Cards

"How about a card game?"

Shiro looked to Nero when his brow rose, shooting her brother the same confused expression he was giving Dante.

"You have the worst luck," he stated while watching the elder hunter reach into the draw of his desk.

"Oh." Shiro relaxed again.

"I'm not going to lose any money…so why not?" He joined the pair on the couches and began shuffling.

"What's the game?" she asked.

"Strip Jack Naked," Dante replied, his eyes seemingly fixed to his shuffling - Nero knew better. The elder hunter had another plan:

Strip Shiro Naked.

"No-"

"Ok."

Nero's head whipped around fast enough to give him whiplash. Shiro shrugged.

"You said he had the worst luck."

"Hn…fine. How do you play?"

Dante explained the rules as he dealt the deck between them; it was a little like snap with a twist: Jacks, Queens, Kings and Aces played a major role.

"There's no way to cheat." Dante raised his hands defensively when Nero shot him another suspicious look. "It's all about luck. How about a test game - no stripping."

He flipped over the top card of his deck, a number, and nodded to Nero - he did the same, placing it on Dante's, and then Shiro placed down a Queen.

"Now, I flip two - the second is a number, so I get the pile." He swept it under his deck and played the top card again - another number. Nero dropped a King.

"Three?" Shiro looked to Dante and flipped three over one after the other; her last card was an Ace. "Umm…"

"Now, I flip four, but the first one is Jack." He looked to Nero. "Your move, kid."

Nero set a number and swiped up the pile.

The game went on until Nero had all the cards and the siblings understood the game.

Jack = 1 card

Queen = 2 cards

Kings = 3 cards

Aces = 4 cards.

Cards were dealt again and; this time it was for real.

"Shit," Nero grunted, being the first to lay a Jack, and shrugged out of his coat. Shiro won the pile.

The game went on for a while, with the players making comebacks at their last card over and over; clothes were removed in the process and curses were exchanged - mostly from Shiro and Nero. Eventually, Nero was first out, dignity spared because he'd lost all his cards to Dante after running out; now he watched the elder hunter and his sister, carefully noting the cards being dropped by both of them. The cards piled up and disappeared and piled up once more.

"Fuck!"

Dante gestured dramatically to the remainder of Shiro's clothing. "Bra, please, I've been waiting a long time to see those babies."

Shiro huffed but grabbed the hem of the shirt she had been using as a substitute bra; she agreed to play the game, so she'd play by the rules.

"Wait!" Nero's eyes narrowed at the pile; he reached out and shuffled through - laying down five Jacks.

Dante knew what was coming. While he couldn't guarantee the game would turn out with him facing off against Shiro, adding the extra Jack was worth the risk - and he would have kept trying until the game was one on one with her. He'd been caught and he accepted his punishment: one devil bringer, a little slender than the one he was used to, hitting him square in the jaw.

Shiro collected her clothes. "That's the last time I play cards with you!"

Dante just shrugged. It was worth a shot.