Sometimes it was too easy.
Found in a seedy little pub in the shadier part of Rhy'din, Jay stumbled backwards into a gent shooting some pool. Beer sloshed over the edge of the tankard as his arms went up, cascading over his shoulder and onto the back of the other man.
"Whoops, sorry mate!" he apologized cheerily with an Australian accent, turning around drunkenly to look at the monster of a man. In comparison to Jay's tall and gangly demeanor, this man was built thickly and even taller. He was more akin to a mountain.
The Giant spluttered with anger, rounding on Jay with a poised fist.
"Wait, wait!" he cowered, but not before taking a swig, arms covering his face protectively. "'ow 'bout we settle this on th' table, aye?" Jay gestured with his beer toward the pool table. He was having a hard time standing upright, and the Giant scrutinized him, gauging his level of drunken stupor.
"Alright," he appeased gruffly, pointing to the pool table expectantly. "Rack 'em."
Jay bumbled over, running haphazardly into a few patrons and tripping several times, but managed to save his beer with expert drunken skill. Carefully, he set the tankard down on the nearest table, not caring if it was occupied or not. Lacing his fingers together as he turned back to the table, he stretched his arms our and cracked his knuckles. "Ah, a"righ'," he slurred, rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck, and then diving down to swoop up all the balls. With careful precision, and through one eye so he would see one set instead of two, he rolled the balls in and plucked them around until just right. "So, what?re th' odds?" casually asked as he looked up from his work.
The Giant leaned back against the post, arms crossed over his chest and lips curled into a smug smirk. This will be easy, he thought to himself. "Hundred to the winner."
Pretending to be shocked, Jay gasped as he straightened. "Hun'red"!" he spluttered, hand to his chest and the other dangling the rack from spindly fingertips.
"Yep. And I win, I get to beat the shit outta you, too."
Jay pulled at his collar, wincing. "A"righ??" slowly, moving to hang the rack up in exchange for a stick. Leaning precariously on the pool stick, he motioned to the table. "All yours, buttercup." Wolfish grin.
Beneath the drunken demeanor, there was a careful eye. Jay watched the way Giant moved, arrogantly, and his poise as he broke. Balls ricocheted everywhere, but no hole-in-ones for this bloke. Smirking to himself, he stumbled "round the table at Giant's gesticulation. "Don' mind if I do," he puffed, his chest bloating with self-importance. Leaning against the stick again, he squinted through one eye at the table at large, carefully choosing a ball. "One, left pocket." Pointing with the stick before he situated himself to make the shot. With one eye closed, he moved the stick back and forth along through the ridge between two knuckles. Going in for the kill" he scratched.
Deflating with a loud exhale, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he moved back from the billiards table. Giant was practically gloating as he zoned in on Jay's original shot. Which was just what Jay had wanted. That left Giant with no open solid shots, which he realized belatedly, grunting with frustration as he made a feeble attempt to completely throw off Jay's most likely shot.
Though he stumbled, and made it look like his next shot was an accident, the nine dropped into the right pocket. Then the ten into the middle. Beginners luck the Giant grumbled, but Jay knew better. But to stick to his plan, he had to continue looking weak and unsuspecting, so he allowed his next shot to veer in the complete opposite direction than intended. "Whoopsy daisy!" in a cheery voice, before guzzling back some beer. He blew kisses at the chick occupying his beer-holding table. "How you doin", smexy?" he purred. The blonde looked a little repulsed.
The Giant looked considerably pleased as Jay missed, filing him back into the drunken loser position. He was able to make two shots, but couldn't find a third one. The game was progressively picking up speed as the 'drunk" made in another three lucky shots. The fourth shot clear off the table, which pacified the Giant again. He made four shots in before handing it back over to Jay.
By now, the entire pub was watching them. Most were cheering the Giant on, but some were rooting for the underdog. Who just cleared house with a little bit of drunken luck.
"Let's go again," Giant fumed as Jay got his back patted and slugged back another beer. "Anuver?" Jay slurred over the rim of his tankard, looking at giant with an eye closed. "Shure, wha' be th' odds?"
Jay walked out of there 500 gold richer by the end of the night. And almost sober.
See? That was easy.
