◢ ❖hidden;⊹desire — spirited away ic١

[kanbara]

▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ☀ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉

______________________________________________________________________________

┅ ┅ ┅ ║▌█ ❝ ；SAYA ╯ THE BOILER ❞
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxｋｕｃｈｉｓａｋｅ　ｏｎｎａ ❣ 触れてすぐに剥がす唇 これは妄想 いつもの妄想
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxITS TOO LATE TO DELUDE AND TOO FOOLISH TO WHISPERxxxITS TOO LATE TO DELUDE AND TOO FOOLISH TO WHISPERxxxITS TOO LATE TO DELUDE AND TOO FOOLISH TO WHISPER
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxITS TOO LATE TO DELUDE AND TOO FOOLISH TO WHISPERxxxITS TOO LATE TO DELUDE AND TOO FOOLISH TO WHISPERxxxITS TOO LATE TO DELUDE AND TOO FOOLISH TO WHISPER



ANOTHER YEAR, ANOTHER CELEBRATION -- Saya had, quite frankly, seen it all. She anticipated the frantic rush of workers, the barrage of tags
dangling from her spot in the boiler room, the occasional unconventional guest who seemed to ******** them all over (and to some, in both ways).
It would be the usual- the geisha twirling around in circles, trying to make sure their makeup was still applied perfectly, Han trying even harder to get
into the nearest pair of pants he could, Tsu yelling at five times the rate she normally does. And then you'd have the menial tasks staff, Fuu ( bless
his soul ) making sure each dish is perfect and catered to each individual guest's tastes, and Yuki cleaning his little heart out. ( Saya bit her lip--
children weren't supposed to be cleaning.) And then you'd have Hanabi, her hair rolled up in ten thousand yen bills and gold pieces.Quite honestly,
it was Saya's least favourite time of the year. It was messy and hollow, a tourist trap brimming with the promise of stars at the expense of mere coins. The
event always managed to leave a bitter taste in her mouth: the sigh of relief that followed was hardly followed by any sense of accomplishment, after all---
what accomplishment was left after she had done it all?

"Alright, you bastards. Take the damn konpeito already." Saya muttered back in her usual quiet tone, throwing the tiny pieces of candy to the soot
beneath her feet. "Greedy little things, aren't you? Always hungry." Like master, like servant, she mused rather affectionately, watching
the creatures as they animatedly fought over the brightly coloured lollies in front of them. She tipped them the tiniest bit extra than usual-- they were
going to be working hard today, after all. Saya would tolerate none of the usual laziness from any of them despite her disdain for such an event as this.
She slipped a piece of the hard candy under the mask obscuring her unusual mouth and sucked on it, enjoying its usual sweetness. Offhandedly, she
wondered if Yoru would keep her company during the course of the day ; she enjoyed his gentle presence-- it was refreshing like the rain he delivered,
discreet and honest. How she liked it best.

Puncturing her momentary train of thought, footsteps patterned above the gentle hiss of the starting fire. Initially, it set Saya on edge, made her
anticipate to have to say a snarky reply or toss back an annoyed grin. However as Yuki's voice broke the calm of the humid air, she softened instead.

At her name, she turned to face him, biting her obscured lip at his characteristic downturned expression. Saya knew the boy had always been
scared at the mess that was her face, but what was she to do, even? 'Sorry I'm this way, I've tried everything too' didn't really cut it, after all.
( But it could have been worse-- she reckoned, and listened to him ask for her help. )

"Of course." she replied, standing to her feet. "Another stink spirit?" she asked gently in return, letting him lead her up to
the source of the clog. While Yuki's small frame allowed him to slip past quickly through the buzz of people, Saya found it a little harder
to catch up to his brisk pace, frowning slightly when she finally stood by his side in a cramped elevator.

"Have you eaten breakfast yet?" she asked, not being able to help herself. "You're taking care of yourself properly, right? Don't overwork
yourself too much, okay?"

It wasn't long until they reached the bath-- the sight made Saya sigh, this would be the first of many. "You've cleared up the debris in the tub already,
right? There might be something stuck in the piping." she peered into the tub, checking the plug had been long removed. "I can try flushing it out
from the other end, that might unclog it." she replied. Saya glanced back at Yuki, fighting the urge to ruffle the small child's hair. "Thanks for letting
me know." she said instead, with the softest face she could muster.





COMPANY ; YUKI xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx LOCATION ; CLOGGED TUB xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx OOC; temp layout whooo i'll make it nice when i get back

[LEOTV]

Far off to the west there rose a mountain from the waters of the sea.
Bells tolled from its highest point; from a temple on the mountain’s plateau. They sounded only once a decade and they signaled only one thing.
A company of priests could be seen scurrying up stone steps and across a vast courtyard, heaving their bodies to the entrance of a waterfall
which flowed as transparent as glass.As if the sight of them wasn't unusual enough, many of them were also struggling to contain bounties of
food offerings and talismans of purification bundled within their robes. In moments the season’s first rain would be upon them but what was more
important was that so would be the dragon-lord Hikomune; risen from his slumber at the sea-bed of Nihonkai. Every decade they were to lay out
his robes on the rocks by the water alongside the offerings and prepare him for the journey to the east; to the majestic bath house of the witch.

The priests knelt at the water’s side as clouds set in above them, engulfing the peak of the mountain in dense fog. Their watering eyes were fixed
on the glistening surface of the waterfall; beams of light had cut through the clouds and sparked against the water wondrously. They muttered
silent prayers in unison and slowly lowered their fingertips into the water.

The final chimes of the bells halted in the air as if they were caught in the trees. Birds ceased to call out into the wild as the wind failed to pull and
push along the fog. The mountain took on the pretense of absolute stillness when the waterfall froze in the image of a mirror, and the final ripple
of water touched the priests' submerged fingers. A face then emerged - and merely a face – from the waterfall. It was long and sharp like marble
and it was just as pale. A smile stretched across the face,from lobe to lobe and its eyes began to roll forward from inside its skull to scan the faces
of each of the priests. It was a terrifying but beautiful face.

“R-Ryuu-dono, we welcome your return.” Spoke a young priest; he rose to one knee as if awaiting invitation to enter the water. A golden claw
pierced through the waterfall and motioned for the priest to enter; its talons wading through the water. What followed the claw out of the waterfall
gave the priest reason to hesitate at the water's edge.
Hikomune had an elegant body, it was tall and pale like the trunk of a birch tree. His gaunt stature accentuated the droplets of water which were
reservoired by the concavities of his branch-like bones. As he drew closer to the shore, he absently dragged a talon along his naked hip as if to
relieve an itch before he gazed unevenly upwards through the fog.
The congregation of priests waited both in awe and in fear, their fingers no longer submerged in the water but instead clasping onto their talismans.
Hikomune raised a hand from the water and turned his palm to face upwards; a finger extended to the sky. A drop swiftly came down to meet it,
and then many more followed. It had begun to rain and so rained heavily for a while before the smile left Hikomune's lips and he sighed at the priests.

“Well? What are you doing? Bring me my robes, we have many things to do~”


ooc; I’M REALLY SORRY it's kind of rushed and crappy but since there's no interaction between other characters, i'll edit it when i come back...
also put in some coding + new gfx...
OTL hopefully if the rp keeps this pace i'll be able to land in a second post before much of the celebrations have started.....it just didn't
seem right for me to post him arriving while i myself am going away.

[the fatal drop]

WATCH　　THE　　FLAMES　　CLIMB　　HIGH　　INTO　　THE　　NIGHT　　　　BURNINTHEFLAMES　　　　WATCH　　THE　　FLAMES　　CLIMB　　HIGH　　INTO　　THE　　NIGHT
WATCH　　THE　　FLAMES　　CLIMB　　HIGH　　INTO　　THE　　NIGHT　　　　BURNINTHEFLAMES　　　　WATCH　　THE　　FLAMES　　CLIMB　　HIGH　　INTO　　THE　　NIGHT
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SKY FILLED WITH SMOKE　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　SKY FILLED WITH SMOKE　　　　　　
　IF THIS IS TO END IN FIRE *▪LETS ALL BURN TOGETHER }♕♕
　　ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE 　　　　ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE 　　　　ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE
　　　　　　ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE 　　　　ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE 　　　　ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE ALL OF YOU MUST DIE
　　　❛ I SEE FIRE BLOODINTHEBREEZE ⊹&. I HOPEYOULLREMEMBERME
　　　　I SEE FIRE HOLLOWING SOULS I SEE FIRE BURN AUBURN ON THE MOUNTAIN SIDE
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE BODYGUARD SHI (シ) 　　　　LOCATION: MAIN FLOOR　　　COMPANY: ASSORTED GUESTS &. COWORKERS
With an puff of air out of lips, folded arms, and a tapping foot, one could easily imagine the Bathhouse's bodyguard's tail swishing back and forth in his waning patience. Celebrations were always hell to behold. They weren't celebrations for the slaves employees, no, it was to celebrate the customers who so kindly put money into that b***h of a witch's pockets. Oh, she would pay, and the entire place would go up in flames. But not yet. Instead, he'd watch Yoru's grumpy face grimace as he ran back and forth like a busy little bee, and be content with the small man's discomfort. (Oh yes, he was indeed particularly small, and Shi took it upon himself to always remind him in his glorious satisfaction of being taller than someone for once).

Still, this was no time to glorify what suffering his, hm, friend had, instead, he had a job to do. A rather disgusting job, but he did not have the power nor jurisdiction to go against that b***h's witch's will. Having a master made something in him twist and darken inside, and he would finally show a smile when he saw her scream amongst golden flame, but again, this wasn't the time. Instead, he calmly ushered spirits to and fro, easily stopping petty fights.

Even if this was a celebration, Shi wished for trouble. He wished for a ruckus, a victim he could sink his claws into and make an example of. He loved making examples. He also loved collecting corpses so he could reanimate them and watch them dance in the moonlight. But more than that, his need for violence needed to be sated. Someone had to be his scapegoat, if not his coworkers, which would have been great really if his job didn't entail defending them...Ugh, what a pain.

