Gotta know when to hold 'em - Sophie Challengs to 8 | OTA

[onlytolerable]

[OOC: Commenters can attend one or both challenges. I'll assume you were at the piano recital unless you say otherwise. TL;DR: Sophie won!]

Comments

Piano

[headfollowheart]

Zoe was in the front row next to Adrien Fitzgerald dressed like she would be for any evening recital - though of course, this is different. She sits still and composed through Charlotte's performance; she's very good, excellent, in fact. Zoe's played piano long enough to note another skilled player, and Lotty's one of the better one's in the Deck. Still, she rushes too much. It wouldn't be a big deal in a normal performance, but performance challenges require precision. The audience is judging you.

So she's not too worried when Sophie takes the stage. She looks nervous, of course. Zoe's going to be nervous in a week when she does hers. But Sophie will prevail, she thinks. And she does, in the end. The Beethoven was exquisite, and she's on her feet next to Cadogan and Adrien when Sophie makes her curtsy.

Afterwards, when they're at the cocktail reception - for a challenge, really? - she comes up and squeezes Sophie's arm. "Congratulations, Lady Eight."

[onlytolerable]

"I'm so glad you came." Sophie's eyes twinkle as she reciprocates with a quick hug. "Eight for now, or so Lotty tells me. Goodness. It's odd to hear that again."

She nods at the open bar and waiters offering refreshments. "Can you believe my sister? She arranged all this under the radar. Kat would have told me if she'd known about it." She shakes her head. "Guess who's footing the bill?"

[headfollowheart]

"Counter soon, then?" It doesn't really surprise her, though; Charlotte Berthier isn't one to let go of her rank easily. Zoe expects that if and when Sophie challenges Irene, there will be a counter then, too.

"Seriously?" Zoe makes a face as she looks around at the reception. It's tasteful, of course, in that horribly expensive way. "What would she do if you sent her the bill?"

[onlytolerable]

"You mean like I did when Irene went over the wedding budget Mama and Papa had allowed for in their will?" Irene had been responsible and paid it. Lotty...she's not so certain. "I imagine swear quite a bit."

Her smile goes a little lopsided. "So. It's poker tomorrow morning." She'd always known someday someone would hit her at her weak spot.

Poker

[pureaudacity]

She can't choose sides. She might be getting closer to Sophie again - it's a slow journey, but it's happening more lately, especially since what happened in the Castle earlier this week - but she lives with Lotty, and she loves her other sister too. So, she sat with Irene at the challenge, but she sits not far from the few sparse well-wishers Sophie has at the counter. Of course, no one expects Sophie to win this. She is a miserable poker player, and they all learned to not be her when it comes to tells.

And yet, somehow, Kat's not completely shocked when Sophie does.

Lotty storms off before Kat can say a word to her, and so she sighs and gets up and moves forward in heels and silk. The curtsy is appropriate for a Six to an Eight, and she ducks her head slightly. "Congratulations, Lady Sophie."

[onlytolerable]

"You know I'll have to resort to your most vulnerable ticklish spots if you keep that up," her sister tells her dryly. "Pure luck." Mostly. "You're looking lovely."

[pureaudacity]

"I have a work thing later," Kat says dryly. Lotty had planned to celebrate regaining Eight by going back to bed; now she's not certain what her other sister will do. Probably go to Irene's. "Charity luncheons must go on."

[onlytolerable]

"Ah. Madame Breisacher? Someone at the library--" she breaks off. Had it only been last week? "A library patron said something about it." In her cell. Loudly. Sophie had no choice but to ask the woman to leave.

Something was off with Lotty. It felt like she'd been drawing more and more away from her family. In her case, she understood. But Irene and Kitty? Not for the first time she sighs when she thinks of her sister. It was time to mend the rift or at least patch it.

Piano (although likely poker later)

[diemwnt]

It's been... well. It's been, and they all know what it's been, and it doesn't bear repeating at anyone.

What does bear speaking about, however, is the fact that Sophie has just risen above what everything has been and taken rank. And she's done a stunning job of it.

He's got a soft smile for her whenever she's ready to get to the part of the room he's been listening from, one hand ready to catch her elbow so he can press a kiss to her forehead.

[onlytolerable]

She can't stop smiling, especially since seeing the people she loves in the audience. By the time Cadogan delivers the kiss, she's positively beaming. He's not getting away with just that. Have a happy hug.

