Fic - Geisha
Title: Geisha
Rating: K
Pairing: Susan/Caspian
Summary: Susan prepares herself before Caspian’s coronation…and finds some help along the way.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from the world of Narnia, including the rights. The only thing remotely geisha that I own are two kimono, one sad cotton attempt and one beautiful gift from my mother.
A/N: Response to Weekly Drabble Challenge 3 on susancaspian.
She studied the powders and mixtures laid out before her on the mirrored desk.
Her reflection studied her flawed skin and weary body.
Susan sighed and recollected her earlier days as Queen of Narnia. During the beginning of her reign, advisors slyly gave her gifts of makeup, little nudges that told her to hide herself and become a symbol of what the people wanted to see. Day by day, she saw the colors and scowled at their falseness, but as she grew up, she fell to their promise of youth and beauty. A queen needed to be taken seriously, of course.
She paled herself to ensure her power and loyalty of the people.
And yet, on this day, her efforts seemed to be in vain. Every time she smeared the white foundation on her face, something about the action and final product displeased her. Over and over she tried to regain her former appearance, but it only looked like a weak attempt to copy an infallible work of art. Susan sighed, sure that she was no longer an artist.
A simple, washed face would have to suffice for Prince Caspian’s coronation.
Susan wiped the makeup off her face and began to untie the ribbon holding her thick hair away from her face. And then she saw the pair of eyes watching her in the mirror.
With a gasp, she whipped around in her chair and saw Caspian watching her from the doorway to the powder room. Knowing he had been caught, he looked away and nervously stepped back, as if he had always been travelling the corridor.
“Prince Caspian.” Susan stood up, her dressing gown draping her thin figure. As she moved, the ribbon in her hair loosened completely and her slightly curled locks bounced around and past her shoulders. She inclined her head and curtsied as Caspian turned back to the room. “You seem a bit lost today.” Susan gently smiled at the soon-to-be King’s speechlessness.
His dark eyes found her form again and he cleared his throat quietly. “I am already tired of people becoming my shadow. I do not feel it will become any easier once I am officially King, am I right?”
Susan folded her dressing gown more tightly around her. “No, but you do get used to it. You could say it’s an acquired taste.” Neither one moved from their spots until they heard an echo from the hallway. Caspian looked in the direction from which he came and began to move in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” She hurried to the door and ushered Caspian inside before closing it. Caspian watched, amused, as she pressed her ear to the door, her mouth slightly open in concentration. After a moment, she pulled her head away. “Well, I think your shadows have lost you for now.” She smiled at him and walked back to her desk, bending over to retrieve the fallen ribbon.
Caspian didn’t know what to do. He really didn’t want to go back into the hallway and risk being found by the serving boys, but he also felt as if he were invading the queen’s privacy. And yet, when she held the ribbon in between her lips and began to pull her hair back again, he found himself unable to look away from the private moment.
With all the hair out of her face, Susan took the ribbon out of her mouth and tied up her hair speedily, but deftly, as if she had done this countless times before. She saw in the mirror that Caspian watched her with curious eyes and she gently chuckled. “Still wanting to hide out?”
Caspian quickly looked down, feeling the blush rise to his cheeks. “I am not sure. I…Please tell me if I am intruding.”
“No, it’s alright.” Susan couldn’t hide the smile that played on her lips at his display of embarrassment. “I’m just trying to put on makeup for the coronation. Have to look regal and all that.” She looked back to the colors and powders. Maybe a little bit of eyeliner…
“May I ask what you would need any of that for?” Susan’s hand hovered over the eye pencil. She looked at Caspian, who seemed to be thoroughly interested, and drew her hand back.
“Well, if you want, I can tell you what I was trying to do, before I helped out with your escape.” They both smiled at that and Caspian nodded. “Alright, I was going to put on this foundation,” she pointed to a bowl of white cream with a circular pad next to it, “to make my skin look paler and to hide any blemishes or imperfections.” Next, she pointed to a smaller bowl of a pale pink cream with a brush inside. “That’s lipstick, for my lips, obviously. And I was just about to put on some eyeliner,” she picked up the pencil. “I like this because it enhances my eyes.”
Caspian looked over what she pointed out. “So, you paint your face to hide your face?”
Susan pursed her lips. “Well, when you say it like that.” She put the pencil back down. “Anyway, it wasn’t working out the way it used to, so I’m just going to forget about it all.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
Caspian narrowed his eyes at the desk and knelt beside it, resting his arms on the top and looking at Susan. “I think it is silly to make a big deal out of painting yourself. It isn’t permanent and at the end of the day you look like how you were born to look, like right now.” Susan’s eyes flickered to the makeup and then focused on her lap. “However, if you really want all of this,” he pointed to the colors, “then I could try my hand at it.”
