Disclaimers: A girl with short hair dressed in a dark blue ninja suit
creeps up behind a sleeping man on a flowery futon. Pulling out her
kodachi, she is about to slit his throat when he wakes up, blocking the
kodachi with a katana that pops out of now where. Running away from the
ninja in his striped pyjamas. "Damn you Nobuhiro!!"
Author's notes:
Blacksakura: Thank you minna-san for all your reviews!! Lately I encountered a problem. Somebody had complained in my other fic that I should not add the translations below at the end of the fic. He or she accused me of being egoistic and now I am torn in the middle. I really would appreciate your opinion on the situation. Domo arigato!!
Saitou: Hai blacksakura-san, I have recently found out that the sign off name was "Anyone but Mary"
Aoshi: That could mean the flamer could be anyone besides Mary.
Kenshin: blacksakura-dono, have you any enemies or bad encounters with anyone?
Blacksakura: Eeto... Iie. No one except Sanosuke.
Aoshi: I think we have found the culprit.
Sanosuke: NANDE?!
Kenshin: Maa maa...
Saitou: Ahou. (Flicks away the still burning cigarette stick, slides into Gotatsu stance)
Sanosuke: KISAMA!!
Saitou: Aku. Soku. Zan.
Cold water splashed onto Misao's face. Coughing and sputtering, Misao rubbed her eyes open, shivering as the freezing water caused her yakuta to stick to her skin.
"Mou Okon, it is six-thirty in the morning, what was that for?" Misao said bleary eyes; unable to make out the figure doing the same thing to the other sleeping body who jerked to life. Flopping back onto her futon, all Misao wanted was more sleep.
"Get up! It is time for your training!" Misao felt someone kicked her hard in the ribs as a harsh voice rang out. Cracking her eyes wide open, she stared into a heavily powdered face.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH OBAKE!!" Misao screamed, floundering about, trapped by the heavy sheets of her futon.
"Don't try to be cute." Amamiya said, pinching Misao hard on her right arm. Cradling her right arm, Misao glared at Amamiya who kicked Shinyoko in the ribs to get her attention.
"Change and meet me at the kitchen by six forty-five. Don't be late or there will be no breakfast." Amamiya said to the two girls who were cradling their injured body parts before walking out of the room. * Che! Ama no baka! * Misao thought venomously as she took out her everyday wear from the wardrobe, not noticing Shinyoko who was rushing to put on her kimono.
"Ohayo Shinyoko! Matte na yo. What's the rush?" Misao said, binding her breasts and slipping on her dark blue shorts.
"Oh! Ohayo Misao! I think you better hurry if you want breakfast. It is already six forty." Shinyoko said without looking up, not bothering to clip her obi properly or shake out the long sleeves of the kimono. The look on Misao's face immediately changed from one of confusion to shock.
"NANI?!?!"
A little later...
Amamiya smirked as she watched the small hand on the clock tick closer and closer to the forty-five minute mark. The girls were not down yet and it seemed as though breakfast need not be wasted on them. Just as it was about to turn six forty-five, the sound of one person running was heard. Amamiya started passing out the serving for one and began to keep the rest of the food when she heard a voice.
"Matte Amamiya-san!!" Turning around, she saw Misao, who was carrying Shinyoko, take a leap from the roof of the geishas' quarters, landing on her foot in front of Amamiya. Putting Shinyoko down, Misao looked around before asking Amamiya a question.
"Are we the last?" She asked, looking around at the empty kitchen as Amamiya took out a second serving for Shinyoko.
"No. The two of you are the earliest. Not even Kanjire-san is up." She said absent-mindedly, shoving the girls' breakfast under their noses. * Lucky me, if he was up, he probably heard me and would have found out my ninja skills, not that he doesn't know much about me. * Misao thought, remembering that Kanjire knew about the incident of Shishio. Staring at the miserable breakfast in front of her, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Is that all? Rice and miso soup?" Misao said, looking at Shinyoko eating her food without complaint. Amamiya said nothing, smirking evilly to herself.
"Itadakimasu!" Misao said, ignoring the tensed silence, tucking into her meal. However, the moment she was about to eat, Amamiya snatched her meal, kept her untouched rice and poured away the cold miso soup.
"Hey! I haven't finish yet! Are you blind?" Misao yelled, jumping to her feet, waving her chopsticks angrily in the air.
"My my, don't you have many mistakes to correct. Poor dining manners, unladylike behaviour and dressing." Amamiya said, taking out a book and scribbling down Misao's faults while eyeing Misao's clothes.
