Kat and Ruru stepped from a sandy beach to a dirt road. The tracks that ran along it were the only signs of civilization, as a thick forest surrounded them.
Kat looked up and down the road before turning to Ruru, the portal already closed behind them. "Uhh. Did we show up at the right place?"
Ruru pauses for a moment, consulting the map she had access to as Kat's smart device thanks to the Mapper perk. "Yes, this is the correct spot. We are to wait here for someone to pick us up to bring us to a meeting with our Client."
"Wait? For how long?"
"Not very long, I suspect," Ruru replied as she looked down the road. Kat followed her gaze and saw a strange looking carriage come around the corner, pulled by two horses being steered by a man who sat behind them.
Kat stepped off the road as the carriage approached, and the man spotted them. He pulled to a stop, looking at the two of them with a faint frown on his face, but one he was trying to hide. "Are you the two I'm supposed to pick up?" he asked.
Kat tilted her head. The man, unsurprisingly, spoke Chinese. She could recognize that very clearly. Just as clearly as she could understand his words, despite not knowing a single word of Chinese, unless the stuff she ordered from their menus counted, which she suspected they did not.
Then she remembered that one of the perks for her Tempest Jewelry granted her that ability. She thought it would be more of a manual process, like holding up her phone and having it repeat it in a language she knew. But that was not the case. She just automatically understood it. And similarly, she could speak it.
"That's right, that's us," she replied, Chinese coming from her lips. She grinned. "You're our ride, then?"
The man nodded, serious. "There's a change of clothes in the back. Please put them on while we travel."
Kat shrugged. It wouldn't be the first time she's had to get changed while in the back of a vehicle. "Sure. Come on Ruru." She opened the carriage door and hoisted herself inside.
The carriage itself wasn't very large, and it wasn't like the ones she was used to seeing in shows. For one, it only had two wheels rather than four, and there was just barely enough room for the two of them. Kat had to slouch down a bit, the ceiling just an inch or two too short. It was private though, the windows covered.
Ruru climbed in second, closing the door behind her. As soon as she did, the carriage started moving, bumpily traversing the dirt road.
"This is pretty exciting, huh?" Kat asked in English, still wearing a grin. She looked around and picked up a folded bundle of cloth. "Oh, is this what we're meant to wear? It's super pretty."
She unfolded the article of clothing to reveal a yellow and silver dress with floral embroidery. There were a few other articles of clothing as well, including a veil.
"This is clothing typically worn by women of high status in this age and region," Ruru supplied, investigating a second bundle of clothes in purple and black. "I surmise that we are meant to disguise ourselves, so that our foreign appearances are not obvious."
"What about the driver? He got a good look at us already," Kat pointed out as she started to strip.
"I do not know. Perhaps he has been deemed trustworthy. I can manipulate his memories, if you like."
"You can do that?" Kat exclaimed in shock. But then she shrugged. "Eh, it's probably fine. Come on, let's get changed."
The carriage's small size made it awkward, but the two of them managed to shrug out of their clothes and get into the new unfamiliar set. Ruru knew how to put the dresses on properly and helped Kat out, making sure that nothing was out of place. Kat, meanwhile, took several peeks at Ruru's body.
She didn't go fully nude, only stripping down to her panties, but even then there was nothing that Kat could see that would make her think that the other girl was a robot. No seams or metal bits or anything, just beautiful smooth skin.
But eventually both of them were dressed once more, their previous clothes stashed safely in Kat's Pocket Space. Both girls wore the same style of dress in different colors, and both had a heavy veil that covered their faces entirely but still allowed them to see.
"Ancient China is probably pretty racist, huh?" Kat commented as she put her hands in her sleeves, hiding the last bit of skin that would have been visible.
"There is little data to indicate one way or the other if the Ancient China of a mundane world had a significant amount of systemic racism," Ruru replied, sounding every bit like a wikipedia article. "Further, it is difficult to hypothesize much without local information, as there are small inconsistencies already present that point to this world not being a perfect match for your own history. The most that I would be willing to postulate is that our appearance would stand out in some manner."
"Or maybe he just doesn't want our faces seen, so he's not connected to anything we might do," Kat guessed with a shrug. "Oh, the client is a he, right?"
"That is correct. His name is pronounced Lakan."
"Pretty cool name," Kat replied. "Hey, how long is it going to take us to get there?"
Ruru paused once again to consult her inner map. "We are approximately halfway between the location we arrived at and the nearest city. The city appears to be the capital of this region that houses the Imperial Palace."
"And we have to bust someone out of jail here?" Kat laughed, though there was a bit of a nervous tilt to it. "That's going to be pretty tough."
"We would not have been assigned this job if it was something we were unable to perform," the android girl pointed out. "Nor does it seem likely that we would be assigned a job with a high chance of failure as our first one."
"True, true, Ms. Liddel didn't seem like that kind of person," Kat agreed, relaxing slightly. "Say… do they have guns at this point?"
"Once again I must point out that this world's history is unknown and won't necessarily line up with your world's," Ruru said. "But assuming that they are similar, then yes, there is a chance for some rudimentary firearms to be present. I suggest asking the client."
"Yeah, yeah, that's a good idea. We'll get all the info we need from him."
The two girls fell into silence. Kat was thinking, wondering what this place would be like, what kind of things she would need to do, and so forth. But she had trouble picturing it, because she had no idea what it would be like. Would there be ninjas on the rooftop throwing shurikens at her? A colorfully dressed man slipping them poison? A dragon as a guard? That last one seemed unlikely, but her imagination wandered into increasingly fantastical scenarios.
The rest of the trip passed quickly, and they soon heard the hustle and bustle of a city outside of the carriage. Kat pulled back the curtain slightly to peek outside, and she saw red arches, paper lanterns, and a horde of people dressed in clothes ranging from rags to beautiful dresses.
