Speak Easy, Play Hard

Participants:

adam_icon.gif bebe_icon.gif cardinal_icon.gif jay_icon.gif kaylee_icon.gif lola_icon.giftuck_icon.gifsatoru_icon.gif

Scene Title Speak Easy, Play Hard
Synopsis Opening night at the Speakeasy Casino
Date September 23, 2009

Speakeasy Hotel and Casino - Casino

The interior of the casino has that curious, old smell. Stale beer has been absorbed into the thick red-patterned carpet and absorbed through the walls over the years. There is brass railing, permanently dulled from a hundred thousand touches and countless layers of dirt. The lighting is poor and low. The brightest illumination in the entire establishment comes from the row of new video slot and poker machines that fill up a whole corner. There's twenty or so machines in total, many with different themes and with varying costs and payout.

The Speakeasy used to be one at one time. Its jazz influences can be seen in the colour scheme and a large chandelier hanging over the old wooden billiard table. Both the table and the chandelier are decidedly art deco in appearance. The class of the place is decidedly faded around the edges. It has the feel of a place that is far past its prime, and the previous owners tried to keep the look updated, but either ran out of money or desire to. The place does not serve food, though there are bowls of peanuts on the bars and tables and vending machines that pop out chips and candy.

The drinks are cheap, but seating is limited to three tables and the stools along the bar. Clearly the establishment encourages gaming over drinking and socializing. Along the side of the bar are a bank of five TVs that usually show different sporting events when the season is high, or all the same one if there's a big game on. One monitor displays the current odds for betting on various sporting events and bets can be placed with a bookie on-duty during high times or with the bartender when things are quiet.

Twice a week, there is a poker game. The game on Tuesdays is low stake with a hundred dollar buy-in. The Sunday night game is higher stakes, with a five hundred minimum. On Saturday nights, there's two blackjack tables and a roulette table with dealers and chips.


The Speakeasy Hotel and Casino is not a classy joint, but tonight it's been given a sheen. The slot machines are shiny, noisy and new, the staff neatly dressed in black slacks, red vests and white shirts. There's a roulette wheel and a few craps and blackjack tables set up, and some lovely ladies in corsets and plumes bring drinks to the gamblers. The ladies are on-loan from Burlesque to add a touch of class to the joint. No poker, though. It takes up too much space and poker will be held on its own night. The stakes are relatively high for a casino, with odds more in the house's favour than your usual joint. And even if you had a good night here, it's not going to be that good. This isn't Vegas, and the Speakeasy benefits from being one of thef first places to take advantage of legalized gambling.

Too bad the clientele that circle the tables and plant themselves at the slots bring down the tone of the joint. This isn't the best neighborhood, and beyond the temporary staff in their neat clothes and the pretty women is a faded carpet, out of date decor and a location that is less than prime. Still, people are here to have a good time. The cheap drink prices, free casino chip and the band (originally slated to be rock, but at the last minute changed to a five piece jazz ensemble to match the borrowed ladies) keep the atmosphere lively. There's certainly a touch of nostalgia that Tuck's managed to cultivate - whether he meant to or if that was just a quirk of the decor.

Speaking of Tuck, the new owner sits at the far corner of the bar, back to the wall, eyes out across the floor. He's looking dapper in a cool gray suit, a red silk tie and a pair of shined shoes. His hair is neatly combed and he's wearing contacts for the evening. Hard to imagine that he and the pawnie from Staten are the same man.

Why are there no poker tables?! Lola Mayeux is the queen at cheating at poker. Still, looking around, she's sure she'll find a way to manage it. She ever dressed up a little bit today, for the grand opening of the place. She thought it'd be more fancy, but seeing it the way it is makes her a bit more comfortable than not. She's wearing a layered, runched skirt, tank top, and her fancy brown sandals that Adam bought for her. As she makes her way in with her jacket over her shoulder, she smiles at a passing man in a little red vest - carrying cards no less. With the coat covering her movements to any peering eyes or the cameras, she's able to lift a new deck of cards from the man rather easily and tuck them away before she finds someone to give her coat to.

So, now that that's done, she's ready to have some fun. A mischevious grin covers her features as she saunters in, hips swaying lightly in a gentle, feminine motion as she looks around - and grabs a drink from a passing waitress who was surely bringing it to someone else. "Thanks sugar," the Louisiannian says.

Hearing about the opening of the casino was too much fun to pass up, so Kaylee slips through the doors into the the place a bright smile on her lips. Having never seen Vegas, she can only go by what she is seeing there. Dressed in her worn jacket, jeans and biker boots. Her only upgrade is the maroon button up shirt she's wearing, it is after all an opening. Blonde hair is left loose, hopefully along with the light make up she's wearing, the telepath hopefully doesn't look to sickly.

Pausing in the path through the casino Kaylee rubs her hands together, like she's hatching some evil sceme. Oh where to start. The sound of the slot machines grabs her attention and she smiles. Oh yes, that looks fun.

Toru is dressed marginally well, for once. He is wearing a nice black suit, white shirt, black tie. Very Reservoir Dogs. Toru is primarily sticking to the bar, this whole 'gambling' thing not something he's entirely sure he's into. He's already hit the slots and lost a few dollars, and while this is generally what happens at a casino, it's entirely possible that he isn't here for the gambling.

Toru is not quite drunk, but he's getting there. A martini in hand, he saunters over in Tuck's general direction, flops into a seat next to the man. "This," he notes, his tone taking on a bad James Bond impersonation, "Is a very classy joint. And you," pointing to Tuck, "are clearly a very classy guy. I mean.. it's gotta take a lotta class to get a classy place like this, don't it?" A shrug, there, and then he perks up a bit. "Oh, right, I'm probably s'posed to still be leavin' you alone or somethin', right?" Not that he makes any move to do so.

