Family Traditions
Whenever the holidays came near, there was a stress that followed and refused to let up for many.
For most the stress comes from more trivial things such as wondering if there were enough gifts, if there was going to be enough food for the family, attempting to get the tables set or other such matters where everyone is just trying to make everything go smoothly.
At least for those in more normal families.
The Red Light District was especially busy as the men and women were celebrating and feasting. The smells of succulent and delicious meats, soups and drinks filled the air and the music was so loud as people laugh and cheer in excitement and even some courtesans with children were enjoying themselves on this festive night. Even some prostitutes from the lowest caste were enjoying themselves, able to sneak through to entice the men and sneak food from inside a few houses to feast on.
It was quite the busy night.
However not everyone is so lucky as these people or these families that come here.
The snow fell heavy on the lowest caste of the red light district as the noise of the celebrations drowned out the loud screaming from one of the near deserted brothels. There's the crash of china breaking and a scene that most normal people who did not live their lives doing what courtesans and prostitutes did would have been aghast at.
A small girl, merely the age of nine peeked in and she whimpered softly as she heard the sound of her sole guardian suffering. If the screen door had not been locked as it was she would have rushed in to try to stop it. All she could do was watch through the small crack as thick tears filled her green eyes.
Every year they would come and every year she had to watch big brother being beaten within an inch of his life because of their mother's debt and the fact he had dared to try and take something. Every year.
It sometimes was amazing that he hadn't been snapped in two with how thin and ghastly looking he was.
"You can't seem to listen can you boy!"
There's a horrible crunching sound has his face is smashed into the hardwood floor and one of his baby teeth falls out. He didn't dare try to move, not this time. There were three grown men, and his sickle had been left outside. His body was tired and recovering from running from the festivities with the food he could carry and unfortunately he had been caught again.
"Every goddamn year, I have to chase your ass through this ice and snow! My men and I could be eating in a warm building with gorgeous women waiting on us, but instead we're in this freezing shit hole dealing your your stealing ass!"
He grunted as he was kicked in his stomach. His eyes looked slowly out from under his arm when he sees his little sister peaking in and he tries to give her a slight smile to reassure her. After all at this point this was practically holiday tradition.
He choked as a foot landed hard on his back and this time his nose breaks when his face connected to the floor again. The men were angry, tired and just miserable at having their holiday night cut short once again by this ugly little fucker. He didn't seem to learn no matter how many years he has had his ass kicked, his face smashed, and even his bones broken at times he never learned to stop.
Mainly because he would never stop and he would never want to stop.
"Tch..fucking ugly dunce face...come on boys let's get back to the feast...maybe if we're lucky this shithead won't be around to steal again..."
There wasn't even a flinch when the spat at the ground near him before they exited the run down building.
It was about five minutes that pass before he started to push himself up and stumbled towards the door with blood dripping down his face and then unlocked it.
"Ume..."
"Oniichan!" the little girl sobbed as the tears rush down her face, "Oniichaaaan...they hurt you r-r-really really b-b-baaad this tiiiime..."
She tried to use her sleeve to stop the bleeding as best she could, her white hair tied into a bun as she was trying to make it stop. It was always the same thing, always where she had to clean his blood. Why did there always have to be people who hurt her big brother? He was a good big brother! The best! Someone she could always depend on no matter what!
Gyutaro gently raised his hand and gently patted her head, "Ume..I'm alive see? I'll be okay because my sweet baby sister is helping me like always...right?"
She hiccuped and weeped as she wiped at her eyes with her other hand before he lifted up his hand to show her some candies he had snatched. She wiped more tears off her face and looked at him as the candy is held to her. Shakily she took one and nibbled on it as she tried to stop her crying.
"R-right...Oniichan...mmm..." she ate a few more bites and sniffed..then she blinked when Gyutaro pulled a floorboard up and pulled out a basket that was still warm. He opened it to show it had gyoza in it and then he took out a bottle of sauce he had snatched when no one was looking and then the last thing he takes out in another basket with white rice in it.
"I got a good haul...see? No one will miss this stuff..." He smiled weakly.
Ume hiccuped and wiped at her face before she reached in and picked up a handful of rice to eat. There were no chopsticks here so they had to use hands in order to eat. Then they could probably use the baskets to shield them from the rains this year until they wore out completely or maybe even cook something in them if they managed to find anything.
As she nibbled she stared at her big brother, "..is this...they b-beat you?"
"Hmm? Oh nah, not really. It's because I'm ten times more of a man than those idiots," Gyutaro snorted as he reached out and patted her head, "Don't worry, I won't let them stop me from keeping up our little tradition."
"Tradition?" she blinked at him innocently.
"Yeah. I go and get you a delicious meal every year and then I give you a bath and comb your hair into whatever style you want before we go to bed. Then a small present will wait for you when you wake up," he nodded softly.
She sniffed but managed a little smile at him as she managed to ear a dumpling as he tears started to dry. Even if every year always seemed to involve horrible men coming to beat up her brother, at least the night ended on a happier note together.
...
Outside, a pair of rainbow eyes peaks on at the tender scene while the owner of those eyes hold the arm of one of those men who had been there earlier. He had his fan open and he smiled at the scene. Even as the man whose head was under his foot was gurgling up more and more blood.
"Aaaah~ How very very sweet. Isn't it? I'll have to keep an eye on them until their old enough to take Master's blood no?"
He stamped his foot down hard and obliterated that head under his heel. He then dragged his meal away with a content sigh while walking away.
"Yes yes...much potential..."
...
To be continued....