Putting a hand on a particular nasty guest's shoulder, Shi smiled, albeit chillingly with promise of blood, and he spoke. "I'd ask you to refrain from touching the merchandise quite yet." The cat purred, eyes shining in delight as he let a few flames burn the guest, who, startled and slightly in pain, scuttled off. Looking up to one of his coworkers (he already forgot their name), he brushed off their quiet thank you's and only kept reminding himself this was just a job.

Just a job just a job. Maybe he'd rest his big head on Yoru's chest tonight and watch him struggle to breathe. Yes, that sounded like the right solution. Humming to himself, now quite suddenly in a chipper mood, Shi continued to patrol the area.

[chabuka]

• The smell of rain lingered in the air, as the young apprentice stepped outside of the bathhouse for a moment to himself. Today was a day of celebration: The Annual Bathhouse party. All staff were to be preparing for the festivities and waiting hand and foot on the honored guests. All but the ame-otoko, who found the busy life of hard work tiresome to watch. Rather than participating, Yoru decided he’d be better use out of the way of his co-workers. The warm dark still hugged the dawn, as the neighboring businesses began to light up. Perched up against the entrance bridge, his eyes clung to the passing train, enticed by thoughts that he’d never dare pursue.
  
  A toad from within the building began to croak. “Yoru, sir Yoru! You should be inside this instance! Lady Hanabi will be in need of you any minute!” But the irritable apprentice did not bore himself with a head turn. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Yoru stepped over the tiny worker, escaping towards the back door. ”I’ll be there, alright?” and vanished before another scolding. Gracefully, he shifted his body mass through a small door that led to the backyard, where the plants and herbs are grown. He wandered through its maze of freshly bloomed flowerers in search of something.
  
  As he walked, thoughts of Lady Hanabi entered his mind, wondering if she was ready for her yearly party. Perhaps she truly did need his assistance. After all, she was the very reason that Yoru now had a purpose in life. Despite what majority of the staff thought of her, the apprentice never shifted from her side. It did not matter how much pain she could bring to a person or how impure her intentions could be. She was one who gave him a second chance for a new life. Freed him of the burdensome memories that once haunted him timelessly. If it meant corrupting Yoru and his morals to stand beside her, so be it.
  
  Coming to the edge of the garden, he had finally made his way to the center of the grounds. His eyes immediately caught a glimpse of the young twirler in the midst of her practice. For a minute, the ame-otoko stood silent, just gazing at the performer. How effortlessly she leaped into the air, as if flying to the heavens itself. It wasn’t until he stepped forward from the shrubs, that she jumped with cautious. With no subtle greeting, he imposed his company, with no hints of leaving. ”I didn’t mean to startle you.” He paused. The entertainer took a deep breath in surprise, confused by his presence and at such a busy timing. But before he could allow for Sei to question his intentions, he spoke over her. ”Continue, please” he ordered, as he crotched low on his feet against the flowery shrub. Without objections, the beauty continued her dance of awe, while her companion’s eyes mindlessly followed her every step. The ame-otoko didn’t quite understand why he found her dancing so peaceful to endure. It was a strange addiction that Yoru could not control.
  
  It wasn’t until the clouds began to cry, that Yoru decided to act upon his better judgment. ”We better leave now. Before others start to worry.” Grabbing upon her delicate hand, the apprentice impatiently escorted the entertainer with a quick foot out of the maze garden. The bathhouse cried out for help and service, once the two employees reached their destination. Sneaking in from the back sliding door, Yoru signaled for the maiden to wait after he entered, to avoid suspicion. ”I’ll see you again soon,” he whispered, a note of shyness hinted in his tone.
  
  Stepping into the working quarters, Yoru was already approached with upset clients. Clients complaining about the wait to be attended on and other miscellaneous questions that had no correlation to the apprentice, nor establishment. With a heavy sigh, he replied to every complaint, one by one. ”No sir, we do not sell those luxuries here….. I’m terribly sorry for the inconvenience, miss. If you could please wait to be assisted, we’d appreciate your patience.” Back and forth, the ame-otoko ran around the large room assisting people he loathed. Scanning the scene through the corners of his eyes, the entrance was now clear and no sight of Sei. But disappointed eyes traveled onto the nearest target, leading Yoru to a sudden annoyance: Shi. Yoru’s brow twitched at the sight of the little kitty, as his heart rate increased with excitement. Yards away, his dear roommate stood watching him with amusement. The guards tail swaying in a rhythmic beat, as he amusingly watched his prey run around in panic. How pissed Yoru grew at the sight of his only friend.
  
  ”Shi. You aren’t to hurt our guests. Lady Hanabi will not be pleased. ” The apprentice kept a fair yard radius away from the guard in public, as he was towered over for the most half. ”I hope you are not causing more harm than good,” he warned. ”Or I might have to put out that awful flame of yours,” eyes lowered in suspicion. If there was one person that Yoru couldn’t contain his temper around, if was Shi and his reckless games. It wasn’t until Shi said the ‘s’ word, that the ame-otoko got defensive. ”I’m not short,” he denied. ”You are just freakishly tall for the average cat.” Eyebrows scrunched, and b***h face revealed, Yoru kepts his himself concentrated on the entrance, trying to regain his poise. As much as Yoru did not want to admit it, he loathed the fact that he was short. Especially shorter than this punkass. ”Why much you be such a nuisance ?” Though of course he did not expect any rational answer for his friend’s behavior. Nobody does in this hell hole.
  
  
  *██ ⁰¹ MENTIONS◞ 　HANABI, SEI, SHI
  *██ ⁰² WITH◞ 　SEI > SHI
  *██ ⁰³ LOCATION◞ 　BATHHOUSE WORKING FLOOR

[little miss takel]

◞ »▒ WHY CAN I NOT CONQUER LOVE ?
xxxxxxxxxI've got thick skin and an elastic heart, but your blade it might be too sharp
xxxxxx▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆x▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆x▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆▆
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

• 
  The lights were blinding as always. For someone who's worked in the bath house for quite a time, one would expect that Han would have been used to the colors and the noises. However, the taikomachi had always been in constant awe as he stepped into this world. He had loved traveling, meeting creatures and subjecting said creatures to his mischief and flamboyance. The bath house gave him those oppurtunities, minus the traveling of course. Thoughts of different places always lead to disasters, so Han strayed away from too much wondering. Instead, he reigned in his thoughts by thinking other disastrous things related to the bath. One thought led to his earlier encounter with Boku.
  
  Boku is definitely one fine man. Way finer than most, if one could go beyond his volatile mood swings. Han would like to say that he understood the other taikomochi. Understood him so well like tha backs of his hands, but he still felt tension whenever Boku was around. Perhaps, it was because of those rumors, or the fact that he had some rocky history with the man. Or maybe it was the simple gesture of leaving a butterfly kiss on his room mate earlier, that put him on edge tonight. He did not actually expect himself on giving his room mate a quick goodbye kiss. It wasn't part of his itenerary that day, but he just couldn't resist it. His eyes strayed towards those lips that always tugged a grin. He knew what they felt like so he left a simple reminder that he still wanted to feel Boku's kiss. That was all there is to that. It had nothing to do with anyone's past, or the rocky relationship between them. Yes, Han's convinced himself that it had nothing to do with anything. It was just an impulse; a whim he caught after working too long as a taikomochi.
  
  What he got from that kiss? Well he was shoved to the wall with a provoking tease from the other man, saying: "Do it right if you're gonna do it at all." Those words sent shivers down Han's spine. Actually, just Boku's breath on his neck made his skin crawl everywhere. It was hard getting off from the guy, but Han managed it. "You know I can do more than that," a wink and a smile made it easier to hide the turmoil inside him as he left the bake-neko. Work still waited, and there's no way he could perform his best with thoughts of Boku clogging up his mind.
  
  It took him a quick visit to the bathroom and a few minutes of gathering his thoughts before he managed to do his usual rounds. The thought of visiting the kitchen almost made him late for some appointments. He would have easily swapped a bread or two for some useless combs he received a couple nights ago, but he thought better of it and went looking for his regular customers. The event added hype to his thoughts, but he kept his calm as he made his way out of the corridors; his thoughts a whirl of colors and excitement. Han shrugged it off as he waltzed on the hallways of the bath house with a sly smile. A bat of an eye, a wicked wink and a simple hello was his customary way of greeting people. Except that at times, he went beyond his etiquettes and left his 'flavor' on them. In this way, he could reign in his thoughts: smile, wink, compliment, blah blah blah. "Would be pleasant to see you work tonight," he flipped a cleaner's skirt as he passed one. It was followed by a string of curses from the girl and restrained giggles from some lady visitors on one side. The attention they gave him merited a perfunctory smile from the taikomochi. And his smiles and attention were never free for any guest, except for one perhaps.
  
  Another smile conquered his features as he headed to search for his familiar customer- a face he could trace even with eyes closed. Perhaps the yosuzume would give him a better souvenir than those combs he received from other guests. He searched for the familiar man with the striking beauty mark. "Where are you Ushiooo-san?" Han singsonged as he glided past workers hurrying about. Hanabi must have worked everyone to their bones at some point to act this way, or perhaps it was the party itself that brought these urgency about. He lifted his eyes from the guests that surrounded the main hall as his sights scanned the halls for Ushio. He was about to go and entertain someone when a hand shot out of nowhere and pulled him into a corner. All thoughts ran out of his mind when soft lips collided with his. Han was about to pull away, and hit the fool for getting a free kiss, when he felt fingers sneaking their way into his pockets.
  
  A few seconds (Was it moments, hours, months, eons? Who knows? He was lost in the kiss and that's what mattered. Plus, he's already earned before the party officially hit its climax) later, he felt coins weighing down his pockets, all the while trying to figure out this attacker. Despite the surprise, Han reacted the way a taikomochi does. He sneaked a peek at the stranger between intense kisses, and was extremely glad that he finally found Ushio. This time, he did not hesitate and reciprocated more than the gold in his pockets indicated. Ushio was Ushio. He's special. He may be the only customer who could get Han's attention for an entire night with just a few dimes. He was very special that Han would risk a few of his own savings and Hanabi's wrath if ever she knew that he's giving Ushio some leeway when it came to his services.
  
