[16] Strip Poker

[Merc]

Session Start: Sun May 09, 2010

<Merc> <Merc> Flicking her wrist, a gorilla appears and shambles over to one of the chairs, taking the seat. "He can play the cards for me. I'm staying up here in case you decided to try to just kill me," she admits. "I don't appreciate cheaters."
<Merc> * Maya steps out. "A gorilla?  What a fitting look for you, dear." Maya smiled, sitting in the chair across from it. "If it cheats, it might lose its head though."
<Merc> <Elise> "And what's to keep you from cheating?" Elise calls up to the woman. "You made all this stuff appear out of thin air! Maybe you can do that with the cards, too!"
<Merc> <Merc> *** to be continued! ***

<Merc> "It's a gorilla, honey. If you can't catch it cheating with hands that big, you're doing something wrong," Blanche replies with a sniff at Maya's statement as she swings carelessly on the swing floating in the ceiling. "As for cheating with the cards, well, unless you happen to be carrying around your own deck to use, all you can do is keep a close eye on them and make sure I'm not switching them out somehow."
<Maya> "So when do you lose?" Maya innocently asked.
<Elise> "Well...alright. But I'll be watching you. You and your gorilla!"
<Anassia> "Elise, it is hard to be threatening towards a gorrila that is larger than you," Anassia comments as an aside to the other girl.
<Merc> "Oh, I don't expect to lose that easily," Blanche smiles, as if not having a care in the world. "Feel free to deal out the cards when you like. Remember, you're not the -only- one looking out for cheaters!"
<Maya> "Yes, yes...but what are the stakes where you lose?  When you're naked?"  Maya persisted.  "Not that a plain girl showing off is much cause for attention."
<Merc> "Honey, I don't care how many compliments your bed warmers give you, you're not pretty enough to make me be a 'plain girl'," Blanche sniffs. "And if I lose, you just get to move on...well, unless you'd like to spend more time a'wasting with Blanche." She tosses a smile at Jack and Aleph there.
<Elise> "I can be threatening to anything I want," Elise insists. "Don't challenge me on that!" Elise shuffles the cards a little (she's a little awkward at it--playing card games is something BAD people do! So she hasn't before,) and starts dealing them out.
* Anassia can't help but feel that Elise's shuffling is an ill omen for all involved. Needless to say, she patiently clasps her hands in her lap as the cards are delt.
* Maya smiles simply taking one glance at her cards before leaning back comfortably, her feet on the table.  "Well, I suppose a girl who measures her success with wild animals might be a little haughty."
<Maya> "So why don't we start easy.  Everything above the waist," Maya calmly bets.
* Aleph looks at his hand, looking around the table first before the varied cards. "Oi, oi. Confident, aren't we?"
* Elise just huffs and blushes at Maya's suggestion. Relax, Elise! It'll all be over soon, really! Just close your eyes and--wait, can't do that, have to watch for cheaters. Noooo!
<Anassia> "Oh?" Anassia asks, glancing over towards Maya.  "Good to see you're playing it close to the chest," she says, smirking faintly as she looks at her own cards, spreading them in one hand casually.
<Maya> She smiled, "It's really no problem."  She seemed to consider it mostly already won.
<Aleph> "Well, I'm not raising the stakes."
<Maya> "Everyone staying in...or folding already?" Maya sounded more experienced with these kinds of games than one might expect... though with certain people's opinions of her, it really was nothing surprising.
<Aleph> "Staying in here."  Aleph noted as he prepared three cards of his to be sent in and re-dealt
<Merc> The gorilla pulls out a cigar and chews on it intently as it focuses on its card, ignoring its opponents' prattle. After a few seconds, it pulls three cards and slides them face down towards Elise and goes "Ook! Ook!", tapping the table
<Elise> "Anyone, just let me know if you want more cards, or--ohh! Er, here you go." Elise sounds a little brittle as she trades cards with the primate.
* Aleph sends three of his own cards over Elise's way.
* Elise takes them and deals three back.
* Anassia hands three cards off as well, glancing over towards the gorilla. "I'm curious, how did you even manage to teach this gorilla to play cards?"
* Maya places three cards down simply, three fingers over the top of them as she passed them by Jack to Elise, wondering vaguely if Elise would pick up.
* Elise picks up the cards, of course! It's her job here! Then she gives Maya three more.
<Merc> "Lots of his favorite food," is all Blanche has to say on the subject.
* Jack slides three cards towards Elise
* Elise takes Jack and Anassia's cards as well, simply dealing from the top of the deck in return with no attempt at fancy cheating. That'd be wimmoral! Even more so than gambling clothes!
<Elise> *immoral
<Maya> roll 1d20+10 Bluff.
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 11 > [d20=1]
<Merc> ooc: yikes
* Aleph winces as he gets his hand
<Maya> "So thinking about folding?  Or should we do the next round of bets before we call?"
<Aleph> "Tch.  Not up for raising the stakes even further than we have, already."
<Merc> The gorilla just looks pretty satisfied with its cards and ooks happily.
* Anassia glances over the new cards before stretching her arms over her head before settling back into her chair. Glancing over towards the gorilla, she brushes an errant lock of hair behind her ear.
<Aleph> !roll 1d20+9
<Aleph> roll 1d20+9 sense motive
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 20 > [d20=11]
<Anassia> roll 1d20+7 Sense Motive on MONKEY
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d20=12]
<Merc> The gorilla is hard to get a read on! He honestly seems happy with what he has though!
<Maya> "Well, if no one raises, call."
