"Welcome one and all to The Podium! Best Seats to Watch the Grand Prix One Can Find! Owned by Olympia's Favourite Son! ROYLAND CHANCER! Brought to you by Chancer's Bookkeepers Where: ♫ If you shake on it, you pay for it! ♫" - Chancer's Commercial
As the owner of Olympia's only legal gambling company, Chancer holds a monopoly on all the legal gambling action within the city. His motto is literally: "If you shake on it, you pay for it!" Meaning any bet or deal that is shaken on within the limits of Chancer's is on with no take backs. Chancer's will manage that deal for the bettors for a small fee, however. This handshaking rule became so popular that it actually became part of Judge Law and scribes go around the Viewing Area in order to take down every exchange made during a match.
There are two levels of The Podium open to the public. The first is a main viewing area for the Grand Prix, so naturally, it is a large, open space and has many facilities in it like a bar and a restaurant. However, there are small private booths reserved for certain pilots and Grand Prix teams that can have at table service granted to them for anything from drinks to bets.
The second floor is a VIP area, reserved only for people with large coin purses, Judges, or team owners. The area only permits a maximum of two guests with each VIP. If one thought downstairs was extravagant, then one would be in for a surprise. It has its own bar with two attendants: one for taking bets and the other for taking orders. Here, the drinks are on the house. In the off season, various gambling games with high-stake buy-ins are held on this level. The view of the Grand Prix from this level is only bested by the third level.
Only Chancer, his team, and his personal guests are allowed on the third level of The Podium. This is where Chancer resides in the evening. It comes with its own bar and a small kitchen. This area is closed off completely, only letting roaring cheers from the floors below to be heard.
The Steve here, a young man, acts as the Bartender when matches aren't in progress or about to begin.
Because of the fact a high number of Pilots are around, there is an unwritten code of honor when it comes to The Podium. No drama. No hassle. Just love for the Grand Prix.
Quote Dume246 to activate Steve.
[quote="Dume246"]Steve[/quote]
Betting Rules & Regulations
When betting with the house (Rules):
Bets will be posted as:
Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)
(-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account Odds change as matches progress Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location You cannot bet in a location you are not in
Betting with the House Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except The Lucky Break (Rules):
Chancer's will help arrange the bet Players will shake hands to seal the deal Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate Chancer's takes a 7.5% 'holding' fee which will be deposited directly into Chancer's account If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front A promise to pay for a meal is not collateral, because it cannot be appraised Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment
Betting with Another Player Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result.) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler]
Steve's Posting Format
[align=center][size=14][b]~ Steve of Chancer's Bookkeepers ~[/b][/size][/align] [size=11]Text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text text.
[size=9][b]Current Betting Odds:[/b] [list][*]Match: [list]Pilot 1: Pilot 2:[/list][/list][/size] [spoiler][size=9]When betting with the house (Rules): [spoiler][list][*] Bets will be posted as: [list]Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)[/list] [*] (-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 [*] (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 [*] Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect [*] Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account [*] Odds change as matches progress [*] Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away [*] Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location [*] You cannot bet in a location you are not in[/list][/spoiler] Betting with the House Format (Code): [spoiler][code][spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
[/spoiler] When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except [i]The Lucky Break[/i] (Rules): [spoiler][list][*] Chancer's will help arrange the bet [*] Players will shake hands to seal the deal [*] Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral [*] Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) [*] Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate [*] If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front [*] A promise to pay for a meal is not a payment, because it cannot be appraised. [*] Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment[/list][/spoiler] Betting with Another Player Format (Code): [spoiler][code][spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler][/spoiler][/size][/spoiler]
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:13 am
Ahtza Minitasen
A few hours later, and Ahtza had landed herself smack dab in probably the best neighborhood she could have "legally" entered. Victor's Village, the area was called. What she was doing here was a mystery. The pilot never showed herself in this "classy" region, preferring to hang around Zoid's Landing or Undertown. Severely underdressed for the occasion, still the pilot was not deterred from seeking out the local place to be. That place of course, was Chancer's. She'd never met the man....assuming that Royland Chancer had an active part in the company still, and was not being run behind the scenes somewhere in Royal or something of the sort. Regardless, this was where pilots gathered, and not the snooty snobs that often disdained "her kind". That phrase referred to "low-class" residents or pilots that likely cared more for their belongings and companions than they did money. Granted, the latter was always on their mind, but how much it meant often depended on the individual.
So to have time killing on the brain, Ahtza thought more about the "option" open to her.
