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 Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2006 8:46 am
I have a going away party tonight. The geisha from my okiya and a few others are sending me away with a party, held by one of Ichitomi's favourite patrons. Ichitomi is very nice to me, and she only calls me an idiot so that I will do better.
All my stuff is packed away, neatly in trunks. Okasan oversaw everything, and my Mother even kindly donated a few awase kimono. She said they were old and it wouldnt matter therefore if I ripped them. She is too kind to me. She also only calls me names so that I will do better. I believe she is happy that I have found a Danna even before I turned the collar, but she told me that he had seen my 'untapped potential' (oddly she was trying not to laugh when she said that but I'm sure it was at something else).
Oh, I should go now. Okasan just shouted up to say that if I wasnt ready in a half hour she would tie meat to my obi so that the districts dogs would chase me (again). That was fun last time, I had to leave my okobo in the street whilst I shimmied up a tree. It made me late as well. But, it was all for me to learn...
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:18 am
Arrival Roleplay ~ Sayuri, Gaius and Dr.Sabin Duvert Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri folded and re-folded her kimono sleeves during the helicopter journey; through nerves and to stop herself from chewing on her nails. She could hear her heart in her ears, the noise of the blades and the engine adding to her general panic. Oh and the fact that the pilot was a man, and not Japanese, and so was the other passenger! Okasan had mentioned nothing about her flying with men as she went to start her new life with her Danna. But she would be brave, she would keep smiling..and she would try not to fall on her face when she left the helicopter when they arrived. She ventured a swift sidelong gaze at the other passenger before looking steadily ahead again, waiting for when they landed. Gaius Harper In the seat beside her, Gaius was equally fidgety, both with growing excitement, and with a sense of self-consciousness. He glanced over at the girl beside him and caught her quickly looking away. Running a hand through his hair, Gaius turned back to look out at the endless water around them. Seemed they'd been flying forever. His attention wavered, drifting back to the girl beside him. She was dressed - and painted! - very strangely, like one of those Asian dolls one would see in a toy shop. He had to wonder what was bringing her to the project... She must've been one of the actors. Hazarding a small wave to get her attention, Gaius offered sheepishly, "Um, hi! Since we're heading to the same place, I thought it would be rude not to introduce myself... My name's Gaius. Um, are you going to be working at the place...?" Sayuri Satoharu He had spoken to her! So now what was she to do? She looked at him properly for the first time, noting the colour of his hair and his oddly wide eyes. What did he mean by working? Well yes, she would probably entertain friends and working colleagues of her Danna-san, that would be work of a kind. She offered a small nod, pointing to herself. 'Satoharu Sayuri,' she looked at him once more then turned her head. 'Please not speak, sankyu.' and that was all she would say. They had to be almost there... Gaius Harper Gaius nodded politely to the name, then blinked. Seemed she wasn't in a chatting mood... He mumbled a quick apology and turned away to stare out the window again. True enough, there was something other than water out there! Giddyness rose inside him. This was the location of his new job! Sabin Duvert Some birthday. None of the staff had noticed. Well, unless you counted Davidson, one of his new, 'junior' labtechs who had been sucking up since he was assigned into Sabin's team. And Sabin didn't count him. His plan had failed.... or at least experienced some serious setbacks. Billy had not been nearly persuasive enough to lure Aubrey to his side. He had been so certain that it would have worked. But drughead Billy had managed to, instead of pulling her in closer, in pushing her further away - showing Aubrey just how much of a skeeze he was, and how little options she really had with him and a future. Moreau's meddling hadn't helped. Sabin had wanted to speak Personally with Moreau - whisper suspicion into his ears during Aubrey's.... "punishment". And build his suspicions. But like any time when Moreau was entrenched in anger... he locked himself away from everyone. And then, of course, Aubrey had to go and get herself hurt. So she was back. HE didn't yet know to what effect, but it was likely going to be a full reinstatement knowing Moreau. He'd seen neither hide nor hair from either of them since Aubrey had returned. So, of course, there had not been any mention of his birthday from him. Just.... likely shoved back to number three. And here he was, doing the welcome routine. Forgotten. Sabin had glanced over the paperwork. At least they might prove to be interesting... if nothing else. As the helicopter crested over the island and sunk down to the landing Pad, Sabin adjusted the tophat perched on his head, holding it steady in the face of the whipping winds of the landing chopper. Straightening his tie, and brushing the stirred dirt off of his dark, antiquated suit, Sabin strode forward to greet the newcomers - an amusement-part architect, and supposedly an honest-to-God modern Geisha. Sabin tipped the brim of his hat with a smile to the passengers, and extended his hand to the woman. "Welcome to the Island." Sayuri Satoharu What an odd, odd looking man! Sayuri inwardly exclaimed. Once more he was strange to her eyes, but he had air of sophistication and so her training rose to greet that, if nothing else. She wasnt so sure about holding his hand, but a quick glance told her that her Danna-san was nowhere to be seen and it was rather that then fall out of the helicopter. She took his hand and allowed him to help her from it, only stumbling a little as she stood on the firm ground in her towering okobo. 'Ohayo,' she said softly, her gaze dropping to the floor, as she shuffled to one side. Gaius Harper Gaius set down his hefty luggage behind Sayuri to offer the strangely dressed man a smile and handshake in turn. He definitely had to be one of the park staff, judging from the ridiculous tophat and the whitened hair. "It's a pleasure and honor to be here!" Sabin Duvert "Welcome, both of you! My name is Dr. Sabin Duvert, and I wanted to be able to greet the two of you personally. And I apologize for the rather... rough means of transportation. But that is not yet high on our prority list until the island is much closer to being prepared for a public opening. Besides, it helps things remain quiet." He flashed Gaius a knowing smile as he gripped his hand in a firm return handshake. Then, bowing formally to Sayuri, he releived her of whatever luggage she might be carrying. "And... allow me. I must say, I have been anticipating your arrival." He met her eyes, holding them for a moment analytically, before giving an almost imperceptable smile and moving her things to the jeep. "There is a matter of formalities first. As we are on a tropical island, there are some unpleasant diseases that we will have to get the two of you immunized against before getting down to business." He extended an inviting hand to the vehicle. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri paled at this doctor's words, not that it was noticeable under her face makeup. Was he, could he be the Danna-san that her okasan had said was so rich, important and handsome? She panicked, an uncertain smile on her face. 'Sankyu,' she finally managed to say, as she followed him. She wavered a little, but still managed to keep her balance. 