Book III: Casino Royale (VI): Opening Ceremony

  --- Gregory Fischer ---

  “The Ace of the Casino Royale?” Maeve asked from beside him, which in turn saved him from having to ask just who he’d apparently shared a smoke break with.

  “Right, you two must be from further out than I thought, the Casino Royale run this city, and Ace is one of the five heads of the group.” Katarina explained. “More specifically he’s their… enforcer in a sense.”

  Before the red head could elaborate Ace’s voice spoke up, echoing throughout the room as the young man spread his arms wide.

  “Welcome, welcome, ladies, gents, and whatever the fuck that guy with three faces is to this year's Grand Casino Card Tournament! Where you can bet it all for anything you can think of, just so long as you actually bet it all.” Ace chuckled, his eyes roaming the room. “Now I know we’re cutting in a bit early, but with this full house we’ve got, I’m sure everyone is just chomping at the bit to get going.”

  A faint roar of approval rose up from the crowd, before Ace gave them a put upon frown. “That said, the Queen bee demands that I go over the rules for everyone since half of you are from else-worlds.”

  (Else-worlds?) He couldn’t help but frown.

  “For anyone who entered this tournament without knowing what you’d be playing, well we’ll all be playing Royal River -Which for my foreign friends is the one where everyone gets two cards and five community cards- with five to a table and ten grand worth of chips. Now with that in mind you should all know the face values even if you don’t recognize the symbols and if not,” Ace clapped with a grin. “Well, you’re kind of fucked and I really hope you bet everything you have.”

  He vaguely recognized what game the man was talking about, (though back in the city we call it Split Hand.)

  “Still given the high stakes of this tournament, and the fact that at least half of you fuckers are using magic, psionics, madness or whatever the fuck else you pulled out of the Cheshire’s ass, using any of those abilities will get you thrown out of this tournament.” Ace warned, before gesturing to the large men next to him and adding that, “You’ll also be dragged into the nearest back alley and beaten to within an inch of your life, and depending on just what you were betting, we might also put a bullet in your head.”

  Idly he noted a few people around him -such as Katarina- shifting uncomfortably at that comment, whether because of the accusation of cheating or the bloodshed he didn’t know. He did note that Maeve wasn’t bothered by either, (then again given how she spent the last decade living in the Crimson Carnival…)

  It wouldn’t be much of a surprise if death was cheap to the vampire.

  (Wonder what it says about me that it doesn’t bother me either?)

  “Everyone understand?” Ace double checked, narrowed eyes roaming for any possible trouble makers, before his grin widened as he pointed at the wall covered in names. “Then get to your table and let the games begin!”

  There was a faint applause at his words before the crowd began to scatter, most already knowing where they’d been assigned and a handful wandering off towards the wall to find their placement.

  “Well, I suppose this is where we’ll be parting.” Katarina nodded towards them. “If everything goes well for both of us we should meet at one of the final tables.”

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  “If all goes well.” Maeve nodded in agreement.

  “Don’t think I’ll play nice just because you helped me dear.” The red head warned with a smile and a little wave as she sauntered off towards her table.

  Maeve let out an amused huff before glancing towards the wall of names and setting off toward a table, apparently having found her name despite a distance that Fischer couldn’t read even with his glasses.

  Figuring it was best to know where the rest of his unit was he followed after her, before realizing something. “So… it just occurred to me… do you know how to play the card game he mentioned?”

  “As long as it uses the same set of hands as I’m used?” Maeve checked. “Then hopefully I can bluff long enough to figure it out.”

  “Well… if these are like the casinos I’ve been to then the official tables should have a card chart somewhere.” He figured, not adding how many red light casinos he’d been to that did not in fact contain ‘official’ tables. (Then again those were the places likely to shoot you if they didn’t recognize you.)

  Which was unfortunately the norm for him on those particular ‘jobs’.

  “If not all I need do is stall until I’ve seen everyone else’s hands.” Maeve shrugged, before giving a small smirk. “Ad libbing a scene is hardly the most difficult bit of acting for someone of my experience and talents.”

  “Fair enough.” He nodded, before glancing around and spotting a few others mingling about to watch the tables rather than to play them. “Still, you want me to stick close by? While I doubt we’ll get in trouble as long as we follow the rules, I can still watch your back if you want given the whole… downgrade our books gave us.”

  “That would defeat the purpose of us splitting up.” His fellow librarian pointed out. “Besides, even if I’m only operating with a fourth of my usual versatility, I can still take care of myself should things become problematic.”

  “Alright, just felt I should offer.” He admitted, as he put an unlit cigarette between his lips and started taking in the crowd around them. “I’d say good luck, but I’m guessing ‘break a leg’ would be better suited.”

  “Given how I’d prefer you not jinx my performance? Yes, yes it would.” Maeve told him as she made her way towards her seat.

  Now left to his own devices he took in the crowd around him as Maeve’s dealer opened a new pack of cards for the table, more than a little wishing he could actually light his smoke in preparation for all of the ‘socializing’ he was about to do. (Maybe I should’ve taken my chances with the poker table with or without my ‘smoke of war’. Wouldn’t even have to really talk to anyone, just… manipulate them all into playing my game… until I’ve won it all and left them with nothing but ash…)

  He couldn’t help but grimace at that thought. (On second thought this is probably for the best…)

  Deciding it was best to not go down a rabbit hole about his own manipulative tendencies, he instead took a look around the room for any interesting parties that weren’t a part of the actual games being played. And while most of the crowd were spectators, he did find a few people that stood out from the rest for one reason or another.

  The most obvious was a rowdy woman(?) that probably only came up to his hip, with blue skin and pointed ears actively cheering at one of the poker tables and very clearly annoying everyone at said table. Including whoever she was doing the cheering for.

  (Yeah… that might require a higher level of ‘socializing’ than I’m comfortable with…)

  Ignoring noise and volume, his eyes instead locked onto -what to him- was the next most attention drawing thing in the room. Namely a dark haired young woman tinkering with what he was pretty sure was a bomb of some kind.

  He idly glanced towards some of the guards stationed around the room and saw that none of them were concerned with whatever was going on there.

  Not sure if that fact was reassuring or not, he quickly spotted the woman from outside glaring up towards the higher floor where Ace had disappeared after giving his little speech. (Which I guess makes sense given how she supposedly wanted to kill him…)

  Which in itself sounded like a whole other mess he didn’t want to get involved with. In fact between those three he was almost tempted just to walk over to the side and join an exasperated looking man covered in dark fur while watching another furred man make a fool of themselves at one of the tables. (At the very least the quiet would be appreciated…)