Tenchi Muyo Fanfiction:
These characters don’t belong to me.
Comments? magdalena_gv@hotmail.com
If you are new to this story, please start with chapter one named 
accordingly like the title. Other than that enjoy!
" The Sea Of Change "
 
Malena  ( magdalena_gv@hotmail.com )
          Regular
   The Sea of Change
Chapter 6: “ From Caterpillar to Butterfly ”
Set after Tenchi Forever, Ryoko is tired of the current love triangle, and 
begins painful steps to mature. An introspective look.

 
 
	*Wait! Wait for me!* Ryoko nose-dived and aimed for the middle of the 
v-shaped flock of ducks.
	She had been flying next to them, over them, and under them for many hours. 
Little by little the ducks had lost their fright and had even “quacked” back 
and forth with her a couple times.
	* Just be patient Ryoko, they’ll accept you. Just a little more time,* 
Ryoko encouraged herself.
	It was a spectacular day to go flying. The sun was fat and round; the sky 
was an endless sea of adventures.
	Ryoko had acknowledged the invitation and taken flight a short while after 
dawn.
	The wind swirled around her, and Ryoko purposely loosened her obi and 
kimono to better feel its caress. Her hair was running freely, whipping here 
and there with the wind’s teasing moods.
	Ryoko looked to her right and found herself no more than two feet away from 
a white spotted duck. He looked her over and finally ‘quacked’ her 
acceptance.
	Immediately after, the entire flock started ‘quacking’ and talking to each 
other, ignoring her presence. Or rather now being comfortable enough with 
her to go on with their daily routines. The way they seemed to be smiling 
suggested that maybe they were telling each other little jokes.
	And why not? It was a beautiful day for flying.
	Ryoko took in the breathless sight below her. There were luscious mountains 
of white, looking more like giant mounds of icing than mountains. The flock 
was flying low enough to pass through the middle of two giant snow capped 
mountains.

	To Ryoko they took the shape of two sleeping giants. By the way they were 
shaped it looked like the Left Mountain - or Mateba as Ryoko named it- was 
stretching over to hug Sagure, the mountain on her right.
	A long stretch of Mateba overlapped Sagure on the base of the two 
mountains. She greeted her old friends and blew kisses as she and the flock 
flew by.
	They passed through Mateba and Sagure, and entered a valley created by the 
two mountains, in which rested a lake of mist. Little clouds that always 
were floating carelessly over the water top and spilling over the lake’s 
edges gave it the misty appearance.
	Added to the mystifying sight, was a faint echo that shook the very 
foundations of the giant slumbering mountains. As she sailed through the 
valley, she passed over a great forest so rich and full that a normal human 
eye would not be able to distinguish where one treetop ended and the other 
began.
	After a few hours of flying, following the paths carved by the sun, the 
forest ended and a house came into view. This house was more than familiar 
to Ryoko. The flying onsen to the side, and the travel-worn path leading to 
Katsuhito’s shrine and the cave (were visible for miles in every 
direction????).
	Ryoko froze, missing the ‘quacks’ her new friends exclaimed before 
continuing their flight to warmer places.She levitated in midair and 
adjusted her sight to see the house up close.
	The front door opened and a blonde head peered out followed by several 
other heads. One teal, one purple, and one light blue with high ponytails…
	The family was going somewhere.
 
She shook her gaze from the front door to the newly added garage Washu had 
built for Nobuyuki’s van. The door was already closing and Nobuyuki was 
parking the car in front of the house, leaving the engine running as he 
quickly opened the trunk.
	Ryoko could not tell what they were speaking about. Small clouds of mist 
appeared time and time again as their warm breath hit the cold surroundings.
	Ryoko focused on Ayeka.
	She was pale and frail looking. The yukata she was wearing under her 
mountain jacket fit her much too loosely, ruining her slender silhouette.
	Mihoshi crossed her line of vision, and Ryoko’s gaze followed her to the 
car. She jumped in the back of the car, in the process slamming the car door 
behind her and almost hitting Kiyone in the face.
	Ryoko cracked a smile and quickly lost interest in the galaxy police 
officers as she heard the front door open and close.
	Tenchi came out of the house juggling three suitcases and doing a fairly 
poor job of it as he hobbled to the car.
-	Tenchi! -
	Ryoko readied herself to phase in and catch him before he fell into the 
snow, but caught herself just as Ayeka beat her to him. Ayeka steadied his 
arm, and reached for one of the suitcases.
	By now, Noboyuki and Sasami were already seated and waiting along with 
Mihoshi and Kiyone.
Washu simply teleported herself in the van and comfortably settled herself 
along with a steaming cup of something while Katsuhito made his way down 
from the shrine.
	Tenchi shook his head at the suitcase Ayeka was reaching for and handed her 
the lightest one he had instead with a thankful grin.
Tenchi and Ayeka laughed at an inside joke of some kind and made their way 
side by side to the car.
	Ryoko’s heart stopped as all the memories came flooding back into her like 
a torrent of thunderstorms.
	Tenchi and Ayeka had kissed and where now living the happy lives they had 
longed for but couldn’t have with Ryoko present. Ryoko’s lip began to 
quiver, not from the cold, but from the overwhelming effort to keep her 
emotions in check. They placed the luggage in the trunk and Ayeka and 
Katsuhito took their seats.
	Tenchi ran back to lock the front door. Ryoko had steadily made her way 
closer and closer to the house. She was hugging herself and not taking her 
gaze away from Tenchi for a second. She absorbed the very essence of him… 
the way he walked, smiled, shivered in the cold.
	* His hair is longer than before… and he has gotten taller still…* she 
thought. Tenchi wore his hair loose and Ryoko wondered when he had changed 
hairstyles.
	He started to jog back to the car, playing with the car keys hanging from 
his fingers. As he was half way from the house to the car, he suddenly 
stopped and stared straight ahead of him, in the direction of the forest.
	He strained to look for something he shouldn’t have been able to see with 
his normal human vision. He was looking straight at Ryoko and she could do 
nothing but stare right back. She wasn’t completely sure why she knew he 
didn’t really see her, maybe it was the furrowed expression he wore, or the 
slightly opened mouth he usually made when worried or sad.
“Tenchi come son! We’ll be late!”
Ryoko turned towards the voice but Tenchi remained frozen on the spot. She 
turned her gaze to him again. She was inches from him now; she could feel 
the heat radiating from his body. Just a little bit closer and she would be 
able to smell his breath.
 
	Her hand rose involuntarily and made its way to his cheek. She caught 
herself as he inhaled a ragged breath. He was completely still, waiting for 
who knows what? When her hand came close to his cheek, he inhaled and closed 
his eyes, trying to magnify his senses.
	Ryoko’s eyes narrowed and her hand shook. Barely millimeters from his face, 
she followed the outline of his cheek, taking into consideration his mouth, 
nose, ears… She closed her eyes and teleported away.
________

	“Cat. Cat.” Ryoko scrunched up her face and grimaced at the voice rudely 
waking her up. She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand and was 
surprised to find her cheeks moist and her face feeling slightly puffy. Her 
eyes felt like lead and her nose was stuffed up.
	She breathed through her mouth and let out a long sigh of relief mixed with 
despair. She cracked an eye and felt a tiny hand caressing her hair, pulling 
the bangs stuck to her face from her tears behind her ear.
	She half-heartedly smiled at her sister before sighing and hiding her face 
in the pillow. * What a cruel dream. Tenchi… It felt so real! The flying… 
the house… the family… Tenchi. He even looked more grown up since I left. 
More handsome…*
She buried her face deeper in the pillow. Clutching it so hard her nails 
hurt. * Ayeka looked different too. She seemed sickly and pale; not her 
usual glowing princessy self.*
	Ryoko snorted into the pillow. * What an imagination you have Ryoko. You 
even made out the family to look different, as if time truly did pass with 
you there to witness the changes. No not Ryoko, not anymore. What an 
imagination you have Catara. *
	“Meow. Cat wha is wong?” Ryo-ooki worded her concern as best she could.
	Ryoko lifted her head of the pillow and had found her cheeks were even 
wetter than before. She frowned and dragged the back of her hands roughly 
over her face, desperately trying to rid any evidence of her having cried 
during the night.
	“I’m fine Kitty. Just a stupid, stupid dream.” She ruffled her sister’s 
hair and made her way to the bathroom. Tonight would be the night she went 
out to her first teahouse. A geisha friend of Serla’s would accompany her, 
introducing her and guiding her along. Homino-san would arrive shortly to 
re-style her two-week-old hair again, and help her into the kimono and obi.
	After she made certain the water was sufficiently warm for the jasmine to 
make its way from the water to her skin and make her smell like a garden, 
she began scrubbing herself clean and making a schedule of her day.
	*I can’t believe I’m going out tonight as a geisha! Its only been 
what?*-she counted the months with her fingers - * Four months! I have been 
in Kyoto since October! Now I understand when the people in the TV say “time 
flies”, it truly does. *
	She dried herself off with a towel, thankful for the mist of warmth the hot 
water had created in the bathroom. It was now February and unusually chilly 
for that time of year in Kyoto.
	Slowly the weather had been warming up. Ryoko felt that the weather and her 
heart where on the same frequencies. Her heart felt a load better… more warm 
and loved.
	When she first had arrived in Kyoto, every single object she glanced at… 
every single thing Serla taught her reminded her of Okayama. Ryoko realized 
that the Masaki clan had been her entire life! She had no experiences of her 
own to compare her new life with, with the exception of her existence aboard 
the Soja, but that wasn’t much of a life anyway.
	She still missed them, but the pain was either fading away or burrowing 
deeper inside her where she could not feel it as often. She now had Fei, 
Serla, Basho, and the most important person Ryo-ooki.
Just as long as Ryo-ooki was with her, she’d be okay. With so many things 
were going on in her life, she barely had time to reminisce about the “old 
times”.
	Fei was finally starting to show a bit of belly and just thinking she would 
be this child’s godmother sent shivers of pride all through her soul. And of 
course there was the whole “geisha” disposition.
	She had been taking lesson everyday, all day, and her mind was
almost ready to bust from all the advice, and information she had packed 
into her tired brain.
	To better remember things, she would go over everything she learned every 
night before going to bed, silently making check marks of things she was 
sure she had down flat, and stars at things that needed more work.She looked 
at herself in the mirror.
	Her skin was radiant, a porcelain tint, with the help of a good soak in a 
milk bath twice a week. Her face was a perfect oval, with high cheekbones, a 
full mouth, with a hint of rose on her cheeks.
Her eyes were as catlike as ever, but when she suggested to Serla to 
downplay their cat-like appeal, Serla was appalled.
	“ Your eyes add an irresistible touch of sensuality that will drive men 
crazy! They won’t know whether you want to make love to them or hunt them 
down. Cat, most men like a challenge, and you are the biggest challenge out 
there. A wild thing, which they will try their hardest to tame and control. 
Your job will be to let them slowly think they have the advantage as you 
hold the strings.”
	Ryoko smiled to herself. One of the things with a check next to it was her 
smile. She had it down flat, and had even practiced several variations.

