Casino Afternoon
Being the laidback man that he was, Nack decided to take a light nap after having a battle royal with his brother. After relaxing in his soft bed for an hour or so, the ex-hit man let out a long yawn. He then quickly leapt out of bed to enjoy the rest of his day.
"Alright, I'm sure some time has passed while I was out. Maybe that darling broad Muffy's already made it back?" Nack muttered to himself.
He quickly checked the window eagerly, only to be disappointed by the remaining sunlight.
"Damn, it's still too early. By the way the sun is, I'd say it's about 2:00 P.M now. Well, nothing to do but stay around until the Red-head decides to investigate this place, then I'll have to split for a bit." Nack said bitterly.
The platinum-blonde farmer folded his arms and tapped his food impatiently for awhile. He continued staring at the sky, waiting for night to arrive. He then started gritting his teeth.
"Damn I miss my old card games! If there's anything I loved as much as heists, hits, and that sweat broad that didn't get me in trouble with the feds, it would be good old cards! Lady Luck always enjoyed snuffing out the cheaters and tricksters for me. I think she loved me so much, no wonder the old gang used to tell me to quit the mob life to become a professional gambling! Eh, too bad I'm one of the Most Wanted now, but….nah, cards are only great as a hobby, not as a living." Nack said to himself with sigh.
The potential gambling man then laid his but down with his legs crossed as he fiddled around with an index finger.
"Yeah, this is dull… how about Steiner come back and I teach that bastard a thing or two about family?" he said to himself hopefully.
A few moments later, an ecstatic Roller barged into the farm, which was an amazing feet considering his small size.
"Yo, Nack!" Roller cried. "Looks like I got a bit of good news to spill!"
Nack scoffed. "Heh. Really, what's got you all chipper, my little friend? I'll be happy if my darling doll decided to make an early return." He replied.
"Well, no… but it turns out some of the mob escaped the Witch's spell on their own as well, and are doin' well! I saw them myself while scoping out the Valley for that fed!" Roller answered.
Nack cocked an eyebrow.
"Really? That's good. Guess I got a few more allies to help gun 'er down, afterall!" Nack grinned.
"Uh, sorry to say, but they're not exactly one of our best marksmen…" Roller confessed nervously.
"WHAT?! Gee, then what are you all worked out for? If all you rounded up are a bunch of two-bit bench warmers, they're just gonna get blasted by that Bitch like would have earlier! They won't be of use in the hit!" Nack shouted.
"No sweat, my man! They weren't even meant for bang-ups to begin with! They're my… "associates", if you get what I'm sayin'." Roller answered casually.
"No, I don't. What do you mean?" Nack wanted to know.
Roller smiled wildly. "Really? I would've figured my classic visor would be a dead giveaway, and as seeing that I run the underground casino around here, who else would I be running a business with?"
Nack paused for a minute.
"Hold on a sec, you found your fellow dealers?" Nack asked.
Roller nodded. "Yeah, like I told ya earlier, they weren't so keen on shooting, but they certainly know how to deal and flee with the best em'. Let me tall ya how much of a relief it was to find em'! I would've thought I'd be playing Solitaire for the rest of my life!"
"Aw, sweet! I can finally enjoy my old card games like back in the city!" Nack grinned.
"Good to see you still got that same spirit for the regular card games. Guess this means the Casino's back up and running." Roller grinned.
"So, what are you waiting for? Let's get a move on it! I'm sure I can avoid a little red-head cop long enough to see this Casino of yours!" Nack said self assurance.
Immediately, the two of them left the farmland and headed straight for town. Both gangsters surveyed the area for any sign of the red-haired federal agent and were relieved to see nobody like that.
"So, uh… these boys of yours. Are they still playin' a little hide-and-seek around the valley?" Nack asked.
Roller shook his head. "Told them all to gather at one place. They should still be hanging around the well where I left them." He explained.
"That's good. No worries about being spotted by that meddlesome fed while wandering around aimlessly for the boys." Nack smirked. "Just hope they can keep themselves afloat for a little while longer"
Roller chuckled.
