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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 12, 2011 20:32:32 GMT -5
I opened the door and allowed my two guests to enter first. Of course, I hadn't prepared to take on two borders and their small staff, but I was confident that my own staff would be able to meet the demand. And I wasn't afraid to lend a helping hand.
"Welcome to my home," I said, coming up beside the elder woman's side.
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 12, 2011 20:41:48 GMT -5
Hanako and I walked into the residence to see that it was quaint and it certainly large enough to compete with the okiya back home. The red head spoke and Hanako translated. I really needed to have Hanako teach me the language. I should have asked her for the trip here. Oka-san had insisted on Hanako and I wasn't going to refuse her. I turned to the woman who had been kind enough to take us in. "Thank you," I replied and Hanako translated. I then turned to Hanako. "I believe it's time that I learn the language of the Angels."
To my surprise, Hanako nodded. "I agree. We can begin today."
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 12, 2011 22:27:31 GMT -5
The elder woman translated the younger's words, thanking me. They spoke for a minute, about what I wanted to know. I had heard that Terre d'Ange was going to war against Skaldia and were marching from Camlach. I would have joined up for the war, but I didn't want to leave Ana when she's carrying Uncle's child. And I didn't know how long I would be gone and if I would be able to return in autumn. I had ordered my men at my country estate to stand as reserve and protect it, and to send immediate word if there was something going on.
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 14, 2011 14:19:14 GMT -5
"W...Where ... are ... our ... sleeping ... quarters," I asked in the unfamiliar language. It was slow, getting the correct words out, but I hoped that the kind woman understood well enough.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 14, 2011 18:30:35 GMT -5
The young woman slowly in my native tongue, and it was passable. "This way," I said with a smile. I led the way through the house to where a few spare bedrooms were. "You may have the pick of rooms." Suddenly, I mentally kicked myself for not introducing myself. "I'm Alora d'Aiglemort, duchess and trustee for my cousin."
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 14, 2011 18:47:23 GMT -5
I followed the woman and saw empty spare bedrooms. I was sure I understood her, I would need to ask her to speak slow enough so I could understand her. I walked to the first room and looked in. It looked spacious enough. Then the woman spoke again and introduced herself as Alora; a duchess. I wonder where that would place her in the Empire's structured ranking structure. "I... am... Satoka," I said. "This ... is ... Hanako."
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 14, 2011 21:40:41 GMT -5
"Welcome to Terre d'Ange," I greeted. Her use of the language was getting better, though it seemed like she still had some work to do. "Have you chosen a chamber yet?"
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 14, 2011 22:30:55 GMT -5
I nodded and motioned to the one I stood before. Those who had followed us through moved to begin moving my belongings into the room. I stood out of the way, watching the move.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 14, 2011 23:10:04 GMT -5
I moved out of the way when Satoka's staff began to move towards the room. She did have a lot of packing to undo. In fact, some of the containers looked very detailed and expensive. I wondered how she could be able to afford such things. In fact, even the dress she was wearing looked expensive. She surely can't be an untitled person to be able to afford all that I saw that was hers. "May I ask what you do for a living?"
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 15, 2011 12:24:18 GMT -5
Hanako translated while I stood there and watched the small staff I had continue to move my belongings into the room. Yet by this time, I had noticed that some of Duchess Alora's own staff were mixed in with mine. It was a small surprise to me to see both her people and mine working together despite the language barrier. "I work as Geiko," I said slowly. I looked to Hanako to make sure I had said it correctly, and received a nod.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 15, 2011 12:42:26 GMT -5
"Geiko?" The word sounded strange even coming from my own lips. It should have been obvious I wasn't skilled on foreign words outside Terre d'Ange's little corner of the world here. Yes, I'm somewhat familiar with words from Alba and our other neighbors, but not from where Satoka and Hanako are from. "May I ask were you and your..." I stepped out of the way when a particular large box came through. "Staff are from?"
