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The sickly lights shine through the auditorium in all of its gaudy and over the top glory, High Roller’s High Roller, the most anticipated show of the year, just rearing its head, ready to change the trajectory of the world. The power and influence this self proclaimed “melodious mallard” had, it was something else to say the least.
However, things this year were going to be DIFFERENT, that so-called dazzled king of diamonds will be thrown off his throne once my plan comes into fruition.
Who’s plan? Well I’m glad you ASKED reader, it is none other than:
“THE GREAT AND POWERFUL KNOW-IT-ALL!” The genius yelled behind the stage. Many would think it was foolish to make your presence known when you’re trying to sneak into your arch nemesis’ place of dwelling, but I beg to differ, when he sees me hy’ll grovel at my feet, when she see’s what I’ve done she’ll have nothing else to do but submit to ME!
The Know-It-All squinted his eyes as he could hear hys GRATING voice behind the curtain, smooth yet LOUD, confident yet INCOMPREHENSIBLE, she acted as if she were a Toon when really she’s two cogs in a trenchcoat. Well, that’s what everyone thought anyway. I knew better to assume that hy was just a mere reflection of those two eccentric Suits. Nobody understood hymn like I could. Unlike them, unlike hys audience, I can see through that facade, I can see past the two people she serves as a ‘mascot’ for.
I can see High Roller herself.
“Well, well, well. What have we got here, folkff?” The mallard leaned against the wall, staring at the other with that infuriating smirk. The Know-It-All stumbled, glancing around the room before locking eyes with the other.
Sunglasses.
They always served as protection for the windows to the soul. A common technique used by gamblers.
You could never truly know what someone is thinking without looking into their eyes.
Hys feelings, that dastardly gameshow host, what he felt was enigmatic in nature.
But I will learn to understand it.
“YOU! I’VE GOT YOU NOW!” The brainiac raised his hand and pointed toward the much bigger Suit before thick wires behind him rushed over to constrict High Roller like snakes, squeezing hymn until there was a sickening crack . Though, he would look back to see the violent sound just came from a conveniently placed stick he had stepped on.
“Now, now, now, what’ff thiff here? My biggefft fan came to ffee the one and only onffe again! I’ll ffay, HUGE fan of the handff on approach, if I do ffay ffo myffelf!” Hy squirmed briefly in his grip before quickly giving in, seeming oddly unbothered by the situation. Oddly by normal individual standards, this was typical for someone like High Roller. Hy was so… uncaring, like hy didn’t care what happened to hymn.
“Why… THANK YOU. Not many people APPRECIATE ME around here! Only really YOU can see it, can you? It’s what I HATE about you.” His wires squeezed her tighter as he took a step closer, looking down at High Roller’s unwavering smile. No matter how much pain she was in, hy always delivered that… REPULSIVE smile.
“I think you’ve got your wordff mixed up, babydoll! You’re not makin’ any two ffentff, I bet ya LOVE me!” Hy tilted hys head, it was almost charming in a way, to see someone so high and mighty just do something so small and innocent.
“BAH! Says you, you’re the EMBODIMENT OF NONSENSE!” The Know-It-All pushes her against the wall, hys back pressed against the wood as his wires keep her secured in place.
“You were able to make ffenffe of ffomethin’, weren’t ya? You’re the only fan out there who deffided to ffee little ol’ me, the only one who wanted to tie me up and puffh me againfft the wall! I’m fftartin’ to get the wrong ffignalff, babe!” Her glasses morphed to resemble a raised brow, most times hys face was blank, graced with a permanent smile, the rare moments of expression were oddly precious.
The Know-It-All reeled back in disgust, grip from the wires loosening ever so slightly. “NO.”
“Givin’ me ffome leeway, how ffweet!” She chuckles out before the wires squeeze her tight again, letting out an auto tuned cough.
“You simply caught me off guard…” He scowls at xem, fist shaking in rage.
High Roller whistled, a tiny music note floating out of the gap of xyr teeth. “Ffo I did! Well, what’re ya gonna do with me now? Ya got the hot ffhot right where you want hymn!”
The Brainiac blinked in befuddlement, staring upon the one he had been trying to take down his entire 7 day life! She was just going to give him the win? Just like that?
He continues to scowl, his neck craning to get a better view of hys face. “You’re up to something aren’t you?”
High Roller only chuckled, shaking his head as her mouth opened to let out an unpleasant ‘loud incorrect buzzer’ sound.
