"Oh dear me, these are some ugly girls." An elderly woman mentioned.
The three boys who were disguised as girls stood there in a line with the Hashira along side them. An elderly man sat along with the woman with a face of uncertainty. Zenitsu went as 'Zeniko'. Tanjiro as 'Sumiko'. And lastly Inosuke was 'Inoko'.
"Not at our place..." he started. "We just brought a new girl in a few days ago. Sorry."
It was silent for a moment. Until the woman seemed to smile slightly.
"Well, I think one should be okay." The old man looked at the woman with eyes of slight disgust and shock. Shock at the fact that she would even consider purchasing one of them.
"Then I will entrust one of them to you, sorry ma'am." Uzui came in. Using his charming nature to have the woman buy one of the 'ladies'.
"Well how about the one in the middle? She seems really honest."
Tanjiro's face brightened under all that makeup. "I promise to work as hard as I can!"
And just like that, 'Sumiko' was hired.
Sooner or later, they were back on the road again. Uzui's arms were crossed as he pressed his lips into a fine line. A tick mark appearing on his face.
"You guys are so worthless. I can only get away with selling you all for cheap."
"I'm not going to talk to you." Zenitsu huffed.
"You mad because I made you dress like a girl?" Tengen asked. "You all were the ones who said you'd listen to way I say."
That's not it. That's not it at all! It's not the dress or the makeup. It's the fact that you have such a normal male face! Just cut me some damn slack.
Inosuke looked over at something that popped out in the corner of his eyes. People had begun to roam on over to a specific part where many lights illuminated brightly.
Inosuke pointed over. "There's people crowding around there!"
Uzui put a hand above his eyes to see better with everyone in the way. Thankfully with his height he could see slightly better than anyone else.
"Ahh. It's the 'Oiran Parade'. The 'Koinastu Oiran' from the 'Tokito House'."
A beautiful woman walked down the middle of the road. A crowd of people assisting her from behind. A funky decorated oil paper parasol over her head. Two twin girls stood at her sides. A gentle smile crossed her face. Her hair put up in a fashion that no ordinary woman would wear.
"The highest ranked prostitute is going to greet one of her customers. In any case, she's flamboyant. She has a bunch of people following her."
"HUH?! IS THAT BEAUTY YOUR WIFE?! THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH! ARE ALL THREE OF YOUR WIVES THAT BEAUTIFUL!"
This gave Zenitsu a punch to the face in return. Zenitsu had basically gone over the line already for the Pillar.
"SHE'S NOT MY WIFE!"
"Why is she walking so slow?" Inosuke asked. Sticking his finger in his ear without a thought. "She'd be killed instantly in the mountains."
A middle aged woman came forward and peaked down at Inosuke. She then looked up at the Hashira.
"Excuse me, I'd like to take this girl in. I'm part of the 'Ogimoto House'... my eyes don't deceive me."
Uzui's face brightened. "Oh you're from the 'Ogimoto House'! Well thank you for you patronage!"
After that. Inosuke was off with the woman. Uzui waved him off. "Be well, Inoko!"
'Inoko' was hired.
There was a moment of silence between the two. The conversations of people all around erupted in the night. Zenitsu looked up at Uzui for a split second. Then like a brick to the face, his eyes widened.
Oh no! I'm the only one left!
┌───͙⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰•───┐
At the 'Tokito House' in which 'Sumiko' is infiltrating. Tanjiro was busy putting things together and helping around the house. Wrapping things together, putting away, organizing, you name it.
"Sumiko-Chan?" A young woman entered as Tanjiro had just finished folding some clothing. "Could you possibly carry some of that over? It seems we don't have enough helpers..."
"Oh! Koinatsu-Oiran's room, right? I can carry that over!" He beamed brightly. Grabbing the things needed to carry directly to the Oiran, Koinatsu.
"You really work hard, Sumiko-Chan. Thank you."
"Of course! I'm happy to do the work!"
Tanjiro then lifted all of the things and jogged on down the hall. As if carrying the things over his shoulders was a piece of cake. The two women watched in astonishment.
"She's... really strong."
"Yes, she is."