"Nani? Kisama..." Misao began only to be cut short by a sharp look from Amamiya.
"And a foul mouth too, looks like we have a lot of training to do, if you carry on with that attitude sweetheart, I am sure you won't be having any meals for a very long time." Amamiya smiled acidly. Grumbling silently, Misao allowed herself to be marched to a room where millions of kimonos were hung. Staring at the collection in awe, Shinyoko blinked her eyes not daring to believe what she saw.
"So? Big deal. Wow a room full of kimonos can I go now Amamiya-SAMA?" Misao said sarcastically, spoiling the mood of the scene, still sore about missing her breakfast, the most important meal of the day.
"I think not little one, unless you are not under my care and you are no longer in this teahouse, you will live under my supervision and abide by my rules. Which means kimonos, everyday." Amamiya said menacingly, advancing on Misao like a huntress and her prey.
"You won't dare." Misao said, eyes flashing, getting up from her kneeling position.
"Let's find out." Amamiya retorted, eyes gleaming.
"Kisama..." Misao started, only to be interrupted by a small voice.
"A-anou, Amamiya-san, do you think it necessary..." Shinyoko began, fidgeting slightly under Amamiya's hard stare.
"Of course it is, and don't think you can sweet talk me, you will have to attend proper grooming lessons along with this wretch." Amamiya said, not bothering to listen to Shinyoko, snapping her fingers. Almost immediately, six other okiya walked in through the back door of the room, each wearing a glare on their faces, a warning to all who tried to cross them. Bowing formally at Amamiya, they stood behind the two fearful looking girls.
"These are my helpers in your training, they are all proper geishas and you shall address them by calling them okiya-san. I am your head okiya and I expect complete obedience. Understood?" Amamiya said curtly, receiving frantic nods from both Shinyoko and Misao.
"First things first, your kimonos..." Amamiya began.
"Demo..." Misao began, rising from her position.
"Sit down." The okiya behind her said curtly, gripping her hard on her shoulder, forcing her to kneel down again.
"Arigato Keiko-san, you shall wear a kimono everyday, every where you go, you are a lady of respect and poise. You are seen to the society as a lady of virtue and relevance, a chaste and incorruptible maiden and will do your best to carry out these requirements. Though you may face trouble on the way, you shall brave on like a proper geisha." Amamiya said in one breath, ignoring Misao's vomiting gestures and sounds and Shinyoko's restrained giggles.
"Keiko-san, I put you in charge of the girls' clothing, I have to collect the mended obis from our tailor, I expect I can trust you?" Amamiya said as she opened the door of the kimono prison.
"Hai, okiya-san." The one called Keiko said softly. As the door closed behind Amamiya, Misao watched as the rays of light from the outside world were shut out.
"Let's begin."
Moments afterwards...
"Psst... Misao-kun," Shinyoko said to Misao as the okiyas attending to her tied an obi round her middle.
"Nani?" Misao said unable to move her lips properly. Over the past one hour, the okiyas had applied a white paste over her face and neck. When Misao asked what it was made of, all she received was the words, " Nightingale's excretion" thrown to her curtly, and a tight slap for resisting. She was unable to move her head or lift her eyelids fully. Her eyelashes were stuck together with some black liquid and her lips were painted red. She swore that she was four inches shorter due to the heavy kimono that dragged her down and she could hardly breathe with all the padding wrapped around her.
"What do you think they are going to do with that?" Shinyoko said, looking at the mallet one of the okiyas brought in.
"I guess we are going to find out." Misao said with dread. Suddenly, Misao felt herself collapsing, the padded curved wooden board the okiyas were holding was hammered into the back of her obi, the air she had painstakingly gathered got hammered out.
"I can't breathe." Misao gasped as she was roughly hauled off the floor and set in a precarious position, her hair was roughly pulled back and painfully twisted for what seemed like years.
Finally, grooming session was over. The okiyas half marched half carried her to another room, much bigger than the one that contained kimonos. There, both she and Shinyoko waited patiently for Amamiya to arrive. Much as she wanted to run to the window and escape, Misao was unable to as she was anchored to the floor by the kimono that restricted movement of any sort. Just as she was about to rip the bottom of the kimono, Amamiya came through, looking suspiciously at Misao.
"I pray you did not give Keiko-san any problems?" Amamiya asked, not expecting any answer.
