Here's another story rescued from the depths of time. It may prove unsatisfying to many, but there was at least one reader who had lamented its loss in the past. It can still be found on the vestiges of the 'Blissful Ignorance' fanfiction site. I don't know if it had ever made its way to FanFiction, only to be removed during one of my fits of downsizing and housecleaning at this site. There are only minor changes to the original version….

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A/N:

While there are no explicit, expressly indecent, or overly descriptive scenes, the subject matter in this story is appropriate for a mature audience.

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"It is not a problem," Sousuke said, sweating.

He had a hard time believing his own words. What was worse, he was still terribly confused about his emotions.

Melissa and Kurz had tried to help him. Melissa told him to be true to his feelings and to think about what was best for Kaname. Kurz had started off with his usual wisecracks, but had shared stories from his life that no one else had ever heard. After that, Sousuke felt obliged to follow some of his suggestions.

"A Specialist should be an expert in everything he does," Sousuke muttered to himself.

He truly believed that.

If he was going to do something, he should do it well. While that philosophy did not usually work for his performance in school, there was reason for that. He had been thrown into an environment he was totally unfamiliar with, while the other students had gone through the entire school system. That was one reason he needed to do this.

He would not allow something like that to happen again.

Sousuke began to sweat. Why was it so difficult to sort through his various urges and desires? Simple. Those were baffling by themselves. He also had to figure Kaname out. What did she want? If she had certain desires, he had best be prepared. If she didn't, his efforts would not go to waste. They would satisfy a promise he made to Kurz.

"I am a man of my word. I will do what I said I would." Sousuke felt a false sense of confidence.

He opened his satchel and placed his hand on the book. He moved to pick it up but stopped. Taking a deep breath, he tried again. He had been unable to do this last night, but he would not fail now. It would be just like reading any of his school books. He had even made a book cover for it, making it seem less threatening. That also allowed him to carry I with him wherever he went.

The wind kicked up a small dust devil, throwing small pieces of trash up into the air before dying out. Sousuke stepped into the shadow of a large apartment building. It would be difficult for anyone to see him there, if they were merely looking casually at the location. He had some time before Kaname would show up, ready to walk to school with him.

This was a difficult mission.

No, he had better not think of it that way. If he began thinking of the things in this book as some assignment or obligation, he might someday apply the same manner of thinking to other things, things that should not be thought of as duty and obligation, if Lt. Mao was correct. In any case, he must begin. While he would not think of it as a mission, he could put himself in a mission setting, as a means to take that difficult first step.

"Systems operational. No abnormal variances noted. Setting power to military. Target in range. Entering battle." Sousuke reached out a hand, grasping air where Arbalest's control lever would be.

He took the book out of his school bag. He looked this way and that, suddenly feeling as if there was a score of hidden operatives watching him. There was no one. Certain of that fact, he opened the nicely bound text.

He scanned the introduction, not because he was being thorough, but because he was being cautious. He could not afford to simply jump into things or try to rush his way to the end. This would require careful study. It was not merely a matter of pride, but also one of respect and affection. He owed Kaname Chidori a great deal. She meant more to him than he had ever been able to put into words. If Kurz was correct… and that concept still had him a bit queasy… there was more than one way to demonstrate one's feelings.

Almost nothing is known about the writer, Vatsyayana, or the exact date he wrote this work. Regarding the date, Sir Richard F. Burton, whose 1883 translation is used one of the most time honored, determined from internal evidence that the text was written sometime between the first and sixth centuries A.D. in medieval India, with most scholars believing that it dated from the Gupta period, 320-540 A.D., which has also been called the Classical Age of India.

Sousuke nodded his head. If the book was a scholarly work, he shouldn't feel so tense and insecure. After all, there had been a time when he had never fired a weapon, much less gotten into the pilot seat of an Arm Slave. Good tutelage had helped him master his respective arts, and experience had made him the soldier that he was today. Right! Now he could read further with greater confidence.

There were thirty-five chapters, organized into seven parts. The initial chapters, the true introduction in a sense, covered the idea of love itself, its place in a man's life, and a classification of women. Hmmm. Before reading any more in the translator's introduction, he would go to the pages listed for assessing women. It might prove crucial somehow. Vatsyayana was of the opinion that there are only four kinds of Nayikas: the maid, the twice-married woman, the public woman, and the woman resorted to for a special purpose.

