[Closed] The Flower Garden

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Waterfront / Old Rose Harbor

on the 32nd of loshis, 2720, during noon.

The sound that escaped Su’yina was thin, raspy around the edge, and eventually bodied by a sharpness with each desperately sucked up breath. It was a cross between a broken wheeze and honk not unlike the many seals lounging on the rocks of the harbor. Su’yina felt her breath leave her with every cackle, felt tears stream down her face as she keeled over atop the table. Her shaking shoulders and wobbling legs gave her no support as she promptly rolled off and onto the floor. “O-oh heavens,” she swiped away a stray tear before breaking out into another fit. “T-that… I ne- never seen a person strip so f-fast.” the stuttered words were half-covered beneath her shaky breath. Not that she had seen many a men strip in her short lifetime. This was probably the best gift she had received this week. A show fit for the plays that she could only dream of glimpsing at a distance.

Lifting herself off the floor, Su’yina braced herself against the table as her legs wobbled. It had been a while since she had this much of a laugh, though, by the soft giggles that filled the spaces left behind by her need for air, she was not the only one. Chancing a glance at Violet revealed the woman waving from behind the coat. There was not a hint of offense on the lightly powdered face; this was not her first time dealing with mislead men, albeit one that was this preachy and…prissy or was the better words be perhaps...prim. “Ya….ya never been to a brothel before have ya? Where did you live, in a hole?” Su’yina quipped. Really, how can someone not know what a brothel is? Her cheeks were pink from her earlier bouts, her eyes were glassy from the tears she shed with the force of her laughter. Oh, she was just so happy. Violet shook her head at the other’s amusement. Sometimes she wondered if there was something a touch wrong with the courier’s head. She seemed to run on her brand of amusement. Tugging up her dress, Violet let out a sigh before making herself comfortable on the nearby seat. Yazad’s coat was neatly folded before she propped her chin upon her palm. “First time or not, you’re paying for this room, got it?” Not only did she need to earn her keep, but they may also as well pay if they were going to take up her precious time. At least this was not the worst thing she had done for some coin.

Staring at Yazad as if he were an exotic pet, the witch let herself go a bit as she poked him on his ruddy cheeks. “Ya, you get really red, y’know?” Like a properly spanked cheek. Her smile was cheeky as she clapped her hands together. “But thanks for paying!” With a screech, the wooden chair by the table was pulled out and the witch slid herself in. “Ye did save my life. Some people are so…clingy.” Like a burr. Unwanted and prickly; keeping her from getting her coins. She patted the free chair and watched it wobble precariously. "Ah! Come sit, tell us, why are you even in this area of town. You stand out like lamb in the open fields." A fluffy white blot in the sea of green. Ultimately, obvious.

[Yazad]

The Waterfront, Old Rose Harbor

32nd of Loshis, 2720; Noon

W ere these ladies really laughing right now? Yazad was, by now, beyond confused. Pale green eyes looked between Su’yina who had slid down to the floor in a heap of limbs and giggles, and the half-covered form of Violet peeking from underneath his haphazardly thrown coat. The fit of guffawing continued, with him being the only exception, until the brunette righted herself and looked at him with teary eyes.

"A brothel...?!" Yazad spat the words in the only way that he knew how to spit--verbally, and incredulously. The shock and disbelief he felt were displayed openly on his face which paled down a few shades. A brothel. A brothel. The words nearly echoed inside his head like the unpleasant sound of a cracked bell. "Am I in a...house of ill-repute?" Yazad exclaimed, a hand pressing against his fluttering heart. He was at a brothel, where terrible things take place--supposedly. Things that involve immoral and scandalous happenings. ‘Deplorable’ he believed was the exact term used by Madam Alessia Logarchon, Sophronios’ mother. And while he was not certain of the nature of such deplorable practices, the look on the face while she scolded her second son for his frivolity was grave indeed.

