Hello there everybody! Thanks for your kind reviews and I have a lot to let out today so let's start...
1- I'm thinking of making a funny clip of Spirited Away for AMV Hell 4, but I have no ideas, so if anyone thinks up a funny song, or joke, or whatever, PM me. I really want to submit something to this last installment of the AMV saga.
2- To the question askers, PEOPLE, READ THE STORY! Don't ask me what's going to happen! I'm not going to tell you!
3- About the character Miyu, she's not really an OC. In the movie she's one of the bathtub scrubbers that work with Rin. You see her in some shots of the movie. She's the one with Haku's same hairstyle but in brown. She doesn't really have a name in the movie. So I decided to call her Miyu.
4- In Japanese Lin is spelled Rin, but pronounced Lin.
5- I re-watched Memoirs of a Geisha, an awesome movie, for any important details to put in... And man, what I have in plan for Chihiro and Haku is going to be so much fun to write, I can't wait! XD
6- Recently I found out that the worker shirts are called Akome. So yeah good information...
7- I will soon start writing in different POVs, the story is currently default on Chihiro, but that'll change soon...
The song I'm listening to this time is "Here (In your arms) by: Hellogoodbye, I'm addicted to it. Enjoy Chapter 3
- - -
"I have to do what?" Chihiro stood at the foot of a tall, black and white tub, with a small wooden bucket filled halfway with water in hand.
Alright, maybe being a bathtub scrubber isn't as superb as I thought it would be. Rin poked her head out from inside the bathtub. She had quite an irritated frown on her face, not to mention a fierce popping vein on her forehead.
"Didn't you hear me! Get inside this tub! And be careful with the bucket of water!" Rin scolded and disappeared right back in the tub. Chihiro sighed, parting a strand of loose brown hair behind her ear. She hung the bucket on her arm, and then began to climb the refined stone tub. She stretch her hand out to reach the edge, grabbing it with three fingers, she attempted to pull herself up. When suddenly she felt her foot slip, she let out a shrill shriek in surprise as she dangled along the side of the tub, and the bucket had slipped from her hand to the floor, spilling all the water.
She heard a groan from above her head, and looked up to see Rin slap a hand on her face. Her fingers slipped as well, causing her to slide down to the wet wooden floor. "Wonderful, now we've got to go get more water," Rin complained.
"I'm sorry Rin! I'll go get it!" Chihiro said standing up, and grabbing the bucket.
"No you stay here! You'll probably get lost or something, just dry the floor," Rin said climbing out of the tub and pointed to the corner, where atop small table laid a few washrags. She took the bucket from Chihiro's hand and left the stall.
Chihiro bit her lip awkwardly, then proceeded to go get the washrags. The morning started out just fine. Rin and her were as happy as can be. The foreman had encharged Rin to work with her for the next three days, also giving a list of rules Chihiro had to follow. She had to sleep with the other girls in the women's quarters, just like all the other yuna, that was fine. She had to wear the same pink worker uniform as well, which kind of seemed red when it got wet, that was... okay. She was given no extra privileges; she had to eat the same food all the other yuna ate. Which was the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, just fried Rice. It was no wonder Rin and Miyu were so skinny; this was really not okay, which caused Chihiro to throw an angry fit later on.
Chihiro grabbed three washrags, and turned her head to stare at the large puddle. She sighed, walking back over to it. It's understandable why Rin's mad at me, I can't do anything right… and I guess I do kind of complain a lot… Chihiro kneeled and began to rub the rag against the puddle on the floor. She tried to concentrate her mind on a different subject... Mother... she's probably out with some fat spirit laughing at a random joke, or drinking sake
She frowned slightly. She sometimes wondered how her mother bared every one of those, probably boring, nights. What would two people who have never known each other, talk about? What do they do? What is sake anyway? Mother always tells me it's something adults drink to let loose. What did she mean by let loose? She shrugged to herself. She would have to ask Rin later on.
