The Pink Lotus

Shiori had taken quite the detour away from the men dead and dying in the streets. They weren't there to help them: no, the three had other matters to attend to. The woman lead them farther away from the heart of the town to slightly darker streets. The company became sparse, even more than it was before. Houses had been locked tight, people were getting off the streets.

Eventually, they came to a building that features bars all across its front. Normally, women would be displayed behind them, but it was barren now. Parasols decorated the space above the doorway, similar to the one Shiori had been holding when she first encountered Sen and Kaen.

She beckoned them inside, motioning to them quietly.

It was surprisingly warm inside, and somewhere a fire cracked, just barely audible above the sounds of debauchery. Shiori wasn't bothered, treating it as an everyday occurrence as she lead them upstairs to her own private room. Small, though it was, with only one futon and a tiny place to organize her items, the room was away from most everyone else for the time being.

"This is a mess," she told them. "We're not going to get around easily here, not as easily as before. This new group actually seems competent."

Sen followed Shiori to the Pink Lotus, pleased that their disguise had passed muster, especially Kaen’s. Mutsunobe was in chaos, there would not be much business at the brothel tonight, she figured. The three entered, and Sen was surprised to hear so much debauchery taking place. Perhaps it was true that in times of danger, all people wanted was the physical comfort of one another’s bodies to prove that they were really still alive. Shiori’s room was small, but to Sen that felt better and safer than somewhere less enclosed.

“Maybe so, but there’s a lot we can learn even from here. Do you still have the birds?” The idea of using trained birds to carry messages had come from some foreign land, and the villagers had kept the secret of their use to themselves. Sen had brought a number of pigeons over the mountains last year, to be kept at the Pink Lotus for use in an emergency. Only two had survived the journey then, she hoped Shiori had kept them alive, pretty pet cage birds that could amuse the girls and customers alike. That her grandfather knew that Mutsunobe had been taken seemed urgent indeed, and worth using one of the precious winged messengers for.

“Kaen-dono makes quite a convincing woman,” said Sen as she moved to help him remove his “breasts” and go back to being a man. “Perhaps you would earn more here than some of the girls?” she teased him lightly. “I think perhaps, you should return to being a man. Perhaps even return to being Kaen-dono. If you, as a noble, could meet this Iron Crane, perhaps even pledge her your sword… we might find out a great deal. Clearly she does have men serving under her, even if there are women too. But first, dress as a townsman and be a customer here. Sen also began removing her peasant’s outfit, efficiently untying the leggings and sleeves and apron. It was warm in here, and she was glad to be rid of the layers of cold weather clothing. “Shiori-chan, you and I need to look like we belong here too,” she smiled, hoping for Shiori to locate her a kimono with a red lining.

Kaen laughed his muscles tensing a bit as Sen removed his breasts.  "Yes Sen,  once I retire from being a magic welding ronin I shall return to be a transvestite prostitute." Kaen laughed more as he put on his black and white in the fashion of a warrior,  Kaen reached in his bag and pulled out an ornate necklace with a Ruby on the end adorned with a silver dragon eating the precious gem.  He held it 8n his hand holding it to his fore head.  He then  put the necklace around his neck,  the Ruby sliding underneath his kimono.  

Piece after piece the ronin became more and more like a noble born warrior,  tying up his hair into a top knot  hs eyes stealing glances at Shiori. Finally the last piece was placing his ornate swords at his hip.  Kaen would walk in front of Short and bow curtly "My name is Kaen Kogoeshinu. " he said flatly.

Shiori watched Kaen from the corner of her eye, never turning her head to look nor giving away much indication that she was watching. He was an interesting man, that was for sure. The expensive swords, the jewelry... where did he procure such riches? Did he loot the bodies of rich samurai, or was he one, himself? If so, why was he here with them?

The woman did not ask such questions, but she did catch Kaen's gaze before she lifted herself off the ground and began to make her way towards the baths.

That man, she thought, a very small sneer coming to her face, No different from the rest. Other than a bath to wash her skin, Sen needs a way to cleanse herself from her ridiculous taste in men.

Sen dressed in a simple yukata of the type that anyone wore when they went to the bath house, and slipped off down the stairs to the garden, where she found the bird cage easily enough and tied the messages to the pigeons' legs. She released them into the smoky sky, the smell of burning wood and flesh still in the air, even though it seemed quieter now. The birds' wings clapped as they took off, and Sen looked after them as they sped back towards her homeland. If they made it over the mountains… the Hizashi would soon know about their new neighbours. Otherwise …. it might take days, weeks even before the word reached them.