This was not the sort of place that he should be in. By merely setting foot in it, he had shamed himself and his mother. Granted, she is in no way able to know of what he was doing at the moment, but his conscience cared little for such details. For shame, for shame. How and why such a din of sin was named ‘The Flower Garden’ is beyond him. Nothing looked amiss on the outside, certainly--not like one would imagine a brothel to be. But then again, he realized that he had not thought about what a brothel is like ever, and why would he? "I shall pay for the room, but not anything so...so untoward." Yazad warned, keeping a safe distance from both women. He did not much mind the minor loss of coins if it meant him going out of this place with dignity intact.

Being told that he got really red only caused Yazad to continue being red, although he was no longer sure exactly what it is that he is feeling. The finger that poked his cheek was not shied away from, although he wondered just what Su’yina found to be so amusing in a situation such as this. "Su’yina, this is not where a proper man should be. Nor a proper woman, for that matter. Ah, I am not saying that you good ladies are improper, but..." But he was. His voice tapered away into nothingness. In his foolish, nervous spewage of words, he had said something so terribly offensive. "Oh, goodness. I am so sorry, please pardon me. Hurte above, how disgraceful of me." His head inclined in apology, though his eyes followed the two women now sitting around the room’s single table.

"I did?" Yazad blinked. Well, this was news to him, for he did not know that Su’yina’s life was in peril. Despite his discomfort and his shame, he felt suddenly all too reluctant to walk out and leave the young woman alone. What is it that she did for work, exactly? She said previously that she did not work in this establishment, so what? "Ahem, certainly." But goodness, he needed to compose himself, this was so unlike him. Slowly, the passive made his way to where the other two sat, carefully lowering himself on the vacant chair. "Ah, thank you, I do try to look my best at all times." Yazad smiled for the first time in a while. A lamb in open fields! That sounded like an adorable if somewhat odd simile. He did like lambs and open fields.

"I was out to the Basin Court market. Lovely place, that. If not for the ‘potentially being pickpocketed’, that is. I have managed to purchase some jasmine oil and a few pieces of jewelry from there." The passive, in his enthusiasm about his recent purchases, felt himself relax while looking between the two women. It was probably best if he spent his time here in polite, pleasant conversation rather than allowing himself to be bothered.

The Flower Garden

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Waterfront / Old Rose Harbor

on the 32nd of loshis, 2720, during noon.

A sharp sound echoed between the Yazad’s embarrassed pauses. Violet’s tongue had clicked against the roof of her mouth and even Su’yina had her nose and brow scrunched up in distaste. While they had not expected much in the department of understanding, they had not quite expected a slave -albeit a nicely dressed one- to view them as such. With a huff Su’yina’s chair creaked as she rocked in it, her fingers tapped the wood in obvious agitation, and she had half a mind to lecture the other despite how abashed he looked in his apology. The air of naivety about him made her want to grumble and a quick glance at Violet’s face revealed nothing on what the other was thinking. That was until she too sighed and exhaled sharply.

“’s fine, improper and untoward was it, ain’t the worst thing we’ve been called.” If the low bar of standards were anything to come by, it would rank quite low on the irritation list right next to the sugared words ‘darling’ and ‘sweetheart’. A seasoned worker of this den of sin, the older woman had heard more than she cared for and liked. Jaded was she against the vitriol she had and still got when drunkards deemed themselves superior. But who were they to judge when they were the ones who paid to sink themselves into the heat of flesh to fill the void of the warmth they so desperately lack? Hypocrisy ran as deep as still water in the cesspool of this ward. “It’s not nice to judge people who are trying to survive,” Su’yina tacked on the reprimand. Out here where they were dress in clothes that were worth less than the fineries this boy wore, they were trying their best. The wrinkled between Su’yina’s brow smoothed at Violet’s lack of offense. If the other was not offended, what right did she have to be angrier on her behalf? That did not stop, the flicker of pity that sparked. A sentiment the witch quickly snuffed for pitying her friend would be akin to trampling on her pride and painting her with inferiority.

