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write_good2010-09-12 03:21 pm
cathstar) wrote in write_good2010-09-12 03:21 pm
The House of Tulips
Title: The House of Tulips
fandom or original fic genre: Original Fiction
Characters/Pairings: None
Rating: T
Word Count: 300 and 765
A bit of a stretch for me, because original fic is like the alcoholic beverage I say I'll taste but never have the chance to sample.
'This is it,' a young woman made her way towards the door of an old building. Les Tulipes. Her dark brown hair was unkempt and her simple muslin dress was yellowed. But she didn't care. Her trek from the countryside would soon come to an end.
She purposely avoided the shops' windows as she walked. She didn't want to look at her disheveled appearance; it would extinguish the optimism in her heart. The young woman confidently moved forward and knocked on the teal colored door.
A woman with graying hair opened the door. Her rouge painted lips turned down into a frown as she looked at her.
"May I help you?"
"I'm looking for a job, madame," the young woman's blue eyes looked up at the terrifying female before her.
One of the older woman's eyebrows went up. "Is that so?"
"Yes, I'll do anything," the young woman tried to give her best smile.
The older woman looked her once-over before she nodded her head. "Just a little polish and you'll become a diamond." The woman pulled her into the building.
The young woman was puzzled. "Sorry?"
The other woman only snapped her fingers and two other women appeared. "Off with her clothes," she ordered. The ladies deftly removed all garments from the young woman's body. She yelped as cool air met her warm flesh.
"Remove the boots," the older woman eyed her shoes with disgust. "Throw them out, she'll have no use for them here anyway."
The young woman made no protest as her shoes were taken from her; she was too busy trying to cover her own body. As she struggled to hide her nakedness, the older woman patted her back with a cold hand. "Welcome to the House of Tulips. I am Madam Ledoux, your mistress."
Sunlight poured through large glass windows and into a room where a young woman on a cream colored chaise read a book. It had been four years since her arrival at Les Tulipes. No longer was she the dirty girl that came into the house, but an educated woman passionate for life.
Her own life had drastically changed from her countryside lifestyle. Madam Ledoux had taken her under her wing and cultivated her into a fine woman of three and twenty years. During that time, Madam Ledoux planned her court debut and kept her under tight watch. It was indecent for a woman intended for the courtesan life to be out and about in the streets.
Hard footsteps could be heard in the hallway. The young woman stiffened as the steps came closer to her room. Her grip on her book tightened as her door squeaked open.
"Marie," Madam Ledoux frowned as she walked into Marie's quarters. She folded her long arms and tapped a long painted nail against her arm. Madam had a stern look on her face.
"Yes, Madam Ledoux?" Marie sat higher in her chaise by the window. Her dark brown hair swayed as she looked at her mistress. Marie's blue eyes did not betray her feelings.
"You haven't been outside, have you?" Madam Ledoux raised her eyebrows; a usual sign signifying something is wrong.
"No, madam, of course not." Marie shook her head. Her grip on her book lessened and she slowly eased out the tension in her back.
"Hmm," Madam Ledoux eyed the room suspiciously. "I thought so." She gave Marie another look over and closed her door with a soft clack.
Marie waited for the madam's footsteps to echo in the hallway. She sighed in relief and closed her book. "I thought for sure, madam was going to scold me for getting a low score on my maths."
Countryside schooling had done Marie little good when she joined Les Tulipes. Madam Ledoux made sure to have the finest of teachers for her. The life of a courtesan was not the sort of job Marie had envisioned for herself when she set out for the city, but every shopkeeper refused her until she came upon the teal door of Les Tulipes. A diamond, Madam Ledoux had called her. Marie knew little of what courtesans did, other than the basic, 'keep men entertained.' It was not a future she considered. But madam had proven her otherwise on her second day.
"Your country accent is atrocious. You'll be taking speech classes every day from eight to nine in the morning.
What level of math did you accomplish? It doesn't matter, you'll start from the beginning anyway.
What about politics? None? Good, political science classes will be on Thursday from ten to eleven in the morning.
How do you fare in literature? Never mind, if your country accent is dreadful, I'm sure your level in literacy will be the same. Classical and contemporary literature classes from one in the afternoon to two.
Your actions yesterday were quite unladylike. Women do not grovel or beg. And your posture!"
The rigorous education and the hours upon hours of courtesan training blew her away.
"We are not lowly women who whore ourselves for money, Marie." Madame Ledoux sharply answered. "We are women of divine elegance, charm, and wit. Remember that."
Four years of courtesan education turned Marie into one of the most cultured novice courtesan La-Mer hadn't seen since the arrival of Camille, another one of Madam Ledoux's protege.
Marie leaned into the chaise and brought her legs up to rest. She faced the window and eyed the few people in the marketplace below her. If there was one thing she missed about the countryside during her stay in La-Mer, it would be the freedom of enjoying the sun's rays.
Stuck inside the halls of Les Tulipes, her skin had lost the light brown color she once had from the daily doses of sunlight. Two years in Les Tulipes had given her the pale color women of La-Mer coveted.
The marketplace below her began to fill with La-Merian citizens. It was nearing the lunch hour soon and the marketplace would be swarming with people.
"Marie!" A harsh whisper came through the door. "Marie!"
A voice from the other side of the door, startled Marie out of her reverie. She got up from her chaise lounge, gathered up her blue dress and padded her way to the door. She knew who it was already.
"Evangeline?" she whispered though the key hole.
"Ouvrez la porte!" she hissed.
