At 12:20 AM 02/2/96 -0500, you wrote:
Panda: "Chang, my man. Would you be so kind as to set up a table and a >>few chairs for our guests?"
Chang returns shortly with a card table and a dozen folding chairs. After
setting the table up, and seeing that everyone is comfortable, Chang pours
saki into a dozen glasses that ring the card table. The bottle strangely does
not seem to ever get empty. Panda finishes shuffling the cards and takes a >>long look at each of the player's faces that surround the table. Saf, Gopher,
Nabiki, A wraith, Firehawke, Ozymandias and SkyKnight all stare back with
a determined look in their eyes (and visors). None of them realizes that the
black and white bear has just returned from the Inter-Galactic and Parallel
Universe >Poker Championship- as Grand Champion. And they would
have a very difficult time guessing this fact. For what better poker face to
have- than a panda's.
Panda: Be my guest Sir SkyKnight. You may cut the deck . . .
"Of course," the silver-clad Knight Saber replied, a smirk evident
in the tone of his voice. With a flickering, whip-quick snap of motion, the
silver hardsuit whipped one of his arm-swordblades throught the middle of
the deck, lengthwise, flipping the top half of the deck into midair, and
catching it deftly. As everyone stared, the silver-garbed gladiator picked
up the second half of the deck, and then riffled the cards in a blurring
whir of pasteboards.
He paused partway through his shuffling, and extracted a greenish card that
didn't match the rest of the deck.
"Hmmm," he mused. "Looks like someone left home without their
American Express card." SHrugging, the silver hardsuit flicked the card
through the air, where it neatly sliced off a tree, vanishing into the
distance. "I guess that was a cut-rate deal," he remarked. Finishing
shuffling, he placed the deck back on the table, and then reached out and
properly cut the deck, manually dividing it in half.
"Let the chips fall where they may."
Panda grins at the silver-suited SkyKnight.
Panda: "Well Chang, looks like you'll have to pick up groceries with your Visa
card tomorrow instead."
Chang groans.
Panda: "Alright- let's start with a simple game. Five Card Hockey, 3 in front,
2 in the back. High card shoot-out. Ante up people. Betting starts at five
dollars" [Panda chomps on his cigar and grins] "It's gonna be a lonnnnngggg
night!"
The wraith-like form re-appears from the ground and solidifies behind
Nabiki. Extending a long and wizenned index finger, the likes of which
and mad wizard would have been proud to own, Neoculture prods Nabiki into
the small of her back.
"Hey!" shouts Nabiki, slapping his hand away.
The wraiths backs away for a second, then returnes, prodding her in the
ribs. "Stop that!"
Sapphire looks up. "What are you doing?"
The wraith pauses, gathering its thoughts. "Same as you all," it answers
in a sepulchural voice, "playing 'Poke-her'."
Panda stares at the Wraith with a stone-cold look on his face- and then breaks into a big grin. "I like this guy."
And they did , as one very perturbed young girl entered the room. She looked
over at Skyknight with a look that could kill. Skyknight was shocked,
the one person he never expted to meet at this poker game was here. His
eternal nemisis was here, Ami Mizuno. "How's it going Skyknight...I owe
you for that last poker game..."
Skyknight gulped. He rembered vividly the last poker game he played. He
rembered how he had vivdly humilated one Sailor Mercury in one hand. But >he also rembered that she had made a starnge vow, a vow to hunt himd to
end's of the earth and reality until she beat him at poker. Lately she had been
poping up in BGZ making his life a living hell. Now she was here, ruining
the perfect poker setup....
<snip>
"All right M'lady..." Skyknight chuckled. He was about to use the most
dangerous weapon in the world, deadlier then a light sabre, more lethel than
a hard suit. He was about to pun his oppenet's to death....
Panda listened to the Voice Over as it faded from the room, and then stared
at Ami. "Chang, could you get the lady a chair? Thank-you. Alright- *Ami* is it?
Okay, Ami. You want a piece of this pot then ante up. Five bucks gets you
five cards. Chang- a little more saki for my guests. They look parched" ;)
Panda
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BG Cross
The Dark Traveller
askuse@execulink.com
Co-Maintainer of the Fanfic ML FAQ
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