"Right, now we learn to walk. Walking itself is an art, one should not spoil the lines of the kimono when walking, but should walk with small steps. Moving the hem of the kimono just enough so that it appears as if the silk is rippling water. Let's start, you first." Amamiya continued, pointing at Misao to get up. Teetering on her geta, she leaned forward and walked one round around the room, getting used to the restriction of the kimono. Casting a glance at Amamiya, she saw the okiya shake her head exasperatedly. Huffing silently, Misao repeated the round, only to be shot down repeatedly. Anger threatened to explode, Misao's patience snapped after completing what seemed to be the hundredth round.
"What is your problem with my walking?" Misao yelled at Amamiya.
"Well, had you followed the steps I told you, you won't be facing such problems." Amamiya said calmly.
"I wouldn't be facing such problems if I could understand a word you are saying!" Misao retorted sharply.
"You better watch what you are saying young lady before you lose your lunch." Amamiya threatened.
"KAMAIMASEN!!!" Misao yelled, her fingers itching to grab anything to shut that insufferable gap.
"As you wish." Amamiya said, smiling wickedly.
"Che!" Misao cursed herself at her stupidity of not thinking before she spoke.
"And no dinner for your foul mouth!" Amamiya yelled at her as Misao stormed out of the room, shooting off a stream of curses and swears.
"Chikuso! Kutabachimae! Ama no kusottare!" She said muttering under her breath as Shinyoko caught up with her.
"What are you doing here?" Misao said in a somehow restrained voice.
"Amamiya-san took one look at my walking and allowed me to go." Shrugged Shinyoko warily.
"Che!" Cursed Misao under her breath.
Japanese Translation:
Yakuta: Light kimono worn in the night
Obake: Monster
Che: Shit
Ama no baka: Stupid bitch
Ohayo: Good morning
Nani: What
Itadakimasu: Let's eat
Kisama: You (vulgar)
Anou: Err/ Umm
Okiya: Geisha mentor – A fully-fledged geisha put in charge of the new geishas (maiko)
Demo: But
Kamaimasen: I don't care
Chikuso: Damn it
Kutabachimae: F***
Ama no kusottare: Bloody bitch.
Author's Notes:
Hehhehheh Minna-san, I know I haven't written for a very long time and for a very good reason. This chappie was so hard.... I had go research on geishas in ancient times and had a major writer's block and to top it all, I wasn't sure whether this chapter was even neccessary. Not only that, this chappie is covered with foul language. Hm... Maybe I should change the rating. Please review and tell me ne? Thankies!!
Author's notes:
Blacksakura: Thank you minna-san for all your reviews!! Lately I encountered a problem. Somebody had complained in my other fic that I should not add the translations below at the end of the fic. He or she accused me of being egoistic and now I am torn in the middle. I really would appreciate your opinion on the situation. Domo arigato!!
Saitou: Hai blacksakura-san, I have recently found out that the sign off name was "Anyone but Mary"
Aoshi: That could mean the flamer could be anyone besides Mary.
Kenshin: blacksakura-dono, have you any enemies or bad encounters with anyone?
Blacksakura: Eeto... Iie. No one except Sanosuke.
Aoshi: I think we have found the culprit.
Sanosuke: NANDE?!
Kenshin: Maa maa...
Saitou: Ahou. (Flicks away the still burning cigarette stick, slides into Gotatsu stance)
Sanosuke: KISAMA!!
Saitou: Aku. Soku. Zan.
Cold water splashed onto Misao's face. Coughing and sputtering, Misao rubbed her eyes open, shivering as the freezing water caused her yakuta to stick to her skin.
"Mou Okon, it is six-thirty in the morning, what was that for?" Misao said bleary eyes; unable to make out the figure doing the same thing to the other sleeping body who jerked to life. Flopping back onto her futon, all Misao wanted was more sleep.
"Get up! It is time for your training!" Misao felt someone kicked her hard in the ribs as a harsh voice rang out. Cracking her eyes wide open, she stared into a heavily powdered face.
"AAAAAAHHHHHHHH OBAKE!!" Misao screamed, floundering about, trapped by the heavy sheets of her futon.
"Don't try to be cute." Amamiya said, pinching Misao hard on her right arm. Cradling her right arm, Misao glared at Amamiya who kicked Shinyoko in the ribs to get her attention.
"Change and meet me at the kitchen by six forty-five. Don't be late or there will be no breakfast." Amamiya said to the two girls who were cradling their injured body parts before walking out of the room. * Che! Ama no baka! * Misao thought venomously as she took out her everyday wear from the wardrobe, not noticing Shinyoko who was rushing to put on her kimono.
