Nanba Prison (Nanbaka RP Group) discussion

A nice space, a lot of seating, tables and a fireplace across from the main entrance. The most significant aspect of this room is the tables designed to allow these gambling addicts to play board games and card games as much as they like as long as they don't gamble anything on it.
Unfortunately, many ignore that rule making the lounge a place to determine the dominance of rank in the Block. Good Luck!

Aglæca Qi Maura, better known as the Crimson Witch, sat at a table, her legs tucked beneath her resting on the pillow she sat on in front of it. Her kimono was elegantly designed with bright colours of flowers but overall, it was black with a deep red sash tying it all together.
She was alone in the room currently, she spent much of her time in this room instead of her cell. She didn't like being locked behind a door against her will. It didn't quite sit well with her. Plus, she had just been challenged to a game of cards, a rookie move. They left just moments ago, leaving their soul with the devil they contracted with. In this case, the bloody witch.
At this moment, her pale hands were gathering up the cards, shuffling them with a talent befitting a gambler while her eyes were closed. Long lashes fanned over her pale cheeks while her long dark hair framed her unusually youthful face. She looked no older than a woman almost out of her teens. She was stunningly beautiful, supernaturally so.
If she hadn't been in prison, it would have been easy to imagine her in a traditional Japanese home preparing tea for house guests.

Kiun walked cautiously into the lounge, eyes alert and suspicious. Earlier, while he'd been making his usual rounds in building 5 with his brother, he'd happened to hear an intriguing conversation between some of the inmates. Apparently, something interesting was happening here, in building 12's lounge. Now Kiun was not responsible for the building, nor did he have any research or medical shifts pertaining to it planned today either, but he had a very great desire to maintain at least some peace in the prison, and so he could not bring himself to overlook it. Not to say he didn't have faith in the building's original guards, but he felt he should see what was going on for himself.
Standing here now, however, he sensed nothing out of the ordinary. The lounge was empty of people except for a single dark haired young girl who sat at the tables. She didn't really look like a prisoner or a guard, her clothing was unique and didn't suit either role. In the end, he guessed perhaps she was a guard, as he didn't see supervisors around. He approached her slowly, standing a few feet away hesitantly. He would have asked, if not for the possibility that she was a guard, and because Kiun technically didn't need to be here, he felt a little bad asking her if things were alright here. So, he hovered a little ways from her, hoping to draw her attention in order to ask, but saying nothing himself.

Qi sensed someone entering the room but didn't react having sensed any hostility from the person who entered the room. She just continued shuffling the cards until she noticed they stood waiting nearby. She flicked all the cards together and with grace and elegance, played them down onto the table. Her fingertips the last to leave the cards' surface, she turned her head towards Kiun and opened her eyes. They were large crimson coloured eyes, intense and all seeing. It was hard to look away from them due to how captivating they seemed to be.
She gave him a small, polite nod in greeting before offering a tiny smile. "How may I help you?" she asked him, her voice soft and formal.

Kiun looked just a bit surprised when she turned to face him, thought it lasted only a moment; he looked calm and kind as ever again a second later. She looked unexpectedly youthful, childish even, and if it weren't for the fact that Kiun suspected she was a guard, he would never have guessed she were an adult. He was not sure, of course, that she was a guard, it was merely a guess, and thus, he was conflicted as to how to address her. She was calm looking, so somehow he doubted she would be angered at him no matter what he asked, but it didn't hurt to be careful.
"Hello. I, well.." He gave her a sheepish, half smile. "I happened to overhear that there was a little trouble happening here. I was wondering if you may need any assistance. I'm Kiun Katsuro, by the way." He introduced formally but friendly enough.

The woman's lips straightened after her initial greeting but it didn't make her expression blank or impassive. If only due to her large eyes, she still looked very focused on Kiun, giving him her attention while seeming to be bit curious. She had turned her body's position on the pillow to face him more, knees in front and her hands resting elegantly one over the other in her lap. She looked extremely young but the way she held herself, a straight and proper posture, gave away that she may be older than she appeared or simply had a very traditional upbringing.
"I see," she responded with a slight nod, the movement causing a lock of her black hair to slip in front of her shoulder. "I have not seen any incidents occurring in this room. It may have been a rumour spread about another day's troubles," she responded. "I appreciate you coming to assist, it is very admirable Mr. Katsuro," she added and bowed her head a bit. "If I see anything that may be suspicious, I will be sure to get a guard to deal with the situation."
Qi was a powerful and influential woman who didn't only make connections by sleeping with people and intimidating them. She knew how to make people trust her and the first step to that was deliberate honesty. "My name is Aglæca Qi Maura, please feel free to use my first name."

Kiun listened to her with utmost attention, unwilling to let a single detail go. His effort was rewarded, as he was sure now, but one simple sentence she had said, that she was not a guard. If she were, it would have been more advantageous for her to have said she would deal with any troublesome situations herself, but yet she had said she'd inform another. He was now stuck between her being a staff member or an inmate. However, he made no decisive conclusion yet. Regardless of her rank, he had no reason to suspect her of anything, she had been kind to him so far and he had no qualms with trusting her.
He smiled pleasantly at her. "I see. Thank you for telling me, Miss Aglæca, you have been most helpful. I apologize for disturbing your.." He trailed off, staring at the cards laid out in front of her. She wasn't playing anyone, so it wasn't a game, he knew.
"... affairs." He finished at last.

Now that he had her name, Qi knew he could easily investigate who she was in this building. Most guards had access to that kind of information since it was lethal often not to know. It was the main reason why she didn't bother continuing with his original interpretation of her. A deception like that was faulty but could easily be explained as unintentionally on her part. She rather not get tangled in something quite as messy as that. Every decision made had its ripple on the future. She knew that better than most.
"Do not trouble yourself," she replied with a very slight shake of her head, having lifted it already prior. "You did not disturb me, I was only cleaning up," she told him. Her lips then quirked a little up at their corners, "it brings me great pleasure to assist, thank you for allowing the opportunity," she said gracefully and then lifted her hand up, turning it palm up in a gentle, fluid motion towards the cards. "Would you like to join me in a game?" she asked curiously, a slight hint of excitement in her crimson gaze.

Kiun most likely was going to investigate her a little later on, but mostly just to figure out her rank, and not because he did not trust her or anything of the sort. He didn't mistrust her, as he had no reason to.
He looked a bit taken aback when she invited him to a game, and very clearly surprised, too. It wasn't often he was invited to anything, as almost everyone in the prison knew how focused he was on his work. There was an exception though, now it seemed. He eyed the cards more or less nervously. Kiun never participated in any sort of gambling games; he wasn't sure he knew how to play. But she could always explain to him, he supposed. Yet then again, he did have work... but Atsushi had told him to take a break again. And Aglæca certainly looked excited for a 'yes'.
With a faint sigh, he gave in, replying in defeat, "Alright." He took a seat across from her.

