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 Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 9:03 am
After Sabin had shut the door behind him Sayuri rushed back over to the desk, pulling the kimono out of the box and looking at it again. She ran her fingers over the silken material, tracing the embroidered flowers. Pressing the material to her face a moment, she uttered a little squeak as her makeup left a fine dusting on the kimono. She quickly brushed it off - she would not ruin the only gift she had ever been able to keep! Not her Okasan, not her Onesan - not no one would take this from her.
She folded it carefully, almost reverently and put it into one of the tall chest of drawers, seperate from the hand me down kimonos that had been packed for her. As she pushed the drawer shut, she again felt the confusion of her situation. Dr. Duvert seemed determined that he was her Danna. He was an elegant, well-bred man to be sure (at least he seemed to her to be so). But he wasnt Japanese. Sometimes he made her feel uneasy, even scared. And then there was what Maryke had told her not too many days before he had turned up at her room. That he wasnt what he said he was, and that he would turn her into an animal. But could she really trust her either? Maryke had seemed to get angry at the mention of Sabin's name so maybe she just had some problem with him.
If she only could find someone of her own race on this Island. Someone who she could converse with properly, easily with none of the misunderstandings that came with not being fluent in anothers language. Well, her Onesan (big sister) had often told her (on those occasions when she was being nice to Sayuri), that work and studying was a great way to take ones mind of problems. And so she took her fans up, going to a clear space in the main area of her duplex and went through the steps of one of the dances she knew.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:20 am
Sayuri meets F, and see Newt again Fidatof Bochinsky Soon after opening it to find a goat standing on his threshold, F had closed the door on the poor animal. It was just a joke, right? "Still in its original packaging.." F had repeated out loud, and shaken his head. He had then attempted to call and ask Sabin exactly what he expected him to do with a goat, but apparently the doctor was "occupied". Right. Not long afterwards, a rather loud voice echoed through the area; one F didn't recognise. It mentioned names F also didn't recognise, and so he shrugged it off, despite the theme of punishment for attempted murder.. F was still hungry, and it was effecting his mood. The goat had been obnoxiously loud while he was on the intercom, but from behind the door now came nothing but silence, giving no clue as to what the animal was up to, or if was even still there. He looked over to the door before his feet followed his eyes. Hesitantly, F unlocked and opened it once more. The goat was plainly still there, and was chewing contently on a drainpipe that was now barely attached to the wall. F watched it doing this for a while, then sat back on the floor inside his room. The goat looked up from its meal and peered at the man through the doorway. "What?" F asked the animal as if expecting an answer. "You dozy beast." he grumbled upon not getting one. F found himself staring the creature down while contemplating how goat blood might taste, chin resting on his knuckles, elbows propped on his knees. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri's Duplex was after all not too far from F's. So she could obviously hear the goat, and was curious as to what exactly one was doing around the buildings. Was there some sort of farm nearby and it had escaped? She hadnt been of a mood to either practice her dancing or play her shamisen and so went wandering, her hair decorated, face freshly made up and shuffling along in her geta sandals.
A little way from her place she spied the goat, and she giggled a little, pattering over towards it, calling in a little voice;
'Little yagi,' she said. She slowed at the sight of the man seated looking at the goat, stopping a bit away from the pair whilst she decided whether or not to go over. Fidatof Bochinsky F broke the staring contest, head lifting at the sound of a female voice. "Yargi?" the man repeated roughly, butchering her word. The speaker then came into view behind the animal, but seemed hesitant to approach. "Oh hey-" he began. F remembered he'd once seen a troup of dancers dressed sort of like she was in London, possibly Soho. "You're a.. showgirl?" he asked with a casual head tilt, now ignoring the goat. He spoke in a thick accent, origin most likely unknown to the girl. Sayuri Satoharu 'Is goat,' she explained, her eyes stuck looking at his face, and then back to the tethered animal.
'Is it your goat?' Sayuri asked, and then shook her head.
'Maiko,' she pressed a hand against herself just above her obi belt. She wasnt sure what a showgirl was, but she would only reply positively if someone asked straight away if she was a Maiko. She looked again at F's face, at the peculiar stretched-ness of it. His hair fascinated her the most though, having never met anyone before with dreadlocks she was most curious at the strange 'tails' on his head.
She remembered herself and then gave a bow.
'I am Satoharu Sayuri,' she said. Fidatof Bochinsky "Oh no, I'm jus' borrowing it." he purred flippantly. "Duvert can 'ave it back when I'm done. I don' need all of it, after all." he said this pointedly, as if expecting Sabin to be listening. F expected the stares, though not generally because of his dreads. "Vat's quite a mouthful." he said with a slight chuckle. "I'm F." The bristles along his top lip re-arranged into a flea-like smile. "What's a 'Maiko'?" he then asked bluntly. Sayuri Satoharu 'Please just call me Sayuri,' she said.
'F?'
What a strange name. It kind of went with him though. He looked odd. All arms and legs.
'Dr.Duvert-san gave it to you? He is most kind,' she said softly. She took another few steps forward, his facial features becoming clearer as she moved closer. His mouth was another oddity.
