A Devil with an Angel's Heart

Chapter 31, Part 2

||Kate

Jotaro had taken his place at the gambling table.

"Before we get started", he stated, "there's something I wanna check." Jotaro pointed at the cards, "Why don't you go ahead and shuffle those cards."

D'Arby did as told. He shuffled the cards roughly in one hand then shuffled them properly with both. Jotaro watched him closely.
"And, shuffled they are." D'Arby finished and placed the deck back on the table, "What, pray tell, do you have in mind next?"
"Now draw a card from the deck.", instructed the teen, "Which one it is doesn't make a whole of a difference. But don't show anyone."
"Very well." D'Arby again did as told.
"And now I'll call it. It's the six of hearts.", declared the teen, but that wasn't enough, he had to top it off, "Next, I think I'll name the cards from the top down. Five of Spades, queen of diamonds, jack of spades, ace of hearts, seven of diamonds plus the six of clubs, king of clubs and two of diamonds.
You watched as D'Arby spread out the cards. Jotaro got every single card right.
"Star." you though. The Stand must have been watching very closely.
"And that after D'Arby shuffled the deck!", exclaimed Avdol, "How did you do that?!"
"I can rattle off the entire deck if I wanted to." explained the teen, then summoned Star Platinum.
"Remember when I told you to shuffle those cards? While you were shuffling the cards, Star Platinum was busy memorising their exact order in the deck."
"Interesting strategy. That said, defeating your plan is a simple matter of shuffling the cards in a manner that obstructs you vision of them.", stated D'Arby.
You chuckled, then dropped your arms around Jotaro from behind, leaning against his strong back and placed your head next to his, then directed your feline-like gaze at D'Arby, "Are you that dense? Cheating's gonna be near impossible as long as you have dear Jotaro, here, as your opponent." Your lips curled. You had long realised that Jotaro was a witty gambler, his poker-face impeccable and with Star watching for cheating, he would make a formidable opponent. Admittedly, in the back of your mind you were already forging a plan to invite him to a gamble, just the two of you, and then try to break that poker-face of his. You could think of some ways. Oh, how you would test that stony façade...
"Right. Just something I thought you should be aware of.", added the teen.
D'Arby squinted in displeasure. "Ok.", he acknowledged but then he glared at you, "You better not be trying to slip him some cards right now."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm merely his Lady Luck." you retorted sassily and pecked Jotaro's cheek.
"Be that as it may. Please refrain from touching him during the game." answered D'Arby in return.
You looked at the gambler for a moment, pondering if you should stay right where you were, just to spite him, but decided to do as he asked. Jotaro would let you know when he needed something from you, after all. So, you straightened yourself and stepped to the side so you were standing next to Jotaro's seat. Close enough for the teen to be able to comfortably wrap his arm around your waist, should he reach out, but far enough away for D'Arby to be assured that he'd notice should you try anything.

||D'Arby

So that's how it was. These two were a thing. That certainly was a new piece of information and Dio would not be happy about this turn of events. His future queen in love with his enemy? Outrageous! Dio had told him that Kate could use the powers of her devils in such a way, she could rival the gods. She could actually destroy the world should she want to- or lose her mind. Such a powerful woman, who was known to be difficult to please- and satisfy- was now utterly devoted to one man- and it was not Dio...
D'Arby wondered if he should be the bearer of such news...surely he'd have to take the fall for something he merely happened to find out. A messenger was probably the better solution, but Dio would not be pleased either, should D'Arby not come and tell him, himself...

D'Arby placed a new box of poker cards on the table- the security seal unbroken, which meant the cards had not been tampered with. While Jotaro opened the box and spread out the cards, checking if it was a normal deck, D'Arby flipped through the pages of a book that was lying on a little table next to him. In his head, without looking at the book, he counted, no he felt, the page numbers as they slipped through his fingers.