Qi seemed to be amused by his sign and relucent acceptance, "if you wish, we can simply play that children's card game?" she offered, turning herself back so her body was facing him once again. She paused as she contemplated about what it had been called, "go fish?" she mused. She had lifted her hands up to grasp her deck of cards once more.
"If that doesn't suffice, a game of Nines could prove enjoyable," she told him. Hook line and sinker. He seemed like the goody-two-shoes type of character, all about justice. He wouldn't be able to leave a girl alone if she wanted to play something as silly as a game in the gamblers building.
She could easily teach him nines and every card game had its gambling opportunity but that wasn't her goal in this. Despite not liking goody-two-shoes, this guard seemed competent enough to maybe provide her with a suitable connection inside this prison. Not many of the guards were as trusting as swiftly as Kiun seemed to be. It was a trait that she both respected and could do without in this situation. They were often suspicious of her. She could use people like these in her clan but considering the fact many disliked criminals, that probability would be something even she couldn't alter.
Qi also just wanted to play some cards. It was rather dull in this place and incredibly slow moving. She was out of her mind's wit trying to entertain herself. Only the guards provided any sort of challenge but they were off limits due to her need to get out of here as soon as possible.

Kiun felt inclined to play with her now, hearing her suggestions. He was honestly a little surprised at them; neither were games played in gambling, that much he knew. She must have chosen them out of consideration for him. Which had its benefits, as Kiun did in fact know the games; he'd seen classmates playing them when he was in high school.
He made a faint nod. "A game of Nines would suffice." He replied.
Since Nines was a game based almost entirely on luck, he figured it would be fair enough in terms of experience or knowledge. She had more experience than him, he was sure, and though he did not know the extent of her knowledge, his ability normally gave him an upper hand in the area. So, it was pretty fair, in his opinion.
He leaned back in the chair, waiting patiently for her to deal the cards. He was admittedly a bit excited; it wasn't often he did these sorts of things.

Qi bowed her head slightly, an action that can be taken as a nod despite the action being slow and elegant. "Wonderful," she replied, her words formal and stiff but there was a very small smile on her lips when she brought her head up.
What Qi loved about cards was that any game played with them could become something to gamble on. Many card games were based on luck, on what cards happened to be placed and chosen. Luck was something she could manipulate and the outcome in her favour. Any game in any aspect had a potential for gambling. As long as there could be a winner and loser. Life was but a chess board for her to move the appropriate pieces to reach checkmate. She was very good at chess.
Even a game based on luck like nines was something easy for her but she was not betting on anything in this so there was no point to lay her card on this table like she did earlier. That poor soul lost completely trying to dethrone the Crimson Witch. Such a foolish desire.
Qi shuffled the cards once more before she dealt each of them nine cards and laid the rest down between them.
[Been forever since I played this so I won't be going into detail since my recollection is hazy xD]
"You may go," Qi said after placing her hands in her lap and waited for him to make his first decision with her eyes lidded.
The game continued with relative ease but surprising enjoyment. Qi often chuckled at troubling circumstances that either one of them found themselves in, including accidentally trading out a hidden king for a one. It had lasted surprisingly long with conversation often flowing as they played, including Qi asking; "What building are you a guard for?"

Kiun answered her question truthfully, replying "building 5", and generally went along with the flow of the conversation during the game. He learned fast, and thought he was a bit shaky at first (and made a bit of mistakes) after only a few turns he understood his best moves and chose to the best of his ability. There wasn't much to think about, as it was a game of luck, sure, but he could focus on trying to play as many cards as possible to finish them by the end, since that was the objective of the game.

Atsushi passed through the doors into the lounge, strolling casually. He was mostly here to find his brother; despite having told him to take a break, he'd found out Kiun had come over here to investigate some rumors. He didn't like scolding or lecturing his brother, and most of the time, it was actually the other way around, but he felt he must, otherwise Kiun would disregard his own health far too often. His eyes fell on his brother now, but then moved keenly to the person sitting opposite of him, and narrowed in distaste.
Normally, when Atsushi came across any girl he found pretty, his first thought was that he had found yet someone else to toy around with. When he eyes landed on Qi, however, his first thought was not how he wanted to mess around with her due to her looks (and she was beautiful, in his eyes) but that he wanted to pull his brother away from her and firmly kick her across the room. Preferably enough to knock her out. And he would've done it too, if it hadn't been for Kiun sitting there.
Slowly, he walked further into the room, till he was standing only a few centimeters behind where Kiun sat. Kiun didn't seem to notice him, but Atsushi's gaze wasn't on his brother anyways. He was staring at Qi, a suspicious glare on his face.

Qi hummed at the information that alone was enough to provide her. Building five, the occupants charged with assault and extremes murder from the result of an assault. To be able to handle prisoners in that building meant one had to be either strong or cunning. She'd heard there were many in that building that happened to have enhanced strength. Curious. She continued to ask occasional simple questions that anyone normally would ask as they played, seeking the information behind the answers he gave her. The more she knew, the better her chances were on returning to her clan. That, or at least being able to use him to maybe pass on letters from the woman she left in charge of her home.

Nearing the end of their game, that sort of conversation ceased as both concentrated on trying to win. A thrill Qi was addicted to, especially since she could already predict the outcome. She didn't even need her ability to see the current direction this game would end it. Simply because she had more experience. She was sure that if they went another round that the chances of her winning would become slimmer. He was quite the quick learner, a value she liked.

It was during that time that she sensed someone entered the room and her senses were concentrated on the intruder though her eyes did not leave the game. It felt generally 'hostile' from first entering but whoever it was saw her, she could feel the intent becoming almost murderous. It was hard to keep herself from smirking. She didn't seem to give Atsushi any attention as she continued to play with Kiun, her movements just as delicate and graceful. Not much about her screamed dangerous if anything it was delicate. Seeing something like that in Nanba was truly a frightening thing.
When Atsushi stood behind his brother, his gaze boring down on her, that is when she finally gave his presence the time of day. Her crimson eyes peeked up, just reaching the tips of her hanging bangs. Her expression didn't change, it was rather blank but there was a brief flash in her large eyes that portrayed enough to confirm his instincts. She was deadly. She looked back down as she picked up her last card and switched it to the remaining card that she had faced down. She'd already got rid of two columns and her last row was an ace, king and she's just placed down was a two. She discarded the seven that would have been in its place and rested her hands on her lap to await Kiun's final move. Though, she thought it fitting to properly address the new stranger who looked ready to drag Kiun out of there after injuring her. "Is this a friend of your's, Mr. Katsuro?"

Kiun answered all of her questions patiently and kindly, but he was cautious. It was not hard to tell from his manner that he trusted Qi, but he was careful in his trust; as she asked her questions, he answered them in clever ways that gave her enough information to have an answer, but not enough to find out too much on him, especially more personal things. Kiun could be far too trusting, however, he was also very intelligent, and never revealed more than he should. He was skilled in reading situations and deciphering what information was safe to say and what was best left in the dark.
He was soon very drawn to the game, focusing every bit of his concentration on it. So much so, in fact, that he didn't notice Atsushi's presence behind him until Qi spoke up. Only then did he glance back at his brother, and didn't seem the least bit surprised to see him either. "No," he replied. "My brother."