	When she wanted to seem humble and shy, she would smile with a closed 
mouth, curving the ends slightly. To make the effect whole, she would look 
down, flutter her eyelids, and hold her breath slightly to create an 
attractive blush on her cheeks.
	When she wanted to make believe she was interested in a man, she would look 
at his eyes quickly and then look down, biting her lip gently. This last 
gave her the added touch of being naïve.
	She had several others, but didn’t exactly know if they worked. She hadn’t 
really tried it on anybody except the mirror yet.* I guess I’ll know 
tonight. *
	She also found out from Serla that a Japanese man was different from any 
other man on earth. They liked a demure, feminine woman, who at their 
choosing turned into a flame of passion and desire. * Isn’t that all men?*
	A Japanese man finds a woman finely dressed more sexually appealing than a 
naked figure. The promise of slowly pealing the layers of the kimono, to 
reveal the soft, plump skin was enough to entice their infinite interest; 
and in a geisha’s interest, his wallet.
	The most erotic part of a geisha to a Japanese man had to be the back of 
her neck, and her back. Perhaps that is why the kimono worn by geisha left 
the neck and a few bumps of the spine visible.
	“A hidden path to unknown wonders”, Serla had described it.
To make sure a man took extra special notice of this erotic region, a geisha 
would often paint elaborate designs on the bare skin, accentuating the fine 
curve of the neck and upper back.
	Ryoko had a gorgeous neck, which seemed to stretch on forever.
She had massaged lotion to her neck every night, making sure it was enticing 
enough for even a blind man. She even tasted the lotions until she found one 
with an agreeable taste. Just in case someone wanted to taste her.* Why not? 
*
	Another valuable thing she learned from the lessons with Serla was how 
exactly to entertain a man. Most men who visited teahouses were not looking 
for polite conversation or a striptease. And every hour they requested a 
geisha was money out of their pockets, so a geisha had to be a good 
entertainer to be called back.
	An okay geisha was worth about twenty yen an hour. But a prima geisha was 
worth five thousand yen an hour at the very least, and only to entertain, 
nothing more.

	This was a fine way to make a living, but with the cost of the okiya, the 
expensive kimonos and the like it really did not add to very much at all.
	As Serla had explained this to Ryoko a few weeks back, they had enjoyed a 
good cup of coffee. This was an addiction Serla had not been able to rid 
herself of and which Ryoko took to immediately.“ A geisha’s success depends 
entirely on her damna.

	This is a man who pays for the geisha’s expenses, from the okiya to her 
kimono, and added gifts of his own. In return the geisha makes herself 
available to him for whatever he might need. To him and only him, mind you.” 
Ryoko understood well enough Serla was talking about sex, and was glad this 
activity was limited to a few of her choosing.
	She put on a cashmere robe with curiously a flock of birds flying around 
the hem. The birds embroidered looked a lot like the ducks in her dream. 
Ryoko again looked at herself in the mirror. She was happy to find fewer 
traces of the demon and more of Catara.
She made her way slowly to the pink room. Enjoying the soft, rich feel of 
the robe against her bare legs.

	Her head began to hurt lightly. The pain felt like a small throbbing, 
starting from inside her and making its way to her forehead and back. Much 
like waves in the ocean. Until now she had been able to ignore it, but 
suddenly it came with unending waves of pain.
	She grabbed her head and stood there, trying to control the pain by sheer 
force of will. It had worked on the Soja, but now it did nothing to ease her 
aching head. *Maybe I haven’t eaten enough? Ow! Here it comes again. *
	As another wave of pain made its way, she tightened her fists in her hair 
and leaned on the wall in the hallway for support.* Or maybe it is something 
I ate? What did Serla say about mixing certain foods together? *
	The extra effort she put into thinking of the cause of her migraine, it 
made it double in intensity. * I ate a salad, with coffee and some miso 
soup. Was that a bad combination of foods? Am I having indigestion then? *
	Serla had explained that mixing certain foods together was not a good idea 
because of not only the fact that it was absolutely disgusting, but that it 
also would make the stomach hurt. Indigestion she called it. The example 
Serla had given Ryoko was eating chocolate with garlic. * No. It’s not 
indigestion, that makes the stomach hurt, not the head. *
	Ryoko’s sense of taste, a matter of endless curiosity to her, seemed to be 
aloof. It was thoroughly unpredictable in it’s nature, not caring of time or 
day. Consequently, Ryoko only knew what water, clear pea soup, and matcha 
actually tasted like. It was the only food she had tasted with her taste 
buds working properly. It was more of a lottery ticket only instead of 
money, the prize was finding out how different foods tasted. * I can’t wait 
to taste chicken. Then I’ll know somewhat how everything else tastes, since 
they often say everything tastes like chicken.*
	* The only thing I had differently was that cold tea Serla insisted on 
making me drink before going to bed last night. Maybe that was it! I did 
feel kind of lightheaded and dizzy as I fell asleep. What the hell did she 
put in it!? *
	She made her way with slow, clumsy steps to the pink room down the hall, 
but thankfully before she had to open the door, Serla impatient with her 
delay opened the door to look for her.
She almost knocked her over, but with the same strong grasp she had used 
when Ryoko almost fainted from lack of food, she guided her into the room 
and kneeled by her on soft velvet cushions.
	“I think I over did it a bit with the tea last night hmm?”
She asked herself more than Ryoko as she dabbed her forehead with a damp 
cloth she had reserved for taking out stains on the tatami mats.
	“What the hell was in that!?” Serla hit her gently with the cloth on the 
shoulder. “Don’t talk like that Cat! What have I been teaching all along? A 
geisha speaks correctly everyday, all day long.”
	“Well, why does my head feel like a natural disaster is reeking havoc in 
there?” Ryoko groaned and grabbed her head delicately with both hands.
	“Try and relax your muscles. Don’t strain anything, imagine you are 
floating in limbo. That will help you get rid of the pain.”
	Ryoko, too much in agony to question her directions, simply imagined 
herself flying. Before she knew it, she was reliving her
Dream down to the very detail. Her mind ignored her protests and focused on 
the one thing that she tried to avoid the most… Tenchi.
	She saw his face again, his closeness to Ayeka when he almost fell, but now 
she remembered things she had not noticed before. For instance, Tenchi had 
been wearing clothes she had never seen, and he had new bruises on his 
hands, commonly caused by his training.
	Ayeka as she noticed before, was much too skinny and pale. She had slight 
shadows under her eyes, which was a huge surprise to Ryoko, who had 
personally witnessed the pains Ayeka took to look like the princess she was.
* Why did I dream with them that way? * She could do nothing to fight the 
melancholy feeling creeping its way to the surface from the pits of her 
soul’s inner sanctum.
	Ryoko heard a sigh and a hand gently placed on her shoulder.
“ I’m sorry Cat. I had no idea this would have such an effect on you.”
	Ryoko snapped her eyes opened and stared at Serla. Her eyes roamed every 
inch of Serla’s features. Trying to judge how much she knew, if anything or 
most likely everything. The time had come to finally find out who Serla 
really was.
* * *
	“Don’t look at me like that Cat. I was just trying to rid that depressive 
look from your eyes. You know men can tell and they don’t want find a woman 
with a sad, pitiful story displayed clear as day in her eyes.”

	Serla folded the damp cloth on her lap while saying this, but her eyes 
never left Ryoko’s own for a second. “ Anybody with a single shred of 
intelligence can tell you ran away.”
	Ryoko’s eyes hardened. * She knows about Tenchi! About everybody! I knew 
it! * She made a move to stand but Serla’s hand still on her shoulder pinned 
her down to the tatami mat.
	“Listen Cat, I swear by the heavens as they hear me that you’re the most 
stubborn, bull headed, girl I have ever seen!” She pinched Ryoko’s chin, 
trying to show some kind of sympathy.
“Don’t worry. Your secret, whatever you ran away from, is still yours. I 
just slipped a potion in your tea. It allowed you to, in a sense, cast your 
astral projection and visit them. Which is obliviously something you have 
been longing to do. Isn’t it stubborn little Cat?”
She offered Ryoko a warm, gapped toothed smile and witnessed Ryoko’s eyes 
lose some of their hardness.
	“You should have asked me first Serla-san. Don’t ever do that again, ever.” 
She relaxed, and ran a hand through her drying tresses.
	“How did you learn to do that? And how did you know where my projection 
would go? And what the hell did you put in the tea, my head feels as though 
it was stuck in a vice!” She rubbed gently on the side of her head, thinking 
of a million and one more questions but waiting for Serla to first answer 
those three.
	“Aren’t we curious?” Serla sighed and looked around the room while taking 
her time to answer. “I suppose I do owe you some explanations.”
	Ryoko cocked her eyebrow and gave her a look,“Some explanations?” Serla 
grinned and flicked her tongue through her gap. She stood up and motioned 
for Ryoko to follow her lead.
	“Homino-san will be here soon, I’ll explain it to you as I ready you.” They 
headed to an armoire placed on the right corner of the pink room and Serla 
took out countless bottles filled with sweet smelling liquid which instantly 
filled the room with their tantalizing scents.
	Ryoko breathed deeply and sighed, almost forgetting the explanation Serla 
owed her… almost, but not quite.
	“You must have notice how much I stand out here in Kyoto, Catara. Well in 
the whole of Japan for that matter.”She rolled up the sleeves of Ryoko’s 
robe and opened one of the bottles. She poured a generous amount of the 
thick yellowish liquid on her palms and began massaging it delicately, but 
with a hint of urgency on Ryoko’s arms.
	“I am no more Japanese than mango, I was born on the desserts of Morocco 
and found myself here through the course the stars held out for me. I am a 
gypsy, but this I am telling only you, so be careful of spreading it around! 
Here anybody who isn’t Shinto is looked upon disapprovingly and my life is 
hard enough as it is without adding pointless hardships to it.”
	She poured some more liquid to her palms and began massaging it into 
Ryoko’s other arm. “ What I gave you yesterday is called Minao, and is used 
by the gypsies to ease the ache of the longing heart. It will offer you a 
chance to visit and heal whatever your heart cannot heal on its own.”
	After Serla was satisfied Ryoko’s arms were as soft and enticing as they 
could ever be, she dragged two cushions with her feet (using her toes as 
fingers) from the low table. She placed one in front of the other and as she 
kneeled motioned for Ryoko to do the same.
	“Face away from me Cat. I’m going to do your back and neck.”
	Ryoko took her robe of and twisted it so it covered her rump and front. She 
had her arms crossed, keeping the robe in place so as not to reveal her 
breasts.
	“How did you end up in Japan Serla-san?” Ryoko had no idea where Morocco 
was located on earth, but judging that she had never heard talk of it 
before, thought it must have been millions of miles away. The way Serla made 
it sound, it was in the middle of nowhere.
“The adventure of life led me here… Well that and Basho.” She made a sound 
that Ryoko judged to be a sort of deep, throaty laugh though it sounded more 
like a gargle.
“Basho was my savior, without him I’d be dead.” Ryoko twisted around to look 
into her face, and confirmed what she had understood from the wistful tone 
in her voice.
	Serla had a far off look on her face, and had unknowingly stopped massaging 
oil on Ryoko’s back. Ryoko grinned and was dying to know what exactly had 
happened between Serla and Basho.
	* I bet they were lovers. I wonder what happened? Or maybe … they still go 
at it? *
	“Well that’s enough of that.” Serla clapped her hands on her lap and stood 
up in a pleased huff. There was a doorbell and Ryoko excitedly rearranged 
her robes, having a little trouble with not exposing herself while doing it.
	“Homino is here. Place a couple of cushions in the middle of the room and 
can you help me by putting away the oils? I’ll go greet Homino. Make sure 
you feel comfortable kneeling on the cushions, putting makeup on a geisha is 
long work.”
	She slid the door shut behind her and Ryoko reached for the opened bottle 
and placed it with the rest in the armoire.
	After she was kneeling comfortably, or as comfortable as possible while in 
that position, her mind wandered to the conversation she had just had with 
Serla.
	* A gypsy. I guess that must some kind of group or something. I’ll ask her 
later.*
	She snapped her fingers in inpatients and bit her lip. She felt a small but 
needle sharp pain and felt a warm liquid make its way down her chin. She had 
bit so hard that she had drawn her own blood.
	She still was surprised herself, with how vulnerable her body had become 
without her gems. She touched her bottom lip with her index finger and 
tasted the blood.
	Nothing.