Also crossposted tograpevines and fictionpress.
fandom or original fic genre: Original Fiction
Characters/Pairings: None
Rating: T
Word Count: 300 and 765
A bit of a stretch for me, because original fic is like the alcoholic beverage I say I'll taste but never have the chance to sample.
'This is it,' a young woman made her way towards the door of an old building. Les Tulipes. Her dark brown hair was unkempt and her simple muslin dress was yellowed. But she didn't care. Her trek from the countryside would soon come to an end.
She purposely avoided the shops' windows as she walked. She didn't want to look at her disheveled appearance; it would extinguish the optimism in her heart. The young woman confidently moved forward and knocked on the teal colored door.
A woman with graying hair opened the door. Her rouge painted lips turned down into a frown as she looked at her.
"May I help you?"
"I'm looking for a job, madame," the young woman's blue eyes looked up at the terrifying female before her.
One of the older woman's eyebrows went up. "Is that so?"
"Yes, I'll do anything," the young woman tried to give her best smile.
The older woman looked her once-over before she nodded her head. "Just a little polish and you'll become a diamond." The woman pulled her into the building.
The young woman was puzzled. "Sorry?"
The other woman only snapped her fingers and two other women appeared. "Off with her clothes," she ordered. The ladies deftly removed all garments from the young woman's body. She yelped as cool air met her warm flesh.
"Remove the boots," the older woman eyed her shoes with disgust. "Throw them out, she'll have no use for them here anyway."
The young woman made no protest as her shoes were taken from her; she was too busy trying to cover her own body. As she struggled to hide her nakedness, the older woman patted her back with a cold hand. "Welcome to the House of Tulips. I am Madam Ledoux, your mistress."
Sunlight poured through large glass windows and into a room where a young woman on a cream colored chaise read a book. It had been four years since her arrival at Les Tulipes. No longer was she the dirty girl that came into the house, but an educated woman passionate for life.
Her own life had drastically changed from her countryside lifestyle. Madam Ledoux had taken her under her wing and cultivated her into a fine woman of three and twenty years. During that time, Madam Ledoux planned her court debut and kept her under tight watch. It was indecent for a woman intended for the courtesan life to be out and about in the streets.
Hard footsteps could be heard in the hallway. The young woman stiffened as the steps came closer to her room. Her grip on her book tightened as her door squeaked open.
"Marie," Madam Ledoux frowned as she walked into Marie's quarters. She folded her long arms and tapped a long painted nail against her arm. Madam had a stern look on her face.
"Yes, Madam Ledoux?" Marie sat higher in her chaise by the window. Her dark brown hair swayed as she looked at her mistress. Marie's blue eyes did not betray her feelings.
"You haven't been outside, have you?" Madam Ledoux raised her eyebrows; a usual sign signifying something is wrong.
"No, madam, of course not." Marie shook her head. Her grip on her book lessened and she slowly eased out the tension in her back.
"Hmm," Madam Ledoux eyed the room suspiciously. "I thought so." She gave Marie another look over and closed her door with a soft clack.
Marie waited for the madam's footsteps to echo in the hallway. She sighed in relief and closed her book. "I thought for sure, madam was going to scold me for getting a low score on my maths."
Countryside schooling had done Marie little good when she joined Les Tulipes. Madam Ledoux made sure to have the finest of teachers for her. The life of a courtesan was not the sort of job Marie had envisioned for herself when she set out for the city, but every shopkeeper refused her until she came upon the teal door of Les Tulipes. A diamond, Madam Ledoux had called her. Marie knew little of what courtesans did, other than the basic, 'keep men entertained.' It was not a future she considered. But madam had proven her otherwise on her second day.
"Your country accent is atrocious. You'll be taking speech classes every day from eight to nine in the morning.
What level of math did you accomplish? It doesn't matter, you'll start from the beginning anyway.
What about politics? None? Good, political science classes will be on Thursday from ten to eleven in the morning.
How do you fare in literature? Never mind, if your country accent is dreadful, I'm sure your level in literacy will be the same. Classical and contemporary literature classes from one in the afternoon to two.
Your actions yesterday were quite unladylike. Women do not grovel or beg. And your posture!"
The rigorous education and the hours upon hours of courtesan training blew her away.
"We are not lowly women who whore ourselves for money, Marie." Madame Ledoux sharply answered. "We are women of divine elegance, charm, and wit. Remember that."
Four years of courtesan education turned Marie into one of the most cultured novice courtesan La-Mer hadn't seen since the arrival of Camille, another one of Madam Ledoux's protege.
Marie leaned into the chaise and brought her legs up to rest. She faced the window and eyed the few people in the marketplace below her. If there was one thing she missed about the countryside during her stay in La-Mer, it would be the freedom of enjoying the sun's rays.
Stuck inside the halls of Les Tulipes, her skin had lost the light brown color she once had from the daily doses of sunlight. Two years in Les Tulipes had given her the pale color women of La-Mer coveted.
The marketplace below her began to fill with La-Merian citizens. It was nearing the lunch hour soon and the marketplace would be swarming with people.
"Marie!" A harsh whisper came through the door. "Marie!"
A voice from the other side of the door, startled Marie out of her reverie. She got up from her chaise lounge, gathered up her blue dress and padded her way to the door. She knew who it was already.
"Evangeline?" she whispered though the key hole.
"Ouvrez la porte!" she hissed.
Also crossposted to
grapevines and fictionpress.
no subject
Have you read The Crimson Petal and the White by Michel Faber? It's very long but well worth the investment of time. It's about a prostitute turned high-class courtesan. Sort of!
no subject