'Diseases?' she asked, slipping back into her native tongue. Gaius Harper Gaius brought up the rear, carrying his own things to the Jeep the 'Doctor' has indicated and piling them in. His mind raced over the possibilities of what the island could be themed if this man was referring to himself as a Doctor... Could it be a lost tropical paradise of sorts? Like Robinson Crusoe, perhaps. That would require some treehouses and rope bridges... The mention of an immunization pulled Gaius out of his brainstorming to look at Doctor Sabin with surprise. "What? Diseases?" Sabin Duvert Sabin gave a dismissing wave of his hand to the concerned note echoed in both their voices - one understandable, and other he assumed. "Dengue fever to be precise. It's not lethal... usually. But you might wish it were with the hemmhorag..." He trailed off. "I'm sure you don't want me to go into the details. But lucky for us, there's a vaccination. I can drive you down to the labs for that before I get the two of you settled into your residencies." After seeing them and their things into the jeep, Sabin took his own seat behind the wheel, starting the engine, and setting off down a dirt road through thick jungles. The road was barely wide enough for the jeep to slip between low branches. The leaves brushed the side of the open-topped jeep frequently, though the white-haired man seemed unphased. "Satoharu-san, as... I believe you have been told... your education will be completed here before you will be expected to... fullfill your duties. But I have heard many a splended word from your Okiya." He let a smile spread across his face and glanced quickly back to her before directing his attention to Gaius. "And Mr. Harper, I'm quite enthusiastic about your imaginative designwork! We've got quite the project underway, and I trust your skills to really give it the grandoise presentation that it deserves. Did... the hiring agent tell you much? I tried to emphasize the importence of secrecy of our project." Sayuri Satoharu Her panic was lessened as she realised that she still continue her training before he expected anything of her. Not that really had any idea, she'd heard some of the Geisha talk about men and their 'snakes'. She wasnt sure what that had to do with anything. It was all very puzzling. Even more so were the words he spoke. Vacu-nashun? She decided to not let it worry her, he seemed cheerful enough and that meant things were going to be fine did it not? Sayuri was looking forward to seeing where she was staying, she wanted these shoes off as soon as possible. 'Okasan is ve-ry kind to talk of me,' she said carefully, one could almost hear the words falling into place. Gaius Harper The jungle scenery was a wonder to the man who'd lived most of his life in the urban sprawl. It was even better than anything he could pick up on the Discovery Channel! He nodded to Sabin's explanation of the fever, probably something local. Best not to go into the details for the lady's sake. He listened with interest as Sabin talked with the foreign girl. The park had to be quite well funded to be able to provide homeschooling for the younger actors! At the mention of his own work, Gaius's smile broadened into a positively boyish grin. "You really like it? I'm hoping to be able to get to work on some rough blueprints once I get a look at what you have already." He chuckled, eyes darting up at the bit of blue sky between the fronds. "Your agency definitely kept a tight lip on everything; I'm not even sure what the theme of the park is!" Sabin Duvert Sabin smiled confidently as he drove them through the jungle. Strange birdcalls and screeches of monkeys and other jungle denizens called out as the loud jeep rumbled through their territory. "I am sure that her words were only the truth." Sabin responded formally to Sayuri. "Ohh, I'm sure you'll be excited about the project, Gaius! And I can't wait to see your touches. It's... well I suppose now that you're here, I can give you a little taste... Picture this. You're a tourist. You arrive via a boat on a small dock, your guide leading you through paths through the jungle. Strange noises, animal sounds... sounds that don't sound quite native. You see a flitting through the woods as a strange creature darts briefly through your vision... It doesn't look quite like anything that you've ever seen before... anything in nature at all. See, we're wanting to restore man's imagination... make them believe in monsters again. And what better place to do that than somewhere remote like this. The jungle itself seems to breathe mystery and a hidden danger." Sabin's eyes lit up as he spoke, and only one hand remained on the wheel as the other gesticulated excitedly. He certainly seemed enthusiastic about the concept. "Of course.. it will all be perfectly safe.... but if we do this right, and have a suspension of disbelief... we can give them a taste of the danger that people only watch other people experiencing in adventure and exploration movies." Sabin's dialogue brought them to the end of the road, and a massive gate with the Feral Labs logo emblazoned across it. It swung open, bringing the jeep to a parking lot that Sabin parked the jeep into with an expert familiarity. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri wasnt sure about that, but she wasnt going to bring up her mishaps to the person that was possibly her Danna. She merely nodded her head, the hair ornaments jangling a little as she listened to him talking to the other man in the vehicle. At the end of his words he pulled the jeep up and parked. She looked around, curious as to the design of the buildings. This was an odd place to continue her lessons, she wondered how many more Geisha were here. She waited to be let out of the jeep. Gaius Harper "Ah! I think I see what you're getting at. Something less 'safe', like a thriller," Gaius nodded, trying to contain his excitement and keep a professional air, though he couldn't keep it from his smile and eyes. This was going to be awesome! The metaphorical chance of a lifetime! They pulled up to what looked to be the staff building where the behind the scenes work was done. Gaius let out an impressed whistle as he stepped out of the jeep, surveying the buildings built into the hills. "You guys definitely spared no expense!" Noticing Sayuri still sitting in the car, the architect hurried to her door, opening it for her with a polite smile. Always best to treat a lady with proper manners, and he hoped it would make up for his intrusion on the helicopter. Sabin Duvert Sabin waited for them to leave, smiling and giving an approving nod to Gaius's chivalry. Sabin watched the way that Sayuri held herself, the practiced poise and grace. It was certainly interesting, getting more Japanese individuals since the Japan branch of Feral labs began sending personnel dossiers to Moreau. They were so interesting... seeing the different reactions to the island... and Natsumi's reaction to her 'translation' project had been so exquisite. "You've got it, Gaius. Very much like a thriller... meets action-adventure and horror. It should be wonderful. And yes, I'm certainly prepared to see my vision through... whatever it takes." Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri shrank back a little when the door was opened, but this man seemed polite enough and her obi knot was pressing really hard into her back now. She moved one leg along under her kimono, slipping out of the open doorway. And then she got into a fine tangle, having stepped on a kimono sleeve that was draped now on the floor. She tried tugging her sleeve from under her foot, overcompensating and pinwheeling a moment, hanging in mid air, a falling doll. As she landed in a heap next to the Jeep, she clipped her head on the way down, a knock hard enough to send her into sleepy-land and she lay quite still. Gaius Harper He saw it all in slow motion. The leg. The slip. The impact. He'd reached out, but was far too slow. Instead, Gaius was left there staring dumbly at the poor unconscious girl. Sabin Duvert Sabin's eyes bugged as he saw the trip and then the fall immediately after, wincing as her head impacted with the jeep. With a fluorish he moved to a kneel by her side, feeling the already forming bump on her head, his hands moving down to her neck to check for a pulse and breathing. Nodding to himself with a note of relief, he withdrew a walkie talkie from his belt. "She just .... hit her head... she'll be fine - we're at a medical facility. The poor thing... she must have had jet lag." Sabin winced, as he pressed a few numbers, talking vaguely to Gaius. A moment later there was a squark of static-filled voice on the handheld device. Raising it to speak. "Yes... we, uhm... had a small accident in the parking lot. Can you bring a chair... and get her into the clinic room for some attending and her innoculation?" A pause as he held it closer to her ear and more affirmative squarking. "Yes.... yes I'll drive her to her duplex afterwards.... yes... bottle... uhm.... bottle 32984." He said after a pause, and trying to remember a serum number. It was one from his lab, and it... should be suiting." Sabin stood up, dusting off his hands on his pants as not a few moments later a pair of men in hospital scrubs, one pushing a wheelchair exited the building and assisted Sabin in getting Sayuri into the chair. Turning back to Gaius with an apologetic smile, he patted him on the back. "I'm... sorry about that.... at least if she had to pick a place to hit her head, a hospital facility is a good one. Now... shall we get you your injection?"
