"We have arrived, Big Sister."
Tenten opened her eyes just as the carriage came to a stop. An attendant of the establishment pulled open the door. The spring air was cool and crisp as Tenten stepped out with ease and practiced grace, but Moegi, in all her excitement, had nearly stumbled out. Outside of Ichiraku House, Tenten could already sense the bustling movements within its glowing paper-thin walls. She reached underneath her large warm overcoat to adjust her silk robe, which had been slightly loosened during the journey to the teahouse, and absently traced an embroidered camellia near the edge as she let go.
She let her courtesan-sisters finish fixing their attire before speaking. "Come," she said gently.
"Yes, Big Sister," her courtesan-sisters answered in unison, falling into step behind her.
—
The establishment was already in full swing when they arrived. Many a scholar-bureaucrat and others were enjoying the warm escape from the chilly outdoors.
At once, the proprietor and the staff scrambled to greet Tenten as she and the apprentices stepped through the threshold. Courtesans were good for business, and seeing that Tenten was both a regular and a yiji from one of the most well-known flower houses in the city, there was no hesitation in accommodating her.
A mousy-looking maidservant was quickly assigned to them; she took their coats and offered to lead them to upstairs to the more private settings. Tenten nodded her assent with a bow of her head.
Tenten made her way up the stairs with purpose; the length of her dress trailing after her only enhanced the floating quality of the way she walked. The radiant turquoise silk of her outer robe seemed to glow under the lantern lights as did the swaying jewels in her hair, and the beautifully embroidered butterflies and camellias were temporarily imbued with an essence of life with each step she took. Moegi, the younger of her two courtesan-sisters, curiously turned around to survey the teahouse clients—mostly lower-ranked officials and merchants—that they had left behind on the main floor. She was both awed and delighted to find that many intently watched Tenten slowly disappear from sight.
(This story doesn't take place in China. It just has a few elements taken from Chinese historical culture.)