Stupid Games, Stupid Prizes (Amphibia fanfic)

[susieboo]

Title: Stupid Games, Stupid Prizes
Fandom: Amphibia
Rating: General Audiences
Characters: King Andrias, Marcy Wu
Pairing(s): None
Content Warning(s): emotional manipulation
Summary: "Well, I guess that's what you get for pouring your heart to me over flipwart." While staying in Newtopia, Marcy learns to play flipwart from King Andrias. She gets pretty good at it. And it's nice to have someone who's willing to listen. [Canon-compliant, dialogue-only fic about Marcy and her conversations with the king. Spoilers for the end of Season Two.]

AO3 link here.

 

Andrias: 0

Marcy: 0

"Okay, so, how do you play this game?"

"Hm, it's... easier shown than explained. You move your pieces about the board and try to capture mine-"

"Oh, like chess! Yeah, I got this. Set 'em up, Your Highness."

"Hm. Alright. How are you enjoying your stay in Newtopia so far? I trust you're feeling better?"

"I feel great! I mean, my left ankle is still crazy swollen and Olivia is trying to keep me off of it and I have some pretty gnarly bruising on my back that makes me look like I've been in a car wreck - wait, you guys don't have cars, do you?"

"No."

"Okay, so picture, like, a giant snail, but it's not alive and eats oil-"

"Never mind that. I'm glad to see you're feeling better. I've put so much into improving the hospitals around here, it's good to see it paid off."

"Are all the cities in Amphibia this nice?"

"Unfortunately, no. I do the best I can, but there's so much I can't control. Especially out in the Valley."

"What's in the Valley."

"Frogs."

"Wow!"

"You're very funny, if you're impressed by frogs."

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. Just, it's just a common fact of life to us. We're far more impressed by you than we are by a simple frog or toad."

"I'm not that impressive."

"I disagree. We've never seen someone like you before, Marcy. Maybe... you came here for a reason."

"You really think so?"

"Oh, I don't know. I might be letting my imagination run from me again. I do that sometimes. It's just hard not to wonder. All the stories I've read, about people getting brought to worlds unlike their own - thriving, succeeding because of their uniqueness. The first time I saw you, I thought, Goodness, it's right out of a book."

"I thought the same thing! I mean, when I saw where I was. I've watched so many shows where the hero is in basically the exact same situation."

"It really makes you think. May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How did you get here?"

"..."

"Don't you know?"

"No, I do! I just... you wouldn't believe me."

"I'm playing flipwart with a strange creature from another world. Try me. Correction, I just won flipwart..."

"Dangit! Okay, tell you what, I'll tell you if we can play again."

---

Andrias: 17

Marcy: 0

"Come on, let's do it again. I think I'm finally getting it."

"You always lose this game, Marcy."

"Everyone always loses everything until they figure it out. Come on."

"Alright, alright."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Hm."

"Didn't see that coming, didja?"

"You are getting better."

"Well, get your butt kicked enough times and you start to learn the basics. Plus I've been reading all the books about flipwart you've got in the library. That's how I learned chess, backgammon, go, checkers, and pretty much every other game I know - except Creatures and Caverns, the only way to learn that is to listen to a podcast or something."

"Ah, yes, a podcast. I absolutely understand what that is, because you've explained it to me in such thorough detail so many times."

"You still don't get it, do you?"

"Not at all."

"That's okay. You don't have 'em here, so I guess it doesn't matter. Man, I've missed four episodes of My Sister, My Sister, and Me by now."

"Your friends you mentioned - what were their names?"

"Anne and Sasha."

"Right, them. Did they play these games with you? From what you've told me, you spent basically all your time together until you came here."

"Well, I tried a few times to get them into Creatures and Caverns. It's, like, my favorite game ever. But we only played a few sessions. Anne just didn't get it, and Sasha hated it. She just wanted to fight everything - go full murderhobo."

"Murderwhat?"

"Murderhobo - you build a character and play them in the game, and murderhobo is what we call people who just have their characters kill everyone all the time. They're fine if your game is more combat-based, but I'm in it for the story. It's hard to tell a moving tale of lost love and prophecy and enchanted dancing otters when your friend keeps having her character slit people's throats while they sleep and sell their stuff for weapons."

