Taking a Gamble (Gabe)

Among the streams of people going about their business in the bank and playing at the arcade, Lui was taking a stroll by the Detective Agency, listening for the news of the rumor spreading among the people. While he was satisfied with how things turned out, especially concerning the young man being short just enough for Lui to foot the bill, he kept his eyes out for the young man and his helpers. Whoever he was, he was fairly interesting. He had looked among the members of the playhouse but couldn't fully identify who he was. If he could find him again, maybe learning a few more details about him would help form a useful relationship.

"Hmm. maybe he's not here... I'll just stake out the agency, keep an eye on the road. If he passes by, I'll just greet him. Hopefully he doesn't recognize me..."

Lui would lean beside the detective agency, keeping his hood up and his phone in front of him, keeping an eye out while seemingly texting.

Coming out of the detective agency, Gabe would gather around his small security detail and dismiss them for the time being. "I'll meet you back at the casino, you should start preparing for tonight's guests. " After they dispersed, Gabe was on his own for a little while, deciding to go for a stroll towards the Lucky clover. However, he took a long way, wanting to take in all of the sights and possibly enjoy his last day of freedom if he was to fail tonight. Either way, his small quirk of trying to keep the promises that he makes were satisfied, so Gabe was going to relax a bit.

"But still, must have been the goddess of fortune that I managed to find that money. "Oh well... "

There he was. Lui looked back up to see those pesky guards of his going their separate way from the man, heading towards this casino the longer way around. Pulling back his hood enough to show most of his face, Lui followed the young man along his route for a while, blending in with the other people before giving him a small tap on the shoulder. He gave a half-cocked smile as he spoke, his eyes barely covered by the hood.

"Pardon me. I saw you exiting the detective agency earlier, and I was wondering if they came across any lost wallets. I've been having to carry cash without one, and I think I lost a bit of mine while I was out and about. Ah well, it's only 100 VC..."

While bringing up the fact that the cash the man found was his would be a bit tricky to slide by him, it could at least give him a bit of favor for "accidentally" giving him the cash he needed for his errand.

Turning around, Gabe didn't really know what to expect.

"Can i help you with something?"

It was a fair assumption, but hearing that the lad lost his wallet was upsetting. Apparently, he was also by the detective agency. "You were? I didn't see you, but the 100 VC, that......... that was yours?" All this time, Gabe was thankful for his good fortune, but for him to turn around and blatantly benefit from someone during his own troubles, especially at the fact that he lost his wallet was sad. " I ended up finding 100 vc and I thought I miscounted the money that I had around to take care of some business. If it must have slipped out, I'm sorry that it got mixed into my pile. But I didn't find a wallet anywhere."

This man now fully had Gabe's attention, wanting Gabe to pay him back. "What's your name? I'm Gabriel Gatsby, I know you lost your wallet, but I can at least cover the money you lost. "

Bingo. Seems he had no idea that he was listening in or if he was even in the room. Despite the security team watching his surroundings, looks like they didn't make note of him. Seeing how he had no idea the money was his, the man named Gabe valued his contribution enough to offer repayment. Lui simply shrug his shoulders, keeping his actual wallet in his shorts pocket.

"My name? Well, I'm Lui Saito. If anything, you'd probably hear about my sister before me. Don't stress the mix-up, Gabe. It's just pocket change. But I'm glad that you found some use for it. So, you were talking about a casino earlier? You do business there?"

"Casino, gambling, the rumor... This guy is definitely worth noting."

"You're quite observant, were you trying to work under the detective as an intern or something? I heard of paying attention to your surroundings, but if you caught on to that as well........" Well, no matter. Gabe was taking up a lot of the investigators time, and it looked like a serious deal with all of that money on the table. It wouldn't be strange for someone to be interested in what was going on. " I'm the manager for this particular branch in Endymion, the lucky clover casino. There is one in a few countries, cities. So being a casino owner is more of deal. "


Butting his hands his pockets, Gabe would wonder why the sudden interest. "Why? Do you play? Do you consider yourself a gambler Lui?"

Lui cracked a grin at the mention of his observational ability. People did tend to pick up on how well-trained his eyes truly were. So, this Gabe Gatsby was the manager of a casino? The ties to this fellow and the masked gambler were drawing closer and closer with every fact he found. But giving him too many details about him without being certain of his identity would be troublesome, so Lui decided to pocket his hands as well, flipping his head back to let the hood fall off, his usually neat brown hair lightly russeled.

"Oh, interning with the detective? No, I already have a job opportunity that I'm satisfied with. Considering the news you hear about these days concerning terrorists, demons, and some guy who eats idols, I think I'll pass on the detective business for now. Though I wouldn't doubt I'd make a fairly competent casanova.

Hmm, a gambler? Well, I haven't had much of a chance to see. I suppose I have a fairly good poker face and a flair for... charisma. Are you inviting me to play, Gabe? I wouldn't be so bold as to underestimate a gambler like yourself."

