The morning shown through the thin paper divider that stood in front of the open window. The sun's rays shining in wisps on the figure that lay on the futon within this room. White strands of hair sprawled out like tendrils from a strange beast as he lay under the covers naked. But the man sleeping here was anything but a beast. Or was he? Slowly, he raised a hand to wipe the sleep from his eyes, his perfect visage unmarked by the previous night's work. Shiori let up a pitied sigh as he recalled a client leaving him in want. It should have been the other way around, but men are always tricky like that. He wondered if he'll come back and what story (or excuse) he'll have when he shows up.

Deciding sleep would be no more for him, he reached for the strewn robe that lay next to him and covered up before the morning maid came in with his breakfast. Shiori always preferred to sleep in nothing more than his skin after seeing a client. He always felt more relaxed that way. He also delighted in seeing the maids blush because his morning appearances were just that: a total expression of his night's work. But, they were good maids with sharp ears. And as if on queue, one of them enters to leave the tray and scurry off.

"Oh, Mika, when will you learn I won't bite the help unless they want a reward," he muttered to the long since gone maid.

Shrugging, a wry smile on his lips, he tied his locks loosely and began his morning routine of breakfast and poetry. The tray set on his table was ladened with food. Shiori didn't look like it, but he could eat a feast and still be hungry. Yet he never gained weight. A green book with a long ribbon in the pages sat nearby. Picking it up, he opened it to the place where the ribbon sat and began to read as he ate in silence. It was truly the only time he ever got to himself and he always made sure it stayed that way.

Sadly, this morning would not be like any other. The worried cries of the maids called out to him from down the hall. "Master Shiori! Master Shiori! Please hurry! There's someone causing trouble and he refuses to leave!"

He pinched the area at the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily. He loved and hated being called "Master". It was all dependant on who said it that determined whether it was one or the other. Finishing the last bite that was in his mouth, Shiori stood with elegance, as he was now accustomed to, and proceeded to follow the scurrying maid to the source of the trouble. Along the way out of his room, however, he grabbed a cane for posterity.

As he approached, he saw a man was trying to speak with one of his girls. Had this been a civil matter, the maid wouldn't have gotten him in such a way. The guards were trying to get him to leave, but he insisted on coming in. Pushing and shoving with whatever fortified strength he had, the man tried desperately to reach for the cowering girl. Words of professed love floated in the air and all Shiori could do was sigh heavily. "Honestly now," he mumbled under his breath as he made his approach.

In a cool, commanding tone, Shiroi's visage was that of a businessman. "Akane, to the back. Now." That was all it took for the frightened girl to break from her frozen state and scurry, followed by the maids that shielded her from the unruly man. Turning to this morning's bane of existence, he sighed heavily and addressed the interloper in the same tone of voice. "You, sir, just cost me a day's work. I now need to reschedule all of her day's bookings and maybe even more. How are we going to correct this?"

"I don't care that you're losing money, you pansy assed freak! I want Akane!" Anger? Rage? No... obsession. He reeked of is and Shiori was having none of it.

"Oh dear," Shiori said as he crossed his arms, resting his delicately chiseled chin on his hand. "Now you've gone and hurt my feelings. I don't take kindly to insults. Nor do I take kindly to men that decide to paw over my things." The loud man that raged before flickered something in his eyes. Something that indicated he wasn't liking what he was hearing. "That's right. In this house, what lives here, stays here and what stays here belongs to me." Shiori was calm, but his voice suddenly boomed. Even the guards were starting to worry. It took a lot to get to Shiori, a man who's seen practically everything one could possibly see in their life among these streets. And yet, there will always be that fly in the ointment just waiting to push the right buttons.

Slowly, the sound of metal on metal sliding against each other filled the air already thick with tension. The glint of a thin blade was all anyone saw before the point was at the man's throat. "I am not a man without a heart. Leave now and I will forget this ever happened. Persist and, not only will you be banned from this establishment, you'll be blacklisted from the entire district. And if that doesn't suffice, I'll just cut you down where you stand and save us all the headache from furthering this day." His eyes were cold, his words emphasizing the weight of what he spoke of. "Do I make myself clear?"

