“The period when the kabuki spirit flourished most conspicuously was probably the last thirty years of the sixteenth century, and the outstanding exemplar was the ruler himself, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Not only did Hideyoshi rise from humble origins to the highest power in the country--amazing even in an age of warfare and upheavals--but he deliberately defied the established conventions in every field. Like other parvenus, he delighted in wearing the trappings of the old aristocracy: he took the name Fujiwara and had himself appointed as the kampaku, or civil dictator, recalling the Heian court. He threw his energies into mastering the tea ceremony, the austere medieval rite, but enjoyed it most in the teahouse he built of solid gold. He also took pride acting in No, choosing the most difficult and lofty roles, and had special plays written at his command in which he performed as himself, a hero of legendary prowess with divine attributes.” --Donald Keene, World Within Walls (1976)

I may try this.

"I was chunky with carbon"

Boil.