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I'm often asked 'what is with all the
food in your yaoi?' The question is sometimes asked with exasperation
especially after launching the youtube videos Cook Like a Uke. The short answer is that food is about seduction – especially for
men. The adage – the way to a man's heart is through his stomach –
is true. In the every day world, it is a far more realistic and a
simpler writing device to have a male character become enthralled to
someone via cooking than through more elaborate romantic advances.
Bathtubs and fireplaces are very romantic, lend themselves to
nakedness easily and are fun to imagine. They are devices I employ
quite often and with great relish. However, I always base my
characters on reality no matter how fantastic the setting I put them
in. Men like food. I like cooking food. It's a very easy and fruitful
union for me and my characters.
I use food and sometimes cooking in
different ways in yaoi. I use it as a means of foreplay. My Semes and
my Ukes all love good food. They taste it and savor it the same way
they would the skin of their lovers. My characters are highly sensual
beings. The taste of great food combined with the reactions of their
lovers to the food often lead to heated sexual encounters. WARNING! Mild Spoilers Ahead!!
Andreas Hesper in Ensnared is first
attracted to the angelic yet diabolical Darius Galatea by the way the
powerful Lord enjoys his meal. He likens the way Darius eats his food
to watching foreplay by a master. He immediately wonders what it
would be like to have that intense attention of that mouth and that
tongue on his body. Heedless of the danger, Andreas felt compelled to
approach him because of that.
Truth
be told, he couldn't really explain what possessed him to behave that
way toward the most powerful man on the planet. He was far better
looking in person than Andreas expected. Mykos Estevan was very
attractive with his flowing platinum hair and strangely violet eyes.
But Lord Galatea was strikingly beautiful with that creamy skin and
hair the color of butter. The way the man enjoyed his food was like
watching foreplay by a master. Andreas found himself wondering what
it would be like to have that focus aimed at him. A simple
introduction would not do. He had to do something to make Darius
remember him beyond that night. Andreas believed he had succeeded,
but to what end? Viktor was right about Darius and his reputation. No
one refused him – ever.
Once
Andreas was in service with Darius as his body slave, he often finds
himself distracted when Darius is eating which often leads to being
dragged into the bedroom.
Andreas
was happy that his thoughts on the Convening were useful to Darius,
but he was having trouble concentrating. Darius was a very sensual
eater. The way he held and savored that sandwich reminded Andreas
strongly of how his Owner made love, and it was driving him crazy.
Though sore from the thorough use of his body the night before,
Andreas found himself hungry for more. Everything the Cosi did while
he enjoyed his meal reminded Andreas of their lovemaking. He could
hardly get through his own delicious sandwich for stealing glances at
Darius. Their leisurely lunch proceeded despite Andreas' growing
distraction.
“Look
at me, Andreas,” Darius murmured.
Andreas
complied, meeting those vibrant blue eyes that were gazing warmly at
him.
“What
has you so distracted?”
“You,
Darius. Your hands...your mouth...”
“Insatiable,
are you?”
“No...it's
you...what you do to me...”
Those
incredible blue eyes flashed before he stood. Andreas watched as his
Owner reached over to grab him by the hair, urging him to his feet.
In a swift, elegant move Darius pulled his Dami against him then
kissed him hungrily. Andreas felt a jolt of pure lust before his
knees buckled. Darius continued the kiss even as he swept Andreas
into his arms to carry him to the bedroom. During that brief trip,
Andreas buried his hands in Darius' silken hair and held fast. He
barely heard the bedroom door shut.
Andreas
even becomes possessive about anyone else witnessing what he found so
compelling as they spend more and more time together.
“What
is troubling you, besides the mess we left in the living room?”
“I'm
going crazy,” Andreas muttered. “You've made me crazy. I don't
want anyone seeing how you look when you eat. It shows too much of
who you really are.”
Darius
smiled at him kindly.
“Now,
you know how I feel about anyone looking at you at all. Your eyes,
your smile, the way you laugh are all compelling,” Darius said.
“And you are far more approachable than I am.”
“I
approached you.”
“Yes,
but only you could have gotten away with that,” Darius said. “You
are singular in exquisiteness to me. I will not permit anyone else
that access.”
“I've
never felt possessiveness before. It scares me and pisses me off,”
Andreas said. “I won't let anyone approach me. Even if I have to
wear the collar and tag openly all the time. I don't ever want to
cause you a moment of pain.”
Darius
gazed at him with great warmth.
“You
are well spent this evening, or I would make love to you again,”
Darius murmured. “However, I will hold you close through the night,
so you will be near my heart.”
For
Darius and Andreas in Ensnared Volume One and Volume Two, food is
something to sensually enjoy and often leads to lovemaking. Darius is
aware of how much his enjoyment rouses his lover, and makes sure that
it happens often. And though his arrogant Owner and lover exasperate
him, Andreas doesn't mind the distracting turmoil that meals bring
them.
For
Rik Heron and Vincent Greven in A Soldier's Choice and A Soldier's
Fate, food also leads to the bedroom but for different reasons.
Vincent is combative by nature. He can also be quite boisterous in
expressing himself most of the time, especially if he's ticked off.
However, he is very shy about expressing his most personal feelings.
He often uses food to show his love for Rik and later for their
cobbled together family. Rik loves Vincent's cooking for a number of
reasons. First off, it's delicious. He is often amazed at the skill
and care his lover takes in preparing their meals. The other reason
is that one of the rare times Vincent lets his real personality show
is when he is cooking. From A Soldier's Choice:
I had never imagined that cooking
would be a pleasure I shared with a lover. It was always difficult to
watch Vincent without him becoming self-conscious and prickly. That
didn’t happen when he was cooking. The process absorbed his
attention making him lower his guard. His perpetual scowl was gone
leaving the angelic, placid visage that I usually only glimpsed when
he was sleeping. I sneaked long looks at him as often as my peeling
or chopping allowed. When his gaze met mine, the expression in his
eyes was soft and open. I adored the challenging and wicked glint
that graced Vincent’s eyes most of the time, but there was
something about that soft gaze that tugged at my heart. It could have
shifted the mood, but I took the chance to tell him so.
A smile tugged at his lips, but his
expression remained soft and open.
“I used to hate that smirk of
yours,” he admitted quietly. “Then I realized it was part of your
battle face – like my frown. And you’re smirk wasn’t always
smug or all-knowing. Sometimes, you mock yourself; sometimes you’re
daring me. I like your smirk, but I love how you look when you first
open your eyes.”
“Why?”
“It’s a look that’s only for
me,” he said with a slight blush. “I see everything in your eyes
– what you feel about me and who you really are.”
Vincent let me corner him and draw him
into long, lazy kisses while the fragrant soup stock simmered. In the
back of my mind, I knew he was using a very pleasant diversionary
tactic on me, but the rest of my body just didn’t care. I relished
kissing that lush sweet mouth to my heart’s content.
Despite these practical reasons for
having food play a role in the Soldier's titles, I still allow Rik
and Vincent to let the pure sensuality of food propel them to the
bedroom. Occasionally, food has been a major plot point for dangerous
intrigue.
That really is the short reason of why
I use food in yaoi. I could go on a lot longer. So enjoy the food
along with my guys, and check out Cook Like a Uke!
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