GEISHA... Life Behind the Mask
Author: Hikari
Email: machi_no_tenshi@excite.com
Rated: PG
Part: Chapter 5
AN (12/10/00)-
YAY, YAY!!
*does happy dance*
I WROTE THIS IN TWO WEEK'S TIME!!
NO LONG AUTHOR'S NOTES THIS TIME, JUST ENJOY THE FIC
AND DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL ME, K?
Chapter 5:
Darien softly closed the door to his hotel room,
leaning on it as he bathed in the memory of the events
just past. He had seen her again... for what now would
be the up-teenth time, yet he knew that he would never
be able to get enough of her. Her smile, her lips, her
eyes, her face, her body... they were all engraved in
his mind, torturing him day and night. It was at this
point that he realized how truly obsessed he was over
her.
He shook his head, while smiling sadly, as he
directed his body towards the beckoning bed. After the
time when her Obaa-san had told him of where Usagi would
be, he dared not miss a geisha party the old woman
"recommended" him to attend. Slipping under the bed
covers, he mentally thanked her for all of her help.
Without that old lady, he wouldn't have any clue on how
to go about what he was planning on doing. And he
*would* do it... he would do it... as soon as possible.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Smiling at the building, Usagi stepped out of
the microbus and followed the rest of the geisha inside.
Today, she would be attending a private Kabuki perfor-
mance. The play the actors would be performing... was
about geisha.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Darien stared out of his hotel window. He had
been in Gion for two weeks; he had been seeing her for
one and a half. But he didn't know anything about her!
'Does she have a danna? And if so, is she happy
with him?'
'Why are her eyes always so solemn?'
'Why is her expression always so masked?'
'What would it feel like to be with her?'
Could he... could he...
Was what he was about to do, the *right* thing?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Oi! Yumiko-chan," one of the geisha called,
inside a private room at the theater, as she neared her
friend. "How are things going with your danna? You
still having problems?"
"Hai." Yumiko answered.
Usagi turned her head at the sound of retreating
footsteps. The theater guide was making his way across
the room in order to leave, a worried expression marring
his features. Concern and curiosity ran through her
thoughts as she followed him outside and stopped him in
the hall.
"Daijoubu?"
The man turned around in order to see who it was.
"Hai... daijoubu. Doushite?"
"Because," she stepped closer to him, "because
you left the room in a hurry. You know..." she smiled
at him. "We don't mind if you stay while we talk."
He bowed his head. "I know. Demo..." he raised
his face to look at hers. "I don't want to hear the
stories you speak of."
"Nani?"
"I- " he began. "I don't want to know about
the true life that geisha live. I know that it probably
isn't very happy... but if I were to find out how things
really are, I think it would destroy my image of what
they stand for."
Usagi looked at him with sad eyes and softly
asked, "And what *do* we stand for?"
"Perfection," the man said as he looked into
her eyes, and gave her a gratifying smile. "You are a
porcelain beauty, with sealed lips. You exist only in
our dreams... in our fantasies. When people are at a
geisha party... it's like a different world. You are
like a doll: you have no worries... no troubles... and
because of that, we can forget our problems when we are
around you."
Usagi felt her eyes begin to water. She couldn't
move. She couldn't speak. She wasn't even able to stop
the man that had bowed his head before her as he left.
She wished to know his name.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With the end of the kabuki performance, Usagi
forlornly made her way back on the microbus. She still
felt the urge to cry. She hated being considered a
doll, and not being allowed to show any emotion. Why
did she have to pretend to care about people who didn't
care about her? Why did she always have to hide her
feelings and lie?
And then... she remembered her danna. She
hated every one of them. The first one, because he
took something that she didn't believe belonged to him.
The rest... because that's all they wanted her for.
Usagi felt her throat begin to constrict. She
wanted to scream. She wanted to yell. She wanted...
she wanted to be able to trust someone. She yearned
for someone that felt the same way she did... "trapped."
"What did you say?"
Usagi felt cold sweat run down her back as her
head snapped to the side. "NANI?!"
"Daijoubu?" Rei asked.
