Of Silk and Lace
cap'n coree
Chapter One: Kiyo, The Skin Of Another Woman
They dress you up in lace and silk. The kimonos are sheer and soft, and sometimes it feels like you're wearing the billowing clouds. They cover you in the most elegant makeup and scents. They dress you up until you don't feel like yourself anymore. You're no longer just some plain old village girl, you're no longer an innocent child. They change you. The clothes and makeup change you just as much as the men who you take to bed everynight. You forget your own face. They supply you with a new identity. You hide in it, and forget who you were...or you crumble.
Fuu was no longer Fuu. She was beautiful, quiet, and thin. She didn't eat much. She took up smoking. She got along with everyone, but kept to herself. Everyone tended to in this industry. It wasn't as seedy as most of the whorehouses she could have ended up in. She hadn't been tricked, or kidnapped. She simply gave up. She sold herself into the skin of a new woman. She was as happy as someone could be, when they're compromising their morals. She lived in Kyoto, which she thought was a beautiful city, and had the whole day off to herself, and some nights that weren't too busy. The crying had ceased. It died along with Fuu long ago. She wasn't a little girl anymore. She didn't think about her father. She didn't believe in Fairy Tales. She couldn't even remember Jin or Mugen.
She never thought of escape.
"Kiyo!" a shrill, childish voice called, and suddenly Fuu was tackled to the ground, tiny arms weaving themselves around her neck. Fuu smilled faintly and put her hand on the thin arm around her neck.
"Mame," she said, turning to look at the young girl clinging to her. "You're up early." Mame had been in the whorehouse since she was 13. She was now 15, if Fuu was right. Fuu had been here for three years nearly. It'd been three years since she had found her father, three years since they left her defenseless. Three years. She didn't remember anything before this. She only knew what Kiyo could know. This was the fragile reality in which she learned to live. In which Mame, young as she was, learned to live. Fuu was fond of Mame. It was the closest thing to a friend she had in this place, and it was nice to have someone you could trust. Someone who wouldn't steal your tips, or customers. Someone you could spend your free time with. When she was with Mame, she could laugh without her throat clenching. She could eat without tasting sandpaper.
Mame had it harder than Fuu. She was sold into this so young. In a way, it had been better, being so young. She adapted easier. She didn't know, like Fuu knew, that what had happened to her was wrong. Her father had sold her into this. Fuu knew, not because Mame had told her, but because she was there the night it happened. Her kimono was the one that Mame soaked with her tears. Only, then she wasn't Mame. She was Miko. Sad, little Miko. She didn't even have breasts yet. Fuu was disgusted that they put her to work so young. She had even had a fight with the Mother about it, and had recieved a lashing.
"Can't you just make her do household chores!" Fuu had screamed, outraged, when she found Mother doing Miko's makeup.
"She was sold to me as a whore, not a maid. We have no need of maids here."
"She's too young! I swear if you put her to work-" But Fuu didn't know what she'd do. She had given up the idea of escaping. She had put herself here. But this girl... She was so young...
"Kiyo, you've never spoken out like this before. I know this must upset you, but its something you have to get used to in this buisness. You're one of the best Kiyo- and I don't want to take away any of your rights.."
"But it isn't right! No one will buy her anyway-"
"There are those that will." Mother said softly, looking away from Fuu, and staring at the quiet sobbing girl in the mirror. "Don't cry, your makeup will run. Crying only attracts bad men." Fuu flinched, thinking of the few 'bad' men she had gotten early on in her career. This poor girl. But she obeyed, and somehow stopped the flow of tears.
"Kiyo, she'll survive." Mother said, "and I know you feel bad. But I still have to punish you, you know-"
Mother was fair. As fair as whorehouse mothers go. Since then Mame started looking to Fuu as a big sister. Fuu protected her, as much as she could. She taught her what herbs would do what- what could stop the stinging you felt after a rough night, what could keep pregnancy away. Fuu almost came back to life, helping Mame. Sometimes she was tempted to tell Mame her real name, or things about her father or mother, but she never did.
Now Mame was adjusted to the craft, but she hadn't stopped looking up to Fuu. Or Kiyo.
