*Myshka (Мышка) is a "nickname" that can be used in Russian roughly meaning 'little mouse'
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In The Present...
You stare at yourself in the mirror as you get ready for your shift at the casino, assessing your uniform - black dress pants, a white dress shirt, black vest, and a burgundy bow tie - and hair - tied up in the best bun it could be in - , making sure it looked as good as it could. You frown lightly, standing straighter in the mirror and sucking in every bit of stomach you could before nodding and heading out of your basically permanent hotel room.
You did your best to keep a welcoming look on your face, as you were often pointed out for looking unapproachable. The customer's comfort was prioritized over everything, even if it meant lowering your pride and looking like every happy-go-lucky employee in an ad. Taking a deep breath in, you walk into the casino as bubbly as you can and go get ready to switch to deal out cards with someone else.
Nothing about this routine is new to you, as you'd been doing it for years, but there were always new people to deal with, new hearts to play with, and you hadn't gotten tired of it.
How can I? It's basically become my home.
"[f/n]!"
You're called over to your table and greet everyone as soon as you arrive, immediately getting on shuffling the cards, your eyes look around analyzing everyone, then moving passed the customer's heads and around the casino's rich, dark red floor, and smooth silver-looking walls that reflected the light of the games off them, making them look like an extension of the casino itself. The design was beautiful, you had to give it to Sigma, he had really nice taste.
Soon, you begin the game, and although everyone around you is quiet and focused, their never-ending, ever changing heart beats continue to fill your ears, and it's so easy to read their plays based on their reactions. Of course, over the years you've learned to tame yourself and allow others to win, so to not ruin the casino or your employment. In truth, a lot has changed over the years, but the majority was in the control of your surroundings and your reactions.
You didn't pay too much attention to what was going on in front of you, only enough to be present and to catch any foul play. You had decided you'd lose this round for sure, and if you got too in to it, the need to win pumped through you like a craving that needed to be satisfied.
"Is this the best you can do, pretty lady?"
Your eyes move towards the older man that had just rudely spoken up, and without snapping back as you wish you could, you smile sympathetically.
"Is there something wrong?"
"You're handling everything like shit. They should have put a man in charge so we can play with some real excitement!"
The people around the man chuckle, while others don't bother concerning themselves with the issue.
Follow routine, don't use your ability.
A hard request for yourself, considering you could hear the man's poor heartbeat that could so easily be damaged for his rude remarks.
Follow routine, don't use your ability, remember Sigma's rules and that they are always watching.
"I'm sorry you are not content. I will try to do better." You respond, dealing a few cards smoothly as you do.
"Tsk, this game will be over soon" the man grumbles, silencing himself when he sees you aren't reacting the way he hoped.
I'll win.
Allowing yourself to become more aware, you become hooked on the adrenaline, watching every movement, listening to every detail.
The game itself was over soon, but not the way the man wanted, and it was obvious he was angry. As you were cleaning up and getting ready for the next rotation, the older man approaches you and grabs your wrist.
"How'd you manage to win, pretty lady? There's no way you did that yourself" he growls, aggressively pulling on you.
Your senses feel heightened and you feel panic trying to consume you.
It's too early for this. Why am I always the one attracting attention I don't need?
"Just luck I guess, this is a casino after all. House of Chance" you try to assure him that everything was fine, but his grip on your only got tighter by the second, and people were starting to watch.
I can't make the staff look bad, but he needs to get off me!
With your mind racing, you do the only other thing you could think of, and you tap one of your fingers against the part of his wrist where you could feel his pulse.
'Tell-Tale Heart'
Immediately the man looks queasy, and your own heart feels the pain of the anxiety you transferred into him.
"Are you feeling ok sir? Would you like to be taken to your room?" You say, trying to fake alarm, turning him holding on to you to you holding him steady as you call someone to take care of him quickly.
Just like that, eyes of relief wander off again and back to the games, reading it as just a weak old man who took too much.
You hold on to the table next to you to hide your own anxiety, smiling to anyone who glanced at you with concern.
It's ok, nothing's happened. Time for rotation anyways.
With a sigh you finish picking everything up and head to the next table, only being stopped by a tap on your shoulder.
You turn your head to see who it is, but you don't see anyone until you do a full 180 turn counter-clockwise and jump in surprise at the sight of Nikolai Gogol in casino uniform beside you.
What is he doing here?
"Myshka! Your normal-person surprised face is always so funny" Nikolai laughs, following you as you move out of the way for others walking, pulling him into a corner next to a machine so the both of you don't get weird looks.
"What do you need?" You ask, wanting to get straight to the point and avoid the clown's usual riddle-talk. As you watch him in his 'disguise' to blend in with the casino, his usual long braid in a low ponytail, you can't help but feeling slightly nervous.
It's an effect the ones of the decay of angels you had met have on you, and that hadn't changed since you met them. All of them affected you differently, but Nikolai's unpredictability bothered you. His actions were almost always different from the way his heart reacted, and everything he did was over dramatically presented. He is a clown of many faces, and although inconvenient, it piqued your interest nonetheless.
But if he's here...so are others as well...
The decay of angels are always coming and going. I know they're pretty dangerous...so I probably shouldn't complain...
But it is my own fault for falling in their mouse trap happily.
Anyways, are they not helping me truly live?
"Are you ready for the reveal as to why I've graced you with a visit in disguise? Of course you are!" Lifting one hand up dramatically and one behind his back, Nikolai then continues talking, "I've brought instructions for you of course! Or maybe it's more like a gift to the casino..." grinning, he pauses before pulling out of nowhere a bag of new game chips.
When you don't take them right away, Nikolai continues to explain with an exaggerated sigh, signalling that he had been hoping you'd understand him right away.
"You're supposed to use them for your next rounds and continue mixing them in with the other chips" As he's speaking, the light-haired man takes your arm and places the bag in your hand.
"Um...thank you?"
"It's all part of the plan!"
The plan...
Nikolai then takes your shoulders and turns you around, pushing you to your next rotation - which you were now late to - and letting you go once you were in place.
"Don't worry too much, Myshka! You'll trap yourself further in here" Nikolai exclaims as he walks away, tapping the side of his head as he finishes his sentence.
"You can't imagine how stupid the whole world has grown nowadays" He adds softly, giving you one last look of out of place curiosity before disappearing in the midst of the crowds, leaving you staring before the customers in front of you snapped you back to reality.
Without questioning the reason, you follow Gogol's instructions and replace some of the chips on the table with the new ones.
Just trust them, [f/n]...remember what Sigma has said...