Usagi nodded her head slowly up and down.
Apparently Rei had been sitting next to her since the
microbus had taken off. "hai... daijoubu desu."
Rei gave her a speculative look. "Honto?"
"Un." Usagi smiled. "Honto... demo..."
Rei gave her a look of concern. "Yes?"
"Well..." Usagi's voice grew quiet. "Are you
happy being a geisha?"
Rei's eyes grew wide. "Why do you ask me that?"
She became filled with worry. "Is something wrong?"
"No." She shook her head for emphasis. "I'm
fine. I just wondered if you were happy being a geisha."
Seeing Rei's disbelieving look, she knew she had to add
something else to her defense. "I know that some of the
girls here aren't always too happy about who they are."
Rei looked away for a moment. "I- I am happy
being a geisha." She reclined in her chair. "It's not
really as bad as some of the girls paint it to be." She
smiled in reminiscence, as if going back in time. "I
have a respected reputation. I am considered flawless
in the eyes of men. I- " Rei's voice wavered a bit.
"I bring joy to people."
At that moment, had Usagi been looking anywhere
but Rei's face, she might have missed the single tear
that slid down her cheek. Not being able to withhold
the flood of emotions that coursed through her body at
that time, Usagi wrapped her arms about Rei and cradled
her in comfort.
"Daijoubu." Usagi whispered. "Daijoubu."
"Hai. Daijoubu," Rei sniffed in agreement
before disentangling herself from Usagi's hug. She
wiped away the tears that had streaked her face and
upon seeing Usagi's distraught face, she smiled. "I
just get lonely sometimes. I think: 'I'm making all
these people happy,' and it fills my heart with pride.
But then, I think: 'Who will make me happy?' And I
feel..." Rei left the sentence trail off.
Usagi knew exactly how she felt. Placing her
hand on Rei's shoulder, she said, "I know it's hard to
trust people in the kind of business that we're in, but
if it makes you feel any better, you can always talk
to me."
Rei smiled brightly at Usagi. "Arigatou," she
whispered as she bowed her head in respect.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Obaa-san," a small girl called as she peeked
inside one of the living rooms, bowing at the same time.
"Hai?" The old woman inside the room answered.
"Shields-san is here to see you."
Obaa-san grew silent for a moment, then, after
taking a sip of her ocha, she looked at the child in
front of her. "Let him pass."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Tadaimasu." Usagi called as she got home.
Discarding her geta, she began to make her way towards
her room but was stopped as her imotou answered,
"Okaerinasai." Usagi smiled politely at her and then
continued on her path.
"Chotto matte!" Called the maiko. "Obaa-san
asked me to tell you to go see her once you got home."
Usagi's expression became confused. "Obaa-san?
Me?"
"Hai." The maiko answered.
"Where is she now?"
"At the tea room."
"Ok." Usagi said as she began to head that
way. "Arigatou."
Just as she was about to reach the room, the
shouji screen slid and she saw Darien leave the room.
Giving him a confused look, she walked past him and
bowed in front of her grandmother. "You wished to
speak with me?"
"Hai." Obaa-san answered, gesturing for her
to sit. "I did."
Taking her place on the tatami floor, Usagi
shivered with apprehension, waiting for what the old
woman would have to tell her. 'Would it have something
to do with the American man?'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
On the other end of the screen, Darien awaited
nervously the moment when Obaa-san would ask Usagi his
question. Would she accept? Would she decline? Would
she be happy?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" -and so, he has asked to be your danna."
Obaa-san finished. "What do you have to say?"
Silence fell across the room, as Usagi's face
grew serious. And, for what must have been an eternity
to Darien, not a word was uttered. She placed her
teacup on the table and looking into her Obaa-san's
expectant eyes, she bowed her head and agreed.
To be continued...
#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#
DO YOU WANT THE NEXT PART TO BE OUT SOON?
*EVIL GRIN*
THEN...
EMAIL ME! - Machi_NO_Tenshi@Excite.Com
JYA MATTA NE!!
