[center]
[h1][color=f49ac2]Amaris Marivaldi[/color][/h1]
[sub]Interacting with: [color=fc8686]Madalyn[/color] [@Achronum][/sub]
[/center]

Sight was restored to the Countess once again as she was guided to her seat, Amaris blinking several times out of surprise for the sudden shift. For the second time, the pair found themselves transported to a setting that shouldn’t have existed considering their circumstances. While the luxuries of what appeared to be a casino were preferred much higher to an underwater cage, Amaris found the bustling energy and cacophony of voices to be incredibly unpleasant.

She couldn’t deny the marvel that was yet another bubble reality weaved together by magic, this one seemingly more complex than their encounter with the serpent. There was an illusion of life around her, individual voices crying out their wins and losses, yet she knew none of it mattered to them. It was simply the soundtrack chosen to add to the atmosphere, a control over the ebb and flow of tension for what the pair was about to face. Once their business with the, now, animated dealer was completed, the fake lives of the casino goers would fade into the night like a desert mirage on the horizon.

Amaris returned her full attention back to the figure that would be their dealer for the evening, doing her best to maintain a neutral expression as he spoke.

“[color=f49ac2]I’m going to pretend not to be offended by the implications of such a statement.[/color]” While the thought didn’t sit right with the Countess, the worst of it was that the man wasn’t wrong. Others of her status were already used to manipulating everything and -one around them in order to achieve an optimal outcome for themselves. It was the game of politics she despised so much but could find no real escape from.

Rather than dwelling on such things, though, Amaris set her sights to the table before her as instructed. Her eyes shifted over the images of the mages to their vampiric partners, and then again to the rows containing faces less familiar to her. It wasn’t until she rested her gaze upon her Ralmevik that she understood the group she was faced with. While his visage was that of a man far younger than she had ever met, there was no mistaking the sight of her late father. She almost burst out laughing at seeing him so young; a stark contrast from her memories of him. The rest she took in one by one, associating the Lord or Lady with the current nobles, until she reached the unpaired image. Ryner’s beauty had only grown with her age, but it was still unnerving to see the past of such an important figure in their society. It felt almost forbidden somehow…

Her eyes snapped up as the dealer began his explanations of a surprisingly straightforward game. Despite the provided scenarios and a sense of a correct or incorrect answer, there was seemingly still the possibility of an unlucky or dud draw. But if such an assumption were true, that also gave the pair the potential to win even if they were at a loss for a proper response. The gamble was in avoiding the one death card out of the near dozen incorrect answers.

A part of the Countess wanted to ask what the consequence of losing the game would be but instead chose to assume the pair would be sent along their way without either of their prizes, having wasted an undetermined amount of time. She couldn’t imagine much worse as a potential outcome for an exam crafted by a woman who claimed to take her students’ safety so seriously. With the explanations complete and the first clue dispensed, Amaris tore her eyes from the ghost of her father to glance at Maddie.

“[color=f49ac2]Leave it to the House to come up with something as unique as this.[/color]” Amaris spoke with a smile, the same insatiable curiosity lighting up her eyes as she plucked a chip from the table and rolled it back and forth across her fingers.

“[color=f49ac2]I think it would be wise to play conservatively to start, at least until we are sure we have a grasp on the mechanics of our challenge. So, how does one chip on Ryner sound?[/color]” The yellow chip continued to flip about her digits absently as she awaited her partner’s response. 

So far everything seemed straightforward, yet the purpose of the abacus hadn’t been detailed in their tutorial of the game. It was possible it meant nothing at all to the pair as players, a tool meant only for the dealer of the game… but it might also serve as a way to keep tabs on which cards had already been played, a visual clue to help narrow down the probability of future draws. Amaris would have to keep an eye on it moving forward until she was certain one way or the other. For the time being, she simply awaited the blessings of her partner before making a final decision.