The Birth of Suyuan

You did then what you knew how to do, and when you knew better, you did better. - Maya Angelou

Mizumi's mizuage opened a doorway for her where she could exercise more liberty in her path towards her prime. She was young, beautiful, and certainly eligible to be even the Emperor's consort or even a Ubar's favored slave. Yet, her formative years in the pleasure house of Honjuku had only taught her what the passions of men would be like and certainly not their will as Lord Nishida certainly exercised his.

Some time after her mizuage, he bought her contract, yet he had the ability to do what he wished with her and thus, gifted her to one of his ashigaru (cavalrymen); a simple a man named Goro, who, admittedly was handsome with leaf-shaped eyes. Yet, he had a manner about him which was beyond austere... dispassionate in some instances if one would describe. It was not that he was hard to figure out, but he certainly a man with his own ambition and direction.

Mizumi was anything but impressed and anything but content with the decision Lord Nishida made. Her heart was harboring and even aching for Lord Okimoto and not this soldier who often found solace in his own company.

It is so easy to talk of ‘passing emotion’ and forget how vivid the emotion was ere it passed. Our impulse to sneer, to forget, is at root a good one. We recognize that emotion is not enough, and that men and women are personalities capable of sustained relations, not mere opportunities for electrical discharge…Yet, we do not admit that by collisions of this trivial sort, the doors of heaven are shaken open. - Howard's End

Simplicity was sovereign in the relationship; yet, the usual advantage that a Gorean man would exercise quite frequently in his relationship whether with a contract woman or slave girl relied more heavily upon an appointment-type basis as he was someone that was strictly self-involved.

Mizumi came to care for Goro despite her own expectations. Though, he had a proverbial wall surrounding him, there were moments when she was able to see "him" aside from the usual detachment that frustrated her. Pani, although they are passionate, maintain a sense of austerity about them almost at all times. It was not that Goro wasn't passionate; he was in his own way with his brutal kisses when he wasn't aloof and the sweetness that imitated warm sunlight poking through the shade of a tree.

A grand adventure is about to begin. - Winnie the Pooh

Apparently, the "wine of the noble free woman" didn't work for Mizumi as expected as her belly subsequently began to swell with child. Now again, it should be reported to Lord Nishida as the child growing within her might be his and he would have the final say of what would happen to Mizumi and her unborn child. Yet, it was not uncommon if Contract Women had children, particularly daughters who could be raised in the pleasure house. Sons were of a different matter; most likely they would be adopted by the father and he and his Free Companion would raise it.

Lord Nishida learned of Mizumi's condition and thus would have gladly sold her contract off to Goro so that they could companion one another; instead, he removed her from Goro's "service" and enrolled her back into the okiya indefinitely. It was a devastating blow for the young mother-to-be. Perhaps Lord Nishida had an inkling that the child might be his or perhaps it was Goro's. Either way, Mizumi was condemned to solitude and separation from Goro who was just beginning to gradually to reveal himself to her.

Imprisonment is as irrevocable as death. - George Bernard Shaw

The cruel reality of man's will was beginning to unveil itself. Goro made no effort to lay claim or even purchase Mizumi's contract. Everyday in her confinement, she couldn't help but gaze from her window at the scenic village, hoping to catch one glimpse of the man she had cohabited with for several Hands. The bustling world never revealed him and she battled with despair. The only thing that helped her maintained hope was the child she was carrying in her belly. She remembered the prophecy manifested by the diviner. Although, some it was unsettling, she resigned herself with the realization that the child kicking rapidly beneath her heart would be strong - the will of men wouldn't rule her as they did her mother.

The time for her baby's birth approached and she continued looking towards the heavens. As the shamaness predicted, there appeared to be a sort of supernova within the sky that burned vibrantly in the Phoenix Constellation. It was a breech birth and albeit there was some difficulty, the child entered the world in fit of healthy crying. The doula laid the baby girl against Mizumi's breast and she rocked her; admiring her unusual amber eyes and pale skin which would make her a target for slavers later on in her life.

There was much to worry about; whether Lord Nishida would decide that the baby belonged with herself and pleasure house or with his family. Regardless of protocol, Mizumi knew that she would fight for her infant daughter. She even took it up herself to name her before the okasan of the okiya could.

It was a name was unusual among the people, but still Pani - Suyuan. She was a light in the young contract woman's life when she was condemned to isolation and had been abandoned.

The dark cloud seemed to have lifted with the arrival of Suyuan - or so one would have thought - Mizumi was still in confinement and had no idea what Lord Nishida had planned for her. However, it was difficult to imagine that her daughter probably might grow up fatherless. Goro was absent and Lord Nishida had his own agenda. From what she detailed in Suyuan's features, she had a feeling her father was Goro as she had his eye shape and the sharp point of his nose. Regardless, if the man she cared for would not come forward - she would raise Suyuan on her own.

For now, the horizon calmed as Mizumi resigned herself with fighting not for herself any longer - but her baby as well.

A daughter is a mother's gender partner, her closest ally in the family confederacy, an extension of her self. - Author Unknown

Divination and Destiny

Now I understood the thing I´d overlooked; the point wasn't to become a geisha but to be one. To become a geisha . . . well, that was hardly a purpose in life. But to be a geisha . . . I could see it now as a stepping-stone to something else. - Sayuri, Memoirs of a Geisha (novel)

The contract woman training was intense - five to six years of rigorous training in music, conversation skills, flower arranging, dancing, and whatever else would cater to an elite Pani man's interests. Her focus was not just upon becoming successful, but rather finding the daimyo who had displayed the few momentary fragments of kindness that she would most likely ever experience aside from the common pleasantries of being in the presence of clients.