She also spotted a few soldiers, wearing what looked like lightly armored uniforms and carrying spears. They were scattered around the streets in groups of two or three, eyes peeled for trouble. More than a few of them gazed at their carriage, not with suspicion or hostility, but curiosity.
Kat closed the curtain once more and sat back, making sure her clothes were still on properly and not wrinkled. A grin grew on her face once more. "This is really happening. We're really in ancient China."
It wasn't that she hadn't believed that this was real, but nothing was more convincing than experiencing it for yourself.
"Precisely speaking, we're in a world at a time that roughly lines up with-"
"Yeah, yeah, I get it, but that's a mouthful to say every time," Kat interrupted her. "It's still pretty cool."
Ruru didn't have a response to that, so they fell quiet again. Kat didn't mind, she just peeked out the window again and took in the sights. Even if someone caught a glimpse in, her face was still covered by the veil, so it was fine, right?
But as she adjusted to the glamor of it all, she started noticing a few other things. The street itself was clean, filled with good looking people in bright clothes. But between the buildings in the alleyways were people that were less so. Most of them were sitting or laying on the ground, wearing drab clothes, wearing tired expressions, or no expression at all.
It wasn't hard to figure out who they were. The homeless and poor, down on their luck or trapped by a system that wanted to squeeze every drop of profit out of them before throwing them away. Even separated by centuries, by countries, by worlds, it was a familiar sight to her.
She knew she was meant to feel sorry for them, feel some amount of pity for their state or outrage at what drove them to it. But she didn't. She never had. They weren't her, they weren't her Mama, and they weren't anyone she cared about. She didn't have any empathy for people that she didn't personally care about, and that list was short.
The lanterns grew more bright as the sky above them darkened, shifting toward an orange hue as the sun set. She couldn't see the sun beyond the buildings though, only the shadows that it cast. The streets they traveled only became more ornate, filled with even more color and beauty, as they headed to their destination. And finally they came to a stop in front of one of the fanciest looking buildings.
"This is…?" Kat started to ask, turning to Ruru and letting the window close fully.
"The Verdigris House," Ruru answered, consulting her map. It was one of the marked locations and such had a bit of public information available for it. "We are in the red light district, and this is a brothel."
A grin split Kat's face. "Oh? Quite the meeting place. Pretty fancy for a brothel though."
"Brothels of this time period-" Ruru started, but was cut off by a knock on the door.
"We have arrived," their driver said through the door.
"Looks like it's showtime," Kat said. She pushed open the door and climbed out of the carriage, Ruru close behind. Silently, the man bowed to them and started walking toward the entrance. Kat and Ruru followed, just as quiet.
They immediately garnered quite a bit of attention from the nearby people, patrons and prostitutes alike. Everyone was curious about the two girls, completely covered from head to toe save for their hair, that were being led into the pleasure district's most prestigious location.
Kat resisted the urge to turn her head as she passed by many beautiful women with very low cut dresses, showing off an impressive array of cleavage. And because she didn't let herself get distracted, she also noticed quite a few younger girls, dressed up more conservatively thankfully, in the crowd, peering at them curiously as they passed by.
As they entered the building they were stopped by an old woman who reminded Kat of one of her high school teachers. For all that her age had turned her hair white and bent her back, her eyes were sharp, and her expression hinted at a tongue that was even sharper.
She clicked her tongue. "I'll take it from here, you can go," she said in Chinese. The man bowed and hurriedly left, leaving the old woman to study the two of them.
"Uhh… hi?" Kat said after a moment of silence.
The old woman glared at her before turning around. "Follow me. And be quiet."
Kat hesitated for a moment before shrugging and following the old crone. She had no idea what was going on, just that apparently their client was being excessively roundabout. But she didn't really mind anything that had been asked of her so far. In fact, dressing up like this and infiltrating a brothel was exciting and fun, and it was exactly the kind of situation she was hoping for when she signed up for the job. She wore a grin underneath her veil as they headed up stairs and into one of the rooms there.
It was a relatively plain room, and not very big. There was a bed pushed up against one wall, a wide dresser up against another, and in the middle was a small table flanked by two chairs. On top of the table was a wooden board with a grid drawn on it, with a box next to it.
But more importantly, sitting in one of the chairs was a man.
He was an older man, with a poorly shaven face and a monocle above one of his eyes. He was wearing fine clothes, relative to the people that Kat had seen outside, and his dark hair stuck out in a disorganized mess from underneath the hat he wore.
But what Kat focused on most were his eyes. Like the old woman, they were sharp and attentive as he looked at them, not missing a single detail. But more than that, Kat felt that his gaze was vaguely unsettling. Not in a way that felt directed at them, but her gut told her that there was something wrong with him.
"They're here," the old woman said coldly. "If anyone asks, they're new girls, sent here by an honored customer, and you are appraising their skills. Finish your business and get out."
The man moved his gaze from Kat and Ruru and looked at the old woman with a grin that seemed more tired than amused. "Surely with how much I'm paying you, you don't truly mind me using this place for this, do you? Especially considering what is at stake."
"Bah, do as you like," the woman grumbled before sharply turning on her heel and leaving, closing the door behind her.
"Apologies," the man said, drawing their attention back to him. "My name is Lakan. Please, sit. We have much to talk about, but not much time."
"Sure," Kat replied with a shrug, stepping further into the room and taking the offered seat. Ruru silently followed her, taking a standing position just behind her and slightly to her right. "You're the client then?"
"That's right. Once again, apologies for the roundabout method. For the sake of success, it's important that you are not associated with me."
Kat raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh really? Well, why don't you go ahead and explain what's going on. I get the gist, breaking a girl out of jail, but I'm gonna need more details than that."
"Of course, of course," the man replied. He propped his elbows onto the table and intertwined his fingers in front of his face, covering his mouth. "Most of what I know are things I discovered earlier today, while investigating. Several months ago, Maomao was sold to the Inner Palace as a servant by kidnappers."