<Jack> roll 1d20+9 sense motive on blanche
<Penuche> Jack invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=14]
<Merc> Blanche just seems to be getting a kick out of everything, Jack thinks.
<Jack> "I call."
* Maya shows her pair...of 3s.
* Maya and a king.
* Aleph shows his...almost-straight that fails at actually doing anything
<Merc> The gorilla proudly displays his pair of queens and pair of aces and a jack. He gives a wide teeth-showing smile to Maya and goes "Ook! Ook!".
* Jack shows his pair of 4s and 9s
<Jack> "Fuck, beaten by a monkey."
<Aleph> "Tch.  If only I had a nine."
* Elise looks at the various cards. "Which one of these is good? Not the monkey's? Please?"
<Jack> "The monkey wins."
<Merc> Blanche just shakes her head. "Okay, this is kinda sad. Funny, but sad..."
* Anassia sets her pair of queens and nines down on the table, shrugging slightly.
<Aleph> "Oi, Maya, no more high-rolling with the bets."
<Maya> "Oh well," She smirked, taking off her top and laying it on the table.  "Enjoy."
* Jack strips above the waste and sets his clothes down, grumbling
<Maya> "So next hand?"
* Anassia shrugs casually, slipping out of her own top. "No worries."
* Aleph looks over, just in time to get an eyefull, more than likely. Nosebleed...as he takes his own top off, revealing his thin frame
<Elise> Eyes above the shoulders, Elise! You don't see anything! "This is why you should wear more, Maya! You already have barely anything left!" She starts dealing the next hand, doing her best to ignore the ample display of skin around the table.
<Aleph> "Let's."  Aleph continues, sliding the cards to be reshuffled.
<Aleph> "Anyway, betting one piece here."
<Maya> "Perhaps," She smiled.  "I bet anything in your mouth," She took an odd bet this time, annoying the gorilla.
* Aleph slides over three cards rather quickly to Elise
* Elise takes them and returns them. That's right, look at the cards instead, Elise!
<Merc> The gorilla frowns as it stares at its card, and looks sad as it places three cards in the table for switching.
* Maya puts three cards in, again setting the stakes as she pleases apparently.
* Aleph has...two red trails running down his face already as he looks at his allies, grinning like an idiot
<Elise> "Popular number today," Elise says awkwardly as she deals out more cards.
<Anassia> A thoughtful expression crosses across Anassia's face for a moment before she places two cards down on the table, sliding them toward Elise.
<Maya> "Well, this hand looks like mine," She smirked.
<Maya> roll 1d20+10
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 17 > [d20=7]
* Jack looks deep in thought before sliding over one card
<Jack> roll 1d20+10
<Penuche> Jack invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=13]
<Merc> roll d20+9 sense motive
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 13 > [d20=4]
* Elise takes Anassia's cards and hands out two more, taking care to look anywhere but at the half-naked mage as she does so. Then Jack receives one card of his own.
<Merc> roll d20+5 spot
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 8 > [d20=3]
<Merc> Blanche frowns as she bites her underlip as she looks at the gorilla, when Maya starts her bluff. As a result, she misses as Jack switches the card Elise hands out to him for one from the discard pile.
<Aleph> roll 1d20+9 sense gorilla motive
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 21 > [d20=12]
* Anassia takes a breath as she looks as the cards before slipping a hand under the table, ostensibly to scratch an itch along her leg.... although it is oddly organized with a soft muttering under her breath, eyes closed for a moment.
<Merc> The gorilla doesn't really give anything out, though it does look disappointed with its hand compared to the last turn. That doesn't mean it's a bad hand, but chances are it's at least worse.
<Anassia> roll 1d20+9 SEEKRIT
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=16]
<Anassia> roll 1d20+1+3 v. DC 6
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 6 > [d20=2]
<Jack> "I raise, socks and boots."
<Maya> "I raise tops as well," Maya smirked back.
<Merc> roll d20+5 spot cheating magic girl
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 21 > [d20=16]
<Maya> "After all, we have a plain girl to see soon,"
<Merc> Anassia's magical cheating also gets past Blanche's radar!
<Maya> roll 1d20+10 bluff
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 11 > [d20=1]
<Aleph> "Hm.  So would that make it 'one article, plus socks and boots, plus whatever's in one's mouth?"
<Merc> "Honey, you need a better teacher in bluffing," Blanche states as she shakes her head at Maya's attempt. Nevermind that her earlier bluff let Jack cheat unnoticed!
<Merc> She seems less worried over Maya's hand after her latest attempt to bluff, and nods to Jack's raise. "I'll call."
<Maya> "And tops."
* Maya nods.
<Maya> "Assuming you're not afraid at all."
* Maya she waited to show her hand last.
<Merc> "You've lost your tops, you can't raise that, silly," Blanche comments.
<Maya> "You haven't though," Maya shrugged.
* Aleph simply grins innocently at Blanche
<Aleph> ...he doesn't look that innocent, though, with those two red streaks running down his face
<Merc> "Hrm, well, if you're raising tops, you also have to lose something else instead, when you lose," Blanche comments, as she points to Maya's crotch, smiling. "Fair is fair, right?"
<Aleph> *NOSEGEYSER*
<Merc> "Assuming you're not afraid, of course, honey," Blanche echos ironically.
* Aleph seems to get a bit...overactive as far as imagination goes
* Maya eyes the others, looking for any sign of confidence.
<Merc> "Anyhoo, like I said, I call," Blanche states.
<Elise> Elise's expression contains only recrimination and discomofort. Sorry, Maya!
* Maya folds instead of raising.  "Well, I won't take that raise."
