[Earthquake] ((SCENE: Wellington and Olga))
((Takes place the Tuesday after breakout))
Wellington: *On a passive stretch of sidewalk in the downtown area, a simple plastic folding table is set up with nothing on it but a small closed wooden chest and three playing cards. Behind the table stands Wellington, a calm smile on his face. As a small gathering of people watch, he takes a ten dollar bill from the man standing in front of him, puts it inside the chest, and then poises his hands over the cards.* Watch the Queen... *He turns over the three cards so they're face down (Jack of Spades, Queen of Spades, and Jack of Clubs), then begins moving the cards, swapping their positions... slowly at first, but then he expertly picks up the pace until the cards are moving fast... though not quite fast enough, as after Wellington stops, the man points to the card on the left, and as it is turned over it is revealed to be the one Queen of Spades.* You win! *Wellington opens the wooden chest again, and hands the man a twenty dollar bill.* Thank you for playing, sir. Now... would anyone else care to try? Anyone can do it. All you need to do is watch the Queen. There is a ten dollar minimum bet. *He gracefully sweeps one arm over the cards, inviting any challenger to approach.*
Olga: *Olga's walking down the street with her father, blatantly ignoring him. It's a practice they've developed whenever Mom takes her sister-- Olga's father doesn't say anything, and Olga doesn't get pissed at him.*
Olga: *She pauses, however, as they come across Wellington's setup, and watches the end of the match. She doesn't quite meet Wellington's eyes as she glances over the cards, thinking.*
Wellington: *Catches the eye of Olga's father, grinning at him.* Sir, you look like a winner. Perhaps you'd like to try your luck. It's only ten dollars to play, all you need are a good pair of eyes.
Olga: *Mr. Orly blinks a bit at the offer-- he noticed the man playing before as well-- and smiles, sliding a ten-dollar bill across the table to Wellington.* All right then, I'll give it a try.
Olga: *Olga stands with her arms folded behind her dad; she scoffs a bit but says nothing else.*
Wellington: *Puts the bill inside the money chest and moves his hands to the cards.* Keep your eye on the Queen... *Flips each card over so it is face down, then begins switching their positions in the same gradually increasing pace, until the cards are being switched at a quick (though not impossible to follow) rate.* Now... *Stops switching the cards and moves his hands to the sides so they're out of the way.* ...Which one is the Queen?
Olga: *Mr. Orly watches the shifting cards with a frown-- his daughter's eyes darting over his shoulder-- before tapping the card right of center with a vaguely smug grin.* This one.
Wellington: The center card? You're sure? Alright then... *flips the card, revealing the Jack of Clubs* ...Sorry, you lose this round. *Flips the other two cards over, revealing that the Queen was on the left.* Now who's next? *Lightly waves his hand, indicating that Olga's father should leave and make room for another person to try.*
Olga: *He stares in astonishment for a second before Olga steps in front of the table, shooting her dad a glare-- it's a glare he's learned not to argue with, and he sighs, moving down the street. Olga turns to face Wellington, her expression determined.* How does it work?
Wellington: *Frowns at the girl, then glances around; the other people who were watching had wandered off. He looks at the retreating form of Olga's father, then looks back at the girl.* Shouldn't you be in school? *Focus his attention on gathering up the cards and the chest.*
Olga: *She tugs at her hair, rolling her eyes.* It's summer. *She glares at him, leaning on the table.* How does it work?
Wellington: *Looks around again, his eyes lingering briefly on a man standing across the street-- the same man who won the most recent bet.* ...Look, I'm a very busy man. I don't have time to play with kids. Ask your dad how to play. *Puts the three cards in his pocket, then picks up the chest and starts walking away with it.*
Olga: *Olga grabs his sleeve-- the glasses are new and the hair looks more styled, but she suddenly remembers where she's seen this guy before. Her eyes narrow.* You were at that damn Scared Straight thing, weren't you?
Wellington: *Freezes up as she mentions the high school event, quickly looking back at the girl.* ...What? *Looks around at his surroundings, suddenly very paranoid.* N-No, I was never at any....... *Turns suddenly and grabs her arm, narrowing his eyes at her.* You'd better keep quiet...
