, pressing her knee gently against the inventor's leg under the table. The look the medic gave the rest of the table discouraged commenting to contrary. She quirked an eyebrow, surprised that Fusion had heard about that particular tussle, but quickly hid it behind nonchalance. "Well, who seriously tries robbing a bank in Freedom anymore, really? The brain trust those guys were not."

[April]

Sage left her cards face down on the table; after they were dealt she already took a quick glance and committed her hand to memory. Selecting a card seemingly at random, the telepath passed it back to the dealer as she followed the conversation with her eyes. --I know one of Otaku's creations. I met her last year,-- Sage remarked, --Sweet girl, and I'm happy she broke free of that bastards control.--

[Heritage]

As Grim continued to study both her own hand and the faces of the other players, a wide variety of emotions flickered over her face as they discussed various aspects of Japanese robot culture; amusement, frustration, remorse. Dragonfly's hilarious correction made her smile; the more she saw of her the more she liked the girl, and was happy to see her and Jill were such a good fit.

Clearing her throat, she finally chimed in again on the whole 'robot question'. "Uh, I guess I kinda misspoke earlier; Nanowire was a Japanese boy who was turned into a robot, not, y'know, built in a secret lab or something." Lifting her beer back up to her lips, she leveled her gaze at Fusion. "He died saving me from the Yakuza, so he must not have been all bad, right?"

As soon as she said it, she regretted it; setting her beer down on the table with a dull thud, she focused intently on her hand, doing her best to set her cards on fire with her mind.