* Anassia smiles slightly to the beastmaster. "I'll take that," she says, casually.
<Jack> "I'm in."
* Aleph nods in response to the call. "I'm definitely in."
<Merc> The gorilla ooks as it shakes his head, but since Blanche is bettign for him, shows what he's got. Just a pair of queens, ace high card after that.
* Aleph shows his hand. Pair of kings, pair of jacks, ace high
<Merc> "Ah, fooey," Blanche mutters as Aleph already shows he's beaten that at least.
* Anassia flips over her hand, showing the straight with a continued grin, the ensorcelled card looking no different than the others.
* Aleph looks quite happy with the result himself
* Jack shows his own straight
<Merc> Maya notes that Jack has a 6 she discarded, and Anassia has a 7 she -still- has in her hand. It's probably a good thing she folded, or Anassia's cheating would have been rather obvious.
<Merc> "Two straights?" Blanche looks at both Anassia and Jack with a glare, as if suspecting, but as she didn't catch any cheating... she begins to take off the requisite items of clothing off in a huff. "Let me remind you, cheating is -not- nice, alright?"
<Aleph> "Well, damn."  Aleph gets to taking off his shoes, socks, and shorts.  Now sitting there in his underwear.
* Jack strips and hands the items to anassia
<Merc> Blanche's clothing lands over Anassia's head as she takes them off, and just throws them atop the magician.
* Aleph hands the items to Anassia as well, yes, looking a mite bit self-conscious at this point
<Merc> She looks quite huffy at losing all she has.
<Maya> "Mind if I have my clothes back, Anassia?" Maya smiled.
<Anassia> "Of course.  Does this look the face of one that would cheat?" Anassia says, smirking despite the falling clothes.
<Merc> "I'm keeping an eye on you and that boy..." Blanche promises.
* Maya looks over what Blanche has left.
<Merc> Blanche still has quite a few pieces of clothing to keep her modesty somewhat. It'll take some heavy raising like this turn to get her naked, or at least a fair few more turns.
* Anassia meanwhile hands Maya has her clothes back, grinning. "Certainly."
* Elise collects the cards and starts dealing again.
<Elise> "We wouldn't cheat," she says as she deals. "*You're* the bad one here!"
* Maya smiles, counting the amount of clothes left on blanche.
<Merc> "Uh-huh...honey, I'm not quite sure yet, but I think you need to spend more time with your friends..." Blanche isn't particularly subtle about her suspicions.
* Maya slips back on her clothes, going fully dressed in a moment.
<Aleph> "Oi, oi.  Let's start the next round, shall we?"
* Maya looks over her new cards and considers.  "Seven articles of clothing?"
<Jack> "I fold."
<Elise> "Hey, we've been together for...weeks now!" Elise responds as everyone else looks over their cards. "And I've met lots of people worse than them since then!"
<Merc> As Elise deals out the new cards, the gorilla looks at his cards, and quickly puts them back down, and smiles toothily to everyone in the table. It's obvious he's excited. "Ook! Ook! Ook!" Blanche slaps her forehead and just shakes her head.
<Maya> "Or fold,"
* Maya puts her cards down too instead before anyone takes her bet.
* Aleph narrows his eyes. "Fold."
<Merc> The gorilla looks confused as everyone around the table begins folding. "Ook?"
<Merc> The gorilla looks at Anassia with a hopeful look, the only one still not to fold.
<Aleph> d20+9 Sense monkey motive
<Aleph> roll d20+9 Sense monkey motive
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=7]
* Anassia leans back in her chair gently, looking over the the not-monkey curiously
* Maya tosses the monkey's cigar out since they won it last round anyway :P
<Merc> The gorilla is pretty happy with his cards. You don't think he's bluffing, Aleph.
<Anassia> roll 1d20+9
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=14]
<Merc> Blanche just seems embarrassed at her pet's subtlety, Anassia notes.
* Anassia folds as well, shrugging slightly
<Merc> The gorilla makes a strangled noise as Anassia folds, and throws the cards in the air, slamming its fists against the table and looking rather put out, as the cards slowly float back downward, revealing a straight, high card 6.
<Merc> "It's your own fault, Ookie. You need to learn to bluff," Blanche admonishes the gorilla.
<Maya> "Next hand," Maya smirked.
<Elise> "What does that mean? Nobody wins? Everybody wins?" Elise collects the cards and shuffles them before starting on the next hand.
* Anassia smirks a little. "Nobody loses," Anassia summarizes, shrugging.
* Aleph smirks
* Aleph hands back the hand he got to Elise
* Anassia hands the hand back as well, stretching again.
<Elise> "Any round where no one takes more clothes off is a good one to me," elise says as she deals again.
* Aleph looks over his hand rather intently
* Anassia smirks. "Don't count on it, Elise." Anassia says, looking over her hand. "Two," she says, putting the cards on the table.
* Maya folds.
<Jack> "Three."
* Jack slides the cards over
* Elise takes the cards and trades back more, two for Anassia and three for Jack. "Anyone else?"
* Aleph looks over at the gorilla to see its reaction first
<Merc> The gorilla frowns, thinking, thinking, rubbing its chin, and puts two cards to be traded
* Aleph puts in all five of his cards to be traded
<Merc> The gorilla makes a snort as it looks at its cards, looking somewhat pleased.
* Elise collects the discarded ones and hands out more. "All of them Aleph? ...Well, alright, here you go."
<Merc> "Not having a lot of luck, honey?" Blanche asks Aleph, looking honestly sympathetic.