'Maiko is entertainer. I dance and talk to...big men.'
Big meant powerful, but she couldnt recall the word just then. Fidatof Bochinsky "F, yes. It's a very old name, passed down frough vuh generations. Means 'Old man of vuh woods." he paused, a broad grin now on his features as he picked himself up off the floor. Obviously, at least to F, he was talking shite. "Indeed. And 'e 'as a corking sense of humor." he lifted both hands briefly as he said this, then stepped out from his duplex. " Big men?" F eyed the girl's features. What an odd thing to say. F decided she must have chosen the wrong word, but he couldn't resist toying with it anyway. "Evidently." he said in cheery self-praise, stepping up to the Maiko and giving a cocky grin. Sayuri Satoharu Much of what F said was fairly un-intelligble to the little Maiko, spoken english with a heavy accent was always tricky for her to understand. She gamely tried though.
'It family name then.'
Well that explained much of it. Family names couldnt be chosen after all.
She stepped back when F got to his feet, coming up close to her. He probably wouldnt look all that tall to anyone else, but given her small stature he towered above her. She felt a small amount of fear, but covered it with a smile.
'I sorree. I mean men of..power,' she said, her voice held a note of triumph as she finally recalled the word. Fidatof Bochinsky F smiled, not worried or surprised that she hadn't understood most of what he'd said. "Don' bother about it, Love. I can't understand meself 'alf vuh time." he said with a simple shrug. F's strange new tongue hadn't made things any easier either. It was only going to get stranger.. "You entertain men of power?" F's brow furrowed. "Well sure, vat's what I figured. You jus' give it a fancy name." F then went to lean casually against the goat that stood behind him. Of course, it couldn't take his weight and so they both stumbled back a bit. F recovered and smiled. The goat recovered and headbutted the side of the man's leg, which then swung at it in a kick and promptly retreated out of the tethered animal's reach. Great, F had developed a love-hate relationship with a goat. Sayuri Satoharu 'My english is not good,' she admitted shyly. Why did he call her 'love', had she done something to make him think she was interested in him in some way? She wasnt at all familiar with pet names or slang of any kind and had now succeeded in becoming confused, not that was difficult for her.
Sayuri covered her mouth and giggled as F first seemed to trip over the goat and then got into a mini-fight with it.
'You are funny.' she said, her face breaking into a natural and some called, charming smile.
'What you do before the Island?' Fidatof Bochinsky F eyed the animal, and then continued as if the mini-fight hadn't happened. "I.. Well, different fings." he concluded with a sideways glance. F had never had a solid occupation for very long. Everything grew so tiresome. Either that or his employment was cut short as soon as his recruiter realised F's resume was complete BS. Like with the sushi chef thing. F snorted at the memory, eyes shooting back to the young woman. "Mostly I entertained as well. But not for 'big men'." He gave a light-hearted grin. "I played guitar in vuh street, and did some fire-dancing, too. You know what vat is?" Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri blushed, lowering her gaze to look at the floor. It seemed as if she would never stop making mistakes in one thing or another. And he seemed determined to tease her for doing so.
'I do not know what fire dance is, sorree,' she said, still looking ground wards. At least her English was getting alot of practice, even if in doing so she was meeting the strangest people of her life. Fidatof Bochinsky "Well.. You have vese fings called fire poi, vey're like chains vat you set on fire, and well, swing 'em round." That sounded so stupid. "You can do it wiv sticks, too." he added. Infinately more stupid. "You know what, it's easier if I just show you." F decided. "Want t' see? It's pretty funky." he said with an enthusiastic grin, already turning back to face his door. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri looked up again; he seemed to have lost interest in teasing her, and from what she could make out of what he was saying, the 'fire-dancing' sounded pretty interesting.
'I would like that,' she said, nodding, setting her hair ornaments a-tinkling.
'If you would like to show me, I happy to see.' and she bowed. Fidatof Bochinsky "Alright! I'll get it sorted." He gave the goat a wide berth and opened his duplex door again, leaving it swung open while he fetched his fire stick. It took less effort than the poi, since F didn't particularly feel like actually dancing at this point. He also took a small bottle from the draw the staff lived in, and unscrewed the lid. He slopped a bit of fuel from it onto the ends of the stick and ignited it with Antony's lighter from his pocket. F soon realised he should have done this outside when a drop of burning fuel prompted the carpet to catch alight and require stomping out. Still, he soon made his way back outside with the stick ablaze, and twirled it absently in his fingers. The dull dusk light served enough to brighten the effect of the fire and leave a short-living circular trail. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri waited outside, pulling a fan out from where it was tucked into her obi and opening it with a practiced flick of her wrist - whereby it fell neatly to the floor. She scooped it quickly up, brushing dirt from it before trying again a little more carefully. She fanned herself, batting a fly away that keep trying to alight on her.
'Oh!' she exclaimed, when he came out with the lit fire stick. She clapped, giggling a little.
