The Mansion

[LordUsagi]

"Straight five card draw poker."

Was that tilting of the head a tell?
He would have to watch for that, check it is was an action when she was confident or nervous.

He took another sip before returning his cup to the table in anticipation of the first hand..

"And although there is no ante, one has to place at least one bet per hand."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

"Fair enough."

Deftly she deals out the cards, five each, before setting the deck on the table before her. Without looking at them, she straightens her cards into a neat pile before lifting them slightly off the table with her left hand and fanning them. Her eyes scan the cards briefly before she resettles them to the table, face down in another neat pile.

His bet. She waits.

 

[LordUsagi]

He studies the pile of cards on the table before him. There is no need to check them as he has to place a bet. He goes for the bold play.

"I bet my shirt."

It is also a smart play for a man in such a game. If he wins the hand and the woman is without a bra he will gain the first small victory. Perhaps she will not think it gentlemanly of him, but in the end he suspects she is a woman who appreciates intelligence and desire. After all they are both playing the game to see the other naked.

He picks up the cup and sips his tea, eyeing her introspectively.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

The grin is slow in forming. She picked up the deck of cards.

Smart man. He didn't start off small. His shirt. Her sweater. And if she wasn't wearing anything under the sweater, he was just that much more ahead of getting her naked. She had thought about raising then dismissed it. She'd save the raises for when things got really interesting.

"Cards?"

Again, she waits.

 

[LordUsagi]

"Oops, I had forgotten about those."

He grins

"I was mesmerised by the beauty I see in front of me."

Is it still called flattery if it is true. People always say flattery will get you nowhere , or flattery will get you everything
But shouldn't they rather say
Your honest observation will earn you my thanks and a smile

He picks up his cards, randomly sorts them out before selecting one.

He places the four cards on the table in front of himself and the last card face down in the middle.

"I will take one?"

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She laughed. He was charming. It would take more than words to sidetrack her. She waited until he tossed his discard in before dealing him the top card. Setting the deck on the table, she winked at him. Without looking away, she spread her cards face down, obviously, and withdrew the second and last card, tossing them on top of his discard before she drew the next two cards.

She pulled a move her grandfather always used. She merely stacked the new cards on the others without looking at them and looked at him expectantly instead.

 

[LordUsagi]

He also did not observe his new card, instead he looked back at her.

"Well I have to bet...so I bet my underwear."

He smiles and winks at her.

"Wait I am not wearing any...so....I bet my shoes and socks."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

Okay. He almost made her blink that time. At his first words, she wondered how the hell she was going to bet her underwear without betting her slacks first. he saved her from thinking on that one by admitting he wasn't wearing any underwear.

Now, in the depth of her eyes, mischief glinted. Information filed to be used later. His sock and shoes.

"My sweater on opening bid.... I'll call with my heels and thigh highs BUT," there was the mischievous glint again, " a stipulation."

Her eyes turned from mischief to challenging.

"If I lose, you have to remove the items from my person."

Her cards remained on the table as she reached for her teacup to take a sip. She had just upped the take and knew it. The question was, would he fold or call?

 

[LordUsagi]

"You make a tempting offer."

He grins

"I am surprised you did not raise knowing your three of a kind would beat my failed straight."

He winked at her.

"So I will allow you to bet again if you so desire."

He wondered how he would remove the thigh highs while her slacks are still on. It was an interesting conundrum.

"And I will accept your stipulation."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She wouldn't be drawn. She merely grinned back. The bet had been placed and she had called. He had agreed to the stipulation which he might regret doing at some point. That was a wait and see moment. Her eyes watched him over the rim of her teacup as she reached for the cup to sip some tea.

Now it was time for him to show his hand. She felt the muscles between her shoulder blades, tighten in anticipation. First hand and she was playing the last draw blind. Was she crazy? Who was she kidding? She was nuts. But she was also teasing the Fates. Her eyes drew away from his as she reset her cup on the table and folded her hands in her lap. They found and studied the small pile of unturned cards. Did she have him this time? Did she win this round? Butterflies started to flutter in her stomach. She'd know soon enough.

 

[LordUsagi]

He still hadn't looked at his bought card, so with a smile, he flipped over his four kept cards.

