Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Mari stares in horror at her cards. She’s running low on funds, and yet these are the cards she’s given? This has to be some kind of sick joke!

As Mari fearfully gazes at her cards, doing the best she can to mask her dread, the woman across from her speaks up. A look of confidence spreads across her face. “It’s time we end this. All-in.” She pushes the remainder of her chips into a small pile at the center of the table, where the blinds had been previously thrown in, making just one giant heap beside the line of cards.

Mari’s heart skips a beat. All-in? There’s no way she can call that, not with these cards! Even if it’s a bluff, her cards are bad enough to lose anyway! Mari’s eyes whip from her cards to the ones on the table, trying to find some sort of hand that can save her from this pit of despair. If she is to fold, she’ll lose the money from that last round of betting, and the blade… 

Her face aches in pain.

Her mind races, trying to find any way out of this horrible predicament. 

Suddenly, she gasps. There's a way! She's finally found one! But it requires such extreme luck, it’s nearly impossible! 

But if she can pull it off… If she succeeds…

Mari steels herself, her trembling body slightly relaxing. She finally speaks up.

“I call.”

Mari scanned her cards, then everyone's faces around the table. Why did they all have to have such good poker faces? She didn't have a single clue as to what their hands were. As for herself, she was left with just a 3 of hearts and 9 of clubs. The community pile wasn't helping either, its contents containing a 5 of hearts, an ace of spades, a queen of hearts, and a jack of diamonds. With only fifteen bucks left, she couldn’t be making any big moves either.

“Screw it…” she thought to herself as the betting wrapped back around to her. “I’m all-in.” The last of her money, all riding on this one crappy hand…

A sharp laugh. “‘I’m all-in,’ she says with only fifteen dollars,” one of the other players at the table mocked, the others chuckling slightly in response. “I’ll call.”

“Heh… yeah…”  Mari sheepishly responded. “Go big or go home, right?” 

The final card was flipped. One by one, the other players followed suit, revealing the hands they had built.

The winning hand ended up being a straight.

“Guess you’re going home, then!” a lady on the other side of the table jeered as she swept the chips from both pots in her direction.

“Haha, guess I am!” Mari gave a hollow smile and stood up, the remaining players exchanging confused glances as she walked away.

“Great.” Her smile quickly morphed into a frown as she made her way to the exit. “Another hundred dollars, down the drain. What did I expect, someone to come up to me and-”

Mari’s thoughts were immediately sidetracked as she bumped into someone. Her gaze darted up towards the stranger, instantly apologetic. “I-I’m so sorry! I wasn’t looking, and…”

“Well, if you aren’t just the person I was looking for. Mari, was it?” the mysterious stranger spoke, his voice calm, almost like he had planned this encounter.

Who was this guy? How did he know her name? Why was he looking for her? “Uh, yeah, that’s my name. And you are…?” she responded cautiously. 

“My name isn’t important," he brushed off. "I was watching you play for the last couple of minutes. Gotta say, pretty bad luck to get such pitiful cards multiple times in a row. And that all-in gamble, oh man!” As the man chuckled, Mari couldn’t help but glance down at the floor, embarrassed that someone had seen her stupid last-ditch effort to win. 

Then he grinned. “But… I see some potential in you.”

Mari’s eyes shot back upwards at the man. She couldn’t make out much in the name of facial features, but he seemed like just the type of guy you’d expect in such a shady place as this. Her voice dripped with suspicion. “Potential?”

Chuckling, the man took a small white card out of his pocket and handed it to Mari, a string of numbers printed on it in bold, black ink, typed in the kind of font you’d find on a business contact. “If you want to make some real money, call that number. We’ll be waiting.” 

And just as soon as the man appeared, he vanished into the crowd of people wandering the casino.

Mari stood there, holding the card in her hand tightly between her fingers. “‘If you want to make some real money…’ What could that mean?” 

She eventually decided against thinking about it any further. “What a creep,” she thought to herself, placing the card in her pocket and making her way up the exit steps.

From a distance, the man laughed to himself, stubbing out a cigarette on a nearby ashtray. “She’ll come eventually,” he whispered to himself. “They always do.”

