[ Jack watches Lavi with a grin that's easily friendly, open and charismatic in a way that to less shrewd people does intend to imply affection. For most people, this kind of friendliness would only come once there was friendship, but making that assumption for Jack was a leap, as Lavi noted. He's no master manipulator, but instead there's just an easy, genuine way in which Jack carries himself that tends to get misinterpreted. Friendliness doesn't mean that he's not a danger, and in that, the danger is almost compounded.

Though not here, of course. Here, Jack is only playing cards.

Lavi's comment gets Jack to raise an eyebrow, but his lips twist up into more of a wry smirk. ]

Yeah, empires, sure— But, you just gotta have a strong hand behind 'em, right?

[ His response is wry to match his smile, but it's a little more than that. At talk of empires, even in a joking fashion, his interest gets caught, because there's no shortage of ambition in Jack. In another world, another life that Jack doesn't remember, someone had taken notice of this in him. They had tried to stop him, in fact, but here he was, alive, albeit the king who had forgotten his kingdom.

Jack fans himself with the cards, but doesn't raise his bet. ]

And looks like you're feelin' pretty confident in yours! But, hey, overconfidence is like, big reason for that particular kinda hot streak, right?