'You must be good at that, if I tried I would be burn myself.' Fidatof Bochinsky F finished off the display with a simple spinning throw that looked a lot more complex than it actually was. Anything more spectacular would have to wait for another time. "Vat certainly is a danger." he spoke slowly, in a serious manner with a serious nod, and then swiftly ran his hand through the flame before revealing it to be unharmed with a grin. He was such a showman. Sure, burns weren't fun, but thankfully F knew what he was doing (for the most part). That wasn't to say he'd never had an accident. But minor burns were a ritual part of playing with fire. Since he'd only used a tiny amount, the fuel was already beginning to burn out, and so F helped it along by blowing as hard as he could on one end of the staff. It almost looked like it was about to flicker out, but the flame simply crept back again. Chain-smoking really didn't help with this part. Instead, F reluctantly smacked each end of the stick against the wall, which quickly put it out. He gave an exaggerated bow and then propped the abused staff against his door. -Out of reach of the goat, which peered at it longingly. "So." he cleared his throat. "Its your turn." he said with an expectant nod, hoping to see her dance. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri watched in fascinated silence as F twirled the stick around, the after effect hanging in the air for a moment and when she blinked she could still see the patterns dancing before her eyes. She clapped when he had finished.
'Very good, sankyu for showed - showing me.' she said.
'My turn?' her joy turned to panic. Surely he didnt want her to dance for him right now? After all she hadnt practiced that day, and everytime she did dance for an audience she always did something wrong.
'Oh I do not have my dancing fans..no music either,' the words were spoken as quick as she ever had in english. Fidatof Bochinsky "Yeah, sure." the man nodded encouragingly. He didn't mean to pressure her, but he figured it was only fair. "You dance with fans..?" This certainly sounded new and interesting. "I could play for you.." he suggested. "If you jus' need some noise." F grinned lightly. "We'd make a great duet, I'm sure!" Sayuri Satoharu 'I really dont have fans,' she showed him the one she was holding.
'I use two, and I have this one only.' Sayuri said, looking at him slightly pleadingly.
'Maybe I could give 'rain check',' she offered, hoping he would say yes to that and maybe she could practice for like a week and manage 5 minutes without being klutzy.
'I would not be good like you.' she said, trying flattery as well. Fidatof Bochinsky F sighed a great dramatic sigh. "Well, fine." he drawled, looking marginally offended. "You better make good on vat offer though." he stood straight and said sharply with a brief finger waggle. F wondered momentarily if his dramaticisms would be taken seriously by the girl. It was probably likely. "I am pretty good, aren't I." he blurted with a cocky head nod, unable to stop himself. "It's a lot to live up to, I understand." he said with mock-concern, reaching to pat her arm. Newton Filinas It was difficult enough to push a janitor's bucket-cart filled with miscellanious scraps Newt had collected from around the village and pilfered from the kitchen in the cafeteria and any unlocked cabnets he found along the way over the bumpy, unpaved road that lead down the rows of duplexes- let alone having a very poor stride to push much of anything. Newt had found it easier to tie the cart to his shoulders with a long bit of rope, pulling it along behind him with each froggish leap. Unfortunatly, the jerkiness of this process often lead to things falling overboard with loud, painfull clatters and he would have to hop around to collect them when he heard them fall. By the time he passed by F's duplex, he unfortunatly had hit a large enough rock to send the whole bucket onto it's side with a terrible metalic clattering crash and a sharp cry of alarm, "AH!! Oh bl-bl-blast!" Sayuri Satoharu 'I will!' Sayuri said, her voice sounding scared. She flinched as he reached out and touched her, and stepped back, meaning to make a bow and then maybe scuttle off. It did not do for her to be this long alone with a man. If Sabin found out...she jumped then when Newt collided with the rock and made the loud noise. Unfortunately she jumped forward, and clung onto F.
'What..?' she squeaked, her heart racing as she trembled against F. Fidatof Bochinsky While they were talking, F had observed a vague green shape jerking along out of the corner of his bad eye. When the vague shape became a huge clattering commotion, only then did it warrant his casual attention. His arms left his sides helplessly as the girl jumped at him in fear, eyebrows rising at her reaction. She reminded him of some trembling little dog. F peered over the girl's shoulder at the fellow responsible for all the noise, and noticed that what was visible of his skin was an unfortunate shade of slime green. Sponges and cloths and bottles of God-knows-what poured out from the cart and rolled towards F and his new limpet. "Hey, you should be more careful, Mate." the words rolled awkwardly on his three-pronged tongue. He gave a small flea-like smile but didn't make a move to help collect the stray items. The goat, in the mean time, had jumped slightly at the noise but now strained eagerly against it's rope to reach one of the bottles. Window cleaner, it looked like, from the picture. The animal picked it up in it's teeth and began chewing merrily on the plastic spray end. Newton Filinas The frog seemed intent on keeping his attentions on the get-away objects, snatching up bits of wire and scraps of wood and metal as well as the other miscellanious,scurrying after the bottle of window cleaner, "I'm suh-suh-sorry- I'll... I'll cluh-clean th-this up- n-no need to- Ah, th-thank you, S-sir- er...a h... m-muh-ma'am..." His eyes dripped down to the goat's udder with a rather terribly embarassed expression. He knew there was a goatish islander around, but he hadn't known them to be so... advanced in their changes. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri let F go when she saw that it was only Newt that had made the loud noise. She felt foolish for having clung onto F, embarrassed, but also a little relieved in that it seemed she wasnt the only one on the Island to be a klutz.
