The table was quiet, both sides staring unblinkingly at each other with cold, sharp eyes. From the corner the soft sounds of shuffling were heard, but that was all. Finally, one spoke.

"What is the wager, again?" Death asked, tapping her long dark fingers against the poker table irriatibly.

"We change jobs," Life replied, smiling broadly. "I take yours, you take mine."

Death blinked slowly, but said nothing, instead leaning back in her chair and running a hand in faint annoyance through her frazzled black hair.

They couldn't have been more different. Life was an optimist, a tall athletic man with blue eyes and blond hair, brilliant smile and a face that, when he was alive, caused many a heartbreak. Square chin, high cheekbones...the works. Ironically, what he did now was entirely different from what he did in his living life. A lot different.

Mother Nature got weary of her older models, and decided to switch up things a little bit. Generally women were Life, and men were Death. It seemed to fit, usually, but in this case, maybe not. Death in this era was definetely an entirely different matter completely.

She always found height pretentious and arrogant. More and more she began to appreciate the small frame that Life had endowed her with...Not to mention the wide hazel eyes that often burned fiercely or the cynically smiling mouth. Was it bitter? Obviously, but a long time ago Death accepted what she was. Frequently she was beginning to enjoy herself.

There was a slight cough. Life turned his gaze away from Death and over to the shadows next to the poker table.

"Is it ready, then?"

A brief nod from the darkness, and then a hand slid out and slapped the deck onto the table. Death's eyes flickered once on the cards, then cautiously she looked back up at Life.

"I'm not quite sure this is what I really want."

"Really?" Life said absent-mindedly as the hands slid out from the black once again and began to deal the cards smoothly and with grace. "Well, last time I checked, I don't care."

Death grunted and leaned forward, bracing her arms on the edge of the table. "You are increasingly arrogant when you're away from her."

"Well, aren't we all?" Life replied seriously, light blue eyes wryly evaluating.

Death blinked stolidly but said nothing once again, instead watching the cards flip their way towards her. More silence, and then, as both of them received their hands, a voice appeared from the murkiness surronding the arena.

"Life, Death," it said, unmistakably feminine, "The game is Seven Card Stud. You know the rules. A suit will break a low tie, and if neither of you have a suit, then you'll split the duties. Now ante up."

Death turned her head from the shadows and back to Life, a brief smile on her lips. For a moment, he seemed visibly pained. Men never like parting with things close to them. He reached a hand away from the table and into his pocket, squirming around for a minute until he came up with what pained him so. A small locket, nary larger than Death's index finger nail. Gingerly he swung it across the table and into the pot. Death regarded him and his ante carefully before resorting to a similar action, though in this case was leaning down and rummaging through her purse. She had abandoned, like Life, the usually cloak attire and was now wearing a white cocktail dress, just at tea-length. For a moment she fumbled for the ante, then suddenly found it, and pulled out the item carefully. She watched it in the light of the table for a moment, then reached forward. The wedding ring glimmered brilliantly as it was set gently into the pot. Death leaned back from the table and regarded Life. Compared to her startlingly bright attire, Life was opposite. White was usually the choice for all the Life models, but the occaison was...special. Today there was the distinct possibility that he might switch jobs. A change would be good for him, and the dark, double breasted navy suit did him proud.

"Are the players ready?" the voice asked, sounding amused.

Death and Life evaluated each other. Life leaned forward and gracefully picked up his hand. When he looked over at Death, she already had hers perched daintily in her fingers. She gave him a feral grin.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Mother."

Life blinked, then nodded his consent. "I'm game."

"Excellent. Let's begin."