The Eromenos Pt. 01

The was terrifying. This was dangerous.

But Rah realized then that he had been quiet too long. That the older boy had seen the shock and recognition on his face. He felt a fast-rising panic.

Immanuel had indeed seen the growing fear. "Relax Rah...there is nothing to be worried about," he said calmly and reassuringly. "Your secret is both safe...and precious."

Rah gulped a few breaths of air, still not convinced. It was just something he was never emotionally prepared for; to have his darkest, hidden feelings suddenly exposed. It left him feeling...vulnerable, and definitely afraid. But the older boy went on saying soothing things and slowly Rah got his panic under control. Rising beneath that turmoil was again a burning curiosity...still tinged with fear, but what was all this about? What did it mean?

Finally, sensing Rah was at least a little more in control, and not looking like a frightened bird ready to take flight, Immanuel spoke once more. "Rah, have you ever heard of the House Ganymede?"

That gave the frightened student pause. Thinking hard, back over all his orientation since arriving at the campus, he recalled no mention of the House. There were of course, other Houses. These were usually administration-sanctioned bodies that represented selected themes across the academic sphere. Or some other group established with a clearly stated purpose. But he had never heard of a House Ganymede.

"No...I don't think so. Should I have?" he asked.

Immanuel chuckled, "No...no you shouldn't have. And in a way, I am glad you haven't."

At Rah's perplexed expression, the young man smiled. Reaching into his jacket, he pulled out a large key. The key was much larger than normal, or at least the disc meant for your fingers to hold was. It was also a dark red in colour. Passing the key over to Rah, he smiled.

"This is a key to the House Ganymede. Come by on Thursday evening, about nine p.m.,"

Rah reached out and took the proffered key. Other than the larger than normal disc at the end and the colour, it was otherwise normal. Looking closer, he saw the stylized letter 'H.G.' engraved on one side.

"You know the arts building in the West Campus?" Immanuel asked, and Rah nodded.

"I have classes there," he replied. "But I have never seen any signs for this place there."

"No, you wouldn't," Immanuel responded. "Go to the elevator next to the staff lounge on the ground floor. Don't bother pushing a button. Just put the key in and turn it," explained the young man. "It will take you to the roof where the House is located."

Rah, looked at the key and then the young man. His emotions were a mix of growing curiosity still undercut by worry and not little fear. Yet Immanuel seemed, at least so far, to be worth listening to. To be honest, if there was a scholarship involved, Rah realized he would go along with whatever this...secret was. He could always bail out later.

"And this scholarship...?" He asked.

"It will be easier to show you Rah," Immanuel smiled again. "Come by Thursday evening, and I will explain everything. If you don't like it...you are always free to hand back the key and leave."

Rah's eyes narrowed. "And what you might have guessed about me...about my..."

Immanuel held his hand up. "Your secret is safe, no matter what you decide. As I said it is precious."

Then the older boy slapped his thighs and standing, said good night. Immanuel walked across the square, passing close by the fountain. As he passed, Rah saw him flip a coin in...likely making a wish. Rah was intensely curious as to what that wish had been. He sat on the bench for another minute, trying to put everything that has just happened straight in his head. But it was difficult, there was so much he didn't know. With a shrug he got up and started home...thoughts all over the place with the implications of the evening.

Thursday Evening...

Rah walked through the main doors into the lobby of the arts building. He had taken the evening off from the café...something he wasn't happy about, but he needed time to think about what he was doing...and what the consequences might be. He had worn some nicer clothes; he wasn't sure what kind of group this House Ganymede represented, but if they offered scholarships, he wanted to make a good impression.

The building was five stories of stone and brick and was an impressive sight. Since it was the arts center for the campus, the grounds were dotted with statues and display art, while the lobby always had some sort of exhibition going on. This month it was water colour works of various themes. Rah admired many as he strolled past, heading for the staff lounge just off the main foyer. There were still quite a few students around as many spent their evening at the center working on their personal art projects.

Passing into a side hallway, Rah spotted the sign over the door marking the staff lounge. When he reached it, he noticed a narrow hallway down one side that must have escaped his notice before. It was just a plain hallway with no markings. With a shrug he walked down the hall which after about twenty feet turned a sharp corner and he found himself facing an elevator. Looking at it for a moment he wondered, not for the first time, if this was the right decision. But his fear of exposure and his shame at what his family and friends might think if his secret was discovered was balanced against getting a chance to complete university and be in a position to look after his family. With a deep breath, he pushed the elevator call button.