'You need help?' she offered Newt, and walked a little towards him. She knew what it was to have people stand there whilst you scrabbled on the floor trying retrieve your dropped items. That, and if she helped him it would erase the matter of her having jumped almost into F's arms just because of a loud noise. Fidatof Bochinsky "Er.." F began, watching the slimy-skinned man try and strike up a conversation with the goat. He looked on as the girl left him and offered to help. She still looked flustered, but F was convinced that wasn't his doing. "Vat's Gurty." he decided evenly, gesturing towards the goat. "She had some behavioural problems.. Too advanced a serum, apparently. Makes good milk vough." he gave a casual laugh. "You'll 'ave to wrestle it off 'er if you want vat back." he pointed helpfully at the bottle, the top of which was quickly getting gnarled between the goat's teeth. The goat looked at the strange green man with expressionless black eyes. F knew that look. He had discovered just how stubborn the animal could be when it wanted something, or had hold of something that it wanted to keep. Newton Filinas "Th-that's hor-hor-horrible!" Newt frowned, staring boggle-eyed at the goat, "B-but amazing! Thuh-the labs are ruh-really th-that advanced now? I had-hadn't realized th-that was- pos... pos..." He trailed off as he glanced back at F, Sayuri forgotten at the topic of the serums. When the ex-janitor spotted the flea-man, though, his inner frog knew exactly what he was looking at, even if it couldn't describe it in words to his human half. Newt dropped his load, settling into a crouch as his brain attempted to figure out what to *do* with an insect so large! His throat expanded with a thoughtfull, pointed krrrKIT! "Aaah..." Sayuri Satoharu Newt didnt answer, Sayuri realised he had gotten fascinated by the goat of all things.
'It's just a goat,' she said, confused as to why he was talking about labs and stuff. She giggled when Newt's throat sacs expanded, he looked so funny right then. She quickly flicked her fan open and hid her face behind it until her laughter had subsided. Fidatof Bochinsky F grinned at the girl's comment, unable to contain a short snort of laughter himself. He gave an unrestrained chuckle, looking away for a moment. "Blimey, youu..." F was planning on a jab at how gullible the strange fellow was but almost immediately trailed off unceremoniously instead. "Aha- What are you looking at?" the flea-man asked hesitantly. The taller man had lowered into a crouch, as if he was preparing for some kind of springloaded pounce. F took a careful step so that the giggling Maiko stood between him and the slimey fellow, just in case. Then the frog-man's throat bulged. "Vat's disgusting-" F blurted, half of him disturbed, the other half highly amused. "Put vat back in!" he scolded with a laugh -one tinged very slightly with worry. Newton Filinas "Ah-" Newt swallowed, shaking his head ever so slightly as he attempted to form some sort of resolution- had F been a bit more fleaish, the situation would have been different. "Ah- I'm suh-sorry if I interupted anything..." He stammered lamely befor he finally recognized the maiko, "Ah- it's yuh-you!" Immediatly, his expression turned embarassed and flustered as he turned to snatch up the rest of his fallen items as quick as possible. She obviously hadn't wanted anything to do with him, so he would respect her wishes and leave as soon as he could. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri was extra puzzled now, looking from F to Newton and back again. She noticed that F had moved behind her, as if he expected Sayuri to shield him from the janitor.
'It is me?' she said, looking at Newt's sudden change from crouching and looking at the two of them to scrambling around grabbing his stuff.
'I do something?' she asked, folding her fan and putting it away again. Fidatof Bochinsky F watched as the man suddenly resumed his task of collecting up his scraps. "What're you scooting vat rubbish around for, anyway?" he asked curiously from behind the maiko, relaxing now that there no longer seemed to be a threat of being jumped by a rabid frog.. thing. During this time, the goat had completed it's mission of chewing the spray-cap right off the bottle of window cleaner, and had tipped up the bottle to take a glug. Presumably it didn't taste too good because the bottle was soon dropped, to roll back towards Newt, pouring the liquid out as it went. F didn't seem particularly concerned by this. "So.. you're some kind of janitor?" he asked, the question obviously leading somewhere. Newton Filinas "Y-y-yes," Newt said forcefully, but then backtracked, slightly derailed, "Ah- wuh-well... th-that is was... er... I'm cuh-currently at-attempting to understand my ah... actuall... cu-custodial responcibilities anymore, but ah... I'm st-still cap-cap-capable of any er..." Too many problems at once! The poor, timid frogman was having issues being embarassed in front of Sayuri and answering F's questions and gathering his things simultaniously. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri moved away from F; after all he was bigger then her. And looked scarier, so why was he still hiding behind her? Sayuri saw that the goat had finished trying to eat one of Newt's cleaning items and so she retrieved the bottle, dodging the goat as she did so in case he took a shine to either her kimono or her hair, and walked over to Newt, holding it out for the stuttering frog-man.