Don't reckon I like her very much. Maybe she's a decent mechanic and all, but simply pointing and telling someone you made something ain't gonna say squat for reputation. That and having some yahoo try to show me around in her place? He was waiting in line like the rest of us! ******** it if I'm gonna wait around to have someone show me around to "get a feel" for the place and her work if it isn't her? If I built something, I'd be damned proud to show it off and take time to comment on it....give proof, so to speak. That is....if'n I knew what the hell I was doing with a welder and other tools. Dad never raised me to have knowledge of that, and I feel kinda gypped. All I know how to do is pilot and move heavy objects. I don't even girl, for what it's worth. Makeup? What about it? Seems kinda useless, since y'go to bed with someone an' wake up to find you slept with a damn zombie instead? Nah. Let 'em see the zombie and then if they still want to sleep with you, that's a keeper. Too bad there ain't such a one. Pfft.
There weren't any obstructions or events in entering the facility that Ahtza was otherwise inclined to know as "the bar". It also held connotations for "loser" and "no one likes you". This particular locale, anyway. She frequented Chancer's, but held far too much pride to accept losses in public. Hence, her reputation of keeping to the "seedier" sections of Olympia. Chancer's locale in Victor's Village, "The Podium", meant a lot of things to Ahtza.....none of them fairly positive. What it did offer though, was a chance spot to perhaps pick up on the news regarding teams coming together and owners recruiting for said teams. Technically, she'd lied to Viridiana about having other leads to check into and consider....but it wouldn't be lying if she picked up leads here and then pursued them. People recognized her, of course. There was only one horned pilot in the entire of Olympia. Whether or not they had the name and history to go with, that was another hurdle entirely. It led to an isolation of sorts, so she sat at the bar and waited to obtain the barkeep's attention to request a drink.
"...Hey barkeep, what've you got on tap?"
The barkeep in question was a young man, and as such, kind of fell victim to any female's eye. Not that she was seriously looking, as a man like this could easily be only in his early twenties, and she could damned well look like a cougar wannabe pursuing it any further than simply and subtly looking. Of course, this man also happened to be the Steve for this Chancer's....though that information was not privy to Ahtza. She never did any gambling, and drinking, while more common than other activities found within Chancer's locations, was also more of a treat than a regular activity.
This particular Steve was born a country boy. He had almost-black, wavy hair. He was skinny, but healthfully so. He also looked capable of defending himself and others if it came down to it, and it was obvious by his knuckles that he has done so in the recent past. He was a natural fighter and was known in Victors' Village for having quite an easy going mood until a patron begins acting up. Just last week, he punched an obnoxious drunk out before tossing him out the front door for harassing some forgettable female pilot. He doesn't, however, just punch anyone he wants. The first time he punched someone, the Judges weren't too happy to see it happen in front of them, but Mr. Chancer calmed them down with some free betting chips from the Royal Flush. After that, Steve grew more selective.
In his small town, he had been the bookie, which didn't last long after he nearly wiped out everyone's accounts. Those people had a terrible gambling problem, and they just couldn't help but bet on things that were rigged, including re-run sporting events. He did nothing illegal, but they thought differently. They tried to arrest him to get him back for his "swindlin'," but he fought his way out of town. The first place he went looking for work Olympia was Chancer's Zoid team. He wanted to be a Zoid pilot, but had no experience, nor a Zoid. The hope for such a job was there, but no offers came. He tried to get Mr. Chancer to hire him as an engineer, but he had no training in that either. Mr. Chancer was looking for a new Steve, however, and the boy did know how to handle money. Mr. Chancer could tell. He started in Zoid's Landing's The World's Edge, but his talents were much better suited to a more populous location. This Steve was one willing to take people's bets on anything, including how many drinks someone would have before passing out or leaving. In his tenure of three years, his random bets were what kept The Podium lively in the off-season. His personal earnings were possibly higher than any other Steve.
"Well, ma'am, I reckon we've got just 'bout anythin you want. Ev'rythin from some brown nuka-cokes to glowin' purple ones. That glow might be the bottle, though. I see all sorts of people comin' back for more o' 'em. You don't look like a light drinker, so you'd probly like one the purple ones. Boy, do they have a kick. No alcohol involved. Maybe a litbit o' cocaine. Not really sure 'bout that, though, ain't never had any cocaine that I know of, but I ain't never failed one o' Mr. Chancer's drug tests after drinking one o' them purple thangs, so there's that." Steve appeared unphased by the girl's appearance, because he just kept talking like she was normal when he finally looked up from the glass was drying right after his first sentence. This Steve was also known to be as talkative as a mockingbird guarding its nest. Probably, the most talkative out of any of the Steves. If he was allowed to ramble, then he would. Unless he had been tasked with doing something, his ramblings would be pointless. Today, he was tasked to keep uncontracted pilots in The Podium for as long as possible, which included giving free drinks and rambling as usual, so as he talked (and talked), he placed down the whiskey glass and got out one of the glowing purple bottles and popped off the cap, then placed the bottle in front of her.
