Omake Week 2024, Day 4
It would not be Omake Week without a contribution from Alys Brangwin and her recurrent nemesis. Incidentally, all of my old Phantasy Star fanfiction, excepting only the novels, from before my fanfiction-dot-net posting days, are still hosted over on Phantasy Star Cave. Jason Cord, playing a supporting role here, was the OC protagonist of "Amber Eyes, Shadow Eyes," my contribution to the cottage industry of Zio backstory fics.
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"And that's why I resolved to never take a job involving Rappies again," Jason Cord finished up the story.
"Did you ever get the stains out?" said Garn, the owner of the Hunter's Guild bar, as he set down Cord's beer.
"No, and worse yet I had to keep wearing the thing for the next month's worth of jobs since I couldn't resist compromising protection."
"That sounds rough," Alys Brangwin said. "I can see why you put up with it, though. Dignity's useless if a sand worm is trying to eat your legs, whereas good armor…"
"You can believe I bought a new set as fast as my budget would let me, though."
"What is it with you and birds, anyway?" Alys asked. "Fen told me about what happened with those meta crows in Termi, and don't even get me started on the duck incident."
"I have no idea," Jason sighed, then took a long pull on his beer. "If it's got feathers, it's out to get me, that's all I know. Do you know how it feels to have that kind of persistent nemesis? Like the world has somehow arranged it that, no matter how you try to avoid the situation, it'll always be thrown in your path?"
Just then, the bar's swinging door slammed open with a bang, and a bellow rang out from the new entrant.
"Alys! Babe! Wait until you see what I've got to show you!"
"Yes," Alys told her friend. "Yes, I think I have a pretty good idea of how that works."
Unaware of his role in cosmic drama, as he was of so many things, Joss Howland swaggered across the bar. A giant smile was plastered on his face.
"I've been waiting for you to come back to Aiedo. Just wait 'till you see what I've learned!"
"You? Learning something?"
"Yes! A challenge for you. All you have to do is find this." He held up a small red ball between the first two fingers of his left hand. "But if you can't find it, then I win, and you go on a date with me."
Alys didn't bother to point out that she had agreed to no such thing. He'd never notice anyway. If she needed to make more pointed objections later, she owned any number of weapons.
"All you have to do is see which one of these three it's under."
This time, he fanned out his right hand, revealing three laerma-nut shells between his spread fingers.
"Three shells, one ball." He waved his hands before his face, then put one shell into his left hand while he set the others down. The third he placed very carefully, keeping his thumb over the hole until the moment he set it on the bar. He then began to mix them up. "All you have to do is tell—urk!"
"Joss?"
The big hunter's eyes started to bulge, and his face started turning red. Little choked sounds emerged from his lips, and he started to sway.
"Joss, what's wrong?" Garn asked.
"I think I know," Alys said, then proceeded to stand up and bury her fist in his belly with as much force as she could muster. There was a rush of air, and the red ball shot out of his mouth with enough force to hit one of the liquor bottles lined up behind the bar.
He sagged to the ground, clutching his midsection while sounds of pained wheezing rose from his body. Which was an improvement; after all, a wheezing man is a breathing man.
"Dude, if you're going to try hiding the ball in your mouth while pretending to put it under a shell, step one is to not inhale it when you talk," Cord said. "That's the first rule of con games: don't accidentally kill yourself doing them."
"That reminds me," Garn said. "Alys found the ball, so what does she win?"
"I don't think Joss thought that far ahead," Cord said, which was probably true. No one ever went broke betting on Joss to not think of things.
Alys waved the concern away.
"It doesn't matter. Honestly, I think I already got my prize."