W2 🛸 PLAYER CYOA: HIGH ROLLERS (LOWE) 🚀 CHARLES, LOVELACE, SHOMA

[dropoffs]

Comments

[inequals]

Just Some Guy

Bet your shirt and I'll consider it then!

[ The intimidation didn't go over so well, you will either have to legit rob him or play him fairly for his shirt. Why is this happening.

Ftr, the Mariachi Vivaz will glady get you both some food, Charles. Some taco Thursday, anyone? Now he has an excuse to stand this close to you.

Round one! We're totally BSing this because I don't know how to actually play Baccarat and neither do you, but we make the rolls happen. 1-8: Arthur wins. 9-12: House (Effie) wins, aka a tie. 13-20: Shoma wins. Sounds good? ]

[thematics]

[ unfortunately despite my consistently terrible rolls this is the kind of thing lovelace usually excels at so she's just expecting it to work out eventually. also she's competitive. ]

Alright, fine. Let's play for it.

[riverbeans]

[he will take this taco.]

Oh, thanks.

[but he does take a look at it to make sure there's nothing sussy in it. sorry, pal. gotta be careful when they're from rival syndicates...]

[solesuccess]

[ he is unaware of what's going on with both isabel and charles, focusing on believeing in the heart of the cards...

the rolls sound good and with my roll of ten, that's a house win? ]

[inequals]

[ The random civilian will play Lovelace for the shirt off his back. The cards were not in her favour today. However the random civlian politely declines to actually take Isabel's clothes, partially out of respect and partially because they're not better than what he's already wearing. Instead, Isabel will hear the ominous shaking of maracas coming closer. ]

Mariachi Vivaz

You must respect the rules of the game, madam.
If you cannot pay with money, you must dance, or we will throw a pañata party on you.

CHARLES

ISABEL

SHOMA

[ That is a promise.

Fortunately for Charles, it does seem to be a regular taco. Everyone is friends in Los Mariachis. Probably. The guy gives Charles a hearty pat on the back. He isn't flirting with you.



Round one is a tie [10], and you may watch Effie collect the cards with a snuck-in thumbs up. Jefe Arthur sighs a little, clearly disappointed, but they've still got two chances. ]

Jefe Arthur

What are you doing up here anyhow?
The Tingtang Gang territory is usually outside.
Should you be playing around upstairs without your boss in tow?

[thematics]

[ she laughs? ]

Oh, absolutely not. Neither of those things are happening.

[ ma'am ]

[riverbeans]

[THANKS GLAD THIS ISN'T FLIRTING he will eat the taco then and see how shoma responds to this. he looks calm on the outside but inside he is still sort of losing it over seeing arthur's face like this.]

[solesuccess]

[ the very, very slightest upturn of his lips. this is the only way he can manage not to give into the urge to yell about arthur's face. ]

Ah, you didn't hear? Big mess down there. When're we ever gonna get this kind of chance again? Boss'll catch up when Boss catches up.

[ round two is a roll of 17.

anyway outwardly he looks calm internally he's dying squirtle. ]

[inequals]

Mariachi Vivaz

Oh, but you will.
You either take the maracas or you get the maracas.

[ OK. He's wielding them with the aura of wielding dual hammers, ftr. So that is happening in the bg while Shoma is winning at Baccarat.

Charles... you feel it in your bones, that Arthur would rather die than be seen with this weird-ass personality. And yet, here you all are, watching his expression turn into a slight frown as Shoma wins the next hands -- yes, hands, since in the interest of time I'm giving him the two wins needed to just take it here. Congratulation. ]

CHARLES

ISABEL

SHOMA

Jefe Arthur

Not half-bad for a grunt.
Maybe they should send you up to the top floor instead.
Then we can play a real game.

[thematics]

Ugh. Hold that thought.

[ she says this like she really means it and then she is just walking away. you can just walk away from your problems if you want!! and she's coming over to where shoma and charles are at to see what's going on here.

except

immediately bursting out in obnoxious laughter when she sees arthur ]

[riverbeans]

[glances over at isabel before he shrugs, trying to hold back a grin. but also, he is not sure how well laughing will go over here, so he promptly turns back to shoma. (with mild concern over whatever isabel has been getting into when he wasn't paying attention...)]

I agree—this guy's talent is wasted on this floor, don'tcha think?

[solesuccess]

[ his bones feel deep exhaustion when he hears isabel laugh and he is just pretending his grin is about winning and not because he's losing his mind. you know that thing where you start laughing because someone else is even though it isn't funny? yeah.

anyway yay. ]

Maybe they should. [ he leans in a little. ] A game not Baccarat?

