Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction, I do not claim any rights to any of the characters or concepts created or owned by Viz Video or Rumiko Takahashi. This is just the work of one fan to the others. The only characters or concepts that I claim are the ones I created or introduced. That said, I bring you:
For Love and Money, Chapter 33
Completely not a dinner date.
Amaya looked back and forth between her hosts and fretted a bit more from where she sat at the table. She had agreed to join them for dinner, but from the moment she had arrived she had felt more than a little off. When she had arrived, she had been greeted with warmth and happy smiles from both of the Tofu's, and had not known what to do when Kasumi had closed the distance between them and hugged her without a moment's reservation. The slightly amused look on Doctor Tofu's face had not helped her with regaining her balance, either.
From there, they had engaged in some light talk, mostly about the girls and their progress before Kasumi had excused herself to prepare the dinner herself. When Amaya had started to stand, the gentle look that Kasumi had given her had stopped her where she sat.
"You are our guest, Amaya. Please, sit and relax and keep Tofu company while I finish supper, okay?" Kasumi had said, and a very perplexed Amaya had found herself complying without thought or hesitation, even if it was something that she had not gotten accustomed to, unless it was one of the younger geisha of the Teahouse that had come to attend to her, but most certainly never someone of Kasumi Tofu's standing.
Amaya found her thoughts being pulled away as Doctor Tofu gently questioned her more about her young wards, and how they were acclimatizing to their new existences. He smiled with a pleased expression on his face as Amaya had laid out how the trial today had gone, and how well she had thought the two young ladies had done.
When she passed along her speculations about the eventual fate of Yaayaa's soul, Tofu thought about it for a time with a serious look on his face before he sighed and shook his head.
"Only time will tell on that, Amaya. A lot can happen over the course of a lifetime, after all. You meet people, and lose them. You change your mind, or you learn to embrace who you are. I would think that you, of all people, would understand that better than most." Doctor Tofu said with a gentle smile.
Amaya blushed,and wished once again for the face paint that she would often wear. She felt oddly naked in front of the Tofu's, almost like they were able to see into her heart, her soul, and see who she was and what she hid from the world.
Honestly, it was slightly unnerving, just how exposed she felt. The last time she had felt like this was when she had been interviewed by Mother Konatsu, before she had been allowed to enter the Teahouse. Before she had put aside her old identity and become who she had always been, in her heart of hearts.
She imagined that Yaayaa and Hina had also started to feel that sense of belonging, of a strange rightness to their form at last. At least, that is how Amaya had perceived the amount of success that each of them had achieved in such a short time.
Amaya was once more pulled from her thoughts as Kasumi walked gracefully back into the dining room, and placed their meal on the table before them. Amaya served the tea before Kasumi could, and caught the slightly amused look on Kasumi's face as her hosts both settled in and soon Amaya had found herself once again pulled easily into their conversation.
It was an odd sense of comfort and belonging that Amaya felt as she settled into the easy conversation with the Tofu's, and slowly, surely, they started to pull little details about the enigmatic Lilly from her. Details that she had rarely shared with others, only a very few of the other Lilies of the Teahouse. But it felt natural to confide in these two. The gentle, encouraging looks that she got from Kasumi and the relaxed manner of Doctor Tofu made it easy to let down the walls that she had always surrounded herself with, even those that shared the same fate as her. It was an odd experience, but one that she realized that she could get used to.
That almost scared her, if she wanted to be honest with herself. The doctor she could somewhat understand, since he tended to all the Lilies of the Teahouse, and the other Geisha, as well. But there was an odd familiarity to the oldest of the Tendo sisters, one that made it so very easy to open up to her, to confide in her.
As dinner came to an end, and the conversation slowly died down Amaya thought that she would probably be asked to leave soon. She had even started to rise as Doctor Tofu stood up before a gentle hand on her arm stopped her. Amaya turned to look into the eyes of Kasumi and swallowed before she slowly sat back down. The warm, gentle smile on Kasumi's face made her heart skip a beat for a moment, as she glanced quickly in Doctor Tofu's direction, and caught the slightly amused look on his face.
