Forward

Ariana returns after the ball to find Vincent in the throes of a nightmare. Further investigation reveals that he's been having such nightmares for a week, but can't remember what they're about. After Vincent goes back to sleep, Ariana discovers a mostly finished Trump of Sand, his birth mother, under his pillow. How has he been able to draw a picture of a woman he had never seen? Worse yet, the Trump is cool, a rather disturbing discovery given that Sand is dead, beheaded by Ahab long ago. Ariana promptly faints, catching the attention of Lucien, who removes the Trump from Vincent's room.

The following morning, Vincent mentions to Ishmael that the piece he was working on has disappeared. He proceeds to draw another copy of it in just 15 minutes, using both of his hands at the same time. Once Ishmael recognizes Sand, he distracts Vincent with another project and leaves with the sketch...

There is the sound of a double-knock on Ariana's door, about half an hour after the boys' lesson has started.

The door is answered by Arabeth, the servant assigned to Ariana.

Ishmael doesn't seem to have expected to encounter a servant. "Uhhh... Ummm. I need to talk to Ariana, like right now."

"Yes, Your Highness. Please come in." Arabeth motions to a seat. "I'll tell Her Grace that you are here."
Arabeth relays to Ariana that Prince Ishmael is waiting for her in the outer room.

OK. Ariana would rise and follow Arabeth to the outer room. She still seems pale, but a bit more "there" than she was at breakfast.

"Hello, Ariana." Ishmael steps inside the door and closes it behind him. "I need to talk to you...you know, alone?" He gestures with his head toward the servant.

Ariana nods to Arabeth. "Thank you, you can go now."
She turns back to Ishmael and motions him to a seat, then sits herself. "All right, what's wrong?" She has the look of someone bracing herself for more bad news.

"Geez man...there you go again, assumin' the worst!" He sits down. "Anyway..." He looks uneasy. "Okay. You see... Umm. Well, okay. The boys have their art lesson right now, right? Of course, you already know that."
He has a piece of paper that he's sort of been wagging around while he talks. "Well, Vincent said that his piece was missing. I sort of suspect that you have it, though, because I think I know what it was..." He holds up the sketch. "Did it look a little like this?" It's Sand.

Ariana gets noticeably paler, and grips the arms of her chair tightly as she nods. "Yes. It did. I didn't know he had made more than one."

He leans forward in his chair, towards Ariana. "See. Now there's where things just get fucking weird." He hands the sketch to her. It already feels cool. "He just did this."

She does not take the sketch from him, pulling her hand back as though she fears it will bite her. "No! I know. I mean, the other one did as well. I found it..." Her voice trails off for a moment as she shivers, then makes an effort to get a grip on herself. "I found it last night."

"Huh. You do know that just taking it from him isn't going to help, right?" He shrugs and withdraws the sketch. "Anyway, when I asked him why her, he said that she's just there, in his head."
He pauses. "I sidetracked him, but not for long. I asked him to do a Jalana Trump. I expect it's finished by now. The boy's a goddamned prodigy. He works with both hands..."

Ariana bites her lip. "I didn't take it from him intentionally. I found it after he woke up with a nightmare. He's been having them for a week, apparently. He doesn't remember anything about them, but... Sand was an expert at using Trump to send people dreams. I'm afraid that she's..." She shakes her head. "This is impossible. How can she be doing this? She's dead! I was there when it happened."

"Yadda yadda yadda." Ishmael waves his hand in front of Ariana. "Hello? Amber to Ariana! It doesn't matter what you SAW, this Trump is damn near operational. I don't know much about Sand, other than that she was a sick, crazy bitch with a real thing for kids." His tone has started to get a bit louder. "What I want to know is, what the hell is she's doing 'in' Vincent's head?!"

"I don't know!" Ariana yells back. "How in the name of the gods am I supposed to know how she's doing this? I! Don't! Know!" Her voice has risen throughout this, and she practically screams the last bit.