  He didn't know exactly what happened after that. He remembered tumbling into each other's arms and then into a room, and falling into Ushio, or perhaps it was Ushio falling into him. "I was starting to worry that you won't be coming," he whispered softly. "It would truly be a lonely night without you," Han continued. Sometimes he wondered if Ushio could erase memories- that was the effect of the yosuzume to him. He wasn't like this with Ushio before. During their first few meetings, Han entertained him the way he does with every guest. Heck, his favorite back in those days was Hiko, however, things gradually got intense between them. Where he found friendship and a little terror in Hiko, he found safetly, assurance and a few butterflies in his stomach with Ushio. The more they interacted, the lesser Han felt guarded around him. Until it came to this. Sometimes, he wanted to bring down all walls with Ushio, but he still had enough sense to remind himself that he's never truly free. And Ushio might not feel the same about him. After all, there are geishas he could fool around with in this place. He's not the only one who could give this kind of treatment to him. He kissed him harder than he could remember, but memories of their make-out always evaded his grasp whenever he's in this state. He wanted to live in the moment and set aside his thoughts until later, afraid that he'd lose this chance to etch this into his memory. He would remember this later and hoped that there would be no distractions. He just hoped that this time, they remembered to close the door.
  • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
  
  with: boku then ushio
  where: some room
  mentions: hanabi, hikomune
  

[octavinelle]

VOS♛❜ YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AFRAID ⊹
VOSIENVOSIENYOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE
VOSIENVOSIENVOSIENYOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE BRAVE, LIVING IN A CAGE
VOSIENVOSIENLIVING IN A GILDED 】 CAGE ▬ THE ONLY RISK YOU'LL GO INSANEV!! ♛ ♛ ♛
LAYOUT BY LITTLE MISS TAKEL ;; CODING BY VOSIEN

tap

"Ushio-sama! Welcome back to the bathhouse, we have been waiting patiently for your return~"

"I- uh..."

Ushio - a yozosume, didn't know where to start. His amber sights shifted onto the females workers who began to twinkle with smiles at his presences, once entering the bathhouse. A pair of wooden sandals took a small tap on the floor, hinting a solemn 'thump' alerting those when a guest arrive. Often then the guest are to be serve, to answer one's queries, or to assist those with personal demands. In Ushio's case he received a pair of twins to undo his deeds. Twins, similar by their colourless hair and dim eyes, it was their dominate hands in which brought the two apart. The left handed one, shifted her hips to the left. The other twin on the right. Both were waiting their instructions from the guest, or better yet a 'time.' "I'm sorry Hidari and Migi," Leaning forward he place both hands on their heads, a childish gesture by Ushio's accordance, although neither of the twins shun his hands away, but rather purred upon his contact. "Maybe another time, when the night allows itself to grow fonder with age." He whispers gently at the youngsters, hands now by his side he allow to make his way into the hallway without any disturbances.

The raven guest missed the bathhouse. It's been a little more than a week since his last visit, but the yozosume often reminisces his days within the venerable interior. The smell of lavender filtering the air, and the heated baths welcome it's guest with open arms. Ushio would like to see himself as a sedated person, although anyone would point out he can be unbalance at times when dealing with one's emotions. As such he never found any reason to linger elsewhere, for the bathhouse as become more of home to him every time he visits. Expect with an extended family.

tap

The party swayed it's way into the dazzling nights, as a gathering of hundreds of people mingle among with one another. Giggles and old gossip never fails to slip it's words through the sea of people, as the free intake alcohol enforce to become bolder with their choose words. Whereas others were pone to understand their surrounds, holding their glass away from their lips. Despite being a social grounds for visitants alike, a matter of business tend to surge their way through. Eyes wary of the strangers among them, and Ushio - despite his neutrality - often felt himself being dragged back and forth as a witness and a stable ground. Ushio would humbly smile, but fell flat when a another guest handed him a plain ceramics bottle filled with sake, along side with several cups, ready to be drunk. Each being filled to the very top... without his consent. Disgusting. "Excuse me." Drifting further away from the scene the black haired male found himself hindering his way into the back hall. The smell, despite his distaste for the clear fluid, was addictive. High, Ushio hasn't taken a sip of the given drink but felt the effect due to the chaotic atmosphere surrounding him. Certainly daze, along side with other effects - he took a step to the left, easing he way through the narrow hallways in search of his room. Or at least believes he was heading in the right direction. Lights began to battler themselves in different directions, confusing the invited guest even further.

He slowed down, and finally halted. A raven haired began calling out his name in a gratifying tone. There were always whispers about their relationship that has yet to reach the ears of the witch, for they were more then clients, but never lovers. Friends at best, but certainly ones who rather see each other another naked, skin together, a nightly deed often left unspoken but written privately for others to find. Ushio knew he wants him. He always wants him - no needed him. Another tap forward, he realise something.

A week and a bit has been far too long.

tap

Ushio doesn't remember what happen next. One hand deep in one's pockets and another wrapped around his pale neck. Lips connected, Ushio moans upon contact before reconnecting once again. Harder, deeper, longer. His wooden sandal took a step back in what he assumed was his room. The paper door slid open without hesitation allowing the couple to enter. The lights were off, the lingering darkness ready to consume their soul, a clear signal that the room is unoccupied - a rush of relief held his ground, although was soon to be overcome by the lust from within. He allowed the taikomochi to kiss him harder, bring their bodies closer - Ushio eager to take the lead. Painted fingernails trail down towards his chest, desperately tying to find an opening, but trip in the process only to fall onto the prepared futon with the yozosume on top. He heard a gasp from the raven haired, earning a smirk through his lips taking his chance to n** his neck but halted. Pausing, he felt three words escape through his thin lips,

"I want you."

tap

tap

tap

The door has been left open.

thump

VOSIEN VOSIEN VOSIEN VOSIEN VOSIEN⊹COMPANY 】 HANVOSIEN⊹LOCATION 】 IN HAN

[the guillotine queen]

❇◢ ❝ BURY YOUR NAME •• FORGET YOUR FACE❞
xx██████████████████████████████████████████████████
xxxXXXXxx▲ LOCATION ) the bridge • the bathsXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX▲ COMPANY ) Rin • Hikomune • calling Hanabi


Tsu had not stood there long, desperately vying for the guest's attention, before the heavy slapping of barefeet tore her away. Rin. Tsu no longer smelled the human's horrid stench as she had when the thing first arrived but she met it with the same look of distaste. The human swallowed large gulps of breath between her words, "Tsu, we need more tokens. We're running low already, " it paused to inhale the cool night air as its eyes darted warily from spirit to spirit, "Especially for this crowd." The foreman licked her teeth and turned on a heel. Her eyes locked upon those of the smaller being, pouring her hatred into them, "You wait until the doors are bursting to count your tokens, do you? Stupid human." The staff had had ample time to see the tubs cleaned and ready for service. There was no longer an excuse that would suffice. Tsu drew a sharp breath and slipped a pale hand to push roughly against the human's back. She might have pitched it from the bridge if it were not for Hanabi. Certainly, none of the other workers would argue in its favor. "If it wasn't so crowded, I could have found you earlier when I wanted to request for more tokens," continued the human. Forgetting what ever gentleness might have beeen, Tsu dug her long finger nails into the cloth and flesh of the human's small back. She hoped it hurt. Cringing against her touch it sped up, putting space between itself and Tsu's fingers. The foreman closed her fingers, knuckles popping as she dropped her hand limply at her side.

When they reached the front desk, Tsu dipped her hand into the bin of tokens and selected five single tiered tokens - basic rinses of hot water and cheap herb. The foreman knew they would not be enough nor what the human had wanted. She smiled and said, "I hope you did not leave my tubs filthy." The human accepted the tokens with grace though its words betrayed it, "Of course not. I asked for these so that there wouldn't be filthy tubs later. That's why I came looking for you and what I meant that we were running low." Pursing red lips, Tsu snatched back two tokens. She might have taken them all if this were not a special evening. The thing stared back, defiant and unafraid. Tsu prayed it's supple skin would break tonight as it desperately scrubbed the remaining dry tubs, "Work quickly human or I will offer your flesh to Shi." It lifted its chin to show that it feared no one. A stupid thought as all it might take was for Tsu to break false word to Hanabi and toss the wretch to the cats for sport and blood. But then - the cry of bells. They served to say: the dragon had arrived. Tsu's grin grew ever more wicked, "Or better even, to Lord Hikomune," her body quivered with the thought of human flesh between the dragon's kisses. "I don't need such a threat to work quickly and efficiently. Thanks anyway," the human insisted. Clutching its remaining tokens it ran clear of the room before Tsu had chance to steal back any more.

Tsu could smell the sea on him. Eagerly she inhaled the brine, beautiful and powerful - just as the Lord himself. Absently, she fumbled with her robes and hair. Her skin spread with goose prickles and, still a maiden, she trembled. His great figure spread a shadow across the floor and she wanted to lay herself with in it to feel its warmth. To be smothered within it. Lifting her nose to feign dignity and importance, she moved her tongue to softly call, "My Lord, how long it has a been. This is indeed a joyous occasion," and her thin fingers reached to be nearer. She broke her center, bowing on knees with her chin to her chest. And she listened to hear the beating of her fluttering heart though it would never come. It had been away from her breast so long and yet at times such as this she felt its drumming. Other workers came to her side. Workers fell on their knees before the dragon followed by pretty women carrying heavy trays of food and sake. The dragon motioned with long claws as his heavy voice spoke her name, "Tsu. Locks of hair slipped from their place and fell to cup her cheeks as she raised green eyes to Hikomune. The corner of his lips broke to tug upwards, a menacing smile on a beautiful mouth. Standing as commanded she pulled back the locks of fallen hair and pushed them behind white ears as she said, "My lord, we have dearly missed you. Please tell me, what is it you might require? I have drink, " with the wave of her hand stepped forward a girl clutching a flagon of warm sake, "or perhaps delicacies from afar, " with the other she beckoned a woman bearing a heavy tray of strange exotic foods, "whatever my lord may need. I shall ensure he receives." Her gaze sought his eyes but only for a moment. They, as always, fell to his mouth.