<Aleph> "Sadly so, for the most part." Aleph replies.
<Merc> The gorilla taps the table to show it's comfortable with his hand, and isn't raising for now.
* Anassia glances to Aleph, quirking an eyebrow slightly.
<Jack> "You're awfully friendly for someone who goes around mind controlling people."
* Aleph is still in his underwear, and looking somewhat self-conscious about that.
<Merc> The gorilla ooks, as if waiting to see if anybody is going to raise, and frowns as Jack delaying his fun. Blanche takes the shot in stride as she shrugs. "Technically, that was the twins and the ringmaster. I just work here for a living. The ringmaster pays rather well for the job, I'll have you know."
* Elise snorts. "It's the wages of sin! You'll surely regret taking them one day."
<Aleph> "Hey, money's money.  Sometimes you need it, you know, Elise?"
<Jack> "Even I draw t he line somewhere Aleph."
<Aleph> "Anyway, calling."
<Maya> "Don't look down on someone's living like that Elise," Maya waved a finger.
<Jack> "And I'll call."
<Elise> "Living like what? Joining the circus and tormenting people and challenging them to immoral games for a living?"
<Aleph> "Elise, you really need to learn to let go at some point."
<Anassia> "Yeah, this is not the time to prostletyze," Anassia comments, wryly.  "Speaking of, I am curious; is your ringmaster an arcanist?"
<Merc> Blanche looks interested in Elise's statement, "So you think this is all our fault. Well, I suppose that is one way to see it," Blanche notes, not clarifying.
* Aleph raises an eyebrow at Blanche's reply to Elise
<Elise> "I'm not proselytizing! I'm just obligated to point out when someone's wrong. Nothing strange about that, is there?"
<Merc> "Regardless, all this talk is rather boring, and Ookie looks impatient. Is anybody raising, or all calling?"
<Merc> Ookie the gorilla does look rather put out and has his arms crossed in front of his chest, and has a very big pout, while his cards lay in the table face down.
<Aleph> "Calling."
<Merc> Blanche turns to look at Anassia. "And you dear?"
<Anassia> "I'm calling, of course," Anassia says, nodding.  "And it is proselytizing, dear."
<Jack> "And I already called."
<Merc> The gorilla flips over his cards, and shows a pair of 9s and a pair of kings, with an ace for the remaining card. He has an expression of 'Beat that!'
* Aleph flips his cards over, showing a trio of sevens, grinning at the gorilla
* Anassia smiles at the sight. "That is pretty nice.." she says, thoughtfully, before turning over the trio of aces. "Wrong league, my furry friend."
<Jack> "Ouch, I can't even touch those."
<Merc> The gorilla gapes at Aleph's card and slams his fists in the table, looking put out. "Oh my, looks like your 5-card trick worked out for you?" Blanche asks with a raised eyebrow, and then narrowing her eyes at Anassia's hand. "You are either a very, very good cheater, or very, very lucky. I still can't tell."
<Merc> Blanche takes off another article of clothing, and tosses it atop Anassia.
* Jack tosses Anassia his pants and sits there clad only in his bikini briefs
* Aleph winces, before taking his undershorts off, trying to cover himself as he hands those over to Anassia. "Looks like I'm out, I guess."
<Elise> "Obviously we just have divine assistance," Elise says in all seriousness. "Or maybe not," she adds, averting her eyes from Aleph and blushing furiously.
<Merc> Blanche puts two fingers in her mouth and gives a loud whistle as she stares at Jack. "VERY nice, darling," Blanche states appreciatively before turning to look at Aleph. "Oh, don't cover that, honey. You need to make it worthwhile for me to be losing."
<Elise> "Don't listen to her, Aleph! It's nothing we need to see!"
<Maya> "Sometimes its fine to show off," Maya smirked, eying the two men.  THey'd got their eyefuls earlier after all.
* Anassia smiles a little as she is handed more clothes. "And the sign of a good player is you're never sure. Shall we go again?"
<Aleph> "Grk!"  Aleph removes the hand from position, blushing immensely
<Merc> "You two boys really should stay and keep me company after the game, you hear?" Blanche calls down as she fans herself on her swing. "Oh my!"
<Aleph> The blush intensifies
<Elise> "If everyone's done gawking, let's continue," Elise says stiffly as she deals the next round.
<Maya> "Alright, alright.  How about three pieces of clothing this time?"
<Maya> Maya leaned back with her cards.
<Jack> "Well, I guess that means I'm all in then."
<Jack> "It's a good thing I have no shame."
<Merc> "Well, I'm alright with raising the stakes again. You're not going to fold again though, are you darling? You keep talking trash, and that's all you show for it afterwards," Blanche tells Maya, quite literally looking down on her.
<Merc> The gorilla just continues to ignore everythign as he hands in two cards to be exchanged.
<Maya> "I probably will.  I mean, you know my bluffs are no good," She handed one card over.
* Anassia shakes her head slightly to Blanche. "Those terms are agreeable," Anassia says, nodding. "I am staying." she says, setting her cards down again.
* Jack passes in one card
* Elise hands OOK, Jack and Maya their new cards.
<Maya> "Anyhow," She receives her card.  "Given its trash.  How...about ...seven pieces of clothing." She smiled.  "It's just trash, right?"
<Merc> Blanche frowns and looks at her gorilla, looking a bit hesitant. Ookie just raises his fist and gives an okay sign to her, makign her feel more confident. "Ook!" he exclaims as Blanche nods. "Alright, but don't come crying when you're naked, dear."
<Elise> "Hmph," is all Elise says, not sure whether she's happy or terrified at something that might make this end sooner!