'Here,' she offered. Fidatof Bochinsky As a result of the stammer, the accent, and the fact that various topics all seemed to have been addressed in once sentence, F didn't understand a whole lot of what the man was saying. Perhaps they were overloading him a little bit, but really, the man panicked at the drop of a hat. He had some kind of problem, F decided. "Do us a lemon an' slow vat cakehole o' yours, will yeh?" he suggested slowly and calmly, holding his hands out. F watched his human shield move off to help pick up the stray items and the goat stare greedily at her shiny, decorative hair. He threw it a warning glare, which it didn't catch. It simply bleated at the girl hungrily instead. Newton Filinas He reached to snatch the soiled device away from the ungratefull Japanese girl, his throat bouncing nerviously as he forced himself not to croak, "S-suh-sorry..." Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri smiled at Newt. She wasnt sure why he was acting so odd. Maybe he was regretting telling her those strange stories when they first met? Sayuri was still swinging between believing Newt and Maryke, and going along with what Sabin said. Because of the kimono gift, she was more desposed to think better of Dr.Duvert for now.
'I think I go now.' she said, looking over at F and then back to Newt.
'It has been very nice to be meeting you,' and she bowed to F, then gave a similar if abbreviated one to Newt.
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Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2006 11:20 am
I cannot even go to my Danna and bemoan the oddness of the people, for he is as foreign as they all are. Even more so. He is so tall, and wears clothes that make him seem all the more odd.
But I seem to be stuck here. I could not go home. I would not be allowed back in the okiya. It would be the worst failure. Not even my setting fire to my own kimono's would top that! I'm still not sure how I did that though...
The people here seem friendly enough, despite being so different. No one has really done anything mean. I have been teased for how I speak, but not cruelly I think. After all, its all learning, if they dont do that how can I learn? Being laughed at makes me not want to do the same thing...
The only thing I find hard to get used to is not going out to tea parties every night. I kneel on the floor practicing my shamisen when I should be entertaining. Tomorrow maybe I will go see what is beyond the trees, and maybe I will be tired enough to sleep early.
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:10 pm
Lost and Found.. Emerwyn Emerwyn was overcome. She could be seen all over the Island. From her door, through the village, past the cafe, into the trees. Through the trees she went, along the river. She almost came close to the beach. She had to run; had to express her joy. She'd done it! In her arms, one could see papers, hapharzardly clutched between bony appendeges. Her eyes watered as she ran, half from the wind, half from her overwhelming emotions. A song issued softly from her throat. Anyone who passed her would not have heard it, but it echoed loud and clear throughout her entire body. Nothing else mattered, except one thing - her Jerrick was alive! Not even the basic principle of sight mattered to the ecstatic deer-woman. Otherwise, she might have noticed the object that she was about to make a front-on collision with. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri was lost. Well no, she thought as she flip-flopped along, her geta getting a little clogged with mud as she went, you are just - exploring! The low and constant noise of the jungle insects accompanied her as she walked, and her kimono snagged occasionally on plants but she pressed on. She didnt know the way back, so she just wended her way forwards, occasionally crossing dirt tracks.
She paused in the act of un-hooking her sleeve from another grabbing bush, sure she had heard some..thing? approaching. She tugged the sleeve hard, the silk gaining a ladder in the weave and she turned on the spot, trying to see if anyone was coming. As she turned to face front again the...person ran straight into her. Caught off-guard and off balance she pin-wheeled and fell to the floor with a hard bump.
'Itae..' she moaned from the ground, sitting up to see who had run her down. Emerwyn Thwack! The collision sent Emerwyn reeling backwards. The speed at which she was running set off such an impact in her, that she landed completely on her back, her papers flying in all directions. Slowly she sat up, Holding her head. "ohhh, my... ?" Her state of ecstasty now distilled as she tried to gather her bearings. It didn't even occur to her that her precious work was all over the jungle floor. Or that there was a young woman, the victim of her collision, only a few feet away from her. When she did come in to focus, the girl was the first thing she saw. "Oh, dear! Oh... dear. I am so sorry, so very sorry!" She pulled herself up, then leaned over, offering a hand to the fallen kimono-clad person. Emerwyn herself looked a mess. Her green cowl was tossed lop-sided over one shoulder, her hair was frayed. She adjusted a fallen sleeve before resuming her offer to aid the girl. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri's head felt a little muzzy. The bump she had received on arrival to the Island had healed, though the area was a little tender still. She felt around gingerly, trying to see if she had hurt herself this time. Maybe she had managed to get away without hurting herself this time! She looked at the confetti of paper on the floor around her and the other - Sayuri covered her open 'o' of a mouth with a sleeve as she saw the person she had collided with properly.
The 'hand' she had been offered could not look less like one to her and she recoiled a little, her eyes taking in everything that was changed of Emerwyn. She wasnt sure if it was because she was female or what, but seeing this advanced a change broke through the fog of denial that Sabin had helped build around her.
