[Survey] Old Buds

‘Cronus my old friend, how are you doing?’ Hyde noticed Cronus enter the casino he worked at and waved him to the bar. ‘Ah so this is where you spend your days now’ Cronus smiled jokingly. They’d met each other a long time ago at a poker table in an underground casino. Hyde had a habit of gambling a bit too much, going all in and playing risky while using his sleight of hands skills to switch some cards. While Cronus used his wits and pokerface to go home with the biggest prizes. On that specific evening they ended up playing against each other, each using all the tricks in their box to try and win the game when a third player showed up and basically stole away both of their money. After that they bonded and every so often they would come together to play a few games or just to have a drink… or several. For Cronus it would never be totally clear what the alcohol did to him, was it just his own weirdness or did the booze kick in. Hyde enjoyed a buddy that could handle the drinks like himself. ‘Same as usual?’ He began mixing the juice of a mela mela drupe with vodka and topped it off with a slice of spice plum. ‘You know it’ Cronus grabbed the glass ‘not allowed to drink on duty?’ Hyde laughed ‘maybe, but do I look like I care’. His hand moved under the bar and he grabbed a bottle of rum that was already half empty, ‘first one of the day?’ Cronus slapped the bar and they both laughed ‘sure let’s say that’. The two talked for a bit when Hyde suddenly pulled a few poker chips from what looked like thin air. ‘Ready for a few rounds?’. ‘If you get the both of us another drink and a table’ Cronus got up and looked around ‘I’m always ready for a game’.

The chips slit across the table back and forth between the two seasoned players. Cronus may or may not count the card while playing and Hyde had pulled a few probably impossible cards that may have been hidden in the plume of his tail. The dealer at one point stopped trying to figure out how these guys did it and just dealt the cards. After a few hours Hyde decided it was time to go and with a quick trick he turned an ace of spades into a few bills and gave them to the dealer ‘thanks for playing’. The guy looked confused as both of them got up and walked outside. Well… Hyde first used his tail to snatch another bottle from behind the other barmans back when they walked along the bar and Cronus flipped the young man a black poker chip. 

They hopped around a few bars and Hyde even managed to get them a few free drinks by impressing a waitress with a dumb magic trick. Cronus took a deep breath and put his paw on his friend's shoulder "it was good to see you again man, you should come by the shop sometimes" they smiled ‘maybe one day friend, maybe one day…’