The Know-It-All squinted at him, not believing that for even a moment. “How can I know you’re not BLUFFING?”
High Roller closes hys eyes behind hys glasses, suddenly… her smile dropped, expression now neutral but… surprisingly natural. “How about I drop the poker faffe, huh? How’ff that?” Hys voice was quieter, more bearable, it was almost unsettling, where did that gameshow host bravado go?
“Ha…HAHAHAHA…! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” He laughed and laughed and laughed, this was it, this was High Roller in her TRUEST form! Her most vulnerable! All he had to do was just grab her and shake her up a little and hy FOLDED! YES!
“Wahow! You’re laHAHAHAughin’ like a laugh track, baby doll, I didn’t even tell any jokeff!” Hy smiled, but this time, it wasn’t that sleazy smirk hy always wore, it was something more… it was something genuine, soft. Cog, what was WRONG with him?! Whatever! This was the biggest win Know-It-All has ever had in his 7 days of existing!
“I DID IT! I FINALLY BROKE YOU! I FINALLY BROKE DOWN YOUR DOORS! HOW DOES IT FEEL, HIGH ROLLER? THIS IS THE FIRST TIME ANYONE’S SEEN YOU WITHOUT A SMILE!”
The gameshow host tilted xyr head, their glasses morphing questioningly “Who ffaid anythin’ about breakin’ down doorff? All I did waff open the door to let ya in, I’d be a bad hofft if I didn’t, right?”
“...WHAT?”
That blasted mallard’s smile grew a crack bigger, he could imagine it now, his eyes lidding behind those glasses. “I’ve been thinkin’ about theffe viffitff, all your ffchemeff, I admire the paffffion, really. Even though I’m the fftar of the ffhow here, it feelff like I’ve become a fan of you, ya get me?”
“EXCUSE ME?” The genius looks on in bewilderment, someone had a positive opinion on him…? And out of all people… it was his ARCH NEMESIS?!
“Craffy I KNOW. But it feelff like you’re the only one here who really GETFF High Roller, y’know? The thingff you do to me iff exactly the thrill I’ve been miffffin’, babe.”
He blinked, he couldn’t shake off this feeling that this was all just a bluff, but he kept looking at her face. It looked REAL. It was all REAL.
He thought he understood her. He’s been studying her in fact. Ironically, she seemed so much more unpredictable now.
“I think I get ya too. I can ffee it in your ffoul, every ffircuit and wire in there, in the pulffeff through the refftraintff ffqueezin’ me tight. You know it too, you know it all , don’t you? We’re the only one’ff who can underfftand each other.”
Know-It-All’s eyes twitched, everything hy was saying, the only time High Roller made sense it felt nonsensical! He understood… He understood well! But he didn’t want to- He didn’t want to accept that… he needed…
“BAH! BAHAHAHA!!! BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!” The Know-It-All bursted into laughter, loud deranged cackles ringing round the backstage. His arch nemesis NOT hating him…? This… this was the WORST OUTCOME! What was the point in being enemies if there was no HATE?!
He lifts the game show host with his wires, throwing xem into the ceiling. “You know NOTHING!!! HAHA!!! NOTHING!!!” Rubble fell from the site of impact as High Roller’s body stuck out of the ceiling, head securely stuck in the roof.
“You’re an IMBECILE! A BLITHERING IDIOT! If you even THOUGHT of the possibility that YOU of all Suits could UNDERSTAND ME!”
High Roller squirms from the ceiling, trying to free itself but to no avail. Xe speaks, but their voice is muffled between the roof.
“SORRY, I can’t HEAR YOU! BAHAHAHA! This is only my FIRST win, High Roller! I will ALWAYS return for you, so WATCH YOUR BACK!!!”
In the blink of an eye, it seemed that the brainiac had just completely vanished, no trace to be seen, besides the obvious High Roller shaped hole in the ceiling.
He expertly slinked out of High Roller’s studio, sitting down in an alleyway in the Brass & Shipping District, squinting his eyes at the atrocious and whimsical decor around. This place was such a High Roller place, no wonder xe lived here.
He kept thinking about it: his first win. It felt all so good, he watched as that nuisance of an avian’s head went completely through the ceiling, it was oh so satisfying. He got her to stop smiling, he got her to…
The Know-It-All cackled to himself. His favorite game of cat and mouse was fated to never end, he would keep chasing the prize until the casino itself closed, and an odd part of him was okay with that. He was sure High Roller was satisfied with that outcome too.