Archibald Raised Each One
each one of his middle fingers- between that and the black pearls
- She does not want a husband
- I want to examine them
- you have been honored twice
- squared his shoulders
- as hungry as wolves
Archibald raised each one of his middle fingers at Hubert, and said, “You have been honored twice. Now move aside.”
Hubert squared his shoulders, displaying the fine beadwork of his dickie. Between that and the black pearls in his earlobes, Hubert cut quite a figure. He said, “I know this is about Consuela, but it’s all for sham. She does not want a husband who wears lacy petticoats any more than she wants one adorned with beads and pearls.”
At this, Archibald canted his hips self-consciously.
“Wait,” Hubert added. “Your fingernails, I want to examine them.” He studied Archibald’s still upraised fingertips with eyes as hungry as wolves.
“It was Consuela’s idea. Each one shows a different wonder of the ancient world. I think you’re wrong about her, and if you shift your prissy ass I’m off to prove it!”
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from the comments, Kent has another take on the same prompt:
Roderick squared his shoulders and drove each one of his middle fingers, as hungry as wolves, at his opponent’s eyes. But her helm’s full visor protected her, its obsidian inlay inimical and depthless. Between that and the black pearls adorning her breastplate, she struck a mysterious and sinister figure, but a fetching one.
She does not want a husband, Roderick mused, but she possesses undeniable feminine charms and I want to examine them.
The dark lady slashed at him with her broadsword, and Roderick rolled away, his own blade still embedded in a tree trunk some paces to his left. From this low vantage he spotted the tattoos on the female warrior’s ankles.
“You have been honored twice!” he exclaimed.
This is another one that there are two versions of. With the same prompt, Kent also came up with this response:
Roderick squared his shoulders and drove each one of his middle fingers, as hungry as wolves, at his opponent’s eyes. But her helm’s full visor protected her, its obsidian inlay inimical and depthless. Between that and the black pearls adorning her breastplate, she struck a mysterious and sinister figure, but a fetching one.
She does not want a husband, Roderick mused, but she possesses undeniable feminine charms and I want to examine them.
The dark lady slashed at him with her broadsword, and Roderick rolled away, his own blade still embedded in a tree trunk some paces to his left. From this low vantage he spotted the tattoos on the female warrior’s ankles.
“You have been honored twice!” he exclaimed.
Archibald and Roderick… something about this prompt seems to put me in mind of stuffy, fussy aristocratic names. (With due apologies to the Rods and Archies out there.)
I think perhaps you are kind of stuffy and fussy yourself and this prompt allows you a safe outlet.
I’ve noticed that many of our prompts use names that I would never allow us to use for characters in a novel. These little flash fictions are a place for us to rebel a little bit against my name tyranny.