There was an unsaid rule among the heroes. If you were unfortunate enough to gaze upon the Sailor's eyes at the wrong moment for even a fraction, you would be bewitched to hand over your rupees without much fight. There were exceptions to this rule - those with an iron will like the Old Man or used to handling clever children like the Captain and the Rancher. However, most of the time, the heroes would find themselves torn between surrendering or protecting the last bit of their sanity.

"Sky," Time called out without looking up from stirring his coffee. They were taking a break outside a small café while waiting for Twilight to finish haggling with a nearby vendor. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

The said hero froze, one hand deep into his pouch to pick up a purple rupee to give to their youngest member. Wind's head snapped to the elder werewolf - his expression a cross between a scowl and a pout. A look of betrayal was written on his face.

Warriors chuckled from where he stood under the shade of a store awning. "Caught red-handed, huh, Sailor?" He only laughed harder when the selkie glared at him. "Nuh-uh! Nice try, but that wouldn't work on me. You know that."

The aquatic fae turned to the harpy - his last resort - but the Skyloftian averted his eyes as he snapped the tie around his pouch shut. "Sorry, Wind."

The Hero of Winds dropped the cutesy act and stomped away; his coat fluttered behind him. "I'll remember this!" He shouted as he joined the huddle of snickering heroes at another table, who were midway exchanging their bets for Hylia-knows-what.

The Sailor crossed his arms with a huff as he sat next to Legend. "Told you you'll get caught." The merman remarked as he dropped an orange rupee on Hyrule's open palms.

The selkie plopped on the Veteran's lap and stared at him with wide eyes. "You're giving the Traveler? How about me?"

The merman blinked at him, entranced for a moment, before hastily turning his face away. "AUGH! Stop that!" He grabbed his bag and shoved his pouch inside. "You already robbed me of five hundred rupees, Sailor. Five hundred! I'd rather eat my arm than fall for that again!"

"You just bet one hundred, Vet!"

"That's my decision!" The Hero of Legend argued. "Yours is witchcraft and extortion!"

"No, it isn't!" Wind countered. He turned to the others who already hid their money and avoided the youngest hero's gaze. "Hey! That's not fair, you guys!"

The pixie fidgeted in his seat. "You owe me one hundred rupees, Sailor."

"Two hundred and fifty." The Smith added, crossing his arms. "Plus fifty just this morning."

"Five thousand." Wild grinned. He seemed more amused than concerned with the selkie's debt. He even ignored Twilight's horrified WILD! across the street. "And interest. I charge five percent per day with revenge."

"HEY!"

The dragon shrugged at the Hero of Winds. "I make the rules, Sailor. Take it or leave it, but you're still paying."

The aquatic fae narrowed his eyes at the Champion. "You shitty ass-!"

"Language!" Time scolded. His open eye stared down at the younger heroes. "We're in town, boys. Let's try to be civil, yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, Old Man." Legend rolled his eyes. He finally looked at the selkie. "Sailor, you better settle your debts. Sure, you can make us go broke, but the Champion -" The merman jabbed his thumb in the dragon's direction. "Could make you go broke and broken. Ask the Rancher, and he'll tell you about it."

Wild cackled gleefully. His tail swished behind his back. "Good times."

Four shook his head and sipped his drink. "I pity the fool."

"Eh, he deserved it."

The Hero of Winds huffed, nearly melting on the merman's lap into a depressed selkie puddle. Four, Hyrule, and Wild exchanged looks, and the Veteran nearly jumped off his seat when he noticed the mirroring grins between the three. Oh, hell no! They would NOT -

"You know, Sailor," The brownie spoke up. His blue eyes glinted mischievously. "There's this guy we met earlier -"

"Don't you dare!" The Hero of Legend cut off, pointing an accusing finger at the Smith. "You're supposed to be a rational one here, Smith."

Four tilted his head in mock innocence. The sunlight caught the purple in his eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about." He turned to his fellow fae and continued before the merman could retort. "We met a guy who does a gambling business on the other side of this town. It's a simple game of ball and cup. You win twice your bet if you find the ball hidden inside one of the five shuffled cups."