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 3:38 am
Sayuri wakes up in a very nondescript, Western-style room. She is lying, still in her kimono, on top of the covers of a bed. All of her luggage has been moved into the room and is sitting on the dresser, desk, and in the large stuffed chair. Her arm itches, and if she reaches to feel, the area feels swollen and hot - much like from an injection. The back of her neck is also strangely sore, but, perhaps it was injured in the fall? There is a bandage on her head, over the bump where she collided with the jeep - which has been tended to. Sitting on the bedside table is a handwritten note in English, a key with the number "61" on the plastic keychain, a bottle of over-the-counter pain medication, and a glass of water on a coaster. Quote: Satoharu-san, I offer my sincere condolences at not rushing more quickly to your side with your spill this afternoon. Fortunately, being a medical facility, we saw to your injuries and took the liberty of administering the vaccination. I look forward to meeting with you and seeing for myself some of your skills - with the samisen, with dance, poetry, conversation. Relax for today, you have had a long flight, and the medicine often can leave one feverish. We will certainly be in contact. As far as your instructor, Tanaka Natsumi-san in duplex 46 will be here to guide you. If you need to reach me, press '0' on the intercom. ~ Dr. Sabin Duvert
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:49 am
'Itae..' Sayuri moaned as she sat up. What had happened? She was on..a bed. A normal bed! Her hands flew to her hair, running over the laquered coiffure, teeth tipped in red as she chewed on her bottom lip in vexation. Luckily, when she had visited the hairdressers to have her hair washed and then put back up into the wareshinobu style, Haru-san had put in extra lacquer as he knew Sayuri well. Of her and her inability to keep the hairstyle for more then a few days. Some gentle taps and it regained its shape. She let out a relieved sigh. Now she could concentrate on what had actually happened. She remembered the Jeep trip and arriving at that strange building - and then..Oh god she had fallen hadnt she? She recalled her kimono sleeve getting stuck under her okobo. What a fine first impression she had made on that man. Was he really her Danna-san?
Well she couldnt really dwell on that any longer. It made her head spin even more. Speaking of; her fingers went to her head, brushing the gauze that covered where she had bumped her head. Luckily it was on the hairline, not disturbing the look of her hair. Her mouth felt a little dry and her arm exceptionally sore. She tugged up her kimono sleeve, drawing the silken material up and up until the area where she had been injected was exposed. The skin was warm to the touch, red and visibly swollen. She wanted to scratch it, it itched, but she was worried she would make a scar if she did so. Her fine skin was about the only thing that had made her stand out from the other apprentice Geisha, she wasnt about to ruin it. She rolled the sleeve down again, smoothing it out before turning on the bed to look at the bedside table. She picked up the note, forehead wrinkling as she struggled to read through it. She managed to get the jist of it, her spoken English being much better then her comprehension of written english.
The note read, she put it back down, picking up the painkillers and turning the bottle over. She read the instructions, wrestled with the child-proof cap before finally popping it open in a shower of pills.
'Damnit,' she mumbled, getting off the bed and chasing the little white escapees all around the floor. By the time she had rounded them all up, her head had started to pound and she took two, removing grey carpet fluff from them before swallowing and chasing them down with a sip from the water glass. The cap was replaced and she put that down on top of the note, picking up the key and numbered fob.
'Sixty one..' she sounded out the numbers, tracing them with a finger before putting it down and standing properly. The room swam a little, but she stayed upright, moving around the bedroom area, noting that all her luggage seemed to have arrived. She left the bedroom, her kimono skirts making a gentle brushing noise as she moved over the carpet. She didnt much care for carpet, preferring the texture and smell of tatami matting. She peered into the bathroom, nose wrinkling a little at the sight of the small bath, and the fact that the toilet was also in the same room. Well she wouldnt complain. Complaints might meant she got sent home, and the shame she would bring on her mother and her Okiya did not bear thinking of.
She noticed there were two large and tall chests of drawers which was pleased about, there looked to be plenty of storage space for everything she had bought. Well, once she had unpacked everything, it would hopefully seem more like home and less like some foreigners house (she had only ever seen a picture in a magazine of a non Japanese building). But, there was one important thing to be unpacked beyond all others and she opened up the small carry on bag she had taken on the planes and helicopter. Wrapped in white, she carried the package to a table near the only exit door, laying it on the table and unwrapping the black tablets. She set up the little shrine to honour her ancestors, bowing her head and clapping to the tablets. Her obligation done, she spent the next few hours unpacking her luggage and making the Duplex as comfortable as she can.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:59 am
The Geisha and the Frog (meeting Newton) Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri peered out of her door, looking both ways before venturing outside fully. She had remembered to bring the key, and as the door clicked shut behind her, she stuffed the fob into her obi.
'Ichi, ni, san!' she giggled to herself as she managed to walk three paces without falling on her face or behind. Well, it would be shameful if she fell over, she was only wearing geta and they were nowhere near in height to those torturous okobo. She wasnt in earshot, or sight of her onesan and so she had decided to wear something easier. Besides, she was still woozy from banging her head.
By now she had wandered a bit away from the Duplexes and she turned round to look at them, breathing in the Island air. It really was pretty here..but did they all contain Maiko like herself? That really couldnt be, why would her Danna-san need so many? Well, thoughts like that confused her only further. She would enjoy this freedom before her lessons started anew, and with this thought she slowly wandered away from the buildings, walking without much aim, the breeze catching her long sleeves as she went. Newton Filinas Newt, meanwhile, had been hopping along the path of the duplexes towards the cafeteria. He wasn't going to *into* the cafeteria, of course, rather the dumpsters he knew they kept behind, and the lunch he might find swarming around there, drawn by the smell of the other islander's left overs. He had gotten a lot better at hopping over his time in his new body, and was growing more comfortable in his amphibious state. His mind kept trailing back to Natsumi, though, and Thom- What a delemma.
That was when he spotted a flaire of kimono and had to swirve his tragectory, tripping over his ownlarge feet to stumble and tumble in the dirt nearby with a startled cry. He was getting better, but still not a natural just yet. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri first heard an oddish sort of noise, a shuffling flopping along the ground. When she saw Newt however she stopped dead, a hand fluttering over her open mouth.
'Are you alright?' Sayuri rushed to help the fallen man. Of course! He had to be in a costume. She had seen a kabuki or two, knew about theatre but hadnt quite seen anyone this elaborately costumed. But that's what it had to be right? She fell to her knees right beside him, having caught her skirts in a geta, her hands getting grazed, and one of the wooden sandals sitting on the ground behind her. Newton Filinas "Ah- oh! I'm suh-suh-sorry! I... I d-duh-duh-duh-didn't hit you did I? Y-you sup-sup-suprised me!" Newt managed, looking over her strange makeup and dress with his unnaturally large froggish eyes. Masks didn't blink, nor did costume-shoes wiggle their toes as he tried to pull himself back upright into a froggish crouch from having fallen onto his rear. "Ah-" looking her over, it was startingly easy to tell that she was still human under her makeup. Oh dear. Sayuri Satoharu Well he obviously didnt know her language and so she slowly answered him;
'It ok. I fall over shoe,' she pointed to her lonely geta on the path.
'I am sorry,' she bowed her head to him, pressing her hands into the dirt and then sat up again. When he moved though...she shuffled back on the ground, the weight of her kimono preventing her from moving away fast.
'What are you!' she squeaked through a suddenly dry mouth. Her heart raced as she beheld this..frogman! Newton Filinas He had heard that language befor- like Natsumi! Was it chinese or japanese? He never could tell. The bow was certainly strange... At her sudden alarm, though, he shifted back away from her in his own alarm, "Ah! D-duh-duh-don't- I... I'm human! Wuh-was human! Ah... d-don't b-be scared it's nuh-not ah..." Oh snap! she was new wasn't she? That just made things all the better. Internally he gave a worried groan. Sayuri Satoharu Through the mangled words broken up by his stutter she managed to hear his declaration. He was human? How could that be? Sayuri was utterly terrified of his appearance - and at the same time it was probably the strangest and most exciting thing she could recall in her life. Fleeing wasnt an option really; she wouldnt get 10 yards without falling again, and he seemed more terrified of her then she of him. Which was a new experience for her. Now that she looked at him properly, straight at him, she wondered how she could have mistaken his form for a costume.
