Early Eve of 5th of Ymiden, 722
Merry laughter and chatter filled the air as Vincent made his way toward one of his usual haunts, the Barrel Pot. He was not surprised to see the place's packed with residents and visitors alike. The location is unique and has authentic Rharnian charms, and who wouldn't want to add a few more nels for another round of drinks at the nearby taverns. After all, it's one of the most affordable places in Rharne for newcomers and amateurs alike to sate their appetite. Even the Lightning Knights would play a game or two during their break.
Vincent slowly walked around the plaza surveying the crowd like a hawk hunting for its prey. He knew the more experienced and degenerate gamblers would shy away from this place. But, unfortunately, small bets aren't enough to sate the appetite of the degenerate ones.
"Yo Lucky, got a pack of cigs?" He called out at the charming young girl carrying several bottles of beer.
"Aye, the usual?" Lucky responded as she handed the beers to several onlookers standing nearby.
"Yeah, the usual." Vincent slipped her a piece of copper nel. "Seen anyone interesting?" he continued as he took the cigarette box from her hands.
"Perhaps, there's all sort of interesting people here, ya know."
Vincent slid her a piece of silver nel.
"Aye, interesting bunch ov'r there and another one ov'r there", Lucky pointed out the groups of people.
"Thanks Lucky, and let me have one of those Greedy John Stout." He slid another ten pieces of silver nels.
"Gotcha, be back in a bit." Lucky skillfully made her way through the crowd of people.
Vincent then made his way to the first group of people that Lucky pointed out. Hmmm, they're playing Suits? It sure is becoming more and more popular these days.
"Come on, Sammy, place your bet. You think I'm bluffing?" one of the players half-shouted as he threw a gold nel into the pot.
"You sure are confident, Ralph. There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity though." The player sitting opposite him replied and threw another gold nel into the pot. "Come on just because you win the peaks last round, don't think you could pull the same move twice." The man taunted.
Vincent smirked at the player's comment. He could feel his heartbeat gets faster. Damn, look at these guys, betting gold nels so casually. Vincent glances at the card of the player sitting in front of him. That's an easy win, boy. Come on, join in the bet. Don't fucking fold on me.
"Come on Tim, your turn. Bet or pass?" the other two players taunted him.
"I….i…." Tim replied hesitantly.
Come on, bet on it, you bastard. You could win the Stars hand, yo. Come on, bet on it.
"I….pa-"Tim's reply was cut short.
"Oh come on, get on with it! Bet it!" Vincent said out loud.
"Bet." Tim threw a gold nel into the pot.
Vincent felt somebody nudging him and saw Lucky with a bottle of Greedy John Stout. As he grabbed the bottle, Tim suddenly stood up and shouted victoriously.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Ralph shouted in disagreement. "You helped him" he glared at Vincent.
"Nope, he decided that himself. He was about to bet." Vincent replied
"There's no way timid Tim would act boldly. Ain't that right Tim?" Ralph grinned.
"Come on Ralph, Tim needed a win today anyway. It's a good win too." Sammy said as he gripped Ralph's shoulder.
"Yeah Ralph, don't be a sore loser. Just admit it Ralph you suck at this game." Vincent chimed in mockingly.
"Come here you basta-"
"RALPH!" Sammy gripped Ralph's shoulder tighter.
Sammy grabbed the bottle in front of him and took a sip.
"If you said Ralph suck at this game, does that mean you're a better player than him?" Ralph asked
"Not specifically this game though, but I'm sure I could still do better than him." Vincent grinned as he grabbed the empty sit, "After all, I have faster eyes than both of you." Then, he paused, "Or anyone of you," addressing the growing crowd of onlookers. Sammy scoffed.