Olga: *She smirks at him, realizing she's got him with that.* I could call the police right now-- and you couldn't attack a kid in broad daylight. *She gestures back towards the table.* Tell me how you do that and I'll leave you alone.
Wellington: *His mouth twitches, and his eyes narrow further behind his glasses. He spares one last glance towards the man across the street, and another towards a relaxed woman standing much further down the sidewalk.* .......Fine. *Makes a dismissive hand gesture, then pulls Olga away from the table and towards an entryway to an apartment complex a few feet away so that they're under an awning and not standing out on the open sidewalk.* ...You want to know about Three-card Monte? *Pulls the three cards out of his pocket and holds them between his fingers.*
Olga: I've heard of it, I think. *She says it somewhat dismissively, in an attempt to hide her eagerness to learn such a basic con.*
Wellington: *Looks at Olga a moment longer before he continues.* The dealer shows the three cards to the player, then switches them around while the player watches. If the player guesses correctly, they win an amount equal to what they bet.
Olga: I got that part, yeah. *She looks at the cards with a smirk.* So where's the trick?
Wellington: *twitches* ...Alright, I see now. *Turns to the railing and puts the cards down on it.* ....I'm only going to show you this once, and then you're going to leave me alone and keep your mouth shut about ever seeing me, got it? *Picks up the leftmost and rightmost cards, one in each hand.* Most of the game is done doing normal switches, and the key is to not go faster than the eye can see. You want the mark to believe they're watching the Queen... because if they think they're watching it all the way through the "trick", there's a hundred percent chance of them getting it wrong. *glances at Olga to see if she's still watching* ...If they're merely guessing, they only have a two in three chance of getting it wrong, so you don't want to go too fast and make them lose track. *picks up a second card in his right hand, so that the hand is now holding two cards stacked* ...Now, here's the "trick". *holds it near Olga so she can see* ...When you pass the cards over to the next spot, anyone watching fully expects the bottom card to drop. With enough skill, you can make the top card drop instead. *Pushes the top card with his finger so it slides out and drops, while the bottom card remains in his hand.* ...And that's where the player loses track of the Queen.
Olga: *She watches the entire display with rapt attention-- despite her best efforts, she has a bit of difficulty keeping the fascination from her eyes.* ...I get it. *She frowns, thinking.* How'd that guy who tried before my dad win, then?
Wellington: *grimaces* ...He was... a shill. He works with me, just making it look like anyone can win the game. If people saw that everyone always loses, they would avoid playing and I would probably get investigated.
Olga: Makes sense. *She considers the setup in her mind, making sure she knows how it works... and holds out her hands for the cards.* Let me try, then.
Wellington: *Hesitates, sighs, then hands them over while nervously glancing back out towards the street.* Make it quick, I have a lot of important things to do today and you're holding me up.
Olga: So would prison. *She takes the cards, her self-satisfied smirk fading to a focused glare as she spreads out the cards, swapping them around as she'd seen Wellington do earlier, occasionally dropping the top card.*
Olga: *Her movements are... well, they're certainly not as deft as an experienced con artist like Wellington, but she's certainly quicker than most fifteen-year-olds would be.*
Wellington: *Raises an eyebrow as he watches, reluctantly surprised by how quickly she learned the trick.* ...You've got it. That's all there is to Three-card Monte. Are you satisfied, now? *crosses his arms*
Olga: Guess so. *She shuffles the cards a bit in her hand before glancing up to Wellington, twirling a strand of hair around her finger with a smile.* I don't suppose you know anything else...?