The tsat shook her head before propping her chin against the table. The conversation turned and if she was being honest, it drained her a bit more than she liked. The earlier tension hidden behind her glee made her fingers curl against the shawl she tugged. It was one thing, to be aware of the danger and running from it, it was another to be reminded of it when there was nothing else to distract her from the thoughts. Her cheek pressed against the rough wood as she stared up at Yazad. His cheeks were as red as chili’s still and his enthusiasm was almost a balm to the cracks in the walls around her nerves. It was almost awe-inspiring, to see someone this chatty and…polite. Excessively so despite his supposed upbringing. With a hazel eye trained on the other even as Violet nodded along to the boy’s word. Her red lips pursed before she voiced an obvious thought. “You ain’t from about, here are you?” Su’yina idly agreed with her friend and could not help but fiddle with the thought that he was odder than just odd.

Too bright, to naïve, to…sheltered. What kind of servant was he that he was guarded just so? Even the ones she saw, raised behind ivory doors were not this sheltered and unblemished by the hand’s life can offer. And no normal slave, can simply afford jewelry and oils for the sake of having them unless they were dumb enough to spend their earnings on things that benefit them not. The witch’s eyes narrowed. He also spent coins as easily as water. Unless he was dumb there had to be another reason. “You’re not a normal butler are you.” Or perhaps he was not one at all. “Are you some rich son, running away from his parents; stole the clothes from one of your servants?” She shook her head. “And if you don’t want to be pickpocketed, don’t dress like you have money.” If she were anymore base than she is, Su’yina would not have minded looting the poor sod. But that life was not for her and the trouble she could get into if she were every caught… the risk far outweighed the benefits.

From the side, Violet made a choking noise. It was an unspoken rule, to not pry into the lives of those that came here lest they beckon trouble. “Su’yina!” The witch waved away the worry. If this bloke was trying to hide anything, he was doing a piss poor job at it. How harmful can someone like that be?

[Yazad]

The Waterfront, Old Rose Harbor

32nd of Loshis, 2720; Noon

W ell, this was awkward.

Yazad was aware that he had misspoken, that he had said something harsh despite not meaning to. And so he could only lower his head in apologetic shame, taking in the biting admittance of Violet and the reprimanding words from Su’yina. It was honorable to bear the consequences of one’s actions, and accept that it was the result of his own mistakes.

"I do apologize for that lapse of judgement. Truly. I shall make no excuses." Yazad looked between the two women, his eyes both sincere and steady. Whatever they say to him, whatever they end up calling him, it is probably justified after he had unwittingly insulted them. It was difficult to be so estranged from the standards he usually lived by, but he knows very little outside of a passive servant’s life. Many lived far better lives than him, and many more lived in far worse conditions, no doubt. Only now, only this year, did he get to see a glimpse of just how diverse life was outside of his comfortable, secluded bubble.

There were two sets of eyes looking pointedly at him as if he were the one who had just disrobed. Had he said something odd? "Ah, the good madam is correct. We, my master and I, hail from Brunnhold." It amused Yazad that they could figure that out without him saying anything about it. "It is my first time visiting Vienda." The man added, smilingly.

There were more questions thrown at him from the seemingly curious Su’yina, but this one--he was not quite sure how to answer. The man’s smile remained drawn on his face, though it was tinted with the visible tug of uncertain puzzlement. Ebony bangs fluttered to the side as he tilted his head slightly. "Whatever do you mean? I would say that I am fairly -even unremarkably- normal." Silence followed the next words spoken by the brunette, pale green eyes blinking slowly. And then, Yazad began to chuckle. He did so with shaking shoulders and his mouth hidden behind the back of his hand. Intrigue tinted both his eyes and the voice he spoke with next. "Did the good lady consider novel writing as a possible career path? You have such a humorous imagination." There was neither snark nor mockery in the passive’s words, only true and genuine amusement. "I am simply a gentleman’s gentleman, there is not much more to it than that. Is it not possible for a manservant to want to look his best?".

