White

 -?????-

If you asked Jester Chao where he went when he was teleporting, he would simply laugh at you. How would you describe a place that was everywhere, yet nowhere? It did what it needed to do. That was enough. Asking more just went against the proverbs of stage magic!

Yet, when he stepped through, he was aware that others sometimes did as well. Who? How? He didn't care. What they did didn't bother him. 

Though it was a different story when they collided with him during a step across space. The interference causes the two of them to fall out. Jester Chao lands and bounces, looking around. He'd never been, but somehow, he instinctively knows. Porphyion. The planet the Kobbers had once been on.

Sitting there, next to him, and rubbing her head, is a woman. A strange woman with red and blue hair, and a bizarre hood atop a yellow shirt. "Owww. Watch where you're-"

She looks at Jester Chao. She stops. Jester Chao looks at her.

"Wanna hear a joke?"

She just continues to stare at him. Jester Chao pauses for a second. "Well. What do you call a-"

"Columbina!" she says with a smile on her face. For the first time in a long time, he's taken back. The strange woman stands up, bounds over, and shakes his hand. "Ahhhh, to meet you! The centerpiece of a wonderful play!" 

Jester Chao floats up, looking at the woman. The reference to the harlequinade was an odd one, but he could play along. "And would that make you Harlequin?"

"No, non, nyet!" The woman twirls and curtsies. "You may call me Pierette! For that is my name! Or so I believe. It is the name I've had for as long as I remember!"

"And how long is that?"

"Two years!"

Ignoring her odd comments, Jester Chao floats over to perch on her head. He does a twirl of his own. "What does your hood hide?'

"My secrets and tricks!"

"What is your mystery?"

"A strange one!"

"Which card did you draw?"

"All of them!"

Seemingly satisfied with the incomprehensible answers to the incomprehensible questions he asked, Jester Chao backflips off her head and lands in his hand. "A wonderful day! Would you like to be an apprentice?"

"Alas, dear Columbina, I am merely Pierette. If I were to be Harlequin, it would be a different matter!"

"Understandable! Truly, have a nice day. I look forward to our next meeting."

"As do I, my fair!"

With that, a storm of confetti surrounds Jester Chao. He is gone in an instant, leaving Pierette alone with her thoughts. And his. For by the time Jester Chao arrives where he is going, he has no memory of this bizarre encounter.

Pierrette sighs as she tucks away the card in her hands, the one now containing Jester Chao's memories of this chance meeting. "Ahhh, Columbina! Truly, do I wish we could have traveled together!

But alas, now is not the time. We shall meet again, for jesters should always meet."

She bows, before simply stepping out of sight behind a tree. If someone were to be watching her, and checked behind said tree, they would see no one and nothing. For this strange clown had also departed Porphyion.

After all, everything was bound to happen in Agama.

Pierrette

Joker

Shades of Rough

-???-

 It had taken her a long time to make it here. To the place only spoken of in legend. Piecing together the information, she had learned that this being was the archenemy of the legendary spirit himself. Sealed away in a past encounter, and bound to this location.

But here, underneath the legendary location itself, on the edge of Scotland, it had lain in wait. The being was patient. And its patience was rewarded, when the one who had sealed it was banished by another. With his power cut off, the explorer could reach the being once she had figured out where and what it was, along with the other person who had joined her.

And for that reason, she stands in front of it. Or in front of the three devices that bind it, at least.

"And all I have to do is break these?"

Indeed. Simply snap all three over your knee, and everything will be as it should be. The voice echoes throughout the cave, without being spoken from a true source.

"...Alright."

The man next to her looks around nervously. "I really don't think I should be here. At least not without a couple employees-"

"Save it! Remember the humiliation? Remember the mockery on live TV?" Now properly riled up, the woman grabs one of the three devices and snaps it over her knee with a practiced motion. There's a rumble in the underground cave.

She tosses the second to the man, who nervously places one end under his foot and pulls the other end up, wincing when he hears it break - and wincing again as a second, louder rumble arrives. The woman looks at the last device.