	Her sense of taste was coming and going with a mind of its own. It would 
have to make up its mind sometime. Hopefully it would decide to stay. Though 
with the diet Serla had her on, she suspected the food was not at all to be 
worthy of taste.
	But it was better to decide for yourself not to eat the good food and still 
know that you were capable of tasting it instead of having no choice in the 
matter at all.
	Ryoko had sneaked junk food up to her room every night and with trembling 
hands shoved the food into her mouth, praying it would have some kind of 
taste. She had failed every single time, although Ryo-ohki loved eating in 
bed. She had even helped smuggle food into the room with the danger of 
Serla’s sharp eyes.
“Every time we meet you are day dreaming Catara-san.”
	Homino entered the pink room with his assistant Ayumi. Ayumi was wearing a 
gold yukata with green at the hem, while Homino, himself, was comfortably 
wearing a pair of slacks and a loose beige shirt.
	Ryoko rose from the kneeling position and with a small smile bowed in 
greeting. In a surprising action, she turned to face Ayumi and bowed just as 
she had to Homino, only slightly higher.
	Ayumi flushed at the respect seldom giving to her (a mere worker) by a 
geisha. Ryoko was not yet a geisha but she would soon be, a fact not lost in 
the blushing Ayumi.
	Homino took all this in with a slight interest. He was completely focused 
on the task of Ryoko’s hair and wardrobe.
“Sit Catara. I will begin. Ayumi!”
	He raised his hands out, while Ayumi hurriedly cleaned his hands with a 
disinfectant towelet. He shook his hands in the air to dry them off, and 
gave an exaggerated sigh, as if that simple task had exhausted his energy 
reserves.
	“Ok. Serla and I agree that for your first time out, you will wear a black 
wig. I brought three with me to see which will go the best with the kimono 
you’ll be wearing tonight. “
	Ryoko frowned. “What's wrong with my hair!”
	“Don’t get so offensive Cat. It’s in your best interest that you not stand 
out tonight. And that blue hair of yours is the brightest beacon I can think 
of.”
	“It’s not blue, its tymilo.”
	“What?”
	“My hair. The color is tymilo.”
	“Mmm.” Homino directed his attention to the boxes on the table placed by 
Ayumi as they had talked. Now Ayumi was kneeling quietly in the corner, 
waiting for anything else Homino might need of her.
	“Let me see your face.” He lifted Ryoko’s chin and with the other hand felt 
every inch of her face. Deciding on what colors to choose, what to 
accentuate, the lips, cheekbones, eyes... Definitely the eyes.
“What happened to your bottom lip?”
“Oh, I accidentally bit it.” Homino frowned and shook his head in 
disapproval.
“I’ll have to work around that.” He let go of Ryoko’s chin and opened one of 
the small trunks on the table.
 
	He took out a small teardrop shaped bottle with a stark white liquid 
inside. Ryoko curiously stood up straight and moved her face around to get a 
better view of the trunk’s contents. Homino, however, was in the way.
	He also took out a variety of brushes with full tips, thin tips, and fan 
shaped tips. Ryoko was by now halfway between a sitting position and a 
standing one, balancing so she could see what all he was doing. As Homino 
turned around, she flopped back down on the velvet cushions.
	He had the opened bottle of white liquid in his hand, and dipped his index 
and middle fingers in. He rubbed them together and made a sound of approval 
as he wiped his fingers on a rag hanging from his front pocket.
He then picked up a fat round brush and dipped it in the white liquid. “Hold 
still Catara. This might be a little cold.”
	Ryoko barely breathed as Homino applied the white makeup to her face. It 
seemed to her that he had painted every inch of her face, but in reality he 
had left her eyes and mouth bare. If anyone else had seen her, they would 
have compared her to a child who in playing ghosts, had decided to cut some 
holes in a bed sheet.
	He also purposely stopped painting on the edge of her face, where the 
hairline started. This gave the illusion of the geisha wearing a sort of Noh 
Theater mask.
	Next he took the end of a pigment stick and burned it with a match. The tip 
turned charcoal black and he used this to outline the eyes and eyebrows. 
This gave her an exaggerated cat-like appearance, which helped her already 
feline features, making her look fabulously wild.
	He shadowed her eyes, making the lid black in a look coined “smoldering”. 
He then applied a slight red to the cheeks, on the middle of the cheekbone, 
giving her the appearance of a slight blush.
	Anybody wearing white makeup must be very careful on how they paint their 
lips. The common mistake made is painting them in normal western makeup 
leaving the with “fish bloated” lips. So taking into consideration Ryoko’s 
already blood red bottom lip, decided to use an old geisha trick.
	Pouty lips were always in style, and Ryoko’s were as pouty and full as he 
had ever seen. He took red lip pigment, and with a thin tip brush, painted 
only the middle of the top and bottom lips, leaving the edges unpainted. If 
one stepped back, her lips would look heart shaped and extremely pouty. The 
most important thing was that they didn’t over power the rest of her face, 
only accentuated her beauty.
	Homino stepped back to survey his work. He grinned, “Ayumi come here. Tell 
me, am I not a genius?”
	Ayumi readily agreed, but truly did think Ryoko beautiful.
	“Ok, now the wig.” He had already chosen the peach split wig and after 
pulling Ryoko’s hair back, fastened it with a million bobby pins, which 
created an unbearable itch in Ryoko’s head.
	“Now don’t you dare scratch! That will be a dead give away your wearing a 
wig, plus you will ruin my masterpiece. Also try not to touch your face, and 
when you drink only take in tiny sips so the lip color won’t rub off on the 
glass.”
	Next came the kimono and obi. Serla had earlier placed both items on the 
corner of the table, wrapped in a thin feather like paper.
Homino after making sure his hands were clean, unwrapped the kimono from its 
packaging and ordered Ayumi to assist Ryoko in removing her robe.
	Ryoko gave Ayumi a panicked look but sucked in her embarrassment. Homino 
took no notice of the slender curves of her body, and before Ryoko knew it, 
she was being tugged here and there, making sure the kimono fit her 
perfectly.
	Next came the obi and after a few tugs of its own, Homino sighed in 
satisfaction. The kimono was a honey colored silk beauty with a design of 
swimming fish on the helm. The obi was light green, with little star designs 
sown into it, with silver thread, making it shimmer and shine as it hit the 
light.
	Ryoko herself was as exquisite as her gown. The smoky touch Homino added to 
her eyes and the black wig were in direct contrast with her dazzling amber 
eyes. The first place you would look would be her eyes, and certainly that 
sight alone could take your breath away.
	They moved to the foyer down stairs and Ayumi helped her with her tabi and 
zori. Serla reappeared from the kitchen with Ryo-ohki in tow. Ryo-ohki 
clapped and would have went to hug her big sister if it weren’t for Serla.
	“Hug her when she comes home Kitty. Right now she can’t even touch herself 
for fear of ruining her kimono and makeup.
	Ryo-ooki nodded in understanding and instead gave Ryoko a huge smile. 
Ryoko, filled to the brim with nervousness, only frowned in response. Homino 
had not allowed her to look in the mirror, claiming it was bad luck.
	Serla handed her a shawl and bowed her head. “Well, Mayuri is waiting 
outside. She didn’t want to come in and waste time. You’ll soon learn that 
time to a geisha is priceless, and every single minute you’re not at a 
party, your losing money.”
	Ryoko nodded and swallowed a knot of nervousness. “Good luck Catara.”
	Ryoko looked from Serla to Homino to Ayumi and Ryo-ooki. She exhaled and 
braced herself. She had been working for this moment for the last months and 
she wasn’t going to back out now just because she had gigantic butterflies 
reeking havoc in her stomach.
	She closed the door behind her, without looking back.
	“You must be Catara Sokimobu, pleased to meet you.” Even as Mayuri greeted 
Ryoko, she started to walk down the street.
	Mayuri was a geisha and looked beautiful. She had an impeccably round face 
and a long slender figure, which was perfect for the kimono.
	“Nice to meet you.”

	Ryoko noticed how she took quick tiny steps, much like Serla had taught 
her. Ryoko realized all the things she had learned where finally going to be 
put into use. This was it.
	“Where are we going Mayuri?” As they reached the end of the block and 
waited for the light to turn red to cross the street, Mayuri finally had 
some time to pay attention to Ryoko.
	“Sorry I’m rushing, except you took longer than I expected. Wow, your eyes 
are beautiful! No wonder Serla-san decided to sponsor you.” She gave Ryoko a 
warm smile and continued walking as the light turned red.
	“We are going first to the Miriahi teahouse. Then we will either go to the 
Ambassador’s outhouse???-(do you mean teahouse) or the Sakira teahouse. 
Depends on how the night goes.”
	Ryoko mouthed the names of the teahouses, engraving them in her memory. “We 
will only stay awhile Catara, it is always better to leave men wanting more 
than getting bored.” She laughed at her rhyme and Ryoko nervously smiled 
along with her.
	“Don’t worry Catara. Anything you need I will help you with. Just remember 
they are just men, nothing magical about them.”
	They continued in silence, Ryoko waiting for the right time to ease her 
growing curiosities. Finally after seeing the correct moment would not 
magically present itself, she blurted out, “How do you know Serla-san?”
	“Oh, she sponsored me too, when I wanted to become a geisha a few years 
back. When she called and asked me to introduce you, I was delighted. I knew 
anybody she had taken under her wing was worth it.” She grinned and pointed 
with a nod of her head at the old style mansion at the beginning of the 
block ahead and to their right.
 
