thenearshore | A prayer for payout

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A prayer for payout

Who: Suzaku Kururugi and Edge
When: December 6th
Where: An casino in Tokyo
What: Edge and Suzaku go to answer a prayer.

Suzaku stood at the side of the street waiting for Edge watching the people pass by. No one noticed him of course and he was glad about that. It was something he had found from his first day, that he felt relieved that he was was unnoticed and easily forgettable on the Near Shore. He kept his eye out for Edge though he was a little early, the place had been easier to find than he had thought.

He and Edge were going to answer a prayer. Suzaku had never done such a thing before but he had agreed readily when Edge had asked him. He had been trying to find as much to do as possible this last week, feeling strange and out of place. Lady Marinette had been very kind, as had Adrien and Snake but it didn't stop him feeling slightly lost, purposless. So an opportunity to get out and do something was something he was grateful for.

Even better if that something was helping someone. He looked around again, sure that Edge would be here soon.

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Edge didn't keep him waiting long, and perhaps more importantly, didn't show up in some ridiculously ninjalike way, in a burst of smoke or landing from a high height or something. No, Edge just wandered up with a cheerful wave hello.

He, too, banked hard on the Near Shore residents not noticing him, having made no effort to change or mitigate his usual outfit.

Suzaku nodded at him with a small smile. It probably was a good job that no one could see them, as Edge might stand out a little. Suzaku was in more casual clothes, his own rather than borrowed from Adrien. He had decided that after washing them in holy water they probably were safe enough.

"How are you, Edge?"

"Still dateless, can you believe it?" Edge brought up one fist in a gesture that was some sort of mix of martial salute and greeting which seemed appropriate for him. "This place has the least active scene anyone could ask for. Things going well by you?"

Suzaku hid a small smile, he was actually quite surprised. Finding a date seemed to be something Edge tried hard at, so it was surprising that he was stll unsuccessful.

He nodded. "As well as they can. Lady Grell disappeared," He is very matter of fact, exactly what he feels about all of this has been stored in a box and kicked to the furthest corner of his mind. "So I am waiting to be reassigned." He's not sure how long that usually takes but he figures he will be informed when it does.

He is being wary, keeping an eye out for any wandering ayakashi that might decide he's an easy target. The last thing he wants to do is put Edge in danger.

"Just waiting, huh? No leads at all?" That was a shame, though Edge isn't certain who he'd ask if his god disappeared. Maybe Maria, but she'd probably say no.

Anyway, they could walk and talk, so Edge started down the street towards their destination.

"I wouldn't know who to ask." He doesn't know all that many people, especially not well enough to ask if he could serve as their shinki. Hakkai had told him to have a back up plan and he had thought he would go to Spears but he was gone as well.

He followed Edge, "So you said this prayer was something to do with gambling?"

"Right, right." Business, of course. Easy thing to forget. "There's a guy with an obvious gambling problem, and we've got to solve that. I'm figuring a good scare is the best tactic, but I'm open to suggestions."

Not that he remembered, but he'd still (ironically) bet money this had never happened to him before.

Solve a gambling problem. Suzaku wasn't sure even where to start with something like that. People gambled for many different reasons but if this person was asking for help then that was a good sign. If they wanted to stop it would be easier for them to help him.

"How are you thinking of scaring him?" It wasn't a bad idea, though Suzaku thought it would be best to see the man first, different tactics would work for different people.

Edge maybe should have mentioned that the prayer was... not asking for help. Or well, that wasn't the text of the prayer -- the whole thing sure was a cry for help, though.

"I'm thinking we find a way to make him think he's lost everything, then give him a second chance. Once he sees what almost happened, that ought to be a pretty good incentive to clean up his act!"

"That will probably work. Though if he already wishes to stop surely he doesn't need more incentive."

If the man really wanted to stop he might not take kindly to them doing such a thing, it might even backfire leading him to believe they were not truly trying to help.