"Mame wants to go out with Kiyo today," Mame said, clinging to Fuu, "Mame hasn't been out all week." They were allowed out, every now and then, if they behaved. Sometimes they were escorted through town by bodyguards, other times they were tailed secretly, to give them a false sense of freedom, but Fuu knew. She wasn't dumb, and she knew when she was being watched.
Fuu stood up, the younger girl still clinging to her shoulders, wrapping her legs around Fuu's waist. Fuu felt silly, letting Mame hang off her like this, and knew some of the girls whispered about it behind their backs. But being 'girlfriends' wasn't rare at all in a whorehouse. Often, it was the only means of comfort they had against the cruel, dirty embraces men gave them at night. You had to look somewhere for love, and looking for it in customers...Well, that was unheard of.
"Let's go ask Mother for permission then, alright, Mame?" Mame cheered and tightened her grasp around Fuu's waist and neck.
"Let's go Kiyoo," she chanted as Fuu piggy-backed her to Mother's room. She wrapped lightly on the door, waiting several seconds before Mothers wheezing voice called from behind the screen.
"Mother, its Kiyo and Mame, may we come in?"
"Oh, yes, dear." Mother weezed, Fuu slid open the door and entered, setting Mame on the ground, and sitting.
Fuu bowed, and Mame followed suit. "Mother, can Mame and I go out to town today?" Mother regarded them for several tense moments before nodding stiffly. They bowed once more and went to excuse themselves when Mother told Fuu to stay.
"I'd like to talk to you alone Kiyo." Mame looked at Mother and Fuu, frightened. "Don't worry, she isn't in any trouble. She'll be out in a moment." Mame nodded, still worried, but left the room anyway.
"Kiyo as you know, I'm getting old." That was an understatement, but Fuu knew that Mother had a good many years left in her. Her type had a way of hanging on. "Soon, I will pass my house on to someone. The role of Mother is important. I don't run this house like most whorehouses. I try to make my girls as happy as possible. Thats why it's a hard choice to make. I want to choose someone who will go on making the girls comfortable. We've never had a runaway, have we, Kiyo?"
"No, Mother, never."
"I love my girls.That's how a Mother should be. Alot of women become hardened in this type of work. They become mean, and uncaring, don't they, Kiyo?"
"Yes, Mother."
"But you, Kiyo, you still care. I can tell because of how you watch over the younger girls. This is how it should be. There are lots of women who have worked here longer than you. They know more about buisness, but they don't have what you have. You haven't lost heart have you, Kiyo?"
Fuu bit her bottom lip. She had lost Fuu, hadn't she? Hadn't she lost heart? Had Mother only known her before... But no, Kiyo still had some heart left. "No, Mother, I haven't."
"That is why I would like to pass the role of Mother down to you. It will be a long time before I start to train you, but when that time comes and if you haven't lost your heart, I'd like to make you my apprentice."
The news hit Fuu hard. True, she had been expecting it. She knew she was Mother's favourite. Some of the bitter older girls called her "Mother's Pet" and sneered at her. She had a way of getting out of more chores than others, and she was allowed out more. Yes, she knew Mother doted on her. But to buy and sell flesh... To take in girls and force them to lose what she lost.. Could she really handle it? She didn't want such responsiabillity. Sure, it had it's perks. She would no longer be expected to bed men and clean house. She could go out when she wanted. She could save Mame alot of trouble, even free her if she wanted.. But still...
Could she really sell women as slaves as she had been sold?
Fuu forced a look of delight and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Mother!"
"Now, don't tell anyone. You can tell Mame, because I suspect you will no matter what I say, but remember, it isn't official yet, and I can change my mind."
"Thank you, Mother!" she said again, bowing deeply. Mother smiled, pleased,and dismissed Fuu.
"What'd she want to talk about?" Mame asked when Fuu stepped out.
"She wants to make me her apprentice."
"Thats great Kiyo!" Mame cheered.
"Yeah.." Fuu muttered, "Great.."
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A.N. I was working on another piece, where Fuu is a rich merchants mistress, but Im not sure Im going to work with that one. Its awful close to this one. I figure this is going to be a JinxFuu the other was going to be MuxFu.. and I'm thinking of working on one where Fuu works in the circus. XD that one is going to be a MuxFu. I might continue the other MuxFu but I dont want to start too much at once. Tell me what you think. 3 cap'ncoree