"This is it... the last barrier between me and a second chance. One that isn't going to be ruined by some infernal morons!" With a yell, she brings down the last device, and watches it shatter. There's a loud chuckle, and a third rumble.

Thank you very much for your help. You will be rewarded in due time.

"What- what do you MEAN due time!? I thought you meant NOW!"

All things in time. There are actions I must undertake first. Such as ensuring there is no chance Colonel Bogey will trouble me again.

There's one more laugh, and then the presence that filled the cave vanishes, as far as they can tell. The man looks down at the broken wood, broken iron, and broken putter that had sealed the strange golf-related spirit away, and then back to his companion.

"I just think this might have been a bad idea. I'm still as mad about the Kuwahawi Open as you are, but..."

"Tch, of course it was a bad idea! But do you have any better ones? Other than wallowing around in failure forever? Don't think so!"

Bambietta Basterbine sprints up the ancient stone steps, followed by the Pointy-Haired Boss, as the two of them emerge into the sunlight on the Royal and Ancient Golf Course of St. Andrews. There's no change. No trace of the spirit that had been sealed beneath the course by Colonel Bogey.

That, on some level, was the most worrying thing of all.

Reunion

 -SPACE STATION 14-

Space is vast. An empty void with the occasional planet dotting its abyss, and even with the advances in technology establishing colonies around various planetless stars, it was still wide and open. This was the reason for the Galactic Federation Station Initiative, space stations set in the larger gaps. Relay points that anyone could aim at and take a break at.

Even though some people referred to them derisively as interplanetary truck stops, they were still appreciated by most of the spaceworthy people of the Federation. And that's why Samus Aran lands on Space Station 14 with a relieved sigh. She'd been in the Federation for a few months, only to learn that the plans for an experimental new line of exploration robots had been stolen. And the theft was suspected to be connected to the recent sightings of Sylux.

She'd also heard about Blood Falcon being released from a Federation prison. That just didn't make sense... there was likely something more. And if there was something more, there was one place to go.

But, it was a while yet to reach Earth, that planet that seemed to be a focal point for the strangeness of the galaxy. And so Samus was walking around, relaxing, and otherwise taking a break. Looking around at everyone there. Until her eyes set on one person who shouldn't be there - shouldn't be anywhere, for that matter.

The hair was different. The expression, different. Harder. But there was enough there that Samus could tell who it was. She turns in surprise, and tempers her shock, able to speak with only some confusion coming through.

"Ian? Ian Malkovich?" 

The man looks up in surprise, which only grows when he sees who's talking to him.

"Samus! Of all the places! I can't - how long has it been?" 

Samus just crosses her arms. "First, you need to explain how you're even alive." Ian had been lost in a ship incident, years and years ago... Samus could still remember the last time she saw him.

Cheerful and ready to go. And then, the accident. Sure, the body had never been found, lost to the void of space, but... it seemed odd. Especially the unexpected meeting.

"Ahahaha... no friendliness for an old friend? Your mentor's brother?"

"Answers. Then friendliness. I've been through enough traps in the past."

"Alright, alright. So. You thought I was dead after the ship's damage, right?"

"Correct. We tried to get you out of there, but by the time we got to that section, the whole thing was empty. No air, no integrity... how'd you survive?"

"Barely." Ian says, with a sheepish look on his face. "Grabbed a life support capsule when I realized it was about to blow. Locked myself in, and drifted for a while. Eventually got picked up by a Federation unit. 

They said this was a unique opportunity. They wanted me to work undercover. Being killed in action made me a great off-the-record infiltrator, and meant I didn't have any connections or paper trail. Eventually they let me go, and... well, here I am nowadays."

"...Heh. Some of the things this damn government has pulled." Samus shakes her head. "Guessing you didn't have much of a choice in the matter?"

"Well, I could have taken my little pod and tried to find my way back to civilization."