Steve knew the name of this woman, and he believed it impossible for people to not. He knew that if he still had her here by the time Mr. Chancer returned firing a co-worker, he could get that wall of 140 different beers he had been asking for since he was hired. "Here ya go, Miss Minnie-tazen. If you don't like it, don't let it worry you none. On the house by Mr. Chancer's orders. He's been tryin' to recruit people for his team, and some people just won't stick around long 'nuff for 'im to git back. I even tried con-versin' with sum of 'em, and they just didn't want to talk to me. Not sure wut I did to piss 'em off, but they walked away mad. Just can't please sum people with friendly con-versayshun, 'pparently" Steve began spinning the glass he had been drying on his hand again. The rag he was using appeared dry, so spinning the glass was probably a habit to pass the time. "He still didn't have nobody on his team this mornin' when he left for Zee-El. Maybe that's different now. Should be back pretty soon, I reckon."
Suddenly, he had a face as if he remembered something, because he realized he forgot to tell her his name. "Sorry, 'bout that, Miss Minnie-tazen. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm 'Steve.' Not my real name, but Mr. Chancer don't care too much 'bout that. He says its for our own safety, so we can't be extortioned or somethin like that... I think it's more like he doesn't want to try to r'member our names, but long as I get paid, I don't care..." Steve placed the glass back down to show she had his full attention, since no one else was at the bar. He was all hers to converse with. "Nuff about me, though. What brings you to The Podium today, ma'am? Still lookin' for a con-tract?"
Current Betting Odds:
Match:
Pilot 1: Pilot 2:
When betting with the house (Rules):
Bets will be posted as:
Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)
(-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account Odds change as matches progress Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location You cannot bet in a location you are not in
Betting with the House Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except The Lucky Break (Rules):
Chancer's will help arrange the bet Players will shake hands to seal the deal Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front A promise to pay for a meal is not a payment, because it cannot be appraised. Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment
Betting with Another Player Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler]
Opposing Mazzy
Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2014 4:03 pm
Ahtza Minitasen
This was what Ahtza loved about Chancer's. As a kick back, lay it out sort of place, nothing came close to matching it. Folks there didn't care what you looked like or your track record was so long as you paid and kept "to the house's rules"....which was a "duh" moment. You were at Chancer's, not some other pub. With rules came privileges, and this was followed explicitly at any and all of his establishments. Ahtza had heard a few things about the man. Something about gloves and deals. For one thing to be sure though, the gloves were important and symbolic. It was a tad unsettling, not knowing what to expect if she ever met the man. Now this man here, this was a curious fella. He sure talked a lot, and probably indicative of stalling for something. She doubted that was to stall for security. While Ahtza did have the reputation of being the loser in a lot...not some, but a LOT of matches, her streak of losses was matched only by her particular tenaciousness. People tried applying call signs or nicknames, but none of them ever seemed to stick. Her reputation as a veteran pilot and survival through several zoid destructions also gave some folks the idea she was lucky in that aspect.
So this man was stalling for something. What that something was...that wasn't security. They'd have been there by now, if the Lucky Break or World's edge were indications of the man's standards for business. Never actually kicked out, she had had a few minor issues with drink when she had visited other locales in earlier seasons. It may or may not have involved impaling someone or something with her horns in her stagger for balance. Still, almost four years had passed since then and Ahtza had yet to hear anything further on the matter, aside from reparation billings. Still, his rambling wasn't unwelcome, as it kind of put her mind to other seas. She eyed the drink in question, running the name through her head. It had been familiar sounding, something her father mentioned that drew her attention while working in the lab. It could simply have been a rumor or something he wanted to spook her with, or there could actually be some substance to it. While she could ask any bartender and end up looking the fool for it, this was a prime opportunity to curb her yammering skull cave and actually field test. Not like the professor hadn't handed her vials and instructed her to down it before.
Hmmm, nuka-cokes....purple, glowing variant...no alcohol...well maybe this is a side effect. People know me from that incident, though maybe it's stories rather than actual firsthand experience. Soda, by the smell of it. Not unwelcome, again mind you. Kind of a blow to the pride that they ain't trusting me with alcohol, but meh. I need to stay sober most of today, at least until I get a roof for Eynli. Poor guy. I think he's actually trying to eat grass with the boredom. Ain't hardly any dibisons else out there t'spar or roam with. That might 'accounting for the fact they're custom made. With any luck, he'll outlive his predecessors.
That muse over and done with, she nodded her head in brief but notable thanks and proceeded to take hold of the bottle. Her first instinct was to try and see just what kind of a kick it had, but this barkeep had gotten a glass out for her, so perhaps exercising caution would be better at first. She wasn't exactly the most graceful at pouring her own drink, and local authorities popping in might be tempted to card the woman. Looking not a day over twenty and apparently "lacking shoes" for service, there were two violations there, though the latter could probably be ignored. Giving herself a good and full glass, she took on the habit of twisting her legs around the stool she sat upon and lifted it to her lips. With a full leaned back posture and the glass now vertical and quickly emptying, the habit's purpose was quickly learned.
