"Yoshi, are you sure about this? This outfit probably doesn't look good on me."
"I have to see it to answer that, Crim. Come out," Yoshi encouraged.
I sighed and slowly stepped out from behind the divider of the store’s changing section to show Yoshi what I meant.
We were headed to the market section of Nokamato to try and get some information from the women who worked in those parts. Many of the women did maid and private services for men as their primary source of income.
I couldn't judge their choices because it was difficult to get a stable job. Unless you were a strong individual with magic or fighting skills, a regular job without higher education was almost impossible to obtain, and it was even harder for females. We hadn't reached a time where women were equal, but thanks to people like my mother and Storm Yuna's influence, things were beginning to change. It was just a matter of time before such change was universal.
Yoshi glanced up from the catalog he was thumbing through and his eyes grew wide. I glanced at the mirror on my left to see the finished look.
I was wearing an orange kimono designed with pink cherry blossoms. The ribbon around my waist was pink and formed a large bow at the back. The sleeves were long and outlined with white and the silk material of the kimono reached my ankles. My feet were in wooden-soled shoes known as geta, which were surprisingly comfortable despite their painful appearance.
I'd gotten my hair done at the salon next door. They had added black and silver extensions before putting my hair up in a ponytail accessorized with several orange, white and pink flowers.
My makeup was flawless with super-shock pink eyeshadow that was blended with a glittering orange, and a thin line of eyeliner that accented my eyes. It was topped off with some mascara, a light shade of pink blush, and a pink matte lipstick. I fit the style we were trying to go for, but I didn't think I was as perfect as the Japanese women in magazines.
Maybe it was the fact that I didn't dress up very often, so that when I did, I felt weird and out of place.
I realized Yoshi hadn't said anything while I was analyzing my appearance and I turned to see his flushed expression. When his eyes met mine, his cheeks grew redder and he looked away nervously.
"Do you like it?" I asked, unsure about his reaction.
Yoshi's sapphire eyes returned to take in my appearance from head to toe and I noticed the increase of gold lines in those bright irises that were dilated. He got to his feet and moved over to me, giving me a second to appreciate his perfect appearance.
He wore a blue kimono with gold cranes patterned across the bottom portion. His hair was tied in a bun. His gold silk belt was tied off using black rope in the front. He wore a sword to his side and he also had on geta shoes like me, but in black.
He stood before me and his expression softened as a dazzling smile formed on his smooth, pink lips. He lifted his hands to cradle my face as he looked down at me.
"You're so beautiful, Crimson."
His words were so husky and seductive that I almost forgot to breathe. I never knew a compliment could have such an effect on me until now.
He leaned down and ever so gently pressed his lips to mine. The kiss ended just as quickly and he grinned down at me as I pouted, unable to hide my disappointment.
"I'll ruin your lipstick if I were to kiss you like I really wanted, Crim," he purred and again, I had to tell my brain to focus and attempt to calm my racing heart.
"I suppose that’s a valid excuse...for now," I mumbled.
Yoshi chuckled, pressing his hands on my shoulders and motioned for me to face the mirror. He leaned in to whisper in my ear, "What do you see, Crim?"
"Um. Well me...and you, in super fancy clothing and well, you’re really hot," I said the last part by accident, mentally cursing myself and my brain that was dealing with 'attractive overload syndrome.’
"Thank you, but you're missing one thing," he pointed out.
"I am? What did I miss?" I looked back at our reflection and analyzing each aspect of my appearance.
"You didn't acknowledge the strong and stunning woman in the mirror that I get the pleasure of sharing the evening with," Yoshi whispered. His lips pressed against my neck as his hands slid from my shoulders to settle on my waist.
I let out a soft moan and closed my eyes.
"Yoshi...we're in public," I reminded, my voice barely audible.
"I'm aware, Crim. But you're making it hard." The words were a breath against my flesh.
I wish these men knew how they affected me. Their soft kisses and loving natures were making it hard for me to take things slow. It's not like I wanted to move slow, but I was afraid to fuck something up with this new type of relationship.
His arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me back into an embrace.
"Tonight, I want you to enjoy yourself. Don't think about it as a job, but more like a date, and most importantly, try to have fun."
