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

[dropoffs]

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[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. ]

[thematics]

[ just giving shoma a 'fucking say that again' look but it's fine! it's fine we're all getting along great.

is there a vip table up in here as well? any familiar faces, now that we know that's a thing? ]

[riverbeans]

[just walks right up to the thuggish men standing near the stairway. i assume this is, like, the stairway to further up.]

Hey, folks.

[solesuccess]

[ well he will monitor the time and also seems to be weighing the pros and cons of simply using his e.g.o. to create a barricade so the boss can't come upstairs.

so isabel's looking for a vip table, charles is walking up to the stairway, and shoma's going to make himself busy by doing a quick visual sweep of the floor to see if there's anything else here that stands out. or, alternatively, making sure the boss didn't sneak past them while they were losing their shit at arthur. ]

[inequals]

[ Hmm... well, you can watch as a very bizarre something seems to be escorted up the stairs up to the fourth floor. It literally looks like a metal box. I really mean it. It's got a bowtie on it!

The thugs block Charles's way. ]

Tieqiu Thug A

No twinks.

Tieqiu Thug B

You look like a strong wind would snap you in half.

[ You know what, because I think it'd be funny, yeah, the Tingtang Boss can be coming upstairs right around now. He just gives you guys such a look. ]

Tingtang Boss

Ay, it's the beans!
I got business but I'll take care of youse when I'm back, you stay right here.

[ And he's going to keep heading towards the stairs I guess. ]

[thematics]

[ well she would stop the tingtang boss but she's annoyed so she's leaving that to shoma. instead she'll try to talk to the people nearest the path that the. box. went by. ]

Who was that? [ this world is crazy and it has arms and legs so she will say 'who' instead of 'what.' sure. ]

[riverbeans]

... What the hell is a twink?

[actually, he can get an idea from what thug b said, so he just grins, tapping the hilt of his sword.]

Wanna test that, friend?