'That will happen to me?' she asked, not so sure that she wanted to know the answer. Emerwyn Hoofed hand remained poised, and the rest of the deer's body froze for a moment. It was an interesting reaction, and no mistake. For certain, Emerwyn was used to the various states of distress of new arrivals, but perhaps in her delusinal bliss today, this one had caught her off guard. Her hand lowered and her back straightened. She crouched down once more to the girl's level. Her half-shapen legs bent out at an odd sort of angle. "Yes... In a way, yes, it will," Emerwyn said, her deep, heavy eyes sympathetic - empathetic. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri felt panicked as Emerwyn crouched down near her. She was too frozen to move, her kimono was too bulky to run away in and she knew that the deer-woman would easily be able to catch up to her if she wanted.
Sayuri covered her face fully with her sleeve, in a silly attempt to make her go away. She dropped it again, a moment later, her cheeks flushed red under her makeup at her foolishness. The woman didnt seem to be about to attack her, and in fact she looked gentle.
'He lie,' she said, her voice sounding small.
'Did hurt?'
Maryke had said her change had, but this looked to be so much worse. Emerwyn Absentmindedly, Emerwyn began to gather her nearby papers. She hated doing this - she hated it so much. And this girl, sounded so innocent. It didn't even sound like she knew very much English. He lie. Moreau. The doctors. They all lie... She nodded solemnly. And now... well, she couldn't lie, too. She met the girl's eyes again. "Yes," she practically whispered. Her normal speaking voice was very soft, so this was hard to hear, but easy to understand. If Sayuri did not hear her, she could see it in her eyes. For a while, Emerwyn had to forget about the joy in those papers strewn about the leaves. It felt like a bad omen. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri shook herself, trying to push out of the sudden misery. She was being so rude! Sitting here whilst Emerwyn needed assistance.
'I sorree,' she apologised for her behaviour, helping the deer woman to gather the scattered paperwork. Once again the years of constantly pushing back ones feelings in order to serve the needs of others had come to her rescue.
'I do not want it to hurt.' she said, holding the papers she had gathered out to Emerwyn, her english coming out smoothly for once. Emerwyn Emerwyn nodded thanks to Sayuri and accepted the papers. She slowly and tenderly stacked them neatly together. "I understand," she said, grateful that her knowledge of English grew apparantly more fluent. "Yes, it will hurt. But, that pain shall go away, with time. Sometimes it is worth the wait. And, there are friends here. People who will help you through the pain. No matter how much it hurts, they will be there to share some of the burden." Emerwyn didn't have many friends like that anymore, however. She was gone from Ian. Emelyn, she had not seen in ages, nor had she seen Greer. And Julian... oh, god, Julian. Where were all of Emerwyn's friends? Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri's expression became a little downcast again before she rallied, putting her 'teahouse' smile back onto her face. It was the expression she affected whenever she was the object of teasing during a party.
'No friends. I have been here not many days.' she looked at Emerwyn, concentrating on the kindness that she was showing, rather then her appearance otherwise she would be afraid again. Emerwyn "You shall have friends, make no mistake of that. After all, we are friends now, are we not? We have only just begun, but all friendships must begin sometime." Was Emerwyn making sense to the girl? Was she even making sense to herself? "So, let us begin. I am Emerwyn." And she held out her hand again, her papers secured in the other. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri let her gaze flicker to the outstretched hand; she had to make a decision. She didnt want this to be something her ingrained manners made her do, but a proper choice that only she could make.
She stretched out her own hand, the small fingers gripping onto Emerwyn hoof-hand.
'Sayuri,' she said simply this time, remembering F's comment about her name.
'I am happ-ee to meet you.'
Sayuri smiled at Emerwyn, letting her hand go again.
'What are papers for?' she asked, curious now that introductions had been made. Emerwyn The smile was returned, and Emerwyn took the papers gently into both of her hands once more. "These papers hold very important work that I have been doing for several weeks now. It is very important to me, and to someone else whom I care about very much." Now, all I need is to find out how I can help him.Sayuri Satoharu 'I am happy you have papers then,' Sayuri gave a little bow along with her words. She didnt quite understand all that Emerwyn had said just then but got the jist that the papers were something special. She looked around where they were standing, feeling her sandals sinking a little again in the mud and she shifted.
'Do you know way? I was lost before fall.' she explained. Emerwyn "Yes, yes, I am very glad of it, as well." Emerwyn looked off away from the direction of the river, her lips pursed. "I know the way. Come, I shall lead." Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri nodded.
'Please, I do not want sleep out here,' she giggled a little, picking her kimono skirts up, and waited for Emerwyn to show her the way back to where the Duplexes were located.
'You have ma-ny friends on Island?' she asked once they began moving. Emerwyn The jungle was thick and soft. Emerwyn had not taken the time to notice it while she was running. "I do not know about many. I certainly do know many people here, and I try to regard them all as my friends. After all, we are all bonded by our fate, and even if they do not see it, I do. There are others, people very close to me. I care about them very much." Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri tried not to trip as Emerwyn lead her through the vegetation but it was tricky. It was slow going as she was still trying to walk in the proper 'fluttering' way, and all that was doing was getting her stuck. She gave up and walked as badly as she could force herself to, ie in a more normal gait and she made better ground.
