(no subject)
The market is, objectively speaking, a miserable place. Precious few of the merchandise are happy to be there, nude and bound and collared - sometimes even caged - free for every prospective customer to examine. Few of the customers are happy either. Prices are high, and the press of so many bodies create a stifling atmosphere.
All in all, it is exactly what Jade had expected. He strolls leisurely through the market, not particularly bothered by what is going on around him. It was one of the reasons he had been chosen for this assignment. Today is his first day at the market; he's meant to speak with the vendors, make connections, and walk away with a cheap but handy acquisition.
He's working on the last part now. It's surprisingly difficult to find someone useful and docile, but still with some spirit left - he does not trust the older slaves who are complacent with the system.
It's during his second time looping through the market that someone catches his eye - for all the wrong reasons. He stops, stares at the familiar figure in front of him, an uncharacteristically surprised expression flashing over his face.
Then he's smiling again. He's still unsure if this is a good turn of events, but perhaps he could use this to his advantage.
"My my, I didn't expect to see you here."
All in all, it is exactly what Jade had expected. He strolls leisurely through the market, not particularly bothered by what is going on around him. It was one of the reasons he had been chosen for this assignment. Today is his first day at the market; he's meant to speak with the vendors, make connections, and walk away with a cheap but handy acquisition.
He's working on the last part now. It's surprisingly difficult to find someone useful and docile, but still with some spirit left - he does not trust the older slaves who are complacent with the system.
It's during his second time looping through the market that someone catches his eye - for all the wrong reasons. He stops, stares at the familiar figure in front of him, an uncharacteristically surprised expression flashing over his face.
Then he's smiling again. He's still unsure if this is a good turn of events, but perhaps he could use this to his advantage.
"My my, I didn't expect to see you here."
no subject
"A week? You're going to stay with us for an entire week, Irvin? Yes?" Dogs are easier to talk to and Irvin is no exception. "We'll play together lots!"
no subject
"I left some toys for him at the front door. Feel free to use them; you'll be responsible for looking after Irvin." He steps closer, intending to slip past them and out of the bedroom. "I'd like to have dinner at seven, but other than that, you're free for the night."
no subject
"Why." First Jade is giving him a chance to flee and now he's giving him a dog to take care of and play with. He hasn't done anything that should earn him either of the two. Getting a bed is good enough. So ... this must lead up to something different.
no subject
His blatant sidestepping of the issue also serves as a warning: Shinjirou isn't meant to question his commands and the reasoning behind them, much less demand an explanation. Jade has never been transparent and he isn't about to start now, especially not to his slave.
no subject
There's too much he doesn't understand and the bits he does get, he can't accept just like that.
no subject
But he knows how to be diplomatic. Shinjirou had decided to stay; now it's simply a matter of convincing him he made the right choice. "Is something the matter?"
no subject
He gets up, slowly, leaving enough distance between him and Jade that the chain isn't within his immediate reach. Getting into a fight with a dog between them isn't a good idea, but he can't bow down now. Either that fire is going to be extinguished, or it's going to burn him down.
no subject
He's hoping it won't come to blows, however.
"It's making you angry, I see." His voice is still steady, his expression calm. "You told me you couldn't control yourself when angry. Should I be afraid?"
no subject
"Shut up." He takes another step back. Just to be safe. If anything, he doesn't want to hurt Irvin accidentally. None of this is the dog's fault. "Shut the fuck up."
no subject
For a moment, Jade is quiet, wondering if he should back down peacefully. But he can't just follow Shinjirou's commands; that would cause him to be seen as weak, and he can't afford that.
"I shouldn't have to compensate for your deficiencies," Jade says coolly. This situation will have to be resolved someday; it might as well be today, when he hasn't invested as much time and effort into Shinjirou as he could have.
