Writing / roleplay prompts based on quotes collected from the script of the movie Memoirs of a Geisha (2005).
❝ A story like mine should never be told. ❞
❝ My world is as forbidden as it is fragile. ❞
❝ Without its mysteries it cannot survive. ❞
❝ I certainly wasn't born to this life. ❞
❝ Like so much in my strange life, I was carried there by the current. ❞
❝ The first time I knew my mother was sick was when my father threw the fish back into the sea. ❞
❝ That night we went hungry. ❞
❝ It was to understand emptiness, he told us. ❞
❝ Mother always said that my sister was like wood, as rooted to the earth as a sakura tree. ❞
❝ She told me I was like water. Water can carve its way, even through stone. And when trapped, water makes a new path. ❞
❝ These are the girls from [place]? ❞
❝ This one maybe, the other one no. ❞
❝ Show your respect for[name/title]. ❞
❝ You must not speak; I will answer for you. ❞
❝ Kneel, and head down, never look her in the face. ❞
❝ Let me see those eyes. ❞
❝ Ugh, these country girls! ❞
❝ Too late to send her back now. ❞
❝ Keep her quiet, [name] is downstairs. ❞
❝ [name] will hear you! ❞
❝ I cried too, at first. ❞
❝ You know, it is easier if you just forget everything that happened before you came here. ❞
❝ If you impress[name], and do exactly as she says, she will send you to school. ❞
❝ You will get to drink alcohol and sleep until noon. ❞
❝ Your family sold you to this house, you live here now. ❞
❝ Outside you wear these, inside these. ❞
❝ We don't display our naked feet like monkeys. ❞
❝ It's not flesh we're selling here. ❞
❝ Remember to always honour this house. ❞
❝ You listen, you learn, now get to work. ❞
❝ When can I go outside? ❞
❝ How will I find [name]? ❞
❝ You can't just walk out to every house in the city! ❞
❝ Do you know how many there are? ❞
❝ She was really here with a man the whole time. ❞
❝ Why can't you be quiet?! ❞
❝ So, this is the new arrival. ❞
❝ A pity she still stinks of fish. ❞
❝ I can't have you touching my things! ❞
❝ The only reason she tolerates her is because she brings in good money. ❞
❝ Never forget it’s [name] who pays for your supper, the clothes on your back. ❞
❝ She has been the talk of [place] ever since. ❞
❝ You need an elegant wardrobe, just like an artist needs ink. ❞
❝ Nobody told me what a [thing] is. ❞
❝ You will find out soon enough. ❞
❝ I have news for you child, [name] has determined that it is off to school with you. ❞
❝ I'm going to run, I'm going to find [name]! ❞
❝ You will ruin your own chances, and mine too. ❞
❝ Where have you been? It’s freezing cold! ❞
❝ [name] is at the bath house. ❞
❝ But she told me to stay ... ! ❞
❝ Look who’s in my room. ❞
❝ What’s this new perfume? ❞
❝ She came by looking for you. ❞
❝ Was I wrong to ask her to leave? ❞
❝ Please, tell me where she is. ❞
❝ Only if you swear yourself to me first. ❞
❝ You'll wake the entire house. ❞
❝ I'm not in the mood for beer. ❞
❝ I know what you're in the mood for. ❞
❝ You're just jealous someone cares for me! ❞
❝ Guess who this belongs to? ❞
❝ Someone as desired as she is ought to keep a closer eye on her clothes. ❞
❝ Remember, you swore yourself to me. ❞
❝ Don't let anybody see you. ❞
❝ That [thing] was worth more than you! ❞
❝ I haven't done anything, I promise you. ❞
❝ Her little trick with that [thing] will cost you. ❞
❝ Whatever you have done to anger her, you'd be wise to stop. ❞
❝ I told you not to let anybody see you. ❞
❝ I have kept my promise. ❞
❝ I’ve missed you so much. ❞
❝ Let’s leave, tonight. ❞
❝ I’ve waited as long as I can. ❞
❝ Look at this, we're sneaking around like criminals. It’s degrading. ❞
