Author's Notes: I was shuffling through my iPod when it came on this song XD It just reminded me of Luxord, who is so freaking unappreciated that it just kills me inside. So a one-shot is born. Man, is it hard to characterize someone who gets, like, twenty seconds of speaking time in the game. And I'm in a Xigbar mood tonight too, so we'll see what happens with that :D
Also, I completely forget how to play poker, so sorry if the dialouge doesn't follow the poker rules. My bad.
Please review, as I am trying out a new writing style (more at the end than the rest of the story) & I want some feedback on if you like it or not. I'll reply with a thank-you note, promise. x3
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, 'nuff said.
(lyrics are from the song "Crazy Game of Poker" by O.A.R., an amazing and somewhat undiscovered band that I love.)
-----------------------------------
That was a crazy game of poker
I thought I lost it all.
But someday I'll be back again
Never to fall, never to fall.
Placing his cards calmly down on the clean, white table, Luxord smiled a pleased grin that reached his blue eyes. "Royal flush. Again. You might as well give up, Xigbar, as your strategy doesn't seem to be working very well." Luxord smirked as he stared condescendingly down at his opponent's now revealed weak hand of cards.
Xigbar scoffed, waving his arm in gesture. "As if!" he scoffed again, pushing more of his chips into the pile that was slowly diminishing and being regathered next to Luxord's right arm. Xigbar pushed his five losing cards towards Luxord. "You shuffle. I can't handle the pressure," his voice dripped with sarcasm, which Luxord passed off with a smirk.
Luxord expertly shuffled the pile of fifty-two red and black cards, letting them neatly settle back into his hands. He dealt so fast that Xigbar could barely see the cards moving back and forth between the two. Red and black, red and black, back and forth and over again. Hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades, all nestled between the two men's hands.
After the back and forth of harmless banter and cards, Xigbar tipped back in his chair, balacing expertly so that he did not tip backwards and spill onto the marble floor. He smirked cockily. "I think I've got you now, Number X," Xigbar held his cards with one hand, tapping the fingers of his other hand on the table in anticipation.
Luxord merely raised his blonde eyebrows, keeping his face devoid of emotion (which was, for a Nobody, quite easy, seeing as though their feelings had been muted). "You think so, Number II?" Luxord returned just as breezily. "Well, let us see. Draw, then." With his hand of two Aces and three fours, Luxord was sure of his win, taking the pause in the game to think of a witty insult to humiliate Xigbar further.
Xigbar slammed the two front chair legs back on the floor, at the same time slamming his cards on the table. "Full house, baby!" he grinned, raising a fist in the air.
Luxord's face nearly fell, but he regained his expert poker face a second later. "I...lost." his voice didn't lose the surprise as he placed his five cards down on the table in a much calmer manner than Xigbar had a minute before. "Hmph," he narrowed ice-blue eyes, summoning the cards into his hands with a simple snap of his fingers. "Well...you had me, Number II. However, I am not planning on sitting here listening to you gloat. Good day." With his parting words, the Gambler of Fate left the table to Xigbar's yells of "Sucker!".
Once out of the room, Luxord rolled his eyes and chuckled a little, playing with the cards between his hands. He had been there a long time, not as long as other's had, but still a long time. To Luxord, being stuck in the same cramped space with eleven other men, plus one woman, could be a toiling job, but thank goodness for him that he had his cards. There was always time for a lone game of solitaire in his room, or a game of poker with the others. When he arrived, it was evident that in battle, the cards would always be drawn in his favor, the hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades would all line up in a perfect array of combinations. His luck was never lost, it rested within his nonexistant being. The luck hadn't failed him yet, spare in a few unimportant places, such as an afternoon poker game with Xigbar, Xaldin, or sometimes Demyx. Being beaten by Xigbar in a childish game was nothing to him, because in battle there was no luck lost. He always won.
Fate had dealt him the best hand, the best of luck. With the Organization at his backbone, that luck was put to good use. He dealt the hearts and diamonds, the red and the black, the clubs and spades, without a second thought. He won gracefully, and lost even more gracefully. The games he toiled away on during his nonexistant moments had taken effect on the "Gambler of Fate's" personality as well.
Red for anger that burned against others (if he had a heart that is) & Black for the emptiness, the shell of his lonely Nobody-self.
Hearts for his heart, the heart he longed for again.
Diamonds for emotions, that he lacked and that lack which made him cold.
Clubs for the group he had joined for to regain said heart and emotions, the Organization of XIII.
and Spades for his version of the sword, the cards he so expertly wielded.
I'd say fate has dealt it's Gambler quite the hand, wouldn't you?