"Wait, sorry, you're going to need to explain a few things there," Kat interrupted her. "Inner Palace? And sold as a servant, not a slave?"
"Slavery has been outlawed," he explained. "However, parents can sell the services of their child to serve in the Imperial Palace for two years, with part of their pay going to the parents. For many, this eases household costs while providing one of their children a steady job. Unfortunately, many take advantage of it, kidnapping young girls and selling them to make easy money."
"Alright, makes sense. So explain the Inner Palace thing."
He nodded. "The Imperial Palace is a large compound nestled within the city, a short distance from here, actually. Within it is the Inner Palace, which houses the Emperor's harem. Only his concubines, their handmaidens, and a support staff of women and eunuchs are allowed within it."
Kat blinked. "Eunuchs? Like… they got their balls cut off?"
"Crudely put, but yes," the man replied. "To be more specific, they have the entirety of their 'equipment' removed. The practice has been banned now, but there are still many eunuchs from before the ban."
"Damn, the Emperor is that afraid of someone stealing one of his girls?" Kat shook her head.
"Indeed, he is very protective of them. Which is how we've ended up in this situation, after the death of the Wise Consort, which Maomao was blamed for."
Kat sat up a bit. "Blamed? She didn't do it then?"
Lakan shook his head. "I know Maomao. Poisoning someone is the last thing she would do. In fact, I'm certain that she was simply trying to help. You see, both the Wise Consort Lihua and the Noble Consort Gyokuyou had recently given birth, to a son and a daughter respectively. However, just like the past children of the Emperor, they both grew sick. Survival seemed unlikely, but then the princess made a recovery after the cause of their illness was discovered. Unfortunately, it was discovered too late for Lady Lihua's child."
Kat had the feeling he was leaving out a few details, but she was too busy focusing on understanding the situation. "So… what was the cause?" she asked.
"The face powder used by many of the consorts and handmaidens contained a toxic ingredient."
"Oof. Yeah, poisonous make-up is pretty bad."
Lakan blinked at her before replying. "Quite. Furthermore, Lady Lihua was ill as well, and did not recover. Instead, she slowly grew sicker. That was when Maomao earned their suspicion. According to the testimony of Lady Lihua's personal attendants, they caught her several times acting suspiciously around the Crystal Pavilion, where Lady Lihua lived, and even once they caught her trying to break in at night."
"That's pretty bad looking," Kat agreed. "But you think she was trying to help, you said?"
Lakan nodded. "Maomao was raised by a skilled doctor, and she is a bright girl. I suspect it was her that uncovered the truth about the face powder, and in all likelihood she was trying to treat Lady Lihua, but was turned away. Unfortunately, when Lady Lihua passed, that suspicion made its way to the ear of the Emperor, who demanded that she be publicly executed."
"And let me guess, he's too stubborn to change his mind."
"Unfortunately so. Even when I testified for her, I was ignored. Further, I am afraid that even if he could be convinced of her innocence, it's too late. Her execution has been publicly announced. The death of a consort is a blow to his political base, and he is making a show of her execution to try to recover that power. Calling it off now would only worsen his position."
Kat sighed and leaned back. "What a jackass, killing off a girl like that just so he doesn't look bad."
Lakan gave a small nervous smile. "I'd warn you about such talk, but considering my goal, insulting the Emperor is a small offense."
Kat barked out a laugh. "True!" She leaned forward again. "Alright, I understand the situation. I'll break this Maomao girl out. What do you have planned already, and what can you tell me about where she is?"
Lakan nodded and pulled a scroll out from within his sleeve. He unrolled it over the wooden board on the table, showing a sketch of some kind of location. "This is a map of the Imperial Palace," he said. He traced a square around one part of it. "This is the Inner Palace. Thankfully, there are no cells here, so this is not where Maomao is kept. She is instead kept here." He pointed to a section of the map east of the Inner Palace, where a building was circled.
"That's where the jail is?" Kat asked, leaning in to get a better look at the map.
"It is the main and most secure dungeon," he answered. "It's located in the middle of the military section of the Palace, surrounded by soldiers and officers at all hours of the day. She's being held in one of the underground cells, with at least two armed guards present at any given time."
Kat peered over the map, thinking. "Hmm. Ruru, any questions?" she asked the other girl.
"How are the cells constructed? How is the building constructed? When do the guards change shifts? Are there other patrols in that area? Who is allowed in that area?"
Lakan raised an eyebrow at the slew of questions, but he didn't seem taken aback. "The walls are made of brick, and the cell doors are made of heavy lumber. The rest of the building is also mostly brick and wood, as are the other buildings in that area. The guards change shifts six times a day, once every four hours. There are regular patrols through the entire palace from dusk to dawn, though they aren't on a consistent schedule or route. During the day, soldiers, officers, guards, court ladies, and authorized servants are allowed access. However, at night, court ladies and servants are discouraged from walking about."
Kat tapped her finger on the table as she thought. "Sneaking in would be pretty hard then. Unless… I don't suppose you could get us some clothes to blend in?"
Lakan paused. "Unfortunately I am being watched after my… attempts to dissuade the Emperor earlier." There was a lot left unsaid about his attempts, but Kat didn't miss the way he rubbed at his upper arm. "However, it should be possible to give you my own spare officer uniform. But I doubt either of you girls will pass as officers."
"Don't worry about that, the clothes will be enough. Ah, just one set though." It would be an exaggeration to say that Kat had a plan, but she did have a few loose ideas. "What about after? We're taking her out of the city I suppose? Which means we'll need transportation."
"I will have the same carriage you arrived in waiting at a spot south of town. All you have to do is deliver her there, where she'll be taken far enough away that she won't be recognized to start a new life." His eyes cast down. "It's not an ideal solution, but so long as she lives, that is all that matters."
"You just need us to do the hard part, huh?" Kat commented.
"I believe in putting the best people for the job in the right place."
Kat shrugged. "Sure, that makes sense. Anything else? Oh, what kind of weapons do the guards have? Any guns?"
