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

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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