Everyone who enters is treated with a shiny gold token good for a spin at the row of old-school slot machines. The bulk are computer-operated, but a few, for nostalgia's sake, are the old tumbler variety. The free tokens are for those behemoths, the one-armed bandits whose hand you shake to let them take your cash. The slots are by far the most popular, given this is an establishment that caters to the gambling addicts, not the people who do it for, you know, fun. And the roulette, craps and blackjack tables all have a five dollar minimum bet. Too rich for the blood in this neighborhood, which is why they're not out all the time.

Tuck is drinking what looks like a caesar, but anyone who knows him knows he doesn't drink - and that his drink is of the virgin variety. He blinks in surprise at the sight of Toru, especially in a suit. "Just as long as you don't bone me, as long as you drop money into those lovely machines, you are welcome to stay."

So this is what Tucker's been doing with his time. Cardinal's dressed in a suit himself; black on black on black, and that actually looks like silk. He must've stolen it from somewhere. He's even wearing the designer sunglasses tonight. The gold token he was handed at the door is played over his knuckles in an old sleight-of-hand trick, then caught in his palm, a smile curving to his lips as he moves through the room at a casual pace, making his way on its slow winding in the direction of the bar, and his old friend-slash-former business partner settled in there.

Lola hasn't quite figured out what to do with this new deck she's aquired. After all, there must be something fun one can do with it. She'll wait until later to figure out what it is. For now, she absolutely blends in - as is her aim. She's settled at the black jack table with the stolen beer, grinning mischeviously as she drinks from the glass happily. Nothing like cheap beer, especially when it's just grabbed by a passerby. "Hit me, sugar," she murmers, tapping the table a bit as she looks around. She doesn't see Kaylee, and no one else of interest yet.

"Twenty-one!" The dealer announces. Whoo ten bucks! Spending the last few years of her life stacking decks for Mistah Daniel gave the girl quite a handle on this.

Of course, despite the suit Toru's hair is still in its usual disarray, but still. "I think I'ma do more drinkin' than gamblin', but either way you're makin' money, right?" He finishes his drink off, setting the glass on the bartop, and turning to rest his elbows on same bar, looking out over the casino. "And anyway, I already told you, you ain't my type. You're friggin' old, man." He shakes his head. "It's kinda creepy anyway. Freakin' me out, y'know?"

He smirks, at that point, then turns toward the bar again to order a refill on his drink. Once it arrives, he picks it up, silently toasts the casino's patron, and stands back up to brush himself off with his free hand. "Your crazy friend's here," he remarks, before wandering off again.

Tuck spots the black-clad shape of Cardinal across the room a second or two before Toru points him out. There's a thickening of the crowd, though some of the folks are here just for their free spin and the cheap drinks. It's Happy Hour all night at the Speakeasy.

He squints at Toru, makes a face. "You are the freak. I am not interested in relations with your tiny, fluffy-haired self. Even if I liked what was between your legs, I could do better." Brows lift, he clucks his tongue, then, "Well. If it isn't Mister Cardinal. Good evening to you, sir." He lifts his drink.

Kaylee settles onto a stool before one the slots, after acquiring a good amount of coins… Daddy's money, of course. The telepath doesn't see Lola right away either, she's too busy eyeing the slot machine, trying to decide if she really wants to lose all that money. There is a sudden shrug and the first of many coins is dropped into the machine. She pulls the handle, watching the tumblers go. They stop.. one coin went in.. four come out. Okay.. It's got her interest now.

"I'm going to pretend that I missed everything that I just overheard before you said hello," Cardinal observes in tones somewhere between amused and wryly disgusted, his head shaking from side to side as he emerges from the ever-shifting bodies of the crowd not far from the speakeasy's proprietor. A turn sweeps his gaze over the room, over the decor, and he whistles softly, "Someone's coming up in the world since I told him to shove off the island. Nice digs, Tucker."

Eventually, Lola does spot Kaylee. She hunches over her shoulders immediatly, leaning closer tothe cards and tapping them gently or waving the dealer off quietly. But she knows taht won't keep Kaylee's eyes away forever. And really, Lola doesn't want to be seen by Kaylee - because that might mean Adam's here. And the last thing she wants to do is work tonight.

"Scuze me, sugar," Lola says, reaching over to try and tug on Toru's arm as he goes to walk past, back to the bar. "Would ya mind comin' over an standin' behind my left shoulder? Fer luck, a course! Ya look like a lucky lil thang." And to hide her from Kaylee.

The last thing on Earth this casino needs, especially on its opening night, is a visit from Mr. Luck himself, Jake Vega, known to friends and enemies alike as Jay, Jaybird, Jakey, and That Asshole. The kid comes shambling in, his hoodie on his shoulders and zipped up tight, head held low and hands shoved in pockets, trying to look way older than he is and partially, sorta, kinda succeeding, though more because he's actually let some stubble grow on his chin than for any actual, truthful reason.

They're not carding at the door; that's step number one, breezed right past with nary a glance. Life is looking up! Next up, that guy at the door handing out coins… "Sure, I'll take one." That's not Jake's voice. He's trying to sound older too, and he does it by keeping his voice low and quiet. It's a trick he learned from his brother, who occasionally passes for 21. The coin acquired, he slides past - and finally lifts his head, struggling not to break out in a wide grin. Kid, meet candy store. All those shiny, blinky lights, the pretty girls… he drags in a deep, happy breath and lets it sigh out slowly. Casino-smell will forever be associated with this place.

Arrival complete, the plan is put into action: straight towards one of the older machines. They're more likely to break down. …Of course, everything in here is bright, shiny and spankin' new, but some of it does look older than the rest, and Jake quickly zones in on an unoccupied slot machine, wishing for only one thing: not to get caught. The coin comes out. Lifts. Clinks into the slot machine. God help the world, Jake Vega is gambling.

As he walks away, Toru notes, in passing, "You wouldn't talk shit if Mr. Logan hadn't told me to leave you alone," to Tuck, then is ultimately gone. Last word in!