"Weeeeell," Edge said, running fingers through the hair just above his neck. "I said we have to solve his problem, not that he wanted to stop. The prayer was nothing but excuses and empty promises, you know? The guy's clearly in bad shape."

"Ah I undersand." Excuses and empty promises sounded likely if the man had a serious problem.

"I think your plan should work then, are we going to gamble against him?"

That seemed like the easiest way to make him believe he had lost anything. Though it relied on Suzaku and Dust being able to win. "Do you know what game he gambles on?"

Suzaku hadn't tried any gambling games, so he had no idea if he was any good at any.

"That's a bit risky. We might have to, but tell me what you think of this -- we rely on not being noticed, and rig something against him. Make him realize he could lose everything badly." They could do that more easily from the shadows, even metaphorically speaking, than they could as open participants. "Though it might work if we do half and half, come to think of it..."

"Half and half might be easier. I'm not sure how we can rig something against him without us being the other participant and without it becoming real." If they made it so someone else won, or even if the house won they would expect the money. The idea wasn't to actually make this man lose everything. If one of them was the other participant then it would be certain that they would not be taking everything from the man.

"If one of us bets against him and the other makes sure he loses..." It sits wrong. It's very underhand and he doesn't like it. He shakes his head with a frown.

"Not 'loses' so much as 'comes within an inch of losing'. If we get it so he breaks even after a real scare..." Underhanded is a ninja specialty, and Edge saw nothing wrong with deceit. "After all, I'm pretty sure that a guy who's hooked like he is can't just be reasoned with."

"I guess you're right." Reasoning with someone with such a problem would be difficult, especially since it wouldn't even take him much effort to ignore them and forget what they had said.

"I'll follow your lead." It still feels wrong but Suzaku can't think of an alternative and Edge seems to know what he is doing.

"Okay! How about you be the gambler, then? While he's betting, I'll lighten his wallet or whatever, till he gets down to what he thinks is his last chip. He'll bet everything, lose, and think he's ruined, but then I'll slip back what I took and he'll have his second chance."

Ninjas were, after all, skilled thieves.

Suzaku frowned, he really didn't like this. It felt wrong even if hopefully it would lead to a good conclusion. But doing bad things for the right reasons was still doing bads things. Surely the end did not justify the means.

But as he has no alternative plans, and this was after all only a trick- they weren't going to actually steal everything this man had... It was not honourable but it would not actually cause harm.

"Alright then, I'll be the gambler. Hopefully this will work."

"All right! Now I've done some research and this game is really similar to rock-paper-scissors. You're familiar?" He can't assume, after all, no matter how basic or simple the game.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" A children's game? Suzaku looked like he was thinking for a moment before he moved his hand into a fist, then flat and then fingers like scissors.

"Like that? Then certain gestures beat the others." He thinks that's right. It seems odd to gamble on it.

"Right! Exactly! So if he doesn't notice me, I think I can influence his throws with a keen whisper at the right moment. We'll coordinate our actions, and that should let us take advantage." Not perfect, but a good start. No plan survives contact with the enemy anyway, right?

Suzaku nodded, it might work. It probably would have more of a chance at working than if the gambling had been on some other game, cards or chess. Rock, paper, scissors didn't take a lot of strategy.

At least he hoped it didn't. "Alright, are we almost there?"

He doesn't recognise the area at all, having not been to many places on the Near Shore.

Edge checked his phone real quick, then looked back up to assess the street. Between the map the phone offered and what he'd gotten from the prayer...

"There," he said, pointing into an alley where, tucked to the side of the building, a narrow staircase descended down to a basement-level door.

Suzaku followed where Edge pointed to and nodded. It didn't look like much but he guessed such places were not widely advertised and tried their best not to stand out.

He heads over there and looks at Edge. "I guess we just go right in."

It's not like many people would notice them anyways.

"All right. You first, so you can try to be the noticeable one. I'll slink in after." A little help from his own skills would render Edge downright invisible, he figures.

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