The imperial capital was a beautiful pce, though the single word hardly did it justice. The Radiant City, some called it; even after night fell, the pace at its heart remained a gleaming gold beacon, and the streetlights glowed warmly until dawn rendered them unnecessary.

  Yet for all the light, some pces still fell in shadow; and perhaps the darkness was that much more oppressive for it. Or maybe, Aoi thought grimly, that's just my perspective as someone who put herself at a disadvantage through simple carelessness.

  The Radiant City wasn't considered an unsafe pce, generally speaking. There were lights, after all, and guards too. And there were back alleys that connected behind all the shops and other establishments, if for example a dy of discretion found it necessary to alter her previously pnned route to avoid unwanted attention. But lights could be extinguished, guards distracted or bribed, and back alleys - as it turned out - barred by locked wooden gates. Or other things, of course; but a gate was what her back was presently up against.

  It was easy to bme herself at a time like this. All the little things she had to do to take care of herself, to stay out of trouble and to avoid unwanted attention. She should've done something else, she could've done this instead of that. But no. The guilt lies squarely on the aggressor, not the victim, Aoi reminded herself firmly, maintaining her calm the best she could as she looked at the two men slowly and ominously approaching her.

  One tall, one short. Both had short and otherwise unremarkable hair; not exactly a fashionable cut, but certainly a common one. There wasn't much light to work with, so all she could tell for sure was that they were neither nobles nor beggars - just a pair of men meant to be forgotten and hard to pce. And they don't smell like roses, either. Saki would turn them away at the door, she mused. Or perhaps she already did, and that's why they're here for a private chat, where they don't have to pay for it, or be denied.

  "I don't have any money for you gentlemen to take," she said, softly but firmly.

  "Ah, but a dy like you always has something in reserve, doesn't she?" the short one returned, his voice as sly and weaselly as she'd expected. The taller man just snorted derisively and refrained from commenting.

  To be fair, Aoi did have something - four inches of finely forged steel that came to a needle-sharp point, a bde she kept concealed in her robe. One she was gently wrapping her hand around even now. It was a st resort; spilling blood in the capital streets, even the back ones, came with problems of its own. But she would do what she had to, just like always.

  "Oi."

  The single word cut through the night air like a different sort of bde, those that followed softer but no less audible. "These ds friends o' yours, miss? Or customers?"

  A distraction. Perfect. Also a complicating factor, but one that could work in her favor. Aoi's eyes scanned the darkness first for anything she could put to work for her, but apart from the gate behind her, the area seemed clean and clear - so she turned her attention to the new arrival, casting a look between the two men.

  He - judging by the rough and deep voice, at least, though that certainly wasn't a perfect tell - had blond hair falling onto his shoulders, the edges of it gleaming in the light that came in from the main street. Medium height, somewhere between these two men; clearly some muscle on him as well, the lines of it just visible under the thin sailor's blouse and trousers he wore. A visitor to the city, then, a tourist perhaps; not much of a threat to men who plied their trade in the shadows. From the tall man's contemptuous sneer, he'd come to the same judgment. "Private conversation, blondie. Stay out of it, yeah?"

  The silhouette crossed his arms. Brave or stupid, Aoi couldn't tell which yet. "Wasn't talking to you, d. Miss? You need some assistance?"

  She weighed her options quickly, and offered him a simple nod in return, not trusting her voice just yet. Fortunately it was enough for the man, who took a single step forward, arms uncrossing, hands lowering to his sides. Not reaching for his pockets or anything, though - was he pnning on going bare-knuckle with two men at once? "Think maybe you ds should leave the miss alone if she doesn't want your company."

  The short weasel of a man side-gnced at his partner, not turning as he slipped on a pair of metal knuckles as subtly as possible. "I thought your pal back there was supposed to keep this sort of thing from happening," he compined, keeping his nasally voice low. "But whatever. Just take care of him and we can get back to what we were doing."

  "Oh? Wouldn't recommend it, but if you want a dance partner that badly, I know a few steps." The blond man moved forward again. Not arrogantly, Aoi noted with some interest, but with a casual calm that spoke of some experience; more than the average citizen. "Last chance to call it quits. I ain't the patient type."

  The tall man snorted, whipping out a small club from the depths of his own robe and brandishing it fiercely. "Same to you, friend. Step off if you know what's good for you."

  Blondie let out a sigh, one that she recognized as carrying a 'this is inevitable, isn't it' tone. "You too?" he asked levelly, turning his head slightly to regard the shorter man.

  "Oh yeah, me too. Heh." The man's fists came up swiftly, his metal knuckles gleaming softly in the dim light. "Don't say we didn't warn ya now. Maybe with a few bruises-"

  Aoi saw the little grin forming on Blondie's face as the short man kept talking, and before he could even finish his sentence the golden-haired man seemed to blur, moving so fast even her practiced eyes couldn't keep up with him. She couldn't remember the st time that happened. Or had it ever?