"Of course, it's rigged." Hyrule leaned forward on his chair. "He's sneakily throwing the ball into one of his sleeves, so no one wins. But we didn't get to call him out because Legend caught us before we could."

The Veteran threw his arms in indignation. "Because you're intentionally throwing away money even though it's obvious the guy's a swindler!"

"We're bidding our time." The Champion's slitted pupils narrowed further. He bared his sharp teeth, giving him an almost sinister look. "Revenge is a dish best served cold, after all."

"Hylia! What the fuck, Wild?"

The brownie stretched his arms, unconcerned with the merman's anxiety and frustration at the feral dragon. "So, what do you think, Sailor? You up for a little mischief? We get our money back while the rest is yours. How about that?"

The selkie glanced at Legend, who furiously signed Do not do it!, before breaking into a grin. He reached out a hand. "Sure! As long as I get one hundred percent of the profits."

Blue flashed in the brownie's eyes, and he shook the Sailor's hand. "Deal."

Wind hopped off the merman's lap and joined Hyrule and Four's side. The two older fae slid off the table, and the Sailor noticed Wild not leaving his seat. "You're not coming?"

The dragon chuckled and stretched his upper body lazily on the table. "Nah," He smiled conspiratorially. The three heard Legend curse as he struggled against something. They peered underneath the table and saw the Champion's tail wrapped securely around the other man's leg. "You guys go. I'll keep Leg here from ruining your fun. Get it? Leg!"

"Wild, I swear to fucking Hylia, I'll - MMPH!"

The Hero of the Wild clamped a hand on the merman's mouth. "Old Man said to watch our language."

The dragon nodded in the elder werewolf's direction, who raised an eyebrow before turning away. It seemed Time was willing to let go of whatever shenanigan they were up to this time. Warriors was smirking while Sky pretended not to hear anything. "See? He approves. Just go before Twilight catches up to you. I'll try to distract him as long as possible."

The Sailor grinned giddily. "Then, get ready to be rich, Champ! I'll be paying back everything I owe you. Interest and all."

"As you should." The Champion mirrored his smile. "And for your information, I'm already rich."

The selkie waved at them before they went to search for their target. The town might be small, but it was bustling with activities. The fae trio navigated a few crowded paths before finally finding what they were looking for. It was a small rectangular table covered with a blue cloth. Five cups were laid on it upside down. A small man with a trimmed beard flourished a small red ball before hiding it underneath a cup.

The heroes watched as the game master swiftly shuffled the cups before finally stopping. His current victim picked the third one, only to find it as empty as his wallet. Four stepped closer to Wind and Hyrule and whispered. "That guy's definitely a fae, but I couldn't tell what he is. His glamour is powerful."

"A leprechaun, maybe?" Hyrule suggested thoughtfully. "A boggart? I've only met a few fae folk in my era, and most are devas."

"Eh, doesn't matter." Wind puffed his chest with a grin. "Time for this pirate to do his thing."

The two trailed behind the Hero of Winds as he pushed past the gathered crowd and approached the stall. Recognition lit up in the man's face at the sight of the two fae. "Well, I'll be. Ya' two up for another round?"

The pixie shook his head, trying to keep the atmosphere light-hearted. "Ah, no," He patted the Sailor's shoulder. "Our brother wanted to try. First game at ten rupees."

"Aight," The game master threw the ball back into a cup and set it down. The Traveler placed two blue rupees on the table before the younger hero. "Ya' got one chance, kiddo. Try not to blink."

Wind's eyes darted to and from as the cups danced before his eyes. The movement stopped, and he pursed his lips thoughtfully. He pointed at the leftmost cup. "That one."

The man picked up the cup, but the ball was not there. "That's too bad," He took the money and shoved it into his pouch. "Better luck next time, kid. Or do ya' want to play another round?"

Hyrule glanced at the Sailor, who nodded. He dropped their next bet. "Twenty."

"Twenty it is, then."

The cups were shuffled, and the Hero of Winds chose the fourth one this time. It ended again in a loss. Another bet - fifty, this time - which ended in another failure. They played two more times, losing nearly two hundred rupees.

