Clare-Dragonfly (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
clare_dragonfly) wrote2014-09-13 10:20 pm
clare_dragonfly) wrote2014-09-13 10:20 pm
Fiction: Which Kind of Gauntlet?
Title: Which Kind of Gauntlet?
World: Moonsisters
Word count: 360
Rating: G
Prompt: Thimbleful Thursday, "throw down the gauntlet"
Notes: Look! It's short!
“All right, you four.”
They all looked up from the schedules they were comparing over their usual lunch table to see Maureen standing over them, arms crossed, tapping her foot. She was still beautiful, but her frown was like a slash of pink lip gloss across her milky complexion. “Let’s have it out. You and me. This afternoon, out back, as soon as school lets out.”
They all stared at her for a moment. Finally, Angel said, “What are you talking about?”
“You.” Maureen pointed at all four of them with one hand. “And me.” She pointed at herself with every finger of the same hand. “Unless you’re too afraid.” Her smile was uglier than her frown. “I can tell you that I’m not.”
She waited a moment, looking around at four blank faces, before tossing her hair and walking back toward her usual group.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Charlotte spoke quietly. “I think we’d better go.”
“Are you crazy?” cried Laura. “She’s just trying to get us into trouble!”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Charlotte.
“But you don’t know for sure,” Ivy pointed out. “You still can’t read her, can you? You’re just guessing.”
“Of course I’m just guessing,” said Charlotte. “But she’s challenged us. Did you see that frown? She doesn’t usually permit herself to look less than pretty. She’s thrown down the gauntlet, and it’s up to us to respond.”
“She’ll bring all her friends,” said Angel. “If we’re going to fight—we can’t win. Not the normal way.”
“I don’t think she’ll bring her friends, actually,” said Ivy. “They’re all confused. They don’t understand why she’s talking to us.”
“So the real question is,” said Charlotte, “why does she think she can challenge us?”
“Why wouldn’t she?” asked Laura. “You don’t think she knows? She couldn’t possibly know.”
“I don’t think she knows,” said Charlotte, a smile slowly curving across her face. “And she’s the one who issued the challenge. We’re the ones who are accepting.”
Angel and Laura just stared at her, but Ivy understood. “We get to choose the weapon.”
“Exactly,” said Charlotte. “And I am bringing my friends.”
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World: Moonsisters
Word count: 360
Rating: G
Prompt: Thimbleful Thursday, "throw down the gauntlet"
Notes: Look! It's short!
“All right, you four.”
They all looked up from the schedules they were comparing over their usual lunch table to see Maureen standing over them, arms crossed, tapping her foot. She was still beautiful, but her frown was like a slash of pink lip gloss across her milky complexion. “Let’s have it out. You and me. This afternoon, out back, as soon as school lets out.”
They all stared at her for a moment. Finally, Angel said, “What are you talking about?”
“You.” Maureen pointed at all four of them with one hand. “And me.” She pointed at herself with every finger of the same hand. “Unless you’re too afraid.” Her smile was uglier than her frown. “I can tell you that I’m not.”
She waited a moment, looking around at four blank faces, before tossing her hair and walking back toward her usual group.
As soon as she was out of earshot, Charlotte spoke quietly. “I think we’d better go.”
“Are you crazy?” cried Laura. “She’s just trying to get us into trouble!”
“No, I don’t think so,” said Charlotte.
“But you don’t know for sure,” Ivy pointed out. “You still can’t read her, can you? You’re just guessing.”
“Of course I’m just guessing,” said Charlotte. “But she’s challenged us. Did you see that frown? She doesn’t usually permit herself to look less than pretty. She’s thrown down the gauntlet, and it’s up to us to respond.”
“She’ll bring all her friends,” said Angel. “If we’re going to fight—we can’t win. Not the normal way.”
“I don’t think she’ll bring her friends, actually,” said Ivy. “They’re all confused. They don’t understand why she’s talking to us.”
“So the real question is,” said Charlotte, “why does she think she can challenge us?”
“Why wouldn’t she?” asked Laura. “You don’t think she knows? She couldn’t possibly know.”
“I don’t think she knows,” said Charlotte, a smile slowly curving across her face. “And she’s the one who issued the challenge. We’re the ones who are accepting.”
Angel and Laura just stared at her, but Ivy understood. “We get to choose the weapon.”
“Exactly,” said Charlotte. “And I am bringing my friends.”
Did you enjoy this story? You can read more stories in this world or see all my fiction posted at Dreamwidth!