Disinterested in her gifts, Hikomune dismissed them all. "Is our dear Hanabi well?" He asked with a false sweetness, as if to make attempts at masking the bite in his tone when uttering the witch's name. Tsu bobbed her head, "My mistress is as well as ever. Healthy and I am sure quite eager to see you, my lord." The dragon did not remain on the subject long. In long strides he moved with Tsu keeping pace with undeniable effort. Wearily, he asked for a bath drawn. His arms moved to rub the muscles of his shoulders and his neck and his long golden claws caught the light of paper lanterns. Gratefully, she took lead. They made way down the hall of paper doors and steam until they reached the largest and finest bath. As they entered the room a worker appeared, eagerly awaiting a command. The foreman shot him a glare as cold and biting as ice. He bent to a bow and moved to order the water. Tsu craned her neck to meet her gaze again with Hikomune, "I shall be at your will should my lord require anything." Again, she bowed her head. Turning slowly she stepped away hating the distance she must needs put between them. "Tsu," he called. Her throat caught and as if in dream, she turned back. From within a sleeve, the lord removed a fine hair pin of white gold and encrusted jewels. He clutched it between the flesh of fingers and bone of claws. Hesitant, Tsu accepted it. Her skin was like butter as her finger brushed against his. Words would not come and she clutched the item to her breast. When she could again make use of her tongue, she thanked him deeply. With more haste than previously she sped from the room closing the door behind her and pressing the cool metal to her lips. Her knees were still shaking when she returned to place at the end of the hall. She knew she must call Hanabi. She lifted the phone receiver to her ear and her fingers fumbled as she spun the dial.

[Kirei na Kitsune]

l o c a t i o n ;; baths.bridge.clogged tub c o m p a n y ;; yuki.tsu.yuki&saya m o o d ;; on edge

The day had started as early as every other day, but of course there was more to do today than every other day. The Annual Celebration for the bath house. The most important day for the bath house and so she had even more on her shoulders than usual. She wasn't well received in the first place but this made the crew particularly nasty to her and she was often the scapegoat for a lot of them. She had lived a sheltered human life and the punishments she's received reminded her of the times she would disobey her once husband-to-be. Of course human punishments were nothing compared to demon punishments. She would be developing scars if not for their equally superior medicine. She was still recovering from a sassy comment she had made to Tsu about something trivial. The woman just got under her skin and it was hard not to talk back. She would not let herself show fear, despite the fact that she probably had her life saved daily.

Making sure all the tubs were clean for the baths, Rin was caught by Yuki who told her in passing that he would be going to the boiler room to talk with Saya and to let anyone know that he was there if they were looking for him. She nodded wordlessly, knowing that he was probably going to ask her about the clogged tub. It was the only one that had given them any trouble. They had started with the harder rooms to clean. The dining room then the guest rooms and then of course the tubs. They cleaned them out as quickly as possible after every guest used it but sometimes you had to be somewhere else. Very rarely would you forget to clean a tub or have one found dirty by a guest. Anyone who made that mistake was punished severely by either Tsu or Hanabi herself. Anything but perfection for this bath house would result in some sort of punishment but dissatisfaction to guests - especially honored guests - well, it wouldn't be pretty.

Speaking of perfection, Rin went to double check their tokens for cleaning and she didn't think there would be enough for the night. Though she knew that meant she would have to bother Tsu, she looked to the nearest coworker and asked if they knew where the foreman was. Last anyone had seen her, she was in her usual spot of greeting customers at the bridge. Especially early, where she could entice those with heavier pockets than others. Rin had to admit that the woman had a knack for grabbing the rich ones. As Rin was running around coworkers and guest - trying her best to not get caught by possible newcomers who might think she's a welcoming snack - could pick out her boss quite easily.

"Tsu, we need more tokens. We're running low already," she managed between gasps for air, slightly bent over as she recovered her composure, straightening up as she peeked around at the horde of people making their way passed and to the bath house. "Especially for this crowd." she looked up to meet that usual gaze of hatred from the taller woman before she was being shoved towards the bath house, surprisingly gentle, as Tsu remarked, "You wait until the doors are bursting to count your tokens, do you? Stupid human." Despite the fact that she should probably hold back these comments, these words spilled out of her mouth, "If it wasn't so crowded, I could have found you earlier when I wanted to request for more tokens," but of course instantly regretted as she felt a pain in her back as Tsu dug her nails in her skin, through her cleaner uniform. It caused Rin to wince loudly and run ahead of the hurtful woman, already knowing where the tokens are. She just knew it wasn't a good idea to take them without asking.

Waiting slightly more subdued as Tsu arrived to retrieve and hand her the tokens, the woman just had to say more things that would cause Rin's temper to flare, "I hope you did not leave my tubs filthy." Her face did not match the sassy tone in her response, "Of course not. I asked for these so that there wouldn't be filthy tubs later. That's why I came looking for you and what I meant that we were running low." She was always being underestimated and doubted and thought of as nothing, really, but she has shown that she can handle all of the things these demons wanted of her and she did it efficiently. She would have to try even harder as Tsu took back two tokens, causing Rin to clutch the other three tighter, a slight glare up at the woman, "Work quickly human or I will offer your flesh to Shi." she was about to scoff at the woman and retort all the more sassily but the bell that sent shivers down her spine rang through the bath house but she tried to mask her fear, especially at the mention of his name, "Or better even, to Lord Hikomune," she kept that defiant look on her face as she said, surprising herself with the even tone of her voice, "I don't need such a threat to work quickly and efficiently. Thanks anyway," and ran off back to the tubs.

Rin stuck the tokens into her pant pocket before heading towards the clogged tub, seeing that Saya had come up from her boiler room to check it out with Yuki. Despite how often she has seen it, the look of the the woman's face always made her cringe slightly. It was probably easy for others to get used to but not Rin. In all honestly, Rin was half hoping this was all a dream. That she would eventually wake up from a nap, possibly after a good sparring session with her best friend and that her life wasn't now working for a witch who promised the impossible. She shook her head at the reocurring thought and finally made her presence known, though she was sure the two had already known she was there before she had shown herself. She smiled up at Saya before looking to Yuki, "Do you have anymore tokens? I just wanna make sure we don't run out tonight." of course his response made her instantly frown, "You didn't check earlier??"

Rin huffed, crossing her arms indignantly, "We're not out or anything. I just don't want us to run out with the huge crowd. You of all people should know me by now." she looked off to the side, muttering under her breath, "These demons and their trust issues..." as mentioned previously, she was constantly doubted but to be doubted by her fellow cleaner who knew her so well, she was slightly offended. Nothing should really offend her anymore but she was a proud little thing and had to stand her ground against these demons or they would think that they could walk all over her. "It's not that I don't trust you! You know how scary Tsu-sama is when we don't run out." the boy said with a frown. She scoffed, "But she has to understand that we have a job to do. I'll ask for tokens when I think I need them." and it was still not enough to convince him. Then again, Rin should have known that his fear for others was going to outweigh his confidence in her. "I think she does, but you have to be sure you need them - not think!"

Okay, so using the word "think" had probably been the wrong word. Rin knew she would need more and it would be chaos to ask the higher ups for more if they were busy entertaining the guests. She looked up when she heard the clink of more tokens from Yuki and she accepted them with a grateful smile, "At least you asked me beforehand. Did you ask Tsu for them too?" she nodded, "I have some claw marks to prove it." wincing as the throbbing pain reminded her of the encounter. She seriously needed to watch what she said to people around here. Whenever that was gonna happen, though, she had no idea. Thinking back on it, she remembered that Lord Hikomune, more widely known as Ryu-dono to the lower staff, and she allowed that shiver to cause her to shudder. "Ryu-dono has arrived as well. I'm glad we could get most everything prepared before he arrived." a fearul respect in her voice for the dragon demon. The only one she goes out of her way to avoid... aside from maybe Shi. He's definitely not her favorite coworker second to Tsu.

[sinnabuns]

〖⊹UNDERNEATH THE SKIN١ THERE'S A HUMAN▾
pastelBURIED DEEP WITHIN THERE'S A HUMANxxxBURIED DEEP WITHIN THERE'S A HUMANxxxBURIED DEEP WITHIN THERE'S A HUMAN
graphics by Raekah
❖ LOCATION: BATHTUBS١xxx❖ COMPANY: NO ONE١xxx❖ INTERACTIONS: SAYA, RIN, TSU١

"Of course I've been taking care of myself! Fuu always makes sure to make sure I had enough to eat." Yuki gave Saya a reassuring smile, "don't worry, I won't overwork myself!" Although with the crowd that was coming, he probably would have to. It was common for him to overwork himself so much that he fell asleep afterwards.

When Saya arrived at the clogged tub and started investigating it, Yuki nodded at her questions, trying his best to help fix the situation. An unsightly, unusable tub wouldn't be appreciated by the guests or customers at all. Saya then thanked Yuki for informing her, which he returned with a slight nod and smile. "It's just my job. Thank you for helping me fix it," he modestly answered, ready to get back to work.

Right when he was about to leave, Rin entered the conversation and asked, "Do you have anymore tokens? I just wanna make sure we don't run out tonight." Her question instantly made Yuki frown-- she didn't check while they were cleaning earlier? She knew as well as he did how mad Tsu became enraged when they ran out of tokens, especially on big festivals like this.

"You didn't check earlier??" he asked her in reply, his frown deepening when she crossed her arms and muttered under her breath-- something about him not trusting her. That did it-- although the two of them always bantered during work (being roommates only worsened the situation), he can't believe that she called him untrustworthy. The two of them continued to banter on and on, until Yuki almost exploded at Rin in frustration.

He took a few minutes to calm down-- the fact that he threw a tantrum right now looked so childish. And he couldn't stay mad at Rin forever. Yuki slowly took out a generous amount of tokens from his pocket and dropped them into her hands. "At least you asked me beforehand. Did you ask Tsu for them too?"

