Of course, sir - we've only just begun, after all. The game doesn't start until a pair of subjects appear.
[ and the dealer flips his cards over, revealing a king and a 6. ]
Only halfway, I'm afraid. But congratulations on the round.
[ and without asking if the patron would like to continue, another pair of cards are dealt. a 10 and a... draw 4? it seems darker around the edges than the previous pair of cards... ]
[ It looks darker and like it's from another game and deck entirely. Huh. The incongruity nags, itches to instincts that both do and don't feel rustier than they really are, but the significance he can't quite yet glean.
He smiles back, bland and even. ]
Well, that was just the first round, wasn't it? Who knows what this one will bring us. Hit.
[ Oh, is that what the blackened cards mean. Hmm, that's probably unfortunate, then, but...
(Cantarella as the queen, Urianger as the king, and Beryl Gut as their odd one out. Four more?
What of the jacks and other suits...) ]
Ah, I see. [ No he doesn't, not quite yet, but there's the shape of something here... There's a brief moment where he wonders at what happens if he doesn't give the card back, but either this is just a dream, or ... ] Interesting spin on things. [ So here you go, he'll slide that draw 4 right back. ]
Edited (I'm not awake enough yet) 2025-11-29 16:38 (UTC)
[ Discarded face down, huh. And a pair of subjects ... An ace that trumps, but with side effects...
...
Hard total of 10 (only card, even), dealer's face up Ace; the obvious move is clear even before taking into account the statistics and probabilities many Elympions are familiar with. That is, unless this particular variation has more surprises in store.
[ the dealer shrugs, and reveals his own cards - another king and a queen
the shimmer does not resemble anything - it simply gives a pure, clean feeling. the oily blackness though... well...... it seems to be deepening the longer it lingers. ]
Two blackened - how unfortunate.
[ and blackened must go into play on the dealer's side! but the joker at least remains. ]
[ and that's when we play call of the haunted, to special summon one face card from the graveyard and play morse code games with them,
i mean what.
well, the ace was a trump, but this, being a joker... hm. he's a little wary of where this is going, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. or maybe the intent is just to play it as an ace? ]
A card of transformation, is it? I guess that's one thing to call a wild card.
Sure. Why not.
[ there's obvious intent in how this dream is being led, after all. ]
[ a tap of the table and the joker... lights up? both blackened cards also seem to emanate a certain deep glow, until slowly but surely, the darkness fades from the jack.
the joker, on the other hand, seems... dingier. ]
Congratulations on the transformation, sir. The card is returned to your side.
[ good to know you think so highly of his ability to remember what happened to the ace some tags ago, condescendingly pointed metatext ... even if it didn't exactly play out the same way, there's. something, in the effects of the blackened cards on others even when trumped or transformed somehow, huh. ]
I'm sure some might beg to differ, but it certainly seems to be some sort of truth, doesn't it?
[ asking for too much, that is.
well. surely the joker can continue to be whatever it needs to be. to that end, there's no possible way to bust with another card, yes? let's scrape that perfectly normal jack against the table again, like this is a perfectly normal game of blackjack.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chromatized) wrote2025-11-08 06:32 pm
no subject
Of course, sir - we've only just begun, after all. The game doesn't start until a pair of subjects appear.
[ and the dealer flips his cards over, revealing a king and a 6. ]
Only halfway, I'm afraid. But congratulations on the round.
[ and without asking if the patron would like to continue, another pair of cards are dealt. a 10 and a... draw 4? it seems darker around the edges than the previous pair of cards... ]
no subject
He smiles back, bland and even. ]
Well, that was just the first round, wasn't it? Who knows what this one will bring us. Hit.
no subject
[ and a card is shuffled over - an 8 - but- ]
All blackened cards must be played as part of the dealer's hand.
[ a gloved hand is extended for the draw 4. return it to him so the game can be continued, won't you? ]
no subject
(Cantarella as the queen, Urianger as the king, and Beryl Gut as their odd one out. Four more?
What of the jacks and other suits...) ]
Ah, I see. [ No he doesn't, not quite yet, but there's the shape of something here... There's a brief moment where he wonders at what happens if he doesn't give the card back, but either this is just a dream, or ... ] Interesting spin on things. [ So here you go, he'll slide that draw 4 right back. ]
no subject
We have our little customs.
[ the card is placed face up next to the dealer's two. he checks them both and discards one, face down. but the other... ]
It's fortunate an ace was drawn... Ace trumps, after all. Though not without some side effects.
[ the dealer discards the draw 4 as well, as the ace turns dull, tainted. it is the only card remaining on their side. ]
Stand? Or hit?
no subject
...
Hard total of 10 (only card, even), dealer's face up Ace; the obvious move is clear even before taking into account the statistics and probabilities many Elympions are familiar with. That is, unless this particular variation has more surprises in store.
Another scrape of the 10 against the table: hit. ]
no subject
the dealer smiles placidly, and waits the player's decision. ]
no subject
no subject
Oh, don't worry. Specialty cards will linger until they've been used up.
[ the dealer smiles, as Julius's joker continues to glitter in the light, opalescent. ]
Next round. Are you ready?
[ before he can answer, two cards are slid to him. a jack and a queen. both of them have a dark, oily film to them. ]
no subject
[ ... Is that shimmer familiar, actually?
But well, next round, no input from him. An oil slick film on both cards, but ... not in the same way as the draw 4 or Ace were? Or is it?
Hm. ]
... Stay.
no subject
the shimmer does not resemble anything - it simply gives a pure, clean feeling. the oily blackness though... well...... it seems to be deepening the longer it lingers. ]
Two blackened - how unfortunate.
[ and blackened must go into play on the dealer's side! but the joker at least remains. ]
no subject
Is there a certain number of blackened cards in the deck?
[ Not for card counting purposes or anything, nooo. ]
no subject
[ who can say, honestly. anyways, both cards are now on Ludger's side, his "untarnished" cards discarded into the graveya- sorry, the discard pile. ]
Would you care to play your specialty card? It's a card of transformation, after all.
no subject
i mean what.
well, the ace was a trump, but this, being a joker... hm. he's a little wary of where this is going, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. or maybe the intent is just to play it as an ace? ]
A card of transformation, is it? I guess that's one thing to call a wild card.
Sure. Why not.
[ there's obvious intent in how this dream is being led, after all. ]
no subject
Very well then.
[ a tap of the table and the joker... lights up? both blackened cards also seem to emanate a certain deep glow, until slowly but surely, the darkness fades from the jack.
the joker, on the other hand, seems... dingier. ]
Congratulations on the transformation, sir. The card is returned to your side.
[ and the jack is slid back to Julius. ]
no subject
Just one of them, huh. Well, I guess we can't have it all.
[ Even though both of them glowed. ]
no subject
Naturally - asking for too much gets one into trouble, after all.
[ well, the dealer is stuck with his single queen, while Julius has a normal jack, a grungy joker, and room for another card. what will he do next? ]
no subject
I'm sure some might beg to differ, but it certainly seems to be some sort of truth, doesn't it?
[ asking for too much, that is.
well. surely the joker can continue to be whatever it needs to be. to that end, there's no possible way to bust with another card, yes? let's scrape that perfectly normal jack against the table again, like this is a perfectly normal game of blackjack.
hit. ]