"Richard."

"Alucard."

The two tall, lean figures took their seats at the small, round table. The only pieces of furniture in the dungeon.

"Gin?" Richard offered, and held up a deck of cards.

"We both always cheat," Alucard pointed out. "It devolves into fireballs -"

"Fwooshes, thank you very much," Richard interjected.

"- and bullets," Alucard said, as though he hadn't been interrupted. "I'm in," he said with a delighted, mad grin.

The door opened and a blonde head popped in.

"Master, Sir Integra sent me down to remind you that any property damage you or your guest cause, she'll take out of your hide and your blood supply," Seras announced.

"It always is," Alucard lamented with a put-upon sigh. "Deal her in as well," he instructed his companion lightly.

A third chair materialised out of the darkness, and Seras happily sat down, though she was also a touch tentative about her master's guest. She'd never met any of his friends before. Well, not ones that had come from outside of the Hellsing Organisation.

"What are we playing?" Seras asked.

"Gin," Richard answered as he shuffled the deck. "I'm Richard, by the way. Chief warlock of the Brothers of Darkness, Lord of the Thirteen Hells, Master of the Bones, Emperor of the Black, Lord of the Undead, and the Mayor of a Little Village up the Coast."

"Seras Victoria," she answered, slightly stunned. "Former police woman licensed to carry arms, now vampire, and owner of a very, very, very big gun. Also, quite good at gin."

An hour later, both Richard and Alucard were frowning.

"You cheated," they both accused her.

Seras laughed.

"No, but you both did, and see how it didn't help you at all?" she teased happily.

She was less happy when her master pulled a gun out of his coat (thankfully, not one of the ones he usually hunted vampires with), and one of Richard's hands lit up with a fwoosh.

Maybe she should have thrown the game?