AW man! i'm supper supper supper supper sorry it's been soooooooooo long! .;

NEED TO KNOW FOR THIS CHAPTER:

Three Card Brag British card game, each person has three cards dealt to them face down & each place a bet staring form the left of the dealer, you can either bet or fold, if there is a previous bet then each player must contribute at least that much to the pot (bet), this continues until there is only two people left and one can double the bet to ‘see’ his opponent, the one with the higher cards takes the winnings.

--from best to worst, are: three of a kind ("prial"), straight flush ("running flush"), straight ("run"), flush, pair, high card.

Acey Deucey (In-Between) Two cards are then, after adding bets to the pot, dealt face-up to one player. That player then bets from nothing to the amount that is in the pot at the time whether or not the third card will numerically fall in between the first two. If the third card falls in between the two other cards, the bettor takes the amount he bet out of the pot; if the third card falls outside of the two other cards, the bettor must add what he bet to the pot; and if the third card matches the numerical value of one of the other two cards, the bettor must add to the pot double what he bet. If two cards of the same value come up, ie 2,2 the bettor picks if the next card will be higher or lower and bets. If the next card is the same as the last two, ie a 2, the bettor must triple his/her bet.

--

Ch. 4 Of rum and go fish

The ship swayed with the pleasures of a party. Singing, dancing, and utter drunkenness was happening all over the place and it seemed that it would never stop. Everyone was drunk and happy, letting lose and just having fun in general.

Even Xaldin was enjoying himself, and that’s saying a lot, as he almost never let lose. Sure, he wasn’t cutting lose quite as much as the others, but he still wasn’t his normal dark and stabby self. The lancer watched a game of Three Card Brag going on between the crew and Xigbar. It looked like it was in the Free Shooter’s favor, seeing as he was grinning like a fool and swigging down more rum than was probably healthy at one time.

“Looks like your mate is in Lady Luck’s favor tonight.” He heard a familiar voice behind him say. As expected, it was none other than the captain. Ruold looked pretty drunk as well, griping a half empty rum bottle in his hand as he took a seat near Xaldin on some barrels.

“Hm.” Xaldin grunted in reply. “He has always been quite the lucky shot . . . thought he was never as lucky with cards.”

Ruold laughed at this, “Well, Lady Luck can be very fickle. It seems she tires of us poor men within an instant, and yet how we chase her and beg her to stay with only us! Quite greedy, we humans are, wouldn’t you say, mate?! Ha ha ha!”

Xaldin couldn’t help but wonder if the man even knew what he was saying, he seemed too drunk and happy to truly understand. However, it was a rather unexpected thing to say. All of a sudden a drunken crew’s member came stumbling beside the pair with an empty keg in hand.

“Ha ha ha! You’re one to talk, eh, Captain?!” He laughed, and swayed a bit uneasily on his legs. “Lady Luck not lovin’ one for too long? Well ain’t you a bloody modest bloke! I swears, I do, by all the rum here that you must be Lady Luck’s absolute favorite, an’ don’t go kiddin’ your self!”

The Lancer noticed Ruold’s smirk at this, as he humored the crew’s man. “ Quite. However, I do not go flaunting my good fortunes from Lady Luck about as other blighters do.” The blonde took another swig of rum before continuing, with a joking grin on his face. “One must know how to treat a lady!”

This got a hearty laugh from some of the crew in earshot of the three. With that, the other man stumbled off in search of more rum, leaving Xaldin and Ruold to watch the out come of the game. It seemed that now there were only two players left, Dustard, the first mate, and Xigbar.

“Okay!” Slurred a now very drunken Xigbar. “ I bet . . . eight shillings!”

“Ha!” The also drunken Dustard smirked. “An’ I double it! Now show your hand, ya wanka!”

The two stared each other down for a short time.

“Now,” Ruold whispered to the Lancer, “To see whose side Lady Luck is really on . . .”

The two men slapped their cards down on the table, making a much bigger deal out of it than they really should have.

