Her shawl is also adorned with crow motifs.

This is a misbehaving industry professional, Ajax the Lesser.

She nudges the orange with her toe.

“Well howdy to you, Ajax.” Zemira laughs as Ajax meows again. She pulls out a black ribbon and a little top hat and carefully crouches down. She then places the top hat on him and ties the ribbon into a makeshift bowtie before standing up. “There now he looks all proper. Now let’s mosey”

“Huh, didn’t expect this place to be intact. Nat didn’t give you problems?” Mehar asks Zemira

“Catfish pitched a fit for a bit but got a lot calmer once I got her workin on untangling some yarn.” Zemira says with a wave of her hand. “Tell ya what, get her dressed in her sunday best in three days. Imma take her somewhere and I’mma test something out. And no there won’t be no medication where we’re going, Catfish.”

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.

“Want some lemonade, Catfish?” She asks as she starts cutting lemons agaain

No, I don’t want your drugged lemonade.

“How can it be drugged if it ain’t even made? Make that make sense.” She huffs as she sets the knife down and grabs a pitcher and juicer. She picks up one of the lemon halves and starts juicing it

How ignorant. You’re in cooperation with Mehar, no? It is only logical she would give you those forsaken drugs to put in any meal you give me.

She’s dead serious too.

“If I was gonna put anything in someone’s food it would be spices. And just because I am doing a favor for her don’t mean I’mma gonna drugging someone.” She huffs a bit “You can draw the water and grind the sugar yourself if you’re so paranoid.”

…

She does go to inspect the sugar and draw the water. Where did she get PH strips? Is she hiding them in her pockets?

She just raises a brow but lets her do so as she juices the lemons.

Once determining that the water isn’t drugged, she makes a solution from the water and sugar and tests it with the PH strips too to make sure the sugar isn’t drugged either.

She finishes juicing the lemons and adds in the water. She waits for Nat to be satisfied with the test results before adding in the sugar and giving Nat the spoon

She stirs it for her, satisfied that she is not going to be drugged today.

“Happy, Catfish?” She asks as she gets some cups

Refrain from the nicknames.

“Your stuck with the nickname, Catfish” Zemira says as she pours the lemonade into the glasses

How insolent you are.

She snatches her glass and goes back to untangling the yarn.

She just laughs as starts cleaning up

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.

“Want some lemonade, Catfish?” She asks as she starts cutting lemons agaain

No, I don’t want your drugged lemonade.

“How can it be drugged if it ain’t even made? Make that make sense.” She huffs as she sets the knife down and grabs a pitcher and juicer. She picks up one of the lemon halves and starts juicing it

How ignorant. You’re in cooperation with Mehar, no? It is only logical she would give you those forsaken drugs to put in any meal you give me.

She’s dead serious too.

“If I was gonna put anything in someone’s food it would be spices. And just because I am doing a favor for her don’t mean I’mma gonna drugging someone.” She huffs a bit “You can draw the water and grind the sugar yourself if you’re so paranoid.”

…

She does go to inspect the sugar and draw the water. Where did she get PH strips? Is she hiding them in her pockets?

She just raises a brow but lets her do so as she juices the lemons.

Once determining that the water isn’t drugged, she makes a solution from the water and sugar and tests it with the PH strips too to make sure the sugar isn’t drugged either.

She finishes juicing the lemons and adds in the water. She waits for Nat to be satisfied with the test results before adding in the sugar and giving Nat the spoon

She stirs it for her, satisfied that she is not going to be drugged today.

“Happy, Catfish?” She asks as she gets some cups

Refrain from the nicknames.

“Your stuck with the nickname, Catfish” Zemira says as she pours the lemonade into the glasses

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.

“Want some lemonade, Catfish?” She asks as she starts cutting lemons agaain

No, I don’t want your drugged lemonade.

“How can it be drugged if it ain’t even made? Make that make sense.” She huffs as she sets the knife down and grabs a pitcher and juicer. She picks up one of the lemon halves and starts juicing it

How ignorant. You’re in cooperation with Mehar, no? It is only logical she would give you those forsaken drugs to put in any meal you give me.

She’s dead serious too.

“If I was gonna put anything in someone’s food it would be spices. And just because I am doing a favor for her don’t mean I’mma gonna drugging someone.” She huffs a bit “You can draw the water and grind the sugar yourself if you’re so paranoid.”

…

She does go to inspect the sugar and draw the water. Where did she get PH strips? Is she hiding them in her pockets?

She just raises a brow but lets her do so as she juices the lemons.

Once determining that the water isn’t drugged, she makes a solution from the water and sugar and tests it with the PH strips too to make sure the sugar isn’t drugged either.

She finishes juicing the lemons and adds in the water. She waits for Nat to be satisfied with the test results before adding in the sugar and giving Nat the spoon

She stirs it for her, satisfied that she is not going to be drugged today.

