centuries are what it meant to me.

[*nagasaki masuyo.]

Masuyo wrinkled her nose as she hurried along the sidewalk. There was so much ... stuff puddled in the gutters, it really was very gross. She was tempted to hold her nose as she passed up the really bad areas, but resisted. She didn't want to muck up her makeup; she would have to go back to the okiya and redo everything. Then she would be late for the banquet, and everything would be a big mess. She didn't want to get in trouble, so she simply held her breath while passing through the stench.

It was very difficult to walk in okobo on slippery sidewalks, so Masuyo was forced to take very small, slow steps to avoid falling down on the wet sidewalk. That would be even more disastrous than messing up her makeup, because it would mess up her kimono, hair, and makeup, and very possibly hurt her physically. That definitely couldn't happen, or Masuyo would miss so many engagements no one would ever want to book her again. This fear kept Masuyo walking so slowly she hardly moved, and others on the sidewalk had to go around her as best they could, often with grumbles and complaints. While these discomforted Masuyo, she managed to keep calm until she made it to the Kagoshima Cafe.

She had enough time before the banquet to have a quick bowl of miso soup, and maybe rice as well. She sat down at a table to perused the menu while she waited for a server to come and take her order. While she waited, she wondered what was going to happen at the banquet tonight. She much preferred ozashiki to banquets, because banquets were usually held by some supposedly important company and all they did was play drinking games. Masuyo preferred to dance, or at least play shamisen, than drink sake with old men and pretend to laugh at their silly jokes.

[masako Ieyasu]

Masako walked toward the Kagoshima Cafe for a quick bite before the ozashiki where she and her oneesan are to perform. Since being here Masako has established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the ozashiki with not only her dancing abilities but her quick wit and flirtatious manor.

Although it took her a little time to get warmed up to the customers, sence she has, they best look out. Masakaio has done wonders for her shyness and opened her mind and will so she is always wanting to tease and flirt with these silly men.

Masakaio is late this day, so Masako is stopping to wait in the café. Then sees this young girl dressed for entertaining and walks over to her, “Hi. My name is Masako, are you going to the Kendo Ozashiki also.” Masako boldly asks as she bows slightly, hoping she does not offend the girl.

[*nagasaki masuyo.]

Masuyo looked up from the menu she had been looking at to see another maiko bowing to her and introducing herself. Masuyo is a bit shocked, but not too surprised - she'd learned that not everyone was as shy as she is, and have no problem introducing themselves to strangers. It's not something Masuyo would ever dream of doing herself; she was much too afraid that the person would be shocked and ignore her, or worse yet, be rude to her. She did enjoy when others made the first move, for it gave her a chance to make new friends without the risk of looking like a fool.

This girl looked at though she were senior to Masuyo, so to be sure she was showing the proper amount of respect, she bowed almost as low as she could while introducing herself shyly. "Yes, that's where I'm going. I must meet my onesan." Masuyo looked down at her lap for a few moments, trying to think of something to say. She focused on the light green designs on her kimono while she thought. "Erm ... what okiya are you from?" she said, making an attempt to be brave. She would much rather risk looking like an idiot than have this girl think she was snobby.

[masako Ieyasu]

Now after the girl smiled Masako thinks, "Oh my what a precious little Maiko she will make. Then totally forgetting the girls question, she says, half question and half statement, "Oh good, we will have such a time there...you are a shikomi, do you dance, hopefully...oh, please, may I set with you?

"Also, please do not think ill of me, but my oneesan has worked so very hard to get me to where I will speak up to others.

"You will enjoy this ozashiki, many there are ones I have flirted with before, they are such fun."

Then realizing if she doesn't shut up this, possible friend, might never become one to Masako, she smiles and looks at the menu, knowing all she wants is rice.

[*nagasaki masuyo.]

Masuyo was a bit taken aback by the girl's enthusiasm. It wasn't that it was annoying or irritating, but she was much more used to shy, sedate girls. That was how she herself was, and she had accepted it. She much preferred to socialize with girls who acted more like her. She wasn't quite sure how to act around girls like Masako, having watched them and envied them for so long without ever actually interacting with them. "Yes, you can sit with me," she said, motioning to the empty spot at the table.

