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Authors: Laura Joh Rowland
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general, marshaling his troops for an attack?
"Bring Shichisaburo here," Chamberlain Yanagisawa ordered a servant, who ran off to comply.
As Yanagisawa waited, the sensual thrill of lust increased his excitement. Shichisaburo, leading actor of the Tokugawa No theater troupe, was his current paramour. Schooled in the venerable tradition and practice of manly love, he also had other uses...
Soon the silk curtains parted, and Shichisaburo entered. Fourteen years old, small for his age, he wore his hair in the style of a samurai boy: crown shaven, with a long forelock tied back from his brow. His red and gold brocade theatrical robe covered a figure as gracefully slender as a willow sapling. Kneeling, Shichisaburo bowed.
"I await your orders, Honorable Chamberlain," he murmured.
Yanagisawa sat upright as his heartbeat quickened. "Rise," he said, "and approach." He tasted desire, raw and salty as blood. "Sit beside me."
The youth obeyed, and Yanagisawa gazed possessively upon his face, admiring the exquisite nose, tapered chin, and high cheekbones; smooth, childish skin; rosy lips like a delicious fruit. Shichisaburo's wide, expressive eyes, aglow in the lantern light, reflected a gratifying eagerness to please. Yanagisawa smiled. Shichisaburo came from a distinguished theatrical family that had entertained emperors for centuries. Now the family's great talent, concentrated in this youth, was Yanagisawa's to command.
"Pour me a drink," Chamberlain Yanagisawa ordered, adding magnanimously, "and one for yourself."
"Yes, master. Thank you, master!" Shichisaburo lifted the sake decanter. "Oh, but the liquor is cold. Please allow me to warm it for you. And may I serve other refreshments for your delectation?"
Yanagisawa looked on with delight as the young actor set the decanter on the charcoal brazier and laid rice cakes on a plate. At the beginning of their affair, Shichisaburo had spoken and behaved with adolescent gaucheness, but he was intelligent, and had quickly adopted Yanagisawa's speech patterns; now, the big words and long, complicated sentences issued from him with mature fluency. When not abasing himself as custom dictated, he also assumed the chamberlain's bearing: head high, shoulders back, movements swift, impatient, but smoothed by natural grace. This flattering mimicry pleased Yanagisawa greatly.
They drank the warm sake. His face rosy from the liquor, Shichisaburo said, "Have you had a difficult day ruling the nation, master? Shall I soothe you?"
Chamberlain Yanagisawa lay down on the futon. Shichisaburo's hands moved over his neck and back, easing the stiff muscles, arousing desire. Though tempted to roll over and pull the boy against him, Yanagisawa resisted the urge. They had business to discuss first.
"It's an honor to touch you." Fingers rubbing, stroking, teasing, Shichisaburo whispered close to Yanagisawa's ear: "When we're apart, I yearn for the time when we can be together again."
Yanagisawa knew he was only acting and didn't mean a word of what he said, but this didn't bother Yanagisawa at all. How wonderful that someone respected him enough to exert all this effort to please!
"At night I dream of you, and-and I must confess an embarrassing secret." Shichisaburo's voice trembled convincingly. "Sometimes my desire for you is so great that I caress myself and pretend you are touching me. I hope that this does not offend you?"
"Far from it." Yanagisawa chuckled. The actor, despite his talent and heritage, was a commoner, a nobody. He was weak, na‹ve, pathetic, and another man might consider his words an insult. Yet Chamberlain Yanagisawa relished the charade as proof that he was no longer the helpless victim, but the omnipotent user of other men. He had flunkies instead of friends. He'd married a wealthy woman related to the Tokugawa clan, but kept a distance from her and their five-year-old daughter, for whom he'd already begun seeking a politically advantageous match. He didn't care if
"Bring Shichisaburo here," Chamberlain Yanagisawa ordered a servant, who ran off to comply.
As Yanagisawa waited, the sensual thrill of lust increased his excitement. Shichisaburo, leading actor of the Tokugawa No theater troupe, was his current paramour. Schooled in the venerable tradition and practice of manly love, he also had other uses...
Soon the silk curtains parted, and Shichisaburo entered. Fourteen years old, small for his age, he wore his hair in the style of a samurai boy: crown shaven, with a long forelock tied back from his brow. His red and gold brocade theatrical robe covered a figure as gracefully slender as a willow sapling. Kneeling, Shichisaburo bowed.
"I await your orders, Honorable Chamberlain," he murmured.
Yanagisawa sat upright as his heartbeat quickened. "Rise," he said, "and approach." He tasted desire, raw and salty as blood. "Sit beside me."
The youth obeyed, and Yanagisawa gazed possessively upon his face, admiring the exquisite nose, tapered chin, and high cheekbones; smooth, childish skin; rosy lips like a delicious fruit. Shichisaburo's wide, expressive eyes, aglow in the lantern light, reflected a gratifying eagerness to please. Yanagisawa smiled. Shichisaburo came from a distinguished theatrical family that had entertained emperors for centuries. Now the family's great talent, concentrated in this youth, was Yanagisawa's to command.
"Pour me a drink," Chamberlain Yanagisawa ordered, adding magnanimously, "and one for yourself."
"Yes, master. Thank you, master!" Shichisaburo lifted the sake decanter. "Oh, but the liquor is cold. Please allow me to warm it for you. And may I serve other refreshments for your delectation?"
Yanagisawa looked on with delight as the young actor set the decanter on the charcoal brazier and laid rice cakes on a plate. At the beginning of their affair, Shichisaburo had spoken and behaved with adolescent gaucheness, but he was intelligent, and had quickly adopted Yanagisawa's speech patterns; now, the big words and long, complicated sentences issued from him with mature fluency. When not abasing himself as custom dictated, he also assumed the chamberlain's bearing: head high, shoulders back, movements swift, impatient, but smoothed by natural grace. This flattering mimicry pleased Yanagisawa greatly.
They drank the warm sake. His face rosy from the liquor, Shichisaburo said, "Have you had a difficult day ruling the nation, master? Shall I soothe you?"
Chamberlain Yanagisawa lay down on the futon. Shichisaburo's hands moved over his neck and back, easing the stiff muscles, arousing desire. Though tempted to roll over and pull the boy against him, Yanagisawa resisted the urge. They had business to discuss first.
"It's an honor to touch you." Fingers rubbing, stroking, teasing, Shichisaburo whispered close to Yanagisawa's ear: "When we're apart, I yearn for the time when we can be together again."
Yanagisawa knew he was only acting and didn't mean a word of what he said, but this didn't bother Yanagisawa at all. How wonderful that someone respected him enough to exert all this effort to please!
"At night I dream of you, and-and I must confess an embarrassing secret." Shichisaburo's voice trembled convincingly. "Sometimes my desire for you is so great that I caress myself and pretend you are touching me. I hope that this does not offend you?"
"Far from it." Yanagisawa chuckled. The actor, despite his talent and heritage, was a commoner, a nobody. He was weak, na‹ve, pathetic, and another man might consider his words an insult. Yet Chamberlain Yanagisawa relished the charade as proof that he was no longer the helpless victim, but the omnipotent user of other men. He had flunkies instead of friends. He'd married a wealthy woman related to the Tokugawa clan, but kept a distance from her and their five-year-old daughter, for whom he'd already begun seeking a politically advantageous match. He didn't care if
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