White Butterfly : Chapter 3
The nature of the entire house changed almost as soon as Baba took control of it. Despite Crawford being the master of the house even he backed down from the woman. She made foul smelling unguents over the fire that made the mats smell for days. She made sure everyone, including Crawford, was in bed before she would recheck all the doors, despite the guards, and would retire herself. More than once one of the servants had opened a futon cupboard to find a teenage boy hushing them as Naoe hid from her. Crawford himself found excuses to talk to someone else or take a different path if he saw her ahead of him.
Ran kept to himself and locked himself in the doll room. He drank the tea that they gave him but consumed very little else.
On hearing, at length and with some volume, that the boy was not eating to Baba’s standard, Crawford sent for the boy to be brought to his chamber with several plates of snacks, a large bowl of rice and a carafe of very hot water. Ran knelt just inside the doorway.
“I know you haven’t been eating.” Crawford said, standing up and taking the few steps across the mats to him. “I do not abuse what is mine,” he said and tilted the pale and lovely face up to him to stare into the brittle lavender gaze. He used his other hand to cuff the boy, knocking him to the floor. Ran looked up at him but made no attempt to get up. “You belong to me.” Reaching down Crawford grabbed the back of his head and pushed him towards the table, “now eat everything there.”
Baba had made sure that the dishes were those Ran favoured, sweet takoyaki, refried natto, omusubi and boiled eggs with soy and pickled ginger. “Will you share with me, Master?” Ran asked, noting the two sets of chopsticks.
“I have work to do.” Crawford told him.
“As you wish,” Ran said settling at the small table and lifting one pair of the ivory chopsticks, “if it will please you to watch me eat.”
“Just eat.” Crawford said.
Normally when a courtesan ate in front of her danna it was a show of eroticism. With Ran it was like watching a hamster. He ate with tiny bites and generous swallows of tea, bringing the omusubi to his face with both hands. Crawford found it strangely fascinating. He found himself looking up from his correspondence at the glisten of soy sauce on his lips. Even though there really was no tease to Ran’s show, and Crawford had had no desire to do anything but make the boy eat so that Baba would stop nagging him, he felt a familiar thickening in his pants. He wasn’t even sure where it was that the lust came from.
He originally had no thought of using Ran as anything other than a pretty bauble to show as decoration if he had guests, but the thought of the boy kneeling in front of him as he buried himself in that tight mouth fascinated him. He suddenly wanted to taste the takoyaki on the boy’s tongue.
Saya knocked and opened the door. “Master,” she said kneeling, “a messenger from Kyoto has arrived.”
“Ran,” Crawford said though his voice was thick with lust, “you’re excused.”
“Yes, Master,” Ran said putting down his chopsticks and standing up, “I will return to my room.”
“No,” Crawford said suddenly, changing his mind, “you will stay here and finish your meal, I will ask Naoe to attend you until my return.”
Ran sounded despondent when he answered, kneeling back down and lifting his chopsticks.
Crawford entered the corridor making sure to walk in front of Saya.
Maya was waiting on the messenger. He was a handsome man with dark curls but bright green eyes. Crawford did not look happy to see him. “Kudoh,” he said, “I assume you bring word from the capital.”
“Crawford, my man,” the man didn’t sit as much as sprawl along the table in such a way that his kimono revealed most of his chest. The man was an incorrigible flirt. “It’s a six day journey, let a man have some hot sake and a hotter woman.” He flashed a grin at a passing servant girl who giggled and flushed at his attention. Saya had no patience for Kudoh or his flirting but Maya had been known to giggle or blush, but she always denied it afterwards.
“There is a brothel in town,” Crawford answered bluntly, “with, Schuldig tells me, the prettiest boys and girls in the prefecture.”
“But with the beautiful sisters in attendance on you I can’t imagine that you’d have had call to check.” He look around, “looks like someone’s gone and fell on his feet this time,” he managed to sprawl a little more, “where’s my little Naoe?”
“He’s attending the master’s concubine.” The servant girl said quietly. Crawford’s dark glance chastened her. He had had no intention for Kudoh to learn of Ran.
“Oh, gone and got yourself a long term girl, eh?” Kudoh emptied a bowl of sake; “tell me, Crawford, as friends. Is she hot? I bet she’s got a perfumed little well that’s as sweet as honey-wine. She’d have to in order to catch a prize like you.” He poured the last of the sake from the jar into his bowl.