After a few seconds, there was an electronic beep and the elevator doors slid open revealing a very average looking space...probably big enough for five or six people comfortably. Stepping in and looking at the buttons, he saw one marked for each of the five floors. At the top was an unmarked key slot. Taking his key, he inserted and turned it. A small light came on, and the doors began to slide closed.

Before they got all the way, another student, a boy, dashed around the corner and called for Rah to hold. Instinctively Rah put out his hand to stop the doors.

"Thanks," the other boy said as he got in next to Rah.

"Where to?" Rah asked, pointing at the five floor buttons. But the other boy had already noticed Rah's red key in the key slot and smiled. Reaching into his own pocket he pulled out his own red key.

"Same as you it seems," and smiled at Rah.

The doors slid shut and the elevator started to rise. Rah tried to get a good look at his elevator companion...without looking like he was. Like Rah, the boy was very slim. His face was fine-boned and his hair a bit longer than was typical. The clothes were expensive and Rah could pick out some popular brand names. But the other boy seemed to notice Rah's examination.

"First time?" he asked in a soft voice.

Rah nodded. He was about to ask the other student about the House, but before he could answer, the elevator stopped and the doors slid open. The other boy stepped out and with a pleasant smile and wink, said, "Maybe I will see you later!"

Before Rah could answer, the other boy stepped out and turned left, going through a plain door on the side of the small foyer. Rah stepped out himself and found himself in an elegantly decorated room, with dark marble floors, shot with white ivory veins. The light fixings were gold and the walls a neutral stucco. There were two exits...the plain side door the other boy had gone through and a larger set of double doors directly across the lobby.

Should he follow the other boy, or was he supposed to go through the double doors? Before he could decide, one of the big double doors swung open and a stunningly beautiful young woman stepped through. She was a bit taller than Rah and had brown, smooth skin that looked East Asian. The girl had short bob hair that perfectly suited her lovely, narrow face. Huge brown eyes, tastefully highlighted with darkest midnight blue eye shadow, gazed warmly at Rah.

If that wasn't enough to get Rah's attention, the fact that she was wearing less clothes than any girl he had ever seen in public before froze him in shock. Her legs were fully bare and her hips only covered by a small sari that was more miniskirt than proper garment. Her bare midriff revealed a toned abdomen and her small bosom was covered by an intricate halter. She looked like an exotic dancer from a very saucy Bollywood film.

"You must be Rah," she said with a wide smile revealing perfect teeth, gleaming white.

Walking over to the stunned Rah, she slipped her arm around his and planted a warm kiss on his cheek. Rah remained frozen in shock. This kind of thing just didn't happen in his world! It wasn't done! That led to the larger thought...where am I?

"I'm Sela," the beautiful girl said with the same smile. "Welcome, it's wonderful to have you here!" she said happily. "Come on," she tugged at his arm and he allowed himself to be led through the open doorway. "Immanuel is here and he wants to talk to you!"

Sela led Rah into a large room, at least 50 meters across. The room was rectangular and the dominant feature was the rich, red carpets and thick velvet hangings along the walls. There were groups of sofas scattered around on which he could see a mixture of students...uniformly older than him and obviously seniors. All were male. But mixed in with them was maybe a dozen women in skimpy outfits, all equally as beautiful as Sela beside him. The atmosphere was quiet, but a background murmur of conversations and the occasional soft laughter came to Rah's ears. Above, Rah could see the stars of the night sky through the large, room-length skylight. The overall impression was one of gently decadent luxury.

Was the House Ganymede some sort of gentlemen's' club, he wondered? Rah had heard and read of such a thing but had no idea what a gentlemen's club was actually all about.

"Here he comes," Sela tugged his arm and pointed across the room. Rah followed her gauze and saw Immanuel walking towards him.

Sela turned to him, and with a squeeze of his arm, said in a warm and sincere tone, "Oh, I hope you decide to say yes." With that, he got one more dazzling smile and then she walked away towards a side entrance, partly obscured by heavy drapes.

