Reflections of Mist

Being played

Nick was pretty convinced the child was making it up as he was going along. It was not a game he'd ever heard of before, and he seemed to be making up the rules as he went along, pulling new ones out of thin air that seemed to convenience him, claiming he was 'teaching Nick as they went along'.

Nick groaned. "Can't we just play poker instead? I understand that."

"No, this is more fun! Come on, you'll get it. Now, enough practice. Let's actually play."

The boy scooped up the cards and shuffled them out, grinning toothily in a way that made Travis really nervous.

Minutes later, and Nick was loosing. Apparently. According to this diabolical trickster of a child.

"Say..." Travis started. "Did you... By any chance, make this game up yourself?"

"No. My mum showed it to me."

"Ah. Right. Okay." Nick muttered irritably. "Say, did you happen to win a lot then, too?"

"Sometimes." He sing-songed, smiling cheerily. "Now, what cards you got?"

Nick threw down his hand, knowing, even before the kid said, that he had lost.

"God, where's Nyx when you need her? She's a bloody natural at card games."

"Don't worry." The kid said, lips pouting, voice laden with mock sympathy. "I'll let you play again. We'll call this one practice. Although... now we're playing 'for real'... What you betting?"

Bloody hell. This kid had to be doing it on purpose. There was no apparent prize here for him, other than seeing how much he could get on Nick's wick.

"I have nothing." Nick growled. "Nothing of any value to you. Nothing."

"I like your jacket."

Fucking hell.

Angrily, Nick shrugged off his jacket, slamming it on the floor. "Fine. Just fucking fine."

The kid gasped, eyes twinkling mockingly and pointing accusingly. "That's a bad word!"

"Shut up, Pipsqueak!"