Of Crows and Songbirds (Part 2)

(Nice… I’m not actually sure I know how to play that game lol but we don’t gotta get detailed)

Tadaaki and Ky both listened intently, nodding their understanding as Emery explained. He was doing a good job of it. Made them both feel like they actually understood what was going on.

He dealt, and looked up in surprise as he saw they were still standing. "Ready?"

“Oh!” Ky and Tadaaki noticed it half a moment later and shook themselves. Ky dropped to the ground, a bit heavier than she meant to. As it turned out sitting down used your abdomen muscles, and those still hurt from her ribs being damaged. Tadaaki hesitated a moment longer, trying to judge where he should sit so he wouldn’t seem threatening. He always tried to be aware of how much space he was taking up. He settled for sitting close to Ky, with Emery on the other side of her. Hopefully that made him feel more comfortable.

"Okay!" Emery seemed completely unbothered by anything. "Who has the two of daggers?"

Tadaaki very, very hesitantly pulled one card from his stack. “Is… it… um… this one?”

"Yep! So you get to lead the first trick."

Tadaaki froze, suddenly stricken with the realization that he very, very much didn’t want to lead anything. Certainly not first, before he saw how it was done. “… do you want to trade hands?”

"You've got this," he assured him. "You only have to play one card. And you want to win the trick unless it has keys in it, so you'll want to play a high card."

Tadaaki nodded slowly and hesitantly put down a card.

"Your turn, Ky."

Ky was grateful that her highest card was lower than Tadaaki’s, and gladly played it, hoping that he’d win the set.

Emery played the highest next, sweeping up the trick and leading with a lower card.

Shit.

Well. At least she'd tried.

Tadaaki played a card higher than Emery's, but Ky played one a bit higher and took the trick. She started with a mid-level card next.

Emery played another low card.

Tadaaki played the highest card this time and took the trick, puffing up ever so slightly. It wasn't quite pride, but his self-confidence visibly increased a tiny bit. He played another high card. Ky played one lower.