"I am really glad you decided to come!" Immanuel said brightly as he walked up and stuck out his hand.

Rah took the proffered hand and gave his usual limp shake...but was too overwhelmed by everything to really think much about it.

Immanuel gave him a long, appraising look, before announcing with a wide gesture, "Welcome to House Ganymede!"

Rah glanced once more around him once again and beyond the décor, clientele, and scantily clad girls, he still had no clue as to what this 'House' was all about. Or what it might have to do with scholarships.

"Come," Immanuel motioned, "Let's sit down and I will explain everything."

Rah let himself be led over to a pair of comfortable looking sofa's facing each other across a narrow, center table. Around him no one seemed to pay any attention to them. He did catch a few of the girls cast glances his way and the occasional quick smile. If there was some sort of threat here, he wasn't seeing it.

None of it made any sense.

Immanuel cleared his throat. "So this is the House Ganymede," he said, gesturing at the room about him. "It is one of the oldest clubs in the university and has a long and...important history. Most of the deans of the university as well as many professors have been...and are, members. Beyond that many important men from our country's history, who attended this university, are alumni. All-in-all, it is very historied society." Rah was impressed.

Immanuel glanced around the room. "As you can see, we also have many senior students as members."

Rah had already noted that and kept his focus on the young man. So far, despite the obvious historical relevance of the House, he hadn't actually told Rah anything useful yet. Immanuel went on to explain how the roof-top structure had originally been intended as an atrium to hold art exhibitions, but when it was found that many types of art didn't appreciate the sun coming through the skylight, that plan was shelved. The House had moved in roughly twenty years ago. Previously it had been based in some other part of the campus.

"Rah, do you know the story of Ganymede?" asked Immanuel. The boy shook his head. "He was a young Greek," Immanuel continued. "A young man who was so beautiful, Zeus himself fell in love with him, and took him away to Olympus to serve at his side with the Immortals." Glancing around, "So that is where the name comes from."

Rah listened, filing the points away, but it was still nothing that gave him any clue why he was here. He could see maybe there was something about his secret status and the Greek myth, but what did it mean? Rah was about to ask Immanuel a direct question about how all this had anything to do with him when his attention was stolen by two more beautiful women emerging from the same side-curtained area Sela had disappeared into. Both were stunning. Long, lean bodies that were covered by only the skimpiest clothing. The tiny miniskirt one of the girls wore was bad enough, but the other appeared to be wearing a sort of loin cloth, with the front flap and back flap linked by a thin, silver chain. It was clear from her bare hips and thigh she was wearing nothing else underneath. Both had bare midriffs and wore stylish halters. Again, Rah noted that neither woman had much of a bust. One was completely flat-chested, and the other had only the tiniest bumps under her halter top. It occurred to Rah that the women seemed like runway models who often looked quite boyish. In fact, all the girls looked like Paris fashion models.

As the girls passed Rah and Immanuel, one of the two looked down and winked at him. A cold shock ran through Rah as she did. Beneath the professionally applied make up was the boy he had ridden up in the elevator with! Despite the transformation, he was sure it was him...her...that person! Looking back to Immanuel in confusion, Rah had no words.

The young man smiled; perhaps guessing what was going through the boy's mind. He waited a short time before he began speaking again.

"Rah, as you may be starting to realize, the House Ganymede has a special purpose," he said gently, looking enquiringly at Rah to see if he was grasping what he was saying.

"Remember when we talked about the groups of boys and girls in the square by the fountain...the separated groups?" he asked.

Rah, fixated now, nodded.

"Our culture is ancient and its standards and rules are part of what make us who we are as a people. But some of those practices, can be...difficult," he grimaced. "Young men are cut off from women in our society which puts them under great strain. The kind of strain that can affect their ability to concentrate on their studies. Our university fathers recognized this a very long time ago...and so, they sought ways to...alleviate that strain."

Rah finally spoke. "You use boys...like me?"

Immanuel shook his head. "If you mean gay, then the answer is yes and no. The school fathers first considered bringing in female prostitutes, but you can imagine what kind of trouble running an on-campus bordello might have caused for us. Also...it would have been wrong to take advantage of young women that way."

Looking around at the 'girls' in the room, Immanuel paused.