	“That’s the emperor’s Kyoto estate.” A thick iron gate, as well as soldiers 
at every post, guarded the mansion. “That mansion is actually only the 
reception hall. There is a small forest and then after about a ten-minute 
drive you arrive at the real emperor’s house, and mind you this is only a 
branch of the exclusive estate in Tokyo. The dream of any geisha is to be 
invited there. Perhaps you’ll get there someday.”
	They walked by the estate and finally after a few more blocks arrived at 
the Miriahi teahouse. Mayuri bowed to the mistress of the house and humbly 
introduced the new geisha Catara Sokimobu.
	It was very important to be in good terms with the mistresses of the 
teahouses as they informed you of any important parties going on and when. 
Plus they put in kind words to their “regulars”.
	They slipped their shoes off the in the hall and quietly entered the main 
room.
	“Look who’s here! Mayuri-san you’re late, but now that you’re here you can 
settle this old argument I have with Mosiko here.” The bohemian looking man 
pointed to his middle-aged companion who already seemed to have had enough 
to drink for the evening.
	Ryoko observed Mayuri delicately smiled and sort of glided to the table and 
take a seat between both men. Ryoko just stood there, not sure if she was 
invited and suddenly forgetting all the things that Serla had advised to do 
to ease the situation.
	“Well, isn’t your friend going to join us Mayuri? Or is she going to stand 
there all night?”
	Ryoko straightened up and glided as best as she could to the table. Her 
mind was frantically searching for something to say and the only thing that 
came to mind was knocking his lights out. She grimaced slightly. * I can’t 
solve my fears with violence anymore, I won’t. But then what?*
	She was feet away from the table when her gaze rested on his empty sake 
cup, and the half-empty bottle of sake next it. The gods knew this man, 
whoever he was, had enough to drink, but that was the only semi sensible 
thing that came to mind at the moment.
	She reached for the bottle and raised it to almost touch the rim of his 
glass before asking in a voice that mostly resembled a purr. “Would you like 
more sake?”
	The man nodded yes, watching every movement of her hands. Ryoko inwardly 
frowned. Serla had said men would fall in love with her eyes, but this idiot 
was looking at her hands as if they were pieces of meat to a hungry wolf. 
Then a stroke of genius came to her. ‘ Better to keep them wanting more than 
getting bored ’
	As she began to fill his cup, she tipped the bottle as if it were really 
heavy, and in response her sleeve shifted to show a little bit of her wrist 
and arm. Ryoko, who was watching the man's face the entire time, was 
extremely pleased to see he had gasped and held his breath.
	She set the bottle down and sat in middle between him and the drunken man, 
opposite Mayuri in the round table, so the low round table was boy, girl, 
boy, girl. Mayuri grinned and began the conversation exclusively to the man 
Ryoko had been flirting with.
 
	“Why Matobi, I believe you have found your model you have been looking all 
around Japan for.”
“Mmm.”

	They both turned to observe how Ryoko next tried to strike up a 
conversation with the drunk, Hikaru. Matobi drank his sake in one swig and 
slammed the glass down on the table. He turned to Mayuri and gave her an 
exasperated sigh.
	“I don’t know why I waste my time coming to these teahouses Mayuri. I 
should be home finishing the painting for the exhibition coming up.” He ran 
agitated hands though his hair, and Mayuri observed he had dry paint stuck 
on the inside of his fingernails.
	“I’m stuck! No more inspiration Mayuri. Do you know that that is the worst 
nightmare for any artist? And it’s happening to me!” He grabbed his head 
with both hands and Mayuri took her cue and refilled his glass.
	“Don’t worry so much Matobi I’m cer-“
	“Don’t worry!” He lifted his head and glared at her. “Do you understand the 
words that are coming out of my mouth!? I’m stuck! Finished! Finito! No 
more, no more…”
	He sulked like a spoiled child who was not getting the toy of the month. 
Mayuri’s tactic of gentle reassurances was not working, but instead only 
adding fuel his self-pity. She shifted her position and focused on how her 
“little sister” Catara was doing.
	Ryoko who had given up on Hikaru, instead was busy analyzing how other 
geisha acted. There was a beautiful geisha on the low table to their left, 
who was playing her shamisen and singing the loveliest melody. In Ryoko’s 
opinion she sounded like those delicate birds that often serenaded her in 
the depths of the blossomed cherry trees in Okayama.
	She felt a soft tapping underneath the table on her leg, and was about to 
put the drunk Hikaru in his place when Mayuri caught her eye.
She motioned with her eyes to the door and they slowly made their way to 
leave.
	There was no gain in staying any longer with one man drunk and the other in 
a mild depression. As Ryoko made her way across the room to slip her tabi 
on, Mayuri lingered near the table and noticed Matobi keeping his gaze on 
her. She smiled and bowed before catching up to Ryoko.
	As they walked on the street again, both pulled their wraps closer as the 
chill in the air was not kind to their silk kimono. “In the next teahouse 
remember to bow before you get ready to part, and offer to make the utmost 
to be available if they call on you. Make them feel they are the most 
important clients you have, your a-list.”
	Ryoko had not even noticed that she forgot to bow. She had been ready to 
leave that place the second after she sat down.
	“Those men were… something.” Not wanting to seem crude, she did not specify 
her true sentiments.
	“Drunk you mean? Well don’t feel too relieved, for I have a good feeling 
they will call on you very soon.”
	“Really? I don’t think they’ll even remember what they had for lunch.”
	“Yes well, as time goes along you’ll learn to judge how certain men 
operate. For example, Matobi is a struggling artist who has been offered the 
chance to premiere his work in the emperor’s palace in Tokyo. He is in a lot 
of stress, so he drinks the night away, and paints during the day.”
	“He shouldn’t drink then but get a good night’s sleep to feel refreshed.”
	Mayuri chuckled before answering, “I suppose that is the right thing to do, 
but for some reason artists always seem to want to be suffering or in the 
brink of the abyss to get inspiration. Matobi feels he’ll find it in drink. 
Don’t worry, soon he’ll get out of this funk his in, and then he’s 
absolutely charming.”

	Refreshing nights sleep, where did that come from? I drown away my sorrows 
in drink almost like clockwork,* Ryoko thought to herself as they waited on 
the corner of the street. When the light turned red, and they could pass, 
she was momentarily confused as Mayuri did not move a step.
	A few seconds later, she noticed a long, black car drive up and the driver 
door open to reveal a huge man. Ryoko’s eyes grew as large as saucers. This 
man was bigger than a whale! She had no idea humans could be this size! He 
bowed his head to both of them and opened the passenger door.
	“Hello Ichima. I hope we didn’t burden you by coming for us without an 
appointment.”
	He nodded his head, and Ryoko could have sworn he blushed slightly, but 
that was gone as soon as Ryoko spied it. “This is my little sister Catara 
Sokimobu. This is Ichima Sakuyema.”
	Ryoko nodded and both speedily entered the luxurious car. Ichima made his 
way to the driver door slowly and when he sat down both Ryoko and Mayuri 
hopped in their seats.
	As the car started, Mayuri raised the automatic window separating the front 
seats from the back.
	“Mayuri he’s huge!” Ryoko said in disbelief.
	“Yeah, but you should have met him a few years earlier. If you think he’s 
huge now, before he was a giant.” She grinned at Ryoko and scooted closer.
	“He was a pro sumo wrestler, in a freak accident which happen only in 
legends, he broke his back and dislocated four discs. By sheer force of will 
he walked again, but the doctors were adamant, he would not be able to fight 
again. Sumo wrestling was a thing of that past. So now, he acts as bodyguard 
to the elite geisha and sometimes as driver.
	“How did you two meet?”
	“He was the man who bid the highest for my mizuage.”
	Ryoko’ mouth hung open and she glanced from Mayuri to Ichima and back 
again. How in the world was that physically possible? And she said that he 
used to be even bigger!
	“Don’t look so shocked Catara-san. It wasn’t an entirely unpleasant 
experience, counting the fact it was my first one and everything.” The car 
pulled up to a white washed house that had orange clay tiles and exotic 
looking plants all over the outside walls. The passenger door opened and 
both geisha stepped out to the chill of the night air.
	Ryoko had a horrible itch on her head, but was determined to make sure that 
the wig should outlast the night. She tapped her foot to try to keep her 
mind off the itch.
	“Thanks for the ride Ichima-san.” Mayuri bowed, and Ryoko noted it was 
deeper and longer than usual. Ichima seemed to blush again, and Ryoko knew 
something was going on. Ryoko then bowed and when she looked up, gave a 
little conspiratorial wink and laughed when he shifted nervously on his 
feet.
	Before entering, Mayuri whispered in her ear. “Be your most charming here 
Catara. The ambassador is a very powerful man, and if he takes a liking to 
you, doors will instantaneously open for you that would have been forever 
closed.”
	The gate opened and they entered a lush garden with a heated pool in the 
middle that was shaped like a catfish right down to narrow strips of the 
pool representing its whiskers.
	There were geisha everywhere- about fifty- two for every man there. Mayuri 
walked towards a man, about fifty years of age but as handsome as ever. He 
was one of those people who seemed not to age, but freeze in time.
 