The Flower Garden

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Waterfront / Old Rose Harbor

on the 32nd of loshis, 2720, during noon.

There was a click within Su’yina’s mind. Brunnhold, she knew where that is! “That’s the place with the school, yeah?” A few packages have been delivered there before, from insistent parents and often, disapproving guardians. What went beyond the school walls however was lost to the tsat, there was only so far, she could go before the stares she earned made her skin crawl with the desire to hide for a little while. She knew where she was welcomed and where she was not, and as a person as free as she is, she stood out like a sore thumb. “Do you live there, in the school?” What was that even like?

Su’yina huffed as Violet laughed along with Yazad. The tsat shook her head; this person was far from normal, he was the strangest lad she had ever got the pleasure to meet, and that was saying a lot! She had met many by now but no one as…a touch off like this. Her smattering of confusion melted with a pang of longing at the other’s amusement. It smoothed quickly enough into a wry smile. “Sadly, I can’t do none of that.” It would be amazing if she could, but it was simply not possible in her current position. She envied those, that could read and do more than she could, but she knew better than to act on this devious thought. Envy only bred ill desires and she had yet to develop a will suddenly trod down a shady path. Yet like all elusive dreams and feelings, the thought was always there, a seedling in the back of her mind; a hardy thing that lasted since she could form her desires. It was every present thing and one she knew she would not be able to get rid of so soon.

Taking another look at the manservant, the witch eventually scratched her cheek. “I don’t understand a lick of what ya just said.” She paused, looking a Violet for help, though the woman only shrugged. The three of them centered about the single table all held different views, different understanding of how the world around them work and she was not about to hazard a guess on what was going inside that pretty boy’s head. “Like, why would ya want to look good as a servant, you get dirty,” Su’yina pressed on, “smelly, and nice things get ruined.” Her clothes back home were smattered with stains caused by spices, persistent smears that did not go away no matter how often she scrubbed. It did not help that those stains were only reinforced by new ones on the daily. She only had so many clothes to wear.

The wrinkle between Su’yina’s brow deepened as she tried to understand the strange child from Brunnhold. “What’s a gentleman’s gentleman anyways?” She looked at Violet again for some explanation but even the woman looked a bit stumped. “Who knows…” she shook her head before fishing in her skirt pocket for a dinged tin can and a deck of cards she placed on the table. “Mind if I…?” She pulled out a cigarette and gestured vaguely at them. Su’yina shook her head, eyes trained back on Yazad as she waited for an answer. Hazel-colored eyes drifted to the worn deck of cards. “Do y’know any card games?” She would give herself another hour before hightailing it out of here and back to work. The kov should be gone by then…hopefully.

[Yazad]

The Waterfront, Old Rose Harbor

32nd of Loshis, 2720; Noon

Y azad turned his head to nod at Su’yina, who seemed to recognize Brunnhold in some capacity. "Indeed, it is the university of Brunnhold." The man affirmed, smilingly, before shaking his head lightly at the next question. "I reside in The Stacks, perhaps you have heard of it? It is a town that is adjacent to the Brunnhold university." And also where no one bothered with architectural planning or design, but that was beside the point of discussion.

There was a silent blink of unspoken questions when Su’yina gave the reply that she cannot do ‘none of that’. The people of Vienda -not just the brunette- had a rather peculiar way of speaking, and rather intriguing accents. He certainly did not hear much of that within the hallways of Brunnhold, or even back in Florne. The reason behind the young woman’s response was left unquestioned, but Yazad knew that someone who could come up with such a plot on the fly is likely to be capable of producing some entertaining reads. Given the popularity of tally dreadfuls, anyone is likely to have an audience.