"Uh." No. There was nothing there that should make him feel uneasy. Be at peace. Remain calm. He needed to read on. Ahhhh. Well. There was a list of types of women that should not be enjoyed. "Hopefully there is no mention of blue hair." Or anything that might be construed to be similar to being Whispered. "So-"

A leper. No problem there.

A lunatic. That one was not a problem, unless he listened to the opinion of others he did not trust fully.

A woman turned out of caste. No, there was no real caste system here. If there were, he did not think that this would apply.

A woman who reveals secrets. No, she was very adept at that. There was ample evidence in that regard, with the exception of his test scores. She had embarrassed him in that fashion many times.

A woman who publicly expresses desire for sexual intercourse. Uhhh. No. Never. She had never. Not even to him. At least not in words or manner that he could understand.

A woman who is extremely white. That one lost him. It did not seem just or fair. But, it was not an issue in any case. If Kaname read this introduction, she would no doubt mention Tessa. Not a problem.

A woman who is extremely black. Again, irrelevant.

A bad-smelling woman. Hmmm. That one was more difficult. There were scents that she wore which affected in an embarrassing way. It was reassuring, in some ways, to know that his anatomy functioned as it should. However, there were perfumes that reminded him of the hydraulic fluid used in Arbalest, or the cleaning solutions he used on his firearms. He would not mention that fact again, however, as he had no desire to be kicked in that part of his anatomy. Nonetheless, he would not consider her bad-smelling.

A woman who is a near relation. Not an issue. He had no living relatives.

A woman who leads the life of an ascetic. No.

The wife of a relation, of a friend, of a learned Brahman, and of the king. Also no.

A woman who is a female friend. What? This could be a problem. He would need clarification. There. A list of the kinds of friends.

One who has played with you in the dust, i.e. in childhood. No. There is no issue there. The girls he played with as a child were dead or in an Afghani brothel.

One who is a child of your nurse. No.

One who is brought up with you one who is a hereditary friend. No again.

One who is of the same disposition and fond of the same things. Negative. Well, not entirely negative; but, there were more things of his that she disliked than liked. He was much more willing to try new things, because so many things were new to him.

One who is bound by an obligation. That was a problem! Wait. No, it was not. He had his duty, but that was not what brought him back to Tokyo when he thought he had left for good. He may have obligations, but they were not the reason he was bound to her. Bound to her? Yes. Perhaps. Emotionally. It was another difficult concept, one he had talked about with his fellow SRT members. Kurz had said that it can be fun when women were bound. That had led to a boot in the face from Melissa. She had been more helpful with that topic.

One who is acquainted with your secrets and faults, and whose faults and secrets are also known to you. There was no getting around that one. Not at all. Even a Mithril would be unable to talk his way around that one.

One who is a fellow student. Ditto.

It did not make sense. Why should a many avoid a woman who is a friend in those two particular manners? If someone already knows one's secrets and has earned one's trust, shouldn't that be a reason for comfort rather than exclusion?

If this part was called into question, could he possibly trust anything else in the book?

It was a major dilemma. He would need to consult with someone. First he would read further. Wait. The classification of women was not just for… uh… that. It also described woman who one should marry, and those suitable for friends. Perhaps he was reading too much into things. He must also consider the ancient nature of the book, and the cultural context that it was written in. Right. That made sense.

He would consider certain things as historical data and suggestions, not necessities and mandates.

It was time to return to the introduction and index again. There were chapters about the Acquisition of a Wife; those covering Courtship and Marriage; and one about and the Proper Conduct of a Wife. There were chapters about the Wives of other people, Courtesans, and the means of Attracting Others to Oneself. That latter might prove useful, even though he was pretty certain that Kaname was attracted to him already. It would not make sense for things to be otherwise, as she had been the one who asked him out on their first dates.

She had also been the one who initiated kissing.

Hmmmm. Kissing. That was another topic. Actually, it was much more relevant than the… uhhh… other issue. She had said that he needed work on his kissing. It was probably not criticism, as she had said that she planned to spend a lot of time tutoring him in that area. Still, it would not hurt to be better informed. Did the book have any suggestions in that regard. He would underline bulletpoints in the chapter on Kissing. Take a deep breath. Reach a calm center. The whole issue of kissing had been much more stressful for him before. Now, in comparison, it was not such a big thing. His fears or concernas had a habit of vanishing into thin air, whenever Kaname was leaning towards him, eyes shut and mouth partly opened.

