Child

[Philomel]

A tall man with greying, dark hair and small, deep-set eyes wandered into the room. A long moustache, that trailed to his shoulders identified him as unique. Currently Philomel was lounging, take full advantage of the okiya's hospitality. Spread out on her side she looked like an ancient noble, flicking grapes into her mouth as Veridian snoozed by her hip as if guarding the bump there. As the man strode in to their small but private room, Philomel looked up, slightly stunned. Lips parting she pushed herself up onto her knees and stared back at the mustached man as he stopped, stunned.

Clearly he wasn't expecting anyone.

"Ah ..."

Quickly Philomel arose, cringing slightly as she forgot the weight at her furred belly. She paused and bowed her head just a little.

"Master Mushi I assume?"

The man with the moustache paused, then narrowed his almond-shaped eyes almost suspiciously. "Who is asking precisely?"

After a short pause of awkward silence Philomel smiled slightly. "I ... Call me Lacey," she held out a hand, thinking of all things her mother's name wouldn't seem too strange to her tongue.

Slowly Mr Mushi took her hand, though there was a cautiousness about him.

"I am supposed to be meeting Sakura," he said with a voice of disappointment.

"Ah yes, we are ... Acquaintances of hers." Philomel gestured to herself and Veridian as he stretched his length, just gaining out of his snooze. "This is my companion, Kitsune."

Mr Mushi raised an eyebrow but said nothing. It led to a dull silence that the faun found herself needing to fill.

"I hear you have a ship ... Sailing to Scars Brae."

"I may do," Mr Mushi shrugged, folding his arms. "But I am here for entertainment, not business."

"Cannot both be the same?" Philomel slowly got to her hooves, pushing out one hip. Above it her belly buldged like a rounded pie. Her lips pouted and she grunted as finally Mr Mushi seemed to understand her state.

"Look," she sighed. "I need to get to Scara Brae. To an island called Erstfort. It's off the coast-"

"I'm a merchant sailor, not an idiot. I know Erstfort." The man folded his arms. "Did Sakura put you up to this?"

"No actually I paid her for this," Philomel shrugged, arms folding over her stomach. "And I have plenty of money to pay you just as much."

"Tell me, do you get on with the lord there?"

Philomel made a slight smile. "Baron Marmaduke knows a cousin of mine," she said, pleased with the lie she was weaving. "I won't tell you her name but she has gathered herself quite the reputation. She has given me hope that Marmaduke will take me in and give me a place to rest until ..." She looked down at her belly.

Mr Mushi paused, spiralling his long moustache. "Hmm. I will consider this. I am Sakura's primary customer, you know and if she likes you ..."

"She is just through there," Philomel pointed, her finger indicating a screen door, one of the paper ones that Akashima loved so dearly. "She is waiting for you."

The man seemed to blossom with that. He grinned. "Ah. I will see you later then," he said, before quickly striding out.

~*~