Usually this works just fine for there were few he's ever had to go this far for. Men who say they love his girls are open to keeping to his way of business. Once in a great while, there's that one client that insists on giving gifts themselves but that was against the rules because it was deemed an unscheduled (therefore unpaid) visit if it wasn't during their appointed time. This one here wanted to take Akane and Shiori knew that that meant danger all around. That danger seemed to spill out of the miscreant in the form of a scoff. "Tch, I'm not afraid of you, you fucking flower assed freak. If you think you can take me down with that piece of shit, you got another thing coming. I'm gonna fuck you over so bad, no one will want your worthless ass or even recognize it once I'm through with you."

Things seemed to shift. Time felt as if it stood still. The staff and guards knew very well that this was the biggest mistake anyone could ever do to their employer: they posed a challenge and Shiori never backs down from a challenge.

A crooked grin grew on his lips and for a moment, he resembled a fox. "Is that right? Then let's take this out into the street for all to see how well you can fuck me. If you're lucky, I'll fuck you first and let you run with your tail still attached."

This enraged the man that disturbed his morning and he flew into a frenzy. He managed to shove the guards out of the way and tried to charge right at Shiori, drawing a short sword that wasn't noticeable at first. But the owner was quick on his feet, gliding out of the way, passing the man before he could react and, grabbing the nape of his kimono to drag him out of his place of business and throw him towards the ground. The man was so shocked, he stumbled and fumbled to the ground. The tip of that "piece of shit" now at the jugular of his fallen opponent. The look of udder surprise and shock on the disturbance's face. Shiori was a lithe man and, going by his looks, seemed like he could barely lift most common things. Yet he had just thrown out a man like a samurai was in there just now.

"Come now, don't be so surprised. After all, I'm still just a man." He nicked the skin just a little, making ever slight movements with his blade. "Aren't you going to fuck me anymore?" His tone was cloyingly amused as onlookers now stopped what they were doing or where they were going just to watch.

He was actually looking forward to a fight, but the man dropped the short sword and raised his hands in the air. "You're a fucking psycho! And all of your whores are just as fucked up-"

CRACK!

The sound of one back hand smacking against the face of the accuser filed the still air. No one dared breathe for fear it might interrupt what was going on and make them a target as well. Holding the blade flush to his throat, Shiori knelt down as he gripped the man's hair and pulled his head back. "Mind your manners, you flea trodden tramp. Did you really forget where you are? You want whores? Take your diseased equipment elsewhere. My girls are anything but and I will not have you soil their names all because you were denied the one piece of ass that was way too good for your sordid one." He threw the man's head back and stood, walking away. "I'm feeling generous. Leave and never come back. Last chance."

The accuser was not going to let this stand. His honor was ruined when he was called less than a man and humiliated in public like that.The sound of commentary in hushed whispers all around fueling his rage, as if all were judging him and, to him, they might as well have been. Grabbing his short sword, he scrambled to get up and charge at the man walking away. Enraged cries coming from him as he made for his strike.

Silence hung in the air and it became filled with the sound of blood spraying out from a cut throat. No one saw Shiori move to strike the fatal blow that sliced the man's neck ear to ear. Blood misted out for a moment before cascading down his body. Knees gave out and he fell down. The lights now gone from his eyes. Everyone was silent for a moment before the guards came to remove the freshly minted corpse. The spectators returned to their business as if nothing happened.

Shiori held his blade at his side, its body still dripping with blood. He looked down and saw his kimono was covered in fluids and that he even got some on his face was troublesome. "And this was one of my favorites..." He turned around and entered his business, wiping the blade off the bloodied sleeve before returning it to its sheath. Having no choice but to walk the halls in crimson tones, he instructed the staff that he was not to be disturbed during his bath and that the kimono was to be burned and replaced as soon as possible. He was going to gain back his morning. It only took a man's live to get it back.