It had already been an eventful night, though whether that was in spite of or because of the surrounding circumstances, Duke wasn't sure. It hadn't started out very promising - 8 of the contestants for the day had already been put out of commission before the tournament had even started, cutting the night's entertainment potential neatly in half. Was he supposed to be sour that the night's betting would be cut short? Perhaps he should be glad that none of his favourites had been among the unlucky 8, forced to fold before the cards were dealt. He leaned back in his chair, sipping his drink in a shady corner of the Midnight bar. Non-alcoholic, of course. No matter how much money he had, Duke couldn't afford to be drunk before the matches started - it might skew his judgement. He didn't attend the tournaments as much these days - he had exams to worry about, and his somewhat bleak future prospects to mull over. But the appearance of a dark horse had been an event he couldn't miss. The gambler's spirit in him, he supposed. Several students around him guffawed as the sound of flesh striking flesh peaked over the music. Not inside the ring as usual, but outside, by the DJ table. The second impromptu fight had broken out tonight, and being the quick thinker he was, he had quickly set up the bets. It had been even odds in the end, showing that the participants in his game weren't quite as in the know as he was. He was familiar with Mina, the Great [s]fool[/s] Bull of Kiburi, given her attendance in previous tournaments over the years. He did not know the other participant very well, but given the nature of the duel, he had little doubt that she would win. And he was right, though she looked a little worse for wear at the end. Duke drained his drink and slammed the cup down on the table. [color=palegreen]"Alright, time to pay up, losers."[/color] He said, grinning devilishly. The winners of the bet mirrored his smile, while the losers begrudgingly opened their wallets. Crumpled bills were deposited on the table's surface. Duke quickly swept them up and divided the winnings, splitting them to their new owners. The smiling winners pocketed the cash without even looking. He was sloppy when it came to schoolwork, but when it came to gambling, there was no one they trusted better. As things returned to normalcy near the dance floor, Duke got out of his seat. [color=palegreen]"Looks like it's time for the matches. The rest of you losers can feel free to drink here while I collect my box seats."[/color] He said sarcastically. With some jeers and taunts from the group, he made his way out of the tables. Most of the group stayed to watch from their good vantage point, but some followed. They enjoyed being in the splash zone, just like him. He shot a glance at a bookish 2nd year with a jar full of money and a bulky 3rd year student nearby. They were in charge of handling the bets while he was out, they both owed him something and stood to gain a good chunk of cash from this. As they made their way into the crowd, Duke couldn't help but reflect on his motley crew. If push came to shove he couldn't say that anyone in the group was a "friend" to him, but he had built a certain amount of faith in them, and they respected him in turn. He didn't want to let down their faith. Duke would be an adult soon, and he should take responsibility for the result of his actions. [color=palegreen][i]So you'll take responsibility for betting pools, but not for that?[/i][/color] A part of him said, but he ignored it. The devil was always on his shoulder. It was in his head, in his heart, in his blood. There wasn't anything he could do about it now. He would have to live with it until he died, and maybe even longer. Shrugging his shoulders, the boy put his hands into his pockets and disappeared into the crowd. [@Crowvette][@KillamriX88][@Scarifar]