Ninja learn to be invisible. Unremarkable. Those who are -beautiful-, like Okon-san, don’t always get to melt into the background, and act as something else – a bait, lure, a distraction. Those who make themselves remarkable, like the four who raised me… wait in the shadows for their time to shine.
And the rest falls to those who can go into a crowd, who can be anyone. The famous Shinsengumi ninja, Yamazaki Susumu, was -said- to be an attractive teenage boy, but Gramps said he was a middle aged man but he could be anyone, from an ambassador of the Imperial Court to a beggar.
Women are doubly invisible. Thier places – they freely talk amongst themselves and so many don’t realize that these “common” women know -everything- there is to know. So I go to the market. Women speaking of everyday joys – family, having enough to eat, a beautiful fall day, good health. Woman complaining. Women -working-.
“Did you hear? The Kato Group wants to buy up the land under the wet market, and raise the rental prices!”
“We’re just workin’ folk here! I barely make ends meet as-is!”
Hmmm… but I keep walking, and listening.
“Hey, Masami-chan, you available tomorrow night for a job?” I’m looking over some nice pears (doesn’t Hide-san like those?) as a harrassed-looking older lady talks to the young woman helping out at the fruit stall.
“Who’s askin’?” she asks, pushing back her bangs.
“Up at the Kobashigawa estate.”
My ears perk up, but I instead try to look focused on selecting the perfect apple.
“Aw, hell no, I ain’t goin’ there!” the young lady snaps. Another young woman comes over. “It ain’t worth what it pays. Richest man in Osaka, bad pay, rude mama, and his guests like to put their hands where they ain’t supposed to be goin’.”
An older woman, maybe their mother, shakes her head. “For what my girls had to put up with the last time, he better be gettin’ down to Shinchi Otobe and findin’ help there.” The other girls laugh. “Yeah, but he’s too cheap for ’em!”
The first woman sighs. “Come on, ladies. I’m in a real pinch. He’s havin’ some shindig and moved it up one night and all my other help is booked.”
“It’s a big no from us, sorry!”
The woman leaves, and I smile and pay for my apple. “Thank you.”
I follow the woman as she approaches another girl and gets laughed away. Huh…
I catch up with her. “Ma’am, I heard you’re looking for help tomorrow?”
She looks me over. “Girl, how old are you?”
“Eighteen,” I lie, biting my lip and looking down. It’s annoying that I never grew much but it helps, because the woman knows I lied, but takes it the -other- way, that I’m much younger, and therefore, exploitable.
“Hmph. You don’t sound like you’re from here…”
“Oh, no, ma’am, my ma and I came down from Kyoto looking for work. But there’s not much honest work available for me…” I cast my eyes down, again.
“At least you have manners. Have you ever served before?”
“Yes, ma’am, I worked some at the Aioya, in Kyoto.”
“I’ve never heard of it… so we’re catering an event at a -very- fine home and I need girls to serve food – it’s Western style where everyone stands around and eats with their fingers.” Her lip curls a little at this, and yes, that does sound strange but I’ve seen it before. “You will carry trays of food or drink to offer to the guests while they ‘mingle’ – and you’re not there to make friends!” She then names a sum for payment that is laughably small – no wonder she wasn’t getting anyone to come work!
But I nod, “oh, please, ma’am. I -really- need the money.” I then look down at my simple kimono, “but I can’t afford anything fancy.”
“Oh, we provide clothing. They’re Western – it’s what maids wear over them. The master is partial to them.” She looks me over. “Although you’re so scrawny… oh well, beggars can’t be choosers.” She scribbles down an address. “Meet here tomorrow at 3 – we’ll take a boat up with the food. And no pay until it’s over!”
I bow in effusive thanks. I have an in! I go back to wait for Saitou.
(OOC – close)