Atsushi, though he had his doubts at first, had his suspicions confirmed when Qi looked up to meet his gaze. There was a sort of flash that appeared in her eyes; it was only for a split second, but it was more than enough for Atsushi to conclude that nothing good would come out of Kiun befriending the girl. Silently, he reached out and gripped Kiun's wrist, stopping him from playing his turn. Atsushi didn't care for the game, but he wanted Qi's full attention on him so he wouldn't miss a detail in her face when he asked her questions, and the game seemed to be distracting her (since she hadn't payed him a glance earlier). Kiun was surprised, but said nothing.
Atsushi stared at Qi, clearly trying not to scowl. "What is your position here?" He asked bluntly.

Qi's large curious eyes widened a fraction as if surprised to find that they were brothers. They didn't exactly look too alike. However, she suspected that either they were close friends or family. Not many would be so overprotective of someone like Kiun's brother seemed to be. It was only logical.
As soon as that flash was gone, Qi's expression remained as hard to read but youthful as it had been when Kiun first met her. No hostility nor any ill intent. Her blood like eyes only stayed attentive and curious though calculating despite.

When Atsushi interrupted the game she was totally going to win, she gave him her full attention. She had no doubts that Kiun would try and cheat on their game so she didn't need to pay attention to that. It was only a game anyway. She would have been more concerned if there had been a bet laid on it. It was fortunate for Atsushi that there wasn't. Qi wouldn't have been so lenient otherwise.
She knew exactly what he was doing. He clearly didn't want her anywhere near his brother and his blunt question was enough to spell that out as clear as day. If his actions prior didn't already do that. Her face was unchanging when he asked the question. She had nothing to hide and would have told Kiun if he had asked her straight up. Unlikely Atsushi, he was such a good boy. Much more underling material. Smart and respectful. His brother, on the other hand, she could tell he was someone that most should not mess with. Someone that was as two-faced as she was.
"I am a prisoner of this building, Mr. Katsuro," Qi responded without a hitch, her tone formal and her voice delicate and soft. "Aglæca Maura, and may I have your name? I do not wish to refer to you both by Mr Katsuro," she explained, her smile small and light. Her tone was joking as if to ease the tension that suddenly spiked in the room. Clearly, a woman who handled aggressive men before.

Kiun didn't blame Qi for looking a little surprised when he told her he and Atsushi were brothers(not that he could tell; only her eyes had widened a bit, so perhaps he was only imagining it); they really didn't look too alike, which was entirely understandable since they had different parents. But Kiun didn't know that, of course. He'd always been told that his parents had passed away, both by Atsushi and his caretaker, and he believed them. He'd never seen his parents, so he assumed the reason they looked so different was just because each looked more like one parent then the other.

If Atsushi hadn't been focusing so hard on Qi, he probably would've felt a little triumphant when she faced her full attention to him. Fortunately, that wasn't what was on his mind at the moment. He could hear the slight playfulness in her tone, as if she were trying to joke, but Atsushi would have none of it. He was being as straight forward as could be, no ulterior motives as he spoke.
He ignored her question, carrying on with his own mini interrogation. "Where's the guard in charge of you, then? Kiun shouldn't be here, he's not supposed to be supervising you, and I don't see anyone else here. Prisoners are prohibited from roaming about freely without supervision."

Kiun frowned at Atsushi's tone and choice of words, giving his brother a look that told him to be nicer to Qi. Atsushi, however, refused to soften his expression, not until he had learned everything he wanted from Qi. His little tantrum was no longer about Kiun now, either, he was starting to sense there was something about Qi, behind the polite little lady facade she was putting on, and he didn't like it, because he was like that. He wasn't sure he liked the idea of someone else having similar traits to him. Atsushi preferred to be on his own league, high and mighty, without rivals. Yet, here was a girl, trying to fit herself into his throne. He would not have it.

Qi's eyes closed and a polite and calm look took her face. Her hands didn't move from their position on her lap, her back remaining properly straight. She knew Kiun would be able to answer the question she had asked afterwards. Atsushi seemed like someone she could entertain herself with here. A man with two faces that she could manipulate into keeping anything she did a secret. She only needed to find the right sort of information and would terrify him if she happened to tell his brother. It would be a delicious amount of fun. Until her time here was up, which wouldn't be too long. Her people were working on it currently.

"That is because I do not have a guard assigned to me," Qi explained to the guard who clearly was interrogating her. To fight against it would bring suspicion so she would play his game. "I have been allowed to stay in this room without supervision as long as I do not exist without one," she explained. She then nodded towards the few cameras located in the room. "They have security constantly watching this room unlike the cells," she added, "there is not a necessity for constant watch," she concluded. She then bowed, moving back so that she could lower her head almost to the ground, her hands laid out in front of her forehead. "I'm sorry if I have made you uncomfortable," she apologized before she straightened up once more to look at Kiun. "I appreciated you agreeing to play a game of cards with me. I hope I did not cause you any trouble," she apologized, clearly turning her attention away from Atsushi deliberately. Everything about her seemed earnest and proper. No hint of the deceptive witch that she was underneath. Well, considering that fact she was a nice woman to those who followed her obediently and respected her. It wasn't too far from the truth. However, she was still a terrifying witch to anyone who did not fit the description.

Atsushi wasn't pleased that she actually had a valid reasoning for being alone, he had been hoping she hadn't, maybe because he would've felt like he'd gotten an advantage over her, no matter how small. His eyes narrowed a bit, but he then set his jaw and tried to control his expression, now putting on that sweet, amiable smile of his.
Whatever he may have thought of her, she was clearly acting respectful to him. And no matter what Atsushi thought of her, he would not act bad towards someone who was clearly acting kind to him; it would tarnish his good reputation. She may have been putting on a good show of being a proper lady, but Atsushi thought he could see through her. There was this interesting thing about those with similar flaws; you could almost sense it in one another. He saw the danger that was in her posture, and would not be deceived by her. He didn't think she would be easily deceived by him either, but that was what made him desire winning over her all the more, and a victory all the more sweet.
He was also satisfied to see they had ended the game, despite Atsushi having cut off the final round.

Kiun quickly moved to return her bow with a respectful one himself, pulling his wrist away from Atsushi's grasp. "No, it's me who should apologize. I am sorry about my brother, and hope he hasn't made you uncomfortable. Thank you for your patience with him. I assure you you haven't caused trouble for anyone, if anything, it is us that have caused you trouble. I apologize for that." Perhaps unlike Qi, every word Kiun said was actually sincere, nothing false in them.

Atsushi frowned at how politely Kiun was responding to her; what if she used that to her advantage later? It could end up being his downfall. Atsushi knew Kiun was smart enough to think up a solution if a situation were to arise, but that didn't stop him from worrying.

