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Prompt (for Simourva): Ichigo is the reluctant slave master. Orihime is the new slave girl in town. Egyptian times. Inaccuracy and crack is very encouraged.

Night Flowers

Chapter 1:

"And today is Ichigo's first day as a man!" Isshin announced. There was a couple of sniggering at the back of the household as Ichigo, beet-red with embarrassment, accepted the pouch filled with gold.

"Look, does it have to be the street of Night Flowers?" Ichigo gritted his teeth, "I could go to some other auction block and get us a laborer for the new field."

Isshin smiled, "But my son's rite of passage happens only once." He gripped Ichigo's shoulders, "Which is why you must bring home a lovely virgin. It's only tradition, after all." He leaned over to whisper, "We should've bargained for a bride like the neighbors did when their son turned 13-"

"Unless you really want to bring home another pretty man!" Tatsuki snickered. The slave girl carried some reeds for drying but she had paused to watch the spectacle on the way out.

"It won't be your first time in the Night Flower district, " commented Mizuiro, while he checked a wine vessel's contents. He then made a notation on a limestone tablet.

"Yeah, because at that time, he brought Sado home!" laughed Keigo, "for the price of TWO laborers!"

"Shut up! I was twelve and he was MY age!" Ichigo hissed, "And he's much happier in the field than with some rich old man who'll throw him away the moment his voice broke."

"That's true," Isshin conceded, "Sado's been our hardest worker for four years ever since."

"I know it's because of my age," Ichigo looked down at his feet sheepishly, "I'm just... I'm not interested in forcing a girl, that's all. Slave or not."

"And I know you won't," Isshin winked, "but I sure hope you bring home a beauty."

"A high class beauty," Karin quipped while rolling up papyrus for a finished tally, "Get a real expensive one, Ichi-nii - one with sturdy, child-bearing hips-"

"Karin!" Yuzu chided, "You should go, Nii-chan. The auction starts in an hour."

"Keep still," the old woman clucked as she set a cone of animal fat onto Orihime's hair, "it has to set into the hair so that it melts right when you're summoned for bidding."

Orihime held her breath as the woman painted her eyelids with azurite, then malachite mixed with gum for the lower lid. Her eyebrows ached from being plucked. Next came the ochre mixed with fat for her lips. Her skin glistened from being rubbed with oil all over.

"How would you like to have her painted," the old woman deferred to the man sitting on a stool observing the process, "there's no need to accentuate the curves for this one."

Aizen scarcely blinked before speaking, "No. You won't need to paint her body." Orihime shivered under the man's gaze - she wanted to at least cover her breasts, but a year's training and discipline convinced her to pretend that she wasn't naked and being dolled up for an auction.

The man stood up and unrolled a package on the table - it was dress of filmy white gauze, one that will cover her from neck to ankle, but translucent enough to show most details underneath.

"Crafty," nodded the woman in approval, "she'll be just as naked as the others, but titillating because she's still covered."

"Indeed." Aizen gestured towards the ground black galena, "After all the naked flesh, she'll look like a breath of fresh air. She has to be the most eye-catching, since she'll need to fetch the highest price tonight."

The revelation startled Orihime, and she risked a glance at Aizen. He caught it and smiled,"Did you not think that you would be worth so much?"

Orihime forced her gaze back at some far point beyond the wall. "No."

The man walked up to her and placed a hand on her head, "It's quite rare that a beauty like yours would fall into my hands untouched, and at such an age. I'm sure I can reap a good profit even if you went to the first bidder - but I do wonder who'll win you tonight. It will be most entertaining, I hope."

Orihime shuddered.

Ichigo strolled down the avenue and glanced apprehensively at the place they called the street of Night Flowers.

"I don't see why you're this reluctant to buy another slave, you're pretty good at picking out the healthy ones," Mizuiro quipped.

Ichigo tried not the glare at the scribe, "What I don't like is how I end up having to choose which ones to save."

"That's stupid, " Mizuiro replied, "We won't ever have the money to 'save' everyone."

Ichigo sighed - the scribe was cynical when it came to matters like this, but he was better to bring than Keigo, who shared his opinion but is extremely excitable. Tonight's auction was the type that was held once every couple of months - laborers were bid upon every week whenever a ship docks or a raiding party brings their spoils to the city, but young, attractive slaves trained to entertain and pleasure were harder to come by. And ones certified as virgins, even rarer - though such guarantees can be dubious at times.

"It doesn't change the fact that I want to," Ichigo sneaked a look at Sado. The giant stood by his left, a respectful distance behind him. The slave was also his default bodyguard because of his size, but Ichigo knew by instinct that, even if freed, Sado would stay loyal to him no matter what.

On his twelfth birthday, Ichigo was given leave to purchase slaves on his own for the first time, with his own money that he had saved. He had been hoping to buy three at most, and completely under his jurisdiction unlike the other slaves at home. On the auction block, however, his eyes met the dark pools of a boy his age. The boy was thin from starvation, but he had a good height and - as Ichigo was taught to notice, his hands and feet were large, almost out of proportion. That meant he was still growing, and bound to be considerable once he finishes. His skin suggested an exotic mix of blood from further south, and his hair curled to rich locks.

However, before the bidding could start, some traders handpicked several from the group, including the boy with the dark eyes. They were quickly snapped to a new set of chains and led to the street of Night Flowers. Startled, Ichigo left the block and followed the trader.

"Where are you taking them?" He demanded as he caught up with the slave owner in front of a building.

"Young master, I think you're too young to purchase one of these," commented the slaver with a smirk.

Ichigo did his best to glare a storm at the man, "If I have enough gold to buy one of them, you'll let me, right?"

