Hey all! Sorry for the re-posts and such. I'm trying to reorganize my one-shots in a more concise way since I don't like a bunch of one chapter stories cluttering up my stories section on my profile. If this is your first time seeing this and don't know what I'm talking about, great! Happy Reading!
Competition: Pro-bending Circuit Season 3, Round 4
Task: For this round, we're dealing with the four suits of a deck of cards. For each suit, there will be an accompanying meaning and plot. You will decide between your team-mates who will write which suit (one for each team-mate). Diamonds - represent riches and royalty. Write about someone rich/a royal living without their riches/title.
Prompts: (object) playing cards, (character) Prince Wu, and (restriction) no words starting with "m"
Word Count: 1117
Main Characters: Wu
Summary: Wu's been arrested for fighting a "fan" at one of his concerts. Too bad for him, his attacker is locked up in the same cell as him.
Friends in Low Places
Wu leaned his head against brick wall behind him. It sent a shiver down his spine and he let out a loud squeal which drew the attention of his cellmate. The gruff earth kingdom lad gave Wu a curt look and went back to picking the dirt from his under his toenails.
Wu gulped and loosened his collar with a finger. If he had known that living without his title and all the riches and servants that came with it, he wouldn't have given all of it up so willy nilly. He didn't know what he had done wrong to end up in this cell. He figured that if someone threw a empty bottle at him, he had the right to throw something back at them. He hadn't expected the boy to come charging at him after, though. Still, his cellmate had been the instigator. He didn't know why they had to stick them together while awaiting their punishment.
Wu brought his hand up to his forehead, felt the lump there and winced. He looked over at his cellmate again, trying to find any sign of a wound. The rough dude didn't seem injured or even fazed in any way.
Wu's stomach grumbled and he looked down at it, his pout forming into a full blown frown. He really wished he had eaten that sandwich instead of throwing it at that guy. His lower lip quivered as he thought about all the people who were probably traipsing about on his sandwich.
"What are you so angry about little guy?" His cellmate spoke for the first time and leaned back against the steel bars behind him He swatted his long hair from his eyes and held Wu in a strong gaze.
"I'm not angry!" Wu crossed his arms and snapped his head to the right, where another wall sat looming.
"Sure you aren't." The guy laughed and reached into his pocket.
The move prompted Wu to jump to his feet and plant himself firmly against the wall. "What are you doing? Guards! Guards! He's go a knife!"
"Whoa, whoa," the long-haired boy held out a hand in protest. He pulled his other hand out of his pocket, revealing a dusty deck of old playing cards. "Care for a game?"
"Why would I play a game with you? You harmed this beautiful face!" Wu pointed to the lump on his forehead.
The lad shrugged. "Suit yr'self." He quickly and quietly set the cards out on the cell floor and started to play a game on his own.
Wu wasn't sure of the name of the game he was playing, but he watched the boy shuffle and reset the cards three times before settling back into a sitting position. When his cellmate started to pick up the cards for the fourth time Wu build up the courage to speak. "How'd you get those in here anyway?" He placed his head in his left hand and leaned forward.
"Been through this a few times before, friend. Now, com'on," he gestured to the ground in front of him. "What else'ur ya gunna do?"
Wu rolled his eyes, but shuffled over and sat where his cellmate bade. He watch the kid's nimble fingers work the cards to and fro. It seemed to Wu that the boy was trying to show off now. He didn't seem like that bad a guy, so Wu had ask. "So why'd you throw that bottle at me, anyway?"
"Spirits! Ave ya 'eard yourself sing?"
"Sure, all the time." Wu started to count off on his fingers. "When I wake up, when I shower, when I use the little princes' room, when I-"
"Th'little princes' room?" The youth chimed in with one eyebrow cocked.
"The bathroom." Wu elaborated with a sigh. He never had to explain things like this to his pointy-eyebrowed body guard.
"Whoa, dude, didn't want to know that! T'game's poker, by th'way." The boy's hands flashed and Wu's cards sat in front of him. "Point is, leave the singin' to the professionals."
"But, I am a professional!" There was deep resentment in his voice. He hid his face behind his cards and started to organize them by suites, high cards, and low cards. Wu kept his lips in a tight line not wanting to give the kid any hints about how good his hand turned out.
"If you say so." The boy laughed lightly as he sorted his own cards. "Can I ask, how'd ya pick a career like singin' with a voice like yours?"
"For your information, buddy, this voice helped save hundreds of people by charmed two badgermoles!"
"Ah...tha'explains it…" The boy rubbed his chin. "Go 'head."
Wu placed only one card face down on the ground to replace. The boy handed him his new card and he placed it into his hand. He wasn't able to keep his poker face and a small smirk formed on his lips. "Explains what, exactly?"
"Ya do know tha'badgermoles can hear just 'bout as well as they can see, right?"
"What? That's not true!" Wu looked the boy in the eyes with distraught features.
"Hey! Keep it down in there!" The booming voice of a guard echoed through the cell.
"That's not true…" Wu's shoulders slumped.
The boy's features wrinkled in concentration. "Don't be too sad." He paused and placed four out of his five cards onto the ground and replaced them with fresh cards from the stacked deck. "Even t'badgermoles need entertainment, right?" The boy winked at Wu. "Your go."
"I'll pass." Wu tapped the ground twice with the knuckle of his index finger.
"Oh ho! You've gotta good 'and there, huh?" Three cards hit the floor and three different cards were quickly organized in his hand. The boy grimaced at the cards.
Wu set the cards down one at a time a dramatic fashion. When he was finished, a royal flush sat between the card players.
The lad whistled in admiration. "Well, what'ur the odds of that?"
Wu smiled. "Pretty darn low, I'd say."
The boy laughed and picked up the cards and shuffled them before Wu could stop him. "What about your hand?"
"No point showin' you after I saw yours." He shook his head.
Wu leaned back onto his hands, "What's yr'name, buddy?"
"Aakash. Yours?"
"Wu."
"Truce?" Akash smiled brightly and extended his hand. "You aren't too bad after all. But, seriously," he added. "Don't sing when I'm around ever again. I can't guarantee yr'safety otherwise."
Wu crossed his arms and sulked. "Some friend you are…"
"Hey, we've gotta set some boundaries." Akash punched him lightly on the arm. "'Nother game?"
"Sure," Wu sat back up straight. "Nothing else to do, right?"
Requests and reviews welcome :)