Masuyo was hoping to get to know this girl, and so forced herself to answer her question. "Yes I do dance. I much prefer it to playing shamisen or something. It's my favorite." She grinned at Masako, even though her onesan had told her to always smile with her lips close. The white makeup would make her teeth look horribly yellow by comparison, even if they were as white as she could make them. Masuyo figured she could break this one rule this one time.

"Have you been to many ozashiki with this company?" Masuyo asked, wanting to learn as much as possible about her the men she was to be entertaining later tonight. Usually, her engagements were booked weeks in advance, leaving her ample time to research the company and provide her with things to talk about. Her onesan always told her to never rely on her looks or charm to entice a man; that many men were just as intrigued by intelligence. Masuyo had took this advice to heart and tried as hard as she could to mix intelligence with the stereotypical image of a maiko.

[masako Ieyasu]

Masako is now happy this sweet young girl is so open and friendly, so she replies, "Yes they have a gathering almost every other week. You will enjoy yourself, especially since you like the dance, because they love to see us perform and are so appreciative.

"If you haven’t before you will receive any flower yen before, you will tonight. Just be sure and flutter your eye lashes, lower your head, looking at him, giggle and thank whoever humbly… these childish males love that. Oh! And do not allow yourself ot become nervous...really, these men are tops.

"Remember sweetie, the more they like you, the more you are requested, and therefore the more Yen you make."

"OMG", Masako thinks, "What I just called her, please do not be upset with me, but if she told me her name I missed it...OH! Dumb loud mouth Masako!"

[*nagasaki masuyo.]

Masuyo frowned for a moment. What Masako was saying went against everything she had ever heard about banquets of this sort - all the girls said the men were old, fat, and lewd. She supposed there could be different types of men. It was still confusing, though, so she set aside the train of thought so she would haves something to occupy her mind later, on her way back to the okiya or walking to another engagement. She much preferred to have something to think about during those times; it made it easier to ignore crass men and overzealous tourists.

Masako was a bit taken aback by the "sweetie" addition, but found that she did not mind it too much. She was used to being babied by everyone because of her childlike naivety. She was used to it, and so motherly endearments like those didn't phase her. She'd learned to simply ignore them.

[masako Ieyasu]

The girl looks happy so she must not have taken offence. So Masako tells her, “This group is rather nice compared to others, they are younger than most, and although if one of us lets her guard down they will jump on it, they are not in any way nasty or overly suggestive. If you have any doubts watch me for a time, you will see how really nice they are.”

[*nagasaki masuyo.]

Masuyo nodded. "Yes, I'm sure that in time I will know them just as well as you do." This was the moment when things became awkward; Masuyo was very reliant on the other participant in the conversation to introduce new topics and keep the conversation going. She had no problem replying to questions or things like that, but it was nearly impossible for her to bring in new ideas. This was one of the problems in talking to loud girls; they usually expected everyone to be just as talkative as they are. It was much easier to have conversation with quiet girls; they aren't afraid to sit in comfortable silence. Masuyo was one of these girls, and didn't see herself changing anytime soon, at least with other girls. She didn't have a problem talking to customers, maybe because it is her job, but normal people who weren't paying for her company were a different story entirely.

[masako Ieyasu]

Seeing how quiet Masuyo is, Masako realizes her shyness, backs off, as the food gets here, and begins eating.
Then Masako’s oneesan arrives, and Masako says, “Masuyo this is my oneesan Masakaio, I know I talk too much, so blame it on Masakaio…teeheehee, she did it, didn’t you darling.”
With that Masako and Masakaio hug one another.
But by now it’s time to leave, so Masako and her oneesan says, “Good bye for now Masuyo, we like getting to the 1st party early so we can talk to mama-san and see if there is anything special we should know, of course if you want please come with us, and poop, from then on it is getting into them after they have begun.”

[orastella]

ooc: It strikes me that this thread makes no sense if Masako and Masuyo are in the same okiya.

[masako Ieyasu]

ooc; Masuyo is supposed to be a new shikomi, I was taking it at that, and she went along with the subject line