**exit haha

Qi shook her head as she returned her hands to her lap. "No apology needed. Your brother has every right to be suspicious of me," she replied to Kiun with a soft reassuring tone. She gave him a very small smile and bowed her head slightly. "Thank you," she said, "but I had fun. So it was worth being interrogated," she assured him, her tone gentle and light despite her generally neutral expression.
She then turned her attention back to Atsushi. "I may be a prisoner but I do hope that we can get along. I'm always up for a game," she said, knowing that if he was anything like her, he would understand the vague meaning underneath it. She was being very sincere after all. She then looked at Kiun, "you too, I enjoyed our game. You learn very quickly, quite rare to see that," she complimented, rather seriously in fact. The best lies were always rung in truths. The same goes for a good illusion.

"I probably can't convince you to stay for another round," she said, beginning to gather up her playing cards while keeping her gaze on them.

((sorry it's short))

( ? owo

And no worries, it's fine! )

Kiun frowned and shook his head. "No. Prisoner or not, you have not done anything deserving of such unfair suspicion. I am truly sorry." He apologized again, bowing his head.

Atsushi stared at his brother incredulously. "Kiun, just the fact that she's a prisoner alone makes her suspicious enough-"

"And I do apologize about the sudden interrogation, too." Kiun interrupted, knowing Atsushi had set his jaw in order to hide a scowl even without looking at him.

Atsushi, of course, was not happy to be interrupted, because Kiun never interrupted anyone; his good manners stopped him from doing so. Yet, he had done it to Atsushi, which made Atsushi feel envious and furious of Qi, because he'd been willing to do something a little rude just for her. Something he'd neven even done for Atsushi. Which meant, Qi had just gained a major point. He tried hard to hide a frown, though it wasn't hard to see in his expression that he wasn't in the least happy Qi had just won his brother over him. He wasn't going to let it stay this way of course: He was going to get that point back. Luckily, Qi offered him this chance when she mentioned a game to the brothers. He knew she didn't truly mean "get along", she was just trying to rephrase "let's see who can win this challenge" in a nicer way to not get Kiun's attention. He hadn't been this excited in a long time.

When she began to gather up the cards, Kiun opened his mouth to say something, but closed it as soon as Atsushi leaned over his shoulder and stopped Qi by resting a hand over hers. This was a chance to regain that earlier point, and Atsushi would not miss it.
He barely seemed to notice that he'd even made contact with Qi, too focused on her response.

((I said exist instead of exit >~< faillll ^^))

Feeling that this will only keep going around in circles, she conceded and accepted his apology formally. It was the only way to settle this issue, plus the fact he cut off his own brother who looked quite startled and irritated at the event was payment enough. How utterly amusing. To think she would come across such an entertaining duo during her time here.
She didn't pay Atsushi any attention while she gave Kiun a gentle but small smile. It was barely noticeable to be quite honest. Her facial muscles didn't move all too much, ever. "It has all been forgiven, Kiun," she said, "If I may call you that." Atsushi not giving her her name would only backfire. The closer you are to a person meant you could use their first name or nickname.

Qi gathered her cards, her actions much like that of a dancer. Smooth and graceful but were stopped when Atsushi laid a hand over hers. Her crimson gaze flicked up to bore into Atsushi's eyes. Her expression was blank, could be mistaken for docile if her eyes didn't hint to a smirk. She blinked it away, allowing him to see it before she tilted her head to the side, her bangs sliding across her face with her. "Do you wish to play a game, Mr. Katsuro?" she asked, her voice open and curious enough but faced with a two-faced man, she knew he would know that it was her confirming his acceptance of this challenge.
If he wanted to mess with the witch, she would gladly let him. There was yet to be a challenge presented to her that she could not overcome.
"I know an interesting card game that does not involve gaming. I'm sure both of you will thoroughly enjoy it."

(( Ahh, I didn't even notice XD It's fine~ ))

Kiun, regardless of whether or not he had noticed her smile, smiled back at her kindly. "Thank you, Miss Aglæca. Please feel free to call me Kiun."

Atsushi narrowed his eyes as he listened to them. He wasn't sure he liked this. When people addressed each other by their first names, it normally signified that they had some sort of bond, right? Or that they were particularly close.
He squinted his eyes suspiciously at Qi now. He defiantly didn't like it now. He would not allow her to get close to Kiun. What if Kiun started focusing on her, and less on Atsushi? That would mean he just lost Kiun to her, didn't he? He would not allow that to happen. But then agaian, it was technically his fault. He had been the one who refused to give her his name. So naturally, it made sense she would use Kiun's instead. He had been too careless. He would have to be more careful from now on.

He instantly picked up on the faint glimmer in her eyes, and that alone was enough for him to understand she had accepted the challenge.
Kiun got up and moved away to another chair by the side of the table, and Atsushi saw down where he'd been previously, across from Qi.
An amiable smile lit up his face, making him seem quite handsome and gentle indeed as he met Qi's gaze. Two could play at this game.
"I am intrigued. What is it?"

((welp I'm glad xD I am grinning every time I read this now xD))

"I appreciate it," Qi answered politely while flicking her gaze briefly to glance at Atsushi. Seeing his narrowed eyes was enough to tell her that what she'd meant to occur from using Kiun's first name did its job. If she wasn't in the line of using people to her advantage, she would have felt a little bad about using Kiun like she was. If they weren't in this line and him being straight-laced, she could have used good men like these two. Well, the brother was deceitful and could easily stab her in the back but she felt as long as she had his brother in her control that wouldn't have matter overly much.
Nonetheless, she would like Kiun's help in this prison. Just some information about what was happening but she'd need to be sly about that. Not too suspicious and honest curiosity. It was starting off on a positive note at the very least.

Qi moved her hand away to finish collecting the cards and instead shuffled them. She looked away from Atsushi to look at Kiun a bit. "You wish to play as well?" she asked, wanting to clarify for when she dealt.
"It is called.. Cheat," Qi told Atsushi. "All cards are dished out to players equally. In numerical order, we place down the cards, face down, until the king and we start again if we have more cards. Ace as one, jack, queen and king in that order after ten," she explained softly while she was dishing out the cards at a speed befitting a gambler. "You can place more than one of each number. The point of the game is to get rid of all your cards. Due to that, you need to get rid of cards, even if it comes to your turn and you do not have that number. In that case, you have to bluff. Bluff and say you have a number or an certain amount of a card. If you are called out on your bluff, 'cheat', then you have to pick up all the cards must be picked up by the cheater. If you called out a cheater falsely, then the challenger picks the discarded cards," she continued and glanced at them, "any questions?"
She didn't know if Kiun would be interested in playing but she had a feeling it may be up both of their alleys. When questioning him earlier, he seemed to be very careful about his words when answering. It may just come with the job or something else. She was betting on the latter.

(( That's understandable XD ))

Kiun shook his head faintly, raising a hand. "Thank you for the offer, but I will kindly decline. I'm alright just watching." He replied. Kiun was pretty much incapable of lying, he always has been due to his honest nature, so the game wasn't really his sort of thing. But he had no problems watching the other two play it. He figured he would probably be heading back to work soon anyways, so it didn't hurt to stay.