"That's four losses in a row, kiddos." The game master told him, almost too smugly, as he juggled the ball in his palms. "Still goin' to continue?"

The selkie turned to his fellow fae and tugged at the hem of his tunic. He looked at him with pleading eyes. "Please, Big Brother?"

Hyrule subtly averted his eyes as he tried to cool his embarrassed face while the Smith masked his laughter with a cough. The younger hero was good - too good - at this, even though his magic was not directed at them. They heard the crowd gasp and coo, unaware they were caught in the younger fae's charms.

"We can't." The Traveler said, trying to look apologetic. "We only have enough money to buy medicine for Big Brother Legend. His joints had been aching really bad these days. He'll get grumpy if we just leave it be."

"That's right," Four agreed and ruffled Wind's hair. "Let's just go. We'll play again once we get our wages next month, okay?"

"Awww! B-But-!" The younger fae fidgeted on the hem of his tunic. He sniffed, eyes glistened with tears. "I wanna play. Just one more, please! I won't ask again."

Four and Hyrule exchanged looks before shaking their heads. "Come on," The brownie gently coaxed the Sailor. "Big Brother Legend will be looking for us. We shouldn't worry him. It's not good for his health."

Wind slumped further but nodded. "...Okay."

"Let's go -"

"Now, wait a moment." The fae trio stopped in their tracks and glanced at the man. The game master placed the ball on the table. "How 'bout one last round? No bet, but ya'll get payback if ya' win."

The heroes tried not to smirk. Got him. "Oh, thanks for the offer," The pixie said politely. "But we don't want to impose -"

The selkie grabbed his hand. "Big Brother, let's do it!" His eyes shone with excitement. "Just one. The nice mister said it's fine."

The Traveler looked conflicted. "But that's…."

"Oh, it's fine." The man dismissed. "Nothin' to lose on both sides, yeah?"

Except for your side. Four smiled gratefully. "If you insist. Just one, okay?"

"Yay!"

The game master chuckled. "What's your bet, then, my good lad?"

Wind tapped a finger on his chin as he deliberated. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes when he finally answered. "How about…all in?"

The man hesitated. "All…in?"

"Yeah!" The Sailor nodded enthusiastically. "If we win, we get all your money." He tilted his head innocently as he gazed into the older man's eyes. "Is it not allowed?"

"Ah…" The game master stared at him, completely transfixed by those blue eyes. "N-No. I suppose it's fine."

The selkie beamed, and the man looked down blankly at the cups. The former shuffled with ease, though he looked distracted while doing so. There was a loud TAP! as he finished and flourished them before the heroes.

"Your pick?"

The Hero of Winds crunched his nose in faux concentration while scrutinizing the cups. "I choose…" A minute passed before his eyes veered off course. His face lit up, and he pointed at the man. "...That!"

The game master looked confused. "H-Huh?"

"Your sleeve!" The Sailor exclaimed out loud for the crowd to hear. "The ball's in your sleeve!"

"HUH?" The man panicked, and the object accidentally slipped from his sleeve and bounced on the cobblestone. The crowd gasped in shock and disbelief - some already glaring daggers at him. He waved his hands frantically as he tried (and failed) to explain himself. "W-Wait! This is-!"

"Looks like we won." The Smith was already at the swindler's side and fished the heavy pouch with deft fingers. He tossed it to the selkie, who caught it with a HUP! "Thanks for playing with us."

"W-W-Wait! Stop! Ya' - ARGH!"

Before the man could stop him, Four had slipped out of his reach, and Wind and Hyrule were already gone. They ducked into an alley and disappeared into a different crowd, laughing and shoving each other playfully as the sounds of an angry mob trailed in the background.

AU Lore #7:

Selkies are aquatic fae that usually lives in polar regions. Those that live in warmer climates like Wind are rare and live near coastal areas. They are shapeshifters that turn into seals whenever they wear their coats. Selkies can charm people to do their bidding, but this can be easily countered by non-immune targets with awareness and a strong will to resist. Like the merfolk, they are gifted with a beautiful voice, which can be used as a weapon. Because of this, selkies are naturally musically inclined, and many well-known musicians and composers in history come from this race.