The drink indeed did have a powerful drink, and the remaining thought in her head about the drink at all was just being excited of when she had to go to the bathroom to test and see. While ingesting it, the barkeep continued on talking. He sure did know her name, and introduced himself as the Steve. "Steve" was Chancer's name for his best employees, and she figured most trusted as well. He spoke of Chancer having an empty team upon departure for errands and the like. That would make sense, if that would be what Steve here was stalling for. That was just fine. Her purpose in coming here was already justified and accomplished. She'd found a lead to investigate. Sure, Chancer could be manipulative and maybe underhanded, but he didn't pretend to be something he wasn't. The man was all business minded, dedication. That could be something to admire, but she'd want to see firsthand. Steve mentioned him being back pretty soon, though that definition could be a few minutes to a few hours. Again though, that didn't matter. A lead was a lead, and it wasn't as if she was too eager to pass up an investigation. Find the field, learn the players, and pick a side. That's how she'd conducted any searches for teams. Of course, she'd caused the downfall of the last team she'd been on, but they'd brought it on themselves. Wasn't as if she was a rookie pilot then either.
"Pfft. Don't need t'be so formal. A'm just a pilot. If it's easier, go ahead and call me Ahtza. You'd be right in figurin' I'm once again free, fer what, like the third season in a row now? Iono, maybe second....either way, it sucks. Y'say th' man 'imself's goign about looking? That's a treat if'n I ever heard one. Mainly I did come lookin fer rumors about teams looking for pilots, but also t'kind of stall and get away from ZL for a bit. Got some porcelain spider down there what's been going 'round and recruiting pilots up. She's got some kind of wicked side to her though. Kinda feel sorry for them that do sign with her. Anyway, I told her I had leads t'follow up on, and came here fer the rumors and to kill time to make it seem as though I did."
If Steve could ramble, Ahtza wasn't too far behind in what she could do. This was a Steve worth keeping, she noted. Affable, seemingly easy going, and knew how to cut to the quick in keeping "targets" interested and hooked. Much like Chancer himself, as she'd heard rumored of the man. All business, but in a laid-back and at ease manner. For the moment, she nodded once more, and refilled the glass with a bit of a squint of her right eye to see and prevent overfilling. That glass' contents would disappear as fast as the first. She was still pacing herself, despite the growing urge to simply chug from the bottle. Of note were her tendencies to not only wrap her legs around the stool, but to use her bare feet to grip the support. Even her cybernetic toes did that, though occasionally that leg would drift down and make sure her flip-flops were still there. Again, a very casually dressed individual for the area she visited. She'd made a mental note though to visit again. Place wasn't half-bad out of season, and thus far, no one to jeer about her career thus far. Definitely a plus.
Steve nodded along with what Ahtza said. He didn't have to know her past to know she was free, because he had a list Mr. Chancer had left with him of contractless pilots. The list was relatively short and had a few reasons near some of them to indicate why to pursue. Ahtza happened to be one of the pilots to pursue, so she came to the right place for leads. Mr. Chancer had the opinion that it wasn't that she was bad at being a pilot, but more of Dibisons were rare and so were engineers that were comfortable with them. He believed the failures in the past with her teams came from the failures of her engineer, as well. Mr. Chancer intended to find the perfect engineer for her Zoid to make her the best pilot possible. He also wanted her horns for the intimidation factor, because that was a huge plus. Steve had memorized why Mr. Chancer wanted each pilot on the list, so if he needed to, he could begin recruiting them for his boss. Of course, he could only get them ready to sign, but not actually make a deal. That part was left up to the man with the money.
"'Kay, then, Miss Ahtza. I'll be however ya like, so less formal it is... I don't know what a porcelain spider is doin' in Zee-El. That isn't some new-fangled Zoid, is it? If it is, hopefully, it won't eat those pilots out thare. Mr. Chancer wants a crack at 'em before thay're gone." Steve would have to think about who the porcelain spider could be, so he just kept talking to keep silence from creeping in. With a good-looking smile he asked, "Does she have those fang thangs and eight legs?" Steve held up his hands to mouth and used his index fingers as pincers while kind of squatting and sidestepping back and forth as well. The intent of the gesture was to garner a laugh, but he realized mid-question who she was talking about, so the hands dropped soon after. The seriousness in his mood changed a lot with the realization.
