Idiot's Array

[Mav Halo]

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Corusca Sector; Coruscant
Lucky Lazaak's Casino & Fine Dining Experience
Level 1374
[member="Gabriel Lethe"]

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Bathed in the perpetual twilight of shadow cast by the gleaming spires above, Lucky Lazaak’s was a poignant reflection of the faded, seedy glory that wove through the lower levels of Coruscant. Clad in elaborately etched chromium, chipped and damaged from at least a century of urban decay, it was clear that someone attempted to instil a twisted sense of class at some point in its sordid history. Yet not even the gaudy, flickering neon signs promising wealth and fortune could disguise that this was a bottom of the barrel dive.

And if that wasn’t obvious from the outside, the interior only served to reinforce the fact. Or what little that could be seen through the thick, vicious like clouds of cigarra smoke that hang heavily in the air. Somehow managing to sting the eyes and sear the throat, yet doing little to dispel the overwhelming stench of cheap cologne that permeated the casino. As if the cringe worthy orange leather upholstery and crunchy carpet weren’t bad enough.

Lazaak’s wasn’t without its charm, however. What it lacked in refinement, sanitation and general atmosphere, it more than made up for it with a markedly discounted drinks menu. A little cheap booze went a long way in distracting attention away from the establishment’s more obvious deficits. And, of course, there was the gambling.

Unlike the casinos, gambling parlours or card rooms of the more reputable upper levels, Lazaak’s took full advantage of being so far removed from the concerns of the local law enforcement. Eschewing the concepts of table limits, buy-ins and of course, friendly wagers. Creating an unrivalled utopia for those looking to make or break themselves in one sweep of the cards. And a place where the consequences of your fortune, both good and bad, invariably extended far beyond the tables and slot machines.

And nowhere was this more evident than The Backroom.

“And he turns to her and says, ‘Lady, that’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!’” Cards danced between his hands as the Lorrdian spoke, a chit-eating grin flaring across his features as he glanced around the table, trying to gauge the impact of his joke or perhaps simply wanting to see how much attention they were individually paying him at that present moment in time. A dozen or so hands in, with the hour growing late, it wasn’t as many as you’d expect. Almost a shame, really. They’d be missing the magic. “Get it? Becau---”

“Enough!” The chiselled faced Deveronian to his left slammed his hand down on the table, greasy lips curling back to reveal the seal of broken and stained teeth of a spice addict. Tam was sure he’d seen uglier examples of the species in his time, but he was drawing a blank on when exactly. “We come here to play cards,” The creature spat, jabbing a bony finger in his direction. “Not tell jokes. Another word and maybe I cut you a whole new mouth, yes? You deal now.”

“Y’know, Dagar, there ain’t any shame in admitting if you don’t get it. Well, maybe a little. I mean, I thought it was fairly self-explanatory as jokes go…” He held up a hand to forestall the next barrage of heated, fetid breath the gangster was about to unleash in his general vicinity. As welcome of a distraction as he was, drawing attention away from the extra cards that were mysteriously finding their way into the deck even as it was expertly shuffled, a little dental hygiene really could have gone a long way. Even if it was akin to tossing a cup of water on a raging fire at this point. “Fine, fine, I’m dealing – See?”

True to his word, a rarity that really wasn’t appreciated enough, the cards began to spin out from his hand and across the table. A couple for the oily looking Gammorean that either had the best sabacc face Tam had ever seen or was simply too stupid to realise the rules of the game. A couple for the constantly fidgeting Sullustan, likely wishing he hadn’t opted to sample the buffet during the intermission. Their horned compadre, he received a few. With the rest shared between Tam and the unremarkable looking blonde spacer.

Predictably, his own hand was fairly strong. It wasn’t pure sabacc, but considering the next few cards dealt would invariably place that comfortably within reach, he wasn’t overly concerned. The game surprisingly easier to win when one didn’t concern themselves with the fickleness of fortune and odds. He tossed a few chips into the pot to open the table, “I also raise, by the way.”

 

[Thaddeus Wyse]

[member="Tam Severro"]

If there was one thing he had learned after several years of being out there in the Galaxy?

It was that connections made the difference.

Knowing people, what they did, what they could mean for you, it was the difference between a sizeable paycheck and a ship reversing from hyperspace in the middle of nowhere with no fuel and only a day's worth of food. Luckily Gabey had been able to avoid that latter outcome, but somehow didn't always manage to land the former either for all his attempts. It was for that reason that he was doing a stupid thing right now. Oh, Gabe didn't consider it stupid, ill-advised at worst. Sometimes you needed to take a risk or two, if you wanted to make it in this 'verse.

That was a lesson a certain roguish Sullustan captain had drilled into him over the years.

"Oh, I will raise, alright." Already pushing a handful of credit chits over onto the pile to the collective tune of groans. Whilst Tam had a big mouth and even a bigger appeal to be hated, Gabriel was the golden boy.

Unremarkable only in the way that he seemed to be able to befriend basically anyone.

Both of them had been on a win streak together, but only one of them had been able to piss the entire table off in the meantime. "Cheer up, Dag." Gabey commented with a smile while leaning back and squinting over at the Devaronian. "Ya luck will change. Trust me." That only got a shake of the head, some grumbling, before Red threw his cards down and gave up for this round.

The blonde guy's smile grew wide then.

The fact that there were two cheaters at this table did nothing to quell his enthusiasm.