Games Day

[21stcenturyguy]

Characters: Aoi 'Santa' Kurashiki, OPEN
Where: Heroes' Observatory, Aqures Ixen
When: Sat, Sept 24th
Summary:  It's been quiet lately. Boring. Let's have a game night. Don't worry, your survival does not depend on your ability to solve stupid puzzle games.
Warning: As always for Santa, language warning. And with any Hero log, it may descend into chaos, violence, and/or bizarre events.

A. A Mognet Letter to all Heroes (Fri, Sept 23rd)

Yo. Is it just me, or has it been kinda boring around here lately? We should get together and play some games or something. Poker, Baccarat. I can teach you if you don't know how to play.  You nerds can even bring your weird Triple Triad cards and your board games and stuff. It'll pass the time.

-Santa

B. Games Day (Sat, Sept 24th)

[It's taking place in one of the big rooms in the observatory. Santa's borrowed tables and chairs from some of the surrounding rooms, and he's set up them up with poker chips and fresh packs of cards. He's also made bought some snacks, which he's set up on tables along the side of the room.

If Heroes are up for gambling, there are tables where they can play for gil or for favors. Santa is there in his bank suit, and he's happy to act as your dealer. Just remember, the house always wins. Don't worry, any gil you lose goes to charity. There are also tables for Heroes playing just for fun. LAME. ]

Comments

[damn_juicebox]

[Rukia nods in understanding. Hearts, diamonds, flowers, and...leaves? Probably leaves.]

Do they matter in this game?

[She pulls herself up onto the stool next to him, looking down at the cards. Should she turn them over, or should she wait for his instructions? Probably best to wait. She can be a good student when she wants to learn more about the living world customs.]

[21stcenturyguy]

In this game, there used to be a bonus if you won with an Ace and a black Jack, but that rule isn't really in use anymore. It's just the numbers that matter now.

[Rukia receives two cards, the 8 and 2 of 'Flowers', face down. Santa deals the cards around to the other players, and in front of himself, places one card, the 8 of Hearts, up, and a second card face down.]

Look at your cards. The goal is to get 21 points without going over. You can stay with what you have, or I can 'hit' you with another card. You usually place bets, and the person who gets the highest value without 'busting' wins.

[damn_juicebox]

[Rukia checks her cards, studying them thoughtfully. If the goal is to get 21, then it seems obvious she can't get there without taking a small risk. Unless she gets a Queen or King, she should be fine. Tapping her chin thoughtfully, she inclines her head.]

Very well. I request a hit!

[Betting could come later, she wants to learn the game first.]

[21stcenturyguy]

[Santa flips her a card, face up. It's the Jack of Hearts.]

Shit, guess I should explain. For this game, all the face cards are value 10. It's easier to get 21 that way. Ace is either 1 or 11.

[Santa's...not a very good teacher. Sorry Rukia. He's used to leaving notes with helpful hints scattered around and letting people piece the puzzle together for themselves.]

[damn_juicebox]

Oh! Then I have a twenty!

[She should probably wait to announce her cards after everyone else has had a turn to examine theirs and place their bets. But as she's not gambling anyway, it doesn't make much difference to her.]

Since it would be unlikely to draw an ace, I should refuse any further cards, correct?

[21stcenturyguy]

Yeah, you're gonna hold.

[It's fine. If the others couldn't tell this is a tutorial round, then they deserve to be disappointed.

Santa deals with the other players, then turns to his cards. His face-down card is revealed to be a 2, giving him a total of 10. He flips himself another, 7 of Clubs.]

Ok, if this was 1 on 1, I'd take one more card, to try to beat you. But since we got others, and I'm beatin' them, I'm gonna hold. If we were bettin', you'd win, and the others would lose.

[And either way, the house usually comes out on top.]

So, there ya go. Blackjack. Congrats, it turns out you can teach an old dog new tricks.

[damn_juicebox]

[Rukia smiles brightly. She looks so happy!]

[Happy to be kicking Santa's stool in an attempt to teach him some respect. She can take the old jokes, but referring to her as a dog? Nope, she won't tolerate that.]

Then if there were others who got a higher score than you, would they win any money as well?

[21stcenturyguy]

[Santa pitches forward as his stool rocks, but he grabs the table and keeps himself upright. He narrows his eyes at Rukia.]

Yeah, each person is competing against the dealer, not each other. So anyone with a higher score than the dealer, without busting, wins their bet, and anyone who is lower loses their bet. Should I go slower with these rules, Granny Rukia? Don't want you to get confused. You might fall over and break a hip.

[damn_juicebox]

Oh my, it's so dreadful when the youth of this world must maintain their tiny scraps of pride by degrading their elders. Truly it draws a tear from my eye.

[She dabs at her cheek with a handkerchief. She won't lash out at him again...for now. But if he pushes it this could easily erupt into a hilarious slap fight.]

[21stcenturyguy]

I'm sure it was different in your day. People would walk five miles in the snow, uphill, to respect their elders. Nowadays, we're a sexy but morally corrupt youth.

[Santa ain't gonna shed any tears over it, though. He makes being a punk look good.]

[damn_juicebox]

Eh?

[What does the snow have to do with anything? Or walking in it uphill? The living are so strange sometimes. Well, whatever. She pushes her cards back toward the middle.]

Shall we play again?