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Words can have a lot more impact than people believe.
They can lift people up from the darkest depths of despair, can reignite hope in those about to lose it all, and other times can even save a person's life from a world of hurt. Even those who rarely speak have an impact with their words to lift a burden off another's heart. Words could indeed be uplifting, kind and bring solace to others in a time of pain...however they could also do the complete opposite.
Just one word could destroy a mountain of a person. Rejection of another can shatter the heart of someone in love, denial of someone's truth can cause one to wallow in self doubt. They can cut into a person deeper than a knife and harder than rock could. They can ruin someone's happiness, they can be the final nail in the coffine for someone's wellbeing. Sometimes words that once brought comfort could now only bring regret.
No one can really know how what they say impacts others...or well almost no one.
From the moment words came from her lips, Daki learned from her brother and those around her that to make it by in this life one could not give into the softness of using kind words. Kindness was just another form to manipulate others. Gentleness was how one baited prey and drew it in for the kill. Sweetness was just softening the target before dealing the final blow.
It was something that has stuck with her even now in her life as a Demon Oiran.
She hummed as she practically glided across the smooth wooden floor of the Kyougoku house, the women around her making sure to stay out of her way and the servants even hiding away so not to trouble her. After all to get into her path was asking for a verbal lashing. Many know Warabihime was a force to be reckoned with no matter what. Whoever has ever angered her and lived would know this.
However tonight she was headed towards the room of one of the newer courtesans who had joined the house. She has been hearing rumors that this woman was quite the young beauty with the gentlest violet eyes and beautiful dark hair. Always wearing a lovely violet kimono and always very demure and polite. Yet she has always heard there's a sort of coldness to her when it came to customers.
Many would even describe the woman as a yuki-onna with how cold she can be.
Strangely enough the men seemed to admire that to the point they constantly ask for the cold woman. It was...irritating how quickly popular she was becoming.
Calmly, she stopped before the doors, eyes half lidded as she looked at the silhouette of the new arrival. She then slowly opened the doors without warning and so fast they cause a small breeze.
"Good evening, Hinatsuru~" she smiled at the other woman with such a sweet tone she herself wanted to vomit.
Hinatsuru seemed to freeze startled at the Oiran's approach as she knelt there; hair only half done, just applying the paint to her lips that now was smeared across her cheek and her eyes widening. Like a woman caught in the act of something utterly scandalous.
And just what are you hiding little bird?
"G-good evening Warabihime-oiran. What brings you to my room? I thought you had left to begin your rounds..."
Her green eyes narrowed slightly when she can see something slip into the woman's sleeve, "Oh I came by to see how you were doing. I heard many if the customers are quite enamored with your cold demeanor..."
Daki hummed as she kneels beside the other woman, looking in the mirror as if fixing something with her own hair while noticing Hinatsuru was rather tense. Her eyes narrow slightly but she doesn't comment. She then hums as Hinatsuru doesn't move from where she sits, as if quietly waiting for the Oiran to grow bored and leave her be.
"You know, Hinatsuru...I noticed your eyes always looking through the crowd when you sit there for our customers. At the rate your popularity is growing I wouldn't be surprised if you ended up being promoted to Oiran as I am..." she reached up slowly to gently play with the half finished hair style. She carefully ran both hands through the soft black locks. Such beautiful and soft hair...like silk under her finger tips. It only made her smirk when Hinatsuru was trembling slightly, "Though I do worry when I see you looking through the bars at the men out there you seem to be looking around for someone in particular..."
With careful poise she picked up the hair ribbon that holds the other's hair up, very gently stroking through it with her long nails like how one with stroke their fingers along the head of a frightened dog. The more she felt her fear, the more glee that slowly filled her. So the little human was hiding something...or hiding someone.
"Tell me, Hinatsuru...what got you into this house? We all are here with something to pay off..." she giggled softly, "Was it your father? Trying to make a little extra money off his daughter for a drinking problem? Or a sibling who gambled you off to some pimp who sold you here? Come on, come on you can tell me...no one here has secrets to how they came here you know..." she started to dig her nails into that soft hair feeling the scalp underneath, seeing her swearing, "Did your lover sell you to us? Or...your husband?"
Her breathing hitched a moment making Daki smile wider. Oh...there it was. She could almost smell the anxiety rolling off this woman as she gripped on to her hair now in such a grip that if Hinatsuru would have to let some of her hair be torn out.
"Oh dear...is that who you are looking for in the crowd every night?" she leans in, "What did he do to sell you here? Gamble? Debt? Addiction?" she giggled a bit, "Or maybe he just didn't want to be poor anymore so he sold his poor little wife..." she clicked her tongue as she gently took her chin and made eye contact with her in the mirror, "Maybe he got bored because you're so cold and aloof...It's a wonder the men here find it so alluring but you husband didn't did he? Or...did he like it too much?'
He watched how her face contorted, how the human's fingers dig into her thighs as her eyes start to glimmer slightly.
"Honestly..." Daki sighed as she stands up slowly, making sure to slowly fix her hair, "Your silence is telling, Hinatsuru...You still love that awful man huh, yet he never comes to see you..." she tilted her head slightly, licking her lip slowly when she can see the woman lower her head, "...wouldn't it just be better if you just died? Those hairpins are sharp enough to pierce through skin like it's paper...though it would be a shame you have such pretty skin."
Daki sighed again before she smiled and giggled, "Or you could just take some poison so you beautiful skin is unblemished by wounds..." she could see her flinch with each cruel jab she made at her. Oh she so loved breaking others down...loved seeing them go from indifferent to a trembling mess with just a few sentences from her lips like poisoned honey.
She hummed as she adjusts her sash. It was tempting...so tempting to wrap her up now and save her for a later time...but no. She wanted to see what she was hiding. After all it was too soon to make it look like ashinuke and she was popular enough there would be a dent in their usual amount of customers. Plus she didn't want to kill her, not like this...
No she would enjoy playing some mind games with her first...just to see how many secrets she can squeeze out of the woman.
A few cruel words and a couple jabs could go a long way.