<Maya> "Darling, when you look as fantastic as I do, you don't tend to worry much about that," She smirked.  "All I'd miss is this cute bikini.  It's nice collecting foreign fashions after all."  She tapped to call, putting out full house, sixes high.
<Merc> Ookie grins wildly at Maya...as he shows his own full house, kings high. Blanche starts laughing hysterically, ignoring Anassia.
<Anassia> roll 1d20+9 Sleight of Hand FTW
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 12 > [d20=3]
<Merc> roll d20+5
<Penuche> Merc invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=18]
<Anassia> roll 1d20+3+1 Channeling v 6
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 9 > [d20=5]
<Maya> roll 1d20+10 bluff keeping her attention
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 23 > [d20=13]
<Maya> "Huh...that's..quite a hand," Maya's eyebrow twitched, irritation clear for the first time since they started.
<Merc> "Aaaahahahaha!!" Blanche laughs at Maya. "You didn't talk trash...and Ookie still beat you!" she laughs hysterically as she points at Maya.
<Maya> "It looks like that's so.  I guess sometimes luck falls with gorilla girls," She tsked.
* Maya claps a bit, tugging at her top.
<Aleph> "..." Aleph sits there in silence.  Go figure
* Anassia glances over to the others' cards, bemused, her own face down on the table. "That's an impressive display," she says, nodding slightly. "It's a shame I didn't fold, really," she says, looking dejected, as I've only got..." she pauses for a moment, before flipping the hand up, four aces showing on the cards. "Or, wait, does that mean..." she says, looking over to Maya, tapping her lip curiously.
<Merc> Blanche looks to be focusing on Maya undressing, rather than Anassia, as Anassia very blatantly cheats. Everyone else actually sees her cards shifting, including Elise.
<Merc> Blanche stops mid-laugh as she realizes there was still one other player and scowls. "You totally cheated while I was distracted, didn't you?" she asks rhetorically. She knows the answer, you know the answer, hell, so does everyone else. But she didn't CATCH you.
* Elise looks almost ready to say something--cheating! Blatant cheating! On HER team?!--but restrains herself just in time. Pointing it out would result in *everyone* being naked. It's bad enough with just Aleph that way!
<Maya> "Hmm," Maya's eyes turn over there. "It's a real shame yeah..." Maya's smile returned. "A true shame...give it all up, Blanche, Annassia has us both beat."
<Anassia> "Oh?"  Anassia asks.  "Did I change my cards out?" she asks, turning towards the others.  "Be honest, now.  Did I take any cards from the deck or discards?"
<Merc> "Just remember, you get naked too. I'm not the -only- person to lose. Cough it up so the boys can see the goods, if you expect me to be gracious," Blanche states, firmly trying to get one last shot at the annoying dancer.
* Elise shakes her head. "N-no, not at all! You didn't ask for any cards this time. And I was watching the deck closely, no one stole anything."
* Aleph shakes his head somewhat, still looking a bit uncomfortable being in the buff in front of, well, everyone.
<Maya> "Fine, fine," Maya smirked, pulling her outfit off without fear.  Sure, she didn't enjoy showing off just like this...but that bitch lost too.  And that was what really mattered.  "Can I have my clothes back, Anassia?" She leaned forward, winking at the talented mage.
<Anassia> "And Elise is a horrible liar," Anassia says, nodding slightly as she scoops the cards up, passing them over to Elise.  "Sure thing," she says, handing her companions all their clothes back before slipping her top on.
<Merc> Blanche raises an eyebrow at Elise, losing a bit of her scowl. "Hrm, well, if nothing else, that's pleasing to hear," Blanche notes as she tosses the rest of her clothing atop Anassia once Maya has undressed as well. She doesn't look entirely annoyed with losing now, and she's focusing her eyes on the boys again.
* Elise collects the cards back into a single deck and leaves them on the table--she might not like these people at all, but it'd be rude to leave a mess of cards lying around.
<Maya> "You won a nice new outfit at least, Anassia," She smirked twirling as she seemed to almost instantly redress, though the boys definitely getting their eyeful.  "Now, since we won...we can move on.
* Aleph looks nervous and a bit conflicted as he's being eyed by Blanche
<Merc> Ookie just scowls at Anassia, and crosses his arms, glaring at her, before stomping off to who knows where. He quite easily vanishes from the room.
<Elise> "Yeah, aren't we done here? Aleph, why aren't you getting dressed? You--ahh!" Elise AVERTS her eyes.
<Anassia> "What, you're not going to allow her clothes back after such a humiliating defeat?" Anassia asks, curiously.
* Aleph grabs his clothes, still blushing as he slowly, embarassedly, gets dressed.
* Jack is rather visibly appreaciative of the view
<Merc> Blanche looks at Elise with a pitious expression, and turns to Jack and Aleph. "One of you boys really needs to pop her..." Blanche pauses, as if deciding to be a little gentle for Elise's sake, and motions as she makes a circle in one hand, and has a finger from the other hand going in and out of that circle. "Y'know?"
<Merc> "She really needs it, I think."
<Aleph> "..."
* Jack grabs his clothes and starts dressing
<Jack> "I'm pretty sure she could snap me like a twig."
<Elise> "...I'm not even sure what that means, but I'm sure it's terrible! Why aren't we gone yet?"
* Anassia puts her head into her hand. "You're real classy," she comments. "You need to get out more."
<Aleph> "Uh..."  It either goes over Aleph's head, or he's still too embarassed...