He walked along down the room looking down each hallway and door that would be opened. Trying to find where exactly Koinatsu-Oiran's room was.
He wandered the halls until he heard small whispers being exchanged in the next up coming room to his right. He peaked inside and saw two small girls holding hands over their mouths. Trying to cover what exactly they were saying.
"I heard that the hostess of the 'Kyougoku House' fell from a window and died. How frightening, we have to be careful." One of them whispered. "There are a lot of ladies who 'lose their footing' and disappear. It's scary!"
"What do you mean lose their footing?" Tanjiro interjected the conversation with a smile on his face.
"Whoa Sumi-Chan!" Exclaimed he of the girls in shock. "You don't know?"
"That's a lot of baggage!"
Tanjiro set them down and watched the girls while doing so. "They're all presents for Koinatsu-Oiran."
"So what we mean by 'losing footing', it means running away from here without paying your debts. If they find you, bad things are sure to happen." One of the girls explained.
Tanjiro looked down with a sort of sorrowful expression. "Oh... I see."
"Some say they ran off with their loved ones." The other one said. Putting a finger up onto her chin. "Even a few days ago, Suma-Oiran..."
Suma! That's one of Uzui-san's wives!
The door behind them slid open slowly as that same woman who walked down the street appeared at the door. One corner of her lips in a small frown.
"We shouldn't be spreading rumors." She started. "Nobody truly knows whether they really ran away or not."
The girls bowed their heads to the Oiran at the door. She then looked over at Tanjiro and smiled elegantly.
"Thank you carrying these. It helps me a lot."
"Of course!" Tanjiro grinned back widely.
"Come." The woman said. She went into her pocket and pulled out something wrapped in paper. She opened it to find small balls in the middle. "Here, have some candy."
Tanjiro held out his hand as the Oiran filled his hands with candy in appreciation for his hard work. The other girls came up and begged for some candy as well. She gave them some as well.
"Did Suma-Oiran really lose her footing?!" Tanjiro asked questionably. The Oiran stopped and looked at him. An eyebrow raised in certain doubt and curiosity.
"Why would you ask me that?"
Oh crap! Tanjiro thought. She's being vigilant. I have to ask her about this. Uhmm—
"Suma-Oiran is my— my—"
He hated this.
"My older sister." He lied. He never lied. How could he? His face scrunched up as if in literal physical pain. It was too much to bear for the poor boy. When he lies, he can never make a normal face. The two girls including the Oiran made horrified faces.
Koinatsu-Oiran hestitated for a moment, then decided to ask, "And you were sold here after your sister was?"
"Yes. W...We we're constantly exchanging letters."
This is way too painful for me! Even back at the market it took a lot in me to force that big lie out to the guy who harassed Y/n. I was lucky that day...
Tanjiro sighed deeply and collected himself. He looked up at the Oiran.
"Is that so?" She asked. She slightly tilted her head to the side. "I honestly never thought Suma-Chan would loose her footing either. She was a very gutsy girl. She never acted conceited with the boys. But, we did find her diary... and she said that she lost her footing in it. I haven't heard of her getting caught, so it'd be nice if she escaped."
Tanjiro narrows his eyes slightly in thought. A convenient story for the demon to fall for! That way, people would think that she had fled the district. The diary I bet was a false lead on her.
I hope that she's safe. We'll save you no matter what. Be careful Suma-Chan!
┌───͙⊱••✩••̩̩͙⊰•───┐
In the dark of the night, the city was bright. Lights shown like a million diamonds engraved in a beautiful necklace. The houses and streets continued to bust with life all around. Upon a roof sat the Sound Hashira as his beaded hair strands jangled and flowed slowly with the wind.
Nothing's out of the ordinary today. He thought. The really aren't showing their tails at all. Clever I'll admit...
However, Tengen Uzui took his right hand and placed it under his chin in thought as he watched the people walk below. I have a bad feeling, but I clearly can't sense any demons whatsoever. It's like they are veiled in a thick layer of smoke! They can disguise themselves so well... so plainly. Maybe the demons perhaps hangs around here.
An upper moon demon? Well, if that's the case, we may end up flamboyantly 'killing one another'.