Chapter Text

A hand fell on Mari’s shoulders, shaking her awake. Her eyes blearily opened. Hero was leaning over her, his eyes meeting hers, a small glint of light from a nearby lamp reflecting off of them.

“How’s it going, sleepyhead?” Hero teased, grinning at her.

“Mrghh…” Mari mumbled. Her head felt like a pile of rocks, her body practically sticking to her bed.

But Hero didn’t relent. “Come on, Mari! You didn’t forget what today was, did you?”

“Hmph?” Was something happening today? She… couldn't remember.

“The hangout?” Mari’s expression didn’t change, the same look of confusion remaining. “With the others? At the mall? C’mon! Kel and Aubrey are already on their way, we gotta get ready."

It suddenly clicked. Mari shot upright. “Of course I remembered,” she lied through her teeth. “The bed was just too comfy! I just didn't want to leave!”

Hero grinned. “Sure. Come on, I’ll make you something real quick while you get ready.” He pecked her cheek before leaving the room.

Mari practically flew out of her bed, pacing around before turning and quickly fixing the covers. How could I have forgotten about our hangout?! We’ve had this planned for weeks! Internally yelling at herself, she frantically ran around the room, pulling assorted dresses from her drawers, tossing them onto her bed to compare. Finally deciding on a purple cardigan over a white dress, she quickly threw it on, stashing the others inside her closet as she finished up.

Brushing her hair, Mari exited the bedroom. She looked towards Hero in the kitchen as he set down a plate piled with a neat stack of pancakes on the table. The sweet scent in the air reminded Mari that she hadn’t eaten since before going to the casino the previous day.

“Wow, Hero. Do you really think I’d be able to eat all that before we leave?” she joked.

Hero sheepishly grinned, rubbing the back of his neck. “No, but at least we’ll have a nice snack when we get back!”

Always able to see the bright side in things. Mari liked that about him. She flashed him a joyful smile and began to dig into the pancakes, their fluffy texture combined with the sweet syrup an amazing way to start the morning.

Mari and Hero finally arrived at the mall, an array of shops presented before them. Restaurants, shops, and arcades scattered everywhere, not to mention the giant food courts throughout.

They made their way further in, eyes peeled for their friends. They were looking around when a voice suddenly arose from behind them.

“Yo! What took you guys so long!?” Kel shouted, his identity further confirmed by the bright orange jacket he wore over his shirt. He quickly ran over, arms outstretched, before embracing them in a large hug. “I missed you guys!”

“It’s only been a few days since we saw you on campus, Kel!” He chuckled, fixing his hair. “You really are impatient, aren’t you?”

“You know what I mean! Hanging out like this! With you, Mari, Sunny, Basil, all of us!” Kel followed up quickly, his hands pointing towards the pair.

“Forgetting me?” Aubrey spoke from behind them, her bright pink hair and light-blue bow announcing her presence if her voice wasn’t enough. “We were just talking not even a minute ago.

Looking at her hair made Mari realize she hadn’t touched up hers in a while. The purple was probably already fading. If only she hadn’t spent all of her money already… Aubrey didn’t seem to mind too much, though.

“Pshhh, I already deal with you enough in my classes! Isn’t that enough?” Kel asked, sounding almost tired. Mari noticed a small blush appear on his cheeks.

“Whatever. So, where’s the other two?” Aubrey scoffed, looking away as her face began to tint ever so slightly red.

”They said they were on their way,” Hero responded, looking at the shops surrounding the water fountain where they had been standing. “Should be here in a few minutes. Why don’t we look around while we wait? I’m sure they won’t miss out on much.”

Kel and Aubrey nodded in affirmation. “Why not? Maybe we could even find something nice to surprise them!” Mari added on, almost immediately regretting it. With what money?? The money you managed to gamble away not even a full day ago? Good luck!

“That’s a good idea. Let’s get looking to see if there’s anything good.” Hero agreed, nodding towards the rest to follow him.

Mari felt a shiver go down her spine. How am I supposed to explain that I don’t have anything? Hero knows that I had money. What do I tell him? She followed along hesitantly, her mind attempting to conjure some sort of excuse.

A few stores worth of searching later, Mari and the others had come up empty handed. Nothing they found seemed like something they would be interested in. Mari breathed a sigh of relief. It’s unfortunate they couldn’t find anything, but at least Mari wouldn’t have to risk paying with cash she didn’t have.