'I sorry. You scare me, I'm really new. I not see thing like you before.' she said. Newton Filinas Thing like you- Newt's head dipped down as he swallowed deeply, "Ah... I'm... I'm... nuh-not... th-that um... s-strange... com-com-compaired to... to... m-most things on th-this island...." He managed, trying to keep his word choice simple for the foreigner. And it was true, wasn't it? "I'm ah... r-rather... er... com-com-common, in fact..." Was he going to have to explain everything toher? He supposed it was better him than one of the more... bitter islanders who might give her the impression that the place was *evil* or something. Sayuri Satoharu 'O-thers?' she asked, the worry coming back. Here she thought she had been sent here to finish her training and be close to her Danna-san. Her forehead wrinkled as she tried to digest all this.
'Can I?' a hand had emerged from her kimono sleeve and she reached out towards Newt. It was probably bad of her that she wanted to touch him to see what he felt like, but her curiosity was overwhelming her training at that moment. Newton Filinas He instinctively flinched back, his throat suddenly swelling up with air befor he gave a frightened croak. Once it was out of his system, he settled slightly, holding his ground if she still wanted to see how slimy the janitor really was.
"Ah... th-the... others on the i-island? Th-there's... um... y-yes... others... luh-like yuh-you and muh-me... duh-different... animals..." He hoped he wasn't scaring her too badly. Sayuri Satoharu Her outstretched fingers shook, betraying her nerves. Sayuri had to do this though and she brushed his arm, her fingers pushing into his squishy skin. She pulled them away again, holding them up to her face and rubbing her fingers together, the slight slickness made her shiver a little.
'I not here to be an-i-mal,' she said, wondering why he had included her in his 'others'.
'I am here to be with Danna-san,' she nodded.
'I am sorree..sorry for you, but I not like you.' Newton Filinas He swallowed. Where was Natsumi when he needed her? She could have explained much better in chinese to the woman- or korean... or japanese... whatever language it was they both seemed to speak. "Ah... n-no... ah... I... um... " He gave another nervious croak, straightening up and looking embarassed as she examined his amphibious slime. "Er... th-that is to say... th-this island... puh-people are truh-tricked here. It's puh-part of... how th-things woo-woo-woh-work here... b-but... it's... it's nuh-not a b-bad th-thing!" He was terrible at this explaining thing, wasn't he? Ease her into it. He'd be a good employee, they'd see. He'd explain and this woman would understand and be a good subject just like him. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri had pulled out a tissue from her under her obi, wiping her hands before balling it and putting it to one side.
'I do not know your meaning,' she said, finally standing and grabbing her geta before slipping it back onto her foot.
'I am here to be with Danna-san,' she repeated firmly. Anything else was just some trick being played on her. Her mama, or her onesan had to be in on this, seeing whether she would crack or falter when away from the hanamachi and okiya.
'You may be trick, but I not trick.' she tried to look crossly at him, for his false words but he just looked so funny to her now. Not scary - just like a travelling performer who performed tricks and pretended to fall over for a few yen.
'What is your name trick man?' she asked, her english coming easier the more she spoke and recalled. Newton Filinas He blinked at her, not quite understanding her broken english, "I... ah... Nuh-newton, miss..." He swallowed as a dragon fly swooped by, flitting about the japanese girl's kimono befor his tongue suddenly shot out to end it's life in a terrible snap and crack under his teeth, the wings poking out from between his lips as he chewed. Sayuri Satoharu 'What you do Newton?' she asked, before getting stunned into silence at his actions. What travelling performer had ever been able to do that? She felt a little dizzy, her head starting to ache again along with her arm.
'You eat fly??' she asked, trying not to sway on her feet. Sayuri really felt that she should lay down. Maybe sleep. She blinked a little as Newton danced before her eyes, then there were two Newtons and then one again.
'Ohhhh..' Newton Filinas "I'm the cus-cus-custodian- Iah... I cuh-cluh-clean-" He started, but saw her wobble. Blast! He had to stop eating in public, especially with new people. "Ah- I'm suh-sorry! I'm suh-sorry, I duh-didn't mean to... to... ah... I juh-just ah... it wuh-was th-there and I wuh-wasn't thinking-!! It's puh-puh-perfectly nuh-natural- I muh-mean... I am a fruh-frog!" He frantically gesticulated, trying to explain as he swallowed the rest ofhis crunchy snack. Sayuri Satoharu 'No, it was when I hit my head and when I got jabbed in the arm,' Sayuri babbled a little before remembering that he didnt understand her native language. The act of eating the flies did make her a little nauseated but it was mostly all the travelling, coupled with the 'innoculation' and bump on the head.
She shook her head, pointing at the gauze covered bump near her hairline and then her arm as she swayed on her feet.
'I lie down.' she said. Newton Filinas "Ah... d-do... do you need any help?" He raised his slimy webbed hand to try to give her support, "Th-there's a buh-buh-bench j-just down this way..." Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri would have flinched away from Newt trying to hold her but she was sure that action would send her to the floor again and she really didnt want that to happen. She held an arm out, pulling the sleeve up and wrapping it around on its self before offering him the arm.
'Show me pre..please?' Newton Filinas Unfortunatly, newt's hopping gaite was not very good for leading clumsy geisha on awkward sandles. Clinging to her sleeve, he lept forward towards the bench in question, dragging her behind. It was purely accidental, his intentions nothing but the purest. Unfortunatly, Newt wasn't known for thinking ahead. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri was dragged along behind Newt, her one loose sleeve flapping behind her and her feet tripping as quick along the ground as she could manage. It was all she could do to prevent Newt from pulling her over, but she managed it, her forehead damp with perspiration when they finally arrived at said bench.
'Sankyu,' she said, lowering herself onto the seat, loosing her arm from Newt's grip. How odd it was, she privately mused as she caught her breath. She was worried that she wouldnt be pretty enough for her Danna - meeting a frog..man was the last thing she ever imagined she would have to deal with. Newton Filinas Newt crouched by her legs, wide eyes locked on her face in concern, "Are y-you alright? Cuh-can I get you anything? Wuh-wuh-wuh-water? I pruh-pruh-promise n-not to... to... eat anything in fruh-front of you..." He certainly didn't wnat a repeat of the Maryke incident, which he still felt guilty for. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri actually giggled a little, a hand covering her mouth as she did so at the sight of Newt crouched by her. At his offer she felt a surge of pleasant surprise. Someone actually wanting to serve her - that was a new experience and one she didnt mind at all!
'Water sankyu,' she said, giving him a half smile and sort of bowing as she sat on the bench. Newton Filinas "Ah... ah... I'll... I'll buh-buh-be a moment," He stammered, still looking worried as he turned to leap off in his strange frog-like manner in the direction of the cafeteria. It wasn't long befor he returned, a couple water bottles plunched into the back pockets of his janitorial jumper. "Ah- h-here-!" He panted as he approached her once more, offering it obediantly, "I... I'm suh-sorry for... for... for anything I muh-might have... ah...!" Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri hadnt really believed that he would do this task for her; so used was she to serving patrons with drinks, or running around the okiya performing errands for her onesan. So when he once more returned and had water for her she felt a tiny lump in her throat form. She swallowed, taking one of the bottles.
