Few things intrigued Roman Torchwick as much as money. Poker just so happened to be one of the things that did.
Being a big-shot crime boss was no easy task, even for a man like Roman Torchwick. His business was a demanding such, especially when it came to working with people like Cinder Fall. Between cleaning out dust-shops and smacking around heavily armed school girls, there just wasn't a whole lot of room to simply enjoy oneself. A conscious sacrifice, Roman knew, as he had been in the game for about as long as he cared to remember. Still, every once in a while, even he felt the need to disappear, if even for a breath or two, to a place where he could indulge in more leisurely activities – a place most commonly referred to as: The Club.
"What is the deal with her hair?" Miltia whispered, leaning towards her sister as to not be overheard.
"Tell me about it!" Melanie replied, failing the urge to shudder. "And those eyes! They're giving me the creeps!"
The person in question, a young girl with brown and pink hair, lined with streaks of white, paid them no mind as she watched the bartender work behind the counter. Her mind was on much more important things, such as the triple-scoop ice cream sunday she was just about to receive. Her dangling feet made a happy little dance she watched the tender add the giant cream spiral. The cherry on top was, obviously, just that: a cherry, along with a myriad of sprinkles.
As the colourful dessert was finally presented to her, Neo could barely contain herself. Practically bouncing in her seat - like a kid at an ice cream shop, quite accurately – she proved to be anything but slow to dig in. If she had mind enough to do so, she would have to thank Roman later.
"Doesn't she get a brain-freeze?!" Miltia asked, astonished, as she watched the ice cream disappear, bit by bit.
"Are you kidding?" Melanie said with a malicious smirk. "I bet her whole brain is made of ice cream!"
The twins broke out in a collective giggle as Neo continued to enjoy her treat, either blissfully unaware or simply unconcerned. Though, considering her priorities, probably the latter.
Roman peeked at his cards with little to no apparent interest, careful not to let his poker face slip as he silently wagered his odds. Five of clubs and nine of hearts, a virtually useless combination, he mentally noted as he tossed a glance at his fellow player: the club owner himself, Hei Xiong, better known as Junior. His bearded features were easy enough to read against the darkened room, lit up, as they were, by the single spotlight centred above their table. He was wearing his sunglasses, no doubt a desperate attempt to boost his confidence. Despite his reputation as the most prominent informer in all of Vale, Junior's uncanny sense of perception, funny enough, didn't make him any better as a poker player.
Still, he made for a much more interesting opponent than Neo. Not only was her poker face unmatched, but she was also a relentless cheater. Then again, he probably shouldn't be so surprised. She was his trainee, after all. Plus, with Junior, there was always the opportunity for smalltalk. Not that Roman was terribly interested in anything the man had to say, but he did enjoy the sound of his own voice. That, and it made their game that much livelier.
Like spices on a meal, it added some flavour to an otherwise bland mix of social interaction.
Speaking of which...! Roman thought, recalling a snippet of conversation he'd overheard in the barroom earlier.
"So, I hear you've been getting quite a few visits from a certain fiery, blond huntress lately!" Roman began, hoping Junior would catch on. He added a soft chuckle. "Care to fill in the blanks for me?"
Looking past his red sunglasses, Junior shot him a glare.
"No."
"Well, you're certainly no fun!" Roman drawled, checking his cards briefly before raising the stakes. "And here I thought we had a connection! I mean, we're poker buddies, right? We can tell each other things!"
"There's nothing to talk about." Junior replied, bluntly, as he called.
"Oh, please! You don't have to be such a wuss about it!" Roman said as he began dealing the community cards. "You're hardly the first to fall for an underage girl! Besides, it's not like the signs haven't been there all along. I mean, just look at your entourage."
Junior's whiskey glass hit the table just a bit too hard to be passed of as an accident. Roman's smirk promptly disappeared as he looked up to find the bearded behemoth glaring daggers at him. At least, that's what it looked like. It was sort of difficult to tell with the glasses in the way.
"Miltia and Melanie are nothing like that!" Junior spoke in little more than a murderous whisper.
Roman could take a hint. The twins were obviously off-limits. That being said, he didn't so much fear Junior - in fact, he felt pretty confident he could take him in a fight – but at the prospect of messing up poker night, one of the few, leisurely pleasures Roman still had, he decided not to press the matter further.
"Hey, whatever you say, big guy!" Roman crooned, trying to wave it off. "I'm just saying: there's no shame in, ah, broadening your horizons!"
Junior scoffed.
"Like you're one to talk, Mr. Ice cream man."
Once again, Roman's smug expression dropped. He actually hadn't seen that one coming. Unlike Junior, though, he didn't wear his aggression on his sleeves. Thus, any signs of annoyance or frustration were kept to an absolute minimum, like the way he squeezed his cane ever so slightly.
"Neo?" Roman gave it some serious thought. "I suppose. She's cute enough." He shrugged. "Ah, but you know what they say: you should never bring romance to the office!"
"Exactly." Junior deadpanned as he pushed his remaining chips into the pot, going all in.
Roman went silent as he stared at the pile of would-be money. Junior, likewise, said nothing as he arched a knowing brow at his opponent, as if daring him to go on.
Roman sighed as he tossed his cards.
"Fold."