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Kyoku bit her scarlet lip gently "Two stories....hmm ok then! Here we go, first story:

Once, many years ago when i was a maiko, i had been waiting to buy a really lovely kanazashi. It was a black laquer comb with silk cherry and peach blossoms on it. It was rather expensive, so i waited awhile to think, looking at it in the window of the shop every now and then. Finally one spring morning i decided to go a buy it. To my horror as i reached the door of the shop another maiko from another district walked out wear it! I was heart broken, for i really had developed an attatchment to that comb. Of course to make matters worse, the maiko that had bought it was a rival of mine. I must admit that i despised her at that moment.

Depressed, i went and sat on a bench in a near by park. As i watched some squirrels play i was amazed when one ran up to the hem of my kimono and looked at me quizzically. I went on to tell the small creature of my dissapointment that morning when it suddenly ran off! Thinking nothing of it i rose to head back to my okiya. I had only been standing for a moment when i heard shrieks in the distance! Then to my shock the little squirrell ran back to my feet, holding the hair comb in its tiny paws!

My next story is this:

One day, when i was a child novice in my old okiya, i walked into my mothers rival's room to find a maid scrubbing the floors under the tatami mats. The room smelled absoulutly horrid. When i asked what she was doing the young girl beamed up at me saying that she was cleaning the floors. She sat up on her heels to reveal what she was cleaning with. It was so disgusting i nearly lost my lunch in the entry.

She had a bucket filled with fish scraps, probably rotten eggs, and other disgusting items. I asked what in the world was wrong with her! Her smile faded a bit, but then she told me that Kirugo, the rival geisha of the house at the time had given her the mixture, saying that it shined the wood much better then anything else. The poor maid told me that she had been told to start in Kyoya's, my mothers room, but had started in here on accident.

I nearly laughed out loud when i realized what was going on! The stench had already permeated everything in the room, so i hurried the maid and her retched cleaning supplies out of the room and told no one. I must say it was rather entertaining to watch Kirugo wander her room wondering why that smell wouldnt leave, especially because i had the maid simply put the tatami mats back down, instead of cleaning it up!

Ok then! "Kyoku paused to sip her sake. "Which is true and which is false?"

Serena listened to the stories. Kyoku was a very good story teller and Serena enjoyed listening to her stories.

Iyasu shook her head, "I'll have to disagree with you on this one. I think it is the first one!"

She sipped her tea lightly and smiled to Yokome. It was nice not to be only maiko at the table anymore. Her hazel orbs slyly glanced around the room to see how the geisha and patron were doing.

Solice nodded and waved a hand. "Hello Serena. How are things?"

"Hai, Serena-onee-sama." She listens to the story quietly.

"Yes. I see." She thinks carefully for a moment. "I cannot say which is true because I donot knew your other sister geisha but I would have to say the fist would have to be true. She does not seem the type to be that cruel."

Tora steps inside the tea house. Her eyes widen at the beauty! Her eyes trace the room and fall upon the many happy patrons and Geisha who were humbly entertaining them. "One day I will be like that," she thought. Her eyes found what she was looking for, her Onee-sama Serena. She walks quietly over, her kimono silk flowing behind her. The water design on her kimono seemed to flow. She reached the table, smiled and bowed, then placed herself beside Serena. She did it! No mistakes!! She was finaly on her way to beeing a Geisha.