Easy Targets

[Ellie]

She felt right at home. The music well suited for a casino filled the room with warmth and personality. The kind of atmosphere that lured people in to lose their most valuable earnings to an already multirich casino that didn't really need the money. Still it drained the visitors of, sometimes, everything they had. Yes, this was her environment. An environment she'd grown into and learned exactly how to love. It was an illusion of sorts. A luxurious, beautiful and happy illusion that glittered with a golden surface. But once you scratched the surface, you could see everything from addictions and debts to people on life's edge with death as their only way out. All of it because of numbers, pieces of paper, a system that would make the world collapse if it broke down. Some of the people in this place didn't even have money of their own to bet or lose. But no one ever asked where the money came from and no one ever really needed to. A casino contained people from all walks of life, but in here they were all the same kind. Greedy bastards with a vague hope that maybe they'd win the jackpot and walk out of here with a better life waiting. Because that was the whole idea, money making life better. Otherwise it wouldn't be so damn fun playing with it.

It was sort of a norm to leave your personality outside once you stepped into a casino, and most people did. A man couldn't walk into a casino with a happy smile on his face and a good memory of his kids showing him pictures of trees and elephants or whatever kids drew. He'd get shred to pieces before even leaving his first table, and many did. That's how they learned in the first place. There would always be rookies, the ones who looked overly nervous and usually sweated a lot. They'd bet on all the wrong places in the games and often get laughed at for it. There were cheaters, who many times got away with cheating and leaving the place thinking they were gods. They'd get too confident and lose everything on horses the next day. It was a world of it's own, and it sure knew how to get the worst out of people. Maybe that's why she loved it so much, it showed their real identities, the monsters hiding underneath.
And they were all ugly.

The glass of dry chardonnay rested in her hand as she stood leaned against a tall pillar with victorian decorations. It was crowded tonight, either it could work to her advantage or against it when it came to tricking money out of men. Big crowds usually meant many distractions, distractions she didn't need at this point. She wasn't working out of just skills yet, many times it was just basic luck. But it had worked so far, and she wasn't planning on getting caught anytime soon. Besides, she was playing the games just like everyone else, just with a few tricks up her sleeve. Her gaze gathered a few details here and there, who'd be the easy money tonight and who she'd do everything to stay away from. The easy money would be a blonde short guy at a Texas Hold'em-table who clearly was a rookie, but an advanced one. He sure looked a little nervous and wasn't all focused, but luck seemed to be on his side tonight since he did win from time to time. No big wins but it gave him confidence. And any type of confidence in here could either destroy you or make you money depending on how you used it. This guy..Well, he didn't know how to use it, that much was clear.

Her black halter top and jeans stood out against some of the little black dresses, but it wasn't like she was a black sheep. It was what she felt most comfortable and of course, very confident in. Nothing else was needed, no bracelet or necklace. The long dirty blonde hair followed the curve of her back with big classy curls and the make-up was subtle, except for a pair of red lips. Her brown eyes never let the blonde man out of sight as he continued from table to table, looking both confident and nervous after each game. He decided to sit down by another poker table, obviously making it a lot easier for her. She liked poker, and it was easy to win if you just knew how. She didn't really know how yet, but there would be time to learn later on.
Jace put the glass down on a table nearby before starting to make her way through the crowd toward the blonde man by the poker table.

[Well, this took a ton of time and a ton of editing. I haven't made a post like this in a looong time. I proofread it as many times as I could bear, and I probably still left some mistakes in there. Did I set that up well enough? Your character could intercept her, or if you have any other ideas, fire away. Blonde NPC is rather pointless, just the result of my rambling. I'll change anything if you need me to. Oh, and by the way, here's a reference image.
Link

 

[Yiyel]

Although the night was active, there was a little something off. A background feeling she had. She could dissimulate it, she could cast it aside, but what she could not do is ignore or dismiss it. This persistent tugging... or was it more of an itch? Whatever it was, she knew that feeling. And it was a feeling she didn't feel for a LONG time in this place. A feeling she probably hoped to never feel in this lively place.


She was not alone.


It was obvious though; there was people all around her, of course, but it was not the same type of presence. This one was not there for the drinks, the money, the ambiance or to forget.


It was there for HER.


The bogeyman was in the building.

((Tell me if you feel this is insufficient.))

 

[Ellie]

She could feel a few glances thrown her way as she walked toward the table, but she didn't bother to meet or encourage any of these glances. All her focus was aimed at the blonde man, now putting both his fists hard down on the table, maybe the luck was starting to turn for this young man. A barely there-smiled started to play on her lips, was he always this open when it came to showing emotions and expressions? He'd be an easy target if that was the case, for her as well as others. The other men beside him didn't look that happy either, only one man did. A dark haired, attractive man who had the look of satisfaction all over him as he gathered the chips he'd just won. Figures..There had to be one at every table.
As she stopped beside the table she met the blonde man's gaze and gave him a hint of a smile, just to throw him off a bit. She could see it worked when he first got the look of confusion over his features, probably wondering why a woman like her would even look at him, since he wasn't all that attractive. But the male instinct took over and he gave her a smile back, the thought that maybe he just simply could have a chance with her could be seen gleaming as bright as headlights in his eyes. She almost had to contain herself not to break out in laughter. The question thrown out over the table to her by the man who'd won gave her a chance to do exactly that, contain herself and focus.
It seems we just had a spot open up. Surely It isn't beneath a lovely lass like yourself to play some Poker?
. "I'm sure I'd be just a piece of meat among lions here..I wouldn't know how to play." Oh, the sweet lies..She did know exactly how to play, she just didn't know the sure and good ways of winning this damn game yet. But by giving the impression she didn't know at all what she was doing, they'd underestimate her and of course not see her as a threat.