"Didn't think so." Now that she's starting to understand Ian's mysterious return, Samus begins to let her guard down. Slowly, the conversation turns to catching up on what happened between now and then. On future plans and past adventures. Ian even mentions that he's heading for Earth as well, on track for these plans stolen from the Federation, and an agreement to help out is reached. But, jokingly, not too much - they can't risk splitting the reward money!

Regardless, Samus's break is soon over. Far more cheery than she was when she arrived, she departs for her ship. Soon, an orange streak blazes out from the space station, followed soon by one of blue...

Gambling It All

-THE MOON QUARTER-

"Heh heh." 

The gambling wanderer, Baccarat, looks up at the new building. In development for a while, it was now open. Flashing neon and shining signs made it clear what it was - a casino. A way to seperate people from their money while making them think they'd earn it all back.

Of course, what fun was that without the chance of winning? And an experienced card sharp was exactly the type of man to turn it around on them. It'd just be a matter of playing it cool and not taking too much. The way the casinos did. It wasn't like the money was the draw for him, anyway.

It was the idea of beating them at their own game.

With a grin on his face, and walking in, Baccarat seeks out one of his favorite games... blackjack.

About an hour later, and he's traveled between a couple different games. Blackjack, poker, and now, of course, baccarat. Never winning too much, but always coming out just a bit ahead. Making sure to take some losses, even a couple impressive ones - the groans of the crowd when he'd folded a full house to someone else's bluff were music to his ears.

Of course, he knew he could have called that bluff. But sometimes, it wasn't about bluffing the players. 

It was about bluffing the man upstairs.

And indeed, as Baccarat suspected, the man in question - owner of the casino, and newly successful Agaman nightlife member - was watching. Not all the time. He had plenty of other guests to keep an eye on. It didn't matter how much the casino was fleecing, after all. It was his house. But should someone try to turn that on him... well. He'd have them out.

Which is why he kept returning to the scruffy, rumpled man who kept playing card games. There wasn't anything in particular, really. He won and lost about normally for someone with good luck. He'd fallen for some cheap tricks. He'd made some good bets. To even the trained eyes of his men, this was just another customer.

But to the owner, he was something more. It wasn't logic. It was simple intuition. The way the greats of gambling could sense each other. 

"Tell me. That man down there. Who's he with?"

"Huh?"

"He's good. Too good. He's done this before. Enough that he can't be caught. 

Pull me everything you got on him."

It took some asking around. Questioning the dealers. Avoiding his gazes as he moved to a different type of poker. That was what made the owner sure - the man avoided anything truly dependent on luck, that he couldn't influence at all.

Once they had the info, it's brought to the owner. He looks it over. A man named Baccarat - obviously an alias. First time here, but he'd been seen around the city. Occasionally with the Kobbers.

The Kobbers. That was enough to make the owner grit his teeth and look behind him. At the wall, with the photo of better days. When it was all four of them... before the other three had gone off on their own, whether for bribes or curiosity or revenge. Leaving him alone. If not for the Kobbers, they'd be here together. Talking and laughing and scheming and getting ready for a night on the town...

Well. That was why the man in purple had given him this shot, hadn't he? Just enough of a push to ensure this place could stay off the ground. And that he'd be able to use it against them. A weapon to wield against the Kobbers... and then, just maybe, he'd be able to bring the gang back together.

Couldn't get too sentimental, though. No matter how much the man in purple had claimed to be searching for dreams, those were a waste of time until they were in your reach.

As Baccarat leaves, he looks up to the ceiling. The mirror... or, in this case, the one-way mirror. He tips his hat and flips a single casino chip in the air. Impressed by his instincts, the owner tips his hat back, then looks at his men.

"If he comes back, watch him, always. If he slips up, toss him out. But if he doesn't, let him play."

"Boss? Why let him, if you think he's gaming the system?"

"Because I'm interested. And because... this could be what leads me to the Kobbers.

Hearts. Diamonds. Clubs.

This is for you."

Spades Slick

Blue Queen of Chips