'Sankyu very much,' she said, smiling properly at him. She still did not know what manner of curse or mishap had made him this way, but she couldnt find it in her to be frightened of something so willing to please. She never would realise that was how she acted of course. She took a sip of the water having undone the cap, taking a long drink.
'You say you clean?' she said, trying to relax on the bench. Newton Filinas His eyes trembled back and forth a moment, "Ah... wuh-well... s-sort of... I... a h... w-well.. used to... gen-gen-generally spuh-speaking... I... I.. st-still do... just not... ah... w-well, I b-build, mostly, now... b-buh-build things. M-muh-make th-things... " And indeed, he had been spending more time in his duplex tinkering with little devices than uselessly hopping around attempting to sweep. Sayuri Satoharu She slid forward on the bench seat, her obi knot pressing uncomfortably into her back as she concentrated on comprehending his speech.
'You bu-build things?' she asked, swirling the remaining water around in the bottle.
'What build?' Newton Filinas He fidgeted in an embarassed fashion, "Ah... er... th-things... um... I... w-was buh-building buh-bug catchers b-but... I've b-been... th-thinking of other pruh-projects and... s-so... ah... are.. are you in the thuh-thuh-theater?" He changed the subject suddenly, motioning towards her strange attire and makeup, "Wuh-what do you do?" Newt wasn't very fond of talking about himself. Sayuri Satoharu 'To catch bugs is good thing,' she nodded. She noticed that Newt was looking at her kimono and she pressed fingers against her painted skin.
'I am Maiko,' she said proudly.
'I am arts person. I play shamisen, I dance. I talk to men and pour them sake.' she smiled a little.
'It is who I am from little girl.' Newton Filinas Newt didn't understand half of what she was talking about, but she did understand "Dance." "Ah... y-yuh-you're a duh-dancer? I wuh-wuh-was nuh-nuh-never really good at anything like that... I... I'm nuh-not very co-co-coordinated. Although I'm guh-getting better at hopping! Which... I supsup-suppose is ah... s-sort of gruh-granted b-but ah..." He floundered. Another thing he would need to work on would be his conversation skills. He cleared his throat, "Y-you... d-do understand... um... wh-what this island is, right?" Sayuri Satoharu 'I dance, not all the time I am good though,' she giggled. Sayuri took another drink, emptying the water bottle this time.
'You learn hop? I learn dance. I did not just know it.' she frowned a little. There he was again with that question.
'This is place I am to be with Danna. My mother and okiya mother sent me here.' Newton Filinas "I'm... ah... nuh-not sure... wuh-what a duh.. what a D-duh... What a donna is... b-but this is a ruh-research facility." There really wasn't any way to dismiss the lies without sounding blunt and terrible. But someone had to break the news, right? Better than... living a lie untill the first change. "I... w-wasn't always a fruh-frog... only... ah... a cuh-couple of months ago I w-was... human. Er... y-you know... a man... er... " He tried to straighten up to mime out human, but his froggish legs wouldn't let him, and he plopped back down into his crouch. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri giggled, shaking her head. It was hard to take Newt seriously, and indeed she didnt. She just found him amusing. She still thought he was simply a victim of an accident or a curse having listened to too many drunken retellings of folk stories during the parties she had attended back home.
'I should go. I have to be in room for if Danna comes.' she said, carefully getting to her feet.
'Sankyu for water. It was nice to be seeing you.' Newton Filinas "Ah... n-no... w-wuh-wait... m-my puh-point is... th-there is no Duh-dana! Er... th-that is to s-say... yyou've been truh-tricked! Wuh-we've all buh-been truh-tricked! All... all animal puh-people! And yuh-you too!" He gesticulated frantically befor having to catch his hop into her path to cut her off. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri frowned as he bounced into her path, her previously amused expression fading into as annoyed as she ever looked..which wasnt very.
'I not listen,' she said, pressing her hands against her ears. She shook her head with them still clapped on the sides, moving so that she could walk around Newt. Newton Filinas "Nuh-now th-that's juh-just rediculous!" Newt murmured weakly, fidgeting and crawling and hopping to stay in her way, "I'm truh-trying to help you!" Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri blinked at Newt, letting a loud 'harrumph!' noise and then picked up her skirts, pattering around the poor man. She turned a few steps from him, stumbling but staying upright and made a bow, calling;
'Bai!' she waved, turning again to leave, heading towards her duplex. Newton Filinas Newt gave an exasperated sigh, sitting down on the ground as he watched her go. Well, at least he had tried.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 7:35 am
Sayuri had found her steps heavy as she neared her Duplex after meeting Newt, stifling a yawn she fished the key out and unlocking the door, went inside. Geta were removed just inside and she shuffled along in her sock feet, heading for the bathroom. When she had finally finished removing her obi belt, kimono and under kimono garments she put on a soft cotton yukata in patterned blue, running a bath whilst she removed her face make-up.
Once it was filled she turned the taps off, getting in after taking off her tabi and yukata. She sunk into the water, letting out a little sigh, then uttered a little noise as she realised she had forgotten to cover her hair. She did so, then relaxed into the water again. She washed, wincing as her hand ran over the site of the injection. It still felt sore, and she was curious as to what they had done to her, not having understood Sabin's words properly when he was explaining it. She'd had an injection once before when she was a little girl, but she really couldnt remember it leaving her arm this sore. Her head felt a little better and after a while her muscles slowly relaxed. Sayuri got out when she started to nod off in the water, it had lost much of its warmth anyway and to drench her hair would be to ruin it.
She was soon dried and seated on the bed, wrapped in her yukata again, a book in hand. It was an english exercise book, and she chewed idly on a fingernail as she read through a chapter, trying to brush up on her vocabulary. She soon got bored of that, flipping the book shut and putting it on the mattress. The bed linen was on the floor beside the bed base and mattress, her takamakura pillow on the floor so that she wouldnt ruin her hair when she slept.
Sayuri went and turned out the lights, tripping about the unfamiliar room until she was back at her makeshift futon. She wriggled under the blankets, shifting around on the uncomfortable 'pillow' until she had gotten into a half decent position. She sighed. Tomorrow might be the day her Danna would come and visit her. She wondered if there was a hairdresser in this place that could do her hai.. and she fell asleep.
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:53 am
Meeting the Madam: Sayuri + Maryke roleplay Maryke Jimenez
It had been a long day and the madam was feeling somewhat depressed currently. Of course normally, out in the real world when this happened she would just stick to her vices, but that was the ever present problem here. She WASN'T in the real world. No, she was miles and miles away from it, maybe even further then that. Not to mention her last meeting with someone else had left her with nothing more then a wounded ego and a bloody elbow. She felt unattractive and out of the loop, she missed the things she had. The money, the power, and the feeling that she was on top of the world. Even though there were people more freakishly macabe looking then her she just missed the feeling that she mattered. That life was good.
But, not here. No, not here. Here she really and truly didn't matter. She was changing into something she had no idea of what. And with each look in the mirror she wanted to kill her reflection. The fur was driving her mad, her enhanced hearing was making her go crazy, yet she still tried to play the part. She wanted, no inwardly NEEDED to feel normal. Which meant get back in the game, be a b***h, live life like she still had it all...
and then she'd be golden. So at the moment Maryke was moving in between the village, between the rooms placed just for them. As she tried to look for something to do.