	He was tall (Ryoko later found out he was Japanese but lived most of his 
life in Tibet) and his skin tanned. He had a touch of gray around the 
temples that gave him the look of an intellectual, not to forget the glasses 
he wore… a thin wooden frame that in turn framed his own toned jaw 
perfectly.
	Ryoko immediately focused on him, but before she had a chance to keep up 
with Mayuri to talk to him and man touched her arm.
	“I’m thirsty.”
	Ryoko bewilderedly blurted out, “Good for you.”
	She turned to look for the man, but he was nowhere to be found. Neither was 
Mayuri. She frowned and heard some laughter behind her. She turned to the 
man who tapped her arm and he began to laugh his head off.
	Eyes turned towards them and all Ryoko could do was stand there trying to 
seem like she found him funny. Inside she was ready to bust his kneecaps.
	After he calmed down, he dried his eyes and took her hand to a bar on the 
corner of the garden. All Ryoko could was follow.
	He took out two glasses and an unopened bottle of sake and waited for Ryoko 
to serve. She grudgingly filled the two cups, but left hers on the table.
	“Aren’t you going to drink with me? I don’t trust people who don’t drink.”
	“Well you don’t trust half of this planet sir.”
	He laughed again and drank his then her glass too.
	“I haven’t seen you here before geisha.”
	“I… this is my first time here.”
	He waited for something else Ryoko might say, but she looked uncomfortable. 
“What is your name geisha? Or should I just make up one?” he sighed.
	“Catara, Catara Sokimobu.”
	He was getting irritated at her short answers but tried one last time.
	“In my experience a geisha always develops a crush on a special client. I 
myself have had star struck geisha foolishly declare their love to me. So 
tell me, is that man yours?”
	Ryoko, who’s eyes were roaming the party, wanting to give him the hint of 
ending the conversation, suddenly snapped to focus on his face. He now had 
her full attention.
	“What gives you the idea I have a crush? I barely arrived a half hour ago.”
	“You didn’t see the way you were looking when I tapped your shoulder and 
the devil look in your eyes you gave me when I interrupted you.”
	He laughed and served himself some more sake and left the other cup full, 
inviting Ryoko to take it. Ryoko looked at the full cup.
* I guess some one is finally noticing my eyes like Serla said.*
She smiled and sipped the sake.
	“That’s better. Now tell me… where in carnations are you from? Obviously 
you are not Japanese, but I can’t place you anywhere. Your eyes are so 
unique.”
	He pinched his chin with his hand, searching for the answer to his own 
question. *What am I going to say? I’m from the demented mind of a 
scientist? Or a soldier born to break up the strongest empire in the 
universe? Or better yet a demon? *
	“I … I don’t know actually. I was raised by a man not my father.”
	*Well, it is kind of the truth. Kagato did raise me, or at least was there. 
*
	“Well, I’ll figure out where you’re from eventually. So who is your adopted 
father, is he Japanese?”
	“He is NOT my father, not even by name. He was just a man who raised me… 
that’s all.” Ryoko’s eyes shined in pain and the man dropped the subject. 
She drank the remainder of the sake and held the empty cup for him to 
refill.
	“I see you’ve met the ambassador Catara-san.” Both Ryoko and the man she 
had been talking with turned to see Mayuri bowing to them before officially 
joining the conversation. Ryoko looked on with disbelief at the man before 
her.
	* He is the ambassador?! Great! I’m really in for it now. I acted 
everything but a geisha to him.*
	“When you told me you were bringing a new geisha, you didn’t tell me she 
would be so beautiful and so interesting.” He winked at Ryoko, and it seemed 
he read her thoughts for next he said, “Plus, she has the best manners I 
have seen, nothing but the purest lady.”
	Now he was milking it, but Ryoko had to smile. This man, or ambassador, 
wasn’t half-bad…
* * *
	“How were the parties Catara-san?” An excited Fei asked Ryoko when she came 
home at seven in the morning. Fei was the only one up so early, so in 
preparation had made a fresh batch of coffee and had settled down with a 
good book to wait for her arrival.
	Ryoko yawned as she accepted the cup of coffee and sat down next to her in 
the breakfast table. “It was good.”
	She sipped her coffee some more and Fei made such a funny dissatisfied face 
that Ryoko had to laugh. “A little more detail if you please ‘Ms. Thing’ Fei 
teased.
	“Well the first teahouse we went to was horrible. Mayuri said those men 
would surely call for me, but I seriously doubt they’ll even remember me. 
Oh, but the place was high class all the way. All the geisha wore exquisite 
kimonos and there was one geisha with the most beautiful voice… I wonder if 
I’m going to have to sing like her when I perform?”
	Ryoko left the question hanging in the air as she sipped more of her 
coffee. The night had been cold, and the coffee a good warmer upper.
	“The next party Mayuri took me to was the Ambassador of Tibet’s house.”
	“That sounds soo dreamy! Tell me, was he handsome and regal?”
	“Well, when I first got there, there was the most handsome man, he looked 
like the emperor himself, but I spent the night conversing with another man. 
As it turned out I ended up spending the evening with the real ambassador. I 
had no idea who he was and acted horribly to him. So I think it’s safe to 
say, I won’t be called from any of the men I met tonight.”
	“I think you’re over stating things Cat.”
	“Yeah well… I’m going to sleep. Wake me up around twelve, twelve thirty?”
	Fei nodded and when Ryoko had taken all her things of and washed her face 
she was laying in bed, dead tired, but still awake. She thought of 
everything and everyone.
	* Maybe I really can pull this of. Truthfully, I always thought someone 
from Okayama would have come looking for me by now. They really are happier 
without me blowing up the house or getting them tangled in adventures. * She 
laid on the futon, hands behind her head and sighed.
	* Well, too bad for them, it’s their loss. I don’t want boring old Jurain 
royalty telling me how barbaric or clumsy I am. I’m much better here. These 
people accepted me just the way I am, and it was my choice to change. They 
have asked not a single question of my past. I bet they are dying to know 
though. *
	She rolled over to her left side, and gazed lovingly at Ryo-ohki. When she 
came to bed, Ryo-ooki had not even stirred. Seeing her sleep so peacefully 
made her own eyes feel heavy as she fell asleep.
* * *
	* First string play three times, then move index over once, middle twice, 
play fourth string… perfect! *
	Ryoko was practicing a complicated piece on her shamisen, and had started 
taking singing lessons with Mayuri. The shamisen was going swimmingly, the 
singing not so good, but Ryoko was determined to at least be okay.
	They had gone out about twenty times now, every night about five different 
parties, always staying about two hours in each. Ryoko had been surprised 
that the day after the first night she had gone out she received fifteen 
different invitations. None from the Ambassador or Matobi.
	Everyday she underwent the process of transforming into a geisha. She 
barely remembered what a good pair of jeans felt like anymore!
	She wasn’t complaining though. It was always good to feel silk on your bare 
skin, a great aphrodisiac if there ever was one.
	“Oh my god!!!”
	Fei barged into the room waving a letter with her hands. “Guess who has 
called on you?”
	She giggled and hugged the letter to her chest before flopping down next to 
a curious Ryoko. Ryoko laid the shamisen next to her feet and reached for 
the letter but Fei kept it out of her reach.
	“Guess Cat.” Ryoko made a face and reached for it again, and again Fei 
moved it further away from her grasp.
	“Come on guess!”
	“If you don’t tell me now or show me that letter I’m going to …” She looked 
all over the room and finally decided to pick up her shamisen. “Club you 
over the head with this here shamisen.”
	Fei rolled her eyes and huffed. “It’s Matobi! He wrote that he wants you to 
pose for him Cat! Isn’t that exciting?”
	Ryoko read the letter and stood up suddenly. “This letter was written days 
ago! And it says he will come visit half an hour ago!”
	She looked down to see Fei struggle to get to her feet. Her belly was now a 
considerable size, and Ryoko held a steady hand for her to lean on.
	“He’s downstairs.”
	“What! Now! Why the hell didn’t you show me this before?” Ryoko rushed down 
the hall and into her room, looking over herself in the full-length mirror. 
Adjusting strands of loose hair here and there.
She grabbed a pigment stick of her make-up case and refilled her eyebrows to 
look perfect.
	When Fei settled down on her futon Ryoko asked, “Do you think I should wear 
a wig? He only saw me with the black one on, not with my real hair.”
	“No, absolutely not.”
	Ryoko then smoothed the wrinkles of her kimono. * Why is that man here? He 
was rude when I last saw him. Hopefully his bad mood has passed over, and 
after all it has been a couple of months since. *
	“Okay how do I look?”
	“Like a princess.” Ryoko’s eyebrow went up. She bowed to Fei with a mock on 
her face and went downstairs to greet Matobi. * Princess huh? If Ayeka could 
only see me now.”
	She entered the living room and found no one. Her face burrowed and she 
went to the kitchen. There was Uncle Basho reading a newspaper and motioned 
with his head to the basement door before whistling.
	Ryoko grinned and stuck out her tongue at him. She mouthed the words, “How 
do I look?”
	He mouthed back, “Perfect.”
	“Why are you two whispering?” Serla came up from the basement and 
re-arranged Ryoko’s hair a bit.
	“Okay, Matobi is down there waiting for you. He only wants to talk to you.”
	Ryoko frowned and made her way to the basement, carefully planning her 
conversation with him. The last one had gone horribly. Maybe that was the 
problem, she was too careful and cautious. * I’ll just wing, and if he 
doesn’t like me then … whatever.*
	She slid the door open and was momentarily blinded by a white flash a 
light. She blinked and heard a click.
	“I had heard you had cyan hair, but had to see for myself. Very nice, very 
nice.” Ryoko saw an old looking camera in his hands. She looked up at his 
face. He was calculating her.
	His eyes seemed to be roaming every inch of her body, and then he would 
stare at the floor for minutes at a time, whispering things underneath his 
breath and then he would look up and look her over some more. Ryoko simply 
bowed and kneeled to wait his instructions. Finally after what seemed like 
forever, he spoke.
	“I found my model.” He sat down next to her and was almost in her face. 
Ryoko could even smell his breath, he had just eaten some kind of garlic 
soup.
	“I will do an entire show on you, titled “Geisha”. Tell me are those your 
real eyes?”
	Ryoyo’s eyebrows went up in sarcastic surprise. * Now he notices my eyes.* 
She nodded.
	“And what about the hair?” She nodded again.
	“Good, good. Now this is my idea. I will observe you put on your makeup and 
hair and essentially go from being you to the Golden Sun Geisha”
 