She answered with a nod, "I have some claw marks to prove it." He winced thinking about the claw marks Tsu made when she was angry, happy that he wasn't the one receiving them-- this time, at least. There was a slight pause before Rin continued, "Ryu-dono has arrived as well. I'm glad we could get most everything prepared before he arrived." When he heard that name, a shiver went down Yuki's spine-- Ryu-dono (his real name was Hikomune, but one always had to be respectful near honored guests) was, honestly, his least favorite honored guest. Though Ryu-dono had done nothing but pamper him with materialistic gifts like gold coins and jewelry, Yuki still found him terrifying. It must be the plethora of claws and horns on his body.

"I am too," Yuki softly answered back and left the conversation at that.

It was good that he did so; just a moment afterwards, a toad worker tapped Yuki on the shoulder and croaked, "Tsu-sama wants to see you immediately." Oh no-- did he do something wrong? But before Yuki was able to ask why, the worker walked away.

"Excuse me, Rin-san and Saya-san! I have to go," Yuki nodded to them briefly as he hurried to the front desk. Upon arrival, he found that the foreman was already waiting for him. He didn't dare to speak-- it was disrespectful to talk to elders without spoken permission; instead, he slightly bowed to her and waited for her to address him.

In a slightly stern tone, Tsu asked him, "Have you completed your duties today?"

"Yes, Tsu-sama," Yuki answered as formally as he can-- higher ups deserved the most respect. "Is anything wrong?" Did he forget to do something? He started to inch away from her, cowering away from the punishments that are surely awaiting him. Rin had already been clawed today; he didn't want to be next.

To his relief, a punishment wasn't awaiting him. "No," she leaned over the desk and peered down to him, her green eyes towering over his. "Lord Hikomune has returned. I trust you recall which room is his?"

When the name of the dragon lord was said, Yuki cowered away even further. Just the mention of Hikoumune sent shivers down Yuki's spine. "Rin-san has told me so-- and yes, I do." The cleaners always knew which rooms were made for the honored guests; those were the rooms that had to be the cleanest.

"See that his room is cleaned and prepared. Open the windows so he might smell some fresh air and light scented candles as well. Take the human with you." Tsu commanded, straight to the point as always. It was such a weird request-- someone just cleaned all of the honored guests' rooms earlier, and it was spotless. Was it a special request? And Rin said that they prepared (mostly) everything for him already.

But it was better not to question it-- Yuki didn't want to find out today if the rumors about Hikomune were true; he didn't want to be eaten just because he forgot to open the windows. And if Hikomune wasn't going to eat him, he didn't want Tsu mad at him either; it was scary just talking to her! "I understand, Tsu-sama. I'll make sure not to disappoint him." With that, he gave her the deepest of bows and scurried back to where Saya and Rin had been standing.

By the time Yuki got there, the two were gone-- which was understandable. With the wave-- more like a tsunami-- of customers coming in, Saya probably went back to the boiler room, and Rin probably started to help guests. Yuki squeezed through the rushing workers and customers alike to find Rin, making sure not to trip over anything (or anyone) on the way.

"Rin-san? Rin-saaaan, where are you?" He called for her throughout the floor, hurriedly carrying his small feet across the floor. Where could she have gone?

ooc: I feel like I'm late; sorry! I'm not letting him sit around; I'm setting him up so that he can interact with someone else later.
Also, it looks long-- but I just separated the dialogue by speaker, orz.

[belovedBEAR]

The middle of the day, a time when most humans were awake but the spirit world slept. The bathhouse in turn was quiet. All that ran it were resting in preparation for the long and busy night of fun that was to come. All but one that is. Sei, a geisha of the bathhouse, woke up early as usual. Waking up before anyone had even a chance to see her removing herself from her bedding, getting dressed and finally escaping through the doors of the bathhouse out into the fresh air. Her bright blue eyes closing as she felt the rays of the sun hitting her pale skin, warming it up like an old friends touch. She knew that she was going to be tired later. She would be working all night long but just the feeling of the sun on her made it all worth it. She didn’t understand how the spirits could stay in the dark, hidden away. She needed the sun. She needed the fresh air. She needed to get away but alas this was as close to getting away as she could.

Her body moved further and further from the wretched building that she has grown to call her prison moving toward the only place that she found gave her solitude and peace; the beautiful gardens at lay just across the bridge. It was like muscle memory to her now as she subconsciously moved toward the flowers that called out. Her body turning this way and that as it guided her through the maze into the center of it all as it has done countless times before.

It was marvelous in the center of the gardens. All the smells of the flowers just hit her all at once with a beautiful bouquet of aromas and the sun seeming to magnify the intensity of the sun on her skin making her feel so calm and at one with nature. For moments she felt a familiarity of it all like this was how it used to be or was supposed to be. The feeling just brought happiness bubbling up inside of her that she couldn’t contain it. Her body began moving on its own accord once again, this time dancing to the beat of its own drum in the warmth of day.

So caught up in her own movements she did not notice the figure that quickly encroached on her privacy. She only was finally alerted when she heard the rustling of the shrub’s leaves, causing her to jump in alarm from the intruder. Bright blue eyes narrowed, her whole body tense as she looked over to see who it was that brought her back to the hell of a reality she didn’t want to face. Eyes widening in surprise and confusion as she saw the apprentice standing there looking at her. She had no idea why he was there. Had he come to whisk her back to the dungeon already? Was it that time already? She had no idea. Eyes blinked as she looked up to the sky finally noticing the setting sun and the sounds in the distance signaling that the bathhouse was waking up. It had gotten late so fast had she really been gone that long? It didn’t feel like it to her.

A sigh escaped her lips as she began to ask him why he had ventured out, if he surly came to fetch her. Yet the apprentice surprised her yet again as she was ordered to continue on what she was doing. Her head tilted in confusion eyeing him as he crotched down against the flowery shrub yet nodded, giving into his order without any objection. If she were to dance anyway she would prefer having to do it out her in the fresh air to being forced to in a cramped room.

Her body soon began dancing once more, giving the apprentice a private show all of his own. She moved effortlessly like she was flying through air like the ground beneath her feet did not exist. Her ribbons flowing around her as if extensions of herself, almost as if they were feathers that grew from her body. She moved fluidly almost forgetting that she was being watched, getting lost in herself and the movements that she was taking. Her body taking in the last of the sun that it could before it finally disappeared from the sky, only to be replaced by dark and gloomy clouds. A cold wetness now pulled her out of her trance; eyes blinking once more as she looked up at the sky seeing it ready to cry. The male in front of her soon informing her that now it was indeed time to leave and once more without waiting for her to chime in forced her away.

Eyes watched as the male grabbed her and easily escorted her away back to the one place she fled from to begin with. She noticed the look on his face, the peaceful look he once had from watching her dance was gone and one of annoyance now crossed it. Had he caused the heavens to cry, was that why he was upset? She did not fully know but what she did was that it was not her place to question it. He was the apprentice of the witch after all so she left it alone even though she didn't mind if he did make it rain. She probably would have continued on dancing, letting the water cleanse her of her sins.

Following close behind him to enter back into the bathhouse.Once inside she could hear the place alive with chaos, chaos the male had to take care of. As he finally went to pull away she stopped him. She looked at him intently hearing the shyness in his voice. Her hand held onto his, squeezing it just enough as she gave him a soft smile and a nod. She would not mind seeing him again not minding his company at all. She liked having him there with her. His presence was almost as peaceful as the rain itself that brought the garden’s flowers to life. “Then soon it shall be.” She whispered a confirmation back to him still smiling to him as she let him go about his business. Eyes watched him, as he was pulled straight to work an upset an annoyed nature clinging to his face. One that made her yearn to dance for him again, to see the awe and peace that washed over him that she so rarely saw. Shaking her head of such thoughts knowing that she couldn’t be thinking that way about him she made her exit from the doorway. She made sure to disappear into the crowd ensuring no suspicion would be placed on the apprentice because of her.

Moving through out the building she headed back toward her quarters. Yet she was stopped by two very familiar voices. A sigh escaped her lips as she moved toward them, listening to them getting louder and louder until she came to an opened door. Shaking her head she entered into the room’s doorway. Her bright blue eyes shinning amongst the darkness that the two other figures were enveloped in. “If you two are to continue doing things like this, one would think that you would at least be more careful to have the door closed. I could hear you all the way down the hall.” She indicates to the two males, looking to them both with indifference. She did not care that they took on with one another but she did care if they were caught. They were lucky she was the one to have found them and not someone else, they could have gotten into a lot of trouble especially Han. It was obvious to her that Han was playing favorites with Ushio. Treating him differently then other clients as if he was special. If Hanabi got word of it he would surely be punished. Another sigh escaped her lips as she finally closed the door behind her so that no one else could see what she had discovered. ”You both should be thankful that I found you before someone else did." They were both so foolish.

Could she please be back in the gardens dancing for Yoru again instead of dealing with this mess?




*ﾟ.Gardens > Some Room 　*ﾟ.Yoru > Ushio and Han 　
*ﾟ.At Peace > Indifferent/Annoyed

[the guillotine queen]

❇◢ ❝ BURY YOUR NAME •• FORGET YOUR FACE❞
xx██████████████████████████████████████████████████
xxxXXXXxx▲ LOCATION ) the baths • the gardens XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX▲ COMPANY ) speaking with Hanabi over the phone • Yuki


Tsu was not eager to bother Hanabi. The witch was more than likely quite busy with more important business, however, the foreman felt it best Hanabi know that the wealthy dragon had finally returned. The witch's voice was cold as she answered and "Yes," had been all she said. Her tone was icy and disinterested. "Lord Hikomune has arrived. He is bathing now," Tsu informed her. Hanabi simply replied as shortly as she had answered before promptly ending the call. The spirit stood quietly, still gripping the phone too her ear as the hollow dial tone echoed back. Feeling foolish, Tsu placed the phone back onto the hook and turned to the nearest worker with narrowed eyes. "Frog," she said, biting the word as if to insult it.