And as he's on his way to continue lushing it up, he blinks down at the girl grabbing his arm, pauses a moment, then shrugs. "Sure, cool." Not.. exactly the kind of pickup line he's used to, but it works. And thus he follows Lola to wherever she may lead~. "You gonna offer to buy me a drink or anythin'? I mean, for luck and all. Works better when I got booze."

"Thank you, thank you. I thought I'd take a few steps into civilized society. Of a sort." Tuck's brows arch. He takes another pull from the virgin caesar. His blood must be made of salt and tomato juice from all he drinks. But really, considering he doesn't drink any alcohol? Hard to say if the health issues of sodium intake versus kidney damage balance out. As Toru walks away, he calls after, "Come by anytime, sparky. Your money's good here." Then he glances back to Cardinal. "So. I'd ask what you've been up to, but I'm not sure I really wanna know."

Completely happy in her own little world at the moment, Kaylee hums out of tune to a song that's stuck in her head. Coins slip in to the machine one by one and she's happy to make the owner that much richer. It's not her money… Okay, so it's from the trust fund her daddy left her.. but she's never really counted it as her's. She's so into the roll of the slots that she doesn't realize there is someone familiar joining the fun of the slots near by.

"You probably don't. Plausible deniability, and all that, after all…" Cardinal's head turns from the other man to look out across the casino, lingering here and there on a face he knows or the back of a head that he thinks he knows in the crowd. Then he turns back, stepping to the bar and ordering easily from the tender, "Bourbon and coke." Back towards Tuck, a smile twitching to his lips as he admits, "You look good. Less stressed out than usual. Mainland suits you."

"Yeah, whatever," Lola agrees to Toru, pulling him along behind her. "Just stand here, grab a waiter, take whatever ya want. Just don' move." She urges the man, boy, asian person. She makes sure to put her hands on his hsoulders and makes sure he stands just so in order to hide her from Kaylee. This would be all she needs. Adam all up in her grill about where she was…sheesh.

"An get me another beer," She tells Toru, tapping again. "Bust," the dealer exclaims, and Lola sighs a bit. "Get luckier," she urges Toru. "Drink faster, whatever. An tell 'em Marie's payin' for it." That's what her ID says!

Enter in one Adam Monroe, dressed to the nines in a tuxedo for the grand opening of the speak easy. Clearly he's over dressed, and apparently he means to be as the rest of the three men he's with don't look anything like him. For whatever reason, Adam is drawing attention to himself, at least from his entrance. He turns to Michael who is dressed more like Adam usually is, "You know, speak easies weren't anything like this." he sniffs the air a bit, "They tended to open the windows if the cigar smoke got too stifling."

The Speakeasy Hotel and Casino is not a classy joint, but tonight it's been given a sheen. The slot machines are shiny, noisy and new, the staff neatly dressed in black slacks, red vests and white shirts. There's a roulette wheel and a few craps and blackjack tables set up, and some lovely ladies in corsets and plumes bring drinks to the gamblers. The ladies are on-loan from Burlesque to add a touch of class to the joint. No poker, though. It takes up too much space and poker will be held on its own night. The stakes are relatively high for a casino, with odds more in the house's favour than your usual joint. And even if you had a good night here, it's not going to be that good. This isn't Vegas, and the Speakeasy benefits from being one of thef first places to take advantage of legalized gambling.

Too bad the clientele that circle the tables and plant themselves at the slots bring down the tone of the joint. This isn't the best neighborhood, and beyond the temporary staff in their neat clothes and the pretty women is a faded carpet, out of date decor and a location that is less than prime. Still, people are here to have a good time. The cheap drink prices, free casino chip and the band (originally slated to be rock, but at the last minute changed to a five piece jazz ensemble to match the borrowed ladies) keep the atmosphere lively. There's certainly a touch of nostalgia that Tuck's managed to cultivate - whether he meant to or if that was just a quirk of the decor.

Speaking of Tuck, the new owner sits at the far corner of the bar, back to the wall, eyes out across the floor. He's looking dapper in a cool gray suit, a red silk tie and a pair of shined shoes. His hair is neatly combed and he's wearing contacts for the evening. Hard to imagine that he and the pawnie from Staten are the same man.

"Baby, baby, keep it together," Toru adds as commentary through all this. Staying relatively calm under pressure, and all, he grabs the attention of a passing waiter to order himself a rum and coke, a beer for the lady. "You're gettin' too tense, gotta relax, never gonna win like that, y'know?" Not that he has any idea about gambling, himself, but.

He perks up just a bit at a thought, then, sets his hand on Lola's shoulder, and suggests, "How's about we get all nice and cozy over at one of those slot machines? You can sit in my lap and I can give you all the luck you need, babe."

Do not break his finger, Lola's brain tells herself quickly. Instead of breaking it, she lifts his index finger, and thus his hand, with her own index and thumb, and lets it fall once it's been removed like a bit of lint. "Sugar," she drawls, turning to face him. "Just…." but then she sees Adam. Great, forget Kaylee. What she really didn't want tonight was Adam. "Here, actually? Stand right here." She grasps Toru's shoulders to move him to the side, blocking Adam's view of her. Nevermind about Kaylee. "Just stand there an be lucky an keep drinkin, yeah?"

"Not living my life behind bulletproof glass is rather nice. Not dealing in junk. But as the mainland goes…" Tuck bobs his head from side to side. Red Hook is not wildly different from Staten. Not in terms of the types of people he has for neighbors anyway. "It's quieter. Cept tonight of course." He purses his lips and examines the casino. "I just hope people with freaky Evolved powers don't find a way to clean me out before I get started."

"I'll do my best not to rob you blind," Cardinal reassures the other man with amusement threaded thrick in his voice, reaching out to clap a hand to his shoulder, "Well, I suppose I shouldn't hog you for too long on the premiere night, just wanted to come see how the new digs were treating you…" He turns, once the drink's been set down and he's paid for it, fingers curling about the glass as he looks back to the crowd… ah. Monroe's here.

