[FIN] Pazaak, Juma juice, and a Lucky Gizka

[Arcesious]

Pazaak, Juma Juice, and a lucky Gizka

 

So I went out of my apartment on Onderon, towards the cantina. It was raining as I went in there, to play some pazaak. I had lost so many times…

I went over to the bartender and told him to give me a hit of Juma.

Then, as I was about to take a sip, I heard the weirdest noise I had ever heard in my whole life.

“Crooooooak.”

I looked down by my barstool. At my feet was, you guessed it, a Gizka.

It flexed its ear nubs, and then flicked out its tongue at me.

“Hello.” I said to it.

“Croak.” It replied.

“How did you get in here?” I asked.

“Croak.” It replied.

“Wild animals aren’t allowed in the cantina you know…” I said.

“Croak.” It said, with a slight sound of pride to it.

“Okay then.” I said.

“Maybe it will go away if I drink some more juma juice.” I thought.

I drank up my cup of juma, and said, “Bartender, give me another round of juma.”

He dried off a glass with a rag, and took my glass, filling it with some more juma. I then handed him two credits.

“Croak.” It said beggingly.

“No, you can’t have my drink.” I said to the Gizka.

“Croak…?” It begged again.

“No.” I said.

It then jumped up on the counter, and stuck its tongue in my juma juice.

I looked at it as it licked up my drink, giving me an indignant look as it did so.

“Um… bartender…” I said.

The bartender turned around and saw the Gizka as he was sweeping behind counter with a mop.

He tried to hit the Gizka but it dodged it, jumping up on my head, and the mop slamming it my face.

“Croak.” It said.

“Sorry about that sir. Here, let me try again…” The bartender said.

The Gizka jumped down and hid behind my legs.

“It’s by my feet.” I said.

“Crooooooak…” The Gizka said pleadingly.

“Actually, never mind that, the Gizka’s with me.” I said.

“No wild animals allowed in the bar, especially Gizka.” He said.

“Here’s 30 credits if you let it stay.” I said, holing out some credits.

“Fine,” He said taking the credits, “Your ‘pet’ can stay as long as it doesn’t bother anyone.”

“I’m going to go play some pazaak. Wait here, okay?” I said the Gizka, leaving to go to a pazaak table.

I sat down where one of my old rivals was sitting.

“I’m feeling lucky tonight.” I said to him, not feeling lucky at all.

“CROAK…” The Gizka said, right beside me as I sat down in a seat on the table.

“Shut up!” I said quietly to the Gizka.

“What was that?” My rival asked.

“Oh, nothing.” I said.

“It sounded like a Gizka to me.” He said.

The Gizka jumped on the table, with a wobbly stance, swaying from side to side, and being a little lazy-eyed.

“Ah feirfek… The Gizka is drunk now…” I thought.

It then jumped on my shoulder; it’s slimy feet sticking to my jet-black jacket.

“Let’s just play the game, 400 credits will be the bet. Try to ignore the Gizka.” I said.

I took my deck out of my pocket, and picked my ten sidedeck cards.

I then shuffled my deck, and then the sidedeck, picking four cards randomly from the sidedeck, which were +2/-1, +5, -3, and -4/+4

“You first.” He said.

I took a card from my main deck. It was a +13 card.

I put it down on the table.

My rival then put down a +7.

“Croak.” The Gizka said before I picked up a card.

I looked at my sidedeck cards.

“What?” I said to it.

It stuck out its tongue and licked my +5 sidedeck card.

“Croak.” It said with a demanding tone.

“Huh?” I said to it.

It licked my +5 card again.

“Oh, you want me to play this card?” I asked it.

“Croak.” It said as if with a positive tone like a ‘yes’ answer.

I slowly put down the card. It was now 18.

My opponent put down a +8 card.

I then picked up a +2 card, getting 20.

My opponent put down a +9 card, and I won the set.

“I’ve never won a round before…” I thought amazed.

My opponent put down a +16 card.

I picked up and put down a +16 card also.

My opponent put down a +3 card.

The Gizka croaked at me and licked the main deck.

I picked up and put down a +8 card.

It then licked my +4/-4 card, on the negative side.

“Huh… What are the chances of a Gizka that can play pazaak?” I thought, put down the card with its negative side facing up.

My opponent picked up and put down a +2 card, and I won the second set.

My opponent was starting to get desperate.

He picked up and put down a +15 card.

I picked up and put down a +14 card.

My opponent put down a +5 card.

I picked up and put down a +7 card.

“Croak.” The Gizka said, licking the negative side of my +2/-1 card.

I put it down on the negative side, and we tied.

My opponent put down a +10 card.

I put down a +10 card also.

The Gizka croaked and licked my –3 card, and I put it down, trusting it.

My opponent put down a +9 card.

I then picked up and put down a +13 card.

My opponent then, out of sidedeck cards, picked up and put down a +12 card.

The Gizka croaked victoriously.

My rival had an angry look on his face, put the 400 credits we had bet down on the table, picked up his cards, and stormed off out of the cantina.

I looked up at the Gizka on my shoulder, and it looked at my with a crooked, drunk smile, and licked me on the face.

As I put my cards away and took the credits, the bartender said, cleaning the counter with a rag, “That is one lucky Gizka.”

I smiled and said, “It’s my lucky Gizka.” and left the cantina to go home, the gizka staying on my shoulder, and the gizka smiling drunkly at the bartender.