Summary: Learning more about Jubilee, her mother, her history, and why she
isn't considered a slave anymore.
Everyone was gathering in the makeshift amphitheater. It was out in the forest, in a little clearing where several trees grew together to make a somewhat stage. Many years ago, a small group of gathering slaves were trying to find decorative plants to pin in Jean's hair. They had found this spot, and over the course of two years large trees had been felled, hacked up, polished, and made into the little benches that were there now.
It was in this small patch of woods where once a year, the most talented of the slaves was to get up and perform. They usually had constant river of new slaves riding in and out, so talent was never hard to come by. This year, it was one of the founding slaves; one of the eldest to stay in the same spot. Jubilee had been with them for all of her natural life, a total of seventeen years. Her mother was from Jiadi, a geisha of outstanding beauty. Much of it had been passed along to her daughter, including her unusual blue eyes.
Unfortunately, Jubilation's mother had passed when Jubilee was just one month old. Akii had caught a most unfortunate disease which left her totally wasted away. During the time of her decrepitation, she had written down parts of her life, and the indicated names for her prized possession; her daughter.
In geisha custom, there are two names for a geisha; her given name, and the name she is given when she becomes a full-fledged geisha. Akii refused to indulge her given surname, but her first had been Satsu. Later she became Takahishi Akii. She had trained the cook in the ways of the geisha, and begged Marion to teach her daughter everything Akii could not.
Also, Akii had firmly named her daughter Lee Jubilation, after the child's dead father. She had been out of sorts near the end, searching for the perfect geisha name for her perfect geisha daughter. She had choked out, "Ao Fuyu." This name, meaning 'blue winter', was unfit for a human name, let alone a geisha. But the insistent young mother was not to be deterred.
Marion had taken these words to heart, and raised Jubilation for seventeen long years. The girl was excellent at making tea for the tea ceremony, and often did so when guests arrived at the castle. Her singing left much to be desired, but so did Marion's. It was her dancing that made her famous. When she had demonstrated at a dance for the king, using broken plates as fans and a soiled robe for a kimono, he had ordered for her to no longer be a servant, but an entertainer for royal guests.
She had replied, "But sir, am I to entertain in a soiled robe, holding shards of broken cutlery?" To which he laughed and told her of course not, he'd commission a few kimono from Jiadi and corresponding fans to go with them.
So this had started, and now she was going to perform for the first time in front of her friends and makeshift family. The name of her dance was 'Falling Leaves', and was a very graceful dance. Jubilee wore her hair loose for this, something that was uncommon in Jiadi. But she thought that it made her look more like an autumn sprite, dancing amongst the leaves.
The kimono didn't hurt either. It was a deep Tuscan red, with a pattern of leaves around the hem. The obi was very simple, a deep russet tied with a dull yellow ribbon. The fans were painted silk, and huge. Jubilee had a hard time holding onto them sometimes. They were a deep green painted with golden dragons. She took the delicate green silk and tied the cords closer around her wrists.
Jubilee took a slight gulp as stage fright weighed her feet down as though they were made of lead.
With a shout of "Ao Fuyu!" Jubilee went onto stage to make her mother proud.
Everyone was gathering in the makeshift amphitheater. It was out in the forest, in a little clearing where several trees grew together to make a somewhat stage. Many years ago, a small group of gathering slaves were trying to find decorative plants to pin in Jean's hair. They had found this spot, and over the course of two years large trees had been felled, hacked up, polished, and made into the little benches that were there now.
It was in this small patch of woods where once a year, the most talented of the slaves was to get up and perform. They usually had constant river of new slaves riding in and out, so talent was never hard to come by. This year, it was one of the founding slaves; one of the eldest to stay in the same spot. Jubilee had been with them for all of her natural life, a total of seventeen years. Her mother was from Jiadi, a geisha of outstanding beauty. Much of it had been passed along to her daughter, including her unusual blue eyes.
Unfortunately, Jubilation's mother had passed when Jubilee was just one month old. Akii had caught a most unfortunate disease which left her totally wasted away. During the time of her decrepitation, she had written down parts of her life, and the indicated names for her prized possession; her daughter.
In geisha custom, there are two names for a geisha; her given name, and the name she is given when she becomes a full-fledged geisha. Akii refused to indulge her given surname, but her first had been Satsu. Later she became Takahishi Akii. She had trained the cook in the ways of the geisha, and begged Marion to teach her daughter everything Akii could not.
Also, Akii had firmly named her daughter Lee Jubilation, after the child's dead father. She had been out of sorts near the end, searching for the perfect geisha name for her perfect geisha daughter. She had choked out, "Ao Fuyu." This name, meaning 'blue winter', was unfit for a human name, let alone a geisha. But the insistent young mother was not to be deterred.
Marion had taken these words to heart, and raised Jubilation for seventeen long years. The girl was excellent at making tea for the tea ceremony, and often did so when guests arrived at the castle. Her singing left much to be desired, but so did Marion's. It was her dancing that made her famous. When she had demonstrated at a dance for the king, using broken plates as fans and a soiled robe for a kimono, he had ordered for her to no longer be a servant, but an entertainer for royal guests.
She had replied, "But sir, am I to entertain in a soiled robe, holding shards of broken cutlery?" To which he laughed and told her of course not, he'd commission a few kimono from Jiadi and corresponding fans to go with them.
So this had started, and now she was going to perform for the first time in front of her friends and makeshift family. The name of her dance was 'Falling Leaves', and was a very graceful dance. Jubilee wore her hair loose for this, something that was uncommon in Jiadi. But she thought that it made her look more like an autumn sprite, dancing amongst the leaves.
The kimono didn't hurt either. It was a deep Tuscan red, with a pattern of leaves around the hem. The obi was very simple, a deep russet tied with a dull yellow ribbon. The fans were painted silk, and huge. Jubilee had a hard time holding onto them sometimes. They were a deep green painted with golden dragons. She took the delicate green silk and tied the cords closer around her wrists.
Jubilee took a slight gulp as stage fright weighed her feet down as though they were made of lead.
With a shout of "Ao Fuyu!" Jubilee went onto stage to make her mother proud.