"Behave!" He admonished a slight stirring in his trousers. He began exploring the book further.

It's easy for a soldier to be a braggart and big talker, but combat whittles blowhards down to size.

It is said by some that there is no fixed time or order between the embrace, the kiss, and the pressing or scratching with the nails or fingers, but that all these things should be done generally before sexual union takes place, while striking and making the various sounds generally takes place at the time of the union. Vatsyayana, however, thinks that anything may take place at any time, for love does not care for time or order.

"Uhhh." Context raises its head again. "I do not think that kissing always precedes…uhhh… the other thing

On the occasion of the first congress, kissing and the other things mentioned above should be done moderately, they should not be continued for a long time, and should be done alternately. On subsequent occasions, however, the reverse of all this may take place, and moderation will not be necessary, they may continue for a long time, and, for the purpose of kindling love, they may be all done at the same time.

Kindling love? Yes, that would be a good purpose. By all accounts, love was something special, a feeling that could solidify relationships and form strong unions. If others were correct, it could even be a stronger motivation than duty and obligation. His own experience gave proof to that as well… if the strong feelings he felt for Kaname were indeed love.

The following are the places for kissing: the forehead, the eyes, the cheeks, the throat, the bosom, the breasts, the lips, and the interior of the mouth. Moreover the people of the Lat country kiss also on the following places: the joints of the thighs, the arms and the navel. But Vatsyayana thinks that though kissing is practiced by these people in the above places on account of the intensity of their love, and the customs of their country, it is not fit to be practiced by all.

"Uhhh." Kissing on the lips was daunting enough for now. Forehead, eyes, cheeks? That might not be too difficult. Breasts? Thighs? That would require removal of clothing. He would consider that later.

He dare not do that now, not with Kaname on her way.

Now in a case of a young girl there are three sorts of kisses: The nominal kiss. The throbbing kiss. The touching kiss When a girl only touches the mouth of her lover with her own, but does not herself do anything, it is called the 'nominal kiss'. When a girl, setting aside her bashfulness a little, wishes to touch the lip that is pressed into her mouth, and with that object moves her lower lip, but not the upper one, it is called the 'throbbing kiss'. When a girl touches her lover's lip with her tongue, and having shut her eyes, places her hands on those of her lover, it is called the 'touching kiss'. Other authors describe four other kinds of kisses: The straight kiss The bent kiss The turned kiss The pressed kiss When the lips of two lovers are brought into direct contact with each other, it is called a 'straight kiss'. When the heads of two lovers are bent towards each other, and when so bent, kissing takes place, it is called a 'bent kiss'. When one of them turns up the face of the other by holding the head and chin, and then kissing, it is called a 'turned kiss'. Lastly when the lower lip is pressed with much force, it is called a 'pressed kiss'. There is also a fifth kind of kiss called the 'greatly pressed kiss', which is effected by taking hold of the lower lip between two fingers, and then, after touching it with the tongue, pressing it with great force with the lip.

Sousuke's head felt like it was spinning. Why? It wasn't as if there would be a quiz or anything. Kaname never mentioned anything of that sort, right? It should not harm him to learn what possibilities existed.

When a man kisses the upper lip of a woman, while she in return kisses his lower lip, it is called the 'kiss of the upper lip'. When one of them takes both the lips of the other between his or her own, it is called 'a clasping kiss'. And on the occasion of this kiss, if one of them touches the teeth, the tongue, and the palate of the other, with his or her tongue, it is called the 'fighting of the tongue'.

Kissing is of four kinds: moderate, contracted, pressed, and soft, according to the different parts of the body which are kissed, for different kinds of kisses are appropriate for different parts of the body. When a woman looks at the face of her lover while he is asleep and kisses it to show her intention or desire, it is called a 'kiss that kindles love'. When a woman kisses her lover while he is engaged in business, or while he is quarrelling with her, or while he is looking at something else, so that his mind may be turned away, it is called a 'kiss that turns away'. When a lover coming home late at night kisses his beloved, who is asleep on her bed, in order to show her his desire, it is called a 'kiss that awakens'. On such an occasion the woman may pretend to be asleep at the time of her lover's arrival, so that she may know his intention and obtain respect from him. When a person kisses the reflection of the person he loves in a mirror, in water, or on a wall, it is called a 'kiss showing the intention. Whatever things may be done by one of the lovers to the other, the same should be returned by the other, i.e. if the woman kisses him he should kiss her in return, if she strikes him he should also strike her in return.'