“What are you guys looking for?” Another voice came out to their left, next to a phone repair kiosk.

“Basil, Sunny! You guys finally got here!” Kel went up to them, patting their shoulders.

Basil apologized, clasping his hands in front of him. “Sorry… There were barely any parking spaces outside, it took us forever!”

“Well, you’re here now, that’s all that matters!” Mari said, happy that everyone was now together again. 

“We wanted to find something to surprise you guys with, but we couldn’t find anything.” Kel remarked, a hint of dejection in his voice.

“It’s fine.” Sunny shrugged, his voice as melodramatic as always.

“Well, now that we’re all here, we can look as a group. Maybe we can find something for all of us!” Hero stated.

“That sounds… great!” Mari replied with the slightest hint of hesitation.

“What’s wrong, Mari? You sound nervous.” Aubrey noted, managing to pick up that tiny mark in her speech.

“Ah? Oh, well… It’s just that, uh…” Dammit Aubrey! Why do you have to be so good at picking up cues?! Mari tensed up, trying to come up with any sort of way to justify her reluctance. “

“Did you lose your money?” Sunny asked, tilting his head to the side as if he were genuinely curious.

Mari was about to reject the notion, but froze once again. Realizing she could turn this in her favor, she acted swiftly. 

“Nothing gets past you, does it Sunny…? Sorry, guys, I really wanted to do something for you all. But this morning, when I grabbed my purse, I noticed the cash in it was gone. I searched everywhere, but I couldn’t find anything! Before I knew it, we were about to leave.” Mari felt a bit pained at having to lie, but at least it wasn’t as bad as having to admit she gambled it away.

“Mari, why didn’t you tell me? I could have helped you search for it!” Hero countered, completely fooled by her lie.

“I didn’t want to keep anyone waiting… I’m really sorry...” Mari looked down at the floor.

The others looked around each other for a moment, before Kel almost immediately tried to pick up the mood.

“Then we’ll just pay for you!” He declared.

“What?” Mari’s head shot straight back up.

“Yeah! You’ve always been giving us these nice things and always covering for us, we’ve never been able to pay it back! So for today, why don’t we get you something nice, on us?”

“You guys would really do that for me?” Mari questioned.

“I don’t see why not!” Basil joined in. “Kel’s right, you’ve always been doing so much for us for as long as I can remember, it would be a shame to not take advantage of the chance to give back!”

The rest quickly followed in agreement, expressing their desire to give to Mari what she had always given them.

“Well, in that case, let’s get moving then. I’m sure we’ve been standing here long enough.” Hero commented, looking around for other interesting shops to check out. “Let’s go to that one!” He started off towards a large department store, the rest following behind.

Mari began to move, but felt herself stopped by a deep pain in her chest. Why did it hurt? Why did it hurt to accept their gratitude? Her stomach felt like it was dropping like an anvil. She should be the one to buy them things, not the other way around! She should never have to stoop so low then to accept handouts from her friends! Why? Why did I have to lose it all? Why did I have to lie to them? For my pride?

“Mari?” Mari snapped out of her stupor, looking forward to see Kel standing there, a look of concern on his face. “Is everything alright?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah. I was just… thinking about my classes. That’s all.” Mari still felt terrible for lying to them, but she couldn’t find it in herself to admit the truth.

“Heh, I get that. I’m sure you don’t have anything to worry about, though! You always do amazing in everything you do!“ He smiled.

“Yeah, definitely!” Mari smiled back, trying to hide the worry plastered all over her face.

“Uh,” Kel paused. “The others already left, but I saw you standing here and thought it’d be a good time to ask you something.”

Mari’s mind went wild. Does he know? Is he gonna say he knows I’m lying? What do you mean by “ask something”?! Just say it already!

Kel reached in his pocket, pulling out a small box with a necklace inside. It had a small bunny sitting on a crescent moon, a pretty emerald sitting at the top of it. “It was kind of expensive,” He continued, holding it up to Mari. “But I couldn’t stop thinking of Aubrey while looking at it, so I bought it. Do you think she’d like it?” His face was flush with nervousness.

