Everyone in the Kurokawa Okiya was known around Gion for one reason or another, may it be positively or negatively. Taeyeon was known as "The Rare Jewel". She was the only one of her kind, and while most men at that time might find a foreigner off putting, they simply loved and desired her. Having put just as much effort into her craft as any other geisha, everyone soon knew that underestimating her had been a poor decision. She walked with a sense of both kindness and confidence that almost no other geisha owned.

Suzume was barely even known by her actual name, for the only thing men ever remembered about her was the cotton-like cheeks that adorned her face. Of course this was understandable, as her debut had only been a few months prior to the arrival of the Korean business men. Taeyeon promoted her wildly though, and the young peachy cheeked maiko was becoming known by her name around Gion. While Taeyeon was gorgeous and talented beyond belief, and while almost every man wanted her, no man wanted her for a lifetime. Suzume, on the other hand, was on the mind of every customer as a future wife, although the idea was a tad bit mad. Taeyeon knew this though, and used it to their advantage.

The okiya mother, Kurokawa Binya, was known just as well. Young maiko would often gossip about the residents of their okiya, and the mothers were almost always "brutal, stingy beasts", as the girls liked to put it. Binya was not. Her openly carefree and loving nature was widely known, but it was not accepted. Many people saw her as lazy and spineless, two words that Binya would even use to describe herself, and the male name she was given did nothing to help the boyish personality she owned. Behind closed doors, Binya spent money left and right, and she stayed up long nights drowning in sake. Her temper was that of a bull's though, and had only once surfaced to the young Suzume, who dropped ink on her kimono one night, ruining the gift from a potential danna.

"Okaasan, may I have the key to the storage room?" Sanako asked in her clear and fluid voice.

"Sanako-san, why do you want to go to the storage room? It's so cold and dusty in there," Binya muttered as she flipped through a magazine, a knawed chopstick between her lips.

Sanako leaned against the wooden door frame of Binya's room while a polite smile spread across her lips. "I have a meeting with Keito-san today, and we're going to order some head pieces for the fall performance in advance. I need a kimono for that meeting, don't you agree?"

Binya nodded her head as she gasped a drawn out "ahhhh...", the chopstick falling to the straw tatami mat beneath her. She reached into the misused little jewelry box that sat beside the door and pulled out a little bronze key, her arm quickly out stretching to pass on the metal. "Wear something with gray, he likes that color."

Date Sanako was on another level of beauty and gracefulness, according to Taeyeon. She was the most successful geisha in all of Gion, and she wore that title for ten years, something nearly unheard of in the community. She was slender and almost as pale as snow, like an icicle hanging from a roof. She was nothing short of elegant and stunning, her raven tinted hair long and straight, her face sculpted to a perfect diamond. Even at the age of twenty eight, she was still a queen in the eyes of the citizens of Kyoto. At the age of twenty one, she was awarded with a danna. A danna is patron of sorts, a rich man who is willing to pay for the dramatic costs of a geisha's life. is not part of the deal, yet many geisha complied to do such acts with their danna at that time. Maybe it was the amount of respect he had for her, or maybe it was because his late older sister had been a geisha under the same house as her, but for whatever the reason, Keito was Sanako's danna, and that man refused to even think about forcing his friend to pleasure him. This gave Sanako even more pride in the community, as she remained an untouchable flower.

As Sanako passed through the hallways of the okiya, she suddenly noticed Taeyeon sitting on the veranda, a little tsuzumi drum in her arms. Sanako grinned as she looked at the geisha who had been her younger sister a few years earlier.

"What are you doing, Ta-chan?" Sanako inquired as she set herself beside Taeyeon.

Taeyeon snickered at the old nickname that had been used by Sanako since the Korean arrived at the okiya. "I may excel in singing, dancing, and shamisen, but you know that kotsuzumi is my weakness. Even as a full geisha, I still need practice."

Sanako giggled. "You're so lucky to have a voice like yours though. It's so wonderful, I'm surprised you didn't sing the other night, when you and Suzume-chan were at that teahouse with Keito-san."

"Those men were so busy with story telling and alcohol, that they completely forgot the offer I made to sing for them." Taeyeon rolled her eyes with a heavy sigh.

"Suzume-chan told me about those Korean men," Sanako whispered, her giggle appearing once more as Taeyeon flared her nostrils. "Oh, don't worry, we all know better than to believe in Suzume-chan's stories. However, it does seem quite possible. When a woman sees a man she likes, she smiles even more than before. This happens to everybody, even geisha. Tell me, Ta-chan... what was he like?"

"Oh Sanako-sama, he really was quite stupid. When he got drunk, his face grew so bloated and pink, it was like I was talking to a lychee!" Both women laughed, and when the noise drowned down, Taeyeon softly smiled. "He was very sweet though. That man seemed like he didn't know his purpose for living this life, why, he seemed completely lost. When I started telling my stories though, he seemed to have a bright soul inside." Taeyeon paused for a moment as she reminiscenced about the stranger. "Ah, I've talked to much. Forgive me."

Sanako stood up then, a delicate smirk on her face. "Don't apologize, Ta-chan. Since you've told me this, I'll do you a favor. Today, when I'm with Keito-san, I'm going to ask him about those business men. I'll see if I can get you and Suzume-chan to some of the parties they attend."

"Sanako-sama! You don't have to-"

The older geisha waved a hand. "It is nothing. When the day comes that I ask for a favor, you better be able to repay it though."

If any of you have read some of my other stories, you'll know that I like those "create your own character"/"dress up" games since I can't draw well myself. If you want a visual (?), I've included some pictures.

Taeyeon

​Suzume

​Sooyoung (I don't think this is even accurate to the time period or place, but hey, I was bored)

Also, I'd just like to give you guys some quick info on how to pronounce some of the names, just in case!

Date Sanako: Dah-tey sa-na-koh
​Terada Takuya: Teh-rah-dah tah-koo-yah
Soma Suzume: Soh-mah soo-zoo-may
Hirano Tadao: Hee-rah-no tah-dah-oh
Watanabe Keito: Wah-tah-nah-bee kay-ee-toh
​Kurokawa Binya: Koo-roh-kah-wah bee-n-yah
Kita Heisuke: Key-tah hey-suhkay

​I don't know if that helps, but I always enjoy some pronunciation help, so I hope this aids anyone.