That was the moment that she knew they both were up to something.
While Amaya bowed respectfully to Doctor Tofu as he left the room, Kasumi refilled both of their cups and settled back to watch Amaya. The two women exchanged a look for a period of time before Amaya looked down and took a soothing sip of her tea. She had not felt this out of sorts since the first time her parents had pushed her into going on a date with one of the girls from school. Amaya took in a sudden breath of air before she forced herself to calm again.
"What is it that you want from this One, Lady Tofu?" Amaya asked in a quiet voice.
Kasumi smiled as she poured tea. "I just want to get to know you better, Amaya. And please, call me Kasumi."
Amaya shifted a little and nodded. "Very well… Kasumi. This One would like to know what her host wishes of her."
Kasumi smiled softly as she placed a shogi board on the table between them and carefully arranged everything. "I really do just want to get to know you better, and let you get to know me." Kasumi bit her lip and her perfect facade wavered for a moment before the perfect, serene Japanese woman sat before Amaya again. "I get lonely, sometimes. It would be nice to have a female friend I can just…. Be myself with. That I don't always have to be….. perfect around."
"I am sure that one such as you would have little problem finding companionship, if that is your wish." Amaya said politely.
Kasumi laughed softly and looked at Amaya. "If by companionship, you mean a discreet lover on the side, that is not what I am looking for."
Amaya shifted a little and looked at Kasumi. "Then what is it that you are looking for, Kasumi? Truly, why would you want the companionship of this One? And what would your husband think?"
"Just what I said, Amaya. A female friend that I can be myself with. Someone I can just… Relax for a little bit around. That I can talk about all the things that I have to keep bottled up until I confide in Tofu with them. The stuff I can't tell my sisters or the rest of the rather extended family." Kasumi said as she made her first move.
"This One is still curious about her other question, if you would be willing to grace this One with the answer?" Amaya said as she made her move.
"To answer your questions, Amaya, I want to get to know you better because you are loyal, caring, and honestly one of the better people I have ever met. I see how you care for the people in your care, and it makes me feel that I can trust you around my own family like you were their blood." Kasumi said as she made her next move. "And to answer your other question, Tofu approves of you, you know."
"I see…. So, that is what you two were plotting about, then?" Amaya said as she made her next play. "If that is what you wanted, you could have just hired any number of companions from the Teahouse, or even asked Mother Konatsu to give that task to this One."
Kasumi paused for a moment, but made her play quickly as she started to talk. "I share many traits with my sisters. We are all driven by strong senses of personal honor and duty, even Nabiki. We all express our passions in ways that are distinctly our own, but are still somewhat… Intense. And similar, in some ways. Akane, it was obvious from an early age where her interests lay when it came to romantic interests. With Nabiki it was always a lot more complicated, but that is the nature of my sister. When she started to date, but before she settled into the job that got her involved with Ranma, she would move from partner to partner without ever really making any attachments. I don't know if she ever dated any women, but it would not surprise me. I.. I have only dated three people in my entire life. One was a classmate who confessed to me in middle school. We lasted only a few short months. The second was my best friend in highschool, and the first time I was ever intimate with anyone, especially another woman. After about a year, she broke up with me and said that she had 'worked it out of her system.' I… I never forgot my experiences with her. Then, I agreed to become Tofu's wife. It took me years to admit my… interests… to Tofu, but… He was far more accepting than I thought he would be, or deserved."
Amaya listened to what Kasumi had to say, and waited quietly for the other woman to gather her thoughts as she made her move and refilled both of their cups of tea.
Kasumi laughed softly as she smiled gratefully at Amaya. "And right there is part of the reason that you caught my attention, Amaya. You seem to know when someone just needs to talk things out for a bit." Kasumi made her move and smiled warmly at Amaya. "And I would never ask Mother Konatsu for something like that. If I had wanted just a lover, I am sure that Michi would have been more than willing."