  Her ears caught the sound of a brutal impact, coupled with the breath involuntarily leaving the short man's lungs at speed. That wasn't just a fist, surely, she thought, watching the man drop like a sack of vegetables. If it was a strike to his head, I could understand a one-punch knockout, but anywhere else-

  The tall man let out a frustrated growl and raised his club, or began to; but Blondie's hand was already there, snapping around his wrist like a crab cw and smming it back against the nearby building hard enough to crack and splinter the wood. The club dropped from nerve-dead fingers, and after another of those vicious strikes, the tall man dropped too, just like his partner.

  The alley was almost completely silent now, just the two of them breathing - she couldn't hear the two men, if they even were - as Blondie bent down to retrieve the club and metal knuckles before straightening back up. "Well, that's done," he murmured softly, without the faintest sign of exertion after felling two men like that. "Did they hurt you, miss?"

  Aoi shook her head. Blondie was a beast, but he didn't seem intent on harming her, thankfully. "I'm afraid I've no reward to offer you for your kindness, other than my sincere thanks."

  He just smiled. "Ah, don't worry 'bout that sort of thing. Let's get you somewhere safe an' well lit, first." Moving to the alley's exit, the man gnced around - undoubtedly to check for any additional threats - but after a moment his posture rexed and he stepped to one side, making room for her to pass. "Was hoping the capital was a bit more peaceful at night than this, but I guess every shine has its shadow."

  Aoi wasted no time making her way out of the alley, and after a moment she felt more than saw him fall in behind her to follow at a respectful distance. Well, I suppose there's no way around it then, she mused, leading the way back toward much better-lit streets. With any luck he'll leave me at the doorstep.

  The man seemed perfectly unperturbed as the path took them, not back onto the main thoroughfare of the city, but rather toward the south side of the pace. After a few more turns in either direction and no small number of steps, the two of them ended up at a solidly constructed wood-and-stone building, with a gaudy illuminated signboard above the double-door entryway awning prociming it the 'Orchid Belles'.

  "I really do appreciate your assistance," Aoi finally spoke, turning to regard Blondie once she stepped up onto the porch, "but I think you've done more than enough for me tonight. This isn't exactly a pce for... gentlemen such as yourself to patronize."

  The man ughed softly at her words, and in the better lighting - she hadn't looked at him since they left the alley, after all - Aoi couldn't help but find him at least somewhat attractive, or at least as handsome as anyone else who'd visited tely. But there was something else about him, too; the unfppable calm, the unknown power and violence underneath it. And the way he looked at her without looking at her, the way other men did, especially once they found out where she worked.

  "I don't know that anyone would accuse me of being a gentleman, miss," Blondie finally said, then paused for a moment. "But, uh - do they serve food in here? Please say yes."

  Her lips twitched, almost smirking, but she wouldn't do something so rude in front of a potential client. He passed her tests, at least for now; but Saki would make the real decisions. She owned the Belles, after all. "If that's what you're after, then come in. Just... don't ask for a discount."

  The Orchid Belles, where Aoi worked, was a brothel.

  Not a high-css establishment like the Lotus Garden, of course, nor a pce reeking of desperation like most of the houses in Scandal Town; a solid mid-tier, perhaps. 'Belle' was - intentionally - not a commonly used word in the east; Saki, or possibly the previous owner she never spoke of, had the idea of attracting tourists and visitors, rather than anyone of local importance.

  It worked a little too well, and brought problems of its own. But by the time they manifested, changing course was no longer an option, considering how deep the debt was. And so the name remained, and the attention - intended and otherwise - along with it.

  Despite that - or perhaps because of it, Aoi wasn't sure yet - Blondie walked into the Belles without a hint of discomfort, heading straight to the bar and sliding onto one of the stools with practiced ease, as if he belonged there. "Got a menu anywhere?" he asked Saki, who was standing behind the bar as usual during te nights. The tall, middle-aged woman with a patient expression offered him a faint but pleasant smile, as he continued, "I haven't had a proper meal in a while now."

  "Oh? Most of our customers are here to sate other appetites," she returned, her smile never wavering as she offered him a gss of water and one of the woodcut block menus with rge, easy-to-read lettering. Aoi took the opportunity to sit at one of the tables - near enough to hear, far enough to give Blondie space. Not that he seemed to need it, but it was the polite thing to do.

  Either Blondie was a fast reader or he had other things on his mind. "What's your cook like to make?" he asked, handing the menu back after a moment. "I don't wanna be a burden this te at night."

  Saki slid a hand over her mouth before ughing softly. "My, what a considerate man you are. And yet you haven't offered so much as a stray gnce at the curious little flower who brought you here; why, you're going to break someone's heart like that."

  She's still gauging him for now, Aoi noted silently, but he's not making himself unwelcome.