"Damn it!" Ishmael slumps back into his chair. "I don't understand this shit."

Ariana buries her head in her hands. "How can I keep him safe when I don't even know what I'm keeping him safe from?"

"Oh man..." Ishmael's face is sort of squished up in that sort of 'oh please, oh please, don't cry' sort of way. "Maybe Fi would know something?" Ishmael takes Fiona's Trump card out...

Ariana nods, still hiding her face in her hands.

Ishmael clears his throat and stands up. He walks over to a corner of the room where he can sort of be away from Ariana. He mutters to himself, "Oh yeah. After last night, Fi's gonna love this..." He sighs, then tries to Trump Fiona.

Her Trump animates. "And how do you wish to bother me this morning, Ishmael?"

"Oh man, Fi. I'm sorry, but can we forget for a few minutes that I acted like an unbelievable ass last night?" He takes a deep breath. "I think that Sand might be coming to Vincent in his dreams. Ariana says that he's been having nightmares, but doesn't remember them." He seems to be talking really fast, just in case Fiona decides to cut him off. "Anyway, the kid is a freakin' prodigy. He just whipped out this near-workable Trump in the first quarter of our lesson this morning."
He pauses for a moment to draw another breath...

Fiona holds her hand out to him.

Ariana has lifted her head from her hands by this point, having managed to compose herself somewhat.

Ishmael exhales, then takes Fiona's hand and brings her through.
"See?" He hands her the Trump. "He was working on another one that Ariana found under his pillow last night."

Fiona studies the sketch, then seems to look somewhat surprised. "Fascinating."

Ariana says quietly, "I believe he began working on the drawing I found at about the same time that he says he began having nightmares."

"I swear I don't mean to offend you with this statement Fi, but even after all those years of watching you work, this kid was fucking incredible! He was drawing with both hands. Man. Never saw anything like that." Ishmael shoots a quick glance to Fiona. "I mean, we all do a little stuff with both hands...but he was balls-out drawing with both at the same time." He sort of makes a noncommittal motion with his shoulders. "I recognized that it was Sand, so I sidetracked him. He is, or at least WAS, working on a Trump of Jalana while I bopped up here..."

"Well, I can allay Ariana's fears. Sand continues to be dead. I believe I shall tutor Vincent and his brother Shannon in Trump from now on."

Ishmael gets a rather grumpy look on his face.

Ariana looks unconvinced. "If Sand is dead, then what is the source of the nightmares Vincent is having? And why is he drawing Sand? He doesn't even know it's her that he's drawing."

Ishmael butts in, "Well, the little bit of Trump stuff has been in addition to the normal art studies. I don't suppose you mind that I keep them with the group for that, do you? I mean, come on. He's still a kid. Let's not make him feel like a big freak or something."

Fiona raises an eyebrow at Ariana. "Doubt if you wish, but I am telling you the truth."

Ishmael shoots a look to Ariana that conveys the following thought: *Don't do it.*

Ariana looks back at Fiona. "I don't doubt that you are telling the truth. It just doesn't explain why this is happening. If Sand isn't the source, then who is?"

Fiona folds her arms across her chest and levels her gaze on Ariana. "Her son."
She hands the drawing back to Ishmael. "Where are the boys now?"

"In my studio. I should probably get back down there so they don't get weirded out."

"I'll go with you," Fiona says.

Ishmael opens the door for Fiona. He doesn't say anything further.

Ariana's eyes widen slightly, as the possible implications of Fiona's statement sink in. "Another son? Who?"

Fiona had been heading to the door with Ishmael, but pauses long enough to say, "Vincent," impatiently. She also says it with a wave of her hand, dismissing Ariana.

Ariana follows them. "He's giving himself nightmares? Why?"

Ishmael steps behind Fiona and in front of Ariana. "I think Fiona is done talking to you about this for now." He whispers under his breath, "I promise, I'll tell you whatever happens, okay? Just go. Don't make this harder..."