<Merc> Another portal lights up in one corner of the room, and Blanche sighs. "Well, it was fun, but I've lost, yadda yadda, there you go. I don't suppose the boys would like to stay for a little while longer though? Little miss dealer is welcome to stay as well."
* Elise stalks off through the portal in a righteous fury!
<Aleph> "...er..."  Aleph's mind practically freezes
<Merc> "Pity," Blanche mutters as she turns to Aleph and Jack. "And you two?"
<Jack> "Certainly a tempting invitation, but I'm thinkin the girls'd skin us alive."
<Maya> "Next time you should play instead of your ape.  More fun that way," Maya smirked and headed off.
<Aleph> *ERROR_ERROR_BLUE_SCREEN_OF_DEATH*
<Anassia> "I think we'll be going now, but thanks.  It's been... fun?" Anassia asks, shrugging.  "Better than being stabbed, I suppose."  She stands, adjusting her top slightly before reaching out to grab Aleph's sleeve and pull him along.  "So thanks for not making us fight things."
* Aleph is apparently being pulled along by the arm
<Merc> "You're a dirty cheater, and you know it," Blanche informs Anassia with a sniff. "You're very good at it though. Good fallback profession if this doesn't work out for you!"
* Jack shrugs, "Maybe next time?"
* Jack follows the others
<Anassia> "Cheating, luck.  Different sides of the same coin."  Anassia says, shrugging slightly with a grin.
* Maya hugs Anassia with one arm, "Thanks for saving our bacon." She grinned.
<Merc> "If there is a next time," Blanche mutters as she sighs as all of them vanish. "Well, as they say, the show must go on. Paying customers and all that jazz."
* Aleph looks very...out of it.
<Anassia> "Can't rely on your cardsharking," Anassia says, smirking towards Maya.  "You okay, Aleph?"
<Aleph> *blink*  *broken*  *blink*
<Merc> The room darkens, and we move on with our heroes, who are in...a hot springs? It looks rather like the one from earlier come to think of it...
<Maya> "Ouch.  Guess I can't say anything about that," Maya pouted.
<Maya> "...I have a very bad feeling about this," Maya drew her blade.
<Merc> They're standing outside the hot springs building, the only thing visible in the room.
<Jack> "Poor Aleph, we really should have let her break him in."
<Anassia> "If I had to do much more, I was going to get a headache, though," Anassia admits.  "At least it was only that one time."
<Anassia> "Nah, she was a bitch." Anassia says, offhandedly.  "Think someone should smack him?" she asks, blinking towards to the hot springs.  "Worked with my brother.  Why are we here?"
* Elise nods in agreement with Maya. "Something horrible happened last time we went to one of these. We should be careful."
<Maya> "Yeah, smack him and keep an eye out.  Hey, Ringleader.  You're in here right?"
<Maya> She stayed out of the water if she could help it.
* Jack slaps Aleph
* Anassia looks towards Elise. "I don't think that we're going to be barged in again. Although A bath would be nice," she comments with a shrug.
* Aleph got slapped, coming to his senses a bit. "Uh...what happened?"
<Aleph> "...wait, where is this?"
<Jack> "We moved on after you went all zombie on us."
<Maya> "Why would a bath be in a carnival house?  I don't trust it.  Hey, Ringleader.  Where are you?" She called out.
<Jack> "You just missed out on free tail kid."
<Merc> "Ah, welcome, potential customers!" a voice rings out. "Please enjoy the premises, before you move on to the next room!" It pauses as a wall starts popping up separating the boys and females. "Men are to stick to their own side, however!" the voice states.
<Merc> OOC: reflex check for Jack and Aleph
<Merc> OOC: If they want to stay on the girls' side.
<Jack> roll 1d20+7
<Penuche> Jack invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=18]
<Aleph> roll 1d20+7
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 14 > [d20=7]
<Jack> "You just want to peep, you weirdo."
<Anassia> "Apparently, we're at the baths again." Anassia says to Aleph.  "And are you serious?" she asks the  diembodied voice.
* Jack says this as he gracefully sidesteps the wall
<Merc> Jack easily stays on the girl's side, though Aleph gets locked out. "Hey! That's not how this works!" the voice calls out, apparently annoyed with Jack.
<Aleph> "I'm a weirdo--ACK!"
* Elise snorts. "I don't see why we're listening to his rules at all. Let's just march in there and beat him up! I haven't liked anyone else we met here and I doubt this guy will be any different."
<Maya> "Let's all go to the men's side," Maya suggested simply.  "He'll surely be there."
<Aleph> "Er...oooookay...this is odd..."  Aleph goes into the entrance on his side warily.
* Maya jumps to the top of the divider instead of going on either side.
<Maya> roll 1d20+16
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 35 > [d20=19]
<Merc> Aleph's side of the building is pretty empty. He's all alone, though he can sort of hear the others across the wall. Meanwhile, on that side, the voice calls out "There's nobody on the male side except for that one guy! You should all stay here and take a bath. Except for that other guy. He should walk out."
<Jack> "..."
* Maya listens/looks for the voice.
<Merc> "Hey!" the voice calls out as Maya makes her jump successfully. "Come on! Not how this works!"
<Jack> "Is this guy for real?"
<Maya> roll 1d20+7 listen
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 11 > [d20=4]
<Maya> roll 1d20+7 spot
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 25 > [d20=18]
<Maya> "If I played games by the rules, my friends would surely think a doppleganger had replaced me," Maya looked around.
<Elise> "Oh yeah? You don't like it when people don't play along? How about this?!" Elise turns and swings her hammer at the wall!