“Happy, Catfish?” She asks as she gets some cups

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.

“Want some lemonade, Catfish?” She asks as she starts cutting lemons agaain

No, I don’t want your drugged lemonade.

“How can it be drugged if it ain’t even made? Make that make sense.” She huffs as she sets the knife down and grabs a pitcher and juicer. She picks up one of the lemon halves and starts juicing it

How ignorant. You’re in cooperation with Mehar, no? It is only logical she would give you those forsaken drugs to put in any meal you give me.

She’s dead serious too.

“If I was gonna put anything in someone’s food it would be spices. And just because I am doing a favor for her don’t mean I’mma gonna drugging someone.” She huffs a bit “You can draw the water and grind the sugar yourself if you’re so paranoid.”

…

She does go to inspect the sugar and draw the water. Where did she get PH strips? Is she hiding them in her pockets?

She just raises a brow but lets her do so as she juices the lemons.

Once determining that the water isn’t drugged, she makes a solution from the water and sugar and tests it with the PH strips too to make sure the sugar isn’t drugged either.

She finishes juicing the lemons and adds in the water. She waits for Nat to be satisfied with the test results before adding in the sugar and giving Nat the spoon

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.

“Want some lemonade, Catfish?” She asks as she starts cutting lemons agaain

No, I don’t want your drugged lemonade.

“How can it be drugged if it ain’t even made? Make that make sense.” She huffs as she sets the knife down and grabs a pitcher and juicer. She picks up one of the lemon halves and starts juicing it

How ignorant. You’re in cooperation with Mehar, no? It is only logical she would give you those forsaken drugs to put in any meal you give me.

She’s dead serious too.

“If I was gonna put anything in someone’s food it would be spices. And just because I am doing a favor for her don’t mean I’mma gonna drugging someone.” She huffs a bit “You can draw the water and grind the sugar yourself if you’re so paranoid.”

…

She does go to inspect the sugar and draw the water. Where did she get PH strips? Is she hiding them in her pockets?

She just raises a brow but lets her do so as she juices the lemons.

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.

“Want some lemonade, Catfish?” She asks as she starts cutting lemons agaain

No, I don’t want your drugged lemonade.

“How can it be drugged if it ain’t even made? Make that make sense.” She huffs as she sets the knife down and grabs a pitcher and juicer. She picks up one of the lemon halves and starts juicing it

How ignorant. You’re in cooperation with Mehar, no? It is only logical she would give you those forsaken drugs to put in any meal you give me.

She’s dead serious too.

“If I was gonna put anything in someone’s food it would be spices. And just because I am doing a favor for her don’t mean I’mma gonna drugging someone.” She huffs a bit “You can draw the water and grind the sugar yourself if you’re so paranoid.”

“You both more stubborn than an old cranky ass.” She chuckles and shuffles the cards some more. “You know something, Catfish? Life is kinda like poker.” Zemira asks, picking up a card and twirling it around her old bony fingers.

“Peoples get good hands, bad hands, and hands that can ho either way.”

What is poker?

“Mmm. Poker is mostly a game of patience, skill, strategy, and a bit of good ole luck.” The old woman hums, tapping her finger on the back of the card she was holding. “Players place bests and wagers on the best hand of cards depending on the game rules.”

How boring.

She gets up, shakily, to leave. She really doesn’t want help, or small talk.

“Sit back down, Catfish, your shaking harder then a newborn fawn. And I’m old, I can’t help you up if you fall flat on your ass like a fool.” She rolls her eyes

In this room the effect of a fool will be overshadowed.

She’s determined to make it out. This is still like handling an angry cat.

She sighs and grabs her cane. She then uses the hook of it to hook onto yhe back of Nat’s dress and pull back down into her seat. Zemira then gets up and hobbles over to a basket.

“Well, Catfish, if you ain’t gonna talk then put your hands to work and untangle all this yarn. Give ya something to do to kill these three hours.” She says as she picks up the basket and moves back to Nat, setting in front of her.

How insolent! How idiotic of you to think I would help!

“You ain’t got nothing better to do here. Stop you bitchin and just work.”

No. you have done nothing to deserve my help.

She sits there, crossing her arms all stubborn. It’s clear she’s purposely being a pain in hopes Zemira gets fed up with her too.

“And neither have you done anything to deserve the good will of those around ya. Now before you go yapping about uselessness and all that, I don’t really care.”

I don’t want your “good will”. I refuse to play your pesky games.

“Catfish, it’s yarn. Is the yarn gonna magically make you start yappin like an old lady on her deathbed? I doubt it.” She says bluntly

She glares but starts untangling the yarn. Beats fighting Mehar.

“Thank you.” She says and heads back to the kitchen to take care of the lemons she had been cutting earlier

She sits in dead, angry silence, counting down the minutes until she can leave.