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri flicked out the fan, holding it she hoped in the way that she had been taught. And then the other, twisting them, fluttering them skywards. She smiled, finally getting that little movement right that evening. She was outside practicing, going through a dance steps in the fresh air, her Duplex felt a little suffocating to her right now. It was probably down to the western architecture, she had never stayed in such quarters. And so she slowly danced, her kimono skirts flaring around her sandalled feet as she did so, far more gracefully then she ever before when she had an audience, humming a kouta for her own accompaniment. Maryke Jimenez
She kept walking, keeping up an inner mantra of thoughtflow as she did. The madam quieted her mind a bit, however when she saw something flicker strangely in her peripheral vision. She looked over in that direction and then stopped all together. Someone was near the duplexes and that in itself wasn't strange. It wasn't so much as who the person was then what they were wearing and what they were doing....dancing. What the hell reason did anyone have to dance around here.
Curiously Maryke flickered her ruffed ears and then stalked closer, not enough to be seen just yet. She watched the girl dance and then finally when she thought she was done she began clapping loudly. "Bravo! Bravo," she said loudly, almost obnoxiously. "You the entertainment for the island freakshow or am I missing something?" she asked, arms crossed over her chest, just under the fur.
Sayuri Satoharu Elegance flew away and normality resumed for Sayuri as soon as she realised that her performance had attracted an audience. Her fans clattered to the ground, and she tried to scoop them up again quickly, her sleeves draping on the dirt and her face flushed red with mortification.
'I sorry,' she said, having finally folded the fans away again, tucking them in her obi belt and bowing with hands pressed palm against herself.
'I was practice. I here for my Danna-san,' she explained, casting a quick glance at the stranger. The woman had an aggressive and domineering air, or she seemed to Sayuri. In fact, her posture reminded Sayuri strongly of her own mother and she felt flustered and exposed. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke raised an eyebrow and dropped her hands slightly. Okay this girl obviously must be knew. And if she wasn't, well then she was taking this whole thing VERY well. She waved off the girl's apologies, not quite understanding why this girl was apologizing if Maryke was the one watching HER.
"Danna-san?" she asked, cocking her head to side slightly, "and that would be........who?"
Not that she was trying to be nosy or anything she was just generally curious. Plus for all she knew this 'Danna-san' guy could have been important.
Sayuri Satoharu 'Danna-san is..' Sayuri paused, not sure if she wanted to say the doctor's name. If she said it, that meant it was true. But no other gentleman had contacted her since her arrival on the Island so it had to be him.
'Dr.Sah-bin Du-vert,' she sounded his name out carefully so that she got it right.
'He is like..husband but not. He pay for kimono and dance lessons.' she explained, her english continuing to improve as she spoke it more. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke was taking in the words, even going as far as being patient while the girl tried to explain everything. But, as soon as Sayuri uttered the next words, that name, the madam's face darkened. Sabin Duvert? That b*****d!
"Oh really?" she asked, feigning interest. So that's how this girl was taken here. A different more elaborate lie then she was given, but it was still a lie all the same. "Right...so has Sah-bin....Du-vert," she asked, mocking the girl's accent to the tee. "told you what kinda place this REALLY is yet??"
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri lowered her eyes, looking steadfastly at the ground at the woman's mockery of how she spoke. She was also the second person to claim that this place was something more then it seemed.
'I not..I not understand sorry.'
It was almost as if she were at home, all that was lacking was the sharp, staccato taps on her head with Onesan's fan as she scolded her for tearing a kimono or falling over whilst entertaining. She bit her lip hard before speaking again.
'What is this place?' she managed to say the sentence without sounding the words. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke really shouldn't have hit the b***h switch right then and there. Not with how innocent this girl seemed and not when she didn't really understand anything the madam was saying anyway. But, just by her connection with Duvert, no matter how innocent she seemed in this role, it did nothing more then agitate Maryke.
"You don't understand, huh?" she asked, a coy grin spreading across her full lips. She ignored the other question and stepped closer, lowering her head slightly so the girl could get a look at her ruffed ears. She wiggled them a few times and then tugged at the fur on her chest. "Bad...bad place....these are real," she said indicating her 'wardrobe', "And it's going to happen to you too....maybe worse......maybe with scales or feathers...."
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri stepped back, almost tripping as she did so on her kimono. Vehemently she shook her head, negating what Maryke had just said.
'You lie..I not like you!' her bottom lip trembled, in fact her whole body shook with fear. She was beginning to believe, after meeting Newton and now this woman with the permament fur 'stole'. Tears formed, running down her face, leaving tracks in the white face paint.
'Pre - please,' she pleaded.
'It not true..' Maryke Jimenez
"Oh it's true," Maryke said, her hazel eyes darkening to more yellow tones, showing more of the lemur within her. "Believe you me, China Doll, it's true."
She grinned and lurched forward in an attempt to grab at the girl's arm and show off the syrnge mark she knew they all had. "Told you it was a fever right? Betcha Sabin told ya everything would be okay. Well...I'm not the liar.....THEY are, this whole place has lied to you!" she said enraged.
God why did she have to take all her inner frustrations out on this poor girl. Why couldn't she just let her go and figure out on her own. But somewhere deep down she was mad, she was pissed and she needed to vent. Besides this girl had a right to know! Screw anyone who thought otherwise.
"You're turning into an animal, Chinadoll. And NOBODY can help you..."
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri froze when Maryke lunged at her to grab her arm, a 'rabbit in the headlights' expression on her face. It was all too much for her to take on at once - how could she comprehend it all? She could barely remember the stuff she had been learning for years.
'Who lie..' she mumbled. She didnt even register that Maryke had taken to calling her a 'Chinadoll', that was nothing to the truths she was trying to hammer into the Maiko. Her face was a streaked mess now, she had lost a hair ornament and she wrenched hard, pulling away from the woman and falling to the ground.
'I not want..animal,' she cried. Maryke Jimenez
At the display Maryke couldn't help but soften, yes of course she was still one big ball of pent up anger and frustration, but it was at that point, she snapped back into the reality at hand. She blinked once, taking in the girl's appearance, and then she took two steps back.
"They lie," she said, her voice still husky with anger but not as forceful as before. "The staff.....Doctor Duvert... He lied to you. " She tried to choose her words carefully, now finally...in a way she could understand.
As she fell to the ground Maryke silently cursed to herself under her breath. Walking over and squatting down, though still keeping a safe distance. "You have no choice," She said calmly, though still hard enough to where the girl would understand she meant it. "*I* have no choice. They....we..." oh damn how could she explain this. "Experiment...experimento...?" Ugh no, wrong language.
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri rubbed at her eyes, transferring white makeup and wetness onto her fingers. She was thankful her mother wasnt here to see her in this mess - she would definately have ringing ears by now. She hiccupped a little, sitting up on the floor, sniffling as she did so.
'He not my Danna?' she asked, fixating on that point most of all right now. She actually laughed at that, a sudden burble of slightly hysterical laughter as she realised that the strange looking man was not who she had thought he was. A kind of relief surged through her at that realisation.
'He not my Danna!' and she moved to fling her arms around Maryke in joy..before falling back again, her arms dropping to her sides.
'No choice? I am stuck here?'