"You must be talkin' 'bout Miss Zeppelin. Owner of Shale Shock, I think? Bless her heart." Steve's knowledge on people he had never met was entirely based on gossip, so he was actually the gossip faucet that exaggerated the stories, and saying "bless her heart" absolved Steve of any gossiping, so everything was okay. "Her old man can be difficult sometimes, too. He's not a vary nice man, either. I heard that 'round the time Mr. Chancer was buildin' the Royal Flush. Mr. Chancer under-paid by like 90 per-cent, 'cause some account-tant left off a z-row or sumthin. That didn't go too good, neither. Mr. Zeppelin came in here thinkin' he could go up to Mr. Chancer's suite without an appointment at like eight in the mornin', 'cause he thought business was reason enough to wake up Mr. Chancer and invade his personal space. Now, ev'rybody that has worked for Mr. Chancer knows he don't even get out of bed 'til ten most days unless he's got sumthin to do. Anyway, Mr. Zeppelin got sat down by Dave over there, and he done gave him a chill-pill, or sumthin like that. After he calmed down for a couple of hours, Mr. Chancer came down and had a friendly conversation with the man. Dave still don't like Mr. Zeppelin, though. Calls him an a**-hole, but you didn't hear that from me."
Steve picked up another whiskey glass from beneath the counter and began drying it, mindlessly. The fact that Ahtza was here to kill time worried Steve, because if she left, then he could easily not have the chance at that wall of 140 different types of beer. He felt it necessary to start talking more about a contract and how serious Mr. Chancer is in her. "Miss Ahtza, I'm gonna have to ask you to not go back to that lady. I didn't offer you no alcohol, 'cause I was tryin' ta keep ya sober. Mr. Chancer is vary serious about signin' you. And I really want a wall of beer 'cause more options are always better. So best to be sober b'fore makin' a deal. Mr. Chancer doesn't like to make deals while intoxicated, so I kinda forced his habit on ya. If you want stronger, then I shall oblige."
Current Betting Odds:
Match:
Pilot 1: Pilot 2:
When betting with the house (Rules):
Bets will be posted as:
Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)
(-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account Odds change as matches progress Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location You cannot bet in a location you are not in
Betting with the House Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except The Lucky Break (Rules):
Chancer's will help arrange the bet Players will shake hands to seal the deal Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front A promise to pay for a meal is not a payment, because it cannot be appraised. Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment
Betting with Another Player Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler]
Opposing Mazzy
Posted: Fri Apr 25, 2014 2:29 pm
Ahtza Minitasen
Hell if Ahtza was to remember the name of the shop where the woman carved from ivory worked. It was an amusing gesture, and it merited a smile cracking her features. That again, disappeared as she had readied a third glass and swiftly downed that as well. The way Steve went on about the history that Mr. Chancer had with the apparent father of the young woman, and their encounter made her seem to like this Dave fellow more and more. Chancer himself didn't get out of bed until ten-ish or so. That was both good and bad. What if they needed him up earlier? Would he have taken that into consideration?
Wait....why the hell do I care? As long as I'm on a team, I've done better than I have previously. If the manager screws up, it isn't gonna look bad on me. Plus, he's a successful businessman, the judges like him. I'm sure he's got it covered.
Processing that, Steve's tone almost seemed to take a darker undertone. To that, she unwound herself from the stool and leaned forward, forearms on the bar itself. While not a nervous habit, Ahtza had a tendency to finger and rub the shorn end of her horn while listening to "serious business" but while knowing the answer already. She had no intention of returning to the woman without first already being under contract. Perhaps that hadn't been made clear. Still, it was good to know there was already a bit of negative feelings between Chancer's and the Zeppelins. That could be a helpful little nugget of info in the future.
"Well Steve, good to know how Mister Chancer does business, or prefers to. I'll follow suit and stick with his habit too. I ain't got a plan to return to that she-devil, particularly since y're saying that mister Chancer's got serious business with and lookin fer me. That and now I know what you've got riding on the line, at least partially so. I'm killing time while waiting for him to come back. I came in here figuring on picking up rumors, and that's what you've provided me with. If he's bound t'return here....whereever else would I bother going to before I've had a taste of what he's all about?"
That noted in a fairly casual tone of voice, Ahtza sat back up and re-assumed her drinking posture, moving to indeed take hold of the bottle at the time, and begin chugging. It was a move inspired partially by reassurance, and otherwise by impatience. She did want to meet Chancer already and get down to business, get signed and get Eynli under a roof. Fourteen years a pilot, and only half a season on a team. Nothing quite said persistent loser quite like that. Eventually she put down the near empty bottle, and jerked her head upward a bit.
"But y'know, I might take you up on that offer of some drink such's this, if'n you're still offering. Either that or I'll pay like a real customer, heh."
Steve found it funny that the horned woman called someone else a she-devil. There was no sense in pointing it out, because it would be offensive. Chancer employees did not last long if they were offensive or unwelcoming, and Steve quite enjoyed his job, especially the pay. Steve's seriousness vanished, so he was back to all smiles again. Her paying for a drink was not happening. Steve was not going to take the chance of her leaving because of a drink. However, now knowing to not give her alcohol was a good decision, Steve picked up another bottle of the purple stuff from beneath the counter and popped the cap before putting it down in front of her. He soon returned to turning that already dry whiskey glass on his hand.
