[Santo - Resorts and Casinos]

[walk_ins]

[master post]

This is what Santo is known for.

The resorts are huge complexes, with the expected divisions and outlying areas: pools, rooms, a spa, theaters, courses for games (golf is still around, but it's not quite like it used to be), and others.

Those others include casinos.

Some are nicer than others. Some are glitzier than others. Some are more dangerous than others. None have an interest in letting any guests make any real money.

Still, they're worth a visit, if you're into that sort of thing.

Comments

[bothbutneither.livejournal.com]

He's good-looking and he knows it, but he hasn't felt this beautiful in a long time. It's mostly due to the drop-dead-gorgeous woman on his arm: she brings it out in him. Sure, they had dates back at the bar, but when a man's reduced to wearing two outfits -- one of which is a blood-stained dress -- it makes the dress-up portion of the evening leave a little something to be desired.

Tonight, they've both pulled out all the stops. There's no formalwear rule at this casino, but it's how they've chosen to dress. Faye is absolutely stunning in a long slinky burgundy number, skirt slit all the way to her hip, heels taller than God, the ruby necklace he gave her gracing her throat, her makeup done to perfection. There's no way he could match that vision of beauty, but he's done all right for himself. Black suit jacket, black silk shirt, black tie, black trousers. He's no stranger to dressing up but this... it's a special treat when his clothes match his hair and the only color is the blue of his eyes.

They turn heads and both of them know it. This is the perfect way to spend their money: it's a once-in-a-lifetime (and he uses that term lightly) chance to actually enjoy a vacation.

Casino chips for all, and Faye's in her element. She prowls like a lioness, eyes glittering, a satisfied smirk on her lips: she knows what she's doing. Poker is her game. He knows it's definitely not his, so he presses a quick possessive kiss to the side of her face -- can't ruin that perfect lipstick, can he -- and excuses himself to the nearby slot machines. Chips become tokens; he sits where he can watch her without intruding. It fills him with a lot of satisfaction to notice that every now and again from behind her increasingly large pile of chips, she looks over and catches his eye just long enough so he knows she hasn't forgotten him in favor of the game.

In turn he toasts her with the drink that appeared at his elbow in exchange for a kind word and a tip, smiles in a light and flirtatious way, and goes back to the slots. He's never had much luck gambling but he seems to be holding his own tonight, surprisingly: he doubts it's because the universe owes him any favors. Slot machines are all fate.

There's a sudden ching-ching-ching and he looks down: three sevens grace the center row and suddenly people are looking, nodding, pointing, smiling. That's something: reaching for a bucket, he scoops his tokens into it and stands, nodding once to Faye before he goes over to cash everything in. The money here is different from anything he's used to but he understands its value as well as anything: he's tripled his money while Faye's poker game is still in progress.

There's a tip for the banker; his cash goes into his inside chest pocket and he moves to a different area of the room, his eyes on Faye the whole time. She's beautiful: now her head's back in laughter, now her lower lip's between her teeth in mock worry, now one eyebrow's raised in an I told you so gesture and all the while, she's perfectly poised and perfectly composed.

Perfectly stunning. Stopping a passing hostess to order another drink, he tucks a folded bill into her hand as she goes. It's nice to have disposable income and he knows before long he'll make his way over to the poker table and see if he can't share his luck with the most beautiful woman at the casino.

Besides, she's already attracting a lot of attention and he needs to go reassert his claim. They walked into this room together and they'll walk out together and no matter when it happens, they're already significantly richer than they were when they arrived. When his drink is delivered he raises it to Faye: she looks so happy... in a predatory sort of way, and watching her is such a thrill.

But knowing she's leaving with him afterwards is what puts the real smile on his face.

And then... he's pretty sure he hears the word cheating and the sound of angry voices gets louder and louder, and he stands and straightens the edges of his jacket and steps forward.

Good thing they had a nice luxurious dinner before they got here, because something tells him their time enjoying the seductive sights and sounds of the casino is about to be cut short.

[anythingbutblue]

What babies.

"Now, now, boys." Raking her chips together, she prepares to make a stylish and almost hasty exit. "Some of us are just lucky, hmm?"

She's not in the habit of calling herself lucky with a straight face unless it's in a situation like this. She has been pretty lucky: the cards here aren't quite the same as she's used to, and she's gotten an unexpected crash course in the differences and similarities in the deck and the game that would throw a casual player for a loop. But she didn't draw Gordon's comparisons to Poker Alice for nothing, thank you, and this is what she enjoys. It's what she does.

What she did.

It started as a low accusation, but by the time she spots Gren again and catches his eye, it's nearing more of a dull roar.

She doesn't see any sign of casino security -- yet, anyway -- but the guy who started everything stands and very deliberately reaches into the long coat he hasn't taken off all night and...

A hand wraps around her wrist and forcibly tugs her away. Chips scatter, a gunshot rings out, and people start shouting and ducking for cover.

"Mister Saxophone!"

It's Gren again, playing the knight in shining armor, and at the same time it's surprising and anything but, and his dark hair flies out behind him as he weaves them down an aisle of shiny slot machines, not even letting on that he's heard her.

"My chips," she can't help mourning, casting a disappointed look back toward the reacting crowd. The three she's clutching so tightly in her hand that they'll leave imprints are all she has left.

Damn it.

When Gren takes a sudden left through the casino, she spies the reason: two well-dressed men -- one with a headset -- who must be security. Gunshots break out again not too far behind them, and it sounds like Mister I-Take-Poker-Too-Personally has friends.

A bullet hits the chandelier over their head, and they both, his hand still grasping her wrist, practically dive out from underneath it, but not before glass shards have a chance to rain down on them. Adrenaline takes over like wildfire. They're only still for a heartbeat or two, but another bullet ricochets off the slot machine behind her, level with her chest and narrowly missing.

"Watch it!" Bitter, she sticks her hand into one of the hip-high slits on her dress to finally draw her gun, and as she's urged along again, she takes a moment to return fire.

In a minute it becomes clear that Gren's angling for a side exit, and she goes from being tugged along and sending a few choice shots back behind them to running alongside him, gun in one hand and chips in the other, and shooting to clear their way out.

The night air has a very slight chill to it, and stepping out into it is almost like surfacing after holding her breath underwater. She needs to reload, but they're not in the clear and don't have the time yet to stop for a second.

Still, she lets out a sudden laugh.

It's about a block away that they duck down an alley and she reloads, and it's a lot more than that before she gets the impression that they've managed to lose anybody who followed them out of the casino. By the time they find their way back to the Serenity, they're breathless and furtive and looking elegantly guilty.

And her laughter's proven itself contagious.