Oh. Mari’s mind quickly calmed down, thinking for a moment before responding. “Wow, Kel, this is really cute! There’s no way she wouldn’t like something as adorable as this! I’m sure you’ll be fine.” I can’t believe I almost freaked out over a necklace! A necklace!

Kel grinned goofily. “You really think so?” Mari nodded affirmatively. “Thanks, Mari. I’m glad I can at least be honest to you about these things.”

Mari felt a stab of pain in her heart. Please don’t say those things after I blatantly lied to you! I already feel horrible enough… “It’s no problem, Kel. We should probably start making our way over though, huh? I bet they’re looking for us.“ Mari looked ahead of them, unable to make out anyone in the haze of people and bright lights.

Kel nodded his head, placing the box back into his pocket before turning around and heading towards the store, Mari in tow.

She still couldn’t shake that lingering feeling of regret.

Mari and Hero finally arrived home, much later than they had intended. They both sat on the couch, exhausted. It was 10 PM now. Hanging out with the others was much more time consuming than they had remembered.

“I’m pooped! I think I’m going to get ready for bed.” He began to sit up. “How about you?”

“I think I’ll hang out here for a bit. Catch my breath, you know?” Mari responded, resting her arms behind her neck.

“I get that. You pushed yourself quite a bit today, I was a bit nervous for you. I didn’t want your leg to-“

“I’m fine, Hero.“ Mari flashed a smile, tilting her head. “Seriously. I can’t say I don’t enjoy the attention though~” She teased.

Hero giggled. “I’ll be in the room if you need me, OK?” Mari gave a thumbs up as he entered their bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Just as he left, Mari’s mind began to recall her “confession” from earlier today. I’m so stupid! Why did I have to go and run my mouth like that?! I guess I wasn’t necessarily lying, I did lose my money, but definitely not in the way they were thinking!

Mari’s head continued to repeat the conversation in her head, from Sunny’s question to Kel’s proposal, starting to drive her mad. She continued to pester herself with questions. Why did you have to go and lose it all in poker, of all things?! If only you had remembered today, you could have saved the money until then, and then spend it! Why couldn’t you have the foresight to not go and lose it all as soon as you get it!?

As her mind circled back onto the topic of yesterday’s mishap, something peculiar popped into her head. She shot up, reaching for her purse which had been lying on a nearby table. Quickly opening it, she dug through it, looking for something very specific, until she had found it.

The white card adorned with a phone number lay in her hand. “If you want to make some real money, call that number.” The strange man’s voice rang in through her head. 

If money was the problem, then this was the best answer.

She pulled out her phone, dialing the numbers typed out cleanly on the card into it. Pausing for a moment, she finally pressed the green call button, holding the phone to her ear, pushing her hair aside to make room.

Ring…

Ring…

Ring…

“Hello?" The almost whispering voice was all too familiar to Mari, belonging to the same man who had approached her yesterday. The reason she’s even calling in the first place.

“Hello?" She responded tentatively.

“…Ah, so you did consider it… very well…”

Chapter Text

”So... Mari... I presume you're interested?" the voice on the phone rang out.

"Wha... How did you know it was me?" Mari responded, a bit freaked out that she had already been found out.

The man laughed. "Heh. We don't hand out those cards to just anyone. When I told you I saw potential in you, I meant it."

“Okay…” Mari brushed past his cryptic words. “So, what did you mean when you said ‘making money’? What’s involved?”

“Ah… That, unfortunately, is something I cannot reveal just yet. What I can tell you, though, is that in 3 days time, it will begin. I shall message you the location. Come only if you desire.” The man continued, his voice becoming almost professional in manner.

“And if I don’t?” Mari questioned.

“Then we will begin without you. I shall not force you to attend. I have no right to do so. All I can do is promise you the opportunity for a lucrative amount of money, as well as provide you with the whereabouts.”

Mari stood there, silent. How much was a “lucrative” amount of money? Why couldn't he divulge what the “opportunity” involved? What if it was a scam?

“I can tell you’re thinking. I do not quite have the time to wait on your answer, so I will leave you now to reflect on your decision. If you decide to attend, I shall eagerly await your arrival. Until then.” With that, the voice on the other end hung up, a small beep relaying it to Mari as she stared at her phone, her mind still chock full of questions.

