THIS TIME ROUND: CLICHE ALREADY by Paul Gadzikowski All characters appearing here are copyright to someone else than the author THIS TIME ROUND concept by Tyler Dion, after Kielle "Your three, Doctor," said Grace, "and raise three." "Call," said the Doctor. "Tens full of aces," Grace displayed. The Doctor threw his hand into the pile of discards. "If I don't win the next hand I'm broke." "Mine, all mine," said Grace, gathering chips. "Bwahaha." "Your deal, evil one," said Captain Lochley. Represented besides WHO at Friday crossover poker night this week were BABYLON 5, LOIS & CLARK, STAR TREK (both VOYAGER and DEEP SPACE NINE), the LOST IN SPACE movie, and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. "What are you doing here anyway, Grace?" asked Neelix - his pile of chips wasn't much larger than the Doctor's. "I thought this author didn't use you. You weren't on Voyager for the Dalek-Borg war." "He does in his 'humor episodes'," said Grace, shuffling, "for example the one he just reposted." She presented the deck to Dr. Smith, who cut. "Five card stud, nothing wild." "But that's not canonical," said Buffy. "Grace traveling with the Doctor," asked Dr. Smith, "or five card stud?" "When a short piece," said the Doctor, "starts out, e.g., 'Jo dropped the dematerializer circuit in the coffee,' or, '"Your three, Doctor," said Grace, "and raise three,"' your average adwc reader doesn't have to guess when in my timestream it's set." Grace had dealt a round of hole cards and a round of up cards. "Queen bets." Lois knocked. Everyone passed until the Doctor, who opened with five, and whom everyone called. "Why is he reposting a humor piece," asked Captain Sisko, "when he has new, serious works in queue?" "Queen seven bets again," said Grace. Lois bet five; everyone called. "Don't I know you from somewhere?" Lois asked Lochley. "He's reposting humor pieces occasionally," explained the Doctor, eyeing his down card, "because he's written a 35th anniversary story for next November that's set in that continuity - instead of the continuity of his 'serious' work - and he doesn't want people to forget about them." "You're just jealous," said Grace, dealing, "because you're not in his humor pieces. Pair of tens on the board!" as she dealt Sisko's third up card. "Besides, he >did< post a new chapter this week, too," said the Doctor. "I'm not in it," Sisko retorted. "I am," Lois smirked. "Your bet, green eyes," Grace reminded Sisko. "Ten," rumbled Sisko. "Twelve," bet the Doctor. "Possible straight raises," said Dr. Smith. "Call." "Who deals these cards deals trash," said Grace. (Hawkeye Pierce had been here last time Grace was.) "Out." "Call," said Neelix. "Call," said Lois. "Out," said Buffy. "Out," said Lochley. "Call," said Sisko. "Last card," dealt Grace. "Woo, straight still possible. Pair of tens still high on the board, though." "Ten," bet Sisko again. "Twenty," said the Doctor. "Out." "Out." "Out." "Call," said Sisko. The Doctor grinned. He arranged his up cards - seven, eight, ten, jack; space between the eight and the ten - then picked up his down card, held it obscure while moving into the center of the others - and exposed a four. "Pair of tens takes it," said Dr. Smith. "Three tens," grinned Sisko, revealing his down card though the rules don't require it. "That's it," said the Doctor. "I'm done." "OH MY GOD," said the rest of the table to Sisko in unison. "YOU KILLED KENNY. YOU BASTARD." THE END