//------------------------------// // Secret Weapon // Story: Sweetie Belle: Blackjack Dealer. Yay! // by RaylanKrios //------------------------------// Sweetie Belle burst into the Carousel Boutique brimming with the excitement from her very first job offer. “Rarity! Rarity! I just got a job at the casino!” Rarity looked up from the pattern she was stitching, bewildered, “I’m sorry dear, what was that? You found a job? “Uh huh, I walked by the groundbreaking ceremony for the casino and my horn started tingling just like yours did at that school pageant so I went to the casino owner and he said I could be a Blackjack dealer on Friday nights and weekends! Isn’t that great?” Sweetie Belle said, gasping for breath. “Royal Flush agreed to let you work at his Casino?” “Yep, weren’t you listening? I’m going to be a blackjack dealer!” Rarity exploded into the temporary offices of the Lucky Horseshoe dragging Sweetie Belle, who was futilely pulling on her tail, desperate to stop her big sister. “I don’t know what it is you think you’re doing, but Sweetie Belle is my sister! You are going to abandon whatever sick, twisted plan you have for her or I will shove my hoof so far up your plot that you will need a royal decree from Celestia herself to remove it! I will burn this place to ashes and then I will burn those ashes! I WILL BUCK YOU UP!” The room went deathly silent save for Rarity’s heavy breathing and flaring nostrils. Royal Flush looked up at the mare threatening to immolate his charred corpse, “Umm employee families get half off our buffet on Fridays?” he offered. “Oh, well that sounds lovely. Never mind then. Have fun Sweetie,” Rarity called over her shoulder as she cantered away. After a few weeks of construction, the Lucky Horseshoe Casino was prepared to open. It was somewhat small and less garish than most casinos, but it was still unmistakably a casino; the slot machines, gaming tables and hideous carpeting saw to that. “Now, do you know what the most important part about being a Blackjack Dealer is?” Royal Flush asked as he conducted Sweetie’s orientation. “Hit on 16 or below, stay on 17 and above. Unless it’s a soft seventeen, then you hit. And always split your aces?” “Very good, but no. The most important thing about being a blackjack dealer is that you let the customer know you’re on their side. Congratulate them when they win, apologize when they lose. You want them to do well.” “I’m on their side? But don’t I play for the house?” “Nope. You don’t gamble as a Blackjack dealer, house rules tell you what to do. You’re there to make the customer feel welcome; all you have to think about is being friendly and keeping that adorable smile up. “Friendly, smile, got it. You can count on me, sir!” Sweetie said flashing her best thousand watt smile, the kind that had been known to make adults everywhere melt into syrupy piles of goo. Royal Flush saw Sweetie’s smile and matched it with one of his own. His plan was foolproof. “Just like that. You’re gonna be great, kid.” Finally, it was opening night. Despite their reservations, the citizens of Ponyville turned out to see their newest attraction and maybe see if Royal Flush meant what he said about the place being family friendly. So far, it appeared he was true to his word.True, the cocktail servers were naked, but most ponies in Ponyville walked around naked anyway, so it wasn’t a big deal. Everything was going swimmingly as Royal Flush walked the grounds, glad handling the patrons and comping the occasional meal until he saw two stallions walk in. If they weren’t as big as Big Mac, they were only off by a pie or two. The wore matching, albeit different colored, fedoras, had the same narrowed eyes and grim countenances. Anypony in the casino business would instantly recognize them as low level enforcers for one of the major crime families based out of either Manehattan or Las Pegasus. “Youse the owner of this here establishment?” the stallion on the right said as they zeroed in on Royal Flush. “That is correct. What can I help you gentlecolts with?” he said with a smile, knowing full well what they were here for. “We’s here looking for a donation to the ‘this place doesn’t get busted up’ fund,” the stallion on the left said with a crocodile smile and the slightest hint of a glare in his eye. No doubt he had perfected the look based on a long history of “fundraising.” “Because a mind is a terrible thing to waste, such as your’s splattered all over this here shiny, new carpet,” his partner said with his own,though somewhat less polished, smile and glare combination. “Oh, well, I wouldn’t want that. I’d be happy to make a donation, but you see all the money the casino has is in circulation at the blackjack table. Our dealer is quite popular; you’ll have to solicit from her,” Royal Flush said with his own crocodile smile. It was time to unveil his secret weapon against the mob. “We gotta work on your innuendo Mugsy,” the stallion on the left said as the pair made their way over to the tables. Mare or stallion, it didn’t matter to the duo. They only had one rule: get paid. There was only one blackjack table, and it was indeed the most popular table in the place. The crowd of ponies surrounding the table began to part as the two stallions approached. As the last remnants of the crowd remembered that they wanted to try another game, the two stallions saw the famed blackjack dealer sitting there patiently smiling with her wide green eyes. “Youse the blackjack dealer?” The statement wasn’t so much a question as an expression of surprise. “Yep. My name is Sweetie Belle, would you like to buy some chips?” Both stallions stood there slack-jawed, but a job was a job. “Umm I’m Nunzio and this is my partner Mugsy. We’re from Manehattan.” Nunzio said, unsure exactly how to proceed. “Oooh, my sister’s been to Manehattan. Nice to meet you!” Sweetie said, her cheerful smile never wavering. “Pleasure to makes your acquaintance. Now you see, we’s here to make sure nothing bad happens to this here casino,” Nunzio said, hoping not to have to explain himself further. If she really was a casino employee, surely she would have been briefed on the need to pay for protection. “Oh, that’s very nice of you.” The two stallions stood there expecting Sweetie to hand over a bag of bits, but the filly just sat there smiling at them. “What my partner means to say is that it would be a shame if something bad was to happen, and we can make sure that it doesn’t,” Mugsy chimed in. “Well don’t let me stop you, unless you need me to do something? Should I move my table? Is it in the way?” The two stallions stood there dumbfounded. Usually they walked in, gave their thinly veiled threat, and the victim paid up. “Just a second miss, I needs ta conference with my partner for a sec.” The two stallions retreated to the corner as the crowd quickly surrounded the table again. “Mugsy, she ain’t gettin it.” “I know Nunzio, but what are we supposed ta do?” “Boss sez if anypony don’t play ball we’s supposed to whack em.” “Buck that, I ain’t whackin no filly. I’m a hitpony, not a monster.” “You wanna go and tell da boss we’s didn’t do what we was contracted to do?” “No. But I don’t wanna whack no kid either.” The two ponies looked over at Sweetie Belle, who sat at the table with her ever present smile, dealing cards and playing to the crowd, cheering excitedly when a customer won and sticking out her lower lip with a pained ‘I’m sowwy’ when they didn’t. Nunzio let out a groan at a particularly adorable pout of condolence from the dealer.“Ok here’s what we’s gonna do. We tells da boss that the dealer was a real heavy badass.” He stole another furtive glance at Sweetie Belle. “Ex special forces, Liam Neighlson style, particular set of skills and what have you. We took a run at ‘em and he beat us up good, told us to spread the word that the Lucky Horseshoe is off limits.” “Ain’t nopony gonna believe that, we don’t look roughed up none.” “Well yeahs numbskull. We’s gonna halfta rough eachother up.” “But my daughters Cuitiesceneria is on sunday, I can’t show up looking all busted.” “It’s either that or disappoints da boss. Do youse wants to be the one who tells him the real reason why we don’t have his protection money?” The bells and whistles of the slot machines combined with the adoration of the crowd muffled the pained groans and thumps of the two stallions in the alley as Sweetie Belle sat blissfully unaware at her table, waiting for her next customers.