The prompt was to give Serena a few more notable faults. She's far from perfect, but I guess that's where the appeal comes from.
Word Count: 405 words.
Cards and Merriment
"Your turn,"
She stares at her available cards, her Pokemon cards, her Energy cards, her Trainer cards, and the cards already at play. There's a notable pout on her face, and Calem sees it. She doesn't want him to, but he does.
"Uh.. Se-"
"G-Give me a minute," she says, almost in a stutter.
Everything is a blur. Nothing makes sense. He could explain this to her another fifty times and she still wouldn't understand it.
"Y'know, I've been giving you 'a minute' for a while now.."
"W-Well shit, then give me another!"
Calem cocks a knowing eyebrow, this is new. Serena is always on-edge, there's no doubting that, but there's a hint of anxiety behind it this time.
Almost as if she fears an inevitable defeat.
Finally, she makes a move, but moments before announcing her attack, she's cut-off.
"Er, you don't have enough Energy to use that move.."
"Huh..?" she mumbles, looking over her cards again to verify. Unfortunately, she lacks the skills to do so, "I.. I knew that! Tch, I was just testing you."
Calem chuckles, a hand reaching to scratch behind his neck, "Heh, wouldn't it be better to test me by simply making a move already?"
Serena is not a fan of stalling in any context, be it situational or metagame. Her lack of superiority in the skill of the card pushes her to ask the nobleman in front of her for guidance.
She nudges him, her face slightly tinted.
"..What do you think I should do?"
Rather than looking her in the eye as an equal, Calem's gaze returns to his deck, and his tone reflects that.
"You know, I can't keep coaching you every other turn. You'll never win that way."
"I know, I know, god! But.. Damn it all, just one more hint, please."
Calem shrugs, smile still plain on his face, a monumental trophy to mark the day he bested her in any thing.
"I just don't get it, why do you even bother buying the booster packs if you have no idea how to play?"
There is of course, a valid reason for that, one Serena makes apparent by the hushed tone she suddenly picks up.
"I..I buy them for the pretty pictures, okay?"