Toru protests mildly as he's moved around again, standing there with some mild irritation… but then, the lady is paying for the drinks, which keeps him standing there. "God, fine, whatever. It's your dime." He snatches up his drink when the waiter comes back, sipping idly as he watches the blackjack game, for lack of anything else to do at the moment.

All things considered, it's probably for the best that she's turned him like this anyway, what with Adam's arrival. "You probably shouldn't get drunk while you're gambling, y'know."

Jake walked in here, got handed one coin, and… well, once he made it past the bouncers, who somehow missed his underage self - hey, he's got stubble, dammit! - zoned in on a slot machine. The coin went in, a fatal moment, and… win. Win. Win. …And this is where shit starts to go wrong. The teenager locks rapt eyes on the scrolling symbols of the one-armed bandit, and… Cherry. Cherry. ….Cherry. So much for staying under the radar - he lets out a whoop, strangled quickly by the sudden realization that if he wins too big they're going to be checking his ID, and swiftly slithers out of his hoodie to put it beneath the slots and catch the flood of coins pouring suddenly free. "Shitshitshitshit," hisses the lucky kid, crouching down to make sure he gets everything. A spate of attention is coming his way from surrounding gamblers. That's a lot of coin. Hope this isn't like most modern casinos, which light up madly when they pay out.

The unusually opportune timing of Bijou "Bebe" Baxter's arrival could initially cause onlookers to make the mistake in assuming that she's supposed to be playing the escort to the man in the tuxedo, even without hanging on his arm, as she's right there in the midst of his entourage and they all appear to have entered the establishment together. This is, unfortunately, an illusion. She'd stopped just on the other side of the door in order to attend to a bit of a wardrobe malfunction wherein one of her cherry red high heels had opted to slip its buckle and only just remedied her uneven gait as Monroe and his cronies rounded the corner. What a shame. Dressed in a quintessential 'little black dress' and, of course, those red shoes, she offers the tuxedo-clad man only a polite smile before beginning to weave her way through the crowd in search of someone else.

Adam steps forward and hands a man to his right a few bills, "Get me some of those tokens." he says as he steps onto the floor slowly. "You know, Michael, Lucky Luciano said to me once 'You know, Richard', because at the time, that was my name, 'You're an alright guy.' Then he went off and killed some loan shark in the back alley with his friend Bugsy. Good times, good times." Michael only partially listens, then frowns as Adam talks about old style gangsters. Adam hadn't taken notice of Bebe as she walks away, but he does give a glance to her back side as she does so, "Good times, good times." he hands Michael a few more bills as a cup comes back with a bunch of change, "Go play some blackjack or something."

Kaylee gives a happy whoop, arms in the air, as she…. in her mind…. wins it big. "Twenty bucks.. Oh yeah." Yes, she's easily pleased it seems. Of course, that twenty will soon find itself nestled happily back in the belly of the machine and happy telepath with do it with a big grin. She could get into this. Waves down one off the scantily clad ladies and orders a coke. JUST a coke, no alcohol for this girl. And then of course, Jake wins big.. and she win doesn't seem to big. And then she spot Adam.. oh shit. He might not be thrilled to see her there. Looking around quickly, she grabs her coins and moves for a different slot machine, one that blocks his view of her.

Lola rolls her eyes. "Ya got a name, sugar, at least?" She asks of Toru, glancing once more around him to see where Adam is. The kid making a huge win doesn't attract her eye - after all, she really doesn't care much about wining. It's all about the game, the game and nothing more. Or about screwing people over. Whichever. She takes her beer gingerly from Toru's hand with a polite smile. She can at least be friendly to her human shield. "An I ain' gettin' drunk. I'd be suckin' on a bottle a SoCo if I wanted ta be drunk, but beer's just like a light snack. Or somethin'. Hit me."

"I'm just watching. I've done my round as a casino cheat myself. I know how the game is played. Things to look for." Tuck taps his temple, squints. Dead eye Tucker.

Most of the people that are in his field of vision aren't familiar to him. Though he casts a sidelong glance towards Toru, to see what trouble he's getting into. That brings his attention towards Jake. Whose machine does indeed claing and crash and make a lovely racket. A be-feathered waitress helpfully brings him over a set of plastic cups. "Well now."

Ah, and there's a far finer sight for the eyes than Monroe. No offense, Adam, but Bijou Baxter beats you out in the leg department. The smile curves itself across Richard Cardinal's lips, and in his own black-on-black suit in vaguely glossy silk he steps drink in hand along over to greet her, an arm extended and hooked in offering as he murmurs warmly, "There you are. Was starting to wonder if you'd found a better escort for the evening…"

Some people sit in front of the same machine and play it until kingdom come, hoping their time will come. Some people play four machines and hope to increase their odds. Some just play a machine so long as they're hot. Adam does none of these things. Rather, he starts walking down a line of machines and inserts a coin, spin, walk away before result. He does this down a line of machines, whether there's a person there or not. An older woman with blue hair starts to yell and then the machine tilts out a smal return on Adam's investment and she shuts up so as to not to draw attention to Adam's win that is now hers. Adam doesn't appear as if he could care less, he just continues walking along machines, all the while floating his eyes across the floor.

Toru is tempted to hit Lola and claim gambling ignorance, but ultimately holds back. Rassinfrackin' broads. But instead he just continues to sip his drink and stand there, one hand in his pocket, thumb hooked on the outside. "I'm jus' sayin', seems like you'd wanna have yer faculties all.. facultated."

And as far as name goes. "Julio," he finally responds after a long pause. "Julio Iglesias. Et tu, mamacita?"

