White Butterfly : Chapter 8
The pace of the Fujimiya house was one of quiet contemplation most times. Aya spent his mornings with his master playing go, and then when Hikarin awoke, the rest of his days with her. Crawford had noticed small changes in Aya’s behaviour; the simple errors he had made in his company were slowly disappearing into the more stately manners of a trained court concubine.
The shy and demanding boy, determined to do his duty, was slipping his emotions quickly behind the “noh” mask of court.
He was also getting better at court.
But the witty repartee of court Hikarin obviously could not teach him.
Crawford began to consider returning her to Kyoto as she was reaching the limit of her usefulness to him.
As Crawford looked at the beautiful boy opposite him he realised that even though he had chosen Hikarin to train him because she was the lesser of the four stars of the flower and willow world, and such it would not be seen as an offence to either Takatori, he really should have taken Bikiko.
“Master,” Saya said kneeling at the door. “A messenger from Kyoto has come.” She said with her head properly bowed. She and her sister were usually only this well behaved when someone higher ranked in the court than he himself called on them.
He wondered idly who it was because he had not received a vision, but then again, he had been distracted with Aya. He wondered just how much worse it would get when he started fucking the boy.
“Invite him in,” Crawford said as Aya began gathering up the go board. They would not finish this game today. “Aya, I want you to wait on us, stay.”
Aya nodded his lovely head, “by your will, my lord.” He said quietly.
The messenger from Kyoto was from the first guard of the Dairai, he was a tall stern faced man whose hair was black underneath a messy white mop. He had several rings in each ear and looked bored rather than tired from his long journey. He did not bother to introduce himself, but wore solid black with a round golden crest on each shoulder. He had a confident stance and refused Crawford’s request that he sit.
“Haru,” he addressed the man with the familiarity of someone who had known him a very long time. “It has been a while, tell me, how is your fair wife?”
Haru answered him quickly and coldly. “The emperor requests your presence, Crawford.” Rather than being peremptory, as Aya had suspected, the man just had a rather dry persona, he was ill given to displays of emotion or amusement. “The empress has retreated to Kyoto.”
“Again.” Crawford answered pulling a face, “and it’s my turn, right?”
Haru remained impassive. “Well,” he answered, “Uesugi did it last time, and Kureno the time before that, which does mean that it is your turn. You are to report to her in Edo and negotiate a peace treaty between her and his eminence.” This time the voice seemed amused, “and I would advise leaving the boy here, you know how the empress feels about beauty other than her own.”
Crawford sighed.
Aya was baffled that he might be offended at attending her grace the beloved of the emperor. He knew better than to say anything though. One of his very first lessons with Hikarin was that a concubine should listen and not talk.
“We’ll leave in the morning,” Crawford said, “it is already past noon, too late to start such a journey.” He sounded bored by the very idea, “it will give you the chance to rest before you return to Kyoto.”
“Your generosity is, as always, charming, Crawford.” Haru answered. “But tell me, where did you get this charming boy?” Even that was delivered in the same low drawl with which the man spoke.
“He was a gift, from the Takatori,” Crawford answered, “the father gave me a house, one son gave me a fine steed and the other something else to ride.”
Aya blushed but said nothing.
“Is his hair really that colour?” The imperial envoy said leaning back into a comfortable sprawl on the tatami.
“Is yours?” Aya asked angrily.
It seemed that the envoy, Haru, had expected that because he laughed. “Oh, Crawford, he’s a keeper.” The man said, “now boy, run and fetch us some of that sake that this backwater is so famous for.” Aya bit his lip to control his temper but nonetheless stood firm.
“I only obey my master.” He grated out.
Crawford blinked in surprise, he hadn’t expected that Hikarin would teach Aya that. He nodded then and Aya left.
“A fine looking lad,” Haru said as he pulled the door behind him, “you might not want to let the emperor see him, you know he has an eye for boy-meat.”
“Married to the woman he is,” Crawford answered, “I am not surprised. Tell me, Haru, can you play go?”
Crawford was drunk. He, Haru, Schuldig and Yohji had held a small banquet in Haru’s honour which had been a poor excuse to drink sake and eat the finest food that Baba had been prepared to make for them. Hikarin had been called to serve but had said that Aya was unready to serve such fine company and had left him with the servant girls in the kitchen with his whipping boy, Sena, and his puppy, Kimi. She had sent for girls from the local brothel and Aya was painfully aware of the sounds of laughter and drunken boasting from the great hall.
Baba told him he was better off out of it, but Aya still felt dejected.
It was Schuldig who popped his head around the kitchen door where Aya waited, either to be released to his bed, or to be summoned. Some of the girls who left the room to fetch more sake, beer or food told how they had been made to dance and he was far too cultured to be exposed to such debauchery.
Nevertheless as his master’s concubine it was his duty.
He had lost his parents to suicide from shame, his sister to marriage and his holdings to the Takatori; he had even lost his own name. All he had left was his duty and he wanted to do it as well as he could.
Schuldig literally popped his head through the door opening, “we’re going to bed,” he announced with a certain degree of aplomb, “Crawford wants you, boy, in his room. He’s just showing Haru around the boat house but he wants his futon laid out and you waiting.” Then he burped and grinned to himself.
As Aya stood up Baba stood up behind him and give him a small hug, then tugged down the collar of his kimono to show the tattoo there. “I believe in you.” She said quietly and then kissed his cheek, “I’ll look after Sena and the baby.” He nodded and went to obey.
