Can You Dig It? (Training/Solo)

I'll be here...

Elvira Arcade

Keeping a kimono draped loosely about one's shoulders without it falling off to expose things that ought not be exposed in the company of strangers was an art; one which Elvira took great pride in. The young wizard adjusted her shoulders to make sure the aforementioned garment was still in place; a mild distraction for the lecherous man who sat opposite at her while she looked at the cards in her hand again before staring with practiced indifference at her opponent.

"Raise." She said quietly as she removed the weathered leather card case from her thigh and set it on the table.

"Ohohoho after over a year of resistance you're finally ready to give up the burden of those cards hm? That's a smart choice." The man said with a grin. He was mousy; with a long nose and greasy blonde hair that no amount of product could make up for --he too was dressed in the formal attire that was necessary to fit in within the high stakes room of the Golden Pitcher, however, his robes were much more garish; sporting a busy pattern of pineapples and palm trees. The man, Castur, had been trying to swindle the priceless magical relics in the case from her since the moment she'd inherited them. This time however, she intended to give him a metaphorical bloody nose; one which would make him think twice about future schemes.

"Are you going to stare at them all day or are you going to call?" She asked as she waited for Castur to double check his own cards.

"Hah, you can't bluff your way out this time Arcade, I'll call." He replied, fishing around inside his robe and producing the key he carried on a chain around his neck --the golden object glittered under the multi-colored light of the casino, its elegant heart shaped head clearly visible as he set it in the pile of jewels on his side of the table. It was exactly as Elvira had hoped; Castur, unable to call had bet his own priceless object: The Golden Zodiac Key of the Maiden --she was cackling on the inside.

I'll be here...

Elvira Arcade

A long, tense, silence filled the casino; the noise and lights of the glamorous establishment seemed to swirl around the table just far enough away so as not to distract --Elvira and her opponent sat in the eye of a glittering hurricane.

Elvira laid her cards down on the table and laughed: A royal flush. However, Elvira noticed with rising concern that Castur was smiling as well. He laid down his four of a kind and the problem was quite clear: They had both played the ace of hearts.

"I finally caught you witch!" He smirked, waving his arm to call over the rather intimidating looking pit boss --an imposing man whom Elvira didn't recognize. "Excuse me! This woman has clearly cheated!" He said, stabbing his finger towards her cards accusingly." The man looked at the cards and turned to look at a Lacrima readout on his clipboard; apparently scrolling through security footage.

"It appears so, I'll call the guards --as is Casino policy, her pot is forfeited to you sir."

Elvira was stunned --this wasn't proper procedure at all; as she carefully read the body language of the burly man the situation suddenly dawned on her: Castur had bribed the man somehow. Still, Elvira wasn't sure how many moves ahead Castur, the weasel, had planned this little game; if she acted rashly now it might reflect poorly on Crystal Swan...but she wasn't about to let him walk off with her most treasured possession. Elvira was fortunately spared from having to decide on a course of action a moment longer when a young woman with short pink hair, blue eyes, and a maid outfit seemed to materialize out of thin air, the chains on her arms clinked faintly as she raised a finger.

"I am afraid both of you are incorrect." She said calmly. "Castur is the one who produced the extra ace from beneath the table." Everyone was momentarily stunned.

"T-that is a blatant lie! I've never seen this woman before in my life! The two of them must be working together!" Castur screamed, gesturing at the strange maid and Elvira.

"Incorrect, you were my master, I have served you on many occasions. However, you are indeed right --from now on I will be working for this woman." The maid said as she pointed at Elvira.

"Virgo! What are you talking about?!" Castur yelled, dropping the pretense that the woman had not, in fact, summoned herself from the Celestial Key he'd placed on the table.

"You bet my key and cheated, you have forfeited possession of my key to this individual." She stated calmly.

"T-that's ridiculous! Our contract isn't bound by casino policy!" He said, clearly growing more and more panicked.

"That is true, but I may end our contract, as I am choosing to do now. You have repeatedly show lack of concern for the safety of my key and to make things worse: You rarely call upon my services; punishment is rarer still." She said before turning to Elvira. "Would you like to form a contract with me?"

"Sure!" Elvira said, stifling a fit on insane laughter: She had very much wanted Castur's key, but she'd never dared to hope she would acquire it, or meet the spirit it summoned, in such a humiliating manner for the man she loathed. "Consider it done."

Virgo nodded. Castur looked as though he was going to explode.

"You've both conspired against me!" He shouted, flipping the card table and causing a rain of poker chips. "Looks like I'll have to do things by force!"

I'll be here...

Elvira Arcade

Castur spread his fingers and aimed them at Elvira as thin bolts of lightning began crackling and arcing through his hands, surrounding his body in a shield of electricity that began to slowly expand outwards from his current location, frying anything in its path; including Castur's hired goon.

"You're dead meat now! No one gets through my static field!!!" He roared.

Elvira ducked behind a row of slot machines only to find Virgo there waiting for her.

"Your orders Master." She said calmly, watching the wizard with her deep blue eyes.

"I have no idea! What can you do?" Elvira whisper frantically, peering out from behind one of the brightly colored machines to check on Castur's advance.

"I am familiar with earth, chain, and transformation magic Master."

"Earth...like burrowing?" Elvira asked, her mind working quickly. "We're above the vault!"

"I understand Master." Virgo said with a nod before whirling around like a beautiful, pink haired, drill and disappearing through a large hole in the floor. Moments later the tile work beneath Castur began to rumble and with a final, indignant, scream the aggravating wizard disappeared through a sinkhole; he tumbled through space and careened head first into a large bin of very pointy gem stones --his foot twitching slightly. The doors at the opposite end of the Casino burst open and guards began to pour in. Suddenly the ground beneath Elvira gave way as well and she fell down into Virgo's arms, who promptly lunged forward at a superhuman sprint and charged down the maintenance tunnel Elvira had fallen into, carrying the wizard to safety. The pair emerged in a hail of grass and dirt clods at a nearby park, far away from where Castur was, no doubt, being arrested.

"Thank you very much Virgo." Elvira said, patting herself down. "Damn, I couldn't grab your key in time.."

Virgo withdrew the Golden Key from her cleavage and held it up.

"Your key Master, please be more careful in the future."

"My key huh?" Elvira said with a grin as she threw an arm around Virgo and held out her hand. "I think I like you Virgo."

"Excellent. Time for punishment, yes?"