/You came! It wasn't too loud, was it? How's your head?/ It's amazing her fingers can sign at all after playing for nearly 40 minutes.

[diemwnt]

Only because it's a special occasion. Well... and only because it's Sophie, and she's broken him of his inability to handle physical contact. A tight, solid hug for her, and a brief press of his nose against her temple before tugging back to listen to her challenge-winning hands.

/I'm fine. Don't worry so much. You were amazing. Genuinely beautiful, Sophie. I'm so proud./

[onlytolerable]

Sorry, sorry! She'll remember to be stoic some other time. Her smile grows even brighter if possible at his congratulations, so it surprises her to feel tears sting her eyes. She brushes them away, annoyed.

/Stress. Sorry. I was so nervous! Then I looked out in the audience and saw you and Zoe and...Adrien./ It's not stress, not really. But Cadogan need never know about all her triumphs that had been marred by someone, somewhere tearing her effort apart and demanding that next time she do better.

Do you play? she asks suddenly with a glance at his beautiful long fingers. It's something he might not care to do since his words wouldn't be available, but he certainly had the hands for it. Cadogan's music would be deep and thoughtful and surprisingly soulful, like him.

Poker

[bluntforces]

He's barely been gone, but of course he's back. Not just because the Embassy had him worried, not just because people let him know about the Arcana power-trip; but because Sophie is a wonderful friend, and Sophie deserves a hugely noisy and over-exuberant cheering section.

Which Evan manages not to be until the last card is flipped. For, you know, letting them concentrate. But the moment she wins definitively again?

Cue cheering and whooping. She'll have to hug him (or, admittedly, smack him) to shut him up.

[onlytolerable]

"Evan! You didn't tell me you were back!" He's definitely getting the hug, also? Maybe a smack, but only for old time's sake.

"Look. Look at this. I never believed in Fate before." For, of course, she'd palmed the Cards to frame. "Rachel, Cadogan, Isaac, my new Rank and...um...Adrien."

[bluntforces]

"Sorry, 's all the ninja-trainin' I been doing since moving." He'll take the hug with a bright grin. And, of course, the smack with an even brighter grin. Because... well. That's how it is with them. And it's really, really nice to know that that hasn't changed even the tiniest bit.

"Hand fulla people who love you. 's not every girl gets t' be as awesome as you, chica. Congrats, Sophie. Seriously."

[onlytolerable]

"Proof that there's always an element of luck in poker, much as we Cards like to imply it's nearly all skill. Must be, otherwise--" She grins. She'd actually stopped paying attention to herself long enough to notice her sister's own tells. That, at least, hadn't been luck.

"I drew to the flush instead of hoping for more with the high pair. I had to when I recognized the cards."

[uncutclarity]

She's always liked performance challenges. She hasn't done one for years, of course - her first was vocal, and after that baking, but after Four she'd settled into a more...martial march up the ranks of Diamonds. But she's still always liked when the Diamonds showed they could sparkle and gleam with the arts as much as swords, knives, or things intellectual.

It's likely Astrid's influence.

So Avery's there, of course, somewhere lost in the middle of the crowd. No one is probably surprised that the dress is purple and the shoes are teal, knowing Avery, or that she beams despite the past week when Sophie wins. She deserved it. She's far too smart and talented, too good a Diamond to sit forever in the middle ranks.

She's got wine when she comes up to Sophie during the reception. "Congratulations," she says, and tips her head to one side. "Counter?"

She can't imagine Charlotte wouldn't.

[onlytolerable]

She wants to wrinkle her nose in disgust, but this is a victory, and she's a Diamond, and more so, Rachel would want them to shine now more than ever. "Oh, yes." She takes a sip of her own wine. "Poker. Tomorrow morning."

She'll give Lotty one thing. She'd chosen her counter well.

[uncutclarity]

"Mm." Avery makes a slight face at that, taking a sip of her wine. "She'll be overconfident, at least," she points out. Of course, it's relatively safe to be overconfident, considering all of Sophie's tells.

Still, Charlotte hadn't done very well when she'd challenged Avery in poker.

[onlytolerable]

"Lotty is nothing if not overconfident--about everything." It was both charming and maddening. "I'd feel the same if our positions were reversed. Still...Lotty's not nearly as good a player as she fancies herself. I'll simply have to find a way to muddle through."

Because there is no way she is losing in a counter.