Atsushi listened to Qi explain the game with utmost concentration, unwilling to miss even the smallest detail that would give her an advantage over him. She already seemed far more experienced in this area than he, and he didn't want to leave her any more gaps to climb higher than him anymore.
He nodded once she had finished, smiling lightly. "I understand, thank you for the explanation." He leaned back in his chair, and since he had to play the role of the gentleman, he continued on to say, "Would you like the pleasure of going first, Miss Maura?"
He was brimming with confidence, something that was pretty common with him, simply because it was rare he was ever in a situation where his confidence was proven to be understandable. It wasn't often he was defeated in any sort of way, so it had become a habit for him to assume an air of confidence in whatever he did. People that he messed around with seemed to like it, as well, so he figured it made him appear more desirable. Not that he was sure any of it would work on Qi, but he wasn't quite trying to anyways; he was more doing it subconsciously, without really even noticing (since he was so accustomed to it).

Qi bowed her head slightly, "I understand. I hope we can be entertaining for you," she replied and only dealt out the cards between herself and Atsushi. Once all the cards were distributed, she collected her own and organized them numerically. It helped her keep track. She was playing to win. One card game won meant dominance over the other. Not literally but it was a battle of wits and being able to read the other person. It would be very interesting since they were both well versed in lying and putting a mask on. However, she had a large advantage. Not only has she played this game before, well versed in any card game and could manipulate probability- she could count cards. It was cheating, well, in this game it was a skill. With all her cards in order, she knew exactly the amount of cards he had and could call on any bluffs if he tried it. Same with him if he knew how to count cards. Hence why she was asking if Kiun wanted to play. It made it a hundred times easier when it was only two players. No way around it this time though.

"You are very welcome Mr Katsuro," she responded but shook her head, "dealer never plays first, against card etiquette," she said, making light of her words, teasing. All in good fun. She wasn't fazed by his confidence. Many people came in here, brimming with the confidence to beat her because they were in Nanba for a reason. Each time, they were crushed without mercy. Confident men were good, but overly confident men were ignorant. They would only underestimate their opponent and lose. She wasn't one to ever make that mistake. She didn't know if he had an ability or if he had any knowledge of cards. The probability was unknown but she could at least predict the near future if she really wanted to cheat. However, she had a feeling that she'd only need her eyes and her card skills.
"We begin with the ace."

Atsushi dealt with her response calmly and with as accepting an air as he could put on, nodding in understanding and reached out to play his first move.
Atsushi did not plan to underestimate her in the least; in fact, he may just have been overestimating her. There was no hesitation in her expression or in her movements, so it was not hard to see that was she fairly confident, or else, believed she would fair well. She probably had reason to, as well. She was more experienced in the game than Atsushi. Plus, Atsushi wasn't exactly the smartest. He was certainty no match for his brother.
But he had been paying very close attention to everything she said and did, so he picked up on the fact that the cards were numerically ordered and could be predicted. All the same, though, he guessed Qi probably already saw that. So that may not give him an advantage at all. Maybe Qi already thought she had him wrapped around her slender finger. The one thing that Atsushi could depend on, if things came to the worst (he was taking this game very seriously, you see) was his ability, because Qi did not know of it.
If Atsushi were to use his ability, he could put her under an illusion where she thought she was seeing one card, when in reality, it was another card entirely. He was confident she wouldn't be able to figure him out anytime soon; the thing that made Atsushi's ability so powerful was the fact that he warped both reality and illusion into one. Everything seemed to be fact, even if it were not. And above all, he never left a single trace that could make one suspect they were under an illusion. Everything seemed perfectly normal and real.
There were limits too, of course. He couldn't use it the whole game (he had a limited time period), and unless he truly believed he could win, he wouldn't succeed either. It would be cheating, but technically, no one would know, since again, nothing appeared out of the ordinary.

For now, though, he would play fairly. "One Ace," he called, setting ta card face down in the center.

Just as she was at a disadvantage, not knowing his ability or the extent of it, he also was at a disadvantage not knowing her's. However, she hoped it would not come to cheating in that way. At least, not for their first round at each other. It was but a card game, something she refused to lose at. Though, if she must lose, she shall lose. However, if she lost, it will be in a way that made him feel like he had lost the game despite winning. It wouldn't be the first time she had played someone like that. It was equally as satisfying, allowing them to realize they had just been played in a way they never thought was possible.

Qi's gaze didn't leave Atsushi when he placed his first card down. She already knew exactly what cards he had in his hand since she knew what was in her's. He won't get away with cheating at all but what was the fun in calling him out early? Not that he didn't have an ace to put down, but further down the line. She'd wait patiently until the discard pile grew nicely to call him on any cheating he decided to do. It would force him to collect an enormous amount of cards he'd need to get rid of in order to win the game. It was risky on her part since she would have fewer cards to play with but she was leaning heavily on the fact he didn't seem to play cards all that much.
"Two twos," she said, sliding two cards out of her hand to place delicately on the pile. Her expression unchanging. Everything about her seemed to be frozen in time outwardly. It was very accurate when it came to her age compared to how she looked. A woman trapped in time. She had three 2s, meaning he only had one if he didn't use it to cheat later on. She did use only two twos so this time around, she was not cheating.
Qi knew this will be a long, intense psychological warfare instead of a a simple card game. She was planning on coming out on top.

Atsushi watched her silently, and after she placed the two cards down, and he glanced over the rest of her cards and took a moment to count, he concluded she wasn't cheating. So, he decided he too should play fair for now. Though he did not recognize it himself, Atsushi was in fact depending on Qi a little too much, since he was using her actions as a basis for her own, and Kiun recognized this. He observed the game quietly, and though he said nothing, he doubted Atsushi's strategy of using Qi as his sort of "model" to decide his own plays would do him any good. He knew he was only doing it because Qi was better at the game, and he thought he himself could do better by following her example, but Kiun had realized pretty early on that Qi was very observant and quite the strategist, so he didn't think Atsushi's method would go unnoticed too long. A few turns, maybe, but certainly not long. He wondered why Atsushi had challenged her in the first place, since Kiun knew Atsushi wasn't at all good at cards; he always used his ability to win games against the people he played in the past.

After a moment's thought, Atsushi called out, "two three's," and set down two cards, which indeed were the cards he called out. Just as Qi planned to call him out later on when the discard pile was greater, he too planned the same. Although, unlike her, Atsushi was more impulsive, so he would probably end up calling her out on the very first cheat, regardless of the number of cards in the center.

Qi had played quite fairly during the first round. Round as in the first time reaching King before resetting to ace. She only diced out a single cheat, something small and she played off well. She could trick a lie detector with her ease of deception. It, fortunately, went unnoticed, only due to a little weight on luck. It couldn't hurt to assure her plans. She needed to stack the discard pile this time around as much as she could without him noticing. Especially after she noticed pretty quickly that he was adapting his card playing to mimic her's. Amateur and unknown to the card world. It could have been clever if his opponent didn't already assume he would do something along those lines already.

