Dare As Long as it's Good for Business

[Reira]

In the city's center of Caldo Rohn, every building was painted with a bright, colorful roof. The shingles glowed faintly beneath the Mother's rings. Reira had skipped eating all day, and regarded unimpressed the inn with a big iron horse rearing majestically outside. White splotches of bird shit marred the beauty of the old iron, getting stuck in the nostrils and on the wild mane. She would have never let her staff ignore the stone statues of lions ever face the same fate as the horses.

A savory, warm smell greeted the three women as they stepped inside. An aftertaste of something nutty lingered there, big fire in the hearth, roaring as more wood was tossed it's way. Wall lanterns kept shadows to a minimum, a large wooden chandelier with dozen of fat white candles was burning above everyone towards the center of the room. There were no rugs on the floor and every spill of gravy or ale could be seen on the floor. A drunk bard played a round, heavy instrument that reminded Reira of a large shamisen, the plucking of strings strangely offkey and yet not entirely awful.

Reira let her heartbeat twice before deciding that the Belladonnas were a group of criminals that had no manners, she had been intrigued when they reached out about a mutually benefitting offer. The offer was almost too good to refuse, a new market for Reira to dip her sharp fingers into, the chance to be at the forefront of a substance that was guaranteed success. They had hired a good translator, too, Reira had admired the neat writing almost more than what the words promised, magic frogs that cured inner thoughts with just a lick.

Then they had met the representative. Reira had made sure to show them as much hospitality as her usual, trusted, long-term suppliers. For eight days and eight nights, Reira had purposefully lavished with experiences and excitements to show just how serious she was, happy to see the representative wobble back onto the airship. Everything had turned out well, a letter to meet, an agreement, then the place and date.

So why not have one of the underlings waiting right in front of the door to lead her into whatever dank back room they had chosen. Another heartbeat, and before either of the sisters could begin voicing their concerns, Reira walked straight through the inn and began searching for the back room.

"Um, what are you doing?" A timid female voice asked. Reira turned away from the door she had just opened, seeing a tall blonde with long braids holding onto plateware tight against her chest for balance.

"We have a meeting with a Miss Cynthia, she said she had reserved a room." Reira answered easily, the woman's invisible brows shooting up high into her hairline, surprised at how flawless the common tongue was spoken.

"O-oh, then it's the next one, Miss....?" Only a nod towards the blonde and Anju and Anzu stepped forward, shielding Reira from their gaze. Anzu opened the door, letting Reira slip into the room first. The table was small and round with mismatched wooden stools circling around it. With a small shake of her head, Reira took her seat, facing the door. She watched the big white candle in the middle of the table slowly melt, the flame flickering light around them.

Minutes passed, too many for Reira's liking. It was only natural to ask Anju and Anzu to start investigating what was going on. Not much timed had passed before Anju knocked on the door

"Kumiro," Anju dipped her head. "We've found the Belladonna's representative."

"Is that so? Then why are they not in front of me?"

"Because she's dead."

Not long after, the women had left the room, standing outside the inn to talk in hushed voices. The cold night air bit all their cheeks, noses and lips until they were red and raw.

 

[Zhou Ren]

“ Something is afoot, Hui. “

The youth across from him at the table stopped rearranging the toppings of his plate, some excellent roasted potatoes, lofting his look to attention in a hm that hiked the brows up. Ren kept his stare at the other end of the room, tracing the departure of three persons, and Hui did so in turn, wearily curious. It had been a long damn day, alright.

“ They came in, all dressed up and with that strange dynamic about them, beelining for the back — “ He pointed the stem of his pipe at the direction. “ More strange stomping around and now they’re leaving of a sudden. No regular business, that. “
“ Master needs to stop spying on people. “ Hui declared sidelong, going back to his dinner. This was considered for a total of five seconds, the time it took for him to pull a leveling mouthful of smoke. He exhaled through the nose, forcefully, glaring past his shoulder at the front door.