"Ohayo Shinyoko! Matte na yo. What's the rush?" Misao said, binding her breasts and slipping on her dark blue shorts.
"Oh! Ohayo Misao! I think you better hurry if you want breakfast. It is already six forty." Shinyoko said without looking up, not bothering to clip her obi properly or shake out the long sleeves of the kimono. The look on Misao's face immediately changed from one of confusion to shock.
"NANI?!?!"
A little later...
Amamiya smirked as she watched the small hand on the clock tick closer and closer to the forty-five minute mark. The girls were not down yet and it seemed as though breakfast need not be wasted on them. Just as it was about to turn six forty-five, the sound of one person running was heard. Amamiya started passing out the serving for one and began to keep the rest of the food when she heard a voice.
"Matte Amamiya-san!!" Turning around, she saw Misao, who was carrying Shinyoko, take a leap from the roof of the geishas' quarters, landing on her foot in front of Amamiya. Putting Shinyoko down, Misao looked around before asking Amamiya a question.
"Are we the last?" She asked, looking around at the empty kitchen as Amamiya took out a second serving for Shinyoko.
"No. The two of you are the earliest. Not even Kanjire-san is up." She said absent-mindedly, shoving the girls' breakfast under their noses. * Lucky me, if he was up, he probably heard me and would have found out my ninja skills, not that he doesn't know much about me. * Misao thought, remembering that Kanjire knew about the incident of Shishio. Staring at the miserable breakfast in front of her, she wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Is that all? Rice and miso soup?" Misao said, looking at Shinyoko eating her food without complaint. Amamiya said nothing, smirking evilly to herself.
"Itadakimasu!" Misao said, ignoring the tensed silence, tucking into her meal. However, the moment she was about to eat, Amamiya snatched her meal, kept her untouched rice and poured away the cold miso soup.
"Hey! I haven't finish yet! Are you blind?" Misao yelled, jumping to her feet, waving her chopsticks angrily in the air.
"My my, don't you have many mistakes to correct. Poor dining manners, unladylike behaviour and dressing." Amamiya said, taking out a book and scribbling down Misao's faults while eyeing Misao's clothes.
"Nani? Kisama..." Misao began only to be cut short by a sharp look from Amamiya.
"And a foul mouth too, looks like we have a lot of training to do, if you carry on with that attitude sweetheart, I am sure you won't be having any meals for a very long time." Amamiya smiled acidly. Grumbling silently, Misao allowed herself to be marched to a room where millions of kimonos were hung. Staring at the collection in awe, Shinyoko blinked her eyes not daring to believe what she saw.
"So? Big deal. Wow a room full of kimonos can I go now Amamiya-SAMA?" Misao said sarcastically, spoiling the mood of the scene, still sore about missing her breakfast, the most important meal of the day.
"I think not little one, unless you are not under my care and you are no longer in this teahouse, you will live under my supervision and abide by my rules. Which means kimonos, everyday." Amamiya said menacingly, advancing on Misao like a huntress and her prey.
"You won't dare." Misao said, eyes flashing, getting up from her kneeling position.
"Let's find out." Amamiya retorted, eyes gleaming.
"Kisama..." Misao started, only to be interrupted by a small voice.
"A-anou, Amamiya-san, do you think it necessary..." Shinyoko began, fidgeting slightly under Amamiya's hard stare.
"Of course it is, and don't think you can sweet talk me, you will have to attend proper grooming lessons along with this wretch." Amamiya said, not bothering to listen to Shinyoko, snapping her fingers. Almost immediately, six other okiya walked in through the back door of the room, each wearing a glare on their faces, a warning to all who tried to cross them. Bowing formally at Amamiya, they stood behind the two fearful looking girls.
"These are my helpers in your training, they are all proper geishas and you shall address them by calling them okiya-san. I am your head okiya and I expect complete obedience. Understood?" Amamiya said curtly, receiving frantic nods from both Shinyoko and Misao.
"First things first, your kimonos..." Amamiya began.
"Demo..." Misao began, rising from her position.
"Sit down." The okiya behind her said curtly, gripping her hard on her shoulder, forcing her to kneel down again.
"Arigato Keiko-san, you shall wear a kimono everyday, every where you go, you are a lady of respect and poise. You are seen to the society as a lady of virtue and relevance, a chaste and incorruptible maiden and will do your best to carry out these requirements. Though you may face trouble on the way, you shall brave on like a proper geisha." Amamiya said in one breath, ignoring Misao's vomiting gestures and sounds and Shinyoko's restrained giggles.
