roneal | (no subject)

"Sorry," he murmurs, taking another sip. "Bold is a nice way of putting it."

After all, Irvin threw him down outside. But everything's settled down now and, though he's sore again, he feels at ease. Maybe his body and mind are so worn out, he's finally able to relax because that's all he can do anymore. And he worries he's a bit too bold, too, when he nuzzles Jade's neck.

"You got hard last time. Watching Irvin take me." He refills their cups once they're empty. "So that's something you're into, but not all of your guests?"

It's not exactly pleasant, being reminded of his own perversion, but Jade had enough time to come to terms with it by now. His body doesn't even tense and betray him; he just nods slowly, still smiling.

"Their tastes are quite varied. You'll learn most of them in time, but I don't think you need to concern yourself with him." Mostly because he isn't with the slavers, but he can't exactly tell Shinjirou that. "He prefers his partners to be more innocent. Now that he's seen you like that, I doubt any amount of pretending you do will interest him."

"You make it sound like I want him to be interested in me." Which he would be, if it was something Jade wanted. It doesn't seem like that's the case and so Shinjirou isn't bothered either. Though it is a bit odd, he figures that it must have something to do with Jade not liking the guy. Weird that he invited him at all, but enjoying the sight of someone getting fucked by a dog is weirder and Shinjirou doesn't give it much more thought than that.

"As long as Mr Curtiss is still interested in me," he says, trailing off, watching Jade closely. What he sees as mild teasing may not be all that amusing to Jade -- but he's also trying to find out if he got the name right.

So he remembers. It's unfortunate that they're so close; Jade can't stop himself tensing slightly from surprise. If Shinjirou hadn't been pressed against him, he probably would have been able to conceal it.

Ah well. It can't be helped - the tensing, and his associate's slip of the tongue. Shinjirou knowing shouldn't be too much of a problem, at least. There's little he can do with the information.

"Please, just call me Jade," he says lightly, completely relaxed once more. "Or I really might lose interest."

The response is at the same time not surprising and almost shocking. Jade's mask slips so rarely that Shinjirou doesn't expect it to happen no matter what, but on the other hand it's a normal reaction and, just maybe, Jade's also pretty normal when he isn't a pervert and a tease.

He nods, resting his head on Jade's shoulder again. For a moment he's quiet, thinking. Then he whispers his response: "Yes, Jade." He doesn't want Jade to lose interest. For all the embarrassing, painful situations he's been put through, being with Jade is safer than running around and being a threat to innocent people. Discipline is easier to achieve when it feels better to accept and submit rather than fighting against everything and everyone, especially himself.

"Sounds nicer anyway."

"I agree." He's never been particularly fond of his adoptive family. The years had only widened the gap between them.

It's warm, with Shinjirou curled up against him and the sake sending heat through his whole body. His lids are starting to grow heavy. Draining his cup, he gently disentangles himself from Shinjirou and stands, still steady despite the drinks he had.

"I'm going to bed."

"Huh. Me too." It's been a long day, even if in the end it didn't turn out as bad as Shinjirou had at some point feared it would. Sitting up, he gathers the sake and their empty cups. After putting them into the sink to take care of it tomorrow, he joins Jade.

And wonders if it'd be acceptable to make a request. With mostly an aggressive dog around to play with, he's got to admit to himself that quietly resting his head on another human's shoulder is a nice reprieve. Jade's day has obviously been stressful so far, though. Watching him with a frown, Shinjirou eventually decides against asking if it'd be okay to sleep in his bed and drops onto the futon.

"Anything I need to know about tomorrow?"

"No, I think we'll take it easy for a few days."

And they do, for over a week. He returns Irvin to his owner at the agreed time, along with the tapes, but that's the only big change. Other than that, Jade holes up in his study and works, collecting information and making deals, carefully cultivating his connections with honeyed words and filthy promises.

Shinjirou gets his usual list of chores and a new cookbook, but that's all. Aside from walking Irvin, Jade doesn't take him out of the house again, and the toys and clothes they had bought lie in storage, unused.

It's a period of recovery and a test of Shinjirou's patience both. Finally, one night over dinner when Shinjirou's bruises and cuts have faded to almost nothing, Jade says: "By the way, I've been invited to a party. It's taking place in two days."

Not having to do anything is sort of pleasant, even if he's suspicious at first. He eases into the schedule until he actually feels comfortable, every day being the same over and over again. There's new dishes to try and he makes note of what meets Jade's approval and what he seems to really, really like.

And while Irvin's still around, he uses the time outside to meet Takaya. The drugs are safely tucked away in his pillow case. It's easy to hide something there when he's doing the laundry all day by himself and apart from feeling sleepy after starting up his dose again, there's no change. He takes good care of his body, using the salves every day before going to bed and it's a lot easier to get enough sleep when you're not out on the streets.