Mari placed her phone back in her pocket, looking around her apartment. She could still hear the faint noises of Hero shuffling around in the other room, presumably still getting ready for bed. Her gaze shifted to the clock. 10:30 PM. It’s too late now to think about it. 

“Three days…” She thought of the man’s words. 

Three days to make her decision.

Mari glared at her notebook, notes scrawled across its pages from top to bottom. She turned to the next page, preparing its newly blank space for the next wave of notes on today’s lesson. They were of her biggest attention in class, never going a day without them.

Despite her desire to focus in class, her mind quickly drifted away as the professor began the lecture. Her thoughts drifted to the conversation she had the previous day, with the man over the phone. She remembered all the questions she wanted to ask– about the money, the choice of location, even the man’s professional response. He’d sounded like he had rehearsed what he’d told her. Why was he so vague?

Even the address that had arrived in her inbox that morning seemed suspicious. It was smack in the middle of an array of abandoned houses, ones that were left to rot because no one wanted to buy houses in a poor location that would require more refurbishment than they were worth. Every second Mari spent thinking about the situation led her further to the conclusion that it had to be a scam of some sort. She would make a perfect target, after all. A young, broke girl all by her lonesome at a casino. Who wouldn’t swoop up the chance to take advantage of that? Even if it wasn’t a scam, what could possibly be done in such an impoverished area that would be of any value? Worse yet, what if he was trying to trick her into visiting a trafficking ring?

Mari looked up from her still-empty notebook, and, to her shock, noticed the professor beginning to pack his belongings in preparation to leave. She glanced around at her classmates, who had already starter packing up, some already having gone on with their days.

How did I let myself get so distracted? Mari scolded herself, picking up her bag as she left the classroom, resolving not to think on the call any further. It wasn't worth being distracted from her classes.

“Ugh, class is sooooo boring! Why do they still have homework in college?!” Kel groaned, dramatically leaning towards Aubrey as he fake-swooned. Across the table, Hero laughed, his arm brushing Mari's as he reached for a bowl on the table.Their college's on-campus food court was smack in the middle of the school, and they'd all luckily managed to find a small amount of free time in all of their schedules, perfect for meeting up and grabbing a bite together.

“Quiet down! You’re gonna tear my ear off!” Aubrey snapped, the annoyance in her voice sounding genuine. “Why’d you even come here if you knew there’d be homework?”

“Why wouldn’t I? It’s free because of my scholarship. It’s a no-brainer!”

“Yeah, because you have no brain.” Aubrey retorted, taking a bite out of the burger in front of her.

“C’mon, you guys…” Hero said wearily, not quite masking his smile.

Amidst the albeit entertaining argument between the two, along with Hero’s vain, almost half-hearted attempts to calm them down, Mari sat still, deep in thought.

Despite her attempts to shove off her memory, the phone call still perpetuated, a constant reminder blaring in her head.

What if it’s some sort of gamble? Mari began to think. It would make sense— the person who'd given her the number had known she was a gambler. They'd met at a casino, after all. Maybe they would be playing something such as roulette or blackjack at the location he'd sent. But if that were the case, what was the need to have its own location and specific time? It’s not like she couldn’t just walk over to the dedicated tables and play it at the casino she usually visited.

The thought of it being a gamble begged another question: What money would she even use? Assuming the man had been watching her, he would have seen that she had just lost the last of her money only minutes before they'd met! It just didn't add up-

“Uh, Mari? You okay?” Hero’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. Looking back towards them, she noticed that all three were staring at her, confusion and concern in their eyes.

“Ahh… Sorry, you guys! Didn’t mean to freak you out. I was just, err… thinking about some schoolwork,” she followed up quickly, conjuring up a lie on the spot.

“Well, stop that! We’re not doing school stuff right now, so no thinking about it either!” Kel spoke, quickly lightening the mood. "That goes for me, too! We spend enough time thinking about stupid school."

“Also, Mari, your food’s gonna get cold.” Aubrey added, pointing out Mari’s untouched plastic plate.  Mari finally registered the delicious smell of her sub, and her stomach grumbled in response. Aubrey giggled. 

