Tale of a Geisha. [Leon & SxyCowgirl]

[SxyCowgirl]

The High Mistress smiled back at him, clearly pleased with his response. "Haru. Please show him to his quarters. Miss Hisoka, tend to him." She ordered.

"Yes High Mistress!" Haru said, bowing to her, then he turned to Leon. "Please follow me."

Turning to Hisoka, she smiled again. "Get Leon whatever he asks for."

"Yes High Mistress." She said, standing and setting the weapon beside her.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Leon felt a little uncomfortable with all of this pampering, but he couldn't turn down the hospitality, at least not in the presence of the High Mistress. Smiling and standing to bow to the High Mistress before leaving with Haru to follow him out. Leon made sure to do everything that was required of him for now. He couldn't have them getting the wrong idea about him, nor did he want to upset anyone. Leon knew the customs were different, but he felt like he was being treated especially well for no apparent reason.

[SxyCowgirl]

Haru lead Leon to the room they would be sharing from now on. Once inside, he closed the doors and walked over to what was apparently his bed, sat down, and began taking off his slippers and outer-garments. "You are very fortunate." He said to Leon. "The High Mistress doesn't speak often to strangers."

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Leon followed closely behind Haru, not really having much chance to admire the beauty of the complex around them. When they entered their room, Leon blinked as the man before him began to strip. "Oh man," Leon said, turning away from him, "Put it away." Sighing, Leon looked around and avoided looking at Haru. "I am grateful that someone of such high respects would consider talking to me. I am just a common man, no more," he babbled, looking around the room.

[SxyCowgirl]

((His pants are still on. Hahaha.))

Finishing removing the outermost layers of clothing, except pants, Haru looked up at Leon. "Modesty. It goes far." He said. "Perhaps she could see it in your eyes." He mused aloud.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

"Come in." Haru said.

Opening the door a bit, Hisoka peeked in. In a bit of a shy voice, she relayed the message she was supposed to. "Dinner will be ready in about an hour."

"Thank you Miss Hisoka. Um...could you please send Miss Kita in?" He asked, blushing a bit and tipping his head forward some as if to hide it.

"Of course Haru-kun." She said with a giggle, closing the doors again and walking off.

Haru relaxed, took a deep breath and sighed.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

[OOC || Oh.. Lol Fail.]

"Eye," Leon corrected almost automatically before it even crossed his mind, which he immediately apologized for. "I didn't mean to sound so negative, I just have the habit of reminding others I only have use of one eye," Leon explained, even if he knew that his words weren't entirely true. The eyepatch over his right eye wasn't just because of a battle scar, but rather to protect others from the untold powers he stored within his eye. It was once said that the White Emperor had an eye of a God, but none could ever prove it. Those who've seen it, no longer live, save for Leon himself.

Just then, Leon heard an errant, yet soft knocking at the door. Miss Hisoka..? Leon silently hoped, as the door opened to reveal the beautiful maiden he'd met just not too long ago. Leon glanced over at Haru, wondering why he would be asking for a woman to come in their room. Shrugging it off, Leon went to the other bed, which he assumed was his, and stretched across it. "I wonder what dinner will be," the young warrior thought aloud, losing himself in thought.

[SxyCowgirl]

"I really hope it's not chicken again." Haru said, laying back on his bed. Just a few minutes later another knock came at the door. As if shocked with a bolt of lightning, Haru was up and on his feet. He ran over to the door and opened it. A huge smile crossed his face. Just about to leave, he remembered his new roommate and turned to look at him. "Um....I'll be back a bit later. If you need anything, call Miss Hisoka." With that, he walked out of the room quickly.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Leon too altered toward the knock of the door, but was a marginally more collected than Haru. Leon had questions, but decided to keep silent as there was a great deal of anticipation and joy radiating from the other male in the adequate room. Nodding, Leon just lay back down to allow his mind to wander and his eyes to flutter until he finally dozed off for a small duration of time. Only a half hour passed before Leon awoke, but he wiped a sweaty forehead with the back of his hand. Panting, he shook his head to clear his mind as the vivid dreams of the dark past he was forced to relive every night were still burning in his brain. Sighing, Leon kicked himself off the bed and rummaged through the small chest at the foot of his bed. Within, he found a new set of fresh clothes. Leon preferred his own garbs, but when dinner arrived, he wanted to be presentable. Another audible sigh pushed through his throat, "I wonder if they have a training room here," Leon wondered aloud again, before standing to turn and head out the door.

As he made his way about the various halls and pathways of the geisha complex, the white warrior began to wonder if this place was some sort of fortress. Though he noticed no guards posted or on duty, Leon began to question the security of the establishment. Continuing his search for some sort of location in which he would be permitted to train his skills, Leon found himself a little lost. The White Emperor was new to this outfit, so being lost was something he should have expected, right? Apart from that, he didn't understand Japanese, so it wasn't like he could just start up a conversation with just anyone, unless they all spoke English, nor could he read any signs, provided there were any in the first place. It was another half hour before he gave up and just sat on a bench, deciding he would wait for someone to happen upon him and hopefully they could direct him to the right place.

