𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑩𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒍𝒚 (𝑲𝒖𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒂𝒌𝒊) 𝑬𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 »« 𝙱𝙻𝙴𝙰𝙲𝙷/ᴋɴʏ

xviii.

    "Hello~ pretty boy!" A courtesan leans over the railing with a beckoning wave. "Come on up and play with me!"

  Shion glances up before focusing on Erika walking in front of him. Another courtesan runs her nails over his scalp when he passes by, calling him to follow her.

  "He's so pretty!" A kamuro exclaims with a kimono sleeve covering his mouth. "I wonder which House will take him..."

  "It must be the Hanae House. Erika-sama is with him!" A woman whispers back with an excited gleam in her eyes.

  Shion deftly avoids a splatter across the dirt road looking suspiciously like some kind of dark liquid, or blood. He idly watches while more and more courtesans slowly focus on him, the whispers growing more and more.

  "New people staying are... rare," Erika speaks, smiling over her shoulder towards the demon slayer.

  Shion raises an eyebrow, but doesn't question the somewhat vague answer. Erika hums in amusement at the accepting silence.

  "Madame Rhoswen owns the Hanae House. If you wish for information for this mission of yours, pretty, she will give it to you... for a price," Erika continues while facing forward.

  Shion clicks his tongue in thought, looking to his right when he hears rapid footsteps. A child, much too skinny and sickly, ran right into his side, bouncing back and landing harshly against the ground. Lavender gray eyes snap up with dirty hands gripping around an old loaf of bread, hugging it close to their chest. Shion blinks before he begins to lower his hand, quickly stopping when the sickly child flinches away.

  The child snaps their head over their shoulder when loud shouting starts from where they ran from. They scramble up and start to sprint through the debauched crowds as two men suddenly push their way through.

  One of them points at the running child with a snarl. "You thieving bitch!"

  Shion narrows his eyes before he sighs softly and casually kicks his leg out when the two men start to run past him. They fall over each other with surprised shouts. The child disappears into the crowds, successful in their thievery.

  "Hmph." Shion hides a smile and faces forward once more.

  "Come along, Shion-chan." Erika stood a few feet in front of Shion, hiding her mouth with one of her kimono sleeves with bemusement glittering in her eyes.

  "Madame Rhoswen is in here." The courtesan waves a hand towards the building to her right. Shion tilts his head back and inspects the Hanae House.

  The black irimoya roof was outstretched a bit farther than a normal irimoya to hang lavish, flower patterned silks of different colors and red lanterns. The shoji doors on the second floor were all opened and koto and singing rang out in harmonious disharmony.

  Shion inclines his head silently and follows the courtesan guiding him. He looks around for anything, or anyone, familiar. He isn't expecting to find anyone he knows, knowing how inconceivably large Soul Society is, but it's not impossible.

  Erika floats through the curtains of her House, easily striding through the hall like she owned the place. The few courtesans inside glanced her way, some even stepping out of her path, before glancing at Shion.

  "She must be the tayū here," Shion thinks, not really surprised by the possibility. Erika is confident in her opinion that Shion would be completely protected with her guiding him. She must be popular and respected. Or feared.

  Shion does not mind the silence as they continue to walk further into the Hanae House. He mentally takes note of the number of twists and turns they take before reaching a set of extravagantly decorated fusuma doors. Shion pauses at the sight of the decoration.