The green skinned creature lifted its head higher to better see her and shifted nervously on webbed feet, "Yes mistress?" Tsu tapped her chin as she thought of something for the worker to do. Currently, she simply wanted to tell someone what to do and to feel powerful. So she suggested the first thing that came to mind, "Find me the boy Yuki." The frog nodded, bowed, and then was gone. Tsu straightened herself, standing to full height, and she fingered her somewhat carelessly done hair. The sounds of the Bathhouse were still loud and joyous and for but a moment her nervousness eased. Despite whatever mood Hanabi was currently plagued with, the weight of coins would certainly declaw her - if only for a spell. While she waited, the foreman watched the shadows of others enviously. They could laugh and indulge and dance while she was stuck standing at her desk with no company but the occasional frog. On most days this did not truly bother her but this day was different for its own reasons and like all similar occasions before it it filled her with a sense of melancholy.

It did not take long for Yuki to appear. He worked quickly and efficiently for his size and though he had his moments, she could not say she disliked him. The little spirit stood before her watching his feet, more so cowering than anything else. So Tsu tried to soften her tone, Have you completed your duties today?" She asked, though still more stern than she meant. "Yes, Tsu-sama," he replied respectfully, "Is anything wrong?" She shook her head and leaned over the desk to see his face better, to show him that she was not displeased with him, "No. Lord Hikomune has returned. I trust you recall which room is his?"

"Rin-san has told me so - and yes, I do." He said meekly, flitting eyes between the foreman and his feet.

Tsu's face darkened at the human's name but she continued, "See that his room is cleaned and prepared. Open the windows so he might smell some fresh air and light scented candles as well. Take the human with you." She hoped Hikomune was hungrier than when he arrived. To be rid of the human would have been better than any hair pin the dragon's coin could buy. Yuki hesitated but before Tsu could chide him he said, "I understand, Tsu-sama. I'll make sure not to disappoint him," and he scurried off like a rat avoiding rain.

Alone once more, the foreman looked about the room for something she might do. There was no one and nothing, as all but she were busy. On naked feet she took leave of her post and walked slowly and silently towards the gardens. She hoped that a momentary lapse of judgment would not harm many years of loyal work. Whether it was air or silence she needed she was not certain. None the less she sought them both. When she reached the gardens, she plucked a flower and brought it to her nose. It was nothing special, just as the garden itself was nothing special. She did not stare at it longingly as the other workers did, nor did she need it to give her peace. She had no idea why she needed it at all. Perhaps it eased her loneliness as one is less reminded of their isolation when not surrounded by selfish and unseeing others. She tossed the flower back to its mates and pulled her hair free. It fell with no order and she let it be. After fiddling with it all night it had not changed for the better and there was no use trying anymore. The night would be over soon and she doubted anyone would care in the end. A breeze kissed her neck and her hair moved at its touched. She could smell the earth and the rains and the lake passed the bridge and the village - and she thought of home. She had no understanding of it, not truly, but she imagined it and desired it just the same. She smiled idly.

[nap of kings v2]

Gently stroking the petals of a flower with her knuckle, San lowered her lips to the small plant, letting her hot breath whisper sweet nothings to each plant she touched as if she was in a polygamist relationship with the entire garden. This was her sanctuary, and when she wasn't busy with tending to guests at the bathhouse, this was her retreat. If she could, all of her time would be devoted to the land of flowers where her adoration would never have to cease. As she cupped a rose, eager to take in its aroma, her attention was drawn elsewhere to something of equal beauty. It was Tsu. Without much thought, she hurried eagerly toward the foreman, her movements fast and yet her steps soundless. "Tsu-sama! Did you come to compliment the flowers too? They're so pretty, aren't they?" She exclaimed, her words laced with a suffocating cheeriness. The woman turned to her, facial features so appealing that the geisha didn't dare break eye contact. "Not quite," Tsu replied to her. "Tell me, San. Is there a guest anywhere in this vicinity?" San could feel her words catch in throat. A shudder shot down her spine at the thought of what the foreman would do to her if she didn't answer quickly. Her eyes swam briefly with fear, but she willed herself to find a calm. There weren't many opportunities where she got to be in such close proximity to this woman, let alone in such a beautiful place. Leaving a good impression was key.

With feet planted firm, posture long, and hands clasped in front of her, she bowed her head deeply in apology and replied, "There is not, Tsu-sama. But I assure you that I would not be here if there was work to be had! I am not needed anywhere, as all guests are being tended to and I have not been requested as of yet.." Straightening from her bow, she wondered frantically to herself if that was what she should have said and done. She hadn't wanted to sound rude, but she couldn't bare sounding too soft either, even though that's basically how she was. However, her actions seemed to have been accepted, for the foreman nodded and with a half-hearted smile, uttered the words, "I understand, girl." Her gaze then turned to the bathhouse. "Truly no one?" San fell silent, eyes gleaming in awe at the sight of having earned even a hint of a smile from the other. Other thoughts would've flooded her mind if it hadn't been for the question at hand, so with a semi-cleared mind, she began going through the guests in her head. The geisha with the long white hair had that guest. The taikomochi with the easy smile had that other guest. The guest who had trouble spelling had asked to be left alone. The guest envious of her eyelashes had sent her away. And when she asked that frog worker, he'd told her there were no more guests on the list requesting geishas. That's why she had left to be under the milky moonlight with her flowers.

Perhaps it would be alright to blame the frog creature. But lying to Tsu was terribly sinful for someone who looked up to her so dearly. She'd have to end this right. Truth was a virtue, wasn't it? So with that, she nodded rather vigorously and gave her genuine reply, "Yes, Tsu-sama. There is no one." As far as she knew, that was the truth. Her words were respectful and kept short, hopefully to Tsu's liking. The woman crossed an arm and tapped a fingernail to her chin. "What are your opinions of Lord Hikomune?"

"I have only good opinions of Lord Hikomune. He is very knowledgeable and wise!" She replied easily, feeling her cheeriness replenishing itself.

Tsu took no time to reply as she voiced, "Then attend to his needs. Should he have no interest in you see yourself to your quarters. I'll have your services paid for should he refuse." Dumbfounded, San blinked at the talk of Hikomune. When had he arrived? It had most likely been during the time of her leaving the bathhouse to tend to the garden's bidding. San nodded to Tsu and exclaimed, "I'll do as you wish! Thank you, Tsu-sama, I'll be leaving now." With that, she took her leave, running towards the bathhouse with a skip in her step because she just had the longest conversation she'd ever had with Tsu-sama!

Walking down the long halls of the bathhouse, she decided stopping at her quarters for a moment to groom her appearance would be the best choice after having laid in the grass for so long. The point of her robe that brushed against her knees was bruised with grass stains to which she changed into a completely new one. How she missed the garden smell, but she wouldn't let Tsu down. Working a brush through her hair, she used her long nails to pluck tiny blades of grass from the strands that tried to hold on for dear life. Oh, how she would miss them too. Certainly there would be another time to go back again today.. right? Sadly, the annual celebration bore no promises. Plucking a brush from the table, she expertly applied powder to the bridge of her nose and cheeks. Tending to flowers wasn't her only specialty -- she absolutely adored beauty in the form of make up. When she wasn't pranking the other geishas, she was practicing her expertise on them. Satisfied that all was well, she rose and exited her quarters, for she couldn't keep a guest waiting too long. Out of the other guests, Lord Hikomune was the easiest to find. If it wasn't the smell of fresh saltwater on him that led her there, it was the fact that he was always given the finest bath they had. Not even San's naivety could bar her from why this was. Upon entering, she didn't allow herself more than a foot inside the area before she got to her knees and bowed deeply. "Lord Hikomune, please excuse my interruption. I have come to attend to your needs, if you will have me." Despite having danced for him on many an occasion and being told that she was placed "under his wing" right from the man himself, San still refused to dwell in familiarity, at least at the start. He was a guest after all, and she'd make that perfectly clear. It wouldn't be until ten minutes later that she'd open back up into the little happy-go-lucky thing she was. The one who could've sworn 'gullible' was on the ceiling.

▌WHERE : garden > bathhouse
▌WITH : tsu > hikomune

[Luna Leska]

Crystal blue hues glimmered in bewilderment at the superficial reflection before them. Was this really her? She almost didn't recognize herself behind the powdered makeup, lavish silk robes or the assortment of jaded jewelery. The young hannyan, who would normally turned from her reflection, had lost herself in the beguiling sight of her transformation. For an instant moment she truly felt like that of the noble lady she was impersonating. Her attention would have remained upon the dream-like facade before her had it not been drawn away by a gloved embroidered hand. A hand that ran itself chillingly through her hair and across her chin, before the familiar presence of her leader slithered its way between her and the mirror. "Truly astonishing, Sao-chan." It almost sounded like an insult had the oni not cleverly added to his words, "I always knew you were a beautiful blossom. But, now before me is a fully bloomed flower. Absolutely ravishing!" The demon remarked as he caressed her cheek.

Sighing heavily, Saori turned upon her heel away from the man's touch. Her eyes wondered from the likes of the mirror, that was just visible over the demon's shoulders, to nowhere in particular. "You flatter me Izanagi-sama." She spoke softly, her voice hinting at a slight tone of sarcasm. "But flattery will not provide aid in fooling this witch..." she commented as she grasped the folds of her adorned kimono and glanced over her shoulder. "Nor will these robes or jewels." She shot a stern and irritated look at the man, obviously lacking faith in his plan to steal from witch who was rumored to be as vicious as she was powerful. "Sao-chan." He called reaching out his hand towards her, "Come now..." There it was, that annoying tone that licked at her ears, pitifully pleading that she listen to his beck and call. To refuse his words was like refusing or denying the fact that without this man she would have been in some brothel or something even worse by now.

Reluctantly the young woman gave in and approached her leader who felt the need to grab her chin and tilt it upward. Probably insuring that she would not turn sights from him again. "We have been through this. If we ever want to live our life in peace, without a worry in the world...then we need that artifact." His tone was strict but lingered with a hint of promise and yet desperation. "And the only one who can retrieve it from a skillful witch is an even more skillful thief." Searching his eyes did nothing to settle her faith in the plan. She could never read what the yokai was really thinking, and at times she figured it was best that way. "Well?..." Reaching up and grabbing the mans wrist she pulled his grasp from her chin and sighed irritably. "Alright. I'll do it. But, no one is to interfere. I do it at my pace in my own way." The yokai raised a brow towards Saori before scuffly laughing. "Deal! That's my little thief!" he cheered pressing his hand against her back. "Come on. We need to set out, don't want to be late to the party right?!"