"Hm?" Yazad’s own look mirrored the confusion that was visible both on Su’yina and Violet’s faces. Why was it difficult to understand him? He always made an effort to speak clearly, and he was not saying anything complicated. The moment his companion asked another question, there was a spark in Yazad’s pale green eyes--a quiet one, but it was there nonetheless. The raven-haired man straightened even more, drawing in a deep breath. His hands rested neatly, one atop the other, over his crossed legs. "Beauty," Yazad intoned resolutely, his gaze looking between the two women for a reaction of understanding. There being none, the passive continued. "It is something that one should make an effort for at all times. Certainly, not all of my tasks are glamorous, and some are even dreadfully lacking in elegance, but perfect beauty is for the divine alone, and we can merely strive for whenever possible." The man paused for a moment, nodding sagely in the wake of his heartfelt explanation, before continuing. "It pleases my soul when I am beautiful and smell good, that is all the reason I need."

Another question was asked, and Yazad, just like before, did not seem to mind answering it. There was something endearing about how curious and spontaneous the young woman seemed to be with her words. Like a child, but not quite. "It means that I am the good master’s valet; his servant. I tend to his wants and needs, and see to it that he is well taken care of." The man began, stopping only to chuckle lightly for a second. "A butler, what you had called me before, implies a servant whose responsibility is to the household, not a specific individual. Although--" he looked up thoughtfully, a finger resting on his chin. "The good master’s household consists of only himself, so I suppose that you are technically accurate in calling me that." From the other’s question, one could conclude that she was not familiar with how service in the noble houses of galdori worked, so Yazad thought about simplifying the matter a bit more for Su’yina’s convenience. Yazad smiled again, patiently and gently. "Think of it like this: one cannot say that breeches and pantaloons are the same simply because they are both bottoms. But sometimes, you have to be both the breeches and the pantaloons." There, that was probably better to get the notion across.

When Violet took out a cigarette from Hurte knows where, Yazad inclined his head and uttered a soft "Do go ahead" simply because he did not think that it is his place to say otherwise. He did, however, move his chair slightly away, hoping that the smell of the thing will not cling to his newly-perfumed clothes. "Ah, cards? I am afraid that I do not know any games. I have always been rather curious, though. However do you play with these?" Inquisitiveness filled his eyes as he stared at the dented tin can that had no doubt seen better days.

The Flower Garden

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Waterfront / Old Rose Harbor

on the 32nd of loshis, 2720, during noon.

The face Su’yina wore could be summed up in two words “utter confusion”. The tsat’s brows furrowed, her eyes bulged slightly with the force of her concentration and her mouth gaped. A wheeze escaped the parted lips, eliciting a snicker from the prostitute from their right. The young witch only continued to look confounded as she looked between both. ”Beauty?” she muttered. The utterance said with a clarity she did not feel, as if saying it once more out loud would somehow make the stars align and the world makes sense to her once again. “But why?” The words that followed was a whine. She understood that beauty was important, pretty people and pretty things tend to be loved more but what was the point of that? Pretty things tend not to stay pretty, like the vegetables at the market and the fish that once swim in the ocean. Flowers were to, beautiful, but they returned to nothing but brown dust by time. So why would someone…even if it is for themselves, put in that much effort.

For Violet, she could understand. Her beauty got her work, and work helped her survive. But what about Yazad? A crass remark lingered at the tip of her tongue, one which she swallowed and shook her head too. At the end of the day, they would return to being strangers, there was no need to bring down the pleasant-enough atmosphere. Su’yina held up a hand. “You don’t have to answer that.” She did not think she would understand if he tried. It was not her place to suppose the intricacy of his servitude nor was she inclined to dig more than she already had. His explanation was akin to a ramble for the simple girl and in the end, it still boiled down to one focus. Breeches or pantaloons, he existed to be used and that was the matter of it all. Like pieces of a bigger force, they worked and worked, until their body could not anymore.

A thick blanket of smoke swirled atop the table surface. The off-white puff lingered but for a moment before being waved away. Unlike when it was unlit, the smoke smelled nothing like cheap perfume but instead of pungent herbs. The earthen tones lingered, burned the back of Su’yina’s throat with her mistaken inhale. “But ye, let’s play some cards.” She shot him a look of mild distrust. How can someone not know how to play cards? What other inexpensive pastime was there?

