Proximity Muse

This is the last of my character development bits. Next I’ll ship these off to my writing partner to get his take, then I’ll start on a treatment. The wife has insisted she sees the Dealer as Rob Lowe and I’m hard pressed to disagree.

The Dealer is the MC of this back room poker main event. He looks to be in his early 50s, with graying hair, a healthy tan and a fit body. It’s clear from the way he shuffles and deals the cards that he’s no stranger to the tables. The Dealer wears a comfortable looking gray linen suit with plenty of pocket room to hide the .45 he keeps in a shoulder holster. The money for this soirée is his and the two large, no-nonsense looking goons that accompany him and the money are also packing heat, but in a much more obvious fashion. They carry MP5s and back-up 9mm in ankle holsters. The Dealer doesn’t fuck around with security.

What the Dealer wants from the game is to watch the people involved, like it’s a reality show put on just for his benefit. He knows the players involved, maybe better than they know themselves. He intentionally puts people from diverse backgrounds together just to watch them rub each other the wrong way. He doesn’t discriminate against cheaters or ruffians either. As long as no outright violence is committed at the table, he doesn’t get involved. If someone can cheat and get away with it, no one is more delighted by it than the Dealer.

But he doesn’t put up with any shit. Each player is allowed to bring two spectators along with them. The visitors are told not to interfere with the game, but unless they try something violent, the Dealer is just as amused by the visitor’s antics as he is by the players. He realizes that a great many people bring along spectators to help them cheat, and, while he technically discourages this, it’s really just another piece of the game. If violence does take place, either from the players or the spectators, the Dealer responds in kind. Fisticuffs are met with brutal beat downs (courtesy of the goons) and the very sight of a gun brings a lethal response from the Dealer himself.