❝ I caught her stealing. ❞
❝ I saw her with a man, right there. ❞
❝ You are never to see him again. ❞
❝ What do you think? That you are free to love? Never. ❞
❝ You seem to be racking up quite a debt, huh? ❞
❝ We are your only family now. ❞
❝ At the temple there is a poem called Loss, carved into the stone. It has three words, but the poet has scratched them out. You cannot read loss, only feel it. ❞
❝ My father and mother had left this life; my sister I never heard from again. ❞
❝ It is too pretty a day to be so unhappy. ❞
❝ Why so shy? Nothing to be ashamed of. ❞
❝ We all stumble from time to time. ❞
❝ You see that enchanting lady in green? ❞
❝ We see the Spring dances every year. We can spare a moment. ❞
❝ Don't be afraid to look at me. ❞
❝ Do you like sweet plum or cherry? ❞
❝ I like sweet plum myself. ❞
❝ None of us find much kindness in this life. ❞
❝ My children wait for these every Spring. ❞
❝ How did you come by such surprising eyes? ❞
❝ My mother gave them to me. ❞
❝ Smile for me won't you? ❞
❝ This will buy your supper. ❞
❝ In that moment I changed from a girl, facing nothing but emptiness, to someone with purpose. ❞
❝ I saw that it could be a stepping stone to something else: a place in his world. ❞
❝ I couldn't sleep last night, I was so worried about my stupid hair. ❞
❝ Stop crying, your face will run. ❞
❝ That wasn't the only surprise fate brought me that season. ❞
❝ I would never question you, but . . . you could choose anyone. Why her? ❞
❝ You flatter me, truly. ❞
❝ With your eye for beauty and nose for talent, surely you can see what a terrible waste that would be. ❞
❝ If you were not the kind hearted person I know you to be, then I might think that you were scheming. ❞
❝ I'm grateful that you don't have a suspicious mind. ❞
❝ I am confident that you are teasing. ❞
❝ I could not be more sincere. ❞
❝ I am certain you will not object to one trivial condition. ❞
❝ She isn't in it for the money, that much is for certain. ❞
❝ I'm so far behind, I will never catch up to you. ❞
❝ You are never to speak to her again. ❞
❝ Someday, if you are fortunate, you will have a patron too. ❞
❝ Don't kneel, you aren't a servant girl anymore. ❞
❝ Does that displease you? ❞
❝ You have not drawn on those strengths have you? ❞
❝ You may apologise if you wish. ❞
❝ She cannot tolerate competition. She is jealous of you. ❞
❝ Someday soon she will have to name an heir. ❞
❝ That would be like releasing a tiger from its cage. ❞
❝ You have a gift for expression. ❞
❝ [name] would never choose me. ❞
❝ We have no time to lose. ❞
❝ We must transform you. ❞
❝ What takes years, you must learn in months. ❞
❝ We are not courtesans, and we're not wives. ❞
❝ We sell our skills, not our bodies. ❞
❝ We create another secret world, a place only of beauty. ❞
❝ To be one is to be judged as a moving work of art. ❞
❝ Agony and beauty, for us, live side by side. ❞
❝ Hurry up, you're not making money standing there gawking at yourself. ❞
❝ This binds us together forever as sisters. ❞
❝ Today you leave your childhood and cast away your name. ❞
❝ From this day forward you will be known as [name/title]. ❞
❝ It's nice to see such a sincere young apprentice. ❞
❝ Sometimes the smartest remark is silence. ❞
❝ Be attentive, I will do the rest. ❞
❝ Is this your first [sport] match? ❞
❝ It was in the newspaper wasn't it? ❞
❝ Why should you care? You spend your time plucking strings and dancing. ❞
❝ What is business but a dance between companies? ❞
❝ I'd like to know about every kind of dance. ❞
❝ Victory does not always belong to the powerful. ❞
