Artists Of The Floating World

Arigato for the reviews! &bows&

A lot of people seem to think Yugi’s gonna be with Yami on his mizuage…..tsk, tsk, what fun is there in that? It’s Pegasus!

…….that’s just…gross and wrong, even for me….

It’s Kaiba! &nodds her head& Yupp yupp! Kaiba’ll do nicely! If you really wanna know, you’ll just have to keep reading, won’t you? &winks&


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“Hai.” Yugi whispered softly. Butterflies danced in his stomach, and his heart thumped wildly. He didn’t know who his virginity had been sold to. He longed for it to be Yami-dono. But that wish he had to put out of his head, and heart. He’d been preparing himself for this. Whoever it was, he was going to pretend it was his prince. His Yami-dono.

In other okiyas, it was common practice for a geisha to choose who won the bid for her mizuage. But in this powerful okiya, Ma-chan ruled with an iron fan. She chose who received the mizuages. Sometimes, she didn’t even tell her geishas. Like she’d done to Yugi.

Ryou gave Yugi’s hand an encouraging squeeze before they slid open the door and walked down the hall. Their light, multi-layered sleeping robes and small, smooth footsteps made it seem as if they were gliding.

They passed a few younger maiko who were coming home from class, carrying their instruments or dancing fans. Some glances were encouraging and others jealous. Ryou was one of the most beautiful and sought after geisha. Now, Yugi would be, too. The pair of them, together, would be the most celebrated and wealthy in all of Edo. Other geishas and okiyas didn’t stand a chance.

Yugi followed Ryou obediently, feeling his heart die with each step. He was going to loose his love forever. He wished he could ask Ryou who had own the bid for his virginity. Now, as they walked down the hall in public, it was too late. He’d find out when they left the maiko’s sleeping quarters for the geishas and entered his new room.

They rounded a corner and entered the geisha sleeping quarters. No men-no clients- were allowed back here, unless a geisha chose, of her own free will, to take him to her room. This usually only happened when a geisha had a steady client, one who frequented her regularly and supplied most of her income. If a client really liked a geisha, then he became her danna. He supported her financially, and, in turn, she became bound t him, so long as he wanted her and could afford her.

Some geisha were home early from the tea houses after other geisha from rival okiyas stole their clients, and others who had no appointments that day. In their own quarters, the women relaxed, dropping their well mannered façade. A few called out ribald jokes more suited to the street walkers than a high class artist as the newest geisha and maiko-soon-to-be-geisha passed them. Others smiled encouragingly and a few winked roguishly.

Yugi kept his head down demurely, a proper and terrified maiko. Ryou kept his gaze straight ahead, chin high and proud, a proper geisha, confident in his beauty and his world. Or so he should appear. He watned to offer his best friend more comfort , reassure him. But he could do nothing. He hadn’t told Yugi who was to be with him that night because he didn’t know himself. Ma-chan hadn’t felt like sharing that information.

Ryou stopped outside a door at the end of the hall. “This is where I lveave you. Good luck, my friend.” Yugi stood frozen behind him, rooted to the spot. Ryou turned around and whispered low , only for Yugi to hear. “It’ll be alright.”

Yugi gave a barely perceptible nod of his head. He couldn’t fill his heart beating; it had died or was frozen in fear. He wanted to either fall in a crumpled heap to the floor and weep, or turn and flee. He had neither of those options.

This was his fate- where else would he go? What else could he do? He knew nothing save for the skills of geisha. And Ryou was right-this was better than being on his back in a dark room, in a bed of lice infested straw. He only had to do the deed once, just survive this. If he did –it- again at any other time, ti’d be because he wanted to. But there was only one man he wanted-

Yug’s shoulders squared. He must NOT think such thoughts. He swallowed his tears. He raised his little chin up. This was it. The death of his heart. But what need a geisha have of a heart? Yugi stared at the door as if it were his executioner, and slid it open. ‘Goodbye, my love.’ He thought as he entered.

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Ryou leaned over the porch’s red, wooden railing overlooking the garden that was in the middle of the square okiya. His eyes were downcast, staring at the small pond with giant, calico koi fish circling under the bubbling mini-waterfall.

Yugi’s pain reminded him of his own mizuage. How badly he’d wanted it to be Bakura! The night he became a full fledged geisha should’ve been the night he’d locked away his love and forgotten the thief. But the heart has a mind of its own.

Oh, how he’d tried to erase Bakura! He’d tried throwing himself into his work, treating each client as if they were his thief. This, along with his beauty, had made him so successful in so short a time. Yet, each night he was tormented by erotic dreams of Bakura’s dark, smoldering eyes, rock hard abs, chiseled body and molten mouth.

He’d fallen for the thief the moment he’d seen him, and their worlds literally collided.


Flashback


Ryou had been a new maiko on the way home from his first party. He was walking demurely behind his elder sister, the geisha assigned to guide him. His head was properly lowered for the look of a pretty, shy maiden, but his eyes flickered back and forth excitedly, taking in everything in the busy Edo streets. Most of the males sent appreciative, longing glances his way. Except for one.

That male was slightly taller than Ryou. His hair was in wild, disheveled spikes. His face was handsome and tan from the sun. A scar ran down his left side, but it only enhanced his looks and gave him a wild air. He reeked of danger and made Ryou’s spine tingle. His dark eyes were narrowed and shifted from side to side while he clutched something under his tattered, thin robe.

Ryou knew at once this striking man wasn’t a part of his world. This was no fine nobleman, no aristocrat, no honoured samurai. His was not a life of wealth and leisure. He was a vicious, feral creature. He was ill at ease in crowds; Edo was a cage to him. He was strong and wild enough to lash out and kill all around him. And he’d enjoy it.

Ryou couldn’t take his eyes off him. The man slipped slyly, unnoticed, through the crowd. Almost instantly, the thief felt the maiko’s eyes upon him. Their gazes locked, and they both lost their hearts. A geisha can stop a man with a single look. Even one in the middle of a heist and on the run. Lost in Ryou’s gaze, Bakura tripped. And fell onto Ryou.

Ryou gasped softly as the theif’s hard body crushed his soft one. The geisha he was with turned, saw the theif’s face, and screamed. “BAKURA!!!” This startled the onlookers into action; several men drew their swords. Ryou stared into fiery, dark brown eyes. He blinked and they were gone. The thief dashed off, laughing and jeering at his pursuers, daring them to come catch him.

End Flashback


Since then, Ryou had always kept his eyes peeled for any sight of the thief. They’d glimpsed each other on many occasion, when Bakura worked the Edo streets. Ryou would turn his head partly and give a slight smile. Bakura would leer and smirk, a look that said he wanted to steal Ryou, too. But the notorious criminal hadn’t been in Edo for so long…

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Poor Ryou….but him and Yugi are SO uberly pretty in their kimonos!

Review! You know you want to! Who should Yugi and Ryou end up with?