Fandom: Identity V
She took a deep breath and prepared to fight for her honor once more. The game… she thought to herself, why do I keep playing...? Is this all for him? I'm not sure anymore. The siren sounded indicating the start of the game. 4 survivors and her: the hunter, The Geisha.
Long ago, Michiko was known to be the best dancer in Yoshiwara, known to dance like a red butterfly gently flapping its wings. She was dancing in the city when, one night, she noticed a new face watching her in the crowd, a foreigner. She later found out his name was Miles and she quickly fell for him. She often tried finding out where he was so she could dance for him, often leaving her hanamachi to find him. Over time, she began changing herself to fit his more foreign style and created a title for herself: Lady Thirteen. Miles and Michiko quickly fell in love, and on the track to being married. She was excited to learn a new way of life with him as she was excited to marry him. They were enamored with each other and were married not long after they met.
Unfortunately, Michiko was not aware of life in foreign culture for it was nothing like her life as a Geisha back home. She became confused, her responsibilities were different, and she always had to be up to the standards of Miles' parents because their family was very well known.
"Look! Lady Thirteen!" She would hear in the streets as she walked to her dance classes.
"It's the lady! Did you hear she was a 'Geisha'?" She felt proud of her heritage, but she felt inadequate for this type of society, scared of their judgement.
In Japan, it was very prideful to be a geisha because the Japanese culture understood the dedication it took to become a geisha. She was revered for her skills as a dancer, and was very popular amongst the crowd, commissioned to dance or attend gatherings at tea houses and ryoutei (料亭), a very expensive and prestigious restaurant, or to dance for parties. She was a legend in Yoshiwara, but here, she was just the wife of another rich man.
Miles' father, Mr. Donelly, disapproved of her and was very open about his opposition to their marriage. He felt very cynical of her and did not want her associated with their name. He wished her gone from his family but felt guilty he would have to hurt his son. He had decided what he would do; he would have to kill Michiko to restore the name of their family.
So, Mr. Donelly began to plan and scheme as to how he would eliminate Michiko. He realized that Miles would soon leave for a business trip, so he understood that this was his chance to get rid of her and smear her name in Miles' eyes. So, Miles left, and Michiko walked straight into the most difficult 3 days of her life.
Michiko
That night, I realized that my life was in grave danger and Mr. Donelly was planning to take my life. I remember feeling scared and confused, and I missed my husband. I wished he would come back and protect me from this wretched man and would save me. I got out of my bed and looked over to where Miles usually slept; a feeling of longing washed over me. I understood that now was my only time to prepare to defend myself against Mr. Donelly's schemes to kill me, and so I did. I prepared letters to my family in Yoshiwara, informing them of my situation and that I would respond as soon as possible, if I still could. I began to place my affairs in order and prepare an escape in case Mr. Donelly found me here, which was likely. Miles and I lived in a large townhouse with 5 bedrooms and 3 floors. But what Miles and Mr. Donelly didn't know was that this house was very old and built during the wars this country had fought in the past. During my time in this house alone, when Miles was working, I explored. I had studied this western architecture back in Japan to learn more about my future husband and future life and I had realized that much of this house contained secret passages and nooks to hide artifacts, relics, and important objects. I walked from my bedroom on the second floor towards the main stairway leading to the third floor. The ornate hallway with golden, flickering lights lit up my path as I walked, and the soft rug lying atop the cold tile hallway beckoned me further into the hallway. The doors afront groaned open, their old wood and hinges protesting the motion, and I walked into the atrium.
I was greeted by the grand staircases leading up towards the third floor, and the main staircase leading down to the first floor. Focused on my task, I traced along the side of the upper staircase, walking towards the back edge where it blended with the wall. This back wall had an old, ornate bookshelf painted with tattered images of flowers, vines, and leaves, representing a fresh eternity in this bookcase. I looked through the bookcase, interested in only one book which was no ordinary book. I skimmed over the titles and bound spines of the old books and located a nonchalant faux red leather-covered book, titled Shadow Dancers, likely to emulate its legitimate counterpart. I ran my hand over its broken spine and went to pull the book out of the bookshelf, triggering the mechanism to open the passage beneath the stairs. The book shifted back into place, and I briskly walked into the passageway and towards the room containing many of the house's defenses. From what I had explored around the house, many of these passageways lead around every corner of the house and they conveniently had thin walls, allowing for conversation on the opposite side of the wall to be heard from within the passage. As I walked through the passages, looking for a safe place to regroup and prepare, I heard the shuffling of footsteps and muffled voices walking through my house.
Curses. I thought, how are they already here? I quickened my pace through the passages, searching for a room that I had stumbled upon days before; it had an exit into the garden from which I could then leave and find a safe place to stay outside of this manor. My heart rate quickened, and adrenaline began to set in. I was scared. My pace was practically at a run, but still silent to avoid detection from the men patrolling the other side of the wall. I started to recognize these passages as the ones I had taken 3 days ago and I realized I was breathing heavily and sweating from the looming danger. I turned left into the final corridor before the room and stilled: something was wrong. I leveled my breathing and slowed, listening for the slightest noise to upset the balance of the silence of the passages, and looked for the smallest of movements, just to make sure I was alone. And so, I proceeded.
I pushed open the door, and slowly made my way into the dimly lit room smelling sweetly of flowers and dew, a hint of the garden beyond the exit. I took a step forward, and then another step. BAM! I jumped as the door slammed behind me and I felt the adrenaline levels in my body skyrocket. As my eyes adjusted to the light, chills snaked down my body, and I couldn't breathe. I wasn't alone.
"It was nice to have met you, Michiko," drawled Mr. Donelly, "this is nothing against you, my dear, you're a lovely woman, but you're not meant for this family."
My breathing hitched. It couldn't end here. I have so much to do with my life. My heart rate pulsed through every vein and artery in my body, pounding within my ears. I watched a swallowtail fly through the small broken window into the room.
"I never wanted to do this, but my asinine son is unable to understand that you are a danger to the success of this family, and you will interfere with our plans of rising to power." He breathed and his hand began to shake, guilt settling in for what he was about to inflict on me, and consequently, his son. He raised the gun and pointed it at me. "I'm sorry, Michiko, I did like you."
My vision went dark, I felt blood pouring down my kimono and I fell back. Time seemed to stop, and the world seemed to mourn me. My heart pumped relentlessly, screaming to keep me alive, but it was unable to keep up with the blood I was losing. I began to close my eyes, yet I stopped when I saw the swallowtail fly across the room once more and land beside me. Maybe it seemed to mourn me too. And then, the world fell away, my lights and loves, my hopes and hurts. I took my final breath and my soul withered and faded as I succumbed to the darkness surrounding my heart.