"What? You don't believe me?" Vincent rifled through the deck of cards and took out three pieces of cards. The one of stars, the ten of peaks and the ten of kites. "Well then let's put it to the test shall we?" he said as he repeatedly yet gently bend the cards downward in half lengthwise. Bending the top right and bottom left corners, up and down, to soften them for the corner bend. "Always, I'm always met with skepticism." He continued bending the cards gently. "There's no way that person have faster eyes than me? There's no way. That's what they always said." Vincent replied with a sly grin.
"Alright then, I've got three cards here, the one of stars, the ten of peaks and the ten of kites." He lifted each card and showed it to the players on the table and the crowd, then placed each card face up in a row on the table, with the one of stars in the middle. "I will shuffle these cards and I want you to follow the one of stars. Simple right?" he grinned. Then using his right hand, he used the card on the right (ten of peaks) to scoop up the face-up cards into a pile, with the one of stars going in the middle. He then flipped the pile face down, book style, into the dealer's grip in his left hand, then turned over a double showing the one of stars.
"The one of stars", he continued as he turned the double face down and dealt the top card on the table, in the middle.
"Don't worry about the ten of kites and peaks."
Vincent then proceeds to grip the packet from above with his right thumb and middle finger and do a flustration count. Next, he turned his right-hand palm up and showed the ten of kites card, followed by turning his right-hand palm down, peeling off the top card with his left thumb and index finger, and placing it to the left of the card on the table.
"It's simple right. I'm sure all of you have been keeping an eye on the one of stars for me. Keep your eye on the one of stars. Don't blink if you want to." He continued as he flashed the face of the card (ten of kites) he was holding and placed it to the right of the cards.
"It isn't much of a challenge, right? I'm sure you have been keeping an eye on the one of stars. So I'll do a quick mix." Vincent continued as he switched the position of the right and left cards.
"Now, Sammy, Ralph, place your bet in front of the face down one of stars." He paused, then looked at Tim and the growing crowd of people that had gathered. "…..You can join if you want to, Tim and all of you. Bet it right, and I'll double your winnings." Vincent addressed the crowd, grabbed a few pieces of gold nels from his pocket, and juggled them in his left hand. "Double or nothing. Place your bets."
"Hah, after all that nonsense you spouted earlier, I thought you'd be better than this," Ralph said in an arrogant tone as he placed four pieces of gold nels in front of the face-down middle card.
"Hmmph. Even my kid sister could figure it out." Sammy replied and added the same amount to Ralph's bet. A few copper coins were thrown into the table. All of them were betted on the middle card.
"What's this? It seems like all of you have reached a consensus decision." Vincent chuckled. "No more bets then?" He asked. A few more copper coins were added to the pile.
"Here goes" He turned over the card on the right, and it was the ten of kites. "Hoho, l never doubted you guys from the start." He hovers his hand on top of the middle card. "So Ralph, eight gold nels sounds nice, but imagine how many bottles of alcohol you could buy with twenty gold? You might even get lucky." He smiled as he picked up his empty bottle of Greedy John Stout. "Hey Lucky, I'll get another one of this."
Ralph laughed when he caught on to what Vincent was implying.
"I'll make you eat your words. Gimme that twenty gold nels." Ralph replied as he placed an additional six gold nels.
"Come on Sammy, forty gold nels between the two of us."
"Alright, alright. Forty gold nels is a hard offer to pass up on." So Sammy threw in an additional six gold nels.
"Well, well. I guess you guys are gonna give me a run for my money. Here goes." Vincent gripped the edge of the middle card with his thumb and index finger. "All fair, right?" He shouted at the crowd.
"Hear, hear." A voice replied. Heads nodded in agreement. He then slowly turned over the middle card revealing the ten of peaks.
"Whatt the……." Ralph stared confusingly.
"But he never touched the middle card and it was the first card that he placed down." Sammy argued.
Vincent quickly grabbed the pile of nels on the table and handed ten pieces of nel to Lucky. "Hey Lucky, a round of drinks for everyone!"
"You should not had blinked." Vincent winked as he turned over the left card revealing the one of stars.
"Keep your eyes on the one of stars."
