Song

Chapter 7: Seduction

Hong Yu's architecture is noticeably grander than Bai Hu's. Not only are most of their buildings bigger, their exteriors are much more lavishly decorated as well. Strings of lanterns stream below the roofs of tea houses and restaurants and inns, almost like the town is perpetually in the state of a festival. Colourful potted plants are lined on balconies, meant to usher prosperity and good fortune for the buildings. Even the merchants and citizens appear better dressed than the average person from Bai Hu.

The first thing the Purger pair do upon arriving is split up and search for any apparel stores they can find, while Rei huddles in the company of some bushes at the outskirts of town (after some minor protests and struggles).

Within half an hour, Shu arrives back at the spot where they're supposed to meet with three sets of robes.

"Do you have any idea how painful it'd be to stuff my tail in that?" Rei shrieks, stamping his foot on the soil.

"No, because I don't have one," Shu answers curtly,

"This is an outrage! In my land, this is equivalent to court-sentenced ignominy! Only criminals of the worst kind suffered this sort of humiliation. How could you do this to me?"

"Ahhh... shut up, royal brat. Be grateful I even considered your stupid tail and bought robes." Shu grinds his teeth, shoving a set to him. "The whole point is to hide your stupid tail, remember? What, are you really dying to be arrested or something? Or hunted down by bounty hunters? Or even better, hunted down by us."

"But－"

"BUT the colour doesn't suit you? Okay! Here's a milky white one!" Shu shoves the next set of robes to Rei's arms.

Rei glances down at the robes, then back at Shu's murderous glare, and instantly shrinks from him.

"I'll... put it on..."

Minutes later, Song arrives as well. In his arms is a bamboo hat in the shape of a wide inverted cone, as well as a roll of bandages.

"So I looked around and came up with two ideas," Song says. "One, we wrap these bandages around your head and ears tightly, like a hat."

Rei's ears instinctively droop. "Y-you know my ears aren't just for show, right? These are real, and my only ears. You want to crush them with those bandages?"

Song looks down at the roll of linen in his hands.

"And even if they don't hurt like hell, how am I supposed to hear anything then?"

"Oh. Right." Song tosses the bandages to Shu－ who catches it with a sour look－ and brings out the bamboo hat. "Then what about this? It should be enough to hide your ears."

And to Shu's non-surprise, it isn't.