“ I can smell the Shonsanese bath salts from here. “
“ I miss home too. “ Hui lamented, hanging his head, so genuine the boy sounded about ripe to start weeping into his meal. Fucks’ sake, not again.

“ Get yourself some more potatoes. “ He interjected, tossing his little purse at the lad. It was caught with one hand, at an enviable reaction time and a clink that was growing faint.

“ Where is Master going? “ Hui countered with alarm, watching him rotate on the bench, throwing both legs over it. Nimble as a dormouse.

“ To ask the innkeep for a lantern. I long to look for an honest man. “

If Hui argued, he didn’t hear it, having already walked the opposite way for the door.

*​

The old hinges creaked twicefold as he stepped on out, with subdued gusto and a pipe dangling off the side of his mouth in that lazy ‘minding-my-own-damn-business’ way. A performance believable enough to convince an earthworm. Hells — They’d give him an award for it!

The people he was hopefully not too obviously after were still outside, huddled together to whisper to one another. Probably some juicy gossip, but for all the cold and his straining to hear, while pretending to zone out at the passing air, he couldn’t make out much anything at all. Just the lilt in their speech.

I knew it. He exhaled more smoke, lips bowing up with self-satisfaction. And some fondness.

“ Countrymen! “ He called out in Aetochi, with a skyward nod for greeting.

“ You appear troubled. Has this quaint little Kingdom let you down? “

 

[Reira]

Anju and Anzu were quick in their gimlet glance towards the door, deciding that whoever stepped out did not have the aura of a killer. There was the way they held their pipe between dark lips, the sway of his shoulders as he stepped to another side of the yard. It was far enough that they didn't worry much, lowering their voices even lower which Reira picked up on. She was doing less of the talking, more of the listening, weighing options and probabilities in her head.

She tried not to be a gambling woman, there was a difference in taking a risk and relying entirely on luck. The truth was that Cynthia was dead, and had been dead before the women entered the inn. Anju had assessed that there had been a scuffle, small and unnoticeable to not cause enough of a racket for someone to check in on the noise. A chair had been knocked over, a pillow of straw sliced open.

Cynthia, on the blood, throat sliced but yellow foam at the corner of her lips. Poison, surely, then why the need to cut open the woman's throat and wrap her in a blanket? No belongings of Cynthia could be found. Theft? Or was it made to be implied that Reira had attacked the representative?

The small man called out to them, making his presence known.

His horns and tusks were cute, if he were red instead of blue Reira would have happily snatched him up and packed him into her travel case to bring back to Sonshan as a clerk or personal assistant. She liked the idea of having a short, round-faced man that looked close to the devil masks she hung on her walls following after her, needing to take thrice as many steps as her to keep up. Would make a good meat shield, too, if things every got violent which they often did.

Alas, the horned man was blue, the sort of blue that Reira had hated as a little girl. Not his fault, of course, to be enemy colors with only two small yet deeply inquisitive rubies for eyes.

Anzu looked ready to charge forward, Anju had already taken a step. Reira called both women back. There was no need to rough up a man out in the open. Back home they could get away with it, a quick grab and then a drag towards someplace quiet and dark, all bystanders quick to pretend they saw nothing. If they were being framed for a murder - a possibility, perhaps a rival who wished to ruin relationships so they could profit from it was never out of the question - then hands needed to be kept clean.

"It seems you have spent much time here," Reira gave a smile as weak as a broth without umami, not fit to give to esteemed guests. "Yet, you speak our tongue with the drawl I've heard from merchants in the Northern lands of Aetochi." As she walked towards him, the chill of the mountain winds bit into her high cheekbones, hair as black as Hemoshi ink spreading out behind her. She saw the jade on his belt.

"I suppose manners from our Mothers are not needed here." Still, she bowed her head towards him, letting the traditions stay in Aetochi. When she raised her head back, Anzu and Anju had also bowed behind her, only lifting when Reira spoke again. Good. It was easier to catch flies with honey than vinegar. "You must be familiar with Caldo Rohn if you're able to stomach their food. Is your time for sale, my fateful stranger? I need a guide."