"Keiko-san, I put you in charge of the girls' clothing, I have to collect the mended obis from our tailor, I expect I can trust you?" Amamiya said as she opened the door of the kimono prison.
"Hai, okiya-san." The one called Keiko said softly. As the door closed behind Amamiya, Misao watched as the rays of light from the outside world were shut out.
"Let's begin."
Moments afterwards...
"Psst... Misao-kun," Shinyoko said to Misao as the okiyas attending to her tied an obi round her middle.
"Nani?" Misao said unable to move her lips properly. Over the past one hour, the okiyas had applied a white paste over her face and neck. When Misao asked what it was made of, all she received was the words, " Nightingale's excretion" thrown to her curtly, and a tight slap for resisting. She was unable to move her head or lift her eyelids fully. Her eyelashes were stuck together with some black liquid and her lips were painted red. She swore that she was four inches shorter due to the heavy kimono that dragged her down and she could hardly breathe with all the padding wrapped around her.
"What do you think they are going to do with that?" Shinyoko said, looking at the mallet one of the okiyas brought in.
"I guess we are going to find out." Misao said with dread. Suddenly, Misao felt herself collapsing, the padded curved wooden board the okiyas were holding was hammered into the back of her obi, the air she had painstakingly gathered got hammered out.
"I can't breathe." Misao gasped as she was roughly hauled off the floor and set in a precarious position, her hair was roughly pulled back and painfully twisted for what seemed like years.
Finally, grooming session was over. The okiyas half marched half carried her to another room, much bigger than the one that contained kimonos. There, both she and Shinyoko waited patiently for Amamiya to arrive. Much as she wanted to run to the window and escape, Misao was unable to as she was anchored to the floor by the kimono that restricted movement of any sort. Just as she was about to rip the bottom of the kimono, Amamiya came through, looking suspiciously at Misao.
"I pray you did not give Keiko-san any problems?" Amamiya asked, not expecting any answer.
"Right, now we learn to walk. Walking itself is an art, one should not spoil the lines of the kimono when walking, but should walk with small steps. Moving the hem of the kimono just enough so that it appears as if the silk is rippling water. Let's start, you first." Amamiya continued, pointing at Misao to get up. Teetering on her geta, she leaned forward and walked one round around the room, getting used to the restriction of the kimono. Casting a glance at Amamiya, she saw the okiya shake her head exasperatedly. Huffing silently, Misao repeated the round, only to be shot down repeatedly. Anger threatened to explode, Misao's patience snapped after completing what seemed to be the hundredth round.
"What is your problem with my walking?" Misao yelled at Amamiya.
"Well, had you followed the steps I told you, you won't be facing such problems." Amamiya said calmly.
"I wouldn't be facing such problems if I could understand a word you are saying!" Misao retorted sharply.
"You better watch what you are saying young lady before you lose your lunch." Amamiya threatened.
"KAMAIMASEN!!!" Misao yelled, her fingers itching to grab anything to shut that insufferable gap.
"As you wish." Amamiya said, smiling wickedly.
"Che!" Misao cursed herself at her stupidity of not thinking before she spoke.
"And no dinner for your foul mouth!" Amamiya yelled at her as Misao stormed out of the room, shooting off a stream of curses and swears.
"Chikuso! Kutabachimae! Ama no kusottare!" She said muttering under her breath as Shinyoko caught up with her.
"What are you doing here?" Misao said in a somehow restrained voice.
"Amamiya-san took one look at my walking and allowed me to go." Shrugged Shinyoko warily.
"Che!" Cursed Misao under her breath.
Japanese Translation:
Yakuta: Light kimono worn in the night
Obake: Monster
Che: Shit
Ama no baka: Stupid bitch
Ohayo: Good morning
Nani: What
Itadakimasu: Let's eat
Kisama: You (vulgar)
Anou: Err/ Umm
Okiya: Geisha mentor – A fully-fledged geisha put in charge of the new geishas (maiko)
Demo: But
Kamaimasen: I don't care
Chikuso: Damn it
Kutabachimae: F***
Ama no kusottare: Bloody bitch.
Author's Notes:
Hehhehheh Minna-san, I know I haven't written for a very long time and for a very good reason. This chappie was so hard.... I had go research on geishas in ancient times and had a major writer's block and to top it all, I wasn't sure whether this chapter was even neccessary. Not only that, this chappie is covered with foul language. Hm... Maybe I should change the rating. Please review and tell me ne? Thankies!!