I opened my eyes to meet his gaze in the mirror and nodded. "Hai."
He pulled away, but waited for me to turn around before he offered his hand and gave me a half bow.
"Will you enjoy a pleasant evening with me, my Crimstorm?" Yoshi asked politely.
I loved that he used my nickname which I felt represented me better than my surname. "I'd be honored," I replied, placing my hand in his as we shared a look.
"Let's enjoy tonight," he encouraged with a smile.
"I'll get us something to drink," Yoshi announced.
I nodded and watched him walk away to the food booths. I looked up at the starry sky and took a moment to admire the beautiful lanterns and lights decorating the marketplace.
I'd never come down to the markets during the night and never expected it to be as lively as it was during the day. Woman of all ages roamed the streets in groups or with their companions in similar traditional attire, ranging from kimonos to two-piece suits in a similar silky material.
The time had flown by and we had already been there for three hours without any issues. I had noticed the tension in the air, however. I could feel the nervous atmosphere that lingered throughout the marketplace and it was hard to not let it affect the mood.
I was glad Yoshi was with me tonight because he made me feel safe. His presence along with his hand that was either grasping mine or relaxed on my waist when we stopped to window shop, made me feel more at ease. But I could see why many of the women tried to huddle in groups and stay close to one another. Even the obvious prostitutes stood in groups of three or four, even if they knew only one of them would be able to snag a good companion for the night.
I closed my eyes and took a calming breath. I noticed a few men staring in my direction, but I did my best to ignore them. Yoshi would return before long and I had hidden a knife and a pair of swords behind my bow just in case.
This could have been a part of Yoshi's plan to study everyone’s behavior and look for suspicious activity and I just had to try and roll with it.
I opened my eyes to see a beautiful woman approach me. "Is this spot taken?" she asked softly.
I shook my head. "Nope, it’s free." I gave her a sweet smile. She smiled and sat down next to me. She looked to be about 6'1" and had long light brown hair. Her eyes were black, but they didn't look like her natural eye color and I suspected she had on contacts. She wore a gold kimono with white lilies. Her hair was curled and left down which complimented her oval face and heart-shaped lips that were adorned with clear gloss.
She noticed my curious gaze and smiled. "You shouldn't sit alone for too long in these parts," she said in a hushed tone.
I smiled, looking back at the group of men that appeared irritated by this woman's new arrival. "I agree with you. I didn't think my boyfriend would take so long," I confessed.
"I’m Melody," she introduced.
"Crimstorm," I nodded in greeting.
"I haven't seen either of you in these parts. Are you new in the area?" Melody inquired.
"You can say that. My boyfriend is new to the area and I wanted to come down to look around," I explained.
"Ah. I guess he's unaware of the crime that's going on in these parts of Nokamato?" she suggested.
I shook my head in disagreement. "He's aware. But we can't live in fear because of people trying to rebel and take advantage of the Council's lack of involvement. I heard the Emperor is working on a way to improve everything that is going on," I explained.
"I've heard that too. You know, none of us have seen his son in a few years. It would be nice for him to intervene on his father's behalf. The level of violence here is appalling," Melody shook her head.
"I agree with you," I replied.
I was such a hermit when it came to politics that it was hard for me to offer anything else on the subject. If it wasn't for everything going on with Storm's case, I wouldn't bother trying to figure out what was going on in our city or worry about finding more information on the Council.
It just reminded me that my father chose his position over me, his child and supposedly future heir. Though, I doubt he'd leave me anything of his to inherit, since I was human.
"You remind me of her,” Melody announced suddenly.
I turned to see her sad eyes and I tilted my head in confusion. "Look like who?" I asked for clarification.
"Storm Yuna," she replied with a sad smile. She returned to watch the people wandering around. "She was such an inspiration to many women here. We watched her grow into a strong woman who didn't take nonsense from anyone. To think she was murdered...it’s an absolute shame. There's no way she would have died if it was a fair fight."
"You think they used some sneaky tactic to lure her into something?" I questioned while trying to keep my cool. Just the reminder of my death and the pity and frustration surrounding it pained the part of me I assumed harnessed Storm's essence.
