GEISHA... Life Behind the Mask Author: Hikari Email: Rated: PG Genre: Alt.Reality Part: Chapter 5 AN (12/10/00)-> YAY, YAY!! *does happy dance* I WROTE THIS IN TWO WEEK'S TIME!! NO LONG AUTHOR'S NOTES THIS TIME, JUST ENJOY THE FIC AND DON'T FORGET TO EMAIL ME, K? Chapter 5: Darien softly closed the door to his hotel room, leaning on it as he bathed in the memory of the events just past. He had seen her again... for what now would be the up-teenth time, yet he knew that he would never be able to get enough of her. Her smile, her lips, her eyes, her face, her body... they were all engraved in his mind, torturing him day and night. It was at this point that he realized how truly obsessed he was over her. He shook his head, while smiling sadly, as he directed his body towards the beckoning bed. After the time when her Obaa-san had told him of where Usagi would be, he dared not miss a geisha party the old woman "recommended" him to attend. Slipping under the bed covers, he mentally thanked her for all of her help. Without that old lady, he wouldn't have any clue on how to go about what he was planning on doing. And he *would* do it... he would do it... as soon as possible. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Smiling at the building, Usagi stepped out of the microbus and followed the rest of the geisha inside. Today, she would be attending a private Kabuki perfor- mance. The play the actors would be performing... was about geisha. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Darien stared out of his hotel window. He had been in Gion for two weeks; he had been seeing her for one and a half. But he didn't know anything about her! 'Does she have a danna? And if so, is she happy with him?' 'Why are her eyes always so solemn?' 'Why is her expression always so masked?' 'What would it feel like to be with her?' Could he... could he... Was what he was about to do, the *right* thing? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Oi! Yumiko-chan," one of the geisha called, inside a private room at the theater, as she neared her friend. "How are things going with your danna? You still having problems?" "Hai." Yumiko answered. Usagi turned her head at the sound of retreating footsteps. The theater guide was making his way across the room in order to leave, a worried expression marring his features. Concern and curiosity ran through her thoughts as she followed him outside and stopped him in the hall. "Daijoubu?" The man turned around in order to see who it was. "Hai... daijoubu. Doushite?" "Because," she stepped closer to him, "because you left the room in a hurry. You know..." she smiled at him. "We don't mind if you stay while we talk." He bowed his head. "I know. Demo..." he raised his face to look at hers. "I don't want to hear the stories you speak of." "Nani?" "I- " he began. "I don't want to know about the true life that geisha live. I know that it probably isn't very happy... but if I were to find out how things really are, I think it would destroy my image of what they stand for." Usagi looked at him with sad eyes and softly asked, "And what *do* we stand for?" "Perfection," the man said as he looked into her eyes, and gave her a gratifying smile. "You are a porcelain beauty, with sealed lips. You exist only in our dreams... in our fantasies. When people are at a geisha party... it's like a different world. You are like a doll: you have no worries... no troubles... and because of that, we can forget our problems when we are around you." Usagi felt her eyes begin to water. She couldn't move. She couldn't speak. She wasn't even able to stop the man that had bowed his head before her as he left. She wished to know his name. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* With the end of the kabuki performance, Usagi forlornly made her way back on the microbus. She still felt the urge to cry. She hated being considered a doll, and not being allowed to show any emotion. Why did she have to pretend to care about people who didn't care about her? Why did she always have to hide her feelings and lie? And then... she remembered her danna. She hated every one of them. The first one, because he took something that she didn't believe belonged to him. The rest... because that's all they wanted her for. Usagi felt her throat begin to constrict. She wanted to scream. She wanted to yell. She wanted... she wanted to be able to trust someone. She yearned for someone that felt the same way she did... "trapped." "What did you say?" Usagi felt cold sweat run down her back as her head snapped to the side. "NANI?!" "Daijoubu?" Rei asked. Usagi nodded her head slowly up and down. Apparently Rei had been sitting next to her since the microbus had taken off. "hai... daijoubu desu." Rei gave her a speculative look. "Honto?" "Un." Usagi smiled. "Honto... demo..." Rei gave her a look of concern. "Yes?" "Well..." Usagi's voice grew quiet. "Are you happy being a geisha?" Rei's eyes grew wide. "Why do you ask me that?" She became filled with worry. "Is something wrong?" "No." She shook her head for emphasis. "I'm fine. I just wondered if you were happy being a geisha." Seeing Rei's disbelieving look, she knew she had to add something else to her defense. "I know that some of the girls here aren't always too happy about who they are." Rei looked away for a moment. "I- I am happy being a geisha." She reclined in her chair. "It's not really as bad as some of the girls paint it to be." She smiled in reminiscence, as if going back in time. "I have a respected reputation. I am considered flawless in the eyes of men. I- " Rei's voice wavered a bit. "I bring joy to people." At that moment, had Usagi been looking anywhere but Rei's face, she might have missed the single tear that slid down her cheek. Not being able to withhold the flood of emotions that coursed through her body at that time, Usagi wrapped her arms about Rei and cradled her in comfort. "Daijoubu." Usagi whispered. "Daijoubu." "Hai. Daijoubu," Rei sniffed in agreement before disentangling herself from Usagi's hug. She wiped away the tears that had streaked her face and upon seeing Usagi's distraught face, she smiled. "I just get lonely sometimes. I think: 'I'm making all these people happy,' and it fills my heart with pride. But then, I think: 'Who will make me happy?' And I feel..." Rei left the sentence trail off. Usagi knew exactly how she felt. Placing her hand on Rei's shoulder, she said, "I know it's hard to trust people in the kind of business that we're in but, if it makes you feel any better, you can always talk to me." Rei smiled brightly at Usagi. "Arigatou," she whispered as she bowed her head in respect. *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Obaa-san," a small girl called as she peeked inside one of the living rooms, bowing at the same time. "Hai?" The old woman inside the room answered. "Shields-san is here to see you." Obaa-san grew silent for a moment, then, after taking a sip of her ocha, she looked at the child in front of her. "Let him pass." *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* "Tadaimasu." Usagi called as she got home. Discarding her geta, she began to make her way towards her room but was stopped as her imotou answered, "Okaerinasai." Usagi smiled politely at her and then continued on her path. "Chotto matte!" Called the maiko. "Obaa-san asked me to tell you to go see her once you got home." Usagi's expression became confused. "Obaa-san? Me?" "Hai." The maiko answered. "Where is she now?" "At the tea room." "Ok." Usagi said as she began to head that way. "Arigatou." Just as she was about to reach the room, the shouji screen slid and she saw Darien leave the room. Giving him a confused look, she walked past him and bowed in front of her grandmother. "You wished to speak with me?" "Hai." Obaa-san answered, gesturing for her to sit. "I did." Taking her place on the tatami floor, Usagi shivered with apprehension, waiting for what the old woman would have to tell her. 'Would it have something to do with the American man?' *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* On the other end of the screen, Darien awaited nervously the moment when Obaa-san would ask Usagi his question. Would she accept? Would she decline? Would she be happy? *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* " -and so, he has asked to be your danna." Obaa-san finished. "What do you have to say?" Silence fell across the room, as Usagi's face grew serious. And, for what must have been an eternity to Darien, not a word was uttered. She placed her teacup on the table and looking into her Obaa-san's expectant eyes, she bowed her head and agreed. To be continued... #~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~#~# DO YOU WANT THE NEXT PART TO BE OUT SOON? *EVIL GRIN* THEN... EMAIL ME! -> JYA MATTA NE!! ATT: =^,^= HIKA-CHU =^,^=