[open] shell game
Theo Caldwell
Grifter

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10" | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
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#15

Theo

Theo put the quill with the necklaces he'd already won, humming happily to himself. A good day's work: he'd better close up now. It was getting dark, and even Theo didn't want to be out in the Port at night without good reason.

"You're really missing out!" he told Sam when he refused a second game. Then the accusation came. Theo raised his eyebrows. "What an accusation! If you think the game is rigged, why'd you play?"

can't say good morning without lying twice


coding base by Skylark
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
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#16
Samuel

Sam was tempted to just keep walking after his comment, see if Theo was going to follow him (he predicted he wouldn't once it became clear he was going to Zeph's house: he wasn't sure why, but a lot of the local crooks seemed to have a respect for his host)...but something stopped him and made him want to reply despite his stutters and anxiety. Maybe a chance to dispel some of the anger he felt elsewhere.

"B-Because I was scared you'd h--hu-hurt me if I didn't." He said, motioning around to the dock: presumably Theo knew the kind of things that happened there in the dark corners. "I c-could do the exact same trick...b-but I'm....I don't w..wan..want to trick people." Admittedly if he was trying to avoid a beating he was now really going against that goal, but he'd made his moral line in the sand now.

Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Theo Caldwell
Grifter

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10" | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 7 - Int:
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#17

Theo

Theo raised an eyebrow. "You're afraid of little ol' me?"

Well, Sam wasn't wrong to be wary of street hucksters in general. But Theo didn't have a violent bone in his body. Scam, steal, lie -- yes, he'd do all those without compunction. But he had no taste for physical violence. He carried a pocket knife, nothing more, and usually used that to slice fruit. Of course, a stranger had no way of knowing that, so Theo wasn't exactly offended by the assumption.

Still: "Maybe you should stay away from the Port in the evening if you're so worried about folks like us."

Sam's assertion that he could run his own shell game actually offended Theo more than the accusation of violence -- though that's not saying much. But Theo had spent years perfecting the sleight of hand and control over his telekinesis necessary to deceive the unwary eye. Giving no sign of his annoyance, he grinned and gestured expansively to the cups. "Well, I had no idea I was working on a fellow practitioner! Demonstrate, then, if you could do it yourself."

can't say good morning without lying twice


coding base by Skylark
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
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#18
Samuel

Sam was afraid of just about anyone in the right circumstances, but he was smart enough to keep that a secret, just shrugging at the question. It wasn't really Theo in particular, but what he represented: the shadowy world that Sam knew lurked under the dock, the crimes and swindles he heard the reputations of every day in whispers and rumours all throughout Torchline.

It was when the offer was passed to him to run the game that he realised just how badly he'd messed up here. He had telekinesis, but none of the charisma or light handwork required to make the game work. Still, he'd gotten this far...with a sigh, he stepped up to the stall.

He had an idea of what to do, a way that hopefully wouldn't take too much finesse. Taking the cups and the ball, he placed it under the leftmost cup, then went to move that cup with his gloved hand. His movements were awkward and slow, no showmanship in them at all, but he did manage to shuffle the cups and keep the ball stuck to the top of the first one throughout, meaning the ball would appear to have disappeared from any cup Theo chose. "...There."

Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Theo Caldwell
Grifter

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10" | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 7 - Int:
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#19

Theo

With Sam's slow and clumsy movements, Theo easily tracked the cup with the ball in it -- and he could tell that Sam didn't actually remove it from the cup. He picked up the cup, but after an instant of surprise that the ball didn't appear to be under it, he wised up and flipped the cup over to reveal it.

Well, Sam had done better than he thought, but still. "First rule: always raise the cup yourself. Never let the customer touch the merchandise. What do I win now?"

can't say good morning without lying twice


coding base by Skylark
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
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#20
Samuel

Unsurprisingly given Sam's lack of expertise, Theo found the ball, though he did smile just a little when he noticed the man had a moment's trouble when it wasn't where he expected it to be. Still, he found it and Sam stood back, watching carefully to see what Theo would say.

His advice was likely sound, but he felt it revealed something else. "...Wh..why shouldn't you let the customer t-touch it?"

Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Theo Caldwell
Grifter

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10" | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 7 - Int:
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MP: 1749
#21

Theo

That response made Theo look at Sam, wondering if he were a bit daft. Of course you don't let the customer touch the cup. It's a scam; never let anyone do anything out of your control. But Theo had an inveterate liar's distaste for outright admitting to his deception. Instead he simply said, "Oh, you know. Get into all sorts of trouble that way. Plus, you never know where their hands have been."

can't say good morning without lying twice


coding base by Skylark
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
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#22
Samuel

Sam had been hoping Theo might say what he thought so he could catch him out on the game being a con, but it seemed the man was a little too smart for that to work. Well, he supposed it had been worth a try.

Now he was stuck having this conversation though and there was no clear way out. "..Right. Um,...w-well. I'm going to...go." He tried, beginning to step away, regretting very much having engaged at all with the man and his strange game.

Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love
Theo Caldwell
Grifter

Age: 34 | Height: 5'10" | Race: Abandoned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Halo
Level: 2 - Strg: 12 - Dext: 17 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 7 - Int:
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#23

Theo

Theo almost laughed at the hesitance in Samuel's attempt to extricate himself from the situation. What would Sam do if Theo said "no"? If Theo demanded that he stick around? He was tempted to try just to mess with him. What a sad little man ...

"You sure you don't want to grab a drink together?" Theo replied, with a slightly sarcastic friendliness. Of course, Theo was always up for a drink -- as long as someone else was buying -- but he doubted this man wanted to hang out with him. Rather, he just thought it would be funny to see Sam's reaction to the invitation.

can't say good morning without lying twice


coding base by Skylark
Samuel Wordsworth
Book maker/seller

Age: 34 | Height: 5' 5" | Race: Ascended | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 10 - Strg: 28 - Dext: 25 - Endr: 27 - Luck: 25 - Int: 1
MIA - Regular - Ragdoll Cat
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Posts: 3,135 | Total: 8,707
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#24
Samuel

The offer from Theo just drew a quick shake of the head from Sam, wide eyes clearly showing he was quite alarmed by the question: was it some kind of threat in disguise? Haulani code for 'I'm going to kick your ass later'? He didn't know and he certainly didn't want to find out. "Um..N...no thank you. No." He mumbled, then as quickly as he could began to walk away, hoping to reach Zeph's house before any thugs jumped him in the street.

{fin}

Suppose I never ever met you
Suppose we never fell in love


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