Merry laughter and chatter filled the air as Vincent made his way toward one of his usual haunts, the Barrel Pot. He was not surprised to see the place's packed with residents and visitors alike. The location is unique and has authentic Rharnian charms, and who wouldn't want to add a few more nels for another round of drinks at the nearby taverns. After all, it's one of the most affordable places in Rharne for newcomers and amateurs alike to sate their appetite. Even the Lightning Knights would play a game or two during their break.
Vincent slowly walked around the plaza surveying the crowd like a hawk hunting for its prey. He knew the more experienced and degenerate gamblers would shy away from this place. But, unfortunately, small bets aren't enough to sate the appetite of the degenerate ones.
"Yo Lucky, got a pack of cigs?" He called out at the charming young girl carrying several bottles of beer.
"Aye, the usual?" Lucky responded as she handed the beers to several onlookers standing nearby.
"Yeah, the usual." Vincent slipped her a piece of copper nel. "Seen anyone interesting?" he continued as he took the cigarette box from her hands.
"Perhaps, there's all sort of interesting people here, ya know."
Vincent slid her a piece of silver nel.
"Aye, interesting bunch ov'r there and another one ov'r there", Lucky pointed out the groups of people.
"Thanks Lucky, and let me have one of those Greedy John Stout." He slid another ten pieces of silver nels.
"Gotcha, be back in a bit." Lucky skillfully made her way through the crowd of people.
Vincent then made his way to the first group of people that Lucky pointed out. Hmmm, they're playing Suits? It sure is becoming more and more popular these days.
"Come on, Sammy, place your bet. You think I'm bluffing?" one of the players half-shouted as he threw a gold nel into the pot.
"You sure are confident, Ralph. There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity though." The player sitting opposite him replied and threw another gold nel into the pot. "Come on just because you win the peaks last round, don't think you could pull the same move twice." The man taunted.
Vincent smirked at the player's comment. He could feel his heartbeat gets faster. Damn, look at these guys, betting gold nels so casually. Vincent glances at the card of the player sitting in front of him. That's an easy win, boy. Come on, join in the bet. Don't fucking fold on me.
"Come on Tim, your turn. Bet or pass?" the other two players taunted him.
"I….i…." Tim replied hesitantly.
Come on, bet on it, you bastard. You could win the Stars hand, yo. Come on, bet on it.
"I….pa-"Tim's reply was cut short.
"Oh come on, get on with it! Bet it!" Vincent said out loud.
"Bet." Tim threw a gold nel into the pot.
Vincent felt somebody nudging him and saw Lucky with a bottle of Greedy John Stout. As he grabbed the bottle, Tim suddenly stood up and shouted victoriously.
"Hey! That's not fair!" Ralph shouted in disagreement. "You helped him" he glared at Vincent.
"Nope, he decided that himself. He was about to bet." Vincent replied
"There's no way timid Tim would act boldly. Ain't that right Tim?" Ralph grinned.
"Come on Ralph, Tim needed a win today anyway. It's a good win too." Sammy said as he gripped Ralph's shoulder.
"Yeah Ralph, don't be a sore loser. Just admit it Ralph you suck at this game." Vincent chimed in mockingly.
"Come here you basta-"
"RALPH!" Sammy gripped Ralph's shoulder tighter.
Sammy grabbed the bottle in front of him and took a sip.
"If you said Ralph suck at this game, does that mean you're a better player than him?" Ralph asked
"Not specifically this game though, but I'm sure I could still do better than him." Vincent grinned as he grabbed the empty sit, "After all, I have faster eyes than both of you." Then, he paused, "Or anyone of you," addressing the growing crowd of onlookers. Sammy scoffed.