"Mr. Chancer don't like bein' intoxicated while doin' business, but I don't mind it too much. Makes doin' deals a bit more fun, I'd say. Hell, I first met with Mr. Chancer drunk. He acted like he didn't notice, but I'm sure he did. He kind of acted like he expected it. After he hired me, he made me promise ta not drink while on tha job. Unfortunately, that's, like, all tha time, so I can only drink at special times. Mostly night or when nobody's around. Between you and me, though, I get a litbit ev'ry once a while." Steve stopped drying the whiskey glass and placed it on the counter before turning around to get some liquid to fill it. After he was finished, he slid the glass down the counter to a fat man that had just walked up. He started talking again as he got another glass to spin on his hand. "I reckon ya like them purple nuka-cokes. Ya think I should try one? They really as good as themfellers say they are? What they taste like exactly?" Steve's options at the moment were to either converse or sit down and shut up. Sitting down and shutting up was not all that much of Steve's style, so conversing it was, which left two options Ahtza or the fat guy. Ahtza was more important in regards to Mr. Chancer's overall plans, so the choice was obvious.
Current Betting Odds:
Match:
Pilot 1: Pilot 2:
When betting with the house (Rules):
Bets will be posted as:
Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)
(-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account Odds change as matches progress Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location You cannot bet in a location you are not in
Betting with the House Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except The Lucky Break (Rules):
Chancer's will help arrange the bet Players will shake hands to seal the deal Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front A promise to pay for a meal is not a payment, because it cannot be appraised. Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment
Betting with Another Player Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler]
Opposing Mazzy
Posted: Sat Apr 26, 2014 8:18 pm
Ahtza Minitasen
All hypocrisy aside, Ahtza was just straightforwardly honest. Steve seemed like a detail oriented man, and perceptive beyond most. This should have been evident by her slightly less than subtle reaction to the obese male even coming in the same area and seating himself amazingly on a single stool. It was incredulous to the female pilot. She could have sworn he'd have picked at least two or three and made a giant stool out of it. It took a great deal of effort and self-control to avoid making a derogatory remark about his presence in the least. However, to say anything would also be hypocritical, given the presence of such fat bags on her chest....even though most people would agree that on her, the fat looked good.
Thank God Steve moved to change the subject, or at the least, get her mind off of lardball. More and more she liked this Steve....whatever his name was. Steve worked well enough, and she saw at least the logic Chancer had in simply referring to every one of them as Steve. Simple, and safely anonymous.
"It's a bit more fun, yeah. Only done one o'those...least that I remember anyway. Didn't end too badly, but kind of enough t'give me insight as to why mister Chancer might avoid it for business purposes. As a simple pilot, it don't affect me too much, but for someone like him, I c'n sees why he'd wanna stay sober. Speaking of sober, yeah, these little liquid cakes're good. Kinda tastes like grape...berry-ish....mango, but in a cake batter diluted way. What kinna beer're you lookin t'get from this here wall you were saying about anyways? What's exactly a "wall o' beer"?
Things were slow, and while slow was good, it usually motivated Ahtza to curl up in a position more readily available and preferable to sleeping. Sleeping "on the job" didn't reflect well, and she was indeed looking to impress this Chancer fellow. Plus, if she was sleeping, he might think that Steve had bored her into sleeping and get rid of him. That'd be no good. Absentmindedly, she took to scratching her good leg with that of her cybernetic toes. Freaky as it was, the professor hadn't adjusted its use to human levels. Hence, rotating them in ways the human foot could only imagine doing. Thankfully, not many people noticed, and with a few discreet pinches with her toes, she kept herself awake, alert...and hopefully ready for the owner to arrive.
Steve nodded his head as he pulled out a normal nuka-coke bottle and popped off the cap. Her answer was satisfactory enough, but there was no time left for time-passing conversation. "Sorry, Miss Ahtza, I'll have ta answer that question 'nother time. Mr. Chancer's here, and he's 'bout ta take yer attention 'way from me." Steve slid the bottle down the counter into the waiting gloved hand of Royland Chancer. The billionaire caught it in step and continued walking towards Ahtza. He passed the obese individual and looked at him like he could try harder in all his endeavors. "Mr. Chancer, how're ya doin' today? Miss Ahtza is here lookin' fer a contract. It'd be mighty fine if ya got 'er signed. I'd really like that thang we talked 'bout last week." Steve was limited on the number of times he could utter the words "wall o' beer" in a single month to Chancer, and he exceeded the number within a week.
