August Flowers

Part 1: Game Night

The tavern bustled with the usual characters for a Friday night. The rich aroma of stews and fresh bread permeated the atmosphere already thick with cigarette smoke and the sharp accent of strong alcohol. The walls needed at least two coats of paint and the chairs were one brawl away from becoming matchsticks. The place was kinda shitty but Sha Gojyo thrived in places like that. 

Crimson hair like fire under the gaudy chandeliers, Gojyo sat at a table opposite two opponents who were eager for their weekly rematch. A crowd had gathered around to watch; several pulled up chairs to observe. 

A pack of beautiful women cheered for Gojyo, being the local looker and playboy, but he didn't notice them today. He hadn't for a while now because he was too distracted by the nagging guilt that hummed at the back of his mind. 

There he was gambling again while his roommate, who had gotten a real job since the end of their westward adventure, was probably helping close the cafe where he worked full time. 

"Is your hand that bad, Gojyo?" asked Meri, one of the players at his table. Meri was an almond-eyed demon with silver hair who was dressed to kill. "Your face isn't usually this easy to read."

"I was thinkin' the same thing," said the second player, a thirty-something year old human who had gone by the name 'Rascal 'since his youth. Rascal had sandy brown hair, green eyes, and a two-day old beard. 

A grin cracked Gojyo's scarred face. "Guys, please. I can play cards in my sleep. I'm thinking about something else..."

A change in the flow of the game caused all three to consider their options with quiet consternation and the onlookers to murmur in suspense.

"Ouch."

"Damn."

"Shit."

Covering his mouth with one hand, Gojyo knew what his next move would be but he used the pause to think about what was really bugging him: his roomie, Hakkai.

Hakkai was a smart guy. Clever, responsible, good looking. Lately, when he wasn't at his job, he was hanging out at the library and taking local accounting courses with the money he saved up. Hakkai could easily move on and up in life. If he wanted to, he could breeze through an education, make bookoo bucks, move somewhere nice, and start the family he hinted at wanting every once in a while. He could do anything he set his mind to.

The more Gojyo thought about it, the more it made sense that his buddy would inevitably become unsatisfied with splitting the cost of renting a small house and living a dead-end life with his lame ass. 

Inevitably. 

Shit. Leaning both elbows on the table, Gojyo raked one hand through his long crimson bangs and gripped it. Why do I do this? He's not leaving. I mean, he hasn't said anything to even suggest it so why do I imagine these things? Why? Why can't I just think about booze, women, and gambling? 

Meri had been watching Gojyo's face over her cards which she held splayed like a fan. She suspected she knew what had him so distracted but didn't say anything. Gojyo seemed to hit the same mental slump every few months like clockwork---it was always about the same thing.

After a beat, her gaze flicked aside to Rascal who was also in a state of distress. "Why do you look like you're gonna cry, Rascal?" she said. 

Rascal whimpered as he prepared to make a move. "Because I am."

Meri looked at her hand, sticking out her lower lip thoughtfully. "I might, too, actually."

The round clock over the packed bar read 10:21pm. Hakkai would be home soon. 

God, why can't I stay focused! Annoyed, Gojyo shoved back in his chair. "How did all three of us get sh-tty hands?!"