winderlust | i tried to think of a wind pun for this title

I don't require boldness!

[He couldn't handle boldness. He can't handle this, as it turns out, so he'll just loudly make demands like a spoiled brat and hope no one notices that he's out of his depth.]

You may make tea, I suppose I can deign to grace your efforts with my attention.

[Gaius has absolutely noticed he's out of his depth. Patrick is just like any number of entitled wealthy young men who've come in using a blustering aggression to cover for being shy virgins. It's not new and he's not surprised or impressed, but he is good at his job, so he doesn't let that show. He's just polite and subservient, the same way he always is.]

As you wish. I'm grateful for your consideration.

[There's another deep bow, then Gaius moves to the sitting area of his room, gesturing for Patrick to sit on the plush couch there. Gaius won't sit til Patrick does. It's protocol. The client must always be superior.]

[Weird how he feels like a jerk. Maybe he ate something weird.]

Of course you are.

[He sits and then makes an imperious gesture. ]

Show me these skills of yours then.

Yes, sir.

[He sits, movements carefully controlled to be graceful and inoffensive. He's actually trying extra hard to be neutral, with Patrick. His brothers have a history of making comments about where Gaius came from, so, y'know. Best to smooth out that body language and any choice of words that might be weird.

He is very good at making tea it turns out. He pays careful attention to measuring -- but it'll be a couple of minutes of steeping, so he ought to fill the silence.]

Forgive my impertinence, but you seem ill at ease. If it'll ease your burdens, please order me as you wish.

You! How dare you! I am Patrick Hyarms! A noble of my stature is never ill at ease. I suppose an uncouth foreigner couldn't be expected to know better.

[He'll in fact go on a bit of a rant about how great he is at various cool noble things which is really to educate Gaius and not because he's insecure.]

So you see. The idea that someone such as I could be ill at ease is ludicrous.

[Gaius listens to the ranting, even pretends to be raptly interested. He pours the tea at just the right time, too, sending delightfully scented steam into the air.]

I see... Your brothers have taught me much about your house, but not so much of you yourself. I'll revise my opinion.

[The response is deferential, perfectly delivered. It also means exactly the opposite of what he makes it sound like it means.

"I hate your brothers and I thought you were annoying but I will make a mental note to hate you too, thx."

Except y'know also he's Gaius so "hate" is a strong word.]

Nevertheless, someone so great must have many responsibilities. The glory of your name is far from weightless. That is to say... even kings get stiff shoulders.

[Patrick is a dumb mean girl but he's not actually an idiot. For a fraction of a second he pauses like he's trying to puzzle what Gaius means by the revised opinion but then he seems to decide in the interpretation that favors him and picks up his tea.]

You don't need to be so circuitous about it. I suppose my shoulders could use a rub, if you're that eager. At least your tea is passable.

[But you said not to be bold--]

Thank you for saying so.

[:)

He's getting up gracefully, coming around the couch and putting his hands on Patrick's shoulders from behind. He's had a lot of practice at this, at least. It's all erotic, though -- the shoulder rub automatically involves leaning in close, so his breath warms Patrick's ear and his hair tickles his neck.]

I have to say, you're the most handsome of your brothers.

[He says this to all of them. He'll say a lot of things he doesn't mean, these days, for his own protection.]

[He's all ready fr the shoulder rub but then there's breath against his ear and a tickle against his neck and it's all very intimate in a way that has him going instantly more tense under Gaius's hands, wrenching forward and away like a startled cat, and then bristling just as fast, still like a startled and now very embarrassed cat. Just waiting furiously for Gaius to laugh at his reaction, glaring at him tensely, completely prepared to lash out in his own embarrassment.]

[He doesn't laugh. He just pulls his hands back to himself and tries to look neutral.]

I apologize if I made a mistake.

You!

[What's he supposed to get pissy about here. He shoots to his feet and turns to glare fully at Gaius.]

Sit down, you're being annoying!

[Okay...? He's confused and a little distressed here. He sits back down but he can't hide being tense. He doesn't know what's going on and experience is telling him to shut down rather than push more buttons and maybe get hurt. He's got a good service face but it's not good enough to cover for everything.

He doesn't say anything. Apologizing seemed to make it worse, so-- So right now he's just folding his hands in his lap and trying not to look like he's bracing to get hit.]

[He keeps glaring at Gaius and then... Seems to get increasingly uncomfortable as he realizes Gaius is afraid of him. Certainly everyone should be intimidated by how great he is and want to serve and please him and all that, but it's not like he's going to beat him! Even if Gaius pissed him off every part of him knows that's not really... Chivalrous. That's not noble. Even if he's inherently better than this person, hurting him out of hand, without some kind of duel or legitimacy, isn't something his pride could deal with.

Uncomfortably, and very on edge, he sits back down.]

...You're terrible at back rubs. Stick to something you're good at, like making tea.

[He says it haughtily but there's more uncomfortable edge than real imperiousness in his voice now.]