Her sudden burst of joy faded away as quickly as it had come. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke watched with mixed emotions. On one hand this whole ordeal was definitely not what she had planned for today, or really...ever, and it was the last thing she wanted to deal with. But, still this girl had obviously been handed a wide load and Maryke had been through that. Not that long ago even. Though the madam had only been pissed not hurt when she learned of the island's dirty secret.
When she felt the arms near and around her, and the excitement uttered from the other she was quite taken aback. She frowned a bit and patted the girl on the side idly, now wondering again what the hell a 'Danna' was. If she didn't know better she'd say it almost sounded like this girl thought Sabin was her 'sugar daddy' or pimp or something. But, she let that thought pass knowing she didn't know a lick about asian culture so she was probably wrong anyway.
"No choice. I'm sorry.....but we're all stuck here...," she nodded back, this time her voice took more soft tones. She left a fleeting thought of Colche pass through her head, and people like her. The innocent ones. There was a small sliver in her chest and she almost felt bad for being so harsh with the girl. Almost.
Sayuri Satoharu 'I not understand,' she said again.
'Why stuck? Why can not leave?' Sayuri tried to wipe away her tears from her cheeks without taking any more makeup away but it was a losing battle. She felt under her obi belt, and tugged out a tissue; it was a pretty handy place to store things for the little Maiko. She dabbed at her face, then her eyes, looking at Maryke again. Now that she knew that the furred whiteness on the woman's head and about her neck werent merely an accessory they had taken on a more fascinating light. What was in like to have fur? She shook at the thought that it might be an experience she would soon know.
'I want to go home.' she lamented to herself, balling the tissue against her mouth. Maryke Jimenez
"You wanna go home?" Maryke scoffed, audibly, as she kept in her squat, her ruffed ears twitching every so often. Seeming to mimick what she was thinking at that moment in time. "Well, so do I....we ALL do. Listen chinadoll," she said, seeming to favor that particular nickname for the girl ."We CAN'T go home. None of us can. THEY won't let us. There's men with guns....fences....we're surround by water for chrissakes. Apart from a miracle we're pretty much stuck here till the day we die...."
The more Maryke spoke the more she was inwardly battling herself. It was as if she was just now coming to this conclusion herself. That yes, even the madam who had once had all the power in the world, was now just as helpless as the rest of them. And that feeling hurt, hurt badly.
Sayuri Satoharu Guns, fences and water oh my! Sayuri shook her head, the tinkling noise from her hair ornaments doing nothing to lighten the mood.
'I not understand,' she mumbled, this time to herself. This is the place her mother and onesan had been so eager she go to? They had to have been tricked. She would not believe that they would have sent her here knowing that she would never be able to return.
'You stuck as well?' Sayuri looked at Maryke, dabbing the last of her tears away with the tissue. She seemed to recover a little, kneeling, then bowing on the floor to the madame before sitting up again, hands rested on lap, back straight. The fact that she was what amounted to a prisoner on the Island had been pushed away by the ingrained manners that she had been taught ever day. Tropical island or Geisha district..she still was a Maiko. It was all she knew. Maryke Jimenez
"Yeah..... " she said a bit bitterely, her ears flattening and her hazel eyes darkening at the mere thought of it all. "M'stuck to. And believe me...No one wants to get out of this hellhole more then I do...." As the girl bowed Maryke quirked an eyebrow wondering if she too was supposed to follow the custom, but for lack of understanding she opted out of it and instead gave a weary little grin of sorts as the woman went back into her straightened position.
"You...gunna be okay?" She asked, still frowning a bit.
Sayuri Satoharu 'I will be 'A-OK',' she giggled, holding two fingers up in a victory sign, her head canted to one side. She got up, brushing down her kimono and straightening it a little. Then she reached up for a quick check of her hair before giving a small bow towards Maryke again.
'What is name please?' Sayuri asked. It was almost as if Maryke hadnt broken such huge news to the maiko. It wasnt that Sayuri had forgotten, more that she wasnt able to digest it all right at that moment. And so she would simply be cheerful, and try to to be entertaining. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke couldn't help but let out her own chuckle. This time at the bow, Maryke bowed back to her, though of course not as graceful and self assured in the act as the other.
At the question she let a smile slip to her features, remnants of the chuckle and she placed a hand over her chest, right under the silky white fur. "Maryke is my name. And you?"
Sayuri Satoharu The act of Maryke bowing made Sayuri automatically bow back, deeper then the first.
'Satoharu Sayuri,' she replied, giving her Okiya name first.
'Sayuri,' she mimicked Maryke and put a hand on her kimono, just above her obi-belt.
'It hurt?' she asked after a pause, her hand hovering around her neck, indicating where Maryke's neck fur was. Maryke Jimenez
"Sayuri," Maryke repeated after her, making sure she had pronounced the name right. Figuring she had said it right she merely paid attention to what Sayuri said next. Well....it didn't really hurt but it did...
"It itched," she said waving a hand towards her fur. It still felt so detached even though it was indeed now a part of her. Her ruffed ears flattened at the thought and she continued, "Itched like crazy, and my ears throbbed but...." she shrugged lightly. "I guess it coulda been worse. I mean some people here look much MUCH worse then I do."
Sayuri Satoharu 'I see..' her face wrinkled in thought as she tried to remember his name.
'New-ton,' Sayuri said triumphantly, having remembered it and possibly pronounced it correctly.
'He is frog man,' she said, then frowned. She would have to find him and apologise. She hadnt believed him when he had told her about the Island.
'Is worse then him here?' she asked tentatively. Maryke Jimenez
Newt?? Maryke visibly blanched when Sayuri mentioned the name. "Newt, yeah, he's pretty..." She was about to issue a few choice words, each more unpleasant then the rest, but she figured Sayuri wouldn't understand and if she did, well it'd be too tactless to her. "Disgusting..."
"Yes," she said honestly, "I haven't met everyone myself, but there's a few people....you probably wouldn't wanna meet. Just stay away from the dark parts of the jungle," she said thinking of Jamal and how near frightening that was to her, "And with everyone else... just yanno, golden rule or whatever. Be nice and then everything should be peachy king."
Of course Maryke should have dumbed down her words for those that didn't know English well. But, the madam had trouble thinking about the language barrier when she hardly ever thought before she spoke anyway.
Sayuri Satoharu 'He eat fly, but he was nice,' Sayuri mumbled the last words a little, not wanting to invoke Maryke's wrath again.
'I do not walk far from my place,' she gestured towards her Duplex.
'Pea-chee?' she was confused, but she knew nice. She thought that she was always nice. Polite, and biddable.
'I am Maiko,' she told Maryke.
'I am nice to patrons, I serve sake, I dance and I laugh at jokes.'
It was basically her way of explaining that she did nothing but be nice. Even if it was all learned so that she would entertain even the most boring or obnoxious teahouse customer in order that she earned her 'flower money' to be profitable for the Okiya. It was what she did. Maryke Jimenez
"Peachy....oh uhm....like good...nice," She said, trying explain the word, but passing the gesture off as Sayuri spoke next. She raised her eyebrow when the girl said what she was, and then she realized this wasn't another name she was attaching to herself, it was what she WAS. And with the way she made it sound it almost sounded like this girl was a servant of some type, or well. .. interesting.
"You know, I used to have a similar line of work too," She said, a classic grin in place. "But, I was the boss...you know," She held up a hand, fingers outstretched a bit to indicitate the 'height' of her power. "At the top. I was the head honcho over all the other girls.."
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri had been right. The woman gave off an air of power. Strength, and the same sharpness as her own mother. It was no wonder that Maryke was claiming to be the 'top dog' of wherever she came from.