A few moments later, Nack and Roller passed by the Blue Bar and approached the aforementioned well.
Nack gave a little tap on the well and looked inside. He heard some mysterious chatter for a bit, then the area became surrounded by magic dust. Three Harvest Sprites, bearing a striking resemblance to Roller, appeared before his very eyes.
"Wow, Roller. Didn't know you got twins." Nack quipped.
"Nah! It's just a coincidence! Working in the same business with the same people for awhile tends to force this kinda similarity between you." Roller explained. "Anyway, meet the Mob's prized dealers: Tep, Hops, and Jum. They can shuffle a deck like nobody's business."
"You're that confident in them, eh? Can't wait to outdo the entire house." Nack smirked.
"So… this be the infamous hit man you've been bragging about all the time? Can't wait to see him in action." The sprite named Hops smirked.
"They say the hand is quicker than the eye, but let's see what you got. No one in the whole Mob has yet to outdo me in at my game." The dealer named Jum bragged.
"Alright. Let's see if Lady Luck's got your back." The Dealer named Tep uttered coolly.
Nack smirked back.
"Yep. You got quite an interesting group backing you up here." Nack said.
Roller nodded. "They're not considered among the best for nothing. Anyway, let's head back to the Hangout."
Nack clapped his hands. "Finally!"
The five mobsters left the well and followed a path leading towards Goddess Pond. The sprites twitched while Nack observed the scenery curiously.
"So, this is where the action took place, huh? Nothing looks scratched up, though." Nack mentioned.
"That's because it's magic, and we're the "Harvest" Sprite Mob. Alongside causing havoc to the local urban areas, we have to go by our boss' word keep nature in check for bountiful harvests and stuff. It's an odd gig for a gangster, I know, but you decided to take up the Farming position when you heard about the hit. I know it's silly of me to ask, but you DID use that just for a cover, right?"
Nack remained silent. He had a considerably solemn expression on his face.
"Oh, uh… not going to answer? Well, fine by me! As long as we gun down that Witch and get revenge for the boys!" Roller cried. "Anyway, our hangout's just over yonder. See that big tree?"
Nack turned his head to spot a lone tree with a big door right in front. He then pointed at the door with his thumb.
"Hey, uh… no offense, Roller, but you got a door in front of your tree. Don't you think that just maybe people would notice that?" he pointed out.
"Ah, don't worry about it! Only the "Magically-Inclined" can see that big door out in front, and luckily, since you just happen to be part of the club, it looks like you get that free trip through the Chocolate Factory, kid." Roller explained.
"Heh. Can't wait to check out all that candy." Nack answered with an eager smirk.
Nack slowly sauntered towards the door and grasped the knob. He swiftly pushed it open to reveal the Mob's cozy tree hideout.
"What's this? The place looks nice enough, but it seems rather… cramped, if you catch my drift." Nack replied.
"Nah, this is just the living quarters, and in case you didn't notice, us Harvest Sprites aren't exactly giants." Roller replied.
"Yeah!" The three dealers replied in bitter unison.
"Whoops. 'scuse for that little slip." Nack apologized. "But seriously… do you expect us to play some cards here?"
"No! No! No! Our Casino's out in the back! And trust me, it's much nicer this room! You'll love it in no time!" Roller assured him. "Just follow me a little further, okay?"
"Okay, okay. You better be right. You've been bragging like it's best place around, and I don't like being disappointed." Nack groaned.
Roller lead the gangsters into a doorway, which revealed a snazzy casino room decked out in green. While it was considerably small in comparison to most casinos, it was very spacious as a casino built for one.
Immediately, the three dealers took their tables while Roller stayed behind.
"Alright, before you get going, I'm just going to explain the system here. You can't use flat out gold in your bets. Instead, you use these babies instead." Roller explained as he took out a few shiny medals. "Here, I'll give a few to start out with."
Nack accepted the shiny objects with a confused look on his face. "What do I with these? Can I redeem them for cash like poker chips?"
Roller rubbed his head nervously. "Eh… we're not exactly in the position to fork over gold without the boss' request, so now, sorry. However, you CAN redeem them for some neat prizes we've… "confiscated." He said in a shaky voice.