"I'm still going with the two of you. They're my children. I want to understand what's happening here."

Ishmael looks to Fiona for a sign...

Fiona turns and holds a hand up to Ariana. "You may only follow if you believe you can handle it. I will not have you walking in looking like death warmed over and scaring the boy." Fiona delivers this in a very stern tone.

"If I understood what's going on, maybe I wouldn't look scared!" Ariana is starting to look more frustrated than frightened, actually.

Ishmael looks to Ariana. "Well? Can you keep your shit together long enough to find out what's going on?"

Fiona waits for Ariana's response.

Ariana looks at Fiona. "Will you explain to me what you think is happening here, once you've determined it?" She is working at masking her emotions while she is speaking.

From Fiona? You're funny. Just how bad off is she right now? And Fiona isn't hiding the fact that she's scrutinizing her, either.

Ariana meets Fiona's gaze. Basically, she's frightened, mostly because she doesn't understand what's happening here. She's afraid that Vincent is going to be hurt. The whole reason that she's trying to get Fiona to explain what's going on is because if she understands it, she can deal with it. She's not about to break out into hysterics, or anything like that. She isn't masking her emotions to hide them from Fiona, but so she can hide them from Vincent.

Ishmael faces Ariana and mouths, "It will be fine. Go. Rest."

Ariana and Fiona seem to be staring at each other.

Ishmael concentrates very hard on becoming one with the wall. He isn't looking at anyone.

"Stay here, Ariana. Vincent is not in any danger. I will explain his situation to you when I fully understand it. I would like to speak to him without a parent present. He will be able to speak more freely to me, that way."

Ishmael slips from between the two of them. "Yeah, well...ummm. I'm going to head to the studio, so that it doesn't freak them out for the two of us to appear at once. You are a little intimidating in your own right, Fi..." Ishmael gets a 'D'oh! I shouldn't have said that!' look on his face, then heads back to his studio.

Ariana glances at Ishmael as he leaves, then nods reluctantly. It's obvious that she'd rather go with them, but she can see Fiona's point. "All right. What should I do with Vincent's drawing of Sand that I found? Is it normal for it to be cool, even when the person is dead?"

"May I have it? It isn't normal for a normal Trump, no, but Vincent has not created a normal Trump."

Ariana nods and excuses herself for a moment. Lucien would see her pass through heading towards the bedroom, then returning with the sketch in her hand. If he looks questioningly at her, she explains that she's giving it to Fiona.

That's fine. He doesn't hold her up in any way.

Did he look surprised at the mention of Fiona's name? Or has he been listening in? :)

He did not look surprised.

Figures. :)
Ariana rejoins Fiona a few minutes later with the sketch, which she hands to Fiona. "What kind of Trump is it, if it isn't normal? I know it's good. When I first saw it, I thought it was one of Dworkin's."

"Vincent has inherited his mother's skill," Fiona says as she examines the Trump. "It's a form of Trump trap, actually. You believe you are Trumping the individual pictured on the card, when in reality you are Trumping someone else entirely."

"I see. I suspected they might take after her, but I wasn't expecting it to manifest like this. Can you tell who this Trump connects to?"

"Vincent."

Ariana looks startled. "He's been Trumping himself with it at night? I suppose that would explain the nightmares. But I don't understand why he's doing this to himself."

"That's what I'm going to see if I can determine."

Ariana nods gratefully. "Thank you for your help. I was going out of my mind thinking that Sand might somehow be back."

"Things aren't always what they seem to be," Fiona says as she turns to leave.

"So I'm learning." Ariana sees her to the door. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"I will. The best thing right now to do is not worry, until you have to." She heads out.

"Outrageous Fortune"
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All text on this page is © 1998 by Kris Fazzari, Lisamarie Babik and Wendi Strang-Frost.

Last modified on October 27, 1998 by Kris Fazzari.