'Other girls?' Sayuri asked, curious as to exactly what the business was Maryke was claiming to be similar to what Sayuri did.
'What did they do?' Maryke Jimenez
Maryke kept the grin, letting a small flicker of mischief pass through those bright hazel eyes of hers. "Oh all of sorts of things," she said with a wave of her hand. "They entertained......men." She raised an eyebrow as she uttered the phrase, wondering if Sayuri would understand what she meant. OF course she wouldn't come right out with the nit and grit with what all her line of work really entailed, but it was kinda fun to hint at it.
"Anyway, I guess that's in the past now. Out here..." she scowled once more. "Nothing I did matters. Hell, *I* don't even matter."
Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri nodded, thinking she understood.
'Like me then,' she said, not realising that she had just slotted herself in the same frame as .. women of questionable virtue.
'Why say you not matter?' she asked, her forehead wrinkling a little as she tried to understand. Maryke Jimenez
I knew it! Maryke thought to herself, a chesire cat nature all about her features. Her ruffed ears flickered with the excitement and she shrugged at the question. "None of us are what we once where," she said earnestly, "So I guess.....I just don't matter as much as as I once did..."
Sayuri Satoharu 'It all so very oddness,' Sayuri huffed a little. her forehead developing wrinkles again as she tried to think about all the new things she had learned. She shivered a little, from her thoughts and from the evening breeze that had gotten up. Her mind turned to thoughts of her warm Duplex, and as she did so a small yawn escaped.
'Excuse me,' she said, dropping back into her native language for a moment.
'I am pleased to be meeting you. I go now.'
Sayuri bowed deeply to the Madame, a fan dropping to the floor as she did so, and she scooped it up again quickly. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke nodded, "Nice meeting you," she said in reply and then dimissed the girl with a wave of her hand. It had been a strange meeting and she wasn't so sure this girl would do okay here. At least, she seemed as gentle as the flowers in the wind....or some metophorical crap like that. Maybe she'd adjust like they all had to. At least the madam hope she would anyway.
She gave a short little bow back and then smiled briefly before waving and walking off herself.
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 7:54 am
But I do not know how to smile when I am on my own and the words of Maryke come back to me. Trapped. To be an animal. No escape. I want to go home, but the shame of that would be worse then anything that could happen here. Wouldnt it be? If I go back I might have to take tonsure and become a nun. Cut my hair and never be a Geisha. But now I'm here. Now I think that going home...I am so stuck. I am so confused. I cannot work this all out. I want to be dancing, and playing the shamisen. Or at least practicing so that I can do those things well. I don't want to be sitting here in this strange room scared that I am going to be turned into a - a cat or something!
Mama..Okasan. I believe that you were lied to. I have to..
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:45 pm
Sayuri pushed her hair gently, gnawing anxiously on her bottom lip, lipstick smearing onto her teeth as she did so. She rubbed it away, baring her teeth before fretting some more about her hairstyle. It definately had started to droop a little. She needed to find someone on the Island proficient in the art of Maiko hairstyles. She couldnt think, wouldnt accept that she would not have hair in the wareshinobu style.
Sighing, she picked up a colour staining stick, blotting a petal of red onto her bottom lip again. That done, she stood up and away from her makeup stand and mirror and went and fetched her shamisen, kneeling and taking it from the case before slowly going through the ritual of tuning it, turning the pegs and plucking at the strings with the plectrum. This always took her a while, and her legs started to go to sleep a little as she sat there, intent on her task.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:51 pm
Dr. Sabin Duvert, dressed in some of his more elegant, if dated, formalwear (his dark ensamble complete with top hat), his hair brushed and left down, and with an elegantly wrapped package tucked underneath one arm approached Sayuri's duplex.
He had intended on visiting her earlier, perhaps before she had met some of the changed islanders, but time and responsibilities did not allow for it. Now, however, fortunately or unfortunately, with Aubrey back in the labs his list of responsibilities had shrunk, but his level of command along with it.
Running a hand once more through his stark white hair, he knocked purposefully on her duplex door and awaited a response from the young geisha-in-training. There were times when being an anthropologist came in useful. And this was one of them, having read on some of the Japanese traditions and with a deeper understanding than any of the other staff what Sayuri was expecting with her arrival. And his control slipping in the labs, his mind sought out other venues... seizing onto one in particular in the form of a young Japanese woman who had virtually been raised since childhood to become a devoted mistress - not even wife - to a powerful man. It was the closest thing to modern slavery in a nation that would normall illegalize such a thing.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:01 pm
Sayuri jumped as Sabin knocked on her Duplex door, finger slipping on the tuning peg and the string broke with a loud 'twang' noise.
'Good thing Okasan packed strings for me,' she mumbled to herself, then giggled at her talking to herself.
'Door,' she said, standing with the instrument and putting it on her bed base, before brushing down and straightening her kimono. She opened the door slowly, not knowing what, or even who to expect. When she saw who it was she exclaimed;
'Dr. Duvert-san! It nice to see you again,' and she bowed low before him. What Maryke had told her flitted through her mind, but she couldnt be impolite and shut the door. It went against everything she had learned. What if he was her Danna-san? And Maryke simply didnt know it and this changing thing she had talked about was part of what she was meant to do for him? Training won out over indecision and she moved out of the doorway to allow him room to enter.
'Please, come in.' she bowed again.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:08 pm
Sabin gave a small, but formal bow in response to Sayuri. After straightening, he removed his hat and spoke softly and slowly. "Greetings, Satoharu-san. I apologize for my delay in coming to visit you. Work has kept me busier than I would have liked. But it was not right of me to leave you here without direction. Might I come in?"
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:11 pm
Sayuri held onto the open door, mouth suddenly feeling like it was stuffed with cotton and her heart had started to do a strange racing thing. This was literally the first time she would ever be on her own with a man, and she was terrified of making a big mistake.
'Duvert-san is very kind to see me. Please be comfy,' she made a motion with one hand to beckon him in, her eyes on the floor now.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:19 pm
Sabin nodded and stepped past her. While acting formally, he didn't drop his eyes again, and kept his shoulders square, intentionally trying to keep a more imposing air about himself.
Taking a seat in the chair besides the desk, he set the box on his lap.
"I hope that your stay thus far has found you well, Satoharu-san. And I hope that the other residents of the island have not .... alarmed you. You... must understand that there is a very important project underway here. But, as your Danna, I will see to it that you are provided for very comfortably here." He smiled - but it was a strange sort of smile - one that, while it might have shown a bit of kindness, also spoke of pride, of possessiveness. He was to make it very clear that he was the man she thought.
"Your meals are provided. You have your own room that you may do with as you please..." He gestured to the room about her. "And if your heart yearns for something... I will do the best in my power to see to it." At this, a more sincere-looking smile, at the very least.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:27 pm
Sayuri closed the door, following him as he crossed her Duplex. When he took the seat that was by her desk, she was at a loss as to what to do. Should she kneel at his feet? But that would require her to look up at him and she wasnt sure she could keep eye contact with him right now. So she remained standing just before him, her eyes alighting on different things below his head height, mostly on the box he held as she was curious about it.
'I have met..they have been very kind,' she said carefully.
'But they said...things' and she stopped, utterly confused, as he said the words she had not been expecting. He was her Danna?
'Duvert-san is very kind,'putting a smile on her face as she spoke, because she couldnt work out how to articulate all that she felt and thought.
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