He's still hoping that this could be resolved peacefully. Perhaps if he turns Shinjirou's anger and loathing against himself...
no subject
It's the voice in the back of his head that's making him the angriest: kneel, apologize, submit. He growls, staring back with his hackles raised. "Piss off. You don't know anything about me."
no subject
"I know plenty." More than Shinjirou thinks, probably, but he doesn't see the need to reveal the fact he's been digging into his history. "You've told me plenty, and your behaviour now only confirms it."
He takes a step forward. "You're quite the hazard to those around you, aren't you?"
no subject
His voice cracks. "I'm not a hazard, I'm just." Scared. Confused. And he has no fucking clue how to deal with it other than lash out. He knows that. It sucks, he hates it, but as long as he isn't around people, everyone is safe. Shit, he should have left. Live in the woods by himself. He grabs for the closest piece of furniture and throws it to the ground.
"Fuck off!"
no subject
"You're doing an excellent job of proving my point." Shinjirou could have just as easily thrown that at him, Jade realizes. It seems his desire to not cause harm trumps even his anger. But just how long can he hold on to that tenuous control? "You're dangerous. You need to be restrained."
no subject
It's solid and he lets himself be swallowed up in that feeling. Why can't he be like that? Jade's capable of it. Every order bringing relief, no need to figure out what's right or wrong. It's becoming exhausting to keep his aggressive posture up, but he's not about to give up just yet.
no subject
After a quick glance to make sure there are no throwable items within Shinjirou's reach, Jade approaches, slow and careful. He comes to a stop a few paces away from Shinjirou, tension in every muscle of his body. Shinjirou is close to giving up, it seems, but it's possible he'll have one final outburst.
"Someone has to. You're clearly incapable of controlling yourself." It's not entirely true, but it's something Shinjirou believes, so Jade relentlessly preys on it. "Continuing the way you've been, it's only a matter of time before you cause irreparable harm."
no subject
He can't let it happen again.
Jade is here, payed for him even, offered to help. As long as there's someone between him and other people, protecting them by keeping him down, he could live on. Be useful in a twisted way, too. He licks his lips. Just drop onto your knees and everything will be okay.
"Try me," he says instead.
no subject
It's not what Jade wants to hear. He lets silence settle over the two of them, heavy and stifling, as he wonders whether or not to take another risk. Then he remembers that note of breathless desire in Shinjirou's voice.
Slowly, deliberately, he turns his back in Shinjirou and walks away. "Come, Irvin," he says, and the dog rises to his feet immediately. "Heel."
no subject
"Tch. You're just inviting an attack now." Why.
no subject
no subject
"Tell me."
no subject
"I'm letting you go. I don't see much point in keeping someone so unwilling to change. Assuming all goes well, someone will take you back to the market tomorrow." He pauses. "Unless you'd rather be turned out into the streets now?"
no subject
Shivering, he walks up to Irvin and gets down on all fours beside the dog. His eyes are set on the ground, head hanging low. He can't talk anymore, he's choking on his own tongue. This is his place, this is where he belongs. No better than a dog.
But ... dogs are good. They can be trained, they can make their owners happy. He releases a hitched breath. It's Jade's decision, like everything else. To demand that he should listen to Shinjirou's begging now -- don't do it, keep me -- would just be another mistake.
He keeps his mouth and eyes shut, waiting.
no subject
Nevertheless, his victory is tainted by a hint of unease - this is a heavy responsibility, he's being entrusted with the keeping of Shinjirou's body and his mind. But Jade pushes his feelings aside. Neither of them have any choice; he'll simply have to do the best he can.
"Go back to the bedroom," he says at last, his voice carefully devoid of any emotion. "Face the wall, and cross your hands together above your head."
no subject
He makes no assumptions about what's going to happen next. Whatever it is, it's going to be the right choice for him. His mind empties, is filled with the simple texture of the wall, his breath shallow but evening out again. This is good. Sickly sweet warmth fills his stomach, every cell, because this is as much giving up as it is giving in.
There's nothing to hide behind. No way to pretend later he wasn't sober, wasn't in a right state of mind. Fully awake and having spent hours thinking about the situation, and he's come to this conclusion.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...
...