[ but he says it with enough of a smile at one corner of his mouth that rufus should know that what he means is, yes, all the time. tseng is a smart poker player and an even smarter card-counter—he plays normally and only wins what he needs, not nearly often enough to draw the attention of the house. even if a jack is under far less scrutiny at the tables than someone of a lower rank would be, tseng's pathological refusal to allow himself to be noteworthy is more than enough to keep him playing conservatively.
the plan rufus is laying out is far from conservative. not because he thinks the house is likely to notice—no, in fact, tseng is fairly sure that the house would be delighted they're engaging so fully with the game. in that regard, it's a safe play. but in other regards—such as tseng's ability to compartmentalize—the plan is absolute madness.
which is why tseng thinks it's likely to work. it's always rufus' most audacious plans, the ones with the highest associated risk, that have the biggest payoff. and if rufus is unconcerned about how often he and tseng will have to have sex to make his plan a reality, then far be it from tseng to raise any kind of concern. ]
Yes, sir. [ tseng nods, agreeing. ] It'll be a long game.
[ not that rufus has ever wanted for patience, not when it matters. ]
no subject
[ but he says it with enough of a smile at one corner of his mouth that rufus should know that what he means is, yes, all the time. tseng is a smart poker player and an even smarter card-counter—he plays normally and only wins what he needs, not nearly often enough to draw the attention of the house. even if a jack is under far less scrutiny at the tables than someone of a lower rank would be, tseng's pathological refusal to allow himself to be noteworthy is more than enough to keep him playing conservatively.
the plan rufus is laying out is far from conservative. not because he thinks the house is likely to notice—no, in fact, tseng is fairly sure that the house would be delighted they're engaging so fully with the game. in that regard, it's a safe play. but in other regards—such as tseng's ability to compartmentalize—the plan is absolute madness.
which is why tseng thinks it's likely to work. it's always rufus' most audacious plans, the ones with the highest associated risk, that have the biggest payoff. and if rufus is unconcerned about how often he and tseng will have to have sex to make his plan a reality, then far be it from tseng to raise any kind of concern. ]
Yes, sir. [ tseng nods, agreeing. ] It'll be a long game.
[ not that rufus has ever wanted for patience, not when it matters. ]