Her unchanging expression stayed glued to him, large eyes seeing everything. It was probably fortunate for him that she had decided not to use the bare minimum of her gifts. A key to calling someone out on their bluff was recognizing the signs. Often indicated by ticks and in someone's eyes. Unfortunately for most people who used that technique on her, they would often find themselves persuaded to do certain plays from looking into her eyes for too long. Such a clever little ability.
Continuing, she placed many of her cards down, not enough to leave her empty handed the next round but enough to achieve her end game. Getting rid of all her cards past a certain number, if she had them in the first place when they came about once more, she set her executed plan into place perfectly.
He was but a fly caught in a spider's web.
She placed her single four down, but she hesitated for a moment. A single moment that she quickly covered up in an instant. Hiding something but she didn't allow for her to give any other hint that she had done something amiss. It was up to him to act on what had happened. To call her out on how unusual she acted, or continue playing like nothing happened.

Atsushi too had played fairly for the majority of the game. He figured he would use his own skills, and would only resort to using his ability if it came down to a final match up or the like. Perhaps at a point where he was possibly at a disadvantage. He was determined not to lose to Qi, whatever the cost.
Atsushi did cheat once or twice throughout the game, but being that his own deception skills were just as good as Qi's, they fortunately went unnoticed. Atsushi could be quite a convincing liar. He had been forced to learn how to do it in order to convince Kiun when they were younger about their parents. If he had wanted to lie to Kiun, who was very intelligent and perceptive, he had had to learn how to lie impeccably.

If possible, Atsushi would have liked to have won the game using only his own skills, without having to use his ability. If he had bothered to shoot Qi even a momentary glance as she placed her card done, he would have surely noticed her behavviour, and would have called her out. He could have possibly won. Unfortunately, Atsushi had been more focused on the cards then Qi the whole game, and missed her moment of hesitation.
Since they were at their match point now, Atsushi was hesitant on playing the final round fairly. He of course didn't show the hesitation on his face though, looking as calm and graceful as ever.
If he Qi did call him out, he would lose. That was one thing he was absolutely determined to keep from happening. With no other tricks up his sleeve, he silently and without so much as an eye twitch, activated his ability, making his two cards appear like two fives, when in reality, they were two entirely different numbers. He acted completely naturally, and the atmosphere had not changed either, offering nearly no clues that he was using any abilities at all.
Even Kiun didn't seem to notice.
He set the cards down on top of the pile, calling out: "Two fives."

Those who did not have a lot of experience playing cards often focused on them too much. Skilled gamblers knew it wasn't in reading the cards, it was reading their opponents. Qi could tell he was getting flustered and unfortunately, due to her overestimation of him, he didn't fall into her little trap. No matter. Unlike him, the second was made of her sneaking in cheats here and there like they were nothing but truths. She needed to keep certain cards for the third time about to ensure her victory and to do so, she needed to keep them.
He was unravelling at the seams and they both knew that. Qi had a feeling it would be at this time that he'd use his ability. An unknown variable that she could not account for so she had to prepare her trump card. Which, would be the use of Kiun.
She may have used her ability here and there but it was nothing but amateur magic tricks in the grand scheme of things. She was confident she could win this while using the bare minimum. This will be one of many victories in the future.
She did not know when he would finally pull out his tricks and he gave no hint as to when he would or did. Qi, however, was also counting cards and unfortunately for him, he said the wrong numbers.
"Cheat," she called, her voice docile and soft when he claimed he placed down two fives. However, when they were flipped over to reveal two fives, she knew it was his ability at work. Two fives had already been placed down in the early two matches and she still had one. Even if one there was still a five, the other was not thus resulting in his lie. In this situation, she would have to pick up the cards but she would not eat defeat so easily.
Her brows furrowed in confusion when seeing the cards and shook her head in confusion. She looked at Atsushi, "I am confused," she voiced, nothing omitting from the fact that she genuinely seemed to have no idea and looked at Kiun, "I know this is unfair of me. I clearly called wrong but I would feel much assured if you, as a neutral party, checked the rest of the pile to check for a five," she asked him and looked down at her lap. "It's unreasonable but I have one five and I'm sure there is already two in the discarded pile. But..." she looked a little bit distraught with her furrowed brows and tiny hands gripping her cards. "I can show you my cards if you wish to verify that I have one," she told Kiun. "I say this because in a single deck, there can only be four fives, one of heart, spade, club, and diamond but there is five of them?...." she drifted off, seemingly lost in her muffled thoughts.

This could fall through easily but she hoped that getting his brother involved with be enough to fluster the man and cause him to hesitate enough for it to succeed. Qi was a tactical woman. If this did not work, she would simply change her strategy. It would not be her loss yet. However, she would not give this turn up so easily. The less cards you had, the harder it was to bluff. She could easily turn the tables around if necessary. He would not win this first round. She was not an opponent that can be easily dealt with and she would show him that. She did not get all the way here just by mere chance.

Atsushi was still calm even when she called out his bluff, since he knew that the cards she and Kiun would see would in fact be 2 cards. He had been pretty confident therefore, until Qi turned to Kiun for help. He bit his lip, listening to her words closely in hopes of understanding hr plan. He wasn't as calm now, in fact, one could even say he was nervous. While it was true that lying was almost part of Atsushi's nature now, and he could pull one out without the slightest hesitation, the one individual that Atsushi had even a little hard time lying to was Kiun. Lying to or tricking Kiun was quite possibly one of the most difficult situations in Atsushi's life. And not only because Kiun was intelligent either; Atsushi hated to betray Kiun's trust, as he knew his brother believed in him wholeheartedly.
If turning the tables on him had been Qi's plan, she certainty succeeded in flustering him and throwing him off balance. Unfortunately, it didn't last too long. When Kiun nodded and reached out for the pile of cards, Atsushi regained his composure, determined to do anything to make his brother believe he wasn't a liar.
As naturally and quietly as he had done before, Atsushi activated his ability once more. Since he didn't know which card was the five exactly, he waited patiently as Kiun counted down the cards. Once Kiun had passed the sixes, and Atsushi was sure he was on one of the fives, he quickly changed the card that his brother was picking up to a value other than five.
Kiun quietly went through the cards, and once he had gotten to the final one, he announced: "I found only 1 five, excluding the two fives that Atsushi just set down."