"Um. Thanks," says Jake, and dumps the contents of his hoodie into cup after cup after… wow, that's a lot of coins. Behold the golden dazzle in the kid's eyes. He gulps, then flashes the waitress a thousand-watt grin, and… gathers up the coins, then moves to a different slot machine. It's okay, it'll be fine, he'll just… uh, lose all but a small amount on the next machine. One of the more modern ones, perhaps. He swiftly ducks down another aisle away from waitress and freshly-drained slot machine, and up to a different machine. Bigger, brighter, more intimidating. Coin: plink. Handle: yank. Lose-lose-lose. "Crap!" Jake seems quite astonished when the machine spits out more coins - though thankfully not so much as the last did. Okay, c'mon, that first wish can't last forever. He tries again. And again. This is gonna be a bad night.

The first words out of Bebe's mouth are: "Well, well, well… don't you clean up nice." They are addressed to Cardinal and delivered with a much more shined up and brilliant smile than the one she offers the other unfamiliar faces in the crowd. Her fingers find their way into the crook of his offered elbow and she marvels aloud, "This is really something, isn't it? Have you won anything yet?" However, after a moment's second thought, she adds, "Je desol�e. I'm sorry. That's rude of me to ask. How are you doing?"

"Julio?" Lola echos, setting her beer down and turning to look at Toru. "Yer as spanish as my left foot is, sug-" She's cut off by a sight that makes her blood run cold. Michael, Adam's man, is on his way over here. Here. He's sure to recognize her. With little time to act, Lola does the only thing that she can think of. She grabs Toru's face and pressing her lips in a mind-crushing kiss to his, standing and pushing him backwards and away from the table. Against protocol, she keeps her eyes open, making sure she doesn't navigate him backwards toward Adam, but instead somewhere else, where perhaps they won't be seen as easily. Poor Toru. So used.

Odessa can't remember the last time she dressed this nice. Teal satin drapes her frame, an elegant one-shouldered dress. She tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear, scanning the faces in the room for her date for the evening. She holds the straps of her Coach purse tightly. It likely cost more than most people will win from the house tonight. Not that she actually paid for it. …Where the hell is he?

Tuck peers at the departing Cardinal and the woman on his arm. She looks naggingly familiar, but out of context, it takes him a minute. Ah. Staten types do tend to flock together, whether they're still on the island or not. He returns to surveying his little jazzy domain.

A bouncer who tops out at about six foot four and whose extra large black t-shirt isn't extra enough is suddenly paying attention to Jake and his wins. He moves casually a bit closer, pretending to guard the emergency exit not far from the youth. But really, that's a lot of coin in a few minutes, and the boss said to look out for cheats.

Adam doesn't seem to notice all the people scurrying from his attention. And if Michael notices that it's Lola, he doesn't say anything. He does tell them to 'Get a room'. Adam, meanwhile, stops his little machine orgy as he comes across a nervous looking kid feeding machines into a machine in the hopes that he will lose. He frowns at this, because it's just so…odd. "You know." he says in a perfect Brooklyn accent, "That's just so odd."

"Ever hear of miscegen—mff!" And rather abruptly, a reasonably attractive lady is attached to his face. He's tense a moment, but eventually gets pretty into the whole business himself. Lola will find herself with possibly unexpected tongue action if she lets it happen, and Toru is only too happy to be led off to somewhere more … intimate.

He wraps one arm around Lola's waist, going for the ass-grab, while the other goes up to tangle fingers in her hair. She asked for it, she's getting it.

It's an interesting contrast, the scum of Staten Island here now in this place, whatever they are now, whatever they may be becoming. Plus �a change… as an infamous frenchman put it, nearly two decades ago. A hint of amusement shows itself in Cardinal's tone, his head shaking ever so slightly as he turns to lead her back towards the bar. "So do you… you're gorgeous this evening, in fact. No gambling just yet," he chuckles, "I just got in long enough to say hello to Tucker. You've met, haven't you?"

Shit. That seems to be on Jake's mind a lot tonight. He focuses, concentrates hard, yanks, and… the coin stays down. Relief pours out; his shoulders slump. There's a moment taken to compose his face into a lackadaisical smile, and then finally he turns his head towards the guy in the suit. "Fuckin' streak," says the kid, who happens to have on a black tee shirt which reads, in blue letters: SORRY LADIES, not tonight - I'm only here to get drunk. Try and ignore the sweat on his forehead as he sinks another coin into the machine. "Shit, now it's done givi…" Cherry. He stops talking, licks his lips. Cherry. "Fuck," says Jake, because that right there is going to get him caught. Bar. His shoulders slump and he sways slightly in relief, then flashes Adam the most wicked grin he owns. It's a bit strained. "Here, have a cup." And he passes over one cup of his winnings, shoves it into the man's hands. "And go away, you're jinxing me."

Lola squeals, but the tongue in her mouth sort of muffles that. And she's not leading him anywhere intimate, she's leading him to a little open space where dancing seems appropriate. By dancing, she means putting her arms around Toru's shoulders and making sure his stay above the waist. Which they aren't. She pulls back, breaking the kiss and reaching behind her to yank his hands from her hair and ass respectively, and put them safely on her waist. "No, what're ya doin?!" She scolds, as if he were supposed to know better. From here, she can peer around Toru and the machines to see Adam and where he is, and duck behind him if necessary. "Keep yer hands where I kin see 'em and just dance," She scolds, rolling her eyes. "This was supposed ta be my night off."

Maybe being in the slots, isn't a good idea. She glances behind her to the bar, and turns thoughtful. Grabbing her coins and her empty glass, she nonchalantly makes her way there. Looking for spot to slip into and with hope not to be seen. She leans over the bar and grabs the tenders attention. "Hey.. You.. Coke, please?" A few bills join the empty glass, a glance down the bar and she sees a familiar face… It takes a moment for his face to register. Uh oh. She lifts a hand to wiggle fingers in greeting to Tuck. "Almost didn't recognize you all spiffed up."

