Story: Topiary
Written for: 
brigits_flame, October 2011, week 4
Prompt: Cupid & Cupidity
Words: 672Rating: PG-13
Topiary
Snip. Snip. Manmatha looked at another tendril closely before setting his pruning shears to it. Snip.
He took a step back and regarded his work.
His mother, of course, disapproved of his hobby. “How can you demand payment?” She kept asking, torn between disbelief and indignation. “Is this the way I raised you? Don’t you realize how greedy it looks?”
She was one to talk. She was guided by jealousy and revenge, while he simply wanted to expand his collection.
She wasn’t immune to the strange beauty of his collection either. To his great amusement, he had spotted her bent over some rare specimen in deep fascination when she thought he wasn’t looking. Whenever she came to visit him, she made sure to see his garden, even if it was under the cover of reprimanding him.
He couldn’t blame her. As unusual as his garden was, it blended into the shrubs and gnarled olive trees of the hilly landscape perfectly.
Manmatha only realized he had become lost in his thoughts and the sight of the hill gently sloping towards the sea when his butler approached.
“Sir, there is a client waiting for you, a young man.”
“Thank you, tell him I will be there to see him in a moment,” Manmatha replied.
He finished his round through the garden before he made his way towards the villa, a spring in his step.
“Good afternoon, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
The young man jumped up from the armchair he had been sitting in.
“No, don’t worry. You are Cupid?”
Manmatha heard the slight doubt in the other’s voice.
“Yes, that’s one of my names. And you are?” He sat down behind his rosewood desk and couldn’t help grinning as the other man gave him a critical look.
“Damian Zorbas. You’re a bit different from what I expected…” Damian flinched when his brain caught up with his tongue.
“Expecting someone a bit younger and chubbier, perhaps a bit more … cherubic, weren’t you?” Manmatha giggled, briefly seeming a lot more like the person he had just described. “Nah, I’ve moved past that. Makes things a bit easier, although most people are a bit surprised at first. How can I help you?”
“Well, the thing is … I’ve met someone and … well, things aren’t going as I had hoped. I thought that you could, maybe … well. …”
Deciding he had watched Damian’s discomfort long enough, Manmatha interrupted.
“You were hoping I could get this woman to fall in love with you. Or is it a man?”
“No, no, it’s a woman. It’s just, I don’t seem to be getting anywhere, no matter how hard I try.”
“Well, if you tell me her name, I’ll see what I can do,” Manmatha said, pulling a stack of paper towards him.
“Julia Dimas.”
Manmatha shuffled through the paper and chuckled. “That’s quite a choice. You like the spirited ones, don’t you?”
Damian blushed slightly.
“Well,” Manmatha continued, “seeing that she once tried to bribe me not to visit her again, I’m afraid this won’t be cheap.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Damian said eagerly, reaching for his briefcase.
“Wait, I’m not interested in your coins, banknotes and checks.”
“I’m not going to have to sell my soul to you, am I?” Damian’s eyes were wide.
“Nah, I think you’re confusing me with someone else,” Manmatha laughed before turning serious again. “I’ll settle for a piece of your sanity.”
Damian blanched. “My sanity?”
“Well, not all of it, just a piece. It’s your choice, really.”
Manmatha watched as Damian contemplated his decision.
At this point, it was only a formality. He was simply amputating a no longer functioning part and putting it to new use. Manmatha had never had anyone decline at this point.
Later, after the sun had sunken into the sea, Manmatha strolled through his garden again. He smiled as he looked at the newest addition to his collection. It would need some pruning, but it already fit in beautifully.
brigits_flame, October 2011, week 4
Prompt: Cupid & Cupidity
Words: 672Rating: PG-13
Topiary
Snip. Snip. Manmatha looked at another tendril closely before setting his pruning shears to it. Snip.
He took a step back and regarded his work.
His mother, of course, disapproved of his hobby. “How can you demand payment?” She kept asking, torn between disbelief and indignation. “Is this the way I raised you? Don’t you realize how greedy it looks?”
She was one to talk. She was guided by jealousy and revenge, while he simply wanted to expand his collection.
She wasn’t immune to the strange beauty of his collection either. To his great amusement, he had spotted her bent over some rare specimen in deep fascination when she thought he wasn’t looking. Whenever she came to visit him, she made sure to see his garden, even if it was under the cover of reprimanding him.
He couldn’t blame her. As unusual as his garden was, it blended into the shrubs and gnarled olive trees of the hilly landscape perfectly.
Manmatha only realized he had become lost in his thoughts and the sight of the hill gently sloping towards the sea when his butler approached.
“Sir, there is a client waiting for you, a young man.”
“Thank you, tell him I will be there to see him in a moment,” Manmatha replied.
He finished his round through the garden before he made his way towards the villa, a spring in his step.
“Good afternoon, I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long.”
The young man jumped up from the armchair he had been sitting in.
“No, don’t worry. You are Cupid?”
Manmatha heard the slight doubt in the other’s voice.
“Yes, that’s one of my names. And you are?” He sat down behind his rosewood desk and couldn’t help grinning as the other man gave him a critical look.
“Damian Zorbas. You’re a bit different from what I expected…” Damian flinched when his brain caught up with his tongue.
“Expecting someone a bit younger and chubbier, perhaps a bit more … cherubic, weren’t you?” Manmatha giggled, briefly seeming a lot more like the person he had just described. “Nah, I’ve moved past that. Makes things a bit easier, although most people are a bit surprised at first. How can I help you?”
“Well, the thing is … I’ve met someone and … well, things aren’t going as I had hoped. I thought that you could, maybe … well. …”
Deciding he had watched Damian’s discomfort long enough, Manmatha interrupted.
“You were hoping I could get this woman to fall in love with you. Or is it a man?”
“No, no, it’s a woman. It’s just, I don’t seem to be getting anywhere, no matter how hard I try.”
“Well, if you tell me her name, I’ll see what I can do,” Manmatha said, pulling a stack of paper towards him.
“Julia Dimas.”
Manmatha shuffled through the paper and chuckled. “That’s quite a choice. You like the spirited ones, don’t you?”
Damian blushed slightly.
“Well,” Manmatha continued, “seeing that she once tried to bribe me not to visit her again, I’m afraid this won’t be cheap.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Damian said eagerly, reaching for his briefcase.
“Wait, I’m not interested in your coins, banknotes and checks.”
“I’m not going to have to sell my soul to you, am I?” Damian’s eyes were wide.
“Nah, I think you’re confusing me with someone else,” Manmatha laughed before turning serious again. “I’ll settle for a piece of your sanity.”
Damian blanched. “My sanity?”
“Well, not all of it, just a piece. It’s your choice, really.”
Manmatha watched as Damian contemplated his decision.
At this point, it was only a formality. He was simply amputating a no longer functioning part and putting it to new use. Manmatha had never had anyone decline at this point.
Later, after the sun had sunken into the sea, Manmatha strolled through his garden again. He smiled as he looked at the newest addition to his collection. It would need some pruning, but it already fit in beautifully.