♔▉； ＴＩＭＥ ＳＫＩＰxii╯


Her heart was racing with each step that brought her and her entourage of 'servants' closer to the bathhouse. Thoughts of doubt encircled her within the confines of the palanquin in which she rode. "That woman. What if she sees through me?...What if I get caught before I even walk through the doors?" Saori had never been confronted by such an overwhelming feeling of apprehension. There were countless times she had disguised herself with the intent to fool others and ultimately steal an item or possession of sorts. But, this was different. She wasn't stealing from a low grade demon or simple spirit, she was planning to steal from a witch. A witch whose very title and name made even the richest and powerful spirit fall to one knee. It was quite the intimidating situation she had found herself in, and as far as Saori was concerned, she had every right to approach with caution.

The young yokai was brought from her deep thoughts back to reality when her means of transportation was brought to a quick halt, causing her to slightly lurch forward. Gathering herself she gazed at the bamboo shutters that concealed her from the outside world with suspense. When a familiar face peeked from behind them, Saori felt herself release a breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. "We have arrived Sao-chan. Are you sure you want to go through with this? I'm sure Izanagi will understand..." Saori searched the face of her fellow bandit member whose concerned tone had oddly brought her to ease. Shaking her head the hannyan composed herself and straighten her kimono. "Izanagi-sama doesn't understand so easily. There isn't a choice. When he makes a request it might as well be a command." Sighing she offered the other a smile before gesturing with a nod that she was ready. Stepping aside the spirit propped open the bamboo shutters before two others came forth to offer a hand for support as Saori descended.

The scene was all a farce. A way to make her look like someone important. Someone who was rich. Someone who would appeal to the bathhouse as an esteemed guest. Her so called 'servants' were just randomly chosen members of their band of bandits. The dark silk robes they adorned were just one collection of clothing they had stolen in their years as thieves. Even the fancy palanquin she had arrived in was just a stolen piece of merchandise. But all of it, seemed to be doing its job by fooling the crowd of spirits and demons around. It was nerve racking but, Saori managed to keep herself pulled together. As eyes wondered her and her entourage of guards, she continued to step forward without letting her own gaze wonder.

The ascension across the bridge was possibly the hardest. They could not waver or step aside for others. No. Others had to step aside for them. They had to give off the right type of air if they wanted the ideal image. A necessity, if their plan was to work. And seemingly, it did. Without any difficulty the group arrived to the doors of the bathhouse where they were greeted by, what Saori would consider, a beguiling beauty. "Good evening madame, hello!" The small demon examined the woman for a moment before speaking. "Good evening." her words were short. Cut sweet with the intent to make it appear she was disinterested. Like a noble might be in the presence of someone lower class. It might have been too sweet as shortly after the woman excused herself and went inside.

Looking at her fellow members Saori nodded her head, "You may depart. I have no need of you now." It felt terrible to speak with them that way but, she knew that they would go unaffected. With their departure Saori entered the bathhouse with a heavy heart. She was on her own from here, there was no turning back. "I should get a room first and place my things there..." She thought to herself prepared to grab the luggage that sat behind her before hesitating. Nobles didn't carry their own things. Looking around she spotted what seemed to be a worker of the bathhouse, a toad spirit. "You there! I require a room. Also, make sure to have my things placed away once it is prepared."

With that Saori figured she would explore. The first step to a successful mission was knowing ones way around and their surroundings...

♔▉； LOCATIONxii╯ : bandit hideout > bridge > bathhouse
♔▉； COMPANYxii╯ : tsu > alone
♔▉； OOCxii╯ : Saori is free for interaction. (:

[KnightsGuardian]

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄
______i've got a room tab ヽ✲◣on the west wing❜」
____________________- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
________________01IF YOU'D LIKE THIS BUSINESS A LITTLE MORE ⇁◆◜ XXPRIVATE
________I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ADD STEAM TO A BATH tab I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ADD STEAM TO A BATH
____I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ADD STEAM TO A BATH tab I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ADD STEAM TO A BATH
◝ ￤A LIGHTER HEART MENDS A HARDENED SOUL ◢** DO AS YOU WISH, NOT AS YOU WOULD ✄ ━⇣⇣
██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx██xx░░xx




• "Do it right if you're gonna do it at all."
  
  Amber. Suede blue. Veiled in darkness.
  
  The cat's lips parted only to purr the words resonating from the soul within -- deep, livid, longing spiraled letters. His face fell forward, his lips pursed to the heated flesh of the man shoved against the wall before him. Boku and Han had an undisputed history, one that many in the bathhouse were unaware had even existed for the hundreds of years they were together, bouncing from room to room and avoiding suspicion for the sake of their jobs and Hanabi finding out. It was an expected, yet astonishing development given the nature of the men in question, but it was never seen as more than humor and games for the guests of the house. Tension between the two had grown taut by the time Hanabi had found out about their expenditure and demanded that they kill the elephant in the room, whatever that may be. When they had parted ways reluctantly Boku had set fire to their bedroom having been overcome with grief and anger over the whole ordeal.
  
  And there they stood, again, pressed firmly against the scorched wall that symbolized the end of their decades-long relationship ten years ago. Were they fools to believe it would have lasted? Were they fools to believe that their nature, their jobs, their livelihood would not eventually cause a rift in their love and set fire to every passion left untouched? Boku couldn't deny the lingering feelings still buried deep beneath his breast, that still ached every time Han walked into the room, yet Boku could do nothing to silence the painful thrumming in his chest. Han understood Boku's feverishly explosive nature, even so much as embraced it. Every now and again he considered himself fortunate to lie next to Han when the dawn approached the night, or to be in an advantageous situation such as the one he found himself in presently. Like Han, he'd never outwardly admit it cause Boku and feelings don't go hand-in-hand.
  
  "You know I can do more than that."
  
  Came the response and suddenly, Han had escaped from his grasp only to tauntingly wander off leaving a flushing Boku behind. A grin etched his lips, wide and brimming, as a new found energy suddenly encroached his limbs. He had almost forgotten with all of the excitement that there was a celebration being held tonight and his presence was requested in the baths.
  
  Nearly an hour had passed and Boku found himself in the presence of three lovely ladies, himself dressed in a golden yukata and tied at the waist with a loose black sash revealing enough to display his open chest, upper abdominals, and a sliver of a leg when pulled in the right direction. The women on his arms were ecstatic spirits, one a very powerful goddess of the winds that chimed from the southern lands whom frequented Boku's company for more than just dancing and sake; the second and third spirits were of middle class wealth but would often bring wealthy relatives to the bathhouse increasing Hanabi's profits and building reputation. The most glorious of them all was the show-stealing goddess herself who seemed to glide wherever she walked with her skirts trailing far behind her and birthing laughter the sound of wind chimes. The other spirits were just as beautiful in their own right and seemed to glow under the proper lighting -- as did their money purses. Boku had brewed just enough sake to share with his patrons to give them all the proper buzz for the evening. By the time Boku had found himself walking down a vacant hallway, he was buzzing and loose as a feather taken to a gust of air. The escorts he had trailing behind him were in worse condition than he was. The closer he got to the doors leading into the garden, the louder the voices from a room to his far left became. Curious as a cat in a drunken stooper, he wandered to the doorway and peered inside.
  
  His heart dropped from his chest and it could clearly be seen that his eyes had lost their luster.
  
  Uncertain of what he had beheld within, he quickly fumbled away with his escorts in tow giggling behind him and chanting about something rather sexually explicit. No sooner had he opened the gates to the garden and stepped through into the dampened silt did one of the voices from the bedroom shut the door behind her, a respectable geisha that Boku had come to know over the years in the bathhouse. Perhaps she was trying to cover up for Han and Ushio? Boku, on the other hand, held no bearing to complain or make a comment regarding Han's endeavors considering they no longer held any status together. Even so, why did it feel like an ice pick had been jabbed into his lungs?
  
  Requesting that his escorts give him a moment of rest, he left his bottle of sake to one of the glowing spirits. "Don't leave without a kiss goodbye." He whispered, causing the young spirit to blush profusely and screech to her friend about how taken she is with the Taikomochi. Touching upon the Goddess' brow, Boku promised he wouldn't be long noting the worry in her eyes that seemed to melt at his touch. He needed to clear his head. He longed only for a minute of silence. Wandering within the brush, he took a few steps through the gilded flower garden before he happened upon the backside of Tsu, the Foreman, of which he often teased despite her deep-rooted hatred for the cat. He, on the other hand, found her dismissal vexing. Without another moment's hesitation, deciding to blow off a little steam, he sidling up behind her, wrapping his muscled arms around her waist and breathing deeply into the nape of her neck, the saucer of sake still held firmly in his grasp. His words were crisp and as delicate as the flower she was holding, "Tsu, you didn't have to dress up for me." Clenching at her waist, his fingers trailed sensually across the stomach of her kimono. He prepared himself for retaliation, but in the mean time... "If only these clothes weren't here to stiffen my advance..." A sigh passed from the lips perched against the goosebumps of her neck. " No matter - unwrapping the present can be just as fun as the gift inside."
  
  Before he could dodge anything from the opulent forewoman, he found himself being choked and threatened. Her nails bit into his throat, clenching down as if to kill a man already passed. Obstinate as Boku is careless, he grinned from ear to ear between gasps of breath as if to taunt the woman and her feisty nature. "There's the witc-... I mean, switch. Did it really turn you on that much? I must..." He gurgled in mid-speech, his tail coming to wrap firmly around her wrist. "... be sure to use that line again in the future." Just as her muscles and joints loosened their hold, Boku found himself planted firmly to the ground again, carefree and resilient as ever. His charms evolved around Tsu purposely to sound more like an a** than the gentleman that he was simply because of their love/hate relationship that they shared together. It was a game to Boku, fun in which to pass the time; a game in which he intended to win and eventually beckon the beautiful mistress into his sheets. When she was pissed, he found her even more ravishing. There was something about a woman with spirit. Of course, their encounters were always of a private nature. "I didn't know you liked it rough, Tsu darling. If you had told me presently, I could have accompanied your 'S' with my 'M'."
  