She lifted the over-soaked rag, and looked around the bath stall for a bucket to squeeze out the water in the rag. She eyed the bathtub, a small idea growing in her brain. Chihiro leapt off her feet, and walked to the foot of the bathtub. She took a cautious look at the height of it. This must be for really big gods…I wonder where the water comes from. Taking in a big whiff of air, Chihiro attempted once more to climb the tub. It was hard, since the tub had nothing to hold on to, and was quite slippery, but she managed to walk up the sides. When she reached the top, she sat on the thick edge, and twisted the washrag, squeezing out the water into the tub.
She smiled, throwing the rag behind her, and wiping several drops of sweat off her forehead. She had dried the floor, and had learned to climb the bathtub. It was just as her Mother had said; whoever wants to reach a distant goal must take small steps… or something like that…
Chihiro rested her elbows on her legs, then her head on her hands. Staring at the polished wooden wall, with a pretty sakura tree in the middle, her mind began to wonder back to her meeting with the certain Haku-Sama. If he worked for Yubaba, why hadn't she seen him before? Her mother never spoke about a boy living in Aburaya. None of the girls in her class ever gossiped about a cute boy that they like, or seen. I wonder where he is right now…
She could hear countless orders and shouts coming from the other bath stalls. Truthfully Chihiro didn't understand the works of the bathhouse; she was yet to discover where the water for the tubs came from. Does the water come in magically, or is there a secret underground plumbing? Who mixes the herbs in the water? Or does the water already have the herbs?
Chihiro sighed. There was so much she wanted to know, it frustrated her.
Deciding to change the subject of mind again, she looked up at the higher levels of the bathhouse. It all looked so yellow, must be the steam of the hot water. Or maybe there's a sauna in the bathhouse. She peered up at a bridge, which stretched high over the baths, and what walked across it.
Chihiro was sure it was a spirit, it had to be. It looked like a sumo rikishi, mixed with an onion… or maybe a radish, plus it had a red bowl on its head. Then out of nowhere, the most delicious aroma filled her nostrils. The smell of deep fried sashimi dipped in Tamari soy sauce, and grilled eel served in Takayama ramen was enough to drive any god in a craze. Chihiro's mouth watered, she wasn't one to be a glutton, but the cooks must have really overworked tonight. Considering that the kitchen was four floors up.
"Chihiro!" She turned around in surprise, to see Miyu leaning against the entrance of the bath stall, a wide grin spread across face. "Come on, let's go get breakfast!"
"I can't, Rin's not here, she'll be worried if I'm not here when she gets back," Chihiro replied to her. Miyu raised an eyebrow.
"Oh come on! You'll be with me! Rin won't get mad; now let's go I made a deal with one of the cooks to swipe us some strips of unagi, and a pair of roasted newts!" Miyu said pushing herself off the wall, her cheeks growing slightly pink. Chihiro mentally shuddered at the thought of eating something as repulsive as a little water lizard, but managed to shake her head in response. "Oh, you're no fun!"
"I can't Miyu! How about we go, when Rin gets back!" Miyu slumped tiredly.
"We have to go now Chi, while the cooks are busy serving customers! We'll just grab something for Rin, and be out quick!" Chihiro just shook her head.
"Fine, but don't say I didn't invite you!" and with that Miyu ran out of the stall, and into the bath corridor.
Chihiro sighed, turning herself into a sitting position on the tub edge. This day wasn't going like she planned, of course what she had in mind were three days of smiles and laze. Having fun around the bathhouse, playing with Rin and Miyu, and chatting with all the strange spirits, was expected. It wasn't even breakfast yet, and Chihiro had to undergo the hardest labor in her whole entire life.
Clean the floors, clean the stairs, clean the walls, clean the poles, bring the towels, set the tatami mats, wipe the tables, wipe the lamps, scrub the hall, scrub the rails on the balconies, and the dishes, and the doors too! Everything had to be perfect in the morning. Perfectly prepared and perfectly clean. Every mat and towel in place and at a rapid pace. Do gods even care about all this neatness? They just come to get bathed, and sleep. Are a few specks of gold worth all that trouble?
Chihiro tried to imagine workers getting up every day, repeating the same routine they did yesterday and not getting a cent for it. That seemed very unfair. It's also no wonder why Rin was so sarcastic and bitter. Doesn't she want freedom?