"Sasha sounds like a real delight."

"Oh, she isn't that bad! Not most of the time. It was my fault for making her play, she didn't want to. I can't complain she went rouge. Literally. I should've known she'd get up to stabby shenanigans when she chose her character class. Nah, Sasha was chill if we were doing what she wanted to do."

"But not when you were doing what you wanted to do?"

"..."

"..."

"W-well, I mean, we all usually agreed on what we wanted to do. Sasha came up with the ideas, but she was usually right. We had fun. Usually."

"Usually?"

"Sometimes things would get a bit sticky. Like the time she talked us all into sneaking past security at the movie theater. We got caught and got in so much trouble - especially Anne. She was grounded for, like, a month. But I'm sure Sasha felt awful. She never said sorry but sometimes you could tell, you know? Oh - oh! I win! I think I win!"

"You do. Well, congratulations. Don't get used to it."

"Ha, too late. Consider me used to it!"

"..."

"..."

"I'm sorry Anne and Sasha didn't come with you. It sounds like you're all very good friends."

"I miss them so much. They're my favorite people ever. Honestly, hanging out with you has been the only thing keeping me from missing them 24/7."

"Well, I'm glad to help. And, if you're ever interested, I'd love to learn how to play Creatures and Caverns."

---

Andrias: 17

Marcy: 18

"You know, I've been thinking. About that box you used to travel here. I've read about it - the Calamity Box."

"You have?!"

"Yes. I thought - frankly, I thought it was a myth. I read about it in some book or another who-knows-how-many years ago. I didn't think much of it at the time. Portals to other worlds? Sounded made up. Until, well... living proof of the concept fell down the stairs in downtown Newtopia."

"And started kicking your butt at flipwart."

"Yes. That."

"That's amazing. I mean, if you read about the box in this world and I found it in another - the implications are a lot."

"They are, indeed, a lot. I have to wonder if the shopkeeper knew what it was. I guess not - they never would've put it on sale if they did. At least, not at such a price that three children could afford it."

"Yeah, it was about fifty bucks, which was more than we had, but still not a lot for, you know, an interdimensional portal. I mean, that's basically a bargain basement price."

"Forgive me, but if you didn't have the money, how did you get the box?"

"Uhhhhhh..."

"Marcy?"

"Don't be mad."

"You stole it, didn't you?"

"Well, technically Anne stole it, but... yeah. No, we all stole it. We took a vote on who'd go in and take it. Sash and I both voted for Anne, Anne didn't vote at all, so... Anne went in and did the actual stealing, but it was very much a group theft."

"Like Creatures and Caverns."

"Exactly like Creatures and Caverns."

"Why did you vote for Anne? Is she a thief?"

"No! No, not at all. That's why Sasha voted for her, I think - to get her out of her comfort zone, get her to do something crazy. She thought it'd be fun. Plus, I'm sort of a klutz - I mean, exhibit A, falling down the stairs. Sash probably figured I'd knock something over and get caught, which was fair. I picked Anne because I figured she was less likely to get caught than me or Sasha. I mean, I don't want you to get the wrong idea about Sasha, she's a really cool person when you get to know her. But she gets in trouble a lot and has a reputation - I think she's shoplifted from that store before. I didn't want the cashier to recognize her."

"So you chose Anne."

"Yeah."

"A solid strategy."

"Do you think it was horrible of me?"

"Not at all. You simply recognized the strengths of everyone on your team and voted accordingly. And, well, if stealing a box is the worst thing you ever do with your life, you'll have had a very boring life indeed."

---

Andrias: 17

Marcy: 40

"How many days have I been here?"

"Oh. I... don't actually know. I'm sure someone made a note of it somewhere, but I don't recall the exact date."

"Neither do I."

"Why do you ask?"

"Well, I think it's been about a month, and if I'm right, it's just about my mom's birthday. Unless I already missed it."

"Oh. Would you want to... do something?"

"No. No. I mean, what would I do? I'm here, and she's... wherever."

"You don't know where your mother is?"

"I mean, she's on Earth, presumably. But I kinda wonder if she and Dad went through with the move."

"You were going to leave home?"

"Yeah. Dad got a new job, so we were gonna move out of state. God, I was so upset..."