  Despite all of the excitement, Boku had somehow managed to save the sake in his saucer from ultimate savagery. Offering it to Tsu in kindness, who in turn refused it, Boku sipped gingerly at the dish and backed away from the woman's grasp before she could swipe at him again.
  
  "Touch me again and I will not hesitate to mar your pretty face."
  
  "So you think I'm attractive?" He paused in his sipping of the sake and quirked a brow, a smile creasing the folds of his eyes knowingly.
  
  Her arms crossed haughtily, eyebrow mirroring his own. "Perhaps. Though the fact that you are here and not working begs to differ."
  
  Sipping from his saucer with a displaced grin knowing not to push the matter further, Boku's lips quivered in the attempt to keep them grounded. "My job is to entertain, my love." Stepping around the forewoman, his tail accidentally brushes against Tsu's naked leg - a gesture just as bold as the words that followed. "And have I not done just that at your expense? Though if we were to discuss the matter in more detail at the expense of dismissing your rabid flirtations, I'd say that you are the one 'not working' seeing as you are entertaining the Taikomochi."
  
  "See yourself to the guests or I will find a tub for your to clean." Tight-lipped as usual, Tsu turned to walk back toward the house; however, Boku's words were not out of earshot before the woman had disappeared behind the paper curtain.
  
  "I love it when you talk dirty to me, Tsu." He cooed at her exit, tail whipping around his backside. Then, suddenly, a rustle came from a nearby bush and Boku turned to face the perpetrator, fingers shaking in excitement, only to find that his guests had wandered into the garden to meet him. Worried, they said, that he had gotten lost in the darkness.
  
  They weren't far from the truth.
  
  "Come inside, ladies. There is much fun to be had this evening. I do apologize on keeping you waiting." He bowed deeply, arm folded delicately at his waist. "How about we go add some steam to a bath? The group giggled excitedly, clinging to his arms as he escorted them into the warmth of the bathhouse once more.
  
  Nearly an hour had gone by until he had said his farewells to two of ladies on his arms, the bright headed spirits obviously pleased with the services that Boku had provided. The goddess, however, was insistent on a more private venue. With promises that they would have their time alone in her quarters when the night comes to a close, he kept her satiated with other pleasures such as dance and things unmentioned. It wasn't long before Boku had stumbled upon Yuki wandering around in the middle of the main hallways of the baths looking for Rin. "Yuki. I don't believe my mistress has had the pleasure to meet you." He was, of course, referring to the woman on his arm who moved as the wind blew and laughed like that of spring rain. The spirit extended a hand to Yuki, looking down over the bridge of her nose at the boy before whispering something in Boku's ear that made his ears twitch in excitement. A blush soon flushed across his cheeks. Pulling her close to himself, he gestured for her to join another taikomochi in anticipation of their night together. The woman nodded, planting a kiss to his cheek and then a kiss to Yuki's cheek before seeming to float away from the pair. "She is not one for secrets, that one. In any case, is Rin not with you? Is all well?" Boku asked out of concern, kneeling to face the child directly.
  
  In just that instant, his eye caught that of a woman with white horns and jet black hair over the top of Yuki's brow. She was familiar, painfully so, like he had known her personally outside of the bathhouse in another life. Like she was a significant part of his life. It was like an itch he couldn't scratch, an annoyance that ate at him every second he stared at her. Yuki's words soon fell on deaf ears halfway through his speech as Boku rose, seemingly transfixed on the guest who had just arrived, and called out, "Saori?"
  
  It was obvious that Boku was confused. It was obvious that he didn't know why he knew her name with the way his brow wrinkled and his lips parted. With long white hair and robes sailing out behind him as he approached, he stopped a few feet before the woman gently cupping a hand to her cheek as if looking for some semblance of familiarity. His amber eyes pierced her own. It was like a reunion between two lovers at a train station, but one had completely forgotten the contours of the other's face. "Forgive me for being so forward, my lady. I feel that I... know you from somewhere and yet my mind is fogged. It is as if you were of great import to me... I would beg your forgiveness if I am misguided. I know not of how I know your name, but your beauty is truly a marvel and a delicacy that I am profoundly honored to be in the presence of this evening. May I have the pleasure of entertaining you tonight, mistress Saori?"
  
  Glancing down to Yuki, he placed a hand atop his head. Before the lady could answer, Boku continued. "You see, Yuki and I are currently in search of his friend Rin, whom he seems to have lost in the crowd that has gathered. He's like a son to me and I'd hate to leave him in the care of another. I, too, have sake that I have brewed fresh a fortnight past and no one to share it with. Quite the delimma, is it not?" He paused, glancing down to Yuki before peering back up at her with a grin as wide as a Cheshire and eyes downcast into a smile. Gently reaching for her hand, he held it close to his naked chest.
  
  "However, if neither would interest you, perhaps I could show you around the baths? You appear lost and uncertain of your path. I'm sure it would serve purpose to both you and Yuki."
  
  OOC: (boom, babeh, boom~ )
  

[the guillotine queen]

❇◢ ❝ BURY YOUR NAME •• FORGET YOUR FACE❞
xx██████████████████████████████████████████████████
xxxXXXXxx▲ LOCATION ) the gardens • the bathsXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX▲ COMPANY ) San • Boku


It never occurred to Tsu that she might not indeed be alone. The voice that called to her was light and sweet, a voice she did not hear often and could not place on sound alone. San's feet were delicate and seemed to create little sound as they carried the geisha closer to the foreman's side. "Tsu-sama! did you come to compliment the flowers too? They're so pretty aren't they?" Her mouth was pulled to a pretty mouth and her cheeks a rosy sheen. San's pale skin was illuminated by starlight, revealing her to be far more beautiful that Tsu gave her credit. The foreman raked her gaze from head to foot before speaking, "Not quite," she began with a coolness to rival Hanabi,"Tell me San. Is there a guest anywhere in this vicinity?" The smaller spirit bowed her head apologetically and nervously she pieced together her reply with what wit she had, "There is not, Tsu-sama but I assure you I would not be here if i there was work to be had. I am not needed anywhere, as all guests are being tended to and I have not been requested as of yet."

There was truth in her words and Tsu nodded idly, flitting her eyes from the geisha, to the bathhouse, and back again. She was not so impatient as to jump to screams when displeased. Instead, she chose to understand the other being's predicament and she flashed her a lack luster but genuine smile, "I understand girl." San's face reflected little more than shock. Had it been so long since she did anything but glower and command? She chose not to ask as the answer would certainly be one she definitely had no taste to hear, "truly no one?" Tsu asked plainly. She was not searching for lies or groveling. It this was true she would be happy to put San to work and if not, perhaps they could enjoy one another's company to appease her own selfish needs.The geisha smiled back prettily as she echoed, "Yes, Tsu-sama, there is no one."

The foreman crossed a thin arm over her midsection and tapped her chin with a fingernail. "What are your opinions of Lord Hikomune?" Many found the dragon intimidating and no amount of threats would make a terrified geisha dance any better if she were enveloped with fear. To her credit, San instead replied honestly and with little hesitation, "I have only good opinions of Lord Hikomune. he is very knowledgeable and wise." The foreman could not help but swallow envy at further opportunity to throw herself at the dragon's feet. She did not, however, express these feelings. Tsu calmly nodded, "Then attend to his needs. Should he have no interest in you see yourself to your quarters. I'll have your services paid for should he refuse." The dragon was not like to turn away a pretty face but he did not ask for a dance and she could not insist that the geisha sacrifice time she could spend entertaining others with nothing but empty hands to answer for it. The pretty geisha smiled and nodded, thanking Tsu before she took her leave back towards the bathhouse.

As always in a crowded bathhouse, she was never alone long. Tsu could smell the cat when he approached, like dark corners and rats. His hands were upon her and his lips tempted the supple flesh at her throat, "Tsu, you didn't have to dress up for me," he cooed as he gripped her tightly. His breath upon her was warm and moist. It was seductive in its own way but she reminded herself of who and what he was. She tried to ignore him as he spoke, soon growing sick at the heavy scents of sake on Boku's lips. He drawled on, not caring that she hated him, only pushing his needs and wants; as all cats do. In a swift motion, the foreman turned. With one hand she slapped him hard enough to feel a stiffness in her palm. Before he could flee, her fingers gripped tightly at his throat. It was much smoother than she had presumed. "There's the wit-... I mean switch. Did it really turn you on that much? I must be sure to use that line again in the future," as he spoke the taikomochi lifted his smooth white tail. Tightly, he wrapped it about her wrist. It did not hurt but there was a moment of clarity, a voice reminding that what she was doing was wrong. It was not in her nature to cause harm to other spirits. No matter their difference, they were, a way, her kin. "I didn't know you liked it rough, Tsu darling. If you had told me presently, I could have accompanied your M with my S." The foreman composed herself as she allowed his statements to pass in one ear and out he other. She broke her mouth to a handsome smirk. "Touch me again and I will not hesitate to mar your pretty face," she warned him. It was a hollow warning. It would mean nothing and go nowhere - but he did not need to know that.

"So you think my face is pretty"?

Tsu crossed her arms over her breasts, "Perhaps. Though the fact that you are here and not working begs to differ," she raised a brow and caught his gaze with her own. Boku poured himself another drink and continued, his voice heavy and sweet. He was attractive, to be certain, but he was not in anyway intoxicating, no matter how much he wished it. "My job is to entertain, my love," and as he drank, the cat circled her like prey, "and have I not done just that at your expense, his tail moved towards her, running along her leg shamelessly, "though if we were to discuss the matter in more detail at the expense of dismissing your flirtations, I'd say that you are the one 'not working' seeing as you are entertaining the Taikomochi."

"See yourself to the guests or I will find a tub for you to clean," she spat. The foreman did not bother to listen to his taunting further and she was growing red by the time she returned to her post. Tsu resigned herself to remaining in her place until she was required to do more. She was very much, in all ways, done with the evening's events.