"I know. I saw them," Melody whispered.
I gawked at her and quickly scanned the area to see if anyone was close enough to hear our conversation.
"Do you speak Yamato Kotoba?" Melody queried.
I smirked, giving her a slow nod. I personally didn't speak it, but at the mention of the old Japanese language, Storm's power kicked in and it was like a door of knowledge opened up.
"Your boyfriend? He must have a brother right? That worked for Storm? He looks just like one of her guards," Melody asked in the ancient language.
"He's related to him, yes," I replied in the same tongue, playing along.
She nodded. "A woman can tell. You can always tell if someone has an authoritative aura around them."
"What does he have to do with anything? I mean Storm's guards?" I asked.
"Well, they were always with her. She was here for a few days and had come down to the markets plenty of times to greet us and discuss bringing peace. That night, however, none of her usual guards were there,” Melody revealed.
She took a deep breath. "I'd approached her and asked if they were away or something and I even advised it wasn't safe for her to be here. She had two new guards with her, but their auras were off. They didn't look like guards from Homatomashi and they just gave off weird vibes. I didn't understand how she didn't feel it, but she said they had a meeting and she didn't want to delay her plans by talking," Melody explained.
"What happened after that?' I asked, on the edge of my seat.
"She said she'd be okay, but then she walked into a building and was in there for a long time. I stayed near the area for as long as I could, until the streets were completely empty. I decided to leave for my own personal safety, but before I went, I noticed the men walk out, but Storm Yuna wasn't with them."
I was silent as I swallowed the lump in my throat and my hands clenched into fists.
"I don't know where I got the courage to investigate...but, I stayed and searched through the complex, but couldn't find where she was. I wanted to do more digging, but then the owner of the building came saying he was about to close up for the night. I explained to him that Storm Yuna had entered here, but had not left yet, so we began to search together and well..." she trailed off.
"You found her," I finished, trying to control my anger.
"I don't know why I'm telling you this. It's stupid of me really. I wanted to wait for the authorities and give my testimony, but then Mr. Arashi and the other Council members showed up and took over. I assumed they would have caught the culprit long before now. Guess I was foolish." She sighed and I noticed tears beginning to pool in her eyes.
I could imagine the guilt she felt at not giving her statement to the authorities. But it wouldn't have made a difference with the Council involved. They would have thrown the testimony under the rug like they were trying to do with Storm's murder.
"If you could provide your statement to the Emperor of Homatomashi, would you?" I stared into her glossy eyes.
She blinked and I noticed the hesitation in her eyes, but a second later I saw courage as she nodded her head. "I would. Storm deserves justice. If we can find who those guards were, we'd be one step closer to catching her killers. I was too far away to get a real good look, but one of the guys had a tattoo on his face," she confessed.
Tattoo? On his face? For some reason, the thought made my head begin to pound and I bit my lip. I noticed the group of men in the corner begin to approach our table. Melody’s body went rigid and I saw fear in her eyes.
I placed my hand on hers and turned, narrowing my eyes at a plump man, who from what I had seen, appeared to be the leader of the group. He stood before us with a smug look on his face that made me want to roll my eyes.
"Shouldn't you maids be working and not sitting around idly?" the man asked as his eyes glanced over my body hungrily.
I tilted my head and gave him a sweet smile. "The last time I checked, I owned my body and can do whatever I want with it. That includes sitting and enjoying this peaceful evening with my friend," I spoke with false cheer, continuing my innocent act.
The man frowned and kissed his teeth in annoyance. "Why don't you be a good little whore and I'll make sure your night ends on a more pleasurable note," the man countered.
I opened my mouth to speak, but noticed the man suddenly grow tense as he straightened his back.
"Or you can move away from my woman before I skin you alive for the world to see what happens when I see such unacceptable behavior," Yoshi's cold voice demanded.
The people walking past were all staring and some scurried further away to watch from a distance. The man slowly looked over to Yoshi, whose eyes were practically gold, unlike their usual gentle sapphire appearance. I could feel the power vibrating off his skin in waves and my body shivered as if I was the one in trouble and not this sleazebag.