"What? You don't believe me?" Vincent rifled through the deck of cards and took out three pieces of cards. The one of stars, the ten of peaks and the ten of kites. "Well then let's put it to the test shall we?" he said as he repeatedly yet gently bend the cards downward in half lengthwise. Bending the top right and bottom left corners, up and down, to soften them for the corner bend. "Always, I'm always met with skepticism." He continued bending the cards gently. "There's no way that person have faster eyes than me? There's no way. That's what they always said." Vincent replied with a sly grin.
"Alright then, I've got three cards here, the one of stars, the ten of peaks and the ten of kites." He lifted each card and showed it to the players on the table and the crowd, then placed each card face up in a row on the table, with the one of stars in the middle. "I will shuffle these cards and I want you to follow the one of stars. Simple right?" he grinned. Then using his right hand, he used the card on the right (ten of peaks) to scoop up the face-up cards into a pile, with the one of stars going in the middle. He then flipped the pile face down, book style, into the dealer's grip in his left hand, then turned over a double showing the one of stars.
"The one of stars", he continued as he turned the double face down and dealt the top card on the table, in the middle.
"Don't worry about the ten of kites and peaks."
Vincent then proceeds to grip the packet from above with his right thumb and middle finger and do a flustration count. Next, he turned his right-hand palm up and showed the ten of kites card, followed by turning his right-hand palm down, peeling off the top card with his left thumb and index finger, and placing it to the left of the card on the table.
"It's simple right. I'm sure all of you have been keeping an eye on the one of stars for me. Keep your eye on the one of stars. Don't blink if you want to." He continued as he flashed the face of the card (ten of kites) he was holding and placed it to the right of the cards.
"It isn't much of a challenge, right? I'm sure you have been keeping an eye on the one of stars. So I'll do a quick mix." Vincent continued as he switched the position of the right and left cards.
"Now, Sammy, Ralph, place your bet in front of the face down one of stars." He paused, then looked at Tim and the growing crowd of people that had gathered. "…..You can join if you want to, Tim and all of you. Bet it right, and I'll double your winnings." Vincent addressed the crowd, grabbed a few pieces of gold nels from his pocket, and juggled them in his left hand. "Double or nothing. Place your bets."
"Hah, after all that nonsense you spouted earlier, I thought you'd be better than this," Ralph said in an arrogant tone as he placed four pieces of gold nels in front of the face-down middle card.
"Hmmph. Even my kid sister could figure it out." Sammy replied and added the same amount to Ralph's bet. A few copper coins were thrown into the table. All of them were betted on the middle card.
"What's this? It seems like all of you have reached a consensus decision." Vincent chuckled. "No more bets then?" He asked. A few more copper coins were added to the pile.
"Here goes" He turned over the card on the right, and it was the ten of kites. "Hoho, l never doubted you guys from the start." He hovers his hand on top of the middle card. "So Ralph, eight gold nels sounds nice, but imagine how many bottles of alcohol you could buy with twenty gold? You might even get lucky." He smiled as he picked up his empty bottle of Greedy John Stout. "Hey Lucky, I'll get another one of this."
Ralph laughed when he caught on to what Vincent was implying.
"I'll make you eat your words. Gimme that twenty gold nels." Ralph replied as he placed an additional six gold nels.
"Come on Sammy, forty gold nels between the two of us."
"Alright, alright. Forty gold nels is a hard offer to pass up on." So Sammy threw in an additional six gold nels.
"Well, well. I guess you guys are gonna give me a run for my money. Here goes." Vincent gripped the edge of the middle card with his thumb and index finger. "All fair, right?" He shouted at the crowd.
"Hear, hear." A voice replied. Heads nodded in agreement. He then slowly turned over the middle card revealing the ten of peaks.
"Whatt the……." Ralph stared confusingly.
"But he never touched the middle card and it was the first card that he placed down." Sammy argued.
Vincent quickly grabbed the pile of nels on the table and handed ten pieces of nel to Lucky. "Hey Lucky, a round of drinks for everyone!"
"You should not had blinked." Vincent winked as he turned over the left card revealing the one of stars.
"Keep your eyes on the one of stars."
