Author's Note: Wow! I can't believe it! One of my favorite writers reviewed my story! Anyway, the last chapter was written to "Hindi Sad Diamonds" from Moulin Rouge. In a way, this story was somewhat inspired by the fact that women are possessions. I've never seen the movie, but in the song, I kept hearing miscellaneous men saying "She is mine", which is sad. So I guess you can say that this story was inspired by that song. Anyway, I'm glad some people liked it. I hope you enjoy this chapter.



~ Chapter 1: The Quiet Seductress ~


The room was alive with vibrant colors and the sounds of merriment. The people's shadows danced across the off-white walls as the room's candles flickered brightly, providing the perfect setting for an imitation exotic setting for the male customers. A woman's curt laughter cut through the group of men's making hers seeming to originate from a melodious siren in comparison to their rough cackles. As they were all gathered in that huge room that evening, I watched from behind a door that was opened up just a crack.

"Kaoru-san, what are you doing over here?" Aoshi's deep voice demanded harshly before he grabbed me by my elbow and brought me face to face with him.

I was so close to him. I had never been this close with a man except for Kanryu and the exceptions of my father's warm embraces. But they were just memories to me now that I reside in this teahouse. My senses were alert in his presence. I could smell something faint and stale, something I couldn't place my finger on, but I let it drop.

"Well?" he prodded firmly.

"I was observing the others, so that I would at least know what to do out there."

He eased on my arm, but started walking, still with his hand attached to my elbow. He was firm, but his grip was somewhat gentle as he led me down the hall up the stairs to the women's quarters.

"Did you actually think we would send you out there unprepared?" he said in disbelief, yet his face showed not a trace of emotion to what he had just said.

With a firm tug of my sleeve, he placed me near a door, and I stood there nervously.

"I am your guardian, Kaoru-san. Whenever you have a question you will ask me or your teacher."

"My teacher?"

"Of course. She is the most successful of the women here. She is Kanryu's prized possession."

"'Prized possession?'" I asked innocently, but my uncertainty of his statement had left me as the door opened to reveal a woman who would change my life forever.

"Kaoru Sasaki...it's nice to meet you." she said gently with a courteous bow.

She was dressed in the purest silk kimono. The designs were intricate sporting off the light blue flowers on a pale ivory background. Her obi was lined with golden thread, the fabric a rich royal blue. Upon her small, dainty feet, pure white tabi(1) socks adorned it, and they were perched atop perfect condition getas(2). Her face was light skinned, and her features were accented with a medium-tinted rouge placed upon her lips. A loose ivory ribbon tied her hair back, letting only a few ebony tresses to escape. In the dim candlelight of the hallway, she looked almost ethereal. I would have never imagined such beauty in a place like this.

"I am Tomoe Yukishiro." she introduced with the grace usually a high-class woman would emit.

I felt so unrefined and panicked as I found myself not responding. I quickly bowed with as much elegance as I could let off and whispered an apology at my impoliteness. She just stared at me, her eyes glistening with happiness, but her smile was nowhere to be seen on her face.

"You will observe Yukishiro-san only. She will teach you the ways of a quiet seductress. If you don't like her style, don't worry. Every seductress has her own ways of attracting men."

Aoshi's words drifted through my brain while Tomoe watched me intently as if sizing me up as an appropriate potential candidate.

"She will do fine." she said and glided by us, her hair trailing behind her, leaving a fragrance of white plums in the air.

"What are you waiting for?" Aoshi's cold voice entailed.

I gathered up as much courage as I could. That night was my first night out in that room. I turned to Aoshi excitedly and met his eyes for approval. I wore a dark blue kimono, plain compared to the other women, and my hair was tied up in a ponytail with a matching blue ribbon.

"Do I look inconspicuous?" I asked with a glint of anxiousness in my eyes.

He looked me over with a brief glance and cleared his throat.

"You look fine." he simply said.

And with that, I pivoted and ran after Yukishiro-sensei(3). Aoshi watched me depart, viewing my petite figure practically bounce down the stairs with my light footing. And with a sigh, he, too, disappeared down the hall.