Dustard smiled as he announced his hand. “Straight flush!”

Xigbar, however, only grinned a feral grin as he announced, “Three of a kind!”

Dustard was aghast at this; never had he lost to another except the Captain! Needless to say, he stormed away to find more rum, not wanting to hear his opponent’s mocks.

“Ha ha ha ha ha! That’s right! The Free Shooter never misses! I win!”

Xaldin couldn’t help but chuckle a little at his friend. Always so confidant.

Ruold, too, chuckled, but not in humor. He made his way over to where the Free Shooter sat celebrating. As he stopped in front of the man, an equally confident smirk on his face, he drawled, “Well now! One as lucky you should have no problem in these games, my friend. It seems you’d rise to any challenge . . .” His smirk grew wider as Xigabr obviously wasn’t picking up on what he was saying. “How about a game. Your good self against . . . my good self, savvy?”

“Heh heh heh.” Xigbar laughed under his breath. “ Bring it, Brit!”

“Hey!” someone from the crew shouted excitedly. “That there eye patched guy is taken’ on the Captain!”

At that, just about the whole boat tipped to one side, as the mass of men came crowding around to see. Xaldin was now uncomfortably situated between three crew’s men, eagerly watching as the blonde shuffled the deck. The Lancer couldn’t help but notice the ease and grace in which he shuffled, as if it were but second nature to him. He didn’t even watch as he shuffled them, instead staring at his opponent.

“So,” Ruold began, “what will it be? Another game of brag? Black Jack? . . Acey Deucey?”

“Hmmm” Xigabr thought it over, trying to make a decision in his current state of mind . . . or lack there of. “Uh… gimme Acey Deucey!”

“Right, then.” With another chuckle, Ruold had dealt two cards face up to Xigbar. “Place your bet.”

“Hm . . . five shillings.”

“Right . . . five from me as well.” Ruold leaned back in his makeshift chair with ease, his face unwavering. “Let the game begin.”

Xigabr looked down at his two cards, an Ace and a three. “Alright, I bet. . . two shillings.”

Ruold then threw down the next card . . . a two. After a small cheer form the Shooter, Xigbar then took out two shillings form the pot for himself.

“Well, that is indeed lucky!” The blonde man commented, with still the same expression. “How about some more rounds?” Without waiting for a reply, he dealt two more cards out quickly across the table to Xigbar, and so continued the game.

So it went on. On, and on. Xigbar had had more wins than losses, and some of the crew were beginning to believe he might have a chance against their captain.

Now, Xigabr was down to twelve shillings, seeing as he never bet too much to the pot. Just as he was getting bored with the game, the Captain suddenly made a change in character. He sat straight up in the chair as he once again collected the cards to shuffle them once more. His shuffling grew faster, and his eyes were less relaxed. However, it was more curious to the two Nobodies as to what he said, than his actions. Ruold smirked even wider, every ounce of confidence showing. “Now.” Everyone looked to him. “Let the challenge begin!”

As he dealt the cards this time, Xigbar was feeling quite confused. However, he quickly forgot about it as he glanced at his cards, still aiming to win. A five and a ten. “Three shillings!”

The blonde slid the next card over to him, and much to his dismay, it was king.

“Fork over the three shillings, Xigba’!”

“Huh!” The Shooter tossed the money into the pot. “Won’t happen again. . .”

How wrong he was, as it did happen, quite a lot. In fact, every time. It seemed that all of his luck had gone down the drain, along with his money. It wasn’t long before he was down to eight shillings, then five, and three, until he had nothing left.

He flinched at the Brit’s chuckling. “So, what do you say, Xigba’? Give it one more round?”

“Don’t have anything to bet.” He mumbled as he glared the blonde down.

“Rubbish.”

Xaldin had to admit, this man had the best poker face he had ever seen. Not to mention his confidence. Though he didn’t seem over confident. The Lancer recalled the talk between the Captain and the drunken man, then. It was true that he didn’t flaunt his luck, though it was crystal clear that he enjoyed every ounce of it.