Crawford was drunk.
Hikarin made sure to paw Aya on her way past him to bed. She specifically went out of her way to do so. Her attention made Ran more nervous.
Crawford was drunk.
When his father or his advisors had been drunk there had always been a sense of merriment about them, a few babbled verses of song before they fell asleep on their cushions, often with their cups still in their hands. A few of them made rather half hearted attempts at groping the servant girls but Crawford was not like that.
Crawford was drunk.
He had removed his eyeglasses and his normally pristine kimono was loosely belted revealing his nagajubon and an expanse of chest. He sat down awkwardly, cross-legged, on his futon.
Crawford was drunk.
“I am going to Edo tomorrow.” He said calmly, his voice only slightly slurring, “to see the empress.” That was said with disdain, “but this house has ears.” He turned his attention to Aya. “The Takatori had no idea what they gave away,” then he stopped, “well Hirofumi did.” He laughed, “Come here, boy.”
Crawford was drunk.
He grabbed Aya by the loop of his obi and pulled him forward. “Hikarin keeps you in the dark,” he breathed hotly into Aya’s ear, “so I don’t send her away.” He laughed and then licked the lobe. “You didn’t want mizuage.” He said, “You are a fool.”
He made quick work of the elaborate layers of Aya’s kimono. “You’re too thin,” he said finally looking at Aya’s nakedness, “need to put some meat on those bones.” And then he laughed at a joke only he got. “Now give me your hand.”
He did as he was told.
With his free hand Crawford quickly removed his robes until he was sitting naked on his futon. He was erect and his erection was swollen and red. Aya couldn’t bear to look at it. Crawford had no such compunction, “you are mine, boy.” His breath was hot in Aya’s face and tasted of sake. “Remember that.” Then he closed Aya’s hand around his cock. It was hot and dry and jerked against his palm, if Crawford had not held it in place he would have pulled his hand away.
The slight movement must have pleased him because Crawford groaned. Then he began to drag Aya’s hand up and down the throbbing erection making half noises and murmurs, then he pulled his hand away and put his hand on the back of Aya’s neck. With a solid push he forced Aya’s face into his crotch. “Use your mouth.”
Aya did not understand and looked at Crawford but his head was cast back. Hikarin had mentioned none of this to him. Crawford smelled of soap and the detergent that Baba used to wash his clothes, and underneath it there was something musky, something Aya did not recognise. Crawford pushed down on the back of his head again, “use your mouth,” Aya opened his mouth and took Crawford’s erection inside.
It was hot, and moving, and tasted of soap and salt, nevertheless he did as he was told. This was his duty; even if he found it distasteful he would do it to the best of his ability.
Crawford was thrusting into his mouth, holding his head in position with his hands. His movements were getting quicker and jerkier, and then he pulled out and came across Aya’s face. It was only then he pulled up Aya’s head to look at him. “Lovely,” he murmured, “there’s a cloth, clean us both up.” He threw back the coverlet on his futon and climbed in, with the blanket pulled in such a way that it hid nothing of his nakedness. Aya took the cloth and bowl of water from the table and made sure to clean his master before himself although the fluid on his face was rapidly cooling and sticky. It felt unpleasant.
When he was done he laid the bowl back where he had found it and then pulled his robe back on. “Where you going?” Crawford mumbled into his pillow, “Wass point of a bed warmer if bed’s cold?” He moved across the futon to give Aya some more room. Aya looked at the door a little longingly before he removed his robe again and climbed into the futon next to his master.
Glossary
Ameratsu – The Sun goddess of Shinto
Aneki – older sister
Bikiko - Hel
Dairai – imperial court
Daimyo – a landowner or lord.
Danna – a patron
Doitsujin - German person
Ecchi – pervert
Edo – another name for Tokyo
Fundoshi – a wrapped loincloth worn by men
Gaiden – legend
Gaijin – Foreigner
Gei - art
Genkan – small area in front of the door where shoes are kept
Genki – chipper
Hakama – split culottes
Hanzubon – shorts
Hikarin – Schoen
Horimono – Japanese tattooing
Iki – sense of style.
Juni Hitoe – Lit twelve layers
Kaasan – Mother
Kawaii – an exclamation of something’s cuteness.
Kimi – she who is without equal.
Kimono – a decorated robe
Konketsu – half-breed.
Kyu – the lowest ranking in Go
Mizuage – a deflowering ceremony
Moku – two corresponding lines in go – marks one area
Monogatori – lit: story of a person; romances or stories
Nagajubon – a light white kimono worn under the more ornate robes
Natto - fermented soybeans
Nigiri – a pressed rice ball
Nihonjin – Japanese person
Noh – a type of drama performed with masks
Obi – the wide belt used to fasten a kimono
Okaasan - mother
Omemie - Neu
Omusubi – wrapped rice balls
Onmyoji – sorcerer
Ouji-sama – your highness.
Seppuku – ritual suicide by disembowelling
Seppun – the act of pressing mouths together- the worst of all perversions.
Shibari - the art of rope tying
Sumimasen – the most formal way of apologising
Tabi – split toed socks
Takoyaki – fried balls of octopus and flour
Tansu – a Japanese chest. This is a distinct style
Tanto – a short bladed sword, usually used by women, part of a set
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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