the escaped logician (cadence) wrote in ironman7, @ 2007-09-29 20:31:00 |
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Entry tags: | cadence, final fantasy xii, week 6: prompt 5 |
Final Fantasy XII (Reddas/Balthier) [week 6 - prompt 5]
Title: On the Table
Author: Cadence
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 400
Summary: Balthier scowls when Reddas takes a seat across from him. "Is swindling spare change out of your underlings a habit of yours?"
Balthier scowls when Reddas takes a seat across from him. "Is swindling spare change out of your underlings a habit of yours?"
Reddas looks amused. "I thought you'd be up to the challenge."
Certainly, the bets at this table are hardly small, and Balthier's been doing well tonight. Still, there are men with a certain level of wealth who shouldn't descend to gambling with people who are likely to go bankrupt trying to beat them. Reddas is as certainly in the former category as Balthier is in the latter.
"Let's see about that, shall we?" Balthier finds himself saying anyway, and he offers Reddas the deck to deal.
He holds his own well for a few rounds. Then he finds himself staring at a hand full of sword cards as Reddas slides as pile of chits to the center of the table. It'll take everything Balthier's got to match it.
He matches it.
"Certain about that?" Reddas asks with a quirking grin. "Luck can be fickle with her affections, I'm sure you know."
"Quite sure, but thank you." Balthier says coolly.
"Hmm." Reddas says, and lifts his hand, under which there is another few thousand gil worth of chits. "Oh, but it seems you're a bit short."
"Damn you," Balthier growls. "You know that's all I've got."
"Come now, I'm sure you have something of equivalent value to offer."
"A clever gambler never bets more than what he brought, and that is what I've brought."
"I see at least one more thing you have here which is always good for a bet." Reddas grins widely.
Balthier's face hardens. "Fine, then it is on the table. But I'll have you know I'm worth far more than a few thousand gil. Show your cards, swindler."
Reddas turns his hand over. It's full of entirely mismatched cards – he has nothing. Balthier stares.
"What –"
"It was worth it, to see if the option was available." Reddas stands slightly and leans across the table. "And is it, still?" he asks, voice rumbling low.
Something prevents Balthier from snapping a negative immediately. Reddas is a bastard pirate with a ridiculous amount of power. But he doesn't exploit it, and that is probably what earns him respect.
"Perhaps," Balthier hedges eventually. Apparently that's enough, as Reddas hauls him across the table for a rough kiss.
"I'll have one of the dealers hold your winnings for later."