Hagetaka went about explaining the rules, finding a nice seat for herself at the table, grinning at the parakeet. "Basically, the point of the game is to, through luck and skill, get a better hand than your opponents." She picked up the weathered box and emptied the slightly browned cards into her hand, laying out the faces and explaining them, giving the cherub the basics before handing the deck to a small shriveled green-gray goblin that seemed to arrive next to her chair without walking in. It began to shuffle expertly as Taka smiled. "Now for each hand, we each bet an article of clothing. That way we both face the same risk. How does that sound, Tweetie bird?" She took the deck back, quickly flicking cards between them, a haphazard pile of 5 on either side of the table. "For my first bet, I wager my headband." She jerked a thumb to the black and white band atop her head.