* * * *


I sat down in the back of the room, where the darkness of a corner seemed a safe spot to harbor. Once I was seated, that's when I noticed that Tomoe was nowhere to be seen. Her presence would not be one anyone could miss in a crowded room of men. Yet there weren't any crowds, except for the groups seated at tables with women already. I waited and waited, but I couldn't see a sign of her. I was supposed to watch her, but if she wasn't here, how was I supposed to observe? Mou(4)!

"Hey, sweetheart, how about you entertain me in private?" I heard a man say in his drunken state.

"Of course..." A woman replied slyly.

I watched the couple at the table before me. His hand snaked from around her waist to her thigh where he slipped her a few bills. With slender fingers, she clutched them between her index and middle finger, slipping the fee into her obi. They discreetly stood up from the table and walked out, leaving the other men to wonder after a while where their friend had gone. I hated this place. It made my skin crawl and my thoughts creep to places I wished to let me be. My memories were still as strong as if I were still there. I remembered fetching water for my father from our well. He poured it over his head, calloused hands came up to wipe his moist face off. He'd turn to me with a smile and placed a firm hand on my shoulder, with an affectionate affirming shake.

"One day, you'll have a dojo of your own and teach the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu(5) to students. You'll have a bigger dojo than this. It won't be a run-down old rut of a dojo like mine." he would say.

But that was the past. And all that faded away as I heard music begin to play. It was something I had never heard before, being a poor shihondai(6), but it didn't surprise me with all the things westerners were now importing for us still stuck in the Meiji Era(7). I noticed now that there was a clearing, a somewhat of a stage. The men hollered and hooted in anticipation of an act. I didn't know what to expect as I watched a shadowed figure slink through the shadows of the unlit stage. The lights suddenly brightened, revealing many women hiding someone behind them. They all stood in a circle, dressed in their elegant kimonos and powdered faces. They were like a cache fronted with misleading beauty until what they revealed would prove them all to be plain in comparison to the main attraction. When the music paused, the women quickly stepped aside to reveal my mentor, Tomoe. Her eyelids were closed, the dark lashes barely making contact with her pale skin. With a part of her ruby lips, her eyelids fluttered open to reveal her eyes-the color of the midnight sky. She glided out to the front, singing a soft, melodious note. Her song seemed to soar and yet stay stable, but that wasn't what captured my attention. Her song was so morbid. It spoke of death being a release of a torturous punishment of life. I could hardly believe my ears. But her song died as the lights dimmed. And with a din of claps and appreciation-showing shouts, the beauty had disappeared from the stage when the lights came back on. All that could be seen was the women who had introduced her.

I couldn't believe the performance. It left the men wanting more of her appearance, but it left me in almost sympathetic tears. That's when I caught her in the back of the room, walking in the shadows. She sauntered over to me in her inexplicable splendor and came to a graceful stop. She towered over me with no emotions present on her face.

"First rule of seduction: Be unattainable." she said softly and walked away as men poured over the isles to catch a glimpse of her retreating figure.


* * * * *


"Aoshi, I have an assignment for my beneficial beauty." Kanryu stated as he poured himself a glass of liquor.

Aoshi sat on the soft European-style couch. He felt the soft material underneath his fingertips as he stayed tense while in his boss' presence. He raised an eyebrow and calmly receded back to his impassive expression.

"Tomoe is tired. She has been entertaining your customers all night." Aoshi informed firmly.

"Of course I would never think of putting her into an weary project if I didn't think it important."

The translucent liquid waved around as Kanryu moved his glass in a circular motion. He stared deeply at it before gulping it down in one swift motion. Aoshi drummed his fingers upon the arm rest as he awaited for his boss to speak.

"Okita Souji is challenging me just by stepping within this teahouse. He knows I own it, yet he comes in with a smirk on his face."

"He just came to have a good time like all your other customers."

"Aoshi, don't try to underestimate the situation."

"Souji is merely a doctor and a silk merchant as a second job. He's only wealthy because he works so hard if that's your reason."