Even when she was more illiterate than she was, cards had always been a comfort. The same shapes, the same colors, the same pictures. A set that she was used to seeing and using. It was much easier to learn it than it was to read the signs that occasionally graced a storefront. “If you don’t know, let me teach ya.” With a swipe of her hand, Su’yina opened the pack. The card's worn edges crinkled softly against the wood as she divided them. Neat piles of numbers lined the table. She taught him in the same way she had been, new to everything and uneducated as could be. By colors, by numbers, and then by the suit, she went over them one by one until he knew which was which. Then came the fun part.

Teaching him her first game. One that a sullen-faced woman had taught her after she had nagged her one-to-many time. It was the first game she played and won a stick of candy with. “Imma teaches ya how to play ‘Cheat’ or as fish ‘nan like to call it, ‘Bullshit.’.” A game that involved a bit of counting, a bit of luck, and a whole lot of bluffing. With instructions and examples thoroughly given, Su’yina dealt her first hand…and lied with a smile.
“Two fives.” She slid two cards face-down onto the table.

Violet narrowed her eyes at her before placing a single card atop of her own. “Six.”

Two pairs of eyes focused on Yazad.

[Yazad]

The Waterfront, Old Rose Harbor

32nd of Loshis, 2720; Noon

H is expertly elaborate explanation did not seem to help. Yazad began to wonder in what world the young woman lived to not see the point of seeking beauty. Homeowners often went to great lengths to decorate their manors and dwellings with lavish furniture: velvet covers, gilded wood, marbled floors topped with plush carpets. People sought appealing articles of clothing, used accessories, and decked themselves with the finest that their money could buy them. Even in nature, flowers flaunted their colors and shapes without a reason to--they simply exist to be beautiful, as he wishes to do.

Well, nothing to it. He will just have to try again with even more detailed elaboration. The passive drew in a deep breath, his mind forming a thorough lecture about beauty’s integral part in life and how simply feeling good about it was in itself a valid reason to seek it. Alas, the other raised her hand and stopped him, and Yazad inwardly deflated. A closer look at her clothes told him enough about Su’yina’s stand when it comes to fashion. Hers was not the most disastrous outfit that he had ever seen, but it was clear that she prioritized practicality over elegance. While Violet--well, he needed not go there, neither with his eyes nor with his mind.

"Oh. Hm. I see." Yazad listened attentively to Su’yina’s words, his amused hums dotting her explanation of how cards worked. It was simple enough to commit the general gist of it to memory. Different suits, different colors, different ranks. It almost sounded like real life, if real life was a simpler affair. There were classes of people with different values, there were shared traits to each group, and there were assigned values to each and every card. "I think I understand now." The man smiled and nodded, feeling rather eager to have learned something new. A game of cards was something that he is willing to try with his newly obtained knowledge.

It was now Yazad’s turn to look at Su’yina with widening eyes that carried both confusion and incredulity. Cheat? That most definitely does not sound ethical, and the one named ‘Fish Nan’ -he thought with a touch of heat reaching his ears- cares little for proper eloquence. "Is this, ahem, proper? A respectable man must not partake in deceit or the practice of lies, but if it is meant to be strictly in play and good cheer--" It was apparent enough that the two women were not opposed to the idea, but the sheepishly uncertain passive felt more critical of himself than to want to cheat even in a game of cards. But now that he thought about it, he really does not have to.

After another deep breath that Yazad regretted a second later, following a lungful of herbal smoke, the raven-haired man swallowed back a cough and sat up straight as the brunette dealt the cards. It took him a moment to form his own pile into a neat fan that he held in one hand, his other hand carefully shuffling and adjusting the cards so that they are arranged by suit from lowest to the highest value, and with a perfectly uniform overlap between one card and the next. Yazad’s pale green eyes peeked from behind his fan of cards, looking between the two women in anticipation. Su’yina dropped down two cards, declaring two fives, followed by Violet and a six. It was his turn next. Fives, sixes, or sevens. "Three sevens." Yazad stated with a smile, deftly plucking three cards from his hand and placing them atop the three in the middle of the table.