Amaya quickly figured out that the unspoken question that flickered through her mind must have been clearly expressed on her face as Kasumi blushed and shook her head. The taller woman hesitated for a moment before she laid her hand on top of Amaya's and smiled reassuringly at the geisha.
"I have not succumbed to the wiles of Michi, I assure you. Honestly… She doesn't interest me in that way." Kasumi said with a blushing smile.
Amaya let out a breath that she had not realized she had been holding as she looked at Kasumi and cocked her head slightly to the side. "But you find this One interesting in that way? Is it because this One is exotic in the eyes of the Japanese?"
Kasumi laughed and blushed as she made her move. "I would be lying if I said I did not find you attractive, obviously, or we would not be having this conversation. And I get the feeling you are not totally against the idea, or you would have ended this conversation as we both know you are more than capable of doing without offending me." Kasumi took a drink of her tea and smiled as Amaya politely refilled it. "And yes, you are an exotic beauty but that is not why I am attracted to you." Kasumi smiled and a very Nabiki expression flashed across her usually serene and placid countenance. "Even if it certainly is a benefit."
Amaya stopped for a moment as she blushed and fiddled with her hands uncertainty. "This One…. Is not sure what to say, Kasumi…". Amaya felt out of sorts, uncertain of what to say or do. She hesitated for a moment, then started to reach for her kimono, but was stopped with a gentle touch from Kasumi.
"I just want us to get to know each other better, Amaya. If we decide to… take things further… later, then we will tackle it if it happens." Kasumi said as she blushed.
Amaya relaxed and smiled. Somehow, seeing Kasumi just as nervous as she felt relaxed her and eased her nerves, even if just a bit.
At least, until she felt like asking a question that had been on her mind since she had figured out what Kasumi's intentions were.
"If you and this One were…. To be intimate…. What about Doctor Tofu?" Amaya asked, and almost instantly regretted it as Kasumi blushed, smiled, and answered.
"That would depend on you and Tofu, wouldn't it? I am hardly in any sort of place to object… Plus, it might be kind of nice to see someone else left in the state that Tofu leaves me in regularly…" Kasumi said with a bright blush.
Amaya just stared at the usually quiet and reserved woman, who she had always thought of as the ideal, conservative Japanese woman and after a moment she started to laugh. After a moment, Kasumi joined her in her laughter, and the two women shared a smile before Kasumi cleared her throat and looked down at the board.
"I… Think the next move is yours, Amaya." Kasumi said.
"Yes, it is, Kasumi." Amaya said as she continued the game, and looked at the eldest of the three Tendo sisters in a new light. Perhaps part of her problems in the past had been that she simply had never found the right partner.
Or, partners, if what Kasumi said was to be believed.
Amaya cleared her head with a little shake and refilled the two cups of tea as the two women slowly settled back into a comfortable conversation.
It was late when Amaya made her way quietly into the room she shared with Xaph Ti Pyn back at the Teahouse, and smiled gently down at the young girl who had once again moved her futon close to Amaya's own. Amaya changed as quietly as she could, but she still heard the young Amazon as she shifted and slowly sat up.
"This One is sorry if she woke you up, little one." Amaya said as she finished her nighttime routine and turned to regard the young girl.
"It is okay, Elder. I figured you would be home late, so I went to sleep early." Xaph Ti Pyn said as she smiled shyly up at the older Geisha.
Amaya smiled warmly down at the young girl before she laid down and turned on her side to regard her young ward. "This One is sorry that she has been away so much. She will be home tomorrow, so if it would interest you it is possible that we might spend the day together."
Xaph Ti Pyn smiled in wide-eyed joy before she impulsively hugged Amaya before she quickly moved back and blushed in embarrassment at her sudden action. "I am so very sorry, Elder…." She started to say before she found herself pulled gently into the strong embrace of the small geisha.
"It is okay, little one. You should never fear to express yourself around me, but in the future make sure that you ask first, okay?" Amaya said with a happy little smile.
Xaph Ti Pyn perked up immediately and nodded before she snuggled back into the warm embrace of the older woman. "Yes, Elder. Thank you." She said softly as she drifted back to sleep.