"While our culture has changed over the decades, we still treasure our women and wish to protect them. No university dean could countenance asking any man's daughter to go to her wedding bed as a spoiled dove."

"But that doesn't explain...them," Rah gestured at the 'girls' laughing and flirting with the clientele.

Immanuel leaned forward. "These are not gay boys in the traditional sense," he said in a serious tone. "Nor do most of our patrons have any interest in boys...gay or otherwise." The young man raised an eyebrow to see if Rah was following.

Looking at the feminine creatures, Rah had to agree. None of his friends would ever want to have another boy as a lover. He could think of few things anyone would want to accuse them of that would be more...horrific than being a homosexual. But looking at the 'girls' here, if it wasn't for the lack of breasts, he would have no idea that these weren't real women. He was sure his friends would be lusting after them all as well. Looking back at Immanuel, he nodded.

"These are the Eromenos," he said, nodding to the girls. "While true they were all born with male genitalia, each truly believes that they are really women."

Rah looked around the room at the stunning...and admittedly, altogether feminine girls. It was suddenly easy to see them as females.

"Unfortunately, in our culture, transgenders are not accepted. Not openly anyway. But we can show you the histories that going far back in our past, these special girls were always highly treasured. Our royalty would virtually always have a number of Eromenos concubines. The more beautiful your concubine, the more prestige you received from other nobility and the powerful of the day."

"It is a secret part of our traditions," he continued, "That we never really talk about openly, but all men of consequence in our history have treasured the Eromenos. They would take wives, as these men were not gay...and they loved them truly. But where families were built with their traditional wives, all remained loyal to the pleasures of the Eromenos." Immanuel paused to let Rah think over what he had just been told.

For his part, a thousand thoughts and images and dreams flooded through Rah's mind. He had heard whispers, stories that his male friends would laugh at derisively...but he had never really known about any of this. Never thought it could be real.

"And this is what House Ganymede is?" he asked, still a bit overwhelmed.

"Just so," said Immanuel. "The House provides Eromenos to select promising students, allowing them to focus their...energies on their studies. That is also why we have so many alumni who retain their membership. Many even return as professors and so too are valuable members."

"So...the..Eromenos?" Rah asked. "Are they....?" He wanted to say prostitutes, but wasn't sure if he could actually ask that and risk shaming them.

Immanuel smiled. "Not in the slightest," He answered firmly. "For each of the girls, this is the one place they can come and be themselves. Be loved, be adored, be treasured," He said wistfully. "Here they can be who they feel they are on the inside."

"But they have...sex with the men?" Rah asked curiously.

"Only if they choose to. No one can pressure an Eromenos to do anything. Our House rules are emphatic about that," he said firmly. "But it is true that in expressing their true selves, in receiving the adoration of our patrons, they often choose to give them that most special gift."

Immanuel chuckled, "I would hazard to say as well that once the fruits of lust have been tasted, all the Eromenos seek more of their special pleasure. Here they are treasured and valued and adored. That can be quite an aphrodisiac! Come, let me show you," he said standing and beckoning Rah to follow.

Rah, wasn't sure what he meant by 'show' but got up and followed the young man. Immanuel led them along the side of the room past curtained alcoves. In the dim light along the sides of the room, he could see maybe ten alcoves on either side. Many curtains were tied open, revealing beds, sofas or futons, all covered with a plethora of cushions and throws. A few curtains were closed and a couple were only half closed. Walking past a closed alcove, Rah suddenly heard a gasp and a grunt come from within. A chill went through him as he realized what those inside were doing.

Immanuel led him to a partially open curtain. The two sides were almost closed, but they left a gap of a few inches. "Ah, here is one," he said softly. "Come...look," he motioned to Rah. With a nervous gulp, Rah stepped forward to peer between the curtains. As he neared, he could hear panted breaths and soft murmurs of pleasure. Looking within, he could see a young man, probably a senior student, on his back on a futon. He was naked and his body glistening in a soft sheen of sweat. Crouched above him, facing away from the entrance, was a slim, sexy girl. Rah was mesmerized as he realized the man's erect cock was inside the girls back entrance! As he watched, she bounced up and down on the cock and it disappeared all the way inside before she withdrew slowly until it was almost free and then drove her ass down again, taking its full length inside.