"Aoshi, you don't understand my reasons. You think I just kill people for small, piddling reasons." he said as he glanced to his silent second man, which made Aoshi stare back, "Souji is quite the talker, I hear. I heard from reliable sources that he plans to destroy my little empire I have made. Do you think that's right? He has many friends in politics and thinks maybe the laws should find their way to me. A man like that shouldn't be alive in an era of opportunity, don't you agree?"

The sounds of the crowds in the main room of the teahouse could be heard through the walls. They interrupted the tense silence between the two. Aoshi was reluctant to get up. He didn't want to do the assignment, not for Tomoe's sake. She was tired and she had been doing Kanryu's bidding for the past couple nights. It wasn't a secret that Kanryu had many enemies and glitches in his plans that needed to be fixed, but he was affecting Tomoe. She was weary.

"Aoshi, don't cross me. You wouldn't want your little sister to get the bad end of the deal if you understand me?" Kanryu snidely inserted.

With a dissatisfied feeling in the pit of his stomach, Aoshi exited the room to find Tomoe. He found her just outside Kanryu's door as he closed the door behind him. Her lips were pursed with expectancy of the new situation, and she released a sigh.


* * * * *


"Loosen up, Akira! Your dad will never know!" the wealthy man, Okita Souji, shouted while delivering a pat on his friend's back.

Okita Souji was one of the most successful men of his time. I didn't notice it at the time, but he was truly a man of good causes. Years later, I heard of his efforts to help the ill and the dying. He was superior doctor, but his skills could not produce enough money for his travels and lifestyle. He inherited his cousin's silk business after he had a nervous break-down because of threats of closing his business. Okita was not one to give up though. With a smile on his face, he didn't let anyone, not even Kanryu, run him down. He was rumored to be a very handsome man, too. He had brown eyes, the color of the delectable chocolates westerners have fancied. And his hair was thick, well-groomed, and a dark brown. Many women pined for his attention. He was the perfect gentleman, especially to single mothers. He played with children, finding those opportunities fun because he grew up an only child. He was a man of good nature and good times as well. He always went to places where fun was guaranteed and the teahouse was one men frequently talked about. He came with a bunch of his friends and they sat at a table in the middle of the room.

"Okita, this isn't wise. There aren't virtuous women here. My father would be ashamed." his friend muttered culpably.

"I'm pretty sure your father has knocked about such places as these when he was younger."

"That doesn't matter. He wants me to be a better man than this."

"What did he expect? You live in Kyoto for God's sake!"

"Okita..." Akira said in an unsure tone.

"Akira..." Okita mocked.

Akira Kiyosato was his friend's name. They had been long-time friends. Akira came from a well-to-do samurai family. When the war ended, Akira's family invested in a restaurant that became quite popular. The family was always wealthy, so Okita and Akira were in the same social circle. They were both handsome, too. Akira was an equally happy person. He always had a positive attitude with attributed to his attractiveness. Most women would quiver just to be able to put their fingers through his black hair, which was always tied back in a small ponytail. Some of his loose hairs formed bangs that brushed over his brown eyes. He was definitely a sight to behold as he was a great person to know. On that particular night, Okita had dragged Akira along for fun, thinking the change of scenery would do him good. But everyone at the table could see Akira felt guilty for even entering the establishment as he cupped his face with his hands.

"Akira, cut it out! You're drawing attention." Okita snapped and pulled his hands away.

A bottle of sake and a few small cups were placed before them at their table as Okita tried to get his friend out of his stigmatic thoughts.

"Akira, you're a young man. Have some fun!"

Akira eased and sat up.

"All right." he replied.

The other friends cheered and placed a cup before him. He took it in his hands, looking at the cool liquid before him.

"Well...bottom's up." he said softly and quaffed the drink in one gulp.

"That's the Akira I know!" Okita shouted.

When Akira was passed another glass, over his cup, he noticed a beautiful woman approaching their table. He froze and downed it, slamming the cup on the table. His friends around him flinched and turned.

"What was that, Kiyosato?!" one friend asked in alarm.

