She dreamt of a shrine.

She was perched on the altar, looking out from the small shrine onto a town street. The altar was covered in offerings, and someone, a child, was arranging them reverently. Beyond the doors of the shrine, a bustling market was in full swing, although Eitsu couldn't see any details, more an impression of busyness and trade.

"Tennai-sama¹天内 (tennai) - Divine and 様 (-sama) honorific used for those of a high rank, including deities., would you like to lie on this cloth? Feel it, it's very soft."

Eitsu's whiskers twitched with amusement. Tennai-sama? This kid...

"Put it here, brat²Eitsu uses the term 餓鬼 (gaki) - which can also mean a ghost, or someone who is always hungry.." Eitsu's voice came out in a low growl. The child laid out a bolt of bright fine cotton and Eitsu stepped onto it, her golden paws catching the few sunrays that angled into the shrine.

The boy? Girl? extracted a jewelled brush and carefully groomed Eitsu's long fur. They rubbed loose cat hair between their fingers. "Tennai-sama, may I keep this?"

"My fur?"

"That's right, Tennai-sama."

"... what's your name again, kid?"

"I don't have one, Tennai-sama."

"Hmph. Yeah, keep the fur, I don't need it."

"Thank you, Tennai-sama." The voice was oddly muffled.

Eitsu turned her light green eyes to the child. The sight made her fur stand on end.

Surrounded by a swirling miasma, the child had the fur in their huge, gaping mouth, almost splitting the face from ear to ear. It munched hungrily at the golden strands, empty sockets where the eyes should have been. Then the fur was gone, but the mouth opened again.

“Eitsu-sama... I'm so hungry...”

A birthmark, incongruously shaped like a heart, burned like a brand on the creature's neck. Eitsu licked her lips apprehensively and arched her back. She hissed at the tendrils of dark smoke reaching out towards her.

“Eitsu-sama... Eitsu-sama...”

She woke with a start, drenched in sweat.

---

The problem with the 'respectable' ones, Eitsu thought, was that they get cold feet quickly.

And then she thought, how did I know that?

Eitsu was sat by the roadside outside the town, flipping a copper coin from the small pouch at her new belt. That morning, her benefactor had fed and clothed her, and sent her politely on her way with the small bag of coins. Eitsu idly wondered why she was being shipped out so quickly – Did that ojisan sense I'm not human? Did he get get an unfortunate case of sudden morality? Perhaps a wife?

Well, that's not a problem. Just get her to join in.

- but shrugged philosophically and put it all to the back of her mind, along with her other specific trouble, as an ox-drawn cart came trundling up the road towards her. She waved down the driver and hopped nimbly aboard.

"Where are you headed, ojiisan?"

"To a small village near the city, young traveller."

"Which city is that?"

The old man driving the cart surveyed Eitsu seriously under his impressive eyebrows. "Obanashi³お花市 (Obanashi) – Flower City., of course. Are you playing games?"

"Sorry, sorry. I was fooling around. Of course Obanashi. What's new there? I haven't been for a while."

The old man tried to look grumpy about Eitsu's informal way of speaking but he couldn't help feeling oddly indulgent of this smiling youth. "I rarely go myself. Those big cities aren't for me. But of course, Tsubaki⁴椿 (Tsubaki) - Camellia. Camellias have multiple meanings in Japanese symbology, including love, longing, divinity, and death. is performing there right now. Even I know that."

"Oh, really? I'd love to get a glimpse." As if, who the heck is Tsubaki?

"Good luck, her shows are all sold out as long as she's in Obanashi. Small wonder, they say she's exceptionally beautiful and an amazing performer."

They trundled on for a while in silence. Green countryside rolled away past them, and white butterflies occasionally came to rest on the cart.

"What about you, boy? Don't tell me you're running away to the city to become a performer like Tsubaki too?"

"Am I not pretty enough?" Eitsu asked with a cheeky smile.

The old man laughed. "Remember me when you become famous!"

"Sure, I'll toast you at every banquet I'm invited to."

Eitsu was quickly asleep. When they finally rolled into the village that evening, the old man offered a place to sleep in his house, which Eitsu readily accepted. The old man's wife immediately took to her, feeding her well on fish and rice, and so, full and warm, she curled up by the fire. It might not have been have been steamed fish in sake, and silk sheets, but she was warm and nourished and didn't need to do anything else to earn it.

She rose before the dawn, stretching all four limbs in the dark blue light. Yawning, she began to step outside when a voice called out to her. "Wait, young traveller!"

It was the old woman of the house. She hurriedly retrieved a small pack of preserved fish and gave them to her.

"You're headed to the city, aren't you? Take these to snack on the way."

"Thank you, obaasan⁵小母さん (obaasan) – Grandmother, or a way of referring to an elderly woman.."

"I know you young people need to constantly eat. My husband said you wanted to see the performer Tsubaki. Even if you leave now, I don't think you'll be able to get a seat."

"Your old man did say all the shows are probably sold out already."

"That's right. The only way you'll get a ticket now is if your name is Eitsu! ... Are you alright?"