The Flower Garden

[Su'yina Liae]

🙐 The Waterfront / Old Rose Harbor

on the 32nd of loshis, 2720, during noon.

Now was he lying? Or was he telling the truth? The tsat narrowed her eyes and looked at the meager stack of cards before humming softly to herself. This game took longer with three people, their hands chalk full of the entire deck that had been split into three. There was enough wiggle room, for him to truly have…three sevens. In her hand, she only had one after all and that was not enough to condemn him to a lie. With a huff, Su’yina ran her fingers along her cards, plucked out the next number in order and placed it down. “Two, eight.” The corner of her lips quirked as no one called her on her bluff. With so many cards in hand, it was also the best time to also discard as much as possible when it was believably feasible. The girl's hazel eyes narrowed at Violet, who had taken another drag of her cigar only to let the herbal smoke meld to the back of her throat before exhaling it. “One nine,” she muttered after a huff. She had yet to lie in the few rounds they had played. Su’s attention turned back towards Yazad.

“Do you get it so far?” Su’yina questioned. The other seemed rather tight-laced from the earlier quip and she would be a damned liar if she said she was not curious to see how he would lie…if he could.

The longer the witch spent with the dark-haired lad, the more she questioned his upbringing, master, and overall mental state. Just…how can someone be raised in such a way and survive if they had. For heaven’s sake, their meeting today was due to him getting lost, of everything. The witch hummed, low in her throat as she swung her legs. The rounds she surmised, would be very boring until there were less than six cards in their hands. It was then that people tend to lie more but…that did not mean someone would not lie now.

As the clock on the far wall ticked away, the pile of cards steadily grew.

[Yazad]

The Waterfront, Old Rose Harbor

32nd of Loshis, 2720; Noon

T he game of cards did not seem quite as daunting when Yazad slowly got into it. It was a great way for mental exercise, and provided a decent sense of accomplishment when he managed to discard cards at exactly the right time. He had done well so far, truthfully placing down appropriate cards without the need to bluff. He was neither good at it nor willing to lie for any reasons whatsoever, least of all of a game of entertainment.

"I do indeed. This is quite enjoyable despite my inexperience." Yazad responded smilingly to Su’yina, his face mirroring the delight he felt to be learning something new. Perhaps he should purchase a pack of cards and attempt this with Sophronios at home--

There were times when Yazad suspected that one or the other of the two women he played with had been slipping in false cards, but the man often opened his mouth to call out the bluff, before closing it as he felt too ashamed to call a lady a liar. The passive simply blushed, squirmed, struggled with his suppressed need to say the right thing and denounce falsehoods, then thought better of it. Su’yina looked rather confident no matter what cards she played, and Violet looked almost nonchalant.

Moments ticked by and cards piled higher, leaving only a scarce few in the hands of the three players. Yazad, an expert at maintaining his reservation -or so he believed- as a gentleman should, was feeling increasingly cornered. The only two cards left in his hand were a one and a six, neither of which would belong in the current sequence of numbers. If he can lay both cards under the claim that they are two fours, then he can easily win this game. No sooner than the thought came did another, more vicious one arise.

[/i]’Dishonor upon you! Dishonor upon your family! A liar and a cheat you are if you did that. For shame, for shame!’[/i]

The voice that sounded very much like his own mercilessly assaulted Yazad’s mind and the passive did not realize that he had been sitting stiff and still for almost two minutes following the call for his turn.

"I yield!" Yazad exclaimed, dropping the last remaining cards face up for the two women to see. He might emerge from this game a loser, but he will be a dignified loser who adhered to proper morals!

It was only after he had made his proud statement that Yazad attempted to remember if yielding was allowed in the game.

The Flower Garden