"You still look upset."

"...Maybe I am. I mean, how could they do that? Just decide we're gonna leave home without even talking to me about it first? They were gonna rip me away from Anne and Sasha and everything I knew!"

"..."

"Yeah, okay, I can see the irony. But still. I was really angry. Still am. But I... I do wonder if they looked for me, if they stayed, or if they just... left."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"I don't say this to upset you."

"..."

"But... well, you vanished with no trace, Marcy, and if he had a job waiting and plans were already in place... your parents may have left."

"I know."

"Life has to go on. Just like you have."

"I know."

"I'm sure they're just fine."

"..."

"I know you're worried about them. Don't be."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You win. Want to play again?"

"No."

---

Andrias: 17

Marcy: 75

"Are you sure you wanna play?"

"Of course. I have to regain my title as Flipwart Champ sooner or later. I just need to keep playing 'til my luck turns."

"Okay, your funeral."

"We'll see about that. You go first."

"Fine by me."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"So, sorry, I'm still having trouble getting my mind around that thing you told me about at dinner yesterday. You give children tiny robots... as playthings?"

"I mean, we give them dolls with voiceboxes in it, yeah. Dreamhouse Debbie is, like, the most popular toy ever back home. She doesn't always talk, but some of the more expensive toys, do. Do you guys never use tech for that?"

"Robots are only used for practical things. We never thought to use them as toys or entertainment items - I suppose you all must have technology to spare."

"Tell me about it! We use computers and robots for pretty much everything. Which is horrifying, from a sociological standpoint. But it does mean we have some neat stuff. Like cat videos, I've told you about those."

"And you all carry small computers in your pockets."

"Yeah. Can't live without 'em."

"Your world sounds magnificent."

"Eh, not really. I mean, I guess anything seems boring if you've been there forever. But there was a lot to hate about my world."

"Like what?"

"..."

"..."

"I didn't ever 'fit' there. And there are so many problems, bigger than me. War, corrupt politicians, pollution destroying the planet. The more I learned about how the world worked, the more I just wanted to leave."

"Leave?"

"Oh, not like, leave-leave! Not like that! I just... wanted to go somewhere else. Anywhere else. I'd read about other worlds and wish I could live there instead of where I was. I mean, honestly, coming here has been, like, my dream come true."

"Is Earth really so awful?"

"Some of the people are okay. But the planet itself is pretty garbage. The people in charge keep ruining it."

"That's a shame. If the people in charge were more like you, I'm sure it'd be much better."

---

Andrias: 17

Marcy: 87

"-so then Yunnan and Olivia were just... locked in this closet together for ten hours until we got a locksmith in. Lady Olivia was quite upset."

"Hahaha! Oh, man, I wish I could've seen this!"

"I've been dining out on that story for years."

"Man, that reminds me of that time Anne and I-"

"Got stuck in a pantry for a day and a half because Sasha accidentally broke the doorknob off?"

"Yeah! Dang, I told you that one?"

"You did."

"Looks like you officially know all my stories."

"That's alright. They're all good ones."

"You know, I don't really know any of your stories."

"..."

"I bet you've got some good ones. All due respect, you're like, really old."

"Thanks."

"Come on, tell me something. What were your parents like? Your friends? Like, old friends, before Lady Olivia and me and everyone."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You... did have friends, didn't you? Before us?"

"I did."

"What were they like?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Did you just resign?"

"You were beating me anyway. Figured I should put this game out of its misery."

"Oh. O-okay. You wanna play again?"

"Later."

---

Andrias: 17

Marcy: 109

"Call me crazy, Andrias, but I think you might not be able to close the gap we've got here."

"Oh, hush and just get to beating me into the ground already, would you?"

"Heh."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"You're very quiet this afternoon, Marcy."

"Just focused on destroying you."

"Oh, you mustn't really think I'll buy that, do you? The past few months have given me ample proof you can talk and decimate me at the same time. What's bothering you?"

"..."

"Is your work too much for you? I know you asked for responsibilities, but perhaps I was too hasty in piling so much on you-"

"No! No. I love my job. I love being able to help - you all have done so much for me. I'm happy here. Really happy."

"Are you certain?"

