[Fic] Five-Dimensional Chess
Apr. 5th, 2021 07:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chirurgiqueTitle: Five-Dimensional Chess
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Relationship: Brain & Ephemer
Rating: G
Content notes: trust issues
Words: 1,245
Summary: It’s Brain’s job to make sure no one but him sees inside the Book of Prophecies. Coincidentally, Ephemer is on record with just how much he would really like to see inside the Book of Prophecies.
Brain tapped his fingers against the dark wood of the Master’s desk, and heaved a sigh despite himself. He had expected this enterprise — scouring through the books that had been left behind when the Foretellers had exited stage right from the world — to be a bit more fruitful. The secrets he had uncovered so far were juicy to be sure, but what he really needed were the dry, boring details that would help him come to a complete understanding of Daybreak Town’s present situation.
Of course, he had another source of information available to him that could potentially shed some light on things. But pulling it out was easier said than done. When Ava had handed over the Book of Prophecies, she had stressed the importance of it being for its owner’s eyes only. Not that Brain was a huge fan of following the rules, but it was a good heuristic to at least figure out why a rule existed before tossing it out.
And pulling out the Book now was tantamount to consigning that rule to the garbage heap, considering that lately it was impossible to get even a few minutes of uninterrupted reading in before—
“Hey, Brain! Working hard or hardly working?”
There he was again. Brain kicked back in his chair and craned his head just enough to see Ephemer’s huge grin as their fearless leader all but bounced into the room.
“A little of one, a little of the other.” Brain grinned in return, then let his chair fall back onto all four legs with a thump, and put the tome he had been picking through back on the desk.
Ephemer was at Brain’s elbow in no time.
“Ooh, is this pile for all the ones you’re done reading?”
“Well, most of ’em. I’m not that organized.” So had Ephemer already figured out that Brain had the Book?
“Wow! But there’re so many in it?!”
“Well, I’ve been here a while. Things tend to add up.” And if he had, was he angling to try and get his eyes on it?
For his part, Ephemer had picked up what Brain had just put down and was flipping though it nosily. “Whoa... so you get all this stuff?”
“To a certain extent.” Brain shrugged.
“Isn’t it frustrating when you run into something that you don’t understand?”
“Eh, not really. Something that I don’t understand is just something that I don’t understand yet.”
Ephemer chuckled. “Man, we’re sure lucky that we have you on the case. Is there anything you need any help with, though?”
Here it was, the fishing. But Brain knew that the best way to play the game was to redefine which game they were playing. So he straight up prompted, “Why do you ask?”
“It’s just...” Ephemer put the book down and put his arms behind his back, sheepish. Was he already going to confess?
He smiled a bit hesitantly. “It’s a beautiful day out today. Everyone else is having a good time outside, but you’re cooped up in here. And I just thought, if I could help you get through your work faster, then you could come and enjoy the sunshine, too.”
That was a bit of a surprise. Ephemer didn’t seem insincere, but Brain wasn’t convinced that Ephemer’s sense of fairness was the only force animating him. For now, he smiled and played along. “Well, thanks for thinking of me. If you want, you can take this pile and bring me the one on the smaller desk over there.”
“Sure thing!” Ephemer sprung into action, lifting the heavy stack of books with unnecessary energy. He didn’t seem to be giving them the side-eye, but then again, that was the pile that Brain was finished with. Sure enough, when Ephemer made his way over to the small side table and set his burden down, he seemed much more interested in the yet-to-be-read offerings.
He opened the cover of the top book absentmindedly. Alright, this was the part where he would ask—
“Whose desk do you think this one was? One of the Foretellers?”
Okay, or not. Brain shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you.”
“Do you think it could have been... Master Ava’s?”
Leading questions again, but this time Brain couldn’t imagine where they could be followed to. “Something on your mind?”
Ephemer sighed, and closed the book. “Do you think... we’re doing this right? Are we doing things the way that Master Ava wanted?”
Brain thought of that day on the hill, the grass on his back, the whistle of the wind. Ava running her hand carefully over the cover of the Book. The board that had been set. Her hesitation and her resolve.
“I kind of don’t care.”
“Aww, no need to be mean.”
“Not like that. I just don’t think we need to try and read her mind.” He fiddled with the brim of his hat. “We’re here now, so whatever we do is up to us. I don’t think she wanted us to try and psychically divine her intentions. I think she wanted us to do our own thing.”
