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15minuteficletsRena decided to come back for this ficlet. This one takes place some time before the first ficlet I wrote, which gave me a chance to have fun and try and fore-shadow things. I’d just like to take this chance to a) thank Nevin for deciding to exist, and, b) explain that I have no knowledge of reading fortunes from cards whatsoever. In fact, I’m not even sure what Nevin thinks he’s doing, as he seems to be using a normal pack of playing cards.
I have also observed that you know you’re involved in what you’re writing when you look up to discover that you completely forgot to eat your double-coat chocolate tim-tam.
Oh, and before I leave you to the story, I’d love to see if anyone can guess what the prompt word was. ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
naelany and flamehail got it.
Title: The Knave in Disguise
Fandom: Original (related to this ficlet)
Rating: PG
Word count: 596
Prompt word: knave
Nevin holds up a card and it’s the knave. We both stare at it: me, in surprise, he, with intense concentration.
“What does it mean?” I ask, when Nevin doesn’t speak.
“What do you want it to mean?” he murmurs.
I frown at him. “Are you just going to ask me questions?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing now?”
For a moment, we glare at each other, each seeking an answer in the other’s eyes. Then we laugh and I’m glad of the sudden release of tension.
“You’re an idiot,” I say.
“On the contrary, I am a genius,” he objects, flicking the card between his fingers until it becomes a blur. “I-” he suddenly flips the card into the air, catching it between his fingers again “-am a master of the cards. They hide no secrets from me.” He lowers his voice and gives me an absurdly smouldering look. “I know everything about you, Rena.”
“You’ve known me since I was five.”
“Ah yes, this is true,” he says, taking the smouldering look away and replacing it with a slightly injured one. “I do indeed know your favourite foods and how you hate the colour green. I know that your mother can’t spell and your father is most likely a dark anti-hero, carousing about the universe in search of wrongs to accidentally right and innocent young virgins to educate in the way of things.” He stops to look at me. “You should probably slap me here.”
I shrug. “I’d only hurt myself,” I say.
“But I just insulted the honour of your father,” he says.
“No, you insulted the honour of a figment of your imagination,” I tell him. It’s hard to feel hurt when he doesn’t mean it, anyway. And it’s not as though I actually know who my father is, although my mother probably has her reasons for not telling me.
“Don’t you want to know, Rena?” Nevin asks. “Doesn’t it claw at your mind in the middle of the night? Doesn’t it leave an empty spot in your life?”
“No,” I lie.
Nevin gives me an all-too-knowing grin. “The cards could tell you,” he says. “Don’t you want to hear what they have to say?”
“No I don’t,” I say. “I want you to tell me what that stupid knave means before I… Before I…”
“Before you think of a threat?”
I glare at him, but it’s half-hearted. I’ve never actually been able to glare at my oldest friend, even if he is annoying and so sure of his own absolute intelligence. You might as well try to kick a puppy, really.
“Nevin.”
He sighs. “Fine.” He places the card between us with casual care. “The knave is a warning for the future, Rena. A hero in disguise; a villain with a halo.”
I snort at him. “Are you talking about my ‘father’ again?”
But I hold back my mirth at his sudden look of seriousness. “The knave means you can’t trust yourself, Rena.”
“What does that nonsense mean?”
Nevin whips the card away and places it back in the deck. “If you’re not going to take this seriously…”
“Oh, don’t give me that. Just five minutes ago you were telling me to watch out if I went for a walk in the woods in case a squirrel fell on me.”
“That was five minutes ago,” he says, trying to look hurt and failing completely. “Now I’m telling you to be careful. You can’t always tell the knave straight away.” There’s genuine concern in his eyes now. “Look out for yourself, Rena.”
Comments and feedback are most appreciated. :D
I have also observed that you know you’re involved in what you’re writing when you look up to discover that you completely forgot to eat your double-coat chocolate tim-tam.
naelany and flamehail got it.Title: The Knave in Disguise
Fandom: Original (related to this ficlet)
Rating: PG
Word count: 596
Prompt word: knave
Nevin holds up a card and it’s the knave. We both stare at it: me, in surprise, he, with intense concentration.
“What does it mean?” I ask, when Nevin doesn’t speak.
“What do you want it to mean?” he murmurs.
I frown at him. “Are you just going to ask me questions?”
“Isn’t that what you’re doing now?”
For a moment, we glare at each other, each seeking an answer in the other’s eyes. Then we laugh and I’m glad of the sudden release of tension.
“You’re an idiot,” I say.
“On the contrary, I am a genius,” he objects, flicking the card between his fingers until it becomes a blur. “I-” he suddenly flips the card into the air, catching it between his fingers again “-am a master of the cards. They hide no secrets from me.” He lowers his voice and gives me an absurdly smouldering look. “I know everything about you, Rena.”
“You’ve known me since I was five.”
“Ah yes, this is true,” he says, taking the smouldering look away and replacing it with a slightly injured one. “I do indeed know your favourite foods and how you hate the colour green. I know that your mother can’t spell and your father is most likely a dark anti-hero, carousing about the universe in search of wrongs to accidentally right and innocent young virgins to educate in the way of things.” He stops to look at me. “You should probably slap me here.”
I shrug. “I’d only hurt myself,” I say.
“But I just insulted the honour of your father,” he says.
“No, you insulted the honour of a figment of your imagination,” I tell him. It’s hard to feel hurt when he doesn’t mean it, anyway. And it’s not as though I actually know who my father is, although my mother probably has her reasons for not telling me.
“Don’t you want to know, Rena?” Nevin asks. “Doesn’t it claw at your mind in the middle of the night? Doesn’t it leave an empty spot in your life?”
“No,” I lie.
Nevin gives me an all-too-knowing grin. “The cards could tell you,” he says. “Don’t you want to hear what they have to say?”
“No I don’t,” I say. “I want you to tell me what that stupid knave means before I… Before I…”
“Before you think of a threat?”
I glare at him, but it’s half-hearted. I’ve never actually been able to glare at my oldest friend, even if he is annoying and so sure of his own absolute intelligence. You might as well try to kick a puppy, really.
“Nevin.”
He sighs. “Fine.” He places the card between us with casual care. “The knave is a warning for the future, Rena. A hero in disguise; a villain with a halo.”
I snort at him. “Are you talking about my ‘father’ again?”
But I hold back my mirth at his sudden look of seriousness. “The knave means you can’t trust yourself, Rena.”
“What does that nonsense mean?”
Nevin whips the card away and places it back in the deck. “If you’re not going to take this seriously…”
“Oh, don’t give me that. Just five minutes ago you were telling me to watch out if I went for a walk in the woods in case a squirrel fell on me.”
“That was five minutes ago,” he says, trying to look hurt and failing completely. “Now I’m telling you to be careful. You can’t always tell the knave straight away.” There’s genuine concern in his eyes now. “Look out for yourself, Rena.”
Comments and feedback are most appreciated. :D