“There’s always something more to bet . . .to lose.” His expression never changed, not once.

Things were looking bad for Xigbar. Not only was he drunk, but he was trying to rummage through his mind for something to bet so he could get a chance at winning. Needless to say, it was a very bad state of combination. He took a few long, draughts form his keg of rum and thought long and hard for some time.

“’lright. . .” his speech was even more slurred than before. “I bet . . . Me ‘n Xal over there. All or nothin’!”

“Ha ha ha ha ha.” Ruold laughed heartily at this, and slammed down two more cards. A two and a three. “Now then, let’s see how long your luck can run . . .”

The #&#&, Xigbar! The Lancer’s mind was a raging whirlwind. What in nothing’s name are you doing?! You don’t bet your best friends! He made a sound decision to pummel Xigabr later, whether he won or lost.

“Ok, I bet me and Xaldin, that the next card will be . . . lower.”

Ruold smirked as he pulled out the last card, and Xaldin hoped to death that it was lower than the two and three. “And . . .” Ruold drawled on as eager people crowded to get a look at the card. “It’s a . . .” The card, that had the Nobodies’ freedom resting upon it, was a ten. “…higher.”

Ruold laughed along with the rest of the men aboard at the misfortune of the two, and had toasts running along the whole crowded area in the Captain’s name. The only two who weren’t happy were the Shooter and the Lancer. Xigbar slouched over the table, looking fearfully at Xaldin, who only glared daggers at his friend.

“Now, now, mate.” Ruold stood between the two. “ No sad faces on my ship!” He turned to Xaldin this time, who still was in a fowl mood. “Might you try your luck?”

“Not a chance.”

“Oh, come, don’t be such a poor sport.”

“I am not.” His temper was beginning to rise.

“You seem like the kind who enjoys challenges, yes?”

“Challenges, yes. Foolishness, no.”

“Ha ha ha! Indeed. However, the only ‘foolishness’ here is how you’re acting.”

“Er!” He was getting deeply angry now.

“Well, I suppose if you know that you cannot win, why bother to try, eh?”

“Rgh!”

“Well, perhaps one of more courage will take up my challenge . . .perhaps . . . Xigba’? Have another go?”

“No!” Xaldin stormed over to the little table where the two sat, and took up a chair. “Not him. If he plays again, we may end up living in cardboard box.”

“Hey!” a very offended eyepatched drunk yelled.

“Be quiet!” The Lancer was in no mood for this. “Deal me in.”

“Hmm.” The Brit smiled. “Very well, mate.”

A few hours, games, and rum bottles later, and Xaldin and won nothing. Not to mention each of them were now thoroughly drunk, and had no real interest in what they were playing anymore.

“Ha ha! Hey, Ruold, got any twos?” The Free Shooter was almost falling out of his chair at this point.

“Yus!” Ruold wasn’t looking any better off himself, as he leaned over the table.

“Well fork ‘em over, dude!” Xigbar threatened in a rather serious tone.

“No!” He pulled his cards away from the man’s reach. “They’re mine!”

“Greedy Brit!” He yelled as he tried to snatch his cards. “Gimme your twos!”

“ But Xigba’!” The Brit slurred.

“What?!”

“We ain’t even playin’ Go Fish!”

Xaldin, who was just as drunk as the others, couldn’t help but take part in their useless argument too, it seemed. “No cheatin’, you lousy Brit!” He easily snatched the cards from behind Ruold’s back.

“YEAH!” Xigbar high-fived his friend as he has finally got hold of the cards.

“You all are a buncha wanka’s is what ya are!” The blonde yelled as he tired to get his cards back from dark-haired men. “Now give me those cards! Your Captain commands ya!”

The rest of the night went on as so, and the Lord only knows when they all finally crashed.

--

A/N: I'M SORRY!! I wrote this late at might, so i'm really sorry if it's no good! .; .; .;

(& I promise, I YOU WANT, that there'll be XalLux in later cahpters! Ok? It has build! Like any other relationship) X0