'All trapped,' she said, trying to carry her own in the conversation.
'All friends because stuck.' Emerwyn Emerwyn pushed away what hanging vines and large obstacles she could. Sayuri was not dressed for this kind of trekking, or any trekking, really. She nodded. "We take comfort in each other; that way we don't have to be alone. It is up to us to choose whether or not we are alone, however." Sayuri Satoharu 'Much more?' Sayuri asked, after tripping for what felt like the hundredth time. She pulled out a fan from her obi, and fanned herself as they walked. The kimono and the oppressiveness of the Jungle was making her very warm, and she worried that her makeup was slipping.
'Alone is not nice.' she said emphatically, doggedly following Emerwyn's path. Emerwyn The trees began to break away. "No, not much more at all, Sayuri. It seems we've arrived." Sooner than she'd expected, too. As they walked into the village, Emerwyn smiled at Sayuri, and placed a hoofed hand on her shoulder. "You do not have to be alone." Sayuri Satoharu Finally! Recognition sparked as the trees thinned and she hurried forwards, bouncing a little on the firmer ground.
'I see my place,' she pointed, and tugged Emerwyn a little before pattering off towards it, hoping that she would be following behind her. Sayuri paused at her door.
'Sixty-One!' she chirped, extra happy that she was safely back at her Duplex and had found a new friend.
'It mess. You come by next time, and I make pretty?' Emerwyn "I would love to." Sixty-One... the numbers just got bigger and bigger. "I am in number eighteen. You are also welcome to come by any time!" Emerwyn was also glad she'd found a new friend. Then, with another smile and a wave, Emerwyn trotted back. Phase one was finally complete. Now... came the hard part.
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 12:11 pm
Sayuri had kicked off her mud covered the moment she shut the door of her Duplex behind her. She left them by the door, heading into her bedroom and kneeling by the make-up table. The air and her perspiration as she had gone through the Jungle had caused the face paint to run a little, and it looked dirty. She removed it, her face slowly becoming not that of a striking doll, but just a normal young Asian lady. Her hair ornaments were pulled out and put away, and she went to change from her kimono into a lighter yukata.
'So much better,' she said out loud after taking off her tabi and wriggling her toes. Now that she was safely back home it was time for studying. She went over to the stripped bed base, sitting on the mattress and took up her English book, crossing her legs underneath her and generally relaxing. After a while of trying to form sentences and understand tenses and the like, she put the book down, trying to remember what Emerwyn had said.
Was Sabin lying as well? She didnt know, she would have to ask him when next she saw him. She didnt know when that would be, she simply had to wait until he wanted her company, and then he would contact her. That was how it usually went. She felt butterflies form at the mere thought of being on her own with him and went into the small fridge to find something to snack on to calm her nerves.
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:20 pm
Things had been nothing but a headache recently at the labs. Everything seemed to be hitting the fan all at once. And sometimes, Sabin almost regretted the supervisory position that he had, that he HAD been eeking more responsibilities and power, a little at a time, from Moreau and Aubrey. Between Angharad/Fiona... Jamal... interesting news with Aubrey... and his own private projects with Thom and Rex... Sabin was a very busy man.
And so, he knew it was long overdue that he take a night to himself. At least there wasn't a lot of paperwork that needed to be done (his team was now well trained - under adequate supervision and monitering from him, working on projects they should, and communicating well)... just a great deal was occupying his mind.
Sabin flipped through his notes in the bound book on his desk. Unlike many of the staff, he still kept paper records and notes when he could - not trusting computer errors... or its security. His eyes lit on the notes about Sayuri's kimono... and the answer was there.
Reaching for the phone, Sabin tapped in the numbers to her duplex, brought her up on the moniter at his desk, and patched his voice through.
"Satoharu-san..? This is Dr. Duvert. Am I troubling you at the moment?"
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:27 pm
Sayuri jumped, her fingers slipping with the plectrum, a loud mis-note making a jarring noise in her Duplex.
'Sabin-san?' she looked around her, standing from the bed base she had been seated on, putting the shamisen down and looking around her. How had he gotten in? She had completely forgotten about the intercom but by chance wandered over to where his voice had issued from. She tapped it with the knuckles of a hand, then pressed a button, the sight of it triggering the memory of what the note he had left for her on her arrival had read.
'Sabin-san?' she said again. Her heart was still beating fast. The dinner. Her meeting Emerwyn, and the fact that her denial of everything that was true about the Island was slipping away. But she had to, must be polite.
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:32 pm
"Yes. It is me. I hope that you have been doing well these past few days, Sayuri. And I have been thinking with fondess on you. I had hoped, if it would not be too much trouble for you, if you might join me for dinner tonight up at the labs, and show me some of your dance?"
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 2:36 pm
Sayuri paused a long moment before answering, her 'teahouse' smile firmly fixed onto her face. She nodded and then spoke.
'Danna-san is very kind to ask such nice thing. I must have some time to dress properly for Dan-na.'
She would need to fix her make-up and put on the kimono he had given her.