I don't like to bother myself with that, regular people just need to find a way to live their lives full of happiness and no regrets outside of all of the supernatural craziness. Or better yet, i'd like to think that we deserve the right to do so, without being ignorant of it. "

What else could he say about it without seeming too emotionally invested in the topic.

"Well, it's a good way to make money if you are lucky enough. Leaving things to chance in such a way, the one thing we can't really control is the odds. Even something as simple as a coin toss being the deciding factor of a a grand scheme of importance. It's crazy, a good way to waste money if you aren't careful. But at the same time, it allows you to believe anything is possible again, only due to the fact that the possibilities are dependent on something that is controlled by a centrifugal force with no will of it's own. Chance lacks bias, and maybe that's the attraction."

He left it at that for the time being.

"I'm also pretty good with cards, ever had your fortune told with them before?"

Deserving to live a life of happiness without being ignorant of the truth? In this kind of society, that was a desire those who would be taking action against the queen. This guy could feign interest, but the way he spoke of it either indicated he had a happiness-centric style of living or a desire to see the current government structure take a change for the better. Lui nodded silently as Gabe spoke, letting him get his words out.

"I agree. Pursue whatever you want in life, but nobody should be kept in the dark throughout their lives. All this supernatural stuff going around by word of ear needs to be brought to light, unless they want the people to distort the pseudo-truth further...

True, chance doesn't have a favorite or bias, but it's rather fickle for people like me. I trust more in my skill, but luck is always a nice weapon to have in your back pocket. But hey, that's how I work. Strong swordplay could always use a little good luck, like most anything.

Fortune telling by card reading? I remember a... sibling had a tarot card reading at a fair, but I haven't. Are you offering to read my fortune or deal me in blackjack? Honestly, I could settle for either. So long as you don't predict my imminent death, I'd enjoy a suggestion for the future."

Taking out his "deck of cards", Gabe would then proceed to shuffle rather skillfully as he then motioned the deck over to Lui. "After you do that, i'll use the card that you picked to tell your fortune. Simple no?"  This was all harmless fun, but Gabe did wonder what this man was to pull. It would be easy for Gabe to get somewhat of an idea as to how this individual was, or maybe an idea as to what this man was currently going through in his life. It only takes one good guess to make an impression.  

Strength

Spoiler:

Rand rules

Spoiler:

"Let's see, the queen of spades huh? " Gabe would clear his throat before he continued. " Widowed or divorced woman; or a woman with Air predominating in her chart. That's what this means, so it could involve a significant event that is happening or has happened in your life. Regardless on whether it involves something akin to a divorce or a woman with an air sign, i have no clue. " Shuffling the card back in, Gabe would then smile as he gave the lad reassurance. "It's only a game, though, i am curious. Is anything like that happening with you right now?"

Although Lui could easily keep a straight face despite how he felt, the reaction to a widow or divorced woman seemed to hit home as his eyes glimmered with the presence of a sad mourner. While he didn't have a widow in his life, his birth mother was a Libra, and she and his father... had separated years ago, but not by choice. Sniffling a light bit and looking away from Gabe, Lui spoke, a hint of choking in his words as he spoke.

"I-in a way. My birth mother, she was a Libra. She and my father were separated, yes... but not by choice. She went missing, presumed dead, during the Divide. So yah, it applies all right.

...Can I just draw a different card? This doesn't mean anything currently. Or would you want to draw a card too?"

"Wow, I'm sure that's nothing more than a coincidence. Don't take the cards too personally Lui, you'll never know what you'll get when left by chance. " However, he could understand where Lui was coming from. "I lost my family at the great divide as well, but that's a story for another time." Checking his watch, Gabe would take out a business card from his pocket." Stop by the casino sometimes, i'll buy you a drink. Sorry, i have to cut this short, but there are a few things I have to take care of before tonight, responsibilities and all that. "

With his composure returning fully to him. Lui accepted Gabe's casino card, holding onto it as his hands rolled up into his sleeves and return to his pockets. The casino wasn't the type of place he'd expect to go, but Gabe seemed like a reliable source to have, especially if he ended up having a relation to the playhouse.

"Hmm, I might take you up on that offer sometime. I understand you got stuff to do. I got training to get to as well. Have a good night, then."

Lui waved goodbye to Gabe, noting the location of the casino and walking back towards Little Tokyo, his hood flipped back up over his head. Gabe was an interesting character to check up on. He was good with his hands, ran a successful business, and had a cool, collected personality on the outside. Whether this guy was anywhere close to the gambler of the Playhouse, Lui wasn't certain, but there were very little other suspects to take his place. He was a good contact to have regardless...
"See you later, Gabe Gatsby... Maybe sooner than you think."

~Lui EXIT~~