ATT: =^;^= HIKA-CHU =^;^=
Author: Hikari
Email: machi_no_tenshi@excite.com
Rated: PG
Part: Chapter 5
AN (12/10/00)-
YAY, YAY!!
*does happy dance*
I WROTE THIS IN TWO WEEK'S TIME!!
NO LONG AUTHOR'S NOTES THIS TIME, JUST ENJOY THE FIC
AND DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL ME, K?
Chapter 5:
Darien softly closed the door to his hotel room,
leaning on it as he bathed in the memory of the events
just past. He had seen her again... for what now would
be the up-teenth time, yet he knew that he would never
be able to get enough of her. Her smile, her lips, her
eyes, her face, her body... they were all engraved in
his mind, torturing him day and night. It was at this
point that he realized how truly obsessed he was over
her.
He shook his head, while smiling sadly, as he
directed his body towards the beckoning bed. After the
time when her Obaa-san had told him of where Usagi would
be, he dared not miss a geisha party the old woman
"recommended" him to attend. Slipping under the bed
covers, he mentally thanked her for all of her help.
Without that old lady, he wouldn't have any clue on how
to go about what he was planning on doing. And he
*would* do it... he would do it... as soon as possible.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Smiling at the building, Usagi stepped out of
the microbus and followed the rest of the geisha inside.
Today, she would be attending a private Kabuki perfor-
mance. The play the actors would be performing... was
about geisha.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Darien stared out of his hotel window. He had
been in Gion for two weeks; he had been seeing her for
one and a half. But he didn't know anything about her!
'Does she have a danna? And if so, is she happy
with him?'
'Why are her eyes always so solemn?'
'Why is her expression always so masked?'
'What would it feel like to be with her?'
Could he... could he...
Was what he was about to do, the *right* thing?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Oi! Yumiko-chan," one of the geisha called,
inside a private room at the theater, as she neared her
friend. "How are things going with your danna? You
still having problems?"
"Hai." Yumiko answered.
Usagi turned her head at the sound of retreating
footsteps. The theater guide was making his way across
the room in order to leave, a worried expression marring
his features. Concern and curiosity ran through her
thoughts as she followed him outside and stopped him in
the hall.
"Daijoubu?"
The man turned around in order to see who it was.
"Hai... daijoubu. Doushite?"
"Because," she stepped closer to him, "because
you left the room in a hurry. You know..." she smiled
at him. "We don't mind if you stay while we talk."
He bowed his head. "I know. Demo..." he raised
his face to look at hers. "I don't want to hear the
stories you speak of."
"Nani?"
"I- " he began. "I don't want to know about
the true life that geisha live. I know that it probably
isn't very happy... but if I were to find out how things
really are, I think it would destroy my image of what
they stand for."
Usagi looked at him with sad eyes and softly
asked, "And what *do* we stand for?"
"Perfection," the man said as he looked into
her eyes, and gave her a gratifying smile. "You are a
porcelain beauty, with sealed lips. You exist only in
our dreams... in our fantasies. When people are at a
geisha party... it's like a different world. You are
like a doll: you have no worries... no troubles... and
because of that, we can forget our problems when we are
around you."
Usagi felt her eyes begin to water. She couldn't
move. She couldn't speak. She wasn't even able to stop
the man that had bowed his head before her as he left.
She wished to know his name.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
With the end of the kabuki performance, Usagi
forlornly made her way back on the microbus. She still
felt the urge to cry. She hated being considered a
doll, and not being allowed to show any emotion. Why
did she have to pretend to care about people who didn't
care about her? Why did she always have to hide her
feelings and lie?
And then... she remembered her danna. She
hated every one of them. The first one, because he
took something that she didn't believe belonged to him.
The rest... because that's all they wanted her for.
Usagi felt her throat begin to constrict. She
wanted to scream. She wanted to yell. She wanted...
she wanted to be able to trust someone. She yearned
for someone that felt the same way she did... "trapped."
"What did you say?"
Usagi felt cold sweat run down her back as her
head snapped to the side. "NANI?!"
"Daijoubu?" Rei asked.