[SxyCowgirl]

As soon as the food was prepared, Miss Hisoka set the tray for Haru and Leon. She smiled at the presentation she carried. Chicken with a spicy peanut sauce, steamed jasmine rice, a whole pot of green tea, a bottle of warm sake for to celebrate Leon's employment, with sweet red bean cakes and fresh mint for dessert. It smelled delicious and she couldn't wait to see if Leon liked it. Though she wasn't the best in the Geisha house at cooking, she was pretty proud of this meal. She had taken a few lessons from Musou, the oldest girl and the best cook on how to make good meals. She got to their room and knocked lightly on the door. She was a little bit confused when there was no answer and so she opened the door to find both Haru and Leon were gone. She sighed and walked in and set the tray on the trunk at the foot of the bed, covering it with the cloths she brought for wiping their hands on to keep the food warm. She then left the room to go find the two men. She knew where Haru was and figured it best not to disturb him so she went looking for Leon. She wandered for a while through the halls, asking people she passed if they had seen him. Very few had seen him, but the ones who did gave her a sense of where he was headed. Following the directions, she soon found him sitting on a bench.

"Hello Leon-sama." She said a bit timidly. "The food is ready and waiting in your room." Smiling, she blushed a bit, bowing to him.

((OOC;; Sorry for taking so long to reply. XP))

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Much to Leon's surprise, he was quickly found by none other than Miss Hisoka, herself. As she gracefully made her way to him, Leon found himself awestricken by her beauty once again. Of course, one would normally expect that in a community such as the one in which he'd been invited. Geisha's were considered to be beautiful and were indisputably respected, much like nobility. The closer she got, the harder his heart beat. Maybe not harder, but faster definitely. In either case, it took him a full second to stare at her awkwardly after she addressed him before snapping back to earth. A look of embarrassment flushed his face and he quickly knelt down like a knight before a queen.

"Ahh, I- uhh... Ahem." He stumbled about like a buffoon at first, but finally managed to find the words he needed, "Hello, Miss Hisoka. I'm thankful that you've brought me food, and am regrettably.. lost. Would you be so kind as to direct me back to the room?" Lowering his head more, in shame, Leon felt himself wishing he'd have never left the room in the first place. He wouldn't be in this predicament, nor would he have to apologize for not honoring her gift of food by being present when it was delivered.

[OOC: No worries. My reply also took forever. I'm very happy to see you've returned. :)]

[SxyCowgirl]

She blushed, noticing his stare and then stopped in surprise when he knelt before her. Her eyes widened and her cheeks quickly flushed with color. Stunned, she stood there listening to him. When he finished speaking, it was a few moments until Hisoka became aware of her own facial expression and she turned her head some to try and conceal it without being obvious.

"It's no problem." She said, smiling a bit. "I still get lost in here sometimes." She paused, some old memories returning to her, she smiled a bit bigger and looked back at him, and then out the window in the hall they were in, her cheeks a little less brightly colored. "It's nice sometimes though. To be lost in a safe place and such a beautiful one as this." A little bit quieter she added "And reminds me a bit of home."

Looking up at him she smiled, her cheeks now only a rosy pink. "I will gladly show you back to your room. And if we get lost, at least we'll be lost together." She blushed a little more at her own boldness in that last statement.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Leon just seemed to be oblivious to her own embarassment, or was gentleman enough to not point it out, and kept quiet when she shied away for a moment. More surprisingly to him was the fact the she was neither from here, much like he was, along with the fact she too became lost in the labrinth-like geisha complex. That made him feel much less foolish and gave them more of a connection to one another. Looking around, he took in the beauty of which she spoke. Yes, no doubt this place was beautiful and she believed it to be safe, though Leon was a bit skeptical. Then again, he was used to fortresses and castles, along with the battlefield and the absolute feeling of imminent danger wherever he went. If there was one thing he was certain about, it was that he didn't ever feel safe. Not so long as he drew breath. Too many times had he nearly lost his life by getting too comfortable.

Her final words struck him dumb once more, "M-M'lady.. I.. Y-Yes. I agree," he said with cheeks burning a hue of red. And if we get lost, at least we'll be lost together... Lost together... Together.... The words circled throughout his head several times, wondering what she meant exactly by them. It's nothing! I'm just over-thinking things... Again. Shaking his head, he breathed in and smiled. "Well then, we should go then." With that, he followed her.

[SxyCowgirl]

She giggled as he stammered, blushing more. She turned around in the direction in which his room was and waited for him to step up beside her before they began the walk back. It seemed like forever passed, but it was more likely a span of a few minutes, before she spoke again.

"Um." She said kinda quietly. "Could we please eat together?" She asked.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

The two walked for what Leon thought to be an eternity. Between the scandlous looks he recieved from the others they passed and silence he recieved from Miss Hisoka, he felt like he was being punished. When they finally reached the safety of his quarters, he collapsed onto the bed from the tension. Alas, his moment of relaxation only lasted a moment as Leon bounced off the bed and was thrown to the ground by the laws of physics. Blinking at his own crazy mishap, Leon just sighed in defeat and lie there for a moment.

