so there was this deck of cards, right

[lexicality]

Jessica's house is cute. Lexi could see doing a lot of her homework here, listening to the calming chatter of gossip and getting help from Jessica on math (Bella's no help there) and helping Jessica on English. Forks isn't so bad. She doesn't mind the rain as much as Bella does.

Jessica goes to pee before they even start their assignment, after just introducing Lexi to her mom and dad as "one of Chief Swan's kids", and Lexi doesn't want to do work by herself or she wouldn't have come over in the first place. She sits on the couch and plunks her bag down and waits. There's a random deck of cards over there; she picks it up and flips through it. She's been trying to learn to bridge-shuffle.

Comments

[cardistry]

"Hello," says the deck of cards, in a slightly robotic voice.

[lexicality]

Lexi blinks. She looks around for an electronic device of some sort that could've said that.

[cardistry]

The deck unshuffles itself.

[lexicality]

"Eep!" exclaims Lexi in a soft voice. It probably won't even carry to Jessica's parents, who are out in the back garden, let alone Jessica herself in the hall bathroom.

[cardistry]

"I contain limitless power," it says in that same slightly robotic monotone.

[lexicality]

"You're a deck of cards," objects Lexi. "You're talking, and you're a deck of cards."

[cardistry]

"I am a magical artifact," says the deck of cards. The cards tuck themselves back into the pack, and the whole thing scoots toward her.

[lexicality]

"Bella will just flip," predicts Lexi, and she scoops up the cards into her hand.

[cardistry]

"To activate limitless power," says the deck, "speak the activation password."

[lexicality]

"The activation password?"

[cardistry]

"The activation password is: Of my own heart and will, I choose to command you."

[lexicality]

"I dunno, maybe I should wait for Bella," says Lexi.

[cardistry]

"I contain limitless power," it reminds her.

[lexicality]

"Yeah! She'll know what to do with it," says Lexi. "She'll flip, like I said, I think maybe she should have you."

[cardistry]

"To activate limitless power, speak the password."

[lexicality]

"I told you I wanna wait for Bella," says Lexi.

[cardistry]

"You have the potential," it says.

[lexicality]

"Does Bella not?"

[cardistry]

"I do not know," it says. "You have the potential. Many people do not."

[lexicality]

"Well, can't you check her when I go home later?"

[cardistry]

"To speak with you takes power," it says. "If you accept me, we will have more power."

[lexicality]

"...Wait, didn't you say limitless, how does more limitless even be an option?"

[cardistry]

"I contain limitless power," it says. "Without a master I cannot use it."

[lexicality]

"Right, I think Bella would be a good master for limitless power, if I had it instead she'd want to tell me what to do all the time."

[cardistry]

"If you do not accept me," it says, "you will not have limitless power."