"Damn, bitch, you're the one goin' all face-hugger on me!" Toru pushes himself away from Lola with some irritation, waving a hand dismissively. "Fuggin' mixed signals and shit… christ, lady, you want a piece of this you let me know, I'm outta here." And with that he turns huffily, finishes off the remainder of his drink, gives it to a passing waiter, and stalks off, assuming Lola doesn't stop him.

Adam looks down at his hands, now he has two cups of coins that he doesn't care about, then the kid tells him to go away. He arches a brow and says, "You listen here, see." still in that perfect Brooklyn accent, but now with a bit of a 20's flavor, "You think you're going to high hat me and buy me off with some rubes? You're lucky I don't take you for a ride. I'm gonna assume you're all ossified, because believe me, I'm hitting on all sixes. You clearly don't know from nothing." then there's a pause, before he says, "Aren't you a little young to be here?"

Tuck happens to catch sight of Toru's face-sucking with Lola. The whole image just makes him smirk, especially when he starts to stalk off. He signals one of the waitresses, who moves to intercept the boneboy with a free drink. She points out that Tuck sent it, and if Toru looks his way, he'll see the proprieter of the casino twiddling his fingers. He saw that. And he knows. Well. At least Toru gets a free drink for his trouble?

Then out of the corner of his eye he spots Kaylee. It takes a moment for him to place her as well. His nose twitches and his lips pull into a frown. Then, reluctantly, he moves from his place against the bar and towards her. "You better not be playing anything other than the slot machines," he murmurs. Friendly!

"Thank you," says the tiny (ex)tart, serving up no shortage of smile wattage and still content to maintain casual contact with Cardinal. However, whether he realizes it or not, her response is reflexive; he's chosen to employ the same sort of line that any number of anonymous men felt obliged to apply while she worked on the Island for that notorious piece of London gutter trash that she still can't quite put all the way out of her mind. Bebe still beams but her expression seems somehow hollowed. "We have," she confirms in regards to her acquaintance with the host. "Where is he?" And when she begins to throw her big brown-eyed gaze around the room, she's snagged by the sight of snogging and takes pause, quite literally stopping in her slow strolling steps in order to properly apply a startled stare. Is that— no! Is that Satoru?!

Goddamn. Jake yanks down the handle, and… plinkplinkplink. Fuck. He sets down his cups of coins, one after the other, except for one. The playing is almost mechanical by this point - take a coin from the hopper, feed the machine, hope the coin stays down. Thus listening to Adam can take more than half his attention - which he uses for a roll of the eyes and a smirk, flashing a look over the other man. "Great accent. Go try it on a girl." Like this is going to help his cause. …And dammit, that subconscious desire to sleep on a bed of coins is going to make him Midas - or dead, at this rate.

"Honest Injun.. Only the slots, Mr. Tucker." Kaylee offers a sheepish smile as he approaches her., she gives her coin cup a jiggle. "And loosing badly.. Though I did get twenty bucks." She offers brightly, obviously the highlight of her evening. "The other stuff, truthfully.. not my kinda thing. Those slots seem fun though." She tilts her head a bit, leaning an elbow on the bar. "So… your not on the Island anymore?"

Of course, he doesn't. To tell the truth, Cardinal's mildly uncertain how he should be acting in this sort of social situation, not exactly being the suited-with-an-escort type. He might sense that something's wrong, but he doesn't know exactly what, so he doesn't prod at the subject in case he'll hit a sensitive spot. "He's right over here," he tips his head, a chuckle stirring on his breath, "Bastard's living it large, too, looks a lot more upbeat than he used to…"

The sudden stop by the young woman causes him to stop as well, and he turns his head to look out across the room towards the one stalking across the floor. Nostrils flare in a faint, bemused snort of breath, "…Satoru." It's probably not loud enough to be overheard by the half-Japanese man. Probably.

"Oh ho," says Adam, getting louder with each word, "We got a bimbo here, do we?" he chuckles, "Alright livewire, we're Jake." and he walks away with cupts of coins that he gives to some passing person in the crowd. He stops by the big bouncer who's been watching Jake, "Kid's got himself a little device. A button pusher, you should see if he's cheating." and with that, continues on towards the bar.

Dissapear! That's all Lola can think of doing, but alas, it is not in her ability catche to do such a thing. So, she does the next best thing. She blends in. Dance area's getting crowded, and she takes advantage of that, sticking close to Toru as she watches Adam move. "Sugar, just dance wif me an I'll buy all yer drinks fer the night," She urges him, side-stepping in order to keep his form between her and Adam - but watching him none the less. "My hand ta…what's that fellah's name again? God. My hand to god, sugar."

Oh, no. It's that horrid woman. Odessa watches the trainwreck that is Lola apparently sucking Toru's face off. She makes a face to reflect her disgust and moves in a direction that is decidedly not toward Lola. It instead brings her to where Kaylee speaks with Tuck. "Well, well. Small world," she purrs as she makes her approach. "Am I interrupting anything?"

"Lady, there are plenty of guys here that like gettin' their balls busted." A gesture towards slot machines along the walls; nobody in particular, just the general concept of 'those losers over there'. And then the free drink floats by, and he looks over at Tuck with a mild scowl. Grumbling, he slams back the drink, and gives the glass back to the waitress, and looks back to Lola.

"Fine. Whatever." And for the moment, he doesn't yet notice Bebe, though he'd already noted Cardinal and written that guy off. Sucka.

It seems that Satoru Lawrence is significant enough a distraction to keep Gilbert Tucker safe from sudden swarming as Bebe and Cardinal are momentarily derailed in their approach. The young woman abruptly turns away from the apparent spectacle that is Toru on parade and closes in tight with her escort, bowing her head unnecessarily in order to disclose something to the man in confidence that she doesn't intend to be overheard by anyone nearby. Her curled hair ends up swept to the side as she tilts her head and it serves to shield some of her expression from the general public but not all of it. She appears… distracted, distressed.