Crawford thought of Ran: silent and beautiful, eating with his tiny bites and the jaded lothario that was sprawled across the tatami matting. “You, girl,” he said to the servant that Kudoh had been charming, “go fetch Baba to introduce her to the messenger of the imperial household.”
Maya and Saya both looked at each other to swallow their laughter. The girl looked confused, “but, master,” she protested, Crawford’s glare was steely but he said nothing. The girl bowed her head before shuffling off to find the housemistress.
“So, Crawford,” Kudoh pressed, “just tell me is she worth leaving all the joys of the court for an extended stay miles past the arse end of nowhere?”
“Yes, Kudoh, I find her to be a remarkable woman.”
His eyes glazed over for a moment, then he stood up, “please excuse me, Kudoh, something has come up that needs my immediate attention.” He excused himself sedately. Once he closed the door behind him he took off at a run, sprinting through the great hall, past the storage room and opened the door to the veranda. He lifted Ran’s robe and draped it over the railing. He only sprinted up to the gate that led from the cherry atrium to the lake. Ran was at the end of the thin pier on his knees, vomiting into the water.
When he had Seen Ran running to the lake he had Seen it with an ingrown desire to protect the boy. He had assumed that Ran had either planned escape or suicide because he was not allowed to leave the confines of the house. Instead he was being violently ill. He knelt there with his face shrouded by his hair, in only his hakama.
Crawford bent down behind him and swept back his hair. It was almost unbearably soft to the touch. He ran his fingers lightly over the boy’s brow. It was hot and damp to the touch. “By Ameratsu’s tits.” Crawford swore, then he swept the boy up in his arms, regardless of who saw him, and let his face rest against his chest.
He laid him down on his futon and lifted a cotton yukuta from where it was folded, “Ran, why didn’t you tell anyone you were sick?” He asked softly.
Ran sat up and let himself be dressed in the loose cotton yukuta, “not sick,” he protested.
“You’re burning up,” Crawford told him, “now lie down.”
“Yes, Master,” Ran’s voice was almost a whisper it was so weak.
“Sleep. I’ll watch over you.” Crawford told him, brushing the hair from Ran’s forehead. Ran acquiesced almost immediately, closing his eyes and his breathing levelling out. Crawford told himself it was because he was avoiding both Baba and Kudoh.
Ran woke briefly in a panic. There was a basin laid out beside his futon, and the faint lingering smell of peppermint in the air. Crawford sat beside a single golden candle that reflected the light off his eyeglasses. Ran blanched a little when he saw him. He had obviously been watching over him all night, sipping tea. He looked softer than Ran had ever suspected of such a powerful onmyoji. “You stayed.” He said as he accepted a bowl of tea from Crawford.
“I am not a cruel master, Ran.” Crawford said quietly, “It is the master’s responsibility to watch over those in his care, to protect them.” Ran lowered his eyes into the misty brown tea. “Baba sat with you for a while, she thinks you’re just overtired and that your stomach was overstressed.” Crawford sighed, “from now on you are to eat with me.”
Ran mumbled assent into the tea.
“Drink it all,” Crawford told him, “it will help settle your stomach and help you sleep.”
“You are too kind, master.” Ran told him quietly.
“It is my duty.” Crawford corrected him, “now drink your tea and sleep.” He sounded soft, “just as you serve me, you are no use to me unwell.” He reached forward and swept back Ran’s hair. “You are just blessed that I felt the need to hide from the imperial messenger. So, sleep.” Putting the now empty bowl down Ran lay down facing his master and slept.
Schuldig sought out Crawford in the late morning. He was sat on the veranda outside the doll room thinking. Schuldig and Kudoh had obviously spent the night in each other’s company because they always did and Schuldig looked as if he was suffering from over-indulgence. Between the two of them they knew every woman of questionable repute in Kyoto by name.
“So this is where you’ve been hiding?” Schuldig said leaning back against the rail indolently.
“Ran was ill, I sat with him.” Crawford answered blithely.
“You’ve never given such consideration to Naoe.” Schuldig told him, his entire tone was a sneer.
“Naoe has been with me since he was a baby, both Maya and Saya have never really let him out of their sight. He sleeps each night between them.”