* Anassia looks around curiously as well. "I can't decide if he's pervy or there's something else," she says, peering into the water curiously. "You weren't the one cheating," she points out to Maya.
* Aleph looks around as well. The emptiness of that bathhouse was...disconcerting, to say the least.
<Jack> "Should I start stripping? He might leave in disgust."
<Merc> Maya can't really find anything specific about the source of the voice. It seems to be echoing all around. The water does look somewhat discolored on the female side though? What's up with that?
<Elise> roll 2d6+9 damage, enough to make a hole?
<Penuche> Elise invokes Penuche's magic: < 19 > [d6=4,6]
<Merc> Elise meanwhile is hammering at the wall. "Hey! Come on! I'm the one that's supposed to peek, not you! Dammit women!"
<Maya> roll 1d20+13 balance
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 16 > [d20=3]
<Anassia> "Think about this.  Each of the challenges have been relatively straightfoward," she says, frowning a little as she crouches down beside the pool.
<Aleph> "Wait a second...that sounds like that Super-Pervert who got thrown out earlier.  Or what he would say, anyway..."
<Maya> "There's something or someone in the water."
<Merc> You do recall that said pervert was in fact one of the performers in the circus show, so chances are high that Aleph is right.
* Maya she points it out to everyone who can see where the discolored spot is.
<Anassia> "Well, that's who is behind this 'challenge'." she says, getting a closer look at what the discolored spot may be.
<Merc> Elise has left a rather gaping hole in the wall. Meanwhile, the water begins to churn on the female's side, where the discoloration is. "ARRGH! What happened to women being demure and pretty and all that? Seriously! Is that too much to ask?" the voice exclaims.
<Aleph> roll 1d20+9 listen to determine relative location of voice
<Penuche> Aleph invokes Penuche's magic: < 26 > [d20=17]
<Maya> "Do you really think demure women dress like this?" Maya stuck her tongue out, mocking the man from her perch.
<Anassia> "What happened to men being noble and honorable?" Anassia asks, rhetorically, standing back up at the churning.
<Anassia> roll 1d20+6
<Penuche> Anassia invokes Penuche's magic: < 21 > [d20=15]
* Elise climbs through the hole, assuming it's large enough for that. "Women can be whatever they want to be! If you don't like that, it's your problem!"
* Aleph tries to climb the wall on his side, looking for a good surface to brace against if possible. It kind of sucks being stuck on his end alone...
<Merc> The wall quickly begins to crumble as it falls back into the ground...while Elise is still going through and Maya is standing atop it! "If you're all changing sides, we don't need this wall..." OOC: reflex save for Elise. Balance or Tumble for Maya.
<Elise> roll 1d20+6
<Penuche> Elise invokes Penuche's magic: < 24 > [d20=18]
<Merc> Elise quickly scrambles through the hole before the wall drags her into the ground!
<Maya> roll 1d20+22 well, if I have a choice.  Maya goes for the roof or other high perch.
<Penuche> Maya invokes Penuche's magic: < 29 > [d20=7]
<Aleph> "Alright, we know it's you, Super Pervert..."
<Merc> ooc: You can grab onto the roof beams, Maya, but you'd be hanging off those, not enough space to really climb atop them.
<Merc> ooc: regardless, you made your roll
* Elise rolls away from the sinking wall and then rises to her feet, starting to walk into the baths down the center, where the wall used to be, looking for anything of note.
* Aleph backs off from the wall before it falls, then walking onto the central ridge where it used to be...assuming it's not just one big pool of water now
* Maya twirls, catching the roof beams with her feet and hanging upside down from them as she looked around for the man, keeping her eyes mainly on the disturbance source.
<Merc> As the discolored water continues to bubble, the water rushes upward! Standing in the place of the water, as the water levels drop, is a gigantic humanoid made of water. It doesn't quite -look- like the person you were expecting... "You know, this is not how this was supposed to work. Just wanted to do something other than fight, like Blanche, but noooo, you can't take a relaxing bath, can you?" the voice complains, coming from the creature.
<Merc> ooc: Initiative
<Merc> ooc: If you want to go into combat.
<Elise> "We've been ogled enough for today! And I didn't get to smite you before, so now I'll just have to do it twice as hard!"
<Aleph> "Well, given what we had to deal with when we went in, and what we dealt with from the twins..."
<Aleph> "It's hard to expect something so simple from someone who doesn't show themselves right away..."
<Anassia> "Sorry, but I don't like being played with," Anassia says, power arching into being into her hand.  "And I'm tiring of these games.  Besides," she adds, scowling slightly.  "I like my baths of the non-animate variety."

[Merc]

Session Ident: Anassia
<Merc> 6s, Ah, Qs, Qc, 5s (c - clubs, d - diamonds, s - spades, h - hearts)
<Anassia> Keeping the pair
<Merc> Pair of Q, Pair of 8, 10 heart
<Anassia> Nice.
<Merc> As,8s,5s,6c,qc
<Anassia> Queen/Ace
<Merc> 9c, Kd, 6d. You got nothin'
<Anassia> ... I gave the Queen/Ace BACK
<Anassia> Do I take the first two of the dealt, or...?
<Merc> Oh, I thought you were keeping the Q/A
<Merc> sec
<Merc> Just make your hand be 8, 5,6,9, K.
<Merc> You don't really have anything in either case.
<Anassia> Hrm...
<Anassia> Could I make the casting more subdued?
<Merc> Hrm?
<Anassia> Like, say, finger gestures below the table and muttering under breath?
<Merc> Oh, sure.
<Anassia> Sleight of hand to disguise?