Wellington: What? Tricks? *frowns* ...No, of course not. *looks back over his shoulder* ...Look, I told you about Three-card Monte, and now you're going to pretend you never saw me. I have to get going. You can keep the cards, I have more. *Flips the blond part of his hair back with his hand, then quickly departs. He's never going near this street again.*
Olga: *She briefly considers asking him again but stops, watching him go and examining the cards in her hand. After a moment, she smirks, pulling out her cell to call her dad, and she wonders just how many times she could get Stickler to fall for this.*
Wellington: *On a passive stretch of sidewalk in the downtown area, a simple plastic folding table is set up with nothing on it but a small closed wooden chest and three playing cards. Behind the table stands Wellington, a calm smile on his face. As a small gathering of people watch, he takes a ten dollar bill from the man standing in front of him, puts it inside the chest, and then poises his hands over the cards.* Watch the Queen... *He turns over the three cards so they're face down (Jack of Spades, Queen of Spades, and Jack of Clubs), then begins moving the cards, swapping their positions... slowly at first, but then he expertly picks up the pace until the cards are moving fast... though not quite fast enough, as after Wellington stops, the man points to the card on the left, and as it is turned over it is revealed to be the one Queen of Spades.* You win! *Wellington opens the wooden chest again, and hands the man a twenty dollar bill.* Thank you for playing, sir. Now... would anyone else care to try? Anyone can do it. All you need to do is watch the Queen. There is a ten dollar minimum bet. *He gracefully sweeps one arm over the cards, inviting any challenger to approach.*
Olga: *Olga's walking down the street with her father, blatantly ignoring him. It's a practice they've developed whenever Mom takes her sister-- Olga's father doesn't say anything, and Olga doesn't get pissed at him.*
Olga: *She pauses, however, as they come across Wellington's setup, and watches the end of the match. She doesn't quite meet Wellington's eyes as she glances over the cards, thinking.*
Wellington: *Catches the eye of Olga's father, grinning at him.* Sir, you look like a winner. Perhaps you'd like to try your luck. It's only ten dollars to play, all you need are a good pair of eyes.
Olga: *Mr. Orly blinks a bit at the offer-- he noticed the man playing before as well-- and smiles, sliding a ten-dollar bill across the table to Wellington.* All right then, I'll give it a try.
Olga: *Olga stands with her arms folded behind her dad; she scoffs a bit but says nothing else.*
Wellington: *Puts the bill inside the money chest and moves his hands to the cards.* Keep your eye on the Queen... *Flips each card over so it is face down, then begins switching their positions in the same gradually increasing pace, until the cards are being switched at a quick (though not impossible to follow) rate.* Now... *Stops switching the cards and moves his hands to the sides so they're out of the way.* ...Which one is the Queen?
Olga: *Mr. Orly watches the shifting cards with a frown-- his daughter's eyes darting over his shoulder-- before tapping the card right of center with a vaguely smug grin.* This one.
Wellington: The center card? You're sure? Alright then... *flips the card, revealing the Jack of Clubs* ...Sorry, you lose this round. *Flips the other two cards over, revealing that the Queen was on the left.* Now who's next? *Lightly waves his hand, indicating that Olga's father should leave and make room for another person to try.*
Olga: *He stares in astonishment for a second before Olga steps in front of the table, shooting her dad a glare-- it's a glare he's learned not to argue with, and he sighs, moving down the street. Olga turns to face Wellington, her expression determined.* How does it work?
Wellington: *Frowns at the girl, then glances around; the other people who were watching had wandered off. He looks at the retreating form of Olga's father, then looks back at the girl.* Shouldn't you be in school? *Focus his attention on gathering up the cards and the chest.*
Olga: *She tugs at her hair, rolling her eyes.* It's summer. *She glares at him, leaning on the table.* How does it work?
Wellington: *Looks around again, his eyes lingering briefly on a man standing across the street-- the same man who won the most recent bet.* ...Look, I'm a very busy man. I don't have time to play with kids. Ask your dad how to play. *Puts the three cards in his pocket, then picks up the chest and starts walking away with it.*
Olga: *Olga grabs his sleeve-- the glasses are new and the hair looks more styled, but she suddenly remembers where she's seen this guy before. Her eyes narrow.* You were at that damn Scared Straight thing, weren't you?
Wellington: *Freezes up as she mentions the high school event, quickly looking back at the girl.* ...What? *Looks around at his surroundings, suddenly very paranoid.* N-No, I was never at any....... *Turns suddenly and grabs her arm, narrowing his eyes at her.* You'd better keep quiet...
