[FIC] Aces High, Anastasia, Anya Dimitri and Vlad, G
Title: Aces High
Fandom: Anastasia (1997 cartoon)
Characters: Anya, Dimitri, and Vlad
Notes: For June Fic-a-Day. Set while they're still on the train near the start of the movie.
Requested by britney628 here (previously filled)
"Well, I still think we should change it so queens rank higher than kings in our game," Anya grumped as she took two cards. "In honor of this whole 'princess' thing."
"And I keep telling you, if you want to try and add new rules you need to do it at the start of the game. Not when it would win you a hand!" Dimitri glared at his cards then tossed down a few rubles. Vlad had earlier tried to chide him about gambling for real money with their little 'Grand Duchess', but they'd both glared at him until he'd retreated to the safety of a book.
"Well, this time I won't need to change anything to win," she told him, pulling herself up proudly. "I see your bet, and I raise you ten rubles."
"Fine by me." He laid out his cards on the bench between them, four handsome jacks all in a row. "I'll just be taking my winnings now."
"Not so fast," she said, covering the money with her hand before he could take it. It was only then that Dimitri noticed the smile still on her face and began to worry. "Here you are, a straight... what did you say it was?"
"Flush," he numbly told her on automatic. Sure enough, he was looking down at a hand of three through seven, all of them spades.
"That's it! And if I remember what you told me correctly, that means that only another straight flush could beat me. Which you don't have."
"Ah... ah... ah... but!" Dimitri quickly added before she could pull the money away, his conman's mind leaping into high gear. "But, those cards are spades."
"So?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"So. So! So, that's a terrible hand. Worse than having nothing at all. See, it's a... a holdover. From back when the suit was still lances. Having a hand full of lances cuts your hand apart, get it?"
"I don't believe it," she said flatly. "And even if it is true, you should have told me when you were explaining the hands."
"I didn't think you'd ever get one! They're not that common. Anyway, if you don't believe me you can ask Vlad."
Vlad sank down lower behind his book, hoping against hope that they would leave him out of it. But a moment later Anya sweetly asked, "Okay, Vlad? Is Dimitri telling the truth, or is he a lying cheat?"
Giving up, Vlad looked over the top of his book at the two of them. They were both clearly trying to win him over with the ways they looked back; Anya with a pretty smile, Dimitri with an imploring look that clearly said 'I'm your partner, you can't side with her over me.' He weighed his words carefully, trying to think of something to say which would place him on neither of their sides while also letting neither think that he'd purposefully acted against them. He did not want to get drawn any further into their bickering. "It is true that the cards have been lances in the past," he said slowly ("Hah!" Dimitri cut in, reaching for the pot) "but, Anya is correct; as she has not played before you should have ensured that she had all necessary information before starting. This once I believe you should give it to her, and in the future you can play as you wish."
"Hah!" Anya repeated Dimitri's outburst from a moment before, and finally pocketed her rightful winnings. "That rules should have been dropped when the cards changed anyway."
Vlad sighed as he went back to his book, Anya and Dimitri's bickering already picking up again before him. For all that they were both adults it was like traveling with two children. In a way it was refreshing to see a childish side come out in his jaded young friend, whose youth had been stripped away by their harsh life after the palace while their was still babyfat left in his cheeks, but it was very trying to deal with.
Still... a part of Vlad hoped that Dimitri would get a handful of spades in sequence before their game was through. It would be interesting to see how he would attempt to further con his way out of that one.
Fandom: Anastasia (1997 cartoon)
Characters: Anya, Dimitri, and Vlad
Notes: For June Fic-a-Day. Set while they're still on the train near the start of the movie.
Requested by britney628 here (previously filled)
"Well, I still think we should change it so queens rank higher than kings in our game," Anya grumped as she took two cards. "In honor of this whole 'princess' thing."
"And I keep telling you, if you want to try and add new rules you need to do it at the start of the game. Not when it would win you a hand!" Dimitri glared at his cards then tossed down a few rubles. Vlad had earlier tried to chide him about gambling for real money with their little 'Grand Duchess', but they'd both glared at him until he'd retreated to the safety of a book.
"Well, this time I won't need to change anything to win," she told him, pulling herself up proudly. "I see your bet, and I raise you ten rubles."
"Fine by me." He laid out his cards on the bench between them, four handsome jacks all in a row. "I'll just be taking my winnings now."
"Not so fast," she said, covering the money with her hand before he could take it. It was only then that Dimitri noticed the smile still on her face and began to worry. "Here you are, a straight... what did you say it was?"
"Flush," he numbly told her on automatic. Sure enough, he was looking down at a hand of three through seven, all of them spades.
"That's it! And if I remember what you told me correctly, that means that only another straight flush could beat me. Which you don't have."
"Ah... ah... ah... but!" Dimitri quickly added before she could pull the money away, his conman's mind leaping into high gear. "But, those cards are spades."
"So?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"So. So! So, that's a terrible hand. Worse than having nothing at all. See, it's a... a holdover. From back when the suit was still lances. Having a hand full of lances cuts your hand apart, get it?"
"I don't believe it," she said flatly. "And even if it is true, you should have told me when you were explaining the hands."
"I didn't think you'd ever get one! They're not that common. Anyway, if you don't believe me you can ask Vlad."
Vlad sank down lower behind his book, hoping against hope that they would leave him out of it. But a moment later Anya sweetly asked, "Okay, Vlad? Is Dimitri telling the truth, or is he a lying cheat?"
Giving up, Vlad looked over the top of his book at the two of them. They were both clearly trying to win him over with the ways they looked back; Anya with a pretty smile, Dimitri with an imploring look that clearly said 'I'm your partner, you can't side with her over me.' He weighed his words carefully, trying to think of something to say which would place him on neither of their sides while also letting neither think that he'd purposefully acted against them. He did not want to get drawn any further into their bickering. "It is true that the cards have been lances in the past," he said slowly ("Hah!" Dimitri cut in, reaching for the pot) "but, Anya is correct; as she has not played before you should have ensured that she had all necessary information before starting. This once I believe you should give it to her, and in the future you can play as you wish."
"Hah!" Anya repeated Dimitri's outburst from a moment before, and finally pocketed her rightful winnings. "That rules should have been dropped when the cards changed anyway."
Vlad sighed as he went back to his book, Anya and Dimitri's bickering already picking up again before him. For all that they were both adults it was like traveling with two children. In a way it was refreshing to see a childish side come out in his jaded young friend, whose youth had been stripped away by their harsh life after the palace while their was still babyfat left in his cheeks, but it was very trying to deal with.
Still... a part of Vlad hoped that Dimitri would get a handful of spades in sequence before their game was through. It would be interesting to see how he would attempt to further con his way out of that one.