"Absolutely. To tell you the truth, I've never been happier in my whole life. I just wish Anne and Sash were here to share it with me."

"You truly love them, don't you?"

"So much. And I just know that if they were here, they'd love it, too. We could be so happy."

"I wonder what they think happened to you."

"Don't say that. I can't even think about it."

"Alright."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Hm. I just thought of something a touch ironic. You were frightened of leaving them before you came here, and, well... now you're further than ever."

"..."

"..."

"Why would you say that?"

"I'm sorry, Marcy. I didn't mean to upset you. It was just a thought I had."

"Well, stop having it. Okay?"

"Alright."

"..."

"..."

"...I already had that thought. A million times. I hate not knowing how they're doing. And sometimes I feel bad, y'know? I'm here having so much fun and I have this wonderful city and you and all the adventure I ever wanted and they're at home probably worried sick about me which isn't what I meant to happen at all. How can I be having a nice time when they're still out there... wondering what happened?"

"Is that why you're in a bad mood?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"..."

"You're losing, by the way."

"I noticed. Now, hold on a tick, you said this isn't what you meant to happen - what did you mean by that?"

"How do you mean?"

"I thought you opened the box and here you were."

"That's true."

"Alright, but how could you have meant for anything to happen by opening a box?"

"..."

"Why did you open the box?"

"..."

"Why did you ask Anne to steal it?"

"..."

"Marcy."

"Promise me you'll get it."

"I'll try."

"I knew what the box was."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"Oh, God. You don't get it. You think I'm insane."

"No! No, not at all, I'm just... surprised. I thought you said your world had no magic."

"It doesn't. Well, I mean, I thought it didn't. Until... I was at school studying and a book fell and I grabbed it and it was an encyclopedia of magic stuff and even before I knew it was real I was super into all that..."

"I remember."

"So I was just, like, glancing at it and it opened to a random page and I saw a picture of the Calamity Box. I didn't think anything of it besides, oh, portals to other worlds, that's fun, so I snapped a picture so I could Google it later and see whether there was, like, a video essay or a Reddit thread or something to go on a deep dive. And then I went home before meeting up with Anne and Sasha for Anne's birthday and, um... that's when my parents... told me."

"And you were so upset."

"..."

"Devastated, from what you've told me."

"Yeah. So I... I just ran. I was crying and crying and I didn't know what to do, so I just ran. And I came to the store and I looked up and... there it was."

"In the store?"

"Yeah, for sale on a shelf. Right in plain sight. Just waiting for me to find it."

"..."

"I didn't think it would work."

"..."

"I mean, why would I? Magic wasn't real. Or so I thought."

"..."

"I had no idea it would work."

"..."

"But I wanted it to. This was fate, and I needed to get away. But I couldn't go without Anne and Sasha, and... and the real world - home - it isn't the best place for them, either. None of us fit in there. I mean, Sasha did, sort of, but she fit in because people were too scared to tell her she didn't. I know it was the only world we had at that point, but it wasn't the world for us. We weren't meant to be there, not forever. We were meant to go off and have grand adventures and save nations and... and just be free and happy and have fun forever. I would've given anything to escape into one of my books with them, and now I could. We could run away together and have the best adventure in the world."

"They must've been so excited, when you told them."

"..."

"...Marcy?"

"I didn't tell them. I mean, Sasha would just laugh and Anne would flip out. I just told them the box was cool and we should grab it. I figured, once we got... wherever, then they'd be having so much fun they wouldn't mind."

"Who says they'd need to know?"

"What?"

"Well, if they would enjoy the adventure but be upset with you for making it happen, why tell them? I wouldn't fault you for choosing to remain quiet on that front."

"..."

"If it was all for the good of your friends."

"...Yeah. Yeah. It was. I... I only wanted us to have the best lives we could. Together. I'd much rather be in an alternate dimension with them than home without them."

"You're a good friend, Marcy."

"You mean it?"

"Of course. Only a true friend would go to such lengths to keep her friends close. Only a true friend would take that step that everyone else would be too scared to take. You are a good friend, Marcy Wu."

"...Thank you. That means more than you know. You lose, by the way."

"Oh, so I do. Oh, well. I'll get one over on you one of these days. You'll see."