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:02 pm
"Of course, Sayuri." Sabin answered in a milk-and-honey tone. He had not expected her to be ready immediately. After all, he would need time to prepare up at the labs.
"I will have a jeep sent to pick you up in... two hours sound appropriate? We shall have a nice evening meal."
Sabin had already been through the lab complex, familiarizing himself with the various rooms. Many of them had never been in use - the lab facility built with 'the future' in mind. After all, once the project was in full swing it wouldn't do to do construction work on the labs. Not only were they pretty much stuck with the staff on hand, but work in the labs was a security risk.
Last time Sabin had prepared to entertain an evening guest, Awen, he had located an unused office. It had been small, and there was no escaping that it was intended as a labroom.
Sabin was a man who valued his privacy, and his.. often eccentric tastes. It had not seemed appropriate to bring Awen into the only room that truly matched the strange man: his own quarters.
While his quarters were certainly large enough, and given that it was set up as a suite with the bedroom hidden behind a closed door from the living area, not unsuitable for entertaining.. the connotations to a Western woman such as here were inexcusable. However, with Sayuri, it provided just the atmosphere that he wished to capture, one of possession. To bring her into his home, show her wealth in its material manifestation, and enclose her in his influence, intentially setting her just a bit ill at ease.
It would only take a bit of straightening, and orders to the cook that often prepared meals for Moreau and Aubrey to bring the most authentic Japanese meal he could manage to his own quarters, complete with tea and sake.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:15 pm
'Hai,' she said softly, and a little foolishly she bowed to the intercom.
'Yes, that is much time.'
Sayuri chewed on a fingernail, then scolded herself for doing so. She nervously paced a little, before removing the obi and kimono she had spent the day in. She walked over to the chest of drawers in her koshimaki slip, shivering a little as the thin material only covered from her waist to mid thigh. First she pulled on a suitable under kimono, and then carefully donned the beautiful gifted kimono. Without a dresser to help her, it would take her at least an hour to simply dress. Eventually she had the obi tied in a simple knot, and she tugged and straightened until everything settled properly. She worked on her make-up last, it would have normally been put on first but she simply needed to touch the base up and put on a stronger coloured eye and lip colour more suited to entertaining.
When she finished she looked at herself in the mirror. She wondered if her Okasan would be proud to see her in this fine attire. She stood, her nerves still making her stomach seem filled with dancing butterflies..dancing. She picked two fans, both black and picked out with white flowered designs. And lastly a spray of white flowers on a hairpin was slid into her 'do, before she put her feet into her towering okobo. She was ready..
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:27 pm
Sabin lingered briefly by the moniter, noting as she began to undress. And for a brief moment, he felt like a schoolboy spying on the girls... seeing something he shouldn't. He had watched the video moniters countless times, seen the islanders nude... seen them during ... private moments. But Sayuri, still fully human, and so practiced and elegant, preparing to meet him for dinner ... he felt odd.
He shut down the video display. After all, it ought to be a surprise to see her that evening when she presented herself to him fully dressed.
Sabin saw to the preparations, and shortly before the rondevous time, he sent one of the guards in a jeep to her duplex to pick her up with the specific instructions to be formal and polite - that this was a social call and not something where force should be used.
He arrived at her duplex promptly at the meeting time, and knocked, explaining that he would drive her to the labs to meet Dr. Duvert.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:30 pm
Sayuri almost didnt answer her door when the knock came, but she put on her smile, held her head high and tottered out, not forgetting her key. She remembered the Jeeps from when she arrived, and as she allowed herself to be led and put into it, she hoped she would be able to leave it in a more elegant way then that first time.
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:42 pm
The guardsman was silent for the trip, taking her down the dirt road for about five or ten minutes, and then through the large gate that opened into the lab complex. Parking near the door, the guardsman led her into the lab lobby, where Sabin awaited.
He was dressed much as she had seen him last, with formal dark clothes, tophat, and his hair brushed and down.
He gave a bow to Sayuri, and nodded to the guard, dismissing him.
"Sayuri..." He expressed with breathy voice. "You look stunning. You and that kimono seem to have been made for eachother." And indeed, seeing the material draped on the sort of frame that it was intended for was an entirely different visual experience than merely seeing the intricate, handwoven garment by itself - which had impressed Sabin enough, despite not being exactly a conoisseur.
"Please... come with me, the meal is prepared and waiting for us." He extended a hand with a courtly smile.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2006 1:19 am
Sayuri was pleased with herself; not only had she managed to leave the Jeep in one piece, but she had walked into the buildings without even a hint of wobble. Well, until she saw Sabin, but she quickly recovered, bowing low to him.
'You are too kind,' she said, straightening. She had let her gaze flicker over so that she knew what he was wearing but now she looked more downwards.
'It is a beautiful kimono,' she nodded, a hand tugging on one of her sleeves a little.
She took his extended hand, letting herself look at him again for a moment before casting her eyes elsewhere. Wasn't it now that she should be calling him out, telling him she knew of his lies? She'd never been able to confront anyone, and he was being even nicer then previously, causing her to feel a little off balance.
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