"Two pair, Jacks over Eights."

It was a fair hand, it would be a losing hand if the three cards she kept originally, were three of a kind.

He looked to see if she showed any sign anticipation at his remaining card. Did she have three of a kind or had she gone for a straight, or kept a pair and a high card.

He studied her, the smile never leaving his lips.

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She stared at his flipped cards. Two pair. Her eyes slid to the remaining one left unveiled. Did he have it? Did he have a full house? Her eyes lifted to meet his across the table. One delicate brow arched slightly as if to say, "Well?"

She felt butterflies in her stomach. It was only the first hand but at this rate, one of them was going to be naked soon. Her lips twitched in humor.

"Let's see it Mr. Card Shark."

She tensed as she awaited the outcome.

 

[LordUsagi]

"Well shall we bet on it?"

He winks are her.

"If it is a Jack or Eight then you remove your slacks as well."

He suspected she had three of a kind, so without the full house he would lose the hand. So this additional bet would make it easier to remove her thigh highs.

"What would you want if it isn't?"

The danger was that if she asked for his jeans, and he lost he would be naked. And even if he was wrong and his two pair was good enough, he would be without his jeans and sitting there with it all hanging out.

Though currently with this beauty before him, there wasn't much hanging happening.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Care to take the dare?"

 

[DarkWarrioress]

With deliberate motion, she picked up her teacup and took a sip. Just as deliberate, she set it down.

"You, Sir, do not have a say in this. I called your bet. Let's see what you have. I'm all for spicing up a bet, but I am not betting more clothing on a dare. I'm going to get you naked first sooner or later so...." she held out a hand, fingers doing a curling motion toward herself, "bring it. Let's see what you have."

That last sentence of hers almost made her laugh, considering what they were playing and why. Instead she settled for letting a little smirk emerge. She still didn't touch her cards. The ball was in his court at the moment and she had the controlling edge.

 

[LordUsagi]

He laughed, "I like your confidence, it will stand you in good stead when you are naked serving me tea."

He winks at her.
Reaches for his final card and flips it over

The Queen of Hearts

"Bollocks, how appropriate that the Queen before me is about to steal almost all my clothing."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She couldn't help it. He was infectious. Her head tilted back as she laughed, eyes twinkling with approval. He had a sense of humor and was confident. Her eyes went to the table top where his fingers flipped over his last card. The Queen of Hearts. Was she feeling elation or disappointment? It was hard to tell. He had two pair. It could still be a winning hand if she hadn't made hers.

With green eyes still focused on his person, her fingers deftly flipped over cards. When arranged properly he would see that she had indeed, made her hand. A straight. Jack high. She watched his face instead of looking at her cards.

 

[LordUsagi]

He just grins

"See now if you had been bolder I would have been totally naked and at your mercy."

He mixes all the cards together and hands them to her to shuffle.

"Now instead I have one piece left with which to claim my victory."

Winks at her

"Now lady I believe you have some clothes to remove."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She took the cards from him and began to shuffle them.

"It's not a matter of being bold for me. I like the tease. I thought you figured that out by now."

She set the deck on the table and cleanly cut them before restacking them and pushing the deck toward him.

"Same game. Let's see how far I can push my luck."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

​

~ Sets the current scene on hold until the sun comes up on his side of the world and he can respond. In the meantime....~

​

Winter had come. Tonight however, it was warmer than it had been some nights. She bundled up in a coat and switched her footwear for boots before she let herself out of the house and started to walk, following the path from her patio, through her rose garden to the back of the property where the path split off. One way led to the barn and Ice's loft, the other path led down to the shoreline. She chose the shoreline.

Sand crunched under her feet as she walked. There was only herself and the stars. The moon had yet to rise. The world was still. Quiet. With hands shoved deep into the pockets of her coat, she made her way to the shore, removing a hand only to push the hood of her coat from her head. She wanted to listen to the water as it drew up on the beach and crashed against the few rock outcroppings in the water. She made her way down to her dock, choosing tonight to sit on the end of it, instead of continuing to walk. Her feet dangled off the end of it. The peace. The serenity the night offered was welcome. When the sun rose, the new day dawned, she was back to routine, carting kidlets to school for their mama, getting things done that others use to do. She missed the kid brother but he was happy so that was all that mattered. She would adjust, eventually. She still worried. She always would. It was her nature but she trusted in the Divine to look after things she could not control and if problems erupted, she'd deal with them if they came her way.