Mari smiled at her and Kel. “I guess you’re both right!” she said, beginning to eat her food, the heat having already mostly escaped.

But a thought still nagged at her.

How many times was she gonna think about that stupid call?

There was only about an hour before the supposed “opportunity” would come and pass, and Mari was still on the edge about whether or not to go. She paced around the living room of her apartment, her mind ablaze. Suddenly, her phone rang from the purse that she had abandoned on the couch.

Pulling it out, she looked at the screen to see the contact, “Mom.” She didn’t hesitate to swipe across the screen, accepting the call and holding it up to her ear.

“Mom?”

“Mari! It’s so good to hear your voice again! How are you? How is Henry? You’ve been taking care of yourselves, yes?” As soon as Mari made her presence known, she was immediately bombarded with a myriad of questions.

“Y-Yes mom, we’re doing great! School is going fine as well, we even hung out with Sunny and the others a few days ago.”

“Oh yes, I remember! I’m so glad you’re still an amazing sister to him, even when away from home. And it’s great you’re still doing so well at school! All these years and you haven’t gotten a bad grade once! You’ve always been so smart.” Her mom’s praises seemed to never end. Instead of filling Mari with pride, it only filled her with guilt.

“Haha, yeah…” Mari felt more than a little undeserving of such flattery, but there was nothing she could really do to stop it. “How’s Sunny? I rarely get to see him as is.”

“Oh, you know him! He’s working part-time jobs at both Fix-it and Gino’s now! Isn’t he so hardworking? And somehow, despite it all, he still finds the time to visit his sister… It almost makes me want to cry, haha!” Mari’s mom sounded almost joyous talking about them. Mari was glad just talking was enough to make her so happy. “Dad’s doing great as well. He misses you though, of course.

Mari’s parents had always played favorites with them, her mom and dad with Sunny and her respectively. Thankfully, they'd seemed to try and avoid that more after…

Mari’s thoughts began to drift off once more. There was only about fifty minutes until the man’s proposal took off. The promise of money was definitely alluring, but how could she be sure it was worth it?

“The debt…” Mari spoke without thinking.

“…What?” her mom replied, voice suddenly drained of enthusiasm.

“Huh? Wait, no, I didn't mean—“ Mari quickly tried to cover for her mistake.

“Mari…”

“Mom, I’m serious, I didn’t mean to—“

“MARI!” Her mom shouted through the phone, the audio crackling a bit as it came through.

Mari stood silently, still holding the phone to her ear, pensively waiting for her mom to speak again.

Her mom sighed. “Mari… We’re fine. I swear. I mean, it’s already been 8 years, we’ve gotten used to it! It’s only just over a thousand a month! Nothing to worry about.”

“But… Mom…”

“Honey, we’re fine, I promise you. We asked about it, they said we only have around five years of payments left, give or take. Isn’t that good?”

Five years? The number rushed through Mari’s mind. Five more years of payments?! They’ve already been paying for eight entire goddamn years, and there’s still at least five more?!

“Yeah… That’s pretty good…” Mari answered, barely managing to hide her frustration. “Listen, I’ve got to go. I have a, uh, prior commitment coming up soon, I need to get ready.”

“Ooh!” Her mom’s interest almost immediately changed direction. “Is it a party? Or are you hanging out with friends? Is Henry going with you? Do you need some money?” Another set of questions bombarded Mari.

“No, no mom, It’s not any of that. It’s a secret, I can’t tell you.”

“Why not?” She sounded almost heartbroken. “I’m your mother, after all!”

“Heh, yes you are, but that’s why I’m keeping it a secret!” Mari playfully teased.

“Aww.. Okay then, honey. I hope you have fun!” She genuinely sounded excited for her. Mari was sure she wouldn't be if she'd known what her "prior commitment" was.

She brushed it off. “I will, mom. I love you.”

“Love you too, baby. Bye-bye!” She finished, Mari hanging up the phone, placing it on her countertop. Moving to her room, she knocked on the door, Hero opening it.

“Hey, Mari. What’s up?” he questioned.

“Hi, Hero! I should have asked sooner, but… Do you think you can give me a ride somewhere?

There’s an event I want to go to.”

The debt was her fault. It should be her responsibility to get rid of it.