Women were usually never threats at poker tables when it came to handling cards, mostly because not many women dared to throw themselves into a round of poker. She'd be an easy target in their eyes, and she'd use the hell out of it. And having the time of her life while doing so.
By making the referrence that she was just a piece of meat seemed to get a few to slightly lose focus. It was true, at this point she was a piece of meat to them when it came to both taking money from her and the more obvious fact when it came to male attraction to beautiful women in well fitting clothes. And of course, playing on men's ego was always a safe card, and a referrence to them as lions seemed to have hit bullseye.
Don't worry dollface, we don't bite." The grin of a middle-aged man reached her from where he was sitting across the table and she wanted to hit him with a chair for the nickname he'd just given her. A heavy one to wipe that grin off his face. But the smile stayed on her lips, a seductive and quite mysterious one. "Promise?" She heard the rest of the men shrug, like they'd never promise such a stupid thing. She slowly made her way toward the empty chair, taking a quick glance around the casino as she did so, knowing she was being watched. As she sat down, she once again met the winning man's gaze, him sitting across from her.
The blonde man, sitting next to her hadn't lost all his chips so he quickly placed a red chip in front of her. Five dollars. Cheap bastard..But she played along and picked it up. Another one was placed in front of her by the man sitting on her right side, a black one. Hundred dollars, things started to get interesting.
"Spend it well." The man winked and let out a laughter and Jace nodded. "I'll try." She would also try to take all those other chips from him in the process, but of course she didn't let him know that. The blonde man had clearly been outstaged and a look of annoyance came over his features, his five dollars weren't worth much now.
She threw a quick playful glance around the table again. "Be gentle." Two words that probably drove most of them crazy. She'd do everything to throw them off their focus right now, to leave this table with their money.

 

[Yiyel]

The flow of the night kept going. She couldn't distract herself forever. Not from that ever-looming feeling that was permeating that night. That single piercing glare amongst the sea of glances this palace of illusions offered. These ever-vigilant ears which were sinking into every sound she made and heard. They now knew where she was and what she was doing. They were watching intently.

Waiting for the ideal moment.

In this very instant, the whole world was but a footnote to her existence to them. They were ready. They were observing.

They knew a truth nobody could even comprehend - nobody but her.

And they knew that as well.

The woman who was hunting for her next catch had become a prey herself.

 

[Ellie]

As the game started, all of them seemed to try their best to focus and keep calm. Including her, even though the rush was building up in her. She enjoyed every move and minute of it even though she didn't have a good plan of how she was going to win. That kind of thought was poisonous, she knew that. But she wasn't the best gambler, in fact she was far from that. What she relied on were her tricks and seduction, not luck. Luck was dangerous, especially in here. She doubted any of these men had prepared before coming here. They just wanted to go and have fun in the casino, maybe win a little money, and come out having been entertained.

The casinos loved their kind of attitudes because the casinos knew that however lucky these people may got one day, they'd play so poorly and recklessy that they'd lose it all back to the casinos again very quickly. She knew, because she worked in one. And she always knew the money would come back, no matter who won and how much. Most came in just to play, and they lost. Consisently, the more they played. The ones who walked into a casino with the decision to win, they were the ones who knew it took preparation and changes to their approach of gambling. She doubted any of these men had done any kind of preparing, except maybe the man in front of her. Preparation or not, he knew what he was doing. And it bothered the hell out of her.
She caught his smirk and gaze as he pulled in the chips, and suddenly found herself wondering what he was up to. She kept her eyes locked at him as he threw in a few chips, before turning to study the cards that had been dealt her. Could work, it suddenly wasn't impossible. Not the best hand, but not the worst either. If she just knew how to use it, she could walk away with a few more dollars. She looked up again, either she could bluff and pretend her hand was better than it was or she could play it safe. "Raise." Casinos and safe didn't walk hand in hand for gamblers after all. She threw in a few more chips and waited for the next move by the man beside her. She could hear him growling something and putting down his cards on the table. Well, more like throwing them down. "Folding." The strange sensation was growing, and it wasn't normal, either. Shaking it off as some weird side effect of the buzz the drink had given her, Jace kept on.

If a man got into a casino knowing that the dealers were after every last cent and imagining them pulling out his hard-earned cash from his wallet with an evil look on their face, then the battle between the casino and the man would be fun. Everyone knew the deal. The aim was to beat them at their own game, leaving as a winner. In fact, casino's didn't hate winners as many seemed to think. It was good for other players to see winners around, it made them think that everyone could it. And they'd spend more money, hoping to be one of those winners, making the casino richer and richer. The big mistake was to keep playing once you'd won. But to win, you had to understand what it was about and beat the casinos at their own game. The game in fact invented by them. It was like throwing dice with the devil.

 

[Yiyel]

Alas, despite her knowledge, Jace also perfectly described the game she took a long time ago, a game that still haunts her to this day. She was good at that other game as well; she was winning so far. But this palace she found herself in; the folly of other people's spending, of other lives being lost at the tables, the atmosphere of grandiose reigning around led her to forget that she started it. And it was catching up to her. She was getting increasingly distracted herself. She got herself lost in the very illusions she was noticing in others.


And there it was. She felt it. The breath down the neck... The gentle yet glacial caress on her cheek. The resonating baritone voice's vibration mildly shaking her head as he whispered this into her ear:

"Such a shame this pretty fox spotted a hare... Time's up, dearie."