"It must be done right, and it must be done quick, for you to earn that nice big tip!" Rin's daily morning chant. Unenthusiastic and poorly rhymed, but apparently it kept her going, as she herself put it.
Chihiro's eyes bolted open, realizing her thoughts were driving her into sleep. She looked around the room. Noting that she was still alone in the stall.
She sighed for what seemed to be the thousandth time today How long does it actually take for someone to refill a bucket of water? Rin's been gone for about half an hourChihiro shook her head, her eyelids drooping slowly. Feeling a slight uncomfort in her stomach, she balanced herself up at the edge of the tub ready to hop off.
Then something in the corner caught her eye. It appeared to be a big transparent black pole. Chihiro squinted her eyes, trying to take a better look at the mysterious object. She took a step onto the slope of the tub, attempting to get closer. She tilted her head a bit taking in the strange details. Then she noticed a white mask on the top of the black form.
She gasped lowly, realizing the creature had two black holes for eyes, and a black smile-shaped hole for a mouth.
Taking another balanced step on the slope, Chihiro heard a small 'uh' coming from the creature. She gulped and took another step down.
"Um, are you okay?" she asked. The creature did not respond, it stood there watching her.
Chihiro shuddered, feeling a slight shock of déjà vu.
"Uh, are you here for a bath?" she asked again, and still the creature did not respond to her. She bit her lip awkwardly and looked away for a second. Twiddling her fingers nervously, she tried to think of something to say, but what could she say to him.
"Um, do you n-" the creature had disappeared. Chihiro blinked several times, and tilted her head to the side. She had merely looked away for a few seconds, how did it get out so fast? What was it? Chihiro looked behind her to the other corners of the stall, he was gone…
"CHIHIRO!" Bump. She landed on the floor roughly, her head hitting the base of the tub. She moaned feeling a throbbing pain go through her spine.
"Hey Chi, are you okay?" She looked up to see Rin standing at the entrance. She nodded slowly. "That was rough fall, you sure?"
"Yes I'm okay," Rin smiled helping her on her feet, then setting the bucket on her arm, onto the floor. In her left hand she was holding a strange looking red tablet, with black stripes across it.
"Great now give me a second, to fill the tub before we leave," Rin walked over to the wall on the right side of the tub, at the trunk of the sakura tree, her bright brown hair trailing behind her. She gave two hallow knocks on the wood, and out popped open a little door, with a purple latch that was hidden behind it.
Rin grabbed the metal latch, attached to the purple ribbon, and clipped it on to the little tablet. She pulled on the ribbon, and then released it, sending it who knows where.
Chihiro watched as a long plank of wood came slowly off the wall and settled over the tub, and a rope that uncoiled itself, dangled at the edge of it.
"Wow, what is that Rin?" Chihiro asked staring at the rope.
"That's where the water comes from," Rin responded, climbing the tub up to the plank. "It's like a pipe, you send a bath token to the boiler room, and Kamaji sends us our water," Chihiro looked at Rin, with a questionable look on her face. "Kamaji's the boiler man; he's in charge of heating, and mixing the herbs in the water,"
"I knew it," Chihiro mumbled. Personally congratulating herself.
"You pull on this to get the water flowing, give it a try," Chihiro climbed up, and grabbed the rope. She swiftly yanked it down, but unfortunately lost her balance again, and slipped off the edge, leaving her dangling from the rope. "Ahh, your such a klutz,"
Chihiro winced slightly at the strong odor coming from the water. It smelled like sweat mixed in with rotting flesh. Disgusting. Pulling herself to the edge of the tub, Chihiro took a quick glance in the tub.
"Yuck! What's in this water?"
"Dried worm salts, it's suppose to be good for you,"
"Why is the water so green?"
"Don't know, I guess it's suppose to be like that," Rin said with a shrug.
The water soon leveled to the edge of the tub. Rin yanked the rope, and as soon as the water stopped flowing, the wooden pipe reverted back to its place on the wall.
"Perfect, now let's go get some breakfast," Rin said putting her hands on her hips proudly.
"Finally, I was beginning to starve!" Rin smirked at her, and then lead her out the stall, into the crowded corridor.