He looked at her strangely. "You mean those foreign weapons? No, we don't have any. All guards carry a sword, and many on guard or patrol duty carry spears. Some may have shields as well, but their armor should be light." A grimace flashed across his face. "And I realize this might be asking much, but try not to hurt or kill any of them, please. Maomao's freedom is most important, but it would be dangerous if we were to lose too many soldiers to something like this."
Kat raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. "Sure, I've got no interest in killing dudes just doing their job." She turned to Ruru behind her. "You have any more questions?"
"I do not."
Kat turned back to Lakan. "Then I think we're good. Just get us that uniform and drop off location, and we'll be good to go."
Lakan nodded and pulled out another scroll. "This has a map of the city and surrounding area, with the location marked. Maomao's execution is set for tomorrow at noon, so she must be rescued before then. I will take my leave, I must make myself seen, but you two are free to use this room for as long as you need. Send one of the girls for me if you need more information or aid, and I will have that uniform delivered to you."
He started to get up and then paused. "I want to thank you, in advance. Maomao… I haven't been able to do right by her. It is one of the deepest regrets of my life. And with this, I know I likely won't see her again. But so long as she's alive, and happy, that will be enough."
Eyes cast down, he stood up, bowed at them, and then exited the room.
Kat sat there in silence for a moment, thinking. There was a story there, in his last words, but Kat wasn't sure if it was one she wanted to hear. It was too late to ask anyway, so she just shrugged. "Sit down, Ruru. Let's hash out a plan." She had switched back to English, as it was more comfortable for her.
"Do you have something in mind?" Ruru asked as she walked around the table to take a seat.
Kat removed her veil, the article of clothing was making her feel stuffy, and she reached for the scroll to unravel it. "Maybe. I want to double check some stuff first though. You can disguise yourself with the bracelet, yeah?"
"I can broadly change my apparent race or phenotype, or I can customize my appearance to anything I or you desire, within certain limits."
Kat unrolled the map, which was much more detailed than the palace one, and spotted the circled location just south of town, on a side road. "So if you had that uniform, you could make yourself look like a Chinese guy and sneak in?"
"Yes," she answered after considering it for a moment.
Kat nodded. "Cool. We'll do that then. You can handle that alone, right? I really don't want to disguise myself as a man."
Ruru tilted her head. "Are you not already halfway to doing so with the alterations you requested earlier?"
"What? No, that's completely different." Kat shook her head. "That's basically just a fancy strapon. That and being a man are two very different things."
Ruru didn't reply to that, she simply continued looking at Kat, who shrugged and continued. "Anyway, I figure that you can sneak in, check things out, and then snag us a couple sets of armor, right? That'll probably be bulky enough that I can sneak in later with you while wearing it and blend in."
"That seems like a feasible plan," Ruru agreed. "However, it carries a significant level of risk of being discovered. It would be safer if you were to rely on me to handle it alone. I am much stronger and more durable than you are."
"Yeah, not happening," Kat denied. "How would it look if on my first day on the job, I just left you to do everything for me? Nah, I'll do my part as well. You just concentrate on backing me up."
Ruru nodded her head. "Very well. Is there anything else you want me to do?"
"We've got those map and tracker perks, right?"
"You purchased both Mapper and Target Tracker, yes. Would you like to see the map?"
"Ooh, good idea. It's probably better than this one."
Ruru held up her left hand, palm facing Kat, and beams of light shot out from her palm, forming a pane of light that hovered right above the paper maps on the table. That pane was then filled in with an extremely high resolution map, mirroring the drawn one below it but looking more like satellite imagery.
The city itself was fairly sprawling, spread out over a large section of the area, but largely contained within neat walls. Thick roads led out in four directions, one from each cardinal direction, carving paths through the surrounding wilderness. To the north and west were plains, with a few sparse trees and bodies of water, but to the south and east were thick woods, and a river that ran alongside the east wall of the city, heading south off the map, with a few offshoots.
Kat watched as a few markers appeared, pins noting the locations that Lakan, their client, had pointed out. One within what was most likely the Imperial Palace, with a label of "Dungeon", one further out into the city labeled "Verdigris House", and then one far to the south that was labeled "Extraction Point."
She reached down with a finger, placing it on, or in, since it was a hologram, the Dungeon marker and tracing a path down to the extraction point. "So… we have to bust in and get a girl from here to here," she mused. "And then that's it?"
"According to the mission parameters, our job is finished upon safe delivery of Maomao to the extraction point," Ruru confirmed.
"What if we're still being chased? Or if the carriage isn't there?" Kat asked.
"Those are not outlined in the mission. So long as she arrives at that location, alive, our job is complete. Additionally, while Lakan phrased it as a request, the mission parameters strictly define that we are not allowed to kill or maim any locals. Light injuries are permissible, but more than that will result in mission failure."
"Yeesh, really?" Kat raised an eyebrow, and then she shrugged. "Well, like I said, I don't really want to get violent, so that's fine. We'll just have to be extra careful then. I don't suppose you have like, a blow dart gun hidden on you somewhere?"
"I have an electroshock weapon installed onto my middle right finger." She lifted her right hand and the tip of her middle finger sparked and buzzed, electricity arcing in the air right above it. "It is capable of knocking out an average grown man with no lasting repercussions, as well as shorting out electrical devices."
"You're just a regular old Inspector Gadget, huh?" Kat said with a laugh. "Well, that'll work. Let's keep the plan simple then. You sneak in, get us better disguises. Oh, and tag as many people you can with the tracker. There's no limit to that, right?"
"There is not."
"Sweet. That way you can keep track of a ton of the soldiers. Then, later tonight, a bit before dawn, we'll sneak in disguised as guards. We'll stay out of sight as much as we can, get as close as we can, and bust her out."
Ruru blinked. "Please define what you mean by 'bust her out'."