"My apologies, Sir. I didn't mean to insult your partner." The man shook with fear as he answered.
"Good. You should also apologize to the woman next to my partner who you tried to shame," Yoshi suggested sternly.
"Shazai itashimasu," the man apologized and bowed.
I doubt he would have done so willingly, if not for the sheath of Yoshi's sword pressing against his back.
"Now you and your friends can go enjoy the evening elsewhere," Yoshi commanded.
The man looked pissed, but slowly turned and bowed his head in agreement before walking back to his crew of men. After a moment, they all began to head toward the exit of the market.
I sighed in relief and Melody squeezed my hand. "Arigato gozaimashita.”
"It's no problem,” I reassured her. I turned my attention to Yoshi. “Yoshi, welcome back."
He gave me a prideful smile as he attached his sword to his waist. "You two okay?" he questioned.
"Yes," I replied, looking at Melody.
She bobbed her head quickly. "Thank you, sir."
Yoshi nodded and I decided to take the opportunity to explain to him what Melody had revealed, but we needed to move to a more private area. Yoshi met my stare for a few seconds before he seemed to understand my inner debate.
"Crimstorm, I thought maybe we could go eat at the private restaurant that's at the end of the food booths. I wouldn't mind if your friend comes along," Yoshi suggested.
I glanced at Melody who looked hesitant, but I nodded at her reassuringly. She seemed to understand and gave us a smile. "I'd love to join."
"Excellent. Melody, this is Yoshi,” I introduced, using his shortened name.
"Nice to meet you." Yoshi bowed.
"It's a pleasure. I know your brother did an amazing job as a guard for Storm Yuna. It must be nice to be a part of a family who's committed to justice," Melody complimented.
Yoshi smiled and his eyes met mine, curiosity in his gaze.
I gave him a sheepish grin and stood up, sliding my hand in his. "Why don't we head there now? I'm starving."
"Certainly," Yoshi replied. "This way."
I sighed in relief as I dragged my feet. I was exhausted and couldn't wait to get home and strip out of this outfit. This was worse than wearing a bra all day.
"You okay, Crim?" Yoshi asked. He tugged at my hand as he stopped.
I turned to face him and retreated to give him a hug. His body was tense for a few seconds before he relaxed and returned the embrace.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"I didn't do anything." He looked at me in confusion.
"You stopped Melody from being taken advantage of. You didn't do it in a bold or showy manner, but in a way that everyone acknowledged it without the situation blowing up. You showed an example of someone standing up for another in need which is something many people forget or are too cowardly to do. It's because of that Melody is gonna help us." There was pride in my voice as I spoke.
Melody had explained everything to Yoshi who I hadn’t known spoke Yamato Kotoba. She explained things in even greater detail and again brought up the tattooed individual.
She wasn't able to see their eye or hair color because it was far too dark, but she hoped once she saw the Emperor they could get a hypnosis artist involved to have a sketch made.
"That was only because you talked with her and were willing to defend her even before my arrival. Don't go giving me all the credit," Yoshi hummed as he rubbed my back.
I looked up at him and he pressed his forehead against mine. "I hope this works out," he confessed.
I heard the vulnerability in his voice. "It will. I know it will. Storm must have intervened somehow to bring Melody to us. Either that or the ancestors are in favor of the change we’re trying to achieve," I comforted.
He nodded. "Yes. Change has to happen. The tension alone in that place was palpable. I can't imagine shopkeepers working in such conditions and the poor women who have to work and run the risk of being ganged up on and raped when they’re out alone," Yoshi said with disgust.
I nodded in agreement. From day one, I admired his dedication to helping bring peace and tranquility to Nokamato. It wasn't his duty, yet he took it so seriously.
Now with Melody's assistance, Yoshi would be able to make a new plan to ensure Melody's safety on her way to meet the Emperor to deliver the information. This could potentially be our only chance at figuring out who killed Storm Yuna and who authorized it to begin with. It filled me with a sense of accomplishment for being able to help get us one step closer.
"I hope once we figure this all out, we can help bring peace to all of Homatomashi," I whispered.
Yoshi grinned and nodded. "Me too," he replied before kissing me.