consultation 006 // [audio]

[12second_orz]

[The audio feed is mostly clear, though anyone listening closely would likely hear the faint sound of traffic- Tonegawa’s probably in his office.]

Are you gambling men, Siren’s Port? Poker, dice, roulette… or even the stocks, if you want to stretch it. There’s very little one can do that doesn’t invoke the basic equation of risk and profit, yes,

Comments

text;

[sittingtype]

Never played mahjong before.

[voice]

[12second_orz]

[Yet more text. Is there an epidemic someone didn't warn him about?]

Generally, it involves making a hand of fourteen tiles from three suits and bonus tiles. It's a fascinating game, if you don't mind learning the rules.

[text]

[sittingtype]

[ John will get tired of typing out his responses eventually -- it's too much hard work. ]

Plenty of time to learn. How do you play?

[voice]

[12second_orz]

Don't say I didn't warn you.

The basics of it are that the tiles are shuffled and each player- generally four, though there are two-player variants- is dealt a hand of thirteen tiles, fourteen for the dealer, and from this must build a scoring hand by drawing, adding and discarding tiles. Scoring hands are usually composed of four sets of three tiles, either as suited sequences or triples, plus a pair. There are, however, exceptions; there are special hands with specific combinations. Bonus points can be acquired by collecting bonus tiles, but to explain that I'd have to explain the scoring system. [he chuckles] And it would be cruel of me to inflict that bloated monstrosity on you.

[antedupmyheart]

In a city like this I'd imagine there's more than a few who'd throw themselves to the ravenous odds.

[12second_orz]

Oh, certainly. It's whether they're any good that's the real clincher.

[antedupmyheart]

There's but one way to answer that question.

[12second_orz]

I don't suppose you could recommend anyone to me personally? [his tone is surprisingly playful]

[video]

[whoisjohnsmith]

Where's the totally drunk man fit in?

[voice] [1/2]

[12second_orz]

Ah-

[aaand video] [1/2]

[12second_orz]

[THIS FACE FOREVER]

He's at home, nursing an unexpected hangover.

[video]

[whoisjohnsmith]

Oh, is he now? How long has he been drinking? Twenty years?

[voice]

[rapturescreed]

Stocks tend to be more fickle then poker; you're playing against an unseen person, rather then one right in front of you.

[voice]

[12second_orz]

Which, as far as I'm concerned, is half of the fun. Still, the appeal of a more immediate thrill is understandable; there's something immensely satisfying about being able to look your opponent in the eye when you win.

[voice]

[rapturescreed]

I must agree with that. To see how they look in the moment of defeat is quite interesting to watch.

[voice]

[12second_orz]

[His focus was on the victory rather than the defeat; for a moment Tonegawa finds himself returning to the question he's found himself asking again and again since arriving here. How did he look, then? His memories of the actual event are hazy, but he's put together a reasonable facsimile of the scene: himself kneeling, as if in prayer, Kaiji and Hyodo standing by and watching with... what? Contempt? That's how he's viewed that display before.

He shakes it off.]

It can say a lot about a man, the way they handle defeat. Usually it simply reaffirms everything I'd guessed about them already. [A note of arrogance there, perhaps to reassure himself]