It was then that the beautiful geisha's voice broke the silence and he sat up quickly before nodding generously. "Oh yes! I'd be honored! Very much so, m'lady." With a beaming smile, Leon turned to the food for the first time and feast his eyes on the... feast. His eyes were wide as his senses were overtaken by the fantastic looking meal before him, not to mention the euphoric scent it gave off. It was incredible, but as a gentleman, he kept his composure. "I am thankful you've brought me this delicious looking meal and I am sure it will be equally delicious to the taste." Before he took his own plate, he awaited to see what she wanted and allowed her first pick of her favorites.

[SxyCowgirl]

She smiled and knelt in front of him and picked up a plate. She filled it with a little bit of everything and set it before Leon. She then took one of the tea cups on the intricately carved red tray, set it upright in front of Leon and poured a steaming cup of fresh green tea for him. As she waited for him to take a bite, she went over to the door and closed it gently.

Kneeling back in front of Leon, she smiled at him. "I hope you do like it. I helped prepare it today." She said proudly. It wasn't the first time helping out in the kitchen, but it was the first time she had ever made and put to dish an entire meal like this. Usually she was assigned a side dish or a dessert to do when it was her turn to learn to cook that week. It was a unique system the High Mistress had implemented, but a good one. Each geisha not only received training for being a geisha, but to be a good wife as well. It was so that the women under the High Mistress's care would be able to have another life after they had finished being a geisha.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Leon sucked in one of his cheeks, a bit flustered that his plan backfired. Still, he would not be rude and was grateful to her. "Th-Thank you, Miss Hisoka. But.. I waited for you to take your plate, not make mine," he admitted, chuckling lightly. As his eyes scanned the delectable meal before him, he wanted even more to taste it now. She made all this, for me? Surely not.... Leon looked back up to her and smiled, feeling his heart thump in his chest. It was as if nothing could be heard in his head but the pounding of his own heart, her form simply breathtaking. Before anything else was said, Leon dived in and began tasting each new item. Not familiar with Japan, all these foods were new to him.

His eyes lit up, as if years of neglecting his culture had finally been redeemed. The food was "Magnificent! This food is delicious! Hah! I'm not sure why I'm so surprised, you did make it, of course." Smiling back at her, he downed the food with a bit of tea and began the process again. He had been quite hungry at this point and was more than happy to be satiating his hunger. It wasn't until he was nearly done that he paused and looked at her with a slightly embarrassed and confused look on his face. "Oh, sorry.. I got carried away, but aren't you going to eat?"

[SxyCowgirl]

Hisoka giggled lightly as she watched Leon have at his food with vigor. "I will. I am practicing. This is some of what we're taught here. As geisha, we are the hosts and so must act like such. It is our job to serve the food and provide entertainment and....pleasurable company." She poured a cup of tea for herself and sipped it. "I hope you like the tea too. It's from my own tea plant." She said, changing the subject.

Without waiting for a response, she picked up a plate and put a couple little things on it and began eating herself.

[TheWhiteEmperor]

Leon wasn't one to be pampered, so this was all new to him. Even when he was a respected knight, he didn't take to the perks of the position and decided to 'rough' it. At least, that's what the other's called his methods. When explaining her duties as a geisha, Leon nearly spat his food everywhere when the mention of pleasurable company came up. Of course, he nearly choked instead of expelling the food, only to thump his chest a few times with his fist to ease down the food. "I-I I see," he mentioned, again taking to downing his tea.

While pouring himself another cup, assuring himself that she would take it easy, for once. "I do, very much so. I am happy you would be so kind as to let me drink from your own supply," Leon told her in his usual, sincere tone. As the two exchanged light conversation and shared their food, Leon found himself filling another plate to the brim with food after his first plate and smiled at Miss Hisoka. "This meal is terrific. I thank you implicitly," a slight nod of his head was the only broken moment of eye contact.

"So, uhm.. Miss Hisoka... How long have you been a geisha?" he asked, trying to keep his inquiries as pure and clean as possible.

[SxyCowgirl]

She blushed at his question and smiled lightly. "I'm....not quite a full geisha yet actually. I have been training since I was very young, but....." She paused for a few moments, staring into her teacup thinking of how to put it and decided to put it artistically would be ideal. "The blossom only just blooming must be admired from a distance until mid spring."

She glanced sideways up at him, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of pink. It wasn't shameful to have not been deflowered yet, in fact it meant she was more desirable than the other geisha. Her time was soon approaching though, which was why her classes were becoming more difficult as to prepare her for her debut performance. What he hadn't realized was just what and how much he saved her from. If it hadn't have been for him stepping in, she likely would never get to debut and all of her training and preparation would be for naught.

"My debut is coming soon though. At the next festival. The High Mistress wishes me now to sing during my dance. It will be difficult, but I will do my best. I just hope I don't let her down."