Just when he's almost lulled himself into the false belief that his life will be blissfully boring from now on, Jade mentions a party. Jade never mentions anything just because. Raising an eyebrow, he sets down his fork. "... I'm not really a party person."

Edited 2014-11-21 15:57 (UTC)

"I doubt you've had very many experiences." Jade also sets down his fork, reaching for his drink. "At any rate, I've promised to bring you. I know a few of the attendees are quite eager to meet you."

"Nah." Shrugging, he turns his attention back to his not yet empty plate. "What did you tell them? Bet it isn't about my cooking."

Which is alright. He hasn't forgotten what he's been mainly bought for. And it's still a compliment, isn't it? He relaxes again, nibbling on a small piece of meat. "So you're going to let them fuck me, I guess. Never had more than two at a time. Sounds fun." Partially, he's being sarcastic. But then he's also honestly curious what it'll be like. At least he doesn't think his assumption is wrong. "As long as we're not talking animals here."

"No, they're all human." Shinjirou is taking this better than he had thought. Perhaps this isn't much to him, after what had happened with Irvin.

"It shouldn't be much of a challenge for you, but I thought I should warn you ahead of time." As funny as it would be to drop him into it unawares, that would probably cross a line. "And besides, I'd like your input on something. Would you prefer to be tied up or free to roam around the party?"

"Uh, yeah. Thanks," he murmurs, a bit surprised that Jade's nice enough to not send him into that kind of situation completely unprepared, but one raised eyebrow turns into two with Jade's next words. Slowly, he lowers the fork again, staring at Jade until he feels heat creep up his neck.

Roaming freely, people just grabbing and taking him as he moves through the crowd -- or lying around all night, constrained and ready for use. The pictures his mind paints are very detailed, but he no longer hopes in vain that Jade won't notice his thought process. Licking his lips, he makes his decision. Now he only has to admit it out loud.

"Tied up. I'd ... like that."

While Shinjirou is busy turning over the possibilities in his head, Jade finishes his dinner and sips at his tea, quietly meeting Shinjirou's stare. He doesn't smile, doesn't tease - just waits.

"Tied up how?" He presses. The choice isn't too surprising; Jade hadn't been certain what Shinjirou would choose, but it seems like he would enjoy having as little freedom as possible. "You've been thinking about it for awhile. You must have some ideas."

Of course he's also thought about the how. Having Jade ask makes him shift on his chair, pushing the remaining vegetables around when he normally doesn't like to see anyone play with his food.

"I want to be able to use my hands. Not in a way that I could free myself." He sits up straight, knowing very well by know that posture is important, especially when he's hit with the urge to curl up and make himself smaller. "Tie me up so I can still use my hands and mouth to -- to take care of the guests. I want them able to choose what part of me they're going to use."

Every word making its way out of Shinjirou's mouth fills Jade with warm satisfaction. Pride, too; he had done an excellent job on him.

"I'll see what I can do." The logistics may be a problem; it's much easier if he could have Shinjirou's arms and hands restrained too. Perhaps he could be bent over a bench and tied down there, or he could simply be chained to a wall - but no, that won't provide enough immobilization.

He has other plans in mind, but he'd rather not tell Shinjirou too much yet. "I think that will be all for now. The party will probably last all night. I suggest you get plenty of rest the day before."

"Thank you." The gratitude is real and he barely feels any embarrassment anymore. He blames spending too much time with Irvin for the latter. Being happy about getting tied down, that may just be him. "I'll prepare myself properly."

Mentally as well as physically. He'll need to hydrate himself, eat something light and go to bed early, take a thorough shower on the day itself and not let himself get too excited nor agitated. Sighing, he gets up to take care of their empty plates and cups.

"Are you going to watch them using me?"

"Probably not. I have people I need to speak with." He remains seated for the moment, watching Shinjirou clean up. "But there'll be plenty of other people watching."

He's still not entirely sure if Shinjirou has an exhibitionist streak or if he craves his attention specifically. Jade suspects it's the latter, but he may as well find out.

"Oh. I see." He fails to keep the disappointment entirely out of his voice. Jade watching him isn't as nice as Jade touching him, but it's still ... it grounds him. He can tell whether Jade approves or not as long as he's close and that, embarrassingly, matters to him a lot more than he'd like to admit.

Clearing his throat, he turns around, hands gripping the edge of the counter. "Dessert?"

Those three words are enough to confirm his suspicions, even without the barely-hidden gloom in Shinjirou's voice. He smiles inwardly, but his expression remains smooth as he shakes his head.

"Not tonight." He stands. "Thank you for the meal."

He doesn't say anything else on the matter until the day of the party, and not until they're inside the car and on their way to the gathering. The sunlight stripes through the windows in dark reds and burnt oranges; Jade has to squints slightly against the glare.

"We'll be there soon," he says, glancing over at Shinjirou when they stop at a traffic light. He had been allowed to dress for the journey. "You can talk tonight, but only once you're tied down."

