"Come try this! It's delicious! Fresh seafood; caught this morning!" Tara tilted her head, scrutinizing the people passing by, as she free-handedly sketched daily life in the capital. She yanked the tough grilled squid off the stick, as crowds cluttered her. The floating world.. How beautiful and simple it is.. And the people in it don't realize they are inside. She smiled dreamily, among all the noise, she found peace. A sphere effect.. she thought to herself, her wooden sandals clanking as she picked up speed, heading down to the Ukiyo-e district. Though it was mid-day, and the streets of the Ukiyo-e were deserted, it didn't stop business. Women, dressed lavishly, fiddled with their obis tied to the front. Slipping down the alley, Tara tapped nervously on the back-door. A few minutes later, a feminine looking man opened the door, his face half-covered in white paint. "Yes?" he asked, impatiently. Tara bowed quickly, then said, "I am here for the screen and wood block printing; I was hired by.." He interrupted her, a smile breaking his dull stare. "Matsuo! Of course; of course! Come on in!" he said, yanking her inside, with barely enough time for her to kick off her shoes. Behind the stage they walked quickly, the actor yelling for Matsuo. "Back here!" he yelled.
In a whir of red and gold, Tara was thrust into a flash of allure; cascading hair tied elaborately into buns. Clouds of white powder, and river of white paint were patted delicately onto the faces of such beautiful people. Tara mouthed silently, as she was flung behind a screen. "A sphere effect." Her eyes drank in every detail of this place; she never wanted to leave. And just like that, the beauty was over, just a flash, a glimpse of what she could never have. Sitting on the floor, she opened her notepad, and patiently waited for her customer. The room was dimly lit with slits from the window, and a dying candle across from her. Her eyes had to get adjusted to such a bleary room, and soon, a screen door opened. "Sorry for keeping you waiting." a shadowed figure said softly. "It's nothing." Tara replied, squinting to distinguish the voice among the dark walls. "I didn't wait that long." The voice spoke again, the tone being low enough for her to distinguish that it was male. "That's good."The screen slid behind him once more, and Tara counted the steps as the sound of sliding fabric against the wooden floor gradually moved closer. She felt a tingle slither down her spine, her legs pushing her body back against the wall. "Could you perhaps-" She was silenced by the flick of a match; a flame, the only bright in such a dark space. It was brought close to his face, illuminating his snow white face.
As if he was swallowing the light, it was brought close to his mouth, then after a few seconds, was quickly shaken out. "Hmm?" he asked, blowing a misty cloud from his nose. Tara lost her confidence. "I-If you could perhaps, open the windows... I can't see my paper.." she requested staring at the floor. The shadow slowly rose. "My apologies..." He said, the slits of the window opening slowly, revealing the radiance of the sun setting behind a teahouse. "A lovely view, isn't it?" he asked, stifling his cigarette on the wooden floor. Tara turned to him, now able to see his face.