“Oh, so that’s what you think she wanted?”
Brain snorted. “Harder than it seems, as you can see.”
Ephemer snickered, and hefted the new pile of books to bring it over. “Thanks, Brain.”
“For what?”
“For making me feel better.” Ephemer dropped the books down on the big desk, generating a puff of dust that sent him coughing.
Brain patted him on the back, laughing a little at his fate. Now he knew for sure that Ephemer was patronizing him. Brain had been notorious in his old circles for many things, but his bedside manner was not one of them.
“You good?”
“Y-yeah, thanks.” Ephemer wiped his eyes on the back of his glove. “I guess not even the Masters had been reading these ones much.”
“Guess not. Well, no stone unturned.” He picked up the first book.
“Ah... so you’re still going to read it anyway?”
This was definitely going to be it, right? The suspense was killing him.
“Should I not?” Is there something you’d rather see me read instead?
“Ah... it’s just that...” Ephemer cast his gaze down and shuffled from foot to foot. Don’t be shy.
Finally, Ephemer seemed to reach his breaking point. He huffed, put his hands on his hips, and stared Brain down pointedly.
“Do you have to read these now? Can’t you just come outside and hang out with us? It’s not the same without you!”
Brain blinked.
“You want to hang out?”
“Yeah! Please?” Ephemer lost his determined mien in favour of an excited one, balling up his fists with enthusiasm. “We don’t even have to goof off, we can practice Keyblade moves together! I’ve actually been brainstorming some ideas for some combo attacks that you and I can do, and Skuld already said she’d watch and give feedback! Please?!”
Brain blinked again and put the book back down slowly. “I mean. Sure. Give me a second to tidy up in here.”
“Yay! Meet you outside, okay?”
Ephemer threw his arm around Brain’s shoulders and squeezed, pressing his chin to the top of Brain’s hat and altogether jostling him. Brain suppressed a squawk.
Just as quickly, Ephemer was throwing out a thumbs up and dashing out the door, and Brain was left with the distinct feeling that he had just lost a completely different game than the one he had thought he’d been playing.
Written for the prompt “Book of Prophecies” for Day 1 of KHUx Week. Thanks for reading!
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Relationship: Brain & Ephemer
Rating: G
Content notes: trust issues
Words: 1,245
Summary: It’s Brain’s job to make sure no one but him sees inside the Book of Prophecies. Coincidentally, Ephemer is on record with just how much he would really like to see inside the Book of Prophecies.
Brain tapped his fingers against the dark wood of the Master’s desk, and heaved a sigh despite himself. He had expected this enterprise — scouring through the books that had been left behind when the Foretellers had exited stage right from the world — to be a bit more fruitful. The secrets he had uncovered so far were juicy to be sure, but what he really needed were the dry, boring details that would help him come to a complete understanding of Daybreak Town’s present situation.
Of course, he had another source of information available to him that could potentially shed some light on things. But pulling it out was easier said than done. When Ava had handed over the Book of Prophecies, she had stressed the importance of it being for its owner’s eyes only. Not that Brain was a huge fan of following the rules, but it was a good heuristic to at least figure out why a rule existed before tossing it out.
And pulling out the Book now was tantamount to consigning that rule to the garbage heap, considering that lately it was impossible to get even a few minutes of uninterrupted reading in before—
“Hey, Brain! Working hard or hardly working?”
There he was again. Brain kicked back in his chair and craned his head just enough to see Ephemer’s huge grin as their fearless leader all but bounced into the room.
“A little of one, a little of the other.” Brain grinned in return, then let his chair fall back onto all four legs with a thump, and put the tome he had been picking through back on the desk.
Ephemer was at Brain’s elbow in no time.
“Ooh, is this pile for all the ones you’re done reading?”
“Well, most of ’em. I’m not that organized.” So had Ephemer already figured out that Brain had the Book?
“Wow! But there’re so many in it?!”
“Well, I’ve been here a while. Things tend to add up.” And if he had, was he angling to try and get his eyes on it?
For his part, Ephemer had picked up what Brain had just put down and was flipping though it nosily. “Whoa... so you get all this stuff?”
“To a certain extent.” Brain shrugged.
“Isn’t it frustrating when you run into something that you don’t understand?”
