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 Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:07 pm
There was a game that Silva played with only the people he trusted most. The reason he only played it with them was because it wasn't for cash, it wasn't for jewels, it was for favors. And he was, above all else, extremely strict about paying what was owed.
Tonight he was sitting on the ground in front of his throne, drinking a glass of cherry wine as he let the five dice rattle around in his right hand. "I don't usually get requests for this game," he told Bav, looking slightly amused. "Is there something you want out of me, or are you just feeling lucky?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:32 pm
Bav smirked back at him, also sitting on the floor. She was leaning back on one arm, sipping on her own cherry wine. Frankly, she liked this game. "Wanna guess?" she asked, rather than answer him.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 6:35 pm
"It ain't money," he said. "Were it money you woulda just tried to hit me upside the head and held out a hand, telling me it was payday. Whether it was or not." He tossed the dice, looking at them for a brief second. "Three of a kind, no red."
There were five dice, and it was played like this. One pair of matching marks beat nothing, two pairs of matching marks beat one, three of a kind beat two pairs, and four of a kind beat all. Unless the red dice showed its one single mark. Then that trumped everything, even four of a kind.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:18 pm
"You never play this game for money," she answered, setting down her glass and taking up the dice, rattling them in her hand. "Least, not as long as I've known you. 'Sides, you're right. If I wanted money, I would demand my pay," she grinned wickedly at him.
"So, next guess?" she asked, letting her dice roll. "Pair, no red."
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:23 pm
He rolled the dice. "One pair, one red. That's two rounds to me." Even if he had started the new round. Red meant he got the present round. He glanced over at his guards. "Keeping track?"
"Sure am!" one said cheerfully, writing down a mark.
"Alright," Silva said as he handed back the dice. "You want a slave to do all the physical labor for you," he offered.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:31 pm
She glared at the guard. He didn't have to sound so damn happy about it! Then she took the dice again to roll. They shared the dice, to make sure the other wasn't cheating. She was down two favors already.
Then she laughed at his comment. "Now there's an idea!" Cuz honestly, she wasn't thinking that, even. "You got me building 'lotta things!" Not that she was really complaining. "But no, not that."
She rolled. "Four of a kind! No red, though," she said, grinning.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:35 pm
Silva took the dice, looking at her for a long moment as he shook them lazily He tossed them, glancing briefly down. "Two pair, no red. You win this round. You can use it to negate one of the favors you owe me, or make me pay up," he said.
"Does it have something to do with my cherries?" he asked. "Wine, or dye, or wood. What do you want?"
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:43 pm
"I want," she said carefully, picking up the dice again. She wasn't done. "A vacation. Ain't seen my sister in a while 'n I wanna check on her."
"And ta see if I can negate those favors I owe now." Which was a risk. This was a game of chance, after all. She rolled the dice again, not going to wait for his reaction. How many rounds would she have to win to get a week off?
"Three of a kind, no red."
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:47 pm
"How long of a vacation?" he asked absently as he took the dice and tossed them. There was nothing in the main hand, but the red dice showed the marking. "Red," he said. "My round."
"That gives you two rounds, boss, and one negated by Bav," the scorekeeper said. "but you should still give her a vacation."
"Shut it," Silva said. "She chose to bet on it, so she's going to bet on it." He looked at Bav, waiting for an answer to his question.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 7:59 pm
Besides, just asking for the time off wasn't as much fun as doing something to get it off. And this way, she could probably get more from him, too. That is, if she wasn't so unlucky.
"A week," she answered, taking up the dice. "Figure I deserve at least that much! More, really, but I'll take a week." She couldn't just be not working for so long. It was like cabin fever to her. She needed to be doing something, after all, and it didn't really matter what, as long as it was something.
"Two pair," she grumbled after rolling. Yeah, her luck sucked.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:01 pm
He nodded, taking the dice and tossing them. "One pair," he said. "No red."
"Bav's point," one of the guards called. "Want to negate him?"
"That would leave me with only one win," Silva said. "We're going until you say stop, since you're the one that started this."
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:24 pm
Bav chewed on her lower lip, thinking it over. Two favors for him, and her vacation, or --- She reached for the dice again. "Nope, we keep goin. I liked that idea of a slave," she smirked at him, rolling the dice again.
"Pair... Geez, maybe I should stop, after I get a win back," she said dryly.
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Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2008 8:29 pm
"Pair," he said. "Hold." Whoever won the next round would get two points instead of one. "The slave would be for a week," he told her. "That's all I'm going to offer."
"You get to be it!" one guard said to the other.
"What? Hell, no! You--"
"Already called it."
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Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:37 am
Bav snorted, not really caring who got it. She'd make them work, that was all. Course, she never thought about getting an apprentice to help her out, but there was probably a good reason why she didn't. But having an extra hand for a time would be good. IF she won.
She took a breath, shaking the dice in her hand the rolled them on the ground. When the dice settled, Bav choked on a laugh. "Got the red."
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Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2008 6:56 am
"That means you won both rounds," Silva said. "Which means I owe you one favor. Do you want to go on, or do you want to take the one favor and run?" he asked, looking her straight in the eye. "You wanted to see your sister enough that you challenged me, after all."
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