"Well, can you match the price of the Night Flower trainers?"

Ichigo turned to look at the boy, and his eyes met silent determination. "Yes."

That same boy was now a tall, solidly built young man, who now registered surprise when Ichigo glanced at him, "Ichigo, look out-"

Ichigo slammed into another person who had been walking hurriedly to the building. The person gave an indignant huff, and Ichigo stepped back on instinct.

"My apologies," said a raven-haired girl, much smaller than Ichigo, but her large, violet eyes were cold despite her words. Ichigo frowned, "That's ok."

"Let's go," said a tall, red-haired man man to the girl. "I'm sorry, young master," he briskly steered the girl away and into a rather festively decorated building.

"Huh. They were both slaves, weren't they?" Ichigo wondered.

"My. You just ran into members of the Kuchiki household," explained Mizuiro. "They've been in the middle of an entire slew of scandals lately, despite being the wealthiest family around."

"Really? What kind?"

"That girl you ran into was named Rukia." Mizuiro nodded sagely, "she's a concubine bought by the heir, Byakuya, last year at this very house."

"She looks a bit young to be a concubine, but that's not much cause for scandal, isn't it?"

"No. But I hear she looks identical to the heir's deceased wife," Mizuiro said matter-of-factly, "and another recent concubine they had bought turned out to be pregnant before she was even sold."

Ichigo winced, "Ouch. That doesn't look good for that girl."

"Yes, but even though it's been all over the city, they've yet to demand reparations. They're not even reselling or anything like that."

"Huh, how can you be so sure - wait, how the hell did you know about that last part?"

"Oh, here and there." Mizuiro smiled, "the cooks in the Kuchiki household have great skill in the kitchen, and loose tongues in the bedroom."

"I don't want to hear any more. Where do we start, anyway?"

"Well, we might as well follow the Kuchiki house - the trade of the Illusory Moon always has the best-trained slaves for the type we're looking for."

"I still say we can spend this gold somewhere else."

"Ichigo," Mizuiro scolded, "at this point, it can be only a matter of formality if you wish. You've rejected all of the proposed brides for the past years, and every year you've only spent money on more laborers. Adding with the fact that you bought-" he glanced up at Sado, "a male the only time you set foot here, people have been speculating that the household will only be continued by your sisters."

"What? How the hell do people keep track of what I buy? And why do they think-" Ichigo spluttered and his eyes went wide.

"People have eyes and ears, young master. Now, I don't care who you bed, but if you want your reputation repaired," Mizuiro indicated the building in front of them, "you might want to make this purchase as soon as possible. Make if flashy too, that's why we're going for expensive." He turned and walked ahead of them.

"Fine!" Ichigo growled. He dared to look at his bodyguard's reaction to this rumor, only to find that Sado was looking away, hand clamped over his mouth and shoulders quaking from silent laughter.

"Are you laughing at me? Aaargh." He threw up his hands.

Ichigo marched off after Mizuiro, grumbling about their house being too nice to their servants.

"Looks like the city's finest are all gathered here," mused Mizuiro, "practically a social gathering."

"I didn't know that bedroom slaves are a big deal," wondered Ichigo.

"Well, technically, it's a complete luxury unless you were looking for a concubine or a consort," he explained, "but think of it as social status - the more slaves you don't need, the richer you must be."

"Or a rite of- AAAGH" Ichigo yelped as someone pulled on his hair

"Interesting," commented a man whose plaited hair shone blue, "look here, Nemu - this orange hair is neither a wig nor dye."

"Indeed, master," commented his slave.

"I was born with i-" Ichigo started to yell, but Mizuiro immediately stepped in, "And why would that interest you, O Great Royal Embalmer?"

"He's who?"

"Hmmmm. Lately I've been observing the traits passed between breeding humans, " replied Mayuri while inspecting the hair sample he had pulled on, "it should be as simple as the animals mating on the fields - but some things don't quite add up. Tell me, boy, what are the colors of your parents' hair?"

"First of all I don't understand why you think you can-" before Ichigo could finish, Mayuri's attention shifted to point farther into the hall, causing Ichigo to turn as well.

"Nemu, haven't we met that girl?"

Ichigo followed his gaze and completely froze, "That girl, wh-"

"Yes, we have, a couple of times, master."

Mizuiro glanced at the exhibit and appraised the subject of the men's surprise, "Oh, not bad. I thought you hated big breasts, Ichigo, considering how you hated being tutored by the Shihouin house's-" Ichigo slapped the side of his head, "Idiot! Stop thinking of things like that!"

"What do you-"

"I mean, look at her! What is she doing here?"

It took a while before Mizuiro understood, "Oh. Isn't that the apothecary's sister?"

Mayuri started mumbling to himself and walked off in the direction of the slaves being sold. Ichigo stood rooted to the spot, "I thought the slaves were usually taken from the tribes outside the city?"

"Well, I heard that Sora the apothecary died last year. He must've racked quite the debt if she's here."

As if on cue, the collared girl at the far side of the room raised her eyes and met Ichigo's. Recognition dawned on her face, then quickly replaced with mortification. She forcefully looked down onto the floor. Ichigo scowled darkly and clenched his fists.

"I've decided," he announced.

"Already? You sure you don't want to look at the others?"

Ichigo looked at Mizuiro as if he was dumb, "Are you crazy? I know her. We've been her brother's customer years ago when I was a kid. I can't just leave her here."

Mizuiro sighed, "well, I'm fine with that, young master. Except for one problem."

"What's that?"

Behind him, Sado finally spoke, "she's the highest-priced girl for tonight."