In the recent weeks Fae Fae had been working on a new sword dance, one that would surpass all of her previous work. Some rumoured it was going to be her greatest masterpiece. Of course when word got out, everyone had to come to Celestial Dreams to bear witness of this masterpiece!

However on the night of that schedule performance, people didn’t expect to be entertained with a series of variety shows.

Other Courtesans and Flower Princess would all come up to their regular stages on the ground, strumming the koto and guzheng, playing the lute or shamisen, one of them even does a stageplay worthy of an opera house.....But every now and then, the audience cannot help but look up and eye the rooftop of the Celestial Dreams.

Empty. No special lightning, no fancy decorations just...a regular roof.

As mentioned, everyone looked at the results and never the progress. So while they kept their eyes on the front stage, they were blind to the chaos that was happening in the backstage.

“MAMA-SAN! MAMA-SAN” The Brothel Owner called for his assistant. “Come over here, quick!”

The assistant was a Courtesan Mother, someone who has been in Celestial Dream the longest, has the most experience, and had been promoted as a chief manager of all the younger entertainers and servers within the brothel.

Managers like her were often referred to as Mama-San, a borrowed term coined to represent the managers of renown and elegant Geisha Brothels in the lands of the Taiko Shogunate. As Mama-San sounded cute, endearing, and easy to remember, any manager in a brothel would carry such a work title.

The Mama-san of Celestial Dreams came running while holding her entire late 50s on her short legs. She dashed across the backstage area to the owner faster than a man on fire. “Fae Fae is not in her room! And yes, I checked EVERYWHERE in the brothel! Can’t find her at all!”

“Where the hell is she!?” The Brothel Owner gasped in panic, trying to keep his screams down from leaking onto the front stage. “She’s never late once in her life, why of all times would she be late now!...Oh sh--”

The current performance just ended. The Courtesan outside would curtsy while hugging her lute and shuffled off the stage. The Brothel Owner tried to shove her back outside, make up an encore even if the audience didn’t ask to stall for time! Unfortunately, the Courtesan had another schedule performance somewhere else so she had to go. After a war that lasted 3 minutes, the Brothel Owner gave up and grabbed someone else to toss onto the stage.

A pair of adorable looking twins...which, he saved for last. Not because they were the best, but they were the worst. But if it can buy him some time, he’ll take his chances.

“This is bad, this is very bad!” The Brothel Owner mumbled and wiped the sweat off his face, drenching his entire sleeve. “This isn’t like Fae Fae! She’s never been a no-show in her entire career! Rain or shine, sick or health, she always come shows up on time! What do I do? What do we tell the audience? Especially wh-when she boasted how her new sword dance would make even the toughest grand masters of the martial arts world swoon head over heels! Her greatest masterpiece!”

“H-hold up!” Mama-san stopped the man. “It was YOU who advertise that slogan! It was YOU who fanned the flames about it being a masterpiece! And it was YOU who scheduled the show despite knowing Fae Fae has gone to visit a temple for prayer! So don’t you be blaming your screw up on her!”

“D-don’t talk back to me woman!” The Brothel Owner snapped.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~~~!

Was it something he said!? It was only a moment later, the Brothel Owner realized the boos wasn’t directed to him. It was at the twins he just pushed out into the lion’s den.

Being cute could only last for so long. They were just as hard working as any other Courtesan but they just...were terrible. They pulled off every trick: stage combat stunts, cart wheels, flips, playing a duet with nervous screeches and twangs. They even pulled out their finishing move!

St-stand up comedy!?—GET OFF THE STAGE! DO IT, DO IT, DO IT NOW!

The crowd started to throw their expensive wine and exotic tea cakes from their table to shoo off the twin performers, making them dart back stage and break down crying. The Brothel Owner cursed his luck.

“Mama-san, I choose you!”

“Oh hell no! I may have been known for swallowing many things – swords is not one of them! Why don’t you go out and give them an interpretive dance!”

The owner and manager began to bicker, until they started to hear chanting.

WE WANT FAE!
WE WANT FAE!
WE WANT FAE!

With no other choice, the Brothel Owner shoved the Mama-san out into the spotlight. She staggered onto the stage, all lights on her. She tried to retreat, but the Brother gestured death threats right back at her. Fix it, he mouthed!

“...Ladies and gentlemen, humble and prestigious guests.” Mama-san did what she does best, tame the lions. Even if she didn’t have a whip or chair. Surely in her 50 odd years as a high class prostitute she would have something up her skirt to resolve this! “We would like to thank all of you for coming to this momentous event... Unfortunately, our dear Fae Fae has fallen ill. She is completely bedridden.”

Immediately, the crowd went from ‘get off the stage’ to – ‘dear god, is she alright?’ ‘Call the doctor?’ ‘No, call the royal physician!’ Worried murmurs could be heard among the masses. Even the most selfish and greedy of the crowd offered to donate their best medicine or even a revivifying ginseng to help the poor Flower Princess with the concerns of a loving father.

This made Mama-san even more guilty, but the show...must go on. “Er. She tried many medicines to recover in time. She really hoped she had enough strength to-to deliver to you her masterpiece of a life time. So it is with heavy heart to-to say tonight's performance...is cancelled.”

She shut her eyes. She expected to be buried in all sorts of garbage and furniture. Being smothered alive by her patrons was not how she wanted to go out...

...One by one, the crowd got up to leave.

Not coldly. They would call out prayers for Fae Fae for a swift recovery. Some would personally approach the Mama-san and share suggestions to how to help Fae Fae or if there was anything they could do with limitless, or limited, resources they had. There were even donations of various proportions to pay for medical fees or expensive medicine. From a wholesome1 copper to a considerate 1000 silver.

Poor, rich, high class, low class, they all made sure to express what Fae Fae would like and dislike under these circumstances like worried parents. Every word of kindness and concern stabbed Mama-san in the heart. But she kept on a thankful smile, at least her gratitude was from the bottom of her soul.

No one complained, no one caused a fight. Even a beggar who had snuck to watch the Sword Fairy in stayed behind to clean up any garbage left behind from scaring off the other performers. Didn’t even steal any excess food or drinks as compensation, it would be too disrespectful of Fae Fae’s absence.

Such love and kindness for their idol.

The Mama-san could only bow in thanks to them all, hiding tears of shame. It was only when she was alone did she show her true colours and grabbed a chair to drag it towards the Brothel Owner.

“PARLAY! PARLAY!” The Brothel Owner squeaked, his moustache curling up in fear. He would dodge the swings of the Mama-san, ducking behind a thin stagehand. “Hold your temper Mama-San! Everything will be resolved once we find Fae Fae!”

“Look at what you’ve done!” Mama-san pointed at the clean and empty seats. “Everyone is heart broken because you kept stoking the fire! I have to offer tribute to thanks the gods for the mercy Fae Fae’s followers have shown! To think they expressed more humanity than a walking blubber like you who milk our Princesses like a cash cow! At least let me crack open your skull, before I hide in a Buddhist temple to pray off my violence!”

“Wait! Th-that won’t solve one bit of the problem!” The Brothel Own gasped and screamed for his life. “F-Fae Fae is never late, so-so why did she not show up now!? Where could she have gone too at a critical time like this!”