"Well, ideally, we get her out of her cell without being noticed. But if we're being honest, that probably won't happen, so instead we'll just have to go as hard and as fast as we can, right? Then book it."
"I do not think that fleeing on foot is a very good plan," Ruru protested.
"I'm confident in my speed and endurance."
"It is approximately twelve kilometers from the dungeon cells and the extraction point."
"What's that in miles?"
"Approximately 7.4 miles."
Kat frowned. "Okay, even with the tuneup from the Company, that might be a bit much. Uhh… are there any stables nearby? We can steal a couple of horses."
Ruru took a moment to process that. "There are no nearby stables labeled on the map. However, there are several structures that match the design and location of a stable. I will confirm their locations when I infiltrate the palace."
"Good, we'll do that then. It's been a while since I've ridden a horse, but I'm sure I can manage it. But the basics of the plan are still the same. Sneak in as far as we can, bust our way through if we get caught, and then make a mad dash away."
"It is very…. simple," Ruru commented, brows ever so slightly furrowed.
"Keep It Simple, Stupid," Kat said with a grin. "Convoluted plans are a pain in the ass. We just gotta do what we gotta do."
Ruru nodded slowly. "There is merit in keeping a plan bereft of extraneous elements. However, what will we do if something goes wrong?"
"Then we adapt," Kat replied with a shrug. She tapped her bracelet. "We've got these to keep in touch and track each other, and we know what the plan is, so we just need to do it."
"Very well," Ruru replied. "If that is what you think is best, we'll do that."
"Great! Now-" She was cut off by a knock on the door.
Kat flipped the veil down back over her face. "Yes?" she called out, switching back to Chinese.
"I have been instructed to deliver this package to you," came the muffled, but still distinctly young voice through the door.
"Allow me," Ruru said, standing up and cutting off the holographic display of the map. She approached the door and opened it.
A young girl, no more than twelve or thirteen most likely, was standing there, holding something wrapped in cloth. Her eyes were cast downward and her back was slightly bowed as she presented her bundle.
Ruru took it from her. "Thank you."
The girl bowed deeper, slipping her hands into their opposite sleeves as she did. "Would you care for any refreshments?" she asked.
Ruru looked back at Kat, who thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "I'm pretty hungry still."
"Understood. Someone will bring them shortly." The girl bowed deeper and then stepped away, her movements surprisingly practiced and graceful for someone her age.
"Damn… that's pretty fucked up," Kat commented in English as Ruru closed the door.
"What do you mean?" Ruru asked, returning to the table.
"I mean having a young girl like that work in a place like this. She's barely hit puberty, that's way too early for sex work."
"I believe you misunderstand the nature of establishments such as this," Ruru corrected her, untying the bundle. "Rather than a place purely of sexual interactions, a place such as this serves entertainment in many forms. The women that work here will spend time with paying customers by drinking tea, playing games, or performing for them. Sex is merely one possible activity, usually the most expensive one and limited to only certain escorts. A girl her age is most likely being taught various kinds of art, tea making, Go, Xiangqi, and cosmetics. How she interacts with customers as she grows older will depend on how she develops."
Kat blinked, surprised. "Oh. Huh. That's… not nearly as bad as I thought. I mean, being a prostitute apprentice at that age is still weird but…" She shrugged. "Eh, whatever. You have what you need?"
Ruru picked up the clothing that was within the bundle she received and looked it over. "Yes, this will do."
Kat stood up. "In that case, let's get you changed and ready to go. The later you're out, the more suspicious you'll be."
"I am capable of getting changed without any-"
But Kat was already behind her, pulling the robot girl to her feet and pulling her clothes off. "Now, now, no need to be shy. Just let me help you."
"I am not shy," Ruru protested in monotone as Kat successfully slid the garments off of her. "I- how are you doing this so quickly when you struggled to put your own dress on properly?"
"Oh I've got lots of practice getting girls out of their clothes," Kat said with a grin. In a flash, Ruru was once more reduced to just her plain black underwear.
Kat sat back and took a moment to appreciate it. The underwear was plain, ugly even, but Ruru herself was gorgeous. Her proportions were on the slimmer side, her curves more subtle, but they were still healthy and good, and Kat was a woman with varied tastes. Her modest but perky breasts were tipped by two beautiful pink nipples, and Kat struggled to keep her hands to herself.
Ruru, uncaring of her Master's gaze, simply started dressing herself with the officer's uniform. Kat pouted, but moved up to assist her.
"Hey, while you're there… don't take any risks, alright?" Kat said, voice uncharacteristically somber. "I'd rather fail the mission than have something happen to you, got it?"
Ruru paused mid-motion. Then, after a moment, she nodded. "Understood." She resumed pulling her clothes on, slower than before.
"Good!" Kat was starting to feel attached to Ruru, despite her cold nature, and she had no desire to sacrifice her for the sake of her job. She continued helping Ruru into the uniform, putting on the multiple layers it required, and frowned. "This is a bit big for you, isn't it?"
"I will adjust my size when I adopt my disguise," Ruru said.
"Right, that makes sense." She stepped away, Ruru now fully dressed. "That's probably good enough to pass muster. Now… how to get you out without being seen?"
"There is a window," Ruru said, stepping toward it. She undid a latch and then slowly pushed it open.
The position of their room meant that the window didn't open to the main street, but to an open area that looked like a yard or courtyard of some kind. There was another smaller building nearby, but the entire place was surrounded by a wall.
Most importantly of all, there was no one in sight.
"I shall take my leave now. Please call me if something happens, I will rush back immediately."
"Go get 'em tiger!"
Ruru nodded and then leaped out the window. They were only on the second story, but the android girl didn't even roll when she hit the ground, simply landing with a heavy thump. As she stood up, her form changed, shifting from a cute girl to a rather plain looking man.
Kat pulled back and closed the window, shuddering. "Gonna have to scrub that from my memory," she muttered to herself. Seeing her girlfriend transform into an old dude was more disquieting than she expected.
