Kendo Club
                                   N.A.Sinclir.
                                  seraphim@sentex.net
                                  cm784@torfree.net
                      
                                            
            

   Two boys faced another in the schoolyard. They were of differing heights
 and builds but each had a sort of menace. The shorter of the two -shorter
 that Hiro in fact, seemed even more intimidating than his tall companion.

  "So, you would like to join the kendo club?" The short speaker had a
 sneering manner and Hiro felt even more intimidated.

  "Um...ah, yes. You see at my old school..."

  "At my old school." The taller of the two mocked. "Listen up, WE don't
 care what you did somewhere else. We don't care how good somebody else
 says you are. What matters is if our President thinks you measure up."

  "He...he...ah sparred with me yesterday and then told me to talk to you
 today. Hiro stammered.

  "Oh?" The boy who Hiro's mind had labeled "Shorty" (no matter that he
 labeled him in this way he still scared him) said.
 The taller boy - Hiro thought he had been called Yamada raised a
 questioning brow. 
 Hiroshi guessed (somewhat unkindly) that Yamada had learned this little
 trick by practicing for hours in front of a mirror rather than the
 gesture being a genuine character quirk. 

  "Yes." Hiro said quickly "He said I had a certain rough style that he
 would forge like the smith-god of the Heavens. He also told me to let you
 know of his approval and for you to tell me just how I went about
 joining."

  "Ah...I see" Shorty said nodding.

  "Well, if he said that that's different. He actually said you had some
 style." His tone seemed warmer.

  "Well, ah...." Hiro was still a little put off by the two boys manner and
 still faintly stuttered when he spoke. "Actually, He said "rough style."
  ...I'm sure if join the club I'll get better with the sempai's teaching.

  "Oh you will." Yamada said smiling. "I remember when he told me that
 'Small children would gnash their teeth in rage at the futility of me
 entering a practice ground.' Now the upperclassman says I am a warrior
 -not as good as him." Yamada quickly added.
  "But, a warrior nevertheless.."

  "So...so it's alright?" Hiro asked.

  "It's fine." Yamada said and Shorty beamed. "But there is one thing....."
 He trailed off.

  "Yes." Said Hiro eagerly.

  "Well, there is one small thing...the initiation. You do have to agree to
 that."

  "Of course." Hiro replied eagerly thinking back to his initiation at his
 old school. The members of the club had forced him to lean over a chair
 and they had beaten him with their practice swords -2 stokes per member
 which had added up to a painful 22. He had never regretted it however
 although it had made sitting and walking difficult for a day.

  "So, you had something similar at your old school?" Yamada asked.

  "Yes, a beating...Which I did not care for in the least and then I had to
 be the slave of one of the senior members fetching and carrying for him
 even out of school."

  "Well," Shorty replied."I guess you think you have a pretty good idea of
 what's going to happen to you...?

  "No sempai." Hiro said. "I really don't. Each school is different after
 all.

  "That's true." Shorty agreed. "I will tell you this however. We of the
 Kendo Club are the select few in this school who admire the virtues of a
 warrior. We practice these in daily ritual until they become a part of us.
 One part of this is loyalty to the group you belong to and the
 maintenances of it's rituals and secrets. another part of this is the
 willingness to sacrifice oneself for one's lord. You will follow this
 code if you join. Do you agree and give your word as a warrior -as a man?"

  "Ye..yes." Hiro stammered.

  "Good." Yamada said and clasped Hiro's shoulder in a comradely way. "Then
 meet us at the school Kendo hall at 6 this evening."
 
  "Hai Sempai!"

 The afternoon bell rang and Hiro headed off to class.

  "Another one." Yamada said shaking his head.
 
  "Well, we do have the president's word that he has some skill not like
 that other poor guy last week."

  "You're right of course. Now let's hope he deals well with the
 initiation." Yamada looked a little worried.
 
  "I think he will, he seems the sort who will do anything to become
 better."

  "Maybe...and if he does that means less of that for us."

  "That's true." Shorty agreed quickly.

  "It's funny though." Shorty continued looking at Hiro's retreating
 form...."He does have really fine features doesn't he...almost like a
 girl."
 
  Yamada looked at his friend strangely.

                                  ****
 
  School ended. Shadows lengthened. Evening came.

  Wiping his nervously moist hands upon his trousers  Hiro knocked upon the
 door of the club.
  It opened and a boy from Hiro's homeroom Taro, stood waiting
 expectantly.

  "Who seeks admittance to this house?"

  Hiro had done this sort of thing before and knew how to respond...at
 least he hoped he did.
 
  "Um...I  Hiroshi Kenada seek admission."

