7th Fall 516
It had been a good day for her. Two performances had gone well, the crowds that had gathered small, but definitely entertained, and she had managed to get a reading done, for a young woman who had been planning to visit her grandmother. It was an interesting reading, that was what she could say about it. Nothing seemed to make sense or add up - she blamed Alvadas since considering how hard it was to travel around normally.
Nephti flicked the cards through her hands, raising from where she had sat to do her tricks. Her mind was elsewhere, but was caught by an old man who sat across the road, resting against a house while he himself perched on a pile of crates. He gestured, although the Eypharian wasn’t certain whether it was to her. She waited a second, watching him, before he scratched his balding head and gestured again, forcefully pointing a stubby finger.
“Oi, six-arms, get over here, now,” he grunted, pointing some more in case the six armed girl couldn’t understand his common. Curious, Nephti did what he said, shuffling over quickly. “Finally,” he muttered when she came close enough to take a good look at him. He wore loose, ragged clothes, scrunching a loose hat in one hand while the other picked at chunk of meat in his teeth. He looked her up and down, clearly judging her, while she struggled to restrain herself from doing the same.
“So, six-arms, you seem to think you’re a master of the cards?” While Nephti struggled to find a response, he continued, not exactly expecting one. “I’ve seen you, all day, with those things in your hands, all six of ‘em, playing with the public.” He stopped for another moment, letting Nephti open her mouth before cutting her off again. “You do a good shuffle and a nice deal. Not sure what you say to the lot but you get them interested.” He paused again, but this time Nephti knew not to bother. Annoyed that she had learned, he continued a little more violently, letting a bit of spit fly, “Not bad, not bad at all. Perhaps you do know stuff. But you don’t know everything, do you? Let me show you something… different to the little party tricks you know.”
He pointed at the ground beside him, waiting for Nephti to sit there before he slunk to the ground himself, pushing a crate between them to form a table. Then he gestured towards the cards in her hand, waiting for her to hand them over. She put that set, the newer, more elaborate set, away, returning with the cards she had always had. Then she passed them over, watching his short fingers rifle through them, pulling out the cards he didn’t like. Empress, Fool, all the major deck. He pushed them back in a rough pile towards her, watching as she struggled to make them neat again with a smile. Then he pulled cards out, showing them to her.
“Ever heard of Stammer and Blush?” When Nephti showed now recognition, he continued, “Let me show you. You start with two cards, and there’ll be three face up for us all to see in the middle - we like to skip the first betting, if it’s a quick game. We bet, we add another card, and we do that again. You want a good hand. The best hand. Or you want to get everyone else to fold.” He spat to the side, “It’s not hard. You either fold, check, or raise the bet. Get it?” She wasn’t certain she did, but she nodded anyway. “Good.” The man looked around, spotting people she hadn’t even noticed, and pointing his stubby finger at them too. One was a young man, the other somewhere in between the two. They settled in around, Nephti feeling a little daunted by the group that now sat around.
It had been a good day for her. Two performances had gone well, the crowds that had gathered small, but definitely entertained, and she had managed to get a reading done, for a young woman who had been planning to visit her grandmother. It was an interesting reading, that was what she could say about it. Nothing seemed to make sense or add up - she blamed Alvadas since considering how hard it was to travel around normally.
Nephti flicked the cards through her hands, raising from where she had sat to do her tricks. Her mind was elsewhere, but was caught by an old man who sat across the road, resting against a house while he himself perched on a pile of crates. He gestured, although the Eypharian wasn’t certain whether it was to her. She waited a second, watching him, before he scratched his balding head and gestured again, forcefully pointing a stubby finger.
“Oi, six-arms, get over here, now,” he grunted, pointing some more in case the six armed girl couldn’t understand his common. Curious, Nephti did what he said, shuffling over quickly. “Finally,” he muttered when she came close enough to take a good look at him. He wore loose, ragged clothes, scrunching a loose hat in one hand while the other picked at chunk of meat in his teeth. He looked her up and down, clearly judging her, while she struggled to restrain herself from doing the same.
“So, six-arms, you seem to think you’re a master of the cards?” While Nephti struggled to find a response, he continued, not exactly expecting one. “I’ve seen you, all day, with those things in your hands, all six of ‘em, playing with the public.” He stopped for another moment, letting Nephti open her mouth before cutting her off again. “You do a good shuffle and a nice deal. Not sure what you say to the lot but you get them interested.” He paused again, but this time Nephti knew not to bother. Annoyed that she had learned, he continued a little more violently, letting a bit of spit fly, “Not bad, not bad at all. Perhaps you do know stuff. But you don’t know everything, do you? Let me show you something… different to the little party tricks you know.”
He pointed at the ground beside him, waiting for Nephti to sit there before he slunk to the ground himself, pushing a crate between them to form a table. Then he gestured towards the cards in her hand, waiting for her to hand them over. She put that set, the newer, more elaborate set, away, returning with the cards she had always had. Then she passed them over, watching his short fingers rifle through them, pulling out the cards he didn’t like. Empress, Fool, all the major deck. He pushed them back in a rough pile towards her, watching as she struggled to make them neat again with a smile. Then he pulled cards out, showing them to her.
“Ever heard of Stammer and Blush?” When Nephti showed now recognition, he continued, “Let me show you. You start with two cards, and there’ll be three face up for us all to see in the middle - we like to skip the first betting, if it’s a quick game. We bet, we add another card, and we do that again. You want a good hand. The best hand. Or you want to get everyone else to fold.” He spat to the side, “It’s not hard. You either fold, check, or raise the bet. Get it?” She wasn’t certain she did, but she nodded anyway. “Good.” The man looked around, spotting people she hadn’t even noticed, and pointing his stubby finger at them too. One was a young man, the other somewhere in between the two. They settled in around, Nephti feeling a little daunted by the group that now sat around.
