the slow demonstration isn't needed, but it's certainly appreciated. he dips his head in a nod only to hum in thought.

"and what happens then?"

his eyes narrow a little.

"you start over?"

Lulu Flint

☉

her face turned in curiosity, adorned with a small frown as she looked over to catch his eyes narrowing. was this maybe too simple for him?

”mhm,” she responded with a nod. she wondered if he was disappointed. ”that’s all there is to it, really.”

as she felt a wave of self-consciousness, the thought occurred to her that she was placing her memories across the table. that there was a reason she had seen rinc’s face in his. he was, presumably unknowingly, leading her down a path of nostalgia, to a feeling of love that wasn’t for him. wasn’t for anyone, anymore. it existed in damaged fragments, at a core too volatile to traverse, perhaps ever again.

and yet, he pressed on.

he was different from rinc, though. no matter how much she attempted to push him, he’d never lashed out. the way he’d challenged her at chess contrasted the disinterest rinc had shown in it. it had reminded her of a time before rinc. a time when she’d still existed. 

these differences, and others reminded her that this was not rinc, and it would work for and against theo in conflicting ways.

”it’s a simple game.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

theo remains oblivious to her inner turmoils for what rests on the table before them is but a mere game. a way to connect with her.

"it is, but it looks fun."

it looks like an easy way to pass the time, if anything.

once again, he shifts in his chair, edging closer.

"you can start. i'll watch."

Lulu Flint

☉

she’d been looking for approval, and when he gave it, her search was given away by the smile that crossed her face.

”oh… again?” but she obliged, reshuffling, and resetting the cards. and then going about another round.

as the cards were flipped, her attention was split in several ways. much of it attention lingered on him, even while her eyes didn’t. when he moved closer, the side of her foot brushed his.

”this is my fishing.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

honestly, as simple as it is, he's oddly self-conscious about doing something unfamiliar in front of her, as though failure would result in embarrassment. is theo even capable of feeling such a thing? probably.

they'll find out after this round.

"it's definitely less violent."

as she plays the round, he shifts closer once again, this time brushing his leg against hers.

"i'll try a round after this."

Lulu Flint

☉

so. he admitted it.

”violent? you acted like you didn’t know what i was talking about before.”

she was distracted by the brush of his leg. closeness, returned. it instilled a slightly sick feeling somewhere between her stomach and her heart, but there was also warmth that came with it.

this game went by faster than the last, and it was won. the four suits were separated into neat stacks.

”that’s a win,” she announced, and was glad, because there were some mornings when she lost seven times in a row.

the cards were reshuffled and then placed in front of him.

”go for it.”

THEO BECKETT

☉

"you managed to convince me."

as her game comes to an end, he smiles, then waits until they're reshuffled before leaning forward to start his turn.

slowly, he begins, and his first round ends in a loss.

"hm."

he sighs, disappointed, but looks back up at her with something akin to innocence, as though he's somehow capable of it.

"can you teach me how to shuffle?"

Lulu Flint

☉

teaching him anything, however simple, felt strange.

she paused, looking into eyes too wholesome to belong to the man named theo becket. perhaps surprisingly, she didn’t poke fun. instead, she nodded.

“uh… yeah. okay.”

”first, split the deck.” an obvious move, but she’d help him further from there once the cards were in his hands.

THEO BECKETT

☉

calloused hands reach for the deck of cards, and after a brief moment of fumbling with it, he manages to split the deck. not evenly, however, as one side has more than the other.

a good thirty-seventy split.

"like this?"

Lulu Flint

☉

she stared in disbelief. this flashed her back to the day she’d witnessed his attempt at texting. but surely, this was a joke.

”are you fucking with me?”

her eyes raised from his hands to him, wondering if she might see the same innocence as before.

THEO BECKETT

☉

"no..."

confusion withers across his features. apparently, thirty-seventy is not a decent enough split. so he brings the cards back together, then attempts to do the same once again.

forty-sixty. not bad, but not perfect.

Lulu Flint

☉

her brow furrowed some at the confused look on his face. eyes fell back to the cards as he made his second attempt. not great, not terrible, but it wasn’t like they were rushing. and… come on.

she blinked, lips pressing into a line briefly.

”for a fully grown, wanted man, you are shockingly inept sometimes.” no sugar. ”i know your hands work.” a slip. she felt a little flustered heat rise. it warmed her hands as she reached out to help him place his around the split deck.

THEO BECKETT

☉

"you do know."

the slip causes the edges of his lips to curl slightly, something alike a grin, though not quite there. her hands move over his and the warmth that comes from it is palpable.

"now comes the...riffle?"

Lulu Flint

☉