"Sorry, I don't know my own strength." he said sheepishly.

"Excuse me, gentlemen. May I join your party for the night?" a soft, effeminate voice inquired.

Okita turned around to meet the eyes of the silent beauty.

"Hello. Who are you?" Okita questioned.

"I am an entertainer here. I just performed earlier this evening." Tomoe replied with her hands folded in front of her.

"I'm sorry. We didn't catch that act. We've just arrived."

"So late in the evening?"

"We just got out of work." he saw her still standing, and coughed in embarrasment, "Forgive me. Please sit down."

She sat between him and Akira. Akira watched her curiously in the corner of his eye as he began to converse with his other friends.

"So what kind of work do you do?" Tomoe entailed.

"I am a doctor mainly, but I also sell silk."

"Oh. I love silk. My kimono is made out of it."

"So I see. You must have very exquisite taste to pick out such an elaborate one."

"Thank you."

Okita caught Akira watching the young woman and inwardly smiled.

"And may I ask your name?" she asked.

"Okita Souji. And what's yours?"

"Tomoe."

"Do you have a last name?"

"Only if you pay me well."

"I see..."

"If you'd like to learn it, you could come to my quarters later..." she said with a certain discreetness in her voice.

"I'll see." he replied politely.

She cleared her throat and stood up.

"Excuse me, Souji-san. I must be off." she said softly.

"So soon?"

"I probably will be back. I have some other business to attend to."

"Then please make haste of it so that we can enjoy your company once more."

"I will try."

As she stood up, Akira caught a glint of a different color in her obi and saw a dagger tucked away. His eyes narrowed in suspicion as she walked away, throwing Okita a glance before disappearing into the crowd.

"Well, you don't see a girl like that everyday." Okita commented.

"Indeed..." Akira murmured.

He stood up as well and stretched.

"I think I'll go outside for a breath of fresh air." Akira informed as he started to walk away.

"Don't be long." Okita shouted and joined into the conversation at the table.

Akira did not go outside. I sat and watched Tomoe walk through the crowds with Akira not far behind. When she had slipped into the side room, he followed. She felt his presence and pivoted to meet him face-to-face.

"Who are you?" she asked equivocally.

He took a firm grip of her forearms and placed her against the wall. The room was dim and there was no one there, just her and Akira. She feared it so. As she began to yell for help, he clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Who are you really?" he demanded.

"I am an entertainer."

"An entertainer who carries a dagger around?" he said skeptically.

"I need protection."

"Listen. I'm not naïve as to whom owns this place, but Okita wanted to have a good time. He isn't doing anything, so don't hurt him. I know who you really are. You're probably one of Kanryu's puppets, aren't you?"

She looked at him scornfully and wrenched herself away from his grip.

"Leave him alone. That's all I ask of you." he said almost pleadingly.

He stormed out of the room, but came out in his usual appearance as a happy-go-lucky man. Though Tomoe was left in the room filled with self-loathing as the word 'puppet' rung in her head.



Reference for Readers:

1 – tabi – the famous Japanese socks that is divided in the toe area.

2 – getas – special shoes that the Japanese wear, almost like platforms

3 – -sensei – a suffix for a teacher.

4 – Mou – an expression of exasperation made famous by Kaoru herself.

5 – Kamiya Kasshin Ryu – a Sword style

6 – shihondai – assistant teacher

7 – Meiji Era – a period of time in Japan in the 1800s



Author's Notes: I am so tired! But the inspiration bug has been nipping at me for this story. I couldn't help but keep writing. I'm kind of having writer's block for my other stories though. But with this story, I already have it all planned out. All I need to do is put it into text. I'm sorry to the reviewers, but Megumi is not a main character in the story. She's a very minor character. It's not that I hate Megumi, I just can't place her anywhere and to tell you the truth, I kind of don't like her. But I hate how sometimes people just make her to be a down-right bitch because I don't believe she's that bad. I mean, I dislike her, but she's not all bad. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and thank you for the reviews! So please keep on reading and reviewing! Your input matters! ^.^