There were a few moments in which she faltered; such as seeking out her sister who had become a collar-girl of one of the subordinates of Lord Nishida. She was punished severely for her search, having broken her leg from falling from a roof and accumulating a debt to the household which be added to her lessons, classes, clothing, food, and shelter. Such debts occur frequently within okiya as geisha of Earth progress in their training. It is not until she self-sufficient and independent or contracted to a danna that she would be able to clear her ample and cumbersome dues. Despite that umbrage against her pleasure house, she became more determined than ever to survive which oddly enough became one of her strongest traits. Amongst the Pani, failure is not an option and to hesitate even for a moment could cost resilience, training, and one's life.

Hisoka, who had now been thus been now aptly named as "Mizumi" often made frequent trips to the shrine; making her obligatory offerings to the gods, but on this particular day she decided to visit the diviner. Many cultures of Gor have their methods for foretelling the future and in the Pani shrines, the diviners often read palms they do in Japan on Earth.

Mizumi met with the shamaness Kasumi who was an astonishingly attractive young woman with a lart(fox)-like visage: cunning, yet intelligent. Unlike the other miko (shrine maidens) who offer omikuji (fortune paper-telling), she claimed to receive her powers directly from the gods. Kasumi gathered Mizumi's hands within hers and appraised them while the contract woman in training waited patiently for her words.

"This is strange, " remarked Kasumi as her nail traced over the lines of Mizumi's right palm. This made Mizumi tense and she leaned in, "What, shamaness? What is it?" But, Mizumi was unprepared of what she would hear next.

"Despite much, you will suffer... but none so much as the twin you will bear. She should have been your twin but she is returning

to you... she is entirely you, in thought, action, purpose... but she will have her own heart, soul, and determination..."

If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all generations of your ancestors. All of them are alive in this moment. Each is present in your body. You are the continuation of each of these people. - Thich Nhat Hanh

Mizumi could not believe what she was hearing. A twin?! What twin?! Suffering?! She only had her sister Setsuko who was lost to her now. She opened her mouth to inquire of what the shamaness was speaking of, but the woman held up her hand to silence her while the shamaness pointed to Mizumi's fate line which appeared perfectly normal; with the exception that from the side of her palm, at the angle of where her thumb was was one line traversing it where the shamaness gestured.

"Do you see this? This is the Girdle of Venus which is traversing your fate line. I have never seen this before. Allow me to look at your other hand." The shamaness reached over to grasp Mizumi's left hand and scrutinized the lines, "Your Companionship line is feeble; but the child lines are strong. Though..." She traced one line that connected with Mizumi's middle finger and just to be certain. Poor Mizumi was already anxious and a bit of fear surfaced in her honey-brown eyes while regarding the busy shamaness with a pleading expression. Suspense was never one of her strengths.

"The left hand indicates your Yin, the feminine essence and although you have children lines on both hands, your Yin hand is more dominant. You will have a daughter with the Girdle of Venus always traversing with her fate... but I reiterate; she is your twin. Before you give birth, a new star will appear in the constellation of Phoenix and Venus will align with it. The affect will create something very similar to a supernova. The star signifies your daughter who will always have Venus in her astrological charts."

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars. - Oscar Wilde

Mizumi was utterly perplexed at the divination and her heart rate increased as she had a myriad of questions for the shamaness. But, despite her nonplus expression, the shamaness would continue her reading and the words she spoke dumbfounded the contract woman to where she sought to cover her ears, but her hands were still compromised by the shamaness. Despite the fact her hands were soft, she had a firm grip which never hesitated.

"She will suffer more immensely than you. Although her star will be in the sky, luck does not always coincide with the Mandate of Heaven. But Heaven and the gods will watch her, as she shall have the will and strength of a warrior and the survival instincts of a sleen. She will be like the Empress, but will never become one... no man will ever be by her side... the will of men will rule her but will never apply to her. Your bloodline, your bone... will begin with her. You will have many children... unlucky, unfavored children. But she alone will be the 'son' that most men crave. She is the star, both fragile and bright... no one, nothing can never extinguish her. She will endure many trials, tribulations, and names. But, she will still be, a star and in her way, a blessing to you. This is the will of the gods."

The reading was finished and Mizumi paid the diviner shamaness though a plethora of questions swam about in her head. She had come to discover if she had a future and instead she found out she would most likely have a daughter. What did she mean that she would suffer more greatly than herself? Unlucky children? This prediction was a double-edged sword and it disturbed her immensely.

Confusion consumed Mizumi as she retired for the evening and continued her practicing; she would attempt to put the divination in the back of her mind and focus on her debut as a contract woman. Despite the unsettling reading, she was elated to know that the daimyo's cousin, Lord Okimoto was beginning to display interest in her progress and would be most likely be present for when she emerged among the people as a contract woman.

Diviners were just soothsayers were they not? The white men from Port Kar who resided in tarncamp stated as such.

But Mizumi was still inundated by thoughts of the shamaness' words which would continue to populate her thoughts, speaking of it to no one.

Though she couldn't help but begin to study the mighty night sky and their constellations as the seasons passed. She ruminated often over the divination and thought that the process in which she became contract woman herself; the pain of losing her mother and sister, her father seemingly betraying her and selling her into the pleasure house even though it was her people's custom... but to be reborn as an up and coming contract woman. Was this not enough suffering for a young girl such as she to suffer? No matter how much she tried to suppress it, the divination would not depart her brain. She forced herself to focus on the future and the chance to be in the presence of Lord Okimoto once again.