Of Magic and Gambling
Well, I'm contractually bound to return anyways.
'That doesn't mean you can't be cautious going in!' Sin's inner critic screamed at him as the stallion approached the library. The more Sin had thought about it, the more he'd come to the conclusion that he didn't need to worry about the spa threats. It didn't make logical sense to send him there, and the two mares had both agreed with him by the end of the night.'For a master of sarcasm, you really can't identify it, can you?'
It was an irrelevant detail at this point, he'd need to confront the librarian sooner or later. Might as well get it out of the way.
'You know what? I'm going to enjoy this.'
He pushed open the door and walked in, closing it behind him. As expected, both Twilight and Uppity were sitting on the couch, though they weren't talking, instead the two were playing some kind of card game. Each of their cards held in their respective magics against their foreheads. Though, it wasn't a game Sin was familiar with.
"Hi Sin!" Twilight greeted a little too cheerfully.
Sin nodded and asked what the two were doing, they looked ridiculous with the cards playing cards stuck to their foreheads like that. Apparently it was a game based on deception and risk. The players could see the other pony's card but not their own and decide if they wanted to fold, call or raise judging on the opponent's reaction. If neither folded or raised than the higher card holder won. Kinda like poker, but instead of seeing your own hand, you saw your opponent's.
Stupid aesthetically, it did hit a small itch the Stallion had for gambling. Though there was no stakes at play, so it was just stupid.
"Awww, darn." Uppity muttered seeing her four of hearts loss to the six of clubs. Twilight threw her hoof up triumphantly and basked in her opponents loss. Of course it was all in good fun and the two shared in a laugh. "That was fun." Uppity was in full agreement, Sin knew she had trouble making friends and was happy to see her making one. Even if it was through one of the most ridiculous games he'd ever seen.
And just as quickly as the fun could be seen, it ended. The two turning their heads with the librarian grinning maniacally and Uppity smiling innocently. "Are you ready for your Spa visit, Sin?"
'Called it!'
"Are you two still on about that?" The stallion deadpanned, he didn't wait for an answer and simply walked past them confidently to his spot in the back.
"Oh no you don't." Twilight grinned, Sin turned to find her horn aglow and the familiar tingle of her aura encompassing his body, but just as quickly as it had come, the aura felt disrupted around his body and "popped", sending the unicorn's hoof up to her head as a mild headache set in.
"What in Equestria?" She cursed, rubbing her horn.
It worked? IT WORKED! Ha! Suck it unicorns, you have no power here!
Sin stood with an all to pleased and smug smirk of satisfaction, all the pain he'd endured that day felt all too worth it just for the look on their faces.
Both mares looked at him in utter shock and disbelief, their jaws hanging open with their eyes the size of dinner plates. He had to restrain a chuckle at the shock value as he could see the cogs in their heads working overtime to justify what had just happened. The district attorney asked if her friend was alright before picking her up. "I'm fine, Uppity. Let's try that again." Twilight declared, summoning her magic and cringing as soon as she had him in her grip. "Oww, what in Equestria going on?"
Sin's smirk somehow grew even more smug and he turned around. "You seem to have lost your touch, Ms. Sparkle." Though, a quick attempt at lifting a book in the same fashion yielded much better results,so she hadn't lost her power over objects so much as she'd just lost it over him and she wanted to know why.
Sin placed a hoof to his chin in mock thought, pretending to be ignorant to the fact. "Afraid I couldn't hazard a guess." He replied sarcastically before continuing back to his spot at the back of the library. He opened a history book and began reading, his smile still firmly planted on his lips. It was a hard fought victory, but it's sweet taste was to be savored. And the mental image of his foe's completely flabbergasted expressions were to be forever a reminder of his triumph over the smartest unicorn in Ponyville.
As expected, Twilight wasn't about to let the issue die, but no matter how much she stomped, pouted or demanded, he wouldn't tell her the secret to his magical immunity. To watch her squirm was almost as satisfying as seeing her face a few seconds ago.
"How about a bet, then?" Uppity asked. Sin turned his attention, his interest very much called for. To his surprise, a typically quiet red pony had somehow learned of his habit and passed the information onto her. "If we beat you in a game of cards, you have to tell us how you did it."
"And in return?" Sin asked, leaning back in his chair.
"We'll leave you alone for a whole week." The mare replied, Twilight began to protest, but the other mare cut her off with a raised hoof, asserting her dominance in the matter. Sin wasn't sure why they were challenging him, but he accepted none the less. A little bit of information vs a whole week of peace and quiet? Hell yea!
'I don't know, I think its a bad idea to indulge your gambling itches. Remember what happened last time.'
He remembered, and he'll never live down the shame in his mind. He'd lost five thousand bills that night. But he learned a very valuable lesson that day, never drink and play cards against a pony named Ace.
The game chosen was a simple one, the one he'd seen them play before. But it was to be a one on one between himself and Twilight, and since Uppity could be used to give subtle hints, she was dismissed from the living room while the two played. The rules were simple, highest card won and both players had one chance to discard their card and draw a new one.
Sin drew from the top of the deck and placed the card against his forehead and Twilight did the same. She had the six of diamonds and he had no idea what he had, but the slight twitch in her left eye told him it must have been good. "Care to bow out?" He smirked, sensing a chance to assert himself as well. "I'll be willing to let all of this go if you just give up now."
