Capítulo 100: Hazy Sunshine
"This is the place. I've asked around for one not too famous, but also not too shady. This is what I've been recommended." I placed my hands on my hips, proudly showcasing the building in front of me as if it was mine.
I brought us to an old establishment, a stone house with no roof. The house had no real windows, only slits at the top, leaking in small amounts of light. The walls had chipped from the long barrage of weather. A shield hung at the entrance, depicting a buxom woman, smiling seductively.
"I ғᴇᴀʀ ᴛᴏ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴏᴍ ʏᴏᴜ ᴀsᴋᴇᴅ."
Raya held her nose and her brows furrowed. She squinted her eyes and asked me, "What in God's holy name are you planning now?" She lifted her dress to prevent the ground from soiling it.
"It's best if you don't know." I opened the door and walked in.
"Huh? What is that supposed to mean? Wait up for me—hey, don't walk so fast!" Raya, seeing me disappear in the building���s shadow, swiftly ran after me.
We had entered a narrow corridor, where only one torch lit up the way for us. The floor was hard and cold. Right at the end there was another door, covered in drapes. I pushed the cloth aside to find a knob and slowly turned it right. The door creaked open, letting out some warm light.
"Did you not hear me? Idiot!" Raya grabbed my arm in frustration. "I asked you something." She yanked me to her side as we entered. I felt the surroundings immediately change to the warmer. "What exactly are you planning to. . ." Her words remained in her throat. Instinctively feeling something was not right, she looked around to see where she was.
Several people stared at her. Most of them were women, scantily clad and with heavy make-up pasted on their faces. Some sat on comfortable chairs, their bright-red lips sucked on pipes and they puffed out white smoke, turning the surroundings hazy. Others, they moved on the dance-floor in the middle, sensually swaying side by side, displaying their bodies for all to see.
Rayas eyes darted around, moving from one scene to another. Her face slowly changed to red. She quieted down, meekly burying her head into her shoulders.
"Now this is an unusual sight." An older man whose hair had already turned white made his way toward us. He was dressed formally. "Good Afternoon, beautiful Dames." he greeted. At the same time, he scrutinized us. "I welcome the both of you to the Hazy Sunshine where dream and reality drifts together."
"No reception desk, I see." I waved at the man.
Raya quickly hid behind me. She grasped me with both her hands and exhibited great strength which would leave red marks after she let go. "What does it matter?" she asked me while shooting a vindictive glare.
"Well, though it's not a big difference, it does reflect the quality of an establishment. If I ran this place, I'd have put an extra desk in that corridor for reception first."
"I see that you are well-versed with the operations of a brothel." The man bowed down and lightly smiled.
Raya tilted her head. "Almost too well-versed. What the hell?"
"It's basic knowledge." I shrugged.
"If so, it does save us some time from explaining. Then, if you beautiful ladies don't mind, would you please follow me?"
I agreed, though a little perplexed by the way this establishment was run.
He led us through the room, passing the women, towards a door in the corner. Raya and I followed quietly. We passed into another hallway, one not as quiet as the entrance. A thick stench of rough smoke wafted through the air, with soft but audible moans sifting through the thin walls.
At the front, a lady with dark circles laid her cheek on the table. She wore a long purple robe with mysterious golden patterns etched at the ends—and that was probably the only thing she wore, judging by her bare legs and her breasts almost slipping out. No, upon closer inspection, she also had a butterfly pin in her hair, barely holding that disorganized mess together. The lady nodded at our guide.
He nodded back and opened one of the many doors. He invited us with a gesture, showcasing a neat room. Everything here felt warm and cozy. I was a fan of all things clean, though I myself have a hard time keeping up such order. Without me realizing, he had placed a small cup of wine on the table.
"Since it is a rather private matter, I hope you don't mind separating?" The man looked at us and held his index-finger against his lips. He smiled cheekily. "So, would the smaller lady follow me to another room?"
I tilted my head and looked at Raya. She desperately shook her head, indicating not to leave her alone. "All right, let's separate," I said and waved at Raya with a smile. Her face went dark, and I felt the laughter bubbling up inside me. "Don't worry, considering what's to come, it may be better if you don't watch," I told her and walked out.
The man once again led the way. "Family?"
"It's complicated." I turned back, glancing at the shut door.
"I can imagine," he said. I was unsure of what he meant with that.
The man brought me to another room. Evidently, today included a lot of traveling. This room was a lot less clean. It resembled those little huts one may find at the riverbanks, built with materials gathered from various places. What's with the difference in treatment here?
He offered me a seat on a wooden chair. He then similarly took a seat on the opposite side, and carefully eyed me down. I opened my mouth. "This. . . how should I say this, but you have a weird way of running this place." I placed my hands between my thighs and leaned forward.
The man cleared his throat. "So, what is your name?" he asked me while filling wine into a cup.
I swung my head left and right. "Is this important?"
"I suppose not. It would only make it easier to know how I should refer to you." He placed his hand over his mouth, thinking. "Oh, where are my manners? When asking for a name, I should be giving my own first. You may refer to me as Libra. I am the manager here."
"I'm Agnes," I said indifferently.
