Chapter 1: The Black Iron Casino

Hello there, and a very good evening to you! This is my newest story-bud, spawned from a night of Sting music, and mob movies. Just a warning for those reading, this is a story that focuses on the polygamous relationship between an AU Kazuto, Asuna, and Yuuki. This will be a Hard T at first' but may transition to M if i find the story would suffer without the ability to delve into more mature topics. Just a little experiment I'm going to try. But I won't bore you with conception and character planning and all that junk, you're here for the story, so enjoy!

"I know that the spades are the swords of a soldier,

I know that the clubs the weapons of war,
I know that diamonds mean money for this art,
But that's not the shape of my heart..." - Shape of My Heart, Sting

"Welcome to Black Iron Casino and Resort! My name's Yuuki! Follow me, Sir, and I'll take you to your table!..."

She'd said it a thousand times.

It was just second nature to her, at this point. She could recite the mind numbing mantra in her sleep, each and every syllable burned into the back of her mind like a grotesquely mundane prison tattoo.

'Welcome to Black Iron Casino'. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome.

Her waist length purple hair waved softly behind her as she strode along, the multitude of lights causing her tresses to practically shimmer in the dazzlingly bright light of the casino, as her eyes locked forwards on the table, intent on not gazing back towards her newest charge; who was no doubt cooking up some stupid comment to-...

"You know-..."

And there it was.

"I'm not expecting my friends to arrive until tomorrow."

All Yuuki could do was glance back, offering a forced smile with a jaw so clenched her teeth ached.

"I was thinking... Maybe you could keep me company tonight."

Oh, good. One of these guests.

"Sorry, Sir, but I'm workin' pretty late tonight!" Yuuki's grin was bright, despite the absolute ire that flowed through her veins like venom, "Thanks for the offer, though!"

"Well, if you change your mind, my room's G402." The man chuckled, running his disgusting looking hand through his equally disgusting grease-matted hair, "I'd appreciate a visit."

"Oh, I'll be sure to keep that'n mind!..."

Right. As if.

He was undressing what little of her was still covered with his eyes already. Spending any more time with him than was strictly necessary to keep her job was not something she was particularly interested in- that was to say, completely repulsed at the very idea.

Just a few more hours. She just had to keep her cute little smile on for a few more hours.

Merely deal with a few more agonizingly slow hours of dealing with rude customers- and ruder comments- before she could go home and languish in the nirvana that was baggy sweatpants, 2 day old leftovers, and the latest prerecorded Yuna concert on tv.

Grin and take it, right? Right.

"So, Hun-..."

"My name is Yuuki, Sir." She whirled around, displaying a bright smile that oh so heavily contrasted the near-venomous tone that leaked from between her lips, "And this is your table; number 23. If you head up to the bar or want a bite to eat, just give'm your number, and they'll deliver it right t'your table. All booths are open until midnight, and last call at the bar is at 2:30. Do you need anything else?"

An offended stare and simple shake of the head was all she was offered in return before she deemed her duty- finally- done; striding away as fast as she could reasonably manage, back to her post at the entrance of the casino.

It was only once she was back at her podium, nestled within her assigned little corner of the establishment, that she finally let the smile drop from her face, a not-so-quiet sigh of resentment accompanying it.

Why did she always have to get the strange customers? Did the universe just despise her that much?

She awkwardly toyed with the hem of the see-through lace abomination that passed for skirt, silently debating as to whether or not it was worth it to just tear it up and leave the remnant scraps in her boss' office, but eventually settled for retrieving her phone from the little drawer of her podium, flicking the screen open with another soft breath.

There was only one thing that was going to efface even a hint of the stress building in her right now.

Her sister, her dearest older sister.

"Hey, Sis!"

Perky. Joyous. Fresh. It was so much easier to sound happier in a text. A little exclamation mark, or a smily face, and suddenly it seemed as if you were on top of the world. So much easier than this whole song and dance she was forced to put on for guests.

"What's up, Lil'Imp? You stressed?"

Even separated by several dozen miles and a pair of phone screens, she could practically sense her elder sister's weary smile.

They barely had any face to face communication anymore, with Yuuki's job easily taking up the majority of what time she had; barring the weekends, which were usually spent cleaning up her disaster of a flat.

She would have to visit Aiko soon, Yuuki decided, quickly typing up a response to the woman's message.

"Yeah, just at work. Wassup with you?"

"Oh, y'know-... The usual."

"Have you started treatment yet?"

"Next week. They're still fighting with the insurance company. They've decided my post-surgical rehab is the hill they want to die on."

"Seriously?!"

Ugh. This conversation was supposed to be relieving stress.

"Don't worry Lil'Imp. We'll think of something..."

A few seconds passed by before her phone vibrated in her grip once more.

"We always have."

"...Blackjack?"