[Gaius has no clue how to act right now. Most clients don't give such mixed messages. They also don't usually react so poorly to flirting from, y'know, a who're. It's true that he's afraid -- it doesn't matter how big he us when there's such a complete lack of power. If Patrick did want to hurt him, Gaius couldn't lift a finger in his own defence.

Patrick's brothers are far from the nastiest he's dealt with, but they're not exactly sweet. So he's assuming the same of Patrick and withdrawing despite the minor change in attitude. He'll clean up and make more tea but he's not trying to seduce him at this point. That's clearly not welcome so he's just keeping his head down and waiting to see what happens. He's not trying to make the guy uncomfortable but he's rather have an awkward but agreeable guest than a confident sadist.]

Yes sir. As you wish.

[Now he doesn't know what to do and it's getting more uncomfortable and awkward by the minute. He can't possibly be at fault for this though, naturally!]

Are you always this difficult to get along with?!

[He snaps, finally, after about five minutes of just... Uncomfortable silence.]

Your brothers don't seem to think so.

[Goddess what is he supposed to do? Nothing terrible has happened but he's actually terrified. It's the uncertainty. Even with a sadist he knows what to expect. It's not knowing what to say or do that's frightening him.

In light of that, he can't help it if that came out a bit of a snap.]

[Patrick actually freezes momentarily, at getting snapped at, like he's afraid Gaius will lash out and now he's just confused again. It's not like he's thinking from Gaius's point of view. He's not in the habit of exercising that level of sympathy or thoughtfulness, even if inherently he maybe could be that kind of person.]

Well.

[He blusters after a moment, flustered and unbalanced by all of this.]

What do you do with them, then?

[How is he even being asked this question? People don't pay for his time to play board games. He gives Patrick a puzzled look, feeling absolutely off center. This is hands down the most confusing job he's ever had.]

You're aware what kind of place you're in. No one comes to me just for tea, including your brothers. They do what they want with my body, and I make sure they leave satisfied. That's all.

[Of course he knows but even without specifics his mind is providing unwanted visuals and he's going so so red in mortification and embarrassment. It's not like he needs it explained!

And yet under that some part of him is really bothered by the way Gaius describes it. It's horrifyingly impersonal and almost... gross.]

Of course I know that you ignorant brute! I mean... no never mind. There's no point explaining to a savage.

You've ruined the mood. [There was never a mood.] I don't feel like doing anything today. Do you at least have something decent to pass the time that isn't off-putting?

[For a moment Gaius fixes Patrick with a piercing stare. The intensity bores right through him, angry and yet completely calm.

But it goes away quickly. He's not yet confident enough to mouth off much. Instead he exhales slowly, pouring this round of tea with careful grace.]

I can play the sitar, although I'm afraid it might be too unfamiliar. We could play cards. There are plenty of games available in the system, too, if you want to try something like that.

[If you're a weirdo who goes to a brothel and wants to play mariokart you can do that.]

But if you truly find me unsatisfactory, I can find someone else to serve you.

[The stare nearly makes him start stammering an apology before he catches himself. Still, he looks shaken and kind of scared of Gaius for a second before Gaius starts listing things to do. Which is silly given he could literally order Gaius to lay down and stop breathing but for all he's a bully that's not really how he thinks.]

Hmph! It doesn't speak much of you if you're that willing to give up on pleasing me!

What card games do you know, then?

Let's see...

[He'll just rattle off a list -- pretty much anything very popular in this time and place. He avoids mentioning things from his homeland. He has spent too much time trying to get the perfect balance of being attractively foreign without being intimidatingly inscrutable not to have learned to keep quiet on anything that might confuse a customer.]

[Patrick huffs.]

Well that's all very fine I suppose.

[He picks something with cards, and the allotted time is spent... With that. Card games and Patrick slowly loosening up as if he's forgotten where he is or what he's supposed to be here for. Or maybe he's very deliberately not thinking about it because by the time it's almost time to go he sets his cards down. It's actually been... Not too unpleasant. When he's not being a massive heel he's actually just somewhat of a snobby, arrogant, but ultimately a bit awkward and misguided guy. When he's not posturing he's almost pleasant to talk to, sort of. He certainly is easier to converse with once he's concentrating on cards and topics like fencing and, weirdly, cats and horses?

But he's tensed right up again, now that he should be leaving.]

[It really isn't so bad. He'd rather awkwardly play cards than do his real job any day, so Gaius is honestly grateful. Besides, once they get going it's actually pretty nice. Not nice enough for Gaius to loosen up and smile genuinely, but enough that he's not on edge, which is rare enough.

Patrick is weird but way better than his brothers. Gaius will have to revise his opinion again.]

Ah, time's up. That's a shame. It's been nice playing with you.

[Almost like a switch being flipped Patrick goes from tolerable to insufferable again.]

Yes, well, naturally. The honor of playing with me would be more than nice.

...You will, however, tell anyone who asks that we--that is to say that you performed your job and it wasn't card games, am I clear?

i tried to think of a wind pun for this title

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