Kat then looked around the room. "So I guess I'll just… hang out for a bit?" she said, still talking to herself. She wandered back to the table, looking at the unfurled maps, eyes tracing roads and boundaries as she tried to figure out where everything was in relation to each other.
Her musings were interrupted by another knock on the door. "Honored customer, I have brought the refreshments you requested."
Kat perked up, because it wasn't the voice of the young girl from earlier, but the sweet and sultry tones of an adult woman.
Kat quickly rolled up the maps and then put them to the side before adjusting her clothes, making sure they were on correctly. "Come in!" she called out in the local language.
The door opened, revealing a woman even more beautiful than she imagined.
She had brown hair tied up into a ponytail held up by a large accessory that looked like a red rose with golden leaves. She wore a dress of blues and greens with a neckline that dropped low to show off her incredibly impressive bust, looking just shy of spilling out of her dress. Her eyes were a jade green and her lips a bright pink, turned upward into a beautiful smile.
She looked into the room with a smile. "My name is Meimei, I'm one of the escorts here." Her smile drooped slightly as she looked around the room. "I was told there were two of you?"
"My companion had to step out to take care of something," Kat said, attempting to match the woman's dignified way of speaking, though she was heavily distracted staring at her boobs. Internally, Kat thanked the veil for hiding the direction of her gaze.
"Is that so?" Meimei walked into the room, carrying a tray and closing the door behind her. "It will be just the two of us then?"
Kat raised an eyebrow at her inviting herself to join her, but decided not to comment. She had time to kill anyway, and spending it with a sexy woman was fine by her.
"Yep, just us," Kat replied casually. She watched as Meimei placed the tray down on the table, next to the wooden board. On it was a plate with steamed buns, a teapot, and three cups. The smell of meat and spices wafted from the meat buns, and Kat felt her stomach grumble.
Meimei giggled. "Go ahead, eat." She picked up the plate and moved it closer to Kat. "Our cooks are quite talented, I assure you."
Kat blushed, again thankful for the veil, but still reached out for a meat bun. "Don't mind if I do then."
Distracted as she was, she missed the way that Meimei's eyes lingered on Kat's hand, specifically on her tanned skin tone.
It was a little awkward to eat underneath the veil, but the steamed bun was well suited for that, being self contained, and after her first bite she wolfed down the entire thing, washing it down with the cup of tea that Meimei poured for her as well, though the tea was bitter and bland to her tongue.
Meimei giggled, watching her eat. "I'm sure the chefs will appreciate that their food was enjoyed so thoroughly."
"Ah, well, I haven't eaten in a while," Kat said awkwardly, licking the remnants of the steamed bun off of her lips.
"There's plenty more, so don't hold back," the older woman encouraged her, nudging the plate closer. "In the meantime… would you care to play a game with me?" Her well manicured fingers tapped the board sitting in the center of the table.
Kat paused, and then shrugged. "Sure. What's the game?"
"Oh? Do you not know it?" Meimei reached over to the box that was sitting next to the board and opened it to reveal that it was filled with black and white stones, round, flat, and smooth, separated by color by a thin divider.
"Go, right?" Kat said. She had dated a girl once that had enjoyed playing it, and learned it by playing against her. Usually with sexy stakes involved. "Well, I know the basics I suppose. Sure, I'll play, but don't expect too much."
"In that case, why don't you play as Black?" Meimei suggested, turning the box so the black pieces were closer to Kat.
Kat was slowly remembering what she knew about the game, which included the fact that black went first. It hurt her pride a little to be given the advantage, but she knew that she would need it. Wordlessly, she picked up a black stone and examined the empty board.
Honestly, she didn't think it mattered where she put the first stone, so after a moment of deliberation, she placed it down randomly. Then she used her other hand to grab another meat bun. It wasn't as flavorful as the food she was used to, but it was very good, and very filling.
They spent the next few moments in silence, Kat eating and placing down her pieces near randomly, picking spots that felt right, while stealing glances at Meimei's chest, wondering how she could convince the other woman to have some fun with her.
So she was caught off guard when Meimei suddenly spoke up.
"So… what is Lakan up to that he is meeting with two foreign women in secret?" she asked, her tone casual.
"He hired us to-" Kat cut herself off as she fully processed what the woman had said. Her question had been so casual, so laid back, that she had started answering it on reflex. "I mean… what do you mean?" she pivoted awkwardly.
Meimei's smile widened. "Oh, don't worry, you don't need to hide it from me. In my line of work, I understand the value of discretion." She winked at Kat. "Besides, if you're trying to hide it, you're not doing a very good job. Your Chinese is very good, but you have an accent, and you haven't done a very good job hiding your hands."
Kat froze, and then she sighed. "Dammit. Ah well." She flipped up the veil, showing her face. "This thing was getting annoying anyway."
Meimei peered at Kat's face and smiled. "Oh my, you're quite pretty, aren't you?"
Kat preened under the praise. "Not as pretty as you are," she replied flirtatiously.
Meimei's smile widened and she placed another piece on the board. "So… Lakan hired you? Not as escorts, I assume. Not with how secretive he's being, and how quickly he left. Granny won't say much either."
"Discrete or not, I probably shouldn't say," Kat replied, taking her next turn.
Meimei pouted, and Kat found it extremely cute, but she resisted spilling the beans. They played a few more turns in silence, and Kat finished the second meat bun, eyeing the third one on the plate.
"It has to do with Maomao, doesn't it?" Meimei said suddenly.
"...who?" Kat replied, but it was unconvincing even to her own ears.
Meimei smiled, but it was a sad one this time. "Lakan's relationship with Maomao is a bit of an open secret here at the Verdigris house, and everyone has heard what she's been accused of."
"You don't believe it?"
"Not for an instant. Little Maomao practically grew up here. It was Luomen, the apothecary who lives nearby, that raised her, but a lot of us pitched in as well. We've watched over her since she was a baby. Her mother…" Meimei trailed off and shook her head. "We know how awkward and passionate about medicine she is, and we know that she'd never poison someone."