Qi wasn't going to go down so easily. She knew Atsushi's ability. Well, she assumed it had something to do with being able to distort the appearance of the cards. Besides that, she had no idea how long it can last, to what extent he was able to manipulate it. The one thing she did know was that she was going to win this.
Qi nodded, "I see," she said, "I was mistaken," she looked at Atsushi and bowed her head. "I apologize," she said formally, a tinge of regret in her voice. "I put such a hassle onto Kiun and it was unfair of me."
She looked at Kiun then, "I must have been mistaken. There is no way someone can alter the appearance of a card like that. It was silly. Especially over a simple card game," she shook her head as if she was ashamed of herself and looked at Atsushi. "There's no reason to do it at all."
She held out her hand for the stack of cards Kiun had, taking them into her hand and collected the two fives as well. How did you win against someone who can change the images of the cards to fit their needs? There was no way. Especially when he had no guilt to use whatever means necessary to win. Thus, she will do the same.
It did not matter what was on the cards anymore, they were all the same. Numbers did not matter. At this point, they could all be a lie. In the end, she would play him like a fool. The probability of him pulling this same trick was something she can manipulate and she will. The same with his cheating. She won't hold back this time.
She proceeded to play, not at all fazed by the fact she had too many cards to possibly win compared to Atsushi. However, she didn't cheat. Not once this round. She had an abundance of cards at her disposal now and she could get rid of them quite fast in bulk. However, unlike him, he didn't have that. Thus, playing with the probability of him cheating and using his same trick. She was able to increase his hand little by little.
It was the first time she did it that was chilling. Her eyes never left him, her expression void of anything as she waited for him to place his card. A solid second after he placed, in a cool, soft voice, she called his cheat despite having no other indication for it. It was only a few cards, about three. What was the harm?
Probability manipulation. When her chances of winning was conflicted with an unusual phenomenon, like someone's inhuman ability, she had the advantage every time. What was the probability of him resorting to using it again? If he continued to use it, what was the side effects? Kiun would begin to notice, he would lose. The probability of him needing to cheat? High. Especially if he was so desperate to win. Increase the probability of him wanting to win. Cards were about luck. Pawns on a chess board that she was playing with ease. Only a few more steps and she will reach checkmate.
If one wishes to fight dirty, she will fight the dirtiest.
When their hands seem to have become rather even, she placed down a single card. "One Queen." It was normal enough the red queen of hearts. Except, her briefly downcasted gaze peered up at him, her eyes seeming to burn bright red. She will not be played for a fool.

Atsushi held back a triumphant smile as Qi apologized to him, but the feeling didn't last too long. As soon as she turned to speak to Kiun again, he tensed. He knew what she was doing. She was not only trying to tell Atsushi that his using his ability to win a "simple card game" had no reasoning at all, but moreover she was also clearly trying to hint to Kiun that Atsushi was lying. What was worse than this was the fact that Kiun didn't look even slightly surprised by Qi's suggestion, as if he had already suspected that Atsushi had been cheating. That hurt. He knew, of course, that Kiun was aware Atsushi often cheated in games, but to think he had considered the possibility of Atsushi cheating in this one hurt nonetheless.
If Atsushi had held any hatred towards Qi at the beginning, it now increased by tenfold (but that didn't mean he didn't respect her. Or think that she was pretty. It was just that his hatred overwhelmed all those aspects. Or at least, he convinced himself that he hated her).

Kiun didn't say anything in reply to Qi's words, not because he was trying to be rude, but because he knew full well that Atsushi could do it, and frankly, had no idea what more to say. So, he remained silent, only making a gesture to indicate he had listened to Qi's words.

Too angry to continue cheating, Atsushi actually played fairly for the rest of the game. When it came to his turn, he grumbled in an irritated tone: "One king," and set down the king of spades, true to his word. By this point, he wasn't even trying to maintain his handsome, gentle and calm look from earlier. He was scowling and pouting, and was too irritated to hide it too. It had been a long time since anyone had managed to beat Atsushi in anything, and he defiantly wasn't happy that Qi was ruining his perfect relationship with his brother. Hence, he played on furiously but fairly.

Kiun watched his brother in interest, holding back a smile at Atsushi's childish tantrum. It was more comical than anything. He was surprised Qi was able to play on so seriously with such a childish opponent.

Qi was internally sighing, her interest in this entire game waning. His growing lacklustre to win was bringing down the game. It eventually caused her to ease her manipulation a bit. Despite, she definitely wasn't going to let him win if he was the type to give up half-way. Even though she knew she was playing rather unfairly by involving his brother but she wasn't the devil whispering lies into his ear. She'd honestly played a fair game with the guy. He was making it worse for himself and she may have been getting a kick out of it. She could tell he wasn't playing as gon hoe as before but she was not one to give in as soon as she decided to succeed.
Qi played very seriously, aiming to win. She continued little by little when she could call him out on cheating. Eventually changing her tactic when she was getting fewer cards and the more she needed to cheat. Though, the cheating that was in the game. The concept of cheating became very confusing when it came to the card game of cheat.

Qi placed down her last two cards, "two sevens," she claimed and placed her hands on her lap. She waited a good moment to give Atsushi the option to call her out on a cheat, which it was. It was a seven and an eight. This card game had been going on for long enough and she knew it was about time for her tea and meal. She had to wrap this up quickly and maybe next time they met, he wouldn't throw a tantrum. If he happened to call her out on her last cheat, she'd have to quickly finish this off. She was a punctual woman that liked things on time.

It took a few turns, but eventually, Atsushi was able to calm down some. His brows were still furrowed in irritation, but his expression had softened. His awareness for Qi's moves heightened, and this time, he wasn't simply looking at the cards, but at Qi as well. He no longer copied her moves, and seemed to be playing by his own style. He had improved quite quickly, surprisingly. His confidence had dropped significantly since the start of the game, but he had not yet lost his determination to win. Plus, he knew he couldn't blame her entirely for everything. He was the one who had created the opportunities for her. If it hadn't been for his constant cheating in games, Kiun wouldn't have doubted him. All Qi did was simply expose an opportunity he himself created, and he couldn't really hold it against her, as it was something he would do as well.
He had actually grown during their little encounter. Qi possibly might not have realized, as she was not familiar with his previous personality, but Kiun did, though he remained silent on the topic. It was not an easy task to influence Atsushi. He was hot headed and stubborn, after all. It was very rare that anyone but Kiun could work their way into his heart just enough to influence him. That is why he was amazed Qi had managed to do it so quickly, and with only a game. He wasn't sure Atsushi himself even realized it; he seemed quite determined to despise Qi. But that didn't matter, Kiun noticed, and it intrigued him. It wasn't just Atsushi either. He would guess Qi seemed to have changed a little too; she wasn't as confident as she had been in the start. They were both helping each other grow, perhaps not even realizing it. Kiun was tempted to actually convince Atsushi to see Qi more often, curious about what other developments they could trigger in one another.

Atsushi watched Qi play her last cards with utmost concentration. When she set them down, he calmly stated: "Cheat."

Qi couldn't help the slight twitch in the corner of her lips. It both irritated but impressed her with his capacity to learn quickly. She lifted her gaze from the cards to look at him at an angle. She bowed her head slightly and then lifted her hand to swipe the discard pile and arranged them to prepare for their final round.
"It is your turn Mr.Katsuro," she stated, her gaze pinned to him. Her expression returned to its usual blankness that she seemed to naturally retain. No emotion, no harshness, just pure observing. Her hand was something she knew without looking. It was unnecessary and something that would only reveal her planned moves. She wasn't going to chance risky moves at this point. Play it simple, play it fair and get it done fast. She did really want her tea. She didn't have the energy that young people had. She may not be anywhere near old but no matter.

