[Open Log] Not so very far from here...

[recognize_an_opportunity]

When; Around 10 pm on February 13.
Rating; PG-13 I would imagine.
Characters; Meyer Lansky, and anyone who either works at Lucky's or wants to come gamble!
Summary; It's basically just happy fun times at Lucky's. Or unhappy not fun times, if you decide to cheat or break things! Employees, gamblers, random people wanting a drink... all are welcome!
Log; As far as Meyer was concerned, ten at night was the best time to be at Lucky's. Everyone who worked there was there by then, and that meant he could take a break from dealing hands of poker to wander through the small card room and schmooze with the regulars, as well as greet everyone who came through the door.

As he made his rounds, he was solicitous, complimenting one man on how much money he'd won in a lucky game of blackjack, and commiserating with another man on his empty wallet once he'd lost several hands of poker. He was always suggesting people have another drink, stay for a little while longer, see if they couldn't get their luck back. Maybe just one more hand would win them everything.

If you walk through the door, you're likely to see a large crowd, but Meyer will make sure to push his way through it to greet you personally, shake your hand, and suggest that you take a seat. You never know, tonight might be your lucky night...

Comments

[deadmanbusiness]

Of course not. That would be bad for business and they had to let people think they were winning something.

"Running better than even for the first couple of hours. There was a slight dip for a brief run but then I caught the guy cheating and got him turned out right quick and confiscated his winnings. Jake saw him doing something funny." He sipped his drink.

"You know you might want to invest in some anti-cheating wards. There's enough folk here that can use magic or ... other stuff that it could be worthwhile."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"I've considered it, but I don't know if I'm comfortable with it."

Yes, he realized it might sound a little ridiculous, being okay with undead rats and the very nature of the City, but magic was something he hadn't had much firsthand experience with, and he wasn't sure he wanted it in his casino.

"People might get suspicious, think that we were stacking the cards too much in our favor."

[deadmanbusiness]

"Really?" Theo sounds surprised. "It's standard fare back home. Admittedly people can get around the anti-cheating wards if they're really good, but it's still..."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"It's not standard where I'm from, not even close, and the way I see it, we don't need that if we have some good employees."

He's old-fashioned in a lot of ways, and who can blame him? 1920 is a far cry from when most of the people here are from, after all.

[deadmanbusiness]

"That's right, I keep on forgetting. Sorry," he shakes his head. "It's different."

They were using them in the 1920s where Theo was from so...

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"Yeah, it's a little different," he agrees.

He knows that in other worlds, in other timelines, strange things have happened. He somehow has the desire to keep his own card room feeling as authentic to his own time as possible, despite the irregularities of the City. He hasn't quite expressed that out loud yet, but he gets the feeling people will start to notice, and maybe that'll be part of its draw, too.

[deadmanbusiness]

Theo approves of this idea of Meyer's. He'd agree it'd be a draw.

"Little is putting it mildly," Theo says.

Jasper comes scurrying up Theo's leg with a silver dollar in its mouth. It puts it on the counter and then runs off.

He picks up the coin and turns it around curiously.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

He looks at the coin curiously, then looks in the direction the rat ran off in. "Wonder where he got that?"

[deadmanbusiness]

"Patron." He says absently. "It's got magic on it."

Theo bites it absently and then lifts up his sunglasses to stare at it without their interference.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"What kind of magic?"

He's pretty sure he knows the answer even as he asks it. What other kind of magic might someone want to bring into a card room other than one that allowed them to cheat somehow?

[deadmanbusiness]

"Not exactly my field but it looks like a luck manipulation charm. It probably changes the luck depending on which side is up," Theo says.

It's a cheating charm.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

This is a situation that calls for some finesse, although Meyer tends to think that about every situation. It would be easy simply to call a bouncer over, and tell the guy to get the hell out, but there are better and more polite ways to handle it, in his opinion.

"Do you know who it came from?"

[deadmanbusiness]

"Give me a second." He puts the coin down and tracks Jake urging it to go back to where he got the coin from.

"There's a man, in plaid. Looks like a lumberjack."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

Cheating lumberjacks. Just what he wanted to deal with tonight. He approaches the table quietly, tight smile already on his face, tapping the guy on the shoulder.

"I'll need to talk to you for a minute."

He hopes Theo is right behind him. While Meyer can fight, and fight damn well for someone his height, he doesn't feel like getting into a brawl if the man in plaid has had a few too many to drink and feels surly.

[deadmanbusiness]

Of course Theo is behind him. He's not going to send his 'boss' after a guy on his rat's says so without going with him. Mind you, he's not all that tall either...

The guy turns around and blinks rapidly when he recognizes Meyer.

"Yeah?" he says in a gravely voice that sounds like a tractor.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"I think you may have misplaced something."

He slides the coin onto the table, wanting to gauge the man's reaction. If he plays like he doesn't know what the hell he's looking at, well, Meyer'll let it slide for now, keep a close eye on him, and throw him out at the first sign of any more trouble. If he admits to it being his, he'll be asked to leave right then.

[deadmanbusiness]

"Oh, I must have dropped it," the man says almost casually, but clearly glad that it's been found and slightly sweating.

He doesn't seem to think that Meyer knows what sort of coin it was.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"Of course."

His smile is no less friendly than they were a moment before, but his eyes are certainly cold as he continues to address the man. "I'd suggest that you keep a better eye on your personal belongings next time. You wouldn't want somebody to get the wrong idea."

[deadmanbusiness]

The man leaves the coin where Meyer put it. "In a place like this? I wouldn't be surprised if it walked out of this place. It's very kind of you to have noticed it dropped."

Silly non-magical man not knowing what he's giving back.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"Of course."

Meyer leans forward, one hand on the table, and stares the guy right in the eye. "And, you understand, I don't want to see it around here again, or I'll have to have another word with you."

And from his tone of voice, that other 'word' will be far less polite.

[deadmanbusiness]

The man blinks rapidly, "I ain't done nothing wrong."

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"Maybe not yet. That's why I'm suggesting that you don't bring it around again."

Meyer looks back at Theo, nodding at him, wordlessly indicating that if Theo sees him cheating around here again, he has Meyer's permission to kick him out.

[deadmanbusiness]

Theo nods back, getting the meaning.

The lumberjack scowls at the both of them and grips the coin tightly in his hand.

[recognize_an_opportunity]

"In the meantime, have a great night."

Meyer's smile looks almost genuine.

[deadmanbusiness]

All he gets is scowling.

Theo, at least, smiles brightly.