"Try to eat and rest as much as possible; the hardest part of the job comes after," Rin stated turning a corner toward the stairs, stretching her arms a bit at the newfound space.
"Which is?"
"Bathing the Gods,"
- - -
Chihiro collapsed on her futon tiredly, and began to moan into her pillow over the ache that ran through her entire body. Rin, Miyu, and a few other yuna laughed in the background. Amused at her state of exhaustion. Some coming up with ironic insults to comment. Tormenting Chihiro even more.
"So the little Geisha finally understands the meaning of hard work," teased one yuna from across the room. Filling the room with even more laughter.
"Maybe now you can learn to have more respect for us tub scrubbers!" shouted another unknown yuna. Chihiro shut her eyes tight, attempting to block out the annoying cachinnation of the women.
"Alright! Lay off her girls, try to be considerate!" came Lin's voice, like the savior of the day.
Chihiro lifted her head up slowly, as the noises changed from laughing to loud chattering, and annoying rustling between the yuna, as they took out their futons and prepared for bed. Making her miss her quiet and lonesome little room. Which normally only she would occupy, since her mother spent her days 'working'.
She moaned softly, at the throbbing pain in her head. All the shouting and strive she went through today must be getting to her now. Lifting her left hand to rub away a few drops of left over sweat, she gasped quietly, realizing her hands were still pruny.
"Chihiro, you're not just going to go straight to bed are you?" Chihiro looked over at a small circle of girls, crowed around their futons. Miyu smiled sheepishly, waving her hand a little.
Chihiro's eyes lit up. She had never really been invited to, as her mother called, a gossip gathering before. Ignoring the ache she felt from her previous labors before, she scrambled off her futon, and crawled to the group. Sitting herself beside Rin, strangely the other girls had creepy wide smiles on their faces, and they were all staring at her for some reason.
"So Chi, tell us, what's your life like?" Ask a smiling brown haired yuna, sitting beside Miyu.
"What?" Chihiro asked surprised.
Hohvf
"The Geisha life sweetheart, what's it like?" Said a chubby, black haired yuna, wearing a kimono. Her eyebrows strangely cut into small circles. The other girls looked at Chihiro intriguingly.
"Uh, um-,"
"Don't you annoying slugs have something much more interesting to talk about, it's the girl's first day here; can't you all give her a break?" Rin scolded, narrowing her eyes at them.
"Rin, calm down we're only curious," replied Miyu, raising her eyebrow a little.
"Well be curious about something else thendon't snoop in someone else's life!" Rin retorted harshly. Chihiro stared up at her surprised. The room got awkwardly silent after Rin's sudden outburst. Many of the yuna in the room stared at her.
"Geez, way to ruin the mood Rin," said Miyu, sarcasm dripping in her voice. Rin huffed and turned away from the group back to her futon. She flipped the covers over her, and went to sleep without another word. The other girls reverted back to their futons, mumbling angrily at awkward scene.
Chihiro bit her lip, and in an act of courage crawled over to Rin.
"Um, Rin?" She turned her head a bit, to stare at Chihiro from the corner of her eye. "Uh, are you okay? You-"
"I'm fine, go to bed!" Rin spat coldly. Chihiro flinched, and slowly crawled to her futon next to the wall.
Snuggling in awkwardly under the covers, she made a mental note to avoid talking about Rin's abrupt fit tomorrow.
"Okay, Lights out girls!" Shouted a raven-haired yuna from the side of the room.
The room darkened, the only light in the room came from the setting moon, sneaking through dozens of uncovered spots. Chihiro sighed, feeling her body go numb due to the coldness in the room. This could only mean she'll be sore for the next few days.
She squinted her eyes shut, tossing the covers over her head, in attempt to block out the moon's light, and get warm. Making a silent wish for a better day tomorrow.
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Okay, the end's a little rushed, but I wanted to update today. July 31st is my birthday, and I'll barely have time for the story, since I'm hosting a party. Anyway, I hope you like and sorry for the long wait, I've had a sort of writer's block in the middle of the chapter. I'll try to update sooner!
I'm turning fourteen! YAY!
By the way: Sumo Rikishi – Sumo Wrestler