Eitsu's pupils, already large in the dark house, had grown even wider. The old woman was astonished by her big eyes.

"What do you mean, 'if my name is Eitsu'?"

"W-well, you know how Tsubaki always allows people named Eitsu enter for free, no matter if her shows are sold out or not?"

Tsubaki, do we...?

"Don't think of trying to trick them. People have pretended their name is Eitsu to get into the shows for free. Of course, there really are some Eitsus out there, but so many people pretend. There's been a huge spike in female babies being named Eitsu, even sometimes boys now too. I've heard of men trying to dress as women and sneak in!"

Eitsu had to laugh at that. "Thank you once again, obaasan. I know what to do now."

"Don't tell me you're going to pretend to be an Eitsu?" the old woman said reproachfully, as she accompanied her to the door. The cat flashed her a smile as she stepped outside.

"No need to pretend. My name really is Eitsu."

---

"Prove it," said the guard at the door. Eitsu twitched.

There was only one entrance in and out of the theatre and it was well guarded. She had even circled the place in her cat form, looking for a way through with no success. The only way in was through this door.

"Could you just pass the message on -"

The guard laughed and shoved Eitsu backwards. Before she could hit the floor, she flipped her body around to land on all fours with a hissing little breath of annoyance through her teeth.

Somewhat impressed, the guard raised a thick eyebrow but remained firm. "Go find the Funjatta⁶踏んじゃった (funjatta) – Stepped on! This is a reference to the simple and fun Japanese song ねこふんじゃった (Nekofunjatta) 'Cat Steps' or 'I stepped on a cat'. Circus Troupe. With those skills you could easily join them and hey, who knows, you may run into Tsubaki one day."

Eitsu merely glowered and stalked away, stretching her limbs.

Now what? Sleep? There was nowhere really comfortable, although her perpetual sleepiness meant that she could take a nap anywhere, really.

Food, then? The markets here were more expensive than the food stalls in the towns and villages she had passed through so far. The bag of coins that the man in the town had given her would have served at a village, but not in the city. Eitsu blew out air with irritation and followed the scent of perfume to the red light district.

Without any affiliation to the houses in the district, Eitsu had to be cautious. It was likely that the workers would not take kindly to an unsolicited stranger appearing amongst them.

She therefore chose to float around the edge of the district. It was risky, with the clientele likely to be less savoury, but if she was careful...

A few times she dodged the advances of hopeful clients waving a single copper coin in her face, sometimes even slipping into shadows and turning into a cat to avoid them. At last, though, a richly decorated norimono⁷乗り物 (norimono) – a litter or transportation device powered by people carrying it, used by wealthy people. appeared at the end of the lane, travelling out of the red light district. A cultured woman's voice spoke from within. "Is there anyone here today? Any mouths to feed?"

Before either of the servants carrying the norimono could respond, Eitsu stepped into view. In the interplay of light and shadow, her golden eyes glowed and the sculpture of her cheeks and collarbones was accentuated.

One of the servants barely managed to stop his mouth from falling open. "There's someone here, madam."

The curtain was pulled back, and the refined, not-unpleasant face of an older woman peered out. She seemed about the same age as Eitsu's first benefactor.

Good, they have lots of money to spend at that age.

"Are you looking for some food and a bed, young man?"

If things were progressing the way she thought they would, she couldn't pretend. "young woman, actually. Are you offering those, oneesan⁸お姉さん (oneesan) – older sister, or a way to refer to a woman of a similar age but older.? I know many more things than any young man."

"Hm, a ready tongue, pretty looks, quite fine clothing... You're not some young miss run away from home?"

"My last benefactor was very generous."

"But not enough?"

"Generosity has its limits, oneesan."

The woman alighted from the norimono. She was quite short, but moved with the confidence that comes with having lots of money and knowing how to use it. Behind her, the servants surreptitiously put their hands to the hilts of the swords that they carried, but Eitsu didn't move a muscle as the woman circled around her critically. Instead, she kept her gaze on the woman too, lazily following her enquiring scrutiny until their eyes met. To her surprise, the woman found herself feeling a little flustered from that cool, teasing look from this pretty girl. She flipped open a folding fan and hid the lower half of her face behind it.

"I think you'll be coming with me tonight. If you'll follow me, it's not far."

Eitsu happily followed her meal ticket through the streets to a well-designed machiya⁹町屋 (machiya) – a traditional Japanese town house., where an army of servants was already preparing a meal. The woman invited her to sit and eat, watching her with interest as she did.

"May I ask, what are you planning on doing after this?"

"After what, exactly, oneesan? Eating, or...?"

"Cheeky. What had you planned on doing after securing food and shelter for a while?"

"I wanted to see the great Tsubaki perform. I heard that people with the name Eitsu can see her for free, and, well, that's my name, but I have no identity papers to prove it so the guard didn't believe me."

"I see," the woman said sweetly, nibbling on a slice of melon. "Perhaps I can do something about that for you."

"That's very kind of you."

"It does depend, though."

"Of course."

She cast Eitsu an amused look. "I'm glad you understand."