For now, all she could do was let the tension drain from her, enjoy the night, enjoy company when she got it and simply be thankful for living. Could anyone not be thankful for living?

 

[LordUsagi]

Stepping through the Veil from his 35 degree Celsius heat to the cold chill of her winter's night. It is a strange thing the Veil, for sometimes it sends people back in time, and even though at this present time DW is asleep in her master bedroom the mists part for him to see her walking down the garden path to her rose garden.

He does not call out to her. He can sense she has thoughts so he leave her to them. Instead he follows her at a discreet distance.

When she sits on the peer he waits a while before sitting next to her. He does not say anything but instead reflects on the past year and the changes that have come with the new one. It is enough that she knows he is there.

When the sun rises over the Mansion he feels a strange pulling from across the sea. The icy waters of the pool in the backyard are calling him to sooth the heat away.

He does not have time to rise or speak before he shimmers away across the Veil.

 

[LordUsagi]

Meanwhile in the Great Hall

--------------------------​

He nods

"Same game, and maybe you will be more daring this time."

Leaving the cards on the table he starts to untie his shoes.

"Guess it is time to give you a bit of a show, though shoes and socks are nothing like boots and stockings."

He slips off his shoes and soon his socks join them in neat balls, one in each shoe. Those are place next to his chair.

"But my dear...do do dodo da ... a shirt is a different thing all together."

He winks at her before reaching up and undoing the second button. He slowly runs draws the material to the side revealing a fair portion of one pectoral muscle.

"Dum dum deede dee...does she want more...I think so."

He undoes another button and this time runs his hand slowly across his chest like a lover. After brushing across his nipple lightly he moves his hands down to undo the final buttons.

With a dramatic swing of the hips he strips his shirt off his arms and tosses it at her with a laugh.

"You have earned that," he announces as he sits down.

Picking up the cards he grins at her.

"Now that I am down to my last piece of clothing, lets play for real."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She leaned back on her hands to enjoy the show. She really had taken advantage of the fact that he came through the veil to her side of the world dressed for his weather not hers. There was a twinkle in her eyes, a grin on her lips but she said nothing in response to his words. He would learn eventually. She chose her moments of daring.

Socks and shoes came first and set aside. She laughed softly as he gave her a bit of a "show" with the removal of his shirt. As he returned to seat, her eyes quietly roamed over him with an appreciative eye.

"Perhaps you should have been more conservative knowing you were wearing less, hm?"

She leaned against the table's edge, one hand set upon it, her chin resting on her fingers. A smirk on her lips.

"I so get that the whole idea is to get the other person naked first, but the game is much more fun when drawn out. Deal the cards. Let us see who Lady Luck will grace with her presence this time."

 

[LordUsagi]

"Conservative...pish posh...go big or go home."

He dealt them each a hand of five cards.

"Besides, I know what will happen this hand."

He winked at her.

"I will keep my trousers and will probably be removing yours with nothing but my teeth."

He picked up his cards and after a quick look put them down.

"Oh dear, oh dear, you are so beaten this hand."

He patted himself on his upper thigh.

"You are not going to get to see my John Thomas yet."

"Now my dear I believe it is you to bet."

 

[DarkWarrioress]

She laughed.

"Yes, well, we'll see who's still singing that tune when you're bringing me dinner on a tray, in the buff."

She picked up her cards, fanned them, studied them and set them back down. His taunt went in one ear and out the other. Someone was full of himself. Sitting back just a little, she took up her teacup and reached for the pot to freshen her drink.

"Would you like your tea freshened?"

She held the pot up over the table.

"By the way, I'll wager my sweater and my slacks."

There was a hint of a smile on her lips.

 

[LordUsagi]

He picked up his cup and downed the last of the tea.
"Yes please."
Placing his cup within her reach.

"Slacks and sweater...hmmm...now I only have my jeans, so what do we do now?"