  "Do you swear by the Gods that men deem righteous that you will speak
 not of this night and the rituals of this club if you decide not to join
 or are found wanting?"

  "I do."

  "Then enter." Taro said and moved aside to let him pass.

  The room was dimly lit by several small candles held by members of the
 club who sat in a semi-circle facing Hiro. The place smelled faintly of
 fresh pine boards, sweat and incense.  At the center of the semicircle
 sat the president. Kuno looked at the boy in front of him and felt the
 iron will which dwelt within him. an iron will that was now but ore
 waiting for him to forge this youth like fine steel.

  Yamada rose to his feet, the long dark form of polished wood held in his
 hands.
  "This is not a weapon." Yamada said. "You are the weapon, this merely a
 symbol and way to control your might."
  "You have asked for entry and you are here. Now you will be asked twice
 more if you are willing and pure of spirit. Do you wish to join us here?"

  "I do." Hiro's voice was steady with none of the afternoons' halting and
 stammers.

  "Then I welcome you." Yamada bowed and Hiro returned it. Yamada took his
 seat.

  Upperclassman Kuno rose to his feet in a graceful and fluid motion.

  He took a step forward.

  "Hiroshi." Kuno spoke " We have looked upon you and deemed you worthy
 of us. You have agreed to join our honorable membership and partake
 of the skills and virtues which make us leaders -make us martial experts
 and make us truly men among men. It is now I must ask you yet again for a
 final time if you truly wish to join us."

  "I...I do."

  "Then I greet you." Kuno bowed and Hiroshi returned it then Kuno abruptly
 strode off to his personal meditation room "Prepare him." He said exiting.

  The group stood at the departure of their master and began to filter out
 the door. Hiroshi stood in confusion. That was it? That was the oh so
 secret initiation?
 But no. Yamada held his arm when he went to leave and Shorty and Taro
 also remained behind. 

  "I guess now is as good a time as any to tell you your duties for the
 next 3 weeks." Yamada said. "You will be the President's aid during that
 time and also prepare his gear before a match. Do you understand?"

  "Yes." Hiro said  

  "This is only during meetings of course and your school time is your
 own." Yamada continued.

 "Really? " Hiro asked, "Not during school as well?"

  "Kuno-sempai believes that this would distract from study and feels that
 both academic and martial knowledge brings us control and understanding."

  "Ah" Hiro nodded.

  Taro switched the lights on and Hiro watched as Shorty struggled to set
 up a small folding table.

  "So...what now?" Hiro asked nervously.
 
  "We're getting you ready for your final part of the initiation. Pay
 attention as you will have to learn how to do this soon."
 
  Hiro looked on with curiosity as Taro began to set out a large number of
 vials and small containers upon the table. Could it be that he had somehow
 joined a drug club?
 But no, none of the containers on the table looked like those he had seen
 on television they looked more like....

  "Makeup?" he asked puzzled.

  "Indeed." Was Shorty's reply.

  Taro was now opening another box. This one contained a frilly dress.
  Hiro looked about in confusion.

  "I don't understand." He said.
 
  "Just take your clothing off and put these others on." Taro said.

  "I don't understand." Hiro repeated plaintively.

  "It's simple. You take those." Yamada plucked at Hiro's uniform jacket
 "Off, and put those." He gestured at the lace bra and panties that Taro
 had produced "On....it's simple."

  "It's some sort of cos-play?" Hiro guessed.
 
  "Yes." Yamada nodded.
 
  "Oh." That was all right then that was something he understood. Hiro had
 done that before. At his old school's festival the girls in his homeroom
 had dressed him as a girl for one of the singing competitions. They had
 made him laugh and also blush when one of the cutest girls Midori Tanaka
 told him she was jealous of all his good looks and how she was afraid he
 would steal all the boys attention away from her. He remembered how she
 had kissed him later that day and then laughed with him when she had said
 she liked the fact that they wore the same scent.
 Well, if it was acting they wanted he would give it to them. Hiroshi
 smiled and began to undress.

  Finally he had put on the frothy frilly dress and now sat as Taro
 carefully applied makeup to his face. It was really strange that the
 others had wanted him to wear girls underthings as well... but it was an
 initiation."

  "There." Taro said and put the eyeliner down. "Done."
 
  Yamada and Shorty came over.

  "Okay." Shorty said. "stand up."

  Hiro stood and the others surveyed him critically.

  "Well."  Shorty said. "What do you think?"

  "The red. After all, it goes with his eyes." Taro answered and Yamada
 nodded.

  "I think the red will suit him well." Yamada agreed.