“Eh, not really. Something that I don’t understand is just something that I don’t understand yet.”
Ephemer chuckled. “Man, we’re sure lucky that we have you on the case. Is there anything you need any help with, though?”
Here it was, the fishing. But Brain knew that the best way to play the game was to redefine which game they were playing. So he straight up prompted, “Why do you ask?”
“It’s just...” Ephemer put the book down and put his arms behind his back, sheepish. Was he already going to confess?
He smiled a bit hesitantly. “It’s a beautiful day out today. Everyone else is having a good time outside, but you’re cooped up in here. And I just thought, if I could help you get through your work faster, then you could come and enjoy the sunshine, too.”
That was a bit of a surprise. Ephemer didn’t seem insincere, but Brain wasn’t convinced that Ephemer’s sense of fairness was the only force animating him. For now, he smiled and played along. “Well, thanks for thinking of me. If you want, you can take this pile and bring me the one on the smaller desk over there.”
“Sure thing!” Ephemer sprung into action, lifting the heavy stack of books with unnecessary energy. He didn’t seem to be giving them the side-eye, but then again, that was the pile that Brain was finished with. Sure enough, when Ephemer made his way over to the small side table and set his burden down, he seemed much more interested in the yet-to-be-read offerings.
He opened the cover of the top book absentmindedly. Alright, this was the part where he would ask—
“Whose desk do you think this one was? One of the Foretellers?”
Okay, or not. Brain shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you.”
“Do you think it could have been... Master Ava’s?”
Leading questions again, but this time Brain couldn’t imagine where they could be followed to. “Something on your mind?”
Ephemer sighed, and closed the book. “Do you think... we’re doing this right? Are we doing things the way that Master Ava wanted?”
Brain thought of that day on the hill, the grass on his back, the whistle of the wind. Ava running her hand carefully over the cover of the Book. The board that had been set. Her hesitation and her resolve.
“I kind of don’t care.”
“Aww, no need to be mean.”
“Not like that. I just don’t think we need to try and read her mind.” He fiddled with the brim of his hat. “We’re here now, so whatever we do is up to us. I don’t think she wanted us to try and psychically divine her intentions. I think she wanted us to do our own thing.”
“Oh, so that’s what you think she wanted?”
Brain snorted. “Harder than it seems, as you can see.”
Ephemer snickered, and hefted the new pile of books to bring it over. “Thanks, Brain.”
“For what?”
“For making me feel better.” Ephemer dropped the books down on the big desk, generating a puff of dust that sent him coughing.
Brain patted him on the back, laughing a little at his fate. Now he knew for sure that Ephemer was patronizing him. Brain had been notorious in his old circles for many things, but his bedside manner was not one of them.
“You good?”
“Y-yeah, thanks.” Ephemer wiped his eyes on the back of his glove. “I guess not even the Masters had been reading these ones much.”
“Guess not. Well, no stone unturned.” He picked up the first book.
“Ah... so you’re still going to read it anyway?”
This was definitely going to be it, right? The suspense was killing him.
“Should I not?” Is there something you’d rather see me read instead?
“Ah... it’s just that...” Ephemer cast his gaze down and shuffled from foot to foot. Don’t be shy.
Finally, Ephemer seemed to reach his breaking point. He huffed, put his hands on his hips, and stared Brain down pointedly.
“Do you have to read these now? Can’t you just come outside and hang out with us? It’s not the same without you!”
Brain blinked.
“You want to hang out?”
“Yeah! Please?” Ephemer lost his determined mien in favour of an excited one, balling up his fists with enthusiasm. “We don’t even have to goof off, we can practice Keyblade moves together! I’ve actually been brainstorming some ideas for some combo attacks that you and I can do, and Skuld already said she’d watch and give feedback! Please?!”
Brain blinked again and put the book back down slowly. “I mean. Sure. Give me a second to tidy up in here.”
“Yay! Meet you outside, okay?”
Ephemer threw his arm around Brain’s shoulders and squeezed, pressing his chin to the top of Brain’s hat and altogether jostling him. Brain suppressed a squawk.
Just as quickly, Ephemer was throwing out a thumbs up and dashing out the door, and Brain was left with the distinct feeling that he had just lost a completely different game than the one he had thought he’d been playing.
Written for the prompt “Book of Prophecies” for Day 1 of KHUx Week. Thanks for reading!