[ tell us more about the top floor's gamble, arthur. ]

[inequals]

[ Well. Isabel arrives and starts just laughing at Jefe de los Mariachis: Arthur for what appears to be, him losing to a 12-year old. Which is fair. However, this will not be taken lightly among their ranks, and there is just deathly silence from their fellow Mariachis as she laughs.

Even the guy who was chasing after Isabel trying to get his dues pauses at this.

...

Then some goons finally speak. ]

Mariachi Allegre

Oye, what was that sound... it was like nails on chalkboard...

Mariachi Vivaz

I think it sounded more like a donkey braying, eh...

Mariachi Allegre

She's clearly insane, huh, I mean... look at her, chief.

[ Arthur, even in his cool outfit and big hat, looks at Isabel with the straightest most serious expression ever. ]

Jefe Arthur

You are an annoyance.

[thematics]

[ just ignoring these goons being rude to respond to arthur. ]

Don't be a buzzkill. Tell us about the game upstairs.

[ once again she's so positive that just being bossy will work. it's a little less unearned this time because being bossy does usually work on arthur? good luck, me. ]

[riverbeans]

[somehow this is the closest jefe arthur has gotten to the real arthur as charles does a very impressive job of maintaining a straight face.]

Just ignore her. She, uh, has problems. [sorry isabel but you clearly do for reasons unrelated to rightfully laughing at arthur] So, the game?

[solesuccess]

[ wow...good arthur cosplay, sir.

anyway he just gives isabel the flattest look in the universe and i am once again extremely sorry that he's so agitated with her even though everyone can agree this is extremely funny. ]

Agreed. [ he can attempt to appeal to jefe arthur for the sake of getting their information and moving the fuck on. ] As you were saying?

[inequals]

[ Unfortunately being bossy works the opposite here, possibly, because Arthur is a Syndicate boss in this world and Aida (the original Jefe whose place Arthur is taking right now) is actually a pretty hard-ass boss. He crosses his arms. ]

Jefe Arthur

We're all going to find out once it's time.
They don't inform in advance, it leaves more time for people to think up ways to cheat.
Knowing though, it's likely something plain, like poker.

[ Everyone just assumes it's going to be a normal game. They're right though. If you choose to believe them all. ]

Jefe Arthur

Is she one of yours? The Tingtangs would cut out tongues for less.
It seems she owes a dance, or we'll have to teach her a lesson.

[thematics]

[ everyone is so rude to her just because she's kind of a bitch and also blew up a room a minute ago and also hasn't done anything useful and also can't stealth and also ]

I'm with them. And the Tingtangs know better than to get on my bad side. [ AGAIN, TRULY NO RIGHT TO TOUGH TALK WHEN MY ROLLS ARE SO BAD ]

[riverbeans]

Isabel...

[just gives her a look]

[solesuccess]

Shut. Up. [ he's done! he is done with this! but back to jefe arthur. ] You'll have to forgive her egregious amount of overcompensation. Boss is tough, she's still learning her place.

[ but he'll at least rise from the table. ]

Suppose we'll see ya on the fourth floor then.

[ what if we simply try to Leave. ]

[inequals]

[ Looking at pacing, I actually do have to hustle you guys along a little bit, so Arthur looks like he's just done with you all. ]

Jefe Arthur

I'm not concerned what a couple of loan sharks in Hawaiian shirts think.

[ Said like they're not thugs in ponchos with maracas for weapons. ]

Jefe Arthur

I don't know what you're doing up here, but get out of my sight.
If you don't intend to play and have a good time, you don't belong here.

[ SO YEAH YOU CAN JUST LEAVE FOR NOW. But you have left a bad taste in Los Mariachis's mouth and they will remember this. ]

[thematics]

[ you see! i told you just being rude would work eventually!

lovelace learns nothing and will move on to the next floor if they can? ]

[riverbeans]

[will move on... but whispering to the others as they do—]

So... do we have a plan yet for dealing with the Tingtang boss?

[solesuccess]

[ snarkily, like a little bitch: ]

I don't know, why don't we just have Isabel point a gun at him and threaten to remove his shirt? That's worked out great.

[ but they will leave the table. he's going to wander and see how things look for gaining access to the third floor? ]

[inequals]

[ You can just take the stairs because I'm hustling you along, we can just assume Arthur called off anyone there because he wants you out of his sight. You filthy charlatans.

If nothing else about this place, you learn that the interior fucking rocks. It's awesome. On the third floor, you see a bunch of mahjong tables and INCREDIBLY thuggish looking people all over, playing games, smoking... somehow, this is the most 'gang'-like tier you've seen yet.

There's some very massive thuggish men standing near the stairway.

Also in the interest of time again, I will say it's like. 4:30pm right now. ]