Found in a seedy little pub in the shadier part of Rhy'din, Jay stumbled backwards into a gent shooting some pool. Beer sloshed over the edge of the tankard as his arms went up, cascading over his shoulder and onto the back of the other man.
"Whoops, sorry mate!" he apologized cheerily with an Australian accent, turning around drunkenly to look at the monster of a man. In comparison to Jay's tall and gangly demeanor, this man was built thickly and even taller. He was more akin to a mountain.
The Giant spluttered with anger, rounding on Jay with a poised fist.
"Wait, wait!" he cowered, but not before taking a swig, arms covering his face protectively. "'ow 'bout we settle this on th' table, aye?" Jay gestured with his beer toward the pool table. He was having a hard time standing upright, and the Giant scrutinized him, gauging his level of drunken stupor.
"Alright," he appeased gruffly, pointing to the pool table expectantly. "Rack 'em."
Jay bumbled over, running haphazardly into a few patrons and tripping several times, but managed to save his beer with expert drunken skill. Carefully, he set the tankard down on the nearest table, not caring if it was occupied or not. Lacing his fingers together as he turned back to the table, he stretched his arms our and cracked his knuckles. "Ah, a"righ'," he slurred, rolling his shoulders, cracking his neck, and then diving down to swoop up all the balls. With careful precision, and through one eye so he would see one set instead of two, he rolled the balls in and plucked them around until just right. "So, what?re th' odds?" casually asked as he looked up from his work.
The Giant leaned back against the post, arms crossed over his chest and lips curled into a smug smirk. This will be easy, he thought to himself. "Hundred to the winner."
Pretending to be shocked, Jay gasped as he straightened. "Hun'red"!" he spluttered, hand to his chest and the other dangling the rack from spindly fingertips.
"Yep. And I win, I get to beat the shit outta you, too."
Jay pulled at his collar, wincing. "A"righ??" slowly, moving to hang the rack up in exchange for a stick. Leaning precariously on the pool stick, he motioned to the table. "All yours, buttercup." Wolfish grin.
Beneath the drunken demeanor, there was a careful eye. Jay watched the way Giant moved, arrogantly, and his poise as he broke. Balls ricocheted everywhere, but no hole-in-ones for this bloke. Smirking to himself, he stumbled "round the table at Giant's gesticulation. "Don' mind if I do," he puffed, his chest bloating with self-importance. Leaning against the stick again, he squinted through one eye at the table at large, carefully choosing a ball. "One, left pocket." Pointing with the stick before he situated himself to make the shot. With one eye closed, he moved the stick back and forth along through the ridge between two knuckles. Going in for the kill" he scratched.
Deflating with a loud exhale, he shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly as he moved back from the billiards table. Giant was practically gloating as he zoned in on Jay's original shot. Which was just what Jay had wanted. That left Giant with no open solid shots, which he realized belatedly, grunting with frustration as he made a feeble attempt to completely throw off Jay's most likely shot.
Though he stumbled, and made it look like his next shot was an accident, the nine dropped into the right pocket. Then the ten into the middle. Beginners luck the Giant grumbled, but Jay knew better. But to stick to his plan, he had to continue looking weak and unsuspecting, so he allowed his next shot to veer in the complete opposite direction than intended. "Whoopsy daisy!" in a cheery voice, before guzzling back some beer. He blew kisses at the chick occupying his beer-holding table. "How you doin", smexy?" he purred. The blonde looked a little repulsed.
The Giant looked considerably pleased as Jay missed, filing him back into the drunken loser position. He was able to make two shots, but couldn't find a third one. The game was progressively picking up speed as the 'drunk" made in another three lucky shots. The fourth shot clear off the table, which pacified the Giant again. He made four shots in before handing it back over to Jay.
By now, the entire pub was watching them. Most were cheering the Giant on, but some were rooting for the underdog. Who just cleared house with a little bit of drunken luck.
"Let's go again," Giant fumed as Jay got his back patted and slugged back another beer. "Anuver?" Jay slurred over the rim of his tankard, looking at giant with an eye closed. "Shure, wha' be th' odds?"
Jay walked out of there 500 gold richer by the end of the night. And almost sober.
See? That was easy.