"I understand." He nodded while interrupting me. "You seem young and a little immature. Your body is rather underdeveloped, but I believe some customers may like that. Is there a particular pay you are looking for?"
"Uh, what?"
He continued. "We can offer you about 6 copper per customer, though any extra tips you can work out yourself. I believe that to be a very generous offer." He counted on his fingers the exact sum.
"I was wondering why this seemed a little strange." I placed the wine cup down without taking a single sip. "Uhm, I'm not looking for a job." I crossed my arms into a big X.
"You're not?" he looked at me equally confused. "Then you were a customer? I apologize, as of this date, we don't accommodate same-sex copulation." As he said so, he suddenly grew flustered and hid his chest. "Wait, unless you wanted me?"
"That's not it either, you dolt." I jumped up and hit his forehead. While standing, I said, "I've come here to talk to the owner."
"Oh, you should have said so." He rubbed his head. "Does she already know you are coming?"
"No, it's a surprise."
"All right," he readily agreed, but his face told me there was a catch. I already thought it would have taken a lot more convincing, and I was ready to insist; I believe my stubbornness is a quality many find hard to beat. The only problem was that I had a schedule to keep—10 days to be exact—so I would be grateful for a quick response. "I can try calling her, but I don't think she will want to meet you. The owner is a cranky one." He rested his hands on the desk, telling me he was unsure on how to approach my request.
Out of the blue, a voice well-known to me echoed through the halls: "Agnes! Help!"
"Raya?" I immediately stood up, with a seriousness that shifted the mood. I grabbed Libra by his collar. I dragged him along leading him to secrecy.
"Hey, Miss, what are you doing?" he asked, stunned by my forcefulness. "You're going to rip my clothes apart."
I pulled his face close to mine. "Listen here, that girl would rather die than call me out. That means a conundrum of that scale is happening in your establishment. Can you bear the consequences? If not, you better follow me."
My insistence shut his mouth. With him by my hand, I slammed the door open.
"Lady, wait! With your body, becoming the best brothel in this country would be a cakewalk!" I was guided by the voice to its owner and saw the lady with a butterfly pin running past me. Something must have possessed her, as she had such a frenzied look on her. The lady's hair had fallen loose and her dress slipped down, coming dangerously close to revealing her chest.
"Agnes! Where are you?" I then found Raya, but her appearance made me wonder if I was dreaming. Except for the collar around her neck, she was nude. She frantically ran away, tears in her eyes, while holding onto a tiny blanket, barely wrapped around her breasts.
"Hey, hey, what's going on," The manager Libra poked his head through. But before he could see anything, I pushed him back in.
"On second thought, go back in."
Raya had sharp ears; She promptly sounded out my voice and saw me gently peeking out the open door. A wave of relief hit her, softening her face. She sprinted to me, her chest swinging as she did. She jumped into my arms, bawling and drenching my dress wet.
"Do I want to know what happened?" I took off my fur coat and placed it around her shoulders. She sniffed and kept rubbing her eyes with puffed cheeks.
The butterfly-adorned woman made her way towards us. She said to Raya, "Please reconsider. Are you sure you don't want to work here? This place is ten times better than the other dumps out there." Her words brought my cousin to a shiver. "Wait, who is this?" The woman pointed at me with her pipe.
"Same question, right back at you," I said.
"Ahem. This is Lady Butterfly. She is the owner here." Libra walked out of the room. "And this is Agnes, she wishes to meet you Milady."
Really? That woman was the owner of this brothel? I eyed her once more, this time with more detail.
"Huh, so what? Many people wish to meet me. I don't have time for this stuff. Get that kiddo outta here." The lady scoffed. I could almost hear her thoughts when she analyzed me down. As it stood, she was not a fan of my appearance. Too young, too thin and too feisty—these words sprang to her mind. But she did not realize, while she saw me, I saw her too. And I could tell a lot about that woman. I could tell she was loose, had a problem with her father at a young age, and that she numbed her emotions with nicotine. She likes authority and prefers leadership over subordination. She is a product of metamorphism, holding strong belief that one is not defined by their birth, that change brought freedom; just like a butterfly. "Anyway, I got shit to do. I've just found the gold nugget who'll lift this pit from its ground." She glanced at Raya.
I held Raya tightly, and she sunk into me. "This body of yours is your only redeeming quality," I said and Raya stared at me with a tearful gaze. "But it might just have helped us today."
The lady came closer. "Hey, kiddo, we don't support your type here. You might want to visit another place."
I laughed at her remarks. "Are you sure about that? Me leaving means this girl will be coming with me." I pointed at my cousin. "You see, for I am her owner. My word is her law."
The butterfly lady had no idea if I was making fun of her or being genuine. She dubiously looked at me, gripping her pipe tightly; a sure sign of annoyance, and also a sign that she will die of a stroke.
I lessened her burdens by saying, "Worry not. I do believe you have something I want. I wish to know more about 'your' world, so how about we settle it enderian style? If I win, you listen to what I say."
"You mean a game?" She twirled her pipe around and clicked her teeth. "Day's been boring so far, so why not? But if you lose, I'll take the girl."
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