"Yes well, no offense there, missy. But I'm going to have to ban you from the tables. You play the slots to your heart's content." Hey, Tuck isn't banning her outright. That's progress, right? "But you better not make any trouble." A ghost of a smirk appears when he notes Toru's reaction.

Normally the bouncer wouldn't really take the word of a passer-by too seriously. But the big man by the fire escape has been watching Jake and his suspicious wins. He moves towards Jake, his shadow looming despite the illumination in the place. He looks from the machine, to the plethora of coins that Jake has gathered around him. And then in a thunder roll of a voice, asks those dread words, "Can I see some ID, sir?"

One hand lifts as she turns in towards him, Richard's fingers smoothing reassuringly over her shoulder as she bows her head in close and offers those quiet words. The man glances briefly over the speakeasy, then leans in to murmur something back to her with a shake of his head. Lifting his head again, he gently nudges the rim of his glass against her chin to draw her attention upwards, quirking a wry smile, "S'fine. You think I'd let anything happen to you, Bebe? C'mon, let's go say h'lo to the Tuckmeister, then give the slots a whirl maybe… just forget about it for now."

Once again, one thought in Jake's head: Shit. Number one - how did Adam know his name? And what the hell was he claiming it for? …Weird. And then he sees what Adam's up to, and… puts the rest of the coins down. Quick. They can sit there on the shelf of the slot machine while he… backs away from the bouncer. "Hey, dude, it's just luck. I got lucky, all right? Look, nothing in my pockets but my wallet, all right?" Dig, dig, dig. See? Not even any change - that one coin was all he got. The wallet gets flipped open; his license is in the little clear billfold at the front. "See? Great, now leave me alone." Baaaaack he goes, yet another pace.

That's good enough for Lola. She yanks Toru by the hand again, against her, and continues to dance. "Just make sure yer hands behave, sugar, an' the booze'll keep on flowin,'" She notes, peering over his shoulder to seek out Adam and see what he's doing. This feels more like doing her job than breaking into his apartment for a hit of Refrain. Maybe she should do it more like this. Sway, sway, sway to the music. "An make sure ya keep facin' the way I need ya to." So this is recon? Easy peasy!

"No problem there. Could be worse. I do appreciate that your not tossing me out on my ear." Kaylee gives him a bright smile. "And no… I don't plan on causing trouble. I didn't plan it that other time either.. And believe me.. I paid for that. Double shifts isn't fun." The blond telepath doesn't notice that a certain blonde British man is headed her way. "But… " She leans closer to Tuck and points toward a black jack table not far from them. "I will tell you. Gentleman right there. Gray temples. Dark blue suit?" She glances up at the casino owner and lowers her voice. "He's counting cards….. and…" She tilts her head a bit. "He's planning on losing the hand after the next on purpose." She gives Tuck a bright smile. Of course, if Tuck watches the man wins two hands and indeed loses on the next, while she sips at her soda. "See.. not hear to cause problems. I promise you that, just as I did before."

Adam steps up to the bar and places his last cup of change on the bartop. He tsks a bit and considers what to drink. "Do you have a beer that tastes like cherries?" after a pause, he shakes his head and sighs because the answer is no. His lips purse a moment and he says, "Just some water." he leans his back on the bar and looks around the room.

Bebe is roused from her frantic reverie by the revitalizing scent of bourbon and Coca-Cola, apparently, as she finds her chin suddenly perched on the rim of Cardinal's glass. That's classy! Something about the gesture makes her smile slowly slides back onto her lips and she repeats the words, "The Tuckmeister…" before coughing up a little laugh. It comes complete with color returned to her cheeks, too. "…that's not what he's calling himself now, is it?" She's kidding, sure.

The bouncer continues to loom over Jake, arms folded across his barrel chest. He lifts one brow and watches Jake, waiting to see if the next few coins produce wins again. That ID doesn't look real legit, but that's less of a concern that Jake is underage and more of a concern that he might be somehow cheating the slots.

Tuck listens to Kaylee and then arches a brow. He looks suspicious, but what can it hurt to watch? He does so, then his face twitches and he mutters a curse. He grabs a radio from behind the bar and one of the bouncers moves in. A bouncer trained to watch for card counters. And sure enough, a few minutes later he's able to confirm it. The counter gets to leave with his winnings, but he won't be allowed into the casino again. Tuck gets the confirmation over the radio and looks back to Kaylee. Rather reluctantly, he murmurs, "Thanks."

Being somewhat of a gentleman (maybe), Toru ultimately just sighs and rests his hands on Lola's waist, in relatively innocent position, and swayswaysways along with the music. Not that he's particularly practiced at all. "You are a weird lady," he notes with a grumble as he moves. "But whatever. Why can't we just sit, or somethin'? Can't really drink like this. Tryin' to save money?"

Clink, clink-plink. Yeah, the slot machine wins again. Jake groans under his breath. "C'mon, I swear, dude. I didn't do anything. Look, you can keep it, all right? No big deal, just let me keep one coin and I'll… I'll be on my way." Jay starts inching forward again, reaches out to snag a coin off the top of the pile. Souvenir - and maybe lucky coin, if he can try it again. Hey, for all he knows the coin will be the exact same coin he first dropped in. Now won't that be lucky?

"It could be," Cardinal replies in tones warm with good humor, warmth that's only… a little bit forced, for Bebe's benefit. The drink's drawn away, his hand sliding down the line of her back before wrapping about her waist in a loose embrace, giving her a brief squeeze in against his side. A wink, "Let's find out."

That said, he moves the rest of the way along towards the bar, calling out easily, "…is this the domain of the gilded Tuckmeister, Lord of Gambling and Baron of Betting? The good lady Bebe wishes to offer her respects."

"Sugar, you got no idea just how weird I am." Or how fucked up her life is. Sway sway sway. "Just keep dancin' an ya kin drink till ya puke." She steals another glance around Toru, watching Adam like a hawk. "Ya know, this is crazy. This was supposed to be my night off. Supposed ta play a little cards an that'd be that. But no. Couldn' have that," Lola offers a pained sigh. "Just dance a little more." Once Adam gets stationary, she'll let Toru sit.

