The Scorpion's gaze turned displeased as the Crab showed difficulty with the Kimono, her eyes burning into the Kuni's. When she spoke, her voice was a whip crack, hard, fast, and brutal. The voice of a master to his subordinates, not one among equals. The Crab had been the first to catch the ire of the Jade Magistrate, but she would not be the last.<br/><br/>"Unacceptable. Kala, you will not sleep tonight. You will practice removing your Kimono and putting it on till you can do it smoothly, and gracefully. You are a dweller of the World of Flowers and Willows, not some crude creature from the backwoods. Ask Haru for help, if you need it. She seems to be skilled at removing clothing."<br/><br/>The Scorpion stood, and as the girls watched, went through a remarkable change. She didn't change clothes, her face, or anything else. Just... her posture became more open and graceful, her face less hard and more deferential. Her lips seemed more inviting... and a kind of rich sensuality suffused her movements. It was clear that they were watching the transformation from Magistrate to Okaasan, and to be frank, it was hard to believe they were the same person. When she spoke, her voice was different as well, suffused with a kind of warmth, lingering as she spoke.<br/><br/>"Now girls, your Okaasan will return for you in the morning. There are blankets in the cupboard. Bed down, and sleep well."<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>11 Hours Later<br/><br/>---<br/><br/>(https://classconnection.s3.amazonaws.com/698/flashcards/4033698/jpg/26-1421F14B8824A70B4E6.jpg)<br/><br/>The girls had finally reached the Tea House. The sign was a picture of a Single flower petal surrounded by concentric circles, the ripples as it touched the water. The building itself was exquisite, a Rectangle with a large interior courtyard bisected in two by a the sitting room. The outer courtyard was a flower garden meant for walking in. The inner one was consumed by the pond, and the cherry trees surrounding it likely gave the Tea House its name. The side rooms were clearly for entertaining, capable of being thrown open to drink the beauty of the courtyards, or closed to ensure privacy. The Center building was clearly intended for greeting guests, easily the most formal part of the place. Only the rear building was intended to be private, and inside, the girls likely found it shockingly drab compared to the lovely exterior and the rest of the furnishings. After all, no client was intended to be back here.<br/><br/>'Okaasan' had informed them that their formal opening was tonight, and that some fairly well to do men and women from the docks would come by to congratulate them. However, there was a larger problem facing them... a group of surly looking workmen. While not traditionally armed, more then a few carried wood working tools or lengths of wood that would have been fairly intimidating for Geisha's who weren't trained Samurai. For our Heroines, it was still notable. While their weapons unwieldy, they were out numbered, and a blow from one of those lengths of wood could shatter bones.<br/><br/>"You the owners? We want our damn pay."<br/><br/>None of the Samurai had likely ever been spoken to so rudely by a peasant... but then. The Peasant's didn't know they were Samurai, did they?