<Merc> Sure
<Merc> are you disguising a card as anything in particular?
<Anassia> The king as a seven.  Suit... Say... club
<Anassia> Lemme do a quick channel check, tho I have a low chance of fair
<Merc> 2H, 6c,7d,9h, Ah
<Anassia> Can I use the same illusion spell for more cards?
<Anassia> Or would that take another casting?
<Merc> Another casting
<Merc> Is that the sleight of hand or magic?
<Anassia> Sense motice
<Anassia> On the woman
<Merc> 4c, 5d, Qc, Ac, Ah
<Anassia> Trading the 4 and 5 back
<Merc> Ad, 3s
<Anassia> ... ooh
<Merc> Yeah, three of a kind.
<Anassia> Keeping this hand as it is, this time.
<Anassia> ACE three of a kind
<Merc> Qh,Qs,8c,9d,10h
<Anassia> Going to try and magic it up again ^^
<Anassia> Did Anna get a free pass?
<Merc> Yeah, decided to go ahead and do so
Session Close: Sun May 09 21:22:08 2010

***

Session Ident: Jack
<Merc> 4d, 9s, 6c, 7c, 4h (c - clubs, d - diamonds, s - spades, h - hearts)
<Jack> sigh
<Jack> ok,. as much as it pains me to ignore a straight draw and a flush draw, I should probably play it safe and hang on to those 4 :(
<Jack> hmm
<Jack> wait
<Jack> how're we playing cheating?
<Merc> sleight of hand roll. I'll allow you to try and subtly switch out a card. Depending on the roll result, it can be a random card you draw, better, or risk getting caught by people's spot checks.
<Jack> alright
<Jack> I'll play it safe
<Jack> hang on to the 4s
<Jack> discard the other 3
<Merc> Pair of 4, Pair of 9, Ace of clubs
<Jack> holy shit
<Merc> 2h, 3h,4h,5c,9s
<Jack> what a shit hand
<Jack> I have to rely either on a straight draw or a flush
<Jack> guess I'll shoot for the flush, at least then I have a small chance of a pair
<Merc> yeah, pretty much. That's why I said potentially interesting, but it's all really random.
<Merc> Unless you cheat!
<Jack> sigh
<Jack> guess I'll try cheating for the straight
<Jack> sleight of hand roll as I slide it over or what?
<Merc> Sure.
<Merc> You grabbed a 6 of clubs
<Jack> what was I wearing?
<Jack> just the bikini or was I back in my normal clothes?
<Merc> Up to you.
<Jack> I'd say normal clothes by now
<Merc> and make that 6 of spades, rather, if it makes a difference to you.
<Merc> 2s,4c,Ac,7h,10c
<Merc> 3d,4d,5h,10d,10c
<Jack> keeping the tens
<Merc> 2c, 2h, 4h
<Merc> 3c, 7d,7s, 5s,5c
<Jack> passing in the 3
<Merc> Ace of clubs
Session Close: Sun May 09 21:22:11 2010

***

Session Ident: Aleph
<Merc> 7s, 6h, 8h, Kd, 10c (c - clubs, d - diamonds, s - spades, h - hearts)
<Aleph> Duly noted
<Aleph> Sending in 7s/Kd/10c
<Merc> 5h, 6h, 7d,8h,Ks
<Merc> almost a straight
<Merc> but no cigar
<Aleph> That's the -second- time it's not a straight.  XD
<Aleph> What're the odds, really.
<Merc> 3d, Js, Jc, 8h, 9d
<Aleph> Sending over the three non-jacks
<Merc> Ks, Kc, Ad
<Merc> nice cards
<Aleph> Nice indeed.  Solid, if nothing else.
<Merc> 2d, 3s, 8s, 9c, Jh
<Merc> 3c, 6d,7d,8h,10h
<Merc> 2s, 5s, 7s,7c,7h
Session Close: Sun May 09 20:48:03 2010

***

Session Ident: Maya_Mahabala
<Merc> 3c, 6d, 2s, 3d, 10s (c - clubs, d - diamonds, s - spades, h - hearts)
<Merc> sucky cards, girl!
<Maya_Mahabala> Every but the 3s.
<Merc> pair of 3s, Kc, 10d, 4c. You got a pair of 3s. =p
<Maya_Mahabala> heh.  Should've kept the 10.  Oh well.
<Merc> 2c, 6s,5h,10h,Qd
<Maya_Mahabala> Keeping 10 and Q.
<Maya_Mahabala> And you really should do the gorilla last :P
<Merc> Ah, Jh, 7c.
<Merc> Almost a straight, but not quite
<Maya_Mahabala> oh well.
<Maya_Mahabala> uh
<Maya_Mahabala> I need one more card at least
<Maya_Mahabala> :P
<Maya_Mahabala> 4 cards does not a hand make.
<Maya_Mahabala> oh
<Maya_Mahabala> Ace of hearts
<Maya_Mahabala> okay
<Merc> yeah
<Merc> Jack has this hand. He cheated
<Merc> 5h, 9d, 10d,Js, Kc
<Merc> 4s,5c,6s,8s,9d
<Merc> 2s, 4c,4s,6d,6h
<Merc> The 2, I assume?
<Maya_Mahabala> yeah
<Merc> *snorts* lucky you. 6 of spades.
<Merc> full house
<Maya_Mahabala> Not surprising.  That's how my luck goes.  In dice, card games and life. :P "bad, bad, bad, ridiculous." :P
<Maya_Mahabala> sadness indeed
Session Close: Sun May 09 21:01:56 2010