Susan looked at his face and saw that his eyes were honest and he wasn’t trying to make her feel ridiculous. “Okay. Humor me.” He smiled and, still on his knees, traveled to her side. “Alright, foundation first.” She handed him the bowl and pad. “Just dip the pad into the cream and smooth it on my face in a thin layer.
He did as directed and, stretching upward, tenderly ran the cloth over one cheek, leaving behind a clump of white goop. He audibly grimaced and Susan giggled, taking the pad from his hand. “Evenly, Caspian,” she joked and smoothed the cream over her face, hiding her freckles on one side.
Caspian was surprised to find his eyes attracted to the freckles left visible. The first thought that came to his mind was cinnamon sprinkled over a pale sugar cookie.
Internally, he shuddered. Leave it to a man to compare a woman to food.
“Urgh.” He was brought out of his random thought by a growling Susan. “It’s just not cooperating anymore.” She began scrubbing her face with her soiled cloth.
Caspian saw her skin turning red. “Shh, let me.” He took her hand in both of his and gingerly brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss over the back. He took the cloth from her hand and looked into her face, finding her eyes wide with an emotion Caspian was unsure of.
Unsure, but not necessarily afraid.
He leaned up again and slowly wiped the cream from her cheek, unburying the freckles, the cinnamon sprinkles, from their prison. After he wiped the makeup off, he lightly ran his fingers over her face, his thumb wiped any excess foundation from her freckles. He tingled with pleasure as he felt little puffs of air on his skin. When Susan closed her eyes, Caspian bravely moved forward, giving each cheek a slow, soft kiss, and then playfully kissed the tip of her nose.
“You don’t need any of this to look like a queen,” he whispered, his nose beside hers, lips breaths apart. “You already shine with a regal beauty. Don’t mask your face for anyone.” And then, so quickly that Susan wasn’t sure if it even really happened, Caspian brushed his lips over hers and began to leave the room.
“Your people love you as you are, Gentle one.” Susan gathered the strength to open her eyes and look to the doorway. “Keep your face unpainted and use a different canvas for your art.” He smiled and disappeared into the dark corridor.
Susan released a breath she only now realized she had been holding and lightly touched her lips with her fingers. Lifting her eyes back to her reflection, she noticed a rosy glow to her cheeks.
She bit her lip and smiled at her new color.
Rating: K
Pairing: Susan/Caspian
Summary: Susan prepares herself before Caspian’s coronation…and finds some help along the way.
Disclaimer: I own nothing from the world of Narnia, including the rights. The only thing remotely geisha that I own are two kimono, one sad cotton attempt and one beautiful gift from my mother.
A/N: Response to Weekly Drabble Challenge 3 on susancaspian.
She studied the powders and mixtures laid out before her on the mirrored desk.
Her reflection studied her flawed skin and weary body.
Susan sighed and recollected her earlier days as Queen of Narnia. During the beginning of her reign, advisors slyly gave her gifts of makeup, little nudges that told her to hide herself and become a symbol of what the people wanted to see. Day by day, she saw the colors and scowled at their falseness, but as she grew up, she fell to their promise of youth and beauty. A queen needed to be taken seriously, of course.
She paled herself to ensure her power and loyalty of the people.
And yet, on this day, her efforts seemed to be in vain. Every time she smeared the white foundation on her face, something about the action and final product displeased her. Over and over she tried to regain her former appearance, but it only looked like a weak attempt to copy an infallible work of art. Susan sighed, sure that she was no longer an artist.
A simple, washed face would have to suffice for Prince Caspian’s coronation.
Susan wiped the makeup off her face and began to untie the ribbon holding her thick hair away from her face. And then she saw the pair of eyes watching her in the mirror.
With a gasp, she whipped around in her chair and saw Caspian watching her from the doorway to the powder room. Knowing he had been caught, he looked away and nervously stepped back, as if he had always been travelling the corridor.
“Prince Caspian.” Susan stood up, her dressing gown draping her thin figure. As she moved, the ribbon in her hair loosened completely and her slightly curled locks bounced around and past her shoulders. She inclined her head and curtsied as Caspian turned back to the room. “You seem a bit lost today.” Susan gently smiled at the soon-to-be King’s speechlessness.
His dark eyes found her form again and he cleared his throat quietly. “I am already tired of people becoming my shadow. I do not feel it will become any easier once I am officially King, am I right?”
Susan folded her dressing gown more tightly around her. “No, but you do get used to it. You could say it’s an acquired taste.” Neither one moved from their spots until they heard an echo from the hallway. Caspian looked in the direction from which he came and began to move in the opposite direction.