Usagi nodded her head slowly up and down.
Apparently Rei had been sitting next to her since the
microbus had taken off. "hai... daijoubu desu."
Rei gave her a speculative look. "Honto?"
"Un." Usagi smiled. "Honto... demo..."
Rei gave her a look of concern. "Yes?"
"Well..." Usagi's voice grew quiet. "Are you
happy being a geisha?"
Rei's eyes grew wide. "Why do you ask me that?"
She became filled with worry. "Is something wrong?"
"No." She shook her head for emphasis. "I'm
fine. I just wondered if you were happy being a geisha."
Seeing Rei's disbelieving look, she knew she had to add
something else to her defense. "I know that some of the
girls here aren't always too happy about who they are."
Rei looked away for a moment. "I- I am happy
being a geisha." She reclined in her chair. "It's not
really as bad as some of the girls paint it to be." She
smiled in reminiscence, as if going back in time. "I
have a respected reputation. I am considered flawless
in the eyes of men. I- " Rei's voice wavered a bit.
"I bring joy to people."
At that moment, had Usagi been looking anywhere
but Rei's face, she might have missed the single tear
that slid down her cheek. Not being able to withhold
the flood of emotions that coursed through her body at
that time, Usagi wrapped her arms about Rei and cradled
her in comfort.
"Daijoubu." Usagi whispered. "Daijoubu."
"Hai. Daijoubu," Rei sniffed in agreement
before disentangling herself from Usagi's hug. She
wiped away the tears that had streaked her face and
upon seeing Usagi's distraught face, she smiled. "I
just get lonely sometimes. I think: 'I'm making all
these people happy,' and it fills my heart with pride.
But then, I think: 'Who will make me happy?' And I
feel..." Rei left the sentence trail off.
Usagi knew exactly how she felt. Placing her
hand on Rei's shoulder, she said, "I know it's hard to
trust people in the kind of business that we're in, but
if it makes you feel any better, you can always talk
to me."
Rei smiled brightly at Usagi. "Arigatou," she
whispered as she bowed her head in respect.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Obaa-san," a small girl called as she peeked
inside one of the living rooms, bowing at the same time.
"Hai?" The old woman inside the room answered.
"Shields-san is here to see you."
Obaa-san grew silent for a moment, then, after
taking a sip of her ocha, she looked at the child in
front of her. "Let him pass."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Tadaimasu." Usagi called as she got home.
Discarding her geta, she began to make her way towards
her room but was stopped as her imotou answered,
"Okaerinasai." Usagi smiled politely at her and then
continued on her path.
"Chotto matte!" Called the maiko. "Obaa-san
asked me to tell you to go see her once you got home."
Usagi's expression became confused. "Obaa-san?
Me?"
"Hai." The maiko answered.
"Where is she now?"
"At the tea room."
"Ok." Usagi said as she began to head that
way. "Arigatou."
Just as she was about to reach the room, the
shouji screen slid and she saw Darien leave the room.
Giving him a confused look, she walked past him and
bowed in front of her grandmother. "You wished to
speak with me?"
"Hai." Obaa-san answered, gesturing for her
to sit. "I did."
Taking her place on the tatami floor, Usagi
shivered with apprehension, waiting for what the old
woman would have to tell her. 'Would it have something
to do with the American man?'
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
On the other end of the screen, Darien awaited
nervously the moment when Obaa-san would ask Usagi his
question. Would she accept? Would she decline? Would
she be happy?
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
" -and so, he has asked to be your danna."
Obaa-san finished. "What do you have to say?"
Silence fell across the room, as Usagi's face
grew serious. And, for what must have been an eternity
to Darien, not a word was uttered. She placed her
teacup on the table and looking into her Obaa-san's
expectant eyes, she bowed her head and agreed.
To be continued...
#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#
DO YOU WANT THE NEXT PART TO BE OUT SOON?
*EVIL GRIN*
THEN...
EMAIL ME! - Machi_NO_Tenshi@Excite.Com
JYA MATTA NE!!
ATT: =^;^= HIKA-CHU =^;^=