	“Where did you get that title?” Ryoko interrupted.
	“Don’t you know? Well, every time you make an appearance, you cause quiet a 
stir. Especially when you try to blend into the crowd. With those startling 
eyes and hair you can never just fade away my dear, and I’m warning you 
right now, when you are with me don’t even think of wearing that monstrous 
black wig of yours. I’ll rip it off and throw it in the river.”
Ryoko laughed. “Don’t tell Homino that, he’ll fume.”
	“Homino? Don’t tell me he is your stylist?” Ryoko nodded and he shook his 
head in sudden enlightenment.
	“Then you must be the one he said fought like a samurai am I right?” Ryoko 
nodded in surprise.
	“He told me the story over a couple of drinks the other night at the 
Miriahi teahouse. I tell you, just give that man a few sips of sake and he 
opens up like a clam.” Both of them laughed together.
	“Well what do you think? With me?”
	Ryoko smiled and bowed her head in acceptance. * A whole series of 
paintings of me! If they could only see me now! *
He smacked his mouth and nodded to himself. “Ok we have a lot of work to do. 
My deadline is in three days and -“
	“Three days! Three days! How are you going to finish a whole series in such 
a short amount of time?”
	“Well, with your help, we will work around the clock, you posing for me, 
and we’ll do it.” He clapped his hands in excitement and went to the trunks 
on the corner of the basement.
	“This is what legends are made of.” He called over his shoulder.
Ryoko inwardly sighed. * What did I just get myself into? Three days… Ugh! I 
probably won’t even get to sleep. *
	“Since you are already dressed we will start with the ending phases of the 
transformation first. We’ll work backwards.”
	Ryoko resigned herself as Matobi ordered her to pose in different, often 
tiring poses, for hours at a time. Thankfully Ryoko had a lot of practice in 
staying still in uncomfortable positions from her former life.
* * *
	“Catara stop squirming!” Ryoko narrowed her eyes and did her best to stand 
perfectly still for the fourth consecutive hour.
	She had a huge urge to go to the restroom but Matobi had told her to hold 
it a bit longer. He had said that six hours ago. Now Ryoko had a vision of a 
volcano erupting and the extreme relief that would bring. She sighed.
	“Stop moving!”
	* That’s it! I have to pee, I haven’t gone to the restroom in two days now, 
its inhuman to hold it in this long, I’m going to burst! *
	“Matobi I have to go to the restroom! I won’t take no for an answer again, 
unless you want to include in your painting a weird yellow puddle.”
	“Alright go, but take no more than two minutes, we have three more canvases 
to go.” Ryoko rolled her eyes and headed with stiff legs up the stairs, to 
the first floor.
	So much time in one position had gotten her legs asleep and now that blood 
flow was finally circulating again, her legs felt like a million ants were 
running up and down them.
	She limped into the kitchen and made her way slowly to the restroom. As she 
was washing her hands, there was an urgent knock.
	“Cat is that you?” someone whispered urgently.
	Ryoko whispered back. “What’s the matter Fei?”
	“I have something big to tell you -“
	Ryoko opened the door as she was drying her hands with a towel.
	Fei had been crouching near the door, and as the door opened straightened 
up before leading Ryoko by the hand to the kitchen. She closed the doors 
that connected the kitchen from the living room and the basement before she 
exploded in a brilliant smile.
	Ryoko smiled back and frowned at the same time in confusion. “What’s this 
all about?”
	Fei had been full of surprises lately, from her baby giving its first kicks 
- Ryoko was sure it was to be a beautiful baby boy - to telling her about 
Matobi.
	“Well, Serla-san said not to tell you since it might make you nervous, but 
I just can’t keep it in any longer, it’s so exciting!”
	By now Fei had Ryoko on the edge of her seat. “About three weeks ago the 
bidding for you mizuage begun.”
	“What! How come no one said anything to me? And I thought I had to wait at 
least a year? It has barely been six months since my first outing.”
	“Yeah but there were so many offers, too many so Serla decided to alter the 
rules a little bit.” Ryoko’s eyes grew large and her mouth turned into a 
lopsided grin.
	“So many offers? Like whom? How many?”
	“Serla would not tell me the names, but I over heard her and Mayuri talk 
about you breaking a ten year record. Supposedly someone bid on you an 
amount that hadn’t been offered since the 1980’s.”
	“Catara hurry up!”
	Both girls turned to the closed basement door and the muffled impatient 
yell from Matobi. Ryoko huffed and turned quickly to Fei.
	“When does the bidding end?”
	“I don’t know, it has been going for a while now. I suppose Serla will want 
to make sure the gentlemen pay as much as they can. For that she will 
introduce a number and wait for a couple of days till someone bets, then 
again and again until she thinks they’ll go no higher.”
	Ryoko nodded once in understanding and made her way to the basement. When 
she re-took her position and Matobi began painting again her mind wandered 
to her mizuage.
	* I broke the record.” Ryoko sighed in disbelief. * I wonder who wants me 
that bad? * Her mind searched for the answer, but truthfully she had met so 
many men that she barely remembered their names, much less guess if she made 
a strong enough impression for them to bid heavily on her. *
* * *
	One more painting to go, and Matobi was going through one of his trunks, 
looking for the right shade of her eyes. They were in the phase were Ryoko 
wore no makeup on, all natural, and believe it or not that was much harder 
to capture on an oil painting.
	As Matobi kept on looking, Ryoko wanting to satisfy her curiosity, peeped 
at the other drying paintings of her. They were each covered with a white 
bed sheet and she chose to uncover the closest one to her.
	In this painting she was in full garb, her body was at an angle and her 
gaze was unfocused and breathtaking. She looked like a queen, the woman who 
was sure of who she was and everyone wanted to be. Ryoko gasped.

	*Is this really what I look like? I … look confident, like I half the world 
eating out of my hand.* She focused on the hands on the painting and smiled. 
She remembered how Matobi had focused on her hands the first time they met. 
On the painting her hands were emphasized and
looked like birds ready to take of.
	She smiled shyly, like she didn’t know how to act in front of this wondrous 
woman. A single tear made its way down her cheek and she held back its 
brothers and sisters. It would not do to get sentimental, that was not her 
style.
	Matobi had been witnessing her reaction silently and noticed how she 
unconsciously held her head a little higher, her eyes became a little bolder 
though they looked a little overwhelmed at the revelation she was in reality 
the woman in the painting.
	Matobi finally knew what to paint for his big finale. He would paint Ryoko 
like that, with the gleam in her eyes, and the tear down her cheek, of 
course he wouldn’t tell her, if he did she would become nervous and loose 
that “look”. He would paint her in his own studio, she deserved the rest.
	“Okay, that’s enough. I’m going to go home and will be back in a couple of 
days. Take care of the portraits Catara.”
	He stored everything in the trunks and put on his coat.
	“I’ll leave my stuff here and have someone pick it up later.” What Ryoko 
did next surprised Matobi but touched him deeply indeed.
	She was truly thankful for what he did, for what he saw her for. No one she 
knew in the past would have painted her so… so … Her sentiment was beyond 
words, the things she was going through humbled and excited her at the same 
time.
	So the next best thing to putting into words her sentiments was to give him 
a hug. The hug represented friendship, a life long debt of camaraderie to 
the receiver, a promise to share more good times in each other’s company. 
All this Ryoko relayed to Matobi in this deep, sincere hug. He hugged her 
back.
“Ah Catara, you’re going to make me cry now.” He smiled and touched his eyes 
with his fingertips, making sure no tears would slyly make their way down.
	Ryoko smiled back and he fidgeted nervously before going quickly up the 
stairs.
* * *
	“Serla can I speak to you?”
	“What’s on your mind Cat?”
	Serla was writing a letter in her dormitory when Ryoko interrupted.
	Ryoko on her own accord did not want to outright say, ‘Who won my mizuage?’ 
so as not get Fei in trouble, but she was losing patience fast. It had been 
more than a week since Fei’s revelation and Serla had not said a word, and 
mind you Ryoko had used every sly trick in the book to get her to tell her. 
Serla had not revealed a single clue… zip… nada.
	Ryoko sat down on the futon while Serla kept on writing on the desk. “Serla 
I know you have been very generous to me since I met you. You have taught me 
so much, don’t think I’m not grateful…”
	Serla stopped writing and lit a cigarette waiting for Ryoko to continue. 
Ryoko looked into her eyes and did the thing she had tried to avoid doing 
this past week. “Who won my mizuage Serla?”
	Serla took a puff of her cigarette and smacked her mouth. “It took you long 
enough to ask me Cat. Now I suppose it was Fei who told you, yes?”
	Ryoko nodded. “Why didn’t you tell me the bid had started, after all I’m 
the one who will actually be doing …” She did a kind a wave motion with her 
hands to indicate sex, and Serla laughed.
	“Well yes, of course but knowing you, you get would get nervous and become 
clumsy and rude to the men. Probably imagining they were rating you.”
Ryoko remained silent. * That is true. Whenever I think people are making 
their minds up about me I have this habit of acting my worst, a kind of fuck 
them attitude I guess. *
	“Well your right but… in the future tell me when you make important 
decisions, no more secrets right?” Serla nodded and offered her a cigarette. 
Ryoko took it and Serla held the lighter for her to light it.
*My throat feels hot. * She inhaled again and there was an itching feeling 
all the way down her throat that wasn’t entirely unpleasant. It reminded her 
that she could finally feel trivial things as smoke.
They enjoyed each others company for a few minutes, while Serla began 
writing again. “Aren’t you going to tell me?”
	“Akio.”
	“I don’t know anybody by that name Serla.”
	“Well he is quite taken with you Cat. He has called on you about everyday 
for the past months. The more I keep denying you, the more he calls. I think 
he is in the border of a mild obsession.”
	She laughed and raised her eyebrows at Ryoko, teasing her. Ryoko took no 
notice. She was searching her mind.
	* Who the hell is Akio? I haven’t met anyone in any teahouse by that name, 
I don’t think. *
	“By the way Cat. Homino-san will not be able to accompany you to Mizuage 
and dress you for the occasion. I will have to find someone else.”
	Ryoko who barely paid attention to what Serla said, caught the word Homino, 
and a light bulb light up inside her head. * By the gods! That’s that guy 
who threatened Homino that afternoon in his studio! I only saw him once, how 
the hell did he get in the bidding? *
	“He bid a million yen for you. Obsession wouldn’t you say?”
Serla was teasing, but Ryoko was not in a humorous mood.
	“Serla I only saw him once. The first day we went to meet Homino remember? 
I haven’t seen him since.”
	“He came a week after that day, but you still had a lot to learn and I sent 
him away. He has called regularly since and when your bid started he would 
not be beaten.”
	“Who started my bidding?”
	“The ambassador, but after your mizuage went more than half a million he 
grudgingly stopped.”
	“But Akio paid a million, who bid against him after the ambassador left?”