He looks at him more closely. "Are you ready?"

Well, is he? He's gotten enough sleep and is wide awake at the moment, an undercurrent of energy buzzing under his skin, but otherwise he's calm. He's had three liters of water and tea, so he won't dry out within an hour. And he's squeaky-clean, too, though that's more for the guests than for himself. Hell, he's even combed his hair properly. He wants to do well tonight.

Shrugging, he looks over at Jade. "I think so, yeah. A bit nervous, maybe."

There's no sympathy from Jade. "It won't impact on your performance, I hope," he says, calm and detached.

The light turns green. Smoothly, he turns away from Shinjirou and starts driving again. Less than a minute to go, now.

Shinjirou spends his last moments in peace with himself, clearing his mind. He concentrates fully on his own breathing, in and out, in and out. Whatever his mind has already come up with, the party will probably be different and he needs to be aware of that especially now that they're going to arrive soon.

It works. When he gets to leave the car, he stretches and takes a quick look around without bothering too much about memorizing any details. He stays behind Jade, his eyes on the ground and his hands folded in front of his body, and he doesn't utter a single word. Being alert while not eavesdropping is hard, but he practiced a bit in his limited free time and it's a lot easier than it was with the first guest.

Even if he ends up not liking this particular activity, he wants to leave a good impression. For Jade. He's aware he's growing attached and that he shouldn't -- but he's rarely been this calm and confident about not panicking and that's thanks to Jade's help.

The place Jade had brought them to is a modern-looking building, all steel and glass and cold marble flooring. The lobby is well-lit but mostly empty; the lone receptionist is conversing with someone in low tones. Jade ignores them, leading the two of them down a sweeping staircase into the basement floor.

There are a few more people there. Jade takes a moment to make sure Shinjirou's collar is clearly visible before he goes to speak with a uniformed staff to sign in - with an identification number, names are rarely used in these sorts of gatherings. It only takes a few seconds before they're allowed to proceed into a function hall.

They've arrived early, so the hall is mostly devoid of guests. But there's still plenty of frantic bustle going on, with hired staff and slaves busy laying out food and drink, while some people, like Jade, are preparing their slaves for the night ahead. They're mostly scattered around the sides of the hall, in discreet but still easily-accessible locations. Some of the slaves are simply collared and chained like a dog outside its kennel; a few are completely immobilized, their skin half-hidden by ropes and silks; fewer still are placed in even more elaborate setups. Just from a glance, Jade can see a slave tied to a post, his back bared and waiting for a whip, while on the other side of the room there's a slave lying rigidly on a bench, surrounded by unlighted candles and bowls of heated wax.

Jade gives Shinjirou little time to look, bringing him directly to their assigned station. There's a short, cushioned bench there, as he had requested, along with a spreader bar and some rope. And plenty of lube, of course.

He sets his own bag onto the ground, retrieving a small box. "Strip," he orders. "Then get onto your knees and lie across the bench."

Shinjirou is probably nervous. He hadn't told him just how large the party would be, after all, or that there would be other slaves around. Jade doesn't pre-emptively reassure him; he's more interested in how Shinjirou reacts. Who knows, perhaps he might not even need reassuring.

Shinjirou would very much like to claim that his initial, instinctive reaction is one of disgust. That wouldn't be true. Instead of being repulsed, like he probably should be -- slaves lined up, nearly all of them chained to something or tied up, they're all people and they're all going to be used as if they weren't -- Shinjirou is relieved. He's not the only one and while most slaves look the part, there are a few who he would've never expected in the position they're currently in. One of them looks his way and their eyes meet for a brief moment: There's excitement and desire.

He takes a shallow breath and forces himself to drop his gaze to the floor again. That's where he's supposed to look, after all. Still, he glances at the masters and their slaves, the different ways in which they're bound by ropes, chains. Even those who haven't undressed yet are easy to spot, thanks to their collars. It makes him want to raise his hand and brush his fingers over his own. Instead, he raises his head higher as if to show it off. It stretches with every beat of his heart. Then they arrive ... and he doesn't know what exactly he expected anymore.

Heat spreading from his chest over the rest of his body, tips of his ears and cheeks burning the worst, he withstands the urge to touch the bench. He'll spend the entire night on it, there's no reason to give in to his curiosity, and Jade something to reprimand him for. Or to mock him. Neither is all that appealing, not when other people are around.

"Yes," he mutters, carefully pulling his clothes off, folding and setting them aside. He can feel a few eyes on him and ignoring them is difficult, but not impossible. They're wandering over everyone, he knows, the attention isn't really on him as a person. Dropping to his knees, he looks up at Jade. Drawing a last shaky breath, he moves forward and places himself on the bench as demanded. Having his chest pressed against something, he can feel just how fast his heart is hammering away. At least so far it's not too uncomfortable. That may change with the ropes and that thing. "Like this?"