That certainly suggested that romantic relationships were far more complicated than he had imagined. It was not just about having feelings and touching in various ways. Exhibition and coercing might be necessary. Subtlety too. That was not a comforting thought. He was not a subtle person. Then again, his touch in an Arm Slave was so fine, that he could probably pick up an egg without breaking it. There may be ways to use his motor skills to his advantage.

That would require more thought.

Sweat trickled down into his eye. He blinked. There was a mild stinging sensation. Why was he perspiring so heavily? He had never been this wet before, during, or after combat.

Sousuke looked around the area again. He wiped the moisture from his brow and returned to the book. There were other chapters listed under… uhhh…Sexual Union. Those sections included instruction in various types of foreplay, orgasm, sex positions, oral sex, paraphilia, and menage a tois. Kurz often mentioned that last category, when he discussed Kaname and Tessa, and what a certain young sergeant should set his sights for. However, the concept would not appeal to Kaname, and the commentary often earned Sgt. Weber a painful response from Lt. Mao.

"I should read further. There is no delaying things! That is a fatal quality in a soldier."

Perhaps he could find courage in the words of others. There had been countless things that he read in the past, which might have the power to focus his thoughts, or mold his actions. What might be appropriate? His thoughts were too jumbled to find things logically. He would just have to see what popped into his mind.

"A man's worth is no greater than the worth of his ambitions." Marcus Aurelius. Yes. To prove his worth to Kaname, he might well be expected to be ambitious in certain areas.

"Given the same amount of intelligence, timidity will do a thousand times more damage than audacity." Karl von Clausewitz. Indeed. He would need to remember that at all times. It was something worth repeating to himself.

"Few men are brave by nature, but good order and experience make many so. Good order and discipline in any army are to be depended upon more than courage alone." Niccolo Machiavelli. Good order. OK. Experience. That by definition would only come in time. He could not be expected to be a Specialist in everything. He might need to have Kaname read excerpts from 'The Prince,' however. Her expectations seemed different than those of other individuals. Perhaps that was why she was often successful in her many endeavors. It was certainly one reason why he had suffered his share of bumps and bruises.

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." Sun Tzu. No. Not directly. Kaname was not his enemy. But there was wisdom there just the same. He had as much to learn about Kaname as he did anything else. Those were all good quotes. He should be inspired now. Still, his hand hesitated to turn the pages any further.

"Ihr Racker, wollt ihr ewig leben?" In English, 'Rascals, do you want to live forever?' Spoken by Frederick the Great in 1757, when the guards hesitated at the battle of Kolin. That was certainly a famous line, one which had been repeated by other soldiers in different wars. There was an elegant simplicity. However, that very battle was Frederick's first defeat in the Seven Years war. That disaster forced him to abandon his intended march on Wien, entailed raising the siege of Prague, with the Prussians falling back on Leitmeritz. The Austrians, reinforced by the 48,000 troops in Prague, followed them, 100,000 strong, falling on Prince August Wilhelm of Prussia. The king was compelled to abandon Bohemia. Frederick blamed his defeat on his generals, but the greatest blame must be laid in Frederick himself. He opted for an assault against a numerically superior opponent. He chose a risky strategy for the battle. An often underestimated factor in the battle was the tenacious and skillful defense organized by the Austrian marshal Daun. In other battles Fredrick opted for the same flanking strategy, and won brilliant victories. The Austrian army under Daun not only withstood the Prussian assaults, but also selected the correct momentum for a careful counter-attack. And-

"Baka!" Sousuke used Kaname's own term for him. The whole point was to move forward, not become comfortably insulated by military minutia. It was something that Lt. Kalinin had subtly tried to teach him over the years. There was a time and place for everything. "Enough stalling!"

He read on.

The Kama Sutra contains a total of sixty-four sexual positions and depicts positions as arts. Vatsyayana believed there were eight ways of making love, multiplied by eight positions within each of these. In the book, they are known as the sixty-four Arts. The chapter listing… uhhh… sexual positions is the most well-known, and a translation It is commonly mistaken to be the entirety of the Sutra. However, only about twenty percent of the book is devoted to sexual positions. The remainder gives guidance on how to be a good citizen and insights into men and women in relationships. The Kama Sutra describes making love as "divine union". Vatsyayana believed that sex itself was not wrong, but doing it frivolously was sinful. The Kama Sutra has helped people enjoy the art of sex at a deeper level and can be considered a technical guide to sexual enjoyment, as well as providing insight into the sexual mores and practices of India in those times.