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 15, 2011 13:17:17 GMT -5
"We are from the Empire of the Rising Sun," Hanako spoke. "It is some days boat ride from Ch'n. And Geiko are female entertainers who make a living at high class social gatherings."
I nodded, agreeing with Hanako's explaination. "We learn arts in years," I said, now in broken D'Angeline.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 15, 2011 23:56:46 GMT -5
I nodded slowly, trying to process what they were saying. So, these Geiko were like the adepts from the Night Court. "You might enjoy the Night Court," I said.
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 16, 2011 23:37:32 GMT -5
"What is Night Court?" I asked. "Is it comprise of Geiko?" I looked to Hanako, hoping she might be able to explain it better than I could.
"The Night Court is where they pay homage to their Goddess of Love and Desire," Hanako said. She turned and said the same thing to Alora in her language.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 17, 2011 21:51:28 GMT -5
"Something like that." I wasn't sure how to explain it since I wasn't sure what a Geiko was. "May I ask what a Geiko is?"
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 17, 2011 22:04:13 GMT -5
"A Geiko is an artist," Hanako explained. "They know how to play the shamisen, sing, dance, among other arts. I suppose that they compare loosely to your Night Court Geiko."
The last of the belongings were brought into the room and the staff, both mine and Duchess Alora's, began unpacking. I noticed that her staff were highly curious about the items, being careful when they handled them. As Hanako spoke to Alora, I managed to catch every other word.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 17, 2011 22:13:41 GMT -5
"From what I understand," I said. "Your Geiko are near enough to the Night Court adepts. Though I doubt that the Geiko would sleep with their patrons." I turned into the threshold of the chosen room and watched my staff handle the Empire items with care. Maybe it was well that Uncle trained the older, more experienced, ones well. And that they helped trained the few that I had hired on shortly before his death. I turned back to Hanako and Satoka. "While they unpack, do you wish to see the sights?"
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 17, 2011 22:47:36 GMT -5
Did I hear right? Their Geiko sleep with their patrons? "How many count?" Even at that, Hanako looked at me confused. "Ask her how many times?" Hanako turned and translated. Duchess Alora said something else, but I was too focused on the Night Court Geiko to ask for a translation.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 17, 2011 23:03:13 GMT -5
Hanako translated. I wasn't sure how many adepts slept with their patrons during their assignations. "Many of the adepts...Geiko... sleep with their patrons. I don't know how many, or how often, but it's many times."
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 19, 2011 11:58:15 GMT -5
"What are adepts?" I looked between Hanako and Duchess Alora, quite confused. She had said adepts, then Geiko. Well, what are they? "Are adepts and Geiko not same?"
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 19, 2011 22:13:40 GMT -5
"Well..." I glanced between Hanako and Satoka. "They are in a way, but adepts - the Night Court adepts - are prostitutes who actually take up Naamah's sacred calling. Now," Alora held up a hand. "Before you go trying to generalize. There are some within one of the Houses - Eglantine - who do not become prostitutes, but become clothiers, tumblers, players, musicians, and the like." If only I knew some of the Eglantine adepts, I might have been able to have them talk with Satoka.
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 19, 2011 22:42:39 GMT -5
Prostitutes?! Surely she must be joking. Then she explained that one of these Houses did not actually have such people. Duchess Alora called it a sacred calling. Now it seemed to be adding up. I looked into my room and watched the staff continue the unpacking for a minute or two before looking back to Duchess Alora. "You had mentioned something about seeing the sights."
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 20, 2011 13:59:47 GMT -5
I nodded. "That I did. Do you wish to see them?" After the confusion over Geiko and adepts, I was hopeful that the sight seeing would be better.
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Post by Hattori Satoka on Jun 20, 2011 15:33:33 GMT -5
I nodded. "I do." I glanced over to Hanako, who was bound to go with us anyway.
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Post by Alora d'Aiglemort on Jun 20, 2011 19:14:44 GMT -5
"Let's go then." I motioned back down the hallway and to the door.
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