  "Ah, well..." The man shrugged nonchantly. "I grew up in a pce a lot like this - though maybe not quite as nice - so the, uh, mystique ain't quite there, you know? Especially not after a few years in my line of work."

  The owner-bartender's eyes narrowed just the slightest bit, though her smile remained unchanged. "Oh? And what work might that be?"

  Blondie paused for a moment, picking up on the mood. "The ungentlemanly sort, I'm sad to say." He took a sip from the gss, the ice clinking softly, then set it back on the counter almost without a sound. "But I do manage a bit of good sometimes, like scaring a couple thugs away from your girl. The one who led me here, I mean."

  Saki's eyebrows raised this time. "My. Then let me talk to our cook, and I'll see about... restoring your energies."

  He nodded, seemingly contented with the response. "So long as it's not too much trouble."

  The dy slipped away to the kitchen as gracefully as ever, and apart from the faint sounds from there - and also outside - silence settled over the room. It was comfortable, in a way, but Aoi had too much on her mind as she stared at Blondie's back. He had taken care of the two men, that was true, but she didn't know what he really wanted - other than something to fill his stomach - or even his name. Not that she'd given her own, though.

  As if he could feel her gaze, the man finally broke the silence after a moment, without turning to regard her. "Does she own this pce?"

  "In some sense, yes. In another, we all do." Aoi stood up from the table, the distance between them feeling more than necessary. Closing the gap was a trivial matter.

  "Hm. That's quite - what's the word? Egalitarian?" The way he said it, it seemed unfamiliar to him.

  "Something like that." She delicately took a seat on one of the barstools a few pces down from his. A closer, but still respectful distance; this would do. "We all have to pitch in to make things work, but we all get the benefits from it, too. As working arrangements go, there are far worse pces."

  Blondie smiled, but something in it cked a little humor. "That's for sure." He did perk up as Saki returned, though, a steaming pte on a serving tray banced expertly on one hand. She set it before him, revealing the heap of expertly trimmed meat strips glistening with sauce, ying atop a mix of reasonably fresh vegetables that lent a delicious and complex aroma to the dish - one strong enough to waft over to the dy two seats down, doing her best to ignore its charms.

  The man's eyes went wide; if he was any more eager he'd have been drooling. He reached for the silverware, then hesitated, looking across the bar as if asking permission.

  "By all means," the madam encouraged him, with another smile hidden by her hand. "And while you eat, Aoi can provide me an expnation for present affairs," she added, with perhaps a few less needles in her voice than usual.

  "There's little to expin," she grumbled quietly as Blondie started to devour the food, offering a few quiet sounds of satisfaction to praise it. "I didn't recognize the men in the dark, but their method was the same as before. They were looking for workers on their own - and they found me before I saw them, even with the changes to the route."

  "Mm. Persistent types, and us without the spare hands to travel in groups." Saki's expression hardened after a moment of thought. "I don't like the sound of it. Trouble yet follows us, as surely as the changing of the seasons."

  At her words, the man looked up from his pte - which, owing to his eagerness, was now already half-eaten. "If you need a little muscle on your team to keep the peace, I'm avaible. T' be honest, I'm actually looking for a steady job right now - just finished my st contract and got nothing else lined up yet."

  "How delightfully convenient for all of us." Saki's smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "And what was your st job, pray tell?"

  "Escort," he returned, amicably. "A... VIP, you might say, all the way from Port Finally. She's got a setup of her own now, though, so she doesn't need my services any longer." He looked around for a moment, and rolled his shoulders. "And I gotta say, this pce has got a good vibe to it. That, and your cook is amazing," he added with a grin of culinary satisfaction.

  The owner-bartender's gaze flicked over to Aoi, who offered a brief dip of her head. She hadn't been given any reason to distrust him - yet. "He is capable," she said after a pause, "though of what, exactly, I cannot say."

  Saki's expression warmed ever so slightly. "We're not in a position to pay you very much, you realize," she began. "But if you're asking about other compensation for your services..."

  The man shook his head, ughing softly. "I'm not interested in your working girls, if that's your concern. All I need's a few ptes of food a day - and a pce to sleep, I s'pose, if I'm gonna be hangin' around until you need me for something."

  "Room and board, is it? A fair enough arrangement to start. And if matters start improving for our little honeybees with your assistance, perhaps more than that." She slid one sleeve up slightly, offering her hand with its violet-painted nails. "I am Murasaki, 'Lady Saki' around customers. It is a pleasure to meet and to deal with you."

  He took her hand in his with a firm but not overpowering grip. "The name's Bernard - but please, call me Bernie. Likewise a pleasure." He paused for a moment after letting go, eyes unfocused, and Aoi could imagine the gears whirring in his head, then clicking into pce as he opened his mouth again.

  "And if you or anyone else is in trouble - call me Bloodhound."