 

[Zhou Ren]

He stood firm, despite the strange shift of pressure in the air when all three pairs of eyes landed on him. Danger, like ice in the veins, landing leaden to the pit of one’s stomach. Kind of thrilling. His mouth worked around the stem as he kept puffing smoke, lips bent into a polite smile. Presumptions were being made and he had nothing against them.

For her he’d be anything she fancied, for the time being. The bow he responded with one of his own, straight backed and angled from the hip, eyes down, the lightest click of jade and silver following movement.

“ Manners are needed wherever people have need of them. Corrals the spirit. “ He countered diplomatically, craning his neck gradually as the woman approached, turning out taller than he had anticipated from previous distance. His leisurely stare remained quarantined to the minutia of her face, taking in details, reading the ripples of the pond as she spoke. Her mouth was quite pleasant in shape, specifically for the slight downturn of it’s overall line that must’ve lent devilishly to any which scowl.

A queer little whisper of a giggle bounced around within his mouth, first at the speak of Caldo Rohnian food and then the ‘fateful stranger’ moniker. Cute and fitting for him, he had to assume.

“ Then guide is what you will get, my generous stranger. “ He nodded firmly, opting to not get clever about the rest. The look about the two hovering behind the tall woman was something of a subduing factor when it came to needless corrective remarks. I do not sell my time like some tenant farmer to his lord, I sell my talents.

“ Where have you the need to go? “

 

[Reira]

Despite his corpulent body the man was flexible. Lips curved up slightly, dark lined eyes turning into twin crescent moons, pleased at his bow. It was deeper than hers, the respect could be seen. The smoke from the man's pipe didn't tickle her nose, Reira had grown up in back rooms filled with sweet and acrid smoke, the scent of opium heavy within corners, candlelight revealing the curvature of smoke, a dance no mortal could ever hope to replicate, only poorly mimic. She didn't pull out her own pipe to join him, business first, always.

"I'll show you," Reira answered, using a single twitch of her forefinger to beckon to Anju and Anzu to come to her side. Both women moved quick and silent, their sandals soft against the snow. "But first, back to the inn. Grab him." It was Anju that moved first, or perhaps she was faster than Anzu. Regardless, her hand found the shorter man's shoulder, the weight of muscle heavy with promise.

"Be gentle with him." Reira chided with the gentle cadence of the Aetochan tongue caressing the length of her throat, "he is be to our guide, treat him as a friend." She had stepped close to him, giving him a look that belonged to a pet owner. "Which means we must introduce ourselves. Since you are a friend you may call me Reira. And I shall call you...?" She stepped forward, Anju matched her step. Anzu was heading to the wooden door to open it. They passed the shit-covered horse, warm firelight spilled out to the blue-black cold the winter seasons brought.

"To that room you found her." Reira said to Anzu who was more than happy to take the lead once they stepped inside the inn. No one paid them much attention, the inn keep's gaze hardly flickering towards them, only a cursory glance to confirm they were paying customers. Up, up, up the wooden stairs they went, pace brisk with purpose and then a quick left, down the hall that looked exactly like the right. Anzu knew the door, opening it up unceremoniously to reveal the body wrapped in stained sheets, faced graciously covered.

Door softly clicked against the doorframe, trapping the four of them with a ghost and it's body. Inside the room was just as cold as outside despite being on the side above the great room with the fire. Candle fought futile against the creeping of shadows filled with the night.

"This is my dilemma, and now yours too if we're caught since you'll be considered wicked in some way, these sorts of places always have the strangest justice system." Reira pulled out her own pipe now, smaller and thinner, expertly crafted with an intricate engraving. Anzu lit it with a easy twirl of her clawed finger. "So, people who do things of this manner and get away with it, where do they go? That's where I want you to take me. And like I said, you'll be paid handsomely."