Kat didn't reply immediately, continuing to place pieces on the board without thinking much about it. There were things left unsaid, histories and connections that Meimei hadn't elaborated on, but talked around enough to describe the general shape of it. Kat was a little curious about them. Normally, she wouldn't care, it wasn't important to the job that had been asked of her, and it wasn't important to her personally.
But she found herself curious about the girl that had so many people that so confidently vouched for her.
More than that, she could tell just how much Meimei cared about her rescue target, so Kat shrugged. "You're right. I'm here to break her out of jail and get her out of the country." Telling her seemed safe enough, so long as she didn't spill the details of her plan. The courtesan had more or less figured it out anyway.
Meimei's shoulder relaxed slightly, as if a weight had been lifted from them. "I see. Lakan…" she trailed off, but she was still smiling. After a moment, she shook her head and focused back on Kat. "I'm glad to hear that. We've been so worried about Maomao. But…" Meimei looked at Kat with worry. "I don't mean to insult you, but are you really capable of such a thing?"
Kat had asked herself that same question a few times, so she hardly blamed the other woman for her doubt. By all appearances, Kat was a normal teenage girl. Fit and athletic for her age, and clearly a foreigner in these lands, but she was clearly no warrior or great strategist.
But that wasn't entirely true. She had a number of tools available to her now, and most importantly, she had Ruru.
"Don't you worry about that," Kat replied with a confident grin and a wink. "We've got a plan, and we'll pull it off. I'll see Maomao to safety, no matter what."
Meimei stared at Kat for a moment with a look that seemed to peer deep into Kat's very soul. But after a moment, her gaze softened. "Is that so? Well, I'll trust you then. But if there's anything I can do to help, please… don't hesitate."
"Well… I do have some free time while my partner gets a few things ready," Kat admitted coyly. "I think it would be very good for my cover if you would spend that time with me. For the plan, of course." Kat grinned.
Meimei giggled. "Of course. So, you're like that, then?" Her gaze shifted slightly, turning more sensual. "I thought you might be, with all the peeks you've stolen." She crossed her arms, which pushed her boobs upward, and Kat wondered for a moment if they really would spill out of her dress. Sadly, they did not.
"Are you referring to me liking girls?" Kast asked. "Because yes, it's very much like that. Is that a problem?"
"Not as such, no," Meimei said, which caused Kat to relax a bit, and set her heart thumping in excitement. "I'm not completely inexperienced with a bit of… feminine skinship. One of my sisters, Pairin, can be quite the handful. That being said, I can't say that I have much in the way of expertise in that field."
Kat's grin widened. "Conveniently enough, I don't think that will be an issue." Sensing that the mood was right for it, she flipped the mental switch and felt her panties bulge as her shaft appeared within their confines. She then stood up, pulling up the hem of her dress to her waist, and pulling down her panties.
Meimei's eyes widened in surprise as Kat's futa cock sprung free, hanging in the air above the table. The game of Go had been completely forgotten as the atmosphere grew more heated.
"You're… a man?" Meimei asked, confused.
"Nope, I'm a woman, through and through." Kat reached down and lifted up her cock, revealing the pussy beneath it, completely unashamed of her nudity. "Let's just say I've borrowed a bit of equipment though, and that I've been eager to try it out."
Kat could see the confusion and curiosity in the courtesan's eyes. And just like Kat, what wasn't present was any form of disgust or embarrassment. As expected, this woman was no stranger to sex, and it would take more than that to surprise her. "Is this some foreign practice?" she asked in genuine curiosity.
"Something like that," Kat replied vaguely. She had no interest in explaining the details, which were certain to kill the mood. "Why don't you give it a check?"
Meimei's eyes finally moved up from Kat's crotch and met the other girl's gaze. Amusement was written plain on her face. "Mmm. I probably shouldn't. I'm very expensive, you know? I can't give away freebies like that. Although…"
Meimei stood up and sauntered around the table, coming to a stop right next to Kat, who was watching her every move with open desire. Meimei leaned in close, placing one hand on Kat's shoulder and pressing her boobs against her side as her other hand reached down to skillfully wrap her fingers around Kat's shaft.
"Lakan paid an awful lot for you to stay here tonight," Meimei whispered sensually into Kat's ear. "And if it's for the person who will save Maomao, I don't mind showing a bit of… appreciation."
Kat shuddered as the escort's grip on her cock tightened. Being touched by someone else was nothing like touching herself, especially when Meimei's hand felt so sure and practiced.
But while her dick might be virgin, she certainly wasn't, and she kept her composure enough to flash a grin at Meimei and wrap her arm around the woman's waist. "In that case… shall we move to the bed?"
Clothes were shed in mere moments as the two women made their way to the bed. Meimei's body was just as voluptuous as they seemed, and her hips were just as bountiful as her chest was. She painted a stark contrast when paired with Kat's tanned and toned body, but neither lost out in beauty.
Meimei's eyes flickered over Kat's body as the younger woman sat down on the bed. "I apologize for doubting you earlier, you're definitely a woman." She knelt in front of Kat, between her legs, and once again reached out to wrap her fingers around Kat's cock. "This, however, is very much a man's. It's quite possibly the largest one that I've ever seen."
"And it's never been used before," Kat said. "I'd appreciate it if you could give it a warm welcome."
An amused smile grew on Meimei's face, and she stroked Kat's shaft. "Is that so? I suppose I can do that." She started stroking it with intent, fingers dancing along its length. Kat gasped as tingles of pleasure shot down her erection and settled deep into her core, stoking the fire that was already building there.
Meimei watched Kat's face with a teasing grin, enjoying the control she had over the other girl. She was more into men herself, but this was fun in its own way. She felt like she was starting to understand Pairin a bit better as well. "Do you have any requests?" she asked after a few moments of stroking.