By the time she was done, and made her way over to the small bath house that was also at the back of the garden, the water was hot. "Are you coming in?" she asked Shiori, as she shrugged off the yukata and stood naked in the night air. She took down her hair, letting it fall free, and scrubbed herself with the rice bran soap, some of the ruddiness of her skin coming away with it - revealing itself to be exaggerated somewhat by makeup. After rinsing her body with the water, she stepped up into the bath, feeling its heat make her skin prickle almost painfully but quite pleasantly before it sunk into her muscles and forced them to relax. She let out a small sigh of pure pleasure, then gave a small chuckle. "We should have asked Kaen-dono to take a bath first," she said ever so quietly to Shiori.

Once Shiori had painfully teased the many tangles from her hair, Sen relaxed under her touch as Shiori began to massage her scalp and wash her hair. It felt so good to be in the hot water of the bath and have her hair attended to. It was a luxury that Sen felt she would like to get used to, if it wasn’t for her austere upbringing in San’in Village, and all the trials and deprivations that accustomed her to any harsh situation she might meet in the course of her work. By rights she should disdain such things, but she couldn’t help it, she enjoyed it. She sighed contentedly. “Oh, he is very interesting in some ways,” she said with a little smirk coming to her face. It wasn’t as though she was particularly interested in Kaen himself, more of his seed and how she could bring it home to raise magical children for the clan. “But he’s extremely easy to crack. Just look vaguely encouraging and he’ll spill his life history to you…” she confided. “Intentions? Nothing at all… he’s an attractive man, and who knows what secrets he might tell on the pillow?” she replied. There was no need to tell Shiori everything.

Sen hadn’t yet had the time to become jaded by a courtesan’s disguise and she let Shiori dress her and make her up almost submissively. “This is a beautiful kimono,” she ran her fingers over the soft silk, so unlike the coarse peasant clothes she had been wearing to cross the mountains. Shiori certainly knew what she was about, and Sen took a note of what powders and paint and brushes she used, adding to a store of information that would no doubt come in useful later. Sen leaned over the bath to regard her reflection in the still, dark water. “Thank you Shiori-chan,” she said with feeling. “Do you ever feel like trading places? Perhaps you could run up and down the mountains while I stay here?” But then again… perhaps this little safe house for their kind would not be all that useful for long. The customers might even now be fleeing the city. “Maybe Kaen-sama will make me his wife?” she suggested with a little cat-like smile. “Do you think he will like me?” she ran a finger around the collar of her kimono, opening it a little further to show even more pale flesh.

"If secrets hang from strings, why would you not pluck them?" she replied, a challenge. "But perhaps you are a scarlet spider, waiting for your prey to come along and disturb the strings before you strike with fang and poison." She turned from Shiori's gaze and gave a small, dry laugh, "I know well that the silk is but an illusion, but at least you have an illusion." Still, she didn't seem eager to continue the line she had started. There wasn't really any safe or easy path for either of them. A life in a brothel was as tough and hard as any other, and in many ways moreso.

"Oh, he will, if I wish him too." So far she had found him pretty easy to influence. "I don't think I'm ready to wed yet, not without grandfather's approval anyway." For a moment she gave Shiori a sly sidelong look, and almost invited her to join the private room with her and Kaen, but then … she wouldn't want Shiori to be the one to bring a magical baby into the onmitsu tribe. While they were allies, and even perhaps friends, in some ways they were rivals still. "That's not a terrible idea, Shiori-chan," she replied. "Kaen-sama is probably in need of some relaxation after our journey. He will have a lot of work to do soon enough."

She followed Shiori upstairs, lifting her kimono so that the hem did not trip her. Yes, a beautiful life, on the surface. Perhaps that was why they called the pleasure quarters "the floating world". They rejoined Kaen in the room, and Sen pulled no punches when displaying her newly attired self to Kaen, making sure that he received a favoured view of her bare neck, and flashing an elegant white wrist like the trained seductress she was. Her transformation from mountain peasant to courtesan both in appearance and manner was complete. She viewed his reaction from lowered lids.

Sen offered that he might also like to take a bath as well. But whether he decided to or not, once the three of them were alone in the room, and refreshed, the time would come to discuss their next move. One of the young girl apprentices brought them some tea and snacks, before silently leaving. "Things have very much changed from what we were expecting," Sen began, as she looked between the two of them. "Shiori-chan, I'm not sure how much you were informed, but as well as escorting Kaen-dono across the mountains, my mission was to find a samurai called Noguchi. Apparently he was behind a sweep of bandit attacks in Kiyonai. We were to find out whether or not the Omaharu lord was the one who was behind the order, or if Noguchi was acting of his own accord. Naturally Noguchi was to meet with an unfortunate accident before we left. However, it hardly seems to be the the most important issue now. We need to find out more about this Iron Crane and her new army. We also need to find and kill Noguchi, if he is still alive.

"I thought perhaps Kaen-dono might be able to work his way into the confidence of the Iron Crane - he is a samurai of noble birth who has come upon some misfortune and finds himself now a ronin. But while that would be a point in his favour, it seems she favours women. Perhaps one of us would be better placed to gain intelligence from these newcomers. In any case, we need to form a plan." She looked around, hoping for suggestions.