The House Always Wins
 |
Angelo looks around the joint¸ seeing only marks. Back-room poker is always a mug's game. Every card dealt brings the unlucky ones closer to losing everything-the shirt on their backs¸ next month's rent and more. Some schmucks end up with a gun in their hand¸ doing some of Lucky Joe's less pleasant work to pay off their debt. The hand's over. One man smiles¸ greed painted across his face. With a nod from Joe¸ Angelo takes a seat at the table¸ in on the game. Time to take it all back. Someone knocks at the door and walks straight in despite the three locks. Angelo registers little more than the stink of cheap cigars and the stains on his old overcoat. Joe's eyes go wide¸ sweat sparkles on his brow. And in a voice like rain falling into a freshly-dug grave¸ the newcomer speaks. "Open a fresh pack¸ Joe. I got a hankering for a high-stakes game." Joe goes quiet for a second¸ then nods. His tongue darts over suddenly-dry lips. "Gentlemen¸ the game's seven-card stud. No limit." The newcomer turns to Angelo¸ smiling with a mouth full of yellow teeth. He sets down two chips from his pocket. They look like ivory in the light. "Two years." "What?" "That's the ante. Two years of your life." And suddenly Angelo realizes why Lucky Joe's scared. A free Storytelling Adventure System scene and character for use with Geist: The Sin-Eaters. You can find more information about the Storyteller Adventure System at www.white-wolf.com/sas.
Angelo looks around the joint¸ seeing only marks. Back-room poker is always a mug's game. Every card dealt brings the unlucky ones closer to losing everything - the shirt on their backs¸ next month's rent and more. Some schmucks end up with a gun in their hand¸ doing some of Lucky Joe's less pleasant work to pay off their debt.
"The hand's over. One man smiles¸ greed painted across his face. With a nod from Joe¸ Angelo takes a seat at the table¸ in on the game. Time to take it all back. Someone knocks at the door and walks straight in despite the three locks. Angelo registers little more than the stink of cheap cigars and the stains on his old overcoat. Joe's eyes go wide¸ sweat sparkles on his brow. And in a voice like rain falling into a freshly-dug grave¸ the newcomer speaks.
"'Open a fresh pack¸ Joe. I got a hankering for a high-stakes game.'
"Joe goes quiet for a second¸ then nods. His tongue darts over suddenly-dry lips. 'Gentlemen¸ the game's seven-card stud. No limit.'
"The newcomer turns to Angelo¸ smiling with a mouth full of yellow teeth. He sets down two chips from his pocket. They look like ivory in the light. 'Two years.'
"'What?'
"'That's the ante. Two years of your life.'
"And suddenly Angelo realizes why Lucky Joe's scared.