His hand relaxed and the book tumbled to the ground. At first, he stood numbly, but soon moved quicker than a mongoose striking at a cobra. Clutching the book against his chest, he looked around him yet again. No one. He checked his watch. There was still time before Kaname showed up. This was ridiculous. If Melissa was watching him, she would shake her head in disgust. If it were Kurz, he would be holding his sides, laughing like a madman.

If it were Kaname?

"Uhhh." Sousuke took a small pair of field glasses out of his bag. He scanned a greater area this time. The last thing he needed to happen was for Kaname stumble to upon him while he was reading this. "Why-" Fig Newtons came to mind. Why? He had eaten a fulfilling morning meal. "OK." Isaac Newton. Newton's first law of motion is often stated as 'An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.' He had to fight the urge to stay at rest. "It is only a book. Words will not hurt me. Illustrations will do me no harm." He opened the book again.

SITTING SEX POSITIONS OF KAMA SUTRA

Seated, mouth to mouth, arms against arms, thighs against thighs: this is Kaurma (The Tortoise).

If the lovers' thighs, still joined, are raised it is Paravartita (Turning).

If within the cave of her thighs you sit rotating your hips like a black bee, it is Markata (The Monkey).

And if, in this pose, you turn away from her, it is Marditaka (Crushing Spices).

She sits with raised thighs, her feet placed either side of your waist; linga enters yoni you rain hard blows upon her body: this is Kshudgaga (Striking).

"I will not be unfaithful-" It was a silly claim, in essence, since he was merely looking at hand-drawn individuals. The women in the ancient Indian artwork were beautiful. He found himself holding his breath at times, running his eyes over them. He had to stop that. But there were things that made him feel uncomfortable in other ways. The depictions of the men. If one were to judge by size, he might think that they were more equine than human in nature. Stop. That is not something a man should look at or think about!

Was his own size adequate?

Judging by some of the base doctors, or other soldiers in the showers, he would assume so. However, he could not be certain. "Enough." This was no topic for consideration! It was close to being indecent. He must continue. This was no time to consider the things that Kurz often babbled about: male enhancers and imported Belgian devices. In some ways, the world was a very frightening place. Arm Slaves were child's toys in comparison.

When your wife sits with both knees drawn tight to her body and you mirror this posture, it is known to experts in the art of love as Yugmapada (The Foot Yoke).

Seated erect, the lovely girl folds one leg to her body and stretches the other along the bed, while you mirror her actions: this is Yugmapada (The Feet Yoke).

If, with left leg extended, she encircles your waist with her right leg, laying its ankle across her left thigh, and you do the same, it is Svastika (The Swastika), named after an ancient good-luck talisman based on the symbolism of a cross whirling sun-wise.

Yes. The Nazis had used it the wrong way round, whirling widdershins. The Indian pundits always said this was sacrilegious and would doom them. They had been correct. However, no proof of causality was ever discovered. He was off topic again.

If he had a halsien, perhaps he should beat himself.

Sitting face to face in bed, her breasts pressed tight against your chest, let each of you lock heels behind the other's waist, and lean back clasping one another's wrists. Now, set the swing gently in motion, your beloved, in pretended fear, clinging to your body with her flawless limbs, cooing and moaning with pleasure: this is Dolita (The Swing).

Sitting erect, grip your lover's waist and pull her on to you, your loins continuously leaping together with a sound like the flapping of elephants' ears: this is Kirtibandha (the Knot of Fame).

Kneeling between her thighs, tickle her breasts and under her arms, call her 'my lovely darling' and-

His cell-phone suddenly rang. It caused him to jump. He dropped that book, along with his satchel. The other books and paperwork spilled out onto the ground. Some lose papers were caught in the wind and sent airborne, dipping and darting like feeding swallows.

"Who?" Sousuke fumbled at getting his phone out, wondering why he was suddenly acting like a klutz. If he tried to disarm a bomb or remove a mine in this state, he would end up spread across the four corners of the earth. The caller had hung up before he could answer. Looking at the small display, he pushed a button to illuminate it. It had been Kaname calling. Perhaps she had been calling to say she was sick, or would be late. Could she have been using the sound to pinpoint his location? He should have turned the ringer off!

"There you are. Sousuke!"

Gadzooks!

It was Kaname!

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