“Lucky Naoe.” Schuldig said with a laugh, “You’ve kept that boy tucked away tighter than your fundoshi.”
“He’s unwell.” Crawford corrected him, “and I feel no urge to share my concubine with you. Reiji presented him to me to deal with as I see fit, Schuldig, it would do you well to remember your place in my household.”
“There is not much to do,” Schuldig said with an exhalation that was not quite a sigh. “I’m tempted to go back to Kyoto with Yohji for the time it would waste.”
“I’m not going to stop you.” Crawford narrowed his gaze for a moment, Schuldig recognised the look, it meant he was thinking of something. “Actually, go to Kyoto, I need you to fetch me a male orphan between five and ten years old.”
“This new meat not fresh enough for your palate?” Schuldig leered.
Crawford sneered at the joke. “I want Ran to have a whipping boy.” He told him, “this new concubine is young and untrained but that does not mean I have intentions of destroying his beauty.”
“Well, Crawford,” Schuldig laughed, “is he really that lovely?”
“Whilst in Kyoto make sure to call in on Hikarin and remind her that it is for me to decide which information is important and she is to send me it all.” He paused for a moment, “and check on the progress of Fujimiya Aya-hime.” He stopped again, tapping his fingertip against his cheek. “In fact, if you get the opportunity to speak to the girl advise her that if she wants to address it to me I can make sure that her brother receives anything she sends him.”
“After you’ve read it.” Schuldig answered.
“Of course,” Crawford laughed, “Not that I imagine that she will have any news that I do not get from others.”
“I never expected that you had a taste for the daughters of the daimyo.” Schuldig seemed inordinately amused by this.
“Our employer has asked that we destroy the Takatori for what they did to the Fujimiya, there is no room for failure so having Aya-hime on my side cannot hurt matters at this stage.” Crawford told him bluntly.
“Is there anything else you want from Kyoto?” Schuldig answered, “perfumed oil for example.”
“Ask Hikarin to send whatever she uses on her face to preserve her beauty.” Crawford said, he was still musing.
“Worried about wrinkles now?” Schuldig laughed, “it’s all that thinking, I tell you, it’s dangerous for your health, you’d spend that time better between the thighs of a young boy or girl.”
“For my tayu, Schuldig,” Crawford corrected, “not me, and bring me whatever Monogatori are popular in court now, and something to keep Naoe amused.”
Schuldig rolled his eyes, “all this for a boy you keep locked up tighter than your own balls in a room full of creepy dolls. The only time I got to see him he had such a thick veil over his face he was more goblin than boy.”
“I don’t want you near him.” Crawford snapped then something crossed his mind for he smiled, “bring Hikarin back with you, yes Hikarin, to arrange a proper mizuage.”
“You’re going to auction off his virginity?” Schuldig asked, “Hell, I’ll make a bid just on principle.”
“No,” Crawford stood up rolling his shoulders, “I can see now why those bids you make are always unsuccessful. Mizuage is the first time, a million patrons come after but there is only one mizuage, only one first time, with all the ritual that entails. When I leave this place the chances are that I will have him join the others I have been given if I don’t sell him or give him away just because I can. But I will enjoy a proper mizuage.” His smile was carnivorous and Schuldig grinned back.
“And in he meantime do you mean you’re going to?” He made an obscene gesture with his hand.
Crawford smiled but said nothing.
Glossary
Ameratsu – The Sun goddess of Shinto.
Bikiko - Hel
Dairai – imperial court
Daimyo – a landowner or lord.
Danna – a patron
Doitsujin - German person
Fundoshi – a wrapped loincloth worn by men.
Gaiden – legend.
Gaijin - Foreigner
Hanzubon – shorts
Hikarin - Schoen
Kaasan – Mother
Kimono – a decorated robe
Konketsu – half-breed.
Mizuage – a deflowering ceremony
Monogatori – lit: story of a person; romances or stories.
Natto - fermented soybeans
Nihonjin – Japanese person
Obi – the wide belt used to fasten a kimono
Omemie - Neu
Omusubi – wrapped rice balls
Onmyoji – sorcerer
Tabi – socks
Takoyaki – fried balls of octopus and flour.
Tatami – a mat, rooms are measured by tatami.
Tayu – a very high-class courtesan, also called an Oiran
Usagi - Todt
Yukuta – a light cotton kimono worn for sleeping or festivals.
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