//------------------------------//
// Forever Dummy 
// Story: Bantam Tales 
// by Chris 
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Twilight shuffled and dealt the cards, then telekinetically picked up her own hand. Only six high-card points, and no length in any suit. “Pass,” she groused, unable to resist muttering “again” under her breath. 

Lyra looked up from her cards, giving Twilight a glare she had perfected since they’d started playing bridge together; a look which said, “Your tone of voice is offering clues about your hand’s value, and while I know you aren’t trying to cheat, that’s exactly what you’re doing. Now quit whining, it isn’t like you’ve never seen a bad hand before. We all have, so deal with it.” She’s got some awfully specific facial expressions, Twilight idly observed as Lyra passed as well.

Rarity quickly glanced at her cards to confirm her intent, then announced, “One diamond.”

In the final seat, Rainbow Dash had given up trying to grasp the cards in her teeth, and was now attempting to scoot them to the edge of the table. She managed to get one halfway over the lip, then craned her neck to peek at its underside. Looking up at the other three ponies, all silently waiting for her, then back down at the twelve cards she had yet to see, she stuck out her tongue in frustration.

“Whatever, I got this. Hey Twi, what’s the good one?”

Twilight blinked. “‘The good one?’ The good what?”

Dash rolled her hooves. “You know, that thing that you said is worth more points if you bid it than the other ones.”

“Oh, do you mean notrump?”

Dash nodded. “Yeah, that’s it. I bid all of them. What’s that, seven? Alright, seven notrump!”

Lyra seethed silently as Twilight calmly doubled and the group passed around. As Rarity played the ace of diamonds to bring the contract down one (at least), she leaned over to Lyra and whispered, “I think from now on, it would be wise not to invite Dash to fill in when your partner's away for the week.”

Dash, meanwhile, was trying to get one of her cards to flip up. With a grunt, she shoved it face-down towards the center of the table, and with an apologetic smile asked, “Lyra, would you turn this one over for me? I think it might be a diamond. Maybe.”

“Actually,” Rarity continued as Lyra ground her teeth, “Let’s just go with a ‘unicorns only’ rule from this point forward.”