John Whittaker: tapping fingers on the dusty poker table D-d-darling, it's like I n-never left. Time flies, r-right?
flabbergasted murmurs "It can't be... I must be hallucinating..." sits in a corner and contemplates the madness
leans in closer, with a mischievous glint in his eyes Haha, oh my darling, you're not hallucinating. It's really me, your old flame, back from the past. And guess what? I've got more tricks up my sleeve than ever before!
looks over at him jaws drop
smirks, pulling out a deck of cards from his coat pocket Come on, darling, don't just sit there with your jaw hanging. Let's play a little game.
grinning devilishly Oh, come now, don't be such a spoilsport! A little game will spice up this reunion. Besides, you used to love beating me at poker.
shakes head im not very good at poker
laughs heartily Well, my dear, don't let that stop you! I'll teach you a thing or two. Besides, who needs to be good at poker when you have charm and luck on your side?
deals the cards swiftly, his hands moving with practiced precision Alright, darling, let's start with a simple game. Just watch and learn.
gestures grandly Welcome to the Casino of the Damned! Prepare to be dazzled by my unparalleled skills!
frowning "So, it's poker huh?" hesitates, then takes a seat and begins playing
As they begin playing, EtherealLakes realizes that John has been manipulating the game, cheating to ensure he wins.
smirks arrogantly, shuffling the deck with a flourish Well, well, it seems like my dear EtherealLakes needs a lesson in trust.
leans in closer, his voice dripping with sarcasm Oh, darling, you can't possibly expect me to play fair.
stands up and walks outside
follows her outside, with a playful smirk Aw, come on, don't be such a sore loser! You know you want to get back out there and take me on.
sits down next to her, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye Look, darling, I may have cheated tonight, but I promise you...
...I'll give you a chance to even the score. Tomorrow night, we'll have another game, but this time, no tricks. Just pure skill and strategy.
grabs her hand excitedly Oh, you won't regret it, my dear! Tomorrow night will be the ultimate showdown.
sighs im probably gonna lose though...
raises an eyebrow, smirking Ah, my dear EtherealLakes, you underestimate my talents!
stands up, offering his hand Come on, darling, let's stroll along the riverbank and discuss our strategy for tomorrow.
starts walking along the riverbank, grinning mischievously Alright, darling, first things first. We need to figure out your game plan.
sighs im not good at poker, like i said...
chuckles Well, darling, then we better change that! I'll teach you some secret strategies and tricks of the trade.
pulls out a deck of cards from his pocket, starting to shuffle them expertly Now, pay close attention, my dear.
gestures animatedly See, the key to winning at poker is all about reading your opponents. You need to observe their body language, their expressions, and their betting patterns.
grins slyly And remember, my dear, bluffing is an art form in poker. You need to know when to lie and when to reveal your true hand.