  Taro extracted a red-haired wig from another box and carefully fitted it
 to Hiro's head.
 He then held up a mirror for the other boy's inspection.

  "Wow" Hiro said. "I really do look like a girl."

  Yamada and the other two nodded and then headed for the door. 
  
  "Now remember." Yamada said before he left "This is the final step in
 your initiation so don't mess up."

  "What do I do?"
 
  "Just go and get the Sempai you'll figure it out."

  He closed the door.

  Hiro nodded nervously. He hoped whatever it was he didn't have to go out
 in public like this. Probably they just took his picture now so that they
 would all have shared a common embarrassment.
  
  He rapped softly on the other door.

  "Enter."

  He opened the door and went in. Inside the place was only dimly lit by a
 delicately engraved oil lamp.

 Kuno sat on a padded mat with his back to him.

  "Kuno Sempai." Hiro said nervously his voice reedy.
 
  "Hush."  Kuno's voice was surprisingly soft. "Speak not."
 The President turned and rose with fluid grace. 
 
  "Speak not." Kuno repeated advancing rapidly upon Hiro -so rapidly in
 fact that Hiro almost stumbled backward. "Lest your words break the spell
 you have cast upon this captive heart."
  
  The Upperclassman it seemed wanted him to act.

  Hiro smiled in what he supposed was a seductive manner and batted his
 eyelashes. 
 The other boys had debated putting on a pair of false ones but Hiro's
 dark lashes were surprizingly long and delicate.
 - A touch of makeup had emphisized this.

  "My dream, come with me and sit awhile." Kuno took Hiroshi's hand and led
 him to the mat where they sat.

  "Now my love let me look upon you .....Ah, you are indeed so fair."

  Hiro smiled, these fellows knew how to joke. He almost forgot he was
 dressed the way he was so friendly was Kuno's manner.

  "Some libation?" 
 Kuno poured a cup of sake from a nearby bottle. Hiro delighted at the
 chance to act took the offered cup but then set it down.
 He mock-chided Kuno with a shake of his finger and then pointed to himself
 and the bottle.

  "What....?" Kuno said and then a smile lit his face. "Ah, you wish to
 serve me. Truly you are a woman of style and substance."

 Hiroshi took great pleasure in offering his sake-cup to Kuno who
 then produced another.

  "As you have served me." He said, " Let me also do you the honor."

  He poured the sake and passed it to Hiroshi.
 
  "My Goddess." Kuno said raising his cup. "I drink to you now, the one who
 loves as freely as a river and as deep as the sea."
 
  Hiro felt himself starting to blush. It was stupid he knew but Kuno had
 such a powerful voice. He guessed that the girls loved this fellow.

  Hiro raised his cup and drank and then spluttered. It seemed that Kuno
 had managed to sneak actual sake onto the school grounds.
 
  "Ah, my innocent fair one...you are not used to such spirits."

  Hiro drank now...he couldn't let the Upperclassman think that he wasn't
 man enough to drink.
 
  The two continued to drink for a short with Kuno at all times toasting
 his new "love".  It was only a short while until Hiro felt a warm and
 comfortable feeling in his stomach -his veins, and a flush upon his face.

  "Ah, my love. your maidenly blush becomes you but now come to me."

  Hiro giggled a little.
 
  "I joke not." Kuno said his voice strangely strained. "For you have come
 to me now it is time to demonstrate your love."
 
  Hiro's sake cup fell from his hand as Kuno grabbed him.
 Hiroshi found himself easily overtaken by the larger and stronger boy
 and the alcohol in his system left him even weaker.
 
  "Ah." Kuno cried. "My Pig-tailed Goddess!"
                    

                    *          *          *
          
     
  Later as Kuno dressed and Hiroshi lay sobbing upon the floor
 the boy realized with a sudden terrible clairity that he was
 wearing the same scent that he had worn a year ago.





                          ___________________

 Afterward.

 I originally had all of this at the beginning but I said "what the hell"
as it would have possibly spoiled things....


 Background:  I was reading about initiations and also talking about a
 certain psychological factor which shows up in warrior societies
 (and prisons)  "hyper-masculinity."
  It's not my brain it's that damned weekend rental.
  The warranty must have lapsed.
  Actually it's only a little lemon... or rather I guess it more lime.

                   Please don't shoot me
   
                                                Neil.
  



 ___________________________________________________________________________
     Nene   Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene    Nene   
                    I met a Lady in the Meads,
                    Full beautiful, a faery's child,
                    Her hair was long, her foot was light
                    And her eyes were wild.
                                            J.Keats
  ________________________________________________________________________    
           Agent Of Chaos. Robyn, Duke of Amber. Unicorn Knight
 ****************************************************************************