Kaylee gives a slows nod of her head and a small smile. "Welcome, Mr. Tucker." She takes a long drink from her soda and glances out into the room. "So.. you work here?" She asks curiously, she could look for the answer, but she doesn't. "What happened with your shop? I haven't been out there in awhile." Not completely the truth, but she had been avoiding him and his place on purpose. Then Cardinal and his date arrive and she gives the shadow man a lazy salute in greeting and chuckles at his greeting to Tuck. "Owner… Niiiice." Kaylee says to the former pawnie with an impressed smirk.

As he surveys the casino, Adam takes a sip of water. He notes Michael who seems happier than he has lately, which could be due to being up sixty dollars at the blackjack table. His eyes scan the dance floor and he frowns as he momentarily catches a flash of something familiar and then it's gone. He shakes his head a bit. And then Richard Cardinal sets up some elaborate introduction. Well, there's that woman with the legs. And there's that thief. And there's that….guy he's never met. And there's…Kaylee. And he frowns.

"Yeah.. I'm not really sure I'm seein' where the problem is, toots." Toru responds with a shrug. "You wanna play cards, go play cards. It's a friggin' casino, y'know?" Sway, sway, continued complete obliviousness to what's really going on. "It's your day off, you obviously ain't tryin' to get any action over here, so I don't see why you don't just do what you wanna do. You're an adult, right?"

And then Adam's making his way toward Kaylee. She breathes a little sigh of relief, slowing her swaying with Toru. "There ya go, Julio, go an have yerself a drink," she murmers, moving her way toward the craps table. She'll stand shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers, convinced at last that Adam isn't going to find her tonight. Not when he's got Kaylee to see too. "Just tell 'em ta charge it ta Marie, remember?"

"Tuckmeister. What am I, a used car salesman?" Tuck makes a face and tugs out a cigarette. "Hello Bebe. Glad you got off the island." He lights the cigarette and re-takes a seat on a stool by the bar. "My shop…well, it was time for a change. After a couple of years behind glass, you start to feel like a fish in an aquarium. Besides, this is good business. Can't hurt to go legit." Or quasi-legit as the case may be.

The bouncer doesn't say anything to Jake, but from the way he looms, he likes the idea of him leaving his winnings and taking off. The fact that he even offered that is an admission of guilt in his mind. Bicep muscles twitch. He better get while the getting's good.

Bebe's expression is hung with a sweet sovereignty and she very nearly looks as thought she's about two seconds away from greeting Tuck with a hug. She doesn't. Instead, she shines up her smile and says, "Hello, Mister Tucker. It's good to see you, too." She does, at least, relinquish her grasp on Cardinal's arm for a few spare seconds so that she might be able to fret her fingers against Mister Tucker's lapel — he apparently required adjustment — and tacks on, "You've done very well for yourself. I'm glad."

One coin, that's all Jake wants, and then he'll go - but not before darting an arm out to send coins spilling across the aisle. There, that'll distract them! The very instant that's done, he's already in motion, lunging for the doors, ducking low to avoid being recognized, slinging his hoodie over his shoulders as he goes. Fleeee! Kid's fast - and seems to have the most astounding luck when it comes to making the bouncers look like idiots trying to catch him. He leaves the flashy stuff for others; his big goal is to get outta here without facing the mob squad in the back room. Zoom!

Once relinquished, Cardinal takes one step further to lean himself against the bar; finishing off the drink in his hand, he slides it back down towards the bartender with naught but melting ice and a bit of liquor and water in the bottom of the vessel. "I think you've sold cars before," he notes, though mostly to be a dick.

Once Lola releases him, Toru gives the girl a brief fingerwave. "It ain't nothin' personal, chica, just if you're gonna be takin' my time.." A shrug. "I'll hook up with you later or somethin'." And he heads over to the bar, away from anyone objectionable, to order himself a drink. Another rum and coke. Once it arrives, he keeps to himself, sipping it idly.

Adam frowns a moment as he studies Kaylee and the small group she's currently part of. So there's Richard and this is the infamous Tuck, he doesn't look much like a pawn shop owner. And there's Bebe! who he's never heard of before. He finishes his water and stands from the bar and begins to walk away. He raises his arm which eventually gets the attention of his various men and they begin to head towards the exit.

Lola sees Adam heading toward the exit after two spins. Perfect! Standing, she makes her way to the bar at last. He may see her, it's perfectly possible. She's not being as slick as she was at the begining of the night. At last, however, she's able to fall against the bar, elbows there. "Soco," she orders. "And do not stop. I got the taste a funny little asian ta clear oughta my mouth."

The spilling coins have the compulsive gamblers going for them, especially when it's made clear that Jake isn't going to stop to pick them up. That provides a distraction for the bouncer nearest who was hoping to cash in on those coins as a 'tip.' As far as the others go? Yeah, the kid's just lucky he doesn't get snagged. Running implies guilt too.

The hand on his lapel provokes a crooked grin from Tuck. "It's all right. I forgot what a pain things like business licenses and proper bookkeeping were." Cardinal gets a look, a sniff, and then, "Hey, uh, if you see Rock, let him know I'm on the mainland?" He tries to code it so it sounds like he's talking about some criminal buddy of theirs. Hopefully Card'll get the message. Tell my kid I've gone straight.

"I'll leave you to your chat.. Mr Tucker." Kaylee states as she catches sight of Adam out of the corner of her eye, she watches him leave and bites her lip. She hops off her barstool and pauses. "Your not pulling my leg.. I can come back her again sometime?" She asks the casino owner, but she doesn't wait too much longer, before she hurries after Adam… Damn her guilty conscious.

"Yeah, yeah, just…stay away from anything but the slots, okay?" says Tuck to the departing Kaylee.


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