Olga: *She smirks at him, realizing she's got him with that.* I could call the police right now-- and you couldn't attack a kid in broad daylight. *She gestures back towards the table.* Tell me how you do that and I'll leave you alone.
Wellington: *His mouth twitches, and his eyes narrow further behind his glasses. He spares one last glance towards the man across the street, and another towards a relaxed woman standing much further down the sidewalk.* .......Fine. *Makes a dismissive hand gesture, then pulls Olga away from the table and towards an entryway to an apartment complex a few feet away so that they're under an awning and not standing out on the open sidewalk.* ...You want to know about Three-card Monte? *Pulls the three cards out of his pocket and holds them between his fingers.*
Olga: I've heard of it, I think. *She says it somewhat dismissively, in an attempt to hide her eagerness to learn such a basic con.*
Wellington: *Looks at Olga a moment longer before he continues.* The dealer shows the three cards to the player, then switches them around while the player watches. If the player guesses correctly, they win an amount equal to what they bet.
Olga: I got that part, yeah. *She looks at the cards with a smirk.* So where's the trick?
Wellington: *twitches* ...Alright, I see now. *Turns to the railing and puts the cards down on it.* ....I'm only going to show you this once, and then you're going to leave me alone and keep your mouth shut about ever seeing me, got it? *Picks up the leftmost and rightmost cards, one in each hand.* Most of the game is done doing normal switches, and the key is to not go faster than the eye can see. You want the mark to believe they're watching the Queen... because if they think they're watching it all the way through the "trick", there's a hundred percent chance of them getting it wrong. *glances at Olga to see if she's still watching* ...If they're merely guessing, they only have a two in three chance of getting it wrong, so you don't want to go too fast and make them lose track. *picks up a second card in his right hand, so that the hand is now holding two cards stacked* ...Now, here's the "trick". *holds it near Olga so she can see* ...When you pass the cards over to the next spot, anyone watching fully expects the bottom card to drop. With enough skill, you can make the top card drop instead. *Pushes the top card with his finger so it slides out and drops, while the bottom card remains in his hand.* ...And that's where the player loses track of the Queen.
Olga: *She watches the entire display with rapt attention-- despite her best efforts, she has a bit of difficulty keeping the fascination from her eyes.* ...I get it. *She frowns, thinking.* How'd that guy who tried before my dad win, then?
Wellington: *grimaces* ...He was... a shill. He works with me, just making it look like anyone can win the game. If people saw that everyone always loses, they would avoid playing and I would probably get investigated.
Olga: Makes sense. *She considers the setup in her mind, making sure she knows how it works... and holds out her hands for the cards.* Let me try, then.
Wellington: *Hesitates, sighs, then hands them over while nervously glancing back out towards the street.* Make it quick, I have a lot of important things to do today and you're holding me up.
Olga: So would prison. *She takes the cards, her self-satisfied smirk fading to a focused glare as she spreads out the cards, swapping them around as she'd seen Wellington do earlier, occasionally dropping the top card.*
Olga: *Her movements are... well, they're certainly not as deft as an experienced con artist like Wellington, but she's certainly quicker than most fifteen-year-olds would be.*
Wellington: *Raises an eyebrow as he watches, reluctantly surprised by how quickly she learned the trick.* ...You've got it. That's all there is to Three-card Monte. Are you satisfied, now? *crosses his arms*
Olga: Guess so. *She shuffles the cards a bit in her hand before glancing up to Wellington, twirling a strand of hair around her finger with a smile.* I don't suppose you know anything else...?
Wellington: What? Tricks? *frowns* ...No, of course not. *looks back over his shoulder* ...Look, I told you about Three-card Monte, and now you're going to pretend you never saw me. I have to get going. You can keep the cards, I have more. *Flips the blond part of his hair back with his hand, then quickly departs. He's never going near this street again.*
Olga: *She briefly considers asking him again but stops, watching him go and examining the cards in her hand. After a moment, she smirks, pulling out her cell to call her dad, and she wonders just how many times she could get Stickler to fall for this.*