The woman, Ms. Vermilion

“Sold to Ms. Vermilion for 1 million dollars, hope you find your money well spent.” The announcer bellowed, adding a bit of incredulity at the end. The woman simply smiled, standing up from her seat and walking to the stage. Kioko was still on her knees, still shell-shocked by the entire situation. The etiquette drilled into her finally kicked in, Kioko lurching back to her feet only to bow a moment later.

“I-I am honored to be put into your care, Master” Her voice trembled as she spoke, her body unwilling to follow her commands.

“Oh please, Ms. Vermilion is fine.” She answered in the sweetest old lady voice, “Now come along.” Looking at the auctioneer, they shared an acknowledging nod before Ms. Vermilion turned around, heading for the exit. Kioko stood frozen for only a moment before scrambling forward, almost tripping on the stairs of the stage as she took her place behind the old woman. No, she can’t think of her like that, she took her place behind her new Master.

Her heart was filled with both glee and trepidation. Out of the three, Ms. Vermilion would have been her second choice of master if it was up to her, still slightly saddened the young scion didn’t win. It was, at least, better than the old man who was the third bidder, as it would be blatantly obvious what he wanted her for. That brought up the question, though, of what Ms. Vermilion wanted with her. Women buyers were always a wild card, so to speak. Male buyers you at least had an inkling of where things might go, but that wasn’t true for females. It was more ambiguous as they could simply want a loyal servant, but companionship wasn’t out of the question either.

All these thoughts and more swirled into her mind as she dutifully followed the older woman out the front door. A dapper, well-dressed young man held the door open for the two ladies, escorting them to an expensive-looking carriage. He again opened the door for them, Ms. Vermilion quietly thanked the man as she took her seat. Kioko followed her master’s lead, thanking the man as she took the opposite seat, sitting so they were facing each other. The man then closed the door behind them, sitting down in the front while grabbing the reins.

“Off we go, Sebastian.”

“Yes, madam.” With a quiet crack, the carriage lurched, startling Kioko into almost falling forward. This was the first time she had ever ridden in a carriage, especially one so expensive and nice. She could hardly revel in the travel, however, as anxiety threatened to take her body over. She felt sick to her stomach as she stared at the ground, the small jerks of the carriage not helping the matter.

“What’s wrong dear, you look pale. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No Master, I’m fine.” Kioko **** out, faking a smile as she looked up. She saw a frown on her Master’s face, sending a fresh spike of anxiety jolting through her. Did she do something wrong? She opened her mouth to speak but was beaten by Ms. Vermilion.

“They really do go hard with the indoctrination here. Very well.” Ms. Vermilion sighed, which confused Kioko. “Something is on your mind, dear, it’s as plain on your face as a fresh summer dew. I want you to be as comfortable as possible, so please…” She trailed off, gesturing at Kioko. She hesitated, her gaze falling to the floor once more. There were a slew of questions burning the inside of her mind, but one of them rose to the forefront, and before she knew it, her mouth began to move.

“If I might ask, Master, but why was I worth $1 million? I’m…nothing special, just a normal Nikojin demi-human.” Glancing upward, Kioko sees a faint smile on the woman’s lips.

“You sell yourself short, you are special amongst your fellow Demi's. If you don’t believe me, think of the others.”

“Others?”

“The others who were bidding on you. They saw what I did, otherwise, do you think they would also go so high for some, how did you say it, normal demi-human? You are anything but.” Kioko stared at Ms. Vermilion, then realizing how rude she was being, quickly averted her gaze back to the floor. Ms. Vermilion chuckled softly but didn’t elaborate further, so Kioko spoke up.

“I…still don’t understand. What makes me special, ‘cause…I don’t feel it.” Kioko murmured under her breath. She wasn’t given an answer right away, though Ms. Vermilion did have a contemplative look on her face. It was like she was debating on what or if she should ordain her with the answer, which worried Kioko. She realized she may have crossed the line, as she didn’t know who this woman was. The shock of the situation had overtaken her training in obedience and decorum, and now she may have ruined it all. She opened her mouth to apologize, but suddenly banged her head as the carriage came to a stop.

“Owwwww.” she moaned softly as she hunched forward, cradling what would surely become a bruise.

“Looks like we’re here.” Ms. Vermilion said, completely ignoring the entire scene in front of her. Kioko, still rubbing her head, peered out the window. It was not the scenery she expected. The carriage door opened up into a rundown alleyway, the ground churned into a muddy paste thanks to a recent drizzle. The buildings weren’t in any better shape being as shabby as the alleyway was filthy.

Sebastian motioned for Kioko to depart, which she did with some hesitation. Considering the high price tag Ms. Vermilion had paid to obtain her, the last thing she expected was to be taken to the slums. Kioko didn’t voice such concerns, however, not daring to bad-mouth* her master’s dwellings. If she wasn’t careful Ms. Vermilion might decide to send her back to the auction house, which she wanted to avoid at all costs.

Kioko dutifully followed her master through the downtrodden alley, a mix of curiosity and concern forcing its way into her expression, thankful Ms. Vermilion didn’t turn around. She topped in front of a seemingly random door, the wood worn by age and the doorknob slightly dented. There was a keyhole available, but Ms. Vermilion curiously just grabbed the brass knob, Kioko hearing a slight clicking noise. They entered what she found out to be a rather modest apartment, though not a super well-kept one. There was clutter strewn about the room, mostly clothes and other bits of rubbish. A pile of dishes sat built up next to the sink, waiting for someone to clean them. All in all, Kioko wouldn’t say she was impressed.

“Welcome to your new home.”

“My…home?” Kioko looked around again, an incredulous look sneaking onto her face. “This is Master’s home?” Ms. Vermilion chuckled at the remark.

“Yes, he’s a nice boy, so I wouldn’t worry.”

“He?” Kioko blurted out, her head swiveling towards Ms. Vermilion, but to her surprise, no one was there. She stared at the vacant space where the woman was standing, dumbfounded. The door didn’t make so much of a creak, how did she just disappear like that? Running to the door, she flung it open and looked down the alleyway, but just like Ms. Vermilion, the carriage was nowhere to be found. It was empty barring one set of footprints…only one set. Kioko realized that only her footprints showed in the fresh mud, her shoes leaving distinct prints. But then, where were Ms. Vermilion’s prints? Who is this boy she was talking about? What the hell was she supposed to do now?