Chancer's actions did not reflect acknowledgement of Steve's existence, because he knew what Steve was wanting. Steve had been asking for it for a while now, and it did not begin last week, but it did get annoying quickly. "Greetings, Miss Minitasen. I see that you have met Steve, and I am sure he has mentioned what he will get if I sign a pilot from his attempts at recruiting. I hope he has not talked your ear off. He can do that at times." Chancer stood patiently and looked back at the fat man and then to Steve. He looked as if he was questioning the privacy of the location. "Please. Follow me. We should go to somewhere more private for our discussion."
Chancer walked to a booth a good distance away from the bar. The satin curtains were open and no patrons sat in the booth, so it was free for the taking. He didn't draw the curtains, because he saw it unnecessary and more work than it was worth. Chancer reached into his coat and pulled out a contract and then a pen and marked out a sentence. He handed the contract to the attendant of the booth. "Get me a new copy of that. I don't want that sentence in there anymore." Chancer sat down in the booth across from Ahtza, crossed his legs, and took a sip from his bottle. "Miss Minitasen, allow me to be straightforward. I intend to contract you as a pilot, and I also intend to find an engineer with knowledge of your Zoid. Your record is not indicative of your ability as a pilot, but more indicative of your past engineers' abilities. Do you happen to know of such an engineer?"
Current Betting Odds:
Match:
Pilot 1: Pilot 2:
When betting with the house (Rules):
Bets will be posted as:
Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)
(-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account Odds change as matches progress Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location You cannot bet in a location you are not in
Betting with the House Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except The Lucky Break (Rules):
Chancer's will help arrange the bet Players will shake hands to seal the deal Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate Chancer's takes a 7.5% 'holding' fee which will be deposited directly into Chancer's account If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front A promise to pay for a meal is not collateral, because it cannot be appraised Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment
Betting with Another Player Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result.) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler]
Opposing Mazzy
Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2014 3:59 pm
Ahtza Minitasen
Like a well oiled machine. The man had silently entered, or at the least, quietly enough to not draw attention to himself. Steve got to ending their conversation rather quickly, and she found herself being drawn away to a more private booth. While it was a bit unorthodox, possibly approaching and speaking those words about contracting her of all people. That was almost as risky as contracting a drunk off the street to perform brain surgery. This man, this Mister Chancer, she knew he ran a gambling business. The only legal one in all of Olympia. The phrase "The House Always Wins" came to mind, so if he was willing to gamble, then she'd oblige him. Her gaze instinctively shot to the contract he'd edited then and there, to try and see what terms were based off of, but he and the attendant didn't seem particularly slow, so naught was to be seen, short of that there was writing on it. Dur.
Chancer was straightforward, she liked that. Perhaps his manner of speech and tactics were tailored towards that, though. Unlike some newer pilots, Ahtza had the experience of at least partially understanding how some owners operated. Enough to see a bit beyond a potential facade. Not enough to know the true motives, nor if there even was a shroud in the way, but like a gut instinct manner. What he seemed more interested in, however, was not the actual contract, but to pick her brain about who did her engineering for her. It's not every day one would see a zoid not locally available, operated continuously despite video proof of said zoid's destruction. The truth was less than impressive, and a lot could hinge on it. He already knew about her record, but if he was being forthright, she would gamble her potential employment and match his approach to the discussion.
"....I'll save the formalities, as you seem to know all about me, Mister Chancer. I imagine you've also viewed match results, since you're asking about where I go for the engineering work for my dibison. I appreciate your straightforwardness, so I'll return you the favor. I don't have a clue as to whom is around that can reliably repair a dibison. I know a couple of fellows down in Zoid's Landing that build them as a custom order, and that's where I obtain my dibisons from. Couple of brothers, the Malleys. On the note of Zoid's Landing, however, my searches around brought me to one of your competitors, pilot hunting wise. Petite young thing dressed all in white, kinda looks like someone carved her from cream-colored ice and painted green eyes. Goes by the name "Zeppelin". While I was in there, I overheard her doing business with two men that by the appearance of it, knew each other and for a long time so."
Here, Ahtza paused, and reached for the drink she still thought she'd had. A quick look down revealed that either A: she had not brought it with her from the bar, or B: Steve had not given her another one. Either way, irrelevant now. Was not a good idea to get up and get another one, as Steve was more than likely to encourage her back to the booth at which she and Chancer sat, both in terms of keeping his job AND getting his potential reward. Ah well. With a mental shrug, she folded her hands together and leaned a bit on the booth's walling.
"A third fellow was in as well, and by both the smell and means in which he carried his appearance, that was an engineer. Zeppelin's made her rounds in Zoid's Landing. As that's the more popular destination for pilots to seek entry-level positions for pretty much anything, I'd wager half my funds that there's an engineer that knows how to work on dibi's. So, her shop, or in that area of Olympia. I know how the structure works, so I know what's wrong, but manufacturing...the repairing. That's Greek to me."
