The lingering scent of sake, one so overpowering that any other sense of smell was diluted, the furling wisps of tobacco smoke rising from the kiseru lazily hanging from the mens’ agape mouths, their stench just adding to the abrasiveness of sake, the trails of cheap incense of sandalwood creating a thick haze in the small room. Ah yes.. this was a signature of the cheap tea houses that bordered on the Red Light district and the ‘normally acceptable’ world. A place where both samurai and ronin alike could come to relax, unbeknownst to their daimyos, to swap stories of their brash victories and adventures, be served tea and store-bought desserts by maiko, geisha apprentices whose onee-sans weren’t as respectable or widely known as others.. and the best part; they could gamble here. Naturally, women weren’t suppose to be visiting such disgraceful places (nor should they, for a matter of fact, carry around katans slung to their waists) but when has Akira ever obeyed social conventions?
With a sly smirk painting it’s way onto her features, the female Ronin crossed her thin arms across her chest, a look of defiance shining within her frost-hued orbs. Giving a lazy scan of the smug features plastered onto the faces of her opponents, 3 men of samurai class, Akira could only give a small scoff. Look how confident they are.. my my.. I hope they aren’t sore losers whispered the inner voice, a mischievous quality lacing each syllable. Reaching for her ochoko and raising it to her lips, Akira finally diverted her gaze to glance around at the circle of men surrounding their space, each one of them causing a ruckus of merriment and place bets in a drunken stupor, the flush of their cheeks and neck indicating they were past reasoning. With a scoff and a quick downing up the liquid, one word was given from her being. ”Begin.”
With a triumphant smirk set onto those upturned, gardenia-hued lips, the ronin wasted little time in sweeping her earning into the gaping mouth of her coin purse, the defeated sighs and looks of shock on those who opposed her only adding to her enjoyment. Casting them one last look of an emotion akin to swelling pride, Akira gracefully rose from her seat to thread her way through the circle of bodies. Sending a quick word of thanks over her shoulder, the female wasted hardly any time in crossing through the threshold and into the night.
Light heartedly, she tossed the weighted coin purse into the air before snatching it, a smile making her glow. ”Not bad..not bad at all, Aki.” was her chipper muse, an elated sense giving the words life. And with that, a soft whistle following the spoken words, the female Ronin began her trek back to the Tabasaki compound.