To increase the chance of him cheating a few plays later to ensure he would still have enough cards for her to finish this. "I hope we can wrap this up quickly Mr Katsuro. Unfortunately, I have a scheduled meal to attend to in a few minutes," she voiced, her voice soft as she continued to play, voicing what cards she placed which were mainly single cards. "Awfully rude of me but I sometimes these things last much longer than you expect," she revealed with a soft chuckle. "However, guards are very busy these days with so many inmates placed in Nanba, I do not wish to keep them waiting." Making conversation while she played, it showed her confidence and ease of this situation. "You two must be quite busy," she said, glancing at them both while gracefully placing a card down. She by this time had four cards left, he had around the same as her. By her calculations, she could assume what cards they were and thus, whether he was going to cheat the next few rounds.
"Do either of you have a favourite meal?" she inquired quietly with curiosity, glancing at Kiun as well. Besides getting him involved prior, he hadn't said much.

Atsushi perked up when she mentioned she had to leave soon. This was an opportunity for him, he supposed. He could cheat with a few of his cards. He was aware, of course, that Qi could call him out, but he figured if she did, it would be more her loss than his. It would result in the game being extened once again, which meant she would not make it to her meal on time. Thus, he concluded it was probably safe enough to cheat a round or two. They were both low on cards anyways. If he cheated, it would end the game faster. Atsushi hadn't shown it through the game, but Atsushi in truth was not much of a logical thinker at all. Hence, these sort of games were not his forte, and on the contrary, he disliked them. He had eagerly participated at this one because he had wished to win at least one challenge over Qi, but it seemed she would not be an easy opponent after all.
Even if she did call him out on a cheat, Atsushi wouldn't actually mind, because it would mean her missing the meal, and could result in her becoming angry. Which, Atsushi had to admit, he would be quite curious to see, considering she had shown little to no emotion throughout their entire meeting. Plus, it would feel like he had won over her a little if he managed to anger her. It was always amusing bothering others.
"Two nines," he announced, setting the cards down atop the pile. One of which was a nine, and the other a three.

Kiun, unlike Atsushi, was much more mindful of Qi's wishes. "If that is the case then perhaps this should be the final round. We do not wish to make you late for your arrangements." He offered her a kind smile when she mentioned their situation as well. "Thank you for your consideration." He have her a slight nod of thanks, and was quit again until she inquired about their meals. Since Atsushi was clearly not planning to reply, as he was much too focused on the game, Kiun replied. "Not quite, we aren't very picky. Atsushi likes meat."

Qi was planning on finishing this up quickly, not prolonging it any further. She was just going to let him get away with that little cheat so she could swiftly get rid of her cards and such. She could do it easily at this point but whether he called her on her bluffs or not was the question, especially now that he knew she had to leave. It wasn't some weakness. When given a deadline it made people proactive and determined to get it done quickly and swiftly. Hence why she always gave her people periods of time to complete their tasks or else they would have to face the consequences.

"That is very kind of you, Kiun," Qi said with a polite smile that held no other emotion. Her eyes even slipped close, something that was often with her. People found her eyes unnerving. Often it assisted in her arranging contracts with people but it was more relaxing for her to have them closed occasionally. "I might have to pick you up on that offer- finish this game some other time with your brother," she concluded, turning her head back to the game, the smile still on her lips and eyes closed. It was a deadpan expression despite but it was also rather chilling.
"Cheat," she declared softly and waited for him to take the cards before playing down her hand. "one ten," she said, which was a lie but it would be no point to call her out on it if you even noticed it. She'd only pick up the same card.
"That is a good thing to have. Picky eaters have poor diets. It is unhealthy," she mused and lightly chuckled at the fact that 'Atsushi' liked meat. It seemed like she finally got a name to her competitor. "You would think he would be more built in that case," she lightly joked, referring to his rather lean appearance.

Kiun, a respectable gentleman, was the sort to be entirely mindful of Qi's wishes, and do everything in his power to help her meet them. Atsushi, on the other hand, was a not-so respectable gentleman, who would have no qualms making Qi go over her time limit for his own amusement. Qi was probably lucky Kiun was around, for if he had not been, Atsushi would have surely attempted to drag the game out as much as humanly possible. One warning look from Kiun (after Qi said she would take him up on the offer) was all it took for Atsushi to reluctantly respect her time limit, and attempt to end the game sooner. It was a shame, Atsushi had truly been looking forward to bothering her in hopes of seeing some expression other than her impassive look, but he never disobeyed Kiun. That is, unless Kiun's ideas didn't jeopardize his own safety. Which they often did. In those cases, Atsushi never listened to his brother, and did whatever he felt to be the safer option. And, since Atsushi was the older of the two, Kiun normally had no choice but to listen. They had a strange sort of chemistry.

Grumbling, Atsushi picked up the cards in the center, laying them out in front of him. He watched her put a card down, and though he knew it was not a ten, he didn't call her out on it, since it made no difference either way. "Three jacks," he replied, setting down the cards he had specified.

Kiun nodded in agreement at Qi's words, and a small smile played at his lips when she joked about Atsushi's build. "Oh he's a lot more built than he puts on," he pointed out helpfully. "You'd be surprised. His clothing choice does quite a good job of hiding it."

Qi, smiling a bit to herself, placed down a single queen after his jacks. Atsushi was shockingly a very temperamental person. It was quite humorous to see how much hold his brother had over him despite there no real reason for it. That and how he was so bitter about being unable to thwart her plans. A bit of a sore loser but so was she. Fitting for two, two-faced characters like themselves.

She glanced at Kiun and chuckled lightly, her hand coming up to cover her mouth while doing so. Polite and formal as always. Just like how the maids had raised her to be. Too bad they seemed to make a mistake in training the submissive baby breeder. "Oh?" she inquired, the word suggesting a level of playfulness that her tone didn't convey but her crimson eyes did. "You two must train in the prison," she mused and glanced at Atsushi's build since they were discussing it. The guy himself was quite handsome, his build looked rather lanky but as his brother pointed out, would be much different. She'd had men [and even a female] that their built had been overly muscular, her preference did tend to lend itself to a natural effect.

If she gave a shit about appearances of those she found herself with, maybe it would be someone with Atsushi's appearance that would fit her fancy. Who knows. She never cared about that, she slept with anyone when she needed to. It was only out of convenience or blackmail. It was unlikely to change at this point. Emotions were a weakness that she didn't have the pleasure of having.
She glanced at the clock and put down her cards face down. "It seems like I must be going now," she voiced, seeming little regretful. She would like to crush Atsushi under her thumb in this game now but things like this could not be helped. There was a time and a place for everything. "Regretfully, Mr Katsuro, we will have to finish this on a later date," she informed the man across from her. "You know my name, I am sure you will find some time to come back around," she also concluded and turned her head to look at Kiun. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Kiun. I do hope you stop by again. It was enjoyable playing with you," she said. She then stood up, revealing her elegant kimono in its fullest but most significantly, how short she was. It was hard to tell earlier with how she sat but it was clear she was probably 4 foot.
She gave them a little bow just as the door to the lounge opened and there stood a guard waiting to escort her. "Until next time Katsuro brothers," she bid before she turned and glided over to the guard and soon exited without looking back.

(( Atsushi is 6 feet.

This will be interesting. XD ))

((xD two feet taller so fucken funny. And she's like 32 xD I literally want to read their reaction to finding out her actual age. xD
But yes, this will be interesting))