Chancer appreciated the reciprocity to skip to the point, but he was slightly disappointed to hear that the only engineers she knew were occupied with other tasks. Adding the news about what he missed while in Zoid's Landing turned it into quite the disappointment. Three opportunities had been lost to the Zeppelin woman, whose identity was unknown to him. He was not sure whether the woman was the daughter of the steel company owner or not, and it was difficult to tell when he had never met the woman. Chancer did not have the knowledge of people on a level of Steve's. Steve was more of the person telling him who people are, so without seeing her and having Steve with him, he had no idea if this Zeppelin woman was the daughter of the man he knew. What he did know was the Zeppelin surname had now become an annoyance once more. Chancer hoped for her dealings with any pilots or engineers to fail until he had his team built for naturally selfish reasons. Chancer wanted to build his team first and let everyone else fight over what was left over, but until he was given exclusive choice, he would just have to hope everyone failed at making deals.
Chancer scratched his head in thought of what could be done to remedy this engineering problem before placing his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers together to cover his mouth from Ahtza's view. He mouthed responses to various options as he thought through the solutions. Entering the woman's shop was not an option to recruit. Chancer would be offended if someone were to recruit his employees in his own shops, so he assumed it would be the same for her. Returning and sitting in the World's Edge could be as equally ineffective as remaining at The Podium. Chancer wished getting a knowledgeable engineer was as simple as writing an "N" on a glass of gin before dropping an earring into it. With that thought, Chancer decided he was overthinking it and would just let Ahtza decide what to do about recruiting an engineer. Regardless what she decided, Chancer would need her nearby. His knowledge of Zoids was minimal, so minimal, in fact, it was less than a part-time spectator's knowledge. It was strange of Chancer to own a Zoid team, make millions on people's bets for Zoid matches, and not know a damn thing about the machines. He would definitely need Ahtza around before he hired any engineer. Chancer moved his gloved hands down away from his face and let them sit on the table before he began speaking.
"I'm afraid hiring any of the engineers you just mentioned are not viable options. The Malleys you speak of, likely have no interest in working on a team if they build Zoids to custom order, and the other man is possibly already under contract by now. After we get your contract finalized, perhaps we shall seek out an engineer in that area, or we may remain here. I'll leave it for you to decide." Chancer smiled after he laid out the grim truth of her suggestions as reassurance that all is not lost. Which until now, he had not noticed he had been talking as if it had already been decided she would be on his team and the contract was simply a formality. He had not even bothered to ask if that was what she wanted. Then again, he didn't care what she wanted, because this was what he wanted. That was all that really mattered, right? She also made no complaints, so there wasn't much reason to turn back and start the discussion over again now. Chancer's internal feigning of worry over the course of the conversation was interrupted with the return of the attendant and a tri-folded sheet of paper. Chancer took it from her hand and looked it over before giving it to Ahtza to read. He left his arm resting on the table waiting to shake her hand to get the formality out of the way. "Be sure to read that thoroughly. I don't want my pilots to feel cheated." Unhappy pilots would be pilots that underperformed, and Chancer was not going to have any of that.
Current Betting Odds:
Match:
Pilot 1: Pilot 2:
When betting with the house (Rules):
Bets will be posted as:
Pilot 1: (-320) Pilot 2: (+240)
(-320) means that for every 320 credits you bet, you earn 100 credits so you get back 420 (+240) means that for every 100 credits you bet, you earn 140 credits so you get back 240 Do not return to Steve for payment if your Victor was incorrect Amounts from incorrect bets will be deposited into Chancer's account Odds change as matches progress Claims more than six real-life-months past the end of the match will be turned away Post the House's betting slip in the thread your character is in if it is a Chancer's location You cannot bet in a location you are not in
Betting with the House Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Match:[/b] (Who versus Whom) [b]Victor:[/b] (Which Pilot) [b]Betting Amount:[/b] (How much are you betting?) [b]Betting Odds at Time of Bet:[/b] (Current odds of whom you are betting)[/spoiler]
When betting with other players in Chancer's Bookkeepers, except The Lucky Break (Rules):
Chancer's will help arrange the bet Players will shake hands to seal the deal Bets can take the form of items, credits, or Zoids, which will be referred to as collateral Collateral will be given to the appropriate Steve for 'holding' (Zoids cannot be held, but the ownership documents will be.) Zoids will be repossessed and given to the new owners when appropriate Chancer's takes a 7.5% 'holding' fee which will be deposited directly into Chancer's account If collateral is not in credits, then it will be appraised, so a 'holding' fee can be assigned, which will be paid up front A promise to pay for a meal is not collateral, because it cannot be appraised Upon completion of bet return to appropriate Steve for payment
Betting with Another Player Format (Code):
[spoiler][b]Betting Date:[/b] (Real Life Date) [b]Betting Partner:[/b] (Who are you betting with?) [b]Bet:[/b] (What are you betting on and your expected result.) [b]Collateral:[/b] (What are you betting as collateral?)[/spoiler]
