[h1][b][i][color=goldenrod][center]Valanthe Vanatar[/center][/color][/i][/b][/h1] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/eOqRyHH.png[/img][/center] "You drive a hard bargain Mr. Thunder," Val said as a smile formed on her lips. Few things brought the elven woman as much pleasure as money, but money was of no value to her if it didn't make her life more comfortable or exciting. "Three hundred is no small sum of money, however, what price can one truly put on comforts, however small they might at first seem?" Val continuing, pausing to adjust the necklace that dangled off her neck and playing idly with the brilliant sapphire affixed to the chain as she appeared to think on the matter, "Let us sweeten the deal as they say, I will pay you [b]500[/b] gold for thirty days of transportation and cooking. I assure you I am a light eater, but my talents lie in another directions than cooking and a warm meal at the end of a long day does wonders for my magic." The response of the elf caught the tabaxi by surprise. Thunder had expected her to bargain for less or even downright walk away. However she offered more in exchange for them cooking. For a moment he just stood there flabbergasted. 200 gold extra was certainly a fair reward for something that had to be done anyway. "Cooking? As in food, right? Not methylamphetamine, I mean potions of speed or potions in general, right? 200 gold sounds reasonable for food. Just don’t expect any fancy stuff to miss. We’re on the road afterall." "Wonderful," Val said, positively purring. "Now if you will excuse me, Mr. Thunder, I have some final business to attend to before we depart." --- [i]A Short Time Later[/i] Val had been losing. She had been losing for the better part of two hours. Losing was inevitable, unavoidable really, at least when one gambled for long enough, but Val still hated losing all the same. Staring at the paltry number of coins arrayed in front of her, Val frowned, blowing a stray hair out of her face with an irritated puff. She was running out of time. And worse still she was running out money. The 5,000 gold coins that Garrick had given her were now a paltry 5,00 gold coins. The Golden Crown tavern, was anything but a royal tavern, and Val knew that if she ran out of money she was in serious trouble. Unfortunately, she was certain, quite certain that this time, Cinder was far away. Tobacco smoke surrounded her as she tried to think her way out of her latest scrap of trouble. The sounds of drunken laughter distracted her. The clink of glasses. The occasional crash of a bottle. And loud angry shouting. Val forced a sudden smile on her face, "My friends, I am convinced that it is time for us to make this a truly interesting game." "Ha, this game isn't interesting enough for you, elf?" the rough looking human sitting across from her asked with a sneer. The shotgun idly resting in his lap was a reminder of the sort of company that Val had found herself in. "What do you have in mind, Miss Valanthe?" the half-elf woman sitting next to her politely interjected. Val didn't remember her name, it wasn't important, but she liked the woman's suit. It was different, very modern. "Why, we must raise the stakes of our gambling of course," Val chirped happily. "Beg your pardon, Miss Valanthe," the well-dressed half-elf woman said, somewhat, but not completely apologetically. Val knew a real villain when she saw one. It was a poor luck of the draw for the others that she was a far superior villain when it came to gambling. "5,000 gold coins." "5,000 gold coins," the final player, a young gnome dressed in the manner of a traveling salesman repeated with a low whistle. "Generously, you have perhaps, 500 gold coins remaining," the half-elf said with another half-hearted smile. "In coin, perhaps," Val began, placing the gold and sapphire necklace onto the table. "However, this amulet is worth far more. I couldn't bear to put a price on a family heirloom like this, but I would expect you could get close to 10,000 gold coins for it, were you to find the right buyer, of course." "There might be other ways for you to pay off any of your debts, elf," the rough human jeered, cruelty unhidden in his dark eyes. "Mr. Thompson," Val said, anger apparent in all of her being. "This once, just this once, I will allow your brutish, disgusting statement to go unpunished. However, speak to me like that again, and I will bury you beneath such an unholy tornado of hellfire that there won't even be enough ashes left for them to bury." A spark of flame danced in her hand as she spoke, rising rapidly towards the ceiling as Val channeled more magic into her illusion. Eyes wide in panic, the gnome punched the shoulder of the rough looking human, "Miss Valanthe! Please, I beg you remain calm! Earl was merely joking. In his crude fashion. He meant no harm! Did you, Earl?" "Of course not," Earl replied, muttering a low curse, his hand resting on his shotgun. "A man can't even make a joke anymore without some upstart wizard threatening to burn him alive." "All in," Val said, shoving her necklace and all of her gold coins into the middle of the table. The other players eyed her with a mixture of emotions. The brutish human seemed to be laughing at her. The half-elf woman had a nervous smile plastered on her features. The young gnome had a foolish, excited grin as he shuffled the cards and handed them out. All pushed the gold coins and trinkets they had left into the center of the table. Waiting patiently, Val resisted the urge to tear her cards off the table. Her hand had already been dealt. Her fate was set. Destiny awaited and there was no way to escape it. She felt calm. She felt ready. She felt ready to win more money. She watched the other players eagerly, a smile on her face, almost seeming to suggest she knew something that they did not. "Four of a kind!" The half-elf woman said gleefully, slapping her cards onto the table and revealing four Queens. "U- Um...three of kind," the gnome said, choking as he showed three nines, a four, and a two. Val could tell he had never lost that much money before. Risk was unavoidable in gambling and she considered that perhaps he had learned a useful lesson. "Straight," the brute of a human said angrily, practically throwing his hand onto the table. Val was pleased to see him lose. She hated him already. All three pairs of eyes turned towards her as Val softly smiled. She nodded politely at each of the other players, before she placed her cards face up on the table. [url=https://www.roleplayerguild.com/rolls/22346]Val gets lucky.[/url] "Straight flush," Val said as the half-elf let out a loud gasp. "The 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of Spades, Val said gesturing dramatically over her cards. "Fuck," the half-elf muttered and Val could finally see cracks forming in her performance. "Well, my friends, it has been a true pleasure, but I am afraid I have a dinner to attend," Val said, breaking the silence that had overcome her fellow gamblers. Laughing cheerfully as she rose, Val shoved the 10,000 gold coins and some change into a thick coin purse. Walking with quick strides she stepped out of the tavern and hailed a nearby carriage before the other players could notice the illusions that she had woven over the card table. --- [i]Even Later[i] Arriving back at the Garrick estate, Val greeted Garrick's butler with a fresh smile. "Why Haldir, how wonderful to see you again." "You as well, Miss Valanthe. I take it your business in the township went well?" "Oh, exceedingly so, Haldir, I cannot express my satisfaction with how matters unfolded." "I would expect no less for a wizard as talent and...beautiful as you Miss Valanthe." "You are too kind, Haldir," Val said with an overly theatrical laughter, sweetened beyond all reproach. Taking hold of the half-elf's arm she pointed towards the mansion. "Now Haldir, if you please, escort me to the dinning room, I am positively famished, and I suspect this will be the last meal of note that I shall enjoy for quite some time."