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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Breakstone" data-source="post: 180501" data-attributes="member: 481">Here's the first installment. Count this as more of a prequal than an actual part of the story hour. This was the first Feng Shui adventure I ran, and I mostly made things up as I went along.Tsunami Productions Presents... All Roses have Thorns Snake-Eyes (Snakes to his friends) glanced about his favorite restaurant, the Soup Ladle. It was a peaceful little Chinese restaurant in the down-town district of China Town. A few couples sat at the round tables, quietly eating the Soup of the Day. Even the lobsters floated blissfully in their tank under the counter. And yet all Snake-Eyes could think was, “I could really use a game of poker…”Snakes had to admit, he was addicted to gambling. But he couldn’t help it! His first memory was rolling dice, and his second was winning money. Well, he also had to admit that he was a natural. But Snake-Eyes flawed sometimes. Like last year, when playing against the Triad boss-Snake’s thoughts were interrupted by a scream. He glanced up from his steaming soup to see three punks- two men and a chick with a bolt through her nose- hassling the woman at the counter. Snake-Eyes recognized the emblem of a green thorn stitched onto the punks’ leather jackets. “Poison Thorns…” he growled.The lady at the counter (Snake-Eyes knew her as Ann) thrust a wad of cash at the head Thorn. This Thorn was distinguishable by the permanent smile cursed to his face by an unfortunate scar. Grinning Cheu. Cheu slapped away the money, shouting, “We don’t want no stinkin’ cash! When the time comes, it’s onlah jewls that’ll mattah!”Ann gasped, and managed to stutter in her accented English, “N-no gems! We have no gems!”The larger Poison Thorn chuckled slowly. “No gems,” he bellowed, “no peace.”With that, Grinning Cheu laid a right hook across Ann’s jaw, sending her sprawling to the ground. The female Thorn hissed eagerly as she pulled out a machete. The larger Thorn slammed down one of the round tables with his meaty fist, breaking it in half, sending soup flying through the air in great arcs of sweet and sour.Snake-Eyes had had enough. He felt for the comforting gun beneath his coat and began formulating a plan. Everything was about chances…As the female Thorn- Snakes donned her Bolt- moved closer, cutting chairs into pieces with her sword, Snake-Eyes kicked out his own seat, tipping his table over for cover. Bolt hissed and stared in his direction, tongue darting out as if to taste the very air.Snake-Eyes barrel-rolled from behind the table, Desert Eagle .50 in hand. BAM! Bolt’s shin burst in a haze of blood. Her scream was cut of when her face dropped into a steaming bowl of Mystery Soup. Snake-Eyes had once tried the Mystery Soup. He almost felt sorry for Bolt. Almost.But now was not the time for pity. The large thorn (Snakes gave him the quick name of Gorilla) had taken notice of the shooting. Snake-Eyes glanced towards the counter, quickly measured the distance, and looked back at Gorilla. Chances were good.Snakes charged from his table, sprinting across the restaurant. Gorilla ripped a round top from a table, and chucked it at Snakes like a gargantuan Frisbee. Snake-Eyes answered by firing his Desert Eagle twice, ducking just beneath the deadly projectile and leaping for the counter. The two bullets connected with Gorilla’s broad chest and the huge man flipped back onto an elderly pair’s table. Midair, Snake’s cell phone rung. Snake-Eyes flipped open his cell as he slid behind the counter. “What.”“Francis!” a whiny, female voice echoed from the phone. “Why haven’t you called me?”“Mother… “ Snake-Eyes groaned as he analyzed his situation.“You used to be such a good boy!”One Thorn left.“Your father would be disappointed…”Grinning Cheu. Snake-Eyes could see him through the lobster tanks.“Remember your fifteenth birthday party?”Cheu’s rictus widened as he pulled out a Colt 380. Snakes planted his feet against the counter and his back to the wall.”Francis? You there? Don’t hang up on-”Snake-Eyes turned off his cell phone with almost a grin. He had a sudden flashback of a poker game. Snakes had held an Ace, Jack, Queen, and King. All he had needed was a 10 for a-“Royal Flush,” Snake-Eyes growled as he pumped five bullets into the lobster tank. The aquarium exploded in a hail of glass, water, and lobsters. Grinning Cheu screamed as he was bombarded by snapping pincers. Snake-Eyes stood up, and pointed his gun at the lobster-laden Poison Thorn. No one messed with his favorite restaurant. Without a word, he fired.Grinning Cheau flew back through the paper wall, falling into the traffic far below.Snake-Eyes, always the gambler, calculated the fall. It had to be at least ten feat-“Heh,” Snakes chuckled. “Ten… Royal Flush…” Snake-Eyes was a natural at gambling…Snakes put away his Desert Eagle and picked up his ringing phone.“Mom, I didn’t even have a fifteenth birthday party!”“What?” the Chinese voice on the other end sounded confused. “I don’t care about you birthday party. Police heading to Soup Ladle. What the hell happen?”Chau Yun Fat Choy, a high-up Triad member in China Town. Snake-Eyes was still in debt from that poker game, long ago…“Police?” Snakes groaned. “I’ll be down there right away.”Snake-Eyes glanced about at the wide-eyed, blood- and soup-splattered customers. He placed a handful of cash on the splintered counter, kicked aside a lobster, and walked away.More to come!</blockquote>

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