Her face hardening in determination, Twilight shook her head and discarded her card to draw another. The Librarian wasn't about to humiliated in her own home. Sin eyes narrowed as he saw her pull up the jack of clubs. Now he had a reason to worry, not just at telling her the info or suffering the indignation of mud baths and massages, but that he might lose. He hated losing.
He sat in thought as the rush of the game quickly jolted through his body. The lightness, the thrill, the uncertainty, it was what made him love gambling. The lack of control, the chance, it was a rush that brought a kind of high the stallion loved to chase. Though, he wasn't sure what to do at this point. Her card had gained alot of value, but he didn't know if his was good enough to beat her. That part was maddening, still it only added to the rush of uncertainty and lack of control.
He smirked and decided to keep his card, much to her dismay.
The two pulled their cards down and Twilight slumped in despair. Sin had the queen of hearts, queens beat jacks. He offered a smirk, "nice try, kiddo."
Rolling her eyes in annoyance, Twilight called in Uppity and Sin basked in the explanation of her losing. He'd won, got to keep his secrets and won a weeks worth of peace. If he'd known this was going to happen, he'd have looked forward to returning to the library.
His joy was interrupted by Uppity, however, who wished to make another bet.
"Another wager, is it? What did you have in mind?" he asked with a Cheshire grin. She called the spa back into account and bet his voluntary compliance to go. "Ha! No thanks, there's nothing you have that would make me even consider that."
"How about you being allowed to live in the Everfree again?" Uppity cooed, smirking knowingly. She knew just what to say to gain his interest. "I'll talk to Celestia and give the condition, but you'd have to maintain your job and checking with Twilight every day, though."
Sin laughed, there was no way Celestia would agree to that. "You underestimate me." Uppity smirked and turned away. "But if you're scared, I'll understand."
He wasn't afraid, there was nothing to be afraid of. The Spa wouldn't really hurt him, just make him extremely uncomfortable. For the chance to get out of town and live in isolation? Such a gamble was well worth the risk.
'You know she's goading you and playing on your weakness, right?'
So what? If his weakness turned into a strength and getting him what he wanted, he'd gladly allow it.
Sin nodded his approval. "Alright, if you beat me, I'll go ahead to the spa, if you don't, I get to go to the Everfree again." Though, Twilight wasn't the opponent this time, Uppity told her to leave and shuffled the deck, holding the cards in her orange aura.
"You ready to lose and make yourself pretty?"
Oh, she wanted to do some shit talking? Alright then. Sin took the top card and held it to his chest. "Big talk from a mare about to run and beg her master to let her charge have his way."
The mare's smirk only intensified and the two raised their cards to their foreheads. Sin maintained his neutrality but felt himself panic a little, she had the king of spades, that wasn't good. And judging by the smirk she still wore, his card wasn't anywhere close to beating her.
"You know," she smirked, her smile softening, "I didn't have to play the game. As your Parole Officer, I do have jurisdiction to tell you what to do, you know that right?
"Aye, but you also want my respect." Sin countered, killing the mare's smile. "And you know that using government force is the quickest way to kill it. Why you want my respect I'm not sure."
Uppity rolled her eyes, he wasn't seriously that dense. And he wasn't, he just wanted to get under her skin. Throw her off of her game, and it seemed to be working, judging by how worked up she was getting.
"Alright, I draw." He placed down his card and drew another one. Uppity made no motion to give away what he'd gained or lost, instead, she sat in quite thought for a second before she too discarded her queen and drew the eight of clubs.
"Care to make another bet?" She asked, studying his forehead carefully. Sin felt the rush from before come back ten fold and asked what about. "If I win, you have to do me one favor, no questions asked. And if you win, I have to do you a favor, no questions asked."
Sin pressed his lips and eyed her carefully. Small beads of sweat were beginning to form below her ears, and her blinking rapidly quickened. Seeing that it was a serious favor she wanted of him, he shook his head. Such requests were far to vague to put up against anything he'd win. "No thanks, call." He pulled down the card and was surprised to find he had the eight of spades.
"Darn, looks like a draw." The mare pouted. "Guess we'll have to go again, and after all that dramatic build up."
"Eh? Play again? No, that's no how it works." Sin interjected. Uppity argued that there was no winner of the game, but the stallion was quick to point out the conditions of victory. "You said that if you didn't beat me, than I didn't have to go to the Spa." His smirk widened. "Well a tie's not beating me."
It was one of the biggest and cheapest play on words Sin had to give himself an edge. He'd gained many enemies and lost many friends because of the technicality, but between victory and friendships he knew which of the two was more important.
"Noooo" Uppity pointed an accusatory hoof. "That's not how it works and you know it! That's cheating."
Cheating? That wasn't cheating, that was playing smart. It wasn't his fault the mare didn't know how to read the fine print. "Give Celestia my regards." He declared as he walked back to his corner of the library. He heard his fallen foe making demands for something or another, but continued on in willful ignorance.
Today was a good day; he's managed to acquire Magical invulnerability, get his job back, make Twilight look like an idiot, make her also beg him to tell her his secrets, might be able to go back to live in the forest, would get peace for an entire week AND won two bets in a row. Today was a very very good day.
'Oh shut up already.'
A very good day indeed.