“Wait!” She hurried to the door and ushered Caspian inside before closing it. Caspian watched, amused, as she pressed her ear to the door, her mouth slightly open in concentration. After a moment, she pulled her head away. “Well, I think your shadows have lost you for now.” She smiled at him and walked back to her desk, bending over to retrieve the fallen ribbon.
Caspian didn’t know what to do. He really didn’t want to go back into the hallway and risk being found by the serving boys, but he also felt as if he were invading the queen’s privacy. And yet, when she held the ribbon in between her lips and began to pull her hair back again, he found himself unable to look away from the private moment.
With all the hair out of her face, Susan took the ribbon out of her mouth and tied up her hair speedily, but deftly, as if she had done this countless times before. She saw in the mirror that Caspian watched her with curious eyes and she gently chuckled. “Still wanting to hide out?”
Caspian quickly looked down, feeling the blush rise to his cheeks. “I am not sure. I…Please tell me if I am intruding.”
“No, it’s alright.” Susan couldn’t hide the smile that played on her lips at his display of embarrassment. “I’m just trying to put on makeup for the coronation. Have to look regal and all that.” She looked back to the colors and powders. Maybe a little bit of eyeliner…
“May I ask what you would need any of that for?” Susan’s hand hovered over the eye pencil. She looked at Caspian, who seemed to be thoroughly interested, and drew her hand back.
“Well, if you want, I can tell you what I was trying to do, before I helped out with your escape.” They both smiled at that and Caspian nodded. “Alright, I was going to put on this foundation,” she pointed to a bowl of white cream with a circular pad next to it, “to make my skin look paler and to hide any blemishes or imperfections.” Next, she pointed to a smaller bowl of a pale pink cream with a brush inside. “That’s lipstick, for my lips, obviously. And I was just about to put on some eyeliner,” she picked up the pencil. “I like this because it enhances my eyes.”
Caspian looked over what she pointed out. “So, you paint your face to hide your face?”
Susan pursed her lips. “Well, when you say it like that.” She put the pencil back down. “Anyway, it wasn’t working out the way it used to, so I’m just going to forget about it all.” She leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
Caspian narrowed his eyes at the desk and knelt beside it, resting his arms on the top and looking at Susan. “I think it is silly to make a big deal out of painting yourself. It isn’t permanent and at the end of the day you look like how you were born to look, like right now.” Susan’s eyes flickered to the makeup and then focused on her lap. “However, if you really want all of this,” he pointed to the colors, “then I could try my hand at it.”
Susan looked at his face and saw that his eyes were honest and he wasn’t trying to make her feel ridiculous. “Okay. Humor me.” He smiled and, still on his knees, traveled to her side. “Alright, foundation first.” She handed him the bowl and pad. “Just dip the pad into the cream and smooth it on my face in a thin layer.
He did as directed and, stretching upward, tenderly ran the cloth over one cheek, leaving behind a clump of white goop. He audibly grimaced and Susan giggled, taking the pad from his hand. “Evenly, Caspian,” she joked and smoothed the cream over her face, hiding her freckles on one side.
Caspian was surprised to find his eyes attracted to the freckles left visible. The first thought that came to his mind was cinnamon sprinkled over a pale sugar cookie.
Internally, he shuddered. Leave it to a man to compare a woman to food.
“Urgh.” He was brought out of his random thought by a growling Susan. “It’s just not cooperating anymore.” She began scrubbing her face with her soiled cloth.
Caspian saw her skin turning red. “Shh, let me.” He took her hand in both of his and gingerly brought it to his lips, brushing a kiss over the back. He took the cloth from her hand and looked into her face, finding her eyes wide with an emotion Caspian was unsure of.
Unsure, but not necessarily afraid.
He leaned up again and slowly wiped the cream from her cheek, unburying the freckles, the cinnamon sprinkles, from their prison. After he wiped the makeup off, he lightly ran his fingers over her face, his thumb wiped any excess foundation from her freckles. He tingled with pleasure as he felt little puffs of air on his skin. When Susan closed her eyes, Caspian bravely moved forward, giving each cheek a slow, soft kiss, and then playfully kissed the tip of her nose.
“You don’t need any of this to look like a queen,” he whispered, his nose beside hers, lips breaths apart. “You already shine with a regal beauty. Don’t mask your face for anyone.” And then, so quickly that Susan wasn’t sure if it even really happened, Caspian brushed his lips over hers and began to leave the room.
“Your people love you as you are, Gentle one.” Susan gathered the strength to open her eyes and look to the doorway. “Keep your face unpainted and use a different canvas for your art.” He smiled and disappeared into the dark corridor.
Susan released a breath she only now realized she had been holding and lightly touched her lips with her fingers. Lifting her eyes back to her reflection, she noticed a rosy glow to her cheeks.
She bit her lip and smiled at her new color.