It was a calm voice that spoke. Like a soft breeze in the wind that nevertheless made her heart jump to her throat, her crimson eyes darting up from her phone's screen in a panic.

"H-huh? I just!-..."

When her eyes finally settled on the source of the noise, her heart dropped from her throat, right into the pit of her stomach.

Before her, dressed in finer textiles than she could ever hope to afford, a couple stood. A dark haired young man no more than a few years her elder, dressed in a muted black suit, stood with an equally youthful looking chestnut haired woman in a bright red dress; both staring down at her, like vultures gazing down upon hapless prey.

Oh, God, just how long had that couple been there?!

"The Blackjack table." The young man repeated, the silky smooth voice gone, a more irritated tone taking it's place, "Where is it?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Sir! Welcome to the-..."

"Where?"

"Kazuto, don't be mean..." The woman hanging from his arm mumbled, offering Yuuki a kindhearted smile, "I'm really sorry about him."

"No worries!" Yuuki exclaimed and she clasped her hands together and tilted her head, giving the two a bright, sunny smile. "We all have one of those days from time to time, right?"

She would know. She'd been having one of those days for nearly a year now.

"Just follow me please. I'll take you to-..."

"Never mind, I'll find it myself. Just get us to a normal table." The young man, Kazuto, grumbled with a roll of the eyes.

God, he really just didn't want to make this easy, did he? Fine.

"Sure thing! Follow me!..."

It was a long, awkward walk to a free table, perhaps the longest that night.

It felt as if each and every step she took was being carefully watched; and not in the usual lecherous way that she'd grown oh-so used to. These two were so much more calculative.

Why were these two giving off such strange vibes? Sure, the guy could use a nice dose of attitude adjustment, but something else about them just seemed...off. Perhaps not malicious, but certainly not innocent.

Ah well. Not her problem. Probably just another young couple in over their head who foolishly thought they'd be able to win it big and live frivolously for the rest of their days.

"And here's your table; number 65! If ya go up to the bar or want a bite to eat, just tell them your number, and someone will send it right to your table! All booths are open until midnight, and last call at the bar is at 2:30. Do you two need anything before I?-..."

"Hold on."

"Yessir?"

"You take bags up to rooms, right?"

"Oh, well, lemmie just-..."

"Good." The black haired man mumbled, his gaze not even reaching her, "Our bags are by your station. Just put them on our bed, and don't touch anything."

"Are you sure? I can get them-..." The chestnut haired woman began, only to be silenced by a finger against her gloved hand.

"I need you here. And besides-..." The black haired man glanced up at Yuuki, "It's not like she was doing anything of any import. We all have our roles, her role in life is to take our bags up. Room G403. I assume you can get there without help?"

"Of course...Sir." Yuuki hissed from between clenched teeth, resisting the urge to deck the raven haired young man, "I'll get them up right away."

The chestnut haired woman, meanwhile, could only sigh, popping something- presumably a piece of gum- in her mouth as she stared at her companion with a none too small amount of irritation. Clearly she was more than used to his behavioral quirks.

"Are you just gonna stand there all night, or do you actually plan to do your job sometime soon?"

An insult quickly rushed to the top of her tongue, a cocked bolt ready to fly, though thankfully the only words that slithered from her mouth were a concise 'yessir', before she quickly spun

Might as well get it over with, then she'd never have to see them again.

At first, she was fine.

Just another insult. Wasn't the first, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

'Her role in life'. That was all. She couldn't let something so small- so petty- to get under her skin.

But as she retrieved the two suitcases by her station, bringing them to the nearest guest elevator, the fires of anger began to bubble under the surface.

'Her role in life'.

Those words kept echoing in her head the entire ride up to the top floor, like a termite burrowing it's way through wood.

And when the elevator doors opened, and she strode down the hall with the couple's bags in tow, the damn finally broke.

'Her role in life'?! Her role in life wasn't as a menial servant! Sure, she was working as a casino girl, but she was hardly-...

No. You know what? No.

She'd show that emotionally distant jerk exactly how servile she really was. Don't touch everything? To hell with that. She was going to touch everything!

An evil grin slowly creeped onto her face as her fingers deftly unzipped the various pockets of the suitcase, looking for something- anything she could ruin just a teeny tiny bit.

There had to be something valuable looking in here. Just a little tear on a jacket or a makeup stain on a white shirt, that was all she asked.

Consequences be damned, just this once!

...

What in the world was that?...

It was only a flash at first, what she'd assumed to be a trick of the light, but when her hand passed along the surface of that 'trick', she felt her heart skip a beat.

No, there was no mistaking it; that was something cold and metallic, buried there under a small pile of clothes.

And that something looked a lot like a submachine gun.

"Don't move..."

The cold chill of another gun barrel pressing against her throat was all the warning she received before a set of fingers lay over her trembling lips, cutting her voice off from any possible passerby's.

And any salvation.

"You should've just done what he said..."