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Chapter 2 Scene 4 - A Diamond Among the Rough

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  A few months had passed without incident after she managed to get Desper and Decadent on her side and Rami was finally letting herself relax. With the help of Decadent and his extra income, she had been able to open a few more bars by now, which she frequented herself; just to make sure nothing was going awry.

  It was one such occasion that sparked a bit of intrigue. She was sitting st the bar itself, people-watching and making easy conversation with the bartender when she noticed something. There was one man, who was sitting alone. This in-and-of-itself was not unusual, but it was the fact that he had stood up and proclaimed to the entire bar. If they wished to try his game, they could win all the money in the ‘pot’. But if they lost, they had to donate to it. The minimum donation was twenty dollars. Quite the steep price, though seeing as he began the pot with two hundred, it really didn’t hold a candle. Many tried, all failed. He managed to get most of her patron’s money.
This made her a bit more interested, so she excused herself from her conversation, slid off the barstool and walked over to the table.

  Looking up, the man gave a wink and a smile to the newest person to step forward to his challenge.  However, behind his smile, there was something only the most observant of people would notice; the cold gaze of a predator.  He was an older man, probably in his mid-fifties, but he still carried himself with the spry movements of youth, to the point where his apparent age seemed to be entirely aesthetic.  Short hair, silver to the point of almost being white, blue-grey eyes, and a lanky figure, all wrapped up in a clean white suit with a matching top hat.  In one hand, he twirled a cane with expert skill, before bringing it to a stop on the floor.  ”Ah, ladies and gentlemen, we appear to have another contender!  Now then, madame, what might your name be?”

  Naturally, her gaze wandered him a moment, taking in every detail her trained eyes could. He was a rather interesting figure to be sure. Flashing a bright smile, she answered. “Most call me Rami.” She figured she’d play his game, just once. Other’s quickly gathered closer, as she was never one to speak to others, she was simply there to observe. Yet here she was, speaking to someone and even going so far as to play a game that it seemed like nobody could win. She was a strange one herself.

  Smiling wider, the man’s grin reaching from ear to ear.  ”Well then, Rami, dear, the pot is currently set at one thousand, three hundred, and forty dollars.  Would you care to make a bet?”

  Thinking for a moment, she reached into the pocket of her pants that were only barely covered by an over-skirt of sorts. Pulling out six tens. “Why not? Luck and chance usually end up on my side.” Not a total lie. It was mostly luck that had gotten her the help she had now, one of which was still over at the bar, probably wondering what the hell she thought she was doing.

  Letting out a laugh, the man accepted her money and explained the rules of the game.  Overly complex and often repetitive, it was no wonder most people hadn’t been able to get far against this man.  Even Rami was having trouble wrapping her head around it.  Eventually, once he had finally finished his explanation, the game started.

  As the game progressed, more and more people were drawn in to watch.  For once, someone was actually managing to play the game against him.  By no means was Rami winning, but she was able to keep it going.  The game was eventually declared a tie, as neither side was able to gain ground on the other.

  Neither of them let their smiles drop, either, as the game progressed. Once it was declared a tie, the red-haired woman let out a small chuckle. “Well now, that was rather entertaining. You you mind terribly if I stuck around a bit, just to see if anyone else has my luck?” Though she knew full well that nobody would, it was likely the only way she would be able to keep a close eye on this man.

  Letting out a laugh of his own, the man replied, “Of course, though, since you did manage to come the closest out of everyone here, I suppose I should reward you for your valiant effort.  Let’s say…  Split the money down the middle?”

  “Seems fair enough to me.” She replied easily, sitting down next to the grinning madman. Doling out her share of the money, the man did his best to stifle a cackle rising in his throat.  As the night progressed, more people came to try their luck.  Eventually, a rather large and muscular man came, wagered one hundred dollars, and was soundly beaten.  The man did not appreciate this fact and decided to try and beat the old man within an inch of his life.  As Some, standing guard against such roughhousing, moved forward, the old man quickly moved his cane with lightning speed.  With three sharp cracks, the man was sent to the ground.  The bar quickly erupted into a fistfight as patrons argued over who could take out the old man first and escape with the cash.

  In the confusion, Some, Rami, the rest of the staff, and the old man escaped. Once safely out of the confusion, Rami looked back at her establishment with a sigh. “Oh lovely. That’ll take a lot to replace, that will….” Turning to the others that had made it out, she noticed the elder male was there as well, that ever-present grin still plastered to his face. “Glad to see you made it.”

  At this, the man let loose a blood curdling cackle, unsettling all the others present. ”Ah, haven’t had a night like this in quite some time.”

  “Well stick around, and you’ll have plenty more.” She spoke softly. “My establishments have a habit of attracting… Trouble.” At that last word, she cast a semi-joking look to Some.

  Grinning and chuckling, the man did his best to continue, “Ah, stick around you say?  And for what purpose would I stay?”

  This made her pause to think. She had a steady flow of income, and plenty of help ensuring relative peace remained in her little havens. But what about actually keeping track of what she earns…? The man seemed decent enough with money, though you could only trust him to the letter of his word. Leastways it seemed that way to her. But she was willing to risk it. She had all the back up she figured she’d need just in case things went awry. “I could use a man like you. What say you work with me, hm?”

  Pondering this for a bit, the man eventually came up with a response, “Well, I suppose I’ve been moving around for too long.  I might as well stay with you.  After all, you’re all very amusing people, that’s for sure.”

  Chuckling, Rami cocked a brow. “Amusing? How so?”

  “Well, for one, you’re offering me a job and you don’t even know my name!”

  This gained a light shrug from the red-head. “And? I fail to see why that should be an issue. I know your face and I’d learn your name eventually.”

  This recieved a brief chuckle from the man, “I suppose you’re right.  But, seeing as I already have yours, it would only be fair to give you mine.  I am the great Grin Foxworthy, at your service.”  Accenting this with a bow, the man went back to his earlier fit of cackling.

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Some said, “Boss, this guy comes in, causes trouble, steals money from patrons, no less, and you offer him a job?”

  Giving a small nod to the now named madman, she turned to respond to Some. “Absolutely. He’s proven his own worth, don’t you think?”

  Sighing, Some replied with a concise, “Whatever you say, Boss.”

  Smiling to Some, she turned back to Grin, who was finally calming his fit of laughter. Pulling a card out, she handed it to him. An ace of diamonds. “Welcome to Suits, Grin.”
This is the beginning of the gathering. Once this chapter concludes, the real fun will begin. Just as things were starting to settle down, who should appear but our final Suit? Here to simply play a game with the patrons, things quickly spiral out of control when nobody wins.

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