"Why wouldn't I like your purchasing rice from Kyushu? My fight is against the Kusari government, not the farmers. There is a major difference between the small landowner who tries to survive and the keiretsus, who abuse their power to obtain more power. Do not believe me to hate all men, doctor. I just hate those who see me as inferiour and wish to treat me as less than I am. Mariko stood up and walked closer to the window to look outside. Being used to wearing a kimono more often than jeans, she walked with a typical motion, where she almost shuffles one foot infront of the other.
Also, I am a woman of the arts. Proper food is also art. So no. No synth paste for me!"
She leaned against the wall while looking outside.
"There have been three planets I visited. Kyushu, Junyo and New Tokyo. I was born on Kyushu, where I had my training as Geisha. I later lived in New Tokyo for a while with my sister. I do not like it there, much to crowded for my taste. I prefer a more quiet place, where I can spend my time writing poetry or playing music. New Tokyo is completely devoid of inspiration for me. Junyo served as my escape from society for a while. It is where I composed a new music piece 'Taiyō no Heiwa', which translates to 'peace of the ocean'"
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Doc nodded at her reasoning, especially about New Tokyo.
"I find myself spending less and less time there. Kyushu is not a bad place and I enjoy my visits there." He smiled a bit. "I am a bit of a nature nut so visiting the farmlands there enables me to see a lot of it. That said, I will always have a special place for Planet Honshu."
He paused a moment in thought and his face dropped a bit. "My late wife came from there and her mother still lives there so I take the kids to see her when I can." He smiled again, "And the fishing is good, too. Catching dinner is a lot of fun.
They entered the trade lane to Kyushu. Barring any pirates, they weren't far from their destination.
"Well, a few more rings and we will be docking so you might want to hang on."
"Ever caught a fish you are especially proud off?" Mariko studied his composure. "I am sorry about your wife. You really sound like you miss her. She was a lucky woman to have such a husband. Not all men have such heavy heart when talking about their departed wives. You also sound like a caring father."
She looked outside the window to see planet Kyushu in the distance. "It really has been a while since I have last been there"
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He snickered, "I am proud of all the fish I catch but no one fish stands out. I put them in a smokehouse to preserve them. I actually have people trade for it."
He nodded. "I could have been a better husband. I traveled a lot and spent a lot of time as an Ambassador. I still travel for work but I hung up the robes of diplomacy. It has made me a better father."
He smiled a bit, "Kids are great. I love them. Pediatrics is something I am very glad that I got into."
They came out of the trade ring and found the Kyushu docking ring before them.
"Kyushu this is Doc Holliday aboard the Marshall Earp requesting clearance to land," he said over the radio.
"Permission granted, Doc. We have you from here."
With that, they flew over to where the landing pad was and set down. He went over to her and smiled, taking her arm.
"Young Lady, are you ready to venture out?"
"You should one day make a zen garden and get a pond with koi fish. It is very relaxing to just watch the fishes while you sit on the bridge or on the mossy rocks. Your kids will like it too."
She hessitantly took his arm, slightly flinching under the inappropriate gesture that ran counter to her extremely formal geisha training. "Yes. It has been a while since I was last here. I am trying to remember the way to the Fukuoka district"
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He noticed her hesitance. A lot of Kusari traditions were still unknown to him, especially the Geisha. Still, he was a southern gentleman and he always stayed true to his parent's teachings. He was always courteous and respectful of women and even got angry when he witnessed a man mistreating one.
"A pond of Koi fish," he thought out loud, "now I just need a place to build one. If I still had Tombstone, that would be a possibility." He smiled at her, "I will have to settle for the lake at Erie I guess."
With a couple of questions, they found their way to the Fukuoka district. Once there, it was all up to her. "So, where to from here?"
She looked around until she saw a familiar landmark.
"See that there? She pointed at the small torii gate in the distance. That is a temple to the Buddhist kami Kannon. She is the goddess of mercy and compassion. She likely looks favourably on you, since you are a doctor. The street running beyond the temple leads to the geisha district. But before that, we take a left turn to the entertainment area. It has several theaters, so we can look ourselves what is the schedules of them are and which actors are performing today. Plenty to choose from!"
She was in her element here in Fukuoka where she lived for many years and was pretty excited to return there after many years in space. She also felt a sense of pride in showing someone who was unfamiliar with the place around.
"Yes, koi fish. Zen gardens are an art. The goal is to create a miniature version of nature, while focussing on the simplicity of it. There is even a style where you create a whole world with only rocks and sand, where you make a waterfall of pebbles and use a rake to make wavy patherns in the sand to symbolise a river. You can reshape it any time you like. Beauty can be found anywhere if you just look."
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He just followed her lead as she knew the place far better than he did. He kept a watch around him as he knew little of Geisha districts. He was an outsider so his guard was up.
"That is a good thing," he replied about the Buddhist temple, "Hopefully others feel the same way."
Together they read schedules, looking for that perfect show. To him, any one would be right so deferring to her judgement on the matter was easy. For him, it was the first time that he had ventured into this area of the city. Most of his trips to Kyushu were load up with rice and travel on. Today however, was different as he got to take in the city.
"So much better than New Tokyo," he said to her. "A crowd but not too big of one and all the flavor of Kusari. I can see why you like it here."
He noticed many looking at him in passing. For the most part, he was used to it but still it kept his alertness up. "Tell me, I seemed to get looked at a lot. Am I under any sort of threat here?"
"Do not forget that Kyushu is an agricultural planet. Farmers tend to create close knit communities, where outsiders are looked at with suspicion. New Tokyo on the other hand is one big city where marchantilism and industry have pushed away the traditional family units. Here on planet Kyushu, they are far less tollerating of foreign elements, especially not after the synth food is pushing away their livelyhood.
Some would perceive you as unwanted, yes, but they fear the law more than they will hate you. You don't seem like the synth foods type and they do not want to be labeled as a Farmers Alliance terrorists. So do not be worried, I got your back."
They stopped at a sign listing the plays of today.
Play: The ghost of the monk
~ Lead actor: Yamagawa Yoshitaro
Play: The recovery of Sawaichi
~ Lead actor: Toda Kikunojo
Play: The betrayal of Akechi
~ Lead actor: Yamada Taisuke
"Oh, Taisuke-san plays here. I know him, he is a childhood friend of mine. This is the haruyanagiza, A famous theater in Fukuoka. I should have recognised it sooner."
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He listened as he had so much already. He appreciated her deep knowledge of the planet. As a result, his appreciation of it was growing much as it had for Honshu. He then read the sign and heard her enthusiasm of Yamada Taisuke and nodded both his approval and understanding. He smiled and simply said, "I guess then we have the play we shall go see."
Before they went in, he wanted to visit a local vendor. He didn't really need anything but wanted to make a show of friendship to the locals. He spoke enough Kusari, even though he had an accent, that he could carry on light conversations. A bite of fruit? Maybe a contract to get some local rice as a regular staple from the locals would be a good showing. He asked of his host if this would work and if it was a good idea.
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