	“Matobi.”
	“What! Really? So you mean to say as I sat hours on end posing for him, he 
was bidding for me?! I can’t believe it! I feel like a fool. I was the only 
one oblivious to the fact he was bidding.”
	“What would have happened, how would you have acted toward Matobi if I 
would have told you he wanted your mizuage?” Serla crossed her arms and 
waited for Ryoko’s answer.
	“I would have freaked that’s what! I … I thought he was gay!” Serla laughed 
so hard she had tears streaming down her face.
	“Why on earth would you think that?”
	“Aren’t all artists gay?”
	“No! Of course not, most are bisexual, but that is another matter all 
together.”
	Both laughed, but Ryoko’s laughter was tinged with a little anxiety. She 
was about to tread in unknown waters… waters that contained friendly animals 
like dolphins and hunchback whales, but more importantly contained dangerous 
animals like sharks and even unseen ones like the box jellyfish.
	To Ryoko, Akio resembled the box jellyfish. A danger unforeseen and that 
with one sting of its tentacle is enough to leave you paralyzed and totally 
defenseless.
	“When does it take place?”
	“In three weeks to the day, no rush.”
	Ryoko nodded and swallowed a nervous knot. She had not thought of the 
consequences of her actions. Becoming a geisha meant a life that everyone 
she previously knew had said was impossible for her to attain.
The life of a revered lady, enjoying the privileges of the elite, with grace 
and stature.
	So far she had accomplished all her goals, but she had one more hurdle to 
jump through to graduate to true geisha instead of apprentice geisha. And 
with the sum acquired from her mizuage, she would automatically be 
considered a prime geisha. *But… I would be having sex with a man…
	A man that wouldn’t be Tenchi.
	What would he think of all this? Of all the effort I have put into becoming 
a geisha? Would he be proud? Or turn away from me disgusted? Or what’s 
worse, not care either way?
	Oh Tenchi, you really did fuck me up you know that? Utterly and completely. 
Messed me up good and proper you did.
	Well, it doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter what he or anybody else thinks. 
I knew I would have to sleep with men before I decided to be a geisha and it 
didn’t bother me then, it won’t bother me now. *
	“You hear me Ryoko? It won’t bother you that the man that you give yourself 
to is not Tenchi. Will never be Tenchi, he now belongs to another woman.”
	“What’s the matter Cat?” Fei startled Ryoko, interrupting her away from her 
mental badgering. “Who is Tenchi?”
	*Shit I was talking out loud to myself! What am I gonna say?”
	“Tenchi …. He’s …he’s … none of your business. I hate snoops!” Ryoko yelled 
at Fei as her last line of defense.
	She had been very careful in not mentioning any of their names, and she 
would not reveal anything now, she was not ready. Fei frowned and maybe it 
was the pregnancy fooling with her mood swings but they made her bolder.
	She stood her ground and said, “No need to yell Ryoko. I just came in here 
to tell you dinner is ready. You were talking to yourself and I got 
worried.”
	With that she turned and walked out the room, closing the door behind her. 
Ryoko sulked and was surprised to find Serla was nowhere to be found. It 
seemed she had left her alone a long time ago.
	“How much time have I been spending here beating myself up about this 
anyway?” She asked herself.
	She looked at the closed door and yelled Fei’s name before jumping up after 
her. She opened the door and was greeted by an ecstatic Fei who was hugging 
her lights out. This pregnancy of hers must have given her extra human 
strength because Ryoko was sure she had heard some bones in her back crack.
	“Fei I’m sorry … I would love to confide in you, really but I am just not- 
”
	“Ready.” Fei finished for her.
	Ryoko sighed and nodded in thanks for understanding.
	“Do not worry my friend, you will tell when the hurt has passed or at the 
least has diminished. I will remain your friend even if I never know what 
story belongs to your past. I will be content to make one up for you.” Both 
women smiled.
	Suddenly Fei’s eyes grew large and her mouth grew larger. “Cat! The Baby! 
It’s… he’s… kicking!”
	She grabbed Ryoko’s hands and pushed it softly against her belly. To Ryoko 
Fei was truly creating a miracle. How beautiful and wondrous it was to be 
able to create and nurture life.
	As her hand waited for the tiny kick, she instead felt something shift 
within her skin, something was changing positions, and with Ryoko’s over 
developed senses she could feel the pressure of two tiny hands upon hers.

	It was true that she had made a solemn promise to herself not to cry, but 
the tears now running down her face were of a different sort all together. 
These were tears of happiness, tears of joy at the life being created under 
her very fingers, fingers, which before had only felt pain and death.
	“He’s not kicking Cat. I’m sorry, I guess he got tired.” Fei said 
disappointedly. If she only knew. One day she would… but not that day.
	They smiled and Ryoko supported her as they made their way down the stairs. 
In the kitchen her family was waiting for her. She could hear Serla sipping 
some concoction of hers and Basho making dinner and whistling a tune at the 
same time. More importantly she could hear Ryo-ohki switching TV channels 
with lighting speed until she found some anime of her liking.
	Ryoko smiled and braced herself for what had yet to come. Her mizuage might 
very well turn out to be one of the hardest things she would ever have to 
do, but … it would be done.
* * *
	“Are you nerrrrvous sisterrr?” Ryo-ooki asked with a heavy accentuation of 
the letter r in the words that no matter what Serla tried Ryo-ohki could not 
rid herself of.
	“Yes. I am as nervous as a cat on a hot tin roof.”
	Ryoko grinned lop-sidedly and ruffled her sister’s hair. She had begun her 
scholarly lessons about three weeks ago. About the time she found out about 
her mizuage partner and ever since then, had been taking courses to better 
expand her knowledge and encourage her own free thinking.
	Yesterday Ryoko had read Tennessee William’s “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” to out 
loud to herself and Ryo-ooki. She was now learning to apply her newfound 
knowledge in everyday conversation.
	“Tonight is the night, and I’m terrified. What if it hurts?”
	“We have gone over this before Cat.” Fei replied with a smile as she helped 
Ryoko with her kimono. “It will only feel like a sharp pain, or a needle 
prick only from the inside.”
	“And there will be blood right? How much?”
	“Well it depends on the woman, but not much as to drown yourself in it. 
Don’t worry and for heavens sake stop thinking about the blood!”
	Fei yanked softy at the kimono to get her point across before making sure 
Ryoko’s makeup was perfect.
	“Will you sleep home with us tonight?”
	“I will come home in the morning Ryo-ooki.” Ryoko started to bite her nails 
but before she could do much damage Fei swiped her hand away.
	“I really don’t know why you are so nervous Cat. I have told you every 
single detail and we have gone through every possible scenario of what may 
go wrong. You are very prepared for this, much too prepared for my taste.”
	* How can I tell her that I was taught to simply follow directions as 
Kagato took control over my body? Now it’s up to me to see how this thing 
takes its course. I hope Akio doesn’t expect me to do anything special to 
him. I will be concentrating on not gagging to concentrate on anything else. 
May the gods hear me! Please, please Tsunami … let him not be a pervert. 
Please! *
	“Ready to go Catara-san?” Mayuri asked from the hallway.
	Ryoko looked from Mayuri to Fei and Ryo-ooki. Her gaze lingered on her 
little sister. * This will be the last time she looks upon me as an 
untouched woman. *
	Butterflies circled her stomach, and she was sure she would throw up before 
the night was through. Mayuri and Serla would accompany Ryoko to a special 
tea ceremony performed only when an apprentice geisha gives herself to a man 
in mizuage.
	The ceremony would be very solemn and antisocial. The geisha was advised 
not to smile or do anything apparent to eagerness or happiness. Not that 
Ryoko was feeling anything remotely similar to eagerness, or happiness.
	Ryoko with Serla and Mayuri would all have a celebratory dinner with her 
mizuage partner, and then Ryoko would wait for Akio in the Residential Kyoto 
Spa and Resort.
	Ryoko still did not know who would accompany her and assist her in anything 
she might need before and after the deed was performed. This person was for 
the geisha’s own safety, and since Homino could not go, Ryoko was afraid she 
would have to look out for herself.
	The Tea Ceremony was performed in a private room in the Miriahi Teahouse. 
Ryoko wore the dullest kimono to date, who’s only adornment was a peace dove 
embroidered around the hem in eggshell white. The kimono was dark blue and 
the obi gray.
	Akio was already waiting for them in the parlor and was ordering his second 
drink when they walked in. Ryoko looked at the floor immediately, but felt 
his heavy gaze burning her skin. Any details of his clothing or manner were 
thankfully lost on her. She did not want to remember anything about her 
mizuage.
	Sera had a few silent words with Akio in the parlor and all went into the 
reserved room. The lights were dimmed and a single low table positioned in 
the middle. One cushion one each side, so Ryoko and Akio would be face each 
other.
	Serla and Mayuri stood on each corner, silently observing the ceremony. 
Ryoko kneeled and after making sure her kimono was arranged properly at her 
feet, and started to prepare the matcha. She poured some powder into the 
warm water already waiting for them in a small china kettle, and stirred the 
powder until it dissolved into a green solvent with the bamboo whisk. She 
then poured one glass, meant for them both.
	All the while, Ryoko was chanting an ancient song under her breath taught 
to her by Serla asking humbly for luck in one’s destiny.
Ryoko then picked up with the cup with both hands and sipped the matcha. 
After the dainty little sip, she handed the cup to Mimoniku. This symbolized 
the union about to take place between these two souls.
Ryoko was mortified.
	The more time she spent spying at his face from down cast eyes, the more 
she envisioned Tenchi. He would not approve of this. Now she was giving him 
the chance to really believe she was careless and free with her body.
	Of course, she had stripped down to the skin for him, but the key word was 
him. No other, only Tenchi. She had never even dreamed of sharing herself, 
giving herself, to another being, much less this man.
She looked back at Akio and grimaced as he took a longer sip of matcha, 
leaving the cup almost empty.
	All through dinner it was a blur to Ryoko. The small talk Mimoniku had 
tried to start with her, was short lived by her grunts and silent nods.
	Mayuri and Serla had not given her any sort of support for the thing she 
was about to do, so Ryoko decided to ignore them as well. They weren’t truly 
her friends if they willingly led her to the monster’s lair.
	When she finally snapped out of her daze, she found herself sitting on the 
futon in an expensive looking suite in a hotel. Which hotel she could only 
assume was the Residential Spa, since that was what Serla had told her she 
would be.
	* Though I can’t really trust Serla, I had to drag the information on my 
mizuage out of her. She did not tell me of her own accord*
	She looked around the room, and realized the futon she was sitting under 
was actually a bed, and the room was styled after a spy movie she had seen 
back in Okayama. It had a weird speaking actor from the seventies era, 
judging from the balloon hairstyles and bell styled pants, and was called 
James something or other. She could not truthfully recall the rest of the 
name.
	* Weird how I can remember that, but not what I had for dinner tonight.* 
Her gaze fell on the door when she heard the knob twist open. Her breathing 
stopped. Her heart raced a thousand miles per hour, and heard a throbbed 
sound in her ears. She unconsciously began to bite her lip, a habit she had 
no idea where she had picked up. Her hands dug fiercely into the bed sheets, 
wrinkling the fine linen.
	When Ichima Sakuyema knocked for the fifth time and no answer came, he got 
worried and decided to go on in unannounced. It had been a particularly 
heavy night for traffic and he did not make it to the ceremony or dinner, so 
he instead changed directions to wait for Ryoko in the hotel. Alas, that 
road had been doubled in traffic.
	It had not been his day, so as he parked he ran up the stairs to the room 
467, the sweet where Ryoko was to change into her robe. The room 469, 
adjacent to it, would be the room she would wait for Akio. When Mayuri had 
mentioned to him Ryoko was looking for a guard for her mizuage he 
immediately offered to be there for her.
	That wink she had given him, had stayed in his heart ever since the night 
he drove them to the ambassador’s house. A warm feeling he could not ignore.
	So when he opened the door, he was afraid to find she was in the middle of 
changing or much worse Akio had gotten impatient and entered her room, but 
instead he found her glued to the bed. Nails extracted like claws and he 
could swear he heard her growl. But all this happened in a second’s time, 
until she realized who it was and Ichima witnessed her body turn to butter 
as her muscles eased their tension and her jaw relax.
	“Ms. Catara, I am sorry I am so late, fortune was working against me this 
afternoon and could not make it to the dinner. I humbly ask your pardon and 
foolishly hope you will still let me have the honor of being you assistant 
on this important occasion.”
	Ichima then kneeled and bowed, a feat not easily accomplished for a man his 
size, and Ryoko was astonished at how his head touched the floor. She had no 
idea someone so huge had so much flexibility.
	Ryoko remained silent and Ichima thinking she was angry stood up to leave. 
As he again bowed to her, this time only a deep bow of the head, she jumped 
from the bed and gave him a strong embrace. As strong a one as her arms 
allowed, since they did not touch at the back. She had a fleeting mental 
image of hugging a gigantic teddy bear. To Ryoko, Ichima’s arrival had been 
a source of comfort and solidarity. She finally had someone to lean to, to 
calm her woes, if at least they were calmed with unspoken words and a heart 
felt hug of appreciation.
	Ichima uncertain of what to do, simply stuck his arms out like two flat 
pieces of wood. He felt Ryoko relax the hug and he looked down to meet her 
thankful gaze. She smiled and released him, grabbed her robe that lay on a 
seat. Before entering the bathroom looked over her shoulder and said 
seriously, “Never bow down to me. Friends greet with hugs and occasional 
kisses on the cheeks.” She winked and smiled gratefully.
	As she closed the door, he himself smiled and sighed. She really was 
something else. He mouthed the words, “Golden Geisha”, under his breath with 
a grin.
	As Ryoko changed, her hands were shaking, but her heart no longer throbbed. 
Ichima’s presence had somehow calmed her. She couldn’t explain how or why, 
but she was thankful Tsunami had heard her prayers and at least had sent her 
some support. Strange to feel so attached all of a sudden to someone who she 
had only met once before.
	She loosened her obi and kimono and let them slip from her slender curves 
to hit the bathroom tiles with a soft thud. Her body tensed from the sudden 
cold and she quickly wrapped herself in the silk robe. She gazed at herself 
in the mirror, and sighed. The task was still at hand and the clock kept on 
ticking. It would not stop for anyone, not even her.
	“ Well Ryoko, here goes nothing.”
	She stepped out of the bathroom. “I’ll be back Ichima-san.”
She grinned nervously and stood in front of the door that joined the two 
rooms together. One room was for her, while the other was where Akio was 
waiting.
	“I’ll be here for anything you might need Catara.” Ichima bowed and Ryoko 
inhaled deeply. She opened the door and braced herself.
* Ok Ryoko, the time has come. You won’t back out now. *
	Her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting in the room, and she jumped when Akio 
called a greeting. Ryoko heard not a word, but it all sounded like grunts. 
She swallowed a knot and shut the door behind her.
She kept her head down, and her arms crossed at the chest tightly.
	“You look beautiful Golden Catara.” He was sitting on a lush seat near the 
end of the bed, with his legs crossed and wearing a black yukata. His 
slippers resting near the door leading to the hallway.
	Ryoko nodded and stood frozen in place. * What do I do now? *
	“Would you like a drink?” Ryoko shook her head, making her loose hair 
ripple in waves around her shoulders and back.
	“Me neither, alcohol numbs the senses.” He laughed and moved to cross his 
other leg, to better have a look at Ryoko from his sitting position.
	Ryoko got the gist of his words and she grimaced in disgust. *Gods, how did 
I get here? Numbs the senses, pervert. *
	She bowed her head lower, making her line of vision be the floor and her 
feet. She was in the middle of counting her toes when genius struck.