""Neat Prizes", huh? By the sound of your voice, they don't' sound all that great for me." Nack replied.
Roller gulped nervously. He wasn't sure just how unpleased his hired gun was.
But then Nack used his free hand to pet him.
"Ah, it's alright… I haven't had this kind of thrill in ages! Later, how about we see what we can do about changing gold payment in the casinos!" Nack cried heartily.
Roller wiped his brow in relief.
"Well, for now, I got me some cards to play. Alright, LET'S GET IT ON!" Nack cried.
And so, Nack proceeded to bring forth his Dynasty of Fortune against the House of Harvest Sprite Casino.
The talented gambler began his conquest in a Memory Pair Matching Game against Jum. Nack crushed him so many times in such relative ease, it was as if he had either psychic powers or a photographic memory.
After getting bored with repeatedly defeating Jum, Nack took his hand at Blackjack, and old favorite of his. While he rarely got a good pair, Nack seemed to know what to bet at which moment. Most of the time, the skilled card player ended up betting little on his bad hands, but when he got the proper Blackjack pair or any other decent set of cards, Nack always managed to bet big and score even higher. Miraculously, he never received a cards that resulted in a bust, a set of cards that went over the value of 21. Despite his great gain, Nack felt frustrated at his lowered odds and resulted and held a hidden handgun point blank at Jum's head.
"You don't happen to be trying to cheat me, do you?" Nack threatened.
"Ah...n-no! Trust me, I got a good shuffle, but I'm not trying to pull anything! H-honest!" Jum replied in a shaky voice.
"That better be the case. I don't like someone cheating Lady Luck and putting the odds in their favor. She don't like that sort of crap." Nack said before putting the gun back in his hidden holster.
"R-right…" Jum gulped.
"Alright, guess I'm done here. Don't know why Blackjack isn't liking me, but Iguess that just means I should be looking forward to some good old fashioned Poker!" Nack exclaimed.
He quickly abandoned the Black Jack table with his earnings, leaving its dealer relieved, and quickly hopped aboard the Table next door.
"So, it's just the two of us, then?" Nack asked while facing Teps.
The professional-like dealer nodded. "Think you can beat me?"
Nack groaned. "Oh, come on! Don't be a wimp and let everybody else out of the fun! We got a few more prospective players around here! Not like they have anything else to do! One-on-One Poker isn't fun!" He complained.
The ears of the other two dealers perked up.
Roller left his station to meet with the excitable hit man.
"What? Are you serious? You do realize that it'll be four representing the house against one of you, right?" Roller pointed out.
Nack replied with a hearty laugh.
"So what? Bring it on! I've already beat your boys by themselves once. Now I wanna do it all at once! Besides, I haven't seen you play a game. How about it?" Nack proposed.
Roller shrugged. "Alright, but you're really pressing your luck here."
Nack smirked. "It's what I do best."
Soon enough, the five took their seats and begun their session of poker. Miraculously, Nack repeated his lucky streak but claiming pot after pot. Not only did he cash in with superior hands, he also bluffed his way to the top while holding the bad ones. Certainly, it was Nack's day in the Casino.
Plenty of time passed, and soon sunlight started to fade outside.
"Hey guys, I think been awhile now. You think it's 5:00 already?" Nack asked while hoarding his piles of medals.
The dealers groaned in disgust while Roller turned to a nearby clock. "Five to, actually. Why?"
"Oh, that's perfect!" Nack cheered. "I happen to have a reunion to make at about 5:00. Sorry to leave you guys hanging, but I gotta split!"
The winning card player immediately got up, fixed up his pile of shiny medals, and shoved them towards Roller's direction before he rushed out.
"A reunion?" Tep replied.
Roller shrugged. "Looks like the man's really eager to see his gal." He grinned.
He then magically conjured a big bag and placed the shiny medals in it.
"I admit, the guy's got balls for trusting me with his earnings. Still, it's Casion Policy that I hold on to them, anyway." Roller said, as he went off towards the mystery location of the "Shiny Medal Bank" while leaving behind three amazed, yet frustrated dealers.