Kat's eyes wandered down, to the massive hills on the courtesan's chest. "Could you use your boobs?" she asked. Boobs were one of her favorite parts about girls, and a titfuck was definitely high up on the list of things she wanted to try now that she had a cock.
Meimei's smile widened. "You're quite the advanced customer… but I would be happy to." She let go of Kat's dick, leaving it painfully bereft of stimulation, but that didn't last long. Meimei shifted position, straightening her back and shifting closer.
Despite the fact that Kat gave herself an objectively large penis, it disappeared entirely between Meimei's boobs, the soft flesh completely encompassing it.
"Oooh," Kat let out at the sensation. It wasn't as intense as the courtesan's tight grasp, but it was gentle, comfortable, and warm.
"My, how sensitive you are," Meimei crooned in a husky voice. She grabbed hold of her breasts, lifting them up and squeezing them tighter around Kat's length. She then started moving them up and down in a slow pattern, adding friction to the mix.
Kat threw her head back and closed her eyes, reveling in this novel experience. She knew on some level that your average dude was just as horny as she was, and that there was probably a reason for that, but feeling it for herself was a different matter.
She hesitated to call it better than when a girl played with her pussy, but it was different enough that comparing the two was difficult. At the very least, it didn't lose out, and Kat reached up to play with her own boobs as Meimei continued to rub Kat's cock between hers.
"I can feel just how much you're enjoying this," Meimei whispered as she started to pick up the pace. "I can feel you throbbing. Do you like this? Do you want me to keep going?"
"Don't stop, don't you dare stop," Kat breathed, opening her eyes and looking down at the woman again, who was giving her a teasing grin. "I can feel it… I'm close."
It seemed too early, but there was little else that the pressure building up inside of her could be. It was remarkably similar to the feeling of being about to cum as a girl, but it was different in some subtle yet distinct way, like it was aimed in a different direction.
"Is that so?" Meimei started moving even faster, the friction intensifying and the tip of Kat's penis poking out from the top of her cleavage as she enthusiastically bounced her chest on Kat's lap. "Show me then. Show me how it feels for you to spill your seed for the first time."
Kat felt it as the pressure reached a breaking point, like a dam within her lower stomach cracking. Her fingers pinched her own nipples as she let out a moan, and she felt a thick liquid rush up her length to shoot out into the air.
Thick white cum shot in spurts, arcing through the air before being dragged back down by gravity to splash over Meimei's tits. The courtesan's smile widened, eyes twinkling in pride and curiosity as she kept moving her breasts, squeezing every last drop from Kat.
And Kat had much to give, as it took several seconds before the spurts of cum were reduced to a mere trickle, and then several seconds more before it stopped entirely. The viscous white proof of Kat's orgasm slowly dripped down the skin of Meimei's luscious breasts, tracing rivulets on her otherwise unmarked skin.
"What an impressive display," Meimei remarked with satisfaction as she pulled back. Her boobs spread, revealing the sticky mess between them, a mix of sweat and cum.
"There's more where that came from," Kat said with a grin, catching her breath.
Meimei smiled, but she shook her head and stood up. "Tempting, but I'm afraid that's all I can afford to give you for free. Granny will be quite mad if I don't go back soon. But…" The courtesan leaned down and pulled Kat's face closer to hers, giving her a quick peck on the lips. "If you come back later, I'll introduce you to my sister. I'd be quite interested in seeing which of you gives out first."
She giggled and then straightened her back again, turning away as she picked up her clothes and started to get dressed.
Kat was a bit disappointed, but she didn't push it. She just grinned instead, and enjoyed that post-orgasm bliss as she watched the sexy lady clean herself and get dressed. She knew she probably wouldn't be able to come back, the rules of her job didn't allow it, but she was still satisfied with the fun she had.
"Well, thanks for the entertainment," Kat said as Meimei finished getting dressed. "I definitely enjoyed it."
Meimei looked at her over her shoulder and smiled. "As did I. Oh, and I enjoyed our game as well." She nodded at the board on the table, pieces still placed but long forgotten. "You were a better opponent than I expected."
Kat tilted her head in confusion, as she was pretty sure she had been placing pieces practically at random, and while she pondered that, Meimei slipped out of the room.
Kat shrugged and then laid back, still naked, wearing only the grin that grew on her face once more. It was dark outside now, marking the end of her first day at work. And considering she just got the most amazing tit job from a fancy prostitute? Kat was feeling pretty happy about her career choice.
The excitement of the night wasn't over though, and Kat forced herself to get up and dress herself once again. The steamed buns had gone cold, but she picked one up to eat it anyway. She would need her strength.
Kat hummed to herself as she unrolled the maps and went back to studying them, trying to remember where everything was. Her words to Meimei hadn't been simple lip service. Now, she was interested and invested, and she was going to do everything she could to get this Maomao girl to safety.
Shifty's SubscribeStar: subscribestar com / shifty-s-fiction
Shifty's Discord Server: discord .gg/aWJrmhf4Hy
AN: In regards to names, it's not as straightforward as I would like. One translation I read used what I'm guessing are the Chinese readings of the Kanji used for the names, but that's in writing, and there further wiggle room for the R/L thing in Japanese. I ended up going with whatever made the most sense to me after comparing the different translations. Thankfully, Maomao is consistent across all translations I could find.
So, for those that know Apothecary Diaries, this is obviously an AU. A 'bad end' so to speak. Not every mission they take will involve a bad end, but these minor alterations that lead to different outcomes are something I plan on making use of when I have to. Not every world that I want to explore will have a sufficiently interesting or motivated Client unless I change the circumstances.
In this case, a certain key moment never happened. Jinshi never spotted Maomao on that day, and had no leads on who left the note, and so never discovered her. Maomao remained a lowly servant, and thus did not earn a reputation that reached the Emperor, and was unable to personally see to Lihua with his authority. A small thing, a delay of just ten seconds on Jinshi's part, but it butterflied into this.