	Her eyes gleamed and her stand became more confident as she raised her head 
and looked him in the eyes. Ryoko always worked better when she had a card 
up her sleeve, and the one she just thought of was an ace!
	All the people she had ever met, had thought her a person who was fueled by 
her anger, though that could not be further from the truth. What was true 
was that since Kagato had controlled her, she always seemed to onlookers 
like she attacked first, thought later.
	But really, for someone who could not get hurt by mediocre weapons, why 
would she take precautions? And after she was released from Kagato’s 
control, she actually enjoyed how her feelings overpowered her.
	She felt in heaven because no one any longer told what to think or what to 
feel and when to feel it. She was finally in command of her feelings, and 
she let them take over quite frequently. Which often resulted in a hole in 
the wall or an extra adventure somewhere.
	Now it was time to deal the cards and slip her hidden ace into play.
	She cleared her throat and sat at the edge of the bed, just a few feet from 
the chair he was sitting in. All she had to do was stretch her arm and she 
could touch his foot.
	“I … was really surprised that you had taken such an interest in me, after 
all we barely even met.”
	“But you made quite an impression on me. Both my daughter and I thank you.” 
He smiled and scooted his chair closer to Ryoko. She noticed his move and 
folded her hands carefully on her lap.
	“Yes well, you should not go around threatening people when you don’t get 
your way. I can’t always be there to protect them.” He laughed and Ryoko 
shifted on the bed as he stood up and sat down beside her.
	“I am really interested in knowing who taught you to handle a sword like 
that with such ease. My father was a farmer and he was the one who taught me 
to use a machete, of course that talent pales in comparison to your talent 
with the samurai sword. If I didn’t know better I would think you could fly 
like in the movies.”
	He laughed yet again, inching closer and closer to her. He placed a hand on 
her knee, and the weight of it made her robe slide down revealing much of 
her leg and thigh. He followed the course of the robe and took in the 
tantalizing sight of her leg, knowing what hidden treasures awaited him 
through the robe. Ryoko pulled back and move further in the bed.
	“How about a massage?”

	He nodded a little confused at the sudden shift in moods, but quickly 
enjoyed the change.
	Ryoko knew how to administer great surges of pain by applying certain 
pressures in the body muscles, consequently she also knew the spots to 
administer great surges of pleasure, and this was what Akio was enjoying.
	Ryoko started on the upper back, with slow deliberate circles.
He groaned in satisfaction and reached his hand behind his back to hold 
Ryoko’s as she massaged. She grimaced and gently shrugged it of as her hands 
headed lower on his back. His groan got louder and she grinned.
	When Kagato made her all those times torture innocent beings, she learned 
to numb their bodies so the pain could be lessened. She did this as often as 
she could, which was hard with Kagato breathing down her neck, but she 
remembered it all. All the muscles that numbed certain parts of the body, 
and the human body was not all that different from the ones she helped die 
with a bit of dignity.
	He moaned again and turned around so suddenly Ryoko’s hands went from 
massaging his lower back to massaging his lower front. She gasped and 
withdrew her hands as if they had been burnt.
	He groaned again and dove in hungrily for her neck. She froze, stopped 
breathing all together. She had no idea what to do, and was in a state of 
complete panic.
	His hands roamed everywhere, places she could have sworn were illegal to 
touch. She turned her head to the side as he moved from her neck to her 
mouth. She would not kiss this man for anything, not that he minded much. He 
moved along to the other side of her neck and started nibbling.
	Ryoko had her eyes shut the entire time and envisioned a big, hairy rat 
nibbling on her neck instead of him. She swallowed her growing disgust, and 
felt his hands fingering the sash helping to keep her robe from opening.

	She pulled back and he pushed forward, now keeping one hand on her sash, 
and the other going up her leg. He leaned her back on the bed and she dug 
her nails on his shoulders.
	He moved up to look down on her, face to face. His features looked strained 
and a bit confused. As if he was feeling something but it wasn’t really 
happening.
	He nibbled on her upper chest and shoulders, pulling the robe back with his 
hands. She kept her eyes tightly shut, and her mouth was shut so tightly she 
didn’t noticed she was biting her tongue, until a bit of blood appeared on 
her lip corner.
	She felt the hot liquid and opened her eyes in surprise. The last thing she 
needed was blood. Ryoko remembered what Fei had said about a woman bleeding 
the first time as he moved his lips closer to her breasts. * No more! *
	Before she could knock this man out cold, he huffed and lifted himself off 
of her. He moved down to her side, hands on his face with a look of 
frustration about him.
	She quickly covered herself up, and moved to the corner of the bed, as far 
away as possible from his hands and mouth. She remained silent as he laid 
there, not moving. She frowned and sighed in relief all at the same time.
	* Is it over? Did he change his mind? Gods I hope so! I don’t care if I 
have to return his money, just make him ask leave of me. Let me go home. *
	“This has never happened to me before, I don’t know … I feel that I …but it 
doesn’t and …” He groaned, but this time in complete frustration raised 
himself up. Ryoko’s face burrowed in confusion until she caught a glimpse of 
his numb member as he sat up.
	Her face held steady, not revealing the instant jubilation her heat felt. 
The massage had worked! And no matter how horny he got, he would not be able 
to perform sexually. At least for the next seventy-two hours!
	He stood up and moved to pour himself a drink, with the largest cup the 
hotel had to offer. He gulped it down and immediately followed it with 
another.
	Ryoko now more at ease with the knowledge he was, how would Fei put it?, 
‘Kaput for the night’. She relaxed and kept her gaze steady on him.
	Both Akio and Ryoko knew that he had paid for her mizuage, and that meant 
for the chance to sleep with her tonight, only. If he could not perform, 
which happened more often than not, the geisha still kept the money.

	There was a chance that they could set up another meeting, but then the 
whole city would know of the man’s inability and he would become the 
laughing stock for a couple of months. There was also the chance that the 
geisha could set up a secret meeting, but the city had eyes and ears 
everywhere and it would be a lot of trouble to keep the secret meeting a 
secret, trouble Ryoko was obviously not going to put herself through.
	He gulped down his third shot of sake and waved her of with a hasty shake 
of his hand. She jumped to the door yet looked back.
* What is it about being human that gives you a blaring conscious? I can’t 
just leave him like this. High and dry after he went through so much trouble 
to get me here. *
	She held the doorknob in her hand, and her fingers tapped the smooth 
surface repeatedly. She looked back to Akio once again and sighed. * What 
should I do? The old Ryoko would have left him hours ago, in fact she would 
have broken his ribs first, but I’m not her anymore. I vowed to change, to 
better myself. What would I do? The real me? Would I leave or stay? Damnit! 
What should I do?!*
End of chapter.
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