Two Roads 03.27.16

Note: This shot is dedicated to GearSolidSnake, who requested it from me.

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“Rico!” Private called softly.

He stopped when he noticed light coming from storage. Furrowing his brow, he hopped up onto the windowsill for a closer look.

A dim light emanated from behind some crates. There were shadows — figures that moved along the walls. He tried to make out the shapes. His breath caught as he made out Rico’s mohawk. He pushed the window open and climbed inside.

He thankfully made it through without making any noise. Low voices drifted around the stack of crates, but he couldn’t discern them.

Carefully, he crept alongside the crates. Holding his breath, he peeked around the corner. His beak fell open as he assessed what he saw.

There was a lamp nearby with no shade, providing light for the card-players seated in a circle: Rico, Bada, Joey, and Julien.

Julien laid down his cards. “Three-of-a-kind.”

“Two pair,” Bada huffed irritably.

Julien smiled at Rico. “Well, flightless waterbird?”

Rico smiled back and showed his hand.

“What?!” Julien cried. “Flush! Man, this game’s a ripoff,” he complained, throwing down his cards and folding his arms as Rico pulled the pot toward him.

Private involuntarily gasped and the four players looked in his direction.

“Hey!” Julien cried. “It’s the tiny penguin!”

“He’s spying on us!” Bada added, preparing to stand.

Rico stood and gestured for everyone to calm down before heading toward Private.

“What are آپ doing here?” he asked in a string of gibberish.

“I noticed your bunk was empty!” Private replied. “So I came looking for you. آپ know Skipper strictly forbids us to gamble with real money!”

Rico blew raspberries and waved a flipper. “Ah, it’s just a friendly game,” he said. “Wanna join?”

“Join?” Private exclaimed. “Are آپ mad?”

“Ah, c’mon,” Rico urged, putting a flipper on his shoulders. “This could be a chance to get the money آپ need for that new doll thingy آپ wanted.”

Private looked at Rico, then at the players, and then at the floor. He did really want the new Lunacorn doll set with the matching accessories. But Skipper کہا they were on a tight budget and needed to spend their money on important things. He wanted it so bad he’d even considered stealing one at one point, but reverted because he knew that wasn’t the right way. This wasn’t quite as big of a deal as stealing, was it? But Skipper still forbade it . . .

“Well?” Rico said, growing impatient.

Private swallowed and looked at the other players.

“We don’t have all night, butterball,” Bada commented.

“But I don’t have any money,” Private کہا timidly.

“Ah, I’ll give آپ some, buddy,” Rico offered as he led him to the others. “Don’t even have to pay it back.”

“How generous . . .” Private mumbled as Rico sat him down between himself and Joey.

“Welcome to the game, penguin,” Joey کہا as Rico slid fifteen bucks in front of Private, mostly in change.

Private looked skeptically between them. “Where did آپ get all this money?”

“Oh,” Julien started, “humans drop their shiny money all the time. We’ve been saving for months for just this occasion!”

Private narrowed his eyes at Rico. “So you’ve known for months that آپ were going to disobey Skipper?”

Rico shrugged and dealt the اگلے hand. Private sighed and picked up his cards, feeling guilty all the while. He shouldn’t be doing this. How was he roped into this?

Everyone started placing bets and drawing cards. Each time Private placed a bet, he could hear Skipper in his mind, scolding him for disobeying. “Rico, I understand,” he’d say, “but you?” He could practically feel his flipper making contact with the back of his head. All he had to do was fold and pretend it never happened, but there was about twenty-something dollars in the pot — enough to buy the Lunacorn doll set, the matching accessories, and the Sharing is Caring coloring book. It was just a game, right? It’s not like anybody was getting hurt.

At last came the final bets. Joey bet twelve, Rico and Julien both went all in, and Bada folded. Private hesitated. He had a pretty good hand, but he had nine dollars left. That was a little over half the money he needed for the doll set. He could probably save up the rest soon. Then he looked at the pot. Imagine all the Lunacorn merchandise he could buy with that much money! Biting his tongue, he pushed all of his money into the pot.

“Ooh! The little پینگوئن, پیںگان waddles on the wild side!” Julien exclaimed. “I like it.”

Private tried to feel complimented but instead felt even مزید guilty.

“Full house!” Julien said, دکھانا his hand with a grin.

“Aw, man!” Rico exclaimed, throwing down his cards. “Straight . . .” He got to his feet and کہا he was going to bed.

“Oh, I’ve been had,” Joey grumbled, not revealing his hand.

Everyone looked at Private, who sat dumbfounded.

“Ha!” Julien said. “I win!” He started gathering the pot when Private lowered his cards and he froze with his mouth hanging open. “What?!”

Everyone stared at Private’s hand.

“How do آپ end up with four tens?!” Julien screamed in outrage. “You cheated!”

Private started to smile. “Luck, I suppose,” he کہا as he started gathering the pot. “Well, thanks for the game, boys, but I think —”

“Private!”

Everyone turned to see Skipper standing a few yards away, folding his flippers over his chest.

“You’re gambling?! With real money? آپ know I don’t allow that!” he scolded, grabbing Private سے طرف کی the flipper and hoisting him to his feet.

“Wha — I mean — Rico! He —” He turned to where Rico had been sitting and remembered that he’d left.

“Oh, real smooth, Private. I would’ve understood مزید if it were Rico, but I just saw him in his bunk. I’m very disappointed in you,” Skipper said, dragging him away. “We’ll discuss this in the morning.”

Private opened his beak to respond, but decided against it and sighed. Come morning, Rico was dead . . .

[Words: 995]