𝐛𝐨𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐲 // 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬

── ❝ 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐣𝐚𝐜𝐤 ❞ ──

-

Everyone on the boat was sitting in silence. It wasn't a comfortable silence. Everyone in your group knew that this was lengthening your trip, which wasn't good.

"Anne," you spoke up.

"Huh?" she turned to you.

"Can you hand me the deck of cards in the left pocket?"

You gestured to your jacket that she was still wearing from earlier.

She took out the deck of tarot cards you had in your left pocket. Muhammad had taught you how to read them so you could help in his shop. You had quite the knack for it, too. Your readings often came true.

You shuffled through them.

"Anyone want to play blackjack?"

Polnareff snapped out of his dazed state and looked at you excitedly.

"Blackjack?!"

He had this giddy look on his face, almost stupid.

You nodded, "Wanna play?"

"Of course!"

"Great, but let's make this interesting," you started. "Since we don't have playing cards, we have to use tarot cards. Zero through ten are represented in order by: The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Lovers, The Chariot, Strength, The Hermit, and then Wheel of Fortune. The highest value is the world, and that comes up exactly to 21. We'll play with the zero through ten cards, and mix the world in. Best three out of five."

"What'll the winner get?" He asked.

"If I win, I'm going to make you buy me some fancy foreign cigarettes."

"Alright, alright. If I win, you have to buy me a fancy dinner."

"Okay, but make it three packs of cigarettes then."

"Deal," he stuck his hand out for you to shake, which you did.

"Avdol," Polnareff said. "Could you please shuffle the cards?"

"Do you think I'm planning on cheating?"

"Who knows?"

"I won't need to," you smiled. "Luck is a lady, and we've been together for so long that we're practically married."

"Well, the ladies love me," Polnareff stated proudly.

"With that haircut, tube top?"

You snickered while he pouted.

"It's fashionable in France," he whined with crossed arms.

At this point your match had caught everyone's attention on board.

"Enough of that, let's start playing."

-

Since Muhammad shuffled, he also agreed to dealing the cards. Polnareff was being overly cautious of you cheating, so he refused to let you be the dealer like in a traditional game.