❝ You can never judge a man's power by his appearance alone. ❞
❝ I made a secret promise. I would lock away my heart, and save it for him. ❞
❝ I have something in mind, a plan. ❞
❝ Do you trust me or don't you? ❞
❝ It won't leave a scar will it? ❞
❝ You must be quite a commodity. ❞
❝ My life had turned into a game, and only she knew the rules. ❞
❝ What is your impression? ❞
❝ I owe this man everything. ❞
❝ It is a trinket, I found it a few days ago ... ❞
❝ I had no idea you were so sentimental ❞
❝ Forgive me, I've never received a present before. ❞
❝ You're finally getting what you deserve. ❞
❝ I am ensuring your future. ❞
❝ Has she made you cruel as well? ❞
❝ Am I really like her? ❞
❝ That man. Do you really like him? ❞
❝ Do you like somebody else? ❞
❝ I'm looking forward to your performance. ❞
❝ He has a weakness for beautiful women. ❞
❝ There's something I've been wanting to say to you for some time now. ❞
❝ I owe him quite a debt. ❞
❝ You have to savour life while you can. ❞
❝ We must not expect happiness Sayuri, it is not something we deserve. When life goes well, it's a sudden gift; it cannot last forever. ❞
❝ I have a present for you. ❞
❝ I like to give presents to beautiful girls. ❞
❝ Come, have a closer look. ❞
❝ Put it on now, don't be shy. ❞
❝ Any man would do the same. ❞
❝ So careless! You have ruined all our plans! ❞
❝ I'm entitled to do as I choose. ❞
❝ I have given you my life. ❞
❝ She’s destined to become a legend. ❞
❝ It was my own fault. I did not protect you. ❞
❝ I came to congratulate you. ❞
❝ His initials, how elegant. ❞
❝ You've been hiding your love for a long time. ❞
❝ I should have taken better care of you. ❞
❝ I showed him your picture. He asked to meet you. ❞
❝ I have no doubt that you could still melt the heart of any man, no matter how resistant. ❞
❝ It was painful at first, but I have made my peace. ❞
❝ I am not about to go chasing the past. ❞
❝ With a single glance, you could bring any man to his knees. ❞
❝ Don't waste my time. You think I'm a sucker? ❞
❝ My god, you're more stunning in person. ❞
❝ This is the art of turning habit into pleasure. ❞
❝ They are experts in the art of deceit. ❞
❝ Suppose I wanted to see you in private ... ❞
❝ If there were a price, you could never afford it. ❞
❝ I saw the two of you whispering. ❞
❝ You have arranged some kind of tryst, haven't you? ❞
❝ What did you promise him? ❞
❝ Just the idea of you with him, with any man … ❞
❝ Can't you see that I want you for myself? ❞
❝ You have ruined me. Before we met, I was a disciplined man. ❞
❝ I should have listened to him. ❞
❝ I was foolish to think you would barter me away. ❞
❝ I already owe you far too much. ❞
❝ I will not be refused. ❞
❝ We are tied to each other. I know you feel it too. ❞
❝ I never meant to mislead you. ❞
❝ I do not like things held out before me, that I cannot have. ❞
❝ I want a life that is mine! ❞
❝ I never allowed myself that. ❞
❝ I know how you feel about him. ❞
❝ The heart dies, a slow death, shedding each hope like leaves until one day there are none. No hopes. Nothing remains. ❞
❝ It is not for me to want. It is not for me to feel. ❞
❝ I am an artist of the floating world. ❞
❝ She dances. She sings. She entertains you, whatever you want. The rest is shadows. The rest is secret. ❞
❝ When I saw he had a chance at happiness with you, I stood silent. ❞
❝ Don't be afraid to look at me. ❞
❝ Can't you see? Every step I